Reviews:
Anthony Galupo: Did you mean to post the same thing twice?
Tigracho: To be fair to Hibiki, she's only calming Chris down with what she can say. Her strongest weapon is her words, but her ammo is limited here, so she only hopes to at least calm her down until they can find the others. People like Maria or Tsubasa would be much better at talking to Chris. Oh yeah, I can imagine Hajime being stabbed on Earth while she's saying this on the moon lol. Yeah, Hamaguchi freaks out a lot. He tries to hide it, but the kid is scared. He's still new to this new life of being a Rider. So as he said, humor is is way to cope. That, and thinking of groping Kirika. I'm glad you noticed this. It's weird how we only ever got Vanessa's backstory in the anime. But if you want to know about Elsa and Millaarc, you have to find outside resources like the wiki. They're kind of fucked up stories, so maybe that's why. But yeah, for the most part, all of them were just dealt with shitty cards and then kept on receiving more. Except for Psykos, he was a parasite, not a human. Allister and Terunosuke too. They were dealt with bad hands, and they both did what they could with them. Not very good things, but at the time, their choices were limited.
Bragi had a tactical nuke in the form of forced fusion. Which he knows can backfire. And we see that at the end of the chapter since Ryuki immediately goes to attack him and Carol. But he was desperate. He knows the forced fusion heals you. As we have seen in Hajime's cases before, so he was gambling on this.
Well, Satan couldn't be the second big baddie of the season. He was being pushed back by Survive Riders. So we took it a step further. I took inspiration from the bible for this. And since the Shenshoujing's main ability is to purify evil, then that's what it did to the Satan Relic, returning it to its original form. That whole Shem-Ha statement I always took as her not controlling the body properly, since we saw Miku was still resisting inside. But yeah, he's more powerful. Or at least, his name carries more weight. Huh, you really think so? I'm glad you're enjoying it more. I didn't know if I could do better than the GX finale. Lol yeah I guess it does suck. If you're on the good side. Actually, scratch that. If you're bad, it sucks too, because then you're just a puppet for Hazuki.
Ok, listen. I'm going to be very honest about you regarding Lord Ri. I don't dislike him or anything. But he doesn't have opinions. He has agendas. And that's okay. We all have agendas we want to push so it's not a problem. The problem is when all you think about is pushing the agenda to the point where you start belittling other characters or saying something is not right because it doesn't push your agenda. You make a good point. I agree with it. I could have done better with their relationship. But Carol always struck me as someone whose heart hardened over the years. And you said this before, but Bragi is her opportunity at redemption. I will comment more on this in his review. But yeah, you make good points and look at things objectively, but what Lord Ri says is that he wants Carol to hate Bragi or ignore him. In contrast to you, he complains that "it's weird". Basically, because he doesn't like him. I know that because this guy wrote something similar back when the Autoscorers showed up again. Kind of weird for him to do that since he supports the MikuxBragi ship. I argued with him before because he started attacking me and blaming me for Yosuke not getting enough spotlight a few chapters back when Psyko was around. I'm not saying this to get you to not like the guy, but you make great and insightful points in every review. So don't take what he says into consideration.
Guest: Creo que en el corazon, saben a quien deben enfrentarse.
Ryugen: Damn, if there's a phase 4, this is going to turn into Dark Souls all of a sudden lol. They'll refine it, don't worry. We have a season to do that, after all.
Akira: Lucifer didn't mess around. Luckily Bragi has a plan. Or maybe it's not so lucky. I mean...can it get any worse than it is now?
nickseverino8: Not sure. I haven't thought about it. As for Bragard...you'll see what I have prepared. Most of the Alternate Riders are nice. Except for a few. Yeah, Satan knew. Unlike Beelzebub, he knew the truth. Beelzebub was just scared of the stories he heard. They're alive don't worry. Garie is around on the battlefield.
moniura2005: Glad to see you back. There was no way in hell Satan was going to be stronger than Shem-Ha as she was the one who gave Angelo powers. Satan nearly died in a group effort of wounded Riders. He couldn't be that strong. I'd say he's stronger than Narfi, but not faster. Also yeah he fought against other demons in Helheim, but it doesn't mean he was the strongest there. You can fight someone and not win. I think it's safe to say Satan didn't care about his troops. He didn't bother saving Beelzebub, his second in command, and Mammon. So clearly he didn't care much about them. Listen, to expect an in-depth story on Lucifer or great motives. He's more of a force of nature than anything else. He's the same guy we've been fighting. Angelo, Satan, Lucifer. Same thing. He can't be stronger than Odin. It wouldn't make sense.
Lord Ri The Husbu King: Well...yes. But sometimes even teamwork is not enough. They only managed to beat Satan because of Bragi's suicidal move and Hajime's quick thinking. But yeah, you're right. I don't know why you're complaining. Carol is exactly the same way you described her. She only said that she loves Bragi recently because she knows Bragi can do reckless things, so she's getting him to focus. This is the whole point of Bragi. To make sure he didn't become Bragard 2. And it nearly happened in AXZ. That's why Elfnein gave him as much love as she could. Everyone reached out to Bragi, and sometimes, a little love is all it takes to be a great person. Look at him now. If anything, Carol being daddy's little girl influences her more because she at least remembers how important her father was to her. How important it is to have a parent. The only reason she didn't care about Bragi before was because he was in a test tube and Bragard was going to use his body. But to Carol, Bragi is the only good thing she left behind. Someone who can carry her and Bragard 1's legacy. And he's doing a good job so far. Carol is not heartless. And it's not like she's doing anything crazy. She just does the most basic things a mother does and says she loves him. It's called motherly instincts. And what she says she gets it from Garie, since he asks her for help occasionally. I don't know why you think that way because I literally spelled out Bragi's purpose in the story and how Carol impacts his way of thinking. It's simple. And now, Hajime is not a noble. The bloodline is non-existent at this point anyway.
SoutaAmetsuchi: I figured we need to go bigger for the grand finale of XV. Satan is strong, but not strong enough to serve as a big bad villain in this part.
primenidus: It took them long enough.
