The air at the entrance to the Crimson Canyon was heavy with stress. Thousands of Bladers, all filled with desperate hope and fear, were crowded together. They stood before a narrow, rocky path that led into a terrifying landscape. The early morning sun made the red cliffs look like they were covered in blood, a sign of the brutal battle about to begin.
The voice of a World Beyblade Battle Association official, amplified to a thunderous volume, rolled over the crowd. He began to repeat the straightforward but merciless rules that would control the entire day ahead.
"Remember this!" the voice boomed. "Beat other Bladers to take their points! Survive the dangers of the canyon! Survive the other competitors! The last person still battling, or the one with the most points when time runs out, will get one wish! We will grant anything we can!"
Out of nowhere, an enormous holographic clock formed in the air. The bold, digital countdown stared down at the Bladers, its presence feeling heavy and serious, reminding them that time was running out.
10... 9... 8...
Karan stood in the middle of the nervous crowd, feeling completely calm. His senses were sharp, and he could feel his connection to Dark Abyss Phoenix like a cool, steady hum in his mind. He looked around and found them again. Gingka's face was full of fierce determination. Kenta stood next to him, looking small but with a new, strong look in his eyes.
Across the chaotic mass of people, their gazes locked. No words were exchanged. There were no happy shouts of support. Instead, there was a single, firm nod from each of them. It was an unspoken agreement to pause their rivalry, a recognition of the brutal battle about to begin, and a silent, powerful message of "good luck".Their friendship was put on hold.For now, they were just competitors who might have to fight each other.
3... 2... 1!
The blast of a horn, deep and ancient like the roar of a mythical beast, ripped through the air. The sound was so immense that the ground itself seemed to vibrate under their feet.
It was like a dam had burst. With a huge, united roar that made the canyon walls shake, the enormous crowd of Bladers charged forward. They moved like one giant, messy creature, all desperate to be the first one into the dangerous fight.
The tight passage instantly transformed into a scene from hell. This was a bottleneck made for destruction. First dozens, then hundreds of Beyblades were thrown into the fight at the same time. They created a frightening whirlwind of screaming metal, wild energy blasts, and the awful crunching and screeching of Beyblades being destroyed. This was no longer a sport; it was a chaotic catastrophe.
While everyone else ran wildly into the fight, Karan stayed back. He was like a shadow. As the crowd pushed forward, he moved quietly against the canyon wall, using the sharp rocks as cover. He moved with a silent, hunter-like focus, his dark coat helping him blend into the shadows. His plan was simple and smart: let the weak and careless fighters beat each other. He would save his strength and only fight when he needed to.
He didn't have to wait long for a fight.
"Haha! Hiding in the dark?" a big, overconfident Blader shouted when he saw Karan. The boy smiled, thinking he'd found an easy target. "My points now! Go, Ground Gorer!"
A tough-looking beast Bey charged forward, relying on pure strength. Karan didn't even smile. He just calmly loaded his launcher.
"Let it Rip."
Dark Abyss Phoenix launched forward. It didn't unleash its dark power or roar. It moved like a streak of silent, black-purple light. It gracefully avoided the Ground Gorer's straightforward, brute-force charges. In an instant, before the opposing blader's confident grin had even faded, the Phoenix struck—a single, accurate, and devastating hit to the Bey's central energy core.
A sharp CRACK echoed in the canyon.
The Beyblade split neatly into three parts. The blader could only watch, his mouth hanging open in disbelief, as his points flashed and moved to the device on Karan's wrist. The number on the screen glowed, climbing higher.
It was a cold, efficient, and ruthless victory.It was exactly the kind of start Karan needed.
The deeper Karan traveled into the Crimson Canyon, the more he understood the arena's deadly design. The other competitors were only one part of the challenge. The environment was a deadly enemy. He had to cross skinny, crumbling walkways with terrifying drops below. Without any warning, blasts of scorching steam would explode from the rocks, with heat intense enough to twist Beyblade metal and cause serious burns. On top of that, the ground itself was unreliable, and the threat of a rockslide was always present.
Karan was walking through a thin canyon when he was ambushed.
Three people jumped down from the cliffs above him. They blocked the path in front and behind him. They looked older and had the greedy look of bullies looking for an easy win.
"Well, well, look what we have here!" their leader sneered. He was a tall skinny teenager with a noticeable scar cutting across his eyebrow. "A lone wolf, trying to be sneaky in the shadows. He's been collecting points, and now they're going to be ours!"
The three bullies launched their Beyblades in a coordinated attack, coming at him from the front and back to crush him immediately.
