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. 044: Be My Valentine ~A.D. 1584~[俺のバレンタインになる 〜1584年〜/Ore no Barentain ni naru 〜1584-nen〜]
WARNING: This chapter contains character death and blood. Viewer discretion is advised!
"Welcome back to the stage of history, retold..."
(*Opening: "BIRI × BIRI" by Takanori Nishikawa feat. Shuta Sueyoshi of AAA*)
[~BIRI BIRI YA YA YA~] {x4}
[~We don't stop and move!~]
[~Virtual ja kanjiru wake nai sa tough na risk ga BIRI BIRI Oh Yeah~](I can't feel it in virtual; a tough risk BIRI BIRI Oh Yeah)
[~Jinsei, jiko sekinindashi yaritai dake BIRI BIRI Oh Yeah~](Life, a self-responsibility; doing whatever I want BIRI BIRI Oh Yeah)
[~Don't give it away kando ageyou Rock you!~](Don't give it away Increasing sensitivity Rock you!)
[~Motto surudoku motto tsuyoku Knock you~](More sharply and stronger enough to Knock you)
[~Manzoku sa sete kure yo~](Give me satisfaction!)
[~We don't stop & move! Kanetsu shite ku kogetsuite BIRI BIRI YA YA YA~](We don't stop & move! Heating to get burnt BIRI BIRI YA YA YA)
[~Don't stop & move! Bibirazu Remove omou mama BIRI BIRI YA YA YA~](Don't stop & move! Remove it as you expected BIRI BIRI YA YA YA)
[~Tomarazu Move Hitasura Groove~](Don't move, just groove)
[~Chikaratsukiru made do~](Do not let it run out)
[~Age sugita taion de moetsuki-sou!~](Until the body burns at a temperature so high!)
A.D. 2019
(2019年)
Elsewhere in an undisclosed location...
Taki in her Rider form finds herself confronted with a mysterious Kamen Rider. This new Rider has a smartwatch motif to clash with Taki Genesis Type's hybrid smartwatch motif, all the way from the mysterious Rider's shoulders and the strap on the suit.
The mysterious Rider has a "Rider" katakana (ライダー) branded on his visor. And just like Taki, he appears to be using the same belt as her - the Beyondriver, which he also uses Miridewatches to transform.
Within moments, the two Kamen Riders tussle it out. Taki is able to fight against this mystery Rider to an equal footing, despite being strong and skilled enough to use the Beyondriver. But, her opponent appears to be very skillful with the Beyondriver compared to her.
*Zikan Despear! Yaritsugi!*
*Zikan Kenganbrade! Maken desu!*
The mystery Rider took out a pole-arm weapon and clashed against Taki in a sword battle against her Zikan Kenganbrade. The clash of swords intensifies to the point the combatants ended up disarming against each other.
And now, the time has come to put a decisive finish to their battle as they opened the lever of their Beyondrivers...
*Beyond the Time!*
...the two Kamen Riders closed the Driver's lever and jump and execute their Rider Kicks.
*Time Supernova!* / *Time Explosion!*
The Kamen Riders' kicks collided, resulting in a bright white flash...
However, Taki suddenly woke up. And the event where she fought a mysterious Kamen Rider who uses the same belt as her turned out to be a dream. She heard something familiar over that mysterious Rider in her dream.
And again, it's still three hours before sunrise, as the clock shows the time as 3:59 am.
"A dream... Just who is that mysterious Rider?", Taki spoke to herself.
Taki waking up and just spoke woke Goro up.
"Murrrhhh... Taki, who are you talking to?", he asked.
"I just had a dream... I find myself fighting an unfamiliar Kamen Rider, who happens to use the same belt that I have.", she brought it up. "It's more than just a nightmare."
"It's like you've foreseen an event in the future. Just like before.", Goro recalls the similar case when Taki was first exposed to the Ridewatches. But, in the case of that dream earlier, it may have something to do of Taki's usage of the Beyondriver, or is it more than just that?
After trying to getting a grip back, Taki goes back to sleep again. It's by destiny's choice whether she might end up encountering the mysterious Rider.
The following morning...
At the forest, Taki and Natsu are once again in their training. This time, Taki decides to teach Natsu the mastery of elements. For starters, how to harness an element as part of a ninpo/ninja arts, starting with fire and water.
Taki being able to remaster the elements of fire and water was the result of her usage of the Jet Phoenix and Aqua Mermaid Miridewatch and assumed their respective Future Ring forms.
