Reviews:
Caballero lector rojo: Si, ya de por si Yomi es medio complicado por ser de descendencia alienigena. Por lo menos Despia pudo recuperar control de su cuerpo, aun que tuvo que quitarse la vida ya que no queria seguir lastimando a nadie mas.
Tigracho: Yeah, basically they're just hoping they can "exorcise" whoever they can using Hibiki, Hajime, and Miku's powers to purify them. But as you saw, it's a difficult time since the opponent is trying to kill you. Actually, yeah, that was the catalyst. I forgot what chapter it was, but Narfi said that the key to waking his presence was grief and pain. Yomi himself was a bit of a...crazy guy in a way. But losing his friend like that just showed him that nothing else really mattered, and also Narfi awakened inside of him and their thoughts and emotions mixed. He was pretty much an emotionally wrecked. Yeah, I feel like Chris and Maria were needed to at least get some sense back into Despia. They both had similar experiences. Chris thought that through Fine's means, all conflicts would stop. And Maria thought that by being Fine she could save the world.
Ryugen: Right. The Symphogear being together to synergize more and use unison to increase their strength is key in this plan. Just look at Shirabe and Kirika. I can see Hazuki just panicking and ruining everything, yeah. Yeah, Hel is not really a Goddess. She's more like a...monster. She is the ruler of Helheim though but not on par with the other Gods in Asgard. As you said, Hazuki is by himself now. No more crutches or outside help for him. He's almost all alone and now is going to face the consequences of his actions.
TheEmeraldMage: Chris and Despia are like the two wild girls from their respective groups. Despia acted all humble and shy when she was mute, but let that girl talk her shit and she can cook up a storm. Yeah, the twins' story is one big mess that Hazuki finished ruining by enabling Yomi to go wild. Funny enough, both times Yomi lost is because Hazuki just let him do whatever he wanted. Pretty much Despia didn't want to keep hurting them, so she used whatever control she had left of her body to end it. She was about to continue fighting if she hadn't done that. Hopefully, Hibiki can save Setsuna. 4 are dead. 2 to go.
Dragstorm rider: Despia tried to do anything she could to get the old Yomi back, including taking abuse from him and letting him murder anyone he wanted. Unfortunately, words are not enough to get them back. The darkness in addition to the Gods inside of them makes it almost impossible to get them back. Well, the Shenshoujing is part of it as it's able to purify things and hopefully destroy the Decks. It's a gamble.
Tenzalucard123: Right. Despia was doomed from the start. And Hazuki was the reason why.
Lord RI Husbu King: Nah, she had to die. She couldn't be saved, not without proper means. I mean, they had to lose eventually. They've been on a winning streak for a while. Their luck ran out. Yeah, imagine Hajime thinking of possibly losing his sister or girlfriend while he has to fight Hazuki. It's a lot.
GoldenFire 215: It's coming! Get ready because we're nearing the climax!
Chapter 164
Drowning in Despair
Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Miku were all darting around the area, as skeletons chased after them, wielding their bones as weapons.
"Setsuna-chan!" Hibiki cried out over her shoulder at the Calamity Rider, sitting on a rooftop with her legs crossed.
"Now, now, Hibiki-onee-chan. Don't mind me." She giggled, drawing a card from her Deck."My friends need some attention as well. Corrupt Vent!"
Corrupt Vent
From her hands, a purple light was shot toward the sky, striking the skeletons and causing them to evolve. Now they were beings of darkness of all shapes and sizes with their skeletons showing. In addition, there were now bigger skeletons and even ones that could fly.
"What is that power?!" Tsubasa swung her sword, launching thousands of energy blades at the creatures.
Thousand Tears
To her surprise, the monsters shot black liquid from their bodies, creating a dome of goo and blocking her attacks.
"Even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power once the chains of its heart are broken." She laid down on her back, getting comfortable."You better not underestimate my friends."
"These are no normal skeletons anymore." Miku deployed several of her mirrors, shooting lights from them and striking several of them, purging them from existence."This is...corruption!"
"Corruption?!"
"I had a feeling you would figure it out." Hel sighed, sitting back up, pouting."But how about this?"
Suddenly, a panther and golem of darkness emerged next to Setsuna, immediately rushing toward the Symphogear. Hibiki ran up a wall, using it to blast herself toward the panther, punching it in the face and turning it into black liquid on the floor. However, the liquid came back to life, surrounded by two large bones, and hurled it toward her.
Hibiki easily punched the bones to dust, but the golem hurled a rock in her direction, smashing her through a building.
"Hibiki!" Miku was about to fly in her direction, but a large bird made of bones dived toward her, forcing her to deploy her cables to grab it by its beak before it could hit her. She then allowed Tsubasa to impale it with her sword, increasing it to be the size of a truck.
Heaven's Wrath
"You okay, Kohinata?!" Tsubasa asked.
"Yes, thank you. But Hibiki..."
"Don't worry. She's already have a plan." Tsubasa smiled knowingly.
Hel arched a brow, noticing Hibiki's absence, so she shot a sphere of energy toward the building she had been on, causing it to explode. No sign of Hibiki."What?"
From behind, Hibiki quickly landed on the rooftop, dashing toward Hel as she winded her fist back. However, as she threw the punch, she stopped when she noticed the bones emerging from Hel's back, stopping shy from impaling the Gungnir wielder.
"Move even an inch and I'll skewer you like shish kabob." She giggled, glancing over her shoulder."I think this is the best time to talk. I'm sure you have some kind of heroic speech ready for me."
"I...I just want you to come home...please...Hajime is suffering without you." Hibiki pleaded, not moving at all despite the bones dangerously close to her eyes.
"How ironic you should say that. After all, you're the one who stole my onii-chan from me."
"Huh?" Hibiki gasped."Setsuna-chan, I-"
"Shut your mouth, whore. You took my brother from me! I knew you were trouble when you walked in. He only had eyes for you and stopped paying attention to me!" Hel clenched her fists."I also adored you. You were like a big sister to me, just like Chao. But you...you stole my brother from me! Ever since he brought you in that day...I should have known you were just a homewrecker. You were never good for him. All you did was give him misguided ideas. That this world ever had any hope."
"Setsuna-chan...that's not true at all-"
"But it's fine! He chose the world over me, after all. And he was a coward. He gave up, despite how much I fought for him." A devilish smile appeared on her face."No one ever came for me..."
