The Baihu Beast Spirit was sealed, and it would seem that things Kanenone Gakuen were going to be peaceful. Unfortunately, that did not mean that things between the Knights themselves were peaceful.

SLAM!

"You did what!?"

Kat had just learnt from Takada of what he had done to Hikaru and she was not pleased. That was why she had her sempai pinned against the wall by his collar.

"You sealed her!? Why!? She was our ally!" Kat shouted at him.

"She was a Beast Spirit," Takada reminded, justifying his actions. "Remember what our mission is."

"I didn't think our mission involved stabbing our allies in the back!" spat Kat. She liked Hikaru. Unlike most Beast Spirits, the Queen of Clubs had been friendly and outgoing like a typical teenage girl. Kat actually considered her a friend, despite her status. In a way, they were practically family as Kat also had Beast Spirit blood coursing through her veins. "So, what happens when I turn full Beast Spirit? Are you going to have to seal me too?"

Takada looked her in the eye and said, "If you ever turn into a threat…" He left the threat hand but that was all Kat needed to know as she dropped Takada.

"Baka," she growled at him in disgust. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was treachery, especially from someone she respected. As much as she wanted to pummel Takada, she just wanted to rest. The last fight had drained her. "Screw you, I'm going to bed. It's too late for this shit right now and I'm tired." She stomped away, leaving him there.

Takada adjusted his collar and then turned his gaze towards Leo who had stood aside to let Kat scold Takada. "Are you going to yell at me too?" Takada asked the more even-tempered of the twins.

"I don't believe in giving into my anger when it doesn't solve a problem," said Leo peacefully. "However, I am disappointed in you. Beast Spirit or not, Hikaru was our ally and had done nothing to warrant such treatment." While Leo believed in the purpose of their mission, he didn't think that sacrificing allies was the way to go. Beast Spirit or not, she had been helping them.

"Except maybe killing someone when she was first unsealed," countered Takada. The reports had said that the ones involved in unearthing the Beast Spirits had all been killed. The Royals had even copied their appearance to blend in with humans.

"You don't know that for sure," said Leo.

"Leo, our mission is and always has been to seal away the Beast Spirits," said Takada.

"I know," admitted Leo. He knew that. It was what he was chosen for. What he had signed up for, "However, sometimes I wonder if it's worth sacrificing our morals to get the job done." He turned away.

"Leo, your sister's a Joker, even if she's an artificial one," said Takada. "What would you do if she ever turned into a threat?"

Leo answered, "She's my sister. I'll take care of her myself. You should worry more about what Desmond-san will do to you when he finds out you sealed Hikaru-san." With that said he walked away to join his sister. He was tired too, physically and emotionally. For a moment he stopped in mid-step and advised, "Okaasan said this: brave men face the consequences of their actions, but wise men make up for their mistakes." He then went on. He needed to go to bed. He needed to deal with a few issues, but not right now.

Takada took out the Queen of Clubs and almost expected Hikaru to say something and snap at him. He then realized that Desmond would be upset, and the holder of the Genbu Buckle was not one to be trifled with. "Well, he could always just unseal her with his Remote Tapir," he said dismissively before putting the card away. However, he had a nagging feeling that things were about to get worse.

Episode 53: Trump

Beast Spirits were attacking Jump City and the Titans were alerted. As the Titans were on their way to deal with the situation, someone else was dealing with it for them. The Elephant Beast Spirit (Daichi) was hit repeatedly across the chest by Shadow's Genbu Staff. Each hit that connected caused sparks to fly on contact, and while the Elephant Beast Spirit was powerful, he was no match for Shadow's superior speed.

The Elephant Beast Spirit tried to slam his hammer down on his armored foe, but the Advent Knight blocked before following up with several strong and precise strikes in the Elephant Beast Spirit's thick hide and armor.

Shadow grabbed the Elephant Beast Spirit by his tusk and spat, "You shouldn't have been allowed to roam free for so long, beast!" With a cruel shove, Shadow sent the Elephant Beast Spirit staggering back before finishing him off with a forward thrust of his staff, the blade burying itself into the Elephant Beast Spirit's stomach. The Elephant Beast Spirit fell and exploded, leaving his body still. Shadow simply dropped the sealing card atop his prone body and allowed it to do the rest.

The sealing card absorbed the Elephant Beast Spirit, sealing him away before the card flew back into Shadow's hand. Satisfied with his capture, Shadow turned his attention towards Shima who had been injured if the green blood wasn't evident enough.

"Now, your turn," said Shadow as he advanced on the King of Clubs, ready to do to him as he'd done to Daichi. However, before he could swing his weapon, he was knocked off his feet by a sonic energy blast. Shadow crashed against a parked car and grunted.

