Reviews:
Blitzdigital: Claro, ellos tratan de ayudar pero el tampoco se deja. Uno trata de ayudar a alguien con ese tipo de problemas pero a veces necesitan ayudar profesional ya que al final de todo, nosotros no lo sabemos todo. Lo mismo con ellos. Y si, Hibiki tambien se esta viendo afectada en todo esto. Setsuna tambien ha perdido mucho y sufrido igual que su hermano, y eso que ella es menor que el. Veremos como esto le afecta a ella a lo largo de la historia. Por eso Hazuki quiere hacer que ella vea las cosas como el, ya que es chiquita, y la ve manipulable, al contrario de Hajime. Jades con sed de venganza, y no es por nada, ya que ya ha perdido a dos hermanos y a Serena.
Igor Zywica: I don't speak Polish so I translated what I could. It's not that Ryuga wants to kill Setsuna, he just wants her to see his point of view and make her join his side. For reasons that we don't know yet.
Caballero lector rojo: Si, decidi implementar el concepto de dichas cartas, ya que en Ryuki las usan como dos veces y desaparecen.
lordri25may2001: Yes, the beginning wasn't as fun. It's going to be a dark season too. Bragi is kind of like a copy of Bragard, but he has Carol's genes as well, so he's like a son in a way. I don't know if they will ever make an anime out of this, but one day I want to commission art for this story. I'm saving money to commission an art of Hajime.
Tenzalucard123: Yes, Jades and Hajime are not doing so well right now. They lost families, at the hands of people they considered families. Terunosuke to Jades and Hazuki to Hajime. Takeru and Chris planning their wedding is probably the most wholesome thing in that chapter. We'll see if our mercenary gives her the actual ring to ask her to marry him in the future.
Chapter 81
Broken Mind
"Fuck...fuck..." Hajime groaned in pain, watching detached arms next to him as he was forced to see Bragard kill his Grandmother again.
"What's wrong, Boy Wonder?" Bragard asked, approaching him with a smile on his face."This isn't a dream. If you don't fight back, you'll actually die!"
Hajime gasped, watching as Bragard raised his blade and brought it down to kill him.
"Stop!" Hajime jolted awake from his bed, heaving for breath.
"Well, seems like the sleeping beauty is awake."
Hajime felt a bottle being tossed at him. It was his medicine. He quickly opened the cap and took two pills that were meant to help him with his night terrors.
"You looked like you were having such a pleasant dream, I didn't want to wake you up." Bragi, who was sitting next to him and writing something on a sheet of paper, said."Another nightmare?"
The raven-haired boy winced in pain, removing the sheets from his body and noticing the bandages around his torso.
"Doctor said you're good. No fatal injuries at least. Everything is superficial." Bragi continued, jabbing his thumb toward the nightstand next to Hajime's bed."Some water. Anyway, they removed the bullets. Luckily, they didn't pierce your skin too deep. But you need to rest."
Hajime said nothing, frowning as he continuously replayed his dream in his head, thinking about what he could have done to save his grandmother. What he could have done to do things differently. And it scared him that nothing he could think of could have changed things.
"Anyway, don't get it twisted. I'm not here to watch over you or anything. I am just being punished for disobeying orders and entering the battlefield without proper permission." Bragi explained himself, a sour look on his face."And I was ordered to do your report while writing it down. With a pen on a sheet of paper. Of course, I am only writing the basics. You'll need to fill in the blanks of the event."
"..." Hajime looked down at his hands, completely ignoring what Bragi was saying to him. Until he decided to speak again.
"I honestly can't believe why everyone thinks you're so great." Bragi grumbled, finishing writing the report."Getting completely obliterated by mere artillery. Is this how you defeated the Second? By getting saved by others constantly."
"Sure," Hajime grumbled, mustering some venom in his voice.
"And what? You're supposed to be a Messiah? When you constantly need to be saved by other people because you can't do shit on your own?" Bragi sneered."I honestly don't think you deserve all this praise. And it's not because I have the Second's genes. I genuinely don't understand. I can do all of that and better. In fact, I did just that. While you were busy being saved, I was out there doing what you couldn't do. So tell me why you're admired by others, huh?! Just what is it about your sorry ass that makes you so special?!"
"Bragi-chan!"
Elfnein entered the room, frowning at her nephew with disapproval."You can't be starting problems with someone who just took on heavy artillery! He needs to rest!"
"I-I know..." Bragi deflated."I was just writing his report. Here, Boy Wonder."
Hajime snatched the piece of paper from his hands, scanning through it.
"That aside, why don't you come with me to have lunch, Bragi?" Elfnein smiled."They're serving your favorite in the cafeteria."
"Ah...I'm okay. I'm not hungry." The hybrid homunculus said."I'm just going to go to my lab and work on some things."
"Are you sure? You're not skipping meals again?" She planted her hands on her hips, eyeing him critically.
"Of course not. I wouldn't want to suffer your wrath again." He said with honesty in his voice."Besides, even if I was skipping meals, I could go without eating for quite a while. So it's not a problem. I just want to be alone, that's all."
"Mmmm. Well, I'll see if I can bring you a plate of food. In the mean-"
The sound of paper being crumbled earned their attention, and they both saw Hajime toss away the report Bragi had given him."What the heck?! What are you doing?!"
"I don't need shit from you, homunculus." Hajime spat in disdain, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting his slippers on.
"Hajime-san, you shouldn't be moving around." Elfnein moved to his side, grabbing his arm but the boy swatted her hand away, startling her.
"Don't fucking touch me!" He yelled, eyeing her with contempt."You disgusting homunculus! I don't want anything to do with you two, abominations!"
"Hey! You don't talk to her that way!" Bragi stood in front of Elfnein, baring his teeth at the wielder of the Ryuki Deck. Hajime narrowed his gaze at him, clenching his fists.
"B-Bragi-chan, it's okay..." Elfnein whispered, pulling him away from Hajime."He's just tired...Let's just give him some space, okay...?"
"But Auntie, he yelled at you!" Bragi growled, watching as the raven-haired boy went toward the door."Bastard! Who the shit does he think he is?!"
