Reviews:
Tenzalucard123: Not good at all, knowing Despia. That's her twin brother who just died.
SoutaAmetsuchi: Finally, after so long, it seems the tides are starting to turn in our heroes' way. Yes, he was 100 % being lustful. Not uncommon to Yomi. If you go back to XV when he was fighting Amy, he was doing some weird shit too. He gets really into it. He's pansexual by the way.
Lord RI Husbu King: Normally, I would say it's up to the reader to decide whether they feel bad for him or not. But I think you're confusing sympathizing with forgiving someone. Hajime does not forgive Yomi. He tells him he's going to kill him for the horrible things he did. But he understands him because they are similar in some aspects. Hell, I made Yomi based on Hajime's worst traits. You don't have to forgive someone to sympathize with them. I mean, yeah I guess you can. Not like I have copyright over the names. But I wouldn't recommend it because people would think you're copying me or something. And I saw that dragstorm rider guy even called you Phantom.
nicolasseverino95: Yeah no openings and endings. I am too lazy and we're almost at the finish line. And yes, I did.
Dragstorm rider: Glad you liked it. Honestly, I had to go all out with these 2 guys. This was their last fight and needed to be special. Yeah, a lot of people wouldn't be psychopaths if the world was normal. Some of them, at least. Right, Yomi got pretty weird in the fight. He just loves fighting. He did the same thing to Amy back in XV. I haven't watched Saint Seiya yet but someone suggested this for me to use so they probably did. Odin knows a lot of things. He's just sitting back and enjoying the others killing each other.
Ryugen: I think I mentioned it in XV but I'll say it. Yomi was infatuated with one of the girls working in the circus. And the girl got molested and killed. And that's what awoken to Narfi inside of him. Narfi awakened inside his vessels due to grief and despair, which is what happened to Yomi. Well...Let's just say we'll see what the future holds for the boy Wei. Yeah, Odin is just like that one Michael Jackson gif eating popcorn right now. The names are okay, but then I would have to name Knight and Raia's monsters differently when using their new power-ups and I'm lazy. Oh! I will use the MK2. I was thinking of using their evolved versions, but it's literally the same thing. So when he gets another monster he will use their first form. Just for the sake of simplicity. But he's getting all of their power, so don't worry.
TheEmeraldMage: Yeah, I get it it was terrible...lol. I went crazy on this fight since I kept having fun writing. I just sat down and boom. I have to admit, I was kind of laughing at that whole interaction with them and Yomi. They're yelling their anger and frustrations, Hajime wants to avenge his friends, and they're on a deadline. And Yomi hits them with a "cool story bro. Didn't ask.". He just wanted to fight not hear their life problems. And that gets me into my next topic. I think I went far with the whole him claiming the girls if he wins, but that's Yomi's character in a nutshell. He provokes his opponents, poking them from every angle with words and actions. And he knew that rage is what gets Hajime going. Every opponent he's fought, he's gotten under their skin because, for the most part, he knows or can figure out their weak points. But he is pretty weird. I had to get the moon involved. I was gonna do the battle on earth but I was like...nah, these two deserve something more. And yeah they're going to have to figure out a way to not kill Setsuna. We'll just have to wait and see.
Chapter 160
The Last Bastion of Humanity
"Hajime! Hajime!" Hibiki immediately rushed to meet her boyfriend once Raia had landed, having one of Hajime's arms wrapped around his shoulders to keep him steady.
"Hey, dear..." Hajime chuckled weakly, one of his eyes closed and the other one half-lidded. Hibiki immediately hugged him, earning a pained moan from him."E-easy...I'm hurting all over..."
"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Hibiki immediately apologized, checking him over for injuries in great concern.
"So, it's over then?" Yosuke and the others approached them."Kugisaki is..."
"Yeah." Hajime nodded slowly."It's done. Yomi is dead."
"That explains why the hole got smaller..." Tsubasa rubbed her chin."So, it's safe to assume that he was telling the truth after all...So then why risk coming here alone?"
"He wanted to fight me. And I guess...he also wanted to validate himself. It was a long fight...and in a way, we got to know each other a little better..." Hajime said, his lips thinning."It's complicated...but honestly, I don't have the energy to sit down and tell you everything."
"W-wait, please!" Shirabe suddenly spoke up."But it has to be wrong! We can't kill Wei-kun or Setsuna-chan! We just can't!"
"I don't want to hurt my sister either...It's my fault she's in this mess...It's not right..." Hajime's lips quivered.
"We can worry about that when the time comes," Yosuke said.
"But we only have 1 more day!" Hajime cried out."And I'm all banged up!"
"Actually...While you were fighting Kugisaki, we received some very interesting information." Yosuke said, confusing Hajime."We'll tell you on the way back. For now, let's get you to the infirmary."
"O-okay..." Hajime didn't question him further. Hibiki shifted her gaze to Raiden.
"I can help him walk."
"Sure." Raiden nodded, helping Hajime lean on her body as they began to walk.
"You're so dumb." She muttered to him, rubbing his back.
"Yeah...I know that." He sighed.
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Her voice almost broke, tears glistening in her eyes."What if you died?! That was way too dangerous!"
