Reviews:
Dragstorm rider: Yeah, it is. Just imagine putting it in real real-life perspective. I guess the closest thing would be the black plague. Right, this Hajime, while sad, is still fighting. He knows he can't afford to break down like before. He made a promise to Hibiki, after all. And now, they have hope again. Albeit, perhaps at the expense of Tobias' life. You got it right. As for Hajime...I haven't decided yet. For sure he has Abyssodon and Biogreeza. Oh, yeah. I played that game before. I think I played Devil Survive overclocked or something. Yeah, Bragard is gonna help our heroes...unwillingly and not knowing about it. Alternative Trooper sounds like something straight out of Star Wars. Right, everyone is depressed. Especially the three girls you mentioned. Everything happened so fast, they haven't had time even to mourn the deaths of their friends. Honestly...that evolution sounds cool. And yes, Dragreder is the second strongest after Goldphoenix. I'll keep those cards in mind, thank you.
triscythe59: Maybe it's not catastrophic enough.
Ryugen: The power of hope is a strong one. Interesting suggestion. I think you might like this chapter then.
nicolasseverino95: We have to keep hoping!
SoutaAmetsuchi: Yeah, I was thinking of how that would look like in the real world, and it is pretty creepy. And you're right. Right now, we have to believe in them.
Caballero lector rojo: Estamos en la segunda parte de la ultima temporada. Ahora viene todo con fuerza xd. Asi es. El mal que causo Bragard va a ser usado como armas. Al inicio queria que fuese de inmediato, pero los demas tienen que recuperarse y prepararse para el segundo asalto contra las Calamidades. Si fuesen al instantante hubiesen perdido. Mas que nostalgia, es para estar super preparados. No pueden cometer mas errors. Me alegra que te gustara el mensaje de Yosuke. Es algo que el mismo tuvo que aprender por su cuenta, y ahora le esta enseñando a Hajime, alguien mas joven que el. Es un verdadero senpai. Y eso tienen que aprenderlo todos. Seguir luchando por los caidos y darle sentido a sus muertes con sus acciones. Y ahora mismo, salvar lo que queda del mundo es lo mas necesario. Sobre los power-ups...ya veras.
Lord Ri Husbu King: This is the end result of the previous season, in a way. Just what Ragnarok has done to the world, but the others are not about to give up and find refuge with each other. They are a family and they share the pain of losing the people they love.
Tenzalucard123: The power of friendship will guide them to victory. Bragard helping them without knowing. If only Bragi were here to see this.
stardrago: I think they intend to stop it and all that's related to it, including Setsuna and all of Calamity Riders.
TheEmeraldMage: In a way, it is then calm before the storm. Well, it's the calm after the storm and now we're looking at a bigger storm. To be honest, I took inspiration from different zombie movies and series to show how people behaved during the outbreaks. In a way, that's what Ragnarok is. An invasion of demons that no force can stop, and humans get desperate to survive. Unfortunately, they don't have time to properly mourn. It hasn't even 2 full days since their friends died, and now, they are waiting for Ragnarok to come to Japan. So instead of crying, they have to pick themselves up from the ground and defend what they have left. And yea...It's kind of a movie arc in a way. Well, maybe the third part more so, but we'll get to that.
FlameFireZero X: Both of them died like true Riders. Still, I'm going to miss them. I love writing them both. Right, they only have 3 left. Unlike before, now they have the disadvantage of having only 3 Riders and the enemy 6, but they have the Symphogear with them. The trickster was tricked. Hazuki really learned a lot from his mentor...father figure...friend...whatever Loki is to him I guess. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Look forward to more!
Chapter 157
The Last Ray of Hope
"W-wait, what?" Hajime blinked, wrapping his palm, around his ear."Say it again? I think I misheard you."
"Use Thor's power." The Autoscorer repeated without any doubt."Please...use it."
"But...You do realize that you'll most likely die, right?" Raiden carefully asked.
"Yes. When Elfnein built my body, she had to be extremely quick because she was going to be found out by Bragard and Carol. So when she used Thor's as my energy source, she wasn't able to properly stabilize it in my body. And due to how delicate I am, if the power within me stirs, it will cause my death since Thor is essentially my heart. And I'm willing to make that sacrifice."
"Are you insane?!" Garie immediately stormed over to him, grabbing him by the shoulders."I forbid you from doing such a thing! I won't let you throw your life away like that!"
