HALLO EVERYONE! I'M BACK IN TIME TO POST A DEFINITELY PLANNED TOTALLY NOT IMPROVISED HALLOWEEN SPECIAL! ...Okay so this wasn't planned. This entire story was actually started at the beginning of the month. I did this completely for fun, and as a homage to one of the first ever stories I read here on this site and am still reading today. Seriously, if you haven't checked out guncannon109's Kamen Rider Jayd yet, I highly suggest doing so (I'd link, but apparently links aren't allowed on this site...). Then again, if you're reading this, you probably already know about it and are just coming here out of recognition...in which case WELCOME.
Just to provide some background before things get started here, the other reason I wanted to write this story was because of the fact that the character's I've created here are ones that I'm VERY eager to write for, but won't be appearing until after Zero finishes, along with its following series (Yep, that's right. I plan that far ahead with these stories). So as a way to help satiate my...hunger(?), I decided to write this as a fun little side project. Just to drive this home, this is entirely a fan-made story. I ain't tryin to steal anyone's ideas or nothin. On top of that, I've already talked to gun about this, and I'm clear to post this. So before anyone starts crucifying me for writing a fanfic of a fanfic (I'm lookin at you, Mr. Anonymous-ass follow-me-just-to-leave-hate-reviews-without-actually-reading. Next time you post, I'll KNOW it's you) just know that I do have permission for this.
That aside, I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope anyone reading also has fun with it. =3 Anyways, I've stalled for long enough. So without further adieu, enjoy!
Silence was all there was to hear. Vague, gray lights illuminated empty, barren halls. Giant walls towering at least 20 stories tall were all there was to see, at least from the inner perspective of the Labyrinth. For a particular canine, this wasn't the case. From the throne he was seated upon, his view was filled with the large colosseum-like arena looming below him. Set around him were numerous treasure boxes which were filled with various, mismatched items. The throne-seated wolf idly toyed with a slender spear in his paws, seated across his throne in a less than proper manner. His legs dangled off the sides of an arm rest, with is head dangling off the other. His foot flickered in a rhythmic pattern, and his fingers passed the spear from one to the other as he stared up at the impossibly high ceiling of the labyrinth. His labyrinth. He was sitting in his labyrinth. He was the one that had claimed the world for himself, allowing him to build such a massive labyrinth. He was the supreme ruler of this empty world, and he was—
"BooooOOOOOOOORED!" The wolf titled his head back further. "I've got nothin' to DO here!" He gripped his spear firmly as he swung himself over to sit properly in his throne. He laid one leg over the other and rested his chin against the back of his paw. "In retrospect, having everyone that used to inhabit this world fight each other to the death probably wasn't the brightest idea for a…BRILLIANT ruler like me to go through with." He tapped the butt-end of his spear against the floor rhythmically. "…NAAAH, it was a GREAT idea." He tossed his paw up in the air, causing several cloudy orbs to appear before him. He lazily waved his paw over them and looked into each of them as they cleared up and produced images before him.
"Hmmm," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "None of these worlds look…particularly interesting…at least interesting enough to conquer." He sat back a little. "Ugh, conquering takes work anyways, and I'm not in the mood for that right now…" He waved his paw over the orbs again, replacing the old images with new ones. "Too war-ridden," he mumbled as he scrolled through the orbs' images, "Too colorful… Too digital… Too controversial… Too musical… Too quiet… Not quiet enough… Too grammatically incorrect… Too many fourth-wall brea—OOH. Now this one looks interesting." He pulled one of the orbs closer to himself and looked into it closely. Inside, he observed as a figure hidden beneath a green hood fought against a snake-tailed, multi-faced beast. Sparks flew and green liquid oozed from the beast as the warrior struck at it with her twin blades. "A female warrior," the wolf noted aloud with a raised brown, "It's not often that I see one of those in action." He continued to watch as the warrior tossed a red die into the large buckle of her belt.
{?} FINAL ROLL! {?}
SIX!
{6} CRITICAL STRIKE! {VI}
She flexed her arms as a powerful aura gathered along the blades of her swords. With a battle cry, she slashed both blades out and hurled twin energy waves at the beast. The waves collided into the beast and obliterated it, reducing it to a cloud of smoke. The warrior then sheathed her twin blades behind her back and huffed in satisfaction.
"Hmmm," the wolf stroked his chin thoughtfully, "I feel like…I've seen this before…" He set the orb in front of him aside and pulled the others closer to him. He waved his paw over them and rapidly scrolled through the different images. He hastily stopped his scrolling as he found what he was looking for.
The image in this orb presented yet another battle. Similar to the first, one of the combatants wore a hood over his head. This one fought against a horde of mindless, faceless creatures that were swinging at him blindly. The hooded combatant showed no struggle, as he easily maneuvered through the sluggishly thrown swings aimed at him.
"That's right," nodded the wolf, "Wow, I wonder what made hoods so in style all of a sudden in the multiverse…" He drummed his fingers on the armrest of his throne. "Hmmm… I could always yank em out of their world and shove 'em in here to fight for my amusement…but that gets boring quick. Every time I do that, everyone always get all, 'OOOoooh, but I don't wanna kill another person just so I can get home! Oh BOO-HOO." He chuffed and rolled his eyes. "Plebs. Why can't everyone be more like me and kill whoever's getting in the way of what you want? I mean it's not HARD. Most of the time anyways…" He grimaced as a foul memory filled his thoughts. He growled and shook his head, casting the memory away. "No, I need something new to do. I can only rip off other people's ideas for so long. What was that one idea again? Something about…hungry…games?" He shook his head again. "Point is, I need to come up with something else, and talking to myself can get old incredibly fast!"
He threw his paw up in the air, making him knock it against the orb on accident. He cringed as he saw the image fluctuate and form a new image. He growled and groaned in irritation as the image cleared up, no longer on the one it had been on originally.
"Oh ME DAMN IT ALL!" he cursed, "Now I gotta scroll through again and…wait…" He squinted his eyes and brought the orb closer to himself. He realized that the image had barely changed. The same horde of creatures still filled the battle ground and fought against a hooded warrior. However, this hooded combatant wore a purple faceplate, contrary to the first one's orange face plate. The combatant weaved through the attacks just as easily as the previous one, but appeared to be having far more fun with it. He fought back in a conflagrant style, performing flips and striking exaggerated poses that were by no means combat-practical. The combatant reached down and grabbed the large pump on his belt and pumped it.
(O) DAIKAIGAN! (O)
GHOUL!
(Ω) OMEGA DRIVE! (Ω)
He struck another exaggerated pose as a purple aura gathered at his leg and an emblem in the shape of an eye appeared behind him. He rushed forward and leapt high into the air, kicking his foot forward as he came crashing down onto the horde. A large explosion filled the image as the built up aura was released from the combatant's leg, obscuring the wolf's vision before eventually clearing up. He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Eh…close enough I guess…" The hooded figure reached down into his buckle, prying out a mechanical device in the shape of an eye. He closed the buckle and his armor began to glow, eventually fading away to reveal a black-furred puma.
The wolf blinked, staring at the image blankly. A snort escaped his snout before he suddenly burst out in laughter. He fell back into (and nearly out of) his throne as he cackled uncontrollably. When he finally managed to stop, a broad smile was spread across his muzzle. "Oh my me," he gasped, "This is SO much better! Now I know EXACTLY what I want to do!" With a huff, he pushed himself off of his throne and stood up, raising a paw and bringing the two orbs along with him as he walked. He hopped off of his perch and landed cleanly on the arena set below. He straightened up and swung the orbs slowly over to the front of him. He let them hover in place as he took hold of his spear in both paws tightly. With a grunt, he slashed at one of them, shattering it to pieces and causing a misty portal to erupt from its remains. The wolf then clenched his free paw in front of the other orb, causing it to vanish from sight.
"Knock knock," he sung as he slung his spear over his shoulder and walked through the portal, "Zeta's-a-comin' in for a visit~"
{Insert Opening Theme: EXCITE - Daichi Miura}
KAMEN RIDER X KAMEN RIDER: FIGHT IN THE HOOD
Lights danced across the walls of buildings as cars drove by down the streets. The moon's glow could barely touch anything as it was drowned out by the lights of the city itself. Tonight was a busy night, but a quiet one. The only sounds that were being made were those produced by the cars passing by and the people out for a nightly stroll. Still though, this was fine for the black-furred puma as he laid lazily across the ground, his eyes closed shut and his tail swaying beside him. He cracked an eye open as he caught on to the sounds of approaching footsteps. Through the tiny slit that he gave himself between his eyelids, he saw a chatty couple walking towards him. They were headed right for him, as he had laid himself right in the middle of the sidewalk. They grew closer and closer, showing no signs of stopping or turning any time soon. The feline huffed and let his eye close again, barely budging a centimeter as they closed in on him. And as one of their feet came down upon him, it passed clean through him without any resistance what-so-ever. The couple continued walking and chatting, completely unaware of what they were doing. Eventually, they walked right past him, never noticing the snoozing feline in the middle of the sidewalk.
Not that they could.
The puma rolled over to his side as he got readjusted, trying to find any part of the ground that felt softer to him. His ear perked as he caught on to another sound, a familiar one. Metallic fluttering filled his ears before he heard something land gently in front of him. He didn't bother opening his eyes this time; he already knew who it was.
"Kuro," came a voice, "You need to wake up. There is more that needs to be done." The feline, now identified as Kuro, groaned in irritation and rolled over to his other side.
"Can you just…not…tonight?" he spat in a tired tone, "You've been workin' my tail off for eight straight days now, and frankly, I'm tired." This time, a metallic sigh filled his ears.
"Kuro…" the voice began, "We've been over this. You can't afford to let a day go to waste. You only have so many left before—"
"Yeah, yeah," Kuro cut it off, waving a paw as he rolled over again, "No need to remind me. Life sucks for me right now."
"Not life," said the voice. Kuro chuffed.
"Oh tomato potato," he remarked.
"Yes…exactly my point," the voice replied, "Those are two different things. Life is a different scenario from yours."
"Whatever!" Kuro exclaimed, tossing his arm up lazily as he continued to lay on the floor. A moment passed before he felt a pair of tiny feet rest on his shoulder.
"Kuro…" said the voice again, "Do you really want to waste your chance at revival?" The feline didn't respond, stuffing his face into his arm. Another sigh filled his ears before the feet left his shoulder. "Fine, rest up then. I have souls to attend to anyhow. I expect you to be fully rested up by the time I return."
"Mmmmm," Kuro mumbled back groggily. Metallic fluttering filled his ears again before he was left at peace once again. His eyes slowly drifted open as he carefully checked if he was truly alone once again. Once he saw that he was, he rolled over to his back and stared up at the night's sky. "…Stupid Death…" he spat, "What's so wrong with taking a break? I've still got a good 84 days left… I'll be fine…" Despite his best efforts, he couldn't manage to push the negative thoughts aside. He chuffed in irritation and hoisted himself up onto his feet, dusting himself off. "Bah, this place sucks to sleep on anyhow. There're better places for a ghost like me to take a nap…" He stuffed his paws into his pockets as he stormed off in a random direction, phasing through a wall as he walked.
That stupid reaper…he grumbled in his head, Now I'm in a crappy mood. Why can't it just acknowledge my efforts n' let me take a break every now and then? Like is it really that bad to let a day go by? He scoffed as he entered a random kitchen. Continuing to walk forward, he grabbed an apple off of the counter and walked away with it, startling the other occupant in the kitchen as the apple appeared to float in the air and disappear as Kuro took bites out of it. It's like it doesn't even know how to treat another person. Hasn't it ever heard of break productivity? Wait, is that right? Was that was it was called? …Did I even use that term correctly? He stopped walking and fiddled with the apple thoughtfully. He shrugged before taking several more bites and tossing the core of the fruit in the trash. Whatever. Same idea n' what not. He walked through the other side of the kitchen, leaving a fainting fur behind.
As he came out on the other side, he came across an abandoned park. His brow raised as he noticed a grassy section of the park. Hmph, well that looks comfy. He walked towards the grass patch, phasing through the closed fence before he sat himself down. OOooo, this is comfortable. He let out a satisfied murr as he laid down on the grass. A slight smile spread across his muzzle as he rested his head against his paws. Yeaaah, this is much better… Already, his eyelids felt heavier and heavier, causing them to slowly drift closed. Goodbye troubles…n' hello dreamsville… He scrunched his eyes as a bright light suddenly shined in his face. He groaned and rolled over to his side, catching the sounds of crunching grass and chuckles. Ugh, just a passerby. Let 'em do what they do n'…pass… This was the last thought that went through his head as he drifted off to sleep, unaware of the approaching wolf.
Atop the roof of a café, a red-haired girl was seated at a table, idly poking at a mound of ice cream set in front of her. She drummed her fingers against the table with her free hand before reaching into her long, hooded coat and slipping out a vial containing a strange, green liquid. She popped the vial open before pouring the contents inside onto the ice cream. She closed the vial and returned it to her coat before scooping up some of the slime-covered ice cream and eating it.
"Syd?" called a voice. The girl glanced down at the gem embedded in one of her gauntlets as it glowed slightly, "You seem out of it today. What's wrong?"
Syd raised a brow. "Off?" she questioned, "What makes you say that, Eli?"
"Well," replied Eli, "for one thing, you're far less…flamboyant than usual." Syd tilted her head slightly. "Don't take this the wrong way, Syd, but you're not normally this…reserved when you're eating here."
Syd shrugged and sat back. "Just not feelin' all that energetic today. Besides, is it really that hard to believe that I'd want to chill out from time to time too?"
"At times, yes," Eli retorted. Syd smirked and took another scoop out of her ice cream, sitting back again and looking up at the sky.
"Well truth be told, today has felt like an off-day," she went on, "I dunno. Maybe I'm just looking for a break or something."
"You deserve one," Eli replied, "You've been working hard to prevent the Gate Keepers from getting to Fledglings."
Syd smirked and scratched her nose with a thumb. "Damn straight, I do." An amused huff sounded out from the gem.
"Go ahead and take today off then. Gate Keeper activity has been rather minimal lately, and we've been remaining quite vigilant for the past several days. I feel safe in letting up for the time being." Syd smiled widely and took a chunk of ice cream out of her pile. She stuffed it into her mouth and sighed through her nose as the sweetness of the treat washed over her tongue. "SYD!" But that moment of sweetness flew out the window as Syd jerked up, choking on her ice cream. She dropped her spoon on the table as she coughed in an attempt to clear the sugary cream out from her lungs.
