Author's Note: Oh, yeah. I have a separate story about character details regarding their abilities. I'm doing Knight at the moment, and since it's my last week of school before winter break, I'll hurry up with the other ones. So if you're confused about what some vents do, feel free to drop by that story and look up the Rider you're looking for.

Reviews:

Guest: Ya veremos. Pero eso si, ese meme es una joya.

Akira: Hajime will appear soon, don't worry about that. And finally, Elfnein and Raiden are a couple. Both don't know what they're doing but they'll try their best!

primenidus: Unironically, this guy has come close to dying so many times this season alone that it's actually insane.

Lord Ri The Husbu King: Yeah. It's kind of weird because they never really address in the series when they "killed" them. They were like okay with it I guess. But Raiden here is more conflicted, especially due to his upbringing. But alas, this is a Rider War and they're also fighting people who are trying to kill them. They can't afford to hold back.

SoutaAmetsuchi: His Mom would be proud.

AshAvalon01: We finally made it to the finish line. Just a bit more. Bragi can finally redeem himself from his fumble earlier. Yeah, I had a big smile on my face writing about those two interacting with each other. They're so dorky. Bragi immediately put a death flag on himself with that quote. Fun fact. Bragard had said the same thing in GX and we know what happened to him. Guess he's not getting his quotes from Carol only. He can get cut in half. But if he gets turned into a waffle like you know who then that's another story lol. If he loses they're sort of fucked since even if Hajime arrives to fight him, S. Ryuki would just become as strong as he is and then we're all screwed. But yeah, I'm also hyped for the movie. I hope it's like a Dragon Ball situation where they revived the series with a movie and then continued with a new series. Because I don't want to say bye to Symphogear, I'll be honest with you. Prepare yourself for the final season. But fair warning. XV is going to be crazy too and that's just around the corner.

Tenzalucard123: Finally, Raiden confessed to Elfnein. But there is no privacy with Jades around. Yes, when Hajime returns, there is going to be a lot of apologies going around. Can Bragi beat S. Ryuki? We'll see if he's up to the challenge.

Chapter 106
The Perfect Copy

"So, how's the ice cream?" Miku asked, watching as Bragi chewed on the pistachio ice cream he had gotten and made a funny face.

"I don't like this one either...It tastes weird." He shuddered, pushing the bowl away. They had been trying different flavors for a while now after Miku learned that Bragi didn't have a favorite ice cream flavor.

"I still can't believe you don't have a favorite ice cream flavor," Miku said, resting her chin on her palm.

"I didn't think you'd take it that seriously to invite me to hang out at an ice cream parlor." Bragi confessed."I mean...I appreciate the invitation and I'm honored you'd want to hang out with me, but-"

"Nonsense. You're my friend and I promised you I'd help you explore more of the world." She shook her head."Plus, of course, I'd take this seriously. Everyone needs to have a favorite ice cream flavor. You not having it just means you've been missing out and we can't have that, now can we?"

"I suppose not." He chuckled, eyeing some of the bowls on their table."Though, if I had to pick, I suppose I like the peanut butter and jelly flavor. It kind of reminds me of when Tobias gave one of his sandwiches he was having for breakfast before."

"But that was the third flavor! Why didn't you say so sooner?! We've been at this for a while!"

"Uh...well, I figured you'd want me to try out as many as possible...?" He meekly said. In truth, he didn't want to leave so soon. After all, he was finding this experience enjoyable. He had never gone out like this in his short life before, especially with a friend. And even one had harbored feelings for. It made things so much easier. Was he in love with her? He didn't know for sure. He just felt attracted to her. Her smile, her eyes, her voice, the way she would laugh at the things he said, her kindess. He never felt like this before, though. Perhaps it was because he had been so busy brooding and concentrating on useless things and being the perfect being.

'Miku-dono's words reached out to me. And encouraged me to keep going. I owe her and Hibiki-dono a lot. But Miku-dono is...I felt so happy when she sat down with me and heard my concerns. It made me feel...special. Even more so than just being the ultimate lifeform.'

"Aw, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound upset." Miku quickly apologized."I was the one who brought this on you either way, so...It's fine if you're enjoying yourself."

"I mean...I'm talking to you. So there's that." He muttered to himself.

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Nothing! Just that I'm having tons of fun! Thanks for bringing me out to hang out!" He beamed. Miku giggled to herself. Something about his smile was so pure and innocent. True, he shared the same face as Bragard, but the way he smiled was completely different than what his father ever did. It was so full of life.

After being their bill, they both headed out and set for Miku's dorm, since it was late and there was school the next day. Bragi offered to walk her home since he could just fly back to HQ so it wasn't a problem.

"How are you feeling?" She asked the hybrid.

"It's weird. These new experiences...It feels like I'm seeing life from a different perspective." He looked down at his hands."It's...different. Experiencing the world rather than knowing about it. I don't mean to brag, but I have tons of information stored inside of my head that I didn't think I'd ever needed to know more than what I did. But...I was wrong."

