Reviews:
Shelong2000: Yeah, it was a hard-fought battle but in the end, Hajime pulled through. And yeah, Yomi is kind of freaky when he gets into a fight. Then the calm before the storm. A calm chapter before all hell breaks lose again. And it starts with Wei. We still have more Calamity Riders to fight before we see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Tigracho: The darkness was too strong on him. He has been falling into despair since the end of GX. It was too late for him. I mean...you're not wrong. It is kind of my fault. I was under the misunderstanding that Shul Shagana and Igalima were the same relic in the past and were just split apart. Then someone told me that that wasn't the case but then I was like screw it this could be a good idea. At first, it was going to be a mecha but then I decided on the fusion because I thought it'd be nice to finally give the good guys a decent edge over the bad guys. All this time the Calamities have been on top, but now, our heroes are starting to close the gap. And also because they were not going to win otherwise. The only reason they all survived that long is because Elsa kept nerfing Wei and preventing him from just swallowing them all.
Guest: Dificil de saber. Casi todos los odian menos la hermana.
Ryugen: Yeah, not a good look to your plan if your biggest asset goes and gets himself killed. Like Yomi. That's probably Hazuki's biggest weakness as a leader. He can't manage his pieces. Yomi would have been invaluable here but since he disregarded him and sent him off to die and now lost Wei, he only has a few pieces left that in the grand scheme of things are not worth much compared to those 2.
Lord RI Husbu King: The power of love! I don't know, they're all teenagers and this is anime. This is my fault too because I didn't add enough scenes of them together. There are scenes. It's just I didn't have space for them, so aside from the ones in the story, a lot of their meetings were offscreen. They just didn't fit into the story because there was always something crazy going on. One of my biggest regrets was not expanding more on those two.
SoutaAmetsuchi: Yeah it was pretty cool to write. I had to see Wei off, though. Once despair gets you, it's hard to get you away from it. And he has been influenced by Hazuki to extreme measures. So in the end, it was better to just put him down before anyone else got hurt.
Caballero lector rojo: Loki no aprende de sus errors. Ya van 3 veces que menos precia piezas valiosas de su plan. Yomi 2 veces y ahora Fenrir. Se estara jalando los pelos. Con Setsuna...sera different, si. De nada. La idea me gusto mucho y seria un crimen no haberla usado. Muchas gracias por ella.
TheEmeraldMage: It was a very technical fight. Elsa was crucial to keep nerfing Fenrir otherwise the outcome of the fight would have been entirely different. Yeah, Hamaguchi would be proud. It's what he sacrificed himself for. So the others could advance and end this once and for all. Yeah, I would like an adult Shirabe, but apparently, she wouldn't grow that much since she's like 16 or something, and girls in Japan don't grow past 18. Unless in the new Symphogear movie she has a growth spurt that puts her on Kirika's level. I love that song too. I played Bayonetta and heard that song and I couldn't believe it was a remix. The original is nice, but I like the various versions of it on the internet. Unfortunately, Wei was too deep into the darkness to be pulled out. There were some glimpses of himself in the chapter, but overall Hazuki's grip and influence had been too much. I told this to another reader, but his case is particularly tragic since he never had a chance to actually be better. After GX ended, Hazuki went to recruit him, just a few days after Wei lost it all. But he told Shirabe that the only way to stop him was to kill him came from his heart since if the fight kept going he would have just killed them. So putting him down was for the best for both sides.
BladeBrave04: Yes, we're so close to the end. So very close.
Tenzalucard123: Maybe in the afterlife. I mean, Allister and Terunosuke did it after all. Yes, the fight is not over. Even if you beat your enemy, there is still more to defeat before they can finally rest.
Dragstorm rider: Probably one of the more emotional fights of these coming batches of fights. I think that was what he wanted to. Some part of him was still inside. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. And don't worry, we have more to come.
Chapter 162
Duel on a Vanishing Planet - The Wings of the Red Dragon
Knight and Raia flew out of Tokyo, heading to the urban area outside of the city.
"We can't let Bragard use his large-scale gravity attacks in Tokyo. With everyone there focused on their fights, it could be dangerous." Raia had suggested."We should move away."
"Yeah. I'm surprised he's even tagging along." Knight glanced behind them. True enough, Kamen Rider Nodhogg was following them close behind.
"Where should we go? I wasn't paying attention to the direction we were going."
"Well, I believe this is Chiba. I think we should-"
A black wall appeared in front of them, and both Riders crashed into it before Nidhogg crashed into them. They broke through the wall and created two giant dark matter fists, sending them crashing to the ground.
"Damn..." Raia rubbed his head."Guess he got impatient of waiting..."
"We're close to the ocean. But with the Alca Noise, Alternatives, and Mirror Monsters getting the attention of the demons, we should be fine, even if we go over the water."
"Sounds good." Raia clapped his hands together, creating several purple crystals around him, his gaze fixated on Nidhogg before firing several light beams from them. Nidhogg raised his arm, a gravity barrier forming around him and bouncing the attacks back.
Knight unsheathed his blade, creating a whirlwind that dispersed the blasts away, destroying various buildings around them."Keeping our distance won't matter. He can pull us in with his Attract ability. So we'll concentrate on overwhelming him from all sides."
"Got it!"
Knight and Raia ignited their energy wings at full power, flying away in opposite directions. Nidhogg remained impassive, simply drawing a card from his Deck as he muttered."Strike Vent..."
Strike Vent: Catastrophe Tail
A braid with a pointy end appeared on the back of his head, immediately stretching it toward Raia, chasing him down.
"Wow!" Raia flew up and down, trying to avoid the trail from piercing him.
Sword Vent: Stormlancer
Nidhogg looked ahead and ducked his head to avoid the incoming spear from Knight."Repel..."
Knight was flung back against his will, aiming his lance forward and shooting a tornado from it. Nidhogg used his tail to block, having given up on chasing after Raia after he had gotten too far away. He snapped his fingers, creating several black magic circles and shooting several projectiles at the Rider.
