"Journey through the Decade"
Chapter 1 - Destroyer and Hero:
The young man could be 19 years old, but in his memory, he had only been in the world for about 4 months or so.
Ijigen Tsukasa suffered from amnesia. However, it was only related to his personal memories. He could speak fluently, in more than one language even! He was knowledgeable in many, many traits, but he could not remember his own identity.
In fact, the only reason how he remembered his supposed name was by finding a note nearby when he had first woken up.
Handwritten, it lay upon a case and an undoubtedly irregular and strange device.
'Your name is Ijigen Tsukasa. Keep on moving. Visit all the Worlds. And never stop.
Choose: will you destroy everything, or connect everything?'
Doing as the note had indicated, Tsukasa didn't waste a second in starting his journey. However, the normal world wasn't as normal as he had expected.
In his travels, in many cities, he came across being that could be considered 'monsters', which attacked humans every single time.
Luckily, he had the power to destroy everything.
"So this is Gaduba..."
While removing the reddish goggles from over his pure green eyes, a gently breeze ran through his brown simple spiky hair, adjusting his simple mannered clothes: a t-shirt beneath a black vest and simple jeans, in addition to a pinkish-red wristband.
He wasn't very far from the city. Only a couple of miles away was his home for the following days before moving to a different location, in search for a new city.
However, spending every single day walking wasn't an easy task, especially on a low budget.
"Hungry... Somebody... Help..." The poor guy was on the verge of passing out in the middle of the streets. How no one was around to witness or help was a mystery. Well, almost no one.
"Are you okay?"
The voice could've been common for a young girl, sweet and slightly high pitched, but for him, it sounded like an angel's singing. Removing his face splattered on the pavement, he looked up, finding a curious-eyed girl with bright blue irises, hair of an incredibly strong blue hue, almost black, wearing a red tracksuit with multiple yellow stripes drawn over its arms and legs. She carried a small bag over her shoulder, and her hairstyle choice was chest-lengthened ponytail, held together through a red and golden hairpin, similar to some sort of relic.
"Need... Food...!"
"Eh?! A-AHH! O-Of course!" Panicking was an acceptable reaction, since the girl was facing a situation like this for the very first time in her life.
Slurp! Gulp, gulp, gulp!
"Haaa...! That was delicious!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." The girl dragged Tsukasa with ease to the nearest restaurant. A Noodle Bar, to be exact. It was nearly empty, but they sat by the counter, asking for the largest serving one could ask for in there. The flavor was simple, but it contained many, many types of ingredients. In order to help the food travel down his esophagus, fresh water was ordered as well. It was fairly cheap, but not expecting such a situation to come about, it emptied the girl's wallet.
"Im really sorry for making you do this. I haven't eaten a whole lot lately."
"It's fine, really! As long as it makes someone smile, I'll do anything."
A smile and a thumbs up. For some reason, using the two fit her surprisingly well, in Tsukasa's opinion. Then, a hand extended.
"My name is Mongami Ichigou. And yours?"
Staring down at the hand, he looked up and smirked.
"Tsukasa. Ijigen Tsukasa." Taking her hand, they bonded. But letting it go, he followed up with a question. "Did I interrupt you or something?"
"Eh?"
"You seemed to be going somewhere. Off to train?"
"Oh, no, I actually was on my way back from training." Ichigou giggled before continuing. "But now that you mention, maybe I worked out a little bit too much."
"What do you mean?"
"My body is heating up." A hand reach to the collar and she started waving it back and forth, trying to refresh its insides. However, it was a failed attempt. Sighing, Ichigou stood up and started unzipping the top part of her tracksuit, revealing a simple white tank-top underneath. However, closing in to the end, she glanced at Tsukasa and suddenly blushed, starting to zip it back up.
"What's the problem?"
"I..." She looked away, laughing awkwardly before giving up. "I... worked up a little bit too much sweat. I kinda smell."
"Oh, don't worry about it." Tsukasa chuckled, with a little hint of awkwardness, but he seriously didn't mind. "I understand your fear, but if it's any consolation, the scent of the noodles can disguise it."
"I-I see..." Uncertain at first, determined at second. Quickly finishing her original objective, she took off the jacket-like cloth and tied it around her waiting, sitting down by the counter again, proudly. Wearing a blush and a somewhat uncomfortable look, but proud nonetheless.
"...Calm down." Tsukasa's requested seemed to be unheard until Ichigou breathed a sigh. "Besides, what are you so nervous about? It's only natural for humans to stink after a long workout."