Slamming the door shut, the nephew and aunt were left alone. Elfnein began to cry quietly, prompting Bragi to grab her shoulders and bend his knees."Auntie, it's okay. Don't cry, Auntie Elfnein. It's okay..."
Elfnein sniffed, a small smile gracing her features as her nephew wiped her tears away with his thumb.
"That fucking asshole...treating you like this. I'm going to put him in his place. I'm not done with his shit."
"Please, Bragi-chan...don't..." Elfnein pleaded, grabbing onto his arm."I don't want you to get into trouble...I don't blame him. He's going through a lot. I was just caught off guard by his comment, that's all...I'm a little sensitive to words..."
"But Auntie..." Bragi frowned, seeing the short blonde shed more tears. He sighed, resigning his rage and wrapping his arms around her small frame."Okay. I won't go after him. Just...don't cry, okay? It doesn't suit you."
"Crying suits someone?" Elfnein giggled, returning the hug.
"Some people." He trailed off, the implication being left in the open."But I'll listen to you. I know I can be a handful and you have enough on your plate as it is. So I'm sorry. But I love you, Auntie Elfnein. I love you so much. Thanks for putting up with me."
"Of course, I would. I promised Carol I would. And you're my nephew so of course I'd go to this extreme for you. We're family. I love you too. You're pretty much my son. Even though you look older than me..."
"Who cares? What I care about is that we're family. And I'm lucky to be blessed with two mothers." He chucked, pulling back from the hug."So...would Mama be as strict as you are?"
"Who, Carol?" Elfnein blew raspberries."I'd say you'd get more than an earful. All I really do is try to act like her when I'm scolding you. But I pale in comparison to what she's capable of."
"Great, so Mama is even stricter. Sounds scary." A chill ran down his spine."Well, that aside, do you want me to take you to the cafeteria?"
"It's okay. I don't want to force you to go." Elfnein grabbed his hand."But...is there something going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is there really not a reason why you don't want to go to the cafeteria? Or just outside of your lab and see other people other than our friends?"
"You mean our co-workers...?" He scratched his nape sheepishly."Not at all. I just like to be left alone and work on my projects."
"Don't lie to me, young man." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"I'm not." He exhaled in exasperation."It's...everything is fine. I'll go one day. Give Fujitaka-san and Tomosato-san my regards."
Before Elfnein could protest, he planted a kiss on her forehead and exited the room.
"What am I going to do with him?" Elfnein sighed."I wonder if you'd have an easier time than me, Carol..."
Genjuro sat in his office, examining the reports coming in from the UN. Some far, things have been going well. While they experienced some trouble with enemy forces due to their upgraded equipment, their Riders and Symphogear were still leagues ahead of that. No doubt from the countless fights they'd been part of.
"Still, I can't believe I sent a bunch of kids to a warzone..." Genjuro groaned, running a hand through his face. He didn't like the idea at all. In fact, he never liked the idea of sending kids to fight for the future of the world. He felt this was a burden adults should have, not high schoolers and young adults. The effects of this were starting to affect them.
"Pardon me." The door swung open, revealing a tired-looking Hajime in his uniform.
"Hajime-kun? Why are you out of bed?" Genjuro sat up, eyeing him with concern."Your wounds..."
Hajime wordlessly walked to his desk, slamming a sheet of paper in front of him.
"This is..." Genjuro grabbed the paper, examining it.
"My resignation letter." Hajime said."I'm done."
"You're...done?"
"I'm done with all these fights. I'm sick and tired of fighting and risking my life while my sister is left worried that I might not come back alive." Hajime continued."I'm quitting S.O.N.G."
"Hajime-kun..." Genjuro said carefully."Under normal circumstances, I would have no doubts in accepting your request, but-"
"I knew you'd say that." Hajime took out another sheet of paper, sliding it over to the man."So I filled in a medical leave form. I am in no condition to fight and if you keep me here to continue fighting, I may not be able to fight properly. Which could end up in me being hurt again or even killed. And we wouldn't want that, would we?"
Genjuro's eyes widened at his words. Over the years, he had come to be able to read between the lines and understand people based on their body language and words. And what Hajime was saying...
"Hajime-kun...you're not suggesting that-"
"So is that a yes or no, Commander?" Hajime slammed his hands on the desk."I want to go back to my sister."
Genjuro took a long moment to ponder over his words before sighing."Very well. I knew something like this came up. So I called someone."
"Someone?"
"I agree to let you off on medical leave. However, I can't let you go back on your own. So I talked to someone you know and they agreed to take you in with them. I'll explain later. But for now, feel free to start packing up."
"I see. Thanks, sir." Hajime muttered dryly, heading for the door without another word.
"Hajime-kun."
Hajime stopped, glancing over his shoulder."Yes?"
"You're not alone. You lost a lot, but you still have a lot left." Genjuro said."Never think you're alone."
The raven-haired teen acknowledged his words with a nod and exited the room, heading back to his hospital room.
"That boy..."
"Are you okay, Raiden?" Kirika asked, noticing how Raiden hadn't even touched his food.
"Yeah."
"You're not. Here." Jades put some of his food on his tray. The others mimicked this, and before long, Raidan had more food than before.
"How is this going to make me hungry?" Raiden deadpanned upon seeing the mixed dishes combined on his plate.
"I miss him too." Jades cut to the heart of the matter."We all do. And I promise you, we will get revenge for him."
"Not just by killing fucking Ryuga." Raiden snarled."Teru-nii-No, Terunosuke has to go too."
"Guys, you can't be thinking like that." Shirabe frowned."I get how you feel. But taking revenge isn't the right way to do things."
"And what should we do then, Shirabe? Arrest him?" Jades folded his arms across his chest."They'll execute him."
"Who? Hazuki or Terunosuke?" Maria scowled."Because you keep saying you'll make Hazuki pay, but what about Terunosuke? He's the one involved in this too and yet you don't even bring him up."
"That's another matter."
"It's not!" Maria yelled, standing up from her chair."You're not seriously thinking you can somehow convert him to our side, right?! After everything HE did, he'd be executed too!"
"And what I am supposed to do, kill him?!" He snapped, causing Kirika and Shirabe to flinch."Let one of you kill him?! No! I can't let you soak your hands with blood! Not anymore!"
