Author's Note: So, sad news. XDU is over. Which, if you're not into the mobile game, I guess it's not the worst news ever. And also, they stopped translating some of the events a while ago so there's that. But still, it's the end of an era. But we also got confirmation of a new Symphogear movie coming up God knows when. Now, depending on whether they're continuing the series from XV, this could lead to a few issues. But for the sake of simplicity and not denying you guys the finale, I'll continue writing the story regardless of what the movie is about.

Also, if you see my story being published in wattpad or AO3. It's me so don't worry.

FlameFireZero X: Yeah, thanks for telling me. Apparently, it's two projects, one of them being a musical or whatever. And the other one is a movie. We have no more info other than that.

Akira: Yeah, it's heavily implied they're related but it's never confirmed in any sort of way. So all we can do is speculate.

primenidus: That just about sums up this whole story.

501awezome: I wouldn't say it's in sight. We still have to finish AXZ and then XV, which I have to say, is probably going to be just as crazy as how GX was. And then, a bit of a surprise, but there is going to be an extra season! Yes, you read this correctly. There will be a season after Shemmy goes down and it will mainly revolve around finishing the Rider war. As you know, the Disasters of Valhalla are plotting and gaining allies. Now 3 more in the form of Yomi, Despia, and Wei, 3 Liangs, which have an important role to play in the bringing of Ragnarok, according to Hazuki. I know that the Gears get destroyed, or allegedly destroyed after XV, but we'll figure something out. There is also Odin to worry about. So yes, there will be an extra season to put a stop to the Rider War and seize all the killings for good. It's going to be insane and I plan to divide it into 3 parts. It's all in one season, but it'll be in 3 parts, so to speak. You'll see what I mean.

Lord Ri The Husbu King: Yeah, even though those two are the oldest couple next to Jades and Maria, they have the most trouble expressing their feelings. Mostly just to keep appearances. Tsubasa is an idol so they can't make it super public. Japanese idols can't be in relationships, after all, so they have to keep it undercover.

Tenzalucard123: Andreas is a very expensive dog because he eats everything he sees. Jades is going to go broke just for him. Raiden confesses his feelings in the worst place possible. But better late than never.

Chapter 105
All For The Plan

"Come at me!" Raia flew higher into the sky, Exodiver zig-zagging to avoid S. KNight's wind slashes. He was currently in his Darkraider form, flapping his wings as he continued trying to hit Raia.

"Then stop running, bastard!" S. Knight sneered, extending his wings and activating the turbines, releasing a powerful gust of wind toward Raia. The stingray-themed Rider was taken off of Exodiver, freefalling to the ground. He grabbed his visor, creating a psychic arrow and shooting it at the beast. S. Knight spun around, avoiding the projectiles and morphing into his humanoid form, sprouting bat wings. He released a powerful screech that stunned Raia, giving him enough time to dive-kick him in the chest.

To his surprise, Exodiver rammed into him from behind, knocking the wind out of him.

Shoot Vent: Exo Arrows - Type Explosive

Raia quickly created three arrows, shooting them without a second thought. The Shadow Rider used his Darkcape to protect himself, forming a tornado as he flew over to Raia. The young man used his bow to block, feeling himself being pushed back by the black tornado.

"I'm surprised you blocked!" S. Knight praised him.

"Back when we were with FIS, I had to train with Maria-nee constantly and her ridiculous cape." Raia gritted his teeth, charging up his psychic energy, and released it at once, knocking S. Knight back."So I'm used to this!"

"Maybe so. But if you think I'm anything like your Symphohear friends, you have another thing coming, kid." S. Knight said, summoning his Darkhalberd, immediately lunging at Raia.

He quickly shot an explosive arrow, causing S. Knight to strike it with his weapon and creating an explosion that sent them both flying back. Exodiver circled around as Raia tried to look for Knight in the smoke. Due to the darkness of the skies, he couldn't properly pinpoint where he was, due to his color scheme. An arrow of wind struck Exodiver, making it release a screech of pain. Raia shifted his attention to the skies, where S. Knight was shooting from his Darkarrow, the crossbow mode of his visor.

Raia jumped away from Exodiver, trying to get his enemy's attention while his monster recuperated.

Psychic Vent

Using his psychic abilities to keep him afloat, he shot himself toward his enemy as he slid a card into his Deck.

Sword Vent: Exo Blade

The edges of his visor became sharp as blades, wielding it from the middle as a double-edged sword. S. Knight grinned, conjuring his Darkblade to meet him in the middle. However, he was boosting his blade with his Tempest Vent, creating a gust of wind that overpowered Raia. But the pink Rider was not going down without a fight. He paralyzed S. Knight in place before throwing him down to the ground below."It's no use!"

"Those are my words!" A tornado conjured under S. Knight, propelling him toward the sky as he slashed Raia's chest, sending him staggering backward. As he was about to fall to the ground, Exodiver flew by, picking him up. With a wave of his hand, Raia shot several arrows at Knight, who blocked them with a giant slash of wind that cut through the concrete.

"This is bad," Raia muttered to himself, riding on ground level. He noticed the incoming traffic and panicked, realizing that S. Knight had no qualms about involving civilians. And he was correct since the Rider began shooting javelins of wind at the ground, forcing Raia to block them in place and shoot them back with his psychic powers."We have to take this fight back to the sky, Exodiver!"

