Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.

If one word could describe what was going on in the quarry, that word would be chaos.

The battlefield was flooded with not only Moebas, but Rinshi, Nanashi, Bibi Bugs, Waste Yummies, Zorima, Copy Roidmudes, Hitokarage, Ganma Commandos, Nazi G. O. D. Warfare Agents, Shocker Combatmen, confused Bugster Viruses who hadn't been told they didn't need to be fighting anymore, Kasshine that had wandered away from the time war and didn't realize they were fighting the wrong opponents, unfamiliar soldiers wearing green armor that made them look like goblins, and a few Lost Smash, all of them fighting Sentai and Kamen Riders as well as each other, nobody seeming to know or care who, exactly, they were supposed to be killing so long as they killed someone.

Over a dozen giant monsters, villains brought back to life and made enormous by Ginis' Continues, rampaged across the warzone. Numerous Riders, Sentai, and others were fighting them. Many had giant machines of their own to even the odds.

Not all of them, however, were so lucky.

On the far side of the quarry, while a variety of other mecha and vehicles battled the surprisingly resilient Dai Mazines and their smaller Time Mazine counterparts, dozens of Sentai and Riders from various different time periods continued fighting frantically against Another Riders, evil Riders, and defeated monsters from the past, the various temporal anomalies littering the battlefield bringing back the defeated villains almost the instant they were beaten, sometimes even before that. The sheer number of temporal doubles and paradoxes was getting to truly ridiculous levels, and it was only a matter of time before the fabric of time and space itself unraveled.

The time war was truly dominated by two titanic struggles, however: Tsukasa, Natsumi, and Yusuke Godai against the treacherous Another Diend, and the entire Tokiwa clan against Another Oma Zi-O while Black, White, Red, and Woz Beyond all teamed up to fight their nefarious counterpart, Another Woz. Neither side seemed to be making much headway, because all of the combatants possessed such a mastery over time and space that any brief advantage gained was almost immediately rewound and undone. Time and space were in such flux around them that any lesser being unlucky enough to stray too close found themselves simultaneously ripped apart, reassembled, aged millions of years, youthened back to infancy, and simultaneously existing at every single point in time and space before being erased completely from reality only to be brought back the instant they vanished, if they were lucky. Suffice to say, at the rate they were going, Another Oma Zi-O's continued rants that he was going to destroy all of existence just to kill Sougo Tokiwa and his loved ones seemed more and more like an inevitability.

But most horrible of all was the battle in the skies. As more and more black holes opened and Pandora Towers descended to drill into the planet and bring the Earth that much closer to annihilation, the entire Gaimist pantheon had decided to abandon the time war, viewing this as a much greater existential threat, and were throwing everything they had at the Evolt from another world, joined by Build in their Cross-ZBuild form. With the weight of practically the entire Pantheon and their army of saints, angels, Energar, and Valkyriens they were just able to keep him at bay. And unfortunately, if they couldn't break the stalemate soon, it wouldn't be enough to save them.

Oh, and Daijinryu was on his way to destroy the planet because he'd deemed it to be too great of a threat to the universal balance, but most present weren't aware of that and honestly, they didn't really need to have ANOTHER thing to worry about at this point.

"So… Would I be correct in saying that this crossover has gotten kind of out of hand?" Z asked awkwardly.

"You would be, yes," Abrella agreed.

"Right," Z said.

"Is the giant spider dead yet?" Dogranio asked from behind the couch.

"No," Abrella told him.

"Okay. Let me know when he's gone," Dogranio replied, making no attempt to come out from hiding.

Evolt, in the meantime, was fuming at his counterpart. "I don't believe this guy… Who does he think he is, coming in here and talking about destroying this world? If anyone is going to destroy the Earth, it's going to be me! I have half a mind to go up there and tell him to get the hell out of this universe!"

"Why don't you?" Z asked.

Evolt snorted. "What, and steal this fight from Banjo? Not going to happen, the kid would never forgive me. Besides, I rather doubt those deities up there are of a mind to differentiate between the two of us right now, and I don't really feel like being forced to regenerate myself from a single cell twice in one day."

"So you're scared," Dogranio prompted from behind the couch.

"I am NOT scared!" Evolt roared, outraged. "And you're one to talk about fear! That big spider isn't anywhere near here, you don't need to hide!"

"Look, phobias don't have to make sense, all right?!" Dogranio retorted. "Be glad that I'm actually still here instead of running back to my dimension like every fiber in my being is telling me to! Hell, I may have to do that soon anyway, this planet seems more or less finished."

"You don't really think they'll lose, do you?" Z asked with concern. "I mean, they're the good guys. They pretty much always win in the end."

"That is often the case, especially where these lot are concerned," Abrella agreed. "Still, the deck is unusually stacked against them in this instance, and one of my deep space probes has reported a certain omnipotent Dragon God is on his way here, and I rather doubt he will only settle for destroying all the villains in his efforts to restore balance. He is very indiscriminate in his judgment. Oh, there's a very good chance the Sentai and Riders will prevail in the end, but… Unless you feel like going into space to try and slow him down, Evolt, I suggest we all consider possible avenues of escape."

"That shouldn't be much of a problem," Dogranio said, still behind the couch. "I can just go home, Evolt can open a black hole out of here, Z can go back to his dark dimension, and Abrella, you've probably got some sort of long-range teleporter or ship handy, right?"

"I do," Abrella confirmed.

"Actually… I'm not sure going back to my world would help," Z said uneasily. "My world is connected to this one, so I'm not sure if it will survive the Earth's destruction."

"Sucks to be you," Evolt said unsympathetically.

"I don't suppose you guys could help?" Z asked hopefully.

"Nope," said Evolt.

"No," Dogranio agreed.

"I'd be happy to! For a price," Abrella offered.

Z made a face. "I thought we were friends. And you're 'not evil' anymore."

"Indeed I am," Abrella said beatifically. "Which is why I shall offer you a discount. Back in my bad old days, I would've charged you full price, plus quite a few extra riders, and not of the masked variety. Shall we talk business?"

"So you really have gone straight, Abrella? How disappointing. I was hoping we could renew our business relationship. It was, if I recall, lucrative for both of us."

