Author's note: I finally picked a good ending and will get to work on it soon. Also, I found a pretty good theme song for the Liangs. But not just any Liangs. The Liang Survivors: Hajime, Setsuna, Hazuki, Wei, Yomi, Despia and Xiao. The vibe I get from it fits with how little there is of the Liangs left after all of them were slaughtered. And the 7 remaining survivors are involved in a battle that will determine the world's fate. I guess you can count Bragi since he's related to Bragard, and is the last remaining Hyperion too.

Bears of the Mark - Death Mark

ALSO! IF YOU CAN GIVE ME POWER-UPS FOR MIKU, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. I FORGOT I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF ANY NEW MIKU MOVES, BOTH IN NORMAL AND AMALGAM FORM!

Reviews: Caballero lector rojo: Los Calamities(asi se llama el grupo de los 5 Liangs mas Bragard(Nightmare)) entraran en accion pronto. Y si, Ouja y Gai estan por alli tambien, ya que son la primera linea de defensa. Y sobre los capitulos...es dificil de decir. Como dije, esta temporada estara divida en 3 partes. No tengo ni idea cuantos capitulos seran.

Dragstorm rider: Yeah, Haoyu appeared for 1 chapter, but he contributed a lot to our heroes. Yeah, while SONG was fighting Shem-Ha and Lucifer, the Disasters were building up their empire, getting ready for what's to come. We'll see what Xiao has in store for us.

Lord RI Husbu King: Yeah, no wonder they weren't interfering that much with what was going on. Only Terunosuke and Allister were involved with Noble Red. Hazuki showed up every now and then, but only to earn their trust and use them. Yeah, all of them are annoying. I guess the only one who is not annoying is Nightmare since he never talks. Unless you think Bragard 2 is annoying.

SoutaAmetsuchi: Oh yeah. We'll see what other mysteries are in China, the land of the Liangs.

KamenRiderChimera: Reading this kind of comment makes me happy. I'm glad that readers enjoy themselves when reading this story. At the end of the day, I'm here to make sure you guys have a good time, so I appreciate your support. To be honest, it goes without saying how new-era Riders are stronger than the old ones. For instance, I'm pretty sure Odin in Ryuki isn't a big deal in comparison to today's standards. The power scaling goes up. You can see how much I have to buff the Riders in my story. Oversurvive is meant to be a final form transformation, so I would say Ryuki is probably around that level. I think Geats and Rainbow Gotchard can beat Hazuki, but Loki is on another level. Like I said, the difference in who is in control is massive, and you'll see it soon.

nicolasseverino95: Oh. Well, I got it from Boruto lol. I keep getting a lot of "Loki will betray Hazuki" comments. And to be honest, I understand. We're talking about the God of Mischief.

Ryugen: Interesting. Imagine if the world turns on Hazuki, and the Symphogear unite the world with a song like back in G as Hazuki becomes weaker and weaker. Poor Wei. His mind is broken after everything he went through.

Tenzalucard123: Miku kicking people's butts. I guess Bragard missed another Liang. He really didn't do a good job.

Chapter 148
The Freedom Fighters

"You're a Liang..." Wei muttered, flabergasted."But...how...? There shouldn't be any more...All of them are dead!"

"What's happening?" Miku wondered. Due to all the ruckus outside, they couldn't hear the conversation. But Bragi could.

'He's a Liang? But the Second exterminated them all except a handful of them..." He couldn't believe what he just heard.

Xiao hummed in thought before addressing Wei."Sounds like you know something I don't. Talk."

"You talk! All Liangs were exterminated a long time ago! First here, in the motherland, and then in Japan! There shouldn't be any more than the ones who are still alive! So why are you...why are you here?!"

"That's a stupid question," Xiao said, not bothering to give him more than that.

The younger full-blooded Liang shook his head, gritting his teeth."No...Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter right now. Surrender yourself and those people inside the bar. Your little game of defiance our cause ends here. There is no need to keep fighting any longer."

"Alright, chatterbox." He leveled his sword toward Wei."You're going to shut up and get out of here. Or fall by my blade. Or you can do me a favor and tell me what exactly happened to the Liangs."

"What's the point if you're just going to die!" Wei jumped in the air, spinning around before going for a horizontal kick. Xiao blocked it with his metallic arm, shoving Wei away, making him crash with his armored vehicle."Tch! Huh?!"

Xiao had closed the distance in an instant, ready to strike him down. Wei had no choice but to call upon his Divine Power, leaping out of the way as Xiao sliced the armored car in two with his sword."So, resorting to that already? You're not a warrior, are you, kid?"

"Fuck you-"

Wei gasped when Xiao kicked the armored car towards him. Two skeletal wings sprouted from his back, using them to catch the car before he got squashed. However, the car shrunk down, taking him by surprise. From within the wings, Xiao went forward kicking Wei in the face and sending him flying away. But Wei had no time to recuperate, as large boulders appeared out of thin air and tried to crush him. He leaped back, avoiding the attacks, until a net appeared on him, pinning him to the ground.

'What the hell is going on?! What is his power?! Is he manifesting objects out of thin air?!' Wei noticed a large water tank appeared in the air, coming down toward him.'Wait...that's it!'

He kicked the net with his boot, sending a slash toward the water tank and freeing himself. The water flooded the street, covering the sidewalk with water temporarily before the drains began to do their work.

'I saw that water tank start small for a split second before it grew in size. That sword of his...' Wei grimaced when several bullets were shot from Xiao's bionic arm. To counter, he jumped in the air, kicking several slashes from his feet."Carnage Rain!"

The slashes countered the bullets, allowing Wei the time he needed to start flying. One of the slashes was headed toward Xiao, but he blocked it with his blade before it dissipated.'So that's how it is...'

