Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me. Credit for this chapter's question goes to Wandering dude 1. Thanks for the submission!
…
Emu frowned. "When you say 'other' Riders, what do you mean, exactly? Like, every Rider we've ever met, ever, or…?"
"Any Rider without a Gamer Driver or Bugvisor," Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD clarified. "Basically, any Rider that did not originate from our series… Of adventures."
Emu nodded. "Right, thanks. Okay, let's see… There's… Ghost, Drive, Wizard…"
"Gaim," Hiiro said reverently.
"And OOO, Fourze, Specter, Necrom…" Taiga recalled.
"Baron, Malika, Blade, Another Agito," Kiriya added.
"I'm still very cross that you met the first two without me," Hiiro said with a scowl.
Kiriya chuckled. "Better luck next crossover crisis, I suppose."
"Oh, and don't forget Build and Cross-Z!" Parad spoke up.
"Which makes… 14?" Emu said in confusion. "But that's not one of the answers."
"You're forgetting one. Ouja," Hiiro said gravely.
Emu shuddered. "Right. The guy who beat the crap out of me and shoved my face in a barrel of broken glass. Kind of hard to forget him."
"From what I've heard, Takeshi Asakura is supposed to be one of the evilest Riders of all time," Kiriya said with a whistle. "Props on beating him, Hiiro."
"Did we ever find out what the deal with him and those Beast Riders was?" Taiga wondered.
"And whatever happened to the Night of Safari Gashat?" Kiriya added.
"Kuroto?" Emu asked Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD. "Was that another one of your schemes?"
"Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD snapped. "But no, I have no idea what that was all about. I had no involvement in that incident. Which frustrates me, because I very much want to know who had the gall to steal one of my brilliant creations!"
"I guess that's just another mystery for another time," Parad said with a shrug. "Fine with me. I like solving puzzles."
"So, I guess the answer's 15, then?" Taiga inquired.
"Wait, there were other Riders in the Beast Squadron, right?" Kiriya said suddenly. "Don't those count?"
Hiiro frowned. "I don't… Believe so. I think Asakura was the only real Rider. The others were just… Holograms or something."
"But they're still holograms of existing Riders," Taiga pointed out. "Are we sure that doesn't mean anything?"
"If they count, then so do all the Riders from Cho Superhero Taisen," Parad spoke up. "Which would mean the right answer is 53."
"58, counting the Goriders," Emu corrected him.
"Do those count? I thought they were Sentai," said an uncertain Taiga.
"They have both 'Kamen' and 'rider' in their titles," Hiiro pointed out.
"Yes, in the TEAM name, which also includes 'Sentai,'" Taiga reminded him. "The individual members aren't called Kamen Riders, they're called 'Color-rider.' Therefore, they shouldn't count."
"By that same logic, neither should Electro-Wave Human Tackle," Emu said.
"Who?" Asked a confused Parad.
"She was Stronger's sidekick back in the day. Some people consider her the first female Rider, but officially, I don't think she is, but I'm not entirely sure what else she would qualify for," Emu said. "Regardless, I don't think the Goriders count… Though I could be wrong. They – – we were in sort of a gray area."
"So, that leaves either 15 or 53," Parad summed up.
"Which means we need to answer the question of whether or not the holographic Beast Riders and game world Riders based on pre-existing Riders count or not," Kiriya agreed.
They all considered this for a moment, well aware the clock was counting down. Finally, Hiiro said, "Kuroto's-"
"Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD interjected.
"-Definition of 'other Riders' was any Rider that did not originate from our series… Of adventures," Hiiro reminded them. "Even if those other Riders were based on older Riders, the fact that they were created during our series… Of adventures means they shouldn't count."
"Are you sure?" Emu asked skeptically. "Because they felt sort of real when I was interacting with them. Heck, Kiriya was there too!"
"I was?" Asked a confused Kiriya.
"Yeah! You… You don't remember? You showed up to help out when some enemies from Galaxian attacked the city?" Emu asked.
Kiriya frowned uncertainly. "That sounds… Sort of familiar? To be honest, I can't remember everything that I did when I was dead. It's still a little fuzzy. I'm not 100 percent certain if that was me or not."
"Oh," Emu said, looking disappointed.
"Going by the definition Kuroto-" Hiiro began.
"Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD interjected.
"-Gave us, those Riders shouldn't count towards the total," Hiiro concluded.
"Assuming we aren't misinterpreting what he said," Parad pointed out.
"Or that he isn't lying," Taiga added.
"I would never lie!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD cried indignantly. Everyone stared at him. "… This time…" He admitted grudgingly.
"Well, there's an easy way to find out," Kiriya pointed out. "Hey, Kuroto-"
"Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD interjected.