"Hey, master... If we're going to practice the use of elemental ninpo, then where's the rest: wind, lightning, earth, wood, metal, and ice?", Natsu asked.
"We'll get to that once we master the very two basic elements - water and fire.", Taki replied.
Taki notes that fire and water are one of the basic elements that ninjas mastered as means of offense and defense. Besides the two elements, the other basic ones are earth, wood, metal, and wind. There are some that are advanced such as lightning and ice.
Before Taki could begin her lesson of harnessing the element of fire, Natsu notices Woz's presence...
"Hey, isn't that the guy with the book hanging out with Sougo-san?", Natsu pointed her finger.
"Woz?", Taki turned around. "What brings you here?"
Woz felt in a state of unease, even in this time of New Year, for the prophet brings up bad news to her.
"This is bad... For my lord's actions have caused a different future, then we stumbled to a different Woz - an different version of myself from a timeline where Oma Zi-O is defeated.", said Woz.
"You can't be serious...", Taki couldn't believe whether Woz is really bluffing or not.
"To prevent confusion between the other Woz and myself, I should suggest calling him the White Woz.", the prophet continued. "Aside from the fact that he uses the same belt as you are using, it appears that his loyalty lies to Geiz...in that he calls him Geiz Revive."
Taki also couldn't believe that the other Woz and the original have a lot in common, the only main difference is that he sees Geiz as the messiah who defeated Oma Zi-O. The fact that Woz mentioned that his alternate counterpart happens to be using the same belt as Taki, this caused her to bring up about her dream of her fight against the mysterious Rider.
"You encountered him in a dream?!", Woz continued.
"Yes, it was last night. I have a feeling he could be dangerous, friend or foe, regardless.", Taki answered. "But, right now, I have bigger fish to fry."
"If anything, I want you to take Geiz and Sougo with you for now.", Woz requests to the ninja as a means to keep his master from the White Woz. "I know I don't want my lord to be entwined to any of the soul swords, I have to keep the other Woz away from him, for he wants him to prevent his kinghood."
Though Taki maintains a neutral ground between her and Woz because she knows the prophet's shady interests in keeping Sougo to his path of becoming Oma Zi-O, Woz is afraid of what will become of his king if something might happen to him, as expected for someone to be loyal to the demon king. Taki reluctantly accepts Woz's request in order to keep them from the other Woz.
Later that night, at the underground laboratory in the Izumi mansion...
Taki is once again set for another mission into the past. But first, she has to prevent a certain undead pirate from reaching the cursed sword in the new timeline. To that end, she has to come contact with a woman named Isabella Valentine, better known as Ivy.
In the old timeline, Taki encountered Ivy somewhere in Eastern Europe sometime after Nightmare was defeated by Kilik and Xianghua. There, Taki told Ivy the dark truth of her actual father - Cervantes de Leon, who first wielded Soul Edge, and Ivy is used as the vessel for the cursed sword by her father.
Speaking of Cervantes, being the one who first wielded Soul Edge, caused a lot mayhem the first he came contact to the sword, to which it transformed into a pair of long and short swords. However, Cervantes's killing spree was short-lived when Sophitia destroyed one of the blades, only for her to be critically wounded when the sword's blades lodged into her body, and subsequently Taki defeating Cervantes upon saving the holy warrior from death.
Returning back to the present, Goro, Geiz, and Sougo entered the lab via the mansion's elevator outside.
"Taki-san, why bring us here?", asked the soon-to-be king.
"Sorry I had to drag you and Geiz into this again. But, this is important.", Taki replied. "This time, this is concerned with Soul Edge's original wielder."
"Cervantes de Leon, if I'm correct.", Geiz guessed it right.
"Right. Before he started his killing spree, he had impregnated a woman who worked in an inn in Spain, that's where she gave birth to a young girl. However, that girl was left into the doorsteps of the noble House of Valentine, the couple Earl and Countess Valentine took the child and gave her the name Isabella, or in short, Ivy."
Taki's true plan is to draw out Cervantes, so she's going to need Sougo, Geiz, and Goro for that matter. So, the three will have to go undercover to find out what secrets lies within Ivy. For starters, they must infiltrate the Valentines' mansion and undercover as household servants (Sougo and Geiz), while Goro assumes the disguise of a scholar. It will take a matter of time whether Cervantes will eventually reach Ivy.
A.D. 1584
(1584年)
Though born in the noble house of Valentine, the young lady knew good fortune, but also despair.