Tenzalucard123: For Shem-Ha, Satan, and Angelo are great defenses to protect her and keep the Riders away. Hopefully, Bragi knows what he's doing.
Chapter 138
Ending The Vicious Cycle
"Phew..." Ouja undid his transformation, leaning against the wall. The drones had suddenly stopped appearing, allowing him a moment to rest."You girls alright?"
"Yes." Elsa nodded, holding tightly onto Mona."Are you okay, dear?"
"I should be fine." Allister dusted off his clothes."Aside from the wound I sustained earlier, I'm just a little winded. Just give me some time and I should be back to normal. I'll need it. If it comes down to it, I'll have to fight all 6 Symphogear at once."
"Allister, can you even do that?" Elsa asked, clutching at her chest."I mean, with that wound on your arm...And the Symphogear are powerful. All 6 on your own? But I can help too-"
"Worst-case scenario...you'll live. They're after me, after all." Allister sighed, shoulders slumping.
"Y-you can't, Father!" Mona shook her head rapidly."You can't die!"
"What's this about dying?"
The group shifted their attention to Vanessa, who approached them with a small."I'm glad to see you're all in one piece. I didn't know you ended up here too, Allister. I'm actually kind of relieved we can count on your help."
"Vanessa! You're okay!" Elsa rushed to hug the older woman, burying her face in her chest.
Vanessa affectionately rubbed the back of her head, staring at the little girl behind Allister."Mona-chan, you're not going to come say hi?"
"Go say hi, Mona." Allister gently pushed her forward. The pink-haired girl shyly made her way to Vanessa before Elsa pulled her in.
"What's the plan?" Vanessa asked the former assassin.
"We find them." Allister frowned."And kill them. We'll figure out a way to go back to Earth after that."
"But are you sure this is what you want?" Elsa asked, concerned."You're no longer with the DDV, so..."
"I'm doing this for you. That's all there is to it." Allister reassured her with a smile."Now...let's put an end to this once and for all."
"What's going on?" Tsubasa yelled."HQ, respond!"
No response came, putting the bluenette on edge.
"Kirika, try the Akuma." Maria told the short blonde. She immediately pulled it up, trying to contact the other Akuma on earth."Anything?"
"It's...not working..." Kirika's eyes slowly widened, continuing to try to get it to work."Why isn't it working-desu?"
"Maybe they're not answering?" Shirabe tilted her head.
"No...The Akuma's call always goes through." Maria frowned, walking over to the girl and grabbing the bear."The only way it wouldn't be able to get a call would be..."
"If the bear was destroyed..." Tsubasa finished the grim thought."What is going on on Earth...?"
"Chris-chan..." Hibiki stared at the Earth from the ceiling glass.
Chris observed in horror as the red-tainted planet."Look! On Japan!"
Hibiki didn't have to look hard since she saw a white light blinking."What is that? Is that...Shem-Ha?"
"I'm not sure..." Chris bit her lower lip."Junior was going to fight that demon guy, but..."
Out of nowhere, four more lights appeared around the white one. Red, blue, light blue, and purple.
"That's...the boys! It has to be them!" Hibiki clenched her chest.
"Fuck! If only we knew what was going on down there! It's so frustrating being in the dark like this!" Chris kicked the wall out of frustation.
"As feisty as always, huh, Chris?"
Chris froze in place, recognizing the voice of the man she loathed the most.
"Vanessa-san! And Allister-san?!" Hibiki gasped in surprise.
"It's been a while, right?" Allister smiled at the cream-haired girl."How funny fate is...for us to run into you."
"Quite the opposite." Chris smirked at the young assassin."You just saved me the trouble of looking for you."
"Chris-chan." Hibiki placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her down."Vanessa-san...Is that the world you want? Do you truly think you can be friends with everyone like this?"
"That ship has long since sailed." Chris scoffed."Look at them, Hibiki. They're both monsters."
"Chris-chan..."
"She's not wrong." Allister showed them his brand."I gave up my humanity a long time ago."
"And I was stripped away from my humanity." Vanessa added."Right now, we can only hold to the truth that we believe. You wouldn't understand...How could you? Your life is nothing like ours. And don't you dare compare yourself to Amy-chan. You survived. You lived. She didn't."
"Yeah, everyone has problems! Not all of us turn into psychotic murderers!" Chris spat in disdain."You're standing next to a fucking mindless murderer who killed the man I loved! What is his excuse?!"
"I have none." Allister replied calmly."I never said I had an excuse. What do you want me to say? Do you want me to say I'm sorry? That I regret what I did? Because I don't. I was following orders from Fine. There is nothing to regret for someone who works in my line of work."
"Orders that you decided to follow because of your damn pride. But, hey, it's okay. I don't need you to say anything." Chris took out her pendant."All I need you to do is die. It's as simple as that."
"If you think it'll be that easy, you're dead wrong." Allister pulled out his Deck."Do you want your revenge? Come and get it. Vanessa-san."
"We'll fight together." Vanessa nodded."For Elsa's sake."
"Is there no way to prevent this from happening?" Hibiki tried to stop the fight one last time.
"I need to do this." Chris told her in a quiet tone."I need to get Magnugiga back and make sure Takeru can rest in peace. As long as this bastard has his powers... that will never happen."
"You're not the only one fighting for a reason, Chris." Allister remarked, his V Buckle manifesting around him."I may not be with the DDV anymore. But I still can't afford to die here. Not when I finally found something to live for."
"Then, just like you did, I'll take it from your damn hands."
"Henshin!"
"Kilterr Ichaival Tron..."
"Balwisyall Nescell Gungnir Tron..."
An energy version of Venosnaker slithered around Vanessa and Allister before opening his mouth as Allister absorbed his power, turning into Kamen Rider Ouja.
Sword Vent: Venosaber
Chris wasted no time in shooting several arrows toward Ouja, who parried them with his blade. She clicked her tongue, but Hibiki came in and punched Ouja. The Rider blocked the attack with his blade, but the force sent him skidding away.
