Fen: Heya guys! Fen and Fang here for another chapter of Kamen Rider Blade: Dark Ace!
TWF: Wohoo! Let's see some carnage, ladies and germs! XDD
Fen: WRONG!
TWF: *face plant before recovering back up* EH?! What's that supposed to mean?!
Fen: No carnage today. We're taking it easy, like getting A Supports done and whatnot.
TWF: Aww~~
Fen: Oh don't be like that. There'll be plenty of carnage next chapter.
TWF: Anyways, just enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: Same thing.
"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… what happened…?" I groaned as I slowly woke up, coming to. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Mei–chan.
"Lyon! You're awake!" She gasped.
"Mei…" I muttered as I slowly sat up on a bed. "What happened?"
"I believe I have a proper explanation for this." an unknown voice said, prompting me to look at it and get all defensive.
"It's alright, Lyon. He's an ally." Mei–chan added.
"Ally?" I blinked, looking at the one that put me to sleep, the Underling Prince. "But–"
"I had no other choice." the prince said. "If you continued on with your rampage, things could've gotten ugly."
"My… rampage?" I got out, before I realized it and lowered my head in shame. "Oh…"
"Lyon…" Mei–chan said, worried.
"Is two days of sleep enough to clear your mind?" the Prince stated.
"…" I was silent for a while before saying, "Yeah, I guess…"
"I see. In that case, whenever you are ready, come to the meeting. We have much to discuss."
(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 Ryu, 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 19: Resolution
"Mou~!" Kizuna whined, crossing her arms while sitting on the chair at the training yard, while the area is guarded by the Underlings. "Lyon–chan isn't here!"
"Nee–san, he is still asleep from the hypnotism." Sasha said trying to calm her elder sister down. "We won't know when he will wake up."
"I'm feeling bored already!" Kizuna complained. "I wanna spend some time with my little bro already!"
"Kizuna, you should be grateful the prince is being kind to us." Toby sighed.
"That, and we don't want to have our butts being shoved with those things' claws or lances." Ryu scoffed.
"Ewww~!" Sakura exclaimed. "That's just plain gross, Ryu–kun!"
"I'm just sayin'," Ryu shrugged.
"That's it! I'm going!" Kizuna said standing.
"G–Going where?" Elsie stuttered.
"To find Lyon!" Kizuna said before storming off.
"K–Kizuna wait!" Elsie called out.
"Oh boy..." Ryu facepalmed. "She just had to go with her flow."
"We better follow her. We don't want her to do anything silly while Lyon is still recovering." Toby suggested, and the rest followed.
"Lyon! Lyon, please open the door!" Metis called out, tapping the door with her closed palm. "You don't have to do this!"
"Mei–chan?" Kizuna's voice called out, getting her attention.
"Kizuna!" Metis exclaimed. "You have to help me!"
"What's going on over here?" Maximus said, as he and Themis approached the door.
"It's Lyon! He locked himself in his room and is not letting anyone in!" Metis cried out.
"What?!" Themis gasped.
"I'm not surprised, seeing that Midas betrayed everyone and Lyon took it the hardest." Maximus sighed as Kizuna went over to the door and knocked on it.
"Lyon–chan! Are you in there? Open up!" Kizuna said, but there was no answer. "Lyon, open the door! It's me, your lovable big sister!"
"Go away!" Lyon's voice shouted from inside.
"Honestly, if my dear cousin has to be stubborn about it, why must it be now?" Themis huffed.
"That's because it's how Lyon is." Toby said, as the said Rider group approached them. Themis noticed his presence, feeling a bit shy.
"Is Lyon–niichan okay?" Sakura asked.
"No… he locked himself in the room intentionally." Maximus answered.
"Figures," Ryu sighed. "That guy is one big softie."
"At least it's better than being a man without feelings, Ryu." Toby said.
"That's right. Even Mother would say the same thing." Themis agreed to Toby's opinion.
"Ho~?" Maximus grinned.
"What?" Themis looked at her brother, being suspicious.
"It's not every day to hear you agree to what people say. Especially if it's Toby, little sister." he chuckled.
…
…
…
…
*POW!*
"OHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Maximus wailed in pain, holding his package in pain after Themis kicked it.
"Y–You and your teasing always a–annoy me, brother!" Themis scolded while blushing heavily, as she stomped her way out of the scene.
"That's one way to leave." Ryu blinked.
"Ooohhh, that's gonna hurt a lot, ne~?" Sakura asked, lowering down to Maximus's current height.
"Silence…" Maximus muttered.
Toby looked on over to Themis stomping away until he decided to follow her.
"Themis! Wait!" Toby called out.
"I swear, that idiotic brother of mine would always find his way to tease me." she mumbled to herself, walking fast.
"I said, wait up!"
"L–Leave me be, Toby! I need to regroup myself!" she exclaimed, but he eventually managed to be in front of her, stopping her tracks.
"You know, it's not nice to crash a man's pride with that swift kick, Themis." Toby told her.
"He deserved it!" Themis said.
"And why is that?" Toby asked.
"It's because… because…" Themis got out, but can't say it.
"Because?" Toby raised his eyebrow.
"Oooohhh, I can't hold it in anymore!"
"Hold what– mmph?!" Toby was in total shock, being off guard from her sudden kiss on his lips.
