Hello everybody, it's time for another chapter of Awakening of Kiva! Hope you guys enjoy it!
Disclaimer: Same thing.
Deep within a castle, a Bishop casually walked towards the big door of the castle and when it opened up, it revealed to be a King of Fangires, who was busy with his own thing, writing some papers. The King of Fangires was a humanoid wolf with a dark grey body, with golden pad of shattered glass on its chest, spiked shoulder pads, golden greaves, and bracers with a bloody red cape over his back. This is the Wolf Fangire as its true name is The Beast That Howls under the Moonlight.
"Milord, I bear bad news…" the Bishop said to him, pausing the King's writing. As it wore the robes of a bishop, which was pure white, its Fangire details were still there as it has an eagle face, having white patches of shattered mirror underneath its robe and a pair of wings on its back. It also has a pair of talons to replace its feet. This is the Eagle Fangire, as its true name would be Nature's True Predator with Keen Eyes and Killing Tactics.
"What of it, my loyal Bishop?" King asked.
"More of our brethren have been killed…"
"I see…" King said. "Have you ascertained as to who killed our brethren during these recent events?"
"I have. During these past few weeks, our brethren have been killed by Kiva. However, the last brethren, up–to–date wasn't killed by Kiva, but rather by the crusader IXA. I hear that Kiva is right now incapacitated as we speak."
"I see…"
"What shall we do?" Bishop asked. The Wolf Fangire was thinking about this for a while, until he came to a decision.
"I believe it's time we sent Rook to the frontline. Give them a little taste of what happens when they kill our brethren. However, we must not kill them. I would like Rook to gauge their strengths."
"Ah, but of course, my king!" Bishop exclaimed. "Such a wise idea you've made. He must be bored, waiting for such an order like so…"
"Indeed. That Fangire always looked forward to another battle; a Rider, no less…" King pondered.
"By the way, my king, where is Her Highness? Is she on the hunt for more traitorous Fangires again?" Bishop asked.
"Yes. Queen is on the hunt." King said. "After all, those traitors lost their pride as a Fangire and would rather mingle with humans other than take them as food. Humans are nothing more than cattle."
"I agree with you, my king. It would seem my tutoring on you has put yourself into a better position as the King of Fangires." Bishop praised.
"Yes, your teachings have helped me learned more of these things to govern my kingdom…" King said as he looked at Bishop. "I suggest you inform Rook of our subject of the day…"
"At once, my king…" Bishop bowed then took his leave as the King resumed back to his work. Once Bishop walked out from the door and closed it, he saw a figure leaned against the wall, while crossing its arms. It has a humanoid figure with a bull's head. Its horns are made from shattered glass with a tinted blue body on it, while wearing giant iron gloves and blue spiked armor. It also had a cobalt blue tail, black hooves and a golden ring on its nose. This is the Bull Fangire as its true name is The Beast Once Rode by The Divines. "You have heard the order from the king, Rook." Bishop said since the Bull Fangire eavesdropped on the conversation earlier.
"Of course. King's word is Law, and I will abide by the Law." Rook said before he took his leave.
"Ahhh… such dedication…" Bishop sighed.
(Cue in Last Inferno by Ceui)
(Instrumental [Starts at 1:30]) Chains appear one by one, binding and blocking the whole scene before shattering away, revealing the title screen: Awakening of Kiva, and a background of a dark, grey sky. The title then fades away before the camera descends down to a scene.
(Furikaeru nageki no kouya de) From the top of a cliff, Lucina looks down sadly at a barren and empty wasteland filled with death and despair.
(Matataita kibou no Fragrance) Lucina then closed her eyes as tears fell from them before the screen faded to black and the tears splashed in the black void, creating multiple ripple effects, changing the black void to the next scene.
(Kienaide hakanaki yume demo) Kurogasa was outside walking on his way to class while thinking about his repeated dreams.
(Kanjitai sono nukumori wo) Storm walks next to Kurogasa and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, followed by Akane ambushing Storm from behind by tackling him, making Storm and Kurogasa tumble down. Melissa who was behind them giggled as Aqua looked at them while reading a book, leaning against a tree, and Saigo looked on as he sat on a tree branch.
(Michiyuku itoshisa wa Endless Chain) The sky darkened and the six noticed it. Looking up with determined looks, after Kurogasa, Storm, and Akane got up from the ground; the Outrealm Gate appears in the sky.
(Tsunagitai yo kono sadame wo koete) At the same time, Lucina and the future generation kids also notice the Outrealm Gate opening up. Lucina's group dash towards the gate, while Kurogasa's group willingly let the Outrealm Gate suck them in, flying towards it, triggering to the next scene of seeing Chrom and his group battling with the enemy and both Kurogasa's and Lucina's group arrived and ran towards the battle area.
(Hanate tokoshie no Paradox) Kivat, Kivat II, Rey–Kivat, Kiva–la, and Sagark flew fast beside Kurogasa's group. All at the same time, Kurogasa, Storm, and Akane caught Kivat, Kivat II, and Kiva–la, with their hands and the former two let the bats bite their hands before the belts appear around their waist, while Sagark attached to Saigo's waist, Saigo inserting the Jacorder into the side of Sagark, while Rey–Kivat attached to the perch on Aqua's belt hanging upside down, and Melissa punched the IXA Knuckle on the palm of her empty hand before placing it on the belt.
(Akaku somaru yami no hazama de) Stain glass markings appear on Kurogasa's, Storm's, and Saigo's faces, while a pink heart appeared on Akane's forehead, a large snowflake appeared in front of Aqua, and a golden cross shot out from Melissa's belt before they glowed and changed into Kamen Riders. They and the future generation kids assisted Chrom and his group, pushing back the Risen from destroying a village.
(Kimi wo omou koto ga yurusareru nara) Amongst all the fighting, Validar, Aversa, and Arc stand there, the former two having evil smirks on their faces, while an enormous large silhouette of Grima appeared behind Validar, Aversa, and Arc. Its eyes glowing red. Chrom, Lucina, and Kiva charged towards Validar, Aversa, and Arc, as Tatsulot attached to Kiva's left arm, making his armor glow once again, and assume his Emperor Form, before Validar, Aversa, and Arc advanced to them.
(Yasashiku kuchizukete) When the two sides clash, a spark of light blinds the whole view.
(Namida tokasu ame ga sakebu) Somewhere, on an open field, fraternal twins, a male dread warrior and a female swordsman walked on a path and paused for a moment to notice two figures in front of them from afar.
(Kore ga saigo no Inferno kitto…) The figures turn out to be Lon'qu and Aqua, as the two look at the twins with a smile followed by Rey–Kivat fluttering between the two and the music ends with the twins picking up their pace towards them.
Paralogue 4: Anna the Merchant
Ever since Riki broke my arm because of a misunderstanding that time, I've been put out of commission for the last few days. If it wasn't for Lissa and Maribelle's healing and under the watchful eyes of Nee–san, I don't think my arm would heal at a faster rate. Oh yeah, Jiro just got out from his Hell Old Maid and he made a promise to not lose at it the next time we played again. I don't think I want to know what kind of nightmare he had, but I'm gonna leave it be, considering the fact that it might be a personal one.