"Hibiki!" Chris bellowed."What are you doing, dumbass?! He's mine-"
"If you're set on doing this, I'll do it with you!" Hibiki screamed, surprising her by her tone."I can't let you do this. But if I have to...I won't let you carry that burden alone."
"Hibiki..." Chris was left at a loss for words.
Shoot Vent: Gigacannons
Ouja shot several missiles towards them, forcing them to scatter.
"Not so fast!" Vanessa's fingertips propped open, opening firing on Hibiki who could only cross her arms to block the bullets. Ouja aimed his cannons at Hibiki, but Chris responded by switching to her Gatling guns, opening fire, and forcing Ouja to leap back.
"So persistent!" The French assassin remarked, manifesting Zolda's visor and shooting a few stray bullets at Chris.
Hibiki tried to step in, but Vanessa kicked her away."Vanessa-san! We have to stop them! They'll kill each other!"
"Weren't you on board with them fighting?" Vanessa tilted her head."That girl is a danger to Elsa-chan and Mona-chan. Our priority right now is killing her. Then you."
Vanessa removed her jacket, sprouting out two additional mechanical arms, swinging them at Hibiki, who could only dodge and keep away.
Meanwhile, Chris and Ouja continued shooting missiles, bullets, and more against each other, completely leveling the area around them. Ouja went for a roundhouse kick against Chris' sides, earning a groan from her. But she grabbed his leg, switching to her SMGs and spraying him with bullets, knocking him back.
"You know, if we keep going, we might destroy the Lunar Ruins." Ouja dusted off his armor."Thanks to this place, we can have oxygen. What do you think would happen if there's a breach?"
"Please, enough with the fucking bluff." Chris snickered."There's a reason why you haven't gone Survive yet. You're afraid for that little bitch of yours, right?"
Ouja said nothing, manifesting his visor.
"Your silence is telling me everything," Chris smirked, the compartments on her skirt opening up and revealing 24 missiles. Ouja quickly activated an ability, conjuring Scissor's shield.
Mega Deth Party
Guard Vent: Shelldefense
Ouja blocked the first few missiles but noticed they were curving around and trying to trap him. He jumped back, tossing his broken shield before sprinting away.
Chris smirked, switching to her sniper rifle, and aiming Ouja before taking her shot.
RED HOT BLAZE
Ouja sidestepped, but the bullet grazed his wounded arm, causing him to grimace. He noticed his wound had reopened.
"What's wrong? Is that all you have?"
"Not by a long shot!" Ouja slid a card into his Deck, running toward Chris.
Venom Vent
A puddle of venom appeared beneath Chris, but the girl jumped away before a purple pillar of energy emerged from it.
Energy Vent
Ouja manifested an energy fist, punching through a wall. He clapped his arms, conjuring several energy guns around him, readying himself to shoot.
"Chris-chan!" Chris dodged an incoming punch from Vanessa, grabbing her extra limb before spinning her around and finally throwing her against Ouja, canceling out his attack.
"Chris-chan, let's go all out."
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Chris agreed.
"They're going to use Amalgam?!" Ouja's eyes widened.
"I won't let them!" Vanessa declared as she began to transform into a huge cyborg, using the power that Shem-Ha had concentrated on her."Shem-Ha-sama gave me power as well. Not on the same level as Angelo, but close enough to do this!"
Vanessa lunged toward them, but in the blink of an eye, her huge body was dismantled with ease by the two golden Symphogear.
Survive: Modoku
In a flash of purple, Ouja was clad in his Survive Mode, immediately drawing a card from his Deck."It won't end as easy as you think it will, Chris!"
Shoot Vent: Gigantoblasters
Two gauntlets in the form of the cylinder of a magnum appeared in his arms as he dashed toward the girls. Chris drew her new bow back, shooting a powerful error that crashed against Ouja's fist. He was overpowered in an instant, sending him crashing through several walls.
"Wow! What's going on?!" Kirika yelped when the wall next to them broke, revealing Kamen Rider Ouja.
"Cypher?!" Tsubasa narrowed her eyes.
"All of them are here? Then...if that's the case." Allister pulled out another card from his Deck as he let loose his Divine Power, black skeletal wings sprouting from his back and two horns protruding from his head."I'll go all out too."
Unite Vent
Magnugiganto, Volshredder (Volcancer's evolve form name), and Venoviper emerged from the ground as Zolda and Scissors appeared momentarily before merging and becoming Genocider.
"He's going to use Unite Vent while in Survive form?!" Maria gasped."Is that possible?!"
"If he's using Divine Power..." Tsubasa grimaced.
The new creature stood tall, having the body of Magnugiganto, the tail of Venoviper, one arm claw, and the other a cannon. Ouja was clad in his new armor. The middle remained purple, the left side green, and the right side bronze. His Deck held the symbol of Ouja with Zolda's horns, and Scissor's claws.
Kamen Rider Ouja - Trinity Mode
"So, this is your full power, at last." Chris observed the Rider with mild interest."It won't be enough to stop us."
"We'll see. I think you're underestimating me too much if you think I'll roll over and die." Ouja manifested his visor, a purple-colored version of Zolda's original visor with two pincers at the side.
Sword Vent: Venomblade
Ouja was surrounded by all 6 Symphogears clad in their Amalgam forms.
"Allister-san, it's over." Hibiki spoke up."You want what's best for Elsa-chan, right? We can stop this now."
"I don't think..." Ouja looked toward the girls around him."...that your friends would agree."
Tsubasa was about to open her mouth, but Chris got ahead, firing a second arrow that Ouja parried with his blade."Damn right, we don't!"
Ouja managed to contain the attack, sending it away before rushing back toward the girls. He went full speed toward Chris, but Maria and Tsubasa appeared from the sides, katana and armored fist ready. He parried the kattan with his sword and used one of his wings to grab Maria's body, throwing her against an incoming Shirabe and knocking them away. He dodged Hibiki's armored fist, kicking her legs and causing her to fall to the ground as he drew another card.
Shoot Vent: Gigantobits
Several drones appeared around them as they began to shoot lasers and tried to ram into them.
