0DISCLAIMER: The following story is based on fanfiction.Kamen Rider Zi-O, and the Kamen Rider series in general are properties of TOEI, TV-Asahi, and Ishinomori Productions. Soul Calibur is property of Project Soul and Bandai Namco. The Witcher series is property of Andrezj Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red. Metroid, Samus Aran, and all likeness are properties of Nintendo. Ultraman Orb, and the Ultra Series in general are property of Tsuburaya Productions and TV-Tokyo.
Ep. 035: Surprise Drive ~A.D. 2014~[サプライズ・ドライブ 〜2014年〜/Sapuraizu Doraibu〜2014-nen〜]
WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of gun violence and murder. Viewer discretion is advised!
"Transcending history and the world, a tale of souls and souls, once again eternally retold..."
(*Opening: "Gimmick Zone" by Hiroyuki Takami of access*)
[~Sobieru machi ga sakebu kage wo~] (In a strewn city of echoing shadows)
[~Atsumete yami o tsukisasu~] (Scattering and piercing the darkness)
[~Kouritsuku kiseki no kakera wo~] (A dream wanders in search)
[~Motomete yume ga samayou~] (Of a frozen miracle sword)
[~Tozasa rete ku yoru wo~] (The night that is being shut down)
[~Terasu tsuki ni soreta~] (Losing sight of the illuminating moon)
[~Kieta ashita ga irodoru~] (I will catch the afterimage)
[~Zanzou o tsukamae ni yuku~] (That the disappearing tomorrow is colored)
[~Sen kira reta setsuna wo kizu-goto saratte~] (I scoffed a scar with every moment passed)
[~Yobisamasu negai wa eien no senritsu~] (Hope is eternal melody that evokes)
[~Nidoto wa modosenai kiseki wo koete ku~] (Going beyond miracles that can never be returned)
[~Yami o saku hikari o nusumidase~] (Take the light that splits the darkness)
[~Break out, Gimmick Zone!~]
A.D. 2018
(2018年)
Back in the present, it seems the Time Jackers are forced to make a temporary alliance with Zi-O, Geiz, and Taki if they want to go against Ray, at least for once.
After Decade receives two Ultra Fusion Cards belonging to Gai/Orb, he first assumes Ultraman X equipped with the Cyber Gomora Armor via its FormRide Card.
*[Fourze Driver voice] 3, 2, 1! [Ridewatch voice] FOURZE~!*
Zi-O used the Fourze Ridewatch to power up his Time Mazine. His arms gained two actual Rocket Modules instead of Fourze Armor's Booster Modules. Zi-O flew around avoiding Grigio Bone's breath attack.
*[Arc-Winger voice] Terase yo, El Ragna! [Ridewatch voice] Archangel Kerberos!*
Likewise, Taki used the Archangel Kerberos Ridewatch to summon the five Cerberobot Units to combine with her Time Mazine.
The fact that Ora's Time Mazine uses Castle Doran, she has limited combat capability. Within moments, the battle is in favor of Grigio Bone when it resorted to super speed, the Time Mazines and Decade (in Ultraman X's form) are pushed back to a corner.
Inside Ultraman X's body, Tsukasa took out Ultraman Zero's fusion card.
"You want this to a bit fast? Try it in another 20,000 years!", said the Destroyer of Worlds, while mimicking Zero's associated phrase. He puts Zero's fusion card into his Neo Decadriver...
*[Neo Decadriver voice] UltraRide: Ultraman Zero! [Ultra Zero Eye SFX]*
Decade assumes Ultraman Zero's form. But, if that wasn't enough, he attains four FormRide cards associated to Zero - StrongCorona Zero, LunaMiracle Zero, Shining Zero, and Ultimate Zero. Tsukasa chooses the LunaMiracle Zero card.
*[Neo Decadriver voice] FormRide: LunaMiracle Zero!*
Assuming LunaMiracle Zero, Decade hurls multiple Miracle Zero Sluggers at Grigio Bone to damage it. Followed by a speed battle between the dinosaur creature; Decade manages to turn the tables around.
*[Neo Decadriver voice] FormRide: StrongCorona Zero!*
Tsukasa switches to StrongCorona Zero, a red offensive form. The Destroyer of Worlds unleashes the Garnate Buster on Grigio Bone.
Afterwards, Decade returns to Zero's default form and took out a Final AttackRide card of Zero.
*[Neo Decadriver voice] Final AttackRide: Ultraman Z-Z-Zero!*
Decade-Ultraman Zero executes the action for the Wide Zero Shot, he fires the beam at the monster, singlehandedly destroying Grigio Bone in the process.
