Chapter 4: The More Things Change
Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider or Re:Creators as they both belong to their respective owners.
"Alright. What do you want, Magane?"
Emu and his companions were gathered inside Matsubara's apartment, along with Nico and Magane who happened to pass them by. It seems that Magane had something to say in regards of the recent battles between the Riders and the Creations. Believing that she might hold the knowledge of the latter, Emu decided to hear out her message in hopes of attaining it and turn the tide of the battle to his favor.
That is, if he stayed cautious with what Magane was capable of.
"Looks like my reputation precedes me in this world. Very well." Magane began, casually resting on the couch like a true street cat. "Now, where do we begin from here? Oh, that's right! I just killed my Creator!"
Silence.
"...EEEEEHHH!?"
"D-Don't talk as if that's what you did in your last holiday!" Nico whined, while cowering behind Meteora.
"As expected. What a true psycho..." Emu muttered in disgust, squeezing his knee to force himself to not say anything he'll regret as he knew was fully aware of the consequences that would follow.
"I'll take that as a compliment!"
"Hey, is it just me, or does she give me some truly wrong vibes, here?" Selesia questioned, automatically on guard and ready to attack at any moment.
"You're not wrong about that..." Matsubara stated, himself cowering behind his own Creation. "Magane Chikujoin from Record of the Night Window Demon. She's actually the antagonist of that story. I heard some rumors that there used to be two writers of the story, but one of them decided to leave the project to the other one halfway and went on towards the gaming industry."
"And if my guess is right, the person that you already killed must be the one who's still writing the novel, isn't it?" Meteora deduced, still and calm and monotone as ever.
"That's right! I'm impressed that you did your research thoroughly! Even though this world would probably not give any single damn about it. That saves my breath a lot, so it's very much appreciated!" Magane gloated in a cheerful manner. "That being said...I was wondering if any of you know where my other Creator is. would you kindly tell me where he is, now?"
"Do you actually expect us to just hand you that out after what you just admitted?" Emu denied venomously. "And let me guess: once you find out his whereabouts, you're gonna kill him, right? Like hell I'll let that happen!"
"Really? That's too bad. And here I thought we could be friends." She pouted.
"Then what are we waiting for? We should-!"
"Hold it, Selesia!" Emu halted the warrior princess as she was about to reach for her sword.
"What?"
"She might not seem like it, but...she could erase you in one fell swoop by twisting the fabric of reality if you slip out."
"You're kidding me, right?"
"Look, just stand down for now, alright? I'm not risking our lives here!"
While the others were still busy with this argument, Magane took a quick glance upon Nico's Genm Corp. Pin on her bag, suggesting that it was indeed a company name. That, and Matsubara also mentioned something about gaming industry himself. And it was an enough reason for her to be on her way.
"So...a gaming industry, was it? Very well, that's all the clue I need. Toodles!"
"Wait, I'm not done with you, yet!" Selesia exclaimed, bringing out her sword, "You won't get away with this!"
Magane grinned as Selesia charged towards her with her sword.
"Selesia!"
"A lie for a lie. That is the truth you seek."
And just with those words alone, the purple-haired schoolgirl was gone with the wind, leaving their questions unanswered.
"What the...where did she go?" Selesia whispered, wide-eyed.
"That...is what she's capable of." Nico sighed in relief, coming to the forefront of the room now that madwoman was gone. "When you said that she won't get away, she used her ability to twist that reality and ran away. You won't feel it, you won't see it, it all just happens."
Emu calmed himself, crossing his arms and asked Nico. "You see what we're just dealing with now, right? It'll be impossible for us to work apart like this. Work with us, Nico. You're our best chance to clear this game."
"Really? You're still going on with that?" Nico asked haughtily, unimpressed. "I ain't gonna-"
"You will!"
"I won't!"
"We share a common enemy! But we don't get to choose who our allies are. You understand?" Emu insisted.
"I CHOOSE how I want to fight!" Nico insisted back.
"THEY will give you no choice! None of us would be given one!"
"Ugh, you're so annoying!" Nico attempted brushed Emu away, but the young man managed to hold his stand with his feet.
It seems that the negotiation was nearly impossible for the young intern. First he tried the most subtle way possible, before he went with a more assertive approach. All of three of them failed to buy Nico's attention. Not to mention, he still had Taiga to reel into his fold, as well.
