Kamen Rider Ryuki: Song of the Dragon

by Harvoc Phantom

13 Riders are chosen to partake in the Rider War, a battle to the death to see which Rider will get their wish granted. Some side with humanity, wanting to protect the world from the Noise and stop the war. Others fight for their desires and stand against humanity. Who will be the winner of the battle royale? Will their wish be used for good? Or will the world see a new era?

154. Chapter 154 - ERW13

Review:

Caballero lector rojo: Si. Odin todavia no hace su jugada. Estara esperando y viendo como los demas se matan entre ellos xd. Imagino que una tijera si. No se. Lo de Verde y Scissors Survive esta pendiente ya que son los unicos que no la tuvieron. Y pues la verdad no se. Ya Gai tiene la tematica de tener una defense increible. Lo dudo.

SoutaAmetsuchi: Yeah, Loki is stuck with the 4 powers that he has. Which is still a lot. But doable. Hopefully, Hamaguchi can work his magic and pull through.

nicolasseverino95: Kind of sad to see Allister go. He was one of my favorites too. Now Hazuki lost his 3 knights and is all alone.

Lord RI Husbu King: Not necesarrily. I'd say Jades had the better dead in terms of dying a "nice" way since he wanted to atone for what he did to Terunosuke. Takeru, yeah I get that one. But they were villains at that time and both of them are parallels to Takeru and Jades. Also, they didn't really die decent deaths. Terunosuke got mauled to pieces by demons and Allister literally bled to death like a pig. It's just that Terunosuke imagined his afterlife moment and Allister had a conversation with Elsa because Chris allowed it. But she was ready to just kill him. She just did it for Elsa, not him. But yeah it's a valid opinion. At the end of the day, they are villains. They weren't redeemed. But they had started their paths to atone. Unfortunately, their actions have consequences. And they died for them.

Tenzalucard123: Chris and Tsubasa got back what was lost. Finally, they can rest in peace. Only one Disaster left.

Dragstorm rider: I'm glad you liked it. Allister has been a thorn in our heroes' side for too long. But now, things changed. And he received mercy in the form of allowing him to say goodbye so that Elsa could have that closure. And yes, Odin is watching. Think of Odin as a spectator watching a sports game on television right now. This is entertainment for him.

TheEmeraldMage: Oh, yeah. She is the only one so far. Never really had any of them kill a Rider before because it seemed a bit off. It never really fit. Maybe Maria killing Terunosuke or something. But yeah, this is the guy that caused so much chaos. Hazuki's right-hand man, if you will. Someone who killed Goro, Takeru, and many people around and helped in making this whole thing possible. By the way, while the reference is there, I was referencing when Sakura was fighting Sasori in Naruto Shippuden and she yelled that aloud. I was watching that fight while writing this chapter and I thought it was funny enough to include. Yeah, Hibiki's punches are like venom to people like Allister and company. Especially since they have borrowed power. But he's too fast, so they had to come up with a plan and lure Allister in before shooting him. It's a closure to their "rivalry" so to speak. Chris becomes the hunter and turns the situation around. And yes, it's quite a change from how things started with them in the early chapters. Like Terunosuke, Allister was able to grow from how he was back then. Unfortunately, he had signed his death sentence, and was too late to have a fresh start with Elsa and Mona. Allister and Terunosuke saw the truth and wanted to make amends but didn't have the time. I like villains that have some depth. At first, I was just going to make them just evil and whatnot. But I ended up giving them reasons for the things they do and conclusions their characters met at the end. To be honest, Odin appeared in the first chapter because I wanted to create hype. He showed up at the end of season 1 and then GX. I wanted to keep his appearances to a minimum while also throwing some information here and there to not saturate it. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Ryugen: Those 3 are my favorites too. Bragi and Yomi as well. They're really fun to write. Hamaguch is pretty up there on my list. I can write any fun scene with him and it's perfect. There may be some things behind the works that Loki is planning. Maybe...But yeah, Allister died and his power goes to Loki. It's a double-edged weapon. They get rid of another enemy, but make another one stronger.

KamenRiderChimera: Yeah I played it before. Just Destiny 2. No crossovers on the horizon, I'm afraid.

Chapter 154
Minute of Desperation

"WHAT?! HAMAGUCHI IS GOING TO FIGHT?!" Seiko screamed so loud that everyone in Okinawa probably heard her.

"Oh, dear..." Chisa clutched her heart."My boy..."

"Why the hell couldn't he just stay away and hide?!" Seiko growled."Now that bastard has him in his sights!"

"We know Hamaguchi is not the type of boy to run." Kagura said, keeping her composure but tapping her fingers on the table."He's the champion of Okinawa. Running is something he would never do. We trusted him before. We have to trust him again."

"She's right, Seiko." Chisa smiled.

"He's strong." Amber chimed in."I've seen it. And after seeing him recently, I know Kuroiwa-kun has grown into a capable person. He fought for us back when he had no experience. I'd imagine now, he's even better."

"Hamaguchi is fighting!"

They all turned to the door where people began pouring into the restaurant and quickly filled the seats. Those who couldn't sit just stayed standing and many people watched from the outside.

"Get him, Hamaguchi!"

"Go forth, our champion of Okinawa!"

"Show him how us islanders deal with city chumps!"

"Save us like you did!"

Seiko was speechless, but a smile slowly crept onto her face.'Hamaguchi...Everyone is counting on you...'

---

"Just Hamaguchi-kun is available to fight...?" Sakuya trembled unconsciously.

"To think Hajime-kun and Bragi-kun, even while working together, wouldn't be enough." Genjuro folded his arms, sweating bullets."The others are on their way. Can Hamaguchi-kun hold out long enough?"

"Miku-chan is currently fighting Nightmare, one of the Calamities." Aoi said, and an image of Hajime's unconscious body on the ground popped on the screen."Hajime-kun is in bad shape...As for Bragi-kun-"

"Where is he?!" Garie screamed, grabbing at Sakuya's shoulder."Where's the Prince?! Where's his Highness?! Where's Bragi?!"

---

"So, you're the next lamb that comes to the slaughter, huh?" Loki chuckled, a hand to his hip as he stared down at Abyss."What's your name, kid?"

Abyss gulped, trying to suppress his nervousness."It's Kuroiwa. Hamaguchi Kuroiwa."

"Well then, Kuroiwa-kun. Now, we know how this works. You want to stop me. And as such, you are going to try and fight me. But honestly, you look pretty scared. And quite frankly, I want to relax before I start Ragnarok." He unfolded his wings and he started to flap them.

"W-wait! What are you-"

"Anyway, I'll be leaving now. You can sit here and wait for your friends to show up little fish." Ryuga started to fly away.

"No...No, I..." Hamaguchi clenched his fists as he thought of Kirika, his sisters, and his aunt.'If I don't do something, he'll get away! And all the damage Bragi and Hajime did to him would have been for nothing! I can't sit around like this!'

Sword Vent: Leviathan Slayers

A pair of chainsaw blades appeared in Abyss' hands and he wasted no time in hurling them toward Ryuga.

Ryuga perked up, ducking to avoid the blades from hitting him. Abyss shot a jetstream of water from his gauntlet, but the dark Rider grabbed it with his bare hands. Abyss got close enough to punch Ryuga's face, but he wasn't fazed.

"Seriously? I offered to let you run, and you picked violence?" Ryuga paused before he smirked."Very good."

He kicked Abyss in the chest, prompting him to spit blood as he was launched down to the street.

"I guess I can kill some more time here-Shit!"

Suddenly, Ryuga's wings were sliced off his body when Abyss' blades came back around.

'His blades...They're like boomerangs! And he purposely aimed at my wings since they are not covered by Gai's ultimate shield!'

Ryuga landed on the ground, smiling as he noticed Abyss dashing toward him at full speed, summoning his bladed-staff visor.'He's not as dumb as I thought he was.'

The God easily parried all of Abyss's strikes with ease, despite having one sword and Abyss two. Stepping to the side, he held out his foot, making Abyss trip onto the floor. However, as soon as Ryuga raised his sword to stab him, he rolled on the floor and kicked the visor out of his hand, throwing the blade at his face. Ryuga formed a portal, causing the blade to be shot somewhere else. He grabbed his visor, sliding a card inside.

Steel Vent

"Let's see how fast you really are, kid." Ryuga stomped the ground, creating several spikes of iron sand that chased after Abyss. The water Rider glided around the streets, hearing the buildings around him collapsing as the spikes chased after him. Suddenly, several more appeared in front of him, forcing him to take a right turn. He used his gauntlet to shoot a jetstream of water to cut the spikes, but they were incredibly tough and sustained no damage.

'Guess I'll have to try something else!' Abyss landed on a rooftop, quickly drawing a card from his Deck.

Shoot Vent: Leviathan Shooter

Abyss conjured a machine gun in his hands, clicking a button and unfolding the torpedos at the sides. He flew higher into the air, pulling the trigger and unleashing several torpedos and a rain of bullets on the pillars. This time, his attacks were shredding through the iron sand, destroying it and gaining some distance away from it.

"That was a pretty nice trick, little fish."

Abyss froze, feeling Ryuga appeared from behind him, cocking his fist back."DIE-!"

Ryuga's eyes widened, coughing blood inside of his helmet."W-what...?"

Abyss capitalized on this moment and grabbed Ryuga by the arms before kicking him on the head, launching him away. Not wanting to waste time, he quickly slid a card into his Deck.

Strike Vent: Leviathan Claw

Punching the air, Abyss summoned a water version of Abyssyathan as it flew over to Ryuga, bitting onto him before crashing through several buildings, exploding and flooding the streets with water due to its size.

