Hey again! Finally back! If you haven't already, check the "Sidequests" story for quick stories about some new Riders and what they've been up to since the last main chapter of Kamen Rider Utsura.
Once again, this is chapter 41 of Kamen Rider Utsura, posted separately for…silly reasons, but I want it to show them anyway. ^^ Please enjoy!
The door leading back to the stairs clicked shut, and Dr. Kiriya Kujo leaned casually against it. As always he looked completely calm, but it didn't take a genius to figure out he was blocking the only way off the roof on purpose.
"Kujo-san…I've never done this before. I'm not sure I can do what you're asking by myself," Kiiko said quietly. "Are you sure I can't have Kensei or Onee's help with this?"
He shook his head, just like she'd been expecting. "Sorry, Mishiranu-san. If they knew, they'd try to get involved in my plan, and it'll only work if it's a secret. I'm taking a big risk asking for your help, but you're the only one who can do this."
"Okay. I'll try," Kiiko answered him. She held out her arm and pointed her index finger into the distance, then concentrated her power into the outstretched finger. She'd never tried to do this on purpose before, she'd only reacted when the power had sparked on its own. But Kiriya was depending on her…
She closed her eyes and tried to focus all her thoughts on the end of her finger. It buzzed ever so faintly with the sensation of her own powers, but nothing else. Kiiko tried spinning slowly in a circle, hoping she could feel what Kiriya needed her to find. Still nothing.
Instead of focusing on her finger, Kiiko tried to imagine her power to detect stretching outward in a circle. First to the buildings across the street. Then the next rooftop beyond that. Her eyes moved back and forth under her clenched eyelids at the incredible strain, as if she was facing a nightmare, but she was wide awake. A flashing light burst into being on the tip of her fingernail.
"Keep pushing it, Mishiranu-san," Kiriya urged her. "Keep going. You're doing excellent."
"Don't distract me!" Kiiko interrupted his interruption.
He chortled. "Sorry."
Again she forced her power out farther, not even sure how far anymore since Kiriya interrupted her. Another block, another three, maybe. She could feel so much life. So many people, and Kiiko was scared to realize how many she could feel had developing cases of Corrupture viruses…a large number, but one she couldn't begin to count.
Then it was too much. A flash of light erupted from above and Kiiko's senses just shut down from all the strain. When she opened her eyes again Kiriya was kneeling over her, waving a wave back and forth in front of her face. "How long was I out for?" Kiiko croaked.
"Only about two minutes," Kiriya replied with a smile. "You're amazing, Kiiko-chan." She smiled, but his expression turned serious. "Did you see it, though?"
An exhausted smile managed to form on Kiiko's lips, and she nodded. "I saw it. I saw where Maximum Mighty X is."
To Kiiko's exhausted mind, it was as if they'd gotten to the floor and then immediately arrived at the back lawn of the Daitenkuu Temple. It was a magnificent old building, but neither of them paid much attention to it. Kiriya was paying attention to tearing up the grass with the little camping shovel he'd brought, and Kiiko was paying attention to the growing hole.
"Are you sure they won't mind we're doing this?" she asked, slumping back against the tree trunk Kiriya had sat her against.
He crawled to the top, his boyish face and Hawaiian shirt smeared with dirt. "If the staff shows up, we'll tell them truth: we're here to save the world," he said with a smirk. Then he disappeared back down again.
Kiiko coughed and looked away on purpose. Her throat was still dry, since Kiriya had insisted they come over and get the game right away. He was in some kind of hurry he refused to explain to Kiiko, who had nothing left to do but sit around and think. Maybe about the implications of being able to find the missing Rider Gashats like she just had. If the Corrupture found out she could do that, and make their enemies the Kamen Riders even more powerful, would they target her?
Would they target her closest friend?
Would the Corrupture blackmail the Kamen Riders into walking into another trap like they had before? How long would this fighting go on? How bad were things going to get before this was over?
And how would all this end?
"I GOT IT!"
She fell over in surprise at the sudden sound. Kiriya stuck his head up out of the hole in the yard, his shining white smile standing out against the dirt smeared all over his face. He held up his other hand, and in it was what she saw right before she blacked out. A silver and gold-cased Rider Gashat, the label on its side saying "Maximum Mighty X" and showing Mighty piloting a mech with giant pink fists, green feet, yellow exhaust pipes on the shoulders and giant eyes in the torso. On the underside of the cartridge was the unmistakable face of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.
"I actually did it…" Kiiko said breathlessly. "What now?"
"Now, I take you back to the hospital so you can rest. Then I have to make an important call," Kiriya answered her.
By the time Kiriya dropped her off at Seito University Hospital, Kiiko had gotten enough of her strength back to walk in under her own power. As soon as she stepped off him, the yellow motorcycle zoomed away by itself.
She was heading down to the CR Ward but stopped as she saw something through the windows of the physical therapy room. Inside there was a small track surrounding a row of exercise equipment. Kiiko was surprised to see Kensei jogging around the track in a t-shirt and sweatpants, while a woman in a blue tanktop and shorts passed him twice while he was still working on one lap. She looked familiar, but Kiiko couldn't quite remember where she'd seen that lady's face before.
"You've got to pick up the pace!" the woman called as she passed Kensei a third time. "I thought heroes were supposed to be tough!"
"Hayami-san…," Kensei panted, "heroes have certain occupational hazards!" He turned and smiled as well as he could as he saw Kiiko coming in, but the other runner came past and slapped him on the shoulder as she went by.
"Focus on your practice, Hidenaga!" she barked. Kensei looked Kiiko's way another second but then turned and tried to run faster down the track. He managed to catch up to the runner for a few seconds before he staggered. Kiiko stared, not sure what to think. She almost screamed when a hand squeezed her shoulder.
