Reviews:

Lord Ri The Husbu King: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I enjoyed writing it too. You're right, there are a lot of mixed emotions in it. I feel sorry for Lilith too. She was just afraid and let her fear rule over her. I agree. Hazuki is the one to blame for this as well. If he wanted to, he could have teleported that nuke somewhere else. But he decided not to and even tried to seduce Miku and get Setsuna to join him. He's insane.

Tigracho: Hey! I'm glad to see you again. I haven't seen you around in so long I was worried. Yeah, Hajime's come a long way. At first, he let his traumas guide his actions, but now he knows that he can't do that or he'll be exactly like Bragard. And you're right about the theme. In fact, that's the major theme of this season. Letting go. Yosuke stopped blaming himself for the deaths of his comrades, Hajime for the inability to save his family, Bragi for Bragard's sins, Hamaguchi for his guilt for thinking he abandoned Hajime before, Chris moving on and carrying Takeru's will, even Setsuna doing what she can to support her brother.. The only ones excepted from this are Raiden and Jades, but they will have their moment in XV. But as you said, a lot of characters are affected by the inability to move on. And this leads to their warped ideals and ambitions. Terunosuke still blames Jades for not saving Serena and Hazuki blames the world for what happened to him. You can make a case too that Jades hasn't been able to move on due to him not telling anyone he took the Tiger Deck from Terunosuke. Hamaguchi is the unfiltered version of Takeru. He says what he thinks without shame. But he got what he deserved when Bragi told him Cagliostro was, in fact, a man. Right, Fudo and his connection with the DDV is going to play a big role in XV. And as they've demonstrated, they're just doing what he wants to get what they want. Hazuki being a scumbag and refusing to teleport the nuke and then threatening Bragi's life...all because he's jealous of how close he got with Miku since they broke up. Those two are going to have conflict moving forward. Yeah...I find it weird how they never showed up. They were just camping for the right moment, I guess? I don't even know why. It's not like they knew the nuke was coming. For all they knew, the battle was over when Hibiki reverted to her normal form. I can't deny I am setting you guys up for more angsts in the future. But then again, that's kind of how we roll in the story, isn't it? Surprisingly, the season ended up being as packed as the other one, at least in terms of emotions. I continued writing and more ideas kept popping into my head and I kept connecting the dots and this came out. Yeah, I felt like Adam had to get stronger here yes or yes. Normal Adam would have gotten washed with how the power levels are right now. I ended up naming that fusion Eden, due to following Adam and Eve lore and the Garden of Eden.

moniura2005: I'm glad to see you as well after a while. You're right. It is disrespectful for Bragi to say that. He's basically just projecting his own insecurities and inferiority complex he has for Hajime. But Hajime doesn't necessarily disregard his condition. He just accepts that he acted the wrong way. That's why Yosuke says "But you lost your entire family in seconds. You were suffering." And Hajime responds with "That's still not an excuse to abandon my friends". And yes, Hajime did abandon them in a way, because he wasn't just planning on taking some time off. He wanted to leave song entirely and leave with Setsuna, letting the others fight. That's why everyone acted the way they did when he left. Because he literally said he was never coming back. So he blames himself for that, but he also understands that maybe there was nothing he could have done either way. The message of this is basically that, despite that we may be suffering due to a loss or something else, we have to stick with those who love us and show them the same amount of love they; 're showing us. Hajime and Bragi are both wrong. They have zero reason to hate each other but they just do it anyway. Also, Fudo is not aware of the global genocide plan. Or Loki's presence. To him, the Disasters are just mercenaries and Allister is the leader. They need his political influence for their plan, so they have him tricked.

SoutaAmetsuchi: Hamaguchi almost poisoned the minds of probably two of the three people with innocent minds in that group. Yeah, Hajime got inspired by Takeru and he did what he did to Chris.

BladeBrave04: Right. A world without free will has no meaning. You're taking everything that makes humans human. That's why he was willing to let the nuke hit since he wanted to prove that the world will never understand each other. Kind of an insane way to prove a point if you ask me.

Tenzalucard123: Yes. They don't have time to fight against each other. They have to save Hibiki. Hazuki didn't teleport the missile, and this made the Alchemists sacrifice their lives to stop it. Now Adam is back, and he fused with Lilith to create a new monster.

Guest: De hecho, el personaje ya fue introducido en la historia, pero aun no le hemos visto en accion.

Akira: Asking Hamaguchi to not be a pervert is impossible. Ryuga is mad at Bragi for getting close to Miku and rejecting his offer. They will fight later on.

Chapter 111
My Dedicated Heart to You

"Now, let us begin the cleansing. You insolent humans." Eden regarded all Riders and Symphogear

"Miku-san!" Alternative cried out, drawing upon his Slashdagger."Take Setsuna and start running!"

The pseudo-Rider was the first one to rush into danger, only to receive a punch to the gut as the demonic beast was suddenly in front of him, launching him back. In the blink of an eye, Eden formed two turbines in his back, shooting himself past the group without them even realizing it, grabbing Alternative by the head, smashing him through several buildings, and slamming him onto the ground, attempting to crush his head.

(Play Wright Left by SCREEN Mode)

"Oh?" Eden chuckled, noticing a faint forcefield around the boy's head."So you activated this at the last second with the hopes of preventing me from crushing your head. That is fine."

Several magic circles opened up above Eden, all of them golden as spheres of gold began forming from them.

"Leave him alone!" Raia rammed into him from the side with Evildiver, pushing the divine being a few meters before the spheres rained down on them.

"RAIDEN!"

Maria quickly jumped in and took Raia away before the attacks exploded. The shockwave of the explosion sent them flying away.

"Guys!" Hibiki was now in her Symphogear jogging over to the group.

"Tachibana, Adachi. We'll need your God-slaying powers for this operation." Knight addressed the couple."The world depends on this fight! Let's not hold back!"

