It took them a while, and a couple more small staircases that Hunter fell down, but Gus and Hunter managed to exit the illusionary forest, and into the hallway of Hexside.
"Is this real?" Hunter asked.
Gus walked up to one of the water fountains. When he went to touch it, his hand made contact with a still sticky gum wad that was stuck to the side of the fountain.
"Yuck. Yes! Yeah, we made it through the illusion!" Gus exclaimed. "High five!"
Gus held his right hand up, but Hunter looked at him with confusion. The former Golden Guard held up his left hand in an attempt to mimic Gus. But once he had, Gus slapped his palm with Hunter's.
"Now we can hopefully find the others and figure out how to get the Scouts out of the school," said Gus. "By the way, why didn't you transform back there?"
"W-What?" Hunter asked.
"You know, go Kamen Rider and fight back? Actually, why didn't you when Adrian tried to brand me?" Gus inquired further.
"It's none of your business, alright! I have my reasons," Hunter insisted.
Gus raised an eyebrow. From what he had seen, Hunter seemed proud of the fact that he was a Kamen Rider. About being the "sole protector" of the Boiling Isles. But now he was hesitant to use his powers.
"Okay, okay, just asking," said Gus as he began walking.
Hunter walked alongside him, but as he did, Hunter sheepishly asked, "You said in those human stories, there are Kamen Riders who are tricked into fighting the good guys or something. How do those normally turn out?"
"Oh, well, depends on the series. But most of the time, those Riders usually go on to help the main Rider, because they realized what they should be fighting for. It wasn't always easy for those Riders, but in the end, I'd say it was worth it. Because they ended up happier for it, even if it was a struggle," Gus explained.
"I see…" Hunter lowered his head.
Gus smiled a little as he elaborated further. "But then again, even the main Riders have struggles like that."
Hunter rolled his eyes. "I can't see the human having to struggle with their powers."
"You do know that Luz and Amity's powers come from Phantoms right?" Gus asked.
"Well…yeah, I remember her saying that," Hunter answered.
"Luz's Phantom is called La Lechuza, the Owl Phantom. And Amity's is called Bast, the Cat Phantom. Luz was kidnapped and underwent a ritual that forced her to fall into despair, but Luz's hope and general positive energy overpowered that despair and allowed her to harness her Phantom's powers instead. Amity's was the same way, but it was a slower process, gradually trying to make Amity fall into despair. Until she also managed to – I guess – 'tame' her Phantom."
Hunter raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you getting at?"
"All Kamen Riders' powers come from the same source as the bad guy they're fighting. Luz and Amity's powers come from Phantoms, and they use them to battle Phantoms," Gus explained.
Hunter stopped walking and looked at Gus. "But…then doesn't that make Riders technically evil too?" The former Golden Guard tightened his fists, knowing that Belos derived his Kamen Rider powers from the remains of a Phantom.
"That's like saying witch's staffs are bad because someone did something bad with theirs. Some powers may have their origins in evil, like the Phantoms. But it's what Luz and Amity do with them that makes them good. I think the comics about the Riders called it…The 'Cross of Fire'. They all bear the burden of using a power that was meant to harm but wield it to protect and defend the innocent. Even if it might make them seem like monsters too."
Hunter unclenched his fists as he thought about that. "The 'Cross of Fire'…"
"…I don't know what's going on between you and the Emperor, but I know Luz would like to have you join our side. And yes, I know, you think she's behind all of this, but if you just give her a chance," said Gus.
Hunter grimaced, remembering the words that Luz spoke to him. Offering him sanctuary in the Owl House, offering him her protection from Belos. But right now…he didn't feel…worthy? Worthy sounded right.
As they continued their walk, the two boys stopped, noticing someone appear down the hall. Thankfully, it was someone familiar.
"Willow! You're okay!" Gus cried out as he ran towards his best friend.
Willow met him halfway as she took his hands into hers. "Augustus! I've been looking everywhere for you." The bespectacled witch took a step back when she noticed Hunter approaching. "Whoa. What is he doing here?"
"Oh. Don't worry. It's cool. He helped me escape from Graye," Gus explained. He then leaned forward and whispered, "I think he ran away from the Emperor's Coven. But he won't exactly say why. Also, he hasn't showered for a while. Be nice."
"Interesting…" Willow commented as she gave an uneasy glance at Hunter. "Anyway, let's find the others before these illusions get any more…eeek."
The moment that Willow made that noise and expression, Hunter tilted his head. Something was off.
"Okay. Let's get moving."
Hunter narrowed his gaze. Flapjack, sensing his intention, exited the satchel and transformed in his staff form. Immediately Hunter used his dash spell, getting in front of the two witches as he pointed his staff in Willow's direction in a threatening manner.
"Who are you?!" Hunter demanded.
Gus quickly put himself between Hunter and Willow. "What are you doing?! Willow's on our side!"
"That's not the Captain!"
Gus glanced back at Willow.
"You're scaring me, Hunter," Willow responded in a cowering voice.
Hunter raised an eyebrow as he added, "Have you ever seen her play Flyer Derby? There's no way she'd be afraid of me."
Gus' eyes widened. It was true, there was no way Willow would be afraid of Hunter, even with his Rider powers. Gus quickly backed away from "Willow" and stood next to Hunter.
"OH, AGAIN?! CUT!"
Willow's appearance shimmered as her body transformed into that of the Coven Scout, Severine.
"SEVERINE!" Adrian appeared a few feet behind the Scout, a disappointed expression plastered on his face. "You had your chance, and you blew it! Not that I'm surprised."
"B-But I followed all your notes," Severine argued.
Adrain sighed heavily as he walked towards them. "Well, he was still able to see through your shoddy performance. So, maybe you should've figured out the note inside the note."
Severine lowered her head as she walked away.
"And you two…" Gus and Hunter got into defensive stances. "…are making my job very difficult.
Hunter dismissed Flapjack, grabbed Gus, and ran for the other end of the hallway. However, before they could round the corner, someone else did first. Hunter came to a complete stop as he now beheld the looming presence of Emperor Belos. His eyes glowed a piercing blue as he stared down directly at the former Golden Guard menacingly.
"E-Emperor B-Belos…!"
Adrain took advantage of the stunned older teen as he kicked Hunter in the back, sending him straight to the floor. The Head Witch of the Illusionists Coven swiftly grabbed ahold of Gus as he snapped his fingers. A moment after doing so, the image of the Emperor poofed into cyan smoke, revealing two other Coven Scouts.
"I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!" Hunter ordered.
The two Scouts immediately halted.
"Uh…Technically, he is our superior," said one of the Scouts.
"Well, right now, he's just a runaway. And our dearest Emperor wants him back, so tie him up," Adrian counter ordered.
The two Scouts grabbed Hunter and hoisted him up, but Hunter managed to kick the Coven Scout in front of him. The second quickly grabbed both of his arms and held them behind his back. But Hunter threw his head back, striking the Coven Scout in the face. The mask took most of the blow, but it still hurt.
"Ugh! Just put him–!"
"Out of his misery?" the first Coven Scout finished as he drew a large spell circle. "Done."
Hunter's eyes widened as he saw the spell that the Scout readied to kill him with.
"To sleep, dude! Put! Him! To! Sleep! Jeez!" the second Coven Scout asserted.
"Oh, yeah. Right, right, of course."