"I crossed that line a long time ago." Maria placed a hand over her chest."You can't keep excusing him. Terunosuke is equally to blame for this. While revenge isn't a good thing, you-"
"You don't know what you're saying." He sighed, sitting back down on his chair."I know you killed before. I have too. But...but he-s"
"He's not family." Maria cut him off harshly."He never was. He never will be. He never cared about us. He was only out for himself. And his obsession with Serena? Do you think he loved her? He only loved her because she was the only one who bought into his little victim act and showered him with praise. It could have been any of us. That's not love. He killed your brother. That should be enough of a reason to want him gone."
"Maria...you're suggesting for us to kill him in cold blood." Jades tried to reason with her.
"Just like they killed Andreas." Maria replied, tears glistening in her eyes."Poor thing...He didn't deserve to die like that...Oh, God...Why him...?"
"It should have been me." Jades lowered his gaze."If I could die a thousand different times to prevent that from happening. I would. But I promise you. I will protect all of you. And for that, I need you to trust me. I'll bring down Ryuga myself if I must."
"But he's Blacky-kun's-"
"It doesn't matter, Kirika." Raiden interjected."He's a murderer and a backstabber. Just like Terunosuke."
"Can we please..." Shirabe spoke up for the first time since they started eating. Her eyes were closed, but they could see a tear streaming down her cheek."Can we please not fight like this...we're eating. We're supposed to be enjoying each other's company, just like we usually do. Please...let's not do this right now."
The siblings all glanced at each other, realizing Shirabe had been crying in silence. They decided to continue their meal in silence. This wasn't the first time the topic regarding Terunosuke came up. And probably wouldn't be the last.
Hajime sighed, not even bothering to close the door to his room. He staggered over to his bed, taking a seat on the edge and just staring at the ground. His wounds were acting up, but he didn't care. He was finally relieved from this hell. It wasn't his problem anymore. Now he could go back with Setsuna. He could finally stay with her and-
"Hajime."
The young man froze upon hearing the voice he thought he would never hear again. He slowly rose his head, eyeing the entrance. And there, stood his grandmother, dressed in the same way she was that horrible day.
"You look so tired." She smiled."Why don't you come home to rest a little?"
He rubbed his eyes, and she was gone. He stood up, backing up to the wall as his breathing became erratic. He tried to breathe and calm down, but his chest felt tight. He fell to his knees, coughing saliva and trying to get oxygen inside his windpipe.
"In the end, you have nothing. Because you are nothing."
"And what? You're called a Messiah? When you constantly need to be saved by other people because you can't do shit on your own?"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Hajime began flailing angrily, throwing everything on the ground as he tried to drown the words playing on a loop in his mind.
"Hajime!" Hibiki burst inside the room, grabbing his arms."It's okay! Calm down! It's me!"
"Hibiki..." Hajime stopped his outburst, taking shallow breaths."Oh..."
"Here, take this right now." Hibiki grabbed his hand, handing him a pill."You were having a panic attack."
"Yeah...I figured." Hajime downed the pill in one go, leaning against the wall.
"Hajime...I can't believe you said those horrible things to Elfnein-chan." Hibiki frowned.
"What, they snitched?" Hajime scoffed.
"Bragi-kun told me. He was very upset."
"And why should I care what that Hellspawn thinks?"
"Hajime! You can't just say stuff like that! They're our friends!"
"I could never be friends with two homunculi." Hajime scoffed in disdain."Do I need to remind you what Bragard did to us? How he felt about humans?"
"But that's Bragard! They are completely different!" Hibiki protested, refusing to back down."They don't deserve to be treated like that. Sure, Bragi-kun can be a handful, but he's new to this world. And he's nice."
"It doesn't matter. I'm done with this shit." Hajime shook his head, walking past her.
"Wait...what do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is that I submitted my resignation letter." Hajime elaborated."Of course, the Commander is being difficult about it so I decided to also submit a medical leave. I'm off this mission until further notice. I'm going home with Setsuna. And I'm done being a Kamen Rider."
"What...you're just...you're just walking away...?" Hibiki blinked, still processing the information."You're quitting S.O.N.G...?"
"There's nothing for me here. I'm done fighting all these fights. I'm just so tired of everything. Risking my life for no purpose. Nothing will ever get better. The world... just keeps on going around. We beat one bad guy, sure. How long until another one surfaces and takes their place? We're putting all this work, going around the world to help people. But this is an eternal endeavor. Nothing will ever get better. Villains will continue to appear. Disasters will continue to happen. All this work...all this risking our life shit...I'm done. I can't keep doing this anymore. I can't keep going out on a mission worrying about Setsuna. We're our last family. All we have. If either of us dies then...So I decided to walk away now and go live a normal life with her. I'm going to watch over her and just...live a normal life."
"And you're okay with just...Hajime, you're not okay. You can't leave now. Besides, what if the other Riders hunt you down?! This isn't like you! You've never been someone to take the easy way out and just give up-"
"The fuck did you just fucking say...?" Hajime turned around immediately, his eyes wide open.
"Hajime, I'm sorry, I-"
"Don't give me that shit! There's nothing easy about giving up!" Hajime screamed, his well of emotions finally exploding."Do you think I'm just sitting around, eating shit, doing nothing, and cutting myself off from everything, throwing everything out away! And that I'm being overdramatic?! That's a fucking lie! It was never easy to come to this decision! Because I always kidding myself this whole time! Thinking that I was special, that I could make a difference, that I was meant for more when that wasn't the case! Everyone put their trust in me and I failed. I amounted to nothing! I let people die and now I can't even look at myself in the mirror without throwing up! Now I know...Now I know there's nothing I can do. Nothing I do will ever matter! Do you get that?! There's no way out of this!"
He continued ranting, forcing Hibiki to back up as he continued yelling."Every path just leads to failure! Failure and failure! Andreas died because of me too! I failed to kill Hazuki when I had him right in my hands! I can't do anything right...Nothing...If I could do something right...I swear...I swear I would do it...Because I never wanted things to end this way..."
