While Issei and Toma were in the Occult Research Club, something else was happening.

Zawame City

This is a large city located next to Kuoh. Until just a few years ago, it was ruled by devils, and the streets were like a city in the middle of the countryside like Kuoh, but after Yggdrasill Corporation, the world's largest medical and welfare manufacturer, eliminated the devil family and their peerages that ruled this area by force, and Ygdrasill Corporation moved its headquarters to the town, the landscape changed completely and became a metropolis that developed into an industrial castle town for the company. As a result, this town is effectively controlled by Yggdrasill, and most of the companies and even the security organization in Zawame are under the umbrella of Yggdrasill.

The huge, tree-like building that towers over the center of the city is Yggdrasill Tower, the landmark of this town and the company's headquarters.

Yggdrasill Tower, underground parking lot

Two men emerged from one of the cars that arrived there. One was the head of this giant company, Takatora Kureshima. The other is the company's chief technical officer, Ryoma Sengoku, who is the one who developed the rider system that allows humans to compete with devils, such as the Genesis Driver and Sengoku Driver.

"Ryoma, have you had a chance to look over the Bugster data sent by Genm Corporation?"

"Yeah, it was an interesting read, but it also made me realize just how troublesome the Bugster is… they can't be injured by anything other than Gamer Driver users… it's even more troublesome than the devils."

"Well, as a prelude to building an alliance with Genm Corp and CR, we've agreed to support each other in battle as much as possible… we can't let CR and Genm Corp deal with the Bugsters alone…"

"Don't worry about that, thanks to the research materials on the Bugster Virus from Genm Corp, we have gained some knowledge of it, and we're currently adjusting our weapons and finishers of Yggdrasill's Armored Riders to make them effective against Bugsters. The results will be in a few days."

"That's good to hear."

They both rode the elevator to the top floor.

"Now that we know about the Bugster Virus, how's the research going with Project Utopia?" Takatora asked.

"It's a bit of a challenge, the research into the Underworld and the development of the artificial crack generator is going well, but the breeding of the Helheim fruit to double its reproductive capability, which is necessary for the project, is not so straightforward…"

"Then I want you to hurry up as much as you can, because if you can complete this project, you will be able to evolve humanity to the next stage and stand on equal footing with other supernatural beings, not to mention devils and fallen angels, and the future of humanity is guaranteed."

"Heh, alright, in order to pave the way for the future of mankind, I will make sure that the plan succeeds and give you the Golden Fruit…"

"Golden Fruit, huh… you mean the Bloody Fruit."

"Maybe so… but you will still get the fruit, right?"

"Yes, I'm ready to take the blame, but I will change this world, where devils and supernatural beings looked down on humanity and create a better future."

"Hehehe, I see, well then, I'll try to keep up at all costs, Takatora."

As soon as Ryoma said that, the elevator reached the top floor.

"By the way, about this plan, what about CR and Genm?"

"I can't tell them, this is a top-secret project, it will remain a secret until we get to the final stages."

"Understood."

They entered Takatora's office, where there was a female employee in there.

"Welcome back, Professor Ryoma, President Kureshima."

"Ah, I'm back."

"Thank you for taking care of things while we were gone, Minato-kun." Ryoma said to the female employee, Yoko Minato.

"Now, did anything unusual happen while I was gone?"

"Yes, President Kureshima, a few hours ago it was confirmed that nine devils, including one devil master and its peerages, invaded this city."

"Okay, how about it?"

"We've dispatched 18 Kurokage Troopers, led by Sid and your brother Mitsuzane-kun."

"I see, Mitsuzane, huh…"

Hearing the report, Takatora had a complicated look on his face.

"You're still worried about him?"

"Yes, I know it's Mitsuzane's decision, but still…"

Meanwhile

A ruin on the outskirts of Zawame City

"Listen up, my friends, the glory and pride of our devil race is at stake in our actions! We must reclaim this land into the hands of us devils!"

"""Yeah!"""

The person who seemed to be a devil master declared, followed by the devils who seemed to be his peerage kneeling down.

Then, at that moment…

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

"W-what the!?"

A young man who looked to be still in high school and a man wearing a black bowler hat entered the ruin with 18 SWAT troopers in tow.

"Huh, the devils are all hiding together for a meeting."

"Well, I'm sure they have something bad in mind anyway."

The man in the black bowler hat, Sid, and the teenager, Mitsuzane Kureshima, spoke to the devils.

"Hmph, you humans think you're above to us devils! Oh, well! I don't know who you are, but as the first step to taking this city for ourselves, we'll sacrifice you—"

"Shut up, scum…" Mitsuzane interrupted the devil master.

"WHAT!?"

"This city is yours? Don't be silly. This town belongs to humanity. You bastards can go back to hell like the scum you are."

