Reviews:

Lord RI-25: Terunosuke might be a sociopath and a mass murderer who supports global genocide, but he at least is loyal to Serena even after death. Also, it hasn't been confirmed if Yosuke is dead or not. Psykos says he is, but should we take the words of a body snatcher as law? Probably not. Yeah, Chris is going full feral on Elsa. Revenge all around.

SoutaAmetsuchi: Yeah...desperate measures require desperate solutions. Good thing he can just regenerate. Everyone is in danger of fighting someone they love. If anyone else dies, then that person just becomes another puppet.

nickseverino8: Chris needs to get Magnugiga for Takeru's sake. Magnugiga is to Chris like what Dragreder is to Hibiki.

Tenzalucard123: A lot of things are going bad for the team. But there is hope. Magnugiga doesn't want to hurt Chris. But it will be hard to get Psykos out of Yosuke's body without hurting him.

Akira: Everyone is suffering. And the worst hasn't happened yet. Chris wants to return the favor to Allister by killing the person he loves the most. But is revenge really the best thing to do?

Chapter 117
From the Person you Least Expect

"So...you guys found a way to get Xiangling on our side?" Wei asked. He was currently at school with Yomi, watching the track team practice around the field.

"Yeah. Apparently, Setsuna-chan likes Despia. So Despia can start convincing her and stuff. Of course, we can't outright say that we're with Hazuki. But get her to like her, trust her, and sympathize with her." Yomi said, crossing his legs."Beats the alternative I had planned. Oh, and as a bonus, I'm dating that dopey girl...Shiori-chan or whatever. Really easy too. It's funny how you can get what you want by saying the right things. Won't be long before she spreads her legs for me."

"And to what end? Or is that because you want to have fun with her?" Wei inquired with a scoff, finding his attitude straight-up disgusting.

"Well, yes. But also because I want to create disarray among her group of friends. I also have some interest in that girl with the pigtails. Yumi. Although I find Kuriyo quite alluring too. Should be easy pickings. A few words and she'll be all over me. But above all that, I have a plan to piss off Hajime and get him to fight me seriously."

"You really want to fight him that bad that you would involve those girls? You should be careful. You're poking at the dragon."

"Of course. Life is short and ephemeral. We have to do what we can to enjoy it to the fullest. Be true to ourselves and our desires. I want to fight the strongest. And that's what I intend to do." Yomi smirked."Besides, it'll only be fun if the stakes are high. I want him to be at his strongest. So I don't mind ruining a few people's lives to get that to happen."

"But even with Loki-sama's powers, I don't think you can even put a scratch on him if he transforms."

"Oh, absolutely not. I'm nowhere near his level of strength. But I have a plan to close the gap. And it involves that group of freaks that Hazuki and the others have associated themselves with."

"Them? Why?"

"You'll see." The machiavellian boy said cryptically."I now need to wait for the right moment. Besides, we need just a few of them alive, right? By killing them, I might be able to grow strong enough to fight Hajime. And all of that before I even get Surtr inside of me! How lucky I am!"

"You are something else..." The full-blooded Liang shook his head. Yomi chuckled, standing up as he began to walk away."By the way, you said that you had another method to get Xiangling to come with us. What was it?"

"Fry her brains. More specifically, mess with her brain a little via her bioelectricity." He looked over his shoulder, electricity sparking through his hands."I'm skilled enough to rewire a person's brain, given enough time. Believe it or not, I'm quite knowledgeable about the brain and the human body as a whole. It's quite astonishing how much you can alter inside of a person by messing with their bioelectricity. I'm like a walking surgeon. But since we got a simpler way to do this, we don't have to do that."

"You're sick." Wei clicked his tongue, but Yomi found it funny and laughed, leaving him alone.

"He's quite interesting, isn't he?"

Wei yelped when he heard the voice next to him. It was Hazuki, who was wearing his cloak to conceal his appearance and had appeared through one of his portals."Jesus Christ. You scared the fuck out of me."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to check in on you guys. But it seems I just missed Yomi." Hazuki noticed the frown on his face."Your face tells me the conversation you had wasn't pleasant."

"I'll be honest, I hate this guy. He represents everything I hate in a person. I know it's hypocritical of me since we want to annihilate all life on the planet and all but...I can't help but feel that his way of thinking about people and life is...too much..."

"It's okay if you have reservations about him." Hazuki shrugged."I guess you're starting to regret inviting him?"

"No. While I hate him as a person, I can't help but admire him as a fighter." Wei closed his eyes."His potential...it surpasses that even of my sister. It's...terrifying, honestly. And he's able to use Alchemy as well. I didn't want to believe it at first, but he might be the legendary fighter that is born in the Liang clan every hundreds of years."

"So...a Messiah?"

"Not exactly. You see, the Hyperion family learned Alchemy thanks to the teachings of Carol's Father, Izak, who taught the first Bragard and his sister Lucine. But Lucine married into the Liang clan, a clan that was known for their incredible fighting prowess. By mixing these two families, the Hyperion name died out, and the Liang clan continued. Essentially, the Alchemy was passed down from Lucine, but it was lost to time and washed down from generation to generation. Eventually making it almost nonexistent."

"I see. So that's why we can't use Alchemy. At least, not all of us...But then, what about the Liang's fighting prowess?"

