Author'sNote: Welcome, to Part 2 of Symphogear End of the Rider War(ERW)! No reviews this time but I read them all! So feel free to start reviewing and I'll respond by the next chapter. Also, I might stop not responding to reviews after the end of a part/season since now I'm taking smaller breaks in between, so I'll be taking longer to make the chapters. Also, this part is going to be shorter than the last. At least, not have as many chapters. You'll see why. And lastly! There will be an opening and ending. I'll introduce them in like 2 chapters or so since they have some spoilers. Without further ado, here we go!

Chapter 156
World Ending Calamity

"The streets of London are crowded with people trying to escape the city!" Said a female reporter from a helicopter, watching the dozens and dozens of cars stuck in a traffic jam, unable to move.

"La gente esta entrando en panico despues de la caida de America. El fin del mundo esta por llegar.(People are panicking after the fall of America. The end of the world is upon us.)" Another report said, playing the images of a large black cloud entering Mexico.

"The end of the world is here! We have sinned! This is a punishment from God!" A crazed person yelled as he walked down the empty streets of a town, earning the attention of a giant spider before it lunged at him.

"They're saying this is a punishment from God, but others also say that Mother Earth is trying to kill all of humanity by opening the doors to hell in an attempt to prevent humans from further destroying it."

"It's impossible to know but...Oh my God!" A reported started freaking out, feeling the ground beneath them rumble. The news studio was immediately attacked by demons who devoured every human they saw without mercy.

In Canada, people were fighting amongst themselves to try and survive and escape.

"Open the fucking gate and let us through!" A man screamed banging on the blockade made by the military.

"Sir, we ask you to step away from the gate. Return home and stay in your house! The bonkers are full and we have no more space!"

"To hell with that!" The man screamed, raising a large kitchen knife."Let's bumrush them! They can't shoot all of us-"

At that moment, the military opened fire, killing every civilian who was trying to break through the gates and leaving a mountain of corpses.

"The heroes that were fighting to save the world in China were defeated, leaving no hope left for humanity."

"It appears that after the message from the new God, everyone is trying to go to Japan and it's the safest place on the planet!"

"It's a massacre. All the waters are contaminated with those monsters. All the ships that just left Australia have been sunk! There's a giant octopus in the ocean!"

"A giant snake is leading the charge! I saw its head! It's enormous!"

The sound of battleships shooting at the ground could be heard in the middle of the ocean before large monsters swallowed them in an instant.

Riots in various cities were becoming the norm. Many of them killed each other, trying to grab whatever supplies they could get before the demons came.

"Whatever the reason for this madness is...One thing is certain. This is the end of times. And humanity is ending. By now, America, Africa, Australia, and Europe have fallen. Nothing stands in the way. Those monsters do not end. They do not get tired. And they do not stop. Is anyone out there listening to this? Have a pleasant death."


Yosuke changed the channel for what was probably the 1000th time. No other channels were operational. It had been several hours since the flow of news across the world had stopped. Now no news came from the once highly populated countries. Nothing but distant whispers in very secluded websites. It had been about 2 days since Ragnarok started, and more than half of the world had been eradicated. They were currently stationed in Japan, inside of the submarine HQ which was now docked in a special area away from the ocean due to the spotted creatures that roamed within.

Yosuke eventually got tired of not finding any news channels and grabbed the television, smashing it against the floor."Fuck it..."

He grabbed a bottle, opened it, and chugged its contents down his throat.

"Yosuke, what are you doing?" Tsubasa asked, standing by the door of the room."Please stop it. Getting drunk is not going to do anything. Also, why are you drinking? Since when?"

"Oh, this?" Yosuke slurred, already having drank half of the bottle while he was watching the news and feeling the effects."Jades gifted it to me a while back. I saw he would get drunk whenever he was stressed. I figured it would help me now.":

"Yosuke-"

"I need this. Do you know how much it hurts to see so many of my friends die in front of me?" Yosuke took another sip from the beer."It's too much to bear. I-"

"I know how it feels." She said in a sad tone, tears swelling in her eyes."I was there too. I watched them die too. So stop thinking you're alone in this because I suffering too! And right now I need you more than ever! So put that bottle down!"

Suddenly, Yosuke's drunken stupor faltered momentarily upon hearing Tsubasa's cry. Yosuke slowly put the bottle back on the desk, approached Tsubasa, and wrapped his arms around her."I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay...You're stressed." Tsubasa rubbed his back tenderly.

"I'm so tired, Tsubasa...I'm tired of everything. All of this." Yosuke pulled away, pacing around the room until he lay against a wall, sliding down and sitting on the floor."All this time I've been telling myself "Just one more fight". Thinking that my comrade's deaths would be excused if we had another threat to face. That all of this was worth it."

"It is worth it..." Tsubasa sat next to him.

"Look around you, Tsubasa...The world is gone to hell. What is there left to protect?" Yosuke muttered, hugging his knees.

"That broadcast that Hazuki did...We still have Japan-"

"We can still save it."

"How? All of us are wounded and we can't stop a whole army of monsters. We'll die before we even get to the Calamities. And even then, we don't even know how strong they are now. It's suicide."

"And what's the alternative? Just waiting for death to happen?" Tsubasa looked horrified at the thought."All of us just lower our heads and accept to die?"

"I mean...If what Kaburagi said is true, then if we die, our souls would be purified, and we would be living our fantasies."

