The taller person that addressed Gingka wowed the audience with their teal hair, choker around their neck, and a familiar short-sleeved casual red jacket over a long business sleeved blue shirt, a red ribbon on the hand she held her beyblade on, and sky blue stockings that covered down to her black boots while a dark red skirt reached down to her knees. A perfect blend of two styles was mixed into one as Gingka shook off the shock.

"Introducing the leader of Team 7-"

"I can't believe you're competing."

"Believe so, Gingka. I'm back."

"-the Shining Wave, Hikaru Hasama!"

Phoenix nodded.

"You didn't have to hide it behind your temporary resignation."

Kyoya, Tsubasa, Yu, Shinobu, and Kira each had their own reactions.

"You finally came back to the shore."

"Really? Hikaru, are you sure about this? You've recovered?"

"Hippity-Hop? It's been so long!"

"I heard about her. A fierce traveler that arrived in Metal Bey City and aligned with Gingka in their battles against the Dark Nebula, but retired early."

"Who?"

Hikaru shrugged off the compliments. "Can't say I fought against the Dark Nebula when Tsubasa really wasn't with them."

"Cheer up Hippity-Hop, you fought Ryuga and lived to tell the tale!"

"Thanks Yu. Just glad to be here," sighing. "Frankly, I'm not sure I should be here."

Zero sped right in front of her to meet the person next to Hikaru alongside Madoka.

"Maru?"

The pink haired girl with violet eyes nudged her glasses and took off her cream vest with her jumpsuit. "Hey, Zero. Been a while."

"Where did you go? One minute, you were training with us and collecting data, the next minute, you're completely gone from Metal Bey City!"

"Maru had her own plans in mind when she met Hikaru. Chief knows, right?"

Madoka nodded, which led to Zero asking what was going on. Before he could, Hanami asked the other members of the team to arrive.

The second member out was a young woman close to adulthood. Her green eyes and pale wavy long hair wowed the crowd while walking in her dress jacket and pants with matching hearts on her gloves, pants, and boots.

"The strongest France blader in Europe, the White Cetus of the Twin Jewels-"

"Sophie?"

"Gingka, Gan Gan Galaxy, everyone else, it's good to see you all again. I'm looking forward to the tournament."

Yu was itching for another round with her, certain he could take her on without Tsubasa's help, but either way, there were no ill feelings, even though Kyoya asked what on earth led those two to be teaming up together.

"That's not the only surprise," Maru giggled. "Did you realize anyone else was missing from our team, Zero?"

Zero had to think about it. Sakyo, Takanosuke, Eight, Shinobu, Kite, himself, and yet one more person was missing. That person walked out as Hanami introduced her.

She was around Zero's height, but the amber eyes and blonde hair was just secondary compared her outfit that paralleled Zeroes: black leather jacket with pink rims over a green tank top, burgundy shorts, and similar colored nlack knee socks coated with soft pink and purple bottom, waving to the crowd of with her black fingerless gloves.

"The Crimson Challenger, Ren Kurenai!"

Ren waved around, cheerfully eager and joining Hikaru, Sophie, and Maru while joining up with her friends on Team Bridge to the Future.

"Hey guys! Pretty interesting, huh?"

Shinobu was ecstatic. "You're working with one of Gingka's rivals and the right hand woman of Julian Konzern?" He eagerly asked to shake Sophie's hand, who accepted and didn't mind his sudden shade of awkwardness much to Ren's frustration.

She pouted. "Don't ignore me!"

Zero was happy to see her, but was confused. "Why didn't you want to join up with us?"

She looked at Kira and scoffed. "You know the reason why."

Zero turned at his teammates, but shook it off. "I don't know what the reason is, and I wish you were on our side, but that just means you're going to have a lot of fun battles. Let's meet up in the ring."

"You got it!" The two bladers of fire ignited their friendly rivalry once the fourth member of the team came out.

She was short, pale skinned, with odango styled pigtails for hair, wearing a red-pink Chinese dress with yellow trims and hearts on the back, connecting to the blue leggings and red dress.