'Good! I landed some good hits! That's a good start, right?!' Abyss couldn't help but smile in both relief and confidence.'I can do this!'

'Just now...' Ryuga groaned, sitting up from the pile of rubble he was on.'Darn...I am suffering from the damage both Hajime and Bragi did to me earlier. Hazuki's body is too wounded and I have wasted a lot of my energy on them that even if I got Gai's powers, I am not at full capacity. Damn, those brats...!'

He stood up, dusting off his armor.'I can't use my Zone Vent anymore and can only use Femme's Zone Vent one more time. If Teruno died, then that means his little siblings are coming. Assuming Allister gets eliminated as well, I'll be facing all of them soon. I'm going to have to try and shake this rat off and get some rest before-"

A bubble of water entered the building, forcing Ryuga to immediately jump back, breaking through a wall. He jumped back several times to gain some distance.

'That brat! He's trying to get me caught up in his Zone Vent like he did to Chiaki!' He glanced over his shoulder, noticing another bubble coming toward him.'Shit!'

Strike Vent: Dragclawzwei

He punched the ground, blasting himself in the air with black flames and going through several floors up. Ryuga noticed several pillars of water rising from the ground outside of the building, forming several copies of Abyss before they fired multiple water dragoons toward him.

Trick Vent: Hydro Mirage

'I would just sacrifice more subjects to recuperate, but so many have died and I've used a lot of them before. I can't waste a single one more. I need them alive for what's coming.' Ryuga quickly opened a portal, slipping through it as the building exploded into water. He landed on the rooftop, clicking his teeth when he saw Abyss flying toward him.'Coming straight to me now, huh? Guess you realized you can't hit me with your Zone Vent.'

Abyss threw a punch, which Loki easily deflected and buried his elbow against Abyss's solar plexus. To his confusion, Abyss had his free arm under his helmet, quickly taking it off as the attack connected. Abyss spewed blood mixed with water from his mouth, hitting Ryuga in the face as he was sent flung across the area.

"Ugh! You disgusting, wretched human-"

Suddenly, Ryuga realized that he was surrounded by a giant bubble of water."He got me."

'Not my best work, but I had to think outside of the box.' Abyss had a bloody grin as he placed his helmet back on, lying on the pavement.'I had to swallow a lot of water and have him punch the shit out of me so I could vomit the water and expand my Zone Vent. He wasn't leaving me many openings. But I'd say this works just fine.'

'The water pressure doesn't let me move too much.' Ryuga grimaced, noticing how hard it was to move his body due to the pressure surrounding him. He noticed Abyss firing a compressed jetstream of water at great speed toward him. Ryuga couldn't activate an ability, so he grabbed the attack with his hands like before. However, unlike before the attack was stronger, starting to break his armor. He quickly moved his hand out of the way, only to receive a blast of water to the stomach, launching him away.

'His attacks are stronger inside of this thing...' Ryuga noted, coming to a halt as he finally was able to activate an ability.

Strike Vent: Calamity Kings

'But inside of this...I don't feel like humoring you.'

He punched at the water, surprising Abyss.

'Why is he punching all the way from there-'

A giant fist struck Abyss on the back, sending him flying away.

'W-what?! How did it hit me so fast?!' Abyss groaned in pain when Ryuga grabbed him by the neck, lifting him up.

"My Calamity Kings are connected to my portals. When I punch, it's slower. But what comes out of the portal is not affected by your water pressure."

"Yeah? How about this?!"

Abyss quickly aimed his gauntlet at Ryuga, but he slapped it away as he fired a jetstream of water from it. However, the attack curved around in the water, striking Ryuga in the back.

"Tch." Ryuga gritted his teeth when he felt tentacles grab his feet, pulling him away from Abyss."This is getting annoying, little fish!"

With a snap of his fingers, several portals opened up as hands came out of them. The hands grabbed at the tentacles and pulled Ryuga out of the water bubble, but they quickly threw him back in at great speeds.

Strike Vent: Steelhorn

Tossing his gauntlets away, he used Steelhorn to pierce through Abyss's right hand as he tried to scan another card, rocketing out of the water bubble and crashing down on the street.

"A valiant effort, human. I'll commend you. And here I thought I was a good trickster. But you are definitely up there too." Ryuga mused, holding onto Abyss's face as he pressed him against the ground."But it all ends here. Or it doesn't have to. To be honest, you make for a good jester. So just give up and I'll be on my way. I have some things to do and I'd rather not have to constantly have to keep an eye on you. You can't beat me. You are weak. What motivates you to keep fighting?"

"I..." He gritted his teeth under his helmet.'Shit...Why am I fighting so hard, actually? It's not like I can't win...At this rate, I'm going to die doing nothing...Everyone else is so crucial to the plan and has done a lot. And me? I haven't done anything right...So why...?'

---

"Man, this is so frustrating!" Hamaguchi groaned in dismay, lying on the floor after he finished training for the day. He was just finished doing a few laps around the track field with Kirika after staying behind when everyone else left for the day."This sucks."

"We can keep going if you want?" Kirika offered, sitting down next to him.

Hamaguchi turned to his girlfriend, noticing the poor blonde was at her limit as well."Nah, it's fine. No use overworking ourselves. It's just...Ugh! So annoying!"

"I told you not to listen to what Raiden says. He can be very insensitive sometimes-desu." Kirika frowned."I'll talk to him."

"He's right though. Hajume and Bragi are monsters. Yosuke-san is a close third, then comes Raiden. I really am the weakest Rider by comparison." He covered his eyes with his arm."I mean...It makes sense, right? I am not gifted like Hajime and Bragi. Nor do I have previous combat experiences like Yosuke-san and Raiden. I was literally just a thug until recently. Less than a year ago. No wonder I'm at the bottom of the barrel."

"Is that really so important?" Kirika scooted closer to him, placing his head on her lap."I don't mind if you're not the strongest. Look at me! I am one of the weaker Symphogear too-desu!"

"Yeah, but it's different for girls. You guys probably don't care about who is stronger than who. But for a man...it's his pride!"

"Seriously...?" Kirika groaned."Men are so stupid-desu."

"Yes! For a man, his pride is everything. It's like we're comparing dick sizes, you know? Pissing contest."

"Too much information!" Kirika smacked him on the head.

"Ouch! Why?! Don't girls compare their bust sizes anyway?" He said, grabbing a handful of her chest.

"Pervert!" Kirika smacked him again, earning a pained groan.

"Damn it, that hurts..." Hamaguchi whined, rubbing his forehead.

"But...It's okay. I mean, think about it for a second. You came so far in such a short amount of time. It took us years to get here and you are keeping up with us with the short amount of experience that you have." Kirika said, moving the arm off his eyes."You really are amazing, Hamaguchi. If you don't believe in yourself...then I'll believe in you. You are my champion, after all-desu."

"Kirika..." Hamaguchi's eyes widened.

"She's right."

They both turned to see Hajime throwing them two bottles of water.

"Blacky-kun? You were still here?"

"Yup. But she's right, Hamaguchi. I'm surprised at your growth. You undersell yourself. Remember, you kicked Chiaki's butt with no combat experience before and saved us."

"But you-"

"Sure, I came to help. But you pulled me out of the darkness I was in. You're very important to us, Hamaguchi. It's not just about your strength, but your loyalty and perseverance." Hajime winked at him."I'm glad to have someone like you as my best friend. We're definitely going to keep our promise, remember?"

"Yeah...We'll grow old together and talk about this nightmare like a bad joke."

"Eating fried chicken." He added."Come on. We all have a part to play in this fight. And mine isn't any more important than yours. Right, Kiri-chan?"

"Desu!"

---

'That's right...We all have a part to play here...' Abyss grimaced, starting to push back against Ryuga."What I fight for...I fight for the woman that I love and for the man that I'm proud to call my brother! More of a brother than Hazuki ever was to him!"

"So you fight for those you love? How sickeningly sweet." Ryuga sneered.

"Yeah. Maybe." Abyss chuckled.

Suddenly, several water tendrils wrapped themselves around Ryuga, pulling him away.

'What?! That damn bubble of water was still active?!' Ryuga cursed upon seeing the bubble in the sky. However, the tendrils released him as all the water started to go into the sky."What?"

Abyss lifted his arms, causing all the manholes in the city to open and releasing the water within them. All the water available was being shot into the sky as if it were a waterfall going upwards.

"What are you doing, kid...?" Ryuga narrowed his eyes skeptically at him.

"It's a bad day for rain, yeah?" Abyss laughed loudly.

Ryuga gasped, glancing up at the sky. He hadn't noticed, but several clouds had been covering the city for a while now, and the water Abyss was controlling was going into them.'Rain clouds...He's mixing the water he controls with the water from the clouds...His intention is-'

The rain that began to descend into the city of Beijing silenced Ryuga before he could finish."He's controlling the rain by mixing the water he controls with the clouds."

Suddenly, two giant sharks of water appeared out of thin air, lunging at Ryug, forcing him to fly higher.'He's creating water constructs with all this water!'

Ryuga ignited his boosters, flying into a building to take cover from the rain.'He made the entire city his environment. I was wrong. Hajime and Bragi weren't the only ones that were a danger. All of these kids are magnificent in their own rights!'

"Good! Show me what you can do, little fish! No...I guess, someone of your capabilities is not little in any regard. Very well. I acknowledge you, Hamaguchi Kuroiwa! Show me more!"

'Time to put on a show!' Hamaguchi grinned, scanning a card through his Deck.

Hydro Vent

"Let's get to work, guys!" Abyss snapped his fingers, forming hundreds of sea creatures that chased after Ryuga.'Don't get too comfortable, Loki. As long as you're in my terrain...There is no safe place for you!'

