//------------------------------// // 41. Athena vs Adagio! // Story: Dazzling Bladers // by Joshua the Dragonslayer //------------------------------// Athena and Adagio continued to stare each other down, the Battle between the two would finally happen after so long. Sonata held onto Aria in fear, the score was tied 2-2, and Adagio had to win or else they would lose. Adagio looked down at Achilles and switched it into Stamina Mode, without the sword attached. She didn't want to risk anything nor take things to chance, she wanted to take things by advantage. "Athena the last time we battled it was a three on one with my sisters. But now it's just you and me, and today I'll take you down." Adagio said. "Achilles will take down any shields Ashindra tries to put up." "That's a shame." Athena said as she looked down at Ashindra. "Ashindra is much stronger than before. Ashindra will endure any and all kinds of attacks Achilles will throw at it. You'll never be able to beat our defense, this Battle will end just like the last two matches have." Adagio smiled. "I admit I was impressed that you beat Aria and Sonata. However, I'm the Champion, and as the Champion, I can't afford to lose to someone like you. Now if you'll please I'll like to start this Battle already. I want to prove to everyone who's stronger, me and Achilles!" "Never seen someone so excited to lose to me, but that's fine by me. Let's get this thing started Adagio." Athena attached Ashindra to her launcher as Adagio did the same. Sonata continued to hold onto Aria. "Come on Adagio, you can do it." Aria looked down and patted Sonata's head to calm her down which thankfully worked as Sonata looked up and smiled at Aria who smiled back. However, the call from the referee pulled them away from each other and to the stadium. "Match Five! First Battle! Bladers get ready and set! The referee yelled. "Three! Two! One! Let it Rip!" Everyone yelled. Achilles and Ashindra took to the stadium, Ashindra rushed to the center but Achilles quickly came in to stop it. "Achilles hit it with Unison Breaker!" The attack hit its target as Ashindra was pushed away, Athena didn't mind as Ashindra rushed up the slope. "Speed up Ashindra! We're going to end this in one attack!" Ashindra raced up the slope and started to pick up speed as it quickly went into its Hyper-Flux state. Adagio saw this and smiled, Achilles was still circling around the stadium waiting for Ashindra to come down. "Achilles get ready!" Ashindra reached the top and started to descend from the slope picking up immense speeds. "Ashindra! Finish them once and for all!" Ashindra charged toward Achilles and slammed into it, the force was starting to push Achilles back. Athena smiled but when she saw Adagio who wasn't fazed at all she quickly became confused. "All according to plan. Now Achilles! Unison Pendulum!" Achilles was launched back as it started to come back to Ashindra, Athena saw this and began to panic before getting herself together. "Counter their counter with Tower Counter!" Ashindra's driver dug into the stadium floor as it charged toward its foe. The two Beys headed toward each other and collided. Thanks to the blow from the impact both Beys were sent flying out of the stadium as they both hit the ground. Adagio and Athena looked at their Beys and then at the referee. Aria, along with Sonata, and the rest of the people in the arena went quiet to hear the referees call. The ref then raised his hand in the air and made his call. "Union Achilles with a Ring-Out Finish, point standings are 1-0!" The referee declared. The crowd cheered as Adagio and Athena retrieved their Beys. Aria and Sonata smiled, Adagio had taken the lead and now all she had to do was get one more point. "Just one more point and Adagio will have won! And then we'll be heading to the Finals!" Sonata cheered. "Yes but she's going up against Athena, she wouldn't be taken down that easily. It's best if Adagio keeps her guard up, just encase Athena has yet another trick she's saving up." Aria said. "In terms of power, I'll say Adagio wins, but Athena isn't the same girl she was before. Ashindra may just be a Defense Type but the power it holds is much more than a simple Defense Bey." Sonata stared at Aria and then at Adagio who looked to be talking with Achilles while getting ready for the Second Battle. "Yeah, but Adagio's bond with Achilles is something Athena doesn't have with Ashindra. That's what makes these two so different and because of that I have no doubt in my mind that Adagio will win." Aria looked at Sonata and smiled, but it faded as she looked at Athena who looked to be fired up. 'Hopefully Adagio realized Athena was going easy on her in the First Battle. Cause now she's going to be coming at her with everything she has.' Aria then looked at Athena who was staring at the slope part of the stadium. 