GKC: What's up, everyone? This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of Neo Remnant's Climax Heroes.
SR: *comes out with sombrero and guitar* Alongside his merry band of fanfic writing amigos!
TH: *comes out from top of the screen* Hehe, the fight in this chapter will be… "very shadowy".
KRD: …Why are you dressed in Mariachi, and why are you on top of the screen?
Both: Dramatic flair!
KRD: …Okay then.
GKC: Roll the film!
Announcer: Last time on Neo Remnant's Climax Heroes! Blake Belladonna renounced her loyalty to the White Fang after seeing the monster her friend became and the strong resolve of Orion Arc, the adopted brother of Jaune Arc! Orion used his power as Kamen Rider Azure to defeat an Alter who intended to destroy a train! But now we must take our attention to the final member who defends Remnant from the unseen forces of APEX!
Chapter 4: Wings of the Violet Falcon
Argus.
The bustling port city is found within the northern reaches of the kingdom of Mistral. Acting as a massive trading port between Anima and Solitas, Argus remains the biggest non-capital city in all of Remnant.
And here is where a champion resides, a girl whose skills have brought her fame two times over. Her fame as an athlete also brought her success in several product advertisements, including a cereal known as Pumpkin Pete. But the fame brings her no solace, as she prepares herself, adjusting her gear. Her name is Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl.
{"WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN TO THE MISTRAL REGIONAL TOURNAMENT!"}
The crowd's roaring cheers could be heard in the waiting room, as Pyrrha looked around. Countless other contestants were waiting, stretching, or practicing. Pyrrha wanted to enjoy being in their company or talk to them, but she could not. The reason was the stares and murmurs she would hear.
"It's her."
"The Invincible Girl."
"If she wins this, then she'll officially become the Third Time Champion of the Regionals."
"Pfft, she's just a glory-seeking girl…"
These words seemed to bother her greatly. Everywhere she went, she was viewed as the pinnacle of a champion or as an upstart, but deep down all she ever wanted was to be viewed as herself.
{"IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS, WE WILL BE WATCHING MISTRALS MOST SKILLED DUKE IT OUT TO SEE WHO WILL MAKE IT OUT ON TOP!"}
Pyrrha gave a sad sigh, before looking determined and walking towards her first match. Nearby, she was being watched by someone who had taken an interest in everyone's reaction to her.
The person in question was a young man with shoulder-length, spiky auburn hair, green eyes, and olive skin. As for his outfit, he was dressed in a rather extravagant outfit. He wore a stark white coat with a dark gray Victorian shirt underneath a set of dark brown leather armor, a pair of light gray pants with a pouch on his left thigh, a pair of dark gray gloves, white shin-length boots, and a silver eyepiece over his right eye. In his right hand, there was a lyre resting comfortably in his grip.
"So, she's the 'Invincible Girl' that everyone is talking about…" the man mumbled to himself. "She feels too halfhearted to have a decent fight."
"And yet, you feel the need to watch her." A voice spoke softly.
The man didn't respond as he closed his eyes and played a melancholic tune on his lyre.
{"AND THE WINNER OF THE SEMIFINALS IS PYRRHA NIKOS! THE INVINCIBLE GIRL IS MOVING TO THE FINALS!"}
The crowd cheered loudly, screaming as Pyrrha breathed heavily. She wiped her brow as she turned over to where her opponent lay on the ground.
Her opponent was a woman with black hair and violet eyes, groaning as she sat up. She was also a Faunus, apparent by the pair of bat ears on top of her head. Sitting up, the Faunus woman screamed in frustration as she punched the ground.
"Hey…" Pyrrha approached the woman, offering her a hand. "You fought really well-"
"DO NOT PATRONIZE ME!" The woman slapped Pyrrha's hand away and got up, limping her way out of the arena. Pyrrha watched in saddened silence, looking down, her thoughts drowned out the crowd cheering loudly for her.
{"LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE INVINCIBLE GIRL, PYRRHA~ NIKOS~!"}
The Faunus woman punched a wall, screaming even more. "DAMN HER! EVERY TIME SHE GETS HERE SHE STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT! THAT BRAT NEEDS TO LEARN HER PLACE!"
