Here's hoping that this doesn't take me 6 months to write lol.

"Is that kid gonna be okay?" Kentaro asked, scratching his head. The group stood outside the Kurainer the next day, Poe using super glue he bought in town to patch up a few of Stallone's cracks, much to the stony imp's displeasure. Ata shrugged, glancing to the machine. "He should be alright. He was just training a little harder than he was used to. I don't think he's ever trained while transformed before. He seems to have no experience with that other form." he explained, finding it a bit odd that he'd be so inexperienced. Poe shrugged, holding Stallone's head still.

"Well, you could always go into town and ask that old man about the kid. It's not like that will back us up much, if at all. I'm going to need more glue for this thing anyway." he said, patting Stallone on the head, ignoring the Ghoul's grunts of disapproval. Ata narrowed his eyes before nodding. "Makes sense to me. You mind watching over the Kurainer while we go into town?" he asked, and Kentaro shrugged. "Fuck if I care. The monsters are dead, so there should be nothing to worry about." he said, and Tatsugami chuckled. "Never say never. You might get attacked in the dead of night when you least expect it." he said, shaking his head as he headed into town first.

Deciding to act on his own on this chilly autumn day, Kinji stood atop a building overlooking a small electronics store, trying to gather information. I reckon that if I watch him long enough, I'll figure something out. He thought, wondering why this individual was troubling them so. He noticed that his target walked from the store, accompanying a customer. He watched him wave to the older woman as she left empty handed, turning and facing the place he worked at. He hesitated for a second, his head turning in Kinji's direction. A smile spread across his face as he held up his index finger, walking back inside with a wave.

As Poe, Ata and Stallone walked through the small town, the Kurou looked to his brother. "You know, you make it seem like you want to bring this kid along with us." he said, and Ata looked to Poe. "I seem to be doing a better job at gathering allies than you are. Kentaro, Stallone, Tatsugami, Shigeru, Hiro and now Yuma. Exactly who have you convinced to aid us against those rainbow suited pains in our asses?" Ata asked with a snarky smirk on his face. Poe blinked before grunting, releasing a frustrated sigh.

"I see your point, but you risk bringing in someone that can backstab us. We don't know anything about Kentaro's past, or whether or not if Tatsugami is on our side completely." he said, and Ata rolled his eyes. "Both of them are people that I have fought and sparred with. Did you forget how I can gather information from fighting?" he asked, and Poe folded his arms. "I'm not going to trust some in battle sixth sense that you can't even prove exists." he said, and Ata hummed.

They reached the shop they stopped at when they first arrived, the foreigner glancing to the monster he traveled with. "I've never been wrong once for as long as we've known each other. You'd do well to remember that." he said, entering the shop and exhaling as he entered the building, which was always slightly colder than the rest of the town. He rolled his shoulders to shake the chill off, smiling at the counter when the older woman from yesterday noticed him. She waved him to the back, as if she knew what he had come for, something that Ata found the slightest bit odd.

When he reached the back room, a suspicious, claustrophobic space that he assumed would be used for torture, he noticed that the elderly man with the snow white beard was already sitting at the sole table, waiting for him. "I take it that you knew I'd show up?' he asked, and the man smiled. His head nodded slowly, his chest heaving with just as little speed as he took a deep breath. "I knew that someone would return. Be it you or Yuma." he said, and Ata chuckled as he sat across from the old man. "Tell me about that kid. Why does he seem to have a hard time using his… 'Oni' form?" Ata inquired, and the man hummed.

"Because he thinks of using it only on special occasions. Most Oni try to make their other form a constant, daily thing instead of a once in a while last resort. Yuma is different." he said, and Ata scratched his chin, his eyes narrowing. "Is this why his physical form is so well trained? Because he prefers to fight untransformed?" he asked, receiving a nod. "He wants his body to be as powerful as it can be, as he assumes that he'll need it to achieve his penultimate goal." he explained and Ata leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. "And what would that be?" he asked.

"Avenging my teacher." Yuma said, looking to the front of the Kurainer where Kentaro sat, his body still worn out from all of the training. Kentaro whistled, folding his arms as he looked back at the young fighter. "And who killed him? Some monster or something?" he asked, and Yuma shook his head, balling his fists, his teeth grit at the pain that shot through his hands and forearms. "I don't know what he was. He reminded me of a Kamen Rider, the kind you see in old news articles from the early two thousands." he explained, and Kentaro narrowed his eyes. "Does this guy have a name or something?" he asked, and Yuma closed his eyes, sighing as he tried to remain calm.

