Jiro here for the eighth chapter of this fic! I'm happy with how well it's coming along, but I gotta say that it'll probably slow down soon, since I gotta put a lot of research and effort into the rest of the story so it's not lackluster, or any more lackluster, if you aren't a fan. Regardless, I do hope you enjoy this chapter, as it'll probably be one of my favorite chapters to write for a while lol. Thanks for everything, Jiro 'The Ghetto Shaman' Uchiha, OTF Inc.


"What happened to you guys?" Takaharu asked as Yakumo and Hikari were dragged into the main room of the Igasaki Dojo. The magickal ninja collapsed to the ground before rolling to his back and coughing. "Hikari lost it and Hiro's grandfather beat us. He made it seem easy." he wheezed out, his body extremely sore. Hikari rolled slightly, propping himself up on his right elbow as he looked to Yakumo. "Don't blame me!" he shouted, coughing as he fell back. "If you would have been as devoted to slaying evil as I was, we wouldn't be having this problem!" he shouted, the effort he put into his shouting causing him to wince and clutch his chest, his heartbeat irregular.

"So you guys went to somehow get information out of a kid's parents about something you guys probably imagined, and then you get beat up by an old guy?" Takaharu asked, and Yakumo shook his head as he panted. "He wasn't any ordinary old man. His hands…. They were metal." he said, and the group looked amongst each other. "He had some form of transformation. It was mortifying. Those eyes..." Hikari wheezed, trailing off as he shuddered, both of them slowly losing consciousness from their injuries. Kasumi sighed as she stood, shaking her head. "Both of them appear to have been electrocuted by something with an incredible amount of electric power. It's like they were struck by lightning." she noted, and the rest of them looked amongst each other, worried about the wellbeing of the two unconscious superheroes.

Ata took a step back, exhaling as he followed Meteor's movements closely, analyzing his fighting style to see if it was any different from what he expected. He swung his right hand down, slapping Meteor's left fist down before lowering his stance and throwing a left palm strike. Meteor rolled around the strike, throwing a left butterfly kick that struck Ata in the side of the head, the larger Kamen Rider stumbling forward before spinning and exhaling. Meteor threw a wide right hook, Ata ducking underneath and throwing a right palm strike to his foe's abdomen, shoving him back enough to follow up with a left hooking palm to the side of the head, Meteor taking his turn stumbling. Ata followed up with a straight right palm, striking Meteor in the chest and sending him stumbling back.

Ata watched his opponent closely, using his Pea Kapunga as a way to gauge his opponent's capability, and as a way to tell which fighting style would be most effective. He ducked under a well placed spin kick, Meteor stopping with his back to Ata, throwing both of his elbows back and striking Ata in the stomach. Ata chuckled when he recognized the fighting style, slapping Meteor's palms away in quick succession as his mind continued to work, taking in each strike and measuring how much effort was put into each fist, feeling the gusts of wind from avoiding kicks, and feeling his foe's muscles tense from when he was struck. He dropped his stance, striking Meteor in the back with a straight left palm, rising back to a vertical base before switching his fighting stance, something that caused the other Kamen Rider to hesitate.

"What do you think you're doing!?" he shouted, and Ata shrugged his shoulders slowly. "Switching fighting styles. The first one I use is a defensive style that in fights like this I use to test you." he said, smiling underneath his helmet. The other Kamen Rider's gaze moved to the ground as his fists clenched. "So you're toying with me!?" He shouted, and Ata shrugged, an action that seemed to goad on the glossy suited fellow, who charged Ata with an enraged shout. Ata leaned to his right, avoiding a right jab. He responded with a right cross, striking his foe in the chest and knocking him back enough for Ata to straighten his stance and throw a left palm strike. "If you keep fighting like this, I won't even move past my second fighting style." he said absentmindedly.

His opponent growled, throwing a straight right jab. Ata threw his left hand out, chopping Meteor's wrist before rolling his hand to grab his forearm. Meteor threw a left bodyblow, striking Ata in the stomach and doing little damage, the larger fighter ignoring the attack. Ata pulled back, placing his palm on Meteor's abdomen before tossing him overhead, the other fighter spinning and landing on his feet as Ata turned to face him. "You sure you wanna fight me? You aren't acting like it." he said, resisting the urge to laugh. He took a casual step forward, pointing at his opponent, knowing full well that he seemed rather irate. "Mei tells me that deep down you don't like fighting. Seems like she was right." he said with a shrug, glancing down to the other Kamen Rider as he smiled.

Meteor screamed in anger, throwing a hard right hand into Ata's chest and sending him flying back, his feet coming off the ground. "Don't you ever say Mei's name again!" he shouted, watching Ata crash to the ground and roll back. Meteor heard a hum before the black suit of armor flipped back to it's feet, Ata glancing down to his chest before slapping it. "I get it now." he said, turning to his opponent and reassuming his Tiger Fist fighting stance. "The Imagin that came after Mei was sent by Tomoko, wasn't it?" he asked, and the other fighter hesitated, as if surprised by something. "How do you know about her?" he asked, and Ata slapped his chest as he began closing in.

Ata stopped short, throwing a right palm strike that was avoided, Meteor stepping to his left. Ata rolled his torso, using his extended arm like one end of a staff as he followed up with a broad left palm, striking his opponent in the arm and knocking him to the ground before stepping back. "It's a unique capability I have. I can learn everything about a given situation or person just by fighting them. How much I learn is usually connected to how much I want to fight them." he said, watching the other male rise to his feet. "So, when you bruised my ribs with that punch, I learned everything I needed to know. The black Imagin made a contract with Tomoko, your other girlfriend, to get rid of Mei after she found out there was another woman. And, since I learned this from you, I wager a guess that you knew, or assumed." he said, his opponent merely scoffing in response.

Ata shrugged as he reassumed his fighting stance. "Don't deny it. The fuck would I care about your love life? I'm here to fight." he said, stomping forward and throwing a right hook. Meteor leaned to his right, throwing a right punch into Ata's chest. The big foreigner allowed his body to move back from the blow, a straight right kick to his chest making him take a step back. He'll go for a left high kick next. Ata thought, watching as Meteor did exactly what he predicted, Ata exhaling as he stepped back, curling his fingers as if he had claws. He came down with his left hand, striking Meteor's extended leg and knocking it down, his right hand swinging in a wide arc and striking Meteor in the side of the head. Ata watched him stumble, stepping forward and grabbing his left arm with his own left arm.

