Valt Aoi: The Battle for the Lost (Book 3!)

Ep 38: Phoenix or Phi?

After Drum was declared the winner the next finale battle was announced: Phi vs Clio.

As Phi walked onstage the air around him had changed into a thick and tense atmosphere. The crowd quieted down as he stopped short of the stadium.

A shadow had fallen over his face covering his eyes. Only his smirk could be seen on the TV screens.

Clio looked afraid but mentioned something about a spell protecting him.

As a Phi heard that his head shot up and his eyes were glowing. But instead of glowing their normal red and blue the were black orbs with no mercy.

Shu was on the edge of his seat looking over Phi's appearance and Valt was doing the same.

The more he looked at Phi the more similarities he seemed to catch between them. Their eyes the most obvious between the two and his clothing.

Getting into his launching stance Phi was all too confident. While Clio was trying to put on a straight face.

Shu could tell Clio had seen something he shouldn't have.

"You'll be punished!" Phi's voice echoed throughout the building.

Clio grimaced and those closer to the stadium covered their ears.

"3...2...1, Let it Rip!"

The battle began with Phoenix attacking Caynox. But these weren't normal attacks the more Phoenix attacked the more Caynox was pushed to the edge.

"Levitation Launch!"

Caynox titled lifting Phoenix into the air.

Phi was crossing his arms unimpressed.

"Is that all you got?"

Phoenix began to come back down into the stadium glowing with power.

"Dread Break!"

Phoenix landed on Caynox bursting it.

As Clio picked up the pieces, across the stadium something was going on with Phi.

Phi's fists were gripped and his resonance began to build up.

It didn't make sense, Phi could've easily beaten Clio. Heck he was two points ahead and yet why was he frustrated?

He didn't want a burst...

Onstage Phi was laughing like a manic and his eyes were glowing black with madness and power.

Clio took a step back afraid of Phi.

"Yup it's official Phi has cracked."

Shu had forgotten the rest of BC Sol were there too. Rantaro was leaned way down in his seat with his face between Shu and Valt.

"There's no fixing someone like Phi..."

"What did you say?" Valt asked looking over at Shu.

"Sometimes when people break, you can't fix them. Hyde said Phi hasn't been in that body for a long time...so if Phoenix is in there there's no way to reason with something like that..."

Valt turned back to the battle and away from Shu.

Is this what happens to bladers when they're too far gone?

The second battle started off with Clio trying to attack Phoenix but Phi wasn't having it.

Once the armor came off Phi's entire attitude changed.

"Dread Cannon!"

Hitting the armor it ricocheted off the wall trapping Caynox.

"I'm done playing with you."

A small crack was starting to grow and Phi was growing in power.

"That's enough Phi!"

Onstage Hyde walked on with a determined look.

Losing his concentration Caynox bursted instead of breaking landing by Phi's feet.

"What do you want!" Phi whipped around at Hyde. His eyes showed no trace of mercy or feeling.

Instead of answering Hyde walked over to the pieces of Caynox. Picking them up Hyde put them back together and threw back the bey to Clio.

"Follow me, Evel can fix that crack for you."

Walking to the other side to the stadium Hyde led Clio offstage.

"Well, why did you come up here! Why did you waste your time with this kid?"

Hyde stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at Phi.

His anger was growing and his eyes were still glowing a little. The ghostly Phoenix angrily wailed.

Meanwhile Hyde stood on the other side calm and collected. He let out a tired sigh sounding more like a tired parent than his brother.

"You know why I came up here Phi, you've gone too far..."

Hyde turned back around and led Clio into the elevator. Hyde was just about to get in when he turned back to Phi.

"And it's time you too stopped acting like a spoiled kid."

The doors closed sending Hyde and Clio away from Phi. Phi on the other hand exited the stage too going down the elevator.

After a moment of silence Hanami stepped onstage with a microphone and a spotlight.

"And that concludes the first day of battles here are the scores!"

All the bladers pictures showed up on the TV's.

"Like the battleship cruise for every battle a blader wins you earn a star."

Stars appeared next to the bladers names all across the TV's. Free, Lui, Valerie, Vincent for the first group.

Valt, Emerald Eye, Aiger, Arthur for the second and finally Zac, Shu, Drum and Phi for the last.

"Whichever blader earns the most stars out of their group will earn their way to the finales! Where only 3 spots remain!"

The TV's changed to 3 boxes with question marks over them.

"This concludes the first day, so go back to you hotels and be ready for a new day of battles! 3...2...1...Let it Rip!"

Confetti flew across the place everywhere as soon as Hanami said rip. The crowd cheered with excitement as BC Sol began to leave.

"Wow that was awesome!" Drum said skipping across the parking lot.

"Did you guys see that confetti, it's still in my hair!"

As BC Sol loaded up in the van, Sasha told everyone about the party and how they had the choice to come or not.

Naturally most of the van agreed to meet up in the pool room.

Valt on the other hand was looking out the window at Theodore and Phi's getting into their own van.

Unlike their tour this morning Valt had been last to get in the van causing him to get the backseat.

Normally Valt didn't mind the backseat, heck last year he remembered being back there since he was new. Usually newbies sat in the back with all the equipment taking up the rest of the seats.

But he didn't remember it being so lonely.

"So Valt you're coming tonight right?"

Sasha was peering behind her seat over at Valt.

"Of course!"

Smiling Sasha turned back around to talk to Honey.

Looking back out the window, Theodore's car was gone only leaving an empty parking spot.

It's time partner...we're getting them back.