Reviews:
Tigracho: Yeah. Shit indeed.
Izalgo (Guest): Yeah, that's true. I needed all players back then to set the board for the following seasons. Now people are going to start dying.
Daemon of Wrath: Oh, yeah. Don't worry. It's coming. A fitting end for someone like him. Yeah, to be honest, it was hard seeing her go. She's one of my favorite characters to write. But I think she went out in a good way, and her views changed. Putting her hope in the person whom she despised at the beginning of the season and understanding that his father, the "deserter" of their clan, was a good person. I took inspiration from you for the eye thing. I didn't think about it before, so thank you for that.
Tenzalucard123: In the end, Hazama was a good father who cared for his children. And Bragard took advantage of that. He will pay for what he did.
Guest: Seh, yo la verdad llore al escribir xD. Uno se encariña con los personajes y todo eso.
Keiwa (Guest): Un time vent?
lordri25may2001: True, I guess you're right on that. This season's character highlights are probably for Bragard, Chao, and Damian. I think I've come a long way from when I first started writing this fic and I have many more things to show you guys. To be honest, Symphogear is relatively tamed when it comes to character deaths and stuff. At least if you compare it to series like Madoka Magica and Yuuki Yuuna which are the same genre. Maybe if I had chosen a different series for a crossover, it would have been more friendly and stuff but it's a Kamen Rider Ryuki story. With Hazama's death, it's kind of like showing how maybe you have good intentions, but sometimes the result is not what you';re hoping for. He hoped to keep his kids safe, but right now they're in the most danger they've ever been in. I think we can figure something out for Miku and her Shenshoujing. I don't remember if Shem-Ha specifically needed the Shenshoujing. I'll have to rewatch XV soon. Also, yes, Vanessa is a babe. I think she would be good friends with Jades since they're both the big brother and sister figures in their respective groups. I'll give you a little spoiler. I have planned two additional characters for XV to add to the Noble Red roster. One of them being a guy and the other being a young girl. The girl is going to have her...peculiar taste, to say the least. As for the guy, I can't decide whether to pair him up with Vanessa or Millarc.
primenidus: Bragard has no regard for human life. To him, this whole thing is just a game and the people around him are pieces. He called Damian and Chao-Xing appetizers and Hajime was meant to be a "main course", only to disappoint him. Now he got what he wanted and will see a new challenge before his eyes.
Guest7 (Guest): True, this will be a traumatic experience for brother and sister. And you're right, this will shape their characters from now on. You'll see what I mean in the future. To be honest, the only person I can tell you concretely has plot armor is Hajime. And even then, as you saw, it's not perfect plot armor since he can be defeated mentally and physically. The other person might be Hazuki since he's meant to be the big villain before Odin. The rest can die at any moment.
From: Ohgod (Guest): Oh, yeah. I remember that. I also used the Naruto vs. Pain scene to make this fighting scene as well.
HanzoHasashi98: One of the heaviest chapters but not the heaviest that we'll see, unfortunately. We're in the middle of the series and things are going to become more complicated for everyone. To be honest...I didn't really like the whole Nagato thing. The thing I dislike about Naruto is how villains suddenly become good after being invested in their plans for years. Like, Nagato killed his master, tons of innocent people, a whole village and Naruto comes to him and goes like "yeah bro I was just like you"lol. For Obito was worse though, since he's like the main reason the whole series happens, next to Madara. Would people really be satisfied if I made Bragard regret his actions and be like "yeah ok I'll revive everyone". However, he couldn't since he can't even use Alchemy. But I do see your point. Right, I could have done more, but I feel like her character peaks here since she's learned all the valuable lessons she needed. She went from disliking Hajime for being a halfbreed to calling him her little brother and being happy with the others. Not saying I couldn't have done more, but I think this was a good sendoff.
Chapter 74
Catastrophic World Breaker
Bragard smiled from ear to ear, feeling the intense flames increasing as Dragreder began finishing his transformation. As he had seen in the battle against the Nephilim, he had taken over a good portion of Hajime's body.
'Still, it took too long to get him this riled up.' He remarked.'Before all it took was for Hibiki Tachibana to get her armed gnawed off. But now I had to kill three of his family members. I suppose he's matured a bit. Not that it did him any good.'
Dragreder was unable to maintain his balance with his now two human feet and fell on his stomach. However, the wing on his back grew in size and several branch-like structures protruded from it.
Alternative leaped in the air, shooting a wave of gravity that dispersed the flames slightly, earning the full attention of the dragon. He began flapping his one wing, slowly taking himself above ground. He buried his tail into the ground, lifting several rocks from the flame-like tails he created.
"Good, good. Now we're talking." Alternative beckoned him to come at him."Show me what you got."
As if understanding his words, Dragreder hurled the rocks at Bragard, who simply began cutting through them like butter effortlessly. However, due to the dust the rocks created, he was barely able to see a giant fist of fire coming his way, forcing him to leap into the air just in time to avoid it. But this left him vulnerable. Dragreder was flying full speed toward him, spinning around to deliver a horizontal kick against Bragard's forearm. To his shock, his arm was blown away, forcing him to regenerate it quickly and do back springs to gain some distance. He landed on top of a building, but the Dragon was hot on his tail, crawling up the building at insane speeds.
The building threatened to collapse, forcing Alternative to leap out of the way, but Dragreder's hand grabbed him, slamming him to the ground. He began to repeatedly slam him before grabbing him with both hands, diving in with a double kick that buried the young Prince into the ground. The dragon tripped over, falling down the same hole and landing on the train tracks underneath the streets.
