Reviews:
SoutaAmetsuchi: Our boy really came through. I feel like this is a good moment for both of them. Since Yosuke came back with him safe and sound. Originally, this was the plan when they fought Bragard. For Hajime to come through and save the day but we know how that turned out. But now, the person they least expected kept his word. It's kind of funny when you think about the last fight, we were all rooting for Alternative to beat (Shadow) Ryuki. When in GX, it was the exact opposite.
Lord Ri The Husbu King: Raphael is wiser I would say, since he's way older and whatnot. But he was blind and let himself go with St. Germain's twisted ideals instead of stopping her. Yosuke knows what it's like when the person you love loses sight of themselves, so he helped him see the truth. As for his role in XV, you'll see what I have in store for Knight. Honestly, do what he does long enough, and eventually, you develop a morbid sense of humor too.
Cyclonerider: Glad to see you again. Honestly, it's okay if you don't like him. I don't expect everyone to love every character in the story. There are things in a person that you may not like and the same applies to fictional characters. Some people hate him, love him, and feel neutral about him but it's cool. You love Terunosuke, but I know someone a reader who hates his guts to death lol. That's what I like. Variety. And yeah I see why you think that. He just wants people to notice him instead of Hajime. Could be conscious or not, but he thinks Hajime is all hype and no substance. I think we've all met a person like Bragi who gets upset that someone else is being recognized and not him. And as we've seen, Hajime is constantly being brought up, even by the enemy. It's basically an "anything he can do, I can do better" type of thing with him. To be honest, I feel the same way. AXZ is probably my least favorite. I like St. Germain the most, but Adam is just kinda lame for me. Every other season has great villains: Fine, Carol, and Shem-Ha. Maybe except G, since Dr. Ver is kind of lame too and the Nephilim is a mindless beast. But don't worry. Shit is going to hit the fan in XV. And don't even get me started on the original season I'm planning.
Tenzalucard123: Like mother like son. Yosuke and Bragi won their battles and shared a very rare moment.
Akira: I think you might be happy to read this chapter.
Chapter 108
The Long Awaited Arrival
Raia and Tiger were dodging pillars of water emerging from the ground, seemingly out of thin air. The Riders had already accessed their respective Survive Forms, Seishin and Fubuki
"Now, now. Why would you run away so soon? My art is something to be admired, you see?" Lilith chuckled, dipping her brush in yellow pain, creating two fists of earth that emerged from in front of the Riders. They both crashed against them and fell to the ground, but had no time to waste as meteorites began to descend upon them.
Psychic Vent
Raia held the meteors in place, preventing them from reaching them, and shot them back toward Lilith. She clicked her tongue, forming a massive barrier of water with her brush, slowing down the meteors. To her surprise, the water froze in ice and a spike emerged from within.
Frost Vent
Strike Vent: Frost Stripes
The blue stripes around Tiger's armor sprouted out as Raia shot him toward Lilith with his psychic abilities, spinning around and forming a sharp tornado of ice.
Lilith summoned a dragon of flames, and it immediately unleashed a beam of fire that countered the ice. To her surprise, Tiger's ice continued to be created, and the stripes of his armor were deflecting the ice. The woman was forced to form a barrier of ignited rocks around her, bouncing off Tiger's attack.
'They're stronger. But they're Riders, so it's to be expected.' Lilith noted, a little taken aback by how they were able to push her.'Their coordination is superb. Then again, they are brothers.'
She noticed a giant arrow coming from above as it was now covered in ice. She dipped her brush in the black paint in the middle of her palette, swinging her arm and erasing the arrow.
"So that extra paint you have...it can erase things?" Raia asked, standing on top of a tree.
"It's similar to the Prince's ability. The so-called Broken Alchemy. Except, I combined all elements into one, essentially creating a new element that can counter any type of attack thrown at me." Lilith explained, summoning an army of earth golems."Now, boys...how about you show me what else you can do?"
The golems went to work, forcing Raia and Tiger on the offensive.
The woman stared at the sky.'How much longer is this going to take? I can't wait any longer, and stalling for time isn't my thing...Hurry it up, Adam. So I can finally get the power that is rightfully mine.'
Kirika gently helped Hamaguchi lay down next to a tree as her boyfriend winced."Are you okay, dear...?"
"I'm fine, babe. Don't worry...This but a flesh wound, as they say." He winked at her, trying to suppress the pain.
"Stop playing tough to not get me to worry about you." Kirika chided him, poking him on the nose."I'm worried-desu..."
"I'll be fine, really." Hamaguchi reassured her, cupping her cheek."I worry about what Bragi is gonna do to that dragon, though. So go ahead and fight. Kick her butt for me, yeah?"
"Got it." She nodded, kneeling and kissing him on the lips."I love you-desu..."
"I love you too..." He muttered back, watching as Kirika jogged over to Hibiki.
"Thanks for giving them a moment, St. Germain-san," Hibiki said to her foe.
"I wouldn't stoop so low to attack you while he's in the middle of the battlefield. He's wounded." She crossed her arms."If you're ready, then let us begin this battle of ideals?"
"I suppose talking is out of the question, huh?"
"Naturally."
(Play Hitsuia Duo Shout)
Hibiki was the first one to rush in, swinging her fist at St. Germain, but the woman blocked with the blade of her gun. She kicked Hibiki away, aiming the barrel located at her elbow at her, shooting several bullets. Kirika jumped in, twirling her scythe and deflecting the projectiles before igniting her boosters, and lunging at the Alchemist.