Exodiver took off into the sky, changing trajectory and heading for S. Knight.

"Tch! Coming at me this time, huh?" S. Knight clicked his tongue, summoning several clones. Raia created several psychic projectiles, shooting them at the clones and forcing them to block just as his Psychic Vent ran out. He flew by them, slashing them with the Exo Blade until he reached S. Knight, stabbing him through the chest. To his shock, the Shadow Rider exploded into countless bats, obstructing his vision. Exodiver knew what was coming, and flopped upside down, narrowly saving Raia from being skewered by the Darklance.

"Holy shit...that was too close for comfort..." Raia took a deep breath, his heart pumping rapidly. He knew he couldn't let this get him scared. No. He's faced worse situations before.

Shoot Vent: Exo Arrow - Type Homing

He drew the arrow back, shooting it into the sky. To S. Knight's bewilderment, the arrow exploded into a thousand different ones, raining down toward him. He quickly flew away, activating the turbines on his wings to accelerate but the arrows continued chasing after him. He engulfed himself with wind, creating several wind slashes that attacked in an omnidirectional manner, destroying the arrows pursuing him.

He noticed more arrows coming from in front of them and concentrated his wind on his lance, thrusting it forward as he began to break through the volley of arrows, closing in on Raia, who was flying in front of him. Raia fired one more arrow, but this one was an explosive one, which S. Knight unknowingly detonated. The explosion sent him rocketing away, leaving him in a dazed state, his ears ringing. To finish him off, Exodiver rammed into him at full speed, sending him crashing to the ground and creating a large crater.

"You...I've had enough from you!" S. Knight gritted his teeth in fury.

"I feel the same way. So let's end this." Raia challenged.'Good. It seems that we were right. Shadow Riders can't become stronger unless they're fighting their real counterparts. I'm slowly starting to grow stronger and stronger. So as long as I don't come in contact with mine, he won't get any stronger. However...I can't let this guy come into contact with Yosuke-san...No. I won't let that happen. No matter what!'


Down below, Knight was riding on Darkwing in its bike mode, guiding S. Raia as he flew in the skies in his Exodiver form. The flying stingray continued shooting psychic beams from its tail, but Knight was able to maneuver his bike to avoid taking damage.

"Hey! Stop running!" S. Raia cried out.

"I'm not running. I'm riding my bike."

"Grrr! You fucker! I've had enough of this!" S. Raia shot a beam of psychic energy at the ground in front of Knight, lifting the rocks and hurling them at Knight.

"Darkraider!" Knight cried out, wings sprouting from the sides of the bike as they flapped rapidly, dispersing the debris with wind. Exodiver circled the highway, appearing in front of Knight as he transformed back to his humanoid form, wielding his Exo Blade.

Knight unsheathed his Darkblade from his visor, parrying the attack and weaving his head to avoid the kick from the Shadow Rider. S. Raia rolled on the ground, conjuring his Exo Whip, a serrated whip that he lashed out toward the back of the bike, grabbing to the wheel and pulling. The wheel was destroyed, causing Knight to fall to the ground as the bike changed back to Darkraider.

"I got you now!" S. Raia's whip became stiff like a sword, much like Maria's own whip, and lunged at Knight, who barely parried the attack. But the force was enough to send him flying away before he halted, a green aura surrounded his body.

"What the-"

He was suddenly slammed repeatedly on the ground before being tossed into the inside of the highway tunnel, the green aura disappearing.

"I didn't know Amaterasu was this tough to fight..." Knight picked himself up from the ground, blocking an incoming arrow with his visor. But since it was an explosive type, the shockwave of the explosion sent him rolling several meters away.

"Come on, that can't be all you have." S. Raia taunted."Are you really this weak?"

"No. Amaterasu is just strong." Knight grinned under his helmet."Plain and simple. Tanaka-san is right. I'm here to help them surpass me and become better. To guide them. You pushing me this far just means...that they're on their way to becoming great."

"Tough words." S. Raia conjured a giant arrow, shooting it at Knight."But you're still going to die!"

Tempest Vent

Knight raised his hands, creating several small tornados that collided against the sides of the giant arrow.

"What's he doing?! Is he slowing down the momentum? But what will that matter when you have more to worry about!"

S. Raia pulled back on his bow, shooting several Homing-type arrows that flew around the tornados and headed for Knight. But with a swing of his arm, he released a strong whirlwind that sucked in the arrows. He clasped his hands, increasing the size of the tornado, and fired it at S. Raia. The Shadow Rider screamed as the wind began to cut around his body, not allowing him a second to react. Knight finished by throwing back the giant arrow from before, launching S. Raia away and crashing into a wall. He immediately morphed into Exodiver, taking off into the sky to gain some distance.

"Still, you can't damage me if I keep my distance." S. Raia pointed out.

"True. I'll say, Amaterasu is faster than me regarding aerial speed. But I found a way to compete with him. Don't think that I need Darkraider to fly and catch you." Knight said, conjuring wind at his feet."I learned this from two of my previous foes. Phara and Zeke. Let's see if I can pull it off like they did."

His legs were now covered in a small whirlwind that shot him at insane speeds toward S. Raia, catching him off guard and slicing off one of his fins. The Shadow Rider screamed in agony, reverting to his humanoid form. To Knight's surprise, his arm was intact.

'Can they regenerate? No...there's something else...' Shaking his head, following after him and sending several wind bullets at him. S. Raia, panicking, morphed into his bike form, revving the engine as hard as he could.

