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Guest DCDGojira: Glad you liked it, friend
lordri25may2001: Ventara is how the Divine Beast will be called. Advents is the Japanese version of that word. Advent World, Mirror World, etc so it's not that bad. As for the wielder of them Mjolnir, that's going to be a surprise that will be revealed soon. But there probably won't be another group of 3 Symphogears since it's not like they have Relics to spare or people to use. Honestly, I don't know why Maria got so mad at Hibiki and accused her of running away when she did the very same thing last season and then she just kind of got over it I guess. Over here I chose Yosuke to be the one to scold her since he's meant to be the leader figure and cares about Hibiki. I think Chris and Takeru should be the ones to console Hajime since they have been in similar situations to him in the past. Chris blamed herself for what Solomon's Cane caused after Fine made her activate it and Takeru blamed himself for what his dad did to Chris and a lot of people. Also, I feel like they're the most familiar and approachable of the group. Tsubasa and Yosuke are more formal and serious and Maria and Jades aren't that familiar with the group yet so they don't know them as well. Also, they're the only other official couple in the story so I like to work on their relationship as often as I can. Also don't worry, I like how you see some characters as Marvel and DC superheroes. I see some resemblance.
Nexus240: To be honest, I'm not that knowledgeable in Norse mythology either. I integrated because it works well with Symphogear and Kamen Rider Odin is Odin so it worked out. But you don't have to know much of it since I'll be explaining some things as I integrate them in the chapters so don't worry about that. I won't be using 100% of Norse mythology as my base, so I'll be changing some things here and there so as long as you follow with the story you should be fine.
Chapter 51
Survive
The Divine Disasters of Valhalla lounged around in their shared penthouse, resting in the living room after their unconscious members had woken up. Hazuki had removed his long jacket and the jacket underneath, leaving him only with a white shirt as he lay on the touch.
"So are we really doing this?" The yellow-eyed lone female of the group asked, currently disinfecting the gash on Hazuki's forehead. She had changed out of her Lydian uniform and was wearing baggy pink pants and a pink brassier to match."Joining these people?"
"It's not like we have a choice." Allister sat on the couch, eyeing Kuwana who had come into the living room with an ice bag to his head."We were all overpowered. And they know about us more than I'm comfortable with."
"I still don't understand how those guys beat the hell out of you guys." Terunosuke opted for sitting on the armrest of Hazuki's couch."I mean, me and Nakahara-chan are one thing, but you guys are the muscle, right? And we're supposed to be blessed with the power given to us by Loki. So how the fuck did we lose? Wasn't the point of selling our souls to you to get more power?! So what the hell is this?!"
"You say it like I actually own your souls now. I didn't anticipate meeting people with this kind of power." Loki, who was in his stuffed penguin body, sat on the coffee table, watching some cartoons."Honestly, I thought our biggest challenge would be S.O.N.G. But even they were defeated. But I did say that the power will be small at first, and will continue to evolve and grow as you fight. Even Chiaki, who has been here longer than you, was no match."
"He's got a point, Kuwana-san." Allister nodded."We just got our powers recently. We shouldn't blame it on him."
"Speak for yourself. You're the one with two monsters contracted. Aren't you mean to be the strongest?" Terunosuke asked in a derisive tone.
"It just goes to show that-Ow!"
"Sorry." Chiaki giggled, licking her lips as she examined the blood-stained cloth she had used to clean Hazuki's wound.
"Like I was saying, it just goes to show that we're still ways to go before we can start our plans." Hazuki sighed."I don't like it one bit, but we need the upgrades they are offering us."
"I agree." Loki nodded sagely."It will take us a long time to start Ragnarok on our own, and there is no guarantee it will work. However, if we play our cards right, we might be able to benefit from this and learn what kind of technology they're using to connect these two dimensions. Also, we could greatly benefit from their knowledge which could help us strengthen our forces. Also, we might be able to find out where the souls that don't go to the Sea of Souls are going."
"True. We're not exactly in a really good position with just this penthouse I got us." Allister agreed."Sure, we got a safehouse and money, but we're also missing other keys such as manpower, reputation, and knowledge. The fact that we got beat proves that much."
"So...should we go kill the other Riders?" Chiaki's eyes lit up in glee."Can I get to kill someone today? Rip their skulls out of their heads?!"
"I call dibs on Jades and the brats." Terunosuke grinned sardonically."I want to see Jades suffer the most painful death before I kill the kids."
"I still have to fulfill my contract to Fine and kill Takeru." Allister chuckled."I know she said to leave it alone, but I'd hate to leave a job unfinished. Besides, I want to see Chris' emotions when I kill her beloved boyfriend. They might shine brighter than Ryuki's when they defeated me."
"That's all well and good, but that won't help us in the long run." Hazuki sat up as Chiaki began wrapping his head with bandages."Killing them will only grant us power, but we don't only need power for our plans, as you know. I...say we go with this. Work with them for now. See what we can learn and how much we can grow. Once we get our chance, we can see what we do from there. Our plans don't align at all. He wants to kill all humans and build this...perfect species. If that happens, we won't be able to activate Ragnarok and create a new world."
"Yeah, I figured." Allister leaned back on his chair."Guess two big evil groups can't coexist after all, huh?"
"We're not evil." Hazuki stated with a matter-of-fact tone."We're doing the best for humanity. This is for the sake of everyone. A justified evil for the absolute good. But we won't be able to do that by just acting like monkeys and thinking power is all that matters."
"Look at you, Hazuki." Chiaki sat beside him, leaning against his frame."You're acting more forceful now. I love that~."
