With the voyage to the Southern Base having different results to what was anticipated, Touma and Rintaro, now joined by Reika, had returned to the Northern Base, showing off their prize of the Ridebooks that had seemingly gone missing in the past few days, along with half the sword of the remaining Southern Base Swordsman. But they had been greeted with the bad news that not only had Mei's transformation into a Megido had been completed in their absence, but the resulting creature had made off with a book from the library. Now, with that done, Reika was making an apology to the Northern Base swordsmen. "I'm sorry.", she said, bowing my head. "I misled you for ends I know realise were wrong of me to believe in. I only hope I can earn your forgiveness."
"Well it may be some time if you want that.", Daishinji stated. "For one thing, we need to make sure you're sincere about this, which will require a test to see if you are."
On the other side of the room, Touma and Yuri were conversing with each other concerning Ritnaro's mental state. "He's really not taking his failure well.", Touma noted. "Mei-chan was the first real friend outside of the guild and now she's gone, possibly forever."
"I admit, I also feel some guilt over this matter.", Yuri stated in response. "If I hadn't been preoccupied with searching for my friend, this could've been avoided. But I have been through this failure to succeed multiple times myself. But what Rintaro-kun is going through…" Yuri stopped to think about the losses in his long existence, such as his friend Bacht and all of his loved ones from 2000 years ago. "That… that is something that never truly goes away."
"Can we do anything to help?", Touma asked. He recalled his own experiences losing Luna 16 years ago, along with Kento turning against everyone more recently. "We've all lost something."
"Right now, all we can offer is comforting words.", Yuri shook his head. "Besides, I feel a premonition that something terrible is about to happen."
In the wilderness of the Arctic Circle, Ryoga Shindai was dragging himself along. His duty to serve Master Logos could not be fulfilled without his weapon. He had lost half of that weapon, but he would get it back. Kaiji was unique in that if half of it was removed, the other half could be used as a homing device to reunite the two halves. And where the blade of Kaiji was located, Ryoga would find the other traitors and make them pay. But, unbeknownst to him, he was being followed by a figure in a tweed coat with a white collared shirt, who was just as intent on fulfilling his mission as him.
And in the Megido's lair, Storious was speaking to Zooous, Charybdis and their newest successful creation, who had adopted the name Eztak. "The time has come for us to assault the Northern Base and take the Seiken from those Swordsmen." He announced. "We need to assemble an army for this attack."
"You can assemble all the troops you want.", Zooous growled, reaching for the Alter Ridebook with his name on it. "All I need is this power for myself." He opened the book, bathing in its light and stumbling out of the room as he did so. "Wait for me, Water Swordsman. We're going to settle this."
As he did this, Eztak noted this and whispered. "He's about to meet his end. Isn't he?"
"The fool has written his own fate.", Storious nodded. "Of course that means there may be an opening for you. If you can pick the appropriate troops for our upcoming attack."
Eztak observed the books on the table, looking over them and thinking of the best options. "If Charybdis is to aid us in this, then perhaps we should offer him some support." She picked up a book labelled "Saiark no Scylla". "This one should do the trick nicely." She opened it, revealing a creature that looked similar to Charybdis, only more slender, with a sea serpent sticking out of its back and three dog-like heads sticking out of its body.
"At your service.", Scylla nodded in a female voice.
"And rather than go for strength of numbers in this battle, we should go for strength of power." Eztak picked up three of the older-styled, smaller books and opened them. "These three will work well."
Kabekara Gargoyle!
Drill Mandril!
Urotsuki Wolf!
As the three books opened, they generated a Megido with large, spiked wings and horns on his head with his tongue sticking out, a Megido resembling a snarling ape with a drill on his right arm instead of a hand and a Megido with canine features, with a grandmother's cap and severed pigs tails hanging from its neck emerged from the three of them. "Oh, these will do the job perfectly.", Storious cackled. "Ultimate power is within my grasp. Soon, no-one will be able to stop me in my quest."