Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took longer than the rest. I had some issues but they're all good now.
Reviews:
Tigracho: Chao has come a long way. She went from being in the team for revenge and doing her own thing to embracing being part of them. But no, the Chris stuff will go as usual. But they are kind of parallel to each other. Chris was saved by Kirika and Shirabe and was concerned she wasn't up to being a role model for them like Tsubasa was, while Chao-Xing kept saving Kirika, Shirabe, and the others a handful of times until they paid her back last chapter and saved her with their words. Yeah, I can see why you and the other reader think there's a dependency thing going on with Hibiki and Hajime. I always saw it as them just being hungry for affection, since they didn't have their respective father figures and are afraid of losing each other, like how they lost their parents due to different circumstances. But I can see how that could become a problem. Someone could exploit that for nefarious things. Who knows? Lol, I was thinking the same thing. I've changed and added a lot of stuff that this is starting to feel AU. Oh, man...
Daemon of Wrath: Good observation. Tiki was sort of losing it or the Divine Power was too much for her mind to control. And like Zeke, she is also an Autoscorer, so they work in similar ways. Zeke is in full support of Bragard's plan and even complimented Micha when she died, but we haven't seen him harnessing that power just yet. We'll see if he has a change of heart when he's facing death right in its face. I'm glad you're enjoying Chao-Xing's character. I was pleasantly surprised when people began pointing it out to me. It makes me feel proud as an author. Lol, the Mashu design thing was brought up by one of my readers. He asked me what characters looked like more or less and Chiaki the only one I could think of that looked remotely like her is Mashu. But yeah, nothing good awaits anyone who enjoys taking the lives of others. This applies to Bragard as well.
lordri25may2001: Glad you're enjoying Chao's character. I'm proud of how she's turned out to be. For being in one season so far, she's probably one of my favorites to write. She and Allister, since I also like writing assholes. You're on the right track. There is something that happened between the Liangs and the Kazanaris. But we'll have to wait for that. There is still a lot of mystery regarding the Liang incident. Why was it covered up? Who allowed it to happen? I made Chiaki's attacks based on the names of past serial killers and also involving glass since she's a serial killer as well. I settled with glass/mirrors being her power since we got too many people with fire already so this works well. Don't worry, I'll consider your suggestion. Setsuna will see some action but I can't say more than that. Yeah, don't worry. I'm not planning on making Bragard a laughingstock like that lol. He will get what he deserves in due time. Also, did Symphogear really do that with their villains? Aside from Fine, Carol, and maybe Dr. Ver, no one else was "redeemed" or had a happy ending. The Autoscorers died, Saint Germain and her friends died, Adam died for being an asshole, Tiki died for being obsessed with someone that would never return her love, and Noble Red all died after being tricked and manipulated. Maybe Shem-ha? I guess she had a weird resolution to her character.
Tenzalucard123: Yeah, a lot of things happened in that one chapter. Micha died just like Garie, remembering everything and not wanting to disappear. Zeke was happy she died, saying that she served her purpose like all of them should. But Bragard seems to have kept this a secret from Carol. And she's mad.
Chapter 65
Old Wounds
"So, how does my hair look, Zeke?" Micha tilted her head in a cutesy matter, standing in front of the knight with her hair down.
"Cute." Was all he said, and she pouted due to his short opinion.
"You look wonderful, Micha." Bragard offered a much yet innocent opinion."More mature too!"
"Is that so? Thank you so much, Prince Bragi." The red-haired patted the albino's head."If only my knight in shining armor would offer the same praises."
"I told you before. Act more your age, and maybe I will." He shrugged with a smug smile. He led the way into town, with both Micha and Bragard walking by his sides.
"I hear Damian is coming back on duty in a few days." Bragard beamed."I'm so excited to see him again. I wonder how the baby and Garie are doing?"
"They're doing just fine, your Grace." Zeke muttered, slightly annoyed that soon enough he would have to share his post with Damian again."Phara visited recently."
"I want to go see them soon too." Bragard's eyes sparkled at the idea."So, where are we going today?"
"There's a play about to happen in half an hour." Micha smiled."Leiur recommended it to me. I wanted to ask Zeke to take me, but I would love it if you came with us too, Prince."
"Seriously?! I would love that!"
"I...Fine..." Zeke relented, eyeing Micha with suspicion."I was going to say no, but the Prince has convinced me."
"Aw, why can't you ever be nice to me?" Micha grabbed his hand, causing him to perk up."Don't you like me, Zeke?"
"W-w-what?! Don't be ridiculous! I'm a Royal Guard! My only interest is protecting the Prince-"
"Oh, wow!" Bragard clapped his hands."You guys look so cute together!"
"B-but Prince..." Zeke blushed upon feeling Micha snuggled against his arm."Fine...I...suppose I...don't mind it..."
With a smile, Bragard skipped ahead as they trailed behind, with Micha constantly embarrassing Zeke by making kissing noises.
"Micha, people are watching..." He grumbled, pushing her face away."And I haven't said anything about starting a relationship with you."
"You're playing hard to get. Phara said you're always too stubborn to admit to something." She batted her eyelashes at him.
"Maybe if you start acting you're age." He rolled his eyes."For crying aloud, Micha, we're 20. You're acting like you're around the Prince's age."
"You're just too uptight. You got to learn to loosen up a bit. Not even Damian is this much of a buzzkill."
"I...Look, it's not like that, okay? I love the honor of protecting the young Prince and making sure he's safe." He said in a serious tone."It's a great honor to have been chosen for this position. Out of all the knights in the kingdom, I was chosen. And Damian, I suppose. So I have to do this the right way. My Mom would have wanted this."
