Session 51
The city was already in chaos as J.J., Tristan, and Gwen hurried along the streets of downtown Marville. Some were screaming in panic and running around aimlessly, while others had barricaded themselves in their homes, refusing to set foot outside. The most dangerous, however, were those that were reveling in their new power. J.J. grimaced to himself as he watched a bipedal salamander breathe a stream of flame onto a nearby car, then burst out laughing as it exploded in a fiery wreck. A faun, meanwhile, merrily skipped down the streets, playing a frantic tune on a guitar while blithely ignoring the chaos around her.
"This is madness," Tristan remarked despondently. "This… this is what the last days of Almencia were like. Once again, power-mad Diemons prowl the streets, destroying all they wish in their wake. Yet… perhaps my memory fails me, but I do not recall Almencia suffering this much destruction so quickly."
"No… this is worse than what Almencia went through," Gwen murmured, clinging to J.J.'s side as they skirted around a downed telephone wire that a crab-like beast had been swinging from. "Almencia did have Diemons running around, and those were dangerous, but most of its people had been turned into Shards. If you had a D-former, they might come after you, but even then, they would often just try to worship you, so they weren't usually a threat. This time… everyone is a Diemon, which means-"
"Where do you think you're going?!" a voice shouted from behind them, interrupting Gwen.
The trio stopped and slowly turned around to see a were-lion standing in the middle of the street. Thankfully, its golden eyes weren't fixed on them. Instead, they were squarely centered on a four-armed ogre carrying bags filled with bars of silver.
"None of your damn business, Eddie," the four-armed creature replied.
"Leave the money!" Eddie snapped at him.
The ogre shook his head. "This is mine! I figured you greedy bastards were going to try into the company vault, so I took it before you had the chance!"
"That money's not yours! It belongs to us! Your employees! We were the ones doing all the work while you sat in your office, getting fat off our labor!" the lion growled, unfurling its claws as it began stalking towards the ogre. "You know… I always hated you, Richard. I should have been on the board instead of you. I actually care about the people working there. You, on the other hand? You're the son of the president. You've never even had to care about your job, much less anyone working for you."
The ogre scoffed as it put down the briefcases, its bottom two arms resting behind its back while its top two arms balled themselves into fists. "Don't give me that. You care about your fellow employees? No, Eddie, you just like being their ringleader. You're popular, sure, but I've seen your performance reports. You never do your job, even when we give you the easiest assignments. Then you whine about how your work isn't appreciated. As for me, you think I was sitting in my office playing on the computer all day, don't you? That's what everyone thinks about the boss's kid. Know what I actually do? I'm in there cutting deals, getting contracts, drawing customers. I make sure you have work to do… or ignore, in your case. I'm on the board because I earned it."
"Earned it? You were given that seat the moment you started working for the company!" Eddie snarled as he began prowling around Richard. "I was there when you were hired! You never had to claw your way up from the bottom the way we did!"
"No? My old man has been drilling the basics of business into me since I was six years old!" Richard shot back, cracking the knuckles of his top two arms together. "I was learning how to balance finances and seal deals while you were still shooting spitballs at your teacher! I've never had a break from that damned company, and I've never once been thanked for it!" He then sneered and added, "Plus, I actually finished school. I'm not some washed-up dropout who was pity-hired because the boss's daughter thought he was cute. Of course, that didn't last either, did it? You know… when she was hooking up with your brother, she told me-"
"You bastard!" Eddie roared, suddenly pouncing at the ogre. The ogre brought his hands up and caught the lion's outstretched paws, and the two Diemons grappled in the street, snarling at each other.
Gwen flinched and took a few steps back, looking over at the pair. "More conflicting desires this time around," she said, finally completing her earlier thought. "You two should probably break this up before they kill each other." J.J. and Tristan glanced at one another, then simultaneously reached for their transformation trinkets.
J.J. flipped his diary over to his stat page, but to his increasing annoyance, his health bar was still at zero, so he had no way of summoning his suit. Glancing over at Tristan, J.J. saw from the expression on his face that he also still out of commission. J.J. looked back up at the pair brawling in the middle of street, the pair yelling as they pummeled each other so ferociously that even the other Diemons skirted around them, giving the fighters a wide berth. When they broke apart for a moment, the lion drew his arm back to swipe at the four-armed demon, while his opponent cocked raised two fists, beckoning him to come closer. Before the fight could continue, however, a bronze blur flashed past J.J. from out of the corner of his eye, and a figure interposed itself between the two combatants.
"Shifting gears! Break it up! Jackhammer!" a metallic voice cried out. The bronze warrior ducked under a blow from the lion and put his fist against its chest. A piston slammed into its sternum several times, winding the creature, and then the armored figure kicked it away. The lion landed on its back, groaning and gasping as it clutched its torso.
The four-armed ogre blinked in surprise as the figure slid another gear into a bracer on its wrist. "Refuel! It's shocking! Battery!" the tinny voice cried again. The figure then slammed its other hand into the demon, and a burst of electricity exploded into its stomach. The ogre dropped to the ground, stunned and twitching, as it doubled over, unable to move.
"No way," J.J. murmured, a mixture surprise, joy, and relief causing a slow smile to break out across his face. The figure turned towards the trio, and it chuckled as it inclined its head towards them politely. Now that he was no longer moving, J.J. immediately recognized the transformed state of Susumu, in the armor of Kamen Rider Gizmo.
"Susumu!" Tristan exclaimed, and the three hurried over to greet him, all wearing expressions of surprise and confusion as they stared at his armor. "Your timing is impeccable. I was unaware that you were continuing to attempt to repair your Driver, much less that you had restored it to working condition."
"I wasn't, and I haven't. Like I told you before, I still don't have the parts that I need. But it looks like that doesn't matter right now," Susumu replied with a shrug. He looked down at one armored hand, turning it over and flexing his fingers. "I was working in my garage when some sort of rainbow-colored light washed over me, and then everything felt sort of… constricted. When I caught sight of myself in the mirror, I saw myself wearing my armor again. No idea why, but I'm feeling better than ever." He glanced down at his leg and added, "Even this… I have proper feeling in my toes again. I'd almost forgotten what that was like."
J.J. frowned deeply, glancing over at Gwen. "How is this possible?" he asked her in a low voice.
Gwen sighed, touching her chin. "Honestly, Blake is playing with alchemy on a level beyond anything I've ever seen. Even my father never went this far. If you're asking me to explain how it works, that's like asking a freshman college student to explain PhD physics to you."
"What's your best guess then?" J.J. pressed.
Gwen shook her head. "If I had to guess… Blake's goal was to let everyone assume the role they wanted more than anything, right? And their bodies were supposed to be modified to assume that role? So… Susumu, if you still wanted to be a Kamen Rider, then the transformation could have given you your armor back. Or at least, replicated it as much as possible. It might look like you're wearing your armor, but I bet that you've just become a very specific Diemon instead. Especially if you can feel your leg again."
