Awright! We had another good turnout for last chapter! Even better, a lot of people really liked the Magical Girl Club, with a few people really into Magical Girl Dino. I'll talk it over with my Beta and see what he thinks of making her into a recurring OC like with our current cast.
This chapter concludes the previous chapter's buildup into Big Bad Banchou Mako, along with setting up the next big arc for the story!
I'm super psyched to get to it so without further ado, let's begin!
Sadly, I do not own Kamen Rider or Trigger, if I did I would make all Riders suits available for purchase and have Ryūko pilot a massive drill using robot against the Anti-Fibers while Satsuki is fully in the buff save for a ripped jacket helping her pilot it.
Choice of songs for this chapter:
Bounce Back - Kamen Rider Fourze OST.
Switch On- Kamen Rider Fourze OST.
Powerdizer-Kamen Rider Fourze OST.
Beta's note: I'm kind of doubtful on Magical Girl Dino better known as – prepare yourself – Dina Saori. I mean, I just made her out of some weird brain fart powered inspiration. But I'm one who likes to put effort into stories, so what the heck? I promise nothing but to try.
We do introduce OCs to flesh out some bits, but they won't be that big on the story, just to properly get the plot going in some places like Gamou giving Switches to students without a certain Disco MILF's approval.
Translations:
Aniki – Big brother, often used to refer to a superior like in the Japanese mafia, i.e. the yakuza.
Yanki – a type of sub-cultural group from Japan based off American greasers.
Hokuto – North Star.
Italic for Henshin and Belt voices, Thoughts, and Flashbacks.
Bold for Zodiarts and Senketsu speech.
Italic and Bold for Limit Breaks.
X-X-X-X-X
"URAYAAAAAHHHH!" Ramming her fist forward, Ryūko felt an explosion of immense pleasure and satisfaction fill her completely. Dropping onto her back, she laughed loudly. Maiko adjusted her glasses furiously at the sight before her of a werewolf in purple pants howling above the body of a green haired succubus.
"God dammit, you have to favor beat down characters, you meathead." The intelligent girl muttered sharply as the red-locked young woman rubbed her nose smugly, her hands holding an arcade controller in their grasp.
One of the few things that she did like about their One Star status was that they had access to a huge pool of video games. She had even loaded herself up with a bunch of good horror films she had wanted to watch for a long time. The feather-haired girl had even selected some really bad ones for the sake of making fun of them or seeing if they were diamonds in the rough.
Needless to say, the shark movies were hit or miss. There was one of a serial killer in a swamp that made her feel sorry for the killer who she prayed killed the main lead, a very unlikeable woman that always got her way. She had cursed up a storm in some or laughed at how bad others were like seeing killer aliens that looked like clowns trap people in cotton candy to drink their blood.
She loved the 80s remake of The Blob despite its flaws, and The Thing freaked everyone out and had even made Senketsu blubber about worrying that he might have to fight off something like that should it try to attack them. Ryūko had gushed for hours about the spectacular special effects work and the amazing amounts of gore. All of which as a horror movie fan got her blood excited. She loved the film personally and wanted to watch it again, but everyone said hell no and left her to re-watch herself in her undies after Senketsu had fled in terror.
"Aw, of course I'll befriend you!" Gentaro shouted with a big smile, bumping his fist on a computer screen. Maiko picked her ears, for she could swear that the pixelated skeleton in a superhero-like costume bumped his fist against the Rider's with a faint laugh of 'nyeh heh heh' in there.
"You sure love that game, don't you?" Omiko was relaxing near Gentaro with a large book in her hands. She flipped the pages with relish, snickering to herself at odd intervals as she was reading a book that detailed all the recent star athletes in tennis. She appeared in the most recent sections, and she enjoyed reading about how many people worshipped her.
At another TV was Takaharu, the young man watching boxing matches with keen interest. His fists shadowboxed and guarded in response to the match he was watching of a very muscular and well-mannered man in green overalls beating a far larger boxer only in it for his fight money. The gentlemanly boxer managed to knock out the taller pugilist, who cried for said fight money while flying back.
Takaharu smirked, "Whether it's called the Dempsey Roll or the Rolling Thunder, that move has yet to get old."
"Hello, is this the home of the Rider Club? Would you like some girl scout cookies?"
Maiko groaned, "There's only someone with enough dead brain cells to come up with such a childish joke."
