Guest: Gracias. Me inspire en algunas partes, como cuando Gohan le da el golpe en el estomago a cell.
Guest: xD es verdad. Ahora que recuerdo, mucha gente me comentaba que solo le daban palizas en las primeras dos temporadas. Ahora el es el que da palizas. Parece que Bragard lo desarrollo a base de traumas.
Akira: I'm glad you liked it. I know how much you wanted Ryuki's return, so here it is at least.
Lord Ri The Husbu King: I would agree with that, but then there are cases like Chiaki...But yeah, he's being way too violent. But we've seen this new side of him since his fight with Bragard. But with Hibiki, he becomes the most sensitive person in the world.
SoutaAmetsuchi: Yeah, she's freaking out too much. It's like Hajime said, people like her, Adam, and Bragard don't know what to do when they lose their advantage and their superiority. Oof, Bragi might just try to kick him in the kneecaps since he'll be too small to do anything else.
nickseverino8: I like that song. I might use it for an ending or something. It's very catchy.
primenidus: Shit just hit the fan. Things can never be easy around here.
501awezome: That's right. The Dragon of Doji-I mean, Kamen Rider Ryuki is back. I don't know if plot armor really works here lol. The last time we thought he had it, he had his arms cut off and nearly died. Oh, yes. We're nearing the end of the season. AXZ is not my favorite by any means, but it's cool. I have mixed feelings about it as a whole. In terms of the anime at least. Here it was pretty interesting to write since the plot split into 2 for a while, the main character was missing for the majority of the season, some characters died, and some picked up the slack. At first, I thought this was going to be a short season, but I'm seeing that it's almost as long as GX was. If you love AXZ, then you'll love XV as well. Things are going to escalate as we near the end of the series. That was such a sweet moment to write. Those two have been apart for all of the season and are now finally back together.
Tenzalucard123: The Boy Wonder is back in action, and the first thing he does is save his friends and kiss his girlfriend. He went straight to business in this chapter. But now Lilith has become a Divine Weapon and Hajime has to fight her alone until Hibiki returns.
Chapter 108
The One Favored By God
Two huge and monstrous figures roamed around in an endless void of darkness, with just the sound of their voices serving as a way to not go insane with the solitude of the place. It was completely black, and neither of them could see beyond their hands. It felt like an endless sandstorm with no way out and every time they advanced, it felt like they were sinking deeper into the abyss.
"I can't..." The female voice groaned, stopping from moving.
"Lilith, come on." Adam groaned, his many eyes not helping him at all to see the other behemoth in front of him.
(If you're wondering how Lilith looks in her "real form", she looks like Satan from Shin Megami Tensei 2)
"No! I can't! This is driving me insane!" She screamed, her voice booming."We've been locked up in here for who the fuck knows how long! Face it! They got rid of us! Boom! Gone!"
"Calm down!" He sighed in exasperation."Don't you think this is stressing me out too?! But it makes no sense! We couldn't have been thrown away because we were too "perfect"! This has to be some sort of test! Something! We're the perfect species!"
"Not in front of the fucking Custodians, we're not!" She snarled, slapping him with one of her large tentacles.
"Hey! Watch it!" He growled.
"I can't do this anymore! My sanity is slipping! I lost all sense of time! I don't deserve to die here!" She continued to wail."Why?! Why?! We were favored by the Custodians! How did this even happen?! That bitch! It's that bitch with those cold eyes! She did this to us! I swear on my life I'll kill her!"
"Are you insane?! You can't go up against a Custodian! Especially...especially one as psychotic as her!"
"Then what are we supposed to do, you dumbass?! Rot in here?!"
All of a sudden, a portal opened up in front of them, and a purple figure stepped into the dark void with them.
"Who the-"
"Well, well. So Shemmy sent you to the void? That's so heartless of her." The figure chuckled sinisterly."But this works out. You two want to get out of this hell, yes?"
"Wait, who are you?!" Adam demanded at the figure."You're...you're not a Custodian, are you?!"
"Nope. I'm a little bit higher on the food chain. You may refer to me as Loki, though. As for why I'm here, I came to break you out. What Shemmy did is completely unforgivable. To rob two lives of their potential...But I can help. In exchange, I ask for a favor."
"A favor...?" Lilith echoed.
Loki opened a small portal next to him and pulled out a book."All I ask is for you to give this to a particular person far into the future. You'll know when you see them. I can give you the specifics later, but that's all you need to do. After that, it's a domino effect."
"What is that book?"
"Think of it as a gospel of sorts. It has the truths of this world as well as... the imminent extinction and the salvation. So, what do you two say? Will you cooperate? Or are you okay being here?"
"Lilith, we can't-"
"We'll do it!"
"Lilith!" Adam cried out in disbelief.
"Shut up! I can't take being in here any longer! I have to get out! I'll do it alone if I must!" Lilith seethed."I want to get out of here and back into the light and get back what's ours! I don't care if I must make a deal with the devil for it!"
Without a second thought, Lilith reached out for the book and took it with her hands.
"Perfect...then, let me tell you...about the Messiahs and the Divine Beast, Ventara."
'That's right. That day, we were saved by a God. We were spared the eternal suffering of darkness.' Lilith Samael basked herself in her new glory.'But I am not content with that. I am done being someone's little toy. It's time for me to finally take what's mine. And with this power, I will be able to kill off all the Custodians and Gods who get in my way...!'
"Fuck, this is bad." Ryuki clicked his tongue, a cold sweat dripping down his forehead."Divine Power...Why is it always me the one dealing with this shit?"
'Then again, I guess I'm better suited than the others. I wish Hibiki would take her time getting here. I don't want her getting into danger.' Ryuki narrowed his eyes at the white being in front of him.
"Lilith! You bitch!" Adam was fuming, glaring daggers at her."How dare you take the Divine Power! It's mine-"
Lilith's hair formed a tentacle, smacking Adam in a split second and sending him crashing through half the forest.
"Shut your goddamn mouth, you spineless coward. The grown-ups are talking. I would kill you, but I honestly want to keep you around so you see MY ideal world. Now observe...THE PINACLE OF DIVINE MIGHT! THE ONE WHO IS FAVORED BY GOD!"
Lilith formed a triangle with her fingers, unleashing a beam of raw power at Ryuki. He pushed St. Germain out of the way, quickly activating an ability.
