February 12th, 1974
Shinji was playing in the yard of his house with a ball, kicking it against the wall. Whenever it bounced back and rolled towards him, he would kick it again. He did this repeatedly and was having fun.
"That's a cute little ball you have there," someone praised and Shinji picked up his ball to look up and saw a woman peering at him from over the outer wall of his house. She was pretty, with dark skin, wearing a colourful dress with a large hat.
"Thank you, lady," Shinji smiled.
"So what's your name, little one?" she asked, smiling.
"I'm Shinji!"
"Shinji, huh? You may call me Zawadi."
"That's a funny name."
"Well, I come from a very funny land where everyone has funny names. So, Shinji, are your parents home?"
"Kaa-chan's inside working, but Tou-chan..." He looked down, sadly.
"Oh, is something wrong, little one?"
"Tou-chan's always working so I don't see him a lot." His frown quickly turned into a bright smile. "But when he does come home, it's always a great day!"
"Well, I sure hope your father comes home soon," Zawadi replied, smiling warmly.
"I know!" Shinji nodded. "My birthday's coming soon and he promises to come home so we can celebrate!"
"Oh, when's your birthday?"
"Oh, Kaa-chan says it's on Valentine's Day and I'll be six years old. She says I get to have lots of chocolate. Hey, do you want to come to my birthday?"
"Shinji, who are you talking to?" Shiori asked as she stepped out into the yard, taking a break from her writing to check on her son. She had noticed him talking to someone and wanted to see who it was.
"I'm talking to my new friend, Kaa-chan!" Shinji turned to look at her as he pointed at the wall. By then, Zawadi was gone. "Huh? Where'd she go?"
"She probably left because she had somewhere to be," Shiori said, thinking her son was just talking to an imaginary friend. "Now, come inside. I just ordered lunch."
Zawadi walked away from the house, a stern frown on her face. She had seen the boy's future and he would not be the same after his birthday. It was such a cruel fate for him, one that he did not deserve. However, it was his destiny and she had no control over Fate.
"Let's hope your future becomes brighter after the darkness, child," Zawadi said as she created a shadow portal and stepped through it.
February 14th, 1974
Zawadi once again met Shinji while the child was strapped down on a surgical table. This was after Gebok had kidnapped him. He was crying, sobbing, screaming for his parents to come and save him. Unfortunately, she could only watch with pity as the boy would lose his memories and humanity, all because of a monster.
"How heartless."
She would continue to watch him as the years went by while he remained a loyal puppet to Gebok for the next decade until his escape. She would watch him as he was found by Rena, reawakening in Hinamizawa with no memory of his past. The past ended up catching up with him, of course, but he learned to adapt and thrive as he went on to live his new life.
Oddly, Zawadi found herself admiring the boy, her successor. It appeared that he wouldn't fall down the same path as she and the others had. Unfortunately, as she had witnessed so many times before, the dark and twisted thoughts of others had a nasty habit of dragging down unwary people who just want to be better. Imagine her surprise when his oldest child came to her one day and told her that he had an idea.
Showa Chronicles: The Powerless Ones
Act V: The Sleeping Giant Is Awake, Tread Carefully
"No," Zawadi denied.
"No? Whaddya mean 'no'? We won! You said we could name our prize!" Yuji yelled.
"Yes, but never once did I say you would receive it," Zawadi informed them.
"Oh, that's just bullcrap!" Musician cussed her out.
"Bite your tongue!" Zawadi snapped.
"No fucking way! If we had lost you would have told us to take a hike and throw us out! This is not fair!" Musician snapped.
"You never intended to give Shinichi or the witches' magic back, were you?" Alan questioned.
"Why would I give up something I worked so hard to obtain? Just because you mortals got lucky?" Zawadi sneered.
"That's messed up! You lied to us!" Armadillo shouted.
"You misunderstand. I didn't lie. I was simply careful with choosing my words," Zawadi replied.
"You intentionally picked out your words because you were not going to let Shinichi go whether we won or lost," Alan growled. "Straight from the Metawitch's playbook. You seem to have more in common with them than you-"
"What?"
Suddenly, the air turned cold and the field grew darker. The eyes of Zawadi's mask glowed bright purple as she glared at the Green Lantern.
"Oh, dear... You just made Mother mad," Kwabena chuckled sinisterly. "I think that's our cue to leave. Let's go, sisters." She and her sisters vanished in a wave of dark energy, along with the rest of the Furniture, leaving their Mistress alone with the NEO-NUMBERS. As much as they wanted to watch what Zawadi would do to them, it was better to do it at a safe distance and away from her range.
Hands slowly trembling, Zawadi reached up to her face and removed her tribal mask, her hood dropping as she did. As the mask disappeared in purple glitter, Alan got his first good look at her, and he could only think 'Gorgeous African Goddess'. She was a beautiful woman with deep brown skin as well as long silver and purple dreadlocks that reached down to the small of her back. Her eyes were like amethysts and her lips seemed to be very plump and pouty-looking; very kissable lips.
And she looked pissed. Really pissed.
"What was that you just said?" Zawadi demanded. "Please speak up. I couldn't quite catch that."
"I said you're more like the other witches than even you would like to believe. You want to believe that you're in the right in all of this. And maybe you are and we're the ones in the wrong here. Because no one is perfect. No one is always right, but being wrong gives us a chance to be better and that's all we're trying to be," argued Alan. "Better."
"Well then, why don't you and I decide who is right, Little Green Boy Scout?" she said as she stepped down from her palanquin. "Since you seem to have an answer for everything, let's see how well those answers stack up."
"Hey partner," spoke Bazel. "You sure about this? Thought you couldn't fight women."
"Heh," Alan chuckled, staring Zawadi down. "Well, at this point I don't really have much of a choice in the matter. Just this once, I might as well try now to save my brother." He looked over his shoulder as Arachnea lifted Michiru into her arms. "Hana, look after Michiru."
"Kick her ass, boys," Arachnea said as she stepped back.
"No holding back, people!" Zero ordered. "Use all our power to take her down!"
"ROGER!" the NEO-NUMBERS chorused and their Spark Cores activated, engulfing them each in light that transformed them into their ultimate forms.
Musician stood proudly in his Leviathan Form. His black bodysuit sported sharp, spike-like patterns resembling razor-sharp teeth on the sleeves and legs, with red greaves and gauntlets that had blue fins on them. His torso armour resembled the angry face of an alligator, red with rage, with red eyes and a black stripe going down the centre. The teeth-like designs on the front also looked menacing. Finally, his helmet lost the antennae but gained blue horns and a blue fin-like crest.
In Slayer Form, Slasher was armed with Hanyuu's Onigari no Ryuou. The sacred demon-slaying sword glowed with a blood-red light and sported two jutte-like prongs along the length of its blade, on opposite edges. Slasher's appearance also changed as he now wore a black bodysuit with red gauntlets and greaves. His white torso armour had a red chestplate that was shaped like a termite's head. Finally, his helmet sported horns that resembled Hanyuu's and he wore a cloak over his shoulders.
