Chapter 6 Part 3: Project MODERN Act III

Disclaimer: The Kamen Rider Franchise and Symphogear belong to their respective owners. OCs belong to their creators.

Hibiki watched the unbearable sight unfold as the shadowed figure tore its scarlet-covered claw out of his chest. "AKA!" screamed Hibiki.

"Hibiki…" muttered the mortally wounded Akakishi.

Hibiki cried as Akakishi continued to reach out, but his arm twitched and fell onto the ground as if its strings were cut like a puppet. Then her sadness felt cut off as she heard his voice again.

"Hibiki… Wake up!" shouted Akakishi except his voice didn't come from him. Instead he was heard as an echo in the air itself.

Hibiki looked around in confusion before turning to the spot where Akakishi still laid. "Huh?"

"WAKE UP!" shouted Akakishi except it was louder and she felt his voice echo through her mind.

Then Hibiki gasped and opened her eyes to the sight of Akakishi holding her. He gave a sigh of relief that she was fine. "Jeez, don't scare me like that, Hibiki."

"Aka… You're alive?" asked Hibiki with a dazed tone, probably from the shockwave they got caught in.

"Of course, I'm alive! Well in pain, but alive, no less. And Gentarou-sempai and Ryusei-sempai made it out with a few scrapes. That shockwave must have hit you a little too hard in the head." Akakishi said before he brought out Hibiki's smartphone which was ringing. "And I believe this belongs to you."

"Oh, my cellphone! Oh no, Miku's calling!"

"Well answer it! You know how worried she gets if you don't pick up!" Akakishi said with a panicked tone.

"Got it! Hello, Miku? What's wrong?"

While Hibiki responded to her call, Akakishi turned to Gentarou and Ryusei who were busy digging out their motorcycles.

"Yeesh, I did not expect something like that to happen."

"Just be glad we're alive, Gentarou. But what caused that blast earlier?" wondered Ryusei who turned to the direction where the shockwave originated.

Akakishi approached the two with a concerned look on his face. "My guess is Master Tendou and Kenzaki-sempai."

"Eh? Is it normal for the sempais to fight this recklessly?" asked Gentarou who had a sweatdrop.

"Well yes… but that explosion of energy earlier was way too powerful compared to their usual fights." Akakishi turned to where the sounds of battle continued with several dust clouds forming from the intense conflict. "I just hope Master is all right."

At Hyper Kabuto's side, he dodged several beams of lights aimed at him and charged forward with his sword raised. When his target came within the right distance, the red beetle rider swung his two-handed sword down. But his attack was immediately blocked and parried by a shadowed Kenzaki who roared and swung her blade up. With quick reflexes, Hyper Kabuto jumped back a fair distance away from the deadly arc his opponent swung. He wielded his sword and held it tight waiting for something. Then the moon itself lit the area around them and set the stage for the climax of their battle.

(Sanctuary- Tamaki Nami)

/Bokutachi wa mina kitto Te wo nobashiterun da/

From a cloud of black ash, a young man with red hair walks out. Then his face is shown to be Akakishi as both of his eyes glowed. He walks forward with the Reverse IXA Knuckle on his left hand. Then he stops to the view of rocky cliffs and a starry night sky.

/Tooku tooi basho e to/

The scene shifts to Hibiki who stood on top of a tower of rock looking toward the sky. Then the scene turns to her back as wings sprout out of it. She flies off the pillar of rock and into the sky.

Akakishi follows her action and jumps towards the sky from the rocks. While Hibiki flies toward him in the opposite direction. Then the title appears with the two turning into silhouettes.

/Kaze ni fukare aruite yuku/

Then Akakishi is shown on his motorcycle looking toward the sky as the wind blew. Then a silhouette of a man with red compound eyes came to his mind.

/Umare kita imi wo shiritakute/

The scene changes to Hibiki who is staying to the sky at the Lydian Academy. Then an image of Kanade and Tsubasa fighting in the Zwei Concert incident appears in her mind.

/Tatoeba ushinau toki ga kitemo/

The scene changes to Miku who watches a meteor shower then reaching out to the same shower. A shift to Kanade and Fen where they are shown watching a concert performed by Tsubasa. Eiji also watched Tsubasa except he was in the situation/observation room with Genjuro and the other members of the Second Division. Then Gentarou is shown walking the streets with his friends with Tridoron passing the group. Then the silver haired girl also passed the group.

/Dakishimeru koto ima, erabou/

Several colored chains wrap around Akakishi's body as he falls into an unconscious state. As ash gathered and dissipated, Hibiki is shown sitting in a fetal position with a sad look with chains of orange binding her. Tsubasa also is restrained in blue chains as she closes her eyes. Yoku is also seen with yellow chains covering her and her chained hand reaches out.

Instrumental

The scene shifts back to an awakened Akakishi as he tears off the chains with each colored chain breaking in succession with the music and in the order of orange, blue, and majenta. He reaches out to the chained Hibiki who smiles at his appearance and she reaches out with her chains shattering. Tsubasa sees Eiji who reaches out to her and she reaches out to his hand with her chains shattering. Yoku's outstretched hand is grabbed by Shinnosuke who embraced her in a protective hug, causing her chains to break apart.

Then the scene transitions to the armored form of Ixa R with several shadowed Kamen Riders at his side. Two are revealed to be Kamen Rider Kabuto at his left and Kamen Rider Super 1 at his right.

/Bokutachi wa mina kitto/

Hibiki charges into the fray of battle swinging her fists into each Noise in her way with practiced ease. Then Ixa R kicks down a large Noise before punching a Noise in sync with Hibiki.

/Te wo nobashiterun da/

Tsubasa jumps in by cutting down several Noise with the blades on her legs. Next, Kamen Rider OOO lands and supports the singer by cutting down foes with his sword.

/Nakusenai mono ni mukatte/

The next scene shows off Kamen Rider Kabuto in his unmasked form clashing with Kenzaki in her armored form.

Then Kamen Rider Fourze is shown with his Rocket Module active as he flies into battle.

Next came Kamen Rider Eternal standing with a feminine figure at his back with a blue visor.

/Kagayaita yume dake wo/

Ixa R takes out a fuestle and equips his Reverse Knuckle while Hibiki pulls out the piston on her gauntlet.