"Yosuke, you can't-"

"I know. Don't worry." Yosuke reassured her with a forced smile."But still...Is it really worth it fighting a battle that you can't win?"

"I...How's your arm?" Tsubasa swiftly changed the subject. Yosuke did not protest.

"It's fine, surprisingly." Yosuke removed the bandages around his arm, revealing a scar where the found on his arm once was."It seems that after using Oversurvive, we have some level of healing factor. For the most part, I'm healed. Amaterasu is in decent shape as well. The only one that has to wake up is Adachi."

"I'm worried about him..." Tsubasa sighed."He's been asleep this whole time."

"He was fighting the hardest and was the most exhausted. I can only imagine how he'll feel when he wakes up. You know how he is." Yosuke sighed."Not to mention Tachibana. She's been with him the whole time and hasn't had proper rest. But I'm mostly worried for Elfnein, Kohinata, and Akatsuki."

"Akatsuki seems to be taking it...rather well. As well as you would expect. At least, better than the other two."

"Well...She had time to say a brief goodbye, after all." Yosuke lowered his gaze."I wonder...when I do, will I be able to tell you everything I want?"

"Yosuke, you're not-"

"Stop it, Tsubasa." Yosuke cut her off, shooting her a sad look that nearly broke her heart."We've been saying that for a long time now. Akira, Kanade, Goro, Chao-Xing, Andreas, Takeru, Jades, Bragi, and now Hamaguchi. And look where we are not. Just me, Hajime, and Raiden are the last Riders left."

He ran a hand through his hair."It's kind of ironic, really. I thought I'd be one of the first to die. But look at me. Made it to the last 5 Riders. It's like...the closer we get to the end, the more difficult it gets. All of these losses. We made it this far, but at what cost?"

"But still, we have to keep fighting. We must protect what we can. The people that give us strength. Because that's the biggest treasure there is. My Father would say that, if he were here..."

"Your Father is okay. He's a strong man. We'll find him." Yosuke wrapped an arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder."We'll...figure something out. We always do."

"Yeah..." Tsubasa whispered, intertwining her hand with his."I love you, Yosuke."

"I love you too." He kissed her hand gently."Let's protect what we have left."

"I'd like that." The two lovers stayed in the room for a while, just enjoying each other's embrace.


Hajime stared at the ceiling, having woken up a few minutes ago. All he could do was just stare at the white ceiling of the infirmary above his head. His body was still sore and his head was wrapped around with bandages. He looked at his heavily bandaged arm and winced. Slowly, he unwrapped the bandages, noticing a gash that was in the process of healing. He found comfort in not seeing his bone out of his body again. He looked to his left, seeing a sleeping Hibiki resting her head on his bed. He smiled, gently brushing her hair. The girl, as if feeling his touch in her sleep, smiled.

"I'll stop when this whole world is sunk into calamity."

Hajime retracted his hand, memories of the battle for the world invading his mind.

"I already used all the energy to heal my body and yet it's still dying...But I won't let the same thing happen to you guys...I promise you that."

"Bragi..." Hajime muttered, tears glistening in his eyes upon remembering the death of his friend.

"Don't worry, buddy. I'll get you out of here." He vaguely remembered Hamaguchi saying that, dragging him away as all hell broke loose.

The raven-haired teen started to breathe erratically, holding onto his chest, trying to calm down.

"It's all your fault, Haji! And you'll pay for what you did caused me to become!" Setsuna had screamed at him.

The boy was hyperventilating now, grabbing onto his head."No, no, no..."

Firm arms wrapped his head, bringing him to Hibiki's chest.

"Hajime..." Hibiki whispered, rubbing Hajime's back, his breathing slowing down."It's okay...I'm here."

"Hibiki, I...I messed up."

"No, no. You didn't. You did what you could." Hibiki reassured him, giving him gentle kisses on his cheek."You did your best. We all did. But..." She took a deep breath, slightly pulling back."Hajime...I need to tell you something. About Hamaguchi..."

"He's...dead, right?" Hajime lifted his hand and showed her the blue stone in his grasp.

Hibiki nodded, sobbing quietly."I'm sorry..."

"Oh, God..." Hajime covered his arms as he began to cry, mourning for his best friend."Hamaguchi...I can't believe it...I can't believe he's gone...He was my best friend...He was there to help me out of my depression..."

"We grew up together. So...let's grow older together, yeah? We'll talk about this crazy story in the future with our grandkids. Over some beer and fried chicken."

"Bragi...and Hamaguchi..." Hajime covered the left side of his face."Fuck...Why...? Why did it end up like this? I have to go talk to the girls."

"Hajime, you're not in any condition to get up." Hibiki frowned."You need to keep resting. Most of your injuries have healed, but-"

"I have. I...I have to tell them it's my fault."

"It's not your fault!" Hibiki almost shouted."You can't be thinking like that!"

"I was there..." Hajime lowered his face, refusing to make eye contact with her."I could have done more...I should have..."

"You did what you could. The situation just...got out of control. No one holds this against you." Hibiki gently reached for his face, gently raising his head."Sunny...Don't fall back into that darkness. I won't let you succumb to despair again."

"I made a promise not to do it. I...I won't make the same mistakes I did before, but..." Hajime began to wail in her embrace, burying his face against her shoulder."I failed her, Hibiki! I failed her! I couldn't do anything to stop her! She was suffering...all along and I...I let her down...I'm the worst brother in existence...God, I hate myself so much..."

