Mastergamer here and welcome to the third part of my Tokusatsu Remnant Trilogy. After this, I will start on a new chapter for Persona 6. Hope you enjoy this story.
Kamen Rider Ash
Charm 1: Ash
The City of Atlas, the floating city that was a symbol of technological ingenuity (and a little godly magic) was in flames. The social elites that called it home were running for their lives, huntsmen and soldiers tried their hardest to repel the invading force, and the general that took to protecting the city was at his wits end. To a certain power-hungry maiden, to see the place where she once experienced a horrible life in its end days should've filled here with elation…
If only she was the one who had caused it and wasn't currently at the mercy at the ones who did.
Pain, exhaustion, delirium, and plenty of other non-enjoyable feelings and sensations coursed through the cruel woman's body. Laying on the ground like a helpless pup, she raised her head as the sound of footsteps stopped on front of her. Eyes filled with rage as she stared at the being who was the cause of her current predicament. The inhuman figure was merely amused by the glaring woman. It crouched down and spoke to her as if she were an uneducated street urchin.
"You know, it's times like this that even a person like you, blinded by their own ambition, should see that this fall to rock bottom can't have been anyone else's fault other than their own. Yet considering what I've observed from you, to you the very idea that you're responsible for your own shortcomings might as well be up their with walking on water and bringing the dead to life. Lucky for you, you're interesting enough that I've decided to run a little experiment on you."
The figure then lifted its hand as blue arcs of electricity erupted from its palm. The woman could only watch in furious distress as the hand inched closer to her face, unable to do anything in her current condition.
"Don't worry, I'll let you keep your name."
The moment the hand grasped her face, everything went dark.
The smell of tea was the first thing Cinder Fall became aware of. A single amber eye groggily opened up, wincing a bit from the rays of the early sun hitting her face from the nearby window. The brunette slowly sat up on the futon she was laying on. With her head still a bit fogged up, Cinder took a quick look at her current location.
The room she was in was a bit sparse; the only things in the room were the futon lying on the hardwood floor and what looked to be a small altar on the wall facing her, sticks of lit incense atop of it. In the wall to her right was an empty closet and window. On the left was the door to the room, though instead of a regular door, there was a paper screen one. Looking down, Cinder saw that she was wearing white robes.
Cinder looked around as she contemplated just where she was. Her attention was then drawn to the door as it slid opened.
"Ah, you're awake. I guess I was on point with making tea."
The speaker was an old man in his 70's. Quite thin and tall, he had grey, blading hair and a short beard. He was clad in orange and purple robes and a necklace of wooden beads around his neck. At first glance the old man appeared to be a priest. Brown eyes stared at Cinder in hospitality as he walked into the room while carrying a steaming teapot and cups.
The priest laid the tray next to the futon and sat on his knees. Picking up the teapot, he proceeded to pour two cups of tea. Setting the pot down, he looked to Cinder with a smile.
"So, have you had a good rest?"
Cinder just stared at the old man for a few seconds before replying.
"Um, I'm sorry but, where am I?"
"Ah, I figured that would be the first thing on your mind. Your currently in the living quarters of the Shinto shrine of Ayakashi City. I found you passed out on the steps. It looked like you were in quite the brawl. I took you in and made sure you were comfortable. I must say though that either you went through a lot or are just a heavy sleeper, considering you've been out for about three days."
"Three days?!" Cinder replied in shock.
"Yep, though it looks like you're in good health now." The man then grabbed a cup and took a sip of tea, "Now, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Goma and I'm the shrine's head priest. What's your name?"
Cinder stayed silent for a bit before answering.
"Cinder, Cinder Fall."
"Well, that's an interesting name. I guess it's obvious that you're not from around here. Are you from Europe or maybe America?" Cinder looked down for a bit as she tried to come up with an answer.
"I-I'm not sure." Cinder raised her right hand to her forehead, "I… don't remember."
Goma looked surprised at this.
"You don't remember?"
"No. Other than my name, I don't remember anything. Not my home, not my family, not even my own birthday." The more she spoke, the more stress and panic filled her voice. Goma frowned in worry for the young amnesiac woman. To wake up in an unknown place with no memory of your past, no doubt she was taking it hard.
"Whatever landed you here must've really did a number on you. When I looked you over for injuries, there were no signs of head trauma, meaning that your amnesia maybe psychological."
Cinder merely sighed at that; honestly, it didn't matter how she lost her memory, just the fact she can't remember anything is agonizing enough already. She raised her right hand to scratch at her left arm unconsciously…
… only to feel nothing under her touch.
Looking to her left side, Cinder was treated to the horrible sight, or rather lack of, a missing left arm. No hand, no elbow, not even a stump where her shoulder ended, everything beyond her left collar bone was missing, the scarred skin where her arm would be suggested her arm has been gone for a while. Eyes wide as she began hyperventilating, Cinder placed her only hand against her face and tried to calm down, only to notice another thing.
Some sort of fabric covered her left eye, to which she just now noticed that she only had half vision. Quickly feeling the fabric, Cinder realized that it was gauze. Grasping the gauze in her fingers, Cinder swiftly removed the bandage around her head…
…only for her half vision to remain.
Feeling around her left eye, Cinder's finger felt her blinking eyelids, but nothing underneath them. The terror within the young woman was now up to eleven.
"(Deep breath) w-what?! M-my arm! My eye! W-what happened?! What—"
Her potential panic attack was halted when a cup of tea was suddenly forced between her lips. The hot liquid flowed down her throat and almost instantly, her nerves were calming down. Looking to her side, Cinder saw Goma retract the now empty cup.
"From your reaction, I'm guessing you're just now noticing your missing parts. From the looks of it, you've lost your arm and eye quite some time ago, long before you experienced whatever dropped you on my doorstep." Goma concluded. The priest then got up and made for the door, leaving the tea set with Cinder, "No doubt you have a lot to process now, so I'll just give you space for now. If you're feeling better later, than I'll be by the wishing well in the courtyard if you want to ask more questions."