"Since Alchemy wasn't used as much anymore, Liangs began to show signs of increased fighting prowess. Like Alchemy being used to enhance their bodies, taking their abilities to a whole new level. A clear case of this is my sister. And another one is Lingyun. Two great fighters that grow stronger in every fight, adapting to their opponent's strength, with no signs of being able to use Alchemy. For a time, it was believed that Alchemy had disappeared, and instead, Liangs could be born to be incredible fighters. There are some rare cases, like Despia, who are born with the ability to use Alchemy. Although, I don't know if what they have is real Alchemy or something else. Those runes they have are strange. I've never seen them before. But then the anomaly happened."

"Anomaly?"

"A person that can use both Alchemy and is born with an insane talent for fighting. A Liang that possesses both at once. This became a legend among the clan since it happened so very rarely, it was thought to be a genetic mutation. We haven't heard of this in over 200 years, according to my Grandfather's records. But then, Yomi..."

"You're saying Yomi is the new legend being born into the world. One that possesses both Alchemy and remarkable fighting prowess. A talent that surpasses all Liangs?"

"That's right. When I met him, he took me to one of the underground arenas. And decimated all of the competition. His skills, his ability to learn and grow stronger, and his tactical mind...Are beyond what I saw in my sister. To top it off, his ability to use that electricity Alchemy is proof enough to let me know that he is the legendary Liang. That's why I decided to bring him along. As he might be the greatest asset we can have."

"I agree. I thought there was something off about him. But to think he was a legend incarnate." Hazuki chuckled."It's good we have it on our side then. He is a loose cannon."

"More like the representation of evil." Wei snorted. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and checked the time."I should get going. I have a meeting at the chess club today."

"Have fun." Hazuki waved him goodbye, deciding to stick around and enjoy the breeze.

"No wonder that boy felt so familiar to me." Came the voice of Loki in his mind.

"What is it?"

"He's the reincarnation of one of my other children. Narfi."

"Narfi?" Hazuki blinked."I thought you only had the children you mentioned before. The ones stuck in Helheim?"

"They are different. I was pretty busy back then. I'm the father to many kids. Hell, I gave birth to one of them."

"What?"

"What?"

An awkward pause followed after.

"Anyway, Shem-Ha and I got a little...shall we say, intimate with each other at one point. She gave birth to a being half God and half Custodian. We named him Narfi. At the time, I was preparing to unleash Ragnarok, and she had her own plans in the works. So we sent the baby to Earth. Why, you ask? Because she wanted the kid to fuck up humanity since Enki had this relationship with Fine and she wanted to ruin it. As well as to ensure a way to conquer the planet. As for me? I decided it was a good idea as well."

"Wait, but how is Yomi a reincarnation of him? Did he die?"

"I guess he must have. But his spirit lived on. I suspect he must have met a human female here on Earth. If I had to guess, ancestors to the Liang clan."

"What?!" Hazuki gasped in shock."Wait, so Yomi...is your son Narfi?! Did he reincarnate like how Fine did with that scientist woman?"

"Not exactly. Like I said, he's dead. I do not doubt that. I don't know what killed him. But I guess he must have followed Fine's example but to a lesser degree."

"What do you mean?"

"Fine procreated with countless people over the years, passing down her essence. That's what FIS was all about. All the kids that were there were her descendants capable of harboring her soul, all of them from different countries and religions. Same case with Narfi, except, he did it with the ancestors of the Liang clan. It was part of the plan. I gave Adam and Lilith that book, and they gave it to Bragard First, absorbing Hel's essence into him. When he died, that was passed down to Bragard Second. Who sacrificed his whole kingdom to create his Philosopher's Stone, except for his sister. And guess where she ended up?"

"The Liangs...That's right. She was the last Hyperion alive aside from Bragard, and she married into the Liang clan." Hazuki breathed."So you planned for that? That whole thing?"

"It involved some luck, I won't lie to you. But yes. It was all to ensure that the plan could be carried on in the future. Yomi's words carry some truth when he says the Hyperions and Liangs are families of evil. And when they came together, they became the greatest evil the world had ever witnessed. You see, since the Hyperions were worshippers of Ventara, something must have caused a genetic mutation in their DNA when they mixed up with Liang blood. To the public, they were glorified, but underneath that layer of deceit, laid their horrible secrets. They were evil created by evil. And that evil was passed down from generation to generation. That's why you and I are so compatible with each other. You're my...Knowledge. A perfect vessel for me."

"It's...a lot to take in...I guess that explains why our family was doomed from the start. If we're born from evil, then naturally, we were set out to be evil. It's a good thing Bragard also wiped out the whole clan then. In a way, he's a hero who eliminated evil. So I guess this explains why Liangs can be vessels for Gods?"

"That's right. You all originate from Shem-Ha and me, so that's why you Liangs are perfect vessels for Divine Power. More so Messiahs."

"Hell of a plan, Loki. I guess the waiting game really paid off."

"I say that, but Narfi had no idea of his role. So those families became evil on their own, as a consequence of their greed and selfish desires. I accounted for everything, except for Narfi's death. I suppose that's why I wasn't able to come into this real sooner. When we met, I thought you were him, not a Messiah."

"Do you think Yomi knows?"