"We just fought the other drones from earlier!" Kirika whined, spinning around at high speeds and cutting through several drones.
Strike Vent: Shredder Pincers
An evolved Scissorspinch appeared in his hand, kicking the ground and shooting himself against Tsubasa, who blocked with her blade. Maria came from the sides, shooting fire mixed with wind from her gauntlet, launching Ouja away. Tsubasa swung her blade, unleashing several shots of azure fire toward the drones, destroying them.
Chris stabbed her bow on the ground, extending its limbs so she could aim better before shooting an explosive arrow.
Bronze Vent
A wall of bronze emerged from the ground, blocking the attack.
Kirika emerged from the left, stabbing her scythe onto the ground to use it as a footing to propel herself against Ouja, kicking him in his wounded arm. He hissed, aiming his gun toward her, but Shirabe's shield-yoyo wrapped itself around him, preventing him from attacking. Maria's gauntlet extended, forming an around Ouja that released a net of electricity, causing him to scream in pain.
"D-damn heathens! Salvation is at hand! Why resist? Why deny the new world that Loki-sama will-" Ouja stopped, his eyes flashing back to normal as he snapped back from the brand's control."No...that's...that's not me!"
Hibiki roared, taking advantage of Ouja's stunned state, and slamming both of her fists against his chest, disrupting the Divine Power as he was sent flying across the room.
"Did we get him?" Maria pondered as they regrouped.
"Tachibana's attack must have disrupted his Divine Power flow," Tsubasa noted.
Advent: Genocider
The monstrous amalgamation emerged from the ground, displaying its whole arsenal before releasing several bullets, cannons, rockets, and several tendrils from its body. An explosion went off, sending all the girls flying away as the area was covered in smoke.
Chris hissed in pain after hitting a wall, noticing a silhouette moving in the smoke. She narrowly avoided Ouja's Venomblade from stabbing her head. He tried to swing it again, but Chris blocked his forearm, holding him in place.
"Why don't you go ahead and just die already?!" Ouja screamed, frustrated beyond belief. Chris kicked him in the chest, launching him into the air. She quickly drew her bow, shooting a powerful arrow that Ouja managed to avoid.
Once more, Chris drew her bow, this time, with 3 arrows that were glowing in red. She fired them simultaneously at the former assassin.
"Not this again!" Ouja weaved the arrows while he activated an ability.
Shoot Vent: Gigantocannons
He fired two beams of energy from the cannons on his shoulders. Chris jumped out of the way, but the blast sent her crashing through a wall and into another room.
Ouja was about to fire again, but he felt something behind him. He looked back, noticing a giant reflected in the ceiling that had bounced back Chris' 3 arrows.
'The attack she fired first...It was a fucking reflector?!'
Double For All De Le Metallica
The three arrows hit Ouja, creating an explosion that shocked the entire base.
Both Ouja and Chris groaned in pain, staring at each other. Chris roared, rushing toward Ouja. He took a step back, but the explosion damaged his legs, and nearly tripped. She uppercutted him, knocking his helmet away. He growled, returning the punch and punching Chris across the face. She spat blood, glaring defiantly at the assassin before lunging at him and grabbing him. The two of them wrestled for dominance until Ouja wrapped his arms around Chris' chest, lifting her up and slamming her on the ground. He quickly manifested Zolda's visor, aiming at her but Chris threw her bow at his head, causing him to drop the gun.
She quickly rushed him, headbutting him in the face and breaking his nose, knocking him to the ground. The lavender-haired young woman sat on his chest as she began to deliver powerful, full of emotion, and merciless punches to the face. Every punch rumbled Allister's body, feeling the intensity of her hits shake his head to her tune as if she were leading an orchestra. Chris continued slamming her Phonic Gain-enhanced fists against his cheeks, every time they would turn a darker shade of purple as they bruised. Every punch had infused the pain she felt. The sleepless and lonely nights. The nightmares. The agonizing time without Takeru.
"Hahaha! Look at you!" Chris chuckled, forcefully grabbing Allister's chin, smiling almost sadistically at Allister's pained expression."Well, this is a classic case of the hunter becoming the hunted!"
She punched him in the face, blood pouring down from his nose as one of his teeth got knocked out.
"You know, Takeru was right. You look pretty girly." Chris harshly pulled on his hair."I can't believe I was so afraid of you before. Now that I have you in my hands...You feel so small. So frail. So...delicate...Weak. But it's not enough. You haven't felt how Takeru felt...when you killed him."
Chris grabbed a fistful of Allister's head, lifting him up slightly from the ground, staring into his eyes with rage."Do you know who Takeru Sakamoto was? Or did you only know what Fine told you about us? Let me tell you who he was. He was...the best man in the world. He wasn't the brightest, but he was kind, loving, loyal, and with a heart big enough to help anyone who he came across. He was someone who was raised in a shitty environment and had everything against him. He's someone who showed me hope. Who gave me love. He sacrificed everything so I and those children who were being detained would be freed. He felt so awful for what his former band of mercenaries did to my family. It took me so long to get him to stop beating himself up. To finally look at me in the eyes without feeling sorry. We were both people who were hurt...and we lived in fear in Fine's mansion. Finally, we broke out of her grasp. And we finally could start thinking of being free. To live our lives. Sure, we kept running into danger. But we had each other. He..." Chris looked down at the two rings on her finger."He wanted to marry someone like me...a vulgar girl with a sharp tongue. He wanted to give me all the love I missed out on. To make me happy. To protect his friends and the boy he considers his brother. But he'll never have that chance. Because you killed him. You took away his smile, his laughter, his pervert comments, and even his stupid jokes that he made to make me feel better whenever I was upset."
Chris pulled out an arrow, raising it above her head."It wasn't his time to go. It wasn't his time to join his Mother in the after all. Do you hear me, Allister?! HE WAS MINE! MY TAKERU! MY HUSBAND! MY EVERYTHING! MY LIFE! AND YOU TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME! SO I'LL TAKE YOUR LIFE NOW! TIME TO FINALLY PUT AN END TO THIS-"
"STOP! STOP!"