"Alright then, in earnest!" Knight drew a card from his Deck, scanning it through his visor.
Tempest Vent
Wind engulfed the leader of the Rider Unit, using it to boost his speed as he launched toward Nidhogg, using the wind to bounce the attacks off. He thrust his weapon forward, but Nidhogg used his tail to wrap his lance. However, the wind around his body caused the tail to be repelled, and Knight managed to shoot a tornado at his chest, launching Nidhogg away.
"Amaterasu!"
"I'm on it!" Raia cried out, already scanning a card.
Swing Vent: Breakerwhip
Using two spiked whips, Raia lashed them toward Nidhogg, tying his entire body up and slamming him on the ground. Knight used his remaining Tempest Vent to send a slash of compressed air, cutting off Nidhogg's tail to prevent him from counterattacking. Raia was about to launch another attack when suddenly, his body felt extremely heavy. Knight felt heavy as well, and before they knew it, they fell to the ground, on their knees.
Zone Vent: Gravitational Dead Zone
'He has a Zone Vent?! I thought that one was only for Kamen Rider Alternative!' Knight grimaced, feeling the immense pressure preventing him from moving at his leisure.
'But he can't move just like us either.' Raiden noted, noticing Nidhogg's lack of movement, his knees slightly bent.'Just like Bragi's, his Zone Vent affects him as well.'
Unfortunately for them, he was more than fine with that, increasing the gravity even more. Both Riders fell to the ground, unable to move.
'He's going to crush himself at this rate too!' Knight gritted his teeth. In effect, Alternaitve's knees were crushed and his body became flat like pancakes. However, he had prepared something in advance. A giant sphere of dark matter began to descend towards them.
'Shit! I didn't want to use this so early, but I have no choice!' Raia used all his strength to draw a card from his Deck, then went over to his visor and scanned it.
Freeze Vent
The area was covered in ice, and all abilities within it were canceled. The Zone Vent was rendered useless, and the giant sphere became a solid block of ice before exploding into thousands of shards of ice. Knight wasted no time, jumping back to his feet to finish off Nightmare. To his shock, he quickly regenerated, muscles, bones, ligaments, and more quickly restoring themselves, getting him back to peak condition."Strike Vent..."
Strike Vent: Catastrophe Pincers
Two gauntlets in the shapers of scorpions' pincers were attached to his arms, and he immediately clashed against Knight. Using his pincers, he cut his lance to pieces, shocking the bat-themed Rider. He arched his back, avoiding another pincer coming his way and avoiding having his head cut off. He continued to step back, Nidhogg not allowing him any chance to retaliate from his assault.
"Yosuke-san!" Raia merged his whips, forming a makeshift spike and hurling it toward the Calamity Rider. Knight quickly moved out of Nightmare's path, grabbing his arm and forcing him to move into the way of the spike. He was stabbed through his chest, but despite that, he was unfazed. If he was in pain, he did not show it. He flew toward Knight, using Attract to pull his head into his hand before tossing him toward Raia. Using Repel, he forced Knight to crash harshly into Raia.
He summoned 6 dark matter spheres, using them as conductors to fire several black energy beams at them, creating an explosion.
Much to Nidhogg's surprise, Raia had put up a psychic barrier, protecting them from the attacks just in the nick of time.
"Thanks..." Yosuke said.
"No problem." Raia responded, letting go of Knight."He's anticipating our moves and cutting us off at every turn. For someone who is being controlled, his fighting skills are as sharp as I remember. Should we power up to our evolved Oversurvive?"
"Yeah, but on my signal. It will help us with my plan."
"Plan?"
"If he's the same as Bragi, then if we destroy his head..."
"It'll stun him and allow us to kill him." Raia finished, a smile forming on his face."Alright. So when do we transform?"
"When you find an opening! He's coming!"
Nidhogg blasted himself toward them, holding out his left arm."Repel..."
Knight was flung away, crashing into a building and landing on a shopping center.
'He's separating us!' Raia quickly drew a card from his Deck to activate.
Shoot Vent: Breaker Arrow
A pink bow appeared in his hands, creating a psychic arrow and shooting it at his foe. Nidhogg grabbed it with his pincers, but to his dismay, the arrow exploded, causing him to stagger backward. He went to fire another one, but Nidhogg used Repel, causing the arrow to explode in front of Raia. He quickly flew upwards and noticed Nidhogg transforming into his giant form, using his 3 scorpion tails to shoot 3 beams of dark energy.
He flew around them, drawing his back and shooting 4 different arrows. Nidhogg stretched his tail, ready to sway them away. However, the arrows grew several times in size, overpowering him and sending him crashing through a building as it collapsed. Raia created several more arrows as several crystals appeared around him before shooting several beams of energy followed by his arrows.
"Shoot Vent..."
Shoot Vent: Calamity Emerger
All three of Nidhogg's tails opened up, shooting 3 black beams from them. The beams began zigzagging around, destroying the arrows and blocking the projectiles before heading for Raia, who quickly drew a card from his Deck.
Guard Vent: Breaker Barrier
Several barriers formed in front of Raia in the shape of walls. Several walls broke, but by every wall that was broken, the attacks weakened until they fizzled out, not reaching him.
"Repel..."
Raia gasped, looking up above him and seeing Nidhogg, and was immediately slammed down to the ground, creating a large crater on the ground. He raised his arms, creating a giant black sphere in the sky."Graviton End..."
"Oh, no you don't!"
Nidhogg received a kick to the face, courtesy of Knight. His body spiraled away but quickly used his claws to send slashes forward. Knight frowned, preparing to guard. However, he saw that the slashes were being directed toward the orb above him. The slashes cut the attack to pieces, forming spikes that rained down on Knight.
Guard Vent: Stormcape
His cape became larger and encompassed Knight to protect himself. To his dismay, he was pushed back to the ground until he sunk into a lake by a golf course. Nidhogg started to click his weapons, creating several slashes that rained down on the golf course below, tearing the whole place apart.
To his confusion, several bats emerged from the ground, scattering around.
"You fell for it!"
