DISCLAIMER: The following story is based on fanfiction.Kamen Rider Zi-O, and the Kamen Rider series in general are properties of TOEI, TV-Asahi, and Ishinomori Productions. Soul Calibur is property of Project Soul and Bandai Namco. The Witcher series is property of Andrezj Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red. Metroid, Samus Aran, and all likeness are properties of Nintendo. Ultraman Orb, and the Ultra Series in general are property of Tsuburaya Productions and TV-Tokyo.
Introduction: Welcome to the second season of Taki Gaiden: The Kunoichi Who Leapt Through Time. This is a direct continuation of the story, that features the new characters that appeared from the Great War in the final arc of the first part, namely Raphael, Amy, Seong Mi-na, Yoshimitsu, and Geralt from The Witcher series. And for those expecting Zi-O Trinity, it's going to appear in this story. In addition, this story will also give tribute arcs for the Showa Riders from the original Kamen Rider to Kamen Rider BLACK RX.
Like I promised, this story is going to take a more darker route in the future chapters compared to the previous. So, expect any shocking moments in later chapters that go beyond the standards of my previous stories. And most importantly, for those who haven't read the first part of Taki Gaiden, I suggest reading it first before proceeding to Book 2. And without further ado, welcome to the first chapter of Taki Gaiden: The Kunoichi Who Leapt Through Time - Book 2.
Ep. 001: A.D. 2019: Corruption [2019年：汚職/Nisen-jūkyu: Oshoku] [Episode 081]
(*Opening: "Over "Quartzer" (TV version)" by Shuta Sueyoshi of AAA feat. ISSA of DA PUMP from Kamen Rider Zi-O*)
[~Oh yeah...~]
[~Ohhh...~]
"Transcending history, and the world, a tale of souls and swords, eternally retold. Two legendary swords, Soul Edge and Soul Calibur have finally made their way into the future, resulting in a new untold chaos. Welcome back to the stage of history retold!"
[~Isshun de tsukami-toru no sa Are you ready?~](Catch it in an instant! Are you ready?)
[~Are you lazy?~]
[~Atarashii rekishi wa soko ni Feel it! Feel it!~](That's where the new history is! Feel it! Feel it!)
[~Crazy baby!~]
[~Hikari wo kate ni kasoku shite~](Use your bonds of light to accelerate)
[~Kono mama Shout it out! Shout it out!~](Just keep at it! Shout it out! Shout it out!)
[~Ima wo susumeyou~](Let's keep going in the present)
[~Madou hi mo ikudotonaku asu no tobira tatake~](There will be confusing days, but knock on the door to tomorrow)
[~Mitsumeta sono saki ni tobikonde mitara Believe yourself!~](Just plunge into what's ahead of you! Believe yourself!)
[~Now, Over "Quartzer"!~]
[~Toki no ame suri-nukete tomo ni~](Let's slip through the torrents of time together)
[~You, Over "Quartzer"!~]
[~Mirai wo koeyou~](Let's cross over to the future)
[~Kako no ishi wa uso de wa azamukenai~](Lies can not fool the will of the past)
[~Kanjiro sou Nexus Future~](Feel it in your bones! The Nexus Future)
[~Now, Over "Quartzer"!~]
[~Mabayui sekai... Misete!~](That dazzling world... Enchant me!)
A.D. 1586
(1586年)
Osthrheinsburg Castle - The Hall of the Chosen
Inside the heart of the castle, the renegade Time Jackers Heure and Ora begin gathering a number of evil spirits dwelling inside the fortress in order to revive Nightmare. Additionally, Heure stumbles into a corpse of a dead Aval Soldier that was killed by the Azure Knight when the Aval Organization attempted to raid the castle.
"I can't believe that we're been gathering souls just to reanimate a discarded armor...", Ora voiced her initial skepticism of the idea of reviving Nightmare without a host. "If this idea backfires, Heure. I blame you."
Heure replied reassuringly, "That's why we're going to use a dead body of an Aval Soldier that was killed when the Aval Organization foolishly raided the castle when Nightmare was still around. Don't worry, I'm sure that this is going to work."