And with that, Goma left the room, closing the door behind him. Cinder stared at the door for a moment before dropping her head and sighing. Waking up to find yourself missing not just memories, but body parts as well would have anyone freaking out to the point of total mental shutdown. A quick thought of worry passed through her head and Cinder lifted the blanket covering her and looked under it. A sigh of relief left her mouth when she saw that she still had both legs along with all ten toes; she felt that she had both legs, but she just wanted to make sure. Stress inducing exhaustion within her, Cinder let herself fall back down, her head landing softly on her pillow. Her mind racing with thoughts and questions, some of which she partially didn't want answers to, Cinder decided a quick nap was in order before confronting her current situation. Closing her eyes, the black-haired girl let sleep take her.
Outside the currently occupied room, Goma let out a sigh as he thought about the young woman's current predicament.
"Well, she has some rotten luck, doesn't she?"
Oddly enough, it wasn't Goma who had spoken just now. Turning his head, the priest looked to an AC vent near the ceiling. Through the vent, six pairs of eyes stared out; one pair were blue, the second pair were green, and the last pair were red. The blue eyes moved as their owner spoke again.
"It's one thing to have bats in your belfry, but a whole other to have nothing up there at all. The missing body parts are a downer too, especially if she was left-handed."
Smack!
"Ow!"
"Oi, be more considerate, she has a real dilemma here." Spoke the owner of the green eyes.
"Hm-hm." Grunted the red eyes in agreement.
"Yeah, yeah, amnesia bad, but ignoring that for now, did you guys smell what I smelled from her?" asked blue eyes.
Goma frowned as he understood the question.
"The girl, Cinder, has magic within her, powerful magic I haven't felt before." The priest answered.
"Yes, the smell of magic wasn't just powerful, but old as well, yet I sensed it wasn't natural, as if she wasn't born with it." Replied green eyes.
"Add the fact she doesn't remember squat about her past, let alone how to use that magic, and we've got a potential time bomb on our hands." Blue eyes bluntly stated, "You think her showing up here has something to do with all the attacks lately?"
"Her appearance at this point can't be dismissed as mere coincidence, but I highly doubt she's directly involved. But regardless, I will help the poor child through her situation." Goma stated firmly.
"Well, if you need help with her, you can count on us." Replied blue eyes, "Not just because we like you, you old geezer, but also because this Cinder chick is one smoking hot tamale, missing parts notwithstanding."
"Crude, but I must agree that Miss Fall is certainly a beauty." Green eyes stated.
"Hm-hm." Red eyes grunted in agreement.
"Now, if we're done here, I'm hungry, so I'll just be on my way and get my hands on Kiri's 'hidden' stash of ice cream mochi." The pair of blue eyes then disappeared from the grate, scuffling on metal was heard before getting fainter as one of the presences left.
"What?! No, those are mine! Keep your sneaky paws off of them!" yelled blue eyes before following after green eyes. Red eyes just sighed before following the other two.
Goma just shook his head at the antics of the three 'residents' of the shrine. But his attention focused on what the three had said.
"They find Cinder attractive. Why, that only happens when…" the priest contemplated before humming in interest, "I see, just maybe…"
He looked towards the room where Cinder was once more before walking down the hall.
If his hunch was right, then things were going to change.
For better or worse.
Ayakashi City was your standard Japanese metropolitan city. Tall skyscrapers dotted the landscape, stores, shops, and the like selling their wares, people filling the streets as they traveled to their destinations. One look at the city and one would think Ayakashi was no different than any big city you'd find in the world.
And they would be wrong.
In one of the many empty and dank alleyways, hair stylist Setsudan Ebi was taking a short cut on his way to his favorite ramen shop for lunch. He made it to the middle of the alley before the sound of trash cans falling over stopped him. Looking behind to where the sound came from, Setsudan saw a tipped over trash can and a stray black cat digging through it. Shaking his head for being startled by a cat, the man turned back forward and proceeded to keep walking.
Only for something to grab his shoulder.
Before he could do anything, he was thrown backwards and hit a wall hard. Grunting in pain as he fell to the floor, Setsudan looked forward and saw the perpetrator. Standing in the middle of the alley was what appeared to be an animated department store mannequin made of metal. Its body moved stiffly and robotically. Though it didn't have a face, Setsudan could feel it staring at him like a predator staring down its prey. The man was not amused as he scowled in annoyance.
"Alright, ironsides, you just messed with the wrong guy!" Setsudan then crossed his arm.
A moment later, Setsudan Ebi's body started to change: his skin became bright red and armored, his arms grew and turned into crustacean-like claws, two long whisker-like antennae grew from his upper lip, and his eyes became pure black and bulged out a bit. With the metamorphosis complete, Setsudan lowered his hands.
He had unleashed his true form as an Amikiri.
The lobster-like creature growled at the metal mannequin before charging straight at it. Raising his arm high, Setsudan prepared to snip the mannequin in half. When he reached the metal being, he swung his claw at it and…
Clang!
…only for his claw to bounce off of the mannequin's torso. Shocked, Setsudan didn't have time to react as the manikin's hand quickly grabbed on to his throat. With no effort at all, the metal being swung the Amikiri over its shoulder and slammed him into the ground. Setsudan grunted in pain as the manikin tightened its grip on his throat.
And then, its hand started to glow a dark purple.
Suddenly, Setsudan felt his strength wane before completely leaving his body. Said body also reverted back to its human form. When the mannequin released its grip on his throat, Setsudan could only groan as he felt his body was too weak to move. If he had the power to look up, he would've seen the mannequin undergo its own transformation.
Its solid metal body started ripple and shift like liquid mercury. Then, its fluid body started to change shape. In seconds, the mannequin's metal form was completely gone. In its place was a giant lobster monster, more animal like than Setsudan's real form. The only differences were that the monster's armor was more metallic, its claws were serrated, its antennae ended in sharp tips, and it had a frightening maw filled with razor sharp fangs. In the middle of its chest was purple crystal orb framed in gold, the kanji for 'False' in the orb. Along with an ominous purple aura surrounding its body, the monster looked like a corrupted version of an Amikiri.
With its transformation complete, the monster turned around and proceeded to skulk out of the alley, leaving an ailing Setstudan Ebi on the ground. It would be an hour before he was found. Though doctors would conclude that other than some bruises and severe exhaustion, Setsudan was fine physically. But, unknown to the human doctors, Setsudan would later find out something terrible for a 'person' like him.
He could no longer change into his true form.
