Chapter 8: The Challenge from the Mask!

Dan - My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere! At first, they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game! That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all! They were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan! And together with my friends, Runo! Marucho! Julie! Sora! Not to mention Mr. Hotshot himself, Shun! And Alice! We are...

Battle Brawlers - The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!

Dan - Bakugan! One goal, two worlds!

(Bakugan Battle Brawlers Opening 1)

What are ya gonna do?

(Dan enters into battle with the field revealing itself)

The odds are stacked against you,
Back against the wall,

(Dan and Masquerade activate their cards to begin battle)

(The two brawlers launch their Bakugan against each other)

You gotta give it your all,

(Sora floats around with his Guardian Bakugan, Leonidas)

This is the final stand,

(Multiple scenes of different Bakugan appear)

The powers in your hand!

(Dan throws a Gate Card)

Two worlds collide,
On the inside,

(Naga reaches for the Infinity and the Silent Core)

(Vestroia gets affected by Naga's actions)

(Drago uses Boosted Dragon on an opponent)

(Scenes of Marduk and Vladitor appear)

You got to fight for what's right,

(Sora raises an unknown card before the card glows)

Before it's gone,
Gone, gone,
This is Bakugan!

(Dan and Marucho prepares for battle while Sora and Runo waits)

(Dan returns a Bakugan with a grin)

(The title appears)

[Opening Ends]

Opening the door to his home, the Darkus Brawler stepped in and sighed, before placing the shopping bags down on the ground.

"Oh man... Who knew that shopping for food was going to be so exhausting... I mean, it's not the first time I shopped before, but to this length..." Sora groaned as he slumped down onto the couch.

"Hmph... Maybe it's because you hardly exercise. You were panting all the way while we were heading for the supermarket, and it started to get worse while we were coming back to your home." Leonidas reprimanded.

"Hey, give me a break... With Alice being on our team now and with the sudden battle I had to do with that Imelda girl, can you blame me for wanting to take a break? I just want to relax from battling today-"

That was when the darkness loomed over him... And that darkness would be...

"UNACCEPTABLE!" Leonidas bellowed, startling Sora as he yelped in surprise.

"No relaxing when there's a good chance for a Bakugan battle! Did you not forget the humiliating defeat we had against that masked human and Vladitor!? We need to train more in order to get stronger!" Leonidas shouted out loud.

Upon being reminded of their near loss against Marduk, who claimed that he was the best Bakugan player in the world, the Darkus Brawler frowned, recalling of what could've happened if he had continued to play the wrong way.

For the Guardian Bakugan, he noticed the change in mood of his Brawler's face as he quickly turned silent.

"Sorry... That was uncalled for..." Leonidas apologized with a grunt, causing the Darkus Brawler to shake his head.

"It's fine... And I guess you were right about one thing... That battle may have ended up in a draw because of the field starting to collapse because of the power, but if it continued on without a problem, then we would've lost..." Sora sighed, scratching his head.

Then there was also the time when he had lost to Dan and Drago during their test to become a member of the Battle Brawlers. It was a close battle, but it ended in their defeat...

"I guess there is one thing I have to change... How I spend my time..." Sora thought before he picked his head up from the couch before getting up. Taking a deep breath, the Darkus Brawler made a decision.

"Time to eat!" Sora declared, causing the Guardian Bakugan to sweat drop.

"That's what you were prepared for...?" Leonidas grunted, sounding rather irritated yet he said nothing to complain.

Later...

"Thanks for the food..." Sora spoke softly before he clapped his hands together. Leonidas remained silent as he watched the Darkus Brawler take a bowl of rice and crack a egg on a small empty bowl!

Then, by opening the egg, the yolk and the egg whites fell on the rice, causing the yolk and the whites to spread. Finally, with a small bottle of soy sauce, the final ingredient was placed as the egg yolk and the whites were covered by the sauce.

Even the rice was covered by the sauce as well. With the ingredients all put into place, the Darkus Brawler picked up his chopsticks and began to mix them all around. As he continued to mix, the color began to change.

It changed to a rather dark orange or dark yellow color as the rice was soon more of a dark colored rice! With the mixing done, the Darkus Brawler took a bite and smiled.

"Not bad..." Sora commented as he continued to devour onto the rice with the Darkus Bakugan watching.

"What is that kid eating...? A mix of those... ingredients? Humans are peculiar as always. It's just like what Drago had said once..." Leonidas questioned in his mind before he huffed, turning away.

After lunch...

