Author's note:

So first and foremost I want to let everyone know that I'll stop putting the attack and defense values for each card from now on unless some of you like it. But the reason for this decision is because, upon further reflection, I realized that the numbers are going to get insanely high, especially during the last two arcs of the series and it'd be a hassle for people to keep the values in mind. But like I said, if you guys like them, I don't mind keeping them in the story.

Now, onto a more important matter. Kamen Riders Outsiders just revealed Ouja's Survive Form. And it's completely different from the one in the World of If. From what I understand, this is due because Ouja uses Survive Mugen in Outsiders, which is the head of the phoenix that Odin has in his staff. So this makes me believe that other Riders can access this golden survive form with Mugen, but they go into their regular Survive forms with Rekka and Shippu, which are the ones Ryuki and Knight use.

I pretty much have the whole series planned out but I'm still unsure about how to approach Survive. I don't know if having Ryuki and Knight exclusively having them makes for a very compelling story but I don't know how to make it so that others can have it. Ryuga is self-explanatory since he has Loki, but Zolda and the others are another thing. And even if they do get survive, would they only get the right wing and left?

In the canon series, they don't really explain where Survive cards come from. Kanzaki just randomly gives them to Tezuka and Shinji, thinking that it would make the fight only to backfire on him. Here, Odin isn't like Kanzaki so he just won't go around giving them to the Riders. Though that could be a possibility.

I was thinking of making Survive Mode like an evolution of the Riders. A state of power where they're stronger than before, like the X-Drive for the Symphogear. I have another power-up in the works, but Mugen (the golden Rider form) could be like their endgame form like Burning X-Drive for the girls. I have a pretty good idea of how to make it work, but I'm open to suggestions. Feel free to dm me or write it with a review.

Reviews:

DCDGojira: Glad you liked it

maxfz19: Muchas gracias. Me alegra que este guste Kuwana. Me divierte escribirlo xd.

Daemon of Wrath: We'll see Mama Kuwana and Papa Kuwana in the future. Honestly, I was thinking of making Odin appear to "test" them like how he tested Section Two back when everyone else was fighting Fine, but I'm hesitant to do it. Not much of a spoiler given the nature of the series, but Odin will ultimately be one of the final antagonists of the series and I feel like making him appear in every season would saturate his character. Of course, he'll show up now and then but I don't want to make it a current thing. Ryuga for sure though, considering what happens to Miku later on in the season.

Chapter 26
The Second Fine

A week after the battle against the organization bearing the name Fine had passed, not hearing anything new from them. But to Yosuke, the lack of news was worse than having bad news. He sat in the command center, having a conversation regarding past events with his coworkers and the Commander.

"So are we sure they haven't gone through with their threats?" Yosuke asked, receiving a nod from Aoi.

"According to our government sources, Fine hasn't tried to negotiate or demand anything from other countries. They've been completely silent."

"That's not good, is it?" The purple-haired boy turned to the Commander, who grunted in response.

"We don't know what they want. This means we're facing off an enemy who's keeping their hand close to their chest. The worse type."

"It's possible they just wanted to get their name out there for people to fear." Sakuya suggested."Maybe to further their agenda whenever they decide to act. But until then, we don't know anything. Not even where they're hiding."

"What's more is that Gai is involved in all of this." Yosuke chewed on his thumb."What's the connection between him and Fine? When we fought Odin, he said that he killed his brother to obtain his power. Because he wanted to revive someone dear to him. And yet, those guys from before said that they lost a brother to Gai."

"I read in Hajime-kun's report that he spoke of them as if he knew them personally. He suggested the idea of killing Raia and Imperer to get Tiger to lose his spirit. He's related to them in some way, there is no doubt about that. But for now, we can only speculate." Genjuro recited what he read from the report a week ago.

"And this alliance..." Yosuke grimaced."I don't like it. It doesn't sit well with me teaming up with the monster who destroyed our school and murdered countless students."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Genjuro said, scratching his hair."Though I understand your frustration. But you saw firsthand how powerful Tiger is. We'll deal with Gai when the time comes. Maybe our alliance with him might prove to be fruitful. Remember that it was Ryuga the one who helped the girls redirect the piece of the moon from falling onto the planet."

"I know..." Yosuke sighed, caving."I guess we have no choice..."

"Commander Kazanari." Ogawa's voice came from the comms.

"Ogawa. How are things going on your end?" The Commander asked.

"I've been tracing the trailer we found abandoned near the concert hall."

Yosuke quirked a brow at the people screaming at Ogawa but the man continued as if nothing was going on.

"I tracked it back to a construction company, whose books showed large purchases of medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and measuring devices from a fictional company. However, there are also records of a great number of mirrors being purchased."

"Mirrors?" Genjuro rubbed his chin."Medical equipment is one thing...but why mirrors? And when were these supplies bought?"

"Two months ago. The people here were using it as a form of money laundering, but..." Ogawa opened an envelope after effortlessly defeating the men around him in an instant."I'm sure these records will interest you."

"It's worth pursuing." Genjuro nodded.

The yellow-eyed teen leaned back on his chair, deep in thought.'Why mirrors?'

Hajime still found it awkward to walk around in their new school, even though he had been here for a few months now. Lydian's male uniform was similar to his old one, except it was grey instead of black. Not that he minded, but he wasn't a fan of grey.

Still, all the people in his class were nice enough to him. He saw some familiar faces from his old school and some new ones from Lydian. Though there was one face he never saw around.

'I wonder where Kuroiwa is.' Hajime sighed, eating his lunch on the stairs leading to the second floor.'Haven't seen him since Gai destroyed our school.'

"Oh. Hajime-kun."

Hajime looked back, coming face to face with Hazuki."Hazzy-san?"

"Why are you here by yourself?" Hazuki walked down the stairs, sitting beside Hajime."Where are the others?"