Miku began to laugh uncontrollably, holding her stomach.

"W-what?" Bragi flinched."Did I say something wrong?"

"You said "brag"!" She guffawed."I'm sorry! It's just...Chris-san once mentioned this to me, but they call you "Bragi the Bragger"! Bragi sounds like "brag". So when you say "I don't mean to brag" I just heard "I don't mean to brag-i"!"

Author's Note: I don't know how well this joke translates to my non-English readers. But the word "b r a g" here is being used as a wordplay with Bragi's name. Brag means to show off. That's why they call him Bragi the Bragger since he brags. It's also a reference to Bragi in Norse mythology and how Loki called him "the bragger".

Bragi deadpanned at her shift in demeanor, not sure how to feel about people making fun of his name that way. He knew about the Bragi the Bragger thing. But didn't know how easy it was to make jokes out of his name.

"I'm sorry..." She wiped the tears from her eyes as she tried controlling her laughter."I just...It's too funny, I'm so sorry!"

"Nah, Nah. It's fine. I see how it is." Bragi huffed, holding his arms."I'm one big jokester, aren't I?"

"No! I didn't mean to laugh!" Miku grabbed his arm, still giggling."I'm just...I-"

"Just kidding." He stuck his tongue out."Trust me. Auntie Elfnein tries the same joke on me all the time."

"You're so mean...You had me worried for a second..." She sighed in relief, clenching her chest."When did you get so good at turning the tables like this?"

"Experience. Plus, I'm a bit of a genius." He winked."But I have a good teacher as well. Plenty of them."

"I'm glad." She smiled warmly at him."It seems you're finally breaking out of your shell."

"Yeah...I don't know what I was thinking before. All that arrogance...didn't lead me to no good. It certainly didn't lead the Second to any good. I lost my head because my pride got the better of me. Quite literally too. But now it's different. I'm not going to let my ego take over my actions."

"I think it's fine for you to be arrogant." Miku said, surprising him."Just like Hibiki, you are reckless. But you're are prideful as well. It's one of your traits. I don't want to change who you are as a person. I don't think that's a healthy thing to do. At least, not anymore. So focus on what makes you you."

"I'll give it my best." He nodded."Everyone is counting on me to fight S. Ryuki. I feel a little annoyed since I'm just the second choice since the Boy Wonder is still in a coma. But...I can't let that deter me from winning."

Miku fell silent, her gaze lowering."Aren't you...scared? Hibiki told me that Shadow Rider is very powerful...enough to defeat all of them singlehandedly."

Bragi glanced in her direction, offering a small smile."The way I see it, if I were to be scared, that'd just freak people out, right? Besides, after the big fumble I made in the Kazanari base, I had to redeem myself. So backing down or being scared...I can do neither of those things. All I can do is respond to their expectations and prove that I can be better than the Second. Even my Mama. And for sure, the Boy Wonder."

"Just...don't die, okay?" She said, coming to a stop. Bragi stopped in front of her, raising a brow."I know you're strong. And that you can regenerate from any wound inflicted upon you. But you're regeneration isn't absolute. And you're facing strong and dangerous people. I know you want to protect them and keep them safe using your body since you can take more damage than anyone else, but...please don't die."

"Miku-dono..."

"We've lost so many friends already...And..." She covered her mouth. She couldn't bring Hazuki in front of him."I don't want to lose someone else in my life..."

'Even if I'm the second choice, it's fine, right?' He pondered to himself, placing a hand on her shoulder."I'm not going to die. I'm Bragi Third Dienheim. Son of Carol Malus Dienheim. And the Second, I guess. It's impossible I'd lose to the Boy Wonder, much less his copy. So don't worry. By the end of this, we'll celebrate Hibiki-dono's birthday party like we're planning, right? And you still have to teach me more about the world."

"R-right..." She nodded, wiping the tears off her eyes that had unconsciously started to appear again."I know you can do it. I believe in you. Also..."

"Yes?"

She embraced him in a hug, much to his utter shock."You can just call me Miku. Seriously, you're the only person I've ever met who addresses someone with "dono". It's a lesser honorific behind "same". Too formal if you ask me."

"I like to address people with respect..." He mumbled, too taken aback by the close contact with her."But if it's fine with you, then I'll do it...Miku-san."

Bragi stomped the ground, kicking a pebble enhanced by gravity at S. Ryuki, who easily caught it with his hand and crushed it."Seriously?"

"Just don't want you to get things mixed up. I threw the first attack." Alternative jabbed his thumb toward his chest."I drew the first blood.

"How peculiar..."

"It's been a while since last I saw you, Boy Wonder." Alternative said, wagging his card around."I have to say, you look better this way. Cuter. Not bad. I like the new look."

"Heh." S. Ryuki grinned at Alternative."I'll kill you."

"Tough words coming from someone who is acting all high and mighty for beating on people who can't fight you properly." Alternative scoffed."Let's see how your tune changes when you face someone who will hit you back."

