Academy Kamen Rider. Chapter 13: Pinnacle.
The target fell. A few more shots rang out. Another target crashed beside it. Dori Nobuya blew the excess smoke from the barrel of his MakaiBooker in Gun mode before clicking a red button on a control. Behind him suddenly, more targets popped up and he spun himself in mid-air, popping off shots from the MakaiBooker to promptly put the targets back on the ground. Nobuya blew away more excess smoke from the Booker's barrel and smiled to himself as he rose back up.
"A near-complete score... but 'complete' doesn't cut it this time. I must surpass it." Nobuya told himself, returning the Booker to his jacket and walking over to his rucksack. He looked inside to see the remnants and shards of his old K-Touch.
"This time..."
Erik swung the Nega Buster around, striking Nobuya time after time after time. Soon Nobuya just came to the end of his tether and gripped the end of the oncoming weapon, showing superhuman strength as he violently swung it over his head. Erik crashed into the ground and Nobuya ripped the Nega Buster away, swinging it at Erik with it as Erik had done earlier. Erik kept dodging, which frustrated Nobuya. Nobuya just tossed the Nega Buster down and then took out the K-Touch, inserting the keycard.
Gills! Ryuga! Orga! Chalice! Todoroki! Dark Kabuto! Nega Den-O! Dark Kiva! Final Kamen Ride: Makai!
Nobuya assumed Complete Form. The pace changed and Erik found himself on the defensive, blocking shots from the MakaiBooker as best he could. But the defensive was not where Erik was comfortable, so he took out the three Fuestles. Erik went to give YuKivat the Fuestles, but Nobuya swung the MakaiBooker at Erik, causing Erik to hold up his arms to defend himself. Erik roundhouse kicked the blade away and finally gave YuKivat the Fuestles.
Stardust Saber! Nega Buster! Unite!
As he changed into his combined form, Erik kicked the MakaiBooker away again and then kicked Nobuya after it. Erik was right back into the fight. He gripped the Stardust Saber hard. Nobuya fought back, but it was Erik breaking through this time, swatting the MakaiBooker in one direction and kicking Nobuya in the vulnerable spots.
Waking Up!
"Get some of this, Nobuya!" Erik began, leaping into the air with both his legs unchained.
Final Attack Ride: Makai!
Nobuya suddenly jumped up with a charged MakaiBooker at the ready: "Not before I get you!""The score will be settled properly, Erik Caine... and the proper result will be in place. I will reach the pinnacle." Nobuya continued, holding several shards of the K-Touch in his hand before allowing the pieces to drop back into the bag.
"Very impressive."
"Who's there?!" Nobuya growled, pulling the MakaiBooker from his jacket.
"I was watching your training session. I'd say you're that impressive against real opponents.""Hmph! You obviously haven't been here very long and don't know what Nobuya Dori of Academy Kamen Rider is capable of!" Nobuya gloated. He was then approached by a very familiar man in a cloak.
"You are..." Nobuya recognised in shock. "...Decade."
Sure enough, the man removed his cloak to reveal Anakin Gates Elias, also known as Kamen Rider Decade, wearing a professor's uniform marked with the Decade symbol.
"Dori Nobuya, former Ichigo dorm student and Kamen Rider Makai. You're impressive in your training... but I wonder for what purpose did you undertake it?" Anakin asked.
Nobuya lowered his weapon: "To evolve. Before I graduate, there is something I still have to do, a goal I need to accomplish. But to do that, I need to be strong enough to evolve. As I am now... I couldn't defeat anyone."
Anakin shook his head: "I can tell that the one thing that defined you - your confidence in yourself - has fallen by the wayside. I can help you get it back."
"And how do you intend to do that?" Nobuya asked sarcastically. In response, Anakin pulled out the Decadriver and placed it on his waist, the belt extending all the way around him before clipping to the buckle. He flipped the buckle open and retrieved the Decade card.
"It's not everyday you get to battle a tournament veteran... find confidence in the fact that you're my first battle since." Anakin responded, inserting the Decade card into the buckle.
Kamen Ride..."As long as I'm getting you at your best. I don't want a rusty Decade... I want all your might!" Nobuya demanded, placing the MakaiDriver on his waist and inserting the Makai card.