Susumu slowly lowered his hand, then shrugged. "Makes sense to me, I guess," he said airily. "I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially if it means I can help you. That said, maybe you guys should bring me up to speed about what's going on?"
Before anyone could answer, a car suddenly hurtled towards them from J.J.'s left, catching the trio off-guard. Susumu turned in time to put both hands out and successfully catch it, though his feet skidded along the pavement for a few feet. He braced himself against the sidewalk and managed to slow the car's momentum, and then he lowered its wheels to the ground. Grunting from the effort, he glanced over his shoulder and added, "Let's get out of the street, though."
The group hurried off the sidewalk and down a nearby alley with Susumu covering their retreat, walking backwards with his hands raised and glancing around warily for any other aggressive Diemons. Fortunately, J.J. noticed, most of the town hadn't devolved into total anarchy yet. While there were a few people tearing the city apart, most of them seemed to simply be trying to ride out the storm in as much safety as they could manage. He wasn't sure whether that was because fear was driving them to seek shelter, or if most of the citizens of the city simply had enough moral fiber not to riot. Either way, he was glad that there wasn't more for him to worry about.
The group skirted down the alleyway and emerged in front of a dark, empty office building. Susumu hurried in front of them and held up a hand, motioning for them to wait. He then disappeared into the building while the other three waited nervously, tension hanging in the air. He reemerged a few minutes later, beckoning them to follow him in. He led them down a flight of stairs into a basement and pushed open a heavy, windowless door. Past it was a room that looked as if it had once been a janitor's office, but it was deserted. There was a small cot on the ground and a couch off to one side. Susumu followed them inside and flicked on the light, which was thankfully still working.
"This should be easy enough to defend, and I doubt too many people are going to come down here," Susumu explained. "I used to hang out in a place a lot like this, and I was never caught, even when there were Irises floating all over the city," he added, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips at an old memory.
J.J. and Gwen sank onto the couch, with Gwen shifting into her human form, while Tristan leaned against a wall, crossing his arms. Susumu closed the door behind him and locked it, then leaned back against it. "Now, mind telling me what's going on?" Susumu asked, glancing between the three exhausted figures.
After trading glances, J.J. spoke up, relaying everything that had happened since they had left to go confront Blake. Susumu listened quietly, not interrupting, and when J.J. finally fell silent, he sighed and glanced towards the door.
"Well… this is bad," Susumu admitted. "But it could be a hell of a lot worse. You guys are all still alive, and at least the mass transformation is contained for the moment." He glanced over at them, tilting his head. "Do you have any idea why it hasn't spread beyond the city borders?"
J.J. and Tristan shook their heads, but Gwen piped up, "That was my doing. Or, rather, my father's." She smiled wanly as she looked down. "It was one of the first things he did when he started seriously experimenting with alchemy. He didn't know what kind of disasters he might cause with his experiments, so he went out of his way to set wards in the city walls of Almencia, to try and contain any potential damage. He felt that if he could limit it to one city, at least the surrounding areas wouldn't have to suffer."
J.J. blinked at her, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "He thought that far ahead?"
"My father was very compassionate," Gwen chuckled, leaning forward and lacing her fingers together, staring down at them. "He legitimately wanted to help the world, so he tried to do as little harm as possible. Even so, I doubt that he ever envisioned something like this," she added, her face creasing into a frown.
"Then why didn't Blake consider the wards in the city walls when he triggered the transformations?" J.J. asked.
Gwen shrugged. "It's possible he overlooked them in his excitement. Or maybe he forgot about them completely. After all, one tends to make careless mistakes when they're on the brink of achieving something they've wanted for a long time." She then shook her head. "Plus, I doubt he cares. The wards won't hold forever. They're old and have weakened over the years, and they weren't designed to contain this much energy. If Blake keeps pouring energy into the tower, it won't be long before he overloads the wards. If that happens, the energy could spread across the entire world."
Susumu tapped his fingers on the wall behind him. "How much time do we have?" he asked shortly.
Gwen shook her head again. "I don't know. What Blake's done is on a scale beyond anything I've ever seen. It could be days, or even hours, but we don't have very long."
Susumu lowered his head slightly. "But we have time?"
Gwen gripped the side of her head, fisting her hair. "Maybe? A little?" she said in a strained voice.
Susumu nodded. "Then we should take advantage of what time we have. You guys should stay here and rest up for a bit."
J.J. and Tristan traded looks, and then Tristan sighed and inclined his head. "I concur." J.J. nodded in agreement.
Susumu tilted his head at the pair. "Oh? That's surprising," he remarked. "I thought you two would have put up more of a fight. Like, 'No, we need to get back out there!' or something."
J.J. snorted. "Right, we'll just run back out there without being able to transform and immediately get ourselves killed by an army of Diemons. Great plan."
Susumu chuckled. "Fair point. Alright. Keep your heads down and take as much time as you need. Just don't leave until you guys get your suits working again." He glanced towards the door, then added, "In the meantime, I'll head back out there and see what I can do to calm things down."
"Will you be alright on your own?" J.J. asked, frowning slightly.
"Maybe. Maybe not. But I have to fight, regardless," Susumu said airily as he headed towards the exit, flicking his fingers at them as a farewell. "After all, I'm a Kamen Rider. It's my job to when no one else can."
Though J.J. knew Susumu didn't intend for his words to be piercing, both he and Tristan looked away, shame plastered on their faces as they silently contemplated how their failures had led to an imminent apocalypse.
J.J. woke some hours later, before either Tristan or Gwen, sitting up on the couch as his eyes opened. He glanced over at Gwen, who was still sleeping on his shoulder, while Tristan laid on his back on the cot. J.J.'s shoulders were stiff, but he didn't want to disturb Gwen by stretching, so he settled for rolling his neck. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his diary, at which point he began idly flipping through the pages, a deep frown on his face. Several minutes later, Gwen stirred and noticed what he was doing.
"Everything alright?" she murmured to him, startling him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," J.J. whispered back. Gwen smiled softly and shook her head, lightly nuzzling her cheek into his shoulder. "Just… wondering if there was anything else I could have done to prevent this."
Gwen looked up at him, then shook her head again, sighing. "I don't think there is," she murmured. "You… you've done far more than I could have ever hoped. You've exceeded my every expectation, and I'm so proud of you."
"But it still wasn't enough," J.J. muttered, melancholy.
Gwen exhaled slowly, blowing her white bangs away from her face. "Don't blame yourself for this," she replied quietly. "If anything, all of this is my fault."
"What? No. You're not the one who made the crown or built the tower," J.J. pointed out, raising an eyebrow down at her.
"Our fault, then," Gwen amended. "Blake and I are the only two people who should be held responsible for all of this. If we'd just left the past alone, we wouldn't be in this mess. Yes, he's the one who kept digging into it, but I'm the one who escalated it by drawing more people into what should have been a two-person war."
"You can't fight him, so there's not much you could have done by yourself," J.J. retorted. "At least you managed to slow him down."