"W-what?!" she exclaimed between coughs.
"Sorry, but it looks like you're gonna need to hold off on your day off," Eli explained, "I'm detecting a Gate Keeper in the area!"
"Alright," Syd replied, wiping her mouth before rapidly consuming the rest of her dessert, "But why such urgency on this one? You could've waited for me to swallow that at least."
"Because something's…off about this one," Eli replied, "I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling you'll need to be on guard for this one. I don't even know what to expect out of this one."
"Got it," Syd said in return before wiping her mouth again and dropping several bills on the table. She then reached into her coat and slipped out a green six-sided die as she rushed towards the edge of the roof and leapt into the air. She landed cleanly on the roof of another building and continued running. "Lead the way Eli!"
The morning song of the birds roused Kuro out of his slumber, much to his chagrin. He groaned as he rolled over to his side, pawing at the air in a vain attempt to silence the singing birds. "Jussssst…ffffive more minutes pleassssssse…" he mumbled. Of course, his words proved ineffective against the birds, and his mind was forced to become fully alert as a result. With another groan, he pulled himself off of the ground and stretched. He yawned widely as he rolled his shoulders, with his neck following right after. He smacked his lips and sat there for a moment, allowing his eyes to remain closed for just a moment longer. Then, rather begrudgingly, he let his eyes open. "Well thanks, nature," he grumbled, "I thought alarm clocks were only a first-world-problem thing." He laid back onto the ground again and stared up at the clear blue sky, sighing through his nose. He watched the clouds roll by for a good minute before a thought entered his mind. He furrowed a brow and swished his tail. Something felt…different…
Slowly, he sat up again and looked down at the ground. This…wasn't the grass he had been sleeping on… In fact, the ground hadn't even been at this angle, last he remembered. Confused, he looked up and checked out his surroundings. The second he looked up from the ground, his eyes widened and his ears flattened against his head. He wasn't in the park he had gone to. In fact, it looked as though he wasn't even in the same city he had been in. He scrambled up to his feet, frantically whirling around as he tried to look for the city he had been in.
"…This can't be right!" he exclaimed, scratching the back of his head anxiously, "Wh-where the hell am I?!" He ran down the street, continuing to search for the park, a building, really anything that he could recognize. "D-did I manage to sleep-walk all the way through the god-damn district?!" He screeched to a halt as he came upon a cross-road. He groaned and cringed all at once as he spun again and again, constantly looking and double-checking all of the different paths, not finding a single thing he could recognize. He groaned nervously and rubbed at his head-fur. "Okay-okay," he stammered, walking backwards and away from the cross-road, "I don't know what the hell's goin' on right now, but I know I don't like it." He turned around as he phased through the wall of a building, walking right into what appeared to be the side of a restaurant. "Okay calm down, me," he told himself as he stopped walking, holding his head in his paws, "I just gotta look at a map or somethin' and figure out where the hell I am… Deep breaths… Deep breaths…"
He closed his eyes and waited until his breaths weren't going at a rate of 88 miles per hour. He eventually got himself to breathe deeply through his nose and calm down. With one last deep breath, he clapped his paws together and opened his eyes. Once he did, his calm demeanor was thrown out of the window immediately. Standing in front of him was a person with no fur, tail or muzzle of which to speak of.
It was a human, and it was staring right at him with wide eyes.
Kuro's ears flattened against his head. "Oh…this is a problem…" The human screamed in terror and scrambled away, which Kuro mirrored to a practical tee. "Oh this is a BIG problem!" He walked out into a more open section of the restaurant, where he was greeted with the sight of even MORE humans. They all screamed in shock and started scrambling like wind-swept ants, making Kuro scream even louder. "Oh this is a VERY BIG problem!"
Eli's guidance led Syd to a troubling scene. There were people everywhere running and screaming in terror. Needless to say, it was a less than comforting sight. "Eli?" Syd asked as she leapt from building-top to building-top, "Should I be concerned over the fact that people are running?"
"Considering no one else should be able to see a Gate Keeper…probably…" Eli replied, "Because either the Gate Keepers have learned a new trick…or we've got a whole lot of Fledglings to protect…" Syd gritted her teeth as she landed on the ground in a crouch, causing several people to fall over in surprise. She paid them no mind as she got back up and ran forward, the opposite of the direction that everyone else was running.
"DEATH?!" she heard someone scream, making her screech to a halt, "I know you're busy n' all, but I've KINDA got a problem here!" Syd went from alert to outright confused in an instant as her eyes fell upon the owner of the voice. Apparently, it had been a strange, anthropomorphic puma wearing…rather human-like clothes. He even had on what looked like a specially-fit beanie on his head. "Where the hell ARE YOU?!"
"…Eli?" Syd eventually managed to say, "…I don't…know how to feel about this…"
"I won't lie," the gem replied, "I'm caught off guard as well. But be wary. I'm feeling an intense energy from him."
"Like did the Gate Keepers suddenly develop a sense of decency or something?" Syd went on, placing a hand on her hip, "I mean I guess I never thought about the lack of clothing that the others have had up until this poi—"
"Syd!" Eli cut her off. The red-haired girl shook her head.
"Right. Serious work. On it." She tightened her grip on the green die in her fist as she walked forward, approaching the feline as he shouted bloody murder.
"Dammit Death!" Kuro snarled, getting increasingly distressed, "You're here when I don't need you, and GONE when I do! We need a better way to communicate n' shit! Your stupid robo-bird thing doesn't exactly make for a convenient calling card!" He stopped as he noticed someone walking towards him, as opposed to literally everyone else that he had seen so far. He turned to face a red-haired girl dressed in a long coat. "Uhhh…c-can I help you?"
"Oh don't even bother with that nonsense," Syd snapped, pointing a finger at him. "You can try and act like a human, but you really gotta try better than that." She let her hand drop down to her side. "I don't know what it is you're trying to do, but I'm not letting it happen."
"Wh-what?!" Kuro exclaimed, tossing his paws up in the air hysterically, "What do you mean trying to do?! I don't even know where I am, lady!"
"Hey! This lady has a name!" Syd shouted back, reaching into her coat and slipping out a large silver buckle, "And it's one that your masters should be very well acquainted with."
"M-masters?!" Kuro grabbed at his hat, more confused than ever, "Ugghhh I don't need this right now! I'm getting more questions than answers!"
"Still confused?" Syd said with a raised eyebrow, "Fine then. Maybe this will jog your memory!" She slapped the buckle onto her waist, causing a silver belt to snake around her body and secure the buckle onto her. She then thrust her other hand forward, holding a green die between her fingers. "Mihara, Lowe, Sharza, Kuwa, Grune, Nago…"
"Wh-what are you doing?" Kuro asked, slowly lowering his paw from his head, "Wait…are you…oh GOD are you exorcising me?! Am I being exorcised?!" He continued to stammer and curled up into a ball as Syd continued her chant.
"Antient spirits bind this beast, and have your power be through me unleashed!" She tossed the die into an opening in her buckle and placed her hand on a dial. And as she flicked her wrist and spun the dial, she opened her eyes and exclaimed in a loud cry, "Henshin!"
}{ GAME START! }{
The hood on her coat shot up and enveloped her head, covering her face as the coat itself changed from blue to green. Lights shined out as light armor materialized onto her person, creating leg guards, shoulder armor and a mask. Beneath her hood, bright yellow eyes ignited and shined from beneath the darkness.
}{ STRIKER! Piercing Saber ARISE! }{
She reached back and drew out a set of blades from her back. Once they were both drawn, she pointed one of them at Kuro and, in a combined voice of Syd and Eli, declared, "Nameless beast, your soul is forfeit and thus we have come claim it!" She slashed at the air and took a step forward. "I am the Network Rider Jayd! Now REPENT foul beast!"
"Ahh!" Kuro cried out, making Syd step back in surprise as he shot back up to his feet, "I KNEW I was being exorcised! Am I just gonna disappear now or—wait WHAT?!" Kuro's eyes were wide as he looked over Syd's new form. "Wait a sec! You're a Kamen Rider?!"
"Kamen Rider?" Syd replied, "No! I said Network Rider! Net-work Ri-der!" She patted her chest with each syllable. "Man, this guy's not well informed at all." She shook her head and brandished her blades. "Whatever. Let's just do this!" With a battle cry, she rushed forward with her blades splayed out at the ready. Kuro exclaimed and scrambled back, hastily evading as Syd slashed at him.
"WHOA LADY!" he shouted as he continued to evade and scramble away from her, "I don't know WHAT your deal is, but I think you've got the wrong guy!"
"As IF I'd buy that!" she growled as she continued to attack, "Just give it up with that act!" She slashed at him again, and Kuro jump-flipped out of the way, landing several meters away as Syd straightened up. The puma grimaced as he regained his balance.
"Alright then!" he shouted at her, "If that's how it's gonna be, then there's no reason for me to not fight BACK!" He thrust his paws down to his waist, causing a bulky belt to appear.
Syd gasped in shock. "No way… Is he really…"
Kuro bared his teeth as he pulled a strange mechanical eye out of his pocket and opened up his buckle. He tossed the eye into his buckle and closed it.
(O) EYE! (O)
"I don't think I wanna wait around to find out!" Syd exclaimed before rushing forward. However, before she could close in on him, a strange, ghostly hoodie emerged from Kuro's buckle and swooped down at her, knocking her back with surprising force.
(O) KO-KO-WO MI-TE~ (O)
KO-KO-WO MI-TE~
KO-KO-WO MI-TE~
(O) KO-KO-WO MI-TE~ (O)
She grunted as she was hit before swiping at the hoodie as it continued to beat her back and repel her from the puma. Kuro crossed is arm over his chest and clenched his fist as his belt continued to chant. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he thrust his paw downwards and grabbed the pump on his belt, confidently shouting, "HENSHIN!"
(O) KAIGAN! (O)
(O) GHOUL~ (O)
The hoodie shot away from Syd and flew over to Kuro, enveloping him as armor quickly covered his body.
(O) Here w' GO! Here w' GO! Ka-Ku-Go GHOST! (O)
A deep purple mask formed over his face, shining brightly to reveal the design it took on. Kuro then looked up and flicked his arm out, striking a battle pose. "If we're gonna exchange names, then it's time I gave mine. The names Ghoul!" he struck a more exaggerated pose before exclaiming, "Kamen Rider Ghoul!"
Syd only stared back, dumbfounded and speechless. That…Gate Keeper…she thought, just became a Rider… How is that possible?!
"Heh, I see my sweet transformation's dazzled ya," said Kuro, snapping Syd out of her thoughts, "Can't blame ya. It's a shame that no one gets to see it most of the time." He shook his head and thrust his paw out, causing a baton to shoot out from his buckle. Kuro grabbed onto the handle and pulled it apart, splitting it into a set of batons. He whirled one of them around casually and pointed the other at Syd as he walked towards her. "Lucky you I guess!" He suddenly broke out into a run, making the other Rider immediately adopt a battle stance in anticipation. She quickly brought up her blades and blocked a swing from one of Kuro's batons, with the impact of the block sending sparks flying across the ground.
It doesn't make sense! Syd thought, shoving Kuro back and blocking another swing from him, How did the Gate Keepers manage to get their hands on something like this! They managed to replicate the belt, the hood, the weapons-wait. She stopped as she overlooked the armored feline, noting his hoodie, belt, and twin weapons. …THIS CAT'S STEALIN MY DO! She parried a swing from Kuro with a hard swing of her own, knocking Kuro off balance and making him stumble away. "If you're going to pretend to be a Rider," she shouted at him, brandishing her blades against each other, "You could at least try something more original!"
"Pretend?!" Kuro shouted back, regaining his balance, "Lady, I'm the real deal here! If anything, you're the fake here! What with your discount 'Rider' name!" He pounced forward and swung down at her. "What even IS a Network Rider?!"
Kuro's baton clashed with Syd's blade, once again sending sparks down to dance across the ground. Syd knocked Kuro's baton out of the way and slashed at his shoulder, narrowly missing him as he leaned out of the way. "You should damn well KNOW what we are!" she shouted back, slashing wildly at Kuro and deterring his approach, "We're the ones stopping you Gate Keepers from achieving your goals, like we ALWAYS HAVE!"
Kuro grunted as he blocked another hard swing, the force of the blow managing to send him gliding backwards. He screeched to a halt as he hit the floor and rolled his shoulders, once again casually whirling his batons around. "Again with the stuff I don't understand," he said with a single shake of his head, "Were all humans this cryptic and confusing?"
"I already told you!" Syd shouted, leaping forward and lunging at Kuro as she came back down, "I'm not buying that clueless act of yours! So stop trying already!" She swept at his feet, and he leapt in the air and preformed a back-flip. He grunted as he landed and bounced on his heels.
"I'm not trying, lady," he replied, blocking another strike from Syd, "cuz I legitimately have no clue what you're babbling on about!"
"Fine," Syd spat back, lunging at his head, "Keep up this pointless act of yours!"
Kuro used a baton to parry Syd's blade away from his face, causing it to skid past it and allowing Kuro a clean shot to Syd's head with his elbow. "FINE! I WILL!" He paused, looking away slightly. "…No wait-ACK!" He grunted as he was slashed across the chest and knocked back. He rolled across the ground and came to a stop groaning. He grunted as he craned his neck upwards. He yelped and rolled out of the way as Syd dove in and stabbed her blade into the ground, inches from where his face had just been. He scrambled up to his feet and hastily blocked another swing. "LUCKYSHOTBYTHEWAY!"
"As if!" Syd snapped, parrying a swing from Kuro, "So what's your deal anyways?! When you're not running around and ripping off our style I mean?!"
Kuro parried one of Syd's swings and swung at her. "Ripping off?! You kidding me?! If anyone's the rip-off, it's you!"
"WHAT?!" Syd snarled before knocking Kuro back with a hard swing. She pursued him and rushed him with a river of attacks. "You're CLEARLY ripping off of us!"
"Denial's the first step, honey!" Kuro quipped, blocking and evading Syd's swings with relative ease, "And I'm totally not sayin' that cuz I've got no rebuttal!" He knocked Syd's blades off to the sides before jumping back and spinning mid-air, landing in a less than graceful manner a safe distance away from Syd.