The first Coven Scout cancelled his first spell and drew another circle. This time he summoned a flute. Once in hand, the Scout played the flute which released a blueish vapor that wafted past Hunter's face. Immediately his eyelids began to grow heavy. Hunter tried to fight it, tried to keep his consciousness from slipping, but the spell was too effective. As his vision began to fade, his last sight was of Gus being taken away by Adrian…
Hunter's head was swimming, he could hear some chirping noises, and the more he concentrated on them, the more he began to regain consciousness. Slowly he opened his eyes, and immediately his vision was filled with the sight of his Palisman, Flapjack.
"He's waking up," said a voice.
Not just Flapjack, now he saw Skara and Viney, his Flyer Derby teammates. Viney had a couple of spell circles hovering on either side of his head, using her magic to counteract the sleeping spell that the Coven Scout used. Slowly, Hunter got up and took a moment to see where he was.
He was in the Healing Homeroom. It seemed that the Hexside students didn't escape without getting hurt. Some were injured, and those who were studying Healing magic were aiding the teachers in healing their fellow students. It seemed Amity and Willow had managed to get here as well, which was a relief to see.
"This…This is an illusion! I need to save Gus!" Hunter quickly got up to run, but the moment he did, he fell to his knees.
Viney and Skara quickly rushed to his side and helped him up.
"Whoa, easy! You're still going to feel a little weak from the sleep spell, give it time to pass," Viney advised.
"And this isn't an illusion. You're in the Healing Homeroom, you're safe," Skara assured.
"Well, Mr. Golden Guard."
Hunter, Skara, and Viney turned their attention to Principal Bump, who was now standing a few feet from them.
Hunter slowly stood, letting his teammates help him up to his feet. "Hunter…sir. Just, Hunter."
"We saw you being dragged around, and the Flyer Derby team was determined to save you," Principal Bump informed.
Hunter glanced to his right, seeing Viney smirk at him. He turned to his left and saw Skara, her brow was slightly furrowed, but she smirked as well.
"I owed you one for helping Willow," said Skara.
"Thank you," he replied.
"However, I am not yet convinced of your innocence," Principal Bump stated. "Now, where have your Scouts taken Augustus?"
"That's the Golden Guard?" Edric questioned.
"He looks sickly," Emira observed.
"I could probably take him," Matt commented.
"You do know the Golden Guard is also Kamen Rider Crusader, right?" Edric pointed out.
Matt's eyes widened for a moment as he just now recalled that fact. "Uh…I mean…I could take 'em only in my wildest dreams! Ah-ha…haaa…ahem."
Barcus sneezed, which translated to, "He's not to be trusted!"
Hunter realized that he was not in the best of positions right now. After all, the Golden Guard is known as the leader of the Coven Scouts and works directly under Emperor Belos. And Hunter's appearance in the school at the same time as a raid by the Illusionists Coven's Head Witch and a contingent of Coven Scouts along with him did not look good.
"I know this looks suspicious! I get it, but I swear I'm not with them," said Hunter in an attempt to convince the Hexside students and faculty. "I was Gus the whole time. I was trying to get him to you."
"Maybe we can trade him for Augustus?" the Illusion professor suggested. "I'm sure the Emperor would want him back."
Hunter's eyes widened with fear at the thought of going back there, it was essentially a death sentence. "I'm not lying! Gus was showing me around! There was a sandwich. He showed me this breathing thing. Please! You gotta believe me!"
Just then, Hunter felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked to his left, he saw that it was Willow who had come to his side.
"He's telling the truth. And he can help us drive Head Witch Graye and his Scouts out of the school," said Willow.
"Yes! Um, Graye said he'll be in the gym. But he will be guarded," Hunter informed.
"That won't be a problem," Amity spoke up. "Willow can bust through anything."
"Heh, well, not everything. But I think we'll need a little something extra if we want to get Gus back," Willow replied.
"Say no more!" Matt interrupted. "I'm on it."
"…Not exactly what I was going for," Willow corrected as she glanced at Amity.
The lavender haired witch sighed. She knew there was no getting around it now. With Gus in danger, and their options limited, Amity had no choice right now but to reveal herself. Even if it might earn her some suspicious looks from the others. Amity briefly turned her gaze towards her siblings, who nodded in solidarity with their little sister, and then she looked at Skara and Viney. They too gave nods of confidence and comradery.
"We have two advantages over the Scouts and Head Witch Graye," Amity informed. "The first one is Hunter as Kamen Rider Crusader."
"And the second?" Principal Bump inquired.
"Me." Amity reached into her pocket and slipped on her Driver ring and held it over her waist.
[Driver On!]
Just as she did that, the MagiDriver appeared around her waist, causing many in the room to gasp, aside from those who knew this secret.
"I am Kamen Rider Heka," Amity announced.
Principal Bump's eyes were wide open, but then his expression returned to normal. "You know, somehow, that doesn't surprise me. Let me guess, Ms. Noceda is Witch, isn't she?"
Amity nodded. "She is. But you don't seem upset by that."
"Again, considering it's your group, I had a feeling something like this was going on. Which is why I never bought into any of the Emperor's propaganda regarding you and Luz. Even that attack on the school felt off. And now we're getting raided by the Emperor's Coven. It only confirmed my suspicions that everything the Emperor has said needs to be called into question," Principal Bump explained.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Matt exclaimed. "You're Heka! And Luz is Witch?! Why doesn't anyone else look shocked by this?"
"We already knew," Edric and Emira stated.
"Same," said Skara and Viney.
The Illusion professor shrugged, at this point she was just taking everything in stride.
"With that out in the open, we need a plan on how to get Augustus back."
"Eeeee! This is my favorite part! Let's strategize!" Skara squeed.
The students and teachers spoke for a while and managed to come up with a plan of action to rescue Gus and expel the Coven Scouts, along with Head Witch Graye. After the discussions were over, everyone got ready for the plan to begin.
"Hey, Hunter, I have a question," said Amity.
"What is it, Blight?" Hunter asked.
"Do you know where Luz is? At all?"
Hunter sighed as he replied, "I don't. All I can tell you for right now is that I was at the Owl House with her, but I ran away from there. Some things happened to us, and the Owl Lady saved us. But I'm not sure what she did after that. So…sorry."
Amity sighed in disappointment. She had hoped to get more information about Luz, but it seemed as if that was not going to happen. Well, details would have to wait for later.
"On another subject," Willow interjected. "Why don't you want to be part of the vanguard with Amity? You're Rider powers would help."
"…" Hunter went silent. "I have my reasons…but even without me, having Blight there is more or less overkill."
Amity hummed in contemplation. "Well, I can't argue with you there."
Willow could see that Hunter was uneasy about using his powers for some reason. She felt like pressing him, but for now Gus was their priority. She would have to talk to him about this later.
"Alright, but just know we're here for you if you need to talk, okay," said Willow.
Hunter smiled a little and nodded in acknowledgement.
Back at the gymnasium. There were guards posted outside the entrance, but inside, the Illusionist Graveyard illusion was still in place inside of the gym. It was there that Gus was being held on his knees and flanked by two Coven Scouts while Adrian walked back and forth yammering on.
"And yes, at first I thought that fooling children was a waste of my impressive talents. But I realized that a true genius can find the art in everything he does and – Hey. Hey!"
Gus lowered his head as he ruminated on his mistakes. "You did it again, Augustus. You couldn't even tell Willow apart from an illusion…"
"Yoo-hoo. Come on," said Adrian as he snapped his fingers to get Gus' attention. "Are you listening? This is my monologue. Now, this is your doing is it not?"
"Yeah…It's all my fault," Gus admitted.
"Oh. Right. It's aaaallll about you. Now how about telling me how you know about the Looking Glass Graveyard?" Adrian interrogated. "I've been looking for the Galderstones for years now. They'd make great gifts for the Emperor. Where did you say you found them?"
