Fun fact: Bragard, despite calling himself a God, still refers to himself as a Prince. This is because the Bragard First died being a Prince, and their kingdom was destroyed before the Second could have gone through the crowning ceremony. Thus, he's permanently a Prince and will never be a king.
Reviews:
Guest: Como que Chair? Perdon. No entendi la referencia xd
Guest: En lo que mas odio? Okno
Akira: Your wish is my command. The end of the Proud Prince is approaching.
Tigracho: Yeah, this dude knows how to throw his jabs. It's one of his specialties to get into people's heads like that. True, Hajime's been through the shitter this season. I guess, even though he lost, Bragard got what he wanted in a way. So even if Hajime wins now...is it really a victory at this point? Or does he just care about returning all the pain he went through?
primenidus: Nah, I'm sure everyone agrees with you. The roles have finally reversed and now Bragard knows what it's like to run for his life.
Tenzalucard123: Yes, someone has to go get Hajime because he just wants to torture Bragard for everything he did. The battles is over, but there is still something left for them.
FlameFireZero X: Kind of. You'll see what I mean.
Daemon of Wrath: Yup. I know you've been wanting to see this for a while now so here it is at last. Those are some very good questions. But I'll leave them unanswered for the time being. You'll see what I mean later on.
Chapter 78
Fallen Kingdom
"Carol, it's over." Maria stared at the blonde."It's seven against us against one of you."
"Don't think that just because you wear miracles you can defeat me." Carol swept her arm defiantly."I have not lost yet! Miracles are worthless!"
"What do you intend to do? Burn every one of your memories?!" Chris gritted her teeth."For what?!"
"Because this world is worthless!" Carol screeched."Miracles are like the plague that took away my Bragard! They ruin everything! All of them! I will not lose to those who use miracles as power!"
With her scream, she released even more energy than before, countless magic circles surrounding her as threads covered her whole body, glowing in green and yellow. The glow died down, and to the girls' shock, they saw a giant mechanical lion.
"What the-?!" Kirika gasped."What is that?!"
"That's...her trump card...?" Shirabe swallowed the lump in her throat.
"If I can't do it, then I shall trust the devil with my beloved's face to purge this world into oblivion. Nothing matters anymore. I will buy as much time as I need to see this world reduce to ashes! Even if I have to burn all of my memories!"
"Brace yourselves! She's about to attack!" Chris alerted the group.
The lion opened its mouth, releasing scorching hot fire that easily brought down several buildings.
"What's with that insane power?!" Kirika exclaimed.
"She's way stronger than before." Tsubasa clicked her tongue."This will be her final stand...She has that much faith in Bragard."
"We have to attack together. Kiri-chan!"
"Roger!"
Kirika and Shirabe swung their respective weapons at the mechanical beast, but they were unable to deal any significant damage. The lion swatted them away with its paws, sending them crashing to the ground.
"Her defense is incredibly powerful." Maria remarked, cold sweat dripping down her forehead."We won't be able to get through it."
"I hate to say it, but...we should assume the worst." Tsubasa said to the others."I don't know if the others are coming back...But we must act as if they are not. By focusing all of our X-Drives' output into our Armed Gears."
"The others...aren't coming back..." Kirika parroted, her heart aching.
"She said to act like it. Not that they aren't coming back, Kiri-chan." Shirabe reassured her sister."We must end this battle now in case more trouble comes our way."
"I'll hold it back!" Hibiki rose her gauntlets, blocking the incoming spheres of energy that converged into one.
"Let's do it!" Maria raised her hand, all the girls collecting their powers as their armors left them, leaving them with their leotards only. They managed to push the attack back, blasting a hole through the lion, revealing Carol once more.
"You were one Armed Gear short." She smirked deviously."How unfortunate. Huh?"
Their powers began to unite into Hibiki's fist, creating a multicolored sphere.
"I'll destroy all miracles! I'll slaughter them all!" She bellowed, unleashing a full power beam of energy.
"Then I'll stop you! With my Armed Gear! The one that lets me reach out to others!" Hibiki's gauntlet enlarged several times bigger than herself, using it to block the attack and crushing it in her grasp."It might be painful if it hits you, but Miku and Hajime taught me how it can do so much more than that!"
"SHUT UP! JUST BURN! BURN, ALONG WITH MY MEMORIES!" She began charging up her last attack, deciding to end everything in one attack.
Hibiki responded by breaking her gauntlet apart, reconstructing it, and making it even bigger than before, clad with rainbow-colored energy. She ignited her boosters, meeting Carol's attack head-on. Both women were determined to win the gruesome battle.
"Give your powers to Tachibana!" Tsubasa raised her hands, an action mimicked by the others."Ame-no-Habakiri!"
"Ichaival!"
"Shul Shagana!"
"Igalima!"
"Airgetlam!"
Their powers combined into one, increasing the Aufwachen Waveform signature levels from the Gungnir."And last but not least...Gungnir!"
With one final push, Hibiki roared and overpowered Carol's attack.
Glorious Break
"N-no. I lost..." Carol smiled in self-pity."It's over..."
Her lion began floating higher in the sky, releasing energy at unnatural levels.
"But...Let me engrave this into your very souls. The cruel truth of a world where songs can't save anything. Sure, you beat me. But-"
"Hajime and the others will win!" Hibiki flew up toward the hole in the lion's face, locking eyes with Carol."I believe in them! Even if it takes a miracle, I will always believe in them!"
"Like I told you, you'll find out the hard way!" Carol mustered all the venom she could in her voice."Miracles kill those who rely on them!"
Carol's body was ejected from the lion, returning to her child-like body as the Dur Da Bla abandoned her body.
"Carol!" Hibiki quickly flew toward the blonde."Hang on! I'm coming!"
"You can't save me." She chuckled in a dejected tone."You can't save anyone."
"That's never stopped me before. It won't stop me now." Hibiki reached for her pendant, squeezing it, adding the Ignite Module, and stacking it on top of her X-Drive form.
Carol winced, the light becoming too intense for her. But she managed to catch a glimpse of two figures trying to reach out for her.
"Father! Bragi!"
"Carol." Her father smiled warmly at her daughter.
"The world is much more than what you think, Carol." The first Bragard said."Causing pain and misery...won't make anyone happy."
"Only true understanding can lead to peace." Izak said."Ensuring that people can one day understand each other is the mission entrusted to us all. You're a smart girl."
"That she is." Bragard giggled."The smartest one there is. It's okay, Carol. I'm sorry...for abandoning you too soon..."
"You never...you never left me..." Carol sobbed uncontrollably, trying to reach out to them."Father! Bragard!"
Hibiki grabbed her hands, flying at full speed to outrun the explosion as everything turned white.
"13 minutes before explosion."
"We're running out of time." Thor frowned, speeding down the long hallways inside the Overall, climbing up stairs and turning corners. Thor noticed how quiet Tobias was and decided to stop for a few seconds to catch his breath and not overexert the Autoscorer's body."I'm sorry about your father, Lad. But without him, we wouldn't be here right now. He's a hero who saved the world. You can be proud of him."
"I know...I know he saved everyone by sacrificing himself, but...My papa...He said he loved me."
"So did your Mother. They both loved you with all of their heart. They won't have to suffer at his hands anymore." Thor proceeded to continue running until he eventually reached the throne room."Maybe we should turn back. I mean, we confirmed what happened to your Father."
"Wait, do you see that?"
Thor looked up, noticing something shining near the ceiling. A capsule of sorts. And inside, he saw..."Wait...Bragard?!"
In effect, the being inside looked exactly like Bragard, but perhaps a little younger. Around 15 to 16 years old, in contrast to Bragard's adult body. There was also something off about his hair. Unlike the prince's fully albino hair, this one had both white and black hair.
"No...That's not Bragard. I think...I think that may be a spare body he was preparing."
"I see. But it seems inactive." Thor hummed in thought."I suppose we should just keep moving."
"Wait! We have to help him!"
"Huh? Help him?"
"If he's still in that incubator, then Bragard mustn't have gotten into him. Meaning that we can still save him." Tobias insisted, pleading to the God of Thunder."Please, Thor. I want to at least save someone...I couldn't save my friends or my parents. I...I want to at least make a difference. Please save him."
