Reviews:
Tigracho: Another FIS sibling dead. Only 5 remain. It's sad how it started with 9 and now there's only 5 left. I think Raiden would be more pressed into going that way. Considering, as you said, he's the only male left. Originally, it was him, Andreas, and Jades. And they had Jades to rely on. Now he's more bound to fight to protect what he has left. But you're right, more than likely he'll feel guilty. Mostly because they were on bad terms when they last saw each other. Maria is going to be fuming. She was already on board with the idea that Terunosuke had no hope of being redeemed. He is part of the group that took Andreas' life and now her soulmate's. But like you said, I think Chris and Maria can support each other. They are both widows, so to speak, so they understand their pain. Chris has dealt with this for far longer, so she may offer some advice.
But also, she may just tell her to kill Terunosuke. Which I doubt Raiden will be opposed to. I think revenge is a good part of Chris' motivation, and will become Maria's. That, and their desire to protect. Maria loves her friends. And the Riders that are left are family to her too. And...yeah, you're right. Hamaguchi is the only one without a traumatic backstory. I mean, he had his moment in Okinawa. But it's not like he was traumatized from that. I guess this is why he's so easy to get along with and ease the tension in the air.
Guest: Claro que si
Cyclone Fox: Jades was a great guy. Everyone's older brother. He died with a smile on his face, hugging his brother, and refusing to hate him, even to the very last second.
FlameFireZero X: Yeah, I'll fix it.
Guest: Un grande se nos fue. No sera olvidado.
Guest: Jades fue derrotado para que Raiden puedan vencer. Su legacia no sera olvidada.
Akira: Jades never abandoned Terunosuke. He always tried to protect him, in his own way. And refused to leave him alone as he died. He could have killed him, but he hugged him, showing his love and affection. Hopefully, Terunosuke can start realizing what he did was a mistake.
Lord Ri The Husbu King: I'll be honest with you, I don't like villains or torturing the heroes. But I can't simply kill off all the villains. There's only 4. Chiaki, Hazuki, Terunosuke, and Allister. Chiaki is dead. I need the other 3 for the final arc. Also, I can't have too many heroes around. It would make things messier, ruin the tension, and just ruin their deaths. Imagine if I never killed any of the Riders and killed them in one chapter in the final season. That would make for a good moment or character death, would it? That's why I try to give them all a proper way to be sent off. I love all my characters. Sure, I like Allister and Terunosuke, but I also like Takeru, Hamaguchi, and Raiden. It's not about favoritism, but making a good and coherent story.
I'm not upset though. You're right, the outcome was kind of obvious. It was either that or both of them died. But Jades had to go. But it was meant to be obvious. Jades wanted to make amends for what he did to Terunosuke, and Terunosuke had hatred toward him. But we know what kind of person Jades is. And he would never have killed his brother like that. It's more of a battle of meaning and emotion rather than who wins or dies. But hey, you have 4 people to choose from. Hamaguchi, Yosuke, Bragi, or Raiden. But also, next season, villains will start to die. So don't be surprised when they start dropping like flies too.
FlameFireZero X: To be honest, this was a possibility. But then I realized I needed Terunosuke for the final arc. I need Maria and her group to have something to do for the final confrontation. You see, the final arc is split into 3 parts. The first part is all about the DDV. The rest you'll have to wait and see. Yeah, Jades will be missed. He was a huge pillar to the group, like Takeru.
Tenzulucard123: xD!
Guest: Basicamente la diferencia es en terminos de poder. Es dificil de explicar, pero es asi tipo dragon ball donde algunos dioses tienen mas poder/prestigio que otros.
SoutaAmetsuchi: Hopefully his words reached Terunosuke's heart. A brother to the very end.
Itsuki Amari: Terunosuke's path is very...turbulent. A roller coaster of emotions for him and those around him. You can hate or love him, but the guy has issues. Both with himself and how he perceives the world. Jades tried to at least make him understand that there were people who loved him and weren't alone before he died. It's like a final message.
Anthony Galupo: You are my special.
Chapter 127
Mourning Ice
Carol was slammed against a wall by a large black fist, created from Nightmare's power. The blonde winced, sneering.
'No doubt about it...That's Broken Alchemy...' Carol raised her hand, conjuring threads from the ground. But Nightmare leaped into the air, avoiding it. Carol opened a red magic circle, shooting several rods of fire toward the masked man. To her shock, he stretched his left arm out, repelling the attacks back to her, forcing her to conjure a barrier."T-that's-!"
"That's what the Young Master did earlier..." Garie muttered in shock."He just repelled Carol's attack!"
"He can manipulate gravity too? But how?" Tobias was equally perplexed.
Using his right arm, Nightmare pulled Carol toward him, grabbing her by her neck.
'Carol!' Elfnein cried out in concern.
'I know!' Carol sneered, wrapping her arm with wires creating a makeshift drill, and cladding it with Alchemy, slamming it against Nightmare and piercing through his chest, sending him flying toward a wall. She fired a total of 8 elemental attacks toward him, creating a huge explosion of colors.
To her annoyance, Nightmare emerged from the smoke. But her anger turned to shock when black dust began to swirl around him, his wounds regenerating.
"He's...regenerating...?" Carol gawked.'Is he...no, that can't be...'
'Carol?'
Carol bit her lower lip. This guy was canceling out her attacks with his Alchemy. Something that could only be due to the nature of the Broken Alchemy. But not only that, he was using Repel and Attract. Furthermore, the man also had regenerative abilities.
"Ca..."
Carol perked up at the noise Nightmare was making, stumbling toward her.
"Ca...Ca...Ca...r-r-rol..."