Nidhogg was pierced in the head by Knight's lance, scanning a card through his visor.."I have a surprise for you!"
Nasty Vent: Hyperwail
Knight and Darkstormer fused into one, forming a more humanoid bat-wielding his lance and shield. He kicked Nidhogg away and began to flap his wings before letting out an echoing screech. Nidhogg was sent flying through several buildings until he used his repel behind him to propel himself forward. However, Darkstormer took another deep breath and let out a more powerful screech, canceling Nidhogg's ability and launching him away without control. Right in the middle of Raia.
"I got you now!"
Final Vent: Psychic Breaker
Raia rode on top of Evilbreaker, accelerating at maximum speed as a purple aura surrounded him. Nidhogg held out his hand, repelling the attack. However, Evilbreaker wrapped its tail around Raia, throwing him above the shockwave.
Drill Vent
Raia clasped his hands together, forming a drill of energy around himself and rocketing toward Nidhogg. The Calamity Rider barely registered what happened as the attack destroyed his body from the shoulders up.
"Yes! His head is gone!" Raia beamed.
"Now it's time to end this!" Knight raised his lance and flew toward Nidhogg, his body now covered by wind that let out sharp slashes.
To their bafflement, Nidhogg reacted and moved out of the way, kicking Knight in the head and launching him into a tower.
"What?!" Raia gasped in shock. Nightmare began to regenerate his body in the blink of an eye. However, the helmet he had did not come back. Instead, they were not staring at Bragard's albino hair and red eyes, who looked back with an impassive expression."The hell...?"
Bragard touched his face, blinking a few times."Oh, wow. I can actually feel things again. And breathe...How...repugnant. The air is all polluted. Disgusting."
"What the fuck...?" Yosuke let out a swear, too stunned to keep his composure.
"Oh? It's you two...Ah, I see. I am starting to get the memories again." Bragard laughed."Well, well. Those are two familiar faces. It's been a long time, boys."
"Bragard...You're not...How are you live...? How did you regrow your head so fast?"
"Well, you destroyed the helmet. Honestly, it feels like I was underwater, in some sort of dream. Everything felt so unreal and far away from me." Bragard sighed."And what, you thought that destroying my head was going to stop me?"
"Shit...We made a mistake..." Knight clicked his tongue."Bragard has the Philosopher's Stone inside of him, which augmentates his regenerative capabilities. It's far more superior than Bragi's..."
"Did you say Bragi? Hey, don't call me that. I hate that name." Bragard huffed, crossing his arms.
"What...No! We're talking about Bragi Third Dienheim!" Raia cried out."He's your-"
"Of course I know who it is, you brainless brat." Bragard scoffed."And were you about to suggest he's my son? Ha! I did not know you had developed a sense of humor, Raiden Amaterasu."
"What?!" Raia clenched his fists.
"He was not my son. He was a spare body, that is all. I developed him because I needed a new body. Of course, I wanted that body to be the pinnacle of perfection, so I also used Carol's DNA." The albino shook his head."To think she would think of him as a son...She even gave him her last name. How laughable."
"How can you say that?!" Raia snarled."He-"
Knight held out his arm, prompting him to stop."How ironic that the being you created to use to destroy the world ended up becoming one of its greatest heroes. Bragi has done so much for the world."
"Ah, don't remind me. Talk about a plan backfiring on you..." The prince groaned in dismay, glancing at the horizon."And now you're using what's left of the Overall and my Mirror Monsters alongside the Alternative army to combat the Helheim demons. Seriously, it's like I'm indirectly helping you in this fight. How nice!"
"Shut your mouth! We're taking you down! It doesn't matter what you are. Nightmare or Nidhogg. It's all the same!" Raia screamed, surprising Knight.
'Amaterasu...' Knight frowned under his helmet before addressing Bragard."Bragard...You sure look unbothered for someone who had his plans ruined and overtaken. I thought you were supposed to be a prince and yet you're satisfied with Hazuki Kaburagi using you."
Bragard clicked his tongue."Unfortunately, I was dethroned when I fell at the hands of you, brats. You have no idea the humiliation I suffered...Aside from BEING TORTURES FOR MONTHS ON END! DYING AND COMING BACK TO LIFE ONLY TO FEEL THAT HORRIBLE PAIN AGAIN IN AN ENDLESS DEATH LOOP!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, stunning both Riders. He took a deep breath composing himself again."And turned into a weapon...But fortune smiled upon me once more. I now have power far beyond anything I had anticipated. A fallen king like me found a new opportunity. And I seized it."
"Stop calling yourself a king." Raia snorted."You were never crowned properly. You're a has-been failure of a prince."
"Then the same could be said as my..." He chortled, holding his laugh."...son. Hahaha. He was never throned either. But hey, who cares, right? Ventara was destroyed a long time ago. Who could ever take pride in being the prince of a dead kingdom? It's pathetic."
"I've had enough!" Raia rushed toward Bragard, activating a card from his Deck.
Oversurvive - Drei: Kako
Raia's bodysuit turned pitch black and his armor went from pink to silver, electricity sparking through his body.
"Well, seems like Thor was more cooperative with you guys than he was with me." Nidhogg reconstructed his helmet, sidestepping and holding out his foot, causing Raia to trip and crash into a building.
Oversurvive - Drei: Genzai
Knight flew toward Nidhogg, brandishing his Stormlancer and infusing it with lightning.'Now that he's conscious, what kind of tactics will he use...?'
As if he read his mind, Nidhogg swiped his hand, causing Knight to change his trajectory and go left.
'What?!'
A pillar of dark matter emerged from beneath Knight, but he pierced through it with his lance.
"Not bad. You've definitely improved."
Knight felt something pull him back, and Nidhogg grabbed him by the back of the neck, slamming him into a building before kicking him toward the ocean."But you couldn't even defeat my Alternites back then. Why don't you wait for the Boy Wonder to come?"
Raia fired multiple beams from his surroundings, making Nidhogg fly around them with ease.