"You were suffering, Hajime. Though, it's true...I should have paid more attention to her too. She's like a little sister to me..." Hibiki wept. Hajime tightened his grip around her, holding her close.

"I'm sorry for intruding..."

The couple stared a the door where Miku was. The girl had eyebags under her eyes, a clear sign of the little rest she'd had.

"Miku-san..." Hajime lowered his head on the bed as if he was bowing on it."I'm sorry...I couldn't save Bragi...I can't express how sorry I am...I wasn't strong enough..."

To his surprise, Miku sat on the edge of the bed next to Hibiki, hugging Hajime.

"Miku-san...?"

"Thank you for...fighting alongside Bragi. And protecting him as best as you could." The girl muttered soothingly.

"But I..."

"Bragi...always considered you a friend. But you know how prideful he could be." Miku pulled back, allowing Hajime to grab her hands."He never wanted to stand behind you. He wanted to stand with you. And in those final moments, I could tell he had found his peace. He was glad to have fought by your side. And like you, he wanted to protect us. And he did just that. So... Thank you. I don't hold his death against you. No one could have stopped it anyway. I...His life force was depleted it. Even if he hadn't taken the attack head-on, he would have died. I'm sure he preferred to die in a fight rather than just turning to dust."

"I feel the same." Kirika entered the room, followed by everyone else."I could never blame you for what happened to Hamaguchi."

"You guys..." Hajime gasped.

Kirika rushed to hug her childhood friend."It's been so tough...I miss him so much, Blacky-kun...I miss you..."

"I know...I miss him too already." Hajime said, rubbing the back of her head. He looked up to the others, noticing Elfnein standing by the corner with a blank expression on her face.

Hajime stood up, limping over to Elfnein as everyone allowed him to approach her."Elfnein-chan, I-"

"You didn't save him," Elfnei said sharply, her voice reminding him of Carol.

"Elfnein-chan!" Miku exclaimed, but Hajime raised his hand to stop her.

"You're right. I didn't." He nodded.

"Why?" She stomped her foot, looking up at him with a glare."Why did you let him down?!"

"I wasn't strong enough."

"I have nothing left." She muttered, clenching her fist."He was like a son to me...Carol entrusted me to look after him...And now he's dead...Gone..."

"That's not true. You still have us and Raiden. Right, Raiden?" Garie said from the side, waiting for Raiden to say something. But the young man remained silent, his gaze fixated on Elfnein.

"Carol entrusted me with Bragi-chan's life. You were there. I trusted you to protect him. So why...?" Elfnein lunged at him, punching his chest as she screamed."Why is he dead?! Why did you let him die?! Why didn't you do more to protect him?!"

"Elfnein-chan!" Maria chided her."Hajime-chan is not to blame for this! He did all he-"

"You're right." Hajime wrapped his arms around Elfnein's smaller body, causing her to stop."I...I was there with him. He protected me...I was powerless and unable to move. And he protected my life. He got in that condition to prevent Ryuga from reaching me. So if you're going to blame someone...blame me, okay? I'll take your pain."

Chris closed her eyes, realizing what Hajime was doing. He was blaming himself so Elfnein wouldn't torture herself with the blame. Just like how he did before.'He wants to carry that guilt...But if he takes on anymore, it'll kill him...'

"Back then, I lashed out at you, remember? I made you cry because I was suffering. So...Feel free to help me with everything you have." Hajime said, pulling back and bending his knees slightly."Blame me...Hate me if you have to. Just know...That Bragi loved you very much. And I'm sure Carol is grateful for taking her of her son. You did your best."

Those words were the last straw to break the damp. Elfnein tackled Hajime in a hug, crying as loudly as she could. The others couldn't contain their tears and joined in on the hug, crying for the friends they had lost and the pain they felt.

Half an hour later, Maria was the first to open the doors and came face to face with Genjuro."Commander..."

"How's the eyepatch?" He asked with a lopsided smile.

"I look like a pirate now. But I'm lucky to have come out with just this." She chuckled. Genjuro noticed her puffy eyes, his lips thinning.

"I take it everyone is here?"

"Yes. We're just...calming down."

"I see. Alright...I'll see you all in the command center when you're ready-"

"We're ready now."

Genjuro glanced past Maria, noticing the group of youths facing him."Alright...Follow me."


A while later, the group made it to the command center, where Aoi and Sakuya were drinking some coffee. Both of them look exhausted and crestfallen. Even Ogawa looked worse for wear.

"Most of you are caught up with current events, so I'll say this for Hajime-kun." Genjuro said, sitting down on his seat and typing a few things on his keyboard, letting Sakuya and Aoi continue with their rest."The world has gone to hell."

A picture of the earth from satellites in outer space showed the stare of the globe, and Hajime nearly fainted. Over half of the planet was black, as Ragnarok devastated every civilization as it traveled. A cloud of darkness covered the planet and seemed to be expanding, already making its way to the moon. To top it all, they could see Jormungandr leading the charge, and the demons alongside it as they traveled around the globe.

"How the hell is that thing so damn big...? We can see it from outer space." Chris bit her lower lip.

"Roughly 60% of humanity has been extinguished," Genjuro informed them, and all of them gasped."All of them gone."

"No way...60%?" Maria shook her head."That can't be..."

