XDR Interlude 3: The Collision's Aftermath
(Takes place after Dimensional Heroes: Frontiers - Jexi the Hunter)
Akira's Narration: Hey guys. I'm Akira Naotora, a Pretty Cure heroine known as Cure Starlight and one of the leaders of Xross Drive Rebellion. Recently, Team XDR traveled to another multiverse called the Color-Verse to find and rescue our six missing Attuned; Hibiki, Tsubasa, Chris, Maria, Kirika and Shirabe. We're not expecting them to be at the One Piece world. And even more unexpected, there's also a freaking Gjallarhorn fragment there. After recovering the fragment and rescued our missing friends, we're stuck in the Color-Verse for a long while until Mirei Mikagura and the others prepared a special Ridewatch that can take us back to our multiverse which is now called the Xross-Verse thanks to my brother Zeo.
So to pass the time, we worked alongside the heroes of the Color-Verse known as the Hero Alliance which consisted of multiple hero teams and were way more experienced than our team. Mine and Zeo's team went to Bayonetta's world while Gaius and his team went to the world of Code Lyoko to solve some problems. Oh, and speaking of Bayonetta's world, we're able to find the missing Decade Ridewatch that was lost during the Chronosphere accident in our first meeting with Einstein. Now we have something to even the odds against our enemies, but Kamen Rider Zi-O still has a few more important forms that need to be either unlocked or found. Anyway after that, we end our journey at the Starfall Islands in the world of Sonic the Hedgehog before heading back to the Xross-Verse, just in time for the special Ridewatch to be completed that can take us home. We even gave the leaders of the Hero Alliance Zikan Phones in case they need our help, so this won't be the last time we'll be working together with them.
Oh yeah, and about the Ichaival waveform that was revealed back at S.O.N.G. HQ, that was not from Chris Yukine. It was from Connor Trav, leader of Team Revival who happens to be Chris' counterpart hence why he was revealed to be an Attuned, and is now given the name Connor Trav Yukine. That threw all of us in a loop. Not only that, we found out that the Symphogear world in the Color-Verse was destroyed thanks to The End. Good thing we're able to defeat her and In-Fn8t, so we pretty much avenged that world.
And now we're on board the Zi-O Liner as it takes us back to our multiverse while we recollect on our adventures in the Color-Verse. We've definitely learned a lot from that experience, that's for sure. I think we'll have to put the search for the Gjallarhorn fragments on hold for a while so we can rest, 'cause this has been one heck of a month.
Zi-O Liner, Dining Area
As the Zi-O Liner traveled through the dimensional tunnel, Akira was taking a rest at the Dining Area alongside Regina, Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Seele and Theresa, recollecting their adventures in the Color-Verse.
"Well… this has been one heck of a ride." Akira remarked.
"I'll say." Kiana agreed. "The Color-Verse really is something."
"Not to mention the Hero Alliance." Theresa said. "Their roster is extremely huge. Is it really okay to bring that many people for adventure?"
"The Bronya wonders how they'll perform a headcount to know if everyone in their team is present." Bronya said.
"Yeah, that could get very confusing and troublesome." Seele sweatdropped.
"At least there's a few diamonds in the rough, Ragna the Bloodedge especially." Veliona spoke from Seele's mind.
"I think it's better not to bring the entire roster to a mission unless necessary. Some of them need to stay in their respective worlds and protect them from any unexpected invaders." Mei stated.
"True." Regina nodded. "And speaking of worlds, I was not expecting the Pretty Cure world to exist in the Color-Verse, plus the Hero Alliance were fighting alongside Heartcatch Pretty Cure in the past."
"So they also fought the Desert Apostles, huh?" Akira mused. "I wonder which Pretty Cure team is in charge of protecting their world next? The Suite Pretty Cure team maybe?"
"Who knows?" Kiana shrugged. "But I think all of us deserve a nice long break after this long adventure."
"Yeah, I agree with Kiana." Theresa nodded. "By the way, about that one Gjallarhorn fragment we found in the Color-Verse, who's holding it right now?"