Ginis alighted beside the couch. Abrella nodded at him. "Yes, we both profited quite well from your Blood Game venture. Alas, I am indeed a legitimate businessman now, which is why if you check your old account you will see that it is most certainly no longer active and there are not recommendations for a new and improved Sagittariark, Triangular fleet, and those wineglasses you had a particular liking for."

Ginis shook his head sadly. "I see. I shall not even bother checking my old account, then, for I see no reason to doubt your word."

"Indeed," Abrella agreed with a straight face.

Z leaned over to Evolt. "So… The account IS still open, right?"

Evolt rolled his eyes. "Duh. So, what are you doing up here? Aiming to join us? Because there isn't room on this couch for five."

"There is an open spot right there," Ginis pointed out, indicating the space that Dogranio had vacated.

"That's mine," Dogranio called from behind the couch. "Just because I'm not sitting in it right this second doesn't mean anyone else can use it."

"You hardly need a seat anyway, Ginis," Abrella pointed out. "In your regular form, you practically ARE your own throne."

"Yes, but I'm not in my regular form right now, am I?" Ginis pointed out, although he made no move to occupy the vacant seat. He sighed rapturously as he gazed out at the battlefield. "Isn't it magnificent? Such beautiful chaos. Truly an auspicious beginning for a new Blood Game!"

"Yeah, I'm going to have to ask you to stop using that name or else you'll need to speak with my lawyers," Evolt growled.

"You have lawyers?" Dogranio asked in surprise.

Evolt pointed to his laser cannons. "Yes, and they've never lost a case yet."

"So, are you at all concerned that it looks like the entire planet, if not the universe, is on the verge of destruction?" Z asked the tyrant anxiously.

"Not at all. If this is truly the end, at least it shall be an entertaining one," Ginis replied, not taking his eyes off the carnage. "That is all I've ever asked for in life, really. Something to alleviate boredom."

"Most people don't try to alleviate their boredom by causing mass genocide," Z pointed out.

"I'm pretty sure you're the only person here who's never done that," Evolt countered.

"I never have," Pumpkin Rapper spoke up.

"Nobody asked you!" Evolt shouted.

"This is insane!" Parad cried, standing back to back with Emu, blasting away at monsters before seamlessly switching to his ax whenever any got too close. "They just keep coming! I'm not even sure who we're supposed to be fighting right now!"

"It is a bit tricky to choose priority targets, given the multiple potential apocalypses," Kiriya agreed, judo throwing a Shocker Combatman into a bevy of Nanashi. "Normally I'd say we go for Kuroto, but he's not here, the coward."

"It's only a matter of time until he returns, stronger than ever," Taiga pointed out, firing a volley of missiles from his vantage point on top of Jiro's tank, explosions blossoming in the ranks of monsters surrounding them.

"Assuming we are not all slain by other means before he comes back," Satsuki said gravely, arms moving so fast they seemed to be invisible as all around her, monsters were shredded from her impossibly powerful blows.

"I know, right?" Poppy agreed anxiously, glancing up at the battle in the sky as her summoned female Riders fought around her. "Should I… Should I be up there, helping our Goddess and my sisters? Or should I stay here to help you all? Where does my duty lie?"

"I wish I knew," Mizuki confessed. "I feel like I should be up there… But I also should feel like I should be with Hiiro-sama, or even fighting Dracula. I'd ask Malika for guidance, but she seems a bit busy at the moment."

"I fully intend to go and aid my Lord Baron as soon as I get an opportunity," Hiiro resolved, sword flashing through the air and cutting down minions by the dozens. "Mizuki, I don't suppose there's anything you can do to convince Daijinryu to give us a little more time to settle things on our own?"

Mizuki shook her head. "It doesn't work like that. He gives us orders, not the other way around. He has no reason to listen to a mortal like myself, especially one who has allowed things to get this bad."

"Hey, this isn't your fault," Nico blasted away with beams and missiles. "None of us could possibly have expected things would get this screwed up."

"Yeah," Charlie agreed. "Well, except that Quiz guy. He's from the future, right?"

There was a pause as everyone considered this. Then they turned to Mondo, who'd just wiped out another group of minions with his Final Quiz Flash. "Huh? Why are you all looking at me?" He asked, puzzled.

"Mondo," Emu said urgently, pausing to stab a Zorima in the chest before glancing back at the time traveler. "You said you studied this quiz your entire life. You must know what's going to happen next, and how we resolve it!"

Mondo hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "Yeah… About that…" He shrugged helplessly. "I… Don't remember ANY of this happening, actually."

There was a pause. Parad punched a Hitokarage's face in without looking. "What."

"According to historical records, all of you defeated Kuroto without Ginis reviving all of the defeated bad guys as giant monsters, or this time war thing, or that other Evolt coming through a black hole, or a giant omnipotent space Dragon coming here to destroy everything," Mondo confessed, looking embarrassed. "None of this was supposed to happen. So I… I have no idea what's going to happen next. I'm sorry."

"But if it wasn't supposed to happen, then why is it happening?!" Revol demanded as he no-scoped a Bibi Bug.

"It must be because of the time war," Emu speculated, his dreads lashing out to entangle and lash about a group of Ganma Commandoes. "If it's really bad enough to break time, then it could easily have altered history as well."

"But how are we supposed to fight against something like that?" Satsuki wondered as she easily wiped the floor with several dozen Rinshi. "Monsters and villains, yes; even big ones… But the destruction of time itself?"

"And the alien conqueror from another reality, and the giant omnipotent space Dragon God coming to kill us all," Salty moaned, hurling exploding salt cubes at some Bibi Bugs. "I'm beginning to regret joining forces with you all now. This is rather a bit outside our weight class."

"Yeah, what are some recurring monsters of the week supposed to do against all of this?" Motors wondered, exhaust pipes flaring as he hurled explosives at some Waste Yummies.

"We'll think of something," Emu assured the Bugster. "We always do."

"Considering your genius allies seem to be at a loss on how to resolve this, I find that a little hard to believe," Hatena said skeptically, summoning some blocks to crush some Nazi G. O. D. Warfare Agents.

