"…is the Heroic Spirit of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Oda Nobunaga. One of the strongest in Japan's history."
"This card... I'm giving it to you." Aki said, extending the card toward him.
"Why?" Ryoko asked, his confusion plain in his voice.
"If you want to rescue Miyu-chan, you'll have to become the winner of the Holy Grail War." She spoke quickly, urgency lacing her tone. "With this card, it may not be impossible anymore. But..."
"Aki..."
"There is one thing, if possible..." A single tear slid down her cheek, followed by another. "If you can grant me this..." Her voice trembled as more tears streamed down her face. "Please run away."
Her words pierced him deeper than any blade.
"Whether it's magecraft or Miyu-chan, forget all of that and run away from this town! If you... If you could do that... I would give up everything together with you." She confessed, raw and vulnerable.
Tsutsumi moved, arms half-reaching to embrace and console her, but froze mid-motion. His voice broke. "Aki... I'm sorry, I-"
His apology was cut short. A black thread shot from the shadows, stabbing into Aki's shoulder and yanking her backward.
"Aki!" Ryoko lunged forward, catching her before she collapsed, blood staining his hands as the blade withdrew. His furious gaze darted to the figure stepping out from the dark.
"You are you!?" Ryoko barked.
"You really, really, really are. You're such a slutty little sister, Aki." The mocking voice dripped with venom. The man's silhouette emerged from the shadows, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "As your brother, I need to discipline you properly."
Aki's eyes widened in disbelief. "Nii... Nii-san."
"Nii-san?" Ryoko echoed, stunned. He steadied Aki against him before glaring at the black-haired man. "You're Aki's brother?"
"That's right. I'm the legitimate successor of the Tohsaka family. My name is Tohsaka..." His face contorted, first crazed, then strangely blank, as if his own mind betrayed him. "What was it again?"
He tilted his head, then sneered. "Oh well. If I kill those two, who knows? I might remember something."
With a casual flick, the blade shot forward again, threads gleaming with lethal intent.
Attack Ride: Explosion
Ryoko thrust his palm out, releasing a massive blast. The explosion swallowed the projectile mid-air, shockwaves hurling the man backward.
"Huh? Hey, hey, what was that about? This is strange..." He muttered, dragging himself back to his feet, eyes twitching.
"Why was my attack blocked!?" he suddenly shrieked, his face contorting into something wild, feral.
"Why? Why? Why!? Why!?" His manic repetition clawed through the night air. Ryoko stood frozen, unsettled, not by the attack, but by the man's fractured state.
"Why was my attack blocked!? Why did you block it!?" he roared, slamming a card to the ground.
A dark blue magic circle flared beneath him, threads writhing up like serpents. They cocooned his body as he laughed maniacally. His transformation twisted his frame, jaw masked by a bone-like plate, torso bared and scarred, only black pants clinging to his frame. His laughter echoed, unhinged, promising nothing but chaos.
"Aki, this way!" Tsutsumi grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into the house. Their hurried footsteps pounded across the wooden floor until they burst through to the back porch, finally putting some distance between them and the lunatic chasing them.
"Aki, are you alright?" he asked, eyes darting to check her injury.
"Ryo, be careful, that is a Heroic Spirit-" Before she could finish, crazed laughter split the air. Black threads shot down from the rooftop, snaring Tsutsumi and hurling him out into the open yard.
"And here I am, taking grand action for humanity's sake and ideals. But you just keep getting in my way." The man's voice dripped with casual malice. He pointed straight at Tsutsumi, shouting, "I'll kill you after I'm done with her. So wait your turn!"
Forcing his battered body upright, Tsutsumi blinked through the pain. His heart jolted when he saw Aki standing protectively in front of him, clutching the card she had meant to give him.
"I'm going to defeat you, Nii-san!" Her determined voice rang out as she tore off her scarf and threw it aside.
"Heeh? You grew a backbone, Aki?" her brother sneered, his eyes narrowing with mocking delight. "Opposing your brother and planning to defeat me? Did what's-his-name over there seduce you or something? What a horrible, horrible, horrible little sister you are!"
