Kingdom Hearts: The Rogue's Key

by DCD10unite

After the fateful night, Gentoku Himuro was brought into a world where the struggle between the Light and Darkness went on. Allying with the renowned Keyblade Wielders, Gentoku set his foot into many worlds to prevent the chaos that would be brought upon and find the balance between the light and darkness inside of him and his companions, for he was a man of both.

1. Gate 1: A Rogue in the Garden

Gate 1: A Rogue in the Garden

Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider and Kingdom Hearts as they both belong to their respective owners.

---

What is light? What is darkness?

Two elements that had already existed since the beginning of time.

They are contradicting, yet they are connected.

Somewhere around the universe, these forces had constantly been at war against each other, and both had came to a stalemate.

Until the knight of exile who serves the justice walks path between them.

For there are light and darkness, there must be a balance.

And this is how the Rogue writes his story.

---

It was dark at the city of Touto, in the finally-united country of Japan. Citizens lived peacefully and they walked out freely after the war it had been through as the result of a struggle for power that had almost tore the country apart However, it was all thanks to the brave warriors known as the Kamen Riders that the country was finally reunited once again.

Among the Riders was a man who sought penance and redemption after the chaos he had brought himself. He was among the greedy ones who sought to unify and rule the country with his own iron rule. A villain, if you may ask. Now that he had become a Kamen Rider, he could finally set things right for everyone, and for himself.

So, what if such powers had been taken away from him, and that he was left with nothing but his own Hazard level?

This is what had transpired above the heights of Touto buildings. Two conflicting men stood against each other. one of them had his belt being severly damaged beyond repair, and standing in front of him was a mysterious man in an armor. In front of the former was a shattered purple bottle. He could barely hold his stand with the injuries he sustained without any weapon left to retaliate.

It was raining that night. And this was clearly not the best day for Gentoku Himuro.

BAT! STEAM BREAK!

After the command was heard, a beam of light and darkness approached him as he was being shot down from a high place. he could only wait for his impending end, falling down to a place where he could never survive. He could feel the darkness enveloping him as he fell, consuming him until there was nothing but dark.

The end.

Or is it?

---

48 hours earlier...

Gentoku found himself inside an empty hall that was used to be an arena where the warriors of the divided Japan fought in a duel. It was in purpose of preventing further casualties as the Pandora War was still on. After the war was no more, Gentoku would normally use it as means of practice, where he could hone his strength and raise his own Hazard level. There could be more threats unimaginable before, and that as a Rider, he must be ready.

Standing in front of him was a bulky, combat android that used to be in Nanba Industries' service, the company that had also been orchestrating the war in order to boost the sales of their product. This model was one of it, dubbed as 'Hard Guardian'. However, this wasn't the real one, and it was a holographic dummy for training purpose instead. This time, the dummy was powered up beyond its regular level. And as always, Gentoku was ready.

The Rider took out his Crocodile Crack Fullbottle, the trinket that had been on his service through his days of fighting. He twisted its cap to its regular position, and the bottle emitted a red crack once it did.

DANGER!

An ominous sound effect was heard from the bottle. He then sled it into his blue Sclash Driver's slot, causing the belt to mention the bottle's name and displayed its symbol of a crocodile head circled by gear teeth.

CROCODILE!

"Henshin."

WARERU! KUWARERU! KUDAKE CHIRU!

CROCODILE IN ROGUE! ORAA!

Gentoku pushed the wrench on his Sclash Driver down, causing the Fullbottle's essence to be squashed into the Driver's tank. As the command was activated, Gentoku was encased inside a measuring glass. It filled itself up with purple liquid that quickly hardened once it reached the Rider's head. Then, a mechanical, upward crocodile head opened its jaw and cracked the glass along with the hardened liquid. The jaw also covered Gentoku. From the inside, the material that encased Gentoku began to broke down and revealed him to be covered inside a set of purple armor as the jaw opened and dematerialized.

The armor was mostly in purple, themed after the Crocodile bottle itself. The armor's ferocious appearance was backed up by its purple color, along with white lines that also made up its sharp parts and some mint lines. He also had a pair of white, clawed gloves and shoes. His shoulder guard was akin to that of jaws. The torso was shaped like an open shirt over a cracked torso inside that also took shape as a crocodile head, if one looked closely. And finally, his helmet looked like a black glass that was about to be mawed by its jaw-shaped horns. The horns cracked the helmet, forming crack lines that also made a pair of mint visors that lit up long with the crocodile eye-gem on its right cheek upon activation.

In this armor, Gentoku was known as Kamen Rider Rogue, once an exiled warrior that sought redemption as he fought his way to survive.

"Your sacrifice will be for the greater good." He declared.

The dummy Hard Guardian charged towards the Rider in an attempt to pummel him to the ground. Rogue retaliated by shoving the Guardian's left pincer arm away and kicked it in the groin. The Guardian's armor was very solid that Rogue's kick didn't hinder its stance. Rogue kicked the android away as he backflipped away from it, he then delivered a powerful barrage that began to disorient the Hard Guardian.

Rogue's armor was powered by a high dose of Nebula Gas, which was derrived from Pandora's Box' essence that could alter one's physiology, granting them immense strength and various powers. It was once being used on random humans to turn them into monsters called Smash, in order to research human's capabilites when infused with the said gas.

Rogue's armor, however, had a much higher power as the gas was baing conquered by the user's immense will and resolve to fight. His days of fighting had made him much stronger than the first time he began using the system. It was also thanks to his comrades that he was able to preceed beyond his enemies and his own expectations. He would treasure it forever.

As he held onto those feelings, his strength gradually grew stronger the longer he fought. The Nebula Steams from his attacks began to cause damage towards the Hard Guardian's armor. however, the android took notice of this and began to use its right gatling arm. It opened fire towards the Rider, but it left him unfazed. He then used his Transteam Blade and cut off the gatling's muzzle, causing it to exploed as the Guardian opened fire again. Deciding to end his session, Rogue pushed his Driver's wrench down to execute his finisher.

CRACK UP FINISH!

Rogue jumped and delivered a barrage of Rider kicks. Each of his boots generated energy constructs of crocodile fangs that crushed the Guardian's body until it was reduced into a pile of scrap. Rogue then delivered a final kick that sent the construct and the Guardian away until both of it exploded in the air. The Rider had finally emerged from his training victoriously. And the next thing he needed was a fresh bottle of water.

The Rider commanded his helmet to open itself. It started with the jaw horns letting off the glass-like helmet as it slowly dissipated to reveal Gentoku's own head. He then approached the spectator's room to reach out the drink he needed. It turned out that his arrival was expected by his own friend.

"Tsukasa." He greeted.

"Oh, didn't expect to see you here, Gentoku." The man greeted.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he asked.

"Actually, I kinda expect to see either Ryuga or Kazumi in here. I mean, they always train a lot right?" Tsukasa said. "Say, where are the others? Haven't seen them for a while."

"Those two are currently helping the crop revitalization on Hokuto, and Sento's helping the reconstruction on Seito. That's all I've heard from them last time, and that leaves me to train here in Touto's arena." Gentoku explained as he drank his water.

"I see... well then, I suppose you have a free time for now, aren't you?"

"A request, eh? Alright, I'm listening." Gentoku accepted.

Tsukasa then reached out his smartphone, showing him a picture of a mysterious creature running amok in the night. The creature's appearance was enough to describe that it was nothing like a Smash. The creature looked like a black demonic dwarf that thrashed the streets. It had pointed arms and legs that made it looked like a living buzz of lightning.

"What the hell is that?" Gentoku asked.

"It all started with a strange portal distortion that occured last night. The longer it stood, this creature started to spawn in the streets. They're called the Unversed, creatures that feed on negative energy. I assume that they might be lurking somewhere in the darkness of this city. I'm gonna need your help to track them down, find the portal, and eliminate them once and for all." Tsukasa explained.

"A creature that feeds on negative energy. and they're not even a Smash." Gentoku deduced. "That means their origin is not of the Riderverse."

"True. we also believe that they might be the ones behind the mess on Seito and Hokuto last time."

"R-really!?"

"I haven't received the details of their reports yet, but I have an strong feeling that they are indeed responsible. That's what scares me." Tsukasa said.

"I see. so, you want me to investigate the portal and prevent these Unversed from causing further damage?" Gentoku repeated.

"That's correct."

"Very well. I shall proceed with this mission. I hope you're also available for guidance, considering that this matter is... otherworldly."

"Don't worry, buddy. Otherworld is my favorite chat topic." Tsukasa assured.

---

Elsewhere...

