Kamen Rider Musume (or Everyday Life with a Kamen Rider)
I do not own Kamen Rider Drive or Monster Musume. Those belong to Toei and Okayado. I am not making any sort of profit off of this idea and am only writing it for fun. If you have a problem with this then please move along and find something else while others get the chance to see the story. Thank you everyone for showing this new idea some support.
Rider Musume
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 1: Learning About Liminals
*BREET! BREET BREET!*
A shrill beeping came from the alarm clock situated next to an average bed which made the occupant mumble in discontent before he snaked a hand out from the covers and hit the button to shut it down. There was more mumbling before the occupant yawned and sat up. He appeared to be a twenty-something with black hair and rather plain features. Still mumbling, he got out of bed, wearing boxers and an undershirt before he quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and a white shirt which had a squared marked Ad Space on the front.
His name was Kurusu Kimihito, a Freeter for the time being, someone who worked haphazardly at part-time jobs to make money. At the moment he didn't have much direction in his life beyond a few goals he set for himself. They were important goals, but
ones he intended to take care of in due time.
*VROOM!*
Kurusu looked down to see a small toy car, bright red with a spoiler, tinted windows, and a pair of white stripes on the front zoom into his room before honking.
"Morning Jii-san," Kurusu yawned, fighting the last of his short on. "I'll see you downstairs."
*Beep! Beep!* the tiny car replied before zooming off.
Yawning, Kurusu headed to the ground floor of his home to get some breakfast. Waiting for him was what appeared to be a red tower which had a thin top and mounted on it was a silver device which looked like the front of a high-class car with speedometers where the hood ornament would be. The centre dial was a black screen with red LED lighting making up a plate-like mouth and two large eyes.
"Good morning Kurusu," the red machine greeted warmly. "Sleep well?"
"Well enough," Kurusu scratched his head. "Any updates?"
"I'm afraid not," the machine answered, it's 'eyes' closing in disappointment. "The Roidmudes have gone silent lately and if they are not using their Heavy Acceleration or even in their true forms than we cannot track them."
"Yeah, I remember," Kurusu yawned, moving to get his breakfast while turning on the television. As he went for the cereal, the screen turned on to reveal eight beautiful girls who all sported inhuman features like rabbit or mouse ears.
"And that was ANM48 with their new song, Everyday Animal Ears! These girls have been a blast in the music business and every one of their top songs have been skyrocketing to the number one spot in all the charts! What also makes them so notable however, is that this is the first singing group which is composed completely of Liminals! So not only are they amazing singers, but they're history makers too!"
"Hm. Imagine that," Kurusu mumbled, moving to sit at the table. "Say, Jii-san, do you think the reason the Roidmudes have been laying low lately is because of the Treaty?"
"Hm. Possibly, but I don't think they'd really care for it," the robot commented.
The Treaty, was in fact the Inter-Species Cultural Exchange Accord. It was written up three years ago when it was decided to reveal the existence of non-human species like the Centaurs, Lamias, and Harpies. Monster Girls, or Liminals if one wanted to be politically correct. It was an agreement which would help the Liminals gradually become integrated into human society where they could fit in with everyone else. Granted there were a few bumps in the road, like with people who feared them because of their species' reputations or the few aggressive breeds that liked to attack humans, but so far it was a surprisingly easy integration. Recently there was even a homestay program which allowed select families to take in a Liminal volunteer so that they could get the full experience of the human world instead. It was a big deal, so the government was keeping a close eye on things.
"Maybe since the government is being so close to the people, that's why they're laying low," Kurusu suggested. "They don't want the wrong sort of attention on them just yet. Not when they haven't gotten to that perfectly evolved state that they're aiming for."
"Hmm," the robot 'nodded'. "That might be the case."
"Something to look into," Kurusu nodded, munching on his cereal. "Anyway, I've got the day off for a change and if none of the Shift Cars report in, I'm just going to veg out and play some games all day."
"Those things will rot your brain," the robot huffed as Kurusu ate.
"Not as quick as a Roidmude will crush my body," the young man retorted.
"True, true."
Kurusu finished his cereal and moved for the Wii so he could begin his day of veging out. Sitting down in his favorite beanbag chair and grabbing the controls, he let the TV light up to begin his gaming experience. It was one of the benefits of living by himself while his parents were overseas. They asked him to look after the house while they were gone. At first it was fine, but then his grandfather showed up…but not the way the Kurusu remembered him, which lead to the Roidmudes…and the Destiny Shift.
*DING-DONG!*
Kurusu sighed and stood up, "If that is a salesman then I am going to flip." He headed to the door and after checking to make sure that the red robot or any tiny cars weren't running around, opened it to see who was calling.
On the other side was a woman who looked to be the government agent type. She wore a black suit with a pencil skirt and had black glasses covering her eyes. She also had long black hair which parted at her forehead and framed her face. She seemed professional enough, but her presence alone made Kurusu want to gulp since he got up to some stuff in his spare time that the government likely wouldn't be too fond of with the current political landscape.
The person with her though was a bit of a surprise. She was a girl, likely close to Kurusu's age. She had long red hair which reached down her back and had golden slit eyes. Up in her hair were a pair of yellow D-shaped hair ornaments which were quite noticeable. Her ears were bright red and pointed, indicating a non-human status along with the red scales which framed her jaw. Her torso was human, sporting a cute tank top with a denim jacket and a regular skirt. From the waist down though, she did not have legs but instead had a long serpentine tail which was seven metres long at least. She was definitely cute, although she seemed rather nervous. Next to her was a carry along suitcase standing upright. There was no mistaking her as a Lamia, the all-female tribe of snake people known for appearing in deserts.
What the heck was one doing with a government agent at his house?
"Uh…can I help you?"
"Didn't you check the date?" the government woman smiled. "It's the day that Miia-chan here is supposed to move in with you as part of the homestay program."
"I-It's nice to meet you," the Lamia, apparently named Miia, bowed shyly.
Kurusu blinked. He then blinked again. Shaking his head he grimaced, "I'm…sorry?"
"Don't worry! We all slip up!" the agent smiled before she slipped out her I-phone and hit a command. "Okay guys! Move in and let's make this place ship shape for Miia-chan!"
"Huh?" Kurusu gaped before a horde of burly men, contractors from the looks of them, stormed the street before marching like a bunch of soldiers. He gave off a yelp as they stormed the house before they immediately set to work and began tearing down walls and doors. "AHHHH!"
"Oh relax," the agent huffed as she approached with Miia. "We just need to renovate a little so Miia-chan can move about and use the facilities without any problems."
"BUT I'M NOT PART OF THE HOMESTAY PROGRAM! WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?!" Kurusu cried out in horror. Looking back into the house, he saw a pair of the contractors looking over the door leading to the basement in comparison to the blueprints to the house. "HEY! NO! NO TOUCHING THE BASEMENT!"
"You didn't sign up?" the agent lifted her eyebrow and tilted her glasses down. Reaching into her jacket she produced an official form. "No, you did. Says right here. The address is XXXX-XXX-XXXX."