Shima blinked and then saw the Teen Titans coming to his aid. Earlier, he and Daichi had come to see what was going on and confronted Shadow and the released Club Suit Beast Spirits. The Jack and King of Clubs made short work of the lesser members of their suit, but then Shadow resealed his Beast Spirits before he attacked both Royals. He had not fought the way they were accustomed to, and Shima knew why.

"Hey, are you OK?" Cyborg asked as he helped the man up.

"I am fine," said Shima, "But Daichi's been sealed, and I fear that Desmond is not in control."

"Yeah, we saw him send out his Beast Spirits to attack people," said Robin.

"Daichi and I have dealt with them," said Shima, "And what I mean is that the man wearing that armor is not Desmond." This caused the Titans to stare at the Advent Knight in shock.

"The freak's right," said Shadow as he stood up. "I'm not that sickly brat."

"You…what have you done to him!?" demanded Raven angrily.

"You really want to know? Then try beating the answers out of me," challenged Shadow. He twirled the Genbu Staff around. "That is, if you can."

Desmond was slowly regaining consciousness. When he realized that he was bound and gagged, he started to panic and struggle. As his struggles did nothing but add to discomfort, not to mention rope burns, he forced himself to calm down.

'Dear God, what did I get myself into this time?' he thought. 'OK, calm down,Desmond. Think for a second. Retrace your steps and review the last thing that happened to you.' He remembered hanging out with Raven, then going to an orphanage and entertaining the kids with some magic tricks. Then, on his way to buy some groceries, he was confronted by a man. 'Ah, yes. Kiryu...' Then he remembered Kiryu grabbing him and a pain similar to being electrocuted. 'Bastard must've tazered me,' Desmond concluded. 'Well, even so, he didn't know about my powers.' He looked at the floor and concentrated. 'Come on, powers, don't fail me now...' The floorboards began to bend and then cracks before vines started to grow. Desmond smiled. His bonding to the DNA of the Genbu Beast Spirit had made him a chlorokinetic. As long as there was plant-life, he could manipulate it. Even in a city like this, there were some seeds dormant underground.

The vines went under the ropes and started to expand. Once they expanded large enough, Desmond slipped out of his bindings then removed the gag. He adjusted his clothes and then checked his pockets. He scowled.

"The bastard stole my buckle and cards," he realized, annoyed. Desmond Amakusa did not like being robbed, especially of his transformation device and Rouge Cards. He narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low and even tone, "Someone is going to pay for this."

If he wasn't angry now, he would be once he learnt what had happened to Hikaru, the Queen of Clubs.

Stone shattered as Shadow used the Genbu Staff to counter Terra's attack. Then, he got in close and punched her across the face. The fake Shadow was then dodging Starfire's starbolts before swiping a card through his Genbu Staff's mounted reader.

"SMOG!"

A thick cloud of black smog was released and Starfire and her friends were blinded. Fortunately, Raven chanted, "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos!" She used her powers to disperse the smog but Shadow was prepared.

"BLIZZARD!"

"Freeze, Titans!" Shadow shouted as he unleashed a blizzard at the Titans, freezing them and blowing them away. He smirked in triumph but was then steamrolled by an elephant. The elephant changed back to Beast Boy who grinned.

"Didn't see that coming, did you?" taunted Beast Boy.

Robin leapt into action, swinging his staff with Shadow countering with his own. A black aura suddenly surrounded his weapon and it was torn from his grip by Raven. She took hold of it and held it tight with her magic.

"Give that back!" Shadow demanded as he blocked Robin's staff with his gauntlets.

"You have no right to use this," Raven shot back.

Shadow was then sent flying backwards by a combined starbolt and sonic cannon assault. He went tumbling, painfully. He could not believe this was happening. He had been informed that the Genbu System was the most advanced of the Advent System, superior to the previous models and the user would be the strongest. However, despite using it, he couldn't even beat five freaky teenagers! He had just defeated the Jack of Clubs and also incapacitated the King of Clubs. So why? Why was this happening!?

"Now, hand over the Genbu System," Robin demanded.

"Never!" Shadow roared as he charged and shoulder-tackled Robin painfully. The Teen Wonder went flying but Starfire caught her. "This power is mine! It's meant to be mine! Nobody can take it from me!"

The Titans watched him cautiously. It was obvious that the man using SHadow's armor was not stable.

"Actually, that armor is mine," spoke Demons as he stood behind the man who had taken his Genbu System. Raven's eyes widened in relief. The real Desmond had come to confront the pretender wearing his armor.

"You!" Shadow shouted.

"I really didn't appreciate the way you knocked me out," Desmond said. "Also, tying me up in an abandoned church? That wasn't a nice gesture either."

