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Guest DCDGojira: Glad you liked it

lordri25may2001: Yup. There will be a lot of rivalries going on in this season and the future ones. Everyone has some sort of vendetta toward other people. Ouja in particular has like 4 people that want him dead lol.

Author's Note: I'm thinking of making a Discord server for people to join. Of course, I still welcome personal dms from you guys if you want to talk about things or have any card suggestions. But I was thinking of also creating a Discord server for us to talk to each other and see what crazy theories everyone has. Let me know if you guys are interested and I'll consider it.

Chapter 49
Little Alchemist

A young Takeru sat on a long table inside a crowded cafeteria, taking his rifle apart to clean it. He tried to concentrate, but eventually gave up, and put up with his rowdy comrades playing loud music, laughing, and fighting. He had two empty cups in front of him containing springs, bolts, and any tiny pieces his rifle had to ensure not losing them.

"You should make it a habit to not do that crap." A ruff voice spoke from next to him. An older-looking man with brown hair with some grey strands, a long beard, and brown eyes sat on the chair next to him, setting his tray down. Fortunately, they had just conquered the area they had been assigned to, and thus, their supplies had been replenished. Meaning that they could eat as much as they want before the food spoiled. The man next to Takeru eyed the orange-haired boy with a tired look before sighing, taking out a cigar from the pocket of his military uniform. This was the leader of the Breaker Alliance, Raphael Salazar."The enemy won't give you the time of day for you to play house and clean your gun like that."

"Sorry, Dad..." Takeru apologized with a sullen expression."It's just really hard to memorize how to break it down and put it back together without organizing the pieces a little bit."

"It gets easier after the thousandth time." The general puffed some smoke, cracking open his can of beer."Still, I have to say, you're the most efficient soldier I got. Most of these morons don't clean their damn guns and cause them to jam. Then again, we get very shitty equipment to work with."

"It's because Mom taught me the importance of being clean. Especially on a battlefield." Takeru gave him a toothy grin."I always keep a fresh pair of underwear in my bag and some clean socks too!"

"Watch it, kid." Raphael leaned closer to him, lowering his tone."Men would kill for a pair of clean underwear while living in the trenches for weeks. Never let them know that. I'll keep your promise..." He then opened up his jacket, revealing a pair of underwear tugged away in his vest."I do the same thing. Saves my ass, I'll tell you that."

The child soldier laughed at that, followed by his adoptive father laughing in with him."So, you going to visit that girl?"

"Can I?" The boy asked, his eyes gleaming with happiness.

"Sure. You've survived another battle without getting shot and killed." Raphael said, waving his hand in dismissal."Plus, I'm sure the boys will be bothering her today unless there's the excuse of you being with her."

"Dad.."

"I'm making sure they don't touch her more than necessary." Raphael said, glaring at him."But even I can't control all of my men. So it's up to you to make sure to mark your territory and let them know she's your woman."

"B-b-but Dad, that's so embarrassing..." Takeru flushed, hiding his face."We're just getting to be friends, after all...Chrissy will kill me if I ever tell anyone she's with me...Also, I have a feeling she finds me disgusting."

"You have much to learn about how the world works, kid." Raphael ruffled his hair before standing up."But don't worry. She might be our prisoner, but I do understand how much she means to you. Having friends is important. And a kid like you needs his friends."

"Thank you, sir!" Takeru saluted.

"Just make sure if you ever do anything, do it. And do it right."

"And in the end, I ended up killing all of them." Takeru grimaced, trying to focus on the movie he was watching on his phone. He had woken up a few minutes ago but felt energized enough to watch a movie on his phone. He shook his head. He had long made peace with his decision. He was here today with Chris after enduring all of their hardships because of that decision."But...am I committed enough to this?"

He shuddered upon remembering being tricked by Verde. That image of Chris that, in hindsight, he should have known that wasn't his girlfriend. Her way of acting, her mannerisms, everything. It was the opposite of Chris. And yet he still fell for it. Why? Was it because some part of him wanted that side of Chris? Because he was a teenager full of hormones?

'But that can't be...our relationship isn't superficial. Our love is more than that" He put his phone down, trying to clear his head."Maybe...I'm not that different from my Dad, after all..."

Takeru's eyes darted over to his jacket folded on the floor next to him. He winced in pain, feeling the wounds on his back act up but persevered, scooping up his favorite jacket that his mom had left him behind all those years ago. He browsed through the contents inside the pockets, finding a small box from within. Setting his jacket and phone aside, he dedicated his attention to the small black box. Uncerimounsly, he opened it up, revealing its contents. Two rings with the initials T and C engraved on them.

"Yo, Yanagi."

Yosuke looked up from his desk, staring at the auburn-eyed former mercenary in front of him, who was also typing up his own report."What is it?"

"I need your opinion on something." Takeru started, leaning back on his chair."I just...how do you know when you want to take your relationship to the next level?"