He tugged his opponent back, a right palm to the skull, knocking him off of his feet. Ata stepped forward and spun, watching his opponent rise back to his feet. "Calm down. With the state you're in, there's no fun in fighting you." he said, stepping back from a right jab and responding with a left palm to the chest. "If you stay angry, your fighting style gets sloppy, almost like a street fighter's style." he noted as he spun around a left hook, a chop to the left shoulder blade sending the shorter male stumbling forward. "Shut the fuck up!" Meteor shouted, and Ata sighed as he stepped back from a left high kick, hearing some form of noise erupt from Meteor's belt while his back was turned. When the other Kamen Rider spun around, Ata saw an image of Saturn on his hand and wrist, a hooking swipe sending a projectile in the shape of the planet's rings at Ata.

The big foreigner grunted when he was struck, his feet grinding against the ground as he slid back. When he stopped, he exhaled and rolled his shoulders, patting his chest as smoke began to secrete from his armor. "That's more like it." he said, reassuming his fighting stance before running forward. Meteor struck preemptively, a right kick to the chest that he followed up with a right jab to the chest. Ata responded with a hooking right palm, watching his opponent roll in a counterclockwise circle, striking his left shoulder with a spinning backfist, offsetting Ata's posture enough to follow up with a trio of spinning kicks that knocked Ata back, the Maori grunting as he regained his composure. He narrowed his eyes, humming to himself as he stretched his fingers, feeling the energy roll around his fingers and harden, sharpening into claws. Ata rolled his shoulders as he lowered his stance, slightly inhaling.

If this keeps up, I'll have to shift to Wuhuri Kapunga. Ata thought, glad that he'd have to end up taking the fight seriously soon, the two slowly closing in on each other. Meteor threw a left cross, Ata twisting his chest to the right and raking the claws of his left hand down Meteor's chest, following up with a left uppercut, his claws hooking under the odd blue armoring across his chest, Ata lifting him overhead and throwing him back, running after him and hopping, slamming both of his palms into his foe's airborne chest and slamming him to the ground. Meteor grunted in pain, his leg flying up and striking Ata in the side of the head as he rolled to his feet, throwing a right hook. Ata leaned to his left, throwing a hooking left palm that Meteor stepped back to avoid, stepping forward to throw a high left kick.

Ata was struck in the chest, stepping back before lurching forward with a pair of overhead claw swipes that the glossy suited Kamen Rider barely avoided, using the opening to throw a jumping left knee into Ata's face, following up by using the momentum to dropkick Ata in the chest and flip to land on his feet. Ata laughed, rolling his shoulders as he threw a left spin kick, Meteor blocking with his right forearm, throwing a left kick at Ata's abdomen, striking the big foreigner, who caught his leg and hopped in place, a hopping left palm striking Meteor in the chest and knocking him to the ground, Ata using the leg he held onto to pull his opponent back into the air, releasing his leg and slamming both palm's into his opponent's chest, hearing a crack from the blue armor on his chest as he flew back. Ata watched him roll in air and land on his feet, Ata chuckling in amusement.

Ata began flexing and rolling all of his muscle to assess the amount of damage he'd taken, analyzing his body while watching his opponent close in. Left shoulder hurts, ribs on the right are a bit damaged, and I'm probably the slightest bit concussed. Not too much damage for a fight that's lasted a few minutes. He thought to himself as he stepped back from a right spinning kick, moving forward to throw a right palm strike. However, Meteor countered with a left mule kick, striking Ata in the jaw and causing him to stumble back and grunt. Think I just chipped a tooth or two on that one. He thought in amusement, rolling his neck and shifting his focus as he was struck with a left bodyblow that was followed up with a right. Ata jabbed his head forward, his skull colliding with Meteor's to knock him back and create space.

Ata threw a right claw swipe, his opponent using his left forearm to block, closing in with a right jab. Ata closed his left hand, throwing a left cross that Meteor countered by shooting his right leg out and hooking Ata's left. He pulled back, offsetting Ata's posture enough to roll over the larger male's back and spin, tripping him with a low left kick before throwing a straight right kick into his midsection to send him flying back. Ata hit the ground and skid, shifting his weight to roll and bounce, landing on his feet and exhaling. He cursed, immediately rolling to his left to avoid another ring shaped projectile as he rose back to his full height once more, grunting at the right foot that landed in his chest. He's starting to get serious. Ata thought, stepping back and slapping Meteor's left fist down, a left claw swipe striking his opponent and creating space.

Ata stepped forward, following up with a hard right elbow, his eyes locked on his opponent's posture. When Ata saw his foe's arms moving to block, he threw a left hooking palm that struck Meteor in the stomach. Meteor took a step back, moving forward with a left jab to the chest that caused Ata to grunt, a right high step kick striking the Maori in the side of the head and sending him stumbling back. Ata hopped in place to throw his opponent off, a high feint that worked, allowing him to throw a low hooking left claw swipe that he followed up with a right palm. He moved to follow up with a left roundhouse kick, Meteor able to throw his hands up to block his opponent's large leg, pushing it away and offsetting Ata's balance before throwing a left bodyblow that he followed up with a left cross, the step back that Ata took enough for Meteor to throw a straight right kick into his chest and create more space.

Ata chuckled as he patted his chest, flicking his wrists as he stepped forward and threw a right haymaker that Meteor ducked underneath, rising up and throwing a right uppercut that he followed up with a left jab and a right cross. Ata grit his teeth, noticing that his opponent's power was steadily increasing while his own plateaued. He ducked under a left hook, twisting his body to the left and throwing a pair of right kidney shots that he followed up with a left palm to the abdomen to create space, his mind moving at a rapid pace as he gauged multiple things. He stepped back from a left side kick, stepping to his own left and throwing a hooking left roundhouse kick that struck Meteor in the chest and knocked him to the ground, Ata stepping back and exhaling.