The Time Jackers are not only known for their time manipulation abilities, some of them have other powers besides freezing time, like Swartz being able to reprogram one of Oma Zi-O's lackeys. Ray, Heure and Ora are capable of gathering souls. As for Heure and Ora's case, they can use this ability to reanimate the Azure Knight's discarded armor.
But, Heure decides to make use a dead body as a new body for reviving the Azure Knight. In addition, the discarded armor also had an evil spirit laying dormant within it. Heure recognizes that presence to be that demon he encountered in Astral Chaos, Inferno; the spiritual manifestation of the cursed sword.
Once they have gathered enough souls, Heure and Ora carefully had the corpse equipped with Nightmare's discarded armor as they can still feel Inferno's presence within it. Ora would then transfuse all the countless souls she gathered into the new body.
Within moments, the new body inside Nightmare's armor began to gain life. With Inferno now in control of the body of the dead Aval soldier, the Azure Knight regains his monstrous right arm and stands up as the Azure Knight finally returned back from the dead.
Nightmare felt different than he was before. Despite having gained a new body, thanks to time travelers reviving him, the Azure Knight is also feeling weak following the destruction of Soul Edge in the Great Malfested War. Despite this, the Azure Knight is even more menacing and terrifying than before as Inferno takes over the identity of the new Azure Knight all while given a new body by the Time Jackers. However, the downside is that since Heure choose the corpse of a deceased Aval Soldier; the body will slowly decay as time passes, making it heavily unstable.
Regardless, now that Inferno is reborn as the second Azure Knight; he turned his attention to the Time Jackers.
"You... You humans revived me?", the new Nightmare said.
"That's right. And we are from the future.", Ora replied. "And we revived you for an important purpose: is to kill our leader, Swartz."
When Ora begins to ask Nightmare of the task to kill Swartz, the Azure Knight bluntly refuses and even threatens to kill her and Heure.
The Azure Knight continued, "I hate the idea of being used as your knight-errant!"
"Calm down!", Heure reasoned with the dark knight. "What Ora is trying to say is that we need you as an ally. In exchange, if you could join us, we can find you a perfect place to devour souls! We're going to take you 400 years into the future! So you can devour as many souls as you want!"
Heure bargains the Azure Knight into joining to their side, even by convincing him to find and thirst for more souls. The Time Jacker picked the present day-2019 as the new Nightmare's hunting ground.
The second Azure Knight hesitantly accepted the offer and joined with the renegade Time Jackers. Nightmare would manifest a new zweihander-shaped Soul Edge in his hand. Unlike the original Soul Edge he wielded while possessing Siegfried, this Soul Edge appeared to be weaker and incomplete as a result of the complete and original sword shattered.
Though the new Nightmare's Soul Edge appears to be incomplete, it retains similar, and if not entirely the same abilities of the complete Soul Edge; namely the blade's power to feast on the victim's souls. This is because not only Inferno being a spiritual manifestation of Soul Edge, has memories of his wielders (i.e., Cervantes and Siegfried), Inferno can create any form of his own weapon from his body.
With Heure and Ora found their new ally in the revived Azure Knight as they make their way back into the present, the new Nightmare would start a new reign of terror in search for the rest of Soul Edge and to satiate the evil blade's thirst for souls once again. Nightmare also has another intention of finding new host to escape into, since the body given to him by Heure is slowly decaying.
A.D. 2019
(2019年)
Inside the Izumi mansion's underground laboratory...
Sougo had to be confined inside the containment room as the wound he sustained from Black Huntress and Soul Edge is slowly eating away his humanity and is on the verge of becoming a Malfested.
Inside the containment room, Taki, Geiz, Black Woz, and Goro have to wear hazard suits that protects them from any essence of the cursed sword. Taki specifically created these hazard suits with Zasalamel's assistance that gives the wearer protection from fragments of Soul Edge. Woz and Geiz are doing whatever they can to snap Sougo back to his senses, all while the Malfested Sougo going on a mindless rampage.
