Greetings! So, it's time to add something extra into the mix. I was wondering what i could do, then my mind moved to the natural influence that moves quite a few of my stories clearly: Tokusatsu. DaiKaiOh from Shinkenger utilised the four cardinal directions and so I thought, what could I do to make that fit DxD better? Then I saw the opening for Alice To Zouroku, with the whole melding into your mirror image and this was born! Well, find out what I'm talking about! Anyway, let's go!

Super hero time!

Shuujin: Well, looks like it's time to face the north!

Issei: And you're meeting the Witch in her own world!

Shuujin: Something feels... familiar about the place.

Issei: Yeah, you're telling me...

S + I: Break the chains! phone up the future!

The whirring of motors filled the air as Rider began her mad dash around the console, flicking and swiping away. Despite being placed into a form of captivity, Onihime seemed to show no signs of discomfort at all, pleasantly surveying the room with crimson eyes.

"I must admit, I wasn't expecting such a large room to be contained within such a small container." She remarked, uncaring for Rider's dismissive grunt. Such advanced magic must be hard to maintain.

"There's absolutely no magic involved. This is entirely technology utilised in specific patterns." The pink haired girl stated, a lack of joviality in her voice as a second lever was pulled with surprising force. Issei was a bit hesitant as he approached the girl, a whisper of concern to his words.

"Are you alright? You're surprisingly confrontational, more so then you were with Midori and she was stalking you somewhat." The boy asked, awkwardly pressing and pulling things he wasn't exactly sure even had a function as the girl stomped about, fully aware of the curiosity that Onihime was watching with.

"She locked people up in there!" she groaned gently, a piercing glare met by a cheerful return. "No food, no time to relieve themselves, they were playing with their lives on stake! Do you think we really should be having her in this, in my Starway Rider!?"

"You speak as if it wasn't my job, as if there weren't others that not only were perfectly fine with having such a system in place, but were willing maintain it and actively encouraged it in the name of profit." Onihime remarked, a soft smile coming from blood red lips as Rider sent a death glare towards the gothic girl. With a small sound of confusion, Onihime turned to where Ophis was watching with blank eyes, a tilt to her head as her 'father' continued to speak with Starway Rider.

"You, treat this like a game." Ophis stated softly, Onihime giving a nod as an answer. "Why? That, is not true."

"Because I have so much more chance of succeeding as long as I see it as a game." The prisoner answered casually, the chafing of her handcuffs bringing out a small shuffle. "Is it not natural to play to your talents? If I demonstrate a greater skill when in the mind-set of games, then I will apply a similar mind-set to life and thus get better results. I don't see an issue with that."

She didn't receive a proper answer as a sudden crash sent a great tremble across the body of the vessel, the Starway Rider forced to the ground with a heavy thud. Rider had paused in her actions, immediately zoning in upon a keyboard where the rapid taps of carefully maintained fingers brought up an image upon the two screens, Rider and Issei taking one and leaving the other to the viewing pleasure of Kunou, Ophis and Onihime.

"Hey, what are we looking at? We're not seeing anything!" Kunou moaned, throwing the screen to the side, colliding with its counterpart to reveal only static, just like the first.

"That's because someone's damaged the camera." Rider answered solemnly, looking to the door as she flicked a switch, the two doors sliding across with little effort. "The only issue is that they're not meant to be breakable, ever."

"Well, everything has to have an end, else they grow stale, stagnant in a world that leaves them behind." Onihime commented, still sat upon the stairs with her hands cuffed behind her. "Perhaps now you have reason to replace them, met with a new danger. Are you to venture out, meet the risk head on, or will you falter in here, potentially trapped with no escape.

"What do you mean no escape?" Issei asked, only to be met by the low complaining groan of Rider, pointing with a trembling finger to the screen, various stats demonstrated upon the LCDs.

"The engine's been busted and I can instantly restart them. I'll have to work on them manually." Rider clarified, sending her death glare towards the giggling girl sat upon the stairs. "Issei, you're going to have to go out there and see where we are, make sure that everything's safe. How could this even happen!? The transportation sequence moves the entire thing into an alternate dimension and displaces the Starway Rider in a fashion that would have it in the appropriate location when it re-entered the appropriate place; there should be no attacks in a barren sub-dimension unless it was from another Starway Rider and there's only three at most!"

"It shouldn't be that far away right? We were heading towards the Kitsune household and the casino was in Kyoto." The brunette reasoned aloud, giving a small whistle as both Kunou and Ophis jumped to his side. "I really don't want to, but I'll have to leave Onihime with you. Can you handle that Rider?"

"…Fine." he walked out the door before the girl could come up with any complaints and if the devilish smile that took over her features meant anything, then it certainly wasn't going to be long before the pink haired girl would begin to regret her choice.

"JUST STAY QUIET OR ELSE I'M GOING TO TAPE YOUR MOUTH SHUT! I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE, DON'T DOUBT ME!"

"Woah, that was super quick!"

