Akira stood up, adjusting his coat as he retrieved his Forceriser and Sting Scorpion Progrisekey from within.
The black device gleamed ominously under the dim interior lights of the Manta. He glanced at Amethyst, his expression unreadable.
Akira: "Let's get closer. I want a front-row seat."
Amethyst smirked, tapping at the controls to lower their altitude.
Amethyst: "You're not just watching, are you? Got something planned?"
Akira: "Oh, I do. Time to remind the hypocrites what real monsters look like."
As the Manta hovered near the battle site, Akira pressed a button to open the rear hatch.
The wind rushed in, tugging at his coat and hair. He turned to Amethyst one last time.
Akira: "Stay here. Keep gathering data. I'll handle this."
Amethyst gave him a mock salute. "Have fun. Don't die."
Akira leaped from the Manta, the rush of air howling around him. He held the Forceriser above his belt area and attached it to himself.
The surge of red electricity coursed through his body, making him grit his teeth against the pain.
Forcerise : [ Forceriser ! ]
With a trembling hand, Akira activated the Sting Scorpion Progrisekey, pressing the Rise Starter button.
Sting Scorpion Progrisekey: [ Poison ! ]
Sliding the Progrisekey into the Rise Vice, the standby sound roared—a mechanical siren interwoven with the pounding rhythm of a drum.
The sound seemed to resonate with the very air around him.
Akira: "Henshin!"
He pulled the Force Executor, forcing the Progrisekey open. The Force Factory came alive, generating a mechanical scorpion that materialized around him.
The segmented creature broke apart, its pieces spinning around Akira as the undersuit formed beneath them.
The Restraint Cables snapped into place, securing the armor to his body.
Forceriser: [ Forcerise ! Sting Scorpion Breakdown ! ]
As the transformation completed, Akira landed on the bridge with a thunderous impact, the Sting Scorpion armor gleaming menacingly.
The bridge seemed to groan under his weight, the air around him heavy with tension.
[ Back with Yang Blake and Adam ]
...Yang stood, her eyes blazing red. She had caught Adam's sword with her prosthetic arm, her grip unyielding.
Yang: "Gotcha..."
She cocked her Ember Celica and delivered a thunderous punch to Adam's gut, sending him sprawling and disarming him in the process. The blade of Wilt clattered to the ground. Adam scrambled to retrieve it, but Yang hurled the weapon over the edge of the bridge.
Adam: "No!!"
His cry of desperation echoed as he watched his prized weapon vanish into the chasm below. Before he could react further, Blake appeared, striking him with a fierce uppercut that staggered him.
The two women moved in perfect unison, their resolve burning as fiercely as Yang's fiery aura. With pieces of Blake's shattered weapon in hand, they charged at Adam. He lunged toward them in one last, desperate act of defiance, but it was too late.
Blake and Yang struck simultaneously, impaling Adam from both sides.
Adam: "Oh..."
He slumped forward, blood dripping from his wounds. He stumbled toward the edge of the bridge, his body convulsing before falling over the side. The sickening sound of his body hitting the cliffside echoed until he disappeared into the waters below.
As the battle ended, Blake collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Yang dropped beside her, wrapping her arms around her partner.
Blake: (sobbing) "I... I won't break my promise, Yang. I swear."
Yang: "I know you won't. It's over now."
Their embrace was interrupted by slow, deliberate clapping.
The metallic echo of armored footsteps reverberated across the bridge.
Akira, clad in the Sting Scorpion armor, approached them, his visor glowing ominously.
Akira: "Well, well, what a show. Bravo." He continued his slow clap, the sound dripping with mockery. "A hypocrite's masterpiece, wouldn't you say, Blondie ?"
Yang's eyes narrowed, her body tensing despite her exhaustion.
Yang: "You..."
Blake glanced up, recognizing the voice and the figure. Her heart sank.
Blake: "Akira..."
Akira stopped a few feet away, his posture casual yet imposing.
Akira: "Still the righteous protector, aren't you, Yang? How ironic. You killed him, didn't you? Just like I did with Raven. Tell me, do you still see me as the monster here?"
Yang's fists clenched. The memory of her mother's death resurfaced, the pain as fresh as the day it happened.
Yang: "You're nothing but a murderer."
Akira tilted his head, his voice calm and cold.
Akira: "And you aren't? Face it, Yang. We're not so different. We're both monsters in this world. The only difference is... I don't pretend to be something else."
Blake struggled to her feet, stepping between Akira and Yang.
Akira: "You have no right to be here, Akira. Leave."
Akira chuckled darkly. "Touching. Protecting her, even now. But don't worry, I'm not here to finish what I started. Not today."
He turned before leaving, he glanced over his shoulder.
Akira: "Think about it, Yang. When the world looks at us, do you think they care about intent? Or do they just see killers?"
