Reviews:
FlameFireZero X: It's sad to see him go. I was thinking of that since I already killed Abyss and Verde but it was better to do it here than in AXZ. Yeah, he has it. Or well, they have it. You'll see what I mean in this chapter.
Caballero lector rojo: Me alegra verte de nuevo. Y si, ahora la cosa se pone mas intensa. Y lo sera mas mientras las temporadas avanzen.
Blitzdigital: Siempre son los mas bueno e inocentes quienes caen primero. En una guerra como esta, se aprovechan de los mas debiles. Pero ahora estara en un lugar mejor con Serena y Atticus. Terunosuke al final estaba escuchando lo que Andreas le decia, ya que incluso despues de todo, en algun momento todos ellos eran familia. Y por eso Hazuki no dudo en matarlo, ya que como dice el "hay que comprometerse a la causa". Ahora mismo el grupo de ellos es como una secta y se cree un profeta. Al final Bragard lo afecto a el tanto como a Hajime. Sobre eso...buena pregunta. A lo mejor seria una combinacion de rinoceronte con piernas de gacela asi tipo centauro. O algo asi. Algo se me ocurrira. Ahora mismo los hermanos estan fatal. Ya veremos que hara Hajime en esta temporada. Y si, Allister ya de por si no tiene meta propia y pues decide ayudar a Hazuki en la suya. Es la definicion perfecta de un seguidor leal. Lo de Miku pues se debe a todo lo que paso. Con Hibiki, despues que fue obligada a user una reliquia, fue perseguida y casi asesinada, se le murio una amiga y despues resulta que el novio era el que andaba matando gente con la ilusion de una utopia. Al principio se quedo callada, pero es que Hazuki llego como perro por su casa diciendo locuras de "dejense matar que traere un mundo nuevo." Y diciendo que la unica solucion es un genocidio global y despues que intento manipular a Hajime y a Setsuna diciendo que volverian a ver su familia. Eso y que eso indico que el trabaja con la chica que intengo matar a Miku. Si ves unas temporadas atras ella pensaba que era bueno hasta que dijo que iba a erradicar a todos los humanos para crear un nuevo mundo donde el decida que es bueno o malo. Hazuki se rindio rapido por que Loki lleva varios capitulos diciendole que el nunca pudo tener una vida tranquila con Miku debido a su pasado y que es el unico que pouede cambiar el mundo. Ademas que tambien le dijo que si ella lo ama de verdad, lo aceptaria como es. Y cuando Miku le dije que o se rendia o rompia con el, eso solidifico su decision. Eso y que vio que Yosuke estaba sacando su mazo, por que presentia algo malo. No tenia muchas opciones. Tambien esta el hecho de que ellos tienen la fe de que da igual que los maten por que los van a revivir en el mundo perfecto, por lo que Miku tarde o temprando va a morir, o almenos eso piensa el.
primenidus: And this is just the beginning
Daemon of Wrath: Hazuki wasn't thinking straight. He took Bragard's words too seriously. Teru doubts at the last second just how Hajime doubted to finish Ryuga off, just so he can kill Andreas to prove a point. Right, those two are going to continue clashing. A little spoiler, though not really because I think I said it before, but Hazuki is going to be the mini-boss before Odin, so to speak.
Tenzalucard123: Hazuki manipulating his family failed and decided to take one Kamen Rider down. Terunosuke got mad but did he get mad over the fact he didn't kill Andreas? Or maybe something else?
lordri25may2001: Right, all the times these two have fought it wasn't as serious since they were enjoying fighting each other. But now all the cards are on the table. Chiaki bounces off the Symphogear very nicely, since she is the opposite of what they represent. I think she can be Chris' rival, or Hibiki's since she still wants to kill Miku. But one thing is clear. She will never get a victory of Chao-Xing and will have to settle with losing to her twice. And you're right, now things are getting darker. And will continue to get darker as we get closer to the end. If Jades doesn't do it, Raiden definitely will. Andreas and him were inseparable.
Author's Note: Since Terunosuke made a contract with Gigazelle, how would the combination of him and Metalgelas be called?
Chapter 80
A New War
Two months had passed since the Alchemic Tragedy and the attack on Tokyo by the Disasters of Valhalla. After the incident, the UN declared the four members of the group as global terrorists, branding them a threat. However, they weren't able to track them down. For whatever reason, it seemed they couldn't pinpoint their location, due to a certain man pulling strings to cover for them. Of course, they lacked any conclusive evidence. But Genjuro has his suspicions.
Aside from them, Bragard had left the world turned upside down. Somehow, his Mirror World had gotten stolen by the Disasters and was now spreading across the globe. Multiple Mirror Monster sightings were becoming more frequent, forcing S.O.N.G to dispatch their Riders around the globe to combat them. This seemed like an exhausting endeavor, had it not been for an unexpected help.
Bragi the Third had offered a solution to their problems. By creating Sealing Cards. These cards would be used to seal the access to the Mirror World in a particular area where they were used. So every time the Riders were dispatched, they made sure to bring a handful of cards to seal the Mirror World. Unfortunately, this was a temporary solution, the hybrid hypothesized. Since he noticed the new Mirror Monsters were stronger than the ones the Second had used. This led him to believe that the stronger the Mirror Monsters became, the less durable the seal would be, forcing them to make stronger seals over time. But even with that, they were always too late to save the first wave of people who were kidnapped by the monsters. They could only arrive late and save the others.
It looked as though their happy days died when Andreas died, and now were constantly going from place to place, fighting off against the Mirror Monsters. The DDV seemed to chose their targets at random, as if they didn't have a particular order in which they needed to kill people. As if they were just content with people dying and watching S.O.N.G struggle to stop them.
"Hibiki."