/Taguriyosenagara/

The two run through the long range attacks of the Noise and punch forward, ending the scene with a view of their knuckles.

/Tooku tooi basho e to/

The camera shows the armored hand of Ixa R reaching out and the armored hand of Hibiki grabbing it. The hands lace their fingers as the armors transition off. The scene flashes and dies down to reveal Akakishi standing with Hibiki with their eyes staring off into the blue horizon. Behind them is Eiji with Tsubasa, and Shinnosuke with Yoku.

As the moonlight brightened the area around the two veterans, they charged at each other once more. Blades clashed with sparks flying as Hyper Kabuto stood his ground and fended off the berserk Kenzaki. The Rider-turned-Symphogear user-turned-berserker swung her two-handed sword with her hand wildly with each attempt parried. The she stabbed her left, claw-like hand forward in order to make at least a single blow to the red beetle rider, but he quickly jerked his head to the side before punching her in the face with a cross counter. The attack sent her staggering for a few moments before she growled and continued her assault. Hyper Kabuto was forced on the defensive with his skill and remaining strength keeping him within fight-worthy conditions.

During this battle, the moon was suddenly block by clouds. At that moment, Kenzaki's assault proved relentless and broke through the red beetle rider's defense by knocking his sword out of the way resulting in his arms stretching out, and leaving his body open. She then grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground, creating web-like cracks on ground.

"Ugh…" muttered Hyper Kabuto as he felt dazed from the attack.

Kenzaki raised her sword and stabbed down to Hyper Kabuto's chest, intending to finish him and the battle right there.

During those few seconds, Hyper laid motionlessly and watched as the blade fell down. But within those few moments, he heard someone crying. The sound caused the Rider to regain his bearings and quickly slammed the button on the Hyper Zecter.

=HYPER CLOCK UP!=

Then Hyper Kabuto felt his body being pulled backwards and saw a tunnel of blue energy around him before he felt himself on his feet at a distance from the monstrous Kenzaki. For the shadow Kenzaki, she was confused when her target suddenly disappeared in a green glow, leaving nothing but an empty space. Kabuto took the chance as an opening for another attack as he held his Perfect Zecter before tilting the hilt in an angle.

=GUN MODE=

Then he pointed the weapon at Kenzaki who took notice of the announcement before he pressed the buttons once more.

=Kabuto-, TheBee-, Drake-, Sasword Power! All Zecter Combine=

A vortex of golden energy formed at the Perfect Zecter's tip while Hyper Kabuto's armor split open to release its stored Tachyon energy. Then the rider pulled the trigger on his weapon which fired a red laser at the monstrous Kenzaki.

=MAXIMUM HYPER CYCLONE!=

The torrent wave of energy engulfed Kenzaki and several pieces of debris in a cone the continued to fly out of the area.

At another area, a large amount of rubble heaped into one large pile. Anybody that would be stuck under that would not be able to move, but a rumble was suddenly heard. Then a black jeep-like car broke out and drove out with a drill attached to its car door helping in its escape. The high suspension vehicle quickly maneuvered down the rubble with ease before parking at the base where there was a somewhat intact road. The door opened with Go and Shinnosuke falling out because of the somewhat cramped space, and Yoku opening her side and running to check on them.

"Are you two all right?"

"Fine, Yoku-chan!" The photographer said from the ground while giving a thumbs up. "But I am not going inside of any cars for a while… Too cramped." Go said as he stood up before stretching a bit.

"Agreed. On another note, did a mini-nuke drop or was it something else?" wondered Shinnosuke. Suddenly a large beam of red energy vaporized the pile behind him with Go witnessing the disintegration of the debris.

"Like that?" asked Go and Yoku who pointed to where pile of rubble used to be.

"EEEHHHH?!" shouted Shinnosuke who did not expect the rubble to suddenly disappear.

"Man, Kabuto-san sure is going at it with whoever he is fighting." Go commented with a nervous tone.

"But the amount of collateral damage could prove to be quite staggering for the Second Division to cover." Mr. Belt commented with a troubled emote.

"Yeah… Say Go, where's your bike?" asked Shinnosuke as he looked around the ruined area for any sign of the younger man's motorcycle.

"Gah! I knew I forgot something!" The young photographer quickly ran about the place looking through the rubble for any sign of his custom motorcycle.

"*Sigh* We might as well help-"

"No! You are staying in the car, Shinnosuke! You already took enough damage fighting Chase."

"Belt-san is right, Shin nii-san!" Yoku agreed as she stood in front of the injured detective.

"Is that the sound of an injured person I hear?"

The detective and high school student turned to the sound of the voice to find Oki and Date had just driven up to them. The two were covered in dust and dirt as a sign that they too were caught in the shockwave earlier.

"Ah, Oki-san! You're all right!" Yoku said with a relieved smile that the older man was still all right.

"Yep, and I picked up a friend that can help." The older man gestured to his passenger who got off.

"Um, who is he?" asked Shinnosuke who did not recognize the man in the aviator jacket.

"He's-"

"Hold it! Let me introduce myself, Oki. I am the Fighting Doctor, Date Akira! And also one of your sempais!"

"Eh? Fighting Doctor?" Shinnosuke never even heard of his title.

"Yep, you heard that right. Now don't leave me hanging and introduce yourself, Suit Kouhai."

"Oh right, introduce myself! My name is Detective Shinnosuke Tomari! It's an honor to meet you sempai!" Shinnosuke said as he bowed quickly though he quickly regretted it due to feeling the pain from his back injury coming back.

"Good, it also a pleasure, Shinni-chan! Now, let's get some first aid on you."

"Please do, Doctor Date." Mr. Belt said.

"Of course, Professor! Now… strip off that shirt!" exclaimed the fighting Doctor as he took out a pair of clothes cutting scissors, which were just a very big pair of scissors.

"H-Hold on a minute!" shouted Shinnosuke as he quickly got on his feet and ran.

Then Go walked in on the scene while wheeling his undamaged white motorcycle at his side. "Finally found it, guys! Hm? When did you get here, Mister Oki?" asked Go who recognized the space Kamen Rider. Then the two began to have a talk about their times journeying around America while ignoring Shinnosuke's shouts as he was being chased by the scissor wielding Date. At this point, Yoku decided to ignore everything and finish up her chocolate bar.

