Reviews:
Akira: Hajime comes to the rescue, saving the person he once hated. Now these two are no longer enemies. They are allies. But yes, Bragi's energy keeps being depleted. This is because he doesn't have the Philosopher's Stone. Bragard does. So every time he regenerates, it reduces his lifeforce until there may come a time when he can no longer regenerate.
SoutaAmetsuchi: He could...but the problem is that he was low on energy and they tossed him to the bottom of a cut in half ocean. We'll see what happens to him.
Lord Ri The Husbu King: I have no idea what that manga is. I took inspiration from other fights but not the one you're referring to. Yeah, Bragi in most cases is the second one to handle problems, so maybe that's why. The purpose of that flashback is to give more insight into Angelo's life since I never really went too deep into it, unlike his peers. As for that...I only said Prince because Bragi is technically a Prince. And if he gets together with Miku it will make her a princess. So probably not. I think I will make XDU later on. You'll hate Hajime's alternative version.
Tenzalucard123: Rider kick!
Anthony Galupo: Maybe he is.
nickseverino8: We'll get to Hazuki and Loki in due time. They're coming up, don't worry. And so will Odin. We're approaching the last season fast. Well, Hajime technically does have a Contract Card he got from Femme. So he could make a contract with Magnugiga. But there is a problem. We'll discuss it next chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying the past chapters. And you know what, I miss those characters too. I must Takeru the most. He's my favorite. Maybe if they managed to get Terunosuke to understand, he wouldn't have done all those bad things. The problem with visiting Goro's grave idea is that only a few of them know him. Jades, Raiden, Andreas, and every Rider after never met him. So it would be kind of weird.
Chapter 137
We Don't Talk About הֵילֵל
"I'm so sorry...I just...I just didn't think...I never imagined that...it would end up like this...I'm so sorry..."
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
Ryuki kicked Satan in the face, launching him away. His Hellfire was thrown into another direction, exploding upon impact and creating a huge explosion.'Man! That's a lot of power! If that hit...' He glanced down at the giant rift in the water, grimacing.'Dienheim...'
"Well, well, well. I remember you." Satan flew over to Ryuki, folding his arms.
'He recovered from that kick already?' Hajime swallowed the lump in his throat as he backed up.
"Yes...You are the Messiah. Hajime Adachi. So, what are you here for? Here to save this scum? Or did you come to talk me down like before?"
"We're a little too far gone to try and talk you down." Ryuki scanned his appearance from head to toe."This was your solution? Do you think you can make things better by turning into a monster?!"
"Me? I'm not a monster...I AM A GOD!" Satan screamed, releasing his red aura that pushed Ryuki back.
'Shit! He wasn't this strong before!' Ryuki drew a card from his Deck, immediately activating it.
Blaze Vent
Crimson flames surrounded Ryuki, sliding another card into his visor.
Strike Vent: Soul Burner
"Do you truly believe you can contend with me, Messiah?" Satan mocked."Even with that power boost, you're still no match for me."
Ryuki clicked his tongue, bum-rushing toward him at full speed.
"Idiot." Satan regrew his missing heads, unfolding his arms as Ryuki threw the first punch. He weaved his head with ease, chuckling. Ryuki threw several more punches with his Divine Weapons, but Satan weaved all of them with relative ease. He grabbed his fist, forcing his arm down before going for a quick right jab. Ryuki arched his back, wrestling his arm out and going for a horizontal kick, kicking at the air since Satan had taken off into the skies.
The dragon-themed Rider chased after him, firing countless fireballs toward him. However, the devil maneuvered around them, shooting some of his own. Ryuki flew toward Satan, resuming his barrage of punches as he attempted to try and land a hit with his gauntlets. Satan kneed him in the gut, causing Ryuki to spit blood. He swatted him with his tail, sending Ryuki crashing on land.
Hajime groaned in pain as the crimson flames surrounding his body dissipated.
"Hellfire into Supernova!" Satan charged up a giant sphere of fire, increasing it in size by adding flames from his mouths before chucking toward Ryuki.
"SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!" Ryuki ignited his Blaze Vent again to outrun the explosion, however, the shockwave of the attack knocked him against several trees.
"Impressive, but..." Satan sent several slashes in Ryuki's away, completely destroying the area where he was."Hmmm?"
To his surprise, Ryuki had been moved to a different location by Knight's cape, settling him gently on the ground.
"Y-Yanagi-san..."
"I told you not to run in by yourself, did I not?" Knight sighed, shaking his head.
"Sorry...I just..." Ryuki lowered his head in shame.
"It's fine. I understand how you feel. For now, our job is to keep him busy while Kuroiwa and Amaterasu go search for Dienheim at the bottom of the ocean." Yosuke placed a hand on the side of his helmet."Yosuke here. We're engaging the enemy."
"How's Bragi-kun's condition?" Genjuro asked.
"Is he okay?!" The distressed voice of Elfnein could be heard in the background."Where is my boy, Yosuke-san?!"
"We're not sure. He's alive, most likely, since Angelo tried to finish him off just now. We're not sure of Shem-Ha's whereabouts. We have our hands full at the moment. I'll contact you if we make any progress here."
Knight ended his communication, focusing on the devil in the sky.
"Good to see you again, Psykos...or so I would say. But he's gone, isn't he? They broke you out of his control."
"I was enslaved to your friend's control. But no more." Knight remarked, drawing a card from his Deck."Now...I will take back everything he did. And I'll start by stopping you."
Sword Vent: Kamikaze
"Adachi, take a breather. Our job is to buy as much time as we can for Dienheim to recuperate. You said it yourself, remember? He has a plan. And we have to trust in that plan!" Knight conjured wind from his blade, taking off into the sky.
"Yanagi-san!"
Knight rushed toward Satan, who grinned in response as he began to evade Knight's strikes effortlessly.
'I can't connect any of my hits! But I guess I shouldn't be surprised.' Knight went for a horizontal kick, but Satan moved back, prompting the Rider to chase after him.'Not even Adachi could land a single hit on him!'
