Author's Note: First, I want to address the whole thing with what Ryuki did in the last chapter. It's not much of a spoiler since it's kind of obvious, but it's meant to be the beginning of a build-up for what's to come in later seasons. I got the idea from Another Ryuki. I didn't want to reveal much about it, but I had to comment on it due to some people getting the wrong idea about it. Right now it's not really an evolution or of any use and will come into play later on in the series. But I'm talking about like late-game kind of thing. Around where either Adam or Shem-ha show up. How will the power-up work or be implemented will be left as a mystery for now. I know it's not really "faithful" to the original Ryuki but I figured adding some things here and there would make the story more interesting for those who also enjoy Symphogear.
Author's second edit: OMG I can't believe I uploaded the wrong chapter and went to bed! Thanks to everyone who messaged me and told me. It was a long day but I'll double check next time before doing it.
Reviews:
HanzoHasashi98: Oh, shit. You're right. I've been giving Zolda a few new toys to play with and I should do the same for the others. Ryuki is going to get something soon. I'll have to figure out what to do for the others. As for what will happen with that form, the announcement from above sort of spoils it but not really. You'll see what I have in store when the time comes.
Guest: Glad you liked it!
Skeleton Breaker: He'll certainly try. It's turned into a chess game between Ver and Gai and the players are the 3 siblings in battle
Guest DCDGojira: Glad you liked it. Don't trust the butterfly.
lordri25may2001: On my part, that's coincidental. On Symphogear's part, probably not. Symphogear has a mix of various religions and mythologies. Norse Mythologic especially given that Gungnir is Odin's weapon. I just decided to go with the theme for some of the characters and plot. Odin is from Ryuki, but Loki is an OC created for the story, for example.
stardrago: Yeah I was thinking about that but I decided to go for something more uncontrolled and wild. But I want the final product to look like Another Ryuki in the future, in particular the concept art since it looks so cool.
TheOkWriter: No problem dude. Can't force you to stay. But hey, thanks for sticking around for all 30 chapters of the story. Hope you find what you want.
maxfz19: Me alegra que te haya gustado. Ya veremos lo que se viene sobre ese estado.
Chapter 30
New Wills
"I'll be going now." A tall man with black hair stood in front of the door holding a suitcase.
"Take care, dear." A young brunette-haired woman kissed the man on the cheek, holding a baby girl in her arms."Say bye, Setsuna."
"Daddy!" Setsuna beamed as her father kissed her forehead.
"Be nice now, my little Daisy." He tickled her stomach, causing her to laugh uncontrollably. He looked past his wife to see his mother-in-law frowning at him and a small boy standing behind her.
"Go on, Hajime." Kyoko Adachi gently pushed her grandson forward."Your dad is...going on a long expedition. You won't see him for a long time."
Hajime looked unsure but decided to take a few steps forward.
The man smiled walking over to his son and kneeling in front of him."There's my Boy Wonder. I trust you'll take care of your mom, sister, and grandmother until I'm back?"
"Yes, dad..." Hajime threw himself at his dad."I'll do it. You'll take us to that amusement park when you come back?"
"Of course." His dad ruffled his hair. He headed for the door, grabbing his hat and waving his family goodbye.
A few months went by with no sign of his dad coming back home.
"Look at Adachi, sitting all alone!"
"He's so scary just sitting there."
"I heard he has no dad. When we have parent-teacher conferences, only his mom shows up."
"How weird! His dad doesn't love him or something?"
"My mommy said that his dad had an affair with another lady. Maybe he got replaced by another kid."
"Or maybe his dad is a good-for-nothing deadbeat."
Hajime sat in the sandbox of the park, building a sand castle. A soccer ball hit his creation, ruining his hard work.
"Sorry about that, Adachi!" A group of older boys approached him with malicious intent."All alone again? What kind of freak are you? Who comes to a park all by themselves?"
"Yeah, you like playing with the sand?" Another one kicked some sand and covered his face with it."What, nothing to say?"
"He's a wuss. He's a...what was it called again?"
"A bastard." The older of the group said."Someone with no father. But who knows? Maybe his mom needed money. But I'm surprised she ended up having two little bastards if that's the-"
Hajime lunged at him, striking him across the face with all his strength, knocking him out. He began to repeatedly punch him in the face until his knuckles were red and bruised. The other boys tackled him.
A few days later, he was back in the sandbox, covered in bandages and some bruises on his face. He had managed to create a big enough castle and kept a keen eye for anyone looking to destroy it.
"That's a cool castle-desu!"
He grabbed his toy shovel, gripping it tightly in case he needed to get in another fight and disobey his mom. A blonde girl ran over to him, barely holding her excitement."Wow! It's so well done! How did you do it?"
Hajime narrowed his eyes at her, examining her closer. She had short choppy blonde hair and green eyes."Oh, no! You're hurt! What happened?!"
She began to examine his face and arms."Did you get in a fight?"
"Yeah..." Hajime trailed off, retracting his arm.
"You can talk! I was so worried!" She beamed, her concern shifting to excitement again."I'm Kirika! Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Hajime. Hajime Adachi..."
"Blacky-kun!" She rose her arm in the air, causing him to quirk a brow.
"Blacky-kun...?"
