Reviews:
SinglePringle: I'm happy liked it. Yup, they will have a happy reunion soon. Look forward to it. Out of all those series, I'm only familiar with A Certain Magical Index and Scientific Railgun.
Guest: Yeah, this guy is basically their dad, and Maria is the mom. He doesn't want the girls to have boyfriends because of that. He's sure dedicated and already dislikes Hamaguchi.
Akira: Water can extinguish the fire, but then again, this is Shadow Ryuki we're talking about. It won't be so easy. And yeah, Jades is a drama queen over his siblings.
Guest: Me alegra que a mucha gente le este gustando. La verdad le di mas protagonismo del que pensaba darle. Y pues esta pregunta no puedo contestarla directamente ya que podria hacer spoiler a lo que se viene. Solo dire que ellos perdiendo contra Ryuga es minimo con lo que pasaria si se toparan con Hajime.
Lord Ri The Husbu King: He's trying to hide it. Both because it's an embarrassing story to him and also because Kotaro, the who guy hooked him up with the alcohol, died by Chiaki's hand so it's a touchy subject. Yeah, I don't like violence against children either. I get Nastassja's point but it's still pretty bad to abuse them like that just to "prepare" them for the future. Also, this is wrong. It's not that Jades doesn't care about Atticus. He's his actual biological brother. He was closer to Terunosuke because they were the same age but Terunosuke never wanted anything to do with him because Jades would often drag him into trouble. But the big factor in all of this is that Jades feels guilty for how Terunosuke ended up. Remember, we now know Terunosuke was meant to be the real Tiger, but Jades knocked him out and asked Nastassja to erase that memory so he could save him from that fate. This ties up back in G when Raiden was complaining that Jades acts on what he assumes is the better of his siblings. But as we learned, most of the time he ends up being wrong. That's why he doesn't want to kill Terunosuke. And also because Andreas firmly believed that Terunosuke didn't kill him, so until they learn the whole truth, they can't say for sure. But mostly it's just the guilt eating at him, which is also why he tries to reason with him rather than fight him when they meet. No, I get your point. You're right on that. But the problem with that is that we don't know who is going to die and when. For all we know, Yosuke dies now and it will give Tsubasa plenty of time to mourn like Chris to Takeru. But if Jades dies like in the last season, the reaction wouldn't be as lasting. I feel the same way but backward. I like sweet girls like Hibiki and Kirika. Fun fact, this story was originally meant to be a Kirika-centered story instead of Hibiki.
501awezome: Yeah, I've heard about it. I know some of the lore and whatnot but I was more of a Genshin fan at the time. Also, I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I don't know if you meant it, but I got the "void" reference too lol. Honestly, no idea what I'll do after this. Probably a JJK story or a Yugioh story. Dunno. LOL. To be honest, I think I made that Kenny reference quite a few times already so it's cool. Never dies. Unlike him. Yeah, Yomi is into a lot of...questionable things. We'll see later on in the story. Everyone gets bullied here xD. But yeah, it will end in a happy ending.
primenidus: He came to get that date.
Tenzalucard123: RIP Andreas. We miss you and love you. Your siblings too. Prelati has no shame in doing that to Raiden. He better run away. Speaking of kisses, Hamaguchi came to get his reward from Kirika.
Chapter 97
The Strongest Shadow Rider
"So...you were the one who funded us moving here?" Hamaguchi asked his elder sister, Kagura, who was lying on her hospital bed. Chisa was sitting next to the bed, and Seiko was the one rolling Hamaguchi on his wheelchair."But why? I don't get it. I thought...you didn't like us very much. Since we're not blood-related."
"I admit, I did find it repulsive the thought of having to share the restaurant with the two of you." Kagura confessed, her gaze down at her covers."However, I was...not in the right mindset. I always thought I was better than the two of you. Just because you were orphans picked up by Mom. And yet, you may not believe this, but deep down, I loved you. I closed myself off even more when the attack on the Zwei Wing concert happened. I lost a very dear friend. I loved her so much."
Kagura sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes."Since then, I have become even more detached and stopped calling you guys. And even refused to acknowledge your existence. But when I heard that your school was attacked, Hamaguchi...I panicked. I realized that I could have lost you and I would never have gotten to say anything to you again. Just because of my insecurities and fears. Despite that, I couldn't just go back and pretend everything was okay. So I used the saved-up money I had and had Mom take you two somewhere safer. To Okinawa."
"So you always loved us then...?"