Armadillo had transformed into Kamen Rider Blue Beetle as his Scarab adorned him in his hi-tech alien armour. A black bodysuit covered his body with blue gauntlets and greaves. His torso armor was mainly black with blue trim, sporting an emblem on his chest that resembled a stag beetle. The Scarab was exposed on his back like a backpack as a pair of stag beetle-like mandibles jutted out behind him. His Blue Beetle helmet was black with a blue faceplate, red insectoid eyes, and horns that resembled a stag beetle's mandibles.
In his Emerald Pride Form, Zero was adorned in a black bodysuit with emerald hornet-themed armour. The armoured portions of his suit were trimmed in gold. His chestplate resembled a hornet's abdomen while his insectoid helmet had gold stripes that segmented its emerald faceplate. Set on his face was a pair of crimson compound eyes. His pauldrons were also modelled after a hornet's wings. Finally, mounted on his right wrist was a weapon that resembled Lucifer's Stake of Pride form.
"Guess we're stuck with just our basic abilities," Alan said as he looked at his dead ring.
"Yeah, but that will be enough," Yuji smiled.
"Hey, you guys can just recharge your rings, right?" Bazel reminded. "Why don't you do that?"
"Coz we can't reach our batteries here," Yuji responded.
"Have you even tried to summon them?" Bazel retorted. Yuji blinked then looked at Alan. The two then facepalmed. "Guess not."
"Think it will work?" Yuji asked.
"Only one way to find out," Alan answered.
Alan and Yuji summoned their respective Power Batteries which came out of their pocket dimensions without any trouble, proving that Zawadi could not block their access to them, much to their surprise and relief. Holding their rings out to their batteries, they recited the oaths of their respective Lantern Corps.
"In brightest day, in blackest night."
"In fearful day, in raging night."
"No evil shall escape my sight."
"With strong hearts full, our souls ignite."
"Let those who worship evil's might."
"When all seems lost in the War of Light."
"Beware my power...GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!"
"Look to the stars...FOR HOPE BURNS BRIGHT!"
Rings charged at 100 percent, they summoned their suits that enveloped their bodies, glowing with the light of their respective colours.
As the Blue Comet, Yuji wore a black bodysuit with blue shin-high boots, white forearm-length gloves, and a blue jacket with an upturned collar. . He also had blue gem-like pads on his knees, shoulders, and elbows. In the centre of his chest was the symbol of the Blue Lantern Corps while his head was covered by a blue helmet with a black opaque visor that concealed his eyes.
As the Sentinel, Alan was now donned in a black bodysuit with green armbands, ankle bracelets, and torso armour. The armour had a golden trim with a red gem situated in the centre of his chest, similar to the gem on the Bracelet of Bazel. Around his waist was a belt with the Green Lantern insignia on the buckle. Finally, a green domino mask covered his eyes as an emerald cape appeared on his back.
Zawadi stared them down as the stone in her staff started to shine, a myriad of colours flashing like a kaleidoscope.
"Come," she beckoned.
"Focus attack! Go!" Sentinel ordered as he flew into the air, followed by Blue Comet, Zero, and Blue Beetle. With Bazel returned to him, he was now shielded from the magical effects of the Netherverse, giving him full access to his Kryptonian powers again. His eyes glowed as his heat vision blasted out at the witch. Blue Comet shot out Photonic beams from his hands, Blue Beetle fired his shoulder cannons, and Zero his stingers. Meanwhile, Musician unleashed a sonic roar from the Leviathan Jaws and Slasher fired a beam slash from the Onigari no Ryuou. Zawadi seemed to stand still as all their attacks came at her. Their attacks hit their mark, causing a massive explosion that blew upwards and around.
"Did that do it?" Blue Beetle asked hopefully.
"When has it ever been that easy?" Blue Comet asked rhetorically. True to his word, the smoke cleared out and showed that Zawadi was completely unharmed. Around her was a giant gelatin cake, jiggling wildly.
"Lambdadelta and her addiction to sweets," Zawadi said as she rolled her eyes as the cake vanished in a dark haze. "At least it has some use."
"Hit her again, quick!" Zero shouted as he prepared to fire again. Zawadi raised her staff as it glimmered with dark light.
"Ukuqhuma (Explosion)!"
It happened without warning. Dark explosive blasts erupted from within Zero, throwing him back as he screamed out in pain.
"Zero!" Musician shouted as he looked back. Zawadi aimed her staff at the cricket cyborg next.
"Ibhombu (Bomb)!"
Orbs of dark matter trailed from Zawadi to Musician and Slasher. As soon as they reached her targets, a chain of explosions erupted from the orbs. Both cyborgs were barely able to escape as they were blasted away.
"Ukutshabalalisa (Destroy)!"
She stamped her staff down and caused geysers of darkness to shoot all around her, forcing them all to back away.
"Zero! Can you still fight?" Slasher shouted as he skidded from the explosions.
"My self-repair system is working overtime," Zero grunted as he stood. "But yes, I can still fight!"
"OK, I think we need a better plan than hitting her until she goes down," Blue Comet said.
"Hey, she uses that staff to cast spells, right?" Blue Beetle pointed. "Maybe if we take it from her, she'll be weakened."
"Think that will work?" Blue Comet asked.
"It's as good of a plan as any," Sentinel nodded.
"I'll keep her busy," Misato volunteered. "When you see an opening, make a grab for it." She then flew towards Zawadi to deliver a series of slashes with her Blood Rapiers. Zawadi parried with her staff, but Misato did not let up on her attack.
"Do you think a mere Furniture like you is a match for me?" Zawadi mocked.
"For someone who claims to have so much power, you still haven't tried to kill us. Makes me wonder if your heart's even in it," Misato retorted before she went for Zawadi's throat and chest, only to be knocked sideways by a hard dark orb that came out of nowhere.
"You assume much, little girl!" Zawadi boasted. "And there are fates far worse than death!"
Zawadi felt a tug on her staff and she looked to see ropes of blue and green light lassoed around her staff, trying to rip it out of her hands. Her eyes followed the ropes to their source, the Green and Blue Lanterns. Her eyes flashed and shattered the energy constructs, the feedback stunning both ring-wielders.
"Trying to take my staff?" Zawadi scoffed. "Clever but you'll need to do more than that if you ever hope to defeat me."
She lashed out with her staff, throwing Dark Matter blasts at the Lanterns. Blue Comet raised a barrier while Sentinel flew at Zawadi. She fired a destructive beam at him but he powered through with all his might, teeth gritted as he flew straight at her. She added more power into her spell but his body glowed bright green and he blasted her spell apart.
Zawadi recovered as Sentinel hovered before her.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Zawadi demanded. "Isn't this the part where you punch me? Blast me with your heat vision? Maybe fly me into space until I pass out from loss of breath?"
"Time-out," Sentinel said, giving her the sign with his hands.
"What?" Zawadi blinked.
"Time-out," he repeated.
"Are you serious?" Zawadi scoffed. "Do you expect me to stop just because you declared a 'time-out'?"