"Your hair! It's so dark!" She grabbed one of his bangs, much to his embarrassment."I have never seen hair this dark before-desu!"
"Why do you say that?"
"Desu-desu?"
"That. Why do you say that?"
"Oh, that. I don't know. I just like saying it." Kirika giggled, scratching her cheek."So, Blacky-kun. Would you like to play hide and seek with me?"
"Hide and seek? Just the two of us?"
"Sure! Hide and seek can be played with any number of people!" Kirika grabbed his hands."It'll be fun, I promise-desu!"
"But...are you sure you want to play with me? I'm...the other kids don't like me..."
"I don't care. I like you." Kirika pulled him along."You seem like a nice person and you looked like you needed a friend. You've been coming to this park for a long time. Same as me. Honestly...I got no one to play with me either. So why don't we play together?"
"I'm not a good boy...But that's...okay..." Hajime relented."I guess playing with someone else might be fun..."
"We can play together every time we come hang around in the park! We can even make it our tradition-desu!"
A few weeks went by and Hajime sat next to his mother at the psychiatrist's office, waiting for the man to deliver his diagnosis.
"Adachi-san, as you're aware, you're son has been going on quite a violent streak." The man analyzed his clipboard."And from my conversation with him, this is not only due to the bullying he suffers at school but also because of a trauma."
"A trauma?" His mom echoed.
"Yes. It seems that the absence of his father has affected him in more ways than one. He feels abandoned and neglected. And his violence is just the way he chooses to express his feelings. But as you know, if he keeps being this aggressive at school, he will be expelled. And you see all the bruises on his body? One day, he'll pick a fight with the wrong person. But...I have something that might help him relax a little. A special medication that works on troubled kids."
"What...kind of special medication?"
"It will suppress his negative thoughts and make him concentrate at school. Make him forget the bad memories. Of course, I'll personally talk with the principal to make sure his bullies get punished and he's left alone. I assure you, this is the best for your child."
Hajime's eyes snapped open, blinded by the white light above him."What...?"
"Oh, you're awake."
Next to him, sitting on a chair, was Yosuke, reading a book."Nice to see you awake, Adachi. Had a nightmare?"
"Not really...Just...I don't know." Hajime groaned, rubbing his eyes."Where are we? What happened?"
"The infirmary in HQ." Yosuke supplied."It's been a few days since our battle with FIS. You were beyond exhausted. You've been asleep this whole time."
"Days?!" Hajime gasped, sitting up."W-what happened? Where are the others? Where's Hibiki-san?!"
"Calm down." Yosuke set him back on his pillow.."The last thing I need you to do is flip out on me again. Look, I'll explain. So listen to me very carefully."
Yosuke summarized the events of their fight with FIS, including what had happened to Hibiki and how Hajime had lost control.
"You're kidding me...all of that happened? I...I don't remember anything...So Ryuga saved me?"
"I'm not surprised you don't remember." Yosuke nodded."Apparently, the same thing happened to him before so he knew how to help you."
"I see..." Hajime trailed off, glancing down at his lap.
"You okay? Anything hurts?"
"I ain't going to lie. I feel like absolute shit." Hajime offered a dry smile."I'm sorry...I didn't mean to lose control like that. I just...I don't know..."
"Do you feel guilty for what happened?"
"Of course I fucking do!" Hajime yelled, tears glistening in his eyes."It's my fault! I abandoned Kirika! I couldn't even protect Hibiki-san when she needed me. If she hadn't gone berserk...she would have lost her fucking arm! And I just stood there, unable to do anything!"
"You can't blame yourself for that. Sometimes you let people down, and it's out of your power to control it. All you can do is accept it."
"And what the hell do you know about letting people down?!" Hajime exploded in his face, but Yosuke remained neutral."I'm supposed to have this power and for what?! So I can't save those I hold dear?!"
"Actually, I happen to know a lot about letting others down." Yosuke leaned back on his chair."I couldn't save my father from dying against the original Scissors. I was too weak to save Kanade and Akira on that fateful day. I let Tsubasa, my best friend, drown in depression and seclude herself for years. I watched my friend, someone who looked up to me...someone who saved my life, draw his last breath after he took a hit that was meant to kill me. I'm alive today because of him. I also failed to protect my two underlings. So if anyone here has to apologize, it's me." He stood up from his chair, bowing on the floor."I apologize for being so an incompetent leader."
"Y-Yanagi! You don't have to..." Hajime suddenly felt guilty for going off on his friend like that."I'm sorry...I didn't mean to go off on you like that."
"Don't worry about it." Yosuke stood back up."Like I said, I understand what you're feeling. But there will come a time when a person doesn't understand your emotions. That guilt you feel right now for snapping at me...remember it every time you lose control over your emotions. Let it be a reminder of how your actions affect others when you lose your temper."
"Yanagi..."
"Of course, it's okay to show your emotions sometimes too. I know I'd be pissed if I saw Ouja right now. But you have to balance them. Don't bottle them in. Or you might end up becoming like him."
"I wouldn't want that..."
"No one would." Yosuke chuckled."But hey...Good work out there. We're overdue for a sparring match. I want to see your progress. How about we have a little fight when you're back to normal?"