Back in Hyper Kabuto's battle, he lowered his weapon with the feeling of exhaustion taking its toll on his body. He breathed heavily but his guard was still up since he had faced opponents who had to take more than one finisher to go down. His intuition proved true when the dust cloud cleared to reveal the shadowed Kenzaki still standing and in one piece.

"To be able to remain in one piece after taking a full force blast, this form… is definitely dangerous."

The shadowed woman roared in anger from the attack she received and bent her body forward to charge at him. The laser attack appeared to be Kabuto's last trump card and he was now picking straws. Deciding to keep his cool, Kabuto took a neutral stance and waited for the berserk Kenzaki to come within distance of him. When Kenzaki came within the right distance, she swung her two-handed sword with a wild, wide arc. Upon her attack Kabuto saw his chance, he abandoned his sword, and smashed his elbow on her wrist as she was in the middle of her swing. When the elbow struck true, Kenzaki was forced to let go of her sword, leaving herself open for Kabuto to make a counterattack. He spun his body and swung his right leg into a high roundhouse kick aiming for her head. The kick made contact and Kenzaki was thrown off her feet and into the ground with a heavy thud, but she quickly rolled on the ground and got back on her feet.

Hyper Kabuto put his foot down calmly and knew that the situation was bit more favorable since she was disarmed. But he recognized he was still at a disadvantage since the kick did little to damage to the shadowed beast-like woman. Then he tilted his head in deep thought before remembering there was still one more option he could try. Hyper Kabuto pointed to the sky as the clouds broke clear to allow the moon to shine on the red beetle rider.

"Grandmother once said, 'My evolution is faster than the speed of the light. There is nothing in the whole universe that can keep up with my evolution." Then he grabbed the horn lever of the Kabuto Zecter. "Hyper Cast On!"

=HYPER CAST ON!=

Then he pulled the lever into its original position and his body glowed with a blue aura. Followed by tachyon energy discharging from his body, forming a blue sphere that engulfed his body.

At the Second Division headquarters, the members were hard at work at locating the members of the extraction team and other Rider group until an alarm went off.

"What's going on?"

"Sir! There's been a large spike of Tachyon energy in the vicinity and it appears to be coming from the Vice Commander!" reported Aoi.

"I see… he intends to use that. Shinji, has the armor been deployed?"

"Yes, it's been on standby until the activation of the new system and now en route."

"Good, we can only hope this new power can help him win his battle." Genjuro looked forward to the screen as whatever was the armor was on route to the Kabuto's location.

At Akakishi's side with the older teen riders and Hibiki, they managed to dig out the older riders' motorcycles and found the redhead's motorcycle.

"There. Sorry I almost forgot about you SBK." Akakishi apologized to his motorcycle. The vehicle responded with an engine rev akin to a horse snort.

Hibiki looked a bit confused at the scene before she noticed a line of light going through the sky. "A shooting star?"

Gentarou also took a look at the sky and also saw the stream of light. "Huh? No, that doesn't look like a shooting star."

(Full Force- Kamen Rider Kabuto OST)

A large case flew in to the site of the tachyon sphere of energy with Kabuto in the middle. Then the case broke open to reveal several metal components that converged and absorbed the tachyon energy. Then the metal components formed on Hyper Kabuto and attached to his body. They each covered his arms and legs with armor plating that made him seem a bit bulkier. His back received an armor plate to protect his beetle wing-like armor. His helm received additional armor that was similar to his default armor but without the crest since the hyper horn was a permanent attachment. The exposed lining in the armor glowed with a blue and a little bit of electricity sparking from the frame.

"It's time we end this, Kenzaki." Hyper Masked Kabuto stated as he gripped his fist which glowed with a blue aura.

The shadowed female growled then bellowed out a roar before she charged at the armored Kabuto. She swung her clawed right hand at his head, but Kabuto quickly intercepted the attack with his left arm with Kenzaki's shadow nails digging into the new armor. He gripped his fist and swung into her chest, causing a heavy blow that shook the air. She took the hit and screamed a bit in pain, signifying his attack was working.

Kenzaki flew a bit in the air before landing and all fours. She decided to changed tactics by jumping at short leaps in a zig zagged patterned to prevent the red beetle rider from anticipating her next move. Then she landed at attacking distance with Kabuto's back seemingly exposed. She swung her claw at his armor back, leaving a shallow scratch mark. Next, she quickly leapt at another angle of attack, aiming at his chest. But Hyper Masked Kabuto quickly brought his arms up to block the attack. Though that didn't stop the shadowed berserker as she continued her attacks into a similar manner that turned into of barrage of claw attacks that forced the heavily armored rider on the defensive. But the veteran quickly got ahold of the pattern of attacks and quickly came up with a counter strategy before she could go through his armor.

At the moment Kenzaki attempted another attack at his back, she didn't expect him to turn around with his fist raised. As the berserker quickly swung her claw forward, Hyper Masked Kabuto performed a cross counter, successfully hitting her face. Kenzaki once again flew a distance and fell ungracefully on her back. Even though the hit was a success, the shadowed Symphogear user was still conscious. She growled and slowly stood up with her legs now shaky. She slowly walked forward despite the damage she incurred during the entire fight.

Hyper Masked Kabuto stood ready with his left hand over the Hyper Zecter. "Kenzaki, allow me to release you from this curse. Hyper Strike." Kabuto said as he pulled the lever down with his left palm.

=MAXIMUM RIDER POWER!=

Kenzaki ran into a full sprint to attack the red beetle Rider and with her fist raised. As energy charged into his right hand, Hyper Masked Kabuto readied himself for the attack. He slowly moved his hand forward to intercept Kenzaki who continued her charge at him. At the moment when his right hand met her chestplate, she suddenly stopped before a large vacuum of wind blasted from their position and dispersed the clouds above them.

HYPER STRIKE

(End OST)

As the air settled down, the berserk Kenzaki lowered her arms before the darkness that covered her dispersed into ash-like particles. She fell forward with her armor and her discarded sword dissolving into light, returning her to her civilian form. The red beetle rider quickly caught the young woman and laid her down on the floor. Then he sat down as the exhaustion finally taxed his body. He took off the Kabuto Zecter and the Hyper Zecter, causing the Hyper Masked Armor to fall off his body along with the inner armor disintegrating into hexagons. The outer armor quickly formed into its default unused form before soaring off into a dimensional portal along with the Perfect Zecter sword.