"I know...And I'm sorry. But I made a promise to come back to you and I intend to keep it, Sunshine." He weakly grins at her, causing her heart to melt."Besides, I...I had some things to settle with Yomi. I promised Yumi-san to avenge our friends. And I learned some things from him while we were waiting. I did what you do. And just paused for a moment to talk. Learn more about him. He's a murderer and a psychopath, but still...we have some similarities. One wrong turn and that could have been me. So I sympathize with him. And honestly, fighting him...cleared my skies. If that makes sense. That doesn't mean I forgive him though."
"I'm so happy I could be such a big influence in your life." She said lovingly."And it's okay. You don't have to worry about that now. I love you."
"I love you too."
"Adachi." Tsubasa said from their side."Good job. I'm glad you came back in one piece."
"Thanks, Tsubasa-san." Hajime grinned with a peace sign.
"I thought being strong made you isolated from others. So how are you not affected by the loneliness of being strong?"
Hajime pondered over Yomi's words for a bit before addressing the bluenette again."Tsubasa-san...Do you think we all get along so well because of our circumstances? I mean, since we all have powers and use them to protect others, right?"
"...That's correct. They are worth protecting, so we do our best to do so. Why?"
"Back then, before you met any of us and it was just you, Yosuke-san, and Goro-san...Did it feel lonely?"
"Lonely...Now that you mention it, it did." Tsubasa nodded."We were very different from regular teenagers and had so much on our shoulders. But thanks to all of you coming aboard, it's like that weight was distributed equally."
"I see...It makes sense." Hajime heaved a long sigh."Strength in others..."
"Why? Is there something in your mind?"
"Nothing. Just...thinking aloud."
"So...We have an extra day to prepare because some aliens came from space to fight the Calamities?" Hajime asked Elfnein once they were in her office, lying down on a bed.
"That's correct."
"That's a relief...But I wonder who they were? I mean, why come to our planet all of a sudden?"
"I theorized that they might be the other Custodians Shem-Ha and Adam mentioned." Elfnein said, browsing through her cabinets."It would only make sense. They must have detected the disturbance of Ragnarok and came to either investigate or do something about the problem. I would assume the latter since our satellites detected thousands of ships. They brought an army."
"And yet they killed them..." Hajime clenched his fists."How could they...? They came to help us and they just killed them...If they were all around Shem-Ha's strength..."
"But you beat Yomi Kugisaki. Allegedly, second only to Hazuki Kaburagi. The upgrades worked flawlessly. And with the extra day that we have, we have plenty of opportunities to finish preparations. This plan has to work, otherwise, we'll be doomed. But I am confident we can pull it off. You showed us it's possible to take them down."
"But I don't know if I'll recuperate quickly enough. Even with Oversurvive's passive healing, will it be enough? I'm worried I won't have enough time."
"Luckily for us, I managed to create something that will help us in that regard." Elfnein showed him a gummy bear in her hands."Here, eat this."
"A gummy...?" Hajime blinked, taking the red gummy from her hands."Not a fan of these."
"It's not just a regular gummy. This will boost your metabolism and immune system. Simply put, this little thing accelerates natural healing. For example, someone with a broken arm can be healed in a matter of days or even less with this as it puts the body in overdrive. However, this will use your body's resources rapidly. I'll inject you with an IV to keep you stable, but you'll be severely hungry and thirsty when you wake up."
"Really?! That's awesome, Elfnein-chan!" Hajime exclaimed, wincing upon moving too much."Gummy, gummy. Eat a gummy, right?"
"Now, now. It's too early to be thanking me." Elfnein gently injected him with the IV, setting him down on the bed after he ate the gummy."It's experimental. But I have full faith this will help you recover before Ragnarok comes."
"I appreciate it, Elfnein." Hajime got comfortable, feeling the effects of the drug already.
"Hajime-kun...I don't think I...I can't be so forgiving towards them like you are..." Elfnein shot him an apologetic glance."Not after what they did..."
"I understand...Don't worry. You've lost a lot." Hajime clenched his fists, but he was too weak, and in seconds, drifted off to sleep.
Yosuke, Tsubasa, Chris, Genjuro, and Maria stood in front of the coffin where Garie and Tobias were, resting peacefully.
"Seeing a Mother and her child like this..." Maria couldn't help but cry silently."It's horrible..."
"Fortunately, their bodies won't decompose since they're completely artificial, so for now we can have them in this room until we get a chance to bury them." Genjuro told them."For now, this is the best we could do."
"I think it was a good decision putting them in the same coffin, old man." Chris muttered, her eyes fixated on them."That way, they can be together...Why would she just...take her own life like that...?"
"I can't blame her..." Yosuke rubbed his arm, still remembering how he found Garie's lifeless body on the floor."She lost her child and husband during her first life and her friends. Then lost them again. I can't even imagine the pain she must have felt."
"I think we have an idea..." Tsubasa spoke up."Seeing your friends die...We all felt that."
"And I imagine countless families are feeling the same." Maria lowered her gaze."Even now, Ragnarok is killing so many people...It doesn't feel right just sitting here doing nothing."
"We're doing all we can, Maria-kun." Genjuro placed a hand on her shoulder."This is the last bastion humanity has. If we fail, it's all over."
"And we have to succeed." Yosuke paced around the room, hands in his pockets."You all saw what failure looks like. We're lucky we even get a chance to correct our mistakes. This is it. We have to do it right. If we can only save Japan, so be it. It's far better than nothing saving anything."