Her stubbornness was everything he needed to release his final weapon. And so, Emu took a deep breath and used every ounce of it to release his devastating blow.
"PLEASE JOIN MEEEE!"
He released a loud, childlike scream that shook the eardrums of Nico and those inside the room. Perhaps it could be best described as the giant horn that shook the entire world and the foundation of reality itself.
"I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU! PRETTY PLEASE JOIN ME! WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER! WE'RE GONNA DEFEAT THE BUGSTERS TOGETHER! PLEASE JOIN ME!"
Emu kept on screaming near Nico's head as she could only helplessly close her ears. He had no time to feel bad about it either, for he still had a mission to fulfill. He was already out of options, nor he had the patience to keep up with Nico's constant blabbering.
"PLEASE! JOIN! MEEEEEEEEE!"
"SHUT UUUUUUUPPPP!"
Nico Saiba's boiling rage had already reached its upper limit. She took a nearby chair and swung it right into the intern's head. The impact was strong enough to fling him into a wall and hit it so hard that he could feel his back being cracked out.
The young girl panted from the scream, before she let this out.
"I'LL NEVER JOIN YOU! NOT NOW! NOT TOMORROW! NOT IN A MILLION YEARS! 'YA HEAR ME!? I'M OUTTA' HERE!"
Nico slammed the door as hard as her denial. The others could only stare in confusion due to how awkward the situation turned out. They were not sure as to how they should take Emu for whether he was stern or just plainly stupid. However, both Selesia and Meteora took the initiative to lift him up.
"Are you alright?" Meteora asked.
"Lost a bit of my dignity but yeah, I'm fine." Was his reassuring response.
"Seriously? That's how you do it? By whining?" Selesia asked, hand on hip.
"Sadly. The last thing I ever wanted is to get my teeth kicked in by a Ride Player. Can't let my pride being hurt over it, I guess."
"Somehow I get the feeling that you'll do it all over again."
"Oh dear lady, this won't be my last."
"As far as my logic concerns, I don't see how your method would win over her." Meteora said to Emu.
"Oh, it will. It has to. You'll see." Emu said with a bit of an uncertainty. Deep inside, he knew that he had been riding a lot in this bet.
"Well, that was...eventful." Matsubara interjected. "I just got a mail from Marine. Said that she had some pressing matters today, but she'll try again tomorrow."
"Too bad, huh?" Emu muttered.
"I know, but at this point, I don't think anyone would just deny a chance to meet an anime character brought to life." Matsubara added.
"Still, it's a good thing. Those two girls would be too much of a hurdle, here. Especially Magane. She kept giving me off the wrong vibes." Selesia noted.
"That being said, we need to reschedule our meeting with Marine. I believe today would be inconvenient for us." Meteora suggested. "But if this Marine is still willing to meet us tomorrow as Matsubara said, then we'll take it as well."
"Can't argue that." The young intern said. "Speaking of schedules though. You should take a break, Matsubara. We'll figure things out further tomorrow."
"Figures..." the author sighed wearily. "The last thing I ever hope is for another trouble to find us."
The Military Uniform Princess and her Creation allies had fled the raging battle against the Riders into their abandoned construction site. Both Aliceteria and Blitz were bruised by their sheer power, one that they had never encountered before in their worlds.
"It seems that I am not strong enough to hold on my own. To be rescued by you... I have nothing but shame towards my weakness." Blitz spoke as he leaned onto a nearby wall, not wanting to show his fatigue too much.
"There is no need for you to belittle yourself." The one known as Bugsterina replied smoothly. "I have made an error in my previous judgement, as well. We must carefully plan our next move should we ever need to encounter them once more. Isn't it true, Your Majesty?" she turned to Aliceteria.
"It's...unbelievable. I noticed the big difference between how they fight. And yet, they bested us..." She admitted with downcasted eyes.
"Then, it's best for you to keep your head cool, young lady. With the way you are right now, I doubt you could even the odds against them." Blitz jabs with no real heat in his voice.
"You-!"
"Enough." Bugsterina halted, hand raised in an calming gesture. "For now, all we can do is to preserve our strength for our next encounter. I am certain that we will fight those Riders once again."
Aliceteria bitterly accepted. "Very well..."
From a distance, a mysterious. pink female watched over them.
And in a flurry of data, she quickly vanished shortly afterwards.