In a world where people's hearts are connected with the world's light and darkness, came forth a blonde boy whose eyes a re as blue as the skies of his home, even when it was already dark. He was seen wearing a short-sleeved jacket underneath a zipper-shirt and bagged shorts that went through until his knee. The white and black colors resembled that of a chess floor. He was also seen wearing a black left pauldron, signifying that he was a warrior or sort.

"Wow!" he squealed.

The shooting stars were a rare occasion in the gardens of the Land of Departure. It was said that if one made a wish, it would become true. the young Ventus had made many wishes, among them was to become a Keyblade Master. And alas, he wanted to be happy with his friends beside him.

"Why does this seem so familiar?" he muttered.

For a moment, he remembered the time when he was half-awoke in an island. He lifted his weapon and released its light at the night skies, without any knowledge on why he was doing it. perhaps it was just a dream, or something that might not worth knowing of. The soft grasses he sat on made him tired as he had been waiting for this night to come. He then laid his tired body on the ground, which later took notice of a certain blue-haired girl.

"Whoa!" he screamed.

The wielder suddenly got back up on his knees to see his friend who surprised him. The girl was wearing a tight black sleeveless top with a pink garterbelt that crossed her torso. She also donned a pair of white arm sleeves with pieces of armor on top of it and a pair of fingerless black gloves. On her bottom was dark shorts with a pair of black stockings under silver, pointed shoes. There were also white and blue waist scarfs on her clothes.

"Gimme a break, Aqua." Ven said to the girl.

"Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead." She softly scolded. "You know, you should've at least brought a blanket."

"But... Did I dream that place up? It really felt like I'd been there before...looking up at the stars..." he muttered about the dream again.

" 'Cept you've always lived here with us." Aqua reassured, petting the boy's head.

"Yeah... I know." He replied. The two then walked towards the edge of the hill and sit on top of it.

"Aqua..."

"Hm?"

"Y'ever wonder what stars are? Where light comes from?" Ven asked.

"Hmm... Well they say—" she replied, only to be cut by a particular voice.

"That every star up there is another world."

The two wielders knew the voice too well. It came from a brown-haired young man who was seen wearing a black tight shirt under a red garterbelt that, much like Aqua, crossed his torso. He was also wearing a bronze spaulder on his left arm and a black armband on the right one. On his bottom were a pair of brown, wide-legged pants that covered his black boots. He also donned a black belt with a golden heart-like button in the middle.

"Terra." Aqua called out.

"Yep, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own." He said as he walked over to them. "The light is their hearts, and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns."

"What? I don't get it." Ven wondered.

"In other words, they're just like you, Ven." Terra replied.

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" he clarrified again.

"You'll find out someday, I'm sure."

"I wanna know now."

"You're too young to know now."

"Oh, quit treating me like a kid!" Ven objected.

The more she looked at it, the funnier it had become in the girl's mind. Seeing them like this had made her heart more tender. The warmth she felt was unbearable, so much that she had to let out a small giggle, only to turn it into a laughter.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" Terra asked the giggling girl

She replied, "I can't help it. You two would make the weirdest brothers."

"Huh?"

The three wielders laughed as the time went by. This had been a moment they had cherished for in their life. The night skies were enlightened by the bright lamps of the ground they were sitting on. The winds blew peacefully without the cold bothering any of them. Aqua then reminded of something.

"Oh, yeah! Terra, you and I have our Mark of Mastery exams tomorrow."

"You're right. that'll be the most important moment that I'll remember in my life. The day where the best arises will come..." Terra took a deep breath before saying, "Tomorrow."

"You two are gonna make the best ones. I'm sure of it!" Ven cheered.

"Which is why..." Aqua then reached out her pocket to take out three star-shaped charms. "I made us good luck charms. Here!"

The gril threw the two charms, the red one for Terra, and the green one for Ven.

"Wow, I get one too?"

Aqua replied as she held the blue one, "Of course. One for each of us."

"Yeah! This is sweet!" Ven cheered again.

"You're the best, Aqua. Thanks a lot." Terra smiled.

"Hehehe... anytime, guys."

"Though, still... why you made stars?" Ven asked.

"Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit...and the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You'll always find your way back to each other. Technically, I think you're supposed to make them with seashells, but I did the best with what I had." Aqua explained.

Seeing how Aqua tenderly explained the charms, Terra remarked, "Oy, sometimes you are such a girl, you know that?"

"Hey, what do you mean 'sometimes'?" Aqua blurted, a little bit offended by the remark.

"Sorry, I can't help it. it's just that... we're glad to have someone like you."

"At least you could just simplify it that way."

"I'm no girl charmer, Aqua." Terra sighed.

"And that's exactly why I'm here." She sighed softly.

Ven, however, became unconvinced by the charm he was given. "Wait. So this isn't a real good luck charm?"

"Well, that's yet to be seen. But I did work a little magic on it." Aqua assured.

"Really? What is it?"

Aqua then held her charm high in the air and said...

"An unbreakable connection."

---

On the next day, Gentoku had finally began his investigation. He looked for more clues from the citizens who might had witnessed such strange occurings, only to find no luck on his end. The only thing he could rely on was the picture that Tsukasa gave him. It might had happened inside a disclosed alley where little to no people was seen. And just as he guessed, the place was an easy one to find.

However, there was no portal to see. he waited for a few seconds until he decided to ask his fellow Rider.

"Say, where did this Unversed come from, exactly?" Gentoku asked through his comm brace.

"They came from what we call as the Heartverse, a world where people's hearts have a strong connection with the world's magical atmosphere. It means that the power of light and darkness dwells deep within them, and that their energy is strong, there." Tsukasa explained.

"And just how much do you know of this... Heartverse?"

"I have a friend who's a wizard of that world. He had been keeping his watch over the tides of light and darkness. He goes by the name Yen Sid, and he also had some... cartoonish warriors who fought beside him."

"Define cartoonish." Gentoku asked, unsure of what the term had become into.

"Let's just say that some people there would remind you of a magical theme park where families usually go. And by the way, Heartverse is full of magic. So, as a word of advice, don't be surprised if you ever meet one." Tsukasa said.

"Okay... I'll keep that in mind." He nodded, still wondering on how a them park has anything to do with that.

Suddenly, the dark portal appeared right above him. He quickly rolled away to avoid the Unversed coming from the portal. The creature was just like what the picture had described, and that its numbers kept increasing to longer it came to be.

"There's plenty of them!" he reported.

"Need me to back you up?" Tsukasa asked.

"Don't worry, I got this covered. I'll tell you if there's anything else."

"Copy that. Tsukasa out."

"Now then, let's see how my training pays off." Gentoku muttered as he set his Sclash Driver up.

DANGER!

CROCODILE!

"Henshin!"

WARERU! KUWARERU! KUDAKE CHIRU!

CROCODILE IN ROGUE! ORAA!

"Lot's of sacrifices, huh? Well, that just means the greater good is upon us all."

The fight had finally began. Rogue detected around 10 Unversed sighted on the scene, and it probably kept counting. He started with a drop kick the one on his right, but the creature's nimble movements enabled it to avoid his attack.

Well, this is new. But there's always a first time for everything.

Regardless, Rogue quickly threw his Steam Blade towards the monster's head, caving it in along with the other one behind it and turned them into nothingness. as Rogue attempted to retrieve his Blade, an Unversed thrusted its nail towards the Rider's Torso, followed by three others who attacked the other armor parts. By emanating a Nebula Gas burst, he was able to fend them off, though he only managed to destroy one. However, a problem began to occur when Rogue noticed some cracks on his armor from the attacks.

And they're clearly not from his own.

"Armor piercing... nasty stuffs. And they're even nastier if this stays too long." Rogue muttered.

Rogue gripped his fists and quickly retrieved his blade. He then swung them towards the remaining Unversed, skewering their bodies until there was only three of them left. However, as Rogue began to approach them, the three Unversed began to undergo a change into a much more ferocious humanoid appearance. They grew taller than before, matching a size to that of a tween human. They also grew a pair of claws and a diamond-sized head that somewhat expressed a sorrow, as senon their red sharp eyes. their colors also became green.

"They evolved!?"

The evolved Unversed swung their claws towards the Rider. He managed to dodge them by rolling away, but one of them dashed behind him and managed to land a blow at the armor's back. Sparks flew as he stumbled down to the ground. The pain suddenly stung him hard, knowing that these creatures had become something he had better not took lightly. Rogue struggled to get back on his feet, only to be struck down by the upcoming two Unversed. They landed several slashes that almost overloaded his system. That, and along with the fact that their numbers kept increasing, any hit he'd sustain would be a game over.