"Phew... That was good." Sora chuckled to himself before putting the dirty dish away to the sink as he began to clean it up with the dishwashing supplies. As he was doing so...

The Baku-Pod began to make a notification sound, causing Sora to put away the now clean dish to his watch as he checked to see who was contacting him. The one who was contacting him was...

"Dan?" Sora called as he picked up the call.

"Yo, Sora! What's going on?" Dan asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to raise a brow.

"What's going on? What's going on is that I just finished having lunch... Rice with an egg and soy sauce..." Sora explained, earning a rather disgusted look from the Pyrus Brawler.

"Oh, seriously...? You eat that stuff?" Dan asked grimly, causing Sora to narrow his eyes.

"Oh come on... They're good for you. Don't tell me you've never tried it before and concluding that it tastes bad...?" Sora asked, causing the Pyrus Brawler to scratch the back of his head and whistle innocently.

The Darkus Brawler sweat dropped before he sighed as he raised a question to the Pyrus Brawler.

"So? What is it that you want to talk to me about?" Sora asked, causing Dan to bring up a question.

"Ya see... ever since Alice joined the Battle Brawlers, and with what happened at the airport, I thought some Bakugan training would help us increase our skills and to get us both stronger in battle!" Dan explained.

That caught the Darkus Brawler's attention as he narrowed his eyes at the thought.

"You really think that will help? I mean, Bakugan is about defeating your opponent in a good way, right? I mean, there's strategy with the cards and which Bakugan you send out..." Sora started to say before he was interrupted.

"I know that. But we gotta get some our training done so that the Bakugan aren't the only ones doing the fighting! Come on, it's like a physical training that we could do together!" Dan offered, earning a sweat drop from Sora.

"You said this was Bakugan training...? This feels like more of a training people do at a gymnasium..." Sora pointed out, causing Dan to chuckle a little sheepishly before the Darkus Brawler smiled back a little.

"Sounds good... When?" Sora asked, allowing the Pyrus Brawler to set up a date for their training time.

"How about tomorrow afternoon? I mean, I don't think I got any plans during that day." Dan suggested, causing the Darkus Brawler to smile and accept the offer for a training session together.

"Sounds good. Tomorrow afternoon it is." Sora agreed, before ending the call.

With that done, the Darkus Brawler sat down on the couch before he heard his Guardian Bakugan rolling over.

"Training session? I suppose I won't be involved in it? And neither Drago?" Leonidas asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to give a sheepish smile.

"If it's not going to be a Bakugan battle training session, then I don't think so..." Sora responded, earning an irritated grunt from the Darkus Bakugan.

"Hmph." was all Leonidas could say before he curled up into his ball form.

Meanwhile...

At an unknown location, a familiar masked Brawler was searching something into his computer...

"Interesting... From the data I gathered of the Bakugan players that failed to take the Brawlers down, it would seem like they have something new to their little group..." Masquerade chuckled.

Clicking around, Masquerade found the data of the person he was looking for.

"Sora Minazuki... The Bakugan Brawler who has Leonidas, the Bakugan that was born in the Doom Dimension. I suppose he is the kid that you were talking about earlier...?" Masquerade asked, causing another presence to reveal himself.

"That's right... His skills aren't too bad, but the way he battles is like a complete beginner. If it weren't for that energy interference, Leonidas would've been sent to the Doom Dimension." Marduk explained with a smirk.

"And what of Vladitor?" Masquerade asked, causing Marduk to explain while scratching the back of his head with a sigh.

"He has a mind of his own... Apparently, the battle he had with that dark snake was rather irritating him. Not only was his offer was rejected, but the battle came out as a no result despite out advantage..." Marduk explained.

The masked Brawler turned back to his computer, before continuing to search for more of Sora's information.

"So the proud Bakugan warrior is sulking for the no results...?" Masquerade asked, causing a shrug from Marduk's shoulders.

"Probably... But what I want to know is on what you're planning to do with all this little information that you've been searching up." Marduk asked, only to receive silence from the Rank #1 Brawler.

Then, before the half-masked Brawler could ask or say something, the Rank #1 Darkus Brawler made his answer.

"I just want to give him a little test to see whether what you've experienced was true or not. You may have battled this kid and his partner before, but to me... that was all just words..." Masquerade explained coolly.

That earned him a small glare from his half-masked ally as Marduk couldn't help but twitch his eyebrows a little, signaling that he was a little annoyed for what the Rank #1 Brawler could be saying.

