Fictions Mentioned:
Episode 20
OP Song:
仮面ライダーBLACK RX (RIDER CHIPS Ver.) · RIDER CHIPS
Insert Song: Start
OST Fate Stay Night - Kodoku na Junrei
PART 1
Flashback
It was sometime in the past. Between the early to middle days of Kamen Rider Black. Shidou Itsuka was now currently wearing his absolute best clothing for the special occasion of the hour. Having taken a bath and comb his hair, and other forms of personal hygiene such as brushing his teeth. He was wearing a black business suit which consisted of everything black, excluding his white collar dress shirt that has a black necktie, and of course, he still wears his black fingerless gloves. All in all, he looks presentable.
"Kaa-san, tou-san, Kotori, I'll be off," He would say with a soft smile as he was now seated on the Battle Hopper in civilian mode.
"Alright, take care of yourself, Shidou," Haruko Itsuka smiled as she wished her son well.
"Good luck, son," Her husband and Shidou's father (in the New World), Tatsuo Itsuka, a handsome man with dark green glasses, wearing a brown jacket and white collared shirt, with dark grey pants and brown shoes, silently smiles as he sees his son off.
"Good luck out there, onii-chan, and-" Kotori, who was right beside her mother, would suddenly show a serious expression.
"I know, I know, no alcohol, just milk," Shidou waved his right hand casually with a smile.
And then, starting the engines of the bike by taking the handle, and already wearing a motorcycle helmet, he would drive straight out of the garage and head off to the open roads, leaving Kotori smiling softly a bit.
"Good luck, baka," Kotori muttered softly.
With the help of the teleportation function of the bike, Shidou would head from Tenguu City to Kuoh Town in less than a few minutes. Specifically, he was going to park his bike near Kuoh Academy and head toward the student council room, right on schedule.
What was with this special occasion? Well, it was something that had been discussed a few days ago between Shidou and his wife-to-be. Meeting the parents. In most cases, most younger boys would probably feel like dying of fright or the experience itself would be nervous-racking as all hell. But Shidou Itsuka was not really in that category due to how old he actually is. If anything, he was a lot more concerned for Sona and what she's going through.
How does one even make a very good impression on a well-known devil family that had contributed many things to devil society, especially in the realms of technology and medical health care?
They say that meeting one's partner's parents is an important step in the relationship. After all, the parents will likely be a significant part of the life you're building with your partner. You want to do it at the right time and give yourself the best chance at making a great first impression. When it comes to a great first impression, he'd asked for plenty of advice from some people along the way before this moment. One of them was his sensei, Kohtaro Minami, the Original Kamen Rider Black and Black RX, who simply said:
"No need for worries. Just be mindful, be respectful, and simply be yourself in the way that you need to be for that moment. You would know what I mean when you come face to face with the parents."
Well, it was rather helpful advice. While thinking about it as he walks through the hallways of the school, he was thinking of the parents in question. Considering that the Sitri is known for their advanced medicine and technology, they are quite known to be rather intelligent and sophisticated people of devil society. He even remembers a hospital in fact that was named after Serafall that is considered to be one of if not the best hospitals in the Underworld. And of course, they are well known for their affinity for water base magic. Well, he also recalls Sona herself having mastered several arts of magic, even things like magecraft, being a quick study and with a sharper intelligence to boot, more than enough that she's more than a match and a worthy opponent for his senpai, Illyasviel von Einzbern.
He was now near the door that lead to the student council room. With no one around from the corridor, it's safe to say that he was alone. First things first, he knocked on the door as a way of common courtesy.
"Come in."
He can hear the familiar voice, strict and professional, and yet so soothing. It was Sona Sitri's voice. With official permission, he would open the door and look inside the student council room.
There were the familiar neat and orderly desks and chairs of each member of the council, bookshelves filled with information on various subjects, and at least a few whiteboards, one of which he noticed had pictures and news of his exploits as Kamen Rider Black all tagged on various positions. In fact, the news headlines and papers were also located just nearby, stacked in proper order. There was a large television screen and several computers, the finest and latest technology that was around the corner. There were fancy tea sets that were also placed on one desk, one that reminded Shidou of a British Royal Tea Set. With twelve teacups, twelve saucers, twelve teaspoons, a teapot, a sugar bowl, a cream pitcher, and a stainless steel tea strainer.
"Ah, Shidou," Sona Sitri, wearing her school uniform and showing a smile on her face, sitting on the chair that was near the desk, would see Shidou enter as he close the door. "It's good that you're on time."
"It's good to see you once again, Itsuka-sama," The one who responded with this respectful greeting and bow was Sona's Queen, Tsubaki Shinra, who was standing right beside her. One of the most beautiful girls in Kuoh Academy, and also the fourth most popular girl in school, is the well-respected student council vice president. For Shidou, even with her serious personality, she's actually a very nice person, and he can tell from the many times that he would meet her whenever he visits Kuoh Academy. or specifically whenever he visits Sona.
"It's good to see you too, Shinra-fukukaichou," Shidou bowed like a gentleman. And then, he noticed Sona standing up from her seat and heading towards him, with her violet irises locked onto him and with her mouth still maintaining the rarest of smiles that seems to be reserved only for him as he would note at times, checking and probing the brand new suit that he was wearing with interest. As she stands near Shidou, stopping short, she puts a hand to her chin briefly before eventually looking at his necktie.
As if by instinct, much to his slight surprise, he would see Sona trying to fix his necktie and checking to see if it was tight and straight. The word "odd" would come into his line of thought, odd but not unpleasant. Oddly, this scene seems to be like something that a wife would do for her husband, fixing up his tie. And now that Shidou looked back at things of the past, it wasn't the first time Sona tried this before.
And whenever he sees this, his heart felt a bit conflicted with mixed feelings once again, one out of comfort and one out of guilt. If only because he remembers a certain someone, a light pink-haired beauty who had the face of an angel whose smile would make his heart ache, was no longer here to do this kind of thing. He could not help but lightly flinch. While he somewhat thought that it was not really seen, Sona would notice due to the way her eyes looked at him with a subtle tone of concern while still holding his necktie in order to ensure a proper position, but of course, did not make any further comment due to being sensitive to the fact that they were not alone and that she respected her husband to be's privacy.
Yes, Sona is more than aware of one simple but no less important thing regarding Shidou Itsuka. The fact that his heart still longed for and loved the woman that he married a very long time ago. And Sona would respect this kind of love, the kind of love and devotion that was quite of an admirable quality in a man, one that seem like a rarity. She would understand deeply and thus, in this case, it had been agreed between the both of them that there needed to be a certain kind of respect for one's personal boundaries.
But then, of course, from the past few months since knowing Shidou Itsuka and everything that had happened, Sona Sitri would admit secretly to her heart that she had grown rather fond of this young man, this young middle school student who always tries to be better every single day. The kind of man that would not hesitate to help someone in need no matter who or what they are. The kind of man that one could truly depend on, especially in one's darkest of moments. Some part of her felt guilty, but...she truly could not help but be very fond of him...maybe even something more, but Sona would not really admit this out loud, at least out of respect for her husband-to-be's personal feelings relating to his wife...that was no longer here, and also of course, she figured that things would need to be taken in slower pace.
"There," Sona's smile turns soft and empathetic, and her eyes were of the same kind, having already firmly checked the man's necktie. "That should do."
With that kind of face, Shidou could not help but maintain a look of awe as well as respect for this amazing young woman that had always been there for him. In times when he needed a little more privacy, Sona was the first person that came to mind in order to at least speak and unload himself of the daily burdens of his life as a superhero and his life as a middle school student. And she was always there to listen before she at least gives her own opinion. And speaking of which, a part of him flashes back to the many times, ranging from the first time he tried Sona's cooking...
...Only for him to automatically feel like he was tasting something...not quite refined and delicate to put it mildly. This first incident would make him eventually resolve to take up the following task. When he was not busy doing superhero work, he would visit Sona and teach her everything he knew about cooking. Of course, it was quite a work in progress for the past few months, with multiple attempts, all of which he took to taste despite how admittedly bad it was. If there was one thing Shidou was, it was being determined to the bitter end. That and now that he looked back at it, it was one of the rarest of instances in his life where he would personally teach someone how to cook, and it actually felt good. Eventually, the work would pay off slowly, with Sona's cooking being edible enough. There is still plenty of ways to go, but he believed that he and Sona could manage.
These incidents were but one part of everyday life regarding how Shidou would get to know more and more about the heiress of the Sitri, meaning that she was a princess in every sense of the word, both by rank and by stature. In all that time, he knew that this woman was the type to strive to work to perfection and to better improve upon herself, which shows from the way she takes his cooking lessons seriously. She's an educator at heart, with a dream of starting a Rating School where it didn't matter whether a devil would be of the high class or of the low class. All are welcome to attend. And that was the main reason why she is attending Kuoh Academy right now, a school that is essentially like a mixture of various systems, so not just Japanese, in order for her to learn more from the education systems of this world and apply it to the eventual dream that she would be planning to make. It was another sense of fighting the problem of the past in devil society, of trying to find ways to break down that dividing line between the high class and the low class.
But why would someone like her have a dream like this?
"Because," Sona once said to him in the past with a beautiful but sad smiling expression, looking back into her memories of long ago. Shidou could not help but pay attention to that kind of expression as if making him understand the kind of history that was far too different from Earth. "When I was a child, I would bear witness to how ill-treated and unfair our society is, where in various moments, I would see many of my fellow high-class devils, one who should have known better, were treating towards those who they deem to be lower than they were. The adults would tend to say that this has always been a part of our society and tradition. Low-class devils and even reincarnated devils merely work for their masters and are only selected based on their talent and ineptitude. Equality has no place in a world where change is quite a risk even now, especially in the modern era where change can be considered good or bad."
Naturally, as he listens on in silence while he provides Sona the opportunity to explain herself, at the end of the explanation, Shidou thought that this flimsy excuse did not justify anything regarding discrimination and racism, and of course, Sona did not agree with such faulty logic either. It was even because of the concept of change in the first place, Shidou thought, that devil society had undergone an extremely needed complete reformation which started from the Devil Civil War between the Old Satan Faction led by the descendants of Satan Clans that wanted to restart the Great War and the Anti-Satan Faction lead by none other than Sirzechs Gremory that firmly and vehemently opposes such goals, with the end result being Anti-Satan Faction victory, with Sirzechs taking the responsibility as the ruler of the Underworld. No longer were the devils anything but a force for evil and world domination. Now, things were made better but still a continued work in progress.
But the prejudice still remained. There were efforts of course for this kind of thing to be addressed. The problem lay behind the stubborn old fools in the high places that value old traditions (which were already proven to be a double edge sword anyway; see Devil Civil War) in place of the natural autonomous rights of sentient beings.
Shidou once recalled a saying from one of his senseis, Optimus Prime, the kind but fatherly librarian of the special school that he goes to, who was in his humanoid adaptive form would be reminiscent of an old kindly man and famous actor named Peter Cullen, wearing a dark blue business suit with a red necktie, recalling one of many lines that left a deep impression upon him as he remembers sitting on his chair in class.
"I have and still always believed that freedom is the right of all sentient beings, which of course is the main reason why I had led the Autobots and fought the Decepticons in the past. They live and breathe with their own personalities and with their own dreams for the future. Everyone has the fundamental right to think for themselves, to always have a choice with no unnecessary constraints, and to grow in knowledge and wisdom. And let them always value freedom and life wherever they find it, and may the laws of any world as much as order and governance are necessary for the preservation of freedom, respect this right, the right to life and liberty, the right to freedom from slavery and torture, the right to freedom of unfavorable opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more that makes up who we all are."