"Feh, so be it."

Mitsuzane took out a black buckle, the Sengoku Driver, and Sid took out the Genesis Driver before putting it on.

"What!? What's that belt!?"

"This is the power that humanity have created to defeat you." Mitsuzane said, activating the Lockseed.

Budou!

He struck a Shaolin stance and docked the Lockseed to the driver.

Lock On!

Then, a large grape appeared in the sky, and at the same time, Chinese erhu and gong music started to play on standby.

"Henshin!"

He then pushed down the Cutting Blade.

Hai! Budou Arms! Ryu! Hou! Ha-Ha-Ha!

Mitsuzane's figure transformed into a Kamen Rider whose motif seemed to be a Chinese soldier.

"W-what the hell!? What's that armor!?"

"Ryugen, Armored Rider Ryugen!" He declared as he aimed his Budou Ryuhou at the devils.

"Well then, I guess I'd better get to work, henshin…"

Cherry Energy!

Sid then attached the Genesis Driver and activated the Cherry Energy Lockseed. A cherry-like object appeared directly above him, and he docked the Lockseed to the Driver while touching the brim of his trademark hat with his left hand.

Lock On!

As soon as the mechanical sound echoed, Sid grabbed the right-side handle, the Seaboll Compressor, and pushed it in.

Soda!

The energy from the Lockseed was extracted and pooled in the lower container, Concentrate Pod.

Cherry Energy Arms!

With a techno beat music, Sid transformed into Armored Rider Sigurd.

"You too!? B-but! It's no matter! It's only the two of you who transformed! We have the advantage—"

"Advantage, you say?"

"If you think so, then think again."

"What the—"

At the devil master's confusion, Ryugen snapped his fingers. Then the SWATs behind them all put on the Sengoku Driver at once. And…

""""Henshin!""""

Matsubokkuri! Lock On! Matsubokkuri Arms! Ichigeki! In the shadows!

The eighteen SWAT troopers all changed into Kurokage Troopers.

"W-WHAAAT!?"

The mysterious armored humans totaled twenty, and that devil master was getting frustrated.

"Now, it's time for you to be quiet."

"Yes, either way, as soon as you devils step into this Zawame City, you will be gone."

"Damn it! You're only humans! Come on, men!"

"""UOOOOOOOOHHHH!"""

With that, the warriors attacked the Armored Riders. However…

"Sid-san."

"Yeah."

Sigurd aimed his Sonic Arrow upwards and fired an energy arrow. Then a cherry-shaped energy appeared in the sky.

""""AAAAAAAAAAGH!""""

Immediately afterwards, a large number of energy arrows rained down on the devils. As a result, except for the knight who managed the avoid the arrows with their agility, the rook with their defense, and the queen who protected the master with magic, all pawns were hit by the arrows and scattered.

"What!?"

"My peerage's pawns…"

"Heh! What's wrong, devils!? All your talk about humans being inferior race, but this~?"

Although it's just reincarnated devils with a pawn piece, Sid mocked the devil master and the queen, who were stunned by the fact that half of their peerage was killed in an instant.

"Shit! How dare you mocking me! You only killed a bunch of pawns! All of you! Attack!"

"""UOOOOOOOOOOHH!"""

With that order, the knight and rook stood up and attacked the Armored Riders again.

"Oh boy, why didn't they just tuck in their tails and run back…?"

"We'll have to take them all out here. Split into two groups, one to cover me, and the second to cover Sid."

"""Roger!"""

Mitsuzane ordered, and the Kurokage Troopers split up, seven at a time, and followed behind Ryugen and Sigurd.

"Yosh, let's go."

"Let's get to work!"

"""YES, SIR! OOOOOOOOOHH!"""

All of them charged into the devils coming towards them, followed by the Kurokage Troopers. Then the troops led by Sigurd began to deal with the knight devil while Ryugen's Troopers faced the rook.

First, Ryugen disoriented the rook by shooting him with his Budou Ryuhou, and then used the gun like a tonfa to attack alongside the Kurokage Troopers. Upon seeing an opening, he kicked the devil and blew him away. And just when the enemy was about to get up…

"This is the end."

Hai! Budou Squash!

He pulled the hammer on the Budou Ryuhou and activated the finisher.

"Take this!"

As the energy gathered in the barrel, he pulled the trigger. Then a large number of energy bullets were fired, hitting the rook. The devil, of course, put up a barrier for protection, but it couldn't hold on and the barrier was pierced, sending the bullets raining down on the devil.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

The rook devil exploded.

Meanwhile, Sigurd with the knight devils…

"ORYAAAAAAAA!"

"""AAAAAAHH!"""

The Kurokage Troopers were in trouble, as they were not very good against the fast-moving knight piece.