"Do the game Riders count or not?" Kiriya asked.
"I'm not going to tell you," Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD snapped.
Kiriya shrugged. "Eh, worth a shot."
"Guys, we're almost out of time," Emu said anxiously. "And I'm honestly not sure what to choose. Hiiro's reasoning makes sense, but…"
"Emu, the choice is ultimately up to you," Hiiro said. "Personally, I believe 15 is the right count. If I'm correct, you move on with no penalty. And if I'm wrong, I will take full responsibility, and handle the Bugster released by getting the question wrong myself."
"Are you really going to risk the life of a patient like that?" Taiga asked incredulously.
"Whenever a patient goes under my knife, they're risking their life by putting it in my hands," Hiiro pointed out. "Emu, whatever choice you make, I will back you up, and clean up the mistake if I'm wrong, just as Parad did."
"Thanks for bring that up again," Parad grumbled.
"… Thanks, Hiiro," Emu said, touched. "All right. We'll try this your way. Kuroto!"
"Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD snapped.
"The answer is 15!" Emu declared.
Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD paused for dramatic effect. "That is… Absolutely WRONG!"
"Huh?!" Emu recoiled, crying out in pain as he jerked back, his Rider Gauge dropping slightly. A buzzer sounded, the lights flashed chaotically, and the monitor changed to show a big thumbs down and emoji sticking its tongue out. The Bugster audience booed and started throwing things at the stage.
Hiiro closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. "It would seem that I was wrong after all."
"You don't say," Taiga said dryly.
"Well, at least I'm not the only screwup anymore!" Parad said cheerfully.
"So I'm guessing the game Riders counted after all?" Emu asked, catching his breath.
Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD nodded. "They did. You were all overthinking it, which I found greatly amusing. Not amusing enough to call off the next Bugster, however." He slammed a fist onto a large red button on his podium. Air horns blew, and the audience cheered as the words BUGSTER TIME flashed on the screen with a wobbling Virus head sandwiched between them. A moment later, the screen changed to show a fancy restaurant, with the view focused on an attractive young woman dining with a man around her age. "Things are looking up for the lovely Miss Suki Kameyuri. Her first art show was a big success, meaning she can finally pay off all of her student loans and lingering debts and move out of her crummy apartment into a much nicer and safer one in a better neighborhood. After years of searching, her long-lost parents have found her, and she has a family again. And now, her longtime boyfriend and childhood friend Tsubasa is taking her out for lunch, and secretly plans to propose! Unfortunately, getting asked to be married is going to be the least of her worries in three… Two… One…"
…
"Suki," Tsubasa said, taking a small box out of his pocket and presenting it to the shocked Suki, opening it to reveal a diamond ring. "Will you marry me?" Suki's eyes lit up in wonder, and she opened her mouth to give an answer…
Only to groan and clutch her stomach. "Oh… I… I don't feel so good…"
Blinking in concern, Tsubasa looked her plate. "What? Oh no, you didn't order something you're allergic to by mistake, did you? Or maybe it's food poisoning? I thought something about the entrée tasted a little off-"
"No, it's…aaaaugh!" Suki cried as a mass of orange material formed on her back and sprung off, expanding and reshaping itself in midair to take on a humanoid appearance. Once it was finished, it resembled a red and white monster vaguely resembling a clown wearing a white hooded cloak covering most of his body and wielding a scepter with a ruby on top.
"At last, I have returned!" The Bugster cackled, firing energy bolts from his scepter into the air, bringing down parts of the ceiling and causing the restaurant patrons to flee, screaming in terror.
…
"It's Alhambra!" Parad cried back on the stage.
"Yes, we can all see that," Taiga said, rolling his eyes.
"All the more fitting that he is to be my opponent," Hiiro said resolutely. "Emu, leave everything to me. I shall not fail you, or the patient."
Emu nodded. "All right. We're all counting on you. Good luck, Hiiro."
"I will not need it," Hiiro said as he walked into the warp point which appeared in the middle of the stage. "After all, I am to be the greatest Doctor in the world."
He disappeared in a flash of light, and everyone turned their attention back to the screen as events unfolded.
…
"You know, I must actually thank you, Tsubasa. You've actually done half my job for me, asking Suki to marry you," Alhambra leered as he loomed over the terrified Tsubasa, clutching the fading Suki to his chest. "Weddings are incredibly stressful endeavors, after all. I've half a mind to just let you two go and get married to see if the stress from trying to get everything just right kills her… However, I don't really have that kind of time or patience, so I'm just going to kill you. That should be just enough to put her over the edge and allow me to reach my perfect form."
Tsubasa grabbed a knife from the table and pointed it, trembling, in the Bugster's face. "St-stay back! I won't let you anywhere near her!"