"Hibiki."
"Hibiki!"
Hibiki jolted awake from her slumber, realizing she had passed out on her desk."Oh, sorry!"
"You fell asleep again." Miku pointed out."Are you still not sleeping well?"
"Ah...I'm fine." Hibiki chuckled, rubbing her nape. She wasn't fooling anyone. Those bags under her eyes told the whole story.
"Lucky for us they extended the deadline for our assignments." Miku sighed sadly."Given the circumstances...I'm glad Genjuro-san was able to convince the principal to allow us more time to complete our summer work."
"Yeah..." Hibiki trailed off, seemingly about to fall asleep again.
"Hibiki!" Miku shook her awake."You're not okay!"
"I...No, I'm not..." Hibiki grabbed her head in distress."It's...I thought that I would have been able to heal Hajime. I really did...That's why I asked permission from Master to give me a small apartment for me, him, and Setsuna-chan. But...He still has those night terrors. He just wakes up flailing and screaming sometimes. And it terrifies me Miku. I can't get through him sometimes and I have to get Setsuna-chan to help me calm him down..."
"I get how you feel." Miku grabbed her hand tenderly."I...my heart was broken that day by Hazuki. I thought our love would last, but...He chose to follow his ambition. But Hajime...Hibiki, I'm sorry, but...I don't know if this is okay."
"What do you mean...?"
"Hibiki, at first I was okay with letting you move out from our room temporarily because I thought you could help Hajime-kun get better. But he needs something else. Professional help. We're not experts in this. Look at you! The teacher was yelling at you because you keep falling asleep in class! You're barely eating, and you're constantly worrying about him. This isn't healthy."
"Miku..." Hibiki adopted a serious expression, uncharacteristically for her."Just what are you saying?"
"You...I'm sorry, but you have to break up with him." Miku said, leaving no room for argument."He's hurting you. Maybe not willingly, but he's just...He's making you disregard your health. Please, Hibiki. You can't keep going like this. You're fighting Alca Noise and Mirror Monsters, now you have to worry about the other Riders...And to top it off, you have to worry about Hajime-kun's well-being when that shouldn't even be your job."
"Miku...I can't believe you just said that." Hibiki glared at Miku with disappointment."How could you even suggest that? I love him. I could never leave him because he's going through a lot. All of us are. You too. We lost people dear to us. But just because of that doesn't mean I can just give up on him. I could never. And I know he wouldn't do that to me either."
"You're right...Sorry, Hibiki..." Miku leaned against her shoulder."It's just...I don't want you to go through this pain. Of having your heart broken by the person you love...Hajime-kun has changed...And I don't want your view of him to change and be distraught."
"I know, Miku. I know..." Hibiki rested her head on her best friend's head."But I have to keep trying. I know one day I will be able to make him smile again. I just have to keep trying and trying. Miku...There is something I have to tell you. I'm sure it was nothing, but a few weeks ago, when Hajime got his new sleeping medication...something happened. I promised not to tell anyone since he said it was an accident. But...it's been eating away at me this whole month. I have to tell someone."
"What is it, Hibiki?" Miku frowned, squeezing her hand."You're scaring me. You can tell me."
"I...I came home after doing some grocery shopping. And I called out for him but he didn't respond. So I entered the apartment and noticed the bathroom light on." Hibiki's eyes began to water."I entered the bathroom and...he was sitting on the floor with a handful of sleeping pills. He was shaking a lot...And I asked him what he was doing. He said he...he didn't know what came over him." The cream-haired girl started crying, and Miku quickly consoled her."He began to cry and apologize over and over...And I broke down with him and we cried together. I...I don't know what he was doing...Or maybe...Maybe I do know and I'm just trying to deny it..."
"Do you think...he was trying to..." Mikut stopped herself from finishing that sentence.
"I don't know!" Hibiki snapped."I...I don't think so. Maybe he didn't know how many pills he was supposed to take. I should have told him sooner..."
"Hibiki, no prescription medication will ever require a person to take a handful of pills." Miku scowled."The dosage required should have been on the label. Hibiki, you have to tell Kazanari-san about this. If he really tried to commit-"
"But he wouldn't!" Hibiki yelled, surprising Miku with her tone."And it's never happened again! It was an honest mistake! He still has his sister. He has me! He would never do something like that."
"You're...you're right...Sorry..." Miku apologized, her shoulders slumping."I shouldn't say stuff like that about Hajime-san. He's in a dark place right now but he's not that kind of person to just give up like that. He's brave and loves you and his sister. He wouldn't do that to you...Just...We have to believe in him. I'm sure he'll get better. Knowing you, you'll probably keep showering him with love. The love that he needs."
Hopefully, I can do it before my birthday and his." Hibiki sighed."We were planning to have one big party for both of us. And he was so excited about it too..."
"Oh, right. Your birthday is coming up. And his is just a few days later." Miku smiled."It's hard to believe you're a few days older than him."
"Heheh." Hibiki giggled. this time more naturally than the forced laugh from earlier. Suddenly, a loud noise earned their attention. And they saw a helicopter casually landing outside.
"Get on!" Chris waved her hands, trying to get her attention.
"Uh...what?!" Hibiki yelled, a hand over her ear.
"She said to get on!" Takeru yelled, but the chopper only served to muffle their words. Suddenly, Hibiki noticed a familiar figure approaching the helicopter. It was Hajime. He was wearing his Lydian Uniform, his blazer over his shoulder. He had grown out his hair. Or just stop caring about keeping it short. Now it reached to his neck.
"O-oi...You're coming...?" Chris blinked, not having expected the amber-eyed boy to approach them.
"Yeah." He responded, his face devoid of all emotion. Takeru pursed his lips. He had noticed a while ago that the life in his eyes had been extinguished. Now his eyes were dead as if no light could reflect on them.