Nightmare roared, lunging at Carol. She conjured balls of threads, sending them his way and causing them to explode. Once the smoke cleared out, he was bonded by the threads, unable to move. However, he used his gravity to slam her on the ground and started shooting her with black projectiles from his magic circles. Carol began to sing, releasing a powerful burst of energy that shook off the attacks, and was enough to help the Symphogear outside.
Second Impact
6 dark matter orbs formed in front of Nightmare, shooting black beams of energy and merging into one.
'Broken Alchemy is strong against all individual normal elements of alchemy. But against all of them combined...' Carol shot 5 elemental attacks of water, earth, fire, wind, and silver, merging them and forming a golden lion of energy. The lion completely devoured the black beam, striking Nightmare in the upper part of his body and creating a huge explosion that shook the Chateau.
'C-Carol! That was too much!' Elfnein complained.'You'll bring this whole place down!'
"It's fine. I held back intentionally. I just...need to confirm something." Carol narrowed her eyes, staring at Nightmare. His right arm was missing but was regenerating, and his head hung low. Some pieces of his mask came off, releasing red energy and catching her attention. He looked up at her, and that's when she finally understood.
Tears threatened to fall down her eyes, but she shook her head.
"Carol...that's..."
Carol nodded."So that's where you were all this time, huh?"
Half of Nightmare's mask was missing, revealing his crimson eyes and his white hair.
"What did they do to you...Bragard?" Carol scowled at the albino, whose mouth was opening and closing, not saying anything.
"Wait...Bragard? But..." Elfnein gasped.
"It explains why he can use Broken Alchemy." Carol told her counterpart."Remember, Hajime Adachi didn't kill him. They took him and were using him to power up the Mirror World."
"So then...that mask..." Her counterpart pursed her lips.
"They must need him for something." Carol deduced."Either that or Hazuki Kaburagi really hates him. Then again, Bragard is the cause of the majority of the things that have happened...That mask must be controlling him."
"Ca...Caro...Carol..." Nightmare continued mumbling, grabbing at his head."Carol...Carol...Carol..."
"What should we do?" Elfnein asked.
"The only thing that we can do." Carol said, raising her arm."Put him out of his misery."
"Carol...Carol...please..." Nightmare muttered, staring into her teal eyes."Ca...Ca...Carol...set...set me...free..."
"What...?" Carol's eyes widened at that."What are you saying...Bragard, are you still in there?"
"I'm...I'm...I'm in...so...much...much pain..." Nightmare continued, grabbing at his head and falling to his knees."Hurts...Carol..."
Nightmare stretched his arm, attempting to reach for Carol, who unconsciously tried to reach back. But he screamed and began to flail around, the aura around his body intensifying. A black portal appeared behind him, sucking him in and taking him away.
"Bragard..." Carol clenched her fists."They're using him like a puppet...Ironic, really. Considering what he did. But still..."
"Do you...feel bad for him?"
"We were partners for a long time. While I loved the first Bragard, the Second is the one who helped me out of that hell hole after everything happened. So I can't say I completely hate him. Regardless, as long as he's around, Bragi will most likely try to target him and kill him for the sake of his friends."
"Are you going to tell him?"
"No. The last thing on his mind is that his bastard of a father is being used by the enemy like this." Carol folded her arms under her chest."We need him focused on what's important. Bragard can wait."
"Carol...you really love Bragi-chan." Elfnein smiled.
"Of course I do." Carols scoffed, a smile holding a lot of pride gracing her features."He's my son, after all. I love him just as much as you do. But-"
Carol suddenly felt weak and fell on her knees, gasping for air.
'C-Carol! What's wrong?!'
"I'm...running out of time...And that used too much energy. Elfnein, it's up to you now..." Carol switched places with Elfnein as the Dur Da Bla disappeared.
"Carol..." Elfnein muttered.
"Carol!" Garie shouted."Come here! Quick!"
Elfnein gasped, jogging back to the room."W-what's wrong?!"
"Look! Her body is...!"
The young blonde looked toward Miku's body, noticing it break into particles."Miku-san...is becoming part of the power...? How can that be...?"
Suddenly, Tobias' left eye turned silver before rushing out of the room, ignoring Garie's words.
'I have a bad feeling about this, lad...' The God Of Thunder grimaced, feeling a very familiar presence outside.
"Damn Fudo..." Vanessa sneered, limping while having Elsa's arm wrapped around her frame. The poor pinkette was too weak to walk on her own, but it was not like Vanessa was doing any better. Fudo had tricked them, poisoning the blood he gave them on purpose to keep them controlled.
"Girls..." Angelo groaned, smiling upon seeing his friends and his girlfriend.
The three girls looked up to see Angelo, walking while using the wall to support himself. Millaarc noticed he was missing an arm and quickly ran to his side before he could collapse.
"Angelo! Angelo! What happened to you?!" Millaarc was about to set him down on the ground, but he shook his head."Your arm! What happened to your arm, darling?!"
"F-forget about me...That bastard took my arm...W-what happened to the 3 of you?!"
"Fudo...set us up..." Elsa said through gritted teeth."He was using us..."
"That boyfriend of yours probably knew." Millaarc sneered."He's close with Fudo...He must have known!"
"N-no! Allister would never do something like that!" Elsa shook her head, refusing to believe her lover would be behind this.
"At any rate, we have to get the hell out of here." Vanessa said."It's too dangerous. And with this blood...I don't think we can survive another fight..."
"Wait, what happened to Reina and the others?" Angelo's face scrunched up in confusion."Why aren't they with you?"
"Reina went after you. And so did Amy. They're probably together right about now." Vanessa guessed, unaware of the sad truth."We'll look for them later. For now...we get out of here before shit hits the fan."