"I guess this means you won this round, Tendou." Kenzaki said as she laid on the ground with an indifferent attitude.

"Nope, it's a tie." Tendou said with a similar tone.

"Heh, you became humbler than the last time I saw you. It doesn't really fit you."

The man gave a small smile at her and looked up to the moon that shined on them. "Well, I do have a disciple who looks up to me. So, I can't betray his expectations as his master."

"Yeah… Promise me, you'll continue to protect him, Tendou. That kid's our hope after all." Kenzaki closed her eyes as she stated her request to her friend, knowing his response.

"Hmph, what do you think I have been doing all this time?" Tendou stated rhetorically causing the brunette to nod and smile. Then he heard several footsteps behinds him. "Took you all long enough. Take her, she's all yours."

"And no dirty business girls, the last thing we need is to end this fight on a sour note." Kenzaki stated with a silent threat combined with a smile that promised such a thing.

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Goto responded with a salute before she brought the exhausted brunette's arm over her shoulder and carried her. Chase took the other arm to help.

"Hey, Tendou. Let's settle this another time." Kenzaki said as she was carried off.

"Of course, and I hope that the next time we meet, you will have that power under your control." Tendou responded without looking back.

"Of course, that's a promise I'm willing to make." Then the women left the area with a high jump towards one of the remaining buildings

"That form… That was definitely a result of the Relic she was 'attuned' with, but why did it have that sort of reaction in her final form? That mastermind behind this attack and the Noise… just who is 'she'?" Tendou thought as he looked towards the sky as the moon shined on him.

"Master!" shouted Akakishi as he drove up to the scene along with the other members of the teenage group. Then the Tridoron drove in with Go, Oki, and Date following it. The redhead ran up to the exhausted veteran who looked up to the sight. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Akakishi. Just another spar with Kenzaki."

"A spar that nearly turned the entire district into rubble." Akakishi deadpanned. "We're lucky it has been abandoned but I don't think the government is going to enjoy having to cover up what happened here."

"You shouldn't have to worry about the details, Aka. That's why we adults are here."

The redhead turned around and saw Fen drove up near the group. "Big Bro! You're all right!"

"Of course I am! Who do you think had to drag you out of that one mess in Egypt?"

"That again? In my defense Big Bro, I didn't know that there was an actual mummy in there who has the power to rival one of Master Hongo's strongest foes!" defended himself on this incident they were referring to.

"But that doesn't excuse that you were the one to wake it up!" shouted Fen in return.

"What?! You woke up a Mummy, Aka?" asked Hibiki who jumped in the conversation.

Realizing Hibiki was still in his presence, Akakishi decided to shut up about the incident. "That's a story I will tell you later, Hibiki."

"Aw… But I want to know now." The girl pouted.

"You will learn about it later, Hibiki. My back is killing me!" Akakishi walked away quickly to avoid talking about what happened in Egypt. Date quickly ran to the young teen's side in order to examine his injuries.

"Aka! Geez, what happened in Egypt?" wondered the girl before Fen decided to approach her.

"So you must be Hibiki. Name's Fenrir Shinta, but I prefer to be called Fen. Nice to finally meet you."

"Oh, nice to meet you, Fen-san. I'm Hibiki Tachibana! But you can call me Hibiki!"

"Got'cha. So, got any questions for me?" asked Fen with a friendly smile.

Hibiki thought for a moment while crossing her arms. "Well… can you tell me when Aka started calling you Big Bro?"

Fen thought for a moment and laughed a bit. "Well… That's actually a funny story." Then the sound of a phone ringing was heard. The two turned to Oki who answered to whoever was on the other end. "But that is a story for another time, Hibiki."

"Okay, everyone! Let's get going! We still need to retreat back to base!" Oki announced to the group who understood that the mission was still not over. As they got on their respective vehicles, though Akakishi had to sit in the sidecar due to his injuries with Date agreeing to drive his motorcycle.

"So how did you defeat Kageyama, Big Bro?" asked Akakishi as he contacted Fen as the group drove to the base.

"Well, it was actually a pretty simple…" Fen said.

Kenzaki, Goto, and Chase looked at the prone form of Kageyama who was hanging from a broken street lamp. She seemed completely downtrodden as she was hung upside down from her position.

"So what happened here, Kageyama?" asked Kenzaki who had an amused expression.

"I don't want to talk about it, Blade-san." The young woman responded with a comically depressed tone.

Back at the Second Division base, the battered Riders and Symphogear users returned. Some were bothered and some were exhausted, but all-in-all there wasn't any casualties. Nonetheless, there was questions about the encounter with the subjects of Project MODERN.

"When were you going to tell us about Project MODERN, Commander?" asked Ryusei.

"In truth, we only found out about their operation and experiments from the data Ryoko managed to decode today. We were going to disclose what we found out about the Project during the conference tonight."

"Too late for that considering the enemy just recently hit us hard- ITAI!" shouted Shinnosuke after Date slapped his back.

"Oh, quit being such a baby. Eiji didn't complain when I treated him." Date said with a carefree tone.

"I think it's because Eiji-sempai's nerves are shot." Akakishi muttered after Ryoko wrapped some of his injuries and placed icepacks on his bruises.

"But why keep it a secret until now?" asked Kengo with suspicion in his tone.

"…Currently, we experienced a number of security breaches in the Base as well as the disappearance of several Kamen Riders. And taking into account the several skirmishes you all already went through in the recent days, I didn't wish to put too much on your shoulders with such information until we could confirm it."

The redhead sighed as he stood up. "Honestly Commander, you know you should…" Strangely, Akakishi trailed off with his eyes having a listless gaze.

Genjuro, Ryoko, Date, Oki, and Fen gave alert expressions from his sudden silence. "Aka what's wro-" Hibiki approached the redhead until he suddenly fell over before getting caught by Fen.

"Hey Aka! What's wrong?" asked Gentarou who quickly approached the redhead along with the other members of the Kamen Rider club.

"Ugh… Sorry, just feeling a bit sleepy, that's all. *Chuckle*" Akakishi said before giving a big yawn and rubbing his eyes.