Cinder's footsteps were soft as she walked through the building's hallways. After about an hour of sleep and excepting the unusual circumstances that befell her, the black-haired young woman decided to stretch her legs. After putting on a change of clothes that Goma no doubt left for her in the closet (orange long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, socks, and sneakers), Cinder started her way outside. As she looked to find the entrance, she raised her hand and scratched at the cloth wrap covering her left eye. In the single encounter with the priest, Cinder was able to somewhat figure out the kind of person he was, no doubt Goma thought the wrapping would've been a preferable alternative to an eyepatch, appearing a bit less morbid.
Still, Cinder doesn't think she'll get over waking up without an eye or an arm anytime soon. As her hand lowed itself towards the folded sleeve where her left arm should've been, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened; as Goma had surmised, those injuries happened long before the event that left her at this shrine without any memories. Was she a soldier of some kind and she was badly injured in battle? Was she in a terrible accident? Did she lose her parts to some terrible disease? She was split with wanting to know what happened and wanting to leave it alone, afraid of what terrible event had scarred her.
Cinder quickly banished her thoughts when she found the entrance. Sliding the door open, Cinder was greeted with the outside. She saw what one would expect from a Shinto shrine; torii gates. A five-story pagoda attached to the main hall, komainu statues and toro lanterns all over, basically your average run-of-the-mill shrine. Which made the wishing well in the center of the courtyard all the more strange, especially when an ema shrine was nearby. Standing in front of the well swiping a broom was Goma. Seeing the priest, Cinder walked over to him.
"Mr. Goma." She called out. Said priest turned his head and smiled when he saw her.
"Ah, Miss Fall, good to see you up and about. Feeling better?"
"Uh, not exactly, but I figured just wallowing in bed wasn't going to do me any good. So, I decided to take look around this shrine."
"Well, if you interested in these old temple grounds, then I'm more than happy to show you around." The old man offered, before an embarrassed smile appeared on his face, "That would make you the first person in a while interested in this place, we haven't had that many visitors recently. It'll be nice to have someone hang around here again."
"This place does seem to be a bit empty." Cinder observed as she looked around before looking at the well behind Goma, "And that Well seems to be out of place with everything else."
"Actually, the correct way to put it would be to say that the shrine doesn't match the well." Goma corrected as he turned to face the well, "This well is actually older than the shrine, being around 700 years old. Legend states that a powerful demon met his end right next to the well and his blood seeped into its waters, empowering them with mystical properties. Now, if you throw a coin into the well, your luck will change, either for better or worse. Another legend states that if you throw a piece of the demon's armor down the well, then either you have a wish granted or the demon will revive. The shrine was built around the well to ensure no innocent nor malevolent people would misuse the well."
"That's quite the story." Cinder commented, looking at the well. Now that she was closer to the well, she felt strange for some reason.
"It sure is. Though it's just a legend, so who knows the truth behind the well, but tall tales like that sure capture people's attention. Now, if only youngsters these days believed this stuff and visited the shrine to check it out, then business would be booming, hehehe." The old man chuckled before raising his hand looking at his watch.
"Ah, look at the time. Sorry, but we're gonna have postpone the shrine tour; I need to go and get groceries for dinner tonight. If I don't go right now, then I'll be stuck in rush hour later." Goma explained before laying the broom against the well and started to walk away. He stopped, however, and turned back to Cinder, "Actually, would you like to come along? I could use a hand and exploring this new city you're in would be most beneficial for you."
Cinder considered the suggestion; true, familiarizing herself with her new environment would be a good idea, better than simply wondering the shrine by herself until the priest returned. She then looked to Goma with a smile.
"Sure, I'll go with you."
"Great! Now, let's hurry, the market is having a sale on nikuman that I have no intention on missing." And with that, Goma about faced and started walking away, with Cinder following after.
Unknown to the young woman, this trip will set her on a journey that will change her life.
Cinder's first thoughts on Ayakashi city were that it was loud and packed with people. A quick train ride led Goma and Cinder to a small marketplace filled with various stores selling their wares. At the moment, Cinder, with a bag of groceries in hand, was standing behind Goma as the priest was looking through the store's liquor aisle for a good bottle of sake.
While walking through the marketplace, Cinder felt the stares of various people in her direction, no doubt directed at her missing arm and eye. She would be lying if she said the stares weren't making her feel self-conscious. Add in the fact that she was clearly a foreigner, and it would be obvious that she would be the center of attention. Honestly, a part of her wished she had stayed back at the shrine if this was what awaited her in the city.
"Ah, this looks like a good vintage."
Goma smiled as he held the bottle of sake he picked. He then turned to Cinder.
"After this, we'll make a quick stop at the drug store to pick up some foot fungus powder and then we'll head back."
'Ew!' Cinder mentally blanched; she didn't need to know that.
Quickly paying for the sake, Goma and Cinder were now walking through the streets. The priest turned to Cinder.
"So, what do you think of the city?" Cinder pondered the question a moment before answering.
"It's certainly lively, with a lot of people with seemingly a lot of places to go. Though, I'm not comfortable with some of the stares I'm getting." She answered honestly. The priest stared at Cinder before smirking.
"Oh, not used to guys staring at awe of your beauty?" he teased. This caused the girl to turn red in embarrassment.
"W-what?! No, t-that's not what—" she sputtered before Goma started laughing.
"Hahaha! I jest, I jest. No need to get so worked up." The priest stated before a look of understanding crossed his face, "Now, don't let all those looky-loos get to you, you'll only be sideshow attraction if you let yourself think so."
Cinder could only sigh; it would take more than words from Goma to lift her spirits, though she appreciated the gesture. The were now walking next to a park and were walking under an pedestrian overpass. Just as Cinder was going to reply…
Snikt!
…the sound of groaning metal and cracking cement came from above them. Looking up, Cinder and Goma saw the overpass. One moment, everything seemed fine. The next…
…the overpass was collapsing.
"Get away!"
Goma yelled out before grabbing Cinder and dashing forward out from under the collapsing bridge.
CRASH!
