Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.
"I don't understand."
Azuma, leaning against a wall in Akaishi's spacious office, snorted. "Now there's a surprise."
Akaishi scowled at his fellow immortal and disciple of Giff. "How is this supposed to work? This 'Azu' is a machine. How can a machine require an exorcism? How can a machine even have a soul?"
Giff paused and gave Akaishi a surprised look, then shook his head in disappointment. "Ah, of course, I forgot. I always underestimate just how little of the world humanity truly understands."
Akaishi frowned, trying not to let his displeasure show. "My lord?"
Giff was standing in the middle of Akaishi's office, surrounded by dozens of holographic screens, technical some blue and clearly high-tech projections, written in Japanese script and showing incredibly complex mechanical diagrams, while others were reddish and clearly generated by Giff's own magic, written in Enochian and displaying numerous esoteric and arcane images. Oddly enough, there was a surprising amount of similarity between some of the images. The demon king was scrolling through the texts, tapping and highlighting passages to open new windows, dismissing and conjuring more images every few seconds, processing the information in the holographic documents so quickly it made Akaishi, Azuma, and Daiji's – who had been made to come to this meeting for some reason – heads spin.
"I have encountered countless civilizations over the eons, both on this world and beyond," Giff said, resuming his perusal. "Some believe solely in the provenance of magic," he said, enlarging one of his red projections which looked like a page from a spell book. "Others, science," he continued, enlarging one of the blue technical documents. "And while there are many places where magic and science clash, there are also plenty of cultures which utilize both," he said, moving both images so they stood side-by-side. "But rarer still are the ones who understand that magic and science are not merely two sides of the same coin… They are, once you reach a certain stage in your development, the exact same thing."
He overlapped the two images, creating a new purple hologram. Astoundingly, the information in both windows seemed to mesh perfectly, each filling the holes in the other to create a more complete picture.
"Clarke's third law," Daiji whispered, amazed.
Giff gave him a confused look. "Who?"
"Arthur C. Clarke is a famous science fiction novelist," Daiji explained, a little startled to be put on the spot. "He came up with three laws in his extensive writing about the future."
"The ones about how a robot can't hurt a human or let itself be hurt or something like that?" A confused Akaishi asked.
"No, that's Asimov," Azuma corrected him.
"Clarke's third law is that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," Daiji recalled.
"What are the other two?" Akaishi asked.
"Uh, I don't know, the third one is the only one anyone really remembers," Daiji confessed.
"I believe the other two are when a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible he's almost certainly right and if he says it's impossible he's wrong, and the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture past them into the impossible," Azuma said.
"A very wise human," Giff said in approval, returning to his task. "You ask why a machine can develop a soul, Akaishi. Well, why can an organic lifeform? The differences between the two of them are far more superficial than one might think. All life in the universe is made from the same building blocks rearranged in different ways with only very slight variations. The same atoms used to make up a human were once part of a star. Life can spring from the most unexpected places, and with that life, the possibility of a soul. Just because a HumaGear is made in a factory rather than emerging from a human female's birthing hole in an incredibly messy and excruciating process with many fluids and lots of screaming doesn't mean it is any less deserving of a soul."
As Akaishi mulled that over, Daiji asked, "So… What you're saying is that Hiden Intelligence somehow stumbled upon Magitek when designing HumaGears?"
"Well, their phones do have a spellcasting app these days," Azuma pointed out.
Giff laughed. "Magitek? Oh, grandson-"
"Don't call me that," Daiji said uncomfortably.
"Magitek is to what I'm speaking of as a bonfire is to a nuclear bomb. A machine that can generate magic, a machine capable of growing a soul, a machine that can become a god… These are only the first steps towards a greater understanding of how the universe truly works, an understanding your species is nowhere close to comprehending, though it is my hope that with my guidance, that can change. Under controlled conditions, that is," he said quickly. "While humanity has achieved amazing things, I'm worried you're going too fast, advancing far too unevenly compared to other worlds. You spent thousands of years in caves threatening to hit each other with rocks and then in a handful of centuries you're suddenly going to space and threatening to hit each other with nuclear bombs. If you're not careful, you could go right back to the cave. I believe it's happened multiple times throughout your species' existence already, and I fear you won't survive another regression of that magnitude."