"Even if we stop Ragnarok, what's going to become of the world?" Chris asked the Commander.
"It's...hard to say. If all the world is destroyed by Japan, forget about diversity. We won't have enough food and we'll have to start thinking of ways to become self-sustained. The economy is already destroyed. Suffice to say, it will be difficult to become stable. If possible..."
"But still, it's worth to try." Yosuke said with a matter-of-fact tone."We'll gamble in the future. We have to try. Otherwise, everyone's deaths would be for nothing. I refuse to just wait for death. I refuse to accept this fantasy world that Hazuki seeks."
"I concur. If we don't try, we'd be letting everyone who died down." Tsubasa glanced at Chris."We have to live on, even if it hurts."
"It's the only day we can honor them..." Chris looked at the ring Takeru had given her in the past."Wait, where are we gonna fight? Are we gonna go meet the Calamities before they reach Japan?"
"It's hard to say...Ragnarok is coming from somewhere in the east of Tokyo, but that's all ocean. Fighting in the water with those monsters in the ocean could prove fatal. Furthermore, not all of us are comfortable flying in the air. Even with the Noise and the Alternative army, it will be hard."
"If we could fight in the city, that would make things a little more easier." Tsubasa rubbed her chin."But the people..."
"Then it's a good thing we have that covered." Genjuro placed his fists on his hips with a grin.
"What do you mean, uncle?"
"Hey, get in here already! No point in hiding our secret weapon anymore!" Genjuro boomed, his voice no doubt reaching whoever was behind the door.
"Seriously, Gen..." The voice said as the door opened up."It was your idea, after all..."
Tsubasa gasped, covering her mouth. Maria, Chris, and Yosuke were stunned, too in shock to speak.
"Father...?"
"Tsubasa...I'm glad you're okay." Yatsuhiro smiled warmly at his daughter. Tsubasa immediately ran to him, hugging him and crying on his shoulder."There, there...It's okay."
"Yatsuhiro-san...You're alive..." Yosuke slowly made his way to them.
"I am. And I have to say, I got lucky. Extremely lucky." He kissed Tsubasa on top of her head, soothingly rubbing her back."Back when Ragnarok started, it was chaos. All world leaders ran for their lives, and no one was willing to listen to plan a strategic defense. Of course, getting out of the country was tricky. America was the first country to fall. It was a gamble, but I managed to sneak out of there before the attack. And ever since then, I had to carefully move around, since the demons were chasing everyone and everything that moved. Eventually, I made it to Japan and reached out to Gen. I heard all of you still have the will to fight, so we've been making preparations of our own."
"Preparations?" Maria repeated.
"Yes. We're preparing the evacuation of all Tokyo citizens and those districts around to move further away from danger. We are aware that this place will become a warzone soon enough, and you kids can't fight while worrying about the civilians. So we'll make this into the ideal battleground so none of you have to hold anything back."
"Father..."
"Ideally, it's best to split the Calamities up." Genjuro chimed in."They are all powerful. Hajime-kun just barely defeated one of them. So we'll be splitting into teams and let them into Tokyo."
"We're letting them in...?"
"We'll trap them on land." Genjuro beckoned them to follow him. Once they reached the command center, he brought up the map of Japan."We'll force them onto Japan and split them up around various districts. We'll form teams and overwhelm them with numbers. We've already decided on the teams. Yosuke, you and Raiden-kun will handle Nightmare."
"Us two?"
He nodded promptly."Bragard is very powerful. We can only guess how strong he's become now that he has Divine Power. The others, aside from Hazuki, don't have much fighting experience. Kirika-kun, Elsa-kun, and Shirabe-kun will handle Wei-kun."
"What?!" Chris stomped her foot on the ground."Old man that's a stupid idea! Shirabe is in love with that dumbass! How can you even suggest that?!"
"I am aware, Chris-kun. And that's why I want her to fight him. If she can reach his heart and talk him down, then we won't have to harm him. If there's anyone here who he'll listen to, it's her. Kirika-kun will cover her back, and Elsa-kun will be their secret weapon. She holds the key to restraining his power. Then we have Maria-kun and Chris-kun against Despia. Your combo will be able to crack an opening through her crystal defenses."
"Understood." Maria agreed."We'll handle her. Though I doubt she'll make it easy when she learns her brother is dead..."
"Then...Setsuna-kun...Tsubasa, you, Hibiki-kun and Miku-kun can take her. I didn't want Hajime-kun to be the one to do it." He raised his hand when he noticed Chris about to yell."I assembled that team for a reason. Hibiku-kun and Tsubasa and people that Setsuna-kun looks up to dearly. Miku-kun has her Shenshoujing. It's possible that we can do something to her powers with that."
"Wait, really?!" Yosuke gasped.
"It's a theory Elfnein came up with. They've absorbed the Gods into themselves. If there is a way to pull them out and kill them, we can purify them. I talked to Shirabe-kun about this. She agreed that Miku-kun should go help Setsuna-kun first. Tsubasa, you girls will have to try to end the fight as soon as possible so you can go to the other side."
"Understood." Tsubasa said solemnly."Setsuna-chan is my most precious fan. I will not let her down."
