The Heroes of Zawame was what they called us. Big words to live up to I would tell my old dancing team, but I guess everything did work in a way where us heroes could never have succeeded. But I should back track for those not native to Zawame. My name is Kazuro Tema or otherwise known as Armored Rider Kurokage, a more recent addition to what was a growing roster of heroes in the city.
"Now I'm the messenger of death," I retort hurriedly placing an envelope inside a mailbox. Now you might ask, what I mean by heroes. I mean live superheroes using the technology called the Sengoku Driver system. It's a small belt that when used can grant the user enhanced strength and a special armor to help the defend the user. We all thought it was just a game and would compete amongst each other, but we realized eventually that this was way more than a game. But, we realized it to late and now those blasted things are everywhere.
"P-please help! Someone!" A voice shouts out behind me with an immediate crashing sound.
"However, that doesn't stop me from trying to be a hero." I mutter that last part sprinting towards the voice crying for help finding her cornered and up against a wall with a group of Inves surrounding her. The Inves were what the game used to be based on, we'd use them as competition and they obeyed our every command until we dropped the Lockseed and then they'd go berserk.
"You! Please help me!" She shouts in distress as I charge forward at the Inves jumping up and leap frogging over the monster putting myself between her and them.
"Don't worry, you're safe now." I tell her reaching into my jacket and gripping the Sengoku Driver before pulling it out and placing it on my waist with a belt strap materializing around my waist.
"You're a Rider!?" She shouts in disbelief sighing audibly with certain relief immediately hitting her as it usually did when we showed up to save someone. I reach into my pocket again with the Inves beginning to back away as they see what's in my hand, a Lockseed. The Lockseeds are items containing unbelievable power that our belts harness and give me my abilities. They're also fruit.
"Pine!" The Lockseed calls out as I click it open and slam it on my belt with my black under suit appearing on my body.
"Henshin!" I call out the activation call out slamming the blade on the Sengoku Driver which opens the Lockseed.
"Pine Arms! Pulverize and Destroy!" The yellow armor forms over the black under suit and in my hands appears a ball and chain. I waste no time as I begin spinning it above my head sending the ball forward with the slack of the chain wrapped my hands. The ball collides with the first Inves just as the other two charge at me a lot more coordinated than what they used to be. I punch the closest one before dodging an attack from the other skidding back as I pull the ball back from the first one smacking it into the other two.
"Now, to end it!" I declare slamming down the blade on the Driver twice. The Driver as it's swiped down on will unleash a varying degree of final attack power. However, it drains the user of their stamina which is why it's used at the end of fights. My leg erupts in energy as I slam it into all 3 monsters exploding all 3 of them.
"A-awesome!" She shouts excitedly standing up weakly as I take the Lockseed out of my Driver de-transforming.
"It was nothing, please get to safety." I tell her as truthfully it was nothing as they were just low level Inves which while still can overpower a human, can't hold a candle next to a Rider.
"But wait! I thought all the Armored Riders died during the invasion, how are you-?" I cut her off putting up my hand.
"Get going before more head this way," I bark at her putting a lot more emphasis on the more. But, she's right, they are all dead except for me anyways. Right before the invasion began, I had learned that the company Yggdrasil was the one that made our equipment and I demanded to know what they knew about the forest which is where the Inves come from. The CEO, Takeshi, didn't like my attitude I guess, and that's when I learned that he was a Rider too. Beat me up something fierce and threw me into a containment cell.
Flashback
The entire ground shakes with the explosion clearly heard from my cell. "Let me out! I need to help them!"
"W-we aren't authorized to let you out," The guard tells me shaking in his boots as suddenly an explosion fills the hallway pushing me away from the bars and incinerating the guards. I slowly push myself back up, my ear still ringing from the explosion.
"A-anyone?" I could barely get up before seeing the cell door wide open and charred from the extreme heat. With every ounce of strength, I walk over to the door pushing myself into the hallway. I stay silent realizing that if an explosion reached down here, it has to mean that whatever is going on is close by. I stumble to the end of the hall finding a stair case leading upwards. I grabbed the railings before yelping having not realized how hot it was before grabbing it. "C'mon you big loaf," I tell myself slamming my fist into my leg trying to pump myself up as I begin getting up the stairs.