Chris looked up, seeing Elsa's claw tail coming toward her. The girl leaped away, dodging the attack. Elsa rushed to the scene, with a chibi Millaarc flying around her, coming to Allister's side. Enraged, Chris lunged toward them, conjuring another arrow. Elsa shielded Allister, closing her eyes. "YOU DAMN BITCH! I'LL FUCKING KILL-"
"Stop! Don't hurt my Father and Mother!" Mona rushed to stand in front of Elsa. Chris stopped inches away from her face, completely baffled.
"You...you're that kid from the cake shop! Why are you...Wait, Father?!"
"Yukine!"
Chris glanced over to her friends coming toward her. Vanessa limped over to the ground, falling on her knees due to her missing leg.
"Just stop it already! Don't...don't hurt my Father anymore!" The pink-haired girl sobbed, covering her eyes."If you do...I'll kill you!"
"W-what?!" Chris took a step back, horrified at her words.
"Mona, why are you here?" Allister winced, opening his eyes to find himself surrounded by the members of Noble Red, his transformation deactivating."Why are you...Elsa, I told you yo keep Mona away from here-!"
"And get yourself killed?!" Elsa screamed, shutting him up.
"Elsa..." Vanessa's lips thinned.
"What's going on? Allister, what did you do to this girl?!" Chris snarled at the black-haired boy.
"He saved me!" Mona shouted at the top of her lungs."He saved my life!"
"Saved you?" Tsubasa parroted.
"Back then...I was being sold to a very bad man. As...an object...My parents sold me away a long time ago...But Father...he saved me from that life. He showed up one day and took me away from that place. He said...he wanted me to have a good life. One that he didn't have. So he's been looking after me this whole time. He's my hero. I know he did some bad things..." Mona looked at the ground, sniffing."I'm a kid, but I'm not stupid. I am aware of his career as an assassin. And that he killed a lot of people. Some of which were your friends. So I know you won't believe me when I say...he's a hero. That he's a good person. At least, the person I know. Please...please, don't take my Father away. Not when Mother is this happy."
"Mother...?" Chris looked over to Elsa, who was now holding onto Mona's hand while nursing Allister's face."So the two of you are her parents?"
"Allister adopted her. Since he and I are together, I decided to be her foster Mother." Elsa nodded."I sympathize with her because I also had a rough childhood. Back in France, we lived in a pretty bad town. It was very difficult to live since we were relatively poor-de-arimasu. My family abused me constantly. I was sold to random men on the street so they could get a little money. And whenever cousins or uncles felt like it, they had their way with me. It was..." Elsa hugged herself, shivering at the memory."I couldn't...I...it was horrible...I tried resisting...but nothing I did mattered. I was just a thing to be used."
"I had to get her out of there." Allister spoke up, sitting up as Vanessa helped him up."They locked her up in the basement. Sometimes they would leave her outside, even in the cold rain or winters. They weren't even feeding her at one point. Not even crumbs of bread. I did all I could to help, but I wasn't any better off financially. My Dad was dead and my Mom was a stripper that disappeared to God knows where. I wanted to save her. To protect her. But I was just a kid. Then...the opportunity appeared."
"The House of Grey, right?" Shirabe said."You talked to me about it before, remember?"
"Good memory, Little Lady." He nodded with a smile."Yes. I didn't know then, but the House of Grey often visited those kinds of towns. Places where kids had nowhere else to turn to. That was the chance I needed. So I took it. I was taken into the House of Grey with the idea to amass money and get Elsa out of her home. However...they saw me as the perfect assassin. To make sure it stayed that way, I was experimented on, to suppress my emotions. My feelings. An assassin does not need that. Or at least, me. Akira and Leonel were lucky."
"Akira...So he was an assassin, after all.." Tsubasa muttered.
"Yes. But unlike me, they were not experimented on, since they were deemed as unremarkable specimens. I was put under a tutor and by the time I was allowed outside...I went back home to look for Elsa. But...she was gone. Her family had sold her away and later on, she ended up with the Bavarian Illuminati. I killed all of them on the spot. All of them. I took my sweet time...as I slowly gutted them to death and fed them to the stray dogs. It was the last time I felt emotion for a long time. I felt sadness, anger, and above all...regret." He looked down at the brand on his hand."I couldn't save her in time...I failed her."
"Don't say that, sweetheart!" Elsa hugged him, crying in his chest."It's okay! I wasn't alone! I don't resent you!"
"In the end, the one choice I made in my life ended up ruining me. And I'm here today because of that." He chuckled, gently rubbing Elsa's back."My own decisions are what got me here. I could have just died back in France with Elsa. Happy, I suppose. I could have listened to Fine and dropped the mission after she revived in Shirabe. But I persisted. I killed Takeru...for my damn pride as an assassin. For my need to complete the mission." Allister showed Chris his hands."With these hands. I am the one who killed him. So if you want your revenge, come and take it."
"What?!" Millaarc exclaimed.
"Allister, stop!" Elsa pleaded.
"One thing I learned during my training was that once you take a life, you have to be ready for your life to be taken away as well. Because when you take a life, you live in fear because deep down you know that someday your life will be taken as well. We all reap what we sow. There's no way to avoid that. And when you harm others..." He closed his eyes, lowering his arms."...you're only harming yourself. So go ahead. You're in your right."
Chris clenched her fist, summoning her bow once more as she marched forward.
"Chris-san!" Shirabe cried out.
"You can't-desu!"
"Chris-chan, this is crazy!" Hibiki shook her head."Don't do it!"
"He's not evil!" Vanessa shouted."None of us ever wanted to do this! Do you think we were born wanting to be like this?!"
"We don't want to be monsters!" Millaarc sobbed.
"Please, don't do it!" Mona covered her eyes in fear.
"Go ahead."
Chris stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulders. It was Tsubasa."Senpai...?"
"Go ahead. Take the shot. It's easy, right?" Tsubasa said, her voice calm yet cold."Take the shot. You have the power now. He doesn't."
"Tsubasa!" Maria gasped."What are you doing?!"