A day had already passed since then, and Hiiro Kagami had safely returned from his fierce fight against the rogue Creations. He sat on the CR center's round table, reviewing the fight on his own. Thinking back, it was also his first time seeing the so-called Bugsterina in action. Although she only conjured a protection barrier at the time, it didn't take long for him to figure out that she was out of his league, let alone beating the rogue Creations all by himself.
It was through his - begrudging - teamwork with Taiga that he managed to get out of it alive, that he finally understood why Emu insisted on working together with the "stray duo" as a proper unit. He might seem like someone who loves to mess around on the outside, but as time went by he could see the pure determination on the intern's eyes whenever he sets out his sights on his own goal, truly what a passionate pro gamer would do.
As for the unlicensed doctor...well, it might take him some time to get used on his presence should Emu succeeded in persuading him and Nico. Seeing the utmost importance of his mission as a surgeon and a Kamen Rider, he had to figure out his own personal feelings himself. He had been holding out to his grudge towards Taiga for not being able to save the person he cared about for so long that he grew colder towards his patients in turn.
And seeing how Emu lashed at the two, Hiiro thought that he should know better than to disappoint him in the future.
Now that he thinks about it, he was rather curious towards Emu's sudden change of behavior. During his first time meeting him, he was rather timid and passive whenever he's dealing with patients outside of the battle, and that as a young intern, his naivety often gets the better of him. To see him becoming assertive all of the sudden was just too odd. Could it be that the Creations' appearance influenced him?
No, he shouldn't be thinking that far. He believed that it was Emu's natural development as he matured to become an aspiring doctor, or so it seems. Either way, it is worth observing for the sake of his curiosity.
And just in that moment, Emu finally returned to the CR center along with the Creations as they prepare for the late afternoon sessions.
"Excuse us!" Emu said as he entered the CR center with Selesia and Meteora.
"Good morning, Doctor Hiiro." Meteora followed.
"Oh, you three. I've been expecting you." Hiiro greeted. "You're just in time for the late afternoon session, intern."
"Ah, lucky me, eh?" Emu stated.
"Does that mean you have a schedule after this?" Selesia asked.
"You're right..." Emu stretched his body. "Man, I can't wait to see the adorable faces the kids would make!"
"You sure like taking care of kids, huh?" The redhead remarked.
"They kinda reminded me of myself when I was younger, though; fun, energetic, full of dreams, that's why I'm not exaggerating when I say kids are truly a wonder of this world."
"Wow, that's the first time I'm hearing it, really. Remind me to write that down in my notebook, though. If I ever get one..."
"By the way, how are things going on your end?" Hiiro was the first one to ask, much to Emu's surprise.
"We met Magane Chikujoin and Nico Saiba when we were on our way to meet Mr. Matsubara's friend. It was an eventful meeting, for the lack of better term." Meteora reported as she took a seat next to Hiiro.
"Do tell."
"Can you believe that girl? She just killed her creator, and there's not a single shred of guilt from her!" Selesia shouted. "But knowing what she could do...I don't even know if I could lay a single hand on her."
"Not only that, she's also looking for her other creator, and I quickly sealed my lips as soon as I took notice." Emu added.
"I don't see any spells coming from you back then." Meteora commented.
"I mean metaphorically."
"Ah, I see."
"And how about Nico?" Hiiro asked.
"We've got that taken care of! Don't worry!" Emu assured.
"Oh really? Last time I checked, all you did was traumatize her." Selesia dejected.
"Pssh, nah! What are you talking about? She'll pull through. Just like any other good gamer!" he reassured, although with a bit of sweat dropping off of his head.
"I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU! PRETTY PLEASE JOIN ME! WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER! WE'RE GONNA DEFEAT THE BUGSTERS TOGETHER! PLEASE JOIN ME!"
"PLEASE JOIN MEEEEEE!"
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Nico screamed as she jolted awake from her beauty sleep. Her messy hair was accompanied by her blackened eyelids and gloomy face. Emu's "incessant prattling" had finally gone through her, and she had no idea how to rid such ordeal from her head. "Oh, my sweet dreams... where have you gone to?"
"Uh-huh..." She cautiously agreed. "And what about you, Hiiro?"
"I got ambushed by the blonde lady-knight."
"You mean Aliceteria?" Emu quickly closed in on the surgeon.
"It turns out that Taiga and another Creation fought on the same Game Field as mine."