"Our genius allies aren't at a loss on how to resolve this!" Parad insisted.

"I'm at a loss on how to resolve this!" Swan remarked as she twirled by, hurling feathers at some Moebas.

"One person is not representative of the whole group!" Parad insisted stubbornly.

"I'm out of ideas as well," Yua confessed, blasting a hole through the skull of another goon.

"Aside from 'kill everything,' which is fine in my book," Shuki quipped, firing arrow after arrow.

"Yeah, but that's not really a viable solution in the long term, especially since we are currently on a time limit," Megumi pointed out, firing shot after shot into the horde.

"I know!" Inkohana cried, snapping her fingers. "I'll run so fast I travel back in time to before things got this bad and make sure it never gets this messed up!"

"Considering that time is already sort of broken, I don't think that would actually help much," Yua warned her.

"… Oh, right…"

Nobunaga growled, summoning another spectral arsenal to open fire into the next wave of mooks. "That army of the dead Takeru was supposed to deal with sure would come in handy right about now!"

Parad groaned. "Why did dad have to leave? He could probably solve this in a flash!"

"He had other things to deal with. Fortunately, you already have everything you need to win."

"Huh? What do you mean, Emu?" Kiriya asked.

Emu frowned. "That… Wasn't me."

"Actually, it was."

A golden blur shot by, scything through the seemingly endless waves of henchmen before screeching to a halt in front of the Riders and Bugsters. The hundred or so minions wailed, convulsing, before dozens of HIT! signs flashed across their bodies, and they exploded.

Nico gasped. "No way! It's…"

"Me?!" Emu stammered in disbelief as their unexpected savior turned to face them, revealing that he was indeed another Ex-Aid. (Not to be confused with Another Ex-Aid, who was tied up at the moment fighting a time-displaced and very confused KiramaYellow.)

Poppy squealed in delight. "I've had dreams that started like this!"

Hiiro grimaced. "And I, nightmares."

"You aren't the only one," Motors whimpered.

"Wait, how is this worse than his Brothers form?" Hatena asked.

"Because in his Brothers form, he's only level XX, not… Whatever the heck Muteki is," Salty explained.

There was an explosion nearby, followed by a whoop of excited laughter. "I did it! I did!" Alhambra cried triumphantly. "After all these years, I finally cast Ruin successfully! You all saw it, right guys? I cast Ruin!"

"Sorry, none of us were paying attention because a second Emu just appeared," Revol told him.

The wizard's shoulders slumped. "Great, I've had nightmares about this…"

"You're… Me," Emu repeated, stunned. "But how… Oh, of course," he realized immediately. "The time war. You're a part of it. But… Does that mean you're from my past, or my future?" He shook his head. "No, wait, stupid question. You HAVE to be from my future, since I don't remember any of this happening before, and you just said you know how we can fix this."

"That's right," the other Emu said with a nod, walking over. A stray Bugster Virus charged towards him, shrieking, and he backhanded it out of existence. "Things have gotten out of hand and we are nearing a tipping point. If something isn't done soon, the planet, if not much more than that, is done for. Emu, you are the only one who can give this story a happy ending."

"I can?" Emu asked in surprise. "But how?"

Poppy gasped and snapped her fingers. "Emu! What if you used Mighty Creator VRX?"

Emu's eyes widened. "Oh, of course! Then I could just imagine up solutions for everything that's happening!"

The other Emu shook his head. "Unfortunately, that won't be enough. Against most of the evils present, yes, that might work… But Another Zi-O? Evolt? Their powers are far too great, their mastery over time and space too absolute."

"But… If not Mighty VRX, then what am I supposed to do?" Emu asked in confusion. "I don't have any other Gashat strong enough!"

"But you do, Emu," his future self reminded him. "There is still… The forbidden Gashat."

"The forbidden-" Emu gasped and started frantically shaking his head. "No. No! Not THAT one! We promised never to use it again, after the last time! It's too powerful!"

"Or rather, it's exactly powerful enough," the other Emu said gravely.

"Am I missing something here?" Asked a confused Nico. "What's this forbidden Gashat?"

"I have no idea," the confused Taiga replied. "Unless… Wait… He can't possibly mean…!"

"THAT one? I thought it was lost forever!" Kiriya agreed.

Mondo gasped. "You mean it's REAL?! I thought it was nothing but a legend!"

Nico grimaced. "So, everyone knows but me. Great."

"I don't know either, if that makes you feel any better," Jiro spoke up.

"Nor I," Nobunaga added.

"It does, thank you," Nico confessed.

"It wasn't lost," Emu confessed. "I just let all of you think that. I… Tried to convince myself it was gone as well, but… I suppose deep down, I knew it couldn't stay hidden forever."

"But why have you been hiding it?" Parad asked in disbelief. "It's the strongest of all the Gashats! If you'd used it sooner, we could have resolved all this right from the start!"

"It's precisely BECAUSE it's so strong that I've never used it, Parad!" Emu insisted. "It's too dangerous! If I were to misuse it even the slightest bit, the consequences for the fabric of reality could be catastrophic!"

"Wait, can that Gashat even work in the real world?" Asked a confused Kiriya. "I thought it was only able to work the last time because of the format of the game where you got it in."

"If Mighty Creator VRX could, I suppose this one could as well," Hiiro pointed out. "Emu from the future. Are you… Absolutely certain this is the only way?"

The other Emu shook his head sadly. "I wish I weren't. But this is the best, the ONLY chance of survival. Emu, I'm sorry, but… For the good of everyone, you HAVE to use the Gashat."

"Okay, seriously, will someone PLEASE tell me what this horrifying Gashat is already?" Nico demanded, getting frustrated.

Emu solemnly produced a white Gashat, staring at it with trepidation. "Mighty Novel X."

Nico blinked. "… Mighty Novel X? What, like a visual novel or something? What's so scary about that?"

"Yeah, after all that build up, I was expecting something a little more," Inkohana agreed.

"Looks can be deceiving… I sense an INCREDIBLE power emanating from that game…" Totema murmured, alarmed.