Miriel was examining my wounded arm to see if I'm fit to go to battle once again and as always, Nee–san stood by my side. "Well?" I asked Miriel after she has done her thing.
"You are not ready. You are required to have more sufficed rest once again." Miriel said after she puts away a vial of healing potion and a bandage inside her bag. She must have a lot of things inside her bag, other than her tome.
"I thought so…" I sighed. With Flavia, Vaike, and Basilio hitting my arm like a good luck charm, I'm not surprised.
"Don't worry; these kinds of things take time." Nee–san assured. "You'll be better soon. I promise."
"Nee–san…" I muttered out as she assured me with her smile.
"What Sister Melissa said is a fact. I don't know how your arm wouldn't still be healed at this rate. My calculations are never wrong…" Miriel pondered. "Maybe there are certain events that made your arm not fully healed, I presume?" she deducted.
"Well Vaike, Flavia, and Basilio kept hitting my arm, like it was a good luck charm." I sweat dropped. "Maybe that's why it's not fully healed. They kept on aggravating it."
"That would be the cause of it, I'm sure." Miriel nodded as she took her bag with her, ready to leave. "And as I stated before, you are out of commission from battle…"
"I know, I know…" I waved off as she took her leave. At the same time, Kivat flew in and fluttered in front of me.
"So, aibou! What's the result?" Kivat asked.
"I'm still not ready for battle." I sighed.
"Nanda?!" Kivat exclaimed incredulously.
"It's what Miriel said…" Nee–san started. "If it wasn't for the slaps he received on his arm, maybe otouto's arm would've healed nicely…"
"Darn… this Kivat would be missed in action again…" Kivat sighed in depression.
"Daijobu, Kivat. I'm sure you'll get back into action with my otouto at your side." Nee–san assured him.
"I guess…" Kivat sighed. "I'm gonna get some breakfast. Maybe some boar meat will cheer me up." He said before he flew away to the dining table.
"Ara, ara… Kivat seems a bit depressed, ne?" Nee–san pondered, worried for him.
"Yeah, but what can I do? The damage has already been done…" I added while rubbing my arm. "I guess I gotta stay here again…"
"I'm afraid so, otouto… saa, let's go and get ourselves some breakfast, ne?" Nee–san offered and I nodded in agreement. Just after we left the room, Nee–san remembered something. "Oh, and otouto…"
"Yes?"
"Thank you for last night's dinner. I truly enjoyed it."
"O–Oh um… sure. No problem." I got out blushing. Nee–san smiled again before she took her leave. Yes! Score one for the team!
"Oh, Storm–sama! I wonder where you are right now. Your precious Akane–chan is worried for you~!" Akane–chan said as she was in her little world right now, worried for the safety of my friend. But her timing when it comes down to it was always at the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Daijo~bu, Akane–chama! I'm sure Otou–sama is taking care of your beloved man~." Kiva–la assured while perching onto her shoulder.
"Ipdghpihqwr?" Sagark asked Saigo while resting on his head.
"Yeah, it happens all the time, so don't worry about her, Sagark." Saigo waved off.
Meanwhile, I was eating some boar meat with Kivat at the dining table, bit he hasn't taken a bite out of his meat yet. "Oh c'mon Kivat, you gotta eat something. You heard Nee–san. These things take time."
"I dunno, kiddo…" Kivat sighed. "I really miss the action and I don't think I can last longer waiting for something to happen." He sighed again as he waddled around his plate. "I mean, I'm here to serve you after all and I really like getting into the action, just like how Wataru and I have our own adventure. I really missed those days and since you're in this condition, I can't help but feel… well, helpless, I should say…" Kivat expressed as he stopped waddling around the plate, getting back to his original position. "Otou–sama might say I'm just a disappointing Kivat…"
"Don't say that." I said. "You're not a disappointing Kivat. Are you saying all those battles fighting alongside Wataru mean nothing?"
"Of course not!"
"See? Even I can tell you're more than just a weapon. You're my partner and that'll never change!"
"Aibou…" Kivat got out before he snickered. "You really are like Wataru."
"I know. I get that a lot since coming into this world…" I replied.
"And with that, this Kivat is back at his peak! And what better way to start things off by chowing down this meat!" Kivat exclaimed as he and the meat go one–on–one with each other… well, more like a one sided battle, but I don't care. If Kivat's happy, then I'm happy.
At that point, Chrom came into the dining room. "Shepherds, I have an announcement to make." He said getting everyone's attention. "After you've all filled your stomach with breakfast, we have to head back to Ylisse. My sister would want to hear the news of our alliance with Regna Ferox and I don't want to keep her waiting."
"Don't you worry about it, Chrom ol' buddy! The Vaike makes sure that your sis won't be worried too much as the good ol' Teach is here to help!" Vaike assured.
"Just as long as you don't lose your axe again, I'm sure you will…" Stahl pointed out, making Vaike flinch.
"Hey, that was one time!" Vaike exclaimed. "I got it on my back this–" Vaike didn't finish his sentence when wanted to pat on his back and notice something off again. "Hey, where's my axe?!"
"Behind you on the floor." I deadpanned.
"Oh?" Vaike blinked before he noticed and grabbed it. "Thanks, little tyke! Couldn't have done it without ya!" he said with a slight nervous laugh.
"Honestly, that oaf really needs to keep his eyes on his weapon…" Maribelle commented.
"I gotta agree with you, Maribelle. He's lucky to know Miriel is busy with her stuff… if not, she's gonna plaster his axe on his hands…" Lissa added.
"Please don't mention that." Vaike muttered shaking a bit.
"In any case," Chrom said clearing his throat. "As I said, once we're finished breakfast, we're heading back to Ylisse. Is that clear?" He asked as everyone nodded in agreement.
"You got it, big bro!" Lissa exclaimed before he took his leave.
"U–Um, wait, Captain!" Sumia called out, stopping him for a moment… but not before she tripped down again, face planting on the floor.
"Yeouch, that's gotta hurt…" Sully pointed out as Sumia pushed herself up, patting the dust off from her and looked at him.
"Yes, Sumia, what is it?" Chrom asked.
"W–Why don't you join us for breakfast?" she offered.
"As much as I want to, I can't. I still have to discuss something with the Khans for the time being…" Chrom got out while scratching his head. "Say, has anyone seen Frederick? He usually stands by me but I can't find him anywhere…"
"OH I CAN'T DO THIS!" Frederick's voice rang out from another part of the castle not too far from the dining room.
"Does that answer your question, milord?" Virion asked.
"I wonder what he's up to this time, while screaming his head off." Chrom sighed before he walked towards the source of the voice.
"I wonder what's up?" I pondered.
"Maybe there's somethin' that's making him squeals like a pig?" Donnel asked, thinking about something.
"I noticed Sister Melissa brought out a plate of food in her hands earlier…" Kellam suddenly spoke, surprising everyone on the table from his sudden appearance. "What? I'm always here…"
"Oh yeah, that reminds me." I said. "Nee–san said she was gonna help Frederick overcome his fear of eating bear meat."
