Reviews:

Akira: No, don't worry about it. I'm grateful that you're loving the story. It's just that when you leave multiple reviews asking for the next chapter they kind of mix together and I get confused by other reviews when I get the notifications. Yes, Hajime is slowly coming back together. We'll see how his progress is later on.

Lord Ri The Husbu King: Yeah, Hamaguchi is just a cool guy if you think about it. Aside from being a pervert. But he's doing his best to help his best friend in his time of need. And yeah, Hajime is still not in the right mindset. He just thinks Hibiki deserves someone better than him because he thinks he's broken. To be honest, I wouldn't really do a Ryuki story if you're going for something more cheerful. Pick something else. Ryuki is not meant to be that kind of series and it will feel pretty weird. Even if you base it off Dragon Knight, people still died there. Also, all the Riders were evil except for like 4 xD. But whatever you choose to do, I will support you as much as you have supported my story.

moniura2005: Yes, we're still far from Hajime being okay, but this is a good sign. It seems getting away from the battles is doing him some good. And like Kuroiwa said, a slow progress but there is no need to rush. Right, their relationship is in a very bad situation. They had a big argument before Hajime left. It's a big contrast if you go back to GX chapter 1 where they were inseparable. And Chiaki showing up is just a bad sign of the things that are about to happen. Hajime can't fight well yet, so if she tries anything, it will be up to Kuroiwa to fight. I based Kuroiwa's words on a personal experience of mine with a friend. He needed help but he never wanted to get it. He was forced to get it and it didn't help at all because he wasn't willing to help himself. The first time in improving is YOU wanting to do it. Not other people.

Chapter 87
Illuminati on the Move

"Oh, God..." Miku sat down next to Hibiki after changing from their swimming class."So that's why Takeru-san isn't here...And Chris-san is..."

"She's...doing okay, I think. She's here in school but we told her she should stay home for a bit. She said she needs to take her mind off things." Hibiki whispered, audible enough for Miku to hear.

"And it was Albedo-san the one who killed him." Miku frowned."I can't believe he was Ouja all along. But then again, Femme was also Nakahara-san too...I can't imagine what Chris-san must be going through. This trip to Val Verde didn't do you guys any good. And Takeru-san...I can't believe a kind person like him was killed like that. How horrible..."

"And then there's this group called the Bavarian Illuminati. Their members...want the same thing Ryoko-san wanted. So I feel like they...maybe they think they don't have a choice?"

"There's always a choice. Never say that." Miku said dryly."You sound like him..."

Hibiki hummed. She knew she was talking about Hazuki."I don't think they want the same thing...I mean, Hazuki-kun wants to obliterate all life on the planet to recreate it in a new world. But...I guess it's too early for me to say what they want."

"Not everyone is the same Hibiki." Miku looked into her eyes."You said you wanted to talk first before fighting, right? Some people won't be willing to listen. I learned that the hard way. Hazuki-kun will never see things differently. He told me so himself that day. But...I would lie if I said that would be the case for everyone. Maria-san and the others were enemies originally, right? So maybe there is a way to talk to these people. You won't give up if you fail once, right?"

"Of course not..." Hibiki shook her head.

"And...Listen, about Hajime." Miku furrowed her brow."I'm sorry. But this is for the best. He doesn't deserve you, Hibiki."

"Miku..."

"He broke his promise." Miku forged on, her expression souring."He left you. When you were looking after him. When you gave him all of your love. He just left! The nerve of him! I knew this would happen. Just like his brother!"

"Miku, he's going through-"

"And you aren't?! You went through a lot! Everyone went through a lot and no one became a complete jerk because of it! He has no excuse! Hibiki! He broke your heart! You don't deserve that! You really don't!"

"But...but I..." Hibiki started to cry, hiding her face behind her hands. Miku quickly sat down beside her, wrapping her arms around her."I should have done more, Miku...I should have...I love him...I still love him..."

"Hibiki, this is hurting you. You have to let go." Miku felt tears glistening in her eyes."I...I should have let go too. When Hazuki did all of that..."

"But you couldn't...?"

"I'm sorry...I know it's not easy." Miku hugged her friend together."I just don't want you to be like this. To be crying. It reminds me of back then. I thought Hajime-kun would be the one to help you keep your smile on your face."

"I did too...But he's hurting, Miku...He's hurting...We all are..." Hibiki sobbed. She just wanted everything to go back to normal. She missed being with Hajime. She missed the way he would joke around with her and tell her how much he loved her. It made her feel special. His hugs are what kept her warm and his kisses sent electricity up her spine. But none of that was present now. And she dreaded that it to never happen again.

Meanwhile, Yosuke, Jades, Tsubasa, and Maria were on board a plane from Val Verded, heading to Tokyo after collecting the data from Val Verde's government. The girls were quiet, sitting in the front, while the boys sat in the back. Yosuke rubbed his temples, a million thoughts running through his head. But the one that repeated the most was how Takeru had died on his watch.

'Or maybe it's because I should have been on watch...' Yosuke clenched his teeth.'I'm sorry, Sakamoto...I'm so sorry...'

"Yosuke...There is something I must tell you." Jades suddenly said, his gaze staring out the window with nostalgia in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Yosuke asked, leaning forward. His friend never showed that type of serious emotion. Not unless it was something important.

"This...this is my fault..."

"Say what?"

"Andreas dying...Takeru dying...All of those deaths at their hands." Jades clasped his hands, his gaze glued to his knees."It's all because of me. Because of me...all of this is happening."

"What do you mean?" Yosuke frowned."Jades, this isn't your fault."

"I...it shouldn't have been me..."

"Huh?"

"I...I never told anyone about this." Jades looked at him with a blank expression."Only Mom knows about this. Not even Maria. But I have to tell someone. I've been keeping this close for so long that I...I...And now, with all of this happening...It's my fault..."

"Jades, please, talk to me." Yosuke said, his voice low so he wouldn't get the girls' attention."What's wrong?"

"I wasn't...meant to be Kamen Rider Tiger." Jades confessed, his voice breaking at the end as he broke into a silent sob."I was never meant to be Tiger..."