"On that, we agree Miss." a voice nearly startled her. Turning around, she was met by a mysterious-looking man.
His attire resembles a southern cowboy, which features a large stereotypical-looking gray hat with a copper band, and a red bandana around his neck.
He was also wearing a light gray jacket with slightly darker-colored lapels, small yellow cufflinks on each of the sleeves' dark gray cuffs, and dark gray trimming in which black tassels can be seen hanging from them. His jacket is worn over a black turtleneck which itself is worn under a dark gray vest that is held together by two small yellow buttons. He also wears black fingerless gloves, ivory-colored jeans that are ripped at the thighs, and knee-high, dark gray cowboy boots with red cuffs and toes.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Who I am doesn't matter." The man lifted his hat, revealing a rather young face. He smirked as he took a toothpick from his mouth. "But what does matter is the offer I'm about to give you, Miss."
The woman seemed hesitant, as her Faunus instincts were telling her to be cautious around this man.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Take this and you can make Pyrrha disappear." The mysterious man grinned, holding out a sphere to her. "You know you want to…"
She wanted to refuse. To tell this man to stick this little ball where the sun doesn't shine. But the bitterness she felt from her defeat against the Invincible Girl outweighed her moral judgment.
"Give it to me!" She shouted, snatching the sphere out of the man's grasp. Her Aura began slowly corrupting as her eyes shimmered like the Sphere. "I'll show her… I'll show her that I'm not someone to mess with!"
{"WELCOME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, to the Mistral REGIONAL FINALS!"} The announcer declared to the roaring crowd of spectators. {"Tonight is sure to be a rivalry fit for the history books! In one corner, we have Mistral's superstar athlete herself, Pyrrha Nikos!"}
Many of Pyrrha's fans cheered loudly for the "Invincible Girl", who could do nothing but wave in response while trying to keep up a smile. Despite this, she couldn't help but feel uncertain about herself.
{"And her opponent, an up-and-comer of the last three tournaments. Let's hear it for the "Musical Prince" of Sanctum, ORPHEUS~ RHYTHM!"}
A great deal of cheering from the female populace echoed in the stadium, breaking Pyrrha from her thoughts. Looking up, she saw the man from before waving to the crowd and strumming his Lyre.
"Ah, the sweet music of fans. How I enjoy hearing it." Orpheus commented with a charming grin as he played a beautiful melody. Pyrrha sweatdropped at the female fans fainting over the sound of his songs.
"Hello," Pyrrha said, waving and approaching him. "I hope we have a good match."
"I wish we could…" Orpheus sighed, his face looking rather serious. "Only if your heart was actually in it."
"Uh, I'm sorry?"
"Hmph, leave your half-heartedness out of this fight. Otherwise, this wouldn't be a fight at all." Orpheus turned and went to his corner, leaving Pyrrha stunned.
{"Now then, ARE YOU READY COMBATANTS?!"}
The two stared at each other, readying their weapons and getting into stances. The audience waited with bated breath, waiting for the match to start. The staredown was so intense that you could cut the tension in the air with a knife.
{"FIGHT!"}
Pyrrha was the first to make a move, dashing towards Orpheus with her weapon and shield up. Orpheus chuckles as he strums a tune before pulling one of the strings.
A pillar of ice erupted from the ground in front of Pyrrha, causing the girl to halt in her step a tad bit too late as she used her shield to prevent herself from suffering a face-first collision.
"What the-?" Pyrrha looked at the ice pillar in surprise, ripping her shield away from the frost.
"Did my chilling serenade surprise you?" Orpheus spoke from atop the pillar, looking down at Pyrrha with a playful smirk on his face. "How about a little fiery orchestra?" He strummed another string.
Pyrrha's instincts kicked in, rolling away as a pillar of flame burst from where she stood.
'Could it be…' Pyrrha looked up, staring more intently at the lyre in his hand.