"And?"
"We worked together- "
"AND?"
"Do you MIND pulling your face away from mine? You're creepy face will surely tarnish your image as a pediatrician, intern."
"Then spill it!"
Hiiro sighed and continued as Emu backed away. "All I can say is that it all worked well, until "Bugsterina" intervened and aided their escape. I did everything you asked for Taiga's cooperation. He said that he will consider it. That is all."
"That's my man! I knew I could count on you!" Emu said as he wrapped his arm into the surgeon and patted his shoulder.
"Alright, alright..." Hiiro sighed. "And here I thought that I'm the senior here."
"But to think that Bugsterina would go on her own way to save them...usually the bad guys wouldn't want to get their hands dirty just so they could rescue their subordinates. But she feels...different." Selesia states, sitting across from Emu.
"It's probably because she still needs them. If they are indeed the protagonists of their own story, then their strengths are vital in order to accomplish her plans." Meteora replied. "Still, other than making a fuss in this world, we don't know what's her endgame other than destruction, so far."
"That's what we're gonna find out. And then, Aliceteria, huh?" Selesia thought deeply. She then turned on Hiiro. "What was she like when you met her?"
"Fierce would be an understatement of what she is. Not only that, she seemed so unyielding for a warrior princess." Hiiro answered.
"A Warrior Princess... she might be just like me." the red-haired girl said.
"And who's the other Creation you mentioned, here?"
Hiiro activated his CR device and displayed the Creation's profile. "According to the database, he's known as Blitz Tokar from an anime known as Code: Babylon."
"Blitz Tokar from Code: Babylon? Damn, he's totally a cool guy, though." The intern complimented. "He's an ex-detective and bounty hunter, working for the Flashlight Detective Agency that handles cases of demi-human and synthetic monsters."
"So, it's safe to assume that he also knows his ropes on supernatural occurrences, including survival in another world." Hiiro continued.
"Another handful of person, huh?" Emu muttered.
Soon, Emu and Hiiro's phone alarms rang, meaning that their sessions had just begun.
"Very well. I shall be on my way, then. My patient awaits me." Hiiro said.
"Same for me. Let's do our best."
"That's what we always do."
After Hiiro took his leave, Emu turned to the Creations enthusiastically. "So! You guys ready?" Selesia and Meteora then took out a bag of clothes with varying responses.
"We're ready to go, doctor!" Selesia replied with a smile, albeit turning into a more awkward one moments after.
"We're looking forward to your teachings, Doctor Emu." Meteora plainly replied.
"PERFECTO! Now let's find you guys some changing room 'cause later on, we're gonna go on a FIELD TRIP!"
Selesia however, ended it with an awkward laugh. "Why do I feel like a kindergarten student, though?"
The afternoon before...
"So! You two got no plans for tomorrow, right?"
"Other than staying here? I don't think so." Selesia replied. "Then again, I don't think it'd even do us any good. I kinda don't like being holed up all the time, even if I'm in a completely different world than my own."
"I believe we could still somehow learn more about this world, as well." Meteora added.
Emu rubbed his chin in deep thought. Knowing that they were unfamiliar with his world, handing them a laptop wouldn't be a good idea either. Not only that, they would definitely stand out too much with the outfits they wore.
And so, the intern was finally struck with an idea.
"In that case, how about you two visit my workplace tomorrow?"
"Eh? Can we?" Selesia asked.
"Sure! I'll handle the arrangements with director Kagami now so that he could prepare for tomorrow. I was actually planning it for today, but it looks like my my schedule is about to get plenty. Plus, I think we're gonna need to do something about your clothes."
"Is there something wrong with it?" Meteora asked.
Emu then stood up and tidied his clothes. "You guys are definitely gonna stand out in the public, and I'd rather not have you guys causing a scene. We're gonna need some... Earth clothes to blend you guys in so that you can visit my workplace without drawing too much attention."
"I see." Selesia nodded, knowing that she and Meteora had to be more tactful since they were in a world unlike their own. "One more thing though, why do you want us to visit your workshop? Won't that be intruding your work?"
"Well, I just happened to have an empty schedule tomorrow, so I'm gonna use that chance to teach you guys the ropes of one of the many occupations in this world! Also, I want you guys to familiarize yourselves into this world more so that you won't break any more windows for no apparent reason anymore!" he enthusiastically answered.