"Okay..." Hajime nodded, his expression remaining blank. Yosuke figured he just had a lot on his mind and decided not to push.
"Knock knock. Anyone home?" Takeru suddenly walked through the door, his arm in a sling."You not gonna tell him?"
"Tell me what...?" Hajime looked at the sling and gasped."Captain! That's-"
"It's not broken, don't worry." Takeru immediately reassured him."I dislocated it and putting it back in place hurt like a bitch so now I'm resting my arm. Besides, don't I look cool and mysterious with a sling? Everyone looks in my direction."
"Damn it, Sakamoto. I..." Yosuke rubbed the edge of his nose.
"Fine. I'll do it." Takeru sat on the edge of the bed."It's about Hibiki."
After telling him what Genjuro had told him, and showing him a picture of Hibiki's scans, the raven-haired boy was left speechless.
"So, yeah. The Gungnir that is embedded in her chest is spreading through her body due to the constant use of her relic. So the doctor recommended that she stops fighting. All together. Because if she uses her relic more, she'll more than likely lose herself or just die. Same as you, really. But the difference is that you going haywire didn't leave any last impacts on your body."
"Mentally, yes." Yosuke corrected him with a glare."And also, it did leave a lasting impact. If he does that again, he'll be overtaken by the dragon."
"But he can still fight." Takeru huffed at the glare he was getting."Look, all I'm saying is that this is a blessing in disguise. Thanks to you guys going sicko mode, they were able to detect the Gungnir spreading in her body in time. And now she can opt out of this. She can stop fighting."
"She can...?" Hajime croaked.
"Yeah." Yosuke sighed."Honestly? I'm happy. I'd have preferred if both of you stopped fighting but this works. You get it, right, Adachi? This way, Hibiki won't have to put her life in danger anymore. That's good, right?"
"I...guess so..." Hajime trailed off, leaning back on his pillow.
"Why don't we leave him alone for now, Yanagi?" Takeru suggested, a hand on the older boy's shoulder."He just woke up after all."
"I'll be fine." Hajime nodded."Just...have to clear my head and get some more sleep."
"Fine." Yosuke caved as he stood up and headed for the door."By the way, don't worry. I told your grandmother you're fine. Just had a little accident at school. Let's go, Sakamoto."
"Roger that." Takeru followed close behind, waving Hajime goodbye."So...what the fuck?"
"What?"
"Are we not going to talk about how FIS has 4 Riders now?" Takeru jogged to get closer to Yosuke, who was powerwalking down the corridors.
"Their forces are in shambles right now." Yosuke shifted his gaze to the orange-haired boy."Remember that Tiger asked Adachi what had happened to his siblings. They've gone missing. So realistically, we only have 2 Riders. Though I don't know if Tiger will be in the best condition to fight right now."
"Yeah...The Luitenant-no, Dragreder, sent him across the damn city. I wonder if he survived that attack."
"That doesn't matter right now. This is the perfect opportunity to strike." Yosuke coldly replied.
"Aren't you worried if those kids are dead? Maybe Gai got to them and killed them like he said he would."
"I am. Quite frankly, this whole thing is getting out of hand." Yosuke stopped in his tracks, rubbing his temples."There's a lot that we don't know. It makes us vulnerable. We got to figure out what those mirror creatures are. As you saw before, we nearly got overcrowded by them."
"It's weird. Why mirrors? And if so, wouldn't they be able to spawn those things from just about anywhere?"
"Perhaps they can't. When we first encountered those monsters at the hospital, they were a few of them. Below 20. But then they double that number. From what I can infer, it appears that whatever creates those things...is still not done."
"That doesn't sound good." Takeru flinched."So all we can do is wait."
"Yeah..." Yosuke groaned in disdain."As much as I hate to admit it...there's not much we can do right now. By the way...do you think you look cool with that sling?"
"Stop hating, Yanagi."
"Damn it...how could this happen?!" Dr. Ver clenched Solomo's Cane in one hand and the Alternative Zero Deck in the other."I'm a Kamen Rider now! So why was I so easily defeated?! Is it because this isn't the original version?! But he said...he said that it would work just as well!"
A butterfly flew past him, causing him to flinch. It flew in front of him, its eyes glowing. Throwing a temper tantrum, the doctor threw the Deck at the butterfly, who quickly flew upwards and caused the Deck to fall down a ledge. He immediately regretted his decision and threw himself after it. A big mistake on his part, as his body rolled around uncontrollably to the bottom. He landed with a loud thud, causing the cane to fall a few meters away from him.
'Why...why must they stand in my way?!' Dr. Ver grabbed the Deck."I should be a hero with this...but they humiliated me!"
"At ease, Dr. Ver." Suddenly, a voice came from the butterfly behind him, causing his eyes to widen."You desire to be a hero, do you not?"
"T-this Deck you gave me is defective!" Dr. Ver sneered."I lost to that kid and his friend!"
"Now, now. No need to be so hasty." A chuckle came from the butterfly."While I do admit that they've surpassed my expectations, I could say the same about you, my good doctor. You see, thanks to you, I was able to gather good data and improve my experiments. The Mirror World continues to evolve, thanks to your efforts. On top of that, I suspect that Deck has also evolved thanks to the battle you went through."