I need him to get serious so I can completely gauge his power. He thought, remembering that one of his most effective weapons was his tongue, remembering how agitated his opponent got when he mentioned Mei. He stepped back from a right jab, throwing a right hook that struck his opponent in the chest. "You aren't taking this seriously, are you?" he asked, his mind thinking about what he could say to agitate his opponent while his body moved on reflexes, catching his opponent's fists in each palm before kicking him in the abdomen, watching the glossy suited fellow fly through the air and land on his feet. "I can tell that your power is steadily increasing, which means that you aren't really going all out." he noted, rubbing the chin of his helmet and smiling beneath it.

"Would you fight a little more seriously if I told you where Mei is?" he asked, and his opponent hesitated, Ata able to feel his own muscles rolling as he grew more enthused. "If I'm right, Mei is currently walking around town with my friend Stallone, that stony monster you tied to kill the other day. I could send him a signal, and he'd end her without the slightest hesitation." he explained, knowing full well that neither he nor Stallone would do anything of the sort. His opponent screamed, a loud, almost vengeful sound that Ata sighed upon hearing. His hands balled into fists, rising up as his left leg slightly lifted off the ground. He watched the other Kamen Rider charge him, inhaling once before moving himself.

Ata spun, coming down with a right elbow, his opponent stepping back to avoid it. Meteor stepped forward, rolling over his opponent's back, Ata humming at the action before Meteor threw a hard right elbow into his left kidney. Ata cursed, responding instinctively with a spinning left backfist that Meteor ducked under, rising up and flipping backwards, throwing an overhead right kick that Ata blocked with his forearms, Meteor's other leg snapping down and striking Ata's forearms, breaking his guard as he stepped back. Meteor hit the ground, throwing a right spinning backfist that Ata again blocked with his forearm, the foreigner exhaling before stepping forward, a left forearm striking Meteor in the back of the head. The other Kamen Rider turned to face Ata, his fists still clenched in anger.

Ata threw a left high kick that was blocked by a pair of forearms, Meteor throwing a left mid kick to Ata's chest, shoving Ata's leg to the side before throwing a right cross. Ata exhaled, throwing a left vertical elbow, striking his opponent's hand and countering his punch, taking a hard step forward and slamming his right elbow into his foe's skull, creating enough space for Ata to rotate his right wrist and follow up with a backfist that sent his opponent stumbling back. Using the space created by his strikes, Ata swung his left leg, Meteor ducking under Ata's leg before rising up and throwing a right uppercut, Ata putting his forearms in front of his face as he grunted, stepping back before leaning back and opening his guard. Those damn ring shaped projectiles are annoying. He thought as he rose back to a vertical base.

Before he could regain his composure, Ata noticed that his opponent attempted to capitalize with a flying punch, Ata analyzing the attack instantly before jumping back slightly, dropping to a crouch and throwing a right spin kick meant to sweep his opponent's feet. Meteor hopped over it, the evasion giving Ata enough time to roll to his feet and throw a left elbow that Meteor blocked with his right forearm. Ata exhaled, throwing a right elbow that his opponent blocked with his other forearm, Ata applying pressure on his opponent's forearms to wear them down while watching his legs. When the shorter male's leg moved to take a step back, Ata withdrew his elbows and leaned back slightly, throwing a right knee that struck his opponent in the stomach.

Ata withdrew his knee quickly, his right leg shooting out and striking his opponent in the side, his bent foot acting like a hook, offsetting his opponent's balance enough for him to stomp forward and throw a left elbow that he followed up with a spinning right back elbow, his opponent stepping back. Ata cursed, his demeanor becoming the slightest bit frustrated. I can tell that didn't do too much damage. This is gonna be a pain in the ass. He thought, exhaling as he rolled his shoulders. I just need him to hit me with one or two more attacks and then I can try out my last fighting style. He thought, noting that neither Bear or Tiger Fist weren't very effective, and his Wolf Fist lacked something needed to overwhelm his opponent.

Retaking his fighting stance, Ata narrowed his eyes slightly as he thought about exactly what his Wolf Fist was lacking. He stepped back from a right side kick, stepping forward with a right cross. Meteor weaved inward, Ata cursing as his right fist opened and hooked around the back of his opponent's head, catching him in a half clinch, allowing Ata to throw a volley of left forearm strikes. Meteor threw a wild right punch, striking Ata in the abdomen and breaking the clinch long enough to take a step back and regain his composure. Ata threw a right hook that Meteor spun in a counterclockwise circle to his left to avoid. He jabbed his left shoulder into Ata's chest to create a small amount of space.

Ata grunted, hesitating when his realized that this was what he was looking for. My Wolf Fist doesn't have too many varying attacks. It's all elbows and knees and how to get close enough to throw them. He noted, Meteor shouting as he threw a string of left backfists, striking Ata in the chest and abdomen. Ata throwing a left hook that Meteor leaned back from, following up with a right hook that Meteor spun in a clockwise half circle to avoid, his fingers resting on Ata's chest. He shouted, clenching his fist and throwing his fist forward with much more force than any of his other attacks, striking Ata in the chest and sending him flying back. Ata crashed to the ground and rolled, his armor covered in smoke.

Meteor panted, his energy slowly beginning to wane as he looked at the immobile suit of smoking armor. "Serves you right." he said, turning to leave. He hesitated, hearing a chuckle. Spinning around, he watched Ata rise to his feet, the smoke still billowing from his armor. Ata cracked his neck, sighing as he rolled his shoulders and assessed the damage he sustained. Well, my ribs are a little more than bruised at the least. He thought, humming to himself as he stepped forward, noting that his legs were completely fine. He flexed his hands, grunting at the pain he felt when the muscles in his arms flexed. He looked ahead, chuckling when he noticed the frustration in his opponent's posture. "Where were we?" he asked, his left leg sliding forward as he exhaled.