"Y-yeah..." Selesia awkwardly answered, remembering how such trivial issue could anger the young intern last time.
"Still though, I'm serious about teaching you guys some rules and knowledge about this world. It's better than being holed up without anything to do at all right?"
And so, Selesia and Meteora were clad in their urban, Earth clothes: Selesia was wearing a sleeveless yellow shirt covered by a red, elbow-sleeved cotton jacket, a pair of knee length trousers, and a pair of cream-colored sandals. As for Meteora, she was wearing a white elbow-sleeved shirt, a pair of black trousers, and a pair of black shoes. The girls had been successfully blended themselves into the society.
The two were on their way to Emu's workplace, guided by yours truly. However, the two still found themselves being gazed by some people, much to Selesia's unease. Meteora dismissed the notion to Selesia that it was probably because they were foreigners to them, and that their faces told a lot of it. Emu assured them that it was normal for foreigners to attend the hospital, which he could easily explain to his coworkers alongthe way. And despite the small disturbance, they had finally arrived in the pediatrics section, and soon reached Emu Hojo's office.
It was thanks to director Haima Kagami that they had the leisure to begin their session. Emu explained to the nurses working on the pediatrician section that Selesia and Meteora are on a university internship from abroad, and that they chose the pediatrics majoring with Emu being chosen as their guide. Selesia and Meteora were fascinated by how Emu was able to fabricate their information, knowing that others wouldn't believe in the truth. Such is the purpose of communication, whether it was for reaching out to the truth, or even hiding it for good.
Even so, Emu's intention to teach them the ropes of his world remained genuine.
The three began with an introduction for the pediatrics, being a branch of medicine that specializes in the medical care of infants, children, and adolescent. Although Emu would often go a bit out of his way by referencing healer class job from various fantasy RPG games, the two otherworldly girls somehow found it easy to follow, and that astonished the nurses quite a bit while laughing it off. After the introductions were finally finished, Emu decided to take the tour with a more practical approach by taking over a therapy session from another pediatrician, which had also been arranged beforehand as per director Kagami's orders.
Another day, another work. That is how the cycle of life goes for everyone with a job, including the esteemed blue-collared surgeon himself. He was walking down the halls of the hospital after a shift change for a much needed break. The sweets have always been an important factor in keeping his mind focused, otherwise it would jeopardize his performance in the operating room, or so he claimed.
As he took another step further, he began looking back to his earlier days with the young intern. He remembered viewing him as nothing but a nuisance, inexperienced brat who could only talk about his ideals without any strength nor willpower to back up such claims. Hiiro had always been a pragmatic one, prioritizing his work more than the well-being of his patients. And as much as he hated to admit it, he was nothing different than the unlicensed Taiga with the only difference being their motivations: whereas he strived for his reputation, Taiga was all in for the money. And both ended up with one thing:
Arrogance.
As he spent time with Emu, he began to slowly see things in another light. It was from their encounter that Hiiro began to reevaluate his methods as a surgeon. Perhaps, one could say that it was a balancing act long overdue since he began his career, where one must need the other to see the things they could never had on their own. People are just as important as his job could ever be, and that the Kamen Riders are the face of such value. And as the defender of peace, Hiiro could never afford to go back to his old habits. He needed to adapt in order to survive just like any human being would.
He soon arrived at the front door of Emu's clinic room. He took a peek into the inside to see if Emu is doing fine with Selesia and Meteora since his father had informed him of their visit. He still wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but at least he hoped that it would worth a shot.
And his eyes could only widen to what he saw.
Emu Hojo still found himself in trouble with handling the kid he was about to check up with. The kid inside the clinic was so hyperactive that he kept on running around the room. It was enough to cause a ruckus that not even Emu alone could handle. Even Selesia had to help out and fail a few times before the kid could finally calm down.
The esteemed surgeon could not help but sigh at what just transpired inside the clinic. Though Emu have the potential to step into the professional realm of medical service, he was still an intern at this moment. Even so, Hiiro would still keep an eye on his progress, for he was also burdened with the fate of humanity just like him.
"Oh, Doctor Hojo. You still have SO much to learn."
It's been a few days since the public began to acknowledge CR to clear the Kamen Rider Chronicle game. The number of Ride Players began to decrease significantly due to the danger the real-life massive multiplayer game presented. A game was supposed to be an escape from the abundance of reality, where people can enjoy playing with their relatives and peers without any worry. Despite the warnings by the CR however, some people still refused to hand over the Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashats due to various reasons, and many of them were personal.