"Just hitting pause on this so we can talk for a bit. So, time-out?"
"Very well," Zawadi agreed as she relaxed.
"You've taken the power of the witches and yet you have done nothing to take Shinichi's, even though you could," Sentinel started.
"I have other plans for him," Zawadi answered.
"What plan? So far, nothing you've done implies you have a plan for him. You say you want to protect him. It's more like you're keeping us away from him. How is this protecting him? Why are you trying to protect him?" Sentinel gasped as he came to a realization, "You care about him, don't you?" As crazy as that sounded, it was the only logical conclusion.
"He was just a child!" Zawadi attacked with a spell that Sentinel dodged. "So innocent, unaware of his true power, and yet he suffered for it! He was a bright little child whose hands were tainted in blood because of a madman!"
"Yes, it was wrong, but so many others have suffered as well. The NUMBERS suffered too. What makes Shinichi so different, so special to you?"
"Fascinating how you seem to care so much for him," Zawadi commented.
"And why shouldn't I? He's my brother and we look out for all our families," Sentinel retorted.
"And yet despite how much you claim to care about him, not once have you noticed his inferiority complex," Zawadi pointed out.
"What inferiority complex?"
"Ah, so you haven't noticed despite hearing it so much," Zawadi pointed out. "The Great Alan Smith, Green Lantern of Earth-13, a near impeccable arrest record, the reincarnation of Susanoo, slayer of Orochi, the strongest man on Earth, among other accomplishments. Originally, he simply saw you as a good kid. After the revelation of Warren Smith being his biological father, however, he started to look at you differently. He saw you as a shadow from which he could never escape."
"What are you talking about? I never made Shinichi feel like that!" Sentinel shouted. "I've always appreciated him!"
"Of course you say you do, and he knows that. But there are people around the both of you who sure don't act that way," Zawadi pointed out. "Even your women are like that towards him, especially the Amazon."
"You mean Conda?" Sentinel blinked. "I get that it took a while for her to get over Shinichi going rogue, and she still occasionally compares him to his future self... and... me..."
"You see? He's supposed to be the big brother but he still feels like he's living under your shadow."
"But what I did as Parallax-"
"Was a short, single black mark on your record but he sees his entire life as one big black mark. It hangs over him in his every waking moment. For almost a decade, his whole life has been one full of bloodshed. To him, you are Mr. Perfect, the ideal hero, the personification of heroism that all look up to, and something that he will never hope to achieve. You are the better fighter, you possess better powers, and though he has become stronger he feels that you will always be two steps ahead. That's why he relegates himself as 'the fool'.
"And it isn't just you either. It extends to the entirety of the Smith family, even the adopted members. A family of cosmic powerhouses while he is but a mere cyborg with temporal abilities he cannot risk using lest he erases a timeline. He views himself as an inadequate black sheep to the Smith Household. Someone who will never fit in."
"That's not true! He's always been a part of our family!" Sentinel defended.
"Perhaps, but he never saw himself being part of your family. Especially not with how the both of you were always being compared. You know how reckless he can get, how cocky he can be? It's all so he can ignore how much he loathes himself. I believe it is something that you would call a 'defence mechanism'."
Now that Sentinel stopped to think about it, it explained a lot about Shinichi's behaviour. There were times when he acted cocky, reckless even. Shinichi always felt like he needed to validate himself because he hated himself. Alan never thought Shinichi was ever insecure but that was before he discovered his true heritage. Therefore, due to that discovery, he never felt as if he was ever good enough.
"If not for Shinichi…" began Sentinel. "If not for Shinichi, I wouldn't have grown into the hero that I am now. Yeah, I never noticed his inferiority complex, and that's my mistake. I still see him as the older brother that taught me how I can be better. Something that you seem to disagree with."
"Oh? Care to elaborate?" Zawadi asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"A small black spot?" Sentinel growled. "Parallax might seem like a small stain to you, but to me, it's defined my whole life. Something to never become again. But you act like it can all have been avoided if I just gave up my ring. It couldn't. There was no way to avoid what was coming. I became too powerful, and that power corrupted me." He lowered his guard, glaring down Zawadi. "You keep acting like I'm wrong because others won't make the same decisions I would. Some people can break planets and decide to be the judge of other's actions. And according to you, I'm in the wrong because I don't believe that I have that right. I've had the power to just wipe out the multiverse, to erase everything and start over. But it was my family that showed me how wrong I was. And in the end, I died so that my world could live. Is the life I regained when I came back a good life? I would say so. And not just because of the women that love me or my kids. Because there have also been darkness. The War of Light. People, including those I have killed, dragging themselves from the grave to kill me. You're trying to protect Shinichi, so despite what you did to the Witches, I don't think I can call you an enemy. You're magic, a major weakness I have. So, what happens next is your decision."
"Again, you misunderstand," Zawadi corrected. "I am fully aware that the dark moment in your life is the scale you use to define yourself. I only meant that your deeds under Parallax's influence did not last as long or were as permanent. Your sins were eventually undone and no trace of it remained in your world. Shinichi is not as lucky. His crimes continue to haunt him to this very day and it may have negative impacts on his future. And you recovered for the most part after your whole ordeal, while he still struggles with his issues. "
Sentinel grimaced, realizing that Zawadi was right. Even though his actions under Parallax's control caused untold cosmic destruction, it was just several days of it that was eventually reversed. It doesn't exactly compare to the ten years Shinichi had suffered under Gebok's thumb. Their circumstances were similar, but also at the same time very different.
"Just give my brother back, please," Sentinel pleaded.
"I'm sorry," Zawadi apologized. "I cannot do that."
"Then you leave me no other choice," Sentinel responded, drawing Kusanagi. "We're taking him home and we're going to do it even if we have to go through you."
"You can try," Zawadi growled, purple mist surrounding her. The mist poofed around her, obscuring Sentinel's vision. A black-furred, purple-maned lion leapt out with a fierce roar, leaping from side to side with dizzying speed before lunging at Sentinel. The lion's claws lashed out, tearing into Sentinel's suit and spilling his blood, causing him to scream from each strike. He tried to counter with a swing from Kusanagi, but the magical beast was quick to jump away with shocking acrobatics. It spun into a backflip and landed on the colosseum wall.
Zawadi soon found herself flanked by Blue Comet and Misato. The Manakyte had two Photon Blades shining as he attacked alongside his wife, the two working in concert as they attacked the Witch of Calamity with a flurry of slashes. The beastly witch was swift, jumping over their blades with startling agility, but Misato managed to spill blood with a cut across Zawadi's face. She then followed up with a kick to her gut and Blue Comet delivered a punch to send the Witch of Calamity flying into a web made by Arachnea.
"Now stuck on my web/Predator is now the prey/Let us finish this," Arachnea recited. Michiru had already recovered some of her strength and sent Arachnea to help. Now the Witch of Calamity was stuck to her web, like a fly on wallpaper.
Zero summoned his swarm to sting the witch repeatedly, causing her to roar even more. Each sting was agonizing like she was being repeatedly hit by red hot bullets.
