I do not own Kamen Rider Ryuki or Ever After High. They belong to their respective creators and not me. I am not writing this for profit, only for fun.
Knights of the Otherworld
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 33: Opening Tactics
Oh man, this is...just...crazy! How could these Order of the White Dragon guys think of this?
Unfortunately, many of the epic tale villains do this in their bid to win.
And this is clearly the opening act.
Oh, man...Darren, everyone, please be careful.
Ever After High - Media Room
"This is Blondie Lockes reporting and this Knightwatch!" Blondie reported from her studio. "It appears that our very own Knights of the Round Table are battling the Order of Rogues as we speak. This is happening all over, all at the same time. Whyte Knight himself seems to be the leader and has even declared war on the Knights of the Round Table. This can only mean one thing: the battle of the knights has begun. Joining me now in the newsroom is Mira Mirror, daughter of the Magic Mirror and my current source on the action."
"Good Day, people of Ever After. This is truly a disaster," Mira rhymed but then she grimaced, "I'm sorry, but is it alright if I speak like a normal person? It's hard to come up with a rhyme all the time."
"You mean you don't have to rhyme?" Blondie blinked in surprise.
"I only do it as practice for my story, but it's hard to come up with rhymes naturally, especially when it's to talk about something like this, the War for Camelot," Mira explained.
"I see. So, can you explain what is going on?" asked Blondie.
"So far, it seems the Order of Rogues now has a leader, the self-proclaimed Whyte Knight who has renamed it the 'Order of the White Dragon'," Mira explained as her mirror displayed Whyte Knight. "As of a few minutes ago, each of the Knights of the Round Table was confronted by one of these Rogues. Some took their fights to the Mirror World, but others are fighting here, thus alerting us to the situation. It was by looking into Ryuki and Whyte Knight that we discover this Rogue order has declared war on the Knights of the Round Table."
"Tell us truthfully, Mira. Do our Knights stand a chance against the Rogues?" Blondie asked, worry clear in her voice.
"It will not be an easy battle," Mira sighed. "We can only hope their experience and everything they have faced up to this point will see them through this challenge as they are cut off from each other."
"Everyone watching, we will keep you posted on the action as it develops."
Book End - Dairy Ice Queen
People yelled and screamed as Gai and Medusa Knight fought in the ice cream parlor. Plenty dove out of the way, although it really didn't stop others from hanging back to try and get footage of the fight with their MirrorPhones and MirrorPads. Gai swung at Medusa Knight with his Metal Horn as she kept him at bay with her shield.
Holly was still at their table, fretting as she watched Gai fighting the woman who she guessed was connected to Dame Gothel. Who else would try to claim her hair for immortality?
"You're getting sloppy, child!" Medusa Knight scoffed. "As hexpected from a little boy!"
"And hiding behind others," Gai retorted, teeth gritted from the 'boy' comment. "What I expected from old crone Gothel!"
Naturally, since he was dating the next Rapunzel, Gai learned all he could about her story in case something from it happened. He learned about how Rapunzel's parents sought out a special plant for the pregnant queen. What exactly the plant did was up in the air since many sources said it was magical and named 'rapunzel'. The downside was that the only source of the plant was in the garden of a sorceress named Dame Gothel.
The king and queen desperately needed the plant, and again the sources differed. In some stories, they made a deal with Dame Gothel and in return for the plant, Gothel got to keep the baby. In others, Dame Gothel kidnapped the baby since the queen took all of the special plants and it gave baby Rapunzel's hair the same magical properties as the plant. So Gothel kept her so as to use her hair to keep herself young.
Considering the Medusa Knight wanted immortality, Gai had a good guess as to who she was under that helm.
"What?! How dare you!? You little brat!" Medusa Knight snarled. "Hydracles!"
A hiss echoed through the air before a long snake, dark green and segmented like Venosnaker, reached out of the Mirror World. It lacked Venosnaker's hood, but it had large dark green and metallic frills on the sides of its head. Its red eyes glared and it snapped forward, biting around Gai's waist and pulling him into the Mirror World.
"Aah!" he screamed.
"Gabriel!" Holly cried in horror.
"Brat needs to learn some manners," Medusa Knight growled. She glanced at Holly and pointed at her, "I'll be back for your hair later after I get rid of your boyfriend, Rapunzel's daughter." With that threat hanging in the air, Medusa Knight walked to the same window and jumped through into the Mirror World.
"Gabriel…" Holly whimpered, looking at the mirror. She prayed for his victory and his safe return.
(-)
Mirror World - Book End Streets
"Woooooaaaaaahhh!" Gai cried as he was unceremoniously tossed into the streets of Book End's Mirror World. Landing in a heap, he groaned and shook his head. Picking himself, up, he saw the monsters he was facing off against.
It wasn't one large snake, but in fact, three large snakes all connected to a body that had two reptilian legs keeping it steady. All three heads hissed menacingly at Gai, staring down at him with their ruby red eyes.
"Like my Hydracles?" Medusa Knight asked as she too arrived in the Mirror World. "He's quite the rarity. I've only ever seen the one. I got quite lucky when I made a contract with him."
"Fine. You got the rare drop. Good for you," Gai huffed. He didn't want to show her that the monster was freaking him out.
"Ah, brave posturing, thinking you can always win because you're the good guy," Medusa Knight snorted. "All the little knights seem to believe that." She drew a card from her deck and pulled her Medusa Visor's cord out from her hair before letting it pull the card back.
[Shoot Vent!]
The left head of Hydracles roared before it flashed and a light came down to Medusa Knight's arm, covering it in what looked like a miniature cannon shaped like that particular head, "Let me alleviate you of that naivety!"
Medusa Knight extended her arm, firing what looked like a ball of concentrated venom at Gai. The Rhino Knight yelped and dove to the side, letting the glob hit a parked carriage. It sizzled for a moment before the glob turned red and exploded like a time-delayed bomb.
"Crud," Gai huffed. Explosive jelly. Not good. If it got stuck to him, it was impossible to get off before it detonated.
"Dance little boy, dance!" Medusa Knight taunted, launching more exploding venom at Gai.