Gus glared at the Head Witch, refusing to say a word.
Adrian rolled his eyes. "Boring."
The Head Witch gave a nod to the two Scouts on either side of Gus. Immediately the two grabbed ahold of him, keeping him still and glued to that spot to prevent any retaliation or escape. That's when Adrian removed the mirror earring and showed it to Gus.
"See this mirror? It's a handy little magic amplifier." Adrian drew a spell circle as he explained further. "It'll help me sort through those little memories of yours."
The Head Witch tapped the spell circle with the amplifier, causing it to float towards Gus. The spell circle stopped right in front of Gus' face, and just as it did, Gus could feel the spell prying into his mind. Attempting to unearth his memories of the Looking Glass Graveyard, the very place he and Matt swore they would keep safe and secret. The last thing they needed was for the Emperor to get ahold of all those Galderstones. His power would increase drastically and not even Luz or Amity could stop him if that happened. So, he resisted, he tried to resist as much as he could.
"Aaaah! It hurts!" Gus shouted.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Adrian griped.
"AAAAH!"
Suddenly, a small burst of magical energy was released from Gus. The burst had a cascading effect that deactivated the illusion spell that covered the gym and outside of it. Adrian looked around and noticed the Looking Glass Graveyard facsimile was no longer here.
"Huh, well, that's at least one problem dealt with. Now let's…what?" Adrain gasped.
The two Coven Scouts released Gus as his eyes glowed a bright blue color. Gus looked as if he had a thousand-yard stare, as if his mind had checked out. A sphere of cyan light started to swirl around him, causing the three to back away from Gus.
"S-Sir, what's happening?" the first Scout asked.
"What is this?" the second Scout questioned in fear.
"A magical surge…but I've never seen one this strong, especially with Illusion magic," Adrain gasped as he took a few more cautious steps back.
Just then a growl echoed within the room.
"Oh…what now?"
Adrian turned around and gasped when he saw something he hadn't expected. There, standing right behind him, was the Super Illusion Phantom. The beast's eyes glowed bright, making it hard to tell where it was looking. But, Adrian, in his vanity, assumed it was him, especially when he noticed that this Phantom had a symbol similar to that of the Illusionist Coven.
"I…I see…It was only a matter of time before one of you monsters came after me. You've been seeking witches and demons with affinities for different magic types! And now you've come after one of the best, and most artistic Illusionists!" Adrian got into defensive stance as he added, "Well, I won't let you use me for your evil deeds without a fight! Will resist! I will defy you! I WILL–!"
The Super Illusion Phantom raised its right paw and swiped, batting Adrian to the side as he skidded across the gym floor. To the beast, it was like he was annoyance that was in its way. With that obstacle out of the way, the Super Illusion Phantom got closer and closer to Gus. The young Illusionist was still lost in his mind, unaware of what was happening outside of his mind. A perfect moment for the monster to do what it did best…
The Scouts outside weren't sure what was going on inside the gym, but their attention was diverted to the hallway as they noticed Principal Bump strolling up the hallway towards them, alone.
The Coven Scout Captain stepped out of the group of Scouts and stated, "The gym is off-limits! Head Witch Graye's orders!"
"Graye may be the Head Witch of the Illusionists Coven, but I'm still principal. And it'd be wise to let me through," Principal Bump warned.
The Scout Captain chuckled mockingly as he brandished his spear and retorted, "Oh, yeah? And what are you going to do about it alone?"
At that moment, Frewyn removed himself from Bump's head and shifted into his staff form as the school principal wielded it with both hands. But he wasn't alone.
"Henshin!"
[Ready, Open!]
[Roar of the heavens!]
[The Goddess Descends!]
A flash of golden light went off, followed by a flash of cyan light. When the light disappeared, the Scouts were met with the sight of a griffon, an Abomination-Plant hybrid, the former Golen Guard, several Hexside students, and Kamen Rider Heka.
The Scout Captain blinked and then whistled loudly. More Coven Scouts came running from around the corner. Several of them were already drawing spell circles, readying to cast their attack spells. However, Heka stepped forward and decided to even the playing field. Heka twirled Lady Luck around and used the bladed end of the staff to draw a large spell circle. The golden Rider twirled her staff yet again and struck the bladed tip of the staff against the floor. A moment after, a wave of Abomination goo rose from the floor and began to separate into individual mounds. Within seconds, the Abomination goo transformed into leaner versions of the normally bulky Abominations. Each of them sported four slits with glowing yellow orbs for eyes as they stared down the Coven Scouts.
"Uh…sir…are we really about to go head-to-head with a Kamen Rider?" Severine asked.
"You will if you want to stay a Scout, Severine," the Scout Captain responded.
Severine groaned with annoyance and frustration.
"GET 'EM!"
The Coven Scouts charged forward as Heka thrusted her staff forward, silently commanding the five Fighter Abomination golems to charge as well. Several blasts of magical energy were set loose against the Abomination golems. But the golems raised their arms and formed shields as they were hit with ice shards, fireballs, energy blasts, and stone spears. Thankfully the golems managed to take the brunt of the assault, allowing the Hexside students and Principal Bump to counterattack. Principal Bump charged forward with his staff and clashed with a Coven Scout, their two energies crackled as they pushed against each other, but Bump managed to overpower the Scout and threw them back several feet.
Two Scouts were about to ambush Principal Bump, but Jerbo rushed in with his Abomination-Plant hybrid creation. The combo golem swept up the two Scouts in its dirt and goo body, carrying them off as it continued to barrel through more Scouts. Viney and Skara rode atop Puddles as the griffon slashed with her claws and headbutted others. Viney jump off Puddle's back as she drew two spell circles. Her left arm turned into a tentacle, while the other transformed into a large bestial fist. With her tentacle arm, Viney ensnared a Scout, reeled them in, and punched them with the big beast arm.
Skara joined in on the action, using her staff, Cheep, to conjure magical energy blasts that intercepted other energy blasts from the Coven Scouts. One of the Scouts managed to get behind her, but a mess of vines shot out of the ground and collided with the Scout, pinning them against the lockers.
"I got your back, Skar!" Willow cried out with a wink.
After Skara winked back, Willow continued to offer support, conjuring more vines to either trip up, snare, or throw any Scouts that looked like they were getting too close to their friends, and especially her girlfriend. Two more Scouts managed to get close, but Hunter warped in, and skillfully struck the first one with his staff, before delivering a spinning roundhouse to the second.
"And I got yours, Captain!" Hunter proclaimed.
Skara smirked as she said, "Showoff."
Edric and Barcus were lobbing exploding potion bottles while Matt used his Construction magic to create stone slabs that acted as shields, and in some cases battering rams. Emira would jump in and provide healing where needed, with Viney acting as a sort of combat healer. The Hexside forces were quickly making easy work of the so-called highly trained and elite witches, which infuriated their captain.
"ENOUGH!" the Scout Captain shouted as he reached behind his back and took out something that looked like a remote control. "I will not be cowed by a bunch of students!"
Heka twirled her staff around and got into an attack stance. "Will you feel better if I was the one who took you down instead?"
"Ooh, Heka, I gotta thank you." The Coven Scout Captain pressed a button on the remote control and that's when an Abomaton crashed through the wall to his right. "I've been needing an excuse to play with this thing!"
"An Abomaton?!" Skara exclaimed.
"For real?" Edric and Emira groaned.
"I really have to talk to my parents about those," Heka commented.
The Abomaton shifted its arms into cannons and began firing powerful blasts of magical energy right at them.
[Call to Arms: Sphinx Shield!]