"If she wants her revenge, who are we to stop her? I understand how she feels." Tsubasa shifted her gaze to the black-haired French."Goro was like a little brother to me. I loved him very much. With all of my heart. And his life was taken away by this lowlife."
"Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki was about to intervene, but the bluenette held her arm up.
"That being said, take a good long moment to think this through." Tsubasa continued."It's easy to just pull the trigger. The bullet goes away in an instant. But the consequences behind it...will linger on forever. One decision you make while your anger clouds your judgment can hinder your life as you know it. The game goes for you guys, right? The moment you decided to take your anger out on the world, it shackled you to a dark path. A path of blood, suffering, and misery." Tsubasa released Chris' shoulder, walking a few steps ahead."If you kill Allister right now, nothing will stop that little girl from one day taking revenge on you."
Tsubasa shifted her gaze to the little girl in front of Elsa."The hold of the cycle of hatred on humanity is strong. And if you kill him, the cycle will continue. If we don't try to end it now, when will we draw the line? When will we finally take a step forward toward a better tomorrow?"
Chris gasped when Tsubasa stood in front of her, gently grabbing her arms."I understand how you feel. I perfectly do. Maria does as well. You're not alone in this. But it's not about being better than him to not become like him. It doesn't take much to be better than this pathetic man. It's not about forgiving or forgetting. It's about moving on. To accept and to look at the future ahead. That's...What Sakamoto would want from you. To move on and to let go of the chains that hold you to the past."
"Senpai..." Chris felt tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked back to see her friends smiling at her, filling her with comfort. The Ichaival user lowered her bow as her transformation vanished. She walked past Tsubasa, standing in front of the opposite group. Elsa recoiled, holding Allister closer while Vanessa and Millaarc glared back. Mona simply stood in front of her foster parents, watching as Chris stood in front of them, taking a deep breath.
"It's not like I don't understand you, Elsa. I do. I was in a similar situation to you all those years ago. My parents were killed by the group of mercenaries Takeru was part of because they went to Val Verde to spread happiness with their songs. I was treated like a sex slave, constantly being abused. But Takeru would come down to where I was locked in and talk to me. About anything. Most of it was pretty stupid, I'll say that. But hearing his voice...it calmed me down. He went as far as to kill all of his group, his father included, just so he could free me before I was sold overseas. He saved my life. If not for him, I wouldn't be here today. So he has that in common with Allister. He loved me and did everything he could to show that to me."
"Yeah. I know." Allister nodded."I'm sorry."
"I was angry when I found out you and Elsa were together. I wondered why you deserved to be happy while I was suffering. So I decided to make your life a living hell. But now..." Chris's lips thinned."Allister, you don't regret killing Takeru, do you?"
"No. It's not my place to feel regret...for those that I kill when I have a mission." Allister sighed, staring at the cieling."Because...I doubt they want someone like me to be thinking about them."
"Fine. I can't argue with that." Chris folded her arms."I won't kill you."
"Huh? But why?"
"Because it would be the easy way out for you. You say they don't deserve to be in your mind. But I say you must do it. Because all those deaths are on your hands, even if you were paid for it. So we will take you back and you will answer for all the crimes you committed." Chris then addressed the group as a whole."I think I get the gist of why all of you turned out the way you did. Honestly, I was on my way to becoming a bad person too at one point. It takes the wrong day for your life to go down the drain. But...you guys are not alone. You have each other. If I learned one thing during my time with my friends is that home is not a specific place. It's where you and your friends can sit down and have a few laughs." Chris placed a hand on her heart."Right here."
"I'm...sorry." Vanessa lowered her head."I'm sorry for everything we caused."
"We know our apologies are worthless." Millaarc sat on top of Vanessa's shoulder, bowing down."But..."
"We don't want to be monsters anymore." Elsa finished for her."But you must understand...we lost a lot of our friends too."
"We understand Psykos had to since he was controlling your boyfriend, Tsubasa." Millaarc addressed the bluenette."But Reina-chan and Amy-chan..."
"You killed them, didn't you?" Vanessa asked.
"It wasn't them," Allister said, earning several gasps, even from the Symphogear.
"What do you mean?" Hibiki inquired.
"The one who killed Amy Regulus was Yomi Kugisaki. Or Narfi, I suppose. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I didn't know. I was helping Terunosuke change his bandages when he came in boasting about it." Allister informed them."That thing that destroyed half of the district while you guys were first fighting Shem-Ha? That was his doing. I assume Reina Romano was caught in the crossfire."
"So you didn't kill Reina-chan or Amy-chan?" Vanessa looked at the members of SONG.
"Of course not." Hibik shook her head."We would never."
"Oh, shit...Then we have to find a way to tell Angelo." Millaarc panicked."Shem-Ha was doing some weird things to him!"
"Weird things?" Shirabe tilted her head.
"But we can't communicate with HQ." Maria frowned."Something is going on. The planet is all red."
"We'll find a way." Tsubasa assured her."For now, let's think of a plan."
"Wait."
They stared at Allister, who had pulled out his phone and was tapping on it."Maria, Shirabe, Kirika...I have something to tell you. Regarding Kuwana-san."
"Teru-nii?" Kirika's eyes widened.
"What about him?" Maria placed her hands on her hips.
"He also defected the DDV." Allister announced, catching everyone by surprise."It seems that Jades Demetrios reached his heart. Albeit, maybe it's too late...But regardless, he left a few days ago. I was covering for him. I also have to tell you that, after reviewing the video of his fight, I can confidently say that Jades let Kuwana-san kill him."
"We...kind of figured that already." Maria's shoulders sagged."But you say you have a recording of the fight?"
"We had Chiaki record the fight. As we said, we swore to Kuwana-san to let him have his fight with Jades. We wouldn't intervene. You have an iPhone, right? Unlock it."
Maria pulled her phone out as Allister airdropped her a video.
"Wait, is there a signal here on the moon?" Kirika whispered to her sister.
"It's probably whatever Tsubasa-san and Maria did to activate the communication link," Shirabe uttered back.
"You can look at that video. It's unedited. It's their full fight. You probably don't care, but it might shine light on whatever doubts you have in your heart."