Takaharu jumped off the couch, his fists up, "Kazama, if you're here for a match then-"
The raccoon-like boxer snickered warmly, "Now, now, if I fight you then I want you to give me a match worth my new toy." He raised his Astro Switch, his thumb hovering over the button. "However..."
A certain little boy dashed past the group and grabbed the skinny boxer's arm, "Let's go Aniki! I know where to find... Aw, we've arrived." Mako's little brother pouted in disappointment.
"Slow down, kiddo!" Kazama chuckled in a good-naturedly manner as the kid pulled him away.
Chuckling to herself, Omiko spoke up, flipping pages to get to the racket catalogue, "Shit, we can't let ring-eyes with the kid, even if he's a little pervert." Mataro had tried to, along his father and Guts, spy on the girls while they bathed back in their old One-Star apartment… All they succeeded to achieve was a trip to the city's border via fist, foot, racket, or a trap that used an oversized spring to shoot a boxing glove the size of a car at them.
Takaharu nodded his head, "We should look after Mako's brother. It's only a matter of time before he gets in trouble."
Gentaro turned to Maiko, "Maiko-chan, do you think we could look into this further?"
Maiko cleared her throat, "Why do you think I'm a part of this team to this day? Don't worry, the little brat is safe for now and the previous underling is acting according to his schedule." Of course, these were Maiko's true thoughts; 'A schedule that involves him beating people up, but I can't let Gentaro know that. Not yet, at least. We need a weak point, a loop in his schedule, and far more to have a clear advantage.'
Ryūko was about to retort but felt her smile slide off her face when Mako walked in. Their best friend had gone through multiple unpleasant changes like her parents had, not the least of which was now wearing a Revocs Standard Business suit, pointed designer glasses, and high heels. All of which were congratulatory gifts from Gamagōri for her advancement through the One Star System.
"Gentaro! Ryūko! We have another match to win! Get ready, because this time we're taking down the Gamers Club!" Her voice had lost a lot of its energy and became more professional, which in turn robbed it and herself of much of her adorable look and overall charm.
When even the Rider had remarked in a subdued manner about how the change didn't suit her, something was seriously wrong. Mako had become all about rising through the ranks and devoted herself absolutely to raising the family's status and improving their lives. From a nice apartment block where they finally had room to themselves to a mansion where everyone had their own room and no one slept together anymore.
For Gentaro it was hellish, seeing his beloved friends no longer be able to spend all the time with each other. Even if he was able to store the Machine Massiglier in a private garage with a small fleet of nice cars, it felt alienated and inferior to how he once was able to drive it from the Mankanshoku backalleys, dodging debris and passersby on his way to the road.
"Come on, Mako-chan, you're finally home! How about I show you this cool game I bought for ten bucks! It's amazing, hilarious, charming, and I think you'll feel yourself identified with some of the characters." He tried to have her enjoy something, anything. Be it a game of tennis, a home-cooked meal, or a bad joke, he just tried… And he found no result.
"Can't do with our schedule, Gentaro." Mako made the Rider's heart sink when she didn't use the nickname she granted him from her heart. Adjusting her glasses in a manner that even Maiko herself found distasteful, Mako calmly told the group, "Get ready, we've got business with the Gamer Club and we're going to rise up through the ranks!"
Clenching her fists, Ryūko not for the first time wanted things to go back to how they once was. Everything was so shitty, she didn't like what had happened to the Mankanshoku family, no one did, and Mataro had wished things would go back to how they used to. Grabbing her scissor blade while Gentaro got his belt ready, the two joined her but Maiko heard something. From her pocket a small alarm flashed, making her grit her teeth.
"Hold that thought, we got problems." Maiko said while pulling out a phone she designed, with links to her cameras. "It appears someone's tracking..." she grumbled and grabbed Takaharu and Omiko, "You go on ahead, we'll deal with this."
"Wait, what do you think you're doing, senpai?" Mako asked a bit sternly, "We need you three to take care of the cannon fodder."
Omiko finally snapped, "Then why don't you make yourself useful instead?!"
After that shout, the blonde slammed the door shut once she and the others left.
Takaharu nervously asked, "Was that necessary, Omiko-san? Sure, she's been acting way too cold and rude to us, but-"
Omiko growled, "She's just been bossing us around without fighting at all. Sure, I get it that she's the one that has been busy with paperwork, but that's the line I'm not letting that slacker cross!"
Due to her shouting, Mako could hear her, which Gentaro noted, "Mako-chan, you are not like that. The Mako I knew would always try her best to help us."