"Huh? No!" Kurusu cried, marching over and pointing at the mailbox where the postal box was located. "This is XXOO-XXXX-XXYY! You're on the other side of the neighbourhood! You got the wrong place!"
The agent and the Lamia blinked before the human woman looked back down to her paperwork. Frowning, she seemed to think about her situation for a moment. After that, one of the contractors came out of the house and saluted to the woman while the rest of his team marched out. They talked in hushed words before the man left and the woman turned to smile at Kurusu.
"Well, my guys say the work's already done and it would kind of be a hassle to send Miia-chan over to the other side of the neighbourhood when this place is already so suited for her needs," the agent grinned. "So…let's have her stay with you okay? I'll fix the paperwork. So you two get along now!" she then waved and darted off to a black van which revved up and raced off into the night.
Kurusu and Miia both blinked as the woman left, but for entirely different reasons. For Miia, she was a little curious over all of the excitement going on while Kurusu was stunned at the sheer irresponsibility which a supposed government official had just showed by dumping the poor girl into his hands simply because she didn't want to do paperwork or something.
"U-um," Miia began, fiddling with her fingers. "S-sorry for the inconvenience."
"Huh?" Kurusu blinked, but then gasped as he remembered that he had a guest. "Oh! No, no, no! It's not your fault. Just…who was that woman?"
"She's my Interspecies Cultural Exchange Coordinator, Agent Smith," Miia explained. "She's responsible for my case and all that. She gave me a card so I can call her if something comes up. Maybe you could…get some details from her?"
Kurusu sighed. Somehow he figured even if he did try to call this Agent Smith, he'd probably get her voicemail or something and she'd never call him back. He was basically on his own with the government screw up on his hands. This was the last thing he wanted to have happen to him, especially with the things he and his grandfather did under the radar!
"Well, no helping it then," Kurusu sighed, scratching his head. Looking to Miia, he smiled, "So why don't you come in and I can make us some tea?"
"I'd like that," Miia smiled cutely.
Kurusu picked up Miia's suitcase and the pair entered the house. The young man had to blink when he saw that his house had been renovated completely. The hallways had all been expanded and likewise the doors had been as well to at least twice their size. Easily enough for Miia to fit through without any troubles, even with her large tail. He had to blink at the sheer efficiency of the government contractors.
"Government taxes at work," Kurusu huffed before he stepped aside to let Miia into the house. A shame they couldn't get their agents to be as good as the resources they bought. "Well, I'll show you to the sitting room so make yourself comfortable, okay?"
"Okay," Miia nodded.
Kurusu brought the Lamia to the traditional sitting room where Miia coiled up to sit down. Kurusu went off to the kitchen to find tea while the redhead waited. After a few moments, she heard a mechanical vrooming noise. Turning, she blinked when she saw what looked like a tall red box with a silver device on the top roll into the room.
"Well, hello there," the red face on the device 'blinked', rolling into the room. "Who might you be?"
"Um…" Miia couldn't help but stare. It was downright strange to her even though she was a Lamia. "I'm Miia. Who…wha…um…who are you?"
"Oh, how rude of me," the machine chuckled with a 'smile'. He wheeled up to a side of the table so he could talk. "I am called the Drive Driver. This is a mobile device which I use to get around when Kurusu isn't able to pick me up. However did a Lamia find her way here though?"
"I'm part of the homestay program," Miia answered. "This is going to be my home while I learn about the human world and become part of it."
"The homestay program?" Drive Driver 'blinked' in confusion. "I don't recall Kurusu signing up for that program or government inspectors interviewing him to make sure he was appropriate."
Miia hummed in thought, "Well, he kept saying to my coordinator that he didn't sign up for the program, but I don't think she was paying attention and set up the house for me anyway."
"So that's what all the commotion was about," Driver 'sighed'. "My goodness, how can such sloppy agents work in such an important program?"
Kurusu chose that moment to return with the tea, setting down the teakettle and cups before filling them for himself and Miia. Once the two cups were filled, Kurusu sat himself down and felt a bit of tension enter the room. He had no idea what to say to Miia since her appearance was kind of a surprise. Miia herself seemed particularly shy and was just silent. Driver just looked to both of them before looking back to Miia.
"So, Miia-chan, since we're all roommates now I hope this isn't too uncomfortable for you," he offered.
"Well, it's been an adventure," Miia smiled weakly. "I've never left my village before so this has all been pretty new to me. I think Ms. Smith called it culture shock or something. Still, so far everyone's been really nice to me."
"Well that's good," Kurusu smiled. He then noticed that Miia was absently shivering and was rubbing her arms repeatedly to try and warm up a little. "Um…are you cold or something?"
"A little," Miia shivered. "Lamias are cold-blooded so we're really sensitive to temperatures. If it gets too cold I get all sleepy and can't get going."
"Oh! Oh shoot!" Kurusu hopped to his feet. He didn't even think if a Lamia was warm or cold-blooded! "It's been a little cool recently but we didn't think anything of it. Lemme just grab some blankets for you, okay?"
"Ah?" Miia blinked as Kurusu jumped from the room to get what the Lamia needed.
"He's a good boy," Driver chuckled as he watched Kurusu go. "You have nothing to worry about with him on the case Miia-chan."
Kurusu came back into the room with a pair of large and obviously thick blankets. Coming over to where Miia was curled up, he began draping blankets across her tail so she could warm up, "Sorry about all this. I turned up the heat so I hope this'll help until it warms up," he gave an apologetic grin. "I wasn't expecting to have a Lamia for company. Once it warms up it should be a bit more comfortable for you."
Miia blinked, and blushed slightly as Kurusu finished draping the last of the blankets over her exposed tail. Seeing that the exposed portions of her tail were now warmly covered, Kurusu went back to his side of the table with a grin, "So, how about we talk about ourselves a little? If we're going to be living together for the next while anyway."
"O-okay!" Miia smiled, her cheeks a rosy red.
The day wore on as Miia, Kurusu, and Driver got to know one another. Miia admitted that she had come from a tribe of all women so she wasn't too used to dealing with men. Kurusu took it slow with her, knowing she was shy and he didn't want to scare her or make her feel unwelcome considering how much of an inconvenience Agent Smith dumped on the both of them. Driver just seemed to take it all in stride and considered Miia to be a charming change to the norm which was the two bachelors' lives.
Eventually they helped Miia unpack into one of the new guest rooms which were located, one of many new guestrooms which the government contractors put in. Fortunately Miia packed lightly and soon her room was settled, which included a personal heater just in case things got a little too cold for her liking. When Miia seemed pleased with the arrangement, Kurusu left her to get over her jetlag while he did some work in the basement.
"Whew," He sighed as he and Driver headed for the basement door. "Man, cute as she is this is just going to make things more complicated."
"Indeed, but considering your already bursting social life I think she might be a good influence around the house," Driver replied. "A lady's touch if you will."
Kurusu sweatdropped at the comment, looking to the machine, "Sometimes I wonder if you really are my grandpa and not some fusion with a playboy program somewhere." His sweatdrop grew heavier when Driver only chuckled.