Xiao lowered his arm, frowning.'What the hell is taking her so damn long?!'

"Sorry for the wait!" Suyin screamed, screeching her car to a halt."I'll get the people inside! Distract him, Xiao!"

"Yeah, same as always." Xioa grunted."Hurry it up."

"And be careful with that arm! It took me two all-nighters to get it to work just right!"

"Just go already, damn it!"

Suyin nodded, getting out of her van and rushing toward the bar. The pink-haired woman came face to face with the people inside, sighing in relief."Please, follow me! We'll take you to a safe place!"

"We should go with her," Bragi said, receiving a nod from Miku and Elfnei. They helped Qiao Sing carry her children inside the van while Xiao and Wei fought.

"So that sword of yours is a Relic, isn't it?" Wei smirked."If I'm not mistaken, it can shrink and grow anything it touches. No wonder you seem to have magic powers. You make it seem as if you make things out of thin air."

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah. Guess you figured it out, huh?" Xiao scratched his cheek."Not like it's a hard ability to deduce anyway. I suppose this info won't make your boss happy. Seeing as how a useless ability like shrinking and expanding has been giving all of you so much trouble."

"Don't act so high and mighty. We're just getting started." Wei snapped his fingers. Suddenly, mirror monsters emerged from the windows, crowding the street.

"Mirror Monsters?!" Miku gasped.

But Xiao didn't look deterred in the slightest. He dashed toward the Raydragoons at insane speed, hurling his sword toward one of them, piercing its chest. He jumped toward him, kicking the sword and pushing it against another dragon, pinning them to the wall. He noticed several monsters rushing him from his left, trying to gank him, but he kicked the ground, breaking it. Several rocks flew in the air and with a swing of his blade, shot them toward the monsters. Using his sword, he increased the size of pebbles to the size of trucks, crushing the monsters with ease.

Wei lunged at him, but he tilted his body, avoiding the attack and delivering a powerful kick to Wei's stomach, launching him to the sky. His palm opened up, charging a beam of energy, but a Raydragoon tackled him away. Gritting his teeth, he shrank his blade to the size of an ant, shoving it down the monster's mouth, weaving his head as the sword enlarged itself, stabbing the monster's head and killing it. Turning on his heel, he slashed a monster's arm off as it tried to get him, kicking it away before leaping back.

"I got you now!" Wei was spinning rapidly in the air, going for a bicycle kick. Xiao parried it with his blade, shrinking Wei's metallic boot and causing it to be destroyed. However, this was part of Wei's plan. His other leg was the one concentrating his full attack, something that Xiao had overlooked while using his naked foot to kick his blade out of the way."Sky Slicer!"

Xiao parried the kick with his bionic arm, and to his surprise the attack cut straight through it, slicing it in half. Xiao stumbled back, dumbfounded by what just happened."Oh. Crap."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Suyin bellowed, honking the horn of the van while everyone finished getting on board."DO YOU REALIZE HOW LOOK IT TOOK ME TO MAKE THAT, YOU ASSHOLE XIAO!"

Wei gasped, noticing the van with the passengers."What the-"

A black skeletal arm punches Wei across the face, hurling him across the street and into a building.

"Look!" Miku pointed at Xiao's right hand. It had the brand of the snake. His skin had turned pale and his sclera went from white to black, a skeletal arm and a single skeletal wing appearing.

"It's just like Haoyu said..." Bragi muttered, baffled."Is everyone here Branded?"

"Hurry! We gotta go!" Suyin yelled, pointing past Xiao. Several Raydragoons were emerging from the mirrors, chasing after them.

"In earnest, then," Xiao grumbled, leaping in the air and landing on the van. He reached for his pockets, touching the objects with his sword before sheathing it. He threw something at the monsters and expanded them in size, revealing gas canisters that one of the monsters slashed, causing them to start exploding and creating a huge explosion.

"I wanted to get more information out of that kid, but..." Xiao sighed, recalling his Divine Power."Perhaps we got something better today."

A few hours later, the van finally stopped by an abandoned subway. Suyin drove the car behind a push that just happened to be by a very large tree. Xiao jumped off the roof of the car, heading for the driver's door.

"Suyin..."

"Fuck off. You're an asshole." The pink-haired girl removed her bunny hoodie.

"Come on, it's not like I did that on purpose." He leaned against the window, trying to sweet talk his way out of trouble."Sorry?"

"A half-assed apology is not going to make things better!" Suyin huffed.

"Then it's a good thing I bought something to appease you." Xiao wagged his eyebrows."How do some freshly baked cinnamon buns sound?"

"Ah! You got me my favorite sweets?!" Suyin beamed in joy. Xiao reached for his pocket pulling something out before tapping it with his sword. However, once the box of cinnamon buns enlarged, they were all squashed and flattened.

Suyin's expression immediately soured.

"Well...Guess all that fighting didn't do them any good, huh?" He chuckled in good nature.

"Fuck you," Suyin muttered, undoing her seatbelt and standing up.

"Home sweet home." Suyin announced, waking everyone up."We're getting off."

"Where are we?" Elfnein asked as the pinkette opened the door for them.

"Is this the Resistance's base?" Bragi inquired, receiving a giggle from the young woman.

"Kind of? It's kind of like a meeting point between all our bases...if you can even call them that." Suyin guided them into the subway. Xiao had gone ahead of them, already deep in. He was helping Qiao Sing take care of her children."It's more of just a bunch of people living underground. You see, China has a pretty cool underground system in every city, every town, and whatnot. They lead to the sewer system in every city. And they are wide enough with enough rooms to serve as houses for people."

As they entered the subway, they came into what they could describe to be a normal subway station but crowded with people. From shops, people playing music, laughing, playing, reading, and much more. It seemed like a small town, and they even made use of the rails by building wooded bridges to go across.