"We have to go now." Mako said, walking without even looking at her friends.
X-X-X-X-X
"Hnngh…. you… damn yanki and stripper… ugugh." Coughing out spit and a little blood, a man wearing glasses, a completely over the top suit combined with modern day video game consoles and controllers as well as two PC monitors over each shoulder fell over, his outfit exploding as red threads shot forward into Ryūko's body.
Fourze flipped down the switches over his belt as he looked around a beaten and broken clubroom filled with groaning gamers, one of whom even had tanned skin, long white hair, and a white suit with an overly muscular body. Curiosity got the best of him, and when he poked the suit it started to lose air, showing it was fake muscle.
Despite the comedic sight and loving a good fight just as much as anyone, Gentaro felt his pompadour droop slightly, something about this just seemed… wrong. He didn't enjoy fighting like this, he wasn't making new friends, wasn't fighting a common enemy, he just seemed to be battling for its own sake.
Takaharu shook his fist out, looking a little disgusted himself. There was no honor in fighting the other clubs when they were so much stronger, even Omiko who had first taken relish in beating down the weaker clubs out of spite found her fire dimmed.
Maiko walked in with Mako, the suited woman saying precisely as she adjusted her pointy glasses, "Excellent job! We're already on track to a Two-Star promotion when Satsuki-sama sees fit to have us do our final job! The Neo Kamen Rider Fighting Club is a resounding success!"
"Mako…I…" Speaking up as she felt this was completely wrong, Ryūko was interrupted when Mako whipped out a high-tech phone and answered it.
"Ah! Gamagōri-senpai! Yes, I'll be willing to make luncheon, let me finish up with my club members and meeting!" She ended the call clicking her phone shut with a loud snap she had a smug smile on her face that made Maiko's skin crawl as it reminded her of her old self.
Said trap mistress wondered to herself with a frown, 'Was that how people used to see me…? I… dammit. I'm glad I actually befriended Gentaro then."
"Excellent job everyone, this is an off day for us all, go relax and enjoy yourselves!" Mako said, not even sounding like she was supposed to. Gentaro himself looked disappointed as she wasn't being true to herself anymore, once this would've been a solid opportunity for them all to relax together, now she seemed to be spending time away from them.
"You've noticed now, haven't you?" Maiko started once Mako left the room, "That's Satsuki for you. She can turn anyone with a weak mind like the coconut girl into her minion with this system. No, minion's too kind for that. They're worshippers, like the brutes you befriended."
"Oi!" Omiko and Takaharu growled at her.
Gentaro blinked dumbfounded, "Wait, I know Satsuki-chan is beautiful, but if she's worshipped, is she actually a goddess?" he put a finger to his lips, "I never thought of befriending a deity…"
He found his ear grabbed by Ryūko, her face as red as her lock of hair, "Put your feet on the ground and get your head in the game! She can bleed, and any high and mighty ice queen that bleeds sure as Hell ain't a goddess, just another bitch who needs to get a foot so far up her-"
"W-Wait, what're you even mad about?!" Gentaro questioned, wincing at the grip on his earlobe.
She quickly let him go, "W-well, anyways, don't talk like that about that stupid eyebrows bitch. You're better than that, you're not a groupie of anyone and you follow your own path… I respect that, dammit." The red locked girl muttered to herself, then blushed slightly as she admitted that.
"Such eloquence, such grace, it's amazing why we didn't follow you sooner, leader." Maiko's voice was laced with such thick sarcasm Inumuta himself would be impressed.
Senketsu wisely kept quiet, but Ryūko could feel him tighten around her slightly.
Omiko narrowed her eyes sharply upon noticing the red-locked girl's blush but kept silent herself, her teeth did bare themselves into their typical sharp scowl as Gentaro leaned against a wall tiredly.
For once he seemed relatively low on energy, but his eyes shone with utmost determination as the workings of a plan started to form in his mind, to bring back Mako as she was supposed to be, he'd be willing to do anything.
Pulling out his NS MagPhone, he typed in a speed-dial number, "666-1200-H-E-L-L." He smiled when it was picked up, twin voices purring out as one unified whole.
"This is Kneesocks, and Scanty Akuma. May we help whoever has gotten ahold of our number? Perhaps a little deal can be ma-"
"Hi, Kneesocks-chan, Scanty-chan!"