"What are you talking about?" Yosuke leaned back slightly, the information pushing him on his seat like weighted rocks."What do you mean?"

"I was never the one with the strongest will. That day, the one who was truly chosen...was Terunosuke..." Jades placed his hand over his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks."He was so excited when he got it... I was there. I never got any Deck. My will was never strong. So when he wasn't looking, I knocked him out. I told Mom that I was to become Tiger instead of him. That I was going to shoulder that responsibility and work harder than anyone else for FIS' plans...I had proved myself to be a better candidate, after all. So she agreed and suppressed that memory in his head. He never figured it out."

"Why? Why would you do that for him? I thought he...I thought he didn't like you guys." Yosuke pursed his lips, sitting on the chair next to his friend and rubbing his back.

"Because...because I wanted to protect him..." Jades wept, tears endlessly flowing from his eyes."I wanted to protect all of them. To make sure they lived good lives without needing to risk their lives. I never wanted the girls to become Symphogear either...And in the end, that didn't do anything. Serena died and he descended into despair...Raiden and Andreas became Riders and I wasn't able to save them. Terunosuke joined Hazuki and the others because he thought he should have been Tiger. When he was meant to be Tiger all along. All of those people died because of my decision. Atticus died because of me. Andreas and Takeru are dead because of me...Had I not decided to do that...Yosuke, he wants to kill us. I lost Andreas because of my decision. His help is what allowed Takeru to die."

Yosuke listened quietly, deciding to let him vent his emotions.

"And now I'm carrying this guilt. I am so scared, Yosuke. So scared that my siblings are in danger. That Maria is in danger. I wish I could be everywhere they go. To protect them at any time. That I could die a thousand times just to ensure their safety. But I can't...I can't...Terunosuke is the way he is now because of me. This is all...because of me. I deserve to die. No one else."

"Jades, listen to me. None of this is your fault. No one is blaming you for this." Yosuke said with a stern tone."What happened can't be helped. Be real with me. Do you think Kuwana would have given as much love as you gave those kids? Do you think he would have made the right decisions? The decisions that got you this far? They're alive because of you. You protected them but above all, you gave them love and made them feel appreciated. Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi speak so highly of you. They treasure you and love you so much. Amaterasu tries to hide it, but he looks up to you as well. Now more than ever, you guys need to be together."

"I know..."

"Kuwana chose this. Had he been Tiger, he would have done the same. He joined Ryuga based on false promises. Even if he was Tiger, Serena would have still died. He would have joined him regardless. He chose this, not you. So it's up to you to protect your siblings. To protect Maria. You're the man of the house, right? Then it's up to you to see them safe. Andreas died, that's true. But that doesn't mean you can't protect the others. Make his death worth something. You want what's best for them, right?"

"I do...I want...to one day walk those two girls down the aisle. When they decide to get married." Jades adopted a small smile."I'm pretty much their father figure anyway, right? So I'm looking forward to that day. I think I'll be passing out during their weddings, of course. But seeing them like that would make me so happy. Kirika is still deciding what she wants to do once this is over. But Shirabe wants to be a cook. She's gotten pretty good."

"I've tried some of her food. It's quite good, you're right."

"Raiden wants to be a barista. He's so in love with his coffees that he wants to start making more and maybe open up his own coffee shop one day. Andreas...He didn't get to figure out what he wanted to do...He deserved so much more. As for me? Originally, I wanted to be a trucker."

"A trucker? Really?" Yosuke's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah. I just wanted something simple, you know? Driving around the country and stuff." He shrugged."Never wanted to get into this management stuff, but Maria has no one else and Ogawa-san has his hands full with Tsubasa." He sighed, calming down a little and his tears dried up."Yosuke...Terunosuke wants us dead because of me. And if he finds out about this, there is no stopping him. I can't kill him. I can't have the others kill him. He's...he's family. I'm sure he didn't kill Atticus."

"Wait, what? What do you mean?"

"Andreas brought this idea up to me, but I pondered on it. They escaped from FIS together, chased down by countless soldiers. Even for a Kamen Rider, running and fighting day and night while protecting another person, it's a near-impossible feat. Especially at the time. So my theory is...Atticus got shot while off guard and Terunosuke took his Deck."

"That...is a possibility." Yosuke nodded."But why did he say he stabbed him?"

"Maybe...he blames himself for it. Serena had died at the time, and the other person who really got along with him was Atticus and Shirabe. Maybe..he snapped. Maybe he does think he killed Atticus. I'm not sure. But what I'm sure of is that Terunosuke...couldn't have killed Atticus. Andreas was sure of it. But maybe I'm just trying to justify everything by believing in a lie. But I want to believe in that. So I'm going to try my hardest to save him. But for that to happen, I have to take out Ryuga."

Take out. Yeah, Yosuke could understand. He also wanted to kill Allister. Their team was filled with that lust for revenge. All of the Disasters had wronged them in some way.

The plane suddenly trembled violently, ending any further conversation from continuing.

"What's going on?!" Yosuke immediately ran to the girls' side.

Tsubasa looked out the window, noticing a great number of Alca Noise flying outside."We got trouble."

"Alca Noise..." Yosuke muttered."Which means...the enemy is here."

True enough, Cagliostro and Prelati were standing on a platform above the ocean, looking at the chaos in the air.

"We got them now!" Cagliostro beamed."Let's send a few more their way."

"I got a better idea." Prelati grinned, taking out a green gem and tossing it on the floor. A monstrous version of Zolda emerged, manifesting his Gigacannons on his shoulders."You know what to do."

"Roger that, ma'am." Zolda began bombarding them with his missiles, striking parts of the plan.

"Takeru..." Jades winced upon seeing the monster version of his deceased friend.

"That's not him" Yosuke cried out, taking out his Deck."Jades! Get ready because-"

And that's when the missiles eventually broke the floor of the plane, causing all of them to freefall into the ocean. Maria grabbed the suitcase, refusing to let go of it.

"Tsubasa! Jades!"

"Understood!"

"Imyuteus Ame No Habakiri tron..."

"Henshin!"