"Don't push yourself, Lieutenant," Takeru advised, but Hajime said nothing, remaining silent.
"Hajime!" Hibiki jogged over to them.
"Hibiki-san." Shirabe made her presence known."And Hajime-san..."
"It's an emergency-desu," Kirika told them.
"So it seems," Hajime remarked.
"Hajime, wait-" Hibiki tried to grab his hand, but something weird happened. She failed to grab it. Whether he moved it on purpose or she just missed it, she wasn't sure. But he got aboard the helicopter, sitting in the back and closing his eyes.
"I guess we're all coming then. We're going to HQ first to be briefed." Takeru offered Hibiki a hand, helping her up the chopper."Miku. I'll be back soon."
"Got it. Be careful."
With that, the helicopter took off into the air. Hibiki sat with Chris and Takeru after the orange-hair boy insisted on her sitting with them. Kirika and Shirabe sat in front of Hajime and tried to get him to talk, as they often did.
"Blacky-kun...are you okay?" Kirika asked.
"I think I should be asking you that," Hajime replied, not bothering to look in her direction.
"Oh, I'm... We're okay, right, Shirabe?"
"As okay as we can be." Shirabe nodded."We understand your pain. We lost our siblings. So we can relate to your suffering."
"I'm not in the mood for this shit." Hajime sighed, averting their gaze.
"Right..." Kirika muttered, dejected by his response."Sorry..."
Chris frowned, rubbing Hibiki's back to ease her worries. She leaned to Takeru, whispering in his ear."See what I mean?"
"I mean...he's a little more antisocial. But I wouldn't-"
"Goddamn it, Takeru. You can't keep excusing that behavior." Chris hissed.
"Okay, but what can I do about it? I tried talking to him and he brushes me off too." Takeru threw his arms up. The rest of the ride was silent. No one knew what to say. This summarized most of their trips nowadays.
A while later, the group made it to the command room of their HQ, where Genjuro awaited them.
"Good afternoon." Raiden, who was sitting next to Genjuro, offered a wave."You guys just got out of school too?"
"Yeah. Kiri-chan and I were just trying to catch up with our homework." Shirabe explained to her brother, who gave her a nod.
"I can look at it later if you want." Raiden took a sip from his coffee."But right now there are some important things that we need to know."
"Correct you are, Raiden-kun." Genjuro nodded. He gestured to a screen behind him, where the video fee of Maria, Tsubasa, Ogawa, and Jades was shown to them."Maria-kun, if you would."
"Right." Maria nodded."Jades and I received a special mission from Tsubasa's Father to investigate the story behind the Alchemic Tragedy two months ago. And thanks to Bragi-kun and Tobias-kun's assistance, we were able to find out something interesting."
"That's right." Bragi stood up from his chair, arms folded with a hint of arrogance. He looked identical to Bragard, except around his cheeks and the mole under his right eye, inherited from Carol. He had dichromatic eyes, one teal and one crimson, representing Carol and Bragard. He was wearing his S.O.N.G uniform, except he had added a white cape and a tiara on top of his white and black hair."There is no need to thank me. I didn't act alone in this endeavor. Tobias provided much great insight into our findings."
"And here we go." Chris groaned."Bragi The Bragger is at it again."
"Bragi-chan, please try to exercise some humbleness." Elfnein chided him lightly.
"A-Auntie! I am!" His shoulders slumped, slumping back on his chair and resuming typing on his keyboard."I said he assisted..."
"He's trying his best." Tobias scratched his cheek. He was dressed in khaki pants, a white dress shirt with a black tie, the scarf that his Father left him, and the ribbon that his Mother left him."Anyway, back when we were working under Bragard, there were times when he would just start talking about...the Bavarian Illuminati. Carol sought their help to build the Chateau. Of course, Bragard was forced to cooperate with them as well."
"As it turns out, the Second wasn't particularly fond of them." Bragi continued."In fact, he was making them his next target after you guys. But we know that never came to occur. Unfortunately, I don't possess any memories from him, otherwise, I would tell you more than what the Overall instructed me, which isn't much. I was just a spare body, after all."
"They're also the second organization next to Bragard to financially fund FIS' armed uprising." Jades chimed in. It was hard to miss, but the man looked like he hadn't slept in a while. Bags under his eyes, his disheveled hair, and his unkempt facial hair. After Andreas died, he had gone through hell and back to track down Ryuga."Suffice to say, they've been involved in every major incident this past year. A group even more terrifying than Bragard."
"How so?" Takeru tilted his head.
"They are said to have been pulling the strings throughout history and are considered by many to have led to Europe's labeling as the "Dark Continent."" Elfnein elaborated."With the information we've gathered, we may be able to track down their movements."
"Interesting." Bragi leaned forward on his console with a smile."Whatever problems the Second had with them...I can feel it. I want to crush this group too. And as destiny would have it, there's something else. Either they're working with DDV or have somehow taken use of the Mirror World."
"What do you mean by that?" Hibiki asked, prompting the hybrid homunculus to type something on his keyboard, enlarging an image showing Alca Noise and Mirror Monsters.
"I'm glad you asked, Hibiki-dono. They're distributing Alca Noise and are using Mirror Monsters that the DDV have spread around. They may have allied or this is merely a coincidence. But..."
To their shock, they saw Kamen Rider Alternative. And many more.
"What?! It's...it's just like..." Takeru gaped.
"Like the army, we fought." Yosuke nodded."It seems that they got their hands on the technology needed to produce their own Alternative Decks."
"Yeah, but those are outdated as hell." Bragi pointed out, hands behind his head."The model design is so last year. I guess this is the information the Second spread around the world and this backwater country managed to piece it together as well."
