Okay so, before we go ANY further: yes. I saw all the new leaks. Yes. I've seen the new combat and gameplay. And yes. I've also seen some cutscenes. So with all that being said, I propose a new company standard… every time SEGA gives us all a heart attack, they owe each of us 5 dollars… 5.52 if we add taxes and inflation, but thats besides the point.
I mean, I'm not gonna sit here and say their marketing has always been picture perfect, but Jesus Christ…
If they showed those secondary gameplays in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I'm not taking back everything I said, cause I'll have to play the game first, but it does show promise and it could really be successful if they manage to pull it off. Ian Flynn will most likely do his part well with the story, so I'm not totally concerned with that, again its mostly the gameplay that I'm mainly worried about.
That above statement answers some reviews I have gotten, considering most of them were about Frontiers. Lets take care of the rest but before that, be warned this is a very short chapter, so it can be considered a bonus/extra chapter. It's mainly to give more context about a certain Devil who found a certain gemstone…
From Boshwa:
Why do you write this as if it's a tv show? Describing a camera moving looks kinda silly in a text format. It's making a musical sequence in a fanfic, except there's obviously no music or anything else to visualize it
Bakuganman: Now, I understand this criticism, but its kind of a weird one to make since its not the first time I've wrote stuff like that throughout this fic. I write stage direction like that so the reader can visualize what I'm seeing as I write, help them see what I see, ya know? And yes music would have helped, especially considering the ball of light that popped up (yes, it was Tikal. Others have called this out), but I didn't wanna make it too obvious who it was at first. Now that everyone knows whom it was, her music WILL be playing the next time she appears.
From Guest-Questioner:
Is~a~wha~? What that~ was that Tikal? Hoh boy~ now that is something!
That venture into the past though... (0_0) whoa~nelly!
Hey you know, I wonder if a Chao Garden found it's way into a section of the familiar forest, huh?
Bakuganman: Yes it was Tikal. Said this in PM's to other people, but figured I'd expand on things we did not see happen in the Sonic lore. Now, there IS a reason for the past visit other than that, but I'll save that for some other time. Though if anyone wants to try and figure it out, by all means give it a shot. Its a 'read between the lines' kind if deal.
From yasha012:
(AN: Too many reviews to copy-paste XD)
Bakuganman: Okay, lets answer as much as possible at one time…
Chapters 1 - 3: Glad you enjoyed the intro, and the prologue with how sassy Sonic is towards Eggman; especially the interaction with Orbot, Cubot and Eggman themselves. I honestly just studied how they bounced off each other in Colors, Lost World and Boom, and even the Orbot prototype in Unleashed. It was a little tough, I will admit, and I wanted to write it as not coming off as meta. They interact again after the first half is over, but I'll let you get there at your own pace. And of course, Sonic saving a kid or person without any context is like him… how many times has that happened? If he DID have a ring for every time…
Chapters 4 - 6: Him being labeled as a yokai just sounded appropriate; he's been called a cat, rat and porcupine anyway. Exploring how he'd be thinking on the inside felt appropriate as well, considering what our Blue Blur has been through over the years, and had to squeeze a Sonic X reference (as he's dealing with a human) and his ionic "Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog" in there for good measure. Also glad you love the title of ch 5 and his need for a chili dog, not to mention "he can't be a hero ALL the time".
Chapters 8, 14 and 16: As you implied to have read all chapters up to that point, glad you enjoyed them. And don't worry about reviewing EVERY chapter, don't stress yourself out. Good point about them being bookmarks though. XD
From Daku Shirosaki:
Yo! it's me again XD! But seriously it's been a hot minute and boy oh boy was this chapter a treat, especially with Asia's encounter. I noticed that Yugioh reference you put in there XD. I didn't notice it at first but I was lucky to find it in time! But with Asia's encounter, man I was hoping she would actually say something about what she saw, but I'll take this as foreshadowing at the very least XD. Welp after this is gonna be the start of the Raiser Arc and I can't wait for that to happen!
As always, stay safe out there and I hope you have a good day or night.