"Now you're the one running away, huh? How the tables have turned..." Knight felt his wind slowing down, his Tempest Vent starting to run out. He concentrated his power in one attack, swinging his arms and creating a devastating current of wind that decimated everything in its path. S. Raia gasped but was too late, the attack launched him into the sky and completely began tearing through his body, leaving various lacerations.

Advent: Darkraider

Darkraider equipped itself to Knight's back, helping him glide toward his foe as he began falling to the ground, grabbing him by the ankle as he began to spin him around at great speeds, using Darkraider's turbines to increase his acceleration. He hurled S. Raia away, crashing into S. Knight as he was about to attack Raia. Both impostors crashed against a post, knocking it down.

"You okay?" Knight asked Raioa, who was catching his breath.

"Yeah...sorry..."

"Don't be. You're still a far cry from surpassing me, but you're strong. I'll make sure you're stronger than me in no time."

"Yosuke-san..." Raia breathed, taken aback by his friend's words.

"Let's tidy things up and meet with the girls," Knight said, taking out his Co-Link card.

"Right..." Raia nodded, realizing he had completely forgotten about Prelati."Let's try it out. Yosuke-san, I think I understand. What it means to look out for someone. You don't necessarily have to do things for them, but let them grow on their own. And help them when they hit a roadblock. I'm sure...Shirabe must have figured something out by now, right?"

"Of course. And you too. You've come a long way since the first time we fought back then."

With a firm nod, both Riders slid their cards into their respective visors.

Co-Link Vent(x2)

Gale Crystal Zephyr

Darkraider and Exodiver merged, creating an aura of dark purple energy that surrounded both Riders and took the shape of an eagle, releasing constant wind as it took off into the skies. The eagle screeched loudly, a green aura surrounded its body and made it appear as if they were flames.

The Shadow Riders stumbled over their feet, realizing the attack was inches away. They had no time to scream as the eagle consumed them, taking off into the skies before exploding in an explosion of light.

Knight grabbed Raia's hand, staying afloat thanks to Darkraider's wings."You alright?"

Raia glanced down at the ground, taking a deep breath."Yeah. I'm fine."

"Good. Let's go check on the girls."

"Right..."

"Something on your mind?"

"No. Nothing..."

"You're worried about Prelati, aren't you?" Knight asked as they began to descend from the skies.

"Is that bad? I mean, I know she's our enemy. And she did force herself on me, but...Maybe she's just scared. You saw her face. This...doesn't feel right."

"No. It's not bad. It's normal to feel conflicted about these things. But she chose this. They chose this. They've killed countless people. There is nothing we can do for them now except put an end to their misery. We can't afford to give them an opening. You saw what happened when we did."

"Right...You're right." Raia sighed, deciding not to press the matter further."But still...I wish there was something we could have done. I'm sick and tired of fighting for my fucking life like this. All of these deaths


"You just don't know when to give up, do you?!" Prelati growled, using her kendama to smash the divide of the road and change lanes.

"Tsukuyomi! We need the Unison!" Tsubasa hollered.

"But I can't..." Shirabe frowned, dejected.

"Why not?"

"Maria and Kiri-chan can do it with anyone. And the others can do the same." Shirabe clenched her fists."But I can only do it with Kiri-chan!"

She took a deep breath and Tsubasa listened intently."I don't know how to work with people. If it's not with my siblings, I don't feel comfortable enough..."

"The walls you've built are tall, Tsukuyomi," Tsubasa remarked, making the other girl frown.

The girls gasped when Prelati smashed through the divider again, appearing in front of them as they entered a tunnel.

"Some time ago, I lost two of my dear friends. I vowed never to lose anyone dear to me again and that feeling made me push people away."

"Friends...Do you mean Amou Kanade and Akira Nishitani?"

"That's right. But I realized that pushing people away wasn't the solution. I learned that when Goro died. You have to keep those you love near you. Because you never know when you'll lose them. Tsukuyomi, your walls, or rather, your bubble, aren't there to push people away. It's to protect them."

"What do you mean?"

"You're afraid of hurting them, so you put distance between yourself and them." Tsubasa nodded."But in doing so, you'll only end up hurting yourself and them!"

"Then...what should I do?"

"I believe your brother told you already, didn't he? Just be yourself." Tsubasa smiled."And slowly let people in. That's your kindess."

"Kindness...it's not my kindness, but that of everyone near me." Shirabe said, finding her resolve."You all care so much for me that I want to return that feeling in kind!"

"I'm happy you're finding yourself, but will you please just fuck off already?!" Prelati screamed, shooting a ball of fire at the ceiling and causing it to crash down as Prelati reached the exit.

"Hah! Serves you right!"

To her annoyance, she heard something from within the smoke.

"Dainsleif."

(Play Fugetsu no Shisso)

The two girls shot out of the flames, both clad in their Ignite forms.

"Come on! You should have died from that!" Prelati punched her kendama in frustration.

"There's a residential area ahead!" Tsubasa said, revving her bike."Let us strike!"

Tsubasa shot forward, her blades extending from her bike, and moved to push the blade into the kendama.

"Stop getting in my way!" Prelati readied a magic circle, only to feel someone else had struck the kendama. She glanced over to Shirabe, who had extended her saw."So you matched each other's rhythm?"

