Episode 7: The First to Fall
As he typed away at his computer, Shinji couldn't help but roll his shoulders to get the soreness out, if only for a little bit.
'Yesterday's training session was no cakewalk.' Shinji thought as he recalled the previous day's training.
Atori Café, Yesterday Morning
Shinji had gotten up early that morning, much to his own displeasure, and headed for Atori Café. Ren and Tezuka were waiting for him outside the café's entrance. Not long after the fight against Scissors and Abyss, Ren proposed the idea of sparring against multiple opponents at once. An idea that Tezuka was immediately onboard with.
"We don't know how many other Kamen Riders have formed alliances." Tezuka stated. "Not to mention, there's always a chance that we'll be forced to Riders who are trying to gang up on us, or against Riders and Mirror Monsters simultaneously. I believe training of this sort is most definitely necessary."
Shinji nodded. "Right. So, are we starting right now? I had some instant noodles for breakfast, so you don't need to worry about me running on empty!"
"Eager to get your rear handed to you, huh?" Ren smirked. "You know, maybe I should add these lessons to your debt, Kido."
"Not funny, Ren!" Shinji snapped as he fished his Advent Deck out of his pocket. A small smile spreading across his face. "Heh. Maybe we are friends if we're able to poke fun at each other so casually."
"Or you're just too dumb to get angry." Ren remarked as he whipped out his own Advent Deck.
"I think it's more along the line of Shinji not wanting to waste time holding a grudge." Tezuka chuckled, pulling out his Advent Deck as well.
A quick transformation, and the trio of Kamen Riders were soon in the Mirror World. Knight had activated his Trick Vent card, spawning multiple copies of himself while Raia summoned his whip with his Swing Vent card. Ryuki found himself surrounded by the Knight copies while Raia kept him from gaining any breathing room by lashing out at him with the Evilwhip. It also didn't help that the Knight copies kept making slashes at Ryuki, forcing the dragon Rider to move into spots where another cop, or Knight himself was poised to strike! One could say this was an exercise in frustration for Ryuki. But despite the odds and numbers being against him, Ryuki refused to give up!
'There's no telling when some Riders will try to gang up on me! If I can't handle these copies, I won't stand a chance!' Ryuki thought as he dodged another slash from a Knight copy! 'Good thing I'm never truly fighting alone!'
Ryuki opened the card chamber of his Dragvisor, drew a card from his deck, and slotted it in before closing the chamber!
"ADVENT!"
At the visor's announcement, Dragreder flew onto the battlefield to aid Ryuki, letting loose a barrage of fireballs to dispatch the Knight copies and force back Knight and Raia! While those two were avoiding the attacks of his partner, Ryuki slotted another card into the Dragvisor, summoning his Dragsaber with the Sword Vent card. Wasting no time, Ryuki charged Raia and unleashed a series of quick slashes on Raia's chest before landing a fierce strike on Raia's right hand, forcing the stingray Rider to drop the whip he was holding. But Ryuki had no time to celebrate as Knight came rushing at him with the Winglancer!
Ryuki raised his Dragsaber to block the lance, his knees almost buckling upon impact! With all his might, Ryuki attempted to push Knight off him, but Knight had no intentions of giving in and pushed back, forcing the two of them into a blade-lock!
"Bold move, Kido." Knight noted. "But going for a blade-lock is pretty risk. It leaves you open!"
"Huh?" Ryuki tilted his head in confusion and received an answer via a swift kick to the side from Knight!
"GAH!"
As Ryuki stumbled from the hit, he soon received a jab to the head from the Winglancer's handle, further disorienting him! Upon regaining his bearings, Ryuki gripped his Dragsaber tightly in frustration!
"Why you-! I'll get you back for that!" Ryuki cried out as he charged at Knight! However, the bat Rider simply side-stepped Ryuki's charge and tripped him! Sending Ryuki tumbling to the ground! It took Ryuki a moment to recover from being dazed, and he immediately found himself staring down the point of Knight's lance.
"I guess you win, Ren." Ryuki sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat.
"Let this be a lesson to you, Kido." Knight began. "Always keep a level head when fighting. It's good to act on your emotions, they'll add more power to your attacks. But letting them rule you can blind you, trip you up. Just like a few seconds ago."
"Any other kernels of wisdom for me?" Ryuki asked in a joking tone.
"Work on your footwork." Knight answered. "Make sure your stance is one that's not easily broken. You can't swing your sword if you can't stand. And never go for a blade-lock unless you KNOW you can overpower your opponent."
"Figures you'd know a lot about swordsmanship." Raia chuckled. "Your Rider name IS Knight, after all."
"Are we done kicking my butt?" Ryuki asked. "I've got work today."
