SHOTARO

Shotaro thought the fight would be easy. He thought wrong.

As they closed in to attack, Emi revealed the Gaia Memory hidden underneath the sleeve of her overalls. It was gold in colour – the one used by high-ranking Museum members, with the standard ribcage design and the initial 'L' etched at the center. Shotaro wondered what does L stands for. He hoped it wasn't something as cliché as love.

'LUST!'

Shotaro stumbled. Lust? Really?!

He watched, baffled, as the witch unveiled a Living Connector located slightly on top of her right breast. As the Memory made entrance into her body, crimson flames engulfed her completely, transforming her into a Dopant. Where once stood the most beautiful woman was a dark purple monster with a pair of large black wings protruding from her back. She was lean and muscular, her mask resembled that of demonic dove from hell and her fingers were now long, deadly looking talons. She wielded a metallic staff about 8 feet tall; at its center was an orb that glowed a menacing purple with a mini black dove perched on top.

Emi, now an emissary of demonic birds everywhere, radiated with more power than Shotaro had ever felt. The flames flickered and danced about her torso, as if daring anyone foolish enough to approach and be instantly burned into ashes.

She didn't use a Driver.

Philip was right. The golden Memories were the most powerful of its kind. Directly linking it with a Living Connector would leave dangerous side effects on its user's body, even death. A Driver, despite weakening the Memory, was needed to counter the risks. Even then, Golden Memory Dopants were a class of their own. That would explain why Shotaro sensed so much power was being channeled through Emi.

Terui seemed to be unfazed by her new appearance and attacked anyway. He slashed at her with his Engine Blade and the Lust Dopant simply deflected it with her staff. She held her ground and parried all of Terui's relentless strikes with ease. To Shotaro's surprise, her gaze was still fixed at him and Philip. It was difficult to tell if she was actually smiling with that deformed beak of hers.

In a blink of an eye, she got around Terui and slammed her Dove-staff on his hind, sending Accel off-balance and crashing face-first onto the ground. Before he could get up, Emi swung her weapon upward in a large arc. It caught Terui in the chin of his helmet, knocking him against the wall. Shotaro and Philip shook off their initial shock and advanced to help but the Dopant was too quick. She moved with blinding speed, leaving trails of blurred red light in her wake as she maneuvered around the cavern, dealing multiple blows in mere seconds. Her attacks were consistent in force; enough to throw them around without dealing any critical wounds.

'Is that the best from the Guardians of Futo?' she mocked as Shotaro and Philip was sprawled helplessly in front of her. Despite her monstrous form, the beauty of her voice remained. 'I am disappointed. I love men who can put up a good fight.'

'You've seen nothing yet,' Terui snapped.

'TRIAL!'

Sounds of blinking traffic lights echoed against the granite walls as Terui assumed his Trial Form, Accel's fastest state. 'The countdown of your fall begins now,' he exclaimed as he tossed the Trial Memory into the air and charged with supersonic speed. Shotaro and Philip watched as Accel Trial executed his Machine Gun Spike, a series of multiple kicks in a row, which left energy treadmarks in the form of a blue T.

To their horror and disbelief, the Lust Dopant countered each kick with her staff, matching Trial's immense high speed. She released a burst of purple energy, knocking back Terui just as the 10 seconds mark came to an end. The Trial Memory landed at his feet and Accel's transformation was forcefully cancelled due to his failure in completing the Maximum Drive. Terui clutched his sides and groaned in pain, his expression that of agony.

'How is that possible?' Terui said while trying to get back on his feet.

'You're pathetic, Superintendent Terui. Were you counting down to your own fall?' Emi sneered.

Terui was about to say more but Shotaro intervened. 'Step back. We'll take it from here. Dova-lady, let's get serious.' He was still feeling queasy about his attraction to Emi, and wondered was it purely the effect of her spell or was it something more. He activated the Fang Memory's horn twice and summoned the Shoulder Saber. If close combat was out of question, their only other option was a ranged attack. But he had no idea how they were going to land an attack on a Dopant faster than Accel Trial.

'Count up my sins, you say? Is it a sin to make guys fall in love with me?' Emi teased.

Shotaro hesitated, his mind pondered on the Dopant's words. Confusion began to seep in, and he realised too late that her words were the source of her magic. He could feel his attraction towards Emi resurging, despite the fact that she emitted flames and lacked any physical appeal of a woman.

Philip seemed to sense his anxiety. His partner took the lead, eager to end the fight before the Dopant could resume her mind control on Shotaro. Philip removed the blade from FangJoker's right shoulder and released it as a boomerang. Shotaro wanted to stop him, knowing Emi would dodge it with ease. If Accel Trial couldn't keep up with her, how could they?

Instead, Demon Dove simply caught it in mid air with her left hand. 'What is this? Frisbee?' She tossed it aside and marched forward, taking her own sweet time, knowing she had the Rider completely outmatched. 'It's a shame, Shotaro. You have the potential to make a good lover.'