Heka's Sphinx shield formed over her left arm as she got ahead of the group and blocked the incoming blasts. One explosion after the other went off as the golden Rider took the attacks head on. Heka grunted as she decided to get up close and personal with the robotic sentinel. The golden Rider charged forward, using her shield to block the energy blasts as they exploded against its surface. As Heka approached, the Abomaton transformed its right arm into a blade, readying to fight Heka should she get close enough.
The golden Rider swiped away at another blast, flipped Lady Luck around so that its bladed end was pointing up, and thrusted it forward. The Abomaton met her attack by parrying her slash and transforming its right arm into its claw mode to grab her. Heka managed to jump back just in time to miss its claws, and once out of range, Heka switched up her rings as she inserted another Armament ring.
[Call to Arms: Griffon Ax!]
The shield disappeared as the Griffon Ax materialized into her left hand. Heka dismissed Lady Luck and drew a spell circle with her right hand. Once it was done she shot it forward after adding some of her mana into it. Once the spell circle hit the Abomaton's body, the robot froze in place. Heka lifted the Griffon Ax as she slashed downwards, sending a golden energy crescent straight towards the Abomaton. The crescent easily sliced through the Abomaton's body, causing it to explode a moment after. The explosion sent the Scout Captain flying backwards as he slammed against the part of the wall that wasn't destroyed. Willow, Hunter, Skara, and Viney stood next to Heka as they readied to continue the fight if the Scout Captain decided he still wanted to keep going.
The Scout Captain managed to pick himself up and grunted angrily at the assembled teens. "Don't think I'm giving up just like that!" The Scout Captain took a few steps forward as he picked up a discarded spear. "We are the Emperor's Coven Scouts! And we will not be brought down by a bunch of – AAAAH!"
Suddenly, the gym door burst open as a foxlike tail whipped forward and struck the Scout Captain, sending him flying down the other end of the hallway.
"Uh…that was unexpected," Viney noted.
"Was that a fox tail?" Skara questioned.
"Let's hurry, we need to help Gus!" Heka ordered.
All five of them rushed towards the open door as the fox tail retracted itself. Once they were inside, they paused and gasped loudly. At the center of the gym was a Hybrid Phantom. It possessed four long, glowing tails that resembled a fox which were connected to a glowing, sleeveless coat. Its body was a black with glowing cyan edges around its chest, arms, and legs. Each of its five fingers was tipped with a glowing blue claw, matching the three glowing claws on each of its feet. Around the creature's collar bone and shoulders was a thick cyan fur that shimmered with ethereal light. Its face resembled that of a fox, but the upper half had a white mask with the gnarled symbol of the Illusionists Coven carved onto it. The lower half of the monster's face had a faceplate, in a strange way, the Phantom's head somewhat resembled a Kamen Rider helmet. The Hybrid Phantom's eyes glowed with the same cyan light as its tails undulated behind it, remaining still for some reason. Lying on the floor were the two Coven Scouts, and Head Witch Graye, who was holding his head as he writhed on the ground. When Head Witch Graye opened his eyes, they glowed a bright cyan.
"I…I don't like these memories! M-Make it stop! M-Make it stop!" Adrian begged.
"No…you don't think…" Willow began.
"That's not a Super Coven Phantom…It's a Hybrid Phantom…and from the looks of it, an Illusion based one. And the only other one in here was…"
"Gus," Hunter finished.
"Okay, just putting it out there, but this is bad. Luz isn't here, and don't we kinda need her to save Gus?" Viney asked in a worried tone.
Heka shook her head as she replied. "No, thankfully Luz and I made a ring for me so that I could extract people from inside the Phantoms like she can. It's not going to be easy." The golden Rider glanced at Hunter. "You could lend me a hand here?"
"You want me to help you?" Hunter asked.
"Gus is a strong Illusionist, and now he's possessed by a Phantom that specializes in illusions. I'm going to need all the help I can get on this one. I don't know why you don't want to transform. But if you won't do it for yourself, then do it for Gus!"
Hunter glanced between her and the Hybrid Illusion Phantom. Gus helped him when he was having his panic attack, and even gave him food out of concern without even knowing the circumstances as to why he was in the school in the first place. Hunter looked at his gloved right hand and removed it as he furrowed his brow.
"Captain, Skara, Viney, take a step back. We'll save Gus," said Hunter as he stepped forward next to Heka.
Willow noticed that his right hand was shaking a little, and so did Heka. Despite this, Hunter held his right hand over his waist.
[Driver On, Now!]
Once the Arcane Driver had materialized, Hunter removed his other glove and placed his Crusader ring on. Heka saw that Hunter was serious, and dismissed Lady Luck, summoning her MaguScepter as she put on her Champion ring.
"Henshin!"
[Initiate.]
[I am!]
[The sword of justice!]
[I am!]
[The warrior who paves the way!]
[I am!]
[Crusa-Crusa-CRUSADER~]
[Rise Champion!]
[ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!]
[THE HERO OF LOVE & ORDER!]
[HEKA~]
[HEKA~]
[CHAMPION~!]
[THE GODDESS ASCENDS!]
A green magic circle rose over Hunter and transformed him into Kamen Rider Crusader. Heka's magic circle appeared below her as golden flames engulfed her. The sound of panther-like roar resonated within the gym before the flames burst and disappeared, revealing Heka in her Champion Final Form.
The Hybrid Illusion Phantom narrowed its glowing eyes as it stared at them. Remaining still. Suddenly, a flash of cyan light went off, everyone shut their eyes for a moment and when they opened their eyes, they were outside.
"Did we get teleported?" Skara asked.
Willow glanced over her shoulder and saw the door to the gym was still there. "No, it's an illusion, we're still inside the gym!"
"Nice try, you're not going to mess with our heads that easily," Crusader stated as he slipped on one of his Avian Weapon rings.
[Crow Scythe, Now!]
Crusader summoned forth his scythe and charged straight for the Hybrid Illusion Phantom, as soon as Crusader slashed with his scythe, the Hybrid Illusion Phantom began to shimmer and disappear.
"What?"
"HUNTER, BEHIND YOU!" Heka warned.
Crusader turned around at the last second and saw the Hybrid Illusion Phantom was now behind him and threw a roundhouse kick. Crusader raised his Crow Scythe and blocked the kick with the shaft of the weapon. However, despite it just being a kick, the blow was strong enough to send Crusader flying several feet away. However, something was wrong, Crusader was still going. Just then he crashed into several trees, splintering them in half as he finally came to a stop. The sound of heavy, falling trees crashing to the ground sent a thudding "BOOM!" sound into the air.
The others were shocked by this, the gym wasn't that big. And the trees were somehow real?
Crusader got up, groaning in pain from the impact of going through trees. Which was even more confusing. "How the heck…! Trees?!"
The Hybrid Illusion Phantom turned around and went after Heka. The golden Rider flipped the MaguScepter around and ran towards the monster as she slashed with the bladed end of the staff. However, yet again, when a blade struck the Phantom, its body shimmered and disappeared.
"Again?" Heka stabilized herself, planted her feet, and whirled around as she slashed. The moment she did, her blade made contact with the Hybrid Illusion Phantom. "Not gonna be that easy!"
Unfortunately, it was another illusion as its body shimmered and disappeared. Flashes of cyan light went off around her, and a moment later, there were eight Hybrid Illusion Phantoms.
"You're not the only one who can make an army!"