"It...has?"
"Of course. The Alternative Zero is a prototype Deck, but it does contain similar adaptability capabilities to the real one. And much superior to the authentic Decks. The more you battle, the stronger it will become. And the more data I will be able to collect. Once I finished the final product, I will let you a copy of it. You'll be the hero you always wanted to be."
"But...the Nephilim-"
"Not all hope is lost." The butterfly cut him off, flying past him."There are still other alternatives. Think about what's past the horizon. About...the Frontier."
Dr. Ver turned on his heel to where the butterfly was and noticed a small cave nearby. Inside, he saw something that gave him hope once again. The Nephilim's heart. The doctor gleefully ran towards the heart, picking it up in his grasp.
"Yes!" He screamed in pure happiness."Yes! It's intact!"
"You have much work to do, hero. I trust you to succeed in your endeavors. Humanity deserves a true hero." A chuckle escaped from the microphone inside the butterfly."Interestingly enough, you have so much determination and ambition and yet you don't have a deck of your own. But then again, I'm no different. We're two peas in a pod, doctor. Now go. Complete your goals and show me the true value of humanity!"
The doctor ran with the Nephili's heart, newfound determination coursing through his body like adrenaline. The butterfly's eyes stopped glowing and returned to behaving like a regular insect.
However, a mysterious person behind countless monitors sat comfortably in their chair, hands behind their head.
"Ha! Disgusting humans. They always try to make a point to be so foolishly naive. Just tell them what they want to hear and you'll have them eating out of the palm of your hand. How fitting. But...that's what makes them so entertaining."
Jades grumbled to himself as he slowly woke up in a new location once more. Though after a few seconds went by, he recognized the place. He was in the infirmary inside their VTOL. He felt something on his sides and noticed two familiar girls sitting on chairs and resting their heads on his bed.'Kirika...Shirabe...' What he also noticed were his heavily bandaged arms.
"You're awake," Nastassja spoke up from the bed next to his.
"Mom...what happened?" Jades muttered, still dazed.
"Kirika and Shirabe found you passed out in the woods." Nastassja elaborated."You've been missing for a whole day along with Dr. Ver. But the girls searched the area around where that fireball exploded."
"They did, huh..." A ghost of a smile appeared on his features as he gently rubbed their heads.
"Maria applied first aid but we'll need the doctor to determine the damage done to your arms. Can you still feel them?"
"They hurt like hell." He closed his eyes, wincing but continued to gingerly pet his sisters' heads."I guess that's good. For a second I thought they burnt to a crisp."
"Why did you do that?" Nastassja asked."Why did you save that girl?"
"I thought the plan was to get their pendants." Jades absentmindedly answered."Can't do that if she dies. She's not as strong as me, so the blast would have just disintegrated her or something."
"Jades..." Nastassja said but unlike her usual stern tone, she opted for a softer one.
Jades sighed, shifting his gaze over to her."She just reminded me of Maria. And...after all the failures I've done...I wanted to at least make something right. She may be our enemy, but she doesn't deserve to die like that. Much less at the hands of her friend. That, and..." A goofy smile formed on his face."I'm a big fan of Tsubasa Kazanari."
"Is that so?" Nastassja couldn't help but chuckle."You haven't changed in the slightest. Still so pure of heart after all these years."
"I don't know about that." Jades frowned."I did so many mistakes. I caused them to suffer. All because of my poor decisions. All I wanted was for them to live normal lives. I wanted Maria to continue on her idol career. I wanted the little ones to go to school, make friends, have fun, go to college, fall in love, and form a family of their own."
"And what did you want to do? If you weren't a Kamen Rider, that is."
"Ah, honestly it's a little silly." Jades beamed upon seeing his sisters' happy faces, assuming they were having a pleasant dream."I wanted to be a trucker. You know, drive a truck around the country and explore the world. See what's out there. I don't know. I'm just not the kind of guy who likes standing still for too long. Besides, it sounds fun."
"I think it's a wonderful dream to have." Nastassja nodded.
"But...if they're happy, then that's all I need." He bit the inside of his cheek."I'm worried about Andreas and Raiden. After what Raiden said...I don't want to think about it, but they could be in danger. I want to find them and apologize to everyone. I doubt I'll ever make things right...and I don't deserve their love. But I want to help them as much as I can."
"Is that what you're worried about?" Nastassja shook her head."Those children love you. More than you realize. They didn't sleep at all looking for you and the others. They feel sorry for mistreating you lately."
"Mistreating me?"
"They've been confused and scared. Over your talk with Terunosuke and what he said about you. Andreas and Raiden likely ran off on their own because of that. But I know better than anyone that you love those kids."
"Terunosuke was right, Mom. I...I was devastated when I found out my little brother died before he could come into the world. I tried to feel better by making all of those children back in the facility my siblings. I wanted to be an older brother to them like Atticus was to me. But I could never be like him. Instead, I was a shitty brother that made poor decisions that ended up screwing up things with his siblings. Terunosuke was right. He should have been chosen over me. I don't deserve to be a Rider."
"And yet, the children adored you over all the other older kids, Terunosuke included. Perhaps it's true you started thinking they could fill that hole in your heart, but over time, you came to love them as actual siblings. You kept them together, gave them hope, and most importantly love and affection. You did what you could with what you had. As for Terunosuke, I doubt he would have had the same effect on the girls and the boys like you."
