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Guest DCDGojira: Glad you liked it. Midterms are going alright, thanks for asking. Also, is the new Ant-Man movie good? I haven't watched any marvel movies in a while but some of my friends are saying they aren't as good as before. I was debating whether to watch Ant-Man or M3GAN but I'm not sure yet.

lordri25may2001: Glad you're enjoying Jades and Yosuke. I have a blast writing them. As for Loki, we'll explore more of him and his existence as the story goes on. But I will admit I took inspiration from Shem-ha when implementing him but he'll work a little differently.

HanzoHasashi98: Hajime and Miku are going to have to work things out and most likely Hibiki will be the middleman in that whole thing. They both have Hibiki's best interest in mind but their stubbornness prevents them from coming to an understanding by themselves.

Chapter 33
A Brother's Burden

"I sure wish we had Raiden or Andreas here." Kirika complained as she and Shirabe exited the nearby convenience store carrying some bags."I hate carrying bags. Don't you think so too, Shirabe?"

Shirabe, however, looked slightly dazed."Huh? Oh, right. But this is the only thing we can do until the effects of the LINKER overdose wear off. But I agree. Having the boys here would have made things much easier."

"Hopefully we can go look for them soon. I'm worried about Andreas-desu."

"I think Raiden is the one we should be more concerned about." Shirabe glanced down at her bags, noticing her grip on them was beginning to weaken."He tends to act like he knows what he's doing, but he doesn't."

"Shirabe...are you doing okay?" Kirika asked, worried about her well-being."You look paler than usual. Let me carry your bags."

"I'm fine, Kiri-chan. Really." Shirabe refused the idea.

"If you say so. Then how about we stop for a quick lunch break? I'm famished-desu!" Kirika rubbed her belly, prompting Shirabe to giggle. The girls headed for a nearby construction site to have their lunch in peace. The girls settled down on top of some wood planks."It's nice that we're getting to eat more yummy things. We never got this kind of stuff back in the facility. So this is what Teru-nii-chan has been indulging in, huh? I'm envious-desu!"

"Jades-nii-chan and Maria did try to get us some things every now and then." Shirabe managed a weak smile."Thanks to him I'm almost caught up reading Harry Potter. He tries his best."

"But he beats himself up for his mistakes." Kirika sighed as she ate her lunch."At first, I was upset when Teru-nii-chan told us the whole thing about Jades-nii-chan using us to replace his unborn brother, but I know he came to love us genuinely. He wouldn't be trying too hard otherwise, right?"

"I don't think so." Shirabe shook her head."He loves us very much. I'm not upset at him for that...Nor for going behind our backs and killing Fine, making Maria the one to harbor her soul. Teru-nii-chan-chan is...just upset in general."

"I wonder...maybe that's where Andreas and Raiden went. Or so I hope." Kirika voiced her opinion."Though I don't know. Teru-nii-chan was always kind of mean to me."

"He was distant..." Shirabe slowly nodded."And self-centered. He's upset at Jades-nii-chan because he feels he should have been a Kamen Rider."

"But that's so unfair-desu." Kirika groaned."I mean, really! I thought the whole Rider selection thing was random. I don't see why he has to be a big jerk about it."

"Some people...deal with stress and anger in different ways." Shirabe muttered, feeling dizzy."That's what Jades-nii-chan said. We can't judge others based on how they react under stress. Teru-nii-chan...probably had it just as bad as we all did."

"Even still, he doesn't want anything to do with us." Kirika sighed."So maybe the others aren't with him. But then...where could they be?"

Shirabe didn't respond, her body shaking slightly.

"Shirabe? Are you okay?" Kirika tried helping her up, but Miku swayed to the side, accidentally knocking over a bundle of metal pipes, causing all of them to collapse. Kirika yelped, quickly shielding Shirabe and closing her eyes, bracing herself for the pain that never came. She slowly opened her eyes, realizing some sort of purple barrier around them."Huh?"

The barrier in question had protected them from the steel pipes from crushing them."What's going on? Am I...doing this?"

Later that day, Miku and Hazuki exited the movie theater, enjoying the leftover popcorn they had purchased.

"It was an okay movie. Maybe we should have gone somewhere else." Hazuki shrugged with a lopsided smile."Not much of a horror movie enthusiast myself."

"You're not...?" Miku blinked."I'm not either. So why did we...?"

"I thought you liked them?" Hazuki blinked back."When we were looking at the selection, your eyes lit up for a second when you saw the name."