Kamen Ride..."You got it, rookie! Henshin!"
...Decade!
Anakin once again took the reins of Kamen Rider Decade, brandishing the RideBooker in Sword mode.
"Then I won't hold back either! Henshin!"
...Makai!
Opposite Decade stood Kamen Rider Makai with the MakaiBooker in Sword mode, ready for battle.
"Now... begin! Give it your all!" Anakin encouraged, taking the RideBooker in Sword mode from his belt. Nobuya did the same, but switched to Gun mode and tried to catch the tournament veteran offguard. The tactic didn't work however, as Anakin slashed away every last shot. Nobuya didn't let up and went for Anakin with the MakaiBooker in Sword mode, clashing blades with his elder. Anakin purposely grinded his blade down to Nobuya's hilt, frontflipped over the student and planted a side kick in Nobuya's chest.
"Mistake number one: you let me get too close." Anakin pointed out. Nobuya was incensed: Anakin was talking down to him! Although he wasn't going to say what he felt and risk disrespecting a tournament veteran, Nobuya was going to pick up the pace and put his opponent down for the count. Anakin fired some shots from his RideBooker Gun mode, forcing Nobuya to duck underneath and slide across the floor, surprising Anakin with a rising backflip kick.
Nobuya smirked underneath his helmet: "Okay, your first mistake: you let me get too close!"
Anakin couldn't help but laugh: the student had used his own tactic against him. He placed the RideBooker back at his side and pulled out a card.
"What's you say we pick up the pace on a grander scale?" The veteran offered.
Nobuya pulled out his own card: "I'm game."
Kamen Ride: Kabuto! Form Ride: Faiz Accel!
With Anakin as Kabuto and Nobuya as Faiz Accel Form, the speed was kicked into a higher gear. Anakin activated the Clock Up card while Nobuya activated the Start Up feature of the Accel Watch on his wrist, slowing the world down while they fought at their own speed. Nobuya's punches were swiftly avoided by Anakin's rolling underneath and jumping over the top, just as Nobuya avoided Anakin's attempts at kicks. Suddenly, Anakin pulled out the RideBooker sword and slashed Nobuya across the chest, ending the clocked-up combat. But it wouldn't stop the rebellious former Ichigo dormer, who launched himself at Anakin again. But the veteran already had a counterattack in place.
Final Attack Ride: Kabuto!With no warning at all, Anakin planted the Rider Kick straight into Nobuya's temple and forcefully detransformed him. Anakin pulled the Decadriver from his waist, cancelling his own transformation.
"You let your rage guide every move you make, kid. It's a shame really, because if you can control that rage and not let it throw off your thoughts, you could be an even better fighter than you are." Anakin suggested as Nobuya got to his feet, clutching his temple which was now suffering from a headache.
"Work on it, rookie. This might be your only chance to rectify your misguidance from Markus Frantz and any other user who had your ear during your younger years. When the time comes when you feel you've reached the pinnacle of your abilities off of your own back, if you can do that this week, then I'll be more than happy to give you a rematch." Anakin finished, walking away. Nobuya staggered to his feet with a nod, retrieving his gear.
From afar, Professor Tanaka was watching, thinking to himself: "It's not a good idea... having Decade here. I hope this week goes by... fast."
-xxx-
The students all filed into the assembly hall as the dorm professors and the superintendent, Jack Ryker himself, all prepared their paperwork. Dax and Phil could barely contain their excitement as they found their seats to sit down.
"Man, this is so cool... we're about to see active Tournament veterans!" Phil whooped.
"This is gonna be great!" Dax replied, not letting his own smile drift from his face.
Amanda couldn't help but smirk: "You two are like kids in a sweet shop."
"Sweet shop?" Dax wondered, scratching his head in confusion. Phil deftly reminded him that 'sweet shop' was the British analogue for 'candy store'. Meanwhile, Erik managed to keep his excitement to himself as he watched Nobuya enter the hall, clutching his arm as if it were injured. Erik's long-term girlfriend Christina noticed Nobuya's disposition too.
"Not that I'm mourning for the guy or anything... but I don't know what's hurt more on Nobuya: his pride or his body." Christina whispered.