Gai jumped to the side again, looking for any cover he could get. Ducking into an alley, he knew that he was going to have to play it smart. He may have had the toughest armor out of any of his fellow Knights, but even it had its limits,
"Okay, what do I do?" Gai pondered. Knowing what cards were in his deck, limited as they were, he began putting together a plan.
"Come out little knight," Medusa Knight taunted as she and Hydracles walked towards his hiding spot.
Gai crept through the side street, even if he began to hear explosions from Medusa Knight shooting at random targets to try and to flush him out.
"That's it. Think I'm just a kid who only thinks to punch stuff," Gai muttered, circling around behind several buildings.
Stepping out from another side street, Gai saw Medusa Knight had her full attention ahead of her and Hydracles was the same. With the chance in front of him, Gai drew two cards from his deck.
[Final Vent!]
Metalgelas appeared in the fray, charging Gai from behind. The Rhino Knight jumped up, braced by Metalgelas' shoulders while his Metal Horn reappeared. Both began charging down the street at Hydracles from behind for their Heavy Pressure attack.
Hydracles turned one head and hissed before another lifted up, having Medusa Knight on top, pointing her Hydra Cannon at the incoming Gai, "The reckless charge approach, huh? Easily countered."
"Heh!" Gai smirked. Despite the speed he was moving at, he still managed to slide his second card into his Metal Visor.
[Confine Vent!]
Medusa Knight's cannon suddenly vanished from her arm, making her gasp in surprise. She opened her mouth to yell at Hydracles to move, but Gai and Metalgelas were coming in too fast. The charge struck Hydracles, causing an explosion which rocked the area. Knight and Contract Beast burst through the other side of the explosion, coming to a stop in the middle of the street.
Gai let off a huff, dropping from Metalgelas' shoulders. From the smoke of the explosion, he saw the life force of Hydracles rise up. Metalgelas let off a grunt of delight, approaching as it absorbed the sphere.
"Okay, your monster's gone. Now let's see who-!"
"ROOOAAR!" Metalgelas was suddenly struck by a serpentine head and neck which launched it back near Gai in a heap. The Rhino Knight blinked and looked to the smoke, seeing Hydracles rising up from it, although with only two heads instead of the three it had before.
"What the hex?!" Gai cried.
Medusa Knight walked out from the smoke, chuckling, "Well, it's a special trick my monster has. No doubt you noticed your monster afforded you those Confine Vent cards. Hydracles gives me a special trick of my own. Namely, extra lives."
"E-Extra lives?" Gai gaped.
"Yes. You see, should Hydracles or myself take a Final Vent, only one of his heads is destroyed. If I take it, the life force contained in one of those heads heals me of any damage I took," Medusa Knight bragged. Clearly she didn't think much of keeping her abilities a secret. "And then, I only have to feed Hydracles enough to grow back that head and be right back to full health. Why, I'm practically immortal already."
Gai just couldn't help but gape, "...I call hax…"
"Looks like this is, as you say, game over," Medusa Knight grinned.
Ever After High - Stables
"Now do you see, stablehand? Do you see how I am the greater hero?" Beast Knight taunted as his Leo Claws were locked with Tiger's Dest Claws.
"Hnnn!" Tiger grunted, pushing back against Beast Knight's claws. Bad enough he had to fight Scout again, but he hadn't stopped bragging and posturing since the battle started. It seemed Scout had gone off the deep end after all.
Tiger launched his knee up, catching Beast Knight in the gut, causing him to grunt. This made him double over, letting Tiger pull his claws free before catching Beast Knight across the chest in a blast of sparks. The darker Knight grunted as Tiger got some much needed space. Stabbing his claws into the ground, he pulled his arms free of the claws before summoning his Visor and drawing a card.
[Freeze Vent!]
Cold energy collected on his Dest Visor, preparing to fire off his freezing blast. Beast Knight saw what he was doing, and using his hunter's speed and dexterity, removed his own gauntlets and drew a card while summoning his Beast Visor.
[Burn Vent!]
The head of the Beast Visor was swallowed in flames. Both Knights pulled their weapons back before swinging their weapons with their elemental power. Both attacks flew, but fire met ice and erupted in a cloud of scalding steam which hid each Knight from the other.
"Bah! Cheap distractions!" Beast Knight scoffed.
Under the cover of the steam cloud, Tiger retreated, grabbing Rosabella as he called his Mirror Warhorse. They both climbed on and rode away. Beast Knight ran through the steam, swinging his axe in expectation of hitting something but only hit empty air. Looking around, he spotted Tiger and Rosabella riding away.
"Coward! Come back and face me!" Beast Knight roared but was ignored as Tiger kept riding away.
"Gawain, what do we do?" asked Rosabella, clearly frightened by what had happened.
"Regroup. Find others," Tiger replied. "Scout not alone. Said King. Rogue leader."
"A leader of the Rogues?" Rosabella gasped, "You don't think it was that Whyte Knight again, do you?"
"Maybe. Find others. Hurry," Tiger answered.
[Advent!]
A loud roar echoed from behind, causing Tiger and Rosabella to look back. Racing out from the stables to Beast Knight's side was a large biomechanical black lion with a dark gold mane and a saber-like tail. It only paused for a moment to allow Beast Knight to jump onto its back. Roaring, the lion began to chase after Tiger and Rosabella.
"Hold on!" Tiger yelled as he snapped the reins to make his warhorse go faster.
"Leoblight! Burn him to cinders!" Beast Knight shouted. The lion Mirror Monster roared, shooting a fireball erupt from its mouth. Tiger yanked on the reins of his steed, pulling his horse to the side. The fireball soared by, exploding against a tree with cinders flying. Rosabella screamed in fright, clutching the warhorse tightly.
Tiger looked back, seeing the lion gaining ground on them. His warhorse may have been a construct and didn't get tired, but the lion was clearly a little faster. Tiger wasn't sure if Mirror Monsters got tired, but he didn't want to find out in this way.
"Gawain, we need to lose them somehow!" Rosabella shouted.
"Yes," Tiger agreed. He needed to keep Rosabella safe. "Rosabella. Go."