Tsubasa and Masamune were the first to speak out. "Mei-Mei, is that you?"

"Right!" She performed a deep breath, charged energy and released it from her fist in a massive burst. Ray, Lee, Garland and Mariah were quick enough to counter fast enough to emit the same energy back to shield everyone else around them to the audience's shock.

Shinobu gasped. "That's the power of Wang Hu Zhong, and she's just a substitute? Wow."

Mei-Mei clapped her hands and bowed. "It's an honor to be here with all of you. Let's give this tournament our all!"

The audience clapped while the other bladers wowed at her physical strength when Mariah studied her.

"Wow, I heard there was another China team, but I never expected to see a member pop up in the tournament. I like your hair."

"Thanks, your hair is great too!"

While the two were hitting it off, there was one more person on the team that Hanami called for. A beautiful dark skinned woman who was tall, with short wavy hair, semi revealing clothes and black bra revealing her stuck while a dark army colored short coat around her waist and a professional pants similar to Sophie, except her smirking face lacked the grace of Sophie's.

And everyone from Gingka's world was not pleased to see them again.

"The Beauty from Brazil, Selen Garcia!"

Kira growled in disgust, ready to tear her apart. Zero, Shinobu, Kite, Phoenix, Tsubasa, and Sakyo had to hold him back.

"Why is she here?! You and your pathetic family should've stayed in the Evil Gene headquarters we left you in!"

He broke free and was ready to punch her when Ren and Mei-Mei caught his fists. While he understood where they were coming from, he expected the former to understand why.

"She and her brothers took advantage of us: bullied, those that wanted to get stronger, orphans, and injected us, bringing out the worst in everyone! We didn't belong, and you used us! Don't act like you have any right to compete in a tournament like this!"

"Don't act like we can trust you either!" Ren stretched her hand to cross Selen.

Tyson and the others were confused while Madoka offered Kenny some intel to explain.

"Selen's part of a family of bladers from Brazil who grew up in tough conditions being orphans. They used their Beyblade as tools, lied, cheated, attacked players before matches, stole food and parts so they could eat, used others for their dirty work, and wanted revenge on anyone who wronged them."

Tala seemed sympathetic. "They grew up in evil and became it to survive. So what, they didn't come to their senses?"

Gingka shook his head. "Madoka, they tried to take over the BBA again, right?"

"Yup, after they sided with Ziggurat, they took his funds from Hades Inc that was left over and built DNA sometime after the Sphere 360 and acquired bladers with talent. They hacked the servers and waged for control if Kira and the other DNA bladers won with help from Merci and Doji."

"It was a surprise to see them back," Tsubasa added. "But some people don't change." He addressed Kira. "I understand your frustrations, but if she plays fair, there won't be any reason to disqualify her."

Kira gritted his teeth. "You can't be serious!" Then he addressed Ren's concerns. "How can you say that about me when you're working with someone like her!"

"Because you two are the same!"

"What? How?!"

"You both grew up in situations neither of you controlled, and you chose to be jerks for no reason. And you rejected Zero the first time he offered you a chance to change and join us. How is leaving her and the Garcias to nearly die in the Evil Gene & DNA Headquarters a good thing?"

"I was using them and put them in their place so we could take control!"

"And letting Merci play you like a puppet was part of the plan?"

"You're joking. My Blader's Spirits far surpasses hers!"

"And you think it surpasses mine?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Selen slid her tongue along her teeth. "It says a lot for you to say that Kira. Even without the Evil Gene, you had that darkness. You wanted to crush all those other bladers and you still do. We just gave you the tools to do so, and you would've been at the top of the world."

Ren made a declaration. "And I don't fully trust her either. But after what you did, you're just as suspect!"

"Besides," Selen added, "what was that comment you made about her not even being good enough for Zero's team."

Zero and Gingka raised questions on what she meant by that.

"Ren, play the recording."

Ren reluctantly looked away and pressed a button on her phone.

