A sharp gust of morning wind brushed against Axamu's cheek.
He groaned softly as his eyelids fluttered open, sunlight cutting into his blurred vision. The smell of asphalt, dust, and early morning air filled his lungs. Slowly, he pushed himself up — his body aching, trembling slightly from exhaustion.
"…Where… am I…" he muttered, rubbing his head.
The faint sound of city traffic echoed nearby. As his sight adjusted, his surroundings came into focus — and his heart nearly stopped.
He was standing right in front of the Beyblade X Stadium — the very same place where he had met the glitch man last night.
Except now… everything was normal.
No void.
No distortion.
No black lightning or twisted sky.
Just the city — calm, ordinary, bathed in warm morning light.
Axamu's breath caught in his throat.
"Wait… this place—"
Then it hit him.
The memory. The void. The battle. The black eye.
His eyes widened, panic surging.
"Where's that man?!"
He spun around, searching the empty streets — the corners, the alleys, even the shadows under the bleachers. Nothing.
Not a single trace of him.
The stadium sat silent, the gate locked, as if nothing had ever happened.
"What…?" Axamu whispered, his voice trembling. "How… how did I get here…?"
A sharp pain stabbed through his head.
"Ugh—!"
He dropped to one knee, clutching his temple as fragments of last night flashed before his mind — flashes of light, the void, thunder, the Eye, the final strike—
—and then nothing.
A blank.
An empty void in his memory.
"I… I can't remember what happened in the last moment…" he muttered, sweat dripping down his neck. "Who… who won that battle…?"
Silence answered him. The hum of the morning breeze was the only sound left.
Then suddenly — a cold realization crawled up his spine.
His eyes widened.
"Wait!"
He stood up sharply. "The quest—!"
He frantically waved his hand in front of him, trying to summon the familiar blue hologram.
"System! Show me the quest!"
Nothing appeared.
He called again, louder this time.
"System!"
Still nothing. Not a flicker, not a glitch, not even static.
"…System?" His voice cracked slightly, echoing into the empty morning air.
No response.
Only the sound of distant birds and the faint rustle of wind.
Axamu's shoulders trembled. He looked down at his palms — scraped, trembling, still faintly sore — and a chill passed through him.
The system was gone.
But that quest… "Win or Lose. Reward: You will lose everything."
What did it mean?
Did he win? Did he lose?
And if he did lose — what exactly did he lose?
His head throbbed again, his vision flickering for a brief second — just for an instant, he thought he saw a faint distortion in the air in front of him, like a dying glitch.
Then it vanished.
"…What the hell is happening to me…" Axamu whispered, his voice breaking slightly.
He stood there in silence, in front of the stadium, the morning sun rising above him — shining light over a world that felt suddenly wrong.
Somewhere, faintly, a whisper echoed in his head.
Not from outside.
From within.
"...Ẅ̷͎́e̸͜͝'̸̺̿r̶͍͐e̷̞̍ ̵̡͘ṉ̶̕ò̸̞t̵̰͝ ̵͈̚d̴̘̓ő̸̥n̸̡͑e̸̪̅ ̷͉̿ẏ̷̪e̷͍͠t̷̩͑…"
Axamu froze, eyes wide.
"…What… was that…?"
But when he looked around again, there was nothing.
Only silence.
Only light.
Only the beginning of another day —
that shouldn't have existed.
---
The small bell above the door chimed softly as Axamu pushed it open.
The familiar scent of metal, dust, and faint plastic polish from Beyblade parts filled his nose.
He exhaled, relief washing through him like a warm wave.
The sight of the old wooden counter, the shelves of parts, and the faint hum of the display lights — all of it was normal.
"…Looks like nothing happened after all," he muttered under his breath, forcing a tired smile.
As he stepped inside, a cheerful voice came from behind the counter.
"Welcome!"
It was the boss's daughter.
Her usual gentle smile and tidy appearance made Axamu's heart ease for a moment.
"I'm home," he said softly, smiling tiredly.
But her smile froze.
"…Huh?"
Axamu blinked, confused.
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing a little as she looked him up and down.
"Um… who are you?" she asked carefully. "And why did you say I'm home?"
His smile vanished instantly.
"…Eh?"
Before he could say anything, the boss came out from the back room, wiping his hands with a towel.
"What's going on?"
"Dad," the daughter said, still eyeing Axamu cautiously. "This guy came in and said I'm home like he lives here or something."
The boss frowned, confused. "What? Are you okay, boy? Did you come to the wrong shop or something?"
Axamu froze.
His chest tightened.
The air felt heavier.
"…What are you talking about, Boss?" he said, his voice trembling. "It's me… Axamu. I—I've been working here. For three months!"
The boss's expression hardened.
"Three months? What nonsense are you talking about? I've never hired you in my life!"
Axamu's heart stopped.
"W…what…?"
The boss's tone sharpened, frustration mixing with concern.
"Are you messing with me? You look pale, boy. Did you hit your head or something?"