And he recalls himself raising his right hand, asking a question in English.
"Professor, then what about if for example, let's say that this hypothetical society has this long-standing tradition and system between the classes for centuries, and one of its main problems is that of the discrimination between the classes, both high and low, and this kind of system is so entrenched within it that the ones who uphold such a tradition for so long may not be so heavily inclined to change it for fear of setbacks or reactions upon those who upheld such traditions."
"That is an excellent question that you would bring up, Shidou," Optimus nodded with a grim feature. "Because now there needs to be a concise case for one to need to fully distinguish between what is purely tradition and what is true for the beneficiary of society, and of course between the actual definition of slavery."
Then Optimus explains further.
"Certainly, each individual is not the same in terms of their specific role in society. One could be a blue-collar worker, one could be a white-collar worker, and one could be even above these two, from the realms of politics and influence that a person has. All of these roles have a major importance, and none of them are insignificant. Without one of them, the rest would not hold. Even the most powerful ruler of a nation or of a kingdom would need helpers from every walk of life. For freedom to endure, there, of course, needs to be law and order, to keep that freedom secure and pure, to keep it from turning into something else, something that could eventually become the spark that would unleash the sin of tyranny and gain that would promote nothing but by being a slave to the one who poses as a ruler."
And then, Optimus' face turns dark and his blue ancient eyes narrow down.
"However, there is also the extreme end of such a system that could be manipulated and exploited by those on high for their own benefit and even to justify it on the basis that this had always been upheld without question and that changing it in turn could affect the moral and political order, and this is one painstaking problem that I had to deal with since my earliest of days as Orion Pax, when I was but a simple clerk in the old sacred hall of records of Iacon. You all know this story, for I have told you all of this many times before. But briefly, it needs to be recalled back again. We must all remember that there is a very clear present danger between excessive freedom without law and order that benefits and commits to nothing but banditry and savage tendencies, and law and order that is nothing of the sort in spite of their names as it is held by dictators in the guise of good intentions who exploit the masses for their own ends. And it is because of this landscape, the dividing line of the crisis, that became the foundation ground that made the rise of a faction like the Decepticons come to fruition, a faction that I and my fellow Autobots would oppose for so many centuries.
And then, Optimus would look at Shidou in the eye, with both hands behind his back.
"And I have from that time forward understood more than ever that there will be two responses at the end of the spectrum that created such a precise point of divergence. One who seeks violence and the overthrowing of the old and the other who seeks peace for true justice to be achieved. And we must always choose the latter, no matter what the cost. Violence and everything that entails, one that is without purpose or control, is never the true answer to the problems of discrimination. It only results in anarchy and chaos, even to the point of a total collapse of society. Discrimination and racism are sins that are as old as time itself, and combatting them with nothing but violence and hatred would only provoke and incite madness and chaos. To truly combat them, we must keep in mind the methods of what we choose to attain peace while of course being free from the ignorance and naivety of conflict. There will be conflict, there is no doubt about that, but it is also our moral obligation to build and rise up from our past mistakes. If we must fight as it may times be inevitable, then it is only so that further atrocities may be prevented and undesirable outcomes may not come to pass. That would be what is called on Earth as the just war theory, and it's something that all of you would need to file a report on for the next class."
It had never been more true when applying this important lesson to the current situation of devil society. Afterwards, when Sona explained the situation to him, Shidou simply repeated the important lesson that he had learned by heart, something that would spark Sona's interest.
"...Where exactly did you learn this kind of lesson?" Sona once asked with an intrigued conveyance.
Then Shidou smiled with a very strange expression, one that showed a kind of smile and a look that was reminiscing. "Oh, a special kind of school that I tend to go to from time to time."
"School, you mean Raizen?" Sona asked again, but somehow, a part of her knew that wasn't the case.
"No, not Raizen," Shidou shakes his head. "This school is...well, something special, one of a kind."
It naturally sparks Sona's interest as she had further questions to ask. And this was also a time when Shidou and Sona were currently in a study session, and Sona was more or less acting as his personal tutor in mathematics which is the subject that they were studying at the moment. Well, oddly, it was a bit amusing for Shidou to know a few complex mathematical equations that Sona didn't know and for the latter to be very interested, even quite demanding to teach her these equations. And thus, Shidou understood that Sona had a more nerdy side to her, one that wants to know everything about a given subject. Quite intriguing and adorable in its own way. The student council president whose expression would never lose its cool and strict personality, would sometimes get befuddled by him of all people.
At the end, it would leave Shidou no choice but to eventually introduce this special school to Sona. And it was a decision that he never regretted as Sona had been a bit more happier and more interested in the worlds that lay beyond, having understood one thing.
"...I suppose that I still have so much to learn about the world outside of the thinking of a devil," She would say with a smile as the sunset would shine from the horizon.
And now, as the memories come back, as Shidou's amber brown eyes look into those violet eyes, there was a certain kind of language that they both developed amongst each other that didn't need words to be said. They can already tell from a glance. One could say that at this very moment, as his heart would slowly recede from the conflict, he found this particular face of Sona to be quite...mesmerizing...to put a term to how he was seeing things.
How long were they looking at each other? Who could say? It felt like more than a few minutes had passed and there was nothing but a conveyance of solemnity and reminiscence. And then, as if reluctant to part from the eyes of the man, Sona would slowly turn around because she remembered that they were not alone. She would find a slightly awed and somewhat embarrassed Tsubaki who was maintaining a hesitant and silent expression with a few little red blushes on her cheeks due to the seemingly private scene that was being shown to her. "Tsubaki," Sona called out, her smile turning serious, and at the same time, Shidou would try to maintain his composure.
"Ah-H-Hai, kaichou?" Tsubaki would fix her glasses while trying to maintain her composure.
"I will leave the rest of the peerage and the school to you for the time being as I and my fiancé would head back to my home in the Underworld, I trust you can handle it well," Sona said.
"Y-Yes, of course," Tsubaki nodded, obedient to every word.
"Thank you," Sona nodded politely out of gratitude. Then she looked at Shidou and softly smiled. "Well then, shall we go?"
And Shidou, being a gentleman at heart, would offer his arm as a kind of escort, making a solemn and respectful expression as he nodded. "Of course, my lady."
Sona smiled at the subtle offer and with both of her hands, would walk alongside Shidou towards a large magic circle nearby, one that showed a symbol showing the signature of the Sitri Family. And then, the sigil would light with a bluish color that was seen from its traces. One moment, they were there. The next moment, they were somewhere else, swept away by the wind.
And a few moments later, Tsubaki sighed before smiling softly a bit. "Good luck, kaichou, Itsuka-sama, I'm rooting for you both."
A light was seen traced from the sigil of the Sitri Clan was seen. And Shidou and Sona would come out from the materialization process. And as Shidou would begin to look around, he would notice the following with his eyes.
There were solid marble walls that reminded one of the Victorian age, interlining every corner. They were in some kind of large interconnected hallway and there were many beautiful maids in attendance. There was one old man with grey hair, bowing his head out of respect.
"It is a pleasure to see you once again, princess," The man spoke respectfully.
"Hello to you as well, Sebastian," Sona smiled courtly while recognizing the old man with a sense of familiarity. With her left hand, she gestures to Shidou. "Sebastian, you may of course recognize this man who is with me."
"Ah yes, of course," Sebastian nodded with a smile. "It is good to see you once again, Itsuka-sama."
"Good to see you as well, Sebastian," Shidou nodded with a smile.
Yes, Shidou had met this kindly old butler from time to time. In fact, he first saw him at the same party where he met Sona and the party that Azazel invited him to. He is quite a penchant when it came to tea sets and tea in general, something Shidou found to be rather useful seeing as he was first and foremost a man of the kitchen. He was also a sort of advisor when it came to Shidou regarding a rather peculiar trivia about Sona and her tendencies when it came to cooking. Both agreed that something really needed to be done about this.
He once said with an exasperated tone. "I have nothing but the most absolute respect for my dear princess very much, Itsuka-sama, and I have been taking good care with her when she was but a young newborn in the underworld, but if I were to be very honest with you, even I cannot deny my lady's cooking can be a bit...extravagant...yes, that could be the right word. I have no doubt that she means well, but it is quite a bother sometimes, especially to many of the maids and even myself at times who would not like to hurt her feelings in any capacity. But now..." He smiled a bit. "...Now she slightly improved her skill in the kitchen little by little, and the entire house is noticing this. And I have you to thank for since you are the one who essentially taught her what even I failed to do, and all because I was not honest enough."
"I'm just simply glad to help her out, Sebastian," Shidou smiled and reassured him.
And now comes the present time.
"Speaking of which, where are my parents, Sebastian?" Sona asked with a curious tone.
"Well..."
"SSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAA-CHHHHHHHHHHHAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
But Sebastian was cut off before he could say anything. Sona flinched a bit with a grimaced and embarrassed expression while Shidou was blinking his eyes a bit. Somewhere just in the front of their vision, there was a speeding figure coming towards them. As Shidou took a closer look with the help of his Multi-Eye, he noticed that it was a young beautiful woman with long black hair and a face that resembles Sona's; she even has the traditional violet spectacles that showcase her blue deep ocean eyes, and she seems to be in her mid to late twenties, more than enough to pass for a very young teenager and it wouldn't be out of place to say that one could mistake her for Sona's other older sister. Like Sona, it would appear that she also has hair clips that accentuate the sides of her hair. She was wearing a black and white formal dress with white long gloves reaching just near her arms. She also has quite the figure, reminiscent of her daughter. And of course, there were her black formal shoes.
Judging by the rather excitable personality, Shidou could not help but be reminded of the older sister Serafall who is currently not here. And just by looking at her aura, Shidou can already tell that, even with this kind of personality, he can tell that this is a powerful woman underneath.
"Sona-chan, Sona-chan, Sona-chan, your mother misses you so very much! You never call much if at all these days!" The now speeding figure that had reached her intended target, revealed as the excitable Lady Sitri, would now embrace her daughter with care and her face near hers. And of course, the mother was showering warmth and care like a bubbling mother would. And as the mother would tend to ask her simple questions like how have you been eating or what have you been doing, Sona would simply answer while still feeling a sense of embarrassment.
"("Yep...she's Sona's mother alright...")" Shidou muttered in his thoughts with a sad smile.
"...Right, umm, forgive me, mother, but umm..." Sona, after more than a few questions from her mother, would get her bearings together, with her cheeks still looking rather red out of embarrassment due to her mother hugging her in front of Shidou.
"Oh yes, that's correct," Lady Sitri, sporting an immediate look of realization, would eventually let go of her embrace of her daughter and turn to Shidou with her blue entrancing eyes. Familiar ones which remind him of Sona's. Her expression was a soft smile with a hint of seriousness. "Ahem. Well, where are my manners? Good day to you, young man. My name is Victoria Sitri, I am Sona's mother and the Marchioness of the House of Sitri. Please treat me well from now on."
"And I am Itsuka Shidou—Kamen Rider Black," Shidou respectfully bowed his head.
"That you are, young man, that you are...and so much more."