The purple-eyed teenager quirked a brow at that."Sakamoto, you and Yukine just started dating less than a year ago, if I'm not mistaken. Don't you think you're rushing things?"

"I mean, maybe." Takeru shrugged."But we've known each other since we were little kids. We've been through all kinds of shit. Good and bad. And honestly, it doesn't feel like we've been dating for a few months. It feels longer than that. Like we've been together for years. Our whole lives, even."

"So what, you want to get married already?" Yosuke sighed."You know you have to be 18 for that, right? At least you. And besides, you'll need parental approval. Meaning that you'll have to ask the Commander since he's the closest thing Yukine has to a father. And I doubt an old-school guy like him would agree to that."

"What? No, I know!" Takeru waved his hands frantically."I know we're too young to do that! Duh! But...do you still have those rings around your neck?"

"Just one." Yosuke pulled the ring that belonged to Akira from the chain around his neck."I gave Kanade's to Tsubasa."

"Oh?" Takeru wagged his eyebrows suggestively."And what does that say? Are you guys finally hitting it off?"

"Just get to the point." Yosuke blushed slightly, gritting his teeth.

"Fine. I remember you told me that Akira was going to give those rings to Kanade, to solidify their relationship and all. And from what I've learned, a promise ring is meant to be given to someone you want to share your life with, even more marriage. So I've been saving money to buy some rings I saw at the jewelry store the other day."

"So that's why you've been taking on the extra work." Yosuke nodded in understanding."But, still. That's a big commitment. Again, aren't you rushing things too much? Maybe think things over some more?"

"There's no thinking things over." Takeru shook his head with a solemn look."Chris is the girl I love and I will always love her for the rest of my life. Nothing will ever change that. She's the one I want to spend my life with. And besides...you know our situation. We can die at any moment."

"Sakamoto-"

"You saw how strong Ouja was at the Frontier. Then there's Ryuga, Femme. And the other Riders that we haven't seen yet could be even stronger. Then there's the big shiny ass elephant in the room called Odin. My point is that we can die at any moment. And I don't want to die with any regrets. So even if it feels like we're rushing things, I want to give her those rings. And maybe one day, I can give her the actual thing."

"I see. So that's how it is." A smile tugged on Yosuke's face."I can understand that, believe it or not. Being worried about what tomorrow brings. But I'll protect you and the others. I'll make sure to see you both at the altar on the day of your wedding. But for now, the only thing I can do is keep this a secret and help you buy the right ring. I know the store where Akira got his. But they're pretty pricey. Are you willing to spend some cash?"

"Dude, I got more than enough money right now. And for Chris, I'll spend every Yen I have." Takeru grinned."Who knows? Maybe you'll be my best man."

"Me? Your best man?"

"Sure. Maybe I could have two best men." Takeru's eyes glittered at the thought."Yeah, you and the Luitenant! That'd be great!"

"Really? But...why?"

"Come on, man. You guys are my best friends." Takeru huffed, crossing his arms."You've helped me out so much. I could never express how grateful I am to you. I'm sure Chrissy feels the same way about Hibiki and Tsubasa. I'm sure she'll make them her maids of honor."

"Well, I...sorry, this is a little too overbearing." Yosuke chuckled nervously, rubbing his nape."I...I'd be honored to. And I know Adachi will feel the same way."

"But, of course, I also want you to pick me as your best man when it comes down to it." Takeru shot him a toothy grin."It's only fair, right?"

"Huh?" Yosuke's cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson."T-there's nothing between Tsubasa and me! Where are you getting these ideas from?!"

"Dude, are you serious right now?" Takeru deadpanned at him."I saw you guys kiss at the Frontier. Chris isn't that tall, so while we were smooching, I could see you two doing the same. Just give it up."

"Fine..." Yosuke pinched his nose, flustered."I don't see why not..."

The door to the room opened, revealing Chris, holding a plastic cup of water in one hand and a sandwich in another. Takeru frantically hid the box containing the promise rings under his pillow, attempting to look like he was doing something else. Once she closed the door behind her, she shifted her gaze to her boyfriend, who could only give a small wave and a smile."Takeru..."

"Hey, Shortcake." Takeru chuckled awkwardly."Sorry...We need to stop meeting with me being on a hospital bed..."

Chris dropped her sandwich and her water bottle, rushing to Takeru's side and engulfing him in a hug."You're okay! I was so worried!"

"I'm sorry I keep making you worry. I seem to be doing that a lot to you. I'm sorry." Takeru rubbed her hair, chuckling.

"Yeah, you better stop doing that, alright?" Chris clicked her tongue, wiping a tear that threatened to fall down her cheek."Do you have a death wish or something?! But...No. It's my fault."

Takeru was taken aback by her sudden mood shift."Your fault? Why?"

"Takeru, I was just around the corner." Chris gritted her teeth, closing her eyes in shame."I could have come to help you. I could have protected you. But no, I didn't. It's like I just can't seem to protect you like you protect me."

