Reviews:
Akira: We'll see what happens in the end. Oh, and the story won't end in XV. I have planned an extra season after it which will revolve around the Rider War and Odin.
SoutaAmetsuchi: Yeah. I mean, if you think about it, most of the character's lives are based on tragedies. If things had been different, they would have all been regular kids.
primenidus: Careful. You sounded like Yomi just now. But seriously, that's how he feels about the whole thing. He's just in this for the excitement, unlike his peers, who want to change the world for the better. Or at least, he will when he's more relevant in XV and how he envies everyone in S.O.N.G for having some much excitement. Even though they probably consider everything, they've been through like hell due to the pain and loss they suffered. But we'll get there soon enough.
Lord Ri The Husbu King: Don't overthink it. I wrote this chapter just so you guys weren't completely without updates while I focused on my exams in college. So don't worry about the timeline, the characters that shouldn't be there, and the plotholes. It's just a fun character based on Thanksgiving, a holiday we celebrate in America. And at the time, I was in my relative's house, with my laptop. Which doesn't have my notes for the story. That would be my desktop. So I just made a chapter on the spot. But yeah, more or less I see Carol acting like that with Bragi. Just strict and authoritative but a loving mother who would get mad at a restaurant if they got Bragi's order wrong. The whole Bragard name thing worked out somehow. Back when I was writing Bragard, I was originally going to name him Bragard Hyperion II. Since he's royalty and he's the second Bragard. Royal families usually have Roman numbers if they have the same name as someone else. I guess normal people too, but it's fine. In the end, I went with Bragard First, Bragard Second, and Bragard Third, since they're all the same person, except one is a homunculus, and the other one is the child. I don't know if I'll even do another special. Mostly because I want to focus on the story. I want to finish the story by next year since I won't have as much free time later on. I do have a movie plan after the series ends. Also, the whole Hazuki thing is the same as in canon. Hazama was with Miyu Kaburagi first and had Hazuki, but then he also fell in love with Kaoru Adachi and had Hajime and Setsuna. Since he loved both families, he took Bragard's offer for a job and well, the rest is history.
Tenzalucard123: Just a normal life with the family. The Hyperions and Liangs are a weird family.
Chapter 104
The Quiet Ones are Always Trouble
"Hey! I haven't seen you before! You must be new here, huh?"
Shirabe gasped upon hearing the unfamiliar voice of an older boy next to her. He had short silver hair and a friendly smile on his face as he stared at her."Oh. Is that English?" He pointed at her nametag."That's your name, isn't it?"
"It's Tsukuyomi Shirabe now," Shirabe said.
"Now? What do you mean? Did you have a different name before?"
"I can't remember my real name..." Shirabe rubbed her arm."They gave me this based on the things I had..."
"I see...It must have been tough. Well, you're in the same boat as one of my sisters. She doesn't remember her birthday." He gave her a friendly smile."My name is Jades, by the way. Hey, Raiden. Come say hello!"
"Hello..." Raiden sighed, rubbing his sleepy eyes."Jades-nii-chan, do we have to do this right now? Bedtime is in an hour."
"It's her first day, so it must be scary. It's up to us to make sure she's nice and comfortable!"
"Now, now, I know you want to make sure she's okay, but don't be so loud." Atticus chided him, holding a sleeping Kirika in his arms as she snored lightly in his embrace."I'm trying to put the younger ones to sleep."
"Ah...right, sorry." Jades clasped his hands together."Didn't mean to make so much noise."
"It's cool. Say, Shirabe-chan, was it? How about you sleep with our group today? It'd be less scary with some friendly faces, right?"'
Later that night, Atticus with the help of Maria and Jades put all the children to sleep. They weren't given proper beds, so the best they could do was huddle together and share blankets. Shirabe hugged her knees, restless. She was scared. She didn't know where she was nor where she was before. What was there before this?
She couldn't help but start crying, distressed. Her cries were loud enough for someone to hear.
"You mind toning down that infernal sniffing?" A young boy with dark hair hissed.
"S-s-sorry..." Shirabe wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Huh...aren't you that new brat they got today?"
"Y-yes. I'm Shirabe Tsukuyomi..."
"Right. Well, I'm Terunsouke Kuwana. Now go back to sleep. It's a busy day tomorrow."
"I don't think I can..." She muttered.
Terunosuke glanced to his side. He had Raiden sleeping on his shoulder and next to the bespectacled boy was Andreas. In contrast, Shirabe seemed lonely and scared, which was understandable. Unlike him, Atticus, Jades, and Maria, everyone else was younger than them.
"Look...scoot closer to me. You can use my arm..."
"Huh?"
