Build La Build

Chapter 6: Diva of Despair

Sento, Misora, Mako, and Ryuko step off of the trolley to Honnouji Academy, as Sento looks at the Fullbottles in his hand, "I can't wait to test this new form out!"

"You've got some problems, you know that?" Misora snatches the Comic Bottle from his hand and looks it over, "You need a different hobby."

"I can't help it! I need to know what this new Best Match can do!"

Suddenly, they're interrupted by the sound of flags flapping in the wind, and an enormous procession sits in front of them, dozens of One-Star Students bearing Honnouji's flag, all around a staircase extending from the Student Council tower. The enormous rainbow light emanating from Kiryuin Satsuki's position blinds the four teens, who scowl and try to block it out.

Ryuko snarls, "Kiryuin Satsuki!"

"Matoi Ryuko. Kiryu Sento. You've arrived."

Sento whistles, "What's with the red carpet welcome?"

"On Friday, you claimed we would settle things, did you not, Matoi?"

Ryuko drops her guitar case, and draws out the Scissor Blade, "Looks like your head isn't just full of hot air, you remembered after all! Mako, Misora, get out of here."

Both of them rush to the side, as Sento raises his Driver, slapping it to his waist, and reaching for his Fullbottles.

Satsuki steps down the long stairwell, "Your actions so far have been absolutely infuriating to us, and now you shall be removed from this academy. But, alas, you may rejoice. For you both shall be the first offerings to my Junketsu."

Sento stops and notices the clothing Satsuki wears, "She has a Kamui, too?"

Ryuko scoffs, "Junketsu? Explain to me what there is about you that's pure!"

Satsuki merely reaches for a grip on her shoulder, "Allow me to show you…" She slaps the three armbands on her bicep, each of them impaling her arm with a small syringe, allowing Junketsu to taste her blood.

Suddenly, rather than the rough, swift transformation of Senketsu, Junketsu is dyed red, before shifting into millions of thin threads, which stretch out before recollecting as an enormous, winged beast that rises into the air and falls onto Satsuki with a demonic screech.

Unlike Senketsu, Junketsu's appearance is a brilliant, bright white, with two giant, hawk-like eyes peering out to those viewing with infinite malevolence. Its form wraps around her smoothly and finely, and a low, evil hiss emanates as the transformation finishes.

LIFE FIBER OVERRIDE; KAMUI JUNKETSU!

"Ryuko, I don't like the looks of this! I feel something really bad coming from this one!" Senketsu's lapel eye darts between Junketsu and his wearer.

Satsuki's eye barely moves, "So, Kiryu Sento, you designed a device allowing that Kamui to speak?"

Sento raises his Bottles, "I don't have to tell someone like you about my inventions. You'd never understand them anyways."

RABBIT! TANK! BEST MATCH!

As he cranks the lever, Ryuko grips the Seki Tekko, with Senketsu swiftly bursting into Senketsu's transformed state.

ARE YOU READY?

"Henshin!"

HAGANE NO MOONSAULT! RABBIT-TANK! YAY!

Build raises the Drill Crusher, aiming it to Satsuki, "For the sake of all the people below… For the answers we need… It doesn't matter if you have a Kamui, we'll still fight you!"

"COME ON!" Ryuko charges, swinging her blade, but Satsuki merely parries, sending Ryuko tumbling aside, while Build charges with a thrust, aiming directly at Satsuki's head. Her blade knocks his aside, before she strikes him in the stomach with her bare fist, knocking him back.

"Such power! This is a true Kamui!" She grips the handle of her sword, "Come, Kamen Rider. Face me!"

"DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME!" Ryuko comes with a hard downward swing, which Satsuki catches behind her own head with Bakuzan's flat.

"Quit showing off, you prick! So what if you've got a Kamui? I'll still beat you and get the answers I need!" The comment causes Satsuki's eyes to narrow, and she donkey-kicks Ryuko back and turns to her, "Such a childish and narrow-minded goal. You have all this power and you choose to follow a path of petty vengeance?"

Build slams his Drill Crusher into Satsuki's shoulder, making her stumble slightly, "SHUT UP! She lost her only family, and we're going to find out what you know!"

Satsuki blinks, "That weapon got me off-balance…" She swings Bakuzan, yet Build narrowly blocks the strike, causing her to blink again, "I underestimated you, Kamen Rider. You're tougher than I gave you credit for."

Build knees her in the gut, before taking a second swing, "SHUT YOUR MOUTH! All you do is talk about strength and subjugating the weak! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S WEAK HERE!" He switches the Crusher, firing at center mass, each blow knocking Satsuki back, dirt piling up behind Junketsu's heels.