"Ignite Module, BAKKEN!" All Symphogear yelled in perfect unison, squeezing their pendants.

The Riders opened their visors, sliding a card inside and activating their Survive Forms."Survive."

Survive: Rekka
Survive: Shippu
Survive: Fubuki
Survive: Seishin
Survive: Nagare

"Matter Creation." Eden droned, summoning a gigantic wave that towered even the tallest building.

"Hamaguchi!" Ryuki cried out.

"You got it!" Abyss rushed into the scene, drawing a card of his own.

Hydro Vent

Abyss summoned a wave of water, matching the size of the other one. However, several wheels of elements shot from inside, heading toward him."What the fuck?!"

"Hamaguchi!" Kirika and Shirabe landed next to him, using their Scythe and Yo-yo's respectively to defend him against the attacks."Onii-chan!"

Frost Vent

The water began to freeze entirely, preventing more projectiles from shooting from inside.

"Messiah...Godslayer, you two will be the first to die."

Ryuki and Hibiki gasped, Eden already in between them with his hands in their faces.

Blaze Vent

Hajime grabbed Hibiki as he blasted himself out of the way, but when he looked in front of him, Eden was already in front of them. He released Hibiki and went to repeatedly punch Eden with all his might, his strikes pushing him a few meters away.

"Hahahaha! Weak! So weak!" Eden swatted Ryuki away like a fly.

"How dare you?!" Hibiki lunged at him, attempting to smash her fist against his face. But the Divine being moved in a blur, appearing behind her and slapping her back with his tail.

"Hey, you'll pay for that!" Maria lashed out her bladed whip, but Eden simply grabbed it and pulled Maria in, slamming his fist against her face.

"Maria!" Chris gasped, trying to catch her, but the speed at which she was flying was too much for the girl and both of them fell to the ground.

"That's it!" Knight flew past Eden, heading straight for St. Germain's spellcaster on the ground.'That might give us an advantage-'

Suddenly, Knight was inside a cube of ice, unable to move.

"I won't let you do that, brainless monkeys."

With a snap of his claws, two volcanos emerged from two buildings, shooting magma beams at the defenseless Rider.

Tsubasa slashed through the ice, shooting two massive blades on either side to block the attacks.

Heaven's Wrath

Eden began flapping his wings, concentrating energy in his hands before unleashing a volley of countless elemental attacks from the skies.

"GIRLS! GET DOWN!" Tiger screamed as the Riders quickly matched the massive attack with their own.

Ignite Vent
Tempest Vent
Frost Vent
Psychic Vent
Hydro Vent

Five elemental attacks raised to the sky, matching the various beams of elements shooting down at them. However, they were beginning to get overpowered as more attacks were being created from the heavens.

"Don't count us out just yet!" Chris yelled, the girls shooting their attacks into the mix.

"We'll stop him no matter what!" Maria declared.

"Then you will die trying." Eden formed several replicas of himself."I'll get rid of the men first. The women will fall soon after."

Suddenly, all the replicas blasted the Riders away, chasing after them and leaving the girls to handle the original Eden.

Ryuki activated the blade mode of his visor, trying to slash at Eden, resulting in the beast blocking the attack with his claws. He opened his mouth, releasing a ray of energy and sending him into the air.

"Jades! Amaterasu! We have to help Adachi!" Knight cried, creating a whirlwind around to fly."He's still wounded from his battle with Lilith and tanking the attacks of Tachibana! We must-"

"Worry about yourself first." The replica he was facing said. All replicas began to transmute gold, each of them firing a Chrysopoeia attack at the Riders. All of them tried to push it back, but they were unable to contend with the Divine power they were facing. Raia and Tiger were the first ones to fall, landing on the cold ground. Abyss and Knigt followed soon after, the explosions completely engulfing them, and landed on the ground, unconscious. Ryuki was the one having a better time against the attack, but soon, the remaining golden spheres combined together, increasing the size of the one he was trying to deflect. His Blaze Vent flared up once again, but even his power boost wasn't enough.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you, Messiah?" Eden asked, the replicas merging back into him.

"I never...really learned...how to!" Ryuki barked back.

"That's a shame. But not unexpected. All Messiahs are quite troublesome to the bitter end." Eden fired a small orb of gold, prompting the giant sphere to explode. Ryuki was sent shooting through several buildings, breaking them apart until he crashed into a stadium.

Meanwhile, the girls were starting to be overpowered, and the ground beneath them starting to break.

However, a black sphere collided with the attack, completely erasing it from existence. One of the replicas tried to stop it, but once it touched it, it crumbled to dust as well.

"Bragi-kun!" Hibiki beamed, seeing her friend still okay, albeit panting.

"A perfect sphere. No wonder it can eradicate anything it touches, even me." Eden remarked."If it hits. But it's too slow. To think Carol's little spawn would be able to create something like a perfect sphere. The Boy Wonder may be stronger, but you're even more dangerous than he is. I did right to choose you as my first target."

But Eden was distracted, and this was the perfect moment for them to attack. And attack they did, as a giant missile collided against the beast, launching him away. Eden clicked his tongue, grabbing onto it and destroying it, absorbing the explosion and hurling several cubes of matter in their direction.

Tsubasa cut through them, shooting thousands of blades to counter them.

Thousand Tears

Chris switched to her Gatling guns, repelling the cubes of matter, and allowing Maria, Kirika, and Shirabe the chance to get close. Suddenly, a giant yo-yo wrapped around Eden, and Maria's whip as well, preventing him from moving.

Calamity Ring: Tinkerbell

Kirika held her scythe horizontally, using the rockets on her pauldrons to spin at high speeds and head toward Eden. The Divine being simply created a large cube, and Kirika hit the hard material, hurting her arms upon impact against the sturdy object. Out of nowhere, Hibiki appeared and slammed her fist against Eden's body, stunning the creature and allowing Chris to fire multiple missiles.