Shaking his head, Kurusu opened the door to his basement before he grabbed Driver and gave a yank, revealing that the silver device was detachable and had a red strap which helped keep it connected to its mobile unit. Strapping Driver to his waist, Kurusu headed down to the basement before hitting a light switch which caused the entire area to light up.
The entire area was painted green and white like out of a professional mechanic's dream garage. Monitors and large toolboxes were lining walls, made for taking care of a high tech machine. At the far end of the garage was a lowered metal door with a circular emblem with an R inside of it looking like some kind of hood ornament. In the centre of it all was a royal red sports car which had a pointed front with white stripes running over the entire length of the car. The spoiler at the back was slightly odd over the high tech and style of the car, both sides of it being mounted with extra tires.
"Any of the guys come back with data yet?" asked Kurusu, walking to one of the computers.
"As a matter of fact-!" Driver began…
*BEEP! BEEP!*
Kurusu turned when coming in from under the garage door were three lengths of tiny highway began assembling themselves before rising up into the air. They curved through the air before coming up to the table the computers were a small parking lot rose up with a highway sign over it marked 'welcome home'.
"Hey, Flare, Spike, Shadow, welcome back guys!" Kurusu grinned.
From the garage three tiny cars drove through the highways, coming up to the table before coming to a gentle stop. Each of the three gave off tiny beeps, revving on the spot as if in pleasure. The first of the three looked like a bright orange hot rod with red fire designs on it. The second was a bright green car with purple headlights and windshield with its body covered completely with spikes. The last was a deep purple car with yellow slash-like headlights and matching marks on its windshield.
"Welcome back, all of you," Driver greeted with a 'smile'. "Any new information to report?"
Flare beeped and opened up another highway which connected to a computer. The machine came to life and began flipping through multiple windows before Drive's face flashed.
"Hmm, I see," Driver pondered before a holographic screen lit up from the headlights underneath his face, opening to several pictures of Liminal girls victimized by something and being helped by specially trained medics and government officials. All of them were some of the more intimidating species like Minotaurs, Ogres, and even some like Golems. Their bodies were an alarming pale shade and they couldn't move. Other beings around them were unfortunately the opposite, a dangerous shade of red and in obvious pain.
"So we were right," Kurusu frowned. "The Roidmudes have begun attacking Liminals for their data and physical qualities."
"It seems so," Driver agreed. "So far the witnesses who were able to remain conscious reported that there was indeed a Heavy Acceleration event at each of the events. They seemed unable to identify who or what their attacker was though."
"A pattern?" asked Kurusu, looking over each picture with a grimace.
"Other than the fact that the main targets seem to be dangerous Liminal breeds, none," Driver replied, checking reports that went with the images. "Although all of them are expected to recover, none of the events seem to have much in common."
"Hmm," Kurusu frowned, pondering the information. "Well, since the Roidmudes are going for dangerous Liminals, maybe we can try and track down where such Liminals might live and stake out the area to catch it in the act?"
"Unlikely," Driver denied. "The records detailing where all homestay representatives are recorded are secured by the highest firewalls and are constantly monitored both in data and hard copies. Our technology is geared more towards hardware rather than software."
"So no-go for us then," Kurusu pondered. "But…would that stop a Roidmude?"
Driver was silent before answering, "No. Either an intelligent one will try to sneak in to access those files or a particularly stupid one will barge in and try to steal them."
"Okay, so where was the last attack?" Kurusu asked, glancing over his shoulder at the three tiny cars.
Shadow beeped and drove over to the computer which Flare quickly evacuated before letting the purple car take its spot. More information passed through the screen before Driver created a new hologram screen. This one depicted a map of the city, several red dots all in a convoluted line.
"According to the data, the last attack was just outside the district and moving east," Driver reported.
"Meaning the next one will likely be inside the district," Kurusu frowned. "So either he already has the information he needs, or else he'll go to the place which has the data."
"The government's census offices," Driver agreed, making a green dot light up on the map. "A detailed listing of everyone in the district, both human and Liminal."
"Okay! Let's go!" Kusuru nodded, looking to the three cars. "Flare, Spike, Shadow, let's roll!" Approaching another toolbox, Kusuru removed a silver plate which looked like it had three indentations for something that he attached to the right side of his belt. The three tiny cars generated three highways for themselves which twisted through the air towards the young man. The cars drove on it before leaping off and locking into place, one in each slot.
"Ikuzo Kurusu!" Driver called.
Kurusu nodded before he dashed to his car, dropping into the driver's side before strapping himself in like a professional racer would. Once in, he hit the ignition and let the car, his Toridoron, roar to life. The garage door then lifted by remote, allowing the supercharged machine to race out of the garage. Following the tunnel, the machine came out of an alleyway between two stores before it closed up behind them, revealing a supposedly blocked off wall between the two as the red car raced down the street.
In her room, Miia snuggled into her pillow with a sigh and a smile, giggling every so often as she dreamed. "Oooooh, Darling…zzzzzzz."
The roar of the engine in the distance didn't even cause her to roll over.
The Tridoron raced down the quieting streets, making sharp turns as it even took back streets in order to make it to its destination without taking too much time. Coming out onto the main highway, it roared through traffic, just skirting the line of breaking several speeding laws before finally hitting an off ramp and letting the remaining drivers breathe easy. Several more turns brought it down to the business district where many offices were located. Legal, personal, business, and governmental buildings were all there.
The Tridoron pulled into the empty parking lot of an official looking building bearing the emblem of the Japanese government on a sigh, marking it as one of the country's official offices. The building was silent, which could have been good or bad. Almost stealthily, the Tridoron pulled into a parking space which directly faced the building.
"Quiet," Driver commented.
"Either we're early, way too late, or in the wrong place entirely," Kurusu frowned, leaning on the steering wheel. "Lights aren't on so likely only security guys are the only ones there."
"Then we will have to be patient if we want to be sure," Driver commented.
As Kurusu settled in for a long night of playing watchdog, a pulse suddenly shot over the area originating from inside of the building. All around them, everything seemed to…slow down to a small fraction of the pace that it had before. Crickets giving off quick chirps suddenly gave off drawn-out bleats. Birds that were startled by the pulse attempted to escape, but lifted into the air at a tortuous pace. Even the elements didn't escape as a decorative fountain expelled water in slow motion, making each individual drop become identifiable.
After the pulse hit, a slow motion explosion erupted from the front of the government offices. The glass doors and stone walls cracked at a slow pace before flames licked through and all of the pieces began to fly away like they were floating in molasses.
The only one not affected was Kurusu himself.
"Aw crap!" he groaned, moving and speaking at the normal rate as he pulled himself out of his car. "Looks like we were right."
"Indeed," Driver agreed. "Let's go Kurusu!"
Kurusu nodded before he pulled what looked like a red bracer from his pocket, mounted with a silver device which had a hollow in it much like the ones which his three small cars were inserted into, only empty. Strapping it to his wrist, he dashed towards the slowly exploding government building, swatting small pieces of debris out of his way as he wet. Coming to the front of the expanding flames, he tried to peer through the slow fire so he could see what had caused it.
He got his answer as three figures emerged from the slow blaze.