With a spin kick, St. Germain kicked Kirika again, but she didn't have time to breathe, as Hibiki rushed in without a second thought and swung her fist. She blocked the fist with her elbow, feeling herself being pushed back.'Such heavy blows!'
Kirika appeared in between them, swinging her scythe and forcing St. Germain to block with her gun. She continued trying to match the attacks, but she found herself on the backfoot due to their synchronization levels.
Twin Cutter: Cinderella
Summoning another copy of her scythe, Kirika combined them to form a giant pair of scissors and attempted to sip at the woman. She jumped, shooting at the ground with an elemental bullet and creating a mountain of rocks, shooting several bullets from her heels and elbows.
Hibiki and Kirika took advantage of the rocks and ran up toward her. St. Germain blocked Hibiki's punches, elbowing her away, but Kirika was already next to her and forced her to conjure a barrier, pushing her back.
Clicking her tongue, she used the guns located at her hair decorations, and aimed her gun at them, unleashing a volley of attacks. Hibiki hid behind Kirika as the blonde twirled her scythe, dispersing the bullets. However, one of them was an elemental bullet that exploded into a wave of water, launching them harshly to the ground.
"Your beliefs are hollow and fragile!" St. Germain landed on the ground, leaping over to the cream-haired girl."You play around being heroes, not knowing anything!"
Kirika intercepted her, using her scythe to block St. Germain's rapid thrusts of her blade.
"We'll use the Divine Power to seize the Lunar Ruins, then we'll free mankind from the Curse of Balal and end its history of oppression! After we're through with you, the Disasters come next! And I know the Messiah won't show up! Because he would have done so already, wouldn't he?! What kind of person is he anyway, for all of you to put so much faith in him?!"
The whited-haired woman fired a special bullet, unleashing a wolf of blue flames and overpowering Kirika. But Hibiki grabbed her and threw her out of the way, concentrating her Phonic Gain in her right arm and forming a black drill, colliding it against the flames."Even so! It's not worth sacrificing others for! You can stop this, even now!"
"Stop this now? 32, 831 sacrifices and 40, 977 casualties." St. Germain spat bitterly."Those are the sins I must carry. At this point, changing my ways is not an option!"
She leveled her gun up to Hibiki's level, firing several bullets. The girl blocked in anticipation, but the bullets disappeared inside a magic circle that appeared in front of her. She gasped, realizing there was a second magic circle next to her, and that's when the bullets struck her body, launching her to the ground, and in the perfect trajectory, St. Germain descended from the sky with her blade.
"Hibiki-san!"
However, Hibiki had moved out of the way, trapping the blade in her armpit and preventing St. Germain from moving. She ignited the boosters in her back, smashing her fist against St. Germain's stomach and causing her to gasp in pain as she took her for a ride.
Kirika quickly ignited her boosters, shooting herself forward as a set of claws formed on her legs, which she used to dock to Hibiki's. The combination of both of them together was enough to send St. Germain crashing through several meters away, landing on her face. Both girls landed on their knees, panting for air, their Ignite Forms disappearing.
Hitsuai Duo Shout
"I...I can't fall here..." St. Germain grumbled, struggling to her feet and stunning the girls with her sheer determination. "For the sake of this planet's future, no one should...suffer that shame...I'll overthrow oppression!"
"St. Germain..." Hibiki muttered.
However, the woman collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted and wounded from battle.
"She fell...For a second, I got scared she wanted a round 2-desu..." Kirika sighed, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
Hibiki let out a breath of relief as well before speaking up."I've come this far with my fists clenched tight around what I believe in. But...I know there are things you can't change with fists alone. I learned that when Hajime...when I couldn't help him before. That's why..."
St. Germain looked up upon noticing a shadow close to her, only to see a hand stretched out for her."You..."
"I'm not afraid to open my fists." Hibiki smiled."I have someone special to me. Like how you feel for Raphael-san. I love Hajime very much and he motivates me to be better, every day. You feel the same for Raphael-san, right? He inspires you too. That's why you made it this far."
"Raphael..."
"Using a godlike power to break a curse created by God is wrong. People need to change as people. That's why what the Disasters are doing is wrong. They want to use that power to force the world to change into what they want, and they go so far for their ideals. I know you're not like them, right? You have a heart. So please...let's stop this pointless fighting."
Kirika rubbed her nose, giving Hamaguchio a thumbs up.
"Phew...for a second, I thought I'd had to jump in." The blue-haired boy sighed, now lying on the floor."I've had enough fighting for a whole week, thank you very much..."
"Even so..."
Hibiiki tilted her head upon hearing those words come out from St. Germain.
"That unbending, unreasonable "even so" of yours...Maybe that represents the true power to change the world." Looking up to the girl in front of her, St. Germain opened her once closed fists, and stretched out her hand as well."
"I think this pity party of yours has gone on long enough."
Before they could make contact, all the girls turned to the source of the voice. Adam was floating in the air, glaring down at them with a condescending smirk.
"Lodgemaster!"
Yosuke and Bragi entered the command center. The older young man was carrying Bragi's child form on his back since he was too tired to move around too much.
"Yosuke! Bragi-kun!" Genjuro shifted his attention to them as did the rest.
Yosuke nodded and Bragi gave them a toothy thumbs up, jumping off Yosuke's back, his limbs regrown."Mission accomplished."
Elfnein practically ran like a bullet, tackling Bragi in a big hug."Bragi-chan! I was so worried! You're okay! Thank God you're okay!"
"I'm home..." Bragi muttered, reciprocating the gesture.
"You're so tiny!" Tobias pointed out. In effect, Bragi was now even shorter than Elfnein, reaching up to below her chin.