Alternative joined in, scanning a card through his visor.

Shoot Vent: Psychotic Fireworks

Armed cannons equipped themselves on his shoulders, immediately unleashing his full arsenal. The combined attacks pushed Eden through the city and crashed into the stadium from before. But not before shooting several cubes and making them explode, causing everyone to cry in pain. Except for Hibiki, who rode on top of Chris' missiles, her fist forming a makeshift drill. However, just as she was about to attack, her Pendant turned purple and she crashed to the ground, her attack fizzling out.

"It can't be...the contamination!" Alternative gasped."Hibiki-dono's Gear, unlike the others, was never decontaminated!"

Eden grinned, creating several tendrils from his body to kill Hibiki. But a dome of flames formed around her, deflecting the attacks. Ryuki landed next to Hibiki, helping her up.

"So, the trash is still alive?"

"We can't let him keep going like this...I'm not going to lose!" Ryuki proclaimed, his voice booming through the stadium in flames.

"Come on, then. This place will be your grave!" Eden bellowed, forming a triangle with his fingers, and charging a beam of divine energy.

"Give us your power! We need him to beat him!" Ryuki hollered at the others, inserting a card into his visor.

Link Vent

"Guys! We have to give them our power! Just like we did against Carol and Bragard!" Knight commanded his friends. The girls wasted no time and transferred their Gears to Hibiki, while the boys activated their Co-Link Vents.

Co-Link Vent(x4)

In a flash of light, Hibiki and Ryuki had adopted a different form. For Hibiki, her Gear was now brown, but had a rainbow aura around her. Ryuki looked the same as he did before, but he also had a rainbow-colored aura alongside a white one on top of that.

Hibiki rushed toward Eden, kicking the air and sending green energy slashes from Igalima. Eden grabbed the attack with his bare hands, throwing it back. Ryuki activated his Dragsaberzwei, blocking it with it. But the attack, enhanced with divine power, pushed them away, crashing into the seats.

"It's...not enough! I need more power!" Hajime cried, realizing he was the one falling behind. While Hibiki was at the strongest, he wasn't. Because there was one person who did not cooperate.

"Why should I help the Boy wonder?" Bragi clicked his tongue.

"Dienheim!" Yosuke cried out to him.

"Bragi-kun!" Shirabe yelled.

"Please!" Kirika pleaded.

"D-damn it!" Bragi felt a huge blow to his pride, feeling useless."How can I be so outclassed?!"

Hibiki swung her arm, sending a slash of blue lighting toward Eden. The creature covered himself with his wings, essentially taking no damage. Ryuki ran up to him, concentrating his power in his right fist. Eden responded in kind, both of them punching each other. But Ryuki was overwhelmed. crashing against the ground. He kicked the ground, creating spikes of ice, forcing Eden to take off into the air. Without wasting time, he created a bow of psychic energy, firing an arrow of fire and boosting its speed with a whirlwind.

Eden formed more tentacles around his body, covering himself with them and spinning around, dispersing the arrow and chasing after Ryuki. Hibiki made use of Shul Shagana, creating a wheel of purple energy and grabbing Hajime's hand, taking him out of the way as the behemoth made the stadium tremble.

"Please! I need more power!" Ryuki screamed at the top of his lungs."We can't afford to lose here!"

"I am the Prince...The Prince of Ventara, Bragi Third Dienheim! Why should I help a bastard like you?!" Bragi screamed back in anger."WHY SHOULD I HELP YOU?! I AM THE PRINCE, NOT YOU!"

"Bragi-kun! Please!" Hibiki pleaded to him from afar."Please, we need you!"

"Dienheim, you made a promise to Kohinata." Tsubasa reminded him."That you'd put your differences with Adachi aside for this fight. Will you go back on your word?"

Bragi shrunk at that, even more so with his child-like body."I-I..."

Ryuki propelled Hibiki with a beam of water as she conjured a missile, grabbing it with her bare hands and throwing it at Eden.

"It won't be long the descend of the Custodians." Eden swung his arm, creating a tornado that fired the missile back. Hibiki ran on top of it, leaping at the creature. Several tendrils wrapped themselves around her."And the Disasters of Valhalla will commence Ragnarok. I need to gain more power to be the Ultimate Lifeform and prevail over all of them!"

"ARMOR PURGE!" Hibiki's armor exploded, destroying the tendrils and leaving her in her normal clothes. Eden growled, readying another attack but a giant fist of five elements struck his chest, launching him back.

"I'M SICK AND TIRED OF YOU, MESSIAH!"

Eden immediately used his full power and speed, crushing the attack in his hands and shooting a beam of energy at Ryuki, sending him crashing against the ground. He formed a blade of matter, flying directly past Hibiki and aiming to end the Messiah.

"Don't give up!" Hibiki heard St. Germain's voice in her head."Rebel against oppression and shout your revolution!"

"One more time, Gungnir! Balwisyall Nescell Gungnir Tron!"

"IT ENDS HERE!"

"JUST TAKE IT THEN!" Bragi finally used his Link Vent, transferring his power to Hajime."You better win this, you hear me?! If you die before I kill you, I'll kill you!"

Link Vent

Ryuki grabbed onto Eden's giant fist, stopping it with one hand as his body began to glow in a rainbow entirely.

"What is this?!" Eden gasped, the intense aura coming from the Rider enough to flung him away. Into the fist of Hibiki, donning a golden armor of her own."Chrysopoeia?! Impossible! You're not even an Alchemist...Wait! St. Germain!"

"Hibiki! Let's finish this! You and me!" Ryuki hollered to his girlfriend, activating his Link Vent once more. Hibiki nodded, as both of them grabbed each other's hands and their auras flared up.

Link Vent

Infernal Valkyrie of Hope

An avatar of a golden fire engulfed them, taking the shape of a feminine figure sporting dragon wings and towering over Eden.

