Welcome one and all to the finale of Prophecy of Masks. Last time, Spyro, Cynder and company made it back to the final brawl with Malefor and Oma Zi-O. But just as things appeared bleak, Geiz finally accomplished his task, using the knowledge he had hidden to combine the collected Ridewatches and use the resultant Ridewatch fusion to release Sougo Tokiwa, the real Kamen Rider Zi-O, who then joined everyone in the battle to come. So how is all of this going to go down? Read on to discover...
(Our story resumes in the heat of battle. Grublins are getting wrecked left and right, but as they fall, more arise to take their place as the Kamen Riders and their allies continue to fell them.)
Zi-O: Keep it up! I think we're making a dent in them!
Kuuga: Love the enthusiasm, kid.
Spyro: They've got to be running low on resources to make these things by this point!
Cynder: So long as there's ground beneath us, they'll keep making them! We can't just stand here and let them keep wailing on us!
Ichigo: Then we mustn't waste a moment! Zi-O, cut us a path!
Zi-O: On it!
(Following Ichigo's direction, Zi-O pulls out the fusion Ridewatch that summoned him in the first place, and activates it, causing panels with the other 19 Riders' faces on them to slide out of the sides)
Grand Zi-O Ridewatch: Grand Zi-O!
(With the Grand Zi-O Ridewatch activated, Zi-O slides it onto the left track on his Ziku Driver bas statues of all 20 main Riders in the field appear around him with some sort of clock-tower structure behind him, culminating in him pressing the button on the top of the unit and rotating the Ziku Driver 360 degrees,)
Ziku Driver (Zi-O): Grand Time! Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki, Faiz, Blade! Hibiki, Kabuto, Den-O, Kiva, Decade! Double, OOO, Fourze! Wizard, Gaim, Drive! Ghost! Ex-Aid! Build! Iwae! Kamen Rider! Grand Zi-O!
(With that, the Kamen Rider statues are encased in some sort of frame and start swirling around Zi-O before ultimately attaching to him, turning his armor gold and generating shoulder pads to accommodate all of them, before the Zi-O statue settles on his helmet like a crown, putting gold lining around the pink text visor)
Zi-O: Let's do this!
(With his transformation complete, Zi-O starts plowing through Grublins using the power of all the Kamen Riders to precede him. As he attacks, we see Spyro, Cynder, and the Seven Legendary Riders following behind him. But as they get close, we transition over to Oma Zi-O and Malefor. Seeing the enemy is nearing, Oma Zi-O decides he's had enough and leaves Malefor to his own devices while he leaps right into our heroes' path)
Oma Zi-O: You'll go no further. I've come too far to let you stop me now!
Zi-O: You forget, I've bested you before.
Oma Zi-O: That was a long time ago. (As the Mark of Malefor glows upon his left hand) And we were playing a different game!
(With that, Oma Zi-O projects a bolt of Aether from his marked hand, which our heroes barely manage to dodge.)
Zi-O: Since when can you do that?!
Oma Zi-O: Let's just say I've gotten a little power boost since our last bout!
Zi-O: I'll handle him, you go and stop Malefor!
(Spyro, Cynder, and the Seven Legendary Riders attempt to side step Oma Zi-O while Zi-O attempts to distract him, only Oma Zi-O sees right through this plan and nearly strikes them down with a bolt of Aether)
Oma Zi-O: You think it'll be that easy!? I know all of your tactics! (Summons bolts of Aether to strike down the other Kamen Riders) NO KAMEN RIDER HERE CAN STOP ME!
?: Well now, I wouldn't say that!
(As that voice rings out, we transition to the side of the battlefield, where a yellow and black clad Kamen Rider with red eyes is running into the scene, taking out any Grublins that try to stop him before body checking Oma Zi-O straight out of his concentration)
Oma Zi-O: (Not recognizing his attacker) Who the hell are you?!
Zero One: There's only one Kamen Rider who can stop you. The one who came after you. And that's me. Kamen Rider Zero One!
(Undeterred, Oma Zi-O attempts to fry Zero One with Aether before Spyro steps in and cancels out the blast)
Spyro: (To Zero One) Thanks for the save. But... where did you come from?
Cynder: And what do you mean that you came after Oma Zi-O?
Zero One: Let's just say that releasing Sougo here didn't just free him. It freed the legacy of the Kamen Riders who succeeded him. There's another guy, but he wasn't quite able to make it to this fight.
Spyro: We're going to need all the help we can get as is. So hope you're in this for the long haul.
Zero One: Like hell I'm ducking out. Let's do this!
(With Zero One added to their team, things start to progress in a favorable direction, with Oma Zi-O being taken down enough to be desperate enough to try one final bolt of Aether, which Spyro immediately steps in the way of and starts deflecting it, joined by Cynder)
Oma Zi-O: I won't fall to the likes of you!
Cynder: Like it or not, you're going to fall!
(Despite Cynder's confidence, Oma Zi-O nearly does overpower them, until Zi-O steps in, adding his own power to the mix, but it does little to stop the encroaching Oma Zi-O)
Oma Zi-O: (Seeing Zi-O's power is making little difference) And yet again we see the inevitable. Even at your strongest, you could never defeat me!
(Just as things start looking bleak, Zi-O suddenly finds a hand on his shoulder, as Woz throws his energy into the mix, followed by Geiz and Tsukuyomi)
Zi-O: Correction. I could never beat you ALONE!
(The four Riders' power is added to that of Spyro and Cynder, and soon enough, Oma Zi-O is overwhelmed by the combined power, leading to him being atomized by the combined power of the dragons and Riders with one final cry of anguish. But unlike the villains before him, Oma Zi-O remains somehow in existence, as a trail of gold particles flying straight back to Malefor, or more accurately, into him, as he responds with laughter)
Malefor: Good riddance to him anyways.