Guard Vent: Dragshieldzwei
The attack completely engulfed his barrier, launching him across the area and into the city, creating a huge explosion.
"Hajime Adachi!" St. Germain cried out, grabbing onto a tree due to the shockwave of the attack.
"Yes! YES! With this power, not even the Custodians will stand a chance! I have done it!" She hugged herself in pure delight."I am a God!"
"Oh, no!" Elfnein gasped.
"Adachi!" Tsubasa cried out in concern.
"What kind of power is this...?" Shirabe whispered to herself.
"Of course, the Boy Wonder is getting himself killed. I should be the one out there!" Bragi grumbled angrily.
"Give it a rest, Bragi." Maria shook her head."Now's not the time. And where are Jades and Raiden?!"
"We shouldn't count Hajime-kun out just yet," Genjuro said, as the screen switched back to another angle. Hajime was climbing out of a crater on the ground, his shield cracked."He did beat a God before, after all."
"Yeah! With help from Hamaguchi-dono!" Bragi threw his arms up in the air.
"Surprisingly, I agree with Dienheim." Yosuke folded his arms under his chest."Plus, we don't know how strong Lilith is with this power. For all we know, she could be stronger than Nakahara was."
"Still, for now, Adachi is our best bet. At least, until Tachibana arrives to assist him." Tsubasa said, frowning."Though...knowing him, he'll probably want to keep her out of danger..."
"So, how was that, Messiah?" Lilith flapped her butterfly wings and landed on the streets, making them go back inside her body."Are you finally comprehending how powerful I have become? Today marks my birthday. The day where I have been reborn as what was always meant to be."
"Tough talk from a puppet..." Hajime muttered with disdain as he began to stand up.
"Tch. Sure. I was a puppet. They created me and Adam to serve as their representatives. The first woman and man to ever live." Lilith began to explain."But we were discarded. Thrown away like trash because we were too perfect! Apparently, unfit to be the ones to guide humanity! They decided that humanity was better off without a guide! How foolish is that?! And then this bitch grabbed us and threw us away...and we drifted off into the darkness for god knows how long. It was maddening. Every second of it."
"Am I supposed to be feeling sad, or something? You lost the little sympathy you had for me the moment you laid your disgusting hands on my friends." Ryuki asked with a derisive tone."So what, you guys got an inferiority complex? What a fucking joke. So that's why you want to take over humanity?"
"Of course a little mouse like you doesn't understand. You don't understand what it feels like to have your motive to exist taken away from you. You're not like all the other humans. You're special, so you have to understand that you have more worth than the rest of this pest. Such as me. When we were freed by Loki...we were given a second chance!"
"Wait...did you say...Loki...?"
"That's right. I'm aware you're more than familiar with him. He gave us what we needed to get out of that hell." Lilith continued."But I won't live under his shadow either. I will make my own path with the power I now possess! You laughed at my motives, but someone like you wouldn't understand. But you could. I'm about to rock your world so hard, your woman is going to be jealous. But I wouldn't mind taking you from her. I'll need a partner to create the perfect species, after all. And your genes, the ones of a Messiah, should serve me well."
"No thanks." Ryuki shot her down.
"Are you sure? You could have anything you want. Forget about this ball of dirt and water." Lilith splayed her hands."You could see the entire universe with me!"
"Nah, I'm good. I have everything a guy could want. Great friends, an awesome sister, and a loving girlfriend. I have everything I ever wanted." Ryuki glanced at his hand."You said that I don't understand how you feel. But I also had my motive to exist taken away from me...So I was also lost in this darkness you keep talking about. But I found something else to live for...things I still have with me. I made a promise to Hibiki. And my sister. I intend to keep that."
"Such a boring answer from such a simple human." Lilith scoffed, rolling her eyes."You can be the Messiah, but in the end, that's just a title. You were created by God but I was saved him God. We are both blessed, but in the end, you're just human filth. I'm going to kill you here and now. Then your brother. Only I can stand on top of the world. Me!"
"Then do your worst." Ryuki frowned, taking a battle stance.
"Let us begin the battle to determine who is truly the pinnacle of perfection. Let's not stop until one of us is dead!"
Both of them seized each other up, neither of them making a move.
'I can't use Blaze Vent this soon. Her power is fucking insane, but this is still doable. If I use Blaze Vent carelessly, I'm going to exhaust myself. And I already used Red Vent once, so I can only use it two more times. I have to see what she's got first.'
Booster Vent
Ryuki and Lilith rushed at each other, punching simultaneously. Their fists collided, creating a shockwave that broke all crystals in the vicinity.
They shot toward the sky, two lines of energy forming constellations in the sky as they clashed with each other. Ryuki activated the blade mode of his visor, going for a thrust, but Lilith broke into millions of particles, reforming behind him. He attempted to turn around, only to receive a kick to the face, and send him flying into the upper floor of an office building.
She snapped her fingers, conjuring a sphere of blue energy before chucking it in his direction, creating a huge explosion that eradicated the building.
To her shock, a burst of flames erupted from the rubble, forcing her to block with her hair tentacles. Once she moved them out of her way, Ryuki rammed into her, knocking the air out of her but she had no time to complain as a barrage of fire-embedded fists began to rain down on her. He finished his combo off by giving a spiral kick to her chest, launching her back to the ground, and simultaneously activating a card.
Shoot Vent: Dragblaster
Charging up the cannon in his hand to its maximum output, Ryuki roared, unleashing a volley of countless fireballs that rained down on the streets as if they were comets.
Suddenly, a volcano appeared above him, erupting. He quickly shot a beam of fire toward the lava, countering it."What the fuck?! A volcano?!"
From above a large rock landed on top of him, adding extra weight and forcing him down."What is going on?!"
Molecules appeared in front of him, and a fist smashed against his gut, making him gasp.
"The control of all matter, dear. I have the power of creation." Lilith whispered from behind him."And destruction."
With a touch of her hand, Ryuki's gauntlet disappeared."What the-"
The lava continued on its path, but the Rider managed to move out of the way just in time. Several tentacles emerged from the ground, attempting to grab him, making him ignite his boosters to fly away.
Ignite Vent
He formed a pair of scythes in each of his hands, slashing through the tentacles as he flew above the streets.