The memory of Raven's death played vividly in Yang's mind. She remembered her mother's final moments, her apologies, and the cold, unyielding figure of Akira walking away, leaving destruction in his wake.
Yang: (yelling) "You murdered her! You stole everything from me!"
Akira stopped, tilting his head slightly.
Akira: "And you killed Adam. Tell me, Yang, how does it feel to finally embrace the darkness? To become the monster you always feared?"
Blake tightened her grip on Gambol Shroud, stepping forward.
Blake: "Leave her alone."
Akira's helmet tilted as if studying Blake.
Akira: "Ah, loyalty. How quaint. But don't fool yourself—both of you are killers now. The world doesn't care about your reasons."
Yang's fists ignited, her eyes burning red.
Yang: "You don't get to lecture us."
Akira spread his arms, his tone mocking.
Akira: "Oh, but I do. You see, Yang, we're the same. Both driven to kill. But unlike you, I've embraced it. I know what I am."
With that, Akira walked away, his silhouette vanishing into the mist.
Yang's breathing was heavy, her hands trembling. Blake placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Blake: "He's wrong, Yang. You're not like him. You're not a monster."
Yang remained silent for a moment before nodding.
Yang: "Let's just go back to the others we need to make it to Atlas"
[ Small Time Skip ]
The sound of the closing doors echoed as Akira stepped aboard, his Sting Scorpion armor deactivating with a hiss.
The Restraint Cables retracted, and the armor disassembled back into the Progrisekey, which clicked shut with a faint metallic sound.
Akira detached the Forceriser from his waist, his face betraying no sign of the strain he endured moments earlier.
Amethyst, leaning casually against the ship's control panel, smirked.
Amethyst: "Well, that was quite the show back there. A little dramatic, you can say."
Akira shot her a glance, his tone flat. "And yet, you stayed glued to the monitors."
Amethyst chuckled, twirling a stray lock of her hair.
Amethyst: "You can't blame a girl for appreciating a good spectacle. Especially when it's you doing what you do best."
Akira walked past her, setting the Forceriser on the table and rolling his shoulders as if shaking off lingering tension.
Akira: "Enough with the commentary. We have work to do."
Amethyst, tapping a few buttons on the console, caused a holographic projection of their gathered data to appear.
It showcased schematics, combat analytics, and tactical observations.
Amethyst: "So, what's next on the agenda, boss? Or should I call you... 'Ark' now?"
Akira paused mid-step, raising an eyebrow. "Ark?"
Amethyst gestured to the hologram, an almost theatrical flourish in her motion.
Amethyst: "Oh, come on. It's poetic. Your name practically spells it. And with what you're building, it fits, don't you think?"
He folded his arms, his expression unreadable.
Akira: "You think this is a game?"
Amethyst shrugged.
Amethyst: "Not a game. A narrative. And every good narrative needs its centerpiece." She leaned forward, her voice lowering to a conspiratorial tone.
Amethyst: "So, Ark it is. All as the Ark wills."
For a moment, silence hung between them even the Magia stayed silent for a moment, the hum of the Manta's engines filling the void.
Then, Akira turned back toward the control console.
Akira: "If it gets us to Atlas without distractions, call me whatever you want."
Amethyst's smirk widened. "Oh, I'll hold you to that."
Akira, pulling up another set of schematics, motioned toward the central display.
Akira: "Use the data we just gathered. Cross-reference it with the schematics from the Argus Military Base. Start the preliminary designs for the Tower."
Amethyst's playful demeanor shifted to one of focus.
Amethyst: "On it. But you realize the Tower isn't just a structure, right? We'll need to ensure every subsystem aligns with the Ark's... vision."
Akira's voice was steady.
Akira: "That's why we're going to Atlas. Resources. Knowledge. They have what we need to finish it."
Amethyst nodded, her fingers dancing over the controls.
Amethyst: "Understood. I'll have the preliminary framework ready by the time we land."
The ship's autopilot engaged, and the Manta began its steady ascent, the landscape of Argus shrinking below.
The stars stretched across the night sky as they set their course for Atlas.
As they stood in silence, Amethyst glanced sideways at Akira, her tone softening.
Amethyst: "You're sure about this? The Tower, the Ark, all of it?"
Akira's gaze didn't waver, fixed on the distant horizon visible through the cockpit.
Akira: "This world doesn't need heroes. It needs order. And if that makes me a monster, so be it."
Amethyst tilted her head, studying him for a moment before turning back to her work.
[ Time Skip a few hours later ]
The sound of tools clattering echoed in the cargo bay as Akira worked on connecting the final Progrisekey connectors.
His outdated Terminal whirred faintly, struggling to keep pace with the computational demands placed on it.
Amethyst sat cross-legged on a nearby crate, inspecting the newly fabricated Forceriser Akira had handed her earlier.