"I'd say so." Raia nodded. "You tend to adapt pretty quickly to a given situation and you're a fast learner. That's probably the greatest strength you have, Shinji."
"Something tells me I've still got a fair bit of growing to do… " Ryuki muttered to himself
Back to the Present
'Things have been quiet ever since Ren and I went two-on-two with Scissors and Abyss.' Shinji thought with a sigh. 'It's just been dealing with Mirror Monsters for now. Though that just means Abyss and Scissors are likely talking things over with Abyss's boss. Whoever they are, they've made it clear they're recruiting Kamen Riders. Meaning we could be potentially facing an entire army of enemy Riders.'
"Shinji!" Chief Okubo called out.
"Hm?" Shinji snapped out of thoughts as he heard his Editor-in-chief calling for him. "What's up?"
"You look like you have something on your mind." Okubo stated. "You're not in any sort of trouble, are you?"
'Not the kind you'd believe.' Shinji thought before replying.
"Made a new friend a while back. He's a fortune teller whose predictions are highly accurate and have changed the lives of the people he's done readings for. Thought it might make for a good fluff piece, but I realize that's not the type of article we usually go for. So, it's been stewing in my head for a while."
Okubo blinked before smiling. "Glad to see you being so committed to the paper, Shinji. Most interns wouldn't think about how to actively contribute, they'd just wait for the orders of their higher-ups. I swear, maybe I should hire you as a full-time employee right now!"
"C'mon chief, I'm not that impressive!" Shinji chuckled. "But thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Is there anything else you'd like from me?"
"No, nothing else." Okubo replied with a wave of his hand before stretching. "Though I could use a little pick-me-up."
"I'll get your usual coffee order, Chief." Shinji smiled. "Besides, I could use a little fresh air."
Shinji grabbed his jacket and headed out towards the nearest coffee shop. However, his trip soon received an unexpected detour.
*EEEEEeeeeeEEEEEeeeee!*
The ringing of Mirror Noise made Shinji stiffen as his eyes darted back and forth, searching for the source. And he found it staring at him from the other side of a nearby mirror. Kamen Rider Scissors was standing before him, beckoning Shinji to come and get him. Shinji's eyes narrowed as he watched Scissors disappear!
"I'm not letting you get away this time!" Shinji muttered as he whipped out his Advent Deck! Once the coast was clear, Shinji held his deck up to the window. The V-Buckle materializing around his waist.
"HENSHIN!" Shinji cried out as he adopted his transformation pose before slotting in his Advent Deck, transforming into Kamen Rider Ryuki!
Wasting no time, Ryuki dove into the mirror and mounted the Ride Shooter that was waiting for him, speeding off to face Scissors! The crab Rider waiting for Ryuki as he emerged in the Mirror World.
"I owe you for wrecking my plan." Scissors declared; his voice still distorted. "And this time, you don't have your friends to bail you out or gang up on me."
"And it'll still end the same way, you get beaten!" Ryuki snapped.
"Oh?" Scissors chuckled. "And what happened to all that talk of 'uniting the Riders to defend humanity'. Was all of that just talk so you could take them out all at once?"
Ryuki's eyes narrowed from behind his helmet! Hearing Scissors mock his goal really struck Ryuki's nerves.
"It wasn't a trick! It's what I honestly want to do!" Ryuki answered, clenching his fist for emphasis! "But there's no way I'm working with someone who's content with feeding innocent people to his Contract Monster! Once I beat you, I'm taking away your Advent Deck! Then I'll find a good person to give it to! One who can be a real Kamen Rider!"
"What's that last bit supposed to mean?" Scissors scoffed.
"Someone like you wouldn't understand." Ryuki muttered as he opened up the Dragvisor, drawing a card immediately afterwards and slotting it into the visor.
"SWORD VENT!"
At the visor's announcement, the Dragsaber descended into Ryuki's outstretched hand. Not wanting to waste his chance, Ryuki leaped into the air and raised the Dragsaber high above his head before bringing it down with all his might at Scissors! The crab Rider wasn't expecting such a quick charge from Ryuki and was knocked on his back from the strike. However, if Scissors thought he was going to have any breathing room, he was dead wrong.
"STRIKE VENT!"
While Scissors was knocked down, Ryuki slotted another card within the Dragvisor, summoning the Dragclaw to launch a blast of flame at the recovering Scissors! Scissors quickly rolled out of the way and drew a card from his Advent Deck, desperately opening up the Scissorvisor to slot the card in.
"GUARD VENT!"
At the visor's announcement, the Shell Defense materialized in Scissors' hands, blocking the barrage of fireballs Ryuki hurled with his Strike Vent. But despite blocking the fiery barrage, Scissors still buckled from the impact. Ryuki ceased his firing, but took the chance to leap above Scissors and kick him in the head, sending the crab Rider sprawling to the ground!