"No, that's not true..." Hibiki croaked, her voice low."That's not true at all. You're a-"
"Bullshit! What the hell do you know?! What the hell do YOU, Hibiki Tachibana, know about me?! Nothing! Absolutely fucking nothing!" He cut her off abruptly."I'll tell you what I am...I'm a waste of space. A failure. A horrible person. A piece of shit human being that deserves to die. I should be dead, not them. And yet here I am...Forced to carry that burden on my back every day...It's driving me insane...I started this because of you. Because I didn't want you to be alone. I thought of it as a game before. But then I deluded myself into thinking that I was special. Special? I wasted my whole life hating my Dad when he saved me. I let Chao-Xing and her father die. I couldn't save my grandmother. I'm not a Messiah. I'm not a hero. I'm nothing. Just nothing. Lower than dirt. I'm just a 0 in the whole equation. So that's why...That's why I'm leaving."
"But...what about us...?" Hibiki asked, tears glistening in his eyes.
"I don't know." Hajime approached the door, eyeing her one last time before exiting the room."I don't know."
With that, Hibiki was left alone, falling to her knees as she started to sob.
"How are you doing, sweety?" Tsubasa brushed Setsuna's hand, sitting with her in the cafeteria along with Yosuke."Is the food good? We can get you something else if you want."
"I'm fine, Tsubasa-san. Thank you." Setsuna giggled."You're acting like a Mom."
"Am I...?" Tsubasa blinked, perplexed."I thought I was acting like an older sister. Kind of like Maria."
"You are. But...Well, I guess a big sister can be a mother. It just means you can be a good mother in the future if you guys ever decide to settle down."
"Huh?!" Tsubasa gasped, Yosuke nearly choking on his sandwich."I-it's still way too early to be thinking about that..."
Setsuna laughed at their expense, holding her stomach as her laughter made the workers around her smile upon seeing the girl in good spirits. Since Setsuna and Hajime had no other relatives, Hajime had to bring Setsuna along with them and she would stay in the safety of the submarine. Yosuke smiled fondly at her. He was glad that she could still smile, despite everything that happened to her. She was too young. And yet, he dared say she had endured way more than he ever had. Poor thing witnessed so much death and despair. Betrayal. Yosuke didn't have it in him to tell her he suspected Hajime had tried to kill himself in the combat earlier. He lied. As much as he hated it and loathed the thought, he had to lie for her sake. She still had that smile on her face, trying to be strong not only for herself but her brother.
"I'm happy to see you enjoying yourself, Setsuna-chan." Yosuke leaned forward, shooting her a playful smirk."I would think you're enjoying teasing your favorite idol a bit too much, don't you think?"
"Are you kidding me? Who else can say they made THE Tsubasa Kazanari blush?" She snickered."It's just incredible."
"H-hey..." Tsubasa pouted, earning more giggles from the girl.
"But...I'm doing okay. I'm not okay. I'm far from okay." She admitted, taking a deep breath."I miss Andreas so much. My grandmother. Every single day. But...I still have Hajime. And he's taking it worse than me because he's blaming himself. He thinks all of that was his fault and I know he's hurting. I'm worried...he'll hurt himself one day."
Tsubasa and Yosuke exchanged knowing glances.
"But that's why I can't be depressed!" The brunette clenched her fists with determination."I can't let him see me sad because he'll get sad too! If he sees I'm happy, then surely I can make him smile again, right?"
"Right. That's the right attitude." Yosuke nodded.
Tsubasa leaned forward and caressed her cheek, causing her to flush."You're a brave girl with a strong spirit. I admire your determination to help your brother. We will also do our best to help him. Soon enough, you'll have him back to normal."
Before she could reply, Hibiki burst through the doors of the cafeteria, an arm to her eyes but anyone could tell the poor girl had been crying due to her pink cheeks.
"Tachibana!" Tsubasa quickly shot up to her foot, running to meet her halfway."What's going on?"
"I-it's Hajime..." She hiccuped, hugging Tsubasa and crying on her shoulder. She explained what had happened, as well as her fight with Hajimee and the things he had said to her. Setsuna immediately rushed to hug her sister-in-law, as both girls sobbed in each other's arms for some comfort. Yosuke gritted his teeth, storming toward the door.
"Yosuke, where are you going?" Tsubasa asked, holding the girls close to her.
"I'm done with this." He yelled over his shoulder."Adachi has to stop this. Now!"
"Wait, don't!" Hibiki cried, but Yosuke was gone. He powerwalked his way through their HQ, his fists clenched.
"ADACHI!"
"Why are you yelling?" Chris, who was walking by with Takeru, stopped in front of Yosuke. But the purple-haired man walked past her and continued his marching."Hey! I'm talking to you!"
"Where is Adachi?!"
"Uh...Last time I checked, he was-"
"Right here."
On cue, Hajime appeared from down a corridor, hands in his pockets.
"You have some nerve making Tachibana cry that way." Yosuke stormed over to him, standing extremely close and invading his personal space."I didn't think you'd stoop so low to make your girlfriend cry."
"Wait, what?" Chris blinked, confused."He made the dummy cry?"
"The Lieutenant?" Takeru asked, equally as puzzled."Are you sure?"
"I just told her I'm quitting S.O.N.G and that we're probably gonna break up as a result." Hajime explained, holding a sheet of paper."I'm done with this bullshit fighting. If you guys want to continue risking your lives for a pointless purpose, be my guest. I'm taking my sister and we're getting out of here."
"After all this time, it seems you still think this is a game." Yosuke rubbed the edge of his nose."You still think this is fun, don't you? That we're here just playing games, right? You think you can just quit whenever you want?"
"I just did. And if that doesn't satisfy you, then I'm leaving on medical leave. The Commander already approved."
"You're...leaving...?" Takeru asked, taken aback.
"You're turning tail and leaving?!" Chris clicked her tongue.
"Yeah. I'm leaving." Hajime said, his voice cold and emotionless."So that's all there is to it, Yanagi."
"Not Yanagi-san anymore?" Yosuke chuckled in disbelief."You still haven't grown at all, have you, Adachi? Or should I go back to calling you Ryu-Kid?"
"Yosuke-san!" Hibiki and the others reached the area. Before they knew it, the whole group was watching the scene unfold.