The Chateau shook once more and they could easily feel something big was happening out there.
"I think it already did..."
"M-Miku?!" Hibiki tried to reach out to Shem-Ha.
A portal appeared in front of Hibiki, teleporting her away from Shem-Ha and throwing her to the ground.
"Don't interfere, Godslayer," Loki said, taking control of Hazuki's body and tossing it aside, revealing his golden left eye. He flew toward Shem-Ha, who regarded him with skepticism.
"I wasn't aware lowly human monkeys could fly," Shem-Ha said with disdain.
"Don't you recognize me, Shemmy?" Loki placed a hand on his black armor with faux hurt."You wound me. I thought we had something special."
"Only one person calls me Shemmy...Loki?! Is that you?!" Shem-Ha's eyes shot wide open.
"The only and only Trickster God." Loki grinned."Like you, I have a human. It's been a while, love."
"Love, he says." She scoffed with a smile."Though I do suppose we shared some interesting times, did we not?"
Loki chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist and bringing her close."I suppose we did. How about we do one to remember old times?"
"I'll humor you, just this once."
Both Gods shared a deep kiss, though there was anything but love involved. It was a taunt to those watching, as their tongues wrestled with each other's.
"Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on here...?" Hamaguchi muttered. Ryuki leaped in the air and caught Hibiki as her Amalgam form ran out and returned to her hospital gown.
"Are you okay, Sunshine?!" Ryuki asked her, carrying her in bridal style.
"M-Miku...Miku is..." Hibiki muttered, her eyes full of tears.
"Allister! Start explaining now!" Chris yelled to the snake-themed Rider, who was watching the Gods kiss from afar.
"Just Loki-sama indulging himself a little. Nothing more." Ouja shrugged."Two beings whose entire concept escapes our notice."
"Did you plan for this?" Tsubasa glared at him, but he wasn't perturbed in the least.
"Not really. This...is actually a surprise for all of us." Allister admitted, shocking them.
"W-what do you mean? Did you not mean for Shem-Ha to be resurrected?" Maria inquired, receiving a chuckle in return.
"It's a bit complicated. But you're on the right track." Ouja spared them a glance."It's outside of our original plan. But it's not an unwelcome surprise by any means."
"Loki, why are you inside of a human?" Shem-Ha asked before glaring."Also, where in the world were you? Why didn't you come to aid me?! And why did you not plan for my resurrection sooner?!"
"Look, a lot happened. But it all revolves around my death."
"You...died?"
"After you. A lot went down. It's a long story, but all of the Aesir Gods are dead. Now, the ones that are around are me, the Allfucketr, and-"
"Loki!"
Thor landed in front of SONG, panting as electricity coursed through his legs.
"Tobias? Why is he here?" Shirabe pondered.
"I take it that's the annoying brother you mentioned before?" Shem-Ha mused.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the drunkard!" Loki clapped, laughing."Long time no see, Thor! How are you? Shouldn't you be...caring after your kids? Or are you still the lousy ass father you've always been? I truly feel bad for that kid you're possessing."
"Loki! Cease this at once!"
"Stop what, exactly?" He cocked his head to the side.
"Ragnarok! You must stop now! Do you not realize what would happen if-"
"I realize that, of course. After all, it's how Asgard came to stop existing." He cut him off abruptly.
"Ragnarok?" Shem-Ha repeated.
"Thor, listen. This world is utterly hopeless. We just want to purge humanity and extinguish it to create a new world free of this cursed Free Will!" Loki splayed his arms."I want to help humans become free! To break away from the chains of the Divine!"
"By enslaving them?! You're offering complete annihilation just so you can give them the life you see fit!"
"But of course, you fail to understand the purpose of our mission. How sad. You've always thought too small, Thor. Always focused on nonsense. You don't see the bigger picture." Loki shook his head."Then if you stand in my way, I'll just have to have you killed again. Who was it that killed you again?"
"Loki...You..."
"At any rate, you're in a useless body right now. That's an Autoscorer. Not a Liang."
"Liang, huh?" Shem-Ha focused on Kamen Rider Ryuki."No wonder that boy feels familiar. Is he my descendant?"
"He is. As is the current host I'm using. They're siblings."
"Wait, what? I'm a descendant...of her?" Hajime repeated, stupified.
"You probably don't know this, but Shemmy and I had a kid. His whole mission was to facilitate the possession of his planet. His name was Narfi." Loki began, alerting Thor."I guess you could say he's the origin of all evil in humanity since he spread his influence. Particularly, he got mixed with early Liang Clan."
"With the Liangs?" Maria frowned."What are you trying to say?"
"I'm getting to that." He said."After several years, the Liangs came into contact with the Hyperions, direct disciples of the Divine Beast, Ventara. In particular, Bragard's sister, Lucine. What I'm trying to say is-"
"You're saying the Hyperions and Liangs are evil." Hajime finished for him, reminiscing of what Yomi had told him.
"Exactly. I mean...it makes sense if you think about it. Who have been the greatest enemies of humanity? Bragard and your brother. And as you can clearly see, you are my descendant as well, Hajime Adachi. As well as Shem-Ha over here."
"What exactly happened during my years of slumber?" Shem-Ha inquired, glaring at him with skepticism."Where is Narfi right now?"
"I'll get to that." Loki reassured her."It's a little complicated but-Huh?"
Suddenly, a portal opened up, revealing the reanimated Kamen Rider Femme.
"C-Chiaki?! Why is she here?!" Hamaguchi took a step back.
"No wonder Ryuga didn't use her during their fight," Shirabe remarked."He must have deployed her way earlier."
"So, it's all over then, is it?" Allister asked her, prompting her to nod.
