Reviews:
Guest DCDGojira: Glad you liked it
lordri25may2001: Yeah, I try to add scenes from the original show whenever I can and I just had to add the Gai and Ouja one. The whole strongest Kamen Rider vs strongest Symphogear thing is something I didn't necessarily come up with but I vaguely remember somewhere saying that the Shénshòujìng was the strongest relic. I don't remember where I read that but I just added Loki saying that to hype up the fight.
Nexus240: Right. As we just saw, Ouja's first victim was Scissors, not Gai. So Genocider is already going to be a little different from cannon. As for who the second Rider will be, I'll leave that up for you guys to guess. Will it be Gai or Raia? Or another Rider entirely?
Chapter 38
The World We Dream
"Mom, what is it that's so great about being an explorer?" A young boy with short blonde hair asked his mother, watching the beautiful sea as they were on board a cruise."You could have been anything you wanted. So why an explorer?"
"That's quite the question to ask. Is there any particular reason you want to know?" The blonde woman crouched down to her son's level.
"It's just...well, I was wondering what's so great about it. Every time we go out together across the world, you have a big smile on your face. Also when you're reading a new book about places you wish you'd visit. Is being an explorer...really that fulfilling?"
"Haz..." The woman pinched her son's cheek, much to his chagrin."The world is beautiful. So full of surprises that are just waiting to be found. New places we've never seen before. It's a big world and the possibilities are endless. For me, there is no greater joy other than exploring the unknown. Well, I guess that's not completely right. My greatest joy is you, my little Superstar."
"The world...is beautiful?" An 8-year-old Hazuki repeated.
"Take a look at the ocean, my son. We think we know everything about it, but the truth is we don't even know half of it. The secrets it's hiding at the very bottom. The new wildlife that we haven't discovered. As for humans, the different cultures we can learn and come to respect. Every human being is perfect. Created differently. Not one person is the same as another. The same can be said about the world. Every place you turn to is completely different from the one you previously saw. My goal is to explore the whole world. All of it. And see the true beauty under the surface."
"That sounds so cool!" Hazuki's cheeks turned pink."I want to be an explorer too, mom! I want to help you!"
"And you'll do just that. But you don't have to follow in my footsteps or your dad's. You can do whatever you want and we will always love you."
"Hey, Superstar! I got you that ice cream you wanted!"
Hazuki beamed, turning to the direction he heard his dad's voice from. But he came face to face with a corpse on the floor, prompting him to yelp. He was now at a stage where a pile of corpses was neatly lined up together. All of them were young kids.
Hazuki looked at his hands, realizing he was clad in his Ryuga armor."No, mom...You were wrong about the world. The real world is worse and more terrifying than we could have anticipated. It's not what you were expecting...it's...truly hell..."
"This world...no, this reality, is hell. Where people are cursed to kill each other in the name of justice. A world where humans are caged by the creator to never realize their true potential." He recalled those words offering him a solution all those years ago."So join me. Let us work together to create a new world where everyone can be happy. By annihilating all evil and purging humanity to save them from their imminent path to destruction."
All of a sudden Hazuki was in front of a blazing building, where he once was living with his fellow orphans for a short period.
"Having this nightmare again?"
He didn't have to acknowledge who spoke because he knew who it was. Loki's ethereal form sat next to him, eyeing the fire."What...happened?"
"You went berserk." Loki sighed."Dragblacker acted so fast that I barely had time to react. But I managed to snap your body out of it. Though you were left unconscious. Thus, we are here, deep in your subconscious."
"Oh...Sorry..."
"It's no big deal. You're only human. You couldn't help it." Loki offered a supporting hand on his shoulder.
"This...is the world my mom wanted to see?" Hazuki grimaced upon imagining all the dead kids inside the burning orphanage. He also imagined what came after. Him embracing the power of the Ryuga Deck and killing those responsible, starting his tainted journey through the darkness."The world is nothing like how she described it. She...she would have been disappointed."
"Maybe so. But she wasn't wrong. This world is beautiful. I am envious that humans were blessed with it." Loki confessed."It's not the world that's wrong. It's the people. Everyone is a victim of the Idea of Evil. Everyone is born with a seed of evil inside of them. They merely cultivate it through their actions. But it is not entirely their fault, for they do not know better. Evil exists within humans because God allowed it to exist so that humans have someone to pray to. He is afraid of human potential, thus giving them flaws to prevent them from ever reaching his level. The Allfucker is one nasty asshole who only cares about himself, so this doesn't surprise me."
"Isn't this...what the Curse of Balal is? What Fine mentioned?"
"Curse of Balal?" Loki scoffed."No. It's different. I'm talking about the Idea of Evil. It is said that all livings things possess it. Including Gods. However, humans have it because God chose not to take it away in your design. This is why people do what they do and never reach their true potential, opting to kill each other for petty things. That's why the world your mom envisioned will never come to be in this destroyed reality. The only solution...is a Cleansing Apocalypse."