"Open your eyes, my demon king! It's me, Woz!", (Black) Woz attempts to reason out with the berserk Sougo.
"Pull yourself together, Zi-O!", Geiz yelled while restraining Sougo.
"If only there is a way to curb down the evil energy in his body...", Taki seems to be focused in trying to subdue Sougo without the risk of killing him, and senses that his Malfestation has grew even worse.
Sougo's corruption level is already raising to 85% percent, which is at near-critical level. Four people won't be enough to subdue a rampaging beast as Fubuki, Tsukuyomi, Natsu, Aizawa, and Reiji giving the other four inside a helping hand while wearing the same hazard suit.
"Hurry, guys!", Goro warns everybody as the evil energy causing Sougo to rampage begins to increase faster than usual. "If his corruption level hits 100, Sougo-san might lose his humanity completely!"
Sougo's malfestation level is now at 90%, which takes a turn for the worst. Just as all hope is lost, a familiar melody plays, and it sounded from a harmonica. The melody draws closer and it's revealed to be Kurenai Gai himself, the human identity of Ultraman Orb.
Gai played his Orbnica, as the melody from the instrument is effective enough to subdue the Malfested Sougo. But, still, his corruption level is still at 90%, and something needs to be done to suppress it.
Taki recalls of a new mysterious watch Sougo obtained before White Woz's demise. If anything, Taki decides to make use of the new watch if it can be useful to curb down Sougo's Malfestation.
The ninja took out the Zi-O Trinity watch from Sougo's pocket, and by doing so the new watch began to take a white glitter.
"What are you doing, Taki?", asked Geiz.
To which the demon huntress replied, "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Let's see if this can suppress the corruption in his body."
She had Sougo equipped with his own Zikuu-Driver, while the Zi-O Ridewatch is equipped on its right slot. While Sougo is subdued and knocked out, Taki quickly activated the Trinity Ridewatch...
*Zi-O Trinity!*
The moment the Trinity watch is inserted on the left side of Sougo's Driver, it opens the cover, revealing Zi-O's face. Taki notices the watch's Ryuzer, the other term for a watch's crown. She somehow rotated the watch, opening the second layer with Geiz's face. And then, the Ryuzer is rotated the second time around, revealing Woz's face. Afterwards, the Zikuu-Driver is rotated...
*Trinity Time!*
Within moments, Geiz's Ridewatch and the Geiz Revive Ridewatch begin to react to the pulse emitted by the Zi-O Trinity Ridewatch, along with Woz's own Miridewatch, they reach towards Sougo as the floating Ridewatches and granted him power. As a result, the marks around Sougo's body due to his Malfestation disappeared, and somehow the Trinity watch managed to suppress Soul Edge's corruption inside him.
"It worked...", Geiz said in surprise.
With that, Sougo is back to normal and manages to regain control of himself. Though Sougo might be back to normal for now, Taki warns the boy that the wound he sustained from Soul Edge indicates that the evil energy is still inside him. Should Sougo be pushed too far (physically and psychologically), the evil inside him will reawaken and might produce another Soul Edge from his body.
"The evil inside you might be suppressed for now. But, the moment you are pushed to your limits, it will reawaken and you will not only lose your humanity, a second Soul Edge might be produced from your body.", Taki explained. "Fret not, boy. I'm still finding a way to slow down your Malfestation level. The new Ridewatch White Woz left behind managed to suppress your corruption for a one time."
"Soul Edge's presence is scary... And I've recently began to feel innocent and helpless souls devoured by the evil sword of their cries of sorrow and agony.", said Sougo.
Sougo himself also felt Soul Edge from within him, since anyone coming contact to the cursed sword might be drawn to any disturbing imagery the evil weapon projects. Black Woz is relieved that his master is cured of his malfestation. But, this is only temporary; as Sougo's Malfestation level needs to be observed at all costs while Taki is doing whatever she can to prevent the soon-to be king's corruption from speeding.
Geiz even though what would Oma Zi-O would be like if the demon king himself held onto the cursed sword. Though he doesn't want to talk about it.
Later at 95Do...
