"Onyx and Vampire"
Chapter 26: "Knight of Black Dreams"
Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight and related materials belong to Steve and Michael Wang, Ishinomori Productions, Toei, and Adness Entertainment. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Media, and I make no money from the use of its characters or the characters of Dragon Knight in this story. This is solely about self-amusement.
Author's note: It's been quite a while since I last posted, hasn't it? Sorry for that, been struggling for these last few months to recover the will to write something. In any case, I'm feeling inspired again, so it's time to ride.
Who is that new Rider with the Buzzstinger Contract Beast(s)? What about that wolf-themed knight called Silver Fang; who is he and what connection did he have to Kuyo? What kind of transformation will this "soul evolution" Adam is experiencing force on him, and will it be to his salvation . . . or his destruction? In lighter news, will Kase running interference help Adam's love life go a little more smoothly, or will some unforeseen complication just turn things around for the worst? For the answers to all those questions and others, keep reading.
It was sunset when Adam and Moka made it back to the hotel where the Riders were staying, Moka riding with Adam. "I had a good time today, Adam," she said.
Adam smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Moka."
"And I'm glad my first kiss was with you . . ." she added softly.
"So am I," Adam whispered. He didn't know why, but the thought of one of those bastards that had gone after Moka back at Yokai Academy taking her first kiss – and taking more, if they'd had their way – made him seethe with tightly contained murderous fury. He calmed himself when he remembered that they were nowhere near Moka now, and even if they were, he'd be able to deal with them . . . at least until Inner Moka took them off his hands.
As they went back into the hotel, arm in arm, they were confronted by Kurumu, Mizore, Yukari, Ruby, Gin, Len, Kase, and Nolan. "Were you guys waiting up long?" Adam asked.
"No," Gin replied with an impish smirk. "Just curious about how much of a good time you two had."
"We just had fun at the festival," Moka responded.
"Oh, I heard . . ." Gin remarked. "You have a lovely singing voice, Moka. You, Adam, I'm not so sure about."
Adam snorted. "Whatever. You're just jealous I can carry a tune at all. Don't think I didn't hear you howling in the shower."
"You're the one howling in the shadows, man," Gin rejoined.
Len snickered slightly and Kase looked generally amused. Kurumu and Mizore didn't look quite so happy, but Kurumu had a clear pout on her face while Mizore's placid expression was only belied by her slightly narrowed eyes. Adam sniffed and walked up to the two girls, embracing them both in turn.
"Don't worry," he said. "I'll be taking you out, too."
Both Kurumu and Mizore blushed, particularly when Adam hugged them, but it was the ever-effusive Kurumu who responded by pulling Adam's head into her voluptuous chest. "Oh, that makes me so happy!" she squealed. "I'll make sure we have a good time together, I swear it!"
Len cleared his throat. "He kinda needs to breathe, Kurumu. It's a funny little human thing."
Kurumu reluctantly let go of Adam, who was now very red in the face both from embarrassment and lack of air. Len's words, meant in jest, echoed in his mind. "It's a funny little human thing."
That's the thing, Len, Adam thought ruefully. I'm not even sure I'm human anymore. Aloud, "I'm gonna go train up by myself, and then I'm going to bed. See you around, you guys." He kissed Moka on the cheek. "Have some nice dreams tonight, Moka." With that, he was gone with nary a look back, leaving the others to look at the spot he'd just occupied with some concern.
"Is something on his mind?" Gin wondered.
"Yeah," Nolan admitted.
"You can't run forever, Adam," his own voice, only colder and crueler, snarled from the shadows as Kamen Rider Onyx rode through the night.
"Who says I'm running, you son of a bitch?" Onyx snarled, only to grind to a stop when he saw a shadowy biker parked across the street ahead of him. Onyx angrily got off his bike and stalked up toward the figure, reaching to grab him by the collar when the figure grabbed his outstretched arm in a death grip.
"You are running," the figure snarled, and stepped into the faint light just enough for Onyx to see a mirror image of himself . . . only with red accents on otherwise pitch black armor. "Running from the truth, running from who and what you really are. It's so pathetic I can't even bring myself to feel sorry for you."