"It's with Zeo." Akira answered. "But what's weird about that one is that it won't lead to another world for some reason. Oh well, I guess that fragment is staying in the vault when we get back."
"Speaking of fragments, the Bronya needs a refresher on how many fragments we've acquired so far." Bronya said.
"Let's see…" Mei hummed. "The first one is in Gunvolt's world, the second in Sequin Land, then three more fragments we found in the Symphogear world, one fragment in the Blaster Master world, and now the one we found in the Color-Verse."
"So we have seven fragments so far." Seele noted.
"However, the Neo Time Jackers were able to get three fragments." Akira stated. "We need to be careful in our future missions as we search for the next fragments."
"Mhm." Theresa agreed as she and the others nodded. "Anyway, I'm gonna call in Naomi to prepare some snacks and tea."
"Sounds good, Theresa." Regina smiled.
"I'll be back in a bit." Theresa stood up from her seat and left to find the train attendant.
"You know, not counting the one we got in the Color-Verse, there's two Gjallarhorn Ridewatches we haven't used yet." Kiana mentioned. "I wonder which world those two will lead?"
"We'll find out some other time." Akira replied. "Let's just take it easy instead."
"Hai, that sounds good right about now." Mei nodded. "Although there is one other thing I need to mention."
"And that is?" Kiana asked.
"Another version of Kiana-chan who's with Siege's team, and he's from another multiverse."
"Oh yeah, Siege." Kiana remembered. "I wonder if we'll get a chance to meet him and his team someday?"
"Who knows? Only time will tell." Seele replied.
Zi-O Liner, R&D Lab
Meanwhile inside the R&D Lab, Ciel, Vent, Ashe, Gunvolt, Joule, Copen and Lola are having their own conversation about what they've learnt during the adventures in the Color-Verse.
"So, what do you think of the Maverick Hunters we've met in the Color-Verse?" Ciel asked the group.
"Those guys are pretty good. As expected of the legendary hunters." Ashe remarked.
"Though it's too bad we didn't get to share our A-Trans forms to Axl. That would've been helpful to him." Model A said, floating next to Ashe.
"As for X and Zero, it was very surreal fighting alongside them." Vent remarked with Model X and Z floating near him. "Though I never expected X of all reploids to unleash a Hadouken from what Hibiki told me."
"To be honest, I didn't know reploids can use ki." Model X admitted.
"As for Zero's techniques, he got them from defeated Mavericks." Model Z mentioned.
"I wonder if I can learn some of Zero's electro techniques?" Gunvolt pondered. "I did see him pull off a few of them with his Z-Saber."
"Perhaps you should see some of Zero's previous battle data." Copen suggested.
"That could work." Joule remarked. "As for you Ix, what about X's weapons he gained from defeating powerful Mavericks?"
"If I'm going to do that, I'll need his permission to copy some of his data onto my Zikan Phone." Copen replied.
"Sounds like a missed opportunity there." Lola remarked before shrugging. "Oh well, maybe next time."
"Speaking of opportunity, I was lucky enough to get some DNA from the Guardians of Neo Arcadia." Ciel mentioned.
"Harpuia, Fefnir, Leviathan and Phantom, right?" Ashe guessed.
"That's right." Ciel nodded. "Thanks to their contribution, I should be able to create new biometals of Model H, F, L and P. Although Dr. Fleuve and I could use an extra hand with the construction. Are you up for the task, Copen?"
"A chance to create biometals of legendary reploids, huh?" Copen mused before nodding. "Alright, I'll give it a shot."
"Don't forget me!" Lola raised her hand.
Ciel giggled. "Of course you can help too, Lola."
"I'll be wishing you luck on that." Vent said. "I'd be great for me and Aile to use those biometals again for the Double MegaMerge."
"That'd be pretty cool to see since Grey and I never saw you and Aile use them before." Ashe remarked. "And I wonder if they're better than how Aeolus, Atlas, Thetis and Siarnaq use them?"