"Me? Weak? Do you not see how I stand atop this empire? How all of these pigs in human clothing fear me?" Build is taken aback when Satsuki leaps forward, bringing her blade down on him, striking into his left shoulder, before she kicks him aside, parrying Ryuko's novice swing.

"I stand atop all of Honnouji Academy! This is my kingdom, Kamen Rider Build! You dare to call me weak, even as I command the strength of a Kamui?"

Build merely gets up to one knee, "You don't get it… All of this?"

GORILLA!

"IT'S WHAT MAKES YOU THE REAL WEAK ONE HERE!" Ryuko interrupts, slashing at Satsuki, knocking her through some of the barriers set up around the arena.

DIAMOND! BEST MATCH!

Build cranks his lever, "You rule through fear and subjugation! You could use your wealth and power to make these people happy, but instead all you can think of is benefitting yourself!"

ARE YOU READY?

"BUILD UP!"

KAGAYAKI NO DESTROYER! GORILLA-MOND! YAY!

Build's Diamond glove turns several of the torn up boulders into diamonds, which hurl themselves at the President. Satsuki simply deflects most of them with light swings of her Bakuzan, each one creating a vacuum of pressure, but the fragments still obey Build's will, and as he clenches his fist, the swarm aims and closes in on her like a vice. A burst of steam reveals Satsuki, unharmed, but breathing slightly heavier for the effort.

'Junketsu seems to not like the presence of the Kamen Rider. His attacks are more effective than Inumuta calculated.' Satsuki muses, before Ryuko closes in, her Scissor Blade clashing against Bakuzan, before sliding off, "They are too weak to strive for their own goals, why should I bother with them?"

Ryuko snarls, "Because not all of us want world domination, you ARROGANT PRICK!" She presses her blade further, knocking Satsuki back a ways, before she catches herself on Bakuzan.

"Such a weak and dull perspective. Those who do not reach for the top do not deserve my attention."

TAKA! GATLING! BEST MATCH!

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" Build, now screaming his lungs out, cranks the lever with ferocity unlike before.

ARE YOU READY?

"BUILD UP!"

TENKU NO ABARENBOU! HAWK-GATLING! YAY!

Build flies forward, his bullets narrowly diverted against Bakuzan's blade, "YOU LOOK DOWN ON PEOPLE JUST TRYING TO LIVE SIMPLE LIVES!" He swings his boot into her gut, launching her into the air, before following with more bullets to juggle her in the sky, before letting her hit the ground, a huge cloud of dust obscuring her position.

10! 20!

"I'M TIRED OF HEARING YOUR ARROGANT VOICE!"

30! 40!

"I'M TIRED OF WATCHING YOU ACT LIKE A GOD ON HIGH!"

50! 60!

"YOU'RE NO BETTER THAN THE REST OF US!"

70! 80!

"YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO JUDGE!"

90!

"YOU'RE JUST AN ARROGANT GIRL WITH DEEP POCKETS AND GOOD CONNECTIONS!"

100! FULL BULLET!

"THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE SMASH IS THAT YOU DON'T SHUT UP!" Bullets fly out from the Hawk-Gatlinger, barraging Satsuki's position. As Build continues to roar, his scream echoing across the open courtyard of Honnouji Academy, more and more piles of dust form, as each eagle impacts the dirt.

As the dust settles, he drops to his knees, and pounds the dirt, "HOW CAN ANY OF YOU LISTEN TO HER? ALL SHE DOES IS TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE WORTHLESS! THEN SHE TELLS YOU TO BE WILLING TO KILL FOR HER!"

"Are you done, Kamen Rider?" The voice behind him freezes his blood.

An empty space in the dust.

'She wasn't even there? I gotta-'

Build is then buried in four feet of dirt.

"LISTEN UP, HONNOUJI ACADEMY! I LEAD YOU BECAUSE YOU ALL LACK THE RESOLVE TO FIND YOUR OWN GOALS! I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES! EVEN IF I MUST BARE MY BODY TO THE WORLD TO ACHIEVE MY AMBITIONS, THEN SO BE IT! MY ACTIONS, MY GOALS, ARE ENTIRELY, UTTERLY PURE!" She stands over Build, raising her blade high into the sky. She walks towards Ryuko, "Where were we?"

Ryuko huffs, "It doesn't matter if your Kamui's tougher. I'll still beat you!"

As they clash, Satsuki clearly bearing the upper hand, Ryuko grunts, "How's she so strong?"

"I mastered the art of wearing Junketsu, you daft fool!" She blasts Ryuko back, scoffing, "You're an insult to the idea of a Kamui."

