What I Wouldn't Give

The Battle He's Always Wanted

"Who's reffing?" Alexander looks around. "Forget it. We don't need a ref. Ready, set!"

Everyone begins to count down. It's just tradition at this point. Before a Bey Battle, even the entire crowd has to count down.

"THREE! TWO! ONE! GO, SHOOT!"

With that, they fire their Beys.

Launching feels incredible. It's been so long since Alexander has pulled a ripcord for an actual fight, and something tells him that this one will be better than any fight he's ever been dreaming of before.

Phi's launch is brilliant. Alexander can't help but take note of it, given how long he's been in the game. He knows just about every launch, but that's one he's never seen. It must be unique to wherever Phi comes from.

The Beys collide, and Alexander feels that rush of adrenaline the moment they do. They spin into each other, spinning right against each other until at last they're flung back again, neither one willing to let any bit of its energy fall.

How does he already feel tired? Alexander shakes his head, forcing himself to stay in the game. It must be that Bey, borrowing his energy again. Though, this doesn't quite feel like energy draining. That feels like pain, pain right in the front of his body, right in his heart, right in his mind.

Everyone is dead silent, holding their breath. As the Beys collide again, everyone collectively gasps. Even Free seems drawn into this battle, his eyes wider and more awake than usual as he watches this unfold.

It's only the beginning, but everyone is already on the edge of their seats. He's lasted longer than Aiga did.

"Enough of this already!" Alexander narrows his eyes. "Let's do this."

An aura nobody's ever seen before encases his Bey, surrounding him as well. All of the Bladers who can touch their Beys just to see it. That aura is magnificent, powerful, one of the most beautiful auras they've ever seen, the colors complementing one another, the beauty in the way it glows like flames.

Alexander's aura is definitely one that they wish they would've seen sooner. It's more beautiful than Trad's was.

He doesn't cry out a name. It's as if his Bey is nameless. However, he does shout a command at it:

"LET'S TAKE HIM OUT NOW!"

"I don't think so!" Phi slashes his hand through the air. "Phoenix!"

A blast of light and wind, and Phi's aura surrounds him as well, a tornado of wind lifting his hair. His eyes widen, the sclera turning from white to black, making him look more like that alien he's always claimed to be.

Suddenly, Lui looks almost terrified.

"Maybe I was wrong," he says. "Maybe aliens are real."

"You think!?" Aiga snaps.

This is it. The moment Alexander's wanted his entire life. The reason he gave up so much of his time, so much of his energy, so much of his power into this game. His entire childhood, lost to a spinning-top game. At last he will get the reward he deserves. At last his journey into his mind and soul will pay off.

At last he will claim a victory. A challenging victory at that. One that has everyone on the edge of their seats.

One that will potentially stop the end of the world.

One that will help a younger brother get revenge.

This is the battle of a lifetime. And this will probably be the last battle Alexander ever fights.