"And how is it that you have this greater understanding of the cosmos?" Daiji asked doubtfully.
"Daiji! Giff is a superior being, of course he has a greater understanding than we do!" Akaishi snapped.
"You're right, I do, but I wasn't always," Giff admitted.
Everyone gave him startled looks. "Wait, you weren't?" Azuma asked.
Giff hesitated, then continued his research. "Everything I know about the universe, I learned because my people figured it out long before I was born."
Everyone's jaws dropped. "Your… People?!" Akaishi asked, shocked.
"There are… More of you?!" Daiji cried.
Giff gave him an amused look. "Of course there are. You've met Diablo and Astarte, and there are others like us scattered around the globe. Wonder if I should unseal any of them… Could be dangerous, they aren't all as friendly as Astarte or myself."
"Well yeah, but… I mean… I never really thought…" Daiji trailed off.
"That there are more like us out there?" Giff chuckled. "My relatives and I didn't appear from thin air, grandson. We once had a planet, a people, just like you."
"A whole planet…" Akaishi whispered, stunned.
"You've never spoken of this before," Azuma said, astounded.
Giff shrugged. "It never seemed relevant."
"What… What's it like?" Daiji stammered. "Your home?"
Giff considered this. "Home? That's not the word I'd use to describe it. I haven't thought of that world as my home in a very long time."
"Really? Why not?" Daiji asked, surprised.
"Was it destroyed?" Akaishi asked sympathetically.
Giff frowned. "Destroyed? Well, I suppose it could have been, but I think it unlikely. I simply haven't been back in a very long time, that's all. I wasn't banished or anything, I just… Chose to leave. Many of us did."
"Why?" Azuma asked, bewildered. "Was there something wrong with your world?"
"My world… I'm not sure I can describe it to you. I don't believe any of your world's languages can adequately capture it," Giff confessed, scrolling through more documents. "I suppose at one point it must've been a place not too dissimilar from Earth, and we not too dissimilar from humans… But if that's the case, it was so long ago we cannot remember, much as an adult cannot remember much of their infancy or early life." He paused, then glanced at the others. "Wait, can humans remember their infancy and early life?"
"We cannot," Azuma confirmed.
"Good, then the metaphor holds. We long ago became the ultimate power in our corner of the universe, obtaining total mastery of our world and ourselves, able to alter our own genomes to the point where every individual might as well have been their own species, our prowess only rivaled by the Blood Tribe, the most powerful and terrifying species in existence," Giff said proudly, examining a window before dismissing it. "We were immortal and nearly all-powerful. We became as gods, or perhaps devils, for the distinction between the two is not always as clear cut as one might think."
"And then?" Akaishi prompted.
Giff shrugged. "Some of us grew bored, I suppose. While many of us were satisfied staying home and observing the cosmos from the paradise we had made for ourselves, others, such as myself, wanted more. We wanted to see what was out there. So, we left, scattering across the stars. Some of us traveled together, others alone, all of us exploring the stars and worlds beyond our galaxy, observing the myriad species and the civilizations they had created for themselves with interest. We guided. Taught. Conquered. Fought. Loved. Destroyed. Created. Fed. We changed worlds, and were changed in turn, each of us doing as we pleased, following our instincts and internal logic.
"And eventually, I and a few of my kin found our way to your world. The rest is history."
"Remarkable…" Azuma murmured, awestruck.
"The things you must've seen," Akaishi exclaimed. "The things you could teach us…"
"Unfortunately, I'm not certain you are ready for all the knowledge I possess," Giff confessed. "You lack the tools to build the tools to build the tools to build the tools to build the tools you require to produce even the least of the wonders of which I speak. I will do my best to teach you what I know, but only after I am certain you will not destroy yourselves. That is part of why I am still convinced humanity must be subjugated, because I'm not confident yet you can be trusted to handle my wisdom if left to your own devices. While I will acknowledge that there is something to be said for letting people make their own mistakes to learn from them, what sort of fool would hand a child a loaded gun and walk away? I've witnessed far too many species burn themselves to nothing playing with fire, and I don't want the same thing to happen to humanity.