"Nico, that Gashat has the power to rewrite reality as if it were just a story," Taiga whispered in reverent awe. "The last, and ONLY time Emu used it, he was able to utterly defeat Kuroto in his level Billion form. He rendered Kuroto's attacks powerless just by declaring that they missed him, or didn't do any damage!"

"It was like I made the entire universe into a story that I happened to be the author of," Emu said softly, hand trembling slightly as he gazed at the Gashat clutched in his hand. "I've never felt anything like it before. It was like… Like being a god. No, not a god, THE God. Anything I wanted, I could bring into being. I was practically omnipotent. I was so terrified that I used only a fraction of the potential that power offered me, and swore to never, EVER use it again, because surely no disaster could be big enough to warrant its use, for fear that I might accidentally slip up and make an even bigger disaster… Or worse, give into the temptation of such power, and never relinquish it again."

"You give yourself too little credit," the other Emu told him. "You are stronger than you think. You were able to withstand such temptation once… And you will do so again. I know this. After all, I was you once."

Emu hesitated a moment longer, then glanced up at his other self. "There's really no other way?"

His future self shook his head. "There isn't."

Emu sighed, then nodded in resignation. "Then I guess I have no choice." He turned to Parad. "Parad, buddy, I'm going to need your help on this. Just like last time."

Without a moment's hesitation, Parad extended his fist. "I've always got your back, Emu. Let's do this."

Emu taps his fist against Parad's, and the Bugster dissolved into red and blue particles which swirled around Emu before sinking into his body. His body flashed, and his eyes glowed, light emanating from the Gashat. Taking a deep breath, he primed the Gashat.

"I will change all our fates!"

[+] MIGHTY NOVEL X! [+]

"Dai-Dai-Dai-Dai-Dai-Dai-Dai-Dai-DAI-HENSHIN!"

[+] CLICK AND OPEN! LEVEL UP! MIGHTY NOVEL! MY STORY! MIGHTY NOVEL! THIS IS MY STORY! X! [+]

Instead of the standard hologram, what looked like a giant book opened behind Emu. Pages flew out of it, billowing through the air as they swirled around him. Characters leapt off the pages and were absorbed into his body, the sheets disintegrating in flashes of light once each one was blank, only to be replaced by a new one virtually instantly. When the book was out of pages, it slammed closed on Emu and burst in a brilliant flash of light, revealing…

That Emu now looked exactly like his base form, only with black-and-white chest armor and Driver.

"I shall write an ending with no edits!" Emu declared.

Nico blinked. "… Okay, not gonna lie, after all you guys talked this form up, I was kind of expecting something a little more… Impressive? I mean it's just a recolor of his usual form."

"Looks can be deceiving," Hiiro said warily. "Emu has just become one of the most powerful individuals on the planet."

"I believe everything you just said, take back every bad thing I've ever said about Emu, and confess that I've been in love with Taiga for years," Nico scoffed. She froze. "Wait, what? That wasn't what I meant to say!"

"You've been what now? Emu, please tell me you're just putting words in her mouth!" Taiga cried in alarm.

"Only a few," Emu said apologetically. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"NEVER do that again!" Nico shouted, livid.

"If he does, I don't think there's anything you can do to stop him," Kiriya pointed out.

"Which is something we very much do not want to happen," Hiiro pointed out.

"Hold on, I'm not convinced," Alhambra said skeptically. "Do something else, something that isn't just making someone say things they wouldn't normally."

Suddenly, Salty got back his robot power armor, Motors' motorcycle and samurai sword appeared out of thin air, Revol got back his jetpack, Alhambra found himself once more wielding Graphite's sword, and Totema became a girl.

"Okay, I'm convinced," Alhambra conceded.

"And very grateful you've never used this against us before," Revol agreed.

Totema squeezed her new breasts surprisingly. "I am surprisingly all right with this."

"Hey good-looking, since Poppy is taken, I don't suppose…?" Salty asked hopefully.

"Ew, no," Totema said in disgust, recoiling.

Salty sighed. "Oh well, worth a shot."

"Wait, why didn't I get anything?" Charlie asked.

"I didn't think you'd want to become Gamedeus again," Emu explained. "I can give you a new bike, though."

Suddenly, a new sports bike appeared next to Charlie. "This will do," the Bugster proclaimed, pleased.

"Incredible! Emu, you could probably just end this conflict right now!" Poppy squealed eagerly.

"Yeah, you could just write that all the bad guys drop dead or cease to exist or even spontaneously decided to turn good or something," Mondo agreed.

The future Emu shook his head. "Not a good idea. Reality has been stretched to the breaking point already what with all the time shenanigans and Evolt punching black holes in the universe. If my younger self tries to make any huge sweeping changes like that, it could cause irreparable damage to the space-time continuum."

"Plus it would be a pretty cheap and anticlimactic deus ex machina," Kiriya intuited. "Which is never a good ending for a story."

"But then what's the point of him being able to rewrite reality if he can't rewrite reality without breaking reality?" Salty complained.

"I can rewrite reality, I just can't do anything too overt," Emu explained. "Fortunately, I think I know what to do now." His eyes flashed, and characters scrolled down them. "I am now the author of this story. I can see every plot thread, every twist, every moment and choice and piece of dialogue leading up to this moment. I can see all the possible ways this can end… And I think I know just what plotlines to follow and advance to give this story a satisfactory conclusion." His eyes cleared up. "Let's begin."

"Evolt, are you sure there's nothing you can do?" Z asked nervously, looking at the sky as more and more black holes opened and dropped Pandora towers into the surface of the Earth.

"Oh, there totally is," Evolt corrected him. "Except I don't really want to."

"But that's your son up there!" Z cried, gesturing at Cross-ZBuild as they hurled a giant blue energy Dragon at the other Evolt, who countered with a black cobra. "He might die without your help!"

Evolt hesitated for a moment as Build was flung back by the explosion, only to get caught by an energy rabbit which kicked them back towards the other Evolt. Then he shook his head. "If he can't fight his own battles, then he's no son of mine."

"I'M NOT YOUR SON!" Ryuga shouted as he and Sento tried to punch the other Evolt in the face.