"I'm sorry! I should have-"
"If you really feel sorry then die for me!"
Hibiki immediately kicked the ground to boost herself out of the way as the bones elongated more, chasing after her and trying to stab her. The bones came from the sides, forcing her to leap into the air away from the building, landing on the street.
'Setsuna-chan...I'm so sorry...if only I had seen your pain sooner...' Hibiki lamented, finding herself surrounded by several skeletons.'I also failed to save Hajime at that time. If only I had known better...I could have saved them from all this suffering...'
"Don't feel so sad. I can see your anguish on your face." Hel walked to the edge of the rooftop, hand on her hip."I feel so much better now than before. My mind is so clear, and I no longer feel afraid of anything. I am finally...free. All I have to do is kill you so we can finally get our wish."
"Even if you have to kill your flesh and blood?" Hibiki looked crestfallen at her words, nearly on the verge of tears."He loves you, Setsuna-chan...He's fighting for you right now..."
"If he really cares about me, then he'll just have to die for my sake, no?" Hel jumped off the rooftop, ordering the skeletons to attack Hibiki. Hibiki jumped in the air as a dome of fire engulfed her body. Hel took a step back, shielding her eyes from the intense glow.
Hibiki's armor was now silver with red highlights. She now had two dragon gauntlets instead of her normal ones, as well as a dragon tail and horns.
True Valkyrie Mode - Ryuki
The young woman slammed her right fist onto the ground, breaking the asphalt and causing several spikes of fire to emerge from underground, impaling the skeletons and destroying them.
"That power...You dare use my brother's power against me?!" Hel growled, lunging at Hibiki as two bones protruded from her palms. She tried to stab Hibiki, but the older girl evaded with ease, much to her frustration."Stand still! Don't you see I'm trying to kill you!"
"Setsuna-chan, stop it!" Hibiki grabbed her by the wrists, holding her in place."This isn't who you are!"
"And what could you possibly know about me anyway?!" Hel jumped, kicking Hibiki on her chest and forcing her to let her go.
"I know you're scared. And terrified. But it's okay. I'm here to take you back to us. To your brother."
"I just told you I no longer feel fear and this is what you come up with?!" She aimed her fingertips, shooting her phalanges out and regrowing them as if they were bullets being shot from a machine gun.
Hibiki immediately started running around, dodging the projectiles while shooting fireballs at the area around Hel.
"Your aim sucks!" Hel cackled, stomping the ground and causing a giant bone to emerge from the ground as Hibiki landed on the ground, launching her in the air. "I got you now!"
Hel grew two bones from her shoulders, pulling them out and hurling them toward Hibiki. Hibiki frowned, and suddenly, two large wings of flames appeared around her, destroying the bones and protecting her.
"Damn it..." Hel clenched her fists."I swear, when I kill you and we get the new world, I'll make it so you won't ever exist. I'll erase you from existence! It's a light punishment for everything you've caused for me, Tachibana Hibiki!"
"Setsuna-chan..." Hibiki didn't want to hurt her, so she continued to dodge her as Hel continued to try and land an attack on her. Hibiki quickly maneuvered around Hel, shoving her and causing her to fall to the ground. She grabbed her arm, twisting it while sitting on top of her, preventing her from moving.
"You're so stupid!" Hel once more protruded bones from her body, gracing Hibiki's skin and cutting it in some areas."You can't hurt me? That's so cute. But it works for me as I have-"
Suddenly, Hibiki appeared in front of Setsuna, punching her in the stomach and launching her across the area.
"I'm sorry...But if I have to hurt you to make sure you're safe...I'll carry that cross with me." Hibiki said in determination closing her fists.
"Gragh! That...that hurt! That really, really hurt!" Hel cried, writhing in pain on the ground."Why?! I fought a Custodian too...So how did her punch hurt me this much...Wait, I know...Hazuki-onii-chan mentioned something about a power capable of killing Gods...The Godslayer!"
"Enough already, Setsuna-chan. We don't have to fight." Hibiki smiled."Please...No more of this."
"It won't be enough...Not until I rip your head off your body..." Hel suddenly began to transform into her monster form, transforming into a 10-meter-tall purple hydra with 3 heads and several tentacles."...WITH MY BARE HANDS!"
Meanwhile, Tsubasa and Miku kept the skeleton army and the golem at bay.
The golem threw a fist, but Miku quickly countered by slamming her hammer against its hand, canceling the force and pushing it back.
"There's too many of them!" Miku cried out, using her wires to swat away a group of bird skeletons trying to flank her. To her shock, the skeletons began combining together, forming even bigger skeletons.
"We need to round them up and use your ability, Kohinata!" Tsubasa swung her sword, sending a ring of azure energy toward a group of skeletons. The golem focused on Tsubasa, firing a beam of darkness from its face. Tsubasa flew upwards, avoiding the attack, but then saw it continuing to send attacks her way."No choice then!"
The attack landed, but Tsubasa had transformed in the nick of time, creating a dome of wind that dispersed the attack before it reached her. She now had a pair of bat wings located near her hips as well as two pointy ears.
True Valkirye Mode - Knight
Tsubasa started swinging her hair counter-clockwise before turning it into a bladed weapon imbued with blue flames and slashing into the front of her distant foes, creating a burning wave to destroy everything in her path.
Lion Flame Rotation
The golem staggered backward, stunned by the explosion of flames, allowing Tsubasa to throw her katana at it as it grew in size. However, the golem grabbed it in time, stopping it. But Tsubasa was not deterred. She took a deep breath as she flapped her wings, releasing a powerful screech, and pushing the golem back. She inhaled once more before releasing a stronger screech, causing the golem to finally fall and allow the sword to pierce it.
'Setsuna-chan is amazing. She just got these powers and yet she's using them so efficiently. Whether it's because of the God inside of her or her own talent, the fact of the matter is that she's strong. However...' Tsubasa raised her arm.'We have a genius of our own too!'
"Kohinata!"
"Got it!" Miku leaped back, deploying several of her mirrors and shooting the energy swords in the sky. Using their unison, the sword adopted the properties of the Shenshoujing, turning purple, before raining down on the skeletons and golem.
Reflector of Thousand Judgements
The attacks caused the skeletons to crumble, and thanks to the effect of Miku's relic, they were purified of the corruption, making them harmless bones on the ground.