Shidou felt a strange shiver run down his spine when he heard the voice as he slowly turns around. He spotted a very handsome man who look to be between his forties and fifties, with black hair with greyish sides and violet sharp inquiring eyes underneath the black rim glasses that made Shidou quite intimidated, a different kind of intimidation related to an instinctual sense, one that spoke of someone underneath, a man of great prestige and responsibility, whose tone was calculated, lacking any hint of emotion. But some part of Shidou's heart can tell that this is also the expression of a paternal figure underneath. He also wore a medical doctor's outfit and coat. And there was a black walking cane that was on his left hand.
There was no denying it. Shidou did not need to ask who this man is. It was none other than the father of Sona Sitri.
Aristotle Sitri.
It can be said that he can be considered to be one of the most intelligent and powerful men in the Underworld. In the old days, he was known as Aristotle the Miracle Worker, known for being the chief strategist that ensured countless victories on the part of Sirzechs Lucifer and the New Satan Faction. Like his namesake, he was also a type of philosopher and polymath, the kind who revolutionize the methods of magic and refine them into codified systems based on pure mathematics and a touch of the devil's imagination. He set the groundwork for modern devil science and established hundreds of state-of-the-art medical facilities around the Underworld.
"Father..." Sona muttered softly, with a hint of respect as she bowed her head.
"Welcome home, my dear daughter," Aristotle nodded with subtle approval before turning his sights once again on Shidou who was attentive to the former's every expression. Quite an observing and fearless boy, this one, Aristotle noticed because of the way Shidou looks at him. No, not a boy, something else, he thought because of his eyes. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and from what he can see under those amber-brown eyes...it felt like looking at someone who doesn't look to be of his natural age. A very reluctant warrior who would no doubt fight for his own family even unto his last breath, that I can respect, he deciphered from the eyes.
Aristotle would slowly draw near Shidou who would stand in attention, not hesitating to look at the man with clear, honest eyes. Sona and Victoria would watch in silence, the former being intrigued while the latter with a knowing expression. As he reaches Shidou, his analytical irises looked up and down, left and right in a quick fashion like a professional doctor looking to treat his patient.
"And here you are, the man of mystery that my daughter had told quite a bit about to myself and to my wife. I am Aristotle Sitri, Marquis and Ruler of the House of Sitri," Aristotle introduced.
"And once again, I am Itsuka Shidou, sir, but of course with respect, I believe that based on my reputation in the Underworld, you would already have heard of me by now at least by hearsay if not by a formal conversation with your fellow peers," Shidou explained in a courteous tone.
"Yes, The Savior of the Three Worlds, the man who saved the son of Lucifer and stopped yet another senseless war from breaking out. That I can respect and also show an appropriate level of gratitude," Aristotle nodded in approval while maintaining his poker face serious expression. He looks at both Shidou and Sona. "Come, young ones, it is time that we attend to an early meal."
"Umm, father," Sona softly called out to Aristotle who turn to her with accommodation. "What about onee-sama? Would she be able to attend right now?"
"Oh, I believe she's a little preoccupied right now, so she may not be coming to join us for the meal," Aristotle made an interesting smirk.
"("Oh dear...I feel like father did something that prevented my big sister from attending this family gathering. Then again, I should not be surprised. One Serafall is more than enough.")" Sona thought dryly and felt drops of sweat on her brow.
Shidou would simply raise an eyebrow and have some level of suspicion.
Somewhere in a specific office room in a hospital in the Underworld...
"WWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
There was the beautiful and lovely Serafall Leviathan crying comedically from her desk, clenching her fists and lightly but carefully slamming them on the wooden surface due to the following.
"Stupid father, why do I have to be the one who deals with all of this paperwork?! Isn't this your damn job?! I just wanted to spend more of my free time with Sona-tan and Shidou-kun?! How the heck did you manage to convince Sirzechs about this too?! I hate you, father, I hate you!"
And of course, she's referring to all of the stacks of papers that are around every corner of the floor and the ones stacked on the left corner of the table.
Sometime later, Shidou was now seated alongside Sona who was seated on his right. Now they were somewhere in the dining room where the servants would put the finest plates available on the table. The delicious meals on the plates reminded Shidou of Western dishes and he can tell based on his sense of smell that it was cooked refinedly and with taste.
"Please enjoy yourself without holding back, Itsuka-kun."
The one who spoke with a reassuring tone and smile was none other than Victoria who was the one who did all of the cooking personally. The maids in particular tend to act as assistants in this regard.
The dining room in particular was rather both simple and refined. A simple rectangular table that is only fit for a family. But Shidou could tell as well that this was no ordinary table and that the sides can be extended to accommodate more guests. And there were ordinary lamps pasted near the walls.
In the meantime, Shidou was simply eating and tasting the meal with proper manners and care. He supposed that he can thank all of those lessons from the special school for a start with regard to his skill. And then there are other factors like his sister and him being a man of the diner and of the kitchen by nature, having practiced and honed his skills of cooking and taking absolute pride in it.
"By the way, young man."
Shidou turns to his front as he sees Victoria who called out to him.
"How are your parents and your sister doing right now?"
Shidou wasn't surprised by such a question. In fact, he expected it and simply answered.
"They are all doing fine, Mrs. Sitri," Shidou answered.
"Oh, call me okaa-san," Victoria spoke with a soft smile. "Or if it is English, call me mother or mum." And then, she smiled cheerfully as she clapped her hands. "Even better, you can call me mama if you like."
Shidou only remained silent at that, only blinking as a reaction, glancing at Sona who made an empathetic and embarrassed expression.
"Honey, try not to go too overboard on the boy since he is still our guest," Aristotle made a subtle exasperated look before his expression turned serious. "Now then, seeing as we are all together, minus my eldest daughter who is currently attending to an important matter, it is time to discuss a few specifics, starting with you, Itsuka-kun."
"Yes, sir," Shidou spoke attentively.
"My daughter has reported to me about many things, many of which involved you. Personally, I would prefer if the man himself were to speak for himself and answer the questions that I would propose instead of merely relying on second or third-hand accounts, even if it was from my daughter. It's always good to be direct, wouldn't you agree?" Aristotle said.
"Of course, sir," Shidou nodded.
And so, the questions began. They were tame, simple, and common for the most part. What are one's daily habits? How is one's education? What are the kind of foods and drinks that he likes? What was his current relationship with his friends? And many other little trivial matters that may seem of unimportance for someone of the Sitri House. Shidou felt like this casual talk meant something. He could feel within his gut that whatever information he blurted about may in fact be a way for Aristotle to gauge just who he truly is. Something told him that this was yet another way of testing him. In fact, this had always been his constant feeling ever since he met Aristotle face to face. Even when Aristotle doesn't seem to be doing anything, he was actually testing him.
And now, there was a certain question that now relates to his duties as a Kamen Rider.
"How does it feel, young man, to be known across the three worlds? How does it feel to be known as the one who saved the son of our ruler?" Aristotle asked without any emotion after eating a piece of lettuce.
"Well, it's quite overwhelming at times, sir," Shidou honestly laid out, sporting a slightly tired expression which was a type of expression found on someone who has too much work on his hands. "On some days, I just wanted a bit of privacy to myself."
"I can actually relate to that," Aristotle agreed without showing it with his expression that remain professional and solemn. Victoria was simply looking at him with subtle, but clear empathetic eyes. "I do not of course need to remind you of my reputation in the Underworld. If it were any other day, if not for the current problems that our society is undergoing, I would have remained content to be a simple doctor who treats his patients. And I'm sure that the same could be said of you, a simple student who prefers a more normal and stable life."
"Yes, sir," Shidou nodded. His eyes glance sadly. Then he notices a touch from his hand, and he glances at Sona, reassuring him with a soft smile. And Shidou couldn't help but smile too as his eyes softened a bit.
Aristotle would look at this scene with attentive interest and narrowed flash eyes. "("Hmm, this is interesting. Never before have I seen my daughter look at a man like that.")" He turns to his wife who could not help but smile a bit. His wife looks at him with a subtle smile, speaking to him with a silent communication line that only allows both her and him to talk to each other without interruptions.
"("What do you think so far of the boy, dear?")" Victoria thought.
"("My official judgment has not been decided thus far, but it is leaning to a positive note for now. He appears to be a fine and well-mannered young man. Serious but honest. Direct to the point yet always remaining courteous.")" Aristotle explained.
"And which reminds me," Aristotle looks at Sona who was attentive immediately. "Sona, you would not mind if I borrow Itsuka-kun for a bit? I wished to speak with him about something."
"Eh?" Sona made a concerned frown. Then she glances at Shidou, who simply nodded at her, reassuring her that he was fine with that. She relented, but could not help but be curious and anxious about this specific private meeting. "...Of course...father..."
And Victoria, who was silent, only stared at her husband with a subtle but knowing look.
And now, it was simply Aristotle, with his walking cane, and Shidou who was walking right beside him with an attentive expression. They passed through multiple pictures, paintings, and statues. It would lead Shidou to believe that Aristotle or perhaps the House of Sitri in general have a fondness for the fine arts. And they were simply just walking together. Not one word would be spoken.
For most teenagers, this should be rather stressful. It's like a boyfriend being alone with their girlfriend's father. But Shidou in this case is more of an adult. As a matter of fact, he's more concerned as to why Aristotle would talk to him in private. What kind of subject would the Miracle Worker of the Underworld talk about to him? One would automatically assume that this would obviously have something to do with his daughter who he is engaged with, but he figured that it was far too simple. If that were so, why was his wife not here with him? He figured both parents would want to get to know about the man who managed to beat one specific character test from a chess game.
From what Sona had explained to him, it's not about winning in chess that makes you get engaged to Sona automatically because if it were really that easy, there would be more than a hundred or so young men who would just wait in line for her hand in marriage. And well, a lot of young men from noble devil houses tried that approach and failed actually. There were more prescribed conditions in place such as the entire chess board being an extremely limited character test.
"Chess is an extremely simple game compared to actual war," Sona used to say in one of their past conversations. "Each piece has well-defined capabilities that are always known and do not change. The position of each piece is always known. Pieces need no logistics, they do not get tired, and they have no morale. They don't get bogged down by home front politics, and don't compete for your job. Chess may be able to slightly improve your ability to weigh many options and think a few steps down the road, but that is far from being the only thing that makes you into a great military leader."
Yes, there would be too many factors involved when it came to actual war. Chess pieces are not like humans for example in this case. There are factors like hunger and thirst, lack of supplies and weapons, the current climate of the terrain where the soldiers do battle, the numbers of soldiers and how much of the enemy outnumbers them and vice versa, whatever emotions and thoughts run through the soldiers in the present context of the moment, and many others. Chess pieces are merely limited and is not recommended to be confined to that perspective alone. It gives you some idea, but ultimately, they are like a theoretical scratch on paper that may not even apply when something unpredictable happens.
No, chess in the context of Shidou's predicament, is merely the surface that merely hides the intentions of the player. From the way he played, every piece had been sacrificed and every move carefully laid out, and the only thing standing were at least two pawns from his side, and Sona only had her king piece. Most would call it a victory, but Shidou would not really call it that. The rules pretty much constrained him, enough to make him move even if he didn't want too. Sona, he can tell, was quite a master when it came to chess, and the way she played made him focus all of his energy and attention. But most importantly, the way she moved her chess pieces made him frown on the inside.
Why?