"I doubt it. Narfi was a baby when we sent him off. I doubt he would ever have recognized us. I thought he was dead when I came into this world. I couldn't sense him. He has no Divine Power. Or maybe he does, but it's so washed down that I can't even sense it. But when I gave Yomi my power, I could feel just how compatible he was with it. Wei was right when he said he is the greatest asset with him. He may not have Narfi's Divine Power or his memories, but he does have his terrifying ability."

"Ability?"

"Yes. One that can no doubt make Yomi the strongest force of nature that this planet has ever seen if given enough time. We've seen how much he's grown so far. Let's see what he can do if we let him on the loose...Does this upset you? Everything I told you?"

"Even if you weren't involved, evil would have still plagued this world." Hazuki waved off his concern."That's why we have to keep going. To cleanse this world from evil and to be the ultimate good, I must become the ultimate evil. So no, I'm not upset. If anything you made this easier for me. I am close to becoming the greatest evil and then, I will guide this world as the Ultimate Good. Soon, everything will be better. Our dreams will finally be realized!"

The remaining members of SONG gathered around the command room, except for Chris, who had been dismissed to her room. She was in a very bad state of mind and needed time for herself.

"It's kind of scary how many of us are left..." Hamaguchi muttered."Yosuke-san, Tsubasa-san...and Chris-chan is out of commission."

"They're not dead." Maria shook her head."Stop making it sound like they are."

"Right. Sorry..."

"So, about the contents that were left behind in that briefcase that Chris-dono accidentally destroyed." Bragi cleared his throat at the last part, walking over to where Elfnein was, and typed on a few keys, bringing up the image of the damaged briefcase containing packages of blood inside."These are packs of blood."

"Blood? That's what it was?" Hajime blinked, confused."Why were they carrying a whole lot of blood?"

"Isn't one of them a vampire or something?" Kirika shuddered."Maybe she needs to drink tons of blood-desu!"

"If that's the case, they should have more than this specific kind." Bragi continued."Rh-xxoyle is a type of blood found only in one person of 1.4 million. Way too specific to just be something she needs to snack on."

"So they need blood transfusions or something?" Raiden rubbed his chin in thought.

"Maybe." Bragi shrugged, glancing at the ground, guilt still in his mind.

Elfnein grabbed his hand to reassure him."It's possible that since they are all test subjects, both from the Bavarian Illuminati and Bragard Second, they may need blood to sustain their bodies. It's possible that their powers could go out of control if not administered this specific type of blood. But that's just our theory anyway."

"Whatever it is, it seems they have outside help since the victim we saved testified he saw men in black with them. Even more so than the DDV." Bragi remarked."I doubt those guys would have gotten their hands on that much blood. Maybe Ouja, but even that is a stretch. Some type of organization is backing them up, that's for sure."

"It could be another country." Genjuro offered his guess."Ouja is a worldwide assassin. I wouldn't be surprised if he's got all types of influences other than Japan."

"It's scary how one guy can have a hold on a whole country like that." Maria sighed."If we reveal his identity, he could tell the whole world all of the secrets he knows, collapsing all the governments."

"Do you think it's the US again?" Hibiki wondered.

"After they tried to nuke us, I wouldn't doubt it." Bragi clicked his tongue.

"Commander!" Sakuya hollered, catching their attention."We just received word that the Los Alamos research lab in America has been attacked by the Illuminati and the DDV!"

"What?!" Everyone gasped as the live feed of the lab in flames came up, and two figures stood in the middle of the flames. One of them was Vanessa, and the other one was Kamen Rider Gai.

"Terunosuke...!" Jades unfolded his arms at the sight of his rogue brother.

"Teru-nii did that?" Shirabe frowned.

"We shouldn't be surprised. We knew he was involved as well." Maria scowled at the image of her brother in his armor.

"With this, we can rule out the US's involvement for now." Came the voice from an incoming call.

"Yatsuhiro-aniki, you know what's going on?"

"I know as much as you do, but it's clear that the Bavarian remnants and the DDV are working independently. Or perhaps with another country. But it would be counterproductive for the US to be involved since they stole several Relics."

"Relics?" Kirika tilted her head.

"They took several Relics that had no remarkable power, but among them was..." He clicked something on his tablet, sending the image to their computer.

"Hey, isn't that...?!" Hamaguchi's eyes shot wide open.

The very same gauntlet they had taken from the Sarcophagus.

"The US government shared some of their findings with us. And we learned that they were able to translate the meaning of the words on the brace. Which could be read as "Shem-Ha"."

"Shem-Ha...?" Tobias whispered, standing up without even noticing.

"Tobias?"

"Thor says that name sounds familiar to him...Loki mentioned it to him before..."

"So, whatever this Shem-Ha is, they are related to Loki." Genjuro narrowed his eyes."No wonder the DDV of Valhalla is helping with this..."

"Well continue investigating on our end and keep on getting information from the US government. This is my battle." Yatsuhiro said."And one more thing...Please, get Yosuke-kun back safe and sound. I couldn't look his father in the eyes in the afterlife if his son were to die like this...Tsubasa must be suffering because of that..."

"Don't worry!" Hajime nodded."We'll get him back to Tsubasa! You can count on us, sir."

"I'll leave it on your hands then, Hajime Adachi." With that, Yatsuhiro ended the call.