Dust and debris were sent into the air as the structure landed. Thankfully, anyone walking under the overpass were able to get out of the way in time and no cars were driving under it at the time. Slight pain from landing on the ground, Cinder sat up and looked around; panic was filling the area, people running in fear and some of the more level-headed ones were already calling first responders. Hearing a groan next to her, Cinder turned her head and saw Goma had somehow been half buried in rubble, his legs sticking up in the air and robes fallen down, revealing his green and monkey-patterned boxers. The girls flinched back in disgust; anyone would think such a sight was comical, she thought it was embarrassing and gross. With reluctance, Cinder closed her eyes and took hold of the priest's left leg. With a strong tug and a 'pop', Cinder pulled Goma free from the rubble pile.
"I'M ALIVE!" Goma yelled bit too dramatically. The priest then surveyed the area.
"What just happened?" he asked.
"I don't know, the underpass just collapsed suddenly." Cinder answered, breathing quickly and heavily as she tried to calm her frantic heart.
"Monster!"
A scream from a random person drew their attention forward. People were starting to run more frantically away in different directions, all wanting to put distance between them and something. Looking ahead, Cinder was shocked to see what that something was.
Calmy walking down the middle of the street was some sort of lobster monster. Metallic red armor covered its body and in place of hands were large, serrated claws. Bulging black eyes attached to eyestalks jutted out from the creature's head, eyes that seemed to promise pain to anyone in its path. In its chest was a purple orb with the kanji for 'False' within it. The monster then raised its claws, which started to glow purple. Snipping them twice, the monster summoned multiple ethereal claws. With a third snip, the phantom claws began cutting everything. Signs, lampposts, trees, even parts of building were being cut cleanly through, causing said objects to fall and crash on the ground.
People were running and panicking as they did their best to avoid the city literally falling down around them. The monster didn't even seem to notice the people as it kept summoning claws to cut everything around it. Cinder could only stare at the creature in dread.
"W-what is that thing?"
"Faux-kai."
Hearing the priest answer, Cinder turned to steely-faced Goma.
"Faux-kai?" she asked. Her question snapped Goma's attention towards her.
"Uh, it's nothing." He quickly deflected before getting to feet, "Quickly, we have to get out of here before that thing decides to start cutting people."
Cinder quickly agreed, not wanting to meet her end at the claws of this monster. The two turned away from the monster and prepared to run away. However, Cinder saw something at the corner of eye. Turning her head, Cinder saw a young girl, about twelve years old, across the street. What was concerning was that the girl was on the ground, struggling to free her foot that was trapped under a collapsed streetlight.
Snip. Snip.
The sound of snipping claws summoned another phantom claw. High atop a building, the claw proceeded to cut the supports to a billboard, causing it to fall off the building. Unfortunately, the young girl happened to be trapped right where the billboard will fall.
"C'mon, Cinder, we need to—" Goma started to speak, turning towards Cinder, only to find the girl was gone. Quickly looking around, the priest saw Cinder running towards the trapped child. He also saw the falling billboard above them.
"Cinder!" Goma cried out to her.
Time seemed to slow down for Cinder as the young woman quickly ran towards the trapped girl's side. She quickly got her hand under the streetlight and started to pull it up. It was futile, however; even if she had two arms, the light was simply too heavy to move. Then everything was starting to get darker. Looking up, Cinder saw the billboard falling closer and closer to ground. The trapped girl started to cry, the most likely and horrible outcome having dug itself into her mind. Cinder scowled as she realized her and the girl's impending death. Cinder could probably be able to save herself by running out of the way and leaving the girl to her doom, but…
The girl's crying stopped as she felt something lay on top of her. Cinder had decided to, in an admittedly futile attempt, shield the girl with her own body. With the billboard right on top of them, Cinder and the girl clenched their eyes shut. Goma could only look in horror at what was about to happen.
"Cinder!"
In a futile act of instinct, Cinder swung her arm up towards the falling sign.
And then…
FWOOSH!
To anyone still around, they would've witnessed a giant column of fire erupt, piercing the billboard before continuing towards the sky, lighting up the city. The billboard was melted into two halves, which landed on the ground, away from the original point of impact. Goma started in shock and amazement as the pillar of fire eventually died down. Looking to where the fire erupted, the priest witnessed an incredible sight.
Cinder could only look up in shock as she stared at her hand, still pointed upwards. Fire was dancing in her palm, the heat of the flame not burning her skin somehow. If she could see her reflection, Cinder would've witnessed a small orange flame erupt from her right eye. Lowering her hand, Cinder stared at the dancing flame in her palm, looking in wonder at the supposedly impossible phenomenon. The current situation then returned to her mind and without stopping to think and act on instinct, Cinder quickly placed her hand on the streetlight, near where the girl's leg was pinned. Focusing on the one spot, Cinder proceeded to heat up the metal. Within seconds, the light was melted in two pieces. Grabbing onto the now smaller piece that trapped the girl, Cinder lifted with all her strength. It was still a bit heavy, but Cinder was able to lift the pole off of the girl's leg. Turning to the amazed child, Cinder gave her a smile.
"Everything will be alright now." She reassured the girl.
"Cinder!"
Looking up, Cinder saw Goma running towards them. The priest stopped by their side.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Y-yeah, we're both alright." Cinder answered, before looking to her hand, "Just, what was that? What did I just do?" she asked, not expecting an answer.
"Magic."
Cinder looked up at Goma. The priest looked at her with a serious expression.
"Cinder, what you just did was magic, something that not many people are able to do." He explained, "Whatever you were, the kind of person you used to be, it's clear that you were a powerful mage."
"A mage?" she repeated. She looked up and…
"Look out!"
Cinder quickly stood up, grabbed the girl and placed her in Goma's arms before pushing them both away. No sooner that she did that, she was hit with crescent-shaped blade of energy. The air was knocked out of her as she was sent flying and hit the building behind her. Goma looked in horror as Cinder slid down the wall. Then the horror turned to confusion; that attack looked like it should've sliced Cinder in two, but not only was she still in one piece, but now a shimmering orange aura surrounded her body, flickering a bit before fading. He looked in wonder; unlike that flame conjuration from before, that aura of energy wasn't magic. Whatever it was, it seemed to have protected her like a shield.
Cinder groaned as she shakingly got up on her feet. A scowl on her face, she glared towards where the attack came from.
At the other end of the street, the Faux-Amikiri looked at the human girl, observing what had just happened. It sent a flying slash at the girl, yet an energy field around her body protected her from serious damage. And before that, the girl used magic to conjure a pillar of fire. As it reviewed these events, a familiar, commanding voice spoke in its head.