"No! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Eden began to freak out, summoning more replicas and sending them to attack while he charged his strongest blast.

The avatar formed a spear, twirling around and cutting through the replicas with absolute ease. Eden fired his attack, but to his horror, the combined powers of Hibiki and Hajime completely negated it. Their avatar began to pummel Eden with rapid fists, starting to crack his body as they lifted him into the air.

"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!"

"T-this can't be happening..." Eden could only watch, powerless to stop them, his perfect body beginning to crack from head to toe. They kicked him into the air, launching several hundred meters into the sky. Eden, in a last-ditch effort, tried to attack but saw hundreds upon hundreds of fists coming his way. Each one began to break his body apart, from his arms to his legs. Finally, Hibiki and Hajime were ejected from the avatar, their intertwined hands forming a fist as they pierced through the God-like being.

Testament

"I lost..." Eden muttered."I was defeated by...those who Rebeled Against God...Hope was crushed today, but mark my words, in your tomorrow and your future, despair awaits you!"

With those final words said, Eden split into Adam, Lilith, and Tiki before they all exploded in an explosion of gold that covered a huge portion of the city. Hibiki and Hajime managed to outrun it, but they both fell to the ground as their transformations finally ran out.

"We did it..." Hajime whispered, his voice audible enough for Hibiki to hear as they tried to catch their breath. He turned to her, smiling with joy."We did it, Sunshine..."

"My Sunny..." She rolled over to him. They both shared a passionate kiss before resting their foreheads against each other, adoring having each other in their arms."I love you."

"I love you more."

"Nah, I love you more."

"No! I love you more!"

"Nope! I definitely love you more."

"I love you double that!"

"I love you triple that."

"You're not fair!" Hibiki whined, burying her face in his chest.

"Then let's just say we love each other equally. Equivalent exchange, right? I give you half of my heart and you give me half of yours."

"I want to give you my whole heart." She looked up, her orange eyes meeting his amber eyes.

Hajime blushed at her words, stunned."Wow...when did you get so good at flirting?"

"I've been practicing." She giggled in return as they hugged each other tightly.

"Let's leave them alone for now." Yosuke sighed, watching on with a smile."They deserve this moment."

"They've been apart for so long, it's only natural," Tsubasa remarked.

"Hey, Junior." Chris shifted her gaze toward the hybrid, who was standing far from the others."Thanks. For helping out."

"I only did it for your guys' sake. Not for him." He grumbled.

"You're a total tsundere, my man." Hamaguchi chuckled with a catty grin.

"He really is!" Kirika giggled next to her boyfriend, making Shirabe giggled.

"Just like Chris-chan." Jades grinned at the lavender-haired girl.

"Huh! I'm not a tsundere!" She folded her arms, annoyed.

"Actually, Yukine?" Tsubasa played around with her hair."You are."

"Senpai! You traitor!" Chris pouted cutely. The group shared a laugh together, basking in the peace they fought so hard for. The Bavarian Illuminati was finally defeated.


A few days later, the staff of S.O.N.G were doing their jobs in the control room. Bragi had returned to his normal size by then and was deep in thought on his chair.

"Elfnein-chan, Tobias-kun. You guys need a break." Aoi set down two cups of coffee for them."It's been three days since the incident. I think you earned some rest. You've already decontaminated Hibiki-chan's Gear."

"True, but there is still a lot that we don't know." Elfnein smiled at her."It's regarding this...original sin that Adam and Lilith mentioned."

"Right. They said only a vessel not tainted by the original sin can carry Divine Power." His left eye turned silver, an indication that Thor had taken over."Hajime does have the ability to harbor Divine Power. Or perhaps he has some himself since he's a Messiah."

"You don't know for certain?" Sakuya asked the God of Thunder.

"I'm afraid not, lad. But it would make sense. Messiahs are made by the will of the Divine Beast, Ventara. So it's not far-fetched for them to possess Divine Power. I can feel it, but it's...bizarre. As for the lass, I'm not quite sure. She's certainly not a Messiah."

"And there is another matter." Bragi spoke up, earning their attention."Regarding the remnants of the Bavarian Illuminati. I have something to say."

"Is it about the memories you saw?" Elfnein asked.

"Memories?" This piqued Genjuro's interest.

"Back when I used my Alchemy Vent in my battle against S. Ryuki, I used the incineration of memories, since I have some of the First and Second's memories. But...when I used the Second's memories...I saw something. A memory that was not there to begin with."

"I searched your memories using the machine that we used with Maria-san, but I couldn't find anything."

"That's true, but while it's gone, I vividly remember it...it's weird. It was the Second experimenting with two people. I remember the Overall mentioned something about fusing humans with Relics. Relics that he got from...Helheim. In particular, the Qliphoth Tree."

"That's...the tree that you mentioned before," Genjuro said, earning a nod.

"I believe these experiments are still roaming around the world. It's possible that after the fall of the Second, they were taken by the Bavarian Illuminati. Or perhaps, they were already in their possession. Whatever the case, they are still around."

"And then there's the problem with the Custodians." Thor interjected."They are lesser Gods. At least to me, Loki, and the Allfather. I was never familiar with them, but I know Loki had an intimate relationship with one of them. I was not aware they were still around..."

"We must be ready for what comes next." Genjuro crossed his arms.

"I can maybe open a small gate to Helheim. If I can learn more about that tree, maybe we can get a huge advantage." Bragi offered.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Aoi asked, worried."Isn't that the place the Disasters are trying to open?"

"Yeah. But if the Second managed to get Relics from there, then so can I. I've surpassed him, after all."

"We'll talk about that later. It's a delicate matter. Not to mention..." Genjuro glanced down at his wristwatch."You have to get going to a party, don't you? You promised you'd attend."

"Oh, right! I forgot about that!" Bragi immediately raised from his chair, giving them a quick bow before rushing out of the room.

"That boy is something else." Genjuro chuckled in amusement.