"You say that I lie?" Marduk asked, earning a smirk from Masquerade.

"You were a Bakugan player that used underhanded tactics to win after all. Even your words could possibly be lies, thanks to your little reputation in the past." Masquerade stated, causing Marduk to narrow his eyes.

"Watch your mouth, creep... You may be the strongest Bakugan player of the whole world right now, but that can change once Vladitor and I challenge you someday!" Marduk snapped, before he watched the masked Brawler make his leave.

"I'm looking forward to that if that happens someday..." The Rank #1 Brawler stated as he took his leave. As soon as he left though, the half-masked Brawler scoffed in annoyance before he looked to where Masquerade's computer screen was.

"Sora Minazuki... I swear... that I will settle that score with you... by sending your precious Bakugan into the Doom Dimension." Marduk thought darkly before he took his leave to another location.

Back to Sora...

It wasn't until the next day came as Sora was in the park, waiting for the Pyrus Brawler to come. He was sitting on the bench, waiting as he looked around to see some of the kids playing around with their parents.

Some of the kids were playing around with their other friends, all looking like they were enjoying their time together...

Watching them, the Darkus Brawler just frowned, thinking back to the past when he was like them until a certain incident changed him, little by little as time went by.

The Guardian Bakugan took notice of Sora's expression as he got onto his shoulder with a question.

"What's with you? You sad or something?" Leonidas asked, causing the Darkus Brawler to blink before he shook his head.

"No, I'm fine... I was just thinking about the past... back way before Bakugan came to Earth..." Sora explained, causing the Darkus Bakugan to look at his human partner curiously, yet he said nothing.

An hour later...

The summer heat was torturing the Darkus Brawler as he twitched, feeling the heat surround him all over as he looked at his Baku-Pod to see that it was pat 30 minutes of when Dan was supposed to come and meet him.

"What's keeping him...? I don't think he would be this late if he was coming to an appointment..." Sora asked in an irritated tone, before Leonidas scoffed.

"He probably chickened out." Leonidas guessed, causing the Darkus Brawler to shake his head.

"No way... Dan isn't the type of person to chicken out of a battle or a training session... Could something have happened to him like with what happened when Drago was defeated by Marduk?" Sora asked, causing Leonidas to scoff again.

"Beats me... If Drago was defeated by someone again, you would've gotten a message at least like before." Leonidas reminded, causing Sora to frown.

"I think I'll visit his home. He did give me the address to his home if I ever wanted to visit..." Sora suggested before he got up to leave the park.

Later...

"This is the place." Sora declared as he was in front of a rather nice looking house... for a common family. Looking at the address that he had written on a slip of paper and looking at the address number... Sora looked back at the house.

"This is definitely the place..." Sora grunted as he approached the front door and rang the doorbell.

A few minutes passed and no one responds, causing the Darkus Brawler to narrow his eyes as he tried to knock on the door. But as he touched the door a little, it opened a little!

"Huh...? It's... unlocked? But why?" Sora asked as he headed inside to see no one in the living room or in the dining room. Frowning in concern, the Darkus Brawler searched around to see if anyone was around, or if there was a hint of someone leaving a note.

Surprisingly, there was no one around. Not even a trace of a person.

"You think they're all gone and left the door foolishly open? I remember you ended up doing that once when we came back from that airport..." Leonidas reminded, causing Sora to glare at his Guardian Bakugan.

"Hey! It was a mistake, and besides... the Kuso family wouldn't just leave the door unlocked or open. I mean, Dan isn't the only one living here after all..." Sora retorted with a pout before he headed upstairs.

As he headed in to a room, it seemed to be Dan's room as the Darkus Brawler looked around.

"This must be Dan's room... Gotta say, it looks kinda neat." Sora commented before he noticed something on the desk. Raising an eyebrow, the Darkus Brawler picked it up to see that it was...

"Is this... a note?" Sora asked before he opened it up to read on what it said... The words written on the note was what shocked him next as he widened his eyes in surprise.

"What!?" Sora gasped, causing Leonidas to turn to the Darkus Brawler in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Leonidas asked as Sora read the content of the note once more to see if he had read it right.

"Sora Minazuki,

I am Masquerade. If you were looking for Dan Kuso, then I have him under my control, along with his Bakugan, Drago. If you want to save them, come to the warehouses in the docks by 3'o clock. And come alone, along with your Bakugan. But be on time, because I do not like to wait for too long."

Clenching onto the note, Sora gritted his teeth as he glared at his clenched fist that contained the note.

