Lightnings, thunders, heavy rainfall. An emphasis.
Dragging lumbersome and sluggish steps, the notorious dark lord, Sauron, is wandering in the rain. She was just get defeated humiliatingly when implanting her last attempt of world-conquering (or world-destroying if you want).
"I…I lost…a lot of things this time." Although the rain falls like an entire city's fire engines are dousing water from every fire hydrant they have, but she doesn't use an umbrella or raincoat, just let herself exposed under the weather, a cinematic note of her depression.
Then through mist of water vapor, Sauron spots someone standing in front.
Makoto Ito (voiced by Tani Atsuki), in black, trim Zhongshan suit, is waiting for her. His right hand is holding up an umbrella, left hand is clutching something.
"I'm very disappointed of you. This time Kamen Riders and their associates bested you with vast triumph. And even that was too lucky, for you didn't end up in a nuclear barrage since the riders got you first." He tosses the object in left hand to Sauron, which turns out to be Sauron's mask.
"Good, you catch that, means you don't give up yet." Makoto turns to leave: "Come with me."
Moments later, Makoto's apartment.
Sauron is drying herself by using an air blower, since she was soaked in the rain, Makoto grants her access to bathroom, she also accepts a bowl of ginger syrup of specialized recipe to warm up, plus a new set of clean, dry clothing.
"This longuette looks good on you." Sitting beside table, Makoto states: "Originally I designed it for another female, it's an unfortunate she left me before I can give it to her."
"That's hapless." Sauron moves to table and sits down.
"I've used to it. Such events happen throughout my life again and again." Makoto's tone is kinda self-deprecating.
Sauron nods: "Somehow I can understand."
Makoto: "Thank you. However now lemme ask you a question: Do you really want to destroy the world or not?"
"Of course I want!" Exclaims Sauron: "I want to get rid of every pesky being here! Especially those damn riders…"
Makoto scans data displayed on a holo-projected interface: "Historic record shows your schemes get spoiled by Kamen Riders repeatedly. Don't you ever rethink and revise your tactic and strategy?"
"I do."
"But never undergo a fundamental change." Makoto concludes: "You don't process the qualification to be a dark lord."
"Are you trying to mock me?!" The unqualified dark lord goes angered, for Makoto scored a point.
"Chill out kiddo, if I want to humiliate you, I have a complete databank of diversified methods, not necessary to meet you person-to-person."
"So what do you want?"
"A proposition of cooperating with external assistance when you start over again." Makoto puts a cassette-shaped holographic data storage device on table: "What you need to know is contained inside, take it and study it."
"These…these are…" Sauron explores contents of holograms, her expressions are astonished or excited or both.
Makoto: "I believe you need to mobilize every single labour force you have and absorb every single piece of ore you found."
"Still I don't understand why you want to strike an alliance with me. That's treason to your own species." Sauron is puzzled.
"Simple logic. Homo sapiens had betrayed me since the very beginning, I want to reap a little payback with a high interest rate. Meanwhile you're eager to revenge yourself against Kamen Riders for they defend the world from you. I think this call for a 'similar interest appeal'."
"Just that?" Sauron still in disbelief.
"Another more practical reason: I have the plans of getting things done correctly, you have resource to bring them to fruition. In field of economics, it's called 'most optimum distribution of resources'."
"What would you do if I turn down your offer?" Sauron asks tentatively.
"That's your call. I can find other contractors or work on my own. But I may choose you and your minions as test subjects in that case."
"Well, guess I don't have many choices. If the plans work out, what do you want in return?"
"Me? Maybe a position in your inner circle, special counselor or something. In best scenario, a premier."
"We don't operate in republic system."
"Then I can help you to establish one." Makoto eyes outward window as HorrorLiner emerges out from hyperspace and approaching fast: "Your transportation is here. I suggest you go back to your domain before Kamen Riders can track your signal."
Sauron grabs the cassette: "I'm sure they had already picked up my trace, if they find what you're up to, you're doomed."
Makoto tosses her another miniature device: "Drop this somewhere else. It emits a frequency that imitates a general offensive of extra-dimensional beings, enough to keep riders running blindly for duration."
"You dirty, cheating, sneaking conspirator, I used to think my kind is bad enough." Sauron boards her vehicle.
Makoto puts out both hands with a "you should have known it before" gesture: "Life is a harsh mistress, I have to adapt."
Sauron shakes head with a bitter smile, disappears in entrance opened on side of HorrorLiner.
Lightnings, thunders, heavy rainfall. An emphasis, an omen.
Two years later.
Sauron's new flagship, Juggernaut-Class "The Great Thing", high earth orbit.