His voice rose, tinged with twisted joy. "With a sister like you, I guess I have no choice... but to kill you!"
"Aki, don't! Siblings shouldn't kill each other!" Tsutsumi cried, the image of his own sister flashing painfully in his mind.
"It's okay," Aki whispered softly, tilting her head back to smile at him. "My brother has been dead long ago. Also..." Her eyes shone with warmth. "You didn't choose me, but I really do love you, so I'll protect you."
"Aki..." The only word that escaped his lips as he struggled back to his feet.
"It'll be fine. With this card, I'll win for sure!" she declared, lifting it high. "Install!"
A bright glow erupted, then shattered like fragile glass before her eyes. Her breath hitched as she looked down at the card in disbelief.
Her brother's laughter exploded across the yard. "What's wrong, Aki!? Don't tell me you can't even Install it!?" His neck twisted unnaturally as sickening cracks echoed. "We already knew you might betray us! Did you really think Julius-sama would give you the Nobunaga card!? It isn't connected to any Heroic Spirit. It's genuine garbage through and through!"
He grinned wide, eyes unhinged. "Oh boy. Looks like your brother has to teach you how to use the cards!"
Black threads writhed like serpents around his arm before lashing toward her.
"Run, Aki!" Tsutsumi shouted desperately, reaching out.
She glanced back at him one last time, eyes soft. "Ryo... I'm sorry..."
"Zabaniya!"
A thunderous impact. A gaping hole tore through her chest. Her body collapsed, only to dissolve into pure light and vanish into the card, which clattered into Tsutsumi's trembling hand.
"Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?" The man blinked, staring at his empty hands. "What did I do? Where did Aki go?"
Then clarity returned. His grin stretched unnaturally wide. "Yeah, yeah, now I remember... I see! I killed her!"
Laughter tore from his throat as he casually kicked Tsutsumi, sending him sprawling and rolling across the dirt, still clutching the bloodstained card.
"You see, I'll have to kill lots of people in this war," he said lightly, strolling closer. "And I want them to suffer as much as possible."
Tsutsumi's chest thundered with pain and rage. His fist tightened around the card, memories flashing: his mother, his foster father, his sister... and now Aki.
"So let me practice with you!"
The black tendrils lashed him again and again, carving open wounds, not to kill, but to savor his agony.
Blood streamed down his chin. The man lifted him by the neck, smiling. "Still alive? I've got a good grip on Assassin now. I can kill you for real. Go on, say your last words. I bet they'll be the same as Aki's, right?"
A mad chuckle bubbled up from his throat, twisting into manic laughter.
"Hey..." Tsutsumi croaked, blood dripping from his wounds. His hand gripped the man's wrist tight. "Tell me..."
His eyes burned. "You murdered your own sister. How did it feel?"
"It felt better than ejaculating a hundred times! You should try it yourself!" the man screamed with manic glee before hurling Tsutsumi into a wooden pillar. The crack of splintering wood and bone echoed sickeningly.
Blood seeped into the card, staining it crimson. It pulsed, glowing with a magenta light.
"See ya. It was fun. Err... what was your name again?" the man muttered with mock confusion, then chuckled. "Oh yeah, I remembered. Well then, once again..."
The black cloud parted, revealing the full moon bathing the yard in cold silver light.
"Goodbye, Tsutsumi," he said, stretching out his hand, threads whipping toward the kneeling boy.
Blue magic circuits flare, as Tsutsumi clenches the blood-soaked card, letting it disappear inside him.
Form Ride: Decade
The man's outstretched arm was severed in an instant, blood spraying across the snow.
Ryoko remained kneeling, but his entire form had transformed. His clothes were now a striking mix of black and white, dominated by magenta. A long magenta coat hung from his shoulders, a black-and-white strap crossing his chest in a tilted X.
A magenta bandana tied to the left side of his head framed his face, its cloth marked by two green spots above his eyes. Seven black horns arched in a semicircle above his head, the center one tipped with gold, gleaming like a crown.
In his right hand, Ryoko held Decade's Rider Book, blade drawn in its sword mode.