Satan moved past Knight, elbowing him on the back of the head before he could even process what happened. Eager, Satan powered up, chasing after Knight.
Knight grunted, swinging his blade and unleashing several wind slashes. Unfortunately, Satan blocked them by covering himself with his winds and closed the distance, delivering powerful punches that rumbled Yosuke's core. Satan arched in a powerful punch, but Knight dodged at the last second, wrapping his cape around his arms.
"Let go of my arms!" Satan gritted his teeth.
"Certainly." Knight smiled, going for a horizontal kick and using his sword to blast Satan away with a current of wind that slashed around his body.
Shoot Vent: Darkturbine
Darkraider screeched, equipping Yosuke's back and using the turbines at his wings to unleash two tornados toward the demon.
"Tch!" Satan growled, stretching his arms outward before laughing."You call this an attack? This is an attack! Bissect: Lotus!"
Satan sent several slashes that countered Yosuke's attack, causing him to gasp in horror, taking the attack head-on. He grimaced in pain, watching as parts of his armor were covered in cuts, blood pouring out of the wounds. Satan appeared in front of him, punching him down to the ground as he spiraled out of control."And now...Dissect!"
He swung his arm, sending the slash that could cut through the world at Yosuke.
"Oh, damn..." Yosuke muttered at how fast the attack was coming toward him, unable to escape in time. However, Ryuki tackled him at full speed, pushing him away from the attack as the slash cut through the ground for several kilometers.
"Huh. What a persistent pest." Satan shook his head.
"You okay, Yanagi-san?" Ryuki got off Knight, offering his hand. Knight took it and back up on his feet.
"Still in one piece, thanks to your quick thinking." Knight showed his gratitude toward his friend."We can't drop our guards, even for a second. His attacks are almost impossible to dodge due to his speed, and that big one he just shot...If you get hit by it, it's game over. We can't regenerate like Dienheim."
"Yeah. And his fire attacks are not a joke either. He's too much. Even if we were in peak condition, we'd stand no chance. But..." Ryuki clenched his fists."I'm not about to just roll over and die. The girls are fighting up there. And we're what's left to protect the planet."
"Alright...We should think of a strategy to approach this situation. We're lucky he's feeling generous, so he's not charging at us nonstop."
"Let's try and take advantage of that then." Hajime suggested."We'll hit him with our strongest attack. Remember the attack we used against Odin? If we rush him with a strong attack, we might do some damage. And hopefully, the others can join us when they find Dienheim."
"Well, it's certainly better than going separately. Under normal circumstances, I'd be against putting all our eggs in one basket, but...The situation calls for it. Let's do it."
Knight and Ryuki drew two cards from their Decks, opening their visors and inserting them inside.
Link Vent
Co-Link Vent
Dragranzer and Darkraider flew past their Riders, turning into their bike forms for them to ride.
"Is this your new attempt?" Satan spat in indignation."Do you think riding on your little toys will work?"
Their bikes sprouted out wings, taking off into the sky after Satan. They both fired fireballs and windslashes respectively, forcing the devil to take off higher into the sky.
"Let's do it now!" Knight yelled.
"Yeah!"
Fire and wind covered the duo, making the shape of a dragon of fire and wind.
Inferno Tempest
Wordlessly, Satan dived toward them at full speed, entering the dragon and going through it with Ryuki and Knight. He had the dragon Rider by the head, and Knight by the stomach.
"What?!"
"No way!"
Satan smirked."Sever: Spots!"
Both Riders screamed in pain as their insides were attacked by the slashes before they were slammed through a mountain and thrown to the ground.
Ryuki gasped in pain, touching the left side of his eyes. He squinted his eye as blood covered his vision, part of his flesh missing. As for Knight, he coughed up blood, holding onto his stomach, feeling as if every breath he took was slicing him apart.
"This is impossible..."
At the bottom of the ocean, Raia and Abyss jumped out of the two sides of the water flowing down in the area where the attack had cut through.
"Anything?" Raiden asked.
"No, not yet. I have Abysshammer, Abysslasher, and Abyssladon working nonstop but we still don't know where he is."
"Shit...Finding his legs was a good find, but..." Raia looked over to the area where they were keeping Bragi's lower half, guarded by Evildiver."If we can't find the main part, it's all pointless."
"I hope Kirika and the others are okay..." Abyss's shoulders slumped.
"They're fine. They're tough." Raia assured him."We should focus on the task at hand. Our main priority is to protect the planet."
"Right...But..."
"What?"
Abyss shivered comically."W-w-what if Bragi's upper body regrew! And the lower half will regrow as well and then we'll have to Bragis! One of them will be naked!"
"Are you serious?" Raia deadpanned."Though...I guess that is possible..."
"See?! See?!"
"Ah, shut up! You're freaking me out too!" Raia hissed. Suddenly, he noticed something in the sky. Ryuki and Knight were being thrown around and Satan was chasing after them."We don't have long. Let's keep searching."
"R-right..."
"The Riders aren't making much progress in this fight." Sakuya grimaced, feeling nervous."If they can't defeat that demon, who can?"
Genjuro scowled, looking at the screen to see Ryuki and Knight on the ground, their armors battered and cuts all around them. He shifted his attention to the screen next to them, where Shem-Ha basked in self-fulfillment."And if they can't take down Satan, how can they ever reach Shem-Ha in time?"
Elfnein clutched her heart, concerned for her nephew and boyfriend who were still not present on the battlefield. She had nearly fainted when Bragi had been sliced in too. Had it not been for Carol, she'd be a complete mess right now.
"I...have an idea." Elfnein spoke up."I could use my alchemy to recreate the Chateau de Tiffauges' world dissection capability in limited form."
"But...I recall Carol mentioning that. If it's usable as a god-killing weapon...wouldn't that put Miku-kun's life in danger?"