"Gen-kun/Gentaro, darling!" Both of his cousins said with welcoming voices, the Rider perking up instantly as he had called his demonic cousins for some sound advice. Which both were all too eager to give him when it was him personally requesting it.
He walked outside briefly to talk to his family, Omiko shrugging at Ryūko who just turned a bit red at the thoughts of the scandalously sinful demon twins.
They had teased her about being interested in their "beloved darling cousin" when they first met her and had even complimented her figure approvingly when she was forced to activate her Kamui to satisfy their curiosity.
"So that's what happened. Mako-chan has…" He finished telling his cousins about the changes Mako had went through, Scanty humming to herself as she relaxed in a huge bubble bath with Kneesocks on the opposite side to her, the blue haired demon had her ponytail tied up in a bun while her glasses sat on a small raised section of the tub.
"That is a very unpleasant situation you've found yourself in darling. Hmm, hmm… I'd suggest this, you should definitely quit on the club. She might need the shock to break her out of whatever corruption that dreadfully powerful Kiryūin girl has put her and her family through." The green head scooped a piece of chocolate fondue from an elegantly carved chalice and fed it to Kneesocks who took the phone and looked serious after swallowing it and licking her red lips.
"Gen-kun, I'd suggest that you take this seriously. Mankanshoku-san is someone who feels weak and uncertain around you and the Matoi girl, remember that not everyone is as strong as you both. And that you might have to remind her via force of arms that you're always going to be her best friend." Kneesocks advised him even as she handed the phone back to Scanty and begun washing her long hair out, the blue silken strands glimmering in the bath water.
Scanty rubbed her fang thoughtfully while she gave Gentaro a final piece of advice, her tone warm and loving, "Fight her seriously and with a heart full of determination. Remember, you're our oni of friendship, the man who we love as family. Be proud, that is our family's gift to you. Stand as a man, fight as a man, and protect everything you love as a true man."
"Thanks, Scanty-chan, Kneesocks-chan! I… really know what to do now!" He said happily and sincerely, making his cousins blush and titter happily, the two hung up after he did, his fist rising up proudly before he declared, "Yosh! Mako-chan, we'll make things right between all of us again, I promise you that as my best bud!"
He turned around to face his friends, smiling brightly at them as they all gathered close for the Rider could tell them the game plan.
"We're going to leave the club…but first! Scanty-chan and Kneesocks-chan told of another thing we can all do! We must save our family and break them free from their corruption! Omiko-chan, Maiko, Takaharu, this is what I need you to do." He said with a bright grin that made all of them pay attention.
He told them his plan, making their eyes widen and their heads nod in surprise. When Gentaro put his head together, he came up with astonishing on the fly plans.
"Ryūko-chan, come with me. I need your help. We're going to confront Kazama Ikki!" He swung the Fourze Driver around his waist, securing it as she got up herself, folding the Scissor Blade into a small dagger, which she stashed in Senketsu.
"As a Kamui, I'm very intrigued about that Switch of his," the uniform said. "Maybe it's the link it has with space. I can feel how that thing calls to me."
"You said space loves Gentaro as much as he loves it," Ryūko recalled. "Is it the same thing? Like a, whatchacallit, principle?"
"No, this is different," the uniform argued. "Gentaro has a natural bond with space, but a Switch seems to force it."
"Okay, so it's like when Ryusei tried to be my friend for his own agenda," Gentaro thought out loud. "They're there around what they want, but it isn't as strong as the real deal."
"I think so too."
"Meaning this raccoon-face is all bark and no bite." The drifter smirked.
"Yosh, time to face him properly!" the Rider exclaimed, punching his palm. "I'll make him talk like he means it, no lies or masks!"
"Gentaro, that could be interpreted as...Gentaro? Hey, are you two listening anymore?" the Kamui's questions were unanswered as they went to find Ikki.
It didn't take long, as the boxer enjoyed his stay in the Two-Star residence. Also, Kengo had at least the foreshadowing to aid the two hotheads, "I'm detecting that Switch's signal nearby. I'm having Tomoko help pinpoint the location." He said on Burgermeal's holographic screen.
Behind him was the resident goth, Ryusei and JK standing in front of her and holding candles as well as wearing headbands with candles tied to them, "JK, raise your arms higher." The girl told him as she sat cross-legged in a chalk circle with a map on her lap and a crystal dangling from a string on her hand.
"Good job, guys!" Gentaro smiled, "What of Miu and Daimonji-senpai?"