"And we'll be the last." Yosuke clicked his tongue.

"Why?" Hajime asked.

"Right. You were unconscious." Genjuro hummed, pressing a key on the keyboard. A video appeared on the screen, and Hajime saw Hazuki's new appearance. Unlike their monstrous appearance from before, now they all looked angelic...godly, even.

"Hear me, humans. My name is Loki, the new God of this world. Well, I suppose I am speaking to the humans who have not yet died. As we are on a crusade across the world to purge the human race. So far, several states of America have fallen. We decided to target America first due to their past transactions, as well as nearly nuking Japan back in September. Truly people full of evil."

Hajime tightened his fists."That bastard..."

"Our mission, as you know, is to eliminate all life on the planet to harness their souls. And with that, we'll purify them, getting rid of their Free Will. Do not worry. I understand you might be afraid, so we'll try to make your demises as painless as possible. As long as you don't resist, that is. I'll make sure all of you can experience your dreams and get what you desire. However, I will leave Japan for last, to make sure they suffer. SONG has fallen. And they made sure to let me know that they do not want to accept the new world order. As such, I'll take the task of making sure they and their families suffer. They will wish they had accepted my mercy. As for the rest of you, rest easy. Salvation is coming."

With that, the video ended, leaving the room speechless, even though it was the second time for the majority.

Hajime walked up to a wall and punched it as hard as he could, breaking his skin and drawing blood.

"Hajime! Take it easy!" Hibiki grabbed her boyfriend, moving him away from the wall."You're not fully recovered to be hurting yourself like this!"

"I could have stopped this...I should have..." Hajime closed his eyes."I know you'll say I did all I could, but my all wasn't good enough. And now, we're in this mess."

"Don't say that, Hajime-kun." Genjuro shook his head."No one here could have prepared for this."

"And you beat Hazuki fair and square." Elsa pointed out."He just got lucky because he had another soul inside of him."

"It was part of his plan." Hajime rubbed the edge of his nose."I gave it all I have, but-"

"Don't." Elfnein shook her head with a firm look."Don't say you weren't enough. Bragi-chan did his best too. Don't disrespect his death."

"Elfnein-chan..." Hibiki was about to protest, but Hajime smiled.

"You're right. I apologize." Hajime said."I lost my composure for a second."

"We all did what we could," Shirabe added.

"Like Hamaguchi said...We all had a part to play..." Kirika trailed off. Maria engulfed her in a hug to comfort her.

Genjuro heaved a long sigh, not wanting to see the children so depressed."We estimated that Ragnarok will come to Japan in about 2 days or so."

"So what? We just wait to die?" Chris huffed, clearly not on board with the idea."I won't die like that. Takeru wouldn't sit on his ass waiting to die."

"We can't just roll over and die. We have to fight." Raiden folded his arms."They want us to just succumb to despair."

"But...fighting against a whole army of those things?" Garie shivered at the thought."They seemed endless..."

"It's no surprise." Elfnein scowled."The world and Helheim have become one. The demons are infinite in number. No matter how many we destroy, more will take their place. Even if we somehow clear a path, we'd be too tired. We don't know how strong the Calamities are..."

"Is it really hopeless then..." Garie turned to Tobias, noticing he had a troubled expression on his face."What is it, dear?"

Tobias remained unresponsive, deep in thought. But Garie noticed he was clenching his fists.

"Even if we're able to make it to them, none of us are strong enough to compete with them." Yosuke looked frustrated as he said this, feeling nothing but impotence."We barely defeated Kuwana and Albeod, even while working together. And all of us didn't defeat Ryuga. I can only imagine how much stronger they are now."

"Well...That's more or less the status of the world. Japan, as you can imagine, is in chaos. Unfortunately, we closed our borders. We can't sustain our citizens and outsiders. But...Nowadays, that's not much of a problem."

"What do you mean, Commander?" Hajime asked.

"Basically, people have given up on escaping." Maria flinched at her own words."They realized that even if they came here to Japan, Ragnarok was coming here eventually. It would just buy them a day or so to live."

"Jesus Christ, you make it so fucking somber." Chris closed her eyes."This may sound messed up but...I'm glad Takeru isn't here to see this."

"I feel the same." Maria nodded."At least, those who passed away don't have to live through this hell we're living."

"Bragi-chan died believing we could have prevented this..." Elfnein whispered to herself.

"At any rate..." Genjuro cleared his voice."I won't force any of you to fight. If you want to fight, then come tomorrow at noon so we can think of a strategy. If you don't, stay home with your loved ones. For now, take the day off and finish healing. That would be all."

"But sir...The time has stopped, remember? Technically, it's still noon on February 29." Aoi pointed out.

"Oh. Right." Genjuro had completely forgotten. Ever since Ragnarok happened, time has seemingly stopped flowing by. All clocks and watches read the same hour: 12:00 PM on February 29th."I'll set up a timer and give you all a call then."

"Hajime...Let's go home. You need to keep resting." Hibiki grabbed his hand.

"Home...?"

"My parents are worried." She smiled."Miku, you come too."

"Oh...Okay." Miku nodded, seemingly spacing out.

With that, everyone split up, going their separate ways.


Soldiers and police worked together to keep orders in Japan, trying to avoid as many riots as possible that were happening throughout the country. Many had accepted their fates, deciding to go out in a blaze of glory and do whatever they wanted. Others decided to stay home and try to live a normal life, at least for the time that they had. Such as the case of the Tachibana residence.