"It's not throwing away, Mama." He shook his head."I want to give my friends a fighting chance."
"Let me talk to Thor right now!" Garie refused to listen."He has to be against this idiotic idea because-"
"Lass, I already talked to the boy." Thor said with a tired smile."He won't listen."
"But you have to do something! Just...just deny his wishes and-"
"Garie, please. At least listen to what the boy has to say." Thor cut her off."If you are indeed his mother, then you could at least respect his wishes. Hear him out. He has something to say."
Thor swapped back with Tobias, who looked at his mother in the eyes."Mama...I'm so tired of seeing people die around me. Ever since I was created, I've seen so much death...And I've had the power to stop it all, you know? I had to sit by on the sidelines because I can't use the power inside of me because...if I do...I'll die. And before, I was okay with that. But as I grew closer and closer with everyone, I...I realized I...I didn't want to die. I wanted to keep living for my friends. and see more of this world.
The boy scanned around the room, noticing how some of his friends were tearing up at his words.
"And despite that, I'm sure the others felt the same way. But they also died...Bragi once told me that people were willing to die for what they believed in. Because humans hold their ideals and family close to their chest. Without that, they are no better than dirt. He was like an older brother to me and I had to watch him die trying to protect everyone. Hamaguchi-san gave his life up to give us time to escape...And now, the whole world is burning to the ground and I'm still sitting here doing absolutely nothing! Having this power inside of me and not being able to use it...it's just awful!"
"Tobias...you're asking me, your Mother, to let my child die...You're telling me to just let you give up your life...I watched you die before..." Garie sobbed, holding his hands tightly."When you were just a baby. I had you in my arms and I couldn't do anything as we both were sacrificed to create Bragard's Philosopher Stone...I watched your Father die...My friends...I can't watch my son die again...I can't...It will kill me."
"What about the mothers around the world? They also are seeing their children die. Some are not even able to see them at all. So many families are being separated. They feel your pain as well!" Tobias yelled, surprising Garie."I am afraid...I am afraid of disappearing and dying, but...I have to be strong like everyone else. Even if I have to die, I'll do it. And I made my mind up already."
"There...has to be another choice, right?" Chris asked Genjuro."Right, old man?"
Genjuro said nothing. He didn't want to say the obvious because it hurt. They needed Thor's power. And Tobias was incredibly brave for wanting to make that sacrifice.
"Okay...Okay...Gosh, you're just like Damian...It's so frustrating." Garie hugged her child, crying on his shoulder as she brushed his hair."Why couldn't you have been a girl? I would have kept you safe and taught you how to dance. Instead, you're a warrior, just like your Dad..."
"Heheh...Sorry." He chuckled sheepishly, looking at Hajime."Hajime-san...Thor wants you to be the recipient. Once the ritual begins, his power will flow to you. We're not sure if it'll be stable since he's been inside of me for so long, but we have to try."
"Wait...I think...We have to do this right."
"I can't watch this..." Elfnein cried against Raiden's chest as he held her in his arms. He understood her feelings. She was watching another person who she could consider family leave in front of her eyes. They were currently inside a spacious room filled with various decorations. Hajime and Tobias were sitting on the floor, and his favorite stuffed toys and flowers surrounded Tobias to make sure he was comfortable. He smiled at his friends, who were all on the verge of tears.
Hajime himself was about to start crying, but he had to be strong. Tobias was being so, so he felt the need to be brave as well. Garie was being hugged by Elsa and Elfnein, trying to put up a brave smile for her son.
"Okay...Are you ready, Hajime-san?" He asked the black-haired boy.
"Yeah...Whenever you are."
Tobias took a deep breath, extending his arms as electricity started to flow out of him.
"WAIT!"
The ritual stopped, and Garie rushed over to Tobias."TOBIAS!"
Tobias yelped in surprise upon feeling his Mother's embrace."I'm so sorry, Tobias! I was wrong! Please, don't go!"
"Mama..." Tobias whispered, feeling Garie's face nuzzled against his, dampening his cheek with tears.
"I'm sorry I didn't watch you grow up! I didn't send you off to school! I didn't plan birthday parties for you to enjoy! I'm sorry you never got to enjoy your life!" Garie sobbed, apologizing over and over."I wanted to hold you more...To tell you how much I love you every single day...It's not fair..."
Hajime couldn't help but drop to his knees as he started to cry, covering his face. Everyone else was in tears as well. The scene was too much for their already broken hearts.
