Kamen Rider Page

by Blackvvater

When a struggling writer stumbles across an ancient book, he finds himself drawn into a conflict from a thousand years ago. With the help of a medieval knight, he works to stop the monsters unleashed on an unsuspecting world and to correct the mistakes of an era long passed.

55. Session 52

Session 52

The roads became increasingly treacherous as J.J. and Tristan neared the Black Seraph's tower. As they drove deeper into the city, it became evident that the buildings closest to the tower had suffered the most damage, with some already half-collapsed in the wake of rioting Diemons basking using their powers. J.J. grimaced to himself as they sped past an armored bovine creature ramming its head into the side of a building for apparently no reason. Tristan noticed J.J.'s wandering gaze, and he called out the roar of their engines.

"Do not get distracted, page," Tristan admonished him. "We cannot fight every Diemon."

"I know, don't worry," J.J. replied, shaking his head and turning his attention back towards the tower. "If we beat the Seraph, we stop all of this. I hope," he added, shooting Tristan a sidelong look. "…Are you sure that destroying him will reverse everything though?" he asked hesitantly.

"I am certain," Tristan replied with an emphatic nod. "The Black Seraph is the catalyst for this alchemy, so dispatching him shall cancel it altogether."

"But what about the people who've already been transformed?" J.J. asked, frowning. "The Shards didn't turn back into humans after you beat him the first time."

Tristan was silent for several long moments, then replied firmly, "We must defeat the Black Seraph. Focus upon the task at hand."

J.J. sighed and nodded as he slowed to ease around a turn. "Right. I just wish there was more we could do."

"One cannot be everywhere at once," Tristan replied. "However, I do empathize with your wishes. Nevertheless, if we do not make haste-"

Before Tristan could finish his sentence, a loud cracking sound echoed through the city. J.J. looked to the east, where the sound had originated. As they reached the top of a hill that let them see over most of the buildings, J.J.'s blood ran cold. Marville's eastern wall had cracked and was starting to crumble. As he watched in horror, the surrounding walls began shattering as well, and soon after, the cylindrical aurora began slowly expanding once again, no longer bound by Marville's barriers.

His despair was short-lived, however, as moments later, he noticed that the expansion of the edges of the cylinder was slowing, and then stopped. Then, to his amazement, the curtain began shrinking, receding back inside the city limits of Marville. It then ebbed even further, and he saw a few Diemons on the edges of the cylinder turn back into humans as the light washed back over them. His heart began pounding, hope flaring up in his chest as he looked over at Tristan.

"Well… I guess that answers that question," he said, unable to stop a grin from spreading behind his mask. "We stop the Black Seraph, everything goes back to normal."

"Indeed. But I do not understand why the alchemical barrier has begun to recede," Tristan murmured thoughtfully.

"That must be Gwen's doing," J.J. said, gripping his handlebars even more tightly. "I'm guessing she was right – because Blake linked their D-formers together, she can influence him, just as he can draw power from her. She's probably fighting him tooth and nail right now."

"I do not find any fault in your logic," Tristan said, revving his engine. "Nevertheless, we must hurry. I wish to have faith in Lady Marks, but we must consider what would occur should the Black Seraph overpower her."

J.J.'s smile faded as he noticed the edges of the aurora grind to a halt and begin slowly expanding again. It then wavered, as though struggling to either expand or contract, indicating that the two were locked in a stalemate. He nodded grimly and turned his attention back to the road, revving his engine and pushing his bike for more speed.

It became increasingly difficult to navigate around traffic as they approached the tower, and they were forced to stop altogether when a barricade of cars intentionally stacked on top of each other blocked the way. J.J. brought his bike to a halt and glanced over at Tristan, who nodded and dismounted. J.J. followed suit, figuring that they were close enough to approach the tower on foot anyways. The two men lightly jumped and landed on top of the low wall of cars. As soon as they did, however, something flew at them. J.J. ducked reflexively while Tristan quickly raised his shield, deflecting the projectile.

"Damn. And here I thought we'd caught them by surprise," a voice commented. J.J. slowly pushed himself up and narrowed his eyes down at the speaker, a large arachnid Diemon that seemed to be flickering in and out of focus, like a ghost. It folded its two humanoid arms over its chest while four spider-like legs jutting from its shoulders and hips lazily extended and retracted. Its glistening eyes fixed on the two men, staring up at them with a low hiss.

"You threw a surprise party for us? But neither of us have a birthday today!" J.J. snarked in reply. "Still, you shouldn't bother with presents. We'd prefer you just move."

"Yeah, we're not really inclined to do so. Especially since we outnumber you," the spider retorted, jerking a thumb over its shoulder. J.J. looked past it and frowned as several Diemons began prowling from behind the corners of buildings, all of them eyeing J.J. and Tristan with malice.

"Are you trying to mug us or something?" J.J. asked sardonically. "I don't have my wallet."

"No, no… we're just not gonna let you get to that tower," the spider replied, jerking its thumb over its shoulder. They were within a quarter mile of the tower, and J.J. could see the base of it around the corner of one of the buildings. Unfortunately, with a small army of Diemons in the way, J.J. wasn't sure how they were going to push through.

"Why do you hinder our task?!" Tristan bellowed. "We must reach the Black Seraph if we are to reverse what has been done-!"

"That's just it. We don't want you to reverse it," the spider hissed. "We like it better this way. All of us are sick of feeling powerless and always getting kicked around! These powers are a godsend!"

"So you've decided to form a gang of monsters. Brilliant. What's your long-term strategy there, genius?" J.J. snapped sarcastically. "Stand guard around the base of the tower and make sure no one ever gets in? Yeah, tell me more about how you were wasting your lives before, but now you're making something of them."

The spider hesitated, then smirked up at him. "No… all we have to do is keep you two from getting in. After we've killed you, we can do whatever we want."

"Yep… you and everyone else who wants to do 'whatever they want,'" J.J. retorted. "I hope your gang is strong enough to take on the thousands of other gangs that're sure to spring up if the Seraph wins here."

"Assuming you can even defeat us," Tristan added, raising his shield.

"Point. But at least you two will make good practice," the spider hissed. It smirked at them as it snapped its fingers, and the other Diemons began slowly closing in on them.

J.J. glanced warily over at Tristan as he gripped his sword tightly. "So… how many do you think you can take out before they swarm us?" he asked hesitantly.

"As many as I must," Tristan replied resolutely. J.J., however, noticed that his tone was less confident than usual, and his fingers hovered indecisively over his belt.

Before either of them could act, however, a voice behind them shouted, "Guys! Jump down!" J.J. and Tristan traded glances, then simultaneously leapt off the tower of cars. As soon as they did, the stack of vehicles burst outwards, and broken cars bounced across the road, bowling over some of the nearest Diemons, a few of whom were knocked unconscious. The other Diemons hesitated as they warily stared down at their groaning comrades. J.J. and Tristan landed on the pavement at roughly the same time, then simultaneously turned around. What J.J. saw caused a slow grin to spread across his face.

Assembled before J.J. and Tristan were over a half-dozen familiar Diemons. Ryan's orc form stood with his arms folded beside his coach, Ray Jackson, presently a troll, who was cracking his knuckles. The ifrit that J.J. recognized as Agni idly opened and closed his hand, a ball of flame flickering in his palm, while a vampire – Abby – slouched next to him with her hands on her hips. Dr. Newman, a minotaur, snorted and shook his curved horns while pawing the ground with a cloven hoof, nodding to J.J. briefly when he caught the professor's eye. Trent, the hellhound, let out a challenging howl and flexed his sharp claws, and behind him loomed a giant figure that J.J. was unfamiliar with – a brawny, ten-foot tall giant with stony grey skin carrying a log over its shoulder. The goliath grinned down at J.J. when it saw him staring, and it nodded to him warmly before turning its attention back to the horde of Diemons before them.

Susumu stepped through the assembled squad of friendly Diemons and tilted his head cockily as he held his hands out. "Glad to see we made it in time. I figured you guys could use some backup."

"…How?" J.J. asked breathlessly.

Susumu chuckled as he lowered his hands and hooked his thumbs into his belt. "I've been fighting out here for the last few hours, J.J., and I saw these idiots chasing off anyone who got close to the tower. When they saw me, they took pot shots at me. I think they thought I was you. So, I figured they'd be gunning for you two. I also assumed you two wouldn't want to push through this alone, so I thought I'd round up some help. My first stop was the tavern, of course, and everyone here was more than eager to join in."

J.J. opened his mouth, then closed it and glanced away. "Susumu… that's great, and I'm touched you guys are so loyal, but…."

"We do not wish for civilians to get involved in this fight. Particularly ones that we consider friends," Tristan finished. J.J. nodded in agreement.

"Too bad," the giant rumbled, grunting as it hefted the log from its shoulder and placed it on the ground before leaning on it like a cane. "We're long past the point of not being involved. Ever since you started coming to my tavern, we've been a part of this, J.J."

"…Gary?" J.J. asked. The giant grinned down at him and nodded.

"Besides, you two have done so much to help us," Abby added, tapping her long fingers against her arm. "You've been defending the city for months, without ever asking for a reward. Hell, you've gone way beyond that. You've made our lives better by helping us with our personal issues."

"We owe you more than we could ever repay," Ray concurred. "But now that we can finally help you a little, we intend to settle a bit of that debt."

"This doesn't just involve you two either," Dr. Newman pointed out. "Almencian relics have been wreaking havoc on our city for months. We're just as sick of it as you are, and we finally have a way to help stop it."

"Besides, we were Diemons long before these morons even dreamed it could happen to them," Ryan pointed out, grinning. "You think a bunch of newbies who've had their powers for five minutes stand a chance against us? Come on."