(Play Gekka Bijin)

"Alright!" Knight immediately opened up his visor, activating a card.

Advent: Darkwing

Darkwing flew by and attached itself to Maria's back, carrying her in the air to avoid falling into the ocean.

"Thank you, Darkwing!"

Darkwing just flapped its wings, avoiding the Noise that threatened to attack them.

Tsubasa began slashing around the Noise, using them as footing to get closer to them and clear a path for Darkwing and Maria.

S. Zolda continued firing his missiles, prompting Tiger to reach for his Deck and materialize his Destvisor.

Freeze Vent

His cannons froze, leaving him perplexed.

"Oh, my. That stud of a man sure has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, doesn't he." Cagliostro purred, jumping up and down and causing her chest to jiggle.

"Basically, I wouldn't expect less from the eldest." Prelati eyed S. Zolda."But I prefer the handsome brunette. Why isn't the cute one here?"

The Shadow Rider manifested his Gigacannon without the need of a card, aiming at the group in the air."You idiots! It's no use! I can just keep on attacking!"

"So what do we do about him?!" Tsubasa asked, having to yell due to the wind.

"Let's see if he can withstand this!"

Strike Vent: Destclaws

"Yosuke!"

"Right!"

Tempest Vent

Using his Darkvisor, Knight created a small current of air that warped into a tornado, launching it toward Jades' feet and shooting him toward S. Zolda.

"Uh, oh!" S. Zolda yelped, morphing into Magnugiga.

"What the hell-"

Magnugiga swatted Jades away like a mosquito, falling into the water.

Final Vent: Flyinglancer

Magnugiga was struck by a black tornado, causing it to tip over and fall on its back, leaving its chest damaged. The Shadow Rider changed back into his regular form, wincing in pain.

"Damn...What the fuck?! Wasn't your monster carrying that woman with the pink hair?!" He seethed, grabbing onto his chest.

"All covered." Knight jabbed his thumb toward Maria, who was safely being carried by Tsubasa as they hovered over the water.

"Maybe we should wait for St. Germain after all." Prelati blinked, calling back S. Zolda into his gem form.

"Sure. What a shame." Cagliostro winked at Tiger."See you around, stud."

"You better stay away from my man, you hear me?!" Maria growled, watching as the two Alchemists disappeared."What an unexpected welcome."

"True. But their attack seemed random." Knight nodded."Like they were just messing around. Killing time. Maybe this is a game for them."

"In any case, were they after us or our cargo?" Tsubasa pondered, staring at the suitcase.

"Let's get that information back to the base." Knight shifted his gaze to Tiger, who had frozen the water underneath his feet to stand on it."Jades?"

"I'm going to protect them, Yosuke." He muttered, his gaze fixated on the sky."All of them. No matter what. Because I am the elder brother."

"God damn it!" Bragi punched his desk, pulling on his hair and accidentally dropping his tiara."This is impossible!"

"What's wrong?" Tobias, who was sitting next to him as they both continued to analyze the card, asked.

"You guys made this card specifically for Takeru-dono." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, typing something on his keyboard and zooming in on the card."I've analyzed the data, ran a check through our files, ran some tests, and the only thing I can conclude for sure is that no one else in this place can use this but him. We tried using it with our visors and nothing."

"Yes, that makes sense. We did make that card only intended for him." Thor spoke inside of Tobias' mind.

"Thor says that card was intended for his use only because we had to take into consideration his energy levels." Tobias explained."At the time, he was the only one who could use it. Now, it's different."

"Can we reverse engineer it?"

"Divine Power is not that simple." Tobias sighed, setting the card down after putting his tools on the table."It would be if I could use Thor's power properly, but..."

"Right...Your body doesn't allow it because he's your power source." Bragi trailed off.

"I'm sorry...I wish I could be of more help." Tobias' shoulders deflated.

"No, that's not true..." Elfnein frowned. She was busy trying to work on the LINKERs but couldn't stay quiet after that comment.

"She's right. You're more important than me. At least you can make a difference." Bragi shrugged.

"Bragi-chan, that's not true either."

"Isn't it, Auntie? I wasn't able to do anything in that fight." Bragi leaned back on his chair, throwing his legs on top of the table."I can't even figure out the fucking LINKER. If I could only find a way to take this card apart and maybe make cards with this power for everyone. Or something..."

"It's not impossible." Tobias chimed in."We just need time to work on it. You can't get impatient with these things."

"Maybe so." Bragi agreed with a nod."But still, I can't just talk big and have nothing to show for it. Last time, I was getting thrown around by that damn Divine Weapon. The only thing I could have done was use Catastrophic World Breaker, but that would have killed the others in the process. Is that all I can do? Destroy everything around me like the Second? Maybe those guys are right..."

"Who?" Elfnein scowled."Who is saying that? What do you mean?"

"Nothing." Bragi stood up from his chair, scratching his hair to avoid being questioned."Oh. Did you guys see my new invention?"

"New invention?"

Bragi reached for a closet by the far wall, opened it up, and took out what looked to be a very sophisticated coffee maker."Ta-da! I present...The Hyperion Coffe Extravaganza!"

"That's such a long name..." Both Elfnein and Tobias deadpanned.

"You see, this coffee machine over here can make the perfect cup of coffee according to your tastes!" Bragi began his showcase, sparkles in his eyes emphasizing his excitement."And with generous donations from everyone, we can keep this baby perfectly stocked! So you open up the bottom part here..." The crimson and teal-eyed boy opened a compartment, revealing a few creamers inside."You grab whatever cream flavor you want, press a few buttons, and presto! You can use the screen to tell the machine how much cream and sugar you want too!"

"That's wonderful, Bragi-chan." Elfnein beamed."I'm sure Fujitaka-san will appreciate that. He's been complaining about the coffee lately, so this will come in nicely for him and the rest."

Tobias was about to comment as well, but he noticed something in the closet. The Autoscorer gasped upon seeing what it was, prompting Bragi to yelp.

"No! Don't look!" The dichromatic-haired cried out.

Elfnein blinked, approaching Tobias to examine was he was looking at. And that's when she saw it.