After a while the two broke apart. "That's why…" Themis mumbled, bowing her head down, her hair covering her eyes while blushing.
"Themis… you…" Toby got out.
"Yes… I'm in love with you…"
"You… are in love with me?"
"Yes. I have for a long time…" Themis muttered.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Toby asked.
"I wanted to, but… I'm not so sure what will you reply if I confessed to you…"
"You did catch me off guard, for sure." Toby said.
"I know…" she muttered, "I thought men would notice a girl's feeling after she has given something to that person, but I guess what Mother said is true. Men are dense."
"What are you talking about?"
"The handmade elixir I gave to you." she began. "Initially, I just wanted to repay you for what you did back then: saving me from the fallen building."
"Really, it's nothing. It's my job to ensure your safety, since you're royal family." his words somehow made the scene fee a bit somber.
"Truly, are you that dense?" she sighed. "After that incident, I kept giving you my handmade potions, so that you will always be fine. It worries me so much to see you getting hurt and not having your wounds mended."
"Now where have I heard this kind of situation before?" he tried to recall.
"It's regarding the lovely tale of how your parents fell in love with each other," she said, making him realize.
"Oh yeah! That's one of Dad's moves to get Mom's attention… or was it to mend up his arguments with her?" he recalled.
"I do not know what you are talking about…" she said, "…but regarding the motive, yes, I have been following their example."
"Just to get my attention?" Toby looked at the cleric.
"YES!"
"A–Ah…" Toby got out.
"I'm sorry…" Themis apologized, realizing that she raised his voice on him, "Maybe I should– MMPH?!"
Her eyes are wide open, feeling his lips meeting with hers. Despite the shock, her arms instinctively moved around his neck, while his arms moved around her waist. After a while, the two broke the kiss, with both of them blushing; Themis was redder than him. "Will you give me some time, Themis?"
"What?" she blinked. "What are you saying, Toby?"
"It's not that I don't like you or anything, and nothing makes me happier than having you in my arms, but… I kinda need some time to adjust. Will you wait for me, until I'm ready to accept this whole thing?" he asked her.
"Toby…" Themis said before she smiled a bit. "I'll wait for as long as it takes."
"Thank you." Toby said before the two kissed again.
"Ow, ow, ow…" Arty winced in pain, treating her wound with her vulnerary in hand on her injured left fingers. "That's the last time I'll be pulling a bow with a broken string. That just hurts…"
"Everything alright?" Hector asked, getting the archer's attention.
"Yeah, I'm alright." she sighed. "Finished your training already?"
"Yes. Just finished actually." Hector said. "Artemis, we need to talk."
"Oh? What about?" Arty asked.
"It's about the other day," Hector said slightly blushing. "About when you complimented me and myself being flustered that I was praised by a woman,"
"I see." Arty nodded.
"Actually, it's more of um… me thanking you for praising me and..." Hector began, blushing redder before he decided to daring move of… kissing Arty on the lips?!
"MMPH?!" Arty got out surprised. She quickly broke the kiss from him, heavily blushed. "Hector, what was that?!"
"What was what?" Hector asked.
"W–Why did you kiss me all of a sudden?!" she snapped. "If my brother caught wind of this, I–I'm screwed!"
"Oh I wouldn't worry about him." Hector said.
"Huh?" Arty said confused.
"Apparently, your brother is busy having a thing for my sister."
"What?!" she gawked.
"Why the surprise, Artemis?" Hector questioned.
"Brother hasn't even told me about this before!"
"That's because he doesn't feel ready to tell you about it." Hector replied. "And if I know my sister very well, she would do the same thing as what your brother do: keeping quiet."
"Oh Leo…" Arty sighed wearily.
"But unlike them, I won't keep quiet about my love for you." Hector said, surprising her.
"You… love me?"
"Yes… I fell in love with you since we were kids. But… I never had the courage to tell you how I felt… until now."
"Is that… so?" she looked at him, still having a blush on her face.
"Yes, and the kiss we shared, proves it all." Hector noted, closing the gap and held her in his arms.
There was a silent moment between the two, until she spoke. "You sure are quite bold doing this, aren't you? Despite the fact that you have some troubled times talking with some girls that you don't know well… and probably some admirers too?"
"As I have stated before, I'm not used to that sort of stuff." Hector pointed out.
"If you said so, then you should better keep up with my pace, big guy." she grinned.
"For you, I will." he replied back with a grin of his own.
And the two kissed again.
"Ugh… need an ice pack…" Maximums groaned, as he slowly walked down the hallway.
"Oh Maxy–bo~y!" Diana called out.
"Oh no…" Maximus groaned.
"Maxy–boy, where are you~?" Diana's voice cooed. "I know I can find you~!"
"She's the last person I want to encounter…" he grumbled, quickly trying to find a place to hide.
"Fufufufu… I can tell that's your footsteps, Maxy–bo~y." she cooed, happily walking towards the sound.
"Gh!" Maximus flinched before a pair of arms wrapped around his shoulder.
"Foun~d you!" she cooed.
"Get your hands off me, Diana!" he growled, feeling uncomfortable.
"Oh come now, don't be like that." Diana pouted cutely.
"I don't have time for this." Maximus growled again.
"My, my, playing hard–to–get are we?" Diana asked.
"Gh!" he hissed.