"I know you won't. And that leaves...Hazuki to Hajime-kun."
"On his own...?" Maria frowned.
"Once he recovers, he'll be in peak condition. If what Yomi Kugisaki said is true, and he was second only to Hazuki, he'll have a good chance to fight him." Genjuro gave them a reassuring smile."Plus, he still has Thor's secret weapon."
"That's true." Yosuke hummed in thought."So like before, we have to beat our respective opponents and go to assist him. But this time, he'll be alone for real..."
"He's our best chance a victory. That's what you said, remember." Tsubasa smiled at him."You're the one who said we should put our trust in him. So, we should believe in him."
"You're right. Then, we'll do our best to support him."
"What the hell, Shirabe?!" Raiden exclaimed, throwing his hands up. Currently, the other members of SONG were sitting in the cafeteria, listening to Raiden's rant."What do you mean you still love him?!"
"I do..." Shirabe muttered quietly, earning a sigh from Raiden.
"Shirabe, dear, listen." Raiden sat down on the stool next to her, resting his arms on his legs as he leaned forward."He's a murderer. A selfish, mindless, self-centered piece of garbage that caused global genocide. You know how we all felt when we saw Tobias die. When we saw Garie's dead body. Imagine all of the people he helped kill! He deserves to die! You can't defend that-"
"I KNOW THAT!" Shirabe screamed, catching him by surprise."I know what he did! I know that! But...I can't just leave him alone! He's suffering because he lost everything he had! I almost reached him! But I failed! I want to talk to him and calm him down! I know him, Raiden! He is not like this!"
"Guys, please..." Kirika sighed, looking depressed."No more fighting...We've been fighting nonstop ever since this started...Please...no more...I'm tired..."
Shirabe and Raiden exchanged worried glances. Elsa frowned as she had Mona sitting on her lap, brushing her hair.
"I'm sorry...I just...I can't lose any of you." Raiden engulfed Shirabe in a hug, which she immediately returned."The 3 of you are what's left of my family...I couldn't bear to lose another sibling..."
"I understand, Raiden...I know you mean well..." Shirabe cried on his shoulder. Kirika joined in on the hug as the siblings cried."I just...don't want him to die..."
"We have an option to stop him. If everything works out." Elsa spoke up."Shirabe...I'll do anything in my power to support the 2 of you-de-arimasu. If possible, there might be a way we can restrain him and block his powers. After that, we just have to hope Miku Kohinata is capable of purging the wicked Gods from their bodies."
"And you're sure it will work?" Raiden inquired with skepticism.
"Well...I am not sure if it will win us the battle, but..." Elsa took out a pendant from under her shirt."It will certainly give us an edge over our opponent."
"Mother...Are you going to go fight as well?" The child asked her foster mom.
"I am, mon cherie." Elsa rubbed her face affectionately."I have to do what I can to help those who accepted us. And I want to get your Father's Venosnaker back. Venosnaker belongs back home with us."
"But...Father died...What if I end up alone...?"
"If we don't fight...we won't survive. Look at me, mon cherie." Elsa gently moved Mona's head to make her look at her face."We have to do our best and fight for what we love. Allister is gone but...we still have each other and Strike. Right, Strike?"
The old hug whined, resting near Elsa's legs.
"And you have us too." Shirabe smiled at the pinked-haired girls."I know we had problems in the past, but that's all water under the bridge."
"It's still weird that we were fighting like two months ago." Raiden mused.
"Right?" Elsa gave them a sheepish smile."It feels like forever ago. I can't believe it's been barely 2 months...And I'm here thanks to my friends. They gave me the chance for a second life. Without them, I wouldn't be here. So I have to do this. For Vanessa. For Millaarc. For Angelo. For Reina. For Amy. For Psykos."
"We also will fight for our siblings." Raiden nodded."Atticus...Serena...Jades...Andreas...and Teru-nii. My baby sisters will be in your care, Elsa-san. Can I trust you with them?"
"Of course." Elsa replied with determination."We'll win, no matter what."
A day later, Hibiki, Miku, and Hajime were walking inside the military post located in Tokyo. The remnants of the military were doing their best to evacuate civilians and transport them away from Tokyo. They had started this effort a day ago, but now, SONG had joined in to help as well. Right now, Hajime and Miku are helping Hibiki's family get on a train, helping them with their bags.
"Thank you so much for the help, you two." Akira gratefully accepted a rather heavy bag Hajime handed him, nearly tripping."Wow...You sure got some strength to lift this without much trouble, Hajime-kun."
"I work out a lot." Hajime grinned, rubbing his nose sheepishly."Let me get that for you, Miku-san."
"Thank you." Miku sighed in relief upon finally being relieved of the heavy baggage.
"Are you sure you should be pushing yourself like this, sweetheart?" Hibiki asked in concern.
"I'm fine. Better than ever. Though I am still feeling pretty hungry." Hajime confessed, helping Hibiki's grandmother with her things and loading them up on the train.
"So tomorrow is the day?" Hibiki's mom, Harumi, asked."You'll all really go fight those horrible demons...?"
"Yeah, that's the plan." Hajime replied, looking at the dark, crimson sky."We want to return the world to how it was. So humanity, or at least what's left of it, can see the sunrise again."