"Why a subway? Are they inoperable?" Miku asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. And here's the reason why." Suyin pointed toward a corridor on the left where some people were inspecting their guns. However, there was a huge pillar emerging from the ground, going all the way up to the surface."A few months ago, the world went into chaos after those things started coming out of the ground."

"Those are..." Miku covered her mouth.

"Yggdrasil roots." Bragi frowned."I guess it's no wonder. We never came here to get rid of them after we took down Shem-Ha."

"You know the person that did this?" She wondered.

"It's a long story. But in short, we fought against a Goddess not that long ago." Bragi responded, grabbing Miku's hand, and reassuring her with his presence. He knew Shem-Ha was a touchy subject.

"You know, if this were me a few years back...I'd call you crazy. But after what happened to the world these couple of years...I guess nothing is out of the realm of possibility." Suyin smiled."I never introduced myself. I am Suyin Deng, commander of the Freedom Fighters."

"I'm Bragi Third Dienheim."

"My name is Miku Kohinata."

"And I'm Elfnein Malus Dienheim."

"Oh, wow! Are you two dating?!" Suyin blushed upon seeing Miku and Bragi hold hands."That's so adorable!"

"Uh, yeah. We are." Bragi meekly nodded.

"And Dienheim...Oh, I get it. Brother and sister, huh?"

"More like aunt and nephew..."

"Huh. You don't say." Suyin rubbed her chin."I see the resemblance. Anyway, let's go to our meeting room. We have a lot to talk about. But for now...thank you so much for coming here. We needed the help."

"We got the message of help. It was a little hard to decode, but we figured it out." Bragi responded.

"Yes. And I apologize for that. But they are tracking every message or any way of communication that goes outside of the country. Had we been more specific, they would have been onto us from the get-go." She stopped."I know I'm probably going to regret this. But, Haoyu..."

"He didn't make it," Elfnein responded, closing her eyes.

"I see." Suyin shook her head."I...Shit. He told me that he was probably going on a suicide mission, but...Fuck. It never gets easier. Losing comrades...friends. Not like this."

"We know that feeling very well." Miku voiced her thoughts."It's...hard..."

"You lost comrades too...I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, given your line of work."

"Suyin-dono, may I ask you a question?" Bragi asked.

"Shoot."

"Haoyu told us about the Brand and why everyone has it. I saw that the leader has it. Do you...?"

Suyin removed her left glove, showing them her brand."Yup. I have it as well. Almost everyone here has it. We all got it during the first week when everything went to hell and the DDV were rounding people up like a concentration camp and injecting them with that black vile. It all happened so damn fast...We barely had any time to process it."

The pink-haired woman guided them inside a large room with couches and a desk. The trio took a seat on the couch while she sat on top of the desk.

"I was a kindergarten teacher before this all started." She said, her voice low but enough for them to hear."One day, I was teaching the kids how to add and subtract...When a group of soldiers came to the school. They lined us all up and demanded for us to be injected with that bile. Naturally, teachers protested this ridiculous demand. After all, they were just children. It was outrageous. And yet..." Her voice began to break, covering her mouth."They killed the adults who opposed them. And injected the ones who surrendered with that vile."

She rubbed her arm, glancing down at her Brand."It didn't take long before this appeared on our hands. Of course, when parents came to pick up their kids...you can already guess how that went. They had no choice but to accept it. And those who didn't get murdered mercilessly. There was nothing we could do. At night...I couldn't even sleep. All I could do was watch that damn fucking news channel telling everyone how things were going to be from now on. And you want to know the most fucked up thing of them all?"

The Chinese woman couldn't help but laugh. A bitter, sorrowful laugh as tears glistened in her eyes."We were expected to come the next day to teach! Like nothing happened!"

"That's...that's horrible..." Miku was crying, immediately comforted by Bragi as he brought her closer to him."How can Hazuki do that...? How can people be okay with this?! So many of them were acting as if nothing was wrong on our way here!"

"People gave up on living." Suyin said darkly."The final push people needed was when those roots emerged from the ground, creating a great catastrophe and killing countless people. People lost families...their homes...their futures. It was a culmination of various events that helped the creation of the life we have today. To them...the world beyond this one...after annihilation...it's what they want. But not us. We won't back down. We've lost so many friends to just throw the towel like that."

A long pause followed after, as Suyin calmed herself from her outburst.

"I'm sorry...I tend to get very emotional quite easily." She sighed."I picked up working as a mechanic in my free time to get my mind off of things. Sorry."

"No. It's completely understandable." Elfnein quickly said.

"I'm sorry...But did you say that you people were injected with a vial?" Bragi furrowed his brow."And that gave you Divine Powers?"

"Oh? Is that what that is?" Suyin whistled."Can't say anyone looks too "divine" when using that power. But yes, they did. Why? Is that strange?"

"So you never saw Hazuki Kaburagi?" Elfnein leaned forward, eager to know the answer.

"Only on television. Never seen him up close." She replied.

"How can that be...?" Elfnein scowled."I thought that for Loki to give his power to others he needed direct contact."

"Wait, what?" Suyin's face scrunched up in confusion.

Bragi closed his eyes, concentrating as hard as he could. He saw glimpses of Hazuki sitting on a chair with a helmet placed on top of him, drawing power from him.'These are...the Second's memories...'

"I get it." He said after a brief pause."The Second harnessed his power and was able to mold it in different ways. I guess it's not out of the question to turn it into liquid to inject into people."

"Wait, hold the phone! What do you mean Loki?!" Suyin yelled.

"Seems I got here in time for the good part."

They shifted their attention to the door, where Xiao was standing, leaning against the frame.