"Not bad." Alternative leaned against the wall, his wounds healing with black dust swirling around him."But you're still a far cry from beating me, human."
Dragreder huffed, digging his nails into the rails. More of his dragon parts began cladding Hajime's skin, making him almost unrecognizable aside from his face and part of his legs. Another wing sprouted from his back, and two horns protruded from his forehead.
"Very well. But make no mistake." Alternative drew two cards from his Deck, scanning the first one."You are nothing compared to the Ultimate Lifeform."
Shoot Vent: Psycho Fireworks
Armed cannons attached themselves to Alternative's shoulders, and he immediately opened fire at the area above Dragreder, burying him with debris. The second card he used summoned Psycho-Rogue, but the monster turned into a dirt bike.
Wheel Vent
Alternative hopped on, watching with great interest as Dragreder crawled his way out of the rocks."Let's go!"
Revving the engine, Alternative took off down the tracks, with Dragreder flying behind him and firing several fireballs from his mouth. The black Rider cackled in delight, slicing a hole in the ceiling and escaping back into the outside. The chase continued, with Dragreder creating several arms of fire and trying to catch Alternative, but he was too fast and slippery.
"YAHOOOOOOOOO!" Alternative was having the time of his life, even going as far as doing a wheelie. However, he got careless. And one of the arms of fire grabbed him."Oh, shi-"
He was thrown across the area and into a building where he landed on the 10th floor. He grabbed his head, chastising himself for not seeing him coming. But he had no time for that. He noticed several fireballs being shot at him from afar as if it were a machine gun shooting at him.
"Repel!" He held his left arm out, repelling the attacks and dispersing them throughout the city, blowing away several buildings. Once the attacks seemingly stopped, he grinned."That can't be all you have, right?"
As if the dragon sensed his words, a hand emerged from the ground, grabbing him by the throat and tossing him back to the ground."I suppose not...Such speed and strength. He's far stronger than before."
Dragreder roared to the heavens, his body beginning to shine once more.
Survive
Alternative's eyes widened upon seeing Survive: Rekka entering the dragon's body, causing a new metamorphosis."Oh?"
The flames erupted in a burst of power, now becoming almost gold. From there, Dragreder, or rather, Dragranzer, emerged. He was clad in the Ryuki armor, but looking like a complete monster instead of the regular armor. (Look up Another Ryuki for image reference).
This time, he stood on his two feet, one sword in hand and his Dragclaw in the other.
"The air...suddenly shifted." Alternative muttered, feeling a cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck.
Dragranzer wobbled for a bit before vanishing from sight with a deafening boom.
"Huh? A sonic boom? He broke the sound barrier?"
Alternative was met by a claw to the face, pushing him down to the ground. He attempted to slice at his assailant, but Dragranzer blocked with his Dragclaw. He aimed his gauntlet at Bragard's face, blasting him away.
"I-I'mpossible..." Alternative kicked the ground, landing on his feet. Dragranzer moved all over the place, surrounding him like a caged animal from all angles."Such speed! How did he gain so much power?! I can't stop him!"
He raised his hands, manifesting a huge ball of dark matter. However, several hands of fire emerged from the ground, grabbing onto the sphere."Repel!"
Much to his shock, Dragranzer was unaffected by the gravity increase and continued to try to squish the ball in his hands.
"Are you insane?! If this attack explodes, you'll be affected too!" Alternative tried to kick at the monster in front of him, but he wouldn't budge.'I can't cancel it! It's going to-'
The ball exploded, sending both figures in opposite directions and going through several buildings. Bragard growled, using his sword and stabbing it into a building to stop his momentum."You... don't you dare think this means anything, vermin!"
Alternative shot himself in the sky using his gravity, cladding his blade with his Broken Alchemy. Dragranzer watched him head toward him and met him halfway, clashing swords and creating an expansive shockwave.
"If you want a clash of swords..." Alternative kicked Dragranzer back and chased after him."Then I'll give it to you!"
"GRAAAAAH!" Dragranzer roared, parrying every strike that Alternative dished out. Not only was he parrying, but he was starting to slash at his armor until eventually Alternative was receiving damage without being able to do anything. He fired another volley of missiles from his shoulders, forcing Dragranzer back and giving himself time to retreat.
His Deck began to beep once more, adjusting to the current power he was facing.'I keep getting stronger and stronger...But he's able to match my every blow and surpass me...I can't hope to match him in close-quarters combat. His moves are too unorthodox and aggressive. I suppose I have no choice but to kick things up a notch.'
Dragranzer snarled, suddenly blasting himself toward Alternative and going for a double kick, which he somehow managed to block with his sword."Repel!"
Using his new strength, Alternative was able to push Dragranzer back, but the dragon merely flapped his wings to stabilize himself. Much to the dragon's bewilderment, Alternative proceeded to run away from him. With a loud growl, the dragon chased after him, crashing to buildings as Bragard attempted to lose him by taking sharp turns. Once he was in the center of Tokyo, he smiled, eyeing the Overall from afar.'Yes...this amount of rocks and debris should suffice.'
"Very well. You are about to see my most devastating attack. The power of a God!" Bragard rose both of his arms, summoning the power being used in the Overall to increase his strength. Suddenly, the rocks and buildings around them began to break apart, slowly flying into the sky with his gravity.