"As per your request, we sent them to aid your friends," the sickly genius replied. "Hopefully, they'll arrive soon to the city to meet with them."
"I found him!" Tomoko's eyes snapped wide open, "Gentaro, he's exiting a toy store!"
"Great!" the Rider nodded, then blinked in confusion, "Wait, what?"
"There...he...is..." Ryūko gaped as the boxer exited said place with a large triceratops plushy under one arm and a brontosaurus one on the other, both were the size of large dogs.
"I know he's young, but I don't think boys his age keep the love for dinosaurs alive," Gentaro commented, "Then again, I still had my favorite one with me until I was twelve-"
"Enough nostalgia, let's get the sonuvabitch!" Ryūko exclaimed.
"Right!" Gentaro replied with a nod. "Ikki!"
Stopping in the middle of a fancy street, the lanky boxer turned and smiled, "Oh? If it isn't my senpai? What can I do for you? Come check on the kid? He's gone get some chocolate for some girls if I recall correctly."
"Cut the crap," Ryūko replied angrily, "One like you with that Switch can't be up to any good. I know because Gentaro's told me of how messed up those things are."
Ikki put on a hurt face, "Oh, trusting your friend blindly when he could be misjudging a random stranger? Senpai, that's just needlessly cruel and-"
"Again, cut the crap." Ryūko repeated, "I know you're also into street fighting."
Ikki then put on a pleasant smile, "Just polishing my skills, really. I need to broaden my horizons, after all. Also, I'm not that bad a guy. I'm getting these toys to a special girl. See? I can be nice... Or, maybe, you're just jealous no boy has gotten you a gift, senpai."
Ryūko saw red, "You little..." she ground her teeth as a vein bulged on her forehead.
"Ryūko, your blood pressure has sky-rocketed! Calm down!" her Kamui tried to warn her.
"It's not that we don't believe you, Ikki." Gentaro said and walked forward, both hands in his pants pockets, "We can't allow ourselves to doubt you. That's why we need to see what is true and not. Otherwise, what kind of senpai would we be if we didn't worry that our junior could get into a path he couldn't walk away from?" his calm attitude and soft smile countered Ikki's composed but sly tactics while his reasoning drop-kicked the pugilist's.
"I'm going to use my right to remain silent, then, as this is my business, senpai." Ikki kept his grin as a warm one, but there was a glint in his eyes which rubbed the red-locked girl the wrong way.
"All the more reason to try to see what's wrong with you." She walked forward.
"Fine, let's see if you can help me, then..." Ikki said and put his dinosaur toys on a bench, "Don't lose them, please." He warmly said to the couple seated on it, "Or else..." he whispered warmly and gave them a look which froze them in fear despite him keeping a friendly smile.
"Ryūko-chan," Gentaro started, then smiled when she turned to him. "I know you got this."
"Yeah, guys like this only listen to one thing." She cracked her knuckles and approached the bare-handed boxer.
"Good to see we're on the same page for once, senpai." Ikki told her, "My new friends wanted to see if you could compare to a Rider. Time to see if you can do so on your own." He lifted his Switch, then pocketed it, "No fancy uniforms, no tricky magic buttons...just make my day." He smirked as he bounced on the tips of his toes and put up his fists.
"You asked for it, asshat." She smirked and rolled her shoulder.
Ikki let her get close and threw a lightning fast hook which Ryūko jumped over. Sliding over his back, Ryūko slammed her hand on the ground, moving into an acrobatic hand-stand that allowed her to spin kick Ikki in the face. He skidded back, his hands up in a guard while he gave a sharp chuckle.
"Not bad, you don't mess around…do you?" He asked, holding his hand to his lip. She hit him hard enough to cause recoil, his lip sported a slight cut due to his hand smacking into it.
Shaking one fist about, he took a stance best described as a Hitman's, with one fist held to his left side, swinging in the air, and the other blocking his right with an elbow guard. He kept swinging his arm, flashing Ryūko a smug grin until she took a stance that had him shake his head. Both arms held spread out of either side of her body with the palms opened. He looked uninterested until without warning she dashed forward and brutally her fist forward, he caught it casually, smacking her in the face with a flicker jab that sent blood flying.
"Hitman style?!" She asked, making him flash a wide grin.
"I learned from Thomas Hearns and Mashiba-sensei. You learned from Shen Woo-sensei?"
