The next morning sunlight slid through the tall glass windows of the penthouse, touching the white floor with a soft glow. The city below was still half–asleep, but inside the apartment, quiet footsteps echoed.
Axamu walked ahead, hands in his pockets, the girl following behind him with small steps, her new clothes fluttering slightly. She clutched his sleeve lightly so she wouldn't get lost inside the massive place.
He stopped before a large sliding door.
He pressed his thumb to the scanner.
—click—
The door opened.
Inside was a Beyblade X simulation room.
Walls reinforced. Screens aligned. Wind-control fans. Damage absorber. And in the center…
A gleaming Beyblade X Stadium.
The girl's eyes widened. She took a step forward unconsciously, as if pulled by invisible gravity.
Axamu watched her reaction, then spoke calmly.
"Do you want to try playing?"
She blinked. Then slowly nodded.
"Yes…"
Axamu smiled faintly.
"I thought so. You were…really focused during that underworld match."
He walked toward the case where his beys were kept and opened it. He reached inside, fingers closing around a familiar weight.
White Cobalt Dragoon.
For a moment, he was about to hand it to her.
Then—
His hand froze.
…ah.
He almost made a fatal mistake.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the bey in his palm.
System bey.
Damage feedback allocation = me.
If she launches it… If she battles… Every hit… Every recoil…
—would hit him.
He imagined the chainsaw blades again. The blood. The hospital.
His fingers tightened.
No.
He closed the case.
"I almost messed up," he thought, expression returning to its usual cold calm.
He turned to the girl instead.
"Actually," he said casually, "before you try…we need to get you your own Beyblade."
She tilted her head.
"My…own?"
"Yeah," Axamu nodded, already walking toward the door. "I can't give you mine. It's…special."
He didn't mention the system. He didn't mention that even now his ribs still ached when he breathed too deeply.
He glanced back at her and softened his tone.
"Let's go buy you one."
The girl's eyes widened, then sparkled softly.
"…Is that okay?"
"Yeah," he replied. "You'll need your own if you're going to…follow your 'star', right?"
She stiffened slightly, then smiled shyly and nodded.
They left the Bey simulation room.
Shoes on. Doors locked. Elevator descending from the penthouse.
As they walked out toward the city's shopping district, Axamu slipped his hands back into his pockets, gaze distant.
System bey is tied to me. Damage to it is damage to my body. If she used it… she'd hurt me without knowing.
He sighed quietly.
"I'll just buy her a normal Beyblade first," he thought. "Then…I'll see what path she takes."
Beside him, the girl walked with small determined steps.
Toward her first Beyblade.
---
The city air was warm, footsteps blending into the noise of the street. Axamu walked side-by-side with the girl until they finally stopped.
In front of them stood a Beyblade shop.
Colorful posters. Display cases. Children's laughter leaking out from inside.
Axamu's expression slowly hardened.
This was the shop he once worked at.
The place where his old boss, the boss's daughter, and the kids…
no longer remembered him.
His throat tightened.
His hand went cold.
His vision began to blur at the edges.
His foot refused to move forward.
…No.
His heartbeat grew louder.
I don't want to go in.
His breath grew shallow, sweat trailing down his forehead. The door handle felt like a wall. His fingers trembled slightly as memories pressed against him — faces looking through him like a stranger… like he never existed.
He lowered his head.
"…Should i go in…?"
"…Maybe they gonna remember me again...?But... I don't want to get my hope so high..."
The world tilted for a moment.
Then—
A small tug.
The girl gently pulled on his shirt.
He slowly turned his head.
Her face was close. Eyes worried. No words, just silent concern.
"You… okay?" she asked softly.
The panic loosened.
The noise faded.
Warmth seeped into his chest.
He exhaled slowly, relaxing, then placed his hand on her head — gently patting.
His voice came out calm again.
"…Yeah. I'm fine."
He looked at the shop one last time.
Then smiled faintly at her.
"Let's go somewhere else instead."
Her expression brightened as she nodded, trusting him without question.
Axamu turned away from the shop, guiding her down the street.
He didn't look back.
I don't need the past anymore, he thought.
I need to move forward to the present.
The girl walked beside him, clutching his sleeve again — and without knowing why, she felt that when he smiled just now…
…it was the saddest smile in the world.
---
Axamu and the girl arrived at another Beyblade X shop, the one located near the base of X Tower. The building looked sleek and expensive, like a sports arena rather than just a shop. Bright screens showed highlight matches, and the steady echo of Beyblades clashing filled the air.
They stepped inside together.
A staff member noticed them almost immediately and approached with a professional smile.
"Welcome. What can I help you with?"
Axamu replied in a relaxed tone, hands in his pockets.
"I'd like to get a new Beyblade X for her."
The staff nodded. "Understood. Please follow me."
They were guided to a display platform full of neatly arranged Beyblade X sets. Panels beside them explained parts, launchers, and battle systems. People nearby were testing launch strength and practicing techniques.
"These are beginner-friendly options," the staff explained.
"We have BX, UX, and CX lines… and different types such as Attack, Defense, Stamina, and Balance."
The girl looked slowly through the shelves.
Axamu watched her quietly.
(With her personality… she'll probably choose Balance or Stamina…)
She stopped.
Her hand rested on a box.
Shark Scale – Attack Type.
She picked it up carefully.
Axamu's eyes softened. For a moment, he paused — not shocked, not loud — just quietly surprised inside.
(Attack type… huh. I didn't expect that from her.)
On the outside, he remained calm. No exaggerated reaction, just a small breath and a faint smile.
The staff nodded approvingly. "Shark Scale is an aggressive Attack Type. Powerful rush patterns. It's suited for players who like direct confrontation."
The girl held the box a little closer, expression firm despite her gentle appearance.
Axamu looked at her, then gave a small chuckle under his breath.
"I see," he said softly. "So that's the one you want."
She looked up at him.
He placed his hand gently on her head and nodded.
"Alright. Let's go with that."
Just calm acceptance… and a quiet warmth he didn't quite expect.
---
As Axamu gently rested his hand on the girl's head, the corners of his lips softening into a faint smile, a familiar light suddenly flashed before his eyes.
A blue translucent window popped into existence.
He froze for a second.
[Congratulations! You have earned a Hidden Achievement!]
[Achievement: Buy First Beyblade For Your Teammate!]
His eyes widened slightly.
(…Hidden achievement? Even this kind of thing has one, huh?)
The window shifted again.
[Reward : Beyblade X Combination Function Unlocked!]
(…Combination?)
His mind clicked rapidly.
(Wait… does that mean… I can combine Beyblades? System Bey… with normal Beyblade X?)
He felt his heart skip.
If he could combine her new Shark Scale with his System Bey, and she used that, then maybe—
(Maybe I won't get hurt anymore… Not only that, even if she battles with it. I won't get hurt too...!)
Shock ran through him for a moment, but only inside. To everyone else, he was just standing there… staring at the air.
The girl tugged his sleeve gently.
"Axamu…? Are you okay…?"
He blinked, returning to reality, and looked at her. Her eyes were full of worry.
He relaxed his expression and gave a small reassuring smile.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm okay."
He patted her head again softly, drying her uneasiness like mist in sunlight.
Inside, however, his thoughts burned.
(A combination function… if it works…)
(Shark Scale + My System Bey…)
(A new Beyblade… shared between System Bey and Normal Bey… but without me taking the damage…)
His eyes lowered thoughtfully.
This wasn't just exciting.
It was hope.
(Let's test it… If this works… Not only she can fight freely. Even me...!)
And for the first time, he felt the future shift just a little — toward something brighter for both of them.