"Yeah. It's finally settled." Femme cleared her throat before yelling."Terunosuke Kuwana, Kamen Rider Gai, has just defeated Jades Demetrios, Kamen Rider Tiger!"
Maria's heart sank at those words, nearly falling to her knees."W-what?"
"Jades-onii-chan?" Shirabe repeated, equally stunned.
"Lies!" Kirika yelled, her voice cracking."You're lying! You're LYING-DESU!"
"What?! I don't believe it!" Loki gasped in shock, shifting his gaze to the people below."No, I'm serious. I'm just as surprised as you guys are."
"What are you talking about?" Ryuki mumbled, bewildered at the news.
"To be honest, we agreed for Kuwana-san to have his fight with his brother one-on-one." Allister supplied."We vowed that we would not interfere, but Chiaki-chan would be observing the fight to report to us later. As Loki-sama said, we didn't expect Kuwana-san to win. In fact, we were counting on his defeat. So for him to kill Jades like that-"
"You're lying! He can't be dead!" Maria screamed at the top of her lungs."He can't be!"
Chiaki stepped aside, allowing Blancwing to slowly fly out of the portal, carrying a bloody and unconscious Terunosuke on her back. The lilac-haired girl grabbed his Deck, drawing a card from it, and showing it to the group. It was Destwilder."Is this proof enough?"
Maria fell to her knees."No...No..."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kirika screeched, shaking her head as she began to wail. Hamaguchi rushed to her side, engulfing her in a hug."NO! NO! NO!"
"Onii-chan...Onii-chan can't be...he can't be..." Shirabe nearly fainted, but Hajime quickly grabbed her before she could fall.
"Don't feel bad." Chiaki told them."He fought valiantly. To the very end. But..."
"But what?" Loki asked, intrigued at her pause.
"There is something odd about that fight." She chucked him the camera holding the video of the entire battle."My time is running out, so I couldn't check it out myself."
"I see. Well, thank you for your services, Chiaki." Loki nodded as the girl's eyes turned pitch black and her skin completely grey before disappearing.
"You'll have to explain to me in detail everything that's going on," Shem-Ha demanded, folding her arms under her chest.
"Yeah. Just hang on until-"
"HOW DARE YOU! MURDER! BASTARD! BASTARD! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Maria screamed, lunging at Loki with intent to kill. However, he opened up a portal, creating a black fist and punching her away. The girl rolled on the ground before crashing into a wall, losing her transformation.
"Maria!" Chris cried out in concern.
"Such pests." Loki clicked his tongue."Are there any more volunteers I should be worried about or-"
"MIKU-SAN!"
"Of course." Loki groaned in exasperation."This waste of space."
Bragi descended from the skies, nearly tripping over his feet as his transformation ran out."I'm here, Miku-san!"
"Bragi-kun! Come back!" Hibiki tried to warn him, but he wasn't listening.
"I'm sorry, Miku-san..." Bragi took slow steps toward the Goddess, who glared at him cooly."I should have given you an answer back then. I should have...told you how I felt...I'm so sorry, Miku-san. I love you...okay? I know I should have told you sooner...If I did...I could have..."
Shem-Ha descended to the ground, walking toward Bragi.
"DIENHEIM! GET BACK!" Hajime yelled, but it was pointless. Shem-Ha released five orbs of energy simultaneously, completely vaporizing Bragi's upper body. His body hit with ground with a thud, completely unmoving.
"BRAGI!"
"Who is this?" Shem-Ha asked Loki, who landed next to her.
"A Hyperion, the last Prince of the Ventara Kingdom." Loki informed her."Feel free to kill him. He's useless now."
"I intended to do that even without your permission." Shem-Ha raised her hand, charging up another attack.
Red Vent: Chaos Gate
Suddenly, Ryuki swapped places with Bragi, grabbing Shem-Ha's arm.
"You..." Shem-Ha snarled in disgust."Insolent worm. How dare you grab me like this?! And how do you have Divine Power?!"
"Well, I didn't know you had it in you, Messiah." Loki chuckled, finding the whole thing hilarious.
"Messiah, you said?" Shem-Ha frowned at that."This boy? Then again, he is my descendant. That would explain his possession of Divine Power. But what about that one with the snake armor? What have you been up to, Loki?"
Ryuki grimaced, staring into Shem-Ha's eyes as she argued with Loki.
"Those eyes...You have the same cold and distant eyes as she did!" He recalled Lilith saying before.
'Is that what she meant?' Hajime bit his lower lip.'I'm a descendant of this being...? But...then what Yomi said...'
Shaking her head, Shem-Ha placed her hand against his chest, much to his confusion. But this was her intent, as she blasted him away, shattering his armor with ease.
"Hajime!" Hibiki cried out.
"I got him!" Chris quickly caught him in her arms, but due to the force of the attack, he fell on top of her.
"That was easy." Shem-Ha remarked."Perhaps it's because of the significance of my vessel to them. No matter. For now, let us focus on that vexing moon-"
Suddenly, Shem-Ha started screaming in pain, a red brand appearing on her back.
"Wait...isn't this from back then?" Chris blinked.
Hajime knelt down to pick up Bragi's body, noticing black dust already swirling around it. He shifted his gaze, realizing Hibiki was approaching Miku."Hibiki! Don't!"
To everyone's shock, Tsubasa swooped in and took Shem-Ha with her into the air as the Goddess lost consciousness.
"Tsubasa! What are you doing?!" Maria demanded, tears flowing endlessly down her cheeks.
"Everything I do, I do for this country!" She declared, her eyes shining before firing several energy blades at the whole group. Everyone scatted around, but Loki decided to store that attack in Odin's Vault for future use.