NINJA! COMIC! BEST MATCH!

She stops as equations dance around her, "WHAT?"

Build is standing tall behind her, cranking his lever, "Sa, jikken o hajimeyou ka?"

In front lies a purple suit with black, chainmail-like segments with a scarf trailing from the back of its neck. In the back is a yellow suit with comic-like segments, and a pen-shaped gauntlet.

ARE YOU READY?

"BUILD UP!"

SHINOBI NO ENTERTAINER! NINNIN-COMIC! YAY!

"Shori no hosoku wa… kimatta!"

"Persistent, aren't you?"

"I'm a hero of justice!" He slides under her decapitating slash, and leaps to Ryuko's side.

"Hero of justice? Don't you dare speak of such a childish idea here at Honnouji Academy! I-"

"You're the one being childish! You're a bully who uses her power over others to make them too afraid to fight back! I won't allow it anymore!" From his belt, a purple and a yellow tube extend into his right hand.

4-KOMA NINPOTO!

He presses the trigger on it once, "Bring it on."

BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!

Satsuki slashes, only to be met with a blur, as a second Build's blade intercepts her own. A third tries to knick her Achilles', but Junketsu proves too resistant.

"This Best Match still isn't enough to stop her?"

"This is the power of a KAMUI, you presumptuous fool!" She kicks out, dissipating one of the imitations, before swiping and decapitating another.

"DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME!" Ryuko jumps in, slamming her blade into Satsuki's, "YOU STUPID WHORE, I'LL KICK YOUR ASS FOR TALKING ABOUT SENTO'S DREAM LIKE THAT!"

"You would support his childish ideas?"

"Who wouldn't? I'm not an evil bitch like you! I CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE!" She head-butts Satsuki, but crumples from the impact.

Satsuki snarls, and boots Ryuko away, "Foolish. It only took me two days to master my Kamui, and yet you, combined with the assistance of this 'hero of justice', cannot take me on."

"Ryuko, I don't think I can take much more of your blood. You've lost enough as is." Senketsu dissipates and returns to his regular form, as Build's blade dances with Satsuki's.

'This form is fast enough to keep up with her in combat, but not strong enough to hurt her. Gorilla-Mond can do the damage, but it's too slow. I missed my chance with Hawk-Gatling earlier and she won't give it to me again. I need to make Ninnin-Comic count, here and now.' As he crosses blades with her, he presses the trigger four times.

KAKUREMI NO JUTSU!

"RUNNING AWAY?"

DORON!

Smoke emits from the blade, and Satsuki only slices air. Now she sits, blinded by the haze. The sounds of three presses of the trigger catch her guard.

FUUTON NO JUTSU!

Build's blade dissipates the smoke, revealing it drawing in an enormous amount of wind.

TATSUMAKI GIRI!

The blade casts an enormous tornado, sending Satsuki sliding back, "Grk! Impressive."

She looks to her hand, noticing some blood she coughed onto it, 'The strain of Junketsu is growing fast. I must finish this, here and now.' She levels Bakuzan, "I'm through playing."

KATON NO JUTSU!

Build raises his burning sword, "I was about to say the same thing."

Junketsu shoots out a powerful jet of energy from its back, propelling her, as Build runs along the ground, "TAKE THIS!"

KAEN GIRI!

The flaming blade's edge swings, but just as it comes within millimeters of striking Bakuzan, the blade shifts, knocking the enormous wave of heat away from Satsuki.

The entire courtyard behind her is covered in fire.

Her blade, in contrast, has pressed into Build's stomach. Her eyes narrow, 'It can't pierce it?'

Build collapses, and the armor fades. Sento drops to the ground, "Irk… Gotta… Fight you…"

"Your tenacity is most impressive, Kamen Rider. You will not be forgotten." Bakuzan is raised high into the air.

BLAM!

Banjou's fist is lodged in her cheek, "You're pure alright. Pure evil."

"Banjou Ryuga. At the height of my victory, while I'm clad in a Kamui, you would attempt to battle me?"

He adjusts his grip on the Dragon Bottle, shaking it vigorously, "YOU BET YOUR ASS I WILL!"

Satsuki grabs his next punch, but notes the slight burning sensation from it, "Why confront me like this?"

He glares at her, "Because this Bottle's telling me I gotta fight you!"

Satsuki glares at the Dragon, "That contains Ogura Kasumi's essence, correct?" She dodges back, "You mean to say that her ghost speaks to you now?"

He knocks Bakuzan out of her hands, drawing a gasp from her, "I can't do something like that… I ain't a priest or nothing. But I'm one with it. I can feel her power inside me. And she wouldn't want me to lose to you!"