'That's something I knew all along,' Philip replied.

Wow. Really, partner? You think so?

Go figure. Could be sarcasm.

You brat.

The Lust Dopant fired purple energy projectiles from the orb of her staff, which burst into mini explosion upon impact. Again, it wasn't lethal, just enough to force them to retreat. Shotaro knew had she wanted to, she could take them out in a single attack. He would hate to admit it, but that was how far apart their strengths were.

'Give in to me, Shotaro and I will spare your friends,' she offered.

That's it! He remembered what she said about overcoming the second test to obtain Gehenna. A willing sacrifice. She needed him to die on his own free will. Suddenly, he had an idea. It was a huge risk, but they had no other option. She clearly overpowered them by a large margin, a gap they would have to work around if they were to win. He told Philip what he intended to do.

That's insane.

Trust me, partner. What are we?

Philip chuckled. A single detective, and..

.. a single Kamen Rider, Shotaro finished.

#####

'Fine. You win.'

Demon Dove seemed to be taken aback. 'Huh? For real?'

'Yeah. We gave up. FangJoker was our best bet, but we're no match for you,' Shotaro said with a disappointed sigh. 'You can have the Gehenna. We want out.'

'But.. but..' she stuttered, clearly wasn't expecting the Rider to surrender. 'What about your Xtreme Form? Don't you want to try that first?'

'Nah. We're cool. Those shady men don't pay us enough for this. We don't want that stinkin' jewel. You can have it. Just let us be on our way and it's all yours.' Shotaro undone their transformation, and his consciousness returned to his own body. As he rose to his feet, he saw the Dopant eyeing them suspiciously.

'What tricks do you have up your sleeve?' she pressed on.

Philip shrugged. 'No tricks. We just decided it wasn't worth it.'

'What are you guys doing? You can't be serious!' Terui cried.

'Shut up, angry wart. This isn't your call.' Shotaro said and shot him a quick look. Work with us, Terui.

'So, do we have a deal?' Philip asked the Dopant.

'No! No deals! Come on, bring about your Xteme Memory. I'm eager to face the famous CycloneJokerXtreme.'

Shotaro had to suppress a smile. All was going according to plan, at least for now. 'You can't force us, Emi. Either you kill us or let us go. Either way, the Gehenna is all yours.'

Just as he was hoping, she undid her own transformation. Her long, wavy black hair flowed seamlessly. She was, once again, the most beautiful woman Shotaro had ever gazed upon.

'What are you scheming, Kamen Riders? I know your kind. You don't surrender easily; in fact you don't surrender at all. Whatever it is, it isn't going to work.'

By then, Terui finally stood up, one hand leaning against the wall for support, another pressing on the wound at his left flank. Shotaro couldn't see the injury but by the looks on his face, he could tell it was bad. Terui's eyes were filled with so much rage and hatred, something Shotaro haven't seen since the defeat of the Weather Dopant.

'Like we said, we don't have any schemes. You said it yourself. We have no idea where the people who hired us came from. They could potentially be worse than Foundation X. And our friend Terui here can't beat you even in his Trial Form. With that kind of agility, even Xtreme would be useless. We're just being strategic. No point wasting our lives against impossible odds.'

Emi took a few seconds to ponder on that. She tapped her fingers at her side, like she was deciding whether to trust them or not. Finally she said, 'Very well then. The boy and the officer can leave. I have no use for them. You, Shotaro, my love, must stay. Or else, everybody dies.'

'Fair trade,' Terui said, surprising Shotaro. He could only hope that Terui had somehow figured that he was planning something and not meant it for real. But then, Terui seemed oddly strange tonight, edgier than usual. Philip said the cave amplified Emi's hold on him. He wondered if it somehow also amplified Terui's temper.

Shotaro wished they could take this outside, somewhere far away from the tomb. Having to deal with a gorgeous brainwashing woman was difficult enough. He didn't want to have to contend with the magic hanging around in the vicinity, like snakes hiding and waiting to strike.

'Go ahead. You can have him,' Philip said, breaking Shotaro's train of thoughts. 'He was a pain in the butt most of the time anyway. With him gone, I can still be a Kamen Rider on my own. Kindly spare his Lost Driver and mail it to me, would you? I can write down the address of the Agency, which of course, would then be fully managed by me.'

If this weren't part of the plan, Shotaro would have smacked Philip in the head for saying that.

Emi still had doubts written all over her. 'You're just going to walk away, completely okay with leaving your partner behind?'

'Yup. Good riddance.'

'Agreed,' Terui added.

She eyed them one by one, perhaps weighing the possibility of a trick. Nobody said anything; the only sound in the cavern was the trickling of water somewhere further away. 'Well, go on then. Leave us.'

Philip was the first to make his way out of the room, followed by Terui who met Shotaro in the eyes as he passed by. He seemed to be saying what the hell are you planning to do?

When they're alone at last, Shotaro spoke as calmly as possible. 'So, how are you going to kill me?'