"Masquerade... How could you...!?" Sora snapped as Leonidas perked up upon hearing the name. From what he knew thanks to Sora and the other humans, Masquerade was the strongest Bakugan Brawler ever.

But it wasn't a good part, as he was a Brawler who likes to send Bakugan into the Doom Dimension, while using his followers to do the same to other players or Brawlers that love to play Bakugan.

"So... it's come to this, then..." Leonidas grunted, as Sora took a deep breath before he glared to where the outside was.

"Dan..." Sora breathed out before he ran out of the room and out of the house. What he didn't know was that someone had noticed him running out of the house as the figure widened her eyes in surprise.

"Huh? What was that kid doing...?" The woman spoke in surprise as she watched Sora disappear into the distance.

At the warehouse at the docks...

Running to the destination of where the warehouses were, Sora headed inside as he searched around to search for his foe or for any sign of his friend.

"Hey! Come out, Masquerade!" Sora demanded loudly, as his voice echoed in the insides of the warehouse. Nothing seemed to happen, until the warehouse doors began to close by themselves!

Turning in surprise, the Darkus Brawler ran to try and open them, only for them to be locked as he narrowed his eyes.

"A trap?" Sora breathed out, until a familiar voice caught his attention.

"That's right... I honestly didn't think you would fall for it, however." The familiar voice chuckled as Sora looked up to see Masquerade standing on top of a tower of crates, smirking down at him!

"You're... Masquerade, the Rank #1 Brawler..." Sora breathed out before he shook his head and glared at the enemy.

"What did you do with Dan and Drago!? If you did something to them...!" Sora growled as the masked Brawler chuckled before he jumped down, landing in front of the Darkus Brawler, before making his answer.

"If you're looking for them, then they're not here. I can only imagine him going home after a little trip to the market thanks to his mother..." Masquerade declared, catching Sora off guard.

"So they're not here... Looks like we were tricked into coming here..." Leonidas growled as Sora widened his eyes before he glared back at the enemy.

"How perceptive of you. That's right... They were never under my control in the first place. And even if I did try to force them to join me, I only know that they would resist and try to challenge me." Masquerade stated, as Sora bit his lips.

"So that note was a lie to try and lure me into your web... You knew that I would come, knowing that I would do anything for a friend..." Sora grunted before Masquerade chuckled.

"Indeed... Ever since you joined into this little war between myself and the Brawlers, I started to become a little intrigued with you... especially with Leonidas... the Bakugan who was born from the Doom Dimension..." Masquerade explained as Sora narrowed his eyes.

"So what... You planning on brainwashing me so that I could become one of your pawns?" Sora questioned, only to see a Field Card in Masquerade's hand.

"Perhaps... once I defeat you and Leonidas. Judging from your battle with Marduk, I'm sure this won't be boring... but in truth, I still doubt it." Masquerade stated as Sora narrowed his eyes before he took out his Field Card.

But as soon as he did, pressure started to come into the Darkus Brawler's mind and body as he bit his lips, feeling the terrifying presence of what could be one of Masquerade's Bakugan...

"What is this feeling I'm getting...? Is this... fear? Am I... scared? No, that can't be it!" Sora thought as both Brawlers opened the field.

"FIELD, OPEN!"

The Attribute Hexagram appeared, surrounding the two Brawlers as time outside the warehouse was stopping before the battlefield opened to begin the battle.

Masquerade VS Sora

"Doom Card, set..."

The masked Brawler wasted no time setting the Doom Card, as the card sunk under the field, creating a dark aura, causing Sora to narrow his eyes and clench his fist, as he knew that this would be coming.

But without saying anything, the Darkus Brawler took out his first Gate Card, with Masquerade doing the same thing.

"Gate Card, set!"

The two Gate Cards enlarged themselves the moment they landed, allowing the players to make the first move with Sora making the first shot.

01T

"Here goes nothing... Bakugan, brawl! Darkus Griffon, stand!" Sora shouted as the griffin-like Bakugan appeared on the Darkus Brawler's Gate Card, roaring the moment it appeared in its true form.

02T

"Hmph... Bakugan, brawl! Darkus Laserman, stand!" Masquerade called out as the robot-like Bakugan stood on Masquerade's first Gate Card, causing the Darkus Brawler to narrow his eyes.

"What's with that? He challenged me, yet he's not making an initiative to attack first. Is he planning something with that Gate Card?" Sora thought before Leonidas snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Sora! You're up!" Leonidas reminded, causing the Darkus Brawler to blink before he shook his head.

