The streets of Metal City were starting to glow under the late afternoon sun, the sharp angles of the buildings softened by golden light. The noise of the market and street battles still rang behind me, but with every block I put between myself and the central plaza, the volume dropped.
Earlier, just before leaving the busier streets, I'd spotted a small repair shop where an older man was struggling to move a heavy crate of spare stadium sidewalls. Without thinking too much, I stepped in and helped him carry it inside. It wasn't much work — just a few minutes of lifting and shifting — but he'd thanked me and pressed a few coins into my hand. "Buy yourself something to eat," he'd said with a grin.
It was the first real money I'd touched in this world, and it felt… solid, grounding.
I didn't have a destination in mind now — just walking, letting my feet take corners without planning. The adrenaline from my battle with Ryo had burned off, leaving behind a strange calm.
My path eventually opened into a quieter district. Rows of modest houses sat close together, their gardens trimmed neatly, the air carrying the faint scent of someone's cooking. The streets here were narrower, almost peaceful compared to the energy of the plaza.
And then I saw it — a broad bridge arching over a calm, wide river. The water reflected the orange sky in broken shards, shifting gently with the current. I slowed my pace until I was standing in the middle, hands resting on the railing, looking down at the way sunlight sparkled off the surface.
For a few minutes, I just stood there, letting the hum of the city fade into the background. This spot felt… detached from the chaos. No clashing Beyblades. No BP rankings. Just the sound of water and the occasional call of a bird overhead.
I thought about my old world. About the park near my apartment where I used to battle with cheap plastic launchers and scratched-up Beys. Back then, winning or losing didn't mean anything — just bragging rights with friends. Now, here, every battle had weight. Every point earned or lost could change how people saw you.
And me? I was starting from nothing. No BP. No allies. No family.
That last thought lingered. The people who raised me were gone. Even before this world, I'd been living alone on what they'd left behind. Now, there was no bank account, no safety net. Just me and Primordial Abyss Snake.
The wind picked up slightly, brushing my hair across my forehead. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
"I guess it's just us now," I murmured, looking down at Snake in my hand. The black Fusion Wheel caught the fading sunlight, glinting faintly.
My stomach growled, breaking the moment. I chuckled under my breath and crossed the bridge, finding a small food stall still open. I spent the coins from the shopkeeper on skewers and a bottle of water — nothing fancy, but enough to fill me up.
By the time I wandered back toward the river, the sky had deepened into a richer orange, and long shadows stretched across the grass embankments. I spotted a dry patch under the bridge, sheltered from view. It wasn't exactly a bed, but it was better than sleeping out in the open.
I set my bag down, lay back on the grass, and watched the last light fade above the bridge's arch. From here, the city felt distant — just muted echoes of conversation and the faint metallic clang from a far-off battle.
The grass was cool beneath me, and the steady rhythm of the river was oddly comforting. My eyes traced the patterns in the clouds as I replayed the day in my mind: waking up here, my first encounter with Ryo, the weight of Snake in the new string launcher, the crowd's reaction when I'd actually won.
It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Tomorrow, the rookie bracket would begin. My first official matches. Real BP.
I curled one hand around Snake, holding it against my chest. The connection was still there — not a physical vibration, but something in my awareness, like Snake was more than just parts and metal.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
No ties. No obligations. No one to answer to.
It meant there was nothing to lose.
It meant I could throw myself into this world without hesitation.
And as I closed my eyes, the last thing I thought before drifting into a light, river-lulled sleep was simple:
Tomorrow, we start climbing.