"Nicely done. I'm surprised you caught on to what I was doing that quick." Tsubasa landed next to Miku, complimenting her.
"I figured you had a plan to get rid of them quickly." Miku said."We can't be distracted for too long. We have to help...Hibiki!"
Tsubasa looked in the direction Miku was pointing at.
Hibiki was being chased by Hel's hydra form, as she continued shooting energy balls from her mouths.
"Stand still! You're so bothersome and annoying!" She lunged at Hibiki, nearly crushing her with her huge size. Hibiki circled her body, enlarging her right gauntlet and preparing to punch the beast. To her shock, one of the heads whipped in her direction, shooting a beam of energy from the mouth. Hibiki was sent blasted into the sky as an explosion of purple went off."Ha! Did you think I wasn't aware you'd try a trick like that? I'm several steps ahead of you!"
"Setsuna!"
One of Hel's heads looked to the right, seeing Tsubasa flying toward her with her katana.
"Finally came to help your friend? That's adorable!" She fired several attacks in Tsubasa's direction, but the bluenette parried them with her sword, flying around the hydra.
"What happened to the girl that was my number 1 fan?" Tsubasa gritted her teeth as she parried Hel's tail, pushing it back."You're far from what you used to be, Setsuna!"
"That girl is dead! Like the rest of the world!" Hel cackled, using her tentacles to wrap Tsubasa up and slamming her on the ground."I opened the eyes to the truth and welcomed the embrace of oblivion."
"That's wrong! The annihilation of all humankind..." Tsubasa grunted as she sat up."It's not going to make you happy."
"Talk all you want, but in the end, you're powerless to do anything about it. Unlike you, I realized how pointless it is to dream of a new tomorrow in this disgusting world. All these pointless, evil humans...They are not worth saving. They are...tainted. Like you."
"You're wrong. They are worth protecting. It's true that humanity is far from perfect. But you're labeling the entire world as evil...When there are good people in this world...People who have helped us make it this far. People that we want to protect."
"Ridiculous." Hel opened all of her mouths, charging three spheres of energy.
"Remember my songs, Setsuna! Do you remember when your brother often invited me over so I could hang out with you?"
"Huh?" Hel suddenly canceled her attacks.
"Remember? How we used to go to your room and just listen to the songs you chose." Tsubasa smiled."I want to go back to doing that."
"Your songs...brought me joy, that much is true. It was rough for me when my mom died. But when I found Zwei Wing by accident on YouTube and listened to your singing for the first time...It gave me courage. Even more so after you came back after the incident." Hel's voice was calmer, in contrast to her rash attitude mere moments ago."But you of all people should understand that this world has no salvation. What happened to you...What killed Kanade-san and all of those people...What if there was a world where that didn't happen? What if you had the chance to erase that from your life? Kanade-san could be by your side."
"I'd love to have Kanade back once more. But not at the expense of destroying all life...Setsuna...life is not like that. We can't turn back time and adjust things to our needs. We have to look forward to the future."
"But our world can prevent more people from suffering! No more deaths!"
"At the cost of their Free Will...Setsuna, Hazuki wants to control them. That's not living. We can't do that to our people."
"Our people...Tsubasa-san, they are terrible!" Hel exclaimed in exasperation."They got gifted Free Will and look what they did with it! Everything is terrible! Nothing will change unless we make it change! And if you stand in the way of our salvation...I'll kill you with no hesitation!"
Suddenly, several mirrors appeared around Hel, surprising her.
Miku emerged from behind a building, clad in her new transformation. She had a set of grasshopper legs on the sides of her thighs as well as two antennas located on the sides of her helmet."Now!"
True Valkirye Mode - Alternative
"What the fuck-"
Hel screamed as she was engulfed in Shenshoujing power, blasting her from all directions due to her huge size.
Purgatory
"Kohinata!" Tsubasa gasped.
"Tsubasa-san! Are you okay?!" Miku rushed toward her, offering her hand. Tsubasa gratefully accepted as she was pulled up to her feet.
"Yes. But...my words were not enough to snap her out of it." Tsubasa lamented.
"It's alright. The Shenshoujing must have had an effect on her." Miku assured her."I'm worried about Hibiki..."
"She's tough, you know that." Tsubasa chuckled."Something like that wouldn't do anything to her."
"Well, then maybe I'll have to be more thorough next time."
They both gasped, looking up at the sky and seeing Hel, perfectly intact, shrinking back to her Rider form.
"No way...Impossible!" Tsubasa cried out.
"But I hit her directly!" Miku shook her head."That kind of attack was enough to vanquish even a demon from Helheim!"
"Oh, you're talking about...Beelzebub, was it? How foolish to compare a mere demon to what I represent. I am a Goddess now! Far beyond anything you can even comprehend! And wait, a second. Wasn't Beelzebub part of Bragi? And you killed him! Which then caused your boyfriend's death! Where do you get off trying to have the moral high ground here?"
Miku winced, still hurt about Bragi's death."I-I..."
"And you, Tsubasa. You were manipulated by Noble Red and your grandfather, right? A lot of people died during the concert. People you failed to save. None of you have any right to come over and start demanding shit from me."
"That's not true, Setsuna-chan."
Hel's eyes shot wide open, looking at the ground as Hibiki walked down the street, her eyes fixated on her."It's because we can relate to your pain that we can you to understand...This is the worst way to go about things."
"Shut up. What do you know? You're the main reason this is happening." Hel raised his right arm as bone came to encase it, forming a large spear-like bone."Because of you stealing my brother. That was bad enough already. But you failed him. You're too weak to ever stand by his side. You're poison to him!"
"You're right..." Hibiki lowered her fists."I...I failed to pull him out of the darkness back then. I almost lost him...because I didn't know how to help him. And you were feeling the same, right, Setsuna-chan? I failed you too..."
"If you understand that much, then just wait there and die!" Setsuna immediately flew over to Hibiki. Hibiki flew toward her as well, her right gauntlet turning into a fire drill as she smashed Hel's bone spear, shattering it to pieces.
"Impossible! That was my most calcium-concentrated bone!"
Hibiki went for an uppercut, but the Calamity Rider quickly flew back, avoiding the attack.
"You're all horrible human beings too! But in contrast, I fight for a better world!" She aimed her fingertips at Hibiki, but before she could do anything, Tsubasa appeared from above, her sword engulfed in blue flames.