"Setsuna...it's over. I won't have to fight anymore." He shifted his gaze to his sister, forcing a smile that screamed fake."We're leaving. We can start a new life together. Just the two of us."
"You... won't have to fight...?" Setsuna took a step forward, her tone hopeful."But...what about the others...?"
"They'll continue fighting I guess." Hajime shrugged."It won't be our problem anymore."
"Hajime-chan, I can't believe you're giving up." Maria scowled in disappointment."This...this is not right...The Disasters are still out there!"
"Plus, we need all the help we can get," Yosuke added.
"Bullshit!" Hajime snarled."You don't need me! You don't even give a shit about me. I'll tell you what you care about."
Hajime took out his Ryuki Deck, showing it to Yosuke."This. You only care about me because of my Deck. The same way you care about the rest of us. If we didn't have our powers, you wouldn't even bat an eye in our direction. Well, if you want my Deck, then you know the way to get it."
"Lieutenant, what the fuck?!" Takeru gabbed Hajime's arm."Are you serious?! Do you realize what you're asking him?"
"If he wants my Deck, then he must kill me for it." Hajime eyed him with narrowed eyes.
"Kill..." Setsuna felt her legs turn into jelly, and Tsubasa had to grab her before she fell.
"Hajime!" Chris screamed."What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"That's the only way to get a Rider's Deck, after all." Hajime continued."When a Rider makes a contract with an Advent Beast, it cannot be broken unless the user dies. So if you want my Deck, why don't you pry it off my hands? If you can."
"This is ridiculous!" Maria threw her arms up in exasperation."Both of you, calm down! This is-"
"Fine." Yosuke nodded, taking out his Deck."It appears as though the only way you'll understand is by force. I won't let you leave, Adachi. And if I beat you, you'll stay. And you're taking your ass to a doctor."
"If you beat me." Hajime adopted a sly smirk. He grabbed his left wrist, cracking it as his V Buckle materialized.
"Isn't that..." Elfnein, who was watching everything from afar with Aoi and Sakuya, muttered."That's what Bragard used to do."
"The hand thing?" Sakuya asked, receiving a nod.
"You don't think Hajime-kun picked up...some things from Bragard, do you?" Aoi asked, afraid to get a proper answer.
"I am no expert about the mind, but some of Bragard's mannerisms may be engraved into his mind as a form of trauma." Elfnein theorized, her lips thinning."What is Yosuke-san planning?"
Both Hajime and Yosuke stepped outside of their HQ, with their friends pleading with them to stop and reconsider.
"Come on, Bakime, this is crazy. I get what you're going through. I get it." Raiden said, but Hajime was ignoring him."But just quitting is not gonna solve anything."
"Blacky-kun, please. This isn't like you..."
"You don't know shit about me," Hajime grumbled.
"Yosuke-kun, I can't believe you're actually going through with this!" Maria exclaimed, trying to bring him back to his senses.
"He wants to act like a brat? I'll treat him like a brat and put him back in line." Yosuke said."I am the captain of the Rider Unit. I get a say in whether he leaves or not."
"But...fighting him?" Shirabe frowned, not at all pleased with their decision.
"If force is necessary, then I'll use it." He eyed the twin-tailed girl."I'm sorry, Tsukuyomi. But I can't let Adachi go."
"Why not? I mean, I don't want him to go, but..." Jades rubbed his nape.
"Because...I don't trust him to take care of Setsuna-chan and himself." He said, confusing them but refusing to elaborate further.
Hibiki and Setsuna followed the group behind them, tearful eyes and afraid of what was going to happen.
"It'll be fine." Takeru reassured them with a smile."Sometimes men have to settle their differences with a fight. But don't worry. No one will get hurt."
Chris frowned. She could tell Takeru was talking out of his ass. He didn't know what was going to happen."Someone should get the Old Man."
"I'll go." Maria offered."I can't let these two kill each other."
"But why don't we stop them?" Kirika asked.
"Honestly, none of us are strong enough." Raiden confessed, a sense of shame filling him."They're the two strongest fighters we have. I don't know if we could stop them."
As they headed outside, they walked over to the forest near the lake where their base was located, standing a few yards from each other.
"How do you want to do this?" Hajime inquired.
"Whoever admits defeat first loses." Yosuke replied."We'll start at the count of three, like an old-fashioned duel. Sakamoto. Got your visor?"
"Yeah." Takeru rose his visor, but his reluctance was visible."Guys, be fucking reasonable. Why fight amongst ourselves?"
"Just shut up and do what you're told." Hajime snapped, taking everyone by surprise.
"So you're even treating him like crap, huh?" Yosuke shook his head."So depression has sunken you this low, huh?"
"You're one to talk. You were treating us like shit when we met you."
"It's true. I indeed mistreated you and Tachibana." Yosuke looked over his shoulder to Tsubasa."We were grieving. Which is why I can tell you from experience this behavior won't help you. You'll end up destroying yourself."
"Now you're getting cold feet?" Hajime mocked."You're still in time to stand down. This won't be the fight you're hoping for. You can't defeat me."
"So arrogant." Yosuke chuckled."So you're stronger and you let the power get to your head. Then I'll bring you down from the clouds. You are not leaving Adachi! Not if I can help it! Henshin!"
"Hmph." Hajime scoffed, sliding his Deck into his belt.
Darkwing and Dragreder flew around in the sky, hissing and growling at each other before they descended toward their masters, cladding them in their armor.
"How about we up the ante a little?" Knight asked, drawing his Survive card.
"You read my mind.
Survive: Rekka
Survive: Shippu
In a burst of flames and wind, both Riders were in their respective Survive forms.
"T-this...this is going too far!" Chris cried out, grabbing Takeru's hand."Takeru! Stop them!"
Takeru didn't reply, his gaze fixated on his friends.
"Takeru!" Chris shook him again.
Kirika, Shirabe, Hibiki, and Setsuna were huddled together, watching on in sadness and fear.
Ryuki raised his visor, pushing a button and activating the blade mode of his Dragvisorzwei.
Knight unsheathed his Darkblade from his visor, both Riders ready to attack at the signal. Takeru rose his gun, ignoring Chris' pleas.
"You two! Stop now!" Genjuro screamed, but it was too late. Takeru pulled the trigger, and the duel started.