"I said you can lean on my arm. You deaf or something?" Terunosuke sighed."Look, I get how you feel. It's scary the first day. But you'll get used to it. And besides, with these annoying guys around, you'll never be alone. We're one weird family here. By all accounts, we're already siblings."
"Siblings? All of us?"
"Yeah. It's their idea." Terunosuke snorted, covering Shirabe with his blanket and bringing the girl closer to him."The way I see it it's their way to keep the kids content. You're one of the quieter ones, believe it or not. So you can already imagine how the obnoxious ones behave. So by giving them a sense of familiarity, they hope to make them...happier, I suppose."
"Oh...is that how you feel too?"
"Well, it works, I guess. How do you feel?"
"I feel better. It's warm...being next to someone else. I was cold. And you're one of the older kids, right? I'm safe with you?"
"Yeah. I'm one of the best candidates for becoming a Kamen Rider. So don't worry You brats just relax and enjoy the view as I-"
Terunsuke heard snoring next to him and realized Shirabe had already fallen asleep during his rambling. He gritted his teeth, annoyed that she had ignored him and even more so that she was hugging his arm like it was a teddy bear. Raiden was not doing better, pulling onto him and preventing him from moving."Damn it...These brats are too clingy..."
"I'm glad you made a new friend." He heard Serena whisper from the other side. She was smiling at him with one of her sweeter smiles, making the boy blush.
"Y-yeah, well...I couldn't let her cry all by herself. I'm not that bad."
"I know you're not. You make for a great big brother, Teru-nii."
"I'm just following their example. That's all."
"Shirabe. Hey, you spacing out on me again."
Shirabe gasped, feeling a finger poking her cheek. Raia was standing next to her, shaking his head."Oh. Sorry."
"You okay? We're gonna start our battle simulation against Ogawa-san. You wanna sit down?"
"It's okay. I'm fine." Shirabe shook her head."I'm ready."
"You better not underestimate him, you two." Knight said."He's fast. Probably faster than all of us. We better make sure to work together to corner him?"
"Y-Yosuke-san, do try to go a little easy on me. I'd like to leave in one piece." Ogawa chuckled sheepishly."But I'm curious to see how far you've all come. The last time we sparred was before Maria-san and the others came along."
"Should be interesting. Let's see-" Suddenly, Raia dashed forward, sprinting at full speed."What the-?! Amaterasu!"
'I know what you're thinking, Shirabe.' Raia leaped into the air, spinning around and attempting to deliver a kick at the ninja. But as the kick descended, he vanished. He shifted his gaze, tracking him down and following close behind.' You're thinking of rushing in by yourself. And I know I can't stop you. You're pretty stubborn.'
Swing Vent: Evilwhip
"Tsukuyomi! Wait!"
Shirabe began to sing, skating over to assist Raia, swinging her armored twin-tails buzzsaws, but the man was fast, even for her. Raia lashed out his whip repeatedly, prompting Ogawa to run circles around them.
"What the hell is going on?!" Raia cried out.'How is he this fast? It's like fighting Shadow Ryuki all over again!'
"Behind you, Raiden!"
Raia glanced, only to receive a chop to the neck which seemed to paralyze him. He fell on one knee, bewildered.
"Sorry. You'll be fine in a little bit." Ogawa apologized, noticing Shirabe swinging her yo'yos and forcing him to retreat.
"Are you alright?" She knelt next to him as he rubbed his neck.
"Yeah...He's a ninja, alright. I was not expecting this."
"Well...I was. I remember back then, he was running on water while carrying me."
"And you didn't think of bringing that up until now?!"
"You're both wide open."
Both siblings gasped as Ogawa chopped their necks, knocking them out. Before they could touch the ground, he grabbed them, gently setting them on the floor.
"That went as well as I expected." Knight sighed in exasperation."I had a feeling Tsukuyomi would act out of line. But Amaterasu?"
"I feel like it was intentional," Ogawa said, earning his attention. "They have the potential. But they just need to learn how to use it."
"I think we should leave it for now," Tsubasa said, earning a nod from Knight. The couple carried the unconscious brother and sister back to the others.
"I got them," Jades said, hoisting them over each of his shoulders.
Later on, the other members of S.O.N.G gathered around the command center.
"It appears that Shirabe-san and Raiden-san are still unable to get into synch with their respective partners," Elfnein announced.
"I'm not that surprised." Maria sighed."Those two can be a bit hard to work with in that regard."
"Maybe. But it's not like we can just switcher partners out of the blue." Yosuke stated."The other one available is Dienheim. But he's our ace in the hole. We can't reveal him just yet."
"I guess we should keep the element of surprise." Bragi rubbed his chin."It still doesn't sit right with me to let you guys fight while I'm just sitting by."