Both girls continued ramming into her, trying to get her to slow down.

"No one should have Diviner Power!" Shirabe cried out.

"Oh, trust me. I share that sentiment!" Prelati retorted, leaping onto the kendama to unleash a huge wave of water, forcing the Symphogears to slow down."Good luck singing underwater!"

"She's trying to block our way!" Tsubasa yelled.

"Then we just have to break through!" Shirabe replied, shooting a barrage of buzzsaws and forcing Prelati to block. They rode on top of a boulder, shooting above the water and past Prelati. She smacked them away with her kendama, but this only helped in making them land in front of her and bet everything in a single strike.

Tsubasa took the lead while Shirabe's saws grew until they formed two massive saw-wheels. The wheels attached themselves to Tsubasa's bike where the sword enlarged, forming a massive bladed ramming vehicle.

Swift Union of Wind and Moon

"I have to warn St. Germain! I can't fail here! I have to tell her that Adam means to kill us!" Prelati stabbed her staff back into the kendama, pumping more energy into it. That made it transform again, the staff turning into a spear while the rest of the kendama grew larger into a vehicle similar to the Symphogear's. Both sides collided with each other, pushing for dear life.

Both Symphogear roared, overpowering Prelati as she cried out for St-Germain's name as everything exploded. The girls rolled on the cold ground, losing their balance once their vehicle exploded. Shirabe groaned, grabbing her head."Did we win?"

"Yes. We seized victory together." Tsubasa sat up, looking into the flames before smiling at Shirabe.

"Tsubasa!" Knight yelled as he and Raia landed from the sky. He quickly rushed to her side, helping her up."Are you okay?"

"Yeah...we're fine. You beat the Shadow Riders?"

"That's right. And...I take it you..."

Raia stood beside Shirabe, staring into the flames."I wish there had been another way..."

"I'm sorry, Raiden..." Shirabe grabbed his hand.

"No. It's...okay. There was no other choice, so..." Raia removed his helmet, taking a deep breath."Just...she didn't deserve to die like that. No one does."


The group retreated to the shrine to get some proper rest after the shenanigans that had just occurred. Shirabe yawned, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she headed to get a glass of water. But that's when she noticed Bragi, sitting outside and browsing through his tablet. Curious, she went out to meet him.

"Bragi-kun? What are you doing out this late? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"Oh. Shirabe-dono." He perked up at the sound of her voice."I'm good. I don't require much sleep. So I'm just killing time and doing some research."

"Research on what?" She said, approaching him.

"This may sound weird, but I was doing some research on you. We were browsing through the files we recuperated from FIS back when we were trying to perfect the LINKER. Your first name was...Tsuki, right?"

"I think so." Shirabe nodded, sitting down next to him."It was with some of the things that I had."

"And well, this place is called the Tsuki Shrine, right?"

"Yes?" She said, confused as to where this was going.

"And the Priest said he had a granddaughter around your age that supposedly died in a car crash." Bragi glanced over to her, meeting gaze."What if you're his granddaughter?"

"Huh?" She blinked, bewildered.

"It's all just a theory right now. But it makes sense. I know Tsuki could mean a lot of things and is rather a central topic in spiritual things and whatnot. But it could be possible. If you want, I can ask him and see what he thinks. We could do a DNA test."

"Thanks, Bragi-kun. But it's okay." Shirabe smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm happy with how things are. Back when I was first brought in by FIS, I was scared. I had no memories and no recollection of my past. But...they extended their hands for me." She adopted a wistful smile, remembering her siblings."Atticus-nii-chan, Jades-nii-chan, Maria, Serena, Kiri-chan, Andreas, Raiden, and even Teru-nii. Even with some of them gone, I'm not alone. Because I also have wonderful friends by my side. For me, family is more than being blood-related. It's the people that can make any place feel like home. You feel the same way toward Elfnein-chan, right? She's not Carol, but you love her like a mother all the same. So...at least for now, I'm okay with things being as they are."

"I see." Bragi nodded, allowing himself a grin."I completely understand. Well, I guess I can stop looking into that and go back to my research."

"Another research?"

"Yeah. Now that most of the Shadow Riders are down, and only St. Germain and Raphael remain, I'm sure they're about to unleash S. Ryuki." Bragi said with a solemn look on his face."So I have to be ready."

"Are you nervous?" She genuinely asked, a hint of concern in her voice."You don't think you can lose against an opponent that defeated all the other Riders?"

Bragi took a moment to ponder her question before responding with a big smirk. "Nah. I'd win."


That night, St. Germain stood in front of the shrine, having finished preparations for the ritual. She had to admit, it felt lonely being by herself. Usually, she was surrounded by 3 more people who were loud in their own ways. But now, she was alone. Suddenly, she heard the phone ringing and went to pick it up.

"Prelati's dead! She ran over like the frog she loves so much!" Came the loud voice of Tiki.

St. Germain's eyes widened at that."What...?"

"Unfortunately, this is correct." Adam's voice came through."We've lost even Prelati now. What a waste. It seems the choice is obvious, dear. I did not want you to sacrifice your beloved Raphael, but he's the last man standing. Come back to the base, we need to prepare the final part of the ritual before we're found out."

The line went dead and St. Germain clenched her fists in anger."First Cagliostro and now Prelato...I can't let the same thing happen to Raphael...I can't..."