"Hm, not into that one, eh? Very well, maybe a tempestuous song will alight your heart!" Orpheus leaped into the air, strumming a string that had a light green color to it. A burst of wind rushed towards Pyrrha, the wind currents chipping tiny fragments of her shield apart, even grazing against Pyrrha's face, if ever so slightly.
{"UNBELIEVABLE! The Musical Prince is holding his own against our champion!"}
"I'm quite disappointed, I thought you'd put up a-"
*WOOSH!*
Orpheus leaned backward when Pyrrha's shield had flown and nearly hit his head. "Whoa, hey now! Easy!"
Pyrrha's Spear had shifted into a rifle, allowing her to take aim and fire rounds to try and take him down. The taunting, plus everything else, was driving Pyrrha's adrenaline into overdrive.
'Her shots are all missing. It's not that she's trying to avoid hitting me…' Orpheus thought as he kept on dodging and avoiding the bullets. 'Her inner turmoil is affecting her fighting style.'
He lands behind a rock pillar he formed, readying his Lyre. Flipping a switch below his lyre, it suddenly shifted and expanded to form a longbow with bladed edges while the strings lengthened to form several bowstrings. 'If I am to help her, this is the only way…'
Pyrrha narrowed her eyes, hoping to get a good view of her target from her vantage point. An arrow blew past her as she ducked and looked, seeing Orpheus slowly approaching her position.
"What's the matter? Are you beguiled by my charming, good looks that your aim has gotten lackluster?" Orpheus taunted his fellow redhead before firing an arrow made from concentrated Fire Dust in the strings at Pyrrha.
She rolled and quickly recovered her shield, charging at him and blocking more arrows. She shifted her weapon into Xiphos mode and began swinging. Her blade was met with the bladed ends of Orpheus's longbow.
"Come on, my dear! I wish to make this an extravagant fight!"
"Why are you trying so hard? Can't you see that no matter what I do, they'll treat me the same." Pyrrha said only to gasp and instantly block his swing. She was surprised by his unusual strength and almost fell over.
"Because it shouldn't matter what other people think!"
His sudden declaration surprised Pyrrha as Orpheus gave her a serious look.
"What matters is what you think. And right now, you're doubting yourself." He stated. "So tell me, tell me what your heart wants through this battle!"
Orpheus then kicked Pyrrha away, as she struggled to stay standing.
{"OOH, now that looked like a strong hit, as Pyrrha is struggling to stand!"}
'What… my heart wants…' Pyrrha thought as her breathing steadied. 'That's right… what I have wanted… more than anything!'
She then propelled herself at Orpheus, the two clashing. Blade met blade as the two were moving around as if they were in an interpretative dance. This got the crowd even more excited as they chanted for both Orpheus and Pyrrha.
{"And Pyrrha is back on the offensive! Both opponents are not backing down! This is the greatest fight ever, ladies and gentlemen!"}
'That's the spirit!' Orpheus smiled between his swings and kicks. He backflips, before he pulls another string on his bow. This one glowed with yellow energy as an arrow compressed of lightning formed into existence, which he used to shoot at Pyrrha from close range.
Pyrrha nimbly flipped back to avoid the electric projectile then retaliated by throwing her shield at Orpheus, who was unable to dodge when the metal disc slammed into his face, knocking him on his back with a grunt while the girl's shield returned to her unattended hand thanks to her Semblance.
He plucked a string once this time glowing red and sent waves of fire toward her. Pyrrha rolled away from the flames before closing in on the musical boy, slashing with her Xiphos to chip away at his Aura.
Orpheus brought his weapon up to block, but the moment Pyrrha brought her weapon down, the force sent the bladed bow away as it clattered against the stadium floor. Before he could react, Pyrrha had already slammed her shield directly into the boy's sternum, sending him flying with a pained groan as he landed just at the edge of the ring.
{"And Orpheus takes a devastating hit! Could this be a repeat of the last two years? Will Pyrrha Nikos be our third-time reigning Champion?!"}
Orpheus slowly got up, but only met the sharp end of Pyrrha's Xiphos.
"Do you yield, Orpheus?" Pyrrha asks. Orpheus said nothing for a brief moment, before smiling.