Meteor shouted, a loud bellow that Ata could feel the emotion behind. Watching his opponent's charge, Ata lifted his right hand up to his face, his hands remaining open and his posture remaining relaxed as he anticipated his foe's first strike. Meteor pulled back, Ata able to tell that the force behind his next punch was much more than usual, Ata almost beginning to wonder if his opponent's powers fluctuated based on emotion. Ata ducked under the straight right, spinning in a counter clockwise circle and swinging his left leg out, tripping his opponent as he moved to his side. Ata continued his motions fluidly, throwing a right front kick that sent his foe's airborne body flying back. Making sure he didn't slow down, Ata chased after Meteor's airborne body, watching as he rotated in midair.

Ata watched Meteor launch another projectile as he landed, the foreigner rolling around it with a spinning hop, closing in within the next three steps and throwing a stiff left bodyblow that he followed up with a spinning overhand right, spinning and dropping to one knee, exhaling as he slammed his left elbow into Meteor's abdomen, his arm rolling as the back of his fist struck his opponent in the chest, sending him stumbling into the edge of the bridge. Meteor shouted in frustration, slamming his fists into the bridge before turning back to Ata. "How did your power spike like that!?" he shouted, and Ata chuckled, hopping in place to keep himself moving, as if stopping would prove fatal. "It didn't. I simply decided to shift to my fourth fighting style." he said, and his opponent scoffed.

Ata stepped back from a right jab, twisting his body to the left and throwing a trio of quick right backfists that he followed up with a right side kick, continuing his momentum by slamming his foot down and spinning, his left heel striking Meteor in the shoulder as Ata hopped back. "Recognize any of my attacks?" he asked, his previous frustrations long forgotten as he began to enjoy himself. "Those… those are my attacks." the glossy suited fellow said, and Ata nodded. "Precisely. I'm not too fond of using this last fighting style, but it helps me understand my opponent's capabilities by mimicking their fighting style." he explained, humming to himself as the two closed in on each other. "I decided to call it 'Parrot Fist', since it's pretty much me parroting my opponent's moves." he explained, the words falling on deaf ears.

Meteor threw a left hook, Ata catching his fist in his own right, throwing a left jab that Meteor caught with his right hand, Ata releasing his opponent's hand and throwing an overhand right cross. Meteor released Ata's hand, twisting to his left and throwing a right chop, striking Ata in the wrist and throwing off his attack, following up with a spinning left backfist that Ata ducked under, rising up and throwing a left hook. Meteor responded by leaning back and shoving Ata's fist down with his right hand, throwing a left bodyblow. Ata twisted his body to his left to avoid the strike, throwing a quick right backfist that Meteor stepped to the right and twisted to the left to avoid. Meteor threw a right roundhouse kick at Ata's back, Ata quickly spinning in a clockwise circle and ducking to avoid, responding with a right sweeping kick, tripping Meteor as they both rose to their feet.

Regaining his composure rather quickly, Meteor threw a right high kick, Ata blocking with his left forearm, following up with a right jab. Meteor responded by striking Ata's fist with his left forearm, extending his arm and throwing a chop at Ata's face. Ata ducked under the attack, twisting his body to the left as he rose, bringing his right knee up. Meteor blocked Ata's knee with both of his hands, shoving his leg down and throwing a left hook. Ata moved with the momentum of his leg, leaning back and twisting his body to the right, throwing a left back elbow. Meteor stepped to his right, turning to the left and shoving Ata's elbow, the foreigner using the momentum as he began to spin, throwing a right back elbow that Meteor ducked under. He rose back to a vertical base, throwing a double fisted punch into Ata's chest, creating space between the two of them.

Using the space to his advantage, Ata threw a left roundhouse kick that Meteor ducked under, rising back up and throwing a double booted dropkick into Ata's back, the taller male stumbling forward and grunting. He spun in a counterclockwise half circle, throwing a wide, arcing right spin kick that Meteor blocked with both of his hands, Ata noticing from the contact that Meteor had a hard time blocking the attack. Ata chuckled, leaping off his remaining foot and slamming it into the side of Meteor's skull, landing in a crouch before spinning, rising back to a vertical base as he carefully analyzed his opponent. I think I can win with one good shot. He thought, clenching his right fist as Meteor slowly regained his composure.

Ata lifted his right fist, his left hand clenching around his wrist, Ata transferring the energy from his left arm to the gauntlet, his hand running down and up his forearm as if he was cocking a shotgun. Ata swung his hand out broadly, dropping to one knee and slamming his fist to the ground, releasing enough excess energy to shake the bridge, offsetting his opponent's balance enough to make his move. Ata ran forward, the energy running from his forearm towards his fist. He jumped, twisting his body to the left, his fist flying forward. "Kaieke Meke!" He called as his fist thundered forward, crashing into his foe's jaw and shattering the bottom half of his helmet as he flew back, crashing to the ground and skidding, Ata wincing as he watched Meteor bounce before coming to a halt. Ata exhaled, rolling his shoulders at the amount of energy he expanded.

"Well, I guess that qualifies as a 'Rider Punch'." he said with a chuckle, inhaling as he looked to the gauntlet, sighing at the sight of the vibrant sapphire in the back of the glove. "Figured I'd get a new form or impressive ability..." he said, trailing off in thought as he shrugged, turning to head back into town. However, he noticed that his muscles were still tense, as if he was still in the middle of a fight. He wondered if his body was playing tricks on him, but then he turned and looked to Meteor, chuckling as he watched him rise to his feet. So he can still go? Ata wondered, exhaling as he began walking forward. He noticed something in Meteor's left hand, and he hesitated slightly, watching him pull the 'switch' from his belt, slamming the other object in it's place, a small windmill sitting atop the switch. Meteor roared, Ata whistling as a gust of wind and blue energy surrounded him, slowly turning gold as it swirled about.

When the energy dissipated, Meteor's suit was a bright blue color, but no less glossy. His light blue armament expanded and turned gold, his previously unarmored left shoulder now covered with a similar shoulder pad to his right shoulder. Ata also noted small, almost ball like pieces of golden armor on his knees, and rings around his ankles and feet. His helmet was repaired, and the spikes that used to point to the left now spread, also pointing in the opposite direction. However, what Ata noticed above all else was the rather hefty looking staff in his hands. "So you managed to not only get back up, but shift to a stronger form, huh?" Ata asked, and his opponent's grip on his staff tightened. Ata sighed, opening his right hand and summoning his shield and sword, rolling the later in his hand. He broadened his stance slightly, lifting his sword overhead as he gestured for Meteor to attack him.

