Reviews:
Guest: Espero que asi sea. Me siento orgulloso que tantos quieran y odien a Bragard. Sellarlo estaria bien, ya que si no pueden con el pues ni modo a sellarlo.
Akira: Your wish has been granted.
Tigracho: Right. Bragard hasn't shown his ace in the hole yet. He still has some ways to keep his advantage. Yeah, this guy just gets worse and worse. Not only does he mess with you physically, but also mentally. Same thing he did to Damian and Chao. Hajime is going to be pondering his words regarding her until he asks her directly.
primenidus: I think Bragard would just get obliterated lol. I mean, he's strong in this particular series, but he doesn't have like crazy broken powers. Even his gravity manipulation has a limit.
Tenzalucard123: It's time for both sides to work together.
Daemon of Wrath: LOL. Power of friendship to take down God. Average SMT and Persona theme. The Tiger stuff will be...touched upon next season. You'll see.
Chapter 77
A Miracle Born from Wrath
Yosuke sat on the ground, opting to just watch the other Riders fight the army of Alternatives. Not like they could do anything right now anyway. They were exhausted and worn out. They needed to rest. In the meantime, his mind raced to formulate a strategy. If Sakamoto managed to somehow bypass that forcefield and blow a hole in the Overall, what then? Were they going to rush in? There were still too many enemies. Even if they split into two groups, one to go after Bragard and one to hold the Alternatives down, their chances weren't good at all. He had seen Bragard's power first hand and he was absolutely no match, even with Adachi and Sakamoto. It amazed him how Adachi had fought him that long on his own. But then again, a lot of factors had to be taken into account.
And the group behind would eventually get overwhelmed. The extra help was appreciated, even if he hated the people who came to their rescue. But right now, he had no time to be picky.
Luminescence Vent
His body began emitting a white glow, and he felt odd...refreshed. He shifted his gaze toward Ryuki and Zolda, who were equally perplexed.
"Relax. It's just me." Femme stated, a golden halo above them."This ability lets me heal you, so to speak. It just releases any tension and fatigue your body has and helps you recuperate your energy. Though it's not a miracle maker. I can't heal lost limbs or get you back to peak conditions. But for now, this should be fine."
"Thanks, Nakahara-san..." Zolda showed his gratitude, knowing full well neither of his friends was about to thank her after what she did.
"Anything for you. Think of it as my parting gift for such a talented student~!" Femme giggled, switching her personality."But honestly, I wouldn't mind a thank you from these two."
"You killed countless people. You tried to kill Kohinata. You killed Shibuzawa, a girl who had nothing to do with this." Knight narrowed his eyes at her."I would never forgive you for your crimes."
"Crimes? Hahahaha! You're so silly." Femme giggled."And what about you, Hajime-kun?"
Hajime said nothing, his gaze glued to the ground.
"And your cousin. Where the hell is she anyway?" Femme glanced around, unaware that the oriental girl had been dead for some time now."I still owe her for nearly breaking my jaw. That fucking skank. She and Miku-chan...I will tie them up and tear their intestines out one by one-"
"SHUT UP!" Ryuki suddenly whipped his head in her direction, sending chills down her spine."Not another word...Or I'll kill you."
"Adachi!" Knight gasped, baffled at his sudden outburst.
"Lieutenant..." Zolda breathed, worried beyond words. What had happened to his friend? He knew things had been affecting him for a while now. His Dad, Hibiki's dad, the war. But what had happened before they got there? He was completely different. The Lieutenant wouldn't threaten someone's life like that.
"Ah..." Femme blinked, startled by his reaction but forced a crooked smile."Well, I am sorry."
"You guys done fighting?" Gai huffed, his eyes scanning around for any stray enemies. He saw an Alternative rushing at them and smacked his hammer against it, sending it flying."Keep your guard up. Nakara-chan, stop antagonizing them. Wait until we're done."
"Aye, aye, Oji-san." Femme sighed, shifting her gaze to her former student."How much longer?"
"30%." Takeru informed her."We need more time."
And the time they didn't have. Ryuga was the first one to notice just how impossible this task was.
Sword Vent: Dragsaberzwei
Using his nine-rigged long sword along with his visor in blade mode, he combated against the Alternatives, having the necessity to dual wield to stand a chance. He swung his blade, only to have it parried by a Slashdagger. An Alternative attempted to kick his sides, but he opened up a portal, redirecting the kick to the Alternative in front of him, sending him staggering backward. He aimed his visor at its head, shooting right through.
Sword Vent: Venomblade
Ouja was equipped with a mid-length katana coated with poison, using it to slash at his opponents and deliver poison damage that debilitated them. He landed next to Ryuga, both Riders then standing back to back.
"So, what do you think?" Ouja asked, receiving a groan from his leader.
"This is a disaster." Ryuga commented, shooting at more Alternatives to keep them away."We're killing them, but it doesn't feel like we're doing any damage. They just keep creating more and more to replace them."
"Yes, that's true." Ouja pierced through an Alternative's chest, using it as a shield to block the incoming flames from another one."But we still have an emergency plan, don't we?"
"I don't want to use it yet. We'd get unnecessary attention, plus, it might not work if Bragard is on guard." Ryuga said, glancing at his surroundings with a nervous grin."Shit...This doesn't look too good."
"Very well. For now, let's play along." Ouja grinned, rushing back into battle and leaping in the air, performing bicycle kicks at a group of Alternatives.
"You're quiet." Ryuga muttered to himself, jumping back and avoiding a sword to the head, twisting his arm and decapitating an alternative with his blade."You don't seem very concerned regarding our predicament."
"Just thinking. I'm not concerned. It's not the worst I've seen."
"What, Ragnarok was a little worse?" Ryuga inquired with some sarcasm, barely dodging an Alternative running him over with his bike.
"A little? Superstar, this doesn't even come close to what Ragnarok is like."
"Huh? You mean it's... worse than this?" Ryuga frowned. He had heard of Ragnarok from Loki, but now that he had something to compare with...
