Reviews:

Shelong2000: Sounds about right.

Guest: Thank you. Yeah, that was the main idea. At least our heroes got some more time to prepare. But Yomi is on his way to them.

Tigracho: Honestly, this is my fault. I just lost all motivation to write that chapter out of nowhere. So I did what I could and submitted it. I feel embarrassed since I like to make dynamic and fun fights.

Right, I took inspiration from zombie movies/shows. I'm a big fan of them. And it always just freaks me out how the world can just become desolated and destroyed. And in a way, Ragnarok is like that. A plague that's spreading and eradicating everything in its path. And unfortunately, more people are dying, since SONG is still preparing. But they have to be extra prepared this time. During the raid on China, they couldn't prepare properly since they didn't know where the DDV was. But now, they know the Calamities are coming to Japan last and are finishing preparations for the fights of their lives. Because if they fail, the whole universe will be destroyed since Hazuki is planning to expand and "save" all of existence. And yes, he does have complete faith in the wish. They have theorized Odin is lying. I think Chiaki was the one who told that to Hajime. They think the wish is actually gained from getting all of the Rider powers rather than Odin himself giving you the wish since otherwise, he'd have gotten his own wish. Odin is part of the process. Hazuki has Wei in the form of Fenrir now, and conceptually, he can kill Odin if he gets him inside of his mouth. Now the problem is actually doing that. But he's his win condition, essentially. But with all this new power that he has, he's just that confident in winning. And like you said, he's just a broken kid with a twisted and warped mentality.

OOf, don't talk about deathflags. Which one of them would die? Mmmm. Yomi had a whole month and a half of doing nothing when he got his limbs ripped off. I guess he must have reflected. But you're very correct. I think Allister and Yomi might be the only ones. Unless I'm forgetting someone. Yeah, I feel bad about Garie too. I grew too attached to her. But at least we still have Elsa. And yeah, get ready since after this chapter we're entering the second round of SONG vs the Calamities.

Ryugen: It's Loki, but Jormungandr is his monster. My bad, I forgot to specify. You'll get the info here in this chapter don't worry. Thank you for the Cards. They came in handy. I love that song. I'll use it and it's very fitting.

Guest: Oh, yeah. I got that from Mahoraga lol. Yeah, they're terrible. They talk about saving the world and humanity but they're destroying everything around them.

Lord RI Husbu King: Don't worry. Everything will turn out okay. Trust the process. Believe in me.

Tenzalucard123: The plot thickens.

TheEmeraldMage: Maybe not, but it's one of my worst, at least in my eyes. I'm used to writing dynamic and interesting fights. This...didn't feel like that to me. But I couldn't just scratch the idea so I kept going. At least they gave SONG another day to prepare and rest. They have to be extra ready this time. They only have one more chance to win. If they fail, it's over for sure. I'm glad you like their interaction. Hibiki and Hajime have had their ups and downs. And went through a lot together. After so much pain, their love is stronger than ever and they're their motivations. But next chapter, the battle begins. Yomi can't wait any longer.

Dragstorm rider: Yeah, I know you were worried so don't worry. Everything is fine. Now things should proceed as they usually do.

Chapter 159
The Curse the Strong Carry

"I did not expect for them to get rid of the Custodians that quickly. They've displayed remarkable adaptability and learned their respective abilities swiftly." Odin the ground below him from up in the skies."Then again, the Custodians vastly underestimated their power. It was a good strategy to hide their Rider powers until the very end and then turn the tables before they could react. The Custodians are strong, but ultimately, they are a species mainly focused on knowledge. They are not used to go up against beings that can match their strength. They were fools for not planning better. Hmm?"

Odin noticed a bright neon light moving at great speeds over a completely black city, easily illuminating the place and showing the countless corpses on the ground. It was Yomi, in his semi-Custodian transformation, seemingly in a hurry.

"He's heading for Japan...Interesting." Odin mused, folding his arms."This will be a fight I do not want to miss."

"We're here!" Yosuke announced as the group barged into the command center, all of them dressed in their new and fresh uniforms.

"Good timing. I apologize if some of you were asleep." Genjuro turned around, facing the group."There is no time to explain. It appears something is approaching Japan. Something really fast."

The group exchanged nervous glances but Yosuke swallowed the lump in his throat."When is it getting here?"

"In 5 minutes." Genjuro frowned."Though it's accelerating, whatever it is, it's more than likely looking for us. And if it doesn't find us immediately..."

"It's going to start attacking Japan!" Hajime gasp[ed in shock."Oh, no!"

"We have to let it find us first!" Yosuke immediately bolted out of the room!"Let's go! We don't have a second to waste!"

Yomi entered Japan through Yokohama, noticing the lights down below. He could even see some people outside of their houses and soldiers patrolling the streets.

"Huh. I guess it's time to make my appearance." Yomi smiled to himself, lifting a hand in the air before someone shouted at him.

"Hey! Stop! We're right here!"

The Custodian blinked, looking down at the members of SONG, getting off an armored car. He then spotted him. Hajime Adachi, having been the one to have called out to him. Yomi returned to his normal form, grinning from ear to ear."Good morrow, cousin! I have missed you dearly!"

"Cousin...? Wait..." Hajime's face was drained of all color once he realized who it was."Yomi...?"

"Wait, what?" Chris furrowed her brow."That's that motherfucker Yomi?! But he looks so..."

"I thought he was blonde." Kirika tilted her head."His hair is as black as Hajime's...and that outfit..."

"Ah, you dislike it too, huh, blondie?" Yomi chuckled lightheartedly. He removed his white robes, now wearing only black pants, and a black sleeveless undershirt, contrasting his pristine skin."We got these weird clothes after we became one with the Gods."

"So...You..." Hajime gritted his teeth.

"I became one with Surtr. But don't let me bore you with the boring details." He waved them off with his hand."I came here alone. And I came here for one reason."

"Alone?" Elsa scowled in skepticism.

"And what do you mean by reason?" Maria demanded."Why are you here?!"

Yomi grinned, pointing at Hajime."I came here for him, of course. There's only one thing left for us to do, right, Hajime? A rematch that will test our new strengths and push them to their very limits! A final battle to see who will come out on top!"

"You came here...to fight me...?" Hajime tilted his head, baffled.

"You must be fucking retarded or something." Chris sneered."Did you come here all by yourself? Either you're extremely confident or plainly stupid. What makes you think we're not going to kill you right here and now? All of us?!"

"Well, I suppose you could do that." Yomi leaned back in the air, hands behind his head as if he were lying on an invisible chair."But honestly, I came here with good intentions just to challenge Hajime to a fight. All of you are very lovely people, I'm sure. But I am interested in him. And I came alone! It's a nice gesture of good faith, isn't it?"

"Like hell it is!" Raiden shouted at the top of his lungs."You are part of the reason why the world is the way it is!"

"Me? I did nothing but tag along for the raid." Yomi shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're just dodging the blame!" Hibiki shouted."You...You killed Shiori-chan and Kuriyo-chan!"

"And my fucking friends!" Chris bared her teeth at the boy."And almost all of our classmates!"

"You have no room to make excuses for yourself." Shirabe narrowed her eyes."You're a monster."

"Really? I mean, I did do those things." He groaned in exasperation."But does it really matter? I mean, most of the planet is dead now. What's so important about the deaths of a few people in Lydian?"

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

"You're all a bunch of naive children. Who cares if people live or die? It shouldn't affect you. Because in the end, that's just what awaits everyone, right?" Yomi smirked."What can you even do about it? I mean, you all failed to stop Ragnarok from happening. What's the point of complaining about it to me?"

"How can you say that...?!" Miku muttered in disbelief."All of those people...Our friends...And so many innocent families are dead...And you don't even care...?"

"Mmmm. I think you're the last person that can complain, Miku-chan." He wagged his finger at her, causing her to freeze like a deer in headlights. Hibiki stood protectively in front of her, gritting her teeth.

"You're a mindless psychopath! All you can do is twist your words to try and hurt us!"

"Maybe. But I'd say I did way more damage than you think." He snickered shamelessly."Anyway, I'm getting bored of this little debate we have going on. Can I borrow Hajime to fight now?"

"You won't be fighting anyone on your terms." Tsubasa addressed him after keeping quiet the whole time, taking out her pendant."You made a big mistake coming here alone."

"Okay, I guess that's fair." Yomi scratched his chin in thought, not at all perturbed that all of them were glaring murderous gazes at him."Then let me sweeten the deal. You guys...want to stop Ragnarok, right? I can tell you how to do it."

"How to stop it?" Yosuke blinked, puzzled."You'll tell us...?"

"It's really simple. It involves closing the Gates of Hell." He wagged his finger with a wink."But I'm sure you all noticed they were missing from their original positions, right?"

"Yeah, exactly..." Raiden looked around, noticing everyone else was just as confused as him."You guys hid them, right?"

"Yes...They're right..." He placed a hand on his chest."...here."

"Inside...you?" Elfnein asked.