"It's...the only chance we have. I want to take this opportunity to do it since Bragi-chan and Hibiki-san are not present. There is a chance I can pull Miku out. But it's a gamble. If it doesn't work...No. It has to work. So I'm going in."
"I'm going too!" Garie raised her hand.
"Garie-kun? You too?" Genjuro asked in shock."But why?"
"I can use sonar sensory to try and detect the prince underwater." Garie said in a determined tone."I don't want to let him die! I want to help him in any way I can! So please let me go too, Elfnein."
"Garie..."
"I would feel a lot better if my Mama goes with you, Elfnein." Tobias voiced his opinion."I would go too, but Thor doesn't want me to go."
"Alright...Okay, let's do it, Garie." Elfnein smiled at the Autoscorer."Please save my boy."
"That's the spirit!" Garie winked.
Ryuki screamed as he crashed through a Yggdragsil root, landing on the ground. He yelped, noticing the giant infrastructure coming down toward him.
Shoot Vent: Meteor Bullets
Dragranzer appeared in front of Ryuki, charging up a fireblast that exploded into hundreds of fireballs, calcinating the falling debris. Hajime sighed in relief, only to have Satan land on his stomach with his knee, knocking the air out of him. He lifted him before slamming him on the ground, creating a deep hole.
Shoot Vent: Darkarrow
Satan blocked the wind arrows coming at him with his hands, focusing his attention on Knight. He dashed toward him, punching a hole through Knight's chest. However, his body exploded into dozens of bats.
Illusion Vent
Knight appeared from above Satan, thrusting down his Kamikaze and attempting to stab him. Several heads looked up, blasting Knight with fireballs and launching him away. He charged up two more, merging them and causing Knight to be sent toward another Yggdrasil root.
Satan immediately turned around, slicing at the ground below Ryuki, prompting him to halt. The Rider stared in horror at the deep gash on the ground."How does he have so much power...?"
"Don't tell me this is seriously SONG's best defense? How laughable." Satan taunted the Rider in front of him."I guess I shouldn't have expected much. You're all fake heroes, after all. This is a calamity caused by you. Because you failed to save us and deemed us as monsters, we became that. Monsters."
"Stop trying to weasel your way out of responsibilities and learn to accept your flaws!" Ryuki went for a double, punch, but Satan caught his arms with his tail, placing his hands on his sides and slashing his insides. Ryuki screamed in utter agony, unable to escape the grip on his arms.
Darkraider flew behind them, releasing a powerful screech that forced Satan to release his hold on Ryuki. Knight swung his Kamikaze, only to have it swatted away by a slash to his hand. But he unsheathed his Darkblade from his visor, forcing Satan to grab it with his hand, cutting it.
"Impressive. I can see why you are the leader of the group. No wonder Psykos couldn't use your body to its maximum. He wasn't the brightest one, I'll tell you that."
He spun Knight around before sending him crashing against Ryuki, shooting several slashes toward them and forcing them to activate new abilities.
Guard Vent: Dragbarrier
Guard Vent: Darcape
Knight's cape wrapped around them while Ryuki conjured a dome of flames. Thier combined defense managed to dampen the slashes, allowing them a moment to breathe. But this was short live, as Satan fired a Hellfire, pushing their barrier to the ground and creating a huge explosion.
Abyss continued swimming in the depths of the ocean, looking around for any signs of Bragi's upper body. He was growing restless. He wasn't one to be in the water for that long, and now, his friend was missing. If the attack hadn't killed Bragi, he would have drowned by now. If he could even drown.
"Anything?" Raia swam toward him.
"No...I don't know where he is. Shit! What are we supposed to do?! What if he's dead?! What if-"
"Hey, boys!"
The young men turned to the source of the jolly voice, noticing Garie swimming towards them.
"Oh. Hi, Garie!" Abyss greeted."What are you doing here?"
'I forgot her body is completely artificial...' Raia deadpanned.'No wonder she can talk so casually underwater.'
"I found the Prince!" She exclaimed with a big smile."I just need one of you to help me get his lower body to the surface while one of you goes to help the others. They're not doing so well and they need some help."
"I'll go." Raia told Abyss."Help Garie carry Bragi's body to the surface and see if you can get him to start healing. Join us when you're done."
"Alright..." Hamaguchi nodded, turning to the woman in front of him."Okay, Garie. Lead the way."
"The monsters are gone with the Symphogear, and the devil is handling the Kamen Riders magnificently. And we haven't even used our trump card yet. Ah...I forgot how good it feels when a plan goes smoothly." Shem-Ha admired the wasteland caused by the fight around her."After I convert the lost lambs of this planet into my weapons, I shall go after Loki. And when that's over and done with, I'll pay a little visit to my brethren who fled beyond the horizon."
Shem-Ha was confident. While she repulsed the idea of putting so much of her trust in a demon, she couldn't deny that he was fairly useful. Even more so, considering the secrets to his power.
'That's right.' Shem-Ha smiled sardonically.'That so-called Messiah can't even touch me. My forces have been strategically used to the point where there's no one left to stop me. Isn't that right, my dear vessel?"
"Ow..." Bragi slowly opened his eyes, feeling pain all over his body. He sat up, causing his sides to ache.
"Easy. You're still recovering." Carol laid him back on her lap.
He blinked, noticing the blonde in front of her clad in her usual purple Faust Robe."Mama...? Why are you...?"
"Garie and Hamaguchi Kuroiwa found you. I patched you up to the best of my ability." Carol pointed toward his chest, which was exposed due to his shirt being opened up. Several wires had been attached to him as makeshift stitches to help his body heal."I'm not the best medic, so I sewed you up as best as I could."
"You were unable to regrow your lower half since you were out of energy, so it was good that they found your lower half. All I had to do was attach it back to you to lessen the burden. And after resting for a bit, you should be okay now."
"Thanks for the save, Mama Carol!" A mouth appeared on Bragi's left cheek.
"Hush, you." Carol hissed, earning a yelp from the devil.