Hel growled, turning her arms into two large drill-like bones as she blocked Tsubasa's attack. She noticed her bones beginning to crack, and immediately burst out more bones from her body, forcing Tsubasa to move out of the way to avoid being impaled.'No...Why?! Why can they break my bones so easily?!'
4 mirrors surrounded Miku from above, below, left, and right as she aimed her hands toward Hel before unleashing 5 separate attacks that merged into one.
"This again?" She chuckled, splaying her arms."Go on, give me your best shot-"
Out of nowhere, Hibiki appeared behind Hel, slamming her fist against the bones on her back and flinging her into the blasts. Hel howled in pain, falling on a rooftop, her body emanating smoke.
"Hibiki? Why did you do that?" Miku asked, confused."She was going to take the attack anyway."
"I think I figured out why your attack earlier didn't work." Hibiki said."I...I fear the darkness overtaking her heart might be too strong that our attacks alone can't do anything to her. We're hurting her individually, but we're not doing what we're supposed to do, which is purify her somehow."
"I see!" Tsubasa exclaimed."So, for either of your attacks to have full effect, then you have to hit her together."
"Right. But it looks like I have to hit her second." Hibiki explained."I can weaken her divine barrier using my power. Then Miku can attack the tender area with her power, maximizing our attacks for me to follow up with a finisher."
"But she won't allow us so easily to get another attack in. Look!"
From the ground, bones started to protrude out like spikes, forcing the girls to fly into the sky. The bones grew as large as skyscrapers, covering a good chunk of the city.
Zone Vent: Hollow Forest
"She can cast a Zone Vent?" Tsubasa looked around them, noticing the bones had formed a forest of trees made of bones, towering over any building in the city."It's as dense as a real forest...Stay close! We don't know where she'll come from-"
"Right here!" Setsuna emerged from within a bone, much like Despia did to her crystals. Six large bone spines protruded out of her back, a long bone-spiked tail, a skull outside of her helmet, and finally, her ribs were exposed, giving her Rider form a monstrous appearance. She created fur bones around her arms as she lunged at Miku."DIE!"
Tsubasa quickly procured a second katana, hurling it toward Hel, but the Calamity Rider swatter it away with her tail.
Hibiki wasted no time in rushing toward Hel, winding her fist back.
She narrowed her eyes, noticing Miku floating away from them. 'So that's how it is.'
Hel, instead of backing away, immediately rushed toward Hibiki, much to her shock. She began twitching wildly as a bone protruded from the back of her neck. She grabbed it and pulled, pulling out her entire spinal cord from within her armor as if it was a whip, and struck Hibiki away.
'Now!' Miku readied her attack, but before she could shoot, Hel flew toward Hibiki once more, intercepting her, and stopping Miku.
Hibiki quickly went for a roundhouse kick, but Hel's ribcage managed to stop the attack from landing on her body.'She reinforced herself!' The cream-haired young woman readied herself to punch her once more. And then Hel removed her helmet and skull helmet.
"Hibiki-onee-chan!" She pleaded, forcing Hibiki to halt.
"Tachibana! No!"
"You're so gullible!" Hel wrapped her arms around Hibiki, closing her ribcage on her and piercing her torso, earning a scream of pain."What's wrong?! I thought you wanted to hug me and all that zappy shit you were spouting! I'm right here!"
Hel dug her bones deeper into Hibiki's body, breaking a few of her ribs in the process.
"And you can't shoot me when I'm so close to them, right?" She shifted her attention to Miku, who was keeping her distance and fighting the urge to help Hibiki."Because you're afraid you'll ruin things again, like you did with-"
A powerful gust of wind struck both Hibiki and Setsuna, flinging them away and separating them.
Tsubasa had summoned her new spear, using it to command the wind at her call. Hel grunted, entering another bone and coming out of another one. Miku rushed to help Hibiki, leaving Tsubasa to face Hel by herself.
"Are you really about to do the unthinkable and kill the people who love you, Setsuna?!" Tsubasa shot a tornado from her spear, breaking through several of the bone trees, forcing Hel to maneuver around them, trying to sneak up on the bluenette.
"I'll do what it takes to create a new, better world! Shoot Vent!"
Shoot Vent: Hysteria Shooter
Two cannons appeared on her shoulders and one on top of her head in the shape of her hydra's form heads, using them to shoot blasts of energy toward the older woman. Tsubasa flew around the bones, switching back to her twin katanas as blue flames began engulfing her body and taking the shape of an azure-colored phoenix.
Soaring Phoenix's Slash
The phoenix flapped its wings, creating a powerful whirlwind that destroyed the hollow forest, making the bones crumble to dust before heading toward Hel, who adopted her monster form. Hel unleashed a barrage of energy spheres, but Tsubasa's phoenix form cut through her attacks with ease. In a panic, Hel returned to her Rider form, entering the remains of one of the bones and disappearing.
"What?! Where did she go?!"
"Hibiki, you're hurt!" Miku gasped, seeing the blood pouring from Hibiki's torso.
"It's okay...I managed to prevent her from piercing all the way through..." Hibiki forced a pained smile."Though, I think she broke a few ribs..."
"I'm sorry, Hibiki...I...I couldn't take the shot..." Miku lowered her head.
"Don't worry. I understand you're scared...But Miku..." Hibiki reached her friend's face, cupping her cheek."Don't hesitate. I'm willing to give up my powers just to save her."
"But Hibiki, she-"
"I promised Hajime I would try. That I'd do my best to save the family he has left...And that I'll repay my negligence. She's in this situation because of me. I failed to save her like I failed to save Hajime..."
"So you finally admit it."
Miku turned around, receiving a slap across the face, dropping her to the ground. Hibiki was about to protest, but Hel wrapped her spine around her neck, lifting her."Do you want to make amends for your failures? Then I'll help you out. Corrupt Vent."
"Setsuna! No! Wait!" Tsubasa screamed from afar. However, she did not pay heed to her words.
Corrupt Vent
Hel shot a beam of darkness in the air and landed on Hibiki, prompting her to scream in agony as her whole body turned purple and a dark aura surrounded her body. Before anyone knew it, she was thrashing around like a wild beast, growling and seething. Hel unwrapped her spine from her neck, allowing Hibiki back on the ground.