Oh. So that's what it was. He knew they were close, but not that close to each other. But in hindsight, it made sense, since Verde had left their fight for a minute or two before coming back after copying her appearance.

"Chrissy...come on, you've saved my ass plenty of times." Takeru ran a hand down her cheek soothingly."Back when Cypher left me pretty much crippled, you took care of me and dragged my sorry ass around. Besides, you had your hands full too. You can't be fighting two fights at once."

"But I'm supposed to protect you!"

"Yeah, like I'm supposed to protect you too." He poked her in the nose gently."I could have helped you two. Why do you think I wasn't able to?"

"Because...you had your hands full..."

"Like you." Takeru smiled."See?"

"I know...It's just...I hate seeing you like this. On a bed, worried about your well-being. It hurts so much..." Chris felt his hand on top of hers, and met gaze with him."I'm worried one day you're just not going to wake up. And I'll be all alone."

"Chris, you know I'd never leave you behind." Takeru cooed, bringing her face closer to hers until their foreheads were connected."It's my fault for being so reckless. I'm the one giving you this much pain. I don't want to, but...I guess I can be such a clutz sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"Hey, that's uncalled for." Taker sweatdropped, causing the girl to giggle.

"You are, though. How did you even get defeated by that Verde guy anyway?

His smile suddenly drops, going back to laying on his bed."Chrissy...I have to tell you something. And you might be mad but-"

"He kissed you while disguised as me."

"Huh? How do you-"

"CCTV cameras were recording around that area." Chris answered with a blank expression."I saw it when they were replaying how the enemy defeated all of us in battle."

"I'm sorry!" Takeru bowed, clasping his hands."I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to do that! I'd never cheat on you or anything!"

"Takeru-"

"And my heart belongs only to you and you only! I just thought it was really you!"

"Takeru."

"And I should have known it wasn't you because she was acting differently and very flirty!"

"Takeru."

"I know you're not that type of person but well...I don't know! I wasn't thinking stra-"

"TAKERU! LISTEN, DAMN IT!" Chris yelled, silencing him in his tracks."I understand. You got tricked. He pretended to be me and that's how he got you. I'm not mad. I know you love me and would never do that to me. You've proven your love plenty of times. So I'm not upset, alright? But...I didn't know you felt that way."

"I..."

"It's fine. I understand. You're a guy, after all. And like any other person..." She rubbed her left arm, averting her gaze."You have your needs too."

"No. It's not like that at all." Takeru shook his head."I'm not with you for that. I didn't fall in love with you expecting the relationship to be physical. It's just..."

"You thought about it."

"Yeah...? Sometimes. But in the future! Not now! It's just...Well...Do you think our relationship...hasn't progressed?"

"Huh? Takeru, we've been dating for like 6 months or so." Chris sat on his bed, crossing her legs."We live next to each other. Hell, we have keys to each other's apartments. And even more so, we practically live in the same house. You're in my house most of the damn time!"

"I guess that's true..."

"But...I guess I do get your point." Chris sighed."It's not exactly the kind of like we imagined we would have. We don't have a proper house. You still can't cook for shit."

"Hey. I'm trying. My baking is pretty decent." He retorted.

"You put too much sugar!" Chris rolled her eyes."I keep telling you this. You're going to give someone diabetes. But it's fine. We can learn together. My classmates have been recommending a youtube channel that helps you learn how to cook. We can learn together."

"At your house."

"Well, duh. I'm not stepping into yours until you clean it up." Chris huffed."But whatever mess we end up making, you'll have to help me clean."

"Sounds good to me." Takeru shrugged, accepting the offer."I don't mind doing something with my girlfriend."

"So cheesy." Chris scoffed, a slight smile gracing her features."And about what you said...I just don't think I'm ready yet. We're still young and all that."

"Yeah. You're right."

"Also..." Her shoulders slumped, avoiding his gaze."Would you really...be okay with someone like me? I lost my purity a long time ago...I don't think you-"

"I love you. No matter what." Takeru cut her off, offering a loving smile that melted her heart."And I mean that. I love you just the way you are. With your flaws and your good qualities. Nothing will ever make me love you more than I do. I'm fine with just you."

"Takeru..." Chris closed her eyes, trying to force the tears to not come out of her eyes. The holder of the Zolda Deck brought her closer to him, bringing her face close to his chest.

"Sorry. For not saving you sooner. Maybe if I did, you..."

"No. You did what you could. You killed all of your comrades just to save me and those kids. I could never hold that against you." Chris refused the thought."Let's not focus on the past anymore. We're here and now. And that's all that matters to me. So let's do our best to live the lives we got now. Okay?"

"Yeah..." Takeru smiled, feeling Chris caressing his cheek."You're right. We fought so hard to be where we're at now. And now we got people to help and look after."

"That's true..." Chris nodded."You must be hungry. I'll go get you something to eat. And...a new sandwich for me. What do you want?"