All he would have to do is place the crystal upon the Vambrace and the rest will all happen automatically. His Shikigami had been preparing for this moment ever since the day they were created, finding various creatures in desperate situations and bringing them to him. It was just so fortunate that they had found a group of powerful creatures travelling, though how exactly they could do so without being seen and without the use of any sort of magic was strange, but the attack was meant to even enter alternate dimensions; they were easily brought down.

Issei paused as he came face to face with the blue haired boy, a similar age to himself with silver eyes that shone in the moonlight. The Chinese influenced shirt and trousers were a dark navy, bordering on black with golden highlights, the character for 'hun' embroidered upon the front – soul. The vambrace that near swallowed his arm however, was a bright gold that glittered under the light of the moon, a black crystal resting in his hand over a space perfectly moulded to its proportions.

"Are you the ones that shall challenge me?" the boy declared, Issei taking a step back as he found the comfort of his phone in hand. "I feared that my attack would be futile but it managed to pierce even the dimensional barriers. There would be no escape."

"Challenge you? Why wouldn't we!? You shot down our super awesome ship!" Kunou exclaimed with clenched fists, a small cloud of fire escaping her as she turned to Issei. "Show him what we're made of! Make him regret ever shooting our ship!"

"Well I guess I don't have a choice here, do I?" the student mused, turning to the boy with a hardened look. "Tell me, is the only reason you shot down our vehicle is because you wanted to fight?"

"Yes. I wanted to see whether my abilities were worthy of the title they hold. I have been preparing for this moment so that none would ever stand a chance of defeating me." The boy declared, the crystal mere millimetres away from entering its slot. "Remember the name Liu Wei, for it will be the name you take to the grave!"

The crystal was slammed into place, the boy holding out the vambrace in front of him as a strange screen formed in front of him, obscuring him from Issei and his girls. Unseen, a strange silhouette filled the screen in front of Liu Wei, mirroring his every move as the boy reached forward, near melting into the mirror. "Mind Meld – Sacrifice your soul!"

SaCrIfIcE yOuR sOuL!

nOrTh! GeNbU!

The distorted voice cried out as the two began to meld within the mirror, Issei taking a step back as a completely frozen figure escaped the other side of the screen, only to warp into a terrifying figure, growing to a size unheard of before.

"AH, HE'S A TURTLE!" Kunou yelled, leaping behind Issei before releasing a great stream of fire, the neck of the turtle stretching out as it poised to strike, twin fangs only just missing by centimetres. Ophis met the attack with narrowed eyes, batting it away as if it was but a minor annoyance.

"He's, a turtle and snake chimera. This, is Genbu." The gothic Lolita explained, a small hiss escaping their opponent as a forked tongue poked out. "However, he is not, Genbu. His, mind is different."

"I had to prepare this for a long time." The boy once known as Liu Wei remarked, a sly tone marred by the deep cords worthy of such a giant creature. "After all, such creatures as the Dark Emperor of the Heavens will not be easily tamed, but with the right preparation, it was a pitifully easy task. Do you believe yourself strong enough to withstand the might of he who was locked away north of Kyoto's imperial palace, controlling the waters as if they were his own?"

Issei leapt out of the way of the attack that was launched his way, a vicious blade formed off what looked to be a tsunami. The water was not to be stopped though, splashing about like a storm given solid form, separating into tendrils that lashed out towards the three.

"I'm going for it!" the student declared, locking eyes with Ophis as she gave a curt nod, the numbers already being punched in before he could fully register it.

CALL!

NUMBER ONE – DRAGON!

CALL TO ARMS!

"Here we go!" a great surge of energy overtook the boy, his hair standing on edge as he launched forward. With the strength of Ophis at hand, he was unstoppable as he burst through the torrential shield that suddenly formed, his fist easily colliding with scaled skin. Liu Wei was not to be stopped however, a flick of the serpentine head having Issei out of balance, a second flick sending him into the ground.

"Do you truly believe you could stop Genbu with such power?" the snake-tortoise chimera questioned, a simultaneously low and high pitched chuckle escaping the monstrous creature. It holds the strength of a quarter of the night sky, with the potential size to fill it as well. To look down on me because of a downgraded size and power is to be a fool wishing for death!"

"This was your idea of small!?" Issei asked incredulously in return, small barriers of pure energy acting as shields, batting away the various strikes of water that were sent his way. "You're like, the same size as a house!" he was answered by a giant foot above him, the brown haired boy giving a small grunt as his legs buckled beneath him. Though the phone gave him powers beyond human capacity, they still had their limits to prevent the user being overwhelmed, meaning there just wasn't any chance Issei could withstand the onslaught for long. Though victorious in his mission to throw aside the foot that would crush him, he immediately turned at Kunou's cry, the two girls dancing together around the aquatic tentacles.

That single period, that brief moment, was all that was needed in order to make Issei freeze, an ample opportunity for Liu Wei to unleash a great stream of water, bearing down upon Issei with the strength of more than a thousand men. Both drowning and forced to take the brunt of the attack, he was barely able to hear the girls' cries of anguish, one of the first times he had heard a section of emotion enter Ophis' voice, before the world faded to black, the water disappearing to leave only the battered boy in his own crater.

