Reviews:
DCDGojira: Glad you liked it
triscythe59: Honestly, probably not in the main story. In comparison to Ryuki Riders, Decade is straight-up busted af. Not to mention it wouldn't fit the narrative of the story. Maybe later on when I tackle XDU and we explore different timelines and dimensions but not at the moment.
Daemon of Wrath: Yeah I made that foreshadow a while back. I forgot which chapter it was. We'll see more of what happened after Kuwana(Gai) escaped from FIS and how Atticus' death went down. Andreas not knowing isn't because it's a secret. They know Gai was killed but they just don't know who did it. And since they never found any bodies, they can't confirm anything.
maxfz19: La verdad no. Lo nombre Andreas por casualidad. Pero Andreas de Ben 10 me gustaba mucho tambien xd.
Chapter 23
A Reluctant Alliance
"Family?" Maria parroted, swallowing the lump in her throat."What do you mean?"
"Seeing as how I have the armor of your late brother, then in essence, I'm also one of Fine's Riders just like you guys. That makes us siblings, doesn't it? I'm also part of the family."
"Fuck you!" Tiger sneered, ready to kill him as soon as he got his hands on him."How fucking dare you say that?!
With an amused chuckle, Gai walked up to Ryuki, squatting down to his side after Tiger had tossed him away."So...how about it? Wanna work together, schoolboy?"
"Why should I work with you?!" Ryuki hissed, rubbing his still-aching belly."You're a murderer! You killed my classmates!"
"Yeah but that's different." Gai shrugged nonchalantly."Look, I didn't mean to kill all those kids. Originally, I was going to drag you out but I changed my mind. I did all that because I wanted to drag out the real enemy."
"Real enemy?" Tsuba parroted.
"Yeah." Gai pointed his finger at Tiger before he proceeded to point at all of them one by one."Them. They're looking for me, after all."
"Of course we are!" Kirika hissed, clenching her fists so hard on her scythe that the white of her knuckles became visible."You...what you did is despicable-desu!"
'Look at her. How cute.' Gai internally scoffed, grinning.'Always the crybaby, that one. Go on then, baby Kirika. Cry like you always do, little girl.'
"You're...the one who killed their brothers, right?" Ryuki asked slowly."You mentioned that when we fought at Kaiser Academy."
"Yeah. Kind of a long story." Gai chuckled, grabbing Ryuki's arm and pulling him to his feet. He still found it humorous how they were blissfully unaware that one of the people they wanted to avenge was the one who killed Atticus."I know who they are."
"From the looks of things, they seem eager to get at you more than me and my friend." Ryuki glared at Gai."What's stopping me from helping them?"
"Because you don't kill people, schoolboy. And they want to kill me." Gai quirked a brow under his helmet."But above all else, while I pose a threat to Japan and I doubt your boss would enjoy putting me behind bars, they just declared war on the whole planet. So it would be beneficial to fight them instead and help the lesser evil. Besides, let's assume for the sake of argument that you do team up with them. What happens after that? You'll be forced to fight all 5 of them together and if Maria defeats your friend, that would be 6. I know you're just a kid, but even a 10-year-old can figure out the best solution. I don't like guilt-tripping people but...I did save your life. So..."
"Okay, fine." Ryuki bit his lower lip, suppressing the urge to punch him in the face."But just for now."
"Adachi, what are you doing?!" Tsubasa yelled at him sternly."You can't trust him! He's a psychotic murderer who enjoys tricking people and abusing his powers!"
"Psychotic?" Gai snorted."Listen, sweetcheeks, it's not that I enjoy killing, but..." He drew a card from his Deck."A human is only free when they're able to enforce their power over others and take their freedom. These guys aren't the problem. There is a mastermind behind all of this. And it's not Fine anymore. That is how authority works. You cut off one head, and another one grows."
"Jades-nii." Raia turned to Tiger."How does he..."
"Stand back." Tiger protectively splayed his arm."I'll finish what I started. He's not getting away this time."
"What?! No! We have to do it together!" Kirika protested.
"Onee-chan, I understand how you feel but..." Shirabe's gaze shifted to Gai, glaring at him with all the venom she could muster."We can fight too."
"No. You two go help Maria tidy things up." Tiger refused the idea. Shirabe and Kirika nodded to each other before joining Maria against Tsubasa, leaving Imperer and Raia behind with Tiger.
"But Nii-chan-" Imperer was about to protest, but Tiger shouted.
"I WON'T LET THIS MONSTER HURT ANY MORE OF MY SIBLINGS!"
Tiger lunged at Gai who rose his arms up."It won't be the same as last time. I've improved!"
Before Tiger and Gai could engage, rockets and bullets rained from above, causing everyone to leap back. Knight and Zolda landed next to Ryuki while Hibiki and Chris began engaging in combat with Shirabe and Kirika.
"You guys!" Ryuki beamed."You made it!"
"Glad you're still breathing." Zolda patted him on the back."You look good enough, Luitentant. Aoi-san made it sound like you were dying or something."