"Not bad, Messiah! Not bad at all!" Lilith's body reformed in front of him, blasting him with energy in the chest. Ryuki grunted, spinning around before taking off into the sky again.
In a second, a tornado of fire covered the entire area, forcing Lilith on the defensive.' Can't dematerialize out of this with this much fire...'
From the flames, Ryuki appeared, slashing through her sides and sinking into the flames again. She growled, covering herself with her tentacles and creating armor plates around them, blocking the slashes that kept coming. A fist of flames collided against her, launching her out of the tornado as the Ignite Vent ran out. Ryuki blasted himself after her, activating two cards in unison.
'He can activate two cards at once?!' Lilith noted, smirking.
Red Vent: Chaos Gate
Sword Vent: Dragsaberzwei
Ryuki ignited his boosters, zooming through the city after Lilith as she bombarded him with energy spheres from the top of her hair tentacles. The Rider chucked his sword toward her, increasing his speed. Lilith smiled at the obvious trick.
'Fool. The moment I dodge your sword, you'll try to attack me. But I know what to expect-'
Suddenly, Ryuki swapped places with the sword, slamming both of his feet against Lilith's face, grabbing the sword that was now coming behind him, and stabbing her neck with the blade. He jumped back, aiming his visor and shooting a laser beam from it at maximum output, completely blowing a hole through her. He lunged at her, readying to finish it off, but her smile caught him by surprise.
A giant cube appeared from out of nowhere, slamming against him and launching him to the ground. Suddenly, several versions of herself appeared around her before going back into her body, her wounds now healed. Ryuki fired a fireball from his gauntlet, but Lilith just weaved her head out of the way.
"Oh, yes! I can get used to this! Now let's see what you do with this!"
Lilith made a triangle with her fingers, her tentacle hairs raising and summoning a giant magic circle, firing countless energy blades."Flash Bomber!"
The blades began to rain down, completely tearing through the area and making a huge hole in the ground. However, she didn't get to rejoice in her glory, as someone kicked her in the head, sending her flying down.
'How?!' Lilith grimaced.'Wait! The fireball! He must have swapped places with it!'
Annoyed, she lashed out one of her hair tentacles, wrapping it around Ryuki's ankle and taking her down with her. She began to twirl around, increasing her velocity before releasing his ankle. However, he grabbed onto her tentacle again and he was the one who threw her into a building. He landed back on the ground, taking a deep breath. A hand grabbed his ankle and he gasped, noticing a multicolored void. The hand pulled him down and into the underground, landing on the train tracks.
"I bet you thought this was going to be just like against Femme, didn't you?" Lilith began shooting beams of energy inside the hole, forcing Ryuki to fly away from them as they chased him in the tunnels."But unlike her, I was born for this Divine Power. Besides, Tiki is the one who has it. All I'm doing is using that power to my will. And since we're both one being now, it's quite easy. So don't think you can beat me the same way you did to Femme!"
Ryuki aimed his Dragblastewr at the ceiling, shooting a hole to the outside to escape the barrage of attacks. As soon as he appeared back to the outside, he was met by branches wrapping around his arms as a forest formed around the city."Damn!"
Several energy spiders began to crawl up to the branches as Ryuki began to cut through them with his sword. A sudden flood covered the city, and now Ryuki was swimming up the water while various pillars of earth began to form.'This is insane! Her complete mastery over Alchemy is allowing her to create shit out of nowhere!'
Lilith raised her arms as if she were reaching for the heavens, summoning hundreds of energy spheres and shooting them toward the ground. The dragon Rider used his Red Vent one more time before it ran out to teleport to the surface, landing on a rooftop as he began to jump away from the explosions.
The Divine being materialized in front of him, dodging the punch coming her way and grabbing him by the face, smashing him against a building and purposely taking the spheres of energy along with him.
"What is that thing?!" Hibiki looked horrified upon seeing the white being floating around the devastated city from afar. Even if she was still far from the place, Lilith's body was glowing intensely. Dragranzer stopped in his tracks, much to the girl's confusion."Dragranzer?"
The dragon let out a low roar, refusing to move.
"Why did you stop? Is there something wrong?" She asked, rubbing his head."We gotta go help Hajime."
Dragranzer let out a low whine.
"Are you...worried about me?" Hibiki pondered, receiving a small nod from the dragon. She smiled."I guess you and Hajime are more in sync than I thought. It's okay, Dragranzer. I'll be fine. You know I'm a tough girl."
The dragon slowly looked toward her.
"I want to protect Hajime too. Just as much as you do. He's saved me so many times, I want to return the favor and be there for him. And protect him." She said, petting the dragon's head, earning a purr much unbecoming of the dragon he was.
Without another sound of protest, Dragranzer continued flying toward the direction of the battle.
"Don't worry Hajime...I'm coming."
Lilith smirked, watching as the whole streets began collapsing into the underground where Hajime was.
St. Germain finally caught up with them, hiding and watching from afar."This is insane...Is this what Cagliostro and Prelati died for...?"
From the debris, Ryuki rocketed toward Lilith, but she dematerialized her body into cubes, reforming behind Ryuki and creating a blade made of her flesh. However, Ryuki moved his head without even looking at her.
"What the-?"
"I can sense your Chi, moron!" Ryuki grabbed her arm and threw her over his shoulder before igniting his boosters, slamming his head against her face and breaking her nose flat. She went through a parking lot building, landing on top of an abandoned car. She groaned, her body quickly restoring itself by sacrificing an alternative version of herself from another timeline. She glanced up at the hole she came through, watching as Ryuki glared down at her, the moon behind him giving him an eerie look.
"Those eyes..." Lilith muttered, shaking like a leaf."You have the same cold, and distant eyes as she did!"
"She? Stop speaking in fucking tongues because I don't know what you've been yapping about this whole time." Ryuki huffed, rubbing his wounded arm.
Lilith swallowed the lump in her throat, remembering the gaze of the woman she feared the most.'His eyes...it's just...just like that monster...the bitch who ruined our fucking life!'
"Why?! Why are you doing this?!" Lilith cried out, her tentacles being the only thing keeping her from being sucked into a portal of pitch-black darkness. Adam had already been sucked in, leaving her all alone in front of the Custodian that had mercilessly hunted them down across space.