"The Prince is alive? But how?" St. Germain gaped."I thought the Lodgemaster obliterated his head. He can regenerate from even that?"

"Yeah. That wasn't enough to put me down." Alternative addressed the white-haired woman."It's too bad I couldn't repay Cagliostro for beating the shit out of me. But you know what? After everything, I don't give a damn about the lackeys. After I'm done with slaying the dragon, I'll head straight to Adam."

"Yeall, tell them..." Hamaguchi coughed, chuckling as Kirika rested his head on her lap.

"Be quiet! You're wounded!" Kirika cried out, worried sick."What were you thinking-desu?!"

"I'll be fine...Just give me a few minutes...And I'll be just...fine..." He said, playing the tough guy act to reassure his girlfriend.

"You make it sound so easy." S. Ryuki told Alternative."Do you truly believe you can beat me after such a pitiful display? Though, you are Carol's little spawn after all. So you can't be so dumb to dive in head first into certain death without a plan."

"You'll just have to wait and see. Besides, this is good. Very good for me. You have no idea how excited I am."

"Excited?"

"I could hit you all day and never get tired of it. Because of one simple reason." He grinned under his helmet."You look just like the Boy Wonder. And it just so happens I've been itching to beat him up. And after I'm done with you, I'll beat the fuck out of him too."

"Not sure how I feel about you threatening my boyfriend like that..." Hibiki chuckled awkwardly.

"I won't hurt him. Much. But first things first." He focused his attention on the Shadow Rider."I gotta end things here. It's fitting. The strongest Shadow Rider against the strongest Kamen Rider. Make no mistake, though. I'll win."

"Hah! How arrogant! But you haven't realized how much stronger I am than you or any of your friends. Especially now. Fine, I'll humor you. You'll be my opening fight before I have my real battle with Hajime Adachi. Think you can entertain me until then?"

"Try me."

"Say less."

S. Ryuki had already started his attack, conjuring a fist of fire from his back and shooting it at the sky as they were talking before bringing it down as he uttered those words, smacking Bragi and forcing him on his knees.

"You're going down!" S. Ryuki cackled.

"Nah!" Bragi quickly maneuvered out of the way, creating a black magic circle below S. Ryuki and firing an orb of black matter that took S. Ryuki toward the sky."You're going up!"

"Nah!" S. Ryuki teleported out of it, creating a giant blade of fire and slashing at the ground. Alternative raised his right arm toward it.

"Repel!"

The attack was bounced back by a forcefield, but S. Ryuki simply created another one to cancel it out, creating a powerful shockwave that shocked the entire area.

"What is this power? He wasn't this strong before!" St. Germain cried out, shielding her eyes from the intense light.

Kirika protected Hamaguchi, laying on top of it and using her body as a shield. The boy wanted to protest but opted not to since her breasts were right on his face, which he found no reason to complain about.

'You know...getting beaten to near death was worth it if I get to feel her boobies like this...' He smiled goofyly as he muttered audible enough for the blonde to hear."Your breasts are so soft...like pillowy marshmallows..."

"What?! You pervert!" Kirika smacked him on the head."I'm trying to protect you-desu!"

"O-ow...Hey, I nearly fucking died. I deserve something today!"

'I have to take this fight away from here.' Alternative glanced over to Hibiki, giving her a nod.'Hamaguchi-dono aside, I don't want the girls to be caught in whatever the hell is about to go down with me and this guy. Truth be told, I don't know what kind of power S. Ryuki truly has.'

"There's no time for you to be losing focus!" S. Ryuki ignited his booster, tackling Alternative and sending him crashing against a tree. He manifested his Dragvisorzwei in gun mode, charging a beam of energy before shooting it at him.

Alternative finally scanned the card he had in his hand, summoning his Slashdagger, and smacking the attack away. He kicked the ground, using his gravity manipulation to shoot himself toward S. Ryuki, thrusting his long sword forward. The Shadow Rider grabbed the blade with his hands, his feet digging through the ground as Alternative continued to push him. "That all you got?"

"I'm just warming up." Alternative unleashed azure flames from the tip of his sword, forcing S. Ryuki to narrowly avoid them by bending his knees. He ignited his boosters, pushing against the gravitational force as both of them began to twirl in the air, azure, and crimson flames creating a tornado of fire.

"Woah..." Hibiki marbled from down below.

"And now..." Alternative kicked S. Ryuki away, aiming his left arm at him."Attract!"

The Shadow Ryuki clicked his tongue as he was hurled across the area.

"Tachibana Hibiki!" Alternative hollered, taking off his helmet for a brief moment, and shooting her a wicked grin."You have a part to play. In the meantime, I'll slaughter these so-called miracles with the power of Alchemy!"

In that second, Hibiki could swear she saw her former enemy in the monochrome-haired boy, holding the same grin she once sported when they fought."Carol-chan?!"

"Carol you said?!" St. Germain gasped.