Then a realization suddenly hit him.

"Gotta need to end this quick!" he said as he executed his next move.

First, he took out both of his guns being the black Transteam Gun and the purple Nebulasteam Gun. He shot the increasing numbers of the Unversed using their rapid fire functions. Their numbers started to dwindle, leaving only the three evolved Unversed to deal with. Rogue then pushed down the wrench to execute his finisher.

CRACK UP FINISH!

Rogue delivered some crocodile-powered strikes towards them and threw them into the portal where they came from. Finally, Rogue quickly pulled out his Crack Fullbottle and inserted it into the Nebulasteam Gun's slot.

CROCODILE!

FUNKY SHOT! CROCODILE!

The Rider shot a projectile of energy crocodile fangs into the portal, destroying it along with the Unversed inside it. the portal finally closed itself and the day was finally saved, thanks to Kamen Rider Rogue.

"One crocodile barbeque, ready to serve. Toxin free." Rogue stated.

The Rider had to admit that his remarks came from his time he had spent with his fellow Riders, getting him out of the tall, dark, and brooding shell he used to be in. The guilt he had from his earlier times still existed, but at least, he could let them go even if it's only a little. Speaking of barbeques anyway, he remembered that there must be a steak restaurant nearby. He was only one step away of having his leisure. Just a report to Tsukasa, and it'd all be done.

Until...

Rogue heard a slow clap coming from behind him. It came from an armored figure whose appearance was completely not of the Riderverse armor was branded with a single thorn-like emblem centered on the torso, protruding from its greaves, and wrapping around its boots. Its crown and shoulder pad were gold, while the rest of the armor was colored in light shades of blue and silver. It had two silver belts on its waist and what seemed to be white feathers on its right shoulder in place of a spiked pauldron.

Several cords crisscrossed in front of its torso, connecting a pair of baggy sleeves to massive, oblong pieces of armor worn on each arm. His faceplate was beak-like in structure and it wore clawed gauntlets. It also wore black pants underneath the armor.

The Rider somehow had the ominous feeling of this Rider, or whatever he was, might having the answer that he was seeking. Did he knew something of this? Or that he might be the cause of the previous mess?

Regardless, he turned his attention to the warrior.

"That was the most spectacular fight I've ever seen in my whole life. Never in my lifetime a warrior as fierce as you could amuse me... until now." He said with a distorted, elderly voice.

"Oh, I aim to please, Mr. Good elder cosplayer." Rogue answered. "And who're you supposed to be?"

"Cosplayer? Oh no, I am none of such terms you have mentioned. As for my name, it is none of your concern. At least for now." The sage answered.

"None of my concern? It looks like you have the biggest disregard towards human ethiquete, sir. And from the way you speaks, perhaps the Unversed might just ring a bell to you." Rogue remarked. He couldn't help but feeling uneasy towards the sage in front of him.

"My, how rich those words are. Coming from a man who disregards his elder." The warrior taunted.

"I only demand answers, old man-ahem!-sir." Rogue demanded, mixing his direct 'old man' term with his 'modesty'. "What do you know of this Unversed?"

The warrior scoffed. "Very well. Meet me at the top of that building over there tomorrow night. I will tell you everything you need to know."

"That building. Oh, you mean the-"

As Rogue turned his attention towards the Touto Trading Center, he turned back to see the sage leaving him behind into the dark portal he had created. This had left the Rider baffled at the sudden leave. Whoever this man is, it could be something worth the investigation. And he must be connected with this occuring.

"Touto Trading Center... yep, I'll take that as a yes." Rogue sighed in exasperation. He then blurted. "How impolite of him."

---

After an intense Keyblade training, the three wielders decided to take a rest as the time showed it was already midnight. They need to take a rest for what would come tomorrow. But of course, they need to take a drink first before going to bed.

"Bottled plain water coming up!" Aqua presented the bottled drinks to the boys.

"Thanks!" Ventus, who was as optimistic as he could ever be, continued to cheer on his seniors. "Trust me, you guys are ready. You're gonna clean up at the exam tomorrow."

"Well, I hope it's that easy." Terra remarked.

"It's like the Master said. Power is born within the heart. When the time is right, you just need to look inside yourself and you'll find it there." Aqua reminded.

"Honestly, Aqua... I've been wondering about it, too." Terra said.

"What do you mean?"

"When I look inside myself, what will I find there? Is it light? Or darkness? Will it be worth my effort?" Terra wondered.

"Terra..."

"I-I just... I can't help it, guys. The darkness that had been lingering inside me. I'm afraid of losing myself... and all of you."

"Shh, Terra please... I know you can fight it. you just have to believe in yourself. And as long as we're together, we'll all be fine." The girl assured.

"Aqua..."

"She's right, you know? I believe in you too!" Ven cheered. "You can do this. We can do this. There's nothing to fear about."

Terra sighed in relief, knowing that his friends would know no end to support him. He complied them, "You're right. Thanks, I-I can fight it... and that's why we need to have rest for tomorrow. C'mon, let's head back."

"Hehe, way to go, big bud!" Ven cheered again at the young man, with the latter smiling at his remark.

And as for Aqua, she worked on her little magic, vowing that her dreams... and everyone's dreams will always shine bright.

"Together...always."

As the serene Keyblade wielder stared up at the night sky, the focus shifted once again towards the other night sky, where the Rogue was gazing at the beautiful sight that had blanketed the worlds.

And thus, that night would be the last one they had ever spent beneath the same stars. But little did these warriors know that tomorrow would be the day where their fates would begin crossing each other.

---

Riderverse...

It has been an eventful day after the Unversed mess. The Rider was sitting in his apartment's balcony alone, gazing at skies and along with it the humanity's final frontier. He was wondering what would this Heartverse looked like. He also remembered about Tsukasa mentioning a strength that came from one's heart. So, if it was him, what would he make of himself there? He had been wielding a weapon that could either protect or harm people. He had done both, though he ultimately walked on the path of good thanks to his friends.

Perhaps he should start talking to Tsukasa about the worlds he had gathered the knowledge from. After all, he was also a world traveller that was blessed with the ability to tore through the fabric of reality. And it looks like, he had to have some chatter his other friends, too.

BEEP!

Ah, speak of the Devil Steam... well, get it?

Gentoku noticed a beep from his laptop's social media. He received a video call from the other Riders. They were his faithful friends: Sento, Banjou, and Kazumi. It appears that they were about to hand out their reports, and it was also about time for Gentoku to do the same. He accepted the group call.

"Gentlemen." Gentoku greeted.

"Oh hey, guys!" Sento greeted.

"Man, it's been a long day here at Hokuto." Banjou said.

"Planting crops sure get the best of him, you know?" Kazumi said.

"How're you guys doing?" Gentoku asked.

"None of us are sick, thankfully. I did my job well." Sento replied.

"You guys should know that Banjou ate lots of bananas from the crop, so much that he already pooed three times in a day." Kazumi said.

"Wha-no, you friggin' idiot! Why do you have to tell them that!?" Banjou frustrated.

"Because *snort* I, hehehe... oh my god, you guys should've seen his face when he's full of his dinner."

"Oh, c'mon! They're good! I can't help but maul them all in!"

"Don't worry about it, guys. The dragon always eat the most." Gentoku stated.

"Yeah, that-! I can't argue with." Banjou remarked as he lumped to the floor he was in.

"And here's our likeable musclebrain." Sento commented.

"You guys seems to have fun. And that leaves me here, wondering about the stars in the night. Alone. In my room." Gentoku said.

"Are you saying that you're thinking about having a soulmate?" Sento

"Wait, what?"

"Research says that most men during Saturday nights would always lament over the girls that either they have been or wanted to be with. Now that makes me wonder, Gentoku: have you had any girlfriend before?" Sento asked.

"Me? well, no I haven't. I've been busy on fighting my way through to work for the government and to achieve things that I want to have, alone. It has been my commitment not to have a girl until I've achieved enough." Gentoku stated.

"Hoo, boy... we got ourselves some real man, here. That's a good thing, Gentoku." Banjou wooed.

"Okay, I appreciate that. Not that I've been thinking on having one for now." Sento said. "Alright gentlemen, now that Tsukasa's having a business to handle in another place, he had appointed me to arrange the meeting. Now, the reports, please."

"How about we start from Mr. Tall, dark, and brooding over there?" Banjou referred to Gentoku.

"Are we really going up with this, now?" Gentoku sighed as he cleared his throat. "Alright, there's been something going on in my own end, here."

"What is it?" Sento asked.

"How does the Unversed sound to you?"