"Much more." Loki supplied."This is like a Ragnarok on a small scale. A little too similar, in fact. Don't tell me...is Bragard informed about Ragnarok?"
"Considering he has the Gjallarhorn. I wouldn't be surprised." Ryuga sighed, resuming fighting the Alternatives.
Tiger and Imperer stuck close together while Raia covered them from above using his arrows. The siblings had opted to stay in each other's sight in case they were ever in any danger. The older brother used his Frostblaster, freezing the enemies around them and Raia would shoot explosive arrows at them, blowing them up. Imperer used his Drill Vent, diving into the ground and performing surprise attacks with his drills. He had also used his Advent card to summon his Zelle creatures, mitigating some of their disadvantage in numbers.
"I can't believe the others have been fighting these things for this long." Tiger breathed, taking a step back to avoid an attack and turning on his heels, maiming a few Alternatives with his Frostclaws. He raised his arms, blocking the incoming missiles from the Psycho-Rogues that had been summoned.
Advent: Frostwilder
The saber-tooth monster roared, immediately lunging at an Alternative and mauling it with its jaw. He then leveled its gaze with them, breathing ice in the form of stalagmites, piercing through a multitude of them.
"Working together, huh? I see. Well, it doesn't matter how many ants pile up to fight a dinosaur. It will never be enough. But I am surprised the prophecy was true. Two messiahs working together against another one." Bragard taunted them."Superstar, the Boy Wonder wasn't able to defeat me. Do you truly think you can make a difference? All your efforts will just...sink! Hahahah! See what I did there?"
Ryuga sneered, activating a new ability in anger.
Shoot Vent: Dragblaster
A gauntlet similar to Ryuki's was strapped onto his left arm, the barrel of it being in the shape of Dragkaiser. He charged up his attack, a black portal opening in front of him before releasing a sphere of black flames. The sphere went through the portal, increasing its potency and speed, mowing down several of the Alternatives. But regardless of how much damage they did, it was still not enough. More Alternatives just poured him and kept replacing the others. Dragkaiser, Venoviper, Destwilder, Terazelle, and Exodiver provided support for their masters, attacking in their blind spots to protect them.
"It's done!" Zolda screamed, Femme releasing her ability and falling on one knee, exhausted."TAKE THIS, BRAGARD! THE SAME ATTACK THAT DEFEATED THE DIVINE WEAPON! EVERYONE! DUCK!"
All Riders jumped out of the way just in time as Zolda fired a single shot from his sniper. The attack itself easily disintegrated every Alternative in its path and was heading straight for the Overall.
However, something that no one could have foreseen happened. A gigantic hand emerged from the ground, flicking the attack into the sky. The blast blew up in the stratosphere, and with it, all their hopes were washed away.
"What the fuck?!" Zolda screamed in horror."What just happened?! It was just flicked away!"
"A hand...?" Ouja muttered, stunned at the development, his eyes fixated on the giant arm.
"What now?!" Femme groaned in annoyance.
"YES! THE OVERALL IS FINALLY UP AND ABOUT!" Bragard cried in joy, all Alternatives halting their march."THE END OF THE WORLD IS HERE! YES! YOU DISGUSTING, FILTHY HUMANS! THIS IS THE END!"
The whole ground began to shake wildly, knocking over buildings and structures in Tokyo. The Riders huddled together, grabbing onto whatever they could find to avoid being affected by the earthquake. The tower began lifting itself from the ground with a second arm. A metallic head appeared from below underneath the tower. As it turned out, the tower was merely a hat for the being laying dormant under the city. The giant arose from the ground, using its propulsors to dig itself out.
"Is this...real...?" Tiger whispered, dropping his claws.
"Guys! Keep it together!" Knight yelled, but he was shaking like a leaf too. Even Hajime was frozen in fear upon seeing the colossus. It stood around 500 meters, easily towering over anything in Japan. It rose its arms, releasing a loud echoing scream.
"So that's the Overall..." Loki was now surprised."I never realized that the Advents had this kind of...technology. And now Bragard has it..."
"It's way too big..." Gai looked up at the sky, intimidated by the giant size of the head looking down at them."This...we can't beat this..."
"Cower in fear, humans." Bragard's voice sounded through the speakers of the colossus."This is my final trump card. The Overall. Did it not strike you as odd how easily you were defeating my Alternatives? It was because I was focusing their energies onto activating the Overall."
"No wonder they felt weaker than the body you used before." Knight grimaced at the revelation."We played right into your hands and didn't suspect anything...But what is the Overall exactly?!"
"The Overall...I guess you can call it a husk of the Divine Beast, Ventara." Bragard said, earning several gasps.
"The husk?!" Ryuga's eyes shot wide open.
"But how can that be?!" Knight asked, only to have Bragard laugh mockingly.
"After the Divine Beast lost its power at the hands of the Aesir Gods, all that was left was an empty shell. Think of it as...a snake shedding its skin. This was kept hidden in this world, which used to be where the Advents lived once upon a time. I found it when Hazama-dono made the discovery of the Advent Stones and helped me find a connection to the Mirror World. All I had to do was steal the energy of all Riders. Ryuki, Knight, Zolda, Tiger, Imperer, Raia, Ryuga, Gai, Ouja, Femme. I have Scissors since Ouja absorbed his power and I already had Abyss and Verde. Their energies have been harmonized equally, giving it its overwhelming power. This was my effort to revive and tame the divine beast, Ventara!"
"Revive...?" Ouja furrowed his brow."And tame it? But I take it things didn't go as planned."
"They never do." Bragard sighed."I am missing Odin's energy. Which I can't possibly get due to the power difference. I thought that since Ryuga was a Messiah, his power would suffice, but since he's not one of the original pieces of Ventara, it's only a satisfiable replacement but not a permanent one. So until I can kill Odin, this plan will remain incomplete. However, that shouldn't be an issue. I get stronger over time. However, there are two problems at the moment."