From beneath Ryuuga's feet, a serpent of water broke through the ground,m forcing him to jump back.

'The sewers! He mixed his water and can now control everything!'

The serpent opened its mouth, shooting a beam of water that pushed Ryuga out of the building and into the rain. A giant fist of water emerged from a puddle on the street, launching him into the sky. Several blades of water formed in the air, shooting themselves toward him. He used Steelhorn to swat them away, but a consecutive volley struck him. However, thanks to Gai's power, his armor was even tougher than before, allowing him the ability to brush these attacks off.

Several missiles were shot from the distance, prompting Ryuga to slash them apart with his visor.

'Those are...' He narrowed his eyes when he noticed Abysslasher and Abysshammer rotating around him, hiding among the other sea creatures.'I forgot he has more than one monster.'

A gigantic water monster appeared from the skies, opening its giant claws as it descended toward the ground. Ryuga went through a portal, appearing a few streets away and watching the streets flood with water. More water arms emerged from the water but Ryuga maneuvered around them to evade them.

Sword Vent: Leviathan Purger

Abyss was wielding a long sword with a chainsaw instead of a blade, flying toward Ryuga. He parried the attack with his Steelhorn, but Abyss had clad his leg with water, using it to kick Ryuga higher in the air and into a giant whale swallowing him and crashing to the ground. The attack made a giant hole in the middle of a park as Abyss drew a card from his Deck.

Final Vent: Seven Seas Atlantida

Abyssiathan appeared in the air, a large metallic shark with golden fins and a tail. The shark began morphing, into into a giant sword. Abyss grabbed the handle of the blade as he began to spin around, forming a huge, sharp water wheel that rocketed down to where Ryuga was.

Final Vent: Ragnarok

From the ground, a giant beam of dark light mixed with metallic rings was shot toward the sky, hitting the water wheel and making Abyss and his monsters crash on the ground. Calamity screeched, emerging from the hole with Ryuga on top.

"A-at least he missed." Abyss grimaced, sitting up.

"Did I?" Ryuga pointed at the sky.

Abyss gaped when he saw the attack create a giant hole in the clouds, causing them to disperse and the rain to stop."Oh, shit..."

"Sorry. I was getting a little tired of your attempt at watering your garden." Ryuga disappeared, appearing in front of Abyss and kneeing him in the chest, breaking his chest plate and making him spit blood. Ryuga elbowed him in the side of the face, sending him skidding across the ground.

"Aw, fuck...that hurts like hell..." He moaned in pain."And I used a lot of energy in my attacks."

"It's okay. You managed to entertain me a bit." Ryuga raised his arm, conjuring a large sphere of dark light."Good fight, kid. But I'm afraid to say like all good things, it must come to an end! Die!"

"I don't think so!"

Ryuga blinked, noticing he was surrounded by several small mirrors before blasting purple energy beams at him, causing his own attack to explode on him.

Abyss felt someone grab his arm, pulling him away from the explosion. They eventually landed on a rooftop, and Abyss took a look at the person who saved him.

"Are you okay?" Miku knelt next to him.

"Miku-chan, my savior!" Abyss cried out in relief, hugging her.

"A-ah..." Miku was taken aback by the sudden contact, especially considering she was hugging metal armor. She felt him shivering and quickly hugged him back, rubbing his back."It's okay. I'm glad you're safe."

"Miku-chan...I-"

"If you're here...Did you defeat Nightmare, then?"

Both youths looked up at the sky where Ryuga was hovering above them."Well? Did you?"

"I incapacitated him." Miku cooly responded.

Ryuga looked to the side, staring off into the distance, and saw purple lights from afar. Nightmare was tied up in chains made from the Shenshoujing, preventing him from moving.

"You didn't kill him?"

"I want to use the Philosopher's Stone inside of his body." Miku replied, clenching her fists."I want to use it for Bragi. So he won't have to worry about how low his lifeforce is."

"Ah, I see. Since Bragard has the Stone, he's pretty much immortal and can regenerate endlessly. Unlike Bragi, who was created with a certain amount of life force. I assume that after constant use of his regenerative abilities, he's exhausted his life force. And more than likely, it's almost running out. If you were to give him Bragard's Philosopher's Stone, then you would be doing him a huge favor. But the thing is, girlie..." Ryuga pulled his helmet up sightly, revealing the malicious smile on his face."You're a little too late."

"H-huh...?"

"I just finished beating him and Hajime. Hajime is at death's door. As for your boyfriend, well...I turned him into paste. Kind of like a chunk of meat you find at a market. No head and everything. I doubt...he's alive."

"Y-you bastard!" Abyss gritted his teeth."How could-"

"How...HOW DARE YOU?!" Miku bellowed, summoning her Armed Gear, a hammer."HOW DARE YOU HURT MY BRAGI?!"

"Miku-chan, wait-"

Miku wasted no time in making a beeline toward Ryuga. The Rider grinned, sidestepping and kicking Miku in the back, launching her into a building. Miku roared, summoning a volley of energy spheres, swinging her hammer, and launching them toward him.

Abyss aimed his gauntlet, firing several water blades at him as they attempted a pincer attack on Ryuga.

'This...this feeling...!'

Ryuga raised his arms as a pillar of darkness covered him, bouncing the attacks off. Both Miku and Abyss were knocked away by the shockwave of the pillar that reached the heavens.

"No way...What happened...?" Abyss muttered, terrified at the power he was feeling.

'So...Allister...You were defeated as well, huh?' Loki chuckled before erupting into laughter."And with that, we are finally completed! We are...!"

CONNECTION COMPLETE

The pillar of light dissipated, revealing Kamen Rider Ryuga in his regular Survive form.

'Did he power down?' Abyss bit his lower lip.'No...This feels...on a whole other league from before...!'

Kamen Rider Ryuga - Quartet Mode

A wing of darkness and light appeared behind Ryuga's back. Underneath them were a wing of venom and metal.

"A quartet of unified will..." Ryuga whispered, flexing his fingers."They're finally mine. Well, I suppose they are just returning the gift I gave them."

"What did you do...?" Abyss asked him.

"Your friends killed Allister Albedo. But that means...they just doomed you." Ryuga said, transforming his light wing into several beams of light, shooting them into the sky before they began to rain down on the couple. Miku and Abyss quickly split up, dodging the blades coming from all directions.

Miku crashed into a building, taking cover inside of a room.

"You know...All of this is possible thanks to you, Miku-chan."

Miku immediately went for a spiral kick, but it did nothing to Ryuga. He grabbed her by the neck, slamming her against the wall.

"You're so weak, Miku. Seriouslty. Your heart is so easily manipulated. Isn't that how Shem-Ha took over your body?" He leaned closer, enjoying the glare of pure anger she was giving him."Because of your weakness, a lot of people died, you know? Shem-Ha caused great tragedies around the world with the Yggdrasil. And those deaths are in your hands."

Miku gasped, her lips quivering.

"That's right. Because of your weakness, many suffered. Including your beloved friends. And you never learn your lessons, do you? Because the same thing happened during the Frontier incident. You hesitated. And your desire for your little friend Hibiki Tachibana to not have to fight anymore led to many problems. You nearly caused the end of the world twice. But you did something good. Very good."

"W-what are you talking-"

"That day, Hazuki fought you. And he stored one of the Shenshoujing attacks in my personal vault. You gave me the perfect tool to destroy any relic I wanted. Guess which one I destroyed."

Miku's face was drained of all color, tears glistening in her eyes."N-no...No...You...you-"

"I destroyed Beelzebub, effectively removing your precious boyfriend's opportunity to fight." Ryuga cackled."That's right! Bragi is probably dead because of you! Your own weakness is what allowed to his defeat!"

"No...You're lying...I...I...I can't...I..." Miku's tears started to stream down her face, shaking her head as memories of Bragi and her invaded her mind."I...Did I...?"

"Don't listen to him, Miku-chan!" Abyss lunged at Ryuga, but he formed an iron fist with his wing, smacking Abyss away. Miku was a sobbing mess. Shame, anger, regret, and many more emotions were making her unable to process anything. One thing she could do was tackle Ryuga out of the building.

"MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Dodging the blame? How irresponsible, Miku-chan." Ryuga elbowed her in the face before kicking her away. The young girl crashed on the street, her face covered in her blood.

"Beel...Beel..." Miku cried, mourning for the loss of her friend."I'm so sorry, Bragi..."

"If Bragi turns out dead, you are the one at fault. Like all those deaths...he's in your hands." Ryuga created a blade of venom, raising it above Miku.

"STOP! DON'T DO IT!" Abyss pleaded, but Ryuga paid no heed. Instead, he brought his sword down, ready to kill Miku.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Came the voice of Hibiki from behind him

Ryuga quickly swung his blade backward, striking Yosuke's lance, and cracking it.'What? But I heard Hibiki's voice-'

Knight had used his wind to propel Hibiki above Ryuga, preventing her from seeing her as he used himself as a distraction. She landed behind him, and Ryuga received a punch across the face, blasting him away through a plethora of buildings.

In the blink of an eye, all groups had gathered around, standing protectively in front of Miku.

"Miku!" Hibiki rushed to her best friend, noticing her heartbroken expression."M-Miku...? What happened? Where are the others?"

"Elfnein-chan is resting safely." Abyss said as Chris wrapped his arm around her shoulder, helping him walk."Hajime is knocked out...He's exhausted. And Bragi...I don't know."

"HQ told me that-Maria! What happened to your eye?!" Tsubasa gasped in horror, noticing Maria's makeshift eyepatch.