"It's okay, Mama. Even though it wasn't for long...I can safely say you're the best mom in the whole world. In this era and your era. But I want to do this...For everyone else."
"I know...I'm sorry, I lost control of myself just now." Garie pulled back, stepping away from the area.
"Garie..." Elfnein grabbed her and both girls tried to comfort each other.
"I want to thank everyone for giving me a good life. It was fun. And for that, I'm grateful. I'll take these precious memories with me...and I'll treasure them with all of my heart." Tobias said, placing a hand on his chest."Let's continue, Hajime-san."
"Y-yeah..." Hajime nodded, standing up once more. This time, they both held hands as the ritual continued. Hajime was amazed at Tobias. Naturally, one would write off Tobias' actions as rash and naive, since he was technically a child. But Hajime knew there was a deeper meaning behind his actions. The words he said earlier, were carried out with a strong emotion to prevent any more deaths. He understood him. Even if the whole world was destroyed, even if they could save a small amount of people or just one...it would be worth it. They had a chance and now it was time to take a gamble.
"Thor." Tobias closed his eyes.
"Yes, Lad?"
"Thank you. For everything."
"No need to thank me..." Thor sniffed, feeling his essence being pulled out of Tobias body and feeling his life dissipate in his grasp."You were the best partner anyone could have asked you. Rest easy, Tobias Schwarzer..."
A burst of energy went inside Hajime, electricity sparking through his body as his hair turned a shade of silver. He quickly grabbed Tobias before he could collapse on the ground."Tobias..."
Tobias did not respond. He had a small smile yet showed no signs of life.
"NOOOOOOO!" Garie let out a heart-retching scream, rushing over and grabbing Tobias' body."NO! MY SON! MY SON! TOBIAS!"
Elfnein ran over to Garie as they both began to cry over Tobias, their hearts no doubt in pieces now.
"Did...it work?" Hajime muttered to himself, looking at his hands.
"It did..." Thor said inside of his head."The contract is complete."
"How do you feel?"
"Well, aside from the obvious, I feel unstable. I spent too much inside of that flask and then inside of Tobias' body...My essence is at full power yet it's hard to control. But in the meantime, I can manage. I want to take advantage of my current control to do something if you don't mind."
Hajime turned on his heels, approaching his friends. He eyed Raiden and Yosuke, who instantly walked up to him. Hajime held out his arms as did they, forming a triangle as the energy surrounding the wielder of the Ryuki Deck's body covered them as well. Their Decks began to shine, and in a few seconds, the glow of the room died down as their bodies returned to normal.
"What...was that?" Raiden blinked, feeling a strange power inside of him.
"This is..." Yosuke noticed a lightning symbol on the back of his hand."Did you share power with us?"
"Like Loki, Thor can also do this. Except I'm not taking over your souls and bodies like Hazuki did or anything weird like that." Hajime explained, taking out his Deck."Check out your Decks."
Both boys did as instructed, taking out their cards.
"Wait, this is...!" Yosuke gasped upon seeing Volcancer and Magnugigas in his Deck.
"Why are these in our Decks?" Raiden wondered aloud, noticing Gigazelle and Destwilder in his Deck."We didn't make a contract with them. It's impossible for us."
"I can explain that." Hajime's left eye turned silver as Thor took over."We are using my power to magnify the Messiah trait. This allows Hajime to share HIS power with the two of you. By doing this, you can now do a similar thing he does and assimilate with the Advent Beasts you possess without the need of a contract."
"So what he was doing with Verde's power, right? And how he was using Verde's cards without actually using a type of Unite Vent like the Disasters?" Yosuke asked.
"Indeed. As you know, it is impossible to use Oversurvive with Unite Vent since it requires perfect synchronization with a single beast. And you all know how hard of a task that already is. However, by assimilating them using the Messiah trait, you can use those extra Advent Beasts as a form of assistance in battle. Unlike Hajime, they are not completely assimilated into you, but they will listen to your commands. And you can do that using these 3 cards I gave you."
"These look like Survive cards, kind of..." Raiden examined the card. Indeed, his card was the left wing, but instead of a phoenix, it was the wing of a silver dragon.
"So like Odin and Loki, Thor created his own Survive cards..." Yosuke examined the right wing card he got.