Emi smiled the sweet, seductive smile that had Shotaro completely smitten. He had to focus really hard to not allow himself to be charmed over once again. 'I'm not going to kill you, my handsome Shotaro, until you asked me to, on your own free will.'

As he suspected, her words had magic in them. He began to feel compelled to do as she said, out of his "love" for her. For a second there, he thought he was going to slip right back in trance. He began to slowly back away towards the sarcophagus, one step at a time. He could feel its pull the closer he got, like it was tugging at his very lifeforce. His eyes grew heavy, his knees weak, his muscles limp; he was completely helpless as his soul drained away, bringing him ever closer to death. He stopped at about ten feet away from it. Any closer and he knew he would perish before Emi could even get him to kill himself.

'Do it, Shotaro. For me. You love me, don't you?'

'I do,' he replied.

'Then prove it. Take your own life. It would mean the world to me,' she continued. 'Offer your body and soul to me, and I will accept it with gratitude. I will remember you for all eternity. Our love will be told in stories by generations to come.'

Shotaro cringed slightly. He was a romantic, but he absolutely detested cheesiness. Her words rebuked him, just enough for him to regain his focus. He had to make this work. He was their best shot at taking this lady down.

'I love you, Emi. If my death is what you wish for, then it will be my pleasure to grant it. However, with one condition.'

'Condition?'

'Yes. Honour me with your strongest attack, one that compliments your beauty and strength.'

Emi's eyes grew wide with surprise. 'My strongest attack? Your condition is to die by it?'

'Exactly. I could feel it in your attacks earlier. You're holding back, obviously. If I'm going to go out, love, at least let me go out witnessing you at your best.'

She smiled, seemingly pleased with the acknowledgement that she had more in her than what she let on. 'Of course. I may not the strongest of the seven, but if I am so much as pleased I could break you with a snap of my fingers. Not to mention that I am the prettiest, wisest and most manipulative.'

That little revelation was uncounted for. 'Seven? There were six others just like you?'

'Not like me. My beauty is one and absolute. My siblings, some were disgustingly primitive. Violent. I am exquisite.'

Great. Six volatile family members. Shotaro's lucky stars just kept adding up and counting.

'Don't worry, my dear. It matters not. You won't be around to meet any of them. What matters most is you proving your love for me.' She walked up to him and kissed him on the lips, not a simple peck but a sensual kiss. She placed her hands on his thumping chest, leaned in so close he could smell her soothing fragrant. Shotaro couldn't help it. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her closer and kissed her passionately, allowing himself to indulge in the moment. He didn't care whether it was magic or not. He wanted to experience her, to taste her. Her lips were extremely soft and tender. The embrace lasted several minutes, and just when things were heating up, she pushed him away gently.

'I will miss that kiss,' she whispered.

Shotaro's heart faltered. It is incomprehensible how someone as beautiful could present such malice at the same time. He thought to himself that she did not need magic to get him to fall for her. Her beauty alone would have been enough.

He slapped himself three times mentally. Get your act together, Shotaro! She's messing with your mind and feelings. Don't let her in!

Shotaro cleared his throat. 'So, what say you? Let me see you at your best, at your strongest, as I give you my life?' he urged. He swore that if this worked and he survived, he would never utter something so cheesy ever again.

'Yes. Why not? But I thought you would prefer for me to be in my most beautiful form as you welcome death.'

Shotaro forced down a lump in his throat. 'Even as a Dopant, you're still beautiful. Something about you in that form is so regal. I would love to see it one more time.' He wished he could turn around and gag.

Emi took out the Lust Memory and placed it on his hand. 'Do the honours.'

Shotaro trembled as he held on to the Memory. He thought about running off with it, hence Emi would no longer be able to transform. But then he has seen how she restrained two Riders without her Dopant powers. He doubted he would get very far. He pushed aside the collar of her overalls, his face blushing red as he stared at Living Connector. He wanted to run his fingers along the fair skin of her breasts, to caress them. His instincts as a man overwhelmed him. He forced himself to look away.

'LUST!'

'Ready?' Emi asked as she regained her Demon Dove form. She took several steps back and raised her staff. 'Proclaim that you gave me your life willingly, Shotaro. Only then will the trial reckons it.' Dark purple energy gathered at the orb, the air cackled with electricity as she prepared her strongest technique. Her wings were spread wide, the flames evolved into swirling crimson aura and her diamond-like eyes glowed blood red. The ground shook beneath them, much like an earthquake.

Shotaro steadied himself. The next few minutes were crucial. If he timed it wrongly, it would be a one-way trip to meet up with whoever was inside that sarcophagus. 'I hereby willingly gave my life to my love, Emi. It's free for her taking.'

As soon as the words left his mouth, Emi brought down her staff and unleashed a wave of concentrated purple and black energy. It had the outlook of a giant dove surging forward, its beak open wide to consume everything in its path. Shotaro held his breath as it drew closer, counting the seconds with his fingers.

Philip, now!

The last thing Shotaro saw was the explosion.