"The only thing about Daisuke's killer that Yuma could figure out was an alias." The elderly man said, something that made Ata narrow his eyes. I'll have to make sure I have Poe research this alias later on. He thought, tilting his head ever so slightly. "And what would this alias be?" he asked, and the elderly man stroked his beard, his eyes traveling to the ceiling as he frowned. "This murderous Rider only referred to himself as 'Heaven's Shining Light'." He explained, and Ata blinked in both surprise and confusion. "Such an elaborate, grand name for a random guy in a suit?" he asked, and the elderly man shrugged.

"That's all Yuma said he could learn. But, regardless of what we say to him, he is completely devoted to avenging the death of his teacher. We've tried to tell him that revenge is not the answer, but to no avail." he said, and Ata leaned back, folding his arms. "From the perspective of someone like me, Yuma is doing the right thing to maintain the balance in the universe." he explained, his face blank as he said so. The elderly man smiled, as if he expected Ata to say something like that. "And why is this?" he asked. "Simple. This man did a great wrong to Yuma, and in order to balance out the mana, or tip it in Yuma's favor, revenge is nearly his only option." he said, and the man nodded.

"That must suck. Do you have any leads on this guy?" Kentaro asked, and Yuma shook his head. "I've tried researching him on the internet, traveling to obscure mountain villages, and even sending out teams of Disc Animals to do recon. I might catch and defeat a killer, but never my teacher's killer." he said, and the Yakuza nodded. "I kinda feel you. My father's life got very rough out of nowhere, and it still gets to him sometimes." he said, and Yuma narrowed his eyes. He remained silent, however, choosing to cast his gaze out the window to the sun, which had already begun it's descent in the sky.

After exiting the chilly shop, Ata noticed that he hadn't received a word from Poe. He thought to return to the Kurainer immediately, but the hubbub of a small village brought back memories of his childhood. He made the decision to traverse the village, taking in the sights and scents of his surroundings as he subconsciously searched for his brother, or the stony Ghoul that he dragged around. In his search, he noticed a great deal of whispered chatter, his heightened senses allowing him to pick up mentions of a 'rock man', a clear reference to Stallone. This let Ata know that the duo was at least still in the village, something that nearly surprised Ata with how Poe was.

As night fell on the city, Nagi and Takaharu surveyed the streets from a rooftop, noticing that the town was eerily quiet. The duo were in better condition than their teammates, but still sore and wounded from their loss. As per Kasumi's suggestion, the duo were on a building that overlooked Hiro's apartment, the pink ninja making the executive decision that he needed to be watched, as 'the grandson of a superhero must have enemies'. Takaharu was completely convinced, but Nagi was a little more skeptical. "Does she think we can get something out of this guy just by protecting him from attackers that might not exist?" he wondered aloud, and his cousin shrugged. "Kasumi's a lot smarter than me, so I'm not gonna argue with her ideas." he said.

"You are aware that you're being spied on again, right?" the voice spoke, and Hiro glanced out the window, his eyes lazily scanning the rooftops before he shrugged. "What else is new? Thanks to you, their convinced that I'm some form of monster or another. It's only a matter of time before they summon some kind of ally of their and come at me." he said, sitting down and scratching his scalp. "And you're okay with that? Being struck down by some third rate ninja?" it asked him, and he leaned his head back, his eyes traveling to the ceiling as he narrowed them.

He grunted before shaking his head. "Of course not, but what can I do to stop them? I'm not my grandfather you know." he said, hearing a chuckle in response. Hiro stood, walking over to the window as he scanned the nighttime horizon once more, noticing two small shapes atop a building that wasn't too far out. "They know where I live now. I'm starting to get fed up with them." he said, flexing his hands, hearing dull cackling noises as he did so. "If you'd like, I can get them off your case as long as you continue to aid me." The voice spoke, and Hiro raised a brow. How was he aiding this voice? By listening to it? He shrugged and grunted, disregarding the voice's words.