However, Karan felt no fear. An eerie calm washed over him. He viewed this ambush not as a life-threatening situation, but as the perfect opportunity to practice.
While the three enemy Beys closed in, he held back the Abyss's raw power. He focused his mind, tapping into his deep connection with Dark Abyss Phoenix. He then released his intent not as a wild blast, but as precise,small, invisible pushes in the air.
He created Gravity Wells.
The air around the three enemy Beys distorted without warning. The first Bey, on a direct collision course, was violently jerked to the side as if grabbed by a ghost. The second, attempting to circle around, had its path bent downwards, making it scrape and spark against the canyon floor. The third began to wobble uncontrollably, its rotation falling apart. In a matter of seconds, their coordinated attack fell into chaos as the Beys collided with one another.
Before they could understand what went wrong, Dark Abyss Phoenix attacked. It was as fast and ruthless as a snake. It shot forward, breaking the first Bey, then the second, then the third. Three loud crack sounds echoed in the canyon. Then, everything was quiet.
The point counter on his wrist glowed brightly, its number jumping up three times in a row.
Karan made his way up to a high ridge to survey the area. The view showed him the terrifying scale of the competition, and he identified the most powerful players.
In the middle of the canyon, a huge, bright tornado of light and wind was the center of attention. That was Gingka. His Pegasus wasn't hiding. It was like a shining target, a powerful storm that invited others to challenge it and then beat them with amazing displays of pure strength. It was a clear message to everyone in the canyon: "I am here, and I will fight you all."
In another part of the canyon, a different kind of power was at work. There were no bright lights, just loud BOOM sounds and the sad cries of losing Bladers. Looking down, Karan saw Kyoya. His Rock Leone wasn't a show-off. It was like a natural disaster. It moved in a straight, unstoppable line, destroying everything in its way. It wasn't fancy, just pure, simple, and total power. Every hit was Kyoya's way of saying, "I am the strongest here."
High up on an official WBBA watchtower, Karan saw a familiar streak of pink hair. It was Madoka. She was certainly using her scanners to study the best fighters, her smart brain already analyzing their every move. He could almost feel her watching him, noticing his new, calm way of fighting, so different from the reckless anger he showed in their last big battle.
Coming down from the ridge, Karan found a sight that made him stop. There in the crimson dust were the shattered pieces of a beautifully designed, butterfly-themed Bey. It was more than just defeated—it was annihilated. Delicate metal petals were scattered around, and its performance tip was snapped cleanly in two. A young boy, no older than his friend Kenta, was being supported by tournament medics. His small body shook with quiet sobs, his hopes and dreams literally lying in broken fragments at his feet.
The true meaning of the tournament hit Karan hard. It wasn't just about points and wishes. It was about crushing dreams and breaking hearts.
Evening began to fall, and the frantic, bloody first stage of the battle died down. The canyon fell into an uneasy silence, but the sense of impending danger was thicker than ever. The Bladers still standing were the most dangerous kind: the clever, the powerful, and the patient. They lurked in darkness, conserving their power, their minds working on strategies. The opening chaos was over. Now, the real war of stamina and will had begun.
Feeling tired from the long day, Karan found a small, dark hole in the canyon wall. It wasn't a real cave, but it gave him a place to hide. He slid down to sit with his back against the rock, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes for a minute to rest.
The sound of careful footsteps on the loose stones outside made his eyes open quickly. His whole body got ready for a fight, and his hand automatically reached for his Bey launcher.
A person walked into the cave entrance, standing as a dark shape against the dim evening light, blocking it all out.
A calm, teasing voice, as cold as ice, broke the quiet.
"How sad. A lonely little thing, always running away to find a new shadow to hide in."
The person stepped forward, and he could see her clearly now. She had sharp, pretty features and blue hair pulled tightly back. Her eyes were the color of frozen water, and her smile was a thin, cruel line that showed no kindness.
"That's a very effective strategy for survival," she continued, her tone soaked in scorn. "If you're a coward."
Karan rose to his full height, his expression unreadable. His dark, bottomless eyes locked onto her icy stare without flinching.
"However, there's something you need to understand," she stated, her fingers tapping lightly on the launcher at her hip. "I've been watching you. So listen carefully."
With a fluid motion, she unclipped her Beyblade. It was a stunning, azure-blue top with graceful, wave-like designs—Storm Aquario.
"My name is Hakaru Hasama," she proclaimed, her voice lowering to a hushed but threatening whisper. "And I will be the one to personally crush you in this battle."