Author's Note: Long chapter this time around. It's the finale of the season, after all. Stay tuned for a special chapter I'm preparing. After that, I'll be taking a week off for school and whatnot before we tackle GX.
Reviews:
Nexus240: I'm glad you're enjoying it, friend. Always happy to hear your guys' reviews!
Guest DCDGojira: Glad you liked it
lordri25may2001: Yeah, sorry about that. I should have been more specific. I like your suggestions. I think I did it once in the first few chapters but forgot about it. Team combos do sound nice. I'll keep it in mind.
HanzoHasashi98: I have to admit you're right. I made Ouja too OP. But this is a problem that started way back in his introduction. I always figured Ouja in the original series was the strongest one, at least before Survive. And here, it's a bit of the same. He has more combat experience and has had his power almost as long as Ryuga. And with Unite Vent, using Scissors' power, he grows stronger. But I did make him too strong in this form. But you can also interpret it as the guys being tired from their previous fights and Ouja is still fresh. Though you are right, everyone needs an upgrade, and now that we concluded G, I can say that Survive is coming in GX. You'll see how our main characters will fight toe-to-toe with Ouja in this chapter. I think I missed your suggestion before, but now that I'm reading it, I love it. I think it will work great in the story and will represent the bonds the Riders have with the Symphogears. This one might take a bit before showing up though and I think I know how to make it work and how to implement it.
Chapter 42
Myriads of Miracles
Meanwhile, Knight and Tiger continued to attempt to strike Ouja down, but not even with their combined might were they making much progress. He continued parrying their strikes with his new pincers, seemingly on the backfoot as he continuously took steps back to lure them into a sense of security.
"What's your fascination with Shirabe anyway?!" Tiger demanded, trying to slash Ouja.
"I'm just interested in her, that's all." Ouja responded, jumping out of the way from Winglancer's range."It's not what you think, so no need to get all flustered with me. I'm just...curious, that's all."
"You best stay the fuck away from my sister!" Tiger roared, thrusting both of his claws simultaneously at their target. Ouja simply sidestepped, using his pincers to grab onto one of the claws.
"Like I said, it's not what you're thinking." Ouja muttered, holding him in place, his pincers began to close."But you know...I do wonder if she'll hate me after I show her her dead brother's head."
The pincers closed entirely, breaking Tiger's left claw. He stumbled back, but Ouja lunged at him and kicked him in the chest, knocking him against a rock. The pincer that had closed had now morphed into a sword, similar to Ouja's original Venosaber."My pincers can turn into blades. I'm sorry. Maybe I should have specified."
Nasty Vent
Ouja rose his head, watching impassively as Darkwing flew around him, releasing a loud screech. The evolved Rider leaped back in Knight's direction who was already running to stab him in the back.
In response, Ouja changed his other pincer into a sword, blocking Knight's Winglancer."You're looking a little winded. Running low on energy?"
"I could say the same for you." Knight retorted, going for a knee, which Ouja countered with his own. He slash his chest with his free arm, causing Knight to drop his weapon, and went in for the final blow.
"Think again!" Tiger tackled Ouja onto the ground, causing Knight to fall limp on the floor. He rose his right claw, receiving a boot to the face that sent him flying into the air.
"You caught me by surprise." Ouja complimented, sitting up."Stealthy as a tiger. It's too bad you're as big as you are. You're too predictable. You have me beat in physical strength but what does strength matter if you can't hit your target?"
"Y-Yanagi!" Tiger groaned, coughing."You still alive over there?!"
Knight didn't respond, his body not moving a muscle.
"He must have passed out too. He's been fighting longer than you have and has taken more blows. Though he's been giving me some trouble." Ouja shifted his gaze to Tiger."Though I could say the same about you. You're injured as well. You're the only one left. Now, will you make me kill you? As I have said, I don't want the Little Lady to see you dead. I won't hurt her. Unless, of course, she's foolish enough to want revenge after I'm done with you."
"I won't die. I promised them I would see them again." Tiger readied his claw, dropping the broken one and manifesting his axe. He marched to Ouja, swinging his axe horizontally which Ouja just blocked with one of his swords. To his surprise, Tiger hovered over him, trying to kick his head. Clicking his tongue, Ouja waived his head, grabbing Tiger's calf and slamming him on the ground. He attempted to pierce him with his sword, but Tiger batted his arm with a kick and rolled away.
"Well, I guess it's true what they say. People get desperate when they're about to die and have someone precious waiting for them." Ouja mused, folding his arms."This is fun. It's like hunting."
"And...YOU'RE THE GAME!" Tiger lunged at him, slashing at the air when Ouja appeared behind him. Before he could react, the pincers closed around his neck, giving him great pain and choking him. He moved his arm to elbow Ouja, but the assassin delivered a quick jab to his spine, earning a pained scream.
"Ah, watch it." Ouja quipped, his voice low and cold."No hasty moves now."
Gritting his teeth, Tiger tried to attack him again, but the pincers around his neck tightened and he received another blow to his back, prompting him to yell.
"Something interesting I've seen during my many different jobs when working with...peculiar people. Some of them torture others for fun. They even kept them in their own little cages." Ouja waived his free arm around, brandishing his sword."I never understood the pleasure of the people in those red rooms. Prolonging someone's suffering isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's better to just..." He winded his arm back, preparing to stab Tiger's back."...put the sick dogs to sleep!"
Out of nowhere, Evildiver rammed into Ouja, sending him crashing against a nearby mountain of rocks. Tiger fell on the floor, groaning in pain.
"Onii-chan!" Imperer came rushing to his brother's sides, helping him up."We're here, Jades-nii-chan!"
"A-Andreas..."
Raia glanced around, noting that both Knight and Zolda were on the ground, possibly unconscious. He then walked over to his brothers, meeting gaze with Tiger.
"Raiden..." Jades gasped upon seeing the formerly rogue Rider."I knew you'd come..."
"A lot happened." Raia nodded, scratching his nape."We don't have time to go over everything but...I'm okay now. And I want to help make amends for what I did."
"We're here to help." Imperer nodded enthusiastically."Section Two helped me get here. They're trying their best to stop Dr. Ver. And from what I can see here, they're helping you fight...Ouja? I thought he-"
"Actually, I'm helping them." He quickly clarified."They defeated me in combat. I realized I was wrong too. But Ouja is still trying to help Dr. Ver in the name of Fine. And like we thought, he's using the power of Kamen Rider Scissors, their former comrade."
"This is a touching reunion." Ouja was slowly walking back to the fight, dusting his armor off."It's too bad that this is your last family reunion. Though it seems you're still a few girls short. And another one...I wonder what happened to Kuwana."
"Stop talking like you didn't murder him!" Tiger growled, but Raiden held him back."Raiden?"
"You said it. His power is out of our reach, isn't it? But we might stand a chance if we work together." He addressed both of his brothers."But for now, we'll need to gather all the information we can on his abilities and study him from afar. Get your communicators in my frequency and provide all possible intel you can get on him as you fight. We'll go one at a time to avoid being taken out simultaneously and have each other's backs. Understood?"
"I love the sound of that plan." Tiger chuckled, beaming with pride."That's my little bro."
"Alright! Raiden is back! The Raijand (Raiden-Jades-Andreas) Trio is back!" Imperer cheered. The trio of brothers spread out, surrounding Ouja from all sides.
"Let's get this show on the road." Raia declared.
"Emperor?" Ryuki quirked a brow, eyeing him with wariness."Emperor of what?"
"That is a detail that I can't simply offer you, I'm afraid." The Emperor apologized, though Hajime could tell he was smirking."But if you are the man I think you are, you can figure that out. Or in this case, half of one."
"Huh?! Is that because I'm short? I haven't hit my growth spurt yet, all right?!" Ryuki stomped on the floor angrily, earning a boisterous laugh from the Emperor.