"Alright then!" Syd shouted, sheathing one of her blades and reaching into her coat and pulling out a blue die, "If that's how you're gonna play, then how's about I show you what a REAL Rider can do?!" She slammed on her belt, causing the green die inside to pop out. She caught it and swapped it out for the blue die. Once it was in, she reached down to the dial on her belt and spun it.
}{ REROLL! }{
}{ CASTER! Conjuring of the Unknown! }{
Her twin blades vanished, being replaced by a mage staff as her coat changed from green to blue. She whirled the staff around as a flame ignited at its tip. She shouted out as she swung the staff and hurled a fireball straight at Kuro. The armored feline acted hastily evaded, performing flashy flips and cartwheels as more were thrown at him. Syd growled in irritation, becoming more aggressive in her throws.
"So does being a discount Rider include having bad aim?!" Kuro taunted, only serving to get Syd even more irritated. She hurled several more, but Kuro merely used his batons to knock them away, sending them flying wildly off course. Deciding that she'd had enough of the feline's antics, she hurled a fireball at the ground just in front of Kuro. It burst on contact, kicking up a cloud of smoke that impaired Kuro's field of vision. As he stood disoriented, Syd threw a fireball that arced in the air and slammed right into Kuro, knocking him right out of the smoke cloud and sending him sprawling onto the ground.
"Ugh…" he groaned, picking himself off of the ground, "Well if you're gonna be throwin' curveballs at me…" He stood up and cupped his paw in front of his belt, causing a blue mechanical eyeball to materialize in it. "…Then I might as well step up to the plate!" He pried the eyeball in his belt out of it, causing both his hoodie and mask to disappear, leaving him with a blank faceplate. He quickly tossed the new eyeball in and locked it in place.
(O) EYE! (O)
Syd continued to hurl fireballs at Kuro, but new hoodie emerged from his belt and intercepted them, going so far as to catch them in its baseball-mitt-hands. Kuro quickly pumped his belt as it chanted.
(O) KAIGAN! (O)
(O) JACKIE ROBINSON! (O)
"Wait WHAT?!" Syd exclaimed as the hoodie flew over to Kuro and enveloped him.
(O) Color don' matta! SWING batta batta! (O)
The new hoodie wrapped onto Kuro, with the baseball mitts forming odd shoulder guards, and a baseball cap taking on the hood part of the hoodie. A new mask flipped up, a blue one with the "visor" being the image of a flying baseball. Kuro whirled his batons around before slamming them into each other, combining them back into one. He dusted off his thighs before taking the baton in both paws and holding it like a baseball bat.
"Batter's up!" shouted Kuro, standing like a batter at the plate, "Your pitch, lady!" Syd growled before spinning her staff in her hands and hurling several fireballs at him. Kuro reeled back before swinging at the lead fireball, knocking it the other way and sending it crashing into the others and kicking up a huge smoke cloud. Syd scanned the area before Kuro leapt out from the smoke and swung at her with his baton. She quickly blocked the swing and swept the bottom half of her staff at Kuro. The feline hopped over it and swung at Syd again, making her block once more. The two of them suddenly found themselves caught in a back and forth dance, with one attacking and the other countering and retreating, almost taking turns with each step.
Syd exclaimed as she knocked Kuro back with another hard swing, granting the both of them more space. "Okay, I've had enough from you!" She reached into her coat and brought out a red die. "I'm finishing this up now!" She swapped the die out and spun the dial.
{?} FINAL ROLL! {?}
The dial came to a stop, allowing the die inside to stop bouncing around.
FOUR!
{4} FULL STRIKE! {IV}
An intense flame erupted from her staff as she spun it around, with four massive fireballs bursting to life behind her.
"Finishing, huh?!" Kuro shouted back, taking one paw off of his baton and gripping the pump on his belt, "Don't mind if I do!" He pumped the belt again, this time doing so four times.
(O) DAIKAIGAN! (O)
(O) JACKIE ROBINSON! (O)
(O) OOMEDAMA! (O)
A giant eyeball of aura formed in the air in front of Kuro as he reeled back, preparing to swing. Syd remained undeterred, swinging her staff forward and launching the four fireballs behind her shooting out at Kuro. The feline took on the challenge and swung his baton, batting the giant eye and sending it to crash into Syd's fireballs, creating an even BIGGER cloud of smoke. As Syd waited out the smoke cloud, she heard Kuro's voice shout in the distance, "Oh FOUL!" The armored girl growled in annoyance
This is gonna be tougher than I thought…she thought as she pulled out another die, this one of a purple coloration, Whatever it is that the Gatekeepers did to be able to do this, I have to take seriously. This is clearly more than some dumb imitation… She swapped the die out and spun the dial again.
}{ REROLL! }{
}{ STALKER! Descending from the Shadows! }{
Her staff disappeared as her coat went from blue to purple, with twin daggers forming in her hands. She crouched down before rushing forward in a flash, hidden amongst the smoke. Kuro grunted as he was struck in the back. He whirled around and swung with his baton, only to swing at empty air. He stepped back in confusion before he was met with another strike, this one making him cry out in pain. He growled and whirled around again, once again swinging at nothing but the smoke still impeding his field of vision.
"Urgh! What happened?!" Kuro shouted out, swinging his gaze back and forth, "Don't wanna fight face to face anymore?!"
"I can do that," Syd said as she appeared right in front of Kuro, greeting him with a powerful forward thrust. He cried out as he was knocked out of the smoke and landed on the ground, with Syd calmly walking out after him. Kuro groaned as he pushed himself to look up. But once his eyes fell upon Syd's new form, he shouted out and jumped right to his feet.
"OH I SEE!" he growled, "YOU ACCUSE ME OF STEALIN, SO YOU DECIDE TO STEAL MY COLOR TO GET BACK AT ME, HUH?!"
Syd rolled her eyes at him, spinning a dagger in her fingers. "Don't give yourself that much credit. Yeesh, looks like that big stick of yours is compensating for two things."
Kuro tilted his head slightly. "…I don't get it-HEY!" He growled and tossed his baton aside. "Alright, if you wanna make things personal, then how's about I make things UP CLOSE n' personal?!" He cupped his paw under his belt again, producing yet another eyeball. He quickly swapped it out with the one inside his belt, eliciting a response from it.
(O) EYE! (O)
Again, his hoodie vanished as another one emerged and flew around Kuro protectively, this one having boxing gloves on the ends of its sleeves. Kuro watched it as it flew around. "…You're lookin' different Manny…" He shrugged and grabbed the pump. "Whatever." He pumped it hard, calling the hoodie over to himself.
(O) KAIGAN! (O)
(O) MUHAMMAD ALI! (O)
"Huh?" said Kuro as the hoodie enveloped him.
(O) Left hook! Right hook! JAB CROSS JAB! (O)
The hoodie slipped onto him, giving him black boxing gloves and replacing his mask design with one of two boxing gloves clashing. Kuro quickly adopted a boxing stance and bounced on his heels. "Don't know what happened to Pacquiao," he said with a shake of his head, "But this'll do!" He waved Syd over in a taunt, and she huffed. Spinning her daggers one more time, she dashed forward and lunged at Kuro. But Kuro leaned away and countered with a forward jab. Syd quickly parried his punch and swung at his head. But Kuro ducked and swayed under her swing and threw a hook at her. Syd blinked away and reappeared behind Kuro, lunging at him again. But Kuro's reflexes were proved worthy once more as he rolled out of the way. He was right back on his feet at the end of his roll and shot back up, once again bouncing on his heels and swaying his upper body left and right, much like a proper boxer.
"Not bad, not gonna lie," Syd said, slowly circling Kuro, "Too bad I don't think the same of you outside of your little imitation. Tell me, what made the Gate Keepers think that it was a good idea to send someone out that looks like they should be on the front of a cereal box?"
"Cereal bo—" Kuro snarled and stood straight, "Oh NOW you've done it!" Roaring out, Kuro rushed forward and attacked, throwing rapid punches at Syd as she took her turn on the evasive side.
"Oh did I make you mad?" she asked in a mocking tone, "What are you gonna do? Tell me how your cereal's part of a balanced breakfast?"
"Shut UP!" Kuro snarled, throwing more and more punches. "I'll beat the smug right out of your FACE!"
"Aww, but then what would you tell Toucan Sam? He doesn't take kindly to beating up girls, I don't think~"
"REFERENCES I DON'T GET!" Kuro roared, throwing his punches blindly, "THEY'RE POINTLESS WHEN NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THEM!" He continued to throw his formless punches, making it all the more easier for Syd to evade them. Eventually, Kuro found that he was wearing himself down, forcing him to slow his movements. Syd took this chance to blink behind him and stab at his back, knocking him over and onto the ground. Syd laughed before blinking away and appearing on the roof of a building, far out of Kuro's reach. The feline growled as he got back up and searched for her, eventually finding where she was perched.
"For the record," Syd shouted to him, pulling out an orange die, "I preferred Tony the tiger. And I've got the stripes to prove it!" She popped the purple die out of her belt and tossed in the orange one, giving her dial a spin.
}{ REROLL! }{
}{ HUNTER! Burning Arrow Ignite! }{
Again, her coat color and weapons changed, with her color taking on the orange of her die, and her daggers swapping out for a crossbow. She gripped the crossbow in both hands and aimed Kuro down. She pulled the trigger and fired burning arrows down upon him. Kuro yelped as he tried to roll away from them, but they were far too fast for him to out-maneuver, even with his heightened reflexes.
"So now it's a stand-off, huh?" Kuro panted as he continued to leap and roll, "Well then, I know JUST the guy for the job!" He ended a roll and cupped his paw beneath his belt again, once again producing a new mechanical eyeball. His hoodie vanished all on its own, allowing Kuro to properly swap the eye out with the previous one. He locked it in and immediately pumped his belt.
(O) KAIGAN! (O)
(O) NED KELLY! (O)
A longer, heavier hoodie replaced his old one as he stood up.
(O) Hold em' up! Bein' armor TOUGH! (O)
A new mask flipped up, this one's "visor" being nothing but a simple slit. Kuro reached back and un-slung a rifle from his shoulder, quickly taking proper hold on it before returning fire on Syd.
"Oh not a sports one this time, huh?!" Syd taunted, leaping down from her perch and running a circle around Kuro as she fired.
"You-urgh, you wish!" Kuro shouted back as he stood his ground, his heavy armor buffering the blows he was taking. Syd on the other hand was literally running circles around him, speeding around him and making it almost impossible for Kuro to land a clear shot on her. He grit his teeth as he took more and more hits. Shouting out, he reached down and pumped his belt.
(O) DAIKAIGAN! (O)
(O) NED KELLY! (O)
(Ω) OMEGA DRIVE! (Ω)
He held the trigger of his rifle down, causing aura to rush into the barrel and charge it up. Noticing this, Syd grabbed a red die from her coat and swapped it out with the one already in her belt. She spun the dial as she continued to run.
{?} FINAL ROLL! {?}
She screeched to a halt, allowing the die inside to come to a stop.
SIX!
{6} CRITICAL STRIKE! {VI}
An aura began to gather in Syd's crossbow, rivaling the intensity of Kuro's rifle. The two Riders stared each other down as they waited for their weapons to fully charge. "LAST CHANCE TO BACK OUT!" Kuro shouted over the crescendo of sounds, "I AIN'T BUDGIN AN INCH!"
"NEITHER AM I!" Syd shouted back. Both of them uttered out battle cries as their firearms reached the pinnacle of their charging capacity. With a final roar, Kuro pulled the trigger of his gun and fired straight ahead, whilst Syd shouted and thrust her crossbow upwards as she pulled the trigger. Both projectiles fired off at once, with Kuro's slamming straight into Syd and knocking her off of her feet. However, as Kuro prematurely celebrated his victory, a giant arrow fell down from the sky and slammed into him, obliterating his armor and knocking him down onto the floor. He groaned as he laid there, straining himself as he tried to get back up.
}{ STRIKER! Piercing Saber ARISE! }{
But his efforts were quickly dashed as Syd suddenly pounced upon him and straddled his chest, holding her twin blades to his neck as she panted heavily. "End of the line Gate…Keeper…" She trailed off as she looked down upon Kuro, looking at a cut on his cheek. As expected from any sort of wound, blood was leaking out of it. However, what caught Syd off guard was that it wasn't green as she had expected the accused Gate Keeper to be.
His blood was red.
"Wh…what?" Syd gasped, slowly withdrawing the blades from Kuro's neck. The feline panted as he stared back at her.
For the entirety of the fight, Zeta had been watching from afar, laying across his front atop a faraway building. His feet had been swinging back and forth as he watched the two hooded combatants go back and forth with each other. And the entire time, the wolf had been smiling widely and laughing like a mad man. But now, his wide smile had faded, with his expression changing from incredibly amused, to outright disappointed.
"Aww," he whined, clicking his tongue and propping himself up on his elbows, "did she find out already?" He huffed and reached for his spear, groaning as he was forced to scoot closer to it in order to properly grab it. "Fiiiine. I guess I've gotta clean up now…" He grunted as he used his spear to lift himself back up to his feet. But as he was in the process of standing up, something caught his eye that made him stop. Another grin spread across his muzzle as he laid himself back down. "Ooooor," he said with a raised brow, dropping his spear back onto the floor and resting his muzzle on his paws, "I could see how this goes…"
The green Rider backed away and dismounted Kuro's chest, earning a confused and exhausted look from him. Syd popped the green die inside of her belt out, causing her coat to return to its pale blue color and causing her armor to vanish. She removed her hood as she stepped backwards from Kuro. "E…Eli," said Syd, her voice having returned to normal, "What's going on? I-I thought you said you detected Gate Keeper."
"I did," said Eli, its voice holding as much disbelief as Syd's, "And I'm still detecting one."
"Then why isn't this guy's blood green?!" Syd exclaimed, tossing her hands up in the air, "I don't understand! Is he a Gate Keeper?! If he isn't, then what is he?!"
Kuro slowly sat up, his confusion still written across his face. "Uhhh…you doin' alright ther—"
"Shut up for a sec!" Syd cut him off, making him reel back as she stuffed her face into one hand and held the other out in front of Kuro. The feline held his tongue as she began to pace around him. "Eli are you SURE you're picking up a Gate Keeper signal?"
"Positive," Eli responded. Syd huffed and ran her hand through her hair roughly.
