Fen: Hello everyone! Fen and Fang here to give you the latest chapter of Kamen Rider Blade: Dark Ace!

TWF: And this time, we'll be reuniting one of the characters that you've been waiting for! Especially Lyon!

Fen: Yep! It's the last of the Blade Children and her name is Metis!

TWF: Boy, Metis would be in quite a shock for what's she about to see here!

Fen: No kidding. So let's get to it!

Both: HENSHIN!

TURN UP!

Disclaimer: Same thing.


It was now early morning and the caravan of clerics continued on their journey as the sun was rising nearly reaching the village near Za'albul Marsh. "Metis… wake up…" Marisa said.

"Mmmmm…" Metis moaned. "Please… let me rest a few more minutes…"

"I know that." Marisa nodded. "You were asleep a little late than the others. Is it because of you are worried for Lyon?"

"…" she remained silent as she pushed herself up, admitting about that.

"I know you care for him deeply as your childhood friend, but I assure you everything would be alright." Marisa comforted. "You know him better than anyone else. He has strong will in him."

"I know…" Metis nodded.

"CAMEL UNDEAD, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE!" A voice shouted from outside the caravan from far away.

"Huh?" Marisa and Metis asked confused.

"That tone…" Metis got out.

"Hey, mister! Have you seen a Camel Undead anywhere?!" her voice exclaimed, startling the escort of her wagon.

"Young lady, I have no idea what are you talking about…" the escort said.

"What seems to be the problem?" the elder Cleric asked the escort.

"Uh… well…" The escort began.

"Wait a minute… I know that voice! Kizuna?!" Metis exclaimed popping her head out of the caravan.

"EH?! MEI–CHAN?!" Kizuna asked surprised.

Metis quickly descended down from her caravan heading towards Kizuna. "Kizuna, why are you here?"

"I should ask you the same thing, Mei–chan!" Kizuna said as she immediately hugged Metis, much to the latter's confusion.

"I am still on my pilgrimage, performing my task." Metis said as the two broke the hug. "And yourself? Why are you yelling your head off for no reason?"

"We got a problem!" Kizuna exclaimed. "It's Lyon–chan!"

"LYON?!" Metis gasped in horror.


(Cue Theme Destiny by Neko)

(There's no escape 'cause I now believe in my fate. So there's no run away. I know the future is comin'… IT'S OUR DESTINY~!) In the beginning, the seven original Blade Riders in their prime showed their backs as they walked towards the end of the hallway, showing a portal of light. On cue, the original Riders turned around to face the camera as the portal brightened the whole screen, before it was covered the reverse of Rouze cards.

(For this time, the role you played is mine. In this world, you're a hero to me) At the first beat, the Rouze cards scattered to reveal Lyon looking at the horizon from an angle as the wind blew fast. The scene changes to the other side, showing the evil forces ready to battle them, the camera panning right fast. Then it quickly changes back to the children of Magvel looking at the same thing panning left across the screen fast.
(Taught my fate, not to run away. You saved my soul from deep inside the sea) At the end, it ends with Metis, who bows her head and sheds a tear before it dropped and splashed, reforming into the title.

(For this time, the role you played is mine. In this world, you're a hero to me) The title Kamen Rider Blade: Dark Ace appears on the screen staying there for a few seconds as the background faded to black before the title disappeared.
(Taught my fate, not to run away. You saved my soul from deep inside the sea) The camera pans forward fast from a side view, showing young Mikoto run through her portal only to come out from the other side as Sakura, followed by young Melissa to Toby, young Kurai to Ryuu, young Akira to Elsie, young Amber to Sasha, young Storm to Kizuna, and finally young Kurogasa to Lyon before the camera pans really close to Lyon's eye and the screen fades white to the next scene.

(Ano hi egaita kyou ni, kimi to~ futari) At Castle Renais, Kurogasa, now in his 40's looked the horizon before his wife Eirika came up next to him. The two smiled at each other before they looked down at the courtyard to see Lyon sparring with Ephraim. Lyon stopped momentarily to see parents and smile at them.
(Yakusoku sareta sekai, yume no~ naka ni~) In the modern world, in a shopping mall, Sasha, Sakura and Elsie are looking for something to wear. Kizuna happily showed them the latest dress she found, making the girls interested. Toby and Ryu, who sat at one spot with the girls' baggage sighed while Toby looked at the Rouze card he held in his hand.

(Tsumanai kibou ni afureta kao ni) In Grado, an unknown force of darkness arises and it spreads to all of Magvel, before the scene quickly changes to the modern world also being covered by that same darkness.
(Boku wa, itsu shika kokoro wo yurushiteta~) Metis held her hands in prayer, standing in front of the desert while looking at the threat in front of her, while the kids from the previous adventurers looked at it too. Also, a mystery man stood next to her, looking at the view with a serious expression before the seven Riders flew towards the battlefield.

(There's no escape coming for ya! Shinjiteru kara ima wo) The seven Riders dash towards the battlefield slashing and stabbing any enemy that comes their way using their Rouzers.
(Mi ushinawanaide, it's our destiny~!) The rest of the group also ran forward and as it reaches the English part of the lyric, the screen slows down to reveal the older Seth wielding his lance, an older Marisa slashing enemies down with her assassin–like eyes, Ewan casting dark magic and Ross dashing forward with a loud roar, and Myrrh in her dragon form.

(Tatoe sekai no subete ga teki ni na tatte, kimi to issho nara) The seven Riders stopped at they saw a huge monster of darkness towering over them, but that doesn't stop them as the Riders enter their final forms and executed their Royal Straight Flushes and Straight Tempest Crash.
(No time for regret~!) When the attacks hit the monster, a bright white light engulfs the entire screen.