"I was looking at the one above..."

"Ah. My apologies." Hazuki rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly."I should have asked..."

"It's okay. I still had a great time." Miku beamed at him."Thank you again for asking me out, Haz-san. I've had a lot in my mind lately and this has been a great help to calm my nerves."

"No problem. It's also good that they assigned you those security guards to watch the perimeter around you." Hazuki noticed them talking amongst themselves, probably taking it easy since Hazuki was with her."So...what do you want to do now?"

Before she could reply, her phone began ringing."Excuse me."

Hazuki shook his head, giving her some space.

"I doubt mere guards will be enough to stop Femme if she were to attack now." Loki commented."She wouldn't mind killing every single person here."

"It's not like she'll attack when I'm around." Hazuki muttered in a low tone."I'll have to talk to her next time I see her."

"Haz-san!" Miku ran up to him, clearly overjoyed by something."It's Hibiki! She's awake!"

"Oh. That's great news." Hazuki smiled, grabbing her hands."I'm sure she's waiting for her best friend to go see her. Why don't you go and visit her?"

"Huh? But...I'd feel bad for leaving you like this...we just got here and all..."

"We can hang out any other day." Hazuki waved her off."But Hibiki needs you by her side right now. Just make sure to give her my regards for me."

"Thank you, Haz-kun. You're the best." Miku stood on her tippy toes, kissing him on the cheek before running off."I'll tell her you said hi!"

Hazuki slowly reached for his cheek, his eyes wide."She...did she just...?"

"Nice going, Superstar. I'm so proud of you!" Loki could be heard clapping inside of his mind."Already in first base. You work fast. Finally, you found that sunshine of colors you've been looking for."

"I...well...You know..." Hazuki visibly blushed, crossing his arms."Hey, Loki...?"

"What's up? Need dating advice?"

"Have you ever...been in love before...?"

"I knew you'd ask." He could hear the grin in his partner's voice."Once upon a time. Well, twice. But the second one was my favorite. She was very prideful, so full of herself, and arrogant. A unique little lady. All the things I look for in a woman."

"Gods date?"

"Of course. But she wasn't a god, per se. Not the same level of godhood as I am. She was one of the lower gods. Which made it a pain in the ass to see her. Back then the Allfather hadn't enforced the rule of higher Gods not being permitted to enter the human realm without some type of proxy or host."

"So you guys made it work?"

"We did. She was pretty high maintenance, though. It drove me insane, in more ways than one. She was one of a kind."

"Was? What happened to her?"

"Dunno. Probably dead." Loki scoffed."I heard that she fought with one of the other lower gods. I couldn't verify the information myself since at that point we couldn't travel between realms and I was serving my punishment, courtesy of the Allfucker. But when I crossed over to the human world when THAT incident happened, I could tell. She's long gone. But I'm so over that now. It was eons ago so meh."

"Oh. I see. Sorry to hear that, partner."

"Don't sweat it. Who knows, I might see her again once we accomplish our plan. I might see old friends from back in Asgard. Well, if I could even call them friends, given what happened. But you get what I mean, right?"

"Yeah. Of course, I do." Hazuki trailed off. He felt someone pat him on his shoulder. It was Loki.

"Now stop sulking around and let's go eat dinner or something. It's my turn to eat and I've been dying to eat some takoyaki."

"What about family, Loki? Did you have any?" Hazuki asked.

"Well, my dad was a giant but I was adopted by the Allfucker, much like all the other Aesir Gods. I hated all of them. Heimdall was my number 1 hater. Fucking prick. But there was a certain idiot who stands out. A close brother, I suppose. Always so damn naive and so damn caring. It was so bizarre. He even defended me when I was put on trial. He was annoying, but I did enjoy taking advantage of his kindness. Made things a little easier. Heh. Thor was such a buffoon, but I somewhat loved him."

"Sounds like having a brother is a handful." A lopsided smile appeared on Hazuki's face."I wonder what that's like."

"Having siblings is not all it's cracked up to be." Loki yawned."But then again, we are brothers in a weird way. You and I. Don't you think so?"

"Yeah...I suppose we are closer than mere kindred spirits."

A few hours later, the group made it to Hibiki's room to greet her. Hajime and Miku arrived simultaneously through the door.

"Hibiki/Hibiki-san! I'm so happy you're-"

Then teens glared daggers at each other, huffing in indignation and avoiding eye contact.

"Did...something happen?" Hibiki asked, glancing around the room.