"How did you get this good?!" Scissors snapped as he staggered to his feet!
"I had some help from my friends." Ryuki answered. "Kind of like you've had help from Abyss that last couple of times. I'm kind of surprised he isn'thanging around here to bail you out. Funny, isn't it? You mocked me for having Knight and Raia to back me up, and yet you keep getting dragged out of the fire by Abyss."
"SHUT IT!" Scissors roared as he mounted a charge at Ryuki, intending to use his shield as a battering ram!
Ryuki quickly sidestepped the charge and hurled a fireball from the Dragclaw, hitting Scissors in the back! Scissors' eyes widened beneath his visor as he stopped his charge too late and was hit with the full force of the projectile. Seeing Ryuki approaching him, Scissors struck the ground with his fist in frustration before beating a hasty retreat through a nearby window.
"Can't chase him, it'll take up too much time." Ryuki muttered as he shook his head. "That'd make Chief Okubo suspicious of me. If I head back to the real world now, I can at least give the excuse that there was a lot of foot traffic."
With that, Ryuki returned to the real world and transformed back into Shinji. Meanwhile, Scissors exited the Mirror World moments later and had returned to the building of the one who'd recruited him to join a Rider alliance. The man who'd recruited Scissors noticing the aura of frustration emitting from the crab Rider.
"Something the matter, Detective Sudo?" The man asked.
Scissors removed his Advent Deck from his V-Buckle and reverted back into Masashi Sudo. A corrupt police detective who'd been using his Contract Monster, Volcancer, to eliminate witnesses to his dirty dealings. And Sudo was most certainly not happy with the state of affairs on both sides of the mirror.
"Ryuki's gotten to be a better fighter." Sudo grumbled as he rubbed where Ryuki's fireball had struck him. "Not to mention people at the station have started investigating me now! I thought with all the connections and money you had that this wouldn't be a problem I'd have to deal with!"
"It's not wise to speak that way to your employer, Mr. Sudo." The man warned with a smirk. "Or you might see your employment here dissolved."
Sudo glared at the man before sighing in defeat. His employer not only had leverage on him with records of his illegal activities, but also provided him support in the form of Kamen Rider Abyss. With the team of Ryuki, Knight, and Raia gunning for him, Sudo couldn't afford to stand on his own in the Rider War.
"I get the message." Sudo muttered. "So is Abyss out hunting again?"
"Yes, his Contract Monster has quite the appetite. Much like the real life animal it's based on." Sudo's employer nodded. "Although I see an easy fix for your police problem, Detective. Lure them out and have your Contract Monster eat them."
"Dead men tell no tales." Sudo grunted. "But I have to wonder, why haven't you decided to enter the fray?"
"It's quite simple. The arrival of Ryuki is an oddity." Sudo's employer answered. "All this talk of uniting the Kamen Riders to defend humanity from the Mirror Monsters? He's either an idealistic fool, or he's trying to pull off the most ambitious con I've ever seen. Getting all the Riders together would mean they're easy pickings. I can't tell how much of a threat he is to my plans, so I've decided to watch how things play out."
"I can safely tell you that Ryuki's the former." Sudo snorted. "I could tell when we first fought. Though speaking of the latter, isn't that what you're trying to do?"
Sudo's employer chuckled. "Guilty as charged, I suppose. Though from the state you're in, he's become less of an amateur. I'd say Ryuki's allies give him a significant advantage."
"Then maybe you should join the fighting to give us an edge." Sudo suggested without any attempt to veil his frustration. "Whatever unique ability your Advent Deck has would probably turn things around for us."
"I'd prefer to wait until my involvement is necessary for my employees' success." Sudo's employer countered. "Besides, there is another means of securing an advantage. Yui Kanzaki."
Sudo blinked in confusion. "Her? I understand that Kanzaki said whoever gets close to her will have an advantage, but from what I pulled from Ryuki, even she doesn't know what that advantage is."
"That's precisely what makes her acquisition so vital." Sudo's employer began. "Just think of it. We could have Kanzaki create the most powerful Advent Cards imaginable for us to add to our arsenal. Or we could even have him give us more powerful monsters to contract with. The possibilities are endless, Detective Sudo. We could even get him to change the Rider War's rules so that we all get what we want."
"I tried to fool Ryuki into giving me Yui Kanzaki's location before. It didn't work."
"No, you didn't. Tomoyuki Kaga tried to trick him." Sudo's employer explained. "He has no reason to distrust Detective Masashi Sudo."
As this realization dawned on him, Sudo smirked.
"Then it's time I scored us a win."