"Everyone is busy with their classes in preparing for the school festival." Hajime responded, taking a sip from his orange juice."My class is doing a pie-eating competition and I'm going to be one of the contestants, so it's not like I need much prep."

"What about Hibiki-chan? Shouldn't you be with her? I thought you guys made it official."

"W-well...we didn't." Hajime sulked, setting his food on the side."We almost kissed, but...It felt off to me."

"Why? You don't like her?"

"I do. I really do. But...I'm just afraid of hurting her." Hajime hugged his knees.

"Hurting her? Why would you think that?" Hazuki asked, curious to know what got the usually confident boy down."You're head over heels for her. Everyone knows that."

"It's just...I'm afraid I'm going to do the same thing my father did." Hajime confessed, dropping a personal bomb on Hazuki."My dad walked out on us when my sister and I were young. 10 years ago. He just left without saying a word. I was 5 at the time and Setsuna was 3. She barely even remembers him anymore. Kids at school started picking fights with me, saying that I was a good-for-nothing kid and would be as much of a deadbeat as my dad. But I didn't care about that. I knew my dad would come back. He wouldn't just abandon us like that."

"But he never came back, did he?" Hazuki frowned, placing his hand on Hajime's back.

"My mom died a few months later. She was sick. Real sick. It was a terminal disease that took her away. We were with her until her last breath. We never left her side. My grandma, my sister, and I...But my dad... never walked through that door. He never showed his face. We never heard from him again. He abandoned our family and completely forgot about us."

"So you're afraid that you'll do the same to Hibiki-chan."

"Hibiki-chan had a similar situation to me. Her dad left her after she survived the Noise attack 2 years ago at the Zwei Wing concert. People started blaming her and calling her a murderer, claiming she was stealing their tax money because of the compensation Noise victims get. She was outcasted and her father wasn't there for her. I...I don't want her to even go through that again. At least, if she does, I want to be there to support her. And if I end up becoming like my dad...history would repeat itself..."

"The fact that you're worried about that proves how much you love her and how serious you are about this relationship. Isn't it your thing to never run from problems regardless of how difficult things get? If something ever were to get in the way of your relationship, you'd persevere and keep her safe, right?"

"I would..."

"Listen, man, you're a good kid. But you have to understand that what our parents do doesn't define us as people. Sure, we may have some similar traits to them, but ultimately we're different. Sins of the father is an illogical fallacy. Look at me, for example. Like you, my dad also walked out on us. My dad had an affair with another woman and he went to go live with her. But he came back. Though the whole accident happened and well...Never mind that. This is about you. Does that make me likely to cheat on my future spouse? Of course not."

They noticed a group of girls walking up the stairs, and scooted to the side to let them through."You're your own person. You make your own decisions. I hope you keep this between us, but I have a huge crush on Miku-chan."

"You do?"

"So it's not that obvious?"

"I was being sarcastic."

"Oh...well..." Hazuki coughed in his mouth."A-anyway, if I were to date her, I'd be completely faithful to her and never do anything to break her heart. W-what I'm trying to say is that all you have to do is follow your heart."

"I get it...yeah, you're right." Hajime nodded, his hands turning into fists."I'll do it! I won't be like my dad! I'll confess to Hibiki-san soon enough! Thanks for the pep talk, Hazzy-san."

"Hey, you're my kohai." Hazuki ruffled his hair, much to Hajime's embarrassment."I'm looking out for you."

"Stop talking to me like I'm a kid."

"I'm 18."

Hajime hummed, rolling his eyes."Fine. And I'll put in a good word to Hibiki-san so she can talk to Miku-san about you..."

"He read you like a book." Loki cackled in his mind, causing Hazuki's left eye to twitch.

"Kaburagi, some of our classmates need your help with-" Chris suddenly appeared from the upper floor, her eyes landing on Hajime."Hajime? What are you doing here?"

"Just hanging around. You guys know each other?"

"We're in the same class. Sakamoto-kun is also there." Hazuki stood up and made his way up the stairs."Plus, we met each other a while back. Miku-chan and I-"

"We met on the street." Chris interrupted him, glaring daggers at him. She certainly didn't what Hajime to know that Hazuki and Miku saw her naked.

"What she said." Hazuki shrugged with a knowing smile."Anyway, have a nice day, Hajime-kun. Think about what I said."

"See you around." Chris bid her farewell, following Hazuki to their classroom.

Hajime sighed, feeling lonely already but finding new confidence to confess his feelings."I'll do it. I just have to wait for the right opportunity."

"Right opportunity for what?"

"HAAA!" Hajime yelped when the newcomer revealed themselves from the floor below."Kazanari-san!"

"All by yourself today, Adachi? That's unlike you." Tsubasa chuckled, secretly finding his reaction funny.

"Yeah, well...I like to eat by myself sometimes." He hid his true intentions, resuming on his meal."What about you? Going to your class?"

"Yes. Lunch break is nearly over and I have to do some preparations for the upcoming festival." A lightbulb lit above her head and sported the sweetest smile she could muster."Say, Adachi, are you doing anything after school today?"

"Are...are you asking me out...?" Hajime stared at her as if she had grown a second head."I'm flattered, but..."

"Don't get the wrong idea." Tsubasa dropped her smile, replaced with a glare."You may have smitten Tachibana, but you won't have the same look with any other girl."

"Ouch?"

"I want to ask for your help in preparing some things for my class for the festival. Out everyone in of our social circle, you're the only one not doing anything. I guess Tachibana isn't doing anything either, but you're more task-focused than she is."

"I don't mind." Hajime shrugged nonchalantly."Not like I'm doing anything today. Just let me know and I'll come running."