"Don't worry, you won't be disappointed." Vent smirked.
Zi-O Liner, Library Area
Meanwhile at the library area, Houki, Cecilia, Lingyin, Charlotte, Laura and Gaius were sitting near a circular table, recalling something important that they discovered during their mission in Code Lyoko's world.
"You girls are still thinking about what you saw in Color-Verse Ichika's memory?" Gaius guessed, earning a nod from the five IS girls. "I see… This has been quite the shock for you."
"Ichika never mentioned his past to us before." Houki said.
"Probably because we never asked, or he can't remember." Cecilia assumed.
"Still, born in a lab. So he's basically a super-soldier like I am, but in a different way." Laura remarked.
"But what the heck is the Mosaic Project?" Lingyin pondered.
"And why is Chifuyu there to break Ichika out of the lab?" Charlotte also pondered.
"Didn't you pay attention to that memory? Those scientists are planning to terminate Ichika in favor of some kind of new project." Laura reminded. "Some kind of exo-suit or something."
"Exo-suit?" Cecilia repeated. "Were they referring to Infinite Stratos?"
"Even I don't have an answer to that." Laura replied.
"Wait… In that memory, the scientist also mentioned twins. If Ichika is one of those twins… then who's the other one?" Houki questioned.
"Could that mean Ichika has another relative besides Chifuyu?" Lingyin pondered.
"Hmm…" Gaius hummed as he glanced at the IS girls thinking about the memory of Color-Verse Ichika. "Looks like the girls are trying to figure out who Ichika's twin is. Well… I think it's time to open the floodgates and tell them what's up." He cleared his throat, gaining their attention. "I think I might have a clue on who Ichika's twin is."
"Really?!" The IS girls gasped.
"Mm." Gaius nodded. "But just to be sure, do you still remember that talk about your Infinite Stratos stories being an anime?"
"Yes. You, Zeo and Akira did tell us about that." Cecilia remembered. "It's still surreal, now that you mention it."
"Yeah… pretty much." Gaius admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway, thanks to the IS anime, I was able to know who Ichika's twin is. And her name is Madoka Orimura."
"Madoka… Orimura…" The IS girls repeated.
"If I remember that memory of Color-Verse Ichika, he was able to escape thanks to Chifuyu." Gaius explained. "As for Madoka, I think she was taken by someone else. Or rather… an organization."
"An organization?" Charlotte blinked.
"And the name of that organization… is Phantom Task."
"Phantom… Task…" Houki repeated.
"They're a secret underground organization with no allegiance to any country, religious cause, or ideology, and the races of the people involved are unknown. That's why they're so difficult to predict. And they're targeting IS's due to their deadly potential to wreak havoc internationally. They are not to be underestimated due to the infiltration capabilities of their members and their high-level skills in IS battles."
"That organization… they exist in our world, don't they?" Laura asked.
"Yes." Gaius nodded. "And if you're wondering about that one Golem that attacked IS Academy during the match between Ichika and Rin, Phantom Task might be the one responsible for it."
"So they're the ones that attacked the academy?!" Lingyin exclaimed.
"How dare they attack innocent students like that!" Cecilia scowled. "And how dare they attack me, Rin and Ichika!"
"At least you three were able to defeat the Golem." Houki said. "Still, now that we know who's responsible for the attack, I wonder if we should tell Chifuyu-sensei about it?"
"I think it's better if we keep this a secret from her. This is one battle we need to face ourselves." Gaius stated.
"What about Ichika?" Charlotte asked.
"Hmm… part of me wants to tell him about them, and other wants to keep it a secret until later." Gaius pondered.
"So you're not sure?" Laura asked.
"...I think it's better to wait till we find a way back to the IS world and after we find him. We'll figure things out when we get there." Gaius answered.
"I see…" Houki noted. "If that's the case, then we'll wait and see. But thanks for telling us about this. And now that we know about Ichika's twin, Madoka, I feel kind of bad for the separation."