'Retrieve her.'
With its new orders, the Faux-Amikiri stalked forwards towards the girl.
Cinder saw the monster was now making its way towards them. Scowling, she turned to Goma and the girl.
"Go! Take her and run!" she ordered.
"And just what are you going to do?!" Goma yelled back. Cinder glared at the approaching monster.
"I'm gonna cook some lobster." She answered, her eye igniting in orange flame. Raising her hand, Cinder sent a fireball at Faux-Amikiri. The monsters swiped its left claw at the fireball, dispersing it.
Goma could only observe as Cinder ran forward to the monster. Firmly gripping the scared girl, Goma ran towards a collapsed stone pillar. Running behind it, the priest gently placed the girl on the ground.
"Okay, whatever happens, don't move from this spot. You'll be safe here, I promise."
The shivering girl nodded. Seeing her compliance, Goma quickly ran to the other side of the pillar. Kneeling on the ground, the priest reached into his right sleeve and pulled out a piece of paper, a brush, and an ink bottle. Laying the paper on the ground, Goma uncapped the ink and dipped the brush into it. He then began writing a message on the paper. When he finished the message, he turned over the paper and wrote a large kanji for 'swallow' on the other side. After he was done, he brought his hands together into a hand sign and focused. Suddenly, the paper started to glow blue and lift off the ground. It then proceeded to fold itself multiple time, resulting in turning itself into an origami swallow. Then, in a flash of blue light, the origami changed; no longer was it made of paper, but now it was made of wood, resembling a crude, blue, wooden robot swallow. The swallow then turned to the priest, who had a look of urgency.
"Hurry." Was his only response. The swallow, a shikigami, seemed to nod its head, before turning around and fly at great speeds.
Goma looked at the retreating familiar, hoping it would make it in time.
The swallow shikigami made it to the shrine in record time. Through an open window, the familiar entered the living quarters and proceed to revert back to paper before sliding through a nearby AC vent. It quickly found who it was looking for.
"Huh, a shikigami?" spoke the green-eyed figure. The paper swallow proceeded to unfold itself completely. Now a flat piece of paper again, it showed the three beings the message written on it. Quickly reading the message, the three figure became shocked.
"What?! He wants us to bring that thing!" yelled the blue-eyed figure.
"Yes, it seems the time has come once again." Replied the green-eyed figure.
"Hm-hm." Grunted the red-eyed figure. The three figures then faced the nearest grate.
"Okay my brothers, let's go!" commanded blue eyes, the other two nodded in affirmative.
The AC grate was then blasted off of the wall. A powerful gust of wind then shot out of the vent. The gust proceeded to leave through the open window. The whirlwind proceeded in the direction of a nearby storage shack. Forcing a window open, the whirlwind entered the storage and proceeded to the back of the shack. Sitting on a pedestal was an ornate wooden box. The box was then surrounded by the whirlwind before disappearing. Its first objective complete, the whirlwind exited the shack and shot up into the air. Quickly looking in the direction it needed to go, the whirlwind proceeded to fly over towards Goma.
Cinder cried in pain as Faux-Amikiri sent her flying with a swipe of its claw.
It seemed that the possibility of her being a soldier may have been true, as during the fight, Cinder had let her instincts guide her and found herself fighting with superb fighting skills and acrobatics. Coupled with her learning how to use her fire magic on the fly, and Cinder became a force to be reckoned with.
However, the monster still had the upper hand. Its armor seemed strong enough to endure her flames and its reflexes were quick enough that Cinder couldn't get a hit in with the piece of rebar she used as a makeshift weapon when she got close enough. It didn't help that with every hit she took, the orange aura around her would flicker in response, growing weaker each time. This told her that this energy field could only handle so much, a hypothesis that was proven right when that swipe of faux-Amikiri's claws hit her and her aura flickered a final time before shattering like glass.
Cinder picked herself up as she glared at the approaching monster. Her magic and whatever that strange aura was were two separate things, so she can still conjure fire, but now if she took a hit, she might go down for good.
Faux-Amikiri stalked closer towards Cinder. It raised both claws in preparation for its next attack. Cinder scowled as she held up her piece of rebar. It was going to be more difficult without the aura, but she wasn't going to give up and let this overgrown lobster cut her to ribbons. Faux-Amikiri's claws glowed purple, in response, Cinder brought up the rebar and heated it up with her magic. Just as the monster was about to swing down its claws…
"Slice n' Dice!"
A powerful gust of wind hit Faux-Amikiri with enough force to send it flying back a couple of feet and send it crashing into a crumbling wall, burying it in rubble. The whirlwind, seemingly alive, then made its way towards Cinder. The girl watched in confusion as the whirlwind stopped right before her. It then released a gust of wind, causing Cinder to cover her eyes. Lowering her hand, Cinder saw the whirlwind was gone and in its place was an ornate wooden box and on top of that box was…
"Weasels?!"
Exactly. Standing before her were three weasels. Two were sitting on either side of the box, while the third sat on top of it. They looked like regular, brown and white furred weasels. The only things that stood out for them was that they were wearing small, weasel-sized clothing and the fact that the tops of their tails were razor sharp blades. Cinder looked in confusion at the sharp-tailed mammals.
"You know, if you keep staring, you might give the impression that you got the hots for us."
…
…
…
"EH!"
Cinder flinched back in shock as she saw one of the weasels speak. The one who spoke was the weasel who stood on the left side of the box. He was wearing a grey hooded jacket with the sleeves torn off. He stared at Cinder with his blue eyes, a sly look in them that told those that this weasel was a bit mischievous.
"What, you've never seen a ruggedly handsome Mustela like me?" he joked.
"Kaze, be serious! We have no time for your tomfoolery." Spoke the weasel sitting on top of the box. He was wearing a yellow gi with green wind patterns. He gave the other weasel a stern look with his green eyes.
The third weasel remained silent. This one was actually a bit bigger than the other two. He wore a blue vest and a green cloth pack on his back. On top of his head was a rainbow propellor beanie. He just stared at Cinder with his red eyes, unsettling the girl a bit.
"W-what the heck are you?" asked an unnerved Cinder.