"Unversed? I knew it. those creatures are really behind this mess." Sento deduced.

"So you guys really knew about them, too." Gentoku said.

"Yeah. Tsukasa filled us all in with this intel he got, said that they came from this place called the Heartverse. Looks like we got ourselves on the same boat here. I mean, who knows when or where they'll appear next?" Banjou quipped.

"Did you face them?" Kazumi asked.

"Yeah. There was a portal that appeared on the alleys nearby the Touto Trading Center. They're fierce creatures that appears to be capable of evolving. I was able to stop them and destroy the portal, but then there's this... guy who claimed that he knew everything about them. He told me to meet him tomorrow night on that building's roof. And what's more disturbing about them... is that they were able to crack out some of my armor." Gentoku reported.

"Wait, they cracked your armor?" Kazumi asked again.

"That's weird. We didn't seem to find any difficulties in facing them, only that their numbers are very overwhelming. So much that I required a help from the local soldiers, there." Sento said.

"We got the same problem like Sento in Hokuto, but me and Banjou here are enough to mow 'em down." Kazumi reported as he patted his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, but still, how are they even capable of evolving? We didn't see any of them doing that, or even breaking our armors apart." Banjou deduced.

"It could be that somehow the Unversed's power level that Gen faced there is much higher than ours. Maybe that's the reason why, or that someone's been arranging for this to happen." Sento deduced.

"Then it looks like I'm the unlucky one." Gentoku noted.

"So, what're you planning to do?" Kazumi asked.

"I don't see any other way than seeking the answers from that... overraged cosplayer tomorrow night." Gentoku answered.

"Cosplayer?" Banjou wondered.

"Oh, did I forgot to mention that he was wearing a fancy-whatsoever armor that we don't get to see these days? I assume it was a cosplay." Gentoku deduced.

"Huh, much like your first attempt on getting yourself banned from a fashion show." Banjou scoffed.

"It was a rhetorical sense of fashion!" Gentoku protested.

"Yeah, I don't see anything rhetorical to apply it on social life." Kazumi countered.

"How come it's not!?"

"Because, I'm gonna have to warn you, here." Sento added, stopping the comical argument from going on and on. "Gentoku, this whole thing might be a set up. If this elder has some kind of connection to the Unversed, then I assume that he might had come here prepared. You need to expect that he might have the same, or even a higher threat level than Evolto or any Blood Clan members we fought."

"Man, that guy... Somehow I get the feeling that he might be a Blood Clansman." Banjou added.

"We better not jump on conclusions first. Let's assume that he's an entirely different kind of threat." Kazumi noted.

"I'll keep that in mind." Gentoku complied.

"And about the armor-piercing problem... I'd like to work on that one, actually. But the thing is, I don't have enough data to process it. so, how about you send your data to mine? I know you can't leave Touto unprotected." Sento instructed.

"How long will the upgrade take?"

"I'm afraid it won't be done even until the next night. You're gonna have to hold on your own, there. Be careful, Gentoku."

"I understand. I'll try the best I could from here. You guys do what you can. I'm sure we all can get this done real quick." Gentoku assured as he sent the data.

And it had to be strong enough. No, he had to be strong enough.

---

Heartverse...

The scene changed to an anthromorphic, cartoonish mouse who was wearing a set of black, short garbs. He also wore a pair of white gloves. The mouse was seen standing atop a large open book sailing on top of rough water. He sailed over a large wave and fell back onto the book. Another wave came at him from the front and he's swept away in the circular current. He was then shot out of the water, having lost the book, and landed in a mysterious tower's study.

Boy, this was one unpleasant trip for our one and only Mickey Mouse.

He stood up and rubbed his head, looking sheepish as he walked over to a desk. In front f him was a stern looking wizard with a pointy hat and robes of blue looked down on him from behind it. He made a pensive noise as he sat on his desk.

"Ah, Mickey Mouse. Having another trip already?" the wizard welcomed his apperentice with his tender smile.

"Hehehe, Master Yen Sid." Mickey bowed his head to his master.

"As much as I'd like to support your quest, I can't help but always being bothered by your impetousness. Haven't I told you not to let your curiosity get the best of you?" Yen Sid warned.

"My bad." He sheepishly replied.

"Remember, while it is good for you to regain more knowledge as you travelled to the otherworlds, you must proceed so carefully. The last thing we ever wanted is to break the rules of cosmos." Yen Sid said. "Now warnings aside, how was your trip?"

"It's always fun when you have to ride on top of the magic stream."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"I've seen and passed through many of them as I was able to see their landmasses even from the skies above. However... there was this one particular red planet that still bothers me. it was located on the other side of our space. People called it Mars." Mickey explained.

"Mars? Oh, you don't say..."

The voice came from a particular man who came from a gray dimensional veil. This man was also known as the sage of the Riderverse, Tsukasa Kadoya himself. as he previously stated, he was one of Yen Sid's acquintance, and he also happened to know Mickey, as well.

"Tsukasa." Yen Sid greeted his fello warrior.

"Yen Sid. Mickey."

"You're back!" Mickey squealed as he jumped to hug the world traveller, which the latter happily returned.

"Hey there, lil' fella! how's your trip?" Tsukasa asked.

"I... happen to pass through Mars?"

"Great! That's what we're gonna talk about, here."

"Is that so?" Yen Sid skeptically asked.

"Well, if Mickey happened to pass through there, I happen to know that story that transpired on that red planet. And it might also has to do with the problem that we might face here." Tsukasa said.

"Speaking of problems, I cannot shake the feeling that something terrible is about to transpire. Perhaps the answer lies in your story, Tsukasa." Yen Sid said.

"Well then, let's have some comfy chairs and I'll fill you guys in."

As Tsukasa proposed, Yen Sid snapped his finger to summon fancy looking chairs that had enough leisure for both of the wizard's guests to sit on. From there on, Tsukasa cleared his throat and began his tale of the red planet.

"Long before the Riderverse's earth had begin its history, the red planet was known to had already begun their own. They also had the technology even beyond our reach. Until one day, a creature known as Evolto of the Blood Clan descended towards the planet's soil and caused chaos from within. He even had managed to destroy Mars' civillization, but Vernage, the Queen of Mars entrapped him inside an artifact known as the Pandora's Box, which was then found and used by humanity on Earth years later. Unfortunately, Evolto was also known to have the power to possess humans against the host's will. He had managed to get himself to Earth by possessing the astronaut who discovered the box and hitched a ride out from Mars. From that point, Evolto caused chaos by orchestrating the war between nations in order to regain his lost power to eradicate Earth. And that's where the Kamen Riders came in. They bravely stood up against the planetary threat, and emerged victorious."

"Just like how we used to end the Keyblade War!" Mickey chirped.

"True. but as you all know, I am a Kamen Rider of a completely different origin. I am the Riderverse's sage, the one who oversees their trouble and helped them if the situation is dire. And that situation happens to be taking place in this Universe."

"And what of this threat, Tsukasa?" Yen Sid asked.

"A Blood Clansman within the Keyblade Master's ranks." Tsukasa answered, much to Yen Sid and Mickey's shock.

"Blood Clan, you say?" Yen Sid wondered.

"But, Evolto was already long gone, right?" Mickey asked.

"He already is, but the Clansman can also duplicate their cells to another life form so that they can still continue their conquest. And it appears that one of them was sighted in the Riderverse. This guy also brought a new threat called the Unversed, the ones that had been plagueing the Heartverse." Tsukasa informed.

"Now that's just another bummer." Mickey frowned.

"Don't worry, I've informed my friends of this matter, as well. They would always be the ones to keep the order of Riderverse."

"Well, I admit it was relieving, Tsukasa. But that still doesn't explain the constant uneasiness that I have been feeling this whole time." Yen Sid lamented.

"I felt that too, Yen Sid. If that ever happens, then we must be ready. We never know what or how this enemy will strike next." Tsukasa stated.

"We need to have faith. Only by faith in ourselves and the light that we were able to stop the war. Now, we must believe in it again." Mickey quipped.

"You're right, Mickey. And may God help us all." Tsukasa prayed.

As the Riderverse sage gazed outside the window, three stars twinkled in the sky, which was soon followed by a new, purple-hued one that lit brighter, followed by the other three.

---

The next day...

The day had finally arrived for the Mark of Mastery exam. Both Terra and Aqua were the candidates for the rank of Keyblade Master, while Ven watched them from the sidelines. Judging them were two elder Keyblade Masters, one was seen wearing a pair of white garbs over a black shirt, and the other was wearing a pair of black garbs over a white shirt. He was also seen wearing a pair of white gloves.