"Oh, no, no. I assure you, my dear boy, I am not one to judge on appearances." He began pacing around the room, eyeing Hibiki and Maria from afar to make sure they weren't getting in the way."I was fairly short myself at one point. It went away as I matured, so I'm sure you'll be blessed with a decent height. Unless, of course, your genetics prevent that from happening."
"You talk as if you know me." Ryuki furrowed his brow.
"Oh, but I do." The Emperor grabbed his left wrist, twisting it around and cracking it."I took an interest in you, and when I'm interested in something, I research it quite thoroughly. I know all there is to know about you. In fact, I even have information about your father, Hazama Liáng."
"My...my dad?" Ryuki suddenly forgot to breathe upon the mention of his father.
"Also, did you ever wonder why you forgot about Kirika Akatsuki? Did it not ever occur to you that that psychiatrist that was assigned to you when you were labeled as "violent" when you were a child, was a bit too odd? I mean, seriously, prescribing medication to suppress emotions in a child? I'll give you a hint. The one responsible for that is the person who was so gracious to let me borrow their body."
"What?" Hibiki, who overheard the conversation, gawked."Dr. Ver was the one at fault for that?"
"Dr. Ver?" Maria was confused at what was going on. She had been too busy with Hibiki to notice Alternative Zero's sudden shift in demeanor."Wait...you're...the Herrscher of Catastrophe...?"
"I haven't heard that title in quite a while." The Emperor said with a wistful tone, his eyes darting over to Ryuki.
"Anyway, back to Dr. Ver. He was in charge of overseeing that the children brought in by FIS were not going to be a hindrance. They mainly chose orphans, who would not make people question their disappearance. With rare exceptions, such as Terunosuke Kuwana's case, where he came in willingly. Hajime here knew Kirika and would be suspicious if he noticed her disappearing. That's why Dr. Ver manipulated things in the shadows, making sure that Hajime would not remember Kirika, and orchestrated for that psychiatrist to rule Hajime's behavior as violent, giving him medicine."
"So I forgot about Kirika...because of Dr. Ver...?"
"Does that make you angry, human?" The Emperor watched on with great interest."Feel free to kill this body if you so wish. I do want a proper battle, after all."
Hajime saw red, unconsciously running to Alternative Zero, raising his fists. Much to his shock, every punch he threw was blocked and even returned in favor. He staggered backward, taken back.
"Don't be so surprised. I am controlling Dr. Ver's body, after all." The Emperor suddenly had Slashdagger out, nearly decapitating Ryuki."It's only natural that I can use this armor more efficiently. Even if I have to resort to using this disgusting body."
Guard Vent: Dragshields
Ryuki used his shields to block Alternative Zero's wide but swift strikes, feeling the impact of each blow rattle his bones. He quickly grabbed a card as he continued swinging, scanning it in his visor.
Accel Vent
Once his attack was blocked, Alternative Zero dashed behind Ryuki, slashing his back and causing him to drop his shields. He then dashed in front of him at blinding speeds giving him two more slashes, causing him to stumble backward before receiving a kick to the back, sending him skidding on the floor.
"Leave him alone!" Hibiki leaped over to him, pulling one of her gauntlets back.
Advent: Psyco-Rogue
Psyco-Rogue blocked Hibiki's punch, which only manage to move him a few inches after receiving the attack. Before the cream-haired girl could voice her surprise, the monster began to attack her, keeping her at bay.
"No need for outsiders to get involved." The Emperor said scornfully."How typical of you humans to do that."
"You keep talking...like you're not a human yourself..." Ryuki sat up, grunting.
"I'm far beyond humanity now." He splayed his arms in a welcoming manner."I've ascended. I'm approaching new heights humanity has only dreamed of. I am close to becoming the perfect being. My very being towers above all... All things... The whole world. but enough about me. I'm surprised you're not berating me with more questions. After all, I did say I knew plenty of things about you. Don't you want to know about your father's whereabouts?"
"I don't give a shit about him!" Ryuki barked."He abandoned me and my family! And besides, that's not important right now!"
"Oho..." The Emperor chuckled until it become full-on laughter.
"What's so damn funny?!"
"Nothing." He held said between laughs."It's just...it's amazing how humorous fate can be, is all. Now, shall we continue? I'm eager to see your adaptability with my own eyes."
Sword Vent: Dragsaber
"Ready when you are." Ryuki took a battle stance.
Just then, Alternative Zero's left arm grabbed his right arm."Huh? What's this?"
Upon realizing that the arm doing this was the Nephilim arm, he deduced that since it was not covered by the armor, it was acting on Dr. Ver's will. Ryuki put two and two together and knew this was his only chance at victory now before things dragged on. He quickly drew a card, grimacing upon realizing what it was. His Final Vent.
'I have to aim at the Deck.' Ryuki told himself.'I don't want to kill Dr. Ver, despite everything he's done. It's not right. He will face justice but not like this.'
Final Vent: Flying Rider Kick
The Emperor rose his head, watching as Dragreder flew inside the Frontier's command room and Ryuki jumped in the air."Impressive. So you're willing to risk your plans if it means getting me out of your body, Dr. Ver. I must say, I was wrong about you. Perhaps your determination is to be commended, after all.'
Ryuki gave a battle cry as Dragreder breathed fire, propelling him directly at him. His kick connected with the Deck, shooting Alternative Zero against the command center of the Frontier.
Hibiki continued fighting with Psyco-Rogue until it suddenly vanished into thin air."Huh? What happened?"
"I got him!" Ryuki hollered over to her, approaching Alternative Zero, sparks being released from his broken Deck.
"I suppose we can say our battle will have to be postponed until the foreseeable future." The Emperor sighed, his armor crumbling to pieces."A shame. And here I was, wanting to see your current power. But perhaps it's better this way. My victory will be more delicious the more you struggle. So until then...get stronger...Boy Wonder."
Ryuki's eyes widened after hearing that name."How...how do you know that? HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT NAME?!"
The Emperor's laugh's died down once the rest of his armor disappeared, leaving Dr. Ver in his place.
"Fuck!" Ryuki screamed in frustration, grabbing at his helmet as he paced around.
"Hajime-san!" Hibiki jogged over to him, noticing the doctor stirring awake."Dr. Ver! Nowhere to run!"
"W-wait!" He held his arm around in protest."That cube I dropped earlier! It's the core of the Mirror World! It's not mine so take it, alright?"
"Core?" Ryuki forced his emotions in check, making use of Yosuke's advice and deciding to not let it get in the way of their mission. He scanned around the area for the said core.
"Hibiki-kun! Hajime-kun!" Genjuro boomed as he and Ogawa entered the command room.
"Master! Ogawa-san!" Hibiki waved at them.
"Hibiki-chan?" Ogawa quirked a brow."Where did you get that Symphogear?"
"Long story short, Maria's Gungnir responded to my song." Hibiki smiled, approaching Maria, who was sitting on the ground.
"I found it!" Ryuki's eyes landed on the shining transparent cube on the floor."That's the Mirror World Core!"
The boy tried to grab it, but a long appendage wrapped itself around the cube before pulling it back. Ryuki followed the appendage to where it had come from, noticing a figure clad in green armor latched onto the walls. The first question that popped into his head was where had that thing come from? And upon taking a look at its appearance...
"Is that...a Kamen Rider?" Ryuki blinked at the chameleon-like Rider on the wall."Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?!"
"Is that the other intruder that invaded the Frontier with us?" Ogawa wondered aloud.
"Intruder...unknown number..." Genjuro gasped, bellowing."HAJIME-KUN! GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
"Huh?"
Before Hajime could react, another Rider appeared right in front of him, his armor giving him the appearance of a shark, wielding two separate swords. The Rider slashed Hajime's body sending him flying to Genjuro, who caught him in his arms.
"Don't just stand there, dumbass! Run!" The shark-theme Rider yelled, immediately making a run for it. The chameleon-theme Rider turned invisible, disappearing from sight.