"They're kamaitachi."
Turning her head, Cinder watched as Goma walked towards the group.
"'Sickle Weasels', they're a type of beast yokai. Don't worry, they're friends." The priest stated.
"Now wait a minute. Just because we're small, furry, and don't have opposable thumbs doesn't mean you have to describe us like we're animals." Protested the blue-eyed weasel in annoyance. The priest ignored him as he looked to Cinder.
"Cinder, as it stands now, you won't be able to defeat that Faux-kai even with your magic. That is why I had the triplets bring something to tip the scales in your favor." He then turned to the weasels, "Kamakiri, Kamakaze, Bill, if you would please." He referred to the green, blue, and red-eyed weasels respectfully.
Nodding their heads, Kamakiri hopped of the box, while Bill reached into his pack an pulled out an old key. Handing it over the Kamakiri, eldest brother proceeded to insert the key into the box and unlock it. Kamakaze and Bill grabbed the top of the box and opened it.
Laying withing the velvet-lined box was some sort of grey belt buckle. It resembled a lantern-shaped incense burner with a dial on its right side. on a rectangular metal plate with slots on each side. Laying beneath the belt was a small, white rectangular block-like object with kanji on it. Cinder stared at the belt in wonder, feeling some sort of power hidden within.
"What is this?" she asked.
"This is the Incense Driver. It's a very powerful artifact that belonged to a shrine maiden whose duty was to maintain the peace and balance between human and yokai. It's been passed down from maiden to maiden, giving them power to combat, purify, and exorcise dangerous threats. And you are gonna use it to beat that Faux-kai." Goma explained, picking up the belt and presenting it to Cinder.
"Me? Are you sure?" she asked uncertainly.
"Yes, I am. Whoever you were before you ended up at the temple doesn't matter right now. What mattered is that you risked your life to save another and fight against the Faux-kai without a second thought. As far I'm concerned, you are the perfect candidate to inherit the Incense Driver. You are the one to be the next Ash Maiden."
"Ash Maiden?" Cinder uttered as she took hold of the belt, staring at it in silent awe. The weight of responsibility that came with this belt fell on her shoulders. Her hesitance turned to determination as she lowered the belt and placed it against her waist. A white appeared from the slots on the sides and wrapped around her waist, securing the driver. The buckle then spoke.
[Incense Driver]
Goma grabbed the rectangular block from the box and presented it to Cinder.
"Use the Ofuda candle charm to activate the driver. Then let instinct lead you."
Taking hold of the charm, Cinder stared at it. Looking closely, it was mostly white, incased in a grey frame. She could feel the power within this small object, and it was somehow resonating with her. There was a button on top of the charm.
CRASH!
The loud noise grabbed everyone's attention. Turning to the source, they witnessed the Faux-Amikiri free itself from the rubble. Whether it was capable of feeling rage was unknown, but it didn't diminish the threat as the monster stalked menacingly towards the group. Goma gave on final look to Cinder.
"You can do this, I'm sure of it." Goma then looked to the triplet, "Let's go."
"I have faith in you, dear maiden." Kamakiri stated.
"We're rooting for you, hotstuff." Kamakaze remarked.
"Hm-hm." Bill responded.
And with that, the priest and the sickle weasels quickly went for cover, leaving Cinder to face the Faux-kai for round two. Glaring at the monster, Cinder prepared herself. Looking at the charm in her hand, the young woman steeled herself before raising the charm forward and pressing the button on top.
[Haimiko] (Ash Maiden)
Activating the charm caused the Incense Driver to react, as the front of the incense burner flipped open downwards, revealing a slot to insert the charm. With conviction, Cinder placed the charm into the driver.
[Light Up]
Cinder then spoke.
"Henshin!"
She then closed the burner and turned the dial.
[Divine Intervention]
From the round window in the middle of the burner, an orange light shown, as if a fire was lit within. Smoke then came out from the top of the burner. The smoke formed a stream which then flew into the air before starting to circle Cinder. In an instant, the young woman was completely enveloped in smoke. A few seconds later, the smoke dispersed, revealing a transformed Cinder.
She was clad in a light-gray body suit. The armor covering the suit resembled a shrine maiden's robe. Her chest plate was modeled after a kosode and it was light-gray with a red collar and gold embroidering resembling clouds of smoke. Pauldrons resembling incense burners covered her shoulders. From an armored elbow on her right arm, a gray sleeve flowed down her forearm and up to her palm, partially covering her gloved hand. Surprisingly, Cinder now had a left arm, though unlike the right, it was heavily clad in metal plates, looking more mechanical than simply being armored. From the waist down, the leg armor was maroon red and from her armored knees, maroon hakama pants legs flowed down, stopping above her high-heeled boots. Attached to her belt were six more Ofuda candle charms, three on each side. Covering her head was a gray helmet with two rows of small holes around the mouth area. The eyes of the helmet were orange and large and round, almost bug-like. Above the eyes were two sticks of burning incense, positioned in a 'V' formation, resembling a pair of antennae with light smoke wafting from the tips.
Cinder looked down at her armored form in amazement. She could new power coursing threw her body. She has taken the first step on a new journey. She has transformed. She has become…
Kamen Rider Ash.
Hiding behind the stone pillar along with the little girl, Goma and the triplets watched in awe of the newly transformed Ash.
"Ha, I knew there was something special about that girl, besides from her smokin' hot bod." Commented an excited Kamakaze.
Goma shook his head at the crude comment but understood the true meaning of his words. The Whirling Brothers have been around for a very, very long time, during which they become enamored with certain, unique women, women who would happen to later inherit the duties of Ash. It is unknown how the weasels are able to discern the next Ash, but that intuition has never failed. So when the three brothers commented on Cinder's beauty, Goma prepared for the possibility of Cinder inheriting the mantle.
Across from Ash, Faux-Amikiri observed the armored maiden. Its instincts told it that the woman in front of it was dangerous, unlike before when it considered her an interesting nuisance. Snipping its claws, the monster charged forward.
Ash glared at the incoming monster before charging forward as well. Just as the two reached each other, Faux-Amikiri took a swing at Ash, only for the rider to drop into a slide, the bladed appendage swinging over her. Not loosing momentum, Ash quickly kicked her foot upwards, hitting the lobster monster in the chest. Empowered by her armor, the kick actually hurt the creature and sent it stumbling back. Ash followed up with two punches to the chest followed by a round house kick. Her new left arm was strange, she didn't feel any sensation from it, yet it moved to her thoughts, making it seem like a magical prosthetic.