"You're being awfully cooperative," Tsubasa said, folding her arms.
"Might as well." Allister shrugged, staring at Chris."I took everything away from you, and yet you remained strong and firm. You just surpassed your past and found peace within yourself. Something that I...never managed to achieve."
"Then help us stop Ragnarok." Hibiki took a step forward."Please, Allister-san. A lot of lives are at stake."
"Stop Ragnarok? I'm afraid that's not possible. Ragnarok is destined to happen. We can't stop it even if we wanted to."
"Ragnarok?" Elsa repeated, confused.
"Then tell us where Hazuki-kun is. And where he's keeping Setsuna-chan." Hibiki pleaded."Please. We have to get her back home safely."
"I just sent you the address of the penthouse we have in Yokohama. But that's not where she is. Hazuki-kun goes somewhere else when he's not at the penthouse. And probably, after finding out I betrayed him, he won't be there."
"Then give me Magnugiga." Chris stretched out her hand."If you can give him back, we're off to a good start."
"I would if I could." Allister sighed."It's not that simple."
"Why not?!"
"Because I made a contract with him." Allister explained."If you want to take him, then you have to kill me-"
Suddenly, Vanessa's rockets ignited, taking off into the air.
"Vanessa?!" Millaarc cried out."Where are you going?!"
"I guess things aren't going as smoothly up here, so I'll have to take matters into my own hands." Vanessa glared down at the group with a twisted smile, her eyes completely different from before.
"Is that you, Shem-Ha?!" The copy of Enki appeared behind them.
"Naturally. I concentrated my power on this creature as well, not just the demon." Shem-Ha chuckled."She too has a piece of myself."
Vanessa took control back, crashing against the wall."Godslayer! Please, stop me!"
"Vanessa-san?!
"Please...I don't want to...be used anymore!" Vanessa shrieked as Shem-Ha continued to try to possess her."I BEG YOU!"
With a mighty roar, Hibiki rushed to Vanessa."BALWISYALL NESCELL GUNGNIR TRON!"
"Fool!" Shem-Ha screamed, shooting one of Vanessa's arm rockets toward the jammer just as Hibiki punched through Vanessa's stomach."I suppose that Messiah isn't the only fearsome thing left in my way. A god-slaying fist is a problem. But this is as far as your hesitation takes you."
Vanessa fell to the ground, but Allister quickly caught her in his arms, grimacing when the wound in his arm opened even more.
"Vanessa!" Millaarc and Elsa screamed as they rushed alongside Mona.
"I'm fine!" Vanessa spat out blood."I'm fine...Thank you, Hibiki Tachibana...for at least, protecting our pride."
"But..." Hibiki clenched her fists.
Suddenly, an alarm began to go off and the whole room was lit in a red light.
"What's going on, Enki?!" The pinkette of SONG asked the Annunaki.
"Shem-Ha injected a virus program into the system. She's about to be reborn!"
Suddenly, Enki's image was replaced by Shem-Ha's original appearance.
"Just like this." Shem-Ha smiled wickedly."I must thank you, humans. On that day, one year ago, when all mankind was connected for an instant, I was revived, and then I rose from Magallanica."
"One year ago...Then you're referring to the Frontier Incident? When all of humanity was connected by Apple to stop the Moon from falling?"
"Indeed. That tune in the song was what remained of the universal language, which while changed in form, survived to the present day."
"No way...So it wasn't that humanity couldn't be connected, it was that they mustn't be allowed to!"
"That is correct. And that's why I must eradicate Loki and his plans, for they pose a threat to my own." Shem-Ha splayed her arms."However, you won't get to see that happening. You'll die here in the ruins, so it matters not whether you know the truth or not."
The whole facility began to shake, as explosions began to go off in the distance.
"Allister, can't you contact Hazuki to open a portal and get us out of here?!" Chris asked the Ouja Deck wielder.
"What do you think I've been trying to do?!" Allister swallowed the lump in his throat."He must have cut communications with me!"
"Even if we survive the explosion, we won't be able to survive in space!" Tsubasa gritted her teeth.
"There is a way." Vanessa spoke up."There is a way to escape this hell and go back to Earth. Millaarc...Elsa..."
They both nodded as they prepared for what was to come.
Meanwhile, back on Akira ran down the streets of Iwate, watching people run for their lives as pillars rose from the ground, everything around.
"Shit, shit, shit! Here I was coming over to visit Harumi and her Mother and the world is about to end! I must be cursed!"
"Akira!" Harumi waved at him from the door, standing next to her mother, Ayumi.
"What in the world are you doing here?! It's dangerous to be outside!" The older woman scolded him.
"Thank God, you're both okay!" Akira rushed to the women, adopting a serious expression."I'm done running away. Not anymore. I promise. There's a shelter up north. We can go there and wait this out. I'm sure Hibiki and her friends are doing what they can to stop this."
"He's right, Mom." Harumi insisted."We can't stay here. It's too dangerous here!"
"Oh, fine. I suppose I can't argue with that." She sighed. They started making their way out of the house, however, another Yggadril root sprouted from within the house, causing it to break. The family gasped in horror as the debris began to fall on them. They huddled together, closing their eyes and begging for a miracle.
Frost Vent
A wave of black ice froze the entire house, preventing it from collapsing and holding the rubble in place.
"What... happened?" Akira slowly opened his eyes, staring at the black ice in front of him.
"What are you people doing? The shelter is that way. Stop dawdling and hurry up if you don't want to die."
They looked over to see a young man, looking rather calm despite the situation as his eyes stared up at the root.
"Right. Let's go" Akira nodded, guiding the women away from danger.
Terunosuke sighed."And here I thought I only had to save the brats from stupid shit. Seriously, what am I doing?"
The dark-haired man watched as 3 of his monsters patrolled the streets next to him. Several of the Zelles hopped around the area, accompanying them. He didn't know why he was even bothering to save people right now. It was so hypocritical of him, after all the lives he took. And yet, here he was, making sure people could get to the shelter. He didn't under why he was doing it. There was no reason to. He gained absolutely nothing from helping others. He quickly pulled out Serena's picture, feeling his energy replenished upon seeing her smile, at least on a frame.