"Indeed. But unlike Loki's, these are packed with concentrated power. His were made when Hazuki couldn't access his full power. But since Hajime here has grown beyond all expectations, he can wield my power properly. At least, on a technical level. He can bestow shards of my power to people, such as how he did just now. Those cards you hold...are your Oversurvive cards, but now, you can access a whole new mode. When you use those cards, you will be able to use the powers of the other Riders, as well as some abilities you'll see when you're in combat." Thor explained."As for the cards and what they represent..."
"Raiden Amaterasu, Kamen Rider Raia. You hold the left wing of the dragon, Kako. A card that represents the past."
"Yosuke Yanagi, Kamen Rider Knight. You hold the right wing of the dragon, Genzai. A card that represents the present."
"And lastly, Hajime Adachi, Kamen Rider Ryuki. He holds the head of the dragon, Mirai. A card that represents..." Hajime's eyes returned to normal."...The future."
"So, the past, the present, and the future, is it?" Yosuke smirked."Sounds poetic, in a way."
"If you say so." Raiden shrugged, eyeing his brothers' cards.
"Hey, you better not leave us out of this!" Chris grabbed Hajime by the collar of his shirt."Give us some power too!"
"S-sure. That's the idea. But...even if I do, and with the 3 of us powered up...It's still not enough." Hajime said, earning several gasps in return.
"Are you serious?" Tsubasa grimaced."You don't think this is enough?"
"Nope. We'd all get killed." Hajime said nonchalantly before grinning."But thankfully, Tobias and Thor have concocted a plan. A thousand-step plan that will help us close the gap and catch up to the Calamities!"
"A thousand..." Kirika said.
"Step..." Shirabe arched a brow.
"Plan...?" Mona tilted her head.
"That's...is that how they name it?" Chris frowned.
"Nah, I came up with it."
"It sounds stupid as fuck." Chris guffawed, slapping Hajime on his back.
"Yeah, maybe so." Hajime smiled. He was glad he had somehow lifted their spirits, albeit for now. He looked to the side, noticing Genjuro carrying Tobias' body, followed by Garie.
"I apologize if this sounds cruel, but..." Genjuro shifted his attention to the group."We have no time to mourn. I will place Tobias' body in a safe place and we'll give him a proper burial before. For now, I-"
"We know." Hibiki nodded solemnly."We have no time to lose. We'll make the preparations we need to get ready to fight the Calamities."
"We'll leave Tobias in your hands." Chris said."We won't let his sacrifice be in vain. We're putting a stop to Ragnarok once and for all."
"I'll help too." Elfnein raised her hand.
"You've done enough." Raiden grabbed her hand."Take it easy..."
"No...Bragi-chan and now Tobias...Everyone has done so much already. I can't just sit down and cry like I usually do." Elfnein looked up at her boyfriend."I want to see this through to the end. No matter what. I want to see the end of this slaughter. So I'll do all I can. I can cry when all of this is done."
"I think we're all ready for that..." Maria managed a weak smile."For now, we have to focus and give it everything we got. So, Hajime-chan, what's on the list?"
"First, we have to get everyone capable of harming the Calamities. Even with power, it's all useless if we can't harm them."
"What do you mean?"
"We can't harm Divine beings without divine power, even if we can respond with the same amount of firepower. However, not only do we now have access to Thor's power, but we also have two other things that can help us out tremendously. And that is..."
Hajime and Hibiki were sitting on stools, holding hands together as they eyed the huge needles Maria and Tsubasa were holding in front of them.
"The Godslayer and the Messiah. We saw how effective they were against Loki. If we add that to everyone's arsenal, they'll not be able to harm the divine beings but also be better prepared. Think of it like this. Divine power can let us hurt divine beings, but the Godslayer and Messiah are their kryptonites. We'd be dealing extra damage to them with that."
"We just need some blood. So relax." Maria said, pricking Hajime's arm."Elfnein-chan also said that we need bits of your respective armors."
"She said that only the Ryuki armor and Gungnir can handle the powers of the Messiah and Godslayer. So if we implant that into our pendants and your decks, it should create a pseudo connection that should balance things out." Tsubasa explained.
"Next, we need to also get the Symphogear ready to action. If only the 3 Riders were capable of fighting on equal terms against the Calamities, we wouldn't be able to win. So to do that..."
"We need to replicate the process of the lapis lazuli with the pendants. In other words, we will use the Riders' decks to install a new mode into your pendants." Elfnein said, using a magnifying glass to take a look at Hibiki's Relic."With that, it should give you powers similar to the Riders. I'm afraid the Amalgam form is not enough anymore. We need something more. And maybe with this, we can find the true power of the Symphogear."