"You guys are acting like children." Yosuke rubbed the edge of his nose."Grow up."

"Seriously..." Chris deadpanned at their behavior.

"Did something happen between them?" Hibiki whispered to Takeru, who leaned toward her side slightly.

"Long story. But they'll be fine." Takeru dismissed nonchalantly."But there's something a little more important that you have to hear."

"Takeru-kun is right." Genjuro boomed, his eyes on the scanner above showing Hibiki's x-rays."After what happened with Femme and Dr. Ver, the Gungnir fragments within you have spread further throughout your flesh. Essentially, they're forming a new organ within your body."

"Ugh! What the hell?!" Hajime recoiled at the image."That's...that's horrible!"

"Oh...So that's what Takeru-san meant when he said he was in charge of preventing me from transforming." Hibiki rubbed the back of her neck with a chuckle."Sorry about that, Takeru-san. You must have gotten an earful because of me. I'll try not to use my Gear as much from now on-"

"Are you insane?!" Tsubasa exploded, shocking everyone in the room as she stormed toward Hibiki, leaning close to her face."It means you can't use your Gear! At all! You're banned from ever getting involved in combat!"

"Tsubasa..." Yosuke gently grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back."It's okay."

"No! It's not okay!" Tsubasa shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes."If she keeps it up, she'll die!"

The bluenette exited the room, prompting Yosuke to follow behind her."I'll go with her. I trust you guys can take it from here."

"I'm sure she understands." Takeru chimed in, noticing how things were getting out of control.

"But she's right." Miku voiced her concern."Hibiki...I don't want you to die..."

"If you're concerned about us, don't worry." Hajime flexed his bicep."I'll fight for you. You just sit back and relax."

"Besides, it's not like it's a definite answer just yet." Genjuro ruffled her hair."The doctors are doing all they can with the research Ryoko-kun left behind. I'm sure they'll figure something out."

"So until then, you can leave the fighting to us." Chris gave her a thumbs up.

Outside the room, Tsubasa and Yosuke were lamenting the situation, not wanting to discourage their friends.

"It's okay to let it all out." Yosuke cooed, his eyes closed and Tsubasa next to him curled up in a ball."It's no one's fault. This is just something that was bound to happen. After all, she fused with her relic, did she not? No one could have predicted this."

"But still..." Tsubasa wiped her tears, only for fresh ones to replace them."I feel so powerless. So worthless. Like I can't do anything for her."

"I told you to leave that burden to me. And there is one thing we can do for her. Prevent her from fighting and finishing this once and for all."

"We'll do it." She said, leaving no room for argument.

"Next time we see FIS, we'll win for sure."

Meanwhile, FIS's VTOL was hovering over the ocean late at night. The whole group was present in the cockpit, watching on with high expectations in their minds.

"So we're finally here." Jades felt a weird feeling of uneasiness as he leaned against the door."Almost at the finishing line. Still, to think Fine had this prepared is insane. That woman thought of everything, apparently..."

"Almost everything." Dr. Ver corrected him."I'm sure she didn't expect you to be one of the people to kill her, Jades-kun."

"No. She expected me to be the one out of us all to rebel." Jades calmly quipped back."But here we are."

Once they reached their destination, the vehicle stopped."The Shénshòujìng, found at Mt. Minakami in Nagano prefecture, is a mirror relic. Should the ancient tales be true, it is not only capable of bending light to create optical camouflage much like we usually do but also has the power to exorcise evil."

Jades quickly lost interest in the conversation. He knew where this was going. And quite frankly he didn't care much about the specifics. All this waiting around was driving him insane.

"Something wrong, Teru-nii?" Maria glanced back at him.

"I need to use the bathroom."

"You'll miss the show." Dr. Ver teased with a smile.

"I'm not much of a performance enjoyer," Jades said, closing the door behind him. He walked silently to the bathroom, locking himself in. He removed his jacket and shirt, leaving his torso bare. He grimaced at the sight of the many scars he was sporting, a reminder of the day he had vowed to protect his siblings after Terunosuke and Atticus had escaped the facility.

Ryoko Sakurai, commonly known as Fine by the brass, paced around the room where all the children had been gathered around, all terrified.

"So let me get this straight." The woman paused, her eyes now golden-serpent-like eyes staring into their very souls."Two children, one of them being a Kamen Rider, the most promising one, in fact, escaped? After we lost one of our Symphogear to contain the Nephilim?"

"That is the case, yes." Nastassja nodded, her face showing no emotion.