"Come back here!" Ogawa tried to run after them, but Genjuro grabbed his shoulder."Commander?"
"We have more important things to worry about." Genjuro frowned, setting Hajime and helping him steady himself."Are you alright, Hajime-kun?"
"Yeah..." Ryuki trailed off, his mind spacing out."Just...a lot of information to take in..."
"Hey, where's Dr. Ver?!" Hibiki pointed at where the doctor was. The only thing that remained in that spot was the broken pieces of the Alternative Zero deck.
"He must have escaped during the confusion." Genjuro gritted his teeth.
The ground began shaking, threatening to make them lose their balance at the sudden tremor.
"What's going on now?!" Hibiki cried, holding Maria close to her.
"Ver can control the Frontier any way he wants with his left arm." Maria explained."The Frontier is powered by the Nephilim's heart. If you can stop the heart, you can stop Ver. I beg of you...please, stop this in my stead."
"Shirabe-chan asked us to save you." Hibiki told her, causing her to stare at her eyes."So we'll do it anyway."
"Right." Ryuki nodded absentmindedly."I should probably go see where the others are. Hopefully, I'm not too late."
"Ogawa and I will go after Dr. Ver." Genjuro said, punching a hole through the ground."Now that he lost his strongest weapons, he's no threat. We can restrain him easily. In the meantime, Hibiki-kun, you-"
"Focus on stopping the Nephilim's heart. Got it." The Gungnir user offered a toothy grin. She turned to face Ryuki, sheepishly playing with a strand of her hair."Well...be careful, okay?"
"That's my line." Ryuki snorted, grabbing her hand."We'll make it. I promise. Don't worry, Maria. I'll keep your brothers safe too."
With that, both Ryuki and Hibiki went their separate ways, leaving Maria to ponder over her thoughts. After jumping around for a bit, Hibiki finally noticed her two friends approaching her in the distance."Chris-chan! Tsubasa-san!"
"That's Tachibana!" Tsubasa and Chris nodded to each other, accelerating their pace until they caught up with Hibiki.
"We don't have time to waste!" Hibiki quickly briefed them on the situation.
"I see. So Dr. Ver lost the Alternative Zero Deck but he grew desperate and retreated." Tsubasa's gaze fell on the area where their friends were battling Ouja."And Adachi went to help the others. But we're in this together. We'll stop this."
"You guys took care of the Alternative Zero and we took care of Solomon's Cane." Chris waved the staff around."We're getting close to the end."
"Right. We're tasked with taking out the Nephilim's Heart. We've got a spear, a bow, and a sword in hand. I'd say our chances are good."
The girls began leaping over to the area with the high-output energy source that HQ had located. Their trip was cut short when something began emerging from the ground.
"Hey, that looks like that creature that..." Chris trailed off, her eyes darting over to Hibiki's arm.
The creature roared, unleashing missiles from its body that were homed on the girls, forcing them to retreat.
On the other side of the frontier, the battle between the Riders continued.
Advent: Gigazelle
The Gazelles began jumping around Ouja, who simply kept them at bay with his swords. He shifted them back to pincers, using them to throw the monsters on top of each other before turning them back to swords, skewering them.
"Those gauntlets of his work as both pincers and swords." Tiger spoke from his communicator, relaying the information."If he catches you, it's game over. Also, keep an eye out for his chimera monster. Its arms can be extended to grab you, hold you in place, and spit venom at you."
"Got it. So he's more of a close-quarters combatant." Raia observed.
"Right. But he does have a Shoot Vent. Though you can probably evade it with Evildiver."
"The Gazelles won't hold out for much longer!" Andreas pointed at the last Gazelles and Gigazelle.
The monsters all lunged at Ouja, who spun around in places and slashed the Gazelles into pieces, except for the Gigazelle, who was called off in time.
Hop Vent
Imperar began bouncing around the area, forcing Ouja to keep a close eye on him.
Shoot Vent: Gazellebolt
Imperer began shooting his nail gun as he jumped from place to place, keeping Ouja distracted.
Final Vent: Cryatal Break
With his back turn, Ouja didn't react in time to Destwilder grabbing him by the back of the head, smashing him on the ground before running over to Tiger, who brandished his right claw. As the monster lifted Ouja so Tiger could stab him, he double-kicked him in the chest, sending him stumbling back. He kicked Destwilder away, forcing it to release him back to the ground. He then grabbed Tiger's feet, hurling him against Imperer as they both crashed to the ground.
"You must have the most inefficient Final Vent out of everyone I've seen." Ouja cracked his neck, watching from his peripheral vision as Evildiver flew around him.
Shoot Vent: Evilauncher
Raia began bombarding Ouja from above, forcing him to jump around to avoid the explosions. One of the grenades landed behind him, exploding and sending him skidding toward another one. He backflipped away, clicking his tongue. The pink Rider continued pulling the trigger, detonating his grenades and forming a huge cloud of dust.
'I knew most of those explosives wouldn't be able to hit him due to his speed. But he's inside that cloud of dust and I know his position.' Raia inserted a card into his visor.
Final Vent: Hide Venom
Raia gritted his teeth as Evilvider dived down at full speed, ready to strike Ouja. Once he entered the smoke, he flew by the area where he could have sworn Ouja was in. Instead, he felt someone grab him by the back of the neck with pincers and slammed him to the ground. The boy quickly rolled out of the way, avoiding being pierced by a sword, and went in for a punch.
Chuckling, Ouja stopped it, elbowing Raia across the face. However, he used this opportunity to aim for a back-kick to Ouja's temple, mimicking what Andreas had done to him earlier. To his disbelief, Ouja easily caught his kick with one hand and swept his free leg. dropping him on the ground."Come on. I thought you were supposed to be this good strategist. But this is basic combat 101. Did you think an attack like this would work on an assassin like me?"
"You know...I talked to Fine." Raia commented, catching the assassin off guard for the first time."She passed. She was inside Shirabe but gave her life up to save her. She said you don't have to continue your mission. She just wants the best for you. Whatever that is. Weirdly enough, she seemed to care about you."
"She...did?" Cypher seemed genuinely taken aback. His lips thinned, lowering his arms and setting Raia on the ground.
"For whatever reason, she holds you in high regard. I'd say more than just an employer to an employee. It seemed to be like...she kind of thought of you as her son."
"Hmmm. Funny. I felt the same thing during my short stay with her. It's been quite some time since I felt...something like that." Ouja's eyes widened slightly."I felt something...Could I finally be starting to feel emotions again?"
"Does that mean you'll stop doing this?"
"Sorry. But no." Ouja shook his head, his pincers turning into twin blades."As I said, I take pride in my track record. Even if she insists to abandon this mission, I cannot. For I have a flawless streak."
Raia snorted, a grin forming on his face."I thought you'd say that. Have you looked around where you're standing?"
Raising a brow, the young assassin could see better now that the smoke was dissipating. To his dismay, he was surrounded by grenades, even stepping on them."You...so you weren't detonating all of them when you were attacking me. You purposely created a cloud of dust to prevent me from noticing the ones on the floor and lured me in. But you're standing right in front of me. You'll be caught by the explosions."
"Don't think so. I outsmarted you, moron!" Raia showed him his right arm. He had activated his Evilwhip, wrapped it around his wrist, and threw it over to Tiger, who was ready to pull."NOW!"
Tiger and Imperer tugged at the whip, pulling Imperer away as the grenades exploded with Ouja in the middle. A huge explosion covered the entire area and could be seen from miles away.
"You did it!" Imperer cheered, helping Raia up."You beat him!"
"No way he could have survived those explosions." Raia sighed in relief, taking a deep breath. All of a sudden, the warriors of FIS were engulfed in purple light and bonded by tendrils that emerged from it. They all screamed in pain, unable to move.
