ZK Chromedragozoid: Another day, another chap. Enjoy this new chapter of MASKED RIDER FANG!
The following day after the incident at the bowling alley, Devlin was in the music room of Casper High playing on his violin. He was not alone, however. Sitting on a stool in front of Devlin was a teacher, dressed in a three piece suit but without the tie. He had graying hair, round spectacles and wore a beret. He had a gentle expression on his face as he listened to Devlin, playing a piece on his violin.
Ever since day one when Devlin first came into the room to practice on his violin, Thomas Oliver had admired him. The boy had talent which Mr. Oliver easily recognized and wanting to mold. He had his reasons, really. He was looking for an heir. Many violinists had approached him for lessons but not many of them were at the level he was looking for. However, it would seem that Mr. Oliver himself had found his protégé.
Devlin finished and bowed, earning applause from the teacher.
"That was magnificent, Devlin," Mr. Oliver said.
"Thank you, sir," Devlin nodded, smiling.
"If you continue practicing like this, you can become a professional pretty soon," Mr. Oliver said, "You can even apply to a music school once you graduate from Casper High."
Devlin frowned a little at the notion. Though he loved playing the violin, becoming a makeup artist was his true passion. He knew Mr. Oliver meant well so he couldn't really protest. This man had done so much for him.
Mr. Oliver checked his watch "Well, recess is about over. You might want to get to your next class."
"I do," Devlin said as he put the violin back in the case and snapped it shut. He carried the case in his arms and said, "Thank you again for having the time to listen."
"The pleasure is all mine," Mr. Oliver said as he watched Devlin leave. As soon as the door shut, Mr. Oliver sighed and stared at his hand. "I'm running out of time." His skin started to crack like a glass surface.
"Hey there, stranger," Claire winked at Devlin as he approached his locker. The vampiric Rider groaned. Couldn't this girl get the hint that he didn't think of her more than just being a client? He had to be a complete gentleman, didn't he?
"Good day to you too, Claire," Devlin greeted, resisting the urge to gag. The girl was wearing some sort of new perfume that wasn't exactly all that appealing to Devlin. "So, what is it you want? Another appointment."
"Oh, nothing like that," Claire said as she pulled two tickets out of her pocket, "There's a Dumpty Humpty concert coming to Amity Park and I was hoping that you would like to go with me."
Devlin eyed the tickets. They were genuine. Though he preferred more classical forms of music as well as some Goth rock like his elder brother, he did enjoy listening to Dumpty Humpty since Danielle had introduced him to the music.
As much as he wanted to go to the concert, there was no way he was going with Claire.
"Sorry, Claire, but I already got tickets," Devlin said as he pulled a pair of the tickets out of his vest pocket.
"Ooh, so you were going to take me!" Claire beamed.
Devlin rolled his eye, "Hardly. I already made plans to spend time with Danielle at the concert, but thanks for asking."
Claire fumed at the mention of Danielle's name. Though Claire was rich and could get anything she want, she couldn't get Devlin and all because of one girl who she deemed as beneath her. Turning around with her nose in the air, Claire stomped off. Devlin rolled his eyes as he opened his locket to take out his books for his next class.
The previous encounter with the Komodo and Snake Fangires the night before had a very lasting effect on the group, and even several of Tamashii's secrets had been revealed as well, especially those concerning his past…
Flashback…
After answering a lot of questions from the authorities, the Slayers and Fang Gang were able to leave the ruined building. Devlin's medicine capsules had been useful in treating the wounds Seras and Danielle sported from their fight with the Snake Fangire. The same medicine had also been given to the rest after the paramedics had checked on them.
Now, they were all in Café Mal d'Amour, wanting some answers from Tamashii, the leader of the Slayers.
"Alright, Akashi," Devlin said, with crossed arms, "I think you need to be straight with all of us. These Fangires know you from a really long time ago and I think that we all deserve to know. I've actually caught a glimpse into your past when we went after Ryuzaki. So, do you have anything to say?"
Tamashii sighed. Looks like he had no way around this. They had just been attacked by the same Fangires Tamashii had been on the hunt for. "I'm not as young as you all think I am," began Tamashii. "I am actually the oldest person in this room." Devlin heard Fangula clear his 'throat'.
"He said 'person', not sealed vampire," said Devlin.
"In was born centuries ago, during Japan's Sengoku era. I was the youngest son of the Akashi family. I had an older brother and sister as well as a younger sister. My father died in combat shortly after my younger sister was born. My older brother was then wounded in combat and was no longer considered a samurai. Because of this, at the age of 10, I took up my brother's sword and swore to regain his lost honor. I found the man who wounded my brother. I killed the man and defeated his troops with such ferocity that I gained the name, the Twin-Headed Dragon. News of this soon reached the warlord Nobunaga Oda, who brought me under his wing. I quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of Nobunaga's top generals by the age of 13. However, this was short lived, as Nobunaga was betrayed by Mitsuhide Akechi and killed. I gained revenge 11 days later, by killing Mitsuhide."