"Commander, look at this," Elfnein called over her superior. The red-haired man approached her as she showed him pictures of the battle at the Frontier. Specifically, Miku's transformation with the Shenshoujing."I see...so that's how Hibiki-san did it!"

"What's wrong?"

"I have a hypothesis as to why Hibiki-san was able to serve as a vessel for the Divine Power without being a Messiah. It's said that as humans are born with the original sin, they are unable to acquire Divine Power. This original sin is undoubtedly the Curse of Balal itself."

She browsed around the pictures until she found one of Hibiki and Miku being hit by a purple light."Back when Hibiki-san was bathed in the exorcising light of the Shenshoujing, she was probably purged of the curse itself."

"You're saying...she was cleansed of the sin?" Genjuro leaned forward to take a better look."Meaning that she doesn't have the Curses of Balal anymore?"

"I see." Thor nodded in realization."It makes sense. It would also explain why she was able to progress so quickly from a human-relic fusion specimen to a fully-fledged adaptor in her own right."

"But then... this brings up another matter to the table." Gejuro focused his attention on the black-haired girl in the picture.

"Someone else was struck by the same light as Hibiku-kun ..."


Meanwhile, in the Kazanari mansion, Fudo sat with Allister, watching the recordings of the battle between Eden and S.O.N.G.

"Did you flee from an incoming nuke that would have devasted the country?" Fudo asked absentmindedly as he analyzed the recording.

"Of course not, sir. We knew they had something up their sleeve. Need I remind you that Hazuki-kun can teleport and store things in his portals? If we wished for it, we could have teleported that nuke to America. But then, it would make for a great worldwide scandal."

"Indeed. America claims the launch was permissible due to the need to preserve global security. Naturally, various nations have issued statements condemning them on the issue, but we can't wage war against them."

"We could. But I suppose if we were to attack a country right now, we'd become a bigger target, and our partnership would be impossible to upkeep."

"Correct. The damn president was jealous. They fear that we get our hands in power only gods could bring to bear and use it to earn control over all nations."

'If only you knew.' Allister smiled internally, finding the fact that Fudo did not even consider him to have Divine Power as a possibility."I agree. S.O.N.G indeed serves as the country's defense, and we, the Disasters of Valhalla, defend from the shadows, but having power like that would secure the stability of Japan for centuries to come."

"We'll find a way. I will not let America's actions go unpunished." Fudo said with determination."That aside, I have something that may interest you. Come with me. I have something that will interest you."


Bragi stood outside of Hibiki and Miku's shared room, mustering the courage to knock on the door, holding a gift in his hands. He heard laughter inside the room, which made him wish to enter. But he was nervous. Even though they accepted him, this was still new to him.

"Oh?"

Bragi shifted his gaze to his right, noticing a familiar raven-haired teen with hot pink eyes."You're...Wei..."

"And you must be Bragi." Wei hummed, scanning him from head to toe."You do look a lot like Bragard. Except you are shorter, you don't have that facial hair he had on his chin, and your hair and eyes are multicolored. But I guess you kept that tiara."

"Oh, right." Bragi subconsciously touched his tiara. The boys just continued eyeing each other awkwardly, until Bragi cleared his throat."Listen, I'm sorry. About-"

"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything. It was Bragard. Don't worry about it. I don't blame you for anything."

"Right..." Bragi rubbed the back of his nape sheepishly."It's just...I figured that I'd bring up some bad memories...since I look like the Second and all."

"I admit, it's a sight for sore eyes. But like I said, I don't blame you. I'll get used to it. Don't worry." The last pure-blooded Liang eyed the door."So, shall we?"

Wei knocked on the door, patiently waiting until Kirika opened the door.

"Oyoyo! It's Wei-kun! And Bragi-kun-desu!" Kirika beamed, grabbing the boys by their arms and pulling them in."Look who I found!"

"Bragi-kun! Wei-kun!" Miku smiled at the newcomers."Welcome!"

"Hey, guys!" Hibiki greeted them with a smile."Glad you could make it."

"Happy birthday, Hibiki-san. And you too, Lingyun. I brought you guys a gift." He smiled at his cousin, holding out the present."For my cousin and my sister-in-law."

"Aw, thank you!" Hibiki gladly took the gift and handed it to Hajime to put on the table.

"I got you something too, Hibiki-dono. As a show of gratitude for being a great friend to me. Happy birthday and I hope you enjoy another year in the realm of the living."

"That's quite the unique way to say happy birthday. But thank you!" Hibiki giggled but accepted his gift.

"Aren't you going to say happy birthday to Hajime-kun too?" Yumi placed her hands on her hips as she eyed him with a devious smile.

"Yeah, Bragi-kun. We're celebrating his birthday too after all." Shiori teased him.

Bragi eyed Hajime, who eyed him back with disdain."Hell no. Besides, it's not even his birthday today. It's in a week. So I don't have to say anything to him."

"Good. Because I don't want you to wish me a happy birthday. Knowing you, it'd just bring me bad luck."

"Please. You're a walking disaster as it is." The hybrid scoffed.

"Oh my God. Not this early, please." Maria rubbed the bridge of her nose wearily.

"They're kind of hostile to each other, huh?" Kuriyo asked Raiden.

"That's putting it lightly."

As the two boys bickered, Shirabe approached Wei."I'm glad you made it."

"I thank you for the invitation, Shirabe-san. It was very kind of you. I can't remember the last time I attended a birthday party, honestly."

"Well, I hope you enjoy yourself. Like I told you, you're part of our group now. So don't hold back and enjoy yourself. Want to try some dishes Jades-nii-chan and I prepared?"

"Sure. I'm looking forward to your cooking."

"By the way, why didn't you invite Yomi-san and Despia-san?"

"Yomi is into more... extravagant parties. And he'd make a scene here. Despia didn't come because her brother didn't come."