Amethyst: "Not bad," she mused, running her fingers over the rugged, industrial design.
The black body was weathered yet sturdy, its yellow claw-like feature catching the light.
Amethyst: "I'll give it a 10 out of 10. But I didn't think you'd actually keep your word about giving me one."
Akira didn't glance up, his voice distant. "I told you. Once we head for Atlas, you'd need it."
Amethyst smirked, strapping the device to her waist.
Amethyst: "Ark keeps his promises. I like it."
Akira then inserted the "Spring Maiden Progrisekey" into its designated slot on the terminal, alongside the array of Progrisekeys they'd gathered.
Each one clicked into place with precision:
Sting Scorpion: [ Poison ! ]
Rising Hopper: [ Jump ! ]
Fighting Jackal: [ Hunt ! ]
Amazing Hercules [ Strong ! ]
Beowulf: [ Howl ! ]
Nevermore: [ Screech ! ]
Dodo: [ Dodo ! ]
Japanese Wolf: [ Japanese Wolf ! ]
Dynamaiting Lion: [ Burst ! ]
Berotha : [ Berotha ! ]
Onycho: [ Onycho ! ]
Amethyst leaned forward, watching intently.
Amethyst: "You're sure these will work? Even with the new ones?"
Akira nodded, his fingers flying over the keyboard.
Akira: "The data from the old Progrisekeys forms the core. The new ones expand the database. The Ark will adapt to everything."
He motioned to the new additions, their names glowing faintly on the interface:
Scouting Panda: [ Search ! ]
Shooting Wolf: [ Bullet ! ]
Flaming Tiger: [ Fire ! ]
Breaking Mammoth: [ Press ! ]
Falcon: [ Wing ! ]
Punching Kong: [ Power ! ]
Biting Shark: [ Fang ! ]
Freezing Bear: [ Blizzard ! ]
Splashing Whale: [ Wave ! ]
Crushing Buffalo: [ Blow ! ]
Amethyst let out a low whistle. "Quite the lineup. Makes me wonder what the Ark will end up like with all this."
Akira's expression hardened. "It will be unstoppable. A creation that no one can defy."
The hum of power surged as Akira linked the Progrisekeys to the terminal.
Sparks danced across the cables, and the faint red glow of the Ark's binary interface began to flicker on the central screen.
Amethyst tilted her head, watching the lines of code scroll past. "
Amethyst: "Looks... ominous. I like it."
Akira turned to her, holding the Forceriser.
Akira: "Time to connect ourselves to it. We're entering the Ark's framework."
Amethyst raised an eyebrow.
Amethyst: "You're serious? Diving into an AI with... let's just say 'questionable' programming?"
Akira attached his Forceriser to his waist
Akira: "The Ark needs a human touch to finalize its systems. We don't have time for doubts."
Amethyst shrugged
Amethyst: "All right, Ark. Let's see what you've built."
They fully active thire Forcerisers, and agonizing pain tore through them as the transfer initiated.
Their minds were transported into the Ark
[ Inside the Ark ]
The environment was surreal, an endless void of black with pulsating red binary digits streaking across the horizon.
Amethyst glanced around, her usual smirk faltering slightly. "Creepy, but fitting. Nice work, Ark."
Akira stepped forward, his voice commanding. "Ark, we need a weapon. One capable of matching the power of Atlas' defenses."
The Ark paused, its red digits swirling into a focused column.
Ark: "A weapon... to bring order. It shall be done."
Before them, the energy coalesced into a solid form, the Attache Arrow.
Its sleek black-and-silver design gleamed under the eerie light, the purple and yellow accents glowing faintly.
Amethyst examined it, her curiosity returning.
Amethyst: "Not bad. Looks lethal."
Akira reached for the weapon, the Ark 's voice cutting through.
Ark: "This is but a fragment of my potential. Together, we will reshape the world."
Amethyst chuckled, looking at Akira.
Amethyst: "Reshape the world, huh? Sounds like your kind of plan, Ark."
Akira gripped the Attache Arrow, his expression resolute.
Akira: "It's not a plan. It's reality. And the Ark will ensure it."
The red binary digits flared, and the Ark's laughter filled the void.
Ark: "All as the Ark wills."
Author's Note:
Alright here's a new chapter hopefully you the reader is enjoying the story so far.
Also due to the upcoming holidays Bishop and I will be uploading a little less but the chapters will be longer as compromise,
An we apologize in case things start getting a little strange from now on.
As all aways here some questions for you the reader and some upcoming stuff:
Questions for you the reader:
1. What would you like to see once we get to Atlas ?
2. What would you like to see with the Ark ?
Upcoming stuff:
Atlas
A new Story is on the works being called
"An Another Rider: Akira"
Till next chapter - Apzeta and Bishop
Also if you want you can PM us if you want to ask something or suggest something and will replay as fast as possible