Chapter 14: Card Game Chaos
Kamen Rider Ryuki hummed to himself as he looked over his trading card collection. Being the first rider to use a card system, he and the other card-based riders took a quick liking to card games of many sorts. It was a fun little hobby they'd all taken up. However, the dragon rider was not observing his collection alone. Atop Ryuki's head, his contract monster, Dragredder, watched with interest. The Advent Riders had taken their contract monsters as pets once their series had wrapped up, and they practically went everywhere together. Seeing one without the other was quite rare.
"Well this card brings back memories." Ryuki chuckled as he looked at a Charizard card. "I remember for Halloween you had me put cardboard wings on you and I dressed up as Ash!"
Dragredder let out a happy roar. Both from his mouth and his stomach.
"Yeah, I know." Ryuki nodded as he fed his dragon a cookie. The little contract monster's tail swished happily as it munched on its favorite treat. "Big or small, all dragons have an appetite on them."
"No kidding." Kamen Rider Ryuga said as he entered the room. "Dragblacker's got a serious taste for burgers."
The dragon riders were twin brothers, so it made sense that they took up residence together. Ryuga's contract, Dragblacker, floated into the room and looked at the binders of trading cards with curiosity in its red eyes.
"So what're you up to, bro?" Ryuga asked with a tilt of his head.
"I'm thinking of starting up a card game club!" Ryuki beamed! "It'll be for all the card-using Riders!"
"Well, it'd let all of our cast meet." Ryuga stroked his chin. "The only time we ever got to be on-screen at once was in that special. Plus, Blade and his group will be able to drop by too. Don't know how interested Decade would be since he's more into photos than card games."
"Hm. That's true." Ryuki nodded as he narrowed his eyes. "Also, I might make it a point to exclude Ouja."
"Care to explain?"
"Simple." Ryuki sighed. "He's a jerk and a really sore loser. Heck, remember when you beat him at Yu-Gi-Oh!? He was so sore and salty about it that he flipped the table you two were playing on and tried to rip up the card you beat him with! And that's not even counting his grudge against Zolda!"
"Oh, yeah. I remember now!" Ryuga chuckled. "Man, I don't know who was hissing louder back then! Ouja or Venosnaker!" Dragblacker snickered at the memory as well. "We might also not want to invite those Movie Riders from Blade's series. From what I heard, they're a bunch of jerks."
"Got it." Ryuki nodded. "I'll send out the invites by email. Our first meeting's going to be at the card shop!"
"Using our workplace to double as a meeting ground. Nice." Ryuga nodded before a smug smile materialized through his voice. "But I'm guessing there's one particular person you want in attendance?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Ryuki stuttered in denial!
"Dude. C'mon. We've got twin telepathy." Ryuga crossed his arms. "You're also using this to meet with Femme more, aren't you?"
Ryuki blushed at Ryuga's accusation. He'd have protested more, but he knew deep down it was the true. Both he and Femme had become an item since shooting Episode: Final together. And he looked for any excuse he could get to score some time with her.
"Okay. Fine. You got me." Ryuki sighed. "Anyway, I'll send the message to all the card-using Riders, you get the card shop ready for the meeting. And you'd better not be using the same deck as me!"
"I had a mirror match against you one time." Ryuga grumbled as he walked over to the nearest mirror and leaped into it! Traveling towards the windows of the card shop from the Mirror World.
Meanwhile, Ryuki sent out an email regarding the formation of the card game club. And the other card-using Kamen Riders were quick to voice their enthusiasm. Satisfied with the positive reception, Ryuki instantly got to work getting decks for the various card games he enjoyed ready! Today was going to be so much fun!
In about an hour, all of the card-using Riders had showed up at the card shop. All of them happily chatting amongst themselves about which cards were their favorite and the mechanics of their decks. It wasn't long before everyone was shuffling their decks and clashing their cards. While the Advent Riders were playing trading card games and the Blade Riders were playing poker with cards styled after the Rouze cards, Decade was snapping photos while waiting for a table to free up so he could join in on the fun too.
"Hey, Ryuki!" Kamen Rider Knight called out. "Care for a round or two?"
Ryuki was about to respond when he heard a scream of defeat. Both him and Knight looked over to the source, and found Kamen Rider Scissors sulking in his chair. Much like in their show, Scissors was the first to be defeated.
"Some things never change." Ryuki shook his head.
"You certainly haven't~!" A female voice giggled from behind Ryuki. The startled Ryuki's sight was greeted with Kamen Rider Femme. "It's funny. You spent our whole show trying to bring the Kamen Riders together, and now here we are."
"Y-Yeah!" Ryuki blushed. "So, uh, you want to play a round or two after me and Knight finish our game?"
"I'd love to." Femme giggled. "Could you be a dear and let me win?"
"I-I don't want to insult you like that!" Ryuki stammered!
"She still manages to trip you up." Knight chuckled. "So are we playing or what? I've got to meet Eri in a few hours."
"You bet we're playing!" Ryuki beamed as he whipped out his Yu-Gi-Oh! deck and pulled up a seat with Knight following suit. "Now then, let's-!"
Suddenly, the door of the card shop was violently swung open! "Well now. All of the other Kamen Riders from my season gathered without me. How . . . vexing."
"Perfect." Ryuki sighed as facepalmed. "He just had to show up."
