Reviews:
Guest DCDGojira: Glad you liked it
Daemon of Wrath: It could be a mixture of all. Maybe something that defines them as characters. I have nothing concrete yet but I'll let everyone know. Lol yeah, Kuwana and Cypher are wildcards, especially given how unstable Kuwana is but he was there when Odin said it so he knows. The other Riders are coming soon but I won't say went to avoid spoiling.
TheOkWriter: I get what you mean. But I feel like the way they got it was kind of weird. Kanzaki just gave it to Tezuka just because and he gave one to Shinji for the lols. Mugen was never in the original series but apparently, Odin has a base form according to Suit designer Masato Hayase, it just never appears in the series since he never turns Survive off. It kind of breaks the game for the other Riders. As soon as Ryuki used his he was beating Ouja to a stalemate. Realistically, the only one who was keeping up with them aside from Odin was Alternative Zero.
I know their forms belonging them is what makes it special, but in the context of this story mixed with Symphogear, I think it would be better if at least some of them have it. At least the main ones. Symphogear has insane power creep and most Riders will fall off in their regular forms. Or at least the ones that are alive by the later seasons. Also, I feel like most people would get bored of seeing the same fights without anything new, and I feel like giving some Survive, or some kind of evolution of some kind, would help things stay fresh. But nothing concrete yet so don't worry about that for now. Of course, we're not going to see EVERYONE with Survive. Only a handful of them will get it if anything.
As for the Mirror Monsters, we'll see them being implemented more and more as the story progresses.
maxfz19: Me alegra que te haya gustado. Si y ahora veremos que le dira Jades a los demas.
Caballero lector rojo: Hace tiempo no te veo por aqui. Me alegra que hayas vuelto, amigo. Lo de las cartas Survive lo preguntaba dado que el modo Survive se viene acercando mas y mas y prefiero ahorrar tiempo y pensar las cosas. Pero si, por ahora estoy dandole atencion a los personajes. Planeo meter algunas escenas de la serie cuado pueda. Tengo una planeada y las veras pronto. Y para acabar, me agrada tu idea de la fusion con monstruos. Tenia una idea similar pero ya veremos.
lordri25may2001: I love to see a Dragon Knight fan whenever I can. I don't know why I didn't think of this. It's a good idea. Someone pointed out to me that a phoenix has more than a pair of wings and it aligns with your idea. Thanks for the suggestion.
Chapter 27
Lost Hope
Raia and Knight continued their battle in the sky while Tsubasa and Maria fought down below. Raia had copied Winglancer's card, using it to clash with Knight whenever they'd get close.
Knight used the remaining arrows in Chris' crossbows to shoot at Raia, but he used Winglancer to block them by twirling the copied weapon. Having run out of arrows, Knight tossed the crossbows back to the harbor. The Ichaival user grabbed them before they could land on the ground."He's all out of ammo now."
"You'll have to try better than that! This nothing to me!" Raia boasted with confidence."I might not be the strongest out of our Riders, but I'm sure smart enough to make up the difference between you and me."
"Is that so? I just happened to be smart and also the strongest of our Riders. So it's pretty clear who is lacking here." Knight taunted, causing Raia to sneer.
"Don't be so sure!" Raia flew over to Knight, readying his lance. Knight threw his lance at Raia and immediately flew after it, forcing Raia to parry. Knight materialized his visor, striking Raia across the chest, and spiraled and kicked him off Evildiver down to the ocean.
Swing Vent: Evilwhip
Raia's whip wrapped around Knight's ankle, pulling him down with him.
"He's dragging him with him?!" Hibiki gasped once she noticed Raia's intentions. A pair of saw blades suddenly cut through the whip, separating them."What was that?!"
"It's Igalima-desu!"
Kirika appeared behind Chris, swinging her scythe. Chris narrowly avoided the sharp edge of the weapon, backflipping away."Where the hell did you come from?!"
Close by, Shirabe appeared seemingly out of nowhere, grabbing Raia and taking him back to the harbor.
"Why did you do that?!" Raia blushed under his helmet, embarrassed at being carried by his sister. Shirabe gently set him on the ground.
"What were you planning to do just now? Take him down with you so you can be a sitting duck in the water? He still had his wings. So he would have been able to get out."
"Not if I held onto him." Raia grumbled, folding his arms."I would have taken him out of the fight."
"You included." Shirabe continued to berate him."We need you. Incapacitating yourself for the sake of reducing their numbers is not efficient. It's very unlike you."
"I know, I know. I just...have a lot on my mind." Raia shook his head, refusing Shirabe's hand, and stood up on his own. Knight landed next to Hibiki, readying his Winglancer.
"I'll take on the Rider now." Shirabe declared as she began skating towards the group, extending her twin tails and unloading more saws.
"Leave this to me!" Hibiki jumped in front of Knight, punching and kicking the saws into pieces.
Extreme Sigma Style: Forbidden Moon
Both of Shul Shugana's large buzz saws combined into a large monowheel vehicle which Shirabe used to ride over to them.
Trick Vent: Shadow Illusion
A total of 8 Knight copies appeared in front of him, using their respective Winglancers to clash against the wheel. They were soon overpowered by Shirabe and were cut into pieces, disappearing. Knight and Hibiki leaped out of the way, barely avoiding being shredded by Shirabe's attack.
"You're fighting me now!"
Copy Vent: Winglancer
Hibiki gasped, upon seeing the shadow looming over her. Raia swung his copied lance, but Hibiki crouched at the last second and punched him in the chest. However, the boy kicked Hibiki's arm, changing the trajectory of her punch, and used this opportunity to knee her in the gut, sending her crashing against a wall.