"Oh, right! You're so small now!" Elfnein blushed, nuzzling against her nephew."You're so adorable!"
"Aw, he's so cute!" Maria gushed, picking Bragi up by his armpits."I could just gobble you up!"
"I'm not a kid, Maria-dono!" Bragi tried to pry her arms off of him, but he wasn't strong enough.
"So cute..." Shirabe gasped, pinching his cheek
"Now you look more your age." Chris laughed at his expense."You make for a cute baby."
"T-this is horrible...I almost died just now..." Bragi deflated as the group of girls continued playing around with him."How is the battle-Oh, shit..."
The group turned back to the screens and saw the image of the Bavarian Illuminati's boss.
"Fucking Adam!" He sneered.
"Look! Those are...!" Tobias pointed at the sky, and red energy began to accumulate where Adam was.
"Ley lines in the sky?!" Elfnein gasped in shock."He's not using the life of this planet but of the stars themselves by using the Orion itself to symbolize the Divine Gate!"
"This bastard is ignoring the most fundamental law of Alchemy of macro and microcosm..." The monochrome-haired boy clicked his tongue.
"The energy burst is off the scale!" Sakuya yelled.
"We have to go out there, now!" Bragi said to Yosuke, who shook his head."Why?!"
"You're in no condition to fight. Your wounds have healed, but your energy is low and you have no Deck. If you go out now, you'll die. I hate to say this, but I'm also wounded from my bout with Raphael. We'd just get in the way..."
"And our Gears haven't been decontaminated! Damn it!" Chris stomped her foot on the ground.
"Wait! Detecting high energy levels approaching!" Aoi said, earning everyone's attention."They're incredibly high!"
"Wait? Is it Jades and Raiden?" Maria asked.
Aoi shook her head."No. I detect their energies in another section. This...it can't be...!"
She put an image on the screen. One they were all more than familiar with.
"You gotta be shitting me..." Bragi recognized the pattern and bit his lower lip so hard, it started to bleed.'Of course, you'd show up now, you bastard...'
Lilith smiled, legs crossed as she continued creating elemental familiars for the Riders to fight. She checked her wristwatch with a bored look, sighing."Almost time. Just a little more."
She saw Raia firing constant explosive arrows, tearing through the golems and lifting a cloud of dust.
"Ugh...how filthy..." Lilith covered her mouth. She noticed something in the sky. Red particles heading somewhere."That's my cue. I'd love to stay and chat, boys. But I have places to go-GRAGH!"
An arrow struck her arm, exploding and destroying her brush, courtesy of Raia. However, before he could go after her, the familiars attacked him. Despite stopped being created, they were vastly outnumbered, which allowed Lilith the chance to slip away.
"Raiden! She's getting away!" Tiger cried out.
"No shit! But not like we can afford to lose focus here!" Raia shouted back, both brothers being pressured by the sheer number of elemental creatures.
The energy was now focused on Tiki, lifting her off the ground and into the sky along with Adam."You can't cut off something so far out of your reach."
"I'll stop you!" Hibiki leaped into the sky, but a stream of water struck her side, knocking her down to the ground.
"Hibiki Tachibana!" St. Germain rushed to her side, shifting her gaze to the newcomer."Mistress Lilith!"
Lilith hovered above the ground, joining Adam.'Tch. Seems like I'm here too early. It's not done yet.'
"Welcome, Lilith. I trust you took care of your...guests?" Adam addressed his ex-wife.
"Why, of course. And you joined in the fray. How unlike you."
"Mistress! Lodgemaster! Answer me! Can this power free mankind from the chains of oppression?"
"It can. I guess?" Adam shrugged nonchalantly."Not like I ever planned to use that power for a foolish reason such as that."
"You tricked us!"
"Trick is such a strong word, dear." Lilith chuckled, folding her arms under her chest."It's more like...we just told you what you needed to know. It's all for a good end, I promise you that. Cagliostro, Prelato, and all the lives who formed the foundation of your crusade...will be put to good use."
"Don't humor her." Adam scoffed, snapping his fingers."She doesn't deserve that anymore."
On cue, Tiki stood upright and fired a massive ball of energy at the group. A wall of water emerged from the ground, stopping the explosion, but it was far too powerful.
Abyss landed in front of the girls, his Survive Mode already present, but even with that, he was losing ground, fast.
"Hamaguchi-kun!" Hibiki screened in horror.
"I won't...sit around and watch you hurt those I hold dear! I let too many people die before...I'm not making the same mistake again!"
"Then let me help you-desu!"
Kirika rode on top of her scythe, the blades spinning around and aiding the water to hold the explosion back.
"What?! Why are you here?! This is..." It was all too familiar to him. He had experienced this feeling very back in Okinawa."Your Swan Song?! You idiot! Just run!"
"I'm naive! You know that!" She cried out, covering her eyes from the intense light as she grabbed his hand."But without someone naive enough to have no worries of their own, who will shoulder the others' burdens when they're suffering-desu?! I'm here with you because I love you-desu! I already lost Andreas! I can't lose you too!"
"B-but you...I don't want you to get hurt! I want to protect you!"
"And I want to protect you too-desu! I want to stand by your side and watch your back! Because your back is your one big weak spot, dummy!" She glanced back, staring directly at Hibiki."It's almost Hibiki-san's birthday...We have to make sure she's around for her next one, right...? Especially since Blacky-kun is going to celebrate his with hers..."
"You're right..." Hamaguchi muttered as their attacks were beginning to disappear, but they were able to decrease the output of it. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug as they both braced themselves for impact."We don't know our real birthdays...and yet, that makes other people's birthdays so much more important to us. If we can protect them...the people who gave us a family, then that's all that matters."