"You'll get your time to fight." Yosuke said."In the meantime, keep improving as much as you can. We'll need you at your best."
"You got it, boss man."
"Sir, a call from the cabinet." Sakuya informed Genjuro.
"Put them through." Genjur nodded as the image of Yatsuhiro came on screen.
"Oh, shit. Watch out, Yosuke-san. That's your father-in-law, hahaha-OW!" Yosuke elbowed Hamaguchi in the ribs, causing him to fall to his knees in pain.
"We hear you, Yatsuhiro-aniki."
"I apologize for the sudden call, but I've got intel for you from the Shrine Association," Yatsuhiro said, cutting to the heart of the matter.
"Shrine?" Bragi inquired.
"Must be the ley line information we asked for," Sakuya stated.
"It's about the story of the Divine Gate." Yatsuhiro corrected, earning several gasps from everyone in the room.
"So like...kind of how the Disasters and the Illuminati want?" Hamaguchi asked.
"Except the Disasters have a God with them." Elfnein piped up.
"I believe you should hear this directly from the source. So I'll send you all the proper paperwork." Yatsuhiro said, ending the communication.
"Well, some info is better than none, I guess." Maria shrugged.
As Genjuro pondered over the information his brother had given him, Bragi approached Tobias, hands in his pockets."Hey."
"Oh, hi, Bragi. What's up?"
"You still want to talk to that Autoscorer? Tiki or whatever? Help her?"
"Oh..." Tobias lowered his gaze."Yes...Autoscorers shouldn't be treated like objects or like pawns. And I'm sure that's what's going on with the Bavarian Illuminati. She's probably just a means to an end."
"Got it. Then I'll fulfill the promise I made to you a while back and bring her back." Bragi grinned."I promise I won't fail this time."
"But...you have to fight S. Ryuki..." Elfnein deflated, worried sick about her nephew."Are you sure you can worry about such things...?"
"It's fine. I'll be damned if I were to lose to the Boy Wonder, let alone his stupid clone." Bragi smiled at them."Just leave it to me. I'll make sure to put on a show when I'm fighting him. You won't be disappointed."
Elfnein and Tobias exchanged looks before erupting into a fit of laughter.
"What? Did I say something funny?"
"No, nothing at all." Elfnein giggled."It's just...You sounded like Leiur just now. About putting on a show and making it a big spectacle."
"Huh...Yeah, I remember. I vaguely remember some of her personality due to the First's memories." Bragi tilted his head."But I mean it. I'll win. Just trust me."
"I've been meaning to give you this for a while." Elfnein reached for the pocket of her labcoat, pulling out a book."Here. Take it."
Bragi examined the book, which looked like an ordinary book except it had no cover."What is it?"
"It's a book containing research on Alchemy and its uses. Carol wrote it and would often use it as a reference. But it's more battle-oriented than anything, so I can't really put it to good use. But I'm sure you can."
"And from what I remember, Bragard never really bothered improving his abilities, so he never explored the full use of his gravity manipulation. But I'm positive that someone like you, who is open-minded, and the son of the best Alchemists this world has ever seen, can make some great from this." Tobias chimed in.
"Wow...It's like...a gift from Mama..." Bragi's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Yup. Think of it as a gift from Carol herself. It's yours now." Elfnein nodded with a loving smile."I know you'll make us proud."
"I will. There's a lot at stake here and it wouldn't feel right to disappoint you." Bragi's mind trailed off to Miku, a faint blush appearing on his face."And...Well, I don't want to disappoint her either..."
"Her?"
"A-anyway! I should go get studying, huh? Man, gravity does sound like a cool concept to study! Hahaha!"
Elfnein and Tobias were left puzzled by Bragi's sudden shift in demeanor but decided to let it go for the time being.
Raiden sat in his room, browsing around on his phone and just watching YouTube videos.
"Knock, knock." Maria knocked on his door, which was already opened."Can I come in?"
"Can't exactly say no and not look like an asshole, can I?" He sighed. Maria sat on the bed next to him and he rolled on his back.
"What's wrong?"
"Not much."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"About what? Me not doing as good as people expected me to?"
"Not as good as you can. We know you can do better. I know what you're doing."
"Yeah? What?"
"You're purposely doing bad just so Shirabe doesn't feel bad." Maria said, brushing his hair."I know that because I know you. And I know you're trying hard to be there for her. To shoulder the burden that she's not doing as good as she could. And I like that. Because you're acting like a big brother looking after his little sister. Sort of like how we've done for you guys."
"Yeah...I'm trying to be a little like Jades-nii. It's just...I don't feel like I've been good to them. To her, Kirika, and Andreas. Sometimes I feel like I'm just...there. Doing my own thing. Hell, even Teru-nii did some things for us even though he did his own thing too. And me...I don't know. I just...don't want to let another dear person down like I did with Andreas. And yeah, I'm acting out so people don't focus on her but on me too. She's not the problem."