"Have a taste of Death Metal!" Musician yelled as he unleashed his loud music from his Leviathan Jaws. The horrible and deafening music hit her like a sledgehammer, piercing her skull and hitting her brain with great intensity.
Blue Beetle turned his gauntlets into gatling guns as missile pods popped out of his legs and shoulders. The insectoid legs of his armour also formed blasters at the tip. Finally, his chestplate opened up to reveal a cannon.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"
Blue Beetle unleashed his payload, blasting Zawadi violently. A chain of violent explosions went off, enveloping the Witch of Calamity entirely.
But then time froze and everything suddenly reset to the moment before Zawadi found herself stuck to Arachnea's web. Instead of Zawadi, Blue Comet and Misato were thrown into the web and ended up stuck together, with Yuji's body pinning Misato down, both of them lying face-to-face.
"You know, any other time, this would be kinky," Misato remarked.
Returning to human form in a burst of purple mist, Zawadi waved her staff, creating a miniature black hole that sucked up Zero's hornet swarm. She also threw pieces of candy into Musician's Leviathan Jaws, choking the weapon. The candy exploded like bombs, preventing him from blasting her with his god awful music. Finally, she glared at Blue Beetle, daring him to attack.
He unleashed his payload on her but this time she was prepared. A magic circle appeared on the ground before her and two giant golems in the form of knights arose, holding a huge rectangular shield that had Medusa's face mounted on the surface. The Shield of Hephaestus held against Blue Beetle's onslaught, not once buckling under the pressure until he ceased firing.
Zawadi had access to all the Metawitches' powers. Earlier, she had used Bernkastel's Miracle Magic to reset one moment in time to save herself from their assault. Then, she had used Beatrice's magic to conjure the giants and Shield of Hephaestus. Now, it was time to use another one of the Golden Witch's favourite combat spells.
"Descend, Shoulder War Towers!" Zawadi summoned as she raised her staff. From a portal high above her, two huge siege towers descended and landed in the coliseum. The two structures were tall and had 360 ports each. From each port, a gatling cannon popped out.
"Oh, fucking crapbaskets," Blue Beetle gaped when she saw the firepower she now had at her command.
"Shoulder War Towers..." Zawadi pointed her staff at her targets.
In a flash, Sentinel gathered everyone and erected a barrier around them with his ring as Blue Comet boosted its power.
"Brace yourselves!" Sentinel exclaimed.
"BLAST THEM AWAY!"
Instead of bullets, the Shoulder War Towers' seven hundred and twenty gatling cannons fired spears of light at their barrier in rapid succession. They fired rapidly at lightning speed, raining magical projectiles upon them. Sentinel and Blue Comet gritted their teeth as they tried to keep the barrier up while Zawadi repeatedly blasted them with her salvo.
Zawadi ceased fire and looked down at the ground which was covered by a thick cloud of smoke and dust. She snapped her fingers, blowing it away and she saw that her targets had miraculously survived. It was both impressive and a bit annoying, to be honest.
The team managed to survive Zawadi's terrible onslaught but they were in horribly bad shape afterwards. The NEO-NUMBERS had been forced out of their transformations while Yuji and Alan were exhausted from holding up the barrier. Meanwhile, Zawadi still had her Shoulder War Towers trained on them, with seven hundred and twenty gatling cannons primed to fire again on her command.
"Do you surrender?" Zawadi asked. "I am giving you all this one last chance to back out and escape."
"Forget it!" Yuji spat in defiance. "We're not leaving without Shinichi!"
"It appears to me that none of you has taken my warning seriously. So, if that's the case then there's only one solution." Zawadi tapped her staff and her eyes flashed. "DEATH!" She raised her staff to summon a giant black hole in the sky. The gravitational force of the black hole began to pull everything that wasn't attached to the ground into it. Zawadi, however, was unaffected. The same could not be said about the heroes.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Daichi yelled as he held a tight grip on his Cricket Fork which he had stabbed into the ground. He held on tight as he was being lifted into the air.
"HANAAAAA!" Michiru screamed as she was lifted into the air but Alan managed to catch her with a green energy lasso. "Thanks, Alan!"
"Everyone, just hold on!" Alan shouted as he used his ring to tether everyone to him and prevent them from being sucked into the black hole.
"We're trying!" Yokoshima shouted as his Scarab had dug in multiple insectoid legs into the ground to keep him rooted to the ground.
"You all could have avoided this if you had just surrendered! Now, you have nobody else to blame but yourselves! Say hello to oblivion for this is the end for you!" Zawadi shouted.
This was it, there was no way they could survive this. A black hole was a one-way ticket to ultimate oblivion. It would take a miracle for them to survive and she was the only one here who controlled miracles now.
As the heroes tried to not get sucked into oblivion, the black hole began to shrink. It gradually grew smaller and smaller. Zawadi noticed this and tried to stop it from shrinking but her attempt failed and the black hole shrank until it just winked out of existence.
"Are we...are we still alive?" Yokoshima dared to ask.
"I think so," Chiaki answered.
"That was scary!" Michiru cried as she hugged Hana.
"Did she give up?" Daichi wondered.
Zawadi's eyes narrowed at her staff and she raised it to summon another black hole. Instead, the sky lit up with a blinding flash. Everyone instinctively shielded their eyes and when the shine faded, they could see Shinichi hovering in the sky, radiating with immense power.
"Is that...?" Yuji started as he was awed by the sight.
"It's Shinichi," Alan confirmed, nodding.
Shinichi's eyes opened and they were filled with determination.
Ethereal chains miraculously appeared around him, bound to his body, stretching above the colosseum from all directions and seemed to go on endlessly. He gripped them tightly and pulled, clenching his teeth as the chains slowly began to break apart.
After several tugs, the chains shattered with loud snaps.
The ground rumbled and shook as Shinichi's body glowed with an intensity so bright, it was like his body had turned into the sun. Flickers of energy sparked wildly from his body as heavy pulses echoed on the ground, vibrating so deep that they forced the NEO-NUMBERS to ground themselves to the floor. Zawadi dug her staff into the floor, trying to stop herself from being blown away from the burst of power.
"What's going on!?" Yokoshima shouted over the intense winds. "What's happening to him?!"
"How the hell should I know!? This is news to me!" Yuji shouted back.
"Shit, what else can blow up in our face now!?" Daichi yelled.
In the Kasai-Banabara residence, a heavy tremor shook all around them as they hid under the table, huddled together as they waited tensely for it to pass. Shiori held the crying Sho in her arms as Kasai held her closely while Rika and Hanyuu were huddled right next to them.
"There was no earthquake forecast!" Shiori screamed while trying to soothe her son.
"If it's another terrorist group that wants to get fresh with us, I am going Scorched Earth on them!" Kasai swore.
Hanyuu held her head not out of fright, but as if she was trying to fight back a painful headache. Rika was next to her as she gripped her in worry.
"Hanyuu! Hanyuu, what is it?!" Rika cried.