"I'm sorry...I didn't expect for him to pull a move like that all of a sudden..."
"Frankly, I never expected that either. An attack that destroys concepts themselves...Truly a weapon fitting to dissect anything. I hate to say it, but it surpasses anything I have ever constructed. Even the Chateau. Which begs the question...what sort of plan could you have? I sincerely hope it's not suicidal bombing him with a black hole."
"That was a one-time thing. I didn't know you were aware of it." Bragi scratched his cheek."I have a plan to kill Satan. But it's a gamble. A huge one at that."
"What is life without a few risks?" Carol hummed."Very well. But don't do anything stupid. I want you back in one piece, got it?"
"I am afraid that's not up to him to decide."
The mother and son duo looked up to see Shem-Ha descending from the sky, glaring at them with disdain."So, there was another fool hiding around, ready to oppose me? The parent of this offspring?"
"Miku-san..." Bragi clenched his fists, his heart aching upon seeing Miku's body in that condition.
"Bragi, get going. I'll handle her."
"But Mama, Miku-san is-"
"I'll bring her back. Don't worry. I can't have you being distracted over her." Carol helped him up, placing a supporting hand on his shoulder."I need you to trust me. I also have a gamble to make. And I trust you wholeheartedly. Can you trust me?"
"Of course...Of course, I trust you, Mama."
"Then finish your battle. Your friends need you."
"Right..." Bragi nodded, but not without eyeing Shem-Ha again."Miku-san! I know you're in there! I came here...No...We all came here to save you! To bring you home! So don't worry and leave it to us! I swear we'll find a way to bring you back! Back to us!"
"Bragi-kun...That's Bragi-kun's voice!" Miku exclaimed, hearing Bragi's voice from within Shem-Ha's mindscape. The bindings covering her eyes lifted, allowing her the chance to see Bragi from the outside, filling her with hope.
"Hibiki-dono and the others are fighting hard too! We came together just to save you! So, please...Please endure it a little longer! We'll get you back with us! No matter what! Just like you saved me before, I'll save you!"
"Bragi-kun!" Miku started to cry, his words touching her heart."Oh, Bragi-kun...Please..."
"Tch!" Shem-Ha wiped the tears her body was unconsciously making."Insolent creature!"
"Bragi!"
"Right!" Bragi pulled out his Deck, ready to transform, but Carol suddenly wrapped her slender arms around him."Mama?"
"I love you. You're everything to me. You know that, right? The one thing I at least did right in my long life." Carol muttered, looking up at his face."So, please...Don't do anything foolish and get yourself killed, okay? I'd be very angry."
"Of course. I love you too, Mama. I would never want to disappoint you." Bragi smiled, pecking Carol on her cheeks. He transformed back into Alternative before flying away.
"What a touching scene. Do you truly believe it wise to give such a responsibility to your offspring?"
"Why not? Isn't it a Mother's responsibility to believe in her child?" Carol tilted her head."One day, they'll grow up and leave the nest. Until then, a Mother must protect them and guide them. And I'm letting my son do what he thinks is right."
"How utter nonsense." Shem-Ha spat."A child must listen to their Mother. If a child can't do that much, they might as well not exist. Our job is to give them orders. And theirs is to fulfill them. It's as simple as that."
"I feel bad for you. I guess you and your kid never got along very well, huh?" Carol smirked."I guess that's another thing you're terrible at. Raising a child."
"You have no idea what you're up against!"
"Then show me."
Satan raised his hands, ready to send another slash toward Ryuki, who was trying to stand up to no avail.
Shoot Vent: Exo Arrow - Type Explosive
The demon grabbed the arrow, but it exploded in his face, stunning him. Raia descended from the sky, flying at full speed on top of Exodiver.
Sword Vent: Exo Blade
Using his visor as a blade, Raia attempted to use the smokescreen to stab Satan.
"Ah...another one." Satan suddenly appeared in front of Raia, kneeing him in the gut and kicking Exodiver away. Raia gasped in pain, gritting his teeth as he twirled his blade. The demon threw Raia into the sky chasing after him and slamming his fist onto his back, sending him crashing down through several trees.
However, Raia shot several explosive arrows, making Satan fly around them to evade them while shooting slashes as they exploded behind him. Another volley of them exploded in front of him, creating more smoke around him.
'Even if I can see you...' Satan immediately created a Hellfire, chucking it down at the ground and creating a massive explosion. Raia was flung away, crashing against a Yggdrasil root. He kicked it, propelling himself out of the way for an incoming Dissect that cut the root in half. He parried another normal Bissect, before blocking a kick that sent him down to the ground due to the force behind it. Satan cackled as he crashed to the ground. Ryuki and Knight came from the sides, wielding their Darklancer and Dragsaberzwei respectively.
"So persistent." Satan placed a hand on the ground as a net of slashes formed under them."Sever: Spiderweb!"
The ground beneath shattered as they received several slashes across their bodies. Satan kicked Ryuki in the chest, breaking his chest plate, swatted his tail across Knight's helmet, and punched Raia in the side, launching them all away.
"I suppose it's about time I finish it." Satan glared down at the knocked-out Riders. He lifted his arms in the air, but frowned, turning around and taking a barrage of missiles and torpedos from Abyssladon."So, there are still more vermin lying around."
He noticed a bubble of water in front of him before it expanded in size, creating a giant dome of water.
Zone Vent: Flood Zone
Satan tried to move but noticed his movement had been slowed down due to the intense water pressure around him. Several water creatures were created, swimming towards him.
Abyss landed on top of a tree, glancing around."Guys! Are you all still alive?!"
"Does wheezing count...?" Hajime coughed, rubbing his chest.
"We need a plan...How long can you hold him, Kuroiwa?"
Abyss froze in shock when he saw his bubble split in half, causing it to collapse."About 20 seconds!"
"Let's attack him in unison. We'll create an opening in which the four of us can attack him simultaneously.!" Raia ordered. They all nodded, not having a better choice.