"But that doesn't mean you can't have fun." Micha pointed out."The Prince is encouraging you to have fun. Damian likes to talk to everyone around him. Just because you have an important position doesn't mean you can't enjoy life a little, you know?"
"Maybe...but-"
Just then they heard a loud thud ahead of them, followed by the scream of an old lady. On the floor, Bragard collapsed, blood pouring from his mouth, nose, and eyes as he lay there motionless.
"PRINCE BRAGARD!" Both Micha and Zeke shouted, rushing toward the Prince. Zeke grabbed his wrist for a pulse and his heart sunk. Without another word, he scooped the boy in his arms."Micha, fetch the King and Queen, NOW! I'm taking him to the hospital!"
"R-right!" Micha nodded, tears streaming down her face upon seeing the now albino young boy in such a state. Zeke shook his head, breaking into a full sprint to reach the hospital."Please...please, hang in there..."
"So, what do you want to talk about, my fair Princess?" Bragard placed his hands behind his head.
Carol marched up to the short boy, who still stood a few inches taller than herself, and grabbed the collar of his shirt."You know damn well what I-"
The blonde stumbled forward, being caught in Bragard's hands as she suddenly lost control of herself.
"Oh? So eager to be with me?" He purred in her ear.
"Don't be so presumptuous." She pulled herself away from him."This last spare body has yet to accept my soul. Furthermore, the memory of my suicide is causing a rejection."
"Yeah, that's the problem with your body." Bragard chuckled."Hey, you could do what I'm doing and have a clone."
"You mean that clone you have incubating in your laboratory? The one you used our DNA to create?"
"So rude. He's technically your child." He pointed out."Our beloved son. You always said how you wanted to be a mama. Well, there you go. Though he will become my spare body."
"We didn't have any type of intercourse." She said sharply."I merely gave you some of my blood for its creation. You said it was going to be your biggest creation."
"Blood, egg, doesn't matter what it was. It's our DNA put together. 50-50. A perfect body with a perfect soul." He splayed his hands."Hopefully, I will be able to use my Alchemy to its fullest once I take over it. And possibly find a way to rid myself of the Curse of Balal. Anyway, we're getting off-topic. What did you want to talk about?"
"Why the hell did you give Damian his memories back?!" Carol snarled."You promised me you wouldn't show them their memories!"
"I did?" Bragard said with faux innocence."I don't remember that..."
"What else did you show him?"
"Just that they were all humans before." Bragard easily answered."And that he was married to Garie. You should have seen his face. He looked completely devastated. It was a field day."
"Why?" Carol bared her teeth."I told you not to do that! What the hell is the point?! They're dolls! All they have to do is do their job! Why give them their memories?!"
"Because...it was fun?" Bragard adopted a cruel smile."It was fun. I kept showing him and Garie glimpses of their past until eventually, before Garie died, I showed them everything. What, don't tell me you feel bad about them?"
"They were our friends, Bragard. But these dolls aren't really them." Carol gritted her teeth."They've been dead for centuries now. I have no attachment to these dolls, but...this is..."
"Wrong?" Bragard guffawed."Darling, we plan to destroy the world. We've killed countless people. I experimented with human beings, destroyed a whole clan, separated families, and much more. Do you want to draw the line now?"
"That's not the point." Carol narrowed her eyes at him."The problem is you can't just be doing whatever the hell you want! Now we got Damian running around! And...and...He died believing in you. They all did. And you sacrificed them-"
"Wasn't that what you wanted, love?" Bragard cut her off abruptly."When you saw your father burnt at the stake, that innocent part of you died. You told me how you wanted to dissect the world and make them pay for what they did to him. When Ventara was invaded, I did just that. I unleashed hell on the kingdom and used all of those people's souls to start our plan. You wanted that to happen."
"I did not ask you to kill our friends! You did that entirely on your own! You're nothing like him-"
"Am I not?" Bragard once again cut her off, leaning forward."You keep rejecting me because I'm not the First. I am the Second. The homunculus your father created after the First died. I have his memories. So for all intents and purposes, I am quite similar to our Autoscorers. Are you sure you haven't grown attached to them?"
"The only thing I care about is fulfilling my Father's mission bestowed upon me." She said, cooly."I have discarded those feelings a long time ago. However, I still have their memories in my head. So if you intend to keep playing with them like that, I-"
"You'll what?" Bragard grabbed her face forcefully, gripping her jaw tight."You don't seem to understand your position, doll face. I am in control. Not you. I am just playing along with your stupid plan, but I am doing my own thing. I want to become the Ultimate Lifeform. The perfect being without equal. And I will continue to do whatever the hell I want. I have the two messiahs fighting each other. Once S.O.N.G falls, the Bavarian Illuminati comes next. With Fine out of the picture, nothing will be able to stop me."
"You...speak so highly of yourself and say how much you detest the Liangs." Carol grabbed his arm, conjuring a golden magic circle above her that earned his attention."And yet you're using a Liang. One whose life you destroyed."
"All part of the plan, my love." Bragard chuckled, releasing Carol's face. "All I have to do is sit back and enjoy the show. I doubt they'll reach me, but I wish they did. This is a test, Carol."
"A test that you're rigging against yourself." Carol reminded him."You powered up Ryuga and his friends. What if they turn against you?"
"I like to face challenges with as high of difficulty as possible." Bragard mused with a big grin."It's not fun or worthwhile if it's easy. So I like to make things harder for myself. Besides, I am the closest thing to a god. Why would I not want to accept this test and make it more difficult? Once I overcome it, I will have no equals. I am Bragard SECOND Hyperion. My very being towers above all! All things! The whole-"
"The whole world, yes I know." Carol ran a hand through her face."Fine. Do what you want as long as you don't get in the way of MY plans."