"Yeah, but like you said, it wasn't enough," Gwen replied bitterly. "It'd be better if I weren't here. At least then, he wouldn't have gotten my D-former, and none of this would have happened."
J.J. tilted his head at her, then reached down and lifted her chin up, meeting her icy blue eyes as he stared down at her. "Don't even think that," he admonished her. "If you weren't here, we also wouldn't have known about Blake's plans in the first place, and he probably would have found a workaround for your D-former anyways. Best case, we'd all be Diemons right now. At least right now we have a chance to stop him."
"Yeah, but now he can draw however much power he wants from me, whenever he wants," Gwen pointed out sadly. "He's stronger than ever because of me."
"Nothing saying he wouldn't have done that anyways," J.J. repeated.
"Not to mention," Tristan's voice piped up from the cot on the floor, startling the pair, "I was the one who failed to dispatch the Black Seraph when I was presented the opportunity." He growled as he pushed himself up, looking down at his fists as he clenched them in frustration.
"…Which begs the question, why didn't you?" Gwen asked softly. "If Blake is telling the truth, you had your chance to get rid of both of us at the same time. Isn't that a bonus for you? I thought you hated me."
"I do," Tristan replied quickly. A moment later, he sighed in frustration, amending himself, "I did. I thought I still do. I…." He exhaled sharply and sat up, scowling. "Lady Marks, I still remember the last days of Almencia, even if I did not witness its final destruction. You were part of its downfall, and I shall always resent you for that. I also despised you for your deception about your true nature. Yet, you have proven yourself a genuine ally time and again since then, and you have expressed an honest desire to assist us. I could not, in good faith, bring myself to harm one who has tried so earnestly to help us," His expression darkened. "My honor also would not permit me to harm you when the Black Seraph revealed his treachery. I hesitated, and could not gather my resolve in time, and the Black Seraph took advantage of my lapse in concentration. Thus, the blame for our current situation falls upon my shoulders as well."
J.J. gazed at Tristan, then let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, you'll excuse me if I don't get mad at you for not killing my girlfriend in cold blood," he said wryly. Despite himself, the corners of Tristan's mouth twitched as well as he suppressed a smile.
"It still doesn't change the fact that as long as my D-former is tied to his, I'm a liability," Gwen murmured glumly, looking down at the floor. "If you can't kill him without killing me at the same time…." Then, slowly, her eyes lit up.
"We'll figure out a way," J.J. assured her, not noticing her change in expression. Gwen turned to narrow her eyes at him.
"And what if you can't?" she asked bluntly.
J.J. opened his mouth, then closed it and looked away, unable to answer. Gwen stared at him for a few moments later, then motioned at his diary, shifting the subject. "What were you doing?"
"Just strategizing," J.J. replied, looking up again with a slight smile. "Figuring out a way to counter Blake's shapeshifting abilities."
"Did you come up with one?" Gwen asked.
"I… have an idea," J.J. responded slowly, evasively. "I don't know if it'll work, but it's better than going in with nothing."
"Good. Because I have a plan too," Gwen said, sitting up a bit straighter. A frown slowly settled on J.J.'s lips.
"Considering that we were just talking about whether facing him might kill you, I really don't know if I'm comfortable with how resolved you look right now," he said slowly.
Gwen shook her head, smirking at him. "Relax. I have no intention of going after him on some sort of suicide run and sacrificing myself if I don't have to," she assured him. "Still, I was thinking. Blake said that our D-formers are tied together, and he can draw power from me, right?"
"That is indeed what he claimed," Tristan agreed slowly.
"What if it works both ways?" Gwen suggested. J.J. perked up, his eyes slowly lighting up as he began following her line of thinking.
"Meaning if his power is causing the mass transformation, you think you can reverse it?" J.J. asked slowly.
Gwen grinned, nodding firmly. "Exactly," she replied, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on them. "Or at least slow it down. The problem is that the tower is amplifying his power, and I definitely can't counter him without using the tower myself. So, what I'm considering is heading up to the there and seeing what I can do to reverse his… 'spell' before the wards around the city fail."
J.J. smiled faintly, though his expression faded as a realization began to dawn on him. "We've got a few problems, though," he pointed out. "One… there's still that dragon to deal with. I doubt it's going to let you near the tower."
"Blake can't attack me," she pointed out. "If he does, he'll risk killing himself, after all."
"No, but that doesn't mean he can't find a way to capture and restrain you," J.J. countered. "If you think you can out-grapple a crystal dragon the size of a skyscraper…."
"In that case, should we acquiesce to this proposal, then it would fall to us to provide a distraction for Lady Marks," Tristan interjected. "I do believe that we can present a sufficient threat that would compel the Black Seraph and his dragon to act."
"Alright… then let's suppose that you do get past the dragon," J.J. replied leaning forward and lacing his fingers together. He wasn't trying to shoot down the plan, just get the other two to consider what they were facing. "When you get to the tower, what about that electric field Blake threw up? How're you going to get through that?"
"Oh… that one's easy," Gwen said with a shrug. "Again, it comes down to Blake not wanting to hurt himself. I'm positive that I can get into the tower because, again, hurting me would be hurting himself," She then looked thoughtful, pinning J.J. with her gaze. "In fact… I'm pretty sure you could get in too, J.J."
"What? Me? Why?" J.J. asked, frowning.
Gwen smiled warmly. "Because I'm tied to you as well. Even if Blake has my D-former, that doesn't change the fact that our D-formers are intertwined too – it's what gave you access to your Loremaster Class, after all. If nothing else, maybe I can also protect you if you make it to the tower."
J.J. bit the inside of his cheek, contemplating. After a few long moments, he murmured, "It's worth a shot."
Tristan gave him a playfully surprised look. "Oh? Are you not going to provide further counter-arguments to this proposal?"
"We're past the point where I can worry about what-ifs," J.J. replied firmly, pushing himself up. "All we can do right now is try it and hope it works."
Tristan chuckled and put his hands on his knees, pushing himself up. "Truly, the end is upon us if you no longer intend to hesitate. It would seem that we have an accord then. Do you feel that you are fully rested?"
J.J. pulled out his diary and flipped to his stats page, then smiled to himself and snapped his book shut. "More or less. Let's get moving, shall we?"
Gwen grinned at him, and even Tristan cracked a faint smile. The trio hurried out of the basement and up the stairs, emerging out of the office building and into the streets. J.J.'s high spirits diminished almost immediately as he saw how much damage the city had suffered in the few hours that they had taken to rest. Broken glass and bits of steel littered the streets as fantastical monsters battled with each other, their roars and screams filling the air. Susumu was in the middle of the road, his hands raised in a boxing stance, as he nimbly ducked under a lamia that was trying to bite him. He threw a punch at her head, which she swayed out of the way of, and when she darted in again, he quickly pulled a gear from his belt and slipped it into his left bracer.