"What? Gawain, what are you doing!?" Tiger released the reins and leaned back so he tumbled off his warhorse, leaving Rosabella alone as his steed kept going. "GAWAIN!"
Tiger landed on the ground as his warhorse kept running, with Rosabella screaming for him as the distance grew. The black lion monster continued coming, roaring loudly. Beast knight practically radiated smugness as he urged his mount closer.
Tiger drew a card and inserted it into his Dest Visor.
[Advent!]
Destwilder roared as it lunged at Beast Knight and grabbed him, throwing him off Leoblight. As the lion monster lunged at Tiger, he swung his axe and hit it in the face, causing it to recoil with a roar of pain.
"Unhand me, you beast!" Beast Knight roared, punching at Destwilder, trying to get the space to swing with his axe. Destwilder would not be denied, swiping and stabbing at Beast Knight with its claws, angered by the assault on its contractor.
Tiger hefted his axe and stared down Leoblight. The lion snarled and stared him down. Either from instinct, or because of his armor, but Leoblight seemed to be taking the cautious predator approach. Clearly it was an experienced hunter despite the easy meals it was receiving since Beast Knight contracted it.
Book End - Red Shoes Dance Club
Metal clanged along with a musical beat as Ohja and Shock Knight clashed on the dancefloor, their weapons sparking amidst the lights of the club. It would have been a perfect set up for a superhero music video of some kind. Sadly, this was not a play. Ohja and Shock Knight were indeed attempting to bring each other down.
Ohja twisted and darted in much like the cobra he was contracted to. On the other hand, Shock Knight swiped and swung in large arcs like an eagle would flap its wings before a striking talon would try to swipe its prey.
"Not bad!" Shock Knight grunted as their blades met. "Looks like there's more to you than just looking scary!"
"And you're not all talk," Ohja huffed. Both Knights pushed back from each other. "That still won't save me from kicking your butt for keeping me from enjoying my date."
"Heh, sorry pal, but she's gonna have to go back on the market," Shock Knight shrugged. He drew a card from his belt. He pressed a button on his sword, making the eagle on the hilt open its wings to reveal the card chamber underneath. He slotted the card inside before pressing the button again to close them.
[Strike Vent!]
Dropping from the disco ball came what looked like a staff with spiked gold feathers coming from the top. They sparked with electricity, illuminating the small area around Shock Knight. The witnesses gasped and began to back away, not wanting to get shocked by it.
"Ah, that's why you're called 'Shock Knight'," Ohja sighed. This was going to suck.
Shock Knight charged and spun his staff, making an arc of light through the air. Ohja dodged the first strike, but Shock Knight kept spinning and the head of his staff was coming for his side. Ohja quickly raised his Veno Saber and let the staff strike it. Immediately there was a sizzling noise while Ohja felt a painful shock run through his body, "GN!"
"Kyle!" Duchess' voice cried out from the crowd.
"Even if you block the staff," Shock Knight twisted back. "I still get you with the shock!"
"Then how about I steal that from you?" Ohja retorted as he slammed a card into his Visor.
[Steal Vent!]
Shock Knight's staff suddenly vanished, ending up in Ohja's hands. The Snake Knight charged and began swinging at the yellow knight. Shock Knight grunted as he quickly brought up his sword and parried the blows, but received several shocks for his trouble. Not as painful for him as it was for Ohja, but certainly not fun to experience.
Ohja swung at Shock Knight's feet, prompting the eagle-themed Knight to jump straight up where he landed in the rafters, "Okay, looks like they were telling the truth about that little card."
Ohja caught onto that comment, "Oh, so they have intelligence on us? Good to know you're an organized group."
Shock Knight sighed, "You would have figured it out from any of your friends that survived. I intend to bring you down here!" He drew another card and inserted it into his Visor.
[Shoot Vent!]
A pair of white bird-like wings appeared on Shock Knight's back, accented with gold. Ohja's eyes widened when he saw the wings, as they began to move while the feathers seemed to shift as if they were loaded with ammo.
"MOVE!" Ohja shouted to the crowd before Shock Knight flapped his wings.
The feathers broke off and screamed down to the dance floor like missiles. Explosions littered the area, although not large, but were able to break craters in the floor. People screamed and began to run for their lives. Ohja was struck several times, launching him back into a booth, breaking the table with the force of his collision. He lost his grip on his stolen weapon, causing it to fall and vanish.
"Ow…" Ohja grunted. Shaking his head, he pulled himself up from the ruined booth and looked up to where Shock Knight was perched in the rafters.
"Still alive?" Shock Knight tilted his head. "Wow. Most monsters never get up from that."
"You insane psycho!" Ohja snapped. He needed to take this fight elsewhere and away from the bystanders so they wouldn't get hurt. "Hey, bet you won't get your reward if I get away, right? Catch me if you can!" He jumped and used the disco ball as a portal, vanishing into the Mirror World.
"Oh, no you don't!" Shock Knight shouted, diving down into the ball after him.
(-)
Red Shoes Dance Club - Mirror World
As Shock Knight landed, he looked around for Ohja. He was hiding here somewhere.
"Where are you?" Shock Knight whispered.
[Advent!]
Shock Knight turned and gasped when he saw Venosnaker loom over him and then spit venom at him. Some splashed onto his armor and helmet, blinding him as his visor melted.
"Gah! Wh-what?!"
"And it was at this time, you have to realize, you ducked up," Ohja spoke, stepped into the lights with his Veno Visor. Charging forward, he grabbed Shock Knight by his throat then struck him repeatedly in the face with his Veno Visor before he tossed him across the dance floor. "I was more than ready to fight fair, you know. Maybe we'd fight it out for this little attack Whyte Knight or whoever is pulling your strings planned. Then you just had to go and put all those people, and my Swan Princess at risk with that little stunt."
Shock Knight grunted as the acid lost potency and he was able to wipe it away to help him see. His visor was damaged, but despite its condition, it still worked. "Got you to take me seriously, didn't it?"
"Well, that it did," Ohja nodded. "Too bad for you though."
[Sword Vent!]