It was a sizeable model of the Autoscorers, each of them crafted in such detail that seemed like miniature versions of them. Elfnein marbled upon getting a closer look at them. But Tobias was focused on Garie and Damian, holding hands with a miniature version of himself."Mama...Papa..."

"Damn...sorry..." Bragi rubbed his nape."You...weren't supposed to see that yet."

"You...made this?" Elfnein blinked and shifted her gaze over to her nephew.

"Yeah...It was a side project I was working on. No technology other than the music box I installed. Everything else I did on my own. Painted and everything. Took me a while...and a lot of materials. I used most of my funds on them."

"This is beautiful, Bragi-chan..." Elfnein pressed the button, prompting a song to start playing.

(Play Johann Sebastian Bach-Air on G String)

"I made this in their honor." Bragi got closer, kneeling next to them with a sad smile."Phara, Zeke, Leiur, Lulu, Mika, Damian, and Garie. And of course, you, Tobias. Your model took quite some time because I wanted to replicate your patchwork appearance and get your hair color just right. But...I was happy when I got to put you next to your parents."

"Bragi..." Tobias muttered, tears glistening in his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." Bragi sat on the ground, hanging his head in shame.

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong."

"No. But the Second did." Bragi sighed."And I know his actions shouldn't affect me, but...Still...He's...My father, I guess. And I can't help but feel responsible too. He did so many wrong things. And I'm representing him and my Mama, Carol. In a way, I got the worst of both worlds. So...that's why I want to keep helping. I want to be helpful and let people know I'm different. So...take this gift. It's not the same as having your real parents with you but it's something."

"Bragi-chan...No one blames you for anything that happened." Elfnein tenderly brushed his hand."But...this is a very thoughtful gift. You're a kind child."

"I'm not a kid, Auntie Elfnein..." He blushed, avoiding her gaze."Much less kind."

"You'll always be my dear nephew. I'm sure Carol would be very proud of you. I know I am. Very much so." She patted his head, making him smile at the affectionate touch.

"Mama would...?" The hybrid chuckled."I sure hope so. I don't know much about her, other than the vague memories of the First. But from what I heard from the others, she was a very scary lady."

"Oh, yeah. Carol was very scary." Tobias chuckled."Like, super serious and threatening."

"Despite her stature, she was quite imposing. Though I suppose I'm one to talk, seeing as how I'm her size." Elfnein giggled."If she was here, she would straighten you out."

"I guess I'm lucky I have you then, Auntie..." Bragi sweatdropped as they laughed together before resuming checking out Bragi's model.

"Maria! Jades-nii-chan!"

Kirika lunged at the two parent figures in front of her, wrapping her arms around their necks."I missed you so much."

"We missed you." Shirabe joined in, albeit less dramatic than Kirika.

"My beautiful girls." Jades smiled, kissing them on their foreheads."I missed you too."

"You want in on this, Raiden?" Maria smiled at her brother, who pouted. He wordlessly walked up to her and kissed her on her cheek."Aw. Thank you."

"So...you got the intel, Maria-nee?" He coughed in his hand, clearing his throat.

"Yeah. We were surprised by the unexpected welcoming committee." Yosuke joked, leaning against the wall."The enemy is messing around. They weren't seriously trying to get our intel. Either they don't care or they don't have the means to finish us off."

"The Shadow Riders are strong." Jades added."It will take our maximum effort to take them down. Especially since they can morph into our Advent Beasts."

"The Disasters are quiet as well." Bragi remarked, scoffing."Bastards are probably scared they almost lost one of their own."

"As you can see, we can't let our guard down. Especially considering our losses." Genjuro jabbed his thumb at the screen behind them, showing the pictures of what looked to be a doll.

"Wait...that's..." Hibiki blinked, the gears in her head turning.

"An Autoscorer." Bragi finished for her, frowning."That's what Fujitaka-san and Tomosato-san photographed back then. It's one of the many Relics and other things that the Germans took back during the Great War. Like the Nehushtan armor and the Ichaival. That Autoscorer most likely got there by fleeing Nazis."

"We're hoping these documents help us find out more about what we're dealing with here," Ogawa said, taking the briefcase off Maria's hands.

"Given how the Bavarian Illuminati attacked us as soon as we were about to land, it's safe to say they're in Japan." Yosuke surmised."And the Disasters are also here."

"It's a 3-way war." Shirabe remarked."Three sides fighting the same fight."

"So our objective is finding the doll and destroying it?" Kirika asked, and Tobias stood up from his chair, his eyes fixated on the puppet.

"W-wait! Please, wait! We don't have to destroy them!" He yelled, waving his hands rapidly."Maybe...maybe we can talk to them!"

"Talk to them? Talk to them about what?" Bragi arched a brow, crossing his arms over his chest."You're going to talk about the weather with that Autoscorer?"

"Why not?" He chirped, a smile gracing his features."An Autoscorer is a person too! They're not at fault! I want to talk to them, please! Maybe I can convince them to not side with them!"

Bragi was about to protest, but he recalled back to his happy expression when he saw the gift he gave him."Sure. I say it's a good idea."

"Is it?" Shirabe asked, perplexed by his response.

"Sure. I mean, we don't lose anything for trying. Is that good for you, Tobias?"

"Yes! Thank you, Bragi!"

The hybrid shot him a gentle smile. The meeting was dismissed, and everyone left the room. But not before Hibiki stopped in front of Bragi."Do you need something, Hibiki-dono?"

"I just wanted to say...I was wrong about you. This might be presumptuous of me, but I figured you'd be the last person who would suggest talking to someone instead of choosing violence." She rubbed her arm sheepishly."So...thank you. I was concerned about that as well. You really care about Tobias, huh?"

"Oh. Thank you for your kind words. But I'm not a good guy, really." Bragi chuckled awkwardly."I, uh...I'm glad to see you're doing better. You and Chris-dono, of course."

"I've been getting by..." She confessed, her smile dropping slightly."Sorry, I have to go. I promised Miku I was going out with her today."

"Got it. Please, give her my regards."

With that, both youths parted ways to continue their respective days.