"You're not me!" Onyx snarled, and punched his doppelganger. His doppelganger stumbled and fell, only to kick out and knock Onyx's legs out from underneath him before pinning him forcefully.
"Aren't I?" the doppelganger sneered. "All you are, all you've ever been, all you ever will be . . . I represent the truth of all that. The sooner you learn to embrace it, the sooner you'll be at peace with yourself."
"I'll never become you!" Onyx screamed furiously.
SWORD VENT.
With a furious slash of the Drag Saber, Onyx forced his doppelganger off him and sprang to his feet. His doppelganger merely stared back at him almost impassively, and slotted his own Sword Vent, calling a black-and-red Drag Saber that he used to attack Onyx. The two dark dragon Riders clashed swords, slashing and striking at each other viciously.
"You really think this is going to be the end of it?" the doppelganger sneered. "No, Adam, this is just the beginning."
STRIKE VENT.
That was when Adam woke up, the nightmare image of a black-and-red draconic Advent Beast striking him with crimson flame burned onto his mind's eye. Feeling uncomfortably damp, Adam looked down and realized that he'd soaked his sheets – and his sleepwear – with his sweat.
"Damn it," he murmured, running his hands through his hair. "What is happening to me?"
He looked at the curtained window, seeing faint beams of sunlight shining through it. "Might as well get up," he muttered to himself, and threw off his bedcovers as he got out of bed. Stuffing the covers somewhere for later washing, he went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth before gargling six cupfuls of mouthwash. He heard a slight giggle coming from inside the shower area, and in his post-nightmare crankiness, turned and practically ripped the curtain open. The sight of a nude and glistening Kurumu immediately shocked him into total wakefulness.
"Kurumu!" he shouted in astonishment.
Kurumu let out a soft giggle. "Did I startle you, Adam? Sorry, I was just drying off . . ." Despite her attempts to seem nonchalant, the red tint of her cheeks – the ones on her face – gave away her chagrin.
Adam was quite embarrassed himself, and doing his best to keep his eyes exclusively above Kurumu's shoulders, no matter how tempted he was to see her naked breasts . . . or confirm that her hair color was natural. "Sorry . . ." he whispered. "I'll . . . I'll just wait outside." He moved to leave, but Kurumu had gently grabbed his arm to stop him.
"It's ok," she comforted him. "Just keep your eyes closed, if you want to."
"And what do you think you're doing trying to seduce my future husband like that?" an icy calm voice asked, alerting Adam and Kurumu to Mizore's presence. A brief glance showed Adam that Mizore had opted to wear her standard Lycra crop top (the kind she wore under her customary oversized sweatshirt) and a pair of cotton shorts as her sleepwear. He could feel the blood rushing to his face as he noted that this was the first time he'd gotten to see this much of Mizore's body, but he managed to keep his composure.
"It was my fault, Mizore," he said. "I didn't know she was in here."
Mizore's eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to ascertain the truth of that statement. Her expression soon softened, letting him know that he was off the hook – but not necessarily Kurumu, whom she had made clear she saw as a rival for Adam's affections. Kurumu herself wasn't willing to let Mizore off the hook, either, and she let the other girl know that.
"And are you trying to seduce my Destined One in that getup?" she taunted the snow girl.
Mizore scowled, and Adam looked between her and Kurumu before speaking. "Come on, there's no need to fight. It was just an accident, that's all. Nobody needs to get hurt over this."
Mizore and Kurumu reluctantly calmed themselves. "For you, Adam," Mizore whispered coolly as she got closer to him. "Your breath smells minty. How much mouthwash did you use?"
"Six cups," Adam admitted bashfully.
"Six . . ." Mizore repeated softly, as though tasting the word. "Perhaps you should try one of my lollipops. They taste quite nice."
"You probably need them way more than I do," Adam demurred.
"I can show you where I get my best," Mizore offered. "You can use your mirror-walking ability to get us there."
"I'll consider it when we go on our date," Adam responded, prompting an irritated growl from Kurumu.
"Hey, Mizore!" she shouted. "Keep flirting with my Destined One like that –!"
"And what, bazooka girl?" the snow girl retorted coolly.
Adam cleared his throat. "It's just a friendly chat, Kurumu. No need to lose your head." He turned to Mizore. "It'd be nice if you wouldn't egg her on like that."