"You told me that when we first met." Hazuki recalled."Wiping out everything to start anew...It's the only solution to end humanity's endless suffering, isn't it?"
"Correct. I want to help you achieve that. I love humans and I want them to be free from the Idea of Evil. Free to do what they want and obtain what they wish in a happy, new world. We can make that happen. So don't go discounting your mom just yet, Superstar. Give it some time, and we'll make a world where she can fulfill her dreams. But for now..."
"Shit...! Miku! I-"
"Stay right here." Loki chided him."Assimilation like that takes a toll on your body. The only reason your body is still standing it's that I took control. So just relax and take a nap. I'll bring Miku back to her senses. I know how much you care about her."
"Come on then. Show me your resolve." Loki taunted Miku."Who even is making you move at this point? Is it Hibiki? Is it your will? Or is it the doctor?"
"What the hell is with him?" Ryuki pondered."He's acting completely different from before. It's like back when he fought Hibiki-san and me. His personality just..."
Tsubasa faced Kirika."How do we stop Kohinata without harming her?"
"Why would I tell you that? You're our enemy-desu!" Kirika jumped away with Tiger, who was still unresponsive.
"Kirika..." Hajime pleaded, but she shook her head.
"Kiri-chan, you can't save the weak the doctor's way." Shirabe chimed in, standing with Tsubasa and Chris."Please...reconsider."
"That may be true." They heard a voice from up above. And to their utter dismay, Kamen Rider Alternative Zero made his appearance, landing close to Miku."After all, we're powerless against our impending doom."
Loki's brows shot up in surprise upon seeing the strange armor in front of him."What the...?"
"But we do our advantages." Alternative Zero raised Solomon's Cane in the air, summoning a platoon of Noise around and onto nearby carriers."The power of this Deck and Solomon's Cane!"
"Shit!" Chris began dashing away."I'll go handle the Noise!"
"Yukine!" Tsubasa cried after her, only for her to barely block Kirika's attack."You!"
"Kirika!" Ryuki cried out.
"This is the only way I can leave something behind-desu!" Kirika yelled, grunting.
"I guess I'll have you all to myself, Ryuki." Alternative Zero pointed at him."Once I, with the power of the Alternative Zero Deck, will-"
"You're not a Kamen Rider."
Dr. Ver frowned upon being interrupted by Ryuga."Huh? What do you mean? Don't you see this magnificent armor?"
"What do you mean, Ryuga?" Ryuki asked his doppelganger."He's a Kamen Rider. There are 13 Riders out of 14, you and Odin included. Me, Knight, Scissors, Zolda, Gai, Ouja, Tiger, Imperer, Raia, Femme, Alternative Zero, Odin, and you."
"No, you mook. I mean it's literally impossible for him to be a Kamen Rider like us. I know for a fact that the other 2 aren't anything like him. This armor...isn't one of the original 13. So what the hell are you?!"
"Wait, what?" Ryuki perked up at that."The other 2...? You know something we don't do again! Did you know all of the Kamen Riders before we even met? Look, that doesn't matter right now. If he's not a Rider then what is he?!"
"I suppose you caught on." Alternative Zero spread his arms."This is a scientifically engineered Deck, created by our accommodating sponsor. A brilliant mind. But while it's not a real Deck like yours, it doesn't mean it's any less powerless. Far from it. This is just the prototype, but once the original is finished, it will surpass all of the Kamen Riders you've ever seen!"
"That's good and all..." Loki groaned."But can we fight now? All this monologing is just tasteless in my opinion. Hey, Ryuki, handle the doctor and try not to get yourself killed. I'll have a dance with Miku if you don't mind."
"Go easy on her, Ryuga. And don't force that thing off of her head or it could kill her."
"I know." Ryuga then suddenly leaped in the air, doing a few flips while heading for the water.
"You idiot! How are you going to fight on the ocean?!" Ryuki gasped."You can't fly!"
Loki manifested two black flames in his hands, touching his boots and causing them to burst into dark flames. Once he touched the water, he didn't sink. On the contrary, he was standing perfectly on the water as if it were solid. Miku followed soon after as the chase began. Ryuga skated on the water, staring over his shoulder at the black-haired girl. Miku's folding fan formed a full circle, firing countless beams at him.
Loki clapped his hands, manifesting a great number of black portals, absorbing the attacks, and returning them to the sender. Miku released a dozen mirrors, reflecting the attacks as they began to attack each other back and forth.
'Normally, Hazuki can only use a handful of Calamity Gates because he's still not accustomed to my power. However, I can use a greater amount of them, but not even close to what I used to back in the day.' Loki admired his handiwork with a smile.'Passing through dimensions weakened me. And a human is not able to use a God's full power unless they take over completely. But given enough time, I'll be able to bestow my powers on the Superstar.'