"I...have to start acting differently." Hazuki grumbled under his breath, his gaze on the floor."Can't do much with half-assessed attempts. He said it himself, doing this sort of plan will take great determination and conviction. But also...ruthlessness..."
"Well...whatever the case, I say do it." Terunosuke sighed in resignation."Why not?"
"Wow, Ojii-san. I thought you'd be the one most against this idea." Chiaki teased their eldest member.
"There's nothing wrong with yielding to a superior power." Terunosuke shrugged."It's what I did with this group, after all. It's the rules of the world. The strongest will be at the top while the weakest at the bottom. There is no freedom if you're weak. And true freedom is attained when you can get that freedom from others. I don't know about you, but I will see the end of this no matter what. I resigned myself to dying for the sake of Kaburagi-kun getting his wish so I can see Serena in the new world. I want to see Serena again and get my life back."
"Truer words were never spoken." Allister rose his imaginary cup to cheer.
"Then it's settled." Hazuki nodded to his comrades."I'll contact Bragard soon. We have one day left, after all. And also...he said there's something he has to tell me. I want to find out what."
"Oh? You want to fight us together?" Garie giggled, twirling around like a ballerina."I appreciate the effort, but I think you're way over your head."
"You don't look much stronger than Ryuga." Abyss commented, seizing him up."Though you better hope you are, otherwise you will lose."
"Wait...you fought Ryuga? And beat him?" Ryuki's eyes shot wide open in shock.
"I did. And he wasn't that big a threat, aside from those portals of his." Abyss beckoned Ryuki to come at him."Let's not waste any time. Come."
Sword Vent: Dragsaber
"If you insist! Hibiki-san! Run!" Ryuki shot himself toward Abyss, attempting to slash him with his sword. Abyss blocked the attack with his arm bracer, delivering a quick jab to Ryuki's stomach, forcing him to stumble back.
"Huh?! She's running away!" Garie growled before she began skating on the water she created from the soles of her shoes. The Noise followed after her, quickly catching up with Hibiki and the girls up ahead.
"Hey! I told you to not involve them!" Abyss snarled at Garie, who stuck her tongue out to him.
"Do your job and I'll do mine!"
"Tch! Garie, you lousy bitch!" Abyss clicked his tongue, setting his sights on Ryuki."If you don't want your friends dying, I suggest letting me take you down here and now."
"Like I believe a word you're saying!" Ryuki sprung into action, going for a thrust with his sword that Abyss managed to block by grabbing onto the blade. He backhanded Ryuki in the face, sending him skidding on the floor a few meters away. He then got back on his feet, sprinting in Garie's direction.
"You think you can just run away from this?" Abyss activated an ability, his body quickly cloaking itself in water, becoming a puddle of water
Dive Vent(If you play Genshin Impact, it's similar to what Mona does. Or if you're into Splatoon, then there is that too.)
The puddle began rapidly approaching Ryuki, even running past him before Abyss came out of it, kicking him in the chest and knocking him back. He cloaked himself with water again, this time moving behind Ryuki and punching him in the back of the head. This time, Ryuki retaliated by going for a roundhouse kick, which Abyss avoided by submerging into the puddle again.
"Hajime-kun!" Both Miku and Hibiki shouted. They were surrounded by the others by a group of Noise, with Garie cruelly smirking at the dragon-themed Rider.
"This one doesn't want to fight. So I guess I'll have to kill some of her friends to get her in the fighting mood."
"No! Don't!"
Rod Vent: Abyss Trident
Manifesting a trident in his arms, Abyss struck Ryuki on the back to keep him in place on the ground.
"Hibiki! The Gungnir!"
Everyone looked toward the source of the voice. Maria had stepped out of a car, sprinting toward the group. Miku grabbed the pendant out of Hibiki's hands, since she was in such a stupor that didn't allow her to react to Maria's voice, and threw it over to her.
"Granzizel Bilfen Gungnir Zizzle..."
(Play Resso Gungnir)
"Maria-san!" Ryuki beamed upon seeing his favorite idol once again clad in her version of the Gungnir. He took advantage of Maria's sudden interference to throw his sword behind him while Abyss wasn't looking, striking him in the face and forcing him to get off his back. He jumped to his feet, kicking Abyss's trident out of his hands and grabbing it for himself. He proceeded to go for thrusts with this new weapon, forcing Abyss to dodge them with relative ease.
'He's getting better as we fight.' Abyss continued dodging the attacks, eyeing the fallen Dragsaber on the floor and scooping it up, essentially trading weapons with Ryuki.'He's certainly not weak, but not as strong as Ryuga is.'
He kicked his legs, destabilizing Ryuki's balance and slashing him across the chest, sending him flying.
Maria grimaced, feeling the effects of using a Gear that was more attuned to Hibiki. However, since she was its previous owner, she was still able to use it to a certain degree. She quickly began dispatching on the Noise with her spear, cutting down their numbers rapidly.
"I was not expecting this, but I suppose it works out the same." Garia shrugged nonchalantly, summoning more Noise."At least this one can fight. And judging from how Ryuki is getting handled, then this mission is but assure."
"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you!" Maria lunged at her, spear in hand.
Garie used her Alchemy to solidly the water molecules in the air, forming a small barrier that blocked the tip of the spear. Maria dropped her spear, sidestepping to go for a punch, but Garie simply repeated the motion, blocking her attack with another barrier."What?!"
"Why don't you just chill out for a bit?!" Garie froze the water molecules around her barrier, creating ice spikes that nearly pierced through Maria if she hadn't dodged in time."Yeah. You're next."
"Like hell!" Ryuki rushed at Garie, who seemingly vanished from place."What?"
Before Ryuki could react, appeared on his side, striking him with a blade of ice, launching him to where Maria was and crashing into her.'She's so damn fast!'