Alhambra laughed disparagingly and knocked the knife from Tsubasa's hand, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him into the air, causing the pain-stricken and increasingly transparent Suki to fall to the ground, gasping and crying in fear and agony. "While I must commend you for your bravery, human, a little thing like that won't be enough to damage me."
"Perhaps he needs a bigger blade, then."
"Eh?" Alhambra turned to see Hiiro had appeared nearby. "Ah, Doctor Kagami, my old foe. It's been too long."
"Not long enough. Put Tsubasa down, Alhambra. Your fight is with me," Hiiro said calmly.
"Very well," Alhambra said, casually dropping Tsubasa, who rubbed his neck before immediately crawling over to Suki to check on her. "I've wanted to settle the score with you for quite some time. By the time I'm through with you, Suki will have died, and I shall be complete."
Tsubasa's eyes widened in horror as he heard this. "No!" Desperate, he looked at Hiiro with a pleading expression on his face. "Please, you have to save her!"
Hiiro regarded the young man for moment and the dying woman he was cradling… And for a moment, saw another couple in their place. He clenched a fist. "Do not worry," he told Tsubasa. "I shall save Suki so that the two of you may have a future together. On Fruit Jesus's name, I so swear."
Tsubasa's eyes widened in surprise at this, and one of his hands instinctively reached up to his neck, where a necklace of a fruit basket was dangling under his shirt. "In Fruit Jesus's name," he repeated softly.
Hiiro strapped on his Gamer Driver and held up his Taddle Quest Gashat. "Commencing Bugster removal operation."
TADDLE QUEST!
"Proceeding with level 2," Hiiro said, inserting the Gashat into his Driver and pulling the lever. "Henshin."
CLICK AND OPEN! LEVEL UP! BATTLE FOR YOUR FUTURE, FIGHT FOR THE ADVENTURE, WELCOME TO TADDLE QUEST!
Hiiro was now wearing the knight-themed armor and suit of his base (not counting level 1) form, Kamen Rider Brave Quest Gamer Level 2. "I will cut down the separated Bugster," he said calmly, glaring at Alhambra. He flipped a switch on his Driver.
STAGE SELECT!
A series of holographic images revolved around him. Hiiro tapped one, and pixels shot out from him, transforming the restaurant into a cave somewhere near a forest. The Rider extended a hand.
GASHACON SWORD!
Hiiro's trusty sword materialized in his hand. Gripping it by the handle, he swung it a few times through the air before pointing it towards Alhambra. "My scalpel shall cut out your infection."
"Not this time!" Alhambra declared. He waved his scepter, and a couple of dozen Bugster Viruses dressed like hooded monks wielding tridents and mace staffs appeared. "Go forth, my minions! Hold the Rider at bay, while I prepare the forbidden spell, Ruin!"
Hiiro sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "This again? You realize you never manage to actually cast that spell, right?"
"There's a first time for everything!" Alhambra snapped.
"Yes, but doing the same thing every time expecting a different result is a sign of madness," Hiiro pointed out.
"Oh, shut up and fight already!" Alhambra snarled, gesturing at Hiiro. As the monks charged forwards, brandishing their weapons, Alhambra began murmuring incantations while waving his scepter through the air, a magic circle forming underneath him.
Hiiro charged forwards to meet the Bugsters, his blade swinging through the air to cleave through the weapon of the first Virus he encountered, a subsequent slash cutting the monk in two. A second monk thrust its Trident towards him, while a couple of its fellows attempted to attack him from behind, but Hiiro caught the tines of the Trident on his blade and flipped it away with a twist of his wrist, ducking just as the Bugsters behind him swung their maces, causing them to instead crush their colleague's skull. He swiped at their ankles, cutting their legs out from under them, and then dispatched them with an upward chop as he rose to his feet, flawlessly deflecting another mace swing and thrusting his sword into the enemy's stomach. As more viruses closed in, he pressed a button on his hilt.
KA CHĪN!
The sword burst into flames, incinerating the Bugster, who died screaming. Hiiro swung his blazing sword two-handed through the air, sending out waves of flame that knocked back and ignited the Bugsters around him. Charging power into his sword, he drove it into the ground, causing explosions to erupt around him, wiping out more of the Viruses.
But of course, there were always more mooks where those came from, and more monks charged at him, having failed to realize that repeating the actions of their fallen brethren would only lead to the same result. Maybe Bugsters really were insane. Hiiro pressed another button on his hilt.
KO CHĪN!