"Desmond!" exclaimed Raven as she landed next to him. "You're OK."

"I had God at my side," he said to her. "As long as I have faith, He will always be there to save me."

"Yeah, right," Shadow scoffed. "That's bullshit."

"I have my faith, and you have your lack of faith," Desmond retorted. He took the staff from Raven's hands.

"Desmond, who is he?" Raven asked.

"His name's Kiryu," said Desmond, "He was the original candidate for the Byakko System, until it rejected him."

"That's right!" Shadow/Kiryu confirmed venomously. "That power was mine! It was meant to be mine! But then they gave it to some bitch! Then, when she got killed, they gave it to some kid!"

"They were simply more worthy than you," Desmond countered and Shadow roared as he charged at Desmond. Desmond was knocked off his feet, dropping the Genbu Staff which Kiryu picked up. He then swung the weapon down upon the young man.

"Raven, don't interfere!" Desmond said to her.

"DESMOND!" Raven shouted as Desmond rolled out of the way from being struck. He got back to his feet and ducked under another swing. He then pivoted his heel and dug his shoulder into Kiryu's chest before bending over to flip the armored man over his back to land painfully on the street.

"I might be sick, but I've learnt how to fight," said Desmond. Kiryu recovered and roared before he thrust the Genbu Staff into Desmond's gut. The young man turned rigid and Kiryu thought, with satisfaction, that he'd killed the young man. So did the Titans, but then Shima smiled as he saw what was really happening. Desmond had caught the staff under his armpit and holding it there firmly with both hands. He was not letting go and Kiryu was trying to pull his weapon away.

"How…how are you so damn strong!?" Kiryu screamed. Desmond's fringe parted so he could look Kiryu in the eye.

"After being exposed to Beast Spirit DNA for so long, didn't you even think I have gained some power?" Desmond asked rhetorically. Suddenly, vines shot out of the ground and wrapped tightly around Kiryu''s body, binding his limbs and preventing his movement.

"Damn it! You little shit! Let me go! Let me go!" Kiryu demanded.

"I will, after I take this back!" Desmond grabbed hold of the Genbu Buckle. With a mighty tug, he tore it off Kiryu's waist and the armor dissolved into nothing, leaving Kiryu standing in his civilian clothes. He appeared insane with rage as he glared viciously at Desmond who just tossed the buckle up and down in his hand.

The Titans were relieved, and Shima was happy. He was about to congratulate Desmond when all of a sudden he felt a sharp pain in his back and chest. Looking down, he saw a blade stained in his green blood protruding from his chest. The blade made a sickening squelching sound as it was withdrawn. Once Shima collapsed, everyone could see who had attacked him.

It was the Black Joker and he was grinning at them.

"And with that, the final Beast Spirit has been defeated," claimed the Black Joker. Shima's body glowed and then shrank as his body morphed into a card, the sealed Category King: Evolution Xuanwu card.

"SHIMA! NO!" Desmond screamed.

"And with that, I am the victor," boasted the Black Joker with a laugh.

"You bastard! Henshin!"

"CHANGE GENBU!"

Shadow rushed to strike the Black Joker down only for the monster to send him flying with an explosive energy blast. The force of the attack sent Shadow tumbling as his armor was forcefully deactivated. the Black Joker then took a leap and landed on a nearby rooftop.

"Titans and Knight," the Black Joker spoke to the assembled heroes, "Prepare yourself, for the beginning of the end."

That was when the sky turned dark. It wasn't night. The sun was being blocked by a swarm of Roaches.

"The beginning of the end," Desmond frowned in thought. Meanwhile, Kiryu was fleeing the scene. With what was happening, he needed to get out of this city as quickly as possible. He did not need to stick around. Unfortunately, with the Roaches swarming the city, he would not be getting far.

Back in Kanenone Gakuen, Kat gasped as she shot out of bed. Eyes wide in terror, she was soaked in sweat and breathing heavily. She had received a particularly disturbing vision. Going over to her brother's bed, she went and shook him awake.

"Wake up! Wake up!" she called him. "Wake the fuck up, Otouto-chan!" she screamed and he shot awake. Unfortunately, his forehead collided with his sister's chin and she recoiled in pain as he did.

"Itai!" Leo cried out.

"Ow! Sonovabitch!" Kat cursed as she rubbed her jaw.

"Gomen, Onee-chan," Leo apologized. "What's going on?"

"Something is happening back in Jumpy City," said Kat. "I think...it's time." Leo understood what his sister meant and picked up his Seiryu Buckle. "Get ready. I'll go get Takada."

"I'll wake up Jinx-san. She'll want to know what's going on," said Leo.