"I guess so…" Lissa nodded in agreement but the two certain characters couldn't take the information out of their heads, misinterpreting the whole thing.
"What's that?! The fair maiden of mine is feeding him?!" Virion exclaimed.
"I knew it! He must've started his own way of wooing her on our back sides!" Vaike said worked up.
"What are you dimwitted idiots even talking about?" Sully asked.
*BOP!* *BOP!*
"OW!" Virion and Vaike cringed in pain after I bopped them on the head with my good arm.
"Idiots! Frederick asked her himself to help overcome his fear of bear meat!" I snapped.
"Hah! Serves you dolts right for not hearing it properly!" Sully smirked on her face, loving the view.
"Is it really that scary for him to eat such meat? I don't have trouble on eating it…" Stahl said as he casually chowed down a mountain of food… and he's still having seconds.
"Everybody has their own troubles…" Kivat concluded as he continued to eat. "But seriously, what's so scary about bear meat?"
Minutes before…
While Lon'qu and Marth practice with a wooden sword in their hands for a little spar, Frederick was tutoring IXA on how to wield her sword properly as she slashed the dummy with her IXA Calibur, only to have it stop halfway. "Wow, Sister's improving really fast!" Ramon exclaimed as the Three Arms monsters were watching.
"Indeed she is." Jiro agreed. "I have a feeling she will be a master of the sword in no time."
"Kurogasa–dono's family must be hailed from a descendant of fighters, if I must take a guess…" Riki pondered before they heard a slash from the training ground. IXA was finally able to cut the dummy into two with her IXA Calibur, even though it would take more than just one big slash.
"Well done, Sister. You may have mastered the strength of using the sword, but…" Frederick said as he approached her, taking her hand as he showed her the proper swing of the sword. "You must remember that it's about and in the wrist. That is where you must pay careful attention…"
"Yes Frederick. I'll keep that in mind." IXA said.
"Well then, I believe that is enough for today." Frederick said as he backed off from IXA and the latter went back to civilian form.
"I guess so…" Melissa said as both of them are walking towards a table nearby. "Oh, Frederick, I've brought along some food I got from the dining area and a jar of water for us to have our breakfast."
"Ah, a wise thing to do, Sister Melissa." Frederick complimented as the two had their breakfast together by eating the fruits first.
"Hey, is it just me, or are we somehow interrupting their date or something?" Ramon asked.
"They're not on a date. They're having breakfast." Jiro said.
"But it looks like one." Riki commented.
"See? Even Riki's agreeing with me!" Ramon chirped as Jiro sighed.
"They are only having breakfast, just like any other mortals do…" Jiro told the two.
When Frederick picked up a piece of meat jerky on the plate and started chewing on it, something was off and he had no other choice but to spit it out, much to Melissa's confusion as she finished nibbling her meat jerky… "Frederick, what's the matter?"
"This meat you brought along… it's g–gamey! S–So gamey! What is this meat you brought along?" Frederick asked her as he took a drink from his glass.
"Ara, it's bear meat." Melissa said. Frederick at that point, spat out his water in a mist spray.
"B–Bear meat?!" Frederick freaked out.
"That's right, dear. It's bear meat. I wanted to help you get rid of your fear by doing it directly. Why would you ask?" Melissa asked with a confused look and Frederick… well…
"Eeeaaaaagh! Healer! I need a healer!" Frederick screamed as he tried to spit the remains out from his mouth.
"Ara, ara… it's not so bad…" Melissa said as she offered the meat jerky again. "Have one, please."
"OH, I CAN'T DO THIS!" Frederick said out loud before he ran away, trying to find something that can wash away the taste on his mouth.
"What's wrong over there?" Lon'qu asked as he noticed the predicament.
"No clue…" Marth replied back.
"Ara, ara… I guess doing it directly won't do any good after all… but to think he'll react in such a way… it must be serious about his aversion to bear meat. I wonder what caused him to act this way." Melissa said worriedly after seeing Frederick run away screaming his head off before she nibbled down another piece bear meat. Meanwhile, the Three Arms sweat dropped.
Okay seriously, what the heck is going on? Chrom and I went to check on Frederick, to see what was up. Now we're hearing Frederick screaming bloody murder throughout the entire castle. Yes, he's that loud. Nee–san must've taken the direct approach with the bear meat. "I guess I can see him running around like a mad man, but over a piece of bear meat?" Chrom got out while we walked towards the source.
"Yeah, I hear ya. Do you know why he's afraid of bears, Chrom?" I asked.
"Not a clue…" he replied as both of us saw Aqua–chan walks towards us, alongside Rey–Kivat fluttering nearby.
"What is wrong with him?" Aqua–chan asked.
"HEALER! HEALER! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Frederick screamed as his voice continued to echo inside the palace.
"Oh he's overreacting over a piece of bear meat." I sweat dropped. "Nee–san took the direct approach and it failed.
"I see…" Aqua–chan said as she closed her eyes and sighed. "For such a person with discipline, he easily breaks down into pieces with bear meat…"
"Yes, that's Frederick, alright…" Chrom sighed before he noticed something about Aqua–chan. "And where have you been, Aqua? We didn't see you having breakfast earlier."
"Milady has just got herself a weapon of her own… a fusion weapon between a boomerang and a sword." Rey–Kivat said as she showed us a pair of said weapons. The boomerang itself is made from metal, embedded with a green jewel at the holder. From the looks of it, it may have looked like she wielded a dual dagger. "And it was truly well made."
"Yes. That's… unique and impressive." Chrom complimented.
"Yeah, looks good." I complimented too.
Aqua–chan let out a small nod without a smile as she puts it back around her waist. "But why the trouble of making such a weapon? You still have Rey–Kivat here, right?" Chrom asked.
"Can't just rely on him alone. We must learn to wield weapons too…" Aqua–chan pointed out.
"Yes, I couldn't agree with you more, milady." Rey–Kivat supported.
"But, where did she gets the–" Chrom tried to ask, but Aqua–chan immediately intervened.
"Selling the bear's fur…" she bluntly said.
"Wow, you sold it already?" I asked wide–eyed.
"Made a lot of money with it." Aqua–chan answered. Enough said.
"That means if we wanna get more funds for the cause, we should hunt down more bears along the way, shred their furs, and sell it to earn profit…" Rey–Kivat added.
"But wouldn't we waste the bear meat?" I asked.
"Why can't we just eat them? I don't have much trouble about it." Chrom replied.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" We heard Frederick yell as we now see him run towards us.
"Frederick says otherwise." I sweat dropped.
"And I can pretty much guess who else would be bothered eating it…" Chrom added, might be referring to Lissa as he stepped forward, making Frederick paused on his tracks.
"Milord!" Frederick got out as he finally regained his act back, acting like there's nothing much going on. "Have you ate your breakfast?" You've got to be kidding me. He was screaming like a mad man and now he's calm all of a sudden?"