Switching to his blade's Ice Mode, Hiiro swung his sword at the first enemy to reach him, freezing it in a block of ice. He shattered it with a kick, then engaged more of the monks, his weapon freezing and shattering any mace or Trident it came in contact with, to say nothing of his foes' limbs. Stabbing the B button four times, he unleashed a wave of ice which froze all the remaining Bugsters solid. Charging more power into the blade, he cried out as he thrust it into the ground, spires of ice erupting from the floor to pierce and shatter the minions.
Glancing around to make sure there were no opponents left, Hiiro asked, "So how's that spell doing?"
Alhambra started chanting faster in desperation.
Unwilling to let the Bugster actually pull off his spell, Hiiro switched his sword back to its Fire Mode with a cry of KA CHĪN! And inserted the Taddle Quest Gashat into a slot on the hills, pulling the trigger.
CLICK TO OPEN! FINISHING MOVE!
CLICK TO CLOSE!
TADDLE CRITICAL FINISH!
Flames and energy crackling around his sword, Hiiro charged towards the panicking Alhambra, winding back his blade to finish him off with a fiery slash…
And didn't see the grin on his foe's face before it was too late. "Gotcha."
Hiiro's eyes widened in surprise. "What-"
"Do-Do-Do-Do-Do Crimson Exploding Dragon Sword!"
There was a tremendous fiery explosion shaped like a Chinese Dragon and Hiiro was flung back, crying in agony, flames trailing from his form as he hit the ground, rolled a few times, and came to a stop. Gasping and groaning, he struggled to pull himself up, his Rider Gauge ominously close to empty. "Nnngh…th-that attack… But how…"
Alhambra chuckled, raising his scepter, which had transformed into a flaming double-bladed pole-arm. "Yes, I thought you would recognize it… Just as you recognize this weapon, don't you?"
Hiiro stiffened. "No… That's… The Graphite Fang! But that's impossible!"
Alhambra laughed. "Impossible? Far from it… Especially for one who has inherited the burning spirit of the Dragon warrior of Drago Knight Hunter Z, Graphite!" He cast off his cloak, revealing, much to Hiiro's horror, that underneath it his body now resembled that of his greatest foe, Crimson Graphite Bugster!
…
"WHAT?!" The heroes cried in disbelief back on the stage.
"Oh, did I forget to mention that Alhambra has been infused with data from Drago Knight Hunter Z? Whoops! How forgetful of me!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD said with malicious glee.
"Graphite…" Taiga growled, clenching his fist as he looked at Alhambra, now looking so very much like the Bugster he hated more than any other in the world.
"This is unforgivable!" Parad yelled angrily, outraged to see this mockery of his former best friend. "Graphite sacrificed himself in honorable battle to put an end to Kamen Rider Chronicle! This is pissing on his memory!"
"Graphite was nothing more than a video game character that I created. Ones and zeros," Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD said dismissively. "As such, I see nothing wrong with reusing his code for my own means. Better than letting it go to waste, don't you think?"
"Kuroto…" Emu snarled.
"That's Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD snapped.
"Come on, Taiga… Don't let this get you…" Kiriya murmured, eyes focused on the screen.
…
"This strength, this perfect form, it's incredible!" Alhambra gushed, swinging his blade through the air. "At the peak of his power, Graphite was more than a match for just about all of you Riders, even without the Gamedeus strain infecting him! With this power added to my own, I am now level 109, mightier than any Bugster save for Gamedeus himself! And while I'm sure you might still be able to beat me with your level 100 form eventually… Would you be able to do so before my host dies and I am complete?"
Hiiro clenched his fist. Tsubasa and Suki looking at him, desperately, begging him to help them, flashed through his mind.
As did something else.
"Please… Become the best Doctor in the world…"
Hiiro took a deep breath… And disengaged his Gashat.
CLICK TO SAVE!
…
"What the… What does he think he's doing?!" Taiga yelled incredulously as Hiiro changed back to normal.
Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD started laughing. "Is he… Is he actually giving up?! This is… This is even better than I'd hoped!"
"Hiiro…" Emu whispered in disbelief.
…
"Are you actually surrendering?!" Alhambra asked in disbelief. "I'm actually rather surprised and somewhat disappointed. I thought that you Riders were all about fighting to the bitter end!"
"We are," Hiiro said, standing up and wiping some blood away from his mouth. "As a doctor, it is my duty to cure my patient, no matter what. But when my tools are ineffective, I must resort to a different method of treatment."
"What are you talking about?" Alhambra asked in confusion.
"I always knew that there was a chance that the Bugster virus would continue evolving, meaning we would need to find new and more effective ways to treat it," Hiiro asked, pulling out his phone and speed dialing someone. "Which is why I was able to get the Ministry of Health to facilitate a joint project between Genm and Yggdrasil for a new weapon in case more dangerous Bugsters ever appeared." He raised the phone to his mouth. "Satsuki? Mizuki? It's time."
