Author's Note: Thank you for the 74 followers and 63 favorites! I never imagined this story making it this far. In the beginning, this was looking bleak, but I'm lucky to have such wonderful readers like you guys. So in return, I'll continue to deliver and we'll see this story to the end! Again, thank you so much for your support!

Reviews:

Tigracho: Glad you liked it. Yup, Hajime is an emotional mess as well right now and anything is triggering him. And Dragreder also cares about Hibiki, so he got equally pissed off. Takeru always being a real friend. I love him. Oh, yeah, you're right. Takeru has the most amount of enemies lol. Though Allister is more out of an obligation to complete his contract to Fine and Zeke is just petty. And petty he is, and you will see soon.

lordri25may2001: It hasn't been mentioned because I didn't think it was a big deal but I'll say it here. Zeke and Phara have different parents. They married when they were already born, so they're step-siblings. That's why they have different last names. What I will keep a secret is why Leiur and Phara remember their siblings, but Damian and Garie didn't remember each other. It will be explained later on. Trust me, Bragard will get what he deserves. Yeah, you're right lol. Hitting your girlfriend's dad is a bad idea except if they deserve it. But violence is never the answer in real life! Yosuke will not be like Hajime when he meets Tsubasa's dad again because he's more level-headed than him and knows when to keep his emotions controlled. Also, Takeru does not want to die. But I see why you got confused.

So when Allister says "It goes without saying, but this won't end with you alive."

Takeru responds."Yeah, maybe. But they say the way to hell is a lonely one. And you would make for a great company."

This is basically Takeru saying "Hey, maybe I'll die but I'll make sure I kill you first." It's kind of like him just messing with him and saying that he won't get what he wants. But no, Takeru does not want to die. Even more so because of Chris. I love Inori Minase too.

stardrago: She can basically just prevent him from regenerating, or at least, from sacrificing one of his counterparts from a parallel universe. But since he can regenerate by using the lifeforce he's taken from absorbing it from other people he's hard to kill even for her. However, he's not a Divine Weapon unless he unleashes that power dormant within him, which would make him transform into something similar to Tiki and Hibiki in AXZ. So to kill him, you need an attack strong enough to prevent him from regenerating and capable of killing Divine Weapons.

Tenzalucard123: The meeting was pretty chaotic. Dragreder loves Hibiki as much as Hajime does, so when Hajime got mad, he got mad too, which almost resulted in the fusion from before. This is why Chao-Xing wants to train Hajime to control his emotions, so he does not go out of control again.

Chapter 63
The Bonds I Never Thought I'd Have

Bragard wandered around the streets of Ventara past sunset, heading home after a day of studying with Carol and her Dad. Leonardo had stayed behind, so Zeke had escorted him back to the capital from the village they lived in. But after getting inside, Bragard had dismissed his Royal Knight because it was his mother's birthday and he wanted him to spend time with her. He was hesitant, reminding him that she was actually his stepmother since Phara's mom and his dad married each other after they were born. But the young prince was happy to remind him that family ran deeper than blood since he considered him and Damian brothers.

Of course, this brought the young knight to tears but agreed. Leaving Bragard to his own devices. It had been a long time since he had the opportunity to roam around the kingdom on his own. Nowadays, he needed an escort due to his disease. So chances like this were rare, to say the least. He waved his hand around, greeting the citizens who recognized the cheery boy and returned the gesture. One day, he would walk these streets not as a prince but as a king. And he longed for the day when he would be like his father and make his subjects happy.

Or so he hoped. But the cruel destiny had other plans for him. He began coughing again, covering his mouth and leaning against a wall for support. He realized he was coughing blood but before he could do anything, he began to choke on his blood. He fell on his knees, trying to spit the blood blocking his windpipe. However, he felt a pair of arms wrapped around his stomach before pulling hard on him, causing him to spit out a considerable amount of blood that was preventing him from breathing.

The prince heaved for precious oxygen, tears streaming down his face from the near-death experience.

"My Liege." A man knelt next to him, offering a cup of water. Bragard didn't question him and swallowed its contents, clearing his throat.

"T-t-thank you..." Bragard calmed down, wiping the tears from his eyes to see the person who saved him. In front of him was a man wearing a very eccentric suit. He looked to be some type of noble and had long hair and purple eyes. The thing that caught his attention the most was the hat on top of his head, tilted forward and covering his left eye."I...Sorry. I don't think I've seen you before, my good sir."

"No need for apologies, Prince. I tend to go a little undetected. My name is Adam Weishaupt." The man introduced himself removing his hat for a quick bow."Pleasured to make your acquaintance, Prince Bragard."

"T-the pleasure is mine, sir." Bragard bowed as well, causing the man to chuckle.

"To have a prince return my pleasantries...it feels odd. A prince like you shouldn't bow his head so easily." Adam mused.

Bragard blinked, realizing that the cup he had was gone. Assuming he threw it away or something, he rubbed his head bashfully."I-I see...Sorry. But I have no qualms about being treated differently because of my status, Adam-dono. I am just a child, after all. A sick child at that."

"This is the Messiah?" An unimpressed voice echoed behind them. Bragard glanced behind Adam, meeting gaze with the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Perhaps even more than his mother. A tall white-haired woman with a dress made her way toward them, a stern expression on her face as she studied the youth."Not what I was expecting..."

"I assure you, St. Germain, he is a Messiah." Adam smiled, finding the half-raven and white-haired boy's reaction toward his ally quite amusing."However, even Messiahs are prone to sickness, as it seems. What do you have exactly?"