(Play Left Behind by Divide Music)
Satan smiled as all the Riders surrounded him from all angles as he landed on the ground."Well, let's see what you can do this time if you're all together. Do you think you stand a chance against the monster you created?"
"We'll stop you. And after that, we'll stop Shem-Ha." Knight proclaimed."The world does not end today."
"Then by all means...come at me."
Strike Vent: Soul Burner
Sword Vent: Kamikaze
Sword Vent: Mind Slayer
Sword Vent: Soul Reaver
Ryuki punched the air, firing two dragon-headed fireballs, forcing Satan to flap his wings to repel the attacks. Knight and Ryuki lunged toward him, swinging their weapons in unison. Satan clad his claws with mini slashes around them, using them to parry the elemental and divine properties of the attacks.
'Divine Weapons don't affect him...' Ryuki noted.'So I guess he's not a true deity like he said.'
Satan elbowed them away, swung his arm, and sent a huge slash toward the other duo, prompting them to leap away.
"Adachi!" Knight drew a card, receiving a nod.
"Yeah!"
Trick Vent: Shadow Illusion
Knight spawned a dozen clones, commanding them to lunge at Satan.
Ryuki slid a card inside, activating it.
Strange Vent
His visor opened up, revealing a different card, before he closed it again
Trick Vent: Shadow Illusion
Raia and Abyss stood on Satan's sides, flaking him in unison. Abyss twirled his scythe, hurling a slash of water toward the demon while Raia chucked his sickles, which were connected by chains, wrapping them around his arms. To his surprise, Satan pulled hard and used Raia's sickles to slam him against Abyss. He twirled around, sending a shower of slashes towards the clones coming at him, destroying them in quick succession.
Abyss hurriedly conjured a beam of pressurized water toward the demon, who responded by firing several fireballs from his mouths. The attacks completely overpowered the water, striking Abyss directly. The Rider stumbled backward before he fell to the ground, steam emitting from his body.
"Damn you!" Ryuki flew toward Satan, kicking him in the back.
Booster Vent
"You don't know when to give up!" Satan swatted him away with his tail, but he rushed back in, their fists colliding against each other. Knight and Raia were closing in from the sides but Satan focused on them with a few of his heads, firing twin beams of fire and launching the Riders away. He punched Ryuki in the face, using both of his arms to launch an attack."Bissect: Fly Swatter!"
A giant net of slashes in the form of a net came toward Ryuki, who drew a card to counter.
Red Vent: Chaos Gate
He swapped places with Satan to dodge the attack.
'How predictable. I knew you'd try this.' Satan dispersed his attack, flying toward Ryuki in an instant and touching his left leg, slashing his insides before slamming his fist across his face.
Abyss shot himself using a torrent of water, attempting to blindside him from behind, but Satan teleported behind him and elbowed him in the back, earning a pained moan from him.
A giant arrow was shot from the ground and crashed toward Satan. He touched it, cutting it into several pieces and sending the slashes toward the ground.
Darkraided flew above Satan, screeching while using his turbines at maximum output, pushing the demon down.
"Now! All together!" All Riders emerged around Satan, forming a square as they shot their elemental attacks in unison.
Ignite Vent
Psychic Vent
Tempest Vent
Hydro Vent
Satan screamed, releasing an aura of fire as a barrier to block the attacks. He began firing slashes at them, causing them to start taking damage from the lacerations around their bodies.
"Keep pushing! Don't let up!" Knight encouraged them to continue, and they listened, pouring more energy into their attacks."We can't give up! We're the last line of defense for this planet! We have to keep pushing! For the girls' sakes! For the people that died! We can't let it end like this! Are you with me?!"
"Yes, sir!" The other 3 roared, putting their hearts and souls into the attack.
'They're gambling their hopes into this attack?! They don't know if they can even beat me or Shem-Ha, but they're still willing to try, despite not knowing the results?!' Satan gritted his teeth, feeling his barrier beginning to get smaller and smaller.'Is this what you meant, Boss?'
"Sometimes, there are moments in life where you have to take a shot in the dark. A leap of faith. But for the sake of what's important, everyone is ready to dive into danger."
"If that's the case...I will also take a shot in the dark." Satan's aura expanded, covering a radius of 30 meters before unleashing an endless barrage of slashes toward them, destroying their attacks.
Hellblaze Stigmata: Inferno
The Riders were left defenseless, forced to focus their attention on defending against the unlimited slashes coming from all directions.
"And now, to put an end to this fight, once and for all!" Satan began to twirl at great speeds, charging up a Dissect with the intent of slashing them to pieces in one fell swoop.
"Farewell, Riders! It's over!"
"I DON'T THINK SO!"
A beam of dark energy collided with Satan, breaking his concentration and canceling the attack, shooting him down to the ground.
"And now! The follow-up!" Alternative appeared on the scene, twirling a white sphere in his arm before throwing it toward Satan.
Positive Harmony Karma Orb
"YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, BRAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD?!" Satan bellowed, jumping away as the attack went through the ground.
"Bragi!" Abyss exclaimed in joy."You're okay!"
"Sorry for the wait! I have a plan! Don't worry!" Alternative grinned, shooting himself toward Satan."Start running! Now! And don't look back!"
"What is he doing?!" Raia asked.
"Not sure. But..." Knight took a deep breath."We should listen to what he says. He has a plan, remember? We agreed we would follow it and stuck on lives on that."
"You guys go ahead." Hajime told the others, surprising them."He'll need someone to back him up in case shit hits the fan!"
Ryuki ignited his boosters, flying in the direction where the fight was.
"Hajime!" Abyss tried to go after him, but Knight grabbed his shoulder.
"Let's believe in them. They haven't let us down before, have they?"
"Right..." Abyss reluctantly nodded before they took off as far away as they could.
Satan continued blocking the dark matter projectiles being shot at him from the sky, eventually going back to the ocean that was still split in two.
"Repel!" Alternative pushed Satan downward into an incoming dark matter fist, shooting him to where Alternative was.