As the part of the test, the two were pitted against each other in a sparring match where it was not all about winning or losing, but the truth that would be transpired through their performances. They fought fiercely with no signs of giving in. Heck, even both Aqua and Terra shot out some elemental magics from their Keyblades. Everything seemed to go on well, until Terra felt a surge on his left hand. It was the darkness that Terra had kept away from the others, and the least thing he ever wanted to use. Shaking it off, he quickly blocked another strike from Aqua. The fight went on as the two wielders exchange blows, with the sage smiling at them besides the other master.

After minutes of sparring, Master Eraqus called off the match. And Master Xehanort remained amused.

"We have deliberated and reached a decision. Terra, Aqua, you both performed commendably. However, only Aqua has shown the Mark of Mastery." Eraqus announced, causing Terra to feel dejected. "Terra, you failed to keep the darkness within you sufficiently in check. But, there is always next time. That is all. Aqua, as our newest Keyblade Master, you are entitled to certain knowledge. Please wait here for further instruction."

Master Eraqus followed Master Xehanort out from their seats, leaving Terra in a huge doubt of himself as his friends approached him to provide comfort.

"Hey..." Aqua called out.

"Terra, I'm sorry." Ven said.

"It's fine, guys." Terra assured. "But still... Where did that darkness come from?"

"How does it feel? To have the darkness right in your hand?" Aqua wondered, noticing his abnormal behavior during the fight.

"I'm not sure. It was scary, overwhelming, and... intoxicating at the same time. what's the word, mixed? Oh yeah: mixed feelings. It was all a mix. I'm not even sure where to begin from that." Terra said.

"Hey, don't put to much mind on it." Ven assured. "You were just slipped. There's nothing wrong in that."

"I don't want to end up hurting anyone, Ven. Not you, not Aqua, not anybody. That's why I have to be strong, so that I can be mindful about my own darkness." Terra stated.

"Terra... really, I wish that we could've passed together." Aqua said.

"I know, Aqua. Excuse me, but can you guys give me some space alone? I'm sorry, but I don't wanna worry any of you guys further like this."

After he bid his excuse, Terra walked away from them and outside the hall, unsure of his own credibility. Being a Keyblade Master is all he had dreamed about after all. But that hope suddenly vanished right in front of his eyes as their master chose Aqua instead. He had hoped that he never had to be given that darkness ever again.

---

After some discussion with Eraqus, Xehanort went downstairs where a fully black-garbed soldier awaited his presence. He was seen leaning on a wall, looking bemused.

"So, What do you make of Ventus?" Xehanort asked.

"He ain't gonna cut it. Somebody's gotta break that loser in." The soldier dejected by the boy.

"Not here, you won't. I have to keep up appearances." Xehanort walekd past the soldier by having both of his arms folded on his back.

"Oh, I know that." The soldier complied as he straightened up and put on his black helmet. "He just needs a little incentive to leave home."

"Excellent."

"What about the Rogue?" he asked.

"It appears that our agent still hasn't given me the report yet. It also depends on whether he would accept our invitation or not. After all, the plan still continues. With, or without him." Xehanort smirked as he and the soldier walked downstairs.

---

Outside the hall, Terra kept thinking about the darkness that had been brought out from him. During his earlier years of training, he was diagnosed with an unstable concentration of dark energy. the darkness was so much that even Master Eraqus was worried that he might fall like countless others in the history. That is why Terra was so determined to become a Keyblade Master. He wanted to kept the darkness in check until it disappeared, leaving nothing but light. However, regardless of his efforts, the darkness eventually rose out again and ruined his chance to pass the test. He couldn't help but thinking of how it all happened. After all...

"I know I'm strong enough to hold it back." He uttered out loud.

"Yes... You are indeed strong." Aster Xehanort greeted him on top of the stairs. "However, the darkness is nothing to fear."

"Master Xehanort..".

"And yet...how frustrating that Eraqus refutes its power." the Master dejected. "Why, you could train with him forever and still...you'd never be a Master in his eyes."

"But why? Help me understand, Master Xehanort. What is it that I have failed to learn?" Terra asked the Master.

"You are fine as you are. After all, darkness cannot be destroyed. It can only be channeled." Xehanort assured as he walked past the wielder and waved his arm to him.

"Yes. Thank you, Master."

After Xehanort had finally found a disclosed place of the Land of Departure, he opened the portal gate by snapping his fingers. It was almost time, and he had an arrangement to attend.

"Now then, it is time you to make up your mind, Gentoku."

---

Gentoku had finally arrived in front of the building's entrance. He had already sent his reports to his superior. He fearlessly marched in towards the promised place. It was clear that he always wanted to prove himself that he was a capable Kamen Rider. That, and he also sought penance for the errors he had done along his way.

As he walked inside the building's lift and waited for it to reach to the top, he began to reminisce some of his past.

By the time he was hit by the Pandora's Box' light, he began to grow an overwhelming anxiety that those who would acquire the box will overthrow everything. The one who possessed it would kill everyone and lastly, himself. Driven by such fear, he had encouraged Touto's Prime Minister, his own father, to quickly acquire and weaponize the said box and used its essence so that they may be able to defend their own country and unite Japan once again. However, his father denied such request, knowing that a peaceful approach towards the unity is a first and foremost.

Becoming impatient, he began to go a series of changes in his way of thinking. From countless times of convincing to running an underground organization of Faust by making a deal with the 'devil', turning humans into monsters, and even defecting to another country so that he may fulfill his desire to rule the world. No matter what he did during the early warring period, he always messed it all up.

But alas, the truth was that he sought unity through his beloved father's peaceful approach, by becoming the villain so that he could give his power to his father. He too, desired love and peace of, by, and for the people.

And by the time his mission failed with his father died protecting him of a lethal strike, the Riders who had fought forsuch ideal encouraged him to fight once again, and restored his faith to himself. from that moment, he vowed to make the world a better place, no matter where he is and what has become of him. He shall become the darkness that the light casted. He shall become the law, an example for those whose hearts filled with greed, that he will come for them no matter what.

And that time shall come... now.

As the lift let out a ding once he had reached the top floor, he strutted his way out to look for the warrior. But it wouldn't be long for Gentoku to find the man he was looking for rising out of the shadows.

"So, you decided to come. I am truly grateful for your time." the warrior chuckled darkly.

"Answers. Now." Gentoku demanded with a neutral tone.

"The Unversed, magnificent creatures. They are what you would want to consider as a new form of life being. They lacked sentience, yes, but their power is... unique, I must say. They had taken my interests, and I plan on letting them scourge the people's hearts, so that I may fulfill my ambition." The warrior pridefully explained.

"So they're nothing but your lab rats, huh?" Gentoku retorted. "And your ambition?"

"Why of course, to rule over the hearts I have collected! You see, there was this legend, of a collective of people's hearts gathered into one single powerful energy beyond human comprehension. It is called the Kingdom Hearts. And I'll make sure that every world falls under my rule!" the warrior exclaimed.

Somehow, Gentoku knew that this man was not joking around. He could feel the same ominous aura before, only this time, it became much bigger until there was a recognizable element that was too familiar to him to overlook. But, when and where he had sensed it before?

No matter, he had it all enough. He needed to end this and-

"And I want you to join me in my crusade, for you are the one that I had been looking for... Gentoku Himuro."

Wait, what?

"How did you know my name!?" Gentoku growled.

"How do you think, Rogue?" the warrior replied. "The Blood Clan always shares the memories of the worlds they have either overtaken or eradicate. And our powers grew rapidly strong as we share this unbreakable connection."

"You? A Blood Clansman?" the Rider shooked out.

"Correct. And you shall be my heir. Ever since I stumbled upon this world after Evolto's death, I began to take an interest in you. I dug through his memories, to find that you are the perfect candidate indeed. The one who had tasted the darkness firsthand, and came back alive even after it took your soul away... you are the exiled knight that I could ever wish for! Join me, Kamen Rider Rogue. I have a perfect place just for you."

A calamity and a Blood Clansman. Yes, they were all connected.

The warrior he saw must be a mere remnant of what was left of his old nemesis, the true manipulator of the Pandora War. Like the Kamen Riders, Evolto also fought his way in to regain his lost, immense power to either rule or destroy worlds. Even a small part of him could be a threat if this remnant shared his same ambition for dominance. Normally, he would expect his other friend to come in as the latter was also of the same origin, but he was not there with him.

Regardless, there was no need to worry for him. The warrior's act was a surprise to him no more. He had seen many power-hungry pricks, formerly him included,

"Okay, now hold it just right there." Gentoku replied.