"Sure. I have no problem with that."
With that, the blonde turned on her heels, going back to her hall room before calling over her shoulder."And Bragard? You might want to watch that arrogance of yours. It might prove to be your undoing."
"I thank you for your kind advice." He waved her words off, heading in the opposite direction.
"You fear this legend of the two Messiahs dethroning the other Messiah. But you don't seem too worried about actually killing the problem. Instead, you're just playing all these games. What if the two dragons unite against you? The prophecy will come true."
"I'm not worried about that." Bragard chuckled."Like I said...I already won."
Elfnein stood beside Tobias as they observed Damian on the hospital bed they had placed him in. For security measures, they had taken away his Deck and bound his arms in case he tried using Alchemy.
"Papa..." Tobias absentmindedly muttered.
"What's his condition, Elfnein-kun?" Genjuro inquired.
"He's...stable, I suppose." She scratched her head."He's a homunculus like me but he's also an Autoscorer. His vitals are stable and has no wounds. He must have regenerated them. However, if I'm not mistaken, his regeneration is considerably weaker than Zeke's. So he must have exhausted himself."
"Why the hell did you bring him here?" Chao-Xing snorted. The oriental girl had to have been heavily persuaded to not smash Damian in his sleep.
"We could get information out of him, I figured." Raiden shrugged."Besides, I...I don't know. Kind of felt bad for him. After that whole thing at the beach."
"You do realize he might attack Maria, right? She did kill Garie."
"Relax. He won't try anything with all of us here." Yosuke stated."Jades said he was keeping up with him. An Autoscorer Kamen Rider can't become stronger over time like us."
"Still, I wonder how he ended up in this condition." Tsubasa rubbed her chin.
"If I had to guess, probably because he rebelled against the others." Takeru folded his arms."I doubt Ouja and the others did this to him if they were working together. Who else would be able to, right?"
"It must have been Zeke." Raiden perked up."I remember he left our fight because he sensed something., I bet he was looking for Damian."
"But why-desu?" Kirika cocked her head."Aren't they friends?"
Before anyone could reply, Damian began to stir, his eyes slowly opening up."What the?!"
"Calm down, Damian." Elfnein rushed to his side, hoping that a familiar face would ease his worries."You're in S.O.N.G's HQ...Raiden-san and Andreas-san found you."
"Micha..." Damian blinked, grabbing his head."No..."
"Desu..." Kirika hid behind Jades, her brother patting her head affectionately.
"You know," Shirabe said, more of a statement than a question.
"I felt it. I can't believe...she's gone." He covered his eyes, choking a sob."I let another friend down..."
"Oh..." Kirika and Shirabe exchanged worried glances.
"Still...I know it was self-defense." He rose his eyes to see the people in the room."Same thing with Garie. You may not believe this, but I do not hold you accountable for their deaths."
"You...don't?" Maria rose a skeptical brow.
"Garie and Micha...and the others are all following Bragard and Carol's orders." He took a deep breath."So they were just doing what they were told. Much like I was until recently..."
"What exactly happened to you?" Chris placed her hands on her hips."Raiden and Andreas found you in the Mirror World. Unconscious."
"I was battling Zeke." Damian confessed."After what happened to Garie, I couldn't be there anymore. I promised her I would do my best to protect our friends. And yet, it seems that I am unable to reason with them. I tried talking to Zeke but he...he's too far gone. The others don't remember anything..."
"Remember..." Jades hummed."I remember Garie said you were husband and wife. And that Tobias..."
"Does that mean you guys are human?" Andreas asked.
"We were. Or at least, I'm convinced." Damian rubbed the bridge of his nose."I don't know what to believe anymore. These memories are genuine, and yet it could be a plot from Bragard to mess with my head. But I am sure...that we were all human before. But our lives were sacrificed. We've been dead for centuries now. Right now, we're not the real people that existed before. We're merely dolls created based on their appearance and some of their memories. I just happened to get most of mine."
"I'm sorry..." Elfnein apologized."I should be able to remember since I am Carol's clone...But..."
"I don't blame you." He flashed her a sad smile."You probably had your memories altered as well."
Tobias took a step forward, a nervous look on his face."Erm...Are you really...my Papa?"
Damian's features softened, a tear streaming down his cheek as he reached to ruffle the Autoscorer's head."No mistake. I can see it. No, rather, I can sense it. You're our son. Or at least, based on him. Still, it's hard to believe that you're the baby I used to rock to sleep...Look at you...all grown up now. Garie would have loved to get to see you like this."
"Master-I mean, Elfnein built me with the spare parts she found...The best she could do was give me the body of a child..." Tobias explained.
"I see." He smiled fondly, caressing his cheek, causing the Autoscorer to look at him, taken aback. Damian couldn't help himself and began to cry. He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed to cry in front of his enemies. He had no right to that. He pulled his hand back, covering his eyes as he silently wept."I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I couldn't do a damn thing to save you. I'm a failure. I couldn't save my kingdom...my prince...my friends...my wife and my son...I was powerless much like I am now. I thought that with some miracle, I could turn things around, so I deserted Bragard and Carol's side. But I can't...I can't...I can't...I'm not strong enough...I never was..."
The group watched silently, feeling mixed emotions about the whole thing. Even Chao-Xing couldn't help but frown.
"Which is why...I'm going to do everything in my power to stop Bragard." He rose his head to meet their gaze."Even if I have to help you. You are the ones with the most potential to beat him. I had my chance. I couldn't defeat Zeke. My upgrades weren't finished and he has Divine Power in him."
"Divine Power?" Yosuke repeated.
