Chapter 3
Fictions Mentioned:
Episode 3
OP Song:
Steins;Gate VN Image Song (PC) - 'Star-Crossed' by Kanako Itō
Insert Song: Start
A Different World - Corpse Party Blood Drive Music Extended
Things were a little strange for the Spirits in general. Well, except for Rio who was spending personal time with her papa in the kitchen. Rinne, Mayuri, and Ren were seated at the table. Sona was near Rinne, and Ai Enma was sitting in the opposite direction. The foreigner, Johnny Blaze, had just gone to the garage area to park his bike and look for anything interesting in the garage when Shidou told him that while the garage at this time hasn't been in use for a while, Shidou thought that the garage needed to be used more, regarding the current circumstances. Plus, Shidou supposed that Blaze, being a mechanic by heart, would love to do a little tinkering to pass the time.
Rinne glances at Sona, being wary and curious of the latter. She gracefully drank tea that she brewed personally. As far as Rinne could tell, Sona's actions seemed to express that she came from a noble family background. Reserve and proper. She carries that mysterious air within her, heightened by her admittedly beautiful appearance and modest attire that hid her buxom. She felt like the perfect woman.
Rinne was curious and concerned about the story of how she and Shidou met. Her heart already knew the truth. This woman who was sitting right next to her was the current wife of the man that Rinne also married long before. She wondered what attracted Shidou to this woman. Sona seemed like a good person so far, if a bit reserved and was accommodating of her and her daughter's presence.
She wanted to start a conversation with this woman. She needed to find out what led her husband to fall in love with this woman. At least to get an idea.
"...Hmm."
Rinne noticed Mayuri and Ren looked a little disturbed and troubled when looking at Ai Enma. Was it perhaps her pale look and skin that felt like they were seeing something resembling a walking corpse? Or was it due to the sickly hellish aura that they were all sensing? Or was it the eyes that seemed to stare into the soul?
"...What is it?" Enma asks, noticing the longer looks that Mayuri and Ren were expressly directed at her.
"Um, no, nothing, it's just..." Mayuri looked hesitant, glancing at Ren, who shared her expression. Then they both look at her, with Mayuri speaking again. "...Forgive me, but I feel a little uncomfortable..."
"Due to my presence, I suspect," Enma said, not even being offended by such sentiments. The fact that her face was blank and emotionless, making her apathetic to such a reaction, likened to a doll, wasn't helping matters either. "I can assure you that I am not offended. I very well know what you're referring to. Other people before you have pointed out that particular aspect of my being."
"Ah... I see," Mayuri spoke hesitantly.
"Well, you can't exactly blame us for being cautious when you clearly look like someone who came straight out of a horror movie," Ren could not help but remark.
"Nee-san," Rinne sported a disapproving look, thinking that it was rude.
Ren shrugged a little before she glanced at the mysterious Sona who is quiet most of the time and opts only to observe while drinking her tea, which seems to refill itself, probably due to magic.
"...Let's start discussing what just happened," Ren spoke, sporting an inquiring expression and tone.
"Concerning that, I would prefer if my husband's younger sister and his mother would be here with us as well if we're going to provide a full explanation of who we all are and the connections that we may have in the current events that had transpired upon this day," Sona explained courteously.
"Alright, sure, but that part, I need to know," Ren pointed out, looking at Sona with some reservation and suspicion. "You said, husband, which meant that you're married to the boy - my younger sister's husband. If you could indulge me a little..."
Sona spoke gracefully and didn't fluster, not to mention she was very direct. Ren found this trait a little impressive. "For most, it was nothing special, but for me, it was special. He and I met on a battlefield during a terrible War and as we slowly got to know each other, we fell in love. Naturally," Sona looks at Rinne with a meaningful expression. "My husband had never forgotten the love that he had shared with his wife who had passed away. I respected it, and even encouraged him to still love his wife even as he loves me now."
"Umm, Sona," Rinne, smiling a little, spoke. "How long have you known our husband?"
"Millenniums," Sona said, making Rinne and the other Spirits curious. "I've been around that man far longer than most women and I know every bit of what made my husband himself. One would be hard-pressed to trick me if they were to try to imitate my husband, imperfectly for my tastes."
"Hmm, you're that old, huh," Ren looked interested. "Despite that, you seem to have taken better care of your appearance."
"If you're referring to my age and how it is inconsistent with my actual one, Ren-san, then a similar situation occurred with my husband. This is one of those topics where I prefer to explain later, because there is a lot of ground to cover with this topic," Sona explained.
"Have you... Have you had children with him?" Rinne asks politely yet hesitantly.
Sona smiled a little, showing a sense of joy. "Hmm, I did."
"Wait, seriously?!" both Mayuri and Ren spoke at the same time, widening their eyes as they slammed their hands on the table.
Sona, to her credit, still maintained a graceful posture and nodded. "I had one child with him. A young girl, about seven years old at present."
"Really," Rinne became interested, sporting a cheerful smile. "What's her name?"
"Shiori," Sona spoke the name of her daughter with affection. The name surprised Rinne, Mayuri, and Ren. "Yes, that was the same name my husband often takes whenever he tries to disguise himself as a woman. I know that part of him all too well. He wanted the name for our daughter as a way for him to remember and honor the people he loved before... he lost it all." Sona's tone took a little sobering tone.
"...Hmm," Rinne smiled sadly. "I see. I'm... glad at least that Shidou managed to find happiness again long after I was gone."
"You know, Rinne, you don't have to keep it in," Sona pointed out with tact.
"Eh?" Rinne sported a surprised face.
"You're insecure and wary around me. That's understandable. After all, you were my husband's wife. I cannot imagine that it would be easy to find out, let alone accept that your husband would have another woman in his life long after you were gone. I too share similar feelings of insecurity and wariness," Sona only spoke logically. She was strangely calm despite the circumstances. But underneath it all, Sona was insecure and wary as well, so she emphatically knew how Rinne was feeling.
Now, Sona had long made peace with the fact that her husband would always have his first family in his heart. That is something that can never be taken away. And Sona herself encouraged her husband to nurture that feeling, to never forget the family that he had before. But still, Sona could not deny that she felt to be in a similar boat to Rinne. Both women naturally do not want to choose a route of polygamy at this point in their lives. Their husband was more or less the same. He prefers to have a single married relationship.
Seeing as they have similarly established common grounds, Rinne and Sona would think to make these talks between them a regular thing. If there was one thing that demanded such attention, it was honest communication. Boundaries would need to be talked about. How does one go forward from here? A feeling of uncertainty and questions that should be discussed between them and Shidou. Nevertheless...
"Hmm," Rinne nodded with a sad smile. "You would be right, Sona. I do feel that way. Sorry."
"Do not feel sorry, Rinne, you are his wife before me, it was simply a natural consequence of such," Sona reassured.
"Hmm, for someone who has the same feelings as me on the matter, you seem to be taking things too well, Sona," Rinne could not help but point out with a little humor.
Sona smiled a little. "Well, I knew full well what marrying my husband meant. I chose to fully accept everything about him when I married him on the altar, and that included the genuine feelings that he still held for you and for your daughter. I could never replace something like that."
"Sona...Rio's your daughter too now," Rinne smiled a bit.
Sona looked a little surprised. She became a bit solemn afterward. "...I suppose so. That was the same thing Rio said to me. I understand now, she does take after her mother after all."
"Hmm," Rinne shakes her head and smiles with humor. "More like we take after Shidou, without him, I don't think we'd be the same."
"Our husband does have that kind of effect on other people," Sona spoke fondly.
"Hmm," both Rinne and Sona giggled a bit, making things feel a bit better.
"Well... these two seem to be getting along very easily," Ren drawled a bit, looking at this with a little humor. "Color me a bit disappointed, but I would have thought there would have been more of a catfight."
"Nee-san, only you would enjoy something like that," Mayuri shakes her head in exasperation.