"Fuck, I'm craving some McDonald's." Takeru salivated at the thought."Some cheeseburgers with some BBQ sauce...chili fries and a vanilla shake. Wait, no! A vanilla shake with Oreo toppings! And an apple pie!"

"You need to stop eating so much fast food." Chris patted his belly."Or you'll get fat. But I'll get it for you. Don't worry."

Chris kissed him on the lips before heading for the door.

"Wait, Chrissy!"

"Yeah?"

Takeru frowned, debating whether to show her the rings now or leave them for later.'I know I'm probably rushing things, but...I'm scared. Scared for the both of us...'

"What is it, Takeru?"

"No...It's nothing." Takeru trailed off, shaking his head."Just wanted to ask if you could get me some cookies too."

"You're such a glutton." Chris deadpanned."But I'm getting some too for me, alright? You're sharing."

"Sure. Not a problem."

"Remind me not to go to another concert of yours," Yosuke said in a dry tone, drinking some coffee that Tsubasa had brought him. They were both sitting next to each other on the seats of the jet, enjoying a conversation after Yosuke stubbornly decided to leave his bed.

"And what does that mean?" Tsubasa crossed her arms in a challenging manner.

"Oh, I wonder what." Yosuke said with faux ignorance."Well, for starters, all of your concerts have involved attacks in some way shape, or form. It's like they're a magnet for disaster."

"And how is that my fault!" Tsubasa snapped at him."It's not like I planned them or wanted any of those people to get hurt!"

"I'm...Look, I'm sorry." Yosuke sighed, leaning back on his seat."That was uncalled for. I just...Guess I'm pretty stressed too. I apologize. I'll keep my emotions under control."

"I get it. You're concerned and tired. All things considered, I feel the same." Tsubasa took a deep breath, calming her nerves."And with my pendant broken and your Deck in pieces, things are looking rather dire."

"I'm worried about the others back in Japan." Yosuke confessed."If they took me you and Jades out, then the other..."

"From what I was told, Yukine and Sakamoto were defeated as well. The only line of defense we got right now are Tachibana, Adachi, Kagatsuchi, and Amaterasu."

"It's too bad we don't have LINKER laying around." Yosuke said with a small scoff."Would be nice for the other two girls to fight too."

"So they can get defeated?" Tsubasa rose a brow at his comment."Yosuke, we, the strongest fighters, got taken out rather easily. Even if the others could fight, would they fare much better than we did?"

"That's a good point." He relented."Still...we're still alive when they could have just killed us. Why? What's the point in doing that?"

"Maybe they think we're powerless without our powers." Tsubasa guessed."Their intention could very well be breaking us down slowly before crushing."

"That's a rather grim thought, coming from you. But not unsurprising. I was coming to the same conclusion." Yosuke rubbed his chin in thought."Those attacks were coordinated. And they aimed for our Decks and Pendants to weaken our forces. They have Noise with them and those Mirror Monsters from before are back. And this time, the battlefield is also inside the mirrors. There's a lot of things we still don't understand."

"Right." Tsubasa nodded."We need more info on our enemies. They're not human. And they have Kamen Riders with them."

"Doesn't really tell us much..." Yosuke gritted his teeth."This will be a tough case to solve...And with our major players out of the game, we're in serious trouble."

"Game...That's the first time I've heard you use that term when it comes to a fight."

"Yeah...I sounded like Cypher just now." Yosuke shuddered in disgust."Whatever. We still must help our juniors as much as we can, even if we can't fight with them."

"That's true. And who knows, maybe they can fix our Pendants and Decks. Ryoko-san did leave some notes behind."

"Pendants are one thing, but..." Yosuke took out Darkwing's card from his wallet."I don't know what can be done about this..."

"We should get you back to bed."

"I'm not that hurt." Yosuke showed her his bandaged hands."Aside from the holes in my palms. I'm good. The one I'm worried about is Jades...He protected me and took the brunt of the attack...Again, I was saved by someone else and they got hurt because of it."

"He did it because he wanted to protect you." Tsubasa put a hand on her shoulder."That's his nature. Just like Goro wanted to protect you as well. Don't blame yourself for that."

"I know. It's just...I'm supposed to be the leader. And yet I keep needing to be saved at the cost of my comrades' wellbeing." He clenched his hands into fists."I don't want anyone else to die in front of me. And now, I'm not even able to protect them. If we get attacked again-"

"Then we have to believe in those who can still fight." Tsubasa cut him off."They're not little kids anymore. They're our comrades, our friends, people that we can rely on. So have some faith in them."

"Yes..." He trailed off, his eyes focusing on the window."Maybe you're right."

"How are you feeling, Jades-nii?" Maria asked the white-haired man as he sat up on his bed, his torso covered in bandages.

"Who? Me?" Jades shot her a grin with a thumbs up."Nothing to worry about, Maria. I'm a-okay."

"Jades-nii." Maria furrowed her brows with a firm tone."Please. Be honest with me."

"Nothing escapes you, huh?" Jades chuckled."Yeah...I'm not okay."

