Doku had to fight an urge to hurry over and help Kensei down the stairs from the platform where he'd fought his match. His fellow Rider was leaning forward, breathing heavily and taking his steps slowly. What had happened to Kensei while Doku was away earning Taddle Dynasty? How had he gotten that weak that one fight almost exhausted him?

The second Doku took a step in that direction Hourakou Byougen whipped his face in Doku's direction and gave him a warning glare. Cautiously, Doku stepped back again. He'd show the boss of the Corrupture who he was messing with, but when Hourakou didn't have anything to use against him. Doku just needed to keep his eyes open.

Hourakou made a showy motion sweeping his arm in front of himself, then yelled into his microphone. "And so we move onto the matches in B Block! Look forward to the drama of human versus human feuds, kiddies!"

He gestured at the next platform in the row. "If our entrants will step up for the next match…" The third and last Kamen Rider Crash, the one wearing the heavy dragon-styled armor over his own, walked up the far staircase. Silently as always, Tousen Kedamono walked up the other. While he faced away from the other Riders in this little tournament, Kedamono tossed away his mirrored sunglasses. Over his face he slid his VR visor and locked his Dual Gashat into its side.

"Buster…versus…Crash!" an overly excited disembodied voice yelled as a Game Area unfolded around the two combatants.

Kedamono's eyes barely had time to adjust to the strange lighting of his new surroundings before he jumped back just in time to avoid being crushed.

A huge parade float shaped like a castle with a dragon sticking its head out of the gate and breathing shiny streamers of mock flames drove past. Right behind it were a group of colorfully-clad people in medieval garb. Jesters juggling and minstrels playing flutes and mandolins as they danced by.

Kedamono paid no attention, his henshin taking effect and his body swelling up to three times its normal size as he became Kamen Rider Buster once again. He stepped right over the heads of the performers in the parade, and prepared to bring his other foot down on Kamen Rider Crash's head.

He knew his job as a bodyguard well, however, and he wasn't surprised to see his opponent zip out of the way of his first attack. Crash jumped and stabbed the prong on his arm into Buster's chest. A giant HIT graphic erupted from the point of impact. Buster only reached up and swatted him away like a fly.

Crash lived up to his name by slamming into the ground and sending a bunch of faceless computerized spectators running for their artificial lives. He jabbed the extended blades on his arms into the sidewalk to pull himself up quickly. Quickly enough to catch Buster's foot right in the middle of his chest as the giant covered the distance in one stride. Again Crash went flying, but this time he seemed to be ready for it. He threw his arms wide and the arm extensions from his additional armor caught on the wings of a pair of fake gargoyles on one of the parade floats.

There was a massive *CRACK* when Kamen Rider Buster threw a karate chop at his smaller opponent's head, only for Crash to raise one arm and block it. He was still pushed to his knees, but suddenly Crash swung the fork on his other arm at the inside of Buster's wrist.

And incredibly, Kamen Rider Buster jerked his arm back with a yelp of what sounded like pain. The Corrupture Rider did something almost as surprising, which was laugh before he took advantage of the opening and jumped to attack. He slashed the blade on his arm into the back of Buster's knee and was rewarded with a giant GREAT graphic before that giant Kamen Rider crashed to his knees.

Crash danced around in front of his enormous opponent. He reared back his head and launched a fireball from the mouth of his helmet that burst on Buster's forehead with another HIT graphic. Again he launched a fireball and again it burst as it hit Buster between the oversized eyes. His head hung forward and his shoulders slumped. The giant Rider was totally stunned.

"Drago Knight Critical Strike!"

Spectators could almost hear Crash chuckling as he jumped high enough to reach Buster's neck for the kill. Just before the blade was about to cleave through Buster's neck one of his huge arms whipped up and blocked the blade with one of his metal fists. The HIT graphic was huge, but Crash was too surprised to make another attack before Buster grabbed him and slammed the smaller combatant into the middle of the street, knocking over a stilt-walker dressed as a giant.