"Yes...You're right. He's not at fault in all of this. Leaving him would be leaving an innocent to die." Thor agreed, shooting a lightning bolt at the glass and breaking it. The body began falling toward the ground directly into lightning hands that Thor had conjured, setting him neatly on the ground.
"Something is...off..."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at between his legs." Tobias pointed out at the genitalia between the being's legs."He has a reproductive system."
"You're right." Thor noted upon realizing the same."So...does that mean he's not a Homunculus? But he doesn't look like an Autoscorer. He's some type of artificial human."
"We have to run more tests on him to determine what he is. For now, we should get him out of here."
"10 minutes before explosion."
"We're running out of time." Thor reminded him."We must make haste and escape from here or-"
The whole Overall shook all of a sudden, and the intense sounds of explosions could be heard from above.
"Is...is there someone fighting?!"
Bragard ran for dear life, holding onto his missing arm as it was slowly regenerating back. Half of his face was deformed and burnt, but fresh tears continued to pour down his face.
"Monster! Monster! Abomination!"
He was brought back to the day his parents were burnt along with Carol's father. Both of them were running down the streets of the Capital, hearing the people around them dying and others calling him out.
"Demon child! You should have never been born!"
"Kill the monster!"
"Not again..." Bragard sobbed, his body restored to normal."I can't go down here...I am...I am perfect..."
"Bragard~."
He halted in his tracks, glancing around to locate the source of the voice.
"Running away?"
"S-shit!" Bragard continued running, not daring to look behind. The voice continued to echo.
"Bragard~! Where are you going?"
"Bragi, I see you. You can't escape."
"T-t-t-that's not my name!" He screamed in frustration, turning on a corner and leaning against the wall.
"Where is he?"
He heard someone whisper in his ear and screamed, resuming running for his life.
"There is no escape."
"How the might have fallen."
"Bragard. Bragard. Bragard."
"BRAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!"
He turned on his heel, receiving a kick to the face that caved his face in, sending him flying toward a wall and breaking through it. He tried to sit up, but someone grabbed his arm and twisted it, breaking it like a twig. He opened his mouth to scream, but a sharp blade pierced through his chin and reached all the way to his head, paralading him as he struggled to not choke on his blood. He wanted to scream. But he couldn't.
"What's wrong?" Hajime asked derisively."You're not even fighting back anymore."
His blade was ignited in flames, burning his enemy from the inside out. Bragard shook his head, choking on his blood as agonizing pain filled his mind. Hajime had to turn away from the smell of burning flesh, cringing at the smell.
"Is this really how a Prince should be? You were more proper back when you were pretending to be taller and more powerful." He patted his head with a cruel smile."But don't worry, we still have time together."
"9 minutes before explosion."
"I wonder if the others are almost done destroying the Alternative-"
'REPEL!'
Ryuki's body was shot far into the wall, allowing Bragard to get the blade out of his body and regenerate his injuries."DIE!"
He fired thousands of black blades from his magic circles, hoping to kill Ryuki before he had the chance to get up."YES! FINALLY! YOU'RE DEAD! I WIN, HUMAN! I-"
The albino felt a pair of eyes glaring at him from behind, and whipped his head only to receive a devastating punch to the chest, courtesy of Ryuki and his Dragknuckle. The percussion hammer at the elbow nailed down, completely punching through Bragard's chest and leaving a huge hole in his body. He was flung past several rooms until eventually, he landed in the throne room.
"Y-you bastard!" Bragard was on his knees, glaring defiantly."You're a fucking demon! A devil child! You should have never been born-"
A shot through the head was enough to silence him when Ryuki aimed his Dragvisorzwei and shot a laser beam from it.
"Yeah...You're right. I shouldn't have been born." Hajime closed his eyes."I shouldn't even be alive right now...They died. And yet, I'm the one still alive...I deserve to die. I should die. And yet, here I am. Alive."
"Not for long..." Bragard picked himself up from the ground, panting for air but his wounds mended."You fool...Do you realize where we are?! This is the throne room! I led you here on purpose!"
"You did, huh? Ok. What's your plan?"
"Look above!" Bragard pointed toward the ceiling, Ryuki following with his eyes."I have a spare body...One that's filled with more life force than this one! It's perfect! Absolutely no flaws! It will grant me the ultimate strength I need and-"
"There's nothing there."
"Say what?!"
In effect, there was nothing there. The incubator was empty and there was nobody in sight. Bragard shook his head, falling to his knees. All the hope he had was gone. Tarnished. Destroyed. He felt truly defeated.
"I guess that's that then."
"8 minutes before explosion."
Ryuki began advancing one more, Bragard screaming as he crawled away."No! No! Get away! Get away! STAY AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER!"
"I don't think so."
"Please! I'm begging you, stop! It hurts! It hurts so much!" Bragard climbed to his throne, hugging his legs like a scared child."I don't want to be hurt anymore! Please, have mercy! Do you not have a heart?!"
"I should ask you the same. How many people begged you for mercy? To spare their lives?" Hajime narrowed his eyes."How about when I begged you for mercy? And you killed my family anyway. Do you honestly think someone like you deserves mercy?"
"Please...I'm begging you, don't hurt me anymore..." Bragard whined, tears streaming down his sore cheeks.
Hajime sighed, folding his arms under his chest."You know, I should be satisfied. You've been coming at me with everything you've got, but you're just no match for me as you are now. You don't have your Deck, so you're not getting any stronger while I continue to grow. The fact is, there is really no point in keeping this fight up. I mean, your pride is already in shreds. In the end that should be enough for me."
Bragard's chest heaved, grabbing onto the sides of his throne.
"You were so sure of yourself this whole time, I bet you never imagined your day would end like this, huh? That no one in this world should have been able to get you on your knees. And someone showed up and did." The raven-haired teen grinned darkly."And that guy was just a kid. A Liang. How do you expect to rule over the world if you can't even kill a single child? See, I don't need to keep fighting you because I already won. Or so I should say..."
"S-say what...?"
"5 minutes before explosion."
"Like I said, I don't care about anything else except seeing you die with my own eyes." Hajime's smile widened."So what the fuck does it matter to me if you're beaten already? I still haven't had enough. I still want to hear you begging me to stop. I still want to hear you scream in fear and agony...Just like they screamed when you killed them."
"No...No, please..." Bragard muttered, wincing when he was grabbed by the hair harshly.
"I killed you like 60 times or so already." Ryuki held his face closer to his."I wonder how many times I gotta kill you before you stay down for good. Let's find out, shall we?"
"And that's the last one!" Knight yelled, finishing defeating the last Alternative. The streets were covered with the mangled parts of the clones along with the broken Overall.
"Phew...I thought we would never finish." Zolda fell on his butt, taking off his helmet to breathe in the fresh air.
"Where did the Disasters go?" Raiden grimaced, realizing that the rouge Riders were nowhere in sight.
"They left..." Yosuke scowled."But how? The majority of mirrors in the city have been destroyed due to the constant battles."
"Look over here!" The green-haired teen waved his hand, prompting the others to come to his side. He was looking at a whole underground that led to the sewers, where they saw the water going down the drain. The whole area was beginning to get flood after a hydrant was broken, causing water to cover the street
"Ah, I see." Jades nodded in understanding."So they jumped inside and used the water to travel back, like how we did in the Kazanari mansion."
"So we have a way out. There are less than 5 minutes left before this place goes to hell." Knight put his helmet back on, activating his communicator."Adachi! Do you hear me?! I know you're in the Overall! Listen, you have to leave! NOW! We don't have time! This place is going to explode!"
The was no response. The others tried listening in for a reply, but there was no sound coming through.
"Adachi, listen. I know how you're feeling. But revenge...revenge is a bad business." Yosuke tried to talk him out of doing something stupid."You have to stop. Once you soak your hands with blood...there is no going back. Please, Adachi...Stop...Tachibana wouldn't want this..."
Hearing no reply the Riders wordlessly looked up at the sky, silently deciding to wait for their friend until the very last second. And that's when they saw a ball of fire breaking through the upper levels of the Overall.
"2 minutes before explosion."
Bragard was flung outside of the Overall while Ryuki blasted himself toward the sky with his boosters.