"You okay?" Hajime whispered, rubbing Hibiki's stomach lovingly as they lay in her bed."You've been quiet for a while."

"I'm okay..." She said, her tone completely devoid of her usual cheerfulness. She placed her hand on top of Hajime's."How's your arm?"

"It's back to normal. Kind of freaky to see your own bone, but it's okay now." He shrugged."I'm alright."

"I'm glad..." She smiled, closing her eyes."Hajime..."

"Yes?"

"I'm...scared." Her voice quivered and felt Hajime tighten his grip on her belly.

Hajime opened his mouth, thinking of saying something brave to calm her down. But he didn't have the energy for it."Me too."

"At least you're honest." She managed a small giggle."I thought you'd say something like there was nothing to be scared of."

"Well, I don't like to lie to you. And given the circumstances, it is a pretty dire situation." He said, kissing the back of her neck."But...It's unlike you to be like this, Hibiki."

"I know...I'm sorry. It's just...We had finally united the world and made them come together. We all worked together to defeat Shem-Ha and Lucifer. And it all just crumbled so easily. Now, we're fighting something that escapes our understanding. And worst of all, there is nothing we can do to try and stop it like before."

"What do you mean?"

"Most of our enemies...I tried to reach out to them and come to an understanding by using our words. Maria-san, Carol-chan, Saint-Germain-san, and Vanessa-san. Even enemies like Terunosuke-san and Allister-san. But now...We can't dialogue with these new enemies. We can't talk with the demons and we can't reach the Calamities. I couldn't do anything to talk Setsuna-chan down...To make her come to her senses...My words are useless and that makes me so frustrated."

"Don't blame yourself. I was the one who failed Setsuna." Hajime watched as Hibiki turned around to face him, resting his forehead against hers."Besides, remember what the Commander taught you. If the enemy won't listen to your words..."

"Then beat them up until they do..." She finished."Does that mean...You're going to go fight?"

"Yeah..."

"Then I'll go with you."

"Stay here, Hibiki."

"No! Why?!"

"Stay with your family. Please, Hibiki..."

"But I love you...You're part of our family now." Hibiki said."You're my boyfriend."

"This whole thing started because of me...I want to end it. Even though it's a losing battle."

"Then let me come with you. You've suffered enough. I won't leave you alone." Hibiki squeezed his hands tightly."I love you...I wanted to spend my life with you. I really did...And thinking that that's not going to happen...That we're not going to get married and have a family...It hurts..."

"Don't cry, Sunshine..." Hajime gently kissed her on her cheek."It's not over yet. Maybe the Commander and the others will figure something out. One thing is for sure, I'm not going down without a fight. Not anymore. But...can you promise me something?"

"What is it?"

"Don't give up. Please..." Hajime pleaded, his voice as shaky as his body."I lost everything. I lost my family and now I lost my sister. The only reason I still keep going is you. If you give up...I don't think I can keep going, Hibiki...Not without you by my side..."

"I won't leave you alone. Never again. I promised you that, remember?" Hibiki tenderly kissed him on the lips to calm his nerves."No matter what...I'll stay by your side. Always."


Miku and Hibiki's Mom were chopping vegetables while Akira finished cooking. Hibiki's Grandmother was setting the tables and making sure everything was clean.

"Good thing we had some food in the refrigerator." Akira whistled, tasting his masterpiece."With all of this that's been going on and the riots, it's pretty much impossible to get anything from a supermarket."

"Yes...It's pretty bad." Miku said, her mind trying to focus on her task.

"How are your family, Miku-chan?" Harumi asked."Are they safe?"

"Yes. They are in Osaka. But with the cities being blocked off and the traffic in the transitive areas is horrible...I don't think they'll come."

"You can stay here, dear." Ayumi smiled, taking a seat."We got plenty of space in this new house thanks to Akira getting promoted."

Akira chuckled sheepishly, glad to receive a compliment from his mother-in-law.

"Thank you...And thank you for letting me help. I need to get my mind occupied or else...I start thinking about Bragi..." She suddenly froze, choking a sob.

"Oh, poor thing." Harumi rushed to the girl's side, bringing her close to her."It's okay...We're right here with you. Want me to call Hibiki?"

"No, it's fine..." Miku sniffed, wiping a few tears away."She's having some time with Hajime-kun. I thought I had cried all of my tears away but...They seem endless."

"It's normal. When you lose someone you love like that..." Akira offered her a sympathetic smile."We saw it on television. He saved all of you from that attack when you guys were pinned by those black arms. He's a real hero."

"He is..." Miku smiled fondly."He protected us..."

Suddenly, they heard someone knocking on the door. Harumi walked over to open the door and was met with a pleasant surprise."Oh! You made it!"

Miku looked toward the door."Tsubasa-san! Yosuke-san!"

"Good evening. I think. Not sure. It's hard to say if the sky is all ready." Yosuke said, holding a few bags in his hands."We brought the ice cream we had."


"I didn't know you were coming," Hajime said, surprised to see the older couple.

They were all seated at the dining table, enjoying the ice cream Yosuke had brought for dessert.

"We called Tachibana's parents ahead and told them to keep it a secret." Tsubasa responded."We wanted to give you a surprise. Sorry, you guys."

"No, no! It's fine." Hibiki waved her hand dismissively."Honestly, I'm glad you're here. Things seem a little more merrier now."