"Wait—wait!" Axamu stammered, stepping closer. "Boss, it's me! I've been staying upstairs—! You told me I could use that room, remember?!"
The boss scowled, stepping back slightly.
"There's no one upstairs. That room's been locked for years."
The words hit Axamu like a hammer.
He felt his breath quicken — his vision slightly blurring.
"No… no, that's not right…" he whispered. "I… I was here every day… fixing launchers, cleaning the shop, helping the kids…"
The boss's daughter whispered quietly, "Dad… maybe he's sick…"
The boss sighed. "Kid, I don't know who you are, but you need to leave. Go home before I call someone."
Axamu's knees weakened.
He stumbled back a step, shaking his head.
"No… No, you can't be serious…" His voice trembled. "You— You two can't just forget me… I was here…"
He looked around the shop desperately — at the counter he used to clean, the shelf he organized, the wall clock he fixed — but all of it looked different. Cleaner. More untouched.
There was no trace of him anywhere.
Not even his broom by the door.
Not even the futon he used.
He felt his throat tighten.
"W…What the fuck is happening…?"
His fingers dug into his hair as his breathing quickened.
His heart pounded, a cold sweat dripping down his neck.
Then—
It hit him.
"Reward: You will lose everything."
His eyes widened, realization flooding in, freezing his blood.
"…So that's what it means…"
His voice cracked. He stared blankly at the boss and his daughter, who now looked at him with fear and confusion — strangers' eyes staring at a man who shouldn't exist.
"I…"
He stepped back slowly toward the door, his body trembling.
The world around him felt like it was fading, like the edges of his existence were dissolving into static.
"…Everything…" he whispered again, voice hollow, trembling.
As he turned away from the shop, his reflection in the glass door flickered —
for a brief second, showing lines of glitch across his own face.
---
Axamu stood frozen at the doorway, heart pounding, eyes wide with disbelief.
The boss's words echoed in his skull, "I've never hired you in my life."
His breath trembled. The world around him felt faint — like he was fading into air.
Everything… everything he knew was slipping away.
Then—
"Hey, Boss! We're here!"
That familiar voice — it cut through his despair like a spark in the dark.
Axamu's eyes widened as he turned around.
Three kids ran up from the street, holding their Beyblade cases, laughing.
The same kids he'd played with, trained with, helped fix their launchers.
"Y-you guys…" Axamu whispered, his trembling hands clenching into fists.
The moment they saw him, the laughter stopped.
They slowed their steps, confusion showing on their small faces.
Axamu's body moved on its own — he stumbled forward, desperate, his heart screaming.
He reached one of the boys — The youngest — and grabbed his shoulder tightly.
"Hey! You know me, right?!" he said, his voice cracking. "It's me, Axamu-nii! I'm the one who taught you how to use the X Dash! You remember, right?!"
The boy's eyes widened, tears welling up.
"I-I don't know you, mister…"
Axamu froze.
His grip loosened.
"…Huh?"
The boy's tears streamed down his cheeks as he looked terrified.
"P-please let go… I don't know you…"
Axamu's face twisted — a mix of shock, pain, and disbelief.
"W-What… what are you saying…? Huh…? it's me…" His voice trembled violently.
He looked to the other two kids. "You guys too! It's me! Axamu-nii! I helped you fix your launcher! I— I was always here with you—!"
The kids started crying. "We don't know you!" "Let us go!"
"HEY!!"
The boss's voice boomed through the shop.
He stormed forward and yanked Axamu away, pushing him hard against the counter.
"What the hell do you think you're doing to the kids?!" the boss shouted angrily, shielding them behind him. "Get away from them!"
Axamu stumbled, nearly falling. His breathing was ragged, his eyes wide and trembling.
"I— I just wanted them to remember me…" he whispered, voice breaking. "Why… why don't they…?"
The boss knelt beside the crying children, comforting them gently.
"It's okay. Don't be scared. I won't let him hurt you."
The scene before Axamu blurred. The sound of crying children mixed with his heartbeat thundering in his ears.
He stared at his shaking hands, feeling his chest tighten painfully.
"…What the fuck…" he muttered, voice empty, his mind slipping into chaos.
He looked around — the shop, the boss, the kids, the light — everything looked too real yet unreal, too bright yet distant.
He fell to his knees, eyes dull, whispering brokenly,
"Why… why can't anyone remember me…?"
The boss glared at him warily, standing protectively in front of the kids.
"Leave. Right now."
But Axamu didn't hear him anymore. His thoughts drowned in an endless spiral of disbelief and despair.
Everything he'd built — his bonds, his friends, his place — all erased.
No one remembered.
The words echoed again in his mind like a curse burned into his soul:
"Reward: You will lose everything."
Axamu lowered his head, his body trembling uncontrollably, a single tear falling from his eye.
"…Everything… even them…"
The sound of the children's sobs faded into silence.
All that remained was Axamu's hollow breathing —
and the quiet hum of a world that no longer knew he existed.