He ducked his head, one blast narrowly missing his face, causing him to scowl.'Still, my opponent is the Shénshòujìng Symphogear. There is no need to hold back, even if I'm just trying to restrain her.' Loki's gold eyes and Hazuli's pink eyes turned pitch-black, dark lines appearing across the body under the suit. A black aura surrounded Kamen Rider Ryoga."That's much better. Not as much as I would want, but this is my current full power."
'What is going on...? He's creating more portals than before.' Ryuki was stunned at how intense their battle was.'Yanagi-san said he could only make two portals. One to absorb and another one to repel. But he's making five times that amount...Plus, he didn't activate that Calamity Gate card. Did his ability evolve or something...?'
Advent: Psyco-Rogue
Ryuki jumped out of the way just in time before a humanoid cricket. The monster began pushing Ryuki back, swinging its arms around and forcing the Rider back to where Alternative Zero was.
"Your fight is with me, Hajime-kun." Alternative Zero scanned his card in his visor.
Sword Vent: Slashdagger
Clicking his tongue, Ryuki jumped high in the air over Alternative Zero, activating his own card.
Sword Vent: Dragsaber
"Heh." Alternative Zero glanced at Psyco-Rogue, and the monster made a beeline toward Hajime. The young man began to parry the monster's strikes, keeping a close eye on the doctor after he noticed him circling around him.
'He's trying to attack me from the back.' Ryuki deduced, bending his knees and kicking the monster's legs, prompting it to fall on its back after losing balance.
Turning on his heels, Rykji blocked the giant sword's attack, feeling his feet sinking onto the deck and making a dent.'How the hell is he so strong?!'
"You're surprised by my power. I can tell." Alternative Zero chuckled."Like I said, this Deck evolves at a higher rate than a regular one. It's all thanks to the battle data it collects. And since everyone's been fighting, a good amount of data has been collected."
Before he could retort, Alternative Zero kneed him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. He followed by elbowing him in the face, sending him staggering backward.
Accelt Vent
Before Ryuki could touch the ground, he was punched in the face as a black blur circled him three times before his body hit the floor. He watched as the sword came down to impale, his head, but he managed to roll out of the way.
With a battle cry, Ryuki dashed toward Dr. Ver.
Dr. Ver smiled as his suit calculated the better approach to block the attack.'He was too fast for me before, but the suit has upgraded further and I can easily...COUNTER!'
Alternative Zero parried the attack by raising his sword, which completely overshadowed Dragsaber's size. Before Ryuki could react, Alternative Zero slammed his knee into his gut again, prompting him to spit out saliva. But this time, Hajime retaliated by delivering a back kick to cause the doctor to stagger to the side in surprise. Sneering, Dr. Ver swung his blade horizontally, hoping to slash Ryuki in half and end this. But blocked it with his sword, and took a few steps back, using Alternative Zero's momentum against him to knock him off his feet by sweeping his legs. In response, Alternative Zero summoned Noise, prompting Ryuki to get preoccupied and unable to reach him.
'He gets better as he fights. More so than any of the other Riders.' Alternative Zero huffed, studying Ryuki as he mowed through the Noise.'His fighting prowess might be even greater than Jades-kun. But he's still no match for me.'
"I wonder what we can eat later today..." Loki wondered, absentmindedly dodging Miku's blasts by jumping around in the water, his fire-clad boots helping him skate on the surface."I'm craving something spicy today...Maybe some sushi with extra wasabi sauce. And maybe some dessert would be good too. Hey, what do you think about carrot cakes?! Are they good?!"
"Huh...?" Miku muttered to herself, recalling back her mirrors and ending the endless back and forth between the two.
"Yeah! I heard they're good. But carrot in a cake..." Loki folded his arms, tilting his head."I'm not very convinced. It's such a peculiar taste. Kind of like pineapple on pizza. Heh. Humans can be quite odd when they want to..."
"This isn't a game!" Miku snapped in frustration."Ryuga-san!"
"Ah, so you can speak." Loki chuckled."Good. Maybe you can better entertain me by conversing with me. So...mind telling me what made you think this is a good idea?"
"'Your gear will illuminate the world.' That's what that person told me." Miku glanced over to where Ryuki and Alternative Zero were fighting."A world without fighting, where everyone can be happy. Without Symphogears and Kamen Riders. I...I did it for Hibiki. And I want you to not fight anymore, Ryuga-san. That's why-"
"Ohoho~!" Loki laughed, holding his stomach, much to Miku's surprise."That's funny. Really cute. I do understand your feelings, Miku...But this is by far the worse way to go about it."