Both girls looked sufficiently chastised at those statements, prompting Adam's expression to soften into a gentle smile. "Come on. Let's give Kurumu some privacy so she can dry off in peace."
"I'm actually finished," Kurumu interjected, prompting Adam to turn and see that she had her towel wrapped around her body. The poor towel, however, was straining to contain her bountiful bosom, leaving the hem rather short and exposing much of her creamy legs. Adam tried not to look too hard, but Kurumu could tell he liked what he saw, and it made her smile.
"Oh, uh, all right," Adam responded, startled back to reality by the sound of her voice. "I'll just . . . take my shower now."
"We could save water if we used the shower together," Mizore offered in a deadpan tone belied by the desire in her eyes.
"It's cool," Adam demurred, turning her down gently but firmly.
"You heard him, stalker girl," Kurumu jibed.
Mizore stoically glared at Kurumu. "Bazooka girl, I'm warning you . . ."
Adam was in the shower, having already taken off his sleeping pants and thrown them outside, and popped his head out to cut in. "No, I'm warning you both: Lay off each other, at least for me."
"We're sorry, Adam," the girls murmured almost in unison.
"Don't be," Adam replied, pausing to kiss them both on the cheek before disappearing behind the curtain to start his shower. The sound of the running water let both girls know that their would-be paramour would be busy for a while, and they left the bathroom together. After he heard the door close, Adam slumped onto the shower floor, curled up in a ball of self-loathing.
You're getting good at playing with their hearts, the accusatory voice whispered in his mind. Stringing them along . . . when Moka's the one you've wanted all this time. What are they to you? Backup in case Inner Moka tells you to step off?
Shut up, Adam snarled, rising up and turning to punch the tile wall hard enough to make it and the bones of his hand crack audibly. Too angry with himself to care about the pain, he punched the wall again, making the cracks in the wall spread like a spider web as the cracks in the bones of his hand worsened.
Shutting me up with pain? Adam heard the voice ask. Or just taking it out on yourself?
Adam looked at his hand, sure it was broken by this point, but the bones reset themselves with a harsh flex of his fingers. The shower washed away the blood on his hand, revealing nothing but skin where there should have been horrific scrapes. "I really am a monster . . ." he muttered to himself.
And the charade keeps going, the voice accused. You keep it going because you love their attention, you love seeing their love for you in their eyes, and it makes you feel like maybe you're someone who actually deserves them. But you don't, and you never will . . .
Adam let the shower water bear down on him, drenching him to the point that his hair hung limply in his eyes, sticking to his head. He wiped his hair from his eyes, and if he'd been within sight of a mirror, he would have realized that his eyes had turned vampire red. It was for the best; if he'd seen how he looked, he would have tried to break the mirror out of sheer self-hatred, which would have been pointless. All he could do was curse himself, his weakness . . . everything. . . .
Inside their shared room, Kurumu got dressed while Mizore lingered in the doorway. "According to the luck of the draw, you get to go next, Kurumu," Mizore murmured.
"I know!" Kurumu squealed. "That's why I'm dressing for success!"
The outfit Kurumu had picked was a light blue peasant top, almost matching her hair, with a lacy bust and a flowing midriff that was slit in the middle. Complementing the top was a dark blue pleated miniskirt and her patent leather shoes and bunched-up white socks would nicely round out the outfit. "So cute!" she squealed. "He'll fall for me in no time!"
"Don't hold your breath, you floozy," Mizore deadpanned.
"Who are you calling a floozy?" Kurumu yelled. "Especially with the way you were all over Adam to let you into the shower with him! Don't think I don't know what you were trying to do!"
"It is a wifely duty to help her husband cleanse himself of the detritus of the night," Mizore answered coolly. "It would have been good practice for the future."
"Keep dreaming, stalker!" Kurumu retorted. "Adam's mine! I'll never let you have him!"
"I think that is up to Adam . . ." Mizore responded in the deadpan tone she used so easily.
"And I'm the better choice!" Kurumu declared. "He needs someone to attend to his manly needs!"
Mizore snorted quietly. "Enjoy your date . . . Kurumu."