Faux-Amikiri retaliated with swings of its claws; Ash was able to dodge most of them, but some lucky ones were able to land, causing sparks to fly from where they made contact. Making the monster even more annoying to fight, it summoned ethereal claws to snip at Ash whenever distance was put between the two, the projections a bit more stronger than its actual claws. Ash scowled under her helmet as dove to the side to avoid another ethereal claw; while she was stronger and able to take on the Faux-kai, simply fighting barehanded wasn't going to be enough.
"Cinder!"
The rider turned her head. She saw Goma leaning out from behind the stone pillar.
"Use one of the charms to get an edge over that lobster dish!" he yelled out to her.
Nodding her head, Ash followed the priest's advice and reached for a charm. Her right hand grabbed a charm from the right side of her belt. Unlike the 'Haimiko' charm, this one didn't have a frame. Bringing it up, Ash eyed the kanji on the charm. Somehow, the power of Ash made her able to read kanji and thus knew that the character on the charm meant 'Slash'. Gripping it tightly, Ash pressed the button on top.
[Kiri!]
The charm glowed yellow before transforming. Now in Ash's hand was what appeared to be gold mechanical candelabra with two arms on either side of the main shaft. Confused on how a fancy candlestick would help her, Ash's eyes widened when she saw a flame appear on top of the main shaft, where the candle would go. The flame burned brightly before extending upwards. In another flash of light, the flame disappeared, revealing a sword in its place. Ash stared at the blade in wonder, before smirking at now having a weapon. Turning to face Faux-Amikiri, Ash gripped the candelabra, or rather, the Candelabrade.
The monster quickly produced phantom claws that tried to chop up Ash, but the Kamen Rider quickly blocked the blades with her new weapon. Sparks flew as the blades grinded against each other before Ash pushed the claws away and with a swing of the Candelabrade, cleaved the claws in two. Quickly focusing back on Faux-Amikiri, Ash darted forward, slicing any phantom claw coming at her.
When she reached the Faux-kai, Ash entered into a mock sword duel with the creature; with the addition of her sword, Ash was able to strike at Faux-Amikiri that much more after parrying his swinging claws. Yells of pain and anger escaped from the creature's maw as Ash delivered a powerful overhead strike on the creature's chest, sending it flying back a few feet and tumbling along the ground. Without missing a beat, Ash focused on her blade and sheathed it in magical fire, doubling its length.
"Hiyah!" with a yell, Ash swung the Candelabrade, releasing a horizontal wave of flames towards the downed monster. The lobster-like creature quickly stood up and, with its claws surging with purple energy, blocked the wave. Not in the least deterred, Ash swung her sword again, launching a vertical wave of fire.
The second wave made contact with the first, the now cross shaped blaze pushing against Faux-Amikiri. In the end, the surge of fire won out and the Faux-kai was sent flying while simultaneously immolated. Despite this its armor was sturdy enough that Faux-Amikiri was still standing, though it was flailing around in pain as the flames covered its body. Ash decided to end this.
Instinctively, Ash reached for another charm on her waist. Taking hold of it, she pressed the button on top.
[Kiyomeru!] (Cleanse)
This time, Ash reached down and flipped open the Incense Driver. Removing the Haimiko charm, she replaced it with Kiyomeru. Closing the burner, Ash then grabbed the dial on the side and turned it.
[Light Up!]
Like increasing the heat of a furnace, orange energy gathered within the driver before intensifying. Ember filled smoke escaped from the top of the driver, forming a cloud. Ash crouched a bit, her right foot forward, as she crossed her hands, the cloud of smoke starting to gather around her right foot. As the smoke and embers circled her foot like a miniature cyclone, Ash tensed her muscles before leaping upwards. Her strength as a Kamen Rider launched her high in the air. Performing a flip, gravity started to bring Ash down. Right leg extended, Ash was now on a collision course towards Faux-Amikiri. Even being devoured by flames, the monster brought up its claws to block the kick, but it be in vain. With a yell from Ash, her fiery kick brock through Faux-Amikiri's claws before continuing and impacting with the monster's chest. The Kamen Rider continued forward, going through her opponent's body and landing a few feet behind it. Faux-Amikiri now had a searing hole in its chest, arcs of purple energy surging threw its body. With one final howl, Faux-Amikiri fell to the ground before…
BOOM!
…exploding in a large fireball.
Ash turning to see that the monster was no more, Ash reached to the Incense Driver and removed the charm within. In a puff of smoke, Cinder returned to normal. With the battle over and her armor removed, the strength and adrenaline coursing through her ceased and Cinder dropped to her knees in exhaustion.
"(huff) (huff), that was intense." She huffed. She then reached down to the driver. The belt strap disappeared and Cinder brought up the device to her face, "This thing really is powerful, it felt like I became a completely different person."
"Eh, you're somewhat correct about that."
Hearing Goma's voice, Cinder turned her head to see the priest walking up to her with a smile, the Whirling brothers sitting atop his shoulders and head.
"Like I said before, the mantle of Ash Maiden has been passed on from priestess to priestess for centuries. The power you used has been honed in many battles against malevolent forces, so you could say the will of previous maidens is held within the armor."
"Indeed, no doubt becoming Ash was an exciting experience, feeling all that power coursing through your body." Replied Kamakiri from atop of Goma's head.
"Yeah, you really put the burn on that faker, all you were missing was the melted butter." Joked Kamakaze.
"Now, let's return to the shrine. I'll tell you everything you need to know about that monster you fought and all the events that have been happening lately in the city." The priest told Cinder.
After leaving the girl Cinder saved with the paramedics that soon showed up, the group made their way back to the shrine.
"So, have you ever heard about yokai?"
Cinder and Goma were currently sitting in the middle of the shrine's main hall, the Whirling brothers sitting next to Goma. It took a bit longer to return due to the Faux-kai's attack backing up most of the transit in the city. Not only that, Goma practically cried waterfalls when he realized they had left the groceries back in the city. After an hour of placating the (pathetically) bawling priest, the group made their way to the main hall where Goma started his explanation.