"Just a wound. I'll be fine. But what were you saying about Bragi-kun?"

"HQ can't locate him." Tsubasa said, earning everyone's full attention."They think he must be buried in the rubble somewhere."

"It's my fault...It's my fault..." Miku broke down, crying in Hibiki's embrace."Bragi...Bragi..."

"Miku, what happened?!"

"Bragi is hurt because of me! Loki used the Shenshoujing light he stored up years ago to kill Beel and used that opportunity to hurt Bragi!"

"What...? From...You're telling me he had it from back then?" Yosuke couldn't believe his ears."No...There's no way for him to have planned this."

"Maybe he was going to use it on us?" Shirabe suggested.

"Whatever the case...Miku, it'll be alright." Hiki cupped Miku's face tenderly."These are our boyfriends we're talking about. Bragi-kun and Hajime wouldn't give up so easily. They'll definitely come back."

"Hibiki..."

"She's right." Yosuke walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder."Adachi and Dienheim are two of the toughest people I've met. Dienheim is probably taking his time to heal and thinking of a plan. You know how he is. You can beat him once, but the second time he will beat you. He's coming for his get back."

"You're right...Yes, he's probably thinking of a strategy, given the circumstances." Miku smiled lightly, finding some comfort in his words.

"Kuroiwa."

"Yeah?"

"Good work." Knight nodded curtly at him."The Commander told me how bravely you thought and used your abilities to the maximum. You have grown splendidly."

"A-ah, well...You know..." He rubbed his nape bashfully, seemingly ignoring his wounds. He noticed his girlfriend and made his way over to her, frowning when he saw she wasn't smiling."Kirika...?"

"We...We couldn't save Teru-nii-chan." Kirika began to sob, and Abyss quickly comforted her, wrapping his arms around her.

"It's okay, Kiri...You did what you could. That's all we can do..." He muttered, holding her tightly.

"We also couldn't save Albedo. But in the end, he seemed to have broken out of the control Loki had on him." Tsubasa supplied.

"Same with Terunosuke." Maria nodded."However, a portal opened up and swallowed him. We tried to save him, but to prevent us from being sucked in, he cut off his arm since the portal wanted him only. He...He's dead."

"I got Destwilder and Gigazelle. As well as a Contract Card." Raia said.

"Same here. I got Volcancer and Yukine has Magnugigas." Knight said, showing him a Contract Card."As well as this."

"So then, the only enemy we have left is..." Chris focused her attention on the sky as Ryuga made his way toward them.

"It's 11:40." Tsubasa informed the group as they huddled together."Kohinata, Kuroiwa, feel free to sit this one out."

"No way. We're so close to winning." Abyss shook his head, still holding onto Kirika as the girl wiped her tears off."I'm in."

"Me too. The sooner we end this, the sooner we can go look for Hajime-kuin and Bragi." Miku also wiped her tears, her expression being one of determination.

"Miku...We'll get through this. Together." Hibiki smiled, holding her hand.

"You guys can be each other's bestwomen." Chris shot them a grin.

"That..." Miku blushed before smiling."I would love that."

"Me too." Hibiki said as well, her face turning red."But for now, let's end this nightmare."

"End this nightmare? No...The nightmare is just beginning." Ryuga proclaimed, hovering above them and looking down at them haughtily. He landed on the ground, a few meters away from the group, his skin shining brightly."So...I already know the answer, but you guys defeated Terunosuke and Allister. And you killed them too! How heartless!"

"Stop fucking around! You were going to kill them regardless!" Chris pointed at him accusingly."You wanted your friends dead!"

"Friends? Oh, Chris. Why are you so hurt over their deaths? Allister is dead. Your quest for vengeance is over. Maria and the little girls. Your brother is dead. You finally killed the murderer of the man you love. Shouldn't you all be celebrating? Instead, you point your fangs right at me."

"You are the one who started this whole thing." Tsubasa replied sharply."You gave them the ability to commit all of those atrocities. You are more guilty than them."

"Is that so? Is that how you really feel?" Loki chuckled."Then let me ask you this. What is the source of all evil in this world? What gives birth to the monsters wearing human skin that walk on this earth?"

"What are you getting at?!" Chris snarled.

"The darkness in human's hearts. It has brought countless of pain and misery over the years that this civilization has been existing." Loki snapped his fingers, and from him, emerged Chiaki, Allister, Hazuki, and Terunosuke, their faces covered in shadows."The ability to become evil is born from the desire for the wicked. A desire that is born from the lowest bottom of the human heart. That is what creates monsters."

He shifted his gaze to the young woman of the quartet."Take Chiaki here for example. She was a normal girl. Unfortunately, she lost her family during an accident that left her an orphan. Until her grandfather, who had lost his wife, adopted her. She became obsessed with the idea that her parents had forgotten her and left her behind. That eventually, people would forget about her and she would stop existing, leaving no trace of ever living. Imagine what she left when her grandfather, who had Alzheimer's disease, forgot who she was, and almost killed her because he thought she was a burglar. It broke her reality, and it allowed the darkness in her heart to yearn for eternity and always be remembered. Hamaguchi...You and Hajime killed her."

Hamaguchi frowned but said nothing.

"Then, we have Terunosuke." He pointed at the dark-haired man."Terunosuke was a neglected child thanks to his parents constantly working several jobs with the dream of one day forcing him to go to a good college. They thought that that was what would make him succeed in life and be better than them. They prevented him from playing outside and forced him to study and study all day long. Even when they weren't home. They never had time for him, making him feel extremely lonely. Even if he was the best student in his grade, he never felt people recognized him for his efforts, like his parents made him believe. He saw that obviously suspicious advertisement on a particular website. An invitation to a secret place where he willingly got kidnapped by FIS. He had a new goal in life. To become a Rider and protect Serena. But lord and behold, his dream was stolen by his brother. Instead, he was forced to live with the eternal and agonizing feeling of being inadequate. That he would never be good enough. FIS kids...You were tainted by the darkness in your hearts too back when you tried to declare war on the world."

The remainder siblings glanced at each other with perplexed expressions on their faces.

"Then, we have little Allister. A young boy whose father abandoned him the second he was born and his mother was a prostitute who left her son to raise himself in the cold streets of his hometown. He met and fell in love with Elsa Bete. Unfortunately, poor Elsa was being sexually and mentally assaulted at home because she was a bastard child as well. It got so bad that Allister saw no other choice but to take up the opportunity to become an assassin so he could get money and take Elsa away. What he didn't account for was what the human experimentation had done to his brain, suppressing his memories and his personality to the darkest places of his brain, making him the perfect assassin. The one who killed so many people, including your husband-to-be, Chris. And as destiny would have it, he would find his emotions after meeting Elsa again and meeting Mona. He found his emotions again, but it was a little too late. You shot him and left him to bleed out, didn't you, Chris?"

"You were going to kill him anyway, you-"

"That gives you the right to kill him? You succumbed to your desire for revenge. Deep down, you enjoyed it. That is the darkness I speak of. That is why all of them accepted my gift. All of you, even for a second, wanted these 4 dead. Your desire for revenge and to take justice into your own hands...is the window that allowed the ability to kill to be born. Many such people exist in this world. They mask the word "killing" with the word "justice". Betrayal, theft, revenge, murder, and other things. Human beings can wield anything as a weapon to enforce their desires. Anything can become a "noble" reason to kill."

Suddenly, all 4 people entered his body once more.

"Knowing how this world has no salvation without us...Are you still going to interfere? This is your last chance. Surrender...and die together. In peace."

"We won't give up." Hibiki took a step forward."It's true that...we can harbor negative feelings. But we can also overcome them and have positive feelings as well. Life is not black and white like you think it is. There are shades of grey. And the proof is the people inside of you. We held hands with Terunosuke-san and Allister-san, even if it was for an instant. They entrusted us with their dreams and wishes. It's true they caused a lot of pain...and we hated them for it. But I do believe that they regretted their choices. And for me, that's enough to think that a person can change. A heart can change. Whether it's for good or evil...Or in between. That's why...we'll stop you. We'll keep on fighting and struggling because that's what humanity does!"

"Well said, Tachibana." Tsubasa smiled at her, proud of her words."Loki, it is true that you have gotten stronger."

"You stole all of the Disasters' powers, and your power has increased dramatically. But... you are feeling the effects of your fights. Adachi and Dienheim did a number on you, did they not?" Knight asked derisively, making the God click his tongue in chagrin."Your stamina is depleted. And you are wounded. So you're not at full power. Meaning that we have a chance to beat you. If not, stall you. Today, humanity will win. And this whole nightmare will end once and for all!"

The girls entered their X-Drive Burning forms. Even Miku, even though it was her first time.

"This suspense... is simply awful!" Loki began to cackle at his words, flapping his 2 pairs of wings. Come at me! Come at Loki-sama! Your doom...awaits."

"Let's do this, everyone!" Knight screamed, and everyone charged in.

"So eager! So eager! But I won't let you do as you please!" Ryuga raised his arms, shooting a combination of elemental beams of energy toward the sky before they exploded into smaller ones, raining down on SONG. They all scattered around, as the attacks chased after them, forcing them apart. Maria and Hibiki rushed Ryuga, throwing punches at the Black Rider. But to their dismay, he was blocking all of them with ease, transforming two of his wings into gauntlets.

"Is that all..." He grabbed their arms with his extra arms before blasting energy spheres at their stomachs, launching them away."...you got?!"

Both girls quickly recuperated, creating giant versions of their fists and holding their hands, making a giant punch that headed for Ryuga.

Vitalization v2

"That won't save you." He raised his arm before swinging it down, conjuring a portal and making a giant dark arm that swatted their combined attack away."Even these so-called miracles won't do you any good."