"A very boring and useless question to be asking." The white-haired woman shrugged."You have no further use. Is it not natural to dispose of the trash?"
"D-damn you! We did not deserve this! WE DID NOT DESERVE THIS!" Lilith screamed, causing the Custodian to cackle.
"Oh, you poor thing. I did not know you were programmed to feel this kind of fear." Shem-ha said between giggles."Well, fortunately for you, you won't be alone in the eternal darkness that awaits you. Now, if you excuse me, I have more pressing matters to attend to. Enjoy your new home."
"NO! PLEASE! NO! SAVE ME! SOMEONE! PLEASE-"
The last thing Lilith saw before being sealed away in that dark void was the same disinterested yet mocking eyes she was seeing today.
"Those eyes...they're mocking me..." Lilith muttered, seeing the image of Shem-Ha in the boy looking down at her."No...No! No! Matter creation!"
Ryuki noticed several flying creatures appearing out of thin air, shooting elemental attacks at him. He used his blade and his visor in blade mode, dual-wielding and tearing through the creatures. Several cubes flew above him, taking the shape of copies of Lilith.
"She can clone herself?"
"These aren't just mere clones. Did you forget? I can create anything elemental-related. Including myself. These aren't just mere clones. They are the real deal!" Lilith clapped, sending her replicas toward Hajime.
"Aw, fuck! Here we go!" Ryuki parried the first tentacle, slashing it off with his free blade and kicking another Lilith away. However, he quickly became overwhelmed due to the sheer number as they began to pummel him in unison.
'I'm going to regret this, but this isn't the time to be conserving energy!'
Blaze Vent
A burst of crimson flames erupted from within the crowd of replicas, pushing them away with the sheer power output. Ryuki screamed, unleashing blood-red flames that began melting the skins of the replicas. He wasted no time and kicked through one's head, aiming for another and slashing her head off. He leveled his fingers against another one's chest and blasted a hole through it. More of them kept coming, so he formed a tornado of fire, washing away all the replicas.
"You...DO NOT THINK THIS CHANGES ANYTHING, MESSIAH!" Lilith began creating spheres of matter, chucking them in his direction. Ryuki flew around them, evading the incoming armored tentacles and slashing them apart while concentrating his flames in a sphere of fire. Fed up, Lilith made a triangle with her fingers, unleashing beams of omnidirectional blasts of energy, forcing the Rider to evade them as best as he could with his enhanced stats. She unleashed a potent blast of energy, breaking through the sound barrier and eradicating everything in its path. Ryuki simply used one of the tentacles to jump on top of the beam, surfing through it until he reached Lilith.
"W-wait-"
Without a second though, Ryuki fired his concentrated beam of crimson flames, burning away at Lilith's upper body and creating a huge explosion that created a huge crater in the city.
St. Germain was sent flying into a wall by the sheer shockwave of both attacks being released.'S-such power...These two are out of my imagination...'
"I must admit, I am impressed as well."
"Lodgemaster!" St. Germain gasped upon seeing the now one-handed man watching from afar as well. She leveled her gun, but the man chuckled.
"Please. Fighting right now would serve no purpose when the main problem is Lilith. To think that bitch was plotting against me this whole time...That idiot...She let her fear consume her in the end."
"What do you mean?" St. Germain asked.
"Just watch."
Ryuki landed on a rooftop, falling on his knees and heaving for breath."Holy shit...I put too much...power into that...That nearly drained me entirely...That had to have done something...When was the last time I got pushed this far?"
A brief image of Bragard flashed in his eyes, causing him to snicker.g
"Of course. That goes without saying..."
Lilith was hyperventilating, unable to fully heal her body. She had managed to heal part of her body but was missing some chunks.
'This is impossible! Absolutely impossible! How can he damage me this much?! I should be able to just heal through everything he can dish out to me! So why?! Why are his attacks hurting me so fucking badly?!'
She began slamming her fist into the ground, breaking it."He doesn't have the Deicide, otherwise I'd be dead! His bitch of a girlfriend has it! Even if his power is just that strong, I shouldn't feel his attacks this much! Aside from the Deicide, the only thing that can damage and harm Gods are other Gods. Or entities with Divine...Power...No way..."
The gears in her head began to click.
'Messiah...He's the Messiah...Could it be that Messiahs have Divine Power...? Could that be why they can even tame the power of full-fledged Gods?! But...But that can't be! He can't have Divine Power! There has to be another explanation!'
She shook her head.'Calm down, Lilith...I am in control...I am in control now. Even IF he has Divine Power or something akin to it, it doesn't matter. He doesn't have the Deicide, so he can't kill me in one blow and destroy all versions of me in the different parallel universes. Meaning that he can keep on attacking all he wants, but unless he finishes me off with a single attack, he can't kill me." She smirked, her power beginning to swell.'Of course. I am the one who can truly stand at the top of the food chain. The heavens only smile at those who are worthy. Those such as I. I wanted to take it easy, but I suppose I have no choice but to go all out. He did kill a God before after all."
"WAKE UP, TIKI!"
Lilith's form began to grow as her body began to morph once more, increasing several times in size, reaching a whopping 60 meters tall. She was now gigantic and was attached to a bug-like monstrosity from her waist down, holding two giant blades in its four arms.
(A good visual representation would be Psykos-Orochi from One Punch Man)
"She evolved again?! You gotta be kidding me!" Ryuki cried out.
"What kind of monster is she...? Is this what Divine Power is capable of...?" St. Germain gaped, horrified at the sight. Adam remained silent, noticing how the lower part of her body resembled her real form.
'So, you're sick of all your fears, eh, Lilith?'
"Of course, only the heavens smile at the ones who are worthy. And that's me. Not you, Messiah." The monster part of Lilith readied its giant blades, flapping its insect wings and heading toward Ryuki at insane speeds, despite the size. The giant swung its blades, forcing Ryuki to parry with his blades. He ignited his Blaze Vent, pushing the gigant back, but the behemoth swung its arms, knocking Ryuki back.
Lilith flicked her hair, lashing out her tentacles and forcing Ryuki to evade them. She snapped her fingers, lifting a whole building from underneath Ryuki and crashing it into him. She began to smack down on the building with her tentacles, noticing Ryuki above her already.