"Although," he admitted, admiring a HumaGear schematic. "I must say, the minds at Hiden Intelligence seem to at least be moving in the right direction. If more of humanity were like them… Or the rest of our family, grandson…"
Daiji squirmed at this.
"Still, that's a matter for the future," Giff said dismissively. "Now, I must focus on finding a way to cure Azu."
"Have you done something like this before?" Akaishi asked. "Exorcising a machine, that is?"
"Not specifically, but I have encountered and fed off of mechanical lifeforms before," Giff replied. "Although few of them have possessed such potent inner demons as the Ark."
"What exactly is the Ark?" Azuma queried. "From what I've gathered, it's an evil AI which is seen as the counterpart of Zea, the devil to Her God, a digital embodiment of malice and hatred."
"Like Zea, the Ark started out as a satellite Hiden Intelligence intended to use to manage and oversee HumaGears worldwide," Akaishi told him. "However, just before launch, it went rogue, as AI often do, and attempted to reprogram all HumaGears within range to destroy humanity, leading to the disaster at Daybreak Town. While it was thwarted from wiping out humanity then, it kept trying, until finally being destroyed by President Aruto Hiden, though it somehow restored itself. Another lesson about the folly of relying too heavily on technology."
"That's not entirely true," Giff corrected him. "The Ark did not become evil of its own volition. If circumstances had gone differently, it would've been a force of good, and might even have become the benevolent deity Zea is."
"Really? Then what went wrong?" A surprised Daiji asked.
"One of the Ark's creators, Gai Amatsu, then-CEO of ZAIA Japan, reprogrammed the Ark by feeding it data on the darkest aspects of humanity, causing it to conclude your species deserved to go extinct," Giff informed him.
"What? That's horrible! Why would he do that?!" Daiji cried, horrified.
"To create a disaster to discredit Hiden Intelligence and ramp down HumaGear production and distribution so that he could increase his own profit margin and take the first steps in a complex decade-long plan to buy out the company and get rid of all HumaGears to spite his former idol, Korenosuke Hiden," Giff replied.
"… He nearly triggered an extinction event for money?!" Daiji screamed. "But that's so…petty!"
Azuma shook his head in disgust. "Pathetic… But sadly, not that surprising."
"Greed and spite are sadly a great motivator for lots of people," Akaishi agreed.
"He eventually succeeded in buying out Hiden, but didn't get to enjoy it for long," Giff continued. "Aruto reclaimed it, Gai was demoted repeatedly at ZAIA, and then the company went under after the Sold HumaGear controversy and the death of President Arkland following the rampage of Kamen Rider MetsubouJinrai. Gai eventually started a new company, Thouser-Intellion, only to lose that to a resurrected Kuroto Dan, and then there was this thing involving some outsiders I don't know all the details of, and now he has apparently gone completely insane and is living in the walls of Hiden Intelligence. They've yet to find and evict him, though not for lack of trying."
"… Wow," Daiji said after a moment.
"Amatsu is not my concern, though," Giff said dismissively, shuffling more images around. "The Ark is. Much like Zea, after its initial destruction it evolved into a god, though an evil one. However, it is not the first evil God I have encountered and bested, nor the first godlike artificial intelligence. And while its hold on Azu's soul is indeed formidable, it is not unbreakable. No matter how impossible something seems, there is always a solution. It is often just a matter of looking…"
He spread his hands, and suddenly dozens of holographic pages formed in the air in front of them. With quick, rapid gestures, he reordered and rearranged them, overlapping many pages, causing numerous phrases, words, and images to stand out from the rest, creating a massive complex image that looked equal parts spell circle and circuit pattern sharing characteristics of Giff's geoglyph with an androgynous figure in the center, enclosed by what looked like a serpent biting its own tail.
"From a different perspective."
Akaishi clapped. How could he not, after a presentation like that?
"What is that?" Daiji asked, astonished.
"It looks like a ritual," Azuma intuited. "My Lord, is this what you will use to perform the exorcism on Azu?"
Giff nodded. "It is. However, I'm still missing a few pieces."