"This is turning out to be a disappointment." Garie sighed in dismay, eyeing as Abyss walked up to her side."What about you?"
"Not much of a challenge, honestly."
Maria was unable to continue holding her transformation, coughing up blood due to the tremendous strain on her body.
"Maria-san!" Ryuki helped her up.
"Hajime-chan...forget about me..." Blood poured out of every orifice on her face."I'm sorry...I'm not of much use to you..."
"No! Don't say that!" Ryuki turned on his heels, facing the water-themed Autoscorers."I'm going to win! Just you watch!"
Ignite Vent
Two wings of fire appeared on Ryuki's back as he practically flew over to them.
Abyss and Garie summoned a pillar of water, with Garie freezing part of it to create spikes of ice. The dragon-themed Rider changed his wings to form blades of fire, melting straight through the ice. He attempted to slash at them, but their speeds proved to be too much for him. Garie skated around him and Abyss kicked him toward her, receiving a kick in the face, courtesy of the female Autoscorer.
His fire blades disappeared, leaving him heaving for breath on the ground.
"Oh, no!" Hibiki gasped in horror."They're going to kill him!"
"So not even Hajime-chan stands a chance against them..." Marie grumbled, wiping blood off her eyes."Wait...that's it! Hibiki! The card!"
"I don't see why Prince Bragi is so fixated on him, honestly." Garie rested a hand on her hip."Seriously, he's not that great."
"I'm as lost as you are."
Hibiki ran up to Hajime, kneeling by his side and grabbing his hand."Hajime-kun! I'm sorry! I should be fighting with you, but-"
"It's fine...but why the hell are you guys still here?!" Ryuki groaned, sitting up with great effort.
"Yosuke-san told me to give you this." Hibiki pulled a card out of her bag, giving it to Ryuki.
The boy marbled at the sight of the card."Survive Rekka...? That's what Elfnein and Tobias gave us, right?"
"They said to use this for an emergency. And...well, this is an emergency." She furrowed her brow in concern."But...they said they don't know if a human can use it without any repercussions..."
The boy took the card from her hands, smiling underneath his helmet."If I can get you guys back home safely, that's fine with me."
Once the grabbed the card, he felt a sudden surge of power coming off it and into his body. He could feel as though the card held tremendous power and was specifically made for him to use on this day.
"No...you're kidding me!" Abyss recognized the power from the card."He's going to use a Survive Card!"
"Wait, you mean that card that Elfnein stole?" Garie asked, growing nervous by how panicked Abyss sounded.
(Play Kamen Rider Ryuki - Revolution)
Flames began surrounding Ryuki, so hot that Hibiki had to step back a few yards away."What's happening?"
Dragreder appeared behind Ryuki, releasing a powerful, earth-shaking growl.
"I...Don't know..." Maria muttered. Ryuki's visor changed forms, transforming it from Dragvisor and turning it into Dragvisorzwei.
"No! I'm not letting him use that! No way!" Abyss quickly drew a card."I'm going to flood this whole damn place if I have to!"
"F-flood?!
Tsunami Vent
Abyss rose his arms, summoning a giant wave containing small sharks made of energy."I'm stopping this right now, Herrscher of Chaos!"
Ryuki opened the compartment of his new visor, inserting his card inside, causing Dragreder to begin to evolve into a more powerful form.
Survive: Rekka
The flames engulfed Ryuki, before combusting in an explosion that evaporated the water before it even reached them, surrounding the area with mist.
"He...evaporated my water...?" Abyss gasped in horror. He had no time to do anything else when he felt a punch to the gut that knocked the wind out of him.
"Damian?!" Garie cried out, only for her to receive a kick to the face that knocked her across the area.
Dragreder, who had evolved into Dragranzer, is a bigger and stronger form of Dragreder. This time, the dragon was larger in length, and even sprouting arms and legs. The newly evolved dragon swung its tail, easily clearing the mist off the area and revealing its owner. Kamen Rider Ryuki stood in the middle, his bodysuit changed from red to black and his armor became more pronounced with golden highlights across the chest plate, helmet, bracers, and legs.
"Wow!" Hibiki marbled at the sight."He's so cool!"
"He's so shiny too." Miku commented, gaping."Even I can feel the surge of power..."
'So that's the strength the Survive Cards provide to their wielders?' Maria felt her confidence returning.
Wordlessly, Ryuki drew a card from his newly evolved Deck, which had changed colors from black to red.
Shoot Vent: Dragblaster
A metal cannon was strapped to Ryuki's right arm with a Dragranzer's face over the hand and a barrel aimed out of the dragon's mouth. He aimed the cannon at Garie, who responded by creating a barrier in front of her. Offering no warning, Ryuki shot a beam of crimson flames at her.
Abyss quickly pushed Garie out of the way, raising his arm to try and block the attack, only to have the beam pierced through it and pierce the right side of his chest, creating an explosion of flames behind them and causing them to stumble over their feet.
"No way...he killed me!" Damian gasped, instantly focusing on regenerating his mortal wound that would have normally killed a person."He killed me with one attack and took a life from me!"
"I didn't even see that attack." Maria said, astonished."It was almost instantaneous!"
"He can win!" Hibiki beamed.
"Like hell! Garie!"
"Got it!"
Both water-themed Autoscorers used their maximum speed to close the distance between them and Ryuki. To their utter surprise, he grabbed their respective arms the moment they went in to attack him from his sides, easily tossing them away like ragdolls.
Shoot Vent: Abyss Turret
Abyss planted a turret based on Abysshammer's body on the floor, firing countless bullets at Ryuki.