"We're not taking no for an answer," Agni said firmly, pinning the pair with his steady, burning gaze. "Even if you say you don't want our help, we'll still back you up. We're stubborn like that, you know."

"And it'll be really satisfying to see that smug bastard up in his tower get knocked off his perch," Trent chuckled. "We're happy to help you get up there."

Susumu laughed as he held his hands out to the pair. "Well?" he asked calmly. "What do you guys say?"

J.J. and Tristan glanced at each other, and then the former sighed and shook his head. "Our friends are crazier than we are," he said, glancing at Tristan.

"Agreed. But we cannot afford to turn away volunteers, especially when they are so determined to fight," Tristan added. "Very well. We welcome your aid."

"Just be careful," J.J. added, casting wary glances at the group. "And try to disable them or knock them out. We don't need blood on our hands if we can avoid it."

"Of course," Gary nodded as the group stepped forward, taking positions on both sides of the Kamen Riders. J.J. held out his hand, and his quill flew into his palm, at which point he clicked it out into its sword form. Tristan, meanwhile, pressed the bull icon of his Driver, and with a loud bovine bellow, his mace appeared in a flash of golden light. Tristan stood on J.J.'s right while Susumu took up a position on his left and raised his fists. J.J. took a deep breath, trying to shake off the apprehension he had about letting his friends fight. This wasn't the time to worry about what might happen to them, he told himself – right now, he needed to take all the help he could get.

"Let's go!" J.J. shouted, and his companions let out cries of affirmation as they charged towards the group of hostile Diemons. While the gang had initially seemed confused and surprised by the resistance they were facing, they now appeared legitimately frightened by the sudden attack, and a few tried to fall back. All at once, the tavern's patrons were upon them, working to open a hole for J.J. and Tristan to slip through.

As he charged in, J.J. found himself face-to-face with a towering hippogriff. It immediately fluttered out of the way as J.J. slashed at it, and he began to push past it, only to find himself facing stiffer resistance in the form of a bugbear, which swung a piece of rebar at him. J.J. brought his blade up to catch it, but before he could, a strong green arm intercepted the blow on its wrist. J.J. glanced over his shoulder to see Ray covering him, and he nodded in thanks to the troll as he prepared to retaliate. Before he could, however, Ryan suddenly tackled the bugbear from its left, delivering a hard right hook to its jaw as it was knocked to the ground.

"Good, Ryan!" Ray shouted. "Now, remember your ground game! Don't let him get back on his feet!"

J.J. stepped back, his mouth open with shock as Ryan nimbly wrapped himself around it from behind, his legs curling around the goblinoid's waist while his powerful arm slithered around its neck. The bugbear began gasping and struggling against Ryan's hold, but Ryan easily pinned it to the ground, trying to force the bugbear into submission.

"…No sane person is ever going to bully him again," J.J. remarked absently. "What have you been teaching him?" he added, glancing warily over at Ray.

"What he needs to know," Ray replied with a shrug. "Now get going!"

J.J. nodded, but as he turned to his left, a figure barreled towards him out of the corner of his eye. Before he could react, however, the figure fell to the ground. He blinked in surprise as he looked down at a dazed ape-like creature, then glanced back up as Abby's vampire form phased back into view. She grinned at him, her pointed fangs glinting over her bottom lip, as she swept her arm in a playful bow, motioning for J.J. to continue.

J.J. hurried past her, racing across the field, only to skid to a halt when he saw a trio of figures approaching from his right. He growled and turned to face them, but before they could get close, a trail of fire blazed in front of them, cutting them off. Agni slipped in front of J.J., fireballs burning in each of his palms, as he shouted, "I've got these guys! Gary! J.J. keeps getting cut off! Think you could escort him?"

A heavy footstep startled J.J., and he glanced over his shoulder to see Gary looming over him, resting the log over his shoulder and wearing that same broad grin. "Happy to," he said calmly, motioning for J.J. to lead the way.

J.J. nodded and resumed running towards the tower. Gary was able to easily keep pace, his long, loping strides letting him cover twice as much distance as J.J. could. As they ran, J.J. said quickly, "Thanks, by the way."

"You don't have to thank me," Gary assured him, pausing to turn towards a group of three Diemons charging towards them. He pulled the log back and swung it in a wide arc, catching all three Diemons in the torso and sending them flying. Gary watched them tumble away before turning back around and adding, "I had half a mind to come over here and take care of Blake myself if you guys weren't going to."

"Really?" J.J. asked, drawing the word out sarcastically. "But Blake said you guys are supposed to be happy with what he's done! He's given you the chance to live out the life you always wanted!"

"Who said that I wasn't already?" Gary replied evenly. As they passed through a narrow gap between the buildings, J.J. ducked under a sudden swipe from a lupine Diemon and slashed it across the chest with his blunted saber. The Diemon grunted, and Gary followed up by slamming a fist the size of a cinderblock into its body. The beast groaned and fell to the ground, clutching its stomach as it whimpered. Gary glared down at the wolf, then turned his attention back to J.J. as they continued running.

"Anyways. I already have everything I want," Gary continued, as though they hadn't been interrupted. "I've got the best tavern in the city, I've got my friends, and I'm making enough to be comfortable. The only thing I'd want is the ability to keep it all." He glanced down at his stony body, chuckling as he added, "Maybe that's why I turned out like this – I've got a body that lets me protect what I hold dear. But why would I want the world to change when I already think it's fine as it is?" He grinned down at J.J., an expression that cracked across his grey face like a fissure opening in a boulder. "I think Blake would be surprised how many people think the same. Yeah, a lot of us might want small things to change, but we certainly don't want this."

"Huh. Maybe you should be the one to go talk to him," J.J. quipped.

"Nope," Gary chuckled. "I'll leave that up to you two."

He nodded to his right, and J.J. followed his gaze to see Tristan running towards them, escorted by Trent, who broke away for a moment to leap savagely on a Diemon that resembled a tentacled eel. The creature let out a shriek as it was mauled by the hellhound, and when Trent roared and exhaled a gout of flame at it, the eel scampered away from them. Trent growled before stalking over to them and giving them a nod. The four finished running the last hundred yards to the base of the tower, at which point they all looked up at it, craning their necks to see the top.

"Getting back up there is going to be fun," J.J. muttered, eyeing the entrance to the tower warily. The door hummed audibly, sounding unsettlingly like an electric field. "Even if we can get inside, we've still got to run that gauntlet of traps again."

"Lucky for you, this time you've got a master thief on your side," Trent replied smugly. It was fortunate that Trent couldn't see behind his mask, as J.J. began glaring at him. Trent's faulty information was a major reason why they were in this situation in the first place, so the man could hardly boast about his skills, J.J. thought bitterly. He bit his tongue, however, as Trent walked over to the entrance of the tower and put his hand on the door.

Almost immediately, he let out a pained yelp and jerked his hand back, shaking it. He looked over his shoulder at the other three and shook his head. "Okay, ow!" he exclaimed. "It's like Marks put an electric fence up!"

J.J. and Tristan traded looks, then Tristan walked over to the door and slowly extended his hand towards it. Electricity crackled near his fingers, and he shook his head, lowering his hand with a sigh of disappointment.

"Pity. Our only option is to pray that Lady Marks' assumption about her protection from her brother's alchemy extends to you as well, page," Tristan said softly.

J.J. swallowed and approached the entrance, slowly reaching his hand out. He held his breath as he neared the door, then all at once thrust his hand forward. To his surprise and relief, the palm of his gloved hand easily touched the smooth, crystal surface of the tower. He was completely unaffected by the field surrounding the spire.

"Very well," Tristan nodded, folding his arms. "It would seem that only you may ascend. You must make haste," he added, glancing towards the horizon, where the aurora field had expanded about a mile in each direction, though it was still flickering as the two angelic siblings struggled against each other. "Lady Marks appears to be losing this contest of wills, and she will require your aid."

"Right," J.J. agreed, taking another deep breath to steady his nerves. "Though I'm not sure how long it's going to take me to get up-"

Before he could finish that thought, a loud cracking sound caught his attention, and he looked to his right to see a large, flat piece of crystal suddenly jut out from the side of the tower. As he watched in amazement, more rectangles began erupting from the surface of the structure, forming an uneven staircase spiraling up the side of the tower towards the top of the spire.

"…Or I guess I can just take the stairs," J.J. concluded drily. "I suppose Blake could be feeling hospitable, but something tells me this is Gwen's doing."

"Then your path is clear, page," Tristan said. He turned back towards the brawl in the open field and added, "Do what you must to break the Black Seraph's spell. We shall ensure that the city does not suffer further damage."

J.J. turned to leave, but before he could, Tristan surprised him by reaching out and clapping him on the shoulder in a brotherly fashion. "Do not doubt yourself, J.J.," Tristan said firmly. "In the months since I first met you, you have become a skilled, wise, and courageous warrior. Though I have served with other knights as my partners, other than Sir Agnar, never have I considered one a friend. I would want no other at my side here at the end. I have faith in you."

J.J. was silent for a few moments, stunned by Tristan's proclamation, but then he smiled behind his helmet and nodded, briefly gripping Tristan's other shoulder in return. "I feel the same," he replied quietly. "I wouldn't have lasted five minutes without your help, and I was lucky to have you as my mentor, and my friend. I might not have said it before now, but thank you. For everything."

Tristan nodded as well, then turned back to the ongoing melee as he pulled his golden key from his belt. "Ascend quickly," he said, then let out a short yell and ran back towards the battle. J.J. took a deep breath and turned back around, eyeing the spiraling crystal stairs leading to the top of the tower.