"10-Count/Rumble Critical DRIIII-I-I-I-I-VE!" said his equipment. Buster curled his giant fingers around Crash's body and unlocked the chain of his gauntlet. He whirled the gauntlet holding Kamen Rider Crash around in a circled at high speed. Then he swung his arm forward and smashed the first into the ground. HIT and GREAT graphics flashed all over his gauntlet even while a stream of purple twirled up out of sight.

Crash's name disappeared from the screen and Buster's moved up to the top of the bracket. Doku bit his lip as he watched. Not because he feared Kamen Rider Buster anymore, but because it meant his match was next.

He'd been thinking about what that meant, and hadn't been looking forward to it.

Judging by the dark look on his face, Dr. Kagami was having the same thoughts.

Hourakou called out, "And will the fighters in our final match of the elimination rounds step up to the platform?" He eyed Doku and Dr. Kagami, who eyed each other before starting up the stairs on different sides of the last platform. Both already had a powerful game in hand; Kagami had his Dual Gashat and was twisting the knob toward Taddle Fantasy, while Doku had Taddle Dynasty out and gave it a casual twirl.

The first battle between the CR Riders was about to start.

"Henshin."

Parado turned up his nose at the smell. "Are you sure this is the place?"

"Yes," Kiiko answered, before she put her shoulder against the dumpster pushed up to the convenience store's back wall. "This is definitely where I saw it," she grunted. "Now did you come to help, or what?"

Without a word he went to the other side and pushed it away from the wall with one hand. Lodged in the back wall of the store, just like Kiiko had said, he could see a Rider Gashat with a white case. The label showed a bearded knight in white armor and cape, with "Taddle Legacy" written above his head in golden letters. Gold like the grip, and like the wires laced through its transparent circuit board.

He pinched his nose to keep out the sickening smell of garbage that'd soaked into the wall and ground over years, then leaned in to grab the game. Just before Parado's fingers touched it there was a TWANG and a crossbow bolt hit the wall right in front of his face.

Fury contorted his face as he realized they were under attack and turned around to face the new enemy. It was a man in a medieval leather tunic covered in round metal studs, green pants and brown leather boots. His gloved hands were indeed wrapped around the handle of an empty crossbow.

It was the strange man's face that caught their attention, though.

They would've known it, and the shit-eating grin it wore, anywhere. It was Hourakou Byougen.

On the ground outside the new Game Area, Hourakou announced, "Looks like we have a true contest of champions today, boys and girls!

Kamen Rider Rune dramatically whirled his staff over his head before striking the bottom against the ground and causing the wind to lash against Brave's thinner armor. The dark form of Brave's demonic armor floated around them a few times before locking itself down over his shoulders.

"So, child, it's come to this," Brave observed.

"Don't call me child, oji-san. I wasn't doing such a bad job when you old guys were still in virus jail."

Brave sputtered with disbelief. "What did you just call me?"

Rune leaned closer and raised his voice. "Why? Are you losing your hearing in your old age, oji-san?"

"Why don't you ask my date for this Friday night? She never knows everything about me. Maybe when you grow up you can have a love life, too."

"That's low, even for you, oji-san."

Power flashed in the jewel atop Rune's staff right before he swung it and a wall of cutting wind blew Kamen Rider Brave back. The knight charged through and slashed his sword at Rune, who parried it on his wizard's staff, a HIT graphic erupting right in front of their eyes as they both pushed forward with their weapons. The battle was joined.

Noir looked up at the screens displaying the inside of the Game Area and gaped in confusion at what he was seeing. "What are they doing…?" he asked no-one in particular. "Are they really arguing about which generation's better?"

"I'm not a champion gamer, but even I know how they discuss what was good about the different eras," Kensei replied. He looked up at the battle unfolding too, the pair of Riders dueling with their weapons, but knowing it was bound to escalate soon.

Hearing that, Noir gave Kensei a strange look. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked. "They're acting like idiots when the leader of the Corrupture's right there."