Because the way the game was being played out was reminding him too much of his current problem. His battle against Gorgom. His entire life is basically an unpredictable chess game. He and his comatose best friend were chosen to fight to the death as "Black Sun" and "Shadow Moon". They were the pawns that have the choice to evolve into something more. And all of the enemy pieces were those associated with Gorgom, with the Creation King representing the enemy king piece. The other white pieces can mean many things. Civilians, important targets, certain objectives, and other precise factors that made this battle just harsher in hindsight.
It was only a simple game of chess. And yet, Shidou could not help but think through it in this context.
"...You should know..."
Shidou paid attention as Aristotle would now speak to him in a formal tone. Now, they were just outside of the house, somewhere in the courtyard where there was a bit of fresh air, and seeing the artificial blue skies up above.
"...Just a few days prior, I secretly had a meeting with your mentor, Minami Kohtaro."
"...!" Shidou's eyes slightly widened a bit, recognizing the name of the Original Black and Black RX, his assigned and personal mentor in the ways of the Kamen Riders.
"And of course, Lord Azazel was there too," Aristotle stops walking and was overlooking the forest that was nearby. The large green trees in the area and the mountains were seen from afar. "We had quite an interesting discussion, and it relates to you first and foremost. From what I understood, you are someone who is in a very peculiar position, and I am not just merely talking about your neutral position in the context of supernatural politics. The point being, I understand who or what you are, and for that, you have my general condolences, as a fellow husband and father."
Shido, having stopped walking, twitched a bit with a grimace feature. He didn't find this reveal quite surprising. A little information about him would not hurt to be told to the man who is effectively by all rights his future father-in-law. And he was not surprised either when his sensei and Azazel had a little chat with the man of miracles himself. Serafall knew already. It was only a matter of time before one or both of the Sitri parents knew. However... "...Thank you, sir, I appreciate it. But..."
"Do not worry," Aristotle anticipated Shidou's inquiry. "The only one who knows about your past besides me is my wife, and you've met her already. That woman is perhaps the one person who I could never be able to keep any secrets no matter what I do."
"...With regards to keeping secrets, sir, since I found out about my...engagement with your daughter, I resolved to never keep any secrets from her and I made this promise known to her. Would it not be an offense to your part if I at least told her about what we discussed?" Shidou asked with a serious tone.
"That would indeed be preferable," Aristotle nodded. "She is my daughter...and if she is anything like her mother, then I would advise that you do as you say you would. Keeping secrets from my daughter is just as futile. And speaking of my daughter, from what I understand, you have spent a great deal of time with her. What in fact is your personal opinion of her?"
"...What if my answer contains some manner of bias?" Shidou asked with caution after remaining silent for a bit.
"I think I will be the judge of that," Aristotle explained with a professional tone.
"...Alright, well, if I were to be completely honest, I think that your daughter, Sona Sitri, is a wonderful woman to be around with."
"And why is that?" Aristotle asked.
"She's a very nice person to talk to and is a very great listener. Doesn't matter what kind of subject. She'll listen to you first, and after I said everything that needed to be said and after she asks questions for clarification which I would answer, she would state her opinion on the matter. She's also very sharp and intelligent for her age, so that also contributes to being a good listener and communicator."
"But intelligence and sharpness are not the only things that attracted you to my daughter, is it?" Aristotle spoke with a calculative tone.
"...No, it isn't," Shidou made a hesitant expression.
"Does this attraction, in particular, have anything to do with your past?" Aristotle asked.
"...In one sense, yes," Shidou answered as his eyes narrowed with seriousness. "However, I will state here and now that Sona Sitri is not a replacement in relation to the affection that I still have for my wife. She is her own person and my wife is my wife. They are both different people with their own personalities and individuality. I cannot equate them both since it would be greatly unfair to both of them."
Aristotle made a subtle smirk, glancing at Shidou. "Hmph. Quite a noble response. And continuing this line of thought, what made you still prefer to keep your engagement to my daughter? In fact, I find it odd that, in relation to your situation, you did not voice a simple complaint or voice your right of refusal to this engagement. You still kept it even when you still thought of your wife. Why?"
That was the question. Why did Shidou Itsuka not cancel the engagement? It's not like he was being forced at gunpoint to do this. Even Sona is free to do as she pleases because even with the chess game, it was merely a test of character in the end. It was not that definitive. It was merely the first step. There was a long process for how this engagement was to go about. He was not forced to remain in this peculiar position, especially when this position is quite a risk taker in light of Shidou Itsuka's reputation that is known everywhere.
He was known as The Savior of the Three Worlds. Earth, Heaven, and Underworld knew who or what he is. And even more, those among the higher echelons would grow concerned about him because of not only his neutral position of power as a Kamen Rider, but also of his general status as one of two potential successors to the legendary figure that is even a legend among the supernatural. The Creation King. By right, he was a King in the making.
Shidou looked saddened and his smile reflected it. And from the outside, he looked rather old instead of young. "...I cannot deny that I've grown fond of your daughter, sir. Yes, I could have canceled our engagement as you said...but I refuse." He said the last part with a serious expression. He looked fearless. He had no qualms of hesitation. He knew exactly what he was getting himself into. "After so many months of spending time with her, after everything we've been through, I can safely say that with all my heart, I truly and deeply...love Sona Sitri, your daughter. And the more I spent time with her, the more I thought that I didn't want to let her hand go. You should know, sir, that your daughter is like that one beacon of light in the darkness of my life. I still struggle with the nightmares and with the sleepless nights, but your daughter was making it easy for me to keep moving. I still hurt...but at least, I thought, there was someone who is close to me...so I resolve to stay alive...and survive...and refuse to die."
Aristotle slightly narrowed his violet sharp eyes while listening to Shidou's brief explanation. The winds blew ominously at the same time. Aristotle can tell that the young man in front of him meant every single word. Of course, he can detect the bittersweet pain, but there was also a resolve built upon steel. This man is a very good one, he thought secretly.
He smirked. "Hmph. You do realize that taking my daughter's hand in marriage is not a simple feat, correct? You are of course aware of the duties and responsibilities of my daughter as the next head of the House of Sitri and one of the potential chosen candidates of the proposed Rookies Four. And the fact that you are a neutral party that would have a certain connection with my daughter would no doubt spell trouble for the pair of you."
"Even so," Shidou's expression never wavered. "I know how much trouble that would cause for the both of us if we still continue on with the engagement. I know all of the risks, I've been thinking about those risks since the moment I found out about my engagement, and since then, I've already discussed these risks plenty of times with your daughter whenever we have free time on our hands. We both agreed in the end that we would see through all of this together, even if people may or may not agree with the current engagement. And I'm also aware that Sona's safety may potentially be at risk due to my status as a neutral player in the wider context of power politics in the human and supernatural spheres. But aside from that," Shidou's expression made a grimacing smile. "I do not think your daughter would accept the flimsy excuse of keeping her safe from me."
Aristotle closed his eyes as he turn straight, never losing his amused smirk. "No, no she would not, I can also guarantee you that. As you may have probably guessed by now, my daughter is quite a stubborn woman, just like her mother was before her. I commend you for being very wise and prudent enough to consider that even the least amount of self-sacrificing stupidity without any amount of self-reflection would have you gaining the ire of the women of Sitri."
"Spoke from experience," Shidou grimaced a bit, carrying the same smile.
"Of course, we were all young men once upon a time," Aristotle explained. His mouth turns to a bit of a frown. "Still, considering the situation, there is a certain proposition that I wished to employ for the moment."
"You want me to still keep my current engagement with Sona a secret for the time being?" Shidou turned serious.
"You catch on pretty quickly," Aristotle nodded. "I do not need to explain why this secrecy is necessary. I am a father first and foremost. I have made plenty of enemies in my long life and career, some of which originated from the Civil War, and I have worked long and hard to ensure the safety of my family. You most of all would understand the feeling of a father such as I."
"Of course, sir..." Shidou's eyes were lowered in sadness and with a grim line mouth. "...Because I was a father once too."
"And which reminds me," Aristotle raises an eyebrow, maintaining a doubtful expression. "How far exactly have you gone with my daughter?"
Shidou didn't need to ask the question. He knew what Aristotle was implying and maturely considered his answer. "Not very far, sir. We've...kissed a few times, and in some cases, it may have gotten a bit longer than intended, but that's where it stops. We both agreed that we would save that particular kind of thing for later when we actually make it official on the altar."
"A man of great self-control," Aristotle made a nod of approval, especially when he can tell that the lad was telling the truth. "I admire that type of quality in a man. It is unfortunately a rather rare trait to find these days, and I can say this due to the dismaying lack of worthy candidates that my daughter has to deal with."
"I suppose that's a reason for the chess game then," Shidou guessed.
"Yes," Aristotle nodded. "And you may already know by now that winning chess would not automatically mean that you get my daughter's hand in marriage. My daughter laid out a few specific conditions and so did I. The last so-called fiancé that she had was...admittedly rather dull and disappointing, and it was one from a high-ranking family at that."
"I've heard of the story from Sona actually," Shidou muttered with an empathetic smile.
"That's a relief, so I do not need to bore you with the details then," Aristotle sighed, pinching his eyes a bit. "Some part of me in fact was a bit relieved that you managed to be the one who would end up as the man who would be engaged to my daughter."
"And why is that, sir?" Shidou made a curious expression.
"Because knowing who you are, I know that my daughter would be in very good hands," Aristotle smiled sofly, a rare kind of genuine smile.
"With respect, sir, this level of acceptance of me seems a bit too easy," Shidou made a doubtful raised eyebrow and frown.
"Oh, so you noticed," Aristotle's eyes were positive with sparkling interest, locked onto Shidou. "Well, you have admittedly passed several tests that I laid out already, including this one right about now." And then, Aristotle's expression turns serious. "And, of course, life itself is a test of one's character, because you are already undergoing a personal test of your own, are you not?"
Shidou grimaced as he kept silent. He knew what Aristotle was referring to.
"Like you, Itsuka-kun, I worry greatly about this dangerous cult that you have been fighting for the past several months, Gorgom they call themselves. From the knowledge that I have gathered in my spare time, they are connected to the Legend of the Creation King, a very old but nevertheless real legend that is even known among the supernatural, one that spoke of a dark and powerful being, more powerful than even the Ouroboros Dragon and the Apocalypse Dragon. Every 50,000 years, it had been said that two potential successors would be chosen, and how were they to be chosen, most would not know the exact specifics, only that it connects to a certain solar eclipse phenomenon that marks the birth of these successors. And this looming threat has been around for a very long time. No one, not even a Dragon God nor a Heretic God would dare fight against such a being of remarkable power, more than enough that as time passes, Earth's survival is potentially in great peril and there may come a point where the Counter Force may find the need to act if necessary. And now after all this time...the cycle begins anew..."
Aristotle's continued.
"The question now is...will this be the time when the cycle is cut off for good...or would the entire world and beyond fall into ruin...?"
Yes...that was what the fate of the world entailed. No, not just the world. Everything else. The entire universe. And so much more if Shidou should fail. And...
...He remembers seeing such a dark future. First and foremost in his nightmares. Yes, the nightmares of the past were not the only ones he was dealing with. There was another kind of nightmare. And the Kingstone, the source of his power, is allowing him to see this possible and not yet come to pass future.
And he remembers standing on the ground. His eyes cannot unsee what was now being shown, even when some part of him didn't want to. He sees the ruins of various buildings that had broken glass and walls and other properties, the broken asphalt roads that are littered with various vehicles that were turned upside out from several ways, greyish smoke rising from many directions, the claps of green and red thunder that would be seen from the gloomy skies...