"R-Right... Sorry." Sora apologized before he took out a Gate Card.

03T

"Gate Card, set!" Sora called as he threw a Gate Card on the right of the card where Griffon stood.

"Bakugan, brawl! Darkus Serpenoid, stand!" Sora called out, as the serpent-like Bakugan hissed, preparing to strike its prey should it come as Masquerade watched, before he took out another Gate Card of his own!

04T

"Gate Card, set! Bakugan, brawl! Darkus Mantris, stand!" Masquerade called out as he sent a Bakugan on Laserman's left, as a mantis-like Bakugan appeared, causing Sora to blink as the masked Brawler made the first strike.

"And now, Ability Card, activate! Marionette!" Masquerade called out as the Ability Card allowed Mantris to target Griffon and paralyze it with its power! Sora widened his eyes as the masked Brawler commanded his Bakugan to force Griffon into battle.

"Send Griffon into Laserman's area!" Masquerade commanded as Mantris did so, forcing the griffin-like Bakugan to face Laserman as Sora gritted his teeth.

"He's forcing us into battle...!" Sora grunted as the masked Brawler made the second move.

"And now, Gate Card, open! Grand Spirit!" Masquerade called as the Command Card opened, giving a power boost to Laserman.

"My Grand Spirit Command Card gives an extra power bonus of 50 G's for every Gate Card there is on the field. And since there is four, well... I'm sure you can do the math, kid..." Masquerade pointed out as Sora checked his Baku-Pod.

"Laserman's Power Level increases by 200 G's, totaling to 570 G's..." The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing Sora to narrow his eyes.

"570... That's not good. Ability Card, activate! Spice Slayer!" Sora shouted as the Ability Card allowed Griffon to drain 100 G's from Laserman. But despite the power steal...

"Griffon and Laserman's Power Level exchange by 100 G's. Laserman's Power Level now at 470 G's. Griffon's Power Level at 420 G's." The Baku-Pod buzzed, much to Sora's shock as he watched as Laserman blast Griffon away!

The griffin-like Bakugan roared before the portal to the Doom Dimension dragged him in as he was sent flying.

"NO! Griffon!" Sora screamed as he watched his Bakugan get sent to the dark dimensions because of its defeat.

Sora: 2 Bakugan

Laserman returned to its master's hand as Masquerade only gave an amused smirk as Sora clenched his fists...

"You...!" Sora growled as Leonidas floated over to Sora to calm him down.

"Calm down, Sora! The battle has only begun! Don't let the loss of Griffon affect you!" Leonidas advised loudly, causing the Darkus Brawler to clench his fists...

"Darn it... I know that... I know that, but still...!" Sora growled before he grabbed onto Leonidas to send him into battle.

05T

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora shouted out as his Guardian Bakugan roared, facing Mantris in battle!

"Gate Card, open! Character!" Masquerade called out, as the Mantris Character Card opened, doubling Mantris' Power Level to 700 G's! Noticing on how much power the mantis-like Bakugan had, the Darkus Brawler got ready to counter back.

"No you don't...! Ability Card, activate! Grand Down! This will make your Gate Card useless!" Sora snapped as the Ability powered down the Gate Card, negating the power boost it was supposed to give to Mantris.

"Gate Card cancelled..." The Baku-Pod informed as Masquerade didn't say anything. Nor did he try to counter as Leonidas knocked Mantris away with his claws! Upon being struck at, the mantis-like Bakugan screeched before it returned to its ball form.

Masquerade: 2 Bakugan

But despite the fact that one of his Bakugan was defeated, the masked Brawler didn't seem fazed as he just chuckled in amusement.

"What's so funny!?" Sora demanded, only for the masked Brawler to take out Laserman again.

06T

"Nothing. I just find your irritation quite amusing, especially since it's for something so meaningless." Masquerade responded back, causing Sora to widen his eyes before he glared at the masked Brawler.

"Meaningless...!?" Sora snapped as Masquerade began his turn.

"Bakugan, brawl! Laserman, stand!" Masquerade called out as he sent Laserman to face Serpenoid. But upon standing on Serpenoid's card, the robot-like Bakugan was already in an advantage due to its current Power Level.

"Gate Card, open!" Sora shouted out as the Character Card opened up, doubling Serpenoid's Power Level to 600 G's! But despite that, the masked Brawler remained unfazed as he took out an Ability Card of his own.