Alternative put his helmet back on, flying toward S. Ryuki. He was using his gravity to fly, reducing gravity and maintaining himself in the air. After flying for several kilometers, Alternative landed in the middle of a forest, glancing around his surroundings. S. Ryuki was nowhere in sight.

'He must be hiding to surprise attack me.' He hummed, the AI in his helmet scanning around but providing no information.'So he's probably moving so fast that my systems can't detect him or keep his distance. But one thing I know for sure is that he'll use the trees as cover. If that's the case, I'll force him to come out.'

He raised his left focusing his gyrokinesis. He conjured a sphere of black with a negative symbol."Negative Discord Karma. Activated."

Gyrokinesis: The ability to control gravity.

Negative Discord Karma Orb

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the orb of energy around his surroundings, controlling it with his hand. Immediately, everything around him began to be pulled into the sphere. S. Ryuki had morphed into Dragranzer and was hiding inside of the trees, firing several fireballs from behind. To his shock, the fireballs were absorbed into the sphere along with trees, rocks, and anything around. The Shadow Rider felt himself being pulled toward it, forcing him to return to his humanoid form and make use of the Ignite Vent, creating two arms of fire and digging them into the ground.

"Found you!" Alternative dashed toward S. Ryuki as the orb exploded into an explosion of dark energy, releasing all the objects it had absorbed. He focused his Negative Karma on his feet, making it look as if he was skating on the ground itself when in fact he was pushing his body. S. Ryuki felt his body being pulled by the force attracting him.

"How is he doing this with gravity alone?!" S. Ryuki unsheathed his Dragsaberzwei, a nine-rigged broadsword, and sent a slash of fire. The pseudo-Rider swiped his hand, dispersing the flames and giving a battle cry, swinging his sword. Both blades met in the middle, creating a shockwave. Several magic circles appeared above Alternative, shooting multiple dark rods that S. Ryuki blocked with his Dragzweishield.

He smacked Alternative with it and this caused an explosion of flames that sent the psuedo-Rider flying away.

"We're just warming up, boy." S. Ryuki chuckled, conjuring fire wheels and hurling them at him. Alternative shook his head, gathering his bearings, and gasped, dodging several of the firewheels. However, one of them cut through his arm, dismembering it.

"Fuck..." Bragi muttered to himself, quickly pulling his blade from his severed arm toward his good hand as he began to regenerate."Can't regenerate too much already. If I do it too much, not only am I consuming my life force but I'll waste my energy. If I exhaust my stamina too soon, I'm done for..."

"Already breaking apart? It's too soon for that, no?" S. Ryuki grinned, his head morphing into Dragranzer and blasting a fireball at Alternative. Alternative spewed flames from his blade and both flames clashed. However, it was obvious that S. Ryuki's flames were superior as they began consuming through the azure fire. Bragi quickly sent several spheres of dark matter toward the middle of the attack, merging them and unleashing a burst of energy toward S. Ryuki, canceling out the flames.

Third Impact

S. Ryuki formed a dome of fire around him, protecting himself from the aftermath of the explosion. He saw the Slashdagger being thrown in his direction and prepared himself to block it. However, he wasn't accounting for Alternative pulling himself along with the sword in one swift motion.

'He's concentrating the gravity on that blade! He threw it at me first to distract me and prevent me from noticing him coming along in time!'

He raised his arms but it was too late. Alternative had already summoned 6 black spheres, shooting energy from them from above S. Ryuki in an attempt to sucker punch him, much like how he did earlier.

Second Impact

His arms were destroyed, earning a cry of pain from the monster. But Alternative didn't care and shot forward, placing both of his fists against his chest, his hands covered in black orbs, and releasing a shockwave that went through his body, sending the Shadow Rider flying.

First Impact

"And I'm not done yet!" Alternative scanned another card.

Accel Vent

Using his now enhanced speed plus his utilization of Negative Karma, he was now a black line heading straight for S. Ryuki.

"Heh."

S. Ryuki slammed his version of the Dragknuckle against Alternative's sword as the percussion hammer nailed down, blowing away his blade and the left side of his body.

"W-what the fuck?!" Alternative cried out as he was flung away, black dust swirling around his injuries."He can regenerate?!"

In effect, S. Ryuki was now sporting dragon arms, much like Dragranzer's in place of his own.

"I do love a moving target. But I want to return the favor and teach you how this is done. Strange Vent!"

Suddenly, S. Ryuki was invisible. Until Bragi began to feel the various slashes around his body. Not only was S. Ryuki making use of his Booster Vent, but he had also used Strage Vent to use Alternative's Accel Vent, magnifying his speed tremendously.

"You were talking so much shit earlier but now you're quiet!" S. Ryuki cackled as he shot himself toward the sky, admiring Bragi's mangled state. He began to descend, tightening his grip on his blade to finish him off. To his surprise, the blade stopped inches away from Bragi."What the hell?"

He tried stabbing at him and nothing. He switched to punching and kicking, but none of his attacks connected. It was as if there was a..."A wall? A forcefield?"