"Very nice, very nice. However…" This made the invincible girl raise her brow, before looking down with wide eyes. Orpheus's bladed longbow was aimed at her abdomen. "I think this ending needs to be a bit more extravagant!"
Pyrrha smiled at this. The two immediately dashed to separate sides and fired what were their final shots. The audience and announcers watched with bated breath as time seemed to slow.
{"WELL FOLKS, what an exciting end to this tournament! It looks like this year's championship ends in a DRAW!"}
The people cheer, revealing the announcement was on a television screen, as Aaron watched this alongside Ruby and Yang.
"Wow… someone actually tied with Pyrrha Nikos." Yang mused.
"Isn't she supposed to be super good or something?" Aaron asked while he made adjustments to a device that resembled a wristwatch.
"Well yeah, she isn't called the 'Invincible Girl' for nothing." Yang said, before noticing the wristwatch. "Say what's that you are working on?"
"New project. Haven't come up with a name yet but it's going to be a new gadget for me later on." The black-haired young man answered. "That reminds me, who was Pyrrha's opponent?"
"Oh, they said it was the musical prince of Sanctum." Yang said, causing Aaron to pause in his work.
"Orpheus Rhythm, eh?" Aaron mused to himself. "Hehe, I bet he's making a show of it."
"I mean, it's in the name, right?" Ruby offered with a sheepish grin.
BZZZZZT! POW!
"OH, DAMN IT ALL!" Aaron swore loudly while the device he worked on short-circuited.
"Swear!" Ruby gasped and pointed.
Orpheus slowly got up, rubbing his arm before noticing a hand in front of him. Pyrrha smiled as she was lending him a hand which made the musical prince chuckle.
"Well, I didn't win but I didn't lose either. Not exactly a satisfying requiem to this orchestra." Orpheus admitted. Regardless, he took Pyrrha's hand as she helped him up. "You fought honorably."
"As did you." The two nodded to each other in mutual respect. The two watched as the people cheered for them.
{"Well folks, it looks like this match has proven to be the most exciting one we ever had! We hope you have all enjoyed this years-"}
Suddenly alarms started blaring, and people began looking around in surprise and confusion. Above the arena, the flapping of many wings could be heard.
"That alarm is-!" Pyrrha looked around, getting her shield and weapon ready.
"Grimm." Orpheus said with a frown. 'And where there's surprise Grimm…'
'You're right, Orpheus. There's an Alter close by.' The voice in his head spoke once more.
"Hehe, let's see how you handle this one, Pesky Bird." The cowboy chuckled darkly, as a monstrous figure walked out.
The figure was the Faunus, hunched over as her claws scraped against the wall. She growled as her fangs slowly grew, and shadows fully engulfed her.
When it was done, her body had joined into a bat-like being with a split body joined together by a string of electricity. Her body matches a she-devil, as it looks to be made out of two separate entities. Her upper body is red, and her lower body is blue, with glowing violet eyes alongside her lower abdomen. This was the fiendish flier of the skies, the Bat Alter.
"I refuse… to lose to that brat!" Two wings sprouted from her head and two sprouted from her hips. With a massive leap, she flew out with a screech. Thousands of screeches matched hers as the cowboy laughed.
The arena was swarming with the caws of raven Grimm known as Nevermore. They came in various shapes and sizes as they tried to peck their way through the Arena's built-in hardlight barrier. Normally that wouldn't damage it greatly, but due to the Grimm's numbers, it was taking a pounding!
Soon enough, a larger Nevermore flew above and sent a flap of its wings. Feathers shoot out and begin hitting the Arena barrier and the barrier generator.
"They're targeting the generators! All non-combat personnel escape through the emergency exits!" A professional Huntsman said as they alongside Atlas personnel helped the screaming crowd. "Contact Specialist Cordovin!"
The shield generators began creaking and sparking as Pyrrha looked around, gritting her teeth. "This is bad… my aura has yet to fully recover!"
Orpheus was looking around, his eyes darting between the storm of Grimm before closing. 'Falcon, I need your eyes.'