Back in S.O.N.G's HQ, Raiden was fidgeting uncontrollably, pulling onto the collar of his shirt as he waited patiently inside a resting room.

"I can't do this."

"What do you mean you can't?" Jades chuckled."Just talk to her man. You've confessed. All you gotta do is sort your feelings out. Come on, don't leave her out in the open."

"Y-yeah, but..." Raiden rubbed his arm."It was out of the blue...My heart is not ready..."

"Well, how do you think she feels?" Jades sighed."Look, this is a big step in becoming a man. You have to be ready to be open with your feelings. Especially toward a girl."

The door opened, revealing Maria accompanied by a flustered Elfnein, who kept her gaze on the ground due to her nervousness. She locked eyes with Raiden and the bespectacled boy blushed.

"Well, we'll leave you two alone," Maria said, gently pushing Elfnein inside as Jades winked at Raiden, heading for the door. The oldest couple closed the door behind them, leaving the two alone.

"H-hi, Raiden-san..." Elfnein muttered, her eyes darting around the room.

"Hello..." Raiden said. He stood up, pulled the chair next to him, and patted it. Elfnein slowly followed and took the seat, sitting next to him. There was a long pause, neithjer of them doing or saying anything.

"Be a man...Confess your feelings for her..." Raiden whispered to himself, mustering all the courage he could."Elfnein-chan..."

"Y-yes?"

"You heard what I said..."

"Yes..." She meekly looked in his direction."D-do you...mean that...? Are you in...l-l-l-love with me...? Truly...?"

"I am." Raiden said, his voice leaving no room for argument."I love you."

She felt a sense of relief washing over her before continuing."But you've been avoiding me all this time..."

"I know. And it was cowardly of me to do so. But...I was so ashamed that Prelati stole my first kiss." He rubbed his nape."I know it sounds childish, but I was ashamed of how you would feel about me. And...I wanted you to be my first kiss too. I've been in love with you for a while. Probably when I first met you. I felt...something spark inside of me when I first laid eyes on you."

"When we first met?"

"Yeah. And as I got to know you better. You're just so kind and so innocent, like a delicate flower. And yet you're so smart. I've drawn in by your intellect." Raiden confessed."Your bravery is also your biggest quality. Back when we were fighting Carol and Bragard you stood your ground and refused to back down."

"You're kind too." Elfnein reached for his hand, squeezing it."You didn't even know me and for all you knew, I could have been an enemy. And yet you came coming over to visit me and talk to me. You taught me how to play volleyball and always look out for me. I feel safe when you're with me...So...I don't know much about this kind of thing. I tell Bragi-chan if he has any doubts, he can come to me. But I'm just as inexperienced."

"What does your heart tell you?"

"I feel so warm inside. It feels really good." She beamed, her smile causing his heart to skip a beat."I want to experience more of this feeling with you, Raiden-san. So I can say for certain that...I love you too..."

"Really...?" Raiden asked, his eyes widening.

"Yes." She nodded timidly.

Overjoyed, Raiden stood from his chair and engulfed her in a hug. She squeaked, but wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tippy toes."So...we're a couple now?"

"I believe so?" Elfnein tilted her head with a soft giggle."So what do couples do?"

"I believe they hold hands." Raiden took a step back, grabbing Elfnein's hand.

Elfnein adored how his hand felt encompassing hers."It's warm...and it makes me feel safe..."

"Her hand is so small..." Raiden muttered, blushing profusely.'I want to hold her...and protect her.'

"I think Maria-san said that couples...kiss..."

"Oh...okay..." Raiden cupped her cheek, leaning down slowly.

Elfnein closed her eyes, standing on her tippy toes and shaking in anticipation. As expected, their first kiss left much to be desired. Their lips just smacked against each other, hitting each other's teeth.

"I'm sorry...I'm not an expert in this..." Raiden confessed, resting his forehead against hears.

"Me neither. But..." She brushed his nose with hers."I'm sure we'll get better over time, right?"

"Yup. That's the plan. I love you, Elfnein." Raiden said, bringing her closer in his arms, dropping the honorifics.

"And I love you too...Raiden." Elfnein did the same, deciding that she didn't need the honorifics anymore.

"Alright! Congratulations!" Jades burst through the door, clapping."That's my boy!"

"Jades!" Maria groaned, followed by Bragi.

"What the-You guys were watching?!"

"Yup!" Jades nodded shamelessly."Good job."

"Bragi-chan, I-"

"It's fine. As long as you're happy, I'm happy." Bragi said, shifting his gaze to Raiden."But, the whole uncle thing..."

"We don't have to have the kind of relationship."

"Good. I think it would have been awkward."

"Way too awkward."


The next day in Lydian, Hibiki finished her homework, releasing a loud sigh."Finally! I thought I'd never be free!"

"Good work." Miku smiled."Thank you."

"Huh? I'm the one who should be thanking you for helping me."

"Well, you are keeping your promise. You promised you'd take care of both your missions and your homework. And you're doing just that." Miku elaborated.

"Oh. Well, I'm just following the path with the least resistance." Hibiki giggled."I'm not smart enough to choose what's right. Kind of reckless of me, huh?"

"Sounds like you." Miku nodded."Also...I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize? What for?" Hibiki wondered as Miku took a seat next to her.