"What's bothering you?"

"Aside from losing a fight like this and you and the others getting hurt? Well..." Jades stared at the cieling."Maria...why did you decide to take the fall with me? I was perfectly content with being the scapegoat so you could be left alone. So why?"

"I think Shirabe and Kirika said this before, but just like you have protected us, we want to protect you too." Maria smiled warmly at her brother figure."You kept us safe for so long and took all of our pain. It's only fair we do the same for you. That's why I couldn't let you take the fall on your own. I want to stand by your side and help you carry that burden. Because this was majorly my fault."

"Don't say, Maria..." Jades frowned."We were confused. A lot of things were going on at the time. I guess the only solace in all of this is that the kids are going to school. And hopefully, they'll get to live peaceful lives."

"If they can graduate." Maria sighed in exasperation."I'm worried about Kirika and Andreas. Shirabe told me they're not doing so well in school and their grades are low. And to make matters worse, you keep giving them their allowance! You should set an example and ground them. Or something."

"True. But I do want to spoil my little siblings." Jades laughed."And when they give me those puppy eyes...I just can't say no to them. They're too adorable."

"Their manipulation tricks work on you." Maria shook her head in disapproval."Next time they call asking for money, let me talk instead."

"That's fine. Though...I guess I just want them to be happy, you know?" Jades adopted a wistful smile."I've always tried to make you guys smile. Even back at FIS. I couldn't protect Serena or Atticus-nii. And because of me, Terunosuke ended up straying from the good path. I wasn't able to save any of them. So the least I can do is make sure you guys are safe."

"I don't understand why you still think of Terunosuke." Maria scowled, pure hatred apparent on her face."What he did...it's so despicable. He killed Atticus-nii because he was jealous? Because he wanted to be a Kamen Rider so bad? Did he have to go to such lengths just for that?"

"He lost Serena."

"And she was my sister and you don't see me going around murdering anyone!"

"But we did join up with Dr. Ver and aided on his plans. Serena's death was a huge factor that convinced us. That incident changed us."

"That's completely different and you know it." Maria groaned in frustration."Do you really not hate him? He made Raiden nearly kill Andreas for God's sake!"

"It's not that. I know I should hate him. For killing my brother and those innocent people. And doing all of those things. I know I should. But...I can't bring myself to do it. He was a brother to me. And regardless of what you say, it's my fault for not being able to stop him when we had the chance. I should have realized it sooner."

"So what? Do you think him becoming a Kamen Rider before you was going to make things better? Because it wouldn't have. He tried fighting the Nephilim and ended up dying. He was jealous of you. Of your superior performance and talents and your ability to sway the hearts of everyone with your personality. He only cared about himself. I don't know why Serena was even trying to make a connection with him. He was a manipulative, greedy, sociopath."

"I think that's why he broke." Jades stared into her eyes."Because we couldn't reach out properly. Only Serena was able to. And when she did...it broke him."

"Because Serena showered him with compliments." Maria countered."She gave him what he wanted. Attention."

"But that's because he came from a neglectful home. You were there when we talked to his parents. They admitted that they weren't paying enough attention to him at the time."

"Because each of them was working 3 jobs!" Maria exclaimed, standing her ground."It's not like they did it because they wanted to. Their financial circumstance was bad. Terunosuke should have noticed."

"Maria, he was a kid." Jades glared at her."He didn't know any better."

"He knew enough to think he was entitled to everything and that everyone should treat him like he was the king of the world. How can you defend someone like that?! He did that to himself!"

"Because I don't want to doubt any of you!" Jades yelled, suddenly surprising Maria with his tone."It tore me apart when I thought he died too! And then when I found out he was alive...it brought me so much joy. Happiness. But then I found out he was the one behind Atticus-nii's murder and manipulated Raiden and Andreas...I just didn't know what to think. But then I thought about it another way. What would I have done if it had been any of you? This could have happened to the kids too. Or me. And what would I do? Hate them? No. Because it wouldn't be their fault. Terunosuke had different circumstances than us. And I know he cared about us at one point. But we failed to see how much help he needed. How much comfort and care he wanted. Only Serena did. And when she did, that hope died with him. It could have happened to any of us. I know he could have chosen a different path. And that he chose the wrong route to walk on. But I could have prevented that."

"Jades-nii..."

"I'm sorry...I lost my family before. And I don't want to lose anyone else again." Jades closed his eyes."Back when we were fighting on that carrier, he hesitated to finish me off. He had the perfect opportunity, but he hesitated."

"He was going to do it had not Kirika and Andreas jump in to save you." Maria countered.

"But the fact that he hesitated proves that there was some good left in him. Some regret, even. But...I guess we'll never know now...I can't forgive myself for that. But I can prevent that from ever happening again."

"I get how you feel." Maria sighed, rubbing the edge of her nose."I do. But you have to understand. He...our last memory of him is trying to murder you. Break out family apart. Maybe you can't bring yourself to hate him, but...don't expect me to do the same."