'Why is she looking at the slope? Is she planning on using the slope to her advantage this round? It didn't work last round... unless she's planning on launching on the slope!' By the time Aria had gathered her thoughts the countdown had already begun. And with that, both Beys had taken to the stadium, and just like Aria thought, Ashindra had landed on the slope and was already picking up speed as it was reaching the speed crater. Adagio saw this and gasped. "Quickly Achilles! Stop them before they reach the crater!" Achilles raced after Ashindra but it was too slow as Ashindra had already reached the crater and was hitting speeds that could break the speed barrier. "Knock them out of the crater! Unison Sword!" Achilles tried to hit Ashindra but it was launched backward. Ashindra's speed was increasing as it then it sped out of the crater and into the sky. Its Hyper-Flux came to life as it started to fall toward Achilles. "Ashindra!" The avatar was shown behind Ashindra falling from the sky as its swords came crashing down toward Achilles. "Achilles!" The avatar was shown behind Achilles who collided with Ashindra. The two Beys were at a standstill until both were sent back. Achilles raced toward Ashindra with one goal in mind; win. "Unison Launch!" Achilles started pummeling Ashindra pushing it about without giving it a second to recover. "Get out of there! Tower Counter!" Ashindra slammed into Achilles reeling it backward. "Unison Pendulum!" Achilles's driver sparked as it came crashing down and hitting Ashindra into the air. Ashindra came down and landed in the center as it started to wobble. "Alright, it's on the ropes! Race up the slope now!" And so Achilles did as it raced up the slope, picking up momentum. "Get ready for any and all attacks! Hurricane Defense!" The frame of Ashindra glowed as it was preparing for the attack. "Now use Double Bushin Guard!" Now the layer to Ashindra glowed as now it was in its ultimate defense mode. "Nice defense, but it won't be enough for me and Achilles!" Achilles charged up the slope. So fast that it looked to be going out of control, as it then hit the stadium wall making it go flying sky high that it was barely noticeable. Aria and Sonata gasped as Achilles was launched up into the sky. Adagio smirked as Athena looked in confusion seeing Achilles being launched into the sky. "Now take flight Achilles! Unison Dive!" Achilles came rocketing down from the sky and slammed into Ashindra. The two Beys fought as both girls let out a battle cry, seeing their Beys clash. Sparks flew as then an explosion was let loose, causing the girls to shield their faces. When the smoke cleared it showed Ashindra who had just finished spinning in the center and Achilles who had fallen out of bounds. "Bushin Ashindra with a Ring-Out Finish points standings; 1-1!" Yet again the crowd cheered as both girls picked up their Beys. Aria sighed as Sonata had small tears forming in her eyes. "She was so close... now this match is anyone's game. Is this it? Do we lose?" Sonata turned to Aria for an answer. Aria looked down at Sonata and tightened her fist. "Not yet, not if we have anything to say about it! Yo, Adagio!" Adagio turned around and looked at Aria. "What? I'm kinda in a Battle right now." "Go out there and take her down! I know this isn't all you got, give it everything you have and plus some. If you got push yourselves to do so then do it! Burst them already! Show them that you're the Champion!" Sonata nodded her head as she smiled. "Come on Dagi! Show Athena that your bond with Achilles is so strong that nothing can stop you guys!" "You guys..." Adagio smiled warmly, as she looked down at Achilles. "Let's do this thing, together!" Adagio attached the sword to Achilles along with putting it in Attack Mode, she was going all out for the Final Round. "This will all be over in the Third Round, that's a promise." Athena looked at Adagio and smiled. "Then I guess I shall be coming at you with everything as well. Fine by me, no more holding back." The two girls stared at each other as their Bey's avatar loomed over them. "Third battle! Ready and set!" The referee yelled. "Three! Two! One! Let it Rip!" Everyone yelled. Achilles and Ashindra took to the stadium as they both immediately headed for the center and collided. Both were sent back a bit but they soon came back to attack yet again. "GO!" Both Bladers yelled. The two Beys then collided yet again and clashed as they were at a standstill. After a few seconds of being at a standstill the two disengaged. "Tower Counter!" Athena yelled. "Unison Pendulum!" Adagio yelled. Ashindra and Achilles came crashing down and slammed into each other sending both the way they came from. Ashindra landed near the slope and raced onto it, Achilles not letting it go chasing after it. Thanks to its speed it was able to catch up to Ashindra and attacked it making it slam into the wall causing it to then fall into the speed crater. Ashindra started to speed up as Achilles came down the slope and waited for Ashindra's next move. A golden shine sparked off of Ashindra as it picked up even more speed. "A present from me to you Adagio! I've been saving this move just for you and now everyone will watch as it'll be the move that will take you down! Go Ashindra! Hurricane Whirlwind!" Ashindra leaped out of the speed crater and toward the stadium wall. The frame on Ashindra made contact with the stadium wall as it then started to spin along the stadium walling. As if a spark went off, Ashindra shot like a rocket and raced around the stadium at intense speeds. Adagio, along with Aria and Sonata gasped at the sight. Athena saw this and smiled. "Once Ashindra has picked up enough power it'll come at you with full force." Aria looked at the scene surprised. "If Adagio gets hit with power like that Achilles will surely burst!" Sonata looked at Aria and then back at Adagio with fear in her eyes. "You gotta stop them before that happens Dagi!" Adagio looked around as she spotted Ashindra from the corner of her eye. "Right there! Attack them with Unison Breaker!" Achilles headed to where Adagio had pointed and collided... with the wall. Adagio gasped as Achilles started to wobble from taking recoil damage from the wall. "Poor Adagio. What you thought was my Ashindra was actually an afterimage. This is the real Ashindra! Go Ashindra!" Ashindra then came around and struck Achilles sending it flying. "Achilles hang in there!" Achilles came flying down as it hit the edge of the stadium wall making it able to stay in the arena. Aria and Sonata let out a breath they didn't even know they were holding in, however, the Battle was still far from over. Achilles was able to make it to the speed crater as it started to pick up speed. 