After returning to his apartment, Ryuji was once more placed in bed with Kotonoha and Loki watching over him. Warren, Kenzaki and Neko were in the living room. Neko's eyes were trained on Kenzaki. Right now it was time for answers.
"OK, Ken-kun, it's time for you to tell us who Nanimo is," demanded Neko.
"Neko, I…"
"We deserve to know," Warren frowned. "He did this to Ryuji so we deserve to know what's going on."
Kenzaki frowned. "Very well. Nanimo is…Nanimo is…" He paused. "Nanimo is my brother."
You could hear a pin drop from a mile away due to the silence. Seconds later, Neko screamed, "YOUR WHAT!"
Kotonoha sat motionlessly as she watched over Ryuji, who was resting after his traumatic experience. Loki had given him a cool cloth to help keep his temperature down, but Kotonoha was offering a much more important support. Ryuji's hand was clutching her hand almost like a vice. Normal folks might have experienced some pain, but Kotonoha felt how much Ryuji needed her to be there. He needed her desperately and she knew it. Keeping him safe was more than enough to block out any pain she might feel.
For the first time in her life, Kotonoha felt like she wanted to murder someone. She had felt an inkling of this feeling when she found out Makoto was cheating on her with Sekai, but Ryuji had smothered those flames with his love. Now though, with him emotionally wounded like she was, the flames had become an inferno. Kotonoha wanted to kill the one who hurt the man she loved so much.
"I'm going to kill him," she murmured.
"Kotonoha-san?" Loki gasped in shock.
"The one who did this to my koibito (lover)," she whispered. "I want to make the one who did this suffer. Ryuji-kun saved my life, saved my heart, gave me his, and even stole mine. He is…Kami's gift to me."
Loki remained silent. Kotonoha was slipping into the frame of mind that Ryuji commented she had at the end of the anime which was based off this world. Being an Imagin, Loki was well-versed in the realms of alternate timelines and different dimensions. He was especially proud and happy for his contractor had saved and fell in love with Kotonoha. He had also been told that Kotonoha had become blank and cold near the end of the series. It seemed she was beginning to get that way again.
'Wake up quickly, Ryuji,' Loki silently prayed. 'Kotonoha-san needs you. Please, before she does something she will regret.'
"MIND BLOWING JOURNEY"
"Kotonoha-san, you can't be serious!" exclaimed Loki as he chased after Kotonoha as they exited Ryuji's room. Clutched in her left hand was a familiar silver and black train pass. She didn't respond as she headed for the exit but then Warren blocked her path.
"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Warren questioned with his eyes on the Rider Pass in Kotonoha's grasp. "And with Ryuji's pass?"
Kotonoha's eyes were cold as she ordered, "Step out of the way, Warren-san. I have to do this." He didn't get out of the way but instead grabbed her left wrist. "Let me go!"
"I can't do that," he said, giving a firm twist that forced her to let go of the pass. He caught it before it landed on the floor. "And this isn't yours."
"I need to find the one who did this to him, and kill them," swore Kotonoha. "They need to pay."
Warren had never seen Kotonoha so angry. He'd seen her lose her mind but never angry, not like this. This wasn't any better, though.
"I can't let you do that," he frowned. "This person…this Nanimo is not someone you can just look up for a fight, and even if you do manage to find him; who's to say you'll survive?"
"I don't care! He must pay! He must suffer!" Kotonoha raised her voice.
Sand poured out of Kotonoha's sleeves and then reformed into Athena. "Lady Kotonoha, maybe you should listen to-"
"Be quiet!" she yelled. "You're MY Imagin so do as I say and let me do this! Take the pass away from Warren-san!"
Athena could sense her contractor was slowly losing it. So, she had to deny the order, "I cannot, Lady Kotonoha. You are not of sound mind right now."
Kotonoha's expression started to change as tears fell from her eyes. She covered her eyes, sobbing. "I…I just…I just want to help him…"
"I don't think getting yourself killed will help," said Warren. "You may have donned the armor once, but that doesn't make you a real Rider. You have no real fighting experience and you're still a beginner that Ryuji's training. You'll just end up getting yourself killed…" He added, "And Ryuji would suffer even more. Is that what you want?"
"No," she confessed. "I just…I need him."
"And he needs you," Warren reasoned. "You shouldn't leave him when he needs you the most. He's going to need you when he wakes up."
"He…he needs…me?" Kotonoha sniffled.
"Yes," Warren nodded. "You don't know what he was like before he came here. Being composed of negative emotions, he didn't know anything about love or other things that make life wonderful. He knew it in literal terms and memories, but he never experienced it."
"Never?" Kotonoha gasped, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"No," Warren admitted. "All he knew was how to fight and keep himself alive. All he knew was anger and pain. That is, until he met you."
Kotonoha listened intently. She had an inkling of her boyfriend's life was like before, but never in detail. Her heart cried at hearing how his life was before he came into her life.
"The change was incredible," Warren continued. "He was smiling honestly, he was laughing, he was blushing, and I thought he was sick for a while. You've said he is Kami's gift to you, right? Well, you are a goddess to him."
"Me?" Kotonoha blinked in shock.
"You," Warren nodded. "You mean everything to him. You made him complete. And if what I think happened to him is true, you are the only one who can help him. He needs you desperately."
"He…needs me," Kotonoha mumbled. Her eyes slowly became more alert and came back to life as it all began to return to her. "Ryuji-kun needs me!"
It all suddenly snapped back into reality for her. When Makoto had broken her heart and left her behind, Ryuji hadn't gone and killed him or beaten him up. He stayed with her every step of her recovery. He rescued her from her own despair and nightmares. Now it was her turn to do the same for him.
Warren began walking past Kotonoha, Ryuji's pass still firmly in hand. "Come on."
"What do you mean?"
"We're gonna go help Ryuji," said Warren simply.
"How?" asked Kotonoha.
"We're going to go into his mind."
"But, Ryuji is an Orphenoch. His mental shields are very powerful," said Loki.
"True, but I'm pretty good at bypassing shields," said Warren with a knowing grin.
They entered the room to see Ryuji still sleeping. Kotonoha was relieved to see him at peace now but she wanted him to wake up and talk to her. She needed to hear his voice again.
"But how will we enter his mind?" asked Kotonoha. She was curious to know how Warren would perform such an impossible feat. However, she'd learnt that nothing was impossible since meeting Ryuji. Since then she'd seen and experienced things that she'd only read in books.
"A teacher of mine taught me," said Warren, referring to Dr. Strange. "Now, we're going to leave our bodies."
"Leave our bodies?" she echoed.
"Astral projection, out of body experience," he clarified. His attention turned towards Loki. "Get some rope and tie him down." Kotonoha gasped as Loki nodded and went to get some rope.
"Why do we need to tie him down?" asked Kotonoha.