Toxic Vent
Once the smoke cleared out, Ouja's armor was broken in some areas but otherwise hadn't sustained much damage. In front of him, was Genocider, with a black hole in its belly with teeth around it, serving as a mouth.
"Had I not used Genocider at the last second, I would have sustained considerable damage." He eyed his tattered armor."Genocider has a terrifying ability. That hole in its stomach can suck in anything attack and nullify it. It sucked away the majority of the explosion since I didn't use it in time. And now..."
With a snap of his fingers, Genocider extended its arms toward them."It'll suck you in!"
Shoot Vent: Gigamini
A barrage of bullets was shot at the tendrils, forcing Genocider to call them back. The bullets sprayed the tentacles around the trio, finally freeing them from torment as they plummeted to the ground.
Ouja acknowledged the person standing a few yards away with a minigun. "So, the sleeping beauty is up? Nice of you to join us, Takeru."
"Yeah, well. What can I say? I love to make an entrance. Plus, I needed the nap." Zolda mused, leaning against a tree."You guys. I guess seeing as how Yanagi and I are still alive, you're the ones who have been keeping us safe. We're on the same side."
"We have a common enemy." Raia corrected him, trying to get up but his body wouldn't respond.
"Whatever the case, we appreciate it." Knight, who had regained consciousness, stood next to Zolda.
"Now we have a party." Ouja clapped between chuckles."We're just missing one more person."
"When it comes to making an epic entrance, he has me beat." Zolda looked above Ouja, causing him to do the same.
"I GOT YOU!"
Ignite Vent
A fist of fire nearly connected against Ouja's face had he not bent his knees at the last second. He used his gauntlets to block the second attack in the form of a fire boot, forcing his body to skid several meters away.
Noticing a giant fire fist coming toward him, he attempted to dodge, but he winced in pain. His legs had been damaged from the many grenades that had blown up around him earlier. He then gasped as the fire fist clashed against him, launching him several yards away before he crashed into a mountain, bringing it down with him.
Ryuki landed in front of the others, falling on his knees."Holy shit...I put too much energy into that...Phew...Bad idea. But it worked..."
"Adachi-san! You made it!" Imperer beamed, followed by a scornful scoff from Raia.
"Took him long enough."
"That's my Luitenant." Zolda grinned."What kept ya?"
"Don't have time to...explain it all..." Ryuki panted, catching his breath."But let's just say...all we have to do now is take Ouja down...and let the girls destroy the Nephilim's heart. Dr. Ver lost both Solomon's Cane and the Alternative Zero. Everyone is okay. Including Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika."
"Thank goodness..." Tiger breathed a breath of relief.
"Do you think your attack was enough to stop Ouja?" Yosuke guided the conversation back.
"Hell no." Ryuki laughed sheepishly. In effect, Ouja was already making his way back to them."I should have hit him with my Final Vent, but I just used it."
"Here I was thinking where you were. You caught me off guard, but that attack did more damage than I expected from you." Ouja grunted, his armor looking worse than before. His chest plate was hanging from one side and one of his shoulder plates was gone."I was worried I wouldn't get a good fight out of this. I can feel it. You're brimming with strong emotion."
"You bet I am." Ryuki took a battle stance with Zolda and Knight by his side. Tiger, Raia, and Imperer joined in, standing all together against Ouja."We're taking you down. It won't go like last time. For what you did to Goro-san and tainting his armor...I won't forgive you!"
"Show me your true emotion." Ouja adopted a battle stance of his own."Show me how strong of a goal an emotion like yours can create!"
"Damn it, damn it!" Dr. Ver seethed as he stared at the screens showing the battles going on, he coughed up blood, holding his stomach. Even though Ryuki had directed the blow to his Deck, he still felt the impact of the attack.."If only he hadn't gotten involved! I lost both the Alternative Zero Deck and Solomon's Cane, but I still have the Nephilim and Ouja!"
Maria felt tears streaming down her face, but didn't bother to whip them away."I can't do anything. Because of me...Serena's song...her death was in vain..."
"Maria-nee-san."
Maria gasped, glancing up above her. And there she was. Whether she was imagining things or not, she didn't know. But she could never forget."Serena?!"
"What do you want to do?" Serena had asked her.
"I...I want to save the world with my song." Lowered her gaze."But I can't..."
"That's not the Maria-nee-san I know." Serena floated down, grabbing her hand."Don't hide your true, pure feelings. Everyone is still out there, fighting and not knowing whether they'll succeed or not. Don't you think it's only fair you have hope as well?"
"Serena..."
Serena closed her eyes as she began singing the song that was all too familiar to Maria. One that to this day, would sing no matter where she was. Maria joined in, following her example as they sang in unison. Since the event was still being broadcasted, the people of the world could feel the emotion of the song. Their hearts were in unison, for they wish the salvation of mankind. Their combined hope caused the increase in Phonic Gain.
"Maria!"
"Mom!" Maria's eyes snapped open. She frowned upon realizing Serena was not really there but decided to put her feelings aside, rushing to the commands.
"The world is resonating with your song." Nastassja, who had somehow survived until then, relayed the information."This level of Phonic Gain is more than enough to reactive the Lunar Ruins. I'll make sure the Moon does not fall."
"But Mom, what about-"
"Nothing holds you back anymore." Nastassja adopted a tender smile, one that Maria no doubt could feel."Go and let me hear your song."
"Mom..." Maria wiped her tears away, a determined look on her face."You got it, Mom. It's time to raise the curtain on the world's greatest stage!"
Ouja groaned as he continuously blocked the incessant attacks from Tiger, Ryuki, and Knight. He was being pushed back, getting into position for Zolda to blast him with his cannon.
Shoot Vent: Gigalauncher
Ryuki went for a thrust with his sword, but Ouja grabbed his wrist and tossed him aside. He elbowed Knight away and leaped back to avoid Tiger's claws. Raia's whip wrapped around his ankle, throwing him in the direction of the rocket.
Guard Vent: Venoshells
Forming two shells on his arms and merging them together, Ouja withstood the impact of the rocket, forcing Zolda to jump out of the way before his sworn enemy nearly slashed him with his twin swords.
Imperer yelled, thrusting his Gazellestab forward, which the assassin easily avoided. He began to weave the attacks, watching as Ryuki approached from the side. He grabbed Imperer's drill with his pincers, changing his trajectory to Ryuki, forcing the young man to jump over him and head for Ouja. The two began engaging in a sword fight. Ryuki flinched as he was barely able to block some of his fast-paced attacks.
'His speed is insane! He was already faster than me, even without this new form of his!' Ryuki blocked one of the pincers with his sword and grabbed Ouja's other wrist."But I'm starting to adapt better and better!"
The assassin was surprised to see the sudden increase in speed from Ryuki, who was somewhat parrying better than before, even returning the strikes. One of them slashed the front of his helmet, to which he responded by backhanding him away.
'He graced him!' Knight noted.'Could it be we're slowly starting to close the power gap? No...that's not all!'
"Seems like you miscalculated." Knight suddenly lunged at him, delivering a kick to Ouja's arm, forcing him to flex it to withstand it. He tried to slash him, but Zolda fired another rocket at him, forcing him to focus his attention on it and cut the rocket in two."We're evolving as we fight, but that's not enough to close the power gap. You're finally starting to run out of energy, aren't you? You let this drag on long enough and now you're in trouble!"
Clicking his tongue, Ouja dashed at Knight, returning the kick and launching him away. Tiger and Imperer came in unison, attacking from both sides. Ouja was forced to block their attacks with one arm each, keeping an eye behind him where Zolda had changed positions. His shells detached from his arms and attached them to his back, protecting him from the bullets of energy from his visor.
From above Raia was spinning around, preparing for a spin kick. Ouja kicked both Imperer and Tiger away, but they were replaced by Ryuki and Knight, who were stronger than the previous duo and were pressing Ouja harder. With a scream of effort, Ouja expelled an aura of energy from his body, repelling them away from him. To their shock, he began running away.