"You said that, but how exactly are we getting Yosuke-san back?" Hamaguchi scratched his head."We need to get that parasite out of his body first."

"Yeah, but how?" Hibiki bit her lower lip."Can we do it without hurting him?"

"We'll find a way."

They all turned to see Tsubasa walking into the room, her expression unreadable.

"Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki beamed before her face showed her concern."Are you okay to be moving around? Your arms...?"

"They were dislocated. Not broken. I'll be fine." Tsubasa forced a smile."We'll get Yosuke back."

"That's the spirit." Maria smiled, though she could tell Tsubasa's smile was hiding something. Suddenly the room turned dark and the face of Fudo Kazanari appeared on the screen.

"Worrying about him shouldn't be a priority, Tsubasa. That little brat that you had the gall to have a relationship with under my nose got himself captured by the enemy. We have more pressing matters to attend to."

"G-Grandfather, how did you-"

"Just now, you all allowed the enemy to set foot on our soil. The stadium in which you were performing was turned into a slaughterhouse with not a single survivor. And one of those enemies took over Yosuke Yanagi's body, putting the country at risk."

"Grandfather, what are you saying...?"

"You are not qualified to be a true sentinel. You will never be able to protect people, much less the way you are now. How many people have been lost, probably because of your incompetence?"

"Because...of me...?" Tsubasa grabbed her head. Hajime frowned, jumping in to defend his friend.

"Now hold on, that's completely-"

"I was not talking to you, Liang." Fudo cut Hajime off abruptly."You are one of the handful of survivors of a clan that was lucky enough to be allowed to prosper here in our country. The Liangs caused countless problems for Japan and the Kazanari and got themselves wiped out by the same monster they created. Do not forget your place."

"You fucking piece of-"

Genjuro silenced him by placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking his head.

Choosing to ignore him, Fudo continued."Tsubasa, I still have hopes that you will one day do your sentinel blood justice."

With those words, Fudo ended the call, but the atmosphere remained just as tense as before.

"Don't listen to him, Tsubasa-san." Hajime made his way over to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder."We've been through worse. We can find a way to fix this. Especially now that you're back on your feet."

"Thanks, Adachi. I appreciate your words." She droned, her eyes still focused on the screen."But don't worry about me. As a sword, I won't break so easily..."

"How are you holding up, Ellie?" Allister sat beside Elsa while she was laying down to rest, suffering the effects of the lack of blood transfusion."Want me to get you anything? Some water?"

"I'm fine...It's just..." She began to tear up."Because of me, Millaarc and the others can't get their blood...and are now in danger-de-arimasu. I shouldn't have let go of the briefcase..."

"Don't be silly, dear. You did what you could. I should have gotten there faster." He reached for her hand, kissing it."I'm glad you're okay. Don't worry about the briefcase. I talked to Fudo-san. I can get you guys some more blood, but it will be tricky. I told the others this and they should be getting ready to go get it."

"I should go too. I-"

"Nonsense." He set her back down on the pillow."You're at your limit. Rest for now."

"Okay..." She muttered, closing her eyes as she tried to relax.

"You're a hard worker. You've always been. Do you remember back at home when we would clean that bakery lady's house? Just so we could get some fresh baguettes? You're the one who would always put more effort just because you wanted to help her out."

"We had to eat, you know. I was hoping she would give us a little more-de-arimasu. They were so good..." She giggled."Do you remember when we were playing with that ball we found and you accidentally broke a window at the chapel?"

"Do I? I had to do countless chores just so I could pay the window back." He sighed, reminiscing on his past."But at least I got to drink that delicious lemonade they prepared. Our hometown was bad. But we have some fond memories, right?"

"Right..." She trailed off."I didn't bring this up before, but you lost the accent."

"Well, I've been away from there since I accepted the deal to join the House of Grey. So more than half of my life. And I've learned over 10 languages and traveled across the globe, so it was bound to happen. You lost the accent too."

"It sort of happened." She shrugged, her eyes softening."I can't believe you agreed to join that place...You became an assassin for my sake..."

"I knew what was going on at your house. I wanted to get out of there. So we could go somewhere else and be happy. But...I was experimented on, my emotions were suppressed because an assassin has no need for those. I still have a scar on my head. I know it was stupid of me to take the deal, but...We weren't going to make it there, Elsa."

"If you didn't, you'd have been taken with me. And you would have suffered as much as I have." Elsa reached her hand to him and cupped his cheek."At least one of us got to live a little-de-arimasu."

"If you can call it living. I became a cold-blooded killer that killed countless people. I doubt you'd want to be in my position." The black-haired assassin heaved a long sigh."But it's okay. We're together now."

"I knew you would come find me. I always knew. And it's what kept me going." Elsa smiled fondly."And here we are."

"Here we are." He agreed."Once this is all over, we can move out somewhere else and live our lives together. We can forget about all this. Mona already considers you her Mother. She's like you, you know? I found her during one of my jobs. A sick bastard was planning to sell her as a sex slave. It reminded me of what happened to you, so I killed him and adopted her."

"That poor girl..." Elsa lamented."You did well in picking her up. I want to make sure she grows up well and happy. We can do it together, right Allie? Take care of her and live as a family when I go back to being a human?"