"True power...?" Kirika repeated.
"That's what Thor said. I am not quite sure what it means, but..." Elfnein gave a light smile."I will be using the Decks of your choosing. Oh, I almost forgot. Is Elsa-san available? Thor asked me to give her something."
"Since Elfnein will be busy with upgrading the pendants, she can't come with us to the Mirror World. However, with Thor's power, we should replicate what Bragard did with Loki and use the Mirror Core Bragi made to power the Overall up. If we can get an army, we can fight back against the demons."
"Seems like an atomic bomb went off here," Raiden commented, examining the wasteland that was the mirrored version of Tokyo. The explosion left behind by the Overall's self-destruct obliterated the entire city, making it look more or less like the real world was looking like. The skies were crimson red, but there were no signs of any demons or Ragnarok.
"Yeah, well. It kind of did." Hajime shrugged, looking at the destroyed giant robot in front of them. As expected, the robot was completely unable to be used for combat as it did in the past. While the explosion didn't destroy it entirely, it left it in an irreparable state."Anyway, we should go inside and take a look. Bragard's throne is on top of the hat."
"You don't say?" Raiden hummed in thought."Kind of hard to believe we fought this thing a lived. I honestly lost hope when Takeru-san was kicked away by it like a soccer ball."
"Oh, yeah. It was pretty crazy at the time." Hajime chuckled dryly. Both boys transformed into their Rider forms, jumping through a hole before reverting back to normal. They explored the huge halls of the Overall, jumping over holes every now and then.
"You look calm," Raiden remarked casually.
"Me? Well, not really. I just can't be freaking out and getting all depressed again." Hajime rubbed his neck sheepishly."I can't afford it anymore."
"I see...You never change. You're still the same guy I met back then." Raiden chuckled."Back when we were enemies."
"I guess so. Heh. I could say the same to you though. You're a very hardheaded guy, despite your intellectual appearance. You kept trying to fight me without stopping."
"And I never won a single fight." Raiden sighed in exasperation."You were always better than me. The better Rider. The better man. Shit, I'm starting to sound like Bragi..."
"That's not true, man. You know that." Hajime frowned at his words."You're stronger than you think."
"Stop patronizing me. I know the truth. Compared to you and Yosuke-san, I'm nothing special. I'm the weakest link." Raiden said, hands in his pockets."I didn't make it this far because I was strong. It was only because...I keep avoiding death. Look at me. I lost all of my brothers. I only have my sisters here. I shouldn't be here today."
"Raiden..." Hajime stopped in his tracks. They were inside of Bragard's throne room. He looked up at the ceiling, noticing a broken incubator suspended in the sky.'That's probably where Bragi was born from...'
"I...I am weak. Not just physical. Mentally. I'm not as strong as the rest of you. I cave in relatively easier than most. I..." Raiden clenched his fists."I'm a coward. I can't show my emotions to others...Damn it, I can't even be a good boyfriend to Elfnein. She needs me and I just give her a reassuring smile and look somewhere else...because I don't know how to deal with any of this...My sisters need me and I am too busy feeling sorry for myself. I'm...I'm just not good with sharing what I feel like the rest of you..."
"You're giving me too much credit, Raiden. I was awkward around Hibiki too when we started dating." Hajime stood in front of Raiden."I'm not the guy you think I am."
"Don't give me that..." Raiden chuckled."Everyone looks up to you. You're a good boyfriend, a good friend, and a good brother-"
"I am not." Hajime placed a hand on his shoulder."Look at me, man. I failed so many times...when it mattered the most. I made Hibiki cry and feel horrible...I couldn't save my sister and because of me, she became a monster that's responsible for destroying the world...I will never forgive myself. You're better than me. You are always there for Elfnein-chan, you did what you could, and you're the best brother the girls could ever ask for. None of us are perfect. We're humans. And that's why we struggle as humans. We work out our flaws with each other and become better. Giving up...is something we can't do. Facing defeat is normal. We just have to keep getting up for those who believe us."
Hajime offered him a grin."Honestly, if it weren't for you guys, I don't think I'd be here today. All of you give me the strength to get back on my feet again. Same to you. We're all different. The way you express yourself is not the same as other people. Hell, none of us can be like Hamaguchi and be so openly perverted to our girlfriends, right?"