The visage of Ogura Kasumi drifts into his mind, chanting the words she repeated often before his matches.

"I've got the feeling… There's no way you can lose!"

Banjou grips the Dragon, "I'll take her as a part of me… and hold her high when I'm through kicking your ass!"

Satsuki boots him in the gut, "The dead are dead. There is no changing this."

Ryuko stares, mesmerized by Banjou's words, "Take her as a part of him…" She looks down to Senketsu, "Satsuki ain't got a problem with being naked either…"

"Ryuko, what are you doing?"

"I got it now, Senketsu!"

As Satsuki raises her sword high, "Banjou Ryuga, your sentiment is touching, but still pathetic."

CLANG!

"IT AIN'T PATHETIC! It ain't pathetic at all!" The Scissor Blade holds against Bakuzan, as Ryuko tears the Seki Tekko with her teeth.

Senketsu bursts into millions of fibers, "This is it, isn't it Senketsu? What you wanted me to do all along?"

"Yes, Ryuko! This is how we reach our full power! When you take me into yourself, and make us one!" The strings organize into the draconic maw that clamps down around Ryuko, before tightening and revealing Senketsu, similar but changed.

"This is the real…"

LIFE FIBER SYNCHRONIZE; KAMUI SENKETSU!

Now, more pronounced and sharpened, Senketsu emits a burst of steam, easily knocking Satsuki away.

'I'm weakened from fighting Build. Matoi's gotten her strength back, but not enough… I, Kiryuin Satsuki, cannot admit defeat!' She swipes at Ryuko, both of them matched blow for blow.

"THE REASON YOU WERE DRINKING SO MUCH BLOOD IS BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO BECOME ONE WITH YOU, AND REJECTED YOU BECAUSE I WAS EMBARASSED, RIGHT?" Satsuki blinks and realizes Matoi isn't addressing her, but her own Kamui.

"THAT'S EXACTLY IT, RYUKO!" The eye of Senketsu looks to Ryuko with hope and joy, catching Satsuki off-guard.

'Her Kamui… was simply not properly being worn? And fixing this brings her up to my level?' Beads of sweat drip down both Kamui user's faces, before Ryuko drops to the ground, as if she lacked a spine, and then boots Satsuki back, "Learned this from a smug snake!" She flips onto her feet again, and as Satsuki comes down, she readies the Scissor Blade, "Come on, Senketsu! Now we'll show her what we learned from the hero of justice!"

"Yosh! READY, GO!"

SCISSOR BLADE: DECAPITATION MODE!

The Scissor opens up, revealing a significant extension to it, as the handle curves out to resemble a sword. Ryuko leaps forward, bringing the blade back, and hurling it straight for her.

SWING!

The blade traces empty air, the only evidence of its strike being the enormous gash in the earth underneath Satsuki, who has marvelously contorted to dodge it.

Satsuki recovers, slowly standing up, audibly panting, "Enough. Congratulations, Matoi Ryuko. I dare say you're the first to push me this far, if only because of the Kamen Rider's assistance. Now then, let the real show begin!"

"I'm afraid that's not gonna be an option, Lady Satsuki." Suddenly, a crimson cobra slides across the torn battlefield, and it dissipates between the two Kamui users, revealing Blood Stalk, casually squatting between the two as if nothing was wrong.

"Stalk! You bastard!" Ryuko raises her blade, "You back for another ass-whooping?"

"Ryuko-chan, I'm impressed you managed to figure out your full transformation. I'm also impressed you managed to hold your own against a Kamui like Junketsu even with that half-wear form. As for you, Lady Satsuki…" He strokes his chin, "I'm more impressed you haven't been eaten alive yet. You're pretty tough to withstand Junketsu, all things considered."

"You're with that Night Rogue figure, are you not?" Satsuki raises her blade, "You, and your organization, are thorns in my side. Surrender and I'll make your execution swift and painless."

Stalk laughs at that, "Oh you're a riot! I can see why Ragyo's willing to give you something like Honnouji all to yourself!"

Satsuki's eyes bulge at that, "Ragyo? My mother? How-?"

"Ah, ah, ah. I've already spoken enough as is." Stalk wags a finger at Satsuki, "I'm just gonna get on with my business and be out of your hair." He slides along the ground, before slapping Sento's side, and jumping to his feet, "All that outrage and you get to bump up to Hazard Level 3.7? Yeesh, Sento, you're tougher than I gave you credit for. I was sure that beating you took would've stopped you from going past 3.4."

Banjou runs up, smacking Stalk in the face, "SHUT UP!"