"All of the Calamities. And the only way to close them is by killing the monsters that hide them. Fenrir, Surtr, Garmr, Nidhogg, Hel, and Loki. Including Jormungandr, the World Serpent, there are 7 gates of hell being protected. If you want to close the portal to Helheim and return this world to normal, then you have to kill all of us."

"Kill...all of you..." Hajime's heart sank to his stomach, and he immediately thought of his sister.

"You gotta make a decision, cousin. The world, or your dear sister?" Yomi said in a derisive tone."Though, I guess you already made that decision before, right? It shouldn't be that hard to pick the world again. Or what's left of it anyway."

"No! You're lying!" Hajime turned to the person who had cried out. It was Shirabe."That just can't be true! I refuse to believe that!"

"And why is that? Is it because...Wei is part of us?" Yomi wagged his eyebrows at her."Don't tell me you still have feelings for him. I thought a girl like you would have moved on by now. After what he did, don't you think he deserves to die as much as I do?"

"He's confused! He would...he would never want to do any of this!" Shirabe protested, tears glistening in her eyes."Hazuki is using him like he's using Setsuna-chan! They're not like this!"

"Ah, how adorable. Your love for him is so strong, it brings a tear to my eye." Yomi flipped upside down, twirling around."But it's true! Wei already made up his mind, sweetcheeks. All of them have. The destruction of all life to restore it in Hazuki's image. But I gotta give you guys credit! You all have such a beautiful friendship!"

Shirabe was about to yell again, but Maria grabbed her shoulder, shifting her gaze to the new God."And what about you? You excluded yourself in that sentence."

"I don't personally care about the new world or whatever." He flipped his body back, crossing his legs in the air."I'm just here for the ride, that's all. Though...I guess I do want one thing. And that...I will see when I fight Hajime once more. Hajime...recall our fight. Recall the incredible feeling we both felt like clashing fists. The feeling of liberation...It's what I seek the most. To fight a strong opponent without any regrets. Hajime...You and I...Only we can complete each other."

"Like we said, what makes you think we-" Yosuke was about to shut down Yomi's idea, but Hajime put his hand in front of him."Adachi?"

(Play Sen no Kiseki II OST - Blue Destination)

"You're right. I want to fight you." Hajime allowed himself a smile."But not because I think it's fun like you do. But because...I want to personally make you suffer for everything you've done. You...caused all of this to go down. That day...You kidnapped Setsuna and took her to Hazuki. You killed so many of our classmates. Shiori-chan...Kuriyo-chan...And I'll admit, if I hadn't lost control, I would have died that day. So this time...I want to fight you fair and square. And take you down with my own two hands."

"Adachi, are you serious?" Tsubasa grabbed his hand, a concerned expression present on her face.

"Yes. This is between me and him. Besides...if I can't beat him, there is no way in hell I can ever beat Hazuki." Hajime said solemnly, earning a laugh from his cousin.

"Yup. You're right on that. I am the second strongest Calamity. So if you can beat me, I'd say you have a pretty good chance at reaching the big man." Yomi jabbed his thumb behind him."You're so self-righteous. But that's what I adore about you. So, wanna go?"

"Hajime, wait...Let me go with you..." Hibiki stood in front of Hajime."Please...I don't want to...just stand aside and watch you get hurt...Sunny, please..."

"Sunshine...I'm sorry...But...Gosh, I hate this..." Hajime grabbed her by the shoulders, managing a weak smile."He's not entirely wrong. Some part of me...some part of me deep inside I'm trying to ignore...It's aching for this fight. As if I was waiting for this opportunity again. It's moments like this that I hate being a Liang...I can't help but...But I have to do it. I have to make him pay and beat him at his own game. For everything. Yumi-san...She begged me to get justice for Shiori-san and Kuriyo-san. I want to make right on my promise. I'll be fine."

"Let him go. He's got that look on his face." Chris stepped up, grabbing Hibiki's hand and pulling her eyes."The kind of look that he gives to someone that pissed him off. I almost feel bad about Yomi, honestly."

"Thanks, Chris-san." Hajime shot her a smile.

"If anything happens, we'll jump in." Yosuke assured him."Don't let your anger cloud your judgment, Adachi."

"Don't worry, Yosuke-san. I got this." Hajime marched forward. Hibiki tried to grab his hand but barely missed it.

"Hajime..." She muttered to herself.

"I knew you'd understand." Yomi seemed pleased, taking out his Deck."I'd say we should start nice and slow, but I think we already had a good taste for an appetizer before, no? No need to hold back."

"Fine with me." Hajime took out his Deck, tapping it 3 times before both of them yelled.

"Henshin!"

In a burst of flames, both Riuders transformed, clad in their respective armor with Ryuki already in Oversurvive form.

"So that's what Kugisaki looks like with the Calamity Deck..." Tsubasa whispered in awe."Do all of them have this kind of power?"

"If so, it's a good thing we're preparing for them." Maria nodded."We must pay close attention to this fight. If we can find a weakness, it can help us."

"Yomi, mind if we go fight somewhere else? I don't want to fight here in Japan."

"Mmmm. Sure, why not? I mean, we have the rest of the world to fight on anyway." Surtr obliged. Both Riders took off into the sky, flying away from Japan in a red glow.

"Should we go after them?" Kirika pondered.

"Not so fast." Yosuke told her."Adachi also drove Kugisaki away because of Kugisaki's insane area of attack. If we're too close, we'd be In the middle of the crossfire. We'll carefully maintain our distance and jump in if we have to."

"We're seriously keeping out of this?" Shirabe frowned."It doesn't feel right..."

"We have to trust in Hajime's words." Raiden hugged his youngest sister."If he thinks he can handle it, then he can handle it."

Hibiki's eyes were glued to the horizon, where two red dots kept going further and further away."Hajime...Please, be careful..."

(Song End)

Ryuki and Surtr had exited Japan, heading down Europe and looking for a good place to fight. Hajime felt sick looking at the devastation down below. He couldn't even fathom how many people had died. Clenching his fists, he looked behind him, noticing Surtr keeping his distance, allowing Hajime to lead the way.

"I knew they were going to do this...But...Seeing it up close, it's..." Ryuki shook his head.

"It's the devastation that Ragnarok brings about." Thor said."It's how our world came to an abrupt end."

"And all of them have this power..." Hajime shuddered as he looked back to the front."I was acting tough back then, but now that I get a sense of him...His power is in a whole other league than Hazuki's was after absorbing both Gai and Ouja's powers...It's...downright terrifying."

"But do not forget Lad, you have also become stronger after such an intense fight against Ryuga. And all of you have prepared for this, in addition to receiving my power. To win a fight against a foe, first, you must win a battle against yourself. Conquer that fear and make it your weapon."

"Yeah, you're right." Hajime nodded, looking back only to see a fireball coming straight at him. He narrowly avoided it, yelping in surprise.

"Sorry, sorry! I've been waiting so damn long I can't contain myself anymore!" Surtr was covered in a crimson aura of flames, launching himself above Ryuki and going for a kick."This place is as good as any! Let's fight already!"

Ryuki blocked the kick with his forearms, but still felt the impact of the attack as he was flung away through several trees."So heavy!"

He activated the energy wings on his back to slow down his momentum, landing in the middle of the forest.'Yeah, that was brutal! He's stronger than any of the opponents we have faced!'

Surtr appeared behind Ryuki, both of them back to back."We're just getting warmed up!"

Ryuki clicked his tongue. Both of their bodies were engulfed in auras of flames, calcinating everything around them in a burst of flames.

The dragon-themed Rider was once more crashing through several trees, doing a backflip before using a tree as footing, shooting himself over to Surtr.

"Bring it on!" Surtr laughed as both Riders winded their fists back before clashing. The shockwave turned the area around them into a wasteland, as they refused to let the other win.

"I'm so glad I didn't kill you that day during the Lydian attack!" Surtr giggled madly."Back then, you ripped off my arms and legs! You should have gone for the head!"

Both of them were sent flying in opposite directions due to canceling each other's attacks. Ryuki landed near a lake, rolling on the sand until he came to a halt.

On the other hand, Yomi shot a blast of flames to stop his momentum, examining his hand. He noticed the fist he used to punch Ryuki had the knuckles of his gloves slightly broken."Gungnir...Interesting. No wonder that stung. His fists are infused with that kid's Godslaying powers and are mixed with the Messiah's ability, making it a deadly combination. If all of them have this, then for sure everyone else will be in trouble. I should kill him right now and slaughter the rest of them."

A big grin formed on Yomi's face."But that's how losers think!"

"I can't let my guard down for even a second..." Ryuki huffed, getting back on his feet."I'll have to surprise him with the evolved version of Oversurvive when he least expects it. There's no way I can beat him like this."

"But he must be expecting something. I doubt he wouldn't find it suspicious that you came here by yourself under these conditions." Thor pointed out."And remember do not use the card I gave you. We must save it for Loki. It's our only chance at victory."

"That's fair. Then I'll have to make this count." Ryuki's eyes widened upon seeing the forest in front of him burning intensely."Here he comes!"