He took off at a run, hurrying up the steps as quickly as possible while trying not to look down. Would it have killed you to make a handrail? he thought wryly as he climbed the stairs. Then, as if in retaliation for his silent request, a spike suddenly erupted from the side of the tower, inches from his face. He yelped and ducked under it, scrambling past it as his heart pounded. He paused to glare up at the top of the tower, growling under his breath.

He resumed climbing, but while the stairs continued to appear in front of him, they became increasingly uneven, tilted, and even slightly broken in spots, making climbing difficult. Another spike suddenly jutted from one of the stairs just before he would have put his foot on it, and he flailed back against the wall of the tower, steadying himself before stepping around it. Yet another spike nearly impaled his chest, and he just barely leaned out of the way before continuing his ascent.

The higher he climbed, the more irregular the stairs became, and the more spikes he had to dodge. A few sharp pieces of crystal shot out from the wall like darts, and he narrowly ducked under them before he had to sway backwards as a large spear nearly impaled his chin. J.J. sucked his breath in through his teeth. The only reason he was surviving was thanks to the reflexes he had honed while learning fencing – he was skilled enough in dodging and swaying, and he doubted he would have survived this long if he had learned to fight using a more sedentary style like Tristan's.

The stair suddenly crumbled under his feet, and J.J. let out a yelp as he jumped to the next one. As he did, that stair cracked as well, and he lost his balance. He pitched forward as the step dissolved under him, and he barely caught the next stair, clinging to it. He could feel the rectangular crystal shivering under his weight, as though two forces were wrestling over removing it or keeping it in place. With a grunt, he pulled himself up and dashed up the remaining stairs, occasionally leaping over gaps in the staircase while still struggling to avoid spikes of crystal shooting out from the walls. At last, however, he found himself on a narrow platform in front of a set of crystal double doors leading into the topmost room in the tower.

Through the clear glass, he could see the Black Seraph sitting up straight on the clear throne, gripping the armrests of the chair tightly. The White Seraph was leaning on one of the walls, her body trembling, with one hand pressed against the smooth surface of the tower. The crystal around them shimmered and glowed with unnatural rainbow light, pulsing in an irregular pattern around them like rippling water. J.J. suspected that it had something to do with how much energy they were pouring into their struggle with each other.

J.J. punched the crystal door, though he didn't expect to break through it. It did, however, get the attention of both angels, and their golden masked faces swung to stare at him. The double doors of the tower swung open, but before he could step through, they slammed shut again. They then began slamming back and forth, as though caught in a windstorm, but J.J. couldn't find an opening to get through. At the same time, the crystal beneath him began crumbling. J.J. pulled his leg out of the way as a large chunk of platform fell away, and then he was struck with an idea. He knelt on the ground, watching the platform closely as it broke apart, and at the right moment, he grabbed a large piece of crystal before it could fall away. He then jammed it between the double doors, wedging them open, and he narrowly slipped through the gap before tumbling into the room. Gwen perked up, seeming extremely pleased, while Blake lowered his head slightly and glared at J.J. from behind his golden mask. After taking a moment to catch his breath and steady his heartbeat, J.J. pushed himself to his feet and nonchalantly dusted himself off.

"You know, getting in to see you was a real pain, Blake," he quipped as he strode towards the Black Seraph. "I would have made an appointment with your secretary, but you seem to have fired all your help."

"J.J.," Blake said coldly, not moving from his seat. He glanced at the sword in J.J.'s hand, then added, "I suppose that you've come up here to kill me?"

J.J. paused, then clicked his sword down into its quill form and let it fly back into his diary. He then pulled his amber D-former out of his diary, and his suit disappeared in a shower of amber fractals. "Not if I don't have to," J.J. replied putting his diary in his pocket.

Blake tilted his head in surprise, then chuckled, seeming amused. "I suppose you are more reasonable than Tristan. Alright, let's talk this out."

"First, though, stop expanding the field," J.J. added, holding his hand up.

Blake lowered his head slightly, emulating a frown. "I'm not going to do that," he growled.

"Fine. Then keep wasting energy," J.J. shrugged, glancing over at Gwen. "Good luck keeping your concentration while talking to me and fighting with Gwen. If this does come to blows, it'll just give me that much more of an edge."

Blake paused, then glanced over at Gwen. "I'll accept keeping the field where it is," Blake said slowly.

"…Agreed," Gwen gasped. Blake stood up from his chair, and Gwen dropped to one knee, exhaling. She looked utterly exhausted. J.J. was about to go over to her, but then Blake stood and began approaching, distracting him.

"What do you think of the new world, J.J.?" Blake asked, walking over to the tower. "I find it remarkable how much inner strength people have. And now that it's been brought to the surface-"

"You can't seriously be pleased with this," J.J. interrupted, folding his arms over his chest. Blake glanced over at him, seeming surprised.

"Of course I am," Blake replied. "This is the purest expression of humanity. Everyone is at their peak of potential, and now they can pursue whatever goal they wish."

"Have you even looked out the window?" J.J. snapped, his voice rising with anger. "All you've done is kickstart Ragnarok!"

Blake shrugged as he gazed down from his tower towards the streets below. "That's to be expected," he replied smoothly. "Every revolution has a period where the people have to come to terms with their newfound freedom. Often, it results in violence. The post-American Revolutionary period had the various colonies squabbling with each other before they stabilized. The French Revolution resulted in mass executions as the social order was overturned." He turned back around and stared levelly at J.J. "It's a necessary consequence that I'm prepared to accept."

"You haven't done anything to help them!" J.J. exclaimed, jabbing his finger towards the tower window. "All you've done is turn them into Diemons!"

"Diemons are an imago stage, compared to the chrysalis that was a human being," Blake replied calmly. "Like I said, now they're no longer bound by physical or mental limitations. They're free to pursue the dreams that they've harbored their entire lives."

"Yeah? That's not happening right now, and I can tell you exactly why," J.J. replied coldly. "I'm sure you know the saying about giving a man a fish versus teaching a man to fish?"

"Of course. One allows a person to eat for a day, the other permits them to eat for a lifetime," Blake shrugged. "And what I've done is taught them how to fish."

"No," J.J. replied sharply. "What you've done is given them a fishing line and told them to go out into the water and catch all the fish they want. You haven't actually shown them how to fish. Or, a better analogy – you've given people hammers, and instead of treating them as tools, they only see them as weapons."

Blake stared at him blankly. "That's…." he hesitated.

"Just because someone has the tools to succeed doesn't mean they'll know how to use them," J.J. continued, narrowing his eyes. "Someone who's tall and athletic won't necessarily be good at basketball, especially if they don't have a good coach. There are stories of lottery winners who became millionaires overnight, yet were broke within weeks because they didn't have the financial training that bankers and businessmen do. So, yeah, just because you've turned everyone into monsters with peak physical attributes doesn't mean they're going to know how to use their new bodies, much less use them responsibly. Or have you just been ignoring the city burning outside?"

"Like I said, all revolutions involve a learning process," Blake replied obstinately, shaking his head. "Once they learn to use their bodies, things will stabilize."

"And what if they decide that they don't want the roles you've locked them into?" J.J. countered, folding his arms over his chest. "People do change their minds, you know, and very few people spend their entire lives in one profession or chasing one dream. You claim that you're giving them what they want, but that's only what they want at this very moment. What if they decide that their dream job was just a spur-of-the-moment whim? In that case, their optimized bodies will be of little use, or even a hindrance to their next goal. What then? Are you going to constantly reshape their bodies? Are you going to call them up here every day to ask them, 'Are you sure this is what you want?'

"Even beyond that, what about people who actively choose not to follow the role that you programmed them for? Like I said, look out the window right now, and you'll see a war going on, Blake. I can guarantee you, most of those people out there wrecking the city, enjoying their new bodies, didn't have 'become a mindless monster hellbent on destruction' in mind for their ideal role in society. They're abusing their power, which is the antithesis of what your father wanted, isn't it? He envisioned a stable society, a utopia where people could live the lives they wanted in safety and peace. Do you think that his definition of utopia was a Hobbesian anarchy? Do you think any of the people cowering in their homes right now feel safe or at peace?"

Blake turned and gazed at J.J., lowering his head. "Don't preach to me about the feelings of the people of this city," he said quietly. "I've been caring for them, improving their lives, for centuries, before this country was even built, and long before you existed."

"If that's the case, then why aren't you down there with them?" J.J. countered. "If you care about the people so much, why are you up here in this tower, while they're down there, struggling to find a place in this new world you've forced on them? Seems a lot like a tyrant lording over his subjects, rather than a populist leader looking after the needs of his people."

"Semantics," Blake said shortly. J.J. managed to hide a smirk at how Blake's cool façade was breaking down before his eyes. "I have to stay here, to ensure that the world is fully transformed, and then I'll have to maintain it, to ensure it remains stable. I'm the keystone to this revolution, and it would have been completed already if you and your companions weren't constantly interrupting me!" He shot a look at Gwen, who let out a soft laugh, before turning his attention back to J.J., who raised an eyebrow calmly.

"You care about the people, do you?" J.J. asked.

"More than you can imagine," Blake said firmly.

"And I suppose that especially extends to the people that you gave D-formers to, right?" J.J. continued, motioning to the jewels in his silver crown. "Particularly the people who gave their lives to ensure that your plan came to fruition."

"Of course," Blake agreed. "Without their sacrifice-"

"What were their names?" J.J. asked simply.

Blake stopped short, hesitating. "What?"

"The people you gave D-formers to. What were their names?" J.J. repeated.