"Yokai?" she asked. Goma shook his head at her response as he remembered something.
"Right, amnesia. Well, Yokai are a species separate from humans; there all kinds of yokai throughout Japan, all with various appearances and abilities. Most humans refer to yokai as monsters and believe them to be nothing more than myth, but yokai are most certainly real and they live among mankind in secret."
"As Goma said, there are different kinds of yokai that exist." Kamakiri spoke, "My brothers and I are Kamaitachi, a type of animal-like yokai. There are other types that are more anthropomorphic and others that look like they were born just to haunt your nightmares."
"yokai have kept their existence secret from humans in recent centuries due to the fear, rejection, and possible retaliation should humanity as a whole learns of them. So, through various methods, yokai hide themselves from human society, usually by disguising themselves as humans. While their have been some near incidents in recent years, for the most part everything has been fine up to now." Goma explained.
"That is until those fakers started showing up." Kamakaze revealed.
"Fakers? You mean that monster I fought, it wasn't a yokai?" Cinder asked.
"The term yokai have given these things is Faux-kai, monstrous imitations of Yokai that, as far as we've observed, seem to do nothing but cause wanton chaos and destruction." Goma explained.
"So, just what exactly are Faux-kai?"
"I honestly don't know, they've started appearing about two months ago out of nowhere and just started rampaging and vanishing soon after. But what is known is very troubling."
"And what is that?"
"Apparently, Faux-kai start off as these weird metal mannequins. They stalk all the dark corners of the city, looking for yokai." Spoke Kamakaze, "When they have one in their sights, they attack and drain them of all of their yoki."
"Yoki?"
"The spiritual energy that is the life force of all yokai, yoki is what also powers their abilities. What the Faux-kai do is drain every ounce of yoki from their victim and take on corrupted forms of the yokai's true appearance and powers. As it is also their life force, draining all their yoki would normally kill the yokai, but somehow the Faux-kai is able to do it in a way that not only doesn't kill the victim, but also permanently takes away all their abilities, including being able to transform into their true forms." Goma continued to explain.
"In other words, the Faux-kai have the ability to reduce yokai into nothing more than mere humans." Kamekiri stated.
"I see, so in addition to the simple destruction they cause for the humans, they also basically steal a part of a yokai's identity." Cinder summarized, a frown appearing on her face. To have something that is intrinsically a part of you being stolen. Cinder felt like she could relate due to her amnesia.
"Yes, these monsters have been causing trouble for a lot of people. But now that a new Ash Maiden has shown up, these fakers are gonna be mincemeat." Replied Kamakaze.
"I know it's a lot to ask of you, considering your current predicament, but as it stands, the power of Ash, which has kept the balance and peace between human and yokai, is now in your hands, which means the task of finding out the goal of the Faux-kai and stopping them falls to you." Goma stated seriously.
Cinder lowered her head as she contemplated the priest's words. Monsters were attack humans and yokai and she had become the only thing that could stop them. Sure she fought Faux-Amikiri and saved the girl, but taking on who knows how many more of these creatures. Add in her lost memories and the situation was almost overwhelming. Seeing her hesitation, Goman face turned understanding.
"I know it's a hard decision to make right now, so why don't I give you some time to think about it." He said before standing up, "Until then, you're free to stay here at the shrine for as long as you need. Now, I must go and see what kind of dinner I can make with what we have."
And with that, Goma left the main hall, the weasel triplets following after. Now alone, Cinder once more thought about her situation and whether or not to continue being Ash.
One thing's for sure, from this point onward, living in Ayakashi City will be far from dull.
"So, a new Ash has appeared."
Within a what appeared to be a darkened laboratory, a figure was reviewing the events that have just taken place in the city, events pertaining to a certain masked maiden.
"It looks like things will no longer proceed so easily from this point forward."
"Ah, but it also means things will also become much more entertaining."
Another figure appeared in the dark lab. The first figure didn't turn to the other figure as they addressed them.
"Synapses, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Just thought I should drop in and take a look at my investment. Imagine my surprise that you now have a Kamen Rider to deal with."
"The Ash Maiden isn't a foe to be taken lightly, but soon enough, a strategy to take care of her will come and our goals remain unimpeded."
"Heh, like no villain has ever said that about a rider ever." The second figure mocked.
"If all you're going to do here is joke around, then leave if you have nothing better to do."
"Fine, fine, I'll get out of your hair. Hopefully you'll be in a more friendly mood next time."
The figure known as Synapses then left the lab. Walking down the darkened hallways, he got to thinking.
"First we have two new Sentai teams popping up and now a Kamen Rider appears here while I'm working on my project, it seems we're really going to have to work for our goals."
Synapses then brought up his hand and a glowing ball of light appeared in his palm. Images of a certain person faded in an out on the surface of the ball.
"What's more ironic is that the rider is that arrogant spitfire from that backwater world. I knew taking her memories would change her personality, but I didn't think she would pull a 180 and become a hero."
The orb then disappeared as Synapses continued walking.
"Oh well, at least things aren't going to be boring anytime soon."
Unknown to Cinder, the battle she finds herself a part of is simply one front of an even bigger war taking place that will decide the fate of more then just the world she finds herself on.
Herself and others will experience ordeals that will challenge them in ways that would break lesser people. But, when push comes to shove, these people will stand firm and persevere.
After all, they are heroes.
To Be Continued...
Next Time:
Cinder: Just how did the Ash Maiden come to be?
Goma: It is a story that proves that human and yokai can coexist peacefully.
?: Wow, an actual Kamen Rider!
Cinder: My flames aren't working on it!
Kamakiri: This will help!
[Kamaitachi!]
Charm 2: Winds of Change
Cinder: Let these ashes cleanse your evil!
And with that, the trilogy is complete. Hope you all like what I'm doing with Cinder, because any type of redemption isn't going to work on a person like Cinder unless they've completely forgotten who they are. Honestly, thinking of Kamen Rider stories was much easier that coming up with Super Sentai. After RWBYZ and JNIPR, I thought of only two more sentai stories, while I came up with a bout ten for Kamen Rider. Anyways, I'll get started on the next chapter for Persona 6, followed by the next chapter for RWBYZ. Mastergamer, out.