Taking the bait, Meteor made the first move, a basic jab at Ata's chest. Ata took this chance to analyze his opponent's weapon, noticing that, unsurprisingly, there was a ringed ball, much like Saturn, at the end of the staff that was currently flying at his chest. He exhaled, moving his shield to block, throwing his arm back when he felt the planet shaped ball make contact. This threw off Meteor's posture, Ata twisting his torso and jabbing his blade forward. Meteor's hands quickly switched positions on the staff as he drove it down, knocking Ata's blade towards the ground and allowing Ata to see that there was an odd opening at the other end of the staff, something that he made a mental note to keep an eye on. Ata rolled to his right, swinging his blade in a hooking arc to create space as he spun, pulling his blade back to it's starting position.

He crouched slightly, exhaling as he waited for his opponent to make a move. Meteor stepped forward, and Ata sprung into action as soon as he saw muscle movement. He jabbed forward, striking Meteor in the chest, the force of the blow knocking him back slightly as sparks went flying from the force, the Maori stepping forward and jabbing his shield out. Meteor stepped back, swinging his staff overhead and striking Ata in the right shoulder. Ata twisted his body to the right, throwing a left hook with his shield. Meteor withdrew his staff, causing Ata to swing at open air, his opponent jabbing his staff into his left shoulder. Ata grunted when he stumbled, noticing that this gave Meteor enough time to strike him a second time.

Ata twisted to the left and swung his shield to block the third strike, noticing that using a heavy sword and shield against a smaller foe wielding a staff wasn't particularly ideal. He jumped back, using his gauntlet to cast away his weapons as he landed, flexing his right hand. He glanced to the gauntlet, exhaling when he saw the shimmering emerald lodged firmly in the back of his palm. I'll need to switch to a more weapon based form to combat my opponent. He thought, feeling a gust of wind cover his body as his armor began to shift from his base form to the 'Rangi Samurai', which he hoped would close the gap in their power. He opened his hands, summoning Gabi Raizou's blades as the gust of wind petered out, making the first move.

He jabbed both blades forward, Meteor stepping back. Switching his placement of his hands, Meteor swung his staff in a wide arc from left to right. Ata twisted his blades in his grip, shifting to a mantis grip as he brought them up, hearing a loud clang of metal as he knocked the staff upwards, rolling the blades into a reverse grip. He came down, his right blade grinding against his foe's armor, the damage being more superficial than he'd have liked. Meteor responded by flinging his right leg out, striking Ata in the chest and knocking him back to a vertical stance, allowing him to swing the staff down in a curving arc and striking Ata in the skull, causing him to stumble.

Ata used the damage he sustained to his advantage, using the space to roll the blades back into a standard grip and take a proper stance. He exhaled, humming to himself when he realized that this also wasn't an ideal weapon match up. He shook his head, edging forward and exhaling as he twisted his body to the right, swinging his left blade low. Meteor lowered his staff stiffly to parry, moving instantly from his stiff block to a jab, the ball at the end of the staff striking Ata in the abdomen. Ata rolled in a counter clockwise circle while stepping forward, swinging his right blade high. Meteor brought his staff to a vertical position to block, Ata using his block as a chance, swinging his left blade down at his opponent's right arm in a stiff, cleaving fashion.

The blade struck, sparks flying as Meteor's posture wavered and his guard eased up. Ata pulled his right blade back, repeating the slash with more force, twisting his body to the left to put more of his muscle into the attack, striking hard enough to knock the staff from his opponent's grip. Ata dropped his stance and extended his left arm, catching Meteor as he stumbled to his right. Ata inhaled, raking the blade across the stomach of his opponent and continuing his spin to follow up with a right slash to the chest, neither strike breaking through his opponent's armor.

Ata stepped back and pondered this as Meteor slowly regained his composure. Well, if Poe was right about them being stronger than entire Sentai, then it makes sense that my blades aren't getting through their suits as easy as Nadagou's. I'll just need more force. He thought, gripping the blades tighter as Meteor stomped forward, shouting as he threw a wild right hook. Ata ducked and weaved underneath, rising back up as his opponent rolled forward, grabbing his staff and pointing it at him in a dual handed grip. Ata took a step to the right, looking over his opponent for a weak point, or a place to focus his attacks.

However, he didn't have enough time to decide, as Meteor jabbed his staff out, shifting it to a one handed grip to add to his reach, Ata noticing that there was around nine feet between the two of them. Ata stepped to his left, moving forward as he tensed the muscles in his forearms. Meteor spun, his empty left hand back on the staff as he swung it in a wide arc, striking Ata in the shoulder and knocking off his trajectory, his muscles relaxed as he rolled to the side and cursed in frustration. Now I have to deal with the reach since I got past the speed and mobility thing. He thought, wondering how to negate his opponent's reach advantage, regardless of how big it was. His eyes narrowed as he moved, his shorter left blade shifting into a reverse grip.

Ata twisted his body to the right and stepped to the left to avoid a heavy jab, spinning in a circle and extending his arms, using energy from the gauntlet to power his rotation, both of his blades striking his opponent's chest and creating more space. Using the distance, Ata pulled his left arm back, shifting most of his remaining energy into his left blade before launching it, a stiff throw that used the surrounding air to increase both it's speed and force. When the blade struck Meteor in the chest, Ata noticed that his opponent's armor began to crack. I need to follow up on that! He thought hastily twirling the blade in his grip and running forward.

Shifting nearly all of his remaining energy into his right blade he stepped forward, grabbing his left blade and lifting them both overhead before coming down, both of the shoulder plates of his opponent's armor cracking as he threw all of his physical strength into the attack, Meteor dropping to his knees. The shorter Kamen Rider tightened his grip on his staff, jabbing it into the ground to propel himself into the air, knocking Ata's blades from his hands, a string of kicks striking Ata in the chest as Meteor flipped back, landing on his feet and wobbling. He panted heavily, reaching for the switch in his belt. Ata watched his opponent as he fell back, his blades just out of his reach. His hands balled into fists, and he exhaled, flipping himself back up to a crouching position as Meteor placed the switch in the opening of his staff.