The MaguScepter's Twin Heart Generator spun up as eight globs of Abomination goo manifested around her, within seconds they became Fighter Abomination golems, clad in golden fire armor. The eight golems formed goo swords coated with the flames and clashed with the eight Hybrid Illusion Phantoms. A ninth appeared above Heka at the last second, but before the Hybrid Illusion Phantom could land its blow, three lightning feathers shot towards the monster. The feathers pierced through the monster, which was another illusion as it disappeared a moment after getting shot. Crusader flew overhead, now armed with his Lightning Eagle Wing. The Fighter Abomination golems continued to fight with the illusion clones of the Hybrid Illusion Phantom. The Phantoms created construct scimitar swords made of cyan energy, using them to fight against the golems as sparks danced in the air. Crusader landed behind Heka, going back-to-back as they tried to assess what was going on.
"Okay, something is wrong here! These illusions can touch us! And this forest, it's real! Are we sure the Phantom didn't teleport us outside?" Crusader questioned.
"I don't think so, it didn't feel like the space shifted. Usually, you get a kind of tugging feeling in your stomach when using teleportation spells. But that's not what this is…"
"Hey…You don't think that the Phantom that merged with Gus made his Illusion magic powerful enough to create solid illusions? And manipulate space?" Crusader theorized.
Heka didn't want to imagine that that was the case, but it made sense. The fact that Crusader was flung further than the actual length of space in the gym. And these Hybrid Illusion Phantom clones that were physically clashing with her Abominations. With that startling thought in mind, Heka pointed her staff at Adrain and the two Scouts. A gold and pink aura surrounded all three of them as they were levitated off the ground and sent towards their friends.
"Willow, Skara, Viney! Get these three out of here! And you guys get out too! It's not safe in here!" Heka warned.
"Wait, why–!"
The entire area shimmered with cyan light, and within seconds the landscape completely changed. There was an intense heat the permeated the air. A glow was emanating from underneath them which shined with an angry yellow, orange, and red coloring. The forest had disappeared, replaced by jagged peaks of gray and black rock. The sky was covered in thick, dense clouds that had snow drifting down from them. No, not snow, ash. But Heka felt something strange just then…she felt weightless.
Heka looked down and realized the ground was gone. Instead, there was a jagged, canyon wide fissure that dropped several feet below, and had a river of fiery lava. Heka immediately began to drop, but before she could fall to far, Crusader reached down with his left hand and grabbed Heka's left hand. The Abomination golems, unfortunately, were not so lucky as they fell into the lava below, but the Hybrid Illusion Phantom's clones disappeared. Crusader flew up and brought Heka back to solid ground. It was now that she noticed there more fissures, and some had lava shooting up like geysers and throwing droplets of the burning plasma in different directions.
Heka and Crusader quickly shifted their attention over to their friends. Willow had summoned vines that were now holding onto Adrian as he dangled over the edge of the fissure. Viney had transformed her arms into tentacles as she did the same as Willow, keeping the two Scouts from burning alive. The two witches grunted fiercely as they hoisted their catches up out of the crevasse and onto solid ground.
"Okay, this is crazy! This is way more than an illusion spell!" Skara exclaimed.
"You guys need to go through the door and get back into the school! We don't know when the Phantom is going to shift the environment again, and the next time might be in the sky!" Crusader warned.
Willow didn't want to leave them, but she understood. This Phantom's powers were unpredictable, it was taking Illusion magic to whole other level. But considering that Phantoms had a lot of magical power and merging that with Gus' incredible knack for that magical art, this was the inevitable result.
"Alright. Viney, Skara, let's get them out of here and let Hunter and Amity take care of this," Willow ordered.
Skara and Viney nodded, and together the three witches hauled Adrian and the Scouts through the gym doors. Now alone, the Hybrid Illusion Phantom made itself known, appearing a few feet away from the two heroes. Heka and Crusader got into attack stances, ready to destroy the monster and free Gus from its possession.
"You ready to do this?" Crusader asked.
"Been ready," Heka replied.
The Hybrid Illusion Phantom smirked and said to both of them, "Let's have some fun."
A bright flash of cyan light went off around the Hybrid Illusion Phantom as a construct cannon formed. The cannon fired a single energy ordinance from its barrel as it careened straight for the two heroes. Heka got out in front of the attack as she inserted the ring into the plate of the MaguScepter. The crystal sphere shined with power as Heka pointed it directly at the incoming energy stream.
} ROARING BLAST! {
A beam of gold and purple energy blasted forth from the MaguScepter and intercepted the Hybrid Illusion Phantom's blast. The two beams collided at the center, both trying to overpower the other for several seconds before the two beams forced each other to diverge as Heka's beam skewed to the left and the Hybrid Illusion Phantom's beam skewed to the Heka's left, missing their targets. The two beams sailed onward and exploded in the distance behind both combatants a moment after. The Hybrid Illusion Phantom smirked again as it formed construct scimitars in both hands. The ground erupted as lava shot into the air, sending embers wafting on the hot winds as the Phantom disappeared in a flash of cyan light.
Heka and Crusader readied themselves for an incoming attack, but with the environment under the Phantom's control, an attack could come from anywhere. A flash of cyan light was their only warning as the Hybrid Illusion Phantom appeared on Heka's right, dual wielding scimitars as it brought them down to cut down the golden Rider.
[Dash, Now!]
[Hornbill Drill, Now!]
Crusader warped to Heka's defense as he used the Hornbill Drill to block the two construct swords. Sparks flew through the air as the drill grinded against the two blades. Heka used her own speed to get around Crusader and appear behind the Hybrid Illusion Phantom as she readied to slash with her staff. At the last second, a cyan flash erupted that blinded both Heka and Crusader. When the light faded, Heka had to quickly shift her momentum as the Hybrid Illusion Phantom was no longer in front of her. The bladed end of Heka's MaguScepter managed to strike the ground, narrowly missing Crusader. The avian Rider had to do the same as he spun in the opposite direction and pierced the ground with his Hornbill Drill.
"Now what?" Crusader griped.
The environment had changed yet again, this time it was a swamp. There was a mist that hung in the air, low hanging branches with moss growing on the trees, dangling vines, and a thick canopy of leaves that prevented any form of light from penetrating them. The only real source of light was in the form of ghostly blue fireballs that hovered in the air at random locations in the swamp, only adding to the eerie feeling the swamp gave off.
"This is going to get annoying real fast," Heka commented.
A snap of the branches alerted them to an incoming threat. They couldn't make out what it was, but they were rhythmic, with hard, plopping sounds that accompanied a horrible shriek. The source of the noise made itself known as a monster burst through several trees, and it was a monster they both recognized. A rider with its lower half fused to the back of a monstrous horse, yes, they knew this monster very well.
"NUCKELVAEE?!" Crusader shouted.
"GROM?!" Heka yelled.
The horrible fear bringer shrieked and lashed out with its claws at the golden Rider. Heka backflipped out of the way, barely missing the claws of her and Luz's most feared opponent. The Nuckelavee seemed solely focused on Heka as it kept attacking her, swiping at her with its claws or trying to stomp on her with its hooves, and with each attack forcing her back more and more.
"Hold on, Blight! I got this!"
However, several vines shot out of the dark and wrapped themselves around Crusader's legs and arms. The avian Rider glanced over his shoulder and was shocked to see the Hybrid Plant Phantom, the creature that had possessed Willow.
"Captain?!"
"Heeey~ Hunter," the monster replied as it wrenched him towards it.
Crusader was reeled in like a fish on a hook, putting further distance between himself and Heka. Thinking quickly, Crusader used the Lightning Eagle Wing and launched several lightning feathers at the vines. The feathers sliced through the vines and freed him from his bindings as Crusader managed to get back on his feet. The Hybrid Plant Phantom chuckled as its eyes glowed, raising its hands while the vines and trees around them responded to her commands. This was not the kind of environment that was to his advantage.