But those who noticed knew there was more than the younger teen was letting on, but decided not to talk. A concerned Fen helped the young Rider to his feet and carried his arm over his shoulder.

"I'll bring him to his room. Commander, you mind guiding me to there?" asked the spiky-haired male.

"All right. Everyone, we will continue this meeting on a later date. Those who got seriously injured will be sent to the hospital for treatment and rest, but all in all take some time off for now. You all earned it. Understood?"

"Understood!" shouted the entire group.

Kanade watched as Fen carried the youngest Rider towards his room with Genjuro guiding him and Ryoko following them. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion with her thoughts focusing on the sudden collapse of the teen. "Something's going on… What's Fen and the others hiding about Aka?"

At Hibiki and Miku's dorm room, Miku was at her table worrying about Hibiki's condition since the tremor earlier followed by news reports stating there was an explosion in one of the abandoned districts of the city. Then the door opened to reveal Hibiki who was fine and giving an apologetic look.

"I'm back! Sorry I'm late Miku, there was a lot going on after that earthquake and-"

Miku ran up to hug the girl, cutting her off. "Its fine, you're all right. That's all that matters."

After breaking off the embrace, Hibiki looked at her best friend with a reassuring look. "Sorry, I made you worry."

"Of course I would worry! There was a tremor and you were out for the evening! If I lost you like Aka… I don't know what I would do."

"Miku… Don't worry, I won't be leaving you." Hibiki said as she held her hands with a smile gracing her features.

"Yeah…" Miku said with a smile.

"Don't worry Miku. One day, Aka will be able to show himself to you and we can hang out together like in the past." Hibiki thought with a thoughtful smile.

Sitting on the roof of Lydian, Fen was seen gazing at the stars in the night sky. His expression was unreadable as he stared at the sky without a care in the world

"So mind telling me what was that about?" asked a female voice.

The spiky-haired young man turned around to the sight of Kanade approaching him. "Kanade… It's been awhile. How's Tsubasa?"

"Tsubasa's fine, she finally got out of that rut she was in ever since the Zwei Wing Concert."

"That's good…" Fen offhandedly commented before he returned to stare at the starry sky.

Kanade knew there was something bothering the young man and decided to hit straight to the point. "Look, you don't have to tell me, Fen, but you're going to have to tell me why Aka has a habit of passing out like that."

Fen gave a reaction then turned around with an unamused expression. "*Sigh* I guess you're going to find out sooner or later."

The redhead placed her hands on her hips and gave a deadpan look. "You think? I tried asking Ryoko and Boss, but they always pass the buck or shut up. I figure you might know what's happening to the kid."

"…Aka started doing that about six months ago. He would get tired and slept earlier than usual. Sometimes, he would even space out around the evening before collapsing out cold. After a thorough examination, Ryoko found that the core in his body is deteriorating in function. Heh, I guess even geniuses make mistakes." Fen said with a bitter smile.

Kanade was shocked by his words since the redhead didn't act as if he was dying. Then again, she couldn't say much for herself during her fights as a Symphogear user. "What? Are you telling me that he's going to kick the bucket sometime soon?"

"Probably…" Fen said with an uncertain tone though his trouble face showed he believed her claim to be truth.

"Then why not make another core for him?"

"If they could, they would have already done it!" snapped the young man. Then he realized his slip-up and put his head down. "Sorry about that, Kanade. It's just that… he's my student, and yet… And yet he has to live on such limited time! If life is so precious, then why can't he be one of those who has a chance at living his properly?" asked Fen as he balled his hand into a fist and gripped tightly.

"I'm not sure, Fen, but… I don't think his burden should be yours to bear."

"But it is mines to bear! If I had known his core was deteriorating after that big fight a year ago, I could-" Then he was cut off by the former singer hugging him.

"Could what? Make it better? That's like saying you can cure cancer with a flick of a finger." Then she broke off the hug and looked at him in the eyes with a serious expression. "Fen, that kid's got more life in him than anyone I have met. He's reckless, hotheaded, but also caring and honest. He worries more about others rather than for himself. And I'm sure he wouldn't like it if his Big Bro is depressed about his limited time."

"Kanade…" The spiky haired young man looked at the moon before nodding. "Yeah, I can't let him down by being all moody and emo. I'm supposed to be the Big Bro he looks up to!"

"*Laughs* Now that's the Fen that I know." Kanade gave the young man a light punch in the shoulder while laughing lightheartedly. "So mind telling me how you became his big bro?" asked Kanade with an expecting gaze at her reunited friend.

"Well, it's actually a pretty funny story!" Fen said with a smile before recounting his nostalgic story to the redhead girl.

In the room where Akakishi slept, Ryoko entered with a shadowed expression on her face. As the researcher approached him, she took out a syringe with a clear liquid inside. But before she could inject him with the substance, a voice could be heard.

"Ryoko-san? What are you doing here this late?" asked Oki, who had happened to come by the room.

"Oh nothing, I was just checking on Aka-chan. Though I should be asking you, Oki-chan. Did you also come here to check on him?" asked the researcher as she quickly put away the unused syringe.

"Yeah, I heard from Genjuro he doesn't have long to live. I never imagined that the operation that saved his life only ended in failure two years later. I thought that the core Hongo-san designed would keep him living as long as we have."

"I thought so too, but there's nothing we can do now. We already spent our resources on the Relics we managed to convert into Symphogears."

"Indeed, but onto the other reason that I'm here. Commander is looking for you, Ryoko-san."

"Oh? The Commander is looking for me? What for?"

"Don't know, but I think he is just worried about you. I heard from him you have been working harder ever since Akakishi arrived here." Oki said with a hint of worry.

The woman gave a carefree smile that masked her current feelings as her glasses became glinted by the light. She brushed Akakishi's hair and stared at his sleeping face. "Having a child to call your own is quite an interesting circumstance. I always imagined such a concept, but never truly thought it out once Aka-chan came along. I guess this is the feelings of a mother."

"You would have made an excellent mother, Ryoko-san." Oki said with a smile as he watched her pat the teen's head.

The brunette quickly sat up and turned around with her hand on her left cheek. "Aw~ You flatter me!" Ryoko said with a playful tone. "But you better hope I won't tell your wife that you were flirting with another woman~!"