Erik nodded in response: "With his past reputation, no surprises there... but with the Blacklist running around, I'm not too sure what hit him."
As if on cue at the mention of their name, said-group entered the hall and split off to where their designated dorms were sitting. Puppy took one glance at Erik and then took his seat, Dogmott sitting beside his partner faithfully. Jack Ryker took the podium.
"Alright, students, good morning. I hope you're all feeling well today, as this promises to be a special and momentus occasion." Ryker began. "It's no secret that this Academy is training the next hopeful competitors of Tournament Kamen Rider and if you manage to graduate to the tournament leagues, you'll be facing some tough competition. Today and the rest of this week, you'll have the opportunity to learn from and be advised by two Riders who have lived the Tournament life. Jessie and Anakin Elias are elite fighters who've been through the wars. This week, you get a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Now, Kamen Riders Shadowmoon and Decade, please grace the students of Academy Kamen Rider with your presence!"
On the sidelines, Takeshi Tanaka watched with great interest as Anakin walked through the doors with his brother and looked down at his own Light Decade card. The image was fluctuating.
"Hey, whippersnappers one and all, how's it going?" Jessie said in a nonchalant manner. "It's an honor to be called to the Academy, even after competing in the tournament itself. Trust me, kids, it's no easy game. We had to fight from scratch to get where we are. I recall my first battle after receiving my Kingstone... against a guy called MONARCH, Kamen Rider Stronger. One tough cookie, no doubt. I probably made plenty of mistakes in my first battle, the same as you will if you're lucky enough to graduate to the tournament. Don't worry, I'm not condemning your tournament lives before they get started... I'm just letting you all know that there is room for improvement all the time. You grow stronger, faster, smarter with each passing struggle. This is probably all elementary stuff Professor Ryker told you on your first day, so here's something from me and Anakin: expect the unexpected, whether it be the destructive power of Kamen Rider Gaia or a gang of thugs who you can easily swat away with one hand and take every battle seriously. You'll go far in the tournament, trust me."
"I don't need a broken-down Tournament hasbeen to tell me that!" Nobuya growled in thought. "I will reach my pinnacle on my own terms!"He then realised that Anakin Elias' eyes were trained on him.
"Facing Nero Samson in the finals, trust me, it's a thrill. But there's no guarantee you'll get there, or that you'll even get to the final elimination brackets. The Elite 50 is no joke: we're here for a reason. For the next week, me & Anakin will be sitting in to some of your lessons, watching intently. We'll also be floating around the island, so if you have any questions or want to hear a story, just ask. We'll be glad to recall for you." Jessie continued.
"Can't wait to meet these guys, dude." Phil said to Dax.
Dax nodded: "It'll be an awesome experience."
"Erik, honey," Christina said. "Why are you so quiet?"
Erik then realised he'd been silent the whole time: "Guess that's what happens when I'm in awe."
The couple then shared a nervous chuckle as the Elias brothers finished their speeches.
-xxx-
Nobuya sat in the workshop at the IXA dorm and continued working on his personal project, a blade of some sort. He cut wiring, sharpened the edges, installed card readers and created a card for this blade.
"To reach my pinnacle... I'll have to surpass 'complete'." Nobuya thought to himself as he pulled a drawstring bag up onto the table. Inside were the remaining shards of his destroyed K-Touch, which had been obliterated after Majestic Yusei had defeated Nobuya in Makai's corrupted Complete Form, which drew upon the power of the now-nonexistent Gaia card. Taking a soldering iron into his hand, Nobuya went to work.
-xxx-
"Stop right there, Elias!"
Anakin Gates Elias stopped in his tracks on his way to the Blade dorm to find himself surrounded by Lucifer, Kiba Orochi, ArcKivat & Sekai Shirokaze. He turned to them with a smirk.
"Aren't you kids late for class?" Anakin wondered.
Orochi scoffed: "Class can wait... this is a golden opportunity."
"The devil will have the soul of a former Tournament combatant. Prepare for your downfall." Lucifer proclaimed. The Blacklist then all transformed into their Rider selves.