Her father delved into alchemy in search of "The Key to Eternal Youth", Soul Edge, but only found madness and death. As a result, their house met with ruin.
Her mother, before being consumed by a terrible illness, revealed to her they were not related by blood. Even so, the young lady's love for her parents was unfaltering.
Following in the footsteps of her father, she devoted her life to alchemy, and eventually found herself with the truth about Soul Edge.
One day, Ivy talked to a scholar (unbeknownst to her, an individual from the future - Goro in disguise) of her household's recent shortcomings. The scholar sympathized with her and is curious to ask why her father was obsessed with Soul Edge in the first place.
"Unfortunately, this is none of your concern.", Ivy said.
The scholar replied, "I see and understand how you feel, Lady Valentine. I'll take my leave for now, I'll see you again."
Ivy went inside her workshop, and is still irate each time she thinks about the same weapon that sent her father to his death.
"Soul Edge... This evil...thing? This is what drove my father to madness?!", she exclaimed, "Soul Edge... Such a thing does not belong in this world. On my family's name, I vow to destroy it with my own hands!"
Ivy spent most of her time thinking of something...a weapon. In that she needs to obtain a stronger weapon with which to destroy it. And, Ivy has finally came up with the perfect weapon: a shape-shifting blade, both sword and whip that obeys her every command.
The heiress of the Valentine household refused to stop as she worked on her sword day and night. Until...
"Wh-What in the world?!", it seems that Ivy's creation went well, as in horribly right.
The blade spoke before her: "I, Cross of the Pledge, shall confer upon thee the point of Escutcheon of Destruction: Dexter Purpure."
The spirit that spoke through Ivy's sword/whip weapon addressed her as "Dexter Purpure". The sword's blades begin to move right in front of its creator.
"It's alive...! Did I succeed?"
"Yes... Dexter Purpure..."
"Wait, who are you?!"
"The time will come... It is inevitable..."
Ivy had a look of unease and disbelief upon hearing a familiar mysterious voice echoing from her weapon. Who knows what it will lead her to...
A.D. 1585
(1585年)
A year later...
Ivy set out on a long journey in search of Soul Edge and the mysterious being who had breathed life into her beloved sword. Along the way, she encountered many people, and the most recent being a time traveler from the year 2068.
Ivy has just found herself being confronted by a man from the future - Myoukouin Geiz.
"Are you the one called Ivy, am I correct?", asked Geiz.
"What if I am?", Ivy replied in a sly tone. "Whoever you are, I assume you are searching for Soul Edge?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just doing what I need to do.", Geiz takes out his Ridewatch and Zikuu-Driver as he is about to transform in front of Ivy.
*Geiz!*
Geiz unlocks the Zikuu-Driver, poses and prepares to spin the belt.
"Henshin!"
*Rider Time: Kamen Rider Geiz!*
"Heh...heh... You dare challenge me, boy?", Ivy laughed as she prepares herself to battle. "Curse the ill-fortune that led you to me."
Geiz takes out the Zikan Zaxe in Ono Mode as he and Ivy fight with their blades. Despite having the superior arsenal and inventory, Geiz is at the receiving end of the power of Ivy's snake sword, as her Ivy Blade also deals with close and long range damage. Ivy gains the upper hand at this point, leaving Geiz to change strategy.
"You're in need of some discipline, boy!", Ivy lords her superiority towards the Kamen Rider.
In response, Geiz takes out the Build Ridewatch he borrowed from Sougo to use it against Ivy. He spins the Zikuu-Driver after activation of the watch.
*Armor Time: Best Match! BUILD~!*
*Finish Time! Build!*
Geiz quickly prepares to activate a Time Burst Finisher. And by spinning the Zikuu-Driver again, mathematical and scientific equations appear around the combatants, and an energy chart binds Ivy.
"Discipline this!", Geiz jumps as he slides through the graph as he is about to hit Ivy with Build's signature kick finisher.
*Vortex Time Burst!*
Just as Geiz was about to land the Rider Kick on Ivy, her snake sword managed to break her free from the energy graph, causing Geiz to be thrown back to a corner. What he didn't know is that Ivy's blade is sentient and it obeys her every command.
"Pathetic.", Ivy mocks the Rider from 2068.
Surrender is the last thing Geiz would ever do and continued fighting, this time he decides to go with Wizard.
*Armor Time, Please! WI-ZARD!*
Donning the Wizard Armor, Geiz makes use of all of Wizard's style to make a short work on Ivy. But, Ivy turns things around as her sword can almost read Geiz's every move in order for Ivy to counterattack effortlessly.
