"Weapon Finisher—Exploding Phoenix Flame Feather"
"Weapon Finisher—Golden Mystery—Tiger Roar Sky Storm"
As the finishers activated, dazzling flames appeared around Divine. The fire took the shape of a giant bird, wheeling around him. The wind around Spirit formed the head of a massive white tiger. As he raised his blade above his head, the tiger's jaws swallowed the air, creating a vortex. The air gathered around the blade, compressing tighter and tighter.
"Ah!! Die!"
With a roar, the giant bird charged toward Hastur alongside the blade's gleam and a massive blast of compressed air. The two finishers converged in midair, forming a huge cannon of fire that hurtled toward Hastur.
A deafening boom rang out, and a massive burst of fire appeared in the sky.
"Did we do it? *2"
Divine and Spirit stared intently in Hastur's direction. As the flames faded, Hastur stood suspended in the air, a sphere of fire gathered in his hand.
"What? You still didn't die!" Seeing that Hastur was alive, the two tightened their grips on their weapons.
Then Hastur let out a piercing, mocking laugh.
"Heh heh heh! Just imagine how amusing it'll be to watch humans get killed by their own savior. I can't wait!"
With that, Hastur threw the energy sphere in his hand toward the stage.
"No!!" Divine and Spirit rushed toward the stage as fast as they could, but they still couldn't outrun the energy sphere.
Water elements gathered in the air, forming Ice Shields to block the attack, but they shattered as soon as they touched the sphere.
As the fireball descended, a blue figure appeared in front of it. Her small body absorbed the enormous energy. The fireball vanished on impact, and the tiny figure was sent flying backward, crashing through the stage.
"Cirno!!!!" The air suddenly fell still. As Spirit rushed over, Cirno lay on the ground, memories flashing through her eyes. Snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.
"Damn it!!!"
"Awakening—Soul of Flame Feather"
As flames appeared, Divine surged toward Hastur in a blazing rush, like a wild beast.
Spirit's gaze was fixed on Hastur. But as anger consumed Divine's reason, only his instinctive, savage fighting spirit remained. How could Divine, fighting wildly without any method, stand a chance against Hastur? Hastur easily deflected his uncoordinated attacks. The pointless blows wasted Divine's strength, and in that vicious cycle, Hastur soon knocked him from the sky. Divine hit the ground and was forced out of his transformation.
"Your attacks are useless. Turn to dust." Hastur looked down at everyone from above. As he raised both hands, the gases in the air began to gather, and a huge sphere of energy appeared in his hands.
Seeing the sphere of energy in Hastur's hands, everyone felt despair.
Was there no hope? Would there be no tomorrow? The suffering people wondered.
Fruit: "何かにつまづいたら, If you stumble over something,"
"どうやって立ち直るの, how can you get back up?"
"考えすぎないことさ, listening absentmindedly,"
"うわの空で闻いていた, not because you're overthinking,"
The sudden sound of a girl's singing caught everyone's attention on the battlefield. The bewildered people looked toward the collapsed stage, where a girl was standing.
Sea: "ちぎれた过去には１つも, In the twisted past,"
"嘘なんてなかったけど, there wasn't a single lie,"
Bird: "これから思う未来に, but in the future we imagine from now on,"
As one girl began to sing, light appeared in the other girls' eyes. Then they began to sing too.
Rin, Hanayo: "真実はあるの, will there be any truth?"
Eri, Nozomi: "生まれてきた时は谁もが, When we're born, every one of us"
"一人だよだからこそ, is alone, and that's why"
"一绪に生きていこうとするね, we want to live together,"
All: "あの日アナタに教えられた, The strength to live and the meaning of life"
"生きる强さや意味を, that you taught me that day"
"この胸に强く握り缔め, I hold tightly in my heart,"
"いつか全てのことにちゃんと, hoping that one day, for everything,"
"希望の花が咲くように, the Flower of Hope will bloom,"
"この场所から始めよう, let's begin here."
"Such an irritating sound." As the singing rang out, Hastur suddenly grew agitated, then threw the unfinished energy sphere toward the stage.
"Armor Change—Armed—Black Tortoise"
"Weapon Manifestation—Shield Armor"
"Weapon Finisher—Water Mystery—Zero Degree Pulse"
As the words rang out, Spirit raised his Shield Armor and gathered water elements, sending a blue wave of light toward the energy sphere. When the two collided, the sphere and the shockwave shattered against each other. The remaining energy fell as hail, and Spirit raised his Shield Armor, forming a blue barrier to block it.
Nico, Maki: "次の扉开けるときまた, When I open the next door,"
"この手はこわがるだろう, my hands will probably tremble with fear again,"
"そんな时にあなたを, but at times like that, just thinking of you"
"思うだけで强くなれるよ, can make me stronger."