"About the things I said to you about Hajime-kun before. About you leaving him." Miku said, hiding her face."I wasn't thinking straight. I was just projecting my fears and insecurities...thinking that Hajime-kun was the same as Hazuki. I was...afraid of you suffering again. Just like back then. I thought that Hajime-kun was that light you needed in your life, so when he left, I was upset. Because I feared that you'd sink back into that depression. But you did it because you love him. And he loves you. He was struggling too. His heart was broken after he lost his family. I heard he tried to kill himself again...I was so unfair to him and you. You don't have to forgive me, but-"

"It's okay, Miku. There's nothing for me to forgive you for." Hibiki shook her head, grabbing her shoulder."I know you were just worried. And you were looking out for me. I could never hold that against you."

"Hibiki..." Miku began to tear up."I'll have to apologize to Hajime-kun next time I see him. And hopefully, Bragi-kun and he can start getting along."

"Now that seems like asking for too much. Those two are like oil and water hahaha!"

The door burst open, courtesy of Kirika and Hamaguchi, who had two big grins on their faces.

"Two more days until Hibiki-san's birthday-desu!"

"I'll cook up a feast for you, Hibiki-chan!"

"Idiots! You're going to break everything!" Chris hissed.

"It's fine, it's fine! A birthday is a birthday. We gotta be excited! Plus, you're the one who brought it up!"

Chris, enraged, threw an eraser right in his face, knocking him to the ground."Moron!"

"What's all the fuss about?" Miku asked.

"Chris-san told us about Hibiki-san's birthday." Shirabe supplied.

"Huh? Really?" Hibiki's eyes gleam in happiness."You remembered!"

"I wasn't trying to! It just came up, okay?!" Chris huffed, pouting.

"But you sounded very excited about it." Hamaguchi continued teasing her."Just be honest, Chris-chan. It's not very attractive."

"Aw, shut your trap! We'll be late for the meeting!" Chris stormed out of the classroom, glancing back."Hurry up!"


"Good. You're all here." Genjuro nodded, acknowledging the group."Then let us begin the briefing. Put it on screen."

Aoi typed on her console, putting the images they got from the Tsuki Shrine on screen."Based on the scrolls and legends you studied at Tsuki Shribne, along with your battles with the alchemists, we have concluded that their objective is the mirror Orion formed by these intersecting lines."

"They will likely attempt to draw the power they seek from the Divine Gate at this location." Ogawa picked up the explanation, reading from his notes."We're coordinating with the Shrine Association to reinforce defenses at these key points and coordinate a full-scale evacuation of the area."

"What kind of monster are they trying to create?" Maria furrowed her brow."If it's comparable to that monster we fought in Val Verde..."

"If the name has anything to do with it, then may not be a monster but a god that rises from that gate."

"Can we even fight something like that?" Chris clicked her tongue.

"Why so worried? We have Bragi here with us, ain't that so, buddy?" Hamaguchi wrapped his arm around the monochrome-haired boy.

"Uh...yeah. There is always a way, right?"

"One of those ways is the power of deicide," Genjuro said, earning their full attention.

"What's that?" Jades scratched his head.

"There are stories all over the world of so-called gods having faced death. We do not have enough information, but years ago, Germany discovered they had a relic in their possession, and it had ties to killing a god."

"Killing a God? That sounds fucking awesome! What is it?!" Hamaguchi jumped up and down.

"Unfortunately, the data we received from Val Verde, along with most of the data relics in the old Kazanari base, were all destroyed by Adam Weishaupt's chrysopoeia and Bragi-kun's Catastrophic World Breaker."

The hybrid homunculus scowled, closing his eyes in shame.

"However, it's notable that Adam made a special effort to destroy everything." Genjuro placed a hand on the boy's shoulder."He could have very well been trying to cover up any clues that could lead others to realize that power."

"That leads me to believe that they believe that there is a power capable of defeating them exists," Yosuke stated.

"That's right. But then again, Hajime-kun might be the factor we need."

"And why is that?" Bragi arched a brow, irritated.

"The Messiah." Yosuke perked up."I see. So maybe the Messiahs have the power to defeat Gods?"

"It'd make sense." Hamaguchi nodded."After all, we did defeat Chiaki, who was a God. And he was the one doing all the work and damaging her."

"The Messiahs..." Thor had switched places with Tobias."I see. It might be worth a try."

The group nodded, discussing amongst themselves. On the other hand, Bragi clicked his tongue, angry that they were relying on the Boy Wonder when he wasn't even here.


"Can't we use Takeru-san's weapon?" Raiden asked as the group gathered in the cafeteria."I mean, it was what ultimately killed Zeke. And he was a Divine Being too."

"But Bragi-kun isn't able to deconstruct that card yet." Maria pointed out."But back then, when we fought that serpent, there was something else I noticed. Hibiki was able to punch through it. Perhaps that Relic...the deicide, is the Gungnir."

"Makes sense. I mean, the Gungnir is Odin's spear, right? A weapon wielded by Odin, the strongest God. So maybe it has something to do with it." Yosuke rubbed his chin."But as far as we know, it has no god-slayer legends associated with it."

"So it's kind of like Chao-Xing's Mjolnir?"

"Pretty much. And like Nakahara's Laeveteinn. They all have that in common."

"So all we can do is wait." Chris sighed."I don't want to agree with Bragi on this, but waiting for Hajime to recover isn't ideal."

"Plus, he still doesn't know that Hajime-chan is awake." Maria rubbed the bridge of her nose."That's going to be a lot of trouble when he finds out."