"I left because I didn't want to share the restaurant with you two. But what I've been seeing this past week from you two makes me realize I misjudged you. You truly care about the family restaurant. And...I don't want to lose either of you. Even so, I had to pretend to hate you because I couldn't just apologize. I didn't think I deserved that. So I pushed you all away. But after what happened...and almost dying...I...I don't want to die alone. Nor do I want you to die hating me. So...I want to apologize for everything I said to you and-"
"Of course we forgive you." Hamaguchi cut her off with a big grin."No harm done!"
"Huh...Seriously?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, sure, it hurt. But you're my big sis. You and Seiko. And I'm not one to hold grudges. You did it to protect us. You made us think you were a bad person but loved us in silence. To be honest, I'm very impressed that your heart could take all of that. It must have been painful...to shoulder all that alone..."
"To be honest, I don't like your pretentious attitude. But...you did all this with the best of intentions, so..." Seiko tried to hide a blush from her face."I can't say I can't forgive you either. When Hamaguchi was in trouble, you jumped in with me without a second thought. You care about him as well."
"I..." Kagura teared up at her siblings' words."Thank you...both of you..."
"Excuse the intrusion..."
The Kuroiwa family looked toward the door, noticing a young man with monochrome hair and a blue and crimson eye carrying a bag."Sorry for interrupting this family reunion. My name is Bragi Third Dienheim and I'd like to propose something to you."
"Hamaguchi-kun!" Kirika gasped upon seeing the shark-themed Rider holding her in his arms."Why are you here?! Also, what do you mean underage?! You gave us alcohol back then-desu!"
"Saving you, of course." He winked under his helmet, ignoring her accusation."Man, did I say you look cute? Like a snack, even. This outfit really emphasizes your boobs, huh?"
"Stop it..." Kirika deadpanned, blushing."Don't ruin the moment-desu...pervert..."
"But how is that possible?" St. Germain asked, perplexed."I thought Abyss had died."
"Could this be a new Abyss? They gave Bragard's Autoscorer's Deck to someone else?" Prelati pondered.
"Hey, you're holding her a little too close!" Tiger protested from afar."And get your hand off her chest!"
"I'm just touching her sides!" Abyss waved his hand dismisivally.
"Please excuse him." Maria shot a stern glare a Jades."I want to thank you for protecting Kirika, Hamaguchi-kun. But..."
"How and why are you here?" Chris asked what they were all wondering."Wasn't your leg...you know?"
"Is it okay for you to move?" Hibiki inquired in concern.
"Don't worry. That friend of yours with the white and black hair fixed me up." Abyss offered a thumbs up."Pretty cool guy. It's a long story and I'll give you the details later. But for now, all I can say is that he helped me reform the flesh in my leg. So now I'm good to fight. So, who's the enemy?"
"Those four over there." Knight pointed at the Alchemists."And the monster you just launched away."
Abyss shifted his gaze over to the Alchemists and his eyes widened upon seeing them. His eyes immediately trailed over to Cagliostro's breasts."Wow! What the hell?! No one told me you guys were fighting hot babes! She's stacked as hell!"
He then shifted his gaze to Prelati's petite figure."Oh, man! This is a buffet of babes! Her slim figure is perfect and her outfit leaves nothing to the imagination!"
Finally, his eyes landed on St. Germain."And the legs on that one! Yahoo! My God! She could crush a watermelon! I get to fight sexy girls! So cool!"
"What's up with that guy?" Cagliostro cringed.
"I don't know but he's pissing me off ogling you girls like that." Raphael huffed, ready to strike him down.
"Ah, but..." Abyss chuckled nervously, his head slowly lowering to meet gaze with Kirika, who was pouting."Of course, no one is better than you, Kirika-chan."
To emphasize his point, he squeezed her right breast and her butt, causing her to growl before adopting a sweet smile."Hamaguchi-kun?"
"Y-yes?"
A right hook to the jaw sent the Rider flying away.
"I appreciate you saving me, but don't touch me like that-desu! You horrible pervert! Horrible, horrible, horrible!" Kirika fumed, her cheeks completely flushed in embarrassment and anger.
"I'm gonna fucking kill that kid," Tiger muttered, a murderous aura around him.
"Not now." Knight placed a hand on his shoulder."Akatsuki! Kuroiwa! Pull back for now! We have bigger fish to fry!"
"Is that supposed to be a pun because I'm a shark? 'Cause it's pretty good, not gonna lie." Abyss laughed, leaping over to their side."What's up? Why so tense?"
Knight pointed at the sky, and everyone followed with their gaze. S. Ryuki was flying above them, staring them down."He's been there the whole time now."
"What's the plan?" Maria asked."We have Hamaguchi-kun with us. Surely the 10 of us can fight him together."
"Then again, he just speed-blitzed all 9 of us." Tsubasa furrowed her brow."No offense to Kuroiwa, but he's still relatively new to using his powers. I don't think him being here, even with elemental advantage over fire, can make much of a difference."