"Excellent. I'm happy I can count on you when I need to. Also. I forgot I haven't tanked you for protecting me back during the concert." Tsubasa gave a light bow."Thank you."

"Hey, you're my senpai and friend, right? I'm just returning the favor." Hajime grinned with a wink. They bid their goodbyes and Hajime returned to class, much to his annoyance.

Later in the day, Takeru was walking down the halls of the school, holding a book in his hands with a puzzled expression.

"So...we're supposed to use this formula, right?" He circled a part of his textbook with a pencil."And then we're supposed to round the number to the nearest decimal?"

"Yup! You got it! You're so smart, Sakamoto!" The petite girl next to him beamed, patting him on the head. The girl in question was pale with short lilac hair with black highlights combed to the side under a black beret on her head. She had yellow eyes behind a pair of reading glasses. She was almost as tall as Takeru and had an hourglass figure that complimented her curves."Now you're ready for that test for sure!"

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Takeru rubbed his nape."But I feel like I'm on the right track thanks to you, Nakahara-chan. Thanks for being my tutor."

"Of course! I love to help my classmates!" The girl beamed with a toothy smile."I'm a hardworking girl, Sakamoto! Like, super super dutiful~!"

"I don't doubt that." Takeru chuckled in amusement.

Just then he noticed someone approaching them, running as if their lives depended on it.

"Yo, Chrissy!" Takeru intercepted his girlfriend in his arms, causing her to come to a halt."What's with you? You running late somewhere?"

"Oh, hi!" Nakahara winked at Chris."So nice to see you, Yukine-chan~!"

"Hey..." Chris muttered before pushing Takeru off."I can't stick around! They're chasing me!"

"Cool!"

"Cool?!"

"Yeah, come on, they keep pestering me to give them your number." Takeru explained."I don't want to be the middleman in this."

"Whose side are you on?!" Chris grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, but he seemed unamused."They want me to take part in the school festival! To sing!"

"Is that really so bad?" Takeru tilted his head."You seem to enjoy spending time with them. Like you're finally free. It makes me happy."

"Why are you...saying such cheesy things in front of her?!" Chris pointed at Nakaraha, who just stood there and smiled."Look, I-"

"Yukine-san!"

"Damn it! I gotta go!" Chris stood on her tippy toes, giving a quick peck on Takeru's check before sprinting away.

"A peculiar girl, that one." Nakara noted."She's very lucky to have you."

"I feel like I'm the lucky one." Takeru sighed, already eyeing the three girls from their class that had grown fond of Chris."'Sup ladies?"

"Sakamoto-san! We demand to know where your girlfriend is!"

"Chrissy? Well..." Takeru scratched his cheek."I don't know. I haven't seen her in a while."

"He's lying!" The pony-tailed girl accused him."You're always with her!"

"Please, Sakamoto-san, we just want to talk to her." The girl with the glasses asked.

"Sakamoto has been with me the whole day today, girls~." Nakahara grabbed his arm, winking at them with a peace sign."I've been helping him study."

"Oh, right. Nakahara-senpai is a tutor." The pony-tailed girl nodded."Well, if she can vouch for Sakamoto-san, then maybe he hasn't seen her all day."

"If you see her please tell her we just want to ask her something, Sakamoto-san!"

"No problem, girls. See you tomorrow in class." Takeru waved them goodbye."Phew...thanks for the save, Nakahara-chan."

"No biggie!" She gave him a thumbs up."I understand that Yukine feels uncomfortable with whatever request they have for her. And you're my kohai. So I'm willing to help you out. So, how about we finish off our tutoring session for today with a little bit of...HISTORY!"

"I...actually like history class. I'm down. I didn't know you liked history so much, Nakahara-chan."

"Of course I do." She grinned from ear to ear."History is important. Just think about the records of people stored in each textbook. Preserved for eternity."

After Chris said goodbye to Takeru, she continued running inside the school until she bumped into a familiar face. Quite literally.

"If you're going to run, you could at least look where you're going..." Tsubasa rubbed her rear, groaning when she noticed her supplies scattered around on the floor."Great...Wait, Yukine?"

"Yeah...it's me..." Chris grumbled, blushing at the mess she had caused."Let me help you."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Tsubasa knelt as they began to put the materials back in the bag.

"They're after me. My classmates."

On cue, a group of girls stopped in front of Takeru and a lilac-haired girl who was passing by.

"Oh, Sakamoto and Nakahara." Tsubasa noted."I assume those three are your classmates?"

"Yeah." Chris glared with intensity from afar after Nakahara had grabbed onto Takeru's arm."That girl..."

"Nakahara? She's a sweet girl. Same grade as me." Tsubasa chuckled at her reaction."You're not jealous of her spending time with Sakamoto, are you? She's just tutoring him. Yosuke got her to help him with his studies. She usually teaches a few students who need help."

"Of course, I'm not jealous. He's my boyfriend. Why would I be jealous? But she shouldn't be so damn clinging to him."

"She's like that with everyone. Don't take it personally." Tsubasa waved her off."Anyway, why are you running from your classmates?"

"They want me to participate in our class event for the festival." Chris explained, a frown forming on her face.."And I don't want to. But they keep bothering me about it. We don't have time for that shit. We have other things to do, like fighting off that organization that goes by Fine."

"That is true. But there's no harm in worrying too much when there's not much we can do." Tsubasa told her calmly, grabbing her bag."I think you should just participate. They'll drag you in as soon as you go back anyway. Or...you can come along and help me for a bit."

"Well...I guess I don't have a choice." Chris relented, following Tsubasa close behind.

"So, have you adjusted to your school life yet?"

"It's a work in progress." Chris sighed."It's been so long since I've gone to school. I completely forgot what it was like. And being surrounded by so many people that I barely know...And they're all so cheery and stuff. It's overwhelming. But Takeru seems to be doing alright. Even though he barely even went to school."