"I'm getting so sick of you! Just die already!" Satan punched at Bragi, firing countless slashes from his fist, however, he swatted his arm away and changed the trajectory of the attack. He followed up by kicking Satan in his broad chest, however, he had only done so to propel himself away from him before he fired multiple balls of threat, causing them to explode before tying Satan with them. He responded by unleashing several slashes toward the hybrid.
"And now, for the grand finale!" Bragi conjured a black sphere in his arm, absorbing the slashes due to the gravitational force of his attack.
Negative Discord Karma Orb
Alternative waved his arm, throwing the attack toward Satan while also increasing his speed by using the gravitational force to pull him in. To Satan's shock, the attack flew upward, and Bragi kicked Satan in the chest, knocking him back as they were now hovering over the giant rift Satan had made earlier.
"You...I'm going to kill you! No matter what I have to do! You are dead!"
"I'm sorry...You became like this because of the Second." Alternative muttered, catching the devil off guard."He did so many unspeakable things. And...I thought I could fix all the damage he did. But you're a prime example of that...I can't save everyone. So the least I can do is put an end to your misery."
"You're talking like you won. But don't forget, I am the one who was created to kill you!" Satan began charging a Dissect in his left arm."I AM THE LAST ONE THAT IS STILL STANDING! THE MONSTER WILL WIN!"
"Did you forget? Earlier, I shot a Harmony Karma Orb that never exploded." Bragi pointed at the water below them. Satan gasped, noticing the attack emerging from the water below.
'Wait...that other attack didn't explode either!' Satan looked up at the sky as the black sphere began falling like a comet. He shifted his attention to the monochrome-haired young man, who had a big twisted smile on his face."Y-YOU FUCKING MANIAC!"
Satan undid his attack, deciding to fly away to escape. But the two attacks collided against each other, immediately creating a change reaction.
Chaos Zero Perfect Karma
Ryuki, using Blaze Vent to magnify his powers, flew toward Alternative and tackled him away, going full speed from the growing explosion that erased everything in its path. The attack continued expanding in a pitch-black explosion wave that continued to grow in size, devouring everything in its path. Hajime gasped, noticing the explosion beginning to catch up to them as everything became a blur.
(Play Sforzando no Zankyou)
Carol immediately began by shooting the area around Shem-Ha wire spheres, creating a smokescreen.
"Are you even trying to hit me?" Shem-Ha placed a hand on her hip. However, she noticed Carol was gone. Turning on her heels, she noticed the blonde flying away toward the main Yggdrasil trunk."Oh, I see. Not a bad idea, I suppose."
Carol looked behind her, noticing Shem-Ha rapidly catching up to her.'I don't have three people's worth of memories like Bragi, so I'll have to make this count.'
"Do you truly believe I'll let you get away?!" Shem-Ha accelerated, surprising Carol as she grazed her cheek with the blade from her bracer.
'So fast!' Carol immediately bombarded Shem-Ha with more wire spheres while scattering a few on the ground.
"I'll admit, your level of Alchemy is astonishing." The goddess frowned, immediately healing the damage done to her by sacrificing an alternate version of herself."But in the end, you're still just a brainless human monkey."
'So she can do that too, huh?' Carol clicked her tongue.
Shem-Ha conjured several energy spheres in her hand, shooting them toward Carol. She responded by putting up a barrier, but the combined attacks proved too much for her, sending her flying toward the ground.
"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to at least make good on your offspring's promise. You said you'd rescue by vessel. Or what was just an act to put his mind at ease?" Shem-Ha mocked with a laugh, descending closer to the ground."A commendable effort. But ultimately meaningless."
"So you say," Carol smirked, snapping her fingers, causing the wire spheres on the ground to activate and wrap themselves around Shem-Ha, securing her body.
"This is...You planned this from the start, didn't you?" Shem-Ha tried moving, but the threads held her body tight."How clever of you..."
"Your use of the Divine Power and its extra-rational physics...something that nullifies the damage done to you. But I don't have to beat you. I just have to hold you in place for this! Alkahest!"
Alkahest
Four giant elemental magic circles surrounded Shem-Ha with a golden sphere engulfing her.
"You underestimate humans too much. I guess that's a fault you so-called Gods have in common." Carol narrowed her gaze."But I've long since finished analyzing the concept of humanity. So it stands to reason that analyzing Gods came next. I'll dissect you with my Alchemy!"
"However, do you possess the strength to do something like that?" Shem-Ha gritted her teeth in pain."Where will you get the strength?!"
"I have my ways." Carol smiled, looking over to her size where Elfnein was in spirit form."You ready?"
"Yes! Miku-san protected us back then. So whether I'm scared or not it's irrelevant. I want to be brave and stand my ground too! I'll give you as many memories as you need!"
"Heh. When did you become so strong all of a sudden?" Carol rolled her eyes before focusing on the task at hand. The attack grew in size, and several more magic circles appeared."WAKE UP, MIKU KOHINATA!"
"HUMAN!" Shem-Ha screamed in agony.
A giant explosion followed, however, a silver light emanated from within, sending Carol crashing harshly onto the ground.
"That..that was..." Carol coughed, lying on the ground.
"I was not expecting to have to use this so early on." Shem-Ha emerged from the smoke, clad in her Shenshoujing Faust Robe."I merely blocked the attack using the evil-vanishing properties of the Shenshoujing. And now, to finish you off!"
Out of the corner of her eyes, Shem-Ha noticed a distant black explosion going off, catching her attention. She clicked her tongue."Very well. Fortunately for you, I have some business to attend to. So just sit here and watch as all life on this planet is remade. It's time...to use my trump card."
"What...?" Carol looked up to see where Shem-Ha was going."That's...where Bragi and the others are!"
"Ah...fuck..." Abyss moaned, lying on the ground. Raia was next to him, having formed a psychic barrier to protect themselves from the shockwave of the explosion. Knight was standing on the edge of the cliff they were on, inspecting the damage.