"I...I'm not sure, good sir. No one knows." Bragard twiddled his fingers."I've been having this...disease for over a year now. It's making my hair turn white and causing me to cough blood constantly. I can barely do any activities without exhausting myself...I...I don't know if I'll be okay. My parents say I will but I don't know..."

"I see. I am sorry to hear that." Adam lowered his gaze as a sign of respect."No child should ever have their life be endangered by disease. Allow me to offer a solution. Something that may work. Are you aware of Alchemy?"

Bragard gasped, glancing around to make sure no one had heard him."A-Adam-dono!"

"Relax, Prince. My associate and I are quite knowledgeable in Alchemy ourselves." Adam glanced over his shoulder toward St. Germain, who folded her arms under her chest."We understand that it's frowned upon to be an Alchemist. And it may very well lead to execution. But I believe the only solution to your predicament is Alchemy. Or to be precise something that can be achieved with Alchemy."

"I...I can be saved...?" Bragard asked in a hopeful tone.

"Indeed." Suddenly, Adam manifested a black book in his hand, offering it to the Prince. The only covered in the book looked to be some kind of tree. Or whatever it was. Bragard wasn't sure."That's the book detailing the sacred tree residing in Helheim. The Qlipoth tree is believed to bring about miracles. It is possible for you to open a gate to that place, however, you must use an artifact. A Relic, if you may."

"A Relic...?" Bragard muttered, studying the book."And Helheim...but that's a bad place! They say demons live there and all kinds of monsters!"

"Indeed. It's hell itself. And within that hell, lies the tree...the Tree of Life, as they call it. It is possible to open a small gate there without having to open a big one. That way, you won't alert the attention of the entities there. Your objective is to find the fruit that grows in said tree. It will grant you incredible power and no doubt heal you of your pesky disease. All of those secrets are within that book. If you are truly a skillful Alchemist, you will find a way to save yourself. And believe me, Prince, it is in your best interest to survive."

"W-why is that...?"

"Were you not aware of the prophecy?" Adam looked surprised."I thought a Messiah would know of the presence of...the other Messiahs."

"Other...Messiahs...?"

"You see, Messiahs, or rather Messiah Candidates are born throughout the world. And their goal is to become the real Messiah. However, as it turns out. not all of them have the best of intentions. There is a prophecy that says that one day a Messiah will be challenged by two others and they'll fight to take the first Messiah's place and take everything away from them. These Messiahs will represent Chaos and Calamity. As you can imagine, they are no good. They'll want to destroy your beloved kingdom if you die since that's when the Royal Family will be most vulnerable."

"O-oh no! They are evil then!" Bragard shrieked, frightened."The Herrscher of Chaos and Herrscher of Calamity...I have to stop them...But if I die, I can't do that...I am a Messiah. A good Messiah! I must protect my kingdom! My friends and my family! And...Carol..."

"Then you know what you must do." Adam rested his hands on the boy's shoulders."Don't you?"

Bragard stared into the man's eyes then over to the white-haired woman, who continued to eye him critically."I will...I will save my kingdom. Thank you for your help, Adam-dono, St. Germain-dono! I'll make sure to study as much as I can."

The young boy ran back home without another word, hiding the book with his cape as best as he could.

"Was it wise to give him such a thing, Lodgemaster?" St. Germain inquired."He is a child. More than likely he will die without achieving his goal."

"It's part of the plan. I want to see how this goes." Adam shrugged, dropping his facade."Besides...I have a feeling he will make things more...interesting."

Zolda immediately opened fire on Ouja, who ran to the sides to avoid the energy bullets, drawing a card from his Deck.

Sword Vent: Venosaber

Using his sword, Ouja began deflecting the bullets, running up to Zolda and closing in the distance. Once they were close enough, he went in for a swing, but the gunslinger blocked the attack with his visor. Zolda went for a kick, which was blocked by Ouja's knee, and then shoved him away before he leaped in the air, delivering a double kick against Zolda's chest.

The attack sent the Rider stumbling against a pillar and had no time to waste as Ouja went in for a stab, prompting Zolda to jump out of the way, reaching for his Deck.'He's fucking fast, but unlike before, I can keep up and react!'

Shoot Vent: Gigacanons

Zolda shot two missiles from his canons, forcing Ouja to retaliate by activating a new card.

Dupe Vent: Kamen Rider Scissors

Out of nowhere, Kamen Rider Scissors emerged from thin air with his Shelldefense equipped, blocking the attack.

"W-what...?" Takeru momentarily dropped his defense, bewildered by what he was seeing."How...? That's...GoroGoro...But how can that be...?"

"You're looking at your destiny, Takeru." Ouja taunted with a cruel smirk, resting his arm on Scissor's shoulder."This is a new ability in my arsenal. An upgrade I received. The Dupe Vent. It allows me to summon one of the Riders whose power I have stolen. Since I only have Scissors, I can only use him. But soon enough...you will be part of my collection."

Strike Vent: Scissorspinch

Scissors' shield was replaced by a familiar pair of pincers.

"Goro! It's me!" Takeru pleaded with the crab-themed Rider."Cypher! What did you do to him?! Set him free!"

"Oh, Takeru. So gullible. You do realize that he's part of me now. This isn't the real Goro Tanaka. He has been dead for quite a while now. Now...this is just a shell of his former self. The soul is long gone, so don't worry about him suffering after death. He's just my slave now as will you."

"CYPHER!" Zolda screamed in anger, firing more missiles at them. Scissors and Ouja ran in opposite directions, forcing Takeru to focus his attention on Ouja and letting Scissors get close to him with his pincers, blocking them with his visor.