"I just finished." Chrom got out. "And what's with you screaming like a mad man?" He asked.
"Frederick is just having trouble with the bear meat, that's all…" All of us shifted our attention to Nee–san, carrying a plate of meat jerky with her as Frederick slowly took a step back. "Want one, dear?"
"I'd love to!" Chrom smiled as both he and Aqua–chan took a meat jerky and bit on it normally.
"Milord, you can't be serious, can't you?" Frederick said worried all of a sudden.
"Of course I am! Bear meat is the best!" Chrom said with a 'what's wrong with that' look as bit into the bear jerky casually.
"Saa, what about you, Frederick? Do you want one?" Nee–san offered again, as of right now, I noticed he's sweating like crazy.
"Uh, I uh… I think I better sit this one out, Sister…" Frederick stuttered before he started to push Chrom to the front. "Come now, milord. I think the Khans are waiting for us…"
"I'm about to go there, but you don't have to push, Frederick!" Chrom said in annoyance as we continue to witness the scene.
"Come now, Chrom. Time is of the essence." Frederick said in an almost sing–song tone as he continued to push Chrom.
As the two continued to walk forward, that just leaves me, Aqua–chan and Nee–san all alone until Aqua–chan shrugged at it. "Breakfast time…"
"Let us be on our way, milady…" Rey–Kivat said as the two headed towards the dining hall.
"Want one, otouto?" Nee–san offered.
"Um… no thanks Nee–san." I laughed nervously.
After everybody got their breakfast and prepared themselves to get back to Ylisse, Chrom then walks towards our direction while Nee-san gets onto Frederick's horse as usual. Meanwhile, I had to ride on Stahl's horse due to my condition. "Alright, is everybody ready to get back to Ylisse?" Chrom asked.
"As long as we don't encounter any of those Risen, I'm A–okay." Saigo said while wearing Sagark like a hat from the sunny sunshine.
"At least there won't be any snowstorms anytime soon either." I added.
"Tell me about it. Those snowstorms while on our way here was terrible." Kivat said shivering.
"Really? I don't find it any different from the ones from our place…" Aqua–chan said.
"In other words, if there's anything heading towards Aqua, she can immediately follow the flow, am I correct?" Maribelle said as Aqua–chan nodded in agreement.
"Such a skill she has…" Marth praised.
"I–Indeed…" Lon'qu noted while averting his gaze from her, due to his gynophobia.
"Well, what are we waiting for, everyone? Let us get a move on to Ylisse and hoping for the best there's no trouble heading our way!" Frederick commanded.
"Oh yeah! Warm city, the Vaike is heading your way!" Vaike said with glee.
"Yes, I can't wait to set foot on warm country once again and maybe even perhaps asking the fair maiden to go on a date with the arches of Archer himself!" Virion said with his confident smile.
"Aqua–chan, come here…" I said and she went over to Stahl's horse that I was on. I bent down and whispered something to Aqua–chan. She nodded at that, and what happened next was Aqua–chan going to Virion and…
*POW!*
"YEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!"
Oh, and she's not finished yet. She does the usual judo flip to the front, making a print of the fallen Virion on the snow. "Pervert…" she muttered.
"Wow, the pretty boy's down for the count!" Sully smiled.
"Ara… Aqua–chan, why did you do that?" Nee–san asked worried.
"Because he's a pervert… That's why…" Aqua–chan muttered.
"Deducting all of the unnecessary details and going straight to the point, correct?" Miriel analyzed as she tilted her glasses a bit. "Quite an observation, I must say…"
"Uh, are you alright, Virion?" Kellam asked, which he just appeared from out of nowhere, again.
"Need a hand, big man?" Donnel offered.
"The pain… I must… endure it…" Virion muttered silently as the two helped him get back on his feet while he's crossing his feet.
"Well… anyways, let's march onward." Chrom said.
As we continued to march forward, and finally out from the snowy place, eventually we got back to the soil of Ylisse and we can actually feel the warmth radiating to our faces. "Ah, it's good to be back in good ol' Ylisse!" Vaike smiled.
"I wonder what should I eat once I got back to the barracks." Stahl pondered.
"Well, once we get back, I can go to the bazaar in Ylisstol and get a lot of ingredients to make a very nice healthy lunch." I offered.
"Oh boy! Can't wait to see what you make, Kurogasa!" Lissa anticipated.
"Yes, but first, there's trouble at the front…" Jiro pointed out as there is a merchant walking back and forth, worried about something.
"Oh, that poor girl…" the merchant sighed. "What should I do now? I can't face those bandits as I don't have the fighting skills…"
"Excuse me, sir. Is there a problem?" Saigo asked as he and the rest of the group went up to the merchant.
"Oh! Sirs, please!" the merchant exclaimed as he was practically on his knees, begging for our help.
"Whoa, now! Where's the fire?" Saigo joked.
"Calm down. What is it that you're asking?" Rey–Kivat asked, surprising the merchant from his sudden appearance but he paid no mind to it and went straight to the point.
"Please! Help her!"
"I beg your pardon?" Sumia asked confused.
"A young merchant girl is being set upon by bandits!" The merchant elaborated, which made Nee–san worried and Kivat groan angrily.
"Out of the boiling water and straight into the frying pan…" Kivat added.
"Um… what does this merchant look like?" I asked.
"Um, she's wearing red dress with yellow lining at the middle, the same pattern goes for her long boots, red pants, red mantle, red fingerless gloves with silver bracers, yellow collars of a Trickster, and a red pony tailed hair…" the man explained.
"Hold on… doesn't that somehow… sound familiar?" Sumia asked.
"Other than the red pony tailed hair, not really…" Vaike intervened.
"Alas, a young lady is in trouble!" Virion exclaimed. "We must help her and who knows? These Fangires could be there too!"
"Yeah, but still… who's the girl? She sounds familiar." Akane–chan said. We all thought about this for a while, until…
"Anna…" Chrom blurted out.
"Huh?" Everyone asked confused.
"Yes, that's her name!" The man exclaimed.
"Could it be Anna that we met on the village?" Lissa asked.
"It could be, darling." Maribelle noted.
"Then we shall do it posthaste. Not only would we have to take care of the bandits, but we also have to consider the facts that the Fangire could possibility appear on the battlefield as well…" Miriel analyzed.
"Yes. We march forward to assist our ally." Frederick said before he looked at Nee–san. "Sister Melissa, I suggest you hold on tightly. This could get bumpy." He warned, as Nee–san nodded in agreement.
"Hey, no fair! The Vaike's the one that should help Sister out!" Vaike complained.
"Yes, and I think the arches of Archer should also aid her!" Virion added.
*POW!* *POW!*
"YEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!"
Both Virion and Vaike cried out in pain as they held on to their packages, courtesy of Aqua–chan. "Perverts…" She muttered.
"Is it really that necessary?" Chrom asked with a sweat drop.
"Don't mind me… Kurogasa explained everything to me about these two…" Aqua–chan replied neutrally as I received a glare from Chrom, mixed with annoyance and confusion at the same time.