"Can we talk about something else?" Hamaguchi groaned."All this serious talk is so boring and ruins the mood."

"He's right!" Kirika pumped her fist in the air as Hibiki and Shirabe walked toward their table."Listen up, everyone! I've got a great idea! Hibiki-san's birthday is in two days, on the 13th! Let's throw a party! Oh! A double party for Blacky-kun too-desu!"

"So soon?!" Hibiki tilted her head.

"Are we imposing?" Shirabe asked, worried they were overstepping.

"No, no. I'm glad you offered." Hibiki shook her head."It's just difficult, given the circumstances. Kirika-chan and I are the only Symphogear that can fight, after all. So the pressure is harder on us."

"But it's your birthday!" Kirika protested.

"I guess, but-"

"It's fine!" Hamaguchi waved his hand."We're here too, you know! You definitely gotta have that birthday. Besides, we have Bragi with us after all."

"You've been hyping him up a lot," Yosuke remarked.

"I feel guilty lying to him. Plus he's a cool guy." Hamaguchi chuckled.

"You two are way too careless. You need to grow up a little." Chris huffed.

Kirika deflated at that, but Hamaguchi grabbed her hand, reassuring her.

"I-it's fine! Thanks for trying!" Hibiki tried to ease the mood."I'm sure...Hajime would appreciate the sentiment as well."


Later, St. Germain slowly walked toward the shrine. She spotted a man in the shadow and raised her hand, shooting a sphere of light that immediately killed him. The corpse dispersed into particles of light that quickly gathered in the palm of her hands."73,809." She did this a few more times, increasing the number.

"You okay, St. Germain?" Raphael asked, riding on top of Donatello."There's way too many of them."

"They've probably figured out our plan." Tiki guessed."What are you guys going to do about that?"

"It's fine." St. Germain said, disrobing herself. Out of respect, Raphael glanced away.

"I'll go on ahead and protect the area. I have a part to play, after all. You guys do what you gotta do." He said, sparing St. Germain a glance."Good luck."

"Same goes for you." She said, unable to look at him. Raphael left the area, riding on Donatello and St. Germain held her hands up at the shrine, a magic circle appearing.

"I'll use the life energy I've gathered to set up the central control plinth. Like an emerald gem, it flickered among the stars as the souls of many and more joined it."

However, the magic circle quickly fizzled away and St. Germain fell back to the ground."W-what just...?!"

"What happened?!" Tiki demanded as she scanned the sky and the ground."No way! They cut us off! The energy flow is cut off!"

"Impossible! How can that be?!"

The phone rang, and Tiki rushed to pick it up."I see S.O.N.G managed to activate the keystones.

"Adam! You know what's going on?! This is bad!"

"Don't worry about it. I have a plan prepared for this." Adam took a deep breath."We simply need to destroy the keystones. I've already dispatched Raphael and Lilith. They'll lend us a hand. But for now, it seems you two have visitors."

The two women looked up toward the sky, seeing a helicopter in the skies with Hibiki, Kirika, and Hamaguchi standing on the edge of it before jumping down.

"Balwisyall Nescell Gungnir Tron..."

"Zeios Igalima Raizen Tron..."

"Henshin!"

Both Symphogear immediately entered their respective Ignite Module forms while Abyss entered Survive form.

"Symphogear and Kamen Rider?" St. Germain hissed."Is there no limit to your tenacity?!"

"Uh...you're naked, lady. Nice breasts." Abyss pointed at her, Kirika quickly covering his eyes.

"Don't look, pervert!"

St. Germain quickly activated her spellcaster as she and Hibiki rushed at each other. To their shock, a pillar of flames appeared in front of them, and S. Ryuki made his presence known.

"It's Shadow Ryuki-desu!"

"Why is he here?!" Abyss gasped.

"Seems you ran into some trouble, St. Germain." He mused, glancing behind him."But don't worry. I'm here to assist. After all, I'm the last remaining Shadow Rider. So it's only fitting I make my great entrance now."

"This is bad-desu!" Kirika clenched her scythe.

"Actually, it's not as bad as you think." S. Ryuki folded his arms."I want to fight against Ryuki himself. But clearly, he won't show up unless I make him show up. So for now, I'll make him show up. I could kill all 3 of you right now. But how about this? Abyss. Let's make a deal."

"A deal?"

"Like I said, I could kill all 3 of you right now. But if you fight as hard as you can and earn my attention, I could spare them. So how about it? Do you want to fight me? All alone?"

"Don't do it, Hamaguchi-kun!" Hibiki said."He's baiting you!"

"Okay! I'll do it!"

"Hamaguchi!" Kirika shrieked.

"It's fine. Trust me. I've gotten stronger since the last time I fought him." Abyss reassured him before his face turned serious."Besides, I don't necessarily have to win. I just have to buy time. This way, you two will be safe. I wouldn't forgive myself if you two were hurt."

"Buy time...? For what?" St. Germain pondered.

"Hamaguchi..." Kirika frowned.

"I'll be fine. I'm a cog. Just a piece of the puzzle. So this is fine." He nodded at her."Trust me. I've been through worse. I won't go down so easily. Hey! Shadow Ryuki! You have yourself a deal! I'll fight you!"

"Good. It's a good opportunity, you know." S. Ryuki rose a finger."So you picked the best choice. But at the same time, you're completely stupid."