"Don't you get it, Ryuga-san?!" Miku's voice rose in pitch, her visor opening up."You don't have to do anything extreme! You won't have to want to extinct humanity! You're a good person, I know you are! You saved me so many times! So let me do this for you and Hibiki!"
'Well, well. Lucky you, Superstar. She's a keeper.' Loki smiled under his helmet."I appreciate the sentiment, Miku. But unfortunately, that kind of world will not last for long. You see, the world needs one ultimate, supreme good. One that can purge all evil from this world and cleanse humanity. But that can only happen by wiping out everything and starting from scratch. I'm sorry. But you got used because of your naivete."
"You're not Ryuga-san..." Miku shook her head slowly, bewildered."You...you can't be!"
"What makes you say that?" Ryuga asked, hands on his hips."Come on, don't you recognize your savior, Miku~?"
"No...no...NO!" Miku's visor closed up as she charged up toward him.
Loki simply grabbed her fist before pulling her closer to the point where her nose was touching his mask."No matter what happens, a human's power isn't enough to shoot me down. But I do commend your efforts."
Miku screamed, holding his arm with both of her hands.
Cánxiang
Uninterested, Loki saw the cables around her arms take a life of their own. Before they could strike him, he turned off the fire in his legs, causing him to fall into the water and take Miku with him. However, he opened up a portal and took them back to the deck of the carrier. He grabbed the cables, spinning Miku around before tossing her back into the water. As he landed, he quickly drew a card and activated it.
Strike Vent: Dragclaw
Ryuga punched the air, firing flames that took the shape of Dragblacker and hit Alternative Zero along with some of his Noise, sending him flying across the ship.
"Ryuga!" Ryuki cried out, a wave of relief washing over him."How's Miku?!"
"It's a work in progress." Loki shrugged."I still haven't figured out how to break her out of whatever trance she's in so I've just been beating her around."
"What! I told you not to hurt her!"
"We never agreed upon anything." Loki rolled his eyes."I'm thinking of teleporting her to a secluded place and just starving her until she's weak enough so we can properly take the gear off. That's the "nicest" and "not violent" way to go about it."
"That's horrible!"
"It's either that or violence." Loki pointed at Miku, who had already recuperated and was preparing another beam."Look, just stay out of my way. I know what I'm doing."
Ryuki was not going to argue about that once he saw the blast coming toward them. He stepped back, letting Ryuga handle it.
"I hate using this, but it can't be helped. Odin's Vault..." Loki muttered, opening a new portal in front of him, but this time, the portal was darker, as if it was a black hole and absorbed the attack."I'll keep this one if you don't mind."
"Keep it? What do you mean by that?" Ryuki demanded, but the God of Mischief shrugged him off.
"Eyes open. Here she comes." Loki's feet were ignited in flames as he jumped back to the water with Miku close behind him.
"Miku-san is my friend and I let her down..." Ryuki clenched his fists."Im going to save her too! And when we do, you'll stop keeping all these secrets and tell us what you know!
Ignite Vent
On his back, two big wings of fire manifested, flapping and causing him to hover above the ground."Don't worry, Hibiki-san! I'm bringing her back!"
"The only place you're going is an early grave!" Alternative Zero slashed through the ground, nearly cutting Hajime's leg off had he not leaped into the air, using his wings.
"Ryuga and Ryuki are fighting Miku-kun and Dr. Ver..." Genjuro scowled at the scene.
"Miku...Hajime-kun..." Hibiki clasped her hands together, praying for the safety of her friends. Not being able to help them was agonizing.'So this is how Miku feels...'
"Commander! Chris is helping with the evacuation as well as killing the Noise." Sakuya informed."Tsubasa is engaging in combat with the Igalima user!"
"Commander, bad news!" Aoi's eyes widened at her console."We lost contact with Knight and Zolda!"
"What?!"
"Did Ouja..." Hibiki feared for the worse, holding her breath.
"The ship they were on exploded." Aoi relayed the information."It seems Ouja and Gai were there. So far, we haven't located any of them."
"They could still be alive..." Genjuro rubbed his chin."I know those two boys are too stubborn to die like that. But the same could be said about Ouja...For now, let's focus on one problem at a time. Both Ryuki and Ryuga can't do much because they don't want to hurt Miku-kun. The only thing that seems to work is Ryuga's portals because they aren't affected by the Shénshòujìng."
"So only Kamen Riders can fight her without risking their gears to be destroyed?" Hibiki muttered to herself, the gears in her head grinding."Master! I think I have an idea!"
"An idea?" Genjuro arched a brow."I'm listening."
"What if we were to somehow hit Miku with that beam? Would it successfully remove it?"
"That's...certainly possible." Genjuro nodded slowly."Are you suggesting that Ryuga should deflect it back to-"
"Yes, but Miku is fast. Someone has to hold her down." Hibiki continued." Tsubasa-san, Chris-chan, and Hajime-kun all have their own battles right now. Only I can do this!"