Summoning another Veno Saber, Ohja charged at Shock Knight once again. Shock Knight drew his sword and was quick to defend himself. Sparks flew as the two fought again, this time no holds barred. Shock Knight parried a blow but heard a hiss from Venosnaker as the Mirror Monster charged into the fray. Shock Knight quickly broke away from Ohja and dodge rolled, letting Venosnaker's fangs snap where he was a moment ago.
"And I thought I was the one that's supposed to cheat," Shock Knight huffed. Swiftly drawing a card, this one depicting an eagle called Thunderwing, he placed it into his Visor before snapping it shut.
[Advent!]
A bird's shriek was all that was heard before the ceiling exploded in a blast of electricity. Venosnaker was quick to shield Ohja from the rubble and dust. Emerging from the hole was an eagle the same size as Blancwing, sporting a yellow body and head with large white wings and gold accents. Electricity crackled across its surface. It let off a second shriek as its red eyes gazed down at Ohja and Venosnaker.
"Aw crap," Ohja sighed.
"Thunderwing, have that snake for lunch!" Shock Knight declared.
The eagle shrieked and dove down at Venosnaker. The snake hissed and snapped up at the electric bird. Venosnaker managed to wrap around Thunderwing, but the eagle proved difficult to fight as it shocked Venosnaker, keeping Ohja's contract from tightening its grip and allowing Thunderwing to swipe at the snake with its talons or bite at it with its beak. Their thrashing destroyed more of the club, breaking down walls or crushing equipment.
Nearby, Ohja and Shock Knight continued their own battle, swinging their swords at one another with clashes of sparks and metal. Ohja kept the pressure on, not wanting to give Shock Knight the chance to draw another card like his Strike Vent. The electric weapons or those missile wings were going to be a major advantage for the Rogue and Ohja only had a few Steal Vent cards.
But only if Shock Knight could remain in the Mirror World for much longer...
"Hraaa-ah-ah!" Shock Knight began for his next strike, but found his body stiffening and locking up. Ohja huffed and got him across the chest with his sword, knocking him back.
"Finally," Ohja huffed. "Still felt too long for this."
"Guh...what's….happening?" Shock Knight struggled to stand up, pixels rising from his body.
"The Mirror World isn't exactly hospitable to life which isn't born in it," Ohja sighed, rolling his head. "Just like the Mirror Monsters can't stay in our world for too long, we can't stay in theirs. Our suits stave it off for a while, but eventually, that doesn't save us either. With your suit damaged, your time got cut significantly shorter."
"Wh-what?! Vic didn't say…" Shock Knight gasped.
"Vic? Whyte Knight? Yeah, it seems he hasn't shared a lot with you," Ohja nodded. "Well, I suppose I ought to save you, I guess. If my Swan Princess got hurt by you though, I'll just throw you back in here and take your deck away."
Shock Knight grunted, forcing himself to move despite the partial paralysis he found himself suffering from. With a grunt, he looked to the fighting monsters, "Th-Thunderwing, help me escape!"
Thunderwing's eyes suddenly flashed and it let off a shriek with a blast of electricity. Venosnaker hissed in pain, falling from the eagle's body before collapsing in a heap. The eagle then swooped over to Shock Knight, flapping its wings with sparks of voltage which made Ohja back away, shielding his eyes. Thunderwing then gripped Shock Knight's shoulders tightly and took to the sky, flying out of the hole in the ceiling.
"Curses," Ohja sighed, watching them leave. He didn't linger too much about it. Instead, he turned around and found the disco ball he came into the Mirror World from and dove back through to the Real World.
(-)
Book End - Red Shoes Dance Club
Ohja dropped from the disco ball, landing in a slight crouch before he stood up again, "Duchess? Are you okay? Where are you?"
"Over here!" Duchess jogged out onto the dance floor and the couple quickly embraced. She sighed as he held her, but still pouted, "So much for a hot date at the dance club."
Ohja chuckled, "Well, I creamed the guy for it at least. Was anyone else hurt?"
Duchess shook her head, "No, since you two cleared the dance floor, it only hit there. I think the club is going to be closed while they fix this though."
"You should see what we did in the Mirror World," Ohja retorted. "Okay, Duchess, I don't think this was just aimed at me. We need to start checking with the others. That Shock dork made it sound like he was under orders from Whyte Knight and that means the others might be under attack as well."
Duchess' eyes widened, "Wh-what?! Ah, r-right! Wh-what do we do?"
"Check social media. Blondie's MirrorCast, anything," Ohja answered. "If Shock Knight's methods say anything, the others probably don't care about collateral damage either."
Duchess nodded, clearly at a loss with the situation "R-right." She quickly retrieved her phone. Pulling up her usual sources, she gasped, "Oh no!"
"What? What is it?" Ohja asked.
"A-all of you are being attacked!" Duchess looked up, now clearly afraid. "This is happening all over town! It's crazy! They showed up at school, in stores everywhere. Some disappeared to that Mirror World, but others are still fighting in town! Even at the Glass Slipper! They...they say it's a declaration of war!"
"Curses," Ohja hissed. War? Were Whyte Knight and his cronies insane? Were they really disregarding any kind of limit in favor of Whyte Knight pursuing that stupid obsession with Camelot? "Okay, Duchess, get to the library and hunker down. Merlin should be able to keep you safe there. I'm going to try and help the others."
Duchess gasped, "But, but Kyle!"
"Duchess, don't argue with me on this, please!" Ohja pleaded. "I need to know you're safe in all of this while I'm trying to help the others."
Duchess wilted but knew Ohja was giving her a look of deep concern despite the helmet covering his features, "A-alright, but you had better come back to me! I won't forgive you if you don't!"
"I will, babe," Ohja nodded. "I promise. Now go."
Duchess nodded and turned to head for the exit to the club like others were still doing while Ohja turned and jumped back through the disco ball to the Mirror World.
Book End - Street
The front door to the Glass Slipper shoe store smashed open as Femme and Darling (disguised as the White Knight) broke through to give themselves more space. Following them was Feather Knight, all but strutting again as she held her Feather Visor with its blades extended.
"Well, at least you can appreciate good shoes," Feather Knight sniffed. "But it is not going to save you from me."