"Oi!" Chris yelled upon seeing Hibiki laying on the floor, but she had no time to worry about her as Kirika struck her in the stomach with the snatch of her scythe, knocking the wind out of her.
Shirabe skated over to Knight, making it difficult for him to predict her next move. She tried to sweep his legs, but he jumped in the air and tried to stab her with his lance. Shirabe narrowed her eyes, mimicking Raia's movement, and kicked Knight's arm, knocking his weapon away. She then stood on one arm, kicking him across the face, sending him stumbling away.
"What a bizarre fighting style..." He grunted, clicking his tongue."You like to ice skate?"
The purple-eyed girl chose not to dignify that with an answer, and instead, skated over to the doctor.
"Just in time." Dr. Ver remarked, raising a brow as the girl skated by him."Though I would have liked it if you kept the fight going a little bit longer, though. We need the data."
"Be that as it may, we came to help our siblings. Not you." Shirabe said, staring at the horizon, watching the sunrise."Speaking of, where are the others?"
Dr. Ver chuckled, noticing a pillar of smoke in the distance."I think they should be about done too."
"Chris-chan! Are you okay?!" Hibiki rushed to her friend's aid.
"Fucking hell...My sync rate's dropped so low I can barely move..." She grumbled, wrapping her arm around Hibiki's shoulders.
"But where did they come from? We didn't see anyone else nearby?" Hibiki scanned her surroundings, looking for more enemies."Did they find the others at the hospital?"
Just then, the sound of bullets caught their attention, and from a distance, they could see Imperer dragging Tiger along as Zolda tried to hit them with his minigun.
"This is bad! This is bad!" Imperer yelled, pushing Tiger along. The imposing man had his head hung low, not bothering to react to the situation. Imperer grunted, leaping back into action."You're so annoying!"
"Took the words right out of my mouth!" Zolda threw his weapon away, using his visor to block Imperer's thrust. He used his strength to push the gazelle-theme Rider away before delivering a kick to his torso, launching him against Tiger and prompting them to skid on the ground.
"Guys!" Kirika and Shirabe sprung into action, completely ignoring Hibiki, Chris, and Knight. They stood in front of their siblings, taking a battle stance.
"You're outnumbered." Zolda remarked with a cold glare."You might as well surrender. This is a losing battle."
"We will never surrender." Shirabe narrowed her eyes at him."Because we must protect what justice cannot."
"Heh. Yeah, I heard that before. Like I was telling your kid brother, Fine was using us as well. I know exactly what you're-"
"Wait! Kirika!" Ryuki ran past Zolda, dropping his weapon."Kirika! Is it really you?!"
"Huh?" Kirika's eyebrows rose up."You again. Why do you address me so casually?"
"It's me! I...I don't know if you remember me at all. We met so many years ago at that park. Sayama Park in Tokyo, remember? I'm Hajime." He deactivated his transformation, going back to his regular school uniform self."Hajime Adachi."
Kirika's eyes shot wide open, dropping her scythe."Wait...Blacky-kun?!"
"Blacky-kun?" Zolda deadpanned at the nickname."The fuck?"
"I guess it's because of his hair color?" Knight deduced."It's a dark shade of black."
"You remember me then?" Hajime beamed, taking a step forward but Kirika sneered.
"You...You! You never came back!" She screamed, grabbing her scythe again and wielding it around."You promised! You promised you'd come the next day! I waited the whole day and night. And then...I don't remember what happened after that...but..."
"Kirika..." Hajime frowned, biting his lower lip."I'm sorry...I-"
"Kiri-chan, we need to go." Shirabe addressed her sister, helping Tiger up along with Imperer."Mom's calling us back."
"Already?" Raia scoffed, noticing their VTOL appearing above them.
"Raiden! Something's wrong with Jades-nii-chan!" Imperer told his brother."We need to get him on the ship!"
"Maria's already on board," Shirabe added.
"Fine." Raia begrudgingly accepted, activating an ability.
Advent: Evildiver
Raia jumped on top of his monster, flying by Shirabe and the others, getting them on board as they headed for the helicopter.
"Wait! Kirika!" Hajime tried to follow them, but Knight held him back.
Kirika gave Hajime one last glance before shaking her head."I swear...I swear I'll save you!"
"Oh, hell no." Zolda quickly drew his card, opening up his Magnuvisor and using it."You're not getting away.
Final Vent: End of the World
Magnugiga manifested in front of Zolda as he inserted his visor into its back. This caused the robot to come to life, showcasing its heavy artillery."Get out of the way!"
The other did just now, leaping away to give Zolda room to shoot without worrying about hurting them. With a pull of its trigger, Magnugiga unleashed its full firepower, aiming directly at the helicopter. But before any of the projectiles could land, the helicopter suddenly vanished from existence, causing the bullets to fly through.
"What the?!" Zolda exclaimed, releasing the trigger."What just happened?!"
"They vanished?" Chris blinked in confusion."But how...?"
"Is everyone okay?!" Tsubasa landed on the harbor, jogging over."Did you guys see that too?"
"Yeah...They just...disappeared..." Hibiki was still looking at where the helicopter should have been.
"Hey, Adachi." Knight shifted his gaze to the onyx-haired boy."What is this? You know that girl?"
He gulped down, feeling the gazes of his friends on him."It's...a long story."
