The metallic cry of spinning steel echoed through the night.
Clang !
Clang !
A Beyblade slammed against the walls of an old rooftop stadium, sparks bursting into the air like fireflies. The city lights of Neo-Kyoto glowed far below, but up here, only one boy stood watching the battle with sharp, unblinking eyes.
His name was Aizen Ryu.
"Again," Ryu said quietly.
He pulled the launcher cord with force. The Beyblade shot forward once more, spinning faster than before. Its blue-and-silver design reflected the moonlight as it carved a fierce spiral path across the stadium.
Storm Draco.
Ryu's partner since childhood.
But even now, something felt wrong.
Storm Draco collided with the stadium edge and staggered, its spin faltering before it finally toppled over.
Ryu clenched his fists. "Damn it… still unstable."
He remembered the moment he lost the regional finals last year how Storm Draco cracked under pressure, how the crowd went silent, how his dream shattered in an instant.
I won't let it end like that again.
As Ryu bent down to pick up his Beyblade, a strange vibration ran through his palm.
"Huh…?"
Storm Draco began to glow faintly blue.
The wind suddenly intensified, whipping around the rooftop. A spiral-shaped light burst upward from the stadium, piercing the night sky.
Ryu stumbled back. "What is this?!"
A calm voice answered from behind him.
"So you've finally awakened it."
Ryu spun around.
A tall man stood near the rooftop door, wearing a dark coat marked with a glowing spiral emblem. His eyes were sharp and unreadable.
"Who are you?" Ryu demanded, raising his launcher.
The man smiled faintly. "Just someone watching fate unfold."
He tossed a black metal badge toward Ryu. Ryu caught it instinctively. Engraved on it was the same spiral symbol.
"The Spiral Tournament begins tomorrow," the man said. "Only Bladers chosen by Spiral Cores may participate."
Ryu stared at the badge. "Spiral Core…? What are you talking about?"
But when he looked up again, the man was gone as if he had never been there at all.
Only the wind answered him.
The Spiral Tournament arena was unlike anything Ryu had ever seen.
Floating platforms hovered above the ground, surrounded by glowing barriers. Massive screens displayed rotating spiral symbols, and hundreds of Bladers gathered from all across the country.
The atmosphere was heavy serious.
This isn't a normal tournament, Ryu realized.
"Match 12!" the announcer shouted. "Aizen Ryu versus Kurogane Shion!"
Ryu stepped forward.
His opponent stood across the stadium a silver haired boy with cold, emotionless eyes. His posture was relaxed, confident.
"So you're the one with the unstable Beyblade," Shion said flatly.
Ryu froze. "How do you know that?"
Shion lifted his Beyblade. "Because weak spins are easy to see."
His Beyblade was jet black, shaped like a reaper's blade.
Night Reaper.
Both Bladers took their stance.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
LET IT RIP!
Storm Draco burst forward, releasing a blue spiral aura as it spun. Night Reaper moved silently, its rotation unnaturally smooth.
The two clashed.
Clang !
Storm Draco was pushed back instantly.
Shion clicked his tongue. "Your spin relies on emotion. That makes it fragile."
Night Reaper struck again, slamming Draco into the wall.
Ryu's heart pounded. Storm Draco wobbled violently.
Not again…
"No!" Ryu shouted. "Get up!"
Storm Draco trembled, its light flickering.
Ryu closed his eyes.
I trust you.
Suddenly, the blue spiral flared brighter than ever before. Storm Draco stabilized, its rotation tightening into a perfect spiral.
Shion's eyes widened. "What?!"
"Storm Draco Spiral Break!"
Draco charged forward with explosive force, smashing straight into Night Reaper. The impact sent Shion's Beyblade flying out of the stadium.
Silence.
Then
Winner: Aizen Ryu!
The crowd erupted.
Ryu dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. Storm Draco spun proudly beside him, glowing softly.
From the highest platform, the spiral-emblem man watched.
"So the Spiral Dragon has chosen you," he murmured. "Just as the prophecy said."
Later that night, Ryu stood alone outside the arena.
Victory didn't bring relief only questions.
A soft voice echoed behind him.
"You shouldn't have entered this tournament."
Ryu turned.
A girl with long white hair and crimson eyes stood beneath the lights.
"My name is Luna Vale," she said. "And your Beyblade carries one of the Seven Spiral Cores."
Ryu's grip tightened.
"What happens if all seven awaken?"
Luna looked toward the glowing arena.
"…The world's balance will shatter."
Storm Draco vibrated violently, as if responding to her words.
Ryu took a deep breath.
"Then I'll stop it."
Luna stared at him in surprise.
"…You're serious."
Ryu smiled faintly. "I'm a Blader. I don't run from fate."
Above them, the spiral symbol rotated slowly watching.
The battle for destiny had only just begun