Red Vent: Chaos Gate
'So, swapped places again? It's getting old!" Lilith splayed her arms as the behemoth thrust its blades forward, piercing through Ryuki's arms, causing him to howl in pain."You're slowing down. In the end, you may be Divine, but you're just a human."
Growling, Ryuki teleported out of the blades and kicked Lilith in the face before conjuring arms of flames, punches raining down on her.
She commanded the creature to flap its wings, ramming into Ryuki and knocking him into the skies."All I have to do is kill you so I can truly be born. In the end, I am the One Favored by God. I was afraid all of this time of THEM. But now? Now I have nothing to fear. That darkness is nothing to what I am now."
She splayed her arms to the heavens, basking in her Divine perfection."I am finally where I need to be. Matter Creation."
Suddenly, several heads of dragons protruded from the dragon, charging beams of energy in their mouths as Lilith formed a triangle with her hands, aiming at Ryuki in the sky.
Hajime panted, his vision getting blurry. He was about to ignite his boosters to fly out of the way, but that's when he noticed what was behind him. The moon.
"And to demonstrate my true power and my new ruling on this pathetic planet, I shall do something to solidify my status as the strongest. By blowing up the blasted moon, along with the damn Lunar Ruins! So dodge or die, this planet is doomed!"
She fired her attack alongside the dragons, making it look like the whole city was hell itself. Ryuki cursed his rotten luck, activating two cards in unison.
Ignite Vent
Blaze Vent
He summoned every ounce of energy he could, surpassing his limits as two giant arms of fire grabbed onto the blasts. He was immediately pushed back, but he roared, releasing more power and momentarily pushing the attack back. But it was too much, even for him. So he opted for the next thing. He screamed as loud as he could, unleashing every ounce of power in his body.
'If I let this go, it'll destroy the whole fucking moon! And then it'll be like last year all over except it won't just be one chunk but multiple! I can't give up! The Captain...wouldn't give up! NOT LIKE THIS!
His eyes began to bleed and blood poured from his nose, the arms of fire finally managing to change the trajectory of the attack away from the moon, destroying a satellite and exploding into outer space, making it look like a meteor shower was happening.
Ryuki immediately began descending to the ground.
"He deflected it...?" Lilith whispered in shock."But it doesn't matter now..."
"HAJIME!"
She shifted her attention to Dragranzer and Hibiki, who were rapidly approaching Ryuki. The Rider landed on the streets in front of the window of a shop, looking at his tattered armor.
"Hey, buddy..." Ryuki muttered to himself, cracking a smile as he stared at his reflection.'Sorry to say this...but you've seen better days, Hajime..."
With that, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he collapsed to the ground, his transformation becoming undone. Dragreder disappeared, but Hibiki landed on the ground and ran toward the unconscious boy."Hajime! Hajime! Hajime!"
She tried to shake him awake, but he was unmoving. She flipped his body and froze, noticing the blood covering his face, making her heartache."Hajime...Why...why do I always have to see you get hurt?! Why can't I save you?!"
'Good. She's there. Two birds with one stone, as they say.' Lilith smirked, beginning to charge up another attack. But a bullet to the face distracted her, and she turned to the white-haired Alchemist, who had her gun leveled at her from down below.
"Ah, St. Germain. You're still alive." Lilith's left eye twitch in anger."You'll get in my way? But you're just a mosquito compared to me now. Your beloved Messiah has been defeated."
"I won't let you harm them anymore." She declared, leaving no room for argument."I will stop you here and now!"
"Hah! Then you'll just die, like your little friends-"
Suddenly, she felt something cold underneath her. Glancing down, she noticed the monster part of her half frozen in ice. She was about to snap her fingers to delete it but saw a giant of ice rushing toward her. She swung her tentacle hair, destroying the giant into pieces. But that's when she noticed was was inside the ice. Dozens upon dozens of arrows that exploded in front of her, causing her to stagger backward.
"Don't forget about us!" Tiger cried out, arms crossed as he and Raia flew on top of Exodiver.
"YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, YOU DAMN BRATS?!" Lilith hissed in anger."I just keep being reminded of my failures today!"
"You mean the failure of killing us, specifically? Or just in general?" Raiden asked in a derisive tone.
"Oh. I'm so going to kill you-"
"ORAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Lilith had been so busy with the people around her that she didn't notice Hibiki, in her Ignite Form, slamming her enlarged gauntlet against her cheek, her face contorting in pain.
'W-WHAT?! The Godslayer!"
"THAT'S FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY HAJIME!" She yelled with all the passion she could muster.
"You're all dead! Dead! Matter Creation!" Lilith clapped her hands, conjuring several of her small version replicas, and sent them out to fight.
"Holy shit..." Chris sighed in relief."He somehow managed to deflect the attack away from the moon..."
"But he's out of power. That was too much, even for him." Yosuke remarked.
'How the hell can he do that?!' Bragi was fuming, tapping his foot on the ground, but due to his current small size, he looked like a child pouting.'No way he should have been able to deflect something that powerful! No way!'
"St. Germain is helping, though?" Tsubasa arched a brow.
"And Jades and Raiden are okay..." Maria smiled at Shirabe, who nodded with a big smile.
"Yes, but we got a problem." Sakuya spoke up."We just got word from the Sielje region. That beam ended up going into outer space and hitting an American military satellite, vaporizing it instantly."
"And here it is..." Aoi sighed."The various ministers are all on the line."
"That was quick. But they can wait-"
"What is happening?" Came the unannounced image of Fudo Kazanari.
Genjuro winced as everyone stepped out of the way for father and son to converse.
"I asked you what is happening." He reiterated sternly.
"We're currently confirming that information-"
"You're all fools." Fudo cut him off abruptly."Not even 5 minutes and this is already an internationally-known incident. The next move is obvious. They will deploy their combined force under the guise of a peacekeeping mission using the flag of the UN to invade our country. Surely even you understand this."
"There has to be another way. That's what we're here for-"
Fudo ended the call, having heard enough excuses for a day."In the end, they're all useless. At the rate this is going, I might just have to send in the extermination team since they have yet to provide me with any results. But then again, one of them did die. So perhaps I shall reconsider my choices."
"That was intense. As always." Yosuke rubbed the bridge of his nose."Guess the head of the Kazanari family will join this battle. But at the rate, this is going..."