But the face Kiiko looked into as she whipped around was calm and reassuring, like always. She was a nurse, after all. "Where've you been, Kiiko-chan?" Asuna asked. "You left all of a sudden, and nobody knew where you were. Kensei-kun got awfully worried."
Kiiko shrugged. "He looks like he's busy all by himself getting back in shape," she whispered. "That poison he had in his body for a long time left him really weak after all," Kiiko said, fixing her eyes on Kensei as he managed to pick up the pace and gain on his trainer again. "It's kind of hard to believe that's Kamen Rider Utsura, seeing him like this. I just…I don't know what to expect anymore."
Asuna walked up so she was a little bit in front of Kiiko and could look her in the face while keeping an eye on the track. "What do you mean, Kiiko-chan?" she asked.
Sighing, Kiiko answered her sister, "I always thought Kensei-kun was unbeatable because he was the hero of the game. But the longer we do this," she paused, like she was afraid to say the next part of the sentence. Asuna looked at her expectantly, and Kiiko shook her head and went on. "...the longer we do this, the more I worry about that. A lot of people didn't respect him, he's gotten hurt really bad and almost died, and we've seen some enemies I'm worried he can't beat by himself. Nothing makes sense anymore."
"Kiiko-chan," Asuna said, chuckling softly, which started to annoy Kiiko, but her older sister hugged her with an arm across the back of her shoulders. "It's not something you have to deal with all by yourself! The Ministry of Health hired a famous athlete like Sena Hayami to be Kensei-kun's trainer because they know how much we depend on him. Just like we depend on all the Riders. We depend on you, too, Kiiko-chan."
For a while Kiiko couldn't think of how to answer. If the Riders depended on each other so much, she had to ask herself where Rune and Sling were while the rest of them were fighting worse and worse enemies. But Kensei had been saying, for a very long time, they should trust the others.
She caught Kensei's eye as he came around the track again, he gave her the same innocent smile he gave her the first time he'd told her to trust the others.
And Kiiko saw the warm glint in Kensei's eyes and found herself thinking he was probably right.
"Thanks, Onee."
The Corrupture Cells writhed in agony in the tubes Ayatsu Shuugouteki could see on the back of the transmission. A sweat-faced technician pried his eyes away from the sight and into the camera. "Yes, sir, the matrix will be ready for a prototype test run within the next hour," he reported to his boss. Ayatsu let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. Let me know the minute we're ready to go online. I want to see this myself," Ayatsu ordered his underling. The technician nodded, and at the exact same moment a sharp knocking on the glass of Ayatsu's office window came from behind.
Slowly he turned around to see what was happening. The glass was bulletproof, but Ayatsu knew perfectly well any one of his enemies had more firepower than any gun. Still, the intruder didn't look dangerous. It was a helmet, with tiny arms and feet sticking out from it, waving an orange sword around like it was trying to get Ayatsu's attention. A beam of light flowed up from the Chibi Gamer's eyes, forming a screen. On it was Kiriya Kujo, one of GENM's Riders.
"Hi there, Ayatsu-san," he said informally and made a melodramatic bow. "I've got some super-important information for you."
Naturally, Ayatsu looked back at the doctor with suspicion. "And what could you possibly be willing to offer me, Rider?"
Kiriya held up the Maximum Mighty X Gashat. "I found one of Ex-Aid's most powerful games," he answered. "And it could be yours instead, for the right price."
A scowl hardened Ayatsu's face. "I'm not an idiot. I know Ex-Aid's the only Kamen Rider in the world who could use that game."
As if contrasting Ayatsu's expression, Kiriya's face broke out into a grin. "It's exactly because you're smart enough to appreciate my offer that I'm taking the risk to talk to someone as formidable as you, Ayatsu-san. After all, if you have this game, then CR doesn't."
Ayatsu glared into the hologram. Then he reached over to push a button on his desk.
"Get Kedamono in here. I've got a job for him."
It was Yoshoku's turn to watch the Machina Vision building, but he almost dropped his binoculars when a helmet with big feet hopped on the windowsill and waved its orange sword to get his attention. A holographic screen issued up from the Brave Knight's eyes, showing Kiriya Kujo standing with trees behind him somewhere.
"Hi, kiddos," he smiled. "Keep an eye on the building for a little bit longer. As soon as Buster leaves, get in and get Rei-chan's friend out."
"Wait a minute…what are you gonna do?" Yoshoku demanded.
"Buy you some time," Kiriya answered. "Don't waste it."
The Chibi Gamer disintegrated outside the window.
With nothing else to keep her engaged, Kiiko went down to the patient room in the CR Ward and laid down. Normally she would've gone back to the little room she'd created for herself above that little park, but scanning the city for the game had exhausted her more than she thought. It seemed like she'd barely closed her eyes when she heard the door whoosh open. Kiiko opened one eyelid to see who was there, then yelped in fright.
It was Parado. Leaning right in front of her face.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Kiiko squealed and scrambled to sit straight up.
He looked back at her silently, then shambled over to the chair in the corner and sat down. "You're Poppy's kid sister," he muttered. "The one who's been keeping an eye on those new Kamen Riders, like that kid Utsura."
Kiiko sat up, on top of her knees, slowly composing herself. "Yeah, basically. What are you doing down here?"
Parado got up and walked over to her, squinting hard while he studied her. After a minute, he asked, "What are you?"
"What?!"
He kept squinting and walked around the edge of the bed to look at her from another angle like he hadn't heard the question. "What are you?" he repeated. "You're part human and you're part Bugster? What does that make you, Mishiranu?"
"That is what it makes me," Kiiko replied. Parado squinted at her even harder and tilted his head the other way. "I'm Kiiko Mishiranu. That's what I am. Why does what I am need a name?" She put her hand on his shoulder and pushed him back, giving Parado an irritated look the whole time. After a few more seconds he stopped staring at her and sat down in the corner of the room.
