It was like a forest of rust and metal inside the abandoned factory. Faint light came down from the cracked ceiling, making the dust in the air glow and the shadows look even darker. Karan went first, followed by Gingka and Kenta. In the enormous, quiet space, their footsteps made an eerie, echoing sound that seemed to fill the whole place.
"Step Carefully" Karan said quietly, looking at an old, rusty walkway that creaked and groaned dangerously as he stepped on it. Below them was nothing but a deep, black hole, waiting to swallow anyone who fell.
"This place is really scary," Kenta whispered, holding his Beyblade, Sagittario, close to his chest for comfort.
"Don't worry,Kenta!" Gingka replied, his voice booming a bit too much in the quiet. "We're strong enough to deal with anything they throw at us—"
WHIRR-CLANG!
Gingka's words were cut short as three Beyblades suddenly rained down from the high walkways above—a perfect trap from the shadows.The hidden Face Hunter grunts laughed, their voices echoing from the darkness.
"See?I knew they'd walk right into it!"
Without needing to speak, the three friends moved at once. It looked messy, but a natural teamwork quickly took over. Gingka's Pegasus charged straight at one enemy Bey, its power flaring with bright, stormy light. At the same time, Kenta's Sagittario swooped in to help, knocking aside a second Bey that was trying to attack them from the side.
But Karan was all aggression. Dark Abyss Phoenix moved like a ghost, its dark vortex striking out to attack every chance it got. He didn't speak or coordinate; his violent moves just naturally completed their team. In moments, the enemy Beys were smashed, lying in pieces and sparking on the concrete.
"Not bad at all!" Gingka grinned, calling his Pegasus back to his hand. "We work well together!''
Karan just let out a dismissive snort,completely ignoring the praise. "Those were just the first ones," he said, his voice flat. "The real fight is still waiting for us up ahead."
They moved further inside, finally coming into a broader hallway. Suddenly, a huge shape moved to block their way, its large shadow eating up the little light there was.
It was Benkei.
His Earth Bull Bey looked changed—it seemed bulkier, with more dangerous-looking edges. The metal shone with a cruel, evil glint.
"You,"Benkei snarled, pointing a fat finger toward Karan. "Did you really think I wouldn't get stronger after you beat me? My Earth Bull is better now! You're finished!"
Karan didn't even blink. He just smirked, an expression that seemed too old for him."I don't care whether you are upgraded or not. Once a person is defeated by me, they will always be defeated by me."
Gingka and Kenta exchanged a look and wisely stepped back, giving them space. This was personal.
The fight was a perfect show of raw power against clever tricks. Benkei's new Earth Bull was incredibly strong; every charge made the floor tremble. At first, its overwhelming force pushed Dark Abyss Phoenix back, making it stagger and slide away.
But Karan remained ice-cold. He remembered Benkei's recklessness. He feigned weakness, letting the Bull corner the Phoenix against a wall.
"NOW!" Benkei screamed, beginning his final, victorious charge.
It was exactly what Karan was waiting for. "Now!" he echoed.
Dark Abyss Phoenix didn't move aside. Instead, at the final moment, it dropped down low, using the Bull's own huge speed like a slide. Earth Bull was flung right over the Phoenix, flying wildly, and smashed directly into the strong metal wall behind it with a sickening CRUNCH. It dropped to the floor, its spin weakly and dying.
Benkei could only stand there, his mouth wide open in pure shock.
As he called his broken Bey back in a daze,the huge, stuck metal door in front of them suddenly groaned and scraped open. It was as if the factory itself was admitting they were strong enough to pass.
They walked into the factory's main room. It was a giant, hollowed-out area turned into a scary Bey Stadium. The battling floor was made of dented steel, and the "seats" were just a piles of junk. And right in the middle of it all, sitting on a rough throne built from old, welded machinery, was Kyoya.
He glanced up from sharpening his claws, like a wild animal woken from its sleep. A slow, threatening grin appeared on his face.
"Took you long enough," he said, his voice a low growl that filled the vast space. "I was beginning to think you got lost."
Karan's breath caught in his throat. Kyoya. Right in front of him. The real, living legend. A powerful, wild need to battle, to test his strength against this ultimate hunter, exploded inside him, burning up every last bit of his fear.
Before he could speak, Gingka stepped forward, striking a heroic pose. "Kyoya! The true heart of a Blader is—"
"Shut up, you damn it!" Kyoya snapped, his patience visibly snapping. He glared at the trio. "Now, you all three come together. Let's get this over with."
Karan's gaze hardened.He looked straight at Gingka and Kenta. "I'm fighting this lunatic alone." Then, his gaze locked onto Gingka. "And you promised you wouldn't get in my way."
A huge, bright grin spread across Gingka's face. "Okay, friend! We will support you from the sides!" He and Kenta quickly moved to the edge of the stadium, becoming spectators.
Kyoya let out a mocking laugh as he stood up from his throne. "What a touching little show. But it means nothing to Leone. I offered to fight you all at once, but it seems you're in a hurry to be destroyed."
A confident, daring grin appeared on Karan's face. "Let's see which one of us gets destroyed," he shot back, his words a clear challenge.
They stood across from each other in the center of the scrap-metal arena. The air grew thick and heavy, charged with their clashing auras.
"1... 2... 3..." their voices echoed as one.
"LET IT RIP!"