"T-t-that's it!" Bragard clapped his hands, conjuring countless dark magic circles, uniting them into one to form a sword that looked like a DNA strand."The origin of all life! And I am the one that brings an end to life, human! I've had enough! YOU LITTLE SHIT!"
The sword enlongated aiming upward with the sounds of Bragard's insanity cackles."Huh?!"
"YOU'RE MINE!"
"60 seconds before explosion."
And he saw it. Countless firefists flew down from the heavens. Overshadowing his meager blade. The blade was destroyed on impact, and the fists reached Bragard in seconds. The last thing he saw at that moment was Ryuki floating above him, his eyes completely white. Each punch broke his body apart, burning him and breaking him to pieces. His body was broken, his plan, his plans, and his dreams. All ruined.
"YOUR TIME...IS PAST!" Ryuki landed a final kick to Bragard's chest, launching them down the hundreds of meters that was the Overall, resembling a comet about to crash against the city."AND THIS GAME IS OVER!"
"20 seconds before explosion."
"Here they come! Everyone, start going through now!" Knight ordered as all the Riders jumped through the water back to the real world.
"Yosuke!"
Knight looked up, seeing the God of Thunder floating down while carrying the body of the unconscious copy of Bragard."What the hell is that?!"
"No time to explain, here!" He tossed him the body, blasting himself toward the sky."I will guide them to the water! You go through! I'll be right behind, Lad!"
Yosuke was about to scream after him but decided to trust him. Carrying the unconscious body, he jumped into the water, exiting the Mirror World.
"10 seconds before explosion."
The Overall began to shine brightly, small explosions occurring across its body as the whole thing began to overload.
"LAD!" Thor screamed, creating a giant hand of thunder that engulfed Ryuki and Bragard. He then headed back to the ground, gritting his teeth as Tobias' body hit its limit.
"3...2...1...0."
The Overall finally exploded, a blinding light covering the whole area just as Thor went through the water, exiting the Mirror World successfully and avoiding being caught in the giant blast that completely wiped out the city.
All Riders exited the Mirror World, finding themselves back in the real world. Except, everything looked to be in ruins.
"Oh, no! Did we screw up?!" Andreas gasped, pulling on his hair.
"I don't think so..." Jades scanned his surroundings, noticing that there wasn't a single Alternative to be seen. Neither the giant colossus."It doesn't look as bad as the Mirror World did. But the city is still in chaos."
"Carol..." Yosuke sighed, noting that mushroom cloud in the distance."Must have been her."
"Guys!"
The boys shifted their gaze, turning to see the group of girls rushing at them with tears in their eyes, jumping into their arms.
"Woah, Shortcake, easy!" Takeru fell onto the ground with Chris on top of him."Everything...hurts..."
"And it will continue to hurt!" She hugged him."I was so worried! You just stopped responding to your fucking phone!"
"A lot happened..." Raiden grumbled, soothing rubbing Shirabe's back."Hey, it's okay..."
"No, it's not..." Shirabe buried her face against his chest."We thought you died..."
"We were so worried-desu! Next time let us know if you're not going to pick up the phone!" Kirika smacked Andreas on the head.
"Wait, where is Setsuna-chan?!" Andreas realized he had completely forgotten about his girlfriend.
"She was taken to HQ." Tsubasa took a deep breath, still holding onto Yosuke tightly."She's...She's a sobbing mess. And her cousin passed out from exhaustion. What happened?"
"Guys!" Hibiki landed on the ground next to them, letting Carol on the ground. The group tensed up at her presence, but she waved her arms frantically in front of her."It's okay! She won't cause any more trouble!"
Carol said nothing, simply sitting on the ground and offering no words.
"Is Chao-Xing with Hajime-chan?" Maria glanced around, looking for her number 1 fan.
"Maria..." Jades bit his lower lip."Chao-Xing, her father, and Hajime's grandmother...They didn't make it..."
"What?!" Chris exclaimed, turning her eyes to her boyfriend."No...No, that can't be!"
"We don't know exactly what happened..." Takeru muttered, his shoulders slumping."But...Bragard killed them. Chao-Xing must have fought to the very end. And her death...something changed inside of the Lieutenant. He's...different."
"No...No! No!" Kirika fell to her knees, a sorrowful cry escaping her lips."No!"
"Chao-Xing-san is dead...?" Shirabe whispered, covering her face as tears streamed down like waterfalls.
"But we just had gotten to know her!" Hibiki broke into tears."How?! How did this happen?!"
"The Lietenant was no match for Bragard." Takeru shifted his gaze to Hibiki."He... must have pinned him down or something. And he killed her in front of him. Along with his family. Setsuna-chan and Wei-kun are the only survivors."
"It is true. I do not sense the presence of the Relic I gave her." Thor descended from the sky, carrying an unconscious body that was now covered up in Tobias' lab coat.
"Thor?" Tsubasa blinked."What are you...carrying...?"
"This is a...clone of sorts. We found it inside an incubator." He briefly explained."Tobias told me to save him since he hadn't done anything wrong. He was most likely going to be Bragard's spare body."
Carol crawled closer to the God of Thunder, grabbing the clone's hand as she began to silently cry.
"The Mirror World is gone." Raiden told them."The Overall blew up after Damian sacrificed his life to save us. We wouldn't have won without him. So...we can't go back inside to search for bodies. Even if we could, that explosion must have destroyed Tokyo entirely."
"So we can't even hold a proper burial for them?!" Chris gritted her teeth."Did you...Did you at least kill the bastard?!"
"Wait, where is Hajime?!" Hibiki ran toward Yosuke, grabbing his arms."Where?! Where is he?! I have to see him! He must be distraught right now! He needs me!"
Yosuke shifted his gaze to his left, followed by Hibiki. Standing with his back turned to them, Hajime silently stood. The group rushed to his side, Hibiki running as fast as she could as her transformation became undone."Hajime!"
"D-damn...damn it...how...how could this happen...?"
Hibiki stopped, realizing that Hajime was staring at a fallen Bragard who was covered in wounds that were slowly regenerating.
"Good...He didn't kill him..." Yosuke sighed in relief.
Ryuki pressed a button on his Dragvisorzwei, activating the blade mode and making his way to Bragard.
"D-d-don't...don't hurt me, please..."
"Hajime stop!"
"Not yet." Hajime glanced over his shoulder, and what Hibiki saw set several red flags in her head. He was giving her the most sadistic smile she had ever seen, and his eyes were wide open, his pupils dilated. The fact he was covered from head to toe in Bragard's blood certainly didn't help."I haven't heard him scream enough. He can still sing more for me."
"What...what are you saying...?" Hibiki covered her mouth, horrified at the sight."Hajime, you're scaring me..."
"Hajime-chan, stop right there!" Maria ordered."You can't kill him!"
"Blacky-kun!" Kirika yelled."Don't! That's enough!"
"This isn't like you, Lieutenant!" Takeru tried to move, but his adrenaline had finally died down and the pain in his thigh returned, preventing him from moving.
"I don't care. I want to hear more." He rose his blade, chuckling in madness."Come on, Bragard. Entertain me some more!"
"Y-you're a monster! A devil!" Bragard threw rocks at him, but he missed all of them.
"Yeah...Maybe. I'll be whatever I have to be to see you cry for mercy." Hajime nodded."I bet you wish you could die right now, huh? But since you infused the Philosopher's Stone into your body, you can't die so easily huh? But that's fine with me. I am not satisfied yet. SO COME ON AND SCREAM! SCREAM FOR ME!"
"HAJIME! STOP!" Hibiki hugged him from behind, stopping him from further injuring Bragard."Stop! It's over! You defeated him."
"Let me go..."
"No! Please...please return to me."
"Let me go."
(Play Stay Alive by Rie Takahashi)
"You're not like this. You're a kindhearted boy who loves his friends."
"Let me go!"
"Sure, you enjoy getting into fights, but that's what I adore about you. You never back down from anything as long as you can help someone."
"Let me go! Let me go!"
"You changed me in some many ways. I had the courage to talk to my Dad again because I thought of you."
"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"
"You're so strong...And your hands are so warm and...I love it when I hold them. It's like I feel so much safer when you're around next to me."
"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!