"So what then?!" she shouted hysterically, "Did the Gate Keepers somehow find a way to make their blood look red, somehow find a way to create their own Rider system, and somehow created a Gate Keeper who looks like he should be rapping alongside Wally Bear and the No Gang?!"
Kuro raised a finger. "I still don't…get your references—"
"CAN IT CAT!" Syd cut him off again, this time making him withdraw his paw and sink into himself a little bit.
"Syd, we can't overlook the possibility of that being the case," said Eli, "It's still entirely possible that this could still be a trick created by the Gate Keepers."
"But would they really go through all of this trouble?!" Syd explained, rubbing her temples with her fingers, "First with the phony Rider gear, then the half-assed clothing, and then going so far as to change the color of his blood?"
"I'm right here by the way," said Kuro with half-lidded eyes.
"Cat, I swear to god, don't MAKE me come over there!" shouted Syd. Kuro dropped his paw onto his lap in defeat and decided to just lay back down.
"Syd," said Eli, "I know it's confusing; I don't understand myself, but I'm telling you that I'm detecting a Gate Keeper here. No doubt about it. So the only way for him to not be a Gate Keeper is for there to be another—"
"Another Gate Keeper," finished another voice, one that neither of the three there recognized. Everyone swung their gazes around to find a reptilian, snake-headed beast approaching them.
"…The Gate Keeper…" said Eli in disbelief, "…The actual Gate Keeper…"
"THAT'S what you thought I was?!" shouted Kuro, scrambling up to his feet. "You thought I was one of those ugly things?!" Syd whipped her gaze over to him.
"Wait, you can see it?!" she exclaimed. Kuro glanced over to her.
"Am I not supposed to?!" he exclaimed back.
"NO!" shouted Syd hysterically, "The only way for you to be able to see them is either for you to be a Network Rider or…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened in disbelief. "Or if you're a…Fledgling…" She then looked back at the beast as it walked towards them. "…Ooooooohhhhhh…crap…"
"I mussst admit," it said, pointing a slender blade at them, " when I caught on to the sssscent of a Fledgling, I didn't exsssspect it to alssso be that powerful. If I managed to ssspawn a Gate Keeper from him, then I'm ssssure that Lady Sssseliasss will be mossst pleasssed." Syd gritted her teeth, switching her gaze between the actual Gate Keeper and Kuro, the latter of whom was showing signs of exhaustion, as he was struggling to remain standing. "Give it up, Network Rider," hissed the Gate Keeper, "I'm taking that Fledgling, and there'sss nothing you can do to ssstop me."
"Syd, we should retreat," said Eli, "Both of you are worn out and need to regain your stamina."
"Don't remind me," said Syd as she spread her arms out and continued to back up slowly, eventually causing Kuro to back up with him.
"SssTOP moving," hissed the Gate Keeper harshly, "unlesss you want a tassste of my powersss."
"I swear he's using 's' words on purpose," muttered Kuro, "Or should I say, purpossse."
"On the count of three," whispered Syd, "we run for it. Got it?"
The feline smirked. "Loud n' clear, lady." Syd rolled her eyes as they continued to slowly back away, with the Gate Keeper continuing to keep pace with them.
"One," Syd whispered, "two…THREE!" At that, the two of them immediately broke off running, but to Syd's dismay not in the same direction. The red-haired girl screeched to a halt as soon as she noticed this and shouted, "Where the hell are you going?!"
"Towards the monster!" Kuro shouted as he rushed towards the Gate Keeper, who merely laughed and stayed in place, "You said run for it!"
"No I DIDN'T MEAN—URGH!" Syd cut herself off as she ran after him. "Run AWAY! Don't let it get near you!"
"Oh he can't be that strong!" Kuro shouted back as he closed in on the reptile and took a swing at him with a fist. However, as his fist landed its target, the only one that felt pain from the blow was Kuro. He yowled and recoiled in pain as he stepped back and caressed his paw. "ShhhhIT that hurt!" he exclaimed, shaking his injured paw, "ForGOT I'm not transformed!" The Gate Keeper chuffed before knocking Kuro's shoulder and making him spin around before slamming the butt-end of his blade into the back of Kuro's head. The feline toppled over like a bag of bricks as he was knocked unconscious and fell before the Gate Keeper's feet. The reptile laughed in amusement.
"All too easssy," he chuckled before slashing at the air above Kuro's unconscious body, causing a rift to suddenly open up in front of him.
"Syd hurry!" shouted Eli as the girl ran. The Gate Keeper looked up and bared its fangs before spitting at her, hurling a sizzling liquid her way. She hastily rolled to the side to evade, causing the slime to splat onto the ground behind her where it hissed and slowly melted through the pavement. Syd struggled to get back up to her feet faster, but she was still too fatigued to go any faster. The Gate Keeper laughed mockingly before waving at her and jumping into the rift, disappearing into it as it closed behind him. Syd cursed under her breath as she rushed over to Kuro's side. She rolled him over to his front and clicked her tongue, knowing that there was nothing she could do to rouse him.
"Syd," said Eli, "you know what to do."
"I know," Syd replied with a nod as she reached into her coat, "Dammit with this guy… What was he thinking?!" She removed her hands from her coat and pulled out a set of dice, both of which were black, but one having a gold trim and the other having a silver trim. She carefully placed the silver one on Kuro's forehead and the gold one on his chest. She then placed her thumbs on both die and closed her eyes as she chanted, "Mihara of Shadow, Lowe of light. Banish the beast from this pure heart…" The dice slowly began to glow and sink into Kuro's body. "Ready your hands of godly might, and send me forward as your dart!"
Her eyes suddenly snapped open and shined with a bright light before turning into a dull grey, staring into blank space.
Though Syd's body sat motionless next to Kuro's unconscious body, Syd herself was elsewhere. Gradually, Syd's vision cleared and she found herself standing in a dimly lit area. She looked down at herself, confirming that she was wearing her armor, with her twin blades sheathed at the ready on her back. Carefully, she looked around herself as she fast-walked down the strange hall. "Well this is different," she said to herself thoughtfully, keeping one hand at the ready on one of her blades, "I guess cat-people get fancier networks?" She shook her head as she continued down the hall. "Now where is that Gate Keeper?" She remained silent from here on out as she stalked down the hall, finding herself increasingly confused as she searched the place. Why is this place to long? she thought, I feel like I should've reached this guy's soul flame by now… Another minute of walking passed by, and still she found nothing. She clicked her tongue and began to walk even faster, wanting to reach the end of this seemingly endless hallway. Again, another minute passed, and she went from fast walking to an all-out dash. And even as she rushed down the hall, she still found no end to it. What is WITH this place?! she thought as she continued to scan the area, Why can't I FIND anything?! She screeched to a halt and stopped, furiously looking around in a mixture of frustration and confusion.
Then she saw it; an opening in the hallway. Without a second thought, she rushed into it and made the first turn she felt she had made in ages. However, the feeling of relief she had felt was blown out of the window as an even more confusing sight greeted her. Set before her were rows and rows of velvet seats, each packed next to each other closely up and down a lighted stairway. Syd looked up to see a large, blank curtain set above a small stage. Seeing all of this collectively together made her realize that she was standing in…
"A MOVIE THEATER?!" Syd tossed her hands in the air, as she stammered unintelligibly. "But-how-and-what-and-why-and-where-and-when-and—" She stopped and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in and easing it out slowly. "Okay…" she began, "I know no one moved me during the ritual, so that should mean that this is his soul room." Suddenly, she heard the ticking of a projector. She looked up again as a blank image was cast onto the curtain set on the stage. She looked back and forth between the curtain and where the supposed projector was coming from before shrugging and taking a seat in the middle of a row. Suddenly, an old-timey countdown appeared on the screen. Syd tensed, unsure of what this meant. The counter hit zero, and the screen went black. Syd reached for her blade and sat up, prepping herself for whatever was coming her way.
Suddenly, the screen was lit once more and was filled with a new image, one presenting a busy street filled with an assortment of furs. Syd sat back in her seat. "Aaaaand I'm lost again…" The view abruptly swung around to the right and focused on a lioness as she walked casually down the street. The lioness glanced over and faced the camera, offering a soft smile. "…Ooooohhhh," Syd nodded, "this isn't his soul room…it's his memory room…" She sat there for a moment, continuing to nod her head before abruptly sitting up and shouting, "HOW DID I END UP IN HERE?!" She stood up and walked out of the theater, grumbling to herself and carefully scanning the area as she exited. She spotted another opening in the hallway and hurried into it, only to once again be greeted by the sight of another theater. This one's screen displayed the same lioness, this time with her engaged with a conversation with Kuro as he talked back. Syd shook her head and left that theater.
Two memory rooms? Syd thought, once again stalking down the seemingly endless hallway, Please don't tell me that it means there are more… Unfortunately for her, that was exactly the case, with each theater she came across playing a memory from a different point in time. And each time, Syd noticed the same lioness from the first memory she watched present in each new theater.
Syd sighed as she exited yet another theater. "Jeez, I got it already. They like each other. Sheesh…" Syd went silent for a moment, remaining where she stood and staring down at her feet. "…I should get going." She shook her head once and took off, returning to her search. She came across another room and carefully walked in, peeking her head in to see what it was. Yet again, it was a theater. Syd sighed and withdrew herself from the room, turning to walk away.
"You're SUCH an ASS!" But a shout of frustration stopped her in her tracks. She turned around and peeked in again. She went in and checked all of the seats, wanting to make sure that she hadn't missed an unwelcome visitor anywhere. But no, it had merely been a shout coming from the memory. Syd sighed as she straightened up and looked back at the screen. Once again, the lioness was on the screen. However, this scene held a far more different tone from the last several memories Syd had seen. The lioness was standing at the doorway to a bathroom with a furious expression written across her face.
"Well YOU'RE exhaustingly overbearing!" Kuro shouted back, "How about giving me some SPACE every now and then?!"
Syd flinched, looking away from the screen. "This is too personal… I shouldn't be looking at this one…" She eagerly made her way back up the stairs towards the exit.
"You're KIDDING me, right?!" she heard the lioness scream back, "After what you did?! This thing tested POSITIVE, Kuro!" Syd stopped and turned around, taking notice of an object that she hadn't noticed was in the lioness' paw. Syd flinched and looked away again, hastening herself to hurry out of the theater. "Are you really bailing on me NOW!" shouted the lioness, "After what you STUCK with me?!" Syd faltered for a moment, her foot getting caught on one of the steps.
"You think I can actually help you with something like…that?!" Kuro shouted back, "I know NOTHING about raising kids! You're better off finding someone else to do that, and I'm better off getting' out of here!"
"Kuro get BACK here and FACE UP to your mistakes!" screamed the lioness as stomps sounded out. "Kuro! …KURO!" Sobbing from the lioness was the last thing Syd heard before she finally made it out of the theater. She hissed through her teeth as she walked away, shaking her head and shivering uncomfortably.
I stayed in there longer than I should've…she thought, That was too personal of a memory to just up-n'-see… She fast walked down the hall, looking far ahead of her as she tried to get what she had just seen out of her mind.
It wasn't working.
I don't think I'll ever understand relationships like those, Syd thought. She didn't entertain the thought any further, as it wasn't something she wanted to focus on at the moment. So instead, she focused intently on the halls, once again searching for a new opening. Her head jerked up as a loud crash sounded out from far down the hall. Syd wasted no time in rushing down the hall, her hands once again gripping the handles of her blades. She ran into another opening and looked in. She clicked her tongue in irritation as she realized that she had entered yet another theater. She sighed and turned away, only to stop. Something was very wrong with the image that she had just seen. She turned back to the screen and looked closer. The scene that was portrayed appeared to be on its side, with the ground to the right, and the sky to the left. In the center of the shot was a car with its front badly dented in. Shouts of panic and fear were filling Syd's ears. It was then that she realized that Kuro was lying on the floor.
A panicked fur ran in and filled the screen, horror written all over his face. He knelt down and gripped Kuro's shoulders. "Hey! HEY! Are you alright?!" he shouted over the chaos. Kuro groaned weakly.
"I can't…move…" he replied with a weak voice. The fur holding him only became further distressed.
"Someone call 911!" he shouted, looking away from him and to someone else. He turned back to Kuro and said, "Listen it's gonna be ok! Just stay with me, alright?!" The panicked fur's eyes widened further. "HEY! Stay with me! Just stay with me!" The image began to blacken around the edges, with the whole image beginning to blur. "Hey! …HEY!"
Rebecca…Kuro's voice rang in Syd's head, I'm…sorry… The panicked fur's shouts became nothing but muffled sounds as the image faded into black.
Syd stepped back in horror, her hands dropping to her sides. "No…" she gasped, "So that means he's…dead?" Suddenly, a thick fog swept through the theater. Syd staggered back and shielded her eyes with her arms. Once she lowered them, the theater was torn and withered, like it had been wasting away for some time. Syd turned around to leave, only to realize that her exit had been sealed off. She drew her blades and slashed at the blocked off door, but they did nothing but leave minute scratches. Syd growled and slashed again, putting more force into her swings.
Kuro…whispered a voice, sending a cold chill up Syd's spine. She whirled around and faced the screen with her blades at the ready. Once again, an image was filling the screen. However, the fog still hanging in the air prevented her from seeing anything clearly. The only thing she could tell was that something dark and ominous was at the center of the shot.
"Who…who's there?!" shouted Kuro, his voice faltering in fear, "Where am I?!"
You have been taken before your time…whispered the voice again, each syllable the mysterious voice made making Syd shiver, Your soul now wanders aimlessly…
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Kuro snarled, "WHERE THE HELL AM I?!"
You have died, Kuro… You are no more… Kuro's breathing became heavy and labored.
"Y…you're lying," he said, "No. No that's a LIE! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, DAMMIT?!"
The fog rapidly began to clear, revealing a sight that sent a chill down Syd's spine far more intense than the last. Set before them was a dark, looming figure, wearing long tattered robes with a hood that hid its face. Kuro gasped in shock and stepped back, his heart hammering in his ears.
Things do not have to be this way, it said, standing motionless before Kuro, I can offer you a second chance… A way to return to your mortal life…
"…H…how?" asked Kuro reluctantly, looking around himself and seeing nothing past the thick fog still surrounding them.