Knight immediately made a beeline toward Ryuki, watching everything in slow motion.'I know this is cheating, but I can't afford to lose this duel. So I had to move a second before Sakamoto fired his gun.'
Ryuki had yet to move from his spot while Knight got closer and closer.
'Good. He hasn't reacted to my full speed. It must have caught him off guard.' Knight smiled with confidence.'This duel is-'
And that's when something...weird happened. Ryuki started moving toward him, but he looked to be moving at regular speed. He rose his blade, cutting the distance between them faster than Knight was. Yosuke couldn't even react when his blade was slashed into pieces and the right side of his armor slashed, drawing some blood. He blinked. And he fell to his knees.
Hajime had moved so fast in that instance that he couldn't react in time not perceive his movements. He had not only shattered his blade but cut through his armor and landed a few meters behind him. He had lost.
'No way...I used my full speed and moved first, but he was far faster than cut the distance in the blink of an eye...'
"I...What happened...?" Kirika asked, completely lost.
"Yosuke-san is on the floor..." Shirabe breathed, equally as stunned.
"Yosuke!" Tsubasa ran toward her boyfriend, kneeling next to him."Are you okay?!"
"You all can come at me if you want." Hajime undid his transformation, staring at the ground."But you can't defeat me. I'm too strong for any of you."
Everyone froze upon hearing his cold words. Not even Chris or Takeru wanted to test his statement. It wasn't a secret Hajime was stronger than any of them, but they didn't think the difference was that huge.
"Adachi...you're actually running away...?" Yosuke returned to his normal form, eyeing his subordinate."You promised Tachibana you would never do that. That'd you face your problems head-on. That you'd never run away from a problem unlike your-"
"My Dad never ran!" Hajime snapped, enraged."He did it...he did it to protect us! He died to protect us! So shut the fuck up! You don't know what you're saying! You lost so deal with it!"
"Hajime-kun. That's enough." Genjuro placed a hand on his shoulder."I already gave you permission to leave for medical reasons. Pack your stuff and help your sister. I have someone that's coming to pick you up."
"Are you serious, Old man?! You're going to let him go?!" Chris groaned in exasperation."He's not okay!"
"I know. But I'm letting him go under the condition he will follow my instructions and go with the person that I assigned to him?"
"What person?" Jades asked, but Genjuro held his hand up.
Hajime turned to Setsuna, who was trembling like a leaf."It's over, Setsuna...We can start over."
"But...But Hibiki-"
"Just go with your brother, Setsuna-chan. Hibiki forced a tearful smile."He loves you very much. He just doesn't want you to worry about him anymore."
"Worry about him..." Jades parroted, the gears in his head clicking.
"God damn it, Adachi!" Yosuke punched the grass."Answer me this! Why did you undo your Survive mode before you took the impact of the artillerry earlier?!"
"Yosuke!" Tsubasa yelled.
"Huh? What is he talking about?" Shirabe asked since she hadn't seen that with her eyes.
"Hajime saved me." Chris explained."Those bastards had plenty of tricks up their sleeve and they nearly caught me off guard. But Hajime shielded me. Why do you mean why he undid it? Do you know something?"
As Yosuke was about to respond, but caught Setsuna's glance and decided to not put the poor girl in any more distress."Never mind..."
"That's enough for now. This little fight is over. Return to your quarters and await for me to call." Genjuro ordered."I will respect Hajime-kun's wishes."
Once the Commander said his final order, the group began to break off as everyone went back to the base.
"I wonder who that person is?" Kirika tilted her head.
"Maybe someone dependable to be able to look after Hajime-san." Shirabe offered, receiving a satisfactory nod from the blonde.
"Que pasa amigos? Long time no see!"
"Y-you gotta be kidding me!" Kirika sweatdropped upon seeing Kuroiwa's goofy smile again."Him?! He's the dependable person-desu?!"
"Hey, I take offense to that, Little Reaper." He winked in her direction, much to her chagrin.
"He gave me a new nickname again-desu!"
Kuroiwa walked up to the blonde, and to her surprise, he engulfed her in a genuine hug, resting his chin on her shoulder."I'm sorry about your loss. All of you. I didn't know Andreas well, but he was a good kid. You have my sincerest condolences. Same for Chao-Xing."
"Hamaguchi..." Kirika breathed, not expecting him to act so mature.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be here to support you." He pulled back, giving her a playful wink."But...I guess it's better late than ever, huh, Kiri-chan?"
"I told you only I can call her Kiri-chan." Shirabe stared intensely at him.
"Oh, Shirabe-chan!" Kuroiwa beamed, grabbing her hands."You're so cute! Can I dress you up in a cute dress? And put makeup on you? Maybe have some tea with me? Gosh, you're like a porcelain doll!"
"No. You're creepy."
"So direct!"
"Anyway..." Genjuro cleared his throat before addressing the group. They were in a private hangar, where a small plane had dropped off Kuroiwa upon Genjuro's request. "I'm sure you all must have plenty of questions. I figured Hajime-kun was eventually going to want to leave. So I called Hamaguchi-kun in advance. Since he can't stay here and going back to their house in Tokyo will invoke bad memories, Hajime-kun and Setsuna-kun will go to Okinawa to live with Hamaguchi-kun."
"Yup. And I'll take good care of them." Kuroiwa approached Hajime, who was completely emotionless, unlike earlier."Hey. Sorry about not being there for you. I didn't know what happened. I knew something was wrong because we never celebrated after you guys saved the world. But...I'm sure Kyoko-san is in a better place now, watching over both of you. But don't worry. I'm here now and I'm not going to abandon either of you."
"Thank you, Hamaguchi-san..." Setsuna sniffed, still in tears from earlier.
"Hey, no need to thank me." Kuroiwa ruffled her hair playfully."You guys are like siblings to me. You're my little sister and Hajime is my brother."
"Hamaguchi..."
Kuroiwa smiled, splaying his hands. Hajime wordlessly attached to him like a lifeline, hugging him as the boy started to cry."There, there. It's all fine now."
"So why him?" Chris asked Genjuro, skeptical about the idea."And couldn't this have waited until we were out of this place?"