"Ah, the Blacklist. Was warned about your fraternity and what you might do once me and my brother arrived here. Never mind... just don't forget who you're messing with. I am Decade, the destroyer of Riders... a Tournament Kamen Rider veteran!" Anakin declared in response, strapping the Decadriver to his waist and taking out the Decade card. But before he could use it, he realised the depiction of Decade was strangely fluctuating a bit. Once it was stable again, he opened the Decadriver up.
"Henshin!"
Kamen Ride...Anakin slotted the card in and slammed the Decadriver shut.
...Decade!Transforming into Kamen Rider Decade, Anakin came out swinging with the Ridebooker in Sword Mode. He bashed against Orochi's Arc Trident & Shirokaze's VelGasher before backflipping over Lucifer's Devil Saber. Anakin backflipped over Sekai, who planned to stab him through the back, and let rip a barrage of firepower from the Ridebooker in Gun mode. Orochi thrust forward the Arc Trident, but Anakin wedged his gun between the horns, aiming the barrel at Orochi before he fired.
"The devil wants your soul." Lucifer proclaimed, summoning the Devil Saber to his hand. Anakin flipped out the Ridebooker into Sword mode in response and then inserted a card into the Decadriver.
Kamen Ride: Kabuto!Anakin changed from Decade into Kabuto's Rider Form and clashed blades with the emissary of the devil. Anakin jumped over the scorching blade and swiped upwards, but Lucifer made sure the Twin Horn Visor blocked the shot, allowing him to kick Anakin away with a kick into the shoulder. Anakin responded by using a card. Lucifer did the same.
Strike Vent! Attack Ride: Clock Up!
Final Attack Ride: Kabuto!Anakin walloped Orochi with the Kabuto Rider Kick, causing him to revert to human form. At this point, Anakin came face-to-face with Puppy, who had Dogmott at his side.
"You keep fighting and my boys will tear you apart, piece by painful piece. This is our house and you're not just going to waltz in here!" Puppy mocked as Anakin continued to fight off the Blacklist soldiers. Then he was rocked by the arrival of an old rival.
"Try me, Puppy... I'll have you neutered or whatever the pun is." Nobuya challenged, causing Puppy to draw the Slash Buster grip, connected to the Vangarder. Without a word, Dogmott transformed into its Yaibuckle mode and wrapped itself around Puppy's waist. Puppy hooked in the Slash Buster and the Vangarder into the Yaibuckle, moving the buckle to the center of his waist and then pulling the blade from it.
"Henshin."
Yaiva Mark-Three Activate: Vanguard Mode, Active!Stood in Puppy's place was now Kamen Rider Yaiva Vanguard, with the Slash Buster's blade trained on Dori Nobuya. Nobuya smirked at this and took the MakaiDriver in hand, strapping it to his waist. From out of the MakaiBooker, Nobuya picked out the Makai card and slotted it into the Driver.
Kamen Ride..."May this be a momentus day for you and your Blacklist, Puppy... you will all fall to the Pinnacle of Nobuya Dori!" Nobuya proclaimed, pushing the buckle over to transform.
...Makai!The suit's projections all crashed into him at the same time, changing him into the black and yellow crusader known as Kamen Rider Makai. The MakaiBooker was quickly flipped out into sword mode and Nobuya rushed head-on into a fight with the leader of the Blacklist. A fight in which he was severely outmatched. The Vanguard Mode's increased power output made Puppy the stronger of the two by a mile. Every slash from the Slash Buster caused Nobuya's armor to be damaged. Nobuya was surprised at how beaten he was getting at the hands of one of his peers, even with Puppy at his strongest form. Nobuya managed to get up to his knees, but before he could fully get up, Puppy planted a boot in his chest and sent him flying again.
Form Ride: Faiz...Before Nobuya could complete the Form Ride into Faiz Accel Form, Puppy locked the Vangarder onto the Slash Buster, increasing the weapon's power and slashed across the MakaiDriver, interrupting the change.
"This is getting rough..." Nobuya told himself out loud. A few yards away, Anakin had defeated Orochi and Shirokaze with the Dimension Kick, forcing them to take their leave. But instead of lending Nobuya a hand, Anakin just stood and watched intently.
"You're better than this, rookie... I've seen it! So get your backside up and defend yourself!" Anakin thought as Nobuya was taken down by the Slash Buster once again.