"She was just concerned. That's all." Knight narrowed his eyes at the sight of Gai."And what are you doing here?"
"He saved me..." Ryuki hated to openly admit it."I was about to bite it but he used his ability to make Jades' claws vanish."
"Yeah...I'm sorry this happened to you, Luitentant." Zolda offered his sympathies."I can't imagine what you must be going through."
"Maria's just an idol." Knight said, his gaze never leaving Gai."It's not like a member of his family died or something. She just turned out to be a terrorist."
"No...Maria is special to me." Ryuki gazed at Maria from afar."She helped me with her music...I...I want to talk to her. Also, that Kirika girl...she seems so familiar..."
"Look, I don't mean to interrupt but the kid and I agreed on a temporary ceasefire to fight a bigger enemy." Gai explained."We can fight later if you want. After they're through."
"I know better than to believe in your lies." Knight told him firmly."We don't accept your help."
"Okay then." Gai shrugged, raising his arms."But don't say I didn't warn you. Jades is pretty strong. Those two? Not so much."
"Hey!" Imperer whined.
"He must have been observing our battle against Ryuki." Raia guessed by his choice of words.
"I fought Gai before." Tiger beckoned his brothers to come to huddle up."He's not strong. As we expected, he's unworthy of using Atticus' deck. But the other Riders are our main objective."
"So what do we do?" Raia asked."Should we split up?"
"No. I'll handle it." Tiger materialized his Destvisor.
"Damn it, Jades-nii, we can help you!" Raia yelled, frustrated to be treated like a child.
"And I'm not saying you can't." Tiger calmly said, despite his brother's tone."You both can't defeat Ryuki by yourselves. I'll take on all of them right now."
"So what, we're supposed to just stand and watch?!" Raia exploded."No! We can fight too!"
"Raiden..."
"No! You always do this shit!" Raia jabbed his finger against Tiger's chess."You want to know why we lost?! It's because that guy..." He pointed at Ryuki."...has more experience than we have! Because he's been in more fights than we have!"
"That's not true!" Imperer defended Tiger."We have combat training every day!"
"Yeah and guess what? We don't get any stronger because either our opponents hold back..." He accusingly stared at Tiger then his gaze fell on the girls."Or they don't help you improve because training is less effective when you're fighting a non-Kamen Rider. These guys? They helped save humanity and fought Odin! Odin!"
"Wait, what?" Tiger turned to Knight."You fought Odin?"
"Where do you think we were when you were helping the girls fight-"
"WAIT!" Tiger yelled, interrupting him."I...Okay. You're right, Raiden. You guys haven't gotten much experience. So how about you help me fight? You guys take on Ryuki and I'll take on the other two."
"Okay..." Raia nodded slowly."But we need to talk after this. About you know what."
"Okay?" Tiger quirked a brow, not sure what he meant."Just...stay safe, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you. Watch other each other's backs. And if you feel like you need more help-"
"We call for you, we know." Raia and Imperer chored in unison.
"Hahaha!" Zolda laughed loudly."Man, that guy sounds just like you, Yanagi! Always the worrywart."
"I'll ignore you just compared me to these guys." Knight huffed, turning his body to face Ryuki."You up for a fight?"
"Hell yeah, I am! I almost won my first fight!" Ryuki nodded rapidly."I'm not letting my well-deserved victory leave!"
"That jerk...thinking he almost won..." Raia muttered in disdain. The 6 Riders faced each other, 3 on 3.
All of them summoned their melee weapons, rushing at each other. Raia and Imperer against Ryuki while Tiger fought against Knight and Zolda. Raia lashed his whip, striking Ryuki on the side and causing him to stumble over his feet. Imperer took this opportunity to begin trying to impale him again, but Ryuki dodged all of his strikes. Before he could counterattack, he felt the whip wrapped around his ankle, prompting him to lose his footing and fall on his back with a thud. Imperer rose his Gazellestab and before he could attack, Ryuki kicked him in the ribs, knocking him away.
'Raia's strikes are fiercer now.' Ryuki jumped on his feet, blocking the whip with his sword.'It's like his resolve strengthen from that talk with Tiger.'
On cue, Ryuki yelped as Zolda's flew by him, landing on the ground."Captain!"
"Fucking shit..." Zolda sat up, brandishing his Gigahorn."That guy is strong. I knew he was shredded but hell. Dude's a tank!"
Knight parried Tiger's claws, wincing as each of his attacks was backed up with tremendous strength. He was forced back until he tripped over a seat, landing on it.
"You're done!" Tiger went in to maul him with his tiger claws.
Shoot Vent: Gigacannons
ATK: 3000
Zolda fired his rockets at Tiger, using them to block the impact and force of the explosion as he was forced to jump back. He began to jump around before heading straight for Zolda. The green Rider fired more rockets the closer he got, and Tiger was now slashing them in half with his claws. Before Zolda could say something, Tiger kneed him in the gut, causing him to spit saliva.