"That's fine with me." Jades nodded."I'm glad I have such a caring little sister. Just like I look after you, I want you to look after the others."

"Raiden's been trying his best as the third eldest. He's a little rough, but he means well. At this rate, Andreas and Shirabe are going to have plenty of role models."

"I don't know if I'd count Kirika as a role model..." Jades chuckled sheepishly, joined by Maria who giggled at his comment.

Once the laughter died down, Maria huffed, resting her chin on her palm."You know...Mom also forgave Terunosuke."

"She...did?"

"She told me when she told me the truth. Like you, she felt guilty for not being able to stop him. And she hoped he would one day find peace. He...No, we've all suffered enough."

"Where he is, I hope he found that peace Mom mentioned."

A while later, the jet landed at the airport, and the group proceeded to make their way down to meet with their friends, who were waiting for them.

"Are you sure you should be moving like that, Jades?" Tsubasa asked, concerned about the burly man's condition. He was carrying Maria's bags, with the pinkette constantly trying to get him to let her carry at least one to ease his load.

"I'm fine!" Jades chuckled, reassuring them."It hurts a little but I'm cool to be carrying bags. You guys just take it easy and let me know if you want me to carry yours too, Tsubasa."

"That's everyone's big brother." Yosuke rolled his eyes playfully.

"Guys! Over here!"

The group stared ahead where Chris, Hibiki, Shirabe, Kirika, and Andreas stood, waving at them.

"Is everyone here?" Genjuro scanned around the room, quickly counting to make sure everyone was accounted for."Good. Then let's get this meeting started. Sakuya."

"Right." Sakuya brought up the blueprints for the broken Pendants and decks."For starters, the Rider Decks have been completely destroyed, only left in pieces."

"So that means we're out of the game," Takeru muttered.

"Not exactly." Aoi chimed in."It seems that Ryoko-san noted that what's giving the Decks their power are the Advent Monsters contracted to them."

"Our monsters were left intact." Jades nodded, showing them his Destwilder card.

"Desuwilder!" Kirika beamed, receiving a smile from the silver-haired man.

"So...what does that mean?" Hajime asked, confused.

"Well, to put it in simple terms, it means that if we can find a way to assemble the Decks back together, they could be fixed."

"I'm sensing a but here." Chris crossed her arms.

"We...don't exactly know how the Decks work aside from what little we know." Aoi explained."Not even Ryoko-san knew the ins and outs of them to be able to break them apart and reconstruct them. The power source is intact, but until we can figure out a way to actually build them back, they're useless."

"Shit...that means that even if we break people's Decks, they might just fix them up." Hajime cursed.

"I doubt that. Maybe Abyss and Verde could, but the rest, probably not. If a mad scientist like Ryoko-san, or Fine, couldn't crack the code, I doubt your average person would." Yosuke shrugged.

"Okay, so that means we still got 3 Riders that can fight." Chris bit the inside of her cheek."What about the Pendants? Can they be fixed?"

"Well, it's a similar situation." Aoi brought up the blueprints of the Pendants to the screen."The new type of Noise managed to damage the pendant and the barrier that protects the relic and the user."

"That's what happened to Serena's Gear." Maria pulled out her late sister's pendant.

"But we can fix them...right?" Chris rose a skeptical brow, hoping for good news.

"Unfortunately not at the moment." Sakuya said dejectedly."Not with Ryoko-san's help. She had more of an insight on the Gears than she did with the Decks."

"So...I'm the only Symphogear left." Hibiki frowned, clenching her chest.

"But you're not alone." Hajime grabbed her hand gently.

"Right. We're still here too." Raiden nodded, turning to Andreas."Right?"

"Yup!"

"You got us too!" Kirika cried out.

"Hell no." Jades shook his head."Not without LINKERS. I heard of that little stunt you pulled, and while you ended up saving Chris-chan and Takeru-kun, you still put yourselves in grave danger. Without a LINKER specifically tailored for you, you're not allowed to go."

"But Onii-chan-" Shirabe started, but Jades chopped them gently on their heads.

"I said no and that's final." He bent his knees slightly to be at their level, patting their heads."Just listen to your older brother, okay? I know how you feel. I feel the same way. But your lives are important too. Don't go risking them just because you feel inadequate. No one is useless. We all just have different moments to shine."

"Don't worry." Raiden approached them, hand to his hip."We can handle ourselves."

"And training is beginning soon." Andreas said, excited."I can't wait!"

"Right now, you're the strongest Rider, as much as it embarrasses me to admit it." Raiden shifted his gaze to Hajime."We'll be counting on you."

"Right...no pressure." Hajime chuckled nervously, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden expectations.

"I know you can surpass me." Yosuke wrapped an arm around the boy's frame."You made it this far. You're almost on my level. Nothing compared to when we first met. If anyone can do this, it's you."

"With that out of the way, there's another matter we need to discuss." Genjuro clapped, getting their attention."Follow me."