As Hiiro hung up, the confused Alhambra said, "Time? Time for what-"
Without warning, a car suddenly rammed into Alhambra, sending him flying into the wall. The car doors opened, and Hiiro's gorgeous assistants, Satsuki Ogimachi and Mizuki Mizoguchi stepped out, looking professional and sexy as always in their nurse's outfits.
…
"What… What are they doing there?" Asked a dumbfounded Parad.
"How did they even get in there?!" Asked an incredulous Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD. "They aren't even in the real world right now!"
"What are you up to, Hiiro?" Kiriya wondered.
…
"Doctor Kagami. We are sorry for the delay," Satsuki said, bowing her head. "There was traffic between here and Zawame."
"That is inconsequential. Do you have it?" Hiiro asked sternly.
"We do." Mizuki reached back into the car and pulled out a silver case with an insignia resembling a large green tree on it. She and Satsuki both took out a key which they inserted into twin locks, then pressed their thumbs onto a fingerprint scanner. The locks popped open, and Mizuki knelt on the ground, holding up the case to Hiiro, bowing her head in reverence.
Hiiro solemnly opened the case, golden light shining upon his face. A look of awe and wonder on his features, he reached into the case and removed the source of the light, a beautiful Gashat looking to be made of solid gold with the label of 'Taddle Legend' over a brightly-colored image of a beautiful blonde woman in white offering a golden apple to a kneeling knight in silver armor. "At last… It is ready. It's even more beautiful than I imagined…"
"It was made exactly to your specifications, Doctor Kagami," Satsuki said as she and Mizuki gazed at the Gashat with a look of rapturous joy on their faces, each of them clutching a fruit basket necklace in one hand while making signs over their breast. "Forged from a cast made of metal from the destroyed Scalar System using exotic materials from Helheim forest. Coded by devout followers of every path of Gaimism while priests recited from the Books of Helheim for half a year nonstop, the programmers swapping in shifts to keep from dying from exhaustion, which they would gladly have done were it not for the beneficence of their merciful superiors. Buried beneath the roots of the guardian tree of Baron for seven days and seven nights while shrine maidens and Beat Riders engaged in the sacred dance rites above it. Anointed with juices from every food in the sacred basket at holy Drupers, and blessed by Archbishop Kureshima himself before a citywide congregation, infusing it with the prayers of thousands. It is a Gashat truly worthy of the name of Taddle Legend!"
…
"… Well, that's… Certainly an interesting way to make a Gashat," Taiga said slowly.
Kiriya laughed in amusement. "Wow, I had no idea Hiiro was that hard-core a Gaimist! Sure puts me to shame."
"Okay, I've no idea what's going on right now," said a very confused Parad.
"You… Aren't the only one," admitted a bewildered Emu.
"UNACCEPTABLE!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD shrieked, slamming a fist on the podium. "I did not create this Gashat, nor did I authorize it! I refuse to acknowledge it! Kagami is cheating! I should disqualify him at once!"
"Just like you were cheating when you mislead us with your explanation of the question, along with not bothering to tell Hiiro just what sort of a fight he was walking into?" Emu asked sharply.
"It's not my fault if none of you idiots thought to ask the right questions…" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD grumbled, subsiding.
…
A look of serenity crossed Hiiro's features as he gazed upon the holy Gashat. "Yes… Yes, this will do nicely." He closed his eyes and bowed his head for a moment in prayer, his nurses joining him. "O Fruit Jesus, who sits in Helheim… Lord Baron, who walks the warrior's path… And Saki, wherever you are… Grant me your blessing." He pulled the trigger on the Gashat as he raised it skywards, a shaft of golden light falling upon him, even though they were in a cave.
TADDLE LEGEND!
"Proceeding with level 1000," Hiiro declared as he inserted the Gashat into his Gamer Driver.
…
"LEVEL WHAT?!" Everyone screamed in disbelief.
…
"HENSHIN!"
CLICK AND OPEN! LEVEL UP! ACCEPT GOD'S GIFT! FULFILL YOUR DESTINY! TASTE THE FRUIT OF VICTORY! TADDLE LEGEND!
His transformation complete, Hiiro was now wearing armor and cape similar to his level 100 form, only it was golden with colored jewels shaped like fruit embedded in it, and a cape with a red interior and a gold back. Golden greaves and gauntlets with more jewels now covered his lower legs and arms. His chest plate had a large round rainbow-colored crystal on the front with images of a number of different fruits engraved into the interior. Small gold and white metal wings rose from his back. A crest resembling a crescent moon was affixed to his forehead. As divine light shone down upon him, and white feathers floated down from the heavens, he declared, "I am the hero of Helheim, champion of Baron…Kamen Rider Brave, Legend Gamer Level 1000!" On either side of him, Satsuki and Mizuki knelt to the ground and bowed their heads.