"Everyone needs to be something," Parado replied, his voice a little sullen now instead of suspicious. Kiiko wasn't sure she thought it was an improvement. "But you can even combine with humans?" Parado went on.
Now it was Kiiko's turn to squint at him in confusion. "Why are you sneaking in here when I'm asleep and interrogating me about this anyway?" she demanded.
Parado didn't say anything for a while, and Kiiko was going from surprised to annoyed with him really fast. Eventually he said, "I've been gone for a long time. Everything's different," he said. "And besides…even when we won, I had nothing to do anymore."
Kiiko's expression softened. "What do you mean?" she asked.
He shrugged. "What are Kamen Riders supposed to do except fight?" Parado asked. "There were no villains left to fight. It looks like there might be no enemies left to fight again soon. Where does this all go?"
The question hung in the air between the two of them.
When Kiiko answered it, all she could think to say was, "Why are you asking me?"
His expression was impossible to read. Not that Kiiko had enough social experience to think about doing such a thing on her best day. Finally, though, Parado answered, "You hang around with all those kids, right? Don't human kids spend all their time playing games and thinking about their futures?"
"So you think that means they know everything that's going to happen?" Kiiko asked with slightly less disbelief than last time.
Parado shrugged. "It makes more sense than asking adults. They don't know anything about the future. All they think about is what's right in front of them."
She was about to open her mouth, but closed it again. Was Parado really wrong? Kids, youths, had all kinds of dreams about what to do when they grew up and had their freedom. But adults…most of the adults Kiiko saw, even the veteran Kamen Riders, seemed locked into their courses. Taking things one day at a time and rarely seeming to dream big like the youth had. Probably the only thoughts the Kamen Riders had about what to do after the monsters were finally defeated for good was go back to their original medical jobs.
"Why are you asking me that question?" Kiiko asked him back.
He gave her a silent, level look. "Can monsters like Bugsters live with humans, after this is over?" Parado replied.
"I don't know," Kiiko answered, then held out her hand to Parado. "But maybe we can find out together."
Parado's expression didn't change. He took her hand anyway.
A limousine pulled up outside Machina Vision headquarters. Tousen Kedamono, unmistakable with his shiny bald head and even shinier mirrored sunglasses, came out the front door and got in. Before it even got out the gates, Yoshoku and Rei were dashing out of the hotel room and to the elevators.
Yoshoku looked over at Rei, who was totally stone-faced. He thought about saying something to help her get ready for the rescue she'd been waiting for all this time. Then again, he figured, how could Rei not be ready for this? It was the only thing she'd been planning since before she'd ever met him.
They got off on the top floor and went to the stairs to the roof they'd picked days ago for exactly this moment. Without a word from either of them, they transformed, Yoshoku opening his Chase Billion's briefcase as soon as it was in his hands. He selected the menu option that read "Rustic Hunting Trip". His rifle flickered with a puff of pixels and was reshaped into a hunting crossbow.
Kamen Rider Sling aimed and fired his shot. It whizzed across the gap between the buildings, uncoiling a rope behind it. As soon as it hit the wall Sling'd been aiming for and they fastened the other end of the rope, both Riders slid across it to the roof of Machina Vision. Not to Sling's surprise at all, Kamen Rider Zero dropped off first and went into a somersault.
She pressed a tiny rectangular device to the electronic door lock. Numbers flashed through the little screen across its top and after a second the lock clicked and the door whirred open.
They'd gone over the route they were taking to get to the secure room they'd seen Ayatsu Shuugouteki enter a few times. There was going to be heavy opposition, they were sure, but if Kamen Rider Buster was gone, Sling was pretty sure they could handle any other surprises the building could throw at them.
At least, that was what he hoped.
The wind seemed to pick up at the exact moment Kiriya saw the limousine come into sight of the old factory's front drive. After it stopped the driver got out and ran to the back door and opened it. Kiriya actually had to smile at the spectacle of two thick legs sticking out through the door and Tousen Kedamono prying his massive muscular body out of the narrow door.
But that was when he grew. Kedamono stood all the way up and cast a shadow over Kiriya from where the car was parked. He walked over to Kiriya and only seemed to get even bigger. "So, do you want to start, or should I?" Kiriya said with his cockiest smile.
Kedamono was silent, but Kiriya had been expecting that. Instead, a Chibi Gamer of a pirate ship flew by and projected a little holographic screen showing Ayatsu Shuugouteki sitting in his office.
With the most superior little smirk on his face Kiriya Kujo had ever seen. And he was a master of more than a few of those himself. "Hello, Dr. Kujo. I believe you have something that you'd be interested in selling me," Ayatsu said.
"If the price is right," Kiriya answered.
"I'll see the merchandise first," Ayatsu snapped. With a nod, Kiriya got the Maximum Mighty X game from his inside jacket pocket. "How do I know that's the real thing?" Ayatsu asked, fixing Kiriya with a suspicious glare.
The doctor just shrugged and used one of his own superior little smirks. "Well, Ex-Aid could use it," he suggested. "I can call him, you know."
Ayatsu's smirk turned into a scowl over clenched teeth. "You're an idiot if you think I have any reason to try to make a deal with you, Rider," he spat. "Kedamono, crush him and take that game." The screen showing Ayatsu faded out and the little pirate ship with it. Kedamono tossed his sunglasses over his shoulder and in the next second had a VR visor on over his face instead. Just as quickly, Kiriya locked the yellow Bakusou Bike cartridge into his belt, the black Giri Giri Chambara next to it.
"Henshin!"