"Yeah." Lingyin agreed. "Madoka will think that Ichika and Chifuyu abandoned her. And because of that, she might plan on taking revenge on them by working alongside Phantom Task."
"So you're saying we should help her?" Laura questioned. "Because she's already under Phantom Task's grasp."
"Then we'll tear down that organization and free her." Cecilia answered. "But changing Madoka will take a while."
"We'll see what happens when we get there." Gaius replied. "But don't forget, you have Xross Drive Rebellion on your side. Considering how strong and capable our team is, Phantom Task will have a very rude awakening."
"Oui. That is very much true." Charlotte agreed.
"You girls are not alone anymore. You now have us, and we'll be there every step of the way." Gaius moved his right fist forward with a smile. "So let's do this for Ichika, Madoka, your world, and our multiverse. Together."
"Yes. Together." The IS girls nodded and smiled as they moved their right fists forward.
"Heh. It feels good to see these girls change for the better." Gaius thought with a smile. "Especially after they defeated their phantom selves. And I have Kuroshiki, AKA Color-Verse Ichika Orimura, to thank for that."
Zi-O Liner, Lounge Area
In the Lounge Area, Zeo, Elfnein and the nine Attuned are also having a conversation about their experience in the Color-Verse. Most notably about what happened to the Color-Verse Symphogear world.
"I still can't believe in the Color-Verse, our world is gone because of The End." Hibiki said.
"I know." Zeo agreed. "But why did it have to be Neopolitan and Roman Torchwick from the Universal Villains of all people?"
"But on the bright side, we managed to defeat her and In-Fn8t, avenging the fallen worlds, including our own." Tsubasa stated.
"Dess." Kirika nodded. "Now our fallen counterparts can finally rest in peace, dess."
"Don't forget about the Kocos, they were also killed by The End in the past." Serena mentioned.
"Indeed." Maria nodded. "They can rest easy now that The End is gone for good."
"Still, it's been one wild ride, and it all started because of Connor and the Universal Villains." Shirabe said.
"All of us thought it was because of Gjallarhorn and the Dimensional Quake, but it's not." Kanade said.
"And thanks to this adventure, Xross Drive Rebellion has formed a partnership with the Hero Alliance." Zeo said. "So we'll be seeing them again someday."
"Sounds good to me." Miku agreed.
"Speaking of the Hero Alliance…" Kanade glanced at Chris. "Who would've thought Connor Trav is revealed to be a reincarnation of Chris-chan?"
"Yeah… Honestly, I was not expecting that bombshell of a reveal." Chris remarked. "If Connor's my reincarnation, then maybe there's reincarnations of the other Attuned scattered across the Color-Verse."
"You really think our reincarnations are still out there?" Hibiki asked.
"It's possible." Chris shrugged. "But that's the problem for the Color-Verse, not the Xross-Verse."
"I guess so. I'm sure the Hero Alliance can figure things out themselves." Maria said.
"Genjuro-san will flip out when we tell him about our Color-Verse adventure, dess." Kirika said.
"True." Shirabe nodded. "Especially when we tell him about Connor Trav Yukine being Chris-senpai's reincarnation."
"Looks like GV and Ix aren't the only male Attuned anymore." Kanade said.
"So what should we do first once we return home, Zeo?" Einstein asked.
"I think we'll take this time to rest for a long while." Zeo answered before turning to Hibiki, Kirika, Shirabe and Chris. "Also… you four got a lot of school remedials to attend since you were gone for a month, so I can't bring you girls along for the next mission."
This made Hibiki, Kirika and Shirabe's faces pale, while Chris simply shrugged. "Yep, figured this would happen." Chris sighed. "Oh well, better get it over with."
"You really need to work hard in school, Hibiki. Otherwise I might graduate from Lydian Academy without you." Miku stated.
"No way! We're going to graduate together!" Hibiki responded.
"Then please work hard on it, Hibiki." Tsubasa stated.
"Hai!" Hibiki nodded with determination.
"As for you two…" Maria glanced at Kirika and Shirabe. "The both of you need to be serious about the remedial lessons. You're going to need them if you're planning to graduate."