Blake hedged for a few moments, then looked away. "You… you can't possibly expect me to remember everyone that I've helped-"

J.J. slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his diary and flipped to the first page. He then slowly began flipping through the pages, and as he did, he read aloud, "Ryan. Agni. Abby. Dr. Newman. Peter. Irene. Dave. Justin. Kelsie. Brent. Lawrence. Jenna. Oliver. Gen. Esmeralda. Ray. Titus. Tanya. Karen. Domitius. Zack. And Agnar." J.J. snapped the book shut, then folded his arms over his chest as he stared down the Black Seraph. "Every person that I've met, that you gave powers to, I've carried with me this entire time. They trusted that you would change their lives for the better. Yet, every one of them ended up worse off despite what you gave them. Some of them died because of you. And you didn't even take the time to learn their names." J.J. jerked his head towards the clear wall of the tower, before adding, "So how can you claim that you care about the lives of the people down there, people that you've never met, if you can't even remember the people that you personally gave D-formers?"

Blake was silent for several long moments. When he finally spoke again, he asked in a quiet voice, "Why does this matter to you, J.J.? You didn't even want to be a part of this. Gwen lied to you, tricked you into fighting for her."

"You're right," J.J. agreed calmly. "I probably would have been happier if I'd never gotten involved in any of this. I never asked to be a warrior, and I've been told several times that at my core, I'm not one. Yet, even though I didn't want it, didn't ask for it… it's what I am. That's the other thing about life that you don't seem to grasp, Blake. We don't always get to choose the path we walk down, but that's not always a bad thing. Those rough paths and hard times are still part of who we are, who we become." He looked down at the diary in his hands, murmuring, "It's who I've become. I'm no longer just a guy borrowing a sword and a suit of armor." He looked up again and said in a clear, confident voice, "I am Kamen Rider Page. And if you're not willing to stand down, then it's my role to stop you. So, I'll ask you one last time. Will you please stop all of this?"

Blake chuckled softly as he folded his arms over his chest and began pacing back and forth, his six wings extended threateningly. "I won't," Blake replied defiantly. "While that was a pretty speech, we both know that you can't stop me. If you kill me, you'll kill Gwen as well, and we both know you can't do that. So, no, I won't stop, because you can't stop me, Kamen Rider."

J.J. felt his pulse quicken as his hand clenched around the spine of the diary, his knuckles turning white. Then, he felt a soft, smooth set of fingers close around his own. He turned around to see Gwen in her human form standing beside him, gently holding his arm, her blue eyes peering up into his. She held his gaze for a few long seconds, then slowly closed her eyes and gave a single, sad nod. J.J.'s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped him by pressing a finger to his lips and shaking her head, smiling softly. She then nodded past him towards her brother, before stepping back with a deep breath.

J.J.'s blood ran cold as she opened her eyes again, bile rising in his throat. His gaze drifted down to the diary in his hand again, and then he exhaled slowly, steadying his nerves. Blake slowly uncrossed his arms, his gaze flickering between the two as he caught on to their wordless conversation.

"…What are you doing?" he asked sharply, a hint of worry worming its way into his voice.

Gwen stepped away slowly as J.J. reluctantly opened his diary again and flipped it open to his stat page, ignoring the pounding of his heart in his ears. He raised it to his cheek, exhaling once again and steeling his resolve as he glared at the Black Seraph.

"You're not serious…!" Blake exclaimed, his voice rising.

"Henshin!" J.J. shouted, his voice ringing through the tower. His Driver appeared around his waist, and he firmly snapped his diary shut. Still glaring at Blake, he slotted his diary into the belt buckle of his Driver, and with Blake staring at him in disbelief, he gave the amber D-former in the center of his diary a firm spin.

"Adventure: Begin!" his Driver shouted, and as trumpets blared, an amber crystal appeared around him and began spinning rapidly. J.J. closed his eyes briefly as he felt the familiar sensation of his leather armor materializing around him, enveloping his body with an almost comforting stiffness. When he opened his eyes again, he was gazing at Blake from behind the trapezoidal eyeholes of his suit. He held his hand out, and his quill flew from his diary and landed in the palm of his hand. He clicked it against his thigh, and the quill extended out into his short saber. Still, he didn't drop into a fighting stance just yet, continuing to stare at the Black Seraph.

"Last time I'm going to ask," J.J. said in a low voice.

Blake stared at him incredulously, then let out a short laugh and shook his head. He snapped his fingers, and his obsidian sword appeared in his hand. "Alright, Kamen Rider," the Black Seraph sneered. "If you think you've got the resolve to go through with this, I'll humor you, even though we both know you won't follow through. But if you're going to raise a blade against me, know that I won't hold back. I will kill you, even if I'd prefer not to. Though, I suppose this will prevent any further incursions, since you're the only one who could make it up here." The Seraph raised his sword, bringing it into a ready position, as he added, "What do you say?"

"Alea iacta est," J.J. replied coldly, dropping into a fencing position across from Blake. The Seraph chuckled and did the same, and the two fighters began slowly circling around each other, tentatively probing each other's guard.

J.J. warily watched Blake, daring the angel to make the first move. He was wary of Blake's reach; while he physically was a few inches taller, the Seraph's sword was far longer than his, and without access to his Loremaster Class, his shortsword was at a serious disadvantage. He only had one way to attack, and Blake knew it. He doubted Blake was going to give him that opportunity either.

When Blake continued to hesitate, he tapped the Seraph's sword, knocking it aside as a quick feint. He didn't dart in, however, and Blake simply shifted his sword back into position. J.J. did it again and took a half-step forward. Blake jabbed at him in response, though J.J. easily parried the blow. The two resumed circling, tentatively feeling each other out. Then, suddenly, J.J. sprang in the opposite direction and stepped in. He caught Blake's retaliatory slash on his saber and took another step inside, working his way into the Seraph's guard. Warily, Blake fluttered backwards, forcing both fighters to reset their positions.

"Well, your form has improved quite a bit since the last time I saw you," Blake remarked. "You're not just relying on tricks anymore – you're a legitimate swordsman. Well d-!"

J.J. suddenly batted his sword aside, but Blake responded by slashing at him. J.J. leaned out of the way, but Blake cut his sword across J.J.'s chest. It was a superficial blow, though it drew sparks and left a dark mark on his suit. Undeterred, J.J. hurried up the length of Blake's blade. Blake fluttered back again, then suddenly realized he was cornered against a wall, since he'd backed up too much. J.J. grinned behind his mask.

His first thrust, Blake managed to duck under, and he tried to respond with a low thrust of his own. J.J. nudged Blake's blade aside with his knee, and with the Seraph kneeling low, he brought his sword around in a short, vicious cut across the angel's golden mask. Blake grunted, his head snapping to the side, but before J.J. could follow up his attack, Blake put his hand on J.J.'s chest and pushed him back. The Seraph shook his head rapidly as though trying to clear it, while J.J. darted in again to press his advantage. Unfortunately, Blake had enough presence of mind to keep his blade up, and J.J. nearly ran himself through on the sharp point of his sword.

J.J. stopped himself short, but the Seraph still took advantage of his upset balance to jab him twice in the chest. J.J. grunted, staggering back, and barely managed to parry a third blow. Ignoring the pain in his chest, he reset his stance, while the Seraph chuckled behind his mask.

"While you're a good swordsman, we're not in the same league," the Seraph added, flicking his blade in a little figure-eight pattern in the air. "I've had centuries of practice, while you've only had about a year or so. Even constant practice can't make up for that much experience."

"And how much have you fought lately?" J.J. countered.

"I've trained with Sir Agnar every day," Blake replied coolly. "One must keep in shape, especially when there are enemies at their doorstep."

J.J., however, smiled behind his helmet. If Blake's only practice had been against an opponent who certainly wasn't trying to harm him, then the Seraph was deluding himself. There was a major difference between sparring and fighting for one's life. It was something he could exploit.

While he didn't abandon his form, J.J. took a more aggressive stance. He darted towards the Seraph, who almost lazily brought his sword up, anticipating a deflection of J.J.'s sword. In response, J.J. grabbed the edge of the black blade and roughly yanked the Black Seraph forward. With his opponent off-balance, J.J. ruthlessly rammed the point of his saber into the Seraph's stomach. Blake let out a strangled cry of pain as he hunched over, gasping out. J.J. twisted the blade ruthlessly, then kicked the Seraph back, sending him reeling into a wall,.

Resisting the urge to gloat, he stood over the Seraph as the angel crouched and clutched the wound in his chest. Then J.J. heard a choked cry behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Gwen convulsing behind him, clutching her chest. J.J. suppressed the nausea welling up in his stomach as he turned back to the Seraph, who exhaled shakily and stood up, the glowing purple wound in his chest closing as white light eased around it.

"That… that was a nice move," the Black Seraph admitted. "A shame that I can heal anything you do to me." He coughed again and straightened up, his eyes meeting J.J.'s from behind their masks. "That's enough. You've proven your point that you're willing to fight for your beliefs, Page, and I respect that. Now, there's no further need for you to harm my sister."

"I agree," J.J. replied. "So, just give up her D-former, fight me properly, and stop hiding behind her like a coward."

The Black Seraph considered his request, then responded by slashing J.J. across the chest while his guard was down. "You have no right to accuse anyone of cowardice, when you never stand and fight yourself. In the end, you'll fall back on petty tricks," Blake hissed, raising his sword again. Before he could strike once more, however, J.J. dropped his hand to his red D-former and gave it a quick spin.

"Reroll! Class: Warrior!" his Driver shouted. A ruby, holographic crystal appeared around him and began spinning rapidly, knocking the Seraph back a step or two. War drums sounded as the crystal spun around him rapidly, and his brown leather armor hardened into a coat of lamellar plates, while his saber extended into a heavy warhammer. When the spinning stopped, he gripped his hammer tightly in both hands and glared at the Seraph from behind his mask.