"I think it's because he's more approachable than you." Tsubasa joked, much to Chris' chagrin."But you're a lot smarter than he is, so it balances things out."

"You're one to talk. You stick out like a sore thumb."

"Fair enough."

Once they reached Tsubasa's classroom, Chris noticed a young lone man sitting on a chair, typing on his phone.

"Adachi, what are you doing?"

Hajime yelped, nearly dropping his phone."H-hey! Kazanari-san, I was just-"

"Save it. I gave you one job and here you are playing games on your phone." Tsubasa rubbed the edge of her nose."Look, just get back to work, okay? I even brought some help."

"Chris-san! What's up!" Hajime rose his arm with a grin."Fancy seeing you here."

"You even dragged Hajime into this?" Chris huffed."You're a slave driver."

Hajime pocketed his phone, resuming on folding paper flowers."I got bored when you left. I had no one to talk to and being here by myself makes me anxious."

"You got a problem with being by yourself." Chris said, taking a seat in front of him."You were alone today too during lunch."

"That's not true, Hazzy-san was there."

"Kaburagi ate lunch in our classroom." Chris informed him with a smirk."Still, I didn't know you knew him."

"He's friends with Miku-san. I know him by proxy."

"Know him well enough to give him a nickname." Tsubasa pointed out."You're a natural at getting nicknames."

"What can I say? It's part of my charm." Hajime boasted with a shit-eating grin, cutting some paper with his scissors.

"You have no charm whatsoever." Chris shot him down."The only girl that I think is attracted to you is the dummy."

"What? You think so too, Chris-san?" Hajime deflated, his head hanging."That's not cool at all...I bet the Captain is popular with the ladies."

Chris gritted her teeth as Hajime whistled away, avoiding her gaze.

"Love lives aside, how are you adjusting so far to the school, Adachi?"

"It's just like Kaiser Academy. But bigger. And with more girls than guys." Hajime replied, listing with his fingers."Though it was a little awkward at the beginning. But it's okay. At least I get to see you guys more often. Back in Kaiser, I barely saw Goro-senpai, Yanagi-san, and Hazzy-san."

Tsubasa frowned upon hearing her deceased friend's name. She shook her head, a smile replacing her frown."I see...I'm glad you're getting used to this school."

"Kazanari-san, I'm sorry-"

"Tsubasa-san! There you are!"

A trio of girls entered the classroom, approaching Tsubasa."You never came back with the supplies, so we had to send a search party for you."

Tsubasa's friends joined in to help, reducing their workload and finishing before the sun fully set.

Later that evening, the group of heroes stood outside an abandoned hospital on the outskirts of the city, sneaking around.

"You know...I can't believe they were literally in such an obvious place." Takeru hummed, glancing around in case they were walking into a trap.

"How so?" Yosuke inquired

"I mean, I've been binged-watching hero movies recently and usually the villains' base of operation is in a place that's abandoned. Chrissy here was hiding in an abandoned building when we were your enemies."

"I...that actually makes sense." Chris couldn't help but agree."How long has this place been abandoned?"

"Quite a while. They moved to a new and improved building." Yosuke informed them, a sly smile forming on his face."Or so they say. Could also be because of that rumor going around."

"Rumor?" Hajime asked, unknowingly falling into Yosuke's trap.

"Apparently some patients died here and their spirits roamed the hospital late at night. Things would be out of place, with random screams, and doors being slammed. Typical poltergeist stuff."

"You're kidding me..." Hibiki's face was drained of all color."There are ghosts...?"

"Stop being silly." Tsubasa chided him, earning a shrug."According to the report, various supplies have been flowing in, little by little, over the past few months. That's all we know. So we're going in blind."

"Should I blow this place to hell?" Takeru shifted his gaze to Yosuke."I'm sure I can do it with my Final Vent."

"That could work. But we don't know if they're even here right now. I think it's better if we use the element of surprise to our advantage. Plus, we need information. If you kill them, we won't get that information."

"Don't worry. We'll just have to smoke them out." Chris grinned, rushing into the hospital. All the others followed suit and went inside. Once they were in, they began sneaking around in groups. Hibiki, Yosuke, and Chris were on the left while Hajime, Takeru, and Tsubasa were on the right.

"This fits the stereotypical description of a creepy abandoned hospital..." Hibiki muttered, her eyes darting from side to side."And what's up with all these mirrors?"

In effect, there were mirrors neatly lined up against the wall across the hall, serving seemingly no purpose.

"Maybe a spooky ghost will appear from one of them." Chris said with a smirk, watching Hibiki squirm."What, you scared?"

"Didn't the girl from the Ring come out of a mirror or something?" Hajime asked Takeru."Should we record in case we see something?"

"Stay alert," Tsubasa ordered, noticing red gas suddenly leaking into the room via the vents.

"Yeah, yeah..." Takeru turned to a mirror, checking himself out."Should I get a haircut? I feel like my bangs are going to obscure my vision if they keep growing."

"Let's get this over with quickly." Tsubasa caught their attention."We got school tomorrow, after all."

Hajime stopped, turning to see what he was talking about but froze when he noticed something in one of the mirrors. A zebra-like monster stood in front of it.

"G-g-ghost!" Hajime screamed, falling on his butt.

The supposed ghost jumped out of the mirror, startling the group.

"What the hell is that?" Chris reflexively took a step back.

"A Noise maybe?" Takeru instinctively grabbed his Deck.

On cue, actual Noise showed up from the other side, cornering them.

"They don't look alike at all. What the hell are these things?!" Hajime yelled as Hibiki helped him up."Thanks..."

Mirror zebra monsters continued pouring in from the Mirrors to a total of 15.

"Whatever they are, it doesn't matter." Yosuke said as he held his Deck out."Let's go!"