Ryuki rose his visor, activating its blade mode to slash the bullets in a blur, effectively cutting them all pieces before they could ever hit him.
"Why you!" Garie attempted to blindside him, trying to stab him with a blade of ice. The blade melted as soon as it touched Ryuki, much to her shock. He swung his blade, seemingly cutting her in half, but her body exploded into water.
'An illusion?'
The real Garie appeared from above, attempting to pierce Ryuki with her ice dagger.
He grabbed her arm, tossing her over to Abyss harshly, returning the favor from earlier.
"I'm ending this right now." Ryuki spoke his first words before transforming, drawing a new card from his Deck."No more games! We settle this here!"
Final Vent: Dragon Fire Storm
"Hajime-kun!" Hibiki screamed to no avail."Don't kill them!"
Dragranzer appeared behind Ryuki, who jumped in the air and landed on its back as the dragon dived down toward their enemies. Dragranzer began transforming into a bike that Ryuki used to ride.
"Fuck! I'm not dying here! I can't!" Abyss desperately inserted a card into his visor."If I die, I will never be a human!"
Final Vent: Abyss Dive
Abysshamer and Abysslaher, but before they could do anything, Ryuki performed a wheelie, followed by Dragranzer shooting several fireballs at the monsters, preventing them from performing their attack. Some of the fireballs reached Abyss, who shielded Garie and in return, his left arm and part of his left leg were blown to bits.
However, Ryuki suddenly lost control of his bike, falling onto the ground and returning to normal.
"Huh?! What happened?!" Maria cried in shock."Why did he suddenly go back to normal?!"
"I forgot I don't know how to ride a bike...damn it!" Ryuki cursed his rotten luck, attempting to stand up but he felt completely drained."And my energy was zapped from me...I can't get up!"
"Let's get out of here for now." Garie crouched next to Abyss, who was slowly starting to regenerate as black dust swirled around his wounds."Why did you protect me, dummy?"
"Because I can regenerate and you can't, dummy." He retorted, his gaze falling on Ryuki."Why are we leaving?! Kill him now! If he gets any stronger then-"
"We're under orders to not kill him." Garie reminded him, taking out a red vial, breaking it, and teleporting away.
Once they left, Ryuki finally released his transformation, taking a deep breath."Shit...that was a crazy ass ride...quite literally too!"
Maria wobbled over to him, her wounds still present from her previous transformation."Hajime-chan...are you alright...?"
"I should be asking you that, Maria-san!" Hajime gasped, forcing his body to rush to her side to help her stand."I'm tired, but that's nothing compared to how injured you are!"
"I'm fine...Don't worry about me." Maria reassured him with a smile."You did great. Next time, I'm sure you'll be able to defeat them."
Hibiki and the girls approached the duo once the danger had passed, with the cream-haired girl making a beeline toward Maria.
"Here you go. Your Gungnir-"
"My Gungnir!" Hibiki snatched the Pendant away and pulled Hajime away from Maria."And my boyfriend!"
"Huh?" Hajime and Miku said in unison.
"What's with you all of a sudden?" Yumi wondered."I know you're possessive of him, but you've never outright said that to any girl he's talked to."
"What were you thinking?! Our power isn't meant to hurt other people like that?!" Hibiki berated her boyfriend."You were about to kill them!"
"So what? They're not people. They're dolls, Sunshine." Hajime frowned."And they're our enemies. They were going to kill the girls and you. What was I supposed to do?!"
"But that was too much! You've never been this aggressive before!"
"Yeah, well maybe I'm different now!" Hajime yelled, panting for air, still feeling exhausted."Look...we can't be trying to talk these people down, especially Carol and Bragard. You heard what Elfnein-chan said. They're working to destroy the world! These guys won't hesitate to kill innocent people!"
"But Abyss was going to let us go!" Hibiki argued back."Maybe Garie was going to hurt us, but Abyss didn't want that to happen! He was letting us go and you practically bisected him!"
"He regenerated!"
"You didn't know that at the time!"
"Okay! Time out!" Maria stepped in between them, pushing them away from each other."Now's not the time to be arguing like this! You're a couple! You're not supposed to be fighting like this! You're letting the enemy get to your head."
"She's right, you guys." Miku nodded."Why don't we just go back and cool our heads...it's been a stressful day."
"Yeah...you're right. Sorry, Sunshine." Hajime closed his eyes."I didn't mean to yell at you."
"No, it's okay. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. You're right. You didn't have a choice. You had to protect us." Hibiki grabbed his hand, giving him a gentle smile, which he returned."It's just...we shouldn't use our powers like this..."
Hajime said nothing, avoiding her gaze and staring at the ground.
"We should we you two back to HQ and treat your wounds." Ogawa approached the group."I'm sure Elfnein-chan and Tobias-kun can tell us more about the effects of the Survive Mode."
Meanwhile, Andreas, Shirabe, Setsuna, Kirika, and Raiden made their way from school and headed home.
"Kiri-chan, seriously." Shirabe glanced down at Kirika's report card."What's with these grades? They want Jades-nii-chan to sign this?"
"I-I can explain!" Kirika shrieked, hiding behind Raiden."Please don't tell Jades-nii-chan!"
"Like he'll do anything." Raiden frowned at the sudden contact."He'll just talk to you and let you go. It's Maria-nee who you should be worried about. I heard she's going to start pressing you two more to get your grades up."
"W-what?! Andreas yelped."But she's so strict! And she's scary when she's strict! She'll take away my candy!"
"She won't let me go out to play games-desu!"
"Aw...we can't play until you get your grades up, Kirika-chan?" Setsuna pouted."Hey! I can teach you! I'm pretty smart!"