"I suppose I can put you in your place by activating the same card that made my Gate Card useless..." Masquerade stated, shocking Sora as he realized on what the masked Brawler was going to do now.

"Ability Card, activate! Grand Down!"

The Grand Down ability negated the Gate Card, like it did when Sora used it to negate Mantris' Character Card!

"Oh no!" Sora gasped as he checked his Baku-Pod to see the power boost being taken away from Serpenoid.

"Serpenoid's Power Level decreases to 300 G's." The Baku-Pod buzzed, before Sora looked up to see Laserman shooting to blast Serpenoid into the Doom Dimension, like it did with Griffon earlier!

"NO! SERPENOID!" Sora screamed as he watched another one of his Bakugan get sent to the Doom Dimension. With the entrance to the Doom Dimension fading away, the Darkus Brawler fall to his knees, his face showing despair...

"No... No... Not again... No...!" Sora breathed out as he began to breath in and out quickly, as the Guardian Bakugan began to notice the trouble Sora seemed to be in.

"Calm down, Sora. You're hyperventilating! You can't let the losses get to you like that! They may be gone, but don't let their sacrifice be in vain! This battle isn't over yet!" Leonidas called out, encouraging his human partner to stand back up.

"Don't bother on trying to help your so-called partner... Leonidas." Masquerade called out, catching the Darkus Bakugan's attention as he glared to where the masked Brawler was standing at with a smirk on his face.

"You may think your so-called partner would still have the courage to stand even after seeing two of his prized Bakugan be sent to the Doom Dimension, but that's where you're wrong. Anyone can taste despair upon losing what they call their friends... comrades... or even family..."

The masked Brawler then turned to Sora, who was still on his knees upon losing both Griffon and Serpenoid.

"What Sora is going through is nothing different from what the other Bakugan players went through... In fact, the way he is acting is much worse than the players I've defeated so far. And that goes for the same for the ones that were defeated by Vladitor." Masquerade explained darkly.

Upon hearing of his nemesis' name, the Guardian Bakugan growled, recalling of his near defeat as the bitter thought came to his mind. Yet, Leonidas doesn't say another word before he turns to his human partner.

"Sora... Get up. Get up!" Leonidas snapped, causing Sora to slowly perk up and glance to where his Guardian Bakugan was floating.

The dark dragon Bakugan floated over and got in front of his eyes, having an irritated tone as he spoke.

"Stand up and fight, Sora! Nothing good will come out of despairing over the losses of your Bakugan allies! They have fought but they have fallen... But do you think they would want their partner to be like this? Being on your knees and doing nothing about it!? Is that on how you want to fight for your fallen allies!? Well, is it!?" Leonidas roared angrily.

Upon hearing those words, the Darkus Brawler blinked before perking his head up. Masquerade took notice of the quick change as well, yet he remained unfazed, for despite the encouragement, he himself was still in the lead of this battle.

However, knowing that he is cornered, the Darkus Brawler thought of what his Guardian Bakugan had said just now, before he closed his eyes and slowly got back up to face the masked Brawler.

"No... This isn't how I would want to fight for them... for the ones that had fallen in this battle." Sora breathed out, catching the masked Brawler off guard a little.

"He stood back up... Interesting. So even tasting a bit of despair, he still wants to fight? Perhaps it's due to the influence Leonidas has given him as his Guardian Bakugan..." Masquerade thought as Sora began his turn.

07T

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora called out as he sent his Guardian Bakugan out to the Gate Card where Griffon once stood before he was dragged into battle by Mantris' Marionette Ability...

Upon being brought into the battlefield, Leonidas roared, being prepared for what's about to come.

08T

"Bakugan, brawl! Laserman, stand!" Masquerade called out as the robot-like Bakugan faced Leonidas. At that, the Darkus Brawler was ready.

"Gate Card, open!"

The Darkus Reactor Gate Card opened up, boosting both Leonidas and Laserman by a Power Level of 150.

"Gate Card opened, granting both Bakugan a Power Level of 150 G's." The Baku-Pod buzzed, showing that the dark dragon Bakugan was still in the lead. Upon receiving the power boost, Leonidas roared, knocking Laserman back with his tail!

Upon being knocked down, the robot-like Bakugan turned to its ball form, with Leonidas doing the same thing upon his victory. While Laserman rolled towards Masquerade's feet, the dark dragon Bakugan returned to Sora's hand.

Masquerade: 1 Bakugan

Sighing in relief, the Darkus Brawler took out one last Gate Card.