"But what about you?"
"I'll bring Miku back, even if it kills me!" Hibiki stated solemnly.
"No! I forbid you from dying!"
"Then I won't die, even if it kills me!"
Both of them glared at each other, refusing to back down.
Genjuro then considered the situation in his head. On one hand, Ryuki was fighting Alternative Zero and Tsubasa was fighting the Igalima user. Knight and Zolda were both MIA(Missing in Action) and Chris was fighting the Noise and helping evacuate while no doubt looking for them. Ryuga was the only one capable of going head-to-head with Miku but for some reason, he wasn't doing anything. If they can use Miku's beams against her to destroy that gear, then why hadn't he done it? Was this going according to whatever plan he was scheming?
"Do you think you can do it?" Genjuro asked, caving in."Are you that confident?"
"Of course!" Hibiki nodded, no doubts in her mind.
"Judging from past data and current state, Hibiki can transform for another 2 minutes and 40 seconds." Sakuya informed."If she's fast, she should be able to do it."
"Alright." Genjuro rubbed the edge of his nose."But you have to remember the limited time you have. You have to go in and out. Again, do you think you can do this, even with such disadvantageous odds?"
"Determination can't be measured with numbers!" Hibiki said with determination."It's not right to run from a problem, even if it looks hopeless."
"Takeru! Yanagi!" Chris continued to scream for her boyfriend and friend in the now emptied carrier, surrounded by the remains of the soldiers who died from the Noise. She noticed a pendant on the floor, no doubt belonging to one of them. She had to look away from the picture of a man and his family, filling her with guilt.
"I didn't do this..." She repeated to herself, remembering Takeru's words."I didn't do this...Don't worry, Takeru. I'll find you. Just like before."
"And now! Tail Whip!" Ryuki's wings merged into a single flame, going to his tailbone as he slammed the tail made of fire against the ground, barely missing Alternative Zero. The fire transferred over to his arms before he punched the air, extending two fists of fire toward him.
Alternative Zero rose his sword, slashing the first fire fist with his sword, but received the second onto his solar plexus. Panicking, Dr. Ver summoned a horde of Noise, sending them his way.
"The Captain was right! You are a coward, with armor or without armor!" Ryuki rose his fire arms, increasing them in size before slamming them against the Noise, causing the whole ship to shake. Immediately, the fire dissipated, leaving him back to his normal self."You keep boasting about this armor of yours, but it's still fake. True, it evolves the more you fight and rapidly adapt, but so do we! The fake will never be a match to the real deal! You're just a big phony!"
"A phony?"
"Why love?" Nastassja had asked him earlier.
"Her desire to prevent her good friend from dying. I used the LINKER to convey that desire to the Shénshòujìng!"
"Even so, something forced like that won't be a match for the genuine thing."
"Hah. We'll see about that!"
"A phony?"
"The Alternative Zero Deck is but a prototype. Once I finished the real one, I will give you a sample of it." Their sponsor had told him.
"I AM NOT A PHONY!" Alternative Zero rushed at Ryuki, his Deck shining momentarily as it finished adapting, and slammed the sword against Ryuki's Dragsaber, shattering it to pieces and sending him flying off the ship."I AM A HERO!"
"Shit!" Ryuki gasped in shock, noticing he was hovering about the ocean and about to fall. He instinctively reached for a card and noticed he had drawn his companion."Come on...Please! I need you! DRAGREDER!"
Advent: Dragreder
Dragreder flew under Ryuki, successfully catching him before he fell into the water."Dragreder! You came back! Thank you so much, buddy!"
The dragon roared, flying up the ship and facing off against Alternative Zero, who summoned his monster.
Advent: Psyco-Rogue
The cricket Monster rushed at Dragreder's fireball, attempting to stop it but proved to be no match for the fireball as the dragon fired a second one to the mix. Psycho-Rogue was launched across the carrier, striking Alternative Zero who was unable to get out of the way. Ryuki landed a few meters away from him, adopting a fighting stance."Now that I got my partner with me, there's no way I'm losing to you!"
Miku yelled as she fired another giant blast, only for it to be absorbed by Loki's portals. The girl was beginning to pant for air and frustration.
"I'll show you how it's done." Loki aimed his Dragclaw at her, firing a volley of dark fireballs. Miku used her cables to block them, but portals opened up around her once Loki got closer due to his range limit. She responded by deploying her mirrors, countering the attacks with her beams. Loki winded his fist back, punching the air and unleashing a torrent of fire in the shape of Dragblacker. Miku overwhelmed, found herself receiving the attack head-on, breaking some of her mirrors and pushing her back. A portal opened up behind her, only to be grabbed by the neck by Loki once she came out of the other end."You think you're made of love, but you're not!"