Stalk, completely unfazed by the strike, merely ticks his tongue, "2.5? So, so very close, Banjou. Keep trying and you might wake up after all." He boots Banjou in the gut before jumping back, landing atop Honnouji's wall, "Well, I'm done here. I'm just gonna pop off and say hello to some old acquaintances. Ciao~" He waves the Transteam Gun, disappearing entirely from view.

Satsuki glares at the spot he occupied, "What is going on here?"

Sento limps over, with Misora carrying him along, "Are you going… to give up now, Kiryuin Satsuki?"

She stops and looks to Sento, locking his gaze, "You would persist in trying to stop me, Kiryu Sento? For the sake of your 'justice'? For the sake of Matoi's revenge?"

He stands tall, holding up the Rabbit Bottle, "Yes. I won't stop until you free all these people… And justice is served! For Ryuko, for the people in the slums, for the families you've broken up, and for the students you torture!"

Ryuko steps beside him, leveling her Scissor Blade, "We're gonna tear your pretty little kingdom apart!"

Banjou raises the Dragon Bottle, "And prove to you I'm an innocent man."

Satsuki takes one last look to where Blood Stalk disappeared from, then scoffs, and starts climbing the stairs back to the Student Council tower, "Well, then, if you insist on taking on Honnouji Academy, then we gladly accept the challenge!" The Elite Four gather around her, and club members glare from within the class windows, "Starting tomorrow, every club in Honnouji Academy will be after your heads! Defeat them, then we'll have ourselves a rematch."

Sento balances himself on his Drill Crusher, "Next time I'll be bringing more than just four Best Matches, Kiryuin Satsuki."

Ryuko grips the Scissor Blade, "And Senketsu and I aren't gonna be going half-assed either!"

"That's right! We're gonna bring our A-Game!"

Banjou hoists the Dragon Bottle in the air, "BRING IT ON, PEOPLE!"

HALLELUJAH!

"You can't fight all the clubs at once, guys! If you do then we'll never get to have a lunch break! I can't go without eating Mama's home-made bento! You guys are crazy! What about if you have to pee? Are you just gonna wet your suits?"

"Oh no! Ryuko, you can't fight them! You have to use the bathroom properly!"

Satsuki ascends the steps, with the Elite Four following. At the top, Gentoku is staring down at the ruined courtyard, "You lost."

"I am Kiryuin Satsuki. I do not lose."

"Yes, you did. If that Stalk figure didn't intervene, Matoi's fresh burst of energy would've overwhelmed you. You were worn out from the pressure of Junketsu, and their combined attack." Gentoku's glare intensifies as Satsuki tries to brush him off.

"I would've still been able to take her on."

"Satsuki, your hand is trembling."

The Elite Four suddenly turn and realize that, in fact, her hand is trembling against Bakuzan's handle.

"You need to get Junketsu off. Now."

"Do not order me, Himuro." Satsuki glares at him as she walks away, and the shimmering light of Junketsu deactivating fills the Student Council chamber.

Gentoku looks down again at the laughing group of heroes, "Take us down, huh?"

Later at the Nascita basement, Senketsu is in Life Fiber Synchronize as Sento has various attachments and tools over him, while his own hair juts out, "This is so amazing! The readings coming from Senketsu are incredible!"

"Of course. Now that I'm at my full strength, I don't need to drain blood constantly from Ryuko. Even just a small amount is enough to put me on the same level as that Junketsu."

Sento gazes closely at the screen, "If these readings are any indication, it looks like you barely exceed each of the best stats in my Best Match forms! Tough as Gorilla-Mond, fast as Ninnin-Comic, agile as Hawk-Gatling… And I wanna fight someone with another Kamui."

Sento starts pacing, "How will we fight her? All of my Best Match forms were shrugged off by her. But still around the end she was wearing down against Ninnin-Comic, then you stepped in with Senketsu…"

"May I speak? I noticed something unusual during the fight."

"Go ahead, Senketsu."

"Junketsu itself might be the key to our victory. Not once in the fight did it speak, and I could feel pure hatred coming from it, directed at everything, even Satsuki herself. It's constantly pushing her, fighting against her. Even though she accesses its full form, she doesn't have its full cooperation, nor its full power. It was draining her and resisting her at every strike. It's possible our best strategy is a war of attrition, whittling her down until she can't fight any longer. And since Ryuko will learn more of my power as we fight these clubs, and Sento is going to work on more Best Matches, then our victory is assured."

Sento gapes, "Wow, Senketsu. I never took you for a strategist."