Dragranzer fell to his knees after losing his balance after the rock below him began to float.
Bragard laughed maniacally, his own body floating along with the rocks. He began to control the rocks at will, surrounding Dragranzer from all directions as they continued to rise to the sky.."Here he comes!"
Dragranzer smashed his dragon arm onto the ground below him, using his wings to jump from rock to rock, firing several fireballs at Bragard. He used the rocks around him to block, while also adding the ones below to his arsenal.'T-the pressure! I can feel it from here!'
The dragon spun around, creating a tornado of fire, and used it to break through the rocks, smashing his fist against Alternative's face and knocking him off his rock. He wasted no time in using another rock to shoot himself higher into the sky."Don't look down on me, mongrel!"
The dragon growled, leaping from rock to rock and chasing after Bragard, shooting another volley of fireballs in his direction. With a sweep of his hand, he disperses the fire across all the rocks around them, setting them on fire. From down below, it looked like a meteor shower going on.
Wei continued running, not wanting to see what was going on behind him. He was soaked to the bone, and his arms were growing tired from carrying Setsuna. But he couldn't stop. He took one glance toward the sky and he saw the battle raging on.'A monster fighting a monster...Only a monster can have absolute power...'
Alternative fired more missiles at Dragranzer, who used his wings to block the attacks and continued to parkour around the boulders.
Bragard clad his fists with dark matter, lunging at the dragon and connecting two punches to the face.
First Impact
He wrapped his tail around Bragard, taking him down with him, and threw him against a rock with tremendous strength, knocking the wind out of him. He seethed in fury upon seeing Dragranzer flying above him, taking it as a sign of disrespect. He flew higher into the air, once more looking down at his opponent. By now, the sky was covered in flying rocks, and Tokyo seemed to be minuscule from where they were. And they continued to head even higher.
Dragranzer fired scorching flames from his gauntlet, which Bragard was forced to counter with the azure flames from his sword. Unlike last time, this time it was Alternative on the backfoot. He leaped out of the way, but his left side was incinerated by the blazing fire. He seethed in anger, quickly regenerating and adapting.
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
His Deck was continuously evolving, but so was Dragranzer. Dragranzer slammed both of his feet against his stomach, launching him against another rock."That's it!"
He lunged at Dragranzer, both of their blades clashing in the middle. However, Dragranzer once more overpowered his strike, launching him away as he regenerated."Repel!"
Dragranzer took a deep breath before releasing a mighty roar that canceled out the gravity force, even reaching Alternative and shaking him to his core.'W-what's with this pressure?! I can't-'
A fireball to the face knocked him from his podium, but since everything around them was floating, he did not fall to the earth."It's almost time..."
He clapped his hands, lifting several giant boulders on fire, making them circle around Dragranzer. The dragon growled, glancing around to see what was going to happen next. He didn't have to wait long, since the rocks began crashing against each other, forming a massive rock that Bragard sent toward the dragon."I'LL CRUSH YOU!"
Not thinking even once, the dragon lunged at the boulder, slamming his fist into it with a thunderous sound, sending it back to Bragard and smacking him in the face. The prince stabbed his sword into another rock, floating even higher than before as he recuperated.
"This is beyond all expectations..." He noted, still shaken from his clash with the monster earlier. He glanced down below. By now, they were entering into the mesosphere, and he was pleased to see that rocks were flying toward them."Yes...This should do."
Dragranzer hopped from rock to rock, choosing to not use his flight at this distance and stalk his prey with murderous eyes.
"You will come to understand I am not as short-sighted as my beloved Carol." He clasped his hands together before slowly taking them apart, forming a black sphere in his hands."I will make sure I exterminate you for the sake of my plans!"
Dragranzer finally noticed what he was doing and wasted no time bombarding the rocks below them with rapid shots, breaking the rocks into pieces. But it was too late. There were just too many of them and even if he was destroying them, they were piecing themselves back together again.
"Activate Catastrophic World Breaker!"
Dragranzer whipped his head back, realizing Bragard was on him. He threw the ball at the dragon, but instead of hurting him, it went inside of him. Suddenly, all the rocks around them began flying toward Dragranzer, threatening to crush him if he wasn't fast enough. His legs were covered in rocks, but he continued to smash through them. Eventually, he was covered entirely with rocks to the point that it didn't matter if he broke some around him, he was too deep in the rock formation that created a dome. A beam of fire emerged from the rocks, but Bragard blocked it with his Slashdagger, throwing it back and stunning Dragranzer momentarily.
The rocks crashed into each other, and the fire on some of them began to spread, covering the whole sphere with fire. Bragard swung his arm down, cackling in madness as the makeshift asteroid was headed toward Tokyo."SAY GOODBYE TO THIS FILTHY CITY HUMAN!"
Catastrophic World Breaker
From the ground, it looked like an asteroid was heading toward the planet, imminently about to crash. To Bragard's surprise, something began to crawl his way from within the meteor. Dragranzer emerged from inside, crying out in defiance and flying down past the meteor.
"It's useless. The explosion will kill you anyway." Bragard chuckled."The Overall can withstand the crash. But not your precious country. It's a shame the dimensions haven't merged. I have something even better planned for the real world after we're done here."
Dragranzer grabbed the meteor, flying upward to try and stop it from crashing. He created giant hands of fire to grab onto the threatening rock, as well as several tails that connected to the ground to help himself.
Bragard clicked his tongue, noticing that he was slowly reducing the meteor's momentum."Guess I'll just have to make it bigger."