"Fine. Let's see what happens when I plant my feet for a bit," J.J. replied. He swung his hammer around in a short, heavy arc, and it was clear from the Seraph's reaction that he hadn't expected the blow to be so swift. Though Blake tried to parry, the head of his hammer broke through the Seraph's guard and slammed into his side, knocking him off-balance and sending him reeling for a couple steps. Before Blake could recover, J.J. advanced, bringing his hammer over his head and slamming it into the smooth floor beneath him.

The room shook, and Blake was kept off-balance even as he tried to backpedal away from J.J.'s sudden offensive. J.J., on the other hand, maintained his balance thanks to his flat-footed stance, and he stalked towards Blake to give him another heavy two-handed blow that collided with his shoulder.

Blake cried out in pain, his arm briefly falling limp, though his left hand continued to grip his sword. Growling, he turned his body and slashed at J.J. with his weak arm. J.J. grit his teeth as the Seraph's attack bit into his chest before he could dodge. He allowed his heavy armor to absorb the brunt of the attack, and before the Seraph could hit him again, he stepped inside his opponent's range. Blake brought his arm around to slash him once more, but J.J. caught him by the wrist. The Black Seraph struggled against his grip as J.J. slid his hand up his hammer's haft, so that it was near the head. Holding it with three fingers, he gave his red D-former a quick spin. "Critical!" his Driver shouted, and a ruby die briefly surrounded him before enveloping the head of his hammer, which glowed with scarlet light. He then turned his hammer around and swung it around with one hand to viciously ram the spike of it into the Seraph's ribs.

Blake let out a strangled gasp as a deep, glowing wound pulsed with purple light where his hammer had struck. Before J.J. could do more, however, he heard Gwen inhale sharply behind him. White light began shining around the edges of the wound as it began closing, and J.J. snarled at the Seraph's theft of Gwen's energy to heal himself. He brought his hammer up to bash Blake again, but then black crystal encased the Seraph's body and pushed J.J. back. He lost his grip on Blake's arm, and a moment later it reemerged from the crystal in a far different shape, with heavy, corded muscles rippling beneath his obsidian skin. As the obsidian die faded completely, J.J. realized that he was now looking the Seraph in the eye – indicating that Blake had grown a few inches – and that his body had transformed to become far more muscular. With J.J. too close to react, Blake cocked his hand back and slammed it into J.J.'s chin. J.J. briefly saw stars as he stumbled back, and Blake chuckled as he strolled towards him.

"You're stronger than I gave you credit for," Blake admitted. "Thankfully, I can change my stats now, just like you can. And my version of Warrior Class is even stronger than yours. Pity, isn't it?"

"Actually," J.J. replied, pushing himself up and rubbing his sore jaw, a grin spreading across his lips from under his helmet. "I was hoping you would do that."

The Black Seraph paused mid-stride and gave him a curious look as J.J. dropped his hand down to his diary and gave the blue D-former a quick spin. "Reroll! Class: Thief!" his Driver shouted. Blake stepped back as a saxophone played and J.J. was encased in a spinning sapphire crystal. His lamellar armor lightened and split, becoming a navy-blue jacket, while a scarf wound its way around his neck and his hammer split to become a pair of daggers. When the transformation finished, the Black Seraph shook his head.

"That's a terrible form to use against my Warrior Class," the Seraph remarked. "If I hit you even once-!"

J.J. suddenly sprang at him, and before Blake could raise his guard, J.J. had managed to land two quick strikes on his arm. The Black Seraph grunted and hefted his greatsword up, but J.J. simply stepped closer, well inside of Blake's guard. He slashed the Seraph across the stomach, then darted around behind him before Blake could retaliate, driving both daggers deep into his back. Blake gasped in pain and hunched over, and then J.J. heard Gwen hiss in pain as well as he drew from her energy to heal his own wounds. He forced himself to ignore the sound as he kept his daggers up, waiting for Blake's inevitable counterattack.

The Black Seraph swung his greatsword around in a diagonal arc, forcing J.J. to back off. While he wanted to press the attack, the Seraph recovered faster than he anticipated, using his momentum to swing it around again in a surprisingly sharp arc. J.J. felt the breeze of the blade, though he thought for a moment that it had missed him. Then he saw sparks erupt from his torso, and he glanced down to see that the tip of Blake's claymore had grazed his chest opening a thin line of blood under his torn undersuit. Blake chuckled to himself, resting his blade on his shoulder.

J.J. growled and dropped his hand to his D-former, giving it a quick spin. "Critical!" his Driver shouted, and a blue die briefly surrounded him before coalescing around one of his daggers, which began glowing cobalt blue. The Seraph raised his blade again, but he was too slow, as J.J. threw his dagger at him. The edge of the blade sliced through the Seraph's shoulder before flying back around and landing in the palm of his hand. As his arm went numb, the heavy blade fell from Blake's left hand, and the tip and crashed to the floor, though he managed to keep his grip with his right hand. J.J. smirked to himself behind his helmet; with that, he had negated Blake's advantage in this form.

Before he could continue to attack, however, the Black Seraph looked down at his dead arm and sighed. "Very well, I suppose it's time for a change." He vanished behind another obsidian die, and moments later reemerged in a thinner, wiry form, gripping a pair of curved scimitars. One still hung limply by his side, but the other he held in front of him in a loose fencing stance. As he stared at J.J. down the length of his blade, he commented, "Now, this should be fun. This is a variation of your Thief Class, better suited for face-to-face fighting. Shall we see how it compares to the original?"

"Not a chance," J.J. replied, dropping his hand to his diary. He put his fingers on the red and blue dice, and gave them a quick spin.

"Reroll! Multiclass: Ranger!" his Driver shouted. A hunting horn sounded as he was surrounded by a red and blue die, which coalesced into a single emerald green one, which spun around him. His jacket closed again to form a green suit of leather armor, while the scarf around his neck thickened and lengthened into a long cloak. His daggers fused again and extended to become a wooden longbow, and when the transformation ended, he pulled a few seeds from a pouch on his belt, which immediately lengthened into thorny arrows.

The Black Seraph jumped back as J.J. drew an arrow and loosed it. Thanks to his enhanced speed, the Seraph narrowly ducked out of the way, then charged at J.J., slashing wildly with his good arm. J.J. leapt into the air, firing another arrow, which the Seraph avoided. Blake shook his head and commented, "Once again, you chose poorly, as all I must now do is close the distance between us. Still, if you want to be eviscerated, it's my duty to grant your wish…."

J.J. ignored his taunt, as he had a good reason for choosing Ranger class to counter the Black Seraph's modified Thief Class. As he landed, Blake darted at him, but J.J. immediately jumped into the air once more, narrowly avoiding the Seraph's wild swing. He shot another two arrows at Blake, who managed to avoid the first, though the second tore into his leg, and he let out a little gasp. J.J. warily glanced at Gwen as he landed, but she didn't seem to be in any pain. Satisfied, he drew another arrow and stared down the shaft, taking his time with his next shot so that he could target something vital.

Blake darted to the side before J.J. could fire, though J.J. managed to keep his bow trained on his target. Hissing to himself, the Seraph charged forward, then vanished at the last second. J.J. was caught off-guard as the Seraph's curved blade slashed him from his hip to his shoulder, causing sparks to erupt as he was knocked back. J.J. managed to stay on his feet, however, and he forced himself to keep calm, narrowing his eyes behind his mask.

After a moment of concentrating, a silhouette of the Black Seraph drifted into focus thanks to the tracking abilities of J.J.'s Ranger Class. Still, the angel was quick, almost too fast for J.J. to react. He kept his bow drawn, warily watching the Seraph sway back and forth while remaining stock-still, trying to give no indication that he could see the Seraph. At the last moment, before his opponent drew within striking range, J.J. suddenly swiveled to face the Seraph, catching him by surprise. He loosed the arrow at point-blank range, catching him in the face, and as the Seraph cried out and staggered back, J.J. quickly dropped his hand to his red and blue D-formers, giving them another spin.

"Critical!" his Driver shouted, and an emerald gem coalesced around him. Three arrows grew between J.J.'s fingers, and he quickly nocked them, raising his bow again before the Seraph had time to regain his balance. The Seraph just had time look up again as J.J. fired the three arrows simultaneously into his chest, knocking him sprawling across the floor with the bolts sticking out from his torso. He let out a ragged gasp as he phased back into view, and J.J. relaxed his eyes, blinking them rapidly to ease some of the strain of focusing for so long.

"I didn't… think… you could see me," the Seraph wheezed.

J.J. didn't bother replying, though he indulged in a slight smirk. Although Blake had seen him in his Ranger Class during his fight with Esmeralda, her teleportation abilities had rendered his Ranger Class's tracking abilities moot; thus, Blake would have had no knowledge of his additional abilities, unless Agnar had told him. It was something J.J. had been banking on.

J.J.'s smile faded as Gwen grunted and gasped behind him. He glanced over to see her hugging herself tightly, but when she caught his gaze, she shook her head and growled to him through clenched teeth, "Keep… going…!"

J.J. swallowed hard as he turned back around in time to see Blake disappear behind an obsidian crystal, which spun around him for a few moments. When he reemerged, he was in his own ranged class, with his larger wings outstretched and his whip-like sword rattling in his hand. J.J. jumped back just as Blake flung a mass of projectiles at him. The sharp shards of obsidian shattered like glass, the pieces scattering across the smooth floor.

"A handful of arrows against a flurry of glass. Who do you think will win this round?" Blake chuckled.