"You girls handle the Alchemists." Knight instructed, causing them to gasp in shock."The reason is that I know for a fact that Raphael won't be fighting. He doesn't fight girls, from what I've seen."
"That's true." Shirabe nodded."When we were attacking him before, he didn't lay a single hand on us."
"And due to S. Ryuki's explosive power, I doubt he'd want to get in his way." Knight nodded."So you guys can fight the 3 women, while we fight S. Ryuki. To be honest, I want you to try and beat them because there may be a chance that defeating them will cause them to lose control of him, thus returning him to that gem state."
"You don't think you can win?" Hibiki asked, a little taken aback by the idea.
"Honestly, Tachibana..." Knight adopted a wry smile."No chance. So do try to beat them while we distract him."
"O-okay..." Hibiki nodded slowly.'Hajime...'
"You done strategizing?" S. Ryuki's fire wings dissipated along with him. He appeared in front of Abyss, punching straight through him."Then let's get started. Huh?"
Hydro Flow Vent
S. Ryuki's punch had gone through Abyss' chest. But instead of breaking through skin and bones, he felt like he had punched water.'He assumed I was going to go for him and activated this ability beforehand. One that can make his body turn into liquid?'
"Hahaha! Gotcha!" Abyss aimed his visor in his face, shooting blades of water, forcing S. Ryuki to pull back.
"Do you think some water is enough to stop me?" S. Ryuki chuckled, creating his Dragclaw attached to his right arm, and punched the air, unleashing flames in the shape of Dragreder.
"Now! Go!" Knight yelled, making the girls spread out and leaving the Riders behind."Kuroiwa!"
"Already on it!" Abyss finished closing up his visor.
Tsunami Vent
A giant wave of water emerged from the ground, clashing against the fire dragon. Water and fire, being natural enemies, canceled each other out. The water extinguished the fire while the fire evaporated the water, creating a mist that surrounded the area.
Abyss lunged into the mist, coming face to face with his best friend's copy. He went for a punch, but the Shadow Rider easily evaded, countering with a swift punch to the gut, making Abyss writhe in pain and fall to the ground.
"You were talking so much shit just to go down with a punch?"
Suddenly, Knight, Tiger, and Raia rushed at him in unison, wielding their respective weapons, and Raia used Knight's Winglancer after using his Copy Vent. S. Ryuki scoffed, parrying their attacks with his Dragsaber and Dragclaw simultaneously, his arms moving in a red blur.
'Even with the three of us attacking together, we can't land a single hit!"
"And just what did you think was going to happen?" S. Ryuki asked in a derisive tone, swatting Knight's arm and accidentally hitting Jades with the Winglancer. He then aimed his gauntlet in Knight's face, launching a fireball that shot him away and grabbed Raia's arm, tossing him away."You can't beat me."
Zone Vent: Flood Zone
S. Ryuki noticed a small bubble of water approaching him from the distance. He created two wings of fire, taking off into the air to avoid it.'What is Abyss planning by doing this? What can a little bubble do? Wait a second...'
He noticed Abyss controlling the bubble from afar, guiding him along into an open area.'I see. So that's how it is. He can probably expand the size of that thing at will.'
Raia fired multiple grenades from the ground, forcing S. Ryuki higher into the air. The water bubble eventually caught up to him and expanded in size, much like how Hamaguchi had done in Okinawa, creating a dome of water and trapping Shadow Ryuki inside.
"Now's my chance!" Tiger opened up his visor, sliding a card inside.
"JADES! DON'T!"
Frost Vent
Tiger cast a wave of ice toward S. Ryuki, but the Shadow Rider just laughed."Idiots."
Making use of Red Vent, he looked at Raia and swapped places with him, forcing the stingray-themed Rider to be frozen in place instead of him.
'What the fu-' Tiger was silenced by a fist of fire slamming against his head, launching him away with ease.
"What was that?!" Abyss quickly leaped back, but S. Ryuki teleported behind him, creating two arms of fire and slamming him onto the ground.
'As I thought, he can use Adachi's Red Vent at will!' Knight was sweating bullets.'This is bad...Really bad.'
Manifesting his Boosters on his back, S. Ryuki propelled himself toward Knight, who quickly activated a new ability. S. Ryuki stabbed through his chest with his blade, but Knight's body exploded into several bats.