"Refuel! Chill out! Coolant!" his Driver shouted, and a light blue bottle attached itself to the nozzle in his bracer. A white mist that reminded J.J. of a fire extinguisher sprayed out of the nozzle and struck the lamia square in the face. Strands of saliva that had been hanging from her top fangs froze to her bottom ones, leaving her jaw wrenched open. The woman let out a muffled scream as she slithered away, clawing at her mouth, as Susumu let out a weary sigh. He perked up, however, when he saw the three figures approaching him.
"Feeling better?" he asked, walking over to them with his hands behind his head. J.J. noticed that despite his easy demeanor, he was breathing heavily. Fighting for so long was clearly taking its toll on him.
"Little bit. Would've liked to sleep in more," J.J. replied easily, deciding not to mention Susumu's fatigue. "But now we've got a plan."
"Good. Let's hear it," Susumu implored them. Gwen quickly outlined what she wanted to do while the copper-colored Kamen Rider listened patiently. When she finished, he nodded with approval, lowering his hands.
"I hope it goes that smoothly. Alright. While you three storm the castle, I'll see what I can do to keep things corralled down here," Susumu replied. "Last thing you guys need is Diemons getting in your way while you're facing down a kaiju."
J.J. glanced towards the tower looming in the distance, a shadow settling over his features. "If we're going to do this, we should have our bikes," he said slowly.
"Oh! I've got you covered," Susumu replied quickly, motioning for them to follow him. He led them down a nearby alleyway, where their motorcycles were parked. J.J. blinked in surprise and gave Susumu a questioning look. "I grabbed them while you guys were resting. I figured you guys would need to get back to the tower quickly, so I saved you the trouble of fetching them," he explained, shrugging. "It also gave me an opportunity to get a better gauge on how the city was doing, so I didn't mind."
"And how is it doing?" Gwen asked uneasily.
"You're looking at it," Susumu replied bitterly, sweeping his arm around the area.
"Then we must not delay any longer," Tristan replied, slipping his hand into his jeans. "Let us transform and-!"
"Hold!" a familiar voice bellowed, interrupting Tristan. The group slowly looked over their shoulders to see Agnar, unmorphed, slowly driving towards them, sitting astride a blood-red motorcycle shaped like a dragon. He killed the engine and dismounted, walking towards the group. J.J. tensed, then noticed that the others were dropping into cautious stances as well.
"We do not have time to engage him," Tristan muttered. J.J. noticed that the hand gripping his shield was shaking and his knuckles were white. "Let us depart before-"
"I have no intention of allowing you to depart now," Agnar interjected, folding his hands behind his back and narrowing his eyes at Tristan.
"You're really going to fight us?" J.J. asked incredulously. "Look around you! The world is falling apart! We don't have time to waste dealing with you!"
"I concur," Agnar replied simply. "Which is why I intend to assist you."
J.J. blinked in surprise, and Tristan narrowed his eyes. "Why would we ever consider accepting your aid after all you've done?!" he snarled. "You disgust me, Sir Agnar! You lived through the Fall of Almencia, yet you learned nothing from it! Worse, you even recreated the Fall, so now this town is suffering the same fate as our kingdom! Now the only thing preventing the transformation of the world are a few walls!"
Agnar nodded firmly, folding his arms across his chest. "Quite. I shall make no excuses about my part in causing this catastrophe. Nevertheless, you would be unwise to turn away my aid when I am offering it to you freely."
"Uh-huh… so why'd you change your mind?" J.J. asked coldly. "I highly doubt that seeing all these people suffering spontaneously melted your heart."
Agnar glared at him, replying in a low growl, "I confess… even now, I care very little for these people. They're not citizens of Almencia, so I'm not beholden to them." His stance relaxed slightly, and he added, "Nevertheless, the few traces of Almencia that still linger in this world lay buried in this town. If the world is to know of Almencia, it shall be through what they discover here. What I fear is that they will only know of our past through our follies – through the destruction of our island, and through the Black Seraph's transfiguration of the world. That's not the legacy that I wish to leave behind."
"Then what do you wish for people to know of Almencia, Sir Agnar?" Tristan asked sharply.
Agnar jerked his head towards Tristan, narrowing his eyes. "I would have them understand that despite our failures, we were still once the greatest kingdom in the world. That even if our leaders failed us, our soldiers were honorable and valorous."
"Yeah, you're real honorable," J.J. sneered. "I bet that was Zack's final thought when you killed him: 'Gee, even though Agnar just stabbed me out of nowhere, he sure is a swell guy.'"
"I am not referring to myself, Sir J.J.!" Agnar snapped. Then he turned his eyes to Tristan. "We are the last remnants of Almencia, Sir Tristan. If our kingdom is truly gone, then I would have the world's perception of us based upon you. As you said, you always upheld the parts of your oath that extended beyond Almencia – courage, self-sacrifice, and nobility. Thus, I would aid you in destroying the Black Seraph's tower, if for no other reason than ensuring that the world reveres your actions, and holds you up as the example of what our kingdom once was."
J.J. and Gwen exchanged glances, while Tristan let out a short, bitter chuckle. "So, even now, you're still fighting for Almencia?"
"I am a knight of Almencia," Agnar replied shortly. "What else would I be?"
"You assumed another title, did you not?" Tristan replied bluntly. "Or was that simply a taunt, a jest?"
Agnar narrowed his eyes. "You well know how I treat oaths," he growled.
"Then swear an oath by your second name," Tristan said firmly. "Fight with us not as Sir Agnar of Almencia, but as Kamen Rider Dracon. You cannot erase what you have done, but you can start to forge a new legacy with that name."
Agnar looked down at the ground, tapping his fingers against his bicep, before letting out a long, slow sigh. "That… does not sound disagreeable. Very well," he agreed finally.
"Alright. Then let's get moving," J.J. shrugged. He glanced over his shoulder, noticing Susumu staring at him.
"What, you're just accepting him that easy? You're not worried he'll betray you, like he did with the Black Seraph?" Susumu asked, sounding baffled.
"Yep. Two reasons," J.J. explained. "One, we don't really have time to test him to make sure he really wants to redeem himself. We're in a bit of a hurry. Two… Agnar's a lot of things, but when he swears an oath, he lives by it. You were still willing to serve the Black Seraph until he broke his word, right?"
"Yes. What's more, my lo- Lord Marks dismissed me from his service," Agnar pointed out, his eyes glittering dangerously. "Thus, I am no longer beholden to him, and I am free to serve whomever I choose. Allow me to make it formal," he added, putting his fist over his heart. "I swear on my honor as Knight-Commander of Almencia, I shall serve as your ally, and I shall fight until my dying breath to ensure that the Black Seraph is defeated."
"Good enough for me, then," J.J. shrugged. "Glad to have you on board." Susumu stared at them and shook his head, but didn't say anything else.
"Right then," Gwen piped up, looking at the tower. "I should get going. I don't know how much longer the wards are going to last."
"This shall not be an easy task. Your valor is to be commended, Lady Marks," Tristan said quietly.