"What utter nonsense." Lilith clicked her tongue, firing several magic circles of all elements at them, powering the attack right up.
"KIRIKA-CHAN! HAMAGUCHI-KUN! NO!" Hibiki screamed in utter despair as the attack exploded and everything turned white.
However, there were no signs of Kirika or Hamaguchi.
"Huh? What just happened?" Lilith scrunched up her face in confusion."The attack was weakened by that girl's Swan Song and the Rider's water...there's no way it disintegrated them."
"Are...are they..." Hibiki's eyes began to water upon not seeing her friends.
"No...Something...moved in and caught them..." St. Germain said but wasn't sure. It had happened so quickly, she thought she might have been seeing things.
"What the hell is going on here? Can the shark kid teleport or something?" Lilith glanced around.
Adam noticed a glow on the ground from a puddle of water left behind by Abyss. At first, he thought it was the mount reflecting its light. But then he noticed that the moon was actually in front of his position, which made this impossible. He gasped, looking up in the air, and that's when he saw him.
(Play DBZ KAI Dragon Soul JP)
Flying several meters in the air was none other than Kamen Rider Ryuki, sporting two wings of fire behind him. Under his arms were Kirika and Hamaguchi, both in their normal clothes after their powers ran out.
"W-what...? What happened? Where are we? Did we die?" Hamaguchi muttered, seeing the arm wrapped around his belly. He looked up to see Ryuki staring back at him and his eyes immediately began to water."H-Hajime..."
"Blacky-kun...It's...it's really you..." Kirika's eyes began to glisten with tears."Blacky-kun! Blacky-kun!"
"Hajime!"
"Hey, guys. I was a little late. Sorry. But it's okay now." Ryuki reassured him before they both hugged him.
Both of them began to bawl their eyes out and nuzzled against him, tears of happiness streaming down their cheeks.
"You fucking son of a bitch! You love to show up at the last second, don't you?!" Hamaguchi sniffed, wiping his endless tears."You're going to give someone a heart attack!"
"I hear that a lot, trust me. Hey now...it's okay. You don't have to cry..." Ryuki chuckled at the affection, squeezing them gently."I'm here now. Let's get you down to safety first, okay?"
Ryuki descended to the ground, his wings dissipating, and that's when the others saw him.
"What the-?" Lilith arched a brow."Where the hell did he come from?"
"It's him..." Adam whispered.
"Hajime..." Hibiki's eyes widened, her heart fluttering."HAJIME!"
"What? Hajime? As in Hajime Adachi?" St. Germain gaped, completely speechless.'That's...the Messiah...He's here...?'
"Well, well. Nice of you to join us, Hajime Adachi." Adam welcomed him by tipping his hat."I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up. I suppose since you're here, S. Ryuki must have been defeated by Carol's spawn."
Ryuki said nothing, his back turned to him, his friends in his arms.
"I see. Not much for words, eh, Messiah? Well, you're just in time. We were getting quite bored watching this pathetic display that your so-called friends were offering. What a joke."
"What a jerk...!" Kirika gritted her teeth.
"So this is the legendary Messiah, huh? The Child Favored by God?" Lilith snorted."I was expecting some kind of legendary warrior. A man at least. But a child, like all the rest? Is this really the one who defeated Bragard?"
She leaped over Ryuki, landing between him and Hibiki and St. Germain."Are you going to acknowledge us? Or do you truly think you're so special to ignore people of our caliber?"
Ryuki continued his advancement, slowly cutting the distance between them. His whole goal was to get his friends to safety.
"But you sure made yourself feel desired. By all of us. We all wanted to meet the current Messiah. One of the two. St. Germain and Raphael just wouldn't shut up about you. But where were you all this time while your friends were fighting so hard? Were you hiding perhaps? And you only come out now because they're all down for the count?"
Ryuki responded with silence, and this irritated her to no end."Say something, you damn brat!"
She lunged at him, conjuring a dagger of ice. In the blink of an eye, Hajime was behind her. She turned around, receiving a boot to the face that sent her flying past Adam and crashing against a tree.
"So fast," Adam muttered with a smile, intrigued.
Ryuki set Kirika and Hamaguchi gently on the floor.
"H-Hajime..." Hibiki took careful steps forward, her hand clenching her chest. She stretched out her hand, but wavered, afraid she was just hallucinating. Hajime removed the helmet and tossed it on the ground, smiling at his girlfriend. He walked up to her and grabbed her hand, causing her to gasp. Without a second thought, he pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Hibiki cried into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his head, afraid he'd disappear by a mere touch.
Hajime let himself go in the moment and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her with all the love he could muster. They pulled back after they ran out of air, both panting, their foreheads resting against each other.
"You're here...you're here..." She muttered, her smile widened."My Sunny..."
"I said I'd never leave your side again. And I intend to keep that promise, my Sunshine.
"Oh, Hajime!" She couldn't hold herself back and threw herself at him, crying against his chest.
"It's okay, darling...It's okay. I'm here now." Hajime cooed, gently brushing her hair.
Hamaguchi smiled, Kirika's head laying on his lap."St. Germain-san..."
The silver-haired woman turned in his direction.
"Earlier, you asked what kind of guy Hajime was." Hamaguchi closed his eyes."And...In short, he's the kind of person that you see and you know everything is going to be fine. No matter the situation."
"Should you be moving around, Hajime...?" Hibiki asked, her voice full of concern."When did you get out of the hospital?"