Back at ORE Journal, things were starting to wind down for the day. Shinji let out a yawn as he stretched in his chair, taking note of the time.
'Man, quitting time's this close already?' Shinji thought as he gazed at the clock. 'Hmm. Wonder what I should get for dinner tonight. Maybe I'll drop by Atori Café. I've never had the food there before, so it couldn't hurt to try. My fridge is a little bare, and anything beats eating instant noodles for two straight nights.' However, right as the last minutes were ticking down, Shinji's phone started ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Mr. Kido." A familiar voice said from the other end of the call. "It's been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it?"
"Oh, Detective Sudo." Shinji nodded in recognition. "Yeah, it's been a while. I'm sorry that your investigation of Kaga didn't go anywhere."
"No need for apologies." Sudo said. "Besides, even with Kaga dead, the disappearances all over the city haven't stopped yet. And we're still no closer to finding out their cause."
'I know what's behind them, but telling everyone would probably just make them all panic.' Shinji thought. "That's unfortunate."
"However, there just might be a significant lead." Sudo began. "I rifled through some of Kaga's personal documents and found a recurring name: Yui Kanzaki. I don't know what her involvement in this matter might be, but she could be the key to solving the mystery of these disappearances. Would you happen to know anything about her?"
Shinji brightened up for a moment before reigning himself in. He was still wary after the trick Scissors tried to pull on him, so he decided to answer with a half-truth. "Well, I ran into her once. She was handing out business cards for a café she works at. I tossed the card, but I remember the name. They're probably closing up soon, though."
"Would you mind giving me the name then?" Sudo asked from the other end of the call.
"Yeah. It's called Atori Café." Shinji answered. "I hope this makes a break in the case."
"Oh believe me, Mr. Kido. You've helped me immensely." Sudo said before hanging up.
"Here's hoping things look better tomorrow." Shinji muttered to himself. But on his way home, something puzzled him.
'I still can't wrap my head around who called me to lure me into that trap.' Shinji thought as he drove back home on his bike. 'Kaga was dead long before I left my card at the shop, so who could have called my number? Well, that's something I can piece together tomorrow. My brain is tired, and my body's feeling the fight from earlier today. I'll be able to think straight once I've had a good night's sleep.'
ORE Journal, the next day
Shinji had arrived to work that morning and was about to sit down at his desk when he noticed a troubled look on Reiko's face.
"Reiko?" Shinji asked. "Is there something bothering you?"
"Yeah. It's about that dead end with Kaga." Reiko nodded. "I asked the police about the incident that landed me in the hospital, but they said that the incident was never reported. I would've thought Detective Sudo had reported me being attacked seeing as how he was staking the place out."
"Yeah, he was… " Shinji paused as a realization hit him. "The only other person who was there."
At the same time, Ren was also doing some thinking. The identity of Kamen Rider Scissors was a problem that had been on Ren's mind for a good while. Especially when considering the trap that Scissors had laid for Ryuki.
'A dead man can't answer the phone. Especially if he was buried on the wall. But someone had to call the number on Kido's card.' Ren thought with a frown. 'And from what Kido told me, the only other person there was-' Ren's eyes widened in realization.
'The detective who brought his co-worker to the hospital.'
At that moment, both Shinji and Ren had come to the same conclusion.
'It's him.' The two thought in unison. 'He's Scissors!'
At ORE Journal, Shinji bolted into Chief Okubo's office! A panicked expression on his face!
"Chief Okubo! I need to go!"
"Shinji?!" Daisuke sputtered at the sudden intrusion. "What's going on?!"
"An emergency just popped up concerning one of my friends!" Shinji answered! "I have to make sure they're alright!"
Daisuke nodded. "I understand. Go. But be sure to come back once you're certain that your friend is safe."
'It's my fault she's in danger!' Shinji thought as he nodded and rushed to his bike! 'I have to get to the café! Yui's in danger because I was stupid! Why didn't I see it earlier?!'
Meanwhile, at Atori Café, Yui was wiping down a table after a customer had left when she noticed someone enter. It was Masashi Sudo.
"Welcome!" Yui greeted. "How can I help you today?"
"Actually, I believe we can help each other, Ms. Kanzaki." Sudo began. "You see, we've recently come across something related to the missing people cases. It was a driver's license found in an abandoned car that belonged to Shiro Kanzaki. There were no signs of a struggle, and no traces left behind, save for the license. Would there happen to be any relation between you and him?"
"He's my brother!" Yui exclaimed as she marched over to Sudo. "Please, do you have it with you?!"
"It's back at the station." Sudo answered calmly. "However, we'd like to verify if the license does indeed belong to him. If anyone would know, it'd be you."
"I can come with you right now." Yui grabbed her coat and followed Sudo to his car. The instant she was inside, Sudo covered her mouth and nose with a cloth! "Mmph!"