"Wasn't supposed to," Femme huffed, holding her Blanc Visor. "You can't exactly fight in a shoe store."
"Very true," Feather Knight nodded. She quickly drew a card and closed her fan, "But now I'm at a disadvantage. Allow me to even the odds."
[Advent!]
A screech announced the arrival of a new Mirror Monster from the store's front window. It was a green humanoid monster with bird features like GuldWind. Its armor was an emerald color with a purple chest and a green collar with a gold emblem in the middle. Its shoulder armor appeared like peacock feathers with green stones at the base. The head was the same style as the other Gulds with a gold visor and green faceplate. Its headdress was elaborate with elaborate spikes reminiscent of peacock feathers. This was the Mirror Monster known as GuldMirage.
"Gwen, what kind of monster is this?" asked Darling, lifting her sword.
"A Guld species," Femme replied. She hadn't seen one herself, but she did go through Merlin's research and observations of the monsters. "Likely able to fly and it will have a weapon hidden somewhere."
"Understood," Darling nodded.
GuldMirage let off a shriek and charged for the couple. Darling was quick and ran to fight the monster, using her shield to block the monster's first strike before she swung her sword, catching it in the side. The monster squawked in surprise, stumbling back. Darling shifted her stance and prepared to charge.
"My my, I suppose it makes sense a Charming would know how to fight," Feather Knight admitted. "But a damsel who wields a sword? How scandalous."
Darling didn't digify that with a response. GuldMirage, on the other hand, made a chakram with four blades placed on the four cardinal points appear. With a shriek, the green Mirror Monster charged at Darling again. The lady knight didn't hesitate, swinging her sword, catching the chakram's blades while blocking the GuldMirage's claws and kicks with her shield.
"Ah, that's my girlfriend," Femme sighed appreciatively. She rarely got to see Darling kick butt. When she did, it just inspired Femme to kick up her own training to match her girlfriend.
As the White Knight fought GuldMirage, Femme could focus on the monster's master. She charged at Feather Knight and swung her sword, only for Feather Knight to catch her attack with ease.
With a flourish, Feather Knight twisted her fan and Femme was forced to let go of her Blanc Visor or have the blades stick into her wrist. Feather Knight swiped her arm to the side. She looked to perhaps mock Femme or take advantage of her being unarmed.
*CRACK!*
Feather Knight let off a yelp as she stumbled back, holding her face from where Femme got her with a punch. Gasping, she looked to Femme with a glare, "You...you punched me!?"
"Uh, yeah?" Femme nodded. "That's fighting."
"No, it is not! That's plebeian brawling!" Feather Knight snapped...and was that a warble in her voice? "Fighting is wielding blades in trials of combat, not clawing at each other like a bunch of beasts! We're doing battle, not mauling each other!"
"Are you related to Rebellious Charming?" Femme wondered.
Screaming, Feather Knight swung her bladed fan at Femme who caught her arm before she drove her fist into Feather Knight's stomach and she doubled over. She then landed an uppercut, sending her into a daze.
"Ha! Karate lessons paid off!" Femme laughed, dusting off her hands. It seemed her karate phase was paying off way more than she thought it would. She kept on the pressure, throwing punches and kicks to put her opponent off balance.
As Feather Knight swung at her, Femme caught her wrist and twisted it to disarm her. She then drove her fist into Feather Knight's stomach and pivoted on her heel to flip Feather Knight over her shoulder, slamming her on her back.
"GAH!" Feather Knight gagged. She thrashed to her feet, obviously in pain as she wasn't holding her poise as well as before, "You...you witch! You don't deserve to be a princess!"
"Never claimed I was," Femme flexed her arm. "I'm a Princess Knight. Anything a knight can do, I can do. You miss that part of my title?"
Feather Knight seemed to growl, "Arthur can do so much better than you! Camelot deserves so much better!"
Femme shook her head. Another Camelot fanatic like Vivi. Well, the Swan Knight wasn't going to just roll over because some new girl demanded she either stepped up or stepped down as Camelot's queen.
"Well, Arthur's taken and so am I and we're happy with who we're dating. You, of course, sound like you need help. I know a friend. Her name's Cupid. Maybe she can try to fix you up with someone."
"Don't you dare mock me!" Feather Knight snapped as she ran at Femme to try and slap her but Femme swung her leg and hit Feather Knight across the face with a roundhouse kick. Feather Knight went spinning before she collapsed. She attempted to get back up but passed out on the ground, defeated.
"Alright, now time to see who you really are under that mask," Femme said as she reached for her opponent's Advent Deck when GuldMirage suddenly tackled into her, knocking her to the ground in a tumble. Femme watched as the monster picked up Feather Knight, holding her under one arm, then bolted for the nearest window. It jumped right in, fleeing into the Mirror World
"Sorry!" the White Knight apologized as she helped Femme up. "It got away from me!"
"It's fine," Femme replied. "So, a new Rogue. Guess they're popping up everywhere now."
"That might be true in more ways than one," the White Knight showed her Blondie's MirrorCast on her phone. Femme's eyes widened when she saw Blondie explaining the situation as well as some feed from battles happening across Book End.
"No way…" Femme gasped.
They heard a loud explosion and the two saw a tower of smoke rising in the distance.
"That's where the Tower Hair Salon is!" Darling gasped.
"Then that's where we're going!" Femme whistled, summoning both her Mirror Warhorse and Blancwing. Femme climbed onto her swan's back. "Darling, take my horse!"
Book End - Outside Tower Hair Salon
*BLAM! Ka-Chak! BLAM!*
*BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!*
It had turned into a gunfight on the street outside of the Tower Hair Salon. The Knight of the Bull, Zolda, had been confronted by the Knight of the Boar, the Gold Knight. Zolda tried to take the battle to the Mirror World, but Gold Knight was having none of it, starting to shoot with his shotgun-like Visor right there in the middle of the salon. Zolda managed to force Gold Knight outside, but the Rogue was steadfast in his thick armor, going no further as he kept shooting at his counterpart.