"He must have gotten it from Loki." Chris scoffed."Do you know who Ryuga is? You guys were working together. We know their identities, except for Ryuga."
"Unfortunately, I do not. I knew at one point, of that I am certain." Damian rubbed his head."But my memories were altered. Much like I don't know what Carol is planning in full detail either. The only thing I know for certain is what I currently know now before I cut off my connection to Bragard."
"Sounds a little too convenient." She rose a skeptical brow."How do we know this isn't a plot to betray us and you're just lying out of your ass."
"Chrissy..." Takeru sighed.
"No, she's right to be wary." Damian shook his head."I assure you, I don't have the best intentions when I said I would help you. I'm going to do it because I have no reason left to live. Except to stop that monster. And...for their sake..." He trailed off, eyeing Elfnein and Tobias.
"Ok...How do we stop Bragard then? What is he planning?" Genjuro asked.
"Bragard's plan...revolves around a project called the Overall. He calls it a castle, but it's more like a giant fortress shaped like a tower underneath Tokyo."
"What?!" Genjuro gasped, followed by several gasps from the others."Underneath Tokyo?! But that can't be! Surely we would have noticed something off."
"If it was in this dimension, yes. But it's located in the Mirror World."
"Wait..." Tobias muttered, his eyes shifting to silver, shifting to Thor."The Overall...? Would it happen to be a supercomputer? Capable of connecting with other dimensions?"
"You know about it?"
"I do. It was technology that belonged to the Ventarians." Thor rubbed his chin."The Allfather kept stuff like that away. To think Bragard had access to it. Must have been after Ragnarok eradicated our world. Just like the Advent Stones, it must have drifted over to here...But no being on this planet should be capable of powering such a thing up."
"That's why he used the Philosopher Stone to use it."
"P-Philosopher Stone?!" Elfnein shrieked loudly, growing pale."H-h-how?!"
"What's that?" Raiden asked, curious as to why the usually composed girl would freak out like that.
"The Philosopher's Stone, also known as the Lapis Philosophorum, is the end goal of all Alchemists and also the starting point for further advancements." Tobias explained."Only the best of the best Alchemists can do that. And even then it's only been done a handful of times in the vast history of Alchemy. To think Bragard managed to do it..."
"He didn't do it by normal means." Damian adopted a somber expression."He used a ritual. Some type of ritual that converted the life of all citizens of Ventara...and turned us all into an energy source to activate the stone..."
"Ventara?" Maria echoed."But isn't that-"
"The Kingdom of Ventara. A kingdom that worshipped the original Ventara, as well as the Divine Beast, Ventara." Damian chuckled."It's confusing, I know. Trust me. I had a lot of difficulties in the past in differentiating the world, the God, and the kingdom. But...Bragard was once the young prince of the Ventara kingdom. My memories are fuzzy, so I don't remember much. All I know is that Bragard sacrificed the whole kingdom, including us, to power that stone."
"How...how horrible..." Maria covered her mouth."He just...killed all of his friends...?"
"Bragard and Carol created you with the memories of the real people that existed back then..." Chris closed her eyes."That's...sick. So no matter how much you wanted to be human, the only human thing about you is your feelings."
"Right...Though I don't know if I even have a soul. I'm not the original Damian. Just a puppet." Damian offered a small smile."But I made peace with that. My feelings are genuine. My love for my wife, my son, my friends...it's all real. Anyway...I only know this much because he told us vague details about it once. You see, at the time, I didn't know what was going on. I...I remember running around the kingdom, fighting off the invaders that caught word of the prince being dead and resuscitated by "black magic" or Alchemy...And the many witch trials held there. And then...I saw monsters."
"Monsters?" Chao-Xing repeated, urging for clarification.
"Yes...I heard a loud horn...And all of a sudden, the streets were infested with...monsters, devils. Whatever they were. I did my best to protect my family, but...in the end, I couldn't save them. We disintegrated and became part of the stone. Somewhere down the line, Bragard lost not only his Alchemy, but his power, his stature, and the power of the stone, now just a pebble."
"What? Why?" Jades asked.
"I...don't know..." Damian confessed hesitantly."We hadn't been activated by then. So we don't know what exactly happened 10 years ago. But whatever happened, changed how the world worked."
"The Decks, Odin, Loki, and Thor." Yosuke chimed in."Everything changed 10 years ago when Bragard got hold of those stones thanks to Adachi's father, Hazama Liang. Bragard said he wants to eradicate all Liangs because of Hazama...Could he have been the reason why Bragard lost all his influence and power?"
"It's possible." Damian acknowledged the idea."I doubt there would be another reason why Bragard would go to such lengths."
"So you don't know where Hajime's dad is, then?" Chris crossed her arms.
"Nope. Sorry." Damian shook his head."What I can tell you is that Bragard, throughout the years, began amassing a wealth of information, making contacts, selling weapons, and studying. Eventually, he found a way to use the Overall to connect to the former Ventara world, where the Mirror Monsters live, I suppose, thanks to the Mirror Core. He powers this up by using the energy from our Decks to power the stone."
"Just you two?"
"Yes. That's why the Mirror World Project took a while to be completed." Damian elaborated."That's why we needed Dr. Ver to test out the waters and gather data. Eventually, Bragard thought of the idea of collecting energy from every single Rider to power up the Lapis. He thinks that the power of Kamen Riders will be able to activate the stone and purify his condition, which would restore his powers to their former capacity. As you can guess, he's using the power of the 12 Riders, plus Ryuga, since he can't possibly get access to Odin's power, to mimic Ventara's power. Furthermore, he wants to make the Mirror World a worldwide thing, connecting it all around the globe. Not only that, but his end goal revolves around mass producing Alternative Zero Decks and selling them to every country. Giving them their own Kamen Rider powers. He plans to make sure people fight using the weapons he gives them. However, he also wants to infect every computer in the world to make sure they fight each other. If not, he will just create a reason for them to fight. By any means necessary."