"I expected a better challenge, Nobuya... or has being Erik's bitch for so long stunted your progress?" Puppy taunted, punting Nobuya in the stomach while Nobuya was on all fours trying to catch his breath.
"Agito dorm... has pretty much fallen at my feet!" "Crush Kamen Rider Yusei. Crush his body, crush his spirit and crush his heart. That lowly Den-O dormer must not last another day on this island." "Nobuya, I had respect; that's why everyone believes I'm the best. But if you have no respect, nobody will respect you back. We both know advancing to the second tournament won't come by fear. That is a hard crystal to smash." "I've seen the cracks in your crystal, Augen-kun. Fear is the reason I got as far as I did. Ichigo dorm doesn't lift a damn finger against me because they know I can get the job done against anyone... and that if they bring on my darker side, they're treading on thin ice. You're the best, huh? Fool. Your respect overrides your senses. I'm taking my rightful place as the champion of this Academy, whether you like it or not! Whether it's Yusei or Kagemarou I have to knock off... it doesn't matter to me."
"And now, Yusei... I get my ultimate vengeance!" Nobuya proclaimed.
Error!
Upon hearing the computerised voice, Nobuya looked down at the K-Touch. The damage from earlier began to intensify tenfold. The energy was now starting to bring pain to Nobuya. He growled as the electricity tortured his body, making the students around them worry whether Nobuya would escape from the electrical hell he was experiencing.
All of a sudden, the Makai Complete Form suit began to distort and was warped from the damage to the K-Touch."My strategies... they were perfect in every way... but he completely sidesteps everything. What is it that makes him so resistant to destruction and defeat? Were my family correct? Am I worthless?""For you... I'm afraid your academy life has just run out. Prepare to be blacklisted!" Puppy called out, causing Dogmott to execute the Final Program.
"Executing final program." Final Program: Vanguard Tornado, Descend!
"Faster Nobuya, faster!"
"That's wrong Nobuya!"
"You're so weak and pathetic Nobuya."
"Why were you even born into this family?"
"Pathetic Nobuya, absolutely pathetic!"
"You're scum that shouldn't even be allowed to live."
"I'm the rightful heir to this family, not you!"
"DIE!""No!" Nobuya growled, punching Puppy's ankle upon impact and striking him in the chest with the MakaiBooker on the way over, interrupting the Vanguard Tornado.
"That's it, kid!" Anakin loudly cheered, impressed by Nobuya's comeback. Nobuya was surprised himself, but he decided to stay silent, instead taking out his repaired M-Touch. He slid the keycard into the M-Touch and replaced the MakaiDriver buckle to the side of his waist. On the other side, he pulled out the Makai card. The image and writing changed, causing Nobuya to slot it into the MakaiDriver at his side.
Final Kamen Ride..."Watch, Blacklist... you're about to see the pinnacle of my power! I exceed that which is complete!" Nobuya ranted, pulling the buckle upwards.
...Makai PINNACLE!The Makai costume liquiefied and branched out in the style of Makai's transformation, into several projections of the suit, which began to circle Nobuya rapidly before converging back onto Nobuya himself. In a flash of light, Nobuya appeared in a suit similiar to Makai Complete Form, but all the cards had disappeared from the armor, instead replaced by Rider logos and insignias in gold.
Kamen Rider Makai Pinnacle.
"Nice duds... but its all just hardware. The Blacklist will put you down!" Puppy proclaimed. Not responding, Nobuya unhooked the MakaiBooker from his side and switched it to Gun mode, taking it to the Blacklist with his awe-inspiring power. Switching to sword mode, Nobuya put them on the floor repeatedly with his Dimension Revolver attack, driving the blade forward in a twisting lunge.
Attack Ride: Pinnacle Breaker!
Out came the golden blade attachment, the Pinnacle Breaker. Nobuya pulled out five Final Attack Ride cards with the Crossattack card and then slotted the MakaiBooker into the Pinnacle Breaker, turning into a bigger sword. Into the first slot went the Yu-Ki card. Following that was the Double card. Then one after the other came the Yusei & Gargo cards.
Final Attack Ride: Yu-Ki!
Final Attack Ride: Double!
Final Attack Ride: Gargo! Final Attack Ride: Yusei!
Attack Ride: Crossattack!
Final Attack Ride: Makai Pinnacle!