"Well, like I said, they have no other relatives. I lost contact with Wei-kun and there was no one else. I understand that Hajime-kun is not in the best mindset, so I thought his best friend would be able to provide some help. As for why this couldn't wait..." Genjuro opted to not tell them the indirect threat from Hajime earlier."I don't want the information leaking if he were to leave in Tokyo. The Disasters might take advantage of this and attack him while he's alone. However, if we were to relocate him over here..."
"Then they won't even notice. And even if they see he's absent, they won't know he specifically went to Okinawa." Tsubasa surmised."That's...smart, Uncle."
"Still, why him?" Chris pressed on."He's not exactly trustworthy. You don't know what he did to us?"
"I am aware of the cocktail incident." Genjuro sighed."But he's young. You all are. And when we're young, we can do pretty stupid things. But I can see the honesty in his eyes. He's worried about Hajime-kun and Setsuna-kun. He'll do anything he has to to protect them. So I'm willing to trust him."
Yosuke listened to his explanation quietly. He had been briefed about it earlier, but now things were starting to connect. He had lost his duel, so he had no business interjecting at this point. So he approached Kuroiwa and the Adachis."Kuroiwa, mind if we talk for a bit?"
"Sure." Kuroiwa smiled, addressing the siblings."I'll be back you guys. Don't miss me too much."
"We'll wait for you." Setsuna managed a small smile.
Yosuke took Kuroiwa far from the group, under the shade of a big palm tree.
"So...what do you want to talk about?"
"I'll be honest, I'm a little reluctant about leaving Adachi in your hands." Yosuke paused, realizing how he sounded."I don't mean I don't trust you. I just think this might be too much for you. He's...in a very bad place right now."
"I know. I can tell." Kuroiwa sighed, leaning against the tree."I've known him since we were little kids. I can tell how much this has affected him. I saw him two months ago, for crying aloud. And to top it off that fucking two-face fuck of a brother turns on him. But I'm not alone either. My Sister and Aunt are willing to help too. They consider them family. Besides, Okinawa is quite peaceful and the people there are really nice. Heck, even Akira-san was nice in his own way. But he moved back to Tokyo. The point is that he'll be fine. He needs a change in environment, for starters."
"True..." Yosuke agreed, reaching for his pocket, and offered the object to Kuroiwa. It was the Abyss Deck.
"This is..."
"The Abyss Deck. I'll be honest with you if the Disasters find out where he is or that he's in no good shape...They'll hunt him down." Yosuke paused, taking a deep breath."He is far beyond me right now. Really strong. But his mind...not so much at the moment. And if he's caught off guard when he's feeling down, no amount of strength will protect him. So I want you to have this just in case."
"Oh, shit." Kuroiwa's eyes shot up."You're making me a Kamen Rider?"
"No. I'm giving you the tool to become one in case of an emergency." Yosuke clarified, moving his hand back before Kuroiwa could take the Deck."You see, you only become a Kamen Rider and make a contract with your Monster once you transform the first time."
"So as long as I don't transform, I won't be an official Rider?"
"Bingo. And I want you to be careful with this. Because once you transform, you make a contract with your Advent Beast. And it cannot be broken unless you die. Which means that once you're in, you'll be part of the Rider War. Honestly, I didn't want to involve anyone else because I don't want people to die. We lost good people...So unless it's an emergency and you have no choice, please refrain from transforming. Now, are you sure you still want to accept this responsibility?"
"Yanagi-san, with all due respect, but you shouldn't even have to ask." Kuroiwa chuckled."He's my best friend. My brother. That girl is like another sister to me. So hell yeah I'm willing to become a Rider if it means protecting them. Unlike that asshole Kaburagi, I will do my best to be there for them. I already left them down too many times. It won't happen again."
"But your life might be in danger. You need to seriously-"
"Just give me the fucking Deck, man." Kuroiwa snatched the Deck from his hands, glancing over to Hajime and Setsuna, who were sitting on the ground together and just holding each other's hands."Those two are my family. I'll go to hell and back for them any day. Just say the word. I give you my word, I'll protect them and love them. By the end of this, I'll bring him back and hopefully, he'll be better. But for now, I just need you to trust me. Besides..." He adopted a sly smile, shifting his gaze over to Kirika as he caught her staring at him."That cute blondie over there...she might think of me as cool if I become a Rider."
"Seriously..." Yosuke deadpanned, earning a boisterous laugh.
"Well, in all seriousness, I want to be able to help her too. I like her. I really do. And I want to protect her. I can only do that if I become a Rider. So this is a good opportunity for me. Kill two birds with one stone."
"Alright...if you're sure." Yosuke finally caved, a wistful smile on his face."That Deck belonged to our former enemy."
"Damian, right? The Autoscorer?"
"We thought those dolls were our enemies, but they were all victims of the past. Damian and Garie were a happily married couple and their son was Tobias. That Deck...belonged to Damian. And if it weren't for him, we wouldn't be here right now. Bragard would have won and the world would have changed entirely. But thanks to his sacrifice, we're all here today. That Deck can be used by humans now. Read the cards and their abilities. There's also a Survive Card in there, but if you are forced to transform, don't use it unless it's your last resort. There is also some Seal Cards in there, in case Mirror Monsters appear. Use them to seal the mirrors."
"Shit, man..." Kuroiwa chuckled sheepishly."That's a lot of responsibility. I have some pretty big shoes to fill in, huh? Damian...Alright. I'll live up to your expectations. He sounds like a great guy so I'll be a good Rider like he was."
"I know you will." Yosuke smiled."Welcome aboard."
Once everything had been settled, Kuroiwa and the siblings were about to board the plain.
"Hey..." Kirika slowly walked up to Kuroiwa, hands in front of her.
"Hey." Kuroiwa replied softly."Looking cute as ever, huh, gorgeous?"
"Stop it..." Kirika blushed, avoiding his gaze."You're not fair-desu...All these compliments...I'm a real sucker for them..."
"Fine. I'll stop." Kuroiwa rose his hands in defense."But I can't help not compliment you. You wanted to tell me something?"
"I know Yosuke-san gave you the Abyss Deck." Kirika started, kicking the dirt below her feet."I just don't want you to do anything stupid, okay? I lost my brothers...and a sister already. And..."