"My arm! My arm!" the man shrieked, clutching the bloody stump as Ryoko slowly opened his eyes. His irises glowed with a piercing purple, chilling the air with his gaze.
"W-What the hell are you!? Aki's card was definitely a garbage card! Installing it should be impossible!"
Tsutsumi said nothing. He rose to his feet, his expression cold and unreadable.
"What the hell? What the hell? What the hell!?" The man panicked, hurling his blade in desperation.
Attack Ride: Invisible
In the blink of an eye, Tsutsumi vanished. The blade missed its mark, clattering uselessly against the ground.
A brutal punch slammed into the man's jaw, shattering his bone mask and hurling him across the snow. He staggered up, trembling.
"I didn't hear anything about this!" he muttered frantically to himself, only to see Tsutsumi advancing, blade in hand, gaze colder than the snowstorm around them.
"Hey, hey… don't tell me just because of that…" the man pointed at him, trembling. "Don't tell me, don't tell me, don't tell me… you think you're stronger than me!?"
"You know…" Tsutsumi's voice finally cut through the air, sharp as his blade. "You're not suited to be an Assassin."
"Even you, you're… making fun of me!" The man roared. From the cut threads of his severed arm, grotesque fibers wrapped around his body, molding into the hulking shape of a monster.
Attack Ride: Vertical Maneuvering Gear
The gear locked onto Tsutsumi's waist and thighs as he launched forward, the monster's massive fist crashing down. Tsutsumi slid past its strike, his blade slicing clean through its hand before grappling away with a hooked line. Swinging back, he carved into its shoulder, but his blades caught in its flesh.
Clicking his tongue, he released the hilts and launched another hook, retreating out of range.
"That barely itches! I barely feel anything at all!" the monster roared.
Tsutsumi reinforced his legs with magecraft, flipping high above it before slashing across its back. His blade stuck again; he let it go and darted back, narrowly avoiding another crushing blow.
The monster laughed, a guttural, manic sound. Tsutsumi circled, drawing another card.
Attack Ride: Explosion
He leapt, palm glowing, before unleashing a massive blast across its torso.
"I got you now!!" the monster bellowed, swinging again.
Attack Ride: Electrification
Magenta lightning coursed over Tsutsumi's body. The monster caught him in its grip, only to convulse as the current surged through its body. Its grip faltered, smoke hissing from its flesh as it dropped him.
Landing lightly, circuits flared across Tsutsumi's skin, the lightning fueling his cells, sharpening his blood, and pushing his movements to near-lightspeed. His blades carved through the monster's ankles, sending it crashing to its knees. He vaulted to a rooftop, looking down at its writhing form with that same cold, merciless stare.
He raised his Rider Book, shifting it into gun mode. "You're still alive. If that's the case…"
He slid a card into his belt.
Final Attack Ride:
But before he could fire, Aki's discarded scarf drifted through the wind, flying past his vision. He froze. Memories of their time together flashed through his mind, her laughter, her warmth, her image overlapping with Jiro Kyoka's.
Slowly, he lowered the gun. "…Thanks, Aki."
The weapon shifted back into blade mode. In one swift motion, he stabbed backward, impaling the Assassin who had crept up behind him.
"For reminding me that I still have a place to call home."
"H-How did you!?" the Assassin roared, the blade bursting through his stomach. "How did you know!?"
"Your hand still moved after it was cut off. Midway through the fight, that monster was nothing but an empty decoy." Tsutsumi's voice was as cold as the snow as he swung his blade.
DE-DE-DE-DECADE!
The Assassin was cleaved in two, his body collapsing at the edge of the ruined home. Tsutsumi landed beside him, looking down at the twitching halves of his broken body.
The Assassin's face twisted into a mocking grin even as his life bled out. "I'll be waiting for you ahead… in hell."
His body froze, shattering into the brittle form of a broken doll. A single card clattered onto its cracked chest.
Tsutsumi knelt, picking it up. "Hell, huh? I won't be going there just yet."
He walked away, his footsteps marking the snow in silence.