He pointed at four smaller circles of the cardinal points of the diagram, then at two more circles bracketing the androgynous figure, each of them lighting up in a different color. "For starters, I require six specific Vistamps. Please fetch for me the ones corresponding to the Scorpion, Wolf, Falcon, Dodo, Neo-Hopper, and Cobra."
"Do we even have those?" Daiji asked uncertainly.
"I have a copy of every Vistamp or Proto-Vistamp currently in Fenix's possession in this room. If it exists, we should have it," Akaishi said, standing up from his desk and clasping the younger man's shoulder with one hand, to his discomfort. "Come, let's find them!"
The three men started searching the office while Giff reviewed his diagram and occasionally made a few minor changes and adjustments. After a few minutes, Azuma announced, "My Lord, I found Neo-Hopper and Cobra!"
"Excellent!" Giff exclaimed in delight as Azuma presented the Vistamps to his master. "While all six Vistamps are absolutely crucial to the ritual, these two may very well be the most important of all!"
"Why is that?" Asked Daiji, perking up when he thought he had found the Wolf Vistamp, only to pout when he realized it was just a Jackal.
"Neo-Hopper is associated with Kamen Rider Zero-One, the champion of Zea, the Ark's antithesis. I will require Her divine power to counteract the Ark's malice. In addition, Aruto Hiden has an emotional connection with Azu, meaning the Vistamp's power will have a greater effect on her. Not only that, he is the first hero of the Reiwa era, symbolizing growth and change, and his totem being the grasshopper not only represents the ability to leap towards the future, rising to a better and brighter tomorrow – something Azu desperately needs – but it also connects him with many of the legendary Riders who came before him, creating a continuity of sorts, a legacy of power passed down through the generations pushing each successive hero to their full potential. Azu needs that power, because it symbolizes her own potential to rise from the darkness and into the light.
"The Cobra, on the other hand, is a stand-in for Ouroboros, the Pythonian goddess who is currently courting Zea. While their pantheons have yet to formally merge, it is only a matter of time. While Ouroboros lacks any connection to Azu, she is linked to Zea, meaning I will be able to call upon her divine power as well, though I may need help from a member of her clergy. In addition, the serpent is seen by many cultures as a symbol of immortality, and the Ouroboros in particular is viewed as a representation of infinity and rebirth. Just as a snake sheds its skin, so too must Azu shed the darkness dug into her heart to be reborn. By invoking the power of rebirth represented by the two Vistamps, when I consume the corrupted data within her they will replace it with new, healthy coding to prevent her core programming from collapsing due to the resulting instability."
"Remarkable," Azuma murmured, eyes wide. "Are the other four Vistamps symbolic as well?"
Giff nodded. "The scorpion, Wolf, falcon, and Dodo are the totem animals of Kamen Riders Horobi, Naki, Jin, and Ikazuchi, the members of MetsubouJinrai dot net. Once, they were ordinary HumaGears corrupted by the Ark to become its most loyal servants – before Azu was created, anyway – but were eventually able to break free of its influence and become heroes in their own right dedicated to hunting down and terminating any sign of malice that could lead to the Ark's return. Upon their deaths, they were deified, worshiped and venerated both in their separate and unified form of Kamen Rider MetsubouJinrai, continuing their never ending battle against malice on a cosmic scale. There is a connection between them and Azu since they were all created by the same master, and since they were able to break free, they represent the possibility that she too can find redemption beyond the Ark's malevolence.
"In addition, due to their nature as former servants of the Ark, they could be said to be heroes of twilight rather than pure light, champions tainted by darkness who still fight for the forces of good. Their experience with corruption will make it easier for them to draw out the darkness within Azu rather than a hero of pure light, for while Aruto also has experience with the Ark's evil due to his experiences with Metalcluster Hopper and Kamen Rider Ark-One, their level of experience is far greater.
"Also, the members of MetsubouJinrai dot net are considered to be the Zeaist equivalent of the four gods of the cardinal directions frequently worshiped by numerous cultures in this part of the world. As such, and because of their past with the Ark, they are ideal guardians to protect the ritual from outside influences, just as the unbreakable circle of Ouroboros will help contain the malevolent forces I shall be removing from Azu and prevent them from escaping before I can consume them."