"True. It's important to look after her. And honestly, it's heartwarming to see. And it's kind of alleviating because it's less of a worry for me and Jades since we can count on you to protect them too. It's kind of funny." She smiled down at him."You weren't that vocal back then and often just stayed by yourself until we dragged you with us. But here you are now, trying to help your sister."
"People can change, I guess."
"No, I don't think you changed. I've known you for a long time and I can tell you've always been a caring person with a strong sense of loyalty."
"I tried to kill Andreas."
"Terunosuke tricked you." Maria corrected him."And Andreas never held that against you. You're a good brother, even if you can't see it. But sometimes that's part of life. You have to let those around you fail so they can learn. Shirabe will learn on her own. She will overcome this. But you have to let her grow. Sometimes...being there too much for a person does more bad than good."
"Yeah, that's true." Raiden nodded. It was something they had to hammer down on Jades since he had lied so many times because he thought it was the right thing to keep them safe."I guess...I can let her do that."
"It doesn't mean you can't help her, though. Just let her go at her pace and help her when she's struggling. She'll figure it out on her own in no time."
"Got it. Thanks, Maria-nee." He smiled, Maria pecking him on the forehead.
"Of course. Just like you look after Shirabe and Kirika, I look after you as well. So if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask. You don't have to act strong and manly just to save face, you know?"
"Yeah, I know."
"So does that mean you'll tell Elfnein-chan how you feel?" Maria asked, not bothering to hide the hopeful tone in her voice.
"I will. Just...not the time, okay?"
"Okay~! Just make sure you don't go too hard on her. She's tiny and-"
"Oh my God! Get out of my room already!"
"Sorry, I haven't been here in a while." Yosuke stood in front of Goro's grave, putting down some fresh flowers."I just went to visit Sakamoto. I finally had some time. For now. Things have been...hectic, to say the least. Not much has changed since you died, honestly. The world is still in shambles and now we're facing powers well beyond our comprehension. But...we're hanging in there, I suppose."
"Yosuke-kun."
Yosuke jumped, not having expected to be greeted by anyone. He turned around to see Jo Tanaka in a wheelchair and behind him his maid.
"Tanaka-san...It's been a while."
"Do you mind leaving us for a while, dear?" Jo asked the maid, who nodded and walked off to give them some space."I take it you've been busy."
"Yeah...Just had the chance to drop by." Yosuke breathed."I went to say hi to a friend before coming to see Goro."
"I saw. Another Rider who died on duty?"
"Yes. His name was Takeru Sakamoto. Another friend I couldn't save." Yosuke clenched his fist."I couldn't save him either...I wonder if the number of people I have to visit is going to keep on increasing. Started with my Father, then to Kanade and Akira. Then now to Goro, Chao-Xing, Kagatsuchi, and Sakamoto. A little grim joke, but at this rate, I'm going to put that flower shop out of business."
"Heh. Well, nothing wrong with a little joke to ease the tension, my boy. Want to talk for a bit? Something in your eyes tells me you have a lot on your mind."
"I just...I could have prevented this. All of this. All of these deaths. They died because I was an incompetent leader. Their lives ended because I failed to act accordingly. I can't look at Yukine in the eyes anymore. She wanted to marry Sakamoto. Wei-kun goes to an empty home."
"I remember you mentioning Hajime-kun also blamed himself for that."
"Yeah, but-"
"Listen, Yosuke. I know how you feel. Being in charge of a group of people. People who follow your commands. You do remember I used to be in the same platoon as Genjuro, right? I was his second in command, so often I was also in charge of our platoon. Our many different platoons."
Yosuke listened intently as Jo took a deep breath."I watched many men die on the battlefield. Both old and young. Strangers and good friends. People I slept under the same roof with and ate the same food. People I promised I would make sure to help them see their families again. To survive. People I failed to keep my promise to. A soldier is no different than a Kamen Rider, in terms of responsibility, at least. We both fight the hard battle to protect those who can't fight. We're not bound by simple standards. Our lives don't disappear once we die. Each soldier, each Kamen Rider makes an impact. We're not bound by ideals. We just do what we do. And our job is to protect. To make sure those who can't fight are safe. To give them another day to be alive."
"What do you mean? What about regrets?"