"Really! Thank you so much, Setsuna-chan!" Kirika hugged the short-haired brunette."You're the best-desu!"
"Ah...Setsuna-chan, do you think you can teach me too...?" Andreas blushed, scratching his cheek sheepishly."I'm not as smart as you are..."
"Sure! The more, the merrier!" Setsuna cheered, locking arms with both him and Kirika as they skipped ahead, singing a song.
"I'm going to ignore the fact that Andreas is hitting on Bakime's sister." Raiden deadpanned."Otherwise, I'll be the one who's going to get the talk."
"I think it's cute." Shirabe shrugged, a small smile gracing her features."Besides, I heard you also have a crush of your own."
"Huh?! Did Maria-nee snitch on me?!"
"Nope. But I'm not blind." Shirabe responded, her smile widening."I noticed the way you were staring at Elfnein-chan during our meeting. And how you were avoiding her gaze. I might not know much about the subject, but I think those are pretty clear signs of someone being into someone else."
"Yeah? Well, so what?" Raiden's cheeks reddened, but kept a frown on as he pushed up his glasses further up his nose."Doesn't change anything."
"Maybe not." Shirabe offered a warm smile."But I'm glad to see you're opening up a bit more."
"Even if I don't deserve it..."
"You say that, but I think you do. You're not as bad as you might think you are."
"You don't know that."
Meanwhile, the kids up ahead ran to a familiar face, or at least, to the youngest Adachi."Oh! Look!"
Chao-Xing was trying to scope up her books after she had dropped them on the ground accidentally. However, due to having lost her dominant arm, she was having great trouble lifting all the books by herself.
"That's...isn't that your cousin?" Kirika tilted her head."She has hair as dark as Blacky-kun."
"Oh, yeah. She's out of the hospital already?" Andreas pondered. Setsuna rushed to the dark-haired girl's side, quickly getting to work and helping her pile up her books.
"Hi. Sorry if I'm intruding. I just can't leave you struggling like this." Setsuna said."I can't believe you're out of the hospital already."
"You're...that other halfbreed." Chao-Xing sneered in disdain."Of course, I'm out of the hospital. Compared to what I've been through, this is nothing. A true Liang doesn't let things like this slow them down. And no, I don't need help from someone with dirty blood like you."
"Halfbreed? Dirty blood?" Setsuna blinked, watching as the older girl tried to lift her books on her own.
"Your father dared to marry someone that did not possess Chinese blood in their veins." Chao-Xing spat on the floor."It tainted our family name. Which makes you and your brother dirty halfbreeds."
"Well...I guess I am half-Chinese. Not 100% like you." The girl hummed in thought."But we're not dirty! I'm quite hygienic! I shower every day and I have a hand sanitizer in my bag! You want some?"
"Huh...?" Chao-Xing stared at her, dumbfounded. Suddenly, she hissed in pain, dropping her books back on the floor. She tried grasping her arm, realizing once again, that it was gone.
"What's wrong?! Are you ok?!" Setsuna gasped, turning to her friends."Guys! I think she's hurt! We have to bring her back to the hospital!"
"I'm fine...!" She hissed between breaths, falling on one knee."This is..."
"Phantom pain." Raiden said, approaching them with Shirabe."Isn't that right?"
"Yes..."
"What is phantom pain?" Andreas asked."Sounds ominous."
"Well, simply put, it's when you can feel pain in a missing limb." Raiden supplied."In her case, she must feel pain in her left arm, even though it's gone."
"Are you taking painkillers, Chao-Xing-san?" Shirabe inquired.
"I am..." Chao-Xing sighed, deciding to give it a rest and simply sat on the ground, dejected."But the pain still comes and goes. According to that little friend of yours, it's probably because of the trauma."
"Little friend?"
"I think she's referring to Elfnein-chan." Raiden elaborated."I heard that she approached you yesterday after you woke up, right?"
"So you're saying you can get me a prosthetic arm and give me this...Relic thing you mentioned?" Chao-Xing surmised the information given to her after listening to Elfnein's explanation. The full-blooded Liang glanced up at her cousin, who was busy staring at a wall, or probably just avoiding her, or so she thought.
"Yes. With Alchemy, I'm sure I can get you a perfectly working arm. And if you want, I can make it look as human as possible so you won't be uncomfortable with its appearance. Then it will be a matter of attaching the nerves, which will be painful, but I'm sure someone like you can persevere through it."
"And let me guess, you want me to enlist in your little group of child soldiers and fight in your stead. And in exchange, you'll give me that arm?" She scoffed.
"Not at all. I can still give you the arm, even if you don't wish to help." Elfnein smiled, looking over her shoulder."It's a personal request from Hajime-san, after all."
"Elfnein-chan, we agreed that you weren't going to say that." Hajime sighed, flustered.
"Ah! I'm so sorry!"
"The halfbreed? Him?" Chao-Xing grinded her teeth."He's taking pity on me?"
"It's not pity. I just wanted to help you." Hajime groaned."Elfnein-chan is already building a prosthetic leg for your dad. He has no issues with it."
"I thought you said you didn't care about us, halfbreed. Why the change of heart?"
"I don't. But if Bragard is hunting us down, the least you deserve is a fighting chance." Hajime locked gaze with her, hazel orbs staring at pink ones."The Relic is so if you want to fight and help us take Bragard and Carol down, you'll have a chance to fight and not die immediately. You pride yourself on being a warrior and the strongest of the Liangs. But things like that are useless against beings like them."
"Of course, you won't be able to use the Relic just yet. We need you to go through some exams to see how compatible you are with it, and get our hands on LINKER to help you use it. You have great fighting experience, so I'm positive that if you use the Mjolnir Relic, you'll be a great asset."