"Level… Level 1000?!" Alhambra cried in disbelief, staggering back to his feet. "That's… That's not possible!"
Hiiro shrugged. "You have surpassed level 100, and Kuroto-"
…
Everyone glanced at Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD. He was too stunned by Hiiro's transformation to remind them of what he wanted to be called.
…
"Could reach level 1,000,000,000. I don't think level 1000 is out of the question."
"I don't care what level you are, I will destroy you all the same!" Alhambra snarled. "In fact, I don't even need to defeat you. All I have to do is drag this fight out long enough, and Suki will die, and I shall be complete! Even if you beat me after that, you will still have failed to stop me from becoming perfect!"
"I have no intention of letting my perfect record be tarnished by letting a patient die," Hiiro said calmly. He extended a hand. "It is time to end this. Come forth, sacred sword, Gashacalibur!"
With a zipping sound, a hole opened in the air, revealing the canopy of an alien forest. Something shot out of the hole and smashed into the ground hard enough to embed itself and shake the cavern. As the hole closed, with both hands Hiiro gripped the hilt of the sword – – for that was what it was – – and with a mighty cry, a golden corona blazing around him, wrenched it from the ground, shattering the floor around him for a few meters. He raised it heavenwards, divine light shining down upon him once again, revealing the blade to be a magnificent golden sword with a spade shaped end on the pommel of the handle that most certainly did not look like a recolor of Lord Baron's Guronbaryamu or Demushu's Sheimu with the hilt of the Gashacon Sword slapped onto it. Hiiro swiped his sword through the air, the blade slicing the air so finely it ignited. "Shall we test your sword against mine?"
"… Bugsters! Get him!" Alhambra shouted, summoning over two dozen Bugster Viruses. Jeering and shaking their weapons, the monks charged at Hiiro.
Hiiro stabbed the A button on his hilt once, causing the blade to start glowing. He took a step forward…
And in a flurry of golden feathers, he was suddenly on the other side of the horde, bringing his blade down on a startled Alhambra, who only barely managed to bring his weapon up in time to parry the blow before it could cleave him in two. Behind the Rider, the Bugsters cried out and collapsed, exploding. "N-no… So fast!"
"Precision is always more important than speed in surgery," Hiiro said before seemingly putting the lie to his words by unleashing a lightning fast flurry of slashes and stabs at Alhambra which the Bugster was only barely able to defend himself against. "Your swordsmanship is sloppy," Hiiro said disparagingly as he advanced bit by bit with each successful blow, forcing the increasingly desperate Alhambra further and further back. "Your form is off, your grip is wrong, your technique is flawed, your attacks are wildly telegraphed… I'm disappointed. Graphite would never have made such mistakes."
"Th-that can't be!" Alhambra protested frantically as he countered another swipe, desperately searching for any opening in Hiiro's wall of flashing blades. He found none. "I have his data!"
"It wasn't his data that made Graphite a master swordsman," Hiiro lectured the Bugster. "It was his warrior spirit… A spirit which you sadly lack!" With a flick of his wrist, he knocked the Graphite Fang out of Alhambra's sweat-stricken grip and thrust his sword at his abdomen, intending to end this with a single blow.
Alhambra managed to catch the blade between his palms, sweating and struggling with visible effort to keep it from going any further, the tip only millimeters from his stomach. "I may lack a warrior spirit… But at least I still have my magic!" His eyes flashed, and a blindingly bright light emitted from his body, causing Hiiro to flinch and take a few steps back. With a wave of Alhambra's hand, Hiiro levitated into the air, then slammed into the ground hard enough to crater it, grunting as gravity around him was increased to several times Earth's magnitude. The Rider started struggling to his feet, armor flashing as his power to fight back against the gravity, but with a quick incantation, Alhambra froze him in ice. "Let's see how you like that!" He sneered, picking up the Graphite Fang once more and winding back to shatter his foe with a single strike.
He didn't get the chance. Hiiro's armor and sword lit up, and in an explosion of light, the ice encasing him shattered, knocking Alhambra back. With a battle cry, Hiiro lunged forward to engage his foe, the light his sword was emitting and the strength of his arm increasing with every strike he landed, to the point where Alhambra swiftly realized he had only moments left before he would be completely unable to continue defending himself. Frantic, he summoned a slab of stone, which rose up in front of him and shot towards Hiiro, trying to shove him back. Hiiro pressed the A button on his sword, powering up, then released a slash which not only cut the slab diagonally in two, but a good chunk of the cave wall behind it.