"Xiao. About time." Suyin folded her arms.

"I had some things to solve first. The scavenger team got a lot of fuel, so we should be good for now." Xiao waved his remaining arm, heading for the big chair and sprawling on it."So...I take it you're the heroes that saved humanity. SONG."

"We are." Bragi nodded, quickly introducing them.

"Nice to meet you. I am Ishigori. Xiao Ishigori." He grinned, jabbing his thumb against his chest."Leader of this band of misfits you see."

"Misfits...?!" Suyin gritted her teeth.

He ignored her."I know you've heard this a dozen times, but...Thank you for coming to our aid."

"It's no problem at all. We're glad to help." Miku smiled.

"I'm sorry for intruding, Ishigori-san, but isn't that last name Japanese?" Elfnein raised her hand, catching his attention.

"It is. I ended up using my wife's last name." Xiao briefly said.

"Right. Then allow me to ask you this..." Bragi swallowed the lump in his throat."Back then, Wei-dono called you a Liang...Are you one of them?"

"Oh. So I was right. You do know about the Liangs." Xiao crossed his legs."What do you know about them?"

"A lot. We know of their plan to take over Japan. We know they were exterminated both in China and in Japan. Wei-dono looked surprised to see you, meaning he never even heard of you before. So who are you, exactly?"

"Interesting. Like I said. I am a Liang. And I was...My family was one of the many that stayed behind during the migration to Japan. I only discarded the Liang name, however. I don't even consider myself one anymore." Xiao rubbed his nape."So, you guys know the Disasters? Personally, I mean. You called him Wei-dono, after all."

"He's the late Chao-Xing's little brother," Bragi explained.

"Chao-Xing, you said?"

"You know her?"

"She's my cousin. One of the many, I guess. She was a little brat the last time I saw her several years ago. It was hard not to know her. She was going to be the next head of the clan. Or so they said. I never cared much about that. And you say she's dead? I want you to tell me everything that you know. I must know what happened to the Liang clan."

Bragi and the others proceeded to tell them about what happened, and the battle against Bragard and his impact on the Liangs.

Suyin looked disturbed, but Xiao kept his blank expression on his face.

"So...Your...Dad, I guess...Bragard Second Hyperion. He eradicated the whole clan because this Hajime Adachi guy's father was opposed to helping him end the world...Which subsequently led him to go on a murder spree because he fell dejected and started this whole mess after he cooperated with Fudo Kazanari?"

"Basically, yes..." Bragi meekly nodded."Look...I know there's nothing I can say that can take this back...So I'm sorry. I'm sorry that-"

"What for?

"Huh?"

"Listen, kid. This may sound cruel and all...But your Dad did a good thing. Hell. I'd say it was divine justice striking down on the Liang clan." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"What...?" Elfnein's eyes widened.

"What the fuck, Xiao?" Suyin frowned."You can't just say that."

"What? It's true. I told you all of the horrible things the Liangs did. They deserved this."

"But...that's..." Miku's voice quivered.

"Let me be clear on something." Xiao leaned forward against his Desk."The Liang clan...are evil to their core. Sure, there's the occasional good Liang like Chao-Xing, Hajime, and whatnot. But those are rare gems in the giant puddle of shit that are the Liangs. Diamonds in the rough, if you will. If you need proof, who are the people in charge of the Disasters? All of them are Liangs. Or at least related to them."

"But they were slaughtered...Children...Women...Men..." Bragi couldn't comprehend what he was hearing. In his years of being alive, he's always come into contact with people who repulsed what Bragard did...And even blamed Bragi for it. This was the very first time in his short life that someone actually was grateful for what happened.

"Let me tell you my story. Perhaps then you'd understand where I'm coming from." Xiao heaved a long sigh, sinking into his chair."Like I said, my family was one of the many that weren't "honored" with the project with the Japan plan. To be honest, I never cared about that stuff. All I cared was about getting out of the family. But that was just a dream. I wanted to, but I didn't have that trigger, you know?"

"A motivation," Elfnein said.

"Right. I didn't know what to do with myself, even if I got out. Until I met her..." Xiao glanced down at his hand."The woman of my dreams. Yuzu Ishigori."

'Ishigori...' Bragi hummed.'So that's where that name comes from.'

"Of course, our relationship had to be kept a secret. As you probably know, a Liang being in a relationship with a non-Chinese was more than frowned upon. You know...My nickname is the Dragonfly. Wanna know why? It's not only because of how fast I move on the battlefield."

Xiao stood up, removing his jacket and shirt, and giving them his back. Tattoed on his back was the beautiful tattoo of a dragonfly mixed with all sorts of colors.

"Wow..." Miku marbled.

"My wife was a tattoo artist. She was into fireflies. Had the most gorgeous firefly tattoo on her back. We wanted to match, but I wanted some more...unique. We were happy. Eventually, we even had a child. I was around 21 when she gave birth to our daughter. It was when I held my child in my arms...that I knew we had to get out. We were going to start a new life outside of China. Out of this cage called the Liangs. I told my parents about it." Xiao closed his eyes."To this day, I don't know what compelled me to do it. It was...the one mistake I wish I could take back. I was naive back then. I thought they'd be happy for me. That even after how much I was shamed for not wanting to put our family first...That maybe..."

He shook his head."It didn't take long before everything went wrong. I woke up to one day without my wife and child. They were nowhere in the house. I searched everywhere. I thought...maybe it was a bad dream. That maybe I was just paranoid. Until...I noticed a box...A wooden box sitting in my yard. And inside..." He bit his lower lip."Were the heads of my wife and daughter..."

Miku and Elfnein immediately gasped in horror. Suyin grimaced and Bragi's eyes widened.