09T

"This is the last battle. Let's make this count! Gate Card, set!" Sora called out as his third Gate Card took the field, being the only one now before Sora held onto his Guardian Bakugan for the final battle.

"Bakugan, brawl! Leonidas, stand!" Sora called out as the dark dragon Bakugan roared upon appearing again. As for the masked Brawler, he only smirked confidently before he turned to the last Bakugan that he had with him.

"Are you ready, Hydranoid?" Masquerade asked, earning a response from the Bakugan that was still curled into a ball.

"I am... Master." The Darkus Bakugan growled, allowing Masquerade to set the Darkus Bakugan onto his launcher before he shot it towards the Gate Card to prepare for the final battle.

10T

"Then let's begin... Bakugan, brawl! Hydranoid, stand!" Masquerade called, as the Bakugan made a stand. And at that moment, as it opened up, a familiar form started to make its appearance, facing Leonidas as Sora watched carefully.

Then, with the opponent materializing, the Darkus Brawler widened his eyes in horror as he recognized the Bakugan that was right in front of him.

"That's...!" Sora gasped as he recalled of the vision he had in the past weeks before he had met Leonidas.

"That's... the same Bakugan that was in my nightmare...! So this is... Hydranoid...!? Masquerade's Guardian Bakugan!?" Sora thought before he checked the Power Level in his Baku-Pod. And to his shock...

"Hydranoid's Power Level at 450 G's." The Baku-Pod buzzed, causing the Darkus Brawler to widen his eyes at such power.

"His Power Level... It's just like with Vladitor's...! Did he sent many Bakugan to the Doom Dimension as well to gain such power...!?" Sora gasped in shock as he heard a dark chuckle coming from the hydra-like Bakugan.

"Quite perceptive of you, foolish boy... Like with what Vladitor has done, I fought in this dimension in order to gain the power that I seek... That power involved banishing many Bakugan into the Doom Dimension..." Hydranoid spoke darkly.

Leonidas glared at the enemy, upon realizing that it had fallen into Vladitor's level for causing so much chaos. But upon thinking back of what Vladitor wanted...

Flashback

"My army needs a general, Leonidas. Join me... and together, we will beat ALL Bakugan!" Vladitor declared, causing Preyas to panic.

"All Bakugan!? T-This guy is really serious, isn't he!?" Preyas gasped.

Flashback End

"If I had fought like what Vladitor and Hydranoid have done, would I have been just like them? Seeking for the power that I needed by destroying every Bakugan that I wished to fight off...?" Leonidas thought before he thought back to when Vladitor had realized where Leonidas was born from.

The same realization that brought shock to not just Sora, but to the Brawlers and their Guardian Bakugan when they had heard the news.

Flashback

As Sora glares while standing back up, Vladitor chuckles to himself before he speaks to Leonidas once again, who weakly opens out of his ball form.

"Now that I've battled with you, Leonidas... I know what makes you different! You're from the Doom Dimension!" Vladitor grunted out loud. The last words shocked Dan, Sora, and Marucho very hard, along with Drago and Preyas.

"W-What did you say...? Leonidas...? From the Doom Dimension?" Sora breathed out in disbelief, before he looked down at his Guardian Bakugan, who tenses at the truth being spilled out to his human partner and his friends.

"I sensed the connection immediately and I should know... I was trapped there for eons!" Vladitor continued on, with Sora shaking his head in disbelief.

"Leonidas...?" Sora asked, causing Leonidas to look down a little, possibly due to shame before Vladitor continued with his offer to the dragon Bakugan.

"We are the same, Leonidas... Born of darkness! Join me, and we will destroy all Bakugan!" Vladitor demanded loudly.

Flashback End

"Should I have been just like Vladitor... I probably... No... I would've had no hesitation on being a pawn due to my former wish of destroying every Bakugan that stood in my way... But then... Before all that... came Sora..." Leonidas thought as the battle had begun.

"Gate Card, open!" Sora called out as the second Darkus Reactor card opened up, boosting both Darkus Bakugan by a Power Level of 200 G's!

"You're starting to bore me, kid... Ability Card, activate! Ha!" Masquerade called out as he threw the Ability Card, causing a dark storm to appear out of nowhere, catching the Darkus Brawler off guard before the masked Brawler called out the attack.

"Chaos of Darkness!" Masquerade called out, causing Hydranoid to roar before it gathered energy to shoot multiple dark blasts onto Leonidas, who roared in pain from the multiple hits he was taking!