Kiriya kicked the icon showing Kamen Rider Laser, a form he hadn't thought having a serious fight in since before he'd been revived. "Third Gear!" He shifted into his stocky Level 1 form only for the arms and legs to immediately pop off, leaving a wheel-less yellow motorcycle floating off the ground. The black and gold Gamer of his Giri Giri Chambara cartridge flew out of the title screen above him, its arms and legs replacing his own as he completed the transformation into Kamen Rider Laser.
Immediately he split his Gashacon Sparrow into a pair of mini scythes and settled back into a fighting stance. His mere Level 3 form was pitiful compared to the huge form of his enemy. Not for the first time since coming back, Laser wished he could still use the Bug Visor and games that'd given him the awesome power of a Level X form. But he wasn't a Bugster anymore, and those Proto Gashats were still missing.
But Laser wasn't planning on winning this fight.
"Shall we dance?" he asked playfully.
Today was shaping up to be an unusually good day, and that made Ayatsu Shuugouteki allow himself a smile. He was about to be rid of one of GENM's Kamen Riders, admittedly the weakest one by far, but at the same time keep one of their biggest threats from reclaiming a massive chunk of his power. The project was finally about to go online, and then Machina Vision could start showing the world the many joys of combining their minds in unity.
As soon as he had that, he'd never need to worry about any of his enemies. Not even Hourakou Byougen, with all his diseased powers…
Then the intercom on his desk buzzed and ruined his entire good mood. "Sir? A group of people from the Ministry of Health are in the lobby, and say they need to talk to you right away."
"I'm about to attend a very important demonstration," Ayatsu said as calmly as he could, since he had no doubt the visitors could hear him. "I'm afraid this will have to wait."
"Shuugouteki-san, this isn't up for discussion," a sharp female voice came back. "We know you've passed inspections in the past, but a Dr. Kujo's forwarded some very suspicious video content of goings-on in your labs. We need to see them, right now."
Ayatsu's blood froze. No, no, this couldn't possibly happen now. He couldn't be denied at a time like this, when he was right on the verge of his ultimate victory.
An idea entered his mind. An infuriating idea. Had Kiriya Kujo tricked him by luring his bodyguard out of the building?
And had Ayatsu gotten so sloppy through all these battles and confrontations with powerful enemies, he'd let himself be tricked?
He let out a scream of rage that shook the window glass.
Another pair of Auto Player androids threw themselves at the intruders. One grabbed Sling's crossbow and wrestled with him for it. The other twirled an electrified staff in front of itself like a propeller to try to keep Zero from getting close enough to land a hit.
So Zero unholstered her golden pistol and fired three shots, penetrating both of the robot's eyes and its main battery. It sputtered electrically and crashed down to the floor. Zero looked down at the twitching robot for a second, wishing that'd been Ayatsu Shuugouteki, before she turned around and put a bullet through the head of Sling's opponent. He kicked the Auto Player off of him. "Thanks," Sling panted.
"Let's just go," Zero grunted to answer him before she ran down the hall. Sling followed, but he was shaking his head. What would they find when they got to the room? And how was Zero going to take it when they did?
Soon they came to have a huge metal vault door. Zero ran to the keypad next to the door and plugged her gadget into it. Numbers flicked by on its screen even faster than the first time, then machinery behind the door groaned and it started sliding aside. Zero ducked through the opening as soon as it was wide enough. Sling followed cautiously, sweeping the hall for any more guards.
He peered over his shoulder into the room. A boy about their age, maybe a little younger, was sitting inside strapped to a chair at a desk covered in computer monitors. His face was streaked with sweat and his eyes were being held open by a framework attached to the back of his chair. Kamen Rider Zero was crouching with her arms around him, sobbing softly.
Sling turned away for a minute, to give her the chance to let her process what had become of her best friend. But Zero just stayed there, tears trickling out underneath the eyes of her mask. Finally Sling turned back to them. He scrolled to a menu option that said "Luxury Hunting Knife" and used the foot-long blade to start cutting Dai Gakusha out of his bonds.
"We have to go, Rei," Sling whispered, as calmly but as firmly as he could. She nodded, sniffed one more time and started cutting the prisoner free too. After his arm was free, Dai carefully pried the framework out of his eyelids, and shut his eyes with a sigh of relief that sounded like it'd been building up for a long, long time. When the Riders' knives cut through the strap around his neck he slumped forward in exhaustion.
But he waved a hand underneath his desk, and Sling found a locked briefcase underneath. He remembered the time Kensei had been trapped in the Machina Vision building, and been able to get out with new games prepared by some mysterious benefactor. It seemed they knew for sure who it was now. If he'd made other new weapons, it would be a good idea to have them.
"It really is you, Rei," Dai muttered as they grabbed him by the shoulders and carried him out of the room. "And you made another friend," he chuckled. "I guess Kamen Riders really can do the impossible."
"Not now, Dai-chan," Zero said, patting his cheek and talking with a tenderness Sling had never heard in her voice before. Sling looked away from their display as hard as he could.
"Yeah, we need to get out of here before the boss figures out we're here and sends the whole goon squad after us," Sling warned. He held up a black keycard laced with golden circuitry. "I got the key to the back elevator."
They lurched down the halls to the escape route they planned, dragging Dai over the shattered remains of several Auto Player guards. There were no sounds. No resistance. "Is it seeming to anybody else like this is too easy?" Sling asked.
Zero hissed at him. "Don't jinx it."
Sling tilted his head. "When did you get superstitious?"
Dai coughed. "I think 'the boss' is busy right now. With those people from the ministry, and probably the creepy guy who told me you two were coming."
Both Riders stopped in their tracks. "Creepy guy?" they said at the same time.
Ayatsu steeled himself while the elevator was shooting down from the top floor of the building. He'd had inspections from the ministry before. He'd just show them the labs, make up something about how the footage they'd seen had obviously been faked, and send the ministry people on their way. Just like always.