"In any case, while I and my fellow Suns would fully explain the circumstances eventually, I suppose for the sake of getting to know each other, you're all free to ask questions to either me or Enma," Sona explained.
The Spirits turn to Ai Enma who is just silent and still like a doll. Did... Did she even blink?
"...Okay, so, what's the deal with you two? What are you two? What's the other guy and his deal?" Ren asks.
"By other guy, do you mean Johnny Blaze?" Sona asks.
"Yeah, him," Ren nodded.
"Well..."
Sona explained briefly of what Johnny Blaze was. Then she explained more about Ai Enma. The Spirits were quite interested, not to mention experiencing a ton of mixed feelings and expressions of empathy with Blaze and Enma due to their tragic origins.
"...Whereas for myself, I am what you'd call a Devil," Sona explained.
"A devil? Mayuri asks. "Then..."
She glances at Ai Enma, who shakes her head. "Not like me, no, but make no mistake, she's no ordinary devil either. You have been able to sense a certain kinship between you and your sisters after all."
"Hmm, I can sense a lot of reiryoku coming from her, and she's somewhere around my younger sister's (Rinne) level," Ren could not help but point out. "You're one of us, yet you weren't a human, that much I could sense."
"Hmm, it was, umm..." Sona's expression was blushing a little, glancing to the side and trying to gain composure. "...well, I suppose I have to thank my husband for doing this to me."
Rinne could already understand the implications. No need to mention it. Now, she felt a little annoyed understandably, but she did not hold it against Sona. It was logical that, just as Shidou did it with Rinne, he would do it with Sona. After all, how else would Shiori would even be born? Besides... stranger means similar to how Rio came to be.
"So, you can make use of the powers of a Spirit just like us, Sona," Rinne smiled a little.
"Hai," Sona spoke, putting her hand to the bridges of her glasses. "My Angel's name is Seraf, in reference to the fact that Lucifer himself was traditionally identified as one, and as to what it can do in basic terms." Sona would materialize something on her right hand. A large sword that glowed with a dim yet holy light. The Spirits who looked at it grew interested because they felt something within that very blade. "Well, the most basic thing I could do is I could harm and even kill most of anything. It had been very useful and practical to me whenever I had to deal with the forces of Hell and their respective Hell Lords, either by myself or during my time with the Midnight Suns."
"As for myself, a Devil such as me would be a supernatural being that has come from another dimensional realm called the Underworld, which alongside the Fallen Angels and the Gods of Hell, would be our common home. As to what the Underworld looks like, it's about the same geographical size as Earth, so to get an idea, think of Earth, but with no water and a chunk of landmass, outside of lakes. This realm is part of my native reality which... admittedly suffered a similar fate like your world, my husband's world," Sona's expression darkened a little as her eyes were lowered, making the Spirits pay attention.
Sona continued her explanation, bringing her right hand and closing it, before releasing each finger, mentioning a name, one by one. "When it comes to my people, we have a specific societal structure and hierarchy system that is followed and adhered to, divided into four ranks, and the ranks themselves refer to hereditary titles based on our given classes and clans, and also reflect on the nature of our measured strength.
"The first would be the Low-Class Devils which are the commoners and those who have been reincarnated into Devils such as humans. This is where Devils normally start if they want to make their way upwards."
"Then you have the Middle-Class Devils which are those who passed a certain promotional test and proved themselves worthy. Those who attain this rank are given one of the following titles: Baronet, Baronetess, Knight, or Dame."
"Then you have the High-Class Devils which include all of the younger Pure-Blooded Devils from the 72 Pillars described in the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon; the Extra Demon Clans who have yet to fully master their power; and the strong reincarnated Devils who have risen through the ranks. Those who attain this rank are given one of the following titles: Marquis, Marchioness, Margrave, Margravine, Count, Countess, Viscount, Viscountess, Baron, or Baroness."
"Then you have the Ultimate-Class Devils which are the highest ranking that could be attained by Devils. This could be obtained through training or just being naturally born with great power. Those who attain this rank are given one of the following titles: Satan, Great King, King, Archduke, Archduchess, Duke, Duchess, Prince, or Princess."
"Then finally, you have the Special Class, a newly founded one, and on the official record, only two individuals have managed to attain this rank. They are an entirely new class without any precedents, awarded to those who have appropriate abilities, and hold both social and political influence, bestowed upon those who have attained great achievements in defense of the Underworld."
"And where would you rank among them?" Ren asks.
"...Not to boast, but as a Pure-Blooded Devil, I started somewhere around the rank of a High-Class before I and three other of my peers ascended into Ultimate-Class as a reward for our common efforts in light of a crisis that happened at the time, which is another long story to tell," Sona explained.
"Would your kind in a sense be considered Hell Lords?" Rinne asks, referencing the early discussion that she had with Ai Enma.
"Based on the standards of Ai Enma's native reality, then I suppose by technical terms, every one of my kind who could make use of the Evil Pieces, a set of chess pieces that could allow for the reincarnation of other beings such as humans into Devils, qualifies. The normal method for the reincarnation of another being into one of my kind is full consent on the part of the one who ultimately desires it. Though of course, this system is far from perfect and it has plenty of flaws which I am more than happy to point out. If this system were to be abused, it could be seen as slavery. Unfortunately, there have been some cases like that where devils have forced people into changing against their will. These devils would usually be punished if ever found out."
"And if they aren't found out?" Ren asks the hard question, her expression looking serious.
"That, unfortunately, is how some managed to get away with such things. Just as humanity has its own vile of corrupted individuals, devils are no exception to that rule," Sona acknowledged, expressing her displeasing sentiments directed at those who abused the Evil Piece system. The more she grew older and experienced, the less positive she became about it. Like humans, devils are imperfect beings. Trust a devil with some kind of power for a few reasons, one may find problems along the way.
Sona's expression turned normal when she explained further. "Well, my kind's current leadership which consisted of the Four Satans are a very reasonable and overall well-meaning people, so the standards for how my race would be perceived as Hell Lords would be more on the most pleasant side of things, both due to the relatively kinder metaphysics of our dimension and well, my kind could be considered saints by general Hell Lord standards."
"Saints are an understatement admittedly," Enma joined in the conversation. "Most Hell Lords of my world are malevolent by nature. Twisted and evil. There's no getting around that. As a Hell Lord myself, one of my tasks is to keep most of these Hell Lords from getting a bit too ambitious. One of those reasons concerns the fact that many Hell Lords had tried to conquer my universe plenty of times for many reasons stemming from pride and ambition, or just outright twisted urges and desires, or to wanting humanity and the mortal races subjected eternally to their rule of thumb. Hell Lords are a general problem that the Midnight Suns would combat ever since are founding in the year 2000."
"What are the Midnight Suns exactly?" Mayuri asks, listening while mentally taking notes.
"An ideal," Sona explained. "A group of remarkable individuals, all twenty-four original members in number when the group was founded by the former, before our group eventually expanded to include more members. We aren't affiliated with any country, and we go about where we are most needed. Here, I'll provide a picture of our original members."
Sona would conjure up a mental, hovering image on the table where it showed a photo consisting of at least twenty-four individuals. The three Spirits would take a look at the picture with interest. They noticed a few oddities, such as...
"Hold on, is that... you and Shidou?" Mayuri would point out the man with dark blue hair and grey sides and the woman with long hair reaching her back, sporting a curious look.
"Yes," Sona nodded. "This is what we normally look like, until something happens that turns us back into our younger selves, which is another long story. This photo was taken sometime in the year 2000, right after we dealt with an alien invasion. The one a little near to my husband would be the previous President of the United States who had ended his term months ago, former President Jack Ryan." Sona said, indicating the man who was standing a little next to Shidou.
"Hmm," Ren looked a bit interested, looking at the picture of an adult Shidou. "I must say, the boy looks more handsome as an adult despite being an old man at this point."
Rinne looked at each individual carefully. She had to admit that it was quite a diverse cast. Some looked normal while others were more extraordinary and extravagant in appearance.