And that is what happened on the other side of the town. Another game began in a small alley amidst the city. The players were present along with the trinkets they brought along.
KAMEN RIDER CHRONICLE!
"GAME START!"
ENTER THE GAME! RI-RIDING THE END!
There were three people present on the scene: two males and one female. All of them were wearing combat suits that looked similar to Ex-Aid, but with some differences; the suits were mostly black with some silver circuitry linings and brown accents. The helmets were a simplified, bald version of Ex-Aid with brown colors and a pair of white emotive pupils. They were also seen holding a dagger/gun combo weapon.
In front of them was a Bugster themed after a samurai. Its overall body was black with a pair of white boots at the bottom. It was also seen wearing a red sash on his torso and wielding a pair of katanas, implying that it was a practitioner of nitoryu, a Japanese dual-sword technique. Its shoulder pads were uniquely styled, with a mask of Tengu on the right and a lion ornament on the left. Its head was half-covered in a red helmet with a silver Oni face design on its forehead, and a grunting pair of teeth was visible below the helmet.
Kaiden Bugster stood in the way of the Ride Players' quest. As the Ride Players had their armaments ready, the monster stood still like a mountain, as if he was waiting for them to strike instead. The male Ride Players then let out a war cry as the female one fired her gun. Kaiden swiftly blocked, or sliced the energy bullets instead with his katanas, twirling them as fast as the wind blows. The male Ride Players managed to close in on the monster and swung their weapons into him. Kaiden kept on blocking their attacks, but little did the Ride Players noticed that he had the higher ground.
Kaiden was still going on with the defense because he was measuring his opponents. As he focused his sight on the two male Ride Players, he noticed that the female Ride Player hadn't been shooting him again because her two friends got in the line of her sight, nor she could navigate around the alleyway like the Riders would. Which is why, Kaiden made use of the situation and with his swordsmanship, he easily defeated the two by delivering numerous slashes that depleted a quarter of their health meter. As soon as he was done with them, he dashed towards the female Ride Player who frantically shot him without landing a single hit. It all ended with Kaiden's straight slash that hit the Ride Player's abdomen and depleted a quarter of her HP as well.
"How impudent! You dare to challenge me, the Great Kaiden with nothing but sticks, and yet you failed to realize that your strength is that of a fly!" the monster mocked.
"Damn… he's strong!" the first male player grunted.
"Oi, what the hell's wrong with you!? Aren't you supposed to shoot him!?" the second male player shouted.
And the female player countered, "You two were blocking my line of sight! How am I supposed to shoot him if you guys are in the way!?"
"W-Well..."
"Looks like he got us with that. Now what?"
"If this keeps going on, we'll be toast!" the female player said.
"If you are done with your self-reflecting, then stand once more and face your glorious dea-!"
A loud explosion occured from behind the Bugster. As smokes flew out, two Ride Players, male and female, were thrown out of it as if they were fighting someone else. They were bruised, battered, and tossed into the ground by something, or someone so powerful. The Ride Players grunted from the pain they sustained, along with the fatigue that took over them since essentially, they were civilians outfitted with a military-grade equipment that they weren't accustomed to. Another figure then emerged from the smoke, which clearly indicated that this is the one the two Ride Player were going up against.
It was a purple-haired man with a pair of orange sunglasses covering his eyes. He was seen wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with some of the chest section unbuttoned. Underneath the shirt was a white shirt and a golden necklace was seen dangling on his neck. He was also wearing a pair of red cargo pants with belts circling around the legs, the pockets, and hanging around the the back of his knees. Finally, on his left hand were five rings put on each of his fingers, and on the right hand was a black wooden sword with a red line going straight down to the middle of the blade.
The two Ride Players stood up once more and attacked the man once more, but their efforts were proven futile by his relentless attacks. From consecutive slashes and some occasional kicks, all so powerful that he could break the ground, the Ride Players never stood a chance at all.
"C'mon, that all you got?" The man said, unimpressed. He walked closer towards the two Ride Players with an intimidating posture to boot. "What did you say back then again? You're gonna take me down and... "win the game"? Seriously, you don't get to say that you're gonna beat me if you don't have the guts to do it!"
