Reviews:

Akira: Yeah, I don't blame you. Based on what we saw of Hamaguchi back in GX, he didn't give the best of impressions. But he'll do what he must to protect his friend. Chiaki is taking no prisoners, and all the residents of Okinawa are her hostages.

Guest: La verdad, nunca lo he pensado. Que insert song recomendarias?

Tigracho: lol, I don't blame you. Honestly, I made an earlier Mami reference back when Chao got her head gnawed off her body by Bragard's beast of dark matter. I try to add little references to other works of art here and there. To be honest, this part was difficult to write. I never really had this much depression before, so I had to investigate the subject a little. A friend of mine, who is doing a lot better nowadays, once almost tried killing himself and told me that he wasn't thinking about what he was doing. He just wanted to get away from what he was feeling. So here, Hajime broke, thinking that there was no way to save his family. No matter how hard he had tried. And yes, he had some comfort in thinking that he could, hence the reason for his nightmares. He constantly relives the scenario, and no matter how hard he tries, he just can't find a way to fix the situation. That there was something he could have done. Only to then, stop fooling himself, and realize that he was living another lie. Much like how he lived his life, believing in the lie that his father was a bad person. But Hamaguchi pulled him back, reassuring him that there are people who love him and he can still protect them. To think of those who are with him, especially his sister. Because he's in the same boat as him. If he dies, what would happen to her? He'll do what he can to save him, even if he has to face a psychotic serial killer. In the end, Hajime realizes that there are people who would be sad to see him go and that there is always a reason to move forward. Hence, he rejected Chiaki's offer of a painless death. Hamaguchi came through just in time, because had this happened earlier, I think you know what he would have said. As for the theme, I won't spoil it since it's part of the fun. It's not as apparent as the last one though, I'll say that lol.

Tenzalucard123: Hajime hit rock bottom, but it's time to start going up again. Chiaki tried to convince him to let her kill him, but he refused. Now she's mad and will destroy Okinawa. But Hamaguchi, Okinawa's champion, will stop her.

Lord Ri The Husbu King: Honestly I put that warning just in case there were people sensitive to that topic. One thing I like in stories are rollercoasters of emotions. It makes the reading more engaging, leaving you guessing what's going to happen next. Hamaguchi is going to put on a show, I can tell you that much. Ironic, since like Hajime, a lot of people's lives will be put on his shoulders. And yes, Hajime will have to intervene. Not only because Hamaguchi has no real combat experience, but because Chiaki has so much control over everything. She has hostages, Mirror Monsters, her Deck, her Relic, and Divine Powers. She really thought this plan through. Yeah, you're right, most Kamen Riders can be mixed with Precure. Honestly, this is a good question. Knight is always like the "cool" and distant older guy of the group. At least in Ryuki and some of the Ryuki fics I read. But I don't see him as being arrogant. So I would say go with kind and friendly.

primenidus: Nah, he won't die. He has so much to do still. Like taking Kirika on a date.

Chapter 89
Hungry For Opportunities

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

A silver-haired young man holding a wooden sword rushed in defense of a white-haired girl, leaving his foal behind.

"Raphael?!" The girl gasped, being tossed onto the ground by the two hooded men.

"Don't worry, Milady. I'm here to rescue you." He shot her a smile."So rest assured. I'm getting you home safely.

"A squire?" The man who seemed to be their boss scoffed."So, just like that filthy whore of a mother of yours, you don't waste time in spreading your legs."

"Hey! You take that back!" Raphael raised his wooden sword, baring his teeth."You don't talk to a lady like that!"

The young man, true to his word, dashed into danger. However, he was still inexperienced, and far too weak to compete against 2 fully grown men. So, he took the beating, plus, offering to take St. Germain's beating as well. By the end of it, his clothes were in tatters, his face swollen, and had nasty bruises. Despite this, he had still offered his coat to the crestfallen girl, even offering to take her to her home on his horse.

"Good thing Donatello loves the rain..."

"Raphael...why did you do that...?" St. Germain tightened her grip around his torso as they rode in the rain."I'm a slave...I can take a beating...You didn't have to-"

"You wanted some food, right?" Raphael cut her off."I got something. I got a few coins today so don't worry. We can get you and your mom something."

"B-but that's your money! You earned it!"

"True, and I'm choosing to spend it on you." He glanced over his shoulder, managing a grin that made him wince."Ow..."

"We need to get your wounds treated..." She sighed."You're so reckless. You can't keep putting yourself in danger like that for me..."

"Your Father's a piece of garbage. No man should treat a woman like that. It's improper." Raphael stated, his lips thinning."A man is supposed to protect a woman at all costs. Respect her. That's what I believe in. So, if you ever need a helping man, make sure you call to your knight."

"My knight?"

"Yup. Starting today. I'm your knight. Your sword. So, whenever you're in danger, I'll come running. We're friends, after all, aren't we?"