Licking her lips, Ryūko gave him a grin as the two waited for their enemy to make the first move, "That's right. King of Fighters tournament, circa 2003. At my all girls school, the principal had only two kinds of tapes. Shitty horror films with the occasional good one, and martial arts tapes, thankfully those were good quality." She stated bluntly and charged.
Keeping himself calm and laidback, Ikki let her get closer before lashing with his left arm, forcing her to block, "Too slow!" he shouted and used his extended arm to block her view of his right coming in for a hard hook. Ryūko grunted as spit flew from her mouth after such a punch, "You need to work on your defense, senpai!" he told her with a friendly smile while his left arm lashed at her from all sides, bombarding her with punches like a whip, "I've seen your fight with Takaharu-senpai and others, all offense and hotheaded advances! You're good, but not smart!"
"Tsk, that's what you think!" she snarled and punched against his flurry of punches, which didn't slow him down as much as needed, but allowed her to do something, "A fight also requires that you do something reckless!" and she slammed her shin against his knee, getting the boxer to yelp and stagger back, "Like this!" she started spinning, throwing a right hook first, followed by a left backhanded whipping strike from her left fist, both directly on his face, "Don't think I care about rules, because I don't need them to kick ass!" she kicked his shin, flipping Ikki and letting him hit the floor hard.
And as he lied there, flat on his back, a shocked expression covered his face, "Pure brawling... Not like you follow any discipline, but damn..." he then smiled warmly, "I'm actually having fun for a change." After saying that, he jumped back on his feet.
Spitting to the side, Ryūko rolled her head around, her fists up in their former position, "Want a new round or a new asshole?"
Ikki flashed her a cheeky grin, then turned around, shocking them, "I've got the measure of you both now, senpai. I'll leave you alone for now, thanks for indulging my urge to fight. You're not bad, but you leave yourself open too much. Don't rely so much on your Kamui to regenerate." He told the red-locked girl, who in response simply clenched her jaw, aware of the weaknesses in her fighting style.
"Wait, you damn bast-" she scowled, but was stopped by Gentaro. "What're you doing!?"
"He wouldn't tell us anything...those eyes said so already." He said with an uncharacteristic stoic expression, "If we want to get to him, we need to fight him when he means it." He let his words sink, which didn't make the drifter happy. Gentaro was used to fighting people thanks to his grandfather, so he knew, "He wasn't trying... It was all to see if you could entertain him."
"Bastard." She spat, looking over at Gentaro with a glare, "That guy was just playing around. But I didn't get any read from him on his fists. That guy, he's fighting with a tank on empty. No emotions, no real desires. Whoever got to him, they managed to close off his heart."
"Yeah..." Gentaro said with a serious expression, "Whoever's using him doesn't even consider him as an ally. If this says anything, it's that whoever is behind the Switches closed his heart to everyone." He looked sad, almost melancholic, as he thought on that, "Using people like this..."
He clenched his fist, Senketsu worrying, "Gentaro, I can feel your aura of Cosmic Energy... You want to reach out to something, but you can't."
"I'll try, though." Gentaro said with a serious yet smiling face, "If I don't, who else would? I've got to find this person, and stop them from forcing things they can't." then he smiled at the two before him, "After all, isn't it better to earn things working hard than taking shortcuts?"
Ryūko smiled softly, "That's stupidly simple, but it's you...it kinda makes sense." She nodded at him and held up her fist, "Alright, I'm giving you a hand on stopping whoever this jackass is. And make sure they learn not to mess with your friends."
Gentaro smiled, nodded, and accepted the fist-bump.
X-X-X-X-X
"Here." Maiko said as she and the other former captains stopped before a hostess club.
Takaharu blushed, "Wow… Uh… I… I got nothing smart to say. What are we even doing?"
Maiko grabbed her phone, showing them a picture of Barazō getting in, "See anything odd?"
Aside from the fact the man was entering the place, it all seemed pretty normal. Except for the fact he was sporting extremely expensive clothes, jewelry, a pair of shades, and looked nothing like the friendly but dorky perverted man that gave his all to make his family happy. The only similarity was the built, but even the face was like staring at another human being.
Omiko blinked behind her thick bottle glasses, "He...doesn't seem like himself anymore." True enough, they could see the man didn't react to the hostesses the same way he had done with the girls who lived in the small wooden box he once called a home in his No-Star life. There was a lack of joy in the man, just superficial happiness.