"Of course." He nodded."Being a single parent wasn't that hard. So with you, I'm sure we can make it work perfectly."

"I'm so...happy..." Tears started to fall down her cheeks."I've never felt like this before. To wish to see more of the future. Now I have a reason to want to live and look forward to tomorrow-de-arimasu. But..."

"Ellie?"

"I'm scared, Allister." She squeezed his hand tightly, as if afraid of letting go."What if that girl kills you because you killed her boyfriend? I tried to get rid of her, but she's strong...I don't want to lose you...not again."

"And you won't lose me. Even if I die, I'll crawl my way out of hell just for you. But leave Chris to me." The assassin said."Fine entrusted me with that mission anyway. I have to see it through to the end. So don't worry. We'll be fine. Don't worry about a thing."

"OKay...okay, Alli...I believe you." She smiled. wiping off her tears."I love you so much."

"And I love you too, my love. You have awoken the emotions that remained dormant inside of me. And now I know what I must fight for."

Outside of the room, Angelo, Reina, Psykos, and Millarc were gathered together, discussing their next move. They were listening to Angelo as he relaid the plan he had formulated.

"Alright, so Allister-san told me that Fudo has relocated blood for us to a nearby hospital in Tokyo. Since we can't risk another deal being a bust, we have to go get that blood ourselves. At the same time, we shouldn't all move out together since it would get unnecessary attention. So who wants to go?"

"I'll go." Millarc immediately volunteered."I failed to get the briefcase too. And I was the one who summoned the Alca-Noise, which ultimately got SONG's attention. Let me make up for my mistake."

"I'll accompany her." P. Yosuke raised his hand."Since she's running low on energy, she might need the help just in case."

"Really? But you don't need blood." Reina pointed out.

"Yeah, but I want to help you guys. You're my friends." He grinned cockily."Besides, I want to test this body a little. See what it can do in action."

"If you're sneaky enough, you won't get the chance." Angelo crossed his arms."That's why I'm not very suitable for this operation."

"Relax. We're going in and out. No one will notice." He waved his hand.

"Okay..." Angelo sighed, rubbing his temples.

"You okay, big brother?"

"Yeah. Just tired. With Vanessa not here, I've had to maintain this whole thing running on my own. I thought it'd be easy but it's not. I guess maybe I was never ready to be Captain back then."

"You just need more experience, that's all, babe." Millaarc grabbed his chin and pulled him in for a kiss."You're a fine leader. Don't worry."

"Hey, hands off of him, you big-chested-"

"Anyway!" P. Yosuke shouted, not in the mood to hear them fight."Where is this hospital anyway?"

Later that evening, Shirabe, Kirika, Hamaguchi, and Raiden were idling around in a park. The bespectacled young man was lying on the grass, staring at the stars, while the other 3 were sitting on the swings.

"I miss Yosuke-san..." Hamaguchi sighed, scratching his head."We have to find a way to get that parasite out of his body."

"Yeah, but how?" Shirabe asked.

"Maybe we can electrocute him out of him-desu!"

"I don't know if electricity will work, honestly." Raiden sat up."If he's made of liquid metal, then that's not going to work. Besides, who knows if it'll destroy Yosuke-san's brain."

"If it's a parasite, we can just stuff him full of antibiotics!" Hamaguchi perked up.

"Oh, yeah!" Kirika nodded enthusiastically."Medicine should be able to get rid of him-desu!"

"If he was a normal parasite, maybe. But this is something else." The twin-tailed girl said, causing them to deflate."But...is Yosuke-san even alive in there?"

"He is. And that's not me being optimistic." Raiden said, earning their attention."If he had died, the contract with his Advent Beast would have been undone. Besides, as strong as it may be, it's still a parasite. A leech that feeds off its host. If Yosuke dies, he'd have to migrate to another body."

"That is true..." Shirabe nodded."But then, how do we get him out of there?"

"First we need to worry about finding him though." Hamaguchi reminded them.

"Don't worry! I have an idea!" Kirika grinned."If you think about it, the next place they'd attack probably has lots of blood, right? Since that's what they're after. So all we gotta do is go to a hospital and wait!"

"Yeah...but that could be literally any hospital." Raiden deadpanned at his sister.

"There is one right around here. Maybe we can start there?" Shirabe suggested.

"Well, I don't see why not. It's not like we got any other leads." Raiden shrugged, figuring that it didn't hurt for them to at least give it a try. So they made their way to the nearest hospital, and it didn't take long before they spotted a silhouette with wings flying above the hospital."

"No way!" They all cried out in unison.

A few minutes later, the group ran down the hallways of the hospital, ignoring the nurses who tried to stop them.

"We've confirmed the intruder on our end." Raiden said, holding onto his communicator next to his ear."It's most likely that vampire girl who fought Hibiki-san. We're heading to the rooftop."

"Is it just her? Are you positive?" Aoi asked on her side.

"For now, yes." Shirabe confirmed."So the 4 of us should be enough to detain her."

"Just leave it to us," Hamaguchi said.

They pressed the button of the elevator, heading to the rooftop, and as soon as the doors opened, they spotted Millaarc, who was looking worse for wear.

"End of the line-desu!" Kirika pointed at her."Stop right there, you criminal!"

"Fucking hell..." Millaarc snarled."So much for going in and out..."