"I believe that regrets are only for those who are left alive. We regret that there might have been something we could have done. But the reality is, only we feel that way. As a leader, you're in charge of making sure the people you lead have no regrets. Because a true leader doesn't just take care of their people. They teach them. They instruct them. Because if you go down, they are the ones to carry on your will. Every sacrifice done has a meaning, and when we regret what happened, we're belittling what those people did. My son died to protect you because he believed you would be the one to lead everyone to a better tomorrow. That you could do a better job. Ultimately, those we lead will learn to make those types of decisions. Everyone makes a sacrifice based on the greater good. Don't regret their deaths. Carry on their wills. Make sure every single one of those who died is accounted for. And that the ones who are still alive can live. For they are the ones who will carry on your will when your time comes."
Yosuke was baffled at what he just heard. In truth, it made sense. Kanade gave up her life so Tachibana could live, and Akira gave up his in an attempt to get Kanade back by defeating Odin. Chao-Xing didn't think twice about rushing to a certain death to save her family. Kagatsuchi fought bravely and no doubt preferred to die over having one of his siblings die in his stead. Sakamoto fought until the very end to make sure Yukine lived and those people in Val Verde had a future. All of them died for one reason or another.
"Give them meaning..." Yosuke muttered.
Jo nodded, waving over his maid."I trust you'll figure out the answer from here."
"Thanks, Tanaka-san...I needed to hear that. I'll try. I'll give their deaths meaning. One way or another."
"I know you will. Because you are a natural leader. Just like your father was."
"I'm surprised you decided to tag along, Bragi," Hamaguchi said, squeezed between Raiden and Bragi. The girls were in one car and Tsubasa was riding on her bike. For the boys, Yosuke was driving their car, and Jades, due to his size, was riding shotgun next to him. Then in the back were Raiden, Bragi, and Hamaguchi.
"Hibiki-dono insisted I needed a change of pace." Bragi said, reading a book."So I came along."
"What are you reading there?"
"Auntie Elfnein gave me Mama's research on Alchemy. She wrote this herself. I don't know how much good it will do me since I can't use none of the elements, but I have some ideas."
"That's good. Treasure it. If Carol wrote it, then it must mean a lot to you, right?" Jades asked, receiving a nod.
"It's...like a gift of sorts. And well, I'm not as knowledgeable as she was, but this is hard. I have to reread some things because it's hard to comprehend. I'll admit, she was on a whole other level when it came to Alchemy."
"That's cool. Hey, mind if I read that for a bit? I mean, water is an Alchemic element, no? Maybe I can learn something."
"I doubt it. First, the jargon is way too complex for regular people. Secondly, your mastery over water is superb, so there's not much this book teaches you about that. It's more about...other concepts."
"Well, we'll need that when the time comes. Remember we're counting on you when S. Ryuki decides to make his move." Yosuke said, watching from the rearview mirror.
"I know. I won't disappoint you."
"Where are we going anyway? You never said anything." Raiden said, breaking his silence.
"We're going to a shrine located in Saitama prefecture." Yosuke briefly explained."Remember the whole ley line thing with the shrines back when we were facing Carol and Bragard? Well, we're hoping we can learn something in this place. It's related to the legend of the Divine Gate."
"Sounds ominous." Hamaguchi commented."What are we so worried about? We got Bragi here and if we get Hajime to help us, we're set, right?"
"Damn it, Kuroiwa..." Yosuke groaned.
"No, no. It's fine." Bragi waved his hand."They are best friends, after all. So it's normal that he thinks that highly of him. But let me assure you, I'm all we need to combat S. Ryuki. And after him, I have a score to settle with Adam. We don't need the Boy Wonder in this."
"Right, right..." Hamaguchi chuckled sheepishly. Jades and Raiden abstained from commenting but Yosuke sighed. This was going to get worse when Bragi found out Hajime was already awake and they lied to him. He didn't even want to think of the chaos those two would cause.
"Oyo! Look how cute that rabbit is-desu!" Kirika pointed at the stone rabbit, mimicking the ears of a rabbit with her hands.."The rabbits protect the shrine!"
"Gosh, you're so darn adorable." Hamaguchi gushed over his girlfriend, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her."Love you, Little Reaper."
"I love you too, Baby Shark-desu!" Kirika wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hey, we're not here to flirt." Yosuke chided them."Don't do that while you're on the clock."
"It doesn't hurt to sightsee. Come on, stop being such a worrywart." Jades grinned.
"So many bunnies..." Hibiki marbled at the sight."I wish I could pet an actual bunny."
"Me too." Raiden nodded."What do you think, Shirabe?"
"Oh." Shirabe blinked."I would like that too..."
"You guys have a dog, right?" Bragi asked, glancing around."It's pretty close, right?"
"Except dogs can be quite a handful. And trust me, Andreas is a one-of-a-kind dog. It's the third pair of heels he's shredded..." Maria's eye twitched.
"Aw, don't get mad at the little guy. He's still a puppy." Jades smiled, batting his eyes rapidly."I'll buy you new ones, okay?"