Specifications:
※ Length: 1600 meters
※ Width: 160 meters
※ Height: 180 meters
※ Power Plant: Cold fusion reactor ×12
※ Propulsion: Anti-gravity generators for atmospheric and low-orbit, nuclear engines for deep-space
※ Shielding: Six layers, full cover
※ Armaments: Scatter laser system ×1, dual 1200mm railgun ×2, dual 2400mm focus laser cannon ×12, dual 1600mm focus laser cannon ×24, ballistic missile launching port ×24, bomb bay ×48, pop-up switchable point emplacement (quadruple large-caliber six-barrel gatling-gun, heavy-duty missile launcher, turbo laser cannon, tesla gun, plasma cannon, gauss cannon, railgun) ×144
※ Complements: Fighters, UCAVs and other vehicles of various quantities
This engineer feat takes the shape of an enormous mechanical sperm whale, and it packs a sum of firepower sufficient to reduce entire Honshu Island to wasteland. In its command center, the crew is at their daily routine, although advanced computer management can relive much human works, but as a clichés, the bigger the vessel, the busier its occupants.
Rosalinda: "Satellite 1 through 12 all assumed attack positions."
Grimm: "Incoming teleportation signal, source: Planum Boreum, authorization code: RB-5278, will be processed in Chamber 3."
A small cell situated in corner, with the door labeled as "Exis-Class Long-Range Teleporter, No.3". With a blink and a bizarre jingle, a green light is lit and the door opens, revealing Makoto Ito, who is in skiing suit and holding skiing gears.
Two guard in combat exoskeletons and with assault rifles, who are assigned to watch the teleportation chamber, come to attention at the very second when Makoto emerges out from nothingness. Grimm: "Attention! Officer on deck!" All personnel stop working and stand straight as poles, some of them salute to the newcomer.
"At ease." Makoto raises a hand to hint them to carry on. He passes skis and ski poles to an orderly, walks to main console, where Sauron is. Meanwhile, he strips down skiing suits, exposing the Zhongshan suit underneath.
The two salute to each other. Sauron: "When you're enjoying yourself out there, we're doing heavy works here."
Makoto: "You're meant to work hard. Still I hereby to say 'ご苦労様'." Both him and Sauron chuckles and pats on each other's shoulder, as if they're friends separated for a long time.
"Our boys and girls are running at maximum efficiency to make progress, now everything is ready, save for the last component, you." Sauron says: "BTW, gotta love the uniforms you designed for us."
"Because I specifically designed them for you. Two years of endeavor finally bears today." Makoto puts out a hand with a large key on palm: "Initiate final sequence."
Sauron takes the key, to right end of main console, Makoto moves to left end, both of them are holding an identical key, facing identical key-slot, they insert keys into them.
Makoto: "On my countdown, 3, 2, 1, turn." They turn the keys simultaneously, console goes to life, displays a holographic Earth with 12 satellites in different orbits. Atmosphere in command center goes to deadly silent.
"Set targets." Sauron operates holo-projected interface, the globe unfolds into a flat world map, satellites and their respective orbits hang above the plain.
In vacuum of space, one by one, twelve giant satellites come back to life, they all look like some sort of over-sized hybrid between windmill and screw-spikes: Extensively long main axis, near one end there is a dodecagon "nut" and four rotating arms arranged like a cross. The "main axis" is actually the barrel of large-caliber railgun, those satellites are space-based hybrid launching platforms of electromagnetic rail acceleration and ramjet propulsion.
Back to command center of Sauron's flagship, holographic icons represent railgun satellites are highlighted, each of them is linked to twelve dots on world map by thin lines, 144 in total, means they had locked on 144 major cities of Planet Earth.
A siren blares, interface shows "Final Confirmation: Fire or Cancel" flashing in scarlet. At the same time, a glass shield opens and sends out a big red rotary switch.
"You wanna do the honors?" Makoto glances at Sauron. The latter holds switch, turns.
Twelve satellites' barrels spark, mighty Lorentz Force provides tremendous acceleration, each of the muzzles shoot out a re-entry vehicle, propelled by ramjet engines. These are "nerfed" version of the terrifying Vengence-2 Massive Retaliation Weapon, unlike the original, full-version which is in form of para-doomsday MIRV and is carrying enough death to kill 1 billion units of population (wipe out a continent), the ones launched from space only hold 12 Vengence-1-Class nuclear warhead, each of the warheads are rigged with targeting sensors and independent thrusters, yields an explosion equivalent of 10 million tons of TNT dynamite which covers radius of 100 kilometers.
"Confirm V-1 Warhead impact: Washington, D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Huston…Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto…Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing…Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd…" Each city name is announced, the icon represents the said city on holographic map is replaced by a red tilted cross, cited as "LOST".