Those four simple words startled Kurumu. "Mizore . . ." She blushed, her face almost luminescent. "You really mean . . ."
"We are still rivals," Mizore clarified. "But that is no reason I cannot wish you well."
"Thanks," Kurumu breathed out. "I think."
The morning went by without much in the way of incident. Hunt was still recovering and keeping his distance from Adam, dark glowers in his direction notwithstanding. The others mostly gave Adam space, perhaps sensing that he was troubled about something, although Cam decided to be a smartass and quip about "fixing the shower tile, no charge." Adam pretended not to acknowledge him or even know what he was talking about.
He did catch the meaningful looks Kurumu sent his way, making him suspect something was up. He pretended not to have a clue and just smiled at her while eating the breakfast Moka had once again helped prepare. "This tastes great," he enthused quietly. "Thanks, Moka."
"It was no problem . . ." Moka demurred.
"Did you happen to use herbs in this?" Quinn wondered aloud.
"Yes, why?" Moka asked.
"You gave me an idea," Quinn replied.
"Quinn, you know, I know, we all know, you can't cook to save your life!" Ian protested.
"The man's been getting better!" Van defended.
"Not taking my chances," Ian insisted.
"C'mon, Ian, give a brother-in-arms a chance," Chance quipped.
"Yeah, he can't have gotten worse," Len chimed in.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Len," Quinn jibed.
"No problem, Quinn," Len responded as though the stingray Rider had been serious.
"I'd like to try your cooking sometime, Quinn," Yukari offered. "Maybe I can help! I'm really good at that sort of thing, or at least that's what Moka tells me!"
Quinn smiled. "The help would be appreciated."
That was when Eubulon stepped in, having been busy with matters elsewhere. "I hate to interrupt this beautiful banquet, but I have dire news."
"What would that be, Master Eubulon?" Nolan asked.
"Xaviax's attack wasn't just to get at Depth Charge," Eubulon replied. "The attack was meant to distract us while JTC used his likeness to Price to infiltrate our database and copy the future Rider designs I was working on."
"Future Rider designs?" Kase repeated.
"The Rider Gears produced by Smart Brain, the Rouser Systems, and a specialized armored unit I call the Masque Rider System," Eubulon confessed.
Len cursed aloud. "Now he can create his own Kamen Riders from scratch."
"Not quite," Eubulon amended. "He's still using pirated designs. And we have something – or someone – else to consider."
"A new Rider?" Price asked.
"Not a Rider," Eubulon corrected. "But he may well be an ally. He calls himself Silver Fang, the Flying Wolf."
"Flying Wolf?" Gin asked through a mouthful of food. "What about him?"
"According to Tobi, this Silver Fang wielded dual swords with speed and skill beyond anything seen in most ordinary humans, speed like that of a werewolf under the light of a full moon," Eubulon explained.
"Sounds badass," Gin remarked nonchalantly.
"That reminds me, you disappeared in the thick of battle," Cam observed, "and it wasn't one of those 'fog of war' deals."
"I was saving your asses so fast you couldn't see me, anyway," Gin boasted.
"Yeah, right!" Yukari denied scornfully. "You probably ran away, you perverted coward!"
"Like I'm gonna take that from a flat-chested little girl like you!" Gin retorted heatedly.
Eubulon raised a hand to stop the ensuing squabble. "Silver Fang may well prove to be a valuable ally, or at the very least a variable Xaviax cannot so easily predict and thus might turn this fight to our advantage."
"Where is Tobi, anyway?" Adam asked.
"On a long-term mission," Eubulon replied. "Xaviax is beginning to strike in other dimensions and realities, and I need a vanguard to halt his path before he does to another world what he did to Ventara. Tobi volunteered."
"Why didn't he say anything?" Adam wondered, a note of hurt slipping into his voice.
"He didn't want your last memory of him to be him walking toward his death, if worst comes to worst," Eubulon answered. "I know that is not an answer that will make you feel better, but he felt it better this way, especially since – to quote him – 'he's in such fine hands as is.'"
Adam perked up slightly. "Really? He actually said that?"
"Yes," Eubulon confirmed.
"So Xaviax has the means to create even more Riders without being restricted to stolen Advent Decks," Van spoke up. "What does this mean for us?"