"Well, he's been hogging all the spotlight throughout the fight.", cue a face-palm from Ora.
"Superb as should it be said.", Taki added.
Later, Tsukasa catches up with Gai, as he returned back Zero and X's Ultra Fusion Cards.
"Orb, you can have these back.", Tsukasa threw the cards back to Gai, to which the latter manages to catch. "It was fun making good use of them."
"It's Gai. Kurenai Gai. I go by that name when I am not assuming Ultraman Orb.", Gai replied. "Who would have you had two opposing parties set their differences to fight a common enemy?"
"Because, I believe in this old saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.", Tsukasa said. "That ninja told me about that. Either way, once the whole thing with that hooded summoner is done, the two will continue to slit on each others' throats."
Though the Riders and the Time Jackers' alliance is temporary since it does involve Ray. Taki, Tsukasa, and Gai himself are the only known wildcards of the conflict. As everyone involved knew that Sougo is going to be Oma Zi-O, Tsukasa got himself involved at the request of both the Time Jackers and Woz. Tsukasa knows what must be done.
Like Taki, Gai is more willing to be involved in a conflict if needed. The only thing what suits him is to travel across planets and other parallel worlds, one of the things he shares in common with the Destroyer of Worlds himself.
Meanwhile, after the fight against the kaiju. Taki searched the city for the other two Time Jackers - Uhr and Swortz; who then told them of Ray's recent Another Rider. Luckily enough, Swortz was already alarmed of this beforehand.
"What is your business this time, woman?", asked the superior Time Jacker.
"It's Ray. She just sent another Another Rider of her own.", the ninja started cutting to the chase.
"Tell me, just what Ray is doing with that Another Rider?", Taki demanded.
Uhr observed Ray's actions in 2014 when she formed a contract with a bank robber Homura, turning him into Another Drive. Using the powers of both Kamen Rider Drive and a Roidmude, he was able to escape his pursuers.
The younger Time Jacker then brought up Ray's other act, "And here's the real kicker... When Ray showed herself before Another Drive and his goons, she forces them to work for her or she kills their family.", revealing that Ray used Homura and his gang's family as her hostage and threatened to kill them if they refuse to comply.
"Normally, the reason we created Another Riders in the first place is to replace Oma Zi-O with a different king.", Swortz explains the goals of his group, and the way Ray did to Another Drive and his crew's family is just too much. "But, that traitor has just drew our ire."
"We may have done many attempts changing the future. But, I refuse to be stooped to the same level as that witch!", Uhr, who is equally sadistic and manipulative as Ray, admits that he find the idea of involving an Another Rider's host's family to be more outright petty and despicable even for him to handle.
"I will find a way to rescue their families.", Taki decides to do something with Homura/Another Drive and his gang's families.
Later that night...
Taki asked Goro to bring Aizawa. As the ninja thought of a plan involving Another Drive. First, is rescuing the Another Rider's family along with that of his crew's. Aizawa learns that the Another Rider was behind the string of bank robberies that happened recently.
"Just how far this Ray person using that Another Rider's family to do her dirty work?", Goro voices his contempt of Ray's action.
"I'm normally in killing bad guys who absolutely deserved it. But, the fact that he robs banks for a living for his family. I can't stand someone who uses that guy's family as hostages.", Aizawa added, given that he himself has committed vigilante murders out of duty, he himself has few lines he would refuse to cross either.
That said, Taki needs to plan quickly in order to rescue Homura and his gang's loved ones from Ray.
"That's why rescuing their family is also a priority.", Taki answered.
Seconds later, a doorbell rung in the Izumi mansion. Goro opens the door and the Izumi mansion have two unexpected visitors - police officer Tomari Shinnosuke, and his wife Kiriko.
Even when Drive's history was erased, Shinnosuke is still married to Kiriko. What made the couple came to Taki anyway?
"So you saw the monster who looked like Drive robbing a bank?", asked Shinnosuke.
"Yes. And apparently, I've learned from a mysterious informant that the monster's family was held hostage by an unidentified malefactor.", Taki concisely answered the policeman's question.
The unidentified malefactor in question refers to Ray. "An unidentified malefactor?", Kiriko clarified.
Apparently, the past Legend Riders whose powers and history being erased due to the Time Jackers altering time are oblivious to what is happening in the present. The real kicker is how Shinnosuke managed to find the monster taking the form of Drive?
"I think I know somebody who can investigate this case, sir.", Taki reassures that she's going to let Zi-O and Geiz deal with Another Drive.