"So, ready to call it quits, doll face?" Loki asked, lifting her with one arm."I'm starting to think I should just rip that thing off your head. Maybe if I do it quick enough, you'll be fine."
"Miku!"
The two of them abruptly stopped, turning to the source of the voice. Hibiki stood at the top of the submarine, waving her arms around.
"What the blazes is she doing here?!" Loki sneered."You'll get yourself killed, moron!"
"Ryuga-san! I need to speak to Miku!" Hibiki yelled, her hands around her mouth."Can you teleport her here?! I have a plan! I just need you to trust me!"
Loki looked back at Miku, who was too dumbfounded to say anything. So all it took was for him to push her through a portal behind her, making her appear in front of Hibiki."This better be good. We were just getting to the climax."
"Sorry." Hibiki shot him an apologetic look before focusing her full attention on Miku."Miku, let's go home."
Once Miku got over her shock, she shook her head, opening her visor."I can't. There's something I have to do. As I was telling Ryuga-san, I was given this gear to illuminate a world where no one has to fight anymore. Hajime-san said it himself. It's hard to be the one fighting just as it is for the one waiting at home. I argued with him. We didn't tell you. But I want him to not have to fight either."
"Miku...a world created..." Hibiki looked around the destroyed carriers."...like this. What warmth will it hold? The world I want to live in is one where I can spend time with you and the others. It's kind of funny. You and Ryuga-san share the same all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to wanting a new world."
"Hibiki..." Miku muttered.
"But still, human extinction and this are both wrong. So I'll stop you. Even if I have to fight you." Hibiki said with a matter-of-fact tone.
"The nerve of this one." Loki mused, watching from afar.
"I don't want to let you fight." Miku drawled, glancing over her shoulder."And I won't let Ryuga-san have his way either."
"It's okay, Miku. This is between you and me now." Hibiki smiled at her, closing her eyes."Balwisyall Nescell Gungnir Tron..."
In a flash of light, Hibiki was clad in her Symphogear and lunged at Miku who met her halfway."Ryuga-san! Watch out for my signal!"
"Signal for what?" Ryuga grumbled, feeling the dark aura surrounding him dissipate as his eyes went back to normal."So this is as far as we can currently go, huh."
Hibiki immediately went for the offensive, trying to land a solid punch but Miku used her fan to block gracefully. Both girls landed on the ground, taking a few seconds to compose themselves.
'Hold on, why is she glowing like that?' Loki narrowed his eyes.'Come to think of it, she's been out of the fight this entire time. Strange. I'd figured she and Hajime were the ones who weren't able to stand still on the sidelines. Could it be...hear Relic is acting up?'
Hibiki was already panting for her, feeling her temperature rise rapidly.'It's so hot. I feel like my blood will boil. But not yet. I have to give Ryuga-san the opportunity to deflect one of Miku's beams at her. I have to provoke her to do that.'
Clicking her tongue, Hibiki leaped into the air, diving down with a flying kick. Miku's cables wrapped around Hibiki's leg, tossing her harshly against the floor as she began to violently strike her with them."These attacks are nothing! Maybe you should try hitting me with something stronger!" With a kick, Hibiki launched Miku off the ship, but the girl quickly recovered and flew up, deploying her mirrors once again and shooting a volley of beams at the cream-haired girl.
A series of portals opened up around Hibiki.
"Jump inside them! I'll carve you a path toward her!" Loki hollered, clocking his tongue.'Why am I even helping her? Jeez, all this optimism is rubbing me the wrong way. Am I really going to waste one of those beams I stored for this? Huh?'
Loki noticed that the VTOL had deployed reflectors around the battlefield, absorbing the beams and reflecting them around.'Ah. I see. Guess I won't have to after all.'
"Thank you, Ryuga-san!" Hibiki jumped inside a portal, landing in an open area away from the beams. More portals opened up for her, helping her avoid the omnidirectional attacks as she got closer. But so did her Relic, finally reaching the danger zone as shards sprouted out of her body. However, she did not falter, not even for a second.
"No! I don't want this!" Miku screamed, horrified upon seeing Hibiki's body and snapping momentarily out of the battle sequence dictating her moves.
"Now! Do it!"
Finally, Hibiki had closed the distance, emerging from a portal in front of Miku and tackling her, shattering her mirrors."No! Let me go!"
"No! Never again! I will not let you go!" Hibiki squeezed her tightly, refusing to let go."RYUGA-SAN!"
"You suicidal maniac. So this is what you were really up to." Loki complimented her."I didn't know love was capable of making others do something so insane."
Hibiki jumped through a portal with Miku, appearing in front of the single beam after the reflectors focused it into a single point. The light continued its course, shooting itself into the ocean as a blinding glow could be seen from the sea.