They were humanoid, but there was no way one could mistake them as being human, Each of them had bodies covered in dark steel, making them look rather machine-like in their appearances. Their heads on the other hand looked like skulls, each with a different mouthpiece and decoration on them. Planted on their chests were a plate, each one marked with a different number. The one leading the group was 034 whose torso armor was segmented like the belly of a snake and his thighs and arms designed to look like snake scales. Covering the nose and mouth of the skull was a metal faceplate which looked like a snake's mouth ready to strike. Planted on either side of its head were metal adornments which looked like a cobra's hood.
The second of the group was numbered 060 and its torso had several tubes, extending from its chestplate, giving the faint similarity to a spider or its web. More metal tubes wrapped around its neck like a brace while its arms and legs layered plating, like an exoskeleton. Lastly its face was mostly covered by a plate which was designed to look like spider mandibles, intimidating in itself.
The last of the trio was marked 088 and its torso armor looked like steel leathery wings extending to make the suit. The arms and legs seemed to have metal wings elegantly wrapped around them like a group of bats had settled on them. This creature's face was concealed by a metal plate which looked like a bat's mouth and nose while large yellow ear-like protrusions were mounted near its eyes, making it seem all the more bat-like.
It was the snake robot which noticed Kurusu first, waving flames out from his face, "Eh? Who's this pipsqueak?"
"He's he able to get around the slowdown?" asked the spider machine.
Kurusu lifted his arm, revealing his brace as he spoke, "The guy who's going to bring down all one hundred and eight of you scrap heaps!"
The bat robot seemed to actually become intimidated by the gesture, or rather what Kurusu had strapped to his body, "That's-!"
Kurusu quickly reached down to Driver before taking hold of an ignition key on the side and giving it a twist. A sound like a high performance car revving up began to sound before Driver's voice rang out in a loud and deep tone.
"START YOUR ENGINES!"
*BEEP! BEEP!*
A tiny highway rose from the ground before a tiny red sports car race up it and jumped from it into Kurusu's right hand. Lifting it up, he flicked its back end to have it spin around, revealing an S-like emblem on the bottom. Holding the machine, he cried out, "Henshin!"
Taking the car, he inserted it into his brace, making the machine look like a tiny handle before he gripped the back end and pushed, showing the tiny care had indeed become a lever. The front of the brace flashed before another roar of an engine Driver sounded off, the emblem appearing on his screen.
"DRIVE: TYPE SPEED!"
Kurusu was enveloped in a red cylinder of light as parts of a high tech suit of armor began to materialize and attach to his body. Once the entire suit was completed, there was a roar like a speeding race car which sounded off as the suit flashed, becoming solid. Driver was still around his waist, but now he was donned in a black bodysuit. His torso armor was cherry red like his car, polished to perfection save for a black indentation across his chest which ran from his left shoulder to under his right arm. His shoulder plates looked similar to spoilers. His forearms and shins were adorned in polished red gauntlets and greaves, the brace still on his left wrist prominently. His helmet was mostly red with a silver mouthplate and a large visor that looked almost like headlights. They were nearly split by the triangular forehead, making them look like eyes. Said forehead was decorated like the front of a sports car with a pair of white stripes running down the middle and the emblem from the garage door in the centre. Rising from the top of his head was a spoiler like a sports car, completing the ensemble.
Back with the Tridoron, the front left wheel sank into the machine while the portion of the hood in front of it retracted. Suddenly, a rubber street wheel with the words TYPE SPEED imprinted on the side and a red line down the middle emerged and like in a pinball game, the car's wheel shot it out. Rather than fall over, the wheel spun through the air before colliding with Kurusu's chest, filling the black indentation and allowing the armor to fully activate.
"Kamen Rider?!" the three robots gasped out.
"That's right Roidmudes," the armored Kurusu nodded, taking a stance. "Kamen Rider Drive! Now, let's go for a ride!"
The three robots stepped back, obviously intimidated before the Spider Roidmude stepped forward, "You guys have the data! Go! We need those Liminal qualities now!"
"Right!" the Cobra and Bat Roidmudes nodded before they began running away from the scene.
"Hey!" Drive yelled, attempting to give chase, but the Spider Roidmude tacked him and knocked the both of them to the ground with a thud before attempting to punch him repeatedly. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"
Drive got his senses back and blocked a punch before slugging the Roidmude across the face, making it roll away from him. Hopping to his feet, Drive saw that the two other Roidmudes had vanished into the night, leaving the Spider Roidmude for him. Grumbling, he squared off against the machine, taking another fighting stance.
"You aren't enough to stop us Kamen Rider!" the Spider Roidmude called, hunching over. "Your predecessor wasn't and neither are you! HAH!" he thrust his hands out, spraying lengths of white threads at the red Kamen Rider.
"Woah!" Drive dove to the side, letting the webbing grab onto a large piece of rubble. The lengths immediately began to constrict before crushing the slab of stone, letting the pieces slowly begin dropping to the ground. Looking at the destruction, Drive just gulped, "Okay, avoid the webs on this guy."
"Observant," Driver commented from his perch.
Drive cursed as the Spider Roidmude attempted to ensnare him again, forcing him to roll aside yet again and landing on his back. Grunting, he saw the Roidmude already in place to begin shooting again and he acted. Reaching to his Drive Brace, he grabbed the lever and pushed it three times. Drives armor revved like a high performance car before he got up and began running.
He moved like a blur, already out of the way before the Roidmude could shoot more webbing at him. It blinked at the sudden red blur, but it didn't get to do much more than that before it got slugged across the face at high speeds. It tried to orient itself, but Drive came in once again and let out a barrage of high speed punches which caused sparks to fly from each impact before an uppercut launched it up before gravity took hold and it smashed to the ground in a heap.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be," Drive waned the Roidmude. "Just give up now and live among the humans like Liminals do or be destroyed. Your choice!"
"I….won't…SURRENDER!" the Roidmude bellowed, pulling itself up for another attack.
Drive sighed and pressed a button on the side of his Brace, prompting Driver to speak up.
"HISSATSU! FULL THROTTLE! TYPE SPEED!"
Drive positioned himself for an attack. Behind him, the Triodon began to rev as if ready to move by itself. The Roidmude grunted and prepared to make it's final stand for-!
"GUN!"
Drive cried in pain when he was suddenly blasted with several bullets from an unseen assailant. One shot got him in the leg and he dropped to the ground. The Spider Roidmude didn't need a larger invitation than that and took off running. Drive growled and got to his knees, but the Roidmude slung a strand of webbing and took off onto a rooftop. The red Rider turned to see who had attacked him, but he only saw a flash of purple and heard a roar of a motorcycle before the attacker drove away.
"Damn," Drive muttered, getting to his feet. Sighing, he removed the small car from his Brace before hitting the button on the side.
"NICE DRIVE!"
The armor he wore dissolved, leaving him in his civilian identity once again, "Well, that didn't turn out the way I expected."
"It seems this was an organized strike," Driver pondered. "They had a plan, backup, and even ensuring for factors such as us managing to track them down."