'Athena isn't the only one who's Bey can increase their speed.' The crater made Achilles spin faster and faster as it started glowing thanks to Hyper-Flux. Just like how Ashindra it shot out of the speed crater and raced toward its opponent. Athena looked at Achilles who had achieved massive amounts of speed and was racing to catch up to Ashindra, which was actually starting to work as it was starting to get close. She then looked at Adagio whose eyes were burning with passion, the look in her eyes could tell that she was not only giving it her all but was also battling with Achilles. Not as Blader and Bey but as one united force. "And me and Ashindra will be the ones to take down this force! Now go Ashindra!" Ashindra shot out and raced toward Achilles who was also heading toward it. Adagio looked at Athena with a big smile. "No matter what the obstacle, you and me were able to take them down so let's do it again! Charge Achilles! Unison Whip!" "ADAGIO!" Athena shouted as Ashindra raced toward Achilles with it's avatar looming behind it. "ATHENA!" Adagio shouted as Achilles raced toward Ashindra with it's avatar looming behind it. Achilles and Ashindra collide with one another unleashing an explosion. As everyone shields themselves from the explosion, Ashindra, and Achilles continued their standstill in the explosion. Neither Bey was giving an inch as they both wanted to take the victory. "End them Ashindra!" Ashindra heard it's Bladers voice as it started to push Achilles back. "GO ASHINDRA!" "I believe in you, Achilles!" Achilles heard Adagio and started to fight back. "ACHILLES!" The two Beys fought however Achilles's sword slammed down on Ashindra slicing through it. Ashindra flew into the air and burst as Achilles ran out of stamina and burst a few seconds later. Athena and Adagio let out deep breaths that they were holding in as they both fell to the ground. "Union Achilles with a Burst Finish! With a point standing of 3-1, Adagio wins! The Dazzlings will be advancing to the Finals, where they will be battling the Dragonslayers!" The crowd cheered as Aria and Sonata ran to their sister who was still on the ground. "You did it Dagi!" As Sonata jumped and hugged her. "Not bad Adagio, not bad at all." Aria and Sonata helped pick up Adagio, as Phoebe and Bael did the same with Athena. The two girls looked at each other and walked over to one another and shook hands. Athena looked at Adagio with a small smile. "Looks like you beat us, it's no wonder why you're the Champion. You and your sisters deserve this victory." Adagio gave Athena a smile back. "Don't discredit yourself. You did an amazing job, I thought I would lose multiple times. That Hurricane Whirlwind was an amazing move, a total shocker to me. Not to mention that part where you launched on the slope to immediately gain speed, I would have never thought about it. You've shown me I have much to learn even as a Champion, thank you. Our Battle was the best one I've ever had and it all thanks to you and Ashindra." "I should be thanking you as well. It was thanks to you and Achilles that I've realized that me and Ashindra have to train even harder if we want to gain that Champion title. Just wait Adagio, me and Ashindra will come back to Battle you, and we'll win. Until then you better not lose to anyone else you understand." Tears then started to fall from Athena's eyes as she hugged Adagio. "You made it this far so you better make it all the way. Win in the Finals for all of us, for all of our friends who couldn't make it, promise me that you will?" "I promise Athena." Adagio then hugged Athena as she hugged back. Sonata smiled as she then jumped over to Phoebe and gave her a bear hug in which she happily hugged back. Aria then looked to Bael who went over to her and hugged her causing her face to light up like a Christmas tree. The crowd cheered for the two teams after the intense Battle they had. While everyone was cheering they didn't notice one individual staring at the two teams. Leon and Dean didn't say anything as they got up and left the arena, their leader Gabby however stayed and stared. 'So you made it to the Finals. You have my congratulations, however, they won't do much. For it'll be your graveyard, Adagio..., Aria..., and Sonata... you'll all fall to the likes of me and Eclipse Genesis!' The avatar of Genesis loomed over Gabby as her body flared with aura. 'Union Achilles, Prime Apocalypse, Lord Spryzen, and anyone else's measly Bey who dares to get in my way will be destroyed! Darkness will have arisen!' Preview: Using their time before the Finals, the Dazzlings must practice their hearts out if they want to win. Thanks to Arctic the girls are put up against three of some of the strongest Bladers to find. However, will all their practice be enough to not only Battle but also beat the likes of Gabby and her almighty team? Next Time on Dazzling Bladers! Battle Of Flames! Training Showdown!