Ryuki blocked an incoming flying kick from Surtr and shoved him away. The ground around him started to shift and break due to the intensity of the attack. Hajime kicked the ground, chasing after Surtr and spiraling around, going for a roundhouse kick.

"Now you're getting into it." Surtr easily blocked the kick, elbowing Hajime in the chest and knocking the wind out of him. However, he took this opportunity to knee Surtr in the stomach before kicking his legs, sweeping him off his feet. He raised his fist, trying to smash Surtr's face, but the wielder of the primordial flame elbowed him In the stomach, launching him away.

Ryuki and Surtr drew two cards simultaneously and activated their attacks.

Shoot Vent: EmperorBlaster

Shoot Vent: SumarEraser

Surtr grabbed his flamethrower, shooting a beam of crimson flames while Ryuki used his metal cannon strapped to his left arm to shoot flames as well. The flames clashed with each other, creating a burst of flames. But both Riders were already somewhere else, chasing each other while shooting their respective attacks.

Ryuki huffed, unleashing a volley of fireballs toward Surtr, who created a wall of fire, consuming Ryuki's attack with ease.

Strike Vent: Biosnatcher

The Custodian looked above him, noticing Ryuki quickly flying down toward him with a green gauntlet in his free arm. He went for a punch, but Surtr caught him by the wrist, preventing him from moving.

"Aha! You scared me just now-"

The gauntlet opened up, and a stream of acid was spewed from within. Surtr narrowly avoided the corrosive liquid, throwing Ryuki away to gain some distance.

"You're just the gift that keeps on giving, aren't you?" Surtr laughed, enjoying himself.

"I have more surprises for you," Ryuki said.

Before he could ask what he meant, he saw a glow behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Surtr was met with a plethora of fireballs crashing against him. Ryuki threw away his weapons, clapping his hands together merging his dragon gauntlets, and firing a giant blast of compressed flames at the smoke. He felt someone grab his foot, and before he could protest, Surtr dragged him down, slamming him against a mountain. He kicked Hajime in the chest, sending him deeper into the mountain before conjuring a giant sphere of fire, chucking it down and causing the mountain to explode.

He had a wide grin under his helmet, enjoying the fireworks down below.

Suddenly, Ryuki appeared behind him, having used two cards. One, his Red Vent: Calamity Gate. He used his ability to teleport behind Surtr to take him by surprise. Second, he used his Strike Vent: Emperorknuckle. Two gauntlets several times bigger than Ryuki's arm were equipped to him, using them to punch Surtr on his back. The percussion hammers located at the elbows went down, creating a massive double impact that sent Surtr flying without control, parts of his armor breaking due to the sheer force of the attack.

"He got me good..." Despite the pain caused to him by the Godslayer, his smile never left his face. He ignited his fire aura once more, using his momentum to fly away while Ryuki followed him. Both of them were moving at great speeds and from space, one could see two bright orbs moving from place to place."Sword Vent!"

Sword Vent: SumarBrander

Now equipped with his nagitana, Surtr slashed at the air, sending a giant slash of flames toward Ryuki.

'Here he comes, Lad!'

"I'm ready!" Ryuki's gauntlets disappeared, drawing yet another card from his Deck.

Sword Vent: Leviathan Slayers

A pair of twin chainsaw blades appeared in Ryuki's hands and immediately hurled them toward Surtr while teleporting out of the way of the slash. Surtr parried the blades, watching as Ryuki came in for a quick. Using his nagitana to block, he kept a close eye on the swords as they circled back to him.

'I guess I should have seen this coming. Of course, he'd use his best friend's ability after he did. But this is too predictable.'

However, Ryuki looked behind him, and suddenly, he was replaced by one of the blades."Wow!"

Ryuki came from behind, kicking Surtr in the back of the head as the other sword slashed Surtr's back. Ryuki immediately followed up by preparing to launch another attack, but the Calamity Rider slashed his chest with his sword before kicking Ryuki away.

'He recuperated that quickly?! Are my attacks not doing anything?! But I'm hitting him!'

"Yes, but he's purposely taking some of these attacks..." Thor somberly remarked."I am afraid we underestimated him."

"So this...is the power of a God..." Ryuki's eyes shot wide open upon seeing a giant fist of flames smacking him, launching him down the side of a snowy mountain. During their scuffle, they had made it to Mount Everest.

"Oh, fuck..." Ryuki moaned in pain, sitting up and rubbing his chest.

"You still have ways to go before you reach your potential. You are the best of the best, aren't you?!" Surtr yelled, slowly descending to stand in front of Ryuki."Free yourself, Hajime! You will not defeat me otherwise."

"We'll see..." Ryuki huffed, not backing down at all.

"You know...I like this fight. Truly, I am. But I can't help but think that maybe we could have set things up better." Surtr leaned back In the air, hands behind his head."Back then, you went on a rampage and nearly killed me. But you can't do that anymore, right? Because that form was the incomplete version of your shiny Oversurvive form."

"What the hell is your point?!"

"It's just...You are at your strongest when you're going crazy. Like a rabid animal. Honestly, I was nice enough not to kill anyone back there since you came with me so willingly, but...Maybe I should..." Surtr snickered."It's not too late. Should I go kill Wei's whore, that Shirabe kid? Or perhaps...Kill your two remaining Rider buddies...Maybe I can do the widows a favor a kill them. Or maybe...I could kill your woman...And all of that while I force you to watch. Just like how I killed Shiori."

"You piece of shit!" Ryuki kicked the ground, dashing toward Surtr and missing his punch.

"What? Did I strike a nerve?" Surtr taunted, avoiding Ryuki's attacks with ease. He sidestepped, wrapping his arm around Ryuki's arm and twisting it, earning a pained moan."You and Amy-chan are the same. It's a waste, honestly."

"W-what do you mean?!" Ryuki tried to pull back, but Surtr's grip was intense.

"You guys go around with your little friends, all chummy and stuff. It's so mundane, honestly. Typical boring school life, going out with your playmates and then pretending like that's enough to fulfill your desires. But really, all you're doing is licking each other's wounds. At the end of the day, people don't give a shit about what others want."

"This again?!"

"Why not? Surely you've seen it clearly by now. In this world...there is no such thing as bad or good people. Just people with desires. You guys are probably blaming Hazuki and branding him a monster for this global genocide, saying he has a messiah complex, right? But you wanna know the truth? You guys are the ones with a Messiah complex."

Surtr shoved Ryuki with his shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground.

"You guys go around declaring you're gonna save the world. What gives you the idea that the world needs your saving? From where I'm standing, you guys and Hazuki are the same thing. Two sides with delusions of grandeur that think they know what's best for the world. When in fact, you're all just playing to be heroes. It's kind of disgusting."

"What, you think we should be like you?!" Ryuki ignited his energy wings, propelling himself toward Surtr, but the other fire Rider met him in the middle as both of them locked fingers. The snow around them began to melt, and the icy environment that was Mount Everest was reduced to a mere mountain with the melted water now covering half of the mountain, flooding the area below."Do you think we should just let the world be destroyed?!"

"You still don't get it. Forget about the world. Forget about everyone else. Just focus on what your heart desires! It's just as I said before!"

Surtr grabbed Hajime's hands, spinning around before hurling him into the sky."You focus too much on what you have to do instead of what you want to do! You will never break out of that shell of yours unless you toss it all away right here and now, you fake hero!"

Ryuki spiraled out of control, as Surtr continued attacking from all sides, leaving no place to respond. With a scream, Hajime created a bubble of flames, pushing Surtr away.

"You're still so very much naive! A little brat that thinks the world is all about people being good, sunshine and rainbows! Hajime...we're evil, don't you see?! Look at our family! Your worst enemies are the people that share your blood!"

Sword Vent: Emperorsaber

Hajime parried the incoming fireslashes from the nagitana with great difficulty, each attack holding incredible power behind them.

"That's the curse of the Liang clan...A curse which I started, by the way! In the end, I guess I did follow up on my Mother's words! The destruction of all life! And guess what, I don't give a fuck! Advent!"

Advent: Surtr

Surtr morphed into his giant form, immediately opening his mouth and unleashing a giant burst of flames.

Cross Vent

Surtr hummed in surprise, noticing something blocking his flames. It was DragEmperor after merging with Ryuki, adopting a more humanoid look, and wielding a sword and shield. With a roar, the dragon pushed the chimera's attack back, forcing Surtr to take off into the air.

"Finally! We can begin!" Surtr cackled.

DragEmperor chased after him, meeting him In the air."I won't let you run anymore!"

"Who is running, cousin?!" Surtr created small flame hands from his fire, sending them toward his foe. DragEmperor sliced the firearms with his sword, using his shield to block Surtr's tackle. However, the force of the tackle sent him crashing through a mountain, but not before hurling his sword at Surtr.

"Is that all?" Surtr effortlessly swatted the blade away with his flame tail. Much to his shock, DragEmperor had swapped places with the blade, shooting a massive fireball at Surtr's back.'He can use his Chaos Gate while in giant form?!'