"I got discharged just today." He responded easily."I felt what was happening. And saw the light show in the sky. I didn't want to make a scene with you-know-who, so I didn't tell the Commander I was coming here."
"Should you really be fighting? I mean, you're fresh out of the hospital..." Hamaguchi pointed out.
"Don't worry. I've been keeping up with my training in secret at night time." Hajime said, flexig his bicep."I knew I couldn't keep collecting rust while you guys were fighting. So I trained in secret. Well, just kept my body in good condition, at least."
"You what?!" Hibiki screeched, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him."But you were supposed to rest!"
"It's okay, baby." Hajime chuckled at her expression."The damage was...mostly mental. My body is fine. I'm healed up. But it's okay. My mind is clearer. At least, much more from back in Okinawa. So here I am, ready to join in on the battle. You guys have all gotten a lot stronger since I last saw you. Hamaguchi, I fought with you side by side back in Okinawa, and yet you're unrecognizable now."
"Heheheh...I'm pretty good, aren't I? But...it's not enough..." The blue-haired young man sighed."They beat the hell out of me."
"You too, Kirika. You've come a long way. If you're this strong, I can't imagine how strong Shirabe is too."
"She's strong too-desu!"
Hajime grinned at her before facing his girlfriend."And don't even get me started on you, Hibiki. To be honest, I think you would have had a pretty good time against this guy if you weren't tired."
"You're just saying that..." Hibiki giggled, scratching her cheek.
"Come on, give yourself some credit my love. Against people like them, we can't be doubting ourselves."
"Alright! It's not over yet! You're so right!" Hamaguchi nodded."Hey! With your increased strength and the 3 of us fighting alongside you, we should be able to take those 2 down! And we even got St. Germain-san helping us now! It's going to be awesome! We could have like a couple combination since the 4 of us are dating. And we could even pull out the Abyssal Dragon again!"
Hajime shifted his gaze over to St. Germain, who perked up like a deer in headlights. He then glanced over to Adam and Lilith, who were floating above in front of Tiki.
"Right. That sounds like a good idea. But you've all done your part and you're all exhausted." Hajime said, earning several gasps."Maybe it's best if you 3 of you sit this one out. I'm going to take those 2 all by myself."
"What?!"
"Preposterous..." St. Germain muttered in disbelief.'Is he just full of himself? Or do his words carry some truth to them?'
"Blacky-kun! You can't! We can help you!"
"Yeah, what she said!"
"Kirika..." Hajime sighed, wagging a syringe in his hand."Don't think I didn't notice this on the floor. You suppressed your Swan Song recoil by overdosing on LINKER, but it will still have a big backlash on your body. And Hamaguchi, you're acting tough in front of her, but I can see you're shaking. You got pretty beat up too, huh?"
"Well...you're clone hits fucking hard..." He muttered sheepishly, making Hajime smile."Wait, what?! You overdosed with LINKER?!"
"I'm sorry-desu!" Kirika apologized."I just...didn't know what else to do! I saw you risking your life and I didn't want to lose you!"
"Let's get the 2 of you back to HQ to get medical attention. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
"Hajime, please..." Hibiki grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at her."I want to fight too...I just got you back...I couldn't...I couldn't go on if you were to disappear again..."
"Hibiki...you're the best thing that happened to me. You pulled me out of that darkness. Before, I wanted to die. But now it's different. I still have things to protect." He gave her a heart-melting grin."Besides, you're tired too. I'd be the one worrying if you were in danger because you're exhausted. Do me a favor..."
Advent: Dragreder
Dragreder descended from the skies, landing on the ground.
"Dragreder!" Hibiki cried out in joy, rushing to pet the dragon, who purred in return and licked her face."Aw! I missed you so much, buddy!"
"He missed you too." Hajime chuckled before his expression turned serious."Take Kirika and Hamaguchi away on Dragreder. Don't worry. I think I can hang on until you get back."
With that, Hajime picked up his helmet, his eyes set on the two villains in front of him.
"Enjoyed your final reunion with your beloved friends?" Adam asked, hand to his hip, jabbing his thumb behind him."But the Divine power will soon be complete. Not even a Messiah will be able to stop us."
"My advice? I'd tell you to run. But it won't do you any good now. You've sure had fun thrashing my friends, but this has gone on long enough. It ends right here. Right now."
Lilith's eyes twitch."What a cocky brat."
"Well, he did defeat Bragard." Adam reminded her.
"So, 2 against one, huh? Not very fair." Hajime said, putting on his helmet again.
"What, getting cold feet already?" Lilith snickered.
"Oh, you misunderstood me. It's not fair. For you, of course. Unless you got more allies that you haven't backstabbed, I'd suggest you come at me with everything you've got."
Lilith felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, feeling an intense pressure coming from the boy.
"I won't go easy on you," Ryuki announced, inserting his Survive Card into his visor.
(End Song)
Survive: Rekka
He began to expel a great amount of power, flames shooting from the ground and letting off a powerful gust of wind.
Adam unfolded his arms, bewildered at what he was feeling. Lilith's jaw fell to the ground, equally dumbfounded.
"Hajime!"
"Go, Hibiki Tachibana!" St. Germain insisted."Right now, I'm afraid that we'd just get in the way. Don't worry. I'll stay behind to provide backup if needed until you come back. Get your comrades to safety."
"St. Germain...Please, watch over him..." Hibiki helped Hamaguchi and Kirika on top of the dragon before he took off into the sky. She glanced back, staring at her boyfriend who gave her a thumbs up.
"Now, then...shall we commence?" Adam turned to Lilith."Mind if I fight him first? I have to get back at him for taking the satisfaction of taking down Bragard."
