Tigracho: I; 'm happy you loved it. I'm proud of the result. Yes, Bragard had one last laugh before he was put in a hell worse than death. I hope he thinks it was worth it. To be honest, I really got inspired by the whole "unhealthy relationship" thing lord kept bringing up so I ssomeewhat added it in this. Where Hajime completely loses it and ignores Hibiki's pleas, pushing her aside because his emotions get overloaded. He's too emotional, and explosive. With Chao's training, this was supposed to somewhat stop, but he was at the very last breaking point, so he didn't care about controlling himself. But Hibiki understands him and just tries to make him feel better. Yeah, I feel like Chris would do that. Or at least, be one of the candidates who would kill someone who is threatening her friends. The next one is probably Maria and then Tsubasa. The other ones are too sweet. And she had finally gotten to get along with Chao-Xing when she learned of her death. And yeah, so far, being a Messiah isn't a;l it's cracked up to me. We have two major examples, Hazuki and Hajime. And they're not exactly in the best mental state. St. Germain and Raphael are aware of their existence. And she wants to meet Hajime. After all, she was there when Adam approached Bragard before. And she's been there as he's battled with them in the past. So that's why she was shocked when hearing of his defeat. Well, aside from Raphael, I do have another surprise for enemies. But to be honest, I'm tempted by Lord's idea so I'll keep that in mind.
Blitzdigital: Me alegra verte de nuevo! Si, Hazuki hablo con Wei. De que habran hablado? Le hanra convencido para ayudarles? Solo el tiempo lo dira. Tengo planes para el, pero por ahora debemos esperar. Nah, la verdad las Symphogear no pueden morir. Uno por que pues arruino el flujo de la historia ya establecida. Y dos por que la gente me mataria xD.
Guest: A vale. Ya entiendo.
primenidus: Glad you liked it. I think it's a fitting end for him. I feel like him dying after everything he did would be far too light for him, so now he has to endure being used as a power source while dying and reviving over and over.
lordri25may2001: Glad to see you back! And yeah, I got inspired by that story to make the Alternative Army. I'll be honest, I had to cut some things from those fights. Mainly because I was pretty much retelling the anime at that point. Since I assume that most people watched Symphoger or are watching as they read, then I cut some things out but they still happened. Yeah, I think Bragard won in the end. He lost the fight and was unable to take over the world, but he did ruin his life, which is a plus in his book. It's more ironic when you consider he was watching them after they defeated the Nephilim and could have killed them there.
"Dr. Ver is the one who failed to kill them and ultimately, though not unexpectedly, failed to fulfill his plans. Not to mention Fine was the one in charge of this sector. She also failed to kill them herself." The butterfly(Bragard) flew around the pair."Tell me, why should someone such as myself waste my precious time and resources trying to cover for her lousy ass? I have more pressing matters to attend to. Like that Core in your hand. One must always accept responsibility for their action. Their arrogance and short-sightedness resulted in their defeat."
Which, just as Odin predicted, turned out to be true. His own arrogance led to his defeat. Honestly, I think Yuuki Yuuna would have been worse since that's a pretty messed up magical girl series lol. I could have gone wild there. I may do a Rider series with that one. Yeah, maybe if this was another Rider series, they could continue working together. But in Ryuki, we know it's not that simple. There is a wish to be won, after all. And Yosuke is starting to doubt himself. More people keep dying under his command and is blaming himself for it. Yes, Carol will now rest in peace with her father and the original Bragard. Elfnein will take care of her son in her place. With Raiden, of course. And yeah, I started school today. So I managed to make this chapter before I have to slow down on the writing.
Tenzalucard123: Yes, the Illuminati are next, and Saint Germain wants to see Hajime, the one who defeated Bragard. What will she do when she meets him? And is Elfnein;'s new nephew good? Or will be he like his father? But Bragard will finally pay for his crimes. Goodbye, proud Prince. You will not be missed.
Daemon of Wrath: Yeah, I had fun writing that too lol. I was rooting against Bragard, even though I'm the author and I'm making him do things. But when I write, I like to think these characters are their own, which makes it easier for me to write about their interactions. And now Adam will find out Bragard was defeated. Seeing as how he hated Bragard, he will redirect his attention to the one who took the pleasure of killing the prince. Oh yes, for sure. It's best if those two don't meet for now. They're going serious in that they aren't pulling their punches now. Hazuki had ordered them to not kill them, since he was hesitating on doing so because he thought of them as friends. But now he realizes he can't do that if he wants his dream to come true. Ragnarok won't come into play until much later. But they're making preparations for it. And yes. I'm glad you made that comparison. I was inspired by when Shiragaki was clowning Overhaul and taking his arms to make Hazuki ridicule Bragard and take his stuff. We'll see what life has in store for our Boy Wonder.
Lost File - Two
The Promise For Paradise
It had been 2 weeks since the "Alchemical Tragedy" as it was now commonly referred to, happened. The rough part was attending all the funerals. They decided to hold them all together, to shed all the tears they needed in one go. No bodies, since they had been lost in the Mirror World. So they had to hold the funeral with closed caskets. After that, not much changed, but the group was able to rest and take it easy for a while. Tsubasa, Maria, Jades, and Ogawa had traveled to England due to idol-related stuff. Yosuke had opted not to go since he felt that this time he wouldn't be needed. At least, he hoped not.
In the meantime, the group had gathered around on the top levels of Tokyo Tower, sitting around in the food court area and chatting away. Miku had received an invitation from Hazuki a few days ago, asking to meet up with her because he had something important to tell her. But what struck her as odd was that he urged her to bring along everyone with her. She figured this was because he wanted to explain his side of the story. After all, she had just learned he was Hajime's brother. As well as his tragic past.
She had known he was stranded on an island for months, but to think this whole thing was triggered by the monster that mentally scarred her friend added to the layer of pity she felt for him.
"Here, Hajime." Hibiki grabbed a meat bun in her hands, holding it close to Hajime's mouth. But the raven-haired boy remained unresponsive. His gaze was fixated on the table, and due to how long his hair was starting to be, Miku couldn't see his eyes.
"Haji. You have to eat...Please." Setsuna grabbed her brother's hand, snapping him from his thoughts.
"I'm not...hungry..." He muttered, shaking his head.
"You haven't been hungry for days now. You eat like a piece of bread and call it a meal. That's unhealthy." Setsuna glared sternly."Yanagi-san told me you refused to eat and he had to force you."
"It's okay, Setsuna-chan." Hibiki smiled at the brunette."He'll get hungry later. You have to eat first."
"And she will!" Andreas skipped over to their table, carrying a plate of pizza for his girlfriend."Here you go, Setsuna-chan!"
"Thanks, Andreas..." She offered him a small smile."Thank you for being so attentive to me..."
"Of course. I'm still new to this whole boyfriend stuff, but I want to make you happy." He twirled around."So if you need me, I'll be over there with the others. I don't want to intrude on your conversation with Haz-san when he gets here."
"I love you..." She croaked, covering her mouth and holding back her tears.
Andreas smiled, making his way behind her and hugging her, kissing her cheeks."I love you too."
"We'll take care of her, Andreas." Miku giggled."Don't worry. Go and eat. I can practically hear your stomach grumbling."
"Aw, I'm sorry." He playfully hit his head, skipping over to his table.
"He's surprisingly a little more mature now." Miku remarked."He's trying."