"Uh, anyways, let's get going guys! Anna's in trouble and we need to get there as fast we can!" I said fast. "Let's go Stahl!" I urged.
"Right!" Stahl nodded as the rest of us started to ride off towards where Anna could be.
Meanwhile, Lon'qu looked at the two men in pain, scoffed from what he's seeing. "Pathetic…"
"I couldn't agree with you more…" Marth agreed.
Meanwhile, somewhere at the village nearby, while the rest of the bandit groups are pretty much scattered around the area for a little recon, Vincent is furious about what has happened to his favorite darling. "You!" he began, pointing towards the girl in red hair. "We have business, you and I, and I aim to settle the debt. Victor will be avenged today!"
"Oh, dear. Have we met?" a young woman with the description of the merchant earlier pondered, confused from his statement.
"Playing dumb won't save you, girly." Vincent snapped. "The gold you net from the slavers will build Victor the finest grave in the land!"
"Careful, love. Prices aren't the only thing I can cut in half." She warned.
At the same time, as the thieves were scouting, they noticed a young man, wearing a modern clothes which consisted of a light green shirt with a white shirt underneath it, wearing short blue jeans and black shoes, happily walking on the path. "Who's the freak show here?" one of the thieves muttered.
"If he's wearing some strange clothes, he must have tons of gold on him!" another one added.
"Let's rob that kid, shall we?" the other suggested as they've all come to an agreement. A group of five thieves walked out from their hiding spot and surrounded the man. "If you value your life, strip everything down and we promise to not kill you!" the man threatened the Fangire in disguise, which he found it a bit amusing.
"Hmph. How amusing." The man said, as he looked at a… stopwatch and started the timer? "Time Play starts."
As soon as we got to our destination, the very first thing we saw in our sight is a mob of angry thieves; aiming their axes at us. "Look who's angry today?" Kivat joked.
"Sehpwekweng?" Sagark asked Saigo.
"Yeah, not a very warm welcome for us, Sagark." Saigo replied as Aqua–chan, without hesitation, threw her boomerang at the thieves. They anticipated the outcome but one of the unlucky brigands got their throat slit from her boomerang's sharp edge. This caused him to spray out blood onto his comrades as the boomerang eventually returned back to her hand. How she managed to catch them in the middle without having her hands receive cuts on its sharp edges is beyond me… and I believe even Lon'qu was impressed by it, despite his fears of women; hence the reason why he's flocking amongst us men.
"Grr, that does it! Come now, men! Let's start our first attack on them!" the brigands shouted as they let out a war cry, running in amok towards us.
"It would seem like Aqua has declared the first attack and kill…" Miriel analyzed.
"Let's not keep them waiting then. Sagark!" Saigo shouted.
"Gtnjewklfvhjvfheabsdfhl!" Sagark cheered as he attached to his waist.
Nee–san got off from Frederick's horse as she had her IXA Knuckle on her right hand, pressing it onto her left palm.
R–E–A–D–Y!
"Rey–Kivat…"
"Yes, milady! I am in your service!" Rey–Kivat exclaimed while fluttering around her as the Three Arms changes into their Mazoku forms.
"Time to devour their souls…" Garuru growled angrily, ready to pounce onto the enemy.
"Yay~, more friends to play with!" Bashaa said with glee.
"I will not let them get to Kurogasa–dono, as they would face me instead…" Dogga threatened as sparks of purple electricity can be seen around his head.
"Let's show these idiots to not to mess with me, Kiva–la!" Akane–chan exclaimed.
"Ara~, ara~, we better show it to them, Akane–chama!" Kiva–la agreed.
"Great, this is one roll call I can't join in…" Kivat sighed.
"Henshin!"
F–I–S–T O–N!
"CHU!"
"Henshin!" Rey–Kivat declared.
"Hen… shin." Sagark said.
The four of them transformed donned in their armor and eventually, all of the Riders, excluding me, are ready to go for an assault. "Gomenne, otouto… you'll have to stay out from this battle…" IXA–neesan said concerned.
"I know… just… be careful Nee–san…" I sighed then turned to the three Arm Monsters. "Garuru, Bashaa, Dogga, keep Nee–san safe." I told them.
"If that is your command, then–" Garuru was about to finish his speech, until Bashaa noticed something.
"Ne, ne! Look at IXA–chan! She's up to something!" Bashaa said with glee, which confused us for a moment.
"Huh?" both Dogga and I said confused as she held up a purple Fuestle and immediately slotted it into her belt slot.
D–O–G–G–A F–A–K–E!
"Eh?! Nee–san?!" I said in surprise as Dogga immediately turned into stone statue and when he flew towards Nee–san, he became the Dogga Hammer, as she wielded it in her hands… there's just one problem on using it.
"Milady, what's wrong?" Frederick asked.
"It's too… heavy…" IXA–neesan got out, leaving me to sweat drop.
"Nee–san, you're not ready for the hammer!" I whined.
"Oh, hush now, kid! We got some bad guys to kick!" Sully pointed out as the rest of the Shepherds are already advancing forward as Stahl and I stayed near Nee–san, who is still having a hard time trying to wield Dogga Hammer.
"Quickly! Attack her while she's having trouble carrying the weapon of hers!" one of the brigands commanded as a group of three rushed towards her. Running out of time, Nee–san could only think of one thing she can do with the hammer. If she can't wield it… well…
"Take… THIS!" Nee–san shouted as she managed to throw the hammer at pure will and once within range, Dogga reverted back to his Mazoku form, striking the three with his large body. The impact coming out from his punch literally splattered them into pieces… and I mean literally.
"Wow, never thought of her doing it like that before…" Stahl said as Nee–san took a deep breath after throwing the hammer.
"Whew… that was exhilarating." IXA–neesan breathed in relief.
"Considering the fact that you used it as a throwing weapon instead of a swinging weapon; that sums it up…" Kivat said with a sweat drop.
"I guess she's doing this on your part, Kurogasa…" Stahl told me as Dogga advanced, aiding by protecting Maribelle and Lissa at this point. "Besides, she did care for you, right?"
"Right, it's time to test out the next one, ne?" IXA–neesan said recovering from her weariness, as she held another Fuestle, and this time, it was green in color.
"Yay~ it's my turn!" Bashaa said with glee as IXA–neesan placed the Fuestle in the slot.
B–A–S–H–A–A F–A–K–E!
It also included the sound of the trumpet as Bashaa immediately turned into a stone statue, hovering in front of IXA–neesan. As the holster of the gun appeared in front of her, she grabbed it, now fully equipped with Bashaa Magnum. "Gah! These guys persistent as always!" Vaike complained as he clashed his axe with another brigand, wielding the same weapon while Virion was having a hard time trying to push them back with his multiple shots of arrows.
"A little help would suffice!" Virion exclaimed.
"Saa, let's see what you can truly do…" IXA–neesan said as she ran forward, aiming the magnum at her target as Stahl and I stayed close to her. Once she pulled the trigger, the fan on it spun rapidly, and a watery blob shot out from the magnum, hitting every single target, including the hidden ones.