"Interesting. So that's their angle." He chuckled. However, as soon as he was about to take a step forward, he noticed a shadow constraining him. He scanned his surroundings, noticing everyone had been paralyzed to Shadow Weave.
"Those swords...she wasn't just firing wildly..." Allister remarked."She was aiming to prevent us from moving."
"I am a sentinel for this country!" Tsubasa screamed before taking off with Shem-Ha in her hands.
"Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki cried out to no avail.
"Should we go after them?" Ouja asked Ryuga.
"Nah. This is fine." Loki shrugged, opening a portal."I don't feel like dealing with Shemmy right now. Plus, we need to treat Terunosuke's wounds or he'll bleed out. See you guys later! And Thor! It was fun! Let's do this again sometime!"
With that, they jumped inside the portal, leaving only SONG behind.
"I can't believe Jades-san really is gone..." Hamaguchi ran a hand through his hair, sitting in the medical bay as they all waited for the doctors to give them the status of Raiden and Yosuke. They had been caught in the blast that destroyed half of the district. Fortunately, they were almost out of the radius of the explosion. All CCTV cameras had been destroyed. While there were videos about what happened, nothing concrete could be drawn. They couldn't determine who was responsible for the destruction. All the Disasters had allabies. Thanks to Garie, Carol, Elfnein, and Tobias, they determined that Reina and Amy were the two members of Noble Red who perished in whatever transpired.
Genjuro found out that Jo was staying in a hospital in that area, and was more than likely dead. The man had shed a tear for his long-time friend and realized that this would be more baggage for Tsubasa and Yosuke to carry when they found out. But the mystery was still unsolved. Who was the one who destroyed half of the district in the blink of an eye?
Kirika was next to the bluenette, hugging him tightly as she sobbed silently into his chest. He rubbed her head soothingly, kissing her and giving her words of comfort, telling her "I love you" as much as he could softly. Hajime found it weird seeing him not doing any perverted things. But due to circumstances, he understood.
"And what Tsubasa-san did...What the hell is going on here?" Hajime gritted his teeth.
"Not only that but fucking Bragard is up and about." Chris sneered."Still, now he's a puppet. After he controlled all of those people's lives."
"W-w-what are we...going to do now?" Shirabe asked and Hajime scooted closer to her, letting her rest her head on his shoulder for comfort.
"I don't know. Hibiki is under house arrest due to using the Amalgam, and Tsubasa-san is... possibly under enemy control. Yanagi-san, Raiden, and Dienheim are out of commission. And Jades-san...There's only 5 Kamen Riders left in our group."
"2." Hamaguchi corrected him."At least 2 that can fight. Just you and me."
"No! I don't want you to fight!" Kirika pleaded, shaking her head."Don't! You'll die too! I can't! I can't lose anyone else-desu! I need you to stay by my side!"
"Kirika..." Hamaguchi started to tear up. Seeing his girlfriend like that was killing him.
"Please...please don't fight..." Kirika practically was on top of him, looking into his eyes. He reached for her cheeks, wiping the tears away from her angelic face and kissing her forehead."Don't leave me too...Please don't ever leave me..."
Shirabe couldn't hold herself and started to cry louder. Hajime and Chris hugged her as it was the only thing they could do.
"I'll never leave you." Hamaguchi kissed her nose."I swear it. I'll still be here. Come on, I'm a survivor, remember? Plus, if I don't fight, Hajime will be alone."
"I...Just...Hold me close..." Kirika pleaded, burying her face against his chest."Don't ever let me go, okay-desu? I don't want to leave you out of my sight, alright...?"
"I'll stay with you for as long as it takes..." He kissed her forehead with all the love he could muster, wrapping her arms around her frame. She felt so frail in his arms right now. And all he wanted was to protect her."Wherever you go, I'll go."
Hajime and Chris were doing all they could to comfort Shirabe. The girl wasn't as vocal as Kirika, but she continued crying quietly in their embrace.
"Where's Maria-san?" Hajime whispered to Chris.
"She's watching over Raiden." Chris ushered back."She probably doesn't want to talk about the matter. I know how she feels. It's like when I lost Takeru."
"Still...How did Jades-san lose? Hazuki and Allister were both surprised Terunosuke won, so how?" Hajime bit his lower lip.
"We can't disregard that they must have played a dirty trick on him." Chris told him."Back with Takeru, Allister had several Mirror Monsters around the hospital to get him to fight him alone."
"Why alone, though?" Hamaguchi's face scrunched up in confusion."Isn't that counterproductive? For all they know, TakeTake could have killed Allister and Jades-san could have killed Terunosuke."
"I think...it's all personal." Hajime responded."Allister wanted to fight Takeru-san and Terunosuke wanted to fight Jades-san. I think if it wasn't personal, they wouldn't have resorted to one-on-one battles. But...now I think they'll stop doing that. They have 2 people with 3 monsters. Hazuki has one. They hold the power of 8 Kamen Riders on their side while we only have 5. How the hell did this even happen?"
"What do you mean?" Hamaguchi asked as Kirika refused to let go of him. He continued brushing her hair lovingly, wrapping and resting his head on her head.
"Back then, we had the upper hand. It was always 4 of them and 6 or 7 of us. Including the Symphogears, we had around 12 people. But now...they reversed the situation. We're at a big disadvantage right now."
"Does that mean...we can't win...?" Shirabe croaked, looking up at the dark-haired boy.