"Thank you..." She smiled, resting her face on his back."You're so kind, Raphael. I'm so happy to have you as a friend."

"Thanks. But honestly, I'm just a normal guy." Raphael chuckled."I yearn for a day when injustice doesn't exist. For the day the Messiah comes, freeing the world from this evil."

"The Messiah...Do you think the Messiah can truly change the world for the better?"

"For sure. That's what the legend says, anyway. One day, no one else will have to suffer. And we'll be happy. We just have to wait for his arrival."

"It's ironic how Bragard wanted to take us down, and yet his research is what's making this possible."

Raphael and St. Germain were inside a secret room, staring at the heart-shaped gems inside a hexagonal barrier.

"You were right. Back then."

"Huh?"

"The Messiah did come." St. Germain continued, her eyes fixated on the gems."And the world is changing."

"Oh, that. Well, he took his sweet time, didn't he?" Raphael joked, but she didn't laugh."The were multiple Messiahs, though. It's just all of them changed the world in their own ways. Like King Arthur, for example. It just so happens that this one is closely connected to Odin and all this Rider stuff."

"Right..." She trailed off, rubbing her arm.

"You really want to meet him, huh?"

"We used to tell stories about him when we were kids. It's like...The closest thing I can compare it to is wanting to meet a historical figure. Someone you looked up to."

"That's a lot of praise for a 16-year-old kid." Raphael chortled, much to her chagrin."I can understand, though. We never met any other Messiah in the past. So it makes sense. Don't worry. We'll meet him."

"Mind if I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why did you stick around all of these years? You never had to. And yet, here you are." She turned on her heels, facing him."Why?"

"Would it satisfy you if I said it's because I love you and I don't want to leave you alone?" He placed his hands behind the back of his head in a carefree manner.

"That's only half the truth." She coughed in her hand, hiding her embarrassment."Be serious."

"But it's true." He closed the distance between them, grabbing her hand."You know that. I do love you."

"But we can't." She slowly pulled away from him."You know that."

"Right..." Raphael sighed, rubbing his nape."The other reason is that I want to see where this goes. See where it leads. I'm curious, that's all. That's why I always try to learn everything I can. See what this new world has to offer."

"I presume that's why you're always on your phone." She rolled her eyes.

"It's a valuable tool, believe it or not. So much in this little device. How convenient!" He grinned, turning to the door."Well, I should get going. I don't want to disturb you in your work."

"Right. I'll see you later." She nodded."Wait...It's...not that I don't reciprocate your feelings, but-"

"I know." He raised his hand, opening the door with the door."I understand. It's hard, I guess. All these years, experiencing the gruesome way of the world and its oppressing nature...didn't do good for either of us. But I'd like to believe that one day, things will be different. That's what I want to see. Who knows? Maybe one day we can get a happening ending for ourselves."

Meanwhile, Cagliostro, Prelati, and Tiki were inside a room, with the two women already annoyed with Tiki's constant whining.

"I'm so bored! I want to see Adam already!" Tiki groaned, flipping through the pages of her manga.

"I got you that book for a reason. Try reading it." Prelati sighed, sipping on her tea.

"You're one to talk. You want to see that Kamen Rider again." Tiki pointed accusingly at her.

"I do. But I know the time will come when I see him again." Prelati smiled softly.

"Look at us. In love with the enemy." Cagliostro folded her arms under her chest.

"Except yours is already in a relationship, you homewrecker."

"Huh? And what makes you think Raia doesn't have a girlfriend already?" Cagliostro rose a challenging brow."He's in a group with plenty of cute girls. I doubt he didn't get one for himself."

"Even if that's the case, I'll make him pick me over them. I have my methods."

"Sure." Cagliostro shrugged, not wanting to press for information. She headed for the door.

"And where are you going?" Prelati inquired."You're not waiting until the Faust Robes are finished?"

"You know I hate using protection. It just doesn't feel right." She smiled deviously."It's better to do them directly."

"And that's a picture I did not need in my head." Prelati sighed in exasperation, placing her cup down.

"Oh! So skin to skin?! That sounds romantic! It sounds like love!" Tiki beamed, kicking her legs on the bed like a schoolgirl in love."I want Adam to touch me directly and have his way with me."

"And that ruined my appetite." Prelati groaned, her mood ruined."Feel free to take the Shadow Riders."

"I already did!"

Back in Yokohama, the two Disasters were lounging around in the living room. Hazuki was watching a movie while Terunosuke was preparing dinner for them, Mona, and Allister, who was still in bed. Loki was sleeping inside of Hazuki's mind, leaving the two of them alone. This was awkward.

Terunosuke was not fond of women and children. Hazuki was a kid. But they never really spoke that much."So, uh...What are you watching?"

Great.

"Some Korean show called All of us are dead. It's about zombies. Surprisingly, it's pretty good. I'm not one for horror and yet I find this enjoyable. What about you, Kuwana-san? What type of shows do you like?"