"Look on the bright side! At least your sister is good with marksmanship, aibou!" Kivat praised.
"Yeah, at least she's good at that." I said as she now held Bashaa Magnum and IXA Calibur in Gun mode at the same time.
"Now who wants some?" IXA–neesan challenged as she got into a pose of her crossing her arms in an X, holding the guns out while the guns were on their flat side.
Oh, this should be good…
Meanwhile, Kiva–la, Chrom, Saga, Frederick, Lon'qu, Marth and Rey continued to move forward, while the others are being handled by the rest of the group. They heard the sound of clashing swords nearby and just within radius. "They are nearby, milady." Rey–Kivat said.
"We better hope for the best to help them in time…" Marth added.
Eventually, they've reached the source of the clashing sound as Anna and Vincent are clashing weapons. Even though swords have the advantage over the axe, due to Vincent's blinded rage, his wild swings almost caught Anna guard off. When he was about to go for the kill, Marth was able to parry the attack as Frederick pushed him back. A few more of his goons soon appeared from the forest, wielding an axe in each hand. "Wohoo! Some practice dummies!" Kiva–la chirped as Rey wielded her boomerangs similar on how she wields a dagger.
"Then, let's not waste any more time…" Rey said neutrally.
"Yeah! En garde!" Saga said while wielding his Jacorder in hand before the rest of the Shepherds started pushing them back.
Meanwhile, Chrom checked on Anna, who was a bit tired from the fighting earlier. "Hello there, handsome! Am I being rescued?" Anna asked.
"Well, that was the plan, but you seem to be holding up just fine." Chrom replied. "Can you still fight?"
"I could stand to open a few more rogues, sure." Anna shrugged. "Or locks, for that matter."
"A thief, is it?" Chrom asked.
"Locksmith, thank you very much!" Anna corrected. "But yes. Door or chest, I'll have it smiling wide in a trice. And it looks like these bandits have quite the hoard built up."
"…Huh." Chrom got out. "Well then, I think we're in business."
"Ha~~!" IXA–neesan yelled as she continued to turn those brigands into Swiss cheese and Miriel assisted her by burning them to a crisp, thus making our work easier. While Stahl is galloping his horse forward, I was able to give a big boot to the face of an unarmed brigand, knocking him back down before Sumia's Pegasus trampled on him by pure accident. Eventually, IXA–neesan lets go of Bashaa, reverting him back to his Mazoku form, as he's clapping happily.
"Yay~! Thanks for using me a lot, Sister! Since Kuro–chan can't go to battle, I guess I got no problem if it's a nice Sister using me!" Bashaa said childishly.
"Aw, you're welcome sweetie." IXA–neesan said sweetly. "Now it's Jiro–kun's turn." She said as she took out the blue Fuestle and placed it in the slot before pressing on it with the knuckle.
G–A–R–U–R–U F–A–K–E!
"It's time to assist her with my strength…" Garuru said as the shrill whistle sounded. He turned into a Stone Statue and as IXA–neesan grabbed the hilt of the Garuru Saber, and flipping her IXA Calibur to Sword mode, she's now armed with two swords. A sword is already difficult enough, but to wield two swords at the same time? That's gonna take some time…
"Ara, ara… I'm confused on how to dual wield…" IXA–neesan got out as Vaike stood near her.
"Don't 'cha worry too much, Sister! The Vaike is here to help you out!" Vaike exclaimed, aiming his axe to anyone who tried to harm her as she's not used to using two swords yet, unlike how she dual wielded guns earlier.
"Where are ya, you rotten big bad wolves?!" Donnel shouted, calling out the hidden brigands within the forest. And sure enough, he got his answer as Miriel and Virion stepped forward.
"Insignificant number of brigands appear…" Miriel muttered while holding the fire tome in her hands.
"Get back, my good man! This looks like a job for the Great Virion!" Virion said, standing in front of me to protect me from harm. Probably trying to score some more points to get Nee–san's attention.
"I got Stahl to protect me y'know." I grumbled annoyed.
"Nonsense! It is the arches of Archers duty to protect the fair maiden's little brother!" Virion said.
"Ara, thank you for the assist, Virion." IXA–neesan said appreciating the help, but not me.
"Not at all, my fair maiden!" Virion said as he pulled back his bow, with three arrows on it. "Come at me, you mongrels!"
Lon'qu easily blocked the attack of the downward slash coming from the brigand using his sheath. With quick reflexes, he was able to land a diagonal slash on the enemy's chest before finishing him off with a quick slash. The slash was so quick, he was already about to sheath his sword back in. With the sound of a click from his sword in its place, the brigand collapsed down instantly. "Hmph…" Lon'qu scoffed before he noticed a boomerang that passed over his head, hitting a target from afar. He looked at it and it turned out that Rey was the one that threw it before grabbing onto her hands.
"You missed one…" Rey said. When he looked to the front, another brigand fell down from his hiding spot behind the tree, probably waiting to ambush him.
"T–Thanks…" Lon'qu got out.
Rey nodded before she puts her boomerangs onto her sides before looking at Marth dealing the finishing blow with a 'X' slash onto an unarmed brigand.
"Here's your big cut of the day!" Kiva–la shouted happily as she dived down from the sky and onto the parrying brigand. Her saber literally shattered his axe, cleaving him in half before he split in two, a fountain of blood oozing out from the corpse. "That's the finishing touch, don't you think?"
"Not as good as mine!" Saga said who was up for the challenge as he used his Jacorder in Bute mode, wrapping another brigand's neck before he hanged the rope of the Bute on a strong branch. With a strong pull, the brigand dropped his weapon down and struggled for his life, as he now hanged for dear life.
"Please… stop…" the brigand got out, choking.
"Not a chance…" Saga muttered. With one last pull on the Jacorder, the brigand's neck snapped and went lifeless.
"Ugh, that's a pretty ugly view…" Kiva–la winced.
"At least he doesn't spill too much blood like you do…" Rey said striking another nerve.
"Ah, mou~!"
Meanwhile, Chrom and Frederick were dealing with Vincent as the brigand let out a roar of anger. "You stand no chance. I'm a conqueror by name and a conqueror by nature!" Vincent claimed.
"So you say. But this is the day that your pillaging days are over!" Frederick said as he had his horse gallop forward, charging at Vincent with a sword in hand. As Vincent anticipated his arrival, he immediately sidestepped from his sword. Chrom also joined in with his Falchion as he was already in the air, somersaulting before crashing down onto Vincent, only to have him dodge to the other side. Once he regained his footing, he lets out a big laugh. "Hah! Is this truly what the Shepherds can d–"
*STAB!*
A curvy sword passed through his back to the front and Vincent didn't expect it at all. He had forgotten on a certain red–haired girl that he's put out of the equation and when he looked back, he noticed Anna having that smile on her face. "Y–You…" Vincent tried to curse her while blood continued damping around his wound while his mouth started to run down with blood too.
"I told you prices aren't the only things I cut down." Anna said cheekily.