"Because we don't want him to accidentally hurt himself or others," explained Warren. "We may accidentally trigger something inside him and his body would act on instinct alone. His instincts would be to destroy anything in his path or anyone who'd wronged him."
Kotonoha watched as Loki returned with several lengths of rope and began tying Ryuji onto the bed, restraining him with complex knots. Though, with Ryuji's powers, it would mean little as he could freeze the ropes and break them. Which was why Loki would watch over him as Warren and Kotonoha entered his mind.
"So, are you ready?" asked Warren.
"I'm ready," she nodded. "Tell me what I need to do."
"Good," Warren nodded. He gently took Kotonoha's hands and placed them over Ryuji's body along with his own. "Just concentrate on your breathing. I'll do the rest."
Kotonoha nodded and closed her eyes. The only thing she acknowledged was the sound of her own breath. She heard Warren mumbling something, but she ignored it. All she wanted to hear was her breathing. After a moment, her entire body felt like it was heating up. It was an odd warmth, but then it suddenly vanished, making her feel like she was hollow.
"We're here," Warren spoke. "You can open your eyes."
Kotonoha nodded and opened her eyes. Once she got her eyes adjusted, she took in the sight. She quickly discovered that she wasn't in Ryuji's room anymore. Instead, she was in a single bare room that had a door planted in it. The door was black and on it was a half red and half black mask. The red half displayed "Comedy" with a smile and happy eye while the black half displayed "Tragedy" with a deep frown and sad eyes. Hanging beside the door was a key.
"What is this?" Kotonoha asked curiously as Warren stepped forward and took the key.
"I don't know," said Warren. "It would appear that to enter further into his mind we must enter through doors like these." He handed the key to Kotonoha. "Here. Use this to unlock the door."
"Me?"
"You are the one closest to him so you have the honor," Warren said. "Just, be warned that there might be some things he's kept hidden from you. His mind contains his secrets and images of his past. Are you prepared to look inside the depths of his mind?"
Kotonoha clutched the keys. "I am."
Warren sighed, "Well, I do hope you are ready to find out more about who he is and was…and who he will be."
Kotonoha put the key into the keyhole and gave it a turn. The tumblers clicked, telling her the door was unlocked. Preparing herself, she pushed the door open with Warren behind her.
"Ikuyo," she told herself before stepping forward with Warren close behind.
Kenzaki stood outside Neko's room and sighed. As soon as they returned to the GaroLiner, she'd gone into her room, bringing along her new kitten, and locked the door. Obviously she was a little upset...OK, a little upset was an understatement.
"Great, just when our relationship was getting better," muttered Kenzaki. She was mad because he never told her who Nanimo was from the start. She was also upset about what'd happened to Ryuji. Still, she was mad at him from keeping such an important thing a secret from her.
He returned to the dining car and sat down when Shiori brought him a can of beer. Despite being physically underage in this world, he was really over 20 and this was the only thing that could calm him down.
"Nanimo..." he spoke. "What are you up to?"
Suddenly, there was a newsflash on the TV about an incident happening in Sakakino City right now.
Where are we?" Kotonoha asked. She and Warren had walked through the door with the Comedy/Tragedy mask on it only to see multiple mirrors lining the walls.
"Well, unless I miss my guess," Warren frowned as they stepped through the door. "I'd say this is his memory room."
"Memory room?" Kotonoha asked. "What do you mean?"
"Well, a person's mind can be interpreted in many ways," Warren explained. "A person's mental landscape varies on their personal imagination. I once met a guy whose mental landscape was an amusement park. Ryuji here seems to hold his mental spots inside specific rooms. This room holds his memories."
Kotonoha felt a little excited to hear that. She would be able to see her boyfriend's memories and maybe learn a little bit more about him.
The room was filled with many mirrors of different an intricate design. Some looked polished while others looked dull and covered in dust. However, these mirrors weren't normal mirrors. They didn't reflect an image but instead acted as windows. These were the windows into different memories that played out like movies.
"Interesting," said Warren as he saw the images playing within the mirrors. "So this is how he organises his memories."
"These are his memories?" Kotonoha questioned as she saw into one of the mirrors to see Ryuki and not Ryuji.
"Yes, and no," Warren stated.
"Pardon?" Kotonoha responded.
"Some of these aren't Ryuji's memories, but at the same time they are. Remember, Ryuji was once part of Ryuki, and as such they both share the same past. What you are seeing are Ryuki's memories, the memories that Ryuji has no choice but to keep within himself. Though these memories shape him, it also reminds him constantly that he is not a true person…"
Kotonoha could see it all. Ryuki's life from the beginning up until the present. Of course, she wanted to see Ryuji's memories. She saw one frightening one of an evil looking man with scars on his face and a wicked smile.
"Let's move forward," Warren instructed. She did as told and walked further into the room to another set of mirrors. "These mirrors show how Ifrit was born," said Warren sadly.
"Ifrit? As in Ryuji-kun?" Kotonoha inquired.
"Watch," he told her.
Kotonoha did and gasped when she saw the Ifrit Orphenoch rip a man named Brother Blood apart. She couldn't tear her eyes away as a tall and dark skinned bald man torturing Ryuki before he was rescued and taken to a T-shaped Tower. She then watched the Ifrit Orphenoch kill several men savagely. She also watched as a man wearing a half orange and half black mask approached Ryuki and granted him a choice. Finally, she watched as Ryuki killed a biker using his Orphenoch powers and showing no remorse.
"This is Ifrit," Warren clarified. "His birth as Ryuki's Yin and as an entirely new entity within him."
"He's…killed before," Kotonoha realised.
"That was all he knew. He was the accumulation of all of Ryuki's anger, sorrow, pain and rage," Warren explained. "That man in the mask is known as Slade and for three weeks put Ryuji and Ryuki through the harshest training ever known."
She watched as the man forced Ryuji, then known as Ifrit, through a harsh training regiment. Bones were broken but instantly healed as a result. Ifrit leant how to control his abilities and Orphenoch form. All the while he called the man "Slade-sensei".
"Slade is one that Ryuji respects the most," said Warren. "And also…"
"Also…?" Kotonoha asked.
"Now, we shall see who he hates the most," said Warren. They walked over to another mirror and Kotonoha saw the man with scars again. "Takeshi Asakura, also known as the Sandman for he leaves bags of sand next to the bodies of his victims and also known as Zodiac Knight Scorpios. But to Ryuji, he is known as the man who killed his brother."
Kotonoha never knew Ryuji had a brother. "His brother?"
"Adopted brother but a brother nonetheless and as a result they shared a bond. Well, Tazuka and Ryuki shared a bond but it extended to Ryuji once he was born. He felt nothing but hatred for Asakura and regret for not being able to save Tazuka. These feelings were amplified within Ryuji."
"But, these are Ryuki's memories…"
"I know, but they still hurt as much. Ryuji is half of Ryuki and as I say before they share the same memories and feelings. Love, of course, was different. To Ryuji there was no love but lust."