"Oh, by the way, Maxy–boy?"
"What?" he growled, hating that name.
"I've talked to your mother… about both of us." she said, getting his attention.
"What lies have you told her?"
"Oh dear heavens, I never lie." Diana said, mockingly hurt. "I may speak sweet nothings, but I never lie."
"…" Maximus glared silently at her in suspicion.
"And do you know what the best part of the talk I had with your Mother?"
"Dare I ask… what?" he grumbled.
She leaned to his ears and whispered playfully. "She gave me her consent to enlighten your boring, strict life."
"Enlighten me… how exactly?"
"Oh I don't know, maybe by… seducing you?" Diana said a bit huskily.
"Gh!" Maximus blushed red at that. "That's–"
"–Blasphemous?" she raised her eyebrow. "Oh, no, no, no, Maxy–boy~! It's a fact!"
"Gh!" he gritted.
"And I have the perfect way to have you wrapped around my finger." Diana said before looking down at a certain place, unconsciously licking her lips.
"Y–You can't possibly mean–!" Maximus stammered.
"I do." Diana winked. "I mean after all, your sister gave quite the kick down there. Let's see if I can make it feel better…"
"No! No! Please don't! You can't do this!" Leo pleaded.
"Nonsense! You're overcoming your vertigo one way or another!" Epona huffed dragging him.
"Nooooooooooo!" Leo wailed. "Let me go! Let me go! You know I hate heights!"
"If you cannot overcome this feat, I do not know how you will face the final battle ahead of you."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Didn't you know?" Epona looked at him, puzzled. "After the final battle against the Demon King, a large tower has been created to ensure nothing would try to reach the tempted power that has been sealed within the Sacred Stone. Surrounding it are the dark thorns from the Darkling Woods, making the place inaccessible to travel to the said tower with ease."
"WHAT?!"
"Hold on tight, usually the take-off is the hardest part for the newcomers." she smirked before instructing her Pegasus to take flight.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed out loud, wrapping his arms around her waist for dear life, even burying his face on her back while closing his eyes shut.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Leonidas! Not so tight!" Epona winced.
"I can't help it! We're flying up high! I'm gonna fall!" Leo cried out.
"Don't worry! I'll catch you if you fall!"
"Yeah, like I'm gonna believe that!"
"Just open your eyes and see the world from my perspective!"
At first, Leo doubted on Epona's words, thinking that she might try to scare him. As he slowly opened his eyes, he was surprised to see the world around him to be… not as scary as he thought. In fact, it was actually something new to him, getting his interest.
"This is…" Leo got out.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Epona smiled small.
"Y–Yeah… I can see everything from up here."
"See? It isn't that scary."
"I bet you must have enjoyed it through your training as a Pegasus Knight, Epona." he commented, slowly loosening his grip around her waist.
"Actually, I used to have the same fear as you faced during my knighthood days." Epona began. "And Lady Syrene was more than happy to show me this part of the world."
"Heh. Who would have thought that you had this sort of fear in the first place?" Leo chuckled.
"Hey, you were screaming your head off about the idea, weeks ago." she giggled, teasing him back.
"Gh! L–Let's just say aerial assault isn't my forte." he quickly covered up his act.
"Oh Leonidas you fool." Epona giggled.
"What!? It's true!" Leo snapped.
"Hm~? I wonder if it is." Epona raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "C'mon, can you finally admit that it's great to be up in the air?"
"Yeah… I admit. It does feels nice to be in the air." he finally admitted. "Though, Pegasus Knights are more on the feminine side."
"Being racist, aren't you?" she raised her eyebrow.
"No, no, no, no, no! That's not what I meant!" he quickly defended.
"If that's the case, there's always Sir Glen and Sir Cormag's teaching on mounting on a wyvern. Those beasts are a little bit harder to master." Epona suggested. "I bet it would fit with your manly characteristics."
"What? You think I can't mount one?" he smirked.
"That depends on how you handle the reins, Leonidas."
"You'll see, Epona! I'm gonna make you eat your words!" he said confidently.
"If that's the case, time up take up a notch!" she replied, holding the reins. Her Pegasus neighed, before galloping up high in the sky, going up even further.
"Oh man! Okay! I change my mind!" Leonidas panicked, seeing how high they've really gone.
"Hmph… that's what I thought." Epona smirked.
"Dang it Epona! That's it! Just for that, I'm gonna do this!" Leo said before turning her head around to face and… kiss her?!
"MMMPH?!" she was in total shock, resulting in her losing her reins.
*NEIIIIIIIGGGHHHH!*
Because of that result, her Pegasus started to descend really fast towards the ground.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The two shouted before Epona tried to grab hold of the reins again.
"You fool! Why did you kiss me?!" Epona snapped with a blush.
"That's what you get for taking me higher!" Leo countered.
"By kissing me?!" Epona asked incredulously, not understanding him.
"Yes!"
"What kind of logic is that?!"
"Just stop your Pegasus!"
She still doesn't understand his actions, but for the time being, she had to control her Pegasus and make her land on the ground. For a while until the landing, the two were in total silence, trying to calm themselves down from the sudden downfall.
"There, feeling better?" she asked.
"Yeah, much better." he nodded while getting off from her Pegasus.
"Now then… why did you kiss me like that?" Epona asked as she got off while still blushing.