"Henshin!"

"Balwisyall Nescell Gungnir Tron..."

"Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri Tron..."

"Kilterr Ichaival Tron..."

In a flash of light, the group was in their respective forms, ready to fight.

Hibiki immediately went to punch the Zebraskull (name of the monster) and launched it across the hall. To her shock, the Monster stood back up."It didn't turn to ash?"

"So it's not a Noise?" Knight blocked an incoming Noise with his visor before slashing it with it, turning it to ash."This one died no problem."

Zolda ducked the punch from a Zebraskull, unleashing a round of bullets from his visor at it."They're tough. We won't get anywhere without using our big guns."

"Then let's do it!" Ryuki grinned under his helmet, activating a card.

Sword Vent: Dragsaber

"Can someone break the fucking mirrors?!" Knight yelled as he skewered through a few Noise.

Tsubasa used her katana to cut through the Noise and faced off against a Zebraskull. The girl slashed her sword, but the monster blocked it with its forearm and kicked her in the stomach.

Chris used her Gatling guns to shoot at the mirrors, shattering them to pieces and preventing more monsters from pouring in.

Sword Vent: Winglancer

"Don't use your highest damage power here!" Knight commanded Chris and Takeru."We don't want the ceiling to cave in on us."

Strike Vent: Gigahorn

Zolda struck a Zebraskull with his horn only to be tackled by another one.

Hibiki kicked the monster away, grabbing Zolda's hand."Are you okay, Takeru-san?"

"Yup. Never better..." Zolda chuckled sheepishly. Hibiki suddenly fell on her knees, alarming the bull-theme Rider."You okay?! What happened?!

"I...suddenly feel so weak..."

"Hold on, something's wrong." Tsubasa noted after slashing a Noise in half, only for it to regenerate."They're not vanishing?"

Chris was panting, leaning on a wall as support."We can't do enough damage..."

Tsubasa gritted her teeth, focusing her energy on her sword before slashing forward.

Blue Lightning

The slash of energy cut through a Noise and a few Zebraskulls. The Noise regenerated without difficulties, but the Mirror Monsters stayed dead.

"Their Gear Outputs are decreasing. It must be this smoke." Knight quickly swept the feet of a Zebraskull, before impaling it in its face. The creature squirmed in pain before it died, its body disappearing."You guys! Aim for the head or deliver a strong enough attack like Tsubasa!"

"You bet!" Ryuki cried, already equipped with his Dragclaw."Look at the new trick I learned!"

Hajime held his gauntlet as he created a fireball. Instead of firing it immediately, he began focusing energy on it, expanding it in size. The ball then shrank into a small size, lighting sparking around it."Fire!"

Ryuki fired the fireball at a group of Zebraskull and Noise.

'He focused his energy into one attack?' Knight noted with surprise.'When did he learn that?'

'Usually, I just start spamming my fireballs and hope for the best. But I took a page out of Hibiki's book and started charging my attacks. And thanks to the Captain, I realized that attacks that cover a wide range are pretty good for situations like this!'

"Everyone duck!" Ryuki screamed, prompting everyone to take cover."Now scatter!"

The fireball exploded into countless smaller fireballs. The scatter shots began impacting against the Noise and Mirror Monsters, killing them after the fire shower rained upon them.

"Alright! Suck on this!" Ryuki cheered, holding his gauntlet high in the air. He then rushed to Hibiki's side, checking her over."You okay, Hibiki-san? You look like you could fall over at any second."

"I'm okay..." The girl offered a tired smile.

"You sure?" Ryuki gently helped her up, holding her sides.

"I am. Thank you." Hibiki nodded, staring into the red eyes of his helmet."Hajime-san...I..."

"I know..." He muttered, staring into her eyes as well.

While those two had their moment, Knight made his way to Tsubasa."They were expecting us."

"Yeah." Tsubasa nodded in agreement."That gas...whatever it was, it was making us weaker. And there there's also those mirror creatures. They're not Noise. So what could they be?"

"Whatever they were, they stopped appearing when we broke the mirrors." Knight eyed the shards scattered around the floor.

"They kind of look like those monsters Imperer used against me." Ryuki said, approaching them."They weren't the same, but they were similar."

The sound of clapping stopped further conversation, and from the shadows, Dr. Ver emerged."Very well done by the heroes of the Lunar Attack. You've handled the Mirror Monsters pretty well, despite this being your first time facing them."

"Mirror Monsters?" Knight narrowed his eyes."So they're your creation? And what about the gas?"

"Unfortunately, I can't take credit for this." The doctor shook his head."I'm simply testing it out for our sponsors. Unfortunately, this little project is still in its prototype stage."

"Sponsors? Prototype?" Tsubasa asked, but the doctor simply smirked.

"Nevermind that. We're getting off-topic here."

"So the Noise at the concert...and the ones that attacked that base when you were declared missing..." Chris seethed."That was all you!"

"Of course. And it was all so simple." Dr. Ver began his explanation."The people in charge found me to be fit to carry the cane while transferring it. All I had to do was hide it under my coat and keep it there when we boarded the train."

"So when the Noise attacked after we dropped you off..." Zolda hummed to himself."Shit. You were quick to escape. We literally looked for you everywhere."

"I couldn't drag my feet when you superpowered people were looking for me." Dr. Ver chuckled."But it was all worth it. To wield the power to control the Noise, straight from the Gates of Babylonia. And now, I'm the one wielding it. And I'll give it good use. But of course, that's not my only weapon..."

Knight heard something rapidly approaching from the shadows thanks to his enhanced hearing. He tackled Chris to the floor, barely avoiding the object after it lunged at her.

"What the hell is that?!" Ryuki's eyes widened at the grey creature with orange lines across its body."Another Mirror Monster?"