With a clap of his hands, more rocks emerged from the fallen buildings, attaching themselves to Dragranzer. The dragon roared with all his might, growing in size and adding taking the form of a giant dragon of fire, holding the meteor down. However, even he was unable to bounce it back and eventually was consumed by the rocks and absorbed by the meteor. The meteor crashed against Kyoko, creating powerful earthquakes all across the city and the nearby districts. But there was no explanation. The meteor simply began to break apart.
"He...stopped it...?" Bragard descended from the sky, bewildered by what he had just seen. Dragranzer had somehow stopped the meteor's momentum, even while he was being pulled in by the gravitational core Bragard had put in him."But that was my most powerful attack. How can this beast be able to handle it?! But it doesn't matter. He's-"
A thunderous roar echoed through the desolated city before the dragon emerged from the debris. He tried to create a fireball but he was unable to do anything. His fire was extinguished and returned to its original size. Once the fire dissipated, Hajime was left on top of the rocks, unconscious and unmoving.
"He ran out of power...So the dragon purposely ran out of energy so the boy wouldn't permanently become one with him." Bragard sighed, floating back to the ground. He made his way toward the raven-haired boy, noticing the Ryuki Deck in his hands. His arms...
"His Deck has been restored...And his arms..." Bragard knelt in front of him, inspecting his mouth, his torso, and his legs."His wounds...His teeth and the holes I punctured into him are gone...He regenerated all of the injuries I did on him earlier. Or rather, the dragon did."
He hummed in thought, recalling the recording of the battle against the Nephilim."If I remember correctly, he had shattered his teeth before and they regrew back. Could it be...an ability the Riders have when they merge with their beasts? No, that can't be it. I lack any real evidence for that, but I am sure no one else can do this. Perhaps...it has something to do with Dragreder himself. Could it be that he was the next one blessed with more power next to Goldphoenix? Then again, I assume that adaptability also comes from the dragon. Interesting..."
Now that he thought about it, it made sense. If this kid was the Messiah, just like he was, naturally he would be chosen by a remarkable Advent Monster. But to think said monster had this kind of power...
"You fought well." Bragard remarked."You are the first person who's ever pushed me this far. Not even Adam and Fine have come even close. While you, Damian, and your cousin were mere appetizers, your dragon was a delectable dessert. But all good things must come to an end, I'm afraid. Don't worry. I'll spare you from having to see the rest of your loved ones being slaughtered by me. When you get to the other world...give my regards to Hazama-dono. Oh, wait. He doesn't exist anymore! HAHAHAHA!"
Shoot Vent: Gigantocanons
Two beams of energy connected against Bragard, pushing him off for a few meters before he swatted them away."I thought I felt an insect sting me. I forgot you were here."
In the blink of an eye, Alternative dashed in front of Zolda and pierced through his heart with his sword.
Illusion Vent
Zolda's body exploded into several bats, covering Alternative and limiting his vision. A gust of wind launched the pseudo-Rider into a building, and both Zolda and Knight emerged from hiding.
"Lieutenant!" Zolda flipped the body of the unconscious teen."Lieutenant wake up! Hajime!"
"He's alive." Knight pressed his fingers against his neck."He has a pulse. And...doesn't seem to have any major injuries. Seems that like before, he was healed. But...I'm sorry." The purple-haired boy brushed his friend's hand."I'm sorry I came here too late...I'm sorry..."
"Fucking bastard..." Takeru snarled under his helmet.
"So, backup has arrived?" Alternative emerged from the building, dusting off his armor."A little too late. So, I take it you saved the little brats?"
"Wei-kun and Setsuna-chan were too shaken up to say anything." Takeru narrowed his eyes at the prince."Where is Chao-Xing?! Where are their parents?!"
"Dead." Alternative examined his fingernails as if he was talking about a trivial topic."I killed them. Ripped the head off the girl and squashed the other ones' heads. I think their bodies are mostly vaporized or possibly crushed after our little fight just now though."
"You...you killed them...!" Zolda clenched his visor.
"Liang..." Knight closed his eyes, a sense of guilt washing over him."That's another subordinate that dies on my watch...How could you...?! They were defenseless!"
"Do you ever feel bad whenever you step over ants when you're walking down the street? It's the same concept, really. Oh, don't feel so bad about it." Bragard waved his hand dismisivally."They got off easy compared to the Boy Wonder. And the rest of you. I will kill every single one of you. I mean...that is why you're here, isn't it? To "fight" me." He did air quotes, chuckling."Pfft! Hahaha! You can try it! But you're not even an appetizer for me at this point. You struggled with the Alternites. You stand zero chance against me. It won't be a fight."
"I've had enough of this fucking bastard!" Zolda began bombarding him with beams of energy, but Alternative didn't even dodge them. He simply used his gravity to stop them, folding his arms.
"Is this all?" He asked, almost yawning.
Shoot Vent: GigantoBits
Several drones in the shape of Magnugiganto's head surrounded Bragard, who eyed them in curiosity. The drones began shooting lasers from their cannons while attempting to ram into him in unison.
The fake Rider moved his blade in a blur, and before they knew it, the drones exploded.
"Holy shit..." Zolda grabbed his head."What the fuck...? That worked against Zeke...!"
"Oh. So you defeated Zeke?" Bragard arched a brow."Interesting. It's too bad I'm several times stronger than he was. Tell you what. I'm so strong now, I will even give you a handicap."