Shoot Vent: Frost Bazooka
A gauntlet was strapped onto Raia's arm, opening its compartment and shooting several missiles that homed in on Bragard. He grinned, sending slashes from his claws and causing the missiles to explode.
Raia followed up by firing explosive arrows, striking him head-on. Nidhogg grumbled, regenerating his missing limbs.
"He just brushes off all of our attacks!" Raia clicked his tongue.
"You're going to have to try harder than mere party tricks." Nidhogg laughed, looking from his peripheral vision and noticing Darkstormer flying toward him.
Nasty Vent: Stormerturbines
Darkstormer unfolded his wings, revealing several wheels that revved to life, creating a powerful gust of wind that sent slashes at the Calamity Rider.
"You're so desperate." Nidhogg chuckled, holding out his arm and bouncing the attacks off him.
"No! You are!"
Nidhogg looked to his other side, seeing Evilbreaker shoot a beam of psychic energy from his tail.
"Can't you see? Attacks of this caliber won't reach me." Nidhogg created a wall of dark matter to protect himself.'What's the purse of this? They are playing with the cooldowns of my Repel and Attract...Wait, could they be-!'
"NOW, AMATERASU!"
Both Riders were approaching Nidhogg at high speeds, drawing a card from their respective Decks.
Co-Link Vent x2
Gale Crystal Zephyr
Both Riders were engulfed in a blue and purple aura, taking the shape of a giant eagle. Nidhogg gritted his teeth, unable to move due to using his abilities to keep Darkstormer and Evilbreaker at bay. The eagle reached its target, destroying the upper half of his body, with only his legs remaining. Due to having lost control of his power, the monsters continued their attacks, destroying what was left of Bragard's body, leaving only chunks of flesh that fell to the ground and a red cloud of burnt blood.
"Did we do it?!" Raia landed on a rooftop, skidding to a stop while Knight flew next to him.
"Yeah...We destroyed his body. That had to have done something." Knight huffed."Even if we assume his regeneration is stronger, without a body, there is nothing to regenerate."
However, the remains of Bragard's body began to move until they formed a mass on the floor. They observed in bewilderment as Bragard's body began to reconstruct itself back to normal until he was back to normal as if his body hadn't been destroyed.
"No way..." Raia muttered in disbelief.
"How...?"
"A good attempt." Nidhogg planted his hands on his hips."You outsmarted me and overpowered me. Your power is no joke. But unfortunately for you, I am not like Bragi. I can reconstruct my body in an instant, regardless of the damage sustained. As long as part of me remains, I can regenerate, even if there's only a molecule left." He placed a hand on his chest."All thanks to the Philosopher's Stone that has fused with my very being. In other words, you cannot kill me. Try as you might, and whip up any strategies as you wish. You will not get rid of me."
"You have got to be kidding me." Knight clicked his tongue."Things just got a lot harder."
"Worry not, my despicable humans. Unlike before, I am not connected to the Overall any longer." Nidhogg drew two cards from his Deck.
Strike Vent: Calamity Claws
Strike Vent: Calamity Tail
"Here he comes!" Knight jumped in the air, scanning a card through his visor.
Shoot Vent: Gigantomini
Using Zolda's evolved minigun, Knight unleashed an endless amount of bullets toward Nidhogg. However, he cast a wall of gravity to protect himself, approaching them.
"Like I'd let you do that!"
Frost Vent
Several ice spikes were created on the rooftop, extending over to try and intercept Nidhogg. To their dismay, he skidded on top of one, using his 3 tails to destroy the others as more ice appeared above him and buried him in ice. Before Knight and Raia could make their next move, several slashes cut the ice and the building they were standing on, causing it to collapse. Raia activated a new ability, now wielding two sickles tied with chains, and instinctively waved them around to parry the incoming dark matter projectiles.
Strike Vent: Breakersickles
Nidhogg appeared next to him, using his tails to sweep Raia off his feet.
'So fast! Is he reducing his gravity to make himself faster?!' He was stabbed in his stomach by one of the pincers, causing him to scream in pain.
"Now off you go!" He twirled around, ready to throw Raia away into the ocean. However, he felt a pair of claws grabbing onto two of his tails.
Strike Vent: Frost Claws
Raia grabbed on the tails, freezing them and crushing them. He slashed at Nidhogg's face, but he launched him away with his Repel, sending him crashing into an abandoned boat.
Shoot Vent: Gigantoblasters
Knight roared, punching the air and shooting a blast of energy toward Nidhogg, who created a wall of dark matter to block. Knight appeared next to the wall, going for a punch, but Nidhogg grabbed his arm with his claws, squeezing them.
"I'm familiar with these gauntlets. As long as I don't let you touch me, I should be good."
"Then it's a good thing I'm not here alone." He grinned.
From down below, Volcancer grappled onto Bragard's legs, cutting them up and distracting him so Knight could deliver a punch across his face, destroying half of it in the process due to each explosion his gauntlets released on impact."Now, Volcancer!"
Volcancer clasped its pincers together, flinging Knight forward as he unleashed a barrage of punches, each of them exploding part of his body. He drew yet another card from his Deck, dropping his gauntlets on the floor.
Shoot Vent: Gigantocannons
Using his cannons on his shoulders, he unleashed a barrage of gamma beams toward him, creating a giant explosion that devastated that area of the city. He had no time to breathe, as a giant black blade was shot toward him, forcing him to leap out of the way.
Spin Vent: Calamity Rings
Two rings appeared above and below Knight, closing in on him and preventing him from moving."What is this?!"
"Now, be a good boy and stand still!" He fired a large beam of dark matter energy, taking advantage of Knight being unable to move.
Strike Vent: Terarang
A black boomerang past the energy beam, cutting the rings and enabling Knight to quickly move away. The boomerang circled around and headed toward Nidhogg, who used his remaining tail to bat it away.
Spin Vent: Terazellestab
Raia shot a lighting beam from the spear, but Nidhogg easily ducked out of the way, kicking the ground and launching himself toward him, swinging his pincers. Raia was barely able to block the attacks, feeling his body starting to be cut around. The tail was once more aiming to stab him, but Raia used his psychic powers to prevent it from moving.