Illusion Vent
"Running away won't save you." S. Ryuki glanced over his shoulder, casting spikes of fire from his back and forcing Knight to block some of them with his Winglancer, failing to sneak up on him. However, the other spikes grazed his body, cutting into his skin. He lunged in his direction, winding his fist back. Knight had no time to activate his Guard Vent, so he tried parrying with his Winglancer. But the attack was so strong, he was still sent flying toward the ground, creating a large crater. S. Ryuki hovered above Knight using his boosters, deciding how to finish him off.
"Hey! You!"
S. Ryuki glanced over at Jades, who was rushing at him from below."You're fighting me now! Come on!"
"The fuck is he doing...?!" Knight grimaced, wincing as he tried to sit up.
"Well, okay." S. Ryuki shrugged, his head morphing and turning into Dragreder's head, charging up a powerful fireball and shooting it at Tiger.
Tiger braced himself for impact, stretching out his hands, and trying to block the attack. He was immediately pushed back several yards away, but was keeping the sphere in his hands.'Just like before! But now, I know what to do!'
With a roar, he threw the sphere of fire away, aiming toward his objective. The frozen dome of ice containing Raia. The sphere broke through the dome and the heat melted the ice, allowing Raia to fall to the ground, wheezing for air.
"Oh, so that's what you wanted to do."
Tiger gasped, realizing S. Ryuki had moved right in front of him. He swung his claws, only for them to be grabbed by the hands of his opponent. S. Ryuki jumped, double-kicking Tiger in the face and launching him away, disarming him. His head morphed back into his regular form, but grew Dragreder's tail behind him, using it to swap Abyss away like a mosquito.
Clicking his tongue, he hurled his Abyss Sabers at him, but S. Ryuki merely weaved his head. However, his eyes widened slightly, and he turned on his heels to face Raia, who had grabbed the blades and swung them down.
"Heh!" S. Ryuki created his two Dragshields, blocking the strikes of the blade. He shoved Raia away, igniting his boosters and launching himself against him with a kick to the chest, cracking part of his chest plate and sending the young man flying through several trees."Oh, crap. Master Prelati wants him alive. Well, she said alive. Not unhurt."
Suddenly, four pillars of energy emerged from within the trees. All Riders were now in their respective Survive forms, staring down at the copy Rider.
"Ah, yes. Survive already, huh?" S. Ryuki put a hand on his hip."Maybe now things can truly get fun."
Strike Vent: Frostclaws
Tiger was the first one to lunge at S. Ryuki, wielding his evolved claws at him. The fake Rider raised his blade and Dragclaw to defend himself, but to his surprise, Tiger grabbed onto his wrists and began freezing them into ice.
S. Ryuki suddenly engulfed himself in crimson-colored flames, prying his hands away from Tiger and blasting him in the face with a fireball.
"Blaze Vent! He's stronger than he was before!" Knight alerted the others."Everyone, proceed with caution!"
Raia leaped into the air, about to summon Exodiver to ride on top of him, but S. Ryuki grabbed his hand, stopping him.
"Leave him alone!"
Sword Vent: Abyss Shredders
Two pairs of serrated blades appear in Abyss' hands, pressing their handles and revving them like chainsaws. S. Ryuki scoffed, throwing Raia away to block the attacks. He noticed his Dragblade beginning to get cut through and his gauntlet was breaking as well. He sprouted Dragreder's tail, swatting Abyss away with it. He burst into flames, aiming his hand at Abyss and shooting a beam of fire at him.
"No, you don't!" Tiger appeared in front of Abyss.
Shoot Vent: Frostblaster
Using the blaster now equipped to his arms, he shot a beam of ice at the flames, creating a wall of ice and stopping them from reaching them.
"You okay, kid?" Jades asked.
"Y-yeah..." Abyss nodded."Thanks for the help, brother-in-law."
"One more word out of you and I'm throwing your ass to him."
Sword Vent: Darklancer
Knight used his cape to glide over to S. Ryuki, who had run out of Blaze Vent, possibly to avoid wasting energy.'As expected, that ability also burns through his reserves if he uses it too much. Which means this is my chance!'
He thrust his lance word, forcing S. Ryuki to summon his Dragshields to block. The detective maneuvered around the shields, going for a punch, which the Shadow Rider easily blocked. He deviated the attack, causing Knight to go past him, aiming his Dragclaw to the back of his head.
Shoot Vent: Exo Arrow - Type Explosive
An arrow graced S. Ryuki's side, exploding and sending him flying away. Raia was on top of Exodiver, flying around and shooting more arrows. S. Ryuki scoffed, creating wings of fire and igniting his boosters, flying inside of the tree line. Raia continued bombarding him with explosive arrows, forcing his opponent to run to avoid taking damage from the explosions.
"He's using the trees as cover!" Raia cried out.
"Then let's get rid of them!" Abyss closed up his Abyssvisorzwei, activating an ability.