As soon as the group boarded the VTOL, Jades fell on his knees, grabbing at his head. Maria and Shirabe went to his side."What's wrong, Jades-nii?!"
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Jades closed his eyes, hyperventilating."I-I-I'm sorry! I..."
"Why is he freaking out?" Raiden blinked, eyeing his siblings but some of them were doing other things."What's going on?"
Kirika was busy slamming the doctor against the wall."Dumbass! Look at what you did! If they take control of the base, where are we supposed to hide until we execute our plan?!"
"Everyone, calm down." Maria boomed, her voice loud enough for all to hear. She shifted her attention to Jades."What happened?"
"I don't know." Andreas knelt beside Jades, eyeing Raiden for support but the brown-haired boy averted his gaze."He just...We were fighting our respective battles and all of a sudden Ryuki blasted him into the room. And...he didn't want to get up."
"Ryuki? Hajime Adachi?" Raiden glared at Kirika."You mean the boy that's been giving us trouble. Which apparently you know."
"I didn't know it was him!" Kirika threw her arms up."I...I used to play with him a long time ago. Or so I remember. I could never forget that black hair or his hazel eyes. We met at a park we used to play in. And we promised each other we would go there every day. Until one day...he didn't show up."
"Whatever happened in Kiri-chan's past isn't relevant to the topic at hand." Shirabe stepped in between them."Right now, we have no base and no food for the Nephilim. It was recently fed, but we don't know when it'll go on a rampage next."
"We may no longer have a food source, but we still have options left." The doctor picked himself up, dusting off his coat."Either way, it's not like we had much more food anyway. We required restocking."
"I assume you have a solution to our problem?" Maria quirked a brow.
"Problem? I never thought of it as such." Dr. Ver eyed the pendants around Kirika and Shirabe's necks."After all, we have plenty of relic fragments all over the place these days."
"You don't mean to...feed it our pendants, do you?" Shirabe gasped, Kirika grasping hers in her hands tightly.
"Of course not. Nothing like that." Dr. Ver waved his hand dismissively."Your Gears are too essential to our forces to just give them up."
"So that leaves us with one solution." Maria turned to face them."I'll go get their Symphogear-"
"No! We won't let you!" Kirika yelled, followed by a firm nod from Shirabe.
"It's best if you let us handle this, Maria-nee-chan." Andreas offered."You can't risk using your powers too much."
"He's right. Every time you do, Fine's soul grows stronger. Which means your fades out more and more." Shirabe said solemnly."We can't let that happen no matter what."
"We'll do it." Raiden chimed in."Besides, we might get a chance to kill those Riders. If we do and we get stronger, we'll be one step closer to reviving Serena and-"
"That can't happen..."
The whole group turned to Jades, who was leaning against the wall, his gaze on the floor."Maria...I'm so sorry...But...we can't wish Serena back to life..."
"Huh?"
Dr. Ver narrowed his eyes at Jades, curious to know what was going on with the man.
"W-what do you mean?" Andreas stammered."What do you mean we can't bring her back to life?"
"What did Ryuki tell you?" Raiden marched up to Jades, grabbing by him the collar of his shirt and forcing him to look at him."Tell us! And no more lies!"
"He said...defeating Odin won't give us the wish. Not until only one Rider remains..." Jades' voice broke, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably."Only one person can win..."
"That's bullshit!" Raiden pushed him against the wall, screaming."And you believe what he said?!"
"I thought you all knew." Dr. Ver said, earning their attention."It's obvious, isn't it? Only one winner can get their wish."
"Why you-" Kirika was about to protest but Nastassja's image appeared on the screen beside them."Mom?!"
"He's right." She grimaced."Andreas and Raiden might have been too young to remember, but I was present when Jades got his Deck. I heard that voice."Fight and defeat all the Riders to grow stronger and face me. Only then will your wish be fulfilled.""
"I can see why you might have gotten confused with the wording." Dr. Ver continued."He doesn't specifically state only one Rider may win, but it's implied. That means that for there to be a true victor, the others must perish. So even if you defeat all of Second Division's Riders unless you kill each other, you won't get anywhere."
"Furthermore, we don't exactly know Odin's full capabilities..." Nastassja closed her eyes."I'm sorry. I didn't want to...break your hearts."
Maria fell on her knees."Serena...can't come back..."
"What have we been fighting for then...?" Raiden threatened to fall to the ground, but Shirabe was quick to grab him."Was it all a lie...?"
"I'm sorry, all of you..." Jades was too ashamed to look at his siblings."I failed you again...God, how am I even going to tell-"
"Terunosuke, right?" Nastassja finished for him, causing them all to gasp."I'm not a fool. I am aware of your little trip to visit kept it from me."
"Mom, we can-"
"We've known that Terunosuke-kun's been alive for quite a while now." Dr. Ver informed them, hands behind his back."But we didn't deem it necessary to bring him back. Considering he never manifested a Deck and he never revealed any secrets regarding FIS to anyone."
"He didn't...?" Shirabe muttered.
"You thought you could make things right with him and Maria by reviving Serena." Their mother stared into Jades' eyes."I know how infatuated he was with her. As well as how much he envied you. It's...my fault that he turned out the way he did..."
"Mom?" Maria breathed, but the older woman shook her head.
"They could technically still get their wish. All they have to do is kill each other and use the wish to revive all of them-"
In the blink of an eye, Jades had his arm against Dr. Ver's neck, choking him."You sick bastard! You have some balls suggesting we kill each other for that wish! What's stopping me from ripping you apart?!"
Dr. Ver said nothing, just staring into the taller man's tears of frustration.