I need you to fight for me, it said, raising its arm and revealing its skeletal fingers as it pointed at him, Defeat the ones responsible for your untimely death… Gather the fifteen souls of the luminary heroes… When this is accomplished, you will be granted one wish… It lowered its hand, returning to its motionless state. But you must become my hand. You must bind this agreement with a contract in order for it to be possible. It raised its hand again, this time extending it to Kuro. So…do we have a deal?
Kuro looked down at the hand, then back up at the figure as he backed away. "I…I don't trust you. There has to be a catch to this."
No catch, it replied, keeping its hand outstretched, just a contract. One that you must agree to if you wish for your revival to be possible. You will not be offered this chance again Kuro… Kuro's heart began to race, and he looked down at the offered hand again. Do you not wish to return to your precious Rebecca again? Kuro gasped and looked back up at the figure, breathing heavily.
"I…" Kuro's voice faltered again, "How did you—"
I see all in a lost soul, answered the figure, I am what your people call the dark angel… I am the grim reaper… I am Death… Death stepped forward, extending its hand to him once more. I know you wish to return to her… I know you wish to make up for the mistakes that you've made… If you decline my offer, you will never see her…or her child again. So I ask you one final time… Do you accept my offer?
An ominous silence filled the area, with Kuro staring back at Death. The feline gulped before slowly raising his hand. "I…" he began, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "I…accept…" Kuro grasped Death's skeletal hand, and it gripped his paw tightly.
Then the contract has been made. You are now my hand. You…are Ghoul…
The fog suddenly swelled, covering the entire screen before eventually washing over the entire theater. The fog eventually settled and revealed the theater to once again be in proper order. Syd stood there for a moment as she recollected herself. She now had the answers to many of her previously unanswered questions. Why he was a Rider. Why he was so reckless. And lastly, why she hadn't landed in his soul room.
I'm not going to find his soul room…because this place is his soul. His wandering soul…
"Where isss it?!" hissed a familiar voice from afar. Syd looked up, turning towards the exit, "Where isss hisss flame?!" Syd rolled her neck and reached up to her blades, drawing them out slowly as she walked out of the theater. As she stepped out, she caught sight of the hissing Gate Keeper as he furiously stormed through the hall.
"Sssorry, Gate Keeper," Syd spoke up, making the reptile whirl around to face her, "You're not gonna find it here."
"Meddling Network Rider," he hissed at her, scraping his blade against the nearest wall, "Ssshould have known you'd come crawling after me."
"Could you ssshut up?!" Syd shouted as she gradually started running towards him, "I'm taking you out right now!"
"Go ahead and TRY!" he shouted back as she ran towards him. He opened his mouth wide and breathed in, almost as though he was bracing himself for impact. However, as soon as Syd was only a few meters away, he lunged his head forward and spat his acid at her. Syd leapt out of the way and evaded the projectile and landed a clean hit on his shoulder, making him hiss out in pain as his green blood dribbled out of his new wound. He slashed at Syd wildly as he retreated, striking her on her shoulder guard and making her recoil in pain. Both of them stepped away from each other as they took a moment to recover. Both ran at each other at the same time, only to stop as a blinding light burst into life between them. They both shielded their eyes before they suddenly felt themselves being pulled away. They shouted out as they flew down the hall and vanished.
"WooaaaAAH!" Syd exclaimed as she was practically thrown back into her body, falling over onto her back as her eyes flew open. As the Gate Keeper flew across the ground and landed several meters away, Kuro abruptly sat up and grabbed his head with his paws.
"Whaaaat the fuuuck," he shuddered with wide eyes, "Why did I feel like there were tiny mice crawling around in my head?! Dyuuugh!" He shivered and shook his head, rubbing the sides of his upper arms as though to brush off invisible insects crawling all over him.
"Syd, what happened?" asked Eli, "Why is the Gate Keeper still here?"
"I'll explain later," Syd said as she picked herself up off of the ground, "Come on cat, it's time to get back to work." Kuro barely registered what she said as she hoisted him up as well, allowing the two of them to stand side by side.
"You impudent little RAT!" spat the Gate Keeper, "HOW did you forccce me out?!"
"Out?" asked Kuro, raising a brow, "OH GOD, you were INSIDE of me?! UUUUGGGH that's even more disgusting!"
"Oh quit your whining," Syd said, tapping his snout with the tip of her fingers as she walked in front of him, "You've been through far worse events after all."
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER!" Kuro shouted, "…Wait…how did you—"
"ENOUGH!" barked the Gate Keeper, grabbing the attention of the two of them, "I will NOT be disssressspected for any longer! I am Baasssil the Vile, and I will turn thisss Fledgling into a Gate Keeper!"
Syd narrowed her eyes at the reptile and reached into her coat, pulling out her green die. She clenched it in her fist and tapped it against Kuro's shoulder as she walked forward. Catching on quickly, Kuro followed after her and stopped just beside her. "Sorry to say, Baasil," she shouted at the Gate Keeper, "But that's not happening anytime soon." She closed her eyes and held the dice out in front of her. "Mihara, Lowe, Sharza, Kuwa, Grune, Nago…"
"Not thisss time!" Baasil hissed, reeling his neck back as he prepared to spit.
(O) EYE! (O)
He spat his glob of acid at Syd, only for the glob to be intercepted by a ghostly hoodie. Baasil hissed in fury and confusion and looked to Kuro, who's belt was secured around his waist.
"Hey!" the feline shouted at him, "Don't be RUDE! You didn't see us cutting you off from your monologue!" Baasil roared in fury and continued to spit his acid, but Kuro's hoodie continued to block his efforts.
"Ancient spirits bind this beast, and have your power be through me unleashed!" Syd opened her eyes and tossed the die into her buckle. As her hand reached for the dial, Kuro crossed his arm in front of his chest, striking the same exaggerated pose as before. And as Kuro's belt chanted loudly and his hoodie intercepted each of Baasil's attacks, the both of them triggered their equipment and shouted out in a loud cry,
"HENSHIN!"
}{ GAME START! }{
}{ STRIKER! }{
(O) KAIGAN! (O)
(O) GHOUL~ (O)
As Syd's coat changed its color, Kuro's hoodie slammed into Baasil one last time before flying over to him and enveloping him.
}{ Piercing Saber ARISE! }{
(O) Here w' GO! Here w' GO! Ka-Ku-Go GHOST! (O)
Syd's eyes and Kuro's mask lit up beneath their hoods, both of them straightening up as they once again stood in their armored forms. "Baasil the vile!" Syd shouted out, drawing her blade and thrusting it forward, "Your soul is forfeit and thus we have come claim it! Now REPENT foul beast!"
"I won't need to repent!" Baasil hissed, "Not after I get my clawsss on that Fledgling!"
"Sheesh, you could at least take me out to dinner first," Kuro said as he reached his paw up, causing his large baton to shoot out from his belt and into his grasp. He immediately took it into both of his paws and split it apart, whirling his twin batons as he casually walked forward. He tilted his head towards Syd. "Hey, try not to get in the way, huh?"
Syd rolled her eyes before walking past him and shoving him aside. "Just don't slow me down, 8 lives." Before Kuro could question her, Baasil spat his acid slime at them. Syd acted quickly and shoved Kuro to the side, flinging herself to the other as the slime sailed past them. Both of them rolled to their feet before rushing forward and closing in on Baasil. Both of them lunged at his chest and knocked him backwards and staggering him with their combined force. Baasil recovered and tried to slash at their heads, only for them to dive beneath his swing and avoid it completely. Syd suddenly closed the space between them and rushed the Gate Keeper with a flurry of attacks.
"Hey!" Kuro shouted, running after the two of them, "Save some for me at least!"
"If you really want sloppy seconds," Syd shouted back, parrying a strike from Baasil, "then by all MEANS!" She knocked Baasil's blade upwards, allowing her to follow up with a strong forward kick. As the Gate Keeper was knocked backwards, Syd kicked herself backwards, allowing Kuro to come in and take his turn on the offensive role.
"Thank you MA'AM!" Kuro cried as he caught the underside of Baasil's jaw with one of his batons. The reptile hissed and cushioned his jaw as stars flew across his eyes. As he stumbled back, Kuro lunged forward and swept his baton at Baasil's legs. He was knocked right over and slammed into the ground hard. Kuro chuffed in satisfaction and wind milled an arm around, winding himself up for a hard swing. He never managed to deliver it though, as the Gate Keeper opened his mouth and spat his acid directly into him. Sparks flew off of Kuro's body as the acid burned at his armor. He yelped and staggered back, dropping his batons on the ground as he frantically tried to brush the acidic slime off of him. "Ow-ow-ow-tag-out-tag-OUT!"
"Urrggh you're unbelievable!" Syd growled in irritation as she ran past him. She let out a battle cry as she closed in on Baasil, who now stood on his feet. She swung both of her blades at him at once, forcing him to block with his own. He staggered back a step or two as Syd's blades collided with Baasil's.
Zeta watched with a large smile as the fight raged on. He found himself chuckling every now and then and continued to swing his legs behind him like a metronome. "My, my," he said with amusement, "Things are definitely heating up… But things are looking a little unfair at the moment…" He slid his spear closer to him with a grin. "Maybe I should even the odds a little bit…" He rolled over onto his back and slipped out a deck of cards from his coat. He sifted through them before stopping at one in particular. He rolled back onto his front and plopped the deck of cards onto the floor beneath his chin. Then, with the new card in paw, he lowered the spear so that the large head was closer to him. Zeta played with the card in his fingers for a bit before eventually swiping it through a slide running through the top of the spear-head.
SUMMON RIDE
He grunted as he pushed himself up with the aid of the spear. He hummed happily as he whirled the spear around and stabbed it into the ground.
GENM!
A cloud of cards clustered next to Zeta, condensing and creating a body. In an instant, the cards flashed away and revealed a strange, oddly proportioned and heavily armored figure. Its massive head and helmet had a design reminiscent of hair. Almost comically large eyes shined through its large visor. Around its waist was a strange, neon green buckle with a grip at the front. Zeta laughed and heavily patted it on the back with his free paw.
"Alright, you pixelated little runt," he said to it, "Why don't you go over there and help out that nice snake man." The figure didn't show any signs that it acknowledged his command, instead silently walking forward and stepping off of the roof, falling down from the building and landing heavily on its feet. It straightened back up before making its way towards the ongoing battle. "Play nice!" Zeta shouted at it before laying back down on his front and returning his attention to the two Riders.
Syd let out a battle cry as she cross-slashed Baasil in the chest, staggering him backwards as she stood straight again. "Time to finish this," she said to herself as she reached into her coat. However, she froze as she caught sight of a shadowy figure emerging from between two nearby buildings. "Oh what now?" Before the figure could walk out into the light of the sun, it reached down for its buckle. It flicked its wrist forward and pushed its fingers against the grip, causing the entire thing to snap forward and open up.
LEVEL UP!
A purple afterimage shot out from the buckle and passed over the figure, causing him to undergo a drastic transformation.
Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Migh~ty Actio~n! X!
The figure stepped out into the light, revealing himself to Syd and Baasil. His suit was a sleek black, with deep purple lines running through it. The only armor he wore covered his head, chest, shoulders and lower legs, with the rest of him only covered by its suit. Deep red eyes shined from his goggle-like visor, with a sharp hair-like design adorning the top of his helmet. He said nothing as he slowly walked forward.
GAME START!
Syd stared at the figure silently, the Gate Keeper standing before her almost completely forgotten. It took her a while before she managed to come up with something to say. "COME ON!" she practically screamed, tossing her arms up, "FIRST-WITH-THE-CAT-WITH-THE-HOOD-AND-THEN-WITH-THIS-GUY-AND-THE-GAME-START?!" The figure didn't seem to acknowledge her rant as he suddenly picked up the pace, unholstering a strangely shaped gun from his belt and firing it at Syd. She acted quickly and leapt out of the way, using her blades to deflect as many blasts as she could. The dark figure ran past Baasil in pursuit of Syd, seemingly locked on her as he continued to fire at her. Meanwhile, Kuro huffed and crossed his arms, the acid that had been spat on him having been taken care of.
"Man…everyone's stealin' my purple," he muttered, "I still wear it better than 'em-WOAHMAMA!" He dove to the side as another glob of acid flew over him. He grunted as he rolled to a stop and looked up to see Baasil running after him.
"I don't know who that isss," he hissed, "but if it meansss I can take you for myssself, then I won't complain!" He swung at Kuro's head, leading him to duck underneath and punch Baasil in the gut. As he huffed out and staggered, Kuro reached his paws out. His batons suddenly shot out from the ground and into his paws, allowing him to deliver a solid strike to Baasil's body with the built up momentum. Kuro straightened up and casually whirled his batons around as Baasil took yet another moment to recover.
"Well," said Kuro, "I kinda wanted to go n' check out what's goin' on with those two over there, but if I ge on you, then I guess I'll take it!" He clacked his batons together before rushing forward and swinging at Baasil from the side. Baasil blocked his swing, but Kuro's other baton quickly made up for that. Coming from beneath Kuro's other arm, he struck Baasil's side from below before turning his wrist and banging the end of his baton against Baasil's lower jaw. With him once again stunned, Kuro was able to circle his first arm beneath his other deliver another upwards strike to the same spot. Baasil hissed and used his arms to shield his head as Kuro continued to arc his batons around each other in an endless circle. "Watch your LEFT!" Kuro shouted as he suddenly changed directions, striking Baasil on his left side. Baasil hissed and lowered his arms, allowing Kuro to land a clean downwards swing on the top of his head. Baasil swung his blade out wildly, striking Kuro in the chest and staggering him. The Gate Keeper hissed harshly as he cushioned the top of his head with a free hand. All the while, Kuro whirled one of his batons around and watched. "Boy, you really aren't all that tough, huh?" Kuro taunted, earning another harsh hiss from the reptile.
The mysterious figure leaned away from a slash as Syd swung at him with her blade. She got in close and followed up with another swing, but he leaned away and parried her swing away with an open-palmed slap to her forearm. He raised its gun up and fired at her, but she rolled to the side and avoided the shot. She closed in again and lunged at him, only to be parried again with yet another open palmed slap. She brought her arms up to block her head as the figure swung its elbow at her, staggering as she slammed into the swing. She lowered her arms in time to block a forward kick from him and hastily rolled out of the way as he let loose another barrage of shots at her.
Dammit, he's good too, Syd thought as she rolled to a stop. As they stared each other down, the figure reached for his gun and grabbed it in his other hand. He pried the barrel off of its base entirely before rotating it and reattaching in the other direction.