Hours later, Takaharu had fallen asleep on the rooftop, unable to put up with the boredom of staring at a window to watch nothing, their target avoiding the window as if he was aware of their presence. Nagi, however, remained awake, lazily watching the window to no avail. However, he saw Hiro soon approach the window, casting a glance in their general direction before smiling, holding up his right hand and extending two fingers, looking to his own hand before walking away from the window, the action confusing the yellow ninja.

The next morning, Poe watched from the Kurainer as Ata trained with Yuma, the more experienced fighter still feeling out what level his protege was at. "So what do you think about that kid?" Kentaro asked from his usual place at the wheel. Poe shrugged, narrowing his eyes. "I feel like there's something off about him. Like he's got an ulterior motive or something." he explained, and the Yakuza shrugged. "Ata seems to trust him, which is enough for me." he said, and Poe rolled his eyes. I'm the only one that has eyes in the back of my head around here. He thought, slightly annoyed with how relaxed and confident the rest of his friends seemed to be.

"The old man told me about you." Ata said as he caught Yuma's left ankle in his right hand, shoving his leg to the ground. He dropped his stance, throwing a straight right that Yuma jumped back to avoid. "And? Are you gonna try and get me to give up on my teacher too?" he asked, and Ata shook his head as he watched Yuma's movements. "Not in the slightest. I have no problem aiding you to be honest. This villain that you seek is rather interesting to me." he said, and Yuma hesitated. "Why would you help me? We only met a couple days ago and I was ready to attack your friend." he asked, and Ata smiled. Yuma found the look odd, watching as Ata shifted his stance and exhaled, curling his fingers like claws and dropping his posture.

"Because your growth interests me. The Oni Riders are an interesting group, and being able to train and study them is an opportunity I can't afford to pass on." he said, and Yuma chuckled, shaking his head as he shifted his own posture, pulling his Ongekibou from his waist, making Ata raise a brow. "A weapon? Is this because you know that you're at a disadvantage against me?" he asked, picking his student's brain. Yuma shook his head. "It's because these are the clubs that I'm going to use when I smash that bastard's skull in. I want to show you what I can really do with them." he said, and Ata chuckled, amused by the boy's determination.

Scrounging through the Kurainer, Poe was almost at a loss for what to do. The sun was beginning to set on the second day, and Ata and Yuma had already returned from training, Yuma's injuries less severe than anticipated. "At least you didn't beat him half to death again." Poe grumbled absentmindedly, earning a chuckle from Ata. The Kurou found what he was looking for, the dusty old journal that Galahad used to chronicle his adventures while in possession of the gauntlet, which he referred to as the Holy Grail. "I'm a very lenient teacher." Ata quipped, and Poe only rolled his eyes in silence.

Flipping the ages old book open, he began to wonder if he could find any new information. The same mad ravings inked each page, from tales of demons and monsters all the way to supposed interactions with the being he referred to as 'God', a concept that Poe didn't ever fully grasp, coming from a species and society that didn't really have a religion. However, upon studying Ata's religious beliefs, Poe began to figure out the significance of the word 'God', and Poe took these mad ravings of divine intervention as a sign that Galahad had truly lost his mind.

Ata noticed that Poe had the journal in his hands, and tilted his head slightly. "Seeing if you can decipher the old man's senile scribble?" he asked, and Poe shrugged. "I was trying to see if there was anything that could push us in the direction of the next wellspring, or at least tell us how to make more use of your powers in something besides combat." he said, and Ata hummed. He held his right hand out, Poe passing the book across to his brother, who felt his arm tingle upon contact with the book. He flipped his hand over, noticing a faint blue glow coming from the back of his hand, as if the sapphire that triggered his Tangaroa Viking form was acting on it's own.

When Ata opened the book, he noticed that the fading writing, written in plain black ink, had faded further, replaced with carefully crafted blue ink, like Ata's increasing power was unlocking further information. This made Ata chuckle as he passed the book back to Poe, who seemed rather surprised at the writing he saw across the pages. "What do you think?" he asked, and the Kurou shrugged instinctively. "I think that Galahad might be keeping all of the important information locked behind seals. Could be a protective measure." He mused, and Ata nodded. Kentaro glanced back from the front seat, curious.