"Still...what is going on?" Terunosuke frowned, noticing more roots in the distance."It's not Ragnarok. That's not happening for another month. So what could it be...?"
He looked at the brand on his hand, grimacing."Wonder how you're doing, Albedo-kun."
"So...this is..." Allister marbled at their surroundings. They were flying inside some kind of blue path, covered with symbols. He held Mona close, having transformed into Kamen Rider Ouja and going into his Trinity Mode. The Symphohear had done the same and went into their Amalgam forms.
"A Conceptual Laberynth the 7 of us created at one point. It needs a maximum of 3 people to use, though." Vanessa supplied."It's over 380,000 kilometers in length!"
"I still can't believe it's that long!" Kirika exclaimed."It's super far!"
"Thankfully, we were able to put it up before the explosion went off." Millaarc sighed in relief."It was a close call. But we can also use it to bend space and make a path to Earth."
"I see..." Allister nodded.
"When we get close to the surface, I need you to hand me Mona." Chris said."My barrier can provide me with enough air for her."
"Thanks. And...thank you." Allister's voice lowered."For not killing me. Even though I deserve it after what I did. Unlike me, you found peace. I...was never to even know who I was. I lost sight of what I wanted. And in the end, all I caused was pain. I know I said I don't regret Takeru's death, but...I am sorry it happened."
"I don't care what you think, Allister." Chris harshly spat."I hate you. With every fiber of my being. I will never forgive you for what you did. But I sympathize with you and Elsa. Your stories...your experiences...they're similar to what we went through. Maybe...we could have ended up the same way you two did. If things had been different. And also..." The girl looked at the pink-haired girl in his arms."I think Senpai is right. It's time to put an end to this cycle of hatred. So that one day, no more children will have to suffer. And so that the flames of war may be extinguished once and for all."
"Well said, Yukine. Even if what Shem-Ha said is true, even if the world is meant to never be connected, people can still reach an understanding. To find peace." Tsubasa looked toward the 3 Noble Red members ahead of them."So that no more tragedies may happen. We fight because we respond to the people's courage and determination. To the desire to one day, put all of this behind us. We fight...for the future."
"While I do not regret killing Takeru...Tsubasa, I do regret killing Goro Tanaka." Allister said, earning the girl's attention."My policy was not to kill those who I was not paid to kill. I was going after Yosuke since he was the leader of their group and I aimed to destabilize your numbers so I could get an advantage since I was alone. But in the end, Goro ended up getting in the way."
"I am aware of that." Tsubasa closed her eyes, shaking her head."Your words will be considered."
"A nice speech." Vanessa smiled."Maybe...if we had met you sooner...we could have led a different life. But there's no point in thinking about that, is there? You see, doing this labyrinth to its maximum capacity in our current condition...it will extinguish our life force."
"What?!" Hibiki gasped."Vanessa-san!"
"Don't look at me like that." Vanessa shook her head."I am an irredeemable villain, right? This...is the least I can do. But..."
Vanessa and Millaarc exchanged glances, nodding, before pushing Elsa away from them. Allister caught her in his arms.
"W-what are you doing?!" Elsa cried out.
"Normally, we need 3 of us to keep the labyrinth up...But I still have Shem-Ha's lingering power, so we only need 2 people." Vanessa said as her body started to flicker.
"Wait...are you...sacrificing yourselves...?" Maria asked in disbelief."But you're pushing Elsa out of doing that?"
"We've done... unforgivable crimes because we were angry at the world that abandoned us. However, we tried to keep Elsa from staining her hands with blood. She doesn't deserve to suffer the same fate as us." Vanessa smiled at her friend."Elsa...please, live on for us."
"Why?! Why are you doing this?! At least let me help you so that I-"
"Didn't you hear her, dummy? There's no sense in you dying." Millaarc cut her off."We've done too much to hope for redemption. So if you can at least live...it will be okay. It will be okay. Take care of her for us, will you, Allister? We're counting on you."
"Make her happy."
Allister embraced Elsa and Mona tighter, nodding."I will. You can count on it."
"We love you, Elsa." Vanessa closed her eyes."With all of our heart. We'll say hi to the others...wherever we end up."
"Tsubasa." Millaarc glanced at the bluenette."I know...I did horrible things. And almost ruined your life. But...if it's okay, I have one small request. Please-"
"It's about your boyfriend, Angelo Romano, right?"
"Yeah...Please, tell him I love him...And I'm sorry for leaving him alone. And please stop him. He's been through enough...He doesn't have to fight anymore." Millaarc closed her eyes as their bodies began to vanish.
"Message received." Tsubasa nodded firmly."You don't have to worry about that."
"Thank you..."
With that, the two of them vanished into thin air, prompting Elsa to sob loudly in Allister's arms as the labyrinth started to collapse.
"Allister, give them here!"
"I have a better idea, Chris-chan!" Hibiki grabbed Chris' hand, guiding her toward the family of 3, standing on their sides and engulfing them in their golden spheres."Elsa-chan...they wanted you to live."
"And you have to live too. You will face justice for your crimes, just like any other human." Chris told the former assassin."That's how humanity does things. And you will help us stop Hazukio and Ragnarok."
"Yeah...I will." He nodded slowly.
"But how do we get down now?" Chris asked.
"X-Drive." Hibiki said with resolution."Even if we don't have enough Phonic Gain, we'll have to believe in the song of our hearts. When we all come together, we can always pull off a miracle, right?"
"Normally, I'd call you insane, but at this point, I've seen you pull through so many times, I'm not even surprised." Chris chuckled."Allister, when we down to Earth, take Elsa and Mona to a safe place while we deal with things. And you better not run, you understand?"
"I know." He nodded.
"It's one of Tachibana's best traits." Tsubasa smiled warmly at her friend."To fill others with hope. Then let's not waste any time and save our home!"
"Yeah!"
And with that, we have just an episode left of XV. Or two. Not sure yet so we'll see.