"I died that day. Well, at this point, I've died more times than I care to count. I'm a dead man walking. I grabbed a sword and rushed to the Liang compound. Of course, it wasn't easy getting there. They had sentinels posted around. I slaughtered them all. By then, I had an army of cops after me. I didn't care. I made it to the compound. And you can imagine my surprise when I got there...Everyone had been massacred."

"The Second..." Bragi grumbled.

"Yeah...He got ahead of me. If I'm not mistaken, they had been there for half an hour before I got there. All of them...dead. But the police didn't care about that. After all, in their eyes, I was a mass murderer and an easy scapegoat to blame. After all, there was no evidence of Bragard having been there. So to them, the easiest thing to do was just lock me up and charge me for everything. Normally, I would have been executed. But the Liangs were friends with powerful people. And me killing them was seen as the ultimate disgrace. So they threw me in prison and threw the key away. For more than a decade, I was exposed to constant abuse, violence, and torture."

He looked at his missing arm, instinctively touching his eyepatch.

"So that's what happened to your limbs..." Elfnein whispered.

"To be honest, I would have been okay rotting in prison for the rest of my life. The Liang clan was dead. I didn't kill him. I didn't get the pleasure of exacting revenge. But I was happy enough to know that some higher power had killed them...Those who looked down on the world. My life was over anyway. Fast-forward 13 years later, and those tree roots erupted from the ground. Coincidentally enough, one of them helped us do a prison break. Not that it mattered. A few days later I found out what was going on with China. And how the world was changing. I was approached and given this power as well."

"Did you do it because you had no choice?"

"Who can say?" He trailed off."But I wasn't on board with their idea. They were related to the Liangs, after all. Like hell I'd let Liangs keep bringing misery into the world. So I ran into Suyin here. We were childhood friends along with another guy. We rounded up people who were willing to fight. Surprisingly, we got a lot of them. Though I guess when you have a deadline for when the world as we know it will end, it's enough of a motivation. Look, I won't lie to you. I am not a hero of justice or anything like that. Nor am I a good person. I hate the Liangs with a passion. So I won't show the remnants any mercy."

Miku was about to protest, but Bragi spoke first.

"Look, we understand how you feel. I do. Trust me. There's nothing more I want than to beat the shit out of Hazuki Kaburagi and the Second-I mean, Nightmare. But we have a problem. We can't contact anyone else at home. Our communicators aren't working properly."

"It's only the 3 of you?" Suyin raised a brow.

"Yes. We thought that if we came with more people, we'd raise a few eyebrows." Elfnein said."More than we already did."

"If they're looking for you with 3 people, then you made the right call. As for your communicators, that has an explanation. There is a tower here in Beijing. A tower that, normally, is used as a tourist landmark. Kind of like Tokyo Tower in Japan. But they remodeled this tower and is not functioning as a giant ECM jammer across the country via smaller towers that catch the signal. It's how they control the media. Every message, every call, every email...it's checked to make sure nothing is being sent out of here. Nothing that would give away what's going on. We had to go through hell to pull a one-time stunt to send our message for help."

"So...it's out of the question to do it again?" Miku's shoulders slumped.

"As we did, yes."

"However, we don't need to send a message," Bragi interjected.

"What do you mean?"

"Our objective is to find and locate Hazuki Kaburagi." Bragi explained to the leader of the Resistance."Once we do, we're supposed to signal to our allies of our findings so they can come with an armada."

"That would be hard." Xiao rubbed his chin."He's not one to be in one place. And even then, he moves from place to place in the blink of an eye."

"His portals."

"So you know. Pinning him in one place would be hard. We do know of two of his so-called Swordsmen. The guys with the holes in their faces. One of them is residing in Nanjing, and another one in Chongqing."

"Allister Albedo and Terunosuke Kuwana." Elfnein breathed."We are familiar with them too. But do you think going after them would help us?"

"No...they're not that important, Auntie. Remember, he was willing to let them die. Terunosuke in particular, when he fought Jades-dono. No...if we want to pin him down to one place, we have to go with something else. Something more...important...Wait a second..."

"Hazuki, why are you here...? Hajime had said after his battle with Yomi, mangling his body and destroying his precious runes, robbing him of his powers.

"I didn't mean to intervene. But to be honest, I can't let you kill him. He's a valued resource."

"Bragi-chan?" Elfnein poked his arm.

"Why didn't I think of that sooner...?"

"Think of what?" Miku tilted her head.

"Now it makes sense. I was confused as to why Hazuki had come to save Yomo Kugisaki after Hajime took him down. He lost his powers and had no seemingly use for him, and yet, Hazuki personally came to pick him and the others up but wasn't willing to do so with Allister and Terunosuke. The 6 Calamities...He needs all of them alive and well for Ragnarok!"

"All 6?" Xiao furrowed his brow.

"Wei Liang, Yomi and Despia Kugisaki, Nightmare, Hazuki Kaburagi, and...Setsuna Adachi."

"Adachi? Same last name as that half-Liang you mentioned, Hajime Adachi."

"Hajime, Setsuna, and Hazuki are all siblings. Hazuki had Setsuna kidnapped and wants to use her as his puppet. We're here to take her back as well. That being said, if we can grab a hold of any of the Calamities..."

"We can force Hazuki to come out into the open." Miku beamed in realization"That's a great idea, Bragi!"

"We're making some progress!" Suyin grinned.

"Yes." Xiao aggred."But still, the problem lies in being able to reach your comrades. Ragnarok is in 2 days."

"So we gotta do something about the tower," Bragi concluded.

However, before more conversation could be had, someone slammed the door open. A man with short brown hair, a mustache, and wearing what looked to be a military outfit stepped in.

"Ishigori!" The man bellowed upon seeing Xiao.