Trick Vent: Sonicbreaker
ATK: 1000
Before Darkwing could screech, Tiger had already activated another ability.
Freeze Vent
Darkwing was frozen in solid ice. Zolda kicked Tiger away from him, gaining some distance. Tiger kicked the ground, leaving a crater, and shot himself against Zolda, tackling him to a wall. He began slashing his armor, creating sparks with each impact before sending him flying, crashing harshly on the ground. Knight came up behind him, but Tiger blocked his strike with his forearm, elbowing him in the face before jumping in place, and delivering a horizontal kick. Knight was flung in front of Ryuki, who was busy clashing blades with Imperer.
"You okay, Yanagi?!" Ryuki pushed Imperer back, only for Raia to attack him with a replica of his sword."Damn it, stop copying me! I already have someone doing that!"
Knight got back on his feet, clicking his tongue."He's strong. Stronger than Ouja was back then. Maybe even stronger than Ryuga. I guess if we had battled back then, we would have lost for sure."
"This guy is tough." Zolda noted."I thought we'd have the upper hand if we attacked him together, but..."
"You guys need my help." Gaia began approaching the group again."Come on, you're not going to beat him by yourselves."
"So you can stab us in the back? Hell no." Zolda scoffed."You're an asshole."
"And you aren't?" Gai glared at him."Listen, I'm honest when I say I only want to help. These guys are my enemies too, you know?"
"Let him do it." Tiger boomed, taking everyone by surprise.
"Nii-chan!" Imperer's face turned pale under his helmet."But...are you sure?"
"Can you truly take on all of them?" Raia said as he held Ryuki in place before headbutting him."We're losing our advantage in numbers, but..."
"Don't worry. I can't lose as long as I have my siblings' love." Tiger proclaimed, beckoning Gai over."Come at me with everything you've got. I'll break you apart for what you did."
"Very well..." Knight relented, eyeing Gai suspiciously."But you better not plan anything sneaky. I'll keep an eye on you. And after this, you're coming with us. There is a lot we got to talk about."
"Oh, trust me. I won't have the time to do that." Gai felt a cold sweat dripping down his forehead."Against him, we'll need to concentrate to our fullest."
On the other side of the battle, the Symphogears continued with their fight and unlike the boys, they took an opponent each. Maria and Tsubasa were about even while Chris and Kirika continued chasing each other around trying to close their respective distances.
"Let's stop fighting!" Hibiki punched away the saws Shirabe continued to throw at her."We can talk! Then we can understand each other and-"
"Save me the platitudes." Shirabe narrowed her eyes."Hypocrites like you don't get to talk about understanding others!"
"We can't believe in someone who spouts such saccharine bullshit!" Kirika twirled her scythe, destroying the missiles that Chris had launched at her.
"There are many hypocrites like you in this world." Shirabe nodded, extending her armor twin-tails."That's why I'm going to cut the world into pieces!"
"Tachibana!" Tsubasa copied Kirika's move, twirling her katana and destroying the saws."Get a hold of yourself!"
Chris continued to leap around, but Kirika was relentless in her chase. She nearly slashed Chris' face with her scythe had the lavender-haired girl not ducked at the last second."Too fucking close!" She fired her missile point blank against the ground, sending both of them flying in opposite directions.
"Stop running away-desu!" Kirika gritted her teeth, growing tired of running after Chris.
"Are you dumb?! Of course, I'm not going to fight you on your terms! Our fighting styles are the complete opposite!" Chris switched back to her crossbows, unleashing a barrage of arrows.
Kirika spun in place like a spinner and deflected the arrows."Maybe, but as long as I don't give you space to breathe, you can't do much!"
"Your friends won't make it very far." Maria used her cape to force Tsubasa to back up, as the bluenette could only parry the strikes with her blade."Our little brothers are one thing, but Jades-nii is on a whole other level than we are. They won't stand a chance."
"He's never lost a battle before." Shirabe extended her armor's twin tails, creating even bigger saws to attack Hibiki with.
"Yeah! He's the greatest!" Kirika cheered, much to Chris' annoyance."No one can beat him! Certainly not your boyfriends!"
"My boyfriend is fighting him, alright." Chris switched to her Gatling guns, immediately raining hell on the blonde girl."He's gonna kick your sorry brother's ass!"
"Bold of you guys to assume that's how it's going to turn out. He should be here when he's done." Shirabe continued."And when he does, it'll be all over for you, hypocrite."
"W-why are you calling me a hypocrite? I just want to help people in trouble!" Hibiki's confidence was wavering, feeling a saw barely grace her leg."Ouch!"
"That's exactly what makes you a hypocrite." Shirabe's glare intensified."Someone who's never suffered...Someone who only uses her Symphogear for sentimental bullshit doesn't get to say that!"
With a flick of her head, Shirabe unleashed her saws at Hibiki, who was too dumbfounded by her rage to move.
"Snap out of it!" Chris and Tsubasa came to the rescue, deflecting the saws.