"Eh, I'm not one for shows. I'm more into just regular sitcoms. The Office is my favorite. I have also watched Bing Bang Theory among other things."

"Really? I didn't take you for that kind of person. But then again, you're just full of surprises."

"I guess."

A pregnant pause followed after. No words were spoken for a solid minute.

"I know you're still upset, Kuwana-san." Hazuki paused his show, leaning back on the couch."About Andreas-kun."

"You killed that kid in cold blood." Terunosuke put down the frying pan down."You stabbed right through his heart."

"I did. And I made it painless. He was dead not a minute after." Hazuki nodded."But you knew this would happen. You said you would do it, right?"

"B-but...It was my kill-"

"Let's be honest. You weren't going to kill him. I know you still have some attachment to your siblings." Hazuki interrupted him."And there's nothing wrong with that. It's hard to let go of your past, isn't it?"

"What do you know?" Terunosuke clicked his tongue."We're nothing alike."

"But we are. Just like you, my life was turned upside down by things out of my control. By the people who, at the time, were stronger than me. You told me that you resent people who have power over you. Because people with power are capable of taking the freedom of others away. That's why you ended up in FIS. Well, I'm on a similar boat. Bragard destroyed my life. And I was branded a bastard child. A cursed child, being dumped from orphanage to orphanage. I built myself up. Just like you did. So yes, we are similar. Also, we both have precious people that we want to see again. I want to see my mother. And you..."

"Serena..." Terunosuke muttered, images of Serena's face flashing through his mind.

"You love her, don't you? You want to see her again." Hazuki beckoned Terunosuke to sit down. The older male obliged, taking a seat on the other couch."That's what we all have in common, Kuwana-san. We all have people we want to see again. We want the world to be in a certain shape. Serena...means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

"She does. Her life was taken away...because those morons couldn't protect her. Because...I wasn't chosen..." Terunosuke took a deep breath."Then again, I fought the Nephilim and lost too. But I refuse to believe that we couldn't have done something to save her. She deserved to live. If she did, I could be happy with her. And I wouldn't be..."

"Here." Hazuki finished for him."I suppose not. Then again, our group consists of people who have lost something in their lives. Believe it or not, Kuwana-san, I appreciate you being a true believer."

"Don't get it twisted, Kaburagi-kun. I'm not a believer. I don't believe that you're this Messiah that will bring us all into a new world." Terunosuke said with a stern tone."But I am loyal to you and your cause. Like I said before, I am loyal to those who value my worth. You gave me the power I desired, so I am indebted to you. And that's that."

The former real estate agent paced around the living room until he reached the glass door for the balcony."We all gotta believe in something, right? This is what I believe in. The only thing I can believe in. A world where I can see her again. How will that even work? If people get what they want, won't some of their desires clash with others?"

"I call it a new world, but it's more like a new reality, divided into countless ones. Everyone will get a reality of their own. Their own page in a book, where their true dreams and most cherished fantasies can become true. Let me ask you this. Will you include your siblings in your perfect life?"

"The brats and Jades? Do you think they would include me in theirs?" The man scoffed."I only need Serena. And that's that." Terunosuke snorted."What about you? I know you want your sister and all, but what about your brother? Nakahara-chan went to kill him. But will you include him in your world?"

"As long as he doesn't cause problems, yes."

"Speaking of which, why does this Kazanari-san guy want your brother dead?" Terunosuke's face scrunched up in thought."I mean, he works for the government, essentially. So why would this guy want him dead? Wouldn't that be getting rid of a resource?"

"As I understand, Fudo Kazanari sees all of S.O.N.G as just an asset." Hazuki recited, recalling Allister's words."So, to him, a Rider or a Symphogear that can't or won't fight is a liability. Their power must be used by someone else. Hence, why he told Allister to get rid of my brother since he decided to abandon his duties."

"Still, though, that's a little cold," Terunosuke remarked."He's still decreasing his forces since we act in the shadows. We're not like S.O.N.G. Plus, we're not really obeying the old man, we're just using him."

"Well, I'm sure Fudo Kazanari's ideas of national protection don't revolve around girls wearing skimpy outfits and people who are constantly being hunted down by other Riders. He has no choice. That's why, as you said, they act in the light, we act in the shadows. He needs someone dead, we kill them. As long as he doesn't know about Loki, we shouldn't care."

"Fair point. Still, I made fun of the brats for working with the government, and yet, here I am, doing the same." Terunosuke chuckled dryly."By the way, it's my turn to get a little personal with you. About this Kohinata-chan. Did you ever love her?"

"More than I could say." Hazuki admitted, a wistful smile on his face."She was my Starlight. I learned so many things with her and everything was so colorful. And despite that, I chose humanity over my love for her. I compromised. Just like all of us have. For the sake of a new world, sacrifices must be made. And besides, I will see her again in the new world. So I have some solace in that. I'm sure you feel the same."