Kat nodded before they both took their separate ways. She needed to get Takada. They had to move now. If what she saw was true, then the final Beast Spirit had been sealed. That meant the Black Joker now stood unopposed.

Well, not if she had anything to say about it.

Leo knew where Jinx was staying. She was staying in the same room as Sanae. While things should've been awkward considering their feelings for him, they had actually gotten pretty close in the short time they had met. He wondered if it was OK to wake them up at a time like this. But then he remembered Kat's warning. The fate of the world was at stake. Thus, Jinx could risk a night of beauty sleep.

He knocked on the door, a few times. When no answer came, he knocked again, even louder. He heard shuffling and stood back as the door was thrown open.

"WHAT!?" Jinx shouted at him. Her hair was in disarray, and she was clad in blue shorts and a purple tank top for nightwear.

"Somethings happening in Jump City," he told her.

"Can't it wait?" she groaned.

"It can't," said Leo. "It's time. All the Beast Spirits have been sealed. We need to move, now." He then went back to meet up with the others.

Jinx wondered out loud, "What the hell happened while I was asleep!?"

Leo met back up with his sister and Takada. Jinx and Kid Flash were also there. All of them were dressed with the latter two in costume.

"What are you doing here?" Kat asked the speedster. He was the cause for her brother's earlier emotional turmoil, which had almost gotten them killed.

"Look, you guys need to get to Jump City fast," said Kid Flash. "I can help."

"What, are you going to carry all of us?" Kat mocked.

"Onee-chan, no need to be rude," Leo chided his sister. He then asked, "Kid Flash, you can get Jinx back to Jump City quickly, right?"

"Hey, if you need someone to get there fast, I'm your man," boasted Kid Flash.

"I'm trusting you to get her and yourself there to help the others," Leo said seriously. "You understand?"

"I do," Kid Flash nodded.

"When you get there, be careful," Leo warned both of them.

"Come on, Jinx," Kid Flash said. "Let's go, like old times." Jinx frowned and sighed before climbing onto his back. "So, a piggyback ride, huh?"

"Just go!" she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Kid Flash obeyed before zooming away with Jinx.

"Alright, let do this," said Takada. "Henshin!"

"CHANGE BYAKKO!"

"Henshin!" the twins repeated.

"CHANGE SEIRYU!"

"CHANGE SUZAKU!"

The three Advent Knights transformed and were clad in their armor. As they prepared to leave, Draco spotted Sanae.

"Sanae-chan?" he asked. She walked up to him and looked him over. "What are you doing out here?"

"Before we saw each other again, I thought you were a dream," she confessed. "I never thought I'd see you again, but now you're leaving me again."

"I have to," Draco told her. "Our friends need us. The world needs us."

"Must you go?" asked Sanae. "Do they really need you? Can't you stay?"

"No, I can't," said Draco. Sanae sighed. She couldn't talk Draco out of this if she tried. He was truly honorable, and bound by his honor, not to mention his code of Bushido.

"Then go," she encouraged, "Go and save the world. Just please, come back safely."

Draco nodded and activated his card.

"FUSION JACK!"

Pluto did the same.

"FUSION JACK!"

And finally, Mimic.

"FLOAT!"

Sanae witnessed as Draco and Pluto both gained gold plating on their armor and wings, while Mimic was given the ability to fly.

"Let's move, people!" Mimic ordered as she took off, followed by Pluto. Draco ascended but then stopped to share a gaze with Sanae. She waved and he waved back before flying off to join his sister and comrade.

"Please, come back safely," she prayed.

It was chaos in Jump City. As the Titans fought against the swarm of Roaches, both Dark and Albino, they were joined in battle by the Cerberus Knights. Grave, Spear and Archer were fighting on the other side of the city, taking out the swarm. The Roach army seemed to be growing as well. With every one they took down, which turned into dark smoke, two more would take its place.

With the sealing of all the Beast Spirits besides the Black Joker, darkness would soon devour everything, erasing all life on Earth. This was indeed the end of the world.

Not if they had anything to say about it.

"Come on, put some muscle into it!" urged Spear as he took out another Roach.

"Easier said than done!" Archer shot back as she continued to fire upon the monsters. "It's endless!"

"We can't give up!" Grave ordered, "The city's counting on us!"

"Well, hopefully everyone's gotten into shelters because I don't think this city is going to be standing for long!" Archer argued.

"Dammit, where's the Justice League when you need them!?" exclaimed Spear.

"SPINNING DANCE!"

A swirling tornado came through and wiped out the Roaches in the area. Then, the tornado was replaced by a girl in dark armor modeled after a phoenix.

"Kat!" exclaimed Grave happily. "You're back!"

"I figured you could use the help," said Mimic. She saw the mess the city was in. "Guess this is it."