Chiaki hadn't known that and gasped. Tamashii had killed before. Bunshichi and Bob didn't look too surprised. Neither was Devlin. It would explain how he got so good at killing vampires so proficiently.
"Before Lord Nobunaga's death, he had asked me to replace him as head of the Oda clan, even giving me the name Nozomu Oda. I accepted the name happily, meaning I had been adopted into the Oda clan, and as such would be able to guarantee my family's security. I however, rejected the title as his heir, telling him that my place was to fight for the Oda, not to lead them."
Danielle listened with rapt attention. She was actually listening to about ancient history being told by a guy who was actually there. A part of her thought it sounded crazy, but in this day and age who could tell the difference and tell what was true and what was ludicrous.
"After this, as you all know, my family was attacked by a group of Fangires… The top four Fangires of the Reptile clan, as well as a large force of vampires, led by a Fangire wearing a Signet Ring that depicted a skull engulfed in flames. They slaughtered my family, and until tonight, I believed my girlfriend to be dead as well. I could only watch as my entire family was killed in front of me. I was left for dead, but I survived. The only other exception to be my older sister, who was gone at the time. But there would be no solace for me. I spent the next few years in battle, continuing to fight in the Sengoku era, under Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the successor to my master, Nobunaga Oda. I was considered his most loyal retainer. I even married his daughter, and as such the granddaughter of Lord Oda. She too soon died, when we were attacked by the remnants of the troops that were once lead by Akechi. I tried to help her escape, but she was caught by a stray arrow, piercing her heart. Afterwards, at the end of the Sengoku Era had ended, I began my search for the Fangires who took my family from me. In my travels searching for that Fangire, I entered a place known only as the Exoteric Latitude…"
"The Exoteric Latitude?" asked Devlin.
"The place of the Nameless."
"The Nameless? Who are they?" questioned Danielle.
"Be glad you don't know," said Tamashii. He then continued his story. "Thousands of years ago, the earliest humans were explorers, but some of them stumbled into the Exoteric Latitude. They soon found their bodies invaded by the Exolon, parasitic entities that feed on the immortal souls of living beings. It was because of their bonding with the Exolon that these humans became the Nameless. First they drove a blade into my heart, and the parasites did the rest. They trapped my soul as it left my body, and I gained what the Nameless have had for many millennia. The black trench coat that I wear is but a collection of Exolon Plasmoids. By bonding with the Exolon, I gained strength… healing… immortality… and the ability to summon the Exolon to swarm. But all of this power comes at a price."
"And what's the price?" asked Seras. She had been surprised to hear that the boy she was in love with wasn't really a boy, but a man who'd seen and done it all, even getting himself married. But, that was all ancient history, literally.
"Estranged from their souls, the hosts lose all sense of time, all sense of sentience. In the Exoteric Latitude, the Nameless spend their immortal lives inflicting agony upon themselves. In the indolence of eternal life, self-inflicted pain is the only experience intense enough to loose the floodgates of memory. The only connection left between the Nameless and their souls, the last window to the living, feeling beings they once where. But not for me. Even as the centuries passed and I became one of the Nameless, I persisted in remembering the death of my family. Of my imouto and my parents. And of the sole defining feature of their killer… that Signet Ring. Until the day came when I defeated the leader of the Nameless… When I stole his weapon." He held up his black gun, "And the bike that now carry and protect me. The day when I journeyed forth into the world… to hunt down the demon who killed my family, and condemned me to living death."
"So, Tama-chan, how old are you exactly?" questioned Chiaki.
"439," answered the Slayer, stoic as ever.
"Woah dude," Bob gaped incredulously. It was the only words that the group could make. Well, until Fangula decided to speak.
"Hmph!" the tiny bat snorted. "So it seems there was more to you than meets the eye."
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" asked Seras. She was feeling extremely hurt that Tamashii hadn't opened up to his closest friends. Then again, he never opened up about anything, which only made her feel worse.
Devlin meanwhile frowned in thought. He hadn't heard about the Nameless before. It was usually Ichijyo and his father who looked into the supernatural. He would have to call one of them to try and find out if Tamashii was hiding other facts or if it would be a threat without him wanting it to.
"I don't know how you'd react," Tamashii admitted. Fangula flapped to Tamashii's face level and started snapping angrily.
"You also lost one of the Fangire souls I've sealed!" Fangula hissed angrily.