"Your hands are to protect...just like how you told me. So use them to protect. Not to hurt others. He's defeated. You won. You saved us." She slowly reached for his arm."Please, Hajime..."
"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!
"Please!" She pleaded, grabbing his shaking hand. His body slowly began to calm down, and she took this opportunity to make him lower his hand."Please just return to me...I know you're going through something very hard right now...Your grandmother was a wonderful lady...A great mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law. But she wouldn't want this from you. Neither would Chao-Xing-chan. So...for her sake and mine...Look at me..."
She slowly made him look at her, turning his gaze away from Bragard. She cupped his cheeks, giving him a loving gaze and a heart-melting smile."There you go. It's okay. I got you now. It's finally over."
"Hibiki..." He muttered, closing his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her, crying loudly in anguish.
"There...there.." Hibiki cried with him, her heartbroken upon seeing him like this."I won't let you go...I'm right here. So...Please...Just let it all out, okay? I'll be here with you."
The others broke down as well. For everything they had lost that day. Friends. Important people in their lives. Heroes. Damian and Chao-Xing. Without them, they wouldn't have won.
Thor closed his eyes. He didn't want to see these children cry like this. They were too young to know this kind of pain.
"She's gone, Hibiki...I...I..."
"You're tired." Hibiki pressed her forehead against his."Let's get you to the infirmary where you can rest."
"D-don't...don't let me go...I'm scared..." He whispered, shaking like a leaf."I'm so scared, Hibiki...I'm terrified..."
"It's okay. I'll stay with you. My hand will never be separated from yours. Just like how you make me feel safe, I will make you feel safe too. Let's go, Sunny."
Hibiki gently guided him along toward the group, muttering words of comfort and love to ease his worries.
"W-where the hell do you think you're going?!"
Hajime became stiff again, but Hibiki squeezed his hand tighter.
Bragard was on his feet, using a rock as support as he gave them a feral snarl."WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING, YOU DISGUSTING, UNCIVILIZED, MONGRELS?!"
"It's over." Hibiki stared at him sternly."You lost. Carol lost. Your plans are through."
"W-what?! Carol?!" He looked past her, noticing the blonde on the ground, her attention focused on something that the Autoscorer was carrying. Due to the coat covering it, he couldn't tell what it was."She lost...SO WHAT?! SHE'S A CLUTZ!"
"You have the nerve to say that about her?!" Chris seethed."She put her faith in you! She believed you would come through for her!"
"So what?! I AM THE PRINCE!" He screeched, his voice cracking due to his undeveloped vocal cords."Do you realize who you're talking to?! I AM THE GREAT PRINCE BRAGARD SECOND HYPERION! I CANNOT LOSE!"
"And yet, here you are, defeated. We won't kill you. But you will be put behind bars." Tsubasa glared down at him with disdain."You will pay for every life you took. Every crime you committed."
"Don't be ridiculous, you bitch! I am the mightiest on this whole planet! I am the Ultimate Lifeform! I cannot be beaten! I am the strongest!"
Realizing it was useless to talk to him, the group continued to walk away, leaving him rambling on on his own.
"You cannot deny me of my destiny! You have no right! NO RIGHT!" He roared, punching the ground and breaking his knuckles."BOY WONDER! COME BACK AND FACE ME! I AM MIGHTY AND YOU ARE NOT! YOU CAN'T STAND ON THE SAME GROUND AS ME!"
Hibiki shook her head, continuing to guide Hajime away from the raging Prince.
"N-no...You can't disrespect me like this! DO YOU NOT REALIZE WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO, YOU DUMBASS MONKEYS?! BRAINLESS PIECES OF SHIT! THIS WORLD BELONGS TO ME! YOUR LIVES BELONG TO ME!"
He panted for air upon screaming his head off, but his words were not heeded. They ignored him entirely."I just...I just can't be beaten..." He fell on his knees, chuckling maniacally as he banged his head on the ground."I am the strongest being in existence...I know no equal...I swore to your Father that I would wipe out all of your kind...Just 3 left..."
Bragard laughed uncontrollably, raising his head as he jumped back to his feet."Do you think you won?! Ha! You failed! You call this a victory? I broke you. You beat me, but so what? Your family is dead! Killing me a million times will never change that fact. You failed to save a single person to die and this will be engraved into your memory. The day you failed, you failure of a Messiah! In the end, you have nothing. Because you are nothing. I swear on my life...I will ruin your life and make you live the rest of your days in misery! You won't ever live your life in normalcy after this day! I will be visiting you in your dreams endlessly! You..." The prince conjured several magic circles, creating a final blast of Broken Alchemy."You must be killed by me! I will never! EVER! BE DEFEATED! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA!"
Second Impact
"Now learn what happens when you mess WITH THE MOST POWERFUL BEING ON THE PLANET!" Bragard released his last attack, aiming to kill the Riders and Wielders once and for all, even if the blast killed Carol.
Hajime stopped, noticing the attack heading toward them. He gritted his teeth, his fury igniting once more as she shoved Hibiki harshly, aiming his visor at the blast and firing a powerful being of energy."FUCK YOU!"
The blat was completely engulfed by Ryuki's attack, and Bragard could only scream as he was consumed by it. A huge explosion went off, destroying the area around them.
Hajime heaved for breath, his eyes fixated on where Bragard once stood. Now empty."I did it...I killed...I killed him...I killed someone..."
"Hibiki!" Chris yelled, rushing toward the cream-haired girl.
"I-I'm okay..." Hibiki winced. She had scraped her knees when Hajime pushed her out of the way and some debris had cut into her skin.
Hajime took a step back, his brain finally overloaded after everything. He dropped his visor onto the ground, falling on his knees and vomiting.
"Adachi!" Yosuke jogged over to the young man, who was screaming without control. Using a move that Ogawa had taught him, Yosuke applied pressure to an area in his neck and knocked him out. The battle had finally ended. But the taste of victory was bittersweet.
"It's been 72 hours since the battle ended." Genjuro sat on his chair, staring at the screen showing the destroyed city."The Mirror World has been destroyed and there's no trace of Bragard behind. Furthermore, Carol has mysteriously vanished..."
"That's right." Ogawa nodded, walking down the deserted streets."I've been searching for a while, but the trail is long cold by now. Neither of them can be traced."
"Hibiki-chan protected Carol. And she was fascinated by...Bragard's clone." Aoi's lips thinned."She should be alive."
"As for Bragard, can we really say he's dead? I mean, why would that final attack be any different from the others he received? Surely he must have regenerated?" Sakuya rubbed his chin."Unless he ran out of lives..."
"But even if he's still out there, he's finished. The fear in his eyes said the whole story." Genjuro sighed."On another note...I can't believe Hajime-kun lost almost all of his family."
"And he had already lost his mother and found out his father turned into Odin to save the world the first time against Bragard..." Aoi frowned."That poor kid..."
"He and Eflnein-chan are currently in the hospital." Genjuro informed them."Matter of fact, they are visiting them right now."
Yosuke sat on a bench next to Wei, waiting for the next train to come by. He had helped the raven-haired teen carry his bags after offering some assistance. After everything, he felt that was the least he could do for him.
"Are you sure you really have to go?" Yosuke asked for what he thought was the third time."You could stay. I'm sure we can arrange some living quarters to your liking."
"It's okay, Yanagi-san." Wei shook his head, a small smile gracing his features."I...I have to go. If there are people like Lingyun and Xiangling...Half Liangs that were vanished from our family...I want to meet them and apologize for what the family did to them."
"Repent?"
"Sort of." Wei nodded."It's more like a spiritual journey, more than anything. I want to meet them. I thought that half Liangs weren't good at all. I mean, I thought they were vanished for a reason. But then I meant Lingyun and his sister. And even my sister got along with them..."
"With all of us." Yosuke added."She was a brave warrior...and a sweet girl."
"Heh. Don't let her hear that last part."
They both chuckled at that. The train blew its horn, indicating that it was approaching the station.
"Well, I don't want to keep you longer than necessary, Yanagi-san," Wei said, gathering his things.
"Do you want me to help you carry your bags inside?"
"It's fine. You've done plenty already."
"You Liangs can be so stubborn. I swear." Yosuke shook his head in disbelief, patting him on the shoulder as he stood up."I gave you my number, so if anything comes up or if you need something...let me know."