"Hey, guys!"

The group gasped upon hearing the familiar voice of their friend. P. Yosuke emerged from the shadows, smiling at them."It's been a while, huh? What brings you here?"

"Yosuke-san!" Kirika beamed, attempting to go to him but Hamaguchi grabbed her hand, pulling her back.

"That's...not him, Kirika..." Hamaguchi narrowed his eyes at the imposter."Get out of our friend, you demon parasite!"

"Demon? Nah, that's not me. That's Angelo." P. Yosuke mused."Also, that's rather rude, isn't it? I have a name, you know? It's Psykos."

"Then get the hell out of our friend, Psykos!"

"No can do." P. Yosuke pulled out his Deck, forcing the others to do the same."This body belongs to me now. And I'll kill you by using these hands! Henshin!"

"Henshin!"

"Zeios Igalima Raizen Tron..."

"Various Shul Shagana Tron..."

(Play Mijuku Shoujo Buttagiri)

In an instant, the group was transformed and lunged into battle. Millaarc summoned a battalion of Noise to fight the Symphogear, while the 2 Riders fought the parasite in their friend's body.

Sword Vent: Winglancer

Sword Vent: Abyss Slashers

Copy Vent

P. Knight parried Hamaguchi's attacks with ease, having superior skills and experience thanks to Yosuke's knowledge. He was able to predict his moves and react accordingly. But the same couldn't be said about him. He noticed Raia trying to attack from behind using a copy of his Winglancer, so he morphed his free hand to create a silver blade, using it to block the lance and push Raia away.

"Raiden!" Abyss cried out for his friend, but P. Knight took advantage of this and kned him in the stomach, causing him to fall to his knees. He then kicked him across the face, sending him rolling to the ground and almost falling off the rooftop.

"Too easy."

"Is that so?!"

Swing Vent: Evilwhip

"Huh?" P. Knight noticed a whip tangled around his right leg, pulling on him and causing him to fall on his rear. Raia leaped into the air, throwing the Winglancer at P. Knight, forcing him to block with his weapon. But then the stingray-themed Rider pulled on the whup again, accelerating his speed and delivering a dive-kick against P. Knight's chest, sending him skidding across the rooftop.

"Oho! Nice one, Raiden!"

"You have no right to address me so casually, parasite!"

"But you're not really hurting me." P. Knight snickered."And with attacks like these, you won't get very-"

Abyss shot several water blades from his visor, prompting P. Knight to twirl his visor and block the attack."Raiden! Catch!"

He threw him one of his blades, which Raia gladly accepted. Both of them dashed at full speed, running circles around Knight.

"Hah! Please!" P. Knight released several silver tendrils from his body, forcing the boys to jump into the air to avoid them. He lashed the tendrils at them, sliding a card inside of his Deck.

Guard Vent: Wingwall

The Riders ran up the tendrils, closing the distance and attacking P. Knight in unison. His footwork was impeccable, just like Yosuke's. But this enemy was even harder to fight since he was making use of his Liquid Metal abilities. He used his cape to block Rai's strikes, concentrating on Abyss and swinging his lance at him. Abyss arched his back, watching as the lance narrowly missed him in slow motion. He kicked the parasite's leg, and thrust his sword forward, aiming for his neck. But he stopped. He couldn't do it. This was his friend.

"Idiot!" P. Knight grabbed him by the head, slamming him against Raia and sending them crashing into the elevator.

"I can't hurt him...Yosuke-san is our friend." Hamaguchi shook his head."I can't hurt him!

'Damn it...' Raia cursed in his mind as P. Knight towered over them, raising his Winglancer. However, he dropped his weapon and grabbed onto his neck, starting to choke himself.

"What?!"

"What's going on?" Raia pondered, confused."Why is he choking himself?"

"So...you're still conscious enough to defy me, eh, Yosuke?!" P. Knight forced a grin, grabbing his arm with his free hand and pulling it away.

"Fight it, Yosuke-san!" Abyss encouraged his friend deep inside, tackling P. Knight and slamming his fist against his chest, sending him skidding away."We'll free you soon! Don't worry!"

Meanwhile, Kirika and Shirabe were having an easier time fighting the Alca-Noise. Shirabe skated around, her skirt turning into a razor-sharp saw as she danced around the Noise, cutting them like butter. Kirika ignited the boosters on her scythe, spinning around like a beyblade and making a path for herself toward Millaarc, who kept her distance."Stop resisting and stand down!"

"Stop talking so high and mighty!" Millaarc lunged at her, but in her current condition, her body couldn't perform as she wished, allowing Kirika to slam her scythe on the ground, maneuvering her body to position herself behind her and kicking her on her back, sending her off the rooftop. But the vampire simply used her wings to take off higher into the sky.

"Shirabe! Let's bring together the blades of Zababa-desu!"

"Look at you taking charge." Shirabe couldn't help but giggle, giving her a nod.

Kirika split her scythe into two, stabbing them into the ground while Shirabe's yo-yos combined into a giant buzzsaw, while her twin-tail armors popped off and attached to the sides of the saw to form wings. Subsequently, Kirika's shoulder plates popped off and attached to the saw, adding more blades to the wings along with a set of boosters. Shirabe pulled, and their combined Armed Gears were shot to the skies, narrowly missing Millaarc.