So that's what it was for. He thought, using the gauntlet to reclaim his blades before shifting back to his larger sword and shield, figuring that a more defensive set of weapons would benefit him. "Fate will let me call forth the storm." he said, Ata narrowing his eyes at the odd words his opponent spoke. He watched his opponent twirl the staff in his grip, Ata twirling the blade in his grip before inhaling and running forward. The staff bounced against the ground, Meteor's hand on what appeared to be a release switch for the windmill, which now appeared more like a spinning top. "Meteor Storm Punisher!" the Kamen Rider called, the top shooting off from the staff and flying forward.

It struck Ata in the right shoulder, halting his charge as he shifted his blade into a reverse grip, launching it as he continued to move forward. Meteor stepped away from the flying blade, watching it fly over the bridge and crash to the river below as the top zigzagged back, striking Ata in the left shoulder blade before hitting the ground and shooting back at him, Ata pulling his shield in front of him as the top made contact, Ata gritting his teeth as he felt his shield crack. I need to upgrade this thing asap. He thought wryly, watching Meteor slam the switch back into his belt and lower his stance, his right leg out farther then the rest of his body.

Ata chuckled to himself as the shield shattered and the top slammed into his chest, causing him to slide back towards the edge of the bridge, his energy completely depleted from his last string of attacks. Meteor leaped into the air, Ata watching him carefully as he twisted his body to the left, his left leg bending in half as his right leg extended out. Ata memorized the exact form of his opponent, a smile crossing his face as Meteor's right foot slammed into his chest, both the top and the flying kick shattering his armor as his feet came off the ground and he flew over the edge of the bridge, his transformation beginning to fade.

"What's the first order of business when we get there?" Kentaro asked, and Poe glanced back to Tatsugami, who seemed rather complacent after eating a large amount of their food. "Find Ata and this 'Ghoul' of his. After that, we leave immediately to avoid Meteor." he said, and Tatsugami looked up to him, narrowing his eyes as he leaned forward. "Meteor? That brat's still here?" He asked, and Poe looked to him in the rear view mirror, nodding. "He is. And if the last few years went as well for him as my sources say they did, he's even stronger than when he beat you, so fighting him is out of the picture." he said, and the Leo Zodiart chuckled. "And since when did I agree to listen to you?" he asked.

Poe shrugged. "Don't listen to me. I doubt anyone would miss you if you died." he said, causing Kentaro to glance to him. "You really think it's a good idea to piss off that guy?" he asked, and Poe shrugged, as if he didn't care. Tatsugami chuckled, rolling his neck with an enthused look across his features. "And what are we going to do if he finds us, little man? Run like craven idiots back to this monstrosity?" he asked, and Poe sighed. "If Meteor finds us, I expect you two to run like hell like I will. If he follows, than we have to hope that we can shake him off our tails and regroup elsewhere." he said, something that Kentaro found iffy.

"I don't know about that one. I've ran from a lot of cops and shit before, but running from an Interpol agent Kamen Rider? I don't even want to do that, regardless of the fact I don't think I could." he said, the trio noticing that they were entering the outskirts of their destination. "So what? You'll stand and fight, knowing full well that you're one glorified dropkick from a pine box?" he asked, and Kentaro shrugged. "I can die fighting a Kamen Rider. As a random human street thug, that's the best way I can go out." he said, and Tatsugami began to laugh, amused by Kentaro's braggadocio. "I like this guy! At least he understands that running isn't an option."

Poe flexed his jaw in agitation as they arrived, Kentaro pulling into a large, empty parking lot near a small market. "Just find the 'Ghoul' and go from there. If I can't save you, I'll make sure to notify your family that you went out like an idiot." he said, rising from his seat and exiting the RV first. "The little man isn't very good at hiding his feelings." Tatsugami said, rising from his seat and sighing. "I can tell that he wants to fight too. He just won't admit it." he said, exiting the RV with Kentaro close behind. "Do we split up?" Kentaro asked, looking to Poe. The Kurou hummed, shaking his head. "No. If all goes to hell and we have to fight, our best bet is to fight together." he said, looking to them and grabbing his hat and tightening his grip on it.

"If that happens, me and Kentaro will act as decoys for you to strike harder, more decisive hits. Is that alright?" he asked, both men nodding as the trio began to move. "Do you have any idea where to search for this creature?" Tatsugami asked, and Poe shrugged. "We'll start with the apartment address Ata gave me, and then go from there." he said, shaking his head as they continued moving.

Reaching the building that Ata informed Poe about, the trio entered together, Poe in the front of the group. "This is the place, right?" Kentaro asked, and Poe nodded. "Should be. Ata's room was on the third floor if I remember correctly." he said, the trio heading for the stairs, the Kurou in the front on edge as he remained alert. "Relax, little man. There's no reason for you to be so tense." Tatsugami said, Poe chuckling as he climbed the next set of stairs. "You see no reason to be tense. I, however, expect an angry Kamen Rider to come headhunting us because some girl he likes is with the monster we're heading down this hall to hopefully meet." he explained, something that earned him a disappointed sigh in return.

When they reached the door, Poe knocked loudly, in the hope of waking up anyone that might have been asleep. The Kurou's feet twitched as he tried to feel the ground beneath his feet, something Ata taught him to do a while ago. The knob twisted, and the door opened inwardly, the figure on the other side being a young girl, the stony creature they were looking for standing behind her, waving to them. "Can I help you guys?" she asked, seeming slightly worried. "My name is Poe. The guy that lives here, big dude, is my brother." he explained, and she relaxed, smiling. "My name is Mei. It's nice to meet you." she said, bowing lightly, Poe returning the gesture.

When the quintet made it outside, Poe seemed to relax slightly. "My brother tells me that some Imagin targeted you. Can you think of any reason why?" he asked, and she shook her head. "Not at all. It was so weird being attacked by monsters again." she said, and Poe nodded, looking to the stony creature that Ata managed to bring along. I'm pretty sure I can use him for something. He thought, turning his attention back to the girl, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Tell me, were you aware of the energy that my brother sensed coming from you?" he asked, trying to find out more information about the function of Ata's gauntlet, and the energy source that powered it. The girl shook her head. "No, I don't think I can say I was." she stated, and Poe narrowed his eyes.