"G-Goro!" Zolda gritted his teeth, noticing how strong the fallen Rider was. Could it be related to Ouja's strength?

"Don't feel bad Takeru. I mean, you barely knew him!" Ouja managed to sneak up o him, slashing him with his blade and pushing him toward Scissor, who gave him a horizontal kick, knocking the wind out of him. He fired his cannons, but due to how close he was to them, he wasn't sent flying in the opposite direction.

Noticing he got some distance between them, Zoldrew upon his Final Vent to try and finish things up as soon as possible."Maybe so. But in the short time I knew him, he was a nice guy! My only regret is not having realized the error of my ways and joined the team sooner. Maybe I could have gotten to know him better."

Final Vent: End of the World

Ouja clicked his tongue, realizing he had no choice but to go all out before he got killed. He opened up his visor in a purple blur, inserting his card into it.

Unite Vent

Venosnaker and Volcancer appeared simultaneously, merging into one just as Scissors was pulled into Ouja, merging into one as his armor changed.

Kamen Rider Ouja - Dual Version

Genocider screeched, spitting venom at Zolda before he could insert his visor into Magnugiga, forcing him to leap out of the way and fall onto the floor.

Ouja grinned, opening up his ToxincPincer and activating his Final Vent as he rushed at Zolda, who was picking himself up from the floor.

Final Vent: Doomsday

Ouja jumped in the air, diving in for a kick while Genocider released its tendrils, lashing them out toward Zolda.

'I have no choice...' Takeru took a card from his Deck, and that's when the air around them suddenly shifted. A bubble of green energy surrounded Zolda, blocking Ouja from ever reaching him. He opened up his visor, inserting his Survive Card into it.

"What?!" Ouja screamed as the bubble released energy pulses, sending him and Genocider colliding against the far wall and nearly destroying the whole warehouse in the process

Survive: Chikara

(Play Kamen Rider Ryuki - Revolution)

Zolda's Magnivisor began changing, becoming bulkier and resembling a sci-fi blaster with a blade equipped near the trigger where he could pull on the magazine to insert his cards. The Magnuvisorzwei. His bodysuit turned black, and his armor became bulkier, with two golden bull horns coming out of his helmet, and golden armor around his arms, legs, and torso.

"You...you can do that?" Ouja was astonished, leaning against the wall. He rose his hand to draw a card, but Takeru used his new visor to shoot his hand with energy lasers, causing him to hiss in pain. He grunted, leaping into the air and finally activating a new ability.

Advent: Genocider

Genocider emerged once more from the ground screeching as its stomach opened up, revealing a black hole.

However, Zolda was not intimidated in the slightest. He calmly drew a card from his Deck, pulling on the magazine of his gun and inserting the card.

Advent: Magnugiganto

Magnugiga began increasing in size as it began to evolve as well, towering over the whole area and nearly touching the ceiling of the warehouse, standing around 15 meters tall. Its arsenal of weapons systems and huge size give it the appearance of a mecha. Its horns grew bigger, with its eyes being two red dots. On its shoulders rest a pair of massive missiles with bull faces on them. It had a pair of long airplane-like wings for ears. Its feet and wrists are connected by thin, loose wire-like cords, and its lower midsection consists of a tunic-like attire covering it. It wears a pair of minigun-like gauntlets and its ankles are wrapped in spiked collars. To top off its appearance, its feet now had rolling treads around them for more mobility.

Magnugiganto rose his giant arm, slapping Genocider as if it were a bug. It then rose its arm, opening up a compartment in its palm and firing a beam of energy from it, colliding against the chimera monster, causing it to shriek in agony.

Strike Vent: Gigantoblasters

Zolda rose his arms, leveling them to Ouja as two gauntlets in the form of the cylinder of a magnum. He dashed at Ouja, punching him straight in the chest and cracking his armor, causing his gauntlet to release an explosion and making the cylinder on that arm rotate.

Ouja screamed as he broke through the wall of the warehouse, landing in the middle of the street.

"Let's finish this! If I defeat you now, I'll be doing all of the others a big favor!" Zolda threw his gauntlets away, deciding to draw another card from his Deck and sliding it into his visor.

Shoot Vent: Gigantocannons

An upgraded version of the Gigacannons attached to Zolda's shoulders. These were more robust and more sci-fi looking. He aimed his visor at Ouja, who in a panic, drew a card from his Deck.

Guard Vent: VenoShells

Two crab shells were equipped to his forearms, which he merged into one to create a bigger shield. Zolda shot both of his upgraded cannons simultaneously, unleashing two beam blasts colliding against the shield. Ouja was immediately pushed back outside of the warehouse and continued being pushed back as his shields began to crack.

'This...is not ideal.' Ouja forced himself to take out a red vial from his pocket. He didn't want to do this, but he was fighting in less-than-desirable circumstances, and dying so soon wasn't on his plans. So he broke the vial, teleporting away but not before the shields cracked and he took the blast head-on for a few seconds.

"Shit!" Zolda rushed out of the warehouse onto the street, frantically looking for Ouja."Did I get him?"

"Sorry, Goro..."Grinding his teeth, Zolda returned to his regular form, frustrated that he couldn't finish the battle. Deciding that the best was to go back home, he looked for the nearest mirror and jumped in, exiting the Mirror World.

Terunosuke sat in the living room of their so-called headquarters, idly browsing through the channels of their television along with Loki in his plushie form.

"Put some game show or something. I love those." Loki said, earning a scowl from Terunosuke.

"Huh? Are you serious?" The black-haired man deadpanned."They're lame as hell. Plus, they're always rigged."

"Maybe, but seeing humans compete is always fun."