Sougo and company returned home safely, with Taki accompanying them.
The clock shop is been in lock down following the ensuing mayhem caused by the second Evil Seed and the Great Malfested War.
Junichirou appears to be oblivious of what has been with his nephew and his friends, Geiz, Tsukuyomi and Black Woz are making sure he doesn't find out the Soul Edge-infested wound in Sougo's back.
After dinner, Taki and Black Woz are discussing matters concerning Sougo. Taki admits that what happened to Sougo recently was her fault, and so is the inevitability of the second Evil Seed.
"If the boy never took that deathblow from Black Huntress, he would have never been turned into a Malfested...", said Taki. "And my mission to destroy the cursed sword backfired in that it would lead to the evil blade being dragged into the present, and countless of lives are lost by Soul Edge."
Being a loyalist to Oma Zi-O, and by extension, to the former's present self, Black Woz bore no ill will. "Do not be too hard on yourself, Taki. My demon king is a strong person, you of all people should know that. He will risk his own life even for a friend or a complete stranger."
Taki continued, "My pride was at fault. This is why I don't want those important to me in the present to be dragged into my mission knowing that pursuing the cursed sword is a serious business."
Woz reassures that Taki did what she had to do. But knowing that Soul Edge will eventually resurrect itself, she has to be ready for it, that's what she had resolute during the climax of the Great War.
Aside from the self-deprecation, Taki is still reeling from post-traumatic stress disorder following the aftermath war. The ninja is doing her best to keep her act together; something that Natsu, Geiz and Goro are becoming worried of her lately.
Geiz himself also has PTSD since he himself lost friends in the fight against Oma Zi-O as what Black Woz mentioned. Anything that reminded Geiz of Oma Zi-O is enough to send him in an unstoppable rage that made him determined enough to prevent the present Sougo from becoming the power-mad tyrant of the future.
Still, Taki admits that the current state of the world is her own doing. Yet, she is willing to bear the weight of her sins.
Elsewhere...
In the same spot where Ray last used her forbidden paralysis technique on Swartz that rendered him in a temporal state of animated suspension. With Ray's death, the technique is eventually canceled, and Swartz is now able to move.
The Time Jacker leader found himself cold and alone only to see the whole world reduced into a barren wasteland. Swartz is unaware of Heure and Ora deserting him moments after Ray blatantly revealed the whole truth to them.
And unfortunately for him, he is confronted by his would-be underlings now renegades.
"I'd rather not see you now.", said Heure. "Ray told us everything what you've been plotting in 2009."
To which Swartz dismisses, like he usually says, "I don't remember you accusing me as the traitor. And more importantly, I care not of your opinion."
In response, Heure decides to reveal a secret weapon.
"Oh really? In that case, why don't you answer to your greatest Nightmare!"
The mere mention of the Azure Knight causes him to appear on Heure and Ora's side. Swartz's usual tendency to dismiss other people's (be it his own allies or enemies) opinions shows he asserts his dominance. The moment he sees Nightmare causes him to shudder with fear at the drop of a hat. The Azure Knight was like a hulking giant standing 6 foot 9 almost dwarfing Swartz.
The Azure Knight's intimidating glare were pointed on Swartz's eyes, as if he's eager to feast on his soul. It's made even worse that Heure and Ora revived Nightmare so they could use him to kill Swartz.
"Meet our new friend, the Azure Knight...", said Ora before instructing Nightmare. "Nightmare, here is your sacrifice."
"Traitors... Why are you doing this to me?!", Swartz snaps.
Heure then throws what Swartz usually said back to the latter, "What's that? Oh, yeah. We don't care about your opinion anyway!"
As Nightmare is about to swing his Soul Edge at Swartz, a mysterious man appears before the fractured Time Jackers. The man is revealed to be Azwel, a scientist and sorcerer from the past, and a former member of the Aval Organization.
"What is this monster doing here?! You disgust me!", Azwel said at the sight of the Azure Knight.
