I Will Follow You Into The Dark (Shalt/Shu x Valt)

Pain

"Shu? Shu! Hey, has anyone seen Shu around?" Unmei trotted through the streets, looking high and low for the white haired male. Bystanders just shook their head and shrugged. "Man! Figures that guy's nowhere to be seen when you really need him!" The brunette girl sighed and continued on through town, footsteps kicking up dust as she looked to the sky for the Spryzen blader. "Gosh darn it! Shu, where the hell are you?!" A long sigh from the behind a tree met his answer, the blood eyed male in question turning his head and gazing at Unmei. 

"What is it, Unmei? What's so important?" The Urania blader stamped her feet on the ground, scowling at the Spryzen blader.

"Now you know just why I'm making a fuss in finding you! You said you were gonna come over to the park and have practice battle with Isan nearly two hours ago! Instead I find you out here, under a tree, snoozing your little behind off!" 

Shu gave a groan, getting up, shaking his head. He looked more dishevelled than usual, dark bags under his red eyes from many a sleepless night. He looked pale, sickly almost, yet still tried to put on an air of cheerfulness.. He heaved a soft yawn before giving a dismissive wave to Unmei. "Yeah.. I'll get to it right now... sorry." 

Unmei walked out, running up to Shu. The two walked silently across the pavement, heading straight towards the park. It was a nice change for Unmei, he was usually the one stuck in the house while the other were out. But most of the time, it was by choice.

Entering the park they found Isan all sitting on the staircase.

"Hey Kurenai!" An confident Isan greeted, "ready for our battle?"

Shu nodded.

"Well then, let's not stand around. Let's do this thing!"

"OK."

Isan looked at Shu puzzled. Where was that over genius blader that he knew so well? He certainly wasn't there.

Isan was just about to ask him when Unmei gave him a small nudge.

"I know what your thinking, and I want to know what's bothering him too, but he won't tell us so we better just leave it for now."

Isan nodded, he thought it was best to listen to the yellow eyed girl so he wouldn't get onto Shu's bad side, because that's a side nobody wants to be on.

The air was warm and the stadium was damp. But that wasn't going to put Shu off, he had more important things on his mind but he still wanted to beat Isan.

"Are you ready Neibiankai?" Shu said patiently, hoping that the Illuyanka blader was now in a better mood as he is.

"Bring it on Kurenai!"

Both of them bend down on one knee at either side of the bey dish and took out their launchers, putting their beys into place.

"Ready? Set!" Unmei called out.

"3."

"2."

"1."

"LET IT – RIP!"

They then ripped their beys. Spryzen began circling the stadium while Illuyanka did it's regular defence technique.

Spryzen and Illuyanka clashed over and over again, Isan unleashed his special moves and shouted at one another. But something didn't feel right, like Shu wasn't even thinking about what he was doing.