"Miku and I still had to attend classes and were able to visit the Digital World after school work is done." Serena said.
"Yeah, you really should follow Miku-chan and Serena-chan example." Kanade said.
"Understood./Dess." Shirabe and Kirika nodded.
"Oi! I worked hard on my school work too, you know!" Chris retorted, making the Attuned laugh.
"Hmm… I wonder what our next move should be after taking a long break?" Zeo thought and shrugged. "Eh, I guess we'll find out eventually… Actually, I think I'd better give a certain administrator my gratitude first."
Zeo's Narration: After finally arriving back in the Xross-Verse, Genjuro and Himeko greeted us for the homecoming, especially for the six missing Attuned. Afterwards, we gave them the report of our adventures in the Color-Verse and about Connor Trav Yukine being the one with the Ichaival waveform reading, and boy was Genjuro surprised when we told him about the latter.
After the report, the Gjallarhorn fragment we got from the Color-Verse is stored within S.O.N.G. HQ's vault since it can't be used to open a path to the next world, so it's a special case. Ciel, Copen and Lola went to Guardian HQ in the Blaster Master world to see Prairie and Dr. Fleuve so that they can begin working on the new biometals for Model H, F, L and P. Gaius decided to ask Woz to prepare the Geiz Revive Ridewatch using the Shinobi, Quiz and Kikai Miridewatches considering what happened to him in the Code Lyoko world when he lost to a powerful being known as SisyphusPrime. And honestly, I can understand why, because if we can't beat that powerful being, we have no chance against any future enemies we'll face. Heck, not even the DecadeArmor will be enough. After we have our one week break from the Color-Verse adventure, we've got a lot more training to do.
As for Hibiki, Chris, Kirika and Shirabe, we can't bring them along for the next mission due to not attending class for a month. Sorry girls, but that's something you need to handle yourselves. The remaining Attuned are free to help, though Serena still has to attend classes, so we can't bring her either. The rest of our team are free to join in the next mission though. Maybe in the month of May.
After sis, Gaius and I gave our thanks to Mirei Mikagura for helping us bring our missing friends back to the Xross-Verse, she decided to stay with Team XDR, hence why she became an honorary member of the team. If something's up in the Digital World, she'll definitely give us a call. Yumi, Kuriyo and Shiori did a pretty good job protecting the Digital World while we're gone, and their partners even reached Ultimate Level. And if that's not enough, Yumi's Ultimate Level Digimon partner happens to be a Royal Knight named Sleipmon. Well I'm sure Magnamon and the other knights are fine having another fellow Royal Knight in the team. Makes me wonder where Alphamon is? Guess we'll have to wait and see.
As time passes, the month of May arrived as we had our break and did our training. I was able to give the DecadeArmor a good workout, allowing me to practice mastering its many versatile powers. And considering I've got all of the main Ridewatches to work with, that's a lot of options. Although having the power of Kiva Emperor, Ryuki Survive, and even Hyper Kabuto, was a huge bonus.
And now, Akira and I are at S.O.N.G. HQ's command center with an unused Gjallarhorn Ridewatch on my hand as we find out which world we're going to next. Unfortunately, Gaius can't join us since he's busy undergoing endurance training under Genjuro's tutoring so he can properly control Geiz Revive when the Ridewatch is ready. Take all the time you need to prepare, Gaius. Sis and I can handle things here.
May 2025
Xross-Verse, Symphogear World
S.O.N.G. HQ, Command Center
Tokyo, Japan
Daytime
"Alright…" Zeo said, holding an unused Gjallarhorn Ridewatch with Akira standing with him. "Time to find out where the next world is."
"Can't believe we have to wait for almost two months to do this." Akira remarked. "But then again, I blame the Universal Villains for warping our missing Attuned away from our multiverse, even though it was an accident."
"Oh well, it can't be helped." Zeo shrugged.
"Whenever you're ready, please insert the Ridewatch onto the main computer, Zeo-san." Elfnein said, with Himeko beside her.