"Yeah," Kurusu nodded. "Anyway, let's get back home and see if anything else has come up. I don't want to wait for these guys to attack someone before we can bring them down."
"Of course," Driver agreed. "And leaving before the police appear would be prudent."
"…that too."
In a small café, a noted place of sophistication, a young man sat at a table, enjoying his tea while working on a tablet. He wore a casual suit which was a deep and poisonous green with a white scarf at his neck. He wore intellectual glasses while his hair stood out in a tame orange rather than the usual black which the regular Japanese people sported.
With him was another handsome man with black hair, but was wearing a bright red coat which hung to his knees and had a furred collar and sleeves. Unlike his comrade who was calm and poised like any intellectual, the red-clad man looked like someone who was energetic and spontaneous. An easy smile came to his lips.
"What is it you find so interesting there, Brain?" the easygoing man asked with a grin.
"I am researching the abundant number of Liminals who are coming to this city for the exchange program," the bespectacled man, Brain replied. "With so many varied breeds coming to live and learn from the humans, we need to be informed of what they are and their abilities. Surely you can understand that, can't you Heart?"
"Hm. So many potential new friends," the red-clad man, Heart laughed. "Do you think any of them would be interested in helping us deal with the humans?"
"Possibly, but that isn't our concern," Brain shrugged, sipping more tea. "With the influx of Liminals into the city, we Roidmudes now have a wider field in which to absorb qualities which can help us evolve. Not just with a human's, but imagine what can be gained from a physically superior Liminal."
Heart nodded, "Interesting. I can't wait to meet a new friend who has those qualities." He looked up to Brain. "Say, didn't you send some Roidmudes to collect that data?"
"An experiment in progress," Brain admitted. "But I did ask some Roidmudes to collect data on any Liminals living in this prefecture. It could help in our future endeavours."
"I see, I see," Heart nodded. "Well then, I can't wait to see if it works."
*DI~ING! DI~ING~*
The long chime of a bell sounded off, having the tone of a regular bell used to announce customers, but ringing out like a large brass bell would, dragging out the noise it made. Turning to the door, Brain and Heart eyed three Roidmudes, 060, 088, and 034. Although they were quite obviously not human, no one in the room seemed to move or even react to their presence.
Everyone in the room was moving too slowly to react at all.
"Did you get the data?" asked Brain, looking at the trio expectantly.
"Yeah, we got it," 060 nodded, holding up a USB Drive. "We got it just fine, but we had to be a bit flashy coming out since the Kamen Rider found us."
"The Kamen Rider?" Heart raised an eyebrow. "Hmm."
"Irritating, but now irrelevant," Brain shrugged, taking the drive from his underlings. Connecting it to his tablet, he brought up a list of names, addresses, and the species of the name holders. Brain began to grin as he scrolled down the list. "Excellent. With this we may be able to accelerate our evolution."
"Always good," Heart nodded before looking to the trio. "Why don't you three find some more Liminals with qualities you like and we'll meet up later."
"Right!" the three Roidmudes nodded, shuffling out of the café, still leaving the slow moving patrons to their slow panic.
"We should be moving along as well," Brain stood up, tucking his tablet under his arm. "We have much to do."
"Right, right," Heart sighed, standing up with his comrade. Both men casually walked out of the café as if nothing was wrong. The moment they left, the patrons returned to their normal speeds, confused and wonder what kind of Liminals had been able to do such a thing.
Kimihito Residence
A new day dawned for the three denizens of the house and Kurusu was up bright and early. Yawning once again, he headed downstairs to begin breakfast. Scratching his head, he saw Driver mounted on his mobile platform and looking at the morning news. Playing on the screen was an image of the destroyed government offices the previous night, all of it being attributed to anti-Liminal terrorist groups.
"They blame everything on terrorists these days," Kurusu shook his head, moving to the oven. "Okay, breakfast!"
"Don't forget we have Miia-chan living with us now," Driver reminded his housemate. "Lamias have a large appetite and one of their favorite foods is eggs according to the data I've reviewed."
"Okay. Really big omelettes it is," Kurusu nodded as he pulled an egg carton out of the fridge. "Anything else about Lamias I should know?"
"Nothing different from most breeds of snakes," Driver replied, turning back to the television. "I'd be concerned if a bunch of her relatives want to visit though…"
"Right," Kurusu frowned in confusion. "And the rules for this homestay exchange? Smith wasn't real clear on that." He grumbled over the government agent dumping the whole problem in his lap. Miia was so far a sweetheart, but all but forcing him into the program just so she could avoid paperwork? How was Smith able to even keep her job much less do it?
"Well, there are a number of rules," Driver replied, turning back to Kurusu while he worked. "The first is that when Miia needs to leave the house, you must accompany her at all times so that she does not get into trouble."
"Trouble?" Kurusu blinked while looking over his shoulder.
"Yes. Many of the Liminal species come from very different cultures compared to ours and need help adjusting and avoid being taken advantage of," Driver explained. "If you recall Miia-chan's case, Lamias are an all-female tribe so likely she has never met a male before now."
"Oh," Kurusu nodded. That made sense. "Got it. So what else?"
"Well, you can't just keep Miia-chan home all the time," the wearable robot explained. "You and your case handler must take her out periodically so she can mingle and learn how human society works. That's part of why this program was started."
"Right, right," Kurusu nodded, cracking some eggs into a hot skillet.
"Also, you cannot do anything to try and profit off a Liminal's special abilities," Driver continued. "That means you cannot sell a harpy's eggs or Arachne silk or something like that. There was a huge scandal a few years back as some humans tried to kill, eat, and even sell mermaid meat, thinking it would make them immortal or some nonsense."
"Oh…" Kurusu turned green at the image.
"One of the biggest rules thus far is that sexual contact with Liminals is expressly forbidden," Driver finished, looking sternly at Kurusu. "It would result in immediately deportation for the Liminal and arrest for the human in question."
"What's that look for?" Kurusu frowned, poking at the eggs with a spatula.
"Just reminding you of the rules since Miia-chan's a pretty young woman and you are a young man," Driver chuckled, looking away from Kurusu innocently.
Kurusu sighed, slipping the numerous eggs from the pan onto a plate, "I've kind of got more to think about than just girls Jii-san. Like the Roidmudes, remember? If we don't stop them then there won't be any girls left to flirt with."
"True, true."
A muffled yawn announced the Lamia as she slithered into the kitchen, wearing a nightshirt which hung over her hips and didn't do much to hide the amount of cleavage she had. Kurusu and Driver immediately stopped their conversation and regarded Miia. Rubbing her eyes, she approached the table, "M-Morning"
"Good morning Miia-chan!" Driver greeted with a 'smile'. "How was your sleep? It wasn't too cold was it?"
"Nope! It was nice and warm!" Miia beamed at the machine before looking to Kurusu who was approaching with the cooked eggs, "Good morning Darling!"
"Darling?" Kurusu blinked, but shook it off. Maybe Miia just misunderstood what the name meant? "Well, I understand Lamias like eggs so I cooked up a bunch for you." He presented the plate of seven eggs for his new houseguest. "I hope you like them sunny side up."