"So he wants humanity to kill itself...By sparking the flames of war with power." Genjuri frowned."Does he think that little of us humans? Though I can't say I don't find it plausible. If he gives that kind of power to the wrong people, it would be disastrous."
"And once he makes sure humanity is eradicated, Carol can begin her plan to dissect the world." Damian concluded his long explanation."And that's all I know. Right now, the only energy he's missing is Ryuki's. If he were to get it, the whole world would be doomed. That's why...I want your help in finishing my upgrades. I have a plan to stop the Overall and prevent it from destroying humanity. But...I need you to trust me. I have one condition, though..."
"Do you think we can trust him?" Chao-Xing asked skeptically."I mean..."
"He told us what we needed to know." Genjuro replied as they waited for the results of their data to be displayed on the screen."Thanks to his information, we can locate where our enemy will be attacking next. Also, we know the truth of his and Zeke's body."
"Right. They both have pieces of the Philosopher's Stone inside of them which is what helps them regenerate." Yosuke surmised."It revolves around their lifeforce. Or the amount of "lives" they have. They do this by consuming the life force of people. but Damian doesn't do this. He relied on Garie to give him the life force and memories she collected. Zeke, on the other hand, has no problems doing this, so his regeneration is superior. As we hypothesized, the only way to defeat him is to hit him with an attack powerful enough to wipe him out in one go."
"That's where I come in." Takeru nodded."The card Tobias and Thor gave me... should be able to generate enough power, if charged to its maximum. And thanks to it having Thor's power embedded in it, it might be able to counter Zeke's divine power."
"But still..." Chris lowered her gaze.
"Damian is finishing up his repairs." Genjuro said, bringing the conversation back on topic."Once he's done, we'll be ready. Takeru-kun, you will go with Damian to the Mirror World. Zeke will no doubt show up after sensing him. You'll help Damian go past Zeke so he can stop the Overall."
"But...if he does..." Kirika clenched her chest."Then he..."
"He seems so calm about it, too." Shirabe frowned."How can he be so calm? This plan..."
"It's insane, that's what it is." Raiden finished for her.
"We have no right to question his decision." Chao-Xing proclaimed, earning their full attention."This is what he decided."
"So you're saying that we should just be okay with him wanting to die for this plan to work?!" Chris gritted her teeth, but the oriental girl was not perturbed.
"I am not saying to celebrate that he's willing to put his life on the line." Chao-Xing corrected her."I'm saying we should respect his decision. He wants to be able to stop this. Something that started centuries ago when he was alive. He's doing this for his friends, his wife, and his son. We shouldn't feel bad about his decision. We should admire it. He's earned my respect."
"Huh...Didn't think I'd hear you compliment someone like that." Tsubasa rose her brows, astonished."Especially when you take into account you tried to kill him back in Okinawa."
"I didn't have all the details then. Now I do." She easily answered."Besides, if he's willing to help, I'm all up for it. So...what do you have for us, Commander?"
"Well, we determined that one of their objectives is one of the vaults in Japan to hold Relics, Neptune's Palace. It's a maximum-security area where dangerous heretical technology and other analyzed material are locked away. It's so highly classified that even we don't have any access to it."
"So full of secrets." Yosuke chewed on his thumb."If that's the case, I can only imagine that Vault has something they need. A perfect place to attack."
"Okay, so should all of us go there and just jump them when they show up?" Chris asked, a little too eager for action.
"There is another place that could be potentially attacked," Genjuro said, as another location showed up on the screen.
"T-that's...!" Tsubasa gaped.
Yosuke furrowed his brow but remained silent.
"I had the intelligence division look into something that had been bothering me for a while." Ogawa jumped in the conversation."There have been multiple reports of temples and shrines being destroyed in various incidents. As it happens, each one was part of a spiritual safety net installed by the Meiji government a century ago, placed at vital points for controlling the city's ley lines."
"Damian did mention something about ley lines...But he said that he and Zeke don't have clearance to that kind of information, since they're just protection." Raiden said.
"In any case, Alchemy and ley lines must be two fundamental pillars in the enemy's plan." Genjuro picked up where Ogawa left off."There is a keystone on the Kazanari mansion premises. Hibiki-kun is resting and Hajime-kun is currently undergoing training, but this is the best time to strike. Maria, Tsubasa, Jades, and Yosuke will go to the Kazanari mansion. Chris-kun, Shirabe-kun, and Kirika-kun will go to Neptune's Palace. Takeru, you will go with Damian to face off against Zeke. The others will remain on standby in case another group needs backup."
"Wait, Commander." Chao-Xing took a step forward."Allow me to go with Chris and the girls."
"Chao-Xing-Kun?" Genjuro quirked a brow.
"If Damian's information is correct, that means that there are 3 Autoscorers left. Phara, Leiur, and Zeke. But he also mentioned Leiur having a sister. Kazanari, Chris, Jades, and Yosuke make for a terrifying combo. Takeru has that weapon that might be able to take down Zeke, and he'll have the boys as a backup. But Chris, Shirabe, and Kirika might require a little bit of help. Especially if they are unlucky to fight Leiur since her sister might be nearby."
"I see." Genjuro rubbed his chin."A good point. Very well. You are to go with them. Team A will be dispatched tomorrow morning and the ones heading for Neptune's Palace will be dispatched in the evening. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
Once they were dismissed, Chao-Xing approached the bluenette of the group."Kazanari."
"Liang." Tsubasa acknowledged her.