The moment Geiz went too close to his opponent, Ivy spins her snake sword around her body and said, "I'll make you submit!" Geiz gets skewered by the blades of Ivy's weapon before being launched in mid-air, she sends her blade pieces at the airborn target before binding them and pulling them into the ground at her feet, "Enjoy...your treat!", before stomping Geiz on the head, pinning him to the ground.
Geiz's Rider form is subsequently powered down, while Ivy mocks him, "You've missed your chance for mercy."
"Unbelievable!", Geiz staggers. "What exactly are you?"
"To think you call yourself a warrior from the future? Does someone like you need to ask? Farewell!"
"Wait!", Geiz tries to stop her, but is to exhausted to do so. But, having heard from Taki's information where Ivy is going, he decides to let it go, for the voice that echoed from Ivy's snake sword will lead her to the Azure Knight...
Ostrheinsburg Castle...
Ivy made it in the fortress of Schwarzstrom, waiting before her was the Azure Knight himself.
The dark knight was covered in azure armor that covers him from head to toe, leaving only his monstrous, mutated arm exposed. Though unable to hide her curiousity at sight, Ivy knew she had to repay her debt...
Ivy's sword began to resonate as she approaches the Azure Knight, who is revealed to be the one who had called her, who addressed her with the title of Dexter Purpure. Ivy was nervous to reply the moment Nightmare spoke to her and even asked her if his appearance reminded her of a demon.
"No... I would shake hands with a demon if it aided me in my revenge.", Ivy answered dryly. "I intend to pay my debts."
"Is that so...? In that case, Dexter Purpure, I shall require your assistance. My will shall be done.", the Azure Nightmare has Ivy initiated into his faction.
Even if she is given the title "Dexter Purpure", Ivy finds it unsuitable, while reluctantly accepting Nightmare's offer.
A.D. 1586
(1586年)
Nightmare told Ivy of his wish to return his father's soul to this world through the art of resurrection... Nothing about this situation appeared normal. To make matters worse, she found decidedly uncouth about the other companion with whom she would be working - a hulking giant by the name of Astaroth.
While both Nightmare and Astaroth are bloodthirsty killing machines known for their greed for human souls, Astaroth is as incredibly sadistic which makes his cruelty rivaling the Azure Knight's. Ivy doesn't like their idea of murdering just for the sake of murder as she observes Astaroth's killing spree.
"Tch! Impetuous fool!", Ivy glared. "Soul harvesting? Don't make me laugh."
The two run into an unlucky survivor who just find himself at the mercy of the giant. But, instead Ivy lets the poor sob go, much to Astaroth's dismay.
"Hey! Why'd you let him go?!", Astaroth exclaimed.
"You kill too much... We have enough for now.", Ivy replied dryly.
"Does it matter? There's plenty of 'em! And resurrection requires many-", the giant is still not sated until...
Astaroth drops to his knees and felt like as if he was dizzy and in the verge of losing consciousness. Even worse, he's slowly dissolving right in front of Ivy.
"What's...happening...to me...?!", Astaroth spoke as he is slowly disintegrated. "I don't...feel so good..."
The giant is reduced to a pile of scattering motes but not before collapsing completely. Ivy had no idea what just happened to Astaroth.
A.D. 1583
(1583年)
Palgaea Shrine, the Fygul Cestemus's underground shrine within the desert...
A massacre just happened in the shrine, killing all the Fygul Cestemus's cultists, including its high priest, Kunpaetku. They were about to give birth to the giant known as Astaroth, when suddenly, an Another Rider bearing the likeness of Kamen Rider Decade attacked the cultists and the high priest.
The Another Rider, Another Decade just left a path of carnage in her wake as an act of defiling to their gods. Afterwards, Another Decade reveals herself to be none other than Ray!
Ray was able to put the powers of 18 Another Riders into one Ridewatch and created the Another Decade Watch, which allows her to transform into Another Decade. Now an Another Rider herself, Ray has now become an unstoppable force, and will stop at nothing until she claims Soul Edge.
With the Fygul Cestemus annihilated, that means Astaroth's existence is erased.
"My apologies, high priest.", Ray addresses the now-deceased Kunpaetku, implying that she had manipulated him and his cult in the shadows. "But, Soul Edge is mine, and mine alone. You have outlived your usefulness."
The summoner curves a sinister grin, and she makes it clear that she will erase those who will seek after or destroy the cursed sword. And once she achieves that goal, she will be the one to rule the past and the future.