"Whose that tall, muscular person over there?" Mayuri asks, pointing out one of the individuals.
"That would be All Might, and as one could already tell from his attire, he is a superhero," Sona explained with a smile. "His real name is Yagi Toshinori and he comes from a universe where 80% of the population are known to have superhuman abilities called Quirks, and All Might bore the title of Symbol of Peace, representing himself as that world's champion."
"And who is that nun with the blond hair?" Ren asks, pointing out one of the individuals.
"That would be Griselda," Sona explained, making Rinne pay attention. "She's from a race known as the Angelus, considered to be one of the first species that could be classified as the first Angels in the Multiverse."
"Heeh," Rinne looked in awe as she saw the woman being talked about by her husband. Blond hair. Bright blue angelic eyes. A modest brown nun habit. A cheerful demeanor is seen in her charming smile. A perfect figure that belonged to a supermodel. "Then, this is the one that my husband praises as the better cook." That detail, Rinne found to be odd and surprising, because if there's one thing Rinne knew about her husband, it's that this kind of declaration was not taken lightly.
"Huh," Ren muttered with amusement. "She looks prettier and more charismatic than another blonde girl that I know."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Mayuri looked a bit annoyed.
Then they would continue to discuss and see the various members of the Midnight Suns shown in the photo. Various members of the Midnight Suns interested them such as the super vampire that was born somewhere around the Hundred Years War, a shrine maiden of another dimension, a powerful esper from a dark future, a man who was basically the Saint George of legendary myth, and plenty more. But there was one person who stood out to them, one who was at the center, closer to Shidou in the photo.
"Whose that boy on the center?" Ren asks, pointing out the young boy, somewhere around fourteen or fifteen years of age, wearing a bandana on his forehead.
Sona and Ai Enma looked at each other with a knowing expression. Then they turned to the Spirits who were inquiring about him.
"That is Eugene Thruston, the Midnight Suns' leader," Sona explained.
"Leader?" Ren asks, looking a bit curious. "Hmm, he doesn't look like much."
"I can assure you, that man is a lot more qualified than he appears to be," Ai Enma spoke in defense, despite the cold normal tone that she usually carries. "And he's similar to Snake and this Devil Sorceress," she indicates Sona. "He's a lot older than he looks, about a century at least. In my world, he is considered to be the Legendary Soldier who had fought and saved the world many times before, and throughout his life, he is known, hated, and even feared by many Hell Lords, giving him the title of the Righteous Man, and that kind of reputation is not something to be taken lightly."
"Hmm," Ren noted the subtle praise. "You seem quite defensive about him."
"He..." Enma spoke slowly. "He was the one who ultimately freed me from my fate. I was once a slave of a former Hell Lord, before the Righteous Man killed him." Enma looks at Rinne. "As I explained before, Sonogami-san, you should probably ask your husband for more details on that matter. Some of it is... personal, so forgive me if I do not talk too much about it."
"Hmm, I understand," Rinne made an understanding look.
"Oh, and well, seeing as we're sharing pictures, I may share a picture of my daughter as well," Sona spoke, conjuring up yet another image where it depicted herself and her husband in their current younger forms, along with a little girl about seven years of age.
The young girl had her mother's looks, except for the hairstyle which is longer, reaching her back. She had dark blue hair, similar to her father's. She had ocean-blue eyes, ones that she got from her grandmother's traits on her father's side. Her smile was a happy and cheerful one, like any other child.
Rinne, Mayuri, and Ren looked awed as they saw her. "...Cu..Cute."
Sona smiled a little, a bit cheerful. "Hmm, she truly is, our pride and joy." Her expression turns solemn, with a tinge of fondness that highlights her smile. "If there is one thing I am very thankful for my husband, it's that he made me into a mother. Of course, it's not an easy task, but... I would not exchange this gift with anything else."
Rinne could not help but genuinely smile. "I know the feeling... I'm also thankful to be a mother as well."
Sona's smile turns towards Rinne, saying. "...You know, Rinne, my daughter can be your daughter as well."
"Eh?" Rinne sported a surprised expression. "But..."
"Well," Sona smiled. "You already offered me to be your daughter's mother, and you cannot imagine the happiness and relief that I felt when you proposed that. In the same way, I'd like to extend my own offer for you to be my daughter's mother as well. As we are both the wives of our husband, I believe that our daughters could serve to ease the tension of our current relationship."
Rinne smiled genuinely, speaking. "I... I would love to be a mother to your daughter, Sona, even more so when she is the daughter of my husband, so that makes her my daughter too."
"And I... I feel the same way, whenever I look at Rio," Sona spoke softly. "My husband used to tell me all about her. I can just tell how much Rio meant to him, and how much you meant to him. That was why a part of me felt a bit of tension and anticipation in trying to think of how I would conduct myself properly when we meet."
"Sona," Rinne smiled, reaching for Sona's hand. "You don't have to feel too tense around me or Rio. Like you said, we're all family now. Admittedly, we still have lots to talk about, but... I'm happy to discuss them as much as we want, if only because I would like to get to know about the woman who had managed to open my husband's heart while I was away."
"I'd like that very much," Sona smiled softly.
"Well, don't leave us hanging, you two," Ren spoke abruptly, making Rinne and Sona turn towards her, who was now putting a hand to her face, and her elbow rested on the table. She sighed as she spoke. "Ma, I guess this would also mean the addition of yet another sister into our strange family." She made an amused expression. "I do wonder how our boy would explain all of this to his imouto and of course to our dear mother."
"Hmm," Rinne sported a concerned expression. "That's right. Kotori-chan wouldn't remember any of us right now. And well... there's our mother who is with her."
"I would not worry too much, Rinne, everyone," Sona spoke with a reassuring expression. "Considering that bigger problems have arisen in your world, I believe that at the very least, if we were to fully explain the situation, things would run smoothly."
"Yes, but this is our mother that we're talking about," Ren pointed out. "I'd assume that since your married to Itsuka Shidou, you are aware of why Spirits exist in the first place, correct?"
"That's right," Sona confirmed. "He told me everything. The real reason why the Spirits are created. It was to bring back the man that the First Spirit, your mother, had loved. Takamiya Shinji."
"So now you can see the problem right now?" Ren said. "Say you explain the whole situation, it may not even matter much because that woman is dead set on her goals to bring back that person, and she's willing to do anything to attain it."
"It would normally be a problem, I agree, but..." Sona puts her hand on the bridges of her glasses. "There is one thing that none of you had taken into account."
"Meaning?" Ren asks.
"Takamiya Shinji is alive," Sona spoke, dropping the bombshell.
"...!" The Spirits widened their eyes a bit.
"Yes, that is one of the main reasons why I and the rest of the Midnight Suns would prefer to explain when we do get to meet Takamiya Mio, or as she's known by now, Murasame Reine. Right now, back in my time, he's currently acting as my husband's father and is my father-in-law." Sona explained.
"Wait, if he's alive, then... does he know?" Rinne asks, concerned.
"Oh, he knows," Sona spoke sadly. "He remembers my mother-in-law every single day. When he isn't busy with some other thing or is taking care of Shiori or is spending time with my husband, that's all he ever thinks about. He misses her, you know."
"How... How is he alive?" Rinne could not help but ask.
"Well, that relates to a specific imperfect convergence phenomenon that occurred in our future world, a universe that is called by the interdimensional coordinates as RX Universe-789, a combined universe where elements from your world and mine co-exist, but it has flaws. For one, the Spirits do not exist in that timeline. For two, I was never born in that timeline. How I ended up in a younger body was made possible through the Interlining Process that was created by an old teacher and superior. It allowed me and my husband to insert ourselves into this new timeline without any complications, with us being turned back into six-year-olds."
"Hmm," Mayuri looked interested. "If I didn't know any better, that reminds me of something I read or watched before. Isekai I suppose would be the right word."