"He is..." Setsuna chuckled, wiping away a tear."He's been so wonderful. He wants to make me smile again."
"And he succeeded." Hibiki nodded."I just hope I can do the same for your brother."
Hajime was still staring into space, either not bothering to reply or just not being able to hear.
"On another note. Hibiki how was your visit to your parent's old house?" Miku asked, changing the topic to something lighter.
"I did. I brought my Dad with me." She rubbed her nape sheepishly."It went as well as you would expect. It'll take a long time...or maybe it won't work at all. But my parents are willing to try again."
"I see. That's good to hear." Miku beamed."I bet you had to get in between them to break the tension."
"Oh, for sure." Hibiki giggled in good nature."I had to do some of the conversations. My grandma was there, but you know how she is."
"I hope your Dad doesn't let you down again, Hibiki-san." Setsuna muttered, managing a ghost of a smile."I think...maybe he won't."
"Not everyone's father can be a hero like yours, Setsuna-chan." Hibiki smiled, brushing her hand."But he did act bravely when Carol was attacking me. So I would say he's on the right track."
"That's wonderful!" Setsuna beamed, turning to her brother."I guess you won't have any more problems with him again, huh, Haji?"
Hajime didn't respond, but she reached to his head and brushed his hair a bit."You need to cut your hair. It's getting long."
"Oh, I..." Hajime blinked, breaking from the trance he was in."Sorry. I was just spacing out. I'm sorry..."
"Sorry about what?" Hibiki tilted her head.
"For hitting your Dad before. And pushing you twice...I'm so horrible...I don't even know why you're bothering to put up with me."
"Hajime, don't say that." Hibiki quickly grabbed his hand."I could never blame you for that. You were just...going through a lot. And you know I'm a tough girl. I'm perfectly fine!"
"But I lashed out without thinking. I keep screwing up. I'm just...I'm no good...I'm sorry..."
"Let's not worry about negative thoughts right now, Sunny." Hibiki rubbed his belly playfully."I bet you're hungry. Come on, let me feed you, okay? Just relax and let me take care of it."
Hajime nodded slowly."I'm sorry..."
Setsuna and Miku exchanged worried glances with each other, but the older girl simply offered the youngest Adachi a smile. Things were progressing slowly.
"Hey, Chrissy, so I saw Hibiki-chan feeding the Lieutenant." Takeru started, leaning back on his chair with a shit-eating grin."So..."
"I'm not going to feed you. Your leg is messed up. Your arms are fine." Chris huffed."Plus, I already fed you before and I'm not doing it again unless it's necessary. You're a messy eater."
"Whaaaat? You fed him?" Kirika gasped, hands to her cheeks."Like...Actually fed him?"
"It's not what you think, dummy." Chris rolled her eyes."It was back when we were still "enemies" with these guys. Ouja messed him up and was bedridden for a whole month. I had to feed him."
"What about the bathroom?" Raiden quirked a brow.
"Now you're asking too many questions." Chris groaned.
"That aside, this food is really good." Elfnein had a big, sunny smile on her face."Thank you for paying for me, Raiden-san. I'll reimburse you when I can."
"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Raiden rose his hand, politely denying her offer."So, how is...uh..."
"Junior." Takeru grinned.
"Junior?" Shirabe blinked, puzzled at the name."Who is that?"
"He's talking about the Third." Chris clarified."I can't believe you already gave him a nickname and you haven't even met him."
"I think it's a cute nickname." He shrugged."I'm fairly good with them, right, Shortcake?"
"Some of them, I guess."
"He's technically right. But he's okay." Elfnein explained."He's back in HQ with Tobias. I couldn't bring him today because they're still determining whether he's a potential threat or not. But I have high hopes. The Commander said he'd make a good addition to the team. But he's not exactly a social butterfly, so he would have probably not come either way. Also...I figured it was too early. Hajime-san...I don't think he would react well if he were to see him."
"Good call." Yosuke nodded."Fresh wounds. And...he's having nightmares. When he stayed over with me he just...kept waking up in the middle of the night, screaming and punching the air. It's like...his mind is still in that fight. He's still fighting Bragard. And it doesn't look like he's winning."
"Can't we get him to therapy?" Andreas suggested.
"He's seeing a doctor but we can't do much if he doesn't cooperate." Yosuke rubbed the edge of his nose."So the only thing we can do now is give him medicine to calm his nerves. And have someone around him at all times in case he has another panic attack. His sister seems fine, according to Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi, who are staying with her."
"Yes, that's right. I can't believe Blacky-kun is in this state..." Kirika furrowed her brow."It's hard to see him like this...in pain."
"It doesn't feel like the Hajime-san we know." Shirabe nodded."Is there anything we can do to help?"
"I...We're trying." Yosuke sighed."The doctor told me that just talking to him and spending time with him could help. He needs to know that there are still people here who will support him. Even in hard times like these. It's just...wounds like these take time to heal. It took me and Tsubasa two years to get ourselves together. But for Adachi..."
"It depends on person to person." Chris thinned her lips."When my parents died, I was just an empty shell for a few months. It took Takeru forever to get me to talk to him."
"It's never easy losing your parents." Takeru adopted a small smile."But we're basically family now, aren't we? Surely that has to count for something."
"He's right. I told the same thing to Bragi-chan." Elfnein nodded solemnly."Family is the people you cherish the most. It's not necessarily your birth parents."
"You're talking like he's a baby." Chris deadpanned.
"Technically, he is, no?" Yosuke rested his chin on his palm, leaning on the table."He was born 2 weeks ago. He just has the appearance of a 16-year-old."
"Speaking of the Third..." Takeru adopted a sly smile on his face."Raiden..."
"Not this shit again." Raiden groaned, throwing his head back.
"So is Junior your step-nephew or something? Since you and Elfnein are a thing now."
"H-huh? A t-t-thing?" Elfnein blushed profusely, covering her face as she stammered."W-what do you mean, Takeru-san?"
"For the last time, we're not dating!" Raiden growled."We're friends! Why is everyone giving me a hard time with this?"
"I don't know, Elfnein-chan seems to have a different opinion."
The wielder of the Raia Deck shifted his attention toward the blonde girl, who was a blushing mess and avoiding his gaze.
"Aw, so cute!" Kirika cooed.
"What about you, Kiri-chan?" Shirabe smiled coyly."How are things with you and Kuroiwa-kun?"
"W-w-w-we're not dating! I would never date a pervert like him-desu!" The blonde stammered.
"And yet, you stay up late texting him and playing games." Raiden pointed out, turning the tables on his sister."So I don't know about that."
"Grrr! You tricked me, Raiden!"
Yosuke and Takeru chuckled at their junior's antics. They noticed the man of the hour, Hazuki, waving at them as he made his way toward the other table. He looked stiff as if he was a little apprehensive about being here. Yosuke didn't know him that well. But he never looked so...different. It's as if he was staring at a whole different person. He could tell that smile was fake from a mile away. His instincts as a detective were telling him so. But that was the odd part, usually, he would notice his smile being a little reluctant, as if he was afraid of something. But now, he looked determined. And yet, he seemed as though he didn't want to be there.
"So, the family meeting is starting." Takeru noted."Guess we'll just continue enjoying ourselves, huh?"
"I guess." Chris shrugged, focusing on her meal.
"It's odd..." Yosuke muttered, catching their attention.
"What's odd, Yosuke-senpai?" Kirika tilted her head in curiosity.