Heka was still being chased by the monster that caused her and Luz so much strife, but as soon as she readied to fight it, Nuckelavee vanished from sight.
"On your toes, Kitten. I sense movement."
Bast was right, Heka could hear something rustling about amongst the shadows cast by the will-'o-the-wisps that floated above the swamp waters. Heka decided not to take any chances and summoned two flame armored Abominations to her side. They were of the sleeker variety, made for speed, quick reactions, and close quarters combat, evident by their flaming blade arms. The two Abomination golems and Heka got into a triangle formation as she listened and waited to see what the Hybrid Illusion Phantom would create next. Just then, Heka spotted movement and got ready to attack. The cyan flames of the will-'o-the-wisps illuminated the incoming enemy, and it made Heka pause.
The person limping towards them was Luz. She was holding her right arm, no, she was holding the stub of where her right arm used to be. The Latina had bloody scars across different parts of her body, her hoody was in tatters, and a stream of blood flowed down from her head, forcing Luz to close her left eye to prevent the crimson fluid from getting into it.
"A…Amity…?" Luz called out in a weak voice. "Help me…I…I…I need help…"
"LUZ!" Heka yelled in fear and panic as she rushed towards her lover without a second thought.
"AMITY, STOP!"
The golden Rider didn't heed her Inner Phantom's warning as she approached Luz, and when she did, "Luz" transformed in a flash of cyan light, becoming a monstrous, mangled version of herself as she reached out and got Heka by the throat. The Luz facsimile raised Heka into the air and slammed her down into the marsh before throwing her into the tree. Heka slammed, back first, into the tree as the fake Luz raised its claws and slashed Heka across the chest. Sparks danced in the air with each claw swipe before the fake Luz thrust kicked Heka through the tree. Heka sailed several yards before she managed to stop herself.
When she did, she asked, "Bast, how did you know?"
"I couldn't sense Laly. That's how. I know it's hard, but if that happens again, I need you to listen to me."
"I'm sorry, I…"
"I know, you're worried for Luz. But that girl is stronger than she looks, and Laly isn't one to give up either. Wherever she is, I'm sure she's alright. If you want to see her again, then we need to save Augustus and destroy that miserable excuse for a 'Phantom'."
Heka took a deep breath and centered herself. She knew Bast was right. The Hybrid Illusion Phantom had Gus' memories, so it knew best how to mess with her head. Making her face images of Luz was the best way to trip her up. Whatever Luz discovered, she was going to need her help, and Heka wasn't about to let her girlfriend down when she needed her.
"Amity…"
Another Luz appeared, but she wasn't alone. There were various Luzs coming out of from the shadows, each one in a different state of injury, some severe, some even looked half dead. They moved like zombies, encircling her as they got closer and closer.
"Amity, please help me…"
"Amity…I need help…"
"Amity…!"
"Amity!"
"…Amity!"
"Amity, please…!"
"Amity…!"
Heka gripped the MaguScepter hard, her heart was aching hearing the pained cries for help from all these different Luzs. She knew none of them were real, she knew that, but it didn't lessen the pain of hearing them call to her. Heka summoned a string of Abomination goo, setting it on fire as she lashed it like a whip through the air in a circle. The flaming goo whip sliced through each and every Luz copy, making them shimmer and disappear a moment after getting hit by the golden flame, goo whip. When Heka was done, she dismissed the whip and panted hard. That was not fun, especially when each of the different Luzs cried out in pain as if she had really just killed them.
"YOU THINK THIS IS GOING TO BREAK ME?!"
The air shifted, and Heka heard another noise. The golden Rider pointed her MaguScepter in that direction but went still. There was another Luz, most of her body was covered in shadows, but it was not the fourteen-year-old girl she knew. This Luz looked much older, about eighteen at most. She was much taller, about the same height as she was. The shadows cast upon her covered the older Luz's chest and lower half, aside from her bare shoulders and collarbone.
"Heey~ Amity~" the older Luz lilted.
"Oh…My…Titan…"
"…I will admit, that is a very effective tactic."
"C'mon, boo, I know you miss me. Why don't you put down that staff? I know you've had some thoughts about me. We can have fun out here." A shimmer of cyan light went off a few feet in the distance, showing dry land, a bed of moss, and moonlight seeping through the canopy illuminating that area. "This can be quite the romantic place for our–"
} ROARING BLAST {
A pillar of gold and purple light erupted from the MaguScepter, obliterating the older Luz in an instant. Heka strafed the beam across, mowing down several trees and the spot that the older Luz illusion showed earlier. When she was done, Heka panted and growled in frustration.
"That was just plain playing dirty!"
"In more ways than one," Bast chuckled. "Good on you for suppressing those teenage hormones of yours."
"What do you take me for!?" Heka inquired indignantly.
"Kitten, I've seen what lurks in the back of your mind. Don't deny it."
"…Let's just find Hunter and end this waking nightmare!"
Crusader sliced through several vines and roots as they tried to ensnare him, but it was getting laborious as the entire swamp was the Hybrid Plant Phantom's playground. The avian Rider was starting to get irritated by just playing defense and decided to go on the offensive.
[Roc Buster, Now!]
Crusader's right arm transformed into the large Roc Buster gauntlet. The cylinder cocked back as Crusader raised his fist and slammed it hard against the ground. The piston shunted downward, firing a blast of energy that erupted through the ground and spread across a wide area. The trees, mud, dirt, and water were upheaved as the blast radius widened further until the Hybrid Plant Phantom was forced to brace against the impact. When the explosion was over, Crusader used the effects of the Dash ring to close the distance on the illusion monster and stabbed the Hybrid Plant Phantom through its chest with the Hornbill Drill.
A shimmer of cyan light went off, forcing Crusader to shut his eyes for a moment. However, when he did, panic and fear rushed through him as he saw his drill embedded deep in the chest of Willow. The bespectacled witch was standing on shaking legs as she looked up at Crusader with an expression that spoke "Why?"
"C-Captain…no…No! I…I didn't mean to – Oh, Titan, no!" Crusader cried as he dismissed his weapons.
Willow fell to the ground, a gaping hole in her chest as she lay limply in the shallow waters of the swamp. Crusader couldn't believe what he had done, he killed one of the few people who believed in him, who called him "friend".
"There you are, Hunter."
Crusader's eyes widened as he turned around and spotted Emperor Belos. His menacing presence made the young Rider cower as the memories of who this man is, and what Crusader really was, came flooding to the forefront of his mind.
"I've been looking for you. I can't have my Golden Guard running off like a belligerent child now can I?" Emperor Belos' right hand began to glow with scarlet magical energy. "I see I will have to discipline you severely for this!"
Crusader took a step back, but bumped into the dead body of Willow, making him stop. That moment was all that was needed for Emperor Belos to rapidly close the distance and strike him in the chest with a blast of scarlet energy. Sparks exploded from Crusader's armor as he was sent flying up a couple of feet before falling on his back into the shallow water. Emperor Belos slammed his foot on Crusader's chest as he stood above him. His right hand kept glowing with that same scarlet magical energy as he manifested a construct crooked sword that he dangled above the avian Rider's head.
"NO MORE TRICKS!"
Heka leaped out of the shadows of the trees and appeared right behind Emperor Belos. With a swing of her MaguScepter, she cleaved Belos' head off. The moment she did, Belos' body shimmered and disappeared into particles of cyan light. The golden Rider landed next to Crusader and readied herself for another attack.
"Get up, Hunter! We're not done yet!"