...He could list on and on, but Shidou was more on focusing on the dead bodies that littered on the ground and had horror-stricken faces.
Men, women, and children.
"...Wha...What..." Shidou can hear his voice letting out, the horror that interlaces with the disbelieving tone.
This was not a scene that he could recognize. This was not his usual daily fare of nightmares. This was something entirely different. The atmosphere felt different. Some part of him from within was warning him that was he was seeing was the future. It was a future that had not yet come to past.
"Black Sun..."
Shidou would turn around immediately, shook to the core. He sees...a figure standing in front of him. A figure in silver armor whose bug-like green eyes glowed with an emerald power and whose helmet had fangs on the black mouth guard, lines coming from the eyes, and a metallic V-shaped horn extending from the forehead. Black sharp blades were protruding from both his elbows and from his heels as well as a black metallic band around his chest. And there is a special type of belt, a black belt that had an emerald gem in the center of the black buckle. Instinctively, Shidou would recognize the belt as the Shadow Charger, the belt that has the Kingstone of...
"Impossible...I have just killed you..."
That familiar voice was uttered with a hint of surprise and disbelief. The one voice that he could never forget. Shinichiro Takamiya. The man that was his best friend, who he knows at this time is in a comatose state in the hospital.
...And that was the last thing he remembered before waking up with sweat on his face.
Some part of him knew that what he saw was very real. He had just seen the future. And he had not only seen it, but he was capable of interacting with it. It explains how the Shadow Moon of that timeline can see him. He was physically present in that timeline, no matter how brief that was.
He did not hesitate to tell Azazel and his sensei about what he had just experienced. It was far too important for him to ignore. Both of them carried the same grim reaction. He remembered Azazel making use of the Down-Wave to monitor the parallel and perpendicular patterns of the future of the universe. What they found was...concerning...because the future now appeared to be unpredictable and fluctuating in a negative way. There was something strange that was happening at the precise points of the year 2018 which is the next year.
Since then, there was this certain resolve that was in his heart. One of them. He cannot fail. Not this time. Not again. Lingering thoughts storm his mind as he recognizes the failure and lack of foresight that anticipated his universe's eternal destruction. He already had lost his native reality. He cannot let the same thing, even in a capacity of a lesser degree, happen again.
"I will not allow that future to happen," Shidou grimly spoke with a tinge of resolve.
"It is not your efforts that I doubt, Itsuka-kun, rather, it is only myself expressing my own manner of concern," Aristotle spoke firmly with a professional tone. His eyes showcased a grim undertone as the wind blows ominously. "I can only say for certain that darker days are upon us all even as the month of December draws near."
And Shidou could not help but look in the same direction as Aristotle as he can feel the ominous wind from his skin and clothing.
Somewhere in the hallway of the house, there was an anxious Sona Sitri who was walking back and forth with a serious expression on her face, currently debating on whether or not to follow Shidou and her father. And there was her mother, Victoria Sitri, who was looking at her daughter with an amused expression.
"Fu fu, Sona-chan, you look rather worried," Victoria spoke with a hint of motherly humor, sitting on a chair as she watches her daughter walk back and forth.
"...Worried?" Sona stopped in her tracks, looking at her mother incredulously.
"I would advise that you would sit down for now," Victoria prodded her daughter to sit down beside her. "Your suitor and your father may have a very interesting conversation for a while. Nothing to be worried about, I can assure you."
While Sona made a hesitant expression, she nevertheless obeyed her mother's request. She made her way towards the right and sat down. There was only silence that reigned. How long was this silence? About thirty minutes or so.
"...Mother," Sona hesitantly spoke, looking at her mother who was content to wait for the time being. Her mother was now looking at her, with her eyes encouraging her to continue what she has to say. "...Umm, what...what is your impression of...Itsuka Shidou?"
Her mother smiled, responding. "I would say that he is a very fine young man with acceptable etiquette. Quite honest to a fault as I noticed every single time your father kept asking him questions. A man who showed a rare kind of maturity that young people of his age seem to lack. That and with relation to his reputation that proceeded him, so far, I would not find anything negative to say."
"I see," Sona left it at that. But from the inside, she was relieved.
"Oh, but there is one thing I noticed about him," Victoria made a saddened smile, which made Sona pay attention. "...He looked rather sad."
"Sad? Whatever do you mean?" Sona asked.
"...By impression, I could not help but feel like I am seeing, not a young man, but a man who had to grow up so fast...As if his eyes told me that there were certain events in his life had allowed that to be so..." Victoria noticed that Sona twitched a bit from the eyes. "I'm assuming you know what I'm referring to."
Sona did not make an answer. Instead, she simply lowered her eyes in deep thought.
"(Sigh). Those eyes...They tend to remind me of your father's when I first met him long ago," Victoria made a soft nostalgic and melancholic smile, with Sona paying attention once again. "It's like a trip down memory lane. Those sad and tired eyes of his that I find to be quite attracted to out of personal intrigue lead me to a great adventure of a lifetime. And I suppose this trait tends to get carried to the next generation," Victoria looks at her daughter with a smile of mild humor. "It appears that us women of the House of Sitri tend to naturally get attracted to very kind men with personal issues and sadness buried deep within their psyche."
Sona remained silent about that. It was true. Shidou's sadness is what piqued Sona's curiosity when she first met the former at Azazel's Party a couple of months ago. She can still recall that young, handsome face of a middle schooler, whose eyes look sad and tired as they stared at specific groups of people that pass by.
And then...
"...!"
Sona noticed her mother embracing her, surprising the former. She can feel the warmth of her mother's embrace, with her mother's arm placed near her shoulder.
"You've chosen rather well, as is expected of you, my daughter, " Victoria noted with a soft smile. "And I can tell that your husband-to-be is very close and fond of you. If there is one thing I would ask of you, it is that you do not let him go, no matter what. He would need you in the times to come."
Something about what her mother said made Sona raise her eyebrows. What did she mean by that? And why did it feel like an ominous foreshadowing of events to come? Does her mother know about something? Nevertheless, she understood the message.
"...Of course," Sona made a serious expression. "I intended to do just that, mother."
And the mother and daughter stayed like this for quite some time. Victoria's eyes were closed and showed a contented smile. And Sona's eyes were closed as well, simply surrendering to her mother's embrace.
"Victoria."
Both of the Sitri women opened their eyes, looking to the right to find Aristotle, with his walking cane at hand, and with Shidou walking beside him.
"Ah, dear," Victoria smiled a bit. "How are you and the young man interacting so far?
"It was quite educational," Aristotle nodded professionally. "Which reminds me, I would need to get back to the hospital. No doubt our eldest daughter is throwing a fit for leaving her with all of that paperwork, and I thought it was best that I check up on her."
"Oh," Victoria claps her hands with a smile. "Can I come as well, dear?"
"Of course," Aristotle nodded. Then he turns towards Shidou, and both eyes silently communicated a mutual respect to one another. "Well, young man, I'll leave my daughter to your care for the time being. I trust that things will be well."
"Yes sir," Shidou nodded.
"Good," Aristotle nodded. Then he lends a shoulder to his wife. "Well, shall we get going, honey?"
"Why of course, dear," Victoria smirked a bit, putting her hand on his shoulder.
And then, they would walk a few steps before a magic circle, one with blue interlacing lines, would suddenly whisk them both away, leaving Shidou and Sona alone in the hallway.
And as Shidou turns to face Sona...
"...?!"
He noticed that he was suddenly being embraced by her. He can feel the body warmth and the caring hands that were now caressing his back.
"I'm sorry," Sona showed her worried face to Shidou. "Admittedly, I was rather worried, considering that you and my father were alone by yourselves."
"Nothing bad happened if that's any consolation," Shidou made a slight joking remark.
"Shidou," Sona made a reminding tone. "My father isn't exactly the type of person to be easily pleased, especially with regards to my hand in marriage."
"I noticed that," Shidou made an understanding expression. "But I also noticed that based on the conversations that we had, I can tell that he was just looking out for you in his own way...and I can relate to that feeling all too well." Shidou made a side glance expression as if he was thinking of something else.
"So...what exactly did you and my father talk about?" Sona made an honest inquiry.
"Well, I'd explain of course, but first we should sit down a bit, don't you think?" Shidou smiled a bit.
And so, Shidou and Sona, sat on the nearby chairs as Shidou discussed what had happened between him and Aristotle.
PART 2
Present Time
There was a private place somewhere on the grounds of Raizen. It was an old clubhouse building located in a forest-like terrain, one that had old marble sidewalks. It was a three-story building, with the third story serving as a clock tower that was telling the time of the lunch hour. It has been painted white with a light red roof with vines creeping up to the second story. And inside the building was a special kind of room that hint at the old Victorian style, one where there were three specific individuals who were seated on their fancy chairs.
One of them was Illyasviel von Einzbern, a prominent magus of the Einzbern Family, drinking her tea that was in the tea cup and with a plate being held by her other hand, showcasing her refined sense of nobility. And then there were the other two young and beautiful women, second-year students of Raizen High School, who were also like the former.
The one seated to her left was none other than Rin Tohsaka, a young beautiful woman with long wavy brown hair in a two-side-up hairstyle which consists of part of her being made into twin tails tied with black ribbons, while the majority hangs loose. Aside from her school uniform, it was accompanied by a long red coat. She also had aqua, calculating and prudent eyes that were looking back and forth between Illya and someone else who was seated from her right side.
The other young beautiful woman was none other than Luviagelita Edelfelt. She had long golden blonde hair styled entirely in large coils and wears blue ribbons in her hair. She was also wearing the Raizen High School female uniform.
These three, with Illya being the club leader, form what is essentially called the Mage Arts and Crafts Association Club or Mage's Association Club, whic is a club that is exclusively created for the accommodation of the students who have come from magi families like the Einzbern, the Tohsaka, and the Edelfelt. And these three magi families are some of the most well-known and regarded magus families.
"Let's get things straight down to business, shall we, ladies," Illya muttered softly while putting her tea cup and plate down on the table as she looked at the two ladies who were showing troubled and pondering expressions. "Well, I suppose that you two would have already figured it out by now, and I'm mainly referring to the residue of reiryoku being detected within two particular individuals of the school."
"What skilled magi wouldn't be able to notice them?" Rin muttered with a grimace and was twitching a bit. "They...They felt very raw and...alien...I can especially feel it from that pink-haired transfer student. It's like...like they are essentially made out of pure magical and spiritual energy, something...I'd never quite frankly felt it in my lifetime due to how unique the signature is. But of course, they also felt subtle, since it appears that the connection between the pathways of the reiryoku and the physical world has been severed to a greater degree. If I were to intuit, they felt more akin to a very calm but chained typhoon, and one of them is bigger."
Rin and Luvia, known for their unique skill of detecting traces of various forms of magical signatures, would surely be able to notice the general presence of one Rinne Sonogami and Rio Sonogami. The moment they stepped on the school grounds, Rin and Luvia have been keeping a very close eye on them in secret from afar and noticed that they are apparently associated with Sona Sitri, the heiress of the Sitri Clan.
"And I have a good feeling that you would have some knowledge as to who those two are, Einzbern, otherwise it would make no sense for you to bring those two up in this conversation," Luvia muttered softly with narrowing eyes.