Terrified, Alhambra summoned a small magic portal and thrust a hand through it. A much larger portal opened on the ceiling, and that same hand, now massive, shot down to try and crush Hiiro. The Rider rolled out of the way before the hand could smash into him, and lashed out with his blade, severing three of the Bugster's fingers. Howling, Alhambra withdrew his hand back through the portal, staring at his missing digits in disbelief. "Y-you…you…RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"
Trembling with fear and rage, he let out a wild scream, his form blurring as several copies of himself suddenly materialized around Hiiro, all of their swords igniting as they raised them up to strike the Rider. "Only one of us is real, Brave! Can you guess which?" They shouted in unison.
"I don't need to." Hiiro stabbed the B button on his hilt, causing the sword to charge with power, and then whirled around in a spin attack, a halo of light arcing out from him and slicing through the copies of Alhambra, all of which dissipated as it expanded outwards and struck the true Alhambra, who'd been standing some distance away, charging a much stronger attack. Grunting in pain, Alhambra was flung back…
And fell into a hole in the ground which opened rather spontaneously, only to close just as suddenly. "What?" Hiiro said in surprise. "Where did-"
Spinning like a drill, Alhambra erupted from the ground behind him, lashing out several times with his spinning blade, cutting into Hiiro's back and flinging him away. Before he could land, magical chains suddenly shot out of thin air, wrapping around his neck, waist, and limbs, halting his descent with a jerk and holding him taut. The sudden pull on his wrist was strong enough to force him to drop his sword, Gashacalibur flying end over end and burying itself in the ground some distance away. "Finally!" Alhambra cackled as he clenched his fist, causing the chains to start tightening and pulling at Hiiro's extremities, causing the Rider to gasp as he was partially strangled and his body was yanked in all directions. "At last, I have you where I want you! As helpless as you are, maybe now I can finally cast Ruin… But no, that's only tempting fate at this point." Cackling, he ignited his weapon, drawing back to deal a fatal blow. "After what you've done to my hand, I think I'll just run you through instead. Are you ready to see your girlfriend again?"
Without warning, Satsuki, now wearing a Chinese martial arts outfit with her hair in odangos, launched herself at Alhambra with a flying kick, sending him staggering back. "Wh-what?!"
"The next time Doctor Kagami will see Saki is when she's alive and well, and in his arms once more!" Satsuki cried, unleashing a flurry of surprisingly powerful punches and kicks at the startled Bugster. "You have no right to say her name!"
"Gah! Get back!" Alhambra snarled, fire erupting from his body as he lashed out with a blazing slash, slashing through Satsuki's clothes and sending her flying back. She rolled on the ground, but quickly pulled herself back up, panting but still holding herself strong, even as blood seeped from her wounds. "Idiot human!" Alhambra snarled as he charged up his blade. "You shouldn't have gotten in the way!"
He was interrupted from slaughtering Satsuki when the tip of Gashacalibur suddenly burst through his chest. "We are Doctor Kagami's assistants," Mizuki, now dressed like a ninja, said coolly as Alhambra gurgled and stared down at the blade in disbelief, hands wrapped around the sacred sword's hilt. "It is our duty to give him aid."
…
Everyone stared at the screen incredulously. "When… When did those two get so badass?!" Asked a stunned Taiga.
"After they were both nearly killed by the Beast Rider squadron, they asked Hiiro to train them to defend themselves," Emu explained, unable to take his eyes off the screen. "Clearly, he's a good teacher."
Kiriya whistled. "Hiiro sure has all the luck with the ladies. Why can't I have assistants that pretty?"
"I… Feel as if I may have lost some measure of control over this game," said a bewildered Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD.
"That would imply you ever had any control to begin with," Parad said flatly. Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD growled.
…
Mizuki wrenched the sword out of Alhambra's back and rushed over to Hiiro. The Bugster tried to go after her, only to be attacked from behind by Satsuki, who kept him distracted with her martial arts skills. With a few swings of the blade, Mizuki cut her master down. She bowed her head and offered up Gashacalibur as he caught his breath and rose back to his feet. "Hiiro-sama, we apologize for interfering in your battle. I know you probably had everything well in hand, but-"
"I did," Hiiro said with a curt nod, taking back his sword. "But I'm pleased to see how well your training has progressed."
"Neither Satsuki or I ever want to be victims again," Mizuki said severely.
"And so long as you keep this up, neither of you will be. But now, it is time to finish things. Alhambra!" Hiiro cried, getting the Bugster's attention. Seeing her superior was free, Mizuki withdrew. "This has gone on too long. It's time to end this!"
"Yes," Alhambra growled in agreement, charging energy into his weapon. "It has."
As the Bugster powered up, Hiiro took out his Gashat and inserted it into the hilt of Gashacalibur.
CLICK TO OPEN! FINISHING MOVE!