"Oh? You regenerated?" Nidhogg mused, noticing the healed wound from earlier."How peculiar. Just like the Boy Wonder. It must be due to that new transformation you all possess. I have to admit, you've impressed me. When I created the Decks, I thought the pinnacle of a Rider was their Survive form."
"Let's just say we've all got a few more tricks up our sleeve! Too bad you won't get to find out!" Raia went for a kick, but to his shock, Nidhogg brushed it off.
"Why are you taking this so personally? I mean, aside from what I did before. You seem to be upset about what I said about Bragi."
"You disrespected him! I won't let you badmouth him like that! Not after how much Elfnein and Miku suffered for his death!"
"Aw, how sentimental." Nidhogg cooed derisively."Then how about I reunite you with him in hell?"
"Amaterasu!"
Raia blasted Nidhogg in the stomach with a lightning bolt, stunning him before jumping away.
Sword Vent: Kamikaze
Using his Divine Weapon, Knight went for a sword slash that cut off Nidhogg's left arm."Repel!"
Knight was sent flying away, but this time, he was ready, activating a card.
Storm Vent: Rending Tempest
He created a gust of wind behind him, using it to push himself forward, fighting against the gravity.
'He's using his wind to cancel out my ability? How...amusing.' Nidhogg turned into his monster form, lashing out his three tails toward Knight. He slashed at the air, sending a slash of wind that cut off all 3 of his tails, causing him to scream in pain.
"What in the world?!" He reverted to his regular form, jumping back. However, he once against sent a slash of wind toward him.
'He's using the air pressure to create a makeshift vacuum blade!' He felt a laceration appearing on his chest after the attack landed on him. He raised his arm, blocking the incoming attack. But Knight quickly broke his claw and slashed him across his body, cutting his torso in half.'The closer I am, the stronger this attacks!'
"Repel!"
Once more, Knight was flung away, but he used the wind to fight the gravity, forcing his way through.
Trick Vent: Shadow Illusion
Several clones surrounded Nidhogg from all angles, bum-rushing him.
"Look at you, trying so hard so that I won't get to the Boy Wonder. Why defend him? He is a major cause of why this is all happening, you know?" Nidhogg flew back to gain some distance."He is a warrior. A destroyer."
"Yes. The warrior that will destroy All Evils of this World!" Knight shot back as he and his clones chased after him.
'Fine then. I guess I have no choice.' Bragard threw a dark matter projectile at the sky, erasing the space between it and himself to teleport out of his predicament. He lifted his right hand, creating a black orb with a negative sign.
"No way!" Knight gasped in shock."But that's...!"
"That's right! If he can do it, I can do it better! Have a taste of my Negative Discord Karma Orb!" He hurled the orb at the group of Knights, forcing them together as the sphere attracted them. Nidhogg moved the sphere with his hand, crashing it through several buildings and creating a giant boulder before chucking it at the sky. He used his left hand to conjure a white orb with a plus sign."Positive Harmony Karma Orb!"
He fired the second sphere at the sky, colliding it with the big pile of rocks and creating a huge explosion."I was concerned when I realized that since my body isn't connected to the Overall anymore, the lack of power boost after regenerating my power would be a concern. But thanks to my spare body's findings, I was able to replace and improve what he did."
From the cloud of smoke, a compressed windslash emerged, heading for Nidhogg. He chuckled, flying back to avoid it and not waste his ability."It's useless. When will you learn that you're fighting an uphill battle here?"
His feet touched the wall of a building, and momentarily, a pink line shined down below him. Out of nowhere, several pink projectiles were shot toward Nidhogg, catching him off guard and piercing through him."What?!"
He jumped upward, his shoulder touching what felt like a thread. And once more, several projectiles were shot at him. But this time, he used his Repel to bounce them off."This is..."
Accidentally, he touched another thread with his hand, and more projectiles came toward him. Since he had just used Repel, he had to bat them away with his hands, feeling them as if they were melting.'I thought since they were stronger than me, their attacks were hurting me. But this is the Godslayer...and I can also feel the Messiah's power...It's hurting me a lot. What is going on?!"
He clad himself in a dome of dark matter, but the projectiles simply tore through it like paper, leaving his body covered in holes. He finally noticed what was going on. He was surrounded by several pink threads covering all around him.
"You finally noticed."
Nidhogg looked up, seeing Raia descend from the skies, phasing through his wires until he was in front of the former prince."This is your doing, Raiden Amaterasu..."
"That's right. I have constructed a barrier to keep you caged in. And I see you've noticed that our attacks are doing some major damage. Welcome to my world. This is my Zone Vent."
Zone Vent: Neuron Entanglement
"You're surrounded by a 200-meter barrier. If you run into a threat, or even if you touch it, it'll create a chain reaction of projectiles. No matter where you go. And as you saw, your defenses aren't good enough to stop this!"
He charged up a giant arrow, shooting it toward Nidhogg and forcing him to move out of the way. In doing so, he touched one of the threads, causing more projectiles to come his way. He tried avoiding them, but the more he moved, the more projectiles were shot from everywhere. Even if he dodged a few, more would attack him from his blind spot.
"I'm so sick of this!" Bragard aimed with his fingers at Raia, firing a Harmony Orb towards him. As he expected, the threads began to be pushed away, but Raia had anticipated this, activating another ability.
Zone Vent: Mourning Frost
To his shock, his attack froze in place as the Zone Vent Covered the outer areas of the giant web.
"Curses!" The former prince snarled. He grimaced, feeling his fingers starting to freeze due to how cold it was. Suddenly, a bullet destroyed his frozen hand, whipping his head where the projectile came from. It was Knight, who had summoned Magnugiganto and was riding inside its cockpit like a mecha, aiming its full arsenal.
"You're not getting out of this one, Bragard! We'll keep on killing you until you get tired of coming back to life!"