"Stop screaming, Yutao." Suyin hissed."It's too early in the day for this."

"Like hell it is! What the hell were you thinking pulling a stunt like that downtown?!" Yutao hissed, standing in front of Xiao, who looked undisturbed."Do you ever think of the ramifications of your actions?!"

"I had to save them." Xiao jabbed his thumb over to the SONG trio."These are official members of SONG."

"What?! These children are the heroes of the world?! Some heroes they are if they're letting this happen! And why only 3?! What, can't they spare more of a military might than just 3 children?!"

"H-hey!" Miku pouted.

"Relax, Yutao." Xiao sighed."They are the real deal. We have a plan to storm the tower."

"The Tower...?"

"We have to infiltrate inside and do something to turn off the EMC jammer that's preventing us from contacting the outside. We'll attack on the day of the eclipse. February 29, in the early hours of the morning."

"Why on the day of the Fall?" Suyin frowned."Wouldn't it be better to do it as soon as possible?"

"No. Because if we do it long before Ragnarok, they'll have plenty of time to prepare a backup plan. Meanwhile, if we do it later, the less time they will have to recuperate. It's decided. I'll go talk with our soldiers. We'll discuss the plan together. Our mission is to call Japanese forcers over. And if possible, grab a hold of one of these Calamity brats to force their leader's hand. Sound good?"

"This is fucking ridiculous..." Yutao rubbed his temples."You've always been like this, Ishigori. Ever since we were kids. You're gonna get us killed."

"Well, I don't suppose you have any better ideas?" Suyin folded her arms under her chest."You talk a lot of shit but you can't back it up. You're pathetic."

"Listen here, you bitch-"

"Alright, enough! Both of you!" Xiao stepped in between them."What the hell is wrong with you, morons?! We're friends! Comrades!"

"Tch." Both of them turned away from each other and left the room.

"Uh..." Bragi raised a hand.

"Look...Sorry about that." Xiao sighed."They have been at each others' throats since we were kids. It's how they are. Anyway, I'll get you all a room. You must be exhausted after your journey and what happened today."

"Is it really safe here?" Elfnein pondered."I mean...If all of you or most of you have Branded, wouldn't the DDV be able to locate you?"

"Oh, that? No problem." Xiao smirked, and pointed at the ceiling."We're in an underground area. Meaning that the streets and everywhere else are crowded with people. Even if they want to locate us with the Brand, they'll run into the people above us."

"Huh. That's smart." Miku nodded.

"Anyway, we can talk tomorrow. Come, I'll show you your room."

"Huh. Really?" Yomi gave Wei a skeptical brow."You're saying a Liang is the one that kicked your ass? You sure you're not just saying that to excuse yourself, bro?"

"No! I know he's a Liang!"

"Yeah? Why? Black hair? Pink eyes?" Yomi rolled his eyes."Didn't that whore of yours Shirabe or whatever her name was also have the same characteristics as a Liang?"

"Hey, don't call her a whore!" Wei stood up, marching toward Yomi, but Setsuna held him back.

"A-anyway...How can you tell if he's a real Liang, Wei-onii-chan?" Setsuna has her first cousin.

"I can tell upon contact." Wei told her."When we clashed, I knew. I just knew he had to be a Liang. His speed, power, and skills...They were the real deal. He's a born Liang warrior."

"Shit, man. If that's the case, then Bragard sucks ass at his job. He had to annihilate the entire clan but look at how many of us got away. Pathetic. Hey, Nightmare. Why do you suck so much at your job." The son of Shem-Ha glared at the silent masked man, who was keeping his distance from the group.

"Yeah, I knew he was a Liang."

They all turned to see Hazuki walking over to them, hands in his pockets.

"Wait, you knew?! How?! And why didn't you say anything?!" Wei grimaced.

"Remember, we do have a spy in the Resistance. I have gained some valuable info. As for why I didn't, it's because there's no consequence on what he is. Whether he is a Liang or not, it matters not. He opposes us. He will die. Ragnarok is in just 2 days. Soon, we can say goodbye to this cursed world. Aren't you all excited?"

"I'll finally be able to see Chao again...And my parents." Wei smiled.

"We can our parents again too," Despia muttered, rubbing her throat.

Yomi remained silent, choosing to listen, and kept quiet. He had guessed that once Nightmare was of no use, they would dispose of Bragard.

"I want to see my Mom and Dad again! And my Grandmother!" Setsuna jogged over to Hazuki."I'm sure once Hajime knows what we're doing, he'll join us. I want him to be happy too, Onii-chan!"

"Of course." Hazuki wrapped his arms around her frame, bringing her close for a hug."We'll be a big, happy family. I want to see my Mother as well. If you convince Hajime, he'll understand for sure. We won't have to suffer anymore."

"That's right!" Setsuna beamed, but her eyes were covered in spirals as she giggled madly. All of the Calamities' eyes began to shine as well.

"This world...is coming close to an end."

"By the way." Yomi cut in, seemingly unaffected."What information did you learn from our spy?"

"Oh...You'll love it. It's a cute little plan that involves 3 people we're very familiar with."

Later that night, Miku and Elfnein were sleeping peacefully in their respective beds. Miku shifted in her sleep, opening one of her eyes, and saw Bragi sitting up on his bed, unmoving.

"Bragi...?" She slurred.

"Yeah?" He muttered, his voice quivering. This caused Miku to fully wake up. Something was wrong. She made her way to his bed and sat next to him.

"What's wrong, Bragi?" Miku cupped his face, feeling something wet."Are you crying?"

"Yeah...Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." Bragi sniffed, whipping his tears away.

"What's wrong?" Miku soothingly rubbed his back.