"You don't want to lose me?" Kuroiwa finished for her with a smile."Aw, I didn't know you'd cared about me like that."
"Of course I do-desu! You're my friend too!" She yelled, catching him off guard."And so are Blacky-kun and Setsuna-chan. So do me a favor and protect them...please. And protect yourself too."
"Of course." He pulled her in for a good."I'll protect them. You take care of your siblings too."
"Understood..."
"And...by the end of this, how about we go out for a date?" He winked at her."I'd love to take you out to eat something. My treat."
"Okay, but only if you pay!" Kirika nodded enthusiastically."I'm warning you right now, I only eat delicious food."
"It's a date, Little Reaper."
"If you do a good job at taking care of them, then sure, Baby Shark."
"Baby...shark...?"
"You're a shark now!" Kirika giggled."Do you remember that Baby Shark song? Well, I think it suits you quite well-desu."
"Fine...Whatever. You got me." Kuroiwa chuckled, squinting his eyes."You have something there. An insect."
"Huh? Where?"
Kuroiwa brushed her chest with his hand, causing her to blush profusely, but noticed his stoic expression."D-did you get it...?"
"Yup. Nasty spider." He gave her a peace sign."I heard they're pretty dangerous in tropical places like this."
'OH MY GOD! I TOUCHED HER BREASTS! THEY'RE NOT TOO BIG BUT NOT TOO SMALL! JUST THE RIGHT SIZE TO FONDLE!' Kuroiwa was freaking out in his mind while he maintained a serious expression on the outside.'SO PERKY AND SOFT...I WILL NEVER WASH THIS HAND AGAIN! EVER'
"Take care of yourself, Lieutenant." Takeru placed a hand on Hajime's shoulder, helping him carry his bags."We'll settle this little dispute here quickly and we'll go back to Tokyo."
"Yeah..." Hajime muttered."Thanks, Captain..."
"Of course. You're also like a brother to me." Takeru smirked."So go and get better. We'll be waiting if you decide to come back."
"And take care of him for us, okay?" Chris asked Setsuna."I heard you're a tough girl. So show your brother how tough you really are."
"Of course!" Setsuna flexed her bicep."Shirabe-chan! I'm going to miss you!"
"Me too." Shirabe smiled, pulling the girl for a hug."We'll call you when we can, okay?"
"I'll be waiting."
Hibiki wanted to talk to Hajime, but his words from earlier resounded in her mind."Hajime..."
"Take care of yourself," Hajime said to her, surprising her. Offering no other words, Hajime boarded the plane, followed by Setsuna and Kuroiwa. The group waved goodbyes to them, watching the plane take off to Okinawa.
"Shit...I can't believe they're gone..." Jades whistled.
"You guys want to go out patrolling?" Takeru asked, noticing Hibiki's tearful eyes."Come with us, Hibiki-chan. It'll clear your mind up a bit. Don't worry. He'll be fine. And before you know it, he'll come back to your arms."
"I hope so...I...I love him, Takeru-san...I don't want to be separated from him..."
"Think of this as a healing process for both of you." Jades offered."Everyone needs to get their heads cleared up. The past incident hurt all of us, but we have to stick together. Only by remaining as a group will we succeed."
"But we lost another Rider." Yosuke pointed out."That leaves just me, you, Sakamoto, and Amaterasu."
"And the Third." Tsubasa chimed in."Now that Adachi is gone, we'll have to rely on him more. They won't be fighting like cats and dogs."
"Still..." Maria frowned, noticing the lack of people in their group."I can't believe we're starting to get smaller and smaller."
"Don't think that way." Jades shook his head."We won't let anyone else die. I'll bring in the jeep. Maria, want to drive one too?"
"Sure..." Maria nodded, following her boyfriend along with Shirabe and Kirika.
"Sakamoto, I have to talk to you about something."
"Alright." Takeru nodded, staying behind with the purple-haired young man."What's up, dude?"
"I'll be honest...With what happened and my defeat to Adachi, I've come to a conclusion." He stared into his eyes with a blank expression."I want you to take my place as leader."
"Huh?" Takeru arched a brow, staring at him as if he had grown a second head."Me? Are you serious?"
"I am. You are the best candidate. You have the experience needed to command the group." Yosuke supplied."I don't think I can do it anymore. I let Goro, Liang, and Kagutsuchi die. I couldn't prevent Adachi from leaving. I'm a failure of a leader. So I want you to take the reigns. You're smart, tactical, and dependable. You've shown me time and time again how strong you are. And that's what we need right now. Someone strong that others can rely on. Morale is low, but I know you can get it back up."
"Damn...You really think that highly of me...?"
"We've had our differences, but I trust you with my life, soldier." Yosuke punched his chest lightly."Do you accept? Being in charge of your own platoon?"
"I'd be honored." Takeru responded, giving him a salute."So...do I get a raise? Because I want to buy Chrissy something special."
And that's done. Frankly, this might be the most controversial chapter of the series due to what happened and what's going to happen because of this. So first of all, this is the last chapter before I start school seriously. So no more twice-a-week chapters, unless I find myself with the free time. Secondly, from here on out, the story is going to be divided into. Well, not the story, but rather, the season. On one side, we have S.O.N.G who will be fighting the Illuminati. On the other side, we'll see Hajime on his journey to redemption and healing. He'll show up every now and then but I'm not sure if I'll make it full chapters or just half a chapter. But this doesn't mean his parts won't be important because something major is going to go down in Okinawa. So stay tuned for that. But no, I'm not writing him out of the story or anything, just giving him some time to breathe and recover his broken mind and allow other characters to shine. But I have to heavily emphasize that he will be back in the group. It's not like he'll leave forever. Everything will work itself out, so don't worry for now.
And Kuroiwa is officially the new Abyss. So look forward to his first transformation! Next episode, we'll go back to the main plotline.
Remaining Kamen Riders:
Ryuki: Hajime Adachi
Knight: Yosuke Yanagi
Zolda: Takeru Sakamoto
Tiger: Jades Demetrios
Raia: Raiden Amaterasu
Alternative : Bragi Third Dienheim
Abyss: Hamaguchi Kuroiwa
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)