"But how can that be bad?" Danielle inquired. "You sealed it. Ryuzaki can't come back." She paused, "Can he?"
Fangula sighed, "Well, it would take a lot of life energy to break the seal and revive the Fangire, but I doubt that we'd be seeing him anytime soon." He spun around to face Tamashii. "Now, you need to pay for what you did! Losing a Fangire's soul is-" Devlin grabbed Fangula and shoved him into a bag. "Hey! Let me out of here!" Boy!"
Devlin sighed and asked Tamashii. "And, also, that Snake Fangire seemed to know you pretty well, didn't she?" He cast Seras a look. She would need to know about this too.
Tamashii gazed at Seras. What was he supposed to say? That he had been in love with a Fangire who betrayed him?
"She…is…or at least was the woman I loved," Tamashii confessed. Seras gasped in shock.
"Tamashii…" Seras let out. This sure explained a lot to the model. It explained why Tamashii was so reluctant in pursuing a relationship with her.
Devlin stood up. Danielle looked at him, "Devlin?"
"Danielle, let's get you home. It's been a really stressful night," Devlin said.
Danielle nodded. They held hands and left the café.
"Hey, guys, wait for me!" Richard said as he followed the couple out the door.
The Slayers were now focusing their eyes on Tamashii. So many secrets he'd kept from them. Just, for how long was he going to continued lying to them?
…End Flashback.
Fangula had been livid about the loss of Ryuzaki's soul stone. Who knows what they were going to do with it. Fangula suspected they may try to revive the Fangire trapped inside the stone and Devlin didn't want to go through fighting Ryuzaki again, which had been difficult since it required both Tamashii and himself working together. Of course, the Komodo and Snake Fangires had made Devlin realize on how his own strength ranked up to theirs. His Savage Form's finisher had only wounded the female Fangire. She didn't die like all the others. And the Komodo Fangire had been too powerful for the two of them.
He had gotten yelled at by Danny for putting Danielle into danger. Though, Devlin himself had to remind Danny that he also put his friends' lives in danger by having them involve themselves in his ghost fights while they didn't have powers. Danielle at least could defend herself. That still didn't get Danny to calm down, however, but at least Devlin wasn't banned from the Fentons' home or from seeing Danielle.
The bell rang. Devlin rushed towards his class. He didn't want to mess up his perfect attendance record or get a warning for being late. He was almost always punctual, unless an emergency came up.
After the final bell rang, the three members of the Fang Gang (Danielle, Richard and Devlin) were talking quite animatedly about the upcoming concert.
"Tonight is gonna be totally sweet!" Richard grinned. "Dumpty Humpty, live in Amity Park! This even beats that Ember McClain Concert!"
Both Devlin and Danielle exchanged smiles. Richard did not know they knew Ember personally.
"Well, this concert does confirm that tonight won't be dull," Devlin said, looking at the two tickets he had. "So, luv, you want to go with me?" She plucked one of the tickets out of his hand.
"You don't even need to ask," Danielle giggled.
"And I found this ticket in the trash!" Richard said, holding up his own ticket. "I mean, who would throw away a good ticket like this! I mean, that's stupid!" Devlin suspected that the ticket Richard had in his hand might've previously been in Claire Brewster's hands, but since Devlin had declined her invitation, she probably didn't see the point on holding the second ticket anymore. Luckily, she hadn't torn it to shreds.
Devlin checked his watch and suddenly remembered something. "It looks like I can't walk home with you two."
"Why not?" Richard asked.
"I have another practice session with Mr. Oliver," Devlin answered. Danielle nodded in understanding. She liked the music teacher too. He'd been there to provide advice for the two of them.
"You mean that music teacher?" Richard asked. "Hey, that's cool."
"The concert's at 9, so don't be late," Danielle reminded and warned at the same time, "OK?"
Devlin took her hand and kissed it, "I'll be there, luv. You can count on it."
As Devlin stood in front of the music room's door, ready to turn the knob, he could hear beautiful violin music playing from the inside.
He wondered, 'Mr. Oliver? Could it be him?' He slowly opened the door to peak through the crack and saw his mentor playing on a pitch black violin. It looked remarkably similar to Devlin's Blood Rose, which was quite a coincidence. Devlin had brought the Blood Rose along with him since his mentor had wanted to look at it.
Devlin gently tapped the surface of the door and Mr. Oliver stopped playing. Instead of becoming annoyed that he had been interrupted, he smiled pleasantly at the young boy. "Ah, Devlin. It's good to see you, my boy."
"Good evening to you too, Mr. Oliver," Devlin said as he came into the room. "I've brought the violin like you asked."