Suddenly, a twister launched Ryuga into the air, courtesy of Yosuke. Once he was high enough, he stopped, stepping to the side and revealing Chris, who unleashed an omnidirectional barrage of beams toward Ryuga.

DESTRUCTION SABBATH

"Impressive. I can see why you defeated Allister." Ryuga complimented her, teleporting around the lasers until he suddenly appeared in front of Chris, punching her in the face. Knight rushed in, thrusting his Stormerlancer, but the dark Rider grabbed it with his bare hands.

"W-what?!"

"But you won't beat me like that!" Ryuga pulled him in, delivering a kick to his chest, earning a groan of pain before making a fist of steel, and punching him away. Ryuga quickly turned around, swatting away an incoming torpedo.

Abyss was surfing on the water that still flooded the streets while Shirabe skated on it. Raia and Kirika circled Ryuga around as the group of 4 prepared to attack from all sides.

Shoot Vent: Breaker Arrow

Raia fired a giant arrow that split into hundreds of smaller ones. Shirabe transformed her Armed Gear into a robot, releasing a volley of huge buzzsaws in conjunction.

"Oh, please." Ryuga stomped the ground, creating several elemental pillars that stopped the attacks.

"We're not done yet!" Abyss and Kirika cried out in unison.

Co-Link Vent

Reaper Jaws

Kirika and Abyss created a shark made of water covered in sharp blades. The shark launched itself toward Ryuga, shooting several Igalima blades at him.

Ryuga's body glowed brightly, conjuring dozens of feathers before spreading them around. Before the shark could hit them, he teleported around using the feathers as a medium before bombarding them with a rain of feathers. The shark dissipated, and Abyss quickly grabbed onto Kirika to cover her and fell to the ground. Shirabe and Raia were grabbed by tendrils of venom, screaming upon feeling it burn their skins.

Tsubasa screamed, using the blades at her feet to slash at the tendrils, freeing them. Miku summoned a mirror then several more to form a second ring around it, readying a beam of energy.

'It's all your fault.'

Miku gasped, stopping her attack and allowing Loki the opportunity to grab her by the face before slamming her through a building. Miku's body twitched, blood pooling underneath her head.

"Leave her alone-"

Tsjubasa was shot away by a rod of darkness, exploding in the distance.

"And now-"

Suddenly, Ryuga focused his attention on the figure that he hadn't been expecting. The figure slammed his arms against Ryuga's, sinking the black Rider's legs under the ground.

"Still around, huh?" Ryuga chuckled upon seeing the newcomer.

"I'm not...about to give up!" Ryuki declared, having entered his Oversurvive form once more."Not until I beat you!"

"Then you'll die trying!" Ryuga noticed Maria summoning several daggers around her which then began to shoot energy beams toward him. He kicked Ryuki away, conjuring a wall of darkness before chasing after him.

"Oh, no! Hajime-chan!" Maria flew after the dragon Riders.

"Miku! Miku, are you okay?!" Hibiki quickly rushed to Miku's side, helping her sit up."What happened? Why didn't you use your attack?"

"I...I can't, Hibiki...What if he steals my attack again and hits one of you...? Beel is dead because of me...I did this...!" Miku sobbed as Hibiki engulfed her in a hug.

"Miku, it's not your fault..." She said, rubbing her back. They heard an explosion in the distance and noticed red flames in the sky.

"Those are Hajime's flames!" Hibiki beamed, happy to know her boyfriend was okay.

"Go help him, Hibiki."

"But, Miku-"

"I'll be fine. I just need some time to get up." Miku forced a smile."But he needs you right now."

"Okay..." Hibiki reluctantly left her side, flying over to the battle.

"Get up, Bragi!" Hajime screamed at the top of his lungs as he and Ryuga locked hands with each other."We're so close! Just one more push and we win! You said you were the ultimate life form, right?! Then get up, Hyperion!"

"I told you that it's useless! He's not getting up, dumbass!" Ryuga slammed a giant fist of darkness from within a portal, launching Ryuki into a building.

Shirabe and Kirika appeared from the sides, wielding giant buzzsaw rings and a giant saw respectively. Both of their attacks were stopped by two venom snakes, corroding their weapons and forcing them to let go of them. He punched through two portals, shooting two beams of darkness at them.

Tsubasa and Maria roared, wielding two blades each as they lunged at him, but he quickly teleported above them, flapping his wings and firing a volley of elemental feathers, causing them to scream in pain.

Hibiki broke through a wall kicking Ryuga back to the street where several arrows were waiting for him, exploding.

Raia hovered above the buildings, waiting for the smoke to clear out. However, a quick javelin of light was thrown at him, piercing his shoulder.

"Raiden-kun!"

Ryuga appeared behind Hibiki, but before he could punch her, Ryuki came in and kicked Ryuga in the face, flinging him several streets away.

'I'm slowing down...' Ryuga grimaced.'They are wounded, but so am I.'

"Hajime!" Hibiki quickly hugged Ryuki, who didn't hesitate in hugging her back."You're okay!"

"Yeah...Sorry...I couldn't beat him. Now this whole thing just got worse." Ryuki apologized."But...We can still do this. He's on the ends of his rope. We have to hit him. You and me. As the Messiah..."

"And the Godlsayer." She finished. Their bodies began to glow gold and white respectively as they held hands together."I love you, Sunny."

"I love you too." He replied softly."My Sunshine."

"Guys, we'll give you the opening that you need," Knight said as Tsubasa appeared behind him.

"Nothing like a triple date, huh?" Abyss chuckled, making Kirika elbow him in the arm.

"The rest are going to back us up. We only have 10 more minutes." Tsubasa reminded them."Let's make it count!"

The 3 Riders quickly activated their abilities with their respective Symphogear couples

Link Vent

Co-Link Vent (x2)

Both Ryuki and Hibiki created a female avatar of crimson fire sporting two dragon wings and gauntlets.

Infernal Valkirye of Hope, Messiah

Knight and Tsubasa, formed a being of blue light, wielding a gold blade of azure flames and wearing samurai armor

God of Storms, Susanoo-no-Mikoto

Lastly, Kirika and Hamaguchi formed a water avatar with octopus legs and the body of a woman wielding a mix of a scythe with a chainsaw.

Chainsaw Disaster, Amphitrite

"Now! Let's go!"

Susanoo and Amphitrite rushed at Ryuga from the sides, forcing him to split his vision. But he kept a close eye on Messiah, feeling the immense power coming from them.

'The power of the Messiah and the Godslayer...' Ryuga flapped his wings, flying away.'If I get hit by both of those things in peak condition, I'd be in trouble. If I get hit now...'

Suddenly, Golem used his threats to wrap around Ryuga's right arm. The God looked down, noticing Elfnein hiding behind a building and sneaking up on him.

"That damn fucking puppet!" Ryuga made his dark wing into a spear, shooting a beam of darkness toward her. However, Chris appeared in front of her, using her reflectors to bounce the attack back, forcing him to protect himself with his steel wing. A buzzsaw flew back, severing the wing off his body just as a twister formed under him. Susannoo lifted their sword, shooting Ryuga into the sky as his body started receiving cuts. He growled, opening a portal, but Maria grabbed him by his feet, pulling him back and into Raia as he and Evilbreaker rammed into him, shooting a psychic beam that paralyzed Ryuga.

Amphitrite jumped in the air, raising their chainsaw scythe, and swung it at Ryuga. The Rider quickly opened a portal, summoning several arms of darkness but the weapon was quickly destroying them. Ryuga used his venom wing to shoot several rods at Amphitrite, causing Kirika and Abyss to lose their attack. But from within the water was a purple beam, hitting Ryuga head-on and sending him crashing to the ground.

It was Miku, waiting for the right moment to fire her attack from a distance.

'I can't move!' Ryuga cursed under his breath. He blinked once, and at that time, Messiah was already on top of him. He tried using his wings, but they were on cooldown after having them destroyed. He was about to open a portal, but suddenly, his body froze against his will. He had no choice but to take the barrage of punches coming at him from all angles. Hibiki and Hajime roared in unison, using their respective latent powers to deliver as many punches as they could to Ryuga before finishing it off with a fist that knocked him several kilometers away, bringing a building down on top of him.

The avatar disappeared, and Hajime quickly grabbed Hibiki before they fell to the ground.

"That...Shit...I can barely move..." Hajime groaned in pain, feeling Hibiki's weight on top of his body.

"I'm sorry..." She apologized, attempting to get off but he wrapped an arm around her frame, making her smile slyly."Oh? I thought you wanted me to get off?"

"It feels nice." He replied shamelessly, enjoying her warmth.

"Is it done? Did we win?" Abyss asked, being helped up by Maria and Shirabe.

"I don't know..." Elfnein confessed. Out of nowhere, Raia walked up to her and hugged her."R-Raiden?!"

"I missed you so much." He whispered in her ear, making her blush."I was so worried."

Elfnein gingerly kissed him on the lips, rubbing his cheek."I missed you too, dear. I...Oh, my God! Bragi!"

"We have to go look for him." Knight turned to his group."We'll split up. He's probably buried in the rubble, but if Kuroiwa can tell us an estimation of where-"

Countless portals opened up, revealing a countless amount of black arms that grabbed at every part of their bodies, holding them high in the air and preventing anyone from moving.

"W-what is this?!" Kirika tried moving, but the arm holding her arm tightening its grip, causing her to scream in pain.

"Baby/Kiri-chan!" Both Shirabe and Abyss screamed but were unable to move.

"It's stronger than the arms from before!" Ryuki tried cutting it with his sword to no avail.