The other Evolt laughed, multiple appendages moving at lightning speed to catch and deflect all of the merged Rider's blows. "You're still alive in this world? I'm disappointed with this world's version of me. I killed my Banjo the instant I didn't need him anymore!"

"Hey! Who do you think you are, calling me soft?!" Evolt demanded, indignant.

"An infinitely stronger and more successful version of yourself!" The other Evolt retorted, tentacles blasting out of his body and flinging back Build and the other gods, angels, and holy warriors crowding around him.

Evolt growled. "Why, I oughtta…"

"Help?" Z suggested pointedly. "Because that's what I'm going to do, and I really think all of you should do the same."

Abrella frowned. "And why ever should we do that, Z? While there is a chance that your realm will be destroyed alongside the Earth, none of us have any stake in this world's survival."

"Abrella, you keep going on about how you're 'legit' now, right?" Z asked. "Well, wouldn't helping to protect the planet from destruction be the sort of thing a reformed villain would do to prove that he's good, get the cops off his back, as well as rub it in their faces that they couldn't have done it without your help?"

Abrella hesitated. "That… Makes an unfortunate amount of sense…"

"And Evolt!" Z continued, whirling on the alien horror. "Even if you really don't give a damn about the survival of your only son-"

"I'M NOT-"

"SHUT UP!" Z shouted. "Even if you really don't give a damn about the survival of your only son, doesn't it sting your pride that someone other than yourself is trying to destroy this planet? Someone who claims to be a better version of you? Are you REALLY going to take that lying down?"

Evolt paused. "Okay, I know you're trying to goad me into doing something I really shouldn't." He growled in frustration. "And dammit if it's not working."

"And Dogranio-"

"Save it, kid," Dogranio interrupted. "There's absolutely nothing you can say that would convince me to help those do-gooders."

"So you're saying you'd rather continue hiding behind a couch because you're afraid of a giant spider monster, instead of actually doing something about it?" Z taunted. "Is that the sort of image you want to project for your subordinates? A coward who would hide rather than face his fears?"

"That's…" Dogranio shook with rage and irritation before slumping in resigned acceptance. "That's… Actually a good point…"

"And Ginis-" Z paused. "Actually, I'm not even going to bother trying to convince you to help because this is all just a game to you and you don't really care who wins or loses so long as it's entertaining."

"Correct," Ginis agreed smugly.

Z stood up. "So help, or don't help. Right now, I don't really care. But there's people I care about who might get hurt or worse if this goes any further, and as Emperor of Darkness, it's my responsibility to do something about it!" He drew his sword, which probably would've looked very dramatic if any of them could've seen him under the shroud of darkness cast by his umbrella. "Come, Behemoth of Darkness!"

The earth trembled, and a geyser of darkness erupted into the air. With a demonic howl, a colossal silvery abomination with a triangular body with big red eyes on the shoulders, black-and-white checkered towers growing from his shoulders and back and black and white checkered cones for arms, and a horned head set into the middle of its chest emerged from the darkness, the sun seeming to dim slightly from the sheer dark power emanating from the Behemoth.

Z discarded his umbrella and leapt into the air, vanishing inside the great monster's head. A moment later, the 400 m tall creature started forwards, firing blasts of darkness at the many monsters and evils crowding the battlefield.

"… Wow. Didn't know the kid had it in him," Evolt said finally, grudgingly impressed.

After a moment, Abrella sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, Z may be onto something. I suppose as a honorable law-abiding gentlemen, I am…" He shuddered. "Morally obligated to help." He grimaced, nearly throwing up.

Ginis made a disgusted face. "You're really going to help them?"

"Much to my chagrin… Yes. Yes I am." Abrella rummaged in his cape for a moment, before producing a tattered parchment covered in evil -looking characters that looked as if they'd been inked in blood. "Ahem. By the power of the un-sacred pact, I call you forth! Appear, Combined Combatant Plus!"

The writing on the parchment glowed ominously. The wails and screams of dozens of tortured souls filled the air as howling, anguished spirits erupted from the contract, swirling through the air before converging on a single point, coalescing to form an absolutely hideous monster whose body was covered in dozens of faces, the visages of every single type of footsoldier ever fought by Super Sentai or Kamen Rider; with a few even having half-formed torsos or limbs jutting out of the amalgamated whole.

The horrendous abomination turned and knelt before Abrella. "What is your bidding, master?" It asked, its voice sounding like every one of its constituent parts speaking in unison.

"The hell is that?!" Demanded a repulsed Evolt.

Dogranio cautiously peeked over the back of the couch. "And why does it have a Porderman head?"

"And a Moeba," Ginis demanded.

"Hey yeah, and I think I see a Guardian in there also," Evolt realized.

"That is because the Combined Combatant is a monster from the other side born from the collected anguish and hatred of every expendable foot soldiers and cannon fodder whose only purpose in life was to be callously thrown to their deaths against the vastly superior heroes of justice," Abrella explained. "Which means there are indeed traces of Pordermen in there, and Moebas, and Guardians, and my own Anaroids." He indicated the parchment in his hand. "Thanks to a very lucrative deal I made while deceased, I was able to purchase their souls, meaning that this monster, and it's incredible power, all belong to me."

"Okay… Exactly what kind of power does a guy made up of the biggest losers in the universe have, though?" Evolt asked skeptically. "Unless all of those minions getting crammed together somehow compensates for their fragility and terrible combat skills?"

Abrella burst into laughter. "Oh, hardly. Combined Combatant is no better a fighter than their constituent parts. Their REAL power, however, is much more subtle… And impressive. Allow me to demonstrate."

He turned to his waiting slave. "Combined Combatant Plus, command all the minions currently present in this battle to stand down."

"As you wish, master," Combined Combatant declared, rising to their feet and turning to face the chaotic battlefield. The dozens of mouths on their body all opened it once and uttered a soul-rending howl which echoed across the battlefield. Many of the heroes cried out and clutched their ears. Dogranio, his hearing already going due to his old age, flinched and clutched his head, rummaging in his safe for a hearing aid. Ginis watched on, intrigued. Pumpkin Rapper eagerly recorded the sound, thinking it would work well with his music.