"Wonderful, let me see," Mr. Oliver said. Devlin laid the case down on the piano and undid the latches with a snap. He then lifted up the lid before reaching inside and bringing out the Blood Rose.
"Here you go, sir. The violin my father sent me: the Blood Rose," Devlin said as he handed the violin over to his teacher.
"Amazing," Mr. Oliver said as he examined the instrument, "Quite remarkable craftsmanship and design." He then inquired, "And you say your father sent it to you?"
"Yes."
"And who is your father?"
"Ichiro Damien Amakusa, sir."
A look of recognition crossed Mr. Oliver's features as he smiled. 'I thought I saw the resemblance. I thought it was just a coincidence. The son of my old friend. Who knew?' Mr. Oliver spoke, "Well, your father has excellent taste. It would've been wonderful to have known such a man. This violin looks like it's one of a kind."
"It is, sir," Devlin nodded. Mr. Oliver handed the Blood Rose back to Devlin.
"And now, my boy, there is something I wish to show you," Mr. Oliver said as he lifted up the violin he had been playing. "This is my pride and joy, a gift from a friend. It is called the Black Star." He handed the violin to Devlin. "Here, why don't you play something on it?"
Devlin examined the violin, 'It's so light and so smooth. Almost like the Blood Rose. It looks aged though, but still it in pristine condition. Amazing.' Devlin declined, "I don't think I can, sir. I mean, this is your violin. I couldn't possibly-"
"Devlin, you know why I volunteered to become your mentor?" Mr. Oliver asked. Devlin shook his head and Mr. Oliver sighed. "I am looking for an heir to hand that violin to. I have no family, but when I look at you, and listen to how you play the violin, I have no doubt that you were the one I have been looking for."
"Mr. Oliver, are you…dying?" Devlin asked and the teacher answered with a nod. "Why? How?"
"I doubt you would be able to understand my condition, Devlin. I could go in any minute. I may not even be here tomorrow."
"Don't say that!"
"But is it the truth, and I could not bear the thought of the Black Star being given away to just about anybody when I pass on. That is why I am giving it to you."
Devlin looked at the Black Star and then at his teacher. He shook his head and gave the violin back. "I…I need to think about it." He packed the Blood Rose back into its case. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Oh, and are you going to that rock concert tonight, the one where that band Dumpty Humpty is playing?" Mr. Oliver asked with a frown.
"I am, with friends," Devlin answered. "Why?"
"Well, I do not really enjoy that sort of music. I'm surprised that you do."
"I never thought I would enjoy it either, but I've told myself to keep an open mind about music."
"Well, I hope you enjoy yourself," Mr. Oliver said.
"Thank you, sir." Devlin left the room.
Setting the Black Star down on his desk, Mr. Oliver then sat down on his chair, sighing. He then turned on the radio, when blaring rock music came pouring in. A look of hate came upon his features before he threw the radio across the room, causing it to smash against the wall.
Mr. Oliver then gasped in shock at the realization of his action. "Oh…no…" His hands were shivering and he gazed down on them as the skin cracked. "Please…give me more time…"
Later that night, 30 minutes before the concert, Devlin's limo pulled over in front of FentonWorks. Instead of Walter, Francis was his chauffeur. The door opened and Devlin walked out, dressed to impress. He walked up the stairs and rang the doorbell. He tapped his foot against the cement surface under him, waiting patiently.
He felt guilty for leaving Mr. Oliver just like that, but he couldn't believe that his favorite teacher was dying. The man was inspirational and motivated Devlin to become a great violinist. He felt as if he'd betrayed the man by not accepting the Black Star earlier that day, but he couldn't just take it. He didn't feel like he'd deserved it.
The door opened in the middle of his thoughts to reveal Danielle. "Dev!" she squealed before hugging him.
"Good evening, Danielle," he hugged her too. He could see Danny at the door, along with his parents. He removed his hold on Danielle and said, "I'll have her back by 11, trust me."
Danny glared and Devlin returned the glare full force. Danny sighed, "I know, because I'm coming with you. Sam and Tucker are coming along too."
Devlin had forgotten that Dumpty Humpty was also Danny's favorite band. Before any harsh words could be exchanged, Danielle dragged Devlin towards the limo. "Come on, let's go! We can pick up Richard, Sam, Tucker and Seras!"
"Fine," Devlin agreed.
"You're not going!?" Seras yelled out as she watched Tamashii training himself in the training area located under the café.
"I have better things to do," Tamashii responded.
"Even more important than spending time with me?" she asked. He stopped.
"Seras, I…"
"Fine, it's ok! I'll just go to the concert with my friends! See you later!" she then ran up the stairs, passing by Chiaki. Chiaki frowned at Tamashii.