"Oh. I see... In that case, I'm entrusting you this.", Shinnosuke took out what appears to be the Drive Ridewatch from the pocket of his suit.
("A second Drive Ridewatch? I thought Geiz was holding the real one?"), Taki is shocked on how Shinnosuke obtained this watch. Regardless, Taki decides to keep the watch if in case Geiz needs it.
"One more thing. This too.", Kiriko then gave Taki another Ridewatch, this time it bears the likeness of Kamen Rider Mach - the Mach Ridewatch. It should be taken into consideration that Go, Kiriko's younger brother, is one of the Space Explorers.
That said, the mission is a go.
The following day, at Kujigoji-do...
Taki visited the clock shop early in the morning. After Tsukuyomi, Sougo, and Geiz finished breakfast, Geiz was unable to beat Another Drive in 2014 when Ray summoned Kamen Rider Cronus and beaten him, consequently destroying the Drive Ridewatch. This is not the first time Geiz loses a Legend Rider Ridewatch, as when he was fighting Another Ghost, Decade managed to beat him and de-powered the Ghost Ridewatch. Though Sougo received a "second" Ghost watch from Takeru.
Sougo and Geiz then learned from Taki that Another Drive and his gang have facing a bigger problem: Ray has their families hostage, which forced the Another Rider and his crew to work for her.
"Ray destroyed the Drive Ridewatch.", said Geiz. "Without it, we can't defeat Another Drive."
Taki tosses the second Drive Ridewatch to Geiz, to which she, by sheer coincidence, obtained from the couple of Shinnosuke and Kiriko.
"Taki-san, how were you-", Sougo gasped.
"This came from the actual Kamen Rider Drive himself when he and his wife entered in our doorstep.", Taki said. "All hope is not lost yet."
It seems that luck was on both Sougo and Geiz's side thanks to Taki. Right now, they must find a way to save Homura/Another Drive and his gang's family.
So, the two Kamen Riders head back to 2014 along with Taki, Goro and Aizawa to rescue the robbers' families.
A.D. 2014
(2014年)
Going back four years ago...
Somewhere in an abandoned warehouse.
The building was fully occupied full of Kurokage Troopers and Ride-Players, which are all summoned by Ray to hold of Homura's family along with his crewmates. The fact that Ray forced the robbers to continue their criminal activities while she is observing them while using their families as leverage, they are forced to comply lest she kills one of their family members.
The guards are patrolling from the outside of the warehouse.
From a distance, Aizawa assumes sniper support role from an apartment building, while Taki and Goro infiltrate the warehouse in order to rescue the robbers' families.
Before the two can go inside, Aizawa shot two guards so they can advance. Once inside, Taki and Goro are expecting enemy resistance.
Taki quickly donned the Galaxy Armor as she made short work of the attacking Kurokage Troopers and Ride-Players. Despite having no Rider powers, Goro knows how to use the enemy's weapons against them; he snatches a Kurokage Trooper's Kagematsu and a Ride-Player's Ride-Weapon.
After surviving two waves of attackers, Aizawa enters the fray, bringing with him his own brand of vigilante justice on Ray's cannon fodder, fighting the summoned Ride-Players and Kurokage Troopers with wide array of weapons - starting with a baseball bat equipped with a barbed wire for a melee weapon, and an MP5 submachine gun as his primary weapon.
"They're starting to pull out! Make short work of them!", said Aizawa.
After the three cleared the warehouse of the remaining enemies. Taki, Goro, and Aizawa split up and search for the hostages. Aizawa and Taki managed to find each of the robbers' loved ones confined in each rooms, while Goro managed to open the room where Homura's wife and son were imprisoned.
"Who are you?!", the woman exclaimed.
"Don't worry. We come here to save you.", Goro reassures that they came to rescue them.
The boy is still crying not just because he and his mother are saved, his cry expresses worry over his father, who was coerced by Ray to continue their criminal activities while threatening the safety of his wife and son.
"We're my dad, oniichan?", the boy asked.
Goro reassures the boy.
"Don't cry. Everything is going to be okay.", he affectionately placed his hands on the boy's head. "We're going to save your dad. And, promise me one thing... Be strong and don't be afraid. Even if your dad is not around, you must stand in to protect your family."
Aizawa, Goro, and Taki regrouped along with the robbers' families they've rescued.
"I'm going to take them to a safe place.", said Aizawa.
"We're going to take Homura-san's wife and son to find him.", Taki replied. "Come on, Goro."
Meanwhile, Kamen Riders Zi-O and Geiz managed to corner Another Drive. A fierce battle ensued all while Homura tries to reason out to Sougo and Geiz not to get in his way, all while warning him that Ray will most likely kill his family.