He was the boss. He would handle this.
He stepped out of the elevator and saw the two ladies in black suits standing by the security desk. One of them was showing the guards footage on a tablet. Footage that looked an awful lot like a person with a purple virus-shaped head twitching and screaming in agony. The guards mouths hung open in shock.
As fast as he could, Ayatsu strode up to the security desk. "Ladies," he said. "I'm sorry to see you called out here so suddenly. Do you mind telling me what this is all about?"
One of the ministry's agents, a severe older woman with naturally-looking narrowed eyes, tucked the tablet under her arm and walked up to Ayatsu. "Do yourself a favor, Shuugouteki-san, and drop the innocent act," she said. "We know you have those things trapped in your building's basement. Corrupture Cells. Humans who are victims of the Corrupture virus, and your people are running these…experiments on them."
"Madam, do you mind telling me where this…," Ayatsu paused, mimicking the agent's own disgusted pause. "Evidence, of yours, came from? Am I not legally entitled to know such things?"
"It came from a doctor who's been involved in trying to solve this virus crisis since before it got a new name," the lady replied, not budging under Ayatsu's withering gaze. "Please," she prompted him. "Let's see where these 'experiments' are taking place, and you can tell us what you are intending to do with your findings. And, most importantly, why the authorities have not been informed of what you were doing."
Ayatsu said nothing. The agent still refused to retreat, raising her eyebrows up and then back down again, as if telling him to answer her questions again. "Those are very serious accusations," Ayatsu said.
"And you know every word of them's true," said a taunting, and worse, very familiar voice. The Ministry of Health agents backed away, a flicker of fear in the older woman's eyes now, and Ayatsu knew it wasn't from him. He turned slowly, a giggle coming from behind him. Exactly like he'd been expecting, Hourakou Byougen was standing there. What he hadn't been expecting was for the invader to have on a bright red onesie with red devil horns atop his head. Hourakou's face was painted a shiny red too, and he had a plastic trident in his hand.
"Hi!" Hourakou exclaimed with an overdone grin, and waved at the entire lobby with his empty hand.
The sight of his enemy almost forced Ayatsu to his knees in fear. He tried to compose himself, for all the good it'd do. "What," Ayatsu asked, "do you think you're doing here?"
Hourakou laughed. A loud, jovial laugh like he'd heard the world's best joke. It was the most terrifying sound Ayatsu had ever heard. "Why shouldn't I be here?" the devil asked. "You invited me!"
"How did I," Ayatsu whispered in undisguised horror, "invite you?"
The grin on Hourakou's face was getting unsettling. "You brought the Cells here, so you could run your little experiments on them," he replied. "I'm everywhere the Corrupture are, therefore, I'm here!"
Ayatsu couldn't stand it anymore. He turned and he ran. That made Hourakou giggle louder, and he kept giggling as his body melted into purple goop that crawled across the walls and floor.
A cracking that sounded like the end of the world reverberated up from underneath Kamen Rider Laser, who was already at the height of his jump. He raked his scythes across Kamen Rider Buster's eyes, the giant warrior not even seeming to notice. Laser planted his feet on the giant's forehead and vaulted off just before Buster slapped himself on the forehead and missed by a fraction of an inch. There was a *BOOM* that sounded like it should've split Buster's head open but Laser knew better than to hope for something so simple to finish that fight.
Before Laser landed he joined his weapons back into a bow, turned and aimed at the limousine. The driver gasped in horror and ran for all he was worth before Laser fired a pair of arrows into Buster's limousine. They pierced the side and it went up in a satisfying fireball. "Looks like you're walking home. Sorry about that," Laser chuckled. Suddenly a huge hand crashed down on top of him and pushed him into the ground. A panicked yell of pain erupted from his mouth and he scratched at the inside of Buster's huge hand with his scythes. Buster didn't even move from the touch of the blades.
"You're big and fast," Laser groaned. "Your powers are impressive. I still have something you don't, though."
Buster grunted and started closing his fingers around Laser's body. Inside the fist, Laser's armor groaned at the pressure. Through the pain Laser wondered if his games would even eject if he was being crushed, and wondered if getting another Game Over would be better or worse than being squished.
A sound interrupted his grim thoughts: squealing tires. Two little race cars ramped over the fiery remains of Buster's limousine. One pink, one white. Sitting in the pink one was the unmistakable, equally pink figure of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, with the powerful red-and-blue presence of Kamen Rider Paradox crouched on the back. At the wheel of the white car was Kamen Rider Utsura, his suit a sheer white lookalike of Ex-Aid's.
On the back of Utsura's car was the super-deformed shape of the Brave Knight Chibi Gamer. The one Laser had sent to bring help. Looked like the little sprite had done his job. "Hey, it's Phase 3! Glad you could make it!" Laser laughed as well as he could while clutched in the crushing fingers of their giant enemy.
"Kiriya-san! Are you okay?" Ex-Aid called up to him.
"Not really, Emu," Laser gasped, Buster tightening his grip around his prisoner. "If you could get me down soon I'd really like that!" Buster raised his other hand and brought it down on top of where the new combatants had stopped. The Rider trio scattered as his fist came down like a bomb and smashed their race cars out of existence, and the force of his blow was so awesome the three Riders were knocked off the ground from it.
Ex-Aid recovered his balance first. "Saving him's our first priority!" he called to the others.
"I'll hit Buster with everything I have!" Utsura said, switching his Sensou Chambara game into his belt. "Level UP!" the Driver exclaimed. His thick samurai armor pieced itself together over his body and after stabbing his arm through its icon, Utsura pulled his ridiculously-colored naginata back out.