To their shock, he tossed his sword on the ground, folding his arms under his chest."I will not use my hands for the time being. A good offer, no?"
"Okay, now he's just being a dickhead!" Zolda hissed.
"Calm down, Sakamoto." Knight swallowed the lump in his throat."I...don't think he's bluffing. You saw that meteor he threw down...I think we're in way over our heads..."
"So what?! We're supposed to just drop dead and admit defeat?!" Zolda growled.
"No. But we can't approach the situation carelessly." Knight hummed."Cover my back. I'll go ahead and you support me with your artillery. Don't hold back. It doesn't matter if you hit me by accident."
"Honestly, I'd be against such a reckless plan like that, all things considered." Takeru grinned nervously."But this guy...I think we can forget about the rules with him."
"Are you done strategizing?" Alternative inquired, tapping his foot impatiently.
Rod Vent: Darkhalberd
Grabbing onto his new weapon with both hands, Knight leaped in the air and winded his arms back before attempting to strike Alternative with his weapon. Alternative merely sidestepped, chuckling in amusement. Knight went for a horizontal strike, but Alternative hovered over the weapon and stood on the tip.
"Come on now." He frowned, noticing thousands of bullets fired in his direction.
Shoot Vent: Gigantomini
Zolda rained hell upon Bragard with his upgraded minigun, though the prince merely created a barrier of dark matter to block.
Knight dropped his weapon, grabbed a card from his Deck, and inserted it into his visor while he leaped away.
Screech Vent
Darkrider released a powerful screech that Bragard dodged by leaping high into the sky. Zolda took this opportunity and drew a card, instantly activating it.
Advent: Magnugiganto
Bragard whistled upon meeting gaze with the giant of steel who fired beams from its eyes. The prince arched his back, avoiding the beams and launching several spears of dark matter at the monster, who blocked them with its arm. Alternative flipped around before using his gravity to shoot himself toward Magnugiganto, kicking it in its face and knocking it over his feet.
"Ah, fuck!" Zolda cried, but he had no time to react as he felt a kick to his right leg, forcing him to bend it. Bragard grabbed him by the neck, lifting him and choking him.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Knight unsheathed his Darklance, rushing toward Bragard in an attempt to stab him. He felt something unimaginable force bring him to the ground, forcing him to drop his lance. He tried to reach it, but a foot stomped his head, causing him to scream in pain.
"And just like that, you're both finished. Sorry about the arms. But I do not keep my promises to dirty humans." Bragard chuckled, tightening his grip on Zolda's neck and preventing him from breathing. He tried shooting his beams from his shoulders and even shooting at Bragard's face, but all his attacks were nullified by a forcefield that surrounded the prince. Knight tried stabbing at his leg with his Darkblade, but it was in vain. He wasn't even denting the prince's armor."Now...time to sleep."
"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
A kick to the back of his head forced Alternative on the ground, but he quickly recuperated, dodging the incoming punches from Kamen Rider Ryuki in his Survive Form while using his Blaze Vent to increase his strength."Oho! You startled me! You're quite resilient, aren't you? And a lot stronger than you were before. It seems you retain some of the strength you gain every time you go berserk."
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! YOU'RE DEAD!" Ryuki continued to scream at the top of his lungs but only managed to receive a punch to the gut that sent him flying past both Riders.
"Lieutenant!" Zolda cried out in concern.
"Even Adachi is being manhandled..."
However, Ryuki wasn't done. He panted, his eyes wide open in rage."I'm so fucking sick of looking at your fucking face! I will...FUCKING KILL YOU IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!"
"Then you'll die trying." Alternative grinned, watching him fly over to him at blinding speeds. Ryuki went for a punch, missing his mark by a few inches. He choked on his saliva, unable to cry in pain due to the shock.
Alternative had kidney punched him and finished him by backhanding him away. Knight caught him in his arms, setting him on the floor just as Zolda jogged over to them.
"Adachi, calm down." Knight frowned, helping him sit up."We have to think of a strategy-"
"Shut up..."
"Huh?"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Ryuki pushed Knight away, snarling."He's mine! I will be the one to kill him!"
"Just relax, Lieutenant, you're not thinking straight-"
"If you're not going to help then fuck off!" Ryuki rushed back into the fight, drawing a card from his Deck.
"Shit, we have to go after him!" Zolda rushed after his friend, leaving a very dejected Knight.
"Why is everyone so stubborn?!" Not wanting to lose another friend, he joined the fray."Damn it, wait!"
Sword Vent: Dragsaberzwei
Strike Vent: Gigantoblasters
Sword Vent: Darklance
"Heh. Okay then." Alternative chuckled, scanning two cards into his visor.
Sword Vent: Slashdagger
Accel Vent
In the blink of an eye, Bragard had blitzed through all Riders, slashing them with his blade. All of them dropped to the ground, but Ryuki quickly bounced back and chased after him in a feral rage.
"It's like all that's keeping you standing is your adrenaline." Bragard chuckled, parrying the strikes with his blade. He easily sidestepped, kicking Ryuki's legs to make him lose his footing, and kicked his back, sending him skidding on the ground.
"Fucker!" Zolda attempted to punch him with his revolver gauntlets, but the Prince was one step ahead. He took a step back and using his momentum from the kick from earlier, he back kicked Zolda away. Knight was the only one left, though Bragard was not worried in the slightest. Just as the bat-themed Rider attempted to pierce through him, he vanished.