(For this time, the role you played is mine. In this world, you're a hero to me. Taught my fate, not to run away. You saved my soul from deep inside the sea.) At an open field, the former Blade Riders and Eirika walked towards a spot and stopped to face their children. The former Riders gave their children a smile, and the new generation replied back with a cheery smile of their own and the music ended with a Turn Up, revealing the Spade.


Chapter 11: Recovering the Missing Piece

Back at the inn, the team, were desperate as they are holding down Lyon, who was having a seizure. "We have to hold him down! If he struggles more, the venom will spread faster!" Ajax exclaimed.

"And we need to focus our healing even harder, just to stop it." Castor said as all of the healers pointed their staves at him, detoxing him.

"Just a little bit, Prince Lyon. You'll get through this seizure…" Libertas begged, praying for the best that he'll be able to get through it… until his struggles lessened, and his body calmed down.

"Phew…" Themis panted.

"It stopped…" Arty added.

"I'm getting too old for this…" Father Moulder sighed, sitting on a chair. "I'm almost out of energy…"

"So am I…" Castor agreed.

"If he has another seizure, I don't know how long we could last trying to heal him in our tired condition…" Saleh said as Themis placed her hand on Lyon's chest.

"And his heart is beating strongly and irregularly." Themis said worriedly. "It's almost as if it wants to burst out from his chest. We need to calm his heart down to further slow the venom's process..."

"Lyon–niichan…" Sakura sobbed in Elsie's embrace.

"Daijobu imouto… it's going to be okay…" Elsie comforted.

"B–But–"

"You have to trust your sister's words, dear friend." Diana assured.

"W–What makes you say that?" Sakura sobbed, looking at Diana while her eyes are still filled with tears.

"This is Lyon we're talking about here." Ryu said.

"What's so special about him?" Midas asked.

"When it comes to the battle of will, he's the strongest, despite his shy character." Toby noted. "His dad must've passed his will down to his son."

"I couldn't agree with you more…" Ajax nodded. "That's my cousin, alright."

"Lyon!" the door suddenly bust open, making the group be on full alert.

"What the–?!" Midas said surprised from the sudden entrance, as he practically fell off his chair.

"Princess/Metis/Mei–chan?!" most of the group noticed, as she, Marisa, Kizuna and the group of clerics entered the room.

"Marisa?" Seth gasped. "How did–"

"Metis was just assigned to this village and we ran into Kizuna when we heard the news." Marisa answered.

"Lyon!" Metis cried out, running over to him. "Lyon! Can you hear me?! Speak to me!"

"It's no use, Metis. He can't hear us." Ajax said while looking at the panting Lyon.

"Why?" she asked, looking at Ajax.

"Because he got injured with an Undead's venom."

"Then, why are you all staggering about?! Can't you detox him with your staves?!" she exclaimed.

"It's not that simple." Kyle said.

"What?" Metis gasped.

"Normal healing magic won't work. It can only stall the poison. We need to find the Camel Undead and combine its healing power with a healing staff." Libertas explained. "We've been going at this all night and it's getting worse."

"Lyon…" Metis got out, as she's about to cry.

"Stay your tears, Metis. This isn't the time for crying." the elder Cleric said. "We will not let a soul suffer this kind of pain."

"That's right! Not on our watch!" one of the clerics said. "As long as we're here, it's our duty to perform our task and save him! We are on a mission, after all!"

"We'll do all we can to slow the poison until you find what you're looking for." Another cleric said.

"She's right! We can do this!" A third added.

"Everyone…" Metis murmured, touched by their determination.

"Everyone, I have found it…" Hirose entered the room in his Trial Form, scaring the rest of the clerics.

"Eeek! A monster!" they exclaimed.

"Hirose, what did we say about walking into the room with your current form?" Toby asked while crossing his arms. "You're scaring the people with your form. Change into your human form, for crying out loud."

Hirose noticed the clerics and realized it. "Oh, I apologize." He said, before changing to his human form.

"W–What is he?" One cleric asked.

"Don't worry, he's a friend…" Toby sighed.

"And he's on our side." Ryu pointed out.

"So, what did you just say just now?" Kyle asked.

"I've found the Undead we're looking for." Hirose explained. "And fortunately for us, he is somewhere nearby, held captive by a group of mongrels that's abusing its ability. The scent may be faint, but it is definitely in the area."

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Kizuna said before running out the room.

"Nee–san chotto matte!" Sasha called out before running after her.

"And there they go." Diana sighed. "Off to a head start."

"It can't be helped, Diana." Maximus said. "But, we can't waste this opportunity. Lyon's life is at stake."

"Couldn't agree with you more!" Jason perked up. "Diana, my sister! I believe we have found our new task!"

"Right," Diana nodded.

"We will stay here and slow the poison." The elder cleric said.

"Thank you so much…" Father Moulder sighed. "This old man needs his rest."

"Yes, and I was also about to exhaust myself." Castor sighed in relief.

"Let's get to it, everyone! We got ourselves a valuable life to save!" Ajax commanded.


"So, this must be the cave…" the Scorpion Undead noticed as it reached a cave, somewhere far away from the swamp, "…these humans called it the "Healing Cave" in this place. And these thieves are the ones that occupy it."

"Hey, you weakling! Heal up a few of my men!" a loud voice exclaimed.

"And you better heal him completely!" another one commanded with a harsh voice, whipping another scared Undead with brute force.

"Ahh! Leave me alone!" The scared Undead begged. This Undead had the head of a camel that stood on its two feet with thin black armor and its back had two humps on it.

This was the Camel Undead.

"Shut up, I don't take orders from you!" The thief shouted.

*WAPISH!*

"AHHH!" The Camel Undead cried in pain.

"Now do your thing or you'll be receiving more consequences!" the leader threatened with another whiplash.

"Waargh!" the Undead cried in pain. As much as it tried to make a run from the said cave, its left leg was shackled with thick chains, connected to the walls, making it unable to escape.