"Don't lose focus!" Tsubasa chided.
"R-right!" Hibiki nodded, taking a battle stance.
"Things just keep getting more troublesome, don't they?" Nastassja frowned upon seeing the live feed of Gai fighting Tiger."You came back after all this time. Why? And what exactly were you doing? Biding your time? We unwillingly took your bait. It appears you're still as crafty as ever."
Her attention then focused on the screen showing the output levels."The way these numbers are going up, we won't reach the necessary value. We'll have to use our last resort."
Gai, Knight, and Zolda were now engaging in battle against Tiger simultaneously. The Rider's claws were capable of blocking Zolda's bullets, and Knight found himself unable to deliver a decisive strike. Gai used his Metal Horn like a rapier, trying to stab Tiger with it. Tiger used both of his claws to grasp Metal Horn and kicked Gai in the chin, dropping him on the floor.
Knight quickly drew a card, summoning eight clones of himself as they rushed at Tiger.
Tiger took a deep breath, before dashing in an instant through them and destroying them, performing a double lariat on Zolda and Knight simultaneously, manhandling them with ease. Zolda and Knight screamed as Tiger crashed against a wall, crashing into the halls inside the stadium.
Final Vent: Heavy Pressure
ATK: 5000
Gai burst through the walls with Metalgelas, aiming for Tiger."You're going to hell!"
Advent: Destwilder
ATK: 5000
Destwilder lunged at Metalgelas, stooping their Final Vent and causing Gai to roll on the floor. Before he could get up, Tiger kicked him in the stomach, launching him back to the stage. Tiger was hot on his tail, kicking him in the belly and launching him upwards before slamming him back to the ground. He stomped on his head, holding him in place as he brandished his claws.
Before anything could happen, Ryuki kick Tiger away, sending him skidding to the ground.
"There! Now we're even!" Ryuki said as he offered Gai a hand. Gai clicked his tongue but decided to play it off, accepting his help."I hate you. I despise you for what you did. But...you're fighting for someone, right? You said "her" when we were fighting Odin."
"Oh...you heard that?" Gai huffed, a dry chuckle escaping his lips."So what? Gonna try to get me to-"
"Is it your mom?"
"No."
"A girlfriend?"
"N-no! What the hell?!" Gai yelled, his voice raising in pitch."Mind your own business, schoolboy!"
"I didn't know you could get flustered." Ryuki chuckled in amusement."It makes you feel more like a human."
"You didn't think I was human before?" Gai rose a brow."Well, I guess you're not as much of a drag as I thought you were, schoolboy. Not bad."
"Whatever." Ryuki scoffed, folding his arms.
"Why did you save him?! He was about to die!" Imperer and Raia rushed to Tiger's side."Sorry, Nii-chan...He suddenly ran over here before we could catch him."
"Don't sweat it." Tiger shook his head as his brothers lifted him to his feet.
"Sheez, he's that strong?" Ryuki asked the older Riders next to him."He was beating you guys up."
"Yeah, you can tell he's the strongest out of the 6 of them." Gai nodded, a bittersweet taste invading his mouth after saying those words.'I knew he was the most talented among all the Receptor Children, but by this much?'
"He's a terrifying foe." Knight sighed."We're having a hard time breaking through his defenses. He has both offense and defense with those claws. Plus his speed and strength are outstanding. Even with Gai, as much as out of synch with us he is, we're no match."
"And he's far from being at full power right now." Gai stated, earning surprised glances from his temporary allies."Knight, did you notice him looking back when you were fighting him?"
"Now that you mention it, yes." Knight nodded."I thought he was keeping an eye out in case we flanked him."
"Well, no. He was distracted because he's keeping an eye out for the kids." Gai explained."If he wasn't busy watching their backs, we would've been done for. That's why he saw me coming with my Final Vent. Because he was also keeping an eye out for me. Which by extension worked in my favor since Ryuki-kun here saved me because he was distracted."
"You're kidding me..." Zolda took a step back."You're saying he can fight even harder than this?"
"That's troublesome." Knight remarked."Gai, I'm willing to hear your thoughts. What do you suggest we do?"
"So you're willing to consider my opinion? I'm flattered." Gai chuckled."Well, I think this is pretty obvious, but we have to aim for his weakness."
"Weakness?" Ryuki innocently asked, oblivious to the implication."Okay, what is his weakness?"
"He means that we have to kill the other 2." Zolda grimly stated."That right?"
"Yup. We have to weaken him mentally." Gai suggested."The guy's world revolves around those little brats. If we get rid of them, not only do we increase our number advantage, but we also might cause him to lose his will to live."
"But that's wrong!" Ryuki cried out."We can't do that!"
"And why not, schoolboy? Have you thought about what we're doing here? It's a survival game. We're supposed to be killing each other. Besides, do you think that guy would hesitate to kill you? He's a scumbag who only cares about what he thinks. Had it not been for me, you'd be dead right now. Not to mention you're willing to fight me. Why hesitate for him?"