"I guess so. Every action I take...every time it becomes unbearable to live, I think of Serena." Terunosuke stood from his seat, hands in his pockets."That's the only thing that keeps me going."

"And what happened to taking freedom away for others to exercise your freedom?"

"That comes second, of course." He grinned, heading toward the hallway."Oh, and Kaburagi-kun? Thanks."

Hazuki sat up, not expecting to hear any kind of gratitude from the man.

"For giving me a place to stay. And where I can belong." He elaborated, not once turning to face him."Misfits like us should stick together, eh?"

"That's true." Hazuki chuckled."Rest well, Kuwana-san."

With that, the older man returned to his room, leaving dinner ready for Hazuki. He also guessed it was his turn to take dinner to Allister, but that would have to wait. He wanted to watch another episode of his show, after all.

'A place where reality never betrays the ideal. Where we can live our perfect lives."

The members of S.O.N.G were currently being transported in an armored vehicle heading toward Matsushiro. It had become painfully obvious how low their numbers had diminished. Yosuke observed his friends from afar. Chris sat by herself, her arms folded and her gaze on the ground. Hibiki was staring out the window, her mind no doubt lost in thought. Jades looked calm, but the purple-haired young man now knew of the secret he was hiding.

He checked his phone. Apparently, there was a festival today in Okinawa. Kuroiwa was keeping him posted and said Hajime's mental condition was improving. The constant updates put Yosuke's mind at ease. No one had targeted Hajime yet. Not that they would know. There was no way for the Disasters to find out where he was.

Even then, Albedo was probably in no condition to fight. He saw the damage done to Val Verde. Takeru must have given him the fight of his life. And thanks to that, Chris would be safe. However, Yosuke was worried that Albedo would come to kill her to finish the job. Nakahara was not a threat on her own, even with her Relic. Terunosuke was purely a defensive fighter, but now that he had absorbed Imperer's powers, he would no doubt be stronger. And Ryuga was still an enigma in terms of potential.

On their team, the Gear users would be essential. Raiden and Jades are both capable fighters. Bragi was a wildcard, and that sort of scared Yosuke. By his estimation, the hybrid was at least slightly weaker than him, probably around Jades' level. But his egocentric and reckless nature made him an easy target.

"Are you alright?"

Yosuke opened his eyes, realizing Shirabe was the one to whisper since she was sitting next to him.

"Yes. Just thinking, that's all." He reassured her."Thanks."

Yosuke then shifted his attention to the conversation. From what he gathered, the reason for their mission was to decrypt the documents they had gotten from Val Verde. So taking all of them along made sense. However, there was also the fact that they had to evacuate the population from the area. In hindsight, this seemed like a waste of time. But after seeing all the devastation left behind after Takeru and Albedo fought, it made sense. Had the battle with Bragard and his army taken place in the real world, countless people would have died. So preventing deaths was a necessity. The Alchemists were formidable. And the detective knew they were hiding their true capabilities. Especially the man with the golden sword. Not to mention the Shadow Riders. If all of them were as strong as the real ones, he would not dare to think what a Shadow Ryuki would be like. He hated to admit it, but he was severely inferior to Hajime. Dienheim seemed convinced he could be stronger, but Yosuke wasn't sure. The boy liked to talk.

After a while, they reached the base. Tobias, Carol, and Bragi were tasked with helping decrypt the files.

"What?! Come on! Why do I have to go too?!" Bragi fumed."I want to fight too! I'm literally the best option we have to fight those Alchemists!"

"And you're also the smartest." Genjuro pointed out."We need your talents here, Bragi-kun."

"B-but..."

"It's okay. He can go." Elfnein piped in."Tobias and I should be capable of providing enough help. Bragi-chan is a fighter. I'm sure he is equally useful on the battlefield."

"And we need all the help we can get in case the Alchemists and the Shadow Riders appear, Commander." Yosuke pointed out.

"Very well..." The man sighed, taking their points into account."But I have an important mission for you."

"Really?!"

"Tsubasa, Chris-kun, Hibiki-kun, Jades-kun, Raiden-kun, and Yosuke-kun are going to guard the area. And you will..."

"When he said special mission, I was not imagining something like this..." Bragi gritted his teeth, trailing behind Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika. He had been tasked with watching over them while they made sure no civilian was left behind. The girls couldn't fight without their LINKER, so Bragi was their guardian dog."I hope the Alchemists show up. I really want to fight and prove myself."

"Don't jinx it." Shirabe poked his cheek, causing him to recoil.

"Relax. You have me as your bodyguard. There's nothing I can't handle." Bragi huffed, pouting.

"That's right. Since we don't have LINKER, we can't fight." Maria placed a hand on his shoulder."So we'll be counting on you, Bragi-kun."

"Of course, Maria-dono." Bragi smiled, puffing his chest out with pride."I'll be your dark knight for the day."