"He's not wrong."
All eyes landed on the Raia Deck wielder, who had a blank expression on his face."We could do that. One of us gets picked all kills the other two, taking their decks and becoming stronger. Then it'd be a simple task to defeat Section Two and take their Decks. We can use that wish to restore Serena to life and word it so that the rest of us get resurrected too."
"W-what..." Kirika looked horrified.
Shirabe couldn't believe what he had suggested, but before she would reply, Maria stormed over to him, slapping him across the face."M-Maria?!"
Maria grabbed his shoulders, anger coursing through her body as well as absolute anguish."How could you say that? How could you say that with a straight face?! To just suggest your brothers kill each other for a wish?! Do you think that's what Serena would want?!"
"Maria, enough," Nastassja said with a stern tone, but the idol completely ignored her.
"Maria, if you're going to be upset at someone...pick me." Jades approached the duo."I'm the failure...I'm the one who filled you all with hope for no reason...I'm the one who made things worse...That pain in your heart...direct it towards me..."
Raiden, in a fit of rage, pushed Maria off of him, fuming."Then what the hell are we supposed to do?! What's the point of us even being Riders?! I'm sick and tired of not knowing what to do! I'm tired of all these lies!" He pointed his finger in Jades' direction."You're damn right this is your fault! If only you didn't let Serena down back then, we wouldn't even be here right now! And guess what? That promise you made to Teru-nii can't be done either! So good luck explaining that to him!"
With that, Raiden stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and leaving everyone speechless.
"Not all hope is lost. We still have our plan, after all." Dr. Ver reassured them, but everyone was too crestfallen to say anything."Remember we still have an ace up our sleeve."
Shirabe and Kirika decided to get some rest and also get away from the heavy atmosphere. Andreas squirmed a bit, unsure of whether to leave as well or comfort his brother and sister, but a look from Maria told him all he needed to know.
The green-haired boy slowly walked towards the door and took his leave. Maria just opted to sit next to Jades, soothing rubbing his back and muttering words of comfort.
'These children...' Nastassja closed her eyes, watching them from the screen.' They've suffered more than anyone should in their lives. But...'
"Doctor..." Jades mumbled with a rasped voice."How is the experiment coming along...?"
"The Mirror World Project is coming along nicely, especially with the data we've managed to collect." Dr. Ver splayed his arms to his sides."And on top of that, we've also collected data for our secret weapon. Our sponsors will be pretty pleased. Despite our current situation, there are still other alternatives for us to take."
"I see..." Jades nodded absentmindedly."That's good...all we got left is this plan and save humanity..."
"Let's get you some water, okay?" Maria helped him up, wrapping his arm around his shoulder.
"Maria...don't you hate me...?"
"I could never hate you." Maria smiled warmly at him."I'm...upset we can't use that wish to revive Serena. But...if it means all of you dying, I'll stand against it. I know Serena wouldn't want to be revived if it meant you guys killing each other. As for the going behind our backs to kill Fine...at first, I was upset, but I know you had good intentions. You didn't know what would happen. Besides, this was going to happen whether you got involved with them or not. So I don't hold it against you. We're a family. We're supposed to love each other, but... I...I can't believe Raiden would suggest that...He sounded just like Teru-nii..."
"He's still a kid, Maria. He's confused. As the rest of them are." Jades sniffed, his nose stuffy."I don't blame them. I...I don't know if I can keep on fighting anymore..."
"Don't say that!" Maria cried out."We need you, brother! You can't just give up! That's not like you at all!"
"Maria...All of this is happening because of me. I caused everything. When I was trying to help you...thinking that I was doing the right thing...I ended up dooming all of you..."
Before Maria could protest, Jades gently pushed her off him."I'm sorry...I...I just want to be alone for now."
With that, Jades went inside the bathroom, locking himself in and leaving Maria by herself.
"So pretty much that's the whole story." Hajime finished his story. The group had gathered around on top of the submarine while they rested."I thought that maybe I could talk her down, but..."
"I'd be mad too if I was stood up like that." Chris offered her piece, much to Hajime's chagrin."But to be fair, you guys were 6 or something, and life just happens."
"Yeah...I never saw her again after that. Eventually, thanks to the medication I was taking at the time, it kind of just...became a blurry memory."
"Medication...I read about that on your file." Tsubasa rubbed her chin."You were taken to a psychiatrist because of your "violent behavior". But this was because you were constantly bullied at school for the fact your dad abandoned your family."
Hibiki grabbed Hajime's hand and he smiled in return."Yeah. I was a problematic kid. It wasn't all their fault. I was frustrated and this was like a way to vent my frustrations. That's when I met Kirika a day when I went to play at the park. The rest is history. But I honestly know nothing else about her that can help us. Maybe...Kirika is helping them because of me...Maybe if I had kept my promise to her, she..."
"You can't predict what your actions will do to other people." Yosuke placed a hand on his shoulder."Besides, maybe you would have ended up in the same boat. Giving up isn't your style. I'm sure if anyone can reach her, it's you."
"I'll help you too, Hajime-kun." Hibiki nodded with a smile.
"Hibiki...Yanagi..."
"Is everyone alright?!" The door for the submarine opened up, revealing Genjuro.
"Yeah. Never better." Hajime sighed, laying on the hard metal.
"We're fine, master." Hibiki glanced around her friends."But I've been thinking. Back when we fought Ryoko-san, I felt that, even though we didn't agree on a lot of things, we still managed to reach a level of understanding. But now..."