Surtr lost control of his power, reverting to his Rider form as DragEmperor chased after him."But it's not enough, I'm afraid."

DragEmperor howled in pain upon feeling a beam of flames from behind him. It was Sumarbrander, which Surtr had purposely thrown to the sky and positioned behind Ryuki. Surtr quickly flew above the dragon before forming a fist of fire, slamming him to the ground.

Ryuki went back to his Rider form as well, groaning in pain.

"That was good. Yes, this is finally getting interesting. But you're still no match for me. Perhaps...you need extra persuasion. Tell you this, once I kill you, I'll kill your Rider friends. And...I think I won't kill the girls."

Ryuki froze in place, slowly looking up at Surtr.

"I have to say, I am envious that your group has such a wide variety of scrumptious women. Every single one of them is worthy of receiving me, so I think I'll keep them as my personal sex slaves before Ragnarok kills them. I'll never get bored. I'll show them what a true man is like, unlike their dead boyfriends. As for Hibiki...Yes, I think I'll save her to be my personal slut. I'll think of you every time I touch her body and cries out for me-"

In the blink of an eye, Ryuki was already in front of Surtr, going for a punch that the God managed to block. Despite blocking, he felt himself being sent skidding away with Ryuki pushing him.

"I'm going to tear you apart before I kill you, you monster!"

"There it is...I guess rage summons your power after all!" Surtr received a punch to the face, sending him flying away."More! Show me more! I want to hear you moan!"

Ryuki roared delivering a kick to Surtr's back, rocketing toward a desert area, crashing into a pile of rocks.

"If you want me...You got me!" Ryuki reached for his Deck, drawing a card."I have no choice! I have to take it to the next level!"

"Something is coming..." Surtr narrowed his eyes, noticing a thundercloud forming above Hajime."What the hell?"

(Play ReWrite the Story - Kamen Rider Sabers)

"No way I can lose this fight...I already let the others down...I promised Hibiki I would return! I still have to save my sister and marry Hibiki! So forge on, my heart! Divine Armement, burst!"

He scanned the card through his visor, the head of the dragon.

Oversurvive - Drei: Mirai

The one who forges the future with his bare hands!

Immediately, a lightning strike came from the clouds, hitting Hajime head-on as his armor began to change. Surtr was pushed back by the intense power, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping.

"Beautiful..."

"There it is!" Elfnein cried out as they watched the fight from afar, seeing the silver glow from the distance.

"Our cards are reacting..." Raia drew his own Oversurvive card, watching it pulse in reaction.

"This is it. Things are going to get serious now." Knight remarked.

"This is...something else..." Surtr giggled like a child, scanning Ryuki from head to toe. His bodysuit was now completely black, and for the most part, looked the same as his Survive form. With the exception that his armor was now completely silver instead of red."So this was your secret weapon. You guys have been busy."

"I'm not pulling my punches anymore, Yomi. I won't let you hurt any of my friends. I won't make the mistake of not finishing the job this time. This ends right here...RIGHT NOW!"

Ryuki aimed his right arm, quickly firing a bolt of lightning from it. Surtr narrowly blocked with his forearms, but Ryuki was already in front of him, going for a spiral kick, which Surtre blocked.

'Fast!' Was all Surtr could think before the kick sent him flying uncontrollably into a lake.

Hydro Vent

Ryuki raised his arms, lifting a massive tidal wave, morphing into and creating a giant water sea creature as it descended to consume Surtr.

"Accel Vent!"

Accel Vent: SumarIgnite

A comet emerged from the water, gracefully evading the attack and heading for Ryuki."You're mine!"

However, before he could reach him, a tendril smacked the comet away, and Ryuki lifted his hand, firing another thunderbolt. With a hiss, Surtr slapped it away with his sword.

'What card did he use...?! And why can he use thunder now?!' Surtr then gasped in realization."I get it now! Thor, that sly dog! So that kid is dead, isn't he? That's too bad. Like always, someone needs to get you out of trouble, Hajime!"

"Maybe so, but I wonder who is going to get YOU out of trouble, Yomi!" Ryuki bellowed, drawing a card from his Deck before scanning it.

Clear Vent

Ryuki disappeared from sight, alarming Yomi, who frantically looked for him.

Shoot Vent: Biocrossbow

From above, Ryuki was aiming Verde's crossbow, mixing lightning and fire into the arrow before shooting it toward Surtr.

He heard the distinct noise lightning made and quickly blocked with his Sumarbrander. But when he looked up, Hajime was gone.

"Come out, damn it! Stop hitting and fight me like a man!" Yomi bellowed.

"What's wrong, Yomi? Back then, you had no qualms about doing petty tricks and killing off innocent students to rile me up." Ryuki's voice echoed around the area as several arrows were shot from all directions, forcing Yomi to twirl his weapon to block. However, one of the arrows was engulfed with water and hit him in the chest before bursting into a jetstream of water. He gasped in pain, feeling the attack starting to crack his chest plate, and moved out of the way."But now that tricks are being used against you, you don't like them."

"Those tricks had a reason! I wanted to see the real you!" Surtr screamed, slashing at the air and creating several slashes of fire wildly.

"It's too bad you don't have your precognition while not using your Custodian powers." Ryuki used his Emperor saber to shatter one of the slashes into pieces while diving toward Surtr."Rider powers don't suit you! You can't even use your prized adaptation without them!"

Surtr flew up, going for a stab but Hajime disappeared once more. Without a warning, Ryuki appeared beside him, connecting a devastating punch across Surtr's face.

"THIS IS FOR SHIORI-SAN!"

The Calamity Rider didn't even react to Ryuki appearing from below, delivering a double kick to his spine, sending him up to the heavens like an asteroid going to space."AND THIS IS FOR KURIYO-SAN!"

(Song End)

Surtr clicked his tongue, drawing a card from his Deck."Pyro!"

Pyro Vent

Much like Ryuki's Ignite Vent, Pyuro Vent allowed Surtr the ability to manipulate flames. He created several arms of fire, shooting them down toward Ryuki, who responded in kind.

Ignite Vent

Ryuki countered by conjuring several arms of fire, as their attacks canceled each other out. Ryuki maneuvered around the attacks, zipping around like thunder and heading for Surtr, delivering an uppercut to the chin.

With a growl, Surtr transformed into his giant form, igniting his wings and flying higher into the sky. He used his arms to shoot two beams of fire and one from his mouth, forcing Ryuki to act quickly, drawing a card from his Deck.

(Play Impregnable Triangle - Yakuza Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth)

Union Vent

DragEmperor, Biogreeza, and Abyssodon appeared behind him, each of them charging their respective elemental attacks before shooting them in unison, mixing their attacks and forming a mix of elemental attacks. Both attacks collided against each other, illuminating the crimson skies like a lamp in the darkness as they fought for dominance.

Ryuki used his gauntlets, firing a beam of flames with lightning, adding to his attack. Surtr gasped when his energy was overpowered, launching him away further into the sky.

'He's getting stronger and stronger!' He gasped once he noticed how far the ground was. He wrestled out of the attack, watching it explode in space. He glanced down below, but DragEmperor struck him with his tail, sending him spiraling away as they entered the mesosphere. He was now silver instead of red, and like Ryuki...

"Take this!" DragEmperor roared, swiping his arm and shooting a barrage of lightning bolts.

"Guard Vent!"

Guard Vent: SumarRejecter

A giant shield in the shape of a gate appeared in front of Surtr, blocking the attacks. Two arms of fire grabbed the gate, surprising Surtr and before he could retort, the gate was slammed against him. DragEmperor tossed the gate away, flying toward Surtr and readying his sword. Surtr slapped a rock out toward DragEmperor, forcing him to slice it apart. However, the dust created from it served as a smokescreen for Surtr to tackle him as they both flew around space.

'What the hell?! Why does it feel like we're still on Earth?' Ryuki pondered inside.

"Take a look at the Earth, lad," Thor said. DragEmperor looked at the planet, noticing a crimson aura that had begun to expand outside of the planet and continued to grow."Ragnarok is leaking from Earth. If this keeps up, it will reach the entire universe."

'We're running out of time...' DragEmperor roared, headbutting Surtr and pushing him away. The fire giant of Muspelheim aimed his hands toward DragEmperor, spamming several fireballs at him, forcing the dragon to parry with his sword. DragEmperor charged and spat a fireball at Surtr mixed with lightning, causing him to duck out of the way in a hurry, only to receive a kick from the dragon.

"Ohohoho...That hurt..." Surtr chuckled dryly, opening his maw.

"Why are you like this, Yomi?" DragEmperor asked, lowering his sword and shield."Is fighting that important to you? You talk about how humanity is selfish and how we only care about our desires, but that's wrong. Shiori-san had only the best of intentions for you! Why do you have to be this way?!"

"You bring up Shiori again?" Surtr huffed in exasperation."Listen, man, I was into her. You know, she was a cute girl, blonde, and all that. But...she was more like a pet to me."

"What...?" DragEmperor lost concentration, defusing back into Ryuki and DragEmperor.