"You're really itching for a fight, huh?" Maria couldn't help but giggle at his eagerness.

"I am. I sit in my lab all day. So I like to exercise whenever I get the chance." He shrugged, stretching his arms.

Shirabe frowned, knowing perfectly well why he isolated himself from everyone else.

Kirika pulled out her phone, checking to see her messages."Oh! Hamaguchi-kun sent me a picture of Setsuna-chan in a yukata!"

"We get reception this far...?" Maria blinked. She knew their communicators had a signal, but it was a miracle that their regular phones had a signal this deep into the mountainside.

"Let me see." Bragi peered over."Huh. Pretty cute."

"You don't have a problem with her?" Shirabe asked a little surprised.

"Not really. I was designed to hate all Liangs, but I'm mostly over that. The only one I can't stand is the Boy Wonder because he's a prick."

"You really don't like him-desu?" Kirika tilted her head.

"Of course not."

"But aren't you guys distant cousins?" Maria's lips curved to form a smile, much to the prince's chagrin.

"Don't remind me..." Bragi said through gritted teeth.

It was true. Bragard and Lucine were ancestors of the Liangs. Bragi was Bragard's son. So in a way, they were related.

"So you have to be kind to your cousin!" Kirika chirped, snatching Bragi's binoculars away for herself."Taking care of your family is important-desu."

"We're not related like that...Plus, I hate the guy."

"Well, we are not related by blood either." Maria said."But we're still family. Though I suppose that due to your nature, you just don't like when people are over you."

"He's not over me." Bragi clicked his tongue."If I wanted to, I could have kicked his ass back after he defeated Yosuke-dono."

"And why didn't you?" Shirabe pressed.

"Because I didn't want him there." Bragi easily replied, folding his arms and refusing to elaborate further.

The group continued walking, until out of nowhere, Kirika screamed."There's a civilian there! Let's go!'

"Kiri-chan, that's a-"

"Let her go." Bragi grabbed her shoulder with a serious expression."She has to learn this valuable lesson."

"What lesson...?" The twin-tailed girl deadpanned at the monochrome-haired boy.

Kirika, blissfully unaware, and determined to fulfill her objective, rushed toward the supposed civilian before shouting."You need to evacuate now-Yikes! It's not a person at all!"

Bragi covered his mouth, stifling a chuckle, receiving a disapproving glare from Shirabe.

"Is this why you didn't want me to stop her?"

"You can't deny that was an adorable reaction." Bragi countered, grinning in triumph as he continued walking forward.

"He's a little complicated, isn't he?" Maria leaned closer to Shirabe.

"He is. I'm having a hard time figuring him out, unfortunately." Shirabe confessed.

'She's still growing, after all.' Maria smiled fondly."Well, I'll help you out. He's a tough nut to crack, but I'm sure you'll be able to steal his heart."

"W-what?" Shirabe stammered, her cheeks turning pink."Stop teasing me, Maria..."

"I swear, you are Raiden are the same. Neither of you knows how to tackle your love dilemmas. And your reserved natures don't make it easier."

"Okay...I have a crush on him..." Shirabe admitted, fidgeting in place."But it's hard for both of us. Elfnein-chan and Bragi are..."

"Different." Maria nodded."So it's up to you two to teach them about love. About affection and companionship. And if you need help, you can always come to us for guidance."

"Thanks, Maria..." Shirabe managed a small smile.

"Of course." Maria smiled back, happy to help.

Both girls proceeded to catch up with the other two.

"Better luck next time, Kirika-dono." The young man patted her on the back."You're not letting this little inconvenience stop you, are you?"

"Of course not!" Kirika pumped a fist in the air."Time to recommence the operation!"

"That's the spirit." Bragi grinned, satisfied with her attitude. However, Kirika was so enthusiastic that she was unable to stop herself from crashing into the person emerging from the crops.

"Are you alright?!" Maria rushed to help the old lady up. Shirabe and Bragi helped her pick up the tomatoes that had scatted around the ground.

"I'm so sorry-desu!"

"No, no, It's not your fault dear." The old lady waved her hand dismisivally."I wasn't expecting any visitors. Are you kids visiting?"

"We're with the Japanese government." Bragi stated, clearing his voice to make it sound more profound."A full-scale evaluation has been ordered. I'm afraid we need to ask you to come with us, ma'am."

"Of course. But I still have to finish this year's final batch of tomatoes. I will be done shortly if it's alright with you."

"Tomatoes, huh?" Maria parroted.

"Wow! They look wonderful!" Shirabe and Kirika's eyes were glued to the tomatoes.

"And they taste even better. Want to try them?" The kind lady offered them two tomatoes.

Kirika tentatively grabbed a tomato, her expression softening."You know, Andreas might have hated eating vegetables, but he sure loved tomatoes."

"Let's enjoy them in his honor, Kiri-chan." Shirabe offered, receiving a nod from her sister.