"I'm sure they've got something in mind," Kensei said with his best reassuring smile, but Noir only shook his head. In the back of his head Kensei wondered if he looked as exhausted as he felt. Maybe that was why Noir wasn't convinced, but Kensei looked away to focus on the battle taking place.

He'd need to save all of his strength to get to the end of this tournament mess…

Smoke billowed out the dark cloak around Brave's shoulders, immediately solidifying into virus-headed combatants wearing black armor, carrying a selection of spears, axes and pitchforks. Letting out a painful collective screech, they rushed across the grand hall of the castle to where Kamen Rider Rune was standing.

Before they'd crossed half the distance the jewel atop his wizard's staff was already flaring with the power of the wind magic he was about to unleash. "Cyclone Effecter!"

The ringing of metal on stone as he knocked his staff on the floor was drowned out by the roar of the tornado that whipped up around Rune. Brave's soldiers were grabbed by the rushing winds, whirled into the air and slammed into the roof with a series of wet splatting noises. Gradually Rune's tornado blew itself out. His attackers landed all over the room with another series of wet splats before they popped and flowed back into Brave's cloak as puff of dark smoke.

The smoke actually changed directions and billowed up into Brave's cape. He'd made a powerful jump that took him all the way across the hall and lashed out with his sword. It was aimed straight at Rune's chest. The wizard brought up his staff just in time to parry the attack but almost lost his grip, Brave's powerful blow nearly knocking it out of his hands.

"Well, you're not a weak old man," Rune admitted. "Yet."

"You're still a dumb child getting by on raw power and dumb luck," Brave retorted. "Right now."

Rune jumped back without warning. The gem atop his staff flashed before it announced another attack: "Gust Dart!" An arrow made of wind shot from the gem straight at Kamen Rider Brave. With supernatural grace, Brave deflected the projectile on the blade of his legendary sword. He charged Kamen Rider Rune again, but this time Brave didn't charge alone.

His demonic vest and helmet split off from the rest of his armor and came spinning at Rune, filling the space in front of the wizard with blinding black fog. Before Rune could summon his magic to defend himself the blade of his opponent's sword slashed across his side. He gasped in pain but took the blow less harshly than he would've before he earned Taddle Dynasty.

But he did earn it, and he wasn't afraid of anything with the power of all the other Riders' lessons collected in that one game.

"Tunnel Roar!" Indeed a tunnel of whipping winds surged out of his staff and tore through the dark cloud covering him. Just in time to see Brave sprinting through it, sword raised to strike him again. Rune swung his staff low and knocked Brave's leg out from under him. The senior Rider gasped and fell down hard before he spun across the polished stone floor.

Brave had earned his status too, though. He stabbed the tip of his sword into the floor and stopped his wild slide. Then he slapped the buttons and the blade flipped to its blue side. A slash of the Gashacon Sword formed a strip of ice. Rune winced and jumped back a few steps to keep from being frozen. However the ice stopped right before where he'd been.

And Kamen Rider Brave jumped on the ice and slid across it at high speed. His sword raised to cut Rune down.

"Max Dai Henshin."

"The Strongest Fist…WHAT'S THE NEXT STAGE?" Two title screens former over his head: Knock Out Fighter and Perfect Puzzle. He pulled the lever and they flowed together.

"Strong Red Fist. Blue Puzzle Chain." An icon shimmered into existence and covered Parado. "Red and Blue Combine. Perfect Knock Out." It passed over him and covered his body in red and blue armor, one eye of each color in his mask, with curved quills in the alternating colors covering his forehead. They matched the long tabard that hung from his waist, blue jigsaw pieces against red flames. Gold armor decorated his forearms and shins, contrasting heavily with the black undersuit. He had his Gashacon Parabragun clutched in his hand, and gave the axe a spin to let his enemy know how casually he could wield something so deadly.

Hourakou grinned at the sight of Kamen Rider Paradox in front of him. The string of his crossbow pulled itself back and a new bolt formed on it. "This is the best day of my life!" Hourakou sobbed. "I never thought I'd get to meet a real celebrity like Kamen Rider Paradox!"