"Yeah...I mean, what can I say? She was just another woman I fucked man. Not the first one in this lifetime. Certainly not in my many lives. Believe me, once you live as many lives as I have, it all becomes a blur. She's no different than whatever skank I had thousands of years ago. There is no love involved. Just attraction."

"You're...You're sick..." Ryuki slowly shook his head."How can you be this detached...?"

"I told you before, not everyone is gonna be like you Hajime. If you expect the world to be the way your heart believes, you'll be in for a huge disappointment. People do things because they want to. All of us are. Even your dear sister. And it's all your fault." Surtr cackled, taking great pleasure in torturing Ryuki."In the end, regardless of how much of a hero people think you are, you're still just a piece of garbage who has let so many people die with your mediocracy."

"Yeah...You're right." Ryuki admitted, lowering his head."I am nothing but a cluster of disappointments. I was weak and couldn't save my family. I was too blinded by rage to see Andreas die in front of me. I let my grief overtake me and wasn't there for Takeru. I couldn't save Bragi or Hamaguchi. I hurt Hibiki's feelings...and my friends. And because of my neglect, my sister became a global genocider. And even if we stop Ragnarok, that's something I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. All of my mistakes...will accompany me even when I try to sleep."

"But even so..." He clenched his fists, surprising Surtr."Even so...I can't just give up now. Not when so many people need me. I...I don't live for myself. I live for others. And sometimes that's okay. Because if we only lived for ourselves and just what we want...we would all end up like you."

"What the hell do you mean? You and I are strong. Things like relationships and bonds are beneath us. Look at us! We're titans among mortals! Gods among men!"

"Wrong. I am just a human, despite everything. And I couldn't have made it here on my own. So many people sacrificed themselves for me. I can't disappoint the ones that I have left. I still have a reason to fight. A reason to live. You...don't have that, Yomi. Once you fall, who is going to be there to pick you up?"

"Then all I have to do is not fall, right?" Surtr retorted."What is this, a lecture? Are you trying to change my ways?"

"Just trying to understand. You keep saying we're the same, after all. But all this rambling you do...is just nonsensical bullshit."

"Heh. I guess that's to be expected. You're too engrossed in these dumb and ephemeral relationships." Surtr briefly returned to his Rider form to draw a card before becoming big again."I'll just have to show you what I mean! Final Vent!"

Final Vent: Primal Inferno

Surtr created a giant sphere of flames above his head, almost looking like a mini sun."If you fail to beat this, I'll wipe out the entire planet! I've given you plenty of reasons to fight! Now go all out!"

"Then I'll do just that!" Ryuki quickly scanned a card through his Deck as DragEmperor flew by him, morphing to transform into a giant sword. Abyssodon and Biogreeza turned into two energy orbs, cloaking the sword in a multicolored aura as Ryuki kicked the hilt of the sword down toward the supernova.

The sword collided against the ball of flames, both fighters roaring at the top of their lungs. The attacks couldn't withstand each other, and a huge explosion was the cause of the clash, flames falling to Earth as if they were a meteor shower.

"He canceled out my attack with his power...a power composed of him and his two friends." Surtr had reverted to his Rider form, orbiting toward the moon."My taunts and provocations...Last time he went berserk, and he nearly killed his friends in the process. But now...He's using that as fuel...a fuel to increase his willpower. He weaponized his weakness..." A chuckle escaped his lips as he landed on the moon, feeling the gravity being the same as the Earth due to the influence of Ragnarok over the Moon."How amusing. He's not the mere child I fought before."

Surtr looked up with a smile, noticing Ryuki quickly heading toward him."It's over!"

However, his power quickly faded, and he lost control, crashing into a rock. He had reverted to his regular Oversurvive form, rubbing his head."What just happened?!"

"We must have used too much power and sustained too much damage in quick succession. That Final Vent must have disturbed your energy and caused you to return back." Thor explained."But I'd say that's not a bad thing. Look at him."

Ryuki looked over his shoulder at Surtr, who had his back to him. His armor was in tatters, and his jacket was destroyed on the left side. He was breathing heavily as well, his shoulders slumping.

"He's reaching his limit too. And we dealt a great deal of damage to him."

"Yeah." Ryuki agreed, activating his Oversurvive Drei form again, lightning sparking through his body."I can go again and finish this fight. We're on the fucking Moon for crying aloud. Ragnarok is fastly spreading out, and if this keeps going..."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ryuki slowly turned around, seeing Surtr's body convulsing with laughter as he cackled madly.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Surtr's insane laughter slowly came to an end, shifting his attention to Ryuki."You're amazing! You're amazing, Haji!"

He removed his jacket, tossing it on the floor as he popped the joins on his neck."You performed amazingly. Your stubbornness to cling to your foolish concept of hope...it reached my heart! And it's filled me with love I was not privy to until now!"

Suddenly, his arms began to glow in strange patterns, which Ryuki easily recognized.

"Those are..." Ryuki recognized the Runes in his arms.

(Play FF16 The Riddle)

"All this time, I believed that my life was eternally cursed to suffer the lack of fulfillment and the agony of always remaining unsatisfied!" A burst of lightning emerged from Surtr, as his body began to morph. Two horns of lightning appeared on top of his head, and his arms turned into claws of lightning."But now! I have tasted your sweet flavor. An ambrosia so alluring that I will never be able to live without you in my life anymore!"

A wheel of lightning appeared behind Surtr, turning several times, indicating his adaptation cycle. His mask shattered, revealing a beast's maw with a trinity of eyes.

"He's mixing his Rider powers and with his Custodian powers?!"

Sword Vent: Sumarslayers

A pair of twin blades appeared in Surtr's hands, lightning chains attached to them and wrapping themselves around his arms.

"Let's keep fighting for all eternity, Hajime!" Surtr declared with utter glee."FOR YOU WILL BECOME MINE! THE EVER BURNING, UNFORGIVING FLAMES OF LOVE!"

Surtr jumped back, doing a backflip before lashing out one of his swords, stabbing a giant moon rock and launching it toward Ryuki, who quickly zipped out of the way. He noticed a lightning javelin landing next to him, exploding, and shooting Ryuki away.

"Scream..." Surtr took a deep breath beside Hajime before unleashing a loud screech."PULSE!"

"Shit!" Ryuki crashed through several rocks, noticing Yomi already up in the sky, forming a ball of lightning with fire. Ryuki combined his gauntlets, shooting a beam of flames and lightning. The attacks canceled each other, and both Riders were already in another section of the Moon.

Sword Vent: Miracle Forger

A large sword with 3 orbs alongside its blade appeared in front of Ryuki, quickly wielded it, and countered Surtr's attack, kicking him In the chest and sending him skidding away. Ryuki slashed at the air, sending a slash of water toward Surtr.

He kicked the ground, propelling himself upwards before conjuring two lighting rods, hurling them at Hajime, who lifted his sword again, casting a wall of water and shooting acid projectiles at his opponent.

"Hahaha!" Surtr screamed, creating an electromagnetic field, and disintegrating the attacks.

"Got you!"

Surtr raised his head, shooting a beam of lightning from his mouth that Ryuki narrowly avoided before releasing a scream of his own.

Nasty Vent: Howl of Chaos

The Pyro Rider was sent rocketing to the ground, but immediately jumped back to his feet and leaped back before Ryuki stabbed him with his blade.

Clink

"Atomic Blast!"

Ryuki miraculously parried the attack, causing it to create another crater in the environment.

"Atomic Blast! Atomic Blast! Atomic Blast!" Surtr continued to fire the rapid attacks, overwhelming Ryuki and creating a cloud of cyan dust."You're mine! Mine!"

The crimson Rider lunged at the dust with his blades, however, he struck something hard.

Guard Vent: Emperorshield

"What the-"

The shield released a powerful explosion that knocked him back.

Clink

"Playing hard to get! I like it when you put up a fight and play rough, Hajime, HAHAHAHA!" Surtr aimed his index finger at the shield, charging a beam of electricity mixed with primordial fire.

"Another attack is incoming!" Ryuki braced himself for impact, holding tight to his shield."Once I block it, I'll go full speed and attack him with everything I have!"

'There's a phenomenon that applies electromagnetism, which I control at a molecular level. It's a phenomenon when a particle can penetrate through a potential energy barrier that is higher in energy than the particle's kinetic energy. In other words..."

With a yell, Surtr fired his attack, and before Ryuki knew it, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He staggered backward, falling on his knees and noticing a hole in his suit. Thankfully, it had cushioned the damage, but the skin on his stomach was completely raw.

"How...?! The shield didn't even break!" Ryuki moved his shield out of the way and saw Surtr rushing toward him, sliding on the ground. Ryuki quickly jumped to avoid him, but Surtr wrapped his chains around his ankle, pulling him and slamming him against the ground. He yanked him toward him, elbowing him across the face, but Ryuki retaliated by giving him a horizontal kick to the face. With a giggle full of euphoria, Surtr kicked Ryuki in the chin, launching him In the air and lashing out his blades, slashing him on the sides before slamming him on the ground again.