"What's the point?" Chao-Xing snorted."Didn't your whole group get destroyed by his underlings? You stand no chance. And I'm not going to make a difference. Besides... needing to use otherwordly powers... goes against everything I stand for. I don't need that or your pity."
"For fuck's sake, it's not pity-"
"Of course, you don't understand what pride is!" Chao-Xing snarled."You're just a fucking halfbreed! You don't understand what our family stands for!"
"Then accept our offer and protect your dad and brother. Stop being so stubborn about something that's not worth it. Even your dad understands!"
"I was supposed to be the next hair of the Liang Clan...and instead, almost our whole bloodline was wiped out. I lost an arm and was beaten in combat...Now look at me. A shell of what I used to be. Can't even get dressed or shower by myself right now. Get out of my room."
"But Chao-Xing-san..." Elfnein tried pleading with her, but she was not listening.
"GET OUT!"
"So you rejected not only the arm but also being a Symphogear?" Kirika blinked."I mean, I get not wanting to be a Symphogear, but why the arm?"
"Because I don't need handouts. I don't need pity. I don't need help. I'm Chao-Xing Liang, a proud member of the Liang family." Chaox-Xing grumbled, beginning to pile her books back again."Just like I don't need your help now."
"There's nothing wrong with getting a helping hand." Setsuna squatted in front of her, helping her up again."I understand that maybe you don't want anything to do with me or my family. But that's no reason for me not to help you if you're in trouble. Maybe you don't think this way, but we are family. There is no changing that."
The short brunette grabbed the books and held them up for Chao-Xing to get."Even strong people need help. Accepting it doesn't make you weaker. It just makes you stronger for accepting your own limits. Or at least, that's what my mom used to say."
"Your mom..." Chao-Xing begrudgingly grabbed her books, staring down at the girl."Do you remember your father?"
"My dad?" Setsuna hummed, rubbing her temples."Not really. All I have is what my brother and my grandma say about him. They say he...was a bad person that caused a lot of pain. But I can't judge him, since I can't remember him. I guess that's why I can't bring myself to hate you or your side of the family since I don't understand. So I can't hate you for something like that. There's a lot of hate in this world as is."
"I figured. You were probably too young to remember." Chao-Xing muttered, offering the girl a sympathetic look. Without another word, the one-armed girl began walking ahead of the group.
"Have a nice day!" Setsuna waved goodbye to her cousin."Say hi to your dad and brother for me!"
"She certainly has an attitude." Raiden scoffed, hands on his hips."Didn't even say thank you. And why are you so nice to her anyway? Clearly. she hates you."
"Because Setsuna-chan is a saint!" Andreas said with a dreamy smile."She's so kind and helpful, even to the people who don't like her!"
"I'm not a saint. Even I admit I have done bad things too. It's just...it must be scary for her. Losing all of her family and being afraid of losing what's left. I can relate to that."
"In a way, I guess you are similar to her. Both of you have only your brother and one parent figure left." Shirabe said, resting a hand on the girl's shoulder."But you also have us."
"But Chao-Xing-san doesn't have any close friends from what I've seen." Setsuna frowned."That's why I want to see if I can help her out a little."
"Well, hopefully, you can convince her." Raiden sighed."If you can get her to get that prosthetic arm, she might want to help us."
Just then, their phones began to ring. Raiden quickly answered his, putting it on speaker."Yes?"
"Raiden-kun! Good. The enemy has just intercepted Hibiki-kun and Hajime-kun! Maria-kun went for their aid, but things aren't looking so good! I'm sending you their location!"
"Got it!" Raiden clicked his tongue."Andreas, we need to move! The others-"
A scream echoed through the area, causing the group to look where the scream had come from. From one of the windows of a store, a blue monster, Zenobiter, had come out of the mirror and grabbed a nearby woman, trying to pull her in.
"Shit!" Raiden immediately rushed to help, wasting no time in kicking the monster in the face and back into the mirror. The woman quickly ran away, refusing to look back as she was too startled to do so.
"Raiden! Was that-"
"A Mirror Monster! Everyone! Stay away from the mi-"
"SETSUNA-CHAN!"
Another Zenobiter had grabbed a hold of Setsuna, forcing her into the mirror as the poor girl tried to wiggle free to no avail. Suddenly, Chao-Xing slammed a book against the monster's face, causing it to release its hold on Setsuna. However, it grabbed onto her arm, pulling her inside the mirror.
"Chao-Xing-san!" Kirika tried to grab her foot, but Andreas pushed her aside to avoid being dragged into the mirror world with him after he had grabbed onto her foot. Before his body could be pulled in completely, Raiden grabbed onto his shoe, only to be absorbed in as well, leaving Setsuna, Kirika, and Shirabe by themselves.
"Oh, no! They were pulled inside the mirror-desu! How are they going to get back?!"
Shirabe pulled out her phone, dialing the commander."We have a problem."
Inside the Mirror World, Andreas continued trying to free Chao-Xing from the monster's grasp."Let her go! You stupid monster!"
"Andreas! Duck!"
Andreas bent his knees just in time for Raiden to fly over him, kicking the creature in the face, and forcing it to release Chao-Xing. The girl rolled on the floor, recuperating after the assault as more Zenobiters emerged from the mirrors, wielding boomerangs in their hands.
"Stay behind us!" Raiden ordered, taking out his Deck along with Andreas.
"Tch!" Chao-Xing clicked her tongue in annoyance. She scanned around her surroundings, eyeing something out of the corner of her eyes.
Both boys inserted their Decks into their V Buckles."Henshin!"