"O-Oi! Please don't tell her! It was already hard enough to convince her to let me into our home since your last prank call!" shouted Oki who gave a worried expression, much to the satisfaction of the amused scientist as she ran off to where Genjuro was.

As the morning came for the city and later the day entered the afternoon, the Space Kamen Rider club met together in the club room. Ran and Haru were the last to enter with worried expressions on their faces.

"Hey guys, so what's going- Huh? Isn't Aka with you today?" asked Yuki who tilted to look behind them for a sign of the redhead.

Haru scratch his head in equal bewilderment. "That's the weird thing, he didn't show up this morning and has been absent all day."

"Did something happen with Akakishi-kun last night?" wondered Ryusei.

"Maybe, let me call the Commander-san, he might tell us what's wrong." Miu stated as she dialed a number she received from Genjuro in the case of an emergency or inquiry.

"Could it be…?"

"What's wrong, Kengo? Do you know what happened to Aka-kun?" asked Gentaro.

"Not at the moment, Kisaragi. It's all conjecture. We need full confirmation from the-"

"Aka-kun's in the hospital!" shouted Miu.

"EH?!" shouted everyone in worry and the sudden news.

"We need to get there now!" shouted Gentarou who looked prepared to sprint out of the clubroom.

Upon hearing her phone pinged due to receiving a text, Miu looked at her phone and said, "Oops! False alarm, he's just in the hospital for examination. Apparently it's a routine thing they do!"

Then the club members fell face-first on the ground in exhaustion and exasperation due to the false alarm.

At the hospital ward in Lydian, Akakishi was laying on a flat table while going through a scanner with Asumu and Ryoko at the controls. He looked indifferent from the procedure as the two looked at the data being projected on their screen.

"The power output is still the same… but it appears there is some form of deterioration in its powering lifespan. How about his vitals?"

"Still in the green, there's no indication about the core's deterioration affecting his body's functions. So there's no need to fret about his health." Asumu reported.

The researcher gave a thoughtful look as her glasses were glinted by light. "I see… you hear that, Aka-chan? You can still have your private time!" teased Ryoko as she spoke into the speaker to the examination room.

"Hey! Don't go saying stuff that would make anyone misinterpret it, Miss Sakurai!" shouted Akakishi who did not enjoy the comment.

"*Giggle* Boys… They're all the same when it comes to mentioning something relating to their chastity~" Ryoko giggled that she managed to rile up the redhead.

Asumu gave a sweat drop at her action while thinking, "Seriously? Though as a man, I can't really deny that claim…"

After the examination, Akakishi was walking through the halls of the hospital with his mind stuck in thought. "Man, I never thought I would meet Kenzaki-sempai as a woman… I guess that's why the score now changed form." The redhead took out his Rider score which was now a crystal navy blue instead of the metallic color like the other Scores.

"Aka!" shouted Hibiki as she waved to the redhead in the hospital hall.

The redhead teen noticed the girl and approached her. "Hibiki? What are you doing here? And what's with the flowers?" He noticed that the amber-haired girl had a bundle of flowers on her.

"I'm visiting Tsubasa-san and Hino-san! What about you?" asked Hibiki.

"Medical examination, I took a pretty nasty beat down after fighting Kageyama, so Commander ordered that I receive some examination so that the parts in my body aren't too damaged." Akakishi responded as he scratched his head. "But it was just a couple of bruises here and there, so there's no need to worry."

"Oh, well want to join me on my visit? Commander said that they will be released from the hospital soon."

"Sure." Akakishi said as Hibiki walked to her destination with him following her lead. "We're going to need all the help we can get in fighting the Noise. Though I nearly forgot about Tomari-sempai. Is he also admitted in the hospital?"

"No, I heard from Shishou that Tomari-san was admitted in a hospital close to the apartment that he shared with his girlfriend. *Chuckle* It must be nice being able to stay close with the ones you love." Hibiki smiled at the thought of seeing whoever Shinnosuke was in love with tending to him.

"Yep, I bet she is feeding sempai apples right now." Akakishi said with a similar thoughtful expression.

At another hospital, Shinnosuke stared at a young woman who had straight, long black hair, and she stared back at him with an unamused expression. While the stare off went down, Go and Yoku watched from the sidelines with the blue haired girl eating a chocolate bar and the brown-haired young man drinking a soda.

"So Kiriko… why the surprise visit?" asked Shinnosuke with a nervous tone.

"I just wanted to know when you were going to tell me about Yoku-chan being a Symphogear User. After all, I'm also her guardian." The woman stated with a serious tone.

"Well, you were a bit busy and I didn't want to bother you so…" The detective hesitated to answer in fear of her wrath.

"And you decided to tell me after you got injured protecting her when she shouldn't be fighting at the moment." The woman deadpanned with a blank stare at the detective.

"What does she mean by that Go-nii san?" asked Yoku with a concerned tone.

"Wait for it." Go responded with a knowing look.

"Well, I thought it would be better if she learned on the field and well…"

"Then you should have told me earlier! I could plan up a training regimen so she has a better handle in battle!" stated Kiriko as she crossed her arms.

Shinnosuke was stunned by her willingness to help and his response, "Eh?"

"Look, while I don't approve of a young girl like in the field of battle, she willingly took up the duty, right?" asked Kiriko who looked at the detective with an expecting look.

"Yes…"

"And you are willing to protect and support her, correct?" pressed the woman.

"Yes…"

"Then Yoku-chan is going to need training if she is to serve as an effective partner for you, Tomari-san."

"Really? I can actually be able to become a hero with this training, Kiriko-nee san?"

The woman smiled with a confident expression. "Yes, Yoku-chan. No more reckless charging in or cumbersome movements. With this training, I will help you become an effective Symphogear user. But only if you are willing."

Yoku gave the offer some thought and nodded with a confident smile. "All right, I'm willing to do it!"

"Are you sure?" asked the woman for assurance.

"Yes!"

"Good, then we'll start first thing, tomorrow morning."

"Phew, seems like I've gotten out of that punishment." Thought the detective as he smiled in relief.

"And Tomari-san… When you recover, you and I are going to have a talk." The woman said with a smile that meant something else.