"Oh?"

"It seems that you're not digging deep to know enough what I've actually become in these days. Now listen here, you overaged cosplayer, I have completely be rid of my desire and hunger for power. I have been reborn as the warrior who strives for a better future as the shadow that the light casts. And my resolve... is love and peace." Gentoku denied.

"Love and peace is only a fairy tale, Gentoku. You should know that the world is never filled with sunshine and rainbows like in a children's book." The warrior dejected.

"Of course I know that. I am no fool for not noticing such thing. But, to believe in that and people's hope is never a sin." The Rider said. "Now, could you please drop your act and stop whatever more things you're doing? There won't be any need for us to cause anymore bloodsheds."

"Hmm... it seems the negotiation is failed." The warrior said as he snapped his finger to summon what appeared to be a standard-type Guardian android, only for them to had an appearance akin to that of an Unversed, and their chest emblazoned a heart-shaped logo that seemed to belong to theirs. They also had a pair of sharp eyes that showed a neutral expression. On each of their right hand was the standard-issue Guardian rifle that merged on the said arm, and the bayonet's shape was distorted further.

"Guardians!? How did you get your hands on them!?"

"Did you forget? I am a Blood Clansman. And I'd like to see how far your beliefs will get you to." The warrior challenged for an unavoidable battle.

"A bloodshed it is. fine. I'll make sure to squeeze everything from you once I get you into lockdown." Gentoku challenged as he prepared his Sclash Driver and Crocodile Crack Fullbottle.

DANGER! CROCODILE!

"Henshin!"

KURERU! KUWARERU! KUDAKE CHIRU!

CROCODILE IN ROGUE! ORAA!

"Prepare yourself, mongrel. For you are the sacrifice." Rogue declared.

"Guardians. Dispose of him." The warrior ordered the androids.

The U-Guardians opened fire towards the Rider and he simply walked towards them, ignoring the bullets that hit his armor. Rogue retaliated by taking out his Transteam Gun and shot the enemies back. He managed to hit three of the U-Guardians' rifles and blew them up. After the formation was broke, Rogue relentlessly fought against the other hostiles. Using his sharp claws and spikes, Rogue tore their bodies to shreds. He even caved his Transteam Gun into a U-Guardian's chest and used it as a meat... or metal shield as he fired the others.

What disturbed him was thet when his blast hit the warrior, it was perished by a dark aura that kept him away from harm. Which means that he could be heavily fortified. Ignoring the warrior for a moment, Rogue took out his Transteam Blade and dual-wielded his weapons by mixing his close and long-ranged combat. This enabled him to destroy more U-Guardians from nearby and afar. And in a relatively short time, he had cleaned off the U-Guardians.

"You're next, gramps."

The warrior laughed darkly as he was amused by Rogue's display of strength. Rogue quickly stayed on alert as he noticed the man walking in unarmed. Rogue stroke him first with a heavy swing of the Transteam Blade and just as he had predicted, the warrior defended himself with the dark aura again. The Rider then decided to quickly strike him again. This time, he went below the warrior's body where his legs stood, swiping it off with his other hand. However, that part too, was being blocked again. Knowing that a hit or two wouldn't be enough, Rogue delivered a wild hit barrage, constantly switching from his weapons to his feet to deliver more damage. The warrior broke out of his defense and used his bare hands to block every single oncoming strikes from the Rider. He also seemed to had hit some of Rogue's armor points without much consent from the Rider and channeled his dark energy into his palm and bursted it out into Rogue's torso, pushing the Rider away from him.

As Rogue held his stand once again, he began to notice some of his armor parts cracking. Heck, even some bits of them fell down, much to his shock. He quickly recalled some of the earlier events. Could it be that these were from the U-Guardians' gunshots? No. They can't be anymore destructive than that. His Rider armor was further enhanced to endure the rifle's firepower. Not even a single blast could teari it apart.

Unless...

These U-Guardians had some kind of delayed damage effect that took seconds to work. Or, it could be that the sage somehow knew the cracked spots and managed to make them bigger. Either way, Rogue couldn't possibly win this like a cake walk.

"H-how did you-?"

"There's the prove of your weakness, Rogue. Join me, and you'll become much stronger than that."

"Urk... like hell I would!"

Rogue retaliated by throwing more and more hits that unfortunately, the warrior could predict. He was still using his own bare hands to either block or strike the Rider. The sage also gave out a massive dark energy pulse that further cracked Rogue's Rider armor. his right shoulder guard and some of his left knee pad came off, revealing its machineries inside. His dark power was frightening enough to make Rogue doubted his next moves, worrying that he could do more throrough than this.

"Do you still need further enlightenment? Or should I say... endarkenment, if you catch my drift?" the warrior chuckled by his own attempt of joke. It had been like forever since he felt so... joyful.

Regardless, Rogue had no time to worry, anyway. He needed to get the job done, or else he'd miss his Sunday night chill.

Chill. Yes, he needed to chill his head first. If Rogue couldn't beat him with his strength alone, then he needed to play smart. The sage might be a strong opponent with the darkness backing him up, but nevertheless, he was not invincible. There has got to be some blind spot that even he wouldn't notice. An opening of some sort, no matter how small it is.

And at times like this, what would Sento say?

"Very well. Let's begin the experiment."

Rogue pressed the button on his Transteam Blade's rear grip to separate it into two parts. He attached one to the back of his Transteam Gun and the other as the muzzle attachment, forming a rifle.

RIFLE MODE!

The Rider then charged the sage head on, delivering a simple Rider Kick without any enhancements. The warrior easily blocked his attack with his dark aura barrier. however, he suddenly began to notice that Rogue used the barrier as his stepping stone to jump and roll back. He then shot a couple of condensed steam rounds that that tore through the barrier and grazed the unsuspecting sage's sleeve, much to his suprise. It seems that the sage's barrier was also generated from his concentration. An unorthodox fighting style might work this whole problem out like a math formula.

And there he was, closer to become a genius physicist... or a math genius, at least.

Seeing the trick had worked, Rogue decided to use another approach. This time, he continuously shot powerful rounds from his Transteam Rifle. Despite the early distraught, the warrior was still able to defend himself with his barrier, only for Rogue to shove his rifle's bladed muzzle through and injured the sage's shoulder. He quickly threw him some hits before the sage could generate the barrier again. The two of them clashed for some time, with the sage worrying on his disadvantage. And just as he was too focused on Rogue's assault, the Rider took the chance of taking out his Nebulasteam Gun and shot the man's abdomen. He then ended his barrage with a heavy side kick to the enemy's head, effectively taking him down.

And finally, "The law of victory has been decided. And that's your loss."

Rogue inserted his Crocodile Crack Fullbottle and twisted the blade's valve three times and inserted his Crocodile bottle to its slot, activating a new command for the rifle.

DEVIL STEAM!

FULLBOTTLE! STEAM ATTACK!

Rogue shot a big pruple energy ball that detonated upon contact with the warrior. The explosion then formed a crocodile jaw that bound him, slowly crushing him as he barely held himself with the dark barrier. of course, Rogue won't let his chance slip away. He put the bottle back to his Sclash Driver and executed its finisher.

CROCODILE!

CRACK UP FINISH!

With the crocodile-reinforced scissor kick, Rogue further pressed his own bind towards the warrior, further crushing the latter until his boots reached his body and flunged him back a few meters. The match had finally been decided with Rogue as its victor.

"Playtime's over, old man. I'm turning you in, now. And I'm afraid, you're gonna also have to pay the bills for the damage you did to my armor." Rogue stated as he slowly heard the increasing laughter from the sage that he had defeated.

"Oh Come now, I didn't even tickle you or anything." He said again.

"Ahahaha! Oh my, you... you know what? You have just amused me in the way that my old friend never could! I have never felt so *snicker*... excited like this in my whole life! I really like you, Kamen Rider Rogue, and I am not even going to lie to you!"

Rogue sighed. "Alright gramps, we can talk about it to each other more at the police station, so let's-!"

His hand was suddenly being held off by a newly-conjured U-Guardian. Rogue quickly shoved it away, but he was being held back by another U-Guardian, and their number kept increasing as they held him away from reaching the sage.

"What the hell did you do!?"

The warrior spoke as he healed himself up with his dark magic and regained his stand. "Truth to be told, I've been doing nothing but holding back so I can see what you truly are and what you're capable of. And from what I've seen... you are this world's greatest darkness, an intriguing one, even."

"Darkness?" Rogue asked, but was hit by a realization that it was true, in regards of his past. "Well, yeah. So?"