"It can't be, we broke all the mirrors," Knight grunted, getting off Chris and offering his hand."You alright?"

"Thanks for the save..." Chris took the Rider's hand to help herself up.

The creature crawled inside of the cage Dr. Ver had brought, closing it shut for good measure.

"Now...how about we get things started?"

Hop Vent

Out of nowhere, Imperer leaped from the shadows, plating his feet against Zolda's armor and launching him across the hall. The young boy began bouncing off the walls, forcing the group to huddle together.

"Keep them entertained for a bit while I get our precious cargo back to safety, Andreas." The doctor said as he made his exit.

"You got it, doc!"

Spin Vent: Gazellestab

"Don't use your powers here!" Knight intercepted Imperer's thrust, only for the boy to use his torso to jump back, knocking Knight against a wall. He noticed that Imperer's feet were equipped with bronze-colored springs, allowing him to jump around at a fast pace.

"Yanagi, get them out of here and go after the doctor!" Zolda tried shooting Imperer, but he was far too quick on his feet.

Imperer bounced off the ceiling, aiming his attack toward Hibiki. Fortunately, Ryuki saw him coming and unleashed a few fireballs his way.

The gazelle-theme Rider used his weapon to pierce and destroy them, continuing his assault.

Hibiki turned on her heels, slamming her fists against Imperer, lunging him back to the ceiling. This caused her to lose even more energy, now struggling to keep standing.

"We'll handle him!" Ryuki pushed Hibiki along. Tsubasa grabbed Hibiki's shoulders, guiding her out of the cramped hallway.

"We'll go on ahead!" Knight yelled at them.

"You sure it's a good idea to send him by himself, though?" Ryuki grinded his teeth, watching as Imperer went back to bouncing off the walls. Zolda ran up to him, standing back to back.

"This guy won't let us leave. So we have to deal with him first."

"Who said I was by myself?"

Just then, the wall in front of them broke, and before anyone could react, Ryuki was tackled towards the opposite wall, entering another room.

"Luitenant!" Zolda cried, trying to go to assist him but Imperer struck him on the back, knocking him flat on the floor.

The youngest Fine Rider landed a few feet away from Zolda.

"Now I'm pissed." Zolda picked himself up from the ground."Unfortunately for you, my friends are gone. So now I can use my firepower as I see fit."

Meanwhile, Ryuki was thrown into a room, hitting a few metallic doors on the wall. He landed on his rear, groaning in pain.

He scanned his surroundings, realizing he was in the morgue of the hospital."Oh, shit...This is morbid."

"I'm sorry. This was not what I had intended." Kamen Rider Tiger said as he approached him from the holes they had made, wielding his Destivisor.

"Of course, I have to fight the strongest of them..." Ryuki cursed his rotten luck."Listen, we don't have to do this. We can talk. I don't want to fight you."

"Tell me something. Those friends of yours. They mean a lot to you, don't they?"

"I...yeah, they do." Ryuki nodded, trying to back away but he was against a wall.

"I have people I have to protect as well." Tiger continued on his ramble as he got closer and closer."People I let down. People whose trust I betrayed. But...I have a promise to keep. And the only way I can fulfill that promise is by winning this thing."

"It's not as simple as you think." Ryuki frowned under his helmet."Odin is extremely powerful. Furthermore, your-"

"I know I have to get stronger. And I can do that by killing off the competition." Tiger was now a few steps away from Ryuki, raising his axe."I will use that wish to fix everything. I won't let them down again. I promise. So I'm sorry. For the sake of my desire, you have to die. So forgive me!"

Ryuki immediately jumped up to meet his strike halfway through to reduce the impact, blocking the handle of the axe with his forearms by crossing them. He winced in pain, feeling Tiger's incredible strength apply presure on his arms. With a battle cry, Ryuki kicked Tiger in the stomach, knocking him back.

Sword Vent: Dragsaber

"I understand how you feel. But I can't let myself be killed right now." Ryuki brandished his sword."So if my words can't reach you, then I'll just have to use my fists!"

The others made it outside of the hospital, only to see some Noise carrying the cage away in the sky.

"They're taking it out to sea?" Yosuke scowled, eyeing the mad doctor in front of them."End of the line. The girls might not be in their best condition, but now that we're out in the open, that gas of yours won't harm them."

'It's too bad I can't properly more data, all things considered.' Dr. Ver rose his hands.'But still...' He rose his gaze, staring at a butterfly that was flying by.'They should have gotten some good data from them fighting the Mirror Monsters. Our sponsors will be pleased.'

"Yosuke!" Tsubasa nodded at Knight, who nodded back.

Advent: Darkwing

Darkwing descended from the sky, equipping itself onto Knight's back as he ran after the Noise. Before he could jump into the air, a metallic purple ball fell from the sky, exploding near him. The Rider jumped back, perplexed at what had just happened.

"Going somewhere?" Raia descended from the sky, riding on top of Evildiver. In his arms, he was carrying a pink grenade launcher."You won't be leaving today in one piece."

"Raia..." Knight clicked his tongue.

"Seems Ryuki couldn't make it. Oh well." Raia pulled on the trigger, launching another grenade toward Hibiki and the others. Tsubasa slashed the air, sending a slash of blue lighting to intercept the grenade, causing it to explode upon impact.

Azure Flash

The stingray Rider maneuvered around in the air, but to his surprise, the slash was aimed toward the Noise, slashing them apart and causing the case to drop toward the ocean. Knight leaped in the air, using Darkwing's wings to fly toward the cage before it landed in the ocean. As he was about to grab it, a spear was shot toward him, striking his left shoulder.

The spear hovered over the water, creating a small typhoon as Maria landed on top of it, catching the cage.

"Right on time, Fine." Dr. Ver grinned with confidence, the first rays of sunlight reflecting on his glasses.