---
Axamu knelt down, his breath shaking, vision trembling as he watched the boss clutch the crying child tightly.
"Stay away from the kids!" the boss shouted, his voice sharp, protective—like he was shielding them from a threat.
Axamu's lips parted, but no words came out. His eyes trembled, his heart pounding so painfully that it felt like it might burst.
Stay away?
Why…?
Why are you looking at me like that?
He took one slow step back.
"B-Boss… it's me…" his voice cracked. "It's Axamu… the one who's been helping in your shop for months…"
But the boss only frowned deeper, anger and confusion in his eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about, boy. Like i said, I've never hired you! Get out before you scare the kids again!"
Axamu froze. His mind went blank, his throat dry.
No… no, this can't be happening…
He turned toward the crying child—the same child who once smiled at him, who once called him "nii-san."
He desperate, tears in his voice. "Hey… it's me, remember? Axamu-nii? I taught you about Beyblade! You remember, right? Please—"
The kid shook his head, tears streaming. "I don't know you…!"
That broke him.
The light in Axamu's eyes shattered. He stared at the boy, then at the boss and his daughter—all staring at him like a stranger.
His voice came out small. "...What the fuck is happening…?"
And then something inside him snapped. His heart couldn't take it anymore.
He turned and ran.
Out of the shop, through the streets, his shoes and hand slamming against the ground as his breathing grew heavier and heavier. The world blurred as tears filled his eyes.
He didn't care where he was going—he just needed to get away. From the pain. From the confusion. From everything.
But as he ran… something was wrong.
The city lights around him flickered. The signs distorted, twisting like static.
People's faces on the street blurred—pixels, fragments, breaking apart like glass.
The sound of static filled the air—loud, chaotic, echoing in his mind.
He panting, trying to push forward as his surroundings fractured into darkness.
And then—amid the distortion—
a voice echoed.
A voice that wasn't human.
A voice that crawled through the static of reality itself.
> "Y̴̺͆͑ǫ̴̫̮̒͜ȕ̶̺̬̞͑ ̸̙̾͆͌d̷̡͎͋̀͜͝ō̶͓̳n̴̦̲͋̎'̴̨̻̒t̶̨͓̻̅ ̵̟͍̿b̸͎̙̠̏e̸͖͊͗ͅl̶̹̳͇̒͜o̶̯͙̐͗͘n̴̘̠̼̿̆g̵͚̝͛ ̵͎͈͑͌h̶̻̠̜͌͘e̵̘̻̻̎̋r̸̩̙͑͊͘e̵̞͗͝…̴͇̾"
The words glitched, fractured, crawling through his skull.
Axamu froze mid-run, his breath caught in his throat.
"…Shut up…"
> "Y̴̛͜o̵͖͕̅͗u̵͈̺̓ ̴͓̰͠ą̶̮̓͑r̸͈̺̎̑͝e̴̢̢̋͝ ̵͍̓n̵̼͔͆̓͘o̵̰͍͒͌t̶̟̦͒͒ ̴̺̔͒m̷̰̔̎͝e̶̱̻̕a̷͎͙͑n̵̪͛̍͜t̷̟̱͝ ̶͙͍͋͘͝t̵̝̎̓͜͝o̸̦̱̓͝ ̷̜̻͛͛͜b̸̦͎̋͛̿e̵͎͖͌͒͜ ̴̗͓̒̍͠h̴͈͝e̷̜̹̍̇͘r̴̪͛͊e̴̡̳͗…̸̡̫̔͘"
The voice grew louder, twisting, whispering right beside his ear now.
Axamu fell to his knees, clutching his head as tears streamed down his face.
"Shut up… shut up… SHUT UP!"
But the voice didn't stop.
> "R̸͙̝̓e̵̫̪̔͆t̴͖̙̎u̸̺̒r̵͉̾n̶̘̻͐͑…̶̞̒ ̸͙̯̈́͛t̶̨̩̿̒̕o̸̪͗̑̕ ̸̻͔̿̚͝w̶̻͗̚h̸͉̱̿e̶̗̠̅̅r̶͉̜͆͐͜e̸̞͝ ̴̡̘̎̕y̵̡̜͝o̵͚̎͝u̴̜̥͗ ̴̡͇̎̅b̶͈͉̎e̵̻͒l̵͔̹͗o̴̦͂͘n̵̺̾̕g̷̹͝…̷̬̕"
The world cracked open in light and distortion. His body trembled violently.
"SHUT UP!!" Axamu screamed into the void. "Why are you doing this to me?!"
Silence.
Then, faintly—
> "Ș̶̯̋͑y̴̢̱̳͂s̸̡͋t̵̪̝̅̅e̶̻̩͋̍m̷͙͒͘…"
The whisper echoed, then faded into the static of the city.
The glitching stopped. The streets were still again.
Axamu, trembling and drenched in sweat, stared blankly at his shaking hands.
"I..lose everything..." he whispered weakly, his voice breaking.