"B-But I just…I…killed the Captain…I killed Willow!"
"Hunter, I know this is going to sound stupid given what's going on, but you can't believe everything that's shown in here!"
Crusader got up and glared at Heka as he retorted, "So, how do I know you're not an illusion too?!"
"You don't know! Just like I don't know if you're the real thing or not!" Heka countered. "Bearing that mind! Why don't we just burn this entire place to the ground?!"
"Now that's what I'm talking about!"
Heka summoned Bast's golden flames as they engulfed the MaguScepter. She twirled her staff around before bringing it down with both hands and stabbing it into the muddy ground below her feet. As soon as the golden flames entered the mud and water a reaction occurred. The golden flames began to burn at the illusion, causing the water and mud of the swamp below her to start peeling off in the form of black ashes. As the flames spread out from Heka, the area around her feet started shifting back to the original gym floor. There was a shrieking sound that echoed through the swamp. It seemed that the Hybrid Illusion Phantom didn't like how Heka was burning its illusion away.
"Looks like you made it angry," Crusader commented.
"Well then it better come out and do something about it! Because I'm about to burn this entire place to the ground!" Heka shouted as she intensified the flames.
The will-'o-the-wisps that were scattered about the swamp started to float across the water, coalescing about a yard away from the two Riders until they transformed into a huge cyan fireball. From that fireball emerged the four fox tails of the Hybrid Illusion Phantom before the fireball itself burst apart and revealed its full body.
"There you are," said Crusader.
"You will not destroy my work!"
"Figures, Gus' artistry is something even this Phantom can't shake off," Heka noted. "But on that note…"
A shimmer of cyan went off behind Heka just the Hybrid Illusion Phantom appeared, but Crusader was quick to respond as he dashed in and blocked the monster's sword strikes with his Crow Scythe.
"DO IT, BLIGHT!"
Heka let out a loud battle cry as she focused her mana into the golden flames and had them rage out in all directions. Crusader back flipped just as the Hybrid Illusion Phantom clone charged at him. A wall of golden flames met the clone as Crusader made it over the wall and the clone broke down into particles of cyan light, unable to withstand the magic burning effect of the golden flames. The flames kept spreading more and more, erasing the illusion swamp environment and revealing more of the gym. The Hybrid Illusion Phantom was furious at this and jumped straight up into the air. It dropped down from above with its swords, but Heka anticipated this. From the wall of golden flames, two Abomination golems leaped out, their blade arms blazed with the golden flames as Hybrid Illusion Phantom was caught off guard by the incoming enemies and swiftly used its constructs swords to block the attacks.
Sparks flew through the air as the Abominations' blades hit the blades of the Hybrid Illusion Phantom. But due to how quickly they attacked, the Hybrid Illusion Phantom was unable to properly recover and was left wide open. Heka and Crusader took advantage of this as both Riders jumped straight up into the air at the same time. Heka coated the wing blades of the MaguScepter with her golden flames, and as a bonus, she tapped the blade of Crusader's Crow Scythe with his staff, allowing the Crow Scythe's blade to ignite with the same power. The cat and bird Riders appeared in front of the Hybrid Illusion Phantom and slashed with their weapons in unison, creating a gold fire "X" across the monster's chest. More sparks danced in the air as the Hybrid Illusion Phantom unleashed a wail of pain from the searing power of golden flames.
That seemed to be enough to break the Phantom's concentration as the remainder of the swamp environment returned to the original form of the gym. The Hybrid Illusion Phantom hit the floor hard and managed to get onto its hands and knees as its right hand hovered over the glowing gold gash on its chest that still radiated embers. But even so, the monster managed to stagger back to its feet. However, the Hybrid Illusion Phantom didn't seem to have the same vigor as it did at the start of the battle, and tried to summon another illusion, but it seemed that was not going to be the case. Every time it tried to form an illusion or a construct weapon, it shattered immediately after forming.
Heka took out one of the newer rings she and Luz forged, the one that would save Gus. It seemed that the Hybrid Illusion Phantom had some inkling of what Heka was going to do and looked ready to make a break for it. However, Crusader was not about to let that happen. The avian Rider, still under the effects of the Dash ring, used his incredible speed to warp behind the Phantom, hooked is arms under the monster's arms, and planted his feet.
"HUNTER!"
"HURRY AND DO IT!"
The Hybrid Illusion Phantom tried to fight back and removed Crusader, but Crusader was not about to let go. He intended to save Gus, and that's what he was going to do. Heka grunted and inserted the ring into the plate of the MaguScepter.
} EXORCISE! {
Heka pointed the MaguScepter in the Hybrid Illusion Phantom's direction, and immediately chains of gold and purple light shot forth from the crystal sphere and pierced into the chest of the Hybrid Illusion Phantom. The creature shrieked in pain as it continued to fight back, desperately trying to get away from these two as it was unwilling to let go of its host. The Hybrid Illusion Phantom's eyes shined a bright cyan color as it used as much of its power as it could, creating a sphere of cyan energy that grew rapidly. The sphere engulfed its own body, along with Crusader's, obscuring both from view as the sphere continued to grow and grow.
"HUNTER!"
Inside the sphere of light, Hunter saw visions. The fates of the previous Golden Guards, the origins of his creation, and the reveal that Belos was a human hellbent on mass genocide. Not only that, but all his memories from all the missions he had done on his "uncle's" behalf came back. All the things he had done in the name of a madman, all the pain and suffering he inflicted, believing it was for the good of everyone, that he himself was doing something good, but it was all a lie.
Hunter shook his head and used the same breathing technique that Gus showed him. He didn't have time to be bogged down by his own problems, not when Gus was in need of him and his friends. Hunter pushed through the swirling bad memories and once he did, the world around him began to shift. Now he found himself in one of Hexside's classrooms, but everything was tinted in varying blue hues. That's when he spotted Gus, sitting alone at a desk with a forlorn expression on his face.
"What's wrong with me…? Why can't I learn?" Gus lamented.
"Gus!" Hunter shouted as he rushed towards him.
Before the former Golden Guard could reach him, the world shifted around him. Now he was in the forest. Hunter heard voices coming from his right and glanced in that direction. Atop a small hill was Gus, sitting on the ground and hugging his legs to his chest while three faceless Glandus High students held hands and ran in a circle around him, their laughter had a mocking and mischievous tone to it, as if they found delight in his current misery.
"I let myself get tricked, again. And then I got possessed by one of those Coven Phantoms…"
Another shift occurred; this time he was brought back to the school. Unlike before, this environment wasn't bathed in different blue hues, but each object had its own defined color. Hunter turned around and spotted Gus, his hands covered his face as he stood before a desk with four mirrors. Three of the mirrors had glowing silted, cyan eyes. All of them looked at him, judging him, expecting more from him.
"Everyone thinks I'm the smart one! So, why do I keep acting so dumb?!"
"Gus, can you hear me?!" Hunter shouted as he tried, again, to reach for Gus.
But just like the other times, the world shifted. However, this time it seemed to settle as Hunter found himself back in Gus' room. The Illusionist prodigy was sitting against his dresser, his face buried in his knees as he continued to spiral into his self-deprecation.
"I can't even trust myself anymore!"
Hunter sat down next to Gus and crossed his legs. He took a deep breath and said, "It's…hard…when you can't trust yourself. I spent my whole life believing I was doing something good for someone good, but it was a lie. And some part of me still wants to believe in that lie. Just like you want to believe you're dumb or whatever. But that's not you!"
Gus slowly raised his head, showing off his glowing eyes to Hunter.
"I promise I wouldn't mess with you." Hunter awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as he tried to think. "Uh, now, uh, how did that breathing thing go again?"