"We alive?"
"So it seems." Raia canceled the barrier, taking a deep breath."What's the situation, Yosuke-san?"
"I...Just come here and see for yourselves."
The two Riders marched to where Knight was and gasped in shock. The entire ocean now had a gigantic hole that led to the abyss for kilometers on end. Long gone was the slash that cut through the ocean, now replaced by the giant gap where Bragi had launched his attack.
"Dienheim's attack...is pretty much a compressed black hole that deletes anything it touches. To think it could cause this much destruction..."
"But...what about them?" Hamaguchi pondered."Where are they? Did they make it out on time?"
"Look over there!" Raia pointed toward the bottom area where there still was some land. A hand could be seen, and Ryuki pulled himself out of the water, dragging Alternative by the arm. Both of them canceled their transformations, panting in utter exhaustion.
"They're alive! They're alive!" Abyss jumped for joy.
"You fucking idiot..." Hajime spat, turning to lay on his back."Did you want to die or something? That attack could have easily killed you, you suicidal maniac."
"To be honest, I was thinking how Miku-san...doesn't need me to save her. As long as you guys can do it, then it's fine."
"What?! You gotta be fucking kidding me-"
"But that was before you guys showed up." Bragi managed a weak smile."I...don't want to die. Not before I tell Miku-san how I feel. So, I decided to put my trust in you. I knew you'd come in and save me. It worked out in the end."
"You're fucking insane..." Hajime chortled in disbelief.
"Guess we're not so different after all." Bragi teased with a slight smile.
"Guys!"
Both boys sat up, and Hajime was tackled by Hamaguchi in a big hug.
"You're okay! I was so worried, man! You can't go and give me a heart attack like that! Hey! Your eye!"
Yosuke knelt beside Hajime, noticing his closed eye and the blood coming from it."Can you see?"
"Kind of? He slashed it open but my pupil was fine. It hurts like a bitch, though." He noticed Yosuke's missing bionic arm."Your arm..."
"It got destroyed." Yosuke looked at the stump on his arm."Back when he was firing those countless slashes before Dienheim showed up."
"I'll make you a new one." Bragi said as Raiden helped up him."You guys are all covered in cuts..."
"We can't regenerate from them." Hamaguchi scratched his cheek, flinching when he poked at a cut."But hey, girls love battle scars, right?"
The group all sweatdropped at his words.
"Man, I'm tired as hell. I just want to go to sleep." Hamaguchi adopted a sly smile on his face."I just want to rest my face on Kirika's boobs and sleep. A breast pillow sounds nice right now."
"You know, normally, I'd beat the hell out of you for talking about my sister like that in front of me..." Raiden exhaled."But, I'm too tired to do that."
"But what about the girls?" Hajime reminded them."How do we get them down?"
"Give me some time. I think I can take them back. I could create a bubble of air by creating a gravitational field around me. I just need to recover enough."
"But then, we still have one problem left." Yosuke scowled, staring at the sky."Shem-Ha."
The group followed his gaze and noticed the goddess floating above them.
"Shem-Ha!" Bragi exclaimed."What happened to my Mama?!"
"Worry not. She's alive." Shem-Ha gave a twisted smile."I want her to bear witness as her son dies before humanity is...shall we say, reconstructed."
"We'll stop you." Hajime declared, and in an instant, all of them were clad in their respective Rider forms, plus Survive.
"Oh, but you can't fight me yet. After all, your battle isn't done yet." Shem-Ha lifted her arm, raising Satan's body from the ground. He was missing half of his body, and all of his heads had been destroyed except one. However, his body remained limp and unresponsive.
"I must have held back..." Bragi bit his lower lip."I was afraid of catching both of us in the explosion. It stands to reason Satan managed to outrun it if not at least prevent his body from being obliterated."
"But he looks like he's out of commission." Raia pointed out."What do you have planned for him?! He's done! Just let him rest!"
"He's done? No, I'm afraid he's just beginning, my dear Riders." Shem-Ha's smile turned psychotic as she threw Satan in the air before several small purple mirrors surrounded her, firing a beam from them and striking Satan.
(Play Footsteps of Doom)
"The Shenshoujing!" Knight cried out in shock.
"But wait, doesn't the Shenshoujing destroy Relics?" Raia asked, recalling back to the events of the Frontier."If so, it should destroy the Satan Relic inside of him!"
"But if that's the case, then why is she even bothering doing that?" Hajime pondered, feeling uneasy all of a sudden.
Satan let out a howl of agony that echoed through the whole area, white light beams emerging from his body as it began to crack.
"No...Remember, the Shenshoujing's main ability...is to purify." Alternative said, earning their full attention."If so, then..."
"Oh, no...No, no, no, no!"
They all heard Beelzebub's voice coming from a mouth that appeared on Bragi's right cheek.
"Beel?"
"This...this can't be happening..."
"Do you guys feel that?" Raia felt shivers running down his spine."Satan is not getting any weaker...If anything, his power is..."
"Increasing...What's going on here...?" Knight wondered, staring in awe as the light intensified. The ground began to shake violently as the light pierced the sky, clearing out all the clouds.
"Beelzebub, what's going on?! Shouldn't Satan be dead by now?! The light of the Shenshoujing-"
"Under normal circumstances, if we're hit by that light, we're as good as dead, but...Oh, fuck...Don't tell me the fucking myth was real..."
"Myth? What myth?!" Ryuki asked.
"There is a legend in Helheim. The legend of the last Prince of Helheim. The Unspeakable One. We never talk about him because it's taboo. Every demon is afraid of even mentioning his name due to the implications!"
"What are you saying?!"
"It is said that Satan is not who he claims to be. I thought of this as a dumb joke to make him seem more important than he thought he was. The last Prince...or I should say, the first one before the rest of us. It was believed that this ancient devil resided inside Satan. A power that was suppressed inside of him, making a new, separate entity, but...HURRY! ATTACK HIM! DON'T LET HIM FINISH TRANSFORMING!"