Yazawa Nico and Maki Nishikino, enduring their pain, helped each other to their feet and joined the singing.
All: "あきらめることはいつだって, Giving up is never"
"难しいことじゃない, difficult,"
"歩き出すことに比べたら, compared with taking that first step,"
"だけど心に描いていた梦の地図は鲜やかに, but the map of dreams I drew in my heart is still vivid,"
"何度でも消えない, and never fades, no matter how many times."
"明日今日よりもきらめいた笑颜でありすように, May tomorrow bring smiles brighter than today,"
"この道を强く刻み込み, deeply engraved on this path,"
"少し前にんでみよう, let's try to move a little closer to our dreams,"
"まなざしを高く上げて, lifting our gaze toward a higher goal,"
"今アナタと, now, with you, この场所から始めよう, let's begin here."
As the song ended, the pained expressions on the people's faces vanished. One by one, they looked toward the nine girls onstage, their eyes shining with hope.
"Ah! You've taught me a lesson, girls. If anger takes control and you lose yourself, you won't be able to see the road to your dreams. And then hope will be nothing but a fleeting illusion."
Senba Gari, having regained his composure, came to Spirit's side.
"Idiot Geki, are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I still have to avenge Cirno, after all. And I have to uphold the vow I made—to protect what I treasure. That means everyone's smiles."
"Good. Let's go again! Manifest! Transform!"
"Armor Manifestation—Armed—Garuda"
Divine and Spirit then returned to the sky.
"Everyone, let's cheer on the Kamen Riders who are fighting to protect us! Three, two, one, go!" Honoka shouted to the crowd, holding a microphone.
"Go, Kamen Riders!"
"Go! Go!"
"Honoka, let's do it together! Let's cheer on Gari and Big Brother Geki with that song!" Nozomi came over to Honoka and took her hand.
"Yeah! We'll have a hopeful tomorrow! We won't give up!" Honoka said resolutely to Nozomi.
"Yeah!"
"μ's! Music! Start!" At her words, the people hiding behind the stage began playing the music.
Heart of Moving Forward (18) (Submitted by reader Yuan Yi Xin Fei)
(Weather tip: The end of one story isn't really the end—it's the beginning of another.)
The cheers from the people on the ground and the music from the stage rang out. Even on a battlefield, nothing could be more stirring.
Spirit and Divine exchanged a glance in the sky and nodded at the same time.
Fruit, Sea, Bird: "逃げたりあきらめるコトは谁も, Everyone wants to run away or give up,"
"一瞬あればできるから歩き続けよう, but it only takes a moment to find the strength to keep moving forward,"
"Go!"
"Get them!"
Spirit and Divine attacked Hastur.
"It's useless. Give up!" Hastur scoffed and counterattacked the Riders.
"How would we know unless we try? We'll make our own tomorrow!" In response to Hastur's words, Divine simply raised his fist and struck at him. A giant tornado of fire surged toward Hastur. Hastur merely swiped a claw and knocked Divine away.
"Weapon Finisher—Water Mystery—Zero Degree Impact"
Below, Spirit aimed at Hastur and activated his finisher. But Hastur punched it apart as well.
Eri, Nozomi, Nico: "君にしかできないコトがある青い星に, There's something only you can do, so that this blue planet"
"光がなくせぬように, can keep shining."
"Awakening—Soul of Flame Feather"
The blaze brought Divine into his awakened state once more. This time, however, Garuda's eyes were clear and rational. Wisdom and strength empowered the awakened Divine to unleash a mighty attack. With a thunderous cry, a huge bird-shaped apparition appeared in the sky. Then it struck at Hastur with overwhelming force.
All: "つかめ!描いた梦を, Seize the dreams you've imagined!"
"まもれ!大事な友を, Protect the friends you hold dear!"
"たくましい自分になれるさ, You can become stronger!"
"知らないパワーが宿る, An unknown power lies within you,"
"ハートに火がついたら, and when your heart catches fire,"
"どんな愿いも嘘じゃない, none of your wishes are lies,"
"きっとかなうから..., because they'll surely come true..."
"show me your bra ve heart. Show me your brave heart."
"Go! Go!"
The crowd's encouragement gave Divine and Spirit boundless strength.
"The gap's still pretty big, but I'm not giving up! What's this?" Amid the people's cheers, the once-motionless disc began to emit rays of white light. The stone casing shattered, and the unsealed disc revealed its true form, shining with rays of light.
"Great! Then I can't let everyone down, either." Spirit picked up the disc and placed it in front of his belt. As it connected, five crystals of different colors appeared at its five points, and five different roars sounded. Flecks of multicolored light circled around Spirit, and he gained far greater control over the elements.
"All right, here I go!"
"Armor Change—White Tiger"
Rin, Hanayo, Maki: "晴れの日ばかりじゃないから たまに, The weather won't always be sunny,"
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