"I know, I know…" Tamashii sighed. "But you know why I have to train harder. I need to be ready for Mitsuomi." Chiaki didn't respond with an answer but threw Tamashii a bottle of water. "Thanks."
"Don't train too hard," Chiaki advised. "And, remember, we also have Dev-chan helping us."
Tamashii grumbled. He still didn't have much trust in Devlin. The other Rider was still a potential threat with the kind of power he had. He knew how to use it and he was definitely strong if he could handle the Snake Fangire (he refused to call her by her human name). He even had trouble fighting him as Slayer. The last time Slayer had the lead, but how long would that last? They had to handle Ryuzaki together, but then Fang took down the Snake Fangire by himself. How much stronger could Fang get?
The music was blaring loudly at the Dumpty Humpty concert. The Fang Gang and Seras were all sitting in their seats and enjoying the loud music which was blaring through the crowd.
"This is totally awesome!" Danielle squealed as she continued to stay latched onto Devlin's arm. "We are so lucky to have seats like these!"
She was right too. Devlin, Danielle, Richard, and Seras were all seated in the third row. They were able to see the band's faces as clear as day. Richard was yelling and hooting at the top of his lungs while Devlin himself was just sitting back and enjoying both the music and Danielle's company. Only Seras seemed solemn. She had been looking for the concert and was really hoping Tamashii would come with her. Of course, he would rather train and prepare to fight Mitsuomi and Emi. Sometimes she felt like she was never going to break the ice wall that was her crush.
Of course, she wasn't the only one who wasn't paying attention to the concert. Several rows back, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were in seats of their own. Tucker was cheering loudly and Sam was just trying to get Danny to calm down. As predicted, Danny was staring a hole in the back of Devlin's head.
"Danny, are you here to hear the concert or stare at Devlin all night?" asked Sam irritably.
"I'm just making sure he doesn't put Danielle in danger again," Danny commented.
"Danny," Sam frowned. "Danielle can take care of herself. She came back safe didn't she?"
"All cut up," Danny growled. "If I get my hands on the one who did it…,"
The threat was left hanging. Of course, the fact that only two Fangires were there and they had walloped Devlin and Tamashii with sheer brute force. It didn't enter Danny's mind that he might be out of his league. Ghosts were one thing, but Fangires were something else entirely.
The concert was going off without a hitch and it seemed that things were going to go smoothly. What no one could see was that something was crawling over the overhanging catwalks which were being used to hold up the stage lights. As it got closer to the light, it was revealed to be a new Fangire!
It was mainly green and frog-like. It had bright green warts along its arms with stained glass skin. A red throat pouch protruded from its neck while black spikes rose from its shoulders with green warts on the end of each of them. A croaking sound came from its voice box as it glared at the rock band below it.
Back at Fang Manor, Fangula was sleeping on his perch when all of a sudden the Blood Rose released the warning tone from its strings. The sealed vampire woke up with a start upon hearing the Blood Rose's alarm.
"Fangire!" Fangula let out before he flew over to the window. He uses his feet to lift up the latch before pushing the window open. He then flew into the night towards the location where the tone was pointing towards.
In his seat, Devlin could also hear the tone, as well as the voice calling him.
'Fight! Fight! Fight! FIGHT!!' the voice commanded directly into his mind. It was a voice Devlin could not ignore. It was the voice of the Blood Rose. And judging from the intensity of the tone, Devlin knew that danger was close.
Danger with a capital 'F'…
A humanoid shape suddenly dropped down in front of the band. At first the audience thought it was part of the show. Why else would someone in a frog costume show up in the middle of one of the songs? However, seeing the band suddenly stop playing and screaming, the audience knew better.
"Fangire," Devlin hissed. He watched as the Fangire started attacking the band, throwing them off stage before he went towards the instruments and started destroying them. The Fangire also began to shoot orbs of energy from its warts, right at the audience, injuring a few and maybe even killing them.
Devlin gripped his fists as he stood up, along with Seras, Richard and Danielle. Looking upwards, he could see Danny Phantom flying towards the stage to stop the Fangire. As the rest of the audience began to flee for safety, Devlin and his friends instead ran towards the stage.
The Fangire, after knocking out several of the security personnel, let out a low croak as he looked satisfied at his work. Of course, he wasn't going to leave unscathed before two green ecto-blasts hit him in the back. The Fangire looked up to see two black and white clad figures with green eyes and white hair.
"Sorry, but if you wanted to get in show business, I suggest a freak show!" Danny shouted.
"And you're going to be the main event!" Danni added.
The Fangire croaked angrily and summoned his rifle. Taking aim, he started firing at the two Phantoms. Suddenly, a whip flew through the air and wrapped around the Fangire's weapon before ripping it out of his hands. The Fangire looked across from him to see Richard, handling the rifle before breaking it over his knee. "Sorry, but no guns allowed!" The Fangire charged but was sent staggering back by several shots from Seras.