"That means a lot coming from you, Tristan, so thank you. But it's also something I kind of have to do," Gwen replied softly. "Agnar's not the only one who's got sins he needs to atone for, after all."
"Be careful," J.J. said, walking over to Gwen and pulling her into his arms, squeezing her shoulders gently.
"I always am," Gwen grinned up at him. She suddenly pushed herself up onto her toes and grabbed him by the back of the neck, pulling him down for a long, slow kiss. J.J. was caught by surprise, but responded in kind, pulling her body a bit closer. When she finally broke the kiss, she held him for a moment longer.
"I lied to you for a long time, J.J. and I'm sorry. But if you believe nothing else that I tell you, believe this: I love you," she whispered to him. J.J.'s eyes widened and his mouth fell open, but before he could respond, her body disappeared in a flash of white light, and a moment later, the White Seraph stood before them, opening her wings. She jerked her head towards the tower and added, "I'll be waiting for you up there."
She took off into the air, soaring over the ruins of the city as she flew towards the crystal spire. The stony dragon, noticing her approach, perked its head up so that it peered over the lowest buildings surrounding the spire and let out a threatening roar, warning her away as she drew closer.
"Alright… let's give her some cover," J.J. said, reaching into his jeans and pulling out his diary. Tristan and Agnar stepped up so that they were flanking him on either side, both pulling out their own trinkets. "Ready?"
"Aye," both men replied at the same time. J.J. flipped his diary to his stat page and held it up to his cheek, while Tristan briefly touched his shield to his chest and held it out in front of him, and Agnar bowed before his sword, before holding it above his head.
"Henshin!" the trio called out simultaneously, and their Drivers materialized around their waists. At the same time, they slotted their trinkets and gave their D-formers a firm spin.
"Adventure: Begin!"
"Steel yourself! Class: Cavalier!"
"Take up arms! Class: Dragoon!"
The three cries of the Drivers filled the air as the men were enveloped in an amber, steel-blue, and vermillion crystal, which spun around them rapidly. A trumpet blared as cymbals clashed and bells clanged loudly in the air. When the spinning stopped, they were clad in brown leather, blue plate armor, and red scale armor.
J.J. glanced up at a building above them, then commented, "I'm going to take a quick look. Give me a second." He took a couple of steps back, then ran forward and jumped into the air, sailing several feet before landing lightly on top of a building. As he landed, he remembered that he had once been concerned that he couldn't jump the way the Fool had – now, he could clear entire buildings with a little effort. The thought brought a slight smile to his face, despite himself, as he scanned the horizon for Gwen's shining form.
He caught sight of a gleaming white speck hurtling towards the tower. At its base, the dragon let out another warning screech and snapped its jaws at her threateningly. Gwen ignored the beast, however, and flapped her wings to get a little higher. Growling to itself, the dragon reluctantly pushed itself to its feet and began stretching its wings.
J.J. growled under his breath and dropped his hand to his red and blue D-formers, giving them a quick spin. "Reroll! Multiclass: Ranger!" his Driver shouted, and a red and blue die coalesced around him to form a single, solid green die, which spun around him as a hunting horn sounded. His leather armor turned dark green, and a cloak wound its way around his neck, while his pen flew into his hand and extended out into a wooden longbow with a vine bowstring.
As the spinning stopped, J.J. pulled a handful of seeds out of his belt pouch, which grew into a fistful of thorny arrows. J.J. nocked one of the arrows and steadied his aim, then took a deep breath and fired one at the distant form of the dragon. The bolt streaked through the air, and though J.J. had trouble following its flight path as it became more distant, he did see the dragon finally jerk its head back and let out a roar of pain, signaling that J.J. had hit his mark. Smirking to himself under his helmet, he drew another arrow and fired it again, trying to annoy the dragon enough to draw its attention to him.
With his enhanced vision, J.J. saw Gwen take advantage of the dragon's distraction to fly over its head. She seemed to spot him as well, and blew him a kiss before hurrying to the tower. J.J. held his breath in anticipation as he watched her fly towards the door leading to the topmost level of the tower, and as she put a hand against its crystal surface, it slid open for her. She slipped inside before the dragon noticed her, and J.J. let out a sigh of relief.
"Alright, she's in," J.J. called down to the Riders below him as he lowered his bow.
"Excellent. But we must still dispatch the dragon if we are to accompany her. She wished for you to join her, after all," Tristan yelled back up.
A piercing scream caught J.J.'s attention, and he glanced back towards the tower in time to see the dragon spread its massive wings and beat them furiously. It lifted off the ground with another roar, and fear gripped him as it turned its hollow blue eyes on him. Then, it barreled towards him.
Thankfully, as far away as the beast was, he was able to jump down long before it could reach him. As he landed on the pavement, he commented drily, "Well, at least we don't have to worry about drawing it away from the tower. It doesn't like getting pelted with arrows for some reason. You guys got any thoughts on how to fight this thing?"
Tristan and Agnar traded looks, and Agnar replied, "With a beast that large, we are at a serious disadvantage in terms of speed if we attempt to combat it on foot. I would recommend that we engage it while riding our mounts."
"A fair point," Tristan agreed, then let out a surprisingly joyful laugh. "To think the day would come when I would relish strategizing with you once again, Sir Agnar."
"Old habits die hard, it would seem," Agnar agreed, chuckling as well.
"Yes, yes, you're friends again. It's great. You two can kiss later," J.J. growled sardonically. "Dragon! Angry! Flying at us! Move!"
The dragons hurtled through the air above them, screaming, and the three ducked as it flew over their heads. Agnar mounted his bike, while J.J. and Tristan ran into the nearby alleyway and hopped on their own motorcycles. J.J. pulled his diary from his belt, reverting to Adventurer class, and he slid it into the slot on his motorcycle's dashboard. He and Tristan wheeled their bikes out onto the street, and the three took off down the street after the dragon.
The drive down the road was difficult, as they kept having to weave around piles of broken glass, fallen wires, and abandoned cars. As J.J. swerved to avoid a mummy-like Diemon standing in the middle of the road with its arms out, he swore under his breath. Tristan and Agnar raced ahead of him before abruptly turning towards the freeway.
When they emerged from the high buildings of the downtown city into the open air of the freeway, J.J. and Tristan finally had room to make use of their bike's long-range capabilities. J.J. gave his black D-former a quick spin, and his bike responded by shouting, "Reroll! Class: Mage!" A cannon arched out of the back of his bike, and began automatically following the dragon's movements. Beside him, he saw Tristan reach down to his own dashboard and press the falcon icon on it. A loud screeching noise filled the air as a golden ballista unfolded itself from out of the back of his bike, which, like J.J.'s cannon, tracked the dragon's lumbering flight path. Tristan caught J.J. staring, and he shrugged wordlessly before pressing a button on his handlebar.