"Did they succeed? This can't be good."
"The plan succeeded!" Alternative Zero proclaimed, summoning a giant Noise and jumping on top of it."I'm sorry, Ryuki-kun. But I'm afraid I can't play with you any longer. Kirika!"
Kirika nodded, leaping away from Tsubasa and jumping on top of the Noise after grabbing Tiger.
"Kirika!" Ryuki tried to reach out for her but she averted her gaze. He attempted to draw a new card, but his knees gave in, collapsing on his rear as his transformation became undone.
"Adachi!" Tsubasa rushed to his side.
"Sorry...Looks like I ran out of energy." Hajime chuckled."Fuck...I let Kirika slip away once more...Wait, where are the Captain and Yanagi-san?!"
"Yukine is looking for them as we speak." Tsubasa grimaced, feeling a knot form in her gut."They'll be fine, don't worry about them. Let's get you to the infirmary."
"I already teleported Hibiki and Miku inside." Loki appeared in front of them."They're alive. Hibiki's gamble paid off. Miku is free at last."
"Thank you for your help." Tsubasa genuinely felt grateful to Ryuga."You came through for us there."
"We had an alliance." Loki shrugged."I just did what I had to. Though we couldn't stop FIS from succeeding in whatever it is they're doing."
"We'll take them down." Hajime said with resolution in his voice."But we'd appreciate your help if possible. We really would like you to be a proper part of the team, Ryuga. You've saved the world before and you've helped us in the past too."
"You just don't get it, do you, kid?" Loki sighed, planting his hands on his hips."Kids like you think the world needs heroes."
"I don't know what it is that made you think this way, but global extinction isn't the way to solve the world's problems." Hajime furrowed his brow."We can work things out if we talk to each other. I'm sure we can come up with-"
"Then give me a solution right now." Loki challenged him."A feasible way to save the world right now. Within your lifespan. Will you solve world hunger? Stop all wars permanently across all different nations? Will you stop murders, abuse, and rape? You guys talk with nothing but idealism. Humans will never understand each other and it's not their fault. They are born with those flaws by default. Even if by some miracle you can unify all 7 billion humans now, what's stopping them from going back to their ways years later? Decades? Centuries?"
Hajime opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out. Even Tsubasa was stunned by his words.
"You guys don't have an answer, do you?" Loki sighed, shaking his head."All you're doing is indulging in your idealism and just blindly believing things will go your way. That's not what I seek. I seek a permanent solution. The world is under one control. The Ultimate Good. That way, no one else will have to suffer. But for that to happen, humanity must be cleansed." Reaching for his back pocket, he pulled out the communicator Genjuro had lent him, squeezing it tightly and breaking it."Miku is safe. Therefore, our alliance is over."
"It doesn't have to be that way!" Hajime cried out."We don't have to fight! I know we had our problems in the past, but I know you're not a bad guy. No bad guy would go out of his way to save a girl like this!"
"Wiping out humanity won't solve anything. You'll just become a tyrant, deciding what's good or bad. What gives you the right to do that?!" Tsubasa demanded.
"Tsubasa Kazanari, Hajime Adachi. You guys just don't understand anything about the terror that is life." Ryuga began pacing around."Do you think words can reach people? Songs? Please. You don't know anything. All your miseries have been caused by the Noise. Besides, you're not very convincing when they..." He pointed at the VTOL in the sky."...are still going through with their plans. Your words meant nothing. Your feelings meant nothing. While they may work on some, like Chris and Takeru, they are more likely to fail."
"Maybe so. But that doesn't mean we'll throw in the towel." Hajime clenched his fists, a solemn look on his face."We'll never back down from any challenge. We'll keep on fighting for the sake of protecting what's dear to us. And if you won't listen to my words, that's fine. That's Hibiki-san's way. I'll just beat the fuck out of you and make you understand."
"Hahahaha! How amusing!" Loki cackled in delight."You remind me of him! So self-righteous! Unfortunately, I can't leave the fate of the world to mere idealism and naivete. The cleansing apocalypse will happen. And as long as our ideals differ and we refuse to back down, our clash will be inevitable." He rose a hand, pointing at Hajime."Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow or next month. But one day we will fight. Which one will be victorious? Your idealism or my reality?"
"I won't lose." Hajime left no room for doubt, feeling Tsubasa's hand on his shoulder.
"That kind of determination breaks once you lose your reason to fight." Loki shrugged, a portal opening up behind him."Well, I must be off. Good luck in stopping FIS. Oh, and give Miku my regards once she wakes up. Don't worry. I will explain my plans to you eventually. Perhaps then you'll understand what I offer is a solution."
Once he went through his portal, they let out a sigh of relief.
"Just when I think I'm beginning to understand him...He pulls shit like this." Hajime's eyes slowly darted over to where the light was coming from in the distance."That's..."