"Do it!" the leader ordered the Undead while pointing at the injured fellow thief.

"Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhm… how amusing…" The Scorpion Undead chuckled.

"DO IT!" The leader thief shouted.

*WAPISH!*

"A–Alright! I'll do it! I'll do it!" the Undead squeaked.

"Good monster." the leader smirked as the Undead positioned his hands on the injured thief.

On cue, a gentle glow emitted from his hands and the said injured thief is now engulfed in a gentle green light. The scars on his body started to lessen and the bleeding has also decreased. After a few seconds, the said thief's skin is now pristine, as if there was never an injury in the first place.

"Wow, my injuries are gone!" The healed thief said amazed.

"Glad to be back huh?" The leader as he pulled the healed thief to his feet.

"Yeah, I feel like a million gold coins!"

"Good to hear. Having this monster is pretty useful to us, after all…" the leader chuckled.

"If that's the case, can I have him instead?" the Scorpion Undead's voice echoed in the cave. Before the rest of the thieves could even do anything–

*SHANK!*

*SLASH!*

The Scorpion Undead was able to kill off most of them using his tail and axe in its hands. The thieves were no match for its brutal strength, as their knives weren't able to penetrate its tough skin and armor.

"W–What do you want from me?!" the Camel Undead asked.

"Why, to set you free, of course." the Scorpion Undead said while breaking the shackles on its leg.

"B–But why?" the Camel Undead asked again. "Isn't the Battle Royale still commencing?"

"No."

"It isn't?"

"No." The Scorpion Undead repeated. "Now come, we have to leave this place."

"Where are we going?" The Camel Undead asked.

"We're going to hurt these humans for trying to harm us in the first place…" the Scorpion Undead chuckled.


(Earth)

"Is it just me, or is Nee–san actually worried about something?" Amber asked, noticing Eirika's worried expression on her face while she looked outside the window, where it is raining as Amber held Kyoshiro in her arms.

"She thinks something bad happened to Lyon." Kurogasa sighed.

"What?" Amber gasped.

"Yeah, she just randomly dropped a plate on accident and it smashed to pieces. That's not like Eirika to do that."

"Oh dear…" Melissa said.

"Maybe she's overreacting?" Amber said.

"Well, maybe." Kurogasa agreed for a bit.

"Most pregnant women would have random mood swings." Kurai pointed out. "Maybe that's one of the reasons?"

"No it's not a random mood swing." Kurogasa shook his head.

"It's not?" Mikoto asked confused.

"Trust me, I know when she's in a mood swing and this isn't one of them."

"If that's not one of her mood swings, then she must be really worried about her son." Akira said.

Melissa stood up from her seat and approached Eirika, as the latter didn't notice her advance. "Eirika, dear?"

Eirika was a bit surprised hearing Melissa's voice. "Y–Yes, Mother?"

"What's wrong? Is there something burdening you?" Melissa asked worriedly. "You know you could always tell me. Whenever there are troubles, you would always go to me. Mind telling me what's worrying you, dear?"

"…" Eirika remained silent, still thinking worriedly.

Melissa noticed as she approached her and gave her a warm, gentle hug, surprising Eirika. "It's alright, dear. If the burden is too much for you, I shall lend a hand to help lessen the pain inside you. You will feel much better this way… let your feelings out and I will be here for you... always."

"Mother…" Eirika muttered as her tug on Melissa's sleeves tightened and eventually, she quietly sobbed on Melissa's chest, while the latter assured her motherly.

"Sempai sure knows how to make someone feel at ease, huh?" Storm noticed.

"Yeah" Kurogasa nodded.


(Magvel)

"It's this way…" Hirose said leading the group.

"Alright!" Kizuna said energetically. As she looked behind her, she said, "C'mon, you guys! The cave isn't that far now!"

"At the very least… can't you slow… your pace down?" Ross panted as most of them are hiking up the mountain.

"Yeah… we're getting… tired…" Jason panted.

"Aw c'mon, don't be such a bunch of wimps!" Kizuna pouted.

"Kizuna, as much as we want to save Lyon as quickly as possible, you have to slow down." Seth said. "This mountain is not suitable for us to move up using our horses."

"He's right." Saleh nodded. "The path is similar to Caer Pelyn. But this is slightly harder due to this Underling invasion."

"Agreed." Myrrh nodded. "And I can feel the darkness slowly looming upon this world…"

"But we gotta hurry or–" Kizuna urged.

"We know Nee–san…" Sasha sighed.

"All of us don't want Lyon to die but you gotta calm down." Ryu said.

"And besides, the more we talk about him, the more hurtful for someone, for sure…" Toby said.

"Huh?" Kizuna blinked, noticing Metis only looking down with her sad frown. "Oh…"

"…" Metis remained quiet throughout her journey with the group, with Marisa staying by her side.

"Metis?" Marisa said.

"Hm?" Metis said turning to her.

"Don't worry. We'll save Lyon. I promise."

"Marisa…" she got out.

"She's right, Metis! Now turn that frown upside down and let's get to work on finding this… fiend!" Jason bragged. "That Undead shall face the wrath of the Jabber's sword!"

"Let me remind you we still have the Scorpion Undead on the loose." Diana reminded. "If you got stung by it, it's all over for you."

"Yeah, I know that, no worries." Jason waved off.

"That's when I worry the most." Diana deadpanned.

"Hm?" Hirose said. "Strange…"

"W–What's wrong?" Elsie asked.

"The Camel Undead… I can't sense its presence anymore."

"Huh?" most of them said, pausing in their tracks.

"Hey, you better not joke around with me, buster!" Kizuna snapped.

"I am certain that I do not play around…" Hirose reminded.

"What do you mean you can't feel its presence anymore?" Libertas asked.

"It… has been moved elsewhere…" Hirose deducted. "…with another force. And this power… it is increasing tenfold because of it. And it keeps growing stronger as time goes on."