"We... we can't win like this! And there's a bunch of others behind us!"
"You're right... come on, we gotta bail for now!"
The two Ride Players decided to scurry away, and the man's presence caught the attention of the others in front of him.
"Yeah that's right, run away! What a killjoy..."
"Who...Who's that guy!?" the second male Ride Player asked.
"Probably an update from the game?" the female Ride Player said. "Strange, though. He doesn't look like the others."
"Another contender, I see." Kaiden said. "Strange, indeed. You are not one of the Ride Players, yet you attack your own brethren. What is your purpose, stranger?"
"Just wanna get some good fight, these days. Got bored REAL bad since I somehow got here few days ago." The man then pointed his wooden sword at the monster. "Now, I dunno who or what you are, but how about you keep this prince charming entertained, huh?"
"Just as I was about to bring a noble end to those three..." Kaiden sighed, but he set his sights towards the mysterious man knowing that he was somehow not enlisted on the Rider Chronicle's system. "Very well. Let's see how you could fare against me!"
The man let out a smirk as they prepared their swords and went on a standoff. The Ride Players could do nothing but watch as the fighters let out an immensely overwhelming aura, and the two had their hands gripping their weapons tightly.
The battle began with the two exchanging powerful blows with their swords. Despite Kaiden Bugster's relentless dual-sword technique, the man was able to withstand his strikes with his wooden sword alone and he didn't even shy away from using either his fists or feet to keep up with the monster's swords. Time and time again, he proved that his methods were effective enough to keep Kaiden at bay.
The Ride Players couldn't help but wonder as to why an ordinary man could go toe-to-toe against a Bugster general, let alone not using the Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat at all. It was as if he was either very skilled, or that he was no ordinary human being at all. His speed and strength are far beyond what a normal human could reach.
The two opposing fighters had finally reached a deadlock, with Kaiden pushing his swords against the man's. The latter managed to broke free and tossed the Bugster's right arm back, but Kaiden used this chance to swing his other sword into him.
"YOU'RE OPEN!"
"HANGAKU!"
Suddenly, his left sword was met with a mysterious naginata that came from above. The being who wielded it greeted the Bugster by swinging the weapon upward that threw Kaiden Bugster away. Kaiden straighten his head to look upon the being the man had just summoned: a floating raven-haired female spirit that wore a Japanese reddish combat robe, wielding the naginata that blocked his sword.
Kaiden Bugster assessed the situation as unpredictable, as he had never been informed about a non-player having this much power in the first place. This was never an update of Kamen Rider Chronicle, for the actors are only comprised of Bugsters, Kamen Riders, and Ride Players. An anomaly would be the right word to put him as.
"Looks like this is getting out of hand." Kaiden jumped into a nearby rooftop. "My goal is to defeat those Ride Players. However, it seems that you, stranger, has somehow gotten into our system. I will have a word with the generals for this."
And he left another parting words before jumping off to another rooftop. "And if you're looking for a fight, then I am certain those players over there would be happy to oblige."
The man was obviously agitated as another contender had stood him up. He had never had a good fight in a while. Taking the monster's words, he turned his glare onto the surrounding Ride Players who were all armed up, ready to take on the new update, or so they claim the man to be.
"So, you're all next, huh? Great, now you'd better not stood me up this time!"
(A/N)
Finally! Here we go! Chapter 4 of Blood on the Hands of Healer!
My oh my, it's been a REALLY long while since I've posted fanfic chapters! I can't believe it took me this long, especially with all of the real-life matters that I have faced months ago and will face in the future. It really has gotten a lot harder for me to get my head back in the game and well, that's fine! I've come to understand how ideas could come and go, and how expensive those ideas could be. Real life can also be very overwhelming at times. That's why I'll do my best to keep on posting, should the circumstances are possible for me to keep on going.
Speaking of which, I'm also considering on writing shorter chapters from here on out since I have a feeling that I wouldn't have much leisure like I used to, since this would all come to the preparations for getting a job and more things to come. I think it'd be best if I write shorter chapters so that I can plan and work things out better in the future, be it for the fanfic stories or my daily schedules.
With the battle raging on the streets of the real world, a new player has entered the stage! Who is this new player? What does he truly seek? And how will our heroes plan for their next move?
As always, leave your comments in the section below and remember, BE CONSTRUCTIVE.
Until next time.