Hydro Vent
S. Ryuki glanced over his shoulder, noticing a wave of water following close behind, beginning to form a sphere of pressurized water, cutting through all the trees it came into contact with. Abyss controlled the water with his hand, circling S. Ryuki's surroundings to cut the trees and make it easier for Raia to attack. He threw his sword into the air, activating Red Vent's ability to swap places with an object or person, safely avoiding the explosions going off where he once was.
"We have to attack him now! Jades, Kuroiwa! You two take the lead! Your attacks will help us in extinguishing his flames!"
"Oh, I see what we're doing." Abyss pulled out his Co-Link Vent card, following Tiger's lead. They both stood on opposite sides of each other, simultaneously activating their abilities.
Co-Link Vent(x2)
A stream of water was shot toward S. Ryuki, covered by a blizzard. Raia followed suit, using his own Co-Link card to begin giving form to the attack by using his psychic powers. Finally, Knight increased the potency of the attack by using his wind powers to his advantage, creating a huge elemental typhoon, giving it the appearance of a shark with claws and bat wings.
Disaster Barracuda
S. Ryuki grinned, his body morphing fully into Dragreder, releasing a stream of flames that clashed against the attack. He activated his Blaze Vent, increasing his energy output but his attack was starting to be pushed back.
"Yes! We got him now!" Abyss beamed.
"Don't jinx it and keep pushing!" Knight bellowed.
"You know, I can't believe you idiots haven't realized an important detail."
"And what would that be?!" Tiger demanded. And he regretted asking that since the worst thing that they could have ever imagined happened.
"I haven't even used Survive yet."
Hibiki ran to the sides, avoiding St. Germain's bullets and giving Tsubasa the time to strick.
Raphael observed from afar, keeping his word to not harm any women and limiting himself to observing."St. Germain."
Heaven's Wrath
Tsubasa kicked the hilt of her enormous sword toward the white-haired Alchemist, forcing her to leap out of the way. She immediately aimed her gun at the sword, shooting several bullets that went through magic circles, enhancing their speed and power. The bullets pierced through the blade, knocking Tsubasa to the ground.
"Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki rushed as fast as she could behind St. Germain, but a golden blade of energy landed in front of her."Huh?!"
"I said I wasn't going to fight the women. But technically, I am not fighting. Just think of it as an obstacle." Raphael shrugged.
St. Germain turned on her heels, aiming her gun at Hibiki and shooting at the ground, her bullets creating sharp rocks that made the Symphogear jump away.
"Hopefully you won't run out of your drug any time soon!" Cagliostro yelled, shooting energy bullets at Maria.
The pinkette used her whip to bat them away before leaping into the air, lashing it out toward the blue-haired woman. Cagliostro cast a blue sphere of energy around her, blocking even Chris' arrows.
"Try this one on for size!" She cried, punching the barrier toward them as it expanded in size.
"Holy shit! That's too big!" Chris screamed as the attack engulfed them both.
Meanwhile, Prelati continued swinging her kendama around, keeping Kirika and Shirabe at bay.
"We're going to make you pay for what you did to our brother!" Shirabe sneered, hurling hundreds of buzzsaws that were easily deflected by the huge ball.
"I see Raiden has tons of overprotective siblings." Prelati scoffed."I can't say I don't find that adorable. Even your outcast brother didn't approve of me."
"Wait, really?" Kirika asked, surprised."Teru-nii said that?"
"But that doesn't matter. I will just have to take him away from his family." She licked her lips."Basically, he's already mine after I kissed him. His lips belong to me and that fact cannot be changed."
"How dare you say that?!" Shirabe shifted her gaze to Kirika."Kiri-chan! Let's show her what happens to those who hurt our family!"
"Yeah-desu! As long as we don't get hit, we can use this!"
The girls reached for their pendants, squeezing them to activate their Ignite Modules.
"Ignite Module, BAKKEN/BAKKEN-DESU!"
"Heh. With a little taunt and you're already rushing at me?" Prelati laughed cruelly."That's fine with me. I guess the only one of you who is smart is Raiden, huh? It suits me just fine."
"Anyone who dares hurt our siblings..."
"MUST DIE!"
Shirabe and Kirika shot buzzsaws and scythe blades at Prelati, but the smaller Alchemist hurled her kendama, releasing a barrier of energy that engulfed both Symphogear and canceled out their Ignite Module, letting them fall to the ground."Basically, your naivete is your undoing. I will get my hands on Raiden and properly become one with him. And there's not a thing you can do to stop me. Once I want something, I will stop at nothing to get it."
"Tsukuyomi! Akatsuki!"
"Tsubasa-san! Go!"