He leaned back on the chair of the small compartment he was in."First, I am not an official participant in this war, since I do not possess an armor of my own, due to the same reason why I can't use Alchemy. And due to the nature of my body, thanks to Hazama-dono, I can't make a contract with an Advent Monster either. I called myself a Messiah before, but as much as it pains me to admit it, I am not one. The First Bragard was, however. The second problem comes in the part that only a Messiah can harbor the energies of all Riders to perfection, harmonizing them, and weaponizing them."
"So...only a Messiah can serve as a conductor of sorts." Ryuga hypothesized."An avatar for the Divine Beast."
"Correct. So in short, only you and the Boy Wonder are capable of doing that." Bragard grinned."But as I said, that's not a problem. I was thinking of killing the Boy Wonder, since he's been such a pest to me and has you become my Messiah, Superstar. Not anymore, though."
"Not anymore?" Gai arched a brow."But what about your plan?"
"The title of Messiah isn't exclusive to these two." Bragard replied."There have been countless Messiahs throughout history. It's just rare that two exist at the same time, though. Usually, they are far apart in between Messiahs are beings created by the will of the Divine Beast in an effort to take down Odin and restore its power. That's why they can harness all of the powers of the Advent Beasts without any real consequences while the others can only use a fraction of its power. Ouja, being the prime case."
Knight glanced over to Ouja."So that's why a Rider can absorb the powers of the other. But...what if a non-Messiah absorbs the power of the others instead?"
"I am not sure, to tell you the truth." Bragard confessed, slightly annoyed at his lack of knowledge in that regard."I never even considered that. But I imagine the results wouldn't be good. Still, as I said, Messiahs are born throughout history. So after I kill the two current ones, I'll just have to wait."
"How long?" Imperer tilted his head.
"Who knows? Decades? Centuries? It's hard to say. They don't have a pattern." Bragard shrugged."Again, my plans would be delayed. But I am essentially immortal now. So I have all the time in the world. I'll kill all the humans except for a small number of them. It'll force them to breed each other. Like the cattle they are. Maybe I'll be merciful enough and let your beloved girls live. I'm sure Symphogear users might accelerate the production of a Messiah. From what I understand, one of them already has quite the experience being a breeding cow, no?"
Final Vent: Barrel Full Burst
"FUCK YOU! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS BULLSHIT! I will not let Chris go through another hell like that!" Zolda rushed past the group, Magnugiganto materializing in front of him and helping him up its head, entering the cockpit and functioning as a mecha.
"Sakamoto! Don't!" Knight cried, but he was paid no heed."God damn it!"
"If this thing starts marching, it'll be the end of all of us!" Zolda hollered. Magnugiganto was big. As big as a building, standing around 15 meters. But he looked like an ant in comparison to the Overall. (If you want an image reference, the Overall in its full form looks exactly like Yaldabaoth from Persona 5, except with a long hat that is shaped like a tower.)
Magnugiganto grabbed onto its humongous leg, igniting the boosters on its back and accelerating its rollers in an attempt to push it back. And to their surprise, he did. The leg was slowly retreating.
"No way!" Ouja couldn't help but cry in surprise."He's actually doing it!"
"Flip him on his ass!" Tiger yelled.
"Takeru-san!" Both Imperer and Raia yelled in unison, cheering for their senior.
However, just as quickly as their hopes came, they shattered. The leg lifted itself off the ground not because Magnugiganto was pushing it. Quite the opposite. It was because it was getting ready to move.
"Huh?" Takeru blinked. And that's all he could do because the colossus took a step forward, kicking him out of the city and flinging him to the outskirts of Tokyo.
"SAKAMOTO!" Knight screamed in concern. He hadn't even seen how fast he had been kicked, but he could see several buildings with holes through them, indicating where he had been kicked. The Overall began taking slow, heavy steps, causing the ground to tremble. The Alternatives became active again, resuming their march. A black sphere emerged in front of the Overall, increasing in size before being hurled at the ground below it, blowing everything in its path away. All Riders were sent flying out of the city with the mere shockwave of the attack, unable to react or stop it. The world around them began to break, showing glimpses of the real world.
"D-damn it..." Knight groaned, having landed on a tree."Is...is everyone alive?!"
"What was that...?" Ouja muttered, having landed on the asphalt of the highway.
"The fuck is up with all these tree trunks?" Gai growled, scanning their surroundings and noticing the abnormal amount of tree trunks on the highway.
"This is where we fought Zeke earlier." Raia responded, his arm wrapped around Imperer as support."He blew us away this far with one attack...?"
"Can we even defeat that thing now?" Femme clicked her tongue, watching as the Overall tore through the remainder of the city, heading toward them with the army of Alternatives.
"Doesn't it matter..." Ryuki limped past them, grabbing his dislocated arm and popping it back in place."I'm going back there and I'm not stopping until I fucking kill the bastard. Doesn't matter what it takes. Even if I die."
"Hajime-kun...?" Tiger was stunned upon hearing those words. This..this wasn't Hajime. Not the Hajime he knew.
"I agree." Ryuga nodded."If we let him run wild, eventually, both worlds will merge together. And no army in the world will be able to stop this. He'll tear through the whole planet over time."
"So...I guess we have no choice but to finish this now, huh?" Zolda chuckled."Fine with me. I'm not about to put our friends in danger."
"What's our plan?" Ouja inquired.
"I suggest we go in full force." Knight began to relay his idea."We'll go along with our Advent Beasts. Those who can't get airborne will focus their attention on the Alternatives. Those of us who can, will spread out and attack the Overall from all sides. We'll wait for an opening and use the Link Vent to create a miracle. We have two Messiahs, after all."
"And I have a Link Vent as well." Ryuga showed them his own card."We'll combine our powers and put all of our efforts into that one attack. If it doesn't work, though..."
"We're fucked." Gai finished the grim thought."Then an all-out assault. Sounds like a pain, but oh well."