"Of course. And tell Lingyun...thank you. For fighting for my sister." He waved him goodbye."I'm sure Chao-Xing must be happy we got to live...wherever she is."
"I sure hope so."
With that, Yosuke bid his goodbyes and exited the train station. Wei sighed, watching as the doors for the train opened up and allowed people to get inside.
"Wei Liang...right?"
Wei blinked, whipping his head in the direction of the voice. There, a boy with blonde hair combed to the back and a burn mark on his face, and piercing pink eyes stood.
"Wait...I know you." Wei squinted his eyes."You're...Hazuki Kaburagi-san, right? You're my senior."
"I am." Hazuki approached him, hands behind his back."Tell me something, Wei...what if I were to tell you that there's a way to save humanity from its imminent destruction?
"Destruction...?"
"That's right." Hazuki stretched his arm out."Let me talk to you about salvation."
"You sure you don't want something to drink?" Raiden asked Elfnein, who was resting on her hospital bed."I can go get you something if you'd like."
"It's okay, Raiden-san. I'm still fairly full from the water you brought me earlier." The homunculus giggled.
"Yeah, Raiden. Give the girl some space. You've been visiting her nonstop." Jades grinned, wagging his eyebrows."Let her breathe."
"You're an asshole and I hate you." Raiden groaned, walking to the corner of the room and folding his arms.
"Stop acting like a kid." Chris rolled her eyes."It's summer vacation so stop whining so much."
"Enough with the teasing, guys." Takeru chuckled. He had been ordered by the doctor to use crutches while the wound on his thigh healed. Due to the constant movement, he had to do in the final battle, his wound had gotten worse, but it was going to heal."He's in love."
"I-i-in love...?" Elfnein blinked rapidly.
"Okay! I'm going to walk out now!" Raiden stood up, only for Maria to sit him back down.
"They're just kidding. Don't take it so personally."
"And they're right! It's summer vacation!" Hibiki beamed."So we shouldn't be so down! Chao-Xing-chan wouldn't want us to sulk around forever. If she was here, she'd be yelling at us to get a hold of ourselves and be happy we're all alive!"
"She's right." Jades nodded in agreement."She would say that. So let's enjoy these festivals in her honor.
"You guys keep saying that, but what does that mean?" Tobias tilted his head.
"Basically, you get to sleep in as much as you want, eat as much as you want, and stay up as late as much as you want!"
"But that's literally your lifestyle, dummy." Chris quipped, much to the girl's chagrin.
"And Kirika." Jades ruffled his sister's hair playfully."Isn't that right, sis?"
"Onii-chan! Why do you have to throw me under the bus like that-desu?!"
"Older brother's duty to embarrass his siblings every once in a while."
"I'm also looking forward to the summer festivals too." Miku smiled."And now that we have more friends than before, they will be even more lively."
"Yup! I have a little secret to tell you too." Hibiki grinned at the pinkette."When Maria-san gets in the mood, her Gear starts playing traditional dance music!"
"Wait, really?" Everyone stared at the pinkette.
"No! Of course not!" Maria exclaimed, blushing."That's more of Tsubasa's thing anyway!"
"I...can't deny that..." Tsubasa rubbed the bridge of her nose."But...I can't believe that's what you think of me and Ame-no-Habakiri."
"That just speaks of your own uniqueness, Tsubasa." Takeru winked at her."Just take the compliment."
Tsubasa stared at him sternly."And what about your uniqueness?"
"Someone's mad."
The group laughed together, but Tsubasa only rubbed her temples in exasperation.
"Anyway, we can show you all of that and so much more." Raiden offered the homunculus."I'm fairly knowledgeable in these things, so I can work as a good guide."
"But you never even had a summer vacation before." Shirabe pointed out, receiving a glare in return."Just saying."
"It's okay." Elfnein smiled warmly."I want to learn more about the world with you guys so we can be better friends."
"Ad we will." Hibiki reassured her."So just focus on getting better, okay? We'll be waiting."
"Right...thank you." Elfnein nodded."How's...how are Setsuna-chan and Hajime-san?"
The group's atmosphere went from happy to reluctant in a split second.
Jades cleared his throat."Setsuna-chan is fine. I spoke with her earlier and...well, she's taking it as well as you can expect. But I managed to make her laugh a little. Hajime is still unconscious, but I'm sure he'll get better."
"In fact, we're going to go visit him after you." Takeru grabbed his crutches, and with Chris' help, got back on his feet."
The group headed for the door, with Raiden staying behind to bid his goodbyes for the night.
"I'll be back tomorrow, morning alright? Same-"
"Same time as usual, I know." She giggled upon seeing his flustered face."Thank you, Raiden-san. You're so kind."
"I guess almost dying multiple times makes you look at things in a more positive light." He shrugged."And well...I like to see your smile..."
"Really..?"
"Yeah..." He trailed off, rubbing his nape sheepishly."It...well, it warms up my heart. So...if possible, I want to keep making you happy so you always have a reason to smile."
"I'm looking forward to it." She reached for his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze."You'll show me everything there is to know about the festivals, right?"
"I'd be honored." Raiden nodded, planting a gentle kiss on her hand.
The bespectacled teen headed for the door, where he received chuckles from his siblings.
"I can't believe he did it..." Shirabe stared at him with wide eyes.
"You should have gone for the mouth-desu!"
"I don't want to hear that from you! You never even kissed someone like that before!" He hissed, shutting the door behind him."Get off my case already."
"If we're done teasing Amaterasu..." Yosuke made his presence known, approaching the group.
"Never!"
"Then we have other matters to attend to." Yosuke ignored the last comment from Takeru."Adachi still hasn't woken up. I don't know if you guys still want to go visit him."
"Why hasn't he woken up?" Chris frowned."I mean, he's not injured, right?"
"Aside from severe exhaustion, his body is fine." Yosuke folded his arms across his chest."His sister told me he got his arms cut off, though...And his body was in pretty rough shape."
"W-what...?" Hibiki gaped in horror.
"But fusing with Dragreder seemed to have healed his injuries." Yosuke stated."But...his mind is..."
The group fell into a deep silence, no one really knowing how to reply to that.
"It's like...he doesn't want to wake up." Yosuke trailed off after almost a minute of silence.
"Yosuke!" Tsubasa gasped, grabbing Hibiki's shoulders.
"I'm sorry, but I have to say it." The knight-themed Rider clenched his fists."I...I am the bearer of bad news. I'm a failure of a leader. This is...the least I can do. Be honest with you."
"No, Yosuke-senpai..." Kirika muttered."You're..."
"It's not just your fault, man." Takeru refuted."We were there too. Those fucking mini Alternatives kept stopping us."
"We all weren't strong enough to save him in time." Jades chimed in."So don't carry that burden alone."
"But...what will we do now?" Andreas quietly asked. But no one could answer him.
"What about...Carol's offspring?" Raiden quirked a brow."I still find it weird to say. To think that clone is made from Carol's and Bragard's genes..."
"Technically speaking, he's also Elfnein's offspring. He's a hybrid. Half homunculus and half human." Tsubasa pointed out."But since she sees Carol as a sister and is her own separate entity, then she is his aunt. Uncle told me they're keeping a close eye on him and performing experiments. But he shouldn't be dangerous."
"Hopefully not." Takeru rubbed his arm."So what does that make him? Bragard the third?"
"Stop! Stop!" Hajime screamed, crying out in vain to Bragard. His arms were gone and was pinned on the ground.
"Stop? No, no, no. Watch closely." He stepped over his grandmother's body, raising his Slashdagger."Burn this moment to your retinas!"
Hajime screamed, jolting awake from his slumber. He heaved for breath, the machine next to him going haywire due to the instant increase in his heartbeat."Grandma..."
He yanked the needle stuck to his arm that connected him to an IV, causing his arm to begin bleeding."Grandma..."
The boy continued mumbling under his breath, exiting his room and heading to the hallway.
Suddenly, he remembered everything. His battle with Bragard. Chao-Xing's demise. The cruel murder of his grandmother and his uncle. His chest tightened, prompting him to take in shallow breaths. Without another word, he took on sprinting out of his room, clutching his chest and leaving a trail of blood behind.