"Swarm came out of nowhere," said Grave. "You know, I'm glad you're here." He went to welcome her with a hug but she gently shoved him back.

"Look, we can have a happy reunion party later. Right now, we need to take care of these things then find the Black Joker."

"You're going to fight him, aren't you?" Grave asked. Mimic didn't answer. "Kat..."

"Grave, don't die, OK?" Mimic requested before she took off. Roaches that got in her way were incinerated or frozen by her arrows.

"That's your girlfriend, huh?" Spear observed. "She's got moxie."

"Yeah, she does," Grave admitted. He and Kat were going to talk later, about a lot of things. Right now, though, they had a planet to save. Grave drew his card and swiped it through his sword.

"MIGHTY!"

With a yell, he cut down more of the Roaches with a swipe of his sword, reducing them to dust.

Kid Flash and Jinx had returned to join the Titans in battle. Using their powers, weapons and skills, the Titans were able to beat the Roaches. However, the swarm was still growing no matter what they did. It was like they couldn't be killed and only respawned with double the numbers. It seemed like it was hopeless. Jinx threw hex after hex, blowing the Roaches up, but they kept coming back. Was this the power of immortality that the Beast Spirits possessed? Was this truly the end of humanity's time on this Earth?

"LIGHTNING SLASH!"

A golden blur swooped in through the air and struck the Roaches down, causing them to explode and dissolve. Draco in Jack Form then landed near the Titans and folded his wings.

"Advent Knight Draco...Kenzan! Fuujin!" he declared before launching a burst of wind from his left hand, blowing the Roaches off their feet. "Raijin!" He then stabbed his sword into the ground and sent out bolts of lightning, stunning them.

"Leo!" Jinx exclaimed, happy to see that Draco had come.

"Minna, daijoubu?" he asked them.

"We are all fine," said Starfire. "So, you've returned."

"Onee-chan told me we would be needed," said Draco, "Looks like she was right."

"So, got a plan?" Robin asked.

"First, we deal with this swarm, then find the Black Joker and seal him away. Once he's gone, his army should follow," said Draco.

"Should?" Terra asked.

"It's all I've got right now," said Draco. He did a head count. "Where's Raven-san?"

"She's with Shadow," said Robin. "She thought he would need the backup."

"Alright," said Draco. "That's a good idea. It's why I sent Takada ahead to help."

"Leo, are you sure you and the Knights can beat the Black Joker?" Robin asked. He needed to know. He needed hope. The last time the Titans had dealt with an invasion like this had been against the demons Trigon had summoned. Before that, it had been robots created by Slade. Robin really needed to hear something reassuring.

"We don't have much of a choice now, do we?" Draco asked rhetorically. "Just please stay alive. I need to rejoin Onee-chan." He spread his wings and took off. Jinx watched him go. She hoped he would be alright. She had a feeling that a lot of things were going to change after today.

Pluto had indeed reached Shadow and Raven. He also handed Shadow the card which he had used to seal Hikaru. While this did upset Shadow, they needed to deal with the Roaches first. However, Shadow promised that he would have a few words with Pluto about what he had done and Pluto promised that he would listen. He really didn't believe he had done anything wrong. It was their mission to seal away the Beast Spirits. They needed to protect humanity and to prevent their extinction, just like right now.

"SLASH!"

"TORNADO!"

"Oi-ryah!" Draco roared as he swung, landing charged up slashes upon the Roaches. Green blood splashed upon the ground as the Black Joker's minions fell before dissolving into dust.

"Shi-yah!" Mimic unleashed a volley of wind-charged energy arrows which drilled through the Roaches. However, their numbers seemed to be endless.

Mimic and Draco had separated from the others in order to hunt down the Black Joker themselves. As the Black Joker would be a powerful enemy, only Mimic and Draco had a chance to defeat him. Draco had obtained King Form while Mimic had awakened her Wild Form. Both forms drew power from all their Rouge Cards in their possession, so only they could possibly match the Black Joker in battle.

Now, it was a matter of actually finding the damn thing. Their search wasn't made any easier by the Roaches that kept getting in their way. Obviously, the Roaches were ordered to keep anything or anyone from getting to their master and progenitor.

"Damn it, there's too many!" Mimic cursed.

"Then it would seem we would need to go all out," said Draco. "Okaasan said this: there's no kill like overkill." He took out his Category King card.

"Otouto-chan," whispered Mimic in concern. She knew the danger of her brother's continuous use of the King Form. Fusing with all the Spade Beast Spirits caused their DNA to be mixed with his. Eventually, the Beast Spirit DNA would overcome his human DNA and he would be...he would become just like her.