"Where did he-"
A gravity-enhanced punch knocked Knight to the ground and received a kick to the stomach that launched him into the sky. Much to his surprise, all Riders were now rushing back to him. Zolda shot his visor as a distraction with both Ryuki and Knight attacking from the sides. Alternative weaved around Ryuki's blade, slamming his fist into his chin before blocking the lance with his foot."Repel!"
Knight was shot toward a building while Ryuki fell on the ground, groaning in pain. Raising his arm, Alternative cast a wall of dark matter to block Zolda.
"Think again!" Zolda repeatedly punched through the barrier, the cylinders of his gauntlets rotating as he kept creating explosions that eventually broke the wall down. He slammed his hands together, going for a double punch to enhance his strength.
Bragard formed a huge hand of dark matter, grabbing his gauntlets and holding him steady in the air.
"That kind of firepower...I see why Zeke fell before you." Alternative seized him up."I assume you must have used Divine Power in some capacity. Otherwise, you couldn't have beaten him. How about you try using it on me?"
Zolda clicked his tongue, unable to hide his annoyance.
"So you can't. How unfortunate." He said, touching Zolda's arms with the edge of his blade, prompting the Rider to become stiff."I wonder...what would happen if I took a gunslinger's most priced possession? His arms?"
Blust Vent
A gust of wind sent both of them into the air. But this was the distraction Zolda needed to break free from Bragard's clutches.
Shoot Vent: Dragblaster
Using the cannon strapped to his arm, Ryuki charged a ball of fire before releasing it at Bragard.
"Tch. Such pests." Alternative muttered, slashing the ball of fire in two. However, he hadn't anticipated the ball to explode on impact, forcing him to leap back. Knight thrust his lance downward, clenching his teeth.
In one quick motion, Bragard shattered his lance into pieces with his blade. And before he could react, he spewed azure flames from his sword, sending him rocketing toward the sky.
"YOU MOTHERLESS FUCKER!" Ryuki screamed, earning his attention.
Ignite Vent
He formed two arms of fire, merging them to form a pillar of flames, shooting them toward Bragard.
Energy Vent
On his left, Zolda had manifested both of Magnugiganto's arms with green energy, combining them to create a cannon and shoot a potent beam of energy from it.
Tempest Vent
Cladding his Darklance with wind, he enlarged his blade and created a tornado with it, flying toward Bragard.
The Prince retaliated by raising his left hand, repelling their attacks, and holding them in place. He was pleasantly surprised to notice them holding on, refusing to back down and trying to push past his gravity.
"You persistent humans!" Bragard screamed, releasing more of his power after being fed up with their meddling. All of their attacks were negated and were all blown away by the gravity. Knight managed to drag Ryuki and Zolda close to him with his Tempest Vent before it ran out on him to keep them together.
"He just...took on our coordinated attack like it was nothing..." Zolda winced, sitting up with great difficulty.
Ryuki groaned, his whole body sore and in pain.
"We're not going to go anywhere like this. Adachi is our strongest fighter, and even he is getting ripped apart." Knight remarked."We don't have a choice. Adachi, we must use your Link Vent."
"Shut your damn mouth! I told you I was going to handle this!" Ryuki hissed.
"I know how you're feeling. Trust me, I do-"
"You don't know fucking shit!" Ryuki snapped."Did you have to sit by, powerless as your family was slaughtered in front of you?! When everyone was depending on you to make a goddamn difference?!"
Knight pulled his hand back, speechless at his outburst.
"Shit..." Zolda muttered. Something caught his eye away from the argument. The alternative was running over to them, scanning a card through his visor.
Final Vent: Dead End
The pseudo-Rider hopped on its back, conjuring several dark matter blades around him.
"He's coming!" Zolda alerted them duo."Hajime, you're right. You're grieving. I get that. But if we don't work together and combine our power, we will all die! We have to work together or this whole thing would be for nothing! Is that what you want?! For Bragard to win?!"
"Just stay out of my fucking way!" Ryuki jumped to his feet, opening his visor up and sliding a card in.
Link Vent
"Thank you..." Takeru breathed in relief, taking out his card along with Yosuke.
Co-Link Vent (x2)
Suddenly, they were engulfed in auras of their respective colors and their Advent Monsters morphed into their vehicle forms. Ryuki and Knight hopped onto their bikes while Zolda jumped inside the tank, riding behind them as they headed straight to Bragard.
Combo Attack: Tri-Disaster
With a battle cry, all of them released their powers in unison. Flames, projectiles, and tornados were fired toward Bragard, holding him in place for them to ram through him, breaking his body apart with their combined strength.
Bragard's torso landed on the ground, beginning to twitch as he tried to regenerate.
"Why won't you fucking die?!" Ryuki barked, Dragranzer firing fireballs repeatedly. Darkraider and Magnugiganto also joined in on the effort to destroy Bragard's body, sending slashes of wind and beams of energy at him.
"I-impossible!" Bragard screamed, unable to regenerate with the constant bombardment."I AM...I AM THE STRONGEST BEING ON THE PLANET! I HAVE NO EQU-"
Finally, his head was destroyed, silencing his voice. Not a single part of Bragard was left behind. All Riders collapsed on their backs, completely exhausted from their prolonged fight with the Prince.
"Holy shit...we did it..." Takeru broke into a chuckling fit."We actually won...I for sure thought we were going to die!"