"This is the end!"

The knight devil appeared right in front of one of the troopers and swung his sword.

"There!"

Sigurd drew his Sonic Arrow, locked on to the knight, and fired.

"Idiot! That won't hit—" The knight avoided the attack and said.

But…

"Or that's what you're going to say."

"What the—AAAAAAAAAHHH!"

The arrow that Sigurd fired tracked the knight devil and attacked, stopping him in its tracks. Sigurd then grabbed the knight by the chest and kicked, punched, and struck him with the bow, ripping him to shreds in a relentless attack.

"Y-you…"

"Time to die."

Sigurd stomped on the knight, who was now breathing ragged, and set the Energy Lockseed into the Sonic Arrow.

Lock On!

"Die!"

Cherry Energy!

"GUAAAAAAAAHHH!"

He slashed with the energy and finished him off.

"Now, who's left?"

"I guess it's just you."

Sigurd and Ryugen said as they glanced at the king, queen, and the bishop devil protecting him.

"D-don't screw with me… no way… no way… shit!"

The devil master, in desperation, unleashed a magical attack on the Riders. And at that moment, the Riders dodged the attack and…

"It's over."

Lock On!

Sigurd locked the Energy Lockseed into his Sonic Arrow once more and pulled as far as he could.

"You're a goner!"

Cherry Energy!

Then he fired an arrow with dangling cherry energy at the devil master.

"My master! No!"

The queen and the bishop devil put up a barrier to shield their master, but the moment the arrow struck the barrier, the cherry energy crushed the three devils from both sides like an American clacker.

"""AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!"""

BOOOOOOOOOOOMM!

They're gone.

"Alright, the job's done."

Sid closed the Energy Lockseed and released his transformation.

"Good job, Sid-san."

"Yeah, good grief, these devils are really stubborn, trying to take the city, or snooping around to find out about us, the liberators of this city, or outright invade the city even though it's useless to keep coming back."

"Maybe those devils are all fools."

"Heh, hey, I'll take care of the cleanup, so, boy, you can go home."

"All right, sorry for bothering you."

"It's fine. You and me, we're friends, right?"

"Hm, right."

And so, Mitsuzane left the ruin and went back to his home.

Kureshima Residence

This grand mansion, standing glamorously in a corner of Zawame City, is the home of Mitsuzane and Takatora, who belonged to the Kureshima family, the famous family that leads the Yggdrasill Corporation.

"I'm home." Mitsuzane said as he entered the mansion.

"Mitsuzane."

"Brother, you're back already?"

"Yes, I finished my work today."

A few minutes later

The two of them were in the dining room.

"Mitsuzane."

"What is it, brother?"

"About that dance team, are you getting along with the members?"

Mitsuzane is actually a member of Team Gaim, one of the street dance teams in Zawame City, and Takatora was curious to know if he was getting along with the members.

"Yes, there's no problem, we have an event coming up and we're all working hard for it."

"I see, that's good to hear. I can't go because of work, but you're gonna do great."

"I know."

"Well, it's good to get along with your friends, but don't neglect your studies. You are a member of Kureshima family."

"Yes, of course I understand, brother."

"That's good."

He smiled a little. Then Takatora's cell phone rang, and he picked it up.

"It's me… oh, okay… that's good. Get ready to send the documents as soon as possible." He said before he hung the call.

"Something's the matter, brother?"

"Yes, it's from the company, apparently the board have approved the alliance between Yggdrasill, CR and Genm."

"I know about Genm, but CR, is that what you were talking about yesterday? A different organization like Yggdrasill…"

"Yes, one of these days, Mitsuzane, I'd like you to meet with the people at CR, okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine with that."

"Good…"

Notes

Mitsuzane Kureshima (16)

A young teenager who transforms into Armored Rider Ryugen using the Sengoku Driver developed by Yggdrasill Corporation. Although he has a cunning side, he is generally warm and gentle, and is loved as a younger brother figure by the members of Team Gaim and its leader Mai Takatsukasa, with whom he gets along well with his older brother Takatora. However, due to a certain incident in the past, he come to resent supernatural beings, especially devils, and when dealing with them, he showed utmost ruthlessness and cruelty no matter who they are.

Takatora Kureshima (27)

The CEO of Yggdrasill Corporation and head of the prestigious Kureshima family, a young man who transforms into Armored Rider Zangetsu Shin using the Genesis Driver developed by Yggdrasill Corporation. Calm and charismatic, as well as kind and gentle, he is adored by his subordinates. Other than being a CEO with high level of organizational management skills, he also has an outstanding combat ability. When he transforms into Zangetsu Shin, he is capable of defeating Riders who transformed using Level 50 Gashat, making him the embodiment of both science and martial arts.