Alternative rose his head, moving away from the previously thrown punch. Suddenly, S. Ryuki felt as if whatever had blocked him was gone but received a gravity-enhanced punch to the gut, knocking him flying through several trees as he spat blood.

"Phew...You sure took a long ass time to take the bait, asshole." He took a deep breath, the lacerations around his body vanishing and his armor restoring itself. He descended to the ground just as S. Ryuki teleported to him, both of them staring each other down.

"I guess there was some truth behind your words earlier." S. Ryuki couldn't help but praise him."You really are the strongest of your group. Far more than any Symphogear or Rider."

"Heheheh. Told ya." Alternative rubbed his nose cockily.

"But it's not remarkable to be a 1 in a sea of 0's." He scoffed, hand to his hip."You haven't won the battle yet. But I will give you the first round. You surprised me."

"Spoiler alert, dickhead. That's going to keep happening throughout the fight." Alternative quipped, summoning a black orb in his hand with a negative sign."Just as you saw."

"Yes. It does appear that you can make use of your Alchemy more efficiently than I thought. I find it hard to believe you're the same person that got demolished by Cagliostro. Your speed, strength, and skills far exceed what you have demonstrated. You're even taking the use of your gyrokinesis to a new level. I don't have information on Bragard ever displaying that much skill."

"Well, the Second was never one to improve since he thought he was on top of the world. Lot of good that did to him." Bragi said in a derisive tone."But no. My Mama is the one who taught me."

"Carol did?"

"Yeah." He grinned like a kid as he spoke."I got the best Mama in the world and I haven't even met her yet! She's so smart and cool! But to be more precise, it was her gravity research. I don't know if she even thought of the possibility of herself having a child when she wrote it but...I think of it as a gift. A gift made from a mother to her son. And I made sure to study and learn as much as I could."

"How sentimental from the thing made from mixing the blood of two vermin like them." S. Ryuki sneered."You speak so highly of Carol Malus Dienheim and how you're proud to be her son, and yet...she never actually conceived you. You're just an experiment Bragard did if I recall. His perfect vessel turned rogue."

"Something like that, I guess." Bragi chuckled dryly."I'm in my rebellious phase. So what if she didn't give birth to me? I have her genes. I'm her flesh and blood."

"You say her exclusively, but what about Bragard?"

"I don't care about that piece of shit." Bragi growled."All the horrible things he did. Because of him, my life is fucking hard. I have to carry his sins since I look like him!"

"Hahahahah! You're just a little hypocrite, aren't you? You're willing to forgive Carol, who I'd argue has done equally as bad shit as he did but not Bragard. Interesting."

"Whatever." Alternative drew a card."Are you gonna talk all day or do you wanna get started with the second round? I'm 1-0."

"I won't underestimate you. That Negative Discord Karma... pulls anything in, sort of like a mini black hole. It applies all concepts of negative numbers, if you may. And you use it to enhance your punches by pulling your opponent in. But to think you can increase your speed by compressing the space between you and a particular object like you did with your sword earlier. I'm excited to see what else you can do."

"Oh, trust me. I'm just getting started!"

Zone Vent: Gravitational Dead Zone

A puddle of darkness quickly flooded the area in a 10-meter radius and formed a small dome, covering both fighters.

"Set it times 3!"

S. Ryuki felt his weight increase, nearly dropping him to his knees by the sheer surprise. Once he gathered his bearings, he stood straight, facing Alternative. "You have a Zone Vent, huh? One that manipulates gravity?"

"Yup. I had to upgrade my game." He pointed at his head."Not just my brain but also my abilities. Now let's go!"

The Hybrid was now running toward S. Ryuki, conjuring a dark matter sword in the shape of a DNA strand.

The Shadow Rider responded in kind, using his Dragsaberzwei to parry his slashes. They began to go back and forth, blade clashing with blade in an attempt to overpower the other.

'I've noticed my weight has increased since entering this place...' S. Ryuki noted to himself, arching his back and avoiding a kick. He kicked Alternative's leg, forcing him on one knee. He morphed his hand to create Dragranzer's face, shooting a firebeam at him. To his surprise, the flames quickly fell to the ground but remained on.'It increases the gravity of whatever is inside! He said 3 just now...so everything around us has its gravity increase by 3 times!'

He sprouted out a tail, blocking the incoming slash with it and pushing Alternative away.

"Set it to 6!"

Once more, S. Ryuki felt himself growing heavier. However, something curious happened. Alternative looked as if he was losing balance but recuperated.'I see...So gravity affects him as well. I guess his Zone Vent works indiscriminately. To think he's used to 5 times his weight is remarkable. But then again, he is a homunculus and a human, so anything is possible."

He leveled his hand at Bragi conjuring his Dragblaster. Bragi didn't seem worried and continued to charge, struggling against gravity. However, something unexplainable happened. S. Ryuki aimed a little higher, as if aiming at something else in the sky, and fired a beam of flames. As expected, the attack was immediately affected by gravity, but this time, it hit Bragi's shoulder. He quickly leaped out of it, but S. Ryuki ignited his boosters and performed a lariat on him, knocking him down.