"Oh, fuck no!" Ryuki chased after him, followed by Tiger and Raia.
'Me and my bad habit of playing around.' Ouja's breathing was ragged, having just used a lot of energy from that little stunt of his.'How foolish of me to underestimate them this much. I could handle the FIS trio with no problem, but I forgot that the other 3 were stronger than I had anticipated. They were already a match for me in my normal state, but all of them together...I can't beat them all in unison. I'm damaged, but the same could be said about them. They've been fighting all day long.'
After running for a few seconds, he noticed that he had no choice but to jump off the mountain they were on. Fortunately, it wasn't just a fall, but a slope. So he jumped off, sliding down the mountain. He glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes shot wide open. A volley of fireballs, missiles, and bullets flew down the mountain. He began jumping around, dodging the attacks as best as he could. Someone had managed to tackle him to the ground, forcing them to slide down together.
Ouja kicked Tiger off of him, sending him flying down to the bottom of the mountain.
Shoot Vent: Venom Bites
'I can't beat all of them like this. I have to pick them apart one by one!' Now that he was sliding down on his back, he took advantage of this and rapidly fire the bullets from his guns. Ryuki leaped into the air, drawing a card and activating it.
Advent: Dragreder
Dragreder emerged from the skies, shooting fireballs at Ouja. One of them landed close to him, the shockwave of the blast causing him to be propelled into the air where he was met by Zolda.
Strike Vent: Gigahorn
"It's over, Cypher! You're getting desperate and you know it!"
"Am I?" Ouja grabbed the Gigahorn with his pincers, twisting Zolda's arm."You're the one whose mistake was to rush me. You're a long-range fighter. Why even come at me like this?"
"Because I'm not the main star in this plan!"
Ouja gasped, realizing he had forgotten about the others. Knight had attached Darkwing onto his back, flying upward and slashing Ouja's hand, destroying one of his gauntlets. The snake-theme Rider kicked Knight away and headbutted Zolda. However, a dragon made of fire engulfed him, launching him to the ground. He fired the last bullets of his Venom Bites at Raia, who was approaching from the side, damaging his armor.
"You don't have the luxury of looking away!" Ryuki unleashed a volley of fireballs as he closed the distance, causing Ouja to block them with his shells. His shields eventually broke upon the collective damage they had suffered, leaving him vulnerable. He grabbed Ryuki's leg after he tried to kick him, but the boy responded by jumping and throwing another kick, which was caught as well. With a yell, Ouja slammed him on the ground repeatedly, before throwing him against Imperer, making them both cry out in pain.
Ouja looked behind him, realizing Tiger was almost on top of it. He jumped over him, kicking him in the back of his head which caused him to stumble until he lost his footing.
"Nice try." Ouja glanced over his shoulder, noting that they were on the edge of the Frontier. His armor began flickering back to his normal state, signaling that he was running out of energy."I have to end this now. This has gone long enough. Haven't you realized you can't defeat me?"
"So what if you're stronger than us." Ryuki, who was the only one still standing, limped around, holding one of his arms."Yeah, you're great and all. But that doesn't mean we'll give up."
"Are you afraid of what will happen to your little friends after you die?" Ouja asked, his tone full of mockery.
"It's not just about them. It's about the whole world." He continued, his deck shining slightly."We're fighting for the sake of the planet. If you win, the Moon falls and humanity will be done for. That's why we can't give up, no matter what."
"We made it this far...for the sake of the people who helped us get here." Knight picked himself off the floor, followed by Zolda."And for those who are gone."
"And our loved ones who are fighting right now too." He said with utter determination."And for our future."
"I'm tired of being useless." Imperer stood up tall."I finally got my family back. I'm not losing them again."
"For the mistakes, I made and for being tricked...I won't look to the past with hate. I will destroy all lies!" Raia cried out.
"I won't let my siblings down ever again." Tiger proclaimed."Our sisters are waiting for us to go back. And I'll make sure we get out of this place in one piece."
"Are they...attuned...?" Ouja watched, marbled at the sight of their Decks shining brightly."No...they're synchronizing? But how?"
Ryuki grabbed his Deck, drawing a card that began absorbing the light from the others."Even if the odds are against us...even if things look hopeless and bleak! We won't give up! We'll just have to create a miracle!" He inserted the card into his visor, turning back to his friends."Guys!"
All of them activated their Final Vents in unison at his command.
Link Vent
All six Riders stood together, forming a ball of energy mixed in with their combined power.
"I've had enough!" Ouja used his own Final Vent, summoning Genocider
Final Vent: Doomsday
Genocider opened up its stomach, creating a black hole that began sucking in anything that came its proximity.
"NOW!"
All Riders fired the attack, forming a massive rainbow beam of energy. The attack was so potent that even Genocider was unable to nullify it. The beast split into two again, and Ouja returned to normal. He watched in awe as the energy got closer and closer.
"It's so beautiful..." Ouja marbled at the light coming from Hajime."This emotion...it's truly sublime-"
The beam of light continued in its path out of the Frontier, creating an explosion of blinding light in the distance.
The Riders collapsed on the ground, exhausted."Did we get him?"
"Even if we didn't, the attack must have pushed him off the Frontier and he was out of energy." Knight fell on his rear."So I'd say we did it. It's...over..."
"What was that just now?" Zolda helped Ryuki up."That's not a card you have."
"I...I don't know." Ryuki looked at his arms."I just...felt it. I could feel your guys' power coursing around me and taking the form of that ability. Link Vent..."
"You created a miracle...our wishes and hopes connected into one and it resonated together." Tiger deduced."But it's not over yet. We still have to help the girls."
"Are we really up to the task?" Raia sounded unsure."I mean, we've all been fighting nonstop today and taken major damage..."
"Still, we can't leave them alone." Imperer placed a hand on his shoulder."I don't want to have any more regrets."
"Then let's not waste time and use the little energy we have left." Knight declared."We'll go help out friends and stop the Moon from falling! Together!"
"Yeah!"
"God damn it!" Chris groaned in frustration as she kept firing at the Nephilim with her Gatling guns."How tough is this thing?!"
Tsubasa slashed at the beast's arm, but it did no damage."Impossible!"
Hibiki followed soon after, punching it in its chest, resulting in having no effect."Our attacks aren't working?!"
The beast extended its arms, batting Tsubasa away from it and focusing on Chris, who kept firing missiles at it. The beast unleashed a massive sphere of fire that the girl had no choice but to dodge. The shockwave of the attack caused her to crash against the ground, knocking the air out of her.
"Chris-chan! Tsubasa-san!" Hibiki cried out, only to see a shadow looming over her. The Nephilim was about to crush her to death, but energy scythes and buzzsaws cut its arm, causing it to recoil in pain."That's...!"
"Shul Shagana..."
"And Igalima, reporting in-desu!" Kirika and Shirabe landed in front of Hibiki, helping her up.
"You came! Thank you so much!"
"It's too soon to thank us." Shirabe furrowed her brow, her eyes glued on the monster as it got back up after it regenerated."It'll take more than that to put it down."
"We still have our songs!"
The group turned to see Maria, standing on top of one of the floating rocks above. They quickly jumped toward her, gathering around."Maria-san!"
"I won't hesitate anymore." Maria solemnly stated."Mom will sacrifice herself to stop the Moon from falling. I won't let her sacrifice be in vain."
"Still, what do we-"
"Look!" Kirika pointed at a massive ball of fire closing in on them. The girls stood protectively in front of Maria, bracing themselves for the attack.
Confine Vent
The sphere of fire disappeared, leaving only smoke behind.
"What...?" Tsubasa blinked."Where did it...?"
Shirabe ran to the edge of the rock, looking down below."Teru-nii!"