And every single henchman on the battlefield paused and turned to face Combined Combatant, even if they had been in the middle of a fight. The heroes who'd been battling them paused in confusion, unsure what was going on, and whether or not it would be sporting to take advantage of their current state.

"The heck did you just do?!" Evolt demanded, astonished.

"Since Combined Combatant Plus is made from the spirits of all deceased foot soldiers and minions, that means the souls of all living foot soldiers and minions are one with it," Abrella explained smugly. "Meaning that they have the power to COMMAND any living foot soldier or minion… And since I own Combined Combatant Plus, by extension that means I can take control of EVERY footsoldier or minion in the universe! I could form the biggest army in existence, one vast enough to defeat any hero, conquer any world, achieve any goal! With a fighting force this massive, I would be unstoppable!"

"Good thing you're reformed now, so you would never do any of that," Evolt pointed out with a grin.

Abrella faltered. "I… Yes. Yes, of course. You're absolutely right," he murmured, not sounding too enthused about it.

Ginis looked at Combined Combatant Plus warily. "Abrella. That creature can command any minion."

"That's what I just said," Abrella pointed out, somewhat irritated.

"Including my Moebas."

"Correct." Abrella paused, then glanced at Ginis, a canny look on his face. "Ah. I see. You're afraid."

"What?! I-I am no such thing!" Ginis spluttered.

"Why would he be afraid?" Evolt asked, puzzled.

"Because Ginis is MADE of Moebas," Abrella explained, an appraising look in his eyes. "Which means he's worried that through Combined Combatant Plus, I could take control of him as well."

Ginis stiffened. "You… You KNEW?!"

Abrella laughed. "Of course I did. I make it my business to know such things, Ginis. It was child's play for me to find out your deepest, darkest secret. One which I just happened to broadcast to the entire universe, thanks to this stream."

Evolt burst into laughter. "Ha! Sick!"

"You… You DARE…" Ginis snarled, starting forwards…

"Combined Combatant Plus!"Abrella yelled.

The abomination turned towards him. "Yes, master?"

Ginis froze. "You… You wouldn't…"

"Don't be so certain of that, Ginis," Abrella sneered. "I may be…'reformed,' but that does not mean I have lost my edge." He tilted his head quizzically. "Perhaps you've nothing to worry about. Perhaps Combined Combatant Plus has no power over you." He narrowed his three eyes. "But is that a chance you're truly willing to take?"

"… Damn you, Abrella!" Ginis snarled, reluctantly taking a few steps back.

Evolt continued laughing. "This day just keeps getting funnier and funnier. Damn, I missed this planet."

"What? What's going on?" Dogranio asked, bobbing his head back over the couch. "I had to replace my hearing aid so I missed the last few minutes."

"Ginis just got owned by Abrella," Evolt informed him.

Dogranio cackled. "Nice. Shame I missed it." Ginis fumed. The Gangler boss sighed, looking reluctantly at Giant Spider Great Leader, still locked in combat with Leopardon. "And… I guess I really should do something about that thing, shouldn't I? Fine…"

He opened his safe and rummaged around it for a moment before pulling out a grenade shaped like a pinecone. "Been saving this for a special occasion… This one's for you, Destra!"

He pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it onto the battlefield, where it exploded…

Into a giant black-shelled monster resembling an alligator snapping turtle. "Go forth, mighty Goram!" Dogranio commanded. "Go forth, and kill the giant spider monster!"

With a fearsome roar, the giant monster stomped across the battlefield towards where Giant Spider Great Leader was fighting Leopardon, not particularly noticing or caring that it crushed quite a few minions as it went. Such was the lot in life for a goon, after all.

"Do you really think that'll be enough to beat Giant Spider Great Leader?" Evolt asked skeptically.

"Not really," Dogranio admitted. "But it might give those Spider-people the opening they need to finish him." He glanced at Evolt. "So, how about you? You going to chip in?"

"You're the only member of our little group who hasn't so far," Abrella pointed out.

Evolt crossed his arms across his chest. "And it's going to stay that way, too. There's no way I'm going to go help fight my alternate self. I'm sure they can handle it without me."

There were several screams of agony as dozens of Energar and Valkyrien were swallowed up by black holes or eviscerated by barbed tendrils or monstrous cobras.

"I don't even like any of those people. Why should I risk my neck for them or this planet? I was going to get around to destroying and killing everyone eventually anyway."

The other Evolt laughed malevolently. "All of you are pathetic! The last dozen iterations of you I've beaten were MUCH stronger than this!"

Gaim and Lord Baron shot towards him, swords drawn back to strike him through. The other Evolt opened a black hole, and suddenly another Pandora Tower shot out from it, slamming into the two deities and flinging them away. "And the fact that this world's version of me hasn't taken you out must mean he's the weakest, most pathetic version of Evolt I have ever encountered! He's not worthy to join our awesome collective!"

Evolt started gripping his arms hard enough to leave indentations. "Yeah, well, maybe I don't WANT to join your stupid collective, ever think of that?"

"Hey, don't talk smack about my dad!" Ryuga snarled, smashing through the Tower and hurling a punch at the other Evolt's face. "The only one who gets to do that is me!"

The other Evolt was so surprised by the statement that he didn't deflect the blow. It connected, snapping his head back…

And other than that, he didn't seem to register the attack at all. "Wait, did you just call him your dad?"

Build stiffened. "What? No I didn't!" Ryuga protested.

"You kind of did," Sento pointed out.

"Yes, all of us heard you say it," Zangetsu told him.

Sigurd nodded. "You definitely called him dad."

"I did not!" Ryuga cried in denial.

"You did!" The other Evolt insisted, laughing hysterically. "Oh my Pandora, I can't believe it! The sheer amount of fucked-up that is beggars imagining!"

He turned deadly serious. "Which is why it's probably for the best that I just stop playing around and kill you right now. Honestly, I'd be doing the local me a favor."

One of his claws mutated into a barbed lance and stabbed forwards…

Only to be caught by a white claw. "What the-"

Evolt punched his alternate self in the face, the force of the blow nearly pushing him back into his black hole of origin. "Hey, if anyone is going to be killing my son and destroying this planet, it's me!" He declared.