"In that case, maybe we should get you some sports or something."

"By the way...how's the business with your family going?" Loki changed topics."Talked to them yet?"

"Not yet. But apparently, they want to meet back in my hometown, Minato." Terunosuke shrugged.

"And you agreed? I'm surprised. Thought you weren't one to care about your parents."

"I don't. They never gave a shit about me." He scornfully spat."Never let me do shit except study my ass off all the time. And never spent time with me. Always fucking working like robots. No. I want closure. And if they set me a trap, I'll just have to kill them. No sweat."

Without warning, a portal opened up behind them and a loud thud earned their attention. Allister was on his knees, heaving for air.

"Woah! Albedo-kun!" Terunosuke jumped out of the couch, rushing to the assassin's side."What happened?!"

"I fought Takeru...and he used his Survive form..." He forced a smile as the former real estate agent carried him to the couch.

"You look happy, despite losing." Loki pointed out.

"It's because...I never felt this way before." Allister smiled blissfully."This emotion...only Takeru can make me feel this way. I only ever felt like this when I was with Elsa. This feeling...of joy. So alien yet so familiar..."

"You're weird. Why are you so happy if he beat you? A normal person would be mad."

"Because I want him to be hard to kill. Once I kill him...it will be even more worth it."

A few hours after the fight, the group returned to HQ, where Hibiki was placed in a room while she was being examined by Elfnein. Hajime sat by her side, holding her hand as they just stared at each other's eyes.

"You won't let me go...would you, Hajime...?" Hibiki whispered, tears glistening in her eyes."I...I don't think I can be alone right now. After what happened..."

"I told you I would never abandon you. Ever." Hajime placed his other hand on top of hers with a reassuring smile."I'm sorry about your Dad. Didn't mean to hit him. I went too far. And I'm sorry for pushing you like that. I didn't know you were close to me at the time."

"It's okay...I just didn't know you were that overprotective of me. It makes me happy." She giggled before adopting a pout."But...No more kisses for you for a week."

"Whaaat? Come on, that's not fair." Hajime whined.

Hibiki smiled at him, closing her eyes."I can't blame you, I guess. You understand me perfectly. You also have problems with your Dad. So when you saw mine, it reminded you of yours, right?"

"Right..." Hajime trailed off."The Captain said I was subconsciously imagining your Dad to be mine. And all of those things I said were meant toward my Dad, not yours."

"I figured as much." Hibiki nodded."In my memories, my Dad was always cool and kind. The exact opposite of what we saw today. He...just acted like he didn't know the pain he caused us...The man I saw today was downright pathetic. I wish I didn't go to see him today."

"I should have stopped you." Hajime rubbed his eyes."I...I had a feeling. Dads who abandon their families are rarely any good. I was supposed to be there by your side because I know that pain. But look at what happened...I made a mess. I hurt you. I ended up losing my temper. I'm the worst boyfriend ever. I'm such a mess and I don't even know how I can begin to solve my problems."

"I'm sorry too, Hibiki." Miku approached her best friend, tears in her eyes. Hazuki placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a nod."I'm the one who convinced you..."

"You guys did nothing wrong." Hibiki shook her head, wiping Miku's tears away."You're both very important to me and you had my best interests in mind. I could never blame you for that."

Hazuki frowned, his eyes set on Hajime. He opened his mouth to say something but bit his tongue, so Chao-Xing spoke up.

"In any case, Hibiki. You don't need a Dad like that in your life. You made it this far with your Mom and Grandmother. Surely you can keep going even further, especially with your friends."

"They're your friends too, Chao-Xing-chan." Hibiki gave the oriental girl a warm smile."Thank you. For comforting me back then.

"I didn't do it for your sake." She snorted, looking away."I felt bad. That's all. Anyway, I'm going to be taken your prince charming here to train. I'm taking him to a special place here in Tokyo. I requested Commander Kazanari for permission so it's all good."

"B-but I don't want to be separated from her/him." Both of them said in unison.

Chao-Xing rolled her eyes."It's for his own good. Hopefully, he'll come out of this stronger than before."

"I understand." Hajime sighed."Sorry, Sunshine. Guess I'll be going away for a bit."

"You are...I'll miss you. One more kiss? Before your punishment starts?"

"I'll be waiting outside." Chao-Xing sighed as the couple began to share a passionate kiss.

"I love you." Hajime kissed her nose before resting his forehead against hers."I love you so much. You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

"I love you too. With all of my heart." She placed her hands on his face."I want to be with you forever. We'll be okay. We'll be fine. So don't worry, okay?"

On her way to the door, she eyed Hazuki, who swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I'll be right back, Miku." He whispered to his girlfriend.

"Hmm? Oh, okay." Miku, who had teared up a bit at the scene, nodded.

Hazuki closed the door to the room, meeting gaze with Chao as she leaned against the wall in front of him."Chao-Xing..."

"I understand this is none of my business, but when are you going to tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"That you're his brother."

"Again with this..." Hazuki pulled on the collar of his shirt."I told you before, we are not related. Sure, we look alike, but that's just a coincidence. A lot of people look like others. And my eyes are naturally pink."

"Okay, so what are your parents' last names? And I want to hear your Mother's maiden name as well."

Hazuki's gaze hardened slightly."I don't have to answer that."

"See, here's the thing Hazuki Kaburagi. I did find it strange how the lone survivor of that shipwreck has no information regarding his parents. The only thing they have to link you is your last name. One that belonged to a prestigious researcher named Miyu Kaburagi. And curiously enough, none of the reports ever say anything about your dad's name. Peculiar. I also found it strange how, if you are indeed a Liang, Bragard has not attempted to hurt you as he did to Lingyun and Xianglin. Because his goal is to massacre all Liangs. Especially those who are the closest to Hazama Liang. And if you're his son, then surely you must be on his shitlist."