The ballista began firing massive bolts of golden energy at the soaring beast. The first two missed, but the third caught it in the wing, exploding in a shower of golden fractals. The dragon let out a roar as it wavered in the air, giving J.J. an opportunity of his own. He pressed a red button on his handlebar, and his cannon lobbed massive fireballs towards the wounded beast.
The first fireball he shot caught it in the chest, while the second struck it in the face, snapping its head back. The dragon tumbled end over end in the air, roaring in pain, while the three Riders watched it apprehensively to see if it would fall. To J.J.'s dismay, however, the beast managed to right itself, its hollow eyes burning with rage. It opened its mouth and spewed a wide stream of bright blue fire, which swept down the road towards the three men.
Letting out a startled cry, J.J. jerked his bike to the side and was lucky he wasn't thrown from it, though he did fishtail a bit before he managed to straighten himself out. Tristan was more in control, managing to lean to the left and deftly avoid the wave of blue flames. Agnar, however, simply plowed through the fire, accelerating as he did. J.J. winced as the fire washed over him, but he emerged seemingly unscathed. When Agnar noticed that one of his handlebars was flickering with a tiny flame, he coldly closed his gloved hand over it to extinguish the fire before revving his engine and bolting towards the monster.
The dragon fixed its eyes on him, and J.J. grimaced at his reckless move. Tristan, however, was sharp enough to take advantage of the dragon's distraction, and he immediately pressed the button to fire his ballista again. As the dragon dove towards Agnar, two golden bolts lanced towards the beast, catching it in the wing. This time, it was too low to the ground, and it spiraled out of control before crashing into the ground heavily, leaving deep furrows in the asphalt.
Agnar revved his again as he barreled towards the falling beast, narrowly slipping under its bulk as it crashed, and he skidded to a halt several feet away. Tristan slowed his own bike down, and as he caught Agnar's gaze, they nodded triumphantly to each other. J.J. shook his head in disbelief, wondering how many times they had pulled similar moves when they had been partners. Even literally a thousand years later, and after months of fighting against one another, they still worked together in perfect sync. It was enough to almost make him a little jealous.
"Ready yourself, Sir J.J.," Agnar warned him as he narrowed his eyes at the beast. "It has been wounded, but that was not enough to fell it."
"Really? And here I thought this was going to be easy," J.J. replied sarcastically.
Agnar glared at him, but Tristan held up his hand, chuckling. "Peace, Sir Agnar. He's well aware of the danger and means no disrespect. It is merely his way of banishing his worries."
"How do we want to do this?" J.J. asked as the dragon groaned and started to push itself up.
"As I lack a ranged weapon, I shall engage it in melee combat. You two continue to assault it from a distance. Remain upon your mounts," Agnar added. "Even wounded, it shall still be quite swift. Aim for its flanks, and do not allow it to breathe flame at you. If it is looking at you, you are in danger."
"One caveat, Sir Agnar. I shall assist you in melee," Tristan countered. When Agnar glared at him, he added, "If we provide it with two targets, it shall not be able to focus upon you alone, should it choose to ignore our ranged attacks and direct its efforts upon the more immediate threat. What's more, I am better suited for close combat; this ballista is merely meant to provide me with a long-range option. Do not fear – I can defend myself from a bit of flame. Page, I would recommend that you continue to fight it from a distance. Your suit cannot withstand the same punishment that ours can, and you are better at spotting openings than we, especially if you have enough distance with which to react."
"No argument here," J.J. agreed, his eyes glued to the beast as it finally began to clamber to its feet. "Watch yourselves, and don't do anything stupid."
Tristan simply chuckled in reply as he dropped his hand to his trinket and pushed the hedgehog icon. Spikes erupted from the frame of his bike, while the windshield extended up over him, protecting him in a cocoon of steel and glass. The wheels of his bike also split and lowered, so that his motorcycle resembled an ATV. Tristan gave the handlebars an experimental turn before letting out a soft "hmph" of satisfaction. Agnar nodded to his companion as they both sped towards the dragon, which let out a threatening roar as they barreled towards it.
Agnar reached the beast first, and gripping his claymore in one hand, slashed its front leg. The dragon roared in pain and turned to face him, but at that moment Tristan rammed into its other leg, digging the spikes of his bike into it before bouncing off, recovering, and speeding past. The dragon snapped at him as well, but at that moment J.J. fired his cannon. Two fireballs slammed into the side of the beast's head, and it let out a roar as it swung its face towards J.J., opening its maw to breathe fire at him.
Before it could attack, Tristan wheeled around and slammed into its tail, distracting it once again as it let out another pained roar. J.J. took the opportunity to attack it with another fireball, and when it whipped its head towards him, he gave the blue D-former on his dashboard a spin.
"Reroll! Class: Thief!" his Driver shouted, and his bike vanished. The dragon stared blankly at the spot where he'd been, and at that moment, Agnar rode beneath the beast, digging his claymore into its underbelly. The dragon screamed in rage and pain as a deep furrow of rock and crystal was opened in its grey skin. Enraged, the dragon snapped at Agnar as he rode by. Thankfully, its attack narrowly missed, and Agnar let out a triumphant yell as he emerged from the other side.
The dragon's legs trembled, and J.J. held his breath to see if the damage they were piling onto it would finally take its toll. To his surprise and disappointment, however, the long gash in its chest slowly began closing, the rock cracking loudly as it reformed itself into hard grey skin. The dragon whipped its tail around, lashing out towards Tristan behind it, and the Rider let out a yell of surprise as he was knocked away.
"Tristan!" J.J. and Agnar yelled at the same time. The bike bounced along the freeway, and J.J. winced each time he heard metal collide with asphalt. It finally landed on its wheels and came to a stop, and J.J. felt his heart pounding as he stared apprehensively at the vehicle. Inside, he saw Tristan shake his head rapidly before holding a hand out to assure the other two that he was relatively unharmed.
"Susumu made one hell of a bike," J.J. muttered as he exhaled with relief. His Critical ended at that moment, and he phased back into view beside Aganr. He cast the red knight a sidelong glance, frowning behind his mask. "Since the dragon can regenerate, I'm willing to bet that whatever the Seraph threw into it is what's giving it form, so we'd be wasting our time if we kept attacking its outside. You know him better than we do, so do you know if he made this thing with any weaknesses we can exploit?"
Agnar shook his head as the dragon preened itself, tending to its wounds. "My lo- the Black Seraph has never created a beast like this before. I can only surmise that the destruction of the jewel that he infused this beast with shall dispel the enchantment keeping it animated. Nevertheless, locating the jewel shall be the most difficult task, as it appeared as though our quarry absorbed it into its bulk."
"If it's inside the dragon's body, that means one of us is going to have to get eaten," J.J. commented, letting out a shudder.
"Not necessarily," Agnar countered. "For one, even sacrificing oneself to the beast's maw does not ensure that we will be able to locate it. You are assuming its interior is hollow. That might not be the case. Do not consider this construct to be a true dragon, Sir J.J."