To his relief, Miia gasped in delight as her eyes sparkled at the sight, "Oh! I love eggs! We only have them raw or hard boiled at home so I never had them like a human would before!" Miia was almost drooling in anticipation as Kurusu passed her some eating utensils so she could dig into the eggs with gusto. She promptly did, capturing as much of the cooked egg as she could in her chopsticks before gulping it down, barely chewing it before doing so.
"Hey, slow down Miia," Kurusu huffed. "I have bacon and toast on the way so save some room for that would you."
"OK Darling!" Miia beamed.
"Darling, eh?" Driver chuckled. "My, it seems you've made quite the impression on Miia-chan Kurusu."
"Oh come on," Kurusu sighed, heading back for the oven. Breakfast resumed and the trio sat themselves down to eat. Miia of course enjoyed the eggs along with the other new human foods she never got to try before and seemed to fall in love with Kurusu's cooking. She kept sending warm smiles and blushes the young man's way, making Driver chuckle at the sight although Kurusu himself didn't seem to get it. Soon enough breakfast was done and Kurusu was washing up the dishes as Miia and Driver entertained themselves with morning television.
Wiping his hands off after the chore was finished, Kurusu spoke up, "Well Miia, since part of this homestay program is about learning about humans, why don't I show you around the neighbourhood and introduce you to some of the people around here?"
"Really?!" Miia gasped, looking up from her seat. "Can we go shopping too? I promised souvenirs for my friends back home!"
Kurusu shrugged, "Can't hurt. I can show you a few stores you might like."
"YAY!" Miia lunged at Kurusu, wrapping him up in a tight hug. However, this included her tail as it wrapped around the young man, trapping him in a tight coil which was almost crushing thanks to the natural strength a Lamia had in their tails. Kurusu gagged as the air was forced from his lungs and his body crunched in ways that a human should never have to experience.
"Miia…air…" he gasped.
"Oh! I'm so sorry Darling!" Miia gasped, realizing what she did.
"Kids," Driver chuckled at the sight.
After Kurusu got his breath and the feeling of his limbs back, the pair of young man and Lamia girl set out. Miia wanted to dress for a good first impression so she had donned a denim skirt with a yellow button up blouse with the sleeves rolled up and gold bracelets for good measure. She wanted to be seen in a good light by the people who lived around Kurusu, mainly because she intended to stay living with him for some time to come. Kurusu of course tried to keep the trip casual and not drive up anybody's nerves over the fact that there was a Lamia living nearby.
They walked (or slithered in Miia's case) through the streets and introduced the new resident to some of the locals. A group of small children heading to school stopped to admire Miia and ask her questions about herself, mainly about her tail, where she came from, and if she could do more stuff like snakes. She seemed embarrassed when they asked her if she shed her skin like a snake, which confused Kurusu a little since he didn't see anything embarrassing about the fact. The adults were nice enough, many of them being won over by Miia's good looks or her bubbly personality. She even got into a giggling conversation with an old lady like she was her granddaughter. A few people were unnerved by the fact that she had a snake body, but no one gave her any scorn for it, which seemed like a good sign to Kurusu.
"Kya! So cute! My friends will love them!" Miia squealed as the pair exited a store which sold popular gifts for girls. Her arms were loaded with bags filled with clothes and plushy snake dolls. Kurusu followed her, looking down at his empty wallet. He hadn't intended to spend that much, but Miia wanted a gift for each and every one of her friends. Kurusu just sighed and reminded himself that it was for the good of interspecies relations that he make a good impression not on Miia, but also on the Lamias that lived in her hometown.
"That's…great," he mumbled to Miia's enthusiasm. It looked like he was set back on that game console he'd been saving up for.
"Thank you so much Darling!" Miia beamed back at her host. Turning to face him, she flushed slightly with a smile, "I know my arrival was a bit…unexpected, but I'm really very glad it was you who took me in now. It's nice to know I got such a good guy like you looking out for me."
"Ah, it's nothing," Kurusu shrugged. "Smith may have been a little inconsiderate just foisting off her responsibilities just so she didn't have to work, but I'd be a pretty rotten guy if I just turned you away because I didn't sign some paperwork. I mean, you're here alone in a new country and you're dealing with a new culture. Being snubbed by who you thought was your host family would leave anyone feeling pretty low."
"Oh Darling," Miia beamed, squeezing the bags in her arms tightly. Fortunately everything inside of them was either clothing or plushies so nothing was broken. The same could not be said for Kurusu when Miia lunged and wrapped him inside one of her powerful hugs. "DARLING!"
"HRK! Miia…air…!" Kurusu choked, his limbs and body pinned by the excitable girl's powerful tail.
*SHOOOOM!*
A wave passed over the pair, covering the area in its power. Immediately everything slowed down to a fraction of its usual pace. Cars moved at a snail's pace, people moved at a crawl as dawning fear crawled across their features. Miia blinked, feeling so much slower than before. Looking around, she tried to make sense of what was going on,
"Dar…ling…?
"A…Slow…down," Kurusu grimaced, feeling Miia's coils loosen at a tortuously slow pace.
Kurusu turned his head to try and see in the direction that the wave had come from. Again, it was tortuously slow but he managed to begin seeing the whole scene as a car was thrown aside, driver and all before falling into slow motion once again. At the other end of the street were three Roidmudes, the same trio which he had fought the previous night, Cobra-type 034, Bat-type 088, and Spider-type 060. They causing chaos as they shot up shops, vehicles, whatever they felt like shooting at through the gun barrels which made their fingertips. They seemed to be showing off at one another, seeing who could make the bigger explosions. Kurusu grit his teeth and tried to move, to escape Miia's coils and move her, but without one of the Shift Cars on his person…
*BEEP BEEP!*
'Spoke too soon!" Kurusu thought as tiny highways rose up from the ground before running to his waist. Midnight Shadow, Funky Spike, and Max Flare raced down the highways before driving at Kurusu's side. His loose shirt lifted and revealed three slots like the one he wore on the Drive Driver, attached to his belt. The three cars slotted themselves in and in a burst of light, Kurusu's paralysis ended and he could move normally. Gently taking Miia's tail, he unwound it before stepping away, running for the three rampaging Roidmudes. He wanted to keep her out of the chaos until the-!
"Oi! Look! A Lamia!" 060 shouted, pointed at the pair. "Dibs on her!"
'Shit!' Kurusu cursed mentally.
"What?" 034 huffed, following his comrade's gaze. "Hey! No fair! I'm the Cobra-type, not you! I should get her qualities!"
"Forget her!" 088 snapped, swatting both skulls of his fellow Roidmudes. He directed their gaze to Kurusu who was approaching them despite the Destiny Shift field which the three were producing. "The Kamen Rider's here! Take him down first and then we can decide who gets the Lamia!"
Kurusu frowned and tensed, waiting for the three Roidmudes to charge at him. The longer they spent arguing and fighting him, the more time his backup had to arrive as well as keep Miia away from the danger. No sooner as he finished that thought, a roar of a powerful engine sounded off, announcing the Tridoron as it swerved around a corner and sped towards the scene. It roared past the frozen Miia, easily dodging the other cars on the road before skidding to a halt next to Kurusu. The freeter quickly opened the driver's side and retrieved the Drive Driver from its console, "Great timing Jii-san."