"Lust?"
"Though Ryuki was shy, Ryuji wasn't," explained Warren. "You've noticed, right?"
"They are different in that sense," she responded.
They walked by mirrors that displayed images of girls. "Alex, Caitlin, Erika, and finally Jinx," Warren listed in order. "The girls that Ryuki gave his heart to. Jinx is the one he plans to marry."
She looked at the faces of these girls and in comparison she looked plain. They all looked exotic. Something that Ryuji would've preferred, but yet he chose her.
"But these are not Ryuji's memories," said Warren, "Just echoes of Ryuki's memories that still bind them together. These memories are a reminder of who he was and his dark past." His eyes turned to Kotonoha. "He was evil, as you can see."
Kotonoha was pale as she and Warren reached the other end of the room. She had no idea that Ryuji had seen and done such things. Then again, she had half expected it considering how violent he could be sometimes.
"Please don't judge him," Warren whispered in prayer.
"Ryuji-kun," she whimpered. "You've suffered so much. You really knew nothing but pain, anger, and fighting."
"He was kind of proud of it for a while," Warren sighed. "Considering the monsters he fought, a lot of decent people would be too."
"I…guess," Kotonoha murmured. "But…he's been alone for so long. He's had nothing but resentment and hate."
"Well, Yoshido has a way of compounding the bad things," Warren nodded. "To deal with it, Ryuki compounded it together and it got a life of its own." He added, "And that wasn't the worst of it." He showed her another set of mirrors. "Meet Ryuga," said Warren and a new mirror came into view of an evil white-haired man in his 30's, laughing as he caused pain and destruction. "Ryuji and Ryuki fought this, their future self."
Kotonoha's eyes widened in shock. This was the future form of her boyfriend? But he looked so cruel and evil. "What happened to him?"
"He lost the one he loved and in turn lost his mind," Warren sighed sadly. "This is why I couldn't let you get yourself killed. If you did then…this would've been Ryuji's future here. If you were to die, then they would be nothing holding him back. Absolutely nothing."
Kotonoha never realised how truly important she was.
"But, again, these are all the memories he shares with Ryuki," Warren repeated. "Now, we shall see his true memories."
"True memories?" Kotonoha wondered. What did Warren mean by 'true' memories?
Now these mirrors weren't as dusty as the ones before. In fact, they all looked brand new. The glass of the mirrors was polished, shining and spotless while the frames, which were designed beautifully, were made from a black material she could not identify.
What she saw in them shocked her. She was seeing the first time they'd met.
"These are his most precious memories, memories he does not share with Ryuki," Warren said, smiling. "Do you remember them?"
Kotonoha remained silent as she saw how they became friends, how he stood up for her, how he saved her life and then how he was always there for her, standing by her side when she needed him, and providing the emotional support she needed after Makoto broke up with her. She also saw their first kiss at the bonfire as they danced together. She also saw how he came back and decided to stay. This was followed by the first time he met her parents on Christmas Eve and gave her the heart-shaped ice crystal, which she saw had taken great effort to make with his powers. That had been special, but not as special as the first time they'd made love which she saw in great detail. Warren screwed his eyes shut as Kotonoha blushed as she saw herself. This was like a pornographic video though not as dirty. There was a lot of love shown that Christmas night.
She wanted to know one thing, though. "How did he become separate from Ryuki-san?"
Warren showed her a mirror that revealed the answer. "A god named Libra helped with that. He separated both Ryuji and Ryuki and broke the bond between them."
"Bond?" she asked. "What kind of bond?"
"A spiritual bond, a life bond, a bond that connected their lives," he explained. "If one of them were to die, the other would too."
She gasped. This was indeed serious.
"He spent a year training himself, to prepare himself for his return to your world. He needed to be strong enough to protect you," continued Warren. "And the rest, you know, is history."
"Sugoi…" she said in awe. She was saddened that his life had been full of pain, confusion, and not knowing who he really was, but to see his precious memories…his memories of her, it made her feel…she couldn't describe the feeling. It just felt wonderful. She now knew more about him and was glad for it. She couldn't hate him for his past. He was not like that anymore. He was Ryuji Hasuma, the boy she loved, and not the monstrous Ifrit.
Of course, Warren hadn't shown her everything. He'd only shown her what he thought she needed to see.
They came to the end of the room and saw a new door. It was black like the previous one but etched on it were claw marks. Warren took the key hanging beside it and said, "And now we reach a new room. I hope to warn you that this is going to be dangerous." Kotonoha nodded as she took the keys. "I will protect you so don't worry."
Kotonoha stepped towards the door, swallowing, and placed the key inside the hole. She gave the key a twist and there was a click from the tumblers. Taking in a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
Neko got out of her room, finally, but it would appear that she'd been crying judging from the moisture around her eyes. Kenzaki turned to look at her but she ignored him as the entire crew watched the city.
"It would appear that a strange epidemic has turned the male populace of Sakakino City into zombies," the anchor said. "But, these zombies do not eat human flesh, however. It would seem that these zombies are...perverts."
Kumiko blinked. "Perverts?"
"We do not know the cause, but whatever it is has caused these zombies to lose all their inhibitions and to act on their darkest desires." The TV showed several grey skinned zombies flipping skirts, peeping, fondling screaming girls and displaying all sorts of perverted behaviour. The crew of the GaroLiner could only look on in confusion and disgust.
"You think it's an Imagin?" asked Okami.
"If it is, it's one sick and perverted one," stated Kenzaki. He looked at Buraki, "Almost as bad as you. Let's move."
"Right!" Raion cheered. He and the rest of the Imagin started filing out of the car.
"Um, Neko?" began Kenzaki as soon his Imagin left. "I'm sorry."
Neko turned towards him and gave him a slap with a scowl on her face. Though he couldn't feel pain, that'd hurt emotionally. "That's for keeping secrets. I've never kept a secret from you so you best do the same for me." She then grasped his face in her hands before pulling him in for a deep and passionate kiss.
When she pulled away, he asked, "What was that for?"
"I accept your apology, now let's go beat up some Ero-Zombies!" said Neko cheerfully.
"Oi, Shonen! Shoujo! You can make out later! Let's go!" shouted Okami, causing the couple to blush before they ran out of the train.
The room was full of plants and looked like a jungle. Kotonoha could only stand and admire the beauty of her boyfriend's mind. Despite the warning Warren had given her, she didn't feel threatened at all. Warren, however, was on alert. There was a reason why the door was symbolised by claw marks.
"It's so beautiful," she said as she looked around. She saw a few flowers she'd only seen in books and went to admire them more up close. "Wow, what could this room be?"
"I don't know and that worries me," said Warren. "Kotonoha, I don't think you should wander off."
"But I can't help it," she giggled. "This place is just so beautiful."
Warren could hear some rustling in the bushes and said, "What was that?"