"Praying for divine intervention seems like a good thing to do right about now..." Shirabe muttered."If even Hajime-san can't win, is there any hope?"
"He's not that great. I could have killed that thing by now..." Bragi grumbled to himself. But deep down, some part of him was glad he wasn't the one fighting that thing.
"We can't give up hope! The others are still fighting." Yosuke insisted."We have to believe in them."
"That's right. Don't give up! That's what she would say."
A call came in on an open channel, surprising everyone.
"Broadcast source unknown." Aoi said, typing on her console."It's encrypted. We can't trace it back. But...these are the decrypted Val Verde documents!"
Suddenly, tons of information flooded the screen.
"This is all the information we have about the power of Deicide. It could be your ace in the hole."
"How do you know about the power of Deicide? Who are you?" Genjuro asked.
Ogawa's face appeared on the screen."We got in contact with them during our search for related intel. They agreed to help us. Originally, the Deicide was the spear they used to check if the Son of God died."
"Wait, you mean Jesus?" Chris asked with a skeptical brow.
"That's right. The spear was handed down through ages past, though its power was kept a secret. According to these documents, it did not originally possess the power to kill Gods. Over two millennia, it came to be associated with the death of a divine being, altering its true nature."
"A Conceptual Weapon, also known as a Philosophical Armament." Bragi said."So that's how it is. Similar to what Phara had, if I'm not mistaken."
"The very same spear that the Germans went to extreme lengths to acquire during the war was..."
Gungnir
"The Gungnir?!" Genjuro shot up from his seat.
"So that's why her attack stunned Lilith so badly!" Bragi snapped his fingers."I thought it was because she was just ridiculously physically strong, but it must have been her Gungnir in action! Hibiki-dono has the Deicide!"
"You sound a bit too cheerful." Chris folded her arms under her chest."You glad it's not Hajime who has it, right?"
Bragi said nothing, but that was all Chris needed to know the answer."Whatever, he's being carried by Hibiki-dono. He already lost."
"MY BROTHER CAN'T LOSE! HE'S THE STRONGEST!"
Bragi turned on his heels, seeing red."What the fuck do you mean he's-"
He stopped in his tracks when he saw Setsuna, Kirika, and Hamaguchi.
"He's what?" Maria folded her arms under her chest, giving him a look."You gonna finish that sentence?"
Biting his tongue and swallowing his pride for Setsuna's sake, the Prince shifted his attention to the ground. Maria sighed, marching up to him and lifting him in her arms, patting him on his back."There, there. Just take a nap. You're cranky when you're tired."
"M-M-Maria-dono! I'm not a kid!" The small child complained.
"The last plane that left Val Verde contained several wartime records." The unknown voice said.
"I'm glad that worked out." Kirika smiled.
"But still, why would your country share such valuable, classified intel with us?" Genjuro asked the million-dollar question.
"There was a song...One of my superiors told me about it. They heard a song, beneath a sky engulfed in flames. Since then, I've been hoping I could hear it too."
"They can do this! They can win! Hajime! Wake up! You can do it!" Setsuna screamed.
"Blacky-kun!"
"Come on, Hajime! It's too early to go to bed!"
"What are you guys doing?" Yosuke asked, wondering why they were being so loud.
"Setsuna-chan told us about how back in Okinawa, everyone started to believe in Blacky-kun from the bottom of their hearts!"
"And he became super strong!" Setsuna threw her arms in the air to emphasize her point.
"I felt it when I was sharing powers with him." Hamaguchi added."I could hear the voices of all the citizens of Okinawa as they gathered inside Hajime's heart."
"The power of the Messiah...it comes from the belief and trust of those around him...That's right! A Messiah can harness the power of Belief from the souls around them! Everyone put your trust in Adachi! Right now, he and Tachibana are our best bets!"
Everyone closed their eyes, concentrating their hearts and keeping Hajime Adachi in mind, their bodies glowing in a feint white aura.
'Why the fuck would I help the Boy Wonder?' Bragi clicked his tongue, refusing to help
"You ready?" Hazuki asked the black-haired man sitting on the couch next to him."Loki, stay hiding. We don't want him to suspect anything about you."
"Let's get this over with." Terunosuke sighed.
The screen came to live, and a live feed of Fudo Kazanari came into view."I'm sure you two are very much aware of what's going on."
"Something like that. It's hard to miss. But we don't know the details. All we know is something big is going on in the city."
"Very much so. I'm afraid to say that your unreliable younger brother is making things worse." Fudo sounded displeased."And of course, my son is an incompetent fool that can't even get his forces to do anything right. Not that I expected much. They're all a bunch of children."
"So what do you want us to do?" Terunosuke crossed his legs, already fed up with the conversation.
"Solve the problem. Either deal with it yourselves or send those Mirror Monsters of yours. But preferably, I'd also like you to kill a few of their Riders. They are weak and useless. It's come to the point that I have to directly come to you."
'Not that I'm much stronger than Hajime, even with Chiaki's power.' Hazuki noted to himself.
"But after that last mission that I gave you, I'm starting to have my doubts." Fudo narrowed his eyes at them."I told you to kill the renegade Rider, not to get one of your own killed. Not that a serial killer was of much help, but the fact that you failed such a task even when the dragon boy was mentally weakened speaks volumes of your capabilities."
"You try fighting him then. The schoolboy is tougher than you're giving him credit." Terunosuke clicked his tongue at how he spoke of Chiaki."Nakahara-chan did what she could-"
"It wasn't enough. Now I ask you: If the time comes, will you be able to kill them? I only need the Symphogear, since they are extremely hard to come by and they're not like the Riders that can take each other's power. Or should I ask this question to Cypher?"
Terunosuke was about to scoff, but Hazuki placed a hand on his shoulder."We can handle it. We already killed 3 of them anyway. The rest will follow soon. Only if they step out of line, of course. Or if they go rogue. The security of the country comes first, and they make for fine soldiers. As we make fine assassins in the shadows.
Fudo snorted but acknowledged his answer, ending the call.
"So that's the big man behind the screen, huh? I don't know why you guys are so terrified and let him treat you like pets."
The Disasters turned to see Yomi, Wei, and Despia coming out of a room after they had been told to hide.