P.S. Also! I have my own story now! you give it a look sometime. It's not the best but I'm sure you'll love it! Once see you until the next update!
Bakuganman: Been a while, eh? Welcome back. Your not the only one to double back on Asia's encounter, it was written to be that way. Yeah, I might check out your story when I get a minute. I'll see you… well, I guess as soon as this is posted and you check in.
From Arturwho:
I also respect rías she was really desperate and it was just coincidence that she got Issei, Rías she is not really bad
I love your story please continue updating it
I don't remember if you answered this question but in the Excalibur arc will get caliburn I'm just asking it would be really shocking for everyone if they found out he was the true King Arthur and I mean like the black knight story was in these story not a lie to be late for Amy date and in fact was real I'm just asking for curiosity
Bakuganman: Good to see Rias has a fan, and doesn't immediately think she left Issei for dead on purpose (though understand why some people think this. Anime version didn't do her much favors). Also glad you love the story considering how long I've planned it, and I have answered the Black Knight question a few times. The amount of references I made to that game and Secret Rings should have made the answer obvious by this point, but I also understand not everyone is searching for references under a magnifying glass.
Chapter 26: All a Phenex needs is a little bit of Chaos
The chapter begins not at Kuoh Academy, its city, or even the human world for that matter. Instead of starting with Sonic, Issei or a Devil from the ORC as usual; Ravel Phenex was shown exiting a room while closing the door behind her, and starting to walk down one of the many hallways of the Phenex Families house which rivaled the size if a castle.
Just as she exited however, she felt something grab her arm.
"Miss Ravel?" Asked a voice which sounded like it belonged to a child. Looking behind her using her neck, Ravel not one, but two children. Twins actually, and were sisters. They were Ile and Nel, two of Riser's Pawns.
They looked to be the same age or at least close to the same age range as Koneko, and had turquoise hair, which they keep tied to one side of their head with a yellow ribbon. These ribbons were on opposite sides of each sister's head, as that was the best way to tell them apart for they were exactly identical in every other sense. Same blue eyes, same clothes, same body type, and even the same energy signature.
Both little girls were grabbing the older Devil actually, and had concerned looks on their faces.
"Are you okay?" The same child asked her again, being Ile.
"Yeah, we won another Rating Game! You should be happy!" Said Nel, both twins trying cheer Riser's biological sister up. They always saw Ravel as an older sister, and they of course felt bad when she began to walk out.
Ravel forced a smile. As the 2 youngest members of her brothers peerage, they were the sweetest… even though they fought with chainsaws, making them 2 of the most violent. However, that's not why Ravel was upset, but she couldn't leave them without a reason
"I am happy," she said. "I'm just… a little tired, thats all…" she added, which was only partially true. "I'm gonna go rest up. Have fun for me, okay?" Ravel then gave them both a smile and head pats, which satisfied both of them.
Giving her cute smiles in return, they went back into the room, which was shown to be quite a party when the room opened back up. Some girls were dancing, others were chatting in a group, but a number of them were on a large chair with Riser sitting on it. The girls snuggled and felt his chest mainly, though a few tried nabbing a yellow stone that hung from a necklace he was wearing under his open blazer, probably not to take it but out of curiosity or just wanting to hold the beautiful gemstone.
Riser was showing denying them this by closing his blazer just as the door finally closed.
Ravel sighed once she was alone in the hall. Yes, it was a battle, and like any good battle, it requires energy; but its the fact of HOW victory was achieved. Don't get her wrong, she was glad of another victory to the Family name; and she knew her brother can be an asshole, but she put up with it because they were siblings and High-Class Devils. Not only that, they were practically immortal due to they're Phoenix-like abilities.
Now?… It felt wrong. Especially with how far he began taking things lately, hence the reason she sought out that alien a few days ago. Would that Hedgehog even take her warning seriously? What was gonna happen when Riser seeks out Rias for thousandth time?
To think this all began, with that strange crystal, in THIS very hall…
-FLASHBACK-
"She denied you again?" Asked Ravel to her brother Riser, as they were both walking down a hall (which as mentioned above is the exact same hallway Present Ravel was in). "Gremory can't possibly think she can keep this up forever." She added.