The two had also summoned their Contract Monsters, using the armored beasts as cover while exchanging shots. Magnugiga was imposing as always, but Gold Knight's monster was almost flashy. His contract was a Shieldboarder, a humanoid monster that had thick armor with small blades attached to its wrists and a massive shield attached to its chest in the shape of a boar's face. Its head was almost a helmet with spikes, boar tusks, and a red slit. The difference between this Shieldboarder and others was the fact it's armor seemed to be made of gold instead of the standard cobalt blue metal.
The battle has torn up the street and it left plenty of holes in just about everything. Magnugiga was very slow, unable to really get a read on the Gold Knight or Shieldboarder since they were so mobile. Unfortunately for the Rogues, Magnugiga didn't have to move much to provide cover for Zolda, and the bull monster's armor was much thicker than almost any other monster's.
"You know, you're just making this way harder than it should be!" Gold Knight shouted between shots as he stood behind his gold Shieldboarder. "Just give up and spare yourself the pain!"
Zolda huffed, taking cover behind a Magnuguga, "And then what? Let Whyte Knight keep attacking us and then raise Camelot to do who knows what? That guy has some screws loose!"
"Well, maybe, but he's paying so that's all I care about," Gold Knight shrugged. "So much for an easy payday."
"And that's all you care about? Gold? And what happens when he decides he doesn't want a mercenary in his little order? Then what?" Zolda questioned as he drew a card from his Advent Deck, one of his Shoot Vents.
"Then I'll prove how useful I am and continue to earn my gold."
[Shoot Vent!]
"Then that gold better be worth it!" Zolda stepped out from behind Magnugiga, wearing his Giga Cannons. He shot at Gold Knight, firing explosive cannon blasts at him.
Gold Knight dove behind Shieldboarder who caught the blast on its chest, grunting at being pushed back slightly, but managing to stay on its feet. Behind it, Gold Knight pulled the pump on his gun Visor back, revealing a hidden card chamber. He swiftly drew a card depicting the same shield his contract possessed. Placing the card inside, he pushed the pump to his gun and slid it inside.
[Guard Vent!]
Gold Knight raised his free arm and a golden shield just like Shieldboarder's appeared on his arm. Getting up, he stood next to his contract, making a small shield wall and both taking the blasts from Zolda's attacks. Both were pushed back slightly, but they weren't put down.
Meanwhile, Poppy remained in the salon to take cover from the battle taking place outside. The sound of gunfire was terrifying as she hid behind a chair while covering her ears. Her thoughts were a jumble between being worried sick about her sister and silently begging her boyfriend to make the Rogue go away and stop the shooting.
Zolda briefly considered using his Final Vent which would end this fight immediately. However, there was a risk that Poppy could get hurt by all the collateral damage. He could never forgive himself if she got hurt because of him.
*HONK!*
The question was brought a surprising answer when Blancwing swooped in and clipped Gold Knight, knocking him to the ground before Femme leaped off her monster.
"Tristan!"
"Gwen!?"
"Saw the smoke signals," Femme spoke, eyes on Gold Knight. "Figured you might need some help."
Gold Knight grunted and pushed himself up with the help of his shield, "So, that spoiled brat wasn't able to bring you down, huh? Well, this might be a double payday for me then."
"Don't be counting that money yet, pal. You still have to earn it," Zolda remarked.
At the same time, Darling entered the salon and found Poppy, cowering, and covering her ears.
"Ms. O'Hair," the White Knight put a hand on her friend's shoulder. Poppy suddenly screamed and grabbed a hairdryer that she chucked at Darling. "Do not fear! I'm here to help!"
"Huh?" Poppy opened her eyes to see the White Knight. "Daring?"
White Knight shook her head, "Not quite but you must come with me. It isn't safe here."
Poppy whimpered, looking at the fight outside, "What about Tristan?"
"Fear not. Lady Femme is with Sir Zolda. Now, let us make haste!"
"Wait, we need to find my sister! She went to get ice cream with Gabe!" Poppy needed to know her sister was okay since she was not answering her phone.
"Then we can search, so long as we get away from here," White Knight insisted.
Poppy nodded and allowed the White Knight to take her on Femme's Mirror Warhorse. As soon as Femme saw them go, she smiled. As far as she could tell, everyone had vacated this area. The street was wide enough too, so long as Gold Knight and his monster stayed where they were, they could finish the fight in one swoop.
"Tristan, it's time you showed this guy how you earned your rep," Femme said.
"Wait, you don't mean that, do you?" Zolda gasped.
"Yeah, I mean that."
"But Rex said-" Zolda tried to protest. What if there were people still hiding in the buildings?
"Just say it was a Rogue Knight's fault and you didn't have a choice. Besides, I checked with Blancwing and the White Knight evacuated everyone. You're good to go."
Zolda wasn't sure how Femme would know that, or how one knight could evacuate everyone to have his friend so confident, but he decided to trust her. Stepping forward, and ensuring he was aiming down the street, Zolda took out his most powerful card and slipped it into his Visor.
[Final Vent!]
Magnugiga bellowed and raised its arms as Zolda attached his Visor to its back. All of the hidden weapons inside Magnugiga's body unfolded and opened before they began to charge with a growing hum.
Gold Knight gawked as Magnugiga's arsenal was revealed, "...oh duck me!"
"And boom goes the dynamite," Femme smirked as Zolda squeezed the trigger.
"Fire in the hole!" Zolda yelled.
Magnugiga roared as it unleashed its firepower, firing a salvo of missiles, bullets and lasers at Gold Knight and Shieldboarder. Both desperately raised their shields, some of the thickest defenses out of all the Mirror Monsters. Perhaps not the absolute best, but it was up there. The bombardment crashed against the shield in a roar of artillery and explosions. It was a relentless barrage that lasted for well over a minute before Zolda pulled his Visor free from Magnugiga's back and stopped it.
The fires died and smoke obscured everything for a few moments. Soon it cleared, showing the street was a complete loss and some buildings had taken some of the stray shots. In the very middle of it all though were two tower shields shaped like boar faces.
"No way!" Zolda gasped.
The shields remained for a moment before both shattered into pieces, leaving Gold Knight and Shieldboarder revealed. Their armor was scorched and took some grazing blows, but they miraculously managed to survive it.