Without wasting time, Surtr once more dashed Surtr Ryuki, winding his fist back and throwing a punch. To his surprise and glee, Ryuki had adapted, blocking the fist before throwing a hard punch of his own toward Surtr's chest. At the last second, he blocked the punch with his bicep, feeling his muscles ache in agony as he hissed. Subsequently, Ryuki jumped in the air and delivered a double kick to Surtr's face, causing him to stumble back a few feet before dropping to his knees.

Ryuki drew two cards from his Deck, becoming a red blur that headed for Surtr.

Strike Vent: Soul Burners

Strange Vent - Accel Vent (Alternative)

Before Surtr could react, Ryuki slammed both of his divine weapons against his stomach, sending Surtr flying away as he screamed in pain, crashing against a rock and leaning against it. The sides of his arms had two red fist marks imprinted on them as he forced a chuckle, watching his armor cracking as he drew a card.

"Then I'll give you a better one!" In the blink of an eye, Surtr disappeared.

Ryuki gasped as he was punched in the face and quickly kicked on the side. Before he could retaliate, Surtr placed both of his hands on his chest before releasing a high voltage attack."Conduit Breaker!"

The dragon-themed Rider convulsed in place, feeling the insides of his body burn immensely as he was electrocuted, crashing back to the ground.

"What the hell...was that attack...?" Ryuki tried moving his right arm, but couldn't. In fact, he felt his whole body going completely numb.

"He attacked your bioelectricity...He's incredibly skilled. Use your passive electricity to regulate your body!"

"I don't think there's time for that!" Ryuki grimaced upon seeing Surtr high in the air, shooting a lightning attack at the air, increasing it in size before shooting it down at him.

"BAD END THUNDER!"

Ryuki was struck by the giant beam, breaking through the ground and landing inside a large tunnel area.

"This is...wait, the Lunar Ruins...?" Ryuki sat up, examining the destroyed tunnel."Now that I think about it...when we were fighting Lucifer after we went berserk, the girls were fighting Noble Red on the Moon..."

(Song End)

"It looks to be what remains of them after that whole fiasco with Mother...Now, they're nothing more than ancient history. Well, I suppose this is where it all began."

Ryuki looked ahead, noticing Surtr landing a few meters away from him, hands behind his back."So then..."

"Yeah. I was born here on the Moon. Before I was sent to Earth as my Mother battled Enki down on the planet." Surtr touched one of the walls."Home sweet home, I guess. Though I was here for a very short time. Enough for my Mother to program my ship. It all started here...and it will all end here. Our journey...one of our dreams end today. Or not. I want us to experience eternal pleasure in battle."

"Yomi...No, Narfi, I guess. How much do you know about your Mom anyway?"

"Hmmm? Curious? Well, not much. Just enough. All she ever told me was to fulfill my role." Surtr scoffed."But that didn't interest me. World domination...and for what purpose? The Custodians labeled this side of the galaxy as a hazard and chose to move to a better side, ignoring what had happened here. I assume it was easy for them to do. My Mother was dead and Enki was dead. So that wasn't a big deal."

"You never met her again? I mean, she was around until recently."

"Yeah, but you maimed me, remember?" Surtr smirked."No chance to see her. Besides, there was nothing for us to talk about anyway. She was in that kid Miku's body. It would have been weird. What would I even say? She would have probably just berated me about not conquering humanity and reviving her sooner. So it's fine. But right now? I just want to fight you. Anything else...doesn't matter to me. Not anymore."

"Then...just this once..." Ryuki allowed himself a small smile."I'll forget about everything else too. Right now, only you matter. But this is gonna be the last round, you understand? Today...one of our dreams comes to an end."

Surtr gushed, his eyes sparkling in delight before grinning savagely."That's just perfect for me! I'm going to pound you so hard, your girlfriend will be jealous."

"You're still talking about the fight right, Narfi?" Ryuki asked, leaning forward. He received no reply."Right, Narfi?!"

(Play Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle: TEQ LR Broly Active Skill OST)

Like a wild beast, Narfi lunged at Ryuki, swinging his twin blades at him, forcing him to parry them with his blade. He went for a kick, but a fist of acid smacked him away.

Clink

He shook his head, engulfing his body in lightning and flames, just like Ryuki as they both raced through the tunnels, crashing against each other. Their powers grew as they fought, learning, adapting, and mastering each attack received and taken. Right now, they were two beings speaking through their fists, evolving through the only thing that connected them.

"Guiding Thunder!" Surtr screamed, unleashing an endless volley of thunderbolts down the tunnel. Ryuki immediately scanned two cards as branches emerged from the ground, blocking the attacks.

Dual Zone Vent: Natures Wrath

The tunnels were now flooded with water and trees, branches spreading around and trying to grab at Surtr.

"Not bad! Not bad at all! But it's a little cramped in here!"

Nasty Vent: Hell Rage

A wave of primordial flames was shot from Surtr, burning away the water and trees, canceling out the Zone Vent. A dragon of flames appeared from the inside of his own flames, striking Surtr and smashing him into the walls before bursting into an explosion. Ryuki had swapped back to his Soul Burners, flying away and deeper into the tunnel.

"Fine...then let's do it your way..." Surtr drew another card from his Deck before it burned away."Strike Vent!"

Strike Vent: SurmarAdjecents

Similar to his giant form, Surtr now had two gauntlets in the shape of claw canons at his disposal, immediately shooting two beams of fire across the tunnel, causing it to start collapsing. Ryuki aimed at the sky, shooting a thunderbolt and creating a hole to exit back to the moon's surface.

"Mere mortals don't know what true strength is!" Surtr emerged from another hole, transforming back into his giant form. This time, due to having mixed his Custodian powers, his fire had turned cyan color, and was brimming with electricity."But you will!"

"Oh, shit!" Ryuki was pierced by Surtr's tail after stretching it over to him. However, his body exploded into water, much to Surtr's confusion.

Trick Vent: Hydro Flow

Ryuki was above him, having drawn yet another card and forming two giant fists of flames.

Ignite Vent

"Guess again." Surtr easily smacked Ryuki back to the ground, bombarding him with several fireballs and forcing him to flee.

"I can't match his firepower if he's in his giant form. How does he have so much power still?!"

"I feel so alive! So invigorated! My heart is beating so fast for you, it feels like it will burst at any second!" Surtr combined the flames from his hands and mouth, mixing them with lightning before firing at the ground."Gamma Burst Flash!"

Ryuki stretched out an arm of fire, grabbing onto a rock and pulling himself out of the way. The attack went through the entire moon, but to Ryuki's dismay, it followed after him.

"This feeling...It's so alien to me! Something that was deprived of me since the day I was born!" Surtr said, moving his attack as he chased after Ryuki."Since then, I fought countless rivals throughout my many reincarnations, Hajime. But none ever even made me sweat! Long have I suffered the disappointment of lesser rivals. But it all ends with you. It all begins and ends with you. You are the key, Hajime!"

Ryuki had no choice but to use Alternative's Accel Vent again, moving out of the way just in time as the attack decimated the area where he was. Once he took a look around, he noticed a giant gash on the Moon, now being sliced into two parts.

"You're kidding me! This psychopath just cut the whole fucking moon in half!" Ryuki screamed in terror.

"I did not expect a power like this..." Thor admitted.

"But YOU!" Surtr glanced down at Ryuki, creating another giant sphere of fire."Have you the strength?! Have YOU the will?!"

"I have no choice...Thor, I have to use the card you gave me." Hajime said, slowly reaching for his Deck.

"Lad, you can't! That card is a one-time ability! If you use it now, you won't be able to use it on Hazuki!"

"If I die now, that won't matter anyway!" Ryuki gritted his teeth.

"I am second strongest, just behind Hazuki." He recalled Yomi boasting earlier."If you can beat me, I'd say you have a pretty good chance at stopping Ragnarok."

"If I can't beat him...How can I beat Hazuki without Thor's power..."

"Wait, Lad! Look!"

Ryuki perked up, seeing as Surtr's attack fizzled out and he returned to his Rider form, falling on his knees.

"I...I..." Surtr slowly got up, clearly having great difficulty.

"He's running out of energy!" Thor remarked with a boisterous laugh."He's overspending his energy reserves with his attacks plus using his Custodian powers as well!"

"Then..."

"We can win! Go for it, Lad!"

Ryuki didn't need to be told a second time and made a beeline for Surtr.

"You are mine, Hajime! Let us become one forever and ever!" Surtr created two blades of flames from his gauntlet, jumping in the air before starting to spin at great speeds, nearly slicing Hajime in half. He circled the moon, cutting the whole place apart without a care In the world.

Ryuki spewed flames from his gauntlets, pushing Surtr away and slowing down his momentum. Surtre swiped his hand, conjuring several lasers around Ryuki, causing them to move in on him. The Messiah weaved around them, feeling his arm break in some places as the lasers were getting too close to him. He winded his fist back, igniting his fist with fire and lightning."NARFI!"

