Cross Worlds (Hiatus)

Chapter 27-1: "Power from a Fantasy World"

Riku runs through the halls of Apollo, his deep green eyes glowing. He stares at the floor, tracking Hiroshi's life force through his magic, and glowing, gray footsteps light up the path he's taken so Riku can follow and find his way to Hiroshi with ease. There was another thought poking at the back of his mind as he ran though. "Is Yujita really going to be okay..? Something about that boy...my brother. He wasn't going all out. He's...strong. I don't doubt Yujita's strength in the slightest, but if Kenji gives it all he's got...I think I'd have a lot of trouble without my full power in this world against him."

Riku stops as he reaches a set of elevator doors, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Of course the bastard would take an elevator..." He pauses as he notices a small sticky note on the buttons to go up or down. "B5." is all the note reads. "So, is this a trap, or did he know I'd make it past Kenji and is simply waiting for me right now..? I'll be ready either way." Riku grips his gunblade tightly as he steps into the elevator. "For them." Riku thinks of Yujita and Emica as he begins to descend.

Once the elevator doors open, Riku steps out into a dark room, holding his weapon at the ready. After he takes a few steps forward, the entire room lights up quite brightly, causing Riku to shield his eyes momentarily before applying the dark element to his eyes so he can quickly view the room in its entirety. Riku is shocked to find he's in, for him anyway, a recreation of the throne room of a king he's defeated when he was still on his world. The room is painted in blood red, gold, and silver decorations, and in the king's throne is none other than Hiroshi himself.

"Ah, there you are. You are aware it's quite rude to keep the king waiting, yes?" Hiroshi sits with his arms crossed, one leg folded over the other.

"What king? The only thing I see in front of me is a piece of garbage in a nice looking chair." Riku twirls the gunblade in his hand and smiles up at Hiroshi innocently.

Hiroshi doesn't even react to the insult however, leaning his head on his fist. "I imagine Yujita is taking care of your brother right about now, yes?" Riku doesn't react or speak; he simply glares at Hiroshi. "Wondering how I knew? Yujita adores you as his 'best friend', Riku Fumiya." Hiroshi cackles as he recalls his moment of torturing Yujita for answers. "What was it he said? 'I wish I could be of some use and repay him in some way', 'When Riku gets here, you're gonna wish you had never been born', so on and so forth." He sighs as he wipes away a tear from laughing so much. "His screams were so much more pleasant to hear. Do you know, towards the end, he just started to whimper your name? Quite pathetic really, but oh so pleasant to hear..."

Riku clenches his fists tightly, chuckling and muttering something under his breath. "...exactly the same..."

"Pardon?" Hiroshi tilts his head with a crooked smile. "I couldn't quite hear you, with you speaking so silently."

"I said, I'm going to enjoy decimating you, exactly the same as Emica did to these two bitches I thought were my friends." Riku looks at Hiroshi with a smile, but a wave of intense violence spills out from the aura Riku emits. "Today, Hiroshi Nishida, is the day you die. I swear it."

Hiroshi gives Riku a crooked grin as he holds out his hand, setting up an anti-magic field throughout the throne room. "Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we, Riku Fumiya?" Riku smirks as he raises his gunblade, aiming the barrel at Hiroshi's head. "What, your magic isn't going to work in this field. Are you going to shoot a bullet at me, Riku Fumiya? Try me." Hiroshi cackles as his anti-magic aura forms around his body, several, ribbon-like whips waving back and forth around his body. "You won't get to leave another wound on my body before I beat you into submission tonight..." The bruise on Hiroshi's cheek that he received from Riku earlier in the day is still quite adamant.