Illya smiled sadly. "Well...I knew them at least from how my kouhai tends to talk about them sometimes in the most rarest of circumstances."
"Shidou-kun?" Rin, with a concerned expression, remembered the famed Kamen Rider and the young man who was known for being the topic of interest whenever discussions are brought up between the different magi families around the world, and it mostly started with him saving Sirzech Lucifer's son, Millicas Gremory, and prevented the ignition of a brand new second Great War between the Three Factions that would have to cause a whole host of problems for everyone involved. The Savior of Three Worlds, he was called, from both high and low. "Yes, I noticed how...close he was to those two when I was still observing the current situation. And..."
"...Sonogami Rinne and her daughter are Shidou-kun's family if I'm not mistaken, the former being the wife and the latter being the daughter," Luvia completed what her rival in magecraft while softly smiling in amusement. "I would admit, it was rather much of a shock for myself and probably for you as well, Ms. Tohsaka."
"Well, excuse me since I never really pegged Shidou-kun for the type to have another woman with another daughter when as far as I recall, he's married to the heiress of the Sitri Clan," Rin pointed out with an exasperated and slight blushing expression, with arms crossed.
"And you're right, he isn't the type and that never changed one bit," Illya took a more sober expression that accompanied her graceful smile. "What you and Ms. Edefelt probably don't know and what a lot of people probably don't know is that my dear kouhai had once been a married man, and that another woman, Sonogami Rinne, is actually the first wife of Itsuka Shidou, one that had my kouhai once thought to be long dead, and yet had somehow returned, and the same could be said of their daughter, Sonogami Rio. Sona Sitri is, believe it or not, his second wife, and right now, my kouhai is currently dealing with a complicated marriage situation as of this time."
"First wife? Second wife?" Rin spoke with a surprised tone, wondering just what was Illya talking about.
"...Something tells me that we're missing a lot of additional context in this peculiar situation, and that's in spite of the fact that Shidou-kun is quite the young man in particular, so the timeline does not feel consistent with what we know of him," Luvia muttered with narrowed eyes.
"...Well," Illya's crimson eyes slowly move down. "We all knew that Shidou-kun is more than meets the eye the moment we all laid eyes on him several years prior. He has a lot of secrets you know, secrets that he would not just share with anyone."
"And through the indication of your tone, I suppose you would know some of those secrets then," Luvia spoke with an intrigued tone. As she said, she supposed it made sense. Illyasviel von Einzbern was essentially Shidou Itsuka's trainer when it came to the arts and the history of magecraft. It would not be farfetched even then for Luvia to note that their relationship as senpai and kouhai would at least indicate a few private manners that would not be said in the public eye.
"To a degree, but most of those secrets are not really mine to fully tell except for my dear kouhai," Illya said with a saddened smile. "Though that being said, I would just like to inform you both regarding one thing. Minamiya Natsuki has entrusted me to keep an eye on those two for the time being, and with relation to this secret meeting being held today."
"...Minamiya...Natsuki..." Rin muttered, twitching while being intimidated.
Natsuki Minamiya—The Witch of the Void. One of the most powerful high-ranking attack mages in the entire world. Her feats are considered to be legendary even at a very young age, the odd one among the attack mages, even able to put the fear of God upon most supernatural beings, even the likes of gods are not spared from such fear, and is perhaps one of the literal rarest of few that could actually keep up with the Three Primogenitors, the most powerful former Devas who are now given of a certain classification of the term "Vampire", with powers rivaling the strength of the whole of national armies. Even the most dangerous among the Dead Apostles and the Campione are wary of her and rightly fear her. And of course, right now, she is also known as the beloved wife of the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels who is also known for the reputation that precedes him. Calling her and her husband the ideal battle couple would perhaps be quite the understatement.
"And of course, on my part, I would also ask that you two be on the lookout for anything suspicious," Illya continued.
"...Hmm...I would do it even if you wouldn't ask me to, Einzbern," Rin muttered with a professional tone that masked her face that turn serious. After all, in the same way that Kuoh Town was currently under the jurisdiction and overseer of Rias Gremory which would make it the territory of the Devils, Tenguu City was essentially under the jurisdiction and overseer of Rin Tohsaka which would make it the territory of the Magi. In accordance with the Hemisphere Hollows Act, the world essentially would have many of its various parts divided and governed under the jurisdiction of specific factions relating to the supernatural while respecting the full autonomy and the rights and freedom of all sentient beings.
"And of course, I would offer my timely assistance as much as I am able to in this potential crisis as a member of the Edefelt Family," Luvia smiled softly with a confident posture before eventually smirking at Rin. "That is of course if the Overseer of Tenguu City does not mind my assistance one bit?"
"Hmph," Rin crossed her arms with a fit of annoyance. "Do what you will, I couldn't care less."
"And with that being settled," Illya closed her eyes while sighing heavily. "Let us discuss further what had essentially taken place recently last night that is still the talk of the town."
"You mean those reiryoku spillages? Yeah, I practically couldn't help but notice them even when I was in my house resting in my bed," Rin muttered with arms crossed, turning serious.
"And we could be certain that this is not the last time we would be faced with such a thing," Illya, opening her eyes, muttered softly while her eyebrows were knitting. "As we all know, reiryoku is a kind of unique energy that is of varying degrees present in every living thing, whether if they were plants or animals, whether if they were humans or otherwise. In this case, the power that I felt within Sonogami Rinne and Sonogami Rio was...well, because of the irregularity of their presence, beings from an entirely different universe with their own physical and metaphysical laws, would be something of immense potential even in spite of the fact that they appear to be powerless at the current moment. The one I am mostly focused on is Sonogami Rinne who could definitely be classified to be on the borderline between Rank E and Rank F." Illya explained.
"..." Both Rin and Luvia narrowed their eyes at this information.
For those who don't know, there are different varying levels when it came to reiryoku which can be classified into six particular ranks.
Rank A—Basic Spiritual Power. This level of spiritual power corresponds to those possessing a level of spiritual power that is minimal. This level of power is common among those who may or may not be spiritually aware to a small degree but otherwise have no real spiritual power. This is also a common level of power for a regular normal human.
Rank B—Average Spiritual Power. This level of spiritual power corresponds to those possessing an average level of spiritual power. This level of power is common among those of significant spiritual awareness and may even possess powers of their own but the power levels can vary among individuals, humans or non-humans.
Rank C—High Spiritual Power. This level of spiritual power corresponds to those possessing an above-average amount of spiritual power, which is finely controlled.
Rank D— Great Spiritual Power. This level of spiritual power corresponds to those possessing a large amount of spiritual power which is finely controlled.
Rank E—Immense Spiritual Power. This level of spiritual power corresponds to those possessing an enormous amount of spiritual power which is finely controlled. This level of spiritual power is reflected in its ability to enhance a user during combat as well as its ability to affect the surrounding environment on a controlled level, allowing the wielder to use it in combat to startling degrees.
Rank F—Immeasurable Spiritual Power. This level of spiritual power corresponds to those possessing a colossal amount of spiritual power, which can be controlled to varying degrees depending on the individual. This level of spiritual power is very rare and reserved for the strongest of beings, and this rank has many varying levels that could be classified in the shape of a pyramid, hence the term power pyramid. The one who holds this position is those who seem to be touching the realms of gods and other divinities and there are varying levels of each.
In the context of Rank F, from a higher level, beings such as Ophis—the Ouroboros Dragon and Great Red—the Apocalypse Dragon are two out of many examples. And of course, one could not forget the two major examples of individuals that have once been predicted and have now been confirmed to have reached this level of potential for power. The ones being referred to would have to be Shidou Itsuka—Kamen Rider Black RX and Shinichiro Takamiya—Kamen Rider Shadow Moon. Because of course, one could not forget the major accomplishment that both Black RX (when he was Black) and Shadow Moon had done which was the total defeat of the Creation King in a very hard-fought battle that would still be quite the talk among the supernatural community today, and the Creation King was also a Rank F Class Deity.
Rinne Sonogami would fit somewhere between Rank E and Rank F, on the higher end of the scale, and that is already a noteworthy position. For this was also where individuals such as the Rookies Four: Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri, Sairaorg Bael, and Seekvaira Agares tend to reside. The two individuals, Issei Hyoudou and Vali Lucifer, the two hosts of the Two Heavenly Dragons, are also considered as a part of this level.
And as a homunculus and someone between Rank E and Rank F, Illyasviel von Einzbern would be more than gravely aware of how to detect which is which through her sharp-edge senses.
"You spoke of a different universe, one with different laws, then may it be assumed that this relates to one particular secret regarding Shidou-kun?" Luvia asked.
"It does," Illya confirmed. "Which leads me back to another particular topic, one that both of you already know. Do you remember the topics that had been discussed surrounding The War Against Time and Space?"
"...!"
The War Against Time and Space? Of course, they would know by now. The conflict that had many names and experiences, depending on who you would ask. Traces of such a conflict seemingly appear at some varyingly grey points of history, but not only of this world, but of the ever-expanding and wider Multiverse. Most who lived in this world would not know of such a conflict in the first place. But few do. Few are many. Those who would truly study the map of history could not help but notice such a thing, and those who are associated with a special type of school would know of it along with the many class lessons that were still inscribed and committed to memory. And the two young ladies from two different magi families would know what Illya was referring too. For this conflict spoke with many names and titles. And that war of course would refer to...
"...The Time War," Rin solemnly spoke as her heart was throbbing with a disquieting feeling. "...It relates to that conflict again?"
"In a sense, yes, which leads me back to my dear kouhai," Illya nodded. Her expression, one that was as white as snow, and her crimson eyes that flash a little bit with a unique kind of urgency. "As of now, this secret that I would utter to the both of you is to be kept in close doors. Not just anyone can know of this particular information, and there are a few people that could be trusted with such a thing." Then Illya held her breath before speaking again. "And to say the least, let's start with one particular secret. My dear kouhai is not a native from our reality."
"What do you mean by that?" Rin asked, raising a few eyebrows.
"Exactly what I mean," Illya explained. "Itsuka Shidou is not from our world, only having been reborn into this world and have his worldline fixed within it, now essentially becoming a permanent part of this world's history, but of course, the moment he became a Kingstone user, he effectively has become disconnected with history and would not be affected by temporal paradoxes. He has come from a much different universe, a universe with a much different history compared to our own, a universe that had been destroyed by the conflict and whose elements had transferred into our world, at least in incomplete parts."
"Let me guess, Sonogami Rinne and Sonogami Rio are the parts that had been left behind or discarded," Luvia muttered softly with a serious expression.
"That's right," Illya confirmed. "You two would remember the history lessons already. Many universes had been formed from the aftermath of the War by swifting through various elements, many of which should have been normally speaking mutually contradicting one another, and yet because of such emergence can still function into something entirely new. Our universe is one of those, considered by many as the prime reality among the various cluster of newly formed universes that have been designed from such a cosmic scale project. We, as natives of this world, may call them the Old Worlds, universes that were beyond repair, beyond salvation."
"And Shidou-kun is from one of these Old Worlds then," Luvia guessed.
"Yes, and you could say, he came from an Old World that served to be a fertile ground for the New World to be born, our world," Illya sported a more sober tone, with a smile that accompanies such. "My kouhai...at least before Sonogami Rinne and Sonogami Rio appeared...was The Last Man Standing, the only confirmed survivor of his world." Then, Illya took a more serious approach and her expression conveys it to the two women who had their eyes slightly widening with a mixture of subtle and conflicting feelings. "Surely you two may not be surprised at such a fate, after all, it does explain my dear kouhai's behavior at times."