On cue, everyone activated their respective Shoot Vents and began shooting their full arsenal towards the light.
"It's useless." Shem-Ha remarked, watching as the attacks bounced off from the light."All I did was purify the corrupted angel that once stood on God's side. One that fell from grace and became corrupted. A demon. I am returning him to his former glory!"
From within the light, a pulse of energy knocked all of the Riders down, as the environment began to change. The sky turned white, as cracks began to appear around the sky.
"It's like the entire planet is shaking!" Abyss screamed, unable to properly stand up.
One last pulse of energy was released from the light, pushing everyone back, including Shem-Ha, as the light began to take form. Once the light died out, a new being stood in place of Satan. It stood as tall as the Sin of Wrath once did, but no longer was the diabolical presence there. Instead, the new being emanated a sense of calm and serenity, yet it was terrifying.
"What...what is that...?" Bragi asked Beelzebub, as his eyes couldn't stop staring in awe.
"The one thing we agreed to never talk about. The one thing we all didn't want to acknowledge as real...A legend that turned out to be a reality..." Beelzebub felt utter terror at the sight of the white and gold entity in front of them."That's..."
"The moment man ate the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, it sealed his fate. Yes...For as forbidden knowledge can come at a cost, it can also come in the form of salvation. A new beginning. Chaos, order, and neutrality. The universe will always be in flux. Old gives way to new. This is but the irrefutable truth...of life. My name is Lucifer, the Ancient Angel. And the Sin of Pride."
(Song End)
(If you want a visual representation, he looks like Transcendent Lucifer from Shin Megami Tensei V)
"Aw, come on..." Abyss chuckled in bewilderment."Aren't final bosses to have a maximum of 2 phases? Why did this guy pull out a third fucking health bar?!"
"Oh, we're dead...There is nothing we can do against him..." Beelzebub uttered, shaking to his very core.
"You freed me." Lucifer glanced toward Shem-Ha, who was sweating bullets at the sight of the angel.
"That is correct. I trust you still remember me? After all, your host, Angelo Romano, is my subordinate."
"Angelo...Yes, I did go by that name before. It's...nostalgic, almost. Of course. I do remember you and your plans." Lucifer nodded in acknowledgment."However...Angelo...Satan. I was never either of them. But as a show of gratitude, I shall help you with your ambitions. After all, if not for you, I would have never come to exist once more."
"Then I shall be on my way." Shem-Ha nodded before taking off back to the Yggdrasil.
"You don an interesting power." Lucifer addressed the Riders in front of him."A power that can rival even Gods. How...outstanding."
On instinct, Alternative rushed toward the demon to punch him. However, his hand never reached his chest."What?!"
Ryuki and Knight followed after, trying to reach Lucifer, but there was an invisible wall blocking their attacks from connecting.
"What's going on?! Why can't we hit him?!"
"Now, why would I be touched by beings lesser than me?" Lucifer tilted his head.
"No way...Sin of Pride...His Conceptual Weapon ability must be..." Knight suddenly stopped his attacks, taking a step back."The ability to not be afflicted any damage by things he deems are below him...That's why all of our attacks were being bounced off earlier..."
"Very perceptive." Lucifer chuckled in amusement.."I did not expect a human to catch on so quickly. You are remarkably astute."
"Then...if none of our attacks can land...How are we supposed to beat him?" Ryuki inquired, seizing his attacks.
"That is the neat part." Lucifer was suddenly in front of Abyss, who hadn't even seen him coming."You're not. I have let you live long enough."
The angel punched through Abyss' stomach, creating a hole that made it impossible to maintain his transformation. Hamaguchi gasped in pain, his body falling onto the ground.
"One down."
"Where...where did he go?!" Knight and Alternative were still trying to register Lucifer's sudden disappearance.
"HAMAGUCHI!" Ryuki's scream of anguish alerted them. He rushed toward the ancient angel in a blind rage, but Lucifer raised a finger as a spear of light emerged from the ground, stabbing through Hajime's neck. He landed on the ground, his body twitching as he tried covering the wound to no avail, choking on his blood.
"Two down."
"RUN! RETREAT! RETREAT!" Knight screamed at the top of his lungs. Raia jumped back but bumped into something behind him. Before he could turn around, he received a slash of light across his body, splitting it in two.
"Three down." He aimed his finger at Alternative, firing a compressed beam of light toward his head. Knight pushed him out of the attack, receiving the attack as it went cleanly through his head.
"Four down. One left remaining."
Bragi couldn't believe his eyes. In just an instant, all of them had been killed.
'No...there is still time...' Bragi quickly pulled a card from his Deck. One that showed four different colors representing four Riders."I'm sorry...But we no longer have the luxury to not use this! I'm sorry!"
Awaken Vent: Dragranzer, Darkraider, Exodiver, Abyssladon.
Suddenly, the dead bodies of his friends were surrounded by energy domes before exploding in a burst of energy, raising 4 pillars into the sky.
"Bragi! What's going on?!" Carol flew over to her son, her eyes glued to the four pillars of light that came from the 4 Riders.
"I...I had no choice...I had to do it...It's the only way we can survive." Bragi shook his head.
"What? What do you mean-"
Suddenly, four blood-curling screeches could be heard, as four monstrous beings emerged from the pillars of lights.
Carol observed in utter shock as the 4 monstrous Riders below them."You...you forced a fusion?! Are you insane?!"
"Mama, I'm sorry! But...But I-"
"BEHIND YOU!"
Carol grabbed Bragi as she saw Dragranzer coming toward them with his blade, and the next thing they knew, everything turned white.
Yes. Satan was Lucifer all along. I took inspiration from this from the Bible, since Lucifer became Satan after he was exiled from heaven and became a fallen angel/demon. In this instance, the light of the Shenshoujing didn't destroy the Relic. It purified it back to its original form. Its perfect form gives rise to the original Prince of Helheim.