"Okay, here goes." Zeo said, inserting the Ridewatch onto the computer's slot, turned the dial and pushed the button. Afterwards, the main monitor showed… something unusual. A dimensional portal in the shape of a star.
"Well, this is unexpected." Himeko observed. "I can't tell heads or tails on what world this is. Is there something wrong with the machine, Elfnein?"
"No, I already did the check-up recently. Nothing's wrong with it." Elfnein replied. "It must be from the Gjallarhorn fragment."
"A dimensional portal that's the shape of a star…" Akira observed the main screen. "The only world that I can think of that has that kind of portal is the world of Kirby."
"Oh, him. The little pink puffball who's the protector of Planet Popstar." Zeo remembered. "And he's fought a LOT of powerful beings in his adventures despite his small size."
"How powerful?" Himeko asked.
"You don't wanna know." Zeo and Akira deadpanned, making her and Elfnein sweatdrop.
"Well at least we know which world we're going to." Zeo deduced, taking the Ridewatch out of the computer. "And we'll be taking the Zi-O Liner for this one."
"I'd call in Gaius, but I don't want to disturb his endurance training with Genjuro." Akira said.
"It's for Geiz Revive, correct?" Himeko guessed, earning a nod from the Naotoras. "I see. But at least the others are ready to help."
"Except for Hibiki-san, Chris-san, Kirika-san and Shirabe-san. They need to do their remedials for the classes they've missed." Elfnein mentioned. "At least Kanade-san and Maria-san are available."
"Wait, Tsubasa's not available?" Akira questioned.
"No." Elfnein shook her head. "She's busy with training alongside Mei-san, Sakura-san and Houki-san. Probably in preparation for the mission in Inazuma."
"Kiana and Seele are available to help though." Himeko mentioned. "However, Theresa and Kallen are busy with Master Jean and the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt; Fu Hua and Lingyin are helping out Lady Ningguang and the Liyue Qixing; Aether, Lumine, Paimon and Miriam are busy with the Adventurers' Guild; and Bronya, Cecilia, Charlotte and Laura are in the Blaster Master world to assist the EDF with work."
"I see." Zeo noted. "And I can't call in GV and Ix since they're also in the Blaster Master world, the latter helping out Ciel, Prairie and Dr. Fleuve with the new biometals."
"Well it can't be helped." Himeko shrugged. "You work with what you got. But I'm free to join you as your field commander, if you don't mind. I could use the exercise."
"Alright, sounds good." Akira replied as she and Zeo nodded. "Let's give our available members a call and go on another world adventure."
"Wish us luck, Elfnein!" Zeo said.
"And tell Genjuro I'm going on a mission with them!" Himeko added as the team left the command center while waving Elfnein farewell.
"Okay! Take care and be careful!" Elfnein waved back.
Meanwhile with Gaius, he's busy undergoing endurance training under Genjuro's tutoring at his private training dojo which involves aerobic exercises, breathing exercises, and other kinds of exercises which enhances endurance. And after two hours, he decided to take a break before he could resume his training.
"How do you feel now, Gaius-kun? Feeling stronger yet?" Genjuro asked, wearing his red sports coach uniform with a white shirt underneath.
"Tired… as… heck…" Gaius, who's wearing a red shirt and black track pants, answered slowly before taking a drink from a water bottle and sprinkled some water on his head to cool off. "But it was worth it. I have to do this to become stronger so I can protect my friends."
"A good mindset, but try not to train too hard or you'll strain yourself which will hinder your performance." Genjuro stated.
"Don't worry, I won't forget." Gaius replied.
"We'll use this break to practice more on your breathing exercises." Genjuro said.
"Gotcha." Gaius nodded, until he noticed someone approaching them which was revealed to be Gunvolt and Joule. "Oh hey GV, Joule."
"Doing okay with your training, Gaius?" Joule asked.
"Just taking a break before continuing." Gaius replied. "I'm about to do my breathing exercises in a moment."