Then he launched himself at Kamen Rider Buster. All the armor kept him from packing the speed or distance into his jump he otherwise would've had, but the huge enemy needed all the power he had and more. His shoulder slammed into Buster's chest and he thought he felt the giant forced back a little bit. Utsura fell to the ground and immediately Buster's huge first came down at him just as Utsura had a chance to plant his feet. The enormous fist hit Utsura right between the shoulders and his armor groaned, but the smaller fighter took the chance to go on the offensive, slashing his weapon band forth across Buster's arm, leaving trails of HIT graphics with every swing.
"Now, Parado!" Ex-Aid yelled.
"I don't need you to remind me," Kamen Rider Paradox yelled back. Both of them jumped and hit Buster's elbow with their weapons at the same time, the blade of Ex-Aid's Gashacon Breaker and the axe of Paradox's Parabragun. Buster's arm twitched, the fingers hold Kamen Rider Laser slipping open just enough to tantalize them.
Utsura stabbed his Gashacon Nata into Buster's hip and jumped back to give himself some breathing room. "Kiiko, I need some help! Can you see any weak points?" he asked.
"I'm still tired, but…look at his arm!" her voice replied in his ear.
He nodded. "I see it! That glowing spot right on the front of the wrist. Wonder if your power's getting stronger."
A warm sensation that made him think of a blush washed over his brain. "Is this really the right time?" she asked in a mental whisper.
"No, you're right," he replied. "Emu-san! Parado-san!" he called out. Just before Buster whirled his arm above his head and released the fist on a giant chain like a mace at the young Rider.
It was like a nightmare Ayatsu couldn't wake up from. A hideous purple film was crawling along the walls, ceiling and floors behind him. It covered the first light panel with a crunch, and a face formed out of the wall. "Faster, faster! It's right behind you!" Hourakou giggled at him.
Running for his very life, Ayatsu rounded a corner and stabbed a keycard into its hidden slot. A wooden panel whirred open revealing a secret elevator. He ducked inside and hit the emergency close behind him. It would get him to the laboratory in no time at all, and then Hourakou Byougen would see just what kind of mistake he'd made.
Usually Ayatsu didn't feel anything when he took the elevator to the lab. After a few seconds he felt the car shake worryingly. Hourakou's giant purple…infection must have gotten into the elevator shaft. A cold feeling of fear clenched his stomach. Again the car shook. Finally the door opened again to the secret lab and Ayatsu threw himself through the entrance. He landed on his stomach, shocking the scientist he almost knocked over.
"Hurry!" Ayatsu barked. "Start up the matrix! We're testing it right now!"
"…Sir?"
"HELP ME UP!" The frightened scientist held out his hand and pulled his boss back up, then ran after Ayatsu as he sprinted into the heart of the lab, afraid of what his boss would do to him if he didn't follow.
They stopped in front of the main console that was to control Ayatsu Shuugouteki's great machine. It'd only been installed a few hours ago, to await the first time it would be activated, and every button, every edge shined. Even though his hands were trembling, Ayatsu started punching a combination of buttons.
More of his scientists gathered around, an awful silence filling the laboratory that was only broken by the sound of the machinery coming to life in all corners of the hidden room. "Sir?" the boldest of them finally asked. "Is everything all right?"
"Don't you know what's going on above us?"
"No, sir," the scientist answered. "You're the only one authorized to communicate into the lab. We haven't heard anything."
Ayatsu finished entering the code and meters on the console in front of him went from dark to glowing with power. "Is everything ready to activate the matrix?" he asked, ignoring his previous question.
"Of course, sir. All the subjects were installed, since you wanted to test it—"
"Then get ready to test it," Ayatsu cut him off. "Let these Corrupture bastards see the power of the human mind."
Everything darkened as Kamen Rider Buster's enormous fist came rocketing down at Utsura. Instead of evading, the young samurai threw his weapon aside and raised his arms in front of his face to block. Just before the attack hit them he heard Kiiko make a tiny, terrified "eep" in his brain.
It was an awesome impact and blew Utsura back almost twenty feet. But he was on his feet the whole time, his boots tearing ditches in the dirt. In the corner of his eye, the little "Serenity" meter was almost at the top after taking that hit without taking damage.
Buster's fist retracted and he shot it out at Utsura again. Kamen Rider Paradox jumped out and brought his axe down, its head surrounded by flames, chopping through the chain. The fist went wild and sheared the edge off the old factory.
Utsura clapped Paradox on the back. "Great save! Thanks, you were just in time!" he exclaimed.
"I wasn't trying to save you," Paradox mumbled.
Now wasn't the time to follow up on that. "Emu-san!" he yelled. "Follow us!" He grabbed his naginata and charged Kamen Rider Buster. The giant Rider seemed unsure what to do with his fist severed and his other hand clenched around his prisoner, and Utsura took advantage of that moment of confusion. He slashed the blade of the naginata across the bright weak spot his combined senses showed.
Ex-Aid and Paradox were next, both blades slamming into the thin vulnerable spot Utsura's attack had shown them. The giant Rider's fingers twitched and Kamen Rider Laser dropped from his hand.
"Emu-san, quick!" Laser gasped. "Pull out the Level 3 game and ride me clear!" Ex-Aid tilted his head but pulled the black cartridge out of Laser's Driver as instructed. Immediately Laser's arms and legs popped off and the wheels of his motorcycle form reattached. Kamen Rider Ex-Aid swung himself onto the seat and zoomed away while Buster punched both of the other Riders at the same time.
Looking over his shoulder, Ex-Aid asked, "Did you really get it, like your message said?"
Laser gasped in mock horror. "I'm hurt you don't believe me, Emu-san. I thought we were partners." He twisted his front wheel to the right, indicating the bag hanging off that side. Ex-Aid plunged his hand inside and closed his fingers around a familiar shape. A small gasp in shock and relief escaped from his mouth as he recognized what he was holding. "Think you better use that quick, don't you?" Laser asked.