"Be that as it may..." Knight got in between them, shielding Ryuki from Gai."He won't be the one doing the killing."
"Yeah, unlike us, he hasn't stained his hands with blood." Zolda nodded."And we want to keep it that way. Once you kill, you never go back."
Gai chuckled in amusement, earning annoyed glares from them."You colossal morons. You're making the same mistake Tiger did. He tried to shelter those brats and keep them from getting into danger and look what happened. They're weak. So weak that even schoolboy here is beating them. Because that's what Jades does. He fills your mind with empty promises and lies. But he's a liar. A despicable, dirty liar that deserves to die."
"Hey, man. What else do you know about these guys?" Ryuki asked him."You killed their brothers, right? But you seem to know way more than the basics."
"The point is...sooner or later you'll be unable to keep protecting him." Gai shrugged, avoiding the question entirely."That's just how cruel this world is. So unforgiving. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time Jades lets a sibling...die..."
Zolda's features softened slightly after hearing the last part of his rambling.
"Look, I'll do it. Ryuki, assist them against Tiger." Knight began formulating a strategy."It may as well be me."
"No. Let it be me." Zolda shook his head."I'm the former mercenary. Killing was the way I earned money. If anyone can do it, it's me-"
Just then a bright light stopped all the fights, and a Noise emerged on stage.
"Great..." Gai muttered at the green Noise."A replicator type, huh? Guess the old hag is getting impatient at these idiots' performance." He noticed the Symphogear and Riders panicking, confused at the Noise's appearance. He shifted his gaze to Ryuki, snorting."Good luck, Ryuki-kun."
With that, the rhino-themed Rider made his exit before anyone could notice him leaving.
"What gives? Nobody told me about this!" Kirika exclaimed, annoyed.
"I think none of us knew..." Raia muttered, puzzled."What's going on?"
"That would be me." Nastassja's voice addressed her children."The output isn't enough so I had to resort to a backup plan I prepared."
"Leave it to Mom to think of a backup plan." Imperer praised her.
"Take this opportunity to pull back for now." Nastassja ordered."They won't leave the Noise behind, so they'll let you go."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"I said no." Tiger clenched his fists."I'm not leaving until I kill the bastard who's disgracing Atticus' legacy."
"Jades now's not the time for this." She said in a stern tone."You had your opportunity to hunt him down before. I let you go hunt him down. Now, as we agreed, we focus on the plan."
"HE KILLED TERUNOSUKE AND ATTICUS!" Jades exploded, stomping the ground so hard it left a crater."We can't let him get away! I-"
"Jades-nii." Maria grabbed his shoulder, a sad expression on her face."That's enough. This isn't like you."
"Yeah, Onee-chan. We don't like it when you're upset." Kirika pulled on his arm as Shirabe pulled on the other."Let's listen to what Mom says. We'll get him next time."
"Next time he won't get away and will pay for his crimes," Shirabe reassured him.
Raia glared at their enemies, particularly Ryuki."We'll have our rematch sometime soon."
"Kirika, wait!" Ryuki found himself extending his arm, trying to reach her.
"Huh?" Kirika glanced over her shoulder, not expecting him to address her by her name so desperately.
"Let's go, Kiri-chan," Shirabe told her, making the blond girl focus back on dragging Tiger out of there.
Maria waited for them to be a good distance away before clasping her arms together, causing her gauntlets to merge into one a form a spear.
"She kept her Armed Gear away the whole time?!" Tsubasa gasped.
Maria aimed her spear at the Noise, shooting a beam at it.
Horizon Spear
"What the hell?! Why are you attacking it if you summoned it?!" Chris asked, flabergasted.
"She's dividing it," Knight remarked as the Noise exploded, parts of its body falling on the ground and starting to regenerate.
"This is bad. Hey, Gai, what-Hey! He left!"
"No shit he left!" Chris snapped at Ryuki."Why did you guys team up with him?!"
"Babe, you didn't see that Tiger guy manhandling us like ragdolls." Zolda tried to calm her down."Not like it made much of a difference. At least he didn't backstab us like we thought he would."
"We'll talk about that later." Tsubasa ended their conversation."We have to deal with these Noise first!"
Tsubasa slashed at the Noise while Knight skewered them, but their efforts proved to only add fuel to the fire as the Noise multiplied more.
Shoot Vent: Gigamini
ATK: 3000
Billion Maiden
Zolda and Chris combined their firepower to maximize damage output.
The countless bullets rained down on the Noise, leaving a trail of destruction behind. The Noise at first seemed to be unable to renegotiate fast enough but as they kept on dividing, they began to grow even more.
"Shit!" Chris stopped her attack, clicking her tongue."They just keep regenerating and making more!"
"Stop attacking them for now until we can figure out a way to end them in one fell swoop." Knight commanded."We don't want to make matters worse."
"I could use my Final Vent," Zolda suggested.
"No, your attack scatters too much. Besides, we don't know if it'll for sure kill them all or just multiply their numbers. We need to think of something else."