'Poor Hibiki-dono.' Bragi couldn't help but feel bad for her.'Waiting for the Boy Wonder to show up when he left like the coward he is. A fruitless endeavor, unbecoming of someone as kind as her.'

"Bragi-kun," Shirabe called out after him. The hybrid glanced over his shoulder, watching as the dark-haired girl approached him.

"Shirabe-dono."

"Are you doing alright?"

"Yes. I am. Thank you." Bragi rubbed his nape sheepishly."I see you're in good spirits."

"I am." She smiled gently."Maria and Jades-nii-chan are back. Ever since Andreas..."

"I got it." He nodded, not needing more words to understand her."You want to be as close as you can to each other. And that's good. But don't worry. No one else is going to die. I'm not letting another friend die. So if you ever need help, call upon my name."

"Right. I will." Her smile brightened, and he swore his heart skipped a beat upon seeing her angelic expression."By the way, Tobias-kun told me of your gift."

"Oh, he did?" Bragi chuckled sheepishly."It wasn't much..."

"Bragi-kun, can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure."

"Are you...not upset that you don't have parents?"

"Oh. I mean, not really." Bragi shrugged."My Dad was a piece of shit that caused you all pain. As for my Mama...I didn't get to meet her. But I'm not sad. Sure, I'd wish I met her and all, but I have my Auntie Elfnein and Tobias with me. They're the best family I could have ever asked for. What about you?"

"I don't remember who my parents were..." She lowered her gaze."I just know my first name. I don't remember anything from my past."

"But you have a family." Bragi placed a hand on her shoulder."Jades-dono and Maria-dono are like your parents, no? And Kirika-dono and Raiden-dono are like siblings. If there's one thing I learned, is that family can be more than just the ones related by blood. So be proud of them. Because I know they're proud of you. Besides, having a real family is overrated, isn't it? Half of our group is like that, so it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yes, you're right...I do have them." She smiled warmly at him."Thank you, Bragi-kun. I didn't think you were this good at comforting people."

"I have my way with words." He grinned playfully."If you ever need someone to vent to or whatever, I'm your guy. I'm a good listener."

"I know."

To his utter shock, she closed the distance between them and stood on her tippy toes due to the height difference, kissing his cheek."See you later."

Bragi blinked, caressing his cheek with a dumbfounded expression."What...was that?"

A while later, Hibiki sat with Miku, enjoying some ice cream. But the wielder of the Gungnir wasn't eating much. She kept her eyes glued to her phone, staring at a picture of her and Hajime hugging each other. They had taken this picture a few weeks after they started dating after the Frontier incident. She scrolled through her pictures, a whole album dedicated to Hajime. She missed him so much. She missed his smile and dreaded she wouldn't see it again.

"Hibiki put the phone away." Miku chided her with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"He's not going to text you." Miku cut her off."Look...I don't want to sound like I'm trying to get you to hate him or anything. But you can't be hoping all day long he'll call you. Or that he'll text you. It's hurting you."

"But I want to know how he is, Miku. He is still wounded." Hibiki frowned."And...he wasn't in the best state of mind. I'm so worried..."

"He's fine."

Both girls gasped upon hearing a voice coming from behind Hibiki's seat. Yosuke peered over, giving them a small wave."Hello."

"Y-Yosuke-san!" Hibiki stammered, slightly startled by his sudden appearance.

"We're here to." Tsubasa's voice came from behind him."Yukine is here as well."

"And Chris-chan! But wait, what do you mean he's fine, Yosuke-san?"

"I get updates from Kuroiwa." Yosuke elaborated."I asked him to keep me posted in case anything happened. He's doing well. He's still having those night terrors and whatnot, but less than before. It seems a change of environment is what he needed. Hopefully, Kuroiwa can keep helping him."

'Damn, Kuroiwa.' Yosuke gritted his teeth internally.'Why the hell did he make a contract with Abyssodon?! I told him not to use his Deck unless absolutely necessary! Is he just playing around with it?! We keep detecting the Abyss Deck signal!'

"I see..." Hibiki sighed in relief, a few tears streaming down her cheeks."That makes me so happy..."

"Do you miss him?" Chris pipped up, taking her by surprise. She suddenly came into view, taking a seat next to her."Do you miss Hajime?"

"I do." Hibiki nodded slowly."Very much. I want to hold him again. I...I'm not sure if I even deserve to be with him, though. I could have said something sooner. Maybe he could have gotten the help he needed. I almost lost him...and then I judged him for leaving. Because it reminded me of when my Dad left. I was such an idiot..."

"Then when he comes back, you better apologize and tell him how much you love him," Chris said with a serious tone. Hibiki glanced down at her hands, noticing she was wearing both her ring and Takeru's."Because you never know when you'll lose him. I hope you don't. I don't want you to experience that pain. So better not give him on your love for him, got it? I have to be strong for Takeru's sake. So you do the same for Hajime"

"Chris-chan..." Hibiki whispered, surprised to hear something like that from her. But she was right."Of course. I'll never give up on him."

"Hibiki..."

"Kohinata, I get how you feel. You're concerned for your best friend, and that's fine." Tsubasa chimed in."But Adachi is not like Kaburagi. He's not a bad person. He's just misguided. But with time, we can stir him back in the right direction. You know him well. You should know how much Tachibana means to him. He left because he went through a lot, not because of evil intent."

"Let's just hope he comes back for her birthday." Yosuke sighed."Weren't you guys going to celebrate your birthdays together, since they're just a few days apart? Yours is on the 13th and his is on the 20th."

"Oh, right." Chris hummed."You're older than him, huh? Sure doesn't look like it."

"But that won't be happening unless she finishes her homework," Miku said, a slight smile gracing her features.

"Miku! You have to help me!"

"We'll figure something out, I'm sure." Tsubasa chuckled at her friend's misfortune.

Yosuke smiled, looking at the three girls that he had come to love and respect. He envisioned Takeru and Hajime sitting with their respective girlfriends, just like how they used to back then.