"Kazuro!?" Ren shouts from the top of the stairs as another sudden explosion goes off throwing him down the stairs on top of me. I push him off me with both of us panting heavily before Ren suddenly chuckles. "Figures you'd get yourself stuck in Yggdrasil,"
"What in the world is going on outside Ren?" I ignore his comment as she gets a grim look on his face.
"Nothing good. Some sort of invasion has started, and we got caught in the middle of it. Everyone else… they're gone Kazuro."
End of Flashback
"No time to dwell, I gotta move too." I mutter to myself walking off towards the next home. The messenger of death is what I call myself as I've taken up counting the dead and sending notices to their family. Everybody needs closure every now and then. On the way, I usually do my best to hit something small from the Inves's forces to slow them down. They've thankfully only reached one other city, Seito, which has been holding, but it can only hold for so long without any back up or help. That's where I come in. The generals of the Inves, the Overlords, are my target. If I can take one of them out, it might change their focus from the outside world to me which can let Seito rebuild their defenses. I'll die, but who honestly cares anymore? My friends are dead and the city I've been protecting is in shambles with only a few survivors left that Seito can free. Who honestly cares?
Switch to Takeshi
So beautiful, such a simple design and yet so complex. I fiddle with the metal cylinder in my hand with the clear plastic over the red button on top of the cylinder. I thumb it open rubbing my fingers on the red button with fascination. The whole of Zawame is literally at my fingertips. The Inves's fates are mine to decide with just a press of a button. It's… intoxicating, the feeling of absolute control at my fingertips.
"Mr. Sonozaki do you have anything to add?" A board director asks me curiously as I just shake my head. We're trapped in Zawame and all these fools can think about is money. "Then this meeting is adjourned,"
I get up leaving the room a lot faster than the others headed for my office still fumbling with the device in my hand. As I enter the office I slam the door behind me with a sudden relief washing over me as I begin laughing to myself sliding my back against the door. I turn my gaze to the window looking out on the torn down Zawame. What would she do in this situation? What would Akira do?
Switch to Kazuro
City plaza, the ground zero for the invasion, but also where a majority of the big generals like to spend their precious time. Right next to it was the hospital, now it's just been reduced to a bunch of pathetic rubble much like the rest of the city.
"Calm yourself Demushu, the time will come for us to strike against the Rider and humans." A sly voice remarks as I suddenly drop myself to the ground behind a pile of debris.
"Your plans take too long Redyue! If not for me, we would still be stuck in Helheim!" Demushu growls as I suddenly realize that they're after me which means it should be easy to lure one out.
"Pfft, your contributions have been noted to the King and Glory, but don't think that suddenly makes you an expert. Good day Demushu." Redyue then disappears suddenly with green mist in his place.
"That Redyue, I'll kill him one of these days!" He shouts taking his sword and scraping it across the concrete ground breaking it up. I slowly stand up reaching into my jacket again. I'll have to use it, my secret weapon.
Flashback
"What do you mean they're gone Ren!? How can something like that happen!" I shout at him in utter shock that everybody else is gone just like that and I wasn't able to help. He stays silent standing up and pulling me up the stairs with him. "Ren!"
"They're dead Kazuro, what else do you want me to say!?" Ren shouts at me as we reach the top of the stairs both of us unable to say anything. I look away from Ren before seeing my stuff lying on the table opposite to us. I take my arm off of Ren limping over to the counter where I stuff my pockets to the brim with my things. I look over curiously where I see a red and silver Driver with an oddly colored Lockseed sitting next to it.
"What… is that?" I pick it up just as the wall ren was near is blown into nothing with a red and black monster standing on top of the rubble, on top of Ren.
"This is PERFECT! So delightful, so exquisite, this invasion has gone off without a problem!" The monster retorts excitedly suddenly reaching into the rubble and grabbing Ren out of it. "Next you'll be gone, and nobody will be able to stand against us, the Overlords!"