"I don't like the sound of that…" Sakura gulped.

"M–Me too!" Elsie squeaked as the two sisters hugged each other.

"Honestly, get a grip, you two…" Ryu said, annoyed. "What could possibly go wrong? We'll just kick its can, as usual."

"EEEEEEEEK! Icky cockroaches!" Sakura shrieked as the DarkRoaches appeared.

"You just had to jinx us!" Kizuna scowled.

"Shut up!" Ryu snapped. "It's not MY fault they appeared from out of nowhere!"

"We can argue about this later!" Kyle told them.

"He's right. We should neutralize the threat first." Seth said while arming himself with is lance. "Duessel, Father Moulder, and Castor will do just fine, guarding that village."

"Let's go everyone." Toby said.

"I'm ready for some battle!" Jason said smugly.

"Let me at 'em!" Ross said, readying his axe.

"Let's not waste any more time and get to work already!" Midas smirked while drawing out his dagger before the group dispersed and headed towards their target.


(In Lyon's mind)

Eh? Where am I? Why's everything so dark around here? Aren't I supposed to be on my way to Grado to save Mei–chan? I should do something about it, but this place is literally dark. I wonder where everyone is.

"Nee–san! Nee–chan! Where are you?!" I called out. But there was no answer. "Elsie! Toby! Ryu!" I called out again. "Sakura–chan!"

Funny… no one's replying to my call…

"Is anybody out there?! Ajax? Themis? Maximus?!" I shouted again, but there's no reply.

"No matter how much you shout, there will be no one to answer your call, young man…" a voice said, startling me.

"W–Who's there?!" I demanded, looking around. "Show yourself!"

"Do not be alarmed. I am a friend." The voice said calmly.

"How do I know you're not tricking me?!" I asked.

"Because if I am about to trick you…" the voice trailed off, as I panicked while looking around.

"W–What are you going to do?"

"I wouldn't appear before you." the voice said calmly, as he appeared right in front of me.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, ending up landing on my butt from the shock I received. Who I saw was a man who was a bit older than me having lilac hair that fell to his shoulders, wearing a circlet around his head and wearing purple robes all over him to indicate that he was kind of a noble.

"W–Who are you?!" I demanded.

"I am Lyon." The person said.

"You're… me?" I blinked.

"No, I am not you." Lyon replied… it feels strange when you say that to yourself. "But I believe your name resembles mine."

"I, uh… guess so?" I said.

"Tell me, who gave you such a good name?" he asked me.

"Uh… well, it was my Mother."

"And what is your Mother's name?"

"Eirika… Why?" I asked.

"Eirika…" he said… with a smile on his face, "It has been quite a long time since I've heard her name…"

"Uh… am I missing something here?" I asked him.

"Oh, you still do not know?" he asked, which I shook my head at. "She named you after me, young man. I am your Mother's best friend… and I believe it's safe to say that I once fell in love with her before she married your father."

"W–What!?" I asked shocked.

"Yes…" he said, but then looked sad, "But I tried to win your Mother's love in the worst possible way…"

"H–Huh?" I asked confused.

"I believe your Mother has told you the story about the Demon King that tried to rule Magvel 25 years ago, yes?" he said.

"Well… Mother and Father did tell me about it when I was little..." I recalled. After a few moments, I was in quite a shock as I said, "EEEEHHHHHHHHHH?! You're the Demon King?!"

"No…" he flinched, as if I've hurt his feeling. "And I was the reason to cause that massive destruction in the first place, making the whole of Magvel be in turmoil…"

"But why?"

"It all began when Grado is without a king." he began. "I felt hopeless, not knowing what to do with the current situation. When I researched the Sacred Stone, it is said that it can bring upon a miracle. And so, I tested it out on an injured girl and it was a success. Curiosity gets the best of me as I was able to split the stone into two… and that's where it all began…"

"Really?"

"Yes. I split it into the Sacred Stone of Grado and the Dark Stone known as the Fire Emblem. The Fire Emblem contained Fomortiis and I was ensnared by its influence. I believed in his words, thinking I could save Grado, but I couldn't be more wrong."

"W–What happened?" I asked.

"I fell for his words and it slowly consumed my soul…" he frowned, looking down.

"And things have gotten bad, right?" I recalled.

"Yes…" he admitted while looking down sadly. "And while it continued to control my body, I've witnessed many people were hurt, injured, fallen into despair… and your Mother suffered because of it…"

"Mother…" I muttered.

"Your Mother tried her best to save me from this danger, but this monster… it kept putting your Mother on the edge and tried to put her into deep despair, up to the point of breaking her will of trying to save me. In the end, the fiend's plan worked perfectly and it almost tried to kill her during her despair, until your Father intervened and stopped it once and for all…"


Flashback – 25 Years Ago

Eirika continued to wander alone within the path where Lyon might be as she called for her friend. "Lyon! Lyoooon!" she shouted as she ran along the path.

"Ei… Eirika…" a voice said weakly, catching her attention as she stopped her pace and looked around.

"Lyon? Where are you?" Eirika asked concerned and all of the sudden, he was teleported right in front of her, within a few meters away, while holding his head in pain, making her worried even more. "Lyon!" she cried out as she rushed towards his side. "Hold on. I'll save you!"

"Forgive me… Eirika… It's over… for me… The Demon King has devoured my soul… I'm mad… and I'm going… to die…" Lyon said weakly.

"Lyon… What should I do? How can I help you? Tell me! I'll do anything, but you have to tell me!" Eirika pleaded.

"…The Sacred Stone… Give me… the stone…" Lyon said.

"What?"

"My body… is being ravaged by the Demon King. If it continues unchecked, nothing can save me. But if I had the power of a Sacred Stone… I could save… my soul…"

"Lyon…" Eirika got out.