"Ha! Missed me!"

"Did we really?" Kirika shot her a cocky grin. Millaarc gasped, noticing the attack had circled around and was heading straight for her.

Tempest Vent

A whirlwind engulfed the Armed Gear, sending it away from Millaarc. The girl felt wind surrounding her, gently taking her back to the rooftop where P. Knight was. She panted, leaning on her friend for support.

"Seems you're not doing too good." He remarked, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"No shit, Sherlock. What gave that away...?" She snarled at him but had no more energy to argue.

"Are you girls okay?" Raia jogged over to his sisters.

"Yes." Shirabe nodded.

"Where is Hamaguchi?" Kirika asked, concern clear in her tone.

"Sorry..." Abyss slowly made his way over to them."I hesitated..."

"Hamaguchi..." Kirika was immediately by his side, squeezing his hand tenderly."It's okay..."

"But we're still not done." Raia narrowed his eyes at the fiend possessing his friend."Yosuke-san is still there. He stopped Psykos from hurting us just now. We can save him!"

"I wonder about that."

The group gasped, noticing a black portal opening in the skies, where Vanessa, Angelo, Reina, and Elsa appeared. However, there was an extra person among them. Kamen Rider Gai.

"Teru-nii!" Kirika cried out, baring her teeth at him.

"Why is he here too...?" SHirabe scowled."Are you really working with them, Teru-nii?"

'Wait, that's the other brother?' Hamaguchi noted.

'Those girls...' Vanessa's eyes widened slightly.'They look exactly like some of the girls in Terunosuke's picture...'

"Damn it...Why do I always have to deal with you, brats?" The rhino-themed Rider groaned.

"You two did good." Vanessa complimented Millaarc and Psykos."I'm liking the new look, Psykos."

"Thanks, Vanessa. I worked really hard for it."

"Like hell you did! You have our friend as a hostage!" Abyss seethed.

"Well, we got what we came here for." Angelo shrugged, eyeing Elsa, who was sitting on her briefcase."Allister-san really came through for us. In exchange, we'll make this quick and painless. Santa, partial transformation.'

His arms became demonic, and he immediately charged up an attack above his head."Hellfire!"

He chucked the fireball at them, ready to kill them in one fell swoop, along with the hospital.

Confine Vent

Suddenly, the fireball disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

"What happened? It disappeared?" Shirabe noticed, her eyes immediately landing on Gai.

"Ability negation..." Amy noted from on top of Vanessa's shoulders.

"That was you, Terunosuke-san?" Angelo asked though it was more of a statement than a question.

"Hey, what the hell is the big idea?!" Reina stomped her feet on the ground."Why did you cancel my brother's ability?!"

"Killing them now is a bad idea." Gai drawled, rubbing the back of his neck."Haven't you guys heard the saying, "The cornered stag is most dangerous"? I don't think we have the time or energy to spend on another fight."

"What the fuck kind of saying is that?!" Reina scrunched up her face in confusion."Is that a Japanese saying? Because I don't really know much about that!"

"Look..." He groaned in exasperation."The point I'm trying to make is that there is no point in fighting them. They are leaving already. Right, guys?"

"Huh?" They all gaped in unison.

"As in, grab your metaphorical shit, and get the fuck out of here. That's what you were doing, right? Leaving?"

"Why are we letting them go?" P. Yosuke clicked his tongue."It's 7 against 4."

"Yes, but remember, most of you guys need that blood and aren't in fighting condition." Gai reminded him."It's better to take what we came to get and go back to be better prepared for another fight."

Angelo frowned."But we-"

"He's right." Vanessa chimed in, knowing full well why he was doing this."What's important is to secure the blood. We can worry about fighting them after we recuperate."

Angelo glanced at the second leader of the team, then over to Millaarc, then Elsa, then his sister."Okay...You're right."

"Wait, aren't you going to try and kill us?!" Raia asked, clenching his fists."Teru-nii!"

"I'm not after you kids. I'm after Jades. So go on and scram. Unless you want to fight us here and now. In which case, I can't guarantee the safety of the people of this hospital."

"What a cowardly thing to do!" Abyss pointed at him."Threatening the lives of the innocents like that! You're their older brother, right?! What kind of example is this for your younger siblings?!"

Gai noticed Abyss and Kirika had their hands intertwined and cringed."Oh, come on...You're serious?"

"W-what?"

"Kirika." Gai addressed the blonde."This is a joke, right? You can't seriously be dating this lowlife. Even you should have a higher standard than this."

"L-lowlife...?" Abyss shrunk at that.

But Kirika wasn't having that and stood protectively in front of Abyss."So what if he's my boyfriend?! Don't you ever dare insult him like that-desu! You have no right to call anyone a lowlife, you...you...you SCUM!"

"Kiri-chan?!" Shirabe and Raiden were visibly taken aback. Never in her life had Kirika cursed like that.

Reina snickered."Ha! She's telling you off!"

"He dropped out of school, didn't he? What kind of future does he have for you? None, I'd bet. Unless you plan to keep doing this gig for the rest of your lives?" He crossed his arms.