'So out of the 3 of us, I'm the only one left, huh?' His smile faded. It started with him, Akira, and Goro. Then him, Hajime, and Goro. Then him, Hajime and Takeru. Now it was just him. Sure, he had Jades, Raiden, and perhaps Bragi if he felt like cooperating. But the original team was long gone. Jades has his siblings. And in a way, Yosuke saw Takeru and Hajime as siblings as well. And now they were gone. Adachi was probably not coming back. And Takeru was taken from them.

'I'm really a failure of a leader...So many died under my watch.' Yosuke lamented the loss of their comrades.

Suddenly, their communicators went off, and a piercing screeching sound rumbled in his head. The enemy was on the move.

"Good thing we created a way to control the Mirror Monsters too." Raphael sat on the edge of a building, observing down at the Alca Noise and Mirror Monsters on the construction site below."Though we can't control them perfectly like whoever is behind them."

"Why do you say "whoever" when we know who it is?"

The trio looked behind to see St. Germain approaching them."The Divine Disasters of Valhalla. So, what's the status?"

"A little too demanding to have taken your sweet time." Prelati huffed."We just lured them out. Should be here any second."

"Perfect. Let's see what our prototype can do." St. Germain took out a pair of cylindrical containers, opened them up, and retrieved a black gem."Send some of the Shadow Riders as well."

"Already sent them," Cagliostro smirked.

The girls and Knight reached the construction site, with Alternative landing a few meters away from them.

"I was sent as backup." Alternative informed them, already wielding his Slashdagger

"We're counting on you." Knight nodded curtly in his direction.

"Alright!"

They all looked ahead to see Shadow Ouja accompanied by Shadow Verde and Shadow Knight."Let's show them a little hell, shall-"

Suddenly a rocket impacted against S. Ouja, shooting him up into the sky. Chris began bombarding him with rockets, arrows, bullets, and everything in her arsenal.

"IGNITE MODULE, BAKKEN!

"Dainsleif."

"Yukine!" Tsubasa covered her face from the intense energy outburst coming from her kohai.

"She's purposely shooting upward to avoid causing mass destruction around here." Alternative noted with great interest. She was carrying some insane explosive power, but she'd most likely tire herself out at this rate.

She continued to bombard the sky, not allowing S. Ouja to retaliate in any way. She finished off by creating several huge missiles, sending them in unison as they created a huge explosion in the sky.

"Woah..." Raphael whistled, astonished by the light show."That's some crazy firepower."

"She's on her period." Cagliostro guessed, earning a shrug from Prelati.

Eventually, Chris ran out of steam, falling to her knees, her breathing ragged.

There was no trace of S. Ouja to be seen. He had been completely vaporized.

"Holy shit..." S. Knight gawked in horror."She killed him! Oh my god, they killed Shadow Ouja!"

"You son of a bitch!"

"Yukine!" Knight rushed to her side."You..."

"It was stupid, I know. That's not the real Allister, but..." Chris clenched her fists."I couldn't help it. He looks identical to him and..."

"The wound is still fresh, I know. Sit back and let us handle this." Knight glared at their foes."Let's make this quick!"

Suddenly, they weren't at the construction site anymore. They were seemingly in outer space, surrounded by planets and asteroids.

"The fuck...?" Chris glanced around, bewildered.

"Were we teleported?" Bragi looked at the girls."No, that couldn't be. They wouldn't be able to breathe. This...they're sealing us in in this subspace. But what exactly is it?"

"Whatever it is, we just have to charge forward!" Tsubasa, not one to sit around, rushed at the Noise with her katana. However, her blade was not destroying them."What?!"

"What is going on?!" Hibiki began pouncing on a Noise, her punches doing visibly no damage."Our attacks aren't working!"

"Is it Anti-LINKER again like last time?" Chris hissed, trying to get up but she was too tired.

To their surprise, Alternative began cutting through the Noise and Mirror Monsters with relative ease. Knight accompanied him close behind, using his visor to stab through them.

"We aren't affected! Ha! Better luck next time!" Alternative gloated, only struck by something invisible."What the hell?"

"Behind you!"

Alternative swung his Slashdagger, stopping mere inches from reaching Knight's throat."Huh? Yosuke-dono?"

"Dienheim!" Knight screamed from afar."That's not me!"

Knight morphed into S. Verde, delivering a double kick to his stomach and sending him stumbling back.

"Ah, I should have known..."

"Of course you have. After all, the real Verde worked for your Dad, didn't he?"

"So it seems." Alternative raised his hand, increasing the gravity around S. Verde and slamming him on the ground. He aimed his sword toward him, spewing azure flames from it.

S. Verde morphed into Biogreeza, opening his mouth and hurling its tongue at him, wrapping it around his ankle. He pulled on it, causing Alternative to fall on his back and the flames to miss their target. The monster then spat acid from his mouth, hitting Alternative on his leg.

"FUCK!" He howled in pain, his leg melting away by the corrosive acid.

"Hahaha! Got you know!" Biogreeza reverted to S. Verde, sprouting three spikes from his arms as he lunged at Alternative. However, the pseudo-rider raised his blade again and spewed flames, this time hurting the monster.

"Hot! Hot! Hot! How can you still move?!" S. Verde writhed in pain, trying to put out the blue flames.

"Dumbass." Alternative scoffed, his leg regenerating back to normal.

S. Verde hissed, lunging at Alternative while manifesting a Bio-Snatcher in his hand. Before he reached him, he opened up the gauntlet, and a tongue wrapped around a rock, using it to maneuver away from Alternative before he could stab him.

Clicking his tongue, Bragi chased after him, opening magic circles around him and shooting dark matter projectiles. S. Verde dodged all of them, leaping with great agility and maneuvering around the rocks, grazing Alternative and cutting around his armor with his spikes. However, when he was about to attack again, Alternative backhanded him in the face, sending him rolling on the ground.

"W-what the hell?!" S. Verde rubbed his cheek.

"Thanks for the wake-up call." Alternative brushed the dust off his armor."I finally gauged out your power. Sorry. But I'm ending this fight right now. Even with your agility and speed, you won't be able to outrun me."