"I wanted to apologize." Chao-Xing held her hand out, staring up at the taller teen."My behavior was uncalled for. I was acting...rather rude. So please forgive my past transgressions. I know our families have a shaky story together, but I believe that shouldn't apply to us. Right?"
Tsubasa blinked in surprise, glancing over to Yosuke, who looked as equally perplexed as her."Oh..."
"You won't accept it?" Her hand lowered a bit, but Tsubasa took it with a firm grip.
"Of course I do. I was just taken aback, that's all. I...well, I didn't expect you to apologize to me, honestly." Tsubasa smiled at the raven-haired."I'm glad to have you in the group. Looking forward to working with you."
"Likewise, Kazanari."
"Feel free to call me Tsubasa."
"Fine. But call me Chao-Xing."
Hajime grunted, continuing doing push-ups after deciding to take a break from his meditating."190...191...192...!"
Every time his meditation was interrupted by his thoughts, he put the goal of doing push-ups, sit-ups, and a few other exercises. He had to train, he knew that. And there wasn't much time left. Still, he had made some decent progress, he supposed. He was able to properly clear his mind for a few minutes, and concentrate only on a blue ball he imagined in his head. He didn't know why, but that seemed to do the trick to get him to concentrate on something.
"193...194...195...196!"
Still, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't get Hibiki out of his mind. He didn't realize it, but he had come too clingy to Hibiki. He just hoped it wasn't annoying to her. But he just felt weird whenever they were separated. Especially considering the circumstances. Still, he wanted to see her again and make up for his behavior before. He lost control, and he knew how dangerous it was if it happened again.
Bragard would no doubt take advantage and capitalize on it. And that's something he wasn't going to allow to happen.
'He's hurt so many people...' He eventually reached 200 push-ups, collapsing on the floor after his arms exhausted themselves. He flipped to his back, staring at the ceiling."Still, I feel a little different already. My mind is clearer than before. And I feel like I got a bit stronger from that.'
"So, you've been keeping busy."
Hajime perked up at the voice of his cousin, watching her make her way over with a bag over her shoulder."Oh. Hey, Chao."
"I see you were doing some push-ups. You've been training your body too?"
"Well, I decided that to spend my time wisely, I was going to do some exercises every time my mind wandered off while meditating."
"Oh, yeah?" She said with a challenging smirk, tossing him a can of iced tea."How many?"
"200 per set." He caught the can, cracking it up and immediately indulging in the refreshing coldness of his beverage."I did like...600 in total."
"Really?" She hummed."Impressive. Not only did you do 600 push-ups in one day, but you also got distracted only 3 times in these long hours of meditation. Not bad. As expected, you are a prodigy when it comes to these things. So, I believe it's time to move up to the next step. But for now, how about we chat for a bit? You need to rest."
"Okay..." He sighed, laying down on the grass for a much-needed rest."So...you took longer than you said you would. Did something happen?"
Chao-Xing explained her fight against Chiaki, and how Shirabe and Kirika fought Micha. She also told him about how they all awoken to their Ignite Modules. Reluctantly, she told him about what Damian had said to them and their plan to stop Bragard.
"Wow...that's...a lot." Hajime ruffled his hair, still processing the information."I didn't think being a Symphogear and a Kamen Rider was possible..."
"Apparently, it is." She shrugged, taking a sip from her milk tea."But it could just be her case since she's got her powers from Loki."
"And you beat her." Hajime smiled."And Shirabe and Kirika also got their Ignite Module. I'm sure having you around boosted their confidence."
"Maybe. I don't know why, though." She chuckled."They're the ones who talked me into it. I was struggling, but they gave me strength. They've come a long way."
"Like you. They love you. Everyone likes you now. Well, maybe you still have some differences to work with a few of the girls, but... overall, you're very nice."
"Kind of hard to believe we started off hating each other." Chao pointed out."Because of my own prejudice. I judged you because we don't have the same blood flowing through our veins. Because that was what I knew since I was a little girl. The importance of honor and respect. That being a full-blooded Liang made me superior to someone like you. And when I met you again in that building, I was angry. Even more so after I got my arm gnawed off."
"Chao..."
"But I wasn't angry because I hated you or was jealous. No...I was angry because I had resigned myself all those years ago. Because I was scared. I wanted to run away from all this, you know? I almost lost my family that day. I don't have much left to fight for. Until I met all of you. Until I accepted you. Now, things are different. I have...friends...You and Xiangling are my cousins. I have more things to cherish. I may have lost almost all of my family, but I can still fight for what I have."
"Honestly, I didn't like you much either. Mainly because you picked on me whenever you had the chance." Hajime confessed, setting his drink on the grass."But also because the Liangs turned their backs on us when Dad when missing. I was sour for all of those years. But after spending time around you, I came to understand that you lost. A lot. You saw death at a very early age. And that changed you. But underneath that tough exterior, a kind person is waiting to be revealed. Setsuna saw that in you. I'm glad she was right. She called you sister, right? I can get behind that."
"Hmm. I suppose having two more siblings won't do me any harm." She mused."Might want to do something about our families, though. My Father is fine, but your grandmother seemed kind of intense."
"Yeah...She's very resentful of my Dad for abandoning us and not being with my Mom until the very end. But we can work something up. After this is all over."
"And it will be over. We'll end this. Not just for us, but for the people that suffered because of Bragard." She closed her eyes, a smug smile gracing her features."By the way, you never told me, but did you ravage Hibiki?"
"HUH?!"
"I mean, back in Okinawa. Two couples decided to do the dirty and had some heavy and steamy sex." She said with a cocky grin."What about you? Did you do it?"
"No! And why the hell are you saying it like that?!" Hajime blushed furiously.