"Level UP!"
Meanwhile, Kamen Rider Buster had grabbed Paradox and Utsura and slammed them together. Utsura barely felt it through his thick helmet but Paradox slumped back, stunned from the crash.
Just like Buster himself was when a big pink fist suddenly stretched out of nowhere and punched him in the face. He toppled like a tree, dropping the two smaller Riders and crushing the old factory building as he fell.
Utsura turned, and smiled inside his mask at what he saw. It was Ex-Aid, wearing a heavy mech suit with giant eyes peering out of the chest, gold-colored springs for its arms and legs. Sticking proudly out of both slots in this Gamer Driver was the cartridge for Maximum Mighty X. Paradox did a double-take when he saw who'd pulled him up. "It's time to finish this fight," Ex-Aid said. "Are you both ready?"
"Since we left," Paradox answered.
As he said that, Utsura's armor began to glow from his Serenity form getting enough power to go active. He reached between his shoulders, drawing a nodachi with a blade made entirely of light. "I'm ready. Let's finish this!" he replied.
"Trinity Critical STORM!" all three of their Gamer Drivers announced at the same time as they started up their finishers.
Kamen Rider Paradox was first. He charged Buster, firing a bombardment of energy bullets from his weapon then flipping the top around to change it to an axe again. He jumped high enough to look Buster straight in the eye, then somersaulted as he came down and hacked his flaming axe at the giant Rider's wrist, burying his arm halfway into the dirt
Next was Utsura. Hacking his giant sword into Buster's other wrist and punning that arm to the ground too. Buster twisted his head and stared down at the smaller samurai Rider, silent hatred seeming radiate from his mask. He tried to pull his arm free but Utsura pressed back and with the power of his Serenity mode and held it down. For a few more seconds…
That was all the last Rider would need. Ex-Aid ran up in huge stomping steps before he blasted into the air with jets in his mech suit's boots. He came down feet-first on Buster's eyes and started drumming with his armor's giant boots. Faster. Faster. Cracks formed in Buster's visor from Ex-Aid's feet pounding it in. Ex-Aid grabbed the sides of Buster's head and stretched the coils around his arms out until they'd extended almost fifteen feet.
Then they snapped back.
Ex-Aid slingshoted into Buster's face with a horrifying *CRACK* that made the Riders pinning his arms cringe. Buster rolled back a few times, his armor glowing and shrinking. When he stopped the Gashat ejected from his visor and he'd reverted to normal. For the first time, Utsura saw the enforcer without his sunglasses, and Kedamono's eyes were wide with disbelief at what'd happened. He grabbed his game from the ground and disappeared down an alley as fast as he could go, a small purple cloud floating out of the sleeves of his blazer and evaporating.
With the battle over, GENM's Riders pulled the games from their Drivers and changed back, too. Emu ran over to where Laser was parked and pulled his remaining game out of its socket, changing him back to normal too. "What made you pull a stunt like this?" Emu asked as he examined Kiriya. "You could've died! Wasn't once enough?"
"Twice," Kiriya coughed, but smiled.
"…right, twice," Emu reminded himself, and had to smile back at his old friend.
While Emu examined him, Kensei walked up to Parado. "Those were some awesome moves you had back there! I'm glad you're on our side!" he said and extended a thumbs-up.
Parado didn't return the gesture. "You kids can learn a lot from us experienced Riders," he said. "Be glad we're willing to show you."
Looking a little self-conscious now, Kensei lowered his hand and nodded. Parado was looking right past him, at where Kiiko stood, looking back.
A shudder came from the doors of the secret elevator. Ayatsu did his best to ignore it. He peered through the window into the chamber below where a large number of placid subjects were sitting in concentric circles, each larger than the one inside it. Their brains had been numbed long ago to focus their mental energies to be channeled into the matrix he was about to unleash for the first time. To a shortsighted mind it seemed cruel, but after the human race was joined into one mental force, no-one would be able to deny its worthiness.
Around the walls of the chamber were captured Corrupture Cells, the inhuman vermin who nonetheless had achieved the mental connection that had made Ayatsu's dream a reality. They struggled inside transparent tubes that would conduct their attributes once Ayatsu activated everything.
"We'll be able to activate in two minutes, sir," a scientist said, his face streaked with sweat, more from fear of his boss's inhuman focus than their efforts fine going online.
"Hellooooooo! I know you can hear me down there!" Hourakou Byougen's familiar voice giggled over a loudspeaker. Turning his head, Ayatsu saw exactly what he expected: the Corrupture's grinning face staring right into a security monitor. "How can leave me out of something so big, with all the help I've given you?!" Hourakou pouted.
Ayatsu said, his voice full of cold disgust, "Because you're nothing but filth. A disease that can talk is still just a disease. I'm going to show you how small you are, Corrupture."
Hourakou's pout turned into an expression of exaggerated shock. Then it turned into a mocking smirk. "Want to make a bet, Shuugouteki-sama? Like your life?"
"How about you save your little jokes and start saying your prayers, instead?" Ayatsu suggested.
Like always, Hourakou just giggled. "I'm the closest thing to a god this world's ever seen. Why should I pray to myself?"
"Guess you'll have nowhere to go in a minute, then," Ayatsu said, then threw the switch.
A thundering whine reverberated from the machinery. Down in the chamber where the subjects were gathered a ball of white light formed, beams tracing from the forehead of each subject. It got bigger until it filled the entire room. Then it exploded.
It was like nothing Ayatsu Shuugouteki could've described. A wave of power passed through his body, and for that second he was connected to all those people, all those minds, and could see memories, people, worlds he never knew about. Then it whipped passed him, out through the entire building in a great cleaning blast. He staggered to the security feeds and saw the purple filth of the Corrupture that'd been covering the halls dissolve away as the energy pulse he'd unleashed traveled outward.