Tsubasa nodded, going to the girls' rescue while Hibiki fought St. Germain alone.
"For a brighter tomorrow, I am not afraid to pull the trigger." She declared, reloading her gun.
"But I don't get it!"
"That's precisely what the Curse of Balal is. The lack of understanding. The chains that bind humanity."
"But our hands aren't meant to hurt others! They're for joining together!"
"Joining together?!" St. Germain seethed at her words."You clearly don't understand the world outside of your own little world. People hurt others because they want to! They step over others to feel strong and control them! You have no idea about any of them, do you?!"
Fed up with Hibiki, St. Germain fired a special bullet, blue flames taking the shape of the head of a wolf.
"What you're saying makes no sense!" Hibiki focused her Phonic Gain on her right gauntlet, using her boosters to shoot herself against the attack, punching through it and stopping before hitting St. Germain in her face. The whited-haired woman flinched, taking a step back.
'She stopped...' Raphael noted from afar. He was about to jump in but his sword told him of Hibiki's intentions. 'She wasn't fighting to hurt her.'
"I know there are people who want to hurt others. Because they want to or because they can. But even so, acting like those people isn't going to make things better. A world built with people like that doesn't mean anything if you have to hurt others to get there."
Suddenly, they noticed a few stray energy bullets coming in their direction.
"Sorry!" Calgiostro apologized.
Hibiki grabbed St. Germain and jumped away from the attack before they could get hurt by it.
As soon as Dragreder became Dragranzer, the flames became hotter and more intense, engulfing their combined attack and evaporating ice and water. Knight used his wing to disperse some of the fire, but the flames were too powerful to completely disperse."DODGE!"
They all abandoned their positions, scattering around. Abyss was getting ready to use another card, but S. Ryuki, in his version of Survive, dived kicking him in the chest and shattering his armor. Hamaguchi let out a silent scream, his body throwing like a ragdoll across the area."You guys just don't get it, do you? You're all just weak!"
He vanished from sight, appearing behind Raia and kicking him on his sides. He manifested Ryuki's Shoot Vent, the Dragblast, using it to shoot a beam of fire and send Raia flying away."You haven't noticed? You just can't compete with me. Just like my companions, the other Shadow Riders, you're holding your boy back!"
Tiger was about to go after Raia, but S. Ryuki ram into him from behind, slamming his head into the ground as he dragged him across the area."Incompetent idiots who rely too much on Ryuki! Look at you, groveling beneath my feet! You're just no match!"
He hurled Tiger into the sky, shooting another beam of fire, but this one was more powerful since he didn't need Tiger alive. Tiger was sent flying away, the fireball exploding on impact. S. Ryuki took a punch to the face by Knight, but he chuckled."And then there's you."
Knight grimaced as S. Ryuki grabbed his wrist away from his face, slamming his fist into the Rider's gut, making him gasp in pain.
"I guess you're the leader, huh? I don't know why they make the weaker ones into the leaders." S. Ryuki equipped, repeatedly punching Knight."Good thing my real self is still alive. Once I beat him, I will become a real human. You can keep coming at me if you. Hell, bring out the Symphogear for all I care. I'm just too strong for any of you to handle. And guess what? It's not changing any time soon, buddy."
S. Ryuki punched Knight one final time, his transformation finally running out after he passed out. The Shadow Rider let his body fall to the ground with a thud, glaring down a him with a bored expression."Man, all of you are lame. I guess It's time I kill you-"
Out of nowhere, S. Ryuki felt an intense pain in his chest, letting out a guttural scream of agony as his body began to shine brightly.
"Get off of me!" St. Germain pushed Hibiki away."Only a fist clenched in anger can make a path to a new future! The Messiah was supposed to bring about change but he's not here. And you don't want to tell me where he is, do you? Therefore, I have zero reason to listen to what you have to say!"
Before she could level her gun at Hibiki's face, they all heard S. Ryuki's from afar. St. Germain quickly recalled him, his gem turning back to her hands."He overheated. It seems he's still not ready yet. Doesn't matter. Your words mean nothing, Hibiki Tachibana."
St. Germain broke the vial in her hand, teleporting away.
"Ladies! We're pulling back for now!" Raphael hollered, breaking the vial as well.
"Already? What a drag." Prelati clicked her tongue in annoyance, begrudgingly breaking her vial."I will return for you, Raiden. Just you wait."
With her comrades gone, Cagliostro had no reason to stick around and teleported away as well.
"Is everyone okay?!" Tsubasa yelled, helping Kirika up.
"The guys!" Maria gasped in realization. The girls quickly rushed to check in on the Riders and were crestfallen to see them all defeated and unconscious.