"Darn it." Shinnosuke muttered as his head hung low in defeat.

Back at Akakishi and Hibiki's side, they were outside of a room after passing a couple of security guards. "So are you sure this is Tsubasa's room?" asked Akakishi.

"I'm sure, Aka. You've got to have faith in me about stuff like this." Hibiki said with a huff.

"Well sorry, force of habit." Akakishi said with a chuckle.

Then Hibiki knocked on the door. "Tsubasa-san? It's Hibiki and Aka! I hope you don't mind if we come in!" Then she opened the door to the room, but it wasn't what she expected.

Akakishi also took a look and made a shocked expression. "W-What in the world?!" Then he ran into the room which looked as if a tornado went through it. "What happened here?"

"Tsubasa-san… Aka, do you think she's been kidnapped?!"

"Probably! I'll alert Commander about this!" Then he speed-dialed the number and placed his phone near his ear.

Meanwhile, Hibiki was panicking and hoping that her idol was still all right.

"Hibiki-chan? Akakishi? What are you two doing here?" asked a familiar voice behind the girl.

"Hino-san! It's terrible, Tsubasa-san's been kidnapped!" shouted Hibiki.

Instead of giving a similar shocked and panicked expression, the young man just gave a confused, "Eh?"

"It's true! When we got to her room, it's a mess! Aka's already calling the Commander about this!" shouted Hibiki.

"Tachibana, what's going on?"

Then Hibiki noticed Tsubasa with relief. "Tsubasa-san, you're all right! Did something happen to you?"

"You're seriously asking a hospital patient if they're all right? Now what happened that got you so flustered?" asked the older blue haired girl whose patience was thinning.

"Well, when I and Aka saw your room…" Hibiki pointed to the messy room.

"Huh? What about it?"

"We thought you were kidnapped!" shouted Hibiki.

"I think she misinterpreted what happened when she saw the mess, Tsubasa." Eiji said a calm tone, causing the bluenette to make an alarmed look.

"Look, the situation isn't good! Tsubasa is missing and her room is a mess- Okay, false alarm, sorry for the interruption Commander. Hibiki found Tsubasa and Eiji-sempai." Akakishi said after noticing the two outside of the room. Then he hanged up the call.

"So I guess, you also saw the state of Tsubasa's room, Akakishi." Eiji said as Tsubasa gave a troubled look.

The redhead approached the three outside of the room with a bothered look. "Yeah Eiji-sempai, so what gives? The sight nearly gave Hibiki and me a heart attack."

Eiji gave a glance at the singer as if silently asking her permission. The young woman simply nodded with her face in a firm and stoic expression though her cheeks were tinted red. "Tsubasa is an expert in many things, but… housework is where she fails at." Eiji admitted in order to help his partner save face.

The two gave disbelieving looks and turned to the singer. "I-It's true. It appears that my training as a sword dulled my abilities in the category known as housework. And I... tend to make a mess of my room."

"This isn't even a normal room mess..." Both Hibiki and Akakishi thought at the same time.

"Definitely like a pampered princess…" Akakishi finally said with an exasperated tone.

"Yep…" Hibiki agreed.

In reaction, Tsubasa blushed a bit in embarrassment at the revelation of her lack of housework ability.

"Well I think it takes talent to make this much of a mess." Kanade said as she approached the group of four.

"I don't think it's that much of a talent, Kanade." Fen said as he followed the young woman's lead.

"Kanade! And Fen-san! I didn't know you came back!" Eiji said as he approached the young man and shook hands with him.

"Been here since last night, Eiji." The young man said with a friendly smile. Then he turned to Tsubasa who was surprised at his appearance. "Seems like you've changed a bit since we last met, Tsubasa."

"Yes, Kanade made me realize the errors of my beliefs. I am a sword, but my edge is meant for protecting those I care about!"

"Heh, you really grown a bit, kid." Fen said as he patted her head. "Though you still owe me that rematch."

"Of course, Fenrir-dono. But this time, I will win with my heart clear of the past!" Tsubasa said while pointing a determined face at the young man.

"I look forward to it." Fen said with a nod while smiling.

"Big Bro, I thought Kanade-sempai was the woman for you. Is there some other sort of relationship between you and Tsubasa?" asked Akakishi while crossing his arms in confusion.

"Eh?" asked Kanade who thought she heard the redhead's words wrong.

"Whoa! Where did you get that from, Aka?! Tsubasa and I aren't like that!" shouted Fen.

"Then what are you two?" asked the redhead.

"I think they're more like siblings, Aka." Hibiki suggested.

"Huh? Really? Now that I think about it… Since Commander also semi-raised Big Bro along with Kanade-sempai, it would make sense that he grew up with Tsubasa. So that would make Tsubasa, Big Sis Tsubasa? But I feel as though Kanade-sempai would fit the Big Sis role more! AGH! I don't know!" shouted the redhead as he felt a migraine coming from trying to make sense of what he should call each of them. Then he started smacking his head against the wall.

"Ah! Aka!" shouted Hibiki in shock.

"Hey calm down, Akakishi!" shouted Eiji as he restrained him.

"Ugh, I forgot he has a habit of doing that." Fen said before he approached and smacked the redhead on the head. "Don't overthink it, Aka. Just treat Tsubasa as how you would any of your seniors."

"Ow, got it, Big Bro. But you didn't have to hit me so hard."

"Even if you are calmer than you were in the past, that doesn't really excuse you to still act that flustered." Fen scolded.

"Got it." Akakishi said as he continued to rub where he was hit.

"So why did you two want to visit Tsubasa and Eiji?" asked the young man with black spiky hair.

"Oh right! Here, some flowers for you two." Hibiki said as she gave the bundle of flowers to Tsubasa.

"Thank you, Tachibana."

"Since we're here, we might as well help clean up your mess." Fen said.

"Y-You don't need to do that! Hino can help me! That's the reason I went out for a bit!"

"So that's why Eiji-sempai's here? Yeesh, I never thought sempai would be demoted to the level of a servant." Akakishi said with a sweat drop.

"It's nothing like that, Akakishi." Eiji said as he waved his hand. "I just wanted to help her since she asked me. That, and the fact we're being discharged from the hospital next week."

"Next week? That's means you two will be back in the fight!" Akakishi said with an excited smile.