"..." Hazuki said nothing, which she took as a sign to keep going.

"But then it hit me. Just how did that ship sink? One which resulted in both of your parents' deaths. If that's the case, Hazama Liang is probably dead. Unless he survived somehow. But also...you once mentioned that the orphanage you were in was set on fire by Yakuza. But for what purpose? Petty gang activity?"

"Because this world is filled with evil." Hazuki said through gritted teeth."This Bragard guy has nothing to-"

"He doesn't directly need to hurt you to make you suffer. Look at me, for example. He killed all of my family except for my father and brother. He never attacked back for almost a decade and we lived in constant fear of him finishing the job. He has hurt you as well. And finally, your Chi. It's way too similar to Lingyun's. Too much in fact but at the same time there's a big difference."

"Why does this matter to you?" Hazuki scowled.

"It does not." She shrugged."But you know...he trusts you. They both do. And you're keeping this a secret from them. I don't know the reason why you would do that, but you have to understand that they've suffered a lot. If my calculations are right, you would be the oldest sibling. So it's your responsibility to be there for them. But like I said, that's entirely up to you. Just know.."

She began walking away, hands in the pockets of her hoodie."Eventually, all truths come to light. All of them."

"Wait, where are you going?" Hajime, who had come through the door, ran after Chao-Xing, leaving a speechless Hazuki behind them."What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing much." She said, refusing to elaborate further.

"Hajime-san!"

The cousins looked ahead, watching as Tobias jogged over to them, holding a card in his hand."This is for you, Hajime-san."

"This?" Hajime took the card, reading the name aloud."Red Vent: Chaos Gate. What is this?"

"A special card Thor and I made for you to counter Ryuga and Loki's portal abilities." The Autoscorer explained."But I believe it should serve you well in your incoming battles. I must get back to Mas-I mean, Elfnein..."

"You doing okay, kid?" Chao-Xing asked the doll.

"Y-yes. I am okay. I talked with Master-I mean, Elfnein. I apologize. She requested for me to call her that instead of Master." He scratched his chin."Because...I might have been a real person, after all. So she thinks it's wrong for me to call her that. I don't remember anything of my past life. I know I should feel bad for what happened to Garie, my alleged mother. But I don't know...I don't feel anything. My heart does, but I can't express it, I suppose. And then, Damian..."

"One step at a time." Hajime ruffled his hair."It's hard, even for humans, to understand their feelings. It takes a long time to do so. I can't imagine how hard it is for you. I'll do my best to try and talk to Damian. But I don't know if the others are willing to listen. Micha and Zeke didn't even hesitate."

"It's...okay. I don't want to ask the impossible." Tobias took a deep breath, composing himself."Now is not the time for this kind of thinking. I must go back and help Elfnein! Use that card well, Hajime-san. Thor embedded it with some of his power."

With that, the incomplete Autoscorer jogged away in a hurry.

"A new power?" Chao-Xing smirked."Interesting. So, shall we go?"

"Yeah..." Hajime nodded with determination."Let's go."

"Oh right!" Tobias ran back to them, holding out an injector."This is for you, Chao-Xing-san!"

"LINKER?" She grabbed the injector, inspecting it carefully.

"I gave Kirika-san and Shirabe-san theirs already. Elfnein will give Maria hers later." Tobias began jogging away again, waving goodbye."Be careful when using it! Don't forget that not only does it put a strain on your body, but we also have a limited amount!

"So it was about her father, huh?" Yosuke surmised, rubbing his chin. They were all in a resting room inside HQ, enjoying some snacks while waiting for Takeru to arrive.

"Sounds complicated." Jades hummed in thought."Can't say much. I lost my parents a long time ago."

"We all did." Raiden added."None of us have much of a "normal life", I suppose."

"Right." Maria nodded."The 6 of us had Relics and Decks from a young age. The others have their own skeletons in the closet."

"Even Adachi has quite the abnormal life with everything going on with his father and how he was the one who helped Bragard created the Decks." Yosuke said."I suppose that Tachibana is the only "normal" one out of all of us members of S.O.N.G."

"But there's nothing wrong with that, right-desu?" Kirika tilted her head."I mean, we're all happy in our own ways."

"Right, you are." Jades patted her head."We got each other. And if Hibiki-chan needs our support, she'll have us. there with her."

Just then, the door slid open, revealing a tired-looking Takeru and Genjuro, both of them holding serious expressions on their faces.

"Takeru!" Chris jumped out of her chair, tackling her boyfriend in a hug before she berated him."What the fuck were you thinking?! Going on by yourself?! What if you get killed and we don't know about it, dumbass?! Are you trying to make me worry here?!"

"Chrissy..." Takeru gently pushed her away."There's something we have to tell you all."

Takeru told them about his encounter with Ouja and how he had activated his Survive. But the biggest piece of news was that Ouja turned out to be Allister Albedo, a fellow classmate.

"You're fucking kidding me..." Chris gaped."So Albedo...was Cypher all along?!"

"And what do you mean they can't do anything about it?" Andreas asked, curious."I mean, we have a name, right? Shouldn't we be able to bring down his whole... assassin operation thingy?"

"It's not that simple, right Commander?" Yosuke eyed the burly man, who nodded.

"Code Cypher...real name Allister Albedo is still a mystery. All we know is that he's from France. His record is completely clean."

"Meaning?" Maria pressed.

