The morning felt longer than usual.
Outside the classroom windows, the sun hovered low and gold, brushing light across rows of half-awake students. Every desk buzzed with talk about the District Tournament. Bits of conversation filled the air—names, brackets, replayed moments of yesterday's battles.
Ryo sat near the back, notebook open but blank. He listened without joining in. The voices around him blurred into a single sound, steady like the spin of a Bey.
At the front of the room, Valt was already waving his launcher around, too loud even for this early hour.
"Once I beat Ken this weekend, I'm going straight to the finals!" he shouted.
Laughter rolled through the class.
Someone called back, "If you don't burst first!"
Ryo smiled faintly at the noise. Valt's confidence was almost impossible to ignore. It reminded him of the passion he'd seen through a screen years ago, back in another life. But seeing it now, in person, was different. It felt… contagious.
When the bell finally rang, chairs scraped, notebooks shut, and the room emptied fast.
Ryo moved slower, stacking his books with calm precision.
A quiet voice came from behind him. "You're not joining them outside?"
He looked up. Shu stood near his desk, sleeves rolled to his elbows, Spryzen's case hanging loosely at his side.
"I already trained before class," Ryo said.
Shu studied him for a moment, unreadable as always. "You handle Drago differently. You don't rely on luck."
"Should I?" Ryo asked.
"No." Shu's tone softened. "But I'd like to see how you battle when it's just you and your Bey."
Ryo closed his notebook. "A practice match?"
"After class," Shu said. "Training hall, four o'clock."
Ryo nodded once. "I'll be there."
Shu gave a small nod in return, then left without another word.
Ryo exhaled slowly, eyes dropping to the case by his chair. Inside, Drago waited silent, heavy with promise.
The hours that followed passed in pieces: teachers talking, students whispering, the hum of the air conditioner above. None of it stayed in Ryo's mind.
Only one thought repeated.
Four o'clock.
By the time the final bell rang, most of the class ran off to the courtyard where the club's smaller stadiums were set up. Ryo took the opposite direction, down the quiet hall that led to the main training room.
The heavy doors slid open with a hiss. Inside, the space was wide and empty, lined with banners of past tournaments. The floor reflected the bright ceiling lights. The stadium in the center glimmered, untouched.
Shu was already there, stretching his wrist, launcher in hand.
"Right on time," he said.
"I said I'd be here."
They stepped to opposite sides of the stadium. Neither spoke. No audience, no cheers just focus.
"Ready?" Shu asked.
Ryo nodded. "Always."
They raised their launchers.
"Three, two, one, let it rip!"
The twin bursts of sound filled the room. Spryzen arced out in a clean, perfect circle. Drago launched hard in the opposite direction, its left rotation roaring through the air. The first collision came like thunder metal struck plastic, a sharp report that echoed across the hall.
At once, Drago's Ignis Claw activated on impact. The rubber ring extended, gripping the floor tightly. The change was instant: Drago stopped sliding and began carving sharp turns, each movement tight and precise.
Ryo's gaze followed the motion. "Hold the line, Drago."
Drago curved inward, slicing through the center. Spryzen shifted to meet it, balance perfect.
Impact.
Another.
And another.
Each strike echoed in the hall, faster, heavier, deliberate.
Shu adjusted his stance, tone even. "Spryzen, maintain center pattern."
Spryzen held its ground. Drago's attacks hammered against it, sending ripples through the air.
Ryo felt the rhythm forming. His hand tightened slightly on the launcher.
Now.
"Dragon Crash!"
Drago's spin surged. A spiral of heat shimmered around it as it launched forward. The blow struck from below, a perfect upward arc. The shockwave rolled through the arena, a pulse strong enough to rattle the floor beneath them.
Spryzen flew back, hit the rim, and bounced once before recovering. Shu's eyes widened just a little. "Strong hit."
Ryo's voice stayed level. "Not strong enough."
Drago looped around, still gripping hard. Each rotation drew a narrow circle closer to Spryzen, movements cutting through air with short, burning trails of energy.
Shu's voice rose over the sound. "Spryzen, upper pattern—counter drive!"
Spryzen dove forward, colliding cleanly. The two Beys struck again, force matching force.
As their spins slowed, the Ignis Claw began to retract automatically. The rubber slipped back into place, freeing the tip. The loss of grip turned control into pure speed. Drago shot forward one last time, striking Spryzen dead center.
A flash.
A heavy impact.
Then silence.
Both Beys slowed together, wobbling until they stopped side by side in the middle.
Draw.
The quiet that followed felt earned. Shu exhaled through a faint smile. "You keep a lot hidden for someone so calm."
Ryo lifted Drago carefully. The rim was warm beneath his fingers. "You too."
Shu nodded once. "Good. Let's save the rest for the real thing."
Ryo gave a small nod back. "Deal."
They left the hall in silence, the faint scuffs on the stadium floor the only proof either of them had been there.
Outside, the sky had already turned orange. The campus glowed softly as the last students left practice. Ryo walked through the corridor, launcher case at his side.
The battle replayed in his mind every hit, every hesitation, every opening. Drago had moved exactly as trained.
Not perfect, but alive.
At the end of the hall, the digital board flickered on. Tournament brackets scrolled until they stopped.
Round Two: Ryo vs Daichi Mori
He remembered the name loud, confident, always talking before launching.
"You saw it too," came Shu's voice.
Ryo turned. Shu stood beside him again, Spryzen's case under one arm.
"He's fast," Ryo said. "But predictable."
Shu nodded. "Then finish it fast."
Ryo's mouth curved slightly. "You sound like Valt."
"Maybe he's finally teaching me something." Shu looked at the board again. "Saturday morning. Don't hold back."
Ryo nodded once. "I won't."
He turned to leave. "See you there."
"I'll be watching," Shu said.
Outside, wind brushed through the trees, carrying faint echoes of laughter from the practice fields. Ryo stopped for a moment beneath the fading sky. The world felt steady again, quiet before the next spin.
He tightened his grip on Drago's case.
Tomorrow would be another test — not of strength, but of control.
He started walking, calm and certain.
The next round had already begun.