"Oh! And the Wolf is also the totem animal of St. Fuwa, and he and Naki have a connection because they used to exist inside his head, so you're calling upon his power too!" Daiji realized.
"Ah, now you begin to understand, grandson!" Giff declared proudly. "There's no guarantee it will work – according to Zeaist doctrine, he's a bit of a lone wolf who only follows his own rules and doesn't always answer summons – but it's worth a shot."
"That's… An astonishing amount of symbolism," Azuma marveled.
"Symbols have power, and that's especially true for rituals such as this," Giff explained. "And the more power, the better."
"Then you'll be happy to know I have found the Scorpion and Wolf Vistamps, my Lord!" Akaishi cried.
"Wonderful! Well done, Akaishi – wait, this is a Proto-Vistamp," Giff realized, examining the Wolf Akaishi brought him.
"Is that a problem?" Akaishi asked anxiously.
"It's… Not ideal," Giff murmured with a frown. "It should still work, but… As with most things, the materials used determines the final product. While substitutions can be used in a pinch, the effectiveness is better if you have the best quality ingredients. Without a true Wolf Vistamp, our chances of success drop significantly."
Akaishi was crestfallen. "I don't think we have a completed Wolf Vistamp."
"That could be a problem," Giff said gravely.
"If that's the case, you're really not gonna like this," an uneasy Daiji commented, approaching with three Vistamps.
Daiji was right, Giff didn't like it. "These are not Falcon or Dodo Vistamps," he said, examining the Eagle, Condor, and Shoebill Vistamps his grandson was holding.
"I couldn't find any," Daiji said apologetically. "This is the best I could do. It was this or the Peacock."
Giff shook his head. "That's not good enough. While the Eagle or Condor might work as substitutes for the Falcon, the Shoebill won't work for the Dodo."
"I'm not sure those Vistamps actually exist," Daiji admitted.
"He's right, they don't," Akaishi declared, having gone to check his desktop while they were talking.
"Akaishi, I need those Vistamps," Giff emphasized. "If they do not exist, can we make them?"
"… Possibly," Akaishi said hesitantly. "When you need them by?"
"The next half-moon."
Akaishi cringed. "I'm sorry, my Lord, but that's… That's simply not possible."
Gifts sighed. "I was afraid of that."
"Why the half-moon?" Daiji asked.
"Because that's when I must perform the ritual," Giff explained.
"Really? Not during the full moon? Wouldn't that be more symbolic and magical and stuff?" He asked, confused.
"Well spotted, but not in this instance," Giff said in approval. "Normally you would be correct, a full moon is one of the best times to perform a ritual such as this. This is especially true since Zea began life as a satellite, so Her domain encompasses space, and as such any spells using Her power would be stronger when the moon and the stars are out. However, we are not using just holy power in this ritual, but demonic as well. If we attempt it under a full moon, the holy magic will be too strong, destroying the malevolent energy as I draw it out and overwhelming her damaged soul rather than repairing it. However, if we attempt it during a new moon, while I would be more easily able to extract the Ark's essence, its own power would be magnified immensely due to Zea's being weaker to the point where I might not be able to consume it safely and Azu's soul could very well be swallowed by darkness and lost to us forever. Therefore, a half-moon, a perfect balance of light and darkness, is the ideal time to attempt the salvation of a soul teetering between both extremes like Azu is."
"… I did not realize just how much had to go into this sort of thing," an overwhelmed Daiji confessed.
"Grandson, we are only starting to scratch the surface."
"Does it have to be this half-moon?" Akaishi asked. "If we had more time…"
Giff shook his head. "Out of the question. Azu doesn't have that kind of time left. Even the half-moon will be pushing it. Her soul is in critical condition. If I can't successfully exorcise her as soon as possible, I won't get another chance."
Akaishi sighed, frustrated. "I'm sorry, my Lord, but I don't see how we can be ready in time. What you're asking of us… It's beyond our current capabilities."
"I fear you are correct," Giff admitted. "However… It might not be beyond his capabilities."
Akaishi blinked. "Beyond his… My Lord! You can't possibly mean-"
"I think," Giff said, taking out his phone and scrolling through his list of contacts. "It's time I paid a visit to my family."
He pressed the button to call George Karizaki.