Gold Knight huffed, the arm that held the shield trembling from the force it took. Shieldboader seemed just as bad off, wheezing in pain.
"Curses. Victor really didn't brief us that well on you guys," Gold Knight huffed. "Fine. Fine. I'll leave. No expiration date on those bounties anyway."
Grabbing Shiledboarder by the arm, both took off running for one of the few intact windows left, vanishing into the Mirror World once again.
"Should we follow?" asked Zolda.
"No," Femme shook her head. "We have to find the others. Everyone's being attacked by the Rogues. We have to back them up first."
"Seriously?!" Zolda gasped. "Okay, let's go already!"
Mirror World - Book End Streets
Gai was not having a good time as Hydracles relentlessly came at him. Self-regenerating enemies were just the worst. It was like that time he went after the Final Boss in an RPG while still being under-leveled, low on health and healing items. The Final Boss had multiple health bars too.
[Final Vent!]
Coming from nowhere, Ohja yelled as Venosnaker propelled him at Hydracles to deliver his Veno Crash attack. He crashed against the hydra monster, making it shriek in pain before it exploded. Ohja came tumbling from the blast. Turning, he watched as the life energy rose for Venosnaker to devour.
"That was a big one," Ohja huffed. He looked to the panting Gai, "No wonder you were having trouble. You okay?"
"It's not...not dead," Gai huffed.
Ohja stopped, "Not..?" He was cut off as a roar echoed from the smoke and Venosnaker was grasped by Hydracles' remaining head. Thrashed through the air, Hydracles tossed the snake away to smash into one of the buildings.
"Wh-what?!" Ohja gaped.
"It has some kind of extra lives. One for each head," Gai huffed. "We're now on the last one. If it can eat though, it will grow the heads back if the Rogue was telling the truth."
"Wait, where's the Rogue?" Ohja asked as he looked around for the hydra's master.
"She's not here...?" Gai gasped as he realized where she might have gone. "Holly! She used her monster to keep me busy so she could go after Holly!"
"What? Why?" asked Ohja.
"I think she's Dame Gothel, the one who wanted Rapunzel's hair to stay young!" Gai cried, starting to run for a window. "Come on! We've gotta save Holly!"
Hydracles roared and started after Gai, but Ohja gave a sharp whistle and Venosnaker was back in the fray, the fight a little more even now that Hydracles was down to one head.
"You go. I'll handle the monster. Save your princess!" Ohja snapped.
"Thanks!" Gai called before he leaped for the window of the Dairy Ice Queen, "I'm coming, Holly!"
(-)
Book End - Dairy Ice Queen
The sounds of steel clashing met Gai's ears as he returned to the Real World. The inside of the store had overturned tables and wrecked chairs. In the middle of it all was Medusa Knight, but he wasn't alone. She was locked in combat with the White Knight, sword against sword, as they pushed against each other.
"Holly!" Gai yelled and was surprised to see Medusa Knight fighting the White Knight. "Where's Holly!?"
"Lady Poppy fetched her sister and took her to safety," the White Knight informed him.
"Tsk!" Medusa Knight hissed. "What will it take to get you all out of my way!? I won't be denied immortality!"
"Oh, you're going to be denied," Gai growled, hefting his Metal Horn. "I said it before, you're never going to touch a hair on my Holly's head!"
Gai charged at Medusa Knight and thrust with his weapon. Medusa Knight slipped back, but barely had time to avoid the White Knight's sword. She hissed again and swung her own blade to keep both away, but Gai just lunged, letting the blade strike his weapon before the White Knight slashed her across the chest in a blast of sparks.
"Guh!" Medusa Knight grunted. Stumbling back, she glanced at her opponents, "Oh no, I'm not risking my neck for this." She spun around and she jumped through the glass to flee into the Mirror World.
"Grr!" Gai growled. He wanted to chase after her, but his mind instead focused on where to find Holly, "Hey, you said Poppy took Holly away? Where did they go?"
White Knight sheathed her sword, "I told them to run to the library. Merlin likely has protections in place. Mira Mirror's abilities likely would be able to keep the Rogues from sneaking in as well."
"Right," Gai nodded. He turned to run for the library, but stopped when he remembered Ohja was back in the Mirror World still fighting Hydracles, "Wait, I've got-!"
He was cut off when the tone of the Mirror World was heard, heralding Ohja's arrival, "That Rogue still here? The monster just suddenly ran off."
"She ran when we were set against her," White Knight replied. "We were about to head for the library to see about Lady Poppy and Lady Holly."
"Good. I sent Duchess that way. We'll be able to reconvene with Merlin and figure out what the hex is going on," Ohja nodded.
"What is going on?" Gai wondered, confused.
"Check Blondie's MirrorCast. According to her, we're at war now," Ohja answered ominously.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's find the others and help them."
Ever After High - Media Room
"It appears that Lady Femme, Sir Gai, Sir Ohja, and Sir Zolda have managed to drive off their opponents," Blondie reported.
"Thank goodness," Mira nodded with visible and audible relief. "Although this update brings more worrying news. Rosabella Beauty arrived at the library in distress, reporting that Sir Gawain is fighting against the former Bow Knight, Scout Huntsman who now calls himself the Beast Knight with a lion partner."
"Our hopes and prayers are with Sir Gawain and the others who are still in battle with the Order of the White Dragon."
Ever After High - Paths
The fight between Tiger and Beast Knight grew fierce. Currently, they were engaged in combat with each other's Contract Monster. Leoblight was certainly strong and savage but Tiger had fought monsters like it before.
As for Beast Knight, he seemed to be having trouble against Destwilder. As a Huntsman, he was trained to track, hunt, and trap his quarry so his fighting skills were limited to using a bow and arrow and swinging an axe. So, he was a decent fighter. However, Destwilder had grown strong while serving Tiger and it showed.
Tiger sent Leoblight tumbling with a strike of his axe before he drew his Freeze Vent again and activated it with his Visor.
[Freeze Vent!]
Targeting the lion, Tiger threw the frost energy at it, freezing it in place. He then turned his angry gaze at Beast Knight. He needed to finish him before he could rejoin Rosabella.