"Fine?" Chris frowned, not liking where this was going.

"The name which signifies the end is the symbol of our organization, and also her second name."

Hibiki could only gape at the second Gungnir user."So that means..."

"That's right! She's the second coming of Fine herself!"

"So that whole thing about reincarnating through time..." Hibiki recalled back when Fine was facing them in the past

"So what happened to the actual Maria?!" Knight demanded, grabbing the doctor by the neck.

"Yosuke-san, calm down!" Hibiki pleaded, but the young man kept his eyes on the doctor.

"So you're telling me that what happened to Ryoko-san will happen to her? Her life will be overwritten by Fine? Is she still her anymore?"

The doctor sighed."Well...that is something I would like to know myself."

"Huh?"

"Maria-nee. I'll handle the Rider." Raia proclaimed, narrowing his eyes at Knight."Now that we've separated them, they have no chance to win."

"Okay. Leave the Nephilim to me." Maria nodded."And be careful."

"Always," Raia smirked, ordering Evildiver to hover over to the harbor where the others were standing.

"If he wants a battle in the sky, I'll give it to him." Knight prepared himself to take off when Chris grabbed his shoulder.

"Here, take these." Chris handed him her crossbows."Not like I'm in the best condition to fight right now. Just make sure you don't go too crazy using them. Since I won't be the one using them, I can't create more arrows than the ones that are loaded in already."

"Got it. Thank you, Yukine." With that, Knight jumped into the sky, flapping Darkwing's wings.

"He can fly too? This is bad." Raia clicked his tongue, Evildiver hovering above the water.

"Not so fast!" Knight was hot on his trail, aiming one of the crossbows at him."I'll throw your words right back at you, Raia, don't think you're getting away in one piece!"

"We'll see about that, villain!" Raia fired a few grenades from his weapon, exploding them as they got close to Knight. Knight maneuvered around the explosions, firing a few arrows at Raia.

'Damn!' Raia dropped near the water, using Evildiver as a surfboard. Knight fired more arrows at him, but the boy dodged them with ease, aiming his weapon at Knight. He pulled the trigger, unleashing the grenade. Knight braced himself for the explosion, but the grenade exploded well before impact.

"Got you!" Before Knight could react, Evildiver slammed into him, sending him flying toward the water.

'So those aren't grenades...they're bombs...' Knight grumbled as his body sunk into the ocean.'He can detonate them at will. Just now, he created a smokescreen to confuse me, allowing himself a window to attack...'

Yosuke had no more time to reflect on the situation as he noticed a bomb floating down on his way. His eyes widened, and he swam away but not far enough for the shockwave to hit him.

Raia continued firing grenades at him, watching the water spray up like geysers."Soon enough you'll have to come up. And when you do-"

An arrow shot directly at his weapon just as another grenade was about to be launched. The grenade exploded in his hand, knocking him off Evildiver and falling directly into the water.

'He copied me...he hid his shot using the water to catch me off-guard!' Raia cursed, glancing down at the cracks in his armor.'I can't lose to him here. The water is my terrain!'

Evildiver dove into the water and Raia grabbed onto its fins. Once he was out of the water and back in the air, he came face to face with Knight.

The two of them offered no words before lunging at each other.

Back with Maria, the pinkette observed as Tsubasa headed her way, using her foot swords to surf on the water.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Maria smirked, ducking her head at the last second before Tsubasa could strike her. Maria used her cape to strike Tsubasa in the back, but the bluenette recuperated quickly and rose her sword above her head.

"Don't underestimate me!" Tsubasa yelled as her sword grew in size, unleashing a slash of blue lightning.

Azure Flash

Maria used her cape to block the attack with relative ease."I'm doing no such thing."

Tsubasa wasn't having it and went forward for another attack. Maria's cape wrapped around her leg, hurling her into the vast ocean. Before her body could fall into the water, a massive submarine emerged from the depths of the ocean. Tsubasa landed roughly on the ship, but she was glad she didn't have to fall into the water.

"Well, that's certainly unexpected." Maria mumbled to herself."But you're not the only one with backup."

The girl tossed the cage into the air, and before their very eyes, disappeared from existence.

"What the-?" Tsubasa gasped, completely bewildered."What just happened?"

"Don't worry about it." Maria wagged her finger, landing in front of her on the submarine."Thanks for giving us a place to stand. I was worried we'd have to have a fight in the water."

Maria rose her hand, calling her spear towards her and clenching it tightly."Now...Let's continue where we left off. This time, I'm going full power!"

The idol leaped in the air, swinging her spear against Tsubasa's katana. Tsubasa was sent skidding backward but lunged back into the fight. Maria spun her spear around, beckoning Tsubasa to get closer. And just as she did, she used her cape to slash the area around her. The girl spun on her heels, avoiding the attack, and swung her sword, only for Maria to strike back with her spear, knocking her back.

'Her strikes are wider and stronger. I have to find an opening.' Tsubasa gritted her teeth.

Maria used her cape to spin around, creating a pseudo tornado and dashed toward Tsubasa. The girl used her sword to block it, but the cape's momentum made it impossible to stop her using her sword. She leaped in the air, realizing what she had to do.

'Eye of the hurricane.' Tsubasa went in for the center of the tornado, but Maria was a step ahead of her and threw her spear into her, stopping her in her tracks. Once more she used her cape to attack, but this time, her attacks had a different intent. She intended to destroy the submarine, and she used her cape to crack holes into it to make it impossible for it to submerge.

'I have to get her off the submarine.' Tsubasa grimaced, sheathing her sword. She stood on her hands and started spinning, using her foot swords to attack Maria.

'A poor attempt at imitation.' Maria smirked, blocking the swords with her spear, but was taken aback when Tsubasa continued spinning, pushing her back. Clicking her tongue, she used her cape to sweep Tsubasa's arms, but the bluenette swiftly went back to standing, sheathing her katana. Maria was faster, striking her with her spear and hurling her across the ship's surface.