"Heh. I guess not." Raiden let out a sincere laugh."I guess...Ever since I was a kid I've been like this. I'm sure you read my file?"
"Yeah. Your parents sold you to the Yakuza when you were young." Hajime rubbed his arm awkwardly.
"Yeah...I guess ever since then, I've had trouble trusting others. Not that I don't trust you guys. I do. But...it's just hard for me to say things. I feel like...I expose myself to danger. And it feels weird, you know? It's cowardly. Unlike Shirabe, I only built my walls to protect myself. Because I'm scared."
"It's normal to be scared. You went through a lot. It's normal you don't let anyone in your walls. But I've seen how kind you are. You try. But your personality is just like that, Raiden. You're an introvert. You're not as open about things as some people but that's alright. Honestly, I think Elfnein-chan is happy with the way you are."
"I doubt it. I mean...Kirika lashed out at me. Calling me heartless. I wish I could be more open to my sisters and Elfnein...I want them to know how much I love them."
"Honestly, you don't have to be so vocal about your feelings." Hajime tilted his head with a kind smile."Just let your actions speak louder than your words. You're that kind of guy, Raiden. You don't say much, but when it comes down to it, you're one of the first ones to fight an enemy. Because that's how much you care. A silent protector, in a way. So don't worry. I'm positive that they know how much you love them. Just be considerate. They are mourning...Once this is all over, you can tell them how you feel." He poked him on the chest."Deep inside."
"That's so cheesy." Raiden laughed heartily, patting Hajime on the shoulder."Though, I guess sometimes cheesy things are just what the doctor ordered. Thanks, Hajime."
"Anytime, friend." Hajime winked. Both boys went up the hat of the Overall and eventually made it to the tip. They were now walking down destroyed enclosed hallways, and Raiden noticed old blood smeared on the floor and walls. He looked over his shoulder, noticing Hajime frozen in place, looking at the bloodstains.
"You good?" Raiden made his way over to him."Damn, you sure beat the hell out of Bragard."
"I'm pretty sure some of this is my blood," Hajime said absentmindedly.
"Sorry..."
"Don't worry. It was a while ago. Can't live forever in the past." Hajime shrugged walking past Raiden."But sometimes, the past is not always a thing to be forgotten."
"If you say so." Raiden nodded, though not sure what he meant by that. Eventually, they made it to the room below the cockpit to control the Overall. There, they saw the control panels of the Overall, as well as the machine that Bragard had been attached to before becoming Nightmare.
"That's the control panel. And that thing in the middle has to be what uses the Mirror Corre to activate the Mirror World." Raiden folded his arms."Kind of weird how they left this unattended."
"They needed Bragard to become Nightmare so he could inherit that divine power as well. All they needed was to gather those Raydragoons and prepare them for the right moment like they did. Remember? There were no other types of mirror monsters back then."
"You're right. And with those demons, they do not need for them." Raiden examined the room, which was relatively okay. Only the lower parts of the Overall were in inoperable conditions. Above the head, things weren't so bad.
"So, how exactly are we supposed to make this work?" Raiden scratched his head."We just place the Mirror Core?"
"We have to wait for Elfnein-chan. But yes, this will allow us to start the Overall to merge both our dimension and Helheim with the mirror world. With that, we'll be able to summon Mirror Monsters and the Alternative Army."
Hajime walked up to the generator, placing a hand on it, and letting Thor's power flow through it. Immediately, the screens began to light up, and the electricity came back to the giant machine."There. I've powered it up. How are you feeling, Thor?"
"So far, so good..." Thor trailed off in Hajime's mind.
"Would that be enough?"
"Maybe. I mean, ultimately, it's up to the rest of us."
"I see...I got a question to ask you." Raiden looked at Hajime from over his shoulder."Do you think that even if we stop Ragnarok now, we'll get a chance to live? I mean, 60% of the world is gone. Japan doesn't even make a 5% of the world. We'll be the last people on this planet. Can we truly live like that?"
"Let's take it one step at a time. Once we end this, then we can think about what to do next."
"And what are you going to do? About your sister, that is."
Hajime's lips thinned, his gaze averting somewhere else."We'll figure something out. We just have to."
Raiden nodded, not wanting to press him for more, and continued to explore the place.
"Hajime. May I have a word with you?"
"Sure." Hajime leaned against the wall, folding his arms.'What is it, Thor?'
"I must apologize, Lad. I overstimated myself and I thought I could provide more help..."