The source of the commotion, Kamen Rider Ouja, strolled into the room. His entrance earning a mix of groans and glares from the other Advent Riders. Ryuki, Knight, and Zolda in particular. However, the snake-themed rider hadn't come alone. Close behind him were Kamen Riders Glaive, Lance, and Larc. The Kerberos Riders from Kamen Rider Blade's movie.
"Oh great." Blade groaned. "Them again. It was bad enough they gave us trouble during Missing Ace."
"How did you deal with their attitudes, Garren?" Leangle asked the stag beetle-themed rider. "I say you should've fired them after getting the band back together."
"A decision I still wish I'd made." Garren sighed. "Especially since they looked down on you all just because they had newer Rider Systems."
"And to think we were having such a nice game before they showed up." Chalice huffed as he crossed his arms.
"Well if it isn't the outdated old guard." Glaive cockily stated as he leaned on the Rouze Riders' table.
"Look at them. Playing old games." Kamen Rider Lance snorted.
"What would you expect from a bunch of relics?" Larc giggled mockingly.
"What do you and your goons want, Ouja?" Ryuki asked as he stood up along with Blade. "This isn't the first time you've made trouble around town."
"I'd be in jail a lot less if a certain someone did their job and got me out of those sentences!" Ouja hissed as he glared venomously at Zolda!
"Is it any wonder why we didn't invite you?!" Zolda snapped! "You're a colossal jerk and a sore loser to boot! I beat you in a card game once, and you're still holding a grudge! Plus, you're banned from the store!"
"I remember that moment quite well." Ryuga nodded before chuckling. "You were hissing louder than your Contract Monster when I whooped you in that match and you flipped the table."
"I don't know which of you dragon dorks I find more vexing." Ouja snarled. "The red idiot who always keeps ruining my fun, or you for all the times you humiliated me! But on to business, I guess. I'm here to take charge of this gathering!" He then glared at Ryuki!
"And I'm assuming you've also got beef with me, Glaive?" Blade asked.
"You're darn right I do!" Glaive snapped! "But Ouja and I aren't settling this with blades or fists! No, we're settling this with a clash of cards!"
"Challenge accepted!" Ryuki and Blade said in unison!
The whole card shop observed the card game combatants with baited breath. It was Ryuki against Ouja in a game of Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Blade versus Glaive in a game of poker. As the decks were shuffled and hands were dealt, neither player showed any signs of giving in!
"Alright then!" Ouja hissed as he drew a card! "I activate Pot of Greed to-!"
"Ryuki wins." Decade declared.
" . . . What." Ouja asked in disbelief. "I just played my first card! How can the dragon dork win because of that?"
"You. . . DO know that's a banned card for tournaments. Right?" Ryuki asked. "And this little gathering we have is a mini-tournament. So, yeah. You lose."
"No . . . NO!" Ouja hissed as he prepared to flip the table in outrage! However, he didn't get the chance as Ryuki summoned his Strike Vent to send him flying out the door! Ouja's eyes were swirls as he landed in a scorched pile on the street!
Meanwhile, Blade and Glaive were settling things in a game of poker with Chalice acting as the referee. Both players were keeping calm looks on their faces as they observed their hands. The only time either of the two ever spoke was to ask for a hit to add to their hand. Minutes felt like hours as the players surveyed their hands. However, the tense silence was soon shattered by Glaive's chuckle.
"It looks like I win." Glaive said as he showed his hand. "A royal flush. How does it feel to be on the receiving end of one of your own finisher's namesake?"
"Not bad, Glaive." Blade nodded. "But you should know that the Ace cards are stronger than any of the royal cards. And last I checked," Blade showed four of the cards in his hands. Each of the Category Ace cards were styled after the Change Beetle, Stag, Spider, and Mantis Rouze Cards. "I hold five."
"Five? What nonsense are you on about?" Glaive scoffed. "There's only four card suites! There can't be five aces!"
"You forget, Glaive." Blade said as he flipped over the last card in his hand! "There's always two wild cards in the deck!"
"No! That's impossible!" Glaive cried out in denial! "This must be some kind of joke!"
"Oh, I assure you." Blade stated confidently as he revealed the last card of his hand. "Despite the title of the card, it's no joke." Blade's final card was the Joker. One of two found in every deck of playing cards. "Game over, Glaive!"
Blade then ranked up into his King Form, and sent Glaive flying with a Royal Straight Flush! Ouja was beginning to recover until Glaive crashed into him! The two evil riders were sent tumbling into a nearby alleyway!
"Not again. . . " Glaive groaned.
"This is so freaking vexing!" Ouja hissed as he shoved Glaive off of him, and summoned his Venovisor before wailing on the nearby trashcan! "EVERY TIME I TAKE ON THE DRAGON DORK I LOSE!"
"The perhaps I can offer some help."
Both evil riders were surprised to see King Ghidorah descend towards them!
"What do you want?" Glaive growled.
"Why, what both of you want of course." Ghidorah smirked. "To get back at those who've bested me."
"Interesting." Ouja stroked his chin in thought. "So what'd you have in mind?"
Ghidorah grinned. "Let's just say . . . my plan's a real home run. And I've been putting my team together very carefully."
AN: Hey everyone! Thanks for following along with my story so far. You should all know that the next chapter for Toku Town will be the last one for the story. As for the finale's premise, I think Ghidorah gave a pretty clear hint. I've got more stories I want to work on, and I admittedly don't think I could continue Toku Town for more chapters without getting a bit disinterested in it. I hope you'll continue to follow my future works on this site! And be sure to leave reviews! I always enjoy hearing what you all enjoyed about each chapter!