Meanwhile, back in the hospital, the two fights against Fine's Riders raged on.

Zolda groaned in annoyance, using his Gigacannons to try and hit Imperer as he bounced around."God, you're so annoying to fight."

"I'm pretty fast!" Imperer declared, drawing a card."And you'll never catch me!"

Zolda stepped back, barely avoiding his head being skewered by Imperer's weapon. He aimed his cannons at the place he saw him going, destroying the wall and causing him to lose his footing, crashing on the ground.

"Listen, why are you even doing this? Working for Fine won't do you or your siblings any good. You're just being used."

"You're lying! My big brothers told me not to listen to the enemy! You're trying to trick me!"

"I'm not. Honest." Zolda rose his hands."I should know. I used to work for Fine. She used me and my girlfriend as she saw fit. Manipulated our very lives for the sake of her ambitions. The same thing will happen to you if you don't-"

"Bla bla bla! Can't hear you! Bla bla!"

'Of course, I have to fight the little kid.' Zolda sweatdropped.'Then again, we're all kids.'

Advent: Gigazelle

A horde of gazelles surrounded Zolda, with Gigazelle standing in the back with Imperer.

'This place is too cramped!' Zolda shot a hole through the wall, running into it. The gazelles chased after him and Imperer began bouncing off the walls with his springs.

In the other room, Ryuki was dodging Tiger's strikes with his axe, sweating bullets. If one of his attacks landed, he was done. Thankfully, his attacks were wide, and once he picked up on his rhythm, he went in to kick him in the stomach with all his strength.

To his shock, Tiger just grunted, kneeing Ryuki in the gut, and grabbed him to throw him to the ceiling, breaking into the upper floor.

'What the hell...this guy is insane...' Ryuki landed on the floor of the second floor. Tiger jumped through the hole, raising his axe to deliver the final blow. Ryuki reacted in time, rolling on the ground to avoid the attack, and kicked Tiger in the head. Noticing he just brushed off his attack, he rose his blade, clashing with his axe.

Tiger looked back at the hole they came from.'Andreas...'

'The others were right. He gets distracted when his siblings are around.' Ryuki took notice, delivering a double kick to Tiger while he was distracted and propelling himself away.'If the Captain can get Imperer on checkmate, Tiger will have no choice but to divert his attention elsewhere, and I'll attack him with all I have.'

"Tiger, your siblings...Is this the only way you can protect them?" Ryuki asked, trying to get him to lower his guard.

"You don't understand. And how would you?"

"Because I have a sister too. I know what it's like wanting to protect a sibling and give them all the love you can offer. But to declare war on the whole world...and control the Noise to use them to your liking...You're Maria's brother. You should be better than this."

"I have to win the Rider War. It's the only way I can fix everything I messed up. I...failed as a brother. That's why I'm sorry. But you and your friends have to die."

"You...you don't get it, do you? You think that by killing us and getting stronger, you'll have enough power to defeat Odin?"

"I do. And with our plan, we're sure to win against him."

"Dumbass! Even if you somehow kill Odin, your wish won't be granted!" Ryuki snapped, causing Tiger to freeze up.

"W-what...? What do you mean?"

"Odin said it when he was fighting all of us and you were helping the girls with Fine. He said that only one person can win the Rider War. So even if he dies, the war will continue until one person defeats all the others and stands at the top. That means that if you want that wish, you'll have to kill your siblings!"

"Y-you're lying...there's no way...there's no way that's true..." Tiger let go of his axe due to the shock, his body shaking."That can't be true..."

"I wish it was a lie. That's why we're not interested in killing you guys. We just want to settle things the easy way. We...gave up on the wish since we don't want to kill each other for that. It's not worth it. And I know you love your siblings. I can tell. But if you want to fix whatever it is you broke...they'll have to die.'

"I can't...revive Serena...? Or save Maria from becoming Fine..." Tiger shook his head, refusing to believe what he was hearing."Without killing them...?"

Back on the floor below, Zolda continued blasting away the Gazelles, receiving a few graces from Imperer's weapon.

'Guess I have no choice. I have to break those damn springs of his.'

Shoot Vent: Gigarevolver

Two revolvers appeared in Zolda's hands, using them to shoot the Gazelles in his way. Imperer took this opportunity to attack him, kicking him in the chest and bouncing off to the far wall.

Zolda grinned, having taken the attack intentionally, and aimed his revolvers at the two springs attached to his feet, shooting them off. Imperer screamed as he crashed into a wall, falling on the floor.

Tiger heard Imperer's scream, immediately tensing up."Andreas!"

'Now!' Hajime inserted a card into his visor.

Strike Vent: Dragclaw

Winding his fist back, Ryuki unleashed a fire that took the form of Dragreder. The dragon bit onto Tiger's sides, hurling him down to the floor below them. Zolda gasped when he saw Tiger land on the floor with a loud thud, followed by Ryuki.

"Luitenant!" Zolda cried out with happiness."You're okay!"

"Barely." Ryuki rubbed his still aching belly."Thanks for giving me the opening I needed."

"Jades-nii! Are you okay?!" Imperer rushed to his brother's side.

Tiger was on his hands and knees, still processing the information Ryuki had given him.

"Let's tidy things up." Zolda aimed his revolvers and Ryuki began charging up a fireball in his gauntlet."I'm sick and tired of hearing Fine's name already."

And that's the end of the chapter. Here we go. The debut of the Mirror World. Or at least, the Mirror Monsters. As Dr. Ver said, this is only a prototype, so we'll see it expand as the season goes on. And like I said a few chapters ago, it will be important in the next season. Anyway, if you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to review! It's very much appreciated.