"HAJIME!" Surtr propelled himself toward Ryuki, also winding his fist back. Both of them roared with all their might, throwing their respective punches as everything turned white.

(Song End)

"Seriously...What the hell are you drinking?" Yomi stared at Hajime's glass with judgemental eyes, holding his cup of alcohol in front of his face.

"Uh...Iced tea." Hajime bashfully replied."It's pretty good."

They were sitting one seat away from each other in the bar they were in, both of them wearing tuxedos.

"How childish. You're what, 17? What's next? You gonna tell me you never had sex?"

"I did, actually."

"Oh?" Yomi smirked haughtily."You answered that pretty quickly, cousin. You're proud of banging your girlfriend, aren't you?"

"Hey, you asked." Hajime shrugged nonchalantly, taking a sip from his drink."Narfi...I gotta ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Why did you decide to do the things you did?" Hajime ran his finger around the rim of his glass."I mean, you said you didn't want to follow in Shem-Ha's footsteps. And yet, you caused a bunch of chaos across history. You helped drive humanity to near extinction. So what's your true purpose? What are you really after?"

"I told you before, I-"

"Yeah, you said you do it because it's fun. But I'm missing a big piece of the puzzle." The raven-haired stared at the blonde, studying his facial features."What started that?"

"Hmmm. I'm surprised." Yomi snorted, placing his wine down.

"Why?"

"I didn't expect you to ask. I thought you'd be driving your sword right through my neck. But since you asked, I suppose I can humor you. After all, you've given me the pleasure of fighting you. So it's only fair if I pleasure you as well."

"Phrasing, man..." Hajime deadpanned, but Yomi ignored it.

"Well, when I got to Earth, the ship's computer disguised me to look more human." He explained."Unlike my Mother or Loki, I don't exactly look humanoid. You saw my Battlee Beast of Fallacies form. I look more beast than a man. At first, I lived on my ship. I was scared of the world, I suppose. I was still very young, even in terms of human age. It got pretty lonely. So sometimes I would venture into different civilizations. It was pretty primitive back then, nothing like today. So it was easy to pretend to be an orphan child and explore. Fortunately, I managed to learn human language, and would sometimes hear others speak around me. Despite that, I felt alienated." He chuckled dryly."How could I not? I'm an alien, technically. So, I would just go back to my ship and spend my nights there."

Yomi lifted his hand, attempting to grab the ceiling."I pondered what my parents were doing. What my people were like. I knew I wasn't human. So all I could do was think and imagine. I waited and waited, thinking they'd come to get me. But no one ever came. I didn't know until recently, but I was completely stranded in this part of the universe. But...I guess I never really belonged anywhere. I am a Custodian and an Aesir. I'm a hybrid. I don't belong on either side.

"You were alone...I bet you thought you couldn't fit in." Hajime gave him a slight smile."I guess I understand that feeling. I'm also a halfbreed, as you know. The Liangs pretty much vanished my family and pretended we didn't exist. In a way, it was a blessing, since we weren't slaughtered during the massacre. I hated the Liangs. Until I learned that not all of them are so bad. It's okay not to belong on either side. That just means you can jump around."

"Why are you all of a sudden being nice to me?" Yomi finally asked, confused."Where did your hate for me go?"

"Oh, trust me, I hate you with every fiber of my being. And make no mistake. One way or another, I'm going to kill you. You're not getting out of this alive." Hajime said with a smile, but Yomi could feel the killer intent that masked itself behind that, "But that doesn't mean I can't sympathize with you. It's alright to form some sort of understanding between people, even if they are your enemies. Hibiki taught me the importance of just sitting down and talking. So, here I am. Trying to understand you."

"That's fair. I suppose I should thank her then? So, as I was saying, I eventually just...started killing people. It started on a big scale, destroying town after town. I eventually became some sort of urban legend. So I kept going. But as you can imagine, they never stood a chance against me. No matter how much I held back."

"Why did you do it? Did you think Shem-Ha would come down for you if you saw you doing your job?"

"I think so. It's been a long time, after all. But I guess a child will always long for his mother. Though I forgot what she even looks like."

'I guess that makes sense.' Hajime pondered in his mind.'Bragi mentioned feeling the same way about Carol once. Maybe that's why Garie...'

"But after a while, I realized no one was coming. I was causing all of this for no reason. It brought me joy, I guess. To do something that wasn't just sitting and staring at the sky. But it all felt just...temporary. Like chasing after a high, and when you get it, it vanishes. So I...I killed myself."

"What...?"

"Yeah. I couldn't bear it any longer. It was too much. If this was going to be my life from now on, I didn't want to live. But...somehow...the next thing I knew, I was in another body. Several centuries into the future, due to how everything looked. My powers had diminished severely, and I had to develop them again. It happens every time I reincarnate. I start from zero. After I died after getting into a fight, I was reborn once more and that's when I realized I was being reincarnated repeatedly. There was never a specific set time. Sometimes I would revive hundreds of years later, sometimes a few days. It was like...what are those animes called?"

"Isekai?"

"Yeah, that. I was being Isekai to other lives. Particularly, people related to me. I forgot to mention this, but while in my first life, I hooped up with various girls. I imagine that the Liangs came from there. Not sure. Anyway, I was good at fighting. With or without powers. So I would do that. Fight as much as I could. Sometimes I would die. Sometimes I would live and continue until I died of old age. I guess I was never satisfied and that's why I kept coming back to life. So I made it my mission to fight the strongest fighter I could meet. And have all the fun I could to pass the time."

"So...This "fun"...You did it because it brought you temporary pleasure."

"Yes." Yomi laughed."Pathetic, I know. I wanted to die still. At the hands of the strongest opponent, I could find while fighting at my peak and fight the answers I sought. I met a strong opponent once. I'm sure you know him. The leader of the Bavarian Illuminati."

"You fought Adam?!" Hajime exclaimed in surprise.

"Yup. Unfortunately, during that specific reincarnation, my powers weren't awakened completely." Yomi rubbed the bridge of his nose."So, he killed me. He must have known I was a Custodian."

"Huh. I guess that's why he and Lilith seemed so confident in their ability to fight Custodians." Hajime mused."So you've been reincarnating over and over. Until recently."

"Right. And to my surprise, this era turned out to be the most fun one of them all. So many things were happening, so many strong opponents. When I fought out about you guys saving the world from the Moon, I knew this was it. This was the era where I would finally realize my dream. And it became so clear when we fought."

"I see...But Yomi...Did you find out the answers you were seeking, then?"

"No...I...I did not." Yomi seemed genuinely sad at his own words."It's a great fight. The best the world has ever seen, but...Hajime, what is strength to you? What does it convey to be strong? How can you be so at peace with those around you while holding tremendous power? I never figured it out. Everyone seemed so insignificant to me. People who couldn't even grasp what I represented. But you...You're different. I thought that being strong isolated you from others. So how are you not affected by the loneliness of the strongest?"

"Power isn't everything, Narfi. It doesn't define who we are. You wanted more than you needed." Hajime scowled."Pretend you got what you wanted. You fought a strong opponent and died. And then what? Or better yet, pretend you kill me. What will you do then? Kill yourself and reincarnate again to hopefully fight another strong opponent in the future. Is this what your life truly is? Just keep jumping from time to time eternally?"

"I-"

"You are Narfi the Custodian. The Aesir. But you're also Yomi the human. You've lived so many different lives. And yet, you weren't truly alive."

"What do you mean...?"

"Life is all about the little things." Hajime began to explain."It's okay to have a goal in mind. But we shouldn't make our lives revolve around it. The small goals in life are what build up the foundation for that big goal. You never enjoyed the things around you, because you just wanted to get to your end goal. And because you felt empty, you kept killing. But you had everything going for you. Shiori loved you. You have a sister that loves you. You said the people at your circus cared for all of you. But it was never enough for you. You were hungry. But that hunger...it became gluttony. Now you don't even know what you truly want. All you're doing is going on autopilot to the finish line, just for you to crash your car and try to start over. It's...very sad."

"You...You..." Yomi relaxed his face, chuckling lowly."I guess you're right. I...thought those things were not important to me. That once I fought you, everything would be resolved but...What would I do? I doubt another era like this will exist. I doubt another person like you will push me this far again...And...the wish..."

"Do you truly want to wish for a world where you always fight?" Hajime pursed his lips, lightly punching Narfi on the arm."A goal is important. But it's even more important because it has an end. Once it ends, you can see what's on the other side. The endless possibilities. You just want to be stuck in the same place. Think outside the box, Narfi!"

Yomi lowered his head, closing his eyes and covering them with his hand.

"You asked what strength is to me. I'll tell you. To me, strength is giving others my power. To use what I have to help those who can't do the same for others. Strength for me is something that doesn't belong to one person, but also to those around you." Hajime explained with a small smile."That's why I'm here. It's because of my friends that I have the strength to get up. And I return that by giving them love, loyalty, and affection."

Narfi managed a lopsided grin."Guess that's what sets us apart."