"What just happened?!" Alternative cried out in shock.

"Your Majesty, have you ever wondered why flames go up instead of down? Fires on Earth are anchored by gravity, but the combustion gases are hot and light, so they rise. As the flame goes up, more air is sucked into the base of the fire, feeding more oxygen to the fire and making it burn more strongly. Since your gravity field increases the gravity, the attack itself is forced down, but the effect is stronger. You should feel it."

Indeed, Alternative glanced at his shoulder which was badly burnt after taking that attack off guarded.

"So as long as I can aim above you, the attack will eventually land. I can just keep hitting you. And there's one more thing I noticed!"

The Shadow Rider kicked Alternative in the stomach, launching him across the ground."You can't use your gravity powers while in here! Because it's impossible to mix two types of gravity, dumbass!"

However, his cackles were silenced, at a dark blade pierced his thigh."What?!"

Alternative grinned, shooting several projectiles from his magic circles, but Shadow Ryuki was now aware of the threat and blocked them with difficulty. He summoned his Dragzweishield to block since they were too fast."What is going on?! They should be slowed down in higher gravity!"

"Like I said, I'll keep surprising you during the duration of this fight until you die." Bragi laughed arrogantly."You seem to know your way around Alchemy. So you're not as dumb as the other Shadow Riders. But here's a fun fact for you: Did you know everything in the universe is made of elementary particles?"

"What about it?!"

"Do you know why my Alchemist is the way it is? You'd think since I'm my Mama's son I'd be able to use Alchemy just as efficiently as she did. But the fact is...I can't. Just like the Second, I can only use this Broken Alchemy. The Second got his Alchemy altered when Hazama Liang used the Philosopher's Stone on him, essentially stripping him of all the elements. Since I'm basically made from his cells and my soul is as tainted as his, I can't use Alchemy like that either."

"What the hell is your point?!"

"My point is that my Alchemy isn't affected by the elementary particle rule since my Alchemy possesses neither Fire, Wind, Earth, or Water, it's completely black. Dark Matter. The result of the absence of all elements in Alchemy. What I produce doesn't exist. At all. Nowhere in this universe. And I don't mean that as a metaphor or that we haven't discovered that yet. Literally, my Alchemy is non-existent. So rules like gravity, physics, and whatever else do not apply to it."

"Y-you...!" S. Ryuki's eyes widened when he saw black spikes emerging from the ground closing in on him. He teleported above them, but projectiles were already on their way. He used his Red Vent's second effect to swap places with Alternative but had accounted for this and prepared ahead. A black set of teeth emerged from the puddle of darkness, aiming to rip S. Ryuki's left arm apart after they swapped places. However, S. Ryuki chose to sacrifice one of his legs instead at the last second since he couldn't dodge in time.

'Hmm?' Bragi arched a brow after noticing that but mentally made a note of it."Set it to 7!"

"7?!"

Both of them were slammed against the ground, but Bragi slowly began to pick himself up.

S. Ryuki used his Blaze Vent, increasing his strength, and was now moving toward Bragi at insane speeds despite the gravity."Hahahaha!"

"Too fast! He'll catch me!" Alternative formed several dark matter walls that were being smashed by the empowered Shadow Rider."Shit! SET IT TO 10!"

"TO WHAT?!"

Once more, both Riders were dropped to the ground. S. Ryuki, even with Blaze Vent on, was unable to move much.

Bragi formed two arms of dark matter to lift himself, grimacing at the tremendous gravitational force. He summoned several spheres, conjuring their power and charging up an attack."We're ending this now! I win!"

"Heheheheh...You're too quick to jump the gun...Miracle Boy... Zone...VENT!"

Zone Vent: Infernal Area

Bragi's eyes widened in horror, lifting his head to see several pillars of fire coming down at him like bricks. His Zone Vent dissipated, and the gravity was returned to its original amount.

S. Ryuki sighed, flexing his sore muscles as the environment was now mimicking that of a volcanic zone.

(If you want a visual representation, think of when Ryuki went survive the first time.)

"What...what...?" Alternative mumbled, his body covered in wounds."The Boy Wonder...doesn't have a Zone Vent...And even then, my Zone Vent takes priority..."

"I'm not a mere copy like you, Miracle Boy." S. Ryuuki snorted."I'm the upgrade. You all seem to have the misunderstanding that all Shadow Riders are equally as strong as their counterparts. And it's true. But I'm the anomaly. I was upgraded heavily. Including this handy Zone Vent. And like I just said earlier, your Zone Vent doesn't affect my fire except by increasing its force. So all I had to do was use my Zone Vent OUTSIDE of yours. It helps that my Zone Vent covers a wider area. Think of yourself as being in the middle of a storm...your Zone Vent is your umbrella...and my fire is the hurricane."