"Why would he do something like that?" He asked, and Ata leaned back and folded his arms, watching Poe read the words etched across the pages carefully. "Because he knew that he wouldn't have the gauntlet forever. He wanted to assure that only someone that could properly handle the gauntlet would read his journal. That's probably why. Although, I find it a little odd myself. There's nothing stopping a villainous person from doing what we're doing right now." he said, and Tatsugami laughed, a slightly bitter sound that caught Ata's attention. "Have you forgotten that we are the villains in this situation?" he asked, and Ata hummed before shrugging. He shifted his eyes back to Poe, noticing that his brows were furrowed, as if something was worrying him. "Something wrong, Parata?" he asked, and Poe shook his head, breaking himself from his trance and grunting.

"It seems to be more mad ramblings. He's speaking about some war of some sort. It says 'Lo, the champions of the False Ones did soon come for my head, few in number but almost unmatchable in strength. I thank God for my faith, for without my belief in His Holiness, I would have fallen long ago." Poe recited, and Ata narrowed his eyes. "The 'champions of the False Ones'? That sounds… odd. Any idea what he's talking about?" Ata asked, and Poe shook his head. "Not a single clue. Unless he's referring to ancient pagan warriors of sorts, I couldn't fathom what he'd be talking about." he said, and Ata nodded. "Well, we'll get moving in the morning. As for now, we should all rest."

That night, Kentaro was finding it hard to rest. Something was grating at his nerves, and he couldn't tell what it was. He was sure it wasn't pain, because he'd recovered from his fight with Meteor for the most part, only sparse aches bothering him here and there. He grumbled to himself, noticing that Poe, Tatsugami and Ata were all fast asleep, or at least they seemed to be. Kentaro sighed as he exited the large vehicle, noticing that Yuma was outside, Ongekibou in hand. He watched the young fighter throw strikes at the air, the dark color of his clubs reflecting off of the moon's light, his posture stiff and power focused. Kentaro thought this was odd, as the boy had a more lean frame.

"Ever thought about trying something a little quicker?" he asked, and Yuma looked to him, his phantom strikes ceasing as he shook his head. "I follow what I was taught by my Sensei. It would be disrespectful to him if I abandoned his teachings." he said, and Kentaro nodded. "I get ya. Even though I left SCRTC, I still use my teacher's style as honorably as I can." he said, watching Yuma's movements closely. A few of them seemed familiar, reminding Kentaro of Taiko drummers he'd see at different celebrations and festivals growing up. "Do you think that Ata has an ulterior motive?" Yuma asked, catching Kentaro off guard with his peculiar question.

"That guy? Hell no. He's as shallow as a birdbath. Shit, I'd be surprised if he knew what an ulterior motive even was." he said, making Yuma chuckle, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So what's his goal? Why gather all of us misfits and travel around the country?" he asked, and Kentaro shrugged. "That's more of Poe's thing to be honest. Ata wants to take down this Sentai, the Ninningers, and Poe knows that will have its consequences, so he's trying to not only keep himself and Ata alive, but safe and sound." he explained, and Yuma frowned.

"Is that really a good idea? Imagine if the Sentai gathered all of their numbers somehow. How would Ata and Poe face that?" he asked, and Kentaro leaned against the side of the Kurainer, folding his arms and chuckling. "I haven't known them very long, but I can tell you that Ata would run right into that sentient army of Skittles laughing and swinging." he said, and Yuma frowned. Was his new teacher really that devoted to combat? That even the most impossible, insurmountable odds are merely a joyous challenge to him? "Isn't Ata afraid of failing? Dying?" he asked, and Kentaro shrugged. "It's his culture as far as I can tell. From what I've read up on Ata and his people, he doesn't really have fears." he said, pushing himself off the Kurainer and sighing.

"Ata's people are almost norse like in the aspect that dying a glorious death is a good thing. If he brings honor to his people, it tips the invisible scales of justice and good for the better, bringing good fortune and luck to all of them. At least, that's what I got from Poe's explanation." he said, rolling his right shoulder and glancing deeper into the forest. Yuma frowned, realizing that both of them were picking up on the same thing. There was a single energy signature heading their way, and Yuma could tell from the flow of energy that whatever it was was not happy in the slightest, the young Native detecting hatred and rage, his stance shifting as he faced forward, waiting for their guest to arrive.