'Heh. This could actually work to my advantage.' She smiled."Sure. Feel free."
Adam smiled, descending to the ground and standing in front of Hajime.
"So you're the big scary man Bragard was talking about, huh? Adam Weishaupt. Now that I see you up close, you're just as extravagant as I had thought." Ryuki glanced up at him since he was shorter than Adam."That hat is just overkill, honestly."
"Is that so? I thought it looked what you youngers call cool."
"Nah, he got you there." Lilith chuckled from afar."The hat is too much."
"Well, our preferences in clothing aside, you ready to begin, Messiah?" Adam asked.
Ryuki took a deep breath before answering."Ready when you are-"
Suddenly, Adam threw a kick, making Ryuki backflip to avoid it, landing crouched down on the ground and going for a kick against Adam's legs. The Alchemist jumped to avoid it and threw a horizontal kick but Ryuki blocked the attack with his forearm, the force enough to lift some dust.
"Remarkable reflexes..." St. Germain noted, astonished.
Both fighters took a step back before lunging at each other, throwing punch for punch and kick for kick. Adam was taken aback. He had expected to quickly overwhelm the boy in close-quarters combat, but he was responding. No...not just that. He was beginning to stop punching back and simply opting to dodge the attacks. The long-haired man threw a punch, but Ryuki was gone and was now high in the air.
Clicking his tongue, Adam flew after him, flying above him and chucking his hat toward him. enhancing it with Alchemy. Ryuki activated the blade mode of his visor, parrying the hat and smacking it away.
"You want fire? I'll give you fire!" Adam snapped his fingers, conjuring several fireballs, and fired them toward Ryuki.
Strike Vent: Dragclawzwei
An evolved version of Dragclaw appeared equipped to his hand, charging it up and firing several fireballs in retaliation. The attacks canceled each other out and created a smokescreen for Adam to use, shooting himself toward Ryuki with a kick, but the Rider avoided it. He went for another kick but missed, Hajime already having jumped out of the way, much to Adam's irritation.
"You're pretty fast. No one has ever been able to dodge this many of my attacks before." Adam remarked with a smile."How about we kick things up a notch or two?"
Ryuki gasped as Adam suddenly appeared in front of him, kneeing him in the gut and knocking the air out of him. He grabbed him by the armor and began to pummel him with his fists. All the Rider could do was block the attacks with his arm.
"Oh, no!" St. Germain cried out in horror.
Adam finished his combo off with a kick, sending Ryuki skidding across the ground, face first.
"What's wrong? You were talking so big before. Surely you can't be all hype." Adam chuckled in amusement."I'm having fun right now, Messiah."
To his surprise, Ryuki was beginning to stand up again, dusting off his armor.
"Oh?" Adam mused, pleased to see him back on his feet."I have to say you're quite durable. Almost as much as the Prince."
"Don't compare me to the hellspawn," Ryuki muttered with disdain.
"Funny. He doesn't think highly of you either." Adam chuckled.
With a grunt, Ryuki kicked the ground and launched himself at Adam, surprising him with his speed. The man had dodged last second, grabbing onto his hat.'Is my mind playing tricks on me, or is he faster than just now?'
He went for a back-kick, but the Rider arched his back, avoiding the kick. He supported his weight on his arms and spun around with his legs spread out. Adam blocked the first few strikes though that changed when Hajime went with two kicks, sending him across the area.
Ryuki beckoned him to come at him, and Adam was more than happy to oblige. He threw his hat at him, prompting Hajime to duck in time to avoid it. He leaped into the air, landing on a tree branch and making Adam chase after him. The teenager continued to avoid Adam, dodging his strikes and frustrating the man.
"Stand still!" Adam yelled, backhanding Ryuki's face and sending him back to the ground. He began rapidly firing balls of energy at Ryuki.
Sword Vent: Dragsaberzwei
Using his nine-rigged blade, Ryuki started to parry the spheres of energy away, but they were coming at him so fast, that he opted to just block. To Adam's joy, the spheres accumulated and exploded, stunning Hajime briefly. But this was the time he needed to drive his fist into his chest, causing him to let out a groan of pain and be sent flying into the trees. Adam leveled his hand, conjuring a stronger sphere of energy, and chucked it at him."Good fight, kid. But I'm afraid to say, like all good things, it must come to an end!"
"No..." St. Germain muttered.
"Heh. And that's the end of the so-called Messiah. Not much of a legend, eh, St. Germain?" Adam folded his arms cockily.
"What a disappointment. I was hoping I'd get to fight too. Then again, he didn't kill Bragard, did he? He's still alive somewhere. So it's only natural for him to be unable to fight with you properly." Lilith scoffed.'Still, Tiki should be almost done. No matter. I suppose I'll make due somehow-Huh?'
Adam and Lilith both looked toward the cloud of smoke. Ryuki was walking out of it casually, stretching his arms.
"Impossible...he's still up after a barrage of attacks like that?" Adam gritted his teeth.
"Phew...Thanks for that. I needed to wake up a little. I haven't fought in a long time, so I was kind of rusty." Ryuki said as he proceeded to do some stretches."But this got me back in the mindset. I appreciate the warm-up."
"Warm-up he says." Adam scoffed indignantly."You're bluffing, boy."
"Maybe. Maybe not. I guess it's up to you to find out, no?" Ryuki said, taking a battle stance."Why don't you try again?"
"Tch." Adam once again threw his hat, but this time, he embedded with all elements, creating a multicolored shuriken. Ryuki dashed toward it, much to Adam's shock, and parried it with his blade. He was able to stop the momentum of the attack and proceeded to put the hat on.