"I see." Gunvolt noted. "Well you're gonna have to put your training on hold for a bit, because we need your help in the Blaster Master world."
"Let me guess. Mutant problems on Earth again?" Gaius guessed.
"It's not Earth this time. It's on other planets." Joule answered.
"So it's time for me to bust out my Metal Attacker once more." Gunvolt said, punching his open palm. "It's been a while since I drove Rairyu."
"I see." Gaius noted. "At this rate, the mutants won't stop coming until we destroy their homeworld. Sorry Genjuro, but my training's going to be put on hold for a while."
"Understood." Genjuro nodded. "The mission comes first, so do what you have to do, Gaius-kun. GV, Joule-kun, that also goes for the both of you."
"Yes!" Gaius, Gunvolt and Joule nodded.
"GV, Joule, let's go get my Time Mazine and head out." Gaius said, earning a nod from the two.
"Now get out there and show those mutants who they're messing with!" Genjuro grinned.
"Yes, sir!" Gaius, Gunvolt and Joule saluted before heading out.
Genjuro chuckled as he watched them leave. "And there they go, off to another mission. Makes me wonder if I should go on an adventure with them?"
"Maybe someday, partner. But you did have an adventure in the Digital World with me and had a good time. And I became an Ultimate because of you."
Genjuro chuckled, answering to his Digimon partner on his Digivice-V. "Yes. We sure did, BanchoLeomon. And you were an amazing partner a man could ever have."
BanchoLeomon chuckled. "Well said."
Zi-O Liner, Dining Area
After Zeo, Akira and Himeko gave Kanade, Maria, Kiana and Seele a call, they gathered inside the Zi-O Liner and gave them a report on the world they'll travel to next.
"So the next world we're going to is Kirby's world?" Kiana asked.
"Yup." Zeo nodded. "You did play Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Switch before, Kiana. So you should know who he is."
"I never tried playing as him yet, but I have fought him a few times." Kiana replied. "If I recall, he can copy abilities after swallowing someone. Pikachu's lightning, for example."
"Mhm, something like that." Akira nodded. "...Just be prepared to face any powerful eldritch abominations that little pink puffball has to face. Watch his video footage on Youtube and you'll understand."
"Oook…?" The rest of the team (minus Himeko) tilted their heads in confusion.
"Looks like it's just you and me as the only Attuned for this mission, Maria." Kanade said. "We haven't fought as a team before, so this will be a good learning experience."
"Indeed." Maria nodded. "Though it's a shame I no longer have a Gungnir relic since I gave mine to Hibiki. But if we're lucky enough to find another one, then maybe…"
"Hey, you'll never know." Kanade shrugged. "And if we did find it, I wanna see your Black Gungnir in action."
Maria chuckled. "You'll get your chance to see it someday."
"Kiana, Seele, you'll be working with me today, so let's do our best together." Himeko said before looking at Seele. "That goes for you too, Veliona."
"Fine. As long as something exciting is on the horizon." Veliona spoke from Seele's mind. Though I'm a bit curious about the abominations Kirby fought that Akira mentioned."
"Umm… I prefer not to know, thank you." Seele mentally replied.
"Seele, I may not be like Bronya, but let's work hard as a team." Kiana said, offering a hand.
"Mhm." Seele nodded, accepting the handshake. "Let's do our best together."
"Okay, sis and I are gonna head for the cockpit and set off for our destination. So take a seat and hold on tight." Zeo said.
"See you girls in a bit!" Akira waved before she and Zeo head for the train's cockpit, while everyone else took their seats and prepared themselves.
After reaching the cockpit, Zeo and Akira changed into Kamen Rider Zi-O and Cure Starlight respectively. Then Zi-O hopped aboard the motorcycle acting as the train's controls, placed the Gjallarhorn Ridewatch onto the control slot, turned the dial and pushed the button as the holo-screen revealed the star-shaped dimensional portal that was shown in S.O.N.G. HQ earlier.
"So which game in the Kirby series we'll be landing on when we get there?" Zi-O asked.
