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Gaim: The Final Saga
by
Kamen Rider Duke
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Chapter XI
Discovery Saga - Part VI
'End of the Beginning - Part II'
(Helheim Forest)
"Wake up!"
Kenji jerked awake, astonished that he was somehow still alive. Looking up, the black rider froze, standing over him was the Priestess of Fate and Sagara.
"Great, it's you two!" groaned Kenji, clambering to his feet, "You two decided to bother me outside of my dreams as well!"
Kenji sighed, His unconscious was filled with strange dreams for the last few months, every night he was visited by the Priestess of Fate, Sagara or both.
"Who says you're not dreaming right now?" joked Sagara.
"Because every square inch of my body feels like it's been run over by a tank!" retorted Kenji, looking down to his Lost Driver that had been damaged by the explosion.
"You should have died," spoke the Priestess.
"But we saved you," finished Sagara.
"Why?" questioned Kenji, frowning.
"Because you are our wild card, an ace up our metaphorical sleeve," answered Sagara with a grin, "You are an unknown factor."
"To do what?" asked Kenji warily.
"To save the world," replied the Priestess, bowing her head sadly, "We failed last time."
"Last time?" gasped Kenji, "You've done this before?"
"Yes, once," spoke Sagara seriously, "This time will be different."
"I'll make sure of it!" spat the Priestess, stepping forward as the strange illusion around her seemed to shatter, leaving a dark-haired teenage girl in a blue hoodie with a Genesis Driver.
"Mai Takatsukasa, you can't!" warned Sagara as Mai pulled out her Melon Energy Lockseed.
"I watched my friends, my family, murdered at the hands of Kaito, all the plans of Redyue!" shouted Mai, "She's at Yggdrasil now causing more death and chaos! What I am I supposed to do?"
Kenji stood, astonished with Mai collapsed into Sagara's arms, hugging him tightly as one would hug a parent. Could it be possible that Sagara could be Mai's father, then a chilling realization hit him.
"M-Mai Takatsukasa? My niece?" stuttered Kenji, "But how?"
Mai wiped her eyes, willing herself to put on a strong face and replied, "I'm from the future, 2014 to be exact. I was accidentally turned into a half-human, half-Overlord, I was the only Rider to survive, although I was barely a Rider for very long before coming back to the past."
"So you're the future version of my niece?" asked Kenji, that weirded out right now that he would believe just about anything.
"Yeah," answered Mai, smiling slightly, "But I guess if I can get my revenge on Redyue, you can do it for me."
Reaching into her pocket, Mai produced the Medal Driver and three different coloured Medals, one black, one blue and the last was white.
"Ryoma's Medal Driver?" questioned Kenji, "You stole it, that's for Takatora."
"Only you can use it," explained Sagara, "You are unique, you are an anomaly."
"How so?" asked Kenji, frowning.
"Your mind," replied Sagara, "You have the mental power to harness the full power of this Driver."
"Do accept this duty? To save the world from its own future?" questioned Mai, holding out the Driver and Medals, "Can you fight to the bitter end?"
Kenji looked down, he knew what he must do, he was a Kamen Rider, it was his duty to protect the smiles of the innocent.
"And beyond!" answered Kenji, accepting the items from Mai, "I will fight for a new future!"
"Good luck, Armoured Rider Ippan!" spoke Mai as she and Sagara vanished into nothing.
Steeling himself, Kenji pulled his damaged Lost Driver from his waist and tossed it aside, replacing it with his new Medal Driver.
"Let's go!" yelled Kenji, sprinting off in the direction of the Yggdrasil Crack.
As soon Kenji was out of sight, a figure stepped out from behind a tree and walked over to Kenji's damaged Lost Driver, picking it up.
"This could be very useful," spoke Tsukasa, his eyes flashing black as a Sengoku Driver appeared at his waist.
-Discovery Saga-
(Yggdrasil Research Base)
"S-Sid!" gargled Jun, blood oozing from the corners of his mouth.
"Dad! Hang in there!" shouted Sid, the panic audible in his voice.
"No, son," spoke Jun, grabbing Sid's hand, "This my time to die, I'm going now. But remember,
Takatora, Ryoma, Kenji and Akira, they're your family now, because I know they think of you like that. Especially Ryoma, y-you're the little brother he always wanted."
"No! You can't die, I don't want to be alone!" sobbed Sid, "I'm not ready for you to die."
"No one is ever ready to lose someone they love," replied Jun, "But they have to keep moving, being with the ones they have. Please, stick with them, they will keep you safe, my son."
With that, Jun's eyes closed and his heart ceased to beat. Screaming in sorrow, Sid collapsed to the ground his body racked with sobs. Seeing her friend's anguish, Akira removed her helmet and dashed over to Sid, hugging him tightly.
Nearby, Zangetsu stopped fighting Redyue's Overlord Form, realising that Jun was dead, the only one who had been there for Takatora when he thought his father was dead.
"You bitch!" roared Takatora, anger flooding his mind as he commanded his body to charge at Redyue.
Redyue smiled smugly, only for Zangetsu to smack her in the face with his shield, knocking her onto her back. Breathing heavily, Zangetsu continued to pound Redyue's head with his Melon Defender, stopping only when realizing he was hitting the metal floor. Looking down, both Ryoma and Takatora mentally cringed at the sight of Redyue's skull and brain smashed around them and even on their suit.
"Takatora, you can stop now," soothed Ryoma, allowing the Musou Saber in his hand to clatter to the ground.
"It's over," whispered Takatora to himself as he commanded his body to turn and walk away.
Suddenly, the corpses of Redyue's Inves army lead sprang back to life, any injuries they received from Zangetsu and Yuzuki failed to hinder them. Crawling towards Redyue, the others watched on in horror as they fused with their mistress's body. In a matter of seconds, Redyue had been restored, her Inves body had changed from green to a deep purple. Interestingly, when Redyue's body was healed, the unconscious teenager whom Redyue kidnapped appeared, the Marika Lost Driver strapped to her waist.
"I am reborn!" hissed Redyue, as she picked up her fallen staff and approached Zangetsu.
Blocking her strike, Zangetsu charged at the Overlord and rolled to the side, grabbing up his discarded Musou Saber. Seeing an opening, Redyue smashed her staff into Zangetsu's undefended side and knocked him back into Ryoma's desk.
"Your end is at hand!" taunted Redyue, raising her staff as Akira and Sid watched on in horror, both were too far away to stop the Overlord.
Just as she was about to bring the bladed staff down, a knife buried itself in Redyue's arm, forcing her to drop her weapon.
"Sorry I'm late," spoke Kenji as he sauntered into the lab, flicking his blue Medal up into the air, "I'll be the Rider destroying you today!"
"HENSHIN!"
Kenji slammed the white and black Medals into the outside slots of his Driver and caught the blue Medal. Placing it in the middle slot, Kenji unhooked the scanner from his waist and passed it over the Medals.
IPPAN! BLUEBERRY! SLICER!
TILL THE BITTER END!
In an explosion of light, Kenji was transformed, his undersuit remained the same, but a set of Arms, similar to Zangetsu's, had appeared. The chestplate extended down, nearly to his Driver, metallic blue with orbs attached, representing its fruit counterpart. The shoulder pads were shaped like the top of a blueberry and his Musou Saber now rested at his waist.
"I am Armoured Rider Ippan," spoke the new Rider, "And I will fight till the bitter end!"
-Discovery Saga-