"Ren!" I shout jumping out into view as I witness the worst possible scenario with the monster taking his sword and plunging it into Ren's stomach.
"Kaz… run." Ren mutters as he falls to the ground lifelessly. However, I can't move. The explosion, my fight with Takeshi, and now this has frozen me solid. My blasted body won't move an inch!
"Another rat of a hero? You're all so pathetic, it makes me want to choke." The monster standing before me is massive! How can I stand up to something like this?! "Your friends were just as pathetic as you, but at least they tried to fight. You're just an eyesore!"
I have to do something! I can fight!
"If you believe I'm such an eyesore then come on you big ugly lug of Inves, COME AT ME!" I shout slapping on the Red Driver and charging straight at him.
End of Flashback
"Heh, I thought I smelled a human." The same Overlord, 1 month later. How in the world do I get this kind of luck?
"You still look just as ugly as the first time we fought," I retort attaching the Red Driver, my secret weapon, to my waist while raising up the blue Lockseed. It really sucks that this guy is my opponent. The other Overlords wouldn't know about this Driver and I'd have the drop on them, but this guy is an entirely different story!
"How's the scar?" He taunts me as I slowly take off my shirt as it doesn't really mean anything once the suits on. Across my entire chest is massive scar tissue running from my neck to my belly button. "Honestly, I thought you'd died a long time ago, you surprise me worm!"
"I tend to have a surprising affect on people. Especially after what you lot did." I remark honestly shaking in my boots as the last time I fought this guy, I barely escaped with my life!
"HAHA! You here to finally pay us back in kind for killing your friends?" He taunts me again as I clench the fist without the Lockseed in it.
"Yes… it's time you've payed for your crimes. Henshin!" I shout opening the blue Lockseed with the Overlord immediately charging forward trying to cut me down as soon as possible.
"Matsuborriki Energy!" The Lockseed announces as I jump out of the way of the attack with the sword crashing down next to where I was. I slam the Lockseed into place and push in the silver lever activating my black under suit with a black armor piece forming above me.
"Soda~ Matsuborriki Energy Arms! Yo! WASSHOI! I-I-YU~!" The belt sounds off as the piece of armor falls down on me and forms onto my body giving me a considerably larger boost in power in comparison to the regular Sengoku Driver. In my hand forms a red and blue bow. The blue edges on the rim of the bow are actually more of a sword than anything, it can even cut through solid steel.
"Taking that thing out, what a surprise!" Demushu shouts as in a sudden blur he's behind me with his sword over his head ready to strike. It's all I can do to move my bow up using the blue edges to block the sudden strike. However, without warning I pull on the drawstring and fire upwards straight into Demushu's face! I flip behind him firing two shots into it's back watching contently as he falls forward onto his knees.
"Where'd the confident remarks suddenly go? Is it possible that you're just not all that?" I gloat mainly trying to get him to lose focus keeping another shot in the bow locked and loaded for when he gets up.
"Humans… they get so overconfident so quickly. You're no exception!" Demushu cries out in obvious pain as he throws himself upwards charging at me wildly swing his sword with me jumping over the strike and sending a blast right into his chest causing him to stagger backwards.
"I'm not confident, I'm terrified! But this isn't about my feelings, this is about vengeance! I WILL avenge my friends!" I stop my backwards momentum using my right leg jumping off a nearby street light and forwards flipping around swinging my left leg as hard as I can downwards straight into Demushu's head! He can only let out a muffled cry as he hits the ground face first. I'm quick to get on top of him pinning him down with my legs and stringing a shot at his head. "As the last hero of Zawame, I think it's in your best interest to surrender."
"Last? You… you don't even know about the coward. He…he…hehe." The monster suddenly reaches for his sword, but it's too late as I fire the full power blast into his skull leaving him dead on the concrete. I stumble off him falling on my butt. I did it, I avenged them, but… what'd he say about the coward? Could one of them actually be alive? Ren's out of question, but what about Mamoru, Sano, Akira, or Shun? If any one of them made it, we could team up and finally take the fight to the Overlords in full force! Hope, I can feel it!