"Your next destination has been decided." Genjuro addressed the group."I'll be frank. This won't be like your regular trips to stop the Mirror Monsters. You will be dropped in a warzone with humans wielding Rider powers. I won't demand the impossible and ask you not to kill anyone, but-"
"All we have to do is destroy their Decks to prevent them from being a threat, right, Old Man?" Chris grinned cockily."Shouldn't be a problem."
"So how are we doing this?" Shirabe asked.
"For the Symphogear, we'll be deploying Chris-kun, Tsubasa, and Hibiki-kun. For the Riders, we'll be deploying Ryuki, Knight, Tiger, Raia, and Zolda."
"Huh?! What about me?!" Bragi rose from his chair."Sir, I told you I finished working on my new Alternative Deck. I can be of help here."
"You can, but remember what I told you, Bragi-kun, your movements aren't to be careless." Genjuro sighed in exasperation. This was a conversation that seemed to be brought up every time they talked."You are needed here."
"That's a lie and you know it." He pouted, sitting back on his chair."They're just keeping an eye on me because everyone thinks I'm a threat."
"No, that's not it, Bragi-chan." Elfnein scooted closer to her nephew, brushing his hand."You will get your time to shine too. Just not this time."
"Fine...If you say so, Auntie Elfnein." He sighed, offering her a small smile to ease her concern.
"Another fucking war..." Hajime grumbled under his breath.
"Huh? Did you say something, Hajime?" Hibiki blinked.
"Good thing the Hellspawn isn't coming with us." Hajime ignored her, focusing his attention on the prince."We won't have to worry about this thing ending in a disaster."
"Yeah?" Bragi narrowed his eyes in a challenging manner."And why is that, Boy Wonder? Also, I told you not to call me that. Or are you just incapable of remembering something for more than a minute?"
"Maybe." Hajime humored him, spitting next to Bragi's foot."That's why I'm afraid of shooting you in the back since you look exactly like all of those Alternatives...Hellspawn."
"I just told you not to-" Bragi was about to march up to Hajime, but Genjuro cleared his throat.
"That's enough bickering." Genjuro boomed, stopping both young men from moving."That's another reason why I can't let you go together. You saw what happened the first time."
"You say it like it's my fault he beat the shit out of me...The bastard..." Bragi grumbled, turning away from them.
"By the way, how is the Advent Stone I gave you coming along?" The male gunslinger asked.
"It's going," Bragi muttered, folding his arms under his chest.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning he hasn't made any progress." Elfnein quickly explained, shaking her head."Bragi-chan, we have to be clear when we say things like this."
"And I am." Bragi pouted."Just...Okay, look. I've been trying to get it to work. But I have no idea how the Second even made these Stones into Decks. It wasn't in any of the notes I could salvage, nor is it part of my memories. It just doesn't make sense how he turned these into a weapon. It's not like the Alternative Decks, where you just put them together. The real ones require a bit more...finesse, for lack of a better word. Did he use that Philosopher's Stone of his? Or was Odin helping at the time? For now, we can't count on the Verde Deck."
"What about Abyss?" Yosuke inquired.
"Now that one is more interesting, Yosuke-dono." Bragi leaned forward."The Second heavily modified that Deck. To the point where a regular human wouldn't be able to use it. Only an Autoscorer. So, using Raiden-dono's Deck as a reference, I managed to remove all the modified parts until the Deck was the same as his. So now it's good to be used."
"Cool. Can we give it to someone?" Takeru asked, receiving a glare from Yosuke."What?"
"We're not involving anyone else in this war." Yosuke sternly said."Not anymore."
"But Yosuke-senpai, we need more people. We just lost-"
"Takeru." Chris grabbed his hand, silencing him."Just...give it a rest."
"...Yeah...Sorry. That was out of line."
"So when do we leave?" Hajime finally spoke up after opting to listen.
"Tomorrow morning. I want you all here and ready. So don't stay up too late tonight." Genjuro clapped his hands."Alright. You're dismissed."
Later that night, Yosuke sat outside of their shared apartment, taking a look at some notes for tomorrow's operation. The plan was simple enough. Go in and go out. He was going to be with Tsubasa, gliding in the sky in case she needed backup. The enemy surely had more advanced weapons due to Bragard's information, so he feared that even a Symphogear could be exposed to artillery. Once they managed to smoke out the enemy's forces, Takeru and Chris would come in with their firepower while Hibiki covered their sides. Jades would stay in the rear, while Raiden would wait in the skies to protect their choppers. Now Hajime was an enigma. He wasn't given a specific condition. Lately, the Commander has been leaving it up to him whether he wants to intervene or not. Oftentimes, he would not, which is when Bragi would come in. But when he did, it was a gamble whether he would just sweep through the battlefield or just go berserk.
Not like Bragi was a better choice, if he was to be honest. He would be extremely reckless and needlessly flashy, oftentimes deciding to put on a show to demonstrate his strength. Not at all unlike his father. But not as bad, since all they needed to do to snap him out was to yell at him or have Elfnein talk to him. Maybe that's why the Commander left it up to them to join the battle whenever. They were both Wildcards in their own right. It was a mess. Hajime is the strongest Kamen Rider and Bragi is the most versatile.
"We sure could use Andreas in this operation..." He mumbled absentmindedly. Shaking his head, he stood up from the porch, deciding he was tired and needed rest. Once he got inside, he was met with the stench of alcohol, making him cringe. He didn't have to find the source, since it found him instead. Jades was coming from the kitchen, carrying a few cans of beer as he stumbled his way toward his room with a goofy expression."Jades, really?"
"Heeey, Yosuke." Jades hiccuped, clearing having had too much to drink already."Out working extra huh? You're such a dutiful captain."