"Huh?" Kotonoha responded.
"I heard something." His eyes narrowed. "We're not alone..." Suddenly, a large shape pounced on top of him. "ARGH!"
"Warren-san!" Kotonoha gasped as a large black panther jumped out of nowhere and pounced on Warren. Warren kicked it hard in the stomach before throwing it off.
"RUN!" he shouted, grabbing her hand and dragging her through the jungle. Warren could now sense that they were being watched from all sides and from above. Several leopards leapt from the trees and blocked his path and then a pride of lions and a tiger surrounded the two. Warren couldn't risk using his powers but he had to protect Kotonoha somehow.
"Nice kitties..." the girl said nervously.
"This must be the room that contains his instincts," Warren stated as he eyed the large jungle cats. "That explains the big cats."
Suddenly, out of the bushes leapt out the Ifrit Orphenoch. As soon as it appeared, the rest of the cats bowed their heads in respect to it. Warren kept his eyes on this dangerous beast. This was the manifestation of Ryuji's more primal instincts and may attack him. The Ifrit Orphenoch walked on all fours and towards the two intruders. It first sniffed Warren and gave a growl. Warren was tempted to growl right back. The Ifrit Orphenoch circled around and started sniffing Kotonoha who was starting to become afraid. Her fear subsided when the Orphenoch started to nuzzle her side and purr.
Kotonoha blinked and reached out with her hand. The Orphenoch started to lick her palm and she giggled at the sensation. It then started to rub its nose against her hand and she kneeled down to pet it. The Orphenoch nuzzled against her face, causing her to giggle some more as its hair tickled her face. "Aw...kawaii..."
Warren blinked and let out a sigh of relief. The Ifrit Orphenoch gave its subjects a commanding growl and then a roar which sent them all running off. "OK, this is new," muttered Warren. "Come on, Kotonoha, let's go."
Kotonoha was petting the large Orphenoch when she heard this and said, "OK." She stood up but the Ifrit gripped her sleeve in its mouth and tugged her back. She turned to stare at the beast. "You don't want me to leave?" she asked. It nodded. "You want me to stay?" It nodded again and purred as it rubbed itself against her. "But, I can't." It growled at Warren. "No, it's not his fault." The Orphenoch looked at her curiously. She knelt down and held the beast's face in her hands. "I just have to do something important. I'll be back to play with you, OK?" The Orphenoch tilted its head and then moved forward to lick her face. She giggled and then kissed its nose, making it purr. The Ifrit Orphenoch walked ahead and gestured with its head to follow them.
"It wants us to follow it," said Kotonoha.
"Leading us to the exit, I suppose," spoke Warren.
The pair followed the beast through the jungle. Some smaller cats watched as their king led these two intruders through but they dared not to do anything because their king was present. They finally reached the end of the room where another door and key awaited them. The Ifrit Orphenoch shied away from the door, which had chains framing it.
"What's wrong?" Kotonoha asked but instead of giving a response, the Orphenoch ran into the jungle. "What's wrong?"
"Something tells me it doesn't like what's behind this door," said Warren as he took the key. "You want to open this one too?"
She took the key and said, "Nothing else to do but move forward."
Atop one of the buildings, the Skunk Imagin laughed as it watched its zombie army do perverted things. Apparently, this Imagin was the cause of everything as a green gas was being released by it. The Imagin was completely black with silver gauntlets and boots. A white stripe was on its back and bushy tail. On its back it wore a gas tank and its face had a gas mask. It clapped and laughed in glee as he continued to watch the chaos being caused by his Ero-Zombies.
"Oh, this is so much fun! Go on, my army! Do all the perverted things to your heart's desire!" it laughed.
"This...this looks like..." Kotonoha began.
"A prison," Warren finished.
"But whose prison?" she asked.
"Who else?"
She got the answer straight away. This was Ryuji's prison.
"But why?" she asked.
"He was once evil," stated Warren. "This was probably where Ryuki locked him up in his subconscious."
There were chains in all directions and they were either rusted, broken, or brand new. The broken chains symbolized when Ifrit escaped or was permitted to leave. The rusted chains represented his old prison and how long he was imprisoned. The new chains represented when Ryuji had to be resealed and imprisoned.
Kotonoha picked up several chains and saw flashes of memory where Ryuji was allowed to escape or was being resealed. She not only felt the anger he had felt, but the deep pain that he'd likewise endured at being denied of a real life.
"Poor Ryuji-kun," she began to cry. "How...how could he endure all this and survive?"
"He just did," said Warren. "Come on, this room is obviously upsetting you." Kotonoha nodded and dropped the chains before following Warren to the end of the room where the next door was waiting. Etched on it was a cloud, which could mean anything. This time Kotonoha picked up the key herself. She wanted to help Ryuji and to do that she needed to go through each of the rooms. She had to be strong for him. She put the key into the hole and gave it a twist, unlocking it, before pushing the door open into whatever was inside the next room.
Okami, Buraki and Raion were beating up the zombies. They weren't undead but under the control of the strange green gas that was in the air. Luckily, the Imagin were immune. Garoh Predator Form and Ryukendo showed up as well to drive the zombies back. At the same time, they'd arrived to rescue a quartet of girls who'd had their clothes ripped apart and were barely clad as a result.
"Are you supposed to be heroes, because you're late!" said Otome angrily. Her friends agreed as well. Otome only had half her skirt remaining, exposing a portion of her pink panties, her shirt ripped open with the sleeves torn off and was missing her bra. Behind her were Natsumi, Minami and Kumi. Like Otome, Minami was missing her bra but her skirt was gone and she had her shirt ripped open. Kumi's skirt and shirt was gone, revealing her in a pink camisole. Natsumi still had her skirt but her shirt was missing, revealing her bra.
"Waah! Hot naked girls!" shouted Buraki as he leapt towards the four school girls who screamed at the appearance of the Imagin. Both Garoh and Ryukendo stomped him to the ground.
"Down, boy," growled Ryukendo.
"I apologize for his behaviour," said Garoh apologetically. "But for now, we must bring you to safety."
"Ojou-sama!" Gekiryuken alerted.
"Nani, Geki-chan?" she responded.
"Look up there! I see the culprit!" he answered and Ryukendo looked up on the roof of a tall building across from them and saw the Skunk Imagin.
"An Imagin," she growled, "And a perverted one at that." She turned to look at Garoh, "Garoh-chan, you and Okami-tachi take care of the zombies! I'll handle the culprit!" She then ran off.
"Matte, Ryukendo!" he shouted.
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Garoh heard screaming and turned towards the direction to see Makoto, Sekai, Nanami, Hikari and Taisuke being chased by zombies. The girls were missing portions of their school uniforms too.
"Why did I agree to go shopping with you!" shouted Makoto.
"I thought it was a good idea at the time!" shouted Taisuke. He turned to look at Hikari who was struggling to keep her shirt close.