"Unless you have a permit!" Seras added, smiling. The two moved aside to allow Devlin to walk onto the stage. He looked at the Fangire who looked back at him. When Devlin heard a familiar ringing sound, he could tell that Fangula had arrived.
"Fangula, let's go!" Devlin called.
"Alright!" Fangula cheered out before flying into Devlin's open hand. Devlin pressed Fangula against his other hand to take a bite. The resulting bite fed the energy into Devlin, causing his Orphenoch markings to appear and the belt to materialize out of ghostly chains that wrapped around his waist.
"Henshin!"
"Wake Up!"
Masked Rider Fang charged straight at the stunned Fangire and threw his fist right into the throat sack, sending the Fangire falling off the stage. He leapt off the stage and started to pummel the Fangire with rapid punches. The Fangire fired his wart-bombs at Fang. They caused Fang to stumble backwards with small explosions. Luckily, Fang had help as Danny and Danielle let loose twin ecto-blast, which negated a few of the flying wart-bombs.
The Fangire hissed and this time produced a sword. He slashed at Fang with it but the vampiric Rider was just too agile for him. Of course, when Fang tried to use a roundhouse kick, the Fangire leapt up high and fired even more energy wart-bombs, forcing the teen fighters to seek cover from the explosions.
Fang, of course, wasn't going to cower. He reached down to his belt and pulled out the Sniper Whistle. "Time to fight fire with fire!" He then placed the whistle in Fang's mouth. "Now! Sniper Magnum!"
Gillian lay on her bed, depressed. "Why didn't the lord ask me to come to this concert?" She whined like a girl who just had the worst birthday ever. Nothing seemed to lighten her spirits until she heard her whistle blow. She sat up and grinned widely. "Looks like I'm going out after all!" She then shrank into a green statuette which resembled her true form before flying out through the open window.
The Frog Fangire continued to fire at his opponents when all of a sudden a glowing green object shone in the air. Stunned, he watched as the object fell into Fang's right hand.
The Sniper Magnum unfolded and produced chains which wrapped around its holder's right arm, shattering to reveal scaly emerald armor with fins on the shoulder and arm. Chains wrapped over Fang's chest, shattering to reveal the same kind of emerald armor as well. As Gillian's energy bonded with Fang, his visor turned green along with Fangula's eyes.
With the transformation to Sniper Form done, Fang aimed his new weapon at the Fangire and fired, and didn't stop, as he rapidly shot energy bullets at the Fangire. The Fangire was not given the chance to fire back as Fang rained shots down on it with the Sniper Magnum.
"Now, finish it off!" Fangula shouted. Fang was about to bright the gun down to Fangula when he heard a voice.
"Devlin, stop!"
Fang was surprised. The voice sounded very familiar. He looked up and realized that the Fangire in front of him had just spoken.
"Devlin, please, no more!" the Frog Fangire begged.
"Devlin, what are you doing!?" Danny demanded. "This is the part where you finish that thing off!"
But Fang found he couldn't do it. That voice, it just had to be…
"Mr. Oliver?" Fang asked. After he uttered his teacher's name, he watched as the Frog Fangire's form melted away…
…Revealing the form of Mr. Oliver instead.
Danielle and Seras both gasped in shock. Danny and Richard's eyes both went wide.
The teacher picked himself up and ran. None of them made an effort to stop him.
Fang, however, collapsed onto his knees. The Sniper Magnum turned back into Gillian and Fangula detached himself from the belt, causing the armor to vanish from Devlin.
"Boy, why didn't you-?" Fangula began but stopped when he saw Devlin's expression. Tears were rolling from his single eye as Gillian tried to comfort her master.
Mr. Oliver fled from the concert and found himself at the park. He leaned against a tree, looking at his hands. "What have I done?" Realization was coming back. He was starting to lose control of himself. "All these years? Why now?"
"Why now indeed?" asked another voice and the startled music teacher looked to see Tamashii walking towards him. "Why indeed, Fangire?" Tamashii took out the Slayer belt from his coat and then whipped it around, snapping the belt on securely around his waist. Mr. Oliver watched on as Tamashii pulled a knuckle-duster off his belt and strapped it onto his right fist before slamming it against his left palm.
"READY!"
"Henshin!"
"FIST ON!"
A golden flash of light blinded the teacher and when it subsided, standing in Tamashii's place was Masked Rider Slayer. Mr. Oliver knew he had to defend himself so once again he assumed his Fangire form and charged. Producing his sword, he slashed at Slayer who blocked with his gauntlets. Sparks flew from the hits but didn't do damage to Slayer. The Frog Fangire swung again but Slayer had grabbed the sword before launching his fist into the Fangire's stomach, sending him flying into a tree.