"This whole thing. Why pick this place to have a meeting like this? I mean, it's a very delicate family matter. They just learned that Kaburagi is related to them after losing their grandmother, cousin, and uncle. You'd think they would go to...I don't know, somewhere more private than here."
"Maybe they just want to be around people." Shirabe explained."They probably don't want to be in a quiet space, since they must have a lot going on in their minds."
"Probably..." Yosuke frowned. He had a bad feeling about this.
And he was right, because unbeknownst to him, Allister sat on the other side of the food court along with Terunosuke, watching the whole thing go down.
"So aside from Hajime-kun, they have 4 Riders. One of which is wounded. And not counting Hibiki-chan, 3 Symphogear." Allister surmised."I guess the others must have gone away or something."
"Yeah." Terunosuke scowled, his eyes set on his siblings.'Damn it, brats. Why the hell are you all here?! You're gonna get yourselves killed!'
"The plan is to intervene if things get out of hand. I want to take on Takeru and Yosuke. You can get your siblings. I assume Chiaki-chan will want the Symphogear for herself."
"And Kaburagi-kun gets Ryuki?" He snorted.
"Believe it or not, he has gotten tremendously powerful." Allister informed him."His battle with Bragard made him grow to incredible heights. I doubt we're rivals to him anymore."
"So you think Kaburagi-kun can take him on?"
"Maybe. Maybe not." He shrugged nonchalantly."Worst comes to pass, we'll just gang up on him. Or just teleport him away. But we can't kill him. Either way, we have the element of surprise. Plus, we have a strategy."
"Right..."
Hazuki made his way toward the intended table, beaming upon seeing Miku's face."Good afternoon."
"Haz!" Miku chirped."Glad you could make it."
"Of course. I invited you all here, after all." Hazuki stood behind Hajime and Setsuna, placing a hand on their shoulders."Hey, guys..."
"Hi. Erm..." Setsuna twirled her fingers nervously."Onii-chan."
"Let's take it easy, Setsuna-chan." He said reassuringly."You can just keep calling me Haz."
"Okay...Haz-onii-chan." Setsuna stood up from her seat, hugging her elder brother.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner." He planted a kiss on top of her head."You guys have been alone all this time. But don't worry. I'm here now."
"Hazzy-san..." Hajime whispered, clenching his fists.
"It's okay. We're going to be a family now. All three of us." Hazuki patted his head, taking a seat next to him and eyeing his relatively full plate."You're not eating. Come on, you're looking a little skinny. Have you lost weight?"
"He has." Hibiki replied, pursing her lips."He's...not eating well. I got him to eat right now, but he's taking it slow.
"I see." Hazuki nodded at his sister-in-law."One step at a time, brother."
"Sorry..."
"Sorry for what?"
"Dad...He..."
Hazuki took a deep breath."It's fine. It wasn't his fault I ended up on that island. He did what he could and saved the world. And so did you, from what I hear. You're a hero. You save-"
"I'M NOT!" Hajime yelled suddenly, earning some people to stare in their direction."I'm not...I failed...I let Chao-Xing die...My Grandma is dead because of me! Everyone was counting on me and I ruined everything...I did this..."
"No, no. Hajime. Look at me." Hazuki placed a hand on his shoulder."You're not to blame for this. You're not. You did what you could."
"It wasn't good enough. They're dead...And I'm alive. I should be dead..."
"No!" Hibiki gasped, quickly grabbing his hands and kissing his cheek."No, don't say that! You should be alive! Your Grandmother wouldn't want you to say such a thing!"
"Maybe we should change topics..." Miku suggested."Haz, you said you had something important to say."
"I did." Hazuki bit the inside of his cheek. Seeing his brother like this...now he was glad that he left Bragard suffering an eternal hell. But now came the hard part. He was somewhat glad to see Hajime this depressed. It would be easy to convince him. So without a word, he put both of his hands on the table, and in one of them, was the Ryuga Deck.
"H-Haz...?" Miku's eyes shot wide open.
"That's...a Deck?" Hibiki muttered in disbelief. Hajime reacted to that, slowly shifting his attention to the Deck.
"I am Kamen Rider Ryuga." Hazuki began, his eyes set on the table."10 years ago, I was stranded on an island where I spent months surviving on the little food we had along with my Mother. She died, starving herself to death so that I could live. I made a contract with a God, Loki, and was given the Ryuga Deck. I was then sent to an orphanage after being rescued, where I realized how rotten this world was after the Yakuza burnt it down with the kids still inside. I traveled around the world, seeing the worst of humanity. Slavery, prostitution, human trafficking, torture, drugs, child abuse, rape, and manslaughter. And so much more. And all of those were caused by our fellow man. The world has no hope because of us. We're our own enemy. We doomed ourselves to damnation."
He rose his head, looking into Miku's eyes."So I decided to bring about the end of the world. Bringing the world into its ultimate destruction via Ragnarok and killing every single human on the planet. By doing this, we will be purifying their souls so that once I win the Rider War, I can make a new world free of evil. Where people can live their lives in peace and never know what suffering is. I will make sure of that, as the ultimate good. I will decide what's right or wrong for them, so they don't have to do it themselves. To do this, I must remove the ego."
"Remove the ego?" Setsuna breathed."Haz-nii-chan, what are you saying...?"
"There has and likely will never be a time where the entire human world unflinching bends to one person. Not even to a Messiah." Hazuki continued, folding his arms under his chest."For that to succeed, you have to take the human out of humanity. The ability of free will. Get rid of the human ego. And I know that may sound scary, but it's for the best. It's because of free will that humanity was cast out of the Garden of Eden. It's why we all bear the Original Sin. The Curse of Balal. There are countless wars and conflicts because people fight for what they believe is right. But what if only one thing was right? That would stop fights altogether. But for that, all the people in this world have to die. So that I may purify their souls and rid them of all evil. Don't worry. Once I get the wish, everyone will come back to life."
"Hazuki...what are you talking about...?" Miku looked horrified, unable to comprehend what was being said.
"I know it sounds terrible, Miku, I know. And trust me, if there was any other way to do this. If there was any other alternative. I would gladly take it." Hazuki insisted."But this world has no hope. It will never get better. Humanity will continue to kill itself until we become extinct. But in the new world, everything will be different. Hajime, and Setsuna, I can reunite you both with your Grandmother. Your mother. Our cousin and father. You will see them again. I promise you. Hibiki-chan, you can live a life free of pain. You won't ever have to go through that hell you went through again. You can have both of your parents. Your friends?"
He glanced over to the other table."They will live good lives too. They won't have to carry the burden of their pasts. They will live the lives they want. Isn't that what you're fighting for? So you can be happy and don't have to fight again? Well, my solution includes that and so much more. The world will be at peace. It will be like a fairy tale, where everyone gets to have a happy ending. I ask you to join my side. I want your support in making a new world. I won't ask you to kill your Rider friends. We can do that for you. And when the time comes, Hajime, I will make it painless. I swear. But-"
A loud bang abruptly cut him off. Miku had slammed her fist on the table, gritting her teeth."What are you talking about?! You're making no sense!"
"Miku, I-"
"You're saying we should let you kill everyone on the planet? So you can get a wish and become some type of...God that will take away free will?! Do you realize how insane this sounds?! You're asking us...your friends...Your brother to just let you kill them?! So you can get that wish and make this wonderland world where you can dictate what people need to think?!"