"I was watching a movie the other day and I found it funny. Heavy and steamy sex. I had to use it." She shrugged nonchalantly."But seriously, I'm surprised. I figured you would. I mean, you're a teenager and all. Guys your age have a lot of hormones."
"I...I want it to be special." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck."So I told her we should wait a bit..."
"Ah, I see. It makes sense. She is a keeper." She nodded sagely."It makes sense you want it to be special. I'm sure she feels the same way. Are you missing her?"
"A lot." Hajime sighed."I want to hug her and cuddle with her...She just makes me so happy."
"Hmmm. Interesting. You're both too damn clingy."
"What? Nah, no way."
"Yes. You are." She deadpanned."You're all up in each other's spaces and never stop thinking about the other. You haven't seen each other in a day!"
"Is...is that bad?" Hajime trailed off, embarrassed."To always want to stay by her side...?"
"No. I mean, it's not a toxic type of clinginess. You both want to be with each other, so it's normal." She scratched her cheek."Though, I don't know if it's normal to be that clingy. I suppose it's because of your past traumas. You yearn for that connection."
"What about you, Chao? Did you ever have a special someone?"
"I wouldn't call it that kind of special." Chao took a deep breath."You see, he was...interested in me. Always tried to win my heart by any means. I admired his determination. And...I suppose I was sort of attracted to him. But..."
"But...?"
"I was foolish. I rejected him because he was Japanese, not Chinese." She rubbed the bridge of her nose."I missed out on having that type of relationship. Because of my hubris...because I thought I was better than the rest. I was...just like Bragard."
"Well, it's never too late." Hajime offered some comfort."I'm sure you'll meet someone one day. Just gotta give it time."
"I don't know..."
"Come on, trust me. We'll find you a special guy, you'll see." Hajime promised her."Man, I'm learning so much about you. If only I knew what your Japanese name was."
"Again with this?" Chao-Xing snorted."Do you truly want to know? It won't be that big of a deal, I assure you."
"It's only fair."
"Fine." A light blush appeared on her face as she pulled on her collar."It's...Haruka...My full name is Chao-Xing Haruka Liang."
"Haruka...?" Hajime blinked, perplexed."But that's..."
"The girliest name ever, I know." She groaned in dismay."I hate it. It makes me sound fragile and stuff. So I don't like saying it. I'm telling you this and I expect you to take this secret to the grave. If you don't, then you'll be going to an early grave along with the secret, got it?"
"S-sure thing..."
"Good." She clapped her hands."So...show me the results of your training. Let's do some light meditation, shall we? We have today and tomorrow until nighttime before I head to that mission. So our time together is running out."
"You got it." Hajime nodded solemnly."I'm ready when you are."
"Then let's-"
Just then, Chao'x phone began ringing, interrupting the conversation."Just a second."
"Right."
Chao-Xing stood up, marching toward the door and leaning against it, answering the call."Hello?"
"Hey, sweetie."
"Hi, Dad." She allowed herself a small smile upon hearing her father's voice."What's up?"
"Just calling to check in on you." He chuckled."How's everything? You haven't called at all."
"It's been...a hectic few weeks." She confessed with a sigh."Still...they've been...insightful."
"I can tell by the tone of your voice. You're different, somewhat."
"I have been looking at things from a different perspective, that's all. I worked things out with Lingyun and Xianglin. They...well, they call me their older sister now." She said between chuckles."Can you believe it? Me? After I treated them so poorly. All because they weren't full-blooded."
"It seems you've matured." He hummed with a smile on the other end of the call."Very good. I am happy to see you are getting along with them. We must not let our hatred cloud our judgment, Chao. We mustn't continue the cycle of hatred. And this was a big step in the right direction. Speaking of which, I just received a letter from Kyoko Adachi. She says she wants to meet tomorrow night so we can talk. I'm bringing Wei with me and I assume she'll bring Xiangling since you and Lingyun are busy bees."
"Is that so? A letter?" She rose a skeptical brow."I didn't take Lingyun's grandmother to be an old-schooled lady. Who writes letters anymore? Regardless, I think it's a wonderful idea, Dad. If we can unite our broken families, it would be great."
"Right? That's why I'm going. I can't wait for us to put our differences aside. It's time to finally put an end to all this hatred."
"Right. I'm with you all the way, Dad."
"Well, I won't take any more of your time. Take care. You and your cousin have to watch each other's backs, alright? Love you."
"Of course. I love you too, Daddy."
With that, the oriental girl went back to her cousin, hands behind her back."Sorry. My Father called me."
"All good?"
"Yes. Apparently, your grandmother sent him a letter notifying him that she wants to discuss things and hopefully put an end to our family feud."
"Really?! That's awesome!" Hajime beamed, jumping in place.
"So we definitely can't be wasting time while our families are putting in the work." Chao-Xing grinned."Let's head over to the middle of the waterfall. It's time I teach you the secrets of Chi and how to draw out your potential. It's fine to train your body, but unless you train your mind, you won't be able to use your strength to its fullest. Once you master this, you will be a whole new person."
"Okay!" Hajime cracked his knuckles, rearing to go."I'm ready for whatever you have, Haruka!"
"Then I won't disappoint..." She responded with a shit-eating grin."Hajime."
Bragard sat on his throne, idly clicking away at his energy keyboard and watching his four Goliath Noise on screen with a smile."Everything is going according to plan."
He then shifted his eyes to the incubator above him, where his clone rested."I am so close to becoming the Ultimate Lifeform. To become perfect. Just watch, Hazama-dono. Like I promised, I will make sure your bloodline suffers greatly before I end them. For your betrayal. We could have been so successful together. You would never have known this much misery. Oh, well."