"But they couldn't have escaped alone." Ryoko continued pacing around, getting closer to the children."It was too perfect of a plan to have been spontaneous. Yes, this was planned. Someone here aided them in their escape.

Maria held onto Shirabe and Kirika's hands, trying to reassure them but she was scared as well.

"Well? Is anyone going to confess? Or do I need to make an example out of everyone?" Ryoko pulled a whip from her labcoat."Making me come all the way here for this...And now no one wants to confess? Very well then. Let's start with you."

"M-m-me?" A younger Andreas shrieked in fear as Ryoko approached him, whip in hand.

"It was me!"

Everyone turned to where the voice had come from. A teen had his arm in the air, standing in front of a group of younger kids."I did it. I was the one who aided in their escape. I'm Jades Demetrios."

"Demetrios...Oh, right. The brother of the boy who escaped." Ryoko recalled the information."And also...Kamen Rider Tiger."

"It was you...?" Nastassja gaped."But..."

"Leave them alone." Jades glared defiantly at the woman."None of them have anything to do with it. So if you're going to punish someone, punish m-"

Ryoko slapped him across the face, knocking him to the ground. She began to whip his back, earning a pained scream from him. A group of kids gathered in front of him, protecting him.

"L-leave Jades-nii alone!" Maria pleaded as she cried.

Ryoko hummed to herself."Do you care about him that much? Strange. It's unusual for you children to develop bonds with each other."

"That's because he's our brother-desu!" Kirika yelled.

"I see. So a big brother." A cruel smile adorned her face."Say, Dr. Nastassja...I have an idea of how to punish this boy."

"An...idea?"

"Tell you what, Jades-kun. If you can take their punishment as well as yours, nothing will happen to them. But if you can't..."

"I'll do it..." Jades croaked, using his arms to sit up."I'll take their punishment. Because...an older brother always protects his siblings."

'Still can feel the damn whips if I think hard enough.' Jades snorted, putting his shirt back on.'I was ready to die then...Just like I was not that long ago. I can't just give up when everything seems hopeless. Because...it's my fault. All I have to do is get the kids back and everything will be okay.'

Jades made his way back to the cockpit, finding things in complete chaos, much in contrast to what he was imagining.

"You knew this would happen!" Dr. Ver accused Nastassja, who didn't bother acknowledging his outburst."You knew that even the Shénshòujìng's power was not enough to undo the Frontier's seal if we amplified it mechanically! So what was the point of coming here then?!"

"What's...going on...?" Jades approached Shirabe.

"It didn't work." She simply responded."I suppose?"

"We'll need a stronger power source." Nastassja concluded."Perhaps using the Nephilim's heart or even that Alternative Deck of yours. Regardless, we'll need more time to prepare. I suspected this wasn't going to work on our first try, but it was worth a shot."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Kirika asked the older woman.

"Try to find Andreas and Raiden. And if possible, take-down any Riders or Symphogears in your way." Nastassja glanced at the four kids."And also...stay on the lookout for Gai. Remember he's still out there. If he got his hands on the boys..."

Yosuke found himself reading articles online regarding the various murderers around the city. So far, he hadn't found anything new. Aside from the salarymen being murdered, the only other major killings happened either by the Noise or by Ryuga, who was after criminals and Yakuza. Speaking of Yakuza, he hadn't heard anything regarding their state.

'He must have wiped them all out. Or at the very least, forced them into hiding.' Yosuke grimaced. Ryuga was another problem entirely different that will require his attention later on. So far, he didn't know what to make of the guy. He helped them various times but he also tried to kill them just as much. Add the fact that he knew way more than they realized. He was sure of it. He was aware of Odin's existence as well as what he is. On top of that, he wanted to know why he looked exactly like Ryuki. All Riders so far looked completely different from each other. What made him so special?

'Having him as an enemy is a scary thought.' Yosuke hated to admit that. But he couldn't deny the fact that fighting someone with the capability of teleporting around was an endeavor in and of itself. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Ryuga could wait. First, he had to focus on the biggest threats to the population. Gai, Femme, and Ouja.

"I have to think back on Gai's previous appearances. The first time I saw him was during that bank robbery. Until then, he had remained in the shadows, carefully killing his victims. But then...he attacked Kaiser Academy. Why would someone as careful as him do something so reckless? I know that he may have been a student there that harbors a certain amount of disdain towards the school, but...Wait a minute..."