Maria bit the inside of her cheek. Andreas was still a delicate topic.

"They're delicious!" Both girls exclaimed in unison.

"What about you, young man?" The lady offered a tomato to Bragi."You look a little pale. Are you taking enough vitamins? And that's quite the eye color that you have. Red and blue. And such an extravagant mix of hair colors. Is that a new trend that you younglings are into?"

"Actually, these are my natural hair and eye colors..." Bragi chuckled dryly."And no thanks. I'm not hungry. Plus, eating tomatoes by themselves is just...I don't know. It seems wrong. Hold on, I'm getting distracted. Ma'am, I insist, we must-"

"Yoo-hoo! I found you!"

The group turned to see Cagliostro, smiling at them from afar with a seductive smile before it dropped."Oh, never mind. It's just the Team Neopolitan again. But it looks like you have a nasty cherry on top with you."

"Neopolitan...?"

"Team...?"

"Did you just call me a cherry?!"

"Who are you calling ice cream?!"

"You mad?" Cagliostro batted her eyelashes."But there's no fun in fighting a bunch of melted ice cream like you. Unless...you can use your Gears now? Let's be honest. You're out of meds and you can't-GAAGH!"

Bragi had decreased his gravity, increasing his speed to blitz Cagliostro, kicking her in her stomach while increasing his gravity to magnify his strength. She was sent crashing to the ground until she crashed against a tree.

"There's no need for them to get involved." Bragi jabbed his thumb toward his chest."I'm not than enough to take down trash like you, scum."

"You little-" Cagliostro sneered, throwing a handful of gems at the ground and summoning a battalion of Noise.

"Oh, finally! Some action!" Bragi laughed, conjuring multiple black magic circles and firing black matter spheres at the Noise, killing them one by one. He hopped into the air, spinning around and unleashing a barrage of black swords around."Don't just stand there! Get going! Now!"

"But Bragi-kun, we-"

"We should listen to him." Maria grabbed Shirabe's hand."He's our knight for the day, remember?"

"Don't think your fake Alchemy can do much to save your skin!" Cagliostro yelled as she began hurling energy spikes at the boy. He was enjoying himself, batting the attacks away with a black rod as he began closing in on her."Try this one on for size!"

Cagliostro conjured multiple spheres of energy, firing them in unison at the hybrid.

"Oh, crap!" Bragi clapped his hands, repeating the same motion in his way, creating dozens of black matter spheres."Third Impact!"

Third Impact

Blue spheres and black spheres collided with each other, but the dark spheres bypassed regular Alchemy and began forming in the middle, creating a bigger sphere. Cagliostro, panicking, reached for her bosom, pulling out and gem and immediately breaking it.

The attack collided with something. Or so it seemed. Before it was reflected back to him, destroying his right side. He quickly regenerated his wounds, squinting his eyes to see through the smoke.

"Thanks for the save." Cagliostro purred, standing behind Shadow Gai, Zolda, Scissors, Abyss, and Imperer.

"That kid is our opponent? Just one?" S. Abyss sounded disappointed.

"Tch! Of course, you had to call reinforcements, since you can't beat me on your own, you wench." The dichromatic-eyed teen spat.

"What's wrong, Little Prince?" Cagliostro glared at him with a smug smile."Is tangling with 5 guys too much for you?"

"Too much? Oh, please." Suddenly, a purple aura emerged from Bragi, creating a powerful gust of wind that shocked Cagliostro.

'Where is this power coming from...?' She blinked, perplexed.'I guess he's not as much of a pushover as I thought...'

"You better turn up the volume!" He pulled out his Alternative Deck, immediately transforming into Alternative."Because this a funeral for the living!"

"Fine. Don't disappoint him, boys." Cagliostro snapped her fingers. And in the blink of an eye, all Shadow Riders were in their Survive Forms, except Scissors and Abyss.

"That Bragi..." Genjuro rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation."I sent them with Maria-kun and the others so he wouldn't engage in battle, but I guess this was inevitable."

"But he's fighting 6 people at once!" Elfnein cried in horror, worried sick about her nephew's wellbeing.

"We're coming!" Chris said through her comms."I'm the closest there, so as long as that dummy doesn't do anything stupid, everything should be alright!"

"The girls got away with the civilian, at least..." Tobias sighed in relief.

"We can question his methods, but not his results." Sakuya commented."He's actually holding his own."

"And seems to be having fun." Aoi added."I guess he's not the third strongest Rider for nothing."

"Don't let him hear you say that." Elfnein sighed, silently praying for the safety of her nephew.

Alternative weaved around S. Zolda's Gigantoblasters while keeping an eye out for S. Scissors sneaking in behind him.

"Repel!"

Bragi stepped out of the way, using his gravitational powers to pull Scissors into S. Zolda, who accidentally punched him in the chest. The cylinder on his gauntlet rotated, releasing an empty shell as an explosion completely obliterated S. Scissors.