CHACHING!
He rushed forward again, holding his gun out like a blade before swinging at her. Syd dove out of the way again as the bladed end of his gun revved loudly like a chainsaw. Syd stood up and ducked beneath another swing, once again hearing the chainsaw revving. She straightened up again and swung at the figure's head, only for him to parry her swing away with another slap and harshly knock her blade out of her hand with his chainsaw. Syd grunted in surprise and hastily leaned backwards, narrowly dodging a slash at her head. The figure leaned forward and elbowed her in the chest, making her stagger back and spacing them out from each other.
KABLAM!
The figure raised its gun up, its barrel once again facing forward, and let loose a flurry of shots. Syd growled as she was once again forced to take on the evasive role, diving out of the way so as to avoid his attacks. "If this is gonna be a party for purple," she muttered under her breath, reaching into her coat and pulling out her purple die, "then I might as well dress for the part." She ejected her green die and quickly replaced it with her purple die. She leapt into the air as she spun her dial.
}{ REROLL! }{
}{ STALKER! Descending from the Shadows! }{
Her blades were replaced with twin daggers as her coat changed from green to purple. With a grunt, she blinked away and reappeared behind the figure, slashing him in the back with a well-timed lunge. The figure staggered forward, but he recovered quicker than Syd anticipated. He whirled around and blasted Syd with several shots, making her cry out in pain before managing to blink away. She reappeared behind him once again, but this time he anticipated it. He used his elbow to block a lunge before kicking her in the gut from his side. Syd gripped her gut and blinked away, panting and resting her back against the side of a building.
This guy's no joke, she thought, stashing away her daggers as she recovered, He's read almost every move I've made so far… She reached into her coat, checking her blind spots to make sure she was still safe. She looked down again once she was sure, pulling out a deep black die. She stared down at it for a moment in contemplation. No, she shook her head, putting the die away, Not yet. It's still too dangerous to use… I can still take him on without using that form. She carefully peeked her head out of her hiding spot in search of the dark figure. She exclaimed as she saw that he had given up on searching for her, and was now headed straight for Kuro.
Kuro whooped as he leapt over one of Baasil's swings. Once he landed, he whirled around and blocked the Gate Keeper's follow up with one of his batons. He then knocked Baasil's arm to the side with his other baton before arcing his first baton around and striking Baasil across his side. The Gate Keeper grunted and staggered back, hissing harshly as Kuro smirked under his mask. "Heh, not so tough up close, huh?" he taunted, whirling one of his batons around, "Can't do much when you can't spit your juices-I'm not gonna finish that sentence…" He yelped as Baasil suddenly lunged forward and swung at his head. Kuro blocked with both of his batons and staggered back. As soon as he saw Baasil opening his mouth, Kuro slid one of his batons down Baasil's blade and knocked it against Baasil's snout. Once again, the Gate Keeper hissed in pain as it staggered back and shielded itself with its arms.
Kuro laughed confidently and whirled his batons around casually, only to be blasted right off of his feet as a powerful blast burst against his back. He cried out as he flew across the ground, landing heavily several meters away. He groaned as he climbed back up, looking up to see that the dark figure from before now had his sights set on him. Wait, where'd that one chick go? Kuro thought as he pushed himself back up, I thought she was fighting with this guy. What happened?! Kuro tried to look past the figure, but with how fast he was closing in on him, Kuro couldn't afford time to look away. He got back on his feet just in time to roll out of the way of another blast. But by the time Kuro rolled up to his feet, the figure was upon him.
CHACHING!
The figure slashed at Kuro with his chainsaw, nicking his chest armor and knocking him back a step. Kuro tried to swing at his head with a baton, but the figure caught Kuro's forearm with an open palm and slashed at it with his chainsaw, making him cry out in pain and drop the baton. Kuro recoiled and hastily backed away, dropping his other baton and caressing his arm with a paw. However, as he backed away, he failed to realize that he was walking right into Baasil. The Gate Keeper made sure to remind him of his presence by spitting a glob of acid right into his back, making him cry out once again as sparks flew off of his body.
KABLAM!
"Kuro!" Syd shouted as she appeared in front of the figure, knocking his arm off aim with a well-timed strike. Syd lunged at him again, and he leaned away from the attack. Meanwhile, Kuro turned back around to face Baasil as he swung at him, doing his best to evade the Gate Keeper's attacks whilst trying to ignore the burning pain of the acid.
"What'sss the matter?!" hissed Baasil with amusement as he slashed at Kuro, "Where did that confidenccce of yoursss go?!" Kuro didn't answer, as he was far too preoccupied with keeping up with Baasil's movements. Without his batons, he was forced to evade and block the Gate Keeper's attacks. But that was easier said than done. Unable to ignore the pain of the acid still clinging to his back, his movements and reaction times were slowed enough for Baasil to take advantage of. As a result, Kuro was taking far more hits than before. Kuro gritted his teeth and reached a paw out, calling to one of his batons and causing it to fly towards him. "Oh no you DON'T!" Baasil shouted before swinging his blade and knocking Kuro's baton out of the air and away from the two of them. Immediately after, he struck Kuro in the chest several times and staggered him.
"Kuro get out of here!" Syd shouted, still fending the dark figure off from him. However, he caught her off guard and blasted her in the shin, making her trip and allowing him to land a clean elbow strike to her forehead. She was knocked back and left dazed, and the figure thrust his gun forward and blasted her with a barrage of shots. She cried out in pain as she flew back, slamming into Kuro and causing the two of them to be sent sprawling across the ground several meters away. Baasil chuckled in amusement and followed the figure as he stalked towards the two Riders.
Syd groaned as she pushed herself up with her elbows. She reached for Kuro's shoulder, but a shot from the figure's gun dissuaded the action. She growled as him and the Gate Keeper approached. She knew she had to do something quickly, but she didn't know what. If she blinked away, Kuro would be left to the two of them, and though she knew nothing about this mysterious figure, she knew for a fact that she didn't want Baasil to get his claws on him. She looked over to Kuro, who still hadn't gotten back up from the ground. She could tell just by looking at him that he didn't have much left in him in terms of stamina. And unfortunately, she too was starting to run low on stamina. Dammit, she thought, this is really bad… She winced suddenly as a sharp pain shot through her head. She dropped her daggers onto the ground as her hands went straight to the sides of her head. "No!" she exclaimed, shaking her head, "N-not now!" The previously unified voice between herself and Eli began to fluctuate as she groaned in pain.
Kuro groaned as he craned his head up from where he lay, looking over to Syd. "H…hey," he said, struggling to get his words out, "what's wrong? Are you alright?"
"S…Syd!" Eli's voice eventually shouted from the gem on Syd's gauntlet, "Get a hold of yourself! You can fight it!"
"NO!" she growled back with a firm shake of her head, "I don't need to fight it! I'm going to control it this time. I WON'T let it control me!"
"Syd LISTEN to yourself!" Eli shouted back, "You know that that form is TOO dangerous! We need to come up with some other—"
"We're OUT of options, Eli!" Syd cut him off, stuffing her hand into her coat, "We HAVE to use it!"
"Syd…" said Eli, "…Are you absolutely sure about this?" For a brief moment, Syd found herself smirking beneath her mask.
"I never am, Eli… I never am…" She returned her gaze to the two figures standing before them as she stood up and pulled out the black die from before. The dark figure raised his gun up and shot at Syd, pelting her with several blasts. She cried out in pain as she endured the shots, gritting her teeth and gripping the die in her fist tightly. Kuro exclaimed in surprise, struggling as he tried to rise and aid her. Unfortunately for him, he was far too weak to do anything. Eventually, the figure ceased fire and lowered his gun. Syd collapsed to a knee as smoke rose off of her body. She panted heavily as she recovered, slowly raising her head once again to lock gazes with her opponents. Her fist trembled as she raised it up next to her head. "Gate Keeper…" she huffed, "if you still haven't repented yet…then you should now…" At that, she tossed the black dice into her buckle, causing the other one to eject. With a battle cry, she stood up and spun the dial.
}{ REROLL! }{
}{ NECROMANCER! }{
Syd's battle cry evolved into a savage roar as a black cloud of smoke rose around her body.
}{ Horrors RISE from the grave! }{
As Syd's primal roar echoed through the area, a pair of glowing red eyes shined through the black cloud. As soon as the roaring ceased, the black cloud was cast away. And with it gone, her new form was out in the open for all to see. Her coat had changed to match the black smoke that had surrounded her just a moment ago. The black highlighted the scarlet shades of red lining parts of her armor. Beneath her hood, her blood-red eyes furiously glowed.
"…Jeez lady…" Kuro gasped, staring back at Syd in awe, "what…happened to you?"
"Her name is Syd," said Eli, "and as for what's happened to her…her survival instinct has kicked in…"
"Survival instinct…" echoed Kuro, staring at Syd as she stood stoically still.
Syd's arms shot backwards as she grabbed hold of the blades sheathed behind her. The air whistled as she drew out the serrated sabers out from their sheaths. She hissed through her teeth as she crouched slightly, holding her blades in reverse grip with the "teeth" of her blades facing forward.
"You had your chance, Gate Keeper," she growled, "For you…I won't show mercy…" With another battle cry, Syd ran forward and rushed towards her opponents. The dark figure acted quickly and opened fire on her once more. This time, Syd didn't intend to take it. She slashed her sabers in front of her and deflected nearly every shot, causing all of them to ricochet off of her sabers and shoot off in random directions. She was closing in on the two of them at a rapid pace, and the dark figure was the only one sensible enough to start running. Baasil on the other hand decided to take on Syd's challenge and ran at her, spitting a glob of acid at her. Syd slashed at the glob and ran though it cleanly, closing the space between her and the Gate Keeper soon after. Baasil swung at her, but she brought her blade up to block, catching Baasil's sword between the "teeth" of her saber. Baasil tried to pull away, but Syd re-angled her blade to keep it from escaping her. Baasil tugged harder, but it remained stuck in Syd's saber as she continued to move along with him. Baasil roared and spat his acid at her, but Syd's other blade slashed it out of the air and sent it to splash to either side behind her.
She violently tugged him down without warning as she tossed her free saber up in the air. She caught it in a proper grip before roaring out and slashing at Baasil's sword, snapping it in half with a sharp crack. As Baasil exclaimed and retreated, Syd chased after him and slashed at his shoulder. He cried out in pain as it was struck, with his shoulder armor snapping off of him and clattering to the ground. Syd rushed at him again, but several shots from the mysterious figure cut her off. She stopped and turned to face him, growling lowly as she locked gazes with him. The figure opened fire and Syd deflected his shots with her blades as she advanced towards him. First she stalked, then she hurried. And the second the figure started backing up, she ran at him and let out a battle roar. She closed the space between them and struck the figure in the chest, sending sparks flying and staggering him.
CHACHING!
The figure revved his chainsaw and tried to retaliate. He lunged at Syd's shoulder, but she landed another blow on him before he could. He spun around with the blow and whirled around to try and land a swing, but he only managed to knock one of Syd's sabers slightly off to the side. Syd roared again and slashed at his arm, knocking his chainsaw-gun right out of his hand. The figure hastened his movements and tried to get in close, countering her range by blocking her arms with his elbows. This time, Syd backed up, and he was the one chasing after her. Every attempt she made at an attack was prevented as he kept blocking her. And with her unable to attack, she was unable to defend as well. With him so close, she was forced to endure his rapid succession of punches and elbow strikes.
Suddenly, Syd stepped forward and bashed her skull against the figure's, slamming him back with a powerful head-butt. As he was left stunned, Syd assaulted him with an onslaught of slashes. The figure stumbled back and nearly fell over. Before he could recollect himself, Syd ran at him and SWUNG her sabers into his body, gashing his armor and sending him flying into the air. Syd reeled back before leaping high into the air, soaring high and reaching her peak just above the figure. With a roar, Syd drove her foot down and kicked the figure straight back down into the ground, his impact tremoring it from the sheer force.
Syd landed back on the ground with a grunt, panting heavily and staring down at the ground. As she stood there, both Baasil and Kuro stared at her in complete shock. This was by no means the same person they had been dealing with several moments ago. This Syd, if she could even be called that now, was nothing but a feral fighting machine.
Zeta smiled and let out a small chuckle from his perch, now seated with his legs dangling off the side of the roof. "So dice-gal's got a berserk side, huh?" he said as he sifted through his cards, "Then let's see how well she plays with these two…" With an evil grin, he swiped two cards through his spear.
SUMMON RIDE
He flipped his spear around and stabbed it into the ground.
DOUBLE: FANG JOKER!
OOO: PUTOTYRANOSAURUS!
Two new figures let out savage roars as they came into existence. One wore jagged armor all over his body, the armor itself taking on two different colors with black on his left and white on his right. The other one wore bulkier armor, with his taking on a purple hue all around outside his black under suit. Every part of his armor resembled some sort of prehistoric animal, the most apparent being the pterodactyl shape of his helmet. Both of them panted heavily with their shoulders heaving with each breath. Zeta smiled again and snapped his fingers to get their attention.
"Double! OOO!" he shouted at them, pointing his spear towards Syd, "Sick em!" Both of them roared out before they leapt forward, with Double practically galloping on all fours and OOO flying through the sky as he produced a set of wings from his head. Their roars echoed through the air, and caught the attention of Baasil, Kuro and Syd. The latter of the three raised her head and turned around, scanning the area for the source of the roar. It wasn't long before both of them were in sight, as they were rushing towards her at break-neck speed. Syd let out a challenging roar of her own as the two of them closed in, with OOO swooping in and clawing at her from above. Syd parried OOO's arm away with a saber and knocked him away, leaving her open as Double pounced upon her.
"Even MORE random guys?!" Kuro shouted in disbelief, "Where the hell are they all coming from?!" Syd roared and threw Double off of her. As he landed on the ground on all fours, OOO landed beside him. OOO let out a roar of his own before thrusting his hand into the ground. He pulled it out, and with it came a hefty short-handed axe. As he and Double stood their ground, Baasil and the other figure stepped forward and joined the two of them. Seeing this, Syd crouched slightly and growled at them.
"Syd!" Eli shouted, "Syd can you hear me?! We need to retreat and come up with a new plan of—"
"RaaAAAAAA!" Syd's roared out and cut him off. Sheathing one of her sabers, she swept her hand across the dial and spun it.
}{ REROLL! }{
The dice inside her buckle came to a stop, and an intense shade of red light erupted outwards.