He recalled the meeting they had later on that day. How Gai had gone after Hajime because he thought he was Ryuga. The gears in his head began to grind, quickly typing something on the keyboard of his laptop.'Gai attacked Adachi because he thought he was Ryuga. That means they must have come into contact before. But when...It must have been during one of Ryuga's attacks on the Yakuza. Wait! I remember now!"

Yosuke pulled out his phone and dialed Tanaka's number and put it on speaker."Tanaka-san?"

"Yosuke. I wasn't expecting a call from you. I take it you've made a breakthrough through your investigation?"

"I believe I have, sir. What was the last public attack on the Yakuza?"

"On the Yakuza?"

"Gai attacked Kaiser Academy because he confused one of my friends with another Rider who happens to look like him. But that Rider goes after Yakuza. He must have come into contact with Gai in one of those raids."

"I see. Well, off the top of my head, I can think of the Matsugane Family. It happened months ago at their private hangar. So the one responsible for that was this other Rider?"

"What did they find at the scene? They were trying to escape, right?"

"They found cargo containing merchandise. Not a lot. But the rest is suspected to have been burnt when the plane crashed. It belongs to a real estate company called Sunny Enterprises."

"Real estate...Cargo...it was stolen, right? When?"

"They reported the cargo stolen from their warehouse the day after. It was supposed to be sent around the country to furniture houses that would go on sale."

"Stealing from a real estate company...and without the owner finding out until the next day. This is too suspicious. They must have had inside help. No way desperate Yakuza would risk getting caught by stealing like that. And that was...a few days before the attack on Kaiser Academy." Yosuke's eyes widened in realization."This is a shot in the dark, but I suspect that Gai is a real estate agent. It would explain how the Yakuza got inside information on the cargo and how he and Ryuga came into contact. It would also explain why he's been killing people in his field. Tanaka-san, I have to go. I believe we can crack this case open with what we have."

"Keep me posted. I want to see this to the end myself."

He shut his laptop and ran over to the command center, his thoughts all over the place. If he was correct, they might be able to track down Gai and finally get closer to stopping FIS. Once he reached the room, he headed to where his senior co-workers were, having a conversation over coffee.

"Sakuya-san! Aoi-san! How's the progress of decrypting those files going?" Yosuke asked as he ran up to them.

"Well, we decrypted them." Sakuya set his cup down."But they're all nonsensical. Ouja really pulled one over us."

"The only thing of value is a name. Kuwana. But Kuwana is a common name. Even by looking through missing people's cases 6 years ago, we encountered over 100 Kuwanas alone."

"I believe I have more information regarding Gai." He opened his laptop, showing them his screen and his findings. After reading through his report, the pair began their search once more.

"So Gai went to Kaiser Academy and works at a real estate firm. We have a name, Kuwana. And he disappeared years ago only to reappear again when he was 16." Sakuya bit his thumb.

"I found a match. This person works at the company Yosuke mentioned. He graduated from Kaiser Academy and attended the University of Tokyo as a business major. 22 years old and was declared missing when he was a child."

"What's the name? Do we have an address?" Yosuke eagerly looked at the main screen as Aoi displayed the information about a young adult with black hair."So that's him...Terunosuke Kuwana...is Kamen Rider Gai?"

"What are you going to do?" Sakuya asked."Are you going to go confront him?"

"No. This is still all speculation, after all. I want to schedule an appointment with him and see if I can get a confession. Does he think he's smart? Well, we'll see how he reacts when he's beaten at his own game."

Kuwana scratched his head when he read through his emails. His new boss had asked him to come to work tomorrow for a brief appointment with a potential customer that had specifically asked for him. He wanted to reject the idea, but he admitted that staying home the whole day made him feel like he was just wasting time. He accepted and requested an extra day off in his paid vacation. With that done, he exited his room to get some breakfast and noticed Raiden carefully reading something on the computer he had let him borrow.

"Did you find something? Where's Andreas?"

"I checked the recordings. Hibiki Tachibana returned to her dormitory yesterday night with her friend, Miku Kohinata. They were escorted by Takeru Sakamoto and Chris Yukine, Zolda, and the Ichaival users respectively. We also saw two suspicious people around the dorms. Men in black. They seem to be watching the perimeter. They haven't found the camera yet, though."

"Men in black?"

"Perhaps they're keeping a close eye on the Symphogear? Though it wouldn't make sense...Anyway, I told Andreas to stay outside the academy so he doesn't get caught. Nothing has happened as of yet."