"When I see a star-shaped portal, I can think of two games; Kirby's Return to Dreamland, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land." Starlight answered.
"I see." Zi-O noted. "Either way, we're going to be in one heck of an adventure."
"Even crazier than our adventures in the Color-Verse?" Starlight smirked.
"Eh, who knows? Depends on what crazy Kirby final boss we'll face." Zi-O shrugged as he revved up the accelerator.
"A shame Samus can't come with us since she's busy with the EDF at the moment. Maybe some other time." Starlight said.
"Alright, time to pay the little pink puffball a visit!" Zi-O declared as he drove the train at high-speeds, causing a warp portal to appear as the train sped inside before the portal closed.
In an unknown location and dimension, a small being laid on the ground unconscious on a marbled floor in the rain until it finally woke up slowly. It was revealed to be a small floating alien with yellow oval eyes, no mouth and feet, detached hands, and wearing an attire that is monochrome and heavily torn due to a recent battle. The attire consisted of a classic garb, a cape, a knot around its waist, a hood with cat-like ears poking out at its sides and the tip of the right ear exposed due to tearing.
"Mm…" The alien shook its head and looked at his surroundings which consisted of some dreary ruins with most of the stone formations being covered in moss, and blades of grass that grew through the cracks on the floor. And when the alien looked up to see the sky…or rather, what should've been the sky, it was revealed to be all green and in a vaporwave style. "Where… am I…? Is this an Another Dimension?" The alien pondered before looking at itself in surprise. "Wha… what just happened to me? And… why do I feel weak?" The alien then fired off a magic projectile ahead, but it was small and weak, which made the alien sigh. "Well… it's better than nothing at least. No point staying here any longer, I'd better venture ahead and find out what's going on." The alien then floated ahead, seeking for answers to the unknown.
To be continued in…
Book 8: The Interdimensional Traveler
and…
Book 9: Blasting Through the Stars
(Mirei Mikagura has joined Xross Drive Rebellion)
Author's Note: And these will be the two Books that will begin Arc 4. And if you can tell from the last part of this interlude, Book 8 will be based on the special epilogue from Kirby's Return to Dreamland DX. As for Book 9, it's gonna be the Blaster Master 2 storyline, but without worrying about Eve's mutant virus since it was prevented due to what happened in Book 5.
Now that Zeo has the Decade Ridewatch during the adventure in the Color-Verse, he'll be ready to face even more difficult enemies due to how versatile his DecadeArmor is with its many options. But he'll only use it in certain situations. So far in this series, Team XDR has 7 Gjallarhorn fragments while the Neo Time Jackers have 3, but the race is still on as more of the fragments will be at play in the upcoming worlds, both new and old. And there's still that third party Cure Darkmoon is part of. As for the IS team, they finally knew about Ichika's past, his twin sister Madoka, and their enemies Phantom Task, due to their mission in the Code Lyoko world of the Color-Verse. This info will definitely help them prepare for when they return to the IS world. Ciel was able to get DNA from the four Guardians of Neo Arcadia during the Color-Verse adventure, and will use them to create new biometals for Model H, F, L and P as an alternative since they won't be returning to the MegaMan ZX world for a long while. Vent and Aile will soon regain the ability to Double MegaMerge with those four biometals once they're completed. And lastly, the Symphogear world of the Color-Verse was destroyed thanks to The End from Sonic Frontiers, so the counterparts of the 9 Attuned, along with their friends and allies are gone. But now that The End is defeated for good, their souls can rest peacefully. Although, one of the counterparts of the Attuned that was reincarnated is Chris Yukine, taking the form of Connor Trav Yukine, so it's possible that the others might also be reincarnated as other identities. At least Connor counts as Chris' distant relative from another multiverse, so that checks out.
Never thought I'd start 2024 with a new Arc, but here we are, and I've come a very long way as a fanfic writer, even doing a collab with other writers. And there's more stories planned out for the future.
Alright then, that's all for now. Stay safe in the new year and see you in the next Book!