Ryuki was the first one to activate his card, running further ahead."It's do or die!"
(Play Live and Learn by Crush 40)
Final Vent: Dragon Fire Storm
"WE'RE COMING FOR YOU, BRAGARD!" He declared, jumping on top of Dragranzer and taking off into the sky. All Riders followed after him, activating their Final Vents and rushing in unison back to the city.
Final Vent: Shippudan
Final Vent: Psycho Dive
Final Vent: Tera Drill Breaker
Final Vent: Barrel Full Burst
Final Vent: Tiger Blizzard Storm
Final Vent: Dark Shadow Storm
Final Vent: Venomous Drive
Final Vent: Light Acceleration Drive
Final Vent: Metal Madness
Bragard narrowed his gaze, watching as 10 lights in the distance dared to approach him. 10 Final Vents."This world is mine...YOU DIE TODAY, YOU DIRTY VERMIN!"
The Overall lifted several boulders with Bragard's gravity powers, hurling them at great speeds toward the Riders.
"Here it comes!" Ryuga alerted them, Dragkaiser responding in kind by firing several balls of darkness, joined by Dragranzer, both dragons mirroring each other's movements.
The Riders on the ground maneuver around the falling rocks. Gai mounted on top of Steelgelas, surrounded by countless Zell monsters with Imperer leading the pack on top of Terazelle in its beast form.
Once they entered the Alternative territory, the people on the ground deployed their monsters into their vehicle forms.
Strike Vent: Steelhorn
Wielding an upgraded version of his Metal Horn, which now had two horns instead of one and was sturdier, Gai not only blocked and parried attacks with relative ease, but he also skewered through the Alternatives in front of him."Look at this! A shish kabob! Just like the comics!"
Magnet Vent
Gai smacked an Alternative with his palm, which in return caused a chain reaction of Alternavites being dragged in by the magnetism and forming a big ball of them.
"What comics? I didn't know you were a comic enthusiast. How childish of you." Ouja rolled his eyes with a smirk, slashing away at his foes while Venoviper's tail struck the ground around them. He drew a card, immediately sliding it into his visor
Venom Vent
Three puddles of venom appeared on the ground, forming serpents of venom that attacked the clones and prevented Ouja from being attacked by his blindside.
"They're pretty good, aren't they?" Tiger smirked, opening up his Destvisorzwei and closing it.
Shoot Vent: Frost Bazoka
Tiger opened the compartment of his gauntlet, releasing countless missiles toward the missiles being fired at them, countering the attack. He then wasted no time in using another ability.
Strike Vent: Frost Claws
"No hands, baby!" Tiger laughed, removing his hands from the handlerbars, and tearing through the Alternatives with his claws.
"So cool!" Imperer marbled at his brother's strength."I can't fall behind! Let's go all out, guys!"
The gazelles continued on their stampede, running over the Alternatives and ramming into them.
Spin Vent: Terastab
Two drills appeared in his hands, pressing a button on the handles and igniting them to life. He used them to pierce through his foes, but he wasn't done showing off.
Drill Vent
Terazelle suddenly shifted toward the ground, burrowing underneath the earth and disappearing from sight. All of a sudden, several energy drills emerged from the ground, killing a huge number of Alternatives before the Rider came out to the surface.
"Not bad, kid." Gai complimented his brother."I'm impressed."
Imperer was about to thank him, but they noticed a huge metallic tendril about to crush them. Magnugiganto, in its tank form, aimed its cannons and began bombarding the tendril, breaking it down and preventing it from killing them.
Energy Vent
Zolda jumped out of his tank, standing on top of it while energy guns appeared around him. From muskets, revolvers, RPGs, and machine guns, they opened fire indiscriminately while he wielded a pair of dessert eagles.
Up in the sky, the airborne Riders were focusing their attention solely on the Overall.
Dragranzer and Dragkaiser flew around in circles, firing countless fireballs in unison at the Overall. But none of these attacks were doing any damage at all. The colossus rose its arm, attempting to swat away at Ryuki but a gust of wind stopped its giant arm from hitting him.
Ryuki whipped his head to see Knight on top of Darkraider, his monster flapping its wings and creating slashes of wind directed toward the colossus. A giant tendril emerged from the ground, swatting Knight away before it shot a beam of energy toward Ryuki.
Guard Vent: Dragzweishield
However, the attack was instead absorbed by a black portal, much to his surprise."What?!"
"You couldn't have blocked that!" Ryuga exclaimed, opening the portal behind the Overall. But as he had dreaded, the colossus detached the halo on top of its head, which rotated and insane speeds to cancel out the attack."So even a surprise attack doesn't work..."
The Overall rose its arms again, but a blinding light stunned it temporarily and held it in place. Blacnraider spread its wings, releasing a bright light and shooting several feathers at the colossus, doing zero damage."Shit! This thing is so sturdy!"
Suddenly, a tendril emerged from the ground and struck master and beast, launching them high toward the sky.
"Chiaki!" Ryuga cried out in concern.
Femme gritted her teeth, vanishing into particles of light along with her monster and reappearing on the side of the Overall.
"She can teleport?" Raia frowned upon seeing her move in the blink of an eye.
"Looks like it. But she seems to be able to move only to where those feathers of hers are." Knight noted, observing her teleport around the scattered feathers.
Raia decided to step in, hovering higher in the air with Exodiver.
Shoot Vent: Exo Arrow - Type Giant
He created a psychic arrow, pulling back on it before releasing it. The arrow grew several times bigger than normal and struck the Overall directly. But much to his chagrin, the arrow merely bounced back.
"None of our attacks are doing anything!" Ryuki screamed in frustration, heading toward the incoming punch from the Overall. Dragranzer wrapped itself around the arm, holding it in place as Ryuki jumped on top of it, holding out his Dragblaster, and bombarded the colossus's face as he ran up its arm. Even the distance between the arm and the face seemed to go on for miles due to its sheer size. Two tendrisl, one holding a golden gun and another one a book emerged from its back. The gun was fired, releasing an invisible bullet that struck Ryuki off its arm. The book flipped through its pages, releasing an aura of energy that sent the flying Riders away.