"I'm stronger than all of them. Only Zero can keep up with me, but we need three others. Shinobu beat you Baihu, and Sakyo beat you Yoshio, so that just leaves the weaker one. Ren, well of course she's weak, Zero would," but it stopped.

Zero blinked. "Kira, you said that?"

"It's a bit more to it than that," realizing how bad it looked, "but yeah, I did."

Selen butted back in. "And if that's the way you felt, why would she ever consider partnering up with you guys in the first place?"

"Forgive me if we don't trust you Selen," Madoka said. "But you've done enough harm to the blading world."

"Can you honestly not believe that I'm here because I had nowhere else to go. You're all about finding the blader's spirit and the bonds of Beyblade and what not, yet I can't have it?"

"Did you forget what you did in the Sphere 360?"

"We all have had hardships, but none of us have ever resorted to manipulative tactics that have nothing to do with Beyblade," Tsubasa protested.

Selen nudged an eyebrow. "None of you?" She pointed to Crusher, Tala, the rest of Go Justice, Ming Ming, Hiro, and Kyoya. "You've got far more blood on your goody-two-shoes hands than me. BORG, BEGA, the Dark Nebula ring any bell?"

They all were quick to defend themselves, which led to a huge shouting match between them when Hikaru silenced everyone.

"Right now, Selen is on our team, and if she acts out of line or tries something," stern and staring down Selen with intensity, "I will handle her. Personality."

Selen gulped. "Right. No dirty tricks, I promise."

Tyson had a question. "So where's the rest of the family? You couldn't partner with them?"

Selen eyed back and forth. "Well-um-they're still licking their wounds from our last endeavor," sighing and letting herself be vulnerable. "We're trying to reuse our assets just to build ourselves back up. So they didn't sign up. And we were upset when our proteges," briefly glaring at Kira, "betrayed us and left us to die, we never had time to upgrade our skills."

She bowed down. "Gingka, Tsubasa, Zero, Kira, for now, please forgive us. We only have each other, and winning this tournament might help us find our footing. You have your dad, Hikaru's still got her mom, but we don't have that," genuinely crying. "Just let me help her get as far as I can!"

The other bladers weren't sure what to do about this. Zero and Gingka wondered if they should. This would be like the fifth time the Garcias would be messing with them, and it's clear they weren't going to learn their lesson.

However, Tyson extended his hand to her.

"Hey, we're all bladers here. Selen, right? We've all made mistakes. And if you pull some dirty tricks, we'll find a way to stop you fair and square. But if you're heart's in it, we'll take you on, so show us what you got! Alright?"

His calm smile got her to stop, and she rose up, stopping her sniffs. Masamune and Kyoya weren't buying it, but Selen hugged Tyson.

"Thanks cutie," landing a kiss on his cheek that led his teammates and some of the others asking what just happened. "Nice to know someone here has a heart."

Shinobu just had a question. "How did all of you come together as a team anyways?"

Hikaru offered an explanation. "It's a long story, but I'll start."

Hikaru explained what the detail was, with Ryo's permission. After the Nemesis Crisis, all of the bladers united over the past three years barring the Garcias agreed to try and rebuild the reputation of Beyblade, rebuild more centers, bring the public trust in the sport again, and motivate a new generation of bladers while rebuilding the world from the destruction of the Dark Nebula, Hades Inc, and the Nemesis Bladers, and she went with Ryo and Kenta. By the time Tsubasa updated them on what was going on with Nemesis, she had contacted her mother to check on her, yet fighting her illness and needing surgery. The pay as a secretary was helping her, but Hikaru admitted she questioned whether or not she could face her. She didn't technically abandon her goal, but after Ryuga, only one more time did she launch her Beyblade to help save the world. She was doing well, but not only did she question if her mother would be proud of her legacy.

On a day she was getting ready to visit her again, and hearing that she was going to move to a different hospital, Hikaru wondered if it was possible either of them could recover from the incident. When she got there, the older Hasama started trying to walk, ready to move to another hospital for surgery after finding a doctor who claimed he could even revive people from the dead, though it would take some months, and the cost would be much more than the pay she received.