"What did you do to her?!" Miku cried out.
"Like I said before, even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power once the chains of its heart are broken. I simply filled her being with corruption, essentially filling her heart with darkness. But even then, she hasn't felt the pain I suffered. But that will change when she kills her little friends. Go on, Hibiki-onee-chan. Kill them."
Hibiki screeched, immediately rushing toward Miku, cladding her right leg on fire.
"Hibiki!" Miku cried out, using her wires to create a barrier to protect herself. However, Hibiki kicked through them, striking her in the stomach and flinging her through several buildings.
"No way! How?!" Tsubasa gasped.
"Beings afflicted by corruption are stronger and faster." Hel wagged her finger."Don't be surprised if Hibiki-onee-chan beats you in one attack, Tsubasa-san."
Hibiki slammed her gauntlets together, shooting a huge tornado of flames toward the idol. Tsubasa retaliated by switching to her spear, casting a tornado to counter the flames. She gritted her teeth, feeling the intensity of the flames starting to overpower her.'She's so much stronger than before...!'
"Tachibana! Don't give in! I know you're stronger than this-"
Tsubasa yelped when she saw bones coming from her left, forcing her to move out of the way of the attacks, only to receive a punch to the face by the corrupted Hibiki, sending Tsubasa crashing back on the ground.
"Hahahaha! Yes! Yes! Die in despair as your friend kills you!" Hel cackled in joy, hugging herself."Ah~! I'm so close to finally reaching the promised world!"
"Stop that! Leave Hibiki alone!" Miku shouted, flying toward Hel, shooting a Shenshoujing beam at her stomach, causing her to stagger back but not doing much damage."
"I already told you your attacks don't work on me, idiot. Do you want more? Sure, I'll give a glutton like you more punishment!" She turned around, facing Hibiki."Onee-chan! Finish her up, will you?!"
Miku flew past her, flying to intercept Hibiki as she snarled at her. Satisfied, Setsuna looked down at Tsubasa, who was slowly picking herself up from the ground, hands on her hips."Now then, Tsubasa-san...Where were we?"
Tsubasa grunted, aiming her spear at Hel and blasting her with a whirlwind, pushing her back.
"Is that your last attempt? How sad." Hel chuckled.
"No...Sad for you." She smirked.
"Huh?"
As Hibiki and Miku were about to clash, they flew past each other, with Hibiki immediately heading for Hel as she was pushed forward by the wind.
"W-what?!" Hel screamed, watching as the darkness dissipated from Hibiki's body, rearing her fist back, cladding it with electricity, and slamming it against the area Miku had attacked. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, releasing a mute scream as she was thrown across the ground, skidding on the streets until she crashed into a building.
"Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki knelt next to Tsubasa, offering her hand.
"Good to see you weren't taken over. I was worried for a second." Tsubasa accepted her hand, shifting her gaze to Miku."Were you aware of this, Kohinata?"
"Not immediately. But I got the gist of it." She smiled.
"I'm sorry if I kicked you too hard, Miku..." Hibiki rubbed her nape sheepishly.
"It's okay. I was sure you were yourself. You've kicked me harder during training before. I knew you were planning something."
"But how?" Tsubasa wondered."Is it the Deicide's ability?"
"Ultimately, her powers are divine. As soon as that stuff got inside of me, I was able to immediately sweat it off like a cold." Hibiki replied."I did let some of the effects linger on me to make it look like I was under her control. I have to say, I have a massive migraine because of it."
"Really?" Miku frowned, worried.
"It's the darkness...Setsuna-chan and all the other Calamities must have endured that pain." Hibiki placed a hand on her chest."That's why we have to save Setsuna-chan at all costs."
Meanwhile, Hel was wheezing in agony as she grabbed at the stomach where her armor had been shattered to pieces, her skin letting out a white cloud of smoke."It hurts...It hurts so much..."
"Setsuna-chan!"
Hel froze, slowly turning toward Hibiki and the others, who were jogging over in her direction."STAY AWAY!"
"Setsuna-chan..." Hibiki stopped a few meters from her, a sad expression on her face."It's over. Please...no more fighting."
"We can heal you." Miku insisted."A full attack from the Shenshoujing and Hibiki's power, and we can get rid of that God inside of you and that armor."
"Shut up...You're all going to...die..."
"Please, will you stop fighting already?!" Hibiki knelt in front of her, placing her hands on her shoulders."I'm truly sorry I failed you, Setsuna-chan! I am! But your brother wants you to come back home. You have no idea how much he's suffering because he lost you. How hard he had fought just to see you again!"
"Haji...Haji wants to see me...?"
"He does." Hibiki beamed."And everyone does too. We can make things better. I know how you must be feeling, but trust me, we can-"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Hel pushed Hibiki away from her, stumbling backward."I...I don't need any of that! What makes you think I want to see that coward again?!"
"He's your brother, Setsuna-"
"I don't care! He'll die like all the rest!" Hel screeched, stomping on the ground."You have no idea! What kind of hell I've been through! Before Hazuki-onii-chan showed me salvation, my world crumbled to pieces! I went to hell and came back!"
Half a year ago, prior to the battle against the Bavarian Illuminati and just 2 weeks after the battle with Bragard and Carol, Hajime and Setsuna were inside their house, packing things up to move out. They couldn't be in that house anymore. Not with how lonely it felt without their grandmother and the memories of the horrible day they had to suffer.
Setsuna was currently placing all their cutlery into a box, and putting some tape on the kitchen counter. She heaved a long sigh, running a hand through her hair and then rubbing her exhausted eyes. Suddenly, she threw the box on the ground with a groan, breathing erratically. She was about to grab something else and throw it, but then noticed her phone. Carefully, she tapped on the screen, seeing the wallpaper of her and Andreas smiling together. A picture they had taken on their first date.
"I miss you so much, Andreas..." She whispered to herself, calming her nerves. She was about to tear up, but gently slapped her cheeks.'I can't break down...I can't. There's still a lot to pick up and I just made it worse.'
The brunette girl bit her lower lip upon seeing the things scattered on the floor.'A little break sounds nice. I should go check on Haji and see how he's doing and give him the medication the doctor gave him.'
The young girl marched toward her brother's room, noticing the door slightly opened. She carefully stepped inside, noticing Hajime sitting on his bed, mouth agape, and gazing at the ground.