"Miku, please, you're making a scene-"
"I DON'T CARE!" Miku screamed so loudly that everyone in the area heard her. She was bawling at this point, feeling betrayed, confused, and distraught."Hazuki, listen to me. You are openly suggesting global genocide. Global. Genocide. You are okay with murdering innocent people. Men, women, children, the elderly, and animals. Do...do you even realize how you sound right now...?"
"There is no other choice!" Hazuki snapped back."I tried, Miku, I tried! But this world is lost! You saw Bragard and Carol. They nearly succeeded. And what if there are worse people than them? You were saying before how you didn't have Hibiki-chan to fight! Well, this is the only solution! In case you forgot, I saved you countless times!"
"And I appreciate that!" Miku countered, a hand to her chest."I really do. I'm thankful for all the times you saved me. But that doesn't justify anything! What were you expecting?! For us to say yes and let you kill everyone?! No! Absolutely not! I don't want Hibiki to fight, but I am okay with letting her protect others. Because that's what she loves to do. And if it means I have to watch the whole world die for a promise that may not even happen...because let's be honest, from what I heard, no one can stand up to Odin. Then I don't want any part in this."
"Hazuki-san..." Hibiki had an uncharacteristic expression on her face."Would you be okay with killing Odin? He's your Father..."
"Our father died a long time ago. That's a husk." He turned his attention toward Hajime and Setsuna."What do you guys say? Am I right? You can see your parents again. Just...I just need you to trust me."
"You don't need us to trust you." Miku said sharply."You need us to agree with you because you know how messed up this is. You want to feel better by having people agree with you. Well, I'm sorry. But I can't do that. But it's not too late...Please, you have to stop. Or...or...I'll break up with you."
"Break up...with me...?"
"Yes." Miku said in a matter-of-fact tone."I love you, Hazuki. With all of my heart. But if you really want to do this...then you will lose me. I'm sorry. But I don't condone this. So...please...please reconsider."
Hazuki gaped upon hearing her words. He eyed Hajime, who was still petrified when he first revealed himself. Then to his sister, who was eyeing him as if he were a monster. Hibiki looked like she had more to say, but all she could do was grab Miku's hand to calm her down. At this point, the others at the table next to them were staring in anticipation. And he could swear he saw Yosuke reaching for his Deck.
"I see..." Hazuki covered his eyes, chuckling."I don't know what I was thinking...believing you could understand me. I guess...you never loved me like I thought you did. My whole life...I was forced to follow a set of instructions by Loki. I was rejected by those around me because I was an orphan. But then I met you guys. Under different circumstances, we could have continued being friends. Our time together...I was the happiest I've ever been."
"Then please, Hazuki...Please stop-"
"Which is why this is a shame." Hazuki stood up from his chair, knocking it down."Maybe if things had gone differently, I would not be standing in front of you right now like such a piece of shit. I'm done pretending not to see things. Only the strongest determination can make a new world. And as such..."
Hazuki showed them his Deck, his V Buckle materializing around his waist."I will save this world. I am a savior and I will guide humanity toward a new life."
Hajime gasped, fresh tears pouring down his cheeks.
"Stop him!"
Hazuki narrowly missed a kick from Yosuke, who had lunged at him from the other table. He winded his fist back, but Allister came in and kicked him away.
"Yosuke-senpai!" Kirika yelled in concern.
"Damn it!" Takeru tried to stand up without his crutches, but the pain in his leg paralyzed him.
"Andreas! Tackle him!" Raiden commanded as he and the green-haired boy rushed the assassin, only to have Terunosuke slam his fists against their faces, knocking them to the ground. All three Riders brandished their Decks, inserting them into their belts in unison."Henshin!"
The bystanders screamed in horror when they saw a black dragon, a snake, and a rhino running wild and wrecking the place before they were absorbed by their holders. Gai immediately activated a card, shifting his attention to the wall behind them.
Shoot Vent: Metal Blaster
Using his one-barrel shotgun gauntlet, he shot a hole through the wall. Ryuga formed two black arms, stretching them over to the group. Miku acted fast, pushing Setsuna out of the way. However, this caused her to be grabbed by the arm as well as Hajime. Ryuga rushed out of the hole, jumping from the top of Tokyo Tower, descending rapidly
"Why...? Why are you doing this...?" Hajime sobbed, his heart broken.
"Hajime..." Miku tried reaching for his hand but was unable to.
Hazuki gritted his teeth."This is the only way. I'm sorry."
"Liar..."
Hazuki blinked, looking up to see his brother's face. Long gone was his sorrowful expression. Now, his eyes were glowing, and he was baring his teeth at him."I TRUSTED YOU! YOU TWO-FACED LIAR! I TRUSTED YOU WITH MY FRIENDS! MY SISTER! ME! AND ALL THAT TIME WE SPENT TOGETHER WAS A FUCKING LIE?!"
KILL
KILL
HIM
LIAR
TRAITOR
SCUM
KILL
KILL HIM
His right fist glowed red before he released a roar of anguish."YOU FUCKING LIAR! I'LL KILL YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
Ryuga could only gasp as he suddenly received a powerful punch to the head, rattling his brain and forcing him to let go of both Hajime and Miku. The Boy Wonder immediately transformed into Ryuki, engulfing himself in flames as he activated his Survive and shot himself against Ryuga, going through a building. Miku continued to fall, screaming in fear as the ground became closer and closer. Until someone grabbed her hand.
"H-Hibi-" Miku's face was drained of all color. Instead of her best friend, someone else had saved her. The last person she wanted to see. Chiaki, clad in her Laevatein Symphogear, was grappling onto a mirror, grinning at her as a predator would to a prey, holding her hand."N-Nakahara-san..."
"Hello, Miku-chan." She tightened her grip on her hand, causing her to yelp in pain."I'm under orders to not kill you, but..." Chiaki rubbed her chin."It doesn't mean that I can't let you die. I wanted to take you with me to somewhere more secluded and have my way with you. But...I guess the best I can do now is let you fall to your death." Chiaki pulled her up, their noses touching."You whore. You seduced my man. You spread your legs and fucked him, didn't you?"
"N-no!" Miku shook her head."I didn't have sex with him! You're making things up!"
"LIAR!" Chiaki spat in her face."I saw those Instagram posts! You took my man away from me. And now I'll take your life away. See ya."
Before Chiaki could drop her, Hibiki appeared next to her, slamming her fist against her face and knocking her off. The cream-haired girl grabbed Miku, using her Power Jacks to jump from the side of the building back to Tokyo Tower."Miku, are you okay?!"
"I am...But Hajime-san is-"
"Tachibana!" Knight cried, engaging in battle with Ouja. The food court was a disaster. People were panicking and all the Riders were fighting, with Kirika and Shirabe guiding the people out of the building."Get Kohinata and the other people to safety!"
"But Hajime-"
"It's alright!" Chris hollered, standing on the edge of the building."I'll go after him and keep Nakahara off your back."
"R-right...!" Hibiki nodded, carrying Miku toward the exit and setting her down."Miku..."
"Hibiki-san!" Shirabe waved her hand."We got this! Go help Hajime-san!"
"Are you sure? What about evacuating?"
"Leave it to us-desu!" Kirika saluted with a wink."Raiden! Andreas!"
"We're busy!" Raia sneered, parrying Gai's Metal Horn with a copy of his own.
"Allister, you bastard!" Knight growled, attempting to stab Ouja with his Winglancer, but the Rider was using his speed to dodge."At least wait until we're out of this place!"
