"We Who are Hated by Life Itself"

Chapter 2

am·bi·tion
Noun: ardent desire for fame, rank or power

┌─── ⋆⋅LÚINOR⋅⋆ ───┐

I'll never forget what you did to me, Lui, You'll regret it soon!
     Lui Shirosagi opens his eyes. Again, rethinking. He might've been right but there's no way it's happening again. But the one curious thing, Shu of all people to be swallowed by the darkness.
    Shu Kurenai, He was one of the best bladers, he should've known what a bey can do to a blader if left unchecked. What a weak mindset. The moment he's not the strongest blader in the world, he throws it all away. He might not have the same cockiness but he did have an ego. But that power, it was intriguing.
    The one other curveball was the Requiem Project. Shu's whole Red Eye scheme had been entertaining at best but the Requiem Project was another thing entirely.
    Lui had become close to Nightmare Lúinor, but nothing like that. Shu had fully merged with his Spryzen. That Ashtem must have had some incredible power at his disposal.
Shu was out of Spryzen's control now, but something told Lui that he wouldn't forget.
Though he hadn't acted like it, the Requiem Project scared Lui. The very idea of letting a bey mess around with a person's soul just seemed... wrong. But why give up everything. Shu had friends, Shu had a team he cared about. Though Lui didn't have those things, he had an identity. A strong identity he would never give up.
Just a weakling Lui thought to himself.

┌─── ⋆⋅DOOMSCIZOR⋅⋆ ───┐

"Hey big bro, maybe I can visit your team over in Fance!" Ryota's voice sounds from Daigo's tablet. He looks so excited. "Ken's there, right?"
"Right here!" Ken speaks through Keru. "You're always welcome whenever!" Besu says from Ken's other hand.
"Ryota, you know you need to conserve your strength, maybe once you get better the hospital people will say you're healthy enough to come over here. There's a lot I'd like to show you." Daigo reassures his brother, trying to keep worry out of his voice.
"Alright!" The younger boy exclaims.
"Ryota, time to get ready for bed." A woman's voice sounds from the tablet.
"Sorry bro, I gotta go, I hope we can talk again soon!" Ryota waves goodbye at the camera. "Remember, invincibility laser!" Ryota holds a hand puppet up.
"Hang in there buddy!" Ken exclaims through Besu.
"Alright, goodnight, I'll talk to you again as soon as I can." Daigo stares at the screen as it turns blank with the hand up icon.
"H-hey Daigo, you seem kind of out of it." Ken remarks, his voice sounding concerned for his friend.
"Don't you think it's funny how everyone just accepts Shu back? He turned his back on us, he even tore Besu."Daigo had been preventing himself from letting his plight affect other people, but Ken, after all was one of his closest friends.
"I believe in second chances. Besides it wasn't his fault." Ken responds, nervously picking at Besu's ear with one hand.
"He hurt all of us," Daigo refuted.
"Daigo, remember when you kind of cheated against Yugo in that match back home?" Ken knew Daigo hated this being brought up, a reminder of an ugly scar in his past. "wasn't that for the same reason that Shu turned to Ashtem? besides, Yugo, Ukyo, Quon, the rest of the Sword Flames gave you a second chance."
"Ken- that's different. I never hurt people," Daigo hated the thought of him being compared to Red Eye.
"Believe what you might, but Shu is as worth of redemption as anyone. And trust me, he'll pull through and deliver. He cares about his friends." Ken says.
"Maybe you're right." Daigo considers as Ken begins to walk away. "Maybe he does deserve a second chance but I'll never understand why."

┌─── ⋆⋅NOCTEMIS⋅⋆ ───┐
Something that could be disposed after fulfilling it's purpose. Norman Tarver carefully examined his bey in his hand. Noctemis had been repaired but ever since it seemed to emanate a sense of dread. It resisted every time he tried to battle with it. Must be some weird bey-trauma from being shattered in half.
Life had just been starting to make sense. There was a routine, there were people that cared about him. Or maybe not.
All he could think of is the way that Ashtem played them all. Damn, he played him, Boa, Richard, all the other eyes, every single one of them. Ashtem had no real loyalty, all Ashtem knew was power and strength.
Once he had his hands on another plaything, this time being Shu Kurenai and Free de la Hoya, everyone else was tossed aside. Gold Eye was no longer standing at the right hand of Ashtem. Instead Norman was running around his feet like all the others that worked for Ashtem.
It should be satisfying to see Ashtem's plan backfire at him. It should've been consoling to see him lose his team but instead it wasn't. Instead it was emptiness. His life had been stripped from him by Valt Aoi as much as mine had been by Shu Kurenai.
Now he knows though. The moment one isn't needed, they become obsolete. Without a whole armada of powerful bladers following him around, he was nothing.
There was something about Ashtem's overall mannerisms, he seemed defeated. Perhaps he was just as lost as Norman. He lost everything.
But that didn't excuse anything, he was still a
horrible person and Norman was glad to be away from him.