"Yes, my description of how it happened does sound like an isekai plot found in entertainment medium," Sona affirmed the comparison. "There were many reasons why we had to undergo the Interlining Process, some of which are strictly classified and on a need-to-know basis. So we didn't just turn ourselves younger for the sake of it."
"Hmm, when exactly did you and Shidou, umm, had Shiori? Was it before or after this Interlining Process?" Rinne looked curious, considering the complicated circumstances of times and dates.
"It was after, and well, it was during our second honeymoon trip throughout the multiverse which lasted for about seven years relatively speaking, but for the universe we left behind, we've been gone only for about a few months. How we managed to maintain our respective ages, well, it's due to our natural abilities that we made use of," Sona explained.
"Hmm, so you two probably met Takamiya Shinji after the Interlining Process," Rinne said.
"Hai, we met him sometime after," Sona nodded. "Currently, he's taking care of Shiori back in our future, so he couldn't really come with me, nor could I take my daughter here with me since I felt that it would be potentially too dangerous. Rather unfortunate in some ways as I figured that Rio would like to get to know her younger sibling."
"Hmm, and I would have loved to meet her too," Rinne spoke sadly.
"I suppose when things settle down for a bit, I could send for her here," Sona looks at Enma who was silent the entire conversation. "Can I eventually ask for you to fetch her for me?"
"It's not a problem," Enma only said, still retaining her emotionless tone as she took a sip of her tea. "That girl probably misses her father already."
At the same time, Johnny Blaze would suddenly come into the room and speak to them.
"Hey there, girls," he said, making everyone pay attention to him. He raised his cell phone and spoke. "I just got a call from Constantine. He says that you should all watch the news, something's came up."
Rio Sonogami was more than happy. Her heart could not describe how happy she was. She was spending quality time with her papa as they both worked together in the kitchen.
Despite the current appearance of a ten-year-old, Rio was a little older than how she looked. She remembered the long years she spent in the pocket dimension known as Eden. It was a time when she had been most concerned about how she wanted to make everyone happy. In those days, she spent time with her papa and mama for many decades. Her papa accepted the happiness of Eden and spent the rest of his days with them. Naturally, it came to an end at some point.
But those were the most precious moments in her lifetime which she treasured more than anything within her heart.
"You're having fun, Rio?" Her papa asks with a smile.
"Hmm," Rio nodded cheerfully. "Rio always likes helping papa with his cooking."
"Is that so?" Shidou smiled as he patted her hair.
Eventually, after a while, they managed to make the meals that were prepared for everybody. Rio thought that her papa admittedly went all out with the dishes, but she felt that this was her papa's way of expressing his happiness for being reunited with her, with mama, and the rest of the Spirits.
Rio was not naïve. Something about her papa changed. He's still the same kind and gentle papa that she grew to know and love, but there was an old worn-out feeling that she could just instinctively detect. And her mama, she felt, also felt the same feeling that she experienced. Rio can tell that her papa was a lot older than the last time she saw him. She had wondered what had happened. Though she won't push her papa into explaining. She figured that things needed to follow naturally.
"Mama, Sona-mama, everyone," Rio spoke with a smile as she brought the dishes to the table. "Rio brought the food just as papa ordered."
Both Rinne and Sona, her two mamas, smiled as Rinne patted her gently on the head. "Hmm, thank you, Rio. Where's papa?"
"Still in the kitchen, papa said that he would join us eventually," Rio spoke as she gently sat down beside her mama and her new mama Sona.
Rio's attention turns towards the television where one of her papa's best friends, Johnny Blaze, and her two aunts, were watching from the living room nearby. It depicts papa's and his team's latest battle against the giant monster that threatened their world.
"Huh..." Ren spoke, seemingly unsurprised but more exasperated. "I was honestly wondering if this latest stunt hasn't caught up with the news by now. Never thought there were people actually recording it."
"Unfortunately, miss, I don't think these people who recorded it were people," Blaze, sitting on the sofa, had both of his arms crossed.
"No, they aren't."
A serious voice would be heard as Rio and every one turn towards the direction near the dining room where there appeared an American with black hair and brown eyes, a handsome face, tall in height, wearing a black business suit with a dark blue necktie, followed by a beige trench coat and sports a pair of black dress shoes. He came out from what appeared to be a yellowish-gold magic portal, having transported himself from another location.
Rinne, Mayuri, and Ren recognized him from the photo that they were shown earlier by Sona. His name was John Constantine, also called Hellblazer and other titles. An occult detective, paranormal investigator, seasoned supernatural hunter, and veteran exorcist.
Rio looked curious as she'd never seen this man before, but she did detect something within him. A circulating yet subtle spark of existence that allows for something or another to happen, and it would happen, as much as Rio could understand. This man, though looking like a normal human, is far from it. It almost felt like he was the center of multiple coincidences that would all intentionally or unintentionally play out in his favor.
The man looked a little exasperated as he looked at the television depicting the news, and then to his fellow Midnight Suns. "After about a month or two of hiding and investigating in this world, and already we've managed to draw out the media's attention."
"Hey, don't blame us, we didn't summon that Hell Lord to this universe, it came on its own," Blaze deadpanned.
"I wasn't blaming you so much as I wondered how long would it take before our identity gets somewhat exposed for the public eye," Constantine deadpanned while he walked towards a seat and sat down. He glances at the Spirits who are looking at him with curious expressions. "The name's Constantine, John Constantine, though I figured some of the people here had already told you who I am." Constantine looks at Sona knowingly.
"Hmm, Sona told us who you are, along with other Midnight Suns, when she showed us a photo of you all," Rinne said.
"That right?" Constantine glances at Rinne, recognizing her. "And you must be Snake's first wife. Snake's told me about you sometimes, along with your daughter," He said while looking at the ten-year-old girl sporting a curious, tilted expression as she drew closer to him.
"You look weird," Rio muttered.
Constantine raised a curious eyebrow. Blaze tries really hard not to laugh. Sona sported a slightly amused look. Enma looks emotionless as ever. Mayuri and Ren looked amused.
"Rio!" Rinne spoke with a motherly, chiding tone as she stood up from her seat and walked towards her daughter. "You shouldn't say such things like that."
"Ah...sorry," Rio muttered softly, lowering her head as she felt her mama patting it gently and embracing her.
"I'm sorry for this, Constantine...san?" Rinne spoke with an exasperated smile.
"Just John would do," Constantine casually waves his hand, not bothered by it. "And don't worry, I'm not offended, I've been called worst."
"It's true, ma'am," Blaze sported an amused look. "It gets to the point where a lot of people in Hell invented and used a lot of dangerous cursed languages just to get the guy, only for those curses to bounce off with no effect and land right back at them."
"My soul doesn't come cheap, Blaze, you'd know that," Constantine spoke as a matter of fact.
"Ma'am, just be glad he's no longer the smoking type," Blaze cautioned Rinne while also providing some humor. "Back then, he's practically a chain smoker and smokes almost everywhere he goes."
"I haven't smoked in years, Blaze," Constantine deadpanned. "Never needed a reason too."
"...Ah, Constantine, didn't expect you to show up right now?" Shidou Itsuka enters the conversation, holding his own meal that consisted of the finest roasted chicken. He sits down near Sona's position. "If I knew you'd be here, I'd have cooked up some more."
"It's fine, I'm not really hungry, Snake," Constantine spoke uncaringly. "I only came here because I thought of telling you a few things that I've found out."
"You can tell it while all of us eat together," Shidou, sporting a serious expression, suggested.
While Shidou and Constantine were speaking, everyone was now sitting at the dining table as they wanted to listen to this talk.
"Alright, well, to recap, for the past two months, I, these three," Constantine indicated the three Midnight Suns besides Shidou who were present at the table. "And Strange's kid had been investigating this world long before you four arrived. I think one of us had told you the general gist of what's happened?"
"Ah," Shidou nodded. "Though, two months?" He looks at Sona and Enma with a concerned expression. "You've all been here long before I was."