"Please, look after our Hibiki, Hajime-kun." Ayumi pleaded."And yourself as well. You're part of the family now. We want you all back in one piece. You too, Miku-chan."
"That's the idea," Miku responded with a small nod.
"I know it's been rough for all of you. I can't imagine what it's like to carry the weight of the world." Akira grabbed his daughter by her hands, kissing her cheek."I'm so proud of you, Hibiki. You have grown so much while I wasn't looking. You turned a curse a made it into a blessing."
"A curse can be a blessing. Just like you said, Dad." Hibiki nodded, tears glistening in her eyes.
"Hajime-kun...Thank you for helping me open my eyes. I am happy to see Hibiki being in love with someone like you. As a failure of a father, I couldn't ask for anything more but her happiness. Make her happy..."
"Of course. She makes me so happy, it's only fair." Hajime gave him a toothy smile."Don't worry. This will end soon. We won't fail anymore. Once we're done, I'll take Hibiki back home. Just watch."
Once he said that Miku and Hajime watched as Hibiki said goodbye to her family in tears.
"We should give them some space. I have to go to the bathroom. Will you be okay alone, Hajime-kun?"
"Yeah. I'll go see what else I can help with." Hajime shrugged."Call me if you need anything."
"Sure." Miku nodded. Before Hajime left, she grabbed the sleeve of his uniform."Hajime-kun..."
"What is it?"
"I want to apologize to you. For how I treated you back then. I was paranoid and unfair...I now know you have a heart of gold and you have Hibiki's best interest in mind. As well as those around you..."
"Oh, that." Hajime giggled playfully."I gotta say, I was a little intimidated by you, Miku-san. You're a pretty scary girl, you know that?"
"And what does that mean?" She punched him in the arm lightly, pouting at him.
"Sorry, sorry!" He raised his arms in defense."But...It's fine. I'm glad Hibiki has a friend like you. I'm happy I learned she wasn't always alone. I get frustrated when I think about how much pain she endured."
"I promise you, I protected her." Miku flexed her biceps."I'm a tough girl too, you know? When we became friends, no one dared to even look at her the wrong way."
"Heh. I can see that." Hajime allowed himself to giggle once more.
"She has you know too. Just...make sure you make her the happiest girl in the world. I want to be the godmother, alright?"
"Sure. It's a promise." Hajime responded. To his surprise, Miku engulfed him in a tight hug.
"I miss him so much..." She whispered, shaking like a leaf."There's not a night that I sleep that I don't think of him...And he was taken from me..."
"I know...I know. I'm sorry." All Hajime could do was hold her before she slowly pulled back."I should have done more for Bragi..."
"N-no! I'm sorry!" Miku quickly apologized."I didn't mean for you to blame yourself...Sorry, I just..."
"I get it. Go, take your time." Hajime gave her a tender smile."Like I said, I'm a phone call away."
Miku nodded before walking off to look for a bathroom. Hajime continued walking around, smiling upon seeing the families around him. While they looked tired and scared, they were together. And now, he...
"You're not alone, Lad."
"Yeah, I know. It's just...It's been a long time since I spent time with my family. I know SONG is my family now, but...Not that long ago, Setsuna, my grandmother, and I used to live together. And now..." Hajime shook his head."Sorry. I know I can't be thinking like that now."
"It's normal, Lad."
"I guess...It's just...It's almost over and yet it feels like it's still so far away. Humanity has been reduced to almost nothing, and yet, we persist." Hajime looked up, noticing a familiar figure ahead."Oh! Ogawa-san!"
"Hajime-san!" Ogawa beamed upon seeing the boy."You've been busy?"
"I have. And you? What are you doing right now?"
"I am part of the unit specialized to neutralize demons. My elder brother is heading the operation."
"Wait, what? You have a brother...? Wait, more importantly, demons?"
"As you know, Ragnarok is heading this way. The Navy has reported sightings of demons. We suspect these are just strays, but they keep increasing in numbers. Which means..."
"We're running out of time. Do you think we'll have everyone evacuated by tomorrow?"
"Possibly. At the rate we're going, yes. Thanks to the Custodians' interventions, we will be able to evacuate everyone safely. So just leave it to us." Ogawa replied before touching the earpiece on his ear."Another demon. I should get going. Take care!"
"You too!" Hajime waved at the ninja, who vanished out of thin air."I'm still not used to seeing that..."
"He is a crafty one, I'll give him that."
Hajime resumed his walk, and since he was still by himself, decided to talk to Thor."We're making preparations for the battle tomorrow and all, but...I still can't get something out of my head. How are we going to deal with Odin?"
"The Allfather?"
"Yosuke-san mentioned to me that we'll probably end up needing the wish to restore the world to normal. But...that would mean...One of us has to be the sole survivor..."
"Don't think about that now, Lad. First, we have to deal with Loki and Jormungandr. Then we can-"
"Hajime-kun?"
Hajime looked ahead, noticing Yumi Itaba, carrying some bags in her arms.
"Yumi-san!"
"You're alive!"
After their reunion, Hajime offered to carry her bags, as they both went to look for Yumi's Mom.
"I'm sorry for worrying you." Hajime glanced down at her."We didn't have time to say that we were alive. We had to run for our lives too."