Several boulders were lifted off the ground, making them fall around the city like meteors. The Riders retreated upon seeing themselves overwhelmed, huddling together a few miles away.
"We're getting nowhere and fast!" Zolda heaved for breath. All of them were exhausted and they hadn't made any significant progress.
"Guess we have no choice." Ouja shifted his attention toward the two dragon-themed Riders."Ryuki, you and the others did that attack against me before. In the Frontier. I assume that since you're a Messiah, you're able to use it. Garner the energy of all the Riders around you."
"But we have two Messiahs now." Tiger chimed in."We'll let you take the lead on this."
"Let's finish this." Ryuga turned to Ryuki, who just stared up at the Overall.
The colossus released 11 tendrils, charging up attacks of all colors, representing the advent energy he had absorbed from them.
"This world is about to die." Bragard stated in a calm tone."There is no reason for you to keep fighting. You cannot defeat me. I will rule for all of eternity as a God. My power will be unmatched. I AM THE STRONGEST BEING ON THE PLANET! AND SOON, I WILL RISE ABOVE DIVINITY ITSELF! NOW DIE, KAMEN RIDERS!"
Perfect Catastrophic Cataclysm
Several boulders and debris piled up together, forming a titanic-size rock, hurling it at them with the beams of energy powering it up.
"If that hits, he'll destroy the whole fucking city and every city around it!" Zolda cried out."We can't outrun the explosion!"
Ryuki dashed forward, followed by Ryuga."You know what to do, Ryuki!"
"He's dead!" Ryuki seethed in anger but nonetheless drew a card from his Deck. The card that represented miracles.
Link Vent
Ryuga mirrored his action, drawing upon his card and activating it as well.
Link Vent
Two auras. One red and one black shined in front of the incoming attack.
"BURN HIM AWAY, DRAGRANZER!" Ryuki screamed, thrusting his arms forward as the Ryuki symbol appeared in front of him, releasing a beam of crimson energy.
"WITHER HIM, DRAGKAISER!" Ryuga raised his hand, the Ryuga symbol unleashing a black beam of energy. The heads of their dragons appeared around them, combining into a single dragon. Half black and half red. The beams merged into one, clashing against the giant asteroid.
"We must give them our power! Everyone! All together!" Knight called out to the other Riders, sliding a card into his Deck."Blow him away with the wind, Darkraider!"
Co-Link
"Blast him to pieces, Magnugiganto!"
"Sting him, Exodiver!"
"Mangle into him, Terazelle!"
"Tear him apart, Frostwilder!"
"Stomp him to death, Steelgelas!"
"Corrode him away, Venoviper!"
"Masscare him, Blancraider!"
Co-Link(x8)
Their powers connected with one another, before they connected with the two Messiahs, increasing their power and strengthening their blast.
"Let's up the ante a little!" Ouja yelled."Cut him up, Volcancer!"
To Knight's shock, the Scissors symboled joined up with theirs, shooting energy to feed into the two Riders ahead.
All 11 attacks combined into one, forming a gigantic multicolored dragon that clashed against the asteroid. To their joy, they began to push back the attack slowly.
"DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME, YOU DISGRACEFUL MONGRELS! I STILL HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU!"
Two more tendris emerged, this time, shooting a green and blue energy beam and adding them to the mix. Now it was the Riders' attacks being pushed back toward them.
"D-DAMN IT!"! Ryuki cried in frustration, feeling his body being pushed back no matter how hard he tried to keep going.
"He has Verde And Abyss' powers..." Ryuga gritted his teeth."He's the closest thing to the Divine Beast...Even more than us...We're getting overpowered!"
"FUCKING GIVE THEM MORE POWER, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Gai snarled at his companions.
"WE'RE GIVING THEM EVERYTHING WE GOT, DICKHEAD! SHUT UP!" Femme snapped.
"Enough bickering!" Knight grimaced."Just concentrate on your powers!"
"It's pointless! The math is clear! I possess all the Riders' energies! 13 in total! And you only have 11!" Bragard cackled in delight, clapping inside of his chamber."THAT'S RIGHT! I WIN!"
With one final push, the Alternative unleashed its full power, increasing the potency of its blasts and pushing the meteor faster than before. The remaining buildings and ground around them began to disintegrate from the intense power.
"T-this is it..." Imperer trembled in fear.
"Don't give up! We can still win!" Tiger reassured him, but he was sweating bullets.
"We performed two miracles...One by doing the impossible and reuniting all Riders to fight for the same cause and another by uniting our powers together." Knight said, his hands shaking uncontrollably from the amount of effort he was exerting."But even that is not enough...? Is he really...a God now?"
"Fuck! Hey, Kaburagi-kun! Make a portal or something!" Gai urged him."We'll retreat or something! Clearly, we're not winning this!"
"There is no getting out of this!" Ryuga hollered over his shoulder."If we run now, he'll just break through and go into the real world! Plus, I'm a bit occupied! So be quiet and keep pushing!"
Suddenly, the attack slowed down considerably, much to Bragard's confusion."Huh?"
Several alarms showed up in his console, alerting the albino."What's this?! What's going on?!"
From the outside, the Riders could see parts of the Overall exploding, which in turn made it unable to kill them. The blast stopped inches away from them and was now being pushed back.
"Seems like...I made it just in time. Man, climbing from the abyss to the top was...something else."
"You...You...!" Bragard saw red upon hearing the voice, shifting around through his cameras until he saw the person back in the throne room, sitting on his throne and facing the energy reactors behind it."YOU'RE STILL ALIVE?! DAMIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN?!"
"Wait, what?!" Knight exclaimed in surprise.
"That voice...is Damian!" Zolda laughed in joy."He's alive!"
"I thought he was dead," Raia muttered.