"We accelerate the Kamen Rider Program here on Earth and back on Ventara," Eubulon answered. "The sooner we have more Riders, the better."
"Are you sure they'll be ready?" Nolan asked.
"They'll have to be," Eubulon replied simply, yet utterly bleakly for all that simplicity.
The Newspaper Club girls sobered quickly. In the midst of all their anxiety over who would get to go out with Adam, they'd almost forgotten that there was an implacable enemy out there gunning for their world, the human world, and as many other worlds as he could reach. It was enough to make them feel regret for being so focused on winning Adam's affection that they felt like they'd ignored the danger they were all in.
Before things could get too bleak, Shizuka Nekonome entered the scene. "That was some nice fish you cooked for me, Eubulon-san!" she cheerfully declared, adding a cute catlike meow at the end.
Eubulon's hard expression melted into an amiable, friendly smile as he looked at Nekonome. "Thank you. I'm glad it met your standards."
"Don't be so modest!" Nekonome demurred. "You're a great cook!"
"It wasn't all me, Shizuka-san," Eubulon tried to politely brush off her compliments, but it was clear he was rather pleased with himself for making her so happy.
"Cutest thing you ever saw, huh?" Chance whispered to Price.
"If you're gonna make a joke about 'that,' I suggest not here," Price whispered back. This made Chance briefly scowl and playfully punch the cobra Rider in the shoulder.
"You suck."
"No, I bite. Cobra, remember?"
"Are you getting a sense of humor on me, Price?"
"The possibility exists."
"I see love in the air," Kurumu whispered, smiling giddily.
Later that day, Adam had gotten a note slipped from Kase as she'd passed him in the hall with nothing but a conspiratorial wink. He read the note quickly, and it said, "Go to the big mall on the edge of the city. You'll find someone special waiting for you. –Kase."
Adam smiled. "Wonder who it is this time," he muttered to himself as he went for his motorcycle. After starting the bike and putting on his helmet, he revved the engine and rode away from the hotel. As he rode down the city streets, he got the creeping feeling someone was following him. Chancing a look at the reflective glass that made up much of the skyscraper facades framing the streets, he saw another rider, this one on a silver-and-neon blue Suzuki Hayabusa and clad in biker leathers, a matching black jacket and short shorts, with a silver-and-blue helmet covering her face.
The funny thing was that rider was right next to him . . . but not riding on the same street as him. No, she seemed to exist solely in the mirror image reflected by the skyscrapers he passed. As a Kamen Rider, Adam knew what this meant almost instinctively: She's another Rider, and she's probably working for Xaviax.
As if mocking him, the rider in the mirror image nodded to him like she was smirking behind her helmet. Adam gritted his teeth and did a tight 90-degree turn that sent him lunging across the street . . . and into the mirror, disappearing through the hidden portal. He drew his Advent Deck as he passed through, forming his Advent Belt and slamming the card deck into its buckle. "Kamen Rider," he whispered viciously just before both rider and bike transformed into the ominous black armor of Kamen Rider Onyx.
Emerging on the other side of the mirror and into Ventara, Adam got off his transformed bike. "You got what you wanted!" he shouted. "I'm right here! Come and get me!"
TRICK VENT.
"So eager to die," a feminine voice mocked him, her voice cruel yet sultry. The next thing Onyx knew, he was being attacked by a silver blur, slicing into his armor again and again with each pass coming at speeds so high he couldn't even see his attacker. After being literally floored by the assault, Onyx decided it was time to fight back.
STRIKE VENT.
The Black Drag Claw attached itself to Onyx's right arm and he pointed it at the ghostlike image of what he supposed was his foe, directing a blast of black flame at said foe courtesy of Dragblacker. When the flames died out, there was nothing left, as though the target had been vaporized, but Onyx didn't think he'd be that lucky.
"Where are you?" he demanded furiously.
The blitz attack came again, vicious sword strikes sparking against and all over his armor without their source being seen. Onyx slotted his own Sword Vent and attempted to retaliate, but his attacker was so fast they seemed beyond his ability to sense or respond to those attacks. Again, Onyx was thrown to the ground, but he didn't let that stop him from getting up and trying to attack again. Unfortunately, his sword was blocked by what looked like a long needle-like blade with a silver basket hilt designed after a wasp's body, and its wielder was a silver-and-black Kamen Rider with a grilled visor styled after a wasp's head.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Kamen Rider Argent," the new Rider replied, and the voice was very female.