Yui struggled before she felt her consciousness fading, and the last thing she saw was Sudo smirking while holding an Advent Deck with a crab symbol on it.
"Your cooperation is much appreciated, Ms. Kanzaki." Sudo chuckled darkly as he made his way to the driver's seat. However, he noticed something approaching out of the corner of his eye. Two things, actually. "Dammit. They're here sooner than I thought they'd be!"
Shinji and Ren had arrived on their bikes and were making a break for Sudo's car! Sudo quickly strapped himself in and gunned the engine, peeling out of where he'd parked. As Sudo left, Ren flipped up the visor of his helmet, his eyes narrowing at the corrupt detective's car before turning his attention to Shinji.
"Let's go, Kido!" Ren commanded as he flipped his visor down and revved up his bike!
"Right behind you!" Shinji nodded, revving up his own bike's engine!
An instant later, the pair were in hot pursuit of Sudo's car! However, it soon became clear to both Shinji and Ren that Sudo was no longer trying to escape them. In fact, it seemed like he was leading them somewhere.
"We'd better be careful, Ren." Shinji called out. "The last time he tried to lead me to a place, it was a trap."
"Good to see you're learning caution." Ren nodded. "I'll hang back a bit so he thinks I'm giving up. You keep on him."
"You finally starting to trust me?" Shinji asked with a smile.
Beneath his helmet, Ren smirked. "Only because I can count on you to play hero."
True to his word, Ren eased off the gas and slowed down a bit, letting Shinji speed forward to continue the chase. It wasn't long before Sudo parked his car and exited it, Shinji dismounting from his bike as he marched over to confront him.
"I should've seen it from the beginning." Shinji growled as he glared at Sudo. "You were the only other person with access to the antique shop besides Kaga, meaning you were the only one who could've called up the number on my card."
"Aren't you a skilled detective?" Sudo said in mock praise. "It's funny. You were so gung-ho about uniting the Riders to defend humanity, but now you're all about bringing me to justice."
"That's because you're not someone he'd want to fight alongside."
Sudo turned around in surprise and saw Ren staring him down.
"So, what?" Sudo asked as he regained his composure. "Are the two of you out playing superhero? You know the rules: Riders can't coexist."
"I'm well aware of that." Ren stated flatly. "The idiot here knows it to, but he thinks he can change that."
"Then you can understand why I tried to eliminate him." Sudo smirked. "Have you taken a good look at our Contract Monsters' cards? They're weaker than his. Team up with me, and we can get rid of a major threat to our own goals. Besides, my employer might have need for some extra muscle."
"The answer's no." Ren snapped. "I'll beat Kido when the time comes, and I'll do it in a straight fight. That, and I don't like the idea of someone bossing me around. Not to mention, I'd never side with anyone willing to feed their monster with people. Something I've got in common with Kido, I suppose."
Shinji had been silent as he observed Sudo and Ren's conversation, his fist clenching at the mention of Sudo using people to feed Volcancer.
"Why?!" Shinji cried out! "Why did you feed your Contract Monster with people?!"
"Simple. Because it was easier than fighting monsters, and I thought that feeding my monster more often would make it stronger." Sudo replied casually. "That, and it helped me get rid of any loose ends on my dirty dealings. You've given me quite a chase and led me to a significant advantage in the Rider War, so it's only fair to share my story with you two."
Sudo looked down at his Advent Deck for a moment, memories of his initiation into the Rider War playing in his head.
"Kaga was my partner in crime. Or at least, he was until he decided that I didn't pay him enough for his help. So, I terminated our partnership along with him. It was right after I'd sealed up Kaga in the walls that Kanzaki came to me. He gave me the Advent Deck, offering me a place in the Rider War and told me all about the prize waiting for the last Rider standing. An offer I gladly accepted. Not only was it a shot to get whatever I wanted, but it also let me get rid of any loose ends from my dirty dealings. Not to mention humans put up less of a fight than Mirror Monsters, so that makes it easier to feed Volcancer and power him up. And if anyone's getting nosy back at the police station? Well, let's just say the number of mysterious disappearances is going to rise a bit."
"Not if I can help it!" Shinji declared with a fire in his eyes! He could no longer hide his disgust with Sudo! 'I can't let someone like him run around with an Advent Deck! I won't let him disgrace the mantle of Kamen Rider!' "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else!"
"I've been eager to settle the score from yesterday." Sudo smirked as he pulled out his Advent Deck. Shinji was about to follow suit but Ren stopped him.
"Not this time, Kido. You've got more important things to take care of right now." Ren declared as he stared down Sudo. "I'll be the one fighting you."