J.J. continued to ignore him as he dropped his hand to his D-former and gave his black D-former a spin instead. His Driver shouted, "Reroll! Class: Mage!" as an onyx crystal appeared around him and began spinning as chimes echoed off the crystal walls. His leather armor softened to become a black tunic, and his bow straightened into a long ebony staff.

As soon as the spinning stopped, the Seraph flung several more obsidian chips at him, but J.J. had already raised his staff. A single fireball erupted from the tip of his staff and exploded, scattering the chips of black glass and showering them both with the shrapnel, though the angel got the worst of it. The Seraph threw his hand over his body instinctively, and with his guard down, J.J. immediately began spraying the area around him with a freezing mixture of ice and snow. He concentrated his efforts on erecting a low wall of ice, so that he would at least have some cover. Blake lowered his arm, and upon noticing what J.J. was doing, flung yet more shards of glass at him.

Thankfully, J.J. had managed to build up enough ice and snow to give himself a barrier, and he ducked behind the wall he'd created. To his chagrin, the dark projectiles easily pierced the ice, but their flight pattern was thrown off, and they impacted harmlessly into the floor before shattering. J.J. smiled grimly behind his mask, then swung around to point his staff up at the floating angel above him.

Blake fluttered backwards as J.J. loosed a pair of fireballs at him, both of which missed by a wide margin. The Seraph retaliated with another flick of his wrist, and yet more shards of glass rained down, whereupon J.J. crouched behind his wall again. Unfortunately, this time he wasn't as lucky – a few of the missiles ripped through his barrier and tore into his left arm and right thigh. He inhaled as the sharp edges cut through his suit, but he forced himself to ignore the pain.

J.J. pushed himself up a bit higher and rested the shaft of his staff on the edges of the ice, pointing the tip of it at the Seraph like a rifle. He let out a short cry as he released two more blasts of fire, both of which the Seraph dodged easily by fluttering backwards, until his back was almost against the wall behind him. J.J. then aimed a bit higher and unleashed a fireball just above the Seraph's head. The attack missed, but when it exploded against the wall, the concussive force slammed into the angel from behind. Blake let out a startled, pained cry as he was knocked out of the air and collapsed heavily onto the floor, groaning.

Before he could pick himself up, J.J. vaulted over the icy barrier and gave his black D-former another spin. "Critical!" his Driver shouted, and a black D-former spun around him briefly before coalescing around the tip of his staff. He cooled his emotions and let out a slow breath before focusing his energy. A wave of ice and snow erupted from the end of his staff, washing over the Seraph and encasing him in a stream of freezing water. His wings were soon laden with icicles and glued to the floor, pinning him in place. He tried to lift his head, but J.J. poured more energy into the attack, and the angel stopped trying to push himself up. When J.J. finally let up, he was panting with fatigue, but the Black Seraph was buried beneath several inches of ice and snow.

J.J. took a moment to glance over at Gwen, who was kneeling on the ground, seeming even more exhausted than he was. When she felt his eyes on her, however, she managed to raise her head and grin weakly at him. Her smile faded, however, as a loud cracking sound echoed through the room. J.J. reluctantly turned his attention back to the small hill of ice near the center of the room.

Through the clear ice, J.J. could make out an obsidian crystal surrounding the dark figure within, and as it began spinning, he let out an exasperated sigh. Then he noticed that the Seraph still couldn't see him, and an idea flashed into his mind. He dropped his own hand down to the blue and black D-formers on his belt, giving them a quick spin.

"Reroll! Class: Bard!" his Driver shouted. A violin played as he was surrounded by a blue and black crystal, coalescing to form a single violet die, which spun around him. His tunic hardened slightly and lengthened into a deep purple longcoat, while his staff shortened and sharpened itself into an elegant rapier.

Once his transformation had finished, J.J. projected an image of himself still in his Mage Class, then darted around behind the cracking mound of ice, gripping his rapier in a loose fencing stance. He wasn't sure if the illusion would fool the Seraph, and while he doubted Blake had seen his transformation, his Driver's announcement might have been loud enough for Blake to hear.

As the outline of the obsidian crystal under the ice disappeared, a red light began glowing beneath it, and the frozen mixture began steaming as it rapidly evaporated. The Black Seraph rose to his feet, his wings now appearing as black flames, as he raised his hand and pointed it at J.J.'s illusion. J.J. grinned behind his helmet, until the Seraph suddenly swung around and unleashed a stream of flames at his actual body. J.J. swore as he rolled out of the way of the fire, then sprinted towards the angel. The Seraph tried to back away, but J.J. moved in a tight spiral, avoiding the flames while getting in range for an attack.

The Seraph rose into the air, washing the area with fire, but J.J. leapt after him and extended his sword. He felt the flames' searing heat around him, but he managed to drive the tip of his rapier into Blake's shoulder, wounding it. The Seraph hissed, and he flew even higher as J.J. landed and looked up. Blake held up both hands, and a stream of black, violet, and blue flames erupted from his fingertips, intending to scorch as much of the floor beneath him as he could. J.J. scrambled to get out of the flames' radius, then concentrated for a moment to project an image of himself inches from the Seraph's face. His double simply put a hand over the Seraph's eyes, blinding him, and the Seraph exclaimed loudly as he struggled to look around the clone's fingers. Thankfully, the simple distraction was enough to buy J.J. time to hurry out of the way of the inferno, and then he scrambled behind the Seraph. Once he was safe, he jumped again.

At the last second, he let his concentration falter, and his illusion phased out of existence. He then whistled sharply, and the Seraph turned around to see J.J. inches from him. J.J. unceremoniously thrusted his rapier into the Seraph's torso, releasing a shower of sparks, and the Seraph grunted as he clutched the fresh wound in his stomach. J.J. landed lightly just in time to see the Seraph raise one hand, his fingers crackling with electricity. He dropped to one knee and placed his rapier on the ground, then let it go and stepped back just as the Seraph released a bolt of lightning at him. The electricity struck the point of his rapier and dissipated harmlessly into the crystal floor. Blake let out a growl of annoyance as the crown on his head began glowing again, and behind him, he heard Gwen let out a sharp yelp of pain.

"Why?!" Blake hissed as his wounds began closing. "Why am I having so much trouble fighting you?!"

J.J. didn't bother responding as he jumped into the air once more, trying to attack the Seraph again while he was healing. To his annoyance, the Seraph floated out of the way, and J.J. had to sprint as soon as he landed to avoid a wave of ice. He skidded to a halt a few feet away as the Seraph stopped attacking him to focus on healing as he hovered near the ceiling.

J.J. closed his eyes, concentrating again for a long moment, and when he opened his eyes again, he was surrounded by a dozen identical clones. He could already feel his head throbbing with agony under the strain of keeping up so many illusions at once, but he forced himself to maintain focus. He dropped his hand to his blue and black D-formers and gave them another spin. "Critical!" his Driver shouted, and an amethyst gem spun around him for a moment before breaking into several smaller gems and flying into the clones, which began glowing with a faint purple outline.

The Black Seraph exhaled slowly as he finished healing, and looked down in time to see the first illusion jump at him, sword extended. Blake let out a growl and flew out of the way, but that simply caused him to drift into the blade of a second clone behind him. A third and fourth double jabbed him from either side, and the Seraph grunted as he began falling to the ground. Four more strikes rained down on him from either side before the clones disappeared, but Blake continued to descend as the onslaught continued. When his feet touched the ground, he was assaulted from all sides by the remaining clones, which all jabbed him before vanishing. J.J. was left alone, standing in front of the Black Seraph with his sword pressed against Blake's throat while panting heavily.

The deep violet wounds peppering the Seraph's body pulsed, and he grit his teeth as he drew more energy from Gwen. The soft sound of something hitting the floor caught them both by surprise, however, and they both turned to see Gwen slumped on the floor, her white hair splayed out around her. However, her blue eyes were shining with defiance, a smirk dancing on her lips.

"You can't… draw… much more… from me," she rasped to Blake, before laughing drily. The Seraph lowered his head, then turned his attention back to J.J. He then encased himself in yet another obsidian crystal, which spun around him for a moment before he stood again. His wings had become wispy and ethereal, like black fog, and with a snap of his fingers, he summoned several clones of his own, all of which were armed with slender obsidian blades.

"That was a pretty good puppet show, Page," the Seraph remarked. "My turn."

Before the shadows could attack him, J.J. dropped his hand to his Driver and gave his red and black D-formers a quick spin. "Reroll! Multiclass: Paladin!" his Driver shouted, and a red and black die sprang into existence around him just as a half dozen swords would have pierced his body. The clones were thrown backwards as the die coalesced into a single light grey crystal, which spun around him as an organ bellowed, its deep notes echoing off the crystal walls. When the spinning stopped, J.J.'s armor had become a suit of sleek silver chainmail, over which he wore a light grey tabard. In his hands he gripped a halberd, which he gripped tightly while glancing around at Blake's copies.

As soon as his transformation was finished, J.J. immediately dropped his hand to his Driver again and gave the red and black D-formers another spin. "Critical!" his Driver shouted, and he grimaced to himself as he felt his muscles nearly give out from the drain of energy. He knew he was relying far too heavily on his Critical attacks, but he had to keep pushing himself, since Blake wasn't an opponent he could outlast with defense. A silver crystal appeared around him and spun for a moment before coalescing on the blade of his halberd, which began glowing with a silver-white light. He let out a short cry and spun around in a sharp circle, cleaving his halberd through the clones surrounding him. The doubles disappeared into clouds of shadow as soon as the halberd touched them, though the Black Seraph managed to jump back before the attack reached him. He stared at J.J. in stunned silence as the light on the blade of his halberd dimmed. J.J. panted as he looked up at Blake, lowering his halberd into an attack stance.