"Should you really be doing that?" Yosuke approached him."You promised Maria you would stop drinking."
"I'm just loosening up a bit." Jades offered an excuse, opening a new can of beer."We have a big mission tomorrow after all. And besides, we can die at any point, right? That just means every day should be lived to the max!"
"Give me the beer, Jades." Yosuke attempted to grab the cans, but Jades stepped back, seemingly sobering up slightly.
"No. Fuck off. I need this, Yosuke." Jades growled.
"Need it for what? Feel sorry for yourself and be drunk all day?"
"It helps me...forget..."
"Forget that Andreas died?!" Yosuke snarled in disdain.
"Forget the pain!" Jades bellowed, crushing a few cans in his hands as he shoved Yosuke to the ground."Another one of my siblings is dead! Andreas died and I wasn't even there to stop it! He was a good kid! He didn't deserve to die in such a cruel way! That's why I don't care what happens now. I'm done. I'm going after Ryuga."
"Revenge..." Yosuke grimaced, sitting up."That's...that's not good. You should be doing this to stop them. Not out of revenge."
"And what's the difference?" Jades threw his arms over his head."Whether I kill Ryuga for revenge or because it's the right thing to do. In the end, the result will be the same! I deserve this, Yosuke. He killed my beloved brother! I don't care if he's Hajime's brother. He has to go down. Now."
"There's a difference because it's the way it will affect your heart!" Yosuke cried out."So yes, it does matter whether you're doing this to prevent the catastrophe that is Ragnarok or simply because you want to get back at him. The way your heart changes after that...that's what will be the difference between those two options."
"Fine by me." Jades closed his eyes."I must do this. For him. And so that I can save the siblings I have left. I swore to Maria I would never let anyone else die on my watch. And I intend to keep that promise this time."
"Even if it makes you lose yourself?"
"Yes. Even if that's the case. Maria, Shirabe, Kirika, and Raiden all cry every night. They hide it, but they're still suffering. I could never forgive the bastard who makes my family cry." Jades nodded, glancing down at the mess on the floor."Go to bed, Yosuke. I'll clean this up. I'm done for the night anyway."
With that, Jades dragged his feet over to the kitchen for cleaning supplies, leaving Yosuke in deep thought on the floor. Things...were changing.
The next day, a commanding officer marched around one of his bases of operations, supervising his soldiers as they continuously monitored and communicated through the battlefield. His many medals indicated his high rank in the Val Verde military, and the way he carried himself demanded respect.
"Do we have a sufficient amount of Decks?" The commander asked one of the people in charge of managing supplies.
"Yes, sir. We manufactured a good number of them, but we can only give them to a limited number of people."
"Good. With our improved air artillery and weaponry, it's fine if only a few have Decks. Once we win this war, we should be able to acquire more resources to create more and-"
"Sir! We have one enemy vehicle approaching!" A soldier hollered from his computer."And another one approaching on air."
"Fools." The commander mused, waving his hand."Send the Alca Noise and prepare the Mirror Monsters.
"S-sir! We have visuals!"
The man marched up to the screen, and his glasses nearly fell to the ground from the shock."Symphogear and Kamen Riders?!"
In effect, Knight was using Darkwing to glide in the air behind Tsubasa, keeping her back covered in the air while forcing the enemy to attack him since he was an obvious target.
And the first enemy was revealed. Or the first few. A group of Buzzstinger Bees were firing their arrows at Knight from below, forcing him to maneuver in the air. The soldiers had prepared wire traps that contained Alca Noise Gems as well as mirrors on the ground that would spawn Mirror Monsters.
"Yosuke!"
"I got this!"
(Play Gekishou Infinity)
Tsubasa nodded, revving the bike as she accelerated, her bike unfolding two blades from the sides which connected in the middle, creating a bigger sword. She pushed through the wave of Noise and Mirror Monsters, making her way toward the men to disarm them.
However, to her surprise, she noticed them taking out Decks from their pockets. Deciding to act quickly, Tsubasa jumped out of her bike, unsheathing her katana and rushing at them at full speed. She managed to destroy several Decks, but some of the soldiers transformed into Alternatives.
Sword Vent: Slashdagger
Tsubasa parried the first strike, kicking the Alternative away, and bent her knees, dodging the second strike. In one swift motion, she destroyed the deck, canceling out the transformation, and continued chasing after them. Fortunately for them, while they were trained soldiers, Takeru had pointed out that Val Verde's military was severely incompetent and paled in comparison to other countries. That, along with their fighting experience, made it easy for them to deal with the Alternatives.
Knight called off Darkwing, landing on the ground in the middle of a herd of Buzzstinger Wasps, wielding his visor. He kicked one in the face, using his momentum to elbow another one away, and leaped in the air to avoid being tackled by the one behind him.
Tricky Vent: Shadow Illusion
Knight left his clones behind, running at the Alca Noise and the Alternatives.
Sword Vent: Winglancer
Knight leaped in the air, throwing his lance toward a Noise and stabbing it to the ground. He landed on the hilt, spinning around with his Darkvisor out and cutting away at the Noise around him. With that threat gone, he shifted his attention to the Alternatives.
Accel Vent
Out of nowhere, an Alternative slashed him with his sword, taking him by surprise with his speed. Knight rolled on the ground, composing himself."I was not expecting that."
"You okay?" Tsubasa landed behind him, standing back to back with her boyfriend.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just didn't expect them to actually use their abilities like that. But compared to that army of Alternatives we fought before, this is nothing. Though..."
"We have to hold back since they're humans."
"Right." Knight glanced up toward the sky."They're here."