Hajime gave her a reassuring smile."Of course, we can. I know things seem bleak right now...but I promise you. Both of you girls. We'll pull through. We always do. I've been where you are right now. So has Chris-san. And I know what it feels like...to despair. To hit rock bottom and think there is no way out. Trust me, I do. I lost all of my family in one single day...And for a while, I thought everything was hopeless. That all I could do was...put an end to everything. But thanks to Hamaguchi and Endou-san, I realized I still have a reason to move forward. To push on. And you guys have each other. You have us. I know it hurts...I know that perfectly well. But you are not alone. You will never be alone. So hold onto your love. Because in the end...we only have each other."
"That's right." Hamaguchi stared lovingly into Kirika's eyes."We'll fight together. From now on, we'll stick together. Kirika, I promise you I'll never leave your side. In fact, why don't you stay at my place? I promise I won't do anything inappropriate. I just want to comfort you and be by your side during these difficult times. I'll be your pillow. If you want to cry, cry to me. If you want to scream, scream at me. If you feel like you can't move on, let me carry you. I want you to know...I love you with all of my heart. Seeing you like this... hurts me a lot. We're a couple...and...I want to spend my life with you. One day, I want to marry you. So...let me be your comfort, okay? I promise I won't make you sad. I'll never leave your side, Kirika...Never."
"I'll watch over him." Hajime reassured her, brushing Shirabe's hair."Same to you, Shirabe. I know you like my cousin, Wei. But Chris-san, me, and Hibiki will gladly be with you too. You guys still have each other. And you have us. Let's make the best of it."
Kirika and Shirabe were moved by their words and continued crying, letting out their pain.
"They're fine." Maria approached them, her eyes puffy and red due to crying."They'll make a full recovery...Thankfully, they were nearly out of the radius of the explosion...But the shockwave still hurt them. They're unconscious at the moment."
"Maria, you need to sit down-"
"I can't." Maria cut Chris off."I...I need to keep my mind occupied. I feel like if I slow down I'll fall and never recover. I have to be strong for the girls and Raiden..."
"Maria, that's not true." Hajime shook his head."Listen, we need to start planning a funeral for-"
"DO YOU THINK WE CAN HOLD A FUNERAL RIGHT NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THIS?!" Maria punched the wall. She gasped, noticing Kirika and Shirabe's looks of shock."I'm sorry...I...I just...I can't...Jades...my love is...he's...gone..."
Chris stood up from her chair, marching toward Maria and hugging her. The pinkette broke down in her arms as the two girls shared their pain together. They both knew what it felt like to lose a loved one, after all.
"I know...let it all out, Maria..." Chris muttered and felt Maria's grip tighten.
"Hajime-san..." Shirabe muttered to the half Liang.
"Yes?"
"About Setsuna-chan..."
"We'll get her back." Hajime smiled wistfully."I promised her I would take her to see the eclipse."
"An eclipse?"
"Yeah. There's a rare eclipse happening on February 29th of this year." Hajime told her."It's a pretty rare event, apparently. It's not a normal eclipse. The moon aligns with the sun perfectly for a split second. And no planets are in their way. Like a straight line of sorts. I'll save her. We'll end this fight once and for all. And then we can go back to how we were. Just enjoying our lives. We'll see the light at the end of the tunnel."
"I hope you're right..."
"Shirabe...Kirika..." Maria addressed her sisters. They immediately rushed to her, sharing a group hug."It'll be fine...We'll be fine...Jades wouldn't want to see us suffering like this...We'll get through this. I promise."
Hajime, Hamaguchi, and Chris observed silently as they cried together for their loss.
"Hajime. Mind if we step outside?" Hamaguchi said.
Hajime nodded."Chris-san, watch over them?"
"Like you need to say that," Chris responded with a small smile.
The half Liang walked away with Hamaguchi, stepping out of the room."What's up?"
"I'll be honest...I was putting up a front back then. I'm the weakest Rider, so it's not like my word is law." Hamagachi stated, leaning against the wall."Be honest with me. As the strongest in the team, do you think we can win?"
"Honestly, I don't think I'm the strongest anymore." Hajime admitted with a sheepish smile."Ever since the girls got that Amalgam form, we've been left in the dust."
"That's true. But they can't use it without getting fucking house arrest."
"I guess so." Hajime adopted a serious expression."To be honest...I'm not sure."
"W-what?"
"They have great assets on their side." Hajime began explaining."From their interaction, it seemed to be that Loki and Shem-Ha weren't exactly on the same side. But the power I felt from her is...out of this world. Even stronger than Adam and Lilith. Then there are the Disasters. Allister and Terunosuke have 3 monsters each. And I felt...Hazuki's power has grown. Must be because he's using the Messiah's power and gaining followers, strengthening his power. Noble Red aside, we're at a disadvantage."
"So...we'll lose?"
"No. We'll find a way to win." Hajime smiled at his best friend."We have to keep our spirits high. We can't give up now."
"You're goddamn right." Hamaguchi nodded with a grin."But still...you talk about playing tough, but you're putting up a front too."
"You noticed..."
"I know you, man. I know you're concerned for Setsuna." He placed a hand on his shoulder."We'll get her back, no matter what."
"I know...But I can't break down right now." Hajime looked at his hand."So many people need me...And I need them too. I can't break down and be...like before. I'll get Setsuna back, no matter what. Even if it's the last thing I do."
Hamaguchi hummed, watching his friend's solemn smile mischievously."By the way...do you like honey?"
"Honey? Uh...yeah, I do. Why?"
"Girls make pretty sweet honey."
"Huh? Girls? Does one of the girls sell honey or something?"
"All of them do, bruh." Hamaguchi wagged his eyebrows."I love Kirika's honey. Especially when I work for it. What about you? How is Hibiki-chan's honey?"
"What?" Hajime scrutinized his friend."What are you talking about? Hibiki doesn't even eat honey."