"Confirm all intended targets destroyed." Applause, cheers and whistles come from crew, not too loud and not last too long.
Makoto: "If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one."
"Oppenheimer quoted this from Bhagavad Gita when Trinity was detonated, right?" Says Sauron.
"It's quite a long sentence for someone like you, who fails almost every course ever since elementary school." Makoto replies sarcastically.
Sauron: "Except history lesson about human and human civilization, I always get highest marks. The nuclear winter will take care the rest, so what will you do now? I'm leading my men back to Venthara, and I think you should come with us."
"I'd love to, but for now, I'll remain nearby to observe and evaluate the development of post-impact, nuclear winter is deemed as an important scientific event." Makoto takes out a cassette-shaped holographic data storage device, displays a holographic projection of a colossal mega-structure, he wirelessly transmit the hologram to main console: "While I'm away, take this schematics back, it will be our ultimate weapon."
"Consider it done." Pause, Sauron asks: "Just curiosity, where did you get those equipment and technologies, they're way too advanced even for us."
"Like you and Kamen Riders from other dimensions, I'm in contact with extra-dimensional beings too, I received a little help from them, but won't disclose details."
"Good for you." Sauron doesn't pursuit: "I'll drop you by near your summer villa and leave a scientific expedition team under your command. If you want to make a call for pick up, don't hesitate."
"Thanks, kiddo." Makoto smiles.
Sauron's flagship ignites boosters, accelerate to fade into starlit background of outer space.
Unspecified Time, outskirt of Capital of Demon Kingdom
The city is under heavy siege, and sustains heavy damage. An entire block is plowed into a grisly ditch by a train-shaped wreckage fell from sky, ruptured reactor is leaking out radioactive substance. There are at least thirty major fires throughout metropolitan area, many of those elegant medieval-style and gothic-style structures which had been stand there for millenniums, now had been reduced into piles of rubbles, hardly be able to be recognized and re-assembled back to one piece. The sky itself had already been torn apart by densely interlaced laser beams, particle streams, plasma charges and strays of missiles and bullets. Objects trailing heavy smoke and bright flame fall from vault of heaven like meteorites, these are fighters, UCAVs and other flying military hardware which are too damaged to maintain airborne.
"This is unbelievable. There're still so many." In AWACS module of DynoLiner, Tatsu is monitoring various sectors of battlefield through holo-projected screens.
"How many?" Warren appears on one screen.
"Can't tell, lots, Commander Smith."
"I used to fight in adverse situations, but these enemies are quite different in appearances and movements. Definitely new for Sauron's style." Ryuji's voice comes through communication.
"Glad King Frederick his majesty and Princess Rina had been evacuated." Kotonoha says.
"King Terminal will be save, not to speak of Yuji is with them." Kat agrees: "But it won't solve our present issue: When will this be end?"
Tatsu: "Alert! Sensor detects a new hit at bearing 360, it's a fighter! A fast one!"
"Boss battle, great timing." Ryuji sighs: "When we suffer exhaustion and depletion on manpower and ammunition."
"Let's get it over with. Be careful, this one will be tricky." Warren reminds others.
"Mapping of new enemy aircraft completed! But what's this strange configuration? Very streamlined, wings, canards, empennages…look like integrated to fuselage instead of attached to it…and the canopy is completely opaque…I'd like to describe this craft as an extraterrestrial winged creature of Selachimorpha Superorder or something." At this moment, voice of this unknown fighter's pilot sounds, it's Makoto Ito: "Finally we meet again, my friends, too bad we can't reunite under better circumstances."
"It's you? Makoto-kun?" Kotonoha is shocked, in her (as well as others)'s opinions, Makoto's occupation would be a janitor or a waiter at tops, much less to manipulate something flyable.
"Get off the frequency, race traitor!" Tatsu shouts at mike.
"You must be Tatsu Katsura." Makoto responds: "I heard many stories about you. Don't worry, I'm not hereby to fight you, just attending some appointments among elder generations."
"I should have killed you when I had the chance, Ito-temae!" Ryuji growls.
"Will saying it now be any useful to the least extent? Why don't grab this chance?" Makoto calmly retorts.
"Bastard!" Ryuji charges to Makoto, the two tangle into a close dogfight.
"Say night night to your mommy." Makoto grabs Ryuji's six, but he does a barrel roll, makes Makoto overshoot to front. "I have his six." Ryuji fires his plasma cannons, think fast and act even faster, Makoto executes a Pugachev's Cobra, transits to Ryuji's rear.
Tatsu: "He's on your back! Watch out dad! He's faster and agiler and has high level of electronic low observable abilities!"