[TIME PARADOX MESSAGE]
"From the moment we are born, we begin to die." — Janne Teller
[END TRANSMISSION]
"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: 14 (New G7 Icarus, G7 Icarus XYZ EX-Strike Armor, G7 Icarus XYZ Archangel Kerberos, G7 Type-S, Grease, Huntress Creator Gamer, Mach, Jiraiya, Rewind, Bike, Phone, Disk Animal (x2))
Miridewatches: 3 (Taki, Aqua Mermaid, Jet Phoenix)
Ultra Ridewatches: 6 (Ultraman Orb Specium Zepellion, Ultraman Orb Orb Origin, Ultraman X, Ultraman Zero, Ultraman Zero Beyond, Ultraseven)
-Zi-O: 17 (Zi-O, Build, Ex-Aid, Gaim, Fourze, OOO, W, Decade, Kiva, Kabuto, Hibiki, Blade, Ryuki, Agito, Kuuga, Bike, Phone)
-Geiz: 10 (Geiz, Cross-Z, Genm, Ghost, Drive, Wizard, OOO Tajadol Combo, Faiz, Bike, Phone)
-Woz #2:
Miridewatches: 1 (Woz)
-Tsukuyomi: 1 (Phone)
-Fubuki: 4 (Den-O, 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: 19 (Another Kuuga, Another Agito, Another Ryuki, Another Faiz, Another Blade, Another Hibiki, Another Kabuto, Another Den-O, Another Kiva, Another Decade, Another W, Another OOO, Another Fourze, Another Wizard, Another Gaim, Another Drive, Another Ghost, Another Ex-Aid, Another Build)
Kaijuwatch: 4 (Demaaga, Galactron (x2), Grigio Bone)
Ultra Ridewatch: 2 (Ultraman Belial, Ultraman Geed Primitive)
On the next episode...
(次回挿話)
Astaroth, one of Nightmare's top guards, was erased from existence! The one who perpetrated it was none other than Ray, who has transformed into an Another Rider: Another Decade.
Having created her ultimate Another Rider in which she transforms into, she begins to clear her path towards Soul Edge, by erasing those who seek and/or destroy the cursed sword from history!
Next time on Taki Gaiden, Episode 45: Another Decade ~A.D. 1583~
Author's Note:
Astaroth's last words before his existence is erased is "I don't feel so good" the moment he disintegrates is a shout-out to Avengers: Infinity War, which is said by Peter Parker/Spider-Man when Thanos activates the full power of the Infinity Gauntlet and wipe out half of the universe's population. The said line from the movie's scene has garnered a lot of memes.
This chapter deviates Ivy's Soul Chronicle in that her first opponent in her story mode is Seong Mi-Na. Instead, she faces Geiz in Mi-Na's place. Additionally, his simultaneous use of Build and Wizard Armor against her is an allusion to Build's chemistry motif and between the lines of Sento being a scientist whereas Ivy being an alchemist, who simultaneously mastered science and magic. Also, Ivy use magic symbols in her attacks, much like Wizard's Magic Portals.
Though Astaroth's erasure from the new timeline, along with the Fygul Cestemus, the cult that created him, will be explored in the next chapter, here are the following consequences of the event:
- The deaths of Maxi's crew have been averted. And likewise, Maxi does not die in the main Soul Chronicle while Kilik and Xianghua fight Nightmare in the final battle.
- Seong Mi-Na doesn't get abducted by the Fygul Cestemus in her Soul Chronicle when she rescues the villagers.
- With Ray/Another Decade having massacred the entire Fygul Cestemus cultists along with its high priest, Kunpaetku, this will most likely avert Grøh losing his friend, as Azwel kills Curtis on the spot after raiding the cultists' hideout in his Soul Chronicle.
This is the second time the Soulcalibur VI timeline is affected by time paradox in this story, this instance being Astaroth being erased from existence.
To differentiate her Future Ring forms from Woz, Taki's Future Ring forms are associated to elements, with Aqua Mermaid and Jet Phoenix being water and fire. The other four (upcoming) Future Ring forms for Taki will be based on the elements of thunder, wind, earth and ice. But, there are also additions: wood and metal - and similar to how Geiz used the Ex-Aid and Build Armors, Taki will most likely use Shinobi and Kikai's Miridewatches. Though Taki using Shinobi could be redundant as she is herself is a ninja to begin with, this is required for her to attain the mastery of wood element, as well as the metal element via the Kikai Miridewatch.