"Is that so? You seem to be focused on whatever you're reading." Kuwana took a seat next to his brother.

"Well...I was looking for any news regarding that bastard who killed Atticus and stole his Deck."

"Oh. Right." Kuwana's eyes widened slightly. He had completely forgotten about that going on."Aren't the others actively looking for him?"

"No. We were mostly focused on activating the Frontier. And with the whole thing going on with Section Two, I guess they have their hands full. But that hasn't stopped Gai."

"What do you mean?" The black-haired male arched a brow.

"More people have been fought dead. Either mutilated or just gone entirely." Raiden scowled."That bastard...going around killing people as he pleases. I have half a mind to just go out there and lure him out."

"How...do you know it's him?" Kuwana gaped at the article by the local news.

"It's the same MO. He probably feeds the people he doesn't mangle to Metalgelas."

'But...that can't be.' Kuwana felt his stomach drop.'I haven't killed anyone since I destroyed Kaiser Academy...So what the hell is this? It's exactly what I do. Is there someone else going around killing people? And they're pretending to be me?'

"Wait, look!" A notification had popped up, indicating movement in front of the cameras. Hibiki and Miku exited the dorms away from the camera."They're leaving! This could be our chance!"

"Contact Andreas and meet up with him. If a fight breaks out, you'll need both of your powers to stand a chance."

"Yeah. You're right. Thanks." Raiden grabbed his Deck from the desk and pulled out his phone, heading to the door."Uh...Teru-nii?"

"Yeah?" Teruno asked, walking over to the kitchen counter and grabbing a bowl to pour his cereal.

"Thanks. For caring about us. It means a lot to me."

"Huh? What brought this on?"

"I just...been thinking about it. All these years you've been spending alone, suffering by yourself...I know we didn't have the best relationship back in the facility, but...we care about you. Always have and always will."

Teruno stopped pouring his cereal, focusing his attention on Raiden.

"Like you said, it's important for us to make up for the lost time. But...you were always on our minds. We thought you were dead and well...finding out you were alive was such a relief. I've always admired you. Your determination and your desire to be better than the rest. It's what inspired me to get stronger. That's why I want to surpass Ryuki. What I'm saying is...thank you. For everything you did and do for us. We love you..."

Those words tugged at Terunosuke's heartstrings, much more than he would like to admit to himself. A faint smile manifested on his face as he looked at the counter."Yeah...I love you guys too. Sometimes I...I wonder what life would have been like if we had normal lives. Together. If Serena didn't die and if Atticus was still alive. Living together as a family...sounds fun. But there's no use in speaking in hypotheticals, is there? We're too far to turn back. All we can do is move forward. Get the freedom that was stolen from us."

"You're right." Raiden nodded solemnly."We'll force them to listen to us and get that wish. I'll see you later, brother."

"Right." Kuwana gave a small wave as Raiden closed the door. He took out his Gai Deck. Neither kids were none the wiser to decipher his true identity. They didn't know that they were living with the man they had been looking for.

"It's too late for regrets now. Serena is dead...so what the hell do I care anyway?"

"Mind reminding me again why we're stalking Hibiki-chan and Miku-chan on their date?"

"We're not stalking them. We're keeping an eye out for them because Miku-san might be targeted by that homicidal serial killer. Also, why do you have to call it a date?" Hajime frowned at Hazuki as they entered the aquarium section of the Tokyo Tower, keeping a good distance behind the said girls."It's not a date."

"There's nothing wrong with calling it a date." Hazuki grinned, looking down at the shorter teen."You're jealous?"

"And you're not?"

"I'm not." Hazuki shrugged."You're thinking about this the wrong way. Girls do this all the time. It's normal for them. They talk about themselves, about their social lives, about boys-"

"Do you think Hibiki-san is talking about me?"

"Hahaha! This kid is a riot!" Loki cackled inside Hazuki's mind.

"Maybe. I thought you guys had hit it off?" Hazuki approached a glass tank containing a few turtles swimming around."Did something happen?"

"Not...really. I just think it's not the right moment yet, that's all." Hajime admitted, rubbing his stomach.

"Keep that up and someone will snatch her from your grasp, Superstar." Hazuki ruffled his hair, much to Hajime's chagrin.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Hajime blushed, swatting his hand away."And what do you mean Superstar?"