For many who knew Shidou Itsuka, sometime after his thirteenth birthday and after he had been found after being missing for a few days time, there were a few noticeable changes regarding him between before and after. For one, he excelled so much in class to the point where he became one of the top ten students of the school. A young man who always focused on his studies and never had as much time in casual leisure, even to the point when he was still studying without even eating lunch.
Another point, the young man barely sleeps, if at all. It may not seem obvious at first, but it does seem apparent the more time goes by. Most would not know at the time that it relates to a few nightmares that could not be rid of so very easily. Rin and Luvia, while aware at least that Shidou had been suffering daily nightmares, they didn't know the exact sources of it due to Azazel, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, and Natsuki Minamiya, the Witch of the Void, firmly insisting that this is a line their personal investigation of the boy cannot be crossed. In hindsight, when relating to this current topic of the War, the nightmares makes sense to the two magi. From what little rumors or legends that can be heard from the War, it is safe to say that the two ladies are glad that they never saw it directly. Otherwise, they may possibly end up no longer the same. Maybe even to the point of madness.
A shiver went down on both of their spines. That left one mystery at least solved after the four and a half years of observing Shidou Itsuka, the Man of Mystery.
"Looking at how this conversation is going, this would of course relate to the two individuals associated with Itsuka Shidou," Luvia said.
"Yes, those two," Illya explained. "Those two should not even be here, to quite frank. They and everyone else in my dear kouhai's world had long since perished by the War. Their souls should have been unretrievable or beyond any hope to salvage."
"And yet...they're here now," Rin pointed out. "So how exactly did they get here?"
"That is honestly a very good question that I have been asking myself about ever since yesterday," Illya puts her hand to her chin, showcasing a pondering outlook. "Whatever the case, from what Minamiya-sensei informed me, it appears they aren't the only visitors of the Old World to come back from the grave."
"...You mean, there's more where that came from," Rin grimaced.
"Yes," Illya took a consequential expression. "And what may possibly come next may ultimately shake the very foundations of our world as we know it, with dependable results."
"Eh? Kamen Rider Club?"
Rinne Sonogami, with Rio Sonogami on her lap, would ask a confident smiling Kyoko Akizuki, with both hands on her waist, who was telling her of something important. It had now been about somewhere in the lunch hour. All of the students of Class 1-4, about 90+ in total, were now still gathered around Rinne and Rio, with many of them discussing with one another of a few topics of interest. One of which was what Kyoko mentioned. The Kamen Rider Club.
"Right, right," Kyoko nodded, with arms crossed. "It is the Club that is dedicated to all things Kamen Rider and superheroes in general. And I'm the club president and founder of said club, always has been since over three years prior."
"Three years prior," Rinne spoke with an interested tone as she, and Rio, would look at Shidou who was walking towards them, smiling as he explained further. Sona was just right behind him, somewhere on his right, smiling as well.
"Ah, since the very early days of my career, the urban rumor about a certain masked vigilante of Tenguu, me in this case, that was fighting against shady cults and organizations had already been circulating around the city even then, and that was long before my secret identity was revealed to the general public," Shidou explained.
"Yeah, and those were somewhat simpler times back then," Shirou Emiya smiled a bit while reminiscing about the past, with both hands in his pocket.
"Indeed," Issei Ryuudou, Raizen High School's Student Council President, a position not very sought after by most people due to its rather hectic and grueling schedule, spoke as he puts his hands to the bridges of his glasses. He's a young man with dark blue hair and dark blue eyes. "I can still remember all of those incidents like the back of my head. The traffic accidents incident, the female high school student kidnappings incident, that time when Himuro-san's father was being targeted for assassination, and plenty of others too long to list."
"And all of those incidents occurred long before I was even here," Rock the Haze muttered with an exasperated smile, putting his hand on his back.
"In which case," Kyoko would grab both Rinne's hands as her eyes shined. "Please become a member of our club, Rinne! I can guarantee that you would love it!"
"...Eh? Umm," Rinne showed a slightly surprised expression.
"Oi, baka," Shinichiro would suddenly come up from behind and lightly wacking Kyoko's head in a comedic fashion. "Don't put pressure on the woman when she has yet to get used to this school."
"Ouch! That hurts, Shinichiro! I was just trying to help Rinne-chan out a bit by offering her a club membership because I figured that she'd be curious about her husband's line of work anyway," Kyoko made a crocodile tears expression in a comedic fashion while holding her head with both her hands and rubbing it.
"And that's true, Kyoko-chan," Rinne smiled softly, looking at Shidou who was overtly conscious. "I want to know what my husband's life is like in this world, and I figured that this is a perfect opportunity." She said the last part as she glances at Sona who simply smiled knowingly.
"Ah, ha, you know, I always figured you were the mono-type, Shidou, but well..." Masaki Todo, a young man with glasses, with brown hair, brown eyes, and wrinkles on his face, wearing the male uniform of Raizen High School, spoke with an exasperated smile. He was the one who once asked the question from earlier on whether or not the transfer student was a boy or a girl, and of course, asking for Tonomachi's opinion on the matter.
"Well, not like it's Shidou's fault anyway, since from what Bishop-sensei explained to us, Rinne-chan and Rio-chan here shouldn't really be here, and yet, here they are," Ayako Mitsuzuri, a young woman wearing the female school uniform of Raizen, with brown hair and brown eyes, smiled, putting one hand to her waist and was near Rinne's position.
"Hahaha, at this point, I'm starting to think that god, time, fate, or whatever really has it out for Shidou right now," Shinji Matou made an exasperated smile from his seat nearby. He was a young man with curly blue hair that reminded one of a seaweed and gray-blue eyes.
"What the heck does that mean, Shinji?" Shirou made a raised eyebrow, with one hand in his pocket. Most of the students simply raised either an eyebrow or sported troubled expressions at the resident half-jerk, half-genuine guy of the class. Shidou only simply raised a casual eyebrow, knowing that Shinji meant nothing personal by that offhand aloof comment. Sona simply narrowed her eyes at the boy but made no further comment. Rinne only looked at the boy with a troubled look and the same could be said for Rio who sported her mother's expression.
"Now, now, I mean no negative connotation by it," Shinji raised both of his hands casually with a sly smirk. "I'm just simply pointing out how our resident hero's luck has not exactly been that great for the past three years or so, and well, should we really be surprised at this rate, to put things logically speaking?"
"Eh, I simply roll what I can at this point, Shinji," Shidou smiled sadly.
"Well, in any case," Kasumi Kida, bringing out one of her special lunch boxes, one that was blue in color, one that Shinichiro noticed as he turned and smiled cheerfully. "Hai, here's your lunch, Shinichiro."
"Thank you, Kasumi," Shinichiro grabs the box with attentive hands.
"Of course, which reminds me," Aoi Sakurai smiled, putting one hand on her waist and was near Rinne's position. "We should all probably go and eat lunch before discussing any further plans. Every one of Class 1-4 are to follow this order to the letter."
"Yes, ma'am!" Most of the male and female students of the class saluted the class representative with respect.
Rinne watched this reaction with interest as she looked at the class representative. While she looked like an ordinary young woman, she was quite beautiful, and she felt like a dependable person for one to count on. Now she wonders...as she turned her thoughts to Shidou, she wondered just what was the relationship between this girl and Shidou. In fact, one of the things that Rinne would like to find out is the relationships that Shidou had with each of his over 90+ classmates. Basic introductions have already been given, so at least she could plan on how to approach the admittedly large number of classmates. And that's not even getting into the other classes in the school.
"Yeah, 'cause I'm honestly starving at this rate that it's killing me," Tonomachi smirked as he puts his hand to his stomach, making a relaxed posture on his seat, and the others all turn to him with amused looks or raised eyebrows in their eyes.
"Actually, I think you could probably lose a couple of pounds at this point, Tonomachi," Rock said with a deadpan tone.
"Huh?! What's that supposed to mean?!" Tonomachi reacted instantly, as if on comedic timing, with a pale expression on his face.
"Hehehehehehe," Most of the students of Class 1-4 started laughing. Some like Shidou and Sona were simply silent while smiling in amusement. Rinne and Rio were simply smiling.
Somewhere in another classroom that was not too far from Class 1-4...
"...Ugghhh."
Kotori Itsuka, a student of Class 1-3, was just putting her head on the desk, sighing heavily. She was quite frankly still tired due to having to take care of a bunch of things, one of which involved making sure that the reiryoku spikes would be heavily monitored 24/7 and be given a daily status update by the crew members of Ratatoskr, as noted from the silver chrome rectangular shaped notepad that was in her possession. Even when she got some needed sleep, it still really did not ease her mind.
"...Wow, you look so down somehow, Kotori-chan, even when it was announced that the afternoon classes would be postponed for the time being."
Kotori raised her face a bit with a slightly annoyed expression, seeing the cheeky and amused expression that was on this young woman's face. She had long orange hair, mercury blue eyes, and moderate busty features. Overall, she's the type of person who would have probably been scouted a lot as a potential model. Her name is Yamai Kazamachi, a student of Raizen High School and a fellow classmate of Kotori.
"Ehehehehe," Origami Tobiichi would slightly laugh in exasperation as she closed her eyes. She was just near Kotori's position on the left. "Well, being fair to the Commander, she really does have a lot on her plate right now. Not to mention that I and my fellow Valkyrie girls are rather busy as well."
"Does this have anything to do with what happened last night?" Natsumi Kyouno, a young woman with emerald-colored twin-tailed hair and eyes and wearing the female school uniform of Raizen, asked with a raised eyebrow as she raised her phone, showcasing holographic images of three Kamen Riders fighting against the Worms, Mirror Monsters, and Inves.
"...Ugghhh, you got that right," Kotori would once again sigh as put her face to the desk.
"Hmm, Muku thinks that this has something to do with Nushi-sama's work again," Mukuro Hoshimiya, a young woman with an Odango hairstyle and a disproportionately large bust, wearing the female school uniform of Raizen, would speak with a tone of concern, with her eyebrows knitted.
"I feel like that's rather obvious at this point, Muku-chan," Yamai spoke with an exasperated smile, with one of her hands placed on the waist. "So...what does our fearless hero have to go up against this time?"
Kotori would slightly lift up her face from the desk board and look at Yamai silently with not a hint of what was on her mind. Now that she thought about it, the girls that she was looking at right now and a couple of others that are not here are as much involved in this dilemma as she was, if a bit unknowingly. That was because there is a certain probability that all of the Spirits are returning, and the next predicted occurrence according to the scanners that they found, plus with the timely assistance of the double teaming scientists, one (in)famous Creator of the IS (Tabane Shinonono) and one whose codename is Avenging Eagle (Azazel), through the use of an invention called the Spiritual Detection Grid Metric, which is designed to detect the fluctuation patterns of a unique kind of reiryoku signature.
"...(Sigh). You three," Kotori had her arms crossed, sporting a serious expression, accompanied by slight exasperation. It made Yamai, Natsumi, and Muku pay close attention while Origami was showing a hint of concern. "...Do you...Do you remember the gist of things that onii-chan used to say about his past life?"
"..." Yamai, Natsumi, and Muku all sported surprised expressions. And those expressions would be followed by immediate concern, because they all thought, why would Kotori ever bring something like that up?