"Aw, look at those two." Hamaguchi wagged his eyebrows as he conversed with Jades."Your siblings are growing so fast, huh?"

"They are." Jades said, sounding like a proud father as he chugged down another can of beer."It brings a tear to my eye."

"Stop crying. You'll spoil the mood." Yosuke chided him, chopping him on the head."Hey, Tsubasa, put the broom down. The party isn't over."

"It's rude to make their floor dirty. It's their room after all." Tsubasa said with a serious tone.

"Yeah, but you? Cleaning?" Chris nudged her on the side."I can't say I expect much from you when it comes to cleaning, Senpai."

"A-and what does that mean?! You underestimate me!"

"Yeah! Tsubasa-san is great! Watch and learn!" Setsuna nodded fiercely."There's nothing she can't do!"

"Ara, Ara. Seems your number 1 fan has high expectations of you, Tsubasa. You can't go and disappoint her now." Maria rubbed the bluenette's shoulders.

"Woah!" Wei gasped when he tried out some of the tomatoes."T-this...It's heaven...I think I'm in love..."

"W-w-what?" Shirabe flushed profusely.

"With the food! I'm in love with the food!" He quickly corrected himself.

"Hold on, I want to try too, man!" Hamaguchi dashed toward the table and served himself some food, immediately trying it."Hey! This is good!"

"We followed your recipe." Jades complimented him."Your instructions were great."

"No wonder you guys didn't want me to do the cooking." Hamaguchi chuckled."You wanted to improve your cooking. Not bad. I see one day you'll surpass the master."

"Stop tooting your own horn." Chris sighed."You're sounding like a certain Prince."

"I don't want to hear that from you, Ms. Tsundere."

"Oh, you're one to talk, Mr. Tsundere!"

"Did you guys bring the Nintendo Switch?" Hajime asked. Raiden nodded.

"Yeah. I got a variety of games."

"We even got a few board games too!" Kirika gave him a peace sign."Who wants to play Monopoly?!"

"Nah, that can wait. Turn on Smash Bros. Boy Wonder, get your ass over here. Who do you play as in Smash?"

"Kirby," Hajime replied.

"As destiny would have it. I use Metaknight." He grinned from ear to ear."So let's have a battle and see who is superior."

"You know, this is actually better than them fighting with their hands again." Miku pointed out.

"You two? One on one on Smash?" Jades mused."Now this I have to see."

"Hold on, before we do that." Yosuke cleared his throat."I want to say something to everyone in this room."

"Uh-oh! Yosuke-san has a speech! Everyone get comfortable!" Hamaguchi joked, receiving a smack on the head by Chris.

"I want to propose a toast for Adachi and Tachibana. These two have been through a lot in the past few months. But their love and dedication for each other has helped them persevere through these difficult times. Their relationship is a strong one. They say strong relationships are built based on the hardships the couple endure together and overcome. So I'd say these two have a strong foundation for a great future together. So as a leader and as a friend, I'd like to dedicate this to them." Yosuke grabbed his glass filled with soda and held it in the air."If you'll all raise your glasses with me: to Hibiki and Hajime, best wishes for a great future together! And happy 17th birthday!"

The room cheered for the couple as they held each other in their arms, their eyes never leaving one another.

"I want to say something too," Hajime said, pecking Hibiki on the nose before taking a step back, reaching for his back pocket as he took a knee and showed her a black box.

Hibiki immediately blushed intensely, covering her mouth as her eyes began to water.

"Hibiki Tachibana, will you marry me?" Hajime opened the box he had back during the battle against Hibiki in her Divine Weapon form, showing two rings with their initials engraved on them.

"HAJIME?!" Hibiki began jumping up and down.

"No way!" Hamaguchi ran a hand through his hair.

"Marriage?!" Setsuna squealed."I'm so happy!"

"Just kidding." Hajime grinned, standing back up."I'm not asking you to marry me, dummy. We can wait for that. But I got us these Promise Rings. I asked Chris-san to help me."

"You sounded just like Takeru just now." Chris held back a few tears, remembering when Takeru had done the same thing to her."But yeah. I helped him get them. One day, I'll help him get you the real deal, Hibiki. But for now, this can work."

"Oh, Hajime...I would have said yes..." Hibiki broke into tears, hugging him as she sobbed in his chest.

"One day, dear. Don't worry." He gently put the ring in her hand. The group cheered them on, clapping in happiness. Bragi sighed, finding himself clapping along.

After that, the group of friends continued enjoying various activities together. Hibiki and Hajime sat on a couch together, just talking to each other about anything that came to mind. Hajime's arms were wrapped around her frame, his head resting on her shoulder. She kissed his cheek.

"This is some bullshit!" Bragi threw his controller down."Stop using items! That's cheap!"

"Cheap?" Raiden arched a brow."It's part of the game."

"To be fair, you keep throwing Pokeballs nonstop." Yosuke pointed out.

"Bro, what are you on about?" Hamaguchi asked as he pointed at the young detective accusingly."You keep targeting me!"

"Because you're annoying when you play Sonic. All you do is dash and that's it."

"Come on, Shirabe! You can do it!" Jades clapped.

"You got this, Wei!" Setsuna pumped her fist in the air. They were watching Wei and Shirabe play limbo, arching their backs as much as they could as they tried to go under the bar without touching it. Their faces were blue with the amount of effort they were putting in, but neither was about to give up.

"No!" Kirika cried in despair when she lost the round of pocket she, Miku, Maria, and Tsubasa were playing.

"That's too bad. I take your dessert for the next few days now." Maria giggled.

"Seems like Akatsuki is going to miss out on pudding day next week." Tsubasa smiled, much to the blonde's dismay.

"Jades-san will probably give her his."

"So then..." Yumi leaned forward, urging Chris to continue.

"I'll have to show you. Using a bow is kind of difficult." Chris said."It's not something I can just tell you how to do."

"I guess hands-on experience is better." Shiori nodded in agreement.