"Oh, yeah. This is too oversized." Ryuki said, admiring the hat."You trying to compensate for something?"
With a growl, Adam lunged at Ryuki, firing several energy balls at him. The Rider just weaved out of the way from them with relative ease, sidestepping and avoiding Adam's punch. The man proceeded to deliver a series of powerful and swift strikes, but no matter how hard he tried, not one of them could land on the dragon-themed Rider.
"Why...?" Adam continued to chant, every time louder than the last time.
Hajime sidestepped again and bent his knees, avoiding Adam's backkick. He raised his knee to his chest to block a horizontal kick and crossed his arms to block Adam's punch infused with Alchemy."Why?! Why?!"
Both of them flew around the forest, blasting at each other with their respective attacks until they circled back to the clearing. Adam punched through Ryuki, grinning in triumph. But to his dismay, it was just an afterimage."Why?!"
He turned back and made a beeline toward the young man, continuously trying to connect a blow."Why are my punches always missing you?! You abominable Messiah!"
In the blink of an eye, Ryuki was gone and was now sitting on top of a tree branch, legs crossed. He hurled the hat back to Adam, who caught it with his hands."You can have this back."
"Amazing..." St. Germain marbled."So, the story was true after all, Mother...The Messiah really..."
"Don't think this proves anything, Messiah!" Adam said, pointing at him. Ryuki continued glaring at him, infuriating the leader of the Bavarian Illuminati."What are you staring at?!"
"Nothing."
"Well, it looks like you're staring at me!"
"Like I said. Nothing."
Adam's eyes began to twitch in anger.
'That boy's speed is insane.' Lilith remarked, watching the fight, astonished.'I didn't think the Messiah would be a speedster type. He's even faster than S. Ryuki. But still, nothing to be concerned about. If he's only got speed, then Adam shouldn't be this concerned. He'll get tired and begin to slow down. And then, he'll drop dead, like the dog he is.'
"Come on, are you going to attack me or what? I don't know why Bragard was so concerned about you. You're not that special, honestly." Ryuki inquired, now standing on the branch, glaring down at Adam.
"Don't you dare look down on me, brat!" Adam fired a massive ball of energy at Ryuki. The Rider grinned, moving away from it in an instant and appearing in front of Adam."What the-"
Ryuki punched Adam's gut, his fist sinking into his belly and making Adam groan in pain. He began to take wobbly steps back, holding onto his stomach, his eyes nearly bulging out of his sockets.
"What the hell...?" Lilith mumbled, bewildered at what she just saw."How did one punch do that much damage...?! Even in our suppressed states, this shouldn't be possible!"
"Y-y-you insolent human-" Adam raised his hand, but no attack he could make could help him from the uppercut he received from Ryuki, launching him into the sky. Ryuki jumped after him, kicking him across the area and activating an ability
Red Vent: Chaos Gate
Using his teleportation, he appeared above Adam, kneeing him in the chest and sending him crashing against the ground. He bounced off the dirt, only to receive a Rider Kick against his back, sending him flying toward Lilith. The woman gasped, narrowly avoiding having Adam crash into him.
Ryuki landed on the ground, his eyes fixated now on Lilith."Next?"
"It can't be..." St. Germain was astonished, her mind not able to understand what was going on, regardless of how long she's lived."He's overpowering Adam...?"
'I don't have my damn brush with me so I can't create my familiars. Those two idiots destroyed it...No, what am I saying? Adam is arrogant. Of course, this boy caught him by surprise. But I'm different from him.'
"Well, done, Child Favored by God." Lilith smiled seductively, marching up to Hajime as she swayed her hips from side to side."But make no mistake. I am not any weaker than Adam. And unlike him, I won't be caught by surprise-"
Ryuki punched the air with his gauntlet, unleashing flames that took the shape of Dragranzer. Caught off guard, Lilith summoned a wall of water to protect herself. The dragon circled her, forming a dome of fire around her before descending from the skies.
Lilith summoned a paint roller, dipping it in black paint and erasing the fire. However, from behind her, Ryuki appeared, grabbing her by the back of her head and smashing her against the ground, igniting his boosters and taking her along with him.
Booster Vent
She began to fire multiple beams of energy from her fingers, but since she couldn't see him, she kept missing. Hajime began spinning around, grabbing her by the hair before throwing her into the air and taking a huge chunk of hair from her scalp.
"M-my hair! MY HAIR! MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR!" She screeched, enraged."Y-you! You fucking bastard! I'll kill you! I hate you!"
"You hate the fact that you're losing. You're not used to fighting someone stronger than you." Ryuki looked over his shoulder."You're just like Bragard. Once the power gap is not there anymore, you really don't know what else to do, do you? I guess name-calling is your only attack. Because you're too weak to challenge me any other way."
"Stronger than me?! Stronger than me?!" Lilith blaster herself toward her, cladding her arms with fire and earth and forming two giant arms, attempting to crush Ryuki. He jumped above them, running up to them and kicking her in the chin. She staggered backward into another kick across her face, sending her rolling on the ground.
'Good. I'm throwing them off their game.' Ryuki smiled under his helmet.'Chao-Xing was right. Poke at the enemies' weaknesses and you can find an opening. They're just like Bragard. Their egos are ultimately their weakness and when you challenge their power and authority, they start making mistakes. Thanks, Chao...For teaching me how to be a proper warrior...'
"Get a hold of yourself, Lilith!" Adam shouted after he caught her in his arms.