THREE!
{III} Stand up and FIGHT! {3}
She roared out again before grabbing three vials off of the strap on her belt. She popped them all open at once before hurling them at the ground in front of her. The green liquid inside spilled out onto the floor and became illuminated by the light coming out of her belt. It shimmered and pulsated before expanding rapidly and covering up more and more of the pavement. Syd let out another roar before thrusting her hand towards the sky. In that instant, three skeletal arms shot out from the slime. They all slammed their hands on the ground as more and more of the creatures within the slime began to emerge. The creatures were covered in the sickly green slime and were groaning loudly. The slime melted off of their bones as flesh rapidly began to grow on top of them. The creatures' groans slowly transitioned into pained screams as they all began to jerk violently. The rest of them rapidly formed and they fully emerged from their puddles of slime.
With her scarlet-red eyes glowing brightly beneath her hood, she thrust her hand forward and barked at the three creatures, "KILL!" The three of them roared out before charging at their targets, their slime still dripping from their newly formed flesh.
"What isss THISSS?!" hissed Baasil as he tried to back away, "Grak'nar! Ashura! Balegor! Why are you fighting for the Network Rider?!" None of the three creatures answered him as they blindly slashed at anything and everything in their way. Soon enough, Syd leapt in and joined in on this savage fight, with snarls and roars echoing through the air as claws and blades met armor and flesh. All the while, Kuro could only lay there and watch in awe as he witnessed this bloodthirsty battle.
"…Jeez…" he gasped, "Dinosaurs, basilisks, zombies and necromancers? What's next? Vampires? A god damn giant dragon?!"
Zeta flicked an ear at the mention. He was holding a card in his paw with a red cybernetic dragon on the front and was ready to swipe it through his spear. He tilted his head in thought before shaking his head and tossing the card back into the pile.
Double was knocked backwards and spun in the air before landing on all fours. He got back up and roared before flicking a spike on the side of his buckle.
/\\/\ ARM FANG! /\\/\
Double roared again before throwing his arm out to his side. A light shined out from his wrist as a long, slender blade emerged from it. He ran forward and slashed it at the nearest beast. The recipient shrieked in pain and staggered back from the blow. Meanwhile, OOO grabbed a scanner off of the side of his belt and swept it over his buckle.
~O~ SCANNING CHARGE! ~O~
OOO roared out as his wings emerged from his head once again. As he roared, the spikes jutting out of his shoulders shot out and impaled one of Syd's summoned monsters. The wings on OOO's head flapped and hurled a frigid wave of ice at it, instantly encasing it in a block of ice on contact. Then, a large tail emerged from behind OOO. He roared again before whirling around and whipping the tail at the creature. The tail obliterated the frozen creature and sent shards of ice flying in every direction, pelting the two remaining creatures along with Syd herself. Double roared again before flicking the spike on the side of his belt three times.
/\\/\ FANG: MAXIMUM DRIVE! /\\/\
He leapt into the air as a tornado swept around him and kept him in the air. As he spun inside of it, a long fang emerged from his ankle. Double then leapt out of the tornado spinning and slammed into Syd and her monsters. Whilst Syd herself was blown backwards, her two monsters were utterly annihilated from Double's attack. Syd screamed in pain as she tumbled down the floor and stopped several meters in front of Kuro.
"Syd!" shouted Eli in concern, "Are you alright Syd?!" Syd groaned as she pushed herself back up to her knees, with her eyes going from the angry red to a calmer shade of green.
"Y…yeah…" she panted in reply, "I-I'm fine…" She looked behind her as she heard scuffling behind her. It was Kuro dragging himself over to her side, notably more energetic but still far from battle-ready. She looked back at her opponents, all of which stood menacingly before her.
"Things aren't lookin' too hot for us, huh?" said Kuro, resting on a knee. Syd chuffed.
"What gave you that idea?" she retorted sarcastically. Kuro huffed in amusement before holding a paw out to his side, drawing a baton back into it. Once it was in his grasp, he used it as leverage to help himself stand back up. Syd followed suit and used one of her sabers to help herself up. Soon enough, the two of them were once again standing side by side.
"Y'know," panted Kuro, "Maybe this'd be easier if the two of us worked…I dunno…together?" Syd huffed.
"Well if you're not afraid of spending another life, then I'm game. But what do you suppose we do against these guys with how we are now?"
"WHY ARE YOU ALL JUSSST SSSTANDING AROUND?!" Baasil suddenly barked at everyone, "THE TWO OF THEM ARE CLEARLY DEFENSSSELESSS! WE SHOULD SSSTRIKE THEM DOWN NOW!"
Zeta rolled his eyes and leaned against his spear. "Oh pipe down, garden snake. Like I'd want things to end so quickly…"
"Well, ya got any more of that green slime?" Kuro asked, drawing his other baton over to himself, we could probably use the help right about now."
"I don't have any left on me," said Syd with regret, "So unless you've got anything special up your sleeve, we're stuck with—"
"Wait a sec!" Kuro cut her off, whirling around to face her, "You can summon a bunch of dead guys, right?!" He stopped and cupped a paw underneath his belt. Suddenly, three mechanical eyeballs formed in it. He then thrust them towards her. "Try it on these guys!" Syd looked down at the eyeballs and back up at him.
"Are you crazy?!" Syd snapped, "I don't even know if that'll work!"
"Well is there really any reason not to try at this point?!" exclaimed Kuro.
"Why isss everyone ssstill WAITING?!" hissed Baasil, "HURRY UP AND SSSTRIKE THEM DO—"
"SHUT UP!" Syd and Kuro shouted in unison, silencing the reptile immediately. Syd then turned back to Kuro and took the eyeballs from his paw. "Well," she said, "since we're in this deep, we might as well give it a shot…" She then turned to face their opponents and gripped the eyeballs firmly in her hand. With a grunt, she tossed them all up in the air and spun the dial on her belt.
}{ REROLL! }{
THREE!
The chamber of her buckle glowed brightly and shined upon the three mechanical eyeballs as they fell back down.
{III} Stand up and FIGHT! {3}
The eyeballs clattered onto the ground before they each began to glow brightly. The light coming off of them intensified as something began to emerge from them all. Once the light settled, three armored figures stood alongside the two of them.
"WHOOOAAAA!" Kuro exclaimed ecstatically, circling the three newcomers with newfound excitement, "JACKIE! ALI! NED! Y'all 're here!"
"That's right," said Ali, taking on a boxing stance, "We're here to help ya knock 'em out!"
"Yep!" said Jackie, gripping his baton like a bat, "Knock 'em outta the park that is!"
"You hold 'em up," said Ned, holding up his rifle, "I'll shoot 'em down. N' don' worry 'bout me. I can stand m' ground." Kuro laughed enthusiastically and stood beside Syd once more, causing all of them to stand together in a row.
"Alright!" he shouted, whirling his batons around, "you ready to DO this, Jasper?!"
"It's Jayd," said Syd.
"That'swhatIsaidLET'S GO!" at that, everyone let out battle cries and charged forward. Letting out cries of their own, OOO and Double led their own charge to meet with them all. It didn't take long before the two sides clashed, and the battle once again raged on. Sparks were flying and the sounds of metal clanging against metal filled the air. As the dark figure opened fire upon the group, Ned Kelly returned fire from afar. Baasil tried to shoot his acid at them, but Muhammad Ali came in and clocked him in the jaw with an uppercut. OOO and Double went after the two Riders, and they fought back as hard as they could, with Jackie Robinson providing support.
"Ali!" shouted Kuro, "Tag out!" Ali dashed to the side and swapped places with Kuro, going after OOO and Double as Kuro rushed into Baasil. "Head's up!" Kuro shouted at him before landing an upwards swing to the bottom of the reptile's jaw. As his head flew back from the blow, Kuro slammed his other baton into Baasil's side. "Heh, I ain't gonna get tired of that one-GACK!" Kuro was knocked forward as the dark figure blasted at his back. He was about ready to fire off another shot when Ned blasted him from afar and repelled him. The figure retaliated and blasted him, but Ned stood his ground and endured the blows.
"Watch your left, Jackie!" Ned shouted. Jackie turned and blocked a blow to his head with his "bat."
"Thanks man!" Jackie shouted back at him before knocking Double away. As he did, OOO tried to come in and attack, but a swift blow from Ali stopped his efforts. Suddenly, wings emerged from OOO's head and he took to the skies.
"Ali! Gimme a lift!" Syd shouted as she came running in from the back. Ali nodded and crouched down, allowing Syd to run up his back and leap into the air. Once she was up, Ali stood up and threw a left jab, knocking her high into the air and allowing her to slash OOO down from the sky. "Kuro step back!" Syd shouted as she fell back down. Kuro jumped back as Syd landed in front of him and sliced her sword down Baasil's front. Syd straightened back up, and the two of them chased after Baasil as he tried to run.
"Hmm," said Zeta, playing with a card in his paw, "The odds are kind of stacked now…" He shrugged and raised the card up. "Might as well send you too." He swiped the card across his spear.
SUMMON RIDE
He flipped it over and slammed it into the ground.
KIVA: EMPEROR!
A golden armored warrior appeared before Zeta, with a crimson cape fluttering behind him. Zeta patted him in the back and said to him, "Go on then! Join in on the fun!" Kiva hissed before leaping forward and rushing into the battle scene.
As he dove in, a golden-laced sword flew out of nowhere and into his hand. He gripped it tightly as he came into view and intercepted Kuro and Syd. The two of them exclaimed in surprise as he ran past them and slashed both of them across their chests.
"Another one?!" said Syd, "Seriously! What hole are you people crawling out of?!" Kiva lunged forward to try and stab one of them in the torso. Both of them quickly jumped back to avoid the lunge.
"If it makes you feel any better," Kuro stopped midsentence to block a swing from Kiva, "I just kinda woke up here!"
"It doesn't!" Syd shouted as she too blocked one of Kiva's attacks. As the two of them staggered back, Kiva reached up and grabbed the hilt of his blade. He pulled it up along the blade, causing it to glow a bright red. As soon as it reached the tip, Kiva slammed the hilt back down into its proper place and swung, hurling a slash of energy at them. The attack collided against them and blew them back, causing them to land on their backs several meters away. As they got back up, Double rushed in and pounced upon them. He nearly landed on them, but a narrow shot from Ned knocked him off course. However, with his attention diverted, he wasn't able to anticipate OOO coming in and knocking him off of his feet with a swing from his axe. Before OOO could finish Ned off, Ali came in and beat the back of his head with a right hook, knocking him away from Ned as Ali helped him back up. Jackie cried out as he was knocked into the air by one of Double's attacks and landed in front of Ned and Ali.
As everyone got back up, Syd and Kuro hastily backed away and defended themselves against Kiva's attacks. Another energy slash was sent their way, and they were knocked off of their feet and landed near Ned and the others. Jackie helped them both up as they stood together and faced their opponents.
"Welp," said Kuro as he was helped up, "back to square one."
"Dammit, this is bad," Syd growled, huffing and tightening her grip on her sabers, "We keep getting backed up against a wall."
"HA!" shouted Baasil, "You Network Ridersss are done for! You best give up the Fledgling now before—"
"SHUT UP NO ONE LIKES YOU!" Kuro shouted back, silencing the Gate Keeper once again.
"Syd has a point," Eli spoke up, "If we don't come up with something soon, we're done for."
"The problem is these damn randoms that keep showing up!" Syd growled, "If we could come out where they keep coming from, then it wouldn't be so hard to take them out." Suddenly, Kiva and the dark figure stepped forward. Kiva hurled another energy slash at them whilst the dark figure opened fire on them with his gun.
"Look out!" Ned shouted as he, Jackie and Ali stepped in front of everyone and absorbed the blows. They cried out and staggered as the dark figure kept firing at them.
"You're done for, Ridersss!" hissed Baasil, "That Fledgling is mine for the taking! Much like the Gate Keepers will be taking this planet for ourselves!"
Kuro opened his muzzle to respond, but stopped as Syd suddenly stepped forward. "THAT'S NOT HAPPENING!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, catching Kuro off guard. "I don't care WHAT you people say! And I don't care WHAT you Gate Keepers 'foresee' as the future! I'm gonna make sure you bastards never get to so much as lay a FINGER on anyone else ever AGAIN!" She threw her saber into the ground and impaled it there as she went on. "I don't CARE what your 'fate' says about me or anyone else! Because if there really is a destiny, then I'll be the one to change it!"
Kuro stared at her in disbelief, left completely speechless by her outcry. All of her passion had flown out of her in one instance, almost to the point that Kuro could swear he could see it.
"…Wait a second…" He squinted his eyes and looked closer as he began to notice a faint glow coming off of her. His eyes widened as a realization hit him. "No freakin' way…" He stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and looking over to the three spirits. "Hey, uh, guys? Y'know that thing you've been doing for the last couple of minutes?"
"You mean blocking you guys from their attacks?" said Ali before bracing himself for another wave from Kiva. The three spirits all grunted as they stood their ground and endured the attack.
"Yeah, uh, keep doing that," said Kuro as he stepped behind Syd, "I need to do something real quick." Jackie gave him an irritated and confused glance before turning back and enduring yet another blow. Syd glanced back at him too as he stepped behind her.
"Wait, what're you—"
"Don't move," Kuro cut her off, pushing her shoulder so that her back was parallel to him, "This'll only take a sec…" He then thrust his paw out and held it up to her back, making a sign with his fingers before withdrawing his paw and drawing an eye in the air. As his fingers traced the air, an actual image appeared behind Syd and glowed brightly. As soon as the eye was completely drawn, Kuro stood back and held his paw out. With a grunt, he drew his paw back as something flew out of the astral projection. Kuro caught it in his paw and inspected it carefully as the glowing eye behind Syd vanished. "Talk about a lucky break!" exclaimed Kuro with an excited laugh, "I don't know how you did it, lady, but you somehow managed to connect with a heroic soul." Syd turned around to see that Kuro was holding yet another mechanical eyeball in his paw, a new one. Without a moment's hesitation, Kuro exchanged it with the one already inside of his belt. His hoodie and mask vanished as he closed the belt.
(O) EYE! (O)
A white hoodie emerged from his belt and floated around the five of them, intercepting several attacks and protecting everyone from harm. Kuro flicked his wrist in an exaggerated manner before grabbing the pump on his belt and pulling it.