"I'm not your son!" Ryuga protested.

"Too late, you called me your dad, there's no taking that back," Evolt informed him.

"It was a mistake! A slip of the tongue! I don't even know why I said that!" Ryuga protested fervently.

"Seriously?! You're going to side with these inferior lifeforms against me? Against yourself?!" The other Evolt asked in disbelief.

"I don't remember inviting a representative of an interdimensional conglomerate of me's into my universe," Evolt said stubbornly. "Nobody likes an uninvited guest, so get lost! I've staked my claim on this planet, and I'm not going to let anyone else destroy it before I do, even another me!"

"Wait, did you just declare an intention to protect the Earth from any possible threat?" Asked the astonished Sento.

Evolt started. "What? No! That… That's not what I… You're taking it out of context!"

"Is he, though?" Knuckle wondered.

"Gah!" Evolt threw his hands up in exasperation. "Look, quit making a fuss about it! I've decided to lend you a hand this one time, don't antagonize me or I might change my mind!" He nodded at the Pandora Box floating nearby, the Lost Bottles covering its far more than six sides glittering ominously. "So why don't you divinities make yourself useful and keep this ugly-ass version of me busy while Sento and I see about reprogramming that Pandora Box to make all of these towers and black holes go by-by?"

"Ugly?!" The other Evolt cried, indignant.

"Wait, why am I involved in this?" Asked confused Sento.

"So you're saying you DON'T want to examine incredibly advanced alien technology from another dimension?" Evolt needled him.

"Good point. Banjo, let's go help your father," Sento said quickly.

"He's not my father!" Ryuga protested.

"Am too," Evolt said happily. "You said I was, and that's never going away."

He shrugged. "But, if it's that big a deal to you…"

He twirled around, dancing and posing provocatively as sparkles showered down on him, his figure grew more svelte, curved, and distinctively feminine, ribbon-like appendages sprouted from his limbs and shoulders, a bow appeared on his head, and he turned bright pink. "Then perhaps you'd be willing to accept the moe moe kawaii desu Magical Girl Evolto-chan as your mother-evo?" she cooed in a bubbly voice.

Everyone stared, horrified. "What," Banjo said finally, voice trembling.

"I think I've just gone insane," Sento said rather matter-of-factly.

"Oddly enough, not the weirdest version of me I've encountered," the other Evolt spoke up. "There's plenty of magical girls inside of us."

"I shall assist as well," Duke offered loudly, gliding over and desperate to change the subject. "As the god of science, naturally I should lend you my assistance in this endeavor. Assuming my Lords allow it?"

Lord Baron sighed. "Do what you feel is necessary. Just don't carried away and turn it into a bomb that will blow up the entire universe."

"That was one time!" Duke griped, but made no further protest as he, Build, and Evolt quickly headed for the Pandora Box.

"Hey! Get away from that!" The other Evolt shouted, furiously trying to chase after them, only to find the entire pantheon blocking his path.

"Where do you think you're going, interloper?" Gaim barked.

"Your battle is with us!" Lord Baron bellowed, brandishing his blade.

"Incredible," whispered an amazed Taiga as the gods resumed their battle with the invader. "Emu, with just a few well-placed words you may have just turned the tide in our favor!"

"Yeah, but would they have ever said those words if Emu hadn't prompted them to?" Kiriya wondered.

"Which is another reason I HATE using this Gashat," Emu replied with a grimace. "It's bad enough I can change reality. But I can change people's minds as well. That's not the kind of power that I, or anyone else, should ever have."

"Can't you already do that anyway, with reprogramming?" A wary Charlie pointed out.

"Yes, but this is even more powerful. More subtle. More insidious," Emu said gravely. "At least with reprogramming, you can see it coming. With this… I may already have rewritten your minds and you'd never even know."

"Have… Have you?" Salty asked nervously.

"No," Emu insisted. He hesitated. "At least… I really, really hope not. I don't THINK I can change things unconsciously, but…"

"… Okay, yeah, I'm starting to understand why you're scared of this ability," Nico confessed, more than a little unnerved.

"Don't worry," the future Emu gently told his younger self. "You've got this. Everything will be fine. I'm living proof of that."

Emu swallowed. "Yeah. I know. But… Even so…"

"Emu, there is no time for self-doubts or second-guessing now," Hiiro told him bluntly. "If you can grant us victory, do it. Don't waste our time with fears and self-recriminations."

"Hiiro!" Poppy chided angrily. "This is serious for Emu! Can't you see-"

"No, no, Poppy, he's right," Emu interjected. "We don't have time for this now. And speaking of which… It's time all of you got involved as well."

"What do you need us to do?" Jiro asked.

Emu nodded at the divine battle in the skies. "Hiiro, Satsuki, and Mizuki. Go up there and help your gods. Every little bit counts against a monster of this caliber, and after all… If anyone can sever that cord connecting Evolt to the rest of him outside of our reality, it's the greatest surgeon in the world."

Hiiro nodded in understanding. "There is nothing I cannot cut."

"It is my honor to serve my lady. But…" Hesitantly, Mizuki glanced at the ongoing struggle between Dracula and Jin Masato. "What of my duty to defeat the Prince of Darkness?"

"Don't worry, I've already got something planned for him," Emu assured her. "I think Evolt takes priority, though. He is the bigger threat right now."

"He's right, Mizuki," Hiiro seconded Emu's suggestion.

Mizuki and nodded. "Very well. If Hiiro-sama trust your judgment, then so shall I."

Next, Emu turned to Kiriya. "Kiriya, go help Hongo fight Rock Great Leader. I already have something in the works to help him, but against something THAT big, he still needs all the help he can get."

Kiriya saluted. "You got it, man!"

Next, Emu turned to Team Snipe. "Nico, I'm going to need you and the rest of your team to see if you can do something about some of those giant monsters."

"Sure thing, but… Not to disparage our abilities, but those things are kind of… Big?" Nico pointed out skeptically.

"Yeah, I don't think we have anything in our firepower strong enough to stop them," Taiga agreed.

Nobunaga sighed. "If only that army of the dead I was supposed to help Takeru with were here! They could certainly make a difference."