"I suppose I'm learning by your example. In every fight you go on about a 'winning formula'. Observing a foe and finding their weaknesses is key, I've realized. If Junketsu were to lend her its full power, then raw strength wouldn't be enough to battle it. We need a plan. And the longer we spend fighting club members, the longer she'll have to get used to and overcome Junketsu's resistance."

Now the Nascita basement is oddly quiet.

Banjou nods, "I don't really get it, but I think he just wants us to take our time with fighting her?"

Senketsu's lapel eye twitches in the faintest resemblance to a nod, "It's only an assumption. Likely, she'll develop a resistance to Junketsu's assault by the time we have our rematch, which means that our only option is to grow strong enough to fight her on equal ground. It'll have to be a highly coordinated fight. I know that your Ninnin-Comic's stealth technique is able to obscure even my vision, so it's possible that might be able to give us a chance to recalculate amidst a fight. Hawk-Gatling has a ranged attack, something that neither me nor Junketsu have, so a barrage from above is your best bet."

"You really thought this out huh?"

"In between fights, I have little else to do." Senketsu rolls his sleeves as if to shrug, "Ultimately, I have no idea how Kiryuin Satsuki intends to fight us during round 2. For all we know, she could end up figuring out a counter to our techniques, so we'll need to develop more information."

Sento looks to some of the Fullbottles on the table, "More information, huh…" Suddenly his eyes flash and he leaps over to the computer, tapping away "I almost forgot about this!" He pulls up a link "During that Mii-tan stream, someone sent a bucket load of info! It looks like they stole it right from the Institute's own systems, too!"

"What've ya got?" Banjou leans over his shoulder, as Sento's eyes widen.

"It says here… That the Skywalls have been recorded to give off some weird sort of gas… They call it Nebula Gas. It 'might contain strange mutagenic properties'… Could that mean…"

"Mean what?" Ryuko tilts her head, curiously.

"The Smash are being made by injecting someone with Nebula Gas! SO if we find out where Nebula Gas is coming from the Skywall, then we can find a Faust base!" He taps away at the computer, showing a map of the Skywall, which displays several points near the forest where Ryuko's house lies, "There! This is the closest to Honnou City! If there's a Nebula Gas pocket here, then there must be a Faust base! Come on guys, if we hurry up we can catch them off guard!"

As Satsuki lies in a bathrobe, she looks to her faintly trembling hand, "Why is it that my fight with the Kamen Rider pushed me more than the fight with Matoi? Until her Kamui awakened, he carried most of that battle. And Banjou Ryuga's punch managed to singe my hand, even when wearing Junketsu." Her eyes fall onto the squirming Kamui in the container, "Just what are those Bottles?"

Soroi pours her some tea, "Milady, please try not to overexert yourself."

"Himuro told you to say that, didn't he, Soroi?" She sips the tea, taking a long, deep breath.

"Surprisingly, he did not, ma'am. When I spoke to him earlier, he merely stated that your own arrogance shall punish you, and went off to do more paperwork after that. I may sound out of line, Milady, but I do believe that young Master Gentoku does have the most level head around here, doesn't he?"

"You aren't wrong in that regard, Soroi. He always does keep everything else in line when I cannot. He truly is a reliable ally." Junketsu squirms and bashes against its restraints, his bloodshot lapel eyes glaring at Satsuki with an unholy rage.

"Mistress Ragyo certainly made a fine choice for your-" The sudden glare coming from Satsuki interrupts Soroi, sending tea onto the table, "Oh, pardon me, Milady. I spoke out of turn there."

Satsuki silently sips more tea, gazing out at the crimson light of the Skywall, "This is… an interesting series of circumstances, I suppose."

"Indeed. I recall the days before those accursed things came up, long before you were born. I recall the conversations I had with Gentoku's father when he was still the Minister of Finance. He was such a kind man. It is a shame he had to be there when the box opened."

As the team closes in on the Skywall, Sento stops and reaches into his bag, "Oi, I got something special for you." He pulls out a small blue object shaped like a dragon, which suddenly comes alive and begins floating in the air, with a brief techno track coming from it.

"It's something I built to keep you out of trouble, Banjou." Banjou gawks at it, "Huh? Me?"

"Yeah, you. You're the only one here who'd run up to a Kamui and jab the fascist wearing it in the face."

Ryuko snickers, "He does have a point, Banjou. You are kinda stupid like that."

"At least I ain't showing my ass off to everyone in Honnou City!"

"That's different ya hear?" Sento smacks both of them, "Quiet guys! I see something ahead!"

At the base of the Skywall, a large complex sits with Guardians marching about.

"Guardians? So it's government run?"

"No. Look closer." All of them have tribal decorations, as well as the fact that none of them wear the usual Touto security suits, stark naked.