Slayer approached his fallen foe, throwing the sword away like garbage, before saying, "Fangire, prepare to meet your end!" Finished with his statement, his faceplate opened up and his wings spread out, changing the armor from Save Mode to Burst Mode. The intensity of the energy sent the Frog Fangire flying further.
"Now, go to hell, Fangire!"
Devlin was still on his knees, thinking about his discovery. Mr. Oliver…had been a Fangire all this time. He felt upset, angered, but most of all he felt betrayed…
"How could he do this?" Devlin growled.
"Devlin, we have to go," Danielle insisted. "I mean, Mr. Oliver could be attacking more people! We need to stop him!"
Devlin had to agree with her. Danny had left to go after the Fangire. Standing up, Devlin wiped the tears away, much to Gillian's relief.
"Yes, we should go," Devlin agreed. Sam and Tucker approached the group.
"Danny just called. That thing is at the park," Tucker reported, "And fighting some dude in white armor."
"White armor..." Seras realized what Tucker was talking about, "Oh, no, Tamashii!"
"Slayer…" Devlin growled. He then ran from the group. Fangula followed him.
"Devlin!" Danielle called out to him but he wasn't stopping.
The Fangire fought back, as hard as he could, but Slayer proved stronger. The armored Slayer now started to shoot at the Fangire with his new weapon, the Slayer X-Calibur. It was a white and black gun that had two modes. The first mode was its present gun mode. The weapon had a red gem situated where the chamber would commonly be on most guns and decorated with golden wings on both sides. There was a long silver magazine under the gun handle.
Danny was just watching but decided now was the time to interfere. Devlin had let the Frog Fangire flee for a reason and he was not going to let someone die, Fangire or not. He shot towards the battle. In the corner of his eye, Slayer saw Danny coming a mile away. He aimed his gun at Danny and pulled the trigger. Danny hadn't seen the shot coming and got nailed in the chest, sending him off course and crashing.
Slayer, deciding to switch to melee combat, pushed the gun's magazine upwards. With a swing, a red blade then extended from the top of the weapon, shining brightly. The barrel and the hammer now became cross-guards for the sword.
The Frog Fangire croaked and started to attack with his wart-bombs, but they proved ineffective against Slayer armor. Slayer slashed at the Fangire repeatedly and then sent it tumbling with a kick.
"Now, to finish this," Slayer said as he reached down to the right side of his belt. Like Fang, he also had whistles that were very similar, but unlike Fang who had six, Tamashii only had two. Of course, he only required one whistle to finish the job.
He took out one of the whistles from its slot and inserted it into his belt buckle. The red gem glowed, accepting the whistle and processing the command.
"SLAYER X-CALIBUR: RISING UP!" the belt spoke as energy crackled around Slayer. The cross on his chest glowed as his wings spread out, releasing a blinding light. The light was as bright as a sun, emphasized by a vision of the sun shining behind him, radiating with heat and bright light. The Frog Fangire was blinded by the two shining wings. The Slayer X-Calibur also began to glow brightly as Slayer stepped forward.
"HEAVEN'S JUDGMENT!"
He then swung his weapon, slashing at the Fangire swiftly. The force of the attack sent the Fangire reeling, screaming out in pain. The attack hadn't killed the Frog Fangire, but a fatal blow had been dealt. It was only a matter of time before his death came, but Slayer decided to end its life swiftly.
Seeing that the Fangire was barely alive, Slayer then summoned both his katana blades, the only weapons he could depend on to finish the job.
"Your life ends here, Fangire," Slayer said coldly as he gripped both his swords. On the ground, the Frog Fangire was trying to back away but his body was too weak and injured. "Iron Dragon…" Of course, he was suddenly rudely interrupted when Fangula got in his face. Slayer swiped at the small vampire, who just ducked around and annoyed him further. Fangula was actually buying time for Devlin's arrival.
"STOP!" Devlin shouted as he stepped in front of the Frog Fangire, standing in Slayer's way. "Akashi, I won't let you kill him!"
"Move aside, Amakusa," Slayer ordered. "I'm going to end this!"
"I won't allow you to hurt him until I get answers!" Devlin shot back.
"You will defend a Fangire, the race you dedicated to destroy?" Slayer questioned.
Fangula flew into Devlin's hand. "No, I dedicated myself to protecting those close to me, Fangire or not." Fangula bit down on Devlin's arm and the dhampir felt the power again. The belt formed again.
"Henshin!"
"Wake Up!"