Ryuga walked down the streets, his armor in tatters and blood pouring down his body, leaving a trail.

"No way...How...?" Knight muttered in bewilderment.

"You guys...certainly know how to struggle."

"That voice...Hazuki?!" Ryuki gasped in realization.

'You alright, Loki?' Hazuki asked his partner.

"That attack nearly killed me, Superstar. Thank goodness you woke up in time but I'm down for the count. Sorry about the condition of your body."

'It's fine. I can deal with it.' Ryuga shifted his attention to the group."Loki and I share bodies, but our energy supplies are slightly different."

"Different...?" Tsubasa narrowed her eyes.

"We feel the same pain. But this body takes power from two different sources. From him...and me. You managed to exhaust a source. And while I am also running on fumes, I can still fight. At least more than you guys. Look at you." Ryuga smirked, admiring their injuries."Wounded, scared, exhausted, confused. You can't escape the grasp of those shadow arms. But just in case, we made extra just for you. I won't take any more chances. Not anymore."

"Hazuki, wait!" Ryuki called out to his brother."This is insane!"

"I am going to keep marching forward...and destroy my enemies." Ryuga created 4 elemental arms using his wings, raising them in the air."I'm going to use all the power I have left for this attack. I am going to make sure it's powerful and destructive enough so that none of you can withstand or block it. This is your end."

The attacks began to pulse as they created a strong gust of wind.

"W-we have to move!" Knight hollered, struggling in his binds.

"I want to, but these things are too strong!" Chris growled, biting onto a shadow arm but doing no damage.

Abyss tried shooting a jetstream of water, but due to his awkward position, he almost shot at Chris.

"Hey! Watch where you're shooting that thing!"

"S-sorry!"

"It won't matter where he's shooting if we can't break out of these things!" Raia cried out, struggling like an animal in a cage with all his might. Once he got tired, he simply stopped, hanging limp."Damn it...damn it!"

Panic was beginning to settle as they watched Ryuga aim the attacks at them.

"Is...Is this it...?" Ryuki whispered, exhausting his strength to resist. Everything in his body hurt. Every part of him screamed.'Are we...going to die right here...?'

"Guys!" Knight yelled, attracting their attention. He waited a few seconds before taking a deep breath."We...we did what we could."

"What...?" Tsubasa's eyes shot wide open.

"We...we can't just give up..." Hibiki's voice quivered, turning to Hajime, who didn't say anything.

Kirika and Elfnein began to silently cry and Shirabe had to look away from it. Abyss and Raia continued to try to move in vain. Maria bit her lower lip, closing her eyes. Miku could only pray that Bragi was safe somewhere, away from this.

"Goddamn it!" Chris bellowed.

"It's okay. You guys have fought together, so you shall die together." Ryuga cackled maniacally as he began to shoot his attacks."That is my final gift to you! A perfect death!"

---

"Oh, no!" Garie covered her eyes.

"No way..." Aoi muttered in disbelief."This can't be happening!"

"They're going to be annihilated!" Genjuro slammed his fist on the console in front of it, destroying it. He could only watch in horror as the 4 energy beams that were shot in the air split into several more, homing in on his subordinates. He could see the desperation in their faces. They were doomed.

However, the attacks stopped a few inches before making contact.

"What? But that's...!"

---

Ryuki blinked, breathing heavily as he stared at death straight on. He slowly turned around noticing that the other attacks had also stopped in place.

"What is this...?" Shirabe muttered in disbelief.

"What the hell is going on?!" Ryuga snarled in annoyance.

Miku gasped, shifting her gaze to the side. Hajime followed suit, noticing what she was staring at. Soon"No way..."

"I already used all the energy I had left to heal my body as much as I could and yet it's still dying..." Bragi, missing the left side of his body, had his right arm up, using his gravity powers to keep the attacks in check. He had managed to regenerate the right side of his head, his black hair and blue eye slowly losing their color as he limped toward them. No blood came out of the left side of his body, and only half of his left foot remained. But still, he slowly advanced."But...I won't let the same thing happen to you guys...I promise you that."

"Bragi...What are you doing...?" Miku muttered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I...I was born out of the malice of Carol and Bragard. My Mother and Father. I was created to succumb this world into chaos...and follow Bragard's will. And I almost turned out wrong...But you guys...were there for me...during my toughest times. You pulled me out of the self-made grave I had and helped me follow the right path. You all...taught me so much...So much. And I loved our time together..."

"Bragi-chan, what are you saying...?"

The group noticed the energy beams slowly moved away from them.

"Wait...He's using his right arm..." Knight realized, a dreadful sensation invading his body."That's the hand that uses attract...! Does he intend to-"

"Bragi!" Ryuki shouted."What are you doing?! Stop!"

"Hazuki! Stop it! Please, I'm begging you!" Miku screamed at the black Rider."Don't do it! Don't take him away from me!"

"I was looking forward to that party...the one we were going to have once all of this was over. But...if you guys can have it...in my stead, then...that's fine with me. Because in the end, I want to be...just like my Mama...I want to be a human. So thank you...Hajime...Miku...Auntie Elfnein."

"DON'T DO IT, BRAGI!"

"BRAGI-CHAN! PLEASE DON'T DO IT!"

He flicked his wrist, and the attacks were headed toward him as his body began to crumble away, his hair completely grey by now as his life force was completely depleted.

"I'm sorry, Miku...I wanted to explore more of the world together with you...But...I guess that wasn't meant to be. But still...In this short year I had to live, I...I was happy. " Bragi stared on as the attacks homed in on him, lowering his arm and closing his eyes. His body crumbled to dust and said one more thing before the end came."I had fun...Thank you...for helping me...be a human...I love you."

The attack struck the dust, completely disintegrating everything in their path. The Alternative Deck was destroyed, leaving no trace of it behind.

---

Bragi jolted awake, gasping for air as he looked around. He was in some kind of carriage, and was wearing old yet fancy clothes."Oh, damn. I'm dead. So...What exactly is this place...?"

He then remembered everything that had happened and sighed."I can't believe I ended up getting myself killed like that. I'm the only person in the world that's difficult to kill, and yet...But still, if I'm dead, where am I? I don't have a soul...So why am I still conscious?"

"You foolish boy."

Bragi gasped upon hearing a voice next to him. It was Carol in her adult form, wearing a long, red dress."Mama...?"

"I thought Miku Kohinata, Elfnein, and Hibiki Tachibana taught you that you are a human. No matter what percentage of you is homunculus." She poked his chest."Your heart will always be human. So will your soul."

"Mama..."

"You did good." Carol placed a hand on top of his head."I'm proud of you, son."

Bragi smiled upon feeling her touch, knowing he wasn't just hallucinating. He relaxed, leaning against her as she continued to brush his hair."Gragh, so damn annoying, though."

"Sometimes winning isn't everything." A voice said from in front. Driving the horse, was none other than Izak.

"Grandfather, you're here too...?" Bragi's eyes widened in shock.

"Honestly, I only ever dreamed of being called grandpa." He chuckled in good nature."It makes me happy. It sure took a while. Your Mother isn't one to settle down, as you know."

"P-Papa! What does that mean?!" Carol groaned in chagrin.

"Give it a rest, dear. He has a point."

Bragi turned to his left and could have sworn he was staring at a mirror. If not for his hair being completely black and both of his eyes being blue and being a few years older than him, Bragi could have been staring at his clone.

"Hello, son. Or at least, my other me." He spoke gently, holding a tender smile."Wow...Seeing you up close...You really do look just like me."

"Wait...You're...the First!" Bragi gasped in shock."But...but how...? How...are you all here...?"

"We have all been waiting. At least, Izak and I." Bragard said, placing a hand on his chest."Right now, I am merely projecting myself into what I think I would look like in the body of an adult. Because otherwise...you'd be staring at a kid younger than you. I died when I was about 10."

"Yeah, you died because of a disease. I...I saw some of your memories." Bragi nodded.

"Ever since I died, it caused a domino effect. The Second Bragard came to be, and the kingdom..." He winced, closing his eyes."I apologize, Bragi. Because I couldn't beat my disease, I-"

"I told you not to blame yourself for that." Carol reached for his hand."Seriously, you two don't stop blaming yourselves about things you couldn't control."

"Heheheh. I guess you're right." Bragard chuckled."But I'm happy to see how you turned out. You made the name Hyperion proud, Bragi. You are an even better prince than I am."

"I don't know..." Bragi lowered his gaze."Mama...I...I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"You and Damian did so much for me so that I could live." Bragi muttered, clenching his fists."So that I could continue to explore the world. But...Look at me now. I'm dead. I failed you."

"Bragi..." Carol grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently."We did all of that...because we care about you. We wanted you to live how you wanted to live. You chose to sacrifice your life for your friends because that was your desire. I can't be upset about that. No one can."

"But still...It's so infuriating." Bragi ran a hand through his hair."I gave it everything I had and used all of my power...And yet it wasn't enough. I was never a rival to Ryuga. It's so...frustrating. Not because of my pride. But because I couldn't do more to help." The monochrome-haired boy bit his lower lip.

Carol was about to say something when Bragi spoke again.

"But I guess...What would have made things a bit less sour was...If you were there, Mama." Bragi shifted his attention to the blonde.

Carol's eyes widened slightly, gaping.

The boy rubbed his nape sheepishly, blushing slightly."I really would have loved it if you were there to cheer me on. I wanted you to watch me fight."

Carol's eyes started to water and she wrapped her arms around him."Oh, my poor child. I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry, my sweet child. I wish I'd been there for you."