"Naked robots?" Sento tilts his head, perplexed.

"Don't. Say. A. Word." Ryuko snarls at the other two.

"Ryuko, I do believe we won't be of much help in this scenario. Our power is too great to go through a stealth mission. We won't be able to transform unless we get caught."

"Damn."

Sento slaps on the Build Driver, "I have an idea to get us past the guards."

NINJA! DIAMOND! ARE YOU READY?

"Henshin."

Build carefully scoops up some dust in the Diamond glove, turning the grains into gemstones, before holding out his Ninja hand.

4-KOMA NINPOTO! FUUTON NO JUTSU! TATSUMAKI GIRI!

As the miniature tornado flows out, creating a dust devil, he tosses the diamonds into it, and the diamonds quickly smack against most of the Guardians, which don't respond beyond mere analysis of the area.

"What the hell was that?" "Shh… Watch." He clenches his Diamond fist, and the Guardians all drop to the floor. "Diamonds wormed into their power cords and cut them from the inside. Now let's book it!"

The three run across the clearing with the dragon orbiting them above, singing techno samba as it tries to close in on Banjou, "Oi! Leave me alone!"

They descend through the dark hallways and dimly lit caverns until they reach a large underground basin, where Sento and Banjou gasp.

"This is the room where I was experimented on…" "Me too…"

Sento quickly runs over to one of the computers, "Oi, I think I can download some of this!" He plugs in a USB, "We can totally prove that Faust exists with this!"

"Congratulations, you've made it." At the end of the room, there's an empty, ornamented chair, but no occupant.

"Rogue? Where are you?" Sento looks around, furious, reaching for his Fullbottles.

"You wonder why it is you were here? Did you think that somehow you were subject to different experimentation than the others?" Night Rogue suddenly drops from the ceiling, landing right in front of the three, "You both had the exact same procedure done; Smash conversion." He taps a glass vial filled with bubbling fluid, "Nebula Gas exposure turns most into Smash, but not you. Instead your bodies were twisted and changed. Look at you now, an amnesiac and a freak."

Sento snarls, shaking his Fullbottles, "SHUT UP!"

RABBIT! TANK! BEST MATCH! ARE YOU READY?

"HENSHIN!"

HAGANE NO MOONSAULT! RABBIT-TANK! YAY!

He punches Night Rogue, who deflects the blow easily, before kneeing Build in the gut and kicking him back a ways.

"If you truly think you can win, you're mistaken. My Transteam System is stronger than your Rider System." Night Rogue leans back and suddenly a high-pitched scream echoes from him, knocking Build off balance from the force.

"You're really going to leave me out of this?" Blood Stalk slips in through a back door, "Oh hey guys."

"Stalk!" Ryuko grips the Seki Tekko, "Senketsu!"

"Yosh!"

LIFE FIBER SYNCHRONIZE; KAMUI SENKETSU!

"See? You've already got the hang of it, Ryuko-chan!" Stalk mockingly claps as Banjou charges in and throws a haymaker. He catches his fist, "I was having a conversation, you know." He tosses Banjou aside, before raising the Steam Blade and Transteam Gun. He holds them together, then a burst of steam reveals the combined form.

RIFLE MODE!

"Ryuko, we can't waste this chance! Let's take him down here!"

"Got it, Senketsu!" She charges forward, her Scissor Blade smashing against the Steam Rifle, which causes Stalk to slide back in the vast cavern, "My, my. You've got some acciaio in you yet, Ryuko. Wait, would that metaphor apply with your situation?"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT?" She kicks him in the gut, and as he stumbles back she sends a wild uppercut, which he ducks under and jabs at her ribcage.

"Hazard Level 2.3? Geez, that's just sad, Ryuko. Here I thought you had a chance to impress me, but your score's dropping like a fly. Again, must be that Kamui of yours. The good doctor should've considered that."

"QUIT TALKING ABOUT MY DAD LIKE THAT YOU PRICK!" She pushes her blade against him, yet he easily sidesteps and boots her into the wall. Banjou intervenes, crashing his fist against Stalk's rifle, sending it to the floor, "DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME!"

Stalk chuckles, "I suppose you deserve a gift, too." From his gauntlet, a thin, whip-like extension grows, and pierces his neck, "ACK!" He hits the ground, coughing and sputtering.

"That's gonna hurt…" Stalk casually blocks the Scissor Blade with the whip, and then tosses Ryuko aside again, picking up his rifle, "Round 2 so soon?"

"Ryuko, that poison in Banjou… We need to remove it, somehow."

"How do we do that?" Suddenly, Sento's dragon descends, samba music blaring.