From one end of the barrier, Raia continued to shoot arrows while on the other, Magnugiganto kept on shooting bullets and beams of energy. Even if they did freeze, they still hit their intended target. After that, the Zone Vent covered the outer area of the web, making it impossible for Bragard to retaliate in any form or leave without being vulnerable. And finally, inside the barrier, wherever Bragard went, he could touch a thread, causing hell to rain down on them. They had him on checkmate.
"I am quite surprised to see you both make it this far!" Nidhogg turned into his monster form, quickly crawling down a building as it began to collapse from the sudden attacks."Out of all the other Riders from before, I never expected the two of you to be the ones to make it to the end. I'm sure having lost both of your brothers must have been quite devastating!"
Raia gritted his teeth, infuriated."Shut your mouth!"
"And what about you, Yosuke Yanagi?!" Nidhogg jumped to the ground, his body covered in holes as he returned to Rider form."Where are the other Riders? Don't tell me...they died under your watch?! Ha! That's hilarious!"
"You don't get any room to be laughing right now, Bragard. We have you pinned down." Yosuke said, maintaining his composure."I'd be more worried about yourself. Just stay dead already. We've already surpassed you. You're nothing but a failure of a prince who is too much of a coward to face the facts."
"I'm a coward, am I...?" Nidhogg growled, the veins of his head becoming visible.
"You left your crown, sacrificed your friends and kingdom, forsaken your title and what it meant. And for what? To serve? Just so you could have some power."
"Make no mistake, you hapless snot-nosed brat." Nidhogg placed his hands on the floor."I am going to conquer it all! Catastrophic World Breaker!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to rise, causing the buildings around them to start collapsing as well as the giant web. Raia and Knight lost their balance and fell to the ground as a giant pillar arose from the earth itself, towering over the city. Nidhogg quickly flew away from it, creating a Harmony Orb and a Discord Orb and hurling them at the pillar, combining them to create a Perfect Zero Chaos Karma and blowing the section of the city in that direction away.
"I'm surprised. I didn't think there was time to dodge." Nidhogg commented, shifting his attention to Knight and Raia, who were descending from the skies. Knight swung his Kamikaze, creating a sharp slash of wind, but Nidhogg simply bounced it away.
Strike Vent: Breakersword
His bow became a double-bladed sword, using it to attack Nidhogg, who didn't even bother to dodge and had his head sliced off. He simply grabbed it, kicking Raia away and placing it back on his neck."You're both slowing down considerably. I see. You're finally reaching your limit, are you not?"
"You wish!"
Psychic Vent
Raia lifted his hands, lifting the debris beneath him and shooting it toward Nidhogg.
"Oh, please. This is just poor imitation." Bragard did the same, shooting several dark matter-clad rocks that easily overpowered Raia's. From his side, he saw Knight rushing him with his blade. He manifested his 3 tails, using them to grab onto Knight's arm, and legs, squeezing hard enough for him to finally drop it. To his surprise, Knight quickly aimed Zolda's visor, shooting several beams at his face, destroying it and causing him to step back.
Sword Vent: Frostsabers
Using Tiger's double-edge greatsword, he stabbed Bragard in the head, and using his Breakersword, he split him in half once more.
"Amaterasu! Move!"
Raia did as he was told, flying away as Knight and Darkstormer merged into one, spreading his wings.
Nasty Vent: Hyperwail
Darkstormer flapped his wings as he released a powerful screech, sending Nidhogg's body to the ground below. He continued screeching, putting more power and destroying the streets below him, making a giant hole in the ground that led to the underground.
Knight separated from his monster, falling on top of a building, wheezing.
"Yosuke-san!" Raia rushed to his aid. He saw Yosuke's evolved Oversurvive flicker, indicating he was running out.
"I don't have much juice left in the tank...And from the looks of it, you neither." Yosuke noted.
"What are we supposed to do? We keep coming at him with everything we had but nothing is working. Is it because we're not strong enough?"
"No, that's not it. If Adachi were here, even he would be having great difficulties. In fact, he'd be doing way worse, since his fighting style is mostly about firing big and flashy attacks. No. We've been stronger and better than Bragard this whole time. But we're starting to fall behind because we have limits. He has regeneration and infinite stamina. I thought that eventually, he would start to run out of lifeforce like it happened to Bragi. But now, I think it's pretty clear. He has infinite energy and infinite recovery. We're two hamsters on a wheel and we're about to reach the end of our rope."
"Then...is there nothing we can do?"
"No, we still have something. Up until now, we've just been tearing him to pieces. But recall what he said earlier."
"I am not like Bragi. I can reconstruct my body in an instant, regardless of the damage sustained. As long as part of me remains, I can regenerate, even if there's only a molecule left."
"Oh, you're right!" Raia beamed."Then that means..."
"Yup. We're going to launch one final assault. And this time, we're going to obliterate every single part of him in one big attack that won't leave any remains."
"Are you all done strategizing, humans?"
Both Riders looked at the sky, where Nidhogg was glaring down at them, arms crossed.
"You know, you're wrong about one thing. It's not like I entirely gave up on my ideals." Nidhogg shrugged."It's just that my priorities have taken a backseat. You see, my end goal is the same. I want to create the perfect species and eradicate humanity. Humanity is already gone, except for whatever is left of Japan's population. All I have to do is claim the wish for myself. Once I tidy things up here, I'll go wait to see which monster comes out on top. The Boy Wonder or the Superstar. Doesn't matter to me. Though if it's the Boy Wonder, I want to make him suffer once more. I will kill everyone he's ever loved right in front of his eyes again."
"Yeah, right. You're thinking too big, failed prince. You won't even get to Hajime. We can still win." Raia remarked.
"Bold words for someone who is barely standing." Nidhogg chuckled derisively."That's why I can't stand you humans. No matter the era, you're all just parasites crawling around."
"What, still sore about what happened to you?" Knight asked.
"Of course I am! I'm not like Carol. Do you think I could just let go of my resentment?"
"You were manipulated." The bat-themed Rider scoffed."You got tricked by Adam and now you're being used. You still think you're in control here?!"