"And here I thought you were being optimistic." Yosuke sighed, too tired to say anything else. He shifted his gaze to the amber-eyed boy next to them. He was silent. Completely quiet, in contrast to his earlier behavior. He had an empty look in his eyes as if he was staring at something in the sky."We should get him some water. He must been dehydrated from fighting this long and turning into Dragrader."
"Sure." Takeru agreed. He gently grabbed Hajime's hand, helping him up, but the boy wasn't even trying to move. His body was limp as if the slightest breeze would knock him over."Help me get him on my back."
Yosuke nodded, watching as Takeru got on one knee with his back turned toward them. Yosuke grimaced, doing his best to lift Hajime up. While Hajime wasn't particularly heavy, Yosuke wasn't particularly strong so it took some effort to help him against Takeru's back. Once he got him nice and secure, Takeru grasped his thighs with Yosuke positioning Hajime's chin to rest against the orange-haired teen's shoulder to secure him on his back."I got you, Lieutenant. Don't worry. We'll get you some water. Then we can go see your sister. She's okay, I promise. We got her out of the Mirror World along with your cousin, Wei."
Again, Hajime offered no words. It was as if he was in a coma of sorts. But he was awake. Yosuke could swear he saw him blink. But his mind was somewhere else.
"Water...water..." Yosuke scouted ahead of them, praying to God that there was at least one building in the area that hadn't been decimated. The whole city was destroyed after being a battleground for intense battles. To his relief, there was a small coffee shop half a mile away that seemed to be in decent condition."Over here, Sakamoto!"
"You got it!" Takeru nodded, running over to Knight. Due to his training as a mercenary, running in rough terrain with extra weight on him was child's play, and wounded. So he was easily able to run with Yosuke over to the coffee, matching his speed. Once they were inside, he gently helped Hajime onto a couch while they both began inspecting the place. He had long since forgotten about the sharp pain in his thigh after Zeke stabbed him. Or maybe it was become of the adrenaline pumping through his system.
"So, what do we do now?" Takeru asked, slumping on the couch next to Hajime.
"We rest. Yosuke answered, opening the small refrigerator that contained some ingredients for the coffee. As expected, every label there was mirrored. He was surprised to find a jar of water inside and proceeded to take it out. Grabbing three glasses, he set them down on the counter and poured water inside of them."If we go help the girls now, we'll only get in the way. We need to recover our strength."
"Fucking great." Takeru sighed."I hope Chrissy and the others are okay..."
"Jades and the boys are there." Yosuke reassured him, grabbing the cups and placing them in a tray."I'd say we had the hardest part. Everything else should be easy. The only enemy left is Carol."
"What do we do about that tower?" Takeru inquired, jabbing his thumb toward the tower in the distance.
"We'll just blow it up." He sat the tray down on the table in front of them."Damian wanted to destroy it, right? If we do, then the Mirror World may cease to exist."
"Demolition, huh? Leave it to me!" Takeru gave him a wink. He gulped down his cup, moaning in relief."Man! That hit the spot!"
"Adachi..." Yosuke frowned upon seeing the boy not even attempt to grab his cup.
"I got it." Takeru smiled, grabbing the cup and bringing it closer to Hajime's face."Here you go, Lieutenant. I'm going to help you drink, okay? You have to drink some water to recover your strength."
Hajime offered no resistance as Takeru began to slowly pour the liquid inside his mouth. Much to his relief, Hajime seemed to swallow the water just fine. Or so he hoped. Suddenly, his body jolted as if he had just woken up from a dream, and slapped the cup out of his face.
"Adachi!" Yosuke gasped.
"Hey, it's okay." Takeru waved his hand."It's okay, right, Lieutenant? Don't worry. You're safe now."
"I'm..." Hajime covered his face as he began to cry silently."I'm so sorry...I'm so so sorry..."
"Lieutenant, it's not your-"
"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" Hajime exploded, jumping to his feet and backpedaling to the corner of the story."I'm a fucking monster! A failure! You don't understand anything! They all died! THEY DIED BECAUSE OF ME! MY GRANDMA! CHAO-XING! UNCLE HUAN! THEY'RE ALL DEAD! DEAD! BECAUSE OF ME!"
"Bragard killed them!" Yosuke protested."Get a hold of yourself, Adachi!"
"Shut the fuck up! I couldn't save them!" Hajime kicked the table next to him, his tears flowing down endlessly."I failed! I failed everyone! They all counted on me! They all believed in me! And I couldn't do anything as I watched them die!"
Yosuke and Takeru exchanged worried expressions with each other.
"Just...let's just give him some time, okay?" Takeru suggested."He needs to gather his thoughts...He's having a mental breakdown and us repeatedly telling him to calm down is going to make things worse. Trust me. I have experience with this back when I first met Chris."
"Right..." It was true enough. When Akira and Kanade died, he locked himself in his room for two days. He understood the pain of loss and no doubt Takeru did as well.
"Well...I don't know about you, but I'm really thirsty." Takeru made his way back to the couch."I want this to be over with already. I want to go to McDonald's and order a big fucking Big Mac with extra BBQ sauce. And a strawberry shake. God, I'm so hun-"
Yosuke blinked, a little taken aback at Takeru's sudden silence. He shifted his gaze over to him, noting the confused expression on his face."What's wrong?"
Takeru pointed at the water, not saying a single word. Yosuke squatted down, inspecting the cup. And that's when he noticed. The water inside was shaking. He rested his head on the wooden table, hearing something but not knowing what it was."The fuck?"