"I'll hold you to that." Maria sighed, unable to stay mad.
"Come on, we should get going," Yosuke said, guiding the group further ahead until they reached the main building.
"Ah, I was told beforehand you were all young. But I wasn't expecting this young." An old bespectacled man approached them.
"Are you the priest here?" Hibiki asked.
"That's correct." The priest nodded."Seeing you girls reminds me of my granddaughter, who died with her family in a car crash. I daresay she'd be about your age if she were alive today."
"Wait, whose age? We're all different ages!" Chris exclaimed."What are you talking about?!"
"Relax, it's just a joke." The priest laughed."A priestly prank if you will, to break the ice."
"Heheheh. I like this guy already." Hamaguchi nodded with a smirk."Nothing beats a few jokes to ease the atmosphere."
"All it did was create a Great Wall of mistrust around him. The same thing happened when we first met you." Chris pointed at the blue-haired teen.
"You just can't appreciate funny jokes when you hear them, Chris-chan."
"Sorry. You're just not very funny."
"Everyone is a hater.
"Can we please, focus?" Yosuke rubbed the bridge of his nose before addressing the priest."I'm sorry about my subordinates. They can be quite rowdy."
"Who the hell are you calling rowdy?!" Both of them shouted but were ignored.
"I take it you're in charge?"
"Me and my girlfriend." He jabbed his thumb at Tsubasa, making her blush to due the bold declaration.
"I see. I guess you are all young, after all. You have to enjoy your youth while it lasts. Very well. Let us get down to business. But let me ask you something. Are you familiar with the Hikawa Shrines?"
After the group headed inside, they sat gathered around in a room with a map on the ground.
"Is that the Orion Constellation?" Jades asked, inspecting the map.
"More precisely, it's a mirrored version of Orion drawn by seven Hikawa Shrines in the area." The Priest explained."It's traditionally known as the Drummer's Gate of Heaven, a gate where Gods were known to descend."
"Holy shit. Do you think that's where Odin, Loki, and Thor came from?" Jades pondered.
"No. That happened on an island in the Pacific. Far away from this supposed gate." Bragi shut down the idea."Though, it's true that many of these aspects line up with the Bavarian Illuminati's ideas. Could be worth looking into."
A loud growl was heard, causing the monochrome-haired boy to slowly turn to his right, staring directly at Hibiki.
"S-sorry!" Hibiki rubbed her belly."I didn't mean to interrupt you! I just didn't eat much before coming here!"
"Can't stop the beast within you, eh?" Hamaguchi wagged his eyebrows."I can't imagine how you leave Hajime after you're done with him."
"W-what?! Hamaguchi-kun!" Hibiki blushed, covering her face.
"Pervert." Shirabe rolled her eyes.
"You don't happen to have any food here, do you?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. My quiche is quite good if I say so myself."
"Shouldn't we go with something more Japanese?" Chris folded her arms."This is a shrine, after all."
"We're guests here. Doesn't feel right for us to start demanding stuff." Jades said."Is it really okay, though?"
"You'll need as much energy as you can if you want to look through the scrolls. Don't worry. I am more than happy to accommodate you. It's not every day this place is this lively."
Back in the Bavarian Illuminati's base, Prelati was inside their room, watching over an unconscious Raphael.
"I'm sorry I can only wait for your recovery, old friend. You've looked after me and yet I can't do much more for you." She lamented, drinking a sip from her glass of milk. She vaguely remembered Cagliostro's words while she was recovering, and how Adam and Lilith intended to sacrifice their lives.'And Cagliostro decided to go out with a dramatic finale. Because she didn't want to die because of Adam's whim. You insane trap."
She downed her milk in one sip, placing a hand on Raphael's forehead."Rest well, my friend. For I don't know if I'll be around next time you wake up. St. Germain is going to need someone to protect her. And what better person than the man she loves."
With that, Prelati exited the room, heading to face off against Adam.
Later on that night, Tsubasa and Yosuke were outside, about to contact HQ with their finding.
"You look lovely with that yukata." He complimented his girlfriend.
"When did you get so flirty?" Tsubasa giggled.
"Can't I compliment my loving girlfriend?" He squeezed her hand, bringing her closer to him."We barely get to have some private time, after all."
"That's true." Tsubasa inspected his face."You look...better. Like something that was bothering you is gone."
"I talked with Tanaka-san. He gave me a different insight into my feelings. I think...I'll be okay. I know what I have to do now." He said as she cupped his cheeks, bringing him down for a kiss.
"I'm happy to hear that. I was worried that you were struggling alone with your feelings. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"I'm sorry. I just...didn't know how to talk to you about it. But I'll be fine. I know what to do now. So don't worry."