"Meaning that other than him being an assassin, we have no more information available. It's as though we know what he wants us to know." Genjuro bit his lower lip."He's playing around with us. I made some calls and unfortunately, we can't directly just arrest him. He can theoretically still go to school and they wouldn't put effort in sending the police after him."

"What the fuck?! Why not?!" Yosuke exploded in rage."He killed Goro! He killed a bunch of innocent people! He's a monster!"

"I agree. He has to face justice." Tsubasa furrowed her brow.

"It's not that simple, Tsubasa. Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of different countries have used his services to kill other officials. Including Japan." Genjuro scowled."We do not know who exactly used his services and hired him. But we can't bring him to justice. Because if they do, all the politicians, both Japanese and non-Japanese, will be taken down by association and will collapse Japan alongside all governments throughout the world. And if some countries discover that other countries have used the same assassin to kill their own politicians, they will no doubt want to start a war."

"Shit..." Jades' eyes widened in horror."Does...Does Allister have that much influence...?"

"And not to mention what he knows..." Raiden pushed up his glasses."I imagine his career as a worldwide assassin has given him access to plenty of secret information. If that's the case, then his being alive is more of a liability than anything else. Which means..."

"Our orders are to put him down." Genjuro breathed out."I don't like ordering you to kill a person like that, despite what he's done. But that's the only way we'll be able to stop him."

"I suspect that even if we destroy his Deck, the government will pull some strings to just kill him in secret." Maria sighed."What a mess..."

"I was about to finish him off. But...He ran away. I hate to admit it, but I was distracted most of the fight. He used a new card called Dupe Vent." Takeru glanced over to Tsubasa and Yosuke."With it...he summoned Kamen Rider Scissors to his side."

"S-Scissors...?" Tsubasa covered her mouth."Do you mean...he can summon him at will...?"

"I tried talking to him but he didn't respond. Whether he's the actual Goro or not, I'm not sure. But his soul isn't there. Or at least, that's what Allister said." He clenched his fists."That bastard is using our friend to taunt us..."

"Goro will never rest in peace until we take him down." Yosuke closed his eyes."I swear...we won't let him get away with this. We'll find a way to stop him and the others."

"I hope things don't get harder than they are-desu..." Kirika's shoulders slumped.

"I sure hope you're right, Kiri-chan." Shirabe voiced her concern."But I get the feeling that we haven't seen the worse yet..."

"In any case, we must neutralize Allister Albedo." Genjuro eyed his team."He's after Takeru-kun and subsequently Chris-kun. So we'll try to keep a person with Takeru-kun at all times."

"Aw, really?" Takeru pouted.

"You're the one with an assassin looking for you." Raiden reminded him.

"You're not very popular, are you, Takeru-san?" Kirika asked humorusly."You seem to get enemies everywhere you go-desu."

"That's just part of my charm, Kirika-chan." The orange-haired boy playfully winked in her direction."People just love me. I'm a natural."

"Yeah, they'd love to see you dead." Chris nudged him in the ribs."You're a magnet to crazy people."

"I guess that's why you love me...?"

"Do you want me to kick your ass?"

"By the way, when were you going to tell me about those Promise Rings?" Genjuro grinned at their baffled expressions."Come on, do you think so little of me? I knew all along."

"Why didn't you say anything, old man?!"

"I thought you would trust me enough to tell me." He laughed in good nature."But I suppose teenagers nowadays are more complex than before. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do and you'd be fine."

"Excuse me!" Tobias ran past Genjuro, approaching Takeru with a card in hand."Takeru-san...for you. The card Thor and I created for you, is embedded with Thor's divine power. This should give you an advantage when you fight Zeke. Its attack potency has the potential to be so powerful that Zeke won't be able to regenerate his wounds in time. But you only get one. So make sure not to miss it. You can only use it in Survive form."

Takeru took the card with a grin, pocketing the card into his Deck."I'm ready for action. They don't call me Deadshot for nothing."

"They also call quick Quickshot." Chris snickered, prompting Takeru's cheeks to flare.

"CHRISSY! IT WAS A ONE-TIME THING!" Takeru screamed, embarrassed.

"What are they talking about?" Tsubasa asked no one in particular.

"Honestly...I don't know." Jades shrugged.

In Carol's base, the dolls stood around in their podiums, now with 3 empty spots.

"Check this out!" Micha pointed to the ground, projecting the data they had collected.

"Seems like we got our next location." Leiur smirked."Lulu and I will have tons of fun."

"Before that, the Prince said to wait until the Master's body is done." Phara informed them."Until we move to the next phase, that is."

"Well, I can't wait. I'll be going ahead." Micha jumped off her podium, grumpily walking away.

"Where to?" Leiur asked.

"Zeke is having all sorts of fun hunting down that traitor, Damian, and he didn't even invite me!" She huffed angrily."So I'm going to go accomplish my mission! And blow some steam while I'm at it."

"Aw, angry that he didn't invite you?" Phara chuckled."My little brother has had quite the vendetta against Damian to gain Lord Bragard's affection first for a long time now. This is a fine opportunity for him, so please forgive him."

"Whatever!" Micha huffed, walking away and exiting the hall room."He's a buzzkill!"

"Well, that's that." Leiur scoffed, addressing Phara."Do you think your brother can accomplish this?"

"With the power he has, I'd be surprised if he didn't deliver." Phara responded."Lord Bragard seems confident in his ability. So we must take his word for it."

"Speaking of the Prince, where is he?"

"He has some work to finish." Phara's smile turned malevolent."Some...invitations, for some unwilling guests."