"Why are you stealing to raise your family?! Didn't they know anything of what you're doing?!", Sougo asked.
"I don't have a choice!", Homura/Another Drive replied. "I, my friends, grow up poor. And ever since, we start stealing to nourish our families. And we also do that to help those who have the same experience as myself!"
Homura, along with his fellow bank robbers grew up in the slums in that they had no decent job to feed their families and had to become hardened criminals to rob others for their sake.
"If I can't do anything, I might not save my own wife and child!", Homura continued. "What about you?! What can you do for someone's sake?"
Sougo replies that with his ambitions of becoming a king, he will do whatever he can to help others before himself. He told Homura that stealing is obviously bad, and his family might not like it. To say the least, Homura can at least take a fresh start in order to support his family.
"I know that inside you, that you are a good husband and a good father!", Sougo said. "You don't have to do something like that! What's important that they love you as well!"
Zi-O takes out the newly-obtained Decade Ridewatch, he presses the button.
*(Digital beeping with Rider Cards blowing SFX) D-D-Decade!*
The watch is inserted on the left side of the Zikuu-Driver, Zi-O proceeds to spin the belt, which initiates Armor Time.
*[Zikuu-Driver voice] Armor Time!*
Projections of the back of a Rider Card with Zi-O's symbol surround him, which also forms the parts of the Decade Armor, along with a transformation sequence based on Kamen Rider Decade's.
*[Decadriver voice voice] KamenRide! [Ridewatch voice #2] WOW! Decade-Decade! DECADE~!*
Now assuming Decade Armor, Zi-O can use any of his Ridewatches to access forms based on a Rider's upgrade or super mode. In addition to being a form relevant to Kamen Rider Decade, both the "visor" on the helmet's VR unit and the right shoulder has the word "Decade" (ディケイド) in katakana written on them.
*Ride Heisaber!*
Zi-O summons the Ride Heisaber to battle Another Drive. However, it will take than Decade Armor alone to defeat this Another Rider, let alone Drive Armor itself as Another Drive has to be the recently stronger of Another Riders that Sougo and Geiz have battled right now.
Geiz is prompted to allow Sougo to use the Drive Ridewatch in tandem with Decade Armor.
"Zi-O use this!", Geiz threw the watch to Sougo.
Sougo, in turn activated the Drive watch after turning its dial.
*(Digital beeping) Drive!*
Zi-O then inserted the Drive watch on the Decade Ridewatch's slot.
*Final Form Time: D-D-Drive!*
Within moments, the katakana inscription of the words "Drive" (ドライブ) on the right shoulder along with "Formula" (フォーミュラ) on the chest armor and left shoulder of the Decade Armor. Which causes Zi-O's undersuit to morph into that of Kamen Rider Drive's Type Formula, and the VR unit of the Decade Armor's helmet then have the face of Drive Type Formula.
A speed battle ensued between Zi-O Decade Armor Drive Form and Another Drive, thus the odds of the battle fell in Sougo's favor.
With that, it's time to finish the battle. Sougo then pressed the Decade Ridewatch's button while the Drive Ridewatch is still slotted in it.
*D-D-Drive! Final AttackTime Break!*
Zi-O Decade Armor (Drive Form) leaps and executes a Rider Kick based on Drive Type Formula's Formula Drop on Another Drive, defeating the Another Rider in the process.
Homura is forced out of the Another Drive form, and the Another Drive watch is destroyed.
Ray appears before the two Riders moments after the battle.
"You are just too stubborn for your own good, Zi-O.", Ray spoke in a disappointed tone.
Homura starts begging for Ray to work something out for this unfortunate failure.
"Please, we got to work something out! I don't want to lose my family!", the bank robber pleaded.
Ray "sympathizes" with the robber's pleas intending to do something to redeem for his failure.
"I see. If you loved your family so much, I can do much better than that.", said the summoner. Instead...
She took out her Shoukan Buster and she outright shoots the bank robber in the head, killing him in cold blood right in front of Sougo and Geiz. Geiz, who hates Sougo with passion given the fact that the latter is most likely will become Oma Zi-O, was absolutely disgusted by Ray's most recently depraved act.
"Why? Why are you doing this?", Sougo becomes absolutely furious of Ray's actions. "Are you really happy at making anyone suffer?!"
The summoner justified even further her blatant lack of empathy, "Bwahahaha! He's just a petty thief. Why waste your time on him? By the way, I know everything about you, Tokiwa Sougo, and by proxy Oma Zi-O. To Oma Zi-O, empathy is an alien concept! I didn't see you'd go so far to sympathize with a low life like him.", all while mocking Sougo's kindness.