"That is the reason why I am so infested in you. You have decided to walk the path of light and yet, you're still using the same darkness that you had selfishly brought along. You could've been my greatest asset, Gentoku. Your darkness will prove to be beneficial for my plan. But if I have to obtain such power... it must be rid of you first." The sage said as he snapped his finger.

"Huh?"

The U-Guardians that held him began to torch themselves with a purple light. Once it got brighter, they exploded and flung Gentoku away. His armor was almost destroyed by the cracks it received, and much to his shock, he felt a sudden thrust to his buckle, coming from a strange looking sword that was connected to his Driver. The warrior pulled the sword and vertically slashed the Rider, which completely destroyed his armor along with the Driver belt that empowered it. the broken armor parts began to dissipate into yellow mist. As Gentoku held his head up once again, he witnessed his enemy picking up his dropped arsenals.

"I-it can't be..." Gentoku muttered. At this rate, it was impossible for him to retaliate, and he couldn't afford another loss of his weapon. He quickly crawled into his dropped Nebulasteam Gun, storing it away by turning the gun into a yellow mist without the warriors's notice as he was still busy inspecting the Steam Rifle.

"Such ingenious technology this world has. I think I'll keep it." The warrior said.

"I... I won't let you!"

Thus with the rainfalls, it finally brings us to this moment...

"The power you have is truly fascinating. No wonder why Evolto had been putting such a big interest in you. It was unfortunate that you had to waste such potential with the strength you have now." The warrior contemplated.

"What do you really want from me!?" Gentoku growled.

"I simply want to draw out your hidden strength. The one that you had been keeping so long without even you noticing it. there is a world where your existence would mean something big... and I want you in there."

"So that you could threaten mine? Oh, no. That's not gonna happen." Gentoku denoted.

"Who says that I would threaten your world, hmm?" the warrior questioned.

"What!?"

"I have nothing but little interest in this world, just so you know. At least for this moment, my world is my one and only concern. And you have already proven your unworthiness to me. I shall throw you off into the depths of abyss myself."

"No, you don't!"

Gentoku attempted to land a hit towards the sinisterous sage. The latter blocked his weakened punch effortlessly as the fight continued. Despite his appearence, the elder was swift enough to land powerful blows to the Rider's body and kicked him towards the edge of the building. He had no choice but to cling on to his own life, praying that someone would prevail his plans for him.

"No matter how you will prevail, In the end, darkness will always fill the world." The warrior threatened.

"Is it?"

"Hmm?"

"You kept on blabbering about how darkness will rule the world. Just so you know, old man... both of them are connected to each other. they can't coexist with out each other. and you claim that one must have the power over the other? heh... aren't you the greedy one?" he gloated.

"Connected to each other? heheheh..." the warrior chuckled. "You know, I've also been thinking about the same thing. Like I told you, we will both have the satisfaction that we need if we join forces. Last chance, Rogue. Will you join me or not?"

"I told you already... I'm through with it." The Rider denied.

"What!?"

"I'm not the one... who wants rule over the chaos I brought upon. I won't repeat the same mistake I did... ever again. And you, Evolian... you're nothing but a fool." Gentoku gloated.

"How dare you-!" the warrior growled in anger as dark aura emanated wildly from him, but he decided to remain in his original composure and kept his emotions in check. "But, well... you may always claim that you are the righteous darkness, but I doubt that they would believe in you."

The warrior then summoned a dark, swirling portal below the building. Gentoku had absolutely no knowledge of what would become of him should he fall to there, and that he knew that the elder was planning on doing so. If this is his end, then so be it.

"Th-the hell...!?"

"But, since you've managed to amuse me, I may as very well tell you my name: my name is No Heart."

"No... Heart..."

"And this will be the moment where you begin anew... or to meet your doom."

The warrior said as he sled a particular black and golden bat-faced bottle into the gun's slot.

Wait, what did he mean by begin anew?

Who are the people he was referring to?

And again, how the heck did he got his hands on that bottle!?

BAT! STEAM BREAK!

A dark energy beam was being shot at the Rider, throwing him off the building. The dark portal swallowed him in a blink of an eye. That night would be the one that Gentoku remembered, and dreaded for the rest of his life. He dreaded it for not being able to stop the enemy and even got himself killed by his own weapon. But alas... he could finally paid his years of wrongdoings. He still had many powerful friends to defeat No Heart, and perhaps, the world is better off without a man like him. Let this be a lesson for those who sought chaos and the power over it, that no matter what they would do, their end is inevitable.

But still, does remembering it matters anymore? He had finally meet his own end.

---

Heartverse...

Terra was still contemplating about his loss at the Mark of Mastery. He kept on wandering the Land of Departure to assess his problem and calm his own mind at the same time. suddenly, bells rang from around the hall and Terra quickly responded by running up the hall's stairs to meet up with the others inside, who were both Aqua and Master Eraqus. The two were discussing the next agendas after Aqua's ascension, but the bells startled them. A light also appeared behind the three wooden chairs and Eraqus turned to it.

"What is that?" Eraqus wondered.

"What happened?" Terra asked.

"I don't know. Why isn't Ven here?" Aqua wondered too.

---

Meanwhile, Ventus lied on the bed in his room, swinging an old wooden Keyblade. Said Keyblade was a memento of Terra's as his name was etched on the blade's hilt. He too, was alerted by the sound of the ringing bells. Curious, he went on to check outside.

However...

"Better hurry, Ventus..."

"Huh? Who are you?" Ven looked to the masked soldier who was leaning on the bookshelf.

"Or you'll never see Terra again."

"What? Get real. I can see Terra anytime I want." Ven dejected.

"Like right now? He's leaving you behind. And by the time you catch up...he'll be a different person." The soldier remarked.

"Look-whoever you are-you don't know the first thing about Terra. Me and him will always be a team. You trying to pick a fight or what?" the young wielder threatened.

"Oh, grow up already." the soldier bemoaned. "Is that what you call friendship? You'll never know the truth unless you go out and look for it yourself. Come on, what could you possibly know when you're stuck here, looking at nothing but what's in your tiny world?"

Screw that guy! Screw him and his lies!

But... Ven suddenly had his mind flashed back to his earlier years. Terra had always been nothing but kind to him. Even when he yelled at him for a petty mistake he made, Terra would never abandon him and Aqua. After all, being a Keyblade Master is all about wisdom, and Terra would go for any lengths to attain that so that everyone can be happy.

So what if all those things suddenly changed? What if they would never happen again?

"Terra!"

And so, the young Keyblade Wielder scattered out from his room to see if his friend was okay.

---

As he fell inside the portal, Gentoku could feel the darkness enveloping him, and the despair overtaking his mind. He had no means of getting himself to safety, nor the tools to do so. All he saw in his mind were the memories of his own, chaotic past. From making a deal with the Faust himself to throwing away his vengeance in order to become the ultimate warrior. He remembered how horrible he was, how he had betrayed his own vow to make his country a better place, and how he eventually became a Kamen Rider himself. so much remorse, so much regrets, all flooded his dying mind.

But then, he looked past through that to see a group of warriors fought fiercely in a location he had yet to know. They were wearing armors, unfamiliar to that of a Kamen Rider, and he helplessly watched them fall at the hands of the one and only sage who had casted him into the depths of abyss. It felt like he knew these people long ago. He understood their pain. He wanted to help them. He wanted to save them.

But he couldn't.

Now, let the man asks himself:

Would he let this happen?

Would he be okay with it?

Would it be fine to just die and helplessly watch the world falls!?

Would it be fine to let his friends die!?

"Like... hell it is!"

There, he felt like his mouth moved against his own volition. This should've been his end. And yet, he voiced it out anyway. A spark grew inside his very own heart. His passion was burning. He shouldn't die yet! Not like this!

"There is still someone out there who needs my help, and their world is about to fall! I musn't let that happen! I must rise against the great evil and save the day once again! For I am a Kamen Rider!" he took a deep breath to roar out his name in the depths of the eternal darkness itself.

A dark spark grew out from the Rider's body. Along with it emanated a bright golden light. Both of these contradicting elements circled his body with the same rythm, each encased Gentoku's body one part after another. Both of the light and the darkness gave him pieces of black armor that encased the golden light on his body. From the legs, the arms, the torso, until his head. Finally, the elements gave him a new belt device.

"I am... Kamen Rider Rogue!"

And after that, everything went black for he had the same fate as a phoenix does:

for there is death, there will be a rebirth.