"The Doctor himself simply pointed us in the right direction where we needed to land," Enma explained. "So yes, before you and that other person ended up here, we've been staying and investigating the lay of the land. As this world is the prime reality of your multiverse, it holds more significance than any other, for this is where everything started, and now, it's where things would reach their high point."
"In the past two months, there's been some resurgence of Hell activity going on around this world. One of the bad news is that the BEDs have basically infiltrated the US Government in key strategic locations," Constantine explained.
"Wait, America got infiltrated by the BEDs?!" Shidou sported a shocked and disturbed expression.
That wasn't good, Shidou thought. Ever since the Spacequake that happened over thirty or so years prior which engulfed the entirety of Eurasia, the superpowers of the Soviet Union and China were wiped off the map as a result, leaving America as the main dominant superpower left in the world, which had since then gained plenty of influence on the world stage, with no country left to compete with it. In fact, plenty of technologies and innovations that were designed to protect countries against spacequakes came from America. America had also taken over in terms of cheap manufacturing, having the resources negotiated from countries like India and Mexico.
America was also the place where the organization Deus Ex Machina (DEM) Industries had plenty of influence and connections, with one of the main headquarters located somewhere around Washington D.C.
"That's right," Constantine nodded. "That means that they have the resources of said government, along with its multiple connections and influence, along with its over 3 to 4 million military personnel and over 800,000 civilian personnel in their employ, whether they know it or not, whether they are possessed by a BED or not. The entire US of A has now become a pawn under the employ of the Yellow-Eyed Demon."
"Wait?" Ren, sporting a concerned expression. "The US? BEDs? Yellow-Eyed Demon?"
"Ah, nee-san," Rinne made a grim expression. "You see..."
Rinne would explain to her sisters about the BEDs, at least from what she learned from either her husband or from Enma. Ren more or less took things casually while Mayuri in turn was a bit disturbed.
The BEDs could be summed up in one word. Bad Ends. That is what happens if a human were to die in sin or were unrepentant even to their very last, and even after the last. The term 'everyone has a dark side' is the living definition of these creatures, for every single human on Earth has its darker self, whether they have come from a possible future or an alternative timeline or a parallel reality, it was the same principle. There would be an evil and twisted version of yourself that you may end up potentially becoming had you done evil in your life and not repent when you die. Then you are sent to Hell where you are tortured extensively enough until you lose your humanity and everything that makes you human, turning into a twisted, vengeful, chaotic force of pure evil.
Whatever is left of that person, any kind of potential for good that it had, is long gone. There was only evil that lurked within the souls of these abominations.
Then the explanations came to the part where, as per the convergence phenomenon, the Spirits' universe and their respective multiverse are merging with the respective multiverse where Blaze, Enma, and Constantine came from, the BEDs have multiplied exceedingly. Anyone they encounter in their world now has a BED counterpart lurking about and causing untold evil. Among those BEDs, there are those among their number who have been killed by the Spirits in their lifetime, whether past or future or another world, it does not matter. So long as the potential for such fates exists, so do these abominations exist, and they are quite the vengeful lot that wants to make their murderers - the Spirits - suffer in the most horrific manner possible before death inevitably claims them.
Enma in turn would provide an additional explanation.
"There is a hierarchy among the Black-Eyed Demons, same as any other well-structured kingdom or society. The first are the Princes of Hell, the political leaders and generals of these abominations. The most powerful and oldest among them. They were the first generation of Black-Eyed Demons who had existed since the 1st Cosmos Era. They are the most loyal servants of their leader, whom I and a few others refer to as the Yellow-Eyed Demon."
"Who's the Yellow-Eyed Demon?" Ren asks, curious.
Then every one of the Midnight Suns, including Shidou, became very eerily silent and grim. Even when Enma has her emotionless expression, it is clear that she is a bit trepid. The Spirits noticed the change of atmosphere and felt some kind of chill running down their spine as the moments passed.
Enma finally spoke with a careful tone. "One of the Midnight Suns' most deadliest of enemies to date and a constant thorn within our own lives, that's all I would explain, since it would be more appropriate if Snake's sister and his mother were aware of this information too, and I don't like to repeat myself unnecessarily." Then she continued. "Then you have the Knights of Hell, who serve as the elite fighting force and the ones who handle black operations, dangerous, secretive, and efficient in whatever tasks their masters would send for them."
"Then you have the Special Variants, Black-Eyed Demons carrying a special type of power unique to their very own being. Some of these abominations, when they were alive, would once have been what people call, metahumans, or supervillains, or whatever human had carried a certain power. When a human dies and becomes a demon, whatever powers they had received in their lifetime stay with them. Another set of these abominations also are linked to a specific function. For example, there are the Natural Disaster Demons (NDDs) who specialize in the fields of causing all forms of natural disasters, from as simple as causing earthquakes and thunderstorms to crashing an asteroid on a planet. They are also associated with manmade disasters as well as things like war, conquest, famine, pestilence, and death. Another example would be the Serial Killer Demons (SKDs), those who in their lifetime have committed the most atrocious acts that a human could genuinely think of. They are the ones who usually act as Hell's expert torturers for the creation and production of BEDs. Though in their past time, they also tend to cause trouble on Earth, mostly in secret, as serial killers often are."
"Then last but not least, you have the Regulars, Black-Eyed Demons who form most of the bulk of this kingdom of Hell and they are more or less the average citizens. It's these demons where you would find what Snake's spouse had explained to you two. They are the dark potentialities and choices of humans personified, beings who chose evil even after death, willingly. They were once humans turned demons who had come from the historical and revised past, to the in-between lines of the present day, up to the uncertain and tumultuous future."
After Enma finished her explanation, the Spirits all looked at each other with troubled expressions. They look towards the Midnight Suns who were present.
"Is there any way to kill these things without harming the ones they're possessing?" Ren asks with a grim expression.
"There are a few known means," Enma confirmed. "The Spirits just so happened to be the perfect ideal weapon against them. A single touch from a Spirit kills the demon while keeping the host intact. Touch them in any physical manner or through your reiryoku, they will die swiftly. However, I would not underestimate them either. Some of their kind are quite resourceful, in the sense that the more weaknesses are apparent, the more likely would they think of ways to improvise their tactics. They don't have to do it by themselves and draw near to you, but they can employ other means."
"Such as making use of the American government, or... more potentially anyone in the DEM, but someone like that bastard would probably notice it," Shidou spoke grimly, while the term 'bastard' was uttered with a subtle displeasure and justified hatred overlaying his darker demeanor, which was felt by the Spirits, especially Rinne, who looked at him with concern.
"That reminds me," Shidou's expression lessened its darkening and looks at Constantine. "You said Strange's kid? Angela's with you too?"
What Shidou was referring to was yet another member of the Midnight Suns. Formerly and concurrently, she was Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Nowadays, when she had been adopted by the Sorcerer Supreme of MV Universe-616, her name was changed to Angela Vincenza Strange, the Mistress of the Mystic and Forbidden Arts and the Sorceress Supreme Overseer.
"That's right," Constantine nodded. "Before I got here, she and I were investigating Hell activity when she needed to hop dimensions because apparently, when you, Hell Girl, and Blaze had killed that Hell Lord, it sent a large influx of Earths merging or existing concurrently with other Earths in your multiverse, meaning that you aren't the only ones dealing with Earths being seen in the heavens above. There are also other Earths in this multiverse that require her to rewrite the entirety of its timeline and untangle the convergence like a knot torn out of its shape to ensure a convergence of worlds does not happen within those universes majorly affected. The world where all standing in wasn't hit with the worst because this universe was at the very center of Ground Zero when that Baphomet's Hell Dimension blew away when its ruler died."
Constantine looks at Shidou dead in the eye. "Now, you've pretty much got most of Hell's attention already, and they're gonna be using every opportunity that they have to try to encroach upon this world, one that is admittedly permeating with reiryoku, a unique substance that could empower or depower depending on how one uses it. Its' like Hell's Faustian Bargains and Soul Business, but turn them up to an unlucky 13, with a Spirit's reiryoku trail is worth more than billions of human souls."