"I understand." Yumi clasped her hands, playing with her thumbs."Still, it was horrible to think that all of you were dead...After the end of the world started, everyone went into panic. All you could see on television were national warnings to seek shelter. On the internet you could see videos of people recording the destructions those monsters made...before they died as well. It wasn't like any anime I've ever seen...Or any type of movie. This was the real apocalypse..."
"Sometimes reality can surpass fiction."
"So...if you're alive, and you guys are evacuating all of Tokyo and the cities around, then...do you intend on fighting back against them?"
"Yeah." Hajime watched as Yumi stood in front of him, making him halt."That's our intention."
"Do you think...You can win? Or are we all... doomed? Are we all just waiting for death...?" Yumi clasped her head, but Hajime placed a hand on her head, snapping her from her dark thoughts.
"We'll win. I promise. In fact..." Hajime placed her bags on the floor before grabbing her hands into his."It's over. It's done."
"Done...You mean...?"
"Yeah. Shiori-san and Kuriyo-san...as well as the other students in Lydian...they can finally rest in peace. Yomi is dead."
"Oh...Oh God..." Yumi immediately started to sob, and Hajime embraced her."You kept your promise..."
"I wasn't going to let Yomi get away with everything he did." He softly said."It's over. I made sure he paid for his crimes."
"Thank you...thank you so much...You have no idea how much this means to me...Now those two...I hope they found peace. Now that their murderer is dead."
"I'm sure they did. And now, it's up to us to keep living for them. We gotta be strong for those who were left behind, Yumi-san."
"Yes...You're right. I'll continue living for them..." She said, wiping her tears off. She spotted her mother up ahead, talking to Shiori and Kuriyo's parents."I can take it from here."
"Sure." Hajime gently handed her her bags. Yumi took a few steps forward before turning around, her face completely red."You okay, Yumi-san?"
"I...I...I promised myself if I somehow lived long enough for this, I would do it." Yumi took a deep breath before staring Hajime straight in the eyes."Hajime-kun...I love you. I've been in love with you for a long time. Your kindness, determination, courage, and your selflessness...They're all wonderful traits that attract me to you."
"Oh! Uh..." Hajime blushed, rubbing his neck."I, um...I appreciate the sentiment, Yumi-san. I don't know what to say-"
"Please, don't say anything." A small tear streamed down her cheek."I don't want you to feel forced to accept my feelings. I could never hurt Hibiki like that. I know you two have a bright future ahead of you. I just...wanted to get this off my chest. You know...in case things go south. I don't want to die with any regrets. And...I've been lucky I survived until now, honestly. I always thought that if the end of the world ever came, I'd be the first to go and those two would make it further than me. And honestly, I feel a lot better now. So...thanks for listening."
"It's okay. Sometimes it's best to get things off our chest...or they start eating us from the inside." Hajime smiled dryly."Trust me...I would know."
"We'll be fine...That's what she would say, right? I learned from you guys to never give up." She smiled widely, holding a fist out."So go ahead and kick some butt. I'll be counting on you."
"Of course." Hajime grinned with a similar gesture."Leave it to us."
With that, Yumi turned around and headed for her Mother, with Hajime watching her walking away with a melancholic smile. He missed school and his classmates. He missed everyone. But there were still people here worth protecting.
Several hours later, SONG watched the transports, trains, and airplanes take off from their submarine.
"The military should be able to handle the rest from here." Yosuke commented, leaning against the railing."
"It's getting late." Tsubasa checked her phone and looked at the timer."We should all get some rest."
"So...tomorrow is the day..." Shirabe said, sounding a little unsure.
"I doubt I can sleep tonight..." Kirika shivered."I'm too nervous."
"I know that feeling." Raiden sighed."But we won't be able to perform at our maximum if we're too tired. The first thing we do when we wake up is head for the choppers."
"Everyone knows the plan." Yosuke turned around to face his friends."I want everyone to come back alive. I won't forgive any casualties, do you understand me?"
"That goes for you too." Maria chuckled."Don't go do anything crazy either."
The group huddled up together in a group hug.
"We'll make it. We just have to." Raiden said.
"No more mistakes." Kirika chimed in."We made enough of those already."
"We have each other. And we go a plan." Hibiki smiled."We can do this."
"Let's beat them up into submission." Chris snickered.
"I'll do my best to support everyone-de-arimasu." Elsa nodded with a smile.
"Is Elfnein-chan not coming with us?" Hajime glanced at Raiden.
"No. It's way too dangerous for her. Her Relic is that powerful. I talked to her and told her it's better if she stays behind."
"Honestly, that's for the best." Tsubasa agreed."So, we all know the plan. As soon as we land, we'll split them up. Kohinata, don't feel forced. Our priority is the retrieval of Setsuna Adachi. Wei Liang comes second. The others can be ignored."
"O-okay...I'll do my best." Miku nodded firmly."We'll find a way to free Setsuna-chan from that monster inside of her."
"But remember, be careful. We're a family. And we lost a lot. But no more. That ends tomorrow and we can end this once and for all." Yosuke said, earning several nods in response."Then, without further ado...let's go stop Ragnarok."
"He's taking too long. It's been 2 days already."
Hazuki watched as Jormungandr traveled across the ocean surrounded by demons of Helheim, looking bored.
"Hazuki," Despia said again.