"Alright, then what would you suggest?" he asked, leaning over his handlebars. The dragon abruptly finished preening itself and began stomping over to them, letting out a roar as it opened its mouth. J.J. and Agnar traded glances, then both immediately revved their bikes and sped around the dragon on either side before it could attack them again.
"We simply need to attack it with sufficient force to dislodge the jewel within it!" Agnar shouted over the roar of their engines. The dragon swept a hand at him, which he narrowly leaned out of the way of, and he retaliated by slashing its paw as he rode by. The dragon growled as he skidded around and came to a stop, gripping his handlebars with his free hand. "To that end, one of us must assault it with an attack that can tear through several layers of rock and crystal!"
"What about our Critical Kicks?" J.J. shouted back.
"I fear they lack the power we require," Agnar replied. "I am afraid that I am at a loss as to how we might-"
Their attention was diverted when Tristan pressed the stallion button on his own Driver, and the pair stared in surprise as his motorcycle shifted forms once again while a loud neighing filled the air. The spikes disappeared into its chassis, while the front of the ATV-like vehicle shifted to resemble a large shield, with the top half clear, so that Tristan could see his target. A fifteen-foot golden lance extended from the right side of his vehicle, held in place by a small ring which allowed him to move it while keeping it stable, despite its unwieldly weight and length. J.J. and Agnar stared as Tristan pinned them both with his gaze.
"If we require a sizable wound, I shall create one," Tristan announced. "However, I must request that the beast be rendered immobile. I shall leave that task to you two."
J.J. and Agnar glanced at each other, then J.J. jerked his head at the dragon's wings. Agnar nodded firmly, and they wheeled their bikes around, clutching their swords tightly as they did. The dragon fixed its glowing blue eyes on them and spread its wings, letting out a furious roar that echoed across the deserted highway.
Agnar and J.J. revved their engines at the same time, shooting down the road towards the dragon, which growled and dug its crystalline claws into the asphalt, bracing itself for their charge. As they closed in, J.J. gave the red D-former on his dashboard a quick spin.
"Reroll! Class: Warrior!" his motorcycle shouted, and he was briefly enveloped in a ruby die, which coalesced around his bike as war drums began playing. The frame of his bike glowed bright red as he sped towards the dragon, clenching his teeth as he closed the distance and clutching his sword tightly as he did. In a few moments, he had outpaced Agnar.
The dragon turned its gaze towards him and opened its mouth to breathe a stream of blue flames at him, as he was the closer target. At the last second, however, J.J. suddenly squeezed the handbrake and skidded to the side, avoiding the flames and surprising the dragon. Its head followed him as he drove to the left around its flank, and with its attention diverted, Agnar was free to drive around its right side and slash his claymore through the thin membrane of its right wing.
The dragon roared in agony and snapped its jaws at Agnar as he drove past, its leathery wing hanging limply, half-severed, by its side. It swung its serpentine head around furiously, unable to make up its mind about which target it wanted to snatch in its jaws, breathing fire all around in a vain attempt to burn something. As such, its attention was completely diverted by the time Tristan wheeled his bike into place.
The dragon turned around just as Tristan accelerated towards it, gripping his lance tightly in one hand while controlling the handlebars with the other. He lowered his head as the dragon opened its mouth an exhaled a gout of flame towards him, which swept over his bike. J.J. held his breath as Tristan plowed through the searing flames, the heavy frame of his bike protecting him as he closed the distance towards the towering beast. With a short cry, he raised his lance and rammed the point of it into the dragon's breast, piercing its thick hide deeply as he rode beneath it.
A screeching roar filled the air as the dragon reared back on its hind legs, flame erupting from its mouth and pluming in the air. Tristan sped beneath it while J.J. circled around its legs, narrowing his eyes. Then, he spotted a glimmer of bright blue light glinting near the dragon's right foreleg.
"Guys! The jewel is near its right arm!" J.J. shouted, glancing over at the other two Riders. The men nodded, but then they let out startled cries and pointed. J.J. looked up in time to see the massive paw of the dragon sweeping towards him, its attention drawn to him when he had shouted. J.J. let out a short curse and sharply turned his bike, trying to duck under its massive claws. Unfortunately, he was too late.
The dragon's stony paw slammed into him and knocked him from his bike, sending him tumbling across the pavement as his bike careened away. J.J.'s vision spun as he rolled across the ground, and when he finally came to a stop, he let out a low groan, futilely trying to push himself up. As he shook his head to clear it, a shadow fell over him, and dread welled up in his stomach as he looked up to see the dragon looming over him, opening its mouth as a bright blue flame roiled behind its teeth. Swearing under his breath, he tried to scramble out of the way, but his body refused to cooperate. Fear gripped him as the dragon opened its mouth, but then its head suddenly jerked upward, the stream of flame erupting into the air as it let out a scream of pain. J.J. quickly scrambled to his feet and hurried away. Once he was several feet back, he saw what had happened.
Agnar had managed to run up the dragon's tail and along its back to its head, where he was precariously balancing on its crown as it furiously whipped its head around, attempting to dislodge him. He had plunged his sword between its eyes and was clinging tightly to the hilt as he was flung around. J.J.'s gaped at the man's reckless action as the dragon screamed in fury. Tristan drove up to him, screeching to a halt as he appraised his partner.
"Page! Are you unharmed?" he asked.
"Fine," J.J. replied, nodding up at Agnar. Tristan followed his gaze and stared in equal disbelief.
Agnar caught them staring, and when he did, he screamed at J.J. and Tristan, "Quickly, before it heals! You know where its jewel is! Dispatch the beast!"
J.J. and Tristan traded glances, then nodded to each other. Tristan jumped off his bike, and the pair ran beneath the dragon's bulk, dodging its flailing paws and frantically trying to locate the gem. J.J. was the first to spot it, but to his dismay, the wound was already closing, though he could still see a slight glimmer of blue flickering in its chest. "There!" he shouted to Tristan, pointing.
Tristan nodded and grabbed his golden, crown-shaped key, jamming it into his Driver before giving the green gem in it a quick spin. His Driver shouted, "Reroll! Prestige Class: Defender!" as a golden die surrounded him and began spinning as a cello played a slow dirge. When the spinning stopped, his bright blue armor had become gleaming gold. Not wasting any time, he gave the die another spin, and his Driver shouted, "Critical!" The golden die appeared around him again before coalescing into a translucent, shimmering, golden shield. Tristan waited until the dragon had reared back, then let out a cry as he ran forward and jumped into the air, extending his leg as he did.
J.J. watched intently, holding his breath, as Tristan's leg slammed into the dragon's chest, and he began grinning in triumph as he saw golden lines spreading like breaking glass along its breast. His elation was short-lived, however, as he realized that the attack was too shallow – the rock was being eaten away, but while the crystal was becoming more exposed, the dragon had already regenerated too much of its hide, so the jewel itself was unharmed.