'They are yours.' A purple shimmer of his aura traveled to his face and eyelids. They slowly opened into a pair of shimmering gold falcon eyes. His vision zoomed past the massive Nevermores. Above them, the Alter was taking a deep breath.
"?! Get down!" Orpheus tackled Pyrrha as a massive purple shockwave of sound came crashing down on the barrier. The generators exploded, the barrier-breaking down as it created a massive crater in the ground.
Pyrrha slowly looked in shock, as the crater was exactly where she was standing just mere moments prior.
"There you are… INVINCIBLE GIRL! SKREE!" A loud shriek got the two's attention, looking up to see the Alter descend.
"A… A Talking… Grimm?!" Pyrrha stuttered in disbelief.
"Well, that explains the multiple crashers at this concert." Orpheus mused getting up.
"SKREE! SILENCE! Now then… Pyrrha Nikos! It's time we settled the score between the two of us!" The Alter screeched and pointed at the red-haired girl. "You have humiliated me countless times during the semifinals!"
"The semifinals? Wait… what happened to you?!" Pyrrha exclaimed in shock, realizing that this monster was her previous opponent.
"She was met by a fiend, and gave into her darker side." Orpheus frowned.
"And with this power, I will finally be able to put you in your place! SKREE!" She flew at Pyrrha, grabbing her and flying up into the air.
"Pyrrha!" Orpheus called out to the redhead. Pyrrha struggled in the Alter's grip, trying to swing her Xiphos. As she noticed that they were ascending, she began to realize the monster's intentions.
Orpheus, thinking quickly, ran to a nearby Nevermore. Using his weapon, he used a wind arrow to jump onto its back, as it squawked and tried to throw him off. He then forced the raven Grimm to follow the Alter into the air.
"SKREE-HAHAHA! Now you will see that this is where I rise! And where you FALL!" The Alter cackled, causing Pyrrha's eyes to widen. Orpheus saw this and acted quickly by taking aim, and shooting a few arrows. "SKREE! STAY OUT OF THIS, INTERLOPER!"
"Not a chance!" Orpheus narrowed his eyes and let loose an ice arrow. It flew into the Alter's side and burst, engulfing her back in frost.
"SKREEEYAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH! COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD!" The Alter shrieked and shivered at the sudden temperature change, releasing Pyrrha.
Pyrrha screamed as she was falling towards what she believed to be her demise. Orpheus saw this and slashed the head of his ride, falling after her.
'Falcon, grant me your wings!' The archer spoke in his head as he reached out to grab Pyrrha's hand.
"They are yours!" His violet aura glowed brightly again, moving towards his backside. Holding the Invincible Girl close, two violet-colored wings sprouted and began slowing their descent. Pyrrha watched in awe as they soon landed, the wings dispersing.
"Was that-"
"No, it was not my semblance." Orpheus said, further confusing her.
"SKREE! NO NO NO! I REFUSE TO LOSE TO THE LIKES OF YOU, PYRRHA NIKOS!" The two watched as the Alter landed and called down the larger Nevermores. "I WILL CUT YOU DOWN, NO MATTER WHO'S IN MY WAY!"
Pyrrha lifted her Xiphos and shield to fight, only for Orpheus to have a hand out in front of her.
"Cover me, I will handle the Grimm and that Alter."
"Are you sure? I can feel the power radiating off of her." Pyrrha asked, picking up that Orpheus knew what happened to that Faunus girl.
"Don't worry, dealing with Alters is my greatest forte," Orpheus said, drawing a buckle from his coat. The buckle is similar to Aaron's, Kuromu's, and Orion's. The only difference is that the face is a purple falcon with a shiny gold beak.
AURA DRIVER!
"A buckle?" Pyrrha tilted her head when Orpheus placed it on his waist. He then pulled a violet Aura Sphere, holding a golden falcon inside.
"Our stage has been set, Falcon. Let us both spread our wings." Orpheus said, holding the sphere out.
"Yes, Master, this tempo best suits us!" The sphere blinked, shocking Pyrrha. He opened the maw of his Driver, slotting the Sphere in.