"Shut up! I'm sick of this!" She pushed him away."I'm not about to let this little bastard look down on me! I'm done, you hear me?! I'm not going back to that hole again, Adam! Not again!"
"I told you I'd make you pay for what you did to my friends." Ryuki caught their attention, landing a few meters in front of them."You've had enough fun. I'm taking you both down right here and now."
"Hah! Don't make me laugh, Messiah!" Lilith cackled, her gaze completely demented."You couldn't even kill Bragard! You're weak-minded! Not to mention a coward! I swear after I kill you, I'm going to make that little bitch you love so much scream as I make her suffer-"
Ryuki's hand grabbed her by her face, crashing against a tree and pinning her down. She tried to wrestle away, but Ryuki's grip was too strong.
"Lilith!" Adam cried out.
"You got one thing wrong. It's true I didn't kill Bragard. But I did something much worse to him." Ryuki said, his voice cold as eyes and his eyes completely devoid of emotion."I tore him to pieces. Literally. Limp from limp. I got tired of tearing his guts out since he kept regenerating. Burn his skin to a crisp, skin him alive, break every bone in his body. He's alive, yes, but I'm willing to bet he's thinking of me whenever he closes his eyes and the pain, the agony comes back to him. And from what I see...you can't regenerate. So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to tear you to pieces. And it's going to hurt. A lot. I'm done showing mercy. You better be ready because I'll make sure you suffer for what you did to my friends."
By this point, Lilith was shaking like a leaf, shaking her head."No...No...I refuse to go back..."
'Should I transform?! But I can't! If I transform, I'll go back to being that...that thing! I won't be discarded again!'
"That's enough!" Adam lunged at Ryuki, but the Rider simply threw Liith into his arms and blasted them both with his gauntlet. He drew a card, igniting his boosters and going full speed.
Strike Vent: Dragknuckle
He flew around, kicking them in separate locations. The first one he went after was Lilith, punching the left side of her face as the percussion hammer of his gauntlet nailed down, and destroyed the left side of her face. He then flew toward Adam, who fired a javelin of earth which he easily destroyed and slashed his arm off him.
"NO! NO!" Lilith shrieked, covering her face. Sparks and wires were coming out as she began to hyperventilate.
"What the heck?" St. Germain blinked, focusing her attention on Adam. His left arm was in a similar state. No blood came out. Instead, wires and metallic parts came out from the wound."Adam Weishaupt...Lilith...you're both...!"
"Puppets." Ryuki finished for her, his weapons disappearing and his visor appearing again."So, I guess you aren't better than Bragard. Just as pathetic."
"A puppet! YOU DARE CALL US PUPPETS?!" Adam saw read upon hearing his words.
"NO! I REFUSE!" Lilith screamed, allowing them to see her mangled face.
"HOW DARE YOU HURT ADAM?!" Tiki finally noticed Adam's pain as the glow around her began to intensify.
"I REFUSE TO GO BACK!" Lilith flew into the sky, her face contorted into pure desperation and horror. She grabbed Tiki's face, forcing her in her direction.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Adam cried out.
(Play Alive by Mashiro Ayano - Darwin's Game ending)
"Fuck you! I AM NOT GOING BACK TO HOW I WAS! NOT TO THAT DARKNESS! I AM DIFFERENT NOW!"
'That's right...Loki saved us when we were thrown away by the Custodians...' Lilith remembered seeing the trickster God, smiling at them as he offered them a hand.
"L-let go of me this instant!" Tiki demanded, but Lilith forced her to kiss her, their lips connecting as her clothes completely burnt, leaving her naked.
"I'm taking what is rightfully mind! GOD SMILED UPON ME THAT DAY! I AM THE ONE FAVORED BY GOD! NOT YOU!"
"Oh, shit!" Ryuki tried to go after her, but a barrier of energy sent him flying back.
"Hajime Adachi!" St. Germain intercepted him, catching him in her arms. Both of them could only stare as the light intensified and the energy burst completely covered the area.
"What is going on over there?!" Hibiki wondered as she made her way back on top of Dragranzar, covering her eyes from the intense glow in the distance.
"Things just took a turn from the worst." Ryuki adopted a crooked smile."Of course, things can't ever be simple. I must be fucking cursed or something."
In the sky, a Lovecraftian-like creature descended, and a giant woman waved her arms slowly. The monsters below her began to disappear as she shrunk, becoming the size of a human. She was a golden-haired being, with a tall and thin stature. She had no clothes, but her body was completely white, and red marks ran across her body. Her sclera was black, but her golden eyes were ever-present.
(If you want a visual representation, she looks like Aiwass from Toaru Majutsu no Index)
"L-Lilith...? What happened to Tiki?" Adam mumbled, completely speechless upon seeing the pristine being in front of him."What the hell did you do?! Why did you take the Divine Power into your body?!"
"I have absorbed her into my being. That little bitch was finally useful for something. I have become beauty incarnate. Finally, the perfect being. I was bestowed with God's blessing, as I should be. No longer am I Lilith. I have evolved, reaching the realm of the Custodians! I am Lilith Samael!"
"Divine Power...it feels more out of control than Nakahara-san..." Ryuki bit his lower lip. Lilith Samel's eyes landed on him, as she smiled sweetly.
"I know better than to rely on size to fight you. Now then...Messiah. How about we prove once and for all who truly deserves God's blessing?"
Alright! We have about 3 chapters left. I hope. And surprise, Lilith took the divine power for herself, instead of Tiki. We'll see what happens when she unleashes that power on her natural enemy, Hajime. And yes, we finally got our dragon boy back. After like 20 or so chapters since his last fight, he's back to stay.