"You're working for Xaviax, aren't you?" he snapped.
"Xaviax . . . is just part of the plan," Argent sneered, before snapping her leg out into a front kick to his stomach that sent him flying close to the mirror he'd come out from. She stood so that it was her profile facing him and swiped her rapier as though trying to get blood off it. "Go home and let one of your sluts clean you up. You're a disgrace."
"I'm the disgrace?" Onyx panted angrily. "I don't work for Xaviax!"
"You did once," Argent answered coolly. "What changed between you two? He ask a little too much of you?"
FINAL VENT.
Dragblacker slithered out of a darkened mirror panel as Onyx rushed into a flying kick boosted by the dark dragon's flames, intending to finish Argent off for that cruel statement. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't counting on Argent shielding herself at the last second with a unique Guard Vent. This summoned no less than five Buzzstingers to spin around her in a protective formation that forcefully deflected the Dark Dragon Rider Kick.
"I'm not going to finish you now," Argent taunted. "That would be too easy. I'll take everything from you first, and then I'll finish you. Ja ne."
With that, she was gone in a flash, leaving behind a battered and beaten Onyx, who punched the ground furiously. Straightening up, he dispelled his Kamen Rider armor, revealing his usual outfit of a silver-striped black leather jacket over a silver-decaled dark T-shirt and equally dark jeans. He put on his helmet, got back on his bike, and rode off to find somewhere he could shift back to Earth without being seen by onlookers.
As he rode, it dawned on him just how stupid mirror-jumping in the middle of a street full of people was. Granted, Michelle and the rest of the No-Men would do their part to keep people from making a big deal of it. The conspiracy nuts would go to their blogs and claim alien activity being covered up by the Feds, but most ordinary people who were there would convince themselves (or be forcefully convinced) that it was just a hallucination of some kind. Still, he was skating on thin ice with the ultra-professional secret agent as it was, and this wouldn't help matters any.
When he finally crossed back into Earth, he gulped as he realized something. He was supposed to be on a date, and whoever had been chosen as the lucky girl was probably not feeling so lucky – if she didn't think she hadn't been outright stood up. He revved his engine to accelerate, not wanting to be completely on the wrong side of Kurumu or Yukari or . . . God forbid . . . Mizore.
Next: Black-and-White Reverie
Endnotes: There you have it, the 26th chapter of Onyx and Vampire is finished. I know I promised an Adam/Kurumu date, and I will deliver – it'll just be next chapter as opposed to this one. I suppose it's my fault for taking so many detours during the writing process, but my creative spark went to strange places and I had no choice but to follow. For the most part, I think I managed to strike a decent balance between levity and angst, although the angst isn't going away anytime soon. This is Adam; angst is pretty much the whole point of his character, whether in canon or in this fic.
In any case, Kamen Rider Argent has revealed herself to Adam, but what is her identity behind her mask and what does she mean when she says that Xaviax is just "part of the plan?" Is there a hidden plan at work whose mastermind's hand isn't so easily discernable, and if so, is he working with or against Xaviax? Or is it more complicated than it looks?
Speaking of complications, it seems that Eubulon and Shizuka are developing quite the rapport, but what about the ever-aloof Michelle Walsh? And what about that date Adam blew off to pursue Kamen Rider Argent? Whichever one of the girls she is, he'd better pray she's in the mood to listen to his explanation of his lateness, or he'll be in a bigger world of pain than anything Xaviax could do to him. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, after all.
Rider Fashion Check!
Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo
"Why didn't he show up for our date?" Kurumu bawled.
"Because he was afraid you'd suffocate him with your boobs," Yukari sniped.
"Am I really that undesirable to him!" Kurumu wondered tearfully. "Do I come on too forcefully? Do I scare him!"
Yukari couldn't find it in herself to joke anymore. This was really sad – the kind of sad she wouldn't wish on even Kurumu, no matter how jealous she was of the older girl's bountiful body. She patted Kurumu on the back. "I'm sure he's just running late. Who knows? Maybe one of Xaviax's goons kidnapped him."