At that moment, the dragon let out a roar of anger and jerked its head back, finally dislodging the sword in its forehead, with Agnar still gripping it. J.J. watched in horror as the red knight seemed to float in the air, and then the dragon caught him in its jaws, its crystalline teeth sinking deep into his suit. "Agnar!" he yelled as the dragon viciously shook him like a dog with a bone before tossing him away. His crumpled body landed in the grass near the side of the road, lifeless.
Tristan had just landed when he heard J.J.'s cry, and he followed his gaze towards Agnar's unmoving body, staring in disbelief. Worse, at that moment, the enraged dragon turned its attention towards the golden knight, and while Tristan was distracted, it swatted him with its paw. Despite the reflective properties of his golden armor, the dragon's mass was too great, and Tristan was sent flying several yards away, though the dragon let out another cry of pain and it inspected its paw coldly.
J.J. suppressed the growing despair welling up inside of him and instead turned his attention to the gaping wound on the dragon's chest. To his fury and dismay, it was once again sealing itself closed, burying the crystal beneath a thick layer of stone. Meanwhile, the dragon glanced over its shoulder and inspected its wings, which seemed to be fully healed as well. Experimentally, it opened its wings and flapped them once, as if deciding whether it was in good enough shape to fly again. J.J. shook his head as he dropped his hand to his own D-former.
"Oh no you don't," he growled, giving his amber die a quick spin. A cry of "Critical!" filled the air, and an amber crystal briefly spun around him before coalescing on the blade of his saber, coating it in a brilliant, shimmering amber light.
The dragon looked down just as J.J. sprinted beneath its belly, and he began furiously hacking at the weak point in its chest with his glowing saber, leaving bright amber lines where he gouged away its hide. If a single Critical Kick wasn't enough to damage the jewel, then they would have to continue to tear into its body until the gem was fully exposed, he realized. The dragon started to rear back on its hind legs, trying to get away from J.J., but he persisted. He slashed it across the chest and cut a deep furrow in its rocky skin, which he gripped with one hand while continuing to hack at its chest with the other. Slowly but surely, the stony flesh protecting the jewel was being chipped away.
The dragon let out another roar and jerked its body, startling J.J., and his grip faltered. Another lurch of its body dislodged him, and as J.J. fell, its paw swiped at him, catching him in midair. Thankfully, because there was little weight behind it, he was knocked aside with minimal damage, but he still landed heavily on the grass, grunting as he did. Groaning, he started to push himself up, but then saw that the dragon was spreading its wings, clearly intending to abandon the fight and return to the tower. He swore under his breath, trying once again to climb to his feet, when a figure dashed past him.
The dragon paused its takeoff to turn its attention to the red figure that skidded to a halt in front of it. Agnar had somehow managed to climb to his feet, but it was clear that he was badly wounded – he was sagging to one side, clutching his torso, and his sword hung limply from his right hand and dragged along the ground. Nevertheless, he dropped his hand to his Driver and gave his vermillion D-former a firm spin.
"Critical!" his Driver shouted, and he let out a roar of challenge at the beast above him as flames began flickering around him, coalescing into a flaming, dragon-shaped figure. The dragon hesitated, then screamed its own defiant roar at the draconic figure before it. Agnar let out a low, wet laugh as he began sprinting towards the beast.
The dragon reared its head back and exhaled a wave of blue flames, which washed over the knight. J.J. let out a startled cry, but then his eyes widened as Agnar ran through the inferno, seemingly ignoring the fire raging around him. He yelled furiously as he jumped, then extended his leg and flew towards the gaping wound in the dragon's chest.
J.J. watched, mesmerized, as Agnar's kick connected with the dragon's breast, and a fiery explosion briefly engulfed the two. When the fire cleared, the dragon was crouched low, panting, the jewel in its chest fully exposed, with Agnar kneeling in front of it. His suit had disappeared – blood was running out of deep wounds in his torso, and the rest of his body was badly singed. Still, he gripped his claymore tightly in both hands, and in a rasping voice, growled, "This world has no place for dragons."
With a yell, he plunged the blade into the dragon's chest, piercing the exposed jewel, which instantly shattered. The dragon let out a final roar as bright blue lines snaked up its body, crisscrossing along its hide, as its skin began to crack and harden. Then, all at once, the dragon seized up, and then its body collapsed in a massive pile of stone and ash. Agnar, still crouching under the dragon, was suddenly buried beneath an avalanche of rubble.
J.J. instinctively jerked his head back as a wave of dust blew over him, and when it cleared, he could only stare in stunned silence at the small mountain of stone. Tristan sprinted towards the pile of rubble, skidding to a halt in front of it. The golden knight knelt down and began frantically clawing through the stone and rock, while J.J. watched, unable to move, his breath caught in his chest. A few moments later, Tristan abruptly stopped, then shook his head and took a long, shuddering breath. "No…." he whispered. J.J. felt his blood run cold.
J.J. remained silent as Tristan slowly turned around their gaze meeting from behind their masks. In a low voice, he murmured, "Page, I am aware that time is short. Yet… Sir Agnar is… he cannot be… I wish to-"
J.J. exhaled slowly and nodded, holding his hand up. "Do what you need to do, Tristan," he said gently. "I'll… keep an eye out and make sure you're not interrupted." He then turned his back to the blue knight, standing guard as he faced the city.
Tristan whispered a soft word of thanks and returned his attention to the mound of rubble. J.J. kept his back to Tristan, though he could hear scraping sounds behind him, and then strained grunting followed by the sound of him digging into the earth. Several minutes later, the labored breathing behind him ceased, and he instead heard the heavy sound of Tristan's boots approaching him from behind as he trudged across the cracked asphalt. J.J. didn't turn towards him until Tristan stopped beside him and looked down at the ground, remaining silent for several long moments.
"Now… I am the last Almencian," Tristan said in a hoarse voice. J.J. looked at him and shook his head slightly.
"Maybe. But you're not alone," J.J. assured him.
"…Thank you, Page," Tristan replied. He glanced over his shoulder, then added, "My apologies, Sir Agnar. This is all I can do for you, as we have other business to attend to. Once we are finished, I shall return to pay you the respect that you are due."
J.J. let out a soft laugh. Tristan glanced at him curiously, and he shook his head. "Sorry, that wasn't meant to be disrespectful. I'm just surprised that I'm agreeing with you. After everything he's done… I don't have any love for him, but… it's hard to explain."
Tristan nodded. "I understand what you mean. Sir Agnar… he did many terrible things, and simply aiding us in one battle will not atone for all of his sins. Yet… at the very least, in his final moments, his actions were worthy of respect. He acted as befit a knight… and a Kamen Rider."
"That's… a good way to put it," J.J. agreed.
Tristan took a long, slow breath, then shook his head slightly. "We have wasted enough time, page. Come. Our path is clear, and our final foe awaits."
"Right. Let's move," J.J. agreed. The two Riders hurried and grabbed their bikes, and moments later they were driving back down the highway into the city, speeding towards the shimmering crystal tower in the distance.