"Okay, I admit that wasn't the best answer. It's not my real answer." Leo said.
"So what is it?"
"Ain't it obvious? I'm head over heels for ya!"
"What?!" she replied, with a heavy blush.
"Here, lemme show ya what I mean!" he decided, grabbing her hand.
"Huh? Whoa!" she exclaimed, feeling the pull towards him and as she ended up landing on him, he wasted no time connecting the kiss between the two, surprising the latter even more.
"Oho~? There is romance in the air." L'Arachel chuckled happily.
"Yep, and that kid got guts." Rennac said.
"If you must know, Rennac, this holy place is famous for its romantic influence!" L'Arachel exclaimed happily. "It's not that hard to understand once they have gotten the air around them that would definitely put them at ease. Their partners would definitely tell them how they feel, all because of the blessing of my beloved Rausten received from the Light!"
"Really… never knew…" Rennac deadpanned.
"Are you doubting the power of love?" L'Arachel asked.
"No. It's just that I'm not into that kind of stuff."
"Ah, of course. That's just who you are." she replied. "It's no wonder you will never have any successor for your business."
"Apparently, my business would be bought by someone who is already well known. Before you know it, I could retire with money that will support me for the rest of my days."
"Oh? Who would have the interest of buying your business?"
"The Annas'." he noted. "Those bunch are the ones that offered me quite a large sum, compared to others that tried to buy it from me before."
"I see…" L'Arachel murmured with a hint of deadpan in her voice.
I can't believe I fell for Midas's lie…
After all of those times he helped me during the course of our adventure together, I believed in myself that he will never betray us and leave it at that. He even helped me on my troubles and being friendly towards others, despite Libertas having her doubts. After all of that, he just left us in a pinch, now demanding world domination… why am I such an idiot for not realizing his plan? Why would I believe in him so deeply, after he saved me on multiple occasions?
"Lyon, please open the door!" I hear Mei–chan's voice from the corner of the room I am sitting in, hugging my legs close to my chest.
"You don't want your big lovable sister to go ogre on ya', little bro!" Nee–san's voice added.
"…" I remained silent not wanting to answer.
"You know what?! That's it!" Nee-san's voice snapped.
"Kizuna, what are you–"
"RIDER KICK!"
*BAM!*
The door opened widely, startling me from the sudden attack. "N–Nee–san?!"
"Nee–san, you shouldn't just destroy other people's property like that!" Nee–chan scolded.
"I had enough, Sasha! I want this to end as quickly as possible!" Nee–san snapped. She then walked over to me and grabbed me by the lapels, getting me up on my feet.
"Nee–san, what are you–"
*SLAP!*
I was shocked when Nee–san slapped me right on the face.
"Nee–san…" I said stunned.
"Kizuna…" Mei–chan murmured.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Nee–san scolded. "THIS ISN'T THE LITTLE BROTHER THAT I KNOW AND LOVE!"
"Nee–san, please calm down!" Nee–chan said.
"Yes, please Kizuna. We should give Lyon some space for him to get through his pain…" Mei–chan said worriedly.
"WE'RE ALL GOING THROUGH THIS!" Nee–san yelled. "YOU THINK HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT'S AFFECTED?!"
"Well… no, but…"
"SO WHAT IF MIDAS DECIDED TO DITCH US?! IT'S NOT GONNA STOP US FROM SAVING THE WORLD! WE JUST TREAT HIM LIKE HE'S ANY OTHER BAD GUY WE FACED!"
"I would agree with what she said, Rider." the prince said, entering.
"…" I stayed silent, looking at the prince.
"As of right now, both of our worlds are hanging in the balance." the prince began. "As long as Midas holds the King's Tablet in his hand, he will have immense energy within his disposal; one would easily wipe off an entire army in one fell swoop. And should he revive the sealed monster within your world, the end is near."
"So enough being depressed! Get up and move on!" Nee–san said.
"Nee–san…" I murmured.
"We have a chance to save this world Lyon! And we're gonna do this one way or another!"
"I…" I muttered, looking down while not feeling confident about it.
"Lyon–chan!" Nee–san snapped.
"Leave him be for now, female Rider." the prince said. "If his mind is not up for it, then it is better to leave him sulking over his guilt."
At that point, something snapped inside me. "DAMARE!" I snapped making Nee–san let go of me.
"Hm?" The Prince raised an eyebrow.
"Don't you look down on me like that!"
"Oh?" the prince raised an eyebrow.
"Lyon?" Mei–chan looked at me worriedly.
"What right do you have to say such a thing, Rider? You are nothing more than mere humans that would always make mistakes and end up feeling guilty." the prince mocked me. "You're no different from the ones I've met; as they have met the same fate just like you."
"Even so… I'll keep fighting…"
"What?"
"You heard me. I'll keep fighting. As long as I draw breath, I will keep fighting, even if I'm alone! I'll do whatever it takes to fight for peace even if the world is destined for destruction! As someone once said, I will defy fate! And I will break the Chains of Destiny!"
"Breaking the Chains of Destiny?" he asked.
"Yep!" Nee–san grinned, approaching me while wrapping her arms around my shoulders. "And we're here to make sure that will happen!"
The prince kept looking at me for a while, until eventually, a small smile was on his face. "Very well. Let us see this resolution of yours."
"Huh?" I said, looking at him.