"Whatever is causing this tremor...But be over a hundred. Possibly more thousands." Yosuke felt a cold sweat dripping down his forehead."Probably Mirror Monsters that Bragard must have programmed to attack the real world."
"Shit...Another fucking fight? How about we-"
They heard the door being slammed open, and they noticed Hajime was gone.
"Oh, for fuck's sake." Yosuke raced after Hajime with Takeru closely behind. The three boys walked down the middle of the street, keeping an eye out for any Mirror Monster that could come out.
"You said there's like a thousand, right?" Takeru paled at the thought."Can we even kill that many? In our current condition."
"We should be okay..." Yosuke said though he was unsure as well.
Takeru halted in his tracks, hearing something in the distance. He looked toward a destroyed building, noticing rocks falling from the top. And when his eyes traced over to the rooftop...his heart sank.
"What's wrong?" Yosuke looked over his shoulder, growing concerned when he noticed Takeru's horrified expression."Sakamoto?"
Takeru slowly raised his hand, unable to form any words.
Yosuke and Hajime followed where his finger was pointing. And they saw him. On top of the rooftop, Kamen Rider Alternative stood with his arms folded."Hello buddy."
"No..." Yosuke gasped, rubbing his eyes as if they were playing tricks on him. To his terror, he noticed more Alternatives coming into view. And before they knew it, the whole street was covered with Alternatives.
"What is going on here...?" Takeru mumbled, taking a step back."How...?"
"Don't look so stunned. The Overall is completed, after all." They heard Bragard's voice echoing through all of the Alternatives."As I have told your friend, the Overall is constantly monitoring my body, fixing any damage I take, and repairing my body. In addition to adapting to said power, it also makes my Deck evolve to even higher heights, no matter the injury. It covers any weakness, even if said weakness is that I only have one body."
"But we disintegrated you!" Hajime shouted."We killed you! You shouldn't be alive!"
"Boy Wonder...did it not strike you as odd when your cousin used her Swan Song on me and I came out of it with no damage?"
Hajime recalled back when Alternative had appeared out of nowhere after Chao-Xing made sure his body had been vaporized. There was no room to dodge or to hide. And yet, he was unharmed by such a powerful Swan Song.
"I have to give it to your cousin. She managed to completely destroy my body." Alternative praised the fallen warrior."However, none of these are my real body. Neither was that one back then. I have never once stepped foot on the battlefield."
"What do you mean?"! Hajime demanded, receiving a chorus of chuckles.
"I believe I told you, didn't I? Why do something when you can make someone else do it for you? Right now, I am at the highest point of the Overall. What you destroyed right now was a mere copy. All of these are copies I created using the Philosopher's Stone as well as properties of the Mirror World to mass-produce the Alternative Deck. In addition to the Gjallarhorn. And since the Overall is fully activated, I will begin to spread information about it across the globe. Soon, everyone will have access to their own Alternative Deck and people will begin to kill each other!"
"We'll stop you!" Takeru cried, taking out his Zolda Deck.
"Is that so?" The Alternatives guffawed."You barely came out alive during that battle. Now I wonder, if you had so much trouble with one Alternative, how would you fare against a million?"
"A...million...?" Yosuke's jaw dropped.
"I now have my own army of Alternatives! Today is the day you die, Kamen Riders! And the number keeps rising. Go ahead and destroy as many as you can. I can create an infinite amount of copies! I am infinity itself! I have evolved and entered the territory of Gods!"
Final Vent: Dead End
All Alternatives performed their Final Vents, accelerating toward the three young men.
"Guess we have no choice but to try..." Yosuke chuckled.
"Is it normal I can't feel my wounded leg anymore?" Takeru pondered, sliding his Deck back into his belt."We're going to fucking die here, aren't we?"
"Maybe." Yosuke grimly stated."But we have to try. If we let him escape to the real world, it's over."
"Fine with me...Ohohoho! This is great!" Hajime chuckled with a twisted smile under his helmet."I was worried he would die without suffering. I won't be satisfied until I rip him apart!"
"Lieutenant, what are you-"
"It doesn't matter how many there are!" Hajime screamed, immediately turning back into Ryuki and taking out his Survive Card."I will kill you! It doesn't matter if I die in the process! I swear I will murder you! Survive Rekka, Activate!"
Both Takeru and Knight took out their respective cards."Survive Shippu/Chikara, Activate!"
Survive: Rekka
Survive: Shippu
Survive: Chikara
In an instant, they all activate their new cards, engulfing themselves in an aura of red, blue, and green energies as they hop onto their monster's vehicle forms.
Link Vent
Co-Link Vent(x2)
Combo Attack: Tri-Disaster
Heading to their certain death, all Riders put their powers and spirits into their attack as they headed toward the countless Alternatives that seemed infinite in number.
At the very top of the Overall, in a small room with countless computer screens, Bragard sat on his chair, watching with a wide smile as the Riders rode to fight off against his clones. He examined the energy levels on the monitor on his left, noting that the Overall was fully functional and ready to be activated."Now...how about we get this thing up and moving?"
The sky began to crack, and the flickering image of the Chateau appeared hovering over the city."The dimensions are almost ready to be merged, after all."
I know this chapter came out fast. But that's because I've been free these past couple of days and it's been raining nonstop so I haven't been able to go out. The next chapter might take 3 to 4 days. But we're done with this fight for the time being. I need the others to catch up on their plotlines before everything is connected. As always, your support is very much appreciated!