"I believe in you..." He recalled back Chao's words to him, mere moments before she had her head bitten off."I love you too, Hajime...little brother."
"NoNONONONONONO!" Hajime continued running aimlessly.
"I am grateful I got to be with my two beloved children..." Kyoko said, moments before Bragard executed her."I love them both as if they were my own children..."
Hajime fell on his face by a window. And he noticed the light coming from it. When he looked up, he saw the moon shining upon him from the sky."I can't...I can't take this anymore...I can't..."
"Hajime!"
Hibiki rushed to his side, wrapping her arms around him as he broke into tears again. She soothingly rubbed his back, giving him gentle kisses on his forehead in an attempt to calm him down. But she couldn't take seeing him like this. In all the time she'd known him, she had never seen him so...broken. She couldn't hold back her tears, and curled up with him, crying in each other's arms.
Later that night, Elfnein was fast asleep after everyone had left her room to let her rest. However, the sound of the door being opened woke her up, and she caught the gaze of an unexpected visitor.
"Carol..." Elfnein breathed, a little surprised to see her here after hearing she had disappeared.
"Carol?" Carol blinked, a puzzled expression on her face."Is that my name?"
"I guess you burnt all of your memories after all." Elfnein lamented, sad at how things turned out for her original.
"All I have are fragments, like vague shapes in the mist." Carol approached the bed."Every time I close my eyes, I see you. And him. I thought you could give me answers."
"You are another me." Elfnein answered without hesitation."Your name is Carol Malus Dienheim. When you say him, I guess you mean the boy the others brought back? The one with white and black hair. If so, that's...your son, I suppose. He has 50% of your DNA in him."
"A son...? I have a son...?" Carol blinked, grabbing her head."This is too much for me to grasp..."
"Then allow me to start with something simpler. You and I came all this way together following the words Father left us."
"I cannot believe I had forgotten all of these things." Carol sighed, dejected."They're all very important."
"He said...to learn the world and experience it." Elfnein coughed blood, startling Carol."I would tell you more, but..."
"You're fading too, right? Just like me." Carol grabbed her hand in an attempt of reassurance."You don't want that, right?"
"I...I thought I'd gladly give my life if it meant saving the world." Elfnein began to tear up, thinking of her friends.
"I'll come to visit at the same time tomorrow." Raiden had said. And he had kept his word this past couple of times. He would show up, sit by her side with his laptop, and show her movies as they commented on them. It was a rather simple but fun activity they had developed. And she wanted to share more moments with him.
"I now realize I don't want to die..."
"Then one more time! Together!" Carol jumped on the bed, grabbing Elfnein's hands as they began to glow.
"Carol, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to take your memories and consciousness inside of my body. But don't worry. You will have full control of this body." Carol explained, a small, genuine smile appearing on her face."You don't want to die...because of them, right? Then you won't have to. Just please, promise me something. You won't say no, would you?"
"Huh?"
"Take care of that boy for me." Tears glistened in her eyes."Please...Take care of him."
"Carol...!" Elfnein gasped but nodded resolutely."I will. I promise you. I'll watch over him in your stead."
The group rushed inside the hospital ward hallways until they reached Elfnein's room and swung the door open. And that's when they saw...
"Carol?" Yosuke narrowed his eyes. Yosuke along with Takeru and Jades stood in front of the group protectively.
"Oh. Everyone." Elfnein turned around, giving them a warm smile."I'm sorry to have worried you."
"You're okay!" Hibiki beamed, rushing toward the small blonde and engulfing her in a big hug."You're okay!"
"Hibiki-san..." Elfnein gasped, noticing her puffy eyes."You've been..."
"I'm fine..." Hibiki lied, forcing a small. She couldn't ask further when she felt another pair of arms hugging her, making her squeal in surprise."R-Raiden-san!"
"You're okay..." Raiden choked a sob, offering her a tender smile."You're okay..."
"I am..." Elfnein teared up, grabbing his arms."I'm okay. Carol...essentially gave me another chance. And well...here I am. So...are we still going to the festivals?"
"Of course!" Raiden nodded enthusiastically."I promise I'll take you and give you a tour, even though I'm not that knowledgeable about them!"
"Thank you...I appreciate that." She buried her head in his chest, wrapping her thin arms around his frame.
"Kiss her!" His eye twitched, hearing the voices behind him egg him on. He sighed, but before he could do anything, Elfnein cupped his cheeks and kissed him on his left cheek."E-Elfnein-chan..."
"So they stop teasing you." She giggled."Oh! I'm sorry, everyone! But I have to-"
"Go see him? Yeah, we figured." Chris smirked."The old man is around. So just go ask him for clearance and you're good."
"Thank you!" With that, the blonde girl rushed out of her room.
Elfnein slowly opened the door to the room she was guided to by a group of doctors. After getting permission from the Commander, she immediately rushed to visit the clone they had found in the Overall. It hadn't been easy. She was still wearing Carol's dress and walking on her heels was a bit too uncomfortable. But she had to see him.
"Hello." Elfnein shut the door behind her, her eyes glued to the hybrid homunculus on the bed. He was identical to Bragard in almost every way. The hairstyle was a huge giveaway, except that it was half black and half white, unlike Bragard's full white hair.
"Hi." He turned his attention to her, giving her a full view of his face. He had Carol's round face and even her mole under his eye. But he also had the Prince's crimson eye on his left and Carol's teal color on the right. But what caused her to giggle was the seemingly permanent scowl on his face, much too like how Carol looked most of the time.
"Are...are you my Mama?" The hybrid asked, setting down the book he was reading on his bed.
"Ah, no." Elfnein waved her hands in front of her."Well, genetically I am. But I come from the same place as Carol. The same original. So in a way, she's my sister. I...don't know if that makes any sense?"
"No." He stifled a chuckle, shaking his head."It really doesn't. So...what are you, then? You feel very familiar to me."
"Well, seeing as how I'm Carol's sister in a way, then that makes me your aunt. My name is Elfnein." She immediately became flustered."Ah, but you don't have to call me aunt or anything."
"Aunt...Aunt Elfnein." The clone repeated the word."Auntie Elfnein it is then. Auntie, where are my Mama and the Second?"
"They...they're no longer here." Elfnein answered, walking closer to him and sitting on the edge of his bed."I'm sorry. But I'm your only family."
"I see." He muttered, a little crestfallen.
"But Carol lives on inside of me. And I can tell she would have loved to meet you." She grabbed his hand gently."She always wanted to be a Mama. She asked me to take care of you. And that's what I'll do. That is if you're okay with me loving you in her place."
"That sounds nice." He nodded slowly."Sorry, I'm...I'm still trying to process everything. I am aware of everything that went down. As well as having some memories of the First. But it's all just a blur. It's hard to understand everything."
"That's okay. I am here to make sure you understand." Elfnein beamed."The Commander permitted me to speak with you. You can't leave the room yet since they still have to run more tests, but I can stay here for as long as you want me to. Now, where should I begin? I...What do you want me to call you? Do you have a name?"
"Do you have a name in mind for me, Auntie Elfnein?"
"I do!" Elfnein nodded enthusiastically."Your name will be...Bragi! How does that sound? That's the nickname that the first Bragard used to go by."
"Bragi...If I'm not mistaken, the Second hates that name." He smiled, leaning back on his pillow."I am the Third Hyperion. So that makes me Bragi Third. As for the last name...I want to go with Dienheim."
"With Carol's last name?"
"Yes. I want to be different from the Second." Bragi flashed her a cocky grin."And I think that by rejecting his last name I'm taking the first step forward. Though...it is quite strange that we're nephew and aunt. I am fairly taller than you, after all. But I suppose that doesn't matter to me since I don't particularly care about other people's comments. Gossip is beneath me, after all."
"Seriously...so prideful. I can't tell where you got that from." Elfnein giggled in joy, making her nephew smile upon seeing her happy face.'I'll watch over him, Carol. Don't worry. I'll make sure he grows up the right way.'
"Auntie...Can I...hug you?"
"Hug me?"
"It's just...Well, I woke up in this known I don't have any memories aside from the fragments from the First's memories, and the instructions were given to be my the Overall. So..."