"I can tell you one thing though. Something that might help you in the future." Kentaro said, discarding the white buttoned shirt he was wearing, obviously preparing to join Yuma in combat if need be. "Ata is not afraid of defeat, and neither is Poe, Stallone, Tatsugami, or me myself. We welcome defeat." He said, looking to Yuma. The young Rider saw a fierce look in the Yakuza's eyes, and he knew that he wasn't lying to him. "Defeat is important. Ata lost a fight once. It was to a Kamen Rider, called Meteor. The guy beat Ata half to death and then jumped us and nearly killed all of us, Tatsugami especially. We knew we stood no chance against him, and yet, we fought on." he said, inhaling deeply.

"We were pushing our limits, seeing how long we'd last, and if we'd survive. For me, losing means that I still have work to do before I can really get comfortable. For Ata, defeat sets a new benchmark, and he'll strive to leap over that hurdle, moving onto the next obstacle in his psychotic quest to get stronger. If you want to avenge your teacher's death, you need to accept losses." he said, and Yuma narrowed his eyes. Did he really need to lose, to win? To fail in order to succeed? He grit his teeth, finding right now a bad time to think about this. "We'll talk about this after we win this fight." he said, and Kentaro laughed.

"I think you've got your work cut out for you this time. This isn't some run of the mill Makamou we're dealing with. Isn't that right, Meteor?" he asked, Yuma's body seizing up at the name of the man that defeated his teacher. And yet, when he saw the man, his body instantly relaxed. Meteor's untransformed state seemed weakened, malnourished even. Yuma knew that in prime condition, the man across the clearing from him would be slightly shorter and lighter than him, but have an advantage in experience, and most likely speed. Yuma rose to a full vertical stance, hooking his Ongekibou on the back of his gauntlet and pulling his Onsa from his pocket.

As if he knew exactly what Yuma was doing, Meteor flung his hands out wide, spinning them and allowing Yuma to see exactly how bruised the muscles on his bare arms were, the loose shirt he was wearing stained and torn. Yuma noticed that he remained silent, not making a sound as he watched Yuma flip open his tuning fork and tap it on his wrist, hearing a loud ring as he lifted the fork up to his forehead, exhaling as he felt energy surge around him, his vision growing darker as he watched Meteor flip some form of switch, a bright blue light erupting from around him as his vision went black.

Yuma inhaled, swinging his right arm, dispersing the shadows that covered his body as he exhaled, relishing in the feeling of his transformed state, which felt like a whole different body. He looked across the field to his opponent, recognizing the black and blue suit from newspapers and television shows. He bent his knees slightly, watching for any movement from his opponent. Meteor remained still, almost like a statue as Kentaro took a single step back, knowing that Yuma wanted to fight Meteor. The young Oni wanted to test himself. It doesn't seem like a fair fight to me. Meteor looks like he hasn't properly recovered or even eaten since Ata beat him. Kentaro thought, watching as both fighters shot forward at the same time.

Yuma noticed that Meteor cleared more distance than he did, proving his belief that Meteor was faster than him right. Both fighters threw stiff right punches, striking each other in the chest. The shock of the blow caused both of them to take a step back. Knowing that MEteor was faster, Yuma took defensive action. The Oni stepped back, avoiding a high spinning kick from his opponent. Yuma exhaled, lurching forward and throwing a right roundhouse kick. Meteor's hands shot up to the left side of his face, blocking the kick as he swung his right leg low, striking Yuma's left ankle and sweeping him off of his feet.

Yuma cursed, using his momentum to continue spinning, placing his hands on the ground to break his fall, wildly swinging his legs in Meteor's direction, his left calf finding purchase on Meteor's collarbone and knocking him back, the Oni's body crumbling to the ground as he rolled back and rose to his feet, inhaling deeply once before clenching his fists and moving forward. He watched his opponent carefully, slowly beginning to notice that Meteor's posture was off, his body still worn from previous battles. Yuma frowned, throwing a right bodyblow that found purchase, hearing raspy coughs from beneath his helmet.