The Rider looked over his shoulder at Kiiko. "Get the game. I'll keep him busy." Paradox took a mighty jump and started to come down right on top of Hourakou. The master of the Corrupture jumped back and the axe formed a clean split in the ground.

Meanwhile Kiiko reached behind the dumpster to where Taddle Legacy was stuck. She heard a twang and another crossbow bolt skimmed the top of her head. A few dark hairs sheared off from the top of her head drifted down past her wide, terrified eyes, showing how close she'd come to total disaster.

"Naughty, naughty!" Hourakou scolded and waved his finger. "We can't have you getting all the collectables before you unlock the challenges! The game will be over too soon, and you'll feel like you wasted your money! What if you don't buy the sequel? Where will I be then?!"

Paradox hit him from behind with a giant HIT graphic appearing just as Hourakou was swatted away. "People already don't want to play your game, you stuck-up monster," he rebuked.

Hourakou landed on his feet, and the gash in his armor bubbled purple goo but closed itself up making an ugly SQUELCH. "I won't even dignify that 'monster' insult of yours with a response, considering who that's coming from!" Hourakou laughed. Does he see everything as a joke, Kamen Rider Paradox thought as he closed the distance to attack again, and Was I really as bad as him, once?

Another HIT from the Parabragun knocked Hourakou off his feet. He splatted against the wall of the convenience store, his body turning into purple slime. Paradox and Kiiko both stared in disbelief as their enemy's remains slithered down the side and puddled on the ground.

Had the mastermind been defeated so easily?
Right away the puddle fountained up and reformed into Hourakou Byougen, in this same medieval outfit but whirling a morning star, a spiked ball attached to a chain he held in one hand. The spikes sizzled with purple sludge.

His usual obnoxious grin was already back in place. "Ready for a real fight, Bugster?" he said with amused contempt.

"Always." Kamen Rider Paradox rushed the villain.

"You're not bad for somebody just out of diapers," he called.

"And you're not bad for somebody whose breath smells like denture cream all the way over there," Rune shot back.

"Not bad," Brave went on, "Might be interesting to see what you can do." He sat down in the lotus position and laid his sword across his lap. "I yield," he said.

Rune looked around suddenly, as if expecting to see someone looking in on them. "I know this was the plan, but are you sure this is gonna work?" he whispered.

"We could change it and I could cut you down," Brave suggested.

"Think carefully," Rune whispered back in warning. "Sayo-san would probably break your date if she found out you went around killing teenagers."

Brave's head jerked up and looked straight into Rune's face. "How did you know about that?"

A chuckle. Brave glowered behind his mask. "Hey," Rune whispered. "I was getting a coffee at the table right behind you."

"They let you kids into the staff lounge?"

"Why not? We're staff too."

"No," Brave replied, "you are not, intern."

"Intern?"

Outside the Game Area, Hourakou stared up at the display on the sides. Eyes fixed, jaw set.

"Looks like Brave gives up," Kensei pointed.

"My eyes probably work even better than yours, Utsura-chan," Hourakou said, but he was laughing. "Why not? These two are going to be a lot of fun for the rest of the game. Alright: winner by forfeit!" Brave's name faded from the bracket and Rune's moved up to the deciding branch for B block.

Noir looked on uncertainly. He slipped up next to Kensei and held his hand over his mouth before he whispered, "Did they plan that ahead of time?"

Kensei nodded, but followed it with a shrug. "It looks kind of like it, doesn't it?"

"Don't you know? Aren't you the leader or something?"

"We don't have one," Kensei shrugged again. "I trust them enough to do what they have to do."

When he heard that Noir's whole face sagged in confusion and he looked away in silence for almost a minute. "But how can you have so many people working for you with nobody in charge? Even when was Joe was still alive, he and I both had things we were with charge of."

"Everybody's got to follow their own path," Kensei replied simply. "It works better if we can trust each other to do that and still help out. I mean, I know video games give us our powers, but we're not made-up characters in a game, who are there just to give you a new kind of attach or something."