"It's nothing. I-"

"Bragi. You promised me you would confine in me." Miku reminded him."Please. I want to know how you feel. If there's something that's bothering you, I want to help you through it. Together. Let me heal your wounds, just like how you did to me."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Bragi leaned his head against hers."It's just...This might sound a bit childish. But I miss my Mama."

"You miss Carol." Miku repeated."It's not childish. She's your mother. No matter the age, no one is old enough to not miss their Mom when they're separated."

"Yes. I...I never really knew her. Not until I saw her back at the Chateau when we went to save you. But at the same time, I felt like she was always with me. In my heart. When I fought Shadow Ryuki, I felt like she was guiding me. Showing me the way. I thought that it was because I have the Second's genes and his memories too. That maybe she felt so familiar to me because of that. But...the more time I spent with her...the more time I talked to her. The more I realize that our bond is deeper than that. And it was. We connected. And I loved every second of it. She listened to everything I had to say. To everything I wanted to tell her. And the questions I wanted to ask. Sure, she was a little strict. But she did it for my safety."

Miku smiled, listening intently and kissing him on his cheek.

"I love Auntie Elfnein. And I know she does her best. But..."

"Carol is your Mother. You may love Elfnein-chan as if she were your Mom, but a bond between a mother and a child...it's almost an instinct."

"I wanted her to watch me grow. To live a normal life with us. For her to be proud of me."

"She is proud of you. She trusted her will upon you." Miku said."You've become a totally different person than when you were born. You surpassed everyone's expectations and beat your original purpose. You are your own person now with dreams and aspirations. And...someone loves you unconditionally. Wherever she is now...I'm sure she loves you with all of her heart."

Bragi smiled, his cheeks turning red."Miku...Thank you. For being with me."

"Always. I love you so much." Miku muttered, nuzzling against his body, enjoying his warmth.

"This may sound a little...dark. But I guess losing my Mama makes me part of the group of people that lost their dear ones."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...Mostly everyone in the group has lost someone they loved in some way. Up until now, I was one of the few that didn't."

"I see...Well, I haven't lost anyone I love yet." She said.

"Count yourself lucky." Bragi grinned."Hamaguchi-dono is another one that's still lucky enough to not have lost anyone. And once this war is over...We won't lose anyone else. We can finally be at peace."

"Yeah. We can be happy. I've been wondering...What are we going to do for the future?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, Hibiki and Hajime want to open a restaurant that everyone can enjoy. I want to be a pianist. But I never asked what you wanted to be, Bragi."

"Well...I don't know. I mean, I can be anything I want, really. But I don't have a particular goal I want to achieve in the long term. After all...fighting is all I know, ever since I was born. Shit, I'm starting to sound like fucking Hajime."

"Aw, but you and Hajime-kun are such good friends now." Miku cooed.

"H-he's my enemy!" He protested, pouting."I could never be friends with that guy!"

"Sure, sure. If you say so." Miku's giggle turned into laughter. Bragi rolled his eyes but chuckled as well.

"But you know...I want to do something that can help this world be a better place. I want to help people." Bragi said, closing his eyes with a smile."This world has been through too much as it is. All this hate...all these wars...I was created to be a weapon of mass destruction. I want to do the opposite. People like Wei, Angelo, Elsa, Vanessa, Millaarc, Reina, and Amy...All of them are victims of circumstances. Circumstances that could have been avoided. Once this is all over, I want to help others as much as I can. So a tragedy like this...may never occur again. As the Last Prince of Ventara, I give you my word."

"As a Prince..." Miku blushed profusely."Then...does that make me your Princess?"

"I mean, we're not married, but...I do intend on doing that one day." He scratched his cheek."Sorry...Neither the First nor the Second were crowned kings, so I'll never get to be a King either."

"It's fine. Just staying by your side is enough for me." Miku yawned, pulling Bragi back down on the bed."Mind if I sleep with you tonight?"

"You don't have to." He responded.

"I want to make sure you have good dreams. No more nightmares." Miku pecked him on the lips."You need to sleep. Properly, this time. No short naps. And...I want us to be able to dream together. I want to hold you close and make you happy. I love you."

"Miku...Then I'll do the same. I love you too. Thank you...for giving me a chance to change. But..." Bragi's face turned pale."I...need to use the bathroom and you're squeezing my bladder too tight..."

"Ah! Sorry!" Miku apologized, releasing him from her grasp."You can go."

"Thank you. I'll be back shortly, so don't wait for me. Feel free to sleep." Bragi said, sliding off the bed.

"It's okay. I'll wait." Miku gave him a tender smile."I want to fall asleep with you so we can dream together."

"Then I won't take long." He said, heading for the door. Closing it behind, he made his way down the dimly lit corridors of the underground. He giggled to himself, blushing as he thought of Miku. Thinking of her made his stomach feel funny and giddy.

"Mama...I'm happy. I never thought I could ever feel this feeling. Back when I was "born", I thought all I needed was to be better than everyone else. But now...I don't care about that anymore." He looked at his hand."You fought so hard to allow me to be happy...And I'll make sure to protect this feeling."

"People like Wei, Angelo, Elsa, Vanessa, Millaarc, Reina, and Amy...All of them are victims of circumstances. Circumstances that could have been avoided."

'I said that...' Bragi frowned.'All of them have turned the wrong path because of losing something dear to them. Losing their of themselves...It's what happened to Mama as well after losing Grandfather...It can happen to anyone. Had Miku died, maybe I could have gone the wrong path as well. But if that's the case...'

He froze in place, a possibility he hadn't thought of entering his mind.'What would that mean for Setsuna-'

"Oh. You're awake?"

Bragi yelped when he walked into Xiao coming from the left corridor."Ah! Sorry."