"I don't know...sure, he was a bit standoffish, but he cared."
"Not as much as you do." She corrected him."He was self-centered and wanted to be the best. The only person that ever warmed up to him was Serena. My point is that these children need you. Now more than ever. They feel lost and in turmoil without their elder brother. I know you can find Andreas and Raiden and bring them back. You'll never give up on them."
"Of course, I wouldn't...But...I still lied to them. And because of me, Maria will become Fine, losing her identity..."
"Jades." Nastassja's eye stared directly at his."There's something I need to tell you. Two things. I-"
Just then, the door opened, revealing a very tired-looking Maria. The pinkette's eyes shot wide open upon seeing Jades awake."Jades-nii!"
"Maria...You're going to wake up the girls..." Jades chuckled sheepishly as Maria engulfed him in a hug."I'm home..."
"Welcome home..." She rubbed his cheek."I'm sorry...for going off on you before...I didn't stop to think about what kind of pressure you've been going through with everything that's going on. I've been unfair to you."
"Hey, don't worry about it." Jades reassured her."I'm just happy you're okay."
"I did what I could with your arms, but..."
"I'm fine. I can still feel them but they look rather nasty without the skin. Sorry, you had to see that. But enough about me, what about you? You look like you're ready to fall over."
"I've been taking care of you and Mom nonstop since we haven't found the doctor yet." She sighed, sitting next to Kirika's head."I've been able to get a few naps here and there, but I've also been trying to locate the boys. I'm worried about them..."
"I'll find them. Just as soon as I've rested a bit." The tiger-theme Rider declared."Go sit down or lay down. Right, Mom? She should rest."
"Agreed." Nastassja nodded in agreement."You'll collapse if you don't, Maria. I'll send Shirabe and Kirika to look for the doctor when they wake up."
"I'm awake..." Shirabe muttered as she slowly opened her eyes after hearing the conversation. She lifted her head off the bed and looked up to see Jades smiling at her."Jades-nii-chan!"
"What?! What?!" Kirika suddenly shot up, waking up as well due to how loud Shirabe was."Jades-nii-chan! You're awake-desu! And Mom too!"
"You girls found me, is that right?"
"Desu-desu!" Kirika nodded."We're sorry, onii-chan! We-"
"I know." Jades pulled on her cheek."I know. Maria and Mom told me. I'm just...happy. I've been feeling sorry for myself and guilty for what I've caused that I've neglected you. My baby sisters. My pride and joy. But I know what I have to do. As soon as my arms are good to go, I'll join in on the battle and we'll find Andreas and Raiden."
"We'll find them." Kirika insisted."Just focus on resting for now. We'll go look for them and the doctor so you and Mom can get the treatment you need, right, Shirabe?"
"Kiri-chan's right. We're the only ones capable of doing it right now." Shirabe nodded."We'll be fine. I promise."
"Girls..." Jades muttered, a smile gracing his features."Okay...you're right. You can do this. We'll leave it to you."
"If anything happens let us know," Nastassja added.
"Right-desu!" Kirika grabbed Shirabe's hand as the two girls exited the room.
Jades chose lay back on his pillow, closing his eyes.'Raiden...Andreas...don't do anything you might regret...please...'
The next day, Hibiki was back at school after being released from the hospital and decided to meet up with Tsubasa and Chris before classes started.
"I'm so sorry! I made you guys worried, didn't I?" Hibiki bowed apologetically.
"Don't be so dramatic." Chris waved her off."We knew you'd be fine."
"Are you positive you're alright?" Tsubasa folded her arms under her chest."You're not just putting on an act so we don't worry, right?"
"No! Of course not!" Hibiki chuckled nervously.
"I see." Tsubasa glanced over to her arm."Well, as long as you're alright, there's no problem. But...you need to stop making it a habit of losing control like that. You and Adachi."
"Huh?"
"It's best if you in particular stay out of the battlefield." Tsubasa declared."We don't need people who can't maintain self-control and put their allies in danger."
"What the hell?!" Chris got in between them before Tsubasa shoved Hibiki."You can't just suddenly-"
"Chris-chan, please." Hibiki's gaze fell to the floor."She's right. I really did go out of control and I'm useless."
"Look..." Tsubasa took a deep breath."The rest of us will take care of FIS. Section Two is launching an investigation into the whereabouts of Dr. Ver and the missing Riders. We have the advantage in numbers."
"You say that, but Tiger saved your life, didn't he?" Chris addressed the elephant in the room."What do you make of that-Hey! Don't walk away!"
But walk away she did. Tsubasa continued on her march with Chris behind her, leaving Hibiki by herself.
Later on that day, Yosuke was helping around in his classroom by rearranging the desks after they had a group project. A flash prompted him to stop and slowly turned to the young man sitting by the window holding a camera."What are you doing, Albedo?"
"Come on, you can call me Allister." Allister offered a toothy grin, holding his camera."Besides, I'm still getting pictures for the yearbook. We're seniors. So it's important to get as many memories as we can, right sensei?"