"Let her. She can keep fighting back all she wants." Said Riser. "She's only delaying the inevitable. Regardless of what she claims, the deal has already been set. Its the best for all Devils… including herself."
"But to have the honor of being yours?" Ravel brown-nosed a tad. "Seriously. She's either delusional, spoiled, or just has a fragile ego. Probably all three."
"She is certainly feisty, Riser must admit." Riser said, and to be honest along with her beauty and title, that's one of a few extra benefits of the deal. "But that's why…"
SHATTER!
Suddenly out of nowhere, something came crashing through one of the windows, leaving behind a small hole that shattered the glass. When this happened, both Phenex siblings did stop dead in their tracks and freeze up, having no warning of the sudden intrusion. In fact, Riser had a fireball drawn up almost immediately.
PING! PING! PING, PING, PING!
After bouncing off the floor a few times, then hit the corner of one wall and bounced off of that, the intruder then rolled along the floor but due to its shape it didn't go much farther. It did sort of spin on itself before finally going still.
The brother and sister looked around, and eventually they're eyesights stumbled upon it… it was some kind of yellow-colored rock. Neither of them said anything, and no they weren't gonna assume some kids threw a rock in their window. That tons of security which made that impossible.
The rock though… it was like nothing they had ever seen before. As they got closer to inspect it, they saw that it was glowing, and making some kind of humming sound, which only got louder the closer they got.
Not only that… there was this strange vibe in the air about it…
"… What… is that?" Ravel asked, which kind of sounded like a stupid question. At first glance, it was clearly not a rock, but it was some kind of a gemstone. It was quite beautiful, she wasn't gonna lie. That thing might go for a fortune.
Riser continued to stare at it curiously, then he began to kneel down on one knee and reach for it. Another weird thing was when his hand got close enough to grasp it, he felt some kind of warmth. Ignoring it, he gently touched it…
HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM!
"AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGH!" Riser cried out, but in shock rather than pain. The very second Riser's fingers encased the gemstone, it not only glowed even brighter, but it also sent out a surge of energy that he felt throughout his hand, as if the stone was trying to repel him.
Ravel backed a few steps off on instinct, shielding her face with her arms as sparks of energy akin to electricity flew out from the stone, in fact this caused some lights to start flickering on and off as it being overcharged. "Onii-Chan!" She called out in worry, but her big bro was still dealing with… whatever THAT thing was!
What was going on? What was that crystal? Where did it come from? Who threw it into their home? More importantly, what was happening to her brother?!
"ARGH! ARGH! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!" Despite her calling out, Riser was still grasping onto the crystal, feeling every ounce of whatever this power was at point-blank range. It was also unclear if he was trying to get free or let go of the object in question, the older brother continuing to cry out as the gemstone seemed to react as if it had a mind of its own.
Then it stopped… everything then calmed down… Riser was slumped over, but Ravel could see he was still breathing. "… R… Riser?" She asked, then began to cautiously approach him. She heard him heavily breath in deeply, though he made no moves to get up. "Are you okay?…"
She finally got next to him and also kneeled down herself, where she saw he was still holding the crystal. He then lifted it up, looking directly at it for a long couple of seconds, still heavily breathing.
"… I'm… okay, Ravel." Said Riser, slowing rising to his feet, yet still had not taken his eyes off the item he was holding. "In fact… I've never felt better…" The camera focuses on the yellow stone Riser was holding, it glowing and humming gently, then the flashback flashes showing a new setting; which appeared to be some kind of combat arena. This arena had all the Pieces at different ends of the Colosseum as large statues with the camera focusing on one statue…
BOOM!
A large fireball was shot at this statue, not only causing an explosion and breaking the statue to pieces, but any pieces were consumed by flames and burned up. Riser was then shown to have a hand in the position that looked like he tossed a ball, obviously having launched that fireball, but sparks were emitting from his fingers.