"You were asking why you're having trouble against me, even though Tristan is stronger than me?" J.J. asked in a soft voice. He suddenly slashed at the Black Seraph, who narrowly stepped back, but J.J. pressed his attack, stabbing at him and catching him in the shoulder.

"First!" he said, drawing his halberd back and thrusting again, though the Seraph barely managed to parry the blow. "You're trying to fight me using the same form that I am, when you've already told me that your forms are improved versions of mine. Knowing that, why would I fight you on your terms when you have a clear advantage?"

"Of course I am," Blake replied blithely, summoning another clone, which charged at J.J. from the right. J.J. shifted his weight, turning a quarter-circle around Blake so that the shadow had to go through its master to get to him. As the clone phased through the Seraph, J.J. focused his energy and shoved his halberd through its chest. Blake stepped in, trying to stab at him, but J.J. angled the haft of his halberd and deflected the attack away before stepping back. "It's what I was made to do, Page. I'm designed to improve upon existing ideas."

"Well, then it's fortunate for me that you're obsessive," J.J. replied blandly. He slashed at Blake again, who stepped back. "But even if you did choose to fight me in different forms, that brings me to my second point – all of your transformations share a glaring weakness. See, I was counting during your fight with Tristan, and I realized… you can't change forms at will, can you? It takes too much energy for you to modify yourself, so you need a little time to rest and recover before you do it again. Meaning I have about a minute to beat you down using a class that yours is weak to." To emphasize his point, he swung around and slashed through a shadow that was coming at him from behind, then continued the maneuver and sliced Blake across the chest as the Seraph tried to close in for an attack.

"Perceptive," Blake grunted, stepping back and clutching his chest. J.J. noticed the wound still wasn't closing immediately, which brought him some measure of satisfaction. "I knew you were clever, but coming to that conclusion after only seeing me fight once…."

"Which brings me to my third point," J.J. continued, swinging his halberd again, then turning the attack into a thrust which the Seraph barely swayed out of the way of. "You let me see you fight. Even better, you gave me hours to come up with counters to anything you can throw at me. What's more, you're using variations of my forms. I've been fighting using those classes for months. Even if they're improved, do you really think I don't know every one of my strengths and weaknesses by now?"

"No," Blake agreed. He darted forward with a quick slash, which J.J. blocked, and then he stepped in to stab at him, but J.J. simply shifted out of the way. The two broke apart, and Blake added, "But it's not as though I haven't had any practice with these forms. I've worked with Agnar for months as well."

"I'm sure you have," J.J. acknowledged. "You've trained with a retainer who would have been honor-bound not to hurt you, no matter how much you told him to go all-out. I've been fighting for my life for months. You can't seriously think first-touch practice sessions are the same as real battles. Do you think you can make up for months of combat training in life-or-death scenarios in two short fights against Tristan and I?"

The Black Seraph lowered his head for a moment, then charged at J.J. and brought his sword down with a heavy slash. J.J. managed to bring his halberd up in time to block the attack, and the two struggled for a moment as the Seraph growled, "Still, I must prevail…!"

J.J. twisted his arm, forcing the Seraph's blade to the side, and the angel lost his balance as the edge of his sword slid down J.J.'s halberd. J.J. took the opportunity to slash at the Seraph as he fell past, and to both fighters' surprise, the crown on Blake's head slipped and fell to the ground. They watched as it bounced across the crystalline floor, loudly ringing each time it hit the surface, and it rolled to a stop just in front of Gwen's prone body. Gwen slowly raised her head and reached for the crown, her hand trembling as she did. The Seraph swooped towards her and snatched the crown out of her grasp, hurriedly putting it on. As he did, however, J.J. caught Gwen smirking at him behind her brother's back, and she held something up between her fingers. J.J. grinned to himself as he turned his attention back to Blake.

"There's one other major difference between us, Blake," J.J. commented, pulling his diary out of his Driver and reverting to his Adventurer Class. "And it's the key reason why you can't beat me."

"And what's that?" the Seraph asked in a low voice, raising his sword into a ready stance. He froze, however, as a small object whizzed past his cheek, flying towards J.J., who snatched it out of midair. J.J. smirked triumphantly behind his mask as he held Gwen's shining white D-former between his fingers for the Seraph to see.

"I'm not fighting alone," J.J. replied coolly.

Blake continued to stare in stunned silence as J.J. glanced back at Gwen, who nodded to him slowly. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, silently accepting Gwen's request, and then he slid her D-former into the slot on the rear cover of his diary. He then turned the book around and slotted it into his Driver, then gave her jewel a spin.

"Reroll! Prestige Class: Loremaster!" his Driver shouted. An angelic choir sang a wordless melody as an alabaster crystal wrapped around him and spun for a few moments. When the spinning stopped, J.J. was clad in a suit of half-plate with a loose, open, white robe fluttering over it. He gripped his feather-shaped longsword tightly as he raised his head again, glaring at Blake from behind his visor.

Blake stared at him in silence for a few more seconds, then looked away. A moment later, he disappeared behind an obsidian crystal, which spun around him. When it dissolved, the feathers on the Seraph's wings shone with the colors of a dark rainbow, while his ebony sword glowed with a radiant light. He kept his own blade low for a moment as he met J.J.'s gaze.

"You're accusing me of fighting alone?" Blake asked softly. The Seraph then charged him suddenly, bringing his sword up and slamming it down hard on J.J.'s blade. J.J. managed to raise his own sword in time, parrying the blow, and he was forced to sway out of the way as the Seraph followed it up with a vicious thrust that missed him by inches. "How dare you?!" Blake snapped, uncharacteristically losing his composure. "Everything I've done – everything! – has been for the sake of everyone else!"

"Then where are your allies?!" J.J. shot back, answering Blake's attack with a hard thrust of his own. The Seraph parried the blow and countered with a stab that scratched J.J.'s armor, but didn't do more than superficial damage. "You've used everyone you've ever come in contact with, Blake! Even your own retainers, your most loyal followers, were killed by your actions! You drove Agnar away the second he questioned you, even though he would have gladly followed you to the very end if you hadn't dismissed him!"

"I had to!" Blake snarled, gripping his sword with both hands as he slashed at J.J. An arc of rainbow light trailed behind his blade, and J.J. narrowly stepped out of the way as the solid light clipped his robe, tearing it. "With my plans nearly complete, I couldn't let anyone threaten my-!"

"That! That right there!" J.J. barked. Before he could continue, Blake thrusted at him once again, which J.J. parried, and he responded with a thrust of his own that the Seraph swayed out of the way of. J.J. concentrated for a moment, and white flames erupted around his blade. At the last second, the Seraph noticed the scorching heat as J.J. flicked his wrist and ignited the feathers on one of his wings.

Blake hissed in pain and fluttered back as J.J. took a moment to rest, trying not to tax Gwen's dwindling energy too much. "Your problem is that you fancy yourself a chessmaster," J.J. explained, lowering his sword into a defensive stance as the Seraph beat his wings furiously to extinguish the white flames singing his feathers. Once the fire was out, he turned back to J.J. "You've said it yourself – you see the world as a chessboard, with the people in it little more than pieces to be moved and sacrificed as necessary in your pursuit of some grand goal the rest of us can't see. Everything exists for the sake of protecting the king until he can claim victory, at which point he can reign over a perfect board, right?" J.J. scoffed behind his helmet as he raised his blade again. "The problem, Blake, is that chess isn't an accurate representation of the real world. The pieces have their own thoughts and desires. The board changes in ways you can't control. Most importantly, though, if you think you're a chessmaster? Ultimately, you're trying to secure the victory that you want. Even if you try to rationalize it as 'doing it for the sake of the world,' you're still only fighting for yourself."

"And you're not?!" Blake snapped. He lunged at J.J. again, gripping his blade with both hands. J.J. quickly closed his left hand over the hilt of his own sword and concentrated his energy, so that the edge of the blade glowed white. Their swords clanged loudly in the air, and they struggled for a moment, glaring at each other through their locked blades.

"I can't say everyone agrees with me," J.J. grunted. "But I'm certainly not just doing this for myself." He briefly glanced down at the other gems in his belt – those belonging to his friends – before glancing back up and adding, "After all, I've been representing more than just one person for a long time."

"And you think that makes you stronger than me?" Blake sneered.

"It does," J.J. replied coolly. He suddenly twisted his blade, breaking the lock, then stepped back. He then briefly vanished from view, and at the same time, set up an illusion behind the Seraph. Anticipating this, Blake swung around, his rainbow-colored blade slashing through the shadowy copy, which dissipated instantly. The Seraph paused as he realized his mistake, and turned around in time to see J.J. reappear, his blade coming down to slash the angel firmly across the back. At the last moment, however, the Seraph managed to turn, and J.J.'s sword only tore through his arm. Still, it was enough to make the Seraph grunt in pain and stagger back, his left arm hanging loosely by his side.

"See? Those are my friends' abilities. I'm not fighting alone," J.J. commented, giving his blade a spin. He then tilted his head slightly. "You really should have started playing tabletop games."

The Seraph scoffed as he swung his sword around, before turning it into a thrust at the last moment. J.J. managed to block the swing, but the thrust caught him by surprise, and he grunted in pain and doubled over as it slammed into his stomach. "Is that right?" Blake asked sardonically. "What could I possibly learn from such childish games?"