With a strong yank from her sword, Vincent was now on his knees as he stretched his right arm high in the sky, pleading on something. "I… I see your face, Victor… No… No, wait… That's me…" he got out before he plopped down on the ground, face first. After a few moments, not a single muscle moved from him.
"Is it done?" Marth asked.
"Seems like it…" Chrom confirmed, but all of a sudden, the three Riders were suddenly pushed back rather hard, confusing Chrom and Frederick. "Huh?"
"What's going on?" Frederick asked. They heard the sound of clashing weapons as Lon'qu and Marth were facing a Fangire in front of them, but it's not just any Fangire…
"What's this?!" Lon'qu said, surprised to see the enemy not feel any pain, despite the damage it received from both of them before it rammed its head onto Lon'qu and swung his dual katana onto the defending Marth, forcing him to skid back a few meters.
"This one is strong…" Marth gritted.
Stahl and I along with Kivat, IXA–neesan, Virion, Vaike, Lissa, Maribelle, Sully, Miriel, Donnel, and the Arm monsters were on our way to meet up with Chrom and the others as fast as we could when he heard the Bloody Rose hum. And this hum was louder than usual.
"A Fangire? Here?" Maribelle asked.
"No… this isn't just any Fangire…" I got out. "Kivat, do you think…"
"Yeah, there's no doubt about it… I spy something… strong heading our way…" Kivat pointed out.
We continued going on our way to the where the Fangire would be. When we arrived, we were shocked. Saigo, Aqua–chan, and Akane–chan were out of their armors knocked out cold along with everyone else knocked out cold except for Chrom and Marth who were struggling to get up. The Fangire had a humanoid figure with a bull's head, its horns made from shattered glass, with a tinted blue body, wearing giant iron gloves and blue spiked armor on it. It also had a cobalt blue tail, black hooves, and a golden ring on its nose. A Bull Fangire… It was then it noticed our group right away.
"Ah, so here you are. Kiva and IXA. That saves me the trouble of finding you both." The Bull Fangire said. "Time Play starts."
WHAT?! Time Play starts?! Damn it! That could only mean–!
"Time Play?! This's not looking good!" Dogga exclaimed.
"Yeah! That's the worst thing ever!" Bashaa whined.
"Time Play? What the heck is that supposed to mean?!" Sully demanded.
"Hey, can somebody fill in the blank for the Teach here to understand?" Vaike asked
"All you need to know is that quote there means that you're looking at Rook of the Checkmate Four!" I exclaimed.
"Ha, ha! Bingo~!" the Rook said in a sing–along tone. It was then I remembered something.
"Chrom, how many minutes did it mention to you?" I asked him.
"F–Five minutes…" Chrom got out, breathing heavily.
"And we… have been already wiped out… in two…" Marth said, also panting heavily.
"The only order I got is to see if I'm able to test you Riders out and take down anyone without killing them at the same time within the time limit! If I did, not only do I get myself a glass of milk, but I also get myself some freebie meals and knowing the true strength of the Riders~!" Rook said happily. Well, at least he's not crazy like the Rook in the series. That would've been really bad.
"Now, time to wipe you guys out and get my prize!" the Rook said happily while wielding his pair of Katana in hand.
"Golly, we better try to put that thing on a stop!" Kellam said, making his appearance from out of nowhere once again, as he wielded his big shield and lance. At the same time, I got off from Stahl's horse as everybody headed towards him.
"Oh, boy, more toys to play with!" the Rook said happily as it, without wasting any time, started slashing them out of the way with ease, which made me surprised from his speed and strength.
Virion and Miriel teamed up as Virion's arrows were now engulfed in flames, courtesy of Miriel's assistance and once he shot them out, even though the attack hit, it was unaffected. "W–What?!" Virion said shocked.
"That's not possible!" Miriel added.
"That tickles!" Rook said as he rammed his head towards the two, putting them down for the count.
"Aibou! We gotta do something!" Kivat exclaimed as he fluttered near me.
"Grr… but I…" I got out.
"Right now it doesn't matter if you're injured or not! We have to do something now!" Kivat exclaimed.
I was hesitant for a moment while looking back and forth from Kivat to the scene, as I noticed Rook, easily knock down Sumia off from her Pegasus with a strong clothesline. When both Chrom and Marth slowly advanced, Rook gave them a strong lariat, not caring if the two attacks are on him, and this time, that thing literally knocked the lights out of them.
"C'mon, Sully! Let's show this little freak why they can't mess with us!" Vaike said worked up as this was the time to show IXA–neesan what he's truly capable of.
"You just took those words right out of my mouth!" Sully said confidently before the two charged forward, as Lissa and Maribelle backed off from the advancing Rook.
"You ain't gonna hurt 'em!" Donnel shouted while aiming his makeshift lance at it.
"Out of my way, brat!" Rooked exclaimed, swatting Donnel away like a fly before he felt two different attacks on its back, startling it.
"Hah! Come take a taste of my lance, you little freak show!" Sully mocked.
"Har, har, har! How does it feel to have a cut made on your back, courtesy of the Vaike?!" he said proudly.
"Please, I've seen better." Rook scoffed surprising Vaike and Sully before the two got knocked out cold.
"Sully! Vaike!" I cried out.
I–X–A K–N–U–C–K–L–E: R–I–S–E U–P!
"Hm?" Rook pondered as IXA–neesan leaped up high, with her IXA Knuckle in her right fist, ready to pummel it down with her Broken Fang, but due to Rook's quick reflexes, despite its large body, it was able to stop her midway while dropping both of its katana on the ground, grabbing her by the neck, thus cancelling her finishing move.
"E–Eh?!" IXA–neesan said surprised and at the same time, both of her hands were trying to pry off the grip.
"Sister!" Maribelle shouted.
"Melissa!" Lissa screamed worriedly.
"Nee–san!" I cried out.
"I heard you're the one that killed my clan recently…" the Rook said dissatisfied before he slammed her body to the ground, while gripping her neck tightly. IXA–neesan was getting weaker. "I DESPISE the holy crusader!" it shouted before it forcefully pushed IXA–neesan through the thick tree and delivered a few strong punches on her body armor, causing her to break down the tree behind her before she was out of her armor, covered in bruises, letting out a bad cough a few times while holding her stomach in pain.
"Aibou!" Kivat shouted at me again.
"Kuso! Shikatta nai (I have no choice)! Kivat!" I shouted.
"Yosha! About time! Kivatte ikuze!" Kivat cheered as he flew into my hand I caught him. "GABU!"
*CRUNCH!*
I heard the hypnotic sonar sound as the stain glass marks creeped up on my face, while thrusting my good arm forward while the Three Arms looked at me as they slowly pushed themselves up. "Kurogasa–dono… you can't be serious…" Jiro got out.
"Henshin!" I shouted as I placed Kivat onto the belt. I was engulfed in quicksilver before I was finally in my Kiva armor. I really missed this armor…
"Ha~! So, you've come to play, huh~? Sweet~!" the Rook said happily, picking up the dual katana on the ground, ignoring the healers while slowly walking towards me before it picked up the pace.