"He's taking his time. He's probably killing whatever humans are left in Japan. You know how he loves to play with his food. After all, he had been waiting for a month, doing nothing all day. Relax."
"But what if they did something to him?" Despia forged on.
"Despia, look at us." Hazuki sighed in dismay."We're Gods now. No simple mortals. With one swipe of our hands lands are destroyed. We killed the Custodians that we once out of our reach. Yomi is fine. Relax. We're about to enter Japan and you'll see it will be destroyed."
"Okay...Yeah, you're right." Despia nodded frantically, still having a bad feeling in her chest."Yomi is strong...He'll be waiting for us."
With that, the female twin walked to the back of the snake, walking past Wei as he approached Hazuki.
"Think he's dead?"
"The gate got smaller, so yes. More than likely Yomi bit the dust." Hazuki seemed unperturbed, confusing Wei."Not that it matters. He served his purpose a long time ago."
"What a fool. I knew that guy was a mere mad dog. But does this not concern you? After all, if they managed to defeat a God, they must have a formidable weapon."
"They probably ganged up on him. Yomi got too cocky and his overconfidence was his undoing. A simple fluke. But if they had to fight 1 person together, then the rest of us should be enough. We have a huge army, after all."
"Maybe they're using Thor's powers."
"Highly doubtful." Hazuki laughed at that."I doubt they would sacrifice Tobias' life like that. Trust me, I know them. They're too emotional to do that kind of sacrifice. Don't worry. Everything is in control. I have you after all. You are the savior, Wei."
"You're right...Only I can kill Odin, after all." Wei nodded to himself before raising his head."I see land."
From anywhere in Tokyo, anyone could see the huge black cloud ominously approaching Japan. Hazuki sat up, frowning.
"What's wrong?" Wei raised a brow.
"Guess Yomi is alive after all." He scratched his cheek."The whole city is..."
The demons that were already on land searched everywhere for humans, finding nothing and continuing their search. The whole city was a ghost town.
'Did Yomi kill them? Is he alive? But then, why did the gate get smaller...? This makes no sense...'
"What's wrong?" Setsuna, Despia, and Nightmare walked up to the front of the snake.
"We're getting off. We should be able to fly for the rest of the day. Tokyo is finished. We'll go search the rest of Japan and kill any human. But first, I believe it's time to start preparations for the end."
Hazuki took out his Deck as a black belt materialized around his waist."Henshin!"
A monochromatic aura surrounded Hazuki, and when it dissipated, Kamen Rider Loki made his presence known. All Riders followed his example, transforming into their Riders forms and floating away from Jormungandr. Loki clapped his hands together."Salvation is finally here. Rejoice!"
Jormungandr immediately burrowed its giant head into the water, easily making a tunnel with its gigantic body and coming out from another side, stretching to the heavens. The snake began to morph, taking the appearance of a giant, black tree with dead branches that could easily be seen from space. In fact, the tree was so big, that it looked like a giant protrusion on the planet.
The Qliphoth Tree was here and was immediately sucking the nutrients of the planet to flourish its corrupted leaves and fruits. A giant blue orb appeared in the sky, attaching itself to the tip of the tree as it wrapped itself around its branches.
"Using the Custodian that Jormungandr ate, we were able to bring the Qliphoth Tree from Helheim by using its body as a vessel. And with it, we can connect every single soul in the Sea of Souls to it and bring their paradise to reality. It's over. Now once we kill whatever humans are left and extinct all life on the planet, the tree will continue to grow and grow, attaching itself to other planets until they're all connected. Soon, the new world will become a reality! We're so close! We are-"
"Seems your plans are advancing smoothly."
Loki immediately looked up to the radiant light above him. Kamen Rider Odin hovered above the Calamities, hands behind his back."Odin..."
"You've surprised me, Messiah of Calamity. I didn't think you'd ever get this far. And you started all by yourself too. You've built up your forces in the shadows. Plotting, thinking...betraying."
"So that's Odin..." Fenrir narrowed his eyes, carefully floating behind the God of all, slowly morphing into his giant form.
"I am quite resourceful, Odin. You would know. After all, you are cunning as well, from what I know."
"Loki must have given you more than just his power." Odin mused."And now you're at the end line. Congratulations."
"Not yet." Loki shot back."It's good that you came out of hiding on your own. Now I can kill you at my leisure."
Fenrir immediately went into his giant form, trying to swallow the Allfather in one good. However, when he closed his jaws, he noticed he hadn't devoured anything.
"What the hell?! Where did he-"
Before he could react, Odin slammed his knee against his back, sending him howling to the ground, making a large crater.
"Ah, yes. Fenrir." Odin seethed."Can't say this brings back any pleasant memories."
Hel and Garmr appeared from the sides, wielding crystals and bones as their weapons. But once they attacked, Odin vanished once more, leaving behind a trail of feathers. Before they could react, more feathers shot in their direction, shooting them down from the skies.
Odin felt himself being pulled by something and immediately noticed Nightmare forming a large spike of dark matter. Odin scoffed, drawing a card from his Deck and sliding it into his staff visor.
Sword Vent: Goldsabers
With relative ease, Odin slashed the spike into pieces before cutting Nightmare apart, leaving only his torso before kicking him away.
A black beam headed toward his direction, making Odin float higher and accidentally step into a portal. He appeared on a rooftop, sidestepping an incoming punch from Loki.