"Gotta say, the guy looks like a stereotypical swordsman. But is an old man like that really worth the hype? I think not. How can a satanic cult bend to the government?"
"Stop being such an idiot, Kugisaki-kun. First off this isn't a satanic cult. We're just a cult." Terunosuke rubbed the bridge of his nose."It's more difficult than just that. He's a very influential guy and we need his political influence for the plan. Secondly, Albedo-kun told me he's a very formidable foe to go up against."
"What? That old creep? Please." Yomi scoffed."Let me at him and I'll show you. I don't know what's so great about the Kazanaris. Sure, SONG's commander might be imposing, but so what? Isn't the other guy just a fucking politician? And then there's the idol bitch. Can't be scared of her, can you? She looks like a total slut. Wei, you told me how the Liangs used to stand on equal ground with the Kazanaris. Maybe this could be a good opportunity to make that happen again. Come on, where is this so-called Liang pride?"
"If you weren't such a monster when it came to potential, I'd call you insane." Wei conceited to the idea."It's possible. After all, the Kazanaris and Liangs were never on good terms behind the scenes. I'm not opposed to the idea."
"Calm down, you guys. Don't underestimate the Kazanaris."
The group shifted their attention to the door where Allister Albedo was standing, having healed from his injuries after his battle with Takeru."I should know. I've been working with the head of the Kazanari for years and I fought Genjuro Kazanari. They're both monsters when it comes to physical power. You may be a prodigy fighter with an innate talent of Alchemy-I mean, magic, but it'd be wise for you not to underestimate them."
Yomi was about to reply to that, but Hazuki got ahead of him.
"Fudo Kazanari will fall, as all the governments of this world. But for now, we play along. So, what do you think, Allister-san? Should we make our move?"
"I say we wait. We can't be too hasty. I'd assume S.O.N.G has grown incredibly powerful. All their Riders and Symphogear. We should wait and prepare our forces. But if things get further out of hand right now, then we act."
"That's boring. But if we get the chance to fight, that's perfect!" Yomi grinned from ear to ear."Our cousin is there. I can't wait to fight him! Fighting the strongest will be so exciting!"
"Actually, you can't." Hazuki said, much to the blonde's dismay."Remember, Fudo Kazanari doesn't know about the 3 of you. Only us. If he sees you running around with Divine Powers, he will realize that we have a God with us and things will get so much harder. For now, I ask you to control your urges, Yomi. You will get your chance to fight. I promise you."
"Tch. Fine, fine..."
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, the two Riders, Symphogear, and Alchemist, fought off the countless replicas of Lilith.
Tiger continued slashing at them, but their bodies continued to heal. Several tentacles smacked him around, but Raia swooped in and grabbed his hand, carrying him on Exodiver. The Rider aimed his bow, shooting several explosive arrows at the giant Lilith.
The dragon heads shoot energy spheres, causing the arrows to explode. The monster underneath Lilith swung its blades, but a wolf made of blue flames hit its arms, stopping it from attacking.
St. Germain continued firing bullets at Lilith, who sprouted out her butterfly wings and flapped them, creating a strong current of wind and deflecting the bullets.
"Matter Creation!" Lilith manifested several volcanos from buildings, shooting them at the Riders.
Blizzard Vent
A wave of ice washed over the area, freezing the volcanos. However, this is what the Divine being wanted. She created a hurricane out of thin air, spreading the icy air around. St. Germain winced as she felt the right side of her body beginning to freeze rapidly.
"Oh, no! St. Germain!" Tiger cried out, only to receive a tentacle to the face.
Hibiki slammed her fist against the ice, freeing St. Germain.
"Hibiki Tachibana..." St. Germain muttered.
"Let's stop the power of God together." Hibiki smiled.
"Very well. I will follow your lead." St. Germain watched as Hibiki began to jump from building to building, running around Lilith, who kept an eye on her.
"Oh, no you don't, Godslayer! I know better than to let you near me!" She lashed out hundreds of tentacles, aiming to kill Hibiki once and for all.
Tiger appeared in front of her, sliding a card inside his visor.
Strike Vent: Frost Stripes
He spun in places, cutting through the tentacles and giving Hibiki the time she needed to continue. The dragon heads opened their mouths, preparing a blast of energy when giant rocks landed on top of them, causing them to release their attacks inside their mouths and blow themselves up.
Psychic Vent
Raia had used his ability to lift several boulders, launching them toward Lilith.
"Miserable insects!" Lilith screamed, shrieking when she saw Hibiki using her tentacles to close the distance between them."YOU DAMN BITCH!"
She winded her fist back, going for a punch. Hibiki pulled back her piston before throwing her own attack, both of their fists colliding against each other. Lilith's giant arm began to shatter, breaking into pieces and turning into dust.
"NO!" She screamed in bloody murder, attempting to heal but found out she was unable to."I can't heal?! THIS DAMN FUCKING GODSLAYER! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Then her worst fear came true. In the distance, a bundle of flames emerged from the ground, rising to the sky. It was Ryuki, back in his Survive form and already activated his Ignite Vent, sprouting two wings. A white aura surrounded him, giving him an almost angelic look.
"Hajime!" Hibiki smiled in joy.
"About time..." Tiger grinned, St. Germain, having his arm wrapped around her to support him.
"No...Not you! NOT YOU!" She yelled in frustration, her screams enough to break apart some of the buildings around her."JUST DIE! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"
Blaze Vent
His flames intensified, and he rocketed against Lilith, kicking her in the forehead. She was about to scream again, but Ryuki formed two arms of fire, forcing her mouth open and landing on her tongue."I'm going to break you."
He conjured a fireball, shooting it inside her mouth before rapidly firing countless others. Lilith could only howl in agony as her body began to inflate due to the constant attacks she was being fed until her body seemed like it was about to burst. Ryuki took off into the sky, going several hundred meters into the air before flying back down at top speed, sliding another card into his visor.
Strike Vent: Dragclawzwei
"No...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She flapped her wings, flying into the sky with her remaining arm. Ryuki dodged it and slammed his gauntlet into her face. Crimson flames flew down along with him, taking the shape of Dragranzer before striking Lilith as well. She screamed in agony as she was split into two and everything turned white.