"Yeah. We're similar. If I hadn't met Hibiki back then...I think I would have been just like you. You never allowed yourself the chance to let someone else change your life for the better. Only you can make that choice. Sure, you're Narfi. And Surtr. But above all, you're Yomi Kugisaki."

"I see...I was not expecting that answer..." Yomi frowned."I can't say I understand it. But I do get where it's coming from. It's a shame. But you're wrong."

Hajime perked up at that, interested to know what he meant.

"I had choices. I just made the ones that landed me here today. But it seems...natural, in a way. I guess having a normal life like you and your pals was not in the cards for me." Yomi shrugged, taking another sip from his wine."Besides, what kind of idiot would I be if I back out now? All I can do now is keep going forward. I don't care about what I have done. You said it yourself, remember? One of our dreams ends today. So how about we put an end to this?"

"Sure." Hajime held out his cup, which Yomi gratefully accepted."Cheers."

"Cheers..." Yomi set his cup back on the table."Wonder if we could have been friends in another life."

"Probably. I know you'd be a great sparring partner." Hajime replied briefly."Seriously, though? Bad End Thunder?"

"What about it?" Narfi arched a brow.

"You got that from Precure, right? Smile Precure?"

"Oh, shit. You know that show?" Yomi smiled in good nature.

"Yeah, Setsuna used to force me to watch it before when we were younger. We would sit down on the weekends and just eat cereal the whole morning. I think that move belonged to the evil version of the blonde one, right?"

"Cure Peace, Kise Yayoi." He nodded."Despia got me into it. We lived in the same room, so it was hard not to. She was my favorite, I have a thing for blondes if that's not obvious by now."

"Yeah...I guess." Hajime's smile suddenly vanished, remembering Shiori.

"You like Vtubers?"

"Oh. Well, on occasion. When I'm on my way from school and I'm sitting on the train. It's refreshing."

"Who's your favorite? And what company?"

"Uh, I like the shark girl, Gura. I showed her to Hamaguchi and he was hooked too. He loves that kind of stuff."

"Hah. Normies. I like Gigi, Hololive, just like Gura."

"Man, you're weirder than I thought." Hajime guffawed.

"Sue me." Yomi huffed, turning away and smiling."You know, I knew I was right to let you guys live."

"Huh?"

"Back when you guys were escaping, I told the others I would shoot your plane down." Yomi easily responded."I purposely missed it. It was quite a pain too. Because Wei wouldn't shut up about it. But if you ask why I did it...it's because I wanted this fight. After you ripped off my arms and legs, I had a lot of time to think about my life. And my goals. I had a recent fight that only solidified my doubts. So I wanted to confirm something and make it special. I mean, it's my birthday after all."

"Wait, really? Your actual birthday or Yomi's?"

"Yomi's. Or at least, it should be today. Not sure, because of timing being frozen. As for my real birthday? I forgot a long time ago. Humans had a very different calendar than modern times, so who the hell knows?"

"Well...Happy birthday, man." Hajime beamed.

"Heh. Thanks, I guess. But it's almost the end of the day, and I want to get to the good part, so..." Yomi looked at him dead in the eye."Let's bring it to a climax."

Ryuki and Surtr were sent skidding away due to the shockwaves of their attacks, panting hard, exhausted. Surtr's Custodian form of lightning fizzled out, returning to his Rider form while Ryuki's armor turned crimson again.

'I can barely move...Everything hurts and I feel like I'm about to pass out...' Hajime breathed erratically, trying to catch his breath.

'I feel so weak...Like my whole body weighs several tons and I'm a frail stick holding my body together...The power of the Godslayer and the Messiah is tearing me apart...' Surtr rubbed his aching chest.

Both Riders glanced at each other, smiling from ear to ear as they both yelled at the same time."I'M IN PERFECT CONDITION TO FIGHT!"

"ATOMIC BLAST!" Surtr fired a small lightning strike from his finger, which Ryuki easily parried with his Soul Burners, rushing toward the God. He threw a quick jab, which Surtr managed to sidestep and spun around, going for a backhand with his gauntlets. Ryuki bucked his knees, avoiding the attack and going for an uppercut, sending Surtr stumbling back, disoriented.

Clink

Surtr took a firm step forward, going for a haymaker across Hajime's face, cracking his helmet. He quickly followed up with two punches to the face, but Ryuki used his momentum to punch him in the liver, prompting Yomi to gasp in pain. Yomo tried to take another step, but his knees buckled.

"Those body blows messed me up...!" He grimaced in pain, quickly weaving his head out of the way to another Ryuki punch. Surtr grabbed him by the arm and slammed his fist into his face. To his shock, Ryuki slapped his arm away and headbutted Surtr before kicking him.

He fell on his knees, feeling them as if they were jello.

'Now's my chance!' Ryuki ran toward Surtr, winding both of his Divine Weapons back.'With this attack, I'll-'

Suddenly, Surtr appeared in front of him, his wheel turning once more.

Clink.

Hajime could only stare in horror before Yomi electrocuted his body, affecting his bioelectricity and causing him to scream in agony. Smoke came out of his mouth and his eyes rolled to the back of the head before falling limp on the floor. His body spasmed for a bit before stopping entirely.

"It's over...That attack...should have fried your organs entirely..." Yomi couldn't help but scowl, feeling crestfallen. He examined Ryuki for a few seconds, clenching his fists."So that's it, huh? This...is where it ends. And despite it all, I feel...empty. I guess you were right, after all. I never was going to get what I wanted."

He bowed slightly, closing his eyes."Thank you for the meal. I'm full now"

After that, Surtr turned around, slowly walking down the destroyed moon, looking at Earth."Guess it's time to end what we started, huh?"

Surtr froze in place, a cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck, feeling all hairs on his body stand up. He slowly turned on his heels, staring at Ryuki, electricity sparking through his gauntlets.

"Impossible..."

"You're not the only one...with a God inside..." Ryuki remarked, raising his arms before propelling himself toward Surtr."You should have aimed for the head!"

Surtr jumped back, only to realize he had reached the end of one of the sides of the split moon.

"Guard Ven-"

Surtr was struck by a barrage of fists before he could even summon his barrier. Some of his teeth went flying out of his mouth with the first punches, and his armor shattered in pieces at the second dozen. Ryuki roared as loud as he could, his arms moving so fast they looked like blurs. From the outside, it looked like Surtr was being punched by thousands of punches. He was slowly being pushed onto the other side of the moon, unable to defend himself and completely at Ryuki's mercy.

"YOUR GAME...AND YOUR FUN...!" Ryuki jumped back before lunging at him again. Surtr threw a punch at him by mere reflection, but Ryuki avoided it at the last second, feeling his arm graze his helmet."...ARE OVER!"

The punch pierced through Surtr's stomach, causing his body to start glowing intensely. Ryuki activated his energy wings, quickly flying away as Surtr crashed into the center of the moon before a huge explosion went off, destroying the remains of the moon and pushing Ryuki away due to the shockwave.

Ryuki looked at the bright explosion, his shoulders slumping."Thank you for the fight. It was great...Hopefully, you can find your peace on the other side."

The Rider turned around, heading back toward Earth and leaving the humongous explosion behind him. The buffet for both fighters was delicious. But every good meal has to come to an end.

Clink

A while later, Ryuki had finally entered the earth's atmosphere and was heading down toward Japan.

"How you holding up, Lad?" Thor asked his new host.

"Like crap...I...I don't think I'm going to make it to the...to the...to...the..." Ryuki suddenly collapsed, his transformation running and out and returning to his human form.

"Lad!"

Out of nowhere, a large purple stingray caught Ryuki just in time, courtesy of Raia, who was sitting down on top of Evilbreaker in his Oversurvive form.

"Raiden..." Hajime muttered.

"You're insane." Raiden huffed in exasperation."What the hell are you doing going outer space?!"

"Sorry...I got a little bit carried away..." The younger boy chuckled bashfully.

"It's fine. Apologize to Hibiki when we get down. She begged me to come up here but by the time I was about to go out, I saw the whole moon exploding." Raiden removed his mask, heaving a long sigh."Good work. You did it. And with that, we've closed a Gate of Hell."

"We did...?"

"Take a look over there."

Hajime followed Raiden's finger, staring at the portal above everything and noticing how it had gotten significantly smaller as several demons were being pulled inside."Wait, that's...the eclipse. How...? The moon is gone..."

"It's a mere projection of the moon. But it seems that Yomi wasn't just talking out of his ass to bring down morale. When the Calamities die, the Gates of Hell in them are closed. Since you killed Surtr, the portal has closed up a little."

"But then...that means...Setsuna..." Hajime choked back a sob.

"We'll... think of something. I don't want your sister to get hurt either, despite what she helped create. But for now, let's get you fixed up. Elfnein has something for you that can help you."

"Yeah...A little rest sounds fine..." Hajime nodded. With that, Raia and Hajime descended to Japan, and for the time being, relished in their first victory over the Calamities. With the defeat of Surtr, they are one step closer to ending Ragnarok. And hope is finally restored.