As if to demonstrate his point, ALternative appeared right in front of him, punching him in the face and sending him flying. Using the momentum to his advantage, Verde grabbed onto a rock, jumping off it and parkouring up another one.

Accel Vent

Alternative manifested in front of him, kicking him away toward the ground. He never touched it, as he slashed him across his body shooting him several feet away.

Final Vent: Dead End

Psycho-Rogue ran with Alternative, turning into its bike form as he jumped on its back, accelerating toward Verde as he decreased his gravity to increase his speed. "Pull!"

Before he could retaliate, S. Verde was hurled forward, crashing against the incoming back as his body was destroyed into pieces, followed by an explosion.

Alternative hit the breaks, sighing.'I'm starting to understand these Shadow Riders a little better. But if my hypothesis is correct, Yosuke-dono is going to have a lot of trouble.'

Yosuke was parrying his clone's strikes with great difficulty. Sure, this Mirror Monster version of himself was using his moves. And he could predict those well enough, but it went out of control the moment he started transforming into Darkwing.

Sword Vent: Winglancer

Knight thrust his lance forward, but S. Knight simply leaped above him, turning into Darkwing before he began screeching loudly, reminiscing of his Nasty Vent.

"Damn!" Knight was paralyzed due to the screen, leaving him open to Darkwing morphing back to S. Knight and kicking him in the face, launching him across the area until he crashed against a rock.

"Okay, this is more complicated than I was expecting." Yosuke groaned, sitting up.

"I hope you weren't thinking I was a mere clone." S. Knight folded his arms."It'd be your last mistake. No. I suppose you out of all people are very familiar with mistakes."

Knight froze at those words, something S. Knight wasn't about to not take advantage of. He manifested the cape, using it to jump in the air and glide toward Knight, kicking him in the chest in his baffled state. He then created his own Winglancer, splitting himself into several clones before rushing at Knight.

Trick Vent: Shadow Illusion

Clones clashed against clones, and the battle continued. Knight was starting to get pressed again since the clones could turn into Darkwings and screech as well! He had to put an end to this.

The real Knight jumped back from the fight, drawing upon his Survive card as a gust of wind encased his body.

Survive: Shippu

The wind sent the clones flying away, including S. Knight."So, you're going all out, huh?"

"You bet," Knight said, clad in his Survive Form as he unsheathed his Darkblade from his visor.

"Then so will I." S. Knight chuckled sinisterly, his body morphing into his own version of Survive, wielding a similar Darkblade in his hand.

"Impossible! You can even use my Survive form?!" Knight gasped in disbelief.

"Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do everything better than you. I know all of your moves and have all of your abilities, but I can use them without having to activate them at all. Something that will put you at a great disadvantage!"

S. Knight manifested the Darklancer, dual-wielding and forcing Knight on the defensive. He was forced to use the mounted shield on his arm to block some of the attacks, his blade unable to contend against two weapons. He tried jumping back, drawing a card to give himself the edge, but S. Knight used his Tempest Vent abilities to blow the card out of his hand and continue attacking him. He finished off by slamming the lance against his torso, knocking the wind out of him and sending him crashing through a rock.

Meanwhile, the girls were having an equally hard time against the Noise. Their abilities weren't working, and they weren't dispatching the Noise as quickly as they were hoping to go help their friends.

"Do you girls copy?!"

"What is going on?!" Chris, who had jumped back into the fight in hopes of helping, yelled."Why aren't our attacks working? Am I too tired or something?"

"No, Chris-kun. You're not the problem. Tsubasa and Hibiki-kun seem to be having the same issue." Genjuro replied."You all seem to be trapped in some sort of subspace pocket created by the Alca Noise."

"It seems that the subspace you're in is strengthening the Alca Noise." Tobias added."Which is why it seems like your attacks don't have any effect on them.

"So to make any substantial damage..." Elfnein began but was cut off by Hibiki.

"Then we need to power ourselves up, right?"

"Correct."

"Time to draw out the cursed sword." Chris nodded, all the girls standing next to each other.

"Yukine, feel free to stay out of this one. You're tired." Tsubasa suggested.

"I'm fine. It wouldn't feel right to sit around doing nothing." Chris scoffed."My own stupidity got me into this mess. I won't let it drag you both down."

"Very well." Tsubasa nodded as they reached for their pendants, squeezing them.

"Ignite Module, Bakken!"

"Dainsleif."

In a flash of dark light, they were now clad in their pitch-black version of their Symphogear forms.

(Play Gekishou Infinity - Ignite Ver.)

Hibiki lunged at the Noise, tearing them down with her fists. Now their attacks were working, and the difference was clear. Tsubasa wasn't willing to lag behind and tear the Noise to pieces with her katana. Her cuts with clean and precise, moving from Noise to Noise with great speed. She noticed a group of them bundled together and got on a handstand, spinning around and using the blades at her ankles to cut through them.

Reverse Rakshasa

At the same time, Chris was kicking and shooting at the Noise using her SMGs. Unlike before, she was calmer and took her time. She felt the fatigue setting in, but she knew she couldn't cause more problems than before. She let her emotions get the better of her, but that wouldn't happen again. So she limited herself to using small-scale attacks to avoid running out of power."Is it me or do these things just don't seem to stop coming?!"

"Yeah, I noticed too," Hibiki said, finishing punching her way through a horde of Noise, only for more to appear.

"I got it! Try finding the center of that space!" Elfnein said."We observed it to be half a sphere, which means its control mechanism is likely to be at its center."

"Easy!" Chris switched her SMGs to her Gatling guns, spinning around as some shells landed on different sides of the area."Keep singing! I just planted speakers connected to our mic units!"

"Wait...you can do that...?" Hibiki blinked, dumbfounded.

"Don't question it and just do what I say!" Chris snorted, returning to the battle.

"Tachibana, I get what she's trying to do. She wants to use those speakers to pick up the song as it echoes through the area, essentially working as a sonar."

"So with that, we'll be able to determine our location and the shape of this place..." Hibiki gasped upon realizing."Chris-chan! You're a genius!"

"Well done, Yukine!"

Chris managed a weak smile before resuming the fighting.