"I thought it was a nice nickname." Hazuki replied, ignoring Loki's indignant complaints in his head."If you don't like it then-"

"No. It's fine." Hajime shook his head."A lot of people refer to be my nicknames anyway. I don't mind. But yeah, I know. Setsuna says the same thing. Someone will come in and snatch her away. But I just...never confessed before, you know? I don't know how to do it. And I have a lot on my mind..."

"We all have our times in which we're lost in our thoughts." Hazuki beckoned him to follow him, heading for the food court."It's not something to be ashamed of. Sometimes we need to take a break and focus on ourselves. But if you want my honest opinion, I think you have nothing to worry about. I see Hibiki-chan has only eyes for you as you do for her. But you're both so lost in what to do that you're waiting on the other to make the first move. You'll go through your high school experience never confessing at this rate."

"Yeah, but I have a few years before I finish high school." Hajime yawned, stretching."So it's all good. But I'll make my move. Just have to wait. That's all. What about you? Any moves on Miku-san yet?"

"It's a work in progress." Hazuki grabbed a bag of peanuts and paid the attendant.

"You're a second year and you're giving me this talk about acting now when you haven't done anything yourself yet." Hajime grabbed the bag, eating a mouthful of peanuts.

"To be fair, I met Miku-chan under different circumstances." Hazuki tried grabbing the bag back, but Hajime held it behind him."I didn't play the knight in shining armor. Besides, we're in different grades. It's not like I get many chances to talk to her."

"That's not fair! You have all these excuses ready but when I give an excuse it's wrong." Hajime huffed, pushing the bag of peanuts to Hazuki's chest.

"It's not a competition, Hajime-kun. Just take your time." Hazuki reiterated."So...you said you had a lot on your mind. Wanna talk about it?"

"It's just...How do I put this? Well, when I was a kid, I knew this girl. We used to play when we were little kids. We promised each other we would keep going to the same park and play. But I...broke that promise. Not because I wanted to, but...circumstances just prevented me from doing so. Recently I met her again."

"And she's upset?"

"Yeah. Her life...wasn't the best after we stopped seeing each other." Hajime trailed off, his mind remembering Kirika's aggressive demeanor toward him."I want to apologize to her. But I know there's a chance she'll never forgive me for abandoning her. It...just gets to me. I want things to go back to the way they were."

"Mmmm." Hazuki sat on a nearby bench with Hajime as people passed by."You said it was out of your control, right? I think that on its own is reasonable enough. But I suppose she'll need more than that to forgive you. But Hajime-kun, you've changed a lot since you were a kid, haven't you?"

"I...I guess so. But how's that-"

"Show her how much you've changed." Hazuki cut him off."Show her how much you care about her. People change over time, Hajime-kun. You're not the same guy you were a year ago. Or hell, even a day ago. We're always constantly changing and becoming better than the day before. Don't give up on her. One day, your words will reach her heart and she'll understand. Just because something looks wrong, it doesn't mean you can just give up and discard it. This friendship can be improved upon into something better than before. You just need patience."

"That's..." Hajime's eyes widened in utter disbelief."That's what my father used to say to me..."

"Then your father was a smart man. Funny enough, my dad taught me the same lesson as well." Hazuki grinned, once again ruffling Hajime's hair, only he didn't object this time around.."I know you don't like him, but if you won't listen to him, at least listen to me, okay? I never really got along with my father either. But I always keep his advice in my head."

"No, no...I...Yeah, I hate my dad. But if there's anything he ever did right, was teach me that. I know I can't give up on something and discard it. I have to keep on improving on it and make something great out of it. You're right. I'll talk to my old friend the next time I see her. I won't give up on her."

"That's the spirit, Superstar." Hazuki chuckled along with Hajime, happy to have lifted his spirits."You can have the bag if you want. I'm going to the bathroom. Make sure the girls don't see you, alright?"

"Roger that!" Hajime eagerly took the bag, stuffing his face full of peanuts as Hazuki walked away. To his surprise, someone took a seat next to him. A very familiar face."Y-you?!"

"We meet again, Ryuki." Raiden smirked when Hajime jumped off the bench, standing on guard."I'm surprised. Though maybe I shouldn't be. The Gungnir girl is here after all. So of course you'd be here as well."

"You want to fight again? Okay, you're on!" Hajime accepted the challenge, prompting Raiden to snicker."Where's your brother?!"

"Not this time. We'll go somewhere a little more...private. I won't make the same mistake and not use my powers on you. Also, don't worry about my brother. I'm more than enough to defeat you." Raiden showed him his Raia Deck."I hope you're ready for the third round."