Makoto is in pursuit of Ryuji, Ryuji turns hard to avoid attacks from behind, but situation looks bad, seems Makoto's firepower is missing from Ryuji by shorter and shorter distance at every turn.
"Ryuji-kun!" Kotonoha cuts in this one-on-one to help Ryuji out. She happens to be positioned at left to their trajectories. Kotonoha locks on Makoto and launches missiles, only gets him does a displacement roll to dodge them all as well as jumps to her six. Makoto immediately lets Ryuji go and turns to Kotonoha.
"Mom! Behind you!" Tatsu shouts. "No! Koto-chan!" Ryuji turns as fast as he can to help her: "Stupid machine! Can't you maneuver faster?!" Then he watches something uncanny: Warren and Kat are chasing after Makoto to divert him from attacking Kotonoha, they fire their ordnances, but Makoto suddenly controls his plane goes into a super-wild, high-velocity spiral, shaking off all incoming firepower. "なん…なんでこの挙動？！" His eyes widen.
"Ouch, he got me." Kat reports, as Makoto severely damages her fighter at close range. She is forced to eject.
Tatsu: "She's fine, don't lose your cool!"
"この野郎！！" Enraged, Ryuji bursts forward to Makoto. But the latter seems have no intention to deal with him for now, instead, he goes to attack Warren. Warren takes evasive actions, resulting Makoto to overshoot, however Makoto pulls out an unexpected trick, yaws his plane for 180 degrees, just at the blink when overshooting occurs, pointing onboard weaponry to Warren as a result. Before Warren can react, Makoto slugs him by guns, biting off a large chunk from him.
"До свидания." Makoto is behind Ryuji again, Ryuji attempts a cobra maneuver, however Makoto's counter-maneuver is precise, he punctures a big hole on his back. Makoto continues to attack Ryuji with guns, who is dodging with apparent sluggishness due to damage sustained, several slugs graze canopy, leaving slim cracks.
"That's enough, Ito." Sauron's voice comes over just as Makoto moves to deliver killing blow: "Return to base."
"Very well." Makoto ceases attacking, peels away to leave theater: "You're an excellent combatant on grounds, but in skies, you're not good enough to fight me."
"Next time I'll definitely decapitate you! Temae!" Ryuji snarls a threat.
"Then you must survive the landing at the first place, if you won't eject." Makoto calmly shoots back, before cutting off communication.
"Ryuji-kun/Dad! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, but…damn, my plane is trashed."
"Are you bailing out?" Tatsu asks.
"I can land this thing on runway." Ryuji aligns to runway, Kotonoha is escorting him: "I think you should eject, you're taking heavy damage, Ryuji-kun."
"No worries, Koto-chan." Ryuji throws several switches: "Manual checklist, flaps, gears, coming hot."
Then he crashes while landing.
"Ryuji-kun/Dad!" Kotonoha and Tatsu scream.
"I told you I'm fine." Ryuji pulls himself out from wrecked cockpit of wrecked plane…or what's left of it.
"Not much of a landing, Ryuji-kun."
"Call it a crash-landing." Riders who got shot down previously are here too, despite several light injuries, most of them landed safely by parachutes. Warren greets Ryuji with sarcasm: "Welcome to Kansas, Dorothy."
"Shut up!" Ryuji howls: "Defeated by that lowlife?! This is a stain on my career for life!"
"We happen to be bested by those we consider inferior, you don't have to like it, just try not to take it too seriously." Warren puts a comforting hand on Ryuji's shoulder.
Suddenly turmoil begins among the crowd: "What is that?" "To the east! Sun is coming out?" "Are you kidding? This is afternoon!"
Ryuji and Warren look into east, to the direction of palace, there's something rising from horizon, something huge and extremely bright, they're forced to pull down visors.
Tatsu: "Eh…it appears Sauron is making a broadcast on every channel, some sort of declaration. I'm patching her in to your portable com-links."
Sauron (voice over): "Attention all Kamen Riders, as president of Venthara Republic, I hereby to declare destruction of Demon Kingdom through a demonstration of iceberg's tip of our sheer might. This is not an empty boast, Venthara Republic cannot be stopped, behold the rage from god, all dissidents will be consumed in glows of thousands suns." The light radiating from the unknown object above eastern horizon fades a little, revealing itself to be a mushroom cloud. Wind begins to blow, first mild, then rapidly gets stronger, it's the front of searing shockwave generated by nuclear explosion. A wall of surging dust sweeps everything, knocking over everyone on ground.
After the shockwave passes, they stand up, coughing, still covered in thick layer of dust. Mushroom cloud is still rising high, seems it won't stop until reach vault of heaven.
Slowly, Ryuji asks: "What should we do now, commander?"
Warren: "I don't know, pal, I don't know."