"Hmmm. And why should we lose our advantage?" Ouja asked, kicking Knight's leg and getting him down to a knee, kicking him in the head and knocking him to the floor."I meant what I said before. I don't kill unless I'm paid to. But if these people happened to die during our battle...then that works out perfectly fine."
"Tch!" Knight jumped to his feet, rushing at Ouja.
Sword Vent: Venosaber
Boith Riders engaged in furious combat, swings and thrusts being delivered but no one managed to land a hit."So Kaburagi was Ryuga all along. I should have known. All of you are Lydian alumni except for Kuwana."
"I suppose you have a long way before you make a decent detective." Ouja blocked the attack, and took a step forward, wrapping his arm around Knight's arm and swinging him over his hip to the ground. Ouja raised his weapon, but a missile crashing against his back sent him flying out of the window.
Knight sat up, noticing the green Rider who had transformed and was supporting himself on a table, wielding his Giganlauncher.
"I can still fight." Zolda grinned under his helmet."YOSUKE-SENPAI!"
Swing Vent: Python Tail
A whip tangled with Knight's legs, pulling him out of the building along with Ouja as they both free-fell to the ground.
Advent: Darkwing
Darkwing was equipped to Knight's back to glide around and avoid crashing at high speeds. Knight glanced in the distance, noticing the many explosions of fire erupting from afar."Adachi..."
The people who were until a few seconds ago working in their mundane jobs were now screaming in terror upon seeing two figures fighting in their office. Ryuga could only receive Ryuki's relentless punches, each one heavier than the last.
"D-don't underestimate me!" Ryuga ducked at the last second, going for a spiral kick to his brother's head to knock him out. But to his shock, Ryuki received it without flinching."Impossible..."
"I'LL FUCKING END YOU!" Ryuki slammed his fist against Ryuga's cheek, cracking his armor and launching him out of the building. The dark Rider clad his feet in dark energy, keeping himself afloat as he drew a card.
Shoot Vent: Dragblaster
Ryuga aimed his cannon at Ryuki, unleashing a torrent of darkness at him.
Guard Vent: Dragbarrier
A dome of fire surrounded Ryuki as he dashed at Ryuga, crashing against him and launching him down to the street, landing in the middle of traffic. Ryuki activated a card, propelling himself toward him with his visor in hand.
Booster Vent
"Tch!" Ryuga wasted no time in retaliating.
Trick Vent: Allure of Darkness
Ryuga's body turned intangible, Ryuki's attack phasing right through him. Ryuga turned on his heels, aiming his visor at his Brother's back. But at the last possible second, Ryuki bent his knees and back-kicked the visor out of his hands.
'How?! He wasn't looking at me?! How did he dodge that?!' Ryuga wondered, but his thoughts were interrupted as Ryuki grabbed him by the leg and began to slam him around like a ragdoll until he spun in circles and launched him against a traffic light, knocking it over and hitting a parked bus.
'I...I can't beat him...' Ryuga couldn't believe how strong his brother was.'He wasn't this strong when we fought back then. I knew he had gotten stronger, but not to this degree...I'm no match for him...'
"I guess his battle with Bragard made him stronger." Loki noted."Let me take over, Superstar."
"Alright...but don't kill him."
Ryuga's left eye turned golden, his sclera black and a horn suddenly sprouted from his head as Loki took over his body."Of course."
Loki opened up a portal behind him, jumping inside and putting Ryuki on high alert. He came out from the ground behind him, attempting to grab his legs, but the red dragon was fast and jumped in the air, shooting energy beams from his visor and forcing Loki to block by creating more Calamity Gates. Several portals opened around Ryuki, returning his attacks. In one swift motion, he slashed the beams with ease using the blade mode of his visor, surprising the God of Mischief.
"How the hell did he do that?!" Loki couldn't help but cry out in shock.
Red Vent: Chaos Gate
Loki attempted to jump to one of his portals, but to his disbelief, Ryuki was suddenly in front of him, kicking him in the face and launching him across the area.
"How can this be happening?!" Loki couldn't believe a human was capable of this. He shouldn't be overpowering them. He created two portals, shooting darkness orbs at Ryuki which he managed to dodge with ease. Realizing he couldn't block his next attack, he opened another portal, attempting to escape. But once more, Ryuki teleported in front of him and smashed his fist against Loki's stomach, flinging him across the street.
'He's...teleporting where I'm opening my gates...' Loki grimaced.'Damn, Thor. He must have given him that card to counter my abilities.'
"What do we do now?" Hazuki asked, concern clear in his tone.
"I'll figure something out..." Loki stumbled to his feet, only to receive a fire punch across the face, launching him into a building.
Ryuki released a scream of anguish, echoing through the streets.
Chris continued shooting her crossbows, trying to minimize her firepower to avoid hurting the people who hadn't evacuated yet."I can't believe a murderous bitch like you is a Symphogear."
"Bitch? Says the one who openly spreads her legs to any men." Chiaki cackled, twirling her Armed Gear around with one hand while grabbing onto a spear of glass to suspend herself in the air."You have zero standards if you decided on settling with that excuse of a mercenary. Sorry. But you can't beat me."
"You don't talk shit about my man in front of me!" Chris enlarged her crossbows and fired two twin crystal spikes, which then broke into smaller spikes, aimed toward the serial killer.
Chiaki grabbed one of her mirros, shattering it, and creating a mirror in front of her and another one next to her, redirecting the attacks toward Chris.
"Oh, Crap!"
"Chris-chan!" Hibiki activated her boosters, tackling Chris out of the way."Are you okay?!"
"Yeah...thanks for the assist..." Chris sighed in relief."Look out!"
In effect, thousands of energy scissors were clipping away toward them. Hibiki and Chris roared in unison, unleashing their combined power. Chris switched to her Gatlin guns, breaking the scissors apart while Hibiki punched them away. But there were so many that some of them managed to scratch their bodies.
"Heheheh. I love fighting without my armor." Chiaki licked her lips, feeling herself up with her hands."I want to feel your blood on my skin."
"We have to be careful with her." Chris told Hibiki."We can't cause more destruction. Not until those two get the civilians away safely."
"Right..." Hibiki nodded, but her mind was focused on Hajime's safety.'Hajime...'
"Why don't you just leave it alone, Teru-nii?" Imperer yelled, hopping around the street and circling the rhino-themed Rider as he focused on fighting Raia.
"It's you brats who need to give up!" Gai sneered, slamming his Metal Horn against Raia and knocking him away, focusing his attention on Imperer, who rushed in with his sword.
Sword Vent: Gazellesword
Sword met horn, and Imperer was easily pushed away by the greater defense.
"Please, we don't need to fight, Teru-nii..." Imperer groaned, using his blade as support."We don't have to hurt each other."
"Presumptuous of you to think you can hurt me." Gai chuckled in amusement.
"Forget it, Andreas." Raia scoffed, opening up his visor."We can't convince him."
Strike Vent: Evilsickles
Two sickles reminiscing of Evildiver's fins appeared in Raia's hands, connected by chains. He lashed both of them in unison, moving his hands and in return moving the chains to confuse Gai. He raised his hand, blocking the attack but the chain wrapped around his Metal Horn, holding him still. Imperer bounced off a wall, shooting toward Gai like a rocket.
Metal Vent
Metal Spikes emerged from the ground, forcing his brothers to move away from him to protect the people around them.