A few minutes later, they reached a small room where Elfnein and Tobias had been moved to for interrogation. The girl sat on a chair while Tobias opted for sitting on top of the desk.

As the group began entering, Maria noticed Raiden, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed."You're not coming?"

"I had a heavy breakfast today." The brunette said, avoiding her gaze."Just give me a minute to digest."

"Okay..." Maria said. She knew he was hiding something. She could tell easily because of the thoughtful look on his face but decided not to press further. She walked inside the room, joining the others.

"Oh. You're here." Elfnein acknowledged them, scanning around the room."Is Raiden-san not here? Is...it something I said?"

"He came here before, right?" Shirabe asked."What happened?"

"I'm not sure." Elfnein replied, clasping her hands."We were having a nice conversation and then I told him I was a homunculus and I had no real gender. As soon as I said that, he left the room. I'm worried I might have spooked him."

"Homonculus?" Chris asked.

"No real gender?" Hibiki joined the confusion train.

"Why did he get upset about that?" Kirika looked over to Shirabe."That doesn't seem like a bad thing."

"Maybe he got scared." Shirabe shrugged."He gets easily intimidated by new things."

"It's possible, I guess." Andreas hummed."He's kind of close-minded at times."

Raiden growled under his breath, hearing them talk about him as he sat literally outside of the room they were in.

Maria and Jades exchanged knowing smiles with each other.'So that's what it is. He has a crush.'

"He's fine." Maria glanced over her shoulder, knowing the boy was listening in from outside."My brother just has indigestion. But he'll be fine. He's not upset at you or anything."

"I'm glad..." Elfnein sighed in relief."He's been nothing but kind to me. I'd hate for him to dislike me. You said he's your brother?"

"Right. Kirika, Shirabe, Maria, Andreas, Raiden, and I are siblings." Jades confirmed.

"I don't see any resemblance." Tobias pointed at Jades' face.

"A bond like ours runs deep than blood." He said with a grin, followed by the smiles of his siblings around him.

"I see. Well, allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Elfnein, a homunculus created by Carol Malus Dienheim. And this is my Autoscorer, Tobias."

"Nice to meet you." Tobias smiled at them.

"Autoscorer...That's what that woman called herself before." Tsubasa remembered vividly Phara's words."He looks different than the other one. Skinnier, smaller. More fragile looking."

"That's my fault. I had to make him in secret and I didn't have the luxury of giving him good parts." Her shoulders slumped."Because of that, he's quite fragile, as you said."

"You did what you could Master. Please don't feel sad." Tobias's gaze fell on the group."My Master created me to help her stop Carol and Bragard's plans. Their plans to dissect the world and wipe out humanity."

"Again with the wiping out humanity part." Hajime sighed in exasperation."Ryuga wants the same thing. But how does dissecting the world even work?"

"You ever dissected a frog in class?" Takeru asked with a grin, causing Chris to groan."I have. Maybe cut the world open and spill its contents on...space?"

"Not quite." Elfnein shook her head."You see, the Alca Noise, originally based on the Noise that resided in the Treasury of Babylon, can break down objects to a fundamental level. As you can see, they can even break Symphogears. Carol's next step is to construct a gigantic apparatus to focus that power and use it on the world. The Château de Tiffauges. However, this is to be done when humanity has been exterminated by Bragard."

"Bragard's plans are...rather unknown to us. So the only thing Master can tell you is Carol's plans with the Château de Tiffauges since she was involved in its construction." Tobias admitted."We know he's managed to create a warp gate with the real world to the Mirror World. A different dimension that resides outside of this one."

"So that's where the Mirror Monsters are coming from." Jades noted."But how come Verde and Abyss can travel through them and we can't? Is it because they're Autoscorers?"

"Their Decks have been heavily modified." Elfnein explained."Bragard has extensive knowledge of the Advent Decks. Using this knowledge, he upgraded the Abyss and Verde Decks as well as created his own, the Alternative."

"That's what Dr. Ver used!"

"That was the Alternative Zero. An inferior copy. Or rather, a prototype. Bragard has the genuine Alternative Deck."

"Fuck..." Hajime ran a hand through his head."If he beat me so easily without his armor, I don't even want to think about fighting him as a Kamen Rider..."

Hibiki returned the gesture from earlier and squeezed his hand, giving him a reassuring smile that calmed his nerves.

"However, we do know that Bragard is the one who is suggesting the extermination of humankind. He may plan to use the Mirror World to attack every country in the world. Or perhaps, he has another plan up his sleeve." Elfnein fidgeted uncomfortably in place."Unfortunately, I do not know. He's very secretive about his studies and even keeps them from Carol."

"Okay. Then let's go back to what you can tell us." Yosuke took reign of the conversation."You said you were involved in the construction of this...Château de Tiffauges. And you said Tobias is an Autoscorer created by you. I take it you're an Alchemist."

"That's right. But I don't have all the knowledge and power that Carol does. I was created for a specific purpose, so she only installed the minimum required for me to assist her with the construction."