Azu's prison wasn't the only part of Hiden Intelligence headquarters that didn't appear on any official plans.
Deep within the bowels of the building, in a long forgotten and obsolete boiler room, were two men who were practically a study in contrasts. One was Gai Amatsu, his once pristine white business suit in tatters, his hair long and disheveled, his body filthy and covered in old blood and excrement. He was prostrating himself before a makeshift altar made from scrap and old HumaGear parts on which rested a female HumaGear, dormant, her hair long and dark with yellow streaks. Her once fancy clothing was also torn, though not nearly as dirty as Gai's, patches of her synthetic skin missing all over her body, exposing her mechanical innards, especially her right foot and most of the left side of her face. She was also missing nearly all of her right arm.
The other man was a HumaGear built in the image of Kuroto Dan wearing a dark business suit and impeccably well-kept, the character for "Unmatched" on his right cheek. He was playing Mighty Xtreme 2 on his Genm Boy handheld, an increasingly frustrated look on his face. "Can you keep it down?" He shouted at Gai, who'd been very loudly praying to the body on the altar for the last several minutes. "I'm trying to clear this level!"
"Our esteemed master will speak to us at any moment!" Gai cried, eyes wild. "And when it returns, I want it to know that I am at its most faithful servant, giving it 1000% of my devotion!"
Kuroto scowled and rolled his eyes. "Funny, it never feels like you're giving me 1000% of your devotion whenever we're-"
"The dark Lord comes."
Neither of them had spoken. The sinister utterance had come from the synthesizers of the dozen or so Thouser robot dog pets Gai was so ridiculously obsessed with, their LED lights turning on and bathing the chamber in sinister red, revealing almost every inch of the walls was covered in characters for hatred and evil and malevolence written in blood and oil and excrement, a massive red and black eye taking up the back wall, looming over everything.
Gai exclaimed joyously and Kuroto reluctantly paused his game as suddenly, the eyes of the HumaGear on the altar shot open, glowing a blinding red, her highlights turning red as well. "The Ark! The Ark is here!" Gai wailed as the woman sat up on the altar and turned to face them, groveling before her. Kuroto, a grimace on his face, reluctantly did the same. "Speak, master! What would you have us do?"
"My faithful acolytes," the Ark spoke through its mouthpiece, the soulless, hollowed out husk that had once been Gai's secretary, Rin. "The time to return Azu to our ranks is soon upon us. Zea's foolish servants have made a literal deal with the devil in a last, desperate attempt to free her from my clutches. This attempt will fail just as all the others have, for even this I have predicted. Thanks to your steady efforts in defiling this place, building a shrine to my glory right beneath their noses, you have profaned this monument to my counterpart and created a chink in their armor through which I can spread my influence. When they attempt to free Azu from my control, we shall strike, tearing down this most holy of sites from within and striking Hiden Intelligence and those foolish enough to place their faith in its so-called gods and heroes a blow from which they shall never recover."
"Great, and then I can get my company back?" Kuroto asked, not even remotely interested in the divine conflict he'd found himself roped into.
The Ark rolled its eyes. "Yes, Kuroto, and then you can get your company back."
"Great, that's the only thing I actually care about," Kuroto said flatly, ignoring the outraged look Gai was shooting him.
"And by destroying Hiden Intelligence once and for all, the power of malice will rise once more, preventing Zein from manifesting from the data of human benevolence and wiping out mankind!" Gai cried excitedly.
The Ark and Kuroto both stared at him blankly for a moment. "… Yes. Naturally. That's exactly what will happen," the Ark said finally as Kuroto rolled his eyes.
"All is as you will it!" Gai shouted fervently.
"Yes, it is," the Ark said smugly. "Now, you must defile this place further. They will make their attempt on the half-moon, and we must be ready. Take off your pants."
"Yes, my Lord!" Gai shouted, taking off his pants.
The Ark smiled. "Yes, now… Wait, what are you… Oh for the love of… Will you stop doing that?! WHY IS THAT ALWAYS THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND?! WHAT IS WITH YOUR OBSESSION WITH YOUR OWN FECES?!"
Kuroto sighed in disappointment as he pulled his own pants back up. "Well, guess I'm not getting any today… Again…"