"That would just make dating the Spirits and restoring their memories much harder," Shidou spoke grimly, biting his lip. "Right now, all of the Spirits out there, including Tohka, are now a walking target. I can't wait for all of them to show up like before. I need to be a bit more active this time and try to find every single one of them before either the BEDs or the rest of Hell find them."
Shidou further pondered about the situation a bit before he looked at Constantine. "...Actually, about the BEDs, would... would HYDRA be involved too?"
The Spirits scrunched their eyebrows a bit, not familiar with the name. "HYDRA?" Rinne asks, inquiring.
"Something of another matter that is related to the convergence," Enma reminded. "It would do one well to be aware of the danger that HYDRA poses, and it is something of a personal matter for all of the Spirits as well."
"...Huh? What do you mean by that?" Mayuri asks.
"HYDRA..." Shidou's expression turned darker as he spoke slowly. "...is responsible for everything."
"Everything?" Mayuri inquired while taking note of Shidou's expression.
Shidou gave each of the Spirits, including Mayuri, a grim and weathered look.
"Everything. Why the bastard is doing what he does. The birth of the First Spirit. The spacequakes. The existence of the other Spirits, including all of you. It was all the plan of HYDRA," Shidou explained further.
"...What?" Mayuri muttered, scrunching her eyebrows, confused.
"...Our entire lives have been planned from the very beginning," Shidou explained, his expression turning into a subtle yet painful one. "The real reason I was born. The real reason everything in our lives had taken place. The real reason people die during these times. It was all HYDRA's doing... or to be more direct, it was the work of somebody within HYDRA who the bastard knew, who Ellen Mathers knew, who Elliot Woodman knew... who they all thought to be dead, but is actually alive and had faked his own death... the man who was responsible for setting up the pieces that allowed for the events of the First Spirits' creation to have taken place."
"Wait, hold on..." Rinne muttered, realizing what her husband was trying to say. "...Are you saying..."
"Your husband..." Enma spoke, her emotionless expression not changing. "...Is saying that everything, including the moment you were all born, comes from none other than the twisted machinations of an organization whose roots are ancient and primordial, dating before the beginnings of my own universe, of your universe, and many others."
Enma explained. "HYDRA... is an organization of many names, one that is both paradoxically unified and divided, spread out from every corner of existence in various shapes and forms, infiltrating everywhere from the First World which is the world of man and other lesser races, from the Second World which is the world of the extradimensional and of the supernatural, from the Third World which is the world of the cosmics, and finally from the Fourth World which is the world from beyond where the old things lie in wait. Mostly composed of humans adhering to principles and doctrines as diverse as the sands of the sea, all of them unknowingly unified with a Common Sense named after their name, and they all, knowingly and unknowingly, serve The Master who bears that name."
"The Master..." Rinne muttered softly. She did not know why, but she felt a subtle dread coming down her heart when that word was mentioned within the context of the explanation. The other Spirits noticed it as well, as if the word demanded to be understood even if they had no actual context of what it was or what it meant.
"Hold on," Ren spoke slowly. "Are you... Are you both suggesting that everything our mother did... was because this organization wanted it to happen?"
"That is the main point of the explanation, yes," Enma nodded, her emotionless expression not helping matters. "Everything in your lives was all calculated to a perfect and precise point."
"And that part there would eventually be called Operation Foresight," Constantine continued the explanation. "It was a top-secret operation stretching from various universes, dimensions, and timelines where specific groups within HYDRA who are fully aware of The Truth and served it would initiate, and one that was a conscious extension of the Common Sense of HYDRA. With a combination of advanced science and magic, plus the ingenuity of the human mind, they've been manipulating many worlds for a very, very long time, and most people don't even know it." Constantine made a deriding smirk. "And they say I'm a con man."
"Among HYDRA's ranks, they have their own BEDs that answer to a Hell Lord of their own," Sona explained with a grim expression. "The Hell Lord's name is called Hythulu-Leviathan, the High Priest of The Master, and the representative Hell Lord for HYDRA. His Hell Dimension is something that is not connected with any multiverse and is its very own cosmology. It is only known as Sheol-Gehenna, the afterlife where all who bore the mark of HYDRA go when they die and pass on for whatever reason. In that realm, the dead members of HYDRA become Black-Eyed Demons who serve and answer only to the will of HYDRA.
"The main distinguishing feature of these BEDs is that they appear to carry the marks of the beast described in the Bible on their foreheads, two different variants, but held the same principle. 666 which denotes the ones who know the truth of HYDRA. 616 which denotes the ones who know imperfectly about the truth of HYDRA. Along with these numbers, they are present inside a circumferential symbol where a skull on top would be, but without the jawline, followed by octopus tentacles with suction cups, with each tentacle having a space that is reminiscent of gears relating to a clock."
Sona sported a look of caution. "If HYDRA's BEDs are still and also active within this universe, then this may turn into our favor."
"Divide and conquer," Shidou answered.
"Exactly, my dear husband," Sona nodded.
"Yes, but even with that line of thinking, there's still a few problems," Constantine explained. "While both HYDRA's BEDs and the regular BEDs are opposed to one another, they both don't get along with the other Hell Lords who would probably see this universe as one they wanted to take for themselves. This universe has become a battlefield and the prize is none other than the Spirits, so it depends on who moves first, HYDRA, or the BEDs being led by Yellow Eyes, or the other Hell Lords who aren't even united and are opposed by each other."
"Good grief," Ren muttered in displeasure. "This has become a lot more complicated than I thought it would be." She looks at Constantine. "So what, we have two factions that are trying to take over our world for their own purposes, and one of those factions is actually a set of factions that do not all get along and have different, even contradictory motivations, do I get my understanding correctly?"
Constantine sighed a little as he pinched his eyes a bit. "I wish, but... you're missing one more."
"One more?" Ren looked annoyed. "You mean there's another faction besides HYDRA and the Hell Lords?"
"Yeah," Shidou sighed, sharing Constantine's sentiments. "I knew we're gonna bring up SkyNet eventually."
"SkyNet?" Rinne asks.
"A rogue artificial intelligence with multiple origin points and existing in countless universes that form another faction within this very war," Shidou looks at his wife with a concerned expression. "Rinne, thinking about it some more, what we're dealing with, it's not an isolated incident. The convergence of our world with Enma's, Blaze's, and Constantine's world is but one main event of a temporal war that had been happening for... god knows how long."
"A war?" Rinne asks. "What war?"
"A time war," Shidou explained. "Specifically, one that originated in Enma's, Blaze's, and Constantine's world. This war had been going around for a long time, stretching from the past all the way to the future and even sideways. People usually call it the Proxy Wars due to the way the war is fought between three main factions: HYDRA, SkyNet, and the Hell Lords."
"And now the war is coming to a head," Blaze spoke grimly. "And your world is one of the main battlefields."
Everyone was silent as they mulled over the details. A war of space and time happening in the background, and Shidou's current situation which relates to that war. This was... This was big, even for them...
Beep.
"...?!"
Everyone noticed the bell ringing from the front door. They all looked knowingly at each other.
"Looks like your sister's here, Snake," Blaze sported a serious look. "Along with your mother."
Shidou sighed a little, standing up from his seat. "Better start getting ready for my gut to get punched."
"I'll come with you, Shidou," Rinne spoke, standing up from her seat.
"As will I,' Sona spoke, standing up from her seat.
"I'm coming too, papa," Rio spoke, standing up as well.
"I'll come with you too," Blaze offered a helping hand and a comforting smile. "Somebody's gotta have to watch your back in case things turn south."
"Heh," Shidou smiled a little, twitching a bit out of concern. "If you know anything about my mother, Blaze, you'd know that she's not somebody you'd want as your enemy, especially if she were to get serious enough."
"Maybe, but... what are Midnight Suns for?" Blaze smirked a bit.
Shidou smirked a little in turn.