Whether intentional or not, Hunter did a poor rendition of the breathing technique that Gus showed him earlier, and each time he breathed out he instead released a whistle. But this did manage to get a laugh at the young Illusionist, putting a smile on his face after all this this time.
"Thank you," said Gus.
"No problem…" Hunter stood up and offered his hand to Gus. "Now, why don't you show this monster why you're not going to let it use you!"
Gus smirked and grabbed Hunter's hand as the latter hoisted him up. "Let's do it!"
The sphere of cyan light was close to reaching Heka, but then it stopped. Heka watched as the sphere started to show white cracks along its surface, spider webbing more and more until the entire structure shattered to pieces, revealing Hunter and the Hybrid Illusion Phantom. Heka felt something, there was a tug on the chains. The golden Rider didn't waste any time and pulled as hard as she could. The Hybrid Illusion Phantom continued to shriek as Hunter held fast, and in the next moment, the chains that had passed into it came out, and attached to them was Gus. The young Illusionist flew out of the monster's chest, and straight for Heka. The golden Rider quickly threw down her staff and opened her arms in time to catch her friend before he took a hard fall to the floor.
"HUNTER, FINISH IT!"
Crusader belted out a battle cry as he used his strength to toss the weakened monster into the air. The avian Rider slipped on his finisher ring and promptly scanned.
[ KICK STRIKE, RIGHT NOW!]
Crusader's right foot blazed with ethereal emerald light as he used the power of the Dash ring to warp high above the Hybrid Illusion Phantom. The avian Rider spun once and came down with a powerful, glowing ax kick, striking the Hybrid Illusion Phantom right where the glowing "X" mark was. Upon striking this spot, the Hybrid Illusion Phantom exploded in a shower of cyan smoke and particles as Crusader dropped out of the air and landed on the floor, the eyes of his helmet glowing bright as he rose to his feet.
Heka released Gus, letting him stand on his feet. As he did, Gus noticed something on the floor, Head Witch Graye's magic amplifier. He smirked and decided to take it, someone like Adrian Graye didn't need to have something like that, not after what Gus endured when it was used on him. Now that the danger had passed, at least for now, Crusader and Heka released their transformations, reverting them back to civilian form. The doors to the gym opened, revealing the rest of the Hexside students with Willow being at the head of the group. Once inside, she immediately spotted Gus and ran to meet him. Gus did the same and the two hugged when they met.
"Gus! I'm so glad you're okay!" Willow cheered.
Hunter smiled a little as he quietly started to walk away. However, that wasn't going to happen as Willow noticed him and reached out, grabbing the sad-but-bad-boy, and brought him into the hug.
"Thanks, Hunter."
"Uh…what is this?" Hunter asked awkwardly.
"Just go with it," Gus insisted.
Amity smiled, happy that Gus was saved, and for having the Emperor's plot thwarted for the time being. But as Amity decided to make her own quiet exit, she too was grabbed and brought into group hug.
"Uh…Willow?"
"Just let it happen," said Willow.
After the beatdown by the Hexside students and the intervention of Kamen Riders Heka and Crusader, the Coven Scouts were left with little choice but to leave with their tails between their legs. Two of the Scouts dragged Adrian along and onto the airship while the rest were prepared to board. The Captain of the Scouts glared up the steps of the school to the gathered faculty and students.
"When Emperor Belos catches wind of this…" the Captain threatened.
"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to learn one his captains were defeated by a group of teenagers and two Riders," Principal Bump retorted with a mocking smirk.
The Scout Captain groaned in frustration, knowing that Principal Bump was right. Belos would not look kindly at this failure, even more so if he learned that a bunch of kids thwarted them. Riders were one thing, but most of the fighting was done by the kids, and that was a fact. In an attempt to take out his frustration, the Scout Captain glanced to his right and pointed a commanding finger at one of the Scouts.
"Severine, get your sorry ass on that ship or you'll be walking back to the castle!" the Scout Captain shouted.
Severine turned to face the Scout Captain and replied, "You know what? It has been a rough year, and my self-esteem can only take so much of this CRAP!"
The faculty and students blinked, and the Scout Captain recoiled a bit.
Severine removed her cowl and mask, revealing that she was a demon with pair of sharp horns and spines running along the sides of her neck.
"So, Captain, you can take this job AND–!" Severine glanced up at the students and decided to curb her language. "SHOVE IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE!" The former Coven Scout threw down her mask and stomped off as she declared, "I'm joining the Tiny Cat Coven!"
The students and faculty cheered, mostly due to their victory, and for Severine quitting her abusive job. The Scout Captain hung his head in defeat as he boarded the airship and took off for the castle. Gus, Willow, Hunter, Skara, and Amity were standing at the bottom of the stairs as they watched the Coven Scouts fly away, understanding that the seriousness of the situation was getting worse if Belos was rushing to get everyone branded with a Coven Sigil.
"Whew, thank Titan that's over with," Skara sighed.
"At least for now," Willow replied.
"Gotta says, Gus, you were really scary as a Phantom," Amity commented.
"Seriously?" Gus asked.
"You were making the entire room turn into whatever you wanted. It was…frustrating on many levels," Amity added with a slight tint to her face.
"Looks like Phantom you messed up Head Witch Graye," Willow noted.
"Oh…uh…yeah," Gus admitted.
"You think he's gonna be alright?" Hunter asked.
Gus shrugged his shoulders and answered, "Who knows."
The two boys chuckled, not particularly caring whether Adrian would recover from whatever visions Gus forced him to see.
"In any case, real talk, Hunter. What's going on?" Skara asked.
"She's not the only one who wants to know."
Just then the rest of the students rushed down the stairs, now that the danger had passed, at least for now, it was time for some answers.
"Did you actually leave the Emperor's Coven?" Viney questioned.
"Have you ever sneezed in with your mask on?" Edric asked.
*Bark*
(The people crave the truth!)
Hunter glanced about nervously, and then turned his gaze to Gus who gave him an encouraging nod.
"Everyone…in the castle is traveling to The Head for the Day of Unity. And as far as the mask is concerned, I think I did. Yes?" Hunter answered.
"That's gross, man," Edric replied.
"Listen, Emperor Belos has been lying to everyone. He's been lying about Witch and Heka, he was the one setting them up and getting the people of the Isles to see them as the enemy, while making himself look like our savior. And propping me up as the Isle's 'hero'. I had no idea he was doing any of this, and without knowing was being moved around like a pawn," said Hunter.
"Whoa…" Matt gasped.
"But what's worse is what's going to happen at the Day of Unity. It isn't the grand celebration that he's been telling everyone. It's much, much scarier than that," Hunter warned. "Ugh, there's a lot to explain."
Principal Bump stepped forward from the crowd and looked down at Hunter. "I don't doubt you've been through a lot. And if Ms. Blight, Ms. Park, and Mr. Porter are willing to trust you, then I can speak for everyone when I say we're willing to hear you. And if it is as grave as you say, then I suggest you start from the beginning."
Hunter didn't expect to find anyone willing to believe him, especially after the number of times he had butted heads with Luz and Amity, but now they were willing to forgive him for that and help him. Although, the truth about his origins would have to remain a secret. The young man glanced at Willow, Gus, Skara, and then Viney, wondering if they would still be so accepting of him if they knew what he really was, and why he was made. That would need to be kept secret until the time was right, it was imperative that everyone knew what was going to happen on the Day of Unity, before lives were lost.
Human, I don't know where you are, but I hope you're coming back. Even if the Isles still thinks you're the enemy, they need Witch more than ever…