"Yes, we both heard about the recent attack last night. So uncle requested that we be discharged earlier than scheduled."

"If there are more Project MODERN subjects, then the Second Division needs all the help it can get." Eiji said with a firm tone.

Fen nodded in with a smile. "Good act on Commander's part, but there's also a reason why I'm here. The Commander's got a conference meeting and he wants you and Tsubasa there next week."

"Really? What does he want?" asked Eiji who looked at Fen then Kanade.

In response, Kanade gave a shrug. "Don't know, all I got was that one of your acquaintances needed to talk to you. But enough of that, we'll stay to help with cleaning up your room. More hands equal getting the job done faster."

"So should we help, Kanade-san?" asked Hibiki.

"Nah, you two already went through enough yesterday. Take the day off such as going around town or something." Kanade said with a smile. "I'm sure you two would prefer spending time with each other in peace for once."

"Now that you mention it, you do have a point, Kanade-san. Come on Aka, let's go to a pancake place that opened while you were gone!"

The redhead smiled in response before giving a wistful smile. "Sure, might as well spend the rest of the day with you. Though I would prefer Miku be there as well…"

"Yeah… wait, I got an idea!" shouted Hibiki as if a light bulb lit up in her head before running off.

"Well, it better be a good one!" Akakishi said before chasing after her.

"Wait, you two! You're not supposed to even be running in the halls!" shouted Eiji with a worried tone.

"Honestly, those two are in high school yet they act like children." Tsubasa said in exasperation while closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"Well, they're still kids after all." Fen said.

"Yep, though in my opinion, kids at least clean up their messes compared to some adults I know." Kanade said before turning to the three who realized what she meant. Then they looked away from her gaze with embarrassment evident on their faces.

Unnoticed to the group, a silhouette was eavesdropping on their conversation before leaving in the direction of the two childhood friends while the older members prepared to enter Tsubasa's room. While the figure discreetly left, Fen and Kanade gave a glance at their hiding place before deciding the eavesdropper wasn't a threat for now. Then they followed their younger friends into the room to clean up the mess.

At a certain city in the country of Ireland, people were running as Noise appeared with ash flying about from the victims of the monsters. Running in the opposite direction, two individuals charged the enemy with as the sound of rumbling came from the similar belts they wore except one had a golden coat while the other had a silver coat.

Standing in front of the monsters, the two males who had their faces shadowed as they stretched their right arms out before shouting, "Henshin!" Then they brought both of their fists toward a switch on their left hip and pressed it. At that point, a sound whirling could be heard from the belt and a golden glow formed from it as armor formed over their bodies. The male with the silver belt had red armor with a helmet based on a beetle as well as golden bracelets and anklets. While the male with the golden belt had a similar red armor but with additional gilded features on his armor such as the edges of his shoulder guards and a plate on his right shin. The two obvious Kamen Riders charged forward with their fists raised at the Noise.

(God Eater Ost: God and Man)

Instrumental

Akakishi was seen laying on a tree in a ruined field covered in flames as his eyes reflected the night sky. He held his Reverse Knuckle but he appeared to be on his last legs since the light in his left eye was dimming.

/Memories keep flooding in showing the paths I should've taken, but

now that time has run away from me I cannot change a thing./

The scene shifts to Eiji who lied on the ground of a hill staring at the same starry sky while gripping two halves of a Red Medal.

/I remember how you'd counsel me with wisdom of the ages true:

"Live your best life" you told me and "You walk the earth but once"/

Tsubasa sat on her motorcycle and looked up to the night sky while holding her relic necklace.

/and now you've come, to see me once again,

I feel safe at last; Although I feel the end is coming closer unto me./

Tendou was seen looking at the sky on a cliff while the Kabuto Zecter sat on his shoulder. In the shadows behind him was Kenzaki who also stared at the starry skies.

/If I could only travel back in time, to peaceful days gone by./

Chris gazed at the sky from a mansion window with a look of melancholy.

/But this is my price to pay: to not survive beyond this very day./

The camera views Gentarou who was looking the starry sky with a smile.

/Oh, the pain is lessened when you're near, there is no fear.

I'm whole again as in days gone by, if only for a while./

Kanade was seen standing on top of a roof while looking at the sky with longing eyes

/But it hurts to have to leave you so, I don't want to go./

Yoku was seen sitting on a bench stargazing with Shinnosuke who was laying on the meadow with smiles on their faces.

/Could this sacrifice cost me my life?/

Fenrir wearing a his black trench coat stood in an open field to watch the stars as he held a white tablet with an E.

/Oh, just to live my life again, to treasure every little moment then,

satisfied, I'd leave you all behind, accepting of my fate./

Akakishi smiled a bit before slowly closing his eyes in peace as the light of his cybernetics slowly dim to black.

/But I am full of grief, to leave this life so incomplete.

My dream is coming to the end./

Then a hand held his hand and he opened his eyes while feeling the energy it granted. He looked to see Hibiki with a relieved look before pulling him to his feet. Akakishi was taken by surprise but stood up with a smile. They turn to see their friends and allies approach with smiles on their faces as the dawn of morning came. The scene fades to a white.

Then it transitions to Akakishi sleeping in a capsule showing that he smiled from the dream as a tear fell down.

One verse ends and the Chained Symphony sings to the next:

A return to where he began

"So this is where you became OOO, Hino?"

A reunion of friends

"Eiji-kun!" exclaimed a girl who ran to him and hugged the former vagabond.

A new foe

"OOO and the Attuned! Finally, a challenge!" shouted a Kamen Rider with marine animal parts.

And… A friend's return

"Eiji… It seems you are still an idiot."

Next time on Kamen Rider Ixa R: The Future Rider and a Friend's Return! Act I

"That Rider... I don't think he wants to fight us." Eiji said.

Author's note: Well I finally managed to complete final part of this arc! Next time Eiji will return to where OOO began and this will explain why he has only been able to use TaToBa combo in his battles!

But first off… I'm sorry for the delay everyone. There has been a lot of thought put into this with ifs and maybes along the way. I am still preparing for the right amount of inclusion of OCs and Kamen Riders!

And the end of this chapter actually marks a side story chapter I'm planning on releasing as I write chapter 7. This will detail the OC characters I received from RedRat8.