"I've been telling you guys this every day." Genjuro rose his right fist."If they don't understand, just keep beating them until they do. You should know that there are things stronger than words."
"Hajime-kun said something like that before..." She trailed off, scratching her head."But I'm still a little confused about what it means."
"Of course she is..." Chris sweatdropped.
"But I'll give it a shot!"
"We'll take names and kick some ass." Takeru grinned."Ain't no way we'll lose next time."
"That's what I like to hear." Genjuro nodded."Now, who's ready for school?"
"Oh, hell no."
"Fuck that."
"You're joking, right, sir?"
"Master come on!"
"Old man, you're out of your damn mind.."
"Uncle, please..."
"I'm just kidding." Genjuro laughed heartily, much to their dismay."Don't worry. Take the day off. You deserve it."
A few days later, Hajime walked to Lydian Academy with his sister, holding her hand."So? Like it so far?"
"Like it?! I love it!" Setsuna beamed, jumping up and down."I can't believe I'll get to come here soon! You're so lucky, Haji. And I bet you're trying to get some girls to like you, aren't you?"
"Huh? What do you take me for?" Hajime rolled his eyes."I'm not a Casanova."
"Oh, right. You like Hibiki-san. I forgot."
"So what if I do?" Hajime puffed his chest, showing no shame."There's nothing bad with it, right?"
"Of course not." Setsuna grinned mischievously."I'm just happy my big brother is finally being honest."
"When did you get to your rebellious phase?" Hajime facepalmed, causing his sister to giggle.
"Hajime-san! And Setsuna-chan! You made it!" Hibiki waved as she and Miku approached the siblings.
"Yeah, she wanted to come along." Hajime said, checking his wristwatch."Sorry for bringing this up so suddenly, but would you guys mind showing her around? I have to go to the pie eating contest for my class is hosting."
"Oh? You're not coming to Yumi's performance?" Miku inquired."She'll be sad you weren't there."
"I can probably make it. The pie contest starts in 2 minutes. So I'll go in and go out fast."
"2 minutes?!" Hibiki screeched, immediately pushing him along."Then get running! You don't want to be late!"
"Yeah, yeah." Hajime sighed, breaking into a sprint."Take care, girls! And Setsu, don't give them any trouble!"
"I promise I won't!" Setsuna waved goodbye before turning to the older girls."So..."
"Ready to go?" Miku asked, receiving an enthusiastic nod from the girl."Alright then. Let's get going."
"You got it!" Hibiki nodded as they grabbed Setsuna's hands and guided her along. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of youths were watching from afar, wearing shades.
"What a crappy disguise..." Raiden groaned, removing his glasses."Can't see anything with these...Why did we put Kirika in charge of disguises? Couldn't she have gotten her hands on actual uniforms? We stick out like a sore thumb."
Andreas, however, remained silent, his gaze elsewhere.
"You okay?" Raiden touched his cheek, breaking him out of his thoughts.
"Y-yeah...Just...I have a lot on my mind." He reassured him with a smile.
"Yeah. I get what you mean. I've been doing a lot of thinking too." Raiden scowled, looking at the direction Hajime had gone."Anyway, we can talk about it later. Let's get Ryuki while he's alone."
"Right..."
In the auditorium, Hibiki and Miku found seats next to Takeruo and Yosuke, who had saved them for them.
"Thanks again, you guys." Hibiki nodded in appreciation."This place is packed with people."
"No sweat." Takeru waved his hand."I see you brought Miku-chan and Setsuna-chan with you. How have you been?"
"I'm okay!" Setsuna grinned from ear to ear.
"I'm fine, thank you." Miku bowed slightly."I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, but how come you're not with your class, Takeru-san, Yanagi-san?"
"My class's show isn't starting until later today," Yosuke explained, eating some popcorn. Takeru grabbed a handful, causing him to sneer."Damn it, Sakamoto, get your own."
"As for me, we're performing a play in an hour. I'm supposed to be one of the trees in the background. But for now?" Takeru yawned, hands behind his back."I'm just here to chill. Those girls on stage...they're your friends, right?"
"Yup." Hibiki nodded.
"Wait a minute...that's that blonde girl you were with earlier today, Miku-chan? Shiori-san, right? How the..."
"What's wrong?" The dark haired-girl tilted her head.
"She just...looks so different with those clothes..." He mumbled, in shock."I guess we all look different under our clothes. Considering how many layers she usually wears."
"What, did you think she was fat?" Yosuke quirked a brow.
"No, man! I just didn't think she'd be so...well, you know."
"What does he mean?" Hibiki whispered to Miku, who blushed in return.
"W-well, he means that-"
Just then, the show began, and Yumi opened up their performance with a song.
After the pie-eating competition finished, Hajime wobbled his way to the bathroom, completely stuffed.
"Man, those were some good pies! I love strawberry pies." He mumbled to himself, washing his hands. He was blissfully unaware as a pair of teenagers entered the bathroom, locking the door behind them. Hajime splashed some water onto his face, and when he looked at himself in the mirror, saw a brown-haired young man leaning against a stall, hands in his pockets."What the-"
"Hello, Ryuki." Raiden smirked at Hajime, Andreas standing on the far end."Or should I say Hajime Adachi-kun?"
"Y-you're Raia! And Imperer!" Hajime gasped, backing up against the sink.
"No need to be so formal. You can call me Raiden. And my brother over there..." Raiden jabbed his thumb at Andreas."He's Andreas. How nice of you to isolate yourself from everyone else. Saves us the trouble of doing that."