"Eyes front, pervert!" Sekai shouted. She was wearing her shirt open and had her bra and panties revealed. Makoto started gawking at her. "You too!"
"This day just keep getting better and better," grumbled Okami as he pounded a zombie to the ground.
"Foul creatures! Your behaviour is dishonourable! My fists will crush you!" shouted Garoh as he slammed his fists and feet into the zombies chasing the students.
Warren and Kotonoha entered the new room, but had only see darkness so far. "You know, Ryuji and I aren't all that different," said Warren.
"What do you mean Warren-san? You and Ryuji-kun don't seem anything alike," said Kotonoha.
"Nowadays he and I aren't all too alike. But, back when I was a kid, all I knew was fighting and death. My brain is even kind of organized like his. Except mine, contains three doors that lead into different paths."
Kotonoha was learning a lot of new things about her otherworldly friends. Suddenly, she could hear a loud scream and she clutched onto Warren in fright. "What...what is that?" she questioned.
Warren narrowed his eyes. "Something bad if what I'm feeling is any indication. Come on, let's move forward."
Warren and Kotonoha were met with even more screams as they entered deeper into the room. The door shut behind them.
Kotonoha steeled herself and prepared herself for whatever they may face. Soon, the entire room lit up with an unearthly red glow and then she gasped at what she saw. Warren wanted to puke and Kotonoha began to scream. She saw herself lying on the ground, naked, and in a pool of her own blood. The face held a blank look of horror which frightened Kotonoha.
Her voice seemed to echo in the room. Actually, several versions of her screamed at the same time. In front of them, nightmares were at work. Kotonoha saw herself being murdered by a demonic version of the Ifrit Orphenoch, random Imagin, and even by some people wearing armors based off animals. Even worse, she was being raped by Taisuke and Makoto.
"Oh Kami!" Kotonoha cried. "What is this?"
"I should've realised it sooner," Warren gritted his teeth. "This is where Ryuji keeps his dreams but right now it's become a room full of nightmares. What you're seeing is his worst nightmare…this is how they broke him," Warren gagged. "No way he'd keep from breaking after something like this!"
Kotonoha shivered. Seeing all this was really getting to her. She wished Ryuji would come save her from this. She then heard whispers, dark and evil whispers. Warren could hear them too.
"You don't deserve love."
"You're not even human."
"You're a monster."
"You don't belong here."
'You're a killer."
"You don't deserve love."
"You're a beast."
"You only live to kill."
"You're a monster."
"You're a beast."
"You're a killer."
"Make it stop...please..." Kotonoha whimpered. "Make it stop!" Kotonoha cried. At first Warren thought she couldn't take the images and whispers, but that was shot down when he heard her speak again. "Stop hurting him! Stop it!"
She ran forward to where the Orpehnoch was murdering her over and over again. Grabbing the Orphenoch by the shoulder, she shoved the beast to the side. Looking to her bloody corpse, she watched it vanish.
"You shouldn't have done that," the Orphenoch stood up as its image seemed to melt away. Where the Orphenoch stood, the Nightmare Imagin had risen.
One by one, all the people torturing Kotonoha's image vanished only to be replaced by more Nightmare Imagin. The illusions of Kotonoha also vanished at the appearance of these Imagin.
"Okay," Warren frowned as he readied for a fight. "I think we now know who did this to Ryuji." He knew there had to be more. "OK, come on out, wherever you are, you bastards!"
All of a sudden, the shadows in the corners started to spread and crawling out from them were dark figures. They were clones of the Nightmare Imagin, remaining inside Ryuji to further torment him. Warren told Kotonoha, "Stay close to me," but then he heard the sound of metal sliding out from a sheath and looked over his shoulder to see Kotonoha holding her dozuki and wearing an angry expression on her face. Of course, this was righteous fury.
"GET OUT OF RYUJI-KUN!" she roared as she ran past Warren and sliced a startled Nightmare Imagin in half. The Imagin started to pounce on her but in her rage she was deadly precise with the weapon and tore through them with ease. Warren stood there, gawking. This was just like what happened with Raven whenever she got pissed.
Kotonoha panted after finishing off the last of the Nightmare Imagin before sliding her dozuki into a special compartment hidden under her school blazer. She turned to look at Warren and explained, "Ryuji-kun always told me to have a weapon on me, just incase."
"I can imagine," he said. 'Mental note: don't make this girl mad.'
Soon, a bright light engulfed the entire room, erasing the remains of the Nightmare Imagin and the faux Kotonoha corpse. When the light subsided, the room was now white and Kotonoha gasped at what she saw. On the walls were beautiful portraits. "Wow..."
"Hm, I guess when you killed those Imagin, you freed this room," said Warren. "Now, these are his dreams and fantasies. Fitting, don't you think?" Kotonoha went to look at the portraits. The ones of her in a wedding dress made her smile and then there was a few with them married and having children, a boy and a girl that looked just like them. A few made her blush since they depicted his sexual fantasies, but what she loved about these portraits was how much she was depicted in them. "And they involve you. I guess he does dream of you." His eyes went towards a few portraits covered in thick dust. Obviously, he hadn't dreamt of those lately.
"HENTAI IMAGIN!" shouted Ryukendo as she landed on the roof, earning the Skunk Imagin's attention.
"Oh, Ryukendo," the Imagin snickered. "I've been expecting you."
"I'm gonna stop you!" shouted Ryukendo and then she charged at him.
"EAT MY GAS!" the Skunk Imagin shouted as he turned around, reared up its ass, raised up its tail and farted at Ryukendo. Despite the filter in her helmet, the pungent odor still got through and she coughed as her mouth watered, the cloud of horrid gas was also blinding her as it fogged up her visor. Taking this as its chance, the Skunk Imagin tackled into Ryukendo and sent her falling off the edge. She screamed as she started to fall to the ground.
"RYUKENDO!" shouted Garoh in horror as he watched her fall. He became relieved when he saw her catch hold of a flagpole, stopping her from turning into street pizza. Now 30 feet off the ground, she let go of the flagpole and landed on the ground, groaning.
"Ojou-sama, are you alright?" asked Gekiryuken in concern.
"This...stinks..." said Ryukendo. She then saw the zombies coming for her. Gritting her teeth, she wanted to take her frustration out on these men, and with a roar charged right back at them to kick their butts.
Both Warren and Kotonoha reached the door at the opposite end of the Dream Room. Finding the exit, they both noted that this door was a healthy red with a heart on the front. A key was hanging to the side. Kotonoha was already grabbing it, but as she touched the wood of the door, she felt a pulse go through her.
"Oh!" Kotonoha gasped.
"Are you okay?" Warren asked in concern.
"Yes," Kotonoha nodded. "It didn't hurt."