"It's fine." Xiao shrugged, taking a sip from his beer bottle."Going outside to get some fresh air too, huh?"

"I was going to get some water. But I guess I can go out for a bit. It's a bit stuffy and hot underground."

"Trust me. I know." Xiao laughed, slapping him on his back playfully as he followed him outside."It was hotter before we managed to install proper air conditioning here."

"Are all bases like this?"

"Not really. This is kind of the biggest one we got." Xiao said."At least, the one with the most amount of people. We're underneath a very busy area, so we can go invisible and not be able to get pinpoint via the Brands."

Once they were outside, they headed toward one of the trees nearby, taking cover from the light rain coming from the sky.

"Were you having a good time with your girlfriend?" He asked.

"Huh?!"

"I can tell by that blush on your face." Xiao teased with a grin."Though I guess you couldn't go past cuddling and kisses. I apologize. I should have gotten your aunt a separate room."

"N-no! We didn't do anything like that!" Bragi waved his arms frantically.

"Heh. You remind me of me a little. Back when I was younger...full of love." Xiao took another sip from his drink, leaning against the tree."It's nice to see it again. Back in prison, I used to hear the men talk about their wives. Their mistresses. Or missing the occasional prostitute. But seeing it again...It's refreshing. It takes me back."

Bragi listened, his gaze focused on watching the city from afar.

"Pretty cool view, huh? It almost looks like..."

"Nothing is going on." Bragi finished.

"Yeah. Like we said, people have given up or accepted their fates." Xiao said."Those who refuse that fate die or become part of us. Sometimes both. But still...fighting against the inevitable...It's almost too human."

"You think Ragnarok is going to happen?" Bragi asked, baffled at his words."Come to think of it...You loved your wife and child very much. And you would do anything to see them again. So why didn't you join with the Disasters? Doesn't the offer of a new world so appealing to you?"

"It does. Like I told you, Bragi, I am not a good person. Not at all. To be honest, if the ones doing all of this weren't Liangs, I would have joined them in a heartbeat. There is nothing I would love more than to have my family in my arms again." He gave him a side glance with a grin."But since the culprits are disgusting Liangs, then I'll do anything in my power to fuck up their plans."

The dichromatic-eyed boy couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Hmmmm? Something funny?"

"No. I just admire your tenacity. It's something else. But..."

"There are good Liangs...right. That is what you said." Xiao tossed his empty bottle on the floor."And I agree. I am not petty enough to brand absolutely everyone in the clan a total piece of shit. Especially the ones who have lived in Japan their whole lives. Still...It seems that the curse following our family follows those even overseas. If I'm not mistaken, all of the Liangs who are in the DDV are Japanese. You know them."

"I do. One of them is my friend's sister. Another one is Chao-Xing's brother."

"The guy I fought today."

"Yeah. Him. I guess...Hazuki must have convinced him to join him...promising to see his family again. He lost everything. His family...his life. It's no wonder he accepted his deal."

"Honestly...it is tempting. For a perfect world, where you can live the life that you want. Too good. But..."

"Xiao-dono...You're wrong about one thing." Bragi shifted his gaze to the man."You are a good person. In fact, I'd say you're a hero."

"Huh? But-"

"I know a guy that doesn't consider himself a hero either. Despite all of the times he's helped save the world. He never once did it for that thought. I learned from him that a hero is not someone who proclaims they are one. But one that people proclaim. Try asking those around you what you are. Despite what you think, you might see things from a different perspective."

"Different perspective, huh..." Xiao muttered."I'll give it a try. You know...I'd like to meet this Hajime Adachi. If he's as interesting as you, then maybe this world can be saved after all."

"Alright! Everyone, listen up!" Xiao screamed, clapping his arms, catching the interest of every person in the vicinity. All of the Freedom Fighters were armed to the teeth, ready for combat. Trucks were loaded up with people, holding all kinds of guns and artillery. The only illumination at the moment was the moon, its wonderous light illuminating the people who were heading for near-certain doom.

"We've talked about the plan yesterday, I know. But let me give you a brief summary so it's fresh in your mind. We'll be splitting our forces in Beijing. We'll send 4 squadrons around the Tower in total. 2 will cover a range of 200 meters. The other 2 will cover 100 meters. Your objectives are to prevent enemy forces from reaching us. The first line of defense protects the second, and the second protects us. We want to cause as much chaos as possible and clear the area around the Tower. Once outside, we will rendezvous with Suyin and her squad. She, alongside our little geniuses, Elfnein and Bragi, created a device that will disrupt the EMC jammer signals, allowing us to contact SONG. However, we are aware that the main communication system is at the top of the tower. So Bragi, Miku, and I will help Elfnein and Suyin climb up. However, we also have a secondary objective. If you come into contact with the 5 people I mentioned, call me immediately. If we can secure one of the Calamities, we can overturn the odds in our favor. And remember, the place will be infested with civilians. So watch your fire. Furthermore, I have a few more squads on the outskirts of the city that will be ready to evacuate all civilians out of Beijing. I have a feeling things will get ugly."

"Bragi...Before you get to the Tower, I need you to go pick up Yutao's squad. They'll need the help, and your gravity abilities can help tremendously."

"No problem. I'll do it."

"The rest of you!" Xiao raised his arm."Today is the of the Fall. We won't keep hiding in the shadows! We'll reject death at any cost! For those who have died! And for those who are still here! Today we put an end to this once and for all!"

Everyone cheered in unison, their battle cries empowering each other. Bragi and Miku shared a quick kiss, noticing the sun rising on the horizon.

"This is it..." Bragi muttered, admiring the sunrise."Judgment Day is finally upon us...and we'll stop it, no matter what."

With the sun rising, it gave birth to a brand new day. February 29...the clock against Ragnarok had finally begun.