"I agree. But Allister-kun, you shouldn't take pictures of students if they don't want their pictures taken." The middle-aged woman chided him.
"No. It's fine, Morita-sensei." Yosuke shrugged it off."I guess it is true. It's our last year in school after all. But then again, we're not really from this school."
" I forget all the boys and some girls are from Kaiser Academy." Morita nodded as she graded some papers."I was a little skeptical about the idea of boys assisting this school, but I'm happy to see they're all behaving. Even the girls have warmed up to their presence."
"They won't have to worry about that for long." Yosuke said."Kaiser Academy might start rebuilding soon."
"I sure hope not." Morita sighed, setting her papers down."That school...nothing but misery and tragedy surrounds it. It's better if it remains destroyed."
"What do you mean, sensei?" Allister tilted his head.
"As you boys are aware, that rhinoceros thing attacked the school and destroyed it. But the school had its fair share of problems even before. 4 years ago, there was a series of events that began shrouding the school with darkness. Students began disappearing. Some of them were found completely mangled, and some never even appeared again."
"Disappearances?" Yosuke rubbed his chin.'Sounds familiar...I think I read something about that before...'
"Did they ever figure out what happened?" Allister asked.
"No. After the seniors graduated, it all just stopped." Morita replied."But now all those students died in that place..."
The gears in Yosuke's head began spinning as he processed the information.'So those killings stopped after the seniors graduated 4 years ago...Bodies torn apart, people disappearing...it sounds a bit like...Wait a minute...'
"Sensei, I'm sorry, but I have to go. There's something important I just remembered I have to do."
"Sure. Classes are over and you didn't really have to help me out." Morita smiled at him.
"You seem like you just thought of something important, Yanagi-san." Allister grinned at him."This story we just heard...may bring a few secrets to light, don't you think?"
Yosuke glanced back at Allister one last time before exiting the classroom.
After school, Hibiki was making her way out of campus by herself. She had a lot on her mind. She didn't know what happened after she lost control. And no one would tell her directly.
"Aye! Where's a cutie like you going by herself to?!"
Hibiki froze as she heard someone wolf-whistling her. She felt a strong hand on her shoulder, and much to her surprise, Takeru perked up from behind."Takeru-san!"
"Yo." Takeru grinned with a small wave."Sorry about that. I just thought it'd be funny, that's all."
Hibiki pouted at him."That's not funny, Takeru-san! I'll tell Chris-chan!"
"Wow, wow!" Takeru rose his hands in defeat."Okay, I get it. No need to do that...how about I buy your silence? How does some ice cream sound? A sundae maybe? I know a good place nearby."
"Oh...Okay." Hibiki nodded, sounding hesitant.
"Don't worry, I'm not asking you out or anything." Takeru laughed in amusement upon seeing her dumbfounded face."We're friends, right? We haven't had the chance to talk much and I'd like for us to get to know each other better. Might help us improve our synergy."
"You might be right." Hibiki nodded with a smile. They both proceeded to make their way to the ice cream parlor around the corner of the school."So, Takeru-san, how's your arm?"
"Ah, this but a flesh wound." He said with a dramatic voice."I'm fine, really. Not broken or anything. But honestly, I prefer this over being dead right now. You and the Luitenant saved our bacon back then."
"Did we...?"
"Yeah! I know Tsubasa and the others may be giving you a hard time and all, but I'll give you the truth. You saved our lives back there." Takeru rested his hand on her shoulder."Though...I guess I should also scold you a little, as your senior...meh, let's just sweep it under the rug. I don't feel like chiding you anyway."
"You're very laid back, aren't you?"
"Am I? Oh, that's not good." Takeru ruffled his hair."Can't be a soldier like this."
"You want to be a soldier?" Hibiki asked as they approached the small shop. They entered inside and took a seat, grabbing some menus.
"Yeah. I know that in comparison to being a Rider, it seems a little...underwhelming. But I guess it's my plan to after this is all done." Takeru scanned through the menu."My mom said she wanted me to be a proper soldier instead of a mercenary."
"Your mom...did she...?" Hibiki asked carefully, knowing the answer due to Genjuro informing her months ago.
"Yeah. Died when I was young." Takeru closed his eyes with a smile."But don't worry. It's been years. What about you? Everything okay with your parents?"
"My mom and grandmother are doing fine back at home. As for my dad...he ran..." She trailed off, her hands clenching.
"Ah, I see. Crappy dad, huh? I can relate." Takeru waved the waitress over and they both ordered their ice creams."My dad was a total asshole too. But he wasn't my biological dad. Still, he took me in and taught me everything I know. But...he did some questionable things, to say the least. Sorry, I didn't mean to sour the mood before our tasty treat."
"N-no, no. It's okay, really." Hibiki shook her head."I understand...do you resent your dad?"
"Sometimes. I'm not going to lie. But I came to understand that you can't spend your life harboring hate for people. Can't be thinking about that all the time. Sometimes it's best to just...let go. I'm not saying to just forgive everyone around you. Otherwise, they might take advantage of you. But focus on the good things around you, even if sometimes they seem minimal. Trust me, I hate Cypher and Fine for what they did to us. But at the end of the day, Fine...cared about us, in her own twisted way. And Cypher...I sort of understand him."
"Understand him?"