"Haji?" She scanned his room, noticing he had packed a few things, and stopped."Are you okay? Do you need me to help you clean up?"
Hajime said nothing, his gaze fixated on the ground.
"Haji...We have to finish packing. The others said they'll help us move our things but the longer we stay here, the longer it will..." She clutched her chest."...hurt..."
Once more, Hajime just remained unresponsive, not making a single sound.
"Haji, here, take this." She made her way toward his bedside."You have to take it. You have bags under your eyes...Did you not sleep again?"
Noticing Hajime wasn't going to get his medicine, she huffed, grabbing his shoulder."Hibiki-onee-chan is almost here. Hajime, I'm serious, you have to take this or-"
Out of nowhere, Hajime instinctively hit Setsuna across her face, sending her rolling on the ground and hitting a drawer as he screamed."GET AWAY FROM ME! JUST KILL ME ALREADY BUT MAKE IT STOP! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"
"Huh...?" In that instant, he came back to his senses, seeing his sister on the ground, bleeding from her lip."Setsuna...I..."
"What was that noise?!" Hibiki stormed into the room and saw Setsuna on the floor."Setsuna-chan! What happened?!"
"Hibiki..." Hajime muttered, shaking like a leaf."I'm sorry...I-"
"I tripped!" Setsuna interjected."I slammed my head against the wall and cut my lip! I'm fine!"
"Are you sure...?" Hibiki squatted in front of her, checking her face."It looks really painful..."
"Yeah...I'm okay. Silly me!" She playfully boinked her head.
Setsuna beamed, but deep inside, she was crying. She couldn't even fathom to look at Hajime the rest of the day.
After the battle with Chiaki in Okinawa, Setsuna, Hajime, and Hamaguchi were in the hospital alongside Hamaguchi's sisters and those wounded in the attack. The young girl yawned, walking down the corridors on her way to Hajime's room to visit him. Like always, she had brought him fresh flowers to put on the table next to him.
"Ah, Setsuna-chan. Good morning." Said the nurse, who had come into the room to check on the boy.
"Good morning, miss." Setsuna bowed slightly."I came to visit my brother and see if he woke up."
"Not yet, I'm afraid. But I'm sure he'll wake up soon enough. Just give him time to heal. The damage to his head...was a bit too much."
"Is that why he has a cast around his neck?" Setsuna winced, feeling brokehearted from seeing her brother in such a condition.
"That...Setsuna, did you not know?" The nurse pursed her lips, thinking on how to phrase what she was going to say."Your brother has a nasty burn mark around his neck made by a rope...He...Well, I am so sorry, but I feel like hiding it from you would just make things worse and you deserve to know, as his only family. He...tried to commit suicide."
"W-what...?" Setsuna suddenly felt her heart nearly stopping.
"I asked Hamaguchi-kun...And he corroborated the story. He tried to kill himself the day of the attack."
"H-Haji is not the same as he was before!" Setsuna yelled at Hazuki."He's better now! He's healed! He won't try to take his own life again!"
"He lied to you, Setsuna. How many times do you think he came close to taking his own life before?" Hazuki folded his arms under his chest."You know of this one instance. But what if it happened more and you just don't know?"
"No...Even...even if that's the case, he-"
"Just because he seems okay now doesn't mean he is." He cut her off abruptly."What if he succeeded? What if he killed himself? He was about to leave you behind."
"No! He would never do that-"
"And yet, he tried. And what about you? What about your problems? What do you think would have happened if he died? You're still underage. You'd be made into an orphan. Has he ever worried about you during those dark times? Or were you the one worrying about him?" Hazuki got closer to him, placing his arms on her shoulders."Did you ever have time to process the death of your grandmother?"
Setsuna began to tear up, lowering her gaze.
"He's a failure, Setsuna. You're still grieving, even to this day, forced to hold back your emotions just to see him smile. But he never prioritizes you. Instead, all he can think about is Hibiki Tachibana. She's more important to him than you are. You do all of this hard work, and for what? For him to run to another woman and disregard his little sister?"
"But what can I do...? I don't know anything anymore...I just want my granny back...I want my mommy back...Andreas...Daddy...I never wanted any of this..."
"I can show you the path. A path to a world where you don't have to suffer anymore. And that..." He showed her the snake brand in his hand."...is a power I possess."
"I chose to stop being afraid." Hel snarled like an animal."I chose to take away the fear and take my life back! All you have is your pretty little words with your idealism. Nothing but stupid ideas of a better world made of nothing but worthless hope!"
"Setsuna-chan..." Hibiki whispered."It's not like that at all."
The Calamity Rider burst into laughter, taking a few steps back and rubbing her stomach before her mood changed completely."I told you to shut up!"
She looked at the Qliphoth Tree, gritting her teeth.'It's still too soon for the fruits to be ripe for picking. Guess I have no choice but to try something new...'
"I have no choice...I'll risk it all in this next move...From here on out, not even I know what's going to happen." Hel adopted a sadistic smile as she threw her helmet to the ground."But if I die while snuffing the life out of your bodies...it will be all worth it. For a better future."
"What are you going to do...?" Hibiki began to sob."Setsuna-chan! Enough! Please, come home! I'm begging you!"
"Oh, yes...I'll go home alright...With your heads on a spike and I'll show that to Haji as Hazuki-onii-chan kills him!" Setsuna drew the card from her Deck, as a black light emerged from her body, heading toward the sky."CORRUPT VENT!"
The light descended, creating an explosion of darkness that pushed the 3 girls back.
Miku immediately summoned her mirrors, shooting a barrage of Shenshoujing lights. However, the lights bounced right off. A scream echoed throughout the area, as the aura reached the sky, dying the crimson skies into purple. The aura went back to its origin, forming two large blades connected to Hel's hands. Her armor was now replaced by a black dress with black heels. Her bones continued to stick out, but now, she had a wide black permanent smile on her face, and her eyes were completely hollow. Her hair was spiked up.
"She corrupted herself..." Tsubasa muttered in horror."That's insane...Her mind must be completely broken!"
"Setsuna-chan!" Hibiki screamed.
Miku stayed silent, completely perturbed at the being in front of them.
"I feel better. So much better." Hel's voice was now completely unrecognizable as if her tone was changing in pitch with every word."Now...let's speed up this massacre."