CLICK TO CLOSE!
TADDLE LEGEND CRITICAL FINISH!
As the silhouettes of a warrior in silver and white armor and a monstrous horned figure in red and gold overlapped him, Hiiro's blade glowed brighter than the sun, and he charged towards Alhambra.
Alhambra's sword burst into flames, and a fiery silhouette of a Chinese Dragon wrapped around him as he surged forwards, charging to meet the Rider. "Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do Crimson Exploding Dragon Sword!"
The two warriors met in the center of the cave, blades clashing with a tremendous thunderclap and blinding flash of light which rocked the cavern, forcing Satsuki and Mizuki to quickly take evasive maneuvers to avoid pieces of debris falling from the ceiling. As the energy building up around the two blade-locked warriors grew to the point where neither of them could be visible, there was the sound of something shattering, another thunderclap, a cry of agony, and then…
Hiiro stood several meters away from the center of the room, his blade extended to his side, his back to Alhambra. The Bugster stood very still behind him, the hilt of Graphite Fang clutched tightly in his hand… And that was all he held, the blade having been completely destroyed. A death rattle rising from his throat, he fell to the ground and exploded.
PERFECT!
Hiiro raised his sword into the air. "I dedicate this victory to Fruit Jesus and Lord Baron." Holding his sword point down towards the ground, he knelt and bowed his head in prayer. Satsuki and Mizuki knelt beside him, doing the same thing.
…
At the restaurant, Tsubasa was desperately holding onto what was left of his almost completely disappeared lover, desperately praying to every deity in the Gaimist pantheon-even Sigurd, who had absolutely no worshipers whatsoever because it was universally acknowledged that Sid had been an irredeemable asshole, and he'd only been included in the pantheon for the sake of completion- when Suki suddenly took a deep breath and opened her eyes, her body regaining its tangibility. "S-Suki?" He whispered, barely able to allow himself to hope.
"Yes," she said weakly.
He gave her a confused look. "Yes? What do you mean?"
"Yes," she said. "I will marry you."
Tsubasa stared her blankly for a moment, and then burst into laughter as realization dawned on him. "Oh… Oh, thank Gaim." He kissed her, and the restaurant patrons and staff that hadn't fled when Alhambra appeared applauded.
At the edge of the room, Hiiro closed his eyes, a brief look of pain flashing across his face. Satsuki and Mizuki gave him concerned looks, but he turned away, leaving the room.
…
When Hiiro materialized on the warp point, his friends applauded… And then stared in confusion as Satsuki and Mizuki appeared after him. "What are they doing here?" Asked a puzzled Parad.
Hiiro shrugged. "They asked if they could come. I didn't see any reason why not."
"Also, we brought cake," Satsuki said, holding up a cake.
"Any premature objections to their presence I may have been about to utter, I immediately withdraw," Taiga said seriously, staring at the cake with longing.
"Do you have enough for all of us?" Kiriya asked hopefully.
"We do! Except for Kuroto," Mizuki said, glaring at Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD. "He doesn't get any." Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"That's Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD! And I never gave you permission to bring anyone else here!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD protested, totally not upset that he wasn't going to get any cake.
"You never said I couldn't," Hiiro countered.
"You also never gave him permission to use Taddle Legend, or get outside help, but that didn't stop it from happening," Kiriya pointed out.
"Grr… Fine! But it can never happen again during this game!" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD snapped angrily.
"We make absolutely zero promises that that will happen," Parad said bluntly. The others nodded in agreement.
"You realize that if you push me too far, I'll just give up on the game and release a new epidemic, right?" Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD snarled in frustration.
"And if you push us too far, we'll stop playing along and kill you again," Taiga promised.
"You can try," Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD sneered. "Or have you forgotten that in this form, I'm completely immune to physical attacks?"
"Are you immune to my Gashacon Key Slasher's reprogramming ability?" Emu asked. "Or Muteki?"
There was a long, telling pause. "… Give me a slice of cake and we'll call it even," Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD said finally.
"Deal. You can have half of Taiga's," Kiriya said.
"Wait, what?!" Taiga protested.
"Anyway, it's time to move on," Ultimate Final Super Great Neo-Shin Kuroto Dan GOD said as Hiiro began to precisely cut the cake, Taiga scowling as he saw how much smaller his piece was from everyone else's. "Better get this question right, Emu, or its back-to-back Bugsters for you and your friends!"
How many times did I die from overworking while trying to re-create Hyper Muteki after my father reset it from existence?
A. 28
B. 12
C. 26
…
Phew, that was the longest chapter of the story so far. I hope you liked it, and didn't mind Hiiro's new form or the addition of his nurses to the plot too much. I thought it would be cool. What did you think of the battle?