"We were both tasked by other people to kill what was in front of us. We were tools to be used. We never really had a choice. But...we're vastly different. I chose to break from those chains and he chose to continue on that path. I chose to fight for those around me. He chose to fight for himself."
"But you're-"
"Don't say shit like me not being a mindless murderer. I am. Can't ever escape that. Still...I want to do some good. Bottom line is, you can hate and dislike people, but you may be able to understand them as well. You're always going around saying that you want to understand others. So this is second nature to you."
"I guess you're right...Understanding people...I wonder if that's what Shirabe-chan meant at that time. I don't understand what they've been through or their struggles yet. So she's right when she says I'm clueless. Back when we first met Tsubasa-san and Yosuke-san, we didn't really understand what they had gone through either. Same with you and Chris-chan."
"Then you know what you gotta do." Takeru grinned."You've been on a streak so why stop? Hey, maybe you can be an inspirational speaker or something after this whole thing is done."
"Ah...I don't think I can." Hibiki giggled, scratching her cheek."I haven't thought about what I want to do in the future..."
"Don't rush it." Takeru leaned back on his chair."Enjoy the little things in life. Don't stress. One step at a time. I don't let things get to me because I want to enjoy the present."
"So worry about one thing at a time...I get it!" Hibiki nodded in understanding.
"Great!" Takeru cheered."So...since I got you pumped up...how are things with you and the Luitenant?"
"One step at a time, Takeru-san." She winked at him playfully."One step at a time."
"I deserve that..." He sighed, regretting his choice of words."But you know...I guess I do have a burden after all."
"What is it?"
"Chrissy will never be free as long as Ouja is still out there." Takeru somberly stated. He folded his arms, refusing to elaborate further.
After eating their ice cream, Takeru decided to escort Hibiki back to campus."Has the Luitenant called you?"
"Huh? Hajime-kun? No...not really..." She sighed with a tint of sadness in her voice.
"Give him some time. He'll come around. He just...well, he did see you get your arm gnawed off. Can't be easy."
"Oh, gosh. You're right..." Hibiki gasped upon remembering."He was right in front of me too..."
"Look who it is!"
Takeru and Hibiki glanced ahead, noticing a group of girls approaching them along with Hajime. Hibiki easily recognized her friends along with Miku. But she didn't recognize the girl with red hair and freckles.
"Bikki!" Kuriyo waved at her."We were looking for you!"
"Takeru-san is with you?" Miku hummed to herself."Peculiar."
"We decided to bond over some ice cream." Takeru explained, planting a hand on his hip."Hey, the Luitenant is here. I thought you didn't come to school today."
"He did but he's been feeling under the weather." Yumi supplied, resting her arm on Hajime's shoulder."So we decided to bring him with us to karaoke. We were gonna look for you, Hibiki, but since you have Sakamoto-san with you, he can come along too."
"Isn't there something you'd like to say, Hajime-kun?" Shioriki pushed him along, nearly bumping into Hibiki. The dark-haired boy stared into the cream-haired girl's eyes.
"Hibiki-san..." Hajime muttered, acting meek."I'm sorry, I-"
Hibiki wrapped her arms around him without warning."I'm glad you're safe...I'm so glad...But I'm fine. I still have my arm. So don't worry about me."
"I see..." Hajime reciprocated the hug, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"That's enough for now." Miku separated the two, standing in front of Hajime."Don't go overboard, Hajime-kun."
"I wasn't going to do anything..." Hajime rolled his eyes."Oh, right. Hibiki-san, Captain, this is my classmate. Natsuki Shibuzawa. I invited her to come along with us because her friends called off their outing today. Shibuzawa-san, this is my friend, Hibiki Tachibana. And this is my senior, Captain Takeru Sakamoto."
"From the way you were hugging her, I figured you'd be more than friends." Shibuzawa giggled, bowing to the pair."And captain...are you some sort of...detective or police officer? You called Adachi-kun luitenant."
"It's just a nickname." Takeru quickly elaborated."I want to be a soldier when I grow up and the Luitenant here has earned my utmost respect. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, by the way."
"It's nice to meet you too." Hibiki bowed as well."So, are we going for some karaoke?"
"Yup! So let's get going!" Yumi led the charge. The group walked for a minute or two before a few speeding cars nearly ran them over. The cars disappeared from view and the sound of explosions followed soon. Hajime, Takeru, and Hibiki all exchanged glances before rushing into danger.
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Yumi cried.
"They're going to help!" Miku said, running after them.
The girls ran after the trio until they noticed a group of Noise finishing carbonizing the men in the cars. A man holding a cane cackled as he continued on his march."I will be a hero! With this power, the Nephilim's heart, the Alternative Zero Deck, and Solomon's Cane, I can't be touched!
"Dr. Ver!" Hajime growled upon seeing the man again. The doctor shrieked in fear, clutching something in his hand and holding the cane out."You bastard! The moment you try to become a hero, you lose the right to be one!"
"And after all those people you've killed..." Takeru looked over to the now empty cars."You have no right to be one."
"No! No! No!" The man backpedaled, hitting a wall."Why are you here?! No...that doesn't matter. If you kill people, that makes you a bad guy, right? But if you kill enemies...that makes you a hero. And you're all my enemies. To become a hero I will kill my enemies!" He held the Alternative Zero Deck out.'Henshin!"