"Right." Yosuke nodded."I have to say, your cooking is amazing, Tachibana-san."

"Ah, well. It's one of my few qualities." Akira chuckled sheepishly."So, what brings you two here?"

"It's kind of lonely at home, honestly." Yosuke replied."And to be honest, we had all this ice cream we bought before and we didn't want it to go to waste. The others are...together. Just talking about their feelings. As you know, we lost two of our friends recently."

"We're aware." Ayumi nodded."You have our sincerest condolences."

"Thank you." Both of them said.

"So...What's your plan?" Akira asked, his voice full of concern."Once those monsters destroy all the other countries, they're coming straight to Japan, aren't they?"

"Yeah..." Yosuke swallowed the lump in his throat."But Tsubasa and I...We decided we're going to fight."

"You are?" Harumi blinked."But...it's extremely dangerous, isn't it?"

"Yes. But even then, even if we don't do anything, things are going to end badly. So, we decided that even if there's a 1% chance of us winning, we'll take it." Tsubasa smiled at her boyfriend."This is our home. We'll defend it to the bitter end."

"But we can talk about this later." Yosuke quickly changed the topic."Let's just relax. God knows we haven't had that luxury in a while, after all..."


Later that night, Hajime was sitting on top of the rooftop of the house, staring at the horizon. Ever since Ragnarok started, time has stopped, and there was no sun or moon to indicate whether it was day or night. All there was was the perpetual black spot in the sky where the eclipse was. The red skies and black clouds made it seem like it was early in the morning, just before the sun rose. But they weren't getting any heat. The temperatures were extremely cold, requiring everyone to be wearing tons of layers as if it were winter.

Occasionally, he would see the distant explosion, courtesy of the military being on the lookout for any stray demons that would occasionally try to attack.

"Can't sleep?"

Hajime shifted his attention to Yosuke, who was finishing pulling himself up to the edge of the rooftop.

"Not really sleepy after sleeping for 2 days straight." Hajime half-shrugged."The girls?"

"Tsubasa just texted me saying the fell asleep. As you can imagine, Kohinata took longer to comfort. She's still hurting, but Tsubasa managed to persuade her to get some rest. Tachibana was asking for you but I told Tsubasa to tell her you're okay." Yosuke nodded, sitting down next to Hajime."You're going to fight too, huh?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, you've never been one to just sit around for long. Not when it comes to something like this, anyway. So I guess Tachibana and Kohinata are coming too."

"Miku-san wants revenge. As does Elfnein-chan and Kirika."

"Revenge, huh? I can understand that. So Tachibana is going mostly to protect you. I can relate. I argued with Tsubasa for hours before she eventually convinced me she was going to come as well. I bet the others want revenge as well. Besides that, they're not going to sit by and wait for death. So I'm pretty sure everyone is going."

"I see..." Hajime trailed off.

"Still blaming yourself?"

"Sheez, are you psychic?" Hajime finally broke into laughter.

"I'd like to think I know you pretty well." Yosuke rested his chin on his palm, crossing his legs."It's been a long time since we all met each other, right?"

"Right. Got my Deck 5 years ago randomly. After the Zwei Wing incident. And then almost 3 years ago we met. I have to say, you were a pretty big jerk."

"And you were an insufferable brat," Yosuke said.

Both teenagers chuckled in unison, laughing at their own opinions of each other from the past.

"Seriously, though. "Ryu-kid?"." Hajime chortled."What kind of nickname is that?"

"Ryoko-san gave Akira that nickname once because he wouldn't stand still and always act on impulse. I guess...when I saw you in action, you reminded me of him. So it stuck around. But I called you that more so to belittle you. That's why after I realized what kind of person you were, I dropped it."

"I feel the same. You and Tsubasa-san were looking after us, even though you were hurting from losing your friends. But now, you're like a brother and sister to me."

"Well, you have always been one of the youngest. So it's no surprise you see us all older siblings." Yosuke pointed out.

"Yeah...The Captain and Jades-san...You and the 2 of them were what I always strived for. What a man should be like. Andreas was like a little brother too. Just younger than me. Raiden and I eventually started to get along but kept a firm relationship of respect. Then..."

Hajime ran a hand through his hair."Hamaguchi...and Bragi. You could say they were the closest to me..."

"Kuroiwa I get. But I never imagined you and Dienheim would develop such a strong friendship."

"It's weird. We hated each other. And yet, after every fight we endured together, we grew closer. During our final fight together, we were perfectly synchronized. We didn't need to say a word. I understood his desire to prove himself. And his motivation of love for Miku-san and Carol. And despite that...I couldn't save either of them."

Hajime pulled out the blue stone from his jacket."I let them down...I wasn't there when they needed me the most and I was completely useless. They died trying to protect me...to protect us...And I couldn't do anything for them..."

"And yet, you got that stone."

"Huh?"

(Play Yuuzora No Kami Hikouki)

"Kuroiwa was nowhere near you when he died. But that stone appeared in your hand. That's undeniable proof of your friendship with him. And how much you meant to both. For Kuroiwa, a priceless and long-time friend. And for Dienheim, a rival to surpass and someone he could look up to." Yosuke leaned back, staring at the crimson sky."You know...I never imagined I would have survived this long."

"Really?"