"Just die and make this easier for us." Gaia brandished his Metal Horn with arrogance.
Ouja and Knight continued their battle, with Zolda shooting energy bullets from his visor every now and then to distract Ouja. The snake-themed Rider was growing annoyed with this. He had to keep an eye out for those bullets and this would prevent him from properly attacking Knight.
He would force Knight back with his speed but then would have to either block or dodge the bullets, leaving him open for a counterattack.
In one of those instances, Knight materialized his visor, sliding a card in.
Nasty Vent: Sonicbreaker
Darkwing flew above Ouja, releasing a potent screech that paralyzed him temporarily. Taking advantage of this, Zolda fired a rocket from his Gigalauncher, sending Ouja crashing against a wall, leaving him vulnerable to Knight.
Ouja sighed, grabbing his visor and not bothering to even look at Knight as he activated a card.
Dupe Vent: Scissors
All of a sudden, without warning, Scissors appeared behind Ouja, blocking Kniight's attack with his Scissorspinch.
"G-G-Goro..." Knight paled upon seeing his deceased friend. Scissors punched him in the face, and Knight was too stunned to even react, sending him stumbling away.
"Yosuke-senpai! Don't drop your guard! Goro has been dead for a long time now! That's a fake!" Zolda hollered, having already been victim to Ouja's trick.
"Why don't you find out?" Ouja walked up to Goro, removing his helmet and what Knight saw, causing him to drop his weapon to the ground. It was Goro. Or what looked like Goro. His skin was completely grey with black veins across his body. His mouth was slightly open, drolling pouring down his mouth and his eyes were pitch black except for his pupils, which were now red. It was as if he was looking at a zombie version of his friend."He looks real to me. And he's been dying to see you again, Yosuke."
"Goro...Goro..." Knight teared up inside of his helmet, reminiscing the time when Goro sacrificed his life for him.
Ouja smirked, forcing Scissors to attack Knight while he prepared for a Final Vent.
Final Vent: Veno Crash
Ouja began sprinting toward Knight with Venosnaker behind him.
"I don't think so-desu!"
All of a sudden, he saw a green blur approaching him, forcing him to leap into the air to prevent Kirika from attacking him.
"Take this!" Shirabe swung her tain-tailed buzzsaws, which Ouja barely blocked and was sent rolling on the ground.
"So, you two decided to join the fray." Ouja remarked."Bad decision, Little Lady."
Scissors kicked Knight in the face focusing his attention on the two Symphogear. At least, until Zolda fired multiple rockets in his direction, sending him flying down the street.
"Get a hold of yourself, Yosuke-san!" Kirika pleaded."Please! We need you!"
"She's not wrong, Yosuke." Ouja commented, pressing a button on his wrist."Because things are about to get dicey."
Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. Mirror Monsters started to pour out from the mirrors around them, immediately engaging in combat with the Symphogear and Knight.
"M-M-Mirror Monsters?!" Takeru stammered at the inconceivable sight."But how?! The Mirror World should have been destroyed!"
"Let's just say Bragard left us with some special gifts." Ouja cryptically said."Now, will you be able to save the people from dying?"
In effect, Mirror Monsters that were spreading around were not killing innocent civilians. Shirabe and Kirika were forced to abandon Knight's side, focusing their attention on protecting as many people as they could.
"As I said, if people die in our battle, then it's fine." Ouja folded his arms, watching the chaos unfold in front of him."We need them dead anyway."
Chris gritted her teeth, repeatedly having to jump around to avoid her own attacks after Chiaki would create mirrors to deflect them.
"ORAAAA!" Hibiki dashed to her side, but the lilac-haired girl merely split her giant scissors in half, wielding both pieces as blades and parried Hibiki's punch. Hibiki winced, having punched the edge of the scissors and drawing blood from her knuckles. She kicked her abdomen, launching her against a car and focusing her attention on Chris, who had now two giant missiles next to her.
Licking Hibiki's blood in an act of sadism, she cracked one of her mirrors, manifesting mirror shards in front of her, and with a swipe of her hand, she unleashed a storm of mirror shards toward Chris. The shards pierced through the missiles, causing them to explode, and sent her flying through several buildings.
"Chris-chan!" Hibiki yelled in concern.
"I-I'm fine..." Chris grimaced, noticing her arm was bleeding."She's so tricky to fight against... What the fuck?!"
Chris noticed the Mirror Monsters around her and immediately rushed to help the civilians.
"What's happening?!" Hibiki gasped."Why are there Mirror Monsters?!"
"Because you can't save them and fight us at the same time. Pick one, bitch. Your lives, or theirs." Chiaki cackled in pure ecstasy."Ah! Do you hear their screams?! Music to my ears!"
Meanwhile, Ryuki continued fighting against Loki, having the upper hand. Loki was growing stronger due to the intense battle, but so was Ryuki. He was already several steps in front of them but now, that was making a huge difference. He continued to try and slash him with his blade, but the other half Liang was dodging effortlessly, waiting for his opportunity to strike And strike he did, when Loki went for a wide swing, which left him vulnerable to a blast of fire to the face.
Loki stumbled back, dropping to his knees and switching back to Hazuki, his golden eye returning to normal.
"I can't believe how strong you've gotten..." Hazuki commented, looking up to see Ryuki approaching him in rage, his body trembling."It seems that I can't win now. And I can't convince you. But that just means I have to give you a reason to make you accept this new world. I wanted to spare her, but it looks like I have to kill Hibiki-chan after all."
After uttering those words, Ryuga was now on the ground, looking directly at Ryuki's fist as it descended down to his face. His helmet broke and continued breaking blow after blow. Hajime was delivering devastating punches in his blinding rage, not caring about anything else except putting Hazuki down. Each punch was close to bringing him to unconsciousness. Had it not been for Loki forcefully keeping him awake, he would have been a goner.
Just as his face was fully exposed, and Hajime was about to punch once more, he stopped. Hazuki noticed his hesitation, and Loki capitalized on this sign of weakness.
"NOW!"
Hazuki opened up a portal under his feet, kicking inside the gate, and smacking Ryuki in the back of the head, sending him flying over Ryuga."I can't convince you. You're too brainwashed to see the truth. But...what about our dear sister? I know she has the potential to see past these lies. She will see the truth. That his world is rotten. And I'll give her a good reason to want to abandon this cruel world..."
Ryuki screamed, igniting his boosters and going toward Ryuga, only for him to disappear inside a portal. As he was about to chase after him, several Mirror Monsters blocked his path and he started making quick work of them."HAZUKI!"
"Shit! There's too many!" Raiden yelled, focusing on fighting the Mirror Monsters around them and trying to protect the civilians.
"I'll take care of Teru-nii! Imperer shot him a thumbs up."Please take care of the civilians, Raiden!"
"Are you sure?!" Raia asked, reluctant to leave his brother alone.
"It's fine! Plus, you can rescue them with Evildiver! Here! I'll give you some help!" Imperer raised his knee, sliding a card into his visor.
Advent: Gigazelle
A group of Gazelles, appeared with Gigazelle, rushing toward fight the Mirror Monsters while the Gigazelle stayed behind.
"Tch. Dumbass brat. Worrying about these useless people, even now." Gai opened up the visor on his shoulder, hurling a card inside.