"Really? I doubt it. I heard you guys go at it very consistently for her not to make any honey."
Hajime blinked, slowly processing what he just heard. And Hamaguchi's shit-eating-grin gave him a pretty good idea of what he meant."W-W-W-W-WHAT?! WHAT THE FUCK?!"
"Hahahaha! Man, you're so dense!" Hamaguchi guffawed, holding his belly."Took you forever to get it!"
"No one is expecting someone to use honey as a sexual innuendo, you moron!" Hajime growled."Someone just died!"
"I know..." Hamaguchi suddenly turned serious."But...I'm sorry. This is how I cope. I'm stressed. Stressed as you are. But...like you said, we can't break breaking down now. If we do, we'll be vulnerable to the enemy. We have to stay strong. And humor is how I stay strong. Not just for me. But for Kirika as well. Especially now. Trust me. I'm not about to give up either. I'll support you no matter what. I believe in you fully."
"Hamaguchi...I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said. I-"
"It's cool." His friend grinned."I get it. It's frustrating. But we're still alive. And as long as we're alive, we can protect those we love. Right?"
"Right. You're right." Hajime nodded."Thanks, Hamaguchi. You sure know how to make someone feel better."
"Dude, I took care of you before. And Endou-chan. I think I could be a pretty good psychologist. Psychologist and a chef. Now that sounds impressive, doesn't it? By the way..."
"Yeah?"
"You didn't answer my question. About Hibiki-chan's honey-"
"OH MY GOD! GET AWAY FROM ME ALREADY, YOU WEIRDO!"
"Am I dead?"
Terunosuke kept wondering as he walked down the seemingly endless corridor at FIS. He felt like he'd been walking for hours.
"So what...Did I die? This is...hell? Limbo?" Terunosuke chuckled bitterly to himself.'Of course...'
Suddenly he finally saw a door right in front of him. He blinked. He hadn't seen it before. How the hell did it just sneak up on him like that? He opened the door without hesitation, realizing he had no choice. And was met with a very familiar silver-haired man standing on the other side.
"Jades...? But...how?"
Jades just stared at him with a small smile on his face. He raised his arms. Terunouke flinched, realizing he couldn't dodge in time. He closed his eyes, prepared for whatever strike was coming toward him. What he didn't expect was for Jades to hug him.
"What...? What are you doing?"
"You're so unfair sometimes, you know that?" Jades smiled."The last time we saw each other, you didn't get to hug me. You're supposed to hug people when they hug you, you know?"
Terunosuke slowly did what he was told, reciprocating the hug.
"Feels nice, huh?"
He wanted to reply sarcastically, as he often did. A derisive comment. Something to piss Jades off. Anything. But only one word came out of his mouth.
"Yeah..."
"You came to my dreams...just for this?" Terunosuke muttered.
"Of course. Do I need another reason to want to hug my little brother?" Jades rubbed his back."Never forget. I love all of my siblings. No exceptions. And that includes you."
"I see...You've always been this way. So...stupid." Terunosuke chuckled."But...did it have to be this way...?"
"It's the only way we know. The only way the world works." Jades slowly pulled back."It's time to go back, Terunsouke. You can't say here."
"B-but I-"
"Goodbye, Terunosuke." Jades shoved him away, and Terunosuke fell back into the darkness, watching as the light where his brother was became distant.
Terunosuke groaned, his eyes slowly opening to the light of the room he was in.
"He's awake...!" Despia croaked, coughing due to the strain on her throat.
"You can...talk?" Terunosuke flinched, feeling pain on the right side of his face.
"A little...it hurts..." She muttered."Your cheek...was sliced open...do not talk much...Please..."
"Take your own advice, kid. And stop talking." Terunosuke grumbled, scanning the room. Everyone was there, except for Nightmare."Where...? What happened...?"
"Well, first and foremost. Congratulations." Loki said, sitting on top of a table in his plushie form."You did it. You beat Jades Demetrios."
"Yeah...I did." Terunosuke trailed off.
"Thankfully, most of your injuries are superficial." Hazuki added."I had Despia treat you. She's a great nurse, if I say so myself."
Despia continued staring at the wounded man with concern. Terunosuke sighed, glaring in her direction.
"Thanks..."
She nodded, waving her arms and he actually understood what she said."You're welcome."
"A lot of stuff went down," Wei said, standing with Yomi by the door.
"Before we get to the Shem-Ha stuff...we should probably tell you about the fight." Allister said, holding his phone out."We finished examining the fight. I'll be honest, we thought you were going to lose. You had all of the odds stacked up against you."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence..."
"Anyway, we analyzed the fight. And...well..." Allister turned to the pink-eyed blonde.
"What? Just get on with it..." Terunosuke clicked his tongue.
"Kuwana-san, you should have lost this fight. No questions asked." Hazuki chimed in."You landed attacks that you shouldn't have even been able to land. Jades was faster the whole fight except when you transformed with the Divine Power. He had the upper hand 80% of the duel. Jades should have been able to dodge many of your attacks easily. Attacks which you were able to hit him with. It seems very evident to me that the fight seemed even, but in reality, it was a pretty one-sided fight. Jades...had full control of that battle. And he set the pieces extremely carefully."
"What are you getting at?" Yomi finally broke his silence."Clearly, Jades was trying to kill him, no? I mean, if not, why show up at all?"
"That would be the case, but if you watch the fight carefully, Jades was purposefully avoiding vital spots." Allister continued."He could have landed plenty of lethal attacks on you. Which, as we just said, purposely avoided."
"Especially at the end, when he was using that Divine Weapon he had." Hazuki added."He aimed for your head at first, but he switched to your arm. Do you want to know what I think?"