"Right...this Homunculus talk that got my brother...spooked." Maria snickered, followed by Jades. The others gave them odd glances."S-sorry..."

"While we don't know much about Bragard's plans, we know that they're directly correlated to Carol. And her Château de Tiffauges is near completion." Tobias continued."That means that Bragard is most likely finishing up his plans."

"Which means we have less time than we thought." Genjuro clicked his tongue."We expected to have more time to strengthen our forces."

"We have a solution that can help you fight back." Elfnein said, earning their full attention."That's why we brought the legacy of Dwerg Dain's legacy and these Survive Cards. These will for sure give you a fighting chance."

"Dwerg Dain's legacy? Survive Cards?"

Elfnein opened up her box, revealing two cards showcasing two golden wings. One had a fire background while the other one had a wind background."With this relic and these Survive Cards, you will be capable of fighting against Carol, Bragard, and their Autoscorers."

"We also have something else. Or rather, two other things." Tobias jumped off the table, marching to Elfnein's side and reaching for the box. He pulled out a small blue crystal, similar to the one the girls carried."This is another relic. It's called the Mjolnir."

"The Mjolnir?!" Genjuro gasped in astonishment.

"A relic manifested from Thor's hammer. Though it's more appropriate to say it's a fragment." Tobias explained."Which brings me to my next point."

The Autoscorer closed his left eye, and when he opened it, it was silver."I am currently sharing a body with Thord, the god of Thunder."

Once his eyes turned completely white, his voice changed, growing deeper, and having an echo to it."My name is Thor Odinson. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

"Wait...Thor? And you said you're sharing a body with this Autoscorer?" Yosuke asked, perplexed.

"That's right. I am sure you have encountered my father, Odin in the past. However, unlike him, I have performed a contract of equals. We share this body 50-50. Though that's not necessarily true on my part. I prefer Tobias to have control over his own body as much as possible."

"Are you...the real Thor?" Chris hummed, not believing him entirely.

"Chrissy, you weren't there. I'm pretty sure this guy is real. Odin felt like the real thing when we all fought him." Takeru sighed.

"Well, I'm not exactly the REAL Thor. I'm rather a manifestation of him. An avatar. You see, us higher deities can't exit our realm without a host."

"Right. Ryuga mentioned something about that before." Yosuke commented."He seemed knowledgeable in that subject. He said that Odin had taken control of the body of an innocent person."

"Ryuga...? Wait, that can't be right. I never heard of that Rider in my life."

"Wait, how much do you know about the Riders?" Tsubasa inquired.

"I know that originally, there were 13 Decks in total. All of them were created by the Allfather and stored in his treasury. Ryuki, Knight, Zolda, Scissors, Imperer, Raia, Tiger, Gai, Femme, Ouja, Abyss, Verde, and the last one that belongs to the Allfather himself, Odin. Although perhaps created is too strong a word. Originally, there were no Decks. There were stones, and the wielders could use the power of the Monsters inside of them. However, these stones were discovered 12 years ago by an archeologist working under Bragard."

"Wait, what? So Bragard..."

"Like I mentioned, Bragard has extensive knowledge of the Advent Decks." Thor continued his explanation."Because he was the one who created them. Who gave form to those powers using his vast knowledge."

"What?!" Everyone gasped in shock.

"B-but that's-"

"Ordinarily, in order to make a Deck, the assistance of a God is needed. When the Odin stone was found, it opened up a rift between dimensions, and the Allfather managed to get into this realm. He and Bragard made a deal and gave each other information, which led to the creation of the Advent Decks, the Mirror World, and more. I can only guess that this Ryuga Deck must have been created by my...former friend, Loki."

"Loki...the God of Mischief." Tsubasa frowned."Are you saying that Ryuga has made contact with a God?"

"Yes. More than likely, that's the case. When Bragard tried opening the dimensional rift 10 years ago, I saw Loki going into it, so I followed close behind. He must have found a host before me, for I was captured by Carol and kept locked away all these years. Until the brave Elfnein fred me and stuffed me inside Tobias' body to serve as his power core."

"Hold on...back up a second." Hajime swallowed the lump in his throat, sweating bullets."You said... an archaeologist was working for Bragard. He found the...Advent Stones, for lack of a better word. Do you...know that person's name?"

"Hajime-kun?" Hibiki blinked, confused.

"Lad..." Thor adopted a sympathetic expression."Your name is Hajime Adachi, correct? I heard of you both from Bragard and this person. I'm sorry to say, but the man who was working under Bragard and found the Advent Stones...was Hazama Liang, your father."

And that's the end of the chapter. I just finished my semester and I'm off for a few months from college so I'm going to be focusing a lot on writing these chapters. Speaking of which, there was a lot of information being unpacked in this chapter. Fair warning, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There will be a lot of mysteries being resolved and more appearing for our heroes to solve. I'm so excited to keep writing this season and I hope you guys are enjoying it just as I am.