In less than a minute the Machina Vision building was swept completely clean of the Corrupture infestation above. The only thing out of place were the dazed Ministry of Health employees sitting on the floor up in the lobby.
"…it worked," the thought lit up in Ayatsu's mind. "IT WORKED. I destroyed the leader of the Corrupture! GENM's been fighting that thing for years, and I just decapitated that whole disease!"
"Congratulations, sir!" a pair of scientists exclaimed at the same time, gave each other a sour look, and put on their best obsequious smiles.
"We must have some champagne in this building somewhere," Ayatsu smiled himself, suddenly feeling very, very tired, but triumphant at the same time.
"Sure you do. You had a gofer get some three months ago and still haven't touched it," said a voice that sent a horrifying chill up Ayatsu's spine.
He tripped over his own feet turning to see where it came from, even though he already knew. Standing there was Hourakou Byougen, wearing a black hooded robe and carrying a shiny scythe like the Grim Reaper. A trail of purple slime led from his feet to the sealed window between the control room and the one where the subjects were being kept.
And the Corrupture Cells, Ayatsu reminded himself with a dry throat.
One of the scientists exclaimed, "But the boss just destroyed you!"
"You thought I was just one person," Hourakou taunted. "I'm the sum total of the Corrupture's ambition and power. I can be anywhere the Corrupture virus spreads. You can't put a bullet in my head and be rid of me." He slid across the floor and loomed inches away from Ayatsu's face. "That's not how it works with you humans, does it?"
Ayatsu's hand reached for the main switch to activate his matrix machinery. Nothing happened. Shooting a glance into the room with the linked subjects, he saw the room covered in a bubbling purple mess. It crawled over the subjects, covering them and turning their heads into the same shining purple viruses as the Corrupture Viruses. There was nothing to empower his machinery for a second blast…
Hourakou grabbed Ayatsu by the chin, wearing the most malicious smile Ayatsu had ever seen in his entire career as a CEO. "Do you know why we're called the Corrupture, Shuugouteki-sama?" he asked, then before the terrified executive had the chance to answer, Hourakou gave it to him. "Because we will corrupt the human program. You thought humanity was the most powerful species on the planet. You never thought the power of the humble virus was a threat, even with everything you've seen we can do. It's time for you to learn, once and for all."
"I thought you wanted this to be a game," Ayatsu whispered, stalling for time the only thing he could think to do in this desperate situation. "Thought you wanted to make my company compete with GENM."
The Corrupture leader loomed in even closer, the amused glimmer in his eyes turning hateful. "Ah, but you were really planning to compete with me," he whispered. "Besides, the arrogant men learning he should fear the villain's power is such a great old RPG trope (I think it's number 49), I was afraid I wouldn't get the chance to use it if the Ministry of Health shut you down. And I do have to create the proper gaming experience, don't I?"
Again Hourakou didn't wait for an answer. His body burst, splattering Ayatsu and the nearest scientists with purple slime. They twitched and screamed in pain, their heads transforming into the virus-shaped craniums of Corrupture Cells.
While that happened, carpets of bubbling purple matter crawled over the walls and ceiling again.
Kamen Rider Sling kicked the door open and they dragged Dai out onto the roof.
"Hurry up!" Zero yelled over at him, glancing back at the tide of purple Corrupture infection surging up the stairs behind them.
"Don't worry about me," Dai mumbled, half-unconscious. "Get out of here before it gets you both…" He shut up when Zero slapped his cheek.
Sling stepped away from them and wordlessly opened the briefcase he wore across his back. He flipped through the display as fast as he could until he saw the one for "Hang Gliding Excursion" zip by. The amount of fictional money on the display was still going down when a huge hang glider showing a red serpentine dragon across it formed around them. "You think you can jump the railing while we're holding onto him?" Sling asked.
"We better hope so!" Zero replied. She started into a run and Sling ran too, one hand wrapped around Dai's back and the other clenched around the hang glider's bar. They bent and launched themselves into the air, then air caught the expanse of the glider and they floated out over the city.
A few minutes moments of silence passed between them, and it was broken by Dai's weak laughter. "I don't believe it…I'm finally out, and I'm escaping in a hang glider. This is either a dream or the best day ever," he laugh-muttered.
"It's been a crazy day," Zero muttered herself. "I get the feeling Corrupture virus covering the whole building wasn't part of Kirya's plan."
Sling looked back behind them, narrowing his eyes. "I don't like that either. I wonder what else was going on when we were—"
He was cut off as the entire Machina Vision building popped like a giant concrete and glass bubble. Debris flew everywhere. One long spear of concrete sliced through the back of their glider and through the bar they were holding onto.
Which meant they were suddenly spinning totally out of control.
Both Riders held onto Dai and onto the bar even when it started going in different directions. Sparks flew up from the glider frame hitting the ground and spinning across an entire block before finally riding out its momentum.
Before he could see straight Sling managed to ask, "Is everyone okay?"
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod," Zero was whispering over and over. Sling could see why: pieces of glass were lodged in Dai's back, surrounded by frightening red stains. That wasn't the only unwelcome sight that caught Sling's oversized eyes, though. Someone was standing behind them, holding the briefcase Dai had made them bring with. It was Hourakou Byougen in a Grim Reaper costume.
Grinning evilly.
Holding the briefcase Dai had told them to take.
"You got me a present! You shouldn't have!" he giggled.
"I didn't, and you won't keep that," Sling growled, grabbing his crossbow.
"That's a great idea!" Hourakou exclaimed. "Let's play a game for you to win these back! For right now, though, you better make sure your friend gets to a hospital. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night for you Kamen Riders."
Then Hourakou melted into a purple puddle that streamed away into the shadows, taking his prize with him.