"I came as soon as the alarms sounded off," Driver replied before Kurusu took him and the Type Speed Shift Car before exiting the car again. He turned to face the trio of Roidmudes who had stopped arguing when they saw the modified car approach the scene. Kurusu knew they were about to charge at him so he needed to act fast. Strapping the Drive Driver to his waist, he turned the Ignition Key.
"START YOUR ENGINE!"
"Henshin!" Kurusu declared, inserting the Type Speed into his Drive Brace and pushed the converted lever.
"DRIVE: TYPE SPEED!"
Kurusu's cherry red armor formed onto his body before the Tridoron launched an extra tire to secure itself across his chest. His transformation complete, Drive stepped forward and took a fighting stance, "Okay Roidmudes, how about we finish what we started last night?"
"Get him!" shouted 034, prompting the three Roidmudes to attack.
Drive charged back and the battle was joined. 088 lashed out with a punch which drive ducked under before smashing his fist into the android's side, knocking it back in time for the red Rider to black a charge from 034. The Cobra-type dipped and weaved around Drive's punches before grasping his arms, trying to push him back. Drive kept his ground but grunted when 034 kicked his side in a powerful strike. Take two such strikes, Drive wrenched his arm free before capturing the Roidmude's leg before pulling the android off of its feet and throwing it to the ground. Panting, Drive looked up to see 060 coming down from above from a webline. The Spider-Type swung at Drive, kicking him in the face and knocking him onto a parked car's hood. The Rider grunted, shaking his head to get the stars out before he looked up to see the three Roidmudes recovering and pointing their fingertip guns at him.
"Crap!" Drive shouted, rolling off the car and diving behind it for cover. Glancing over, he yelped and ducked back down as energy bullets shot up the car.
"Kurusu, you'll have to use one of the others!" Driver shouted over the noise.
"No kidding!" Drive grunted, taking Max Flare from his belt before removing the Type Speed from his Drive Brace. He turned the Ignition Key to cause the Drive Driver to roar to life again. Flipping Flare's back end over, he inserted the Shift Car into his Brace before pushing it. "Here goes!"
"TIRE KOUKAN!"
The Drive Driver announced the change as a fireball emblem appeared on his screen. The Tridoron reacted, withdrawing its front left wheel before a bright orange one was deposited next to it, adorned with flame-like extensions from its surface. Across the sides like on regular tires were the words Max Flare. The regular wheel then launched the new tire out where it flew through the air towards Drive, slamming the Type Speed tire off of his body and replacing it on his armor. The words on the side flared as an electric guitar sound revealed the activation of the new armor.
"MAX FLARE!"
New weapon secured, Drive grabbed his brace and pushed the Max Flare Shift Car three times, causing the machine to roar and the Drive Driver to speak again.
"F-F-FLARE!"
Drive stepped out from behind his cover and into the streets, quickly lifting his arms. From where he held them, a spinning flame ignited in the air, bearing resemblance to the tire which was wrapped around him. It spun on the spot, growing large until it appeared to be a burning tornado. Drive then executed his attack, kicking the tire at the centre of the small firestorm and sent it flying at the three Roidmudes. 088 and 034 yelped and dashed to the side, but 060 wasn't nearly as quick as the other two and took the sudden flame attack head on. A blast of flames came from the impact, sending the Roidmude screaming several feat backwards in a flaming heap. When it crashed to the ground, it exploded, shooting even more flames out from the impact.
"060!" cried 034 in shock.
"You bastard!" 088 bellowed, running at Drive with his Cobra-type ally not close behind.
"One down," Drive muttered, adjusting his gauntlet before charging back at the pair.
Once they were within range, Drive reared back his arm for a punch which suddenly ignited with fire thanks to Max Flare before he slugged 034 across the face, knocking the android back with a cry of pain. He ducked underneath 088 before launched a roundhouse kick which likewise ignited before it struck, knocking the Roidmude back like its comrade. Drive pushed his advantage, running at the pair before unleashing combos on one, and then the other to keep them off balance. 034 got his balance back first, lunging for Drive once again before the red Rider could counter, forcing the pair intro a grappling match. 088 quickly saw his chance and his back erupted with a pair of metal bat wings before he took to the air.
"Eat this Kamen Rider!" the Bat-type bellowed before unleashing more energy bullets. 034 snickered and dove to the side, leaving Drive out in the open before the shots began pelting his armor.
"GAH!" Drive cried out, being launched back before landing on the ground. Shaking his head, he pulled himself to his knees to look up at where the Bat-type Roidmude was hovering out of reach.
"Flare doesn't have the range to strike him! Use Spike!" Driver spoke up from his position.
"Yeah!" Drive agreed. Standing up, he turned the Ignition Key, creating more engine noises before he drew the green Funky Spike from his side and quickly removed Max Flare to insert the spiked Shift Car into the Shift Landing Panel. Once secured, Drive have the converted lever a push.
"TIRE KOUKAN!"
The Drive Driver's screen lit up again, this time with a spiked wheel. The Tridoron likewise reacted, launching a new tire at Drive. It collided with Max Flare, knocking the orange wheel aside and setting into place. The new tire was bright green and along its tread were numerous spikes all in a row. Printed across the sides of the new tire were the words Funky Spike, glowing as the new abilities engaged with the sound of dubstep music.
"FUNKY SPIKE!"
"I had some of yours," Drive spoke up, pointing the front of his new tire at the flying Roidmude. "Now have some of mine!"
The Funky Spike Tire began to spin in small portions, firing off a spike as it came to the front of Drive's torso like the bullets of a gun. All of the spikes flew through the air like bullets, catching 088 off guard as no normal bullets would have been able to reach him. As such, he couldn't dodge as the green spikes crashed into his armor with hails of sparks. Several managed to hit his wings, cracking them and making holes. Soon the constructs just couldn't hold and the android dropped back to the ground, landing in a heap.
"088! Don't worry! I got him!" 034 shouted, charging for Drive again. The red Rider grunted as he dodged another punch from the Cobra-type, but instead ducked behind the machine before wrapping his left arm around its neck in a chokehold. Naturally the machine didn't need to breathe, but it did serve the purpose of pressing the Funky Spike directly into its body. In position, Drive then grabbed his Shift Brace and press Funky Spike three times.
"SP-SP-SPIKE!"
The Funky Spike Tire roared to life, spinning at high speeds. Incidentally, this caused the spikes to rip through the Roidmude's armor and into the sensitive mechanics within. The android cried out in agony, unable to move thanks to Drive holding him still. After a moment to really dig into the Roidmude's mechanics, Drive released it, the momentum of his Tire launching it into the air with a glowing green gash in its back. While in the sky, the machine overloaded and exploded, dropping bits and pieces to the ground.