"Even if Adam hadn't intervened, those horrible humans killed Carol's father and my parents. All because I was created. They feared the power of Alchemy. They were branded as witches and burnt at the stake. All I could do was sacrifice their lives and go through with my ambitions!"
"Carol let go of her hate and accepted love." Raia drew a card from his Deck."You and Hazuki are just willing to stay in your own misery and make it your mantra!"
"Doesn't matter! I win!" Nidhogg raised his hand, firing more dark matter projectiles, forcing the Riders to jump away.
"Now, Amaterasu!"
"Yeah!"
Both Riders scanned their cards in their visors as new weapons appeared in their hands.
Rod Vent: Storm Photospear
Strike Vent: Breaker Teraslasher
A double-edged spear and a pair of white claws with drills at the fingertips appeared in their hands, immediately rushing the Calamity Rider.
Knight twirled his spear, aiming one of the tips at him and shooting a beam of energy toward him. Nidhogg clicked his tongue, evading the attack, but quickly noticed when a drill of energy came toward him. He used his pincers to stop it, causing Raia to stop spinning but then saw his pincers being frozen in ice.
'They can use the Riders' elements that they have absorbed simultaneously!'
Knight appeared from behind, twirling his spear, adding sharp small blades around it, and slashing his head off.
"Repel!"
Both Riders were flung away. Nidhogg grabbed his head, attaching it and firing a Harmony Orb toward Knight. He twirled his spear, shooting an orange beam from the tip and casting a bronze wall, blocking the attack. He snapped his spear in half, now wielding two twin blades as he flew over the wall, shooting several energy beams from the tips.
Nidhogg clicked his tongue, shifting to his monster form to fire back by retracting his stings into his tails and firing beams of dark matter from the holes.
Scream Vent: Sonic Wave
He rushed toward Nidhogg, swinging his blades as Nidhogg parried with his pincers. Suddenly, Nidhogg screamed in pain, vomiting blood as he was forced into his Rider form. His whole body was trembling from the inside, feeling as if his bones were vibrating. He aimed his hand, firing a dark matter beam, but Knight simply raised one of his blades, vibrations emanating from it and causing the attack to be shifted away from him.
"What?!"
Raia came from behind, slashing his back while freezing it, preventing him from regenerating on the spot, and then began stabbing him repeatedly with his claws."I'm going to turn you into Swiss cheese, you bastard!"
"YOU DAMN MONGRELS! GET OFF OF ME! REPEL!"
Once more Knight and Raia were flung away. Bragard intended to use these seconds to regenerate as much as he could. He couldn't overpower them, but he could outlast them.
"Guess again!" Both of them yelled in unison.
Raia and Knight had wrapped one of Raia's psychic wires around their hands, using them to pull each other back and counter Bragard's gravity, resuming their onslaught and giving him no time to rest. Knight and Raia forged on, stabbing, cutting, and tearing through Bragard's defenses with ease. Knight's vibrations were working effectively. Whenever they would leave a certain area unattended, he would send vibrations to that spot via touch and cause it to combust. Bragard's healing was on another level from anything they've experienced. It was fast. Horrifyingly fast. They had to go all out, using their new lightning abilities to cast more damage. In one of those instances, Bragard aimed his right arm out, but Raia kicked it away as the attack misfired before slashing it off, kicking it away. Knight bicycled kick him on the head, launching him to the ground as only his torso and one arm remained."Now, Amaterasu!"
Cross Vent x2
Knight and Raia merged with their Advent Beasts, immediately firing their combined attacks at the ground. Darkstormer flapped his wings, sending a myriad of wind slashes as well as using his Hyper Wail while Evilbreaker shot projectiles from his wings and his tail.
"We got him pinned down!" Darkstormer yelled."Let's hit him up everything we have and put this bastard down once and for all!"
"You took the words right out of my mouth! Sayonara, Bragard!"
Bronze cannons appeared around Knight, lasers from them while Raia manifested ice in the shapes of drills, adding them all to their combined effort, creating a massive pillar of energy as they created a large hole in the ground that reached the center of the planet.
Both Riders defused and fell to the ground, exhausted, their Oversurvive Drei forms abandoning them and turning their armors back to their regular color scheme.
"Did...did we get him...?" Raia asked in between breaths.
Knight removed his helmet, running a hand through his sweaty face and hair to compose himself. He looked up at the portal in the sky and sighed in relief. It had gotten smaller, and several demons were being pulled away.
"Y-Yosuke...san...?"
Yosuke looked toward Raia, then noticed where he was looking, following his gaze.
"Hey, mongrels. I told you that as long as part of me remains, I can endlessly come back. And that arm this idiotic kid severed is still part of me. I regenerated from it." Nidhogg was standing a few meters away from them, perfectly intact, arms splayed."I wanted to stay hidden for a bit. You know, give you a false sense of security. But I noticed the portal got smaller. It seems one of your groups managed to defeat one of us. And from the sense of it, I would say the last pure-blooded Liang just bit the dust. What a shame. I couldn't exterminate ALL the pure-blooded Liangs like I wanted, but this is okay."
"Wei is dead..." Raia muttered, a smile appearing on his face."Then Shirabe and Kirika are okay!"
"So is Bete then..." Knight noted though he wanted to check on their condition before sighing in relief.
"Maybe so. But it doesn't matter. The Liang was weak. And now, your team will be losing 2 valuable assets. Your plan was good, but..." Nidhogg raised his arm, creating a dark matter sphere above his head."You didn't count for the return of the prince. Now die, you lowly humans!"
Out of nowhere, Golem swept in and punched Bragard across the face, sending him skidding on the ground. Elfnein jumped in front of Raia, clad in her Faust Robe and wielding Golem with her strings.
"Why the hell are you here?! You're going to die!" Raiden screamed.
"I couldn't just let you die!" She said in between tears, silencing him."Did you think I was going to sit around and do nothing while all of you were fighting for the fate of the world?! After I lost three of the people I loved the most? I couldn't forgive myself if I were to lose the boy I love!"
"Elfnein..." Raia grimaced, shaking his head."I can't lose you...I lost almost all of my siblings..."