(Play Kamen Rider Ryuki - Hatenaki Inochi)
In a flash of light, Imperer and Raia were ready to battle, both of them immediately activating their respective abilities.
Sword Vent: Gazellesword
Strike Vent: Evilsickles
A sword composed of Gigazalle's horns appeared in Imperer's hands and two twin sickles connected by chains mimicking Evildiver's fins appeared in Raia's. Raia threw his right sickle at a monster, who rose its boomerang to block. The sickle wrapped itself around it, with Raia pulling on it and disarming the monster. He maneuvered the brains, throwing the stolen weapon against another monster.
One Zenobiter hurled its boomerang at Raia's blindside, which was quickly blocked by Imperer and his sword. The boomerang returned to its hand, only to toss it again, and this time, another 3 Zenobiters joined in on the throws.
Raia lashed out his sickles, blocking the boomerangs, however, one of them cut through its chains, causing him to lose control of one of his weapons."Damn!"
"You okay?!" Imperer hollered, kicking a monster away with a grunt, blocking another one that used its boomerang as a sword.
"Just peachy!" Raia growled, finding himself in a difficult position as he tried to get the other sickle on the floor while defending against two monsters."Chao-Xing-san?!"
Chao-Xing gave a battle cry, double kicking a monster in the stomach, knocking it against another. She used the pole she had found after breaking the window of the shop they had come through and twirled it around in her hand. She jumped against the wall, propelling herself against a monster, and slammed her pole into its mouth.
"Man, she's good!" Imperer chuckled in amusement."Those are some cool moves!"
"Summon your Gazelles! She's fast, but if she gets hit, it's over!"
Advent: Gigazelle
A group of Gazelles began attacking the Zenobiters around Chao-Xing."Gigazelle! Please keep her safe!"
The Gazelle boss nodded, ordering instructions to its subordinates.
"Hey, Raiden?! Shouldn't one of us use Survive Shippu?!" Imperer asked, receiving a boomerang to the back that sent him stumbling until he fell on his face. He groaned, picking himself up from the floor."Isn't this an emergency?!"
"Are you dying?!"
Imperer blinked, checking his body."No?"
"Is Chao-Xing-san dying?!"
He spared a glance to the Chinese girl, who continued keeping monsters at bay with pure fighting prowess."Not really."
"Then no. Remember, Elfnein-chain said only for emergencies since this Survive Card isn't meant for our affinity! It could cause severe backlashes!"
"Affini what now?!"
"Just using your Final Vent!" Raia ordered, throwing his sickles at two monsters, knocking them back to give himself room to use his ability.
Final Vent: Hide Venom
"Oh, right!" Imperer drew a card, raising his knee.
Final Vent: Drive Divider
Raia jumped on top of Evildiver, circling the area to gain momentum. Gigazelle got the Gazelles in line, ordering them to attack. The Gazelles began slashing at the monsters, rounding them together into a circle for Evildiver to ram into, causing them to explode once he ran through them.
"Hey! Watch it!" Chao-Xing huffed in exasperation, narrowly avoiding the boomerang that threatened to decapitate her.
"We're missing one!" Andreas pointed at it."Gigazelle, it's time to-"
"Wait!" Raia cried."I have an idea. Tell your monsters to grab its arms and legs! You, Chao-Xing-san, and I will place ourselves in front of that mirror."
"What?" Chao-Xing scowled in confusion."Why?"
"We can't exit the Mirror World unless we're in contact with someone or something that can enter at will."
"Wow! I didn't think of that! You're so smart, Raiden!" Andreas cheered.
The group stood in front of the mirror, watching as the Gazelles held onto the Zenobiter that tried to break free to no avail. Once they were close enough, the Gazelles ran against the group, using the monster to touch them and be able to pass through the mirror through direct contact. Once they were out, they were met by the three startled girls who had been watching the whole fight.
"You're back!" Kirika beamed, tears glistening in her eyes."We thought we'd never see you again-desu!"
"How did you..." Shirabe gasped upon seeing the Zenobiter still being held hostage by the Gazelles."You brought it here with you?!"
"Yeah?" Raia shrugged with a huff."Elfnein-chan said that if we could, to bring a Mirror Monster back to her."
"Why?" Setsuna cocked her head to the side.
"To see if we can get integrate whatever is in their body that makes them enter the Mirror World into our Decks. So next time, we won't have to do this dumb shit again. Call Ogawa-san or something. We need to take this thing in the air or people will see it."
"I already did." Shirabe informed him."It seems the other battle didn't end in victory but at least everyone is okay."
Setsuna noticed her cousin walking away, running after her."Chao-Xing-san!"
"What now?" The raven-haired sighed, not sparing a glance.
"Thank you so much for saving me back then!" The young girl bowed in gratitude."Thank you!"
"I didn't do it for your sake." Chao-Xing resumed her walk."I hate having to owe someone a favor. Tell your brother that we're even."
"I will! Thanks again!"
"Setsuna-chan." Imperer grabbed his not-so-secret crush's attention."Your cousin...is really cool."
"I know, right?! My family is the best!"
Chao-Xing huffed upon hearing her words."What does a half-bred know, anyway?"
"I understand that maybe you don't want anything to do with me or my family. But that's no reason for me not to help you if you're in trouble. Maybe you don't think this way, but we are family. There is no changing that."
"Family, huh..."
Later that day, Genjuro replayed the fight between Ryuki, Garie, and Abyss to study it better.
"I can't believe how powerful he became with that card." Takeru marbled at the screen with a big smile.
"You got that right." Chris grinned, slamming her fist against her palm."He went from getting his ass kicked to dominating both of them!"