To be honest, Kotonoha felt like she was about to break out in a blush. The feeling that touching the door had done for her reminded her of when Ryuji would kiss her neck and lick the sensitive skin. A shiver ran down her spine as the feeling lingered for a moment. Taking the key, she unlocked the door with a soft turn of the tumblers.
"Let's go," Kotonoha nodded as she opened the door.
Stepping inside, Kotonoha didn't have any time to take in the scenery. She inhaled deeply in a surprised gasp before dropping to her knees. She was gasping deeply as a thin sheen of sweat began to appear on her skin. Her heart felt like it was going to burst…but not in the bad way.
"Kotonoha!" Warren cried, kneeling next to his friend. "Are you okay?"
"It…it…" she whimpered. Her body began to tremble and shiver as her face turned red. "It feels GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!"
Kotonoha moaned loudly before she collapsed onto the ground. She was gasping loudly and blushing furiously. Warren himself blushed slightly as he attempted to help Kotonoha back to her feet. He knew that Kotonoha had just climaxed, having done the same to Raven and Teresa several times since they met. He recognized the signs.
It wasn't the physical sensations that had driven her to her orgasm though. For Kotonoha, she had just felt every time Ryuji had touched her, caressed her, kissed her, and…otherwise. She could feel it all at once along with the emotional upswing that went with it. If that wasn't heaven, Kotonoha wasn't sure what was.
"Are you okay?" Warren blinked embarrassedly.
"Y...yes," Kotonoha mumbled as she got back up shakily to her feet. "Just a little…overwhelmed."
"I can figure," Warren sighed. He looked to the room and chuckled. "If the décor is any indication…this is Ryuji's heart."
"Ah!" Kotonoha gasped as she looked to see the decorations.
The room was filled with crystal, giving it a feeling of fragility. She could see statues of her made in crystal. They depicted her in maidenly and demure poses wrapped in fabric. She definitely looked like a goddess in those poses. Looking ahead, there were even acrylic paintings of herself and Ryuji in some of their most memorable or intimate moments; Christmas, the dance around the bonfire during the school festival, the hot springs, their first real date as a couple, their reunion, and when they exchanged their Christmas gifts.
"Oh, Ryuji-kun," she swooned. He really loved her this much? She made a solemn vow at that point to never let him go for anything.
"My guess is that feeling you experienced was the unfiltered feelings in Ryuji's heart for you," Warren grinned. "It explains why I felt like someone was annoyed with me."
"Ryuji-kun," she sighed happily. Blowing a kiss into the air, she whispered, "Aishiteru."
The room seemed to grow a little warmer as some red lights lit up slightly. Kotonoha smiled as it felt like Ryuji was hugging her from behind.
"You never cease to amaze me," Warren smiled. "Still, we have to keep going."
"Hai!" Kotonoha nodded.
The pair travelled through the crystal halls and past the paintings. Turning a corner, they found themselves looking at a room that looked like it was from a boxer's gym. Wood was covering the walls, but bits of crystal could be seen from between the boards. In the middle of the area were several punching bags with pictures on them. Eyeing them she saw that some pictures were of Taisuke, Makoto, and one was even Kenzaki, but it looked crumpled and dusty. Others were of people she didn't know, but recognized one of them as Asakura.
"What are these?" Kotonoha asked curiously.
"By my guess…people he doesn't like," Warren answered. "Makoto and Taisuke sure seem to make regular appearances. These photos look brand new. Kenzaki's is old, which means he's letting go.
"So Ryuji-kun still won't forgive them," Kotonoha sighed. "I don't know if I should feel happy or disappointed with that."
"Hey, if someone hurt Raven and Teresa like they did you, they'd have to save my life a hundred times before I forgave them," Warren shrugged. "Ryuji doesn't want to kill them though. Otherwise this part would be filled with guns or something."
Kotonoha beamed at that. Ryuji was losing his anger. He didn't like the people in the pictures, but she felt comforted that the room of anger was so small. His room of love was so much bigger. It meant Ryuji was being filled with many positive emotions.
"We'd better get a move on," Warren spoke up. "I have a feeling we're getting closer."
"Good," Kotonoha nodded. "Ryuji-kun has suffered enough. He was there when I needed someone. Now I'm going to do the same for him."
"BREASTS! TITTIES! THIGHS!" shouted Taisuke, naked as a newborn, as he chased after the girls with a perverted smile on his face. He was running with the crowd of perverted zombies and judging by his appearance had been affected.
Makoto hadn't been affected for some reason but it was inevitable. He was starting to show signs of the ero-zombie gas affecting him so Ryukendo knocked him out with a karate chop to the back of the neck before placing him someplace safe. Buraki, Okami and Buraki were still holding off the horde of ero-zombies.
Ryukendo, annoyed, smashed her fist into Taisuke's face, knocking him out, before she moved on to defeat the rest of the perverted zombies. It would seem that she was still pissed at being defeated by the Imagin. They couldn't get to it yet since it was in hiding now but it was only a matter of time before it showed its ugly face again.
"Is this the last door?" Kotonoha asked as she looked at the blank door with the the 6 number combination lock on it.
"I'm not sure, but I can sense something behind it. I think this is his Soul Room," Warren explained.
"Soul Room?" she asked. "As in..."
"The room where his soul resides," said Warren, "Which would explain the padded lock and the fact it needs a combination."
Kotonoha held the lock in her hands. It had to be an important number to be made as a combination. She decided to try her luck and started to turn the dials around. Warren watched as she put in the six numbers that the lock needed before it unlocked.
CLICK
"Done," she said.
Warren blinked, "How did you...what was that combination?"
"The day Ryuji-kun and I had our first kiss," she blushed. "That would be his most precious date, right?"
"Well, I guess if you think about it..." he rubbed the back of his head. The door creaked open when Kotonoha removed the padded lock.
"Here we go," she said, pushing the door open and she nearly fell off the edge of the doorframe. Luckily, Warren grabbed her arm. "What is this?"
"A void," frowned Warren.
Kotonoha looked downward and gulped. Just below them was a swirling vortex. She looked ahead and could see a figure, tied up and dangling by chains. She easily recognised the figure. "Ryuji-kun!"
"Damn, how are we going to get across?" cursed Warren. This was the final obstacle. They had to get across and free Ryuji's soul.
Kotonoha looked across from them and could see stepping stones floating between them and Ryuji's soul. The problem was that the stones would move from side to side. Also, they weren't stones, but ice blocks. One false move and you could slip off and fall into the void.
"We need to jump onto those blocks it seems," Warren gritted his teeth. He reached down and then lifted Kotonoha up, bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hold on tight, Kotonoha. This is going to be a bumpy ride."
Kotonoha nodded, "Anything for Ryuji-kun!"
"Let's go!" shouted Warren as he jumped from the door and then landed on one of the ice blocks. He nearly lost his balanced but managed to right himself before they fell into the void, which looked like it would swallow them whole and leave nothing.
"6 more left," Kotonoha pointed.