(O) KAIGAN! (O)
(O) FATA! (O)
The hoodie swept back over to Kuro before enveloping him.
(O) Aimed for the SKY! To the future we FLY! (O)
A swarm of butterflies swept out from Kuro's body as his new mask flipped up over him. As a pulse of energy surged out from him, Baasil and the other combatants stumbled back. With his transformation complete, Kuro gave himself a look over. "Huh…I'm a butterfly," he said, "Well…it's not the manliest of insects, but it'll have to do!" He bumped past Syd and the spirits as he suddenly decided to rush forward. Kiva and the dark figure immediately went into action and attacked, with Kiva hurling his energy waves and the figure firing his gun. However, Kuro managed to weave and leap through each and every attack almost effortlessly. "Well how about that?!" he exclaimed as he continued to weave through their attacks, "I think I can see the future!" Kiva threw another energy wave at him, but he anticipated the attack like all of the rest. He leapt into the air and a pair of large butterfly wings emerged from his back to lift him further into the sky. As he soared over Kiva and the others, the swarm of butterflies from before swept in and swirled around them, disorienting them all as they fluttered in their faces. As Kuro landed back on the ground, a vision came to him, one that showed a wolf with a spear sitting atop the roof of a building. He squinted his eyes and looked around, eventually finding the foreseen canine.
"Over there!" Kuro shouted, pointing a finger in the wolf's direction, "He's the one responsible for all of these guys!" Zeta exclaimed in shock and disbelief as Syd and the spirits all turned to face him. He scrambled to collect his cards as they all made a break for him.
"Deus Ex Machina bullshit!" Zeta growled as he picked up the last of his cards. He looked up in time to duck out of the way of one of Ned's shots. As he stood back up, he stuffed his cards back into his coat and used his spear to block a swing from one of Syd's sabers.
"I'm done messing around now!" Syd shouted, pushing hard against Zeta, "Who are you, where did you come from, and why are you doing this?!"
"The 'who' and 'where' aren't that important!" Zeta said with a grin, knocking Syd back and lunging at her, "but as for the 'why,' what can I say?! I was bored! Isn't that reason enough?!" Syd grunted as the end of Zeta's spear caught her forearm. The wolf spun around and tossed his arm to his side. A few seconds later, a wall of fire erupted from the floor, coming in the way between him and Syd. Ned tried to shoot through it, but the flames were simply too strong. Zeta came to a stop and grinned at them as a misty portal opened up behind him. "Well as much fun as this has been," he began, "and as much as I want to join in, I've spent more than enough time here already. Besides, it'd just be plain unfair if I joined." He turned around and waved his paw over his shoulder. "Hope you have fun cleanin' up after my mess!" At that, he walked through the portal and disappeared through it as it closed behind it. As the wall of fire died out, Syd growled in frustration.
"Wait…mess?" she said, raising a brow. She turned around before exclaiming, "Crap! You all came with me?! Not even ONE of you stayed to help Kuro?!" All three of the spirits noticeably flinched at the statement.
"Got caught up in the moment, I guess," said Ned with a shrug. Nothing further was said as they all leapt down from the building and rushed back towards the battle scene.
"WHOAMAMA!" Kuro exclaimed as he narrowly avoided a swing to his head. He continued to jump and leap around as he tried to avoid everyone's attacks. Though his butterflies still lingered, many of them had been repelled by Kuro's opponents and were no longer a nuisance to them. "Guys?!" he shouted, "I know I can see the future n' all, but I'm starting to think I'm gonna see myself beaten down to my ass in a couple of minutes!" He landed in a roll, and as he looked back up, he saw an energy wave coming his way. He yelped and threw his arms in front of himself as he braced for impact. However, before the attack could connect, a blast from afar knocked the attack off course and sent it flying off to the side. As it exploded beside him, Kuro looked up to see Syd and the spirits all rushing back in and attacking the other combatants.
"Miss me?" said Syd as she rushed over to Kuro's side, knocking away Double as he tried to close in.
"Long enough to almost cry," Kuro remarked in a sarcastic tone as he stood straight, dusting himself off. "Say, I think I just saw how we're gonna win this. You got enough left in ya to finish this fight?"
Syd huffed and brandished her sabers against each other. "I've got enough and then some."
Kuro nodded in satisfaction and turned his attention to the spirits. "ALRIGHT GUYS!" he shouted to them, "FOLLOW MY LEAD! IT'S TIME FOR THE BIG FINISH!" The spirits shouted their acknowledgement as they continued to battle with all of their opponents. Kuro nodded to Syd before the two of them split off from each other and circled the battleground. "ALI! BOX 'EM IN!"
"You GOT IT!" Ali shouted back as he swayed from side to side, beating Double and OOO backwards.
"JASPER—I MEAN JAYD!" Kuro shouted as he leapt over another of Kiva's waves, "KNOCK THAT GAMER GUY'S GUN INTO THE AIR! N' NED! SHOOT IT OUT OF THE AIR!" Syd let out a battle cry as she closed in on the dark figure and attacked, managing to land several hits on him before knocking his gun out of his hands. As the device flew into the air, Ned lined up his shot and fired, blasting it to pieces and leaving the dark figure with nothing to defend with. "JACKIE!" Kuro shouted as he dove under yet another of Kiva's waves, "J-JUST GET THIS GUY OFFA' ME!"
"ON IT!" Jackie shouted as he closed in on Kiva. He batted Kiva's blade aside before knocking him on the side of his head, making him stumble backwards towards where everyone else was being gathered. As they were rounded there, Kuro's butterflies came back in and swept around them, once again disorienting them. As Kuro admired their handiwork, he failed to realize that he was running right towards Baasil, whose jaw was wide open as he prepared to spit his acid at him.
"NOPE!" Syd shouted as she jumped in from behind and struck the Gate Keeper off balance. As a result, he spat his acid too far off, and the glob landed right before Kuro's feet. Noticing this, Kuro hastily leapt over the produced puddle and landed in a roll. "AlleyOOP!" Syd exclaimed as she grabbed onto Kuro's paw. He yelped in surprise as he unexpectedly swung around, allowing Syd to land a firm kick to Baasil and knock him towards the gathered bunch of combatants. As Syd landed on her feet, Kuro continued to spin around until she grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.
"W-wait hold on, I'm dizzy," Kuro stammered as he regained his balance, pressing a paw to the side of his head. Syd shook her head and patted him heavily on the back.
"Come on cat, we gotta finish this quickly, remember?" Syd said before reaching into her coat and pulling out a red die. Kuro shook his head.
"R-RIGHT!" he shouted, grabbing the pump on his belt, "Alright everyone! Time for the finale!" All of the spirits shouted in acknowledgement and stood their ground, with everyone surrounding their opponents in one big circle. And almost in sync, Kuro and Syd went into action, with Syd tossing her red die into her belt and Kuro pumping his belt.
{?} FINAL ROLL! {?}
(O) DAIKAIGAN! (O)
As Syd spun the dial on her belt, lights shot out from Kuro's driver and struck the weapons of each of the spirits, causing a raging aura surge from all of them. Kuro struck another pose as everyone's final attacks charged up.
TWELVE!
{12} HYSTERIC STRIKE! {XII}
(O) FATA! (O)
(Ω) OMEGA DRIVE! (Ω)
All at once, Syd, Ned, Jackie and Ali attacked. As Ned blasted the group with a powerful charged attack, Jackie assaulted them from the other side with a devastating giant sphere of aura. From the side, a flurry of Ali's energized fists beat them down, and form the opposite side, Syd's furious energy slashes cut them all up. But that wasn't all, as Kuro had leapt into the sky with the aid of his wings. Once he reached the peak of his height, he performed a mid-air flip and kicked his foot forward with a battle roar. His foot slammed into them, and all of the built up energy was unleashed upon them. A huge explosion went off as the enemies combusted, unable to endure the damage.
As a result, the entire area was covered in a cloud of smoke for a brief moment. Once the smoke finally settled, the only ones that were left standing were Syd, Kuro and the spirits.
"So why eyeballs?" Syd asked, taking another scoop out of her ice cream. Kuro shrugged as he took a scoop out of his own.
"Hell if I know. I'm not the one who designed these things." He purred slightly as he took the scoop into his mouth. After swallowing, he glanced back and said, "Hey waitress. Can I uh…can I get some milk to wash this down please?"
"Y-YES SIR!" the waitress stammered before scrambling back into the café. Syd and Kuro were sitting in the same café that Syd had been at prior to everything that had happened. The two of them were now enjoying a pleasant conversation as they enjoyed their plates of ice cream.
"Also," Syd went on, spooning another scoop, "if you're a ghost, then why is it that you bleed and get tired?"
"I know, right?!" Kuro exclaimed, tossing a paw up in the air, "It's so bullshit! Why do I gotta go through that stuff?!" Syd smirked as she swallowed her scoop.
"So if you're a ghost, then does that mean that you can possess people?"
"Oh yeah," Kuro nodded after settling back down, "but only if what I'm trying to possess is alive, and only when I'm transformed. Another thing I have to complain about." Syd furrowed a brow.
"Wait, if you can…then why didn't you do that at all during the fight?"
"Well that's because…" he seemed to freeze mid-sentence, with his jaw hanging open, "…huh…why didn't I?" Before either of them could continue, something swept down onto their table and fluttered down to land in the middle. Once it was still, the two of them could see that it was a metallic crow of some kind.
"…Huh…" said Syd, staring at it, "…a robotic bird… I guess Torchwick's not alone on that…"
Kuro exclaimed in recognition and sat up. "There you are, Death!" he began, placing his spoon down on the table next to his plate, "Where've you been all of this time?"
"I've been searching for you," answered the crow, rotating itself so that it faced Kuro, "After realizing that you were no longer in our world, I had to search across the multiverse to find you."
"You can do that?" said Kuro with a raised brow, "Since when?"
"That's not important right now," Death replied, "We've already lost too much time." Suddenly, a misty portal opened up beside their table. "Come. We need to make up for that time."
"Oh cool it, Death," Kuro replied with a dismissive wave of his paw, "I managed to nab another soul while I was here."
"What?" said Death, fluttering its wings slightly, "Show me." Kuro flicked an ear as he reached into his coat and pulled out a pure white eyeball and placed it down on the table. The mechanical crow hopped over to it and inspected it carefully. "Hmmm, so the summoning ritual works across worlds as well…"
Syd watched silently as the two of them conversed. Eventually, she raised her gauntlet up to her and whispered, "Do they even remember that we're sitting right here?"
"They're busy," Eli answered her, "It's probably something they'll address once they're done."
Death looked back up at Kuro. "As fascinating as this is," it began, "it unfortunately does not count for the fifteen."
"What?!" Kuro exclaimed with a slight growl, "Why the hell not?!"
"Because she is not of our world, Kuro," Death answered, looking back down at the eye, "Look closer. There is no number on it."
Kuro snarled slightly and grabbed the eye up. He inspected it carefully before exclaiming, "Dammit you're right!" Death then fluttered up to his paw and landed carefully on it, looking down at the eye.
"This soul needs to remain here, Kuro," it went on, "There is someone in this world that she still wishes to watch over. I can feel it…"
Kuro sighed in defeat as Death fluttered over to his shoulder. "Fine," he said as he stood up, "Can't be helped I guess…" Suddenly, a large eye symbol appeared in the air before him. Kuro looked at the mechanical eye one last time before he tossed it into the symbol. It flew into the eye's pupil and vanished. The eye symbol closed and disappeared as Kuro sat back down.
"We should get going, Kuro," said Death, "We've already lost an entire day to this."
"Wait a sec," said Kuro, much to Death's chagrin, "Can you at least answer one question?"
Death sighed audibly. "What is it?" Kuro then looked over to Syd, who sat up from her slouched position as she realized he was looking at her.
"For the entire time I've been here, people've been able to see me as bright as day. Heck, this lady—"
"Okay, could you not refer to me as if I'm not listening?" she retorted, "And for the last time, my name is Syd."
"…We…never gave him that name," said Eli before Syd shushed him. Death tilted its head slightly.
"I've learned about rituals and relics that allow the living to see the dead," it explained, "It's possible that the one responsible for bringing you here merely used it on you, Kuro." The feline huffed thoughtfully at the statement. "Okay Kuro," Death went on, "It's time we got going."
"Wait hold on," said Kuro, "at least let me say goodbye to these guys first." Death sighed again.
"Very well," it said, hopping off of Kuro's shoulder and landing in front of the portal, "Make it quick."
Kuro nodded in thanks before standing up. Syd did the same as he walked over to her side of the table. "Welp," he began, "I guess this is it."
"Yep," Syd nodded, "I gotta say; it was…interesting being around you."
"Heh, same," Kuro said with a smirk, "I've always wondered what real humans looked like. N' it's even cooler to know that you guys have your own Riders as well."
Syd smirked back at him before holding her fist out to him. "I guess we'll catch you on the flip side." Kuro huffed before tapping his own fist against hers.
"Best of luck to you on your endeavors," said Eli, causing the gem on Syd's gauntlet to glow, "We hope that you manage to accomplish your goals."
Kuro smiled at them as he turned to face the portal. "Same to you guys! Show those Gate Keepers who's boss around here."
Syd waved to him as he walked away and waved back with a backwards glance. Soon enough, the feline disappeared behind the portal. Once he was gone, Death fluttered in after him, and the portal closed up and disappeared. Syd sighed and sat back down, kicking her feet up on the edge of the table.
"Well," she said with a chuckle, "maybe now I can get my day off."
"I concur," Eli replied, "This day has been far busier than I could have anticipated."
"I can't believe I'm gonna say this," Syd went on, "but I think I've had my fill of ice cream for the time being. I'm kinda in the mood for something else." She tilted her head slightly as she stared up at the sky. "What was the name of that other café I was planning on going to?"
"The Cat's Eye Café?" Eli answered her. Syd snapped her fingers.
"Bingo. I think I wanna go there now. I've heard that the attendants there are pretty lively. You think you can guide me there, Eli?"
"I'm not a GPS," Eli said with an amused tone. Syd laughed at that.
"I mean you kinda are," she toyed, "Come on, give it a shot."
"That's my partner," he said, "Even after a near death experience, you continue on completely unphased."
Syd smirked and scratched her nose with a thumb. "Hmph, why thank you." She huffed as she hoisted herself back up. "Now then, let's get going. I still wanna see more of Ardent City."