Kamen Rider Gai, completely soaked, bruised, and battered stood shakily, using Metal Horn to hold himself steady. The left part of his helmet was gone, revealing part of his bloody face.
"You! You have some nerve to show your face here!" Maria sneered in pure anger.
"How the fuck is he alive?" Chris asked the question everyone was wondering."I thought that explosion had killed him!"
"Something like that...isn't enough to kill me." Gai breathed heavily, exhausted beyond belief."I had to swim my way to the Frontier just before it took off...I've used up almost all of my energy just to get here. I can barely feel my arms...everything hurts..."
"But why? Why did you save us?" Kirika inquired, earning a cruel laugh from the person she once called brother.
"Don't get me wrong. I didn't do it to save your worthless ass." He offered them a sardonic grin."I couldn't care less about what happens to you people. But I have something to prove. A score to settle. I will kill the Nephilim right here and now, and prove to you that I was the one who was supposed to be chosen!"
"Kuwana-san!" Hibiki hollered at him."You don't have to do this! You can still make amends for everything you did!"
"Hell no! Make amends?! He killed our brother!" Maria threw her arms in the air.
"You heard her." Gai scoffed."I don't care about making amends to anyone. Right now? I want to demonstrate that I was the better man. That I was supposed to protect them all instead. I'll prove all that by killing this thing..." Pointing at the Nephilim, he continued."We meet again. Last time you took someone precious to me and no one stopped you. This time. Things are different."
Final Vent: Heavy Pressure
"My armor is the toughest among all the Riders. But my Metal Horn is the ultimate spear!" Gai proclaimed, jumping in the air and attaching his feet to Metalgelas' shoulders. The monster charged at the fireball coming their way."This kind of attack is meaningless against me!"
Indeed, Gai seemed to stop the attack in place. That is until he noticed Metalgelas' feet sinking into the ground as they were pushed back."I said this meaningless!"
His Metal Horn began breaking as well as his armor."I SAID IT'S MEANINGLESS! BECAUSE I...I...I'M THE BEST! I'M THE SPECIAL ONE! I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!"
Suddenly, he was in a dark void, looking at a white light above him where Serena was waiting for him, holding her hand out."Serena...you were the only person who gave a damn about me. I...I truly care about you and for that...I will...I will!" He tried reaching for her, but he was suddenly back in the real world, realizing that the attack was about to consume him.
"Serena..." Kuwana closed his eyes, ready for the end."I wasn't...good enough either..."
"Teru-nii!" Kirika tried to help, but Maria held her back."Maria?!"
Maria shook her head, avoiding her gaze upon the fireball increasing in size before it exploded. It continued flying upward, flying toward them before exploding against the rock they were on. Using her quick thinking, Maria used the transformation energy barrier of her Airgetlam to withstand the attack.
"Kuwana managed to decrease the energy from that blast." Tsubasa frowned."Which made it easier for Maria to stop. But in exchange..."
"He was carbonized." Chris couldn't help but click her tongue."That bastard. After everything he did, where does he get off playing the hero?"
"We'll have time to mourn later." Shirabe pointed at the second blast incoming.
Advent: Dragreder
Dragreder flew in front of the girls, breathing fire to stop the giant sphere of flames coming their way. Darkwing flew by its side, flapping its wings to form a gust of wind, which slowed down the attack enough for the dragon's flames to extinguish it.
Chris gasped as the other girls ran up to the edge of the rock."It's them!"
"The cavalry is here," Zolda said, standing in front of Magnugiga with his Gigacannons as they began to bombard the Nephilim, forcing it back. As he fired his attacks, Tiger, Imperer, and Raia began to tear through its limbs.
"Because of you, everything went to hell!" Tiger grabbed the Nephilim's arm as it tried to crush him, giving a powerful battle cry before pushing it back, knocking the beast off its feet. However, despite their efforts, the Nephilim was regenerating again.
"Hey, Luitenant, can't we use that Link Vent thing again?"
"Not really..." Ryuki shook his head."I'm almost out of energy either way. One of you is going to have to carry me."
"Not all is bad." Knight turned to see the barrier around the girls expanding."That's the power of six Superb Songs. And with Tachibana there...they'll be able to create a miracle too."
"Are they doing it?" Ryuki pondered."What they did against Fine?"
"It's not just us six who sing this song!" Hibiki yelled, taking all the strain from the Superb Songs as their armors began to shift."It's our Superb Song from seven billion people!"
Imperer and Raia were awestruck since this was their first time seeing such a thing. Their surprise was doubled when they noticed their sisters' gears had changed.
"Resonating with the song of mankind, these are our..." The girls flew down in unison, converging into a single beam of light that easily pierced through the Nephilim."SYMPHOGEAR!" The beast screeched one final time before crumbling to dust.
"Dude, the X-Drive is busted." Zolda couldn't help but whistle."Why can't we get an upgrade like that?"
"Everyone!" The Commander's voice reached their ears from the comms."Dr. Ver just released the Nephilim's heart! It will use the Frontier's power to fuel its rampage!"
"Shit! It's still not over?!" Zolda groaned before yelping after someone scooped him up in their arms."Chrissy?!"
"No time! We have to fly out of here!"
"It's absorbing the whole Frontier!" Tsubasa was carrying Knight as well.
Maria wrapped Tiger's arm around her."Are you okay, Jades-nii?"
"Seems like you just keep saving my ass." Tiger chuckled, shaking his head."So much for a protective big brother. That Gear..."
"You're more than enough." Maria took off into the air with him."I'm sure Serena would think the same too."
"Why are you carrying us?" Raia flushed under his helmet at being carried bridal style by Shirabe."Some of us can fly."
"Stop being so stubborn." Shirabe chided him."You're low on energy as it is."
"What happened to the Commander?!" Ryuki glanced around.
"I just saw him and Ogawa-san riding their jeep back to the base with Dr. Ver. Seems they stopped him." Hibiki replied.
The group flew high enough to see the Frontier disappearing into a single point. Once it did, a new being was regenerating from the ashes, even bigger than what the Nephilim looked like before.
"What the...?' Maria gaped at the sight.
"You have no choice but to release us." Raia told Shirabe."We'll just get in your way if you have to carry us around."
Evildiver, Darkwing, and Dragreder appeared from thin air as the Riders boarded said beasts. Ryuki, Zolda, and Tiger on Dragreder, Knight using Darkwing to fly, and Raia and Imperer on Evildiver. Shirabe was the first one to make a move, extender her Arm Gear to form a giant armor
Dystopia
Kirika followed along, her scythe forming extra blades, spinning them.
Last Butcher: Neverland
However, as soon as their attacks made contact, the girls felt their energy being zapped away from them, causing them to scream in pain.
"Not only does it consume Relics, but also the energy they produce?!" Maria frowned in concern."We can't attack carelessly or we might make it stronger."
"That means if that thing touches us, we're screwed." Knight felt a cold sweat dripping down his forehead."We're on life support at this point."
"Don't remind me...we're too fucking high up!"
Chris took the initiative, flying toward the beast with Solomon's Cane in hand."Gate of Babylon, open!"
A gate opened behind the beast after she shot a beam from the staff.
"Oh, that's right! We can trap it there, can't we?!" Imperer beamed.
"Question is, how do we trap it?" Raia bit his lower lip.
The beast took a notice of this and swatted Chris away with its giant arm.
"CHRISSY!" Takeru yelled in horror.
Thankfully, Raia grabbed her arm, bringing her on board Evildiver."Are you alright?"
"I've been through worse." Chris offered a smile of gratitude."But thanks."
Maria caught the cane in her hands, finishing the job and opening the portal as wide as it could get. The beast roared, tendrils shooting from its arm as they tried to wrap around Maria, only for them to be shot away by Zolda's visor.
"We have to push it down!" Ryuki jumped off Dragreder, heading for the Nephilim.
"Hajime-kun!" Hibiki flew after him.