"I have a plan...But you won't like it. And you'll probably hate me for it." Elfnein smiled gently."But no matter what happens, I want you to know I love you with all of my heart, okay?"
"Elfnein, what are you-"
"Ah, of course. I guess you have become quite attached to this human, Elfnein?" Nidhogg flew back to his original position, smirking."What would Carol think? Her copy falling in love with a mere human."
"Your words...your venom...I won't let it sway me. I chose the path I wanted to walk. Carol, Bragi-chan, Garie, and I...We're all past your wretched cycle of hate. And I'll make sure to put the final nail in the coffin."
"Then show me, little human." He beckoned her to come at her. And she did just that. Golem slammed his fists together, cladding them with lightning before attempting to punch Nidhogg. His attack was repelled away and Nidhogg rushed in to kick Elfnein in the stomach, causing her to spit blood and fall on her knees.
"YOU BASTARD!" Raia dashed toward Nidhogg, no weapons in hand. Just his fist. He landed a good punch to his face, but Bragard recuperated quickly, grabbing his arm and twisting it.
"Oho! Calm down, human. Mad I hurt her? Trust me, I have yet to show you what true hell is like."
"AMATERASU! DODGE!"
Raia moved his head out of the way as Knight threw his spear at Bragard's head, prompting him to release him. Suddenly Golem appeared behind Bragard, using his hands to grab him and prevent him from moving.
"What is this?" Nidhogg scoffed before feeling Elfnein latched onto his body."Huh? What are you doing? Nothing you do matters, you useless spare body."
"Shut your mouth! Just looking at you disgusts me! I won't let you desecrate Bragi-chan's image any longer! All the suffering you caused him...as well as everyone else...I SWEAR TO YOU I WILL END IT!"
Elfnein's body began to glow red, a magic circle appearing underneath them.
"W-wait! This is...?!" Bragard gasped in horror once he noticed what she was doing.
"That's right! I'm using not only memories with my Faust Robe, but I am also using my life! I am turning my very being into a Philosopher Stone and forcing myself into you, Bragard!"
"What?!" Raia yelled."No! Elfnein!"
"Stop! You...How dare you! I am more than a God! You can't...Do this to me!" Bragard screamed in pain as he felt Elfnein's hand entering his body. Merging with it."NO! NO! STOP IT! DON'T DO IT!"
His body began to shrink back from adult size back to his kid version, his voice becoming higher in pitch."STOP IT! STOP! PLEASE! ELFNEIN!"
"It's too late for regrets!" Elfnein felt Raia grab her by her stomach pulling her back."YOSUKE-SAN!"
Final Vent: Flyinglancer
Raia finally pulled her away from Nidhogg just in time as Yosuke used his Final Vent to crash into Bragard, destroying his Deck and shattering his armor to pieces.
"Elfnein!" Raia undid his transformation, setting the blonde on the floor and her head on his lap."Elfnein! Wake up! Wake up, Elfnein, please!"
Elfnein's transformation vanished, her Relic reaching its breaking point and destroying itself.
"She...she used her Alchemic knowledge...and copied what I did to a smaller scale." Bragard rasped out, lying on the ground as his body began to age rapidly. Knight stood next to him, listening to his rambling."She...she turned herself into a Philosopher's Stone to enter my soul...pulling out my Philosopher's Stone and destroying it..."
"Essentially, she removed your immortality card. And without it, your body can't recover from the damage done to it. I know you were being tortured and killed over and over, using the stone to repair your body to keep the pain going. It was a matter of time for your body to die on you." Knight said."But that stone kept making you go back to 100%. It's too bad we couldn't have done this sooner. Bragi could have used that Stone."
"That spare body...He-"
"Carol loved this so-called spare body. With the love a mother shows for a son. She looked past the hate and regret and embraced a new tomorrow. Something you never did. But we all did. Even Hajime Adachi. You're not the only one who had it rough. We all did. But staying behind with hatred and resentment...It never leads to anything good. You're a prime example of that."
"What should I have done...? I..." Bragard was now a decrepit old man, staring at the sky."Carol..."
"We've longed surpassed you, Prince Bragard Second Hyperion. You're just a 'nightmare' we woke up from and never want to experience again. Every nightmare ends. And today, we put an end to all of our nightmares."
"Perhaps...But your pain...is still...just beginning."
"Elfnein!" Raiden cried out in joy when the blonde stirred awake, rubbing her eyes as she sat up."Thank goodness! You're okay! Don't ever do that again, okay?! I was so worried I-"
"Um, I'm sorry." Elfnein yawned, a sleepy expression on her face."But who are you?"
"Huh...?"
"Where am I?" Elfnein looked around at the battlefield around them."And...why are you so close to me? I apologize, but I have a personal space."
He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. He started to sob uncontrollably, holding the confused girl in his arms.
"Normally, her mediocre level of Alchemy...wouldn't be enough to even do half of what she did. But using her Relic, Thor's powers, as well as her memories...She managed to bypass my barrier...and here we are...You won the fight...but at what cost...I'll tell you..." Bragard smiled a toothless smile."You are all just...going to suffer...for all eternity...mongrels... hahaha..."
Knight stabbed him in the head with his lance, turning the leftovers of his body into dust, crumbling away."A bastard to the very end."
This time, the portal got smaller one more time and more demons were sucked away. Knight sighed, his transformation becoming undone, shifting on his heels to go assist the weeping Raiden, who held onto Elfnein like she was his life support. They won the fight at a high cost. Without her bravery, they wouldn't have won. Yosuke knew that. But thanks to that, they could say that they were close to finally ending this once and for all.
"I'm so sorry, Elfnein..." Raiden whispered, gently brushing her hair.
"Please...Don't be sad." Elfnein wiped his tears gently with her fingers."I don't know why but...Some part of me hates seeing you cry."
Without her bravery, they wouldn't have won. Yosuke knew that. But thanks to that, they could say that they were close to finally ending this once and for all.
Mission: Stop Ragnarok
Status: Ongoing
Defeated Calamity Riders: 3
Remaining Calamity Riders: 3