"That is true, but there's still the part that happened in the end." Yosuke glanced at the homunculus."Elfnein, why did his form suddenly give out? I thought since Survive Rekka had fire affinity, it was perfect for him."
"His body is not accustomed to that kind of power." Elfnein stated."Also, his Deck can't maintain that form for long since it's more than it can handle for a short time. We'll have to upgrade it as soon as we upgrade the others so we don't lose any more fighters."
"There's also the problem of his limited stamina." Tobias chimed in."He was putting too much energy into his attacks and exhausting himself."
"So...guess that unless we can fix those problems, we won't be beating them any time soon, huh." Takeru's smile shrank."By the way, they can regenerate? All of them?"
"Just Damian and Zeke. Unlike the others, they are Autoscorers and Homunculus. A hybrid mixed. They can regenerate by consuming their lifeforce which they can replenish by consuming humans. Damian tends to avoid doing this, but Zeke loves it, especially targeting women, since they offer the most nutrients. Since he consumed the most life force out of the two of them, it's not farfetched to say that he's attained a form of immortality."
"Shit." Chris clicked her tongue."So they can't die?"
"There's a limit to their regeneration, in particular Damian's." Elfnein said."Since he doesn't consume much human life force, his regeneration has a limit. If you exhaust it enough, you can permanently put him down."
"What about Zeke then?" Genjuro asked.
"Well...for now, we don't know." Tobias rubbed his nape."We don't know how much life force he has and to what extent it can go. And if he finds himself overwhelmed, he might have enough lives to escape and get upgraded. This means, to defeat Zeke, you'll need a powerful enough attack to shave off all his lives in one go to prevent him from regeneration."
"So we need an attack that can kill him enough times so he doesn't come back?" Takeru folded his arms."So...approximately how many times would that be?"
"If I had to put a number with mere estimation...probably over 100 times."
"100 times?!" All of them echoed upon hearing such a large number.
"Which is best to aim to try and disintegrate his body with a blast powerful enough to do so, rather than kill him 100 times. But there's also the possibility of giving fatal blows as Hajime-san did. If you "kill them", you're shaving off a lot of life force and wasting a lot of their lives." Tobias quickly interjected."Takeru-san...the only one who can do this is most likely you."
"Me? I mean, I do have a bone to pick with the guy, but..."
"Zeke specializes in his mobility as well as speed. Normal Riders can't get close to him and he can attack from afar, but if it's you, someone who specializes in guns, then you might be able to turn the tables on him. And if you're in Survive, then the chances only increase."
"We can work on that as we go. But for now, the situation isn't looking as bad as before." Yosuke said.
"You're forgetting something, Yosuke-san." Elfnein said, earning his attention."The ability that Bragard has to upgrade his Autoscorers."
"Oh, right!" Jades brought a hand to his head."Didn't they say that those guys were able to gather battle data from our battles at the Frontier and that's how they got this strong? What if they got data from Hajime's Survive Form and get stronger?!"
"Usually upgrading them takes some time." Tobias said, calming the burly man."I assume that Bragard would like to wait and see what more Survive Forms can offer before upgrading them. He'll most likely be careful from now on. Which is why Master can I have to get working on the Pendants and the Decks. Now that Raiden-san brought us that Mirror Monster, we were able to reverse engineer how it works and find out why it can travel through dimensions and apply that technology to the Decks."
"Can it be applied to the Pendants?" Tsubasa inquired.
"Unfortunately, no. It's only compatible with the Decks' technology."
"I see." Tsubasa sighed, rubbing her arm."Then it can't be helped."
"Don't stress it." Yosuke rested his hand on her shoulder."You guys handle the Noise while we handle the Mirror Monsters. We both got our jobs, don't we?"
"Right." Tsubasa smiled, her hand on top of his as they stared into each other's eyes.
"Ahem." Genjuro cleared his voice, prompting them to separate."With that said, I think we should-"
Just then, Hajime entered the room, taking shaky steps with Raiden and Andreas behind him.
Hajime made a beeling for Tsubasa, who blinked in surprise."Are you okay, Adachi-"
"Please, Kazanari-san! Teach us how to ride a bike!"
Meanwhile, Hazuki stood inside an office in an unknown location. The place itself was normal. A coffee table, two couches, and some portraits. But outside of the place, it was a complete fortress. He's surprised by this place's existence and how it was kept a secret, considering its size.
"I'm glad you took on my invitation." Bragard leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm."It makes me happy to see that some humans are smart. At least, smarter than mere animals."
Hazuki's eyes averted over to Zeke, who was watching him like a hawk in case he tried anything."Well, not like I have much of a choice, really. What would you have done if I had said no to your offer?"
"Honestly, just amputate your arms and legs and attached you to the Overlord to get your Divine Powers and keep you around like a pet." Bragard said casually."But a partnership like this is better. I know we can see under the same light. I'll tell you all about the Overall, but I also expect you to tell me about your plans as well. But as a token of good gesture, let me let you in on some secrets."
Hazuki listened as Bragard began explaining what he wanted to say, and with each new word and realization, Hazuki's eyes grew wider and wider, until they were about to bulge out of his skull.."You're lying...that...that can't be true!"
And that's another chapter done. I'm probably going to upload these chapters without warning, as this one naturally came to me and I had it ready a few days after I uploaded the last one. But the next one might take a little extra or maybe not. It all depends on how it goes. So finally, Survive is introduced into the story. And don't worry, we saw a short demonstration by Hajime, but we'll get plenty of chases to see it in action later on in the season. Also, Hazuki has joined up with Bragard, which will make things even harder for our heroes. How will the far against both the Alchemic Cult and the Divine Disasters of Valhalla? Stay tuned for more!"