Damian lay on the throne. His lower body was gone and so was half of his torso. The only part of him that remained was his left arm and head. His body was slowly disintegrating, turning into ash."I regenerated this much but...I'm all out of lives. I had to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. You're too full of yourself, Bragard. Too cocky. You didn't make sure you finished the job."
A hologram of Bragard appeared in front of him, snarling in pure rage."You damn doll! What do you think you're doing?!
"It took me a really long time to climb from that hole with just one arm..." He chuckled."But I finally made it. And I'm here to stop you. You said something about the energies you collected being in perfect harmony...So I wonder...what will happen if one of them becomes unstable?"
"No...No, you wouldn't..." Bragard's eyes widened in shock."Don't...Don't, Damian..."
"Oh, I think I would." Damian rose his hand toward the orb containing his power."This is your ultimate weapon. Your way of destroying all life and enslaving the survivors. The one that makes you so terrifying and powerful. But as it turns out, it's not even your own power. Your sudden growth isn't either, because the real Bragard died being a child. All of your powers and your strength...They are not yours, you fraud."
"Don't, Damian!" Bragard pointed at himself, desperation printed all over his face."Look at me! Think about who's truly worthy!"
"Damian, you..." Zolda muttered in a sad tone."Are you...?"
"Who is the rightful prince worthy of ruling over all life?!" Bragard continued, but he noticed Damian was not listening. He was panicking now, shifting his attention back to his console and commanding all Alternatives to attack in unison."DAMIAN! THE WEAK ARE NOT WORTHY OF HAVING ABSOLUTE POWER!"
"Your ruling is over." Damian poured all of his life energy into his orb, overloading it with power and unstabilizing it, which in return, unstabilized all of the orbs and caused the energies to become erratic.
His body, exhausted of all of its life energy, finally collapsed to the ground. His body crumbled into dust, and he began closing his eyes."It's over...It's done. You guys can now...rest in peace..."
With that, his body crumbled to dust, leaving only a pile of ashes behind where the one proud knight lay.
"NO! NO!" Bragard shook his head, his body beginning to reduce in size and his power cut down severely, reverting back to his child appearance."NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"
"SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE COMMENCING. 15 MINUTES BEFORE EXPLOSION."
"FUCK!" Bragard screeched.
"DO IT NOW!"
All Riders screamed in unison, pouring all their powers with one mighty yell and pushing the attack back in an instant.
Dawn of Survival
Bragard opened the hatch to his chamber as the blast hit the Overall's head, blasting it away entirely. The attack continued forward, heading into outer space where it blew up in earnest, creating aurora borealis of all colors. The massive colossus fell on its knees, only supporting its weight with the tendrils that fell limp on the ground.
"Damian."
Damian gasped, examining his body. He was okay. But his skin was not pale anymore. He was...back to being a human. But he didn't know where he was. All he could see was a white void that seemed to expand endlessly.
"Damian."
He heard the voice again. He turned on his heels, facing Garie and his friends, who also had their human appearance."Garie..."
"You did it, darling." Garie smiled lovingly, throwing herself into her husband's arms."You did it."
"I did?" Damian instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender frame, afraid he was just dreaming and she would disappear from his grasp.
"Not a bad way to go." Leiur smiled, a hand to her hip."You certainly put a show to the bitter end, Damian."
"It was a wonderful performance." Lulu bowed slightly."You're awesome, Damian."
"Leiur, Lulu..." Damian muttered upon seeing the sisters.
"I didn't know you cared about us that much!" Micha giggled, twirling around."Aw, I'm so jealous that Garie has such a loving husband."
"We watched over you." Phara smiled at her friend."You fought bravely against a force that was too much for you. But thanks to you, those kids can now finish the job. You're a hero, Damian. They can win because of you."
"But...I couldn't save you guys.." Damian broke into tears, both out of happiness and sadness."I let you all down..."
"No, of course not!" Garie grabbed his cheeks, gently wiping his tears with her thumb."You did what you could. Both in the past and now. It's just...I guess life had other plans for us. But we're proud of you. Very proud."
"Yeah..." Zeke awkwardly rubbed his nape, avoiding the gaze of his friend."I...I learned that the hard way. I'm sorry...To all of you. I was so blinded to my desire to make up for letting the Prince fall into darkness before...I...You were right all along, Damian."
"Nothing to apologize for. We all made mistakes." Damian offered him a warm smile."I forgive you. You're my best friend, after all."
"And besides, you were being controlled too!" Micha wrapped her arms around the green-haired young man."But I expect compensation! I love you!"
"You and me both, Micha." Phara giggled, enjoying seeing her brother flustered."Say it back, Zeke. She just confessed her love to you."
"I-I-I...I love you too, Micha..." Zeke muttered, hiding his blushing face in her crimson hair.
Damian and Garie chuckled upon seeing their friends enjoy each other's company again. But it was time to go now. The knight shifted his gaze back to where he came from, noticing a figure in the distance."Tobias..."
"He'll be okay. He has plenty of good friends now. And Elfnein is with him now." Garie nuzzled against his arm as both parents stared at the silhouette of their son."I wish we could have been with him. Watching him grow up, get married, and get a family. But...We'll just have to make do with this."
"We'll always be with him. In his heart." Damian agreed."So...shall we go, my love?"
"Let's go together." Garie stood on her tippy toes, kissing his lips."I love you so much."
"I love you too." Damian scooped her up in his arms, carrying her in bridal style.
"D-Damian!" She blushed profusely.
"It's been a while since I did this. The first time was when we first met and I just did it on the go to finish that song they were playing." Damian began walking toward the group, heading for the light.
"Oh, yes. I also remember you stepping on my toes all night. I couldn't walk the next day."
"It wasn't that bad." Damian glanced over his shoulder one last time, waving his son goodbye along with Garie."Take care, Tobias. We love you."
All Riders fell back to the ground, exhausted beyond belief after finally defeating the Overall.