"The Frontier!" Tsubasa wrapped Hajime's arm around her shoulder."Let's go back and regroup. You need to rest. We can figure out what to do next when we're together."
"I can still fight..." Hajime groaned, feeling drained from the intense fights he had just gone through.
"Stop being so stubborn for once." Tsubasa chided him as she carried him over to the submarine."After hearing what Ryuga said, do you still think we can turn him around?"
"I hope so. I mean, I feel like I can." Hajime shrugged."We have the same powers for a reason, right? It can't be a coincidence. Well, I wasn't the original Ryuki, to begin with. That was Akira. But you know what I mean."
"And if he goes through with his plans?" Tsubasa arched a brow.
"We'll just have to stop him before he does anything stupid."
Jades fell on his knees once they boarded the VTOL, unable to muster the strength to stand up anymore."Why...didn't you just let me die back there? I don't deserve to live..."
"Jades-niii...?" Maria's eyes widened in shock upon hearing his words. Dr. Ver observed with a blank expression before approaching Maria, ushering her away from the pilot seat."Doctor?"
"I'll take over for now. You caught me in a good mood and honestly, this is bringing my euphoria down." Dr. Ver began piloting the VTOL."But we knew. The old hag and I. After he escaped, Terunosuke called Nastassja, threatening her to get the Americans off his back otherwise he would confess everything regarding FIS. So everything was kept under wraps and he continued with his life, occasionally killing people on the side. But Nastassja did it because she wanted to protect you from knowing the truth. But here we are."
"It's my fault..." Jades muttered, his eyes devoid of all emotion."I caused everything. I failed Terunosuke...Serena and Atticus died because of me. I wasn't able to protect Raiden and Andreas and that caused them to nearly kill each other...I should have died. Not Atticus. Me. Terunosuke should have been chosen over me...I just keep messing up more and more...Everything I ever did...was for nothing...Just...let Terunosuke kill me. To at least...do something right as a brother..."
"Jades-nii!" Kirika rushed to his side, throwing herself on him and hugging him tightly as she wept."I'm sorry too...Shirabe was captured because of me..."
"Why...?" Maria hugged them both, her tears streaming down her face as she tried to wipe Kirika's and Jades'."Why did it turn out this way...? Where did we go wrong? Serena..."
"Not all hope is lost." Dr. Ver called out to them."We can still save the world with this. Now that the Frontier is finally active, there's nothing that can stop us!"
"Maria..." Jades grabbed her hands tenderly."Please...You have to see this through to the end."
"Jades-nii...?" Maria stared as her brother stood up, eying them lovingly.
"I'm going to get the kids back to you. Please, look after them. The Frontier...at this point is the only thing we have left. To make all of this...worth it. Our actions...to make amends for them. The kids are innocent. They don't deserve to suffer more than they already have. I'm going to guard the Frontier and prevent them from coming in and take them down. I promise...No, I swear I'll get them back, even if it's the last thing I do. I made too many mistakes. Too many to count. And karma has finally caught up to me. But I'll do one thing right. I'll protect all of you. Because you're the most important thing to me. I love you."
Turning on his heels, Jades made his way to the door but two pairs of arms grabbed him, halting his movements. Maria and Kirika refused to let him go, all the while crying for their brother and what they had lost. Jades, unable to keep up a stone face, broke down into tears, allowing himself a moment of weakness with the family he had not lost yet.
"How long until we get there?! You better not let me fall, Yanagi!"
"Just shut up and keep shooting! You're heavier than you look! Stop eating so much fast food!" Knight hissed, holding Zolda by the armpits as Darkwing flapped its wings as hard as it could, keeping them high in the air, heading for the emerging Frontier.
Zolda continued shooting into the water with his visor."Fuck you, okay? It's all muscle! And for your information, I-LEFT! LEFT!"
Knight commanded Darkwing to take a sharp left as a metallic brown tendril shot out from the water, nearly hitting them with its pincers."Keep shooting!"
"I know! And don't you dare look back!" Zolda continued shooting at the waves created by the creature following them underwater, its piercing red eyes fixated on them."What the fuck is that?!"
The creature chasing after them open its jaws, revealing a set of razor-sharp teeth and two sharp fangs, hissing at them from below.
Another chapter done. I included some of Hazuki's backstory or at least a fragment of it. We'll continue to explore his life as the story progresses as well as how he came into contact with Loki. Also, yes, the monster chasing Yosuke and Takeru is Venosnaker, and I couldn't reveal what it looks like with Volcancer just yet. The good news is, you won't have to wait for long since the season is ending soon and the final battle approaches. I'll give it about 3 more chapters. I'll try to upload the next chapter soon since I'm so excited to get into GX. It's going to be a wild ride.