Terunosuke didn't look in his direction, but the leader continued.
"I think Jades came to you intending to kill you. At least, at the beginning. But he was doubtful. After all, he did ruin your life, didn't he? And even after everything that happened, he considered you his brother. That hug at the end tells me that whole story."
"So what are you saying?" Wei blinked.
"I'm saying...Jades Demetrios let himself be killed by his hands." Hazuki elaborated without missing a beat."All I can think of is that he must have felt guilty about the whole thing. And at the end, he backpedaled. He wanted to put you out of your misery so you wouldn't keep on doing bad things. But, I guess...in the end, he couldn't do it...He couldn't kill his own little brother, who he loved with all of his heart."
Terunosuke sat up from his bed, throwing the covers off his body. He stood up, ignoring his wounds and the cast around his arm, marching toward the window.
"Y-you can't...Your injuries...!" Despia groaned in pain, rubbing her throat.
They all watched as Terunosuke leaned against the glass, observing the outside.
"I just killed...the last person that has ever loved me in this world." Terunosuke chuckled dryly."Funny how that works, huh? It only took me to kill him to finally realize that...he was telling the truth. And I realized it...too late."
Allister walked over to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder."Hey...let's sit you down. You shouldn't be walking around like...that...Kuwana-san?"
Terunosuke was crying, tears endlessly streaming down his cheeks as he wept silently."I guess...I know how you feel now...Albedo..."
"Kuwana-san..." Allister quickly caught him in his arms when Terunsuke passed out. Despia and Wei were quick to help him take him back to bed, fussing over his wounds. "Guys...do you mind watching him over for me? I have to go see Elsa and see how she's doing."
"You can count on us." Wei nodded along with Despia.
"By the way, what are we going to do about Shem-Ha?" Allister inquired."If Fudo Kazanari has her..."
"It's fine." Loki waved him off."This is perfect. Frankly, I don't want to put up with Shem-Ha longer than I have to. And if she wasn't taken away, I would have to explain a lot of unnecessary information. Such as you all having Divine Power."
"I think Fudo has outlived his usefulness." Hazuki shrugged."I think it's time...for Fimbulwinter to start. Wouldn't you guys agree? Once Fudo falls, the rest of the country and all the politicians will fall. And soon enough, the whole planet will know."
As they conversed, Yomi poked Hazuki on his arm, beckoning him to follow him outside. They closed the door behind them, and Yomi leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"So, how are you feeling?" Hazuki asked his distant relative.
"Like hell. My favorite Vtuber just graduated." Yomi grumbled."Worst of all, I missed her graduation stream. It's a fucking tragedy."
Hazuki deadpanned."W-what? You're into Vtubers?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Nothing. Whatever you do is your business." Hazuki cleared his throat."Anyway, I meant about your injuries. The ones you sustained against your fights with the two members of Noble Red you fought."
"Oh, that. Yeah. I'm fine." Yomi grinned cockily."Nothing I can't walk off. And? Did you meet Mommy Shem-Ha?"
"We did...I'm confused, are you Narfi or Yomi? You just called her mom."
"It's a joke. Narfi is dead. I just have his essence, but I do have some of his...memories, per se. So I can tell Shem-Ha and Loki-sama are my "parents" so to speak."
"I see..." Hazuki nodded, crossing his arms."So, what's your next move? I doubt you're not itching for a fight already?"
"I am." Yomi smirked savagely."Now that my power has increased to a new level, I am confident I can fight with Hajime. In fact, I already have a whole operation planned. It will start as soon as tomorrow."
"What do you need?"
"I'll take Wei, Despia, and Nightmare. Not that I need them, but I do need them to hold off any Rider or Symphogear from interfering with my battle with Hajime. Maybe I'll take some Mirror Monsters. Not sure. Regardless, it'll be so much fun! I can hardly wait!"
"Wait a minute...you said tomorrow, right? But tomorrow is a school day for you guys..." Hazuki's eyes widened slightly."I see... so then you..."
"That's right. I want tomorrow to be extra special. Truly a day to remember. And what better to do it out in public?" Yomi began to walk away, sparing Hazukii one last glance with a sinister smile."Tomorrow marks the day of the destruction of Lydian Academy and the fall of Kamen Rider Ryuki."
Maria sat on her bed, Shirabe sleeping beside her. The girl finally fell asleep after Maria had given her some medicine. She knew it was going to be a long night. Chris had told her as much. So she invited Hamaguchi over to stay with Kirika and keep her accompanied. She trusted the boy and knew he was genuine when he said he'd only be by her side for comfort. She always had trusted him, so she assured him he didn't need to say anything.
Maria slowly got up from bed, headed out of her and Jades' room, and walked down the house, passing by Kirika and Shirabe's room. The door was opened so she could keep inside. Kirika was asleep, clinging to Hamaguchi and refusing to let go. The boy in question was still awake, watching a movie on his phone. He noticed Maria and yelped, seemingly startled. He managed a small smile and waved. She smiled too.
The young woman made her way to the bathroom, turning on the lights, and shutting the door. She turned on the faucet, splashing her face with water and staring at her reflection.
"We have to do our best for them. We're essentially their parents, right? But...one day, we'll have kids of our own, right? So this is good practice. Don't worry. We'll do the very best for all of them. Because...we're all united."
Maria sat on the floor, hugging her knees as she cried.'Jades...Jades...'
"You're not weak, Maria. You're strong. The strongest person I ever met. You just need to have confidence in yourself."
"I'll be strong for them...No...we'll be strong together, Jades." Maria vowed to herself, clenching her fists with fury."And kill the monster who took you away from us once and for all...!"