"Hibiki-san!" Ryuki held out his hand to her."Would you synch with me?"
The cream-haired girl's eyes widened, but a determined smile graced her features."Yes!"
Ignite Vent - Fists of Justice
Hajime and Hibiki held hands, synchronizing their powers as the X-Drive powered up the attack. Once they were ready, they released their holds off each other before punching the air, sending several giant fists of fire at the Nephilim. The creature roared as each punch was continuously pushed back, slowly but steadily. Ryuki's armor disappeared once he reached his limit, free-falling into the abyss.
Raia flew by, grabbing his arm and helping him on top of Evildiver despite the crowded space."Sorry...I won't be of much use now..."
"Don't worry." Raia shook his head, staring down at the beast below."You know. It's funny how life works. Not two hours ago we were about to kill each other. Now here we are, fighting together to save the world."
"Because we talked. And we have a common enemy." Hajime smiled."Also, we got a reason to fight. The people we love."
"I guess that's true." Raia nodded slowly, tossing Hajime a copy of Evilauncher."Let's finish this off so we can all put this to bed."
Final Vent: End of the World
From on top of Dragreder, Magnugiga unleashed its full arsenal, aiding in the attack.
Imperer shot bolts from his nail gun and Knight used Darkwing to release supersonic screeches.
As the Riders continued to relentlessly attack the Nephilim, the Symphogear prepared for their final attack. Holding the Phonic Gain from six billion people, the girls linked hands, harnessing the power for one last attack. Parts of Hibiki's and Maria's gear popped out, forming two massive hands as they began to spin. The boys ran out of energy, all of their transformations becoming undone just in time for the girls to slam their fists against the Nephilim and pierce through it, effectively pushing it inside the gate.
Vitalization
Quickly, Maria grabbed Solomon's Cane and closed the gate.
Chris grabbed the staff from her hands, much to her confusion, and threw it inside the portal as it closed up."There. It won't harm anyone ever again."
"The guys!" Kirika pointed at the falling Kamen Riders, prompting the Symphogear to use their remaining strength to take all of them to land on a nearby island, crashing onto the shore.
Genjuro watched on as Dr. Ver was escorted by a group of soldiers, his hands handcuffed and what little sanity he had left, gone. He stopped in front of the Commander, acknowledging him."You'll regret not having killed me."
"I told you, you'll face justice for your crimes, like any other-"
"He'll come to finish me off. I'm sure of it." Dr. Ver cackled maniacally."I'm just a loose end, after all."
"Who?" Genjuro narrowed his eyes."Who are you talking about?"
"Not even I know for certain." The madman resumed his walk with the soldiers."But you'll see soon enough."
Regarding the ominous warning, the Commander decided to press for information later. It had been a long day, after all. And with the Moon returning to its normal orbit, there wasn't an immediate danger.
The group of siblings all enjoyed a group together after what felt like an eternity, crying in each other's arms.
"So Cypher and Kuwana are dead, huh." Takeru couldn't help but frown upon seeing them cry."It feels wrong that they're crying over a murderer like that monster."
"But they were family after all." Chris stood by his side, grabbing his hand."I guess we're sometimes attached to people, even if they do nothing but hurt us. That's how I felt about Fine, anyway."
Hibiki approached them, addressing Maria with a sympathetic smile."I'm so sorry for your loss. Here."
Maria looked at the pendant in her hand, shaking her head and wiping away her tears."You keep it. You're more worthy of wielding the Gungnir than me. I should hate him. I know I should. But..."
"He was important to you." Hibiki placed a hand on her shoulder."It's okay to cry. Even if he was a terrible person, I'm sure a part of him loved you at one point."
"You got that right." Jades spoke up, staring at the Moon."I'm sure he did. He wasn't always that way. I...I can't help but feel responsible."
"You can't control how a person acts or changes." Yosuke made his way over, hands in his pockets."You tried to help him. But he was beyond help. Focus on the people you have now. Your family."
"You're right..." Jades nodded, a small smile adorning his face."I still have them..."
"I know we started on the wrong foot and fought each other over five times, but..." Hajime extended his arm to Raiden."Let bygones be bygones?"
Raiden accepted the handshake."I won't lose next time, Bakime."
"Bakime?"
"I see you're the real deal. A true fighter. But you're kind of an airhead and a little bit naive. So you're Bakime. Baka plus Hajime."
"Don't mind him too much." Andreas grinned."That's his way of saying he likes you."
"So him being a jerk is him expressing his affection?" Hajime chuckled dryly."Good to know...Sure, feel free to call me that. Not the worse nickname I've ever received."
"Blacky-kun!" Kirika skipped over to him, tackling him in a hug."I'm so sorry! I heard what the doctor did to you! He got the doctors seeing you give you drugs that made you forget! You never forgot me!"
"I would never forget someone as jolly as you are." Hajime hugged her back."So...want to be friends again?"
"Only if we get to play tons of games-desu!"
"Sure!" Hajime beamed back as the pair began spinning around in circles like children.
"Hajime-chan." Maria caught their attention, leaning down and pecking Hajime on his cheek."A gift for my number 1 fan. Thanks for all of your help."
"Maria kissed me..." Hajime rubbed his cheek."You know, I just remembered Maria was my favorite idol. This whole mess really affected me..."
"So does that make me your second favorite?" Tsubasa teased."Should I be honored? Well, I suppose I have plenty of support with your little sister alone."
"I'm glad to see you guys getting along." Genjuro boomed, earning their attention."Hard to believe you're conversing like kids you're age should when you were all fighting a few hours ago."
"That's what I said." Raiden nodded.
"So, I have a little proposition for you guys. How about joining us?"
"Joining...you?" Jades blinked."Aren't you going to arrest us or anything? I mean, we did cause this whole thing to happen."
"It was Dr. Ver manipulating you. Besides, you helped solve the problem, so there's no issue." Genjuro brushed it off."I mean, you don't have any place to go, right? Why not join us?"
"I suppose having more people as allies will be good." Yosuke agreed."Our original goal was to form a big group, after all."
"I get the girls going with you." Raiden started, doubtful."But we're Riders. We're supposed to kill each other for a wish, right?"
"That's what Odin wants us to do." Hajime chimed in."And we won't play his game. We'll stop him, one way or another. We'll end the Rider War and no one else will die."
"Maybe we should." Shirabe, who had been quiet until then, spoke."Like he said, we don't have anywhere else to go. And if there's still more Riders out there, having more friends at our side could help us in the long run."
"Right." Jades nodded, ruffling her hair. He stood in front of the Commander, offering a handshake, which he gladly returned."We'll be in your care."
"Leave it to me." The red-haired chuckled in amusement."It's so weird seeing someone almost as big as me. Do you like martial arts movies?"
"Do I? I love them!"
"I have a feeling we'll get along just fine."
"Hibiki-san..." Hajime poked the girl's shoulder."I...can we talk?"
All conversations ceased, their attention immediately focusing on the young pair.
"Sure, Hajime-kun." Hibiki gave one of her heart-melting smiles, causing his heart to skip a beat."You said you were going to tell me something by the end of this. I'm all ears."
"What's going on?" Andreas whispered to Takeru, who was grinning from ear to ear."Why are we all so quiet all of a sudden?"
"It's fucking happening." Takeru muttered, jabbing his finger against Yosuke's face, as he stared dumbfounded."You owe me 7000 yen."
"W-w-we don't know if it's really happening."
"Shut up!" Chris hushed him."I want to hear!"
"Hibiki-san..." Hajime's face was completely red."Y-you're my ball of sunshine!"
"Eh?"
"EH?!" The group deadpanned in unison."What can of confession is that?!"
"Can you guys be quiet?!" Tsubasa hissed."I want to hear too! I'm betting my dessert for the next two weeks that this is happening right now!"
"You're so on, sister." Takeru made his bet."Sheez, everyone is losing their composure all of a sudden."