"One left!' Drive turned to see 088 getting up, snarling in range. The red Rider faced his last opponent while reaching for his belt again. "May as well go three for three." Turning the Advanced Ignition Key once again, Drive removed Midnight Shadow from his belt and quickly replaced Funky Spike with it before pushing the new lever.
"TIRE KOUKAN!"
Tridoron launched yet another new Tire, this one metallic purple and with triangular protrusions coming from the tread which made it look like a giant shuriken. It cut through the air before knocking Funky Spike out and replacing it. Once secured, the Drive Driver's emblem turned to a shuriken while playing shamisen music. Once secured, the words Midnight Shadow lit up across the side of the tire.
"MIDNIGHT SHADOW!"
088 grunted and stepped back, likely guessing that he was in over his head. Drive was keeping his cool, knowing he could pull off a win. Gripping his Shift Car, he pushed it three times, causing the Drive Driver to speak once more.
"SH-SH-SHADOW!
"Final Turn!" Drive announced, beginning to charge at the last Roidmude.
088 began to shoot wildly at Drive, hoping to bring him down once and for all. When the bullets came close, Drive seemed to split into two and just keep running! The Roidmude fired more and more, but each Drive it shot at just split into more copies, making it impossible to tell which one was the original.
"Hup!" all eight Drives called, leaping through the air before coming back down around 088 in a circle. They then raised their arms, generating energy rings shaped like the Midnight Shadow Tire, spinning rapidly. 088 looked around in panic before trying to flap his wings once more to take to the sky. The numerous Drives just watched him go before throwing their weapons at it. The constructs flew through the air before slicing through the Roidmude's hide with accuracy and ease. The android screamed out with purple gashes flashing on its body before promptly exploding.
"Yeah! Three for three!" Drive cheered, his copies disappearing.
"Don't get too excited Kurusu, did you get their cores?" asked Drive Driver.
Drive hesitated, and then rubbed his head awkwardly, "Uh…to be honest I'm not sure…I was kind of distracted by the others coming at me."
"Oh Kurusu…" Driver sighed, closing his 'eyes' in agitation.
"D-D-Darling?"
Drive blinked and urned, seeing Miia right where he left her, her tail lifeless on the ground as she stared at him with her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. Worried, he slowly began to approach her, "Miia? Are you okay? Sorry you had to see all that but…" He reached to take her hand, make sure she wasn't going to faint or something, but instead she flinched and drew back from him like he was about to hit her. "Miia?"
"K-Kamen…Rider," she stuttered. "You're a Kamen Rider?"
"Uh…yeah, that's what the Roidmudes call me," Drive nodded, getting confused. Shaking it off, he moved to escort Miia from the scene of the battle. "It's not important, we'd better get moving before someone-!"
"Don't touch me!" Miia screamed, slithering back in obvious terror. "Don't…don't come near me, Monster Hunter!"
Drive blinked, "What?"
"Monster Hunter! An awful person who hunts down innocent Liminals and kills them just so he can look like a big shot! Kamen Riders are the worst of them all!" Miia screamed, slithering back even further. "I thought you were nice! I thought you could be my darling! Now you were probably just being nice so you could kill me for some trophy!"
"Miia, what-?!" Drive blinked. Where was all this coming from?
"Just stay away from me!" Miia cried, sliding off into an alley, obviously 'running' away.
"Miia, wait!" Drive called, beginning to give chase.
"Kurusu! Wait! We have to remove ourselves from this scene, including the Tridoron!" Drive Driver spoke up. "If you don't, the Mon Squad will be able to track us with it! We can chase Miia-chan after we make sure we don't get caught!"
"Tsk!" Drive looked down at his equipment before he looked back to the stationary Tridoron. Cursing under his breath, he ran for the car. The Drive Driver was in the end, right. If the police found any of his equipment then they would eventually be able to lead it back to him since only one man in the country had the resources and know-how to put it together…and he only had a few relatives as well.
When did his life get so complicated?
To Be Continued…
A/N: Okay, here is the Ten-Faced Paladin adaption of Kamen Rider Drive. I know plenty of you are thinking that Monster Musume is a pretty ill-fitting series to blend with something like Kamen Rider Drive, but here is my reasoning. Monster Musume, among other things, deals with the supernatural in the real world with the government getting involved with new policies and laws. Kamen Riders always go out and fight monsters, putting them into conflict with these new laws, even if the ones they fight are generally evil. It's a conflict which will get interesting as this story develops. Plus, the nature of the Roidmudes and their desire to adapt desires and physical traits to evolve, the Liminals (Monster Girls) make for tempting targets because of their superior physical abilities among their other special abilities. So for once, the Kamen Rider is on the opposite side of man's justice and instead has a heart of 'true' justice, to do what is right and not what gets approval.
Check it out! Omake Corner!
Type Speed: This Shift Car is different from the others in that it does not grant Drive an attachment, but an overall suit of armor. It is based off a sports car, making this versin of Drive more agile and quick than normal, reflecting the strong points of such a vehicle. In this form, he can use his Type Speed Tire to race across the ground and strike the target rapidly. The Full Throttle for this mode is the SpeeDrop in which with the Tridoron, Drive is able to strike the target multiple times at high speeds, usually leading to the target's destruction.
Max Flare: One of the first Shift Cars created by Krim Steinbert, Max Flare is a basic staple to Drive's arsenal. It is designed similar to that of a hot rod, but coloured orange with flame designs on its body. By itself, Max Flare can generate flames which coat it and trail behind to create damaging streams of fire.
Max Flare Tire: A golden orange tire with flame-like protrusions coming from the treads. This Tire gives Drive the ability to add flames to his punches and kicks, making them much more destructive than normal. When shifting Max Flare in the Drive Brace three times, Drive can launch a tornado of flame at a target. The Full Throttle of this Tire is called the Flare Stream where Drive launches fireballs from the Max Flare Tire at the enemy.
Funky Spike: Another basic staple to Drive's arsenal, Funky Spike is also based off a hot rod, but green and coated in numerous spikes with a purple windshield. By itself, Spike can race at high speeds to pierce its targets and cause imense damage to them with the proper speed and positioning.
Funky Spike Tire: A green tire with a row of spikes running along the tread earned by using Funky Spike in the Drive Brace. In regular use, this Tire is capable of shooting its spikes at an enemy in the distance, making for a good weapon in long-range fights. When the Drive Brace is shifted thrice, the Tire can spin at high speeds and rip through anything which comes into contact with it like Roidmude armor. The Full Throttle of this tire is called the Spike Tornado.
Midnight Shadow: The third of Drive's first three Shift Cars. This particular Shift Car is modeled after a hot rod and is deep purple with yellow highlights and a shuriken design on the hood. When by itself, Midnight Shadow can copy itself to confuse its enemies before coming in for a sneaky stealth strike.
Midnight Shadow Tire: Using Mignight Shadow grants the Midnight Shadow Tire, a shuriken-themed Tire. When in regular use, it boosts Drive's stealth capabilities, but also let him throw shuriken-like constructs at his enemies. When boosted in the Drive Brace, Drive can duplicate himself to launch even more attacks or just confuse his enemies in the midst of a fight. The Full Throttle of this Tire is called the Shadow Shuriken