"One down! Four to-Huh?!"

A tendril made of water wrapped itself around his ankle, pulling him toward Abyss and Imperer. S. Imperer readied his Terazellestab, ready to impale the pseudo-Rider.

"Tch!" Bragi drew a card, scanning it through his Deck.

Sword Vent: Slashdagger

He twirled his blade around, creating a ring of azure fire. S. Imperer used his springs to hop out of the way, but S. Abyss decided to block the attack, casting a dome of water around himself. Bragi grinned, slashing the water tentacle and rushing toward the shark imposter. He easily bypassed the barrier, stabbing into S. Abyss' chest. However, his body was seemingly made of water. The dome disappeared, and Abyss sank into the puddle, moving over to the others.

Bragi raised his blade, but it was suddenly pulled from his grasp, due to S. Gai using his magnetic powers to pull the sword away from him, two arms made of iron sand behind him.

"How the hell did he bypass my barrier? It's supposed to be impenetrable due to the intense water pressure around my body!"

"This guy is strong." S. Imperer nodded.

"Yeah, but he's slipping up. We just have to catch him by surprise. Like so."

S. Gai manifested a double-barreled shotgun on his left arm, firing it at Alternative. The bullets stopped in front of him, halted by a wall of gravity. Bragi fired multiple black rods, but these were dispersed by S. Gai, who clad them with iron sand and enabled him to manipulate them. S. Zolda deployed the Gigantobits, scattering them around Alternative and forcing his attention to be divided. They began to ram into him, shooting lasers, which prompted him to create a DNA-shaped sword to block them.

'So once he uses that gravity of his, it has a cool down. Good to know.' Cagliostro smiled.

S. Imperer emerged from the ground using his drills, striking Alternative in the chin with a kick. He began to backflip away, gaining some distance. He drew a card and scanned it.

Advent: Psycho-Rogue

Psycho-Rogue unleashed a barrage of missiles, but Gai simply used his Steelhorn, redirecting the attacks toward him and taking zero damage.

"You're kidding me! How strong is that defense?!"

A stray Gigantobit crashed into his back, exploding, and sending him stumbling toward a pressurized water stream that launched him away directly into S. Zolda, who used both of his fists as both cylinders rotated, creating a stronger explosion and making a hole through his stomach.

Alternative coughed up blood, feeling himself being launched several yards away.

"I see your weakness now." Caglistro smirked."You're the berserker type. You continuously attack your enemy, ignoring the damage you take to overwhelm them. But when your momentum is hindered, you're on the back foot and it's nearly impossible for you to make a comeback."

"Tch...Don't think this changes anything." Alternative hissed, his wounds mending rapidly."I can still fight."

"Then let's change that, shall we?"

Suddenly, all Shadow Riders attacked in unison, but 4 blurs crashed into them, pushing them away. Cagliostro had no time to register what had happened before Hibiki slammed her fist against her gut, knocking her away.

"Unite the inner three harmonies with the outer three, and thus, my fist becomes the spear of six harmonies!" Hibiki declared, taking a battle stance."Movies have all the answers!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Bragi seethed upon seeing Hibiki in front of him."And why are you butting in?! This is my fight!"

"Just be quiet, Junior." Chris clicked her tongue."You were clearly being overrun. So stop complaining and accept the help."

"Fufu..." Cagliostro leaned against something to pick herself up."Does the Little Prince need-Wait a minute, a wall? Here?"

"Calling it a wall is just rude. Clearly, it's a sword." Tsubasa hollered from above, standing on top of the giant sword in question.

"So team primary colors are all here, huh?" Cagliostro clicked her tongue, shifting her gaze over to her Shadow Riders as a gust of wind blew them back, courtesy of Darkraider."And their Riders."

"Cagliostro, I think it's in your best interest to pull back for now." St. Germain's voice spoke inside of her mind."You're outnumbered."

Begrudgingly, Cagliostro took out a vial, breaking it as she recalled the Shadow Riders back into their gem forms."Next time we meet, I'll be sure to surprise you with my new clothes. Look forward to it."

"You alright, Dienheim?" Knight offered a hand to the prince. He was about to slap it away, but then he realized that he wasn't thinking straight.

"Yeah. Thanks, Yosuke-dono. I managed to neutralize one of the Shadow Riders, but the others managed to slow me down with their abilities." Bragi stated, undoing his transformation.

"Did you lose any lives?" Hibiki asked in a concerned tone.

"A few." He shrugged."But I got too many anyway, so it's fine."

"That way of thinking will get you killed." Tsubasa planted her hands on her hips."Eventually, you'll run out of lives. So try not to be so reckless?"

"Yes, ma'am." He sighed, deciding not to argue against her."Are the girls okay?"

"Yeah, Jades and Amaterasu protected them from the stray Noise and carried them to a safe checkpoint." Yosuke replied."We should get back ourselves. We have a lot to report."