"You...What do you guys want?! Why come here?! Hoping to use our classmates as hostages?!"
"No, nothing like that." Raiden shook his head."Like Maria-nee, we have our sense of morality as well. We won't involve innocent people unless necessary. So there won't be any flashy explosions or anything like that."
"We'll fight you fair and square." Andreas chimed in."We're taking you down."
"Why? Because you want that wish? I already told your brother, you-"
"We're fully aware of the Rider War's ultimate rule." Raiden cut him off, sneering."But we still have other ways to get what we want. We want to win, yes, but also because we'll prove we're stronger than you. And we won't need our Decks for it."
"I..." Hajime heard his stomach grumble."I don't think I should be doing that now..."
Without care, Raiden lunged at Hajime, winding his fists back. He began trying to deliver quick punches against him, which Hajime was able to block with some difficulty. The boy had improved and was more vicious than before. On top of that, Hajime's bloated stomach was making it difficult to move as he normally would. He swatted Raiden's arm, causing him to trip over his feet and crash against the sink.
Andreas jumped on top of the trash can, leaping at the raven-haired teen with a flying kick. Hajime grabbed his leg, spinning him around and hurling him against the wall.
Raiden growled, trying to kick Hajime's legs as he continued to step back until he ran out of room. The distraction was enough for Raiden to knee him in the stomach, nearly causing him to barf.
'I'm going to puke!' Hajime covered his mouth. Raiden rose his leg above his head, axe kicking him on the back, slamming him on the floor. He stepped on his back with a haughty expression on his face.
"What's wrong? Is this all you have?" Raiden scoffed."Guess you're not so tough after all. We can't get that wish, but we can still eliminate the competition."
Just then, they heard one of the toilets flush, stunning them in shock. They slowly turned their heads towards one of the doors as it opened up, revealing a tall student wearing headphones and a camera around his neck. He had a cane between his armpits as he checks over the gallery of his camera. Once he noticed the group of boys on the floor, he rose a brow.
"Oh?" The young man in question was tall with a lean build. He had hair as black as Hajime's slicked back and a pair of brown eyes that complimented his almost feminine face."It seems there is a party going on here."
The young man set his camera and headphones down, putting them inside his bag.
"Y-you need to leave!" Hajime yelled, but the young man seemed not disturbed in the slightest.
"You should listen to what this guy has to say, friend." Raiden narrowed his eyes at the newcomer."This doesn't concern you."
"Ah, I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I believe in protecting my classmates from spoiled children who think they can get what they want with violence. How dull, really."
"What did you say?" A ticked mark appeared on Raiden's forehead.
"Who even are you?" Andreas asked the question they were all wondering.
"I apologize. Where are my manners?" The student bowed in reverence."Bonjour! I am Allister Albedo, a third-year transfer student. I'm a member of the photography club and aid for the yearbook. Nice to meet you. Feel free to call me Allister, though. No need for formalities with me"
"A transfer...student?" Hajime parroted."Wait, I know you. I saw you taking pictures of all the stalls earlier..."
"That's right! I hail from France. Well, originally, that is. I was born in France but I've been moving around my whole life. I can't remember the last time I went to my home country. I even lost the accent!" Allister chuckled."Anyway, clearly, you need help against these ruffians. And I'm willing to give you a helping hand."
"W-what-"
"You know what, fine. If you don't want to leave..." Raiden darted his eyes to Andreas, who understood the signal. He jumped over to Allister, but the french took a step back, giving the boy a quick jab to the stomach, causing him to drop on the floor, writhing in pain.
"Wow..." Hajime stared in awe."That was fast..."
"You..." Raiden narrowed his eyes at the photographer, who hid his hands in his pockets. Andreas went for a back kick, but his feet were easily caught with one hand.
"Huh?!"
"A shame. I'll miss the performance in the auditorium." Allister sighed, shaking his head."I could have taken some good pictures. I even brought new lenses today."
Growing nervous, Andreas decided to try his luck again and went for another kick only to find himself hanging upside down, Allister holding him by his ankles.
"And what do we have here?" Allister released him, causing him to fall harshly on the floor. He was holding onto Imperer's Deck, admiring it."How fascinating. Is this a new toy?"
"G-give...give that back..." Andreas whispered after realizing his Deck was gone.
"This? I don't know...I think I want to keep it. It looks like an antique of sorts..."
Raiden appeared behind Allister, his arms raise above him to hammer him down. Allister quickly elbowed him in the gut, completely neutralizing him. The boy stumbled a few feet forward before collapsing on his knees, holding his stomach.
"Hey, hey." Allister squatted next to him, rubbing his back."Breathe. Breathe. Come on there, sport. You got it."
Raiden yelled, trying to return the favor by elbowing his face only to have his arm struck under his elbow. Agonizing pain filled his body, prompting him to collapse onto the floor.
"Raiden!" Andreas panicked, seeing his brother on the floor, coughing.
"Here." Allister threw Andreas' deck on Raiden's back."We can keep going if you want. I don't mind. Honestly, I haven't had this much exercise in a while. But really, I just want to go back to taking pictures. We have a deadline to submit our pictures for the yearbook soon, so..."
"Let's get out of here, Raiden." Andreas helped his brother, who still hadn't gotten his bearings. They unlocked the bathroom, pushing against the people who had lined up to enter.
"I guess that's that." Allister shrugged nonchalantly, going over to pick up his things. He grabbed his cane, but clearly, he didn't need it, and proceeded to make his way out of the bathroom.