For some reason, Yuma found no pleasure, or honor in beating on such a damaged being, the left cross that struck Meteor in the face devoid of feeling. It was a calculated blow, the calm strike of a confident, aloof fighter. Yuma spun, a wild haymaker of a right backfist striking Meteor in the jaw, his body crashing to the ground as Yuma exhaled, relaxing his posture, Kentaro watching Meteor closely. Why is he so sluggish? I know he's probably still injured but this is off. Really off. he thought, humming to himself. Both fighters watched Meteor shuffle to his feet, his chest heaving and body lacking it's normal posture.

"Why do you help that demon?" he asked, and Yuma narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. "Are you talking about Ata? He's no demon." he said, sighing as he wrung his hands. Meteor let out an audible growl. "He works with monsters! He kidnapped my girlfriend and did who knows what to her! How can you trust someone like that!?" he shouted, and Kentaro inhaled, paying closer attention than Yuma. The younger fighter shook his head. "My teacher is a good man. He fights evil and saves innocent people. You must be thinking of someone else." he said, and Meteor clenched his fists, squaring his shoulders as his posture shifted.

Kentaro noticed this. He's mad. Looks like this isn't going to go well. he thought, watching the two fighters silently charge each other, a pair of right fists flying forward. Their fists met, a shockwave blowing the grass back and separating them by force. Meteor moved first, throwing a stiff straight kick forward, Yuma closing his right fist and swinging down, using his forearm to block Meteor's right leg. He leaned forward and threw a left elbow. Meteor blocked the strike with his right elbow, throwing a left bodyblow that found purchase.

Meteor began to gather himself, his sped increasing as he followed up with a left elbow that struck Yuma in the jaw, causing him to stagger back. Using his backwards momentum, Yuma stepped forward and through a high left kick. Meteor blocked with his right forearm, shoving Yuma's leg to the side and throwing a right cross, followed by a left hook. Both strikes found purchase, the hooking fist knocking Yuma off his feet, his body crashing to the ground.

Yuma rolled immediately, avoiding a heavy axe kick that dug into the ground. He reached his feet quickly, throwing a left cross that Meteor blocked with his left forearm, following up with a spinning right backfist. Yuma blocked the strike with his right forearm, opening his hand and rolling his arm around Meteor's, swinging inward and forcing his opponent to face him before quickly throwing a straight left jab. Meteor stepped back, watching his opponent throw a left high kick before quickly throwing his leg back down. Meteor was able to block the axe kick with a cross block, throwing a low right kick and sweeping Yuma off of his feet. The native fighter swung his right leg wildly, his hands hitting the ground as he cartwheeled back, watching MEteor closely as he rose back to his feet and exhaled.

Yuma drew his Ongekibou and stepped to his right as he watched his opponent weave side to side, trying to throw off his focus and make him act too quickly. However, Yuma's teacher had always taught him to remain calm, and still, forcing his opponent to make the first move so he could safely respond. Kentaro watched this closely, as he knew that wielding the two drumstick like clubs was usually Yuma's last resort, as he lacked a longer ranged weapon or stronger form. He heard the door of the Kurainer creak open as the two fighters clashed, his focus fading from the battle as Poe, Ata, Tatsugami and Stallone filed out of the machine, all evaluating the scene in front of them.

"He's going to lose." Tatsugami said, and Stallone grumbled in agreement. Poe shrugged. "Soon as there's space Ata can blow him back and take his driver to stop him from causing anymore problems." he explained, but the big foreigner shook his head. "I'm not doing anything actually. If Yuma can't defeat Meteor, than Kentaro will do it in his place." he said, and the Yakuza looked to Ata, the bronze fighter only raising a brow and shaking his head. Poe looked to Ata in confusion. "Kentaro can't stop Meteor either. Are you trying to thin out our ranks on purpose? We need everyone we can get." he he said, and Ata took his turn to look to his brother in confusion "Kentaro? Lose to Meteor? Don't make me laugh this late at night Parata." he said, chuckling to himself.

Yuma slid back, his breathing beginning to grow labored as he realized that his opponent was running off of adrenaline. He struggled to think of some way to cancel out or match that adrenaline, focusing on defensive tactics until he could think of something. I could aim for his brain stem to knock him out, but that'll be hard when he's faster than me. He thought, ducking underneath a roundhouse kick and rising back up with a front kick, striking Meteor in the tailbone and creating more space. I guess I've got no choice but to try and overwhelm him. He thought, exhaling and discarding his Ongekibou and balling his fists.