Shrinking down without a word, Liu Wei turned away, returning to his human form as he plucked the crystal out of his vambrace. Watching with dismissive eyes as the girls rushed other to their friend, Ophis passing hand over his body in silence, he turned away, the symbol of 'wan; done in the same gold as the rest of the highlights- night.

"I see. So this may prove to be sufficient. Thank you for allowing me to test my might." Liu Wei said, holding up a hand in farewell as he strolled into the night, evaporating like snow as Kunou seethed.

"Who does that guy think he is!?" she huffed, puffing out her cheeks as she looked to Issei's prone body. "First he shoots down our super ship and then e beats us up for no reason!"

"He, holds the power of Genbu, one of the four Taoist symbols. He, is not to be underestimated." Muttered Ophis, her eyes flicking up to see Rider dashing their way, covered in some form of oil as she looked to Issei's body in shock.

"So I was right, he was being hurt…" the pink haired girl despaired, looking to Ophis and Kunou, scanning them up and down with a sigh of relief. "Well, at least you two are relatively fine. I've managed to get the engines functioning, though they will need a better look later; we should get you two home for now and give the black bitch to Yasaka."

Time to time, do you think of that day's delivery?

That early tune commissioned to a stranger's faded name?

Every deftly left lyric with a pitch to follow it

Was born blessed by the gentlest light…

The woman in blue let out a sigh, looking to the window beyond to see the moon. How had it become such a central figure to the many myths and legends that filled the world? It was a simple satellite, a chunk of rock perhaps broken off of the earth in a collision with an asteroid; there really was no true grand meaning to it, that was what science said.

But the gods had given birth to numerous tales and even to the moon itself, inhabiting it with various people that were stranded upon the pale surface. The jade rabbit was gracefully resting there, as was the girl she was far more interested in.

"To think that he would awaken so soon…" she lamented, fingers pausing over the keys as she looked down on her people in the piano."Could you have recognised the signs of his awakening? The fact that he would begin to wreak havoc so early?"

But what was done was done. There was little she could do at this point apart from pray for his safety. It wasn't as if her chosen one couldn't reach the zenith of his skills, but he had yet to fill out his bonds, forge the necessary strength to face what was to come. If he were to play his part too soon, then he would be overwhelmed by the responsibility, ending prematurely and leaving her poor daughter all alone in the world once more…

"She doesn't deserve such a fate, but to be locked up like this is to be pulled away from her." The blue haired woman hissed, a sudden mess of notes escaping the piano as a fist collided with the keys. Her tears were a storm, falling to the people of Orchest town as rain. "I can't put them through this, I can't keep making them act as someone else! They can't keep living in someone else's place!"

But they would have to. If she had any hopes of accomplishing what had to be done, she would have to. He had made it possible for her to exit for a small amount of time with that critical point, but that would only allow her leave for a short while. What could she do to end this, other than have one of them finally complete the task!?

"Well, perhaps I could… I've done it before, what is it that stops me from doing it once more?" the lady mused, her hands rising above the pristine keys once more as an elegant smile overtook her visage. "Yes, that is absolutely marvellous! They will do perfectly. All it would take is a small part of timing and then it is a simple request…"

It would be tricky, but she had spent so long within her white walls that there was little she could gain from being as safe as she had been. Surely there would come a time where she would be unable to continue caring for the people of Orchest town, where her own powers were insufficient. All she could was simply give them the joy they desired, but what of the time where that became impossible. They had to do this, otherwise it all hinged on the success of her chosen one.

"He has done well in his task so far though." The woman in blue mused, tilting her witch's hat back with a small grin. "He has accumulated more bonds that I had at first expected him to do. He did splendidly at his task… I just fear that he won't make it to the same level… No, he needs to have the proper support if he is to complete the task. Once he reaches the right stage, we enter the proper path... The tower waits for nought, but when its chosen does arrive, they will have to face the nine. I can only hope that he is ready to face them…"

The tune was once more upon her lips, a melody of hope and a tune of defeat. A part of her hoped that it would be the last time she would sing the tune for them, but only time may tell…

I'll sing for you, I'll sing for me 'long as I see you smiling

This world's an awful thought where we're all lost, so let's laugh it off!

Come sing with me, and soon the ones we shrugged will hum in harmony

Since the notes have no flow when they're sung on their own,

And two's too close to still being alone,

Under one heartbeat, these voices unite

To sing with their life!

Da-ta la-la-la la-la la-la-la la

Da-ta-la-la la-la du-la lu-la

Ha-ah ah-ah ta-la-la-la-la

Du-wa shu-wa chu-wa...

That's one of the biggest clues I could give you as to the blue woman's, or the 'Celestial Pianist's', identity. This is setting up a lot of things, but importantly, it's setting up the first chapter. Now, what is with the pianist's words? What sort of special meaning could they have? Another of my influences on this story has been surprisingly non-tokusatsu, or asian in general. You can easily tell, but it's doctor Who. Now, what could that mean?