"What do you mean?" Nee–chan asked.
"I will follow you towards where Midas would be located." the prince said, turning around and walking away from us. "I want to see if you have the resolution to do so."
And with that, he walked away.
"Huh… weird guy." Nee–san said before turning me around so suddenly and–
*POW!*
–pounced me to the ground at point blank.
"Nee–san?!" I blushed.
"There's the lovable brother I know!" Nee–san chirped.
"O–Oi, Nee–san get off!"
"Yada! Your Onee–san will give you lots and lots of sisterly love!" she grinned while hugging me close to her, making me blush madly.
"N–Nee–san, let me go already!" I blushed heavily, struggling to break free from her.
"Nee–san, let him go!" Nee–chan quickly exclaimed, trying to help me free.
I noticed Mei–chan look at me, especially where my head landed, which was on Nee–san's, um… breasts. Mei–chan looked down on her own, and let out a small sigh with a slight blush on her face.
So after getting out of my depression, everyone met at the conference room, though for some reason, Maximus was unusually grinning, which was creeping me out.
"Ehehehehehehe…" Maximus got out.
"Why is he grinning like that?" I looked at him, confused.
"Ergh… never seen brother with that kind of creepy smile before…" Themis got out, feeling disgusted.
"That, young lady, is something you should know in the future with your beloved one." Diana chuckled. "Isn't that right, Maxy–boy~?"
"Ye~s…" Maximus got out.
"Diana… what did you do to him?" I asked worried.
"Oh~ let's just say I gave him a happy ending." Diana smiled.
"YOU WHAT?!" Toby and Ryu exclaimed, shocked.
"Both of us learned to understand one another, if you must know." Diana smiled seductively, in which she wrapped her arms around his shoulder and resting her chest on him.
"By understanding one another, you mean…" Uncle Cormag blinked in confusion.
"Who know~s?" Diana cooed, licking her lips seductively.
"Toby, what is Diana talking about?" I asked.
"Uh… well…" Toby got out, blushing a bit.
That's when Ryu whispered something in my ear, and I blushed heavily, "Geez Diana, seriously?! You had to go and do that?!"
"Ho~? Why? Do you feel like having one, Lyon~?" she teased as my face was still beet red.
"Ahem!" Aunt L'Arachel coughed out, getting our attention.
"As much as we want to know what have those two are talking about, for now, let us focus on our next plan." Uncle Saleh suggested.
"Yeah, he's right." Uncle Ewan agreed.
"Time is of the essence." Uncle Duesell nodded.
"So, mind telling us what the King's Tablet is all about?" Ajax asked the prince.
"As my Father once said, those who wield the Tablet, rules the world." the prince explained. "It has been a duty of a prince to ensure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."
"And yet, it did." Ryu scoffed.
"Apparently, politics are not playing nice; as some of the ministers that I trusted the most, were executed for trying to possess the King's Tablet."
"It's that powerful?" Sakura–chan asked.
"You have no idea…" The Prince muttered.
"S–So how does M–Midas fit into all this?" Elsie asked.
"He's a thief, what else is there?" Libertas retorted.
"Yes, but there is a bit more to him." The Prince said.
"Is there?"
"Yes… he was a hired thief that was originally tasked to steal the Tablet for a client, for one of my ministers, but killed him once he knew what the Tablet was really for. Before all of this happened, he was banished from his clan, for something that ruined that clan which I don't know what that is, even to this day. Because of that he ended up stealing the Golden Touch while making his disappearance."
"Until he appeared now." Ryu said.
"Yes." the prince nodded.
"So the reason why he wields the Golden Touch…" Themis tried to solve.
"It would be a crucial item needed for the ritual ahead." the prince noted. "The dagger isn't just fancy bling. If combined with the Tablet for the ritual, they could perform the summoning of your monster in this world."
"But our parents defeated Jaishin–14!" Nee–san pointed out.
"Yes, his soul is bound inside Rausten's Sacred Stone, the Fire Emblem." Aunt L'Arachel said.
"And it's been locked away for twenty–five years." Aunt Myrrh added.
"But alas, the sealing would not last long." the prince stated.
"No way…" I muttered.
"But, there is a way to defeat it permanently." the prince noted. "The Golden Touch would have been enchanted by the Tablet. Thus, stabbing through it to change it into gold would be a permanent seal for the demonic being."
"So what's our plan now?" Uncle Kyle asked.
"The clerics must complete their pilgrimage at the Tower of Light." The elder cleric said. "You need all the help you can get."
"And cure my nephew's illness so he can achieve his ultimate form in his armor." Aunt L'Arachel added.
"Illness…" I mumbled, looking at my belt.
"The only way for trying to make it this far is to have Lyon change into his ace form." Toby said.
"While risking him with the transformation of becoming an Undead?" Uncle Knoll said, hinted with worry. "It can be dangerous if left unchecked."
"If that's the case, there's only one thing we can do." Uncle Seth said, as everyone looked at me.
"Eh? What?" I asked.
"It's your call, Lyon. What's it gonna be?" Ryu asked.
"That's the cousin that I know and love!" Themis chirped happily.
"And we might need to ask for the clerics' help." Ajax pondered. "There's gonna be some pain along the way."
"Then, allow me to be of assistance." the prince said, making us look at him. "I do believe my dark magic would prove useful, if it involves dark magic."