"And that's all on my end," Yosuke concluded his report. He was currently sitting in the control room of HQ covered in bandages.
"You sure it's a good idea to be out of bed, Yosuke-san?" Hibiki asked, worried about her friend."You should be in bed with the others."
"I'm fine." Yosuke said, but he clearly wasn't."And the girls?"
"Maria is taking care of Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi." Tsubasa explained."They were affected by the same thing that happened to us when we used our Ignite Module. Sorry, we couldn't assist you in time."
"It's fine. You were facing strong opponents, and being unable to use Ignite Module makes things harder."
"You're one to talk. That fucking Shadow Ryuki is just too much." Chris threw her arms out."How the fuck can they even control him?!"
"They can't. Or at least, not yet." Yosuke said."It seems they still can't keep him out for a long time. Also, they can't use the other Shadow Riders while he's being used. However, that could change if they improve upon his design. I knew there was a gap between us and Adachi but...Shit, I didn't think it'd be this wide...Maybe Shadow Ryuki was right. Maybe we are just incompetent to depend on Adachi this much."
"I wouldn't say that." Genjuro chimed in."Remember Hajime-kun grew immensely stronger against Bragard. And his Liang genes make him become stronger faster than the rest. There was already a gap. You just have to close it."
"But can we do it fast enough?" Chris folded her arms under her chest.
"Actually, I wanted to comment on that." Hamaguchi made his presence known, using crutches to walk.
"Kuroiwa-kun! Your leg!" Hibiki gasped.
"I'm fine. Just gotta rest it." Hamaguchi grinned.
"You want to comment on what?" Tsubasa got straight to the point.
"Well, back in Okinawa, I synchronized with Hajime, just like we did with our Co-Link Vents. But instead of an attack, our monsters fused and our powers became one. So I have a pretty good idea of how strong Hajime is. And, well...I don't know if I'm imagining things or not, but-"
"Just say it." Chris sighed.
"It's just...compared to Hajime, S. Ryuki felt kind of...weaker, I guess."
"Weaker?" Genjuro arched a brow at that.
"Yeah. It's hard to explain but like I said, I synchronized my power with Hajime when we fought Chiaki, so I have a good understanding of his strength. And when S. Ryuki kicked me it just didn't feel as intense, you know? Like he wasn't just as strong. And I doubt that guy had any reason to hold back."
"Hold on a moment...that just got me thinking..." Yosuke rubbed his chin in thought."Back when you showed up, the Alchemists were bewildered to see you. As if they weren't expecting you at all."
"I think I heard one of them saying something about Abyss being dead," Chris recalled, her eyes closed as she concentrated on her memories.
"That leads me to believe that maybe when they created Shadow Abyss, they did it by using data from Damian when he was Abyss. So they don't know about Kuroiwa and what went down in Okinawa. It's possible..."
"You think that S. Ryuki was created when Adachi was in Val Verde with us?" Tsubasa asked, receiving a nod.
"I do. I trust Kuroiwa's judgment. This means that it stands to reason that Adachi would be stronger than his clone since he most likely became stronger when they fought Nakahara. Kuroiwa, how much stronger do you think Adachi is?"
"I...don't know. I don't think I can put it into levels or whatever. I just know one is less intense than the other."
"So we know he's stronger but not by how much." Tsubasa surmised.
"Wait, does that mean...?" A hopeful smile graced Hibiki's features.
"Yeah. If he wakes up, Adachi should be able to defeat S. Ryuki." He cleared his throat before any of them could celebrate."But that presents us with two problems."
"Of course, nothing can't be easy." Chris huffed."Go on then. Tell us the bad news."
'I guess I am the bearer of bad news after all, huh' "Well, first, the obvious one. We don't know when Adachi will wake up. He's still in a comatose state after that building fell on top of him and almost had his skull split open."
"Can't Junior do whatever he did to Hamaguchi to heal him?"
"Actually, all he did was a skin graft."
"Wait, what? But a huge chunk of your thigh was missing. How the hell can you fix that with a skin graft?"
"Bragi-kun copied the cells of his normal thigh." Genjuro elaborated."He then used that data to create new cells and eventually, flesh, which he used to replace the damaged tissue inside of his thigh. With Hajime-kun is a little more difficult. Mostly because the damage is in his head. We don't know if it'll affect him in any way if we try the machine Elfnein-kun used to go inside Maria-kun's mind. And even if that were to happen, it's not like telling him to wake up from inside his mind will make his real body wake up."