"So..." Raiden trailed off, eyeing Kirika who had conveniently forgotten her money at home. They were standing outside of an ice cream parlor, deciding to drop by after school. They had agreed to meet up with Chao-Xing since Elfnein had forgotten to give her more LINKER. And since she wasn't going to go to HQ in a while due to her training with Hajime, they agreed to meet up with her.

"So?" Kirika batted her eyelashes with an adorable smile.

"Just pick a damn flavor. I'll pay." Raiden sighed, taking a step to the side for Kirika could order."Seriously..."

"Yay! You're my favorite brother-desu!" Kirika wrapped her arms around the bespectacled boy, who only patted her head awkwardly.

"Great..." He grumbled, not at all proud of such a title.

"This banana split is great! I've never had one before!" Andreas beamed, stuffing his face full of ice cream and making a mess.

"Andreas, mind your manners." Shirabe, who was enjoying a simple cup of strawberry ice cream, chided him."Setsuna-chan is here."

"It's okay, Shirabe-chan." The brunette giggled, scoping some of her cookies and cream ice cream and shoving it in her mouth."He's just enjoying himself. My boyfriend is really cute."

"You're spoiling him." Shirabe sighed."Jades-onii-chan already does plenty of that."

"Nothing wrong with spoiling your younger siblings." She shrugged, her eyes gleaming in delight."And Jades-san is so kind and nice. He's incredible~."

"You're just saying that because you have an older brother."

"Not like Haji spoils me too much." She sighed, throwing her head back."I wish I had another sibling. I was so happy when I found out we might have another brother but no one wants to tell me anything about them. I guess the closest thing to another sibling I have is Chao-Xing-san."

"Is that what you think, Xiangling?"

"KYAA!" Setsuna shrieked upon hearing the voice behind her, glancing over her shoulder."C-Chao-Xing-san!"

"I came here to collect that LINKER." She said, taking a seat at the round table.

"Where's Hajime-san?" Shirabe inquired.

"Waiting for me at the special place I took him." A finger pressed her lips."Don't ask where it is. I won't say a word. But I left him practicing some meditation to clear his mind. It's relatively close to here, so I had time to drop by. Anyway, do you really consider me a sister? We haven't known each other for that long, you know."

"So? I feel like I've known you for ages! I even know what type of music you like! Didn't know you liked the same K-POP band as me!" She beamed."I had no one to talk to about my favorite music until now."

"I'm...not that big of a fan." The oriental girl cleared her throat."But I suppose it's nice. I know we started on the wrong foot, but I am glad to have met you. The same goes for you, kids. Even if I have to constantly save your ass."

"Don't think we're a burden." Shirabe puffed her cheeks.

"A lot of people are." Chao-Xing waved her hand dismisivally."But unlike them, you're taking the time to get better. Not bad."

"Glad you think so." Raiden and Kirika joined the table, with the former giving her her injector."All good?"

"For now." Chao nodded. Kirika offered her a spoon full of ice cream, but she rose her hand."No, thank you. I should get going. Don't have much time to train."

"Aw, come on, stick around for a bit." Setsuna pleaded, giving her puppy eyes.

"I don't know..."

"Tell us a bit about China." Raiden offered, grabbing an empty bowl and passing it around his siblings, who all put some of their ice creams into it and gave it to the older girl."Here."

"I told you you didn't have to." She frowned, but they pushed the bowl closer to her."What even is this? You got so many different mixes of ice cream and dumped it into one..."

"Jades-onii-chan taught us the importance of sharing." Shirabe smiled."He said that it's important to make sure another person is eating just as well as you are. Because food with friends tastes even better. So whenever we're eating, we share some of our food so everyone can enjoy what the other is eating."

"He used to do this a lot back when we were in FIS and had little to eat." Raiden couldn't help but smile upon remembering his brother's kindness.

"I see..." A small smile graced her features."I suppose I have no choice but to accept your offer. Now, the old country isn't that different from here. Aside from boring politics, religion, and such, it's almost the same. Honestly, it's been a long time since I've visited there. We migrated her due to constant problems with government officials. But I can tell you more about my family."

"Are all of you as good martial artists as you?" Shirabe asked, prompting the girl to shake her head.

"Not at all. And I'm not saying that because I was a prodigy, but because only a selected group of people ever got into martial arts. Some of them dedicated their lives to fishing, education, and trading, among other things. Liangs are known for their incredible fighting prowess, but only a few are deemed to be the strongest. For example, Xiangling here isn't a fighter like her brother and yet she's a half-Liang. More often than not people would just not fight, especially women. But I never let that stop me. My brother, on the other hand, never became interested in that and focuses on his silly video games."

"You ever played a video game before-desu?"

"Of course I have." She snorted."What do you take me for, a boomer? I like simulator games. I find those oddly satisfying. We weren't an isolated clan, you know? One of my uncles was well known for cooking the most delicious Peking duck you could ever eat in your entire life."

"Pecking duck?" Andreas parroted.

"Peking duck, the king of Chinese food." Chao adopted a larger, wistful smile."The duck is dried in the sun, then roasted, and the skin comes off so crisp and delicious. You would love it."

"Wow..." Kirika and Andreas drooled at the thought.

"Sounds good!" Setsuna beamed, patting her belly."I'm so hungry right now! This ice cream is good but that kind of description would make anyone hungry.

"I must admit, I am interested as well." Raiden smiled.

"Me too." Shirabe nodded.

"Well..." Chao-Xing was taken aback by their interest."Once this is all over, we could celebrate. I know a good restaurant in Chiba. I can treat you all there."