"Then let's do it." I nodded.
(Earth)
"Dang it where are they?" Kurogasa gritted as he and the guys were driving around town.
"Calm down, man!" Storm said. "It's not like her life is at stake."
"How can you say such a thing, Storm?!" Kurogasa snapped.
"Think about it: there's no way they'll let your wife be in a jeopardized state since she's carrying your kid." Kurai scoffed.
"Yeah, but…"
"Don't worry, we'll find her."
"And besides bro, the police are helping us too." Akira added.
"Eirika…" Kurogasa muttered, feeling worried for it.
"Kiddo, park to this side." Kurai suddenly blurted, getting Kurogasa's attention.
"Why?"
"Just do what I said." Kurai instructed, as Kurogasa reluctantly parked the car to the side of the road.
"What's up with you, Kurai? My wife's life is at stake here!" Kurogasa snapped.
"Look over there." Kurai pointed at the bar, where there are a few men are having a chat. "That bar over there writes suspicious all over the place."
"Really? Or is it that you just want to take a sip, big bro?" Akira said, being suspicious.
"Look, I know my stuff, alright? Drinking at bars while avoiding Melissa's supervision in my youthful days actually helped me out on understanding how the surrounding works." Kurai explained. "And judging by the sweat they had, and not to mention being in the middle of the day, I can tell something's wrong over there."
"You don't mean–!" Kurogasa said in horror.
"It's possible."
"Konoooooooooooooooooooooo…!" Kurogasa growled before getting out of the car.
"Hey, hold on there, cowboy." Kurai stopped him.
"Let me go, Kurai!" Kurogasa snapped. "She's in danger!"
"Will you at least wait until the cops show up?" Kurai asked. But before anything else could happen-
"Oh no! It's him!"
"Run for it!"
And that's when the two guys ran into the bar. "Shoot!" Kurogasa shouted before running after them. "Get back here!"
"Big bro, wait!" Akira called out, going after them.
"That idiot!" Kurai groaned angrily. "Storm, call the police! Tell them we have a possible location where Eirika is!" He said, before running off too.
"Gotcha!" Storm nodded, taking out his phone and start dialing them.
"Eirika!" Kurogasa shouted, quickly entering the bar.
Meanwhile, inside the bar, while the thugs are enjoying their time groping Eirika as her kimono is torn in different places, the manager let out a small chuckle, looking at her. "Well now, doesn't it make you feel excited from the boys' groping? They are your BIGGEST 'fans', after all."
"EIRIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Kurogasa shouted, running towards the thugs.
"What the–?!" The manager got out, surprised.
"RIDER KICK!" Kurogasa shouted, jumping up and did a flying kick on one of the thugs before punching another.
"Uhwoaaahhh!" one of the thugs fell down from his punch.
"Looks like your savior is here, big shot." the manager chuckled.
"A… Ana… ta…" Eirika muttered between the moans, as the thugs gathered at the manager's side while a few still enjoyed their time with the tied up Eirika.
"So you finally showed up Kururugi." The manager chuckled.
"LET HER GO!" Kurogasa demanded.
"Or what?" The manager retorted. "You can't harm a lady."
"He can't." Kurai's voice said, getting their attention. "But I can."
"Hm? Bringing some backup, I see." the manager smirked.
"Of course he won't do things alone!" Akira approached, with a metal rod in hand. "I may not know how to properly fight, but as long as I got a weapon in hand, I'll do whatever it takes to save big sis!"
"Hmph… get them." The manager snapped her fingers. At that, the thugs charged in.
(Magvel)
"Are you sure you want to do this, Lyon?" Aunt L'Arachel asked, worriedly.
"Both Princess Eirika and Kurogasa would be worried deeply, should anything happen to you, my prince." Uncle Seth noted.
"Knowing your Father, it would be quite a troublesome situation for us." Uncle Duessel added.
"My mind's made up. I'm doing this." I said, looking at the Tower of Light, as it was surrounded by the clerics and Mei–chan.
"I am ready when you are." The Prince said.
"Good." I nodded before looking at everyone. "Wish me luck everyone."
"The very moment you transform into your ultimate form, you will face the very enemy in your mind that will change you into what you will become: an Undead." the prince said. "That's where my magic would apply."
"And should Lyon suffer the pain from this ritual, the healers are here to lessen his pain." the elder cleric notified.
"Whenever you're ready, Lyon." Uncle Knoll said to me.
"Right." I nodded.
"Be careful Lyon–niichan." Sakura-chan said.
"Okay." I smiled a bit before turning and walking towards the Tower of Light. After reaching to the base of the tower, I equipped myself with the Belt Buckle and slides in the card in it. "Please… make this work." I prayed before getting into the stance, equipping the belt around my waist. "Henshin!"
TURN UP
The hologram appeared in front of and going through me before donning me in my armor. "Okay… so far so good…" I then attached my Rouze Absorber to my left arm and took out the two cards. "Here goes…"
ABSORB QUEEN
EVOLUTION KING
My whole armor started to glow, slowly evolving to my King Form. Eventually, when the twelve cards entered into my armor, I've completed my final form. "That should do the trick–"
*BA DUMP!*
"G–Gh!" I cringed in pain, suddenly feeling the pain.