Hikaru had more questions and answers on what to do and looked at Aquario. Her bey shined. It was calling out to her for something. She channeled her blader's spirit to finally see her partner's form beyond the wave, and peered in, only to be blown back by the sight of what looked like Ryuga and herself wrapped in purple aura energy, the same that nearly attacked her when the dark power locked inside Tsubasa let loose, shattering the glass that protected her, and only Ryo's arms there to comfort her from the trauma of that day.

Even using her bey to help Gingka and Argo, and her hand dropped, not sure what to do.

That's when at a nearby Bey Park, she saw a girl that was just as young as her, scared and frightened, blading against three guys who were much taller, bigger, and their blades were ganging up on her, mocking and teasing her.

Calling her a crybaby.

Calling her weak.

Telling her she would never amount to being a blader.

And they were ready to break it. No one else was around to help the little girl.

And to her, that wasn't what Beyblade was about

Those wounds cut deep into Hikaru's skin and just grabbed through Aquario's wave, fighting the pain and inserted her launcher, ripcord, and Beyblade together, shooting into the ring for what seemed like eternity as Aquario saved the girl's beyblade at the last minute.

"What the?"

"In what world is three versus one a fair fight?"

"Who are you supposed to be," one of the bullies asked.

"That doesn't matter. If you want to gang up on someone, try me on for size. Aquario!"

Aquario knocked them aside and spun on the outer ridge of the stadium, generating a wave of energy around her. She was out of the game for so long, and resolved to end it quickly.

"Aquario, Infinite," twitching with dark energy and holding her hand from giving into the pain. "Assault!"

Aquario rushed down with the speed that only bladers with normal spirits would just see as afterimages raining down in a massive wave that struck them all down, knocking two of them out of the ring. The last one's beys were still standing.

"Wait. You're Hikaru Hasama, aren't you?"

"And what if I am," she responded. The kid just gave a cocky grin.

"Weren't you that washout who got owned in one hit at Battle Bladers all those years ago? Why should I be worried about a retired wreck like you?"

It stung. Kenta, Kyoya, Yu, Benkei, Teru, Tsubasa, and Gingka all had surpassed her. Something deep inside was willing to take that longing to get back in the game, though one look at the girl got Hikaru back to her senses.

"Blading is supposed to be fun and push us to get better. How can you call yourself one when this is how you treat one of your own," enraged enough that Aquario stuck the stock Beyblade in the air with one attack and into the nearby tree, ending his bravado in terror and fear, before proceeding to knock the other two on the nearby branch.

While the trio of bullies scoured up to get their beyblades, she grabbed Aquario and the other Beyblade the girl was using, a Pirate Phoenix.

"A bit weird combining Fire and Water, but you got strong parts. You're looking to become a blader, aren't you?"

She wiped off the tears that were about to fall and nodded. "Are you?"

"I work with the WBBA, but-"

"Then you are one too! Could I be a blader just as good as you?"

"Well I," hesitating, wondering what to say in this situation. Part of her goal was promoting more bladers to not go through what she went through.

And then it hit her. Being an advisor and secretary could only get her so far. And that was another person who needed her right there and now, she

It was nine years ago at this point. It wasn't something she could fight, but in her position, words similar to the one her mother told her kicked in.

"Of course you can. Maybe even stronger than me one day."

"You really think so?"

"You should never abandon your goal. Determination is everything," she said, gripping her arm.

The little one cheered up. "Okay. Hey, Miss Hikaru, when's your next match?"

"My next match....well that's. Well I did hear there's a competition about Bladers from other worlds but I don't think I'm ready for t-"

"That's so cool! I'll let my friends know so we can watch you battle Miss Hikaru. Good luck!"

The girl ran off, and despite realizing what she was getting into, Hikaru couldn't help but smile. That's the type of smile she wanted to give herself, her mother, and others like her. One that wouldn't break down and become cold like her.

Ryo had told her about a massive tournament being held. And now she made a promise she had to keep and tightened Aquario.

"I'll get strong enough to see you beyond the wave. Aquario, let's enter that tournament."