Hel touched the ground, and immediately, it began to disintegrate, turning purple before eroding.
"Jump! Quick!" Tsubasa commanded, and the girls immediately leaped into the sky.
Hel flew toward the groups, using her bone blades on her arms to swing at Miku, who barely countered with her hammer. Hibiki rushed from her side, receiving a kick from the Goddest of Corruption, flinging her away. She quickly, extended her bones, cutting Miku's skin. She was about to slash her neck, but Tsubasa rushed from behind, swinging her blade and forcing Hel to avoid the attack. Tsubasa immediately followed up by going for an elbow toward Hel's face, but she immediately caught her with her hand.
"I admire your tenacity." Hel droned, squeezing Tsubasa's elbow. The bluenette screamed, feeling her skin beginning to rot as it began to extend up her arm. She immediately sliced off her arm before it could reach the rest of her body, sending a slash of blue energy toward Hel, parrying it with her blades.
"TSUBASA-SAN!" Both Miku and Hibiki screamed, catching the bluenette in their arms.
"Don't...let her hands come in contact with your body..." Tsubasa nearly passed out as she cauterized her wound with the blue flames from her sword."If you do...you'll die immediately. She corrupts anything she touches. Organic and inorganic...Tachibana...I'm sorry, but...we can't save her."
"What...? No, we have to try-"
"We already did. And it's not working. She knows our plan, and she's now incredibly fast to be caught off guard." Tsubasa reluctantly said."There...is nothing we can do. We have to put her down..."
"No! I refuse to just give up on her! I let her down before...I let Hajime down before...What kind of person would I be...if I can't save a single person?!" Hibiki shook her head."She's still In there...When she was lashing out, I heard her voice loud and clear. She's in pain. The darkness inside...we have to find a way to get rid of it and pull that God out of her!"
"Inside..." Tsubasa's eyes slowly widened in realization."There may be one last thing we can attempt...But it's dangerous. We'll need to act fast and without fail. And even if we do everything perfectly, there's a good chance it will not work, and Setsuna-chan will die. Are you both willing to try?"
Miku and Hibiki exchanged glances, and before they could reply, several bones began emerging from the ground, forcing them to take off into the sky. Hibiki yelped as a bone came her way, fortunately, Miku grabbed her hand and pulled her away as the bone corroded away.
"She can use her Corruption through the things she touches!" Miku cried out.
"DO NOT GET TOUCH! NO MATTER WHAT!" Tsubasa screamed at the top of her lungs, wielding her spear."IF SHE TOUCHES YOU, IT'S OVER!"
"You don't have a choice." Hel flew past them, shooting a barrage of energy spheres at the ground, forcing the Symphogear to fly around to avoid them as well as avoiding the bones that attempted to either pierce them or corrode them away.' She's limiting our movements!'
Hel came through a building, nearly stabbing Tsubasa in the head with a bone spear had she not moved at the last second. Tsubasa clad her blade at her left ankle with electricity, going for a spiral kick, but Hel blocked it with ease, slamming her knee against her belly and launching her to the ground.
"Just wait there like a good girl. You lost an arm. You got no more cards to play."
"Maybe not, but we do!" Miku charged up a ball of Shenshoujing energy, batting it away with her hammer as it broke into several more attacks. Hel clicked her tongue, leaping into the air to avoid them.
"SETSUNA-CHAN!" Hibiki ignited her thrusters, tackling Hel into a wall.
"Maybe not yell and ruin your surprise attack?" Hel wrapped her tailbone around Hibiki's waist, slamming her against the building before hurling her into another rooftop. Miku shot several beams toward her mirrors, surrounding Hel and trapping her in a dome as the attacks collided against her. In retaliation, Hel fired a beam from her hands, hitting Miku in her stomach and rocketing her away, focusing on Hibiki.
Hel blasted herself toward the rooftop, attempting to squash Hibiki's body, but she immediately rolled out of the way, jumping on her feet. She lunged at Hel, delivering several quick punches on her body. However, her bone defenses were stronger, taking the punishment and protecting Hel. She stretched out her hands, but Hibiki grabbed her wrists, preventing her from touching her. Much to her shock, Hel wrestled her left hand free, touching Hibiki's right fist. Immediately, she threw away her gauntlet, but Hel continued by swatting her to the ground with her tail. Hel stood over her, chucking.
"Now...I'm going to choke the life out of you." Hel had her hands inches away from Hibiki's neck, ready to squeeze. And before she could touch her, her hands fell off, blood splattering from her arms."H-huh?"
She looked up, seeing Tsubasa with her blade out, and a current of wind surrounding her blade. She had used her wind to create a vacuum blade, much like how Yosuke had done against Bragard, and sent a slash in Hel's direction, slicing her hands off of her.
'Her bone manipulation is the same as Kugisaki's lightning abilities. They are Alchemy used through the runes on their arms. To stop her, we have to do the same that Adachi did to Kugisaki to rob him of his abilities...'
Before Hel could process what was going on, she saw a bright light rapidly approaching her. Hibiki punched her in the chest, flinging her off of her and into the attack, sending her into the sky.
"What is...going on?!" Hel cried out in her head."Why...?"
Tsubasa used the wind on her legs to blast herself toward Hel at high speeds, reading her blade. In addition, her blade turned purple, and Hel noticed Miku had clad her blade with the Shenshoujing's power. However, the blade was beginning to crack, so Tsubasa acted fast, and blitzed past Hel, slicing her right side. A black liquid erupted from her side, becoming solid as Hibiki grabbed onto it, igniting her thrusters and using her fire to create two large arms of fire, grabbing onto the black substance.
'They...They were aiming for my Divine Power!' Hel's eyes tremble, opening her mouth more and spewing out corruption from her body."I WILL NOT LET YOU MAKE ME WEAK AGAIN! THIS IS MY POWER! THE POWER OF LIBERATION! I AM SO CLOSE! SO CLOSE TO SEEING MY GRANNY AND MOMMY AGAIN! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"
Hibiki avoided, releasing a powerful roar as she pulled onto the black substance as hard as she could, yanking it out of Setsuna before rushing off the building after her.
The transformation immediately began to vanish, her dress disappearing as well as her Deck breaking into pieces. Her divine appearance also began to disappear. Her white robes and angelic appearance peeled off like a second layer of skin. Her long onyx hair went back to her short brown hair, and her eyes returned to their natural brown color. She had reverted to her human form before Ragnarok had started.