"Lyon!" Libertas cried out, wanting to go to me, but Ajax stopped her.
"No Libertas, we must let him do this." Ajax denied.
"But–"
"Libertas, believe in him."
"My prince…" Libertas muttered, looking back at me with a worried look on her face.
"This is where I shall aid him." the prince said, clasping his hand before a magic circle appeared below my feet. "Now, young Rider. Confront the demon within the armor!" and just like that, the ritual circle glowed radiantly, teleporting my conscious elsewhere.
"Huh…? Where am I?" I asked myself.
"So, we meet again, Lyon." a familiar voice said, as I noticed the same dark mage that I once met. "Eirika's son."
"You…"
"Yes… me…" Lyon said.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Your conscious has been transferred into another realm." Lyon said.
"Truly?"
"Yes." he nodded. It is then he looked behind him, with a figure standing there, growling. "And you would have to face that Undead. Your ace Undead."
"The Caucasus Undead." I said.
"Hmph… so I met the son that wielded me 25 years ago." The Caucasus Undead said.
"Yeah… I'm here to control you." I said.
"Or can you?" the Caucasus scoffed.
"What do you mean?"
"As your father's genes have been passed down to you, so does the capability of becoming an Undead. Though I cannot change him into an Undead, with your weakened blood from your father, the chances have increased. In other words, you will become an Undead yourself!"
"Not gonna happen." I said.
"What?" The Caucasus Undead asked.
"You heard me. Why? Because I'm going to beat you! Henshin!"
TURN UP
With a quick dash forward, I entered the hologram and immediately clashed my Rouzer with his long sword.
"Come at me, and prove your worth!" the Caucasus Undead declared.
"The grasp for power… which side would win…?" Lyon muttered, witnessing the battle.
"Lyon!" Metis exclaimed, noticing Lyon's body spasm from the transformation.
"Rest assured. His conscious would not suffer what his body is facing." the Prince noted. "Though, it would be a different story once his consciousness returns back to the body, as the pain at this point would immediately harm him."
"Fellow sisters! This would be our task of lessening his pain!" L'Arachel commanded.
"Right!" The clerics said before using their staves to let the light heal him.
"Do you think it'll work?" Sakura asked.
"We just have to believe in him." Diana said. "That young lad is one strong kid."
"I couldn't agree with you more, sister." Jason nodded. "The Jabber knows that lad will get through."
"Lyon…" Sasha looked worried at the spasming Lyon.
"Don't worry. He'll get through it." Kizuna said. "He just has to."
KICK
THUNDER
MACH
LIGHTNING SONIC
"HaaaaaHHHHH!" I shouted, leaping up high in the air as the three holograms entered my armor. Sparks of electricity emitted from my kicking foot, descending down in a speed of light.
"Hmph! That will not do!" the Caucasus Undead exclaimed, swinging his large sword and deflected my attack with ease.
"GAAAHHHH!" I shouted in pain, rolling to the side; back at Lyon's side.
"Young man, are you alright?" Lyon asked me, as trails of smoke was on my armor.
"This… is nothing!" I gritted before standing back up and charged at it. Meanwhile, I attached the Rouze Absorber to my arm and roused two cards.
ABSORB QUEEN
FUSION JACK
With those two cards, I spread my wings from the Jack Form and immediately flew towards it with my upgraded Rouzer. "Even with just one upgrade, it won't change a thing!" the Undead roared, slashing the air. With this, the crescent shot can be seen, heading towards me.
"As long as that boy cannot control his urges much like his father, he will lose in this battle." Lyon assumed, as I ended up taking another hit from that shot.
"GAH!" I cried out, tumbling to the ground.
"Hah! You really think you can beat me with that strength?" The Caucasus Undead taunted.
"I… can…!" I gritted, struggling to get up. "I will… not lose… to you…! Just like how… my father didn't lose to you… just like how Kazuma… didn't lose to you!"
"Give it up."
"Eh?"
"With that current spirit of yours, and always depending on others, you will lose to this blood and become an Undead. It would only mean you lack self–confidence." the Undead muttered. "Just submit yourself to the armor and evolve into our kin."
"NEVER!"
"What?"
"You heard me! I'll never surrender to you! I'll admit, I've always relied on others, I never wanted to be weak and shy! I wanted to be strong and confident without having my friends and family to worry! But I realize now that that part of me will always be with me no matter what! That's what makes me human! My friends and family are my power!"
"As expected from Eirika's son." Lyon's voice echoed, getting our attention. "The flare within your eyes can be truly seen, much like Eirika's."
"Much like my… Mother?" I looked at him.
"Yes. Your mother echoed the same words during the day before the war occurred. Truly, like mother, like son." Lyon smiled as he approached me.
"What are you doing? This is our battle and you shall not interfere!" the Undead roared.
"Lyon Kururugi." Lyon said, looking at me. "Because of your raging spirit echoing within me, I shall present to you an offer: a power that bends the laws of the world."
"The laws… of the world?" I repeated, as he showed me a card.
"The power that transcends beyond the realms of reality: Dark Ace." he added, presenting the pseudo Ace of Spade, where the background is black while the content is in white. "Wield it, and not even the blood of the tainted shall harm you... but it comes with a cost."
"What cost?" I said, feeling doubtful.