"This tremor... it's not natural! It's feedback, coming from... from..." her eyes opened up, glowing red and filled with uncertain alarm, "...from Shinichi."
The magatama Rena wore around her neck began to glow and flash. While the magic which forced her to become infatuated with Shinichi had long since been removed, both their magatama were still connected through their bond. Right now, she could feel Shinichi. He was changing again, becoming something greater.
"Shin-kun..." She clasped her hands tightly in prayer. "Please protect him, Oyashiro-sama."
Battler grimaced as he tried to focus his magic to keep the furniture (the actual non-living ones) from toppling over on the witches. Ronove and the Stakes assisted by catching whatever fell and putting them aside. He knew this had to come from Zawadi's realm. He just prayed that there was at least something good coming from it.
Topper looked around his shop as his goods fell from the shelves while the rattling intensified. An uncharacteristic look of worry filled his face as he pulled a napkin from his hat to wipe the sweat from his face.
"Couldn't have an ascension that didn't wake the multiverse, could you, Shinichi?" he questioned, annoyed, but still wearing a smile as things were about to get interesting.
In ARMOR, alarm sirens blared around Warren as red emergency lights flashed. The tremor shook the headquarters as energy blasted out of the devices, causing staff and agents to run around in a panic as they tried to figure out what to do.
"What's happening, people? Give me a status report and I want something useful!" Warren ordered.
"Don't know what to tell you," Professor Takada said, leaning up from a busted monitor. "But we aren't detecting an attack at all. It's like an earthquake just decided to pay the Sands of Time a visit!"
"What?" Warren grimaced. "Don't tell me..."
"No, it isn't the bitch, either! She's still locked up in the antimatter universe! We checked and double-checked!" Takada informed him.
"Damn, so you're telling me this is just some convenient tremor," Warren grimaced. "Then why do I have such a sick feeling in my stomach...?"
Elsewhere, in a distant world, a race of green-skinned and pointy-eared beings all stared at a large screen in abject terror as the rumbling shook around them. On the screen, a giant image of a pink eye flashed.
"The end is near..." one of the aliens whispered, a defeated tone in his voice. "The day we have worked so hard to prevent has come to pass. The awakening of the 13th Lawmaker..."
The orb around Shinichi continued to brighten, his Trinity Core forming around his waist and shining as his armour appeared to go through a metamorphosis. Inside the orb, he transformed into BLACK 13 before shifting into Showa and then he shifted into Showa GX which turned into Showa Trinity as wings of light enveloped him.
The tremor slowly stopped and everything started to calm. A pulsating gust of energy thumped rhythmically like a drum as the orb slowly glided down to the ground. Still pulsing, the light slowly vanished into an armoured figure shielded by large, blue-feathered wings. The wings flapped out, revealing the figure underneath as feathers slowly rained down around him.
It was Kamen Rider Showa, but he wasn't in his Trinity Form or any of his other familiar forms. His bodysuit was a dark navy blue that looked almost black. Running up and down the front of his legs, abdomen, throat and the sides of his arms were electric blue meridians of temporal energy that gave off an ethereal glow. Around his waist was the silver belt of the Spark Core, with two black buttons on either side of the belt. The Spark Core was covered by a transparent layer that was etched in gold with the Roman numeral XIII.
The toes of his boots were coloured silver while his lower legs and ankles were clad in silver armour that reached up to his silver knee pads. Both knee pads and greaves had a set of glowing blue orbs situated within the centre. His upper arms were covered in armour plating while his forearms were clad in cobalt blue gauntlets with silver bands around his wrists. Each gauntlet had a blue gem in the centre. The back of his hands had silver armour pads on them trimmed in gold with a gold XIII on them. On his back were twin blue scarves that resembled the hands of a clock.
His pauldrons resembled folded angel wings that were cobalt blue with silver trim. The sides had curved diamond-shaped armour plating attached to them with blue gems in the centre. His torso armor was also cobalt blue with a silver ornate chestplate that had the same meridian streams running up and down and to the sides, connecting to the single blue orb in the centre of his chest.
Last but not least was his helmet. It was mostly the same colour as his bodysuit with a single silver metal strip running up the centre of the helmet that went over the top and behind his head. His compound eyepieces were a deep red hue and were outlined in silver trim. His silver mouthplate looked like a pair of bug mandibles. Lastly, attached to his helmet was a pair of sharp antennae that resembled clock hands. In the centre, just above his brow, was a glowing blue sphere.
"Sh... Shinichi...?" Alan whispered. Was this really Shinichi? Something had changed greatly and it was not just his appearance. There was something more at work here, something that Alan did not comprehend. What he did understand was that his brother had just reached a whole new level of power.
"Holy crap..." Michiru muttered. "Another new form... and it feels so strong."
Zawadi remained silent as she looked on, but her lips slightly curved upward.
Showa slowly descended to the ground, toes first, his wings flapping loudly as they stretched out on his back. As he stood upright, the angelic blue wings granted him a look of majesty.
"I am... Kamen Rider Showa Chronicle," he spoke in a voice that commanded respect, his wings vanishing in a flash of light. "The stream of time now flows through my hands."
"So, you've awoken, at last, my successor," Zawadi said as she looked at Showa who silently glared back at her.
Showa looked at his friends. They had come to save him and fought Zawadi, risking their lives against a powerful Metawitch. They had done all they could and he appreciated it. Now, it was time for him to return the favour.
"It's time for you to relinquish the magic you've taken. It doesn't belong to you," Showa commanded.
"And I refuse. They're unworthy as they've abused their powers for far too long," Zawadi stated.
"That's not up to you to decide, Zawadi," Showa argued.
"Someone has to take responsibility," Zawadi retorted.
"I agree but that's too much power for one person, even you. You might have the best of intentions, but all that power could corrupt you," Showa continued to try and reason with her.
"It's sweet that you sound so concerned," Zawadi smiled. "But I can handle it. I'm the only one who can use their powers responsibly."
"But they'll die," Showa pleaded.
"That's a price I'm willing to pay," Zawadi said firmly. "And should you really care about the lives of beings who play with you like a toy and seek your destruction?"
"It's not my place to pass judgment either, but it is my duty to save lives," Showa answered, fists clenched. "You will relinquish their magic, Zawadi. That's non-negotiable."
"Oh, and what will you do if I refuse to relinquish their magic?" Zawadi challenged, already knowing the answer as she pointed her staff at him.
"Chrono Sabers!" An ethereal clock face appeared before Showa, the minute and hour hands spinning around rapidly. Showa grabbed the clock hands, causing the clock to shatter and the hands to turn into a pair of swords, one long (minute) in his right hand and one short (hour) in his left. The hilts were black with a cobalt blue crown point at the end of the pommel. The guards were almost the same size as a baseball; a blue orb situated in the centre with segmented armour connected to it. The blades themselves looked very much like the hands of a clock with the flat of the blades coloured cobalt blue and the sharp edge coloured silver. A small track of gold ran up and down the flat of the blades; small runes etched on the golden tracks.