Hourakou turned and scanned the competitors in his little tournament. "If the peanut gallery is finished with its analysis, we will now be moving on to the second round of matches." He pointed at Kensei and Noir with his microphone. "Gentlemen, if you would please enter the next ring."

The two Riders started up the stairs, but Kensei stopped halfway up when he heard Hourakou cough into the mic.

"And don't think a copout like your friends pulled is going to work more than once, Hidenaga-san…" he warned quietly.

For a minute Kensei looked into Hourakou's menacing purple eyes, then finished climbing the steps.

HIT.

Paradox's axe and Hourakou's morning start bounced off each and both of them were staggering back ten steps from the recoil of their powerful weapons colliding. Through the ringing in his head Paradox was alarmed to see his armor sizzling where drops of the purple pus from his opponent's weapon had splashed on him.

It was Hourakou who recovered first. He charged with inhuman speed and at the end of his run the spiked ball swung out at Paradox. The Rider steadied his feet before it could connect and ducked under Hourakou's deadly weapon. He gripped the blade of his axe and twisted it around, transforming it into a pistol. Hourakou lost his grin just before Paradox pulled the trigger and unleashed a storm of laser bullets right into the Corrupture's stomach.

Without wasting time Kamen Rider Paradox launched himself in a jump kick aimed at Hourakou's head. The Corrupture leader recovered quickly again and went into a jump kick of his own. Both fighters' boots connected and a huge graphic explosion appeared: BACKFIRE.

Just like it said they were blown backward and skidded across the asphalt. Like both times before Hourakou was up first. Now he was bleeding from a dozen gashes all over his body and they were sealing up more slowly than before. And to Kiiko's astonishment, Hourakou wasn't grinning or laughing at them.

The arm holding his ball and chain melted into purple puss then solidified again into a monstrous green arm that hung down to knees. A grotesque tentacle extended from it and ran to a studded ball the size of a tire. He whipped the weapon down at Paradox, who was still lying dazed on the ground.

All of a sudden the ground rumbled and a column made of stone cubes rose out of the ground and blocked his attack.

"Eh?! What's happening?" Hourakou asked and looked around for the answer. He froze where he was when he saw the cause. Standing back a ways was Kiiko Mishiranu, but she was surrounded by a transparent bubble. Around her waist was a belt fasted with a Bug Visor. Plugged into it was a Gashat: Block Panic.

A shadow of his usual grin formed on his face, but it was smug and cruel at the same time. No trace of his usual fake attempt to seem friendly was there. And some purple slime dripped from a cut on his forehead onto his lip like he didn't realize it was there, making Kiiko wince in disgust.

"How adorable," he said, the puss oozing into his mouth. "The unevolved specimens banding together to prolong their pathetic lives."

Kiiko didn't say anything. She wasn't sure enough about her banter skills. Instead she held her arms wide and a pair of cube walls formed out of the ground on both sides of Hourakou. Kiiko closed her hands and they slid together, pinning Hourakou between them. He held out his arms and blocked them, glaring at Kiiko.

And failed to notice Kamen Rider Paradox until he'd opened an oozing gash all the way down Hourakou's back with his axe.

"Just like the unlikely heroes of a video game, right?" he asked smugly.

"I see you're having fun," Hourakou said as if the injury was nothing to him.

"Fun? For the first time in ages, my heart's dancing!" Paradox giggled.

As soon as he heard that, Hourakou's body split. Another warty green arm like the first formed, a throbbing red bulb on the end that split like a flower to expose a spear of bone. Not one head but two wedge-shaped heads jabbed out of the purple blob. Three eyes opened in each and fixed themselves on Kamen Rider Paradox.

"Then let's see you play with this, Rider!" Hourakou said in two voices at once, his shit-eating grin forming on both of his hideous faces.

seE yoU neXt gaMe

Sorry to anyone who was expecting "Kamen Rider Para-DX" and thinks "Paradox" instead looks weird. It's how the group I'm in transliterated it through the whole show, and it's just what I'm used to.