Suddenly, S. Ryuki entered his Survive form and dashed in a split second against Abyss, kicking him in the stomach and launching him into the sky, knocking the wind out of him.

"So fast!" Hibiki gasped.

"HAMAGUCHI!" Kirika cried out.

'It's impossible...this is impossible! I can't beat him!' Abyss writhed in pain, trying to recover his breath.

"Is that all you got, LITTLE FISH?!" S. Ryuki flew toward him, wielding his Dragsaberzwei.

"Not yet!" Abyss aimed his visor, shooting several water blades that S. Ryuki easily cut through and bicycle-kicked Abyss to the ground. He blasted himself to the sky with a pillar of water, sliding a card into his visor.

Shoot Vent: Abyss Turret

A double-barrel machine gun with the head of Abysshammer appeared in his hand as he pulled the trigger, releasing a barrage of bullets and torpedos that S. Ryuki easily evaded, creating a pair of fire winds as he flew around. The Shadow Rider landed in the forest, hands on his hips as he watched a giant wave with countless water sharks coming at him. He used his Booster Vent, propelling himself past the wave and in front of Abyss.

Sword Vent: Abysshredders

Abyss tried to slice the imposter with his blades, but as expected, none of his strikes even landed a single time. He quickly disarmed him, elbowing him in the chest and breaking his chest plate before slamming him back to the ground.

Abyss coughed up saliva, picking himself up from the floor but was grabbed by the back of the head by S. Ryuki as he ignited his boosters, slamming his face through several trees, powerless to stop him. Once he grew bored of it, he lifted Abyss with one hand, part of his helmet destroyed as he wheezed for air.

"You're a good punching bag, I'll say that." S. Ryuki quipped."Come on, try a little harder. Or do you want me to kill those two bitches?"

'That's right...I can't give up here!' Abyss roared, aiming his visor behind him and unleashing a stream of pressurized water that pushed S. Ryuki off of him.'I knew. I knew that he was stronger than me coming into this. But I can't just give up. I have to...do something! No matter how small!'

Hydro Vent

S. Ryuki laughed, avoiding the water creatures that Abyss kept creating as he flooded the terrain. A tentacle wrapped around his ankle, launching him into the sky. A gigantic water monstrosity was conjured, chasing after S. Ryuki.

"Heheheh. Interesting. Very interesting!" S. Ryuki clapped, igniting himself with fire and shooting into the water monster as he evaporated the water. He appeared in front of Abyss, backhanding him in the face and knocking him away.

"You know...we're a good few kilometers away from your friends. Just right behind you." S. Ryuki pointed past Abyss."I bet...if I were to shoot an attack from here, I could kill them. Know what that means?"

"Y-you..."

"So let's make it interesting. Your power is water, right? Surely if you try hard enough, you can extinguish my fire." S. Ryuki winded his fist back as did Abyss.

Strike Vent: Abyssladonclaw

"I won't let you harm them!"

"Bring it on then."

Both of them punch the air, unleashing fire and water representations of Dragranzer and Abyssladon. Abyss could only stare as his attack was completely devoured by the flames before everything turned white.


Meanwhile, Hibiki and St. Germain clashed. Fist with a gun.

"Is fighting the only option you have left?!" Hibiki demanded.

"You and I both fight for what we believe is right, holding our justice tight! There is no other way!"

She took a step back, activating the blade of her gun and trying to slash at Hibiki. But the cream-haired girl weaved out of the way, forcing the white-haired woman to use the gun at her elbow.

Kirika switched places with Hibiki, swinging her scythe and forcing St. Germain to jump back to gain some distance. They were about to charge her again when they heard the sound of laughter from the skies.

There, they saw S. Ryuki, flapping his wings and holding an unmoving Hamaguchi, steam coming off his body.

"HAMAGUCHI!" Kirika screamed in distress.

"He defeated him so fast!" Hibiki cried out in shock."But that can't be...!"

"Oh, but it can be. And it is." S. Ryuki chuckled, waving Hamaguchi around."Now, let's play a game. See if you can catch him before I blow his body up. Ready, set...GO"

S. Ryuki released Hamaguchi, the blue-haired teen free falling toward the ground. S. Ryuki used his Dragblaster, shooting a concentrated beam of flames toward Hamaguchi.

"No! Hamaguchi!" Kirika ran at full speed, but she wasn't going to make it in time."PLEASE STOP!"

Suddenly, Hamaguchi's body disappeared, and the next thing the Shadow Rider realized was that flames were coming his way."Finally, you're here, Ryuki!"

He flew higher into the sky, avoiding the attack."No...those were my flames...What is going on?"

"What took you so long, man...?" Hamaguchi grumbled, smiling at Kamen Rider Alternative as he set him on the ground.

"Bragi-kun!" Kirika and Hibiki beamed in joy.

"The Prince?" St. Germain blinked, puzzled.

"Sorry, I took so long. Good work in stalling him for me." Alternative nodded before addressing S. Ryuki."But let's see how you do against someone of your caliber."

"Hah! Well, well, well. The last Prince of the Ventara kingdom thinks he can challenge me after losing pathetically against Cagliostro of all people. Are you betting everything in a miracle?"

"Miracle? I think you have it wrong." Alternative reached for his Deck, drawing out a card."I'm the murderer of all miracles."


Sorry the chapter took so long. This is my last week before winter break and I got the flu.