Ray even knows that Oma Zi-O had no trace of kindness within him, and she knows that Sougo will end up being like that one day.
The hooded summoner leaves with Homura's corpse lying on the ground. Moments later, Taki and Goro arrived with Homura's wife and child, only to find him now but a cold corpse.
"No, we're too late!", Taki lamented, while Goro furiously kicked the air after seeing the former Another Rider's host killed.
Homura's wife and son mourn at his death, and consequently the robbers lost their leader...
A.D. 2018
(2018年)
Sougo, Geiz, Taki and her party returned back to the present.
Days later, Goro appeared before Homura's widowed wife and child as he bear the responsibility of unable to save him. The CEO of I3 Tech gave the family financial support for the widow to nourish her only remaining son. The boy remembered Goro's words that to be strong and fearless at all times, and promise to stand in to protect her mother.
As for Homura's surviving crew, they disband their group and decided to find decent jobs to give their families more support.
Following the recent events, Taki is working on with a new weapon she's creating. She forged a new blade infused with a shard of the Soul Calibur gemstone she received from Tsukasa.
However, the sealed Ridewatch on Taki's hand only has five days more left before it will reveal its true form. Just what power did the mysterious Ridewatch contain?
"The names of the warriors whose fates were bound to the two swords have been etched into the very fibers of history..."
Ridewatches count:
-Taki:
Ridewatches: 11 (G7 Icarus XYZ EX-Strike Armor, G7 Icarus XYZ Archangel Kerberos, G7 Type-S, Grease, Huntress Creator Gamer, Mach, Jiraiya, Rewind, Bike, Phone, Unknown Ridewatch)
Ultra Ridewatches: 6 (Ultraman Orb Specium Zepellion, Ultraman Orb Orb Origin, Ultraman X, Ultraman Zero, Ultraman Zero Beyond, Ultraseven)
-Zi-O: 13 (Zi-O, Build, Ex-Aid, Gaim, Fourze, OOO, Decade, Kiva, Kabuto, Blade, Ryuki, Bike, Phone)
-Geiz: 10 (Geiz, Cross-Z, Genm, Ghost, Drive, Wizard, OOO Tajadol Combo, Faiz, Bike, Phone)
-Tsukuyomi: 1 (Phone)
-Fubuki: 3 (Fuin, Phone (x2))
-Ray:
Ridewatch: 9 (Rogue, Cronus, Ride-Player, Snipe, Kurokage Trooper, White Wizard, Eternal, Sasword)
Non-Rider Ridewatch: 2 (Engine Bros, RemoCon Bros)
Another Watch: 3 (Another Build, Another Ex-Aid, Another Drive)
Kaijuwatch: 4 (Demaaga, Galactron (x2), Grigio Bone)
Ultra Ridewatch: 2 (Ultraman Belial, Ultraman Geed Primitive)
Days left before the seal in the Unknown Ridewatch is broken: 5.
On the next episode...
(次回挿話)
The sealed Ridewatch in Taki's hands is about to be broken. What powers does it contain?
During an ensuing mayhem between Ray's summoned Another Riders and Black Huntress, a mysterious Rider from the year 2068 came to Taki after her sealed watch has woken its true power...
Next time on Taki Gaiden, Episode 36: Genesis ~A.D. 2018~
Author's Note:
The next chapter officially covers Taki of becoming a Rider for the first time. Although the Beyondriver is slated to be released two days before Christmas, that is December 22. If the Beyondriver were to be released this Thursday (per standards prior to the official release date, as shown with the toys reviewed by k2eizo, wotafa, and Leon Channel), I will put a unique transformation sequence for Taki. If not, I will just have a quick transformation instead.
Homura/Another Drive's death at the hands of Ray is similar to Medic killing Roidmude 072, as well as Kuroto/Genm erasing Burgermon.
Decade using both Ultraman X and Ultraman Zero's forms alludes to episode 5 of Ultraman X when both Ultras meet.
When assuming any Ultra, Tsukasa appears inside the said Ultra's body like most of the human hosts that an Ultra is bonded to. For example, when assuming Ultraman X, Tsukasa is inside a cyber dimension which happens to be inside of the Ultra itself.
This is the first time Taki obtains a Ridewatch whose Rider is affiliated with the Space Explorers.
Taki, Goro, and Aizawa being the ones who rescue the bank robbers' families is similar to how Kazumin was asked by Sawa to rescue Nabeshima's family when Juzaburou Namba threatens them.