"But you were there for him, Carol." Bragard raised a finger."We were all deep in your heart, Bragi. Carol never stopped believing in you. You should have heard her talk about you. She sounded so proud. Because she knows the great things you did. She knows that where she failed, you succeeded. And for a parent, that's the best feeling there is."

It was Bragi's turn to start crying, nuzzling against Carol's neck."Mama...You really...think that about me?"

"Of course I do. I've done so many things in my life. All of them for bad. But you...I'm overjoyed that at least you managed to be on the right path." She rubbed his back, kissing his cheek."The short time we got to know each other was the best time of my life. I never did anything for you...But I tried my best to support you. So that you could never make the same mistakes I did."

"No...You love me, Mama...That's all I can ask of you." Bragi beamed."I'm happy to be your son. I love you, Mama."

"I love you too." She said lovingly, squeezing him tightly.

"I have to say, that Alchemy you did...For never using proper alchemy before, that was amazing." Carol said fondly."I never would have imagined that you had so much potential. That gold transmutation was even greater than mine."

"Ah, well...You know...I just did what you did when you fought Shem-Ha." He giggled, scratching his cheek.

"You have to give yourself more credit, Bragi." Izak said from the front."By the way, Carol, I plan to spoil him rotten."

"W-what?! No way!"

"But your Father used to do the same for you, though." Bragard pointed it with a sly smile."You were daddy's little princess."

"That was different!" Carol blushed intensely, pulling Bragi closer to her chest."He's my son. I get to decide how he's raised."

Bragi could only laugh at the whole thing, staring at the outside as the carriage began to move. He saw several hundreds of people, cheering loudly as they passed by. He saw familiar faces like Leiur, Lulu, Damian, Phara, Zeke, and Micha waving at them. Even Beelzebub was flying alongside the carriage, giving him a wave. The boy looked ahead of the road, noticing they were heading toward a light.

"It was a short while, but I loved my time being alive." Bragi suddenly said, earning the attention of his family."I had so much fun. Miku...I wanted you to meet her, Mama. She's the girl I love. And I'm sure you would have loved her too. My friends are all great people. They helped me in ways I never thought possible. Taught me so much about life. I used to think I knew everything, but I was wrong. Hajime...I don't like him that much. He's a loudmouth. But I trust him. When we fought together against Ryuga...it felt so natural. Like we were moving in unison. As if we were being directed by an orchestra. In the end, I guess we were...friends."

Carol and Bragard listened intently as Bragi continued talking. Izak could only smile, a small tear streaming down his cheek.

"The world is so vast. When we were traveling around clearing out the remains of the Yggdrasil, I met so many people. And learned so many cultures. It was amazing. Grandfather...You were right. This world is truly worth protecting and exploring." Bragi stared at his hand, feeling his parents embrace him."I...I don't regret fighting to protect it. And I know the others will find a way to save it. So I can pass on in peace knowing they can do it."

Bragi took a deep breath, opening his eyes to see the light.'Hajime...Please, protect the world I love so much. I know you can do it. You were always better than me, after all...right?'

"Bragi." The first Bragard said."Do you mind if you tell me your tale and your adventures in the world?"

"Sure. It's a bit of a short story, but-" Bragi paused, allowing a smile to form on his face."No. It's a long story. So I want to take my time telling it."

"I'd be more than happy to hear what you have to say."

---

The attack struck the dust, completely disintegrating everything in their path. The Alternative Deck was destroyed, leaving no trace of it behind.

Everyone stared. All they could do was gawk at where Bragi once was, too much in shock to move. No one moved a muscle, not even Ryuga, who looked equally as stupified as the others. It felt like an eternity passed by when in reality was mere seconds. Elfnein cried silently, not making a sound, her brain unable to process the loss of her nephew. Miku's scream of anguish was the first noise they heard after the sound of the blast.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! BRAGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Something in Hajime snapped upon hearing her screams. His body ignited in flames as he roared, reaching very deep inside unconsciously, drawing out more power. Or the power he had left. He burnt through the hands, immediately lunging at Ryuga and punching him across the face, shattering his helmet as they both fell to the ground. His Survive form ran out, and his Unite form vanished as well as his wings. The attack was enough for Ryuga to lose control of the arms, releasing the others from their binds.

"WHY?! WHY?!" Ryuki sobbed, his Oversurvive form disappearing and returning to his normal Ryuki form, punching him in the face."Why did you do it?! Why did you kill him?! Why?! Why?!"

The raven-haired boy wailed, his fists losing power and lowering his head."Why...?! When will you be satisfied...? Why do you keep killing the people we love...? When...when will our torment end? I can't...I can't do it, Hazuki...I'm...I'm not strong enough...It's too much...It's too much...It's too cruel...I just want this to end already..."

"You ask when...?" Hazuki slowly turned his beat-up face to look at Hajime in the eye."I'll stop when this whole world is sunk into calamity."

He spat blood at his mask before a Hydragoon tackled Ryuki to the ground. Several more appeared, piling on top of him. Ryuga stood up, immediately starting to run as his transformation ran out, revealing Hazuki's human form."I used all of my power in that one attack...Damn that Bragi! He just had to get in the way of things!"

Hazuki attempted to create a portal, but it was small. The size of a basketball.'I can't even make portals anymore and I have 2 more minutes.'

The blonde looked up at the sun, noting it was almost at its highest peak in front of the moon. The eclipse was about to commence."Then, I guess I have only one choice left.

Ryuki screamed at the top of his lungs, burning the Hydragoons as he entered Oversurvive form yet again. However, he suddenly returned to his human form, having exhausted what remained of his strength. But he immediately started to sprint toward Hazuki, forcing his hand. Hazuki pulled out the Gjallarhorn, blowing on it.

"I won't let you go! I swear on everything holy to me, I will kill you, Hazuki!" Hajime screamed, chasing after his brother."I am not letting you off!"

"You don't give up, do you?!" Hazuki clicked his tongue, the chase continuing.

"What?!" Tsubasa heard the horn from afar. The group had returned to their regular transformations, fighting off the armada of Hydragoons that were crowding the streets. Miku and Elfnein were curled up against each other, crying in pain while Chris stayed with them to protect them. They were not able to fight anymore, all of their fighting spirit burning away."But we have a minute and a half!"

"What was the point of that?" Knight kicked a Hydragoon away, but then they heard several screams in the distance.

---

"Keep going! Everyone, maintain a straight line!" One of the members of the Resistance guided a group of people toward a convoy provided by the UN."You're almost there! We'll take everyone out of the city and into a safe place!"

"What about the commanders? Have you heard anything from Xiao, Yutao, and Suyin?" Another soldier asked.

"I have no idea. We haven't had contact with them since the whole thing started. I think they might be dead. But we have to keep pushing forward, and evacuate all of the civilians before-"

Suddenly, the sound of a horn echoed through the city, and out of nowhere, people started to transform into purple monsters that started attacking those around them. The convoys transporting civilians began to shake wildly, as several humans had transformed inside, killing whatever unfortunate people could not get away. The soldiers began to fire at the monsters but they sustained no damage. It was hell on earth, and the humans could only run as the monsters began to kill other humans.

---

"Fuck!" Genjuro boomed, destroying the console in front of him. He was a man who would barely curse, if at all. But the situation was just out of control. Way out of control. Those who bear the brand were transforming into mindless creatures, attacking everything in sight. Only a few minutes remained. And worst of all-

"No! God, no!" Garie sank to her knees, crying in her hands."Not the Prince! Not Bragi!"

"Bragi can't be dead...He just can't be...He...he can't be..." Tobias muttered to himself, seemingly in shock since all he could do was stand there like a statue.

Sakuya was crying, and Aoi couldn't hold back her tears. Genjuro gritted his teeth in frustration. All of the people he was protecting...all of them were in tears. He adjusted his tie, heading for the door where Elsa and Mona were huddled together.

"Commander?" Aoi asked, wiping her tears off.

"I'm going out there."

"W-what?! But sir!" Sakuya gasped, standing up from his seat.

"All of our Riders and Symphogear are at their wit's end. And the enemy is severely weakened. I can't just stand here while my kids are out there trying their best to-"

"Gen." Yatsuhiro's face appeared on the screen.

"Yatsuhiro-aniki!"

"I have some terrible news. Upon seeing the current state of this war, many members of the UN have decided to abandon it and leave. I'm one of the few ones still in this office as we speak."

"What...?" Genjuro slowly walked closer to the screen."They left?"

"Gen...I managed to convince them to avoid nuking China." He heaved a weary sigh."It took a lot of effort. But I managed to avoid the use of nuclear weapons since the children are still there and plenty of innocent civilians have yet to be evacuated. America took the lead and gathered the other former members of the UN and are making a naval assault when the worst-case scenario happens. But Gen...this fight...it's over."

"What?!"

"They can't win, Gen. We have to pull them back. We have to secure our country and prepare to defend it." Yatsuhiro closed his eyes."This war is lost."

"No...They are still fighting! Time is not out yet!" Genjuro screamed, his voice full of confidence and determination. He wholeheartedly believed in his subordinates who he loved as his children."They can do it."

Yatsuhiro remained silent but silently prayed that he was right.

---

"There's too many!" Maria cried out, throwing several daggers at a group of Hydragoons.

"Kuroiwa! Go after them!" Tsubasa shouted, earning a nod from the water-themed Rider before he ran off."We have to separate and cover more ground!"

Suddenly, Tsubasa screamed in pain as a piece of crystal pierced her left thigh, forcing her to fall on her rear.

"Tsubasa!" Knight tried to run to his girlfriend, but Wei appeared in front of him, kicking him across the face.

"Wei-kun!" Shirabe gasped upon seeing her crush."Stop! Stop! Don't hurt them!"