"Dimension Pinnacle Finish!" Nobuya called out, smashing the blade of the Pinnacle Breaker on the ground and sending a shockwave through Kiba Orochi with the Pinnacle Terminate Flash before he jumped and sent the splitting energy slash known as the Pinnacle Double Extreme at Orochi when he staggered back. Once Orochi was down, he aimed the Pinnacle Breaker and took down Sekai Shirokaze with the Pinnacle Emerald Barrage before following it up with a downward swipe of the sword known as the Pinnacle Dominance Crash Break. Puppy began charging Nobuya and he got the brunt of the attack when the Final Attack Ride cards' powers all converged to the blade and Nobuya tossed it through him like a javelin, locking him into place. With a final jump to the sky, Nobuya's card projections appeared, allowing Nobuya to pass through them and crush the Blacklist's leader with the Dimension Pinnacle Finish kick. Nobuya dropped to the ground and stood up from his finishing position.
Advent!Upon hearing the Twin Horn Visor's distorted voice, Nobuya turned and saw that Lucifer's summoning of Burnseid had taken the brunt of the Dimension Pinnacle Finish. The Pinnacle Breaker landed back in Nobuya's hand.
"Thanks for the assist." Puppy begrudgingly said to his general.
Lucifer shook his head in mock disappointment: "If the Devil did not have a plan for you, I would've left you to rot at the fallen angel's hands. Come, let us salvage this dire situation."
Under a massive veil of fire, the Blacklist left the scene of the fight. Anakin deactivated the Decadriver and approached Nobuya.
"This academy is lucky to have you." Anakin complimented. He held out his hand for Nobuya to shake. Nobuya just glanced blankly at the veteran.
"I haven't earned it yet. But thanks for the kind words. You'll see me again... Decade." Nobuya concluded before walking away. Not too far away, Joseph Harbinger was watching and looked down at the Diendriver in his hands. On top of it was the Blacklist armband. He never said a word as he watched his opposite number continue to walk away.
-xxx-
A/N: Chapter over! Thanks for waiting folks! I don't mean to be silly on times between posting but everybody has a life outside of here right? Next time on
This is a presentation of DJ Diddy Dog FangJoker.
Sa, jigoku o tanoshimina!
Coming soon...
Augen-kun,
In this package is your new dorm uniform. I will see you at the entrance examinations. Your opinion on potential new members of the IXA dorm would be greatly appreciated.
Professor Russell Liger.
"Looks like the Academy's going to be under the spotlight..."
Placed in the public's eye...
"Augen Shinoda? Hi, I'm Darren Eckman from Pepsi. I'd like to talk to you about a sponsorship deal."
With new freshmen...
"Blazer-sempai, nice job... but let me show you what I can do!" Zane requested, slamming the Hunter Knuckle into his free hand.
"You can call me Puppy. Don't be fooled... I may be a dog-lover and all but I'm still not gentle when it comes to competition!"
"Your skills are incredible, Dori Nobuya. You shouldn't have been placed in such a lowly dorm as the Agito dorm..."
"Care to rectify that mistake then, Professor Frantz?"
"Christina Hearts, Kamen Rider Seraph. You'll have to defeat her if you want to advance in this heat. She's the Ichigo dorm's most-powerful Rider."
"Augen, I'm not trying to say I want to replace your old friends... I just want to be a friend."
"Raz Hybrid. Hongo Island's personal private investigator!"
And new adversaries...
"After all that nonsense about not wanting friends and shit, you pull this on me?! You're an interesting guy, Kagemarou... I'll give you that, but you're not interesting enough for me to want to keep alive."
"Augen, thanks for everything. I came here and you took me under your wing, even with your emotional baggage. I'll always be grateful to you for that, and I'll also always be grateful to you for having more friends. I'm proud to say you're my adopted older brother. Time to pay your bills and count up your sins!"
A whole new year in the saga of Kamen Rider Kagemarou...
"There's a lot to learn, Eddie... stick with me and I'll make sure the fate of the fallen will not befall you. Only leave enemies behind."
KAGEMAROU TRILOGY! GEKIJOBAN ACADEMY KAMEN RIDER: THE PRICE OF SUCCESS!
COMING SOON!