"So you attacked from the outside, huh...? Fucking hell..." Bragi began to heal himself."You're a smart fucker, I'll give you that. But I'm still standing."

"Want to do a do-over?" S. Ryuki offered.

"Huh?"

"You seem too proud of that Zone Vent of yours, I'd hate to prevent you from enjoying yourself." S. Ryuki smirked."So let's go again. I'll let you use it and let's see if you can withstand my attacks."

"Alright! You asked for it!"

Zone Vent: Chaotic Inferno

Zone Vent: Gravitational Dead Zone

Once more, their Zone Vents surrounded the area. Like before, Bragi's Zone was encapsulated by S. Ryuki's, even if he had activated it second."Set it to 5!"

"Not going all out this time, your Highness?" S. Ryuki leaned forward, hands behind his back.

"Tch!" Alternative conjured two magic circles, pulling out two orbs of dark matter and shooting them at his archnemesis' copy. S. Ryuki smiled, lifting his arm and shooting two meteors from above. Bragi gasped, realizing he had to defend quickly. He projected a barrier of Broken Alchemy above him, stopping the attacks.

S. Ryuki teleported in front of him, uppercutting him in the chin and sending him crashing against his barrier."Set it to 7!"

The gravity increased took him down and took advantage and smashed his elbow against S. Ryuki's face, breaking part of the area of his mouth.

Shoot Vent: Psycho-Fireworks

Armed cannons attached themselves to Alternative's shoulders, shooting several bullets clad with dark matter to avoid being affected by gravity. S. Ryuki clad his arms with fire, clapping the bullets with a grin.

Bragi noticed his barrier beginning to crack and eventually, the fire attacks broke through. He leaped away, watching as several tendrils of fire began invading his Zone Vent. At the same time, he had to keep S. Ryuki at bay, clashing blades with him. He raised his blade, bringing it down but the Rider blocked with his forearm. Since it was Dragranzer's arm, it was tougher than his arm, so the blade didn't cut through immediately. He used his free hand to thrust his sword forward, but Bragi jumped back and spewed blades from the tip of his sword. Just like S. Ryuki did, he aimed higher and the attack landed on the Shadow Rider.

"Damn!" S. Ryuki sneered in pain. However, Bragi didn't get to celebrate this since he had incoming fire fists raining from above. He countered by creating several magic circles and shooting his fists of dark matter.

Accel Vent

"Strange Vent!"

Both Riders rushed at each other at high speeds, fighting against the ever-increasing gravity. Bragi arched his back, kicking S. Ryuki's sword out of his hand, but the Shadow Rider sprouted Dragranzer's tail and smacked him away. He was about to attack again, but a shower of flames rained down on him. He created a barrier, lifting the fire, his feet sinking into the ground. S. Ryuki used his Blaze Vent to shoot himself toward him, ready to take advantage of his vulnerable state.

"Think again!" Bragi cried out as the gravity increased to 10 again, S. Ryuki fell to the ground. The hybrid fell on one knee, the weight of the continuous attacks coming from above becoming too much for him.

"Want another do-over? Seeing you on your knees...right where you belong. It's just right. You're no Prince. You're a fraud." S. Ryuki smirked haughtyly, already on his feet as the crimson flames around his body flared."You were right about one thing. You're the strongest Kamen Rider. For now."

"Tch..."

"You live a lie, kid. You're only the strongest just because Hajime Adachi, the Messiah, and the strongest Rider, isn't here. You're second to him, at best. The second choice they chose because they had to." S. Ryuki taunted him, enjoying Bragi's legs tremble as they were about to give in to the weight."We're both copies of the original. No...I am a copy. But you're a copy of the copy. In contrast to you, I can become the real deal. Once I kill Hajime Adachi, I will take his body and truly become human. But you? You're stuck forever being an experiment. Just something born out of a test tube."

Bragi hissed, falling on all fours as the barrier was beginning to crack, a giant pile of fire had formed above him and was about to crush him.

"I bet you think if you beat me, everyone will welcome you as a hero, right? That your daddy's misdeeds will be erased? That you'll be forgiven? Hahaha! Is that why you were so eager to fight me? I feel so sorry for you, you failed copy. But this is the end. In the end, you were nothing but a disappointment. Just like your parents. Goodbye, prince of the fallen kingdom."

A giant fist of fire descended from the skies and pushed the fire on top-down, breaking the barrier as it all collapsed on Bragi.

S. Ryuki smiled, admiring his handy work. He was about to turn around when he noticed the Zone Vent wasn't disappearing. In fact, it was getting smaller. He felt his body growing lighter again and turned back on his heels, watching in bewilderment as Alternative stood up, the flames and the Zone Vent disappearing in a black orb the size of a person in front of him.

"What's wrong...?" Bragi gave him a lopsided grin."I thought you said you were gonna kill me...?"

"What did you do...?"

"You're right about what you said. I do hope I can atone for the Second's crimes. But I do not ask for acceptance." Bragi raised his head, determination burning in his eyes."Only forgiveness. Perfect Sphere."