Yuji blinked, seeing Shinichi wield swords that were nearly identical to the ones he had seen Raheem wield earlier.
Zawadi twirled her staff, gathering Dark Matter around it, and fired a beam at Showa. The beam travelled across the battlefield and just as it was about to hit him, he swung his swords. The beam was sliced to ribbon, nullified before it faded completely.
He then vanished in a burst of feathers and reappeared right in front of Zawadi. She swung at him but he parried with his left sword before striking with the right. She blocked and struck him in the stomach but the blow just passed through an afterimage. He reappeared behind her and he slashed but his blade passed through her as she became a shadow. She soon teleported away to gain some distance. He followed, flying across the battlefield as she fired multiple shadow blasts at him. He bobbed and weaved between them, and the few that got too close were slashed apart by his swords.
Desperate, Zawadi had the Shoulder Towers open fire on Showa. As the spears of light were about to hit him, they just froze in midair before Showa reversed their trajectory. He sent the multitude of magical light spears flying back into the Shoulder Towers, destroying them as they exploded into millions of pieces.
Zawadi used her darkness to summon a pack of huge cats to surround Showa. They leered at him before the whole pack pounced. Quick as a flash, he took them out all at once, returning them to oblivion.
He flew towards Zawadi who summoned a huge array of tridents made of golden light. With a wave of her hands, she shot them at Showa like harpoons and they chased him like homing missiles as he tried to evade them. Failing that, he stopped running and his eyes flashed, freezing the tridents in mid-air. Then, with a wave of his hand, he willed the magical constructs to decay.
"That won't work anymore, Zawadi," Showa stated calmly. "It's over."
Zawadi gritted her teeth and let out a roar, gathering the darkness and shadows around her. They soon converged on her and in an explosion of darkness, she emerged in a new armoured form. The leather bodysuit hugged her curves while dark plate armour covered her body in segments. She had claws on her fingertips and toes, a whip-like tail that ended in a sharp blade, and her helmet was shaped like a black panther's head with a silver mohawk and huge fangs that framed her exposed mouth. The eyes glowed yellow, like the sun that was surrounded by darkness.
Gathering the darkness once more, she formed a pair of scimitars and threw herself at Showa. They clashed violently as sparks flew from their exchange. Showa fought defensively, parrying all of her strikes, preventing her blows from landing. She slashed wildly to cut him down but she could not find any openings nor break his guard.
They locked blades but Showa broke the deadlock to fling her away. As she stabilized herself in midair, she watched as Showa raised both his Chrono Sabers, pointing straight up.
"High Noon Break!"
He delivered a vertical energy slicer with the long sword and Zawadi crossed her blades to block it. She gritted her teeth as the energy slicer pushed against her blades. Showa soon followed up the first part of his attack with the second, throwing a second energy slicer with the short sword. The second energy slicer joined the first and they both broke through Zawadi's guard, shattering her blades.
"Midnight Zangetsu!"
Showa raised his Chrono Sabers again, the blades shining with star-dotted darkness that expanded. He swung, delivering a huge crescent-shaped energy slash that struck Zawadi with explosive force, shattering her helmet while breaking off pieces of her armour. As she went tumbling, she came to a stop and looked up at Showa. Blood trailed down the side of her head as he descended.
Eyes glowing, Showa summoned multiple portals that surrounded Zawadi. The portals began to glow before firing a barrage of blasts like a gatling gun. Zawadi was bombarded, explosions erupting on impact, concealing her in smoke.
When the bombardment ceased and dust cleared, Zawadi stood with her clothing shredded, leaving only enough scraps hanging from her body to cover her privates.
"Zawadi, I don't know what exactly your game is, but it's time to stop!" Showa shouted. "I agree that the other Metawitches have abused their powers and toyed with people for far too long but what you're doing to them is a step too far! Beatrice, as untamed she still is, managed to be better. If you can't accept that then what does that say about me? About Alan?"
Zawadi answered by holding her staff over her head to summon something. Her shadow grew in front of her before the thing she summoned arose from it. That thing was a gigantic Goat Butler, with shadowy claws and hooves. On its head were antlers that were on fire. It roared loudly at Showa, the winds blowing from its bellow.
It was at this point that he knew there was only one way to end this fight. A clock appeared behind him as the hands spun, turning faster and faster. Showa's scarf shone brightly as his pauldrons glowed before his angelic wings reappeared on his back. Finally, the clock hands stopped, pointing at the 12th hour. There was the sound of a heavenly grandfather clock gong as Showa looked at the giant Goat Buttler as it got on all fours.
"Chronicle Time Crash!"
He propelled himself into a flying kick, his scarf and wings boosting him as the Goat Butler charged at him. The giant stood no chance as Showa ripped right through it and continued straight towards Zawadi as it exploded in a burst of magic. She raised the Shield of Hephaestus to defend herself and Showa's foot crashed into it. Bolts of energy lanced out in every direction on impact as the two struggled to overpower each other. The Shield of Hephaestus shattered and Showa's Chronicle Time Crash Rider Kick slammed into her.
Zawadi attempted to use Bernkastel's magic to reset this moment and change it so she would not lose, but each time she did it always ended the same. She attempted to undo her loss, again and again, until she finally gave up after taking her final blow one last time. The force of the kick sent her flying straight into the citadel's tower which came crashing down on her.
Zawadi managed to survive as she dug her way out of the rubble. She then saw Showa's boots in front of her and looked up. Taking her staff, he plucked the stone that was set in it. He then held it over his head and threw it to the ground, shattering it instantly.
Back in Beatrice's manor, Battler witnessed as his wife and the rest of the witches began to glow. He shielded his eyes as the light grew too bright. When it faded, he found Beatrice and the rest of the Metawitches had vanished.
"Beato?"
Zawadi was on the ground as Showa stood over her but then he felt several more presences and looked up. Hovering above the coliseum were the Metawitches with their powers and youth restored.
"So, Zawadi," Bernkastel sneered down at the defeated Witch of Calamity. "You wanted to take our magic from us."
"That's a bad girl," Lambdadelta scolded. "And bad girls need to be punished."
"So, shall we?" Beatrice asked, feeling vindictive as her expression turned vicious.
The Metawitches began to cast their spells, which would be fatal. Zawadi hung her head, accepting her fate. Showa looked up at the witches who were prepared to kill her.
No, this wasn't right. While Zawadi may deserve punishment, she shouldn't be destroyed. He summoned his Chrono Sabers and got ready to defend her as they cast their spells, but then time stopped. Everyone was frozen, all was in black and white, all except for him. This confused Showa as he knew this was not his doing.
"Well, that was close," Hiroyuki remarked, walking out a corner with Raheem in tow. "Hey, Pop."
"What?" Showa looked at Hiroyuki, nearly mistaking him for Shiro Juuyon before finally recognizing him. "Hi...Hiro? Is that you?"
"Yep and Mom says hi," Hiroyuki grinned as Raheem helped Zawadi back on her feet. "OK, Raheem, let's pack up and go."
"What...what's going on?" Zawadi asked.