"At last! I'm free from this despicable human body!" The real Hel cackled as she began to take form upon being pulled out of Setsuna."Now I just have to go find Father and-"
Miku immediately unleashed her most powerful blast, aiming directly at Hel.
Meteoroids
"What?! No! No! Not like this!" Hel screeched in agony as the attack disintegrated her body, exploding into particles and vanishing with the wind.
"Setsuna-chan! I got you!" Hibiki scooped her up in her arms, immediately being soaked with the blood pouring from the younger girl's wounds.
"Ugh...Why do you...have to make everything so...difficult...?" Setsuna muttered, averting her gaze.
"Because I love you, silly." Hibiki smiled warmly at her."Let's get you home...back to the person that loves you the most. I'm sure Hajime will be happy to see you again."
"Haji, huh..." Setsuna's eyes closed."Haji..."
"Do you think...we'll be okay...?" A younger Setsuna asked Hajime, watching their deceased mother in her casket."Mommy is gone...Daddy is gone..."
"I don't know what will happen from here on out." Hajime muttered, squeezing her hand."But no matter what happens...I'll always be here for you. No matter what happens. I swear...We'll be together forever. Even if more dark times come...and even if there is no light at the end of the tunnel...I'll make a new light...for you."
"Haji..." Setsuna muttered as she lost consciousness in Hibiki's arms.
"Setsuna-chan! Setsuna-chan! Wake up!" Hibiki gasped."She's...she's losing too much blood...!"
"Tachibana! Go!" Tsubasa screamed as Miku helped her up.
"We'll be fine! Just make sure Setsuna-chan is safe!" Miku nodded.
Hibiki couldn't protest. Instead, she formed two wings of flames, immediately flying back toward their HQ as fast as she could."Please...let me make it in time...I refuse to let her die after we just got her back!"
Hajime ran down the ghost streets of Tokyo, hearing the intense battles behind him as he started to leap around. He had reverted his transformation, but the power of Oversurvive lingered, making his hair and eyes red as flames and adding a glow to his uniform. A few stray demons get in his way, but he quickly maneuvers around them, jumping on top of a building and leaping away. The demons were about to chase him, but Kamen Rider Alternatives quickly intercepted them, following their command to annihilate all demons.
After a few minutes, Hajime finally located the person he was chasing in Ueno Park. Sitting down on a bench, staring down at the lake in front, was Hazuki, leisurely leaning back with his arms behind his head.
Hajime landed on the grass, walking toward him slowly and stopping a few meters away from him upon hearing the sound of applause.
"Well, well. I'm surprised you made it this far." Hazuki said, clapping derisively."You have my compliments. And I don't mean just surviving this long only. Following me down this ditch of despair...You are something else."
"Hazuki...Enough of these games." Hajime said, shifting his gaze momentarily to the Qliphoth Tree in the distance.
"This is no game, Hajime. Surely even you can figure it out by now. I mean, look around." Hazuki stood up, splaying his arms."It's real. And it's happening. And what is this supposed to be? Don't tell me they sent you all by yourself again just because you have a "better chance" at fighting me than the rest."
Hazuki snickered."You guys don't learn from your mistakes at all! What a joke. Hajime, have you forgotten already? I beat you last time. And now, there is no Alternative or Abyss or any of your friends coming here to save you. Because they won't get past the rest of my allies. In other words, as of now, you're a lonely little soul trying to defy his fate with all his might."
"And you don't have Loki to bail you out like before." Hajime shot back, glancing around him."Seems to me like you're the lonely loser here."
Hazuki's eyes widened at that but quickly recomposed himself."Don't think for a second you're better than me. You cocky brat. You're wrong. I am Loki. And Hazuki. I made his power entirely my own. You have no chance in hell of ever beating me. But even if, and this is a big if, you manage to defeat me, then what? Do you think the world is going to magically go back to what it was? Look around you!"
The older brother grinned sardonically, raising his arms in the air."This is divine justice! This disgusting world is about to stop existing. You should be thanking me. You have nothing else to fight for. You all failed before to stop Ragnarok. Just resign to your fate and accept the consequences of your failure. In other words...you're too late. I am about to change reality itself and there is not a single thing you can do to stop me. I will make everyone's dreams and reality and become the Ultimate Good. No more pain and suffering for anyone else. From this day on, the dawn of a new era begins. And you won't live to see it. But...If you grovel before me now...I might consider reviving you in the new world. Just for Setsuna's sake."
Hajime kept his blank expression on his face, narrowing his eyes and uttering a few words to counter Hazuki's speech."You're so fucking pathetic. You're just running away from reality, you spineless coward."
Those words infuriated Hazuki, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Hajime's face."Enough with the bravado! You loathsome pest! Every breath you take is a waste! There is a new world coming! And what it really doesn't need is annoying assholes like you, do you understand me?!"
(Play HEY-SMITH - Say My Name)
"Then let's get on with this and finish this." Hajime responded unfazed by his outburst."Today, your ambitions and dreams come to an end. The one who won't live to see his reality come true...will be you."
"You...How dare you say those words to a God! You are a speck of dust to me!" Hazuki started to levitate and returned to his original spot."I guess I was a fool for believing you could see reason. But I do admire your determination. Even while facing the end, you persist. But I guess it's true what they say. There is no point in fearing the inevitable. What was it that you said before? Oh, yes. Since I am the returning champion, that makes you...the challenger."
"Fine. I'll tear the crown right off your head." Hajime pulled out his Deck.
"Those are fighting words, brother. I sincerely hope you can back them up this time." Hazuki pulled out his Deck, and in a flash of crimson and black flames, both Riders were clad in their Rider armors. Hajime in his Oversurvive form and Hazuki in his Calamity form."NOW BE A GOOD LITTLE BROTHER AND DIE!"
"Here we go." Ryuki and Loki rushed at each other, causing an explosion of flames as the area around them was destroyed. The final battle to stop Ragnarok had finally begun, and with it, the fate of reality was once more at stake. Two dragons who had clashed multiple times before, now face each other again. This time, to determine the fate of all living things. And put an end to their sibling rivalry.
Mission: Stop Ragnarok
Status: Ongoing
Defeated Calamity Riders: 5
Remaining Calamity Riders: 1