"You've done more than enough, Thor." Hajime pursed his lips."But why do you talk like that...?"
"My power had become unstable over the years due to not having a proper host. After all the power I bestowed, it seems that I have reached my limit."
Hajime was about to say something, but Thor continued.
"Worry not. All of the upgrades such as the Symphogear and Decks will remain, even if I'm gone. But I will not go down without a fight. Check your Deck, Lad."
Hajime pulled out his Deck, drawing his cards and noticing a new one he had. His eyes widened in shock."T-this is...!"
"Yes. This will be our emergency weapon to defeat Loki once and for all."
Miku sat outside of the SONG's base on land, sitting down by a tree as she stared at the skies with a longing expression. She was holding onto a black stuffed bunny with a red suit. A gift originally intended for her, but then given to Beelzebub. And now, it was back in her hands.
"Hey, Miku." Hibiki greeted her. Miku hadn't noticed Hibiki approach her at all.
"Oh. Hi." Miku offered a small smile.
"What's wrong?" Hibiki wasted no time in getting to the heart of the matter.
"What? Nothing. I'm okay. I-"
"Miku." Hibiki said firmly."I know nothing is okay right now. I can tell. I saw the same look of despair in Hajime's eyes before, you know this. I'm your best friend...Please, talk to me. Tell me so I can help you."
"How could you help me? I'm a monster." Miku whispered with no emotion in her voice."I...I caused all of this."
"Miku, don't do this-"
"I WAS SO WEAK!" Miku snapped, yelling angrily at her friend."I WANTED TO MAKE YOU STOP FIGHTING. BUT I GOT TRICKED INTO USING THE SHENSHOUJING! THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN! AND I CAUSED SO MANY PEOPLE TO DIE! BEELZEBUB DIED BECAUSE HAZUKI STOLE MY ATTACK! BRAGI DIED BECAUSE HE COULDN'T FIGHT ANYMORE! ALL OF THIS...ALL OF THIS IS MY FAULT AND I HATE MYSELF FOR IT! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
Miku stood up and began running away.
"MIKU! WAIT!" Hibiki chased after her.
"Leave me alone! I can't keep pretending everything is okay! I can't do this anymore! I just want to die!"
"Miku!" Hibiki gasped, horrified upon hearing those words.
"I just don't want to live anymore..."
She remembered back to when she found Hajime in the bathroom with a bottle of pills in his hands. Despite how he was today, she still couldn't forget that horrible sight. She used this feeling to fuel herself, outrunning Miku and tackling her to the ground, sitting on her stomach."Miku!"
"Stop! Leave me alone! Just let me die already! I can't take this pain anymore!"
"Then do you want Bragi-kun's sacrifice to be in vain?"
"Huh?" Miku stopped fighting back, frozen in place.
"Bragi-kun died with a smile on his face, happy to protect everyone. Happy to protect you." Hibiki slowly got off Miku's chest, offering her hand."If you give up now...you'll be spitting on his wishes. He wants you to be happy and live. He wants to repay the happiness you gave him. Even if he didn't live for long. I'm sure he loved every second of his life. And it was all thanks to you."
"Me...?"
"Miku, don't be sad you had to see him go. Be happy that you made a difference in his life." Hibiki smiled warmly."He loved you very much. And...don't be sad about what happened. It wasn't your fault. Sometimes, no matter how strong we are, we can become quite vulnerable. It's happened to everyone at some point. And sometimes, bad people take advantage of that. No one could have known this would happen."
She reached for her breast pocket, took out a card, and handed it to Miku. Miku carefully took it.
"This...is Bragi's Psyco-Rogue..." Miku breathed.
"Elfnein-chan managed to create another one since Bragi kept blueprints of the Alternative Deck. She figured you'd love it if Psycho-Rogue was the Advent Beasts used to empower your Deck. That way, Bragi-kun will always be close to you."
"Bragi...Bragi..." Miku looked at the card in her hands before holding it close to her chest, crying loudly.
"I know...I know how you feel. Let it all out, Miku." Hibiki hugged her, rubbing her back."We'll make him proud. We won't let his or the others' sacrifices be in vain. Right?"
"Y-yes...I'll fight, Hibiki...I'll fight for the world and the people he wanted to protect..." Miku sniffed, holding her friend as if she were her life support. Both girls remained there for another hour to release their pent-up sorrow. After all, they couldn't hold their tears for the day when they had to fight back.