This was a special Rating Game arena, normally only reserved for certain games, though Riser was probably able to pull some strings to get himself here, and for special training. He's been doing this for the past couple of days, beginning a day after he found that yellow Quartz crystal that came crashing into his house.
Not only that, his body was sparkling with an unknown energy, but it seemed to originate from the quartz crystal he kept in a specialized necklace around his neck.
"Ha… Ha…" He panted, the unfamilar energy putting some strain on his body, but the results were explosive! Even with powers of the fabled immortal bird, he's never felt such power before. It felt like he could do this for hours once he fully got the hang of it. "… Incredible…" Riser said, looking at the leftover energy still crackling and dancing in his hand.
He had to wonder, was this some kind of Sacred Gear? Seemed unlikely, but that's all he could assume it was. Unlike Sacred Gears, it didn't appear easy to access this gems power. It took a huge mental strain from Riser even after the past few days of testing it, and he once caused a huge explosion by accident, which disintegrated everything around him except for himself.
Still though… if he could master this thing and learned how it worked…
-END FLASHBACK-
Ever since then, her brother had not been the same. Ravel watched as the Riser she knew continued to disappear, being replaced by one she didn't recognize. In fact during the last Rating Game, he used that gem to defeat the entire opposing team, but doing so by luring them into a false sense of security. Well the flash generated by the crystal was too bright to see past, Riser bragged on how easy it was to knock his opponents down with a single attack.
Ravel just continued walking down the hallway, needing time to herself. The longer her brother had that stone, the further she felt away from him. Not only that, tomorrow he would go seek out Rias again.
She could only hope that Hedgehog took her warning, and save her brother, from himself…
Now you know. Riser didn't exactly find the Emerald. It found him. Pure dumb luck is also a good way to look at it since the Chaos Emeralds always disperse after all 7 are used in one place.
That about wraps up todays chapter, again it was short, but hopefully it was not just enjoyable, but insightful. Next time, we will be getting more of Riser and the Chaos Emerald he found. I've heard and listened to all of your feedback regarding them, and how a few of you are getting a little impatient… trust me. I have been a little myself, there have been times I wanted to skip forward and actually get to the part you've been waiting for; but we are practically there right now anyway. It's just up ahead.
One last thing before we go, I've wrote down some power scaling that was gonna go in the Extras fic (though nobody reads that anymore), so I've posted it here for you instead. I can already hear the angry typing from the keyboards, but this scaling was done to make it accurate and balanced for both franchises involved. And keep in mind, its only accurate at THIS point in the story:
Sonic the Hedgehog:
Physical Strength: 5 (increases when combined with his speed)
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 0
Defense/Endurance: 7
Speed: 10+
Special Notes: When it comes to speed, not even the highest ranked Knight can outrun the "Fastest Thing Alive"! With speed that can excel beyond the sound barrier, what Sonic can't defeat with brute force, he makes up for it with quick movements and unavoidable attacks that can be missed in the blink of an eye!
Raynare:
Physical Strength: 6
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 7 (10+ with Twilight Healing. Later removed)
Defense/Endurance: 6
Speed: 6
Special Notes: While probably not the strongest of the Fallen Angels, she is one of the most cunning, being able to use what she experienced in previous battles and/or interactions to her advantage, not to mention forming alliances when necessary (though mainly for her own benefits). She is also quite manipulative, being able to trick both Sonic and Issei on different occasions.
Issei Hyoudou:
Physical Strength: 3 (increases with Boosted Gear usage and when in Rook or Queen form)
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 1 (increases with Boosted Gear usage and when in Bishop or Queen form)
Defense/Endurance: 2 (increases in Rook or Queen form)
Speed: 2 (increases in Knight or Queen form)
Special Notes: Having recently turned into a Devil, Issei doesn't offer much in the way of combat on his own when not Promoting himself first; also unless his Sacred Gear, the Boosted Gear, increases his power level beforehand. He has incredible potential however, as it took even someone like Rias Gremory, who has the potential to destroy the entire world, several attempts to revive him after he was killed.