"Can everyone hear me?" Ogawa's voice echoed in their communicators.
"Ogawa-san?" Ryuki asked.
"The audience that evacuated are still outside the stadium." The ninja informed them, earning several muted gasps."You can't let the Noise out no matter what!"
"Fuck! What now?!" Zolda gritted his teeth.
"We have to use our Superb Songs." Hibiki earned their attention."It's the only way."
"What?! Are you crazy?!" Hajime grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her."Are you trying to get yourself killed?! You don't even know if it'll work!"
"It's not like we have Ryuga-san here to just teleport them somewhere else." Hibiki sighed, gently grasping his bigger hands."It's the only way. That's why we made the S2CA."
"If they pull it off, it'll be of tremendous help." Knight folded his arms."Best case scenario, we kill Noise. Worst-case scenario..."
"They did it before, didn't they? When they were breaking down the asteroid to make it easier for Ryuga to teleport it out to space." Zolda tried to reason, though part of him was unwilling to the idea. "Thanks to Hibiki-chan. So maybe it can work."
"It's either that or you unleash hell on earth with a high chance of making things worse." Knight surmised."Ok. Do it."
"Wait!" Ryuki cried out, facing Hibiki."I...I need to talk to you...if we survive this. Okay?"
"So dramatic..." Zolda muttered under his breath.
"Oh. Em, sure." Hibiki nodded meekly, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Save this for later." Chris grabbed Hibiki's arm, pulling her along."We'll bring her back, Romeo."
Tsubasa gave Yosuke a nod before she joined the handholding, grabbing their hands.
"Gatrandis Babel ziggurat Edenal..."
"Emustolronzen Fine el Balal Zizzl..."
"Gatrandis Babel ziggurat Edenal..."
"Emustolronzen Fine el Balal Zizzl..."
In an instant, the power surge began disintegrating the Noise around them. The Riders stood back, shielding their eyes from the bright light.
"Superb Song!"
"Combination Arts!"
"Set Harmonics!"
"She's doing it." Knight remarked."Just like before, she's tuning their Superb Songs and turning them into a single harmony. Something only Tachibana can do since her Armed gains its abilities by holding hands."
"But...she's bearing the whole strain." Zolda grimaced.
Ryuki gritted his teeth, trying to tune out the screams of pain emanating from Hibiki.
"She'll be fine." Knight noticed Ryuki's body trembling."She's a tough cookie."
The tremendous level of energy the attack was letting off was able to reduce the Noise to a skeletal version of itself.
"Do it now!" Tsubasa yelled.
Hibiki did just that, slamming her arms together just like Maria did, but instead of creating a spear, she made a bigger gauntlet on her right arm. The energy was focused on Hibiki only, enlarging her gauntlet and creating a rainbow-colored circle around it.
"This is our..." Hibiki lunged at the Noise, using her boosters to increase her speed and head for the core."SUPERB SONG!"
The girl uppercut the Noise, disintegrating it completely and creating a rainbow tornado that shot all the way up to the stratosphere.
"Pretty..." Shirabe muttered as she watched the light show from afar.
"I wonder what's going on there." Imperer pondered, sighing."So what now? Should we go look for Gai?"
"Don't bother." Raia glanced down from the building they were on, keeping an eye on the crowd below them."He probably changed back to normal. We'll never find him."
"Damn..." Maria bit her lower lip."I can't believe it...I knew someone had stolen the Gai Deck and would eventually come out to the open, but...I just..."
"It's too much..." Kirika muttered, hugging herself."I...I miss Atticus-onee-chan...and Teru-nii-chan. And their murderer was within our grasp..."
"It's the second time that son of a bitch escaped..." Tiger sighed, staring at the sky."I'm putting you all at risk..."
"It's not your fault." Shirabe said."Those other people got in the way and he escaped in the confusion. You did what you could."
"Did I?" Tiger lowered his gaze to the ground."I feel like I'm not doing enough. What if that fucker comes back and...does something to one of you? I can't let that happen."
"And we won't let that happen." Maria assured him."Look, we'll discuss it back at the hideout with mom. We can't stay here."
"Hold on. Andreas and I have to talk to him. You guys go ahead." Raia said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Shirabe and Kirika turned to Maria for affirmation, and the young woman nodded."Let's go."
With that, the girls left their brothers behind.
"So...you wanted to talk?" Tiger faced his siblings as they came closer."Go on. I'm listening."
"When were you going to tell us about you going behind our backs and helping those people in killing Fine?" Raia went straight to the point.
"Raiden! You said you'd take it slow!"
"Screw that, Andreas." Raia sneered, glaring up at his brother."We need to hear this. Now."
"So you found out..." Tiger muttered, a tint of shame in his tone."Did Mom...?"
"I pieced together the information left in your report about your mission." Raia replied."But not all of it made sense. Like how you were vague in some parts when explaining what you did in between missions. As well as where you were that day when the moon was attacked. Fine was declared dead a few days later and you just happened to come back for the news. Mom knew, of course, and she confronted you about it. But she didn't tell us. I brought it up to her and she only confirmed my suspicions."