"Please… Eirika… I don't want to die yet… I want to live… with you… If I had the Sacred Stone… I could… heal myself… Please…"

"Could the Sacred Stone really do that? Could it heal you?" Eirika asked.

"Yes… Please… Eirika…"

"Wait, Eirika!" Kurogasa shouted, as her extension of the stone suddenly stopped and Lyon looked at him with a displeased look. Just when he was about to take the stone from her hands, Kurogasa immediately roused a card.

MACH

The Mach Jaguar entered his armor, and the whole world was in slow motion. Lyon was inches away from taking the stone from her hands. With his speed, not only that Kurogasa quickly swiped the Stone, but also gained Eirika distance between them and him before the whole world resumed back to normal. "K–Kurogasa? What's wrong? Why did you tell me to stop? Don't you see that Lyon needed our help?!" So many questions were running through her mind as he held the Sacred Stone of Renais in his hand.

"Why were about to give the Sacred Stone to Lyon?" Kurogasa asked incredulously.

"He… He told me it would heal him…" Eirika got out.

"Eirika, didn't you hear what L'Arachel said? Not even a Sacred Stone could save him."

"B–But…" Eirika stuttered while she looked at the 'weak' Lyon in front of me. "H–He said that the Sacred Stone would be able to save his soul…"

"And I ain't buying his story one bit…" Kurogasa muttered as eventually, the 'weak' Lyon suddenly, slowly stood high.

"So, the princess of Light has told you as well, Rider?" Evil Lyon spoke in his dark sinister voice..

"Lyon?" Eirika said confused. "W–What's going on?!"

"Eirika… that's not Lyon anymore. He tried to trick you in giving him the Sacred Stone so he could crush it. It's a good thing I got here fast… literally." Kurogasa said.

"What?!" Eirika said shocked as the Demon King laughed.

"So, my little plan has been foiled…" Evil Lyon said as if it was nothing before he chuckled. "How disappointing for you. This body is mine now. Nothing remains of your dear boy's soul."

"You only pretended to be Lyon… You deceived me." Eirika realized as she curled her fist and got angry. "Return him! Return Lyon now!" she demanded as Evil Lyon wagged his finger at her.

"I'm afraid there's no hope of that." Evil Lyon said sinisterly. "You see, I've devoured him. Bit by bit, slowly. How I savored it. Nothing remains but this suit of flesh I wear. There is nothing to heal. Not even the power of a Sacred Stone can craft something from nothing. He cannot be saved!"

After hearing what that thing said, Eirika was in deep shock as she got on all fours, looking at the ground in disbelief. "That… can't…"

"Eirika! Get a hold of yourself!" Kurogasa said trying to calm her down as the Demon King was enjoying her suffering.

"I love how humans look when they're drowning in despair!" Evil Lyon said with glee. "I believe… you have something I want, Rider… it is either that or I'll vanquish the princess with my magic!"

"I won't let you!" Kurogasa shouted.

End Flashback


I could only remain quiet, looking at him with a sad expression. What Father and Mother told me was true, and this man confirmed it. "I… I don't know what to say…"

"There's nothing much to say, young man…" he replied, "Because of what I did, my best friends ended up suffering from it… I've known Eirika and Ephraim for a long time and despite the deeds I've done to them, they still forgive me…"

"That's because they don't want to lose you." I said. "You are their precious friend and my birth with your name is proof of the bonds shared by them. That's why Mother and Uncle Ephraim never forgot about their true friend; the one that helped them throughout their troubles and in return, helping you get out from your former shell of feeling shy and awkward around others."

"You say these things as if you know what I've been through…" he said, while looking at me, confused.

"That's because… I'm like you." I said.

"What?" He asked confused.

"When I was young… I was a very shy person and whenever I'd get hurt or did something wrong or embarrassing, I'd cry a lot. But… all of that changed when I met someone who changed into who I am today…"

"Someone?"

"Yeah…" I smiled gently, recalling the familiar cleric. "When I first met her during my childhood, both of us didn't know each other well, despite being at the gathering for a long time. I was the one that said the first words to her, despite my shyness…"

"Initiate the first words…" He added, "…that is similar to how I met both Eirika and Ephraim when I want to know them for the first time…"

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes." He chuckled. "I guess we both are alike."

"I… guess so." I said.

"Well, what happened next?"

"I tried to talk to her and even handed out a small gift to her. At first, I felt scared that she might reject it, but she accepted it wholeheartedly. Not only that, when I saw her smiling for the first time, I actually felt at ease…" I recalled. "And since then, she has been my childhood friend."

"But sooner or later, you will end up falling in love with her…" he added. "And the path that you will take will be similar to my route. A path full of thorns…"

"A path of thorns?"

"Yes." he said, looking away from me. "There will be conflict occurred within you when that time comes…"

"What do you mean by that?"

"When someone is in love with that person dearly, if left unchecked, bad things happen to them." he reminded. "I have taken that path and paid the price. I do not want the son of my love that I truly care for, suffer the same path that I went through…"

"…" I remained silent at his words.

"That's why you must prepare yourself for that time. It will come, no matter how much you try to prevent it." He then started to fade away.

"W–Wait, don't go!" I called out, but that only served for him to fade away faster.

"Why? My time is nearly up…"

"There're a lot of questions I still want to ask you!"

"Just be prepared… that's all I can say…" his voice echoed before he eventually faded away, leaving me on my own.


"HENSHIN!"

TURN/OPEN UP

CHANGE

"Soi–yahhh~~!" Lance exclaimed as she leaped through the hologram that hovered in front of her before slashing her enemy down with her Rouzer.

"Back off, you bozos!" Jason bragged while shoving the DarkRoaches to the back. "You ain't gonna get through the Jabber!"

"Hah!" Larc shouted, shooting multiple flaming arrows at the trapped DarkRoaches' direction. She then noticed a DarkRoach about to ambush Jason from behind. With a quick reflex, she shot it a few times, getting his attention.