Spyro: One down, one to go.
Malefor: And you'll find, thanks to you, I'm not as easy to defeat as last time!
(With that, the final battle begins. Malefor breaks the barrier surrounding him and jumps into battle against the Kamen Riders himself, and at the beginning, he starts wrecking shop, even against Spyro and Cynder.)
Cynder: How the heck is he this powerful?!
Woz: Those we defeated! It has to be! If they managed to break the seal on him, they must've powered him up as well!
Malefor: (After throwing OOO halfway across the battlefield) Your friend speaks the truth. None of you can harm me, not even this Zero One. There is nothing you can possibly do to defeat me!
(At this point, many of the Kamen Riders present are starting to consider surrender as the only way out of this, even Spyro and Cynder are starting to see things as kind of hopeless, but that's when Ichigo gets up, alongside the rest of the Seven Legendary Riders)
Ichigo: And you expect us all to just lay down and die?! Well I've got news for you, pal, surrender isn't in the Kamen Rider's vocabulary!
(Seeing Ichigo, the first of their number, standing up to Malefor inspires hope in the Kamen Riders gathered, even managing to stir Spyro and Cynder wit their boldness)
Spyro: We've beaten you before, Malefor. And this time will be no different!
Malefor: We shall see.
(And with that, the battle begins again, with all the previous Riders entering their Final Forms for this battle. And with a daring flare of the wings, Spyro and Cynder fly back into the battle as well, and the entire group is making a dent into Malefor at last, much to his own disbelief. After a few minutes of this, Malefor is sufficiently weakened to the point where he can barely stand, which Cynder takes notice of)
Cynder: Everyone! One final attack should finish him off!
Spyro: But only if we strike as one! Strike hard!
Spyro and Cynder: NOW!
(With their mission clear, each of the Kamen Riders present leaps into the air while Spyro and Cynder charge every cell in their bodies with Aether and Dark Aether respectively before everyone pulls a flip in the air and descends in a decided kicking stance towards Malefor, as Spyro and Cynder channel excess of their power into their allies before the giant Rider Kick hits straight at Malefor, slowly, inch by inch, destroying him)
Malefor: (As he starts to be destroyed) This can't be happening!
(And with that, just like those before him, Malefor unleashes one last cry of anguish before dissolving into ash on the breeze. The pillars he summoned crumble, and the sky finally clears, allowing the sun to shine on the group as everyone save the Seven Legendary Riders and Zero One assume their civilian forms)
Decade: It's... over...
Zi-O: We've won!
Woz: REJOICE! The forces of darkness have been bested at long last!
(As the cry of victory goes up, we transition ahead a few days to see the battlefield has been cleared, Spyro and Cynder's wedding has happened, and the Kamen Riders are gathering their gear and preparing to head back to their world, with Spyro, Cynder, and Ignitus seeing them off.)
Spyro: We can't thank you enough for all the help you gave us.
Diend: You know, now that I think about it, we never did see how the Prophecy ended
Ignitus: That's the thing. I looked into the Prophecy, the ending was never shown. The person who wrote it died before they could finish it.
Diend: So it proved useless after all?
Ignitus: I wouldn't say useless, more... open.
Ichigo: It meant we had a chance to win, and that the victory we pulled out was truly our own, not one predestined.
Ignitus: Very well said.
Decade: (Seeing the angle of the sun in the sky) Well, this is our best chance to get out of here
Zi-O: Last call for home.
Woz: Actually, my overlord, I've been thinking.
Zi-O: Thinking about what, Woz?
Woz: I think I'm going to stay.
Zi-O: What?
Woz: With Malefor's perversion of your history undone, there's no story left for me to tell. (Hands Zi-O his book) You're making the story now. (Looking back to Spyro and Cynder) And besides, I've got a new story to tell here. But I will always be there should you ever need me.
Zi-O: (Hands Woz back his book with an understanding look) We're really going to miss you, old friend.
Woz: Trust me, so am I.
(With that, the two start out shaking hands, but it turns into a straight up hug as Zi-O and Woz part ways)
Zi-O: Good luck with your new story.
Woz: And you with yours.
Decade: Alright everybody, let's go.
(With that, Decade opens one final Aurora Curtain, back to the main world of the Kamen Riders, and each steps through one by one, until only Decade and Diend remain)
Diend: (To Spyro and Cynder) I'll admit, this has been one of the best adventures I've been on. See you two around.
(As Diend steps through the Aurora Curtain, we see Decade pull an object from his items, a pink film camera)
Decade: One last thing before I go. (Snaps a picture) This isn't the last time you'll see me. I can guarantee you that.
Cynder: And we'll be looking forward to it.
(With a final nod, Decade pulls the Aurora Curtain over himself, sending the last of the Kamen Riders who chose to go, back to their home, leaving Woz with his new team)
Woz: Well, looks like I'd better get on that new story to chronicle.
Spyro: Well, you've certainly got a hell of a first chapter.
(And as the group heads back into the Temple to start this new story, our tale ends)
And that, at long last, is it. Prophecy of Masks has finally concluded. This may not be my longest story, but it is certainly my longest running story. I started this back in 2019, and only now in early 2021 is it finally wrapping up. I started this while I was still in college, and it's only wrapped up after nearly a year post graduation. I am never doing three-parters again if I do something like this in the future, sticking to two really helped other stories like this go smoothly. Oh well, lesson learned. And before anyone asks, I debated adding Kamen Rider Saber into this as well, but decided to just stick with Zero One. So, looks like we need a new alternating Saturday slot, and I just happen to have a milestone coming up, so expect something... rather special. But for now, as I develop the film from this world's adventure, this is Dragon of Mystery, signing off.