"Put a pin in that for now," Emu told the legendary warlord. "And Nico… You have all the powers of Samus Aran. But her Power Suit isn't the ONLY piece of incredibly advanced technology she possesses, now is it?"

It took Nico a moment to realize what Emu was implying. "Wait… You don't mean…"

"Why don't you try and find out?" Emu prompted.

Nico immediately tapped the side of her helmet. Her visor flashed…

And in a flurry of pixels, a pale yellow spaceship with a green windshield vaguely resembling her helmet with two large wings jetting forward from the sides that looked like they also doubled as cannons materialized above her. Nico squealed in delight. "OH MY GAIM. I HAVE A GUNSHIP!"

"Care to try it out?" Emu suggested.

Instead of responding, Nico jumped onto the top of the ship. A shaft of light rose up from a circular hatch which irised open at her approach, and she giddily jumped inside. A moment later, the windshield flashed and the engines roared as the vessel came to life.

"Okay…" Taiga said slowly. "That's pretty cool, but I don't see how that's going to help the rest of us-"

"Hey Jiro," Nico's voice emanated from the ship's external speakers. "Want to have a flying tank?"

"Would I!" Jiro exclaimed in delight.

The gunship floated to just above the tank. A node on its underside lit up, and an energy beam shot out to strike the top of the tank. Slowly, the ship rose into the air…

And the tank came with it. "Oh, so this is happening," Taiga realized, gripping the side of the tank tightly to keep from falling off.

"Incredible! The technology of this time period never ceases to amaze me!" Nobunaga cried in delight as they rose higher and higher into the air.

"BEST. DAY. EVER!" Nico and Jiro cried in unison as the ship's thrusters flared and the whole assemblage rocketed away, Taiga and Nobunaga wailing as they desperately tried to keep from getting flung off.

"… I'm starting to feel kind of jealous now," Revol complained. "I wouldn't mind a tank…"

"Future me, you probably have to go back to the time war. Please take Mondo and the female Riders with you, you'll probably need all the help you can get," Emu told his future self.

The other Emu nodded. "That's not a bad idea."

"I think I saw another version of myself already over there, so I might as well," Mondo agreed.

Megumi glanced at Poppy. "Is that all right with you, Poppy? Us up and leaving you like that?"

Poppy nodded. "I'm a little bummed that we're going to have to break up Poppy's Angels, but if Emu thinks that's where you're most needed, you should probably go."

"We still aren't calling ourselves that," Shuki said flatly. Poppy sulked.

"And what of we Bugsters, Hojo? What task do you have in mind for us?" Hatena asked.

Emu hesitated for a moment. "Nothing. You can do whatever you want."

"Huh?" The Bugsters all cried at the same time.

"For most of your lives you had to do the bidding of one madman or another. Now that I've reprogrammed you, you are under no obligation to stay and help if you don't want to," Emu told them. "After all, we've been killing you guys over and over for years. You don't owe us anything."

The Bugsters exchanged uncertain looks. "Well… That may be true, but…" Alhambra said slowly.

Emu glanced at Charlie. "And Charlie, don't you have a job to get back to?"

Charlie grimaced. "Yeah, I guess so, but…"

"So go. Or don't go. Help or don't help," Emu told them. "You're free now. There's nothing keeping you here to help out if you don't want to. You are under no obligation to aid us. We can handle things from here."

The Bugsters considered this. "… Be that as it may," Salty said slowly. "You DID free us from Kuroto's control. As such, we do owe you a debt, no matter what you say."

Hatena nodded in agreement. "It would be rather un-gentlemanly of us to just leave you in the lurch."

"I finally got a chance to cast Ruin, thanks to you," Alhambra pointed out. "Maybe I'll be able to cast it again! And this time, someone will see it!"

"A good commander shouldn't leave the battlefield until the fighting is over," Revol declared.

"You've never been a good commander before," Salty pointed out.

Revol glowered at him. "Well, maybe it's about time I became one."

"Well, you gave me my bike back, so… Would be a shame not to break it in," Motors admitted.

Charlie sighed in resignation. "I'm probably fired already anyway. Might as well stick around a little longer."

"You finally helped me become the person I've always felt like I really was, deep down," Totema said gratefully. "I will never be able to repay you for this… But staying and fighting is a good start."

Collabos beeped and buzzed and clicked, and though nobody understood it, it was probably chiming in its willingness to stay as well.

Under his mask, Emu smiled. "You guys… Parad is really happy to hear that."

Puppy squealed joyfully, clapping and jumping up and down. "This is wonderful! You guys have finally decided to be good!"

"Now hang on, we never said that!" Salty cried sharply.

"We owe him, so for now we'll help out! But after this, we are totally going to be enemies again!" Revol agreed quickly.

"We are? I mean, yeah, we are!" Motors joined in.

Totema rolled her eyes. "Who exactly are you trying to convince here?"

"Sh-shut up! I-t's not like we like him now or anything, b-baka!" Alhambra stammered, flustered.

"This is so wonderful! I was always hoping to have more good Bugsters to hang out with!" Poppy cried joyfully, hugging the other Bugsters one by one, causing them to blush. "Now I can invite more people to the tea parties I have with Parad, Charlie, and Burgermon!"

"Well…" Hatena murmured, flustered. "I… Do always enjoy a good spot of tea…"

"Oh!" Poppy whirled around. "Emu, what about me? Where should I go? To help Hiiro and Satsuki and Mizuki and my lady fight that nasty Evolt?"

Emu hesitated, then swallowed. "Actually, I… I'd like it if you stayed with me, Poppy."

"Huh? You would?" She asked, surprised.

"I… I know it's kind of selfish of me, considering that there are so many other people here you could be helping, but…" Emu glanced away, nervous. "I… Despite everyone's faith in me, a part of me still can't help worrying I'm going to screw this up. I… I'd feel a lot more comfortable if… If you were by my side through the next several minutes. If something goes wrong, the safest place for you would be by my side, and-"

Poppy shut him up with a kiss. "Emu, after today, I promise never to leave your side again."

They embraced. The older Emu smiled. "That brings me back…"