Before Nightmare could have the chance in attacking Swartz, Heure and Ora forced him to retreat for now, leaving Swartz alone. The Time Jacker leader is shocked not only by Heure and Ora's betrayal, is that they brought with them Nightmare to kill him. Had Azwel never intervene, Swartz would be dead by now.
"You should thankful that my presence scared off the Azure Knight.", said Azwel.
To which Swartz responded dismissively, "This is none of your business."
Azwel continued, "My presence is my business. It's because I am sadden by the state of this era now. Humanity has been in the brink of extinction because of the second Evil Seed. And I come here to save the human race in this era from destroying themselves. And you must be my first disciple in my quest."
"I care not of your offer.", Swartz bluntly refuses.
But, Azwel is persistent in that he begins to reveal a secret weapon from his Palindrome gauntlets. The gauntlets begin to produce throwing knives created from fragments of both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur through the gauntlets.
"Oh, that's your answer. Too bad... I insist you reconsider my offer...even against your will.", Azwel said as he launches the throwing knives at Swartz.
The knives didn't kill Swartz, however. Even though the Soul Edge side of the Palindrome gauntlets can produce weapons, in that, when a Soul Edge-produced weapon hits its target, the chances they are turned into a Malfested. But, since he also has a shard of the spirit sword, the Malfestation is curbed down. When combined together, Azwel uses them as an alternative means of brainwashing.
Thanks to his device, Azwel uses his power to brainwash Swartz into joining him in his quest to "save" humanity.
"Now, having second thoughts?", the scholar asked.
"I will obey your every command, Lord Azwel.", Swartz spoke, now under Azwel's control. With one of the Time Jackers turned into one of Azwel's disciples, the self-proclaimed Leader of Humanity proceeds to set his plans into motion.
A week later...
Sougo is graduated from high school! After all the tough ordeals the young boy had been through, he manages to find success graduating high school. Black Woz was really overjoyed and wanted to proclaim an ascension speech of Sougo's graduation.
After the graduation ceremony, Geiz, Tsukuyomi, Fubuki, Taki, and Natsu were waiting for him at the school grounds.
"Congratulations, boy. You've made it this far to have accomplished your education.", said Taki.
"I sure did!", Sougo replied.
"I'm glad you managed to passed your exam. But, if you didn't, you would end up dropping out.", Geiz jested. "Like what I said before, it would be lame for a demon king to be a dropout!"
Fubuki added, "I'd say the same thing as Geiz. But, congratulations anyway."
"This calls for celebration!", Natsu said. "I wish we could eat at a fancy restaurant together!"
As Sougo and company leave the campus and head back home to celebrate, Taki sensed a disturbance. And it's drawing closer...
"Get down!", she yelled.
Everyone ducked and lay down on the ground as something from the sky almost swooped them from out of nowhere.
Natsu is irked ever since Taki is acting erratic following the great war.
"Master, what's gotten into you lately?!", said Natsu.
"No, Natsu. It's coming right above us, look!", Taki replied, as everyone stood up afterwards.
The attacker above is an insect humanoid that has a Kamen Rider-like trait. Sougo is quick to point that attacker is in fact an Another Rider.
"An Another Rider?!", Geiz observed.
"It can fly?!", Sougo exclaimed.
It is too difficult to find the name of the Another Rider as it's still in the sky. So, Taki, Sougo, and Geiz have to shoot it down to the ground.
*Taki!* / *Zi-O!* / *Geiz!*
The three equipped their respective Ridewatches into their Drivers as they suit up into their Rider forms...
*Touei! Future Time! [...] Kamen Rider Taki! Taki!*
*Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!*
*Rider Time! Kamen Rider Geiz!*
*Ju!* / *You Me!*
Zi-O and Geiz begin to open fire using the Zikan Girade and Zaxe, respectively as they managed to shoot down the flying Another Rider to the ground. The locust Rider stood up. Taki finds out that this Another Rider is different than the others...