The next phase of their plan had begun, and Zolda and Chris had been deployed to kill the Mirror Monsters and Alca Noise around them while Hibiki disarmed the Alternatives.
"Just like old times. Kind of." Zolda mused to himself, leveling his visor and shooting away at the Noise.
"Let's see who kills the most Noise and Mirror Monsters." Chris suggested a challenge, wielding her crossbows."Unless you're too scared to compete with me again."
"You beat me before, but I'll win this time." Zolda grinned, closing his visor up.
Shoot Vent: Gigacannons
Hibiki punched away at the bullets from the regular soldiers while easily blocking the Alternatives' blades with her fists, breaking their Decks with quick jabs. None of them posed a real threat to the wielder of the Gungnir Relic. She looked like an orange blur blitzing around the battlefield, joined by Knight and Tsubasa while Chris and Zolda covered them from the sides. Suddenly, they were surprised to see watch towers sprout from the ground, and immediately unfolded their arsenals and fired all sorts of projectiles. This time, the group had to proceed with caution, since Tsubasa was graced by a bullet and drew blood. These were not regular bullets.
From up above, a chopper circled the battlefield. Raia flew around, using his Evillauncher to blast away any Noise and Mirror Monsters that focused their attention on them.
"You sure you want to go?" Kirika asked the raven-haired teen.
"Sure," Hajime said, jumping off the helicopter. He examined the battlefield, taking note of the terrain and the number of the "Alternative Towers", as he dubbed them, and took out his Deck."The enemy is spread around. The Noise and Mirror Monsters are mixed in but it seems that the Mirror Monsters are coming from mirrors hidden around the forest. As for the towers...Two...three, and four. Locations and numbers confirmed. But still..."
His mind flashed images of the battle against the Alternative Army two months ago and their fights around the world with the Mirror Monster. He then thought back to seeing Chao-Xing die in front of his eyes."Another fight..."
His V Buckle materialized around his waist, sliding it in with a growl."I'm so sick and tired...of all these fucking fights!"
Sliding his Deck in, Hajime began his transformation sequence. An energy version of Dragreder flew down next to him, wrapping its body around his body before becoming one with him. In a flash of flames, Ryuki then activated his Survive mode, immediately activating an ability as he got closer to the ground, directly above a group of Alternatives.
Strike Vent: Dragknuckle
Ryuki smashed his fist against the ground, creating an explosion of flames that sent every Alternative in the vicinity flying away. He wasted no time and blitzed around at insane speeds, cutting through their Decks with ease before moving to the next group. He moved so fast none of the soldiers even had time to react.
"Adachi?!" Knight stopped moving momentarily, watching as Ryuki ran past them."Why is he in Survive?! That's completely overkill!"
"Hajime! Wait!" Hibiki rushed after him, but Hajime continued slashing his way through the Alternatives. Ryuki kicked a soldier in the face, knocking a few teeth out and grabbing another one by the face, hurling against an Alternative. Using this as a distraction, he quickly slashed his Deck, destroying it before kicking them and using them as footing. He smashed his Dragknuckle against a group of Noise, the percussion hammer at the elbow nailing down and blowing them all away.
"War is...such a horrible thing, huh?" He muttered dryly, eyeing his friends for a second. Then he noticed the remaining tower opening fire with their Gatling guns, shooting at Chris. He moved at full speed behind her, but then a strange thing happened. He reverted to his normal form, taking the bullets for Chris and breaking through his armor. Ryuki stumbled back, his transformation becoming undone as he fell to the ground, unconscious due to the wounds on his body.
"W-what...?" Chris blinked in bewilderment."Damn it! Hajime!"
Raia bombarded the tower, disabling the artillery and leaving the soldiers operating it stranded
"HAJIME!" Hibiki practically flew over to her boyfriend, gasping upon seeing his wounds. He was bleeding as some of the projectiles had shredded through his armor and pierced his skin. The wounds were shallow, due to his armor taking most of the impact, but he needed medical attention. As they gathered around Hajime, Tiger was now holding off the enemies' frontline on his own, tearing through the Noise and Mirror Monsters while leaving the Alternatives for last. He ran up to a tank, forcing it to go in reverse as it began to fire multiple rockets, which he easily cut through with his claws. With a mighty yell, he flipped the tank upside down, rendering it useless.
"I'll take him back to HQ!" Raia descended with Evildiver."I'm faster in the air."
"Please, watch over him, Raiden!" Hibiki pleaded, tears of concern glistening in her eyes.
"Everything will be fine," Raia reassured her. Knight and Tsubasa helped Hajime onto Evildiver before he flew away back to their base. He glanced over his shoulder, noticing some of the Alternatives on the ground shooting rockets at him."Andreas! I need you to cover me and-"
His mind flashed back to seeing his brother die in front of his eyes, making him remember the cruel reality he was in."Right...Right..."
"He protected me..." Chris muttered, still in shock.
"The Lieutenant still cares." Zolda placed a hand on her shoulder."He's a little...well, he's pretty detached now, but he still cares. He saved you."
"I wonder..." Knight pursed his lips.
"Wonder what?" Tsubasa asked.
"We can talk about it later. We got more fish to fry." Knight waved his hand, signaling them to return to their positions.
Raia noticed Ogawa down below, weaving at him. The stingray-themed Rider descended from the skies, meeting with the Ninja."Ogawa-san."
"I'll take him back." Ogawa suggested."I'm lighter on my feet. Plus, they need the air support."
"Got it." Raia nodded, but they were alerted by the sound of an engine closing in on them.
"The Boy Wonder couldn't handle the heat, so it's up to me to pick up the slack."
Kamen Rider Alternative drove past them on his bike. Unlike the other Alternatives, he had a red cape on and a small tiara on his head, which made it easier to differentiate him from the others.