"Holy shit...we won! WE WON!" Zolda rose his fist in the air, followed by Imperer."But...Damian sacrificed his life..."
"He's a hero." Tiger smiled sadly."We couldn't have won without him. He...I guess he did have a soul after all."
"Indeed. We owe him our lives. But it's not over yet." Knight reminded him, his attention turning to the millions of Alternatives still active."They're slower...And they don't seem to keep being spawned in."
"Since the Overall has been stopped, then they won't keep reappearing." Ouja pointed out."I hope you all still have energy because we're about to continue."
"Fucking hell..." Femme sighed in exasperation."They don't scream in agony. It's no fun..."
"But we'll push past our limits." Knight declared, choosing to ignore Femme's comment."We're at the finish line. We can't fumble now. We have less than 15 minutes before the Overall explodes. And if it does, the Mirror World will disappear."
"Wait, where is the Lieutenant?" Zolda glanced around, noticing two people missing from the group."And...where the hell did Ryuga go?"
"I had everything in my hands...Absolute power, perfection. The Overall. I had them all beat. AND DESPITE ALL OF THAT, WHY AM I ON THE GROUND?!"
Bragard was now lying on the ground in a dark corridor that was letting sunlight in from the big hole where the head of the Overall was. He had narrowly avoided being disintegrated into nothingness. He tried changing to his adult body again, but he was unable to."I...I can't transform anymore. Damn, it...! I'm back to being a fucking child! Damn! But not all is lost...I just have to retrieve my spare body and escape. Fucking bastards, forcing a Prince like me to back down! But there is no shame in retreating. I will come back and I will kill them-"
The sound of footsteps prompted him to freeze in his tracks. He slowly turned around toward the dark corridor behind him, only lit by red lights. And that's when he saw him. He took out his Alternative Deck but screamed in mind-blowing pain. His arm had been shot off by a blast of flames, destroying his Deck.
"Your game is over." Ryuki began advancing toward him in his Survive Form."Let's see how you do in an even fight."
"14 minutes before explosion."
Bragard regenerated his arm, taking several steps back, unable to formulate any words.
"You should already know why I'm here." Ryuki said, taking firm steps forward, his fists clenched."I will. Make you. Suffer. It's your turn to feel agonizing pain. You don't have to say anything. Your silence is telling me everything. You're feeling frightened."
"F-frightened by you?! Of you, you disgusting human?!" Bragard finally found his voice, mocking the teen."I defeated you before! You're nothing to me! And besides, I am immortal now because I have infused the Philosopher's Stone inside my body! Nothing you got can keep me down! I can regenerate endlessly!"
Bragard lunged at Ryuki for a punch, but the Rider merely grabbed his hand and squeezed, earning a yelp from the Prince. He exerted more force, crushing his knuckles and eventually his whole hand with a sickening crunching sound. The prince screamed in agony, unable to break free from his grasp. In an act of pure desperation, he sliced his own arm off, jumping back to gain some distance.
"Then, I will throw the words you said back at me from before." Ryuki released the severed hand, opening up his visor, activating an ability."By the end of this, you will be begging for the ability to die."
Booster Vent
"Gugh?!" Bragard took another step back, regenerating his arm.
"I'll be honest. I was delighted to give you a good fight before. Because as much as I hate to admit it, I was having fun fighting someone like you." Ryuki said, his voice devoid of any emotion."But it turned into something else the moment you decided to take my family's lives. You made it personal. You've gone too far and now you're going to be dealing with the person you looked down upon the most. I am so mad...I AM SO FUCKING MAD RIGHT NOW, I WILL BREAK YOU!"
Blaze Vent
Bragard yelped, taking more involuntary steps back.
"THIS ENDS RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW, BRAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!"
Igniting his boosters, Ryuki illuminated the whole corridor in flames. Bragard instinctively threw his arms up in defense, but a punch was all it took to blast his arms away and receive a punch to the face. He helplessly cried in pain, his cheek burning due to the intense flames. But the assault wasn't over. Ryuki grabbed him and slammed his knee against his spine, shattering it to pieces before he slammed both of his arms against his stomach, shattering his ribcage and knocking him down through the floor into the floor below.
"DAMN!" Bragard began to regenerate, conjuring black magic circles and shooting black projectiles at Ryuki.
Sword Vent: Dragsaberzwei
Using his blade, he easily deflected the attacks and continued on his pursuit, planting his feet against Bragard's stomach before twirling around, delivering a devasting horizontal kick to his face that knocked out half of his teeth. The small Prince staggered forward, leaning against the wall to heal his injuries."T-this is impossible...This has to be a nightmare...I-I I can't be losing..."
Ryuki landed behind him, wordlessly waiting for his next move.
"You...you think you're so fucking clever, don't you?!" Bragard snarled in disdain."I had you on your knees! Don't forget your place, scum!"
Again, the Rider offered no words, which further irritated Bragard.
"Do you truly believe you're so much better than me?! Than the Great Prince Bragard Second Hyperion?! I own you! I own your friends, your family, the Autoscorers, Carol, and everything! The whole world is mine!"
"..."
"Say something, damn you!" He screeched, stomping on the ground."DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!"
"...You speak so highly of yourself. Back when you were taller, you were more of a threat. But now you're just a scared kid." Ryuki finally broke his silence."You're no match for me anymore. Now it's your turn to be helpless."
"Y-you..."
"13 minutes before explosion." The self-destruct sequence was recited.
"Shouldn't you be getting out of here?" Bragard grinned."Your friends are probably still fighting against the Alternatives. But soon enough, thanks to Damian, the Overall will explode. And due to the Mirror World being powered in here, this place will also disappear. If you don't leave now, you won't make it in time."
"That's fine with me." Ryuki responded, sending chills down the crimson-eyed prince's spine."I don't care if I die here. Not as long as I can see you die with my own eyes. Sure, I'll die, but as long as you die with me, that's fine. Besides, if I let you go now, I won't be satisfied. I told you, I want to make you suffer and beg for the mercy of death. So don't worry. Today, I'm with you all the way. I'll accompany you to your end."