As the Alternative Zero armor clad his body, he summoned a group of Noise that rushed to the group.
"Girls! Stay back!" Takeru and Hajime quickly took out their Decks but weren't going to make it in time, as Alternative Zero had used Accel Vent and was cutting the distance.
"Balwisyall Nescell Gungnir Tron..."
(Seigi wo Shinjite, Nigirishimete)
Hibiki slammed her fist against's Alternative Zero's helmet. Her armor began forming around her, giving her the power she needed to send the pseudo-Rider flying away. Before her transformation finished, she kicked a Noise with her regular leg, sending it flying.
"Wow..." Takeru muttered in disbelief."She's got balls to do that. She even kicked that Noise with her leg before her transformation was completed."
"She's so brave." Hajime smiled before inserting his Deck into his V Buckle, transforming.
"Even if I'm a burden and others tell me to stop, I'll continue fighting! Because my fists and my life help me do that! They're all...MY SYMPHOGEAR!"
Alternative Zero hissed in pain, rubbing his helmet."That was a cheap shot...It won't happen again! But don't get so comfortable!"
The scream of their friends alerted them, and they were horrified to see Shibuzawa surrounded by Noise after she tripped over her feet and sprained her ankle. Miku attempted to run to her, but Hajime stopped her.
"Stay back, Miku-san! It's dangerous here!" Ryuki quickly ran towards her, drawing a card from his Deck."Hang on! I'm coming!"
Sword Vent: Wingslasher
Out of nowhere, the Noise were cut to pieces as a figure clad in white armor landed in front of Ryuki.
"Another Rider?" Zolda muttered to himself.
The Rider turned on her heel, meeting face-to-face with Ryuki.
"Uh...friend or foe...?"
"That depends." She responded, staring past the group."What is your name?"
"It's Ryuki. And that one over there is Zolda." Ryuki quickly introduced."And what is your name?"
"I'm Femme. Kamen Rider Femme..." She drawled, introducing herself."You look very familiar..."
"Uh..."
"Leave this for later!" Zolda cried out, shooting at some Noise with his visor as Hibiki began punching the Noise around them.
"Can you take care of that girl and get her to safety?" Ryuki asked, receiving a nod in return. He nodded, turning back to the fight. Femme approached the girl, noticing her friends from afar. She squatted in front of the freckled girl.
"Are you...unharmed?" Femme drawled, inspecting her for injuries.
"M-my ankle..." Shibuzawa whimpered.
"I see. Don't worry. That pain will be only momentarily." Femme stood back up, towering over the girl."By the way...don't take this personally."
"Huh?"
In one swift motion, Femme swung her blade in such a way that it looked like a blur. The girls were aghast at what just happened. Shibuzawa herself was perplexed but felt something in her throat. A thin line of blood had appeared around her neck. In a matter of seconds, the blood began escaping from her neck, and the poor girl began choking on her blood with sickening choking sounds.
Ryuki stopped in his tracks, as did the others. They all looked in dread as Shibuzawa collapsed on the floor, rolling around and grabbing her neck as she tried to stop herself from bleeding out and running out of oxygen.
"What just happened?" Alternative Zero was at a loss for words, not expecting his in the slightest.
"SHIBUZAWA-CHAN!" Miku screamed at the top of her lungs.
"No!" Ryuki yelled as well, suddenly seeing the pool of blood on the floor. Memories of watching Hibiki's arm being bitten off and her blood getting on his body caused him to freeze.
"Why...?" Hibiki could only ask herself, hearing the chuckles emanating from Femme. Said chuckles erupted into full-on maniacal laughter.
"I'M ALIVE AGAIN!" Femme screamed in pure glee, her pristine white armor tainted in blood. She cackled as she rubbed the blood on her body."It's been so long since I've cut something! I...I feel so good~!"
"Why?! Why did you do that?!" Zolda aimed at her. He bit his lower lip, watching as Shibuzawa's body eventually stopped twitching only to remain still.
"Why did I do that?" Femme's voice suddenly shifted in pitch, sounding innocent and cute."I think it's because...I WANT TO MAKE YOU FEEL WHAT REAL DESPAIR IS LIKE!"
The bull-theme Rider flinched at the change in her voice, sounding more insane than before."The fuck...?"
"I want to tear you apart and watch you bleed out like a pig!" Femme breathed heavily, brandishing her blade."So please...make this memorable for me, won't you?!"
Another chapter is done. Now that I think about it, would Dr. Ver and Tiger(in the original series) get along since they both are obsessed with being heroes? Or would their ideals clash?
Current Raiders:
Ryuki: Hajime Adachi
Knight: Yosuke Yanagi
Zolda: Takeru Sakamoto
Ouja: Code Cypher (real name unknown)
Ryuga: Hazuki Kaburagi
Gai: Terunosuke Kuwana
Odin: ?
Tiger: Jades Demetrios
Imperer: Andreas Kagutsuchi
Raia: Raiden Amaterasu
Alternative Zero: Dr. Ver
Femme: ?
Defeated Raiders:
Scissors: Goro Tanaka(Deceased)