"You're so knowledgeable Chris-san." Kuriyo smiled, making her blush.

"I-it's not that serious..."

Later on, they began cutting the cake, but not before singing Happy Birthday and recording the video.

"By the way, let's give Yukine a round of applause. She baked this cake all by herself." Tsubasa said, putting her on the spot.

"Really?! Chris-chan! Thank you!" Hibiki practically tackled Chris for a hug.

"H-hey! Stop that!" Chris groaned, not bothering to push her off."Yes, I did it...I followed the recipe Takeru was preparing in advance for the cake. And I've been practicing some of his recipes. I hope it didn't come off as sweet as the things he normally baked."

"It's actually really good! Just the right amount of sweet!" Shiori commented."In comparison to the cookies he once gave us."

"I'm glad to see that even if they're gone, our friends are still here with us. Affecting our lives." Yosuke raised his cup again."Kanade Amou, Akira Nishitani, Goro Tanaka, Chao-Xing Liang, Andreas Kagatsuchi, and Takeru Sakamoto. Let's carry on their will and continue to protect the world!"

They all cheered in unison, paying respects to those who were gone but their presence never left.


A few hours into the party, Bragi was standing outside of the balcony, watching the stary night. He had given up playing Mario Kart, since he was on a losing streak, and Hajime had just gotten into playing with them. He didn't feel like losing to him, so he decided to get some fresh air.

"Are you alright, Bragi-kun?" Miku asked, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah. Just wanted some fresh air. I'll go back in a little bit." Bragi reassured her.

"It's a beautiful night today." Miku joined him, leaning on the railing.

"It is. It's amazing how something so simple like staring at the dark sky can be so...calming." Bragi agreed."Sorry...I've been behaving like a total punk, haven't I?"

"You mean when you and Hajime fought?"

"That and when I was refusing to help him." Bragi ran a hand through his hair."I know we were all in danger, and that I'm trying to be better than the Second. But...I can't stand him."

"Well, I think he feels the same about you, unfortunately. But that's just how life is sometimes." Miku shrugged."You can't always like everyone and not everyone will like you."

"Makes sense..."

"But I'm not upset. You helped in the end. So it's alright."

"Thank you..."

"Also, I wanted to...thank you as well." She turned her body to face him."About standing up for me when Hazuki was trying to tempt me."

"Oh. You don't have to thank me for that." Bragi did the same, standing the same size as she was due to his genes."I wasn't going to let him touch you, no matter what."

"Thank you...I've been blaming myself for how he turned out." Miku confessed, surprising him."That I could have done more. Maybe convince him to turn around and change his ways. But...I thought it over, and maybe there was no way for me to stop him. God knows how long he's been planning this horrible plan. Maybe there was no convincing him after all. But it still hurt me...Because maybe...just maybe..."

"You did what you could. He just didn't take your advice. Remember when you talked to me before?" He placed his hands on her shoulders."You told me I wasn't a monster. And I could change as a person. Make my own path. Without my Mama and the Second. People can change. But he's so obsessed with a world of delusions that he is incapable of understanding others. He has a one-track mind...Ragnarok. To end all life on the planet and revive them in his world, where they can live out these warped fantasies. All to get rid of free will. It's insane. But we'll stop him. I couldn't punch him this time, but I'll get him next time."

"Be careful, okay." Miku grabbed his hand, squeezing it tenderly."He seems to want to get at you for...protecting me. I don't even recognize him anymore. He's capable of anything. He was willing to let us die..."

"I'll be fine. I promise you. I'll keep coming back as many times as it takes. We still have to explore the world more, right? I'm looking forward to what you have in store for me next. So don't worry. He will never lay a hand on you or Setsuna." The hybrid smiled, prompting Miku to blush.

"O-okay...Thank you." Miku also offered a sweet smile. Unconsciously, they hugged and continued to stare at the sky for a few more minutes together.


After the party was over, everyone was on clean-up duty, since it proved too much for the Kazanari's sentinel to handle on her own.

"Hey, Hajime. Come here." Hamaguchi waved his best friend over. Hajime blinked, doing as he was told, and stood in front of the bluenette. Hamaguchi wrapped his arm around him, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching them, and went outside.

"What's up?" Hajime finally asked.

"Listen, I managed to convince Miku-chan to spend the night over with Chris-chan and the other girls."

"Okay?"

"I also managed to convince Hibiki-chan to stay here...and she'll stay here with you. They all believe you guys need some time alone. After all, you've been apart for like months, right?"

"Oh, okay. Thanks, man. That's very considerate of you."

"I'm your best friend. It's part of the job. And this is also part of the job too." He said, taking something out of the pocket inside of his jacket. He grabbed Hajime's sweater and stuffed him with whatever he had gotten. The raven-haired checked his pocket, realizing what he was given, and blushed. A total of 10 condoms.

"Dude, what the fuck?!" Hajime pushed him away.

"Use protection, my man. You're too young to be carrying a mini Hajime or mini Hibiki."

"We're not going to have sex! Wait, 10 condoms...where did you even get them and why? Wait, hold on...does that mean...? You and Kirika..." Hajime's face was drained of all color when Hamaguchi grinned."When?! I-I mean, how?!"

"Life just happens, my man. We're all teenagers, bro. We're pumped full of hormones. So shit like this is bound to happen. You'd be surprised. We were watching a movie at my place and well...things just happened. But I had a box ready just in case. Like in Okinawa, I placed them in strategic places in the house. But enough about me. This is about you. I think it's a perfect time for you guys to take the next step."

"Y-yeah, but...sex? I don't know..." Hajime trailed off.

"Well, like I said, it just happens. You'll both know when you're ready to take the next step. You'll feel it right here." He poked him in his chest where his heart should be."In your heart. And in your dick, I guess. But that's something else."

"Fuck off!" Hajime punched him in the arm, marching back inside and slamming the door behind him.