Tiger remained silent as Raia continued."But what you didn't know...No, what we didn't know, was that Fine is capable of reincarnation. And she's most likely in one of our sisters' bodies, waiting for her chance to take over. Which one...which one is it?"
"More..." Tiger winced, folding his arms."More than likely...Maria. It's not confirmed yet, but it's likely."
"Maria-nii-chan...will become Fine...?" Imperer's voice lowered to a whisper."But that can't be...why didn't Mom tell us about this?"
"She didn't tell me until after the fact." Tiger confessed."She said that...we weren't supposed to know because we could have rebelled against them. They kept that secret from the boys and told the girls to never tell us."
"Well, you did it anyway." Raia snorted."And you did it without even thinking too. Because you always think what you're doing is for the best!"
"Raiden, please-"
"You thought the same thing back when Serena died!" Raia jabbed his finger against Tiger's chest."You thought that it would be a good idea to help Teru-nii escape because he was heartbroken after her death. And that made Atticus-nii break out with him which led to their deaths!"
Tiger was speechless, watching his brother take deep breaths after going on a rant.
"Why do you hide things from us?! Why do you always do this stuff? Look at how we lost against Ryuki! Because we weren't prepared enough because you pamper us too much! We were unprepared! And then when we tell you to have some faith in us, you just keep staring over here because you think we'll screw up!"
"That's not what-"
"Guys, please!" Imperer got in between them, separating them."No more fighting! We're brothers! We're supposed to love each other!"
"How are we supposed to do that when Jades-nii is going around hiding things from us!"
"But he does it because he cares about us." Imperer insisted."He doesn't want to worry us. He means well."
"No, Andreas." Tiger put a hand on his youngest brother's shoulder."Raiden is right. It's not right for me to withhold information like that and not trust you with it. But I only do it because I don't want you or the girls to worry about things you don't have to worry about. I want to be the one to carry any burden you may have. It's my duty as an older brother. I only want what's best for you. All of you." He then made his way to Raia."I know how you feel. I know I messed up and it's my fault you guys are in this mess. I have to live with that guilt every day. The guilt of not having been able to save Serena. The guilt of coming up with a plan to get TeruTeru back to his parents and him dying alongside Atticus. And the guilt of being the one to help Fine be defeated, inadvertently dooming one of our sisters. I'm sorry. Your stupid older brother messed up again..."
"Look...I..." Raia was at a loss for words."Whatever. Just stop not telling us stuff. This is supposed to be a family, right? Can't be a family if you guys go around lying to each other."
"You're right." Tiger nodded."I'll do better. I promise."
"But...is there any way for us to stop Maria-nii-chan from...turning into Fine?" Raiden wondered, sniffing."I don't want to lose her..."
"Me neither..." Raiden bit his lower lip."But can we do anything to stop it? And...does she even want this?"
"There is a way." Jades muttered, causing them to perk up."We can use the wish to permanently wish Fine out of this world, ending her infinite reincarnation."
"No, we can't do that." Raiden rejected the idea."We promised we'd use it to bring Serena back to life. You swore that to Maria. You can't break that promise."
"And if we revive Serena...wouldn't she be upset we let Maria become Fine? But then if we use the wish to save Maria from becoming Fine, she would never forgive us..."
"Look. Leave that to me." Jades ruffled their hair in an attempt to calm them down."I'll find a way. I promise. We'll always be together, forever."
"I sure hope you're right," Raiden grumbled, pushing his brother's arm off his head. Jades and Raiden began walking ahead, but noticed Andreas fidgeting behind."And what's up with you?"
"I...I have a confession to make." Imperer rose his arm, deactivating his transformation."I...Raiden, remember when you found me eating all those snacks?"
"Oh, yeah. Where did you get the money for that?" Raia went back to his normal form.
"What do you mean?" Tiger did the same as well."I gave you guys my credit card."
"I took it away because he was going to keep eating to the point where he'd be a hindrance in a fight." Raiden planted his hands on his hips."So how did you get the money to buy more snacks?"
"Don't be mad, okay?" Raiden slowly reached for his pocket, pulling out a few Yen and holding them out to Raiden.
"What the hell? Where did you get this?" Raiden counted the money in his hands."This is more than mere pocket change!"
"I bumped into a person...a person which made me promise not to tell you guys about him in exchange for some money. He dropped his business card when we bumped into each other. I didn't want to break a promise, but...I don't want to lie to you guys either."
"Andreas..." Jades stared at him with a smile."It's okay. Go on."
Raiden, on the other hand, was less patient with him."Just tell us who it was."
Andreas pulled out a business card from his pocket and showed it to Raiden. At first, the boy skimmed through it, but then he snatched it out of his hands."What the fuck..."
"What is it?" Jades asked, trying to take a peek.
"What the hell is this?!" He grabbed Andreas by his sweater."Why didn't you tell us before?!"