"Bragi Third Dienheim! What are you doing, young man?!" Elfnein yelled through the comms, letting some of her inner Carol slip through.
"A-Auntie Elfnein...I figured they would need the extra pair of hands now that the Boy Wonder is down." He stammered upon hearing his full name being said."And I have the Seal Cards with me. Besides...the Second started this. It's only right that I ended it. I am the great Prince Bragi Third Dienheim. I can't go and not clean up after my father's mess."
"You weren't given proper clearance!" Elfnein berated him. Aoi and Sakuya could only stare in disbelief as the usually gentle and kind Elfnein was yelling like an angry mother would to her child."You didn't even ask for permission!"
"Ah, I can't hear you! They're jamming the signal! These shameless bastards...Sorry! Got to go!" With that, Alternative cut off communication, proceeding to enter the battlefield.
"He...he just hung up..." Sakuya muttered in disbelief.
"Again disobeying orders..." Genjuro ran a hand through his hair."But he's right. They'll need an extra pair of hands since the enemy has displayed multiple aces up their sleeve. We can think of a punishment for later, Elfnein-kun."
Elfnein sighed, leaning back on her seat."Be careful, Bragi-chan..."
Alternative grinned, wielding his Slashdagger in one hand as he rode through the rocky terrain. He deflected the incoming missiles from the copy Psycho-Rogues, and responded by making his own fire missiles back."You'll need more than mere copies to beat the gallant Third Hyperion!"
"But then again...I am a copy of a copy." He muttered to himself, focusing on his work."That's all I am, huh?"
The very first Alternative Deck was destroyed by Ryuki during his final bout with Bragard. So piecing up a new Alternative Deck from scratch was a challenge. He did have the basic knowledge of it, but the Overall didn't deem it necessary to give him more than that. After all, he was just meant to be a vessel for Bragard. But with his intellect, after several weeks of testing, he managed to create a replica of the Alternative. It wasn't like the last one. He would still get stronger as he fought, but since it wasn't connected to the Overall anymore, the process wasn't as fast as it once was.
"I'm going to fix this whole mess." Bragi narrowed his eyes at the enemies approaching him."I will not fall behind the Boy Wonder!"
He sped up toward his opponents, pressing a button on his Psychoroader and unleashing a volley of missiles."Sorry, boys! But it looks like 3 is your unlucky number!"
Suddenly, as he was too busy gloating, he didn't notice the two Alternatives waiting for him inside the bushes. Once he to their location, they acted, slashing his arms off with their blades and causing him to lose control and fall onto the dirt.
"We got him! Enemy neutralized!" One of the Alternatives informed through is radio.
"Are you sure?" A normal soldier asked."He kind of looks like you guys."
"Dumbass! Doesn't the red cape and the crown give him away as one of our enemies?! At any rate, his arms are gone and-"
"Man, you guys just had to ruin my vibe." Bragi sat up like nothing had happened to him, his arms detached from his body and blood pouring from his wounds.
"H-he stood up!" They all raised their weapons.
"Relax. He's probably in shock." Another one chuckled."He has no arms, what is he-"
Just as he said that Bragi's arms regenerated and was back to pristine condition, silencing his opponents.
"Yeah...Unlucky number 3 sounds about right." Bragi turned on his heels, flexing his regrown limps."Now I won't feel bad for what's going to happen next."
A huge boom caught everyone's attention on the battlefield, and from the skies, a massive ship descended.
"Having Overall flashbacks here." Zolda chucked nervously."How and when did that thing get there?!"
"Scared?" Chris smirked.
"As if." Takeru chuckled."I was kicked by a fucking monstrosity 100 times bigger than that and lived."
Both Takeru and Chris stood side to side, glaring at the ship in the sky. Takeru summoned Magnugiga upon closing his visor up.
Final Vent: End of the World
MEGA DETH INFINITY
Combining their firepowers, both Zolda and Chris unleashed their full power on the ship, countering each missile shot from the skies and tearing through it like paper. Their attack was calculated, allowing time for the people aboard to parachute out to safety.
"And that's that." Takeru raised his fist, watching as UN choppers were coming to their location."That counts for double points. Sorry, Shortcake. Looks like I win."
"Like hell!" Chris marched up to him, grabbing him by the shoulders to lower him to her size."I beat the most enemies this time! So I won! Isn't that right, Magnugiga?"
Magnugiga beeped, much to Takeru's chagrin.
"Now you're being biased because she washed you last week, asshole. I washed you too. We're supposed to be partners. I won." He poked her sides, causing her to giggle."So stop being a sore loser and admit defeat for once."
"I-I'm serious!" Chris giggled, smacking him on the helmet."I win! So you'll take me to that new Indian restaurant that opened up near our house!"
"Our house?" Yosuke arched a brow."I thought you two lived in two different apartments."
"Well, we're married now, aren't we?" Takeru took off his helmet and his glove, showing him his ring."We practically live in each other's houses."
"You're not married." Tsubasa sighed."That's a Promise Ring. It's nothing official."
"But we will." Takeru wrapped Chris in a loving hug."Right, Chrissy? We're already planning our wedding."
"N-no?!" Chris stuttered, her face as red as her Gear."Wait, you are?!"
"Stuff like that takes time." He shrugged."I want it to be perfect. And it's expensive. I was thinking...maybe we can rent a whole cruise."
"Hah. You? A cruise?" Yosuke scoffed."Don't you get motion sickness?"
"Details, details." Takeru brushed his comment off. He noticed Hibiki staring off in the distance, and decided to approach her."Hibiki-chan. He'll be fine. He's a tough cookie."
"I know...But..."
"It's fine." Takeru placed his hand on her shoulder."I owe him a favor now. He protected Chrissy, so next time you're in danger, feel free to call me. I'll come running to your side in a heartbeat. And his, of course."