So if the wellspring is inside of a person, they'll likely be unaware of that fact. Interesting. He thought, rubbing his chin and exhaling. "And did my brother make any attempts to remove the energy from your body?" he asked, and the girl hummed, nodding. "He said that all he had to do was touch me to absorb it. He said it was like getting warm by putting your hands by a camp fire." she explained, and Poe nodded, noting that Ata's analogy was similar to one made in Galahad's journal. "And after he…. 'absorbed', the energy, did you feel any different?" he asked, and the girl hummed before giggling. "I lost a couple of pounds afterwards. That's about it." she said, and Poe nodded, finding it odd that energy that powers something like the gauntlet would have no effect on humans.

Maybe there's something else in the journal I missed. There's no way that it could drive Galahad, a trained warrior, insane, but a modern day teenage girl is unaffected. He thought, his mind traveling before something else came to mind. Maybe it's the quality or purity of the energy. I'll have to reread the journal when I get back to the Kurainer. He thought, his thoughts cut off by the sound of footsteps approaching them. The quintet all turned to look in the direction of the sound, Poe picking up on the fact that the surrounding area was rather barren, as if everyone had conveniently fled from the area. Poe quickly glanced to the sky, noticing that it was rather cloudy, Poe able to tell that a heavy storm was on it's way.

He looked forward, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of Meteor approaching them, Poe able to see scrapes and bruises across his flesh, his posture leaning to the side and his breathing shallow. He's pretty decently injured. Maybe we won't have to run after all. He thought, glancing to Kentaro and Tatsugami, who remained on edge, but unmoving. "Ryuusei! What happened to you!?" Mei asked, running over to him. He pushed her to the side, gritting his teeth as he looked at Poe and Stallone. "You two!" He shouted, pointing a wavering finger at them. "I'm going to kill the both of you!" he shouted, and Poe slowly shifted his stance, pulling his jacket off as Stallone rolled his rocky neck.

Poe reached for his hat as Meteor slowly rose to a composed stance. He's really agitated. Almost like he was enraged. He noticed, dropping his hat to the ground as Kentaro sighed, running his fingers through his hair before taking his Rhinoceros Fist stance, Tatsugami pulling the Leo Switch from his pocket. "Ryuusei, calm down! This isn't like you!" she shouted, and Poe narrowed his eyes as he watched the Kamen Rider shove her away again. Could this have something to do with the wellspring? Ata did sense it on him. He thought, hearing Tatsugami's switch activate, the white lion Zodiart to his left. "Where's Ata?" he asked, and Meteor scoffed, a weak, wheezing sound that was followed by his his belt springing to life.

"I already took care of him. He's probably at the bottom of some river by now." he said, his arms swinging out wide, something that Poe recognized as his transformation pose. "You three better be careful. We don't need any casualties." he said, and the other three nodded as a beam of blue light fell from the sky, striking the injured male as he transformed. As much as he hated to admit it, Poe was excited, his left hand starting to quiver. And I always nag Ata about the same exact thing. He thought with a chuckle, watching the light dissipate as the Kamen Rider rolled his sore limbs, exhaling as he cracked his neck. "My name is Meteor, and your fate lies in my hands." he said, his thumb running across his helmet, where his nose would have been.

Tatsugami chuckled as he stepped forward. "I still hate hearing that line." he said, the glossy suited fellow running forward and making the first move. Thunder resounded as rain began to fall, Mei's shouts and cries lost in the rain as it began to pour from the sky like the tears of saddened gods, Poe weaving under and around a wild right hand, the four fighters surrounding the lone Kamen Rider, lightning streaking across the sky. Stallone threw a right cross, Meteor slapping his hand away with his own right, a quick backfist knocking the stony fighter back as Meteor turned in a counter clockwise quarter circle, blocking Poe's right leg with his left forearm.

Poe grit his teeth, inhaling deeply as he pulled his leg down, ducking under a right hook, rising up with a quick right jab, striking Meteor in the face and doing only superficial damage, a right boot connecting with his chest, his feet coming off the ground. Kentaro tensed the muscles in his left arm, throwing a stiff left chop, Meteor blocking with both of his forearms, the force behind the Yakuza's strike enough to make him hesitate, giving Tatsugami enough time to attack from behind, a right hook slamming into the back of Meteor's skull, Stallone weaving forward and throwing a flurry of hooking bodyblows that he followed up with a right hook, knocking Meteor to the Ghoul's left.

Poe recovered, running forward and jumping, grabbing Meteor by the shoulders and swinging his own airborne body to the left, falling to the ground and rolling, pulling Meteor down and tossing him as both fighters rolled to their feet. Meteor threw a right straight punch, Poe stepping to his right and twisting his body to the left, throwing a right hook into Meteor's jaw, causing him to stumble long enough for Poe to follow up with a left side kick that struck the Kamen Rider in the chest, his foot hitting the ground as he continued his movements, spinning as his left heel struck Meteor in the temple. Poe dropped to a crouching position, Stallone running up and using Poe as a catapult, flying through the air and striking Meteor with a flying right hand.

Tatsugami and Kentaro followed up, the two larger fighters catching Meteor with a pincher attack, a pair of heavy right hands striking him on either side of the skull, causing him to fall to his knees as the quartet regrouped. Poe glanced behind them, the girl that inadvertently set off this entire chain of events still shouting and screaming for the five of them to stop, something that Poe knew wouldn't happen. The wellspring seems to be enraging him. He's not much more than a random berserk monster right now. He thought, watching Meteor scream as he rose to his feet, his right hand glowing as an image of Saturn covered it, a wild right hand releasing a large ring shaped projectile that struck Kentaro and Tatsugami.