"If you are unable to wield it with a strong willpower, your very persona will be shattered, leaving you with nothing more than a mere shell." Lyon warned. "It will be up to you… whether to have this power and face the consequences… or continue on battling in the endless loop of defeat."
"I…" I got out.
"What is your decision?" Lyon asked.
I looked at the card for a while before looking back at Lyon saying, "I'll take it."
"Very well." he let out a small smile before his very soul entered the card. The said card reformed, only to be changed into a pseudo version of the Evolution King card. With one swipe, a new battle began.
EVOLUTION KING
"H–Hey, you guys! Look! His armor!" Kizuna panicked.
"It's changing into… black." Knoll noticed.
"Why do I feel an evil entity has been absorbed into his armor?" Myrrh muttered, worried over the said Rider.
"Or rather… is it an awakening?" Saleh said, looking at it.
LINE BREAK
What is this new power? I feel like… this dark power is flowing within me. And I feel like there's nothing else that would stand in my way. Not only that, my King Form is now in black instead of gold. This must be my alternate form: Dark Ace.
"Why are you standing there, warrior? Are you ready to submit to defeat?" the Undead threatened, wielding its long sword.
"Never…" I muttered.
"In that case, die!" It shouted, running towards me but–
*CLANG!*
His sword was stopped by me… with only one hand!
"What?!" the Undead was shocked. Not only that, the sword I grabbed started to crack as well, shattering it into pieces.
"…you lost." Why do I feel like my voice is darker with lack of emotion and the fiend started to back off too?
"It cannot be! No mere mortal can easily get strong with one transformation!" the Undead exclaimed.
"And yet here I am." I said.
Wait, what's going on?! Why is it like this?!
"…Die." I muttered raising my King Rouzer and–
*SLASH!*
"Gh–?!" the Undead winced in pain and a line was on its body. Before it knew, it split into two before crumbling away into pieces.
"…" with this, the transformation canceled out, leaving me confused.
"Do you feel it? The power that you have been looking for?" Lyon asked, appearing before me once more.
"Yeah… I did, but…" I trailed off.
"But?" Lyon prompted.
"Will this power… hurt those precious to me? This power… feels as if I'm about to… I don't want to hurt them."
"As I said before, it will depend on your strong willpower."
"How so?"
"It will feed off from the darkness that is kept within your deepest memories." Lyon explained. "Every human has darkness in their hearts. Hence why your darkness amplifies your power. As soon as the darkness within you is depleted, it will consume some of your precious memories, up to the point you are unable to recall that memory."
"Hence, the reason why I lack emotions just now…" I realized.
"Remember, Lyon Kururugi." Lyon said, looking at me. "The Dark Ace must be used as a last resort. You may have total control of your King Form now, but once you are put to a corner, remember the precaution you must take for using Dark Ace."
"I… I see…" I muttered.
"If I may suggest something. I suggest, saving that card for the final battle." Lyon proposed. "It will be your toughest battle ever and you will need all your strength. I'm sure by then all the darkness within you will diminish and you will not lose any of your precious memories."
"I… I understand."
He smiled, as he started to break down into small golden orbs. "Then, it is farewell for us."
"Wait, how should I meet you again?!" I panicked, as I started seeing white.
"Believe in yourself… Lyon Kururugi." his voice echoed one last time before he dissolved completely... and I also returned back to reality.
Ugh… where am I? And why is it sunset?
"Everyone, Lyon has awakened!" Mei–chan cried out, as my vision corrected itself, seeing the crying Mei–chan holding me in her arms.
"Mei–chan…" I panted, feeling tired and sweaty.
"Are you alright?" Mei-chan asked, sobbing a bit.
"I'm okay… I'm okay…" I panted again before caressing her cheek. "C'mon… no crying… it's ruining your beautiful face…"
"Our prince charming has finally awakened." Aunt L'Arachel noted.
"Aunt L'Arachel…" I panted.
"Have you defeated the evil within you, young Rider?" the prince asked.
"I… have…"
"I see. I suppose this confirms that your resolve is strong." The prince nodded.
"Yeah… but now… I… need… sleep…" I said, before closing my eyes and tilting my head towards Mei–chan, resting in her arms.
"He's tired." Aunt L'Arachel said.
"After what he's been through, I don't blame him." The prince agreed.
"Lyon…" Mei–chan smiled, caressing my cheek gently.
"Metis, my dear. Now is not the time for a little romance." Aunt L'Arachel teased.
"W–What?" Mei-chan held her composure, blushing slightly.
"You have your training to complete. It is nearly reached its end." Aunt L'Arachel noted.
"O–Oh, of course…" Mei–chan blushed. "Can you…"
"Of course dear." Aunt L'Arachel said, as she gave me to her. "You leave everything to me."
TWF: Well… at least there's a battle. That's enough to make my day.
Fen: Plus, Lyon got a new power upgrade… kinda.
TWF: The namesake of our fanfic.
Fen: Yep, you got a preview why this fanfic is called Kamen Rider Blade: Dark Ace.
TWF: Sayonara, Lyon! And I'm talking about the original Lyon, not the spicy one!
*Drum beats*
TWF: Get it? Original and spicy?
*Crickets chirping*
TWF: Ugh, I shouldn't go for comedy…
Fen: Mhmm, well, see ya next chapter guys and remember–
TURN UP YOUR TRUMP CARD OF HOPE!