"I'll always worry. But I'll trust you." She smiled warmly at him."Let's get this call over with. I'm freezing."
"Agreed."
After contacting HQ and explaining the situation, the not-so-secret couple were now listening to Genjuro speak.
"Gate to divine power, huh?" Genjuro hummed in thought."I see. That would explain how they plan to counter the Disaster's access to Loki's power."
"Right. Probably a way to fight off against a Messiah as well, if I had to guess." Yosuke added."We worked together and found some information in the ancient scrolls of the shrine. If the enemy is trying to take advantage of the ley lines, we can only counter with the keystones."
"But we lost a few keystones in the struggle against Carol and Bragard." Tsubasa pointed out.
"They should still function as a safety valve for the ley lines." Elfnein chimed in.
"It's about enough that the Disasters of Valhalla have Divine Power at their will, but if we let the Bavarian Illuminati get a hold of it too, it will spell trouble." Genjuro surmised."We must stop them at any cost."
"That's the plan." Yosuke nodded.
"Also, Yosuke-kun..."
"Yes, sir?"
"You've been holding onto Tsubasa for a while now." The red-haired man chuckled."I take it you both don't want to hide your feelings from the world anymore?"
The idol and the detective blushed profusely, trying to come up with an excuse for their behavior.
"Why are you so clingy, brat?" Terunosuke huffed as Shirabe continued to chase him around.
She said nothing, lowering her gaze.
"Come on, you should at least voice your opinion or something." He sighed in exasperation."Do you always keep things to yourself like this? You won't get anyone to like you at this rate, you hermit. You gotta break out of that shell."
He extended his hand, which she took."Let's go. Can't have you slow us down today again."
Shirabe sighed, kneeling as she watched the rabbit statue spew out at the fountain.
"I guess all I'm good for is slowing others down, after all, Teru-nii."
"Couldn't sleep?"
Shirabe yelped, startled at the sudden voice from her side. It was the Priest, smiling kindly at her."Is there something on your mind?"
She huffed."I can deal with it myself."
"I find it still helps to get one's trouble out in the air." The Priest said."No one can live entirely alone."
"I know that!" Shirabe exclaimed, a little too loud for her liking."Oh. I'm sorry..."
"It's okay. Don't worry about it. My daughter was the same way. And my granddaughter would have been too, no doubt."
"So you had a granddaughter? For real?"
"That's right. She would be about 15 right now."
"Huh. That's the same age I am..." Shirabe muttered.
"We can walk around for a bit if it helps clear your mind."
Shirabee nodded, following the Priest until they reached the shrine."Why hide your secrets in a shrine? I can't think of a better place to deal with what troubles you."
To give her a demonstration, the Priest bowed twice, clapping, and bowing once more."I guess youngers like you might not be too familiar with this."
"I can't say much for the others, but personally, it's outside of my comfort zone."
"That makes sense. It's hard to break out of your shell."
"I'm just not very good with customs, rules, and adjusting to people in general." Shirabe confessed, mimicking the Priest's actions, albeit slower."Even if I try, it never turns out well. I...one of my older brothers used to say I was a hermit and people wouldn't like me if I stayed this way. If I stayed inside my bubble."
"I take it he's not one of the young men here?"
She shook her head."It's...complicated. He cut us off."
"I see. Well, from what I can see. He was wrong."
"Wrong?"
"The fact that you're here with so many people, people that you can call your friends, already proves him wrong. This bubble...you feel as though it pushes others away, right? They are more like walls, than anything. I can tell you're a good person."
"But why would a good person wall themselves away?"
"Breaking down the wall and opening up might be important. But I believe walls are not just for rejection.
Suddenly, her communicator went off as the Commander's voice came through."It's an emergency! An Alchemist was spotted rampaging along the new Kawagoe bypass!"
"Crap!" With that, Shirabe immediately ran into action before the others could come out of their rooms.
"Why does she have to be here?!" Tiki glared at Lilith, who was sitting by the pool and reading a book.
"Ignore her, dear. She doesn't like being alone. Even if she interrupts our moment." Adam eyed Lilith with a sly smile.
"Hah. Please, I wasn't even paying attention to you until you mentioned my name." She scoffed."Do carry on. Tiki, like I told you countless times. I am not interested in Adam. So go ahead and have as many children with him as you want. Make your own soccer team or something."
Adam blinked."Now, now, dear. Aren't you-"
"That's a great idea!" Tiki beamed, snuggling against Adam."I want to become human! Once you get your hands on divine power, you will make me human, right? So I can be your wife?"
"Yes, Adam. You will do that, right?" Lilith adopted a smug smile, much to the man's annoyance."Something about turning the Alchemists into energy?"