Shit! Poe cursed inwardly, running forward with Stallone at his side, a quick glance allowing the Kurou to see that Kentaro's right arm was cut, the blood running from the wound and onto the ground, where it was quickly washed away by the rain. Stallone threw a left straight punch, Poe throwing a right straight at the same time, their fists striking Meteor's chest in tune with a massive clap of thunder, Stallone stepping forward first and throwing a right cross, Meteor stepping back to avoid it, stomping forward and throwing a right hook into Stallone's chest in tune with a flash of lightning, Poe able to hear the stone of the Ghoul's chest crack as he slid back, Poe throwing a stiff left cross that struck Meteor in the chest, Tatsugami roaring loudly as he ran forward, following up on Poe's attack with a right side kick.

Meteor fell back, hitting the ground before quickly rolling back to his feet and screaming loudly, Stallone and Kentaro already injured and weakened, the Zodiart and Kurou in rather decent shape. "It looks like you're stronger than you give yourself credit for, little man!" Tatsugami said heartily, Poe chuckling as Meteor ran forward. "You learn to have low expectations when you're a grunt monster." he said, hearing a laugh in return as they stepped apart, Meteor's wild kick missing both of them as he turned, Tatsugami throwing a right hook that struck Meteor in the chest, Poe following up with a right side kick that caused Meteor to spin as he stumbled, where a recovering Stallone met him with a stiff right hook.

Meteor hit the ground and rolled back, Kentaro coming from behind with a stiff, dual handed chop to both of Meteor's shoulders, causing him to stumble forward before spinning and throwing a stiff right cross, Poe moving forward as soon as he heard Kentaro's jaw crack, the Yakuza grunting in pain as he was struck with a left bodyblow, Meteor stepping back before a right side kick to the chest caused his feet to come off the ground, where he crashed to the ground and rolled, coughing up blood as thunder roared throughout the sky, the down-pouring rain not letting up as Poe shouted, throwing a right hook that Meteor stepped away from.

A right mid kick struck Poe in the chest, causing him to cough and hesitate enough for three more kicks to strike him, Meteor spinning as his left heel swung at Poe's face. The Kurou growled, shouting as he blocked Meteor's foot with both of his hands, lurching forward and shoving his opponent's leg down, Tatsugami leaping into the air and closing in, his right fist striking Meteor in the chest, the Kamen rider catching his fist with his left hand, his right hand coming up and striking Tatsugami in the stomach, launching him high into the air, leaping after him as thunder clapped once more, Poe cursing as he watched a Rider Kick strike Tatsugami in the chest and send him flying to the ground, where Stallone caught him, both of them driven to the ground, Tatsugami's transformation fading.

Poe analyzed the situation as logically as possibly. Kentaro is heavily injured, and catching Tatsugami probably put Stallone out of the fight, and a faded transformation usually means that they've lost. He thought, staring down Meteor as they began to stalk around each other. So it's one on one. Poe thought, his posture tensing up when Meteor charged forward. Poe stepped to his left, weaving back to the right and throwing a left high kick that struck Meteor in the temple, trying to remain calm as he rolled, putting his back to his opponent and flipping backwards, both of his feet striking Meteor in the skull and driving him to the ground, allowing Poe to spin around and step back.

If a Zodiac Zodiart got beat without a problem, than I stand little to no chance. He thought, immediately considering his last resort, which would be to flee. However, when he saw his comrades laying strewn across the battlefield, injured and unable to fight, he realized that it wasn't something he'd really do. He stepped back from a left roundhouse kick as lightning flashed through the sky, the Kurou stepping forward and throwing a right hook, striking Meteor in the chest and exhaling as he followed up with his own left roundhouse kick, managing to strike his opponent, his adrenaline kicking in as his left leg hit the ground, Poe hopping off the ground and throwing his right leg into Meteor's face, landing on his feet as Meteor stumbled back.

Thunder resounded, and lightning flashed rather soon after, the two staring each other down, Poe's right leg twitching as he watched Meteor run forward. This is likely my last chance to put him down. He thought, stepping back and watching Meteor pull his right hand back, jerking his body forward and leaning back, his right leg coming up and his heel striking Meteor in the jaw, the Kurou stomping forward and throwing a left toe kick into Meteor's abdomen, spinning and hooking his arm around the Kamen Rider's helmet, tightening his grip as he jumped, driving Meteor's jaw into his shoulder, releasing his skull as he rolled to his feet and caught Meteor in a standing arm triangle, inhaling deeply.

He jumped forward, tripping Meteor's wavering balance as he fell forward, slamming him back first into the hard asphalt, his skull bouncing off the ground as Poe rose to his feet and jumped back before falling to one knee, exhaling at how much energy he expended. Kentaro had risen to his feet, and stumbled over to Poe, clutching his damaged abdomen, his breathing uneven and blood across his lips and chin. Stallone helped Tatsugami over to Poe, the stony Ghoul covered in chips and cracks, and Tatsugami visibly stumbling and holding his own abdomen, the quartet noticing that Mei had fled from the scene, likely not wanting to see someone she cared about reduced to a genocidal berserker.

Poe watched Meteor rise to his feet, the glossy suited Kamen rider screaming loudly as thunder cracked through the sky, drowning out his rage as he swapped the switches in his belt, spinning the windmill atop the new switch as he shifted forms to Meteor Storm. "Fate will let me call forth the storm!" he bellowed as he slammed his staff into the ground. Stallone released Tatsugami as he took a stance akin to Ata's Pea Kapunga, the injured street fighter activating the Leo Switch, the white lion growling as he clenched his fists, Kentaro taking a painfully deep breath as he assumed the Rhinoceros Fist stance, Poe sighing as he rose. He rolled and cracked his neck before balling his fists, raising them up high as his right leg came off the ground. The Kurou began to grin, as if enthused. "I think I'm getting sick of your catchphrases too." he said, his comrades all laughing in agreement as lightning streaked across the sky, a clap of thunder acting akin to a bell, signaling the start of their fight.


Done! I'm so glad I finished this, as I got stuck at multiple points lol. I do hope you enjoyed reading this, as it took a lot of effort, and it'd suck if I liked writing it more than you liked reading it. Anyway, I thank you for everything, and there's a possibility that I may take a brake after Chapter 10, so keep an eye out lol. Thanks for everything, and I love you, Jiro 'The Ghetto Tohunga' Uchiha, OTF Inc.