"Wait!"
"Yes?" He spun on his heel.
"That was...so damn cool...How did you..."
"Oh, that? You pick up some things when you travel around the world." Allister grabbed his camera, taking a quick picture of Hajime's baffled expression."Huh. Confusion. Not unexpected. I'm sure we'll see each other again, underclassmen. And your name...Hajime Adachi, I think they said? See you around, Hajime-kun."
With that, Allister made his exit, leaving Hajime still perplexed on the floor.
A few minutes earlier, Tsubasa was making her over to the auditorium, unaware of a pair of girls stalking her from behind.
"That's one of their Symphogear-desu..." Kirika squinted her eyes."And the other ones?"
"Probably around the school. This is our perfect opportunity to strike." Shirabe stated, eager to fulfill her mission.
"What about Raiden and Andreas? They still haven't reported in."
"They're probably looking for one of the Riders. They couldn't have gotten into a fight. We would have noticed."
Tsubasa halted in her tracks, glancing around and prompting the girls to hide.'I swear, it feels like someone's following me...'
"What now? She's totally on guard! So intense-desu!"
"Maybe we should just attack now while we can." Shirabe gritted her teeth."Before any more of her companions show-"
On cue, Chris suddenly exited the classroom Tsubasa was walking by, bumping into her again.
"Not again, Yukine..." Tsubasa sighed in exasperation."Someone's going to get hurt one day. Why are you in such a rush?"
"I'm being pursued!" Chris answered, her voice full of panic."They're gradually closing in on me!"
"You noticed too, huh?" Tsubasa glanced over her shoulder."For a while now, I've felt like I'm being watched."
"Huh? The hell are you talking about?" Chris planted her hands on her hips."Clearly, we're talking about very different things here."
"Yukine-san!" A trio of girls ran to where Chris was. The lavender-haired girl realized she was cornered and simply accepted the inevitable.
"Please! You need to help us! It's almost time!"
"Time for what?" Tsubasa asked, wanting to get to the bottom of things."What's going on?"
"Time for the Queen of the Stage competition!" One of the girls answered."We want Yukine-san to participate."
"And why the hell should I?"
"Because you always looked like you had so much fun singing!"
"Fun...?"
"She's not wrong." Tsubasa placed her hand on her shoulder."You're different from back then. Everyone can tell. I say do what makes you happy. Who knows? Maybe Sakamoto will be there too."
"S-shut up!" Chris blushed profusely before groaning."Fine! Fuck it! Let's go!"
The group of girls headed over to the auditorium, leaving the infiltrators alone.
"Phew...I thought our cover was blown." Kirika sighed in relief.
"We took too long. Now they're together." Shiraba rubbed the edge of her nose."It doesn't matter. Let's follow them, Kiri-chan."
Back in the auditorium, the crowd gave a round of applause toward the three girls that didn't manage to finish their performance but were loved nonetheless.
"Hopefully Setsuna-chan didn't get lost on the way to the bathroom." Miku couldn't help but worry."I should have gone with her."
"Speaking of that..." Yosuke glanced around the crowd."The older Adachi is still not here."
"I wonder what's keeping him?" Hibiki hummed to herself."Maybe he got a stomachache from eating too much pie."
"I wouldn't be surprised." Takeru sighed, his chin resting on his palm."The Lieutenant doesn't know when to call it quits. Has anyone tried calling him?"
"I did, but he's not picking up." Hibiki frowned in concern."I wonder if he's okay..."
"He's fine. I doubt they'd be stupid enough to attack us in school." Yosuke rubbed his chin."But I don't want another repeat of what happened at Kaiser Academy. I'll go ahead and patrol for a bit."
"Sit down, Yosuke." Tsubasa pushed him back onto his chair, taking a seat next to him."The real show is about to start."
"Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki beamed at the bluenette.
"What show are you talking about?" Yosuke scowled at her, ruffling his hair."Also, ouch."
"Don't be a baby. I didn't push you that hard." Tsubasa rolled her eyes playfully."Just watch. Sakamoto, this is something you don't want to miss."
"Huh? I wonder what it could be."
"And now, it's time for the next challenger to make her appearance!" The MC splayed her hand to the side, prompting everyone to eagerly want to see who was coming up next. Chris stumbled onto the stage after being pushed forward, nearly tripping over her shoes.
"Wait a minute, that's-" Miku started.
"Chrissy?!" Takeru gasped, his eyes nearly bulging out of his skull.
"So this is what you meant by the show." Yosuke folded his arms."Quite deviant of you, Tsubasa dear. How did you convince her?"
"I didn't do anything." Tsubasa shrugged."It's her friends the ones that inspired her to do it. And of course, her lovely boyfriend."
"I can't believe Chris-chan is actually doing this..." Hibiki smiled with pride."I'm so happy for her."
"Hey, Sakamoto-san! That's your girlfriend right there!"
In the middle of the audience, Nakahara had risen from her seat, yelling for everyone to hear. Chris sneered at her, but the girl simply giggled to herself, not at all ashamed of her act.
"What's this?! Yukine-san's boyfriend is in the audience?!" The MC gasped, squirming in place."Oh, how nice! I bet you'll dedicate this song to him! Boyfriend-san! Please, any words for your lovely girlfriend?!"
"Uh..." Takeru meekly stood up, but he shook his head, confidence filling his every being before he screamed."I love you, Chrissy! Do your best out there!"
"I love you too," Chris muttered into the microphone.