"Yeah, but it doesn't stop it from being embarrassing. Especially when you don't like the shower at the gym and you'd rather use the one at home."
"I suppose." Tsukasa chuckled again before drinking more of his water. "What sport were you practicing, by the way?"
"Kickboxing."
"Wow, really?"
"Yup. My aim is to be a worldwide champion! No matter if man or woman, I'll defeat anyone!"
"Haha." Tsukasa put down his glass. "That's a nice dream."
"Well, this isn't really my dream. It's more like my objective." Ichigou clarified. "My dream is to have everyone in the world smiling."
Her words left him speechless, but shortly after, a loud siren could be heard from outside. Ichigou immediately turned.
"The police?! That means...! Tsukasa, I'll be right back, stay here!"
"W-Wait!" Before she could listen to his pleads, Ichigou had already dashed out the door. "Man, she's fast!" Needless to say, his curiosity obligated him to give chase.
Luckily, she didn't stop very far. The warehouse she had entered was surrounded by police cars and officers for some reason Tsukasa couldn't understand, at least until entering the warehouse himself.
Finding an unsupervised entrance, Tsukasa entered, hiding behind a pile of boxes. Peering beside them gave him a clear view of two monster-like entities. He had come across similar beasts. These were themed after animals, each with a strange belt-like ornament. The first was similar to a hermit crab of sorts, while the other possessed characteristics one could associate with condors.
"Species #8, uh? Easy enough." But before Tsukasa could unveil himself towards the monsters, Ichigou rushed in, standing in front of the two. "What the-?!"
"Hey you?"
"?" The two monsters turned, finding the girl with a look of determination and a clenched fist.
"Ready to see my transformation?"
"Transformation?!" Tsukasa couldn't believe her words.
Placing her hands on the side of each hip generated a silver belt with a large red stone on the center. A hand rose up to the air, open, across her body diagonally, while the other clenched in a fist. She slowly moved the arm across, revealing a cocky yet cheerful smile. "Henshin!" Quickly withdrawing her stretched arm to the same side as the other, she pressed her hand on a single button before spreading them apart again. Glowing brightly white for a second and then in red, her clothes were replaced by a slick red armor on the upper body, with multiple golden markings, while the lower consisted of grieves, black stockings and a black skirt with a golden strip all around it. Her face had not changed, nor had her hair, but a golden crown appeared over her head. "Rider Kuuga! Beware! My power keeps on growing!"
"She's... She's a rider too?!"
His eyes weren't deceiving nor tricking the mind. The girl in front of him had transformed into a Rider. Something he did not know was that apparently there were more of them throughout the world.
"Haa!" Kuuga didn't waste a second to approach the monsters and kick them away, pushing the Condor farther away so she could focus on the Crab, delivering a few powerful punches, but the second monster was quick to recover and charge in as well. Kuuga managed to defend herself from both, holding them off and quickly attacking one at a time. "These are stronger than the usual ones..."
"Would you like some help then?"
"Eh?!" Kuuga quickly turned, finding the boy she had helped shortly before, and surprised by so. "Tsukasa?! This is dangerous! You shouldn't be here!"
"You shouldn't worry about me. Let me pay you back." Quickly drawing his arm, he revealed a strange white device, which he placed in front of his waist, materializing a belt around him from it. He drew a card at the same time as the two monsters charged in and showed it. "Henshin!" Placing the card inside the slot of the buckle, he twisted it, making it sound.
'Kamen Ride: Decade!' Multiple silver shadows appeared around him at the same time as pinkish-red squares flew out of the buckle, hitting the monsters and driving them away. Then, the shadows and squares all fused within his body, revealing his Rider Form: a long black and pinkish trench coat worn over a naked, lightly muscled upper body, connected through a black cross with white rims, along with black, white and pinkish trousers. His eyes showed a slight glimmer of pink, and his hair became much spicier than before, along with two green ornaments on the sides of his head.
"Rider Decade. Get ready to be destroyed."
"A-Another Rider?!" Apparently, Kuuga was just as amazed as Decade was in the discovery of a fellow warrior.
Decade kicked the Condor, pushing it against the fellow fighter while he drew the small silver case of his side, which revealed a hidden handle and suddenly materialized a blade from the opposite side, granting him a weapon to slash the crab with. Kuuga, on the other hand, kept using her fists as weapon of choice. After a small struggle, the monsters rolled over to the opposite side as of the heroes, who approached each other.
"So, Kuuga, was it?"
"Yes. Are you as ready as I am?"
"To kick their asses? Of course."
The two glanced at each, offering a nod and then dashing into the battle once more.