Advent: Metalgelas
Metalgelas tackled Gigazelle, but it retaliated by striking it with his spear. Gai rushed toward Inmperer, thrusting his horn against him but the smaller Rider was more nimble and quick on his feet. He managed to dodge the continuous strikes, attacking back but doing little damage due to Gai's sturdiness. The older brother blocked an incoming kick, smashing his weapon against Imperer's chest and knocking him to the ground, cracking the asphalt. Imperer blocked Gai's feet and prevented him from stomping him, but was quickly losing ground.
"S-stop it, please! Teru-nii!" Imperer pleaded."You're not a bad person! I know that!"
"Huh?!" Gai cried in disbelief."What do you mean?! You do realize I killed off a whole bunch of school kids half a year ago, right?!"
"Y-yes..." Imperer croaked."You did...And maybe I phrased it wrong. You are a bad person now. But not before."
"What are you mumbli-WOAH!"
Imperer had kicked Gai's calf, knocking him off balance and onto the ground. He breathed in relief, jumping back to his feet and rushing in to dive-kick him. Gai took the kick head-on, but as he was about to attack back, Andreas planted his sword onto the Metal Horn, pinning it to the ground, and delivered a powerful double kick to Gai's helmet, causing him to stagger backward.
"I have to admit, you're stronger than before, kid. Not bad." Gai chuckled, recuperating from the attack quickly."Is it because you're trying to protect that little girlfriend of yours?"
"I'm sure you would do the same for Serena. Or for us." Imperer said, further confusing Gai.
"The fuck are you talking about?! I hate you all!"
"You're lying! I can hear it and see it." Imperer refuted."The hesitation in your voice and actions. I saw it clearly back when you helped us with the Chateau. You...you pretend you hate us but you don't!"
"Yeah, okay." Gai rolled his eyes, huffing in annoyance."And that's why I'm trying to kill you. That's why I made Raiden almost kill you back then."
"Like I said you're a bad person now. But it's now. Not before."
"Are you going to elaborate or what?!"
"Teru-nii-chan...He said that...that maybe you didn't kill Atticus-nii-chan." Imperer dropped the bomb on Gai, causing him to blink in bafflement.
"W-what?!" He croaked, his voice cracking slightly."Of course, I did! I have his armor! I killed him in cold blood!"
"I don't think you did. When you first met us, you said he took a bullet for you." Andreas forged on."And I think what happened was...He bled out and gave you his Deck, which helped you escape the American Soldiers. Otherwise, I doubt they wouldn't have caught you."
"You don't know what you're talking about." Gai clicked his tongue."Jades is full of shit and he's just confusing you!"
"But...I know you cared back then." Andreas' voice lowered in pitch."You weren't very nice to us, but you always stuck around. I know you loved Serena. I really do. And I know how it tore you apart when she died...It's why you're doing this now, isn't it? You think you can fix everything with this wish and make a world filled with lies. But that's not the case, Teru-nii. That world...I don't think Serena even wants you doing this. If she were here right now, what do you think she would say?"
"What does it matter? I'm doing this for her-"
"And do you think she wants you to kill people in her name?" Imperer grabbed his mask, tossing it to the ground to show his teary expression."She wouldn't. She died protecting us from the Nephilim. Because she wanted us to live on and be happy in her stead. What you're doing...is just making her sacrifice worthless. We were so worried when we didn't hear anything from you guys after you left. But we were so overjoyed when we found you in that office...We were glad. Because we're family. Maybe you have your own family, but we still consider you part of ours. Back in FIS, we were all we had. So that has to count for something right?"
Gai stayed silent, pursing his lips."Kid...I killed hundreds of people. Do you think I can just convert after doing all of that? That I can go back to a living hell? A hell without Serena?"
"Maybe...Maybe I'm just being naive thinking things would ever go back to how they were." Andreas chuckled silently."But I can dream. I dream about a life where we could have been happy together. All of us. As a big family. And...it fills me with happiness. I think there has to be a parallel world where that happened. Maybe you can't fix what you've done. But you can prevent more bad things from happening. That's what Serena would want. So just...stop this, Teru-nii. Stop hurting others."
"Why do you care?" Terunosuke bit his lower lip."I told you I don't love any of you. I only loved Serena because she's the only one who ever appreciated me."
"We appreciated you too! I admired you! So did Raiden!" Andreas insisted."We always did! You were so determined and awesome! We aspired to be like you and Jades-nii-chan! So don't go saying no one appreciated you! Because we did! And even now, I still do! Maybe I am naive! I'm not very smart and I'm still immature! But I want to believe in those around me. In those, I care about. And I care about you." Andreas slowly walked closer to him until they were at arm's length, holding his hand out."So please, Teru-nii, let's stop fighting and-"
Gai's helmet was covered in blood, his body going stiff. He slowly reached for his helmet, wiping the blood away. And that's when he saw the blade going through Andreas' chest."W-what...?"
"One down," Ryuga said coldly from behind Imperer, harshly removing the blade and reaching for his Deck. With one swift motion, he removed the Deck from his belt, and Imperer returned to his human form, falling onto the ground.
"ANDREAS!"
Setsuna screeched in primal horror from afar. She, along with Miku and Elfnein, had evacuated to a lower floor of the building, unable to leave due to the Mirror Monsters outside."ANDREAS! ANDREAS!"
"NO!" Raiden screamed, his vision turning red as anger and rage filled his body. He rushed at Ryuga, no longer caring about anything else, and went for the kill. However, a portal opened up behind him, and several black hands grabbed his body and slammed him on the concrete, preventing him from moving."ANDREAS! ANDREAS! KIRIKA, SHIRABE! HELP HIM!"
Both girls gasped, seeing their younger sibling on the ground and bleeding. However, they were intercepted by more Mirror Noise, who were surrounding a bus full of people. The girls started to cry, forced to save the civilians in a cruel decision given to them by fate.
"I...Shit, I can't believe he did it. I didn't think he'd kill a kid like that in cold blood." Ouja muttered, stopping his fight with Knight. Knight made a beeling toward Andreas, clashing against every Mirror Monster on his path.
"What the fuck?!" Gai threw his helmet away, bewildered at what had just happened."Why?!"
"Why, you ask?" Ryuga folded his arms."You're always complaining about how you hate putting in unnecessary effort. So I killed him for you. Why? Why is it important now? Do you...care about him...?"
"N-no, I just..." Terunosuke ran a hand through his hair, watching Andreas' body spasm as he tried to breathe, but blood constantly poured from his mouth making this a hard task."He was mine! You stole my kill!"
"Doesn't matter. He's dying anyway." Ryuga took out the Gigazelle card from his Deck, crushing the Deck, and causing all the Gazelles to disappear from the area. He opened up a portal, stepping inside of it."Let's go. We're pretty much done here."
"TERU-NII! DON'T LEAVE HIM GO!" Raiden screamed, trying to wrestle from the black hands pinning him down to no avail."DON'T LET HIM GO!"
Terunosuke bit his lower lip hard, drawing blood. And without another word, stepped inside the portal.
Andreas stared on as Terunosuke disappeared, trying to reach out to him but was too weak to move. Tears streamed down his face, and he glanced over to his sisters, who were trying to get to him. He forced a smile, just as his body began to glow and break into particles.
"YOU BASTARDS! YOU FUCKING HEARTLESS BASTARDS! MONSTERS!" Chris sobbed, unleashing her full arsenal at Ouja who simply responded by activating a card.