'The things I do for my friends,' thought Warren as he bent his knees and watched the blocks move from side to side. He had to time this just right or else it was a one-way trip to nothingness. Of course, he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something inside that void.
"Kuso, it would be so easy if we could kill them!" growled Okami.
"But we can't do that," said Byakko.
"Well, at least I can look at the girls," ogled Buraki, eyes on the barely clad girls. He got knocked to the ground by Byakko and Okami.
"Baka," the two Imagin said in unison.
Garoh, having fused with Raion, was in Rampage Form and knocking out ero-zombies left and right. Unfortunately, they kept coming back up. Ryukendo, unable to use her sword on them, had Gekiryuken in his pendant form attached to her hip. He was giving her instructions as she was forced to only use her fists and feet.
"This is so not gnarly," said Garoh.
"Well, we can't kill them and that Ero-Imagin is using these zombies as a shield. We can't get to him," said Ryukendo.
The Skunk Imagin watched as its zombie minions did their job. Now, his Ero-Zombie Gas has spread throughout the city. The green cloud had already taken control of the male population of the city and soon it would be brought into chaos. How fun!
"At least these zombies haven't raped anyone," said Gekiryuken.
"I don't think they can if they wanted to," said Ryukendo, kicking one zombie between the legs. "But, it would only be a matter of time so we better take these guys down and go after the ringleader."
Warren was hopping, carefully, from one block to another. The closer they got to the bound form of Ryuji's soul, the faster the blocks would move from side to side.
"Reminds me of those videogames Beast Boy plays," Warren muttered, still carrying Kotonoha. He was trying to maintain balance. He was lucky that the soles of his boots had a firm grip on the slippery surface of the block he was standing on.
"There's two more left," she informed. "Hayaku, Warren-san!" Warren could understand Kotonoha's distress. She wanted to save Ryuji.
"OK! Hold on tight!" he took a leap but the block he was aiming for suddenly vanished. "HUH!" They were headed for the void. Kotonoha let out a scream.
But, they didn't fall into the void as a bridge of ice suddenly formed and broke their fall. Warren sat up, still cradling Kotonoha, as he wondered what had happened. Kotonoha already had a good idea.
"Ryuji-kun...saved us," she reasoned.
'Makes sense, I guess,' Warren thought. He looked ahead to see Ryuji's soul with a blue aura around him.
Kotonoha got out of Warren's arms and started to run to Ryuji's soul. Warren went after her. They were close now, real close.
"Ryuji-kun!" Kotonoha cried as she looked up to see the bound form of Ryuji's soul, wrapped in chains like a cocoon and dangling by one long length of chain. She called again, "Ryuji-kun!" and yet again there was no response. She asked Warren, "Why won't he answer?"
"I don't know," Warren shook his head. "Maybe you need to get closer." He then asked, bluntly, "How much do you weigh?"
SLAP!
"OK...I don't think I deserved that," muttered Warren, rubbing his cheek. "I asked because I'm going to throw you up there."
Kotonoha responded without hesitation. "OK." Warren held her from behind at her waist as she readied herself.
"When you're close, grab onto him," Warren instructed. She nodded. He then tossed her upwards. She let out a cry before reaching towards Ryuji. Her fingers curled around the chains binding him but to reach eye-level, she had to climb up some more. When she reached her destination, she took a look into Ryuji's soul's eyes.
"Ryuji-kun!" she shouted. "Ryuji-kun, wake up! Please!"
The soul's eyes looked dead and lifeless. At the sight of this, the girl started tearing up. "Please, look at me." The tears started to fall and the soul's eyes started to shine, seeing the tears being shed for him.
"Koto...chan...?" the soul spoke and Kotonoha looked at him in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
She couldn't contain herself and then wrapped her arms around her neck. They rocked from side to side as she cried out in glee. "Ryuji-kun! You're awake!"
Ryuji's soul shook his head, "Koto-chan, please, leave me." She was shocked by his words. "I don't belong out there. I'm a monster."
"No you're not!" she objected.
"But you've passed through those others rooms, and you've even seen my memories," he retorted. "I was evil, can't you see, and I'm still evil. I will always be evil."
"You're NOT evil," she said sternly. "You have a kind heart. You're not a monster. Only the circumstances weren't fair to you. All I see is a sweet and gentle soul that's a little rough around the edges. I see Ryuji Hasuma, the boy I fell in love with and the one who stole my heart."
"Koto-chan..."
"If you're not coming with me, then I'll stay here with you." His eyes widened.
"You can't!" he protested.
"I will. I can't live without you."
He looked solemn. "You're serious..."
"As serious as I've ever been..." The chains started to crack as she closed her eyes. "I love you, Ryuji-kun."
Warren could feel the bridge shake and turned to look behind him. The bridge was starting to collapse! "Um, can you wrap this up faster?"
"Come with me, or I stay," she threatened. "Your choice."
Ryuji's soul sighed. "Koto-chan, you do not play fair..."
She beamed as the chains completely shattered. Ryuji's soul held her around the waist and they both dropped onto the bridge.
"Now, we can get out of here," said Kotonoha.
"But there's no door," said Warren as he looked around.
Suddenly, a door materialised in front of them.
"Now there is," said Ryuji's soul. He opened it for them. "Now go."
Warren went in than Kotonoha. Kotonoha looked to him and asked, "What about you?"
"I'm the soul, this is where I belong, but I'm free now," he said. He then kissed her deeply before pushing her out the door. "I'll see you out there!"
Kotonoha let out a scream as she fell into the darkness.
Back in the real world, Kotonoha let out a cry of fright and then realised that she was back in Ryuji's room. Warren was too and he was currently massaging his forehead.
"Damn, these trips always give me headache," he groaned. Kotonoha looked towards Ryuji's sleeping form and saw that there was no change. Did they fail?
"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" she asked.
"It takes time for the body to recover after the mind does," Warren said. Loki was starting to untie Ryuji as they spoke.
Kotonoha leaned in closer to look at Ryuji's face. Suddenly, his arm shot up and grabbed her arm. She let out a gasp of shock as he pulled her onto the bed and laid her down on it with him on top. She looked into his blue eyes as he grinned.
"Gotcha, Koto-chan," he said teasingly before kissing her passionately. Her arms went around his back and pulled him to her, pressing their bodies together as they enjoyed the sensation of their lips being pressed together. Ryuji cracked an eye open, seeing as they had an audience, and broke the kiss much to Kotonoha's displeasure. She let out a whine.
"Do you mind?" Ryuji said, eyes narrowed and a scowl on his face. "Some privacy?"
Athena came into the room to see Ryuji on top of Kotonoha. She said, "Oh, you're back, good."
"What's up?" asked Warren.
"I think it's better if you all see it for yourself. It's on the television right now," said Athena.
"Do we have to?" complained Ryuji.
"YES!" Athena exclaimed.