Switch to Takeshi
"Sir, somebody beat an Overlord!" An office worker shouts suddenly running into my office finding me on the floor my finger about to press the trigger.
"Who?" And with such a simple question, I brace myself to be told Seito has broken through the assault and they're hear to save us from our pathetic existence.
"Kazuro Tema sir! Armored Rider Kurokage!" I lock up. Someone made it, and it was him, that boy, he made it, he did it.
"Kazuro… that idiot killed an Overlord? Did I hear that correct?" I ask with a flurry of hopeful nods sent my way. How did he-? Unless he was the one who stole-. Yes, it must have been him! He stole the prototype, Yggdrasil's pride and joy! The man who made me to late to save my sister… the man who took away everything!
Switch to Kazuro
All the bases are cleared up and nobody's home. Mamoru, Shun, and Sano would be at their bases if they were alive or at least at one of them. That only leaves Akira who would have only one place to turn to, Yggdrasil. As I said before, us Armored Rider have never had a good relationship with Yggdrasil, but Akira had a pretty screwed up history with it. Her brother, Takeshi, ran the whole thing and was incredibly bad for Akira's mental health at a point. She ran away with Mamoru, but if… with Mamoru dead she would only have one place to turn to. But even then, her brother is dead, and Yggdrasil was in ruins, why would she be hiding there? I guess I'm about to find out! The building stands before me, this broken place that I witnessed Ren's… death. I walk into the entrance seeing the area Takeshi and I had fought walking past it looking around for any signs of Akira when suddenly the unexpected happens and I hear footsteps heading right for me!
"Kazuro!" An unfamiliar voice shouts out as an office worker runs down the steps stopping in front of me and bowing. I don't bow unsure of if my mind is playing tricks on me.
"You're real, right?" I ask him curiously as he nods excitedly standing upright.
"We've been expecting you after you killed that Overlord! The boss is waiting for you!" The man tells me running back up the steps and I'm left confused. The boss? It could possibly be Akira, but if it's not… then who's running this place? Walking up the stairs I'm dumbfounded by a hallway filled with twenty-no-fifty survivors! How have these people hid in here? How are they being supported? So many questions instantly fill my head as I get a raging headache walking through the survivors to another flight of stairs. However, this hallway is an entirely different thing, it's a makeshift lab kind of familiar to where I found my Red Driver before it was destroyed by Demushu.
"Wh-who's there!?" A voice shouts out from behind one of the complex looking machines.
"Kazuro, you?" I ask curiously realizing that obviously not everybody was expecting me.
"Kazuro!? YOU!" Suddenly the voice comes out of hiding and a man in a lab coat lunges out at me! I do my best to keep his arms at bay which are swinging wildly at my face pushing me to the ground and obsessively attacking me. "ITS YOUR FAULT THEY DIED!"
"Get off me you rambling old man!" I shout putting my foot under his belly and pushing me off him throwing him into one of the machines behind me as I push myself up.
"That's enough Keisuke!" A familiar voice shouts out as the man shrivels down and retreats behind some equipment. My hope is suddenly washed away as I turn to see Takeshi, the boss.
"H-he's the source of it all! He's the problem!" Keisuke hisses from behind the machine as Takeshi puts up a hand for him to stop talking which he does.
"Follow me Mr. Tema." Takeshi retorts turning around and heading the way he came in. I cautiously follow behind him. Something just feels off… is he the coward Demushu was talking about?
"Who was that guy?" I ask curiously having kind of already gotten a hunch, but trying to get something out of him before he brings me wherever we're headed.
"The creator of the Drivers and Lockseeds you use. He was a talented and well put together man, but he broke just like most did during the Invasion." Takeshi remarks as I notice a metal cylinder clenched in his hand that he fumbles around with rubbing red button on the top making me incredibly uncomfortable.
"Where are we going?" I ask him defensively as he leads me into what looks to be his office with the walls being only glass and the walls being the only thing separating us and the office workers outside. He sits down laying the metal cylinder out in front of him.