AURA SPHERE LINKED! FALCO!
A Violet Falcon flew out of the Driver, smacking the closest Nevermores and startling the rest. The Alter stepped back, watching in shock as Orpheus had his left hand out before raising it overhead.
"Henshin!" He brought his hand down near his face, making a ninja-styled gesture before pushing the lever.
SHINOBI ONGEKIBO! VIOLET FALCON! KA-CAW!
The aura animal soon flew behind and covered the Musician with its wings.
When the falcon disappeared in a cascade of purple energy feathers, a new warrior stood in the musician's place. He was clad in a black full-bodysuit with a violet feathery chest plate. He had small purple-yellow feathery gauntlets, purple-yellow greaves with gray markings, and purple boots possessing yellow talons over the toes and back of the heel. Around his neck is a yellow scarf, while his helmet is black with a purple cowl and studded headband. His face was covered by a purple 'mask' in the shape of a falcon's head with a yellow beak-shaped mouthpiece alongside a pair of sharp, angular orange eyes.
"Woah…" Pyrrha whispered in awe.
"GRRR… WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" The Alter pointed.
"Kamen Rider Nero." The man answered, before taking a step forward. "Now then, let the requiem begin!"
((BGM START: REALiZE by LiSA))
"GET HIM SKREE!" The Bat Alter shrieked, causing the Nevermores to fly toward the Rider. Orpheus took another step before dashing and striking the first Grimm in the chest. Seeing a few diving at him, he used the Grimm as a springboard to backflip before crossing his arms.
Aura flowed around his arms towards his hands, forming shurikens. He swung his arms out, multiple shurikens flying out and embedded into the small Grimm.
A few larger Grimm were about to claw at him with their talons when two shots rang out. They hit the large Grimm and knocked them off course. Orpheus smirked, realizing the shots came from Pyrrha as he landed.
"SKREEE! MUST I DO EVERYTHING MYSELF?!" The Bat Alter tugged at her wings in frustration before absorbing a lot of air. She then slowly turned to Pyrrha's cover and unleashed an explosive wave of sound.
The Invincible Girl gasped, rolling out of the way, and watched as the sound waves shattered through the debris she was using for cover and made a dent in the wall.
"SKREE-HA HA HA! NOW THIS WILL FINISH YOU!"
"Not good…" Orpheus said, noticing the Alter sucking in more air for an even stronger attack. He began running as the Alter sent out a much louder wave of sound.
"Orpheus!" Pyrrha shouted in surprise as she was sent back by a sudden shockwave.
The Alter's eyes widened, as it was soon revealed that her waves of sound were clashing with another wave of sound. As the two waves cancel each other out, Orpheus chuckles as a new weapon is in his hands.
The weapon in question was a Shamisen shaped to resemble a violet falcon soaring. The body of the instrument resembled a gust of wind, whilst the back of the falcon had a ninja star.
SHAMISNIPER!
"Sound against sound." Orpheus chuckled, pointing his pick, and aimed his instrument at the Alter. "Let's see who crumbles first!"
The alter fired more rounds and rounds of sound waves, only for each one to be met with Orpheus' own! He strummed a few quick strings before pushing a trigger.
SOAR SHOOT!
Multiple rounds of purple notes fired out, morphing into falcons that flew. Some hit a few Nevermore to thin their numbers as the rest pelted against the Alter's back.
"SKREEEAAARGH! You are getting on my last nerves!" The Alter spread her wings and took flight, as more Nevermores flew around the area.
"Pyrrha, can you still fight?" Orpheus turned to Pyrrha.
"Yes, I still have strength in me." The two were now back to back as the Grimm and Alter swarmed around them.
"Then let's dance!" He smirked underneath his helmet, taking his Aura Sphere and slotting it into his instrument.
SOUL~ CHARGE!
The two nodded to each other before aiming with their weapons and opening fire.
AURA SHOOTING~!
The Grimm responded in kind by firing their feathers at the two. Bullets whizzed up into the air as the huntress and huntsman dodged the many feathers. As they kept moving, it was as if they were dancing.