"Y-you insane bastard! You will know your place, you filthy human!" Bragard lunged at Hajime, going for two punches clad in dark matter, only to have his arms grabbed onto again."DAMN YOU! I HATE YOU!"
"You hate the fact that you're losing." Ryuki corrected him."That you failed. How does it feel? Are you feeling pissed, miserable, or frustrated? Yeah..." He let out a little chuckle."Yeah, that's what it's like to lose. I bet the taste of defeat must be horrible for a so-called Prince. The Ultimate Lifeform. The perfect being."
"Shut up!"
"Damian was right. You're just a fraud without having all of these outside factors to help you. Without our power, the Overall, or that stone, what are you, really? Nothing. And you will die as nothing."
"And you'll die too, moron!" Bragard tried to get into his head."What about Hibiki Tachibana?! Or your sister?! How do you think they'll react if you die here?!"
"I don't care."
"Huh?"
"I said I don't care." Ryuki muttered, his voice cold and somber."I told you, as long as I see you die, I don't give a shit about the rest. Right now...The only thing on my mind...is killing you."
Bragard gasped in pain, feeling the sharp blade pierce through his stomach before being blasted by his visor.
"Say it again..."
"S-say what again?!" Bragard fell on his rear after tripping over his feet.
"You were talking a lot of shit back then. About my family, Hibiki, and more...So say it to my face." Ryuki's body was engulfed in crimson flames again before he released a mighty scream."I SAID SAY IT AGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!"
Before the Prince could react, he received a punch to the face that caved his face in. He was now on the ground, receiving several punches to the face until his skull was a bloody mess. Ryuki stood up, stepping back, his knuckles covered in blood and brain matter."Get up."
Slowly, the blood and bones began forming back until his face was whole again. He sat up, panting for air and crawling away from Ryuki."Running? Seriously?"
He yelled when he fell his feet being chopped to pieces. Panicking, he regenerated them and attempted to kick Ryuki, only to have his leg grabbed onto, The Rider began slamming him around the walls and floors, breaking his bones on impact before he made a hole through the ground, going down the now broken Overall.
'I-I have to get to my new body...This one is about to expire...' Bragard shakily took back to his feet, flinching when he saw Ryuki flying down."W-wait! I give up! I surrender?"
Ryuki crossed his arms, landing a few meters away from him.
"Y-you know I can't die, right? You made me suffer enough! And I won't put any resistance anymore! So please just...just stop! I'll come with you and cooperate with anything you ask! I'll help S.O.N.G develop technology and offer my vast knowledge! Furthermore, I-HA!"
Bragard launched a surprised attack, punching Ryuki across the face and creating a pillar of dark matter, launching him against the wall."YOU WILL LEARN RESPECT! SECOND IMPACT!"
Creating 6 dark matter spheres, he launched several black beams of energy, merging them into one and shooting them toward Ryuki.
Second Impact
"How's that?! That's what you get for mocking a Prince!" Bragard cackled."I am the one above all! I am-"
His words died out when he heard a low chuckle emanating from Ryuki. Bragard gaped, just hearing the half Liang desperately trying to hold back his laughter. Until he just let it all go, letting out a burst of full-blown laughter that echoed throughout the Overall. He laughed and laughed and laughed. The only thing the Prince could do was hear his maddened cackling without moving a muscle.
"11 minutes before explosion."
"Oh, man! My stomach hurts!" He removed his helmet, tossing it onto the ground. He was crying. A reaction from his laughter fit."I'm crying! I'm actually crying! I haven't laughed like that in a while! I feel so good~!"
"W-what's...so funny...?" Bragard trembled in fear. Primal fear for his life, involuntary tears glistening in his eyes. Now without his mask, he could see it clearly. The wicked grin Hajime was giving up. The face of someone who had one thing in his mind and nothing to lose. One who craved the feeling of power. One that he himself had not 20 minutes ago.
"Do you honestly think you're leaving this place alive?" Hajime began advancing, a dangerous glint in his amber eyes."No, no, no, no. None of that. I haven't heard your screams of agony yet. I want to hear more from you. You're not leaving this place alive. You're not surviving to see another day. No. This..."
He stood a mere inch from the Prince, bending his knees to stand on his level."This is where you die."
"J-just...what the hell are you...? You're not a kid! What the hell are you?!"
"Oh? You really don't know." He leaned forward, whispering in his ear."You are the species and I'm the extinction. I'm the hunter and you're the hunted. It's that simple...That's what you said before...right?"
With that, we conclude the final fight against Bragard. At least, the last major one. Next chapter we end Carol's fight. I was going to cover it here since I won't make it too long, but this chapter was already long. The next chapter will be more of a prologue too and maybe a little longer. After that, we're officially done with GX. But! We still have another special chapter coming after the end of GX. And all I'm going to say is...get ready. After that, I'll do one chapter of AXZ and go on a little break, since I'm starting school next week. So from now on, I'll probably release one chapter a week if possible, so I apologize in advance. Also, Damian is official dead. I don't know if you noticed, but when Bragard defeated him, I didn't update the list on purpose.
Kamen Riders Remaining:
Ryuki: Hajime Adachi
Knight: Yosuke Yanagi
Zolda: Takeru Sakamoto
Tiger: Jades Demetrios
Imperer: Andreas Kagatsuchi
Raia: Raiden Amaterasu
Odin: ?
Ryuga: Hazuki Kaburagi
Gai: Terunosuke Kuwana
Ouja: Allister Albedo/Code Cypher
Femme: Chiaki Nakahara
Alternative: Bragard Second Hyperion
Defeated Riders:
Scissors: Goro Tanaka (Killed by Ouja)
Alternative Zero: Dr. Ver (Deck destroyed by Ryuki)
Verde: Zeke Crowley(Killed by Zolda)
Abyss: Damian Schwarzer(Sacrificed his life to overload the Overall.)