Meanwhile, Yosuke was reading a list of materials they needed from a tablet, followed by Kirika and Shirabe, who were helping him carry some stuff.
"I apologize, you two. It's not very gentlemanly of me to force a pair of younger girls to do the heavy lifting, but my arm is still in the process of healing..."
"It's okay. We understand, right, Shirabe?" Kirika asked the dark-haired girl.
"Yes. We are happy to help." The twin-tailed girl nodded."What else is on our list?"
"We have to pick up our new uniforms." Yosuke said, glancing down at their clothes."Our other uniforms were torn to shreds and we can't exactly fight in our civilian clothes."
"Does it matter?" Kirika tilted her head."I mean...When we transform, we get into different clothes."
"Maybe so." Yosuke opened the door to the laundry room, stepping inside."But remember, clothes make the-"
His sentence was cut off by a surprised scream, alerting the younger girls as they jogged after him.
"Yosuke-san!"
"STAY BACK!"
Both girls halted, worried upon hearing the panic in his voice.
"D-don't come any closer!" Yosuke seemed distressed, his eyes fixated on what was in front of him on the ground.
"What's wrong, Yosuke-san?! Please, tell us!" Shirabe pleaded, but Yosuke held his arm out, preventing them from coming in.
"Go get the Commander! Tell him it's an emergency! Now!"
The girls dropped what they were carrying and ran over to find the Commander, leaving Yosuke alone.
He knelt down, tears glistening in his eyes as he examined Garie lying on the floor. There was a dagger of ice next to a hole in her head, and her eyes were completely devoid of life. He immediately knew what had happened.
"God...Garie...Not you too..." He cupped her cheek, allowing the tears to finally stream down his face. He carefully reached for her eyes, closing them."Don't worry...We'll...We'll make all of this right. We have to...we just have to..."
Genjuro entered the command center, fixing his shirt. He had woken up roughly 20 minutes ago from one of his many power naps, as he didn't have it in him to truly sleep. Not when his subordinates were working, as soon as he stepped into the room, he noticed Aoi, Sakuya, and some of the other crew members huddled around, looking at the main screen.
"What's going on?" Genjuro arched a brow.
"S-sir! Ragnarok...Ragnarok has halted!" Aoi yelled, and the man immediately ran over to them.
"WHAT?!"
"The World Serpent...It has stopped moving...It happened after we detected several unidentified flying objects approaching the earth." Sakuya slowly turned around to face the red-haired man."Something has come to the planet and is preventing Ragnarok from advancing..."
A few minutes earlier, several ships were approaching Earth from outer space.
"Sheez...This place looks nothing like the pictures." Veles could hear Heracles' voice from his communicator."Are you sure we're in the right place, boss?"
"No question about it..." Veles couldn't believe his eyes. The blue, beautiful planet he had seen in their database...was completely red. The blue waters were completely black, and the green lands were brown as dirt. Albeit some places where the giant snake had not trampled were still green."I can't believe it..."
"We made it here too late, hun." Said another voice from one of his friends."What now?"
"We still have to stop this before it spreads through the entire universe." A female voice said."We should bombard the entire planet from here. A round of our strongest projectiles should do the work."
"Belay that order." Veles suddenly said, surprising his crew.
"Why?"
"There are still living organisms there. Humans are still alive. We can't just nuke the whole planet." Veles immediately denied the idea."We have to save them."
"What? Why? That's not our job. Our job is to contain this plague before it spreads to the entire universe!"
"Shem-Ha ruined this place. And because of her, humanity has suffered through all of this time. And it's also our fault, for leaving them unattended. We should have known better than to not try and salvage the two puppets we created before Eve, Adam, and Lilith. This planet has gone through countless orderals, majorly of them self-made. But they are still surviving. I am sorry. But I am not about to let what's left of this race die off and become extinct. If we can't save one race, then how do we expect to save the entire universe?"
"Boss is right." Heracles chuckled."No use in debating. You know how he gets when he's fired up. Besides, we're all here. And when the Royal Flush is on the scene, nothing can stop us."
Everyone else didn't voice more complaints.
Veles smiled."Thank you, you guys. Very well then." He pressed the button of his communicator."Attention to all forces! We are entering Earth immediately. Stay inside of your ships and keep those demons at bay while we handle business. Today, we put a stop to this plague before it spreads out! In the name of Custodia, we shall succeed!"
The fight between the Calamities vs Custodians starts next chapter!