"H–Huh?!" Jason said surprised.

"Pay attention Jason!" Larc scolded a bit.

"S–Sorry!" Jason winced.

"Honestly, you need to be on your guard…" Larc sighed.

"I apologize, alright?" he mumbled before Larc dashed off to another place, aiding the others. "She may be mad at me, but I can tell she's a kind soul… boy, why do I fall for her?"

"G–Get back!" Garren squeaked as she squeezed the trigger, shooting out multiple flaming fireballs at a few DarkRoaches that hid amongst the trees, burning them and their surroundings.

"Eeeek!" Glaive squeaked, falling on her butt when a DarkRoach jumped in front of her.

DRILL

TORNADO

The hologram of Drill Shell and Tornado Hawk entered Chalice's armor.

SPINNING ATTACK

"Hey ugly, over here!" Chalice shouted, distracting the DarkRoach that had its attention on Glaive.

"Hurh?" the DarkRoaches said in unison and a drop kick was delivered onto one of them, before the wind that was imbued spread towards the other DarkRoaches, making them stumble back further.

"R–Ryu!" Glaive squeaked.

"Get up." he said harshly while lending her a hand as the DarkRoaches exploded into oblivion. "Now's not the time to get scared of these idiots."

"But–"

"Look, I know you're worried about Lyon, but right now, we have a battle to fight."

"…"

"What?"

"You're actually more worried about me than Lyon–niichan… ne?" she asked innocently while tilting her head to the side, making him flinch.

"G–Gh!" he got out. "L–Let's just focus on the battle for now, alright? I'm outta here!" And with that, Chalice ran off to find other DarkRoaches to kill.

"Mou~ matte o, Ryu!" Glaive pouted before going after Chalice.


BITE

BLIZZARD

The holograms of Bite Cobra and Blizzard Polar entered Leangle's armor.

BLIZZARD CRUSH

"Themis, duck!"

"Wha– whoa!" Themis squeaked while ducking down, avoiding the mist emitted from his feet. The mist surrounded the swarm of DarkRoaches, freezing it at their places.

"Hi–yah!" he shouted, connecting the scissor kick onto the said swarm. They immediately shattered away and he quickly held her hand to bring her away from the green mist.

"What's with the sudden shout, Toby?!" Themis quarreled with him.

"You were almost taken out by that thing." he said as the two stopped and he eventually let go of her hand. "You're lucky to have me be there to save you."

"Oh…" she got out while looking at his face. Noticing the predicament, she looked away with a slight blush, muttering, "T–Thanks…"

"It's fine…" Toby sighed. "Just be careful next time…"

"I'm sorry…" Themis apologized.

"Die…" Marisa muttered coldly, as she surrounded by DarkRoaches before she disappeared in a blur momentarily, before appearing again. When she sheathed her sword...

*CLICK!*

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

"Hmph…" Marisa huffed while looking at Metis. "Are you unharmed?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Metis smiled. Marisa replied back with a kind smile of her own.

"Boy, her skills are always at her best… then again, she did changes a lot over the years, huh? Especially her beauty and expressions." Ross noticed.

"Yes, I noticed that too." Kyle agreed.

"Come now, we don't have time for this. We have to find the Undead as quickly as possible." Seth urged.

"Yes sir." Kyle nodded.


"Hah!" Ajax shouted, piercing two DarkRoaches with his lances. He the noticed one of the DarkRoaches trying to make an escape. "Libertas!"

"Aye, Prince Ajax!" she understood as she started tailing the runaway DarkRoach.

"I'll follow right behind you, Libertas." Epona said while following her as well. "That DarkRoach might lead us to where that Undead might be…"

"Yeah, and if we find it," Leo began.

"We can still save Lyon." Arty finished.

"Let's not waste any more time." Hector said. "Follow that DarkRoach!"

"Alright!" they shouted as they followed the said DarkRoach, while decimating the rest of the DarkRoaches along the way.


"Ha~, much better." the Scorpion Undead moaned in relief, after the Camel Undead healed him up. "That attack from those mongrels harmed my body, but with this healing power you've placed on me, I can feel my power increasing tremendously. Truly, your power only belongs to the strongest."

"It's nothing really." The Camel Undead said.

"Oh come now, you deserve the praise," the Scorpion Undead said. "Healing others makes you feel good about yourself right?"

"Well… I suppose so…"

"Then, I shall make a proposal to you." the Scorpion Undead said.

"A proposal?" the Camel Undead asked, slightly interested in his deal.

"I want you to work for me. In return, I shall kill those people who tried to harm you." the Scorpion Undead suggested. "With this, we can rule this pathetic world by our own hands and there's no one that will be able to stop us from our domination. What say you, brethren?"

"I…"


"Hold him down! We must prevent the venom from spreading further!" The elder cleric shouted.

About half of the clerics were holding Lyon down from moving around too much due to the venom while the other half were using Recover staff to slow the spreading of the venom. They were doing all they can, but how long can they really last?

"Oh dear…" Father Moulder said worriedly.

"This isn't good… Lyon doesn't have much time left…" Castor added.

"This isn't good…" Duessel said. "I've made a promise to his parents to ensure his safety, but to think his time would be almost up…"

"Not if I have anything to say about it…" Hirose's voice said as they noticed him.

"Hirose?" Duessel said. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to aid the group?"

"As I stated before, I can sense people who are in danger, and it would seem like this boy's life is at its limit." Hirose added as he approached the bed, where the clerics are holding him down.

"He is nearly at his limit. Without the Camel Undead, we would end up losing his life…" Castor grimaced.

"…" Hirose kept quiet to himself… until he had his hands toward the struggling Lyon.

"What are you doing?" Father Moulder asked.

"As I am programmed to aid and protect my master, this is what I can do." he began as his hand started to glow. "I shall sacrifice myself in order to reset his venom from the beginning, where it all began."