"What… is that?" It bites into Banjou's neck, and the various horrific purple growths suddenly start fading away, then the dragon coughs all of it onto the ground.

"… Well, alright then. That's a thing, I guess." Stalk shrugs, before coming at Ryuko swinging the Rifle, its bayonet clashing against the Scissor Blade.

"Why are you using a rifle like a sword? Are you stupid or something?" Ryuko presses the blade against Stalk's, growling as she does.

"It's a rifle? Oh yeah, huh?" With that, Stalk angles the Steam Rifle so its barrel faces Ryuko's head, and pulls the trigger.

Ryuko stumbles back, scratching at her eyes, "SHIT! IT BURNS!"

"Calm down, Ryuko. Don't let a sneak attack take you out like that."

"I know, but… GAH!" She wipes away the last of the energy, snarling at Stalk, "I'll kick your ass for that you prick!"

Meanwhile, Build is swinging the Drill Crusher, as Rogue expertly parries with the Steam Blade, "Don't bother. You're too weak to fight me properly!" He continuously thrusts and parries with the Steam Blade, while holding his free hand to the side, "My combat prowess, my Transteam System, it all exceeds yours!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Build swings his Drill Crusher, bashing against Night Rogue's Steam Blade and knocking it into the wall, before booting him back, "I WANT MY BODY! I WANT MY LIFE! I WANT MY MEMORIES!" He punches Night Rogue in the chest, the blow staggering him.

"I don't want to do this, but it seems you've earned my ire." Night Rogue waves the Transteam Gun, and shoots at various pipes and tanks in the wall, which emit copious amounts of Nebula Gas.

"Sayonara, Kamen Riders." Night Rogue and Blood Stalk wave their guns, dissipating into mist.

"DAMNIT!" Build looks around at the walls, "This whole place is going to explode in a second, we need to get out of here!"

NINJA! COMIC! BEST MATCH! ARE YOU READY?

"BUILD UP!"

SHINOBI NO ENTERTAINER! NINNIN-COMIC! YAY!

Build swings the Ninpoto around and presses the blade four times, "Get close!"

KAKUREMI NO JUTSU! DORON!

He angles it and stabs it into the earth, consuming them all in a mist. When it fades, they're all outside, as a sudden explosion rocks the underground base.

"That was close." Sento mutters as his suit fades away.

Banjou coughs, "Man, that was too risky."

Sento's going over the data he drained from Faust, "Smash analysis data… Fullbottle data… Hey, what's this here?" He clicks an odd link, before gasping and falling from his chair.

"Sento? What is it?" Soichi charges down the stairs, and runs to Sento's side, before gasping as well.

PROJECT BUILD

I love this fight scene. So much. I'm hoping I get to write more fight scenes like it later on, when there's more Bottles and forms to use.

Also when I had Senketsu say 'READY GO' it was a completely spur of the moment thing but I love it so much that I refuse to let it go.

So now that Ryuko's gotten full Life Fiber Synchronize, and Junketsu's on stage, how'd you guys like it? I'm trying to point out a lot of big things that KLK didn't really address, to make my somehow one-sided fight a little more believable.

First off is that, despite how cool Senketsu is, he was made in a mediocre lab. And he was specially tailored to slowly grow in strength, so he's super weak from the get-go. In contrast, Junketsu was made by REVOCS, in a high-class area and was designed to dominate and kill. Junketsu is the immediate superior in power, make no assumptions. But like Senketsu said, Junketsu is an uncooperative little bitch.

Kind of like my Warframe teammates but that's neither here nor there.

I also want to address one of the most divisive issues in the Kamen Rider fandom.

No, not the Heisei Number Theory, I ain't touching that with a ten foot pole.

I'm talking about official stats. That's right. You heard me.

In some shows, based on the mechanics of the toys, I wouldn't mind the idea of stats. Like in Ex-Aid, where each Level is supposed to be higher than the last. I don't mind static stats for those forms (they could be worded better though). But Build has Hazard Levels. Higher Hazard Levels increase the power of any form. A 3.0 Sparkling might be equal to a 4.5 Rabbit-Tank. Solid stats just don't work here. Hazard Levels also can jump up and down based on emotional states, which explains how the writers can have one badass character suddenly lose to someone else when he's sad and angsty.

So in essence, I'm not going to be paying attention to any official stats. Most writers here don't do it anyways, but I'm sticking it out there.

The balance of power is going to constantly shift and flux in this fic. Right now the strongest players are the Kamui users and the Transteam users, but that's going to swiftly change.

Anyways, there's Chapter 6.

Comments? Complaints? Compliments? Condescending remarks?

Ciao~