"Arm Monsters! With me!" I shouted as I took out the three Fuestles and inserted them one by one into Kivat's mouth, and taking them one after another.
GARURU SABER!
BASHAA MAGNUM!
DOGGA HAMMER!
"You can't be serious…" Garuru muttered.
"That form… already?" Dogga added.
"In that condition?" Bashaa finished before the three of them turned into Stone Statues.
"Eh?! He can do that?!" Lissa said surprised from what she heard earlier as I grabbed Garuru Saber on my left hand, followed by Bashaa Magnum on my other. In an instant, my whole body armor was wrapped in chains and before I knew it, my left arm is now my Garuru arm, my right arm was my Bashaa arm and finally, my body plate was the Dogga plate. My eye lenses and Kivat's didn't change throughout the transformation.
This was my combination armor: Kamen Rider Kiva – DoGaBaKi Form.
I start off with shooting some water bullets onto Rook to slow it down while it continued to run towards me while swinging its katana around to parry it. Once it was within range, I swung my Saber with my good arm, forcing it to back off but it continued to swing around its katana like crazy. Even though my bad arm holds the Bashaa Magnum, I don't have to worry too much about taking aim because it would reach the target either way.
Even at this point, I'm still at a disadvantage due to my condition as it was able to push me back with multiple slashes that landed on my armor, stumbling a few feet away. "Oi, aibou, stay strong! We're gonna need your help!"
"I know that!" I said angrily as I ditched away both of my weapons and brought out the Dogga Hammer. Despite me wincing in pain due to the bad arm, I ignored it and swung towards Rook. I'm not gonna turn a blind eye over what that Fangire did to Nee–san and get away with it! That thing has got to pay!
"Ha, ha! You're angry~!" Rook mocked, happily dodging to the back while I still swung my hammer around. "Saa, time for me to wrap it up and suck the lives out of your comrades!" it said happily while grabbing the hammer, stopping my momentum. It quickly yanked it off from my hand, and slashed onto my armor maliciously before giving the big boot to my chest armor. I'm literally getting worn out here.
"Aibou!" Kivat shouted as I panted heavily, my armor is covered in smoke. And when the Bull Fangire was about to ram me through the tree, I thought that this was it… I've failed everyone around me… all of us got beaten by Rook, on its own no less. I could only prepare myself for the worst… but nothing happened…
"Ah~! Time Play's up!" Rook groaned angrily, stopping its pace while it was in front of me. "You got lucky, Kiva! But you won't be next time the King gives the order!" it said while slapping my right cheek twice before it finished me off with a strong blow on my right cheek, thus making me tumble down while my armor dematerialized, reverting me back to normal, as I'm now covered in bruise. All of us, other than Lissa and Maribelle, were covered in wounds, as Rook happily skipped away like it was nothing, leaving us on our own.
And after that, the darkness embraced me.
"Kurogasa! Kurogasa! Wake up!"
Huh? Who's… there?
As I slowly opened my eyes, I noticed the first person I saw Nee–san. Seeing me wake up from my darkness made her sigh in relief. "Oh, thank goodness he's awake…" Saigo said as he was the one that told me to wake up.
"Otouto, you're finally awake!" Nee–san said worriedly.
"Nee–san…" I got out while I slowly sat up with the help of Saigo. I looked around and saw that I was in a room that's all… fancy. "Where are we?"
"We're here in Ylisstol." Saigo said. "You were knocked out cold the rest of the journey back, but Lissa and Maribelle healed your bad arm back to full health during then."
"Oh…" I got out as I flexed my now healed up bad arm. Just then the door opened and it revealed Akane–chan and Aqua–chan. The former looked mad with… tears in her eyes? "Akane–chan?" I got out confused. That was when she came over and…
*SLAP!*
"OW!" I cringed in pain rubbing my cheek.
"Baka! Don't scare us like that!" Akane–chan sniffled. "I thought you were… you were… wahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Next thing she did was suddenly hugging me crying on my chest, surprising me.
"Akane–chan…" I got out as I slowly smiled and hugged her back. "Gomen…" Sure, Akane–chan and I can be at each other's throats at times, but we're like brother and sister and we rarely get to be like this. I guess I can see why Storm only looked at her as a little sister rather than a lover.
Aqua–chan however, remained stoic as always. "You always act before you think, huh?" Aqua–chan said neutrally as she shook her head lightly and I think I noticed a hint of a slight smile on her face. "You may be the biggest idiot I ever met… but I can't blame you for that…"
"Yeah, I guess…" I got out. "I'm really sorry everyone, but I couldn't just stand there and do nothing while you guys were getting hurt."
"Hey, even I would do the same if I'm in your boots, buddy…" Saigo assured as Kivat fluttered and bopping my forehead happily with his body.
"Hah! My prince charming has finally awakened! Took you long enough!" Kivat exclaimed.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry I took so long Kivat." I apologized.
"Sheesh, at least make it showy before you faint…" Kivat scoffed before Kivat turned his attention to Saigo.
"…what?" Saigo asked, confused.
"You think you can fool my eyes, kiddo? This Kivat can see anything that these guys can't!" Kivat proudly said, only leaving Saigo more confused.
"What are you talking about?" Saigo further asked.
"IpuveEMMpaougpv!" Sagark said happily.
"No, I'm not!" Saigo said a bit agitated from what Sagark told him.
"Huh? I heard Emm from Sagark out of all that gibberish." I said, but then I realized it. "Ohh, you like Emmeryn don't you?" I teased.
"Xol!" Sagark exclaimed. I'm guessing that's a yes.
"Ara, ara… I didn't know Saigo likes older girls…" Nee–san joined in as Saigo slowly backed off.
"I–I dunno what you g–guys are talking about!" Saigo said trying to find a way out of his mess.
"You… stuttering… is a dead giveaway…" Aqua–chan easily deducted.
"Hah! To think he's falling for someone! This is gonna be good!" Akane–chan said happily as Saigo facepalmed and his blush got more obvious. Meanwhile, Sagark rested on top of his head, as usual.
"Dheyshsgdjwhdbaj!" Sagark said playfully.
"Gah! I'm outta here!" Saigo yelled then ran out of the room with Sagark following, to tease him more.
"Man, I've never seen him flustered like that before!" I snickered.
"Ara, ara… leave him be. I'm sure he'll figure it out soon enough…" Nee–san said.
"Yep~, eventually, everybody would figure it out~!" Kiva–la added.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I could go for some dinner." I said getting out of bed, but then felt a bit wobbly before Akane–chan steadied me on my feet.
"Baka, you just woke up. Take it easy." Akane–chan scolded.
"Sorry." I said sheepishly.
"One more thing. As punishment for scaring me to death, you're feeding me during dinner."
"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!" I said incredulously.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kivat asked.
"Since Storm–sama isn't around, he's gotta be the one to feed me!" Akane–chan playfully smiled as Nee–san giggled, while Aqua–chan already walked out from the room.
I can only tell things are about to take a turn for the worse for me…
And there we go! That's another chapter of Awakening of Kiva for ya! And as always, review!