"Honestly, I always thought I'd be one of the first to die. I am the leader. I thought my responsibility was to protect you all. But...so many people died protecting me. I watched so many comrades and dear friends die in front of my eyes. Until...I made it here. To the last 3 Riders in our team. And you're one of them."

"I get how you feel...I...So many people died to protect me. Chao-Xing...My Grandmother and Uncle...Hamaguchi and Bragi..." Hajime clenched his fists."Why do I have to be the one to survive? Why do I have to see so many people give their lives just for my sake? I'm not worth all of that. All of those dreams... hopes and aspirations...gone...Because of me! I'm not worth saving...!"

Hajime gasped when he felt Yosuke wrapped an arm around him."Yanagi-san...?"

"They died to protect you. Just like Goro and my Dad died to protect me and Sakamoto died to protect Chris. And Jades to protect his brother. Those who sacrifice themselves for others do it because their heart compels them to. In my case, they did it because I had a responsibility to look after all of you. And in your case, because people believe in you."

"Believe in me...?"

"You're a Messiah. And by all means, you're the key to ending all of this." Yosuke finally looked him in the eye."And I would do the same for you."

"What?!"

"Adachi, you're key to ending this war. To put an end to all of this. Your boundless potential, and your ability to wield multiple powers...You are the only one who has a real shot at winning the Rider War. Kuroiwa and the others realized that so they didn't bat an eye to dying while protecting you. Because you are the savior who will save this world from ruin."

"But what can I do? I-"

"One important thing I learned is that people are going to die at some point. And sometimes, they die cruelly. But that doesn't mean we can just throw everything out because we're afraid of losing more or what's left for us. Instead, we have to honor those who died by taking advantage of the opportunities they gave us. Our friends did not die in vain, Adachi. And it's our job to make sure that stays true. Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That's what we call the present. And I think...that's worth fighting for, no matter how hopeless it seems. Because that's what our friends wanted the most. And you are the representation of that. You are the last hope we have. For them and us."

Hajime bit his lower lip before covering his face, crying in his hands.

"That's it. It's okay to cry. Doesn't make you any weaker." Yosuke cooed, comforting his junior. Both Riders stayed on the rooftop for another hour before Yosuke had to take Hajime to bed.'Even if it's hopeless now...We still have that wish...If we can get that wish, then...'

(Song End)


Meanwhile, the other members of SONG lounged around in the cafeteria after being dismissed from the meeting. All of them just stayed behind, not wanting to go out of the base since most of them didn't want to return to sad homes.

"Must be nice for the others. At least Hibiki has a family to go back to." Raiden said absentmindedly, moving his finger along the rim of his coffee cup.

"Raiden, please." Maria sighed.

"I didn't say it with ill intent. It's just that they're probably more cheery than we are."

"I doubt it. Miku just lost Bragi. It's a heavy loss on all of them...And Hamaguchi is gone too. The pain is...unbearable." Chris reminded him, arms folded under her chest.

"I can't believe it's been 2 days since all of that happened." Kirika hugged her knees, sitting on the floor."It feels like it's been forever..."

"Kiri-chan...You...haven't said your catchword in a while."

"Huh?"

"You have said "desu"." Chris clarified.

"Oh...I guess not." Kirika chuckled dryly."I just don't feel that energy anymore. I feel like...My soul has been crushed into tiny pieces. So many people I love have died...And just recently, Jades-onii-chan and Hamaguchi...I can't smile anymore...I don't have the strength..."

"Kiri-chan..." Shirabe frowned.

"It's not easy to lose someone you want to spend your life with. I know that." Chris said, her voice low, much to her usual tone."Even now, I cry for Takeru on occasion. It's something you never forget."

Elsa lowered her head in shame, but Chris smiled at her.

"Come on, you don't have to look like that everything."

"I'm sorry...I just can't help it." Elsa muttered.

"Hey, you're nothing at fault. And I moved past what Allister did. Takeru would have wanted the same." Chris sat next to Elsa, placing a hand on her knee."Right now...We're just two women mourning together."

"Chris..." Elsa managed a weak, grateful smile."Thank you."

"Raiden, where is Elfnein?" Garie asked the stingray-themed Rider.

"She said she wanted to work on something. She had an idea." Raiden briefly explained."She stormed out of the room as soon as she said that."

"Why aren't you with her?" Kirika shifted her attention to her brother.

"She said she wanted to be alone." Raiden shrugged."I didn't want to disturb her. She seemed to be focused on this task and-"

"You should have gone with her! She's your girlfriend and she just lost who she could consider a son!" Kirika snapped.

Raiden clicked his tongue in annoyance."Not everyone is high maintenance like you, princess. If she tells me she wants to be alone because she wants to do something, I'll listen."

"You just don't know how she feels. You're always so standoffish and never show your emotions! You couldn't know how she feels!"

"Guys, calm down-" Maria was about to interject, but Raiden stood up, fuming.

"And what should I do?! Sit on my ass all day like you and feel sorry for myself?! Is sitting around crying going to make things better?!"

"It's way better than not care at all!"

"And who said I don't care?! It's hard for me to handle, too! Who the hell do you think I am?! A heartless person?!"

"Yes! Because you don't ever tell us how you feel! You try to act all tough by not caring for your emotions or anyone else's!"

"Well, I'm sorry I also have my own personal problems and demons to fight. I can't go around worrying about every single person here!"

"Jades-onii-chan would never say that! You're nothing like him! You're the worst brother ever!"