Drawing his Final Vent, he proceeded to activate it.
[Final Vent!]
Destwilder roared as it grabbed Beast Knight and pinned him to the ground on his back. It soon began to drag him over to its master's waiting claws. Beast Knight struggled to pry Destwilder's claws off him, screaming.
"Release me, foul beast! Argh! Leoblight!"
Luckily for Beast Knight, the effect of the Freeze Vent was only temporary. The lion monster obeyed the call and pounced on top of Destwilder, knocking it aside, freeing Beast Knight. As the two monsters fought, he sighed in relief, but it came prematurely as Tiger picked him up by the collar and started beating the hex out of him. Each punch stunned Beast Knight, preventing him from retaliating.
Tiger soon grew tired and tossed him to the ground and raised his axe. Beast Knight's eyes widened in fear as the blade came down like a guillotine. He screwed his eyes shut but the blade dug into the ground beside him instead of being buried in his skull.
As angry as he was, Gawain would not become a killer. He would not let Scout turn him into one. He would not disappoint his Beauty.
"Leave," Tiger growled.
Beast Knight scrambled back, getting to his feet. Huffing, he glared at Tiger. His vision was blurry from the multiple blows to his face. As arrogant as he was, Beast Knight knew Tiger had the advantage and was likely at his mercy.
"This isn't over, stablehand," Beast Knight warned, his voice slurred from his beating. With a grunt, he turned and began to stumble away into the woods. Leoblight snarled, but took off after its contractor, vanishing between the trees.
Tiger huffed and turned around, walking for Book End, dragging his axe behind him. His mind was now focused on Rosabella and making sure she was okay.
"Home..."
Book End Library
Gawain pushed the doors to the library open, feeling more battered and bruised than anything else before.
"Gawain!" Rosabella rushed to her boyfriend.
"Rosa...bella..." he groaned, smiling, happy to see she made it here safely.
"C'mon," Rosabella was by his side in an instant, supporting him. "We need to look at your injuries."
"Rest." Gawain agreed. "Others?"
"Kyle, Tristan, Gwen, and Gabriel came back with Holly, Poppy, Darling, and Duchess," Rosabella reported as they entered the main lounge where others were sitting. Gawain gingerly sat down in a chair as Rosabella began checking his torso for bruises, sprains, or even broken bones.
In the room, Gawain looked at those present. Tristan was in a chair, Poppy sitting in his lap trembling as she clutched at him. Holly cuddled Gabe on a sofa, partially hidden by her hair. Gwen and Darling were clutching hands on a couch, leaning on one another. Duchess had tossed aside any pretense of her usual pride and just clutched Kyle tightly as he whispered something softly to her.
"News? " asked Gawain.
"Some of the fights are ending or they're probably in the Mirror World," Tristan reported. "We came back to regroup, but we took some hits."
"You're not going to fight again!" Poppy whimpered, clutching Tristan tighter. "I saw you get shot! I saw it!"
"My armor absorbed them plus I had Magnugiga as cover," he calmly reminded her.
"I don't care! Scare me like that again and I'll...I'll...I'll shave your head!" Poppy threatened. Tristan wanted to laugh at such a weak threat, but he knew Poppy was overwhelmed with everything and just continued to hold her tightly, even stroking her hair, an act she secretly loved.
"Just focus on getting your strength back," Merlin spoke, entering the lounge. "There's still a lot of those suckers out there. Whyte Knight's really put some muscle into it this time."
"Yeah, coz he recruited some real bad guys this time," Gabe grumbled. "Guess the beta testing stage is over if he decided to go to war. He's even using divide and conquer tactics, targeting us while we're alone."
"We should be out there, helping them!" Kyle yelled angrily. "Not cooped up in here!"
Merlin shook his head, "Kyle, we're on the defensive this time. You may have had the easier time in the fight compared to others, but can you say you're at one hundred percent right now? I know you took hits from Shock Knight which have left you twitchy."
Kyle winched, not realizing he had been spotted twitching from Shock Knight's electric attacks.
"I'm fine," Kyle lied. "C'mon, Merlin. You can't just bench us right now."
"Who said I'm benching you?" Merlin retorted. "We need to maintain a force to make sure Whyte Knight doesn't send more of his Black Knights or even more of his Rogues attacking here. You are aware this is our home base."
"Can the library withstand an attack and can those doors hold them back?" Darling asked.
"Darling, this place is built like a fortress. Nothing gets in or out without my permission," Merlin answered. "And the protection spells I put in this place have so many layers, it's like a reinforced onion."
Kyle sighed, "And why can't we go out there then?"
"I am proud of this fortress and Mira's magic can keep the glass clear, but nothing is perfect," Merlin replied. "So you're here as our last line of defense in case they try to break in. Final Vents can be pretty nasty on doors after all."
Kyle sighed, but he couldn't argue with that. It would fit Whyte Knight to try and crush the spot they considered their residence and meeting place. If nothing else, he'd probably want to steal the Round Table if he knew it was there. He seemed a fanatic for anything related to Camelot he'd want to snatch up everything connected to it.
"Hunter? Deacon? Valentine?" Gawain grunted, shirtless. Rosabella was applying ointment on his bruises.
"Seems like Whyte Knight doesn't consider them as important," Merlin answered. "All your cute little squires are apparently being mobbed by Black Knights and their Psychorogues."
"Are they okay?" asked Gabe, pushing Holly's hair back.
"Well, since they were together when the attack hit, they aren't doing too badly," Merlin replied, lifting his MirrorPhone. "Someone's streaming the fight as we speak."
"Show us," Gawain spoke.
"Lemme mirror it on the TV," Merlin said and he turned on the television to show the fight onscreen.
Oh, thank goodness! Five wins so far for the Knights of the Round Table!
Yes, but remember Brooke, there are still nine more Knights in peril, not to mention their squires.
I don't think we need to remind her of that, honey.
Dear-!
Mom, Dad, this isn't the time! We need to check on Darren and the others!
A/N: Now we see the first portion of the assault of the Order of the White Dragon. The Knights of the Round Table managed to win out and drive the Rogues off. So far, things are tense but the end of things is still far away.