Perfect Sphere

The sphere increased in size, touching the ground and seemingly erasing it from existence.

"I took inspiration from Hamaguchi-dono. He can compress his Zone Vent to the size of a marble. But mine took a bit of work since I had to consider all the gravity calculations. And this is the result. A true sphere." Bragi explained, trying to catch his breath. He had regenerated a lot already and he was starting to feel it.

"A true sphere..." S. Ryuki parroted."But that can't be...it's impossible to create a perfect sphere!"

"Yeah. Perfect spheres have infinitely small points of contact, generating infinite pressure along the surface. Meaning that everything it touches...it's erased. Not even Mama has even come close to creating something like this. But I, the prodigy that I am, made this possible. Remember, my Alchemy doesn't operate under normal laws of physics! Do YOU want another do-over?!"

Without wasting time, Alternative hurled the sphere around, decimating the Zone Vent of fire surrounding them. He then threw it at S. Ryuki forcing him to teleport into the sky.

He began shooting fireballs at it. But like Bragi had said, these attacks were erased the moment they touched it.

"Did he make a black hole?!" S. Ryuki flapped his wings, avoiding the sphere as it chased after him."No...it's not pulling me in. It would have destroyed this whole area by now. This is more...tranquil..."

He blasted himself toward the sphere, glancing at Alternative and swapping places with him."Die to your attack!"

However, Alternative vanished from sight and appeared in front of S. Ryuki, punching him across the face with his right fist and nearly knocking him out with the force of the punch, which was clad in white energy. He was sent flying through the trees but recuperated, flying around as he began setting them on fire.

'He can teleport too?! I see...so he must be closing the space between me and whatever he's touched. Since he punched me, he can teleport toward me just as I can teleport to him by erasing the space between us!"

Wheel Vent: Psycoroader

Alternative was riding close behind him, shooting several dark matter projectiles as the sphere circled the area to catch S. Ryuki by surprise.

He noticed it coming from in front of him, but it was now getting smaller and smaller. He flew over it, and clad his arm with fire, stretching a fire fist toward Alternative.

"Now!" Bragi teleported in front of him, double-kicked him in the stomach, and aimed his right hand toward him. He created a white orb with a positive sign in the middle of it and flicked his wrist, shooting it toward S. Ryuki.

Positive Harmony Karma Orb

'The opposite of my Negative Discord Karma...' Bragi grinned cockily as his attack decimated everything around it, even things it didn't touch.'It can push everything away with tremendous force!'

'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!' S. Ryuki screamed internally.'My Red Vent is in cooldown! I can't teleport! It's going to hit me!'

And it hit, since the attack exploded on impact, destroying the surrounding trees and ground.

"He's done..." Bragi huffed, catching his breath as he landed on top of a branch."My ideas are so good, they should be considered the representation of all good ideas!"

"Hunt him down...Metalgelas."

"Hu-" Suddenly, the attack was thrown back at him, exploding once more and blowing up both of his arms and part of his torso, he crashed on the ground, wheezing for air, confused.

Metalgelas, or a fire version of it, stood tall, even taller than the original one, in front of S. Ryuki.

"Ah...so that's where S. Gai was...I was wondering if the Disaster had killed him..." Bragi muttered, sighing in realization as he forced a grin, fighting back the pain.

"Like I said, I come with a few upgrades. I consumed S. Gai and gained his ultimate defense. Metalgelas here just reflected the attack. I have to say, I had a feeling you could apply positive gravity. But you held it this long. You know when to play your cards. Not as bratty as I thought."

"What can I say...?" Bragi slowly stood up, his wounds regenerating."I like to take things slow...and enjoy the experience."

"Heheheh. You are amusing. I didn't think you'd push me to use this but hey, you are full of surprises." S. Ryuki complimented him."But you have to admit I won the second round."

"Yeah...You were outperforming me most of the time. So sure, you can have it." Bragi shrugged, recalling his Slashdagger to his hand."But you're a real coward, you know that? I thought this was a 1v1 and here you are, calling for the help of your fallen comrades."

"Oh, Prince. You'll soon realize the true horror of the situation you're in." S. Ryuki cooly said."Now, Metalgelas. Let's crush him like the ant he is. Hope you're ready for the third round, your Highness! Because now you're fighting two opponents."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Bragi found himself smiling, excitement boiling in his blood. His Slashdagger was beginning to be wrapped by strings, creating a makeshift lance."You better be prepared! Because my power is capable of dissecting the world itself!"

I'm splitting the chapter into two. Originally, this fight was going to be a single chapter, but there's a lot of stuff to unpack so I decided to split it. Let me know if you guys want a continuation immediately or if you want to jump to the other side of the battle. We have two more battles going on aside from St. Germain vs Kirika and Hibiki. We have Raiden and Jades vs Lilith and Raphael vs Yosuke. The last two fights will be a single chapter since they won't be as long as this one. But let me know if you want to continue with Bragi or take a break and go to the other fights.