Rias Gremory:
Physical Strength: 8
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 10+
Defense/Endurance: 8
Speed: 7
Special Notes: With beauty to match her nobility and power that could very well destroy the world, and also being quite intelligent herself, Rias Gremory is not someone to take lightly. Despite this, she has a softer, more motherly side; but that is currently overshadowed by something bothering her…
Koneko Toujou:
Physical Strength: 10
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 2 (due to Rook status)
Defense/Endurance: 10+
Speed: 4 (she's nimble, but not insanely fast due to Rook status)
Special Notes: Don't let her small stature or cute appearance fool you! Koneko Toujou is quite literally a Tank. Not much can knock her over, and anything that tries usually gets punched across the map. She very rarely shows emotion, and can come across very snarky or dry at times, but it makes her bluntly honest with how she feels about people and certain situations.
Knuckles the Echidna:
Physical Strength: 10+
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 0
Defense/Endurance: 10
Speed: 6
Special Notes: While not as fast as Sonic, he makes up for it with his impressive amount of muscle; his punches being strong enough to cause earth-shaking results, including small fiery eruptions. He also has connections to the Master Emerald and Chaos Emeralds due to his tribes history with them.
Asia Argento:
Physical Strength: 1
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 10 (due to Bishop status)
Defense/Endurance: 2
Speed: 2
Special Notes: Raised by the church, Asia is incredibly kind and very sweet; which is only further shown by her Sacred Gear, the Twilight Healing. Despite being raised as a Christian girl, she has no regrets making friends with Sonic and Issei, as well as the other Devils of the ORC. Her upbringing can make her naïve, but she means well.
Tails Prower (real name - Miles Prower):
Physical Strength: 3
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 0
Defense/Endurance: 5
Speed: 7
Special Notes: When it comes to science and technology, no one outfoxes this fox! Be it fixing planes, tinkering with gadgets, solving complex issues, and even making rocket fuel out of hand soap; there's almost nothing Tails can't think his way out off! While not at strong as Knuckles or as fast as Sonic, his tails (hence the name) can propel him forward and also into the air akin to a helicopter.
Akeno Himejima:
Physical Strength: 9
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 10+
Defense/Endurance: 10 (due to Queen status)
Speed: 10 (due to Queen status)
Special Notes: Rias' most powerful game piece, and the strongest of Rias' peerage aside from Rias herself, as well as her best friend. Having mastery in all kinds of magic, most notably lightning, Akeno commands as much power as Rias, only further amplified due to her Queen traits (having all the abilities of the other pieces, excluding Pawns, and virtually none of the weaknesses)… she's also heavily into S&M, so she enjoys her power a little too much…
Amy Rose:
Physical Strength: 7 (increases when she gets highly emotional and/or angry)
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 0
Defense/Endurance: 5
Speed: 6
Special Notes: Once upon a time she was Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend, but the two have gone on dates a few times. While nowhere near as fast as the Blue Blur, she has heart and an energetic personality that gives her charm and an unwillingness to give up in what she believes in, something she picked up on from the Blue Hedgehog. She also has quite a bit of a temper, and when she brings out her Piko-Piko Hammer…
Kiba Yuuto:
Physical Strength: 7
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 4
Defense/Endurance: 2 (due to Knight status)
Speed: 10 (due to Knight status)
Special Notes: Rias' Knight who is the only male member of the ORC before Sonic and Iseei, and has the power to will swords of all types into existence. He is Rias' fastest team member, to the point where he has been shown to keep up with even Sonic's speed if only temporarily.
Riser Phenex:
Physical Strength: 9
Magical Strength/Demonic Power: 10+
Defense/Endurance: 7
Speed: 8
Special Notes: A member of the Phenex Family whom is next in line for his Families throne. He is also a Rating Game veteran, having not lost a single one except throwing certain matches on purpose. As his last name implies, he has powers similar to that of a Phoenix, being able to control fire and is able to regenerate any damage to his body no matter how severe the injury may be (he still feels pain however). All these factors have made Devil society assume he was immortal and unbeatable, and even worse, he stumbled upon a very strange stone recently…