"Hahaha...He says that now..."


Later that night, Hibiki and Hajime were in her room, just hanging around and getting ready to sleep.

"You sure you want me to stay? I mean, I could at least sleep on the couch..." Hajime rubbed his arm awkwardly.

"It's okay. I trust you. And you are my boyfriend, after all." Hibiki reassured him. They both sat on her bed, and she rested her head on his shoulder."I've missed you so much...I'm sorry if I sound needy or possessive."

"Not at all. I feel the same way about you." Hajime brought her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist."I've come close to dying so many times both here and back in Okinawa...it's taught me to appreciate life more. And that I want to live. And how much I've longed for you."

"You've longed for me...?"

"Yeah...Every night back in Okinawa, I dreamt of being with you again. But I was scared of hurting you. I shouldn't have left like that. I did everything the wrong way. There had to be a better way to do things."

"You were hurting, Hajime..." She reasoned, kissing him on his cheek as if wanting to heal his wounds.

"But I hurt you..."

"It's okay..." She whispered, nuzzling against his neck, sending shivers down his spine."I understand. But now we can put that behind us and move on with our lives. We can enjoy peace again."

"Right."

"If some bad guy somewhere is causing people trouble, I'm sure I'd be able to stop them with my fists." She said, clenching her hand for emphasis."But when my opponent is fighting for their sense of justice, with clenched fists, then it's not so easy to resolve. I've managed so far, but will I always get by on simply believing in my sense of justice and holding it tight?"

"It's hard to say. I feel the same way regarding Hazuki. He has his reasons, regardless of how distorted they are. I guess to anyone else, a world without evil wouldn't sound so bad. And I guess some people prefer to not think and have their decisions made for them. But...we have to move forward and fight for what we believe in. Fight for what we believe is right and stay true to ourselves." Hajime said, holding her hand and glancing down at their rings."We made it this far like this, right? I say we keep going. And if you doubt yourself, just know that I'll always believe in you."

"Hajime..." Hibiki muttered, her heart skipping a beat. She leaned forward, kissing his lips."Hajime...Hajime..."

"Hibiki..." Hajime slowly reached for her rear and squeezed it. He gasped in realization."Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

"It's okay." She giggled, guiding his hand back to her butt and he unconsciously squeezed again."I know you like my butt. So feel free to enjoy it to your heart's content."

"Wait...you knew?"

"You're not exactly subtle when you're checking me out. Especially when I'm donning my Gear." She giggled at his bashful expression."That's okay. I find it charming that you find me attractive...Just like I find you attractive too. Hajime...I...I want to take the next step..."

"Next step...? Wait, you mean...?"

She nodded shyly, averting her gaze.

"B-but Hibiki..." He pulled his arms back, much to her disappointment."I don't want to hurt you..."

"You won't hurt me, my love. Every touch I feel from you is one that's filled with love. Before in Okinawa, I wasn't thinking straight, but now I am. And I want to do this. So don't be afraid to hurt me or that I might not be okay with it."

"Hibiki...are you sure...I mean...I feel like once we start, I don't think I'll be able to hold back..." He mumbled, embarrassed."I...I really long for you..."

"Then come to me...Because I want you to. I want everything about you. So please, Hajime..." She leaned forward, sitting on his lap."Let's take the next step..."

Something in Hajime snapped at that moment, and he wrapped his arms around her frame, kissing her neck as his arms explored her body. She held back a moan."H-Hajime! So suddenly...!"

"I'm sorry, I..."

"It's okay...I want this too..."

With that, the couple began to undress each other, their hearts set to cross that line. Their hearts were convinced. A few hours later, they lay in bed, exhausted and laying bare underneath the blanket. Hibiki stared at Hajime with adoring eyes, and he stared right back with the same amount of passion.

"Your Mom is going to murder me if she finds out about this."

"She doesn't have to find out..."

"Okay. Then Miku will kill me. We literally did it on the bed you guys sleep on."

"Ah...We'll just have to wash the sheets then! Oh, but the hickeys!" She gingerly touched her neck, noticing the love marks.

"Yeah. Not to mention Hamaguchi is the one who gave me those condoms. And knowing him, he'll probably tell Kirika. And Kirika will tell Shirabe and her siblings. And then everyone else will know."

"Oh, no..." Hibiki blushed, hiding her face behind her hands.

"Do you regret what we did?" He asked carefully, afraid of the answer.

She uncovered her face and kissed him on the lips for a few seconds."Of course not. I would never. We love each other very much and we're compromised in our relationship. This made me very happy, Hajime. Thank you."

"That's mine line. Like I said, once we graduate high school, I'll marry you for sure. Or maybe we can wait until college? Well, it doesn't really matter I guess. I think by the time we have our own store and our own family restaurant we'll be married.

"Sounds like a great idea. Maybe we could have Shiori, Yumi, and Kuriyo as lead singers. And sometimes asked Maria-san and Tsubasa-san to perform there. I want the place to have a karaoke area where people can sing their hearts out."

"I love that idea. I think Setsuna would be thrilled to be a waitress and help us out. At least, until she figures out what to do. Maybe we can have a cafe area as well. Raiden is a great barista. He wants to be one when he grows up."

"He'd be on board with that." Hibiki giggled."We have so much ahead of us, Sunny..."

"Yeah...our life is just starting. But I'm looking forward to a life with you, Sunshine. I love you with all of my heart."

"I love you so much too. So much."

The couple scooted closer together, falling into a peaceful slumber and enjoying each other's warmth. For the first time in several months, they were finally at peace together.


And with that, marks the end of AXZ. It was a long journey filled with rollercoasters of emotions. I'm honored to have shared this experience with you guys. Officially, we're done with AXZ, but we still have one more chapter of the "Lost Files" before we can move on to XV. And just a warning...things are about to get crazy in XV. Now that we're about to start the penultimate season of the story, things are about to start picking up.