Meanwhile, the former members of FIS reached a military checkpoint where they were tending to the evacuated people. Evildiver descended to the ground, allowing Jades to help Maria and the old lady off its back.

"That was...quite the ride..." She muttered, still in shock.

"Yeah...I can imagine." Maria scratched her cheek.

"I'll get you some water!" Kirika said, running off to find some water.

"Raiden..."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll go so she doesn't get lost." Raiden sighed, following after her.

"Can you bring me one too?"

"Come get it yourself."

"Meanie. Elfnein-chan won't like you like that."

"Oh, right. Because you're definitely doing a good job at asking Bragi out."

"W-what?! How did you-"

"I'm your brother, duh." He scoffed, patting her head."This kind of stuff is obvious to me. But hey, I'm rooting for you. Though, it's weird...Because if I end up dating Elfnein-chan, wouldn't that make Bragi my nephew or something? And you're my sister, so-"

"Stop overcomplicating things and shut up." Shirabe grabbed him by the ear, pulling him along.

"Ow! Hey! I'm just saying!"

Jades smiled, seeing his three little siblings walk together. He clenched his fists.'If only you were here, Andreas...'

"They sure are adorable kids. Are they yours? You look a little young to have 3 teenagers." The old lady asked, making Maria blush intensely.

"N-no! Not at all! They're just our siblings!" Maria stammered, smoke coming off her ears.

"Oh. I see. I apologize for the misunderstanding." She chuckled."And I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. I should have listened to your warnings."

"It's fine. We got you out of there safely and that's what matters." Jades raised his hand.

"What about that young boy with the funny hair?"

"Bragi-kun? He'll be fine, trust me. He's a tough one." Jades reassured her."By the way, may I ask what's that in your basket?"

"Oh! Right, right. Perfect timing." The lady removed her basket and set it on the floor, offering them two tomatoes."Try them. It's the least I can do to thank you."

"Tomatoes?" Jades blinked, grabbing it.

"Okay..." Maria tentatively grabbed the tomato, taking a bite out of it."It's sweet! Like a fruit!"

"Tomatoes are fruits, Maria." Jades said before pausing."Or are they? Hmmmm...But yeah, it's really sweet. How did you make it like this?"

"The harsher a tomato's environment, the sweeter it grows." The old lady began explaining."Deny it water as long as possible, and it'll turn sweet all on its own."

"Deny it water? I don't get it. I thought you had to care for plants and stuff like that."

"Believe it or not, being too soft on it does more than good. The biggest harvests are the ones that have endured the harshest times."

"The harshest times, huh..." Maria trailed off.

Jades allowed himself a small smile, realizing what she must be thinking."You're right, ma'am. And I know a good example of a tomato that turned out to be really sweet, despite her harsh environment."

Later on during the day, Elfnein and Tobias were breaking their heads, trying to decrypt the files to the best of their abilities.

'Maybe we should have kept Bragi-chan here...' Elfnein sighed before reporting to Genjuro."The decryption isn't going so well, Genjuro-san."

"I figured..." Genjuro sighed, having expected this."They didn't want to make this easy for us, huh?"

"And speaking of things not being easy..." Aoi swallowed the lump in her throat."We got a call from Kamakura."

Genjuro heaved a long sigh."Patch him through."

Tobias blinked, confused by the sudden shift in demeanor from the red-haired man, but complied nonetheless.

And as soon as the video came through, the voice of Fudo Kazanari berated them."You disappoint me. Not only did you let them breach the lockdown, you let them escape with their lives. "

"I understand and offer no excuse for these failures," Genjuro said in a neutral tone, his expression stone cold.

"I allowed the use of the facilities to indebt the UN to us." Fudo's eyes steeled before continuing."However, I cannot allow a cornerstone of national security to be endangered for any reason. "

"Of course.'

"Don't let them set foot on Yashima ever again. And keep a leash on those Riders of yours. At this rate, we'll run out of them and put ourselves in a disadvantageous position."

Genjuro's eye twitched at that, but nodded."Understood."

With that, Fudo ended the call, allowing the atmosphere to return to normal.

"How can he say something like that? About Takeru-san, Andreas-san, and Hajime-san?" Tobias frowned.

"It's a good thing Bragi wasn't here." Genjuro exhaled, allowing himself to relax."He wouldn't have kept quiet. Much less if he had seen his face and recognized Bragard. Ignore what he said. He can talk all he wants, but only we know what's going on."

"That aside, he has a point. Why would the enemy follow us all the way here to Matsushiro?" Ogawa pondered."What could they be after?"

"Either the Val Verde documents, a showdown with our Riders and Symphogear, or..." Genjuro narrowed his eyes at the screen, currently showing a recording of Bragi facing off against Cagliostro."Something worse."

Another chapter is done. Next chapter, we're resuming our adventures in Okinawa. The battle for the island is about to start. Stay tuned for more.