"I know, Onee-chan," said Draco. "I'm aware of the risks. But if we don't do this then this entire world and humanity will be lost. I'm prepared to shed my humanity as long as it means I can save everyone, especially you. I won't let you face him alone."

Mimic was touched and she nodded. Her brother was resolute and prepared to go the distance. She took out her own Category King and set her buckle back onto her belt to scan it.

"Let's save the world, Otouto-chan," Mimic grinned.

"Hai, Onee-chan!"

"EVOLUTION KING!"

"EVOLUTION ZHUQIAO!"

The two transformed and the power they unleashed as their bodies exploded with golden energy vaporised all the Roaches around them. In the distance, the Black Joker was watching them and clicked his tongue.

"So, they're finally ready," he said with a malicious grin. "If I am to take this world, I should claim it in a fair fight." He leapt off his perch, jumping from rooftop to rooftop to reach the two fully evolved Advent Knights.

"ROYAL STRAIGHT FLUSH!"

"WILD!"

King Draco and Wild Mimic both unleashed their strongest attacks at the Roaches. In a single, united blow the two Knights vaporised the opposing army. However, it would only be a matter of time before the Roaches respawned and become a nuisance again.

"OK, now to find-!" began Wild Mimic only to be suddenly interrupted by a violent explosion. The two Knights were flung through the air before landing in a heap together.

"Itai..." King Draco groaned as Wild Mimic climbed off her brother.

"OK, that was unexpected," remarked Wild Mimic as she helped her brother up. Her eyes then widened as she saw the Black Joker, walking towards them. The entire area was decimated, with buildings collapsed and rubble littering the ground. This just seemed like the perfect setting for a final battle.

"I heard you both were looking for me," said the Black Joker.

"Yes," said King Draco. "We won't let you end humanity."

"And why should you care about humanity?" questioned the Black Joker. "Both of you aren't exactly human anyway, especially you." His gaze was aimed at Wild Mimic. "You might be a Joker created by humans, but you are a Joker nonetheless. Join me and we can rule this world with our kind."

"I may not be human," said Wild Mimic, "But I've gotten attached to humans. Besides, I've always been a rebel." She smirked.

"We swore we'd protect humanity and we've been prepared for this day. Now, let's finish this!" declared Draco. Both brother and sister raised their weapons and charged. The Black Joker scoffed and charged back at the pair with his claws and blade at the ready. Both sides clashed violently with sparks flying from the sudden impact of weapons.

This was their final battle.

Karmen was in the civilian shelter as the battle took place in the city. She was with so many people, all sitting together, waiting for the Titans to win. When the emergency alarm had gone off, police had ushered the civilians out and led them to the shelters. They could see that the sky was dark, the sun blocked by a swarm of humanoid insects. The Titans were fighting them, and Karmen had a feeling that the Knights had joined them. This was truly a nightmare, but she had to hope. She had to. If heroes existed then there was always hope that they would win.

Right?

Karmen looked around and saw a little girl hugging a Starfire doll. This made Karmen smile and wonder if the Titans were going to be OK, especially Starfire.

"Ugh..."

"...Itai..."

Kat and Leo were injured as they lay on the ground, groaning in pain. During their fight with the Black Joker, he had revealed his true power. When they had performed their finisher moves, he had utterly overpowered the two of them. Now their cards now lay scattered around them.

The Black Joker laughed at the two bleeding Knights. "I overestimated you both," said the Black Joker with a sinister sneer. "You're both still weak." He eyed Kat, "However, my dear, you still have a chance to join me. You are like me. You were created with my blood. That makes you my progeny. Leave the humans and stand by my side as we devour this world."

Kat stood up, her legs trembling as she glared at the Black Joker with her storm blue eyes. Green blood stained her skin and clothes but she was not going to go down without a fight.

"Fuck...you," she said eloquently as she showed the Black Joker her middle finger. She held her hand to her brother, "Otouto-chan, let's take this creep down." Leo nodded and grasped her hand before she pulled him up to stand with her.

"Do you really think you still stand a chance?" the Black Joker asked rhetorically, brandishing his blades.

"Of course," said Kat. "I'm the wild card after all, and my brother is the Azure Dragon."

"Hai," Leo agreed.

"I've beaten you once. What makes you think you stand a chance now? No matter. I was going to give you a chance to live. Now, I'm going to have to utterly destroy you."

"You'll have to give us your best shot!" shouted Kat as she slashed her Category Ace through her belt. "Henshin!"

"CHANGE SUZAKU!"

"Henshin!" Leo cried out as he activated his own belt.

"CHANGE SEIRYU!"

The two of them charged at the Black Joker, donned in their armors, but then something else happened as the other cards that were scattered on the ground glowed gold and flew up to meet them. The two sibling Knights glowed with gold power as they assumed their Final Forms, armed with their weapons.