Venom Vent
Puddles of Venom appeared on the ground, creating all kinds of snakes made of venom and using them to take the brunt of the attacks. Chiaki laughed maniacally, finding the whole thing funny as both she and Ouja stepped inside the portal, closing it behind them.
Hibiki, Knight, and Zolda continued cleaning the area around Andreas, making it easier for the others to get to him.
"ANDREAS!" Kirika practically crawled over to him, grabbing his hand and gasping when it broke into particles."H-HE'S DISAPPEARING!"
"They pierced a vital area..." Shirabe told them, covering her mouth."He's dying...Oh God, he's dying...RAIDEN!"
"My baby brother!" Raiden hugged him, holding his head close to him and refusing to let go."PLEASE...PLEASE, DON'T DIE! PLEASE! We're here...So please..."
Andreas couldn't hear anything anymore. But he was sad to see them cry for him like that. In a last effort to cheer them up, he smiled, holding a peace sign."I...love...love...you...Tell Jades-nii...And Maria that...I'm...so-so...sorry..."
With those final words, Andreas' body crumbled to particles, disappearing entirely. The siblings began sobbing loudly, hugging each other in a tight embrace as they could only cry upon seeing their brother die in their arms. Another one of them was dead and gone.
Hibiki and the others started to cry too but were forced to hold it in since they had to kill all the Mirror Monsters around them.
Setsuna dropped to her knees and Miku quickly grabbed her. She stood there, motionless like a doll. Unable to comprehend what had just happened. This was supposed to be a happy day. How did it end up like this?
Ryuki finally made it to the group, having observed Andreas die. He knew who the culprit was."Andreas..."
"I know she has the potential to see past these lies. She will see the truth. That his world is rotten. And I'll give her a good reason to want to abandon this cruel world..."
His own flesh and blood, who had ruined their whole day and the lives of his friends, demanded them to accept a new world without free will. He took Andreas from them, proving his point. He wasn't holding back for the sake of his dreams. And he was going to kill whoever he needed to achieve that.
Hajime collapsed on the ground, weeping silently."I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...This is...this is all my fault...I'm so sorry..."
"Nice job at rehearsal today, girls." Jades complimented the idols, bringing them water battles after a hard day of work."Looks like your next concert will be incredible from what I'm seeing."
"I'm happy you think so." Tsubasa smiled, gladly accepting the bottle."I just hope we don't get anymore...unwelcomed guests."
"We'll be prepared next time someone plans to do that." Jades reassured her."We can use our powers this time, unlike before."
"Yup. You and Ogawa-san make for good managers and good bodyguards." The pinkette winked playfully.
"I'm glad I'm being a good manager. Ogawa-san has been teaching me and I've learned a lot." He sheepishly rubbed his nape."Do you girls want to go buy some souvenirs for the others back home? I promised Shirabe I would get her a new book and-"
"Pardon me for interrupting." Ogawa entered the room, a grim expression on his face.
"Not at all, Ogawa-san..." Tsubasa frowned, noticing his somber expression."Is everything okay?"
Ogawa took a deep breath, bracing himself for the reactions to the news he was going to deliver. After telling them everything, Maria immediately started screaming, falling to her knees. Jades rushed to hug her, and she grabbed onto him as if her life depended on it. Tsubasa felt tears streaming down her cheeks, covering her mouth before releasing a scream full of sorrow. Ogawa closed his eyes, unable to see them like this. Just a few hours ago, they were happy and talking about the future concert. And now, they had to listen to the bad news. Another of their friends had died.
"What the fuck were you thinking?!" Terunosuke slammed Hazuki against a wall, gritting his teeth.
"Hey, you bastard!" Chiaki pulled out her pocket knife, but Allister stopped her, shaking his head.
"Why did you kill him?! Why him?!" Terunosuke demanded, screaming at the face of the unflinching blonde.
"Because of his emotional connections. I needed him dead because if he dies, that's another person they lose. I may not be able to convince Hajime, but I can convince Setsuna-chan. She's a smart girl. This incident will open up her eyes." Hazuki grabbed Terunosuke's hands."Why? Don't tell me you're regretting things now?"
"O-of course not!" Terunosuke seethed."But he was mine! I was going to take care of him!"
"And yet, I did it for you." Hazuki narroed his eyes."You can't lie to me, Kuwana-san. You weren't going to kill him. You were hesitating. I don't know what he was saying, but it seems he was making you doubt. Are you really doubting at this point? Half-assed attempts won't get us closer to our goal."
"B-but still..." Terunosuke lowered his gaze, his mind trailing off to the smiling boy back in FIS."Why him...?"
"I know how you feel, Kuwana-san. I do." Hazuki assured him."I must also compromise. I see I can't convince Hajime. So now I have no choice but to kill him. If one gets in the way of our plans, we must strike them down. Whether they're friends or family. Otherwise, we will never see the world we so desperately want." The teen took out two cards. One holding the Gigazelle and another one being a Contract Card which he had received upon killing Imperer."Take these. Grow stronger. We can't hesitate anymore. And there's no reason to be sad. You will see him again in the new world. I promise you that. I will reward you. But for now, I ask you that you compromise. Like all of us here."
Terunosuke wordlessly grabbed the cards, a stray tear going down his cheek."You stupid kid..."
"For now, that's another Rider dead. And we've weakened S.O.N.G's forces drastically." Hazuki paced around the room, hands behind his back."It's no holds bard from here on out. You see an opportunity, kill them. We're not playing silly games. We'e done sparing them for the sake of not wanting to hurt someone's feelings. Ragnarok will come. And all of humanity will be exterminated. We shall bring the world to its ultimate destruction very soon."
Allister could only watch on, taken aback by his shift in demeanor. He...he was acting like Bragard. Heartless, ruthless, full of ambition. But then again, this kind of goal required such determination. They killed countless people at this point, after all. They couldn't just turn back. The only thing they could do was move forward and change the world. The plan was the only thing they could rely on. And Hazuki had finally cemented this by revealing his hand to his former friends, killing one of them in cold blood.
The assassin had seen all kinds of people in the world. Hazuki was right, this world was going straight for extinction at his rate. The only way was to purify humanity and free it from evil. And for that, they had to become evil. To do something others couldn't. After all, only an eternal paradise awaited for them if his wish became a reality. And Allister truly believed in that. He believed in the paradise that would come after the hell that was Ragnarok.
Heavy chapters after heavy chapters. And I'm sorry to say, this isn't going to get better. At least not for a while. And it's only fitting since we're past the midway point of the series. Things are only escalating. And the cruel Rider War continues, holding no prisoners. See you guys in AXZ.
Kamen Riders who Survived this season:
Ryuki: Hajime Adachi
Knight: Yosuke Yanagi
Zolda: Takeru Sakamoto
Tiger: Jades Demetrios
Raia: Raiden Amaterasu
Odin: Hazama Liang
Ryuga: Hazuki Kaburagi
Gai: Terunosuke Kuwana
Ouja: Allister Albedo/Code Cypher
Femme: Chiaki Nakahara
Defeated Riders:
Scissors: Goro Tanaka (Killed by Ouja)
Alternative Zero: Dr. Ver (Bled to death from Carol's attack)
Verde: Zeke Crowley(Killed by Zolda)
Abyss: Damian Schwarzer(Sacrificed his life to overload the Overall.)
Alternative: Bragard Second Hyperion(Incapacitated)
Imperer: Andreas Kagatsuchi (Killed by Ryuga)