"And Mr. Oliver is someone I shall not allow you to destroy!" Fang shouted out as he charged at Slayer. Mr. Oliver turned back to human form when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see Danielle.
"Come on, Mr. Oliver. We're getting you out of here," Danielle said.
"But, I-" he tried to protest.
"You don't want to get into the middle of this, trust me," Danielle told him. The teacher nodded but then his eyes widened in surprise as he and the girl both turned invisible. He also felt himself floating upwards into the sky.
Slayer decided to fight without weapons and the two Riders began to trade blows. Both were allies, true, but as of now they were warriors with different views. Neither of them was going to willingly stop until the other one fell first.
Once Fang realized that Danielle had taken Mr. Oliver to safety, he acted first. Fang threw one of his smoke bomb capsules into Slayer's face, blinding the other Rider for a second before he reached down to his belt and pulled out his Fang Whistle. "Releasing the Chains of Fate!" Fang called before putting the whistle in Fangula's mouth. Fangula flew off and blew the whistle. Fang crossed his arms in front of his face before kicking up his chained armored leg. The chains shattered, allowing the demonic wings to spread out and the gleaming green gems to shine. Keeping his sights on Slayer, he then leapt up and did a flip, the light of the red moon shining behind him. He then plummeted back towards the ground, his right leg extended to aim a devastating kick on Slayer.
"BLOODY MOON SMASH!!"
The smoke surrounding Slayer's head had just dispersed when he saw the attack coming. It was too late for him to even stop it. The kick collided with Slayer's chest and sent him flying, loosening the belt from his waist before he smashed right into a bench.
Fang smiled under his helmet. "That was for my eye," he said before he ran off to where Danielle had taken Mr. Oliver.
Tamashii, meanwhile, was crawling towards his belt with a deep pain in his chest. He coughed up some blood and gritted his teeth in absolute pain. Tamashii heard footsteps approaching him and looked up to see a really angry looking Danny Phantom.
"Aw…shit!"
"Mr. Oliver!" Devlin exclaimed as he entered through the door. He had been here before when the music teacher had invited him for tea.
"In here," Danielle called from the living room. Devlin ran inside to see Danielle supporting the man. He didn't look too well.
"You can put me down on my chair, Miss Fenton," Mr. Oliver said. Danielle nodded and allowed the man to sit down. "Thank you."
"Mr. Oliver, you're a Fangire," Devlin stated bluntly.
Mr. Oliver got settled in his chair and began to explain to both Devlin and Danielle everything, "Yes, I am a Fangire, but I haven't attacked or fed on humans for a very long time."
"Really?" Danielle questioned.
"Why?" Devlin asked, wanting to know the answers.
Mr. Oliver then stared at Devlin, "Because, I made a promise to a friends of mine; your father." Devlin was stunned by the answer and Mr. Oliver took the silence as permission to continue the story, "A long time ago, 20 years to be exact, I used to hunt and feed on humans. I didn't do it unless I absolutely had to, and it was always people like the homeless or petty criminals. I still feel guilty for taking their lives, but Fangires live by instinct and our self preservation instincts are the strongest." Mr. Oliver sighed. "However, one day, I could not control myself and went after a couple in the park when I met your father. Despite the fact that I was a Fangire, he also saw that I had a good heart deep down." Mr. Oliver reached over the side of the chair and picked up his violin case. Opening it up, he then removed the Black Star from its confinement. "This violin, the Black Star, was created by both your father and I. It is the symbol of the promise I made to him. Ever since then, I have never attacked another human…until now."
Devlin realized, "For the past 20 years, you have not fed on a single human." From what Fangula had told him, Fangires needed the life energy of humans to survive. Without it, they would surely perish.
"Yes," Mr. Oliver nodded as the skin on his face cracked, "And I am running out of time. That is why I wish to give you the Black Star before my life ends. That way, I can die without regrets."
"But, Mr. Oliver, I…" Devlin spoke, "I can't accept the Black Star, not like this." Mr. Oliver smiled at the boy tenderly, like a father.
"It was quite a surprise for me to see you. You look so much like your father when I first met him," Mr. Oliver said.
"Mr. Oliver…" He watched as the cracks on Mr. Oliver's face spread.
"I'm sorry, my boy, but it looks like I was not able to keep the promise I made with your father," Mr. Oliver apologized as the cracks spread further all over his body. "Just…live on happily, my boy…Goodbye." His body then eventually shattered to pieces and left nothing, not even a soul. Sitting in his chair, amongst his pieces, was the Black Star.
ZK Chromedragozoid: Wow, that was heartbreaking, wasn't it? Looks like this will lead to more problems for Tamashii and Devlin. One step forward, two steps back, right? Thanks Shadow Element 13 and Ten Faced Paladin.