Tiger formed a giant dome of ice and Raia enforced it with his Psychic abilities, protecting Hibiki and St. Germain from the shockwave that leveled a huge part of the city.
Adam and Lilith stood in the middle of a garden, admiring a tree, both of them completely naked.
"Tomorrow we'll find out what the Custodians want us to do." Adam reminded her."How do you feel?"
"I'm scared."
"Why? I thought you were looking forward to it?"
"I am...But it's just...If we're sent away from this place...I'll miss it. It's been fun just enjoying this atmosphere. But you're right. We must perform our very best for what they may have for us."
"We'll do it together." Adam nodded, grabbing her hand.
'I just...have a bad feeling about this...' Lilith thought to herself.
Tiki rolled on the ground, missing her lower body. Lilith crashed harshly onto the ground as well, missing her left leg and her face busted up again.
"No...No...No! How can this be happening...my perfect power...my perfect beauty...my perfect art..." She cried. She heard a thud behind her and yelped, turning to see Ryuki staring down at her. He had removed his helmet, letting her see his cold expression and the hollow eyes that reminded her so much of her.
"I guess this means I was the One Favored by God after all."
"Those eyes..."
"You asked what I am...I'll tell you. You are the species. I am the extinction. You are the prey and I'm the hunter. Simple as that." Hajime droned, beginning to take slow steps toward her.
"KYAAAA! GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU'RE NOT A CHILD! YOU'RE A MONSTER A DEVIL! JUST LIKE HER!" Lilith panicked, crawling for dear life away from Hajime."Monster! Monster! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
Ryuki activated the blade mode of his visor, stepping on Lilith's back as she began to scream in absolute terror. He was about to bring the blade down when he heard a voice in his head.
"Your hands are to protect...just like how you told me. So use them to protect. Not hurt others."
"Hibiki..." Hajime muttered.
"Adachi-san...you saved our lives. You saved my life. Even if you don't think you did well today, or if you don't think you're a good person or a hero...I do. We all do. "
"Endou-san.."
Ryuki looked down at his reflection in a nearby broken store window and didn't like what he saw. He wasn't like this. He was acting just like Bragard. He deactivated his transformation, stepping off Lilith's back."Get out of here."
"H-huh?"
"You heard me." Hajime repeated."Get the fuck out of here. Go live to see another day. Crawl someplace and hide. I don't know. I don't really care. But I'm not going to kill you."
"Y-you're not...truly...?" Lilitk was completely stupefied.
"Yeah. Seriously. I'm not...like this. I feel like some part of me changed...and it scares me. But she believes in me. So I can't show her my worst side. I'm not like that. Even though you're a villain and you tried to kill me...I'm willing to let you live. So go and run off before I regret my choice. And for your sake...I hope we never meet again. And just so we're clear..." Hajime squatted down in front of her, causing her to flinch."You look like a smart person to me. So be smart and take this opportunity. Bragard tried his luck and it didn't end so well for him."
"O-okay! Thank you! Thank you...I just don't want to go back to that darkness...I lost everything...but I can still...I can still-"
Suddenly, a blast of energy hit Hajime in the chest, knocking him several meters away.
"Enough of this farce." Adam landed next to Lilith, carrying Tiki's body by the hair.
"A-Adam, you're-"
Adam began to kick her violently, seething with rage."You stupid bitch! How long were you planning to stab me in the back?! You've always been so damn paranoid, it pissed me off! How do you think I felt?! Do you think I wasn't suffering too?! That I wasn't losing it in that abyss as well?! I kept us going and kept us together while you broke down mentally and became insane! And this is how you repay me?!"
"Yeah...kick her, Adam..." Tiki muttered, delirious.
By the time he was done, Lilith was unmoving on the ground, sparks coursing through her head, her eyes white.
"Still, it was close. But it's safe." Adam glanced up at the Divine Power in the air. He threw Tiki on the ground next to Lilith. He raised his arm in the air."I will use my arm to harbor the Divine Power for myself! And when I do, rather than Adam Weishaupt, I will be Adam Kadmon! The very model of the new-Huh?!"
The Divine Power flew past him, heading straight for Hajime, who was holding onto his chest as he wheezed, blood pouring from his mouth."Impossible! The Divine Power...It's heading for the Messiah!"
"Only Messiahs...can harbor Divine Power...such as Hazuki Kaburagi..." Lilith chuckled from underneath Adam's feet."That and...beings of immaculate souls...such as them..."
Hajime noticed the light particles heading toward him and attempted to run, but he was too exhausted and had lost too much blood. Suddenly, he felt someone pushed him out of the way. He looked to see Hibiki smiling at him with a loving smile."H-Hibiki...?"
"Now it's my turn to save you." She muttered as the Divine Power engulfed her.
"What's going on?!" Tiger asked to St. Germain.
"Unthinkable...how can a human, born shouldering the original sin, harbor Divine Power...? But there's no way...she can't be a Messiah either, there's already 2!"
"Wait, is that what's happening right now?!" Raia gasped.
"GET HAJIME ADACHI OUT OF THERE NOW!" St. Germain screamed, and both Riders moved in.
"HIBIKI! HIBIKI! HIBIKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Hajime crawled toward the light and he could swear he saw Hibiki try to reach out to him for a moment before the light intensified and everything went black for him.
Alright, so this chapter has a lot to unpack. First off, the whole Adam being vanished thing. He's got to be the most cryptic guy in the series. Dude literally says "Yeah, they discarded me for being too perfect." But he never says who is that. We figured out that he meant the CUstodians later, but he never referred to them as such. But we don't know much about them or how many there were except for Enki and Shem-Ha. And the ones in XDU but those are different so I don't count them. I doubt Enki was the one who discarded Adam. So by process of elimination, it must have been Shem-Ha. Or so I theorize. Who knows, maybe this new movie will give us new information.
Next is more about how Messiahs work. Or how they work so far since what we see is basically what Lilith sees. But overall, Messiahs can fight Divine beings and damage them. It's sort of how in Naruto only characters with Sage jutsu can harm 10-tails jinchuurikis. That's why Takeru needed that weapon to fight Zeke back in GX. Because if the attack is powerful enough, you can either slow down the healing or just kill them outright. But it's not a case of Hibiki, where she can one-shot them pretty much. We'll learn more of this as the story progresses.