"I'M NOT JADES!" Raiden stomped the ground."I'm not Teru-nii! And I'm not Hamaguchi or Hajime! I'm me, okay?! This is who I am! So do forgive me if the kind of person I am embarrasses you! And forgive me that instead of breaking down, and trust me, I want to, I am standing tall because I have to protect my sisters! Including you!"

Kirika's expression quickly changed to one of regret."Raiden, I-"

"That's enough." Maria said firmly, standing in the middle of the room."Raiden, go cool off."

Raiden didn't need to be told twice and left the cafeteria.

"I...I didn't mean to tell him that..." Kirika started to cry. Shirabe was on her side, hugging her.

"Oh, dear..." Tobias frowned."Everyone is so on edge..."

"Yes..." Garie nodded."The atmosphere is...tense."

"I know Raiden is going to go fight." Maria placed her hand on Kirika's shoulder."He loves you very much. He just...has a hard time expressing himself. He's always been like that. You two know that. He's not as vocal as Jades or Andreas. It's just his nature. But it doesn't mean he doesn't love you. You heard him. He'll protect you with his life. That's why...I'm going with him as well."

"I want to go too." Shirabe furrowed her brow."I...I want to talk to Wei. At least one last time..."

Maria was about to protest, but Kirika nodded.

"I want to avenge Hamaguchi. And I want to make Hazuki pay for everything he's done."

"No sense in trying to convince them, Maria." Chris managed a grin."I have a feeling everyone is going to go. Better than sitting around and waiting to die, right? If we're going to die...might as well die together."

"I...I guess you make a good point." Maria bit the inside of her cheek.'I wish you were here, Jades...I don't think Raiden or me can make these kinds of decisions...'


Genjuro finished yet another cup of coffee. He didn't manage to get much sleep either. No one could. Not with how the world was now. He examined the map on the screen, noticing how the black on the globe had extended. Ragnarok was advancing faster than anticipated. It would collide with Japan in 24 hours. Possibly less.

"You know...I have always taken my family for granted, you know?" Sakuya said, catching their attention."Despite the dangers we faced, we always had a light at the end of the tunnel. So I would just say, "I'll go visit them soon.", and kept pushing it back. Now...It's hard enough to even get out of your district. And even then, I don't know if they're alive or not. Countless people are feeling the way I do now...You too, right, Aoi?"

"Yes..." Aoi replied wearily."It's...hard to fathom. That everything is ending soon. All of human history...or lives..."

"Personally...I'd prefer if the children didn't fight anymore." Genjuro folded his arms."Even if they go out, they'll be slaughtered."

"It's better if they just stay still, but..." Ogawa clenched his fists."That would just mean that...there's no hope left."

"No. There is hope."

The adults whipped their heads toward the entrance of the command center, and everyone stood behind Hajime, holding their heads high.

"We talked things over. All of us." Hajime announced."And we're going to fight."

"We'll keep struggling. Because this world is worth protecting." Hibiki stood by his side, holding his hand."Even if it seems hopeless. We'll protect what we love until the very end."

"But...How do you intend to fight? You won't get past the army of demons." Genjuro pointed out.

"Elfnein has something in the works," Raiden replied immediately, holding Elfnein's hand.

"A way to counter a whole army of demons?" Aoi parroted.

"It's something that nearly ended all of humanity as well. Something that one of our worst enemies used in the past to produce countless enemies."

"Wait..." Genjuro's eyes widened."You mean...?"

"The Overall. Bragard's machine. It should still be in the Mirror World. Or what remains of it. Bragi-chan told me about it and how some of its parts may have survived the self-destruction." She said, holding a mirror cube in her hand."He was building this cube. A Mirror Core. If we can connect this to the Overall, we can combine this world with the Mirror World as well, creating a triple dimensional barrier alongside Helheim."

"Wait, but wouldn't that mean that Mirror Monsters would be able to pour into the world?!" Sakuya cried out in shock."Are you suggesting we should use the Mirror Monsters as our foot soldiers?!"

"Yes." Elfnein nodded."They'll be our main frontline alongside the Alca Noise. However, our main forces will be the infinite army of Alternatives."

"Back then, Bragard was creating millions upon millions of sentient Alternative armors." Hajime supplied."They are tougher than Mirror Monsters and Alca Noise. They'll be our vanguard. As for us, we'll head directly toward the World Serpent and fight the Calamities."

"However, I still require a large sufficient amount of energy to activate the Overall, if it even works...As well as combining the dimensions together..."

"But even if you do that, how do you plan on facing them?" Genjuro asked, and they all fell silent.

"We'll fight together...like we always have." Yosuke solemnly said though he knew his words were just wishful thinking. In his mind, he had an idea in mind. But it wasn't the most optimal one.'If the worst happens and Amaterasu and I go down, Adachi can use our powers alongside the ones we collected. Even if we're missing 4 Advent Beasts and Goldphoenix, it should be enough. But would it be enough to help him through all of these enemies...?'

"Actually..."

The group all turned to see Garie, who blinked at them in confusion. Stepping aside, Tobias came into view, raising his hand."What is it, dear?"

"There might be a way for all of you to close the giant gap between yourselves and the Calamities."

"And what might that be?" Hajime asked, curious yet hopeful.

"I...I want you to use Thor's power. Even at the expense of my life." Tobias declared, not a hint of fear in his eyes."I want to help end this once and for all!"