"More than you'd think," J.J. growled, straightening up. His sword glowed as he gripped it with both hands, and he feinted with a slash before stepping in and thrusting. Blake was unable to respond as the blade sliced his chest. "Embracing your strengths," J.J. hissed. He then braced himself, grunting as he felt the Seraph's blade cut into his side, but he held his ground. "Accepting your weaknesses." He disappeared for a moment, reappearing to the Seraph's left. His blade briefly shimmered with an icy mist, and he slashed in a short arc, freezing part of the Seraph's arm. "Learning to grow in the direction you want." He stepped back as the Seraph's next slash cut through an illusion he projected, and he responded with a counter-slash that ran along the angel's hip. "Valuing help without becoming dependent on it." Blake slashed at him again, catching him in the ribs, but J.J. shifted his weight, mitigating some of the damage. "Adapting to misfortune." He avoided a furious high slash by ducking under it, and he stepped back to gauge his opponent's condition. "Understanding others." He then grasped his blade tightly in two hands, stepping forward as Blake raised his own blade in a defensive stance. Their blades glowed brightly as J.J. rained three quick strikes down on Blake's guard, knocking him back with each one. "And most of all," J.J. concluded in a hiss, which culminated in a heavy strike that tore through Blake's chest. "Instead of remaining detached from it, becoming a part of the world."

The Seraph hunched over, panting, as his glowing, violet wounds pulsed all over his body. "And of course you defeat your enemy every time and go home to live happily ever after?" Blake growled. J.J. noticed that he was wheezing, and his glowing wounds weren't closing.

"Not always," J.J. replied, dropping his hand to his D-former. "You have to earn that ending."

He gave the white D-former in his belt a quick spin, and a white crystal started to appear around him. Before it could fully take shape, however, the die suddenly shattered into thousands of fractals, and a moment later, his white armor splintered and vanished, leaving him clad in his basic brown leather armor. J.J. stared down at himself in shock, and then his blood turned to ice.

"Gwen!" he exclaimed, looking over at her. Gwen was lying completely still on the floor, with white lines starting to snake up her body. His heart pounded violently as he started towards her, but then he heard a sound like rushing wind that made him stop and turn back towards the Black Seraph.

The angel was standing in a ready pose, holding his sword in front of him with two hands. His body pulsed with rainbow energy, in time with the tower around him, while his sword shimmered, coated in an aurora. His wings were outstretched, and his golden gaze was fixed on J.J. In a low voice, he asked, "Tell me, then, Page. What happens in your games when you're completely outmatched, you're out of tricks, and everything you've tried has failed? I suppose the game's over at that point, right?"

J.J. looked down at Gwen again, then looked back over his shoulder at Blake, shaking his head. "No," he replied softly. "In those games, there's always a sliver of hope. In that situation… all you can do is roll the dice and try to land a… Critical!"

J.J. gave his amber D-former a spin, letting his Driver shout the last word for him. An amber crystal appeared around him and began spinning as he murmured to his diary, "Pour everything you can into this attack. We can't hold back."

J.J. spun on his heel to face the Black Seraph, and he dropped into a low crouch. The Seraph chuckled as he raised his blade, the aurora shimmering around him growing brighter and flickering like a rainbow of flames. "Come, then, Kamen Rider," Blake said in a low voice. "Let's see how the dice land."

The crystal around J.J. began spinning more rapidly as he broke into a run, charging towards the Black Seraph, who watched him stoically with his blade raised. When he was about ten feet from the angel, J.J. jumped and began rotating in midair, gathering as much force as possible. His crystal spun around him even faster as he began to descend, and at the last moment, he twisted his body. He let out a furious cry as the crystal around him coalesced around his right leg, and he swung it around in a flying roundhouse kick. The Black Seraph swung his blade around to counter it, and the two attacks met in midair. J.J. grit his teeth as the Seraph's aurora flared around him, and he could feel the angel's attack pushing him back. His heart pounded in his ears as the Seraph's strength began to overwhelm him. Then, at the last second, he was struck with an idea. He stopped resisting, allowing the Seraph to push him away, but then he twisted his body and kicked in the other direction, spinning back towards the Black Seraph's unguarded right side. Blake was caught completely by surprise as the heel of J.J.'s boot slammed into the side of his face, unleashing all the accumulated energy into his jaw. A glowing, amber, triangular pane of energy appeared on his mask as J.J. landed in a crouch a few feet away, his limbs trembling and threatening to give out.

J.J. slowly managed to rise to his feet and turn in time to see the Black Seraph's obsidian sword fall to the floor, and the angel fell to his knees. Amber lines slowly began to spiderweb out from the point of impact, spreading across his body like cracks in a pane of glass. The Black Seraph looked down at his hands as the lines covered them, and he stared at them in disbelief.

"It shouldn't… end… like this," Blake whispered. He slowly looked up at J.J., adding quietly. "I still have… to make… the world better."

Despite himself, J.J. felt a sudden pang of pity for the Black Seraph, and he lowered his head slightly. "Your ideals are noble, Blake, even if your methods weren't," J.J. said softly. "You're right. There are things we can do better. And we'll keep trying. I can't promise we'll succeed in this lifetime, or even the next, but we'll keep trying to make life better."

Blake stared up at him, then chuckled bitterly. "A pity, then, that it seems neither of us will be around to see it." He then lifted his head slightly and looked past J.J.

J.J. felt his heart stop as he turned back towards Gwen, who was on her back, still in her human form, with glowing white lines snaking across her body. J.J. sprinted to her and dropped to his knees, lifting her into his arms as his heart began pounding again. His hands trembled from a combination of exhaustion and fear. Gwen looked up at him as she felt his arms, and she managed to smile softly.

"Looks like you pulled it off," she whispered. "I'm so proud of you."

"Y-yeah," J.J. stammered, a pained grin on his face behind his mask. "It's over. And since your D-former isn't connected to Blake's through the crown anymore, you just need to rest-"

Gwen shook her head slowly, a sad smile crossing her lips. "I'm afraid not," she murmured quietly. "Our bodies are still linked to each other. Even when I pulled my D-former out of the crown, we were still sharing energy. When you beat Blake… that was the last of it."

J.J. swallowed hard as the lines running up her body glowed brighter, and he shook his head. Before he could speak, however, Gwen smiled again and put her finger to his helmet, where his lips would be. "This is how it has to be," she said quietly. "Blake and I have been fighting for over a thousand years, and we almost dragged the world along with us. It's time this war finally ended so that the people in this city can finally have some peace."

"Maybe, but… I want to enjoy that peace with you," J.J. murmured.

Her smile flickered slightly as tears ran down her face. "I'm sorry, J.J. All I've ever done is bring you pain."

J.J. shook his head slightly, taking a shaky breath. "No. You've brought me so much more than that. I'm sorry that I didn't say it before, but… I love you too, Gwen."

Gwen's eyes widened slightly, and her smile broadened. "That's the first time anyone has ever said that to me," she whispered. "Just hearing that from you… made all of this worth it. I just wish I could do more." She paused, her eyes widening for a moment, and then reached to his belt and pulled out his diary. She turned it over and ran her fingers along the white jewel in the rear cover of his book. "Keep it with you. I-"

"Of course," J.J. whispered, choking back a sob.

Gwen smiled at him, then she suddenly inhaled sharply. The glowing lines on her body burned brightly, then suddenly, her body disappeared in a shower of pure white fractals. Behind him, he heard Blake's body shatter in a similar manner, and he glanced over his shoulder to see black and violet fractals flutter to the ground before disappearing.

J.J. stared silently at the spot where Gwen had been, tears running down his cheeks and collecting on his chin under his helmet. He stayed kneeling for several long moments, until his legs began to grow numb. Reluctantly, almost automatically, he pushed himself to his feet and staggered across the room.

As he walked, he caught sight of something glinting out of the corner of his eye. The Crown of Almencia glittered on the floor, beckoning him. He walked towards it as if in a trance and reached down, scooping it into his hands. For a few moments, he idly turned it over, as a thought began flickering like a dark flame in the back of his mind. Gwen was an alchemical being. Tristan knew Almencian, Susumu was a genius with machines, and they had Quintus' notes. With the crown and some time to study, they could-

J.J.'s eyes then fell on Blake's obsidian D-former, lodged in the center of the crown, and he grit his teeth and ruthlessly suppressed that thought. If he brought Gwen back, what if he brought Blake back too? It would render everything she had fought for – and died for – utterly pointless. What's more, if he went down that road, he would just be repeating mistakes. Let the past lie, he bitterly ordered himself. All of it.

J.J. took a deep breath and slowly made his way to the doors of the tower. With the doors still wedged open by the piece of crystal, he was able to pry them apart, and as he stood in the doorway, he noticed that the aurora curtain that had covered the city had disappeared, and he could see the clear blue sky again. Below him, he could make out a crowd of people. To his relief, he saw that they had been returned to normal, though there was clearly still some confusion. A few were still throwing punches at each other, but most just seemed perplexed. Then he heard someone shout and point up at him, and in short order, every eye was turning up to him.

J.J. slowly looked down at the crown in his hands again, and he took a moment to gather his resolve. He then tossed it into the air and spun his D-former. "Critical!" his Driver shouted, and an amber crystal briefly surrounded him before coalescing into an amber light around his short feather-shaped saber. As the crown descended, he slashed through it, and the glowing energy quickly spread across the metal surface. The crown disintegrated, along with the D-formers in it, long before it hit the ground, but it was clear to everyone watching what had just happened.

The reaction he got was mixed at first. There were murmurs and mutters, and a few cries of disbelief. Then, he heard someone clapping, and in short order a few more joined in. After a minute or so, even the detractors seemed to have second thoughts and began joining in the cheering.

Near the base of the tower, J.J. saw Tristan nod in approval, while his friends pointed and yelled with joy. The cheers swelled into a deafening roar that J.J. could hear even as high up as he was. Yet, despite the palpable joy in the air and the collective relief at the end of the war, the cheers of the crowd rang hollow in J.J.'s ears.