"Like you need to ask. I always accept a fight." Hajime took out his Ryuki Deck. Raiden beckoned him to follow him, which he reluctantly obliged.'Sorry, Haz-san. But I can't let you guys get involved with this.'

On the floor above, Hibiki was staring at the fish tank, her mind somewhere else entirely.

'If I keep doing, I'll die...I guess it's pretty obvious when you think about it.' She sighed, ignoring the fish staring right at her face in front of her.'But at some point, I lost track of that and started to believe that didn't apply to me. I guess that's what Yosuke-san meant back then. That this wasn't a game. Are there people who need me even if I can't fight?'

"I'll fight for you!"

'Hajime-kun...' Her mind trailed off to the goofy boy she had come to love. Along with Miku and her friends, he was always there for her. He risked his life to give her and that little girl time to escape, back when they first met. And he had stuck around because he didn't want her to carry that burden alone. Miku has always been by her side too. She always made sure Hibiki had a warm place to come back to every day.'They're totally arguing behind my back, aren't they?'

Suddenly, she felt something really cold pressed up against her cheek, causing her to yell in surprise, causing a few people to stare.

"Hibiki, please don't shout like that." Miku scolded, handing her the drink she had in her hand.

"I-it's a normal reaction," Hibiki muttered, rubbing her cheek.

"Well, it's your fault for spacing out." Miku reasoned with a shrug."You could at least pretend you're enjoying yourself. Or...would you have rather have Hajime-kun instead of me?"

"It's not that! I was just...thinking, that's all. It's been a tough few weeks after all..." The cream-haired girl apologized."But no more of that! Now we can focus properly on our date. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Okay...I believe you." Miku smiled, grabbing Hibiki's hand."Let's get going. We have the whole day to-"

"Hibiki Tachibana! Stop right there!"

Both girls halted, noticing a young boy with green hair in front of them."Finally, I found you."

"Hibiki, do you know this boy?" Miku asked."Is he lost?"

"What?! No! She knows me! Right?!"

"Uh...The voice sounds familiar, but..."

Andreas pouted, choosing to show proof of his identity as he displayed his Deck."Okay! How is this!"

Hibiki gasped."You're...Imperer!"

"You got it, Hibiki-san. I came here today after following you from your dormitory!" Andreas confessed pocketing his Deck.

"You...followed us here? But what about the guards?"

"We took care of them, of course." Andreas rubbed his nose, a cocky smile on his face."We didn't kill him. We just knocked them out."

"We? Your brothers are here too?!" Hibiki stood in front of Miku protectively.

"No, no. Just me." Andreas shook his head."And Raiden. I don't know where he went but that's fine by me! So go ahead and sing, miss! I'll wait!"

Hibiki chose not to answer, baring her teeth at him in an attempt to dissuade him.

To her surprise, it worked. Andreas was growing more nervous by the second."C-come on, transform! Or do you not want to do it in front of all these people? Y-you have to think about your friend!"

"Would you really want to start a fight with all these people here?" Miku sternly asked, causing his determination to falter.

"I-I..." Andreas fidgeted in place.

"You're not a bad person, are you?" Miku forged on, taking a step forward."I can see it in your eyes. You don't want to hurt anyone."

"M-Miku?"

"There's no need to fight. So just...calm down and talk to us. I'm sure we can reach an agreement."

"I'm sorry...but I can't...I have to do this." Andreas's body shook like a leaf."I have to because I don't want to disappoint my brothers. I'm sorry but I have to defeat you! Please, let me defeat you!"

Just then, the entire tower trembled. And outside the window, they could see Noise flying around, indicating the start of a different battle taking place in the same tower they were in.

Unbeknownst to them, in a nearby building, Dr. Ver had just summoned a group of Noise, and was enjoying a cup of coffee with a young man."Must everyone always be so reckless?"

"I think that's fine." The young man with slicked-back black hair shrugged, eyeing the Noise flying around Tokyo Tower."Keeps things interesting, don't you think, doctor? So, how about we discuss business?"

"I'd be happy to." Dr. Ver leaned forward, setting Solomon's Cane on the side."So...what are your terms, Allister-kun?"

Managed to release a chapter. Thankfully, I can write a few paragraphs before going to sleep after I'm done with my studies and work. I'm mostly done with my midterms. I just have a few projects to finish by Friday and Saturday and I'll be clear for a while. We're approaching the climax of this arc. I'd say we have about 6 to 7 chapters left before the season ends. I could be wrong though.