"Leonidas, no!" Sora gasped as he watched his partner take multiple hits as he took a few steps back.

But before he could activate Leonidas' signature Ability Card... the look on Hydranoid made the Darkus Brawler pale a bit, unable to move or do anything. The vision he had of seeing Hydranoid appear and try to destroy him...

"Why... can't I... move? Am I... Am I scared... because of what he could do to me during the battle? But Leonidas...! If I don't do something, then Leonidas could meet his end at the Doom Dimension! Why can't I move!?" Sora thought angrily, feeling bitter towards himself.

The masked Brawler watched in amusement, before believing that this was his victory.

"It would seem that this is the end for you. Say goodbye to your Bakugan friend, Sora!" Masquerade called out, causing Sora to widen his eyes. And before he knew it, the Darkus Brawler made his move on instinct!

"Ability Card, activate! Alpha Blaster!" Sora shouted out as the signature ability of Leonidas began to do its work, causing the masked Brawler to perk up and watch as Hydranoid's attacks were proving to do very little damage!

"Leonidas' Power Level increases to 850 G's." The Baku-Pod buzzed as Leonidas flew high in the air before he looked straight down to where his opponent was at.

"Feel the fury of those who had fallen to you with this attack! HAH!" Leonidas roared before he blasted the Alpha Blaster attack straight to where Hydranoid stood! Before the masked Brawler could react, the Guardian Bakugan of his took the direct hit!

The hydra-like Bakugan roared in pain before an explosion occurred, creating a shockwave that nearly knocked Sora off balance! Masquerade only watched as a bright light flashed into both his and Sora's eyes...

WIN: Sora

With the battlefield closing, the two Brawlers were back in reality as Sora was still dazed from what had happened. As for Masquerade, he picked up his defeated Guardian Bakugan and only scoffed a little.

"Impressive... You've come a long way, in such a short time. And you... I see now why Vladitor wants you as an ally." Masquerade spoke before he turned to Leonidas, who was fatigued, but still strong enough to have a conversation.

"The offer to join us still stands. Together, we could rule all Bakugan!" Masquerade offered, causing Sora to blink in shock. They were still waiting for Leonidas to join them, even after what had happened in the past few days?

But before the Darkus Brawler could angrily protest...

"I might have been tempted once... but why would I choose second best?" Leonidas asked, catching Sora by surprise while Masquerade wasn't amused by the immediate rejection once again.

"Fool! You'll regret this!" Masquerade declared before he turned to make his leave. As he was doing so, a portal opened up, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise.

"A... portal?" Sora breathed out weakly as the masked Brawler headed inside, before the portal disappeared. But his voice was heard of as it echoed through the inside of the warehouse.

"Soon, all Bakugan will bow down before me!" Masquerade declared before his presence was gone. As soon as he was gone, the Darkus Brawler remained silent before he exhaled...

Falling to his knees, the Darkus Brawler shook his head, feeling exhausted and a bit down at the same time. Leonidas didn't speak, as he too was exhausted for what had happened during the battle.

As the two were panting in exhaustion, the Darkus Bakugan spoke to his human partner.

"Sora... Thanks... for coming to your senses at the nick of time..." Leonidas grunted, catching the Darkus Brawler by surprise. Then, he remembered that he instinctively used Leonidas' signature Ability during the battle...

Sighing weakly, the Darkus Brawler managed to say two words...

"No problem..."

But in truth, the Darkus Brawler didn't know why he was able to do it, when he had so much fear of Hydranoid just by looking at him and when the Darkus Bakugan unleashed his signature attack onto Leonidas...

"This has to stop... I can't... be like this forever." Sora thought before he lied on his back, looking at the ceiling of the warehouse...

To be continued...

Sora's Ranking and Battles:

Rank: 286

W/L: 9/1

Next chapters:

Chapter 9: We Need Our Ventus Friend!

Chapter 10: The Old Times Get Better

Chapter 11: Childhood Friend to Face Off!

Chapter 12: The Story About Vestroia

Chapter 13: The Brawlers and Bakugan Valley

Preview:

Marucho - Marucho here! Coming up later on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, we all think that it would be a great idea to get a little help from Shun, the master of Ventus. Especially since we've been heating up with Masquerade. But for some crazy reason, Dan doesn't agree with us! And neither does Sora! Then suddenly, Dan passes out! Please come back and help us, Shun! What's that? But only if we win? Come on, Preyas! I'm depending on you!

Marucho - Bakugan, brawl! Let's do this!