"Stepping in to save your friend?" Sudo asked with a disinterested look on his face.
"No." Ren shook his head. "You and I have to break out tie streak sometime, wouldn't you agree?"
Sudo smirked. "Hmph. True enough. Well then, let's settle this. Whenever you're ready."
Ren pulled out his Advent Deck and approached a nearby window, Sudo following suit. Both raised their Advent Decks to the window, and summoned the V-Buckles onto their waists. While Ren adopted his transformation pose, Sudo initiated his own, extending his arm forward before raising it up and imitating a crab's pincer with his hand.
"HENSHIN!" Both called out before slotting in their Advent Decks! Phantom greyscale images of their armors spinning around before colliding into them, transforming them into Kamen Rider Knight and Scissors. The pair of Riders exchanged a brief glare before jumping into the window and mounting the Ride Shooters that were waiting for them. As the two Riders raced toward the Mirror World, Shinji turned his attention to Sudo's car.
"Yui!" Shinji gasped in realization as he ran to the car.
Shinji was thankful that Sudo had left the door to his car unlocked and manage to pull Yui out. It was faint, but Shinji could hear Yui groaning. Being knocked out and driven around without a seatbelt must have been pretty uncomfortable for the girl. All the same, Shinji was relieved that Yui was relatively unharmed. As he held Yui up, Shinji turned his attention to the window that Knight and Scissors dove into. He could see both Riders exiting their Ride Shooters, preparing to clash.
'All of Ren's past fights with Scissors have been draws, but that's usually because Abyss has had to pull Scissors out before things got bad. This'll be their first uninterrupted fight.'
In the Mirror World, Knight and Scissors were standing across each other. Knight had drawn the Darkvisor while Scissors pulled back the arm his Scissorvisor was mounted on. In an instant, the two Riders charged at each other, Knight swinging his Darkvisor in an attempt to land the first hit! But Scissors rolled under Knight's swing and sprang up to face the bat Rider and strike with the Scissorvisor. The two Riders' visor weapons clashed, each collision emitting sparks. For every swing Knight took with his Darkvisor, Scissors intercepted the strike with his Scissorvisor and shoved the blade away! When the two's visors locked once again, Scissors kicked Knight in the side, forcing the bat Rider to stumble back!
Scissors went for the opening his attack had made, but Knight side-stepped his swing! Knight tried to go for another hit, but immediately switched to a defensive form to block another strike from Scissors' visor. With a grunt, Knight managed to push Scissors off him, but this left him vulnerable. Seeing the window, Scissors struck Knight in the chest with the Scissorvisor. The force of the hit spun Knight so that his back was to Scissors, and the crab Rider wasted no time capitalizing on this. Scissors used the arm his visor was mounted on to choke Knight while he held Knight's other arm back with his free arm.
'Need to break free!' Knight thought frantically as he struggled against Scissors' chokehold on him!
Knight managed to yank his arm forward and draw a card from his Advent Deck. Something Scissors noticed and responded by increasing the pressure of his chokehold on Knight. With a bit more struggling, Knight managed to open up the Darkvisor and slotted in the card, snapping the visor shut as quick as he could!
"NASTY VENT!"
At the visor's announcement, Darkwing arrived on the scene to aid his contractor, letting out a sonic scream that made Scissors release Knight from his chokehold and clutch his head in pain!
"AGH!" Scissors screamed as Darkwing's screech pierced through his ears!
Darkwing's screeching ceased within a few seconds, long enough for Knight to get some breathing room. An instant later, Knight and Scissors were glaring as they walked parallel to each other before breaking into a run with their weapons raised!
Back in the real world, Shinji was watching the duel unfold. As he observed, Shinji couldn't help but hear the words of Kanzaki echoing in his mind.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Shinji looked down at his Advent Deck in contemplation. He'd set out to stop the fighting and unite the Kamen Riders to defend humanity from the Mirror Monsters. But after seeing someone like Sudo, Shini remembered some advice Tezuka had given him a while back: Not every Kamen Rider wants to be saved or stop the fighting. Some are so committed to getting the wish that they won't listen to reason.
'And some are worse than that.' Shinji thought with disgust as he glared at Scissors. 'I just met one of those types. Is this the worst you meant, Tezuka? Or are there even worse people who've been given Advent Decks?'
"Nghh… Shinji?"
Shinji snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Yui's voice. Relieved that she was now fully conscious, Shinji let Yui stand on her own.
"Good. You're awake." Shinji smiled in relief before a regretful look spread across his face. "Yui, it's my fault you got abducted. I didn't piece together Scissors' true identity until it was too late."
"You're not the only one at fault here." Yui said sadly. "I got too excited at the prospect of a lead on my brother that I didn't stop to think it might be a trap for me. You might have fallen for Scissors' trick, but you recognized your mistake and did your best to make things right by rescuing me."