"Excuse me," Enma spoke with her emotionless tone. "But have you all forgotten about the two of us? We are also Midnight Suns as well, so this business is our business."
"And I guess it's too bad that Strange's kid isn't here right now," Constantine replied. "We could really use the extra mojo in case things don't go well."
"Me and Nee-san would like to go as well," Mayuri proposed and volunteered for both herself and Ren to help with the current situation.
"Huh?" Ren looks at her youngest sister with bewilderment and annoyance. "Why do I have to get roped into this?"
"Nee-san, why are you complaining right now? This concerns all of us as family, so you should also participate in this instead of just sitting here," Mayuri pointed out with a strict tone.
"Hmph, whatever, fine," Ren spoke with an annoyed yet relenting expression before turning into one of amusement. "Admittedly, it would be... rather interesting to see the look on our mother's face since, knowing our current time table, she wouldn't expect me of all people to walk around undeterred and not in prison."
"Oh right..." Shidou twitched a bit. "...Our mother did imprison you because... well... me..."
"Why are you looking guilty, Itsuka Shidou?" Ren spoke with an annoyed tone. "I no longer hold any grudge against you for what had happened to me, so you better start fixing your face if you want to face our mother with dignity."
"Hai, hai," Shidou sighed a bit. "Let's just... Let's just get this over with..."
This was stupid, Kotori Itsuka thought with an exasperated and irritated expression.
A lot of unexpected things had happened on this very day. First was her brother basically making use of Princess' Spirit power and was making use of other Spirit powers which she didn't recognize at all, though she couldn't help the feeling that there was something oddly familiar about them and she didn't know why. Then there was an entire battle involving some gigantic demon coming out of a crack from the sky and her brother was putting up an actual fight.
Actually, since when can her brother fight like that? More to the point, how did he become a Kamen Rider? Things were too inconsistent for Kotori to properly process. When did it start? How did something like that slip under her very nose? She couldn't think of any triggering event or any relevant date. She's drawing blanks. This irritated her, yet also concerned her. What had happened with her brother while she wasn't looking?
While Kotori was mulling over these things, she looked at Reine Murasame, her Head Analyst who was... oddly silent and never spoke a word unless Kotori prodded her to speak. Her expression looked normal as far as she was concerned, so maybe this was not that big of a deal for Kotori to get worked up over.
No, right now, she needed answers and she's going to get them, even if she had to ring them in on her brother.
While she was thinking of these things, Reine was having more troubling thoughts occurring in her own mind, trying to process just what had happened before. Even more so, she could clearly sense the diverse powers existing within this very house. She recognizes at least four Spirit signatures, and is shocked regarding one of them (Ren) and makes her grow anxious as this Spirit in question is supposed to be sealed when she clearly isn't. Something was not right.
Then there were these strange urgings and longings she had been feeling, ones which had been amplified for about a few months before this. That inkling feeling that she had forgotten something.
Then she also felt the different signatures present in the room. One's presence was dark yet tempered, holding desires of vengeance at the palm of one's hand. Another's presence was pure vengeance that bordered on the divine. Another was a synchronicity of coincidences and times, with an infinite potential for magical energy. She recognizes the first two, but does not know of the third, though she has reason to assume he is related to the former. These three signatures, she surmised, seemed to know her... son... while her son knew them, at least two of them when she saw the battle on screen.
And then there was... one other problematic nature. A mixture of a Spirit and... something else? And it has the same signature as her son.
She needed to find out more. If this were to threaten her current plans, then she would have to do what is necessary.
Isn't that what she always said ever since Shinji died? A thought occurred within her mind. More like a whisper. A rebuke.
In her heart, she knew that bringing back Shinji was beyond even her own power, and she could do practically anything, except bringing the dead back. That was the only limit that she had. She wanted to bring him back so badly, so she opted to create this plan which spans many years up to the present time. And Shidou Itsuka, her son, was the main center of her plans.
But those plans were now being threatened as uncertainty now becomes apparent. There were too many unpredictable factors. She needed to find out... preferably at least without anyone knowing of her true identity... as if it were that simple.
Reine remembers why they were here. Kotori, having tracked her brother back to their house, would like to head over and "give a piece of her mind" regarding the latest incident that had been broadcasted live by unknown means. Hypothetically, as Reine looks upwards for a bit, this may relate to the Earths currently present in the sky, not to mention the random people who appeared everywhere. This was currently causing the world to panic a bit due to the unexpectedness of the situation. Militaries and governments were currently scrambling to contain and address the situation.
In Ratatoskr itself, the organization that she and Kotori work for, it appears that they were also having problems that relate to this crisis due to the people that were coming out of nowhere, and among the branches of Ratatoskr that hid behind the military, they were providing any assistance that was needed in this recent humanitarian crisis.
There was so much that was happening and they needed to get as many answers as they could.
Which leaves to Shidou to provide those answers as he was the only thing that connected with everything.
...Then, they heard the sound of the door cracking. They looked forward. Slowly, it reveals Shidou Itsuka, who didn't seem surprised to see them here. Rather, his expression was... for Kotori, it felt intimidating yet concerning. For Reine, it was a mystery as well as anxiety which she got from her heart. As he opened the door, there were... people that were standing close to him.
"...!"
Reine widened her eyes, looking at a pink-haired girl who was with a little ten-year-old girl, a blonde-haired girl, and a dark purple-haired girl. The dark purple-haired girl in fact was smirking in amusement, as if she was relishing her overall shocked expression.
"Oh, hello, okaa-san," the dark purple-haired girl, Ren, said. "You seem to be well lately."
"Huh? Okaa-san?" Kotori made a confused expression, looking at Reine who, much to her surprise, sported a shocked expression.
"Itai!" Ren got bonked in the head by the blonde-haired girl, Mayuri, who sported an annoyed expression. Ren looked at her younger sister, annoyed while rubbing her head. "What was that for?"
"Stop making things worst," Mayuri chided. "The situation is already as complicated enough as it is, and provoking our mother is not good for everybody."
"I was just making some good fun," Ren did her own version of pouting by side glancing while her face was normal, even when annoyed.
"Now, now, you two," Rinne sported a correcting look. "And Mayuri-chan's right, Ren-neesan, we need to be serious here."
"Okay, okay, stop!" Kotori sported an irritated look, putting an X-mark hand style with both of her hands. "Somebody please tell me what's going on here?! Shidou!" She looks at her brother, who much to her irritation, looked unfazed and was still sporting that serious expression. "Who are these girls with you?! Who are those foreigners and that girl with you?!" She indicates to the Midnight Suns who were present. "What the hell just happened?! Explain!"
Shidou was still unfazed. Rather, his expression turns soft as he looks at Kotori. The expression of "I missed you" was clearly present on his face. It was taking every bit of him to not hug her and cry. Seeing her again, his little sister whom he cared for so very much. He missed this. He missed her.
He sighed as he said. "Follow me inside. We have a lot to talk about." He then looks at Reine who looks conflicted. "And I do mean all of us, okaa-san."
"...!"
Reine felt her breath taken away. While she was processing this, she sees Shidou slowly drawing near to her. Reine had the urge to step back a little, making Shidou stop.
"Okaa-san," Shidou spoke with a tone of resolve. "I need you to see it, see my memories, ones that you really need to know." He raises his right hand, likened to a gentle and not forceful invitation. "Please."saw
Reine hesitated to take that hand for a few moments. Was this a trick? Some part of her thinks so. But... those eyes... Shidou's eyes... They remind her too much of Shinji's... and yet... there was something else... much older... weary... weathered... just like her.
Indulging her curiosity, she would slowly take the hand of Shidou. Kotori looked between the two of them, not knowing what was going on. She was about to comment when...
Insert Song: End
Insert Song: Start
Long Long ago, 20th Century · Norio Sakai
"Michael," Shidou spoke, her eyes flashing gold.
"Ah!" Reine drew her breath as she felt a wave of specific memories traverse within this ocean of memories. She would say ocean as this was an apt description to describe the longest of years that her son had been through.