"That means we have to wait until he wakes up naturally. Let his body heal. But here's the thing, even if he does wake up, we don't know how much stronger he is than Shadow Ryuki. For all we know he could be like...I don't know, 10 times stronger. Or 5. Or just by a small fraction. Shadow Riders become stronger as their originals grow stronger. Only if they are within range. At least, from what we've observed. This would explain why the Shadow version of dead Riders don't become stronger. Meaning that if he's not at least twice as strong, Shadow Ryuki will catch up."
"You're saying even if Hajime wakes up there's no guarantee he'll win?" Hibiki deflated slightly at those words.
"Just as how if he's way stronger than him, there's no guarantee he'll wake up in time before the Bavarian Illuminati finish their plan."
"The real problem is Shadow Ryuki. If Raphael is relative in power to St. Germain, then he's way stronger than any of them. We can't say exactly if he's standing on equal ground with their leaders. That being said, the other choice is for us to become strong enough to fight him. But from what I saw today, that would take too long. None of us stand a chance nor can we grow fast enough to fight him head on. I was planning on having the four of us fight different Shadow Riders than our original. Since we're all relative in power, except Kuroiwa, who is stronger than Abyss outright until he adapts to him. That way, we can grow stronger while our Shadow Riders fall behind. However, again, Shadow Ryuki..."
"Then...is there no way to defeat him?"
"There is a way." Yosuke said after a long pause, taking a deep breath."Our only chance to take down Shadow Ryuki. The only person who is capable of adapting at a fast rate as he fights due to the nature of his Deck."
"Wait..." Tsubasa's eyes widened."You don't mean...?"
"Yeah..." Yosuke nodded."Dienheim is our best bet."
"Junior?" Chris arched a skeptical bow."Didn't he also get his ass kicked the last time he fought them? And where the hell is he anyway?"
"He went back to his room after helping Kuroiwa-kun."
"But the Alternative Deck can't adapt as fast as before because the Overall was destroyed." Tsubasa pointed out.
"That's true. But it can still evolve amid battle." Yosuke said."Faster than regular Decks, anyway. It's true he lost to Cagliostro and Adam, but that's because he was being way too reckless. We're talking about Bragi Third Dienheim. Son of Bragard Hyperion and Carol Malus Dienheim. Two of the strongest Alchemists that have ever lived. It's only natural for their son, despite only being able to use Broken Alchemy, to be as powerful as his parents. But he relies on his talent so much that he doesn't train. And is too straightforward during fights, attacking in a straight line because he's counting on his regeneration. If we can break him out of that habit, he will become a good asset. I can guarantee that."
"I agree. He's rough around the edges, but as you said, the boy is brimming with potential." Genjuro nodded.
"Sounds easy. So all we have to do is barge in there and get him out of his room." Chris grinned.
"I'd rather not force him out." Yosuke sighed."He won't be cooperative. Besides, it feels wrong."
"Okay...should we send Elfnein then?"
"Elfnein said that he isn't allowing her in either." Tsubasa commented."Besides, she's currently asleep and is exhausted."
"So then how do we get him out?!"
"I'll do it." Hibiki raised her hand, earning several stares."I mean, I don't have a problem with him. He's very nice when he wants to. And out of all of us, I think he wouldn't have a problem with talking to me."
"You know what, that makes sense." Chris placed a hand on her shoulder."Do your thing and talk sense into someone. That's your specialty, right, dummy?"
"That our Tachibana." Tsubasa smiled.
"I'll do what I can." Hibiki said solemnly."I'll talk to him to see what's going on and maybe I can help him."
"Ah, Hibiki-kun. Do bring him some food as well. I don't think he's eaten in a long time now. Being a hybrid, he can go for a while without sustenance, but he's probably at his limit."
"Got it! I'll see you guys later!" Hibiki waved them goodbye, rushing out the door.
"I should get going too." Hamaguchi shrugged, following after Hibiki."Gotta talk to my sweet princess."
"That idiot...He's going to walk into a room with not only Kirika but all of her siblings." Chris snorted, watching the door close."He'screwed after the shit he pulled today."
"Do you think this plan will work, Yosuke?" Tsubasa asked her boyfriend, who just rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Maybe. I don't like it, that's for sure. Last time I decided to put all of our faith in one person who was clearly not ready..."
"You made the right call with Hajime-kun." Genjuro placed a hand on his shoulder."He was the best option at the time. Sure, what happened is unfortunate, but it would have been way worse if any one of you had fought Bragard instead of him."
"I know, but..." Yosuke closed his eyes, fighting back the tears."It's just...it hurts being so damn useless as a leader."
"Yosuke..." Tsubasa was about to grab his head but he stood up.
"Sorry. I just need to clear my head for a bit. I need some fresh air."
The young man exited the room, his heart filled with guilt and shame.'Maybe Raphael and Shadow Ryuki are right about me...'