"Everything went exactly as planned," Raheem told her. "Thanks, Mom." Zawadi nodded then looked at Shinichi who stood there, confused.
"My sincerest apologies to you, Shinichi," she said as she bowed slightly. "Although there was some truth to what I said, I've caused quite a bit of distress to you and your friends and ended up doing what I hated my kind for. I went too far and it was never my intention to threaten anyone the way I had."
"Hold on, what?" Showa blinked. "You all planned this? You wanted me to unleash my full power. Why? What for?"
"For a war," Hiroyuki said, his expression turning grave. "A war that will be coming in a couple of years from now and it will be bigger and badder than anything GIN-SHOCKER or the Religion of Crime could ever throw at you. Your nifty time powers helped turn the tide, but then..." He averted his eyes slightly before he continued. "Look, Zawadi here knocked you out so that you could unlock the seal on your powers. As for stealing the magic from the witches, well that was just her wanting to let off some steam."
"Correct," Zawadi confirmed. "I never truly intended to have them rot away. My aim was simply to scare them straight, and I would have returned their magic to them eventually."
"What she said," Hiroyuki continued. "Trust me, she gave me her word that she wouldn't do anything permanent to Granny B. She did need their magic though and it wasn't like they'd agree to do something to help someone they look at like an ant. So she used that Philosopher's Stone that you just shattered."
"A Philosopher's Stone, huh?" Showa mused, looking at the shattered remains of the stone. "That explains everything. The witches can't actually drain magic by themselves. If they were capable of stealing magic from each other they would've done it long ago. Their sense of morality has always been beyond comprehension."
"But she honestly wanted to look for other options," Hiroyuki nodded. "That was Plan A. Plan B was to give everybody a taste of what was to come. That way, you have a bit more time to figure things out before you-know-who arrives."
"Who?"
"We can't really say much right now," Raheem interrupted. "We should get going."
"Yes, of course," Zawadi nodded. Raheem stretched out his hand as a crimson portal opened before them.
"Wait, hold on! I still have a lot of questions to ask!" Showa shouted as they stepped through the portal. Zawadi turned around from within the portal to look at him. She wished she could tell him more but there were things he needed to figure out on his own. At the very least, she would not leave him completely in the dark. She could still give him a clue.
"There is just one more thing... beware 108," she warned him. As she spoke those words, the portal closed and vanished. Time resumed once more and the witches finished casting.
As they fired their spells, Showa quickly swung his Chrono Sabers, shooting sword beams at the spells. The attacks collided as a twisting sound came from the impact, causing a ripple in space to open up. Several other worlds could be seen within the ripple, floating in an infinite space, before the ripple sealed itself up and vanished.
"What?" Lambdadelta gaped, realizing that their target had disappeared. "Where'd she go?"
"She's gone!" Beatrice hissed.
"Hm a pity," Bernkastel frowned but then her eyes fell on Showa and narrowed. He had grown stronger, more powerful than before. He glared up at them unhappily and she hissed in dismay. "Lambda, let's go."
"Alright, Bern. It's boring here anyway," Lambdadelta replied with a yawn. She was craving some candy and a nap. The two held hands, fingers intertwining, and vanished.
"There's something different about him," Virgilia said as she looked at Showa.
Showa ignored the Metawitches and approached his friends. As he stood before them, his helmet vanished.
"You guys look like you had a rough time," Shinichi remarked, smiling. "Let me fix that." He held his hand out to them and a projection of a clock appeared on his palm. The hands moved backwards and a blue aura covered the group. They felt their fatigued fading as their injuries vanished.
"Wow, I feel refreshed," Yokoshima said, stretching his arms.
"You came to rescue me," Shinichi said.
"Of course, we did," Alan stated. "Some witch kidnapped you."
"She wasn't going to hurt me," Shinichi assured them.
"Are you sure about that?" Yuji asked.
"Yes. She just put me to sleep and left me alone. I had a lot of time to think while I was asleep," Shinichi answered.
"That's great and all but what the hell was all that?" Daichi demanded.
"You'll need to be specific, Daichi."
"The new upgrade, man! What was that form even anyway!?"
"That's...a long story. How about we get out of here and I'll tell you all about it?" Shinichi offered and he snapped his fingers. In the blink of an eye, they were suddenly back in the game room of Beatrice's manor, surprising Battler and the Stakes of Purgatory.
"The hell!?" Battler cried.
"Yoko-kun!" Asmodeus threw herself at Yokoshima who caught her.
"So, you made it back alive," Leviathan said, looking at Daichi with crossed arms.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Levi," Daichi smirked.
"Hah, I knew you all would make it back!" Lucifer laughed. "I bet you even taught Zawadi a lesson!"
"Zawadi overpowered us," Shogo admitted. "It was Shinichi who beat her."
"So, the guy you went to rescue ended up saving your asses," Satan teased. Her expression softened as she looked at her beloved. "Are you OK?"
"I'm not 100 percent sure," Shinichi answered, looking at his hands. "I think so but something's different. I feel...whole."
"Yeah, this guy completely dominated the Witch of Calamity! Single-handedly took her down and without breaking a sweat!" Yuji said proudly, putting his arm around Shinichi's shoulders. "Our MVP!"
"She still got away, though," Shinichi pointed out.
"Heh, details. She'll think twice before she tries to mess with you again, Shinichi."
Beatrice and Virgilia both appeared in a flash of golden butterflies. The Golden Witch immediately approached her husband and he caressed her cheek.
"Beato," he smiled.
"Aren't you happy that I'm back to my beautiful self?" Beatrice teased.
"Heh, I would've stayed with you even if you turned old and grey."
"Of course you would." Beatrice rolled her eyes but her smile remained. Her husband was so sweet. She then turned her attention to the heroes that were assembled in the game room. "And I'd like to thank you all for your help. I owe you all so much." She looked at the arch and frowned. "Ronove, please get rid of that eyesore."
"Yes, Mistress," Ronove bowed. He approached the Netherverse arch and was prepared to take care of it when it suddenly crumbled to pieces which were then sucked into a portal before it vanished altogether. "Well, that's convenient. It took care of itself."
"OK, now, can we get back to what happened to Shinichi?" Daichi reminded everyone. "I mean, I thought he was done with his upgrades and power-ups."
"Guess not," Yokoshima remarked.
"You called it 'Showa Chronicle'," Alan recalled, addressing his brother. "I'm assuming this means your power over time has now surpassed its limits?"
"More than you think," Shinichi answered, angel wings briefly flashing over his back.
"Why angel wings? Why not dragon wings?" Yokoshima asked. "I mean, you turn into a dragon. Shouldn't you have gotten dragon wings?"
"I wish I could tell you why," Shinichi shrugged.
"But still, it's pretty overpowered," Daichi remarked with some envy. "You're like some kind of Time Angel now."
"It's a bit more complicated than that, Daichi. Like Alan said, my powers have surpassed their original limits."
"As if your powers weren't already too OP to begin with."
"We should get you back to ARMOR for some tests," Alan suggested.