Elfnein cut him off by engulfing him in a big hug, nuzzling against his cheek."Of course. I'll give you as many hugs as you need."
"Thanks..." He muttered, embarrassed."Don't tell anyone about me being a little...you know..."
"There's nothing wrong with wanting a hug from a parent," Elfnein reassured him.
"Maybe but it doesn't feel right. I mean...I am a Prince...right...?"
"Yes." She pulled back, ruffling his hair playfully."You're a Prince. And you'll be a good one. I can tell."
A white-haired woman sat on top of a building in the middle of the night, staring at the city lights from afar. She was lost in her thoughts, enjoying the sound of traffic in the distance. It was a peaceful night. Not something she was privileged to now nowadays.
Suddenly, her phone went off. She sighed, taking it out from her breast pocket and taking a look at the name on the screen. It was a meeting call. With a sigh, she swiped the screen, holding the phone closer to her ear."And why are you calling me on this? I told you to use my communicator, did I not? These gadgets can be traced back or tapped."
"We have to get on with the times. Plus, these smartphones are super cute~!" The surly voice of a woman could be heard from the speakers.
"Basically, someone got overexcited with their new phone and is going around showing it off to everyone."
"Hey, these are super good, I'll have you know, Prelati." The booming voice of a man said."And I figured we may as well put them to use once in a while. At least humor me a little, St. Germain."
"Very well. But only because you forced me to accept this as a gift." The white-haired woman sighed."So, what begs this call? I assume you must have called for a reason other than to flaunt your new phone."
"Right." His voice turned serious."It's about Bragard."
"Yes, I saw the light show too. Very hard to miss." Prelati hummed."It seems the Chateau was put to use but was somehow destroyed, seeing as how the world is still in one piece."
"So the little Prince's girlfriend got defeated? I bet he must be really sad right about now."
"Well, you're half right, Cagliostro."
"Just what are you trying to say, Raphael?" St. Germain tapped her index finger against her phone impatiently.
"Well, Carol was defeated yes. But as it turns out, Bragard was taken out as well. He's dead."
"What?!" St. Germain stood up in a flash, her eyes wide in shock."Bragard Hyperion is dead?! inconceivable!"
"The Little Prince lost?!" Cagliostro couldn't hide her surprise either.
"I...find that very hard to believe. Basically, what happened?" Prelati asked."From what I understand, his plans were heavily delayed 10 years or so ago. That's why we saw him looking like a little boy the last time we met with him and Carol. So...who took him out?"
"It was the Messiah. His name is Hajime Adachi and is the holder of the Ryuki Deck."
"The...the Messiah...?" St. Germain muttered, stunned beyond words."Raphael...are you certain...?"
"Indeed. My sword detected his presence. It's a Messiah alright." Raphael confirmed the information."How ironic that a Messiah was the one to take down an oppressor such as Bragard. But hey, you might get your chance to meet him, St. Germain. After all, that's one of your greatest wishes."
"It is..." She whispered, still bewildered by the revelation."Still...the Lodgemaster won't like this one bit."
"Maybe so. He did want to kill Bragard himself, after all." Raphael mused."I suppose he'll want to get back at the Messiah for stealing his "well-deserved victory"."
"Keep this information on the low for now." She commanded him."I want to meet this Messiah and see him with my own two eyes. I want to see if he's the real deal."
"Of course, my lady." Raphael agreed."So...that's all the info I got for you ladies. I shall bid you adieu. I have some research to do with the information Bragard managed to spread around the globe."
"Bye-bye!" Cagliostro hung up the call, being the first one to leave.
"Basically, I wish you good night."
With that, only Raphael and St. Germain remained in the call."Do you think this Messiah is different from the others in the past? Back when we heard stories when we were kids?"
"He has to be. If he took down someone like the Prince, he has to." St. Germain clenched her fist in determination."And I won't rest until I meet up. But for now, we have other matters to attend to."
"Right..." Raphael chuckled."Operation Val Verde. It's time to retreat her, isn't it?"
Yosuke ran a hand through his hair, sighing for what felt was the 100th time. He was sitting at one of the empty cafeteria tables in HQ. There was no one working there, but they kept the place open in case someone got hungry late at night. This made the perfect place to gather his thoughts. Or so he thought.
"Are you gonna say something or are you just going to keep on sighing?" Takeru asked, munching on his peanut butter sandwich.
"This report..." Yosuke set the report on the table.
"I read it too." Takeru nodded."It took a while, but we got a full story of what happened in the Mirror World."
"I can't believe Odin was Adachi's father all along. And he became Odin to save the world from him all those years ago." He rubbed his temples."And he saw his family die in front of him in such a cruel manner. Setsuna is a brave girl, but...Sakamoto...I don't think they'll be able to bounce back from this."
Takeru arched a brow, urging him to explain.
"You saw how Adachi was behaving before...He was so cruel, heartless, and twisted. He was openly enjoying torturing Bragard like that." He took a deep breath."And it's because...I failed to save him in time. I couldn't prevent him from taking a life with his hands."
"You can't blame yourself, man. We're all responsible for that. None of us were strong enough to change the outcome of things." Takeru reassured him."Besides, who says they won't bounce back? The wounds are fresh. It will take time for them to scar. But we'll be here for them, won't we?"
"Yes...Yes, we will..." Yosuke muttered, lowering his gaze.
"You know, it just hit me. How this whole thing is kind of ironic."
"How so?"
"Well, two fathers, whom we thought was bad, turned out to be good. Hazama and Damian. We thought Hazama was a shit dad for abandoning the Lieutenant and Setsuna-chan, but he did it because he had no other choice. He gave up his life for his children and bought us the time we needed to one day take down Bragard. We thought Damian was just a mindless lackey, but that was the opposite of what he really was. He was a proud father and husband. He fought to the very end and sacrificed his life to stop Bragard. We wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for him. So I'm not going to judge people on my first appearances anymore."
"That sounds deep." He chuckled."But you're right. I guess...not all fathers are bad. But still..."
Takeru cocked his head to the side."Yeah, I know."
"How are we going to deal with Odin?"
A splash of cold water made the prince stir from his sleep. His eyes cracked open, his teeth baring to yell all sorts of obscenities to those who dared wake him up in such a manner. But something was wrong. He glanced down at his arms and legs. He was tied up by black chains, forced to lay suspended in the air."What the hell happened?!"
"The sweet prince has awoken from his slumber."
Now that he had taken a good look at the place, he was inside what looked to be ruins. Some type of alter. ANd his chains were connected to weird otherworldly machines that were connected to a clear sphere. He shifted his gaze to the sound of footsteps approaching him, immediately recognizing the sources.
"You! You ingrates!" He snarled upon seeing the Disasters glaring at him."What have you done to me?!"
"Nothing, yet." Hazuki shrugged, holding a penguin plush in his arms.
"You should be grateful, Bragard." The penguin spoke."We saved your life and helped you escape when Ryuki tried blasting you. Of course, you wouldn't have died, since you still have plenty of lives left. Especially since you have that Philosopher's Stone embedded into you."
"What's the meaning of this, damn you?!" Bragard snapped."Release me now, you treacherous snakes!"
"Singular snake." Allister winked playfully."That's me."
"You know what I mean, you disgusting human! Wait...why do you have that...?"
Hazuki held a small cube in his hand, playing with it between his fingers."This is the Mirror World Core, no?"
"How...how did you-"
"Bragard, you do know that I can teleport. Or did your arrogance prevent you from realizing that during our final battle?" Hazuki smiled."Did it not strike you as odd how I didn't immediately go into your Overall? You did take me there before. I can teleport anywhere as long as I've been there. So if I really wanted to, I could have teleported inside the Overall. But that wasn't my goal." He threw the cube high in the air before catching it."I wanted to get this as well as copy all of your valuable data for our own...purposes, let's just say. And as well as this..."
Chiaki stepped forward, holding out the Gjallarhorn for Hazuki to take, setting Loki on the ground."This Relic that we need to activate Ragnarok. We were after this all along. So when Hajime went after you and chased you around, I teleported inside and took my sweet time getting everything I needed. In the end, I got what I wanted while also seeing you break down like a baby. How ironic. You are the opposite of what you were when we first met. Remember?"