"Be sure to thank Ren too." Shinji gestured to the nearby window. "He's fighting Scissors now."
Shinji and Yui turned their attention to the window and the fight taking place within the location's Mirror World counterpart. Knight had just been knocked to the ground by Scissors, but managed to roll into a kneeling stance.
"Better get serious." Knight muttered to himself as he opened up the Darkvisor and slotted in a new Advent Card.
"SWORD VENT!"
Darkwing once again swooped over the battleground. But instead of unleashing a sonic screech, the giant bat dropped a lance into his partner's hands. Scissors jumped at Knight, but hit in the shoulder by Knight's Winglancer, forcing the crab Rider to retreat from Knight's swings and thrusts! Though Scissors attempted to strike back, his swings were intercepted by Knight's lance. It wasn't long before Scissors' blocking efforts began to wear him down, leaving him open to attack. Knight wasted no time in delivering a hard thrust from his Winglancer to Scissor's chest, sparks showering out from where Scissors' armor had been struck! The force of the thrust was so strong that it sent Scissors flying into a nearby column! Upon falling to the ground, Scissors opened up his visor and slotted an Advent Card inside.
"STRIKE VENT!"
At the visor's announcement, the Scissor Pinch materialized on Scissors' right arm. Scissors gave a few snaps with his pincer gauntlet, taunting Knight to come at him. Knight immediately responded with a charge towards Scissors, his lance raised to strike at the crab Rider! But right as Knight swung his Winglancer, Scissors parried the lance with his pincer gauntlet and took a swing at Knight. Knight was forced to step back to avoid Scissors' swipe, and immediately rushed forward to swing again as soon as he was out of striking range. However, this was what Scissors had been waiting for. Scissors ran past Knight, narrowly missing Knight's swing, and hit the bat Rider with a backhanded strike from his gauntlet!
Knight staggered for a brief moment before regaining his footing and thrusting the Winglancer at Scissors, but the villainous Rider blocked the lance with his gauntlet and shoved it out of the way, hitting Knight across the chest with his Scissorvisor before landing another strike with the Scissor Pinch and striking again with his visor! As Scissors went for another swing with the Scissor Pinch, Knight raised his Winglancer to block it. But while Knight was successful in blocking Scissors' pincer gauntlet, Scissors saw an opportunity to cripple the bat Rider. And he did so with a kick to Knight's leg, forcing the bat Rider to the ground!
The instant Knight was down, Scissors spread the pincers on his gauntlet as wide as they could go before shooting his arm forward, intent on clamping around Knight's neck! Knight barely had time to react as he positioned his Winglancer in front of him to intercept Scissors' gauntlet, grunting as he struggled to hold his enemy's weapon at bay.
"My claw could snap your lance like a toothpick." Scissors gloated as he squeezed the Winglancer harder with his Scissor Pinch. "Looks like I win."
Knight said nothing as he glared at Scissors through his helmet and reached for the Darkvisor sheathed at his hip. Quick as a flash, Knight slashed at Scissors waist, the blade of his visor striking Scissors' Advent Deck in the process and leaving a barely visible fracture behind. Scissors was caught off-guard by Knight's desperate attack and stumbled back far enough for Knight to get back on his feet.
'I have to end this now!' Knight thought as he drew a card from his Advent Deck. It was his Final Vent card. Wasting no time, Knight opened up the Darkvisor and slotted in his Final Vent. Scissors had just recovered from his brief stumble, and immediately followed suit.
"Final Vent!"
At both visors' announcements, the respective Contract Monsters of each Rider were summoned to their partner's side. Darkwing to Knight's and Volcancer to Scissors'. Knight charged at Scissors as Darkwing attached to his back, leaping into the air an instant later. At the same time, Scissors jumped up and was catapulted into the air by Volcancer, becoming a human cannon ball in the process. Knight, on the other hand, began to descend towards Scissors, the wings of Darkwing enveloping him and turning him into a drill poised to pierce through his target! An explosion erupted as the two Final Vents collided, and when the smoke cleared Knight was on the ground while Scissors had landed on his feet.
"Ngh… " Knight groaned as he struggled to get back up.
"One down." Scissors remarked before a cracking sound captured his attention.
In an instant, cracks and fractures sprouted all over Scissors' Advent Deck. Before the Rider could register what was happening, his deck shattered into pieces! Upon the deck's destruction, both Knight and Shinji felt a pulse coming from their own Advent Decks.
"What?!" Scissors cried out in shock!
As he looked himself over, Scissors saw that his armor was dissolving! But that wasn't the worst of it. A low growl from Volcancer made Scissors turn to face his Contract Monster. Volcancer stalked towards Scissors, hunger evident in his movements.