Echoes of despair. War-torn experiences from a War Without End. Horrors beyond imagination. The shrill cries of 'EXTERMINATE!'. Death being a common sight. She traverses to find important memories, a summarized and condensed version of the life of her son.
Following that, there were memories of a life that she originally lived and one that was her very own, including the very moment when she gave her own life to destroy both herself and the bastard who had taken the one she loved away.
And then... there was surprising information that she had received. Her son had a wife, no, two of them, both of whom he married at different points in his lifetime, both of whom he bore children with. One of the wives was a Spirit made after her own heart. Rinne Sonogami. The other was an unorthodox Spirit who belonged to another race. Sona Sitri.
Then...
"...Ah!"
Reine was seeing something. No, someone, within those very same memories.
She sees a man who is embracing her son. It was a reunion that was a long time coming.
The man had... aged, yet he was so very familiar to her. She cannot mistake it. She can recognize him. He looked to be somewhere around his 40s to 50s. He... He looked even more handsome than before. Dark blue hair, with shades of grey that indicated his age. His eyes were brown, yet worn and old, weary of battle. Did he fight? Yes, he did. In more ways than she could ever know. Taller in height, even taller than her.
Reine's lips were quivering as she saw all of the happy and bittersweet memories that passed by.
"I love your mother."
The words echoed within her love's lips in one peculiar memory making Reine feel like tears were rushing down her cheeks. Somewhere in a park, the man and Shidou were sitting on a bench and were conversing about many things. The orange sunset which overlayed the atmosphere, giving it a warm yet saddening feeling.
"I love her... even now." the man spoke with a bittersweet smile. "Unlike you, son, there really is no other woman I could ever love but her. I... I can never move on from her. I haven't done that in the past couple of decades... and I'm not stopping now."
Her man... the man she loved more than anything... Shinji Takamiya... he was alive! He was alive! And yet, that seem to have gone sour when Reine realizes that... yes... this was the future that she was seeing. From this perspective, it was Reine, or Mio, who died instead while it was her man who had to live with that for many decades.
"The first time I came too... well, I found myself in a world that I really don't know," Shinji spoke with a saddened smile, hiding a deep well of grief. "Azazel... he... he came to me just not long after... and told me everything... I... I couldn't believe it... Everything I knew... The life I knew... My family... My friends... My sister... My world... The woman I love... all gone..."
She sees her man crying, especially for her. That in turn made Reine cry as she saw it all.
"Eh?! Reine?! Wha-"
"Wait, Kotori-chan!"
On the side, Rinne would try to keep Kotori quiet.
"Trust Shidou, he knows what he's doing," Rinne said as she looked on towards Shidou who was sharing the important memories that their mother needed to see.
As Reine looks on, she sees the memories of her man, all of them, from the time he somehow found himself in a world that could not be any more different, a world that was an imperfect combination of their world and another world. At that moment...
"...!"
All she saw were battles, terrible beyond compare, and in those battles, she saw the man she loved transforming into the same Kamen Rider that her son had transformed into. All of those battles against a cult that wanted to enact a 50,000-year-old tradition to choose the next king for the universe and a universal empire that demanded that Earth submit to its rule.
"This is the end, Black Sun!"
There was a man who had the same powers as her beloved. His armor was of a different color. Silver armor and bug-like green eyes which glowed with an emerald power and whose helmet had fangs on the black mouth guard, lines coming from the eyes, and a metallic V-shaped horn extending from the forehead. Black sharp blades that were protruding from both his elbows and from his heels, as well as a black metallic band around his chest. On the center of his waist, there was a belt, whose color was black and which had an emerald gem on the center of the buckle, one that was known as the Shadow Charger, which contained the Kingstone of...
"...Shadow...Moon..." Reine muttered softly, in terror as she saw Shinji, as Kamen Rider Black, fighting against what appeared to be an alternate self and look-a-like who lived in this other world, Shinichiro Takamiya; both he and this man were young, somewhere around the age of 19. This was a time during the late 80s when it was him vs Shadow Moon, in preparation for the next crowned and christened Creation King, the leader of the nefarious cult known as Gorgom.
Their battles were fierce and terrible. It shook the entire Earth as they both fought to the very end.
"...Mio."
"...Shinji," Reine muttered softly as she heard her name echoing from all of these memories.
"...I...I can never see you again..." Shinji's voice expressed his intimate thoughts while flashes of memories occurred, making Reine watch the man she loved fighting against the kaijin of two enemies, one that was of a cult, and the other was of an empire. "...But...I have to fight...I have to fight...for the sake of my new world...for the sake of our son...who I want to meet soon."
"...I...I miss you every day...always...My heart is always yours..." Shinji's voice made that declaration.
Shinji Takamiya. The man who was alive. And the man who had been reborn into a new world on the night of a significant eclipse, where he lived unaware of the original life that he lived through. And she sees, much to her horror, how much the man she loved, strapped to an operating table, who along with the future candidate for Shadow Moon in another operating table, had been transformed into cyborgs, unwilling participants in a 50,000-year tradition.
He bore the burden. He became a Kamen Rider of the New World. Kamen Rider Black. The same Kamen Rider as their son. He fought his own battles as he secured the future for the new world he lived in.
As the memory process had been completed, as the very last thing that she saw was his face that smiled down upon their son, the same man who had taken the name 'Takamiya' as he lived in this new world along with his father, Reine broke down and cried.
"...Ahh...Ahhh...Ahh..."
Shidou and Reine embraced one another. Shidou closed his eyes as he allowed his mother to embrace him while maintaining support of his mother's trembling figure who seem like on the brink of falling down. Reine in turn cried, she cried as happiness and sorrow interlaced with each of her tears. Her body trembled and shook. Her dreams had been realized, but not in a way she expected nor preferred. Her man was alive and well. But now, it was he who suffered the same ironic and misfortunate fate of losing her. Two sides of the same coin. But they could not be any more different.
Unlike Reine who took the path of a villain, the man she loved took the path of a hero. But Shinji had always been her hero, the hero of her heart, long before he was a hero of a new world.
A part of Reine thanked her son for showing all of this to her. Now, she felt so alive, alive than she had ever been. Her man was alive. She... She wanted to see him again. She wanted to hold him again. She wanted to kiss him and pour out the feelings that she had. Yet, he still seems so far.
Her son... and the man she loved... were in a future currently beyond her grasp. Oh, how she wanted to move heaven and earth to see him again. There... There was so much to process... so much that needed to be discussed... But right now, all Reine would do is cry, harder than she ever had been, embracing the son who had undergone the burdens of her own sins and the darker strides of an uncertain future.
As the mother and son were embracing each other, Kotori didn't know what to say to this but was concerned and alarmed. In all the years she had known her, Reine Murasame never cried like this. She looks at the others who were just watching with their own solemn yet silent expressions. Kotori looked back towards Reine and Shidou, and she... she didn't have the heart to interrupt on what was clearly a significant moment between the two. While she had questions, she would hold them for a bit, because...
...Because she never thought she'd see the day when she would see Reine Murasame, one of the few people she trusted and was close to, crying like this.
As Reine cried, she remembered one particular memory, one that replayed in her mind.
The sun was setting down on the horizon.
And on the ground, as the wind picked up, there was a man in full-body armor, with a mixture of black and dark-green colors, and his helmet resembled a grasshopper with large red eyes.
This was the evolved form of Kamen Rider Black.
Kamen Rider Black RX.
Having just come from a battle, he was walking towards his sentient bike and partner, the Battle Hopper, whose appearance resembles a modified Suzuki RA125.
Then... he detransforms...
Showing the face of Shinji Takamiya.
Who walks with the resolve of a burning heart.
And even as he fights, his heart waits for his first and only love.
Long, long ago... in the 20th Century...
Insert Song: End
ED Song:
Sins of The Father · Donna Burke · Ludvig Forssell · Akihiro Honda