"Awww!" Everyone coed at the gesture. Takeru and Chris were blushing beyond belief, cursing internally at the lilac-haired girl, who was now standing by the door.
"How I love when romance blooms. I hope their love never fades." She smiled sweetly, exiting the auditorium."My job as cupid here is done~!"
Chris had spotted him from afar due to his orange hair and understood what his lips were saying.'I love you too.' She a deep breath and started to sing as the music came on.
(Kyoshitsu Monochrome)
Yosuke had to admit he was impressed. Normally Chris was far more aggressive in her songs. But this was different. She was calm, serene, and most importantly, enjoying herself. He could feel her emotions being mixed into her song and her facial features spoke volumes of how she felt. He was no expert at singing. No matter how many times he had listened to Tsubasa sing either in a concert or for rehearsal, he couldn't put the same feelings she did into a song. But Chris made it seem so easy. As if all she had to do was grab a microphone and sing her heart out.
He spared a glance at the girls beside him. Hibiki and Miku were beaming, in love with the song. For Tsubasa, he could feel a sense of pride in her. He chuckled. He never thought that a girl could feel anything other than hatred toward a person who tried to kill them. But it goes to show that Chris and Takeru were just victims in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps Fine's Riders and Symphogears were the same. People who just needed to be understood and not judged.
Speaking of Takeru, he checked to see his reaction. And he was surprised to see him in tears. He knew the boy was a bit emotional. Not on the same level as someone as young as Adachi, given his mercenary history. But he was in tears, moved by Chris' song.
"You alright?" Yosuke asked, offering him his handkerchief.
"Y-yeah..." Takeru gladly accepted the gesture, wiping his tears."It's just...She just looks so happy. So at peace..."
"She certainly does." Yosuke agreed with a nod.
"You know something. I never thought we'd get to this point. Where we could just be regular people." Takeru confessed."That's what I told Chris for the longest time, but in hindsight, maybe I was trying to delude myself too. The world around us got bigger and bigger. At one point, I thought I was going to die. But now?" He smiled brightly upon seeing Chris' happy expressions through her song. They made eye contact briefly, and that one gaze told a thousand words."Now I know it can happen. This is what I wanted. For her to be happy after everything she's been through. So to see her enjoying herself like this, with friends and classmates. I can't help but be happy. This is my wish. My wish...has been granted."
"I see." Yosuke smiled, his eyes now focused on Chris."I'm sure she feels the same way. Now it's up to both of you to keep that happiness."
Once Chris finished her song, the audience gave a round of applause. Some people were moved by the song, including a familiar pair of girls sitting on the other side where the group was.
'Wait, what?' Yosuke narrowed his eyes. In effect, those were the Symphogear who he saw with Maria a few days ago. He took out his phone and dialed a number.
"I believe we have a new champion!" The MC proclaimed."Can Boyfriend-san come over?!"
"Wait, why?!" Chris gasped, her eyes darting between the MC and Takeru.
"I think this is a great idea." Everyone turned to a young man caring a camera."It would be a great addition to this year's yearbook. Sakamoto-kun! Join your girl for a quick pic!"
'God damn it.' Takeru groaned internally, blushing as the people around him cheered him on.
"Damn. Adachi is still not answering." Yosuke clicked his tongue.
"What's wrong?" Tsubasa asked, concerned about what could have gotten Yosuke so worked up.
"There, there. Hold her a little closer." Allister said, readjusting the lens of his camera. Takeru had his arm wrapped around Chris' waist, pulling him close to him."I love it! So many emotions are being portrayed by you. How adorable."
"Emotions?" Takeru asked, but the flash of the camera blinded him.
"I can't wait to have these pictures revealed." Allister grinned, browsing through his gallery."I dare say this year's yearbook will be the best Lydian Academy has ever seen!"
'What's up with this guy?' Chris rose a brow before her attention returned to Takeru."Are you okay? Did the flash hurt your eyes?"
"Reminds me back when I used to go on missions. I used to fall for flashbangs a lot. Makes me wonder why I haven't gone blind yet." He chuckled, rubbing his eyes."You were amazing."
"Of course I was. Did you expect anything less?" Chris gave him a cocky grin.
"Would it ever hurt you to be humble?" Takeru playfully said, glancing down at her due to the height difference.
"Maybe not. But it's just how I am." She stood on her tippy toes.
"And I love you just the way you are." He leaned forward, brushing her hair.
"Don't kiss!" Tsubasa cried from the audience."It's against school regulations!"
"Now, will anyone be willing to give the champion a challenge?! Step right up!"
Yosuke gasped when he noticed Kirika and Shirabe marching down to the stage."They're here."
"Why are they...?" Tsubasa's eyes widened."If those two are here, then Adachi-"
"I have to go. You girls stay here with Sakamoto in case they decide to attack." Yosuke ordered, making his way to the door.'Adachi, don't worry! I'm coming!"
"Hajime-kun...was attacked...?" Hibiki muttered, horrified at the idea.
"We don't know yet. He may be engaging in combat with their Riders." Tsubasa reassured her."We have to put faith in Yosuke. Stay here with me, Tachibana. In case things go south, we have to protect everyone here."
"Right here-desu!" Kirika boomed, raising her arm with Shirabe closed behind.
'What the hell?!' Takeru gaped upon seeing the girls right in front of him. Kirika stuck her tongue out while Shirabe's glare intensified.
The girls shifted on their heels, removing their glasses."We'd like to..."
"Challenge the champion-desu!"
And that's the end of the chapter. Fun fact. This might be the first chapter I've finished parallel to the canon episode.