"I don't care about any of that! And he's coming to school again! He's doing great and we're both learning a lot together-desu! Not that you'd care!" Kirika continued, unable to keep her emotions in check."I love him very much! You wouldn't understand anything about that, would you?! Because you're only obsessed with Serena!"

"Tch. Watch your mouth, kid-"

"NO! YOU LISTEN! I SPEAK!" She roared, stunning the man, tears streaming down her face."You wouldn't understand what love really is! He fought so hard and risked his life for the people he cares about! And that moved my heart! He's a great person and very caring! And above all, he's extremely brave and passionate! Nothing you could ever hope to be-desu! So don't go pretending you even give a shit about any of us! You let Andreas and Atticus-nii-chan die! And now you want to use him to fight us! I won't have that! You will give him back to us NOW! GIVE US BACK ANDREAS AND GIGAZELLE!"

"Kirika..." Abyss was completely at a loss for words. He never thought he'd see his loving and dopey girlfriend act like this.

"And if I don't?" He asked."Little crybaby Kirika."

"Then...I'll take you down." Her gaze was firm and determined, not unlike her usual self. She kept squeezing Hamaguchi's hand as if it were her life support, and she felt him give her the courage she needed to stand up to her brother.

"Hahahaha!" Reina cackled."Your sister is in her rebellious phase! That must be so painful!"

Angelo coughed in his hand.

"What?"

"No, nothing."

Vanessa observed the Rider with attentive eyes.'What will you do, Terunosuke?'

The Rider just stared back at his sister, both of them in a staring contest, refusing to back down.

"Stop crying!" Terunosuke yelled at the crying blonde, who was curled up on the ground.

"What happened?" Jades ran over to them, picking Kirika up in his arms."Why is she crying?"

"She's just upset that I told her she's dumb."

"What?! TeruTeru, you can't do that!"

"But she is. I gave her a simple math problem since we need to study for those damn exams coming up and you know what happens if we don't pass." He reminded him harshly.

"But still-"

"You pampering these kids is what is ultimately going to cost them. Maybe even their lives." He glared at the girl in his arms."And besides, if she doesn't get it together, she'll be left behind. Even Shirabe does better than her and she's younger. I think she's just doomed to be stupid and a crybaby."

"That's not true." Jades shook his head, kissing her on her head to comfort her."I know she can do great things. Just watch her. One day, you won't think the same of her. She'll prove you wrong, right, Kirika?"

"Heh." Gai chuckled at the memory.

"What's so funny?!" Kirika demanded.

"Nothing. It's just...when the hell did you get this gutsy?" He said, and Vanessa could swear his voice had a hint of pride in it."You came a long way, kid. Not bad. I guess you're not a crybaby anymore."

"I don't care about your compliments!"

"That's fine. I know you don't." Gai shrugged nonchalantly, taking out a vial, as did the others."Give Maria my regards. And tell Jades I'm coming after him. On and...Hamaguchi-kun, was it? You better not disappoint me and protect her with your life. Or else I'll take yours for being so pathetically weak."

"I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY!" Kirika leaped into the air, her Scythe growing two extra blades as she hurled them at them.

Kill Juliet.

Gai broke the vial, as did all the members of Noble Red, teleporting away.

The attack missed its mark, and Kirika fell on her knees. Abyss undid his transformation, rushing to grab her before she collapsed on the ground."Kirika, I'm right here...I'm right here, Little Reaper..."

"Andreas is gone...Gone..." Kirika whispered, breaking into tears. She wailed and wailed, and Hamaguchi held her in her arms, muttering words of love to comfort her broken heart. Shirabe and Raiden weren't doing any better. Kirika's outburst resonated in their hearts, and they both couldn't contain their tears as they embraced each other.

Back in their hideout, Noble Red wasted no time in getting ready for their blood transfusions. Angelo and Psykos were in charge of administering the blood to Millaarc, Elsa, and Reina while Amy managed the computers connected to their vitals. Vanessa chose to wait her turn and was currently outside of the room with Terunosuke, who was getting ready to go back to his own base.

"I'm surprised that that metal heart of yours is quite soft inside." She giggled, much to his chagrin."Your sisters are adorable, by the way. And from what Reina told me, that brother of yours, Raiden, is quite handsome as well."

"Don't know what you mean. What are you yapping about?"

"You couldn't do it, could you?" Her expression turned serious."Kill them, I mean. You care for them. In your own way. But you love them. I can tell."

"You're reading way too much into this, Vanessa." He turned around to meet her gaze."I let them go because fighting them there was going to be a problem. Not to mention the others were probably on their way and with half of your team unable to fight, it wasn't going to be an easy fight. Besides, my real target is Jades. The other kids and Maria are stupid for following Jades. They'll realize their mistake soon enough. And how I was the one who deserved all the praise."

"If you say so. I won't press you any further. Don't be a stranger and come around, would you?" She winked at him."You make great company."

"Now that's the first time I've ever heard that." He chuckled as a black portal opened in front of him, stepped inside, and disappeared.

Vanessa hummed to herself, preparing herself for her call with Fudo to brief him on her successful mission with Amy and Terunosuke in retrieving the brace.'Still...even if you say you don't harbor any love for them, your eyes say otherwise. When you love people as if they were your family, it's impossible to ever change your feelings."

Another chapter is done. I start school in a week, so I probably have one or two chapters before I go back to a tight schedule.