Kurumu's head snapped up, her eyes afire with wrath. "That bastard! It just figures he'd try to keep me from Adam and destroy whatever happiness he sees Adam getting! Well, here's a tip for you, you evil piece of filth: Adam's mine, and I'm not letting you take him from me!" Her wings, tail, and talons extended from her back, backside, and fingers respectively as she went full succubus. "I'll teach you what happens to people who try to separate my Destined One from me!"
Yukari took a step back, unnerved by Kurumu's sudden mood swing from hysterically depressed to ferociously angry. "Uh, we got a show coming up!"
"Oh, all right!" Kurumu cheered up all of a sudden – too suddenly, Yukari thought to herself. "Welcome, welcome to another episode of Rider Fashion Check! I'm your host, the scintillating succubus Kurumu Kurono!"
"And I'm her much smarter, much better-grounded, and much cuter co-host Yukari Sendo!"
Kurumu interrupted to continue. "Today, we are here to talk about a Rider who doesn't get much publicity, especially compared to some others! His name is Kamen Rider –" she paused dramatically while turning on the screen that showed this Rider's image "– Spear!"
"Spear!" Yukari exclaimed.
"One of the unique things about Kamen Rider Spear is that he's contracted to multiple Advent Beasts!" Kurumu explained.
"A family of gazelle-type beasts, and gazelles are very known for their grace and beauty!" Yukari added.
"I wouldn't call these guys beautiful or graceful," Kurumu demurred, pressing a button to show the Zelles brutally mauling Dragon Knight, Wing Knight, and Sting. "Look at that! It's freaking scary!"
"That was when that jerk Albert Cho was controlling the Spear Deck," Yukari clarified. "He and his brother Danny, the Earth twin of Kamen Rider Axe, were contracted by Xaviax under the promise of getting in on the biggest heist in history. Then they made the mistake of helping JTC vent Sting . . . and when they went after Kit's dad that was when Kit had enough and, well . . ."
The screen shifted to a helpless Spear prone on the ground as Kit launched his Final Vent. "You know, I actually kind of feel sorry for him," Kurumu admitted reluctantly. "It's not like he didn't deserve it, but being abandoned like that by your own comrades . . ."
"Hey, no honor among thieves," Yukari brushed it off.
"Fortunately, Chase is a far nicer guy," Kurumu changed the subject. "Sometimes, he's so quiet you can barely guess what he's thinking or feeling, and other times he talks and talks and talks . . ."
"Like somebody I know," Yukari commented with a chuckle.
"Hey!" Kurumu protested.
"But in any case, Chase is a Muay Thai expert," Yukari continued. "It's his primary fighting style, which might be why his Final Vent is a knee strike instead of a kick like with Dragon Knight, Onyx, and Strike."
The screen image shifted to Spear in the middle of a fight, slamming his knees and elbows into his monstrous opponents to force some distance between him and them. Then he slotted his Final Vent card inside the Gazelle Visor mounted on his left knee. Immediately, the Zelles came out to beat the crap out of one particular monster before clearing out for Spear to throw himself into a flying knee that brutally collided with the monster's head, sending it crashing back into the ground, where it exploded in its death throes.
"Wow . . ." Kurumu uttered. "That's so cool!"
"Yeah, you gotta hand it to him, he's got style," Yukari agreed with a smile.
"Speaking of style, I like the fur trim he's got on his chest armor," Kurumu added. "It makes him look really cool."
"Uh-huh," Yukari agreed again, "but we're out of time! Stay tuned for our next session, where we'll discuss one of the most underrated Kamen Riders of all time – Kamen Rider Incisor! Same Rider time, same Rider channel!"
"What do you think this is, 'Batman'?" Kurumu asked.
"No, but you've got more important things to worry about, Kurumu!" Yukari retorted.
That was when Kurumu remembered. "You're right!" Her eyes began to well up with tears as she wailed mournfully. "Adam . . . where are you?"
Yukari sighed. "I actually feel sorry for her." Then she brightened up. "Until next time, this is Yukari Sendo, signing out!"