The albino looked down at the note he had forged. At the bottom, it read "Huan Liang."
"Now...Just got to finish preparations for the greatest battle this world has ever seen!"
"So here's the deal." Hazuki clapped his hands, standing in front of the living room couch where everyone was sitting, waiting for his explanation."We're going to strike Bragard and Carol soon."
"Finally." Terunosuke smirked."I was getting tired of being their lapdog."
"Not like you did much for them." Allisted pointed out, much to his chagrin."But I suppose that we've wasted enough time. We've offered our services and he upgraded our Decks."
"Bragard is confident he can take us down, even with our new powers." Hazuki nodded."But his own arrogance will prove to be his greatest weakness. We'll wait for S.O.N.G to make the first move. We may be enemies, but we also share a common foe."
"And if they're smart, they'll realize that Bragard and Carol are the more imminent threat." Allister added, eyeing Chiaki."You doing alright?"
"Mmmm..." She moaned, a pack of ice over her jaw."Hurts...like shit..."
"What gives? She got destroyed that the Mjolnir girl." Terunosuke frowned at the penguin plushy.
"Well, Thor was always a tad bit stronger than me. However, I suspect that it's not a matter of whether his Relic is stronger than mine. Since he should have barely any power available to him. I believe it's more about that girl just being a superior fighter to Chiaki here. Did you use that special...mode, I installed?"
"Had no...chance." She groaned, rubbing her aching jaw."Couldn't get...sufficient amount of blood...And she was fast. Too fast. Won't lose...again...bitch..."
"We've been taking major loses lately." Hazuki sat on the armrest of the touch."First against Bragard himself, then Kuwana-san against his siblings, Chiaki against Chao-Xing, and Albedo-san against Takeru. We've been losing what makes us powerful."
"Indeed." Loki nodded."But now we got power. We've been getting stronger. These losses..have made us grow. We have one objective. Get the Gjallahorn from Bragard. We need that to activate Ragnarok after we've opened all Gates of Hell."
"But for that to work, we must wait for the right opportunity. As I said, we'll wait until S.O.N.G makes a move against them. If Chiaki's information is correct, then they're down 3 Autoscorers. Damian, Kamen Rider Abyss, has deserted, and Garie and Micha are gone." Hazuki listed with his fingers."Phara, Leiur, and her sister are remaining alongside Zeke, who has probably absorbed Loki's Divine Power into him."
"So he's like us then." Terunosuke arched a brow.
"Kind of. But unlike you guys, his Divine Power was forced into him. So I'm sure it won't be a perfect manifestation of it. We'll use that to our advantage. Still, since his body isn't human, he might be able to fully draw that power earlier than us."
"Still, we must be careful." Loki stated."Fighting someone with Divine Power can be...tricky, to say the least."
"I'm sure S.O.N.G can make things easier for us." Allister leaned back on the couch, hands behind his head."It's funny. They genuinely think we're the so-called bad guys. In a world where there is no such thing as good or evil, they are so hellbent on calling people good or evil. How childish."
"And yet, those labels do exist in this cruel world." Hazuki closed his eyes."Our ultimate goal is to eradicate all evil from this world. For the Ultimate Good to rise and for eternal happiness. Evil...has contaminated this world. Bragard and Carol are a prime example."
"But we're the actual good guys." Loki chimed in."We want what's best for the world. The others are just scared of change. You see, they've come to accept the world is shit and that there's no way of changing it. But we'll show them the real, pure world. Free of lies, oppression, greed, and evil. First, we'll strike down this obstacle in our way."
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Terunosuke nodded, pleased. Chiaki just hummed.
"We have our battles picked against S.O.N.G. However, Hazuki-kun, what will you do?" Allister smiled."Regarding your little brother?"
"Oh, yeah. That little dipshit." Terunosuke sneered."Who the fuck does he think he is, interrupting my family matters like that?!"
"He'll...well..." Hazuki trailed off.
"I doubt we can persuade him to join our cause." Allister pointed out."He's too brainwashed by society's definition of good to be on board with this. Not to mention all of his little friends. And his "Sunshine.""
"He won't join." Terunosuke scoffed."He's a kid. Kids like him only think about playing heroes and shit like that. They don't think right."
"I must say, I do find it hard to believe that your brother was the kid causing us so much trouble." Allister crossed his legs."To think our very black dragon, Ryuga, Hazuki Kaburagi was brothers with the red dragon...Hajime Adachi."
"Even I didn't know." Loki hummed."Not until Bragard told us the truth of everything. So, Hazuki...what will you do? If he opposes us?"
"We eliminate him." Hazuki responded, his eye twitching slightly."Just like everyone that denies the new, perfect world of absolute good. Whether they're friends...family...loved ones...We must...Save humanity from destruction. We'll use the Tesseract to harbor the souls of the dead and Gjallahorn to open the gates of hell. Only then, will we be able to massacre humanity...for it to be reborn, free of evil and sin."
Hazuki walked over to the balcony of their penthouse, watching the lights of the night down in the streets of Yokohama.'Hajime...Setsuna...Miku...One day, you will understand. I'll save you. No matter what it takes. You'll understand...right?'
Lot of reveals in this chapter. And we're drawing near to the beginning of the end. Also, I just noticed the TFS reference I made with the Ventara thing LOL. Literally the same thing as the Planet Vegeta gag in tfs.
Bragard: "I'm going to destroy Ventara!"
Damian: "The God, the planet, or the kingdom...?"
Bragard: "...Yes."
Also, yes, it's confirmed. Hajime and Hazuki are related. I don't know if this is a big reveal or not since I kind of hinted at it several times before never straight-up said it. They have the same dad but different moms.