*[Another Watch voice] Skyrider!*
This Another Rider is revealed to be none other than Another Skyrider. The Another Rider for Skyrider, a Kamen Rider that can fly. The name is seen on its left trapezius, left thigh, and on the left wing cover. Surprisingly, the year of its creation is 2019, as seen at the center of its face, right forearm, and on the right wing cover. Supposedly, the original Skyrider is active 40 years ago, 1979. For some reason, like Another Zi-O, it can somehow exist in the present.
"Skyrider?! But how?", exclaimed the demon huntress. In addition to Taki having knowledge of the Showa Riders from Tsukasa and Samus, seeing an Another Rider based on a Showa Rider had everyone in for a whammy. "This Rider has the power of a Showa Rider. And he's different than the rest of the Another Riders we faced."
"The names of the warriors whose fates were bound to the two swords have been etched into the very fibers of history..."
On the next episode...
(次回挿話)
Azwel makes his presence known into the present-day, having witnessed the world being torn apart after the Great Malfested War. Using the powers from the fragments of the two Soul Swords, he brainwashes the Time Jacker Swartz into his subservient puppet to begin his plan to save the human race.
In the ensuing confrontation against the Scholar of the Future, Taki, Geiz, Sougo, and Woz would once again find themselves fighting Another Skyrider and Another Super-1. To make matters worse, the original Kamen Rider Super-1 and Skyrider appeared out of nowhere and attacked the heroes while fighting their Another Rider counterparts.
Next time on Taki Gaiden, Episode 82: A.D. 2019: Azwel the Savior.
NOTE: The next episode is a double tribute to the 1979 and 1980 Kamen Rider series, Kamen Rider Skyrider and Kamen Rider Super-1.
Ridewatches count:
-Taki:
Ridewatches: 22 (G7 Icarus XYZ, G7 Icarus XYZ Archangel Kerberos, G7 Type-S, New G7 Icarus, Grease, Snipe, Huntress, Amazon Alpha, Amazon Omega, Amazon Neo, Necrom, Mach, Ryugen, Zangetsu, Zangetsu Kachidoki Arms, Mage, Cronus, Diend, Bike, Phone, Disk Animal (x2))
Miridewatches: 7 (Taki, Taki Imperial, Jet Phoenix, Aqua Mermaid, Volt, Shippu, Rock)
Other: 2 (Soul Calibur Supreme , Rewind, Jiraiya)
-Zi-O: 15 (Zi-O, Zi-O II, Zi-O Trinity, Build, Ex-Aid, Fourze, OOO, OOO Tadajol Combo, Gaim, Decade, W, Ryuki, Kuuga, Bike, Phone, Kodama)
-Geiz: 10 (Geiz, Geiz Revive, Cross-Z, Ghost, Drive, Faiz, Wizard, Genm, Bike, Phone)
-Black Woz:
Miridewatches: 4 (Woz, Shinobi, Quiz, Kikai)
-Tsukuyomi: 2 (Phone, Taka)
-Fubuki:
Ridewatch: 3 (Fuin, Phone (x2))
Miridewatch: 1 (Grease Blizzard)
-Elysium: 16 (G3-X, Knight, Kaixa, Garren, Ibuki, Gatack, Zeronos, Ixa, Accel, Birth, Meteor, Beast, Baron, Specter, Brave, Cross-Z Magma)
Ridewatches unclaimed: 6 (Agito, Blade, Hibiki, Kabuto, Den-O, Kiva)
Sougo's Malfestation Level: 0% (suppressed by the Zi-O Trinity Ridewatch)
Author's Note:
The second Nightmare is voiced by Daisuke Ono (Japanese) and Ron Perlman (English) instead of Nobuyuki Hiyama and Kirk Thornton, respectively as they voiced Siegfried. This new Nightmare is very much different than the original per adaptational villainy, while he is still loud and usually raises his tone when in combat. He shows a more calm and collected personality compared to the original. Nightmare's live-action suit actor is Jun Watanabe.
The very first Another Rider to appear in the second season of this story is Another Skyrider, and the first Showa Another Rider. Another Skyrider's suit is a retooled Another Agito (from the Zi-O TV series) suit, with the crest removed and replaced with feelers. Unlike the original Skyrider, Another Skyrider uses the insect wings on his back to fly.