"Don't hurt me, Raiden! I'm sorry!" Andreas closed his eyes, tears already streaming down his cheeks."I promised not to tell!"
"Enough!" Jades grabbed Raiden's arm and took the card to his hands. His eyes widened as his stomach turned."It...it can't be..." The business card only contained the logo of a real estate company and the information of the person the card belonged to.
Sales Representative: Terunosuke Kuwana
Back in the stadium, Hibiki fell on her knees, exhausted as her transformation ran out.
"Hypocrites like you don't get to talk about understanding others!" The twin-tailed girl's words echoed in Hibiki's mind."Someone who's never suffered...Someone who only uses her Symphogear for sentimental bullshit doesn't get to say that."
"Hibiki!" Chris, Takeru and Hajime yelled.
"Tachibana, are you alright?" Tsubasa and Yosuke rushed in after them.
"I'm fine." Hibiki sniffed, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes."Everything is fine."
"It isn't fine!" Chris knelt next to her."Does it hurt anywhere? Couldn't you neutralize the load from the Superb Songs?"
"It's not that...it's just..." Hibiki continued sobbing, memories of her past flashing in her mind."Is what I'm doing.. hypocritical?"
"Don't listen to what that girl said." Tsubasa said in a soft tone."She doesn't know you."
"But...but still..."
Takeru slapped Hajime's back, nearly prompting him to trip."What are you waiting for? Go to her, man."
"Huh?" Hajime gasped.
"You told me the same thing before, remember? So now I'm telling you to take your advice and go comfort her."
"I...you're right." Hajime nodded, deciding to face the situation head-on. He made his way over to Hibiki, who yelped and tried to hide her face.
"I-I'm okay! Don't worry about me, Hajime-kun. I-"
Hajime squatted in front of her, gently grabbing her arms and pulling them away from her face. The girl blushed, feeling his thumbs wiping her tears soothingly."I don't like seeing you like this. Crying doesn't suit you. I think a smile makes you look cute, you know? Shows off what makes you who you are."
"Just get on with it already." Chris groaned, tapping her foot."Do it!"
"Do what?" Tsubasa whispered to Yosuke, who cleared his throat.
"Just watch..."
"Hibiki-san..." Hajime clasped her hands, feeling how warm they were."I want to ask you out. Get our minds off of this mess. And just be teenagers for a bit."
"You want us all to go together...?"
"I was hoping it would only be you and me." Hajime rubbed his nape sheepishly."If you're comfortable, of course. Though I don't know if you would be okay hanging out with a guy like me."
"Hajime-kun, how many times do I have to say this?" Hibiki chided him."You're not a bad person. You're the nicest guy I know. I've known that since you saved me the day we met. And how you stayed because you were worried about me. So stop saying you aren't...because I don't like when you treat yourself like that. It makes me feel upset."
"Only if you don't say you're a hypocrite." Hajime said."As Kazanari-san said, they don't know you. But we do. And there isn't anyone more caring and kinder than you in the whole world. We both know what it means to suffer and we both know what it feels like to be abandoned by a father. If anyone understands you, it's me. And if anyone understands me, it's you. So...about that date..."
"Yes!" Hibiki beamed."I'd love to go out with you!"
"Really?! That's great! I promise it'll be fun!" Hajime and Hibiki engulfed each other in a hug.
"Finally!" Chris exclaimed, throwing her arms up."Victory!"
"So that's what it was?" Tsubasa said in realization."But they're just going out, right? It's not like they're boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Slow and steady wins the race as they say." Takeru shrugged."We'll take what we can get. What about you, Yanagi? When are you guys gonna start dating?"
"Our relationship isn't like that." Yosuke easily corrected."I treasure Tsubasa with my heart, but we're not romantically into each other."
"That is true." Tsubasa nodded."We tried dating in the past but we can't see each other in a different light than friends."
"Not to mention her dad doesn't exactly like me..." He whispered to himself.
"I'd say you're more like brother and sister." Chris commented before turning her attention to the others."So, what are you guys going to do for your first date?"
"I'll think of something." Hajime answered."I read somewhere that it's the guy's responsibility to arrange the date. Somewhere we'll both enjoy."
"Honestly, I don't mind. I'd be happy anywhere with you." Hibiki gave him a heart-melting smile, causing the raven-haired boy to blush furiously, steam coming off his body.
"I-I-I...well, you know...hehe..." He stammered uncontrollably."I would too...You're...you know...a very person."
"A very...person?" Chris blinked."Did I hear that right?"
"It's very unlike Adachi to get flustered like this. Usually, he's so open about everything." Tsubasa noted with a mischievous smile."Interesting to know."
"We'll have to give him advice. We can't have him screwing up his date." Takeru remarked, earning a nod from Yosuke.
"That we do."
And done! Next chapter we'll see what the siblings will do when they find out about Kuwana being alive after all this time. Hibiki and Hajime will have their first unofficial date as well, but not without some help from their friends. Don't forget to review to show your support! It's appreciated.