"EVOLUTION KING/ZHUQIAO!"

"OKAASAN SAID THIS: NOBODY CAN STOP OUR EVOLUTION!" shouted King Draco.

"SO LET'S DO THIS EXPLOSIVELY!" shouted out Wild Mimic. Wild Mimic slashed at Black Joker and green blood splattered the ground. The Black Joker lashed out only to be blocked by King Draco and the King Dragon Blade. The twins then blew the Black Joker away with a combined elemental attack. Fire, wind, ice and lightning slammed into the Black Joker and sent him flying. With a single backflip, he landed back on the ground, albeit shakily.

Concentrating, the Black Joker shot bolts of green lightning at the twin Knights who leapt into the air to avoid them. Wild Mimic then came down and slashed with her Wild Slasher. The Black Joker staggered from the blow before he was knocked back by a kick.

"How is this possible!?" questioned the Black Joker. He had beaten them before, quite easily, but now they were actually standing up to him and his power. This didn't make sense. He had them beaten. Yet, they still had the strength to oppose him What was going on?

"It's called an adrenaline rush!" Wild Mimic shouted as she punched the Black Joker across the jaw, knocking him back. She then twirled around and slashed him repeatedly across the chest before head-butting him in the face. She went to slash at him again but he grabbed her wrist. Instead of panicking, Wild Mimic jumped up and planted both feet into Black Joker's chest to kick him back and force him to release her.

"Otouto-chan!" Mimic called and King Draco used Mach Cheetah's speed to land several high speed strikes on the Black Joker. He then used the power of Beat Lion to land a devastating blow into his chest, sending the Black Joker flying. The Black Joker grunted and climbed back to his feet. Mimic charged at him and he threw a punch at him. She caught the Black Joker's arm then twisted it before pinning the arm to the monster's back. She also put an arm across his throat.

"What are you doing!?" the Black Joker demanded. Wild Mimic was restraining the Black Joker. Her cards became one and she tossed the Wild Card to her brother.

"Otouto-chan, finish it!" she shouted. Draco looked at the card his sister had given him and nodded before he slotted it into his King Dragon Blade with the others.

"SPADE 10, JACK! QUEEN! KING! ACE! WILD!" The King Dragon Blade announced before crying out, "WILD STRAIGHT FLUSH!"

"YOU FOOL! YOU'LL KILL US BOTH!" Black Joker shouted as he continued to struggle.

"We're immortal, remember?" Wild Mimic shot back. "The worst I'll get is being knocked out! You on the other hand are gonna get pwned!"

The King Dragon Blade radiated with power and King Draco roared as he rushed at the Black Joker. Wild Mimic released the monster at the last second before her brother brought the blade down. The Black Joker caught the blade between his hands, keeping Draco at bay. However, Mimic aimed her Suzaku Arrow a concentrated beam of fire and wind that collided with the Black Joker's back. The Black Joker was stunned and forced to release the sword. King Draco's blade sword sliced through the Black Joker's body. He staggered backwards as dark green blood gushed from the wound, golden lightning arching all over his body.

"No...No...I'm the destroyer! I...I cannot be...I CANNOT BE...DESTROYED!" the Black Joker howled before he exploded. Wild Mimic and King Draco continued to watch as the smoke and flames cleared. Once they had a clear view, they saw the Black Joker's body lying still.

"Now, to finish it," said Wild Mimic as she took out a blank Sealing Card. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it and the card flew before attaching itself to the Black Joker's chest. Once it landed, the card glowed as it converted the Black Joker into green energy which swirled into the card's face. Once the body was gone, the card flew back and Wild Mimic caught it. Unlike the rest of their cards, the Black Joker's was black with a strange, green image on the face which looked like a skeletal heart, if that were possible.

In the city, the remaining Roaches vanished without a trace.

Back with Draco and Mimic, they undid their transformations. Kat looked to smile at her brother when she noticed green blood dripping down his arm. "Otouto-chan," she uttered as she saw him remove his Advent Buckle to reveal that he too sported the same belt as hers, only the heart-like emblem in the centre was navy blue.

"I guess I did discard my humanity after all," lamented Leo as he studied his now green blood.

"Damn it!" Kat cursed as she clenched her fists. "It wasn't supposed to end this way!" Leo went and gave his twin sister a hug.

"I swore I would always stand by you, Onee-chan. This way, you won't need to be all alone," he told her.

"But what about you? What about your dreams?" she asked.

"I won't abandon them, as I won't abandon you," he said as he looked into her eyes. He smiled encouragingly, "Cheer up. We saved the world. To do that we needed to make sacrifices, didn't we?"