"Thank you, Takeru-san..." Hibiki managed a weak smile.
"Well, since we're done..." He wrapped his arm around hers."Why don't I escort you back to base? I saw you fighting really hard so you must be tired."
"Ah, you don't have to..." Hibiki muttered, embarrassed at his gesture.
"You can say no, but he's stubborn." Chris mimicked his gesture, grabbing her other arm."And yeah, I think you need a break too. We're going ahead, Senpais."
"Got it. Be careful." Knight waved at them.
Just then, Bragi pulled up with his bike, taking his helmet off."So? Did you see my great performance? I took those guys out for a walk."
"Why are you here? Did you get permission to be deployed?" Tsubasa planted her hands on her hips.
"I-I...well, I saw the Boy Wonder being demolished by artillery, so..." He rubbed his nape."I saw it fitting for me to take his place, Tsubasa-dono. Did I do good?"
"Well..." Yosuke glanced around, noticing that there were no more Alternatives or Alca Noise or Mirror Monsters around."You did good, Dienheim. Just make sure to follow orders next time."
"Right. I appreciate your words of encouragement, Yosuke-dono." With that, Bragi revved his bike, going back to HQ and leaving the idol and detective alone, waiting to receive the UN soldiers.
"He's trying." Tsubasa smiled."He's different from his father. And mother. But I can see a bit of both in him."
"Impulsive, arrogant, complicated, and smart. Yeah, he's their kid alright. As weird as it sounds." Yosuke sighed."It's like early Adachi all over again. He's proven to be very useful. A good addition to the team. It's a good idea to keep him and Adachi separated. Speaking of Adachi..."
"Is something wrong?"
"Just now..." Yosuke rubbed his chin."It struck me as odd as to why he jumped out of the helicopter in Survive. It seemed overkill. These Alternatives pale in comparison to the ones we fought before. Normally, I'd think of it as him just going haywire. But..."
"When he protected Yukine, he reverted to his regular form." Tsubasa said evenly."But...do you think he just ran out of energy?"
"Unlikely." Yosuke shook his head."He's fought in Survive for a long period of time before. He barely used it right now. I may be reaching, but maybe...maybe he did it on purpose."
"On purpose?" Tsubasa breathed."Do you think he purposely took that attack head-on and lowered his power? But...why? You don't think he-"
"It's too soon to tell." Yosuke cut her off."For now, let's wait for him to recover. Then we'll know for sure. Just...I hope I'm wrong about my theory. I really do...Because otherwise, things just got even more complicated."
"Wait...what do you mean...?"
"I didn't want to say this in front of the others, since I don't want to worry them. Much less Tachibana. Tsubasa, don't tell this to the others. But Adachi has developed a serious self-destructive behavior. He doesn't show any regard for his safety anymore. And from what I saw today, I think he..." He shifted on his heels, staring into her eyes with a crestfallen expression."I think he tried to commit suicide."
"Hamaguchi! You'll be late! The plane is going to get here in 30 minutes!" Seiko yelled, tending to a few customers in their restaurant.
"Yeah, yeah! Just combing my hair!" He hollered from inside.
"He's certainly motivated." A girl with short, brown hair and reddish eyes commented. She was wearing a long-sleeved grey shirt and dark pants, holding a small suitcase and a purse. She was wearing a small newsboy cap on top of her head.
"Well, he's going to go see his best friend and that little online girlfriend he has." Seiko sighed, serving a bowl of ramen to the girl."What about you, Endou-chan? You're going to work?"
"I am!" The girl named Amber Endou nodded."I'm very lucky I got that job at that office as a part-time receptionist after school. Hopefully, I can start saving money so I can go to college in the city and provide for my family."
"You're a good girl, Endou-chan." Seiko smiled, glancing over her shoulder to her little brother, who was carrying a bag over his shoulder."Unlike someone I know..."
"Hey, I'm attending school now, okay? Besides, Endou-chan here is a cinnamon bun. The sweetest thing there is. I could never hope to compete with her." He jumped over the counter."Which is why I don't try to flirt with her. She's way out of my league."
"You're too nice, Kuroiwa-kun." Endou sweatdropped at his comment."But I'm not that special. So...are you going to go see your friend?"
"Yeah..." Hamaguchi adopted a small smile."He's been going through a lot. And well...they requested me to go there. Seiko, we-"
"I know. Aunt Chisa took care of it." Seiko interrupted him."Just go. And keep your hands to yourself, you understand me? I don't want to hear you're sexually harassing that nice girl Kirika again."
"It was a joke! Plus, she forgave me!"
"The point still stands. What do you think, Endou-chan?"
"Well, if he apologized..." Endou scratched her cheek.
"You're such an angel." Hamaguchi gave them a peace sign before heading toward the door."Well, see you soon! Tell the others not to miss me!"
"And off he goes." Endou giggled."He's such a good friend to everyone. You must be proud of him."
"I'm glad you're one of the few people that actually give him the time of day." Seiko sighed, taking a seat on her stool."He can be a handful, I know. But he's loyal."
"Oh, I know. I just hope he can help his friend."
Hamaguchi ran down the streets of Okinawa, a solemn expression printed on his face."Don't worry, Hajime. I'm coming!"
Remaining Kamen Riders:
Ryuki: Hajime Adachi
Knight: Yosuke Yanagi
Zolda: Takeru Sakamoto
Tiger: Jades Demetrios
Raia: Raiden Amaterasu
Alternative : Bragi Third Dienheim
Odin: Hazama Liang
Ryuga: Hazuki Kaburagi
Gai: Terunosuke Kuwana
Ouja: Allister Albedo
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)