"Well, well." Odin seemed amused."So, you think that having Fenrir here, Loki's daughter and a bunch of mindless underworld creatures is going to give you the advantage? Sure, Fenrir can kill me easily. If he were to eat me, of course. That's his conceptual ability. You were counting on that, weren't you?"
"Oh, don't worry. I am your main attraction, Odin." Loki addressed the God in front of him."You are strong, yes. But we'll kill you. And once we do, we'll kill the remaining Riders and get our wish."
(Play Metanoia by Nana Mizuki)
"Is that so? Well, I am afraid to say that you won't fight me just yet, Messiah of Calamity." Odin chuckled, frustrating Loki to no end.
"Yeah? And what makes you so sure, Allfather?" Loki sneered.
"I am sure you all will have plenty on your plate before reaching me." Odin looked up at the sky. Hazuki, confused, followed his gaze and his eyes widened so much they almost popped out of their sockets.
In the skies, several colorful lights could be seen making their way toward them, almost reminiscing the Bifrost itself. Pink, blue, white, green, red, orange, crimson, azure, magenta, and light blue.
"It can't be..." Loki mumbled.
"It's...SONG?!" Fenrir gritted his teeth.
"Then...Yomi really is..." Garmr shook her head in denial.
"What are you all waiting for?!" Loki screamed at the demons."KILL THEM NOW!"
The demons obeyed without question, flying toward the rainbow above them.
"Now!" Knight commanded with a roar. Kirika opened the bag of countless crystals, releasing a plethora of Alca Noise of all shapes and sizes. Raiden scanned a card in his Deck, and the world immediately changed once more. The Mirror World and the real world and Helheim became one in an instant, a process that was halted when the Overall had stopped. It had finished what it started, and the broken Overall towered over the city, producing endless Kamen Rider Alternatives that began fighting the demons. As a last-minute addition, they also summoned a large variety of Mirror Monsters. All creatures covered land, air, and water, starting a war between demons and SONG's foot soldiers.
"They're using Alca Noise and Mirror Monsters to counter the demons?!" Fenrir cried out in disbelief.
"Now, you all know the plan! Disperse!" Knight yelled, and everyone did just that, scattering around in the air.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAZUUUUUUUUUUUUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Ryuki screamed at the top of his lungs, going into his Oversurvive Drei form in a flash of lightning. Odin sidestepped away, watching as Ryuki tackled Loki, crashing and bouncing through several buildings until they landed far away on the street.
"Hazuki!" Fenrir was about to follow after him, but a yoyo was wrapped around his leg."Huh?!"
"Pull!" Shirabe and Kirika pulled on the yoyo, but it wasn't enough.
"You!" Fenrir glared at the dark-haired girl."You insolent, meddlesome, bi-"
Elsa appeared from behind, kicking Fenrir in the face and dragging him down to the ground. Unlike Chao-Xing, Elsa's outfit was more revealing, and with a different color than the former.
(Look up AU Elsa by an artist called yuuyatails)
Garmr headed to help him, but a rocket crashed into her and launched her into a building, causing it to collapse on her.
"You're dealing with us," Chris said in a haughty tone as Maria landed next to her.
Raia and Knight surrounded Nightmare, not letting any of them go help their leader.
"This ends here, Bragard." Knight crossed his arms.
"Once and for all. You're not coming back to life this time." Raia sneered in anger.
"Haji...Why...Why do you always ruin everything?! Why can't you let me have my dream!" Hel immediately chased after her siblings."If Yomi-onii-chan couldn't kill you, that's fine! I'll have that honor myself-huh?!"
"Stop, Setsuna-chan!" Hibiki blocked her way. Setsuna sneered, turning around, only to find Tsubasa. Miku positioned herself on her left, forming a triangle.
"Get out of my way! We're so close to bringing about salvation! Step away! Now!"
"No! We'll stop you! No matter what it takes!" Hibiki cried out.
Meanwhile, Loki and Ryuki glared at each other, getting up from the ground.
"Like always, you resist to the bitter end. There won't be second chances for you after this. You're dying today so that our dream can become a reality. What's the point of standing up to us now? Japan is the last country in the world that remains. This is over. You're defending meaningless lives that will be replaced by their purified selves."
"Moron. An innocent life doesn't deserve to die." Ryuki said, earning a huff from Loki.
"You're making a mistake."
"My mistake was not stopping you before. I won't repeat that." Ryuki replied, leaving no room for argument."I said this before and I'll say it again. What you want is a meaningless fantasy...And we will be its final witness. I'm going to kill you like I killed Yomi."
"Those are fighting words, brother. Let's see if you can back them up.
Odin floated above in the sky, eagerly observing the fights as they began to happen, going away from Tokyo and moving onto other areas."As expected, they came back. To think they'd sacrifice that puppet to use Thor's power...Something tells me I'm in for lots of surprises in this fight. Whoever wins will have the pleasure of fighting me. Now...how will this end?"
The final battle to decide the fate of humanity begins once more.
Mission: Stop Ragnarok
Status: Start
Incoming fights:
Fenrir vs. Kirika, Elsa, and Shirabe
Nidhogg vs. Knight and Raia
Garmr vs. Maria and Chris
Hel vs. Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Miku
Loki vs. Ryuki