"I know, but now we'll probably have to leave," Kat realized. "We're not just Beast Spirits, we're Jokers now, and being Beast Spirits we're going to live forever." She stared at her hand and clenched it into a fist. "We won't age."

"We'll have to say goodbye," Leo concluded. His thoughts went to the Titans, especially Jinx.

"Yeah, I gotta talk to Craig too," Kat frowned. "That's not a conversation I look forward to, and there's no way I could write a Dear John letter to him. He deserves to be told, face-to-face. You know, you're lucky. You and Jinx are probably broken up already."

"Our relationship just hit a rough patch," said Leo. "Maybe we can salvage it."

"If you don't mind her growing old without you," she said pessimistically.

"That's a depressing thought," said Leo.

"I'm a realist. On the plus side, maybe you can pick things up from Sanae," said Kat. "She's a sweet girl, nice and normal too."

"Normal...what I'm not anymore," said Leo. Kat rolled her eyes and walked off. "So, we meet back up at the cafe later?"

"Yes," Kat confirmed. "Be there or be square, Otouto-chan."

"Hai, Onee-chan."

"You're closing the restaurant?" Raven asked as Desmond stood before the Turtle Hut. The shutter had been pulled down and a sign stating the place was For Sale had been put out.

"And selling this place too," he confirmed. He took out the Royal Club cards. They had been sealed and could no longer be unsealed as the Battle Game had finally concluded. "Without them, what's the point of keeping it open?" Raven stepped forward and took his hand. She knew what he felt for the Royal Clubs. They were his family.

"What will you do now?" Raven asked.

"Figure out a way to unseal them but as humans," Desmond told her.

"Need help?" she offered. Desmond looked to her as she elaborated, "I have a huge collection of spell books. Perhaps there's something in there that might help."

"That would be great," he said with a smile.

Earlier, Desmond and Takada had words as promised. After the talk where Takada had justified his actions, Desmond had punched him in the jaw. That had been so satisfying.

Takada finished writing the report and sighed. He stretched as he cracked his knuckles, "Finally, it's done." He leaned back in his seat. It was finally over. Still, the city hadn't escaped unscathed. It would need to be rebuilt. Fortunately, the Beast Spirits were gone. Still, what was he to do now? Sealing the Beast Spirits had been his mission. Now that it was over, what was left for him? Could he just settle down and live a normal life?

"Maybe I could ask Karmen and see what she thinks I should do," thought Takada. He then rubbed his jaw. The bruising had yet to fade and he had to admit that Desmond had a really good right hook.

Once the twins had dealt with their respective businesses, they returned to the cafe to pack their things. Some would be put away for storage as they decided to bring along only the essentials..

"I'm gonna miss the place," said Kat as she looked at Cafe La Salle. The business they had gotten, the customers, not to mention the food Leo prepared had been awesome.

"I know," said Leo, "But we're going to need to go someplace else."

"Yeah," said Kat. "So, did you talk to Jinx?"

"Have you spoken to Craig?" Leo replied.

"Yeah," said Kat, sadly. "I told him that I needed a break and find myself. What did you tell Jinx?"

"That I needed to spend some time alone and figure out what I should do from here," said Leo.

"Did you tell her about...you know," Kat said, referring to his lost of his humanity.

"I didn't want to upset her any further," said Leo, not liking the idea of lying to Jinx.

"I guess that's a good idea," said Kat. As Beast Spirits, their greatest power was also their curse. The people around them would age, wither and die while they would remain young forever. "You know, I can't believe it's finally over."

"Neither am I, but we both know this day would come eventually," Leo replied.

"So, where do we go from here?" Kat asked.

"I heard Paris was nice this time of year," said Leo.

"Paris, huh? Thinking of expanding your culinary skills with French cuisine?" Kat asked.

"I was thinking, since we're immortal now, we can sample all the world's cuisine," said Leo. "So, will you come with me?"

Kat smiled and replied, "What do you think?"

The two got on their bikes, with their things, and rode off. They would be travelling for a long time and would go where the wind would take them. Were they really immortal? Would they live forever? Yes, but living forever was bearable when you were doing it with someone you love.

-THE END-

KAMEN RIDER CRHOME: I started this story years ago, inspired by Kamen Rider Blade. However, I hit a bit of a roadblock, not to mention writer's block. So I'm pretty satisfied when I was able to finish it and did. I know, it seems rushed and a lot of issues were left unresolved. But the most important ones have been taken care of and while most of the issues were open-ended, I'd leave that to your imagination. I'm just glad I could conclude this in a way that gave a bit of hope while being bitter-sweet at the same time. What will the future bring for our immortals? Who knows? If you have any questions, let me know via PM. The reviews are just for reviews. Also, I don't like guest reviews. If you got time to come online, please sign up. It's not that hard.