"I'd love to hear more about that, actually. Basically, a full explanation." Prelati made her presence known. But Lilith already knew she was there. She just wanted to put Adam in a compromising position.
"We've been through this already, you know." Adam sighed, sounding more tired than annoyed as he stood up, revealing his naked form. Lilith faux gagging before erupting into a fit of laughter, much to Tiki's annoyance."You knew your lives were part of the plan all along. That includes all 4 of you. I won't accept ignorance as an excuse."
"That's news to me!" Prelati shot a few ice spears, which Adam easily destroyed with a flick of his finger to create a blade of wind. Prelati quickly ducked, avoiding the slash."What else are you hiding? What's your goal?!"
"The Divine Power only a puppet could dream of." Adam cryptically said.
"Puppet?" She asked, her eyes daring to Tiki. Before she knew it, Lilith swung her arm with her brush, creating a slash of wind that Prelati barely avoided, but her stuff toad wasn't so fortunate. She quickly reached inside of the mouth, pulling out her Spellcaster.
Out of nowhere, S. Ryuki emerged from the shadows, kicking Prelati through the wall. And onto the street. She quickly transformed, resorting to riding on her kendama and avoiding the fireballs from the Shadow Rider.
"Heh. You can't get away from me." S. Ryuki prepared to chase after her, but Adam intervened.
"A waste of effort." Adam said, standing next to him."Let the Symphogear and Riders hunt her down."
"Tch. I've been waiting far too long, but I guess taking her out is too easy." S. Ryuki sighed.
"Don't worry." Lilith mused."I have a feeling...you'd get to fight very soon."
Shirabe skated through the highway at high speeds, thanks to the great mobility her Symphogear offered her.
"You're not the only one who can move quickly if need be!" Tsubasa caught up to her on her bike.
"We're here too! Idiot! What are you doing running off on your own?!" Raia, who was riding on top of Evildver, berated her."What was your plan?!"
"Let's focus on the task at hand before scolding her," Knight said, using Darkwing to fly around.
"Who are we even fighting? Cagliostro is down for the count." Raia said.
"Possibibly Raphael." Tsubasa voiced her opinion."Whoever it is, they can move at great speeds. And Raphael has a horse that can make him do that."
"I think that answers your question." Shirabe pointed toward Prelati ahead of them as they slowly caught up to her.
"Prelati! What are you doing?!" Raia yelled, earning a scoff from the girl.
"Why are you here now?! Just leave me alone!" Prelati screeched, shooting flames from her hands. The group spread out to avoid the attack.
"What's wrong?! You sound so distressed!" Raia cried out, flying near her."Look...can you stop? We can talk this out and-"
"Oh, now you care. Now you want to talk to me." Prelati sneered."You rejected my love, brushed off my first kiss with you and now you think you have any right to ask me to calm down and talk?!"
"Look, it's not like that! I don't know you that well, but you seem like an intriguing and interesting person. I don't doubt you're sweet. But..."
"But what?!"
"I'm in love with Elfnein!" Raia declared, earning several gasps from both the group there and the ones back at HQ.
"W-w-w-w-w-w-what...?" Elfnein's face became red as a tomato, her brain malfunctioning. Aoi quickly swept in to catch her as her knees became weak and gave in on her.
"I knew it!" Sakuya cheered."I knew it!"
"Not the time." Aoi rolled her eyes, setting Elfnein down.
"At least you're honest now." Prelati adopted a sad smile, taking out two gems."I knew. I knew you loved someone else. I could tell. But...deep inside, some part of me thought that maybe...maybe you could love me instead. But now I have your answer. Then, we no longer have reason to talk!"
Throwing the gems, S. Knight and S. Raia appeared, immediately turning into their Advent Beat forms to fly around.
"Kill them! Both of them!"
"You don't have to tell me twice!" S. Raia exclaimed, eager to kill his real version and become human. However, Knight, in Survive Mode, blocked his path with his Darklancer."What?!"
"You Shadow Riders can't become stronger unless you're fighting with your respective versions, right?" Knight kicked the evolved Exodiver away."Then we'll just fight each other's Shadows!"
Raia rammed into S. Knight, talking him off into the skies."You're fighting me!"
"You little bastard!" S. Knight cursed.
"Tch!" Prelati clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was already regretting her orders for Raiden's execution. But there was no going back now. She had to get to St. Germain, even if she had to throw away her one-sided love.
Okay! Managed to finish this chapter. It's the last week of class so I have one exam and a presentation to prepare, so the next chapter is going to take some time too. I was going to include the fight in this chapter since it's not that long, but I decided to just do it in the next chapter. We're getting closer to the end of the season. I'm still on board with the idea of ending it probably before New Year's Eve, but we'll see.