"The contract!" Scissors realized in horror. "No… No! NO! This can't be happening! You listen to ME! I kept you fed, didn't I?! You can't me! You can't!"
Scissors words fell on deaf ears as Volcancer's advance continued unflinchingly. The evil Rider's denial of the situation growing ever stronger with each of the crab monster's footsteps.
"I… I'll survive!" Scissors screamed! "I'll definitely survive!"
This claim was proven false as Volcancer lunged forward and clamped his claws down on Scissors shoulders, preventing the Rider from fleeing! As Knight got to his feet, his eyes widened in horror as he bore witness to what happened when a contract between Rider and monster was broken. Volcancer began to devour Scissors, the Rider's armor dissolving rapidly to reveal Masashi Sudo one last time before he too began to dissolve and face into nothingness as Volcancer consumed him completely. Knight looked away in sheer disgust.
Shinji and Yui were also witnessing this horrifying sight from the real world. Yui had covered her mouth in horror while Shinji looked on in complete shock.
"Oh god… " Yui uttered breathlessly.
"This… this is what happens if I fail to save people I can reach." Shinji muttered in complete dread. "I didn't realize this is how… they eat people. There's nothing left behind once they're done. No blood, no bones, no clothes. No traces at all. Nothing to leave behind or give closure to the victims' loved ones."
But Shinji couldn't afford to spend any more time voicing his thoughts as he noticed Volcancer stalking towards Knight. Shinji immediately transformed into Kamen Rider Ryuki and dove into the window, rushing to Knight's aid in the Mirror World! Upon arriving, Ryuki immediately drew his Final Vent card and slotted it into the Dragvisor!
"Final Vent!"
Dragreder roared as he flew onto the scene and coiled around Ryuki, the roar instantly grabbing Volcancer's attention. A second or two later, Ryuki leaped into the air, Dragreder circling around him as he repositioned himself into a flying kick before being shot forward by a blast of Dragreder's flames! Ryuki screaming his heart out as shot forward like a bullet!
"HHHHAAAAAAAAA!"
Ryuki's fiery kick collided against Volcancer, a huge explosion erupting forth as the kick made contact! As the smoke cleared, an orb of energy hovered where Volcancer had once stood. Dragreder eagerly descended upon the orb as it hovered into the sky. Ryuki was about to make Dragreder stop, but remembered another one of Raia's teachings.
'If I let it go, Volcancer would just reform later and begin his feeding frenzy again.' Ryuki thought solemnly.
Seeing no objections from his contractor, Dragreder gobbled up the orb. Letting out a pleased growl before flying away.
"Eat up, big guy." Ryuki sighed as he walked over to Knight. "Ren. Hey. Ren!"
"Kido?" Knight said as he snapped out of his shock. "You saw what happened, right?"
"Yeah." Ryuki nodded. "Guess this shows we need to keep a tight hold on our decks. Especially our Contract cards."
"Guess it takes more than a full belly to have a Mirror Monster's loyalty." Knight muttered. "How's Yui?"
"She's shaken up a bit after seeing… y'know." Ryuki sighed. "C'mon. We'd better get her back home. She's had a rough day."
Knight nodded and the two heroic Riders exited the Mirror World, reverting to their civilian forms before escorting Yui back to Atori Cafe. But as he went about his day, Ren felt a heavy weight from his battle. Though he didn't show it, seeing Volcancer eat Scissors had shaken up Ren a fair bit.
'Is that going to happen to every Rider I beat?' Ren thought. 'Would Dragreder… devour Kido?'
Meanwhile at the building of Scissors and Abyss's Employer
The man who'd employed Abyss and recruited Scissors stared at a small rectangular box on his desk. A moment later, Abyss popped out of a nearby window.
"Sorry I'm late, boss." Abyss apologized. "Had to take care of a few pests on the way here. You felt that pulse coming from your deck too, right?"
"Yes." Abyss's employer nodded. "Which can mean only one thing: A Kamen Rider has been defeated. And chances are that it was Detective Sudo who met his end. Such a shame."
"Yeah." Abyss scratched his helmet. "But honestly, he didn't add much. Just more muscle to throw around. Sorry about that."
"The fault is mine as well." The man stated. "I should have suggested that you observe Riders with unique skills in addition to brute force. For the next Rider we recruit, let's see if they have more… firepower."
AN: Hey everyone! Sorry it took a while to get this out. I've been busy with a new quest in Dragon Quest XI, and have been having way too much fun there. So here we have it. Our first Rider death. And like in the canon show, Scissors is the first to go. Hope you all enjoyed the fight, and be sure to read and review. This story is only possible thanks to your feedback.