The girls continued fighting, tearing down through the seemingly endless Noise as they sang. Eventually, they managed to pinpoint the location of something big, bigger than everything else.

'To hell with conserving energy!' Chris spun on her heels, unleashing a volley of missiles from the launchers at her sides.

Mega Deth Party

The missiles created an explosion that alerted the others, and the figure of a huge Noise appeared.

"That must be the Noise that's making this whole thing happen." Tsubasa narrowed her eyes at the goliath."Tachibana! Get on! Yukine, still up for one more?!"

Both girls nodded, jumping on top of the sword as it increased several times in size, now equipped with two giant missiles.

Trinity Resonance

Author's Note: I had forgotten the name of this move. I named the combined attack of Ryuki, Knight, and Zolda when they fought Bragard Tri-Disaster. A nice little coincidence.

The rockets ignited, and the rocket-blade shot toward the Alca Noise, focusing their Phonic Gain with the intention of ending the fight. Hibiki launched herself forward, getting into the position for a kick. She pierced right through the Noise, followed by the giant sword ramming into it. The Noise exploded, and with it, the subspace was destroyed as well.

"We did it!" Tsubasa landed back on the ground, their surroundings reverting to the construction site. To their horror, Knight was on the ground, being pinned down by S. Knight."Yosuke!"

"Get away from him!" Bragi yelled, swinging his blade toward the Monster and forcing it to leap away.

"So S. Verde died, huh? Not unexpected." S. Knight remarked, reverting to his normal form.

"I noticed when I tried to help Yosuke-dono but was intercepted by all those Alca Noise." Alternative addressed the Mirror Monster."It seems that you guys are as strong as the originals. Which is why you're significantly stronger than Verde. I assume that the Shadow Riders of deceased Riders are as strong as their originals were."

"Huh. You figured it out, huh? Yes, that's true. So you'll probably have a harder time with the Shadow Riders of the Riders that are alive. Like myself, for example. But my job here is done." His body began to dissipate into particles."Tell your friend that next time, I will take his body myself and become real!"

With that, the Mirror Monster disappeared, prompting the group to sigh in relief.

"Yosuke, are you hurt?" Tsubasa knelt next to her boyfriend.

"I'm alright. Just caught me off guard, that's all." Knight smiled at her."But if what Dienheim says is true, then this will be incredibly tough. We're fighting ourselves, basically."

"So you have to surpass your limits." Bragi stated, hands on his hips."Though...it is possible these things can become as strong as you are currently. Which means that even if you get stronger, defeating them won't be easy."

"But you're trying to figure out a way to break apart Sakamoto's Divine Gun so we can use it to our advantage, right?" Yosuke eyed the hybrid."Can you do it?"

"It's a hard task, but I am the Third Hyperion. My Auntie is working hard on those LINKERS, so leave the Divine Gun to me." He jabbed his thumb at his chest."I'll have it figured out soon. And then, I'll make you all pretty cool weapons. You'll see."

"Bragi the Bragger is at it again." Chris chuckled. The group was happy to see her in better spirits, after everything that happened."Just know that we'll be expecting the best from you, Prince."

"I'll make sure to meet your expectations, Chris-dono. You have my word."

"Huh." Prelati pocketed the Shadow Knight gem into her pocket."So it's true. The monster versions of the Riders that died are as strong as when they died. And can't get any stronger."

"But that also means that the ones that are alive can become as strong as the real ones become." St. Germain pointed out."While the Prototype wasn't enough to defeat them, we did achieve our objective as well as learning this valuable information."

"So, how long until Shadow Ryuki is finished?" Raphael asked the million yen question, patting a horse that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere."He should be as strong as the Messiah, no?"

The horse pushed his hand away, snorting.

"Donatello, relax. I'll get you something to eat when we get back..." He whispered to the horse, which turned his head away as if he was upset at him.

"Which is why it's taking quite a while to make him." Prelati sighed."Basically, he will be our ace in the hole. Though I tried to replicate Ryuga as well, but for some reason, I was unable to."

"Well, isn't he Ryuki's copy or whatever?" Cagliostro shrugged."It's fine. We'll track him down anyway. I already got a few leads on him anyway."

"You do?" St. Germain arched a brow.

"He's not making his little cult that secretive." She explained."I did some research, and it seems he's recruited quite several people into his cult. We just have to find out the location of a meeting and see what we get."

"See what you can find." St. Germain nodded."If we can take out that oppressor before Ragnarok is completed, we will be ridding the world of a possible extinction."

"He's your worst enemy, isn't he, Milady?" Raphael gently reached for her hand.

"Indeed." St. Germain's features softened at his gesture."We must destroy any type of oppression. Even ones dictated by a God. We must stop the Anti-Messiah from bringing the end of the world."

"Oh, hi! There you guys are!"

The group was surprised to see Tiki there, walking around in a carefree manner."I thought Adam would be here."

"Lady Tiki, didn't we tell you to stay at the lodge...?" Raphael deadpanned, slightly annoyed that after hours of talking to her, he would get through to make her stay.

"You did, but I couldn't help it!" Tiki twirled around."And I found something really cool! You'll be happy!"

"Happy?" Prelati asked, raising a skeptical brow.

"Believe it or not, this is a perfect place to pick a fight with a God!"

"Is that so?" Raphael narrowed his eyes.

"That's right! The best even!" A glint of excitement reflected from her eyes.

St. Germain doubted she was referring to Ryuga and Loki.'So...it's time for our plan to enter its final stage.'

Next chapter, we go back to Okinawa. I know I said it would be two normal chapters and then one Okinawa one, but I'm excited to get into the good stuff there. You guys will love it. Also, yes, the Shadow Riders have a weakness. If you fight the ones from the Riders that are dead, you can easily kill them. Like in Verde's case. He was as strong as he was before he became a Divine Weapon, so Bragi was able to tear him apart.

How strong is Bragi? Well, he's a lot weaker than what Bragard was near the end. He's the third strongest, behind Jades and Yosuke. It goes without saying but Hajime is still the strongest, but I'm not counting him since he's technically out of the group at the moment.