"You can do that?!" the elder Cleric said, surprised by his claim.

"Yes… with the cost of my humanity." he added as his aura started to flow towards Lyon. "If I ever wake up from my fall, I want you to seal me as soon as possible. If you do not do that, I shall go on a rampage of killing everyone around me. It is the only way to do so."

"Hirose…" Castor murmured.

"But still, you need to have the Camel Undead heal his poison. This is all I can do…" Hirose got out as eventually, his aura disappeared and Lyon's struggle were now relaxed, indicating the venom inside of him has been reset back to just mere rash. "The rest… is up… to… you…" with those last words, he fainted on the ground, not moving a muscle.

"Hirose!" Castor cried out.

In Hirose's mind, the last thoughts he thought were, 'Kenzaki… Shiori…'


"We should stay low…" Marcus reminded as they continued to follow it. "We don't want to let it find us…"

"And it is the only clue to lead us to where that Undead might be…" Maximus added.

"Look, it finally came to a stop." Diana noticed, as the DarkRoach stood there, waiting for someone.

"Speaking of stop, have you seen that Trial guy?" Midas asked.

"Huh?" Everyone asked as they looked around.

"Now that you mention it, where IS he?" Saleh wondered.

"Shhh… someone's coming." Myrrh whispered.

"What brings you here?" the Scorpion Undead asked the DarkRoach.

"Hissss!" it replied back, making the Scorpion Undead chuckle.

"I see. It looks like they are desperate to find him…" it said while turning his attention to the Camel Undead, who was in doubt. "Did you hear that, comrade? Those pitiful humans are still searching for you… and they are bad guys, no less…"

"What?!" Kizuna hissed.

"He's making us the bad guys?!" Jason hissed too.

"Unbelievable…" Maximus gritted.

"YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Glaive yelled coming out of hiding and charging towards the Scorpion Undead.

"I–Imouto?!" Garren panicked.

"Kono baka yaro!" Chalice snarled before going after Glaive. "Oi, matte o!"

"No one's calling us bad guys!" Glaive snapped while swinging her Rouzer, forcing the Scorpion Undead to dodge to the side. "Especially Lyon–niichan!"

"You imbecile!" the Scorpion Undead snapped at the DarkRoach while the Camel Undead immediately backed away to the nearest large tree. "Why you are being trailed by these mongrels?!"

MIGHTY

The hologram of Mighty Gravity was absorbed into Glaive's Rouzer.

"THIS IS FOR LYON–NIICHAN!" Glaive shouted, trying to slash at the Scorpion Undead again.

"Gh!" the Undead gritted as it quickly parried every single blow with its tail and sword, neutralizing Glaive's current attack.

"Dang it, that girl is about to be like Lyon!" Chalice groaned as he immediately dashed toward her.

"Found your weak spot!" the Scorpion Undead declared, making its tail go for the opening on Glaive's stomach.

BULLET

RAPID

FIRE

FLOAT

DRILL

TORNADO

BURNING SHOT

SPINNING DANCE

The holograms of Bullet Armadillo, Rapid Pecker, Fire Fly, Float Dragonfly, Drill Shell, and Tornado Hawk entered Garren's and Chalice's armors respectively.

"Gh!" Glaive cringed, forcing her to parry the tail that was aiming at her stomach.

"S–Stay away from my imouto!" Garren exclaimed as she pulled down the trigger, bombarding it with her shots.

"HIIIYAAAAAHHHH!" Chalice exclaimed, connecting the kick right on its chest.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The Scorpion Undead yelled, making it stumble back.

BITE

BLIZZARD

MIGHTY

MIGHTY

BLIZZARD CRUSH

The holograms of Bite Cobra, Blizzard Polar, Mighty Impact, and Mighty Ray entered Leangle's, Lance's, and Larc's bodies. "Triple Impact!" Lance, Leangle and Larc shouted in unison, connecting three more kicks on its chest.

"Gwarrrrrggghhhh!" it growled louder. "It's impossible! My strength supposed to be tenfold!"

"Tenfold, my butt!" Glaive exclaimed. With a quick dash forward, she delivered her mother's 'A' slash on it, making it growl in pain. Eventually, as she turned her back on it, it fell down and a rather large explosion occurred, revealing its category.

"O–Oh no! I–I should help him!" the Camel Undead panicked. "But those humans look strong…"

"That's for poisoning Lyon–niichan!" Glaive shouted, after turning back to it.

"Huh?" The Camel Undead said confused.

"You won't be causing any more trouble." Leangle said before throwing his Proper Blank at the Scorpion Undead, sealing it up before the card flew back to Leangle.

"Poisoning… who?" the Camel Undead asked.

"Are you the Undead with the capability of healing?" Midas asked the said Undead.

"Eeek! Don't harm me!" the Undead shouted cowardly, backing off from him. "I–I'm not involved with that Undead! I didn't even agree on his terms! It just forced me to join with it!"

"Whoa, easy there," Midas said, raising his hands in defense.

"We really need your help!" Sasha said after going back to civilian form as did the rest of the Riders.

"It's Lyon! He's dying and the poison is spreading! He's going to die soon! We need your healing powers!" Metis pleaded.

"W–What?" the Camel Undead blinked as Metis held his hands.

"I'm begging you, please help us! An innocent soul is on the verge of losing his life and only you can heal the wound!" Metis sobbed as tears streamed out from her eyes.

"Metis…" Marisa got out.

"Please help us!" Metis begged.

The Camel Undead looked at her for a while. "I…"


"We are nearly reaching our limits…" the elder cleric panted after trying their best to stop the venom from spreading all over Lyon using their staves.

"And the boy keeps struggling from it…" Duessel added as he kept Lyon from moving out from his bed, as he was having another seizure.