Many Nevermore were getting hit by shots and falling. The Alter dodged a few blasts, screeching at the two whilst firing beams from her eyes. Soon the two stopped firing, to which the Alter laughed.
"Out of ammo, eh?! FINISH THEM OFF, NEVERMORES!" She pointed in triumph.
A wind blew, as there was a sudden lack of Grimm in the air.
"… Nevermores?"
"Looks like you have run out of Grimm to throw at us," Orpheus said as he and Pyrrha aimed. They fired and hit the Alter's wings forcing her to spiral to the ground in pain.
"D…Damn you… I can't fall here. Not when I'm so close!" she struggled to get back up, noticing her damaged wings.
"Sorry, but you should've relied on your power." Orpheus stepped forward, discarding his weapon and got into a stance. "Instead you resorted to corrupting yourself."
He then grabbed the handle on his driver and pulled it. Violet musical notes of energy floated around the Alter, who finally got back up.
"The requiem ends here," Orpheus said as he pushed the handle, the Falcon's eye burst with feather-shaped energy. Aura soon covered his back and reformed Falcon wings that he used to soar upwards.
BITE!
The notes transformed into falcons of purple energy, smacking the Bat Alter from all over. They all soon collided and exploded, sending her into the air screaming in pain.
Orpheus was overhead, diving straight down before redirecting his body into a kicking position. He gave a yell as the aura covered his leg, shaping into three-pronged talons.
FALCON DIVE-BOMB!
The kick hits the Alter as the two are sent back down into the arena, releasing a massive cloud of dust. Pyrrha covered her face as she tried to see if either of them survived.
Orpheus soon backflipped out of the smoke and landed near Pyrrha. The Alter struggled to get up as her body sparked from so much damage done.
"N-NO! I failed… AGAIN! SKREEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!" The Alter screeched and shrieked as she thrashed until she fell back down in an explosion. Pyrrha watched in surprise as the unconscious Alter faded into black wisps leaving the girl out cold.
((BGM End))
"Now to undo her corruption." Orpheus took up the Capture Ring and pointed it at the Alter Sphere. The sphere flew in and glowed brightly, before becoming a Navy Blue Sphere with a Bat inside. "You have been set free, my friend."
The Sphere blinked and gave out high-pitched squeaks, as Orpheus looked down at the girl.
"She's still breathing…" the buckle's eye blinked as it spoke.
"That's a relief… now to try and explain this to her…" Orpheus said, his attention turning to Pyrrha who was staring.
"Orpheus…" Pyrrha struggled to find the right words to say, "Who… are you really?"
In the outskirts of the city, the cowboy had witnessed the end of the Bat Alter. Suffice to say, he was not too pleased.
"Grrrrrrkkk…" the cowboy gnashed his teeth to the point that the toothpick shattered. "Another failure who couldn't provide."
"Hahahaha, looks like I won another bet, Hunter!" A voice laughed from inside the man's pocket.
"HAH?!" Hunter pulled out a Black Sphere with a Hedgehog inside. "Like hell you won that bet! The invincible girl interfered, so it doesn't count!"
"I see that your priorities are the same as ever, Hunter." That caused Hunter to turn towards the voice. It was the Commander, Koa, and Dr. Snyder who approached him.
"C-Commander! This has been a minor setback, I swear!" Hunter quickly bowed.
"Hahaha! Hunter failed again~! Hunter failed again~!" Koa laughed tauntingly.
"Shut it, you stupid idiot!" Hunter smacked Koa on the forehead. This got Koa to get teary eyed as she rubbed a bump that he left.
"WAAAAH! HUNTER HIT ME!" Koa cried to the Commander.
"SHE STARTED IT!" Hunter retorted, causing Koa to stick her tongue out. Then the two started arguing, to which the Commander's fingers twitched.
"Honestly you two are children… How either of you became Alphas is a mystery…" Dr. Snyder clicked his tongue, as the commander's fingers twitched more.
"DONT LUMP ME WITH THIS KILLJOY, DUMMY DOCTOR!/THE HELL DID YOU SAY TO ME, FANG FACE?!"
