ZKD Volume 00
Arc 1: Destiny of the Zodiacs
This first arc introduces many of the major characters, primarily Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa-Akuma and Yoshiyuki Takada. The arc begins as Ryuki is searching through his late dad's things and finds a card case. He pockets it and has breakfast with his mother, sister and grandparents before he goes to school, which is the Junior High Division of the Red Horse Private Institute. He starts seeing monsters and when he tells his classmates, they tell him his imagination has been running away with him. He accepts this answer, at least for now. However, he starts to freak out whenever he sees a dragon in the window and his classmates thinks he needs to see the school doctor. After school, he sees one of his classmates being tailed by a spider monster. Despite being told that it was all in his imagination, he tries to warn her, but instead gets sucked into a car window and ends up someplace similar but with all the writing in reverse. Most of all, he's in a suit of armor! The spider monster tries to eat him but then he is saved by another guy in armor. This other guy defeats the spider but then the dragon Ryuki keeps seeing comes after them. They manage to escape with their lives but Ryuki, overwhelmed with shock, passes out. At the same time, someone is watching them. Later, Ryuki wakes up in a room above a café. When he walks downstairs he meets Eri and Yoshiyuki Takada. He recognized Takada as the guy who saved him. Takada demands he gives over the deck but Ryuki protests and tells him its all he has of his father. Eri then explains what the Zodiac Knights are and that the deck is the only thing protecting Ryuki from getting eaten. He decides to keep it, not knowing what else to do. Later, he sees a girl crying in a clothing store and finds out her mother had just vanished. He makes his decision and when he hears the ringing, he goes into action. Eri tells him how to make a contract with the dragon and thus Ryuki becomes Zodiac Knight Draco. Meanwhile, Pluto (Takada's alter-ego) is fighting the spider monster that had just regenerated but before he is killed, Draco saves him and defeats the monster. However, Pluto then tries to kill Draco. Draco demands to know why but before he receives an answer, a Knight in purple cobra armor appears to fight Pluto. Draco watches as the two fight brutally and tries to stop it. They stop because their time in the Mirror Dimension/Mirror World is already up. Ryuki, Takada and Ichijyo (the purple cobra Knight) exit the Mirror World. Ichijyo taunts Ryuki for being a newbie and leaves while Eri scolds her brother. Ryuki tries to understand what he's gotten himself into. He returns home but doesn't tell his mother. After dinner, he goes straight to bed and has a strange dream that tells him to fight. The next day, Ryuki goes over to the café again and demands more answers and Eri tells him that the Knights are not only meant to fight the monsters, but also each other for a the 'Ultimate Prize'. Ryuki feels that this isn't right so he tries to convince Takada and Ichijyo to work together. Takada and Ichijyo both mock him for being so naïve, but Ryuki responds that this is the way he is. After a massive monster attack on the school, Draco, Pluto and Shadowcobra fight it off. Draco uses this to point out how well they work together so a truce and alliance is formed. Later, new Knights show up. Some are good, others evil, and Draco must fight with his new friends for survival.
Arc 2: The Black Knights
This introduces the Black Zodiac Knights, phantoms and ghosts bestowed with the power of the Black Zodiac and wish to become alive again. They are sent after Shadowcobra, Pluto and Draco. Also, this arc introduces Fuji the God of Wind, Yoshido the God of Warriors and Libra the Judge. The Black Knights attack the Knights but are soundly defeated one by one and their Zodiac Beasts are taken by the three Knights. In the end, Ryuki reveals his secret to his mother while also facing King, the leader of the Black Knights. Also, in this arc, Ryuki, Takada and Ichijyo become official Smart Brain operatives known as the Masked Riders.
Arc 3: Survival
After Ten-Faced Paladin's PAZ, new characters are introduces like Zodiac Knight Copycat, Tazuka Mizuki/Jawz and Asakura/Scorpios. This is when the battles become serious as Draco meets two individuals that would change the way he views the world. Asakura is the target of his hatred while Copycat seeks to defeat all the other Knights. She has no alliance except to herself. Three Survivor Cards are distributed into the real world by Libra and three lucky Knights receive them. In the end, one of them is killed and another leaves.