"Only 3 minutes before Ragnarok is set to happen." Wei said, scowling at Shirabe."We won't let you interfere any longer! You're out of time!"

"We won't let you stop us!" Raia dashed at Wei, but a pillar of dark matter launched him into the sky where Nightmare received him with a kick, launching him back to the ground.

"Nightmare is here too?!" Hibiki gasped, turning to Miku, who had undone her transformation.'Miku must be exhausted! She fought for several hours and with the short time she's been a Symphogear, it's a miracle she managed to hold him for this long...'

"Let us through!" Maria growled in disdain.

"Make us. Cruel Genesis!" Despia challenged, her body becoming entirely of crystals."We'll save the world!"

"You're out of your mind, you fucking bitch!" Chris jumped into the sky, shooting several arrows at the group. They began to clash, both sides fighting for their lives for the short time they had left. Hibiki spotted a Mirror Monster flying toward Miku and Elfnein and immediately rushed to kill it. She was about to punch it, when a bone emerged from within the creature, nearly stabbing her right arm.

Hibiki landed on the ground, staring at the sky as the monsters were destroyed, revealing a brown-haired girl wearing a similar uniform to the other Calamities. She easily recognized her face, even with the pale skin, black eyes, and horns."Setsuna-chan...?"

"This is over! Give up! The day of judgment is here and you're interfering with our peace!" Setsuna shouted, bone protruding from her arms and forming four sharp claws.

"Setsuna-chan...? Why do you look like that?" Hibiki had no chance to answer as Setsuna lunged at her, swinging her arms. Hibiki was on autopilot, dodging her attacks as she was trying to process what was going on.'Why is she attacking me...?'

"Won't you die for me...?" Setsuna jumped on top of Hibiki, straddling her shoulders and locking eyes with her."Hibiki-onee-chan?!"

Bones came out of her ribcage, but Maria kicked Setsuna in the face, launching her across the street."Hibiki! Are you okay?!"

"Setsuna-chan...She's being controlled!" Hibiki shouted, tears glistening in her eyes."I have to help her!"

"Get down!" Maria grabbed Hibiki's head and both of them dropped to the ground. Several white projectiles were shot at them from Setsuna's fingertips. Maria noticed the runes on her arms."Are those...her phalanges...? Is her power the ability to control the bones of her body at will...?"

"Setsuna-chan! Stop it! This isn't like you!" Hibiki pleaded.

"What would you know...What would you know about me?!" Setsuna rushed toward them, creating a large spear made of bones. Maria was about to intercept her, but Hibiki kicked the ground, propelling herself forward and smashing the bones to pieces, hitting Setsuna across the face. The girl was sent rolling on the ground several streets before halting.

Hibiki gasped, staring at her shaky arm."Why did I...? Why did I do that...?"

"Hibiki, calm down!" Maria grabbed her by the shoulders."You're in shock! You have to calm down!"

"B-but Maria-san...this is too much. Bragi is dead...everything is going wrong." Hibiki shook like a leaf."Setsuna-chan...Setsuna-chan, wait!"

"I won't...I won't let it end here! I refuse to keep falling into the abyss!" Setsuna screamed at the top of her lungs as she started to run away.

"Setsuna-chan! Wait!" Hibiki tried to chase after her, but several purple monsters appeared in front of her."Those are...transformed humans..."

"Transformed humans?!" Maria parroted."Damn it! We have to do something! Only a minute left!"

---

"Hazuki!" Hajime yelled after his brother, chasing him down an alley.

"Just fuck off already!" Hazuki kicked down a trashcan, but Hajime jumped over it. He would turn around and fight him, but he had to hold the Gjallarhorn and couldn't make portals.'Damn it! To use the Gjallarhorn at the promised time, I have to take a deep breath and do it for a few seconds. But this guy is making sure I'm constantly moving and out of breath! He won't let me do it!'

Hajime ran up the walls, spinning around and going for a spiral kick. Hazuki blocked it with his arm, but the impact of the kick sent him staggering back. He picked up a brick, hurling it into Hajime's forehead. He groaned in pain but kept his run, ignoring the blood coming from the gash on his forehead.

"What are you?! A monster?!" Hazuki was about to grab something, but his arm came off his body as purple sludge.'No...My body! Constant use of Loki's Divine Power and the damage I've sustained is destroying my body!'

"It's over! Hazuki!" Hajime yelled, ignoring the agony his body was in. He was way over the normal amount of adrenaline a person should ever feel. But he did not care. Not when the fate of the world rested on this fight.

"Damn you! Damn you! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!" Hazuki continued to scream, running as hard as he could. 30 seconds remained. Hajime roared, jumping on top of a hydrant and using it to propel himself, crashing against Hazuki. He sat on his chest, readying a punch but suddenly, he was tackled away and into a wall, hearing a sickening crunch.

"Hey there, pretty." Yomi licked his lips, grabbing Hajime by the collar of his shirt."Long time no see, cousin."

"Y-Yomi!" Hajime noticed Yomi's limps were made of dark matter."Why? How?!"

"Your dumbass friend was so sure of himself back then when he tried to kill us, he forgot about my little sister. She used her crystals to stop those fire arrows, saving our lives. All we had to do was lay low until the time was right." He leaned closer to Hajime's face."Oh, it's so close now. I've been dreaming about you since our fight. Just thinking of you makes my scars ache in anticipation of another fight. I can almost taste-"

"Get the fuck off him!" Abyss kicked Yomi away from Hajime, sending him crashing into a building."Hajime are you-Oh, my God..."

Hajime stared at his right arm in shock, seeing the bone breaking through his skin and coming out of his arm.

"Holy shit...That's a compound fracture...Hajime, you have to-"

"Hey, hey. Don't ignore me, fish." Yomi clicked his tongue, emerging from the hole in the wall.

"Hamaguchi! Boost me!" Hajime began to sprint. 10 seconds remained. Abyss used his gauntlet to shoot a jetstream of water toward Hajime, using it to shoot him at great speeds. However, Yomi tackled Abyss, but this was all Hajime needed. 15 seconds.

Hazuki had limped a few yards away, but Hajime managed to cover that distance thanks to Hamaguchi, who was right behind him.

"HAZUKI!" Hajime tackled Hazuki, making him drop the Gjallarhorn as it skidded away. Hajime tried to punch him, but Hazuki grabbed him by the neck, pushing him away."Stop! It's over! You lose!"

"Fuck you! I have not lost! I am going to be the Ultimate Good! I am going to lead this world down a road of peace! You fucking bastards have no right to interfere!"

"You are the ones who have no right to cause so much pain and misery!"

They heard footsteps in front of them. It was Setsuna, who had picked up the Gjallarhorn in her hands. 5 seconds.

"Setsuna..." Hajime smiled but immediately his smile disappeared when Setsuna brought the Gjallarhorn to her lips."W-wait...Setsuna, what are you-"

"I'm sorry...Haji." Setsuna said in between tears."This is for the greater good."

She took a deep breath, bringing her lips to the Gjallarhorn. The sun reached its peak, commencing the total lunar eclipse. Everyone else kept fighting, unaware of the events that were about to unfold as the girl blew the horn.

1 second remaining.

"DON'T DO IT!"

And with the sound of the horn, the world as they knew it...came to an end.

---

Hajime slowly opened his eyes, wincing upon seeing the bright light above him. He sat up, taking a few seconds to breathe before he gasped, checking himself over for injuries. His arm was back to normal. No wound to speak of whatsoever. He touched his forehead and also realized the gash he had earlier wasn't there. Perplexed, he scanned his surroundings, noticing he was in the sky. And yet, he was sitting on solid ground. He patted the ground.' It's solid...'

"So, you finally woke up. Sure took your time."

Hajime froze like a deer in headlights. He looked ahead to see his brother smiling at him. He also looked perfectly healthy. As if neither of them were fighting to the death just now."What...? What is this...?"

"Not sure. But this place exists outside of our worlds." Hazuki said, hands on his hips.

"Wait, what-"

"Don't worry. For us, time passes by normally. But for the real world...no time has passed." Hazuki's eyes narrowed at his brother."Make no mistake. Ragnarok has already started. As soon as we leave this place, you'll see it for yourself." The wielder of the Ryuga Deck slowly started to make his way toward Hajime."But before that, I want to talk for a bit with you. It might be our last conversation, after all. So, where do we-"

Hazuki stopped, slowly looking down at his stomach. A spike of darkness impaled him, and then two more came from his sides, paralyzing him and preventing him from moving.

Hajime could only look on in shock as a shadow emerged from Hazuki's back, slowly taking shape to reveal a horned figure with red eyes.

"Sorry to interrupt your brotherly talk...Superstar." Loki chuckled maliciously."But I can't wait any longer."

---

Remaining Kamen Riders:

Ryuki: Hajime Adachi

Knight: Yosuke Yanagi

Raia: Raiden Amaterasu

Abyss: Hamaguchi Kuroiwa

Odin: Hazama Liang

Ryuga: Hazuki Kaburagi

Deceased Riders:

Scissors: Goro Tanaka (Killed by Ouja)

Verde: Zeke Crowley (Killed by Zolda)

Imperer: Andreas Kagatsuchi (Killed by Ryuga)

Zolda: Takeru Sakamoto (Killed by Ouja)

Femme: Chiaki Nakahara (Killed herself before succumbing to the effects of her Swan Song)

Tiger: Jades Demetrios (Killed by Gai)

Gai: Terunosuke Kuwana (Defeated by Raia, Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika. Killed by Helheim demons)

Ouja: Allister Albedo (Killed by Chris Yukine)

Alternative: Bragi Third Dienheim (Killed by Ryuga)