𝕓𝕖 𝕞𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 | 𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕕.𝕝.𝕙.

21 : Chasm

"𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓫𝔂𝓼𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓫𝔂𝓼𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝓼𝓸 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾"

"There are two ways this can happen."

Drip. Drip.

The roof of the cave was leaking.

"One-you go home right now, and I'll kindly forget that anything ever happened."

Drip. Drip.

Ravlynne couldn't see where the voice was coming from in the cavernous dark, but it slithered through the space like a snake, smooth and sultry and disgusting.

"Or two, you stay here and you battle my bladers. Each time you lose, I'll take someone."

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"And trust me, there's no escape in this place."

Drip.

"Maybe it'll be Valt."

Drip.

"Maybe it'll be Honcho."

Drip.

"Who knows, maybe I'll take Raven."

Drip.

"You get my point, though."

Drip. Drip.

"Don't you?"

They nod vehemently, even though the voice had made no mention of letting them see Shu. Just little puppets on a string for Ashtem to use against his bladers.

"Simply wonderful. Now, I do believe the first one up is Azure Eye, no? Valt, your opponent."

The voice almost simpered. It was cloying, like barbed honey, and Ravlynne hated it with her soul.

Valt walked stiffly over to the arena, arms tensed and fingers clenched around his launcher. A Snake Pit Blader with a blue mask was waiting for him there, bey proudly held in front of him.

Gleaming blades, curving into Azure Eye's cruel smile. A dull finish to the body of the bey that absorbed any light that hit it. And of course, the highlight, the pinnacle, the chip.

A dark V grinned up at Valt.

V, for vile.

V, for vicious.

V, for Valkyrie. The boy looked, understandably, like he was about to puke.

"We'll do this competition style, then? First to two points wins."

Ashtem sounded like he was cooing to a couple of kids at a carnival, like they were children that didn't quite know the rules of a particular game booth. He sounded like he was doing them a favour by granting them this-in his own words-simply wonderful opportunity.

"All ready? Alright then, 3, 2, 1-"

"GO SHOOT!"

Both Valkyries shot into the arena, like mirror images of the same bey. Because that was what they were supposed to be, identical. In the dim lighting of the cave, it was hard to tell which was which as they clashed.

Plink.

Shadow Valkyrie's pieces clattered to a stop on the stone floor. Azure Eye's smile faded, and he stooped to pick up his bey. With a hiss, the tile he was standing on gave way like a trapdoor, dropping the blader into the darkness beneath the bridge.