"This in front of me is a remote detonator to a rig of bombs hidden under Zawame. I want you to give me a reason not to activate it." Takeshi plainly tells me with me reeling back in shock.
"You can't be serious!" I look into the depths of his eyes. He's serious. He's actually willing to blow up the city! He's crazy, or is he? It'd destroy the Inves, the Overlords, end the conflict right now! No! He'd kill all the survivors of the invasion including me and himself. "Akira, she wouldn't want you to do this."
He twitches the cylinder rolling forward a little closer to me before he suddenly snatches it up about to press down on the button. In a swift motion, I kick the detonator out of his hand knocking a bunch of the things on his desk off it. He suddenly bolts straight for it and I tackle him towards the window with it immediately shattering and the sudden wind blasting both of us.
"Stop this madness Takeshi!" I shout at him holding him down with his head hanging out the window.
"Akira wants this! She wants the destruction of this city! Wants it! Craves it!" Takeshi shouts crazily pointing at nothing. As I turn my head to look where he's pointing, he punches me across the face following it up by a kick throwing me off him.
"Akira's dead! She wouldn't want this!" I shout again as I jump on top of him just as he scrambles just out of reach of the detonator.
"She's dead because of you! You made me retreat, you're the stem of our problems KAZURO!" He shouts not making any sense to me as I take his head slamming it into the ground and reaching above him grabbing the detonator and throwing it to the other side of the room. He kicks me off him again, but with this time a lot more distance being put between the two of us as we both slowly stand up the wind making it impossible to hear anything at the distance we're at. We both reach into our jacket pockets both pulling out identical Red Drivers. That Keisuke guy must've made another one.
"HENSHIN!" We both shout slamming the blue Lockseeds into our Drivers and activating them with a green armor falling onto the white suit of Takeshi. Both our bows suddenly clash we charge forward and the silent battle begins. I raise my knee to attack, but he draws back the bow preparing to fire causing me to jump back dodging the blast. I then jump off a cushioned chair tackling Takeshi again turning the bow on him prepared to stab him. Just as I plunge the bow downwards he shifts his head just out of the way putting his legs behind me and kicking me off him smacking into the glass with it cracking from my weight. Too close. I get up firing multiple shots at Takeshi which he deflects expertly throwing the shots into the glass and walls. I throw myself at him and suddenly I'm stopped. A hot blood suddenly flowing out my stomach, blood. I look down seeing the bow plunged into my side. It can't end here… not like this.
"I'm the last hero of Zawame! The last savior!" I slam down my own bow into Takeshi's chest causing him to drop the bow and stumble back with his transformation fizzling away. I fall to the ground as well crawling over to Takeshi as my own transformation fizzles out. We both hoist ourselves up against a wall with the detonator in Takeshi's hands. "You gonna do it?"
"No," I'm genuinely surprised as he opens the bottom of it revealing a disarm button activating that instead. "I'm sorry Kazuro. I shifted all the blame to you for no reason. I retreated, I was the coward that let Akira d-die."
"Yeah you did and from the wound you got, you won't be around too much longer." I tell him a little coldly.
"I'm at peace with that. I've lost everything and what's worse is that I that I almost threw away Akira's life too. The meaningfulness behind her sacrifice would've disappeared if I had destroyed the city." I nod slowly wincing at the pain in my side which I can only imagine is nowhere near the pain he feels and has endured for so long. He turns his head to me. "Kazuro… do it better than I did, create a new age of heroes. Change the fate of this burdened city. Please."
"I-I'll do everything I can." I tell him truthfully as the life behind his eyes fade and his head slumps down. I push myself up and make my way out of his office getting immediate medical attention.
Fast-forward
It's been another month since Takeshi's death. Not long after his death and my recuperation, I was explained to that Takeshi wanted to die, he planned on it. He told his workers not to interfere with our fight and to give me assistance once I exit. However, I have no doubt that if I hadn't beat him, he would have blown up the city without hesitation. I've been able to work with Keisuke since then and we've made incredible advances together in driving out the Overlords. A hero age has come and the fallen can and will not ever be forgotten.