"G-give those back...they're mine...my hard work..." Bragard muttered, his eyes so wide they looked like they could fall out of their sockets.
"You know something, Bragard? You were right all along." Hazuki scratched his head, pacing around."I was lacking in a lot of things. I was never going to achieve Ragnarok like how I was. I lacked...the will required to do this. The cruelty. But thanks to you..." The blonde walked forward, a crooked smile plastering on his face as he faced the defeated Prince."Now I know what I must do. To become the ultimate good, I have to become the ultimate evil! And what better way to start than by stealing everything you ever made and using it for me?! Congratulations, Bragard! You are just a stepping stone for our plan to succeed!"
"W-what the hell...?" Bragard blinked, bewildered by his sudden shift in personality."But you can't use the Mirror World core!"
"Oh, I can, actually. And thanks to your notes, we'll be able to work on your technology and improve on it." Hazuki chuckled sinisterly.
"But you lack a power source!"
"Ah, wrong again." The wielder of the Ryuga Deck wagged his finger."We have a perfect power source...right there."
Bragard blinked. He was pointing at him..."B-but the Philosopher's Ston-"
"Is embedded into you, I am aware. That's why I hooked you to this machine. I stole it from your laboratory."
"According to your notes, the Philosopher's Stone is broken down at a molecular level, then reconstructed." Allister picked up the explanation."This process of construction and deconstruction is what releases the power you need to not only power the Mirror World but also the Overall. It releases energy comparable to a miniature sun."
"W-what...are you saying...?"
"I can't tell if you're this dense or if you're just in denial." Hazuki made his way over to the computer and typed a few things on the keyboard."I don't know for certain how the Philosopher's Stone will react inside of you to the whole process. But I suspect that you'll be experiencing grueling, agonizing pain. You will be split at a molecular level and more than likely you will feel your atoms desintegrate, one by one. Then, you will be reconstructed again to start the whole process. You will experience infinite death, unable to die for all of eternity. So I hope you enjoy your suffering for the rest of time, Bragard. Because it's going to be all you ever know from now on."
"W-wait...you're kidding, right?" Bragard chuckled nervously."You're not being serious, are-KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!'
The machine turned on, and his arms and legs immediately began to break apart, disintegrating slowly. He could feel every bone, tendon, and ligament in his body decay at insane speeds. It was as if he was decomposing in real-time. He continued screaming in agony until only his skull remained. Then, his body was reconstructed again, and he continued screaming.
"Now, all I have to do is hook the Mirror World Core and the Sea of Souls to maximize our work." Bragard beckoned the others to follow him."Thank you for your cooperation, Bragard. May you live the rest of time in the agony you deserve."
"DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! FUCK!" Bragard continued thrashing in mind-blowing pain, his body once more breaking apart before it was reconstructed again. It was the worst pain he had ever experienced in his life. Even his torture against Hajime paled in comparison. Every cell in his body hurt. Was...was he supposed to feel like this for all of eternity...?
"HELP! HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP! M-"
"Bragard...You know...I see them too." Hazuki stopped in front of his portal, glancing over his shoulder."The souls in this room will serve as the executioners for your constant death."
The prince gasped, seeing the room filled with countless people from his kingdom just staring at him. Watching him suffer. The people he had sacrificed to make the stone were now watching him as he died over and over and over because of it. He recognized the group of Autoscorers in the crowd, watching him in disdain.
"CAROL! CAROL, HELP ME! WHERE ARE YOU?! DAMIAN, ZEKE! SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE! PLEASE! SOMEONE PLEASE HEL-GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"
Hazuki closed the portal behind him, silencing the bloodcurdling screams."And that's that."
"Finally." Chiaki sighed."It was so hard to not stab them in the back while I healed them, you know? Good thing we can kill them now, eh, Oji-san?"
"Should be a blast." Terunosuke commented dryly, a little perturbed by what he had just seen."So, what now? We have the horn. Shouldn't we start Ragnarok now?"
"We can't. While we have a power source, we still need even more energy. Energy enough to open a huge dimensional rift between this realm and Helheim. For that, we need to collect more souls to add to the Sea of Souls. We can do this faster now once we get the Mirror World working again. It will make things easier for us." Hazuki walked ahead of them, hands behind his back."Besides...We still have to open all the remaining Gates of Hell as well as wait for the eclipse."
"So, while we did the hard parts, we still have to complete all the other requirements." Allister chimed in."I should be able to study those notes and replicate what Bragard did. Once I do that, we can start opening the Mirror World. And maybe even expand upon it. On another note, have they contacted you yet? I mean, I assume they already know you and Hajime-kun are siblings."
"Right. They did, but I told them I needed some time to get my bearings. Speaking of that..." Hazuki turned to his allies with a grim expression."A week from now, I'm going to talk to Miku-chan. I'm going to tell her who I am as well as tell her my intentions. Hajime will be there I'm sure. I'll convince them to join us."
"And if they don't listen?" Chiaki arched a brow, annoyed to hear that girl's name again.
"We'll use force." Hazuki easily answered."I decide the truth now. So if they don't listen, I'll force them to. It's for their own good. But I'll need you guys to be nearby in case things...go south."
"Fine. Guess we don't have a choice." Terunosuked, crossing his arms.
"What about the others?" Allister brought up a valid point, earning a grin from Chiaki, who was eager to kill."I doubt they'd sit by and let get away with that."
"Then we kill them." Hazuki replied coldly, making his allies tense up by how nonchalant he sounded."They are Riders, after all. So kill them if you get the chance. I'm done prolonging this. As for the Symphogear...I don't give a shit about them either. So feel free to kill them. Except for Hibiki-chan. For Hajime's sake, I'll keep her alive as well."
"Interesting." Allister mused with a chuckle."So I can finally kill Takeru and Chris."
"I can run wild too!" Chiaki was breathing heavily in anticipation."Oji-san, you must be happy too. You can kill your annoying ass siblings once and for all."
"Yeah." Terunosuke snorted."That hasn't changed. We have to start cutting down the number of Riders, right? So we can then die by your hands."
"It is what we agreed on, after all." Allister reminded them."Besides, he is a Messiah after all. And if what Bragard said is true, only he can harness the power of all Advent Beasts in unison."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Hazuki waved his hands dismisivally."For now...let's enjoy our victory. We came this far after being at our lowest point."
"I still can't believe Bragard is...well, not dead. But defeated." Allister corrected himself."He'll certainly wish he could die."
"He tried to play to be God and he got this as punishment. Also for kickstarting this whole thing to begin with. Besides, he should be happy. He's attained true immortality. He can't die, no matter how much he wants to now."
"Though it's probably not the type of immortality he desired." Chiaki shrugged."How envious I am of him. He's truly attainted eternity."
"What, you wanna suffer eternal death too?" Allister arched a brow at the yandere.
"If it means I am remembered for all of eternity, I would be more than happy too."
"You're all fucking weird," Terunosuke grumbled, turning his attention to Hazuki.
"Let's go." Hazuki splayed his hands, his sclera turning pitch black."It's our turn now. We'll save this world from itself."
Finally, after months and months, we concluded GX. It's been a crazy journey. And a roller coaster of emotions. I can't believe we're halfway through the series already. Now, we're moving on to AXZ, and while it probably won't be as long as this one, it will be more emotionally impactful. Things are about to get more difficult for our heroes now that they're getting deeper into the Rider War. The Disasters are done playing games and are out for blood. The battle for the fate of the world is approaching.
Kamen Riders Remaining:
Ryuki: Hajime Adachi
Knight: Yosuke Yanagi
Zolda: Takeru Sakamoto
Tiger: Jades Demetrios
Imperer: Andreas Kagatsuchi
Raia: Raiden Amaterasu
Odin: Hazama Liang
Ryuga: Hazuki Kaburagi
Gai: Terunosuke Kuwana
Ouja: Allister Albedo/Code Cypher
Femme: Chiaki Nakahara
Defeated Riders:
Scissors: Goro Tanaka (Killed by Ouja)
Alternative Zero: Dr. Ver (Bled to death from Carol's attack)
Verde: Zeke Crowley(Killed by Zolda)
Abyss: Damian Schwarzer(Sacrificed his life to overload the Overall.)
Alternative: Bragard Second Hyperion(Incapacitated)