"Fine." Ryuji helped Kotonoha off the bed but then gave her shapely butt a pinch. She gasped and blushed as he grinned. She returned the grin with a warm smile. He was back to his old self.
Things were not going so well for the two costumed heroes and three Imagin at the moment. The Skunk Imagin was pouring gas all over the battlefield, incapacitating the tree Imagin. Thankfully, the ero-gas part of the substance only seemed to work on humans. However, it stank like the pits of hell and all three of Garoh's Imagin partners were hacking and coughing, struggling to breathe.
Sadly, this wasn't the case for the zombies. If anything, they got more desperate to feel up girls. A veritable tide of them was running for Ryukendo and she was pounding away at them. A clever tactic she was using was piling up the unconscious males to make a wall to shield herself from them.
Garoh wasn't in much better shape. The smell was awful and the Skunk Imagin kept blasting him in the face. Despite the filter, the smell still got to him. Each breath was like a punch in the face. The kicks to the head and gut sure weren't helping either.
"Ha!" the Skunk Imagin laughed. "This is too easy! Who needs to use tactics when all you need is a little chemical warfare!"
The Skunk Imagin stopped its cheers when it felt a tap on its shoulder and turned to receive a face-full of fist that sent it skidding across the ground. The lenses of its gas mask were broken by the hit and it snarled as it looked at who'd attacked it.
"You know, I hate perverts like you the most," Ifrit said scornfully as he flicked his wrist. He already had his twin Ifrit Dao in hand. The Imagin growled as it got back to its feet. "Let me tell you from the start; I am really pissed off!"
"I don't care how many Riders show up!" it roared. "You're all dead!" It started to produce more of its gas but Ifrit decided to counter this attack with his own. A blue aura started to form around his body and then intensify, causing the temperature to slowly drop. It soon dropped to freezing temperature and as a result the gas started to change, first into a liquid that rained down around them and finally the droplets turned into a solid. This also caused the Skunk Imagin to unable to release its gas.
"Science 101, when gas is cooled, it first becomes a liquid and then a solid," informed Ifrit. His eyes went towards all the zombies. "And you all should CHILL OUT!" He unleashed a wave of frost energy, trapping every single one of them in ice. Resting one sword on his shoulder while pointing at the Imagin with the other, he said, "There, now it's just you and me."
With a roar filled with rage, the Skunk Imagin lunged at Ifrit. Ifrit sidestepped the attack by slipping to the side before kicking the Imagin in the rear.
"Ero-teme, you're going to help me relieve some stress!" announced Ifrit.
The Imagin picked itself up and started to attack furiously, but never got a chance to land a hit as Ifrit started to violently slash it repeatedly with his twin swords. He continued the assault without mercy, ripping sparks off the Imagin's body. With a hard kick, he sent the Imagin flying and it smashed against the hood of a car.
"Now, to show you something special," said Ifrit as he banished his weapons and produced a ticket depicting Loki. "Loki, get out here!" Sand poured out from Ifrit's body and reformed behind him into Loki.
"Right here!" shouted Loki.
"Assume the position!" ordered Ifrit. Loki did as told and walked around so that he was standing in front of his contractor with his back facing him.
The Skunk Imagin rolled itself off the hood of the car, in pain, and got on its hands and knees, groaning and panting. It glared up at Ifrit. The impact had dented his gas tank and jammed the gas output, not that it would matter since the temperature had made its gas solid.
Ifrit swiped the ticket across his belt buckle, causing it to vanish as the belt announced, "LOKI FORM!"
Loki turned into red energy that was absorbed into Ifrit's chest. The result was the bodysuit turning black with his armor changing red. The now red visor also gained a pair of round blue eyepieces on it as a black cape hung from his back. Though the basic design of the armor hadn't changed much aside from color and the cape, Ifrit now was stronger due to him and his Imagin working together.
"Let me tell you from the start; there is no way you can defeat us!" said Ifrit in his and Loki's voices.
"Bastard!" the Skunk Imagin spat.
"IKUZO!" shouted Ifrit. His hands were enveloped in hot red flames and then he put them together. Flames swirled above his hands and then solidified, forming into a 5 foot long dozuki. The red saw blade was decorated with black tribal markings that resembled flame patterns. This was the Loki Slicer
Walking towards the Imagin, the monster attacked the newly transformed Ifrit, unaware of the danger. It got knocked backwards by a fist and then sent to the ground by a powerful backhand. Ifrit then kicked it in the face, sending it onto its back. He reached down, picked the Imagin up by its throat and tossed it skyward. The Imagin screamed as it went flying into the air and then came plummeting down to make a crater on impact.
Shakily, the Imagin rose back to its feet, angrily growling at Ifrit.
The Skunk Imagin, in its rage, began to attack Ifrit blindly. The Rider dodged all his opponents attack easily and then started his own attack, hacking at the Imagin repeatedly with his huge saw. One strong kick sent the Imagin reeling.
Ifrit tapped the switch with his thumb, sword hefted on his shoulder. "Yare-yare," he said in a bored tone,"Looks like its time to finish this." He pressed his thumb onto the switch.
"FULL CHARGE!"
A ring of fire surrounded the Imagin. Without warning, Ifrit slashed it at the waist with his giant dozuki, which was enveloped in flames, before he finished it off by slashing it straight down the middle. The fire spread all over the Imagin's body and then it exploded in a magnificent blaze as Ifrit turned with his back facing it, his cape flowing dramatically as he rested his weapon on his shoulder.
"Yatta," said Ifrit triumphantly.
"Hey, check this out!" shouted Taisuke as he showed both Sekai and Makoto a newspaper while they were in class. It was about the ero-zombie attack, the Riders and their Imagin partners. On the front page was a picture of Ifrit in his Loki Form. "I can't believe we were right there when it happened!"
"I can't believe it happened at all," muttered Sekai. "Oh, Hasuma-san," Sekai said as she saw Neko come into class. Neko waved at them and smiled. She walked up to her four classmates and glanced at the newspaper.
"So, I heard your brother's back," said Makoto.
"Yes, he is, and he's doing much better," Neko answered.
"What happened to him?" asked Sekai. "Where did he disappear to?"
Neko frowned. "I'm sorry, but its not my story to tell."
"Well, I'm just glad he's back. Kotonoha was really depressed," said Sekai.
Neko nodded in agreement, knowing fully well what would've happened if Ryuji had gone missing for any longer.
In their classroom, Kotonoha was sitting with Ryuji, laughing gleefully with a warm smile after he told her a funny story. Kenzaki watched from his seat, smiling as well. He was glad that his fellow Rider had recovered. Still there was the matter of Nanimo. What was he planning to do actually?
In the void of Ryuji's mind was an item of great power. Despite the overwhelming darkness it shone. There, in the centre, surrounded by light, was a legendary weapon capable of salvation in the right hands or destruction in the wrong hands.
The Keyblade.