*CRACK!*
The trio flinched as the Commander had cracked her fingers, causing their bodies to stiffen. They were unable to move anything except their eyes as they looked towards her.
The light revealed the commander to be a tanned-skinned woman with long cerulean hair and piercing emerald eyes. Her figure of sleek curves is covered by a general's styled apparel with long sleeves with buttons on the upper arms, a blue scarf on her neck, and high-heeled boots.
"If you three are done, we have orders from command." The Commander said, flexing her fingers again to release everyone.
"Ugh, never going to get used to that." Hunter shuddered as the commander held out a device and placed it down. With a button push, a screen came to life showing a silhouette of someone imposing sitting in a chair. Behind the silhouette was a large emblem of APEX.
The four immediately knelt on one knee. Each one held up masks of their respective animals before placing them on their faces.
"We four kneel before you, almighty one." The Doctor was the first to speak. "Dr. Archimedes Snyder, Alpha of Sanus."
"Koa Hibiscus, Alpha of Solitas." Koa said with a cheerful expression on her face.
"Hunter Bill, Alpha of Anima." Hunter frowned and lowered his head.
"And Alpha Commander, Lapis Llorona." The Commander finished, revealing her name as she looked up at the leader. "We stand before you in the Glory of APEX."
"The Four Riders have hindered our operations across Remnant." A distorted voice spoke, dripping with venom as Koa and Hunter flinched. "Their acts of defiance scream of that woman's treachery."
"Even in death, she seeks our undoing…" Dr. Snyder hissed angrily.
"They are converging on the kingdom of Vale, meaning that they're likely to attend Beacon Academy." Lapis said, earning a nod from the silhouette.
"Yes, then we must ensure their intentions remain focused there." A hand pointed towards the four. "You four will be supplied troops and will cooperate with our… acquaintances in Vale."
"It will be our greatest duty, Master." The four soon stood up.
"As we use them all to further my design, they too will fall prey as we rise up to become the future of Remnant! Glory… To APEX!"
"GLORY TO APEX!" The four declared and saluted before the transmission turned off.
"Come, we have much to do." Lapis said, as the four headed into a cloaked Bullhead.
The Arena lay in disrepair, as workers tended to the wounded. Further away from the chaos, Orpheus was with Pyrrha while holding his Motorcycle, the Machine Falconeer. The motorcycle in question was a similar make and model to Aaron's own, bearing a violet coloration and the head of a falcon.
"In the simplest terms, my friends and I are warriors dedicated to stopping those Alters and the fiends who created them." Orpheus recapped.
Pyrrha looked down, trying to process what Orpheus had told her. "This is… hard to take in, but it would have been more so if I hadn't seen you and that Alter."
Orpheus nodded, proceeding to mount his ride as one final question filled Pyrrha's mind, "Where will you go?"
"We plan to gather at Vale, where we can attend Beacon Academy." Orpheus explained.
"I see…" Pyrrha nodded. "Then I shall be seeing you there."
"Eh?"
"You see… after this tournament, I wanted to announce that I would join Beacon." Pyrrha explained. "I wanted to use my abilities to do something more than doing tournaments."
Orpheus nodded, before holding his hand out. "Then until our paths meet again."
Pyrrha gave a small smile took his hand and shook it. Orpheus nodded and then revved his motorcycle, turning it and riding off.
Pyrrha watched him ride away, "A man who fights monsters… hiding behind a mask."
On the road, Orpheus continued to ride as Falcon finally spoke up.
"Was it a good idea to share info with Pyrrha?"
"You have seen her soul too, Falco," Orpheus said, looking up at the sky. "She has an honorable desire to protect people. In some ways; she's like us."
GKC: And that's the end of the chapter and all Riders have been introduced.
Hunter: I've found you… Troublesome Mutt.
Girl: I just want to run again…
Ruby: Oh, are you… robbing me?
Aaron: Let's get to it, Kabuto.
Next Time: Red Rose, Bronze Beetle
Aaron: It's time to ride, Machine Kurenai!