"Are you sure?" Shirabe asked, just to make sure she was serious."I mean, if it's the king of Chinese food, it must be expensive. And if you're going to treat all of us..."

"It must cost quite a fortune." Raiden hummed."You don't have to pay for us."

"I insist." Chao-Xing placed her hand on the table."Up until now, I've never had friends to go out with and talk about things. It's been...fun. So the least I can do to show my appreciation is to treat you to some food. The best of the best. Besides, it seems fitting to celebrate with a big meal after all of this is over. And don't worry about the bill. I am quite wealthy."

"Really?" Setsuna rose a brow.

"My grandfather's inheritance..." Chao-Xing closed her eyes."I vowed to never use it unless necessary, but...My father says I should learn to live a little. And after being surrounded by you guys for this long, I suppose he has a point."

"I can't wait!" Kirika rose her fist up in the air."You're the best, Chao-Xing-san!"

Before the girl could reply, they heard a loud explosion outside. Sharing a quick nod, the group exited the establishment, noticing giant spears of fire landing on the ground, creating bursts of fire that threatened the civilians nearby.

"There you are!" Micha, who was standing on top of a light post, smiled at the group."Your yellow friend isn't here? That's too bad. Oh, well! I suppose you will have to make due! But first...let's get rid of the boys!"

Both boys grabbed their heads, hearing a screeching sound inside of their heads. Just then, they heard people screaming in horror as Mirror Monsters tried to drag them into the mirror.

"We'll take care of the Mirror Monsters. We'll be back!" Raiden yelled, rushing toward the monsters along with Andreas.

"Guess that leaves her up to us." Chao-Xing scoffed as the girls took out their pendants.

"Malice delal Mjolnir Tron..."

"Zeious Igalima Raizen Tron..."

"Various Shul Shagana Tron..."

(Play Overkill Scythe Hell)

Kirika and Shirabe dashed at Micha, who lunged at them from the post.

"Get back inside!" Chao-Xing cried out to Setsuna."Stay there no matter what!"

"R-right!" Setsuna nodded, running back inside the shop.

"So a caring big sister, aren't you?" A sultry voice echoed.

Chao-Xing turned sharply to her right, noticing an all too familiar face."Chiaki Nakahara..."

"It's been a while." Chiaki grinned sardonically."You gave me quite the beating last time. Couldn't eat properly for a few days, bitch."

"Your fault for picking on an innocent girl." The Mjolnir wielder scoffed."So? What are you waiting for? Don your armor!"

"Aw, you'll wait for me to transform?" Chiaki adopted her bubbly persona."So nice! You're like, super duper cute! How noble!"

"Hmph! There'd be no honor in beating the shit out of you if you're unable to defend yourself." Chao-Xing held her chin high."Now...transform."

"Fine." Chiaki snickered, opening her mouth wide and reaching for something inside. She pulled out a red crystal with a string attached to her."But I realized that using my Femme armor against you is far too dangerous. Your hand-to-hand skills far outclass mine, and Femme is all about fighting head-on with a few tricks. So...how about using something else, instead?"

"Something...else?" Chao-Xing furrowed her brow, bracing herself for whatever she could possibly throw at her.

"I am a student a Lydian Academy. And I happen to be one of the Attuned. In fact...I am naturally Attuned! I do not need LINKER" Chiaki cackled maniacally, placing the pendant around her neck.

"What?!" Chao-Xing gasped.

"It can't be..." Shirabe muttered in disbelief.

"She's...lying, right?" Kirika shook her head slowly. Micha just grinned, excited to see what would happen.

And the unthinkable happened. No one was prepared to witness what happened next. From Chiaki's mouth, came the last thing anyone thought would hear. A Holy Chant.

"Saila Laevatein zeli Tron..."

At the same time this was happening, Damian wandered the streets of a rundown neighborhood, wearing a hood to conceal his identity. He was wearing Garie's bow around his forehead as a way to honor his late wife. And as the only thing he had left of her.

"Garie..." Damian muttered, fighting back the urge to cry."I swear...I'll make this right. Don't you worry."

Suddenly, a ball hit him on the back of the head, causing him to snap from his thoughts.

"Sorry!" A young boy rushed to collect the ball, bowing to apologize."I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you!"

"Oh...don't worry." Damian kept his face hidden."All by yourself?"

"Yeah...I'm trying to practice my soccer." He nodded."I want to be a professional football player one day and help my family."

"Help them?"

"Yeah. I want to get us out of poverty!" The boy gave a toothy smile."And what better way than to do it by doing what I love the most?"

"I see..." Damian approached the boy, ruffling his hair."Your parents must be very proud of you. I-"

Damian's face hardened, noticing something was very wrong."Get out of here, kid. It's getting late. And it's dangerous to be out so late, especially for a lad your age."

"I guess you're right. Well, see you around, Oji-san!" The boy waved Damian goodbye.

"You can come out now." Damian shifted his gaze over to the alleyway behind him.

"So you sensed me? Huh." Zeke emerged from the shadows with a haughty smile."You were so nice to that kid. What a role model. Then again, you are a dad.

"Zeke..." Damian scowled at his former fellow knight."Why are you here...?"

"To hunt down the traitor." Verde's eyes gleamed in red."And show you the power bestowed by our Master."

I'm going to add the flashback of Chao-Xing and Hajime arriving at the disclosed location next chapter. I was going to add it here but I didn't want to make it too long and wanted to end the chapter in a cliffhanger. Also, Chiaki finally revealed the Laevatein. She's hinted at it in previous chapters but never specified what it was. Next chapter, we'll cover Micha and Chiaki's fight and then finish off with Zeke vs Damian. Probably not in that order but we'll see.