---

"So here we are. I need you two to get this situation under control. Eliminate the Unversed, and find Master Xehanort. I have unlocked the Lanes Between. You may use these forbidden pathways to travel between this world and countless others. The darkness looms closer than usual within these spaces, but your armor will protect you. Lastly, remember that order must be kept. You cannot tell anyone there are other worlds. Now go, and fulfill your duty." Eraqus debriefed.

"Yes, Master." Both Aqua and Terra complied.

However, Eraqus suddenly held Terra back and called him out. "Terra. Consider this an opportunity. A second chance for you to change my mind."

"What?"

"You must know, I care for you like my own son. If I could have my way, I would name you Master in a second. But, how can I, when you are so obsessed with power? Terra, you mustn't be afraid of losing. Fear leads to obsession with power, and obsession beckons the darkness. You must never forget." Eraqus reminded as he placed his hand on his disciple's shoulder.

Terra bowed. "Thank you, Master. I swear...I will not fail you again."

"Master, I'd best be on my way." Aqua started to leave as Ven ran before her.

"Wait, Aqua. Before you depart, I have one other... Well, call it a request, of the utmost priority." Eraqus requested.

"Yes?"

"I told Terra this could be a second chance to show the Mark of Mastery...and I meant it. However, that flicker of darkness he displayed during the examination-I can sense it runs very deep. If he were to-If those powers were to prove too much for him to handle, I want you to bring him back to me at once. It's for his own good. I could not bear to lose any of you to the darkness." He explained.

"Of course. I would never let that happen. I promise you I will bring Terra back. Only this time, you'll see he has what it takes to be a Master." Aqua assured as she gazed towards the stained-glass window, with light pouring in from outside. There, she uttered the very statement that she wished to be true.

"He's not as weak as you think."

---

Ventus wasted no time to give his friend a chase. He wanted to make sure that nothing bad happened to him. He kept on wishing that the soldier's words were never true, and that Terra would never abandon him. Aqua could only watch the two meet each other on the stairs.

"Terra!" he called out.

"Huh?"

"I...I-"

"It's okay." Terra assured, ruffling the boy's head.

As Terra was about to press the button on his spaulder, a thunder crack was heard from above the sky on a farther lane. There, they saw a gate with an immense darkness sprouting out from it. falling out from the portal was a man in an armor that showed no signs of moving. When the figure hit the ground, which turned out to be the lane where the trio usually hang out, it caused a massive gush of wind that blowed throughout the Land of Departure and a loud crack that could be heard in the wielders' location.

From the gate, came upon a malicious dark storm that spreaded throughout the land, engulfing it in lightnings and a strong wind current.

"W-whoa!" Ven held on his stand.

"Is that a... man?" Terra wondered.

"Come on, we should check on him!" Aqua suggested, quickly rushing to the scene without any second thought.

"Terra, let Aqua assess this situation herself! you must continue your quest through the Lanes Between!" Eraqus instructed.

"But, Master-"

"We can hold on our own here. Now go!" the Keyblade Master emphasized.

As Terra was about to repeat his previous action, a realization suddenly hit him like a flash. Somehow, he felt that in the said Lanes Between, there was a strong darkness lurking inside it, and that they would come out of it soon. it would prevent him from entering it alone, unlike what he usually did during his training. Terra then stopped at his tracks, believeing that Aqua was right to check on the fallen soldier. He then refrained from his action.

"No, Master. It's the gate, I... I can't go in there. It won't let me."

"Why not?" Eraqus asked.

"Because there's a man who really needs our help. he might be hurt, dying, or... I don't know! I should go to him and give the help that he needs!" Terra stated as he quickly ran towards the sme direction of Aqua's.

"I'll go, too!" Ven volunteered, but...

"No. Stay put, Ven." The Master instructed.

However, the two had no time to stay still for there were a dozens of Unversed spawning their position. in response, Eraqus summoned his Keyblade to fend them off from Ventus. He swung his weapon like it was a lightweight stick, displaying his Keyblade mastery skills. He also used some of his light magic to eradicate a large number of them. Ven watched his fight in an awe as he was also longing to become a Master like he did.

"Ven, find a shelter! Get yourself to safety!" he ordered again.

"Y-yes master!" Ven complied as he ran off until he was aout of his master's sight.

However, he lied. He had a Keyblade of his own. And thus, he must fight.

---

Gentoku slowly opened his eyes after the impact hit his body. He found himself lying in the cracked ground with his body slowly healing himself from the impact he received until he was able to get himself to sit down. He looked at his hands that were covered in a particular black armor piece of his world's origin. He touched his helmeted head, inspecting the structures it had. He also looked to his other body parts that were also covered in a new set of armor that saved his life. If not for the said armor cushioning his fall, he would at least not be able to walk for weeks or worse, dead.

"Check armor status." He commanded.

The Heads-Up Display on his helmet was activated. He looked at the full-body view of his armor, which were mashed-up from the armors he was familiar with. His helmet, torso, upper arm, and thigh parts were the ones that he used on his earlier days of Pandora War. He remembered naming himself "Night Rogue" while in that armor, particularly having a bat-like motif in some of its parts. However, this one didn't have any of that.

His helmet was visorless, revealing its inner parts that looked like a regular iron mask with a pair of yellow eye-like visors. He also remembered that the said old helmet also had a single tube-like horn. This one didn't, replaced by a circular yellow lamp. His heart-like chestpiece emblazoned a new symbol of a fancy-shaped heart with a small key inside it, and was encased inside a gear. All of them were yellow-colored. His thigh armors also had some bolts like how they used to.

Another big diference was that his shoulder guards, gauntlets, and boots were shaped like the other armor he used to know, particularly came from another Kamen Rider of his world whose codename was "Build". They were shaped like spirals. However, unlike Build's diagonal style, the said armor parts were all symmetrical, giving them an edgy look. And unlike them his gloves were all clawed ones like what he used to had in his late Croc armor.

One of the most notable piece he saw was his newly-obtained black Driver belt. it had a chrome yellow star-shaped gear that was connected to a yellow-gripped lever. The driver also had another two gears bellow the big one. There were also chrome yellow molds and orange, green, and blue wires that reminded him of his old Transteam Gun. It also had two bottle slots in the middle and a grip on its left side.

It was a variant of Build Driver, and it hadn't even had a trademarked name, yet!

Perhaps, Rogue would work well with this.

As he attempted to get back to his feet, he noticed a girl rushing to his location. Judging from the location and their outfits, it seems that he was already somewhere out of Japan. Beyond Japan, even.

"Who are you?" Aqua asked the Rider while staying on alert at the same time.

"I could ask you the same thing." Rogue turned his head towards the girl.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

"I... I'm fine. I just had the most unpleasant bungee jumping of my life." He remarked.

"Bungee jumping? You mean falling off from the skies?" Aqua asked, unsure of what term the warrior was using.

"That's a poetic way of saying it." he commented.

"Yeah..." she tenderly agreed until dhe brushed it off to get the grasp of the reality. "Wait, no, you fell off from the Lanes Between! What did you do? And... what are you doing here?" Aqua corrected.

"As much as I'd like to answer that..." he said. "I believe we have a company."

Just like he said, a large number of Unversed spawned on the area. Some of them came from another direction, surrounding the two warriors. Aqua had her Keyblade ready and Rogue held his Nebulasteam gun high. No holds will be barred from them, and the battle is upon their reach. Their fates had already crossed. All that is left for them is to fight through it.

This is where the tale begins.

---

(A/N)

Greetings! And welcome to my new Fanfic, Kingdom Hearts: The Rogue's Key!

Now that I have this chance, I'd like to tell you that I'm also a fan of Kingdom Hearts since I was in Pre-School! (I'll explain it further in my status later ) all I can say for now is that Kingdom Hearts is the first game that I got myself infested to its story. I love its world-building aspects and how they depicted the Light and Darkness as opposing forces.

Now then, what does Kamen Rider Rogue has anything to do with this? It's because that I think Gentoku Himuro is also an intriguing character from Kamen Rider Build (sides from Evolto, my favorite villain), seeing how he turned his side 180 degrees. He had sided with the darkness (initial villain) and even exploited its powers, but he eventually walked on the path of light (heroic ally) as the man he used to be before the Pandora War. I'd like to explore his character as he sets foot on the literal war between light and darkness.

Oh, and speaking of terms, Heartverse is how I depicted KH in this fic. Also, Rogue's new armor is a combo of his old Night Rogue and Kamen Rider Build's parts, if you're still wondering.

And that's how I came upon the unthinkable; to strip Rogue's original powers off from him and get him a new one. How will he adapt with his new powers? What will become upon our heroes as they face the impending chaos?

Please leave your comments below and remember, BE CONSTRUCTIVE.

Until next time.