"The sacrifice made by Hirose must not be in vain!" Father Moulder said. "This is the only chance we have left to save this innocent soul!"

At that point…

*BAM!*

The door swung open to reveal… the Riders and everyone else!

"Prince Ajax!" Duessel exclaimed.

"We're here with the Undead that can cure his poison!" Ajax said.

"Kyaaah!" the clerics shouted. "A monster!"

"He may be a monster, but he's the only shot we got." Midas said as both Metis and the Camel Undead approached the bed, with Duessel holding the seizure Lyon.

"Quickly, he is at his limit!" Duessel urged.

"Right!" The Camel Undead said.

"Please Mei–chan…" Sakura pleaded.

"Leave it to me." Metis nodded. She and Metis looked at each other and nodded before the latter took out her staff and both began the healing process.

"Please, dear cousin… let us hope it is not too late for us..." Themis prayed.

"Yeah… things would not be the same without you…" Kizuna added.

"Lyon–chan…" Sasha said worriedly. Slowly, yet surely, a red aura seeped out from Lyon's body, detoxing him and his seizure came to a halt. Her healing with the Camel Undead seems to have taken its effect.

"Hey it's working!" Kizuna exclaimed.

"Thank goodness…" Diana sighed in relief.

"Yokatta…" Sakura sighed in relief too.

"Just a little bit more…" the Camel Undead said, but Metis was reaching her limit.

"Metis, just a little longer!" Arty encouraged.

"Let us help you speed up the healing process." The elder cleric said as the rest of the clerics pointed their staves at him, speeding up the healing procedure.

"C'mon…" Libertas prayed.

"You can do it cousin…" Ajax said


Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh… what happened?

When I opened up my eyes, the very first thing I noticed would be the ceiling and I was lying on a bed. I also noticed my clothing was different, which was a white shirt and black pants. "Minna?" I got out. There's something else I noticed… my body feels very weary and my voice was a little hoarse than usual. "Where is… everyone?"

As I looked around the room while sitting up, I took a glass of water that was near my bed and took a sip from it, making my throat feel a bit better. After finishing a glass, I noticed there was someone sleeping on the long couch, with a blanket over that person. "Huh? Who's sleeping over there?"

When I looked closer, my eyes widened at who I saw, "M–Mei…?!"

"Mmmmmmmmm…" Mei groaned, as she was waking up and looked at me with a sleepy look, but then her eyes widened at seeing me. "Lyon! You're alright!"

"Mei?!" I gasped again. "I–I'm not dreaming am I?"

"You're truly alright!" Mei–chan's voice cracked up as she immediately got up and hugged me tightly.

"Uwhoaaa!" I got out, as both of us ended up landing on the bed.

"I'm so glad you've finally awaken from your slumber!" she cried, leading me in confusion. "You were passed out for three whole days! I was starting to feel worried for my best friend!"

"Three days?"

"Yes… you were poisoned by the Scorpion Undead."

"I was–" I began, but then remembered. "Oh…"

"Yes, and I'm so glad to hear your voice once again." she got out as she pushed herself up, getting back on her feet.

"Why are you here, Mei–chan?" I asked as she wiped off her tears.

"I've been tasked to aid the people around here for two weeks, along with other clerics." she explained to me. "I am still in my duty of pilgrimage, Lyon."

"I see…" I nodded in agreement.

"It is truly quite a coincidence that we would end up meeting here." she said while sitting next to me on the bed.

"Yeah… all because we were searching for you, Mei–chan." I said.

"Searching for me? What for?" she blinked.

"Well…" I began. I then explained everything that happened on our journey not missing anything. When I finished…

"I see…" Metis said. Then all of a sudden, I hugged Mei. "L–Lyon?" She got out, as I started… crying?

"I'm so glad you're okay…" I sobbed. "I missed you so much…"

"Lyon…" she got out, hugging back to comfort me, "Don't cry. Both of us have each other now… there's no need to be worried anymore."

"Ahem!" a voice called out, catching both of our attention.

"Sister?" Mei–chan said, as I noticed the elder cleric looking at us.

"Metis, what did I tell you about having a relationship during your pilgrimage?" she asked.

"Oh!" Mei–chan recalled. "Please forgive me. I just couldn't abandon him in this state."

"I know. I've witnessed it everything, young lady." the elder cleric said. "But, you must make sure you know your limits."

"Yes, Sister." Mei–chan nodded.

"Oh, and one more thing." The elder cleric recalled. "You're not the only one who has someone they care about back home, so I suggest you try not to show your love to him too much during our pilgrimage, alright? Consider this as a warning." the elder cleric smiled, teasing Mei–chan.

"U–Um…" Mei–chan blushed.

Just then the door swung open and…

*POW!*

Sakura–chan pounced, me on the bed.

"LYON–NIICHAN!"

"ITE!" I cringed in pain, as Sakura–chan snuggled happily on me.

"You're awake! You're totally awake!" she chirped happily.

"S–Sakura–chan! Get off of me!" I blushed heavily.

Mei–chan looked at me with her gentle smile… followed by her giggle. "It's good to see you again, Lyon. Especially with that blushing face of yours."


TWF: There you have it, Lyon and Metis are now reunited!

Fen: Yeah, but it's too bad, she has to stay in the village for a week meaning Lyon has to leave Metis behind again.

TWF: But knowing Lyon, he'll decide to stay with her, just to catch up with some old memories… lol

Fen: Yeah, that's true.

TWF: I got a funny feeling that things would get even hectic from here on out.

Fen: Yeah, I think this is where the adventure really begins.

TWF: So, what shall await the group?

Fen: You'll have to stay tuned for next chapter!

TWF: Until next time!

TURN UP the Eternal Trump Card of Hope!

Spade: A, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, J, Q, K
Diamond: A, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, J, Q, K
Heart: A, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K
Club: A, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, J, Q, K
Trial: A, B