Rock Leone blasted out of Kyoya's launcher like a wild animal set free. It crashed onto the stadium floor with a deafening ROAR, its pure, savage strength shaking the air.
Dark Abyss Phoenix answered with a sharp,high scream. A whirlwind of deep purple and black power spun around it like a personal hurricane.The battle for supremacy had begun.
It was obvious right away that this fight was on another level. Kyoya's assaults weren't only strong; they were smart and never-ending. Every hit was meant to break his opponent's Bey and its spirit. From the very start, Dark Abyss Phoenix was forced to defend itself—ducking, twisting, and blocking attacks that would have smashed a normal Beyblade to pieces immediately.
Karan clenched his jaw, sweat forming on his skin. He knew he could never overpower Kyoya. His only hope was to be more clever. Deep in his thoughts, his "Giant Slayer" ability quietly came to life, gently pointing out the small, quick weaknesses in Leone's fierce attacks—a moment where it reached too far, a bounce-back that was always the same.
As the pressure mounted, he felt it—a deeper connection. It wasn't just the Phoenix's fury he felt anymore, but a proud, ancient will. A spirit that had faced countless challenges and thrived on overcoming worthy opponents.
Noticing the change, Kyoya's eyes narrowed. "Enough playing. Now it's time to end it! Lion Gale Force Wall!"
A huge, screaming whirlwind of raw energy exploded around Rock Leone. It ripped chunks of the metal stadium floor right out of the ground as it charged toward Dark Abyss Phoenix. This was an attack meant for total control, created to completely destroy anything that stood against it.
Karan felt the incredible force rushing at him, ready to swallow his Beyblade, his will, his very self.He could barely hear Gingka and Kenta's faraway, panicked shouts.A single thought burned in his mind: I will not lose. I can't lose until I'm the winner!
He had no ultimate move. But from the very bottom of his heart, from the center of his connection with the Phoenix, he knew one thing for sure: its spin would never end. It would keep going until he, Karan, himself gave up and said he was defeated.
"YOU'RE RIGHT!" Karan roared, his throat tearing with the effort. "LET'S FINISH THIS!"
A flood of darkness,deeper and blacker than any shadow in the factory, exploded from his body. It was a solid river of power that poured into Dark Abyss Phoenix. The Beyblade answered the call. Its whirling energy didn't grow larger; it shrank, crushing down into one tiny, horrifying spot in its center—a small, flawless black hole.
The giant tornado of force reached the edge of the black hole.
And was eaten alive.
The roaring storm was pulled into the quiet,dark mouth without a single noise. All its huge, destructive power was simply swallowed.
Kyoya's eyes widened in genuine shock for the first time. "Leone, back down!" he commanded, a silver of shock in his voice.
But it was too late.
"DO IT!" Karan screamed, his will commanding the impossible.
The Phoenix, now vibrating, overloaded with stolen energy, could not contain it. With a scream that tore through reality, it redirected the absorbed power, firing it back in a single, concentrated blast of pure destruction.
The powerful stream of purple and black light hit Rock Leone directly.
BOOOOM!
The explosion was enormous.Rock Leone was thrown from the stadium as if it were a useless toy. It flew across the huge room and smashed against the distant wall with a horrible, breaking CRACK that meant the end.
Silence.
Absolute, deafening silence filled the factory.
Kyoya stood frozen, staring at the spot where his Bey had been.
He walked slowly to where it lay and picked up Rock Leone. A thin, barely visible line was now etched into its metal body. As he held it, his hand squeezed into a fist so hard his whole arm shook. His knuckles stretched the skin, turning pale as chalk against the Beyblade
His eyes locked with Karan's, his face a mask that showed nothing...
There was no anger,no blame. Only a slow, heavy stare that felt like a threat—a clear sign that this was only the beginning.
"This isn't over,"he growled, the sound rumbling in the quiet. Then, he turned and faded into the darkness of the factory, his pride hurt, but a sharp, new curiosity now permanently fixed on his opponent.
Ding! The system's chime was triumphant. "Mission 'Prove Your Dominance' Complete! Reward: 3,000 Bey-Points. New Title Unlocked: 'Lion Tamer'!"
Reward: 3,000 Bey-Points. New Title Unlocked: 'Lion Tamer'!"
Karan called Dark Abyss Phoenix back.It landed in his hand, feeling warm and successful... but also strange. A very slight, barely noticeable tension hummed through their connection, a quiet wrongness he had never sensed until now.
Karan! That was amazing!" Gingka yelled, rushing forward with Kenta.
"You beat Kyoya!" Kenta cheered, his eyes shining.
But before they could get to him, a new voice, sharp and urgent, sliced through their happy moment from the factory doorway.
"Stop! Don't move it!"
They spun around.There stood Madoka, her face white and stern. She held a complex scanner in her shaking hands, its glowing lens aimed right at Dark Abyss Phoenix.
"Your Beyblade is hurt," she said, her eyes wide with alarm as she watched the wild, messy readings on her device. "The power from your final move is causing tiny cracks inside its energy system. If you want to stop yourself from shattering your partner, you must come to my repair shop. Right now."
Karan's eyes moved from the famous repair expert he recognized from the show to the Dark Abyss Phoenix vibrating in his palm. His win against Kyoya now seemed weak and empty. The strength of the Abyss, he understood with a heavy, sick feeling, was a dangerous weapon that could hurt the user, and he had just used it with everything he had.