"Yeah, but let me talk to Satan for a bit. Don't eavesdrop, OK?" Shinichi told them. He took her aside to speak with her in private. "Satan, something else happened after I beat Zawadi."
"Oh?" Satan sounded interested. "Did you rub her defeat in her face?"
"No, I didn't," Shinichi denied. "I saw Hiro."
"Wait," Satan blinked, surprised and confused. "Hiro? Our son Hiro?"
"Yeah, and he was all grown up. He looked just like me but he had your eyes and hair colour," Shinichi informed her.
"Wait, that would make him look like...him." Satan frowned. Their son would grow up looking just like Shiro Juuyon. She might not have been as acquainted with the android clone as much as her beloved had, but she heard enough to not like him very much. "Hold on, what was he doing there?"
"He was working with Zawadi, and he helped her escape," Shinichi answered.
"Huh?" Satan's eyes widened, "But why?"
"He said he wanted us to be prepared," Shinichi told her, eyes narrowed. "Something about a war that's coming."
"OK, that sounds ominous," Satan said, worried. "Did he say anything else?"
"No, but Zawadi did. She said, 'beware 108'."
"'Beware 108'? What does that even mean?" Satan wondered.
"I don't know what it means and that worries me."
"Well, at least she gave you some warning. It's the least she owes you after what she just put you through."
"Yeah," Shinichi agreed. "C'mon, I want to check on Hiro before I leave."
Zawadi exited a portal together with Hiroyuki and Raheem. Now, they were in what appeared to be a PI's office. It was messy. There was a half-eaten pizza on the desk, lying atop scattered sheets of paper. There were also shirts and socks littering the floor.
"Well, that was a rough ride, but I'd say we did a bang up job," Hiroyuki said, stretching his arms before looking at the Witch of Calamity. "So, how does it feel to finally meet your future husband, Stepmom?"
"Y-you dare accuse me of wife-husbandry?!" Zawadi asked, scandalized, with red cheeks. She had used her magic to restore her clothing and recover from her injuries.
"It's not like you had a hand in it," Hiroyuki shrugged, "You were just watching over the old man since you first saw him. Your future self did tell us that."
"Even so, never could I imagine that we would be in a relationship."
"Well, you have your work cut out for you. From the looks of things, I might end up going 'poof' at any time," Raheem reminded her.
"Hey, my mom tried to kill him too, but they still got together and they had me anyway," Hiroyuki pointed out.
"That's because our dad's abnormal and has weird taste in women," Raheem deadpanned.
"And what of you?" Zawadi questioned Hiroyuki. "I'm certain that your grandmother isn't going to be happy that her grandson went back in time to collude with an enemy to steal her magic."
"I figured. Hopefully, I'll be able to smooth things over with her when I see her next time," Hiroyuki said, not looking deterred. "Sure she can infinitely kill people but in my line of work I've tangled with some of the biggest nasties the supernatural world has to offer."
"And those experiences have yet to humble you," Raheem deadpanned sarcastically.
"Hm, well if that is all I must return to my servants and figure out what to do from here," Zawadi said. "If anything else happens, let me know. Until then, my children."
"Later, Stepmom. Don't forget to call or write," Hiroyuki said, bidding her goodbye.
"See you, Mom," Raheem added.
'Ugh, I'm still trying to get used to this. All because I'm in love with the boy,' Zawadi said mentally to herself as she waved her staff around her, vanishing in a wave of darkness.
"Alright, now what's the next phase of the plan?" Raheem asked and they heard a knock at the door.
"Can you get that, Raheem?" Hiroyuki asked as he went to his fridge to grab a can of strawberry soda.
Raheem opened the door to reveal four people standing outside the office. Two of them, a young man and a woman, appeared to be twins with mixed blonde and indigo hair that seemed to be tie-dyed. They were accompanied by a girl in pink gothic lolita style clothing and another with silver hair in pigtails.
"Good, you're here," Raheem greeted. "Come on in."
"I assume your first contact with him was a success, right?" the male twin asked.
"It was," Raheem confirmed.
"Are you sure it was a smart idea, though? What if you caused a paradox?" the girl with silver pigtails asked.
"The paradox has already happened long ago and the timeline has already started to warp. You can blame that on all the future villains that decided to mess with time. I doubt anything we've done has messed things up further," Raheem answered. "Hell, not too long ago, I bumped off that smug pain in the ass Evil Agito before he got to Uncle K. That n* thought himself hot shit and was so insufferable when he was really just a small blip in the timeline. Did everybody a favour when I sliced him in two while he was in that hole of his. No one's gonna miss him."
"Raheem, you know you're not supposed to use the N-word in front of us," the female twin scolded.
"Oh, forgot about that," Raheem apologized.
"Yeah, but couldn't we just warn him about his future?" the gothic lolita asked.
"Warning him about his future could cause a huge change in the timeline, one we're not prepared for," Hiroyuki chimed in as he sipped on his soda.
"PU, Hiro. Why can't you ever keep this place clean?" the female twin asked as she looked at the half-eaten pizza in disgust. She did not know how long that had been left there nor did she want to.
"You know him. He only cleans up when the smell gets really bad," her twin brother responded. "Then he gets Ronove to take care of it."
"Any of you guys heard from Jiro yet?" Hiroyuki asked.
"He's running late. Last I heard, he ran into ARMOR so he's trying to shake them off his scent," the male twin answered.
"Alright, guess we can wait for him before we go over the next part of our plan," Hiroyuki decided.
"In the meantime, let's clean this place up. It's a mess, and I'm sure the other ladies will be arriving shortly. Chop chop!" said the female twin as she clapped her hands.
"Yes, Mom," Hiroyuki sassed.
"That's 'Your Highness', to you," she corrected with a teasing smile.
END OF ACT V
Tailsmo4ever: Finally, I'm glad we were able to get through this chapter. This was actually sometime in the making to try and get this out of the way. Zawadi's motivations have finally been made clear, along with a few other surprises. And it seems that a new threat is looming over the horizon. No rest for the wicked. I'm also happy that I managed to redeem Shinichi's character here and redeem a few of the other NEO-NUMBERS.
And best of all, we finally get to reveal Shinichi's newest transformation!
Showa Chronicle is the fourth enhancement to Showa's base armour, loosely inspired by Kamen Rider Ohma Zi-O and Kamen Rider Durandal. As such this armour emphasizes Shinichi's time powers. His speed and power are heightened, and his connection with the Kamen Riders of the Showa era is greatly strengthened. He also gains the ability to manipulate space which lets him teleport and summon portals. He can also use the portals to shoot powerful laser beams a la Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon. In exchange, he loses his nanite transformations.
His main weapons are the Chrono Sabers, also known as the Blades of Time. They are made from temporal energy and can cut through the very fabric of time and space, allowing other worlds to be seen through them. They can be used to shoot blades of energy that, at full power, can warp and twist anything they hit. He can connect the hilts to make them into a double-edged weapon.
More abilities of Kamen Rider Showa Chronicle and what this will ultimately mean for Shinichi will be revealed as the story goes on.