For a brief context, they and a few other girls had a personal intervention, more than a few times depending on the time of day and through discrete methods, with Shidou Itsuka being the center. What lead to the outcome of that intervention was a brief but more or less grim understanding regarding one thing. Shidou Itsuka's past. A brief summary of it. They don't know everything about that past, but they understood well enough. Something about Spirits and saving the world through the power of dating, no matter how ridiculous that sounded, especially when they live in a world where the fantastical and the myth are the norms.
Yes, Shidou Itsuka, the man that they admired and respected, was originally from a different world compared to this one. Unlike their world, the supernatural wasn't really quite well known in his world. For the most part, people only knew of the general danger of the spacequakes, but not much else. Only among those high up such as the various governments and other corporations knew about the true situation. It was why there was the approval of these Anti-Spirit Squads in order to deal with the threats in question.
But for Shidou Itsuka, he refused to accept that kind of path. Because even when the entire world was to turn against him, he vowed that he would protect every single one of the Spirits...or die trying. By context, this was the true beginning of the successor to the Original Kamen Rider Black and Kamen Rider Black RX. These events, unbeknownst to him, were a testing ground. Without any kind of power, there was not much he could do against the powerful might of the Spirits. And even those with power are no match for them.
So what was it that needed to be done?
There was only one option. He would need to open their hearts. Most of these scenarios involved a simple date and the bonds that were forged through the events that follow were something that, to Shidou himself and to every Spirit that knew him, knew that it was real and genuine. Shidou loved all of the Spirits as family, and for the three girls who were thinking about this, they knew that he loved them too much, which was why every time he would see them or any of the girls who lived in this world who resemble the Spirits from before, there would be a crestfallen smile that would grace his lips at times.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," He used to say with a smile, something that the three girls would remember. But the smile that they remember was something that made them become a bit anxious.
Yamai, Natsumi, and Muku were three of the girls, the counterparts of the Spirits who knew Shidou the longest and since the time he went missing and turned into Kamen Rider Black, they can already tell that he was different from how he was before. He still retained his kindness, but there was now a certain shadiness that makes them question at times just who that young man is now. The point being, Shidou became different. In fact, no longer was he usually that bright cheerful smiler. It was just replaced by a smile that was crestfallen and hard to shake out.
And right now, they already knew why.
"...What about that part?" Natsumi grew very uncomfortable, looking at Kotori with an anxious expression, her heart now grew troubled about Shidou.
"Not here," Kotori muttered softly with a subtle but emphasizing tone, shaking her head. "Somewhere else would be preferable to explain the situation, without any ears on us."
"...And that's everything that needs to be reported so far in relation to the current situation, sir."
Agent Bishop, along with Tamae Okamine who was right beside him, was currently speaking with a holographic version of a man in his 50s (maybe even older), wearing a dark blue service army uniform with five-star rankings found on the shoulders. He has a black eyepatch covering his left scarred eye. He has blonde grey hair and grey sides, with a blonde-grey beard. He was seated on a chair, listening to Agent Bishop's report with a narrowed-eyed solemn expression on his face and with both hands near to his mouth, covering it.
His name was Director Elliot Baldwin Woodman, founder of the United Nations-sanctioned organization called Ratatoskr.
Accompanying him was a woman in her mid-20s. She looked to be a pale Nordic blonde with blue ocean eyes and short-length light blonde hair with two front bangs beyond her shoulders, wearing a formal black suit with a grey shirt underneath, with a small necklace attached which was a personal gift from Woodman. Her name is Karen Mira Mathers and acts as his personal secretary. Secretly, however, she was the beloved wife of this man.
"(Sigh). So...Shidou-kun has finally reunited with his wife and daughter from his old world after a very long time. I suppose that would be comforting if it were not for a few specific problems right now."
Woodman looks to someone near Agent Bishop's position. It was a woman who looks deceptively beautiful, with light Nordic blonde hair, blue ocean eyes, pale skin, and a slender body figure. She was wearing a formal black suit and a light grey shirt underneath, wearing a green necklace. Her expression and posture were professional and respectful. Of course, on the school grounds of Raizen, she is well-known and respected as a strict teacher in Physical Education and is personally responsible for the training regiment of the Valkyrie Legion along with a few other teachers. In Ratatoskr, she is the Assistant Director, the second highest rank in command of the organization.
"Ellen, is the Valkyrie Legion ready to be on full deployment in case there is the possibility of the situation escalating further?" Woodman asked.
Ellen Mira Mathers nodded. "Yes sir, all of the girls have already been debriefed on the current operating procedures and are ready to deploy when ready. And considering the situation, many specific students of the school would probably have noticed by now, particularly worthy of mention would be the students of the Mage's Association Club, as I have no doubt that Illyasviel von Einzbern has her own plans of watching out for the situation."
"And it's relieving in its own way," Woodman nodded. "A powerful mage like Einzbern would be most needed in this time of need. And..." Woodman's eye turned sad. "...At this rate, I fear that the sins of the past are coming back to haunt Shidou...and myself..."
What does Woodman mean by that?
And thus, the group of individuals would walk toward the rooftop of a certain school building that was not too far from the building that where Class 1-4 was located. Why weren't they exactly teleporting towards the rooftop via magic circle or even with Black RX's and Shadow Moon's powers? Well, sometimes, normality is preferable in order to ease the new company. That and this was also yet another perfect opportunity to explore the school, an excuse if you will for the tour. The current company consisted of Shidou Itsuka, Sona Sitri, Rinne Sonogami (who was holding Rio Sonogami by the hand), Shinichiro Takamiya, Kyoko Akizuki, Kasumi Kida, Rock the Haze, and Hiroto Tonomachi.
Rinne's eyes turn to the large courtyard and landscapes, and of course, the slope-like grass structures interlaced with the sidewalks. She notices just how truly different the school was compared to the school she knew back in the old world. It was rather large. From the corner of her eye, she could definitely see the airbase nearby and there were a few people—young women that she could see taking flight via powered exoskeletons that were reminiscent of the Realizers of the Old World that Rinne recalled groups like the AST used. But here, they were different. Then she notices the different students that passed by, and some of them were noticing them. Well, they noticed Shidou, Shinichiro, and Sona for the most part.
"Well, it's Black RX and Shadow Moon," A young man, a monster in appearance, looking like a one-eye ball with legs, with a blue feature, noticed this.
"What the...What's the former student council president of Kuoh doing here?" A normal-looking young man with black hair and brown eyes spoke with an intrigued expression.
"Hm? Hey look, it seems that they have some new company this time," A young girl with brown hair and brown eyes spoke.
"I don't think I ever seen them before in this school," The normal-looking young man from earlier spoke.
The people here consisted of both familiar (seeing old faces) and unrecognizable (seeing new faces). And even as she glances at all of these students, and many of them in fact were non-human as well, she glances her eyes at Shidou who notices her frowning expression.
"...Are you still worried about me?" Shidou asked with a solemn smile. All of the group was also paying attention.
"...How could I not be?" Rinne could not help but mutter incredulously while Rio was paying close attention. Considering the familiar faces here, she was reminded of how Shidou may have felt at that time back when he was 13. Just imagining all of these familiar faces here and yet they were also strictly fundamentally different people must have sparked quite an inner turmoil within Shidou. Just imagining all of those familiar faces...and with Shidou still probably reeling from the raw and fresh memories that were returned to him.
"I believe such worries are justified on her part, anata," Sona muttered softly with a graceful sad smile, putting her right hand on her glasses.
"Hai, hai," Kyoko made a sad pouting smile. "Don't think that we still haven't forgotten that time when you were rather too much of a lone wolf back in middle school."
"That's right, that's right," Kasumi made a sad smile. "Most people were quite...well, hard-pressed to actually talk with you back then."
"I wasn't...that bad," Shidou muttered with an exasperated smile, glancing at Rinne who was showing a worried expression. "I mean, I smile a lot back then too."
"Rarely if I may add," Kyoko pointed out. "And even when you did smile, you always carried that 'I want to be alone' aura and most people really find it hard to approach you."
"I...I do not have an aura," Shidou made an incredulous face.
"Keep telling yourself that, kyoudai," Shinchiro smiled sadly a bit.
"...!"
Shidou could feel Rinne's soft hands that would interlace with his, feeling the warmth that he missed for a very long time, and her probing eyes that were telling him of her anxiety. Shidou smiled in reassurance.
"Don't worry, Rinne, I was more than fine at the time, really," Shidou muttered while looking at all of the people that were with them. "I had these guys and then some after all."
"Except for me," Rock responded with a smile. "Since I was the latecomer among our group of misfits."
And as they were walking inside the school building nearby and taking a few steps on the staircase, they all stopped in their tracks as they find someone standing, waiting for them with a soft smile, one that look to be an old man.
"...!"
Rinne notices Shidou's eyes and everyone else's eyes widen in recognition, looking at the old man that was standing there, looking from above them. She noticed Sona and the others looking at him with recognition.
She looks into the old grey eyes of this figure. No, not old. Ancient. She can feel something, a kind of instinctual urge that told her that this was no mere man, but of someone else. Time Walker, something passed through her mind. His facial features were of a grandfatherly sort, with black hair with shades of grey sides and wrinkles. His smile was solemn, one that meant that he wasn't here for pleasantries sake. There was a pair of steampunk goggles with green lenses accentuated around his neck. He had a white lab coat that had brown and black pouches, along with a golden trim. Underneath, he wears a black turtleneck with a white scarf and his brown vest has gold buttons and pouches.
Rinne took notice of a metal gauntlet that form a part of his right hand...or should he say more than half of his right arm, stopping just near the part of the elbow. Whatever it was, she can feel a kind of pulse, something ticking, like a kind of clock. On his left hand, there was a black fingerless glove. He also wears black pants with brown kneepads, and he had a pair of brown boots with gold straps. There was a staff that he held with his left hand, something that felt unordinary in spite of its appearance, with an eye on the top.
Who was this person? Rinne thought.
"...Hello, Young Master Itsuka, and to you all as well, dear children," The old man smiled, greeting them with the tone of a grandfather.
"...Paradox-sensei," Shidou muttered his name with a concerned and bewildered tone, drawing both Rinne and Rio's attention. "What are you doing here?"
The now-revealed Professor Paradox only smiled softly in response. He did not answer the question and simply raised his right hand and pointed towards the door that lead to the rooftop.
"Perhaps it is best that we head to the rooftop. Everything needs to be on time as we say," Paradox mysteriously muttered, never losing his smile.
Insert Song: End
ED Song:
Anata ga Ita Mori ~English Lyrics
12 Core Members:
Professor Paradox - A: David McCallum
Optimus Prime - A: Peter Cullen
New Characters:
Tatsuo Itsuka (New World)
Lord Aristotle Sitri (New World) - VA: Jun Fukuyama
Lady Victoria Sitri (New World) - VA: Ami Koshimizu
Rin Tohsaka (New World) - VA: Kana Ueda
Luviagelita Edelfelt (New World) - VA: Shizuka Itō
Ayako Mitsuzuri (New World) - VA: Fumie Mizusawa
Shinji Matou (New World) - VA: Hiroshi Kamiya
Director Elliot Baldwin Woodman (?) - VA: Jouji Nakata
Assistant Director Ellen Mira Mathers (New World) - VA: Shizuka Itō
Karen Mira Mathers (New World) - VA: Nozomi Nishida