"Hibiki-san, what I meant to say is...I love you!" He screamed, taken back by his tone."I...I love you. A lot. I meant it when I said you're my ball of sunshine. You're just so caring, cheerful, compassionate, kind, and strong. Like I told you a while back, you're my motivation to be better. I feel like I'm a better person now thanks to you...If you don't feel the same way, I understand, but I-"
Hibiki's lips suddenly pressed against his, silencing whatever words he was about to utter. She pulled back, tears of joy in her eyes."Does that answer your question? I love you too. I always have. Ever since you saved me when we first met. Your way of persevering through every problem you face motivates me to never run away from my problems. To always face them head-on. I feel like I'm braver than I used to be. Because of you. And I want to be with you. To protect you."
"So...Does that mean we're...boyfriend and girlfriend now?"
"We are." She buried her face in his chest, snuggling with him. Hajime returned the hug, resting his head on her shoulder as they enjoyed their first hug as a couple.
"This is the first time I see a confession happening." Andreas cooed."It's so heartwarming!"
"Fuck yes!" Takeru cheered."In your face, Yanagi! You see that, Chrissy? I-"
Chris grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down toward her face, locking in a passionate kiss."You talk a lot of shit, you know that?"
"You love me all the same, my Shortcake."
"Shortcake?!" Chris pulled on his cheeks, a tick mark appearing on her forehead."You picked that pet name?!"
"Aw, but it's so cute, Chrissy." Takeru pulled her cheeks back."You're so short, it's adorable!"
"Wow...I hope not everyone starts kissing." Yosuke eyed the others suspiciously.
"What?! No!" Maria flushed, denying the idea."We're not blood-related, but we're all sibli-"
Jades kissed her on her cheeks, causing her face to flare up immediately."It's nice to finally tease you back, Maria."
"Jades-nii!"
"Ha! I knew it!" Kirika giggled."Shirabe, Andreas, Raiden and I are the kids and Maria and Jades-nii-chan are our mom and dad!"
"You make a good point, Kiri-chan."
"Kirika! Shirabe!" Maria whined, earning a few chuckles in return.
"Well, this certainly escalated." Yosuke rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly."I didn't know they-"
Tsubasa stood on her tippy toes, kissing Yosuke on his lips, and quickly turning away. If anyone had told Yosuke nothing had happened, he would have believed it. It had happened so fast."T-Tsubasa...?"
"Off the record." The bluenette blushed, linking hands with him.
"Off the record." He agreed, pulling her close for a hug."For now. One day, we can make it official."
Hajime and Hibiki stared at the sunset, tired, and beaten, but finally happy to have confessed to one another. To start their relationship, the right way.
"My victory will be all the more delicious the more you struggle. So until then...get stronger...Boy Wonder."
The raven-haired scowled. He had tried to ignore those words, but he couldn't get it out of his head.'Who was that? And how does he know about me and my dad?'
His mind trailed off to his dad, and the vague memories he had of the time he spent together with him before he left.
'I'll find out the truth. I'll find out what happened to you and where you are, Dad.' Hajime promised to himself.'I promise I'll find out your connection with the Emperor and the reason why you left us. One way or another.'
Unbeknownst to the group, two figures observed them from afar, clad in Kamen Rider armors.
"Look at them celebrating, thinking this is all over." The shark-theme Rider, Abyss, scoffed."Let's roll in and kill them."
"Hold up, fam. Our mission was to retrieve the Mirror World Core. Ain't nothing more than that." The chameleon Rider, Verde shook his head, crouching beside him."Besides, we ain't got the time. We're on a schedule."
"Because someone decided to watch the fights unfold instead of doing your damn job." Abyss hissed, jabbing his finger at Verde's helmet.
"It's alright, yo. Don't hate the player, hate the game!" Verded brushed him off."It was fun, though. That Ryuki kid came in blasting like crazy."
"Yeah." Abyss acknowledged his point."No wonder the old man is interested in him. Well, too bad. It's better to kill them all before they become a problem."
"You sure you want that, yo? We got specific orders not to kill them. You know we can't just disobey Prince Bragi."
"You're such a little kiss ass." Abyss snorted."Besides, you talk about orders and whatnot, but you just called him Bragi. You know Pops doesn't want anyone calling him that."
"It's a bad habit, fam." Verded shrugged."Garie is always calling him that."
"Except she does it on purpose. You do it because you're too damn idiotic to comprehend something that simple." He ignored Verde's growl."Doesn't matter. Let's wipe them out now. Fine is dead, and Dr. Ver is locked up. We have one or two obstacles left."
"Okay...But you better take responsibility." Verde relented with a sigh.
"Belay that order."
Both Riders turned to see a butterfly descending from the sky. Verded immediately kneel in respect."Lord Bragard! What an honor it is for you to...grace us with your presence."
Abyss didn't bow, choosing to fold his arms under his chest."What do you mean belay the order?"
"Dr. Ver is the one who failed to kill them and ultimately, though not unexpectedly, failed to fulfill his plans. Not to mention Fine was the one in charge of this sector. She also failed to kill them herself." The butterfly flew around the pair."Tell me, why should someone such as myself waste my precious time and resources trying to cover for her lousy ass? I have more pressing matters to attend to. Like that Core in your hand. One must always accept responsibility for their action. Their arrogance and short-sightedness resulted in their defeat."
"I do apologize for our inability of getting the Alternative Zero Deck..."
"Ohoho! Worry not, my royal guard, I have no need for a toy like that. The final product is nearly finished. I do not need mere prototypes. And with the battle data I've collected today, I'd say we're in for a treat. In fact, I can upgrade you two to be even stronger than all of them."
"You mean train."
"Pardon?"
Verded rolled his eyes at Abyss."Bruh, you still going on about this human nonsense thing?"
"It's not nonsense. I am a human being." He said, leaving no room for argument."I'm not like the rest of you."
The butterfly simply chuckled."Of course. I did promise to use my wish to make you a full-fledged human. Regardless, go back to the base. You are done there."
"But Pops, are you seriously leaving them alive?!" Abyss walked up to the butterfly."If we let them be, they might become a problem later. On top of that, the Harbinger of Chaos used Link Vent! The card that HE used in the past against you, right? If he was able to use it, then-"
"Where is your sense of adventure?" A sigh could be heard from the speakers."That's the thrill. We don't know how strong they'll get, but it won't be enough. You two are the strongest Riders, thanks to my brilliant engineering. Besides, these are mere children playing heroes. They're hardly a threat to us. Right now, with Fine gone, we only have to worry about Adam and the Bavarian Illuminati and we'll have absolute control of ever everything."
The man controlling the butterfly sat on a throne, sipping a cup of wine."Not to mention, I do need one of them alive. I want to see what the Boy Wonder has to offer. If he's truly the Harbinger of Chaos, then only one of us can stand at the top. Plus, I did promise I was going to wipe them all out. Let's start our plan. The Zero Human Project."
And finally, after a long wait, season 2 of Symphogear is finally over. I don't even know how long it's been. But it's been a while. Maybe 4 months now? Of course, this wouldn't have been possible without your guys' support. You guys are the reason why I kept writing and updating. So thank you for accompanying me to this point of the story. Right now, we're 2/5 done with Symphogear, and I still plan to finish the story.
So now, we're entering GX. And I'll be honest, this will be part of the story where I'll expand the most. A lot of lore and world-building and it will take some time. The first two seasons were like an introduction to the story and characters. Now things are about to get serious. And of course, since this is a Kamen Rider Ryuki story, deaths are about to start happening and Riders are going to fall. This time for real. This is a battle royale, after all.
The big question is...who is the Emperor? Who are Abyss and Verde and what is their connection with him? What is the Mirror World Core and how does he know so much about Hajime? And Link Vent? All of these questions will be answered in GX. So stay tuned for more!