"Kitojutsu: Yami Ha"

As the words, slow and methodical, left Yuma's lips, his form began to radiate a dark aura. Ata paid close attention to this unusual technique, which he believed would function akin to adrenaline. Yuma's hands opened, black smoke pouring from his mask as he audible exhaled, rushing forward and throwing a left bodyblow that Meteor narrowly avoided. Yuma followed up quickly, his speed easily able to match Meteor in his current state. Throwing a right cross, Meteor caught his fist, which worked to Yuma's benefit. Tugging his right hand back, he balled his left fist and threw another bodyblow. "Kitojutsu: Onizume."

Sharp, arrowheaded claws sprouted from the back of Yuma's hands, striking Meteor in the side and tearing into his suit, the unusual material it was made from protecting him from any lethal wounds. The Cosmic rider staggered back, his body paralyzed before he could fall to his back. Yuma began to slowly circle him, his breathing even and slow as he drew his Ongekibou once jabbed the flat ends of the clubs against his belt, the miniature drum attached to his belt popping off off. Yuma swung his clubs, knocking the drum through the air and into Meteor's chest, where it grew in size, the Oni rider exhaling as he walked up to his opponent. "My Yami Ha gives me the ability to manipulate shadows and the like, which is really helpful for slippery opponents, since my fighting style is stiff." He explained, pulling both of his Ongekibou back.

"Ongeki Da: Funkotsu Saishin"

The clubs struck the drum, MEteor calling out in pain as Yuma brough the clubs back one by one, slow, alternating strikes that went to and fro, heavy beats of a drum that shook the very ground, the black energy oozing off of his Oni form in the moonlight a frightening spectacle for Meteor to behold, his body unable to even protect itself as this pitch black form continued to strike and strike him, his armor once more cracking under the strikes. As pain reverberated throughout his body continuously, Meteor remembered the humiliation he faced at the hands of a similar warrior coated in Sapphire armor.

Yuma pulled back with both of his clubs, exhaling as he steeled his posture before coming down, both clubs striking Meteor at full bore, the enlarged drum that had attached itself to his chest shattering as he was flung back, his armor cracked and the fabric torn as he crashed into the ground, Yuma's chest heaving as he stumbled back, not used to using this much power in a fight.

"Is he out?" Poe asked, and Ata folded his arms, frowning. Something isn't right. He thought, flexing his hand to release a pulse of energy, a sort of supernatural sonar to sense out anything, or anyone, in the vicinity. He hesitated and walked around the Kurainer, looking into the forest and opening his hand, flexing his fist until the gem in the back of the hand turned a vibrant sapphire in color. "Long time no see, fox." he said, and the rest of the group turned to the forest, where they began to hear an androgynous laugh. "So you found out I was here, did you? It's too bad it won't matter in the end!" they heard, Ata whirling back around and gritting his teeth.

"Yuma, get out of the way!" he shouted, the exhausted Oni looking to him in confusion before a boot struck him in the jaw, sending him flying back, his transformation fading as blood erupted from his mouth, his body crashing into the ground at Kentaro's feet. "What the fuck just happened?" Poe asked, and Ata balled his fists. "The damn fox used some kind of Yokai sorcery to replenish Meteor's strength." he said, the blue masked rider looking over himself, as if surprised at how much better he felt. He exhaled, the eyes of his helmet changing color to a dark purple, a symbol of the Yokai sorcery that was powering him.

Kentaro knelt down, looking to Yuma, who was completely unconscious. "The kid did so good too." he said, frowning as he picked the young fighter up, his eyes locked on Meteor as he walked backwards, passing the child to Stallone before briefly looking to Ata and Poe. "Let me deal with him. I want you guys to get the punk into the Kurainer so we can get him healed up." he said, and Ata nodded, jabbing his chin at the stony imp, Poe frowning as he gestured to Tatsugami, the four other members of their motley crew retreating and regrouping as Kentaro faced off against the rejuvenated Rider. "Remind me after i kick your ass to skin that fox." he said, and his opponent scoffed. Kentaro smiled as he discarded his shirt, rolling his shoulders as he exhaled. "I wouldn't be so confident if I were you. I'm not the same man i used to be." he said, taking his signature fighting stance as the two locked eyes, a moment of stillness passing before both fighters surged forward