Takaharu stared up at the building, "Got to be honest with you, girls. Him being in a place like this with the wife he has…" he trailed off when he noticed something at the other building, a host club, "No way…"
Sukuyo, now in a very expensive dress and with a hairdo that resembled a pink seashell with odd decorations on it, was greeted by the hosts with a smile on her now… cold face. There was no more motherly warmth. There was only a cold glitter, like gold. All pretty on the surface, but dead on the inside. The look brought something sickening to their hearts, they both felt how wrong this was and refused to put up with it any longer.
"We need to-" Maiko was about to say, until seeing a chill Ikki walk with his hands in his pockets behind a very cocky, or rather arrogant, Mataro. The kid was walking with large steps while the laidback boxer had a more lackluster stare. Behind the boy and the teen that could be considered his bodyguard was a horde of young girls following him. Even Guts was there, with some female dogs marching after him.
"This is a joke, right?" Omiko asked, before turning to the hostess club, "Ugh, I'll get the pervert dad."
Takaharu brushed his nose with his thumb, "I'll keep Mataro-kun safe then."
Maiko pushed up her glasses, trying to keep steam from clouding the lenses, "Then I'll go to the host club…and see what happens."
They followed their respective targets carefully. Takaharu watched Mataro buy all the expensive chocolates and candies he could find to have the little girls cheer for him with Ikki looking bored, and Guts himself had all the bitches – as in dogs – following him for the high-class dog food he got. Maiko felt a shudder when seeing Sukuyo enjoying the hosts having bottles in their pants like… ok, maybe she made a quick note of having her dream harem do that whenever she conquered the world. Omiko for her part had managed to knock the bouncer of the hostess club with a well-placed racket to the skull, and groaned in disgust at the sight of Barazō surrounded by superficial girls showering him with praise for money.
"Well, I could use some bleach for my eyes." Omiko growled into her phone while the patriarch of the Mankanshoku clan had the girls feed him grapes.
"You girls are a real treat, not like anything at home. Honestly, kids these days don't know how to respect their elders no matter what we do for them." The women mindlessly cheered and worshipped him, making him laugh like a madman.
Omiko heard the bouncer try to capture her and vented her anger out after hearing the man's words by backhanding the poor bouncer, "This is sickening."
"For once we agree." Maiko whispered on her side of the call she linked to Takaharu's phone. She took notes from her hiding spot in a trash can, using a special set of binoculars to observe the clan's matriarch.
"To think I used to work so hard for others when I could have used my time for this kind of joys… What do you say, boys? Shall I toast for that now or save it for the next drink?" the men of course acted like she was a queen.
Maiko exhaled out, looking at this display with a look of half-disgusted and half-annoyed exhaustion, "Great. Leave it to me to solve this brand of stupidity, alright?"
"I knew Mataro was a brat, but this… whole new level is kind of short to describe it." the boxer commented from an alley, keeping his head down but his eyes on the boy and the raccoon-like pugilist.
"Hey kid, are you done yet? I'm growing just a mite restless." Ikki asked, throwing up his Switch and catching it, "You told me that you needed my help, where's the thing you needed me for? I get antsy if I don't get moving."
Mataro shrugged with a lazy smile, "Calm down, Kazama-aniki. Why not enjoy the route before your next match? After all, this teacher and his honor student for a son ain't running anywhere."
The girls cheered for the incoming beating, which Kazama gave a small laugh, his expression one of mild anticipation.
"Is that really something you should be doing? Is that really something you believe your sister would want you to do after all she did to get you this life?" Takaharu stepped out and looked seriously at Mataro, the kid looking a little more hesitant now.
Maiko and Omiko slapped their foreheads, "So much for him being sneaky." Maiko mumbled.
"Hey, I have made a great friend with a Two-Star captain." Mataro argued. Ikki chuckled to himself and stepped away from the duo, wanting to see how this played out.
He fingered the switch in his hands, his voice mumbling out, "To be honest, the kid here was getting a tad tiresome to deal with, senpai…"
"Hey… why are you talking like that to me Kazama-aniki?!" he then turned to the shorter boxer with an arrogant, cold air around him, "Besides, we're rich now and we shouldn't ever have to go back to the way things were! I don't wanna be poor ever ag-!" Mataro said defensively, until Ikki shot forward, the wind blowing the girls around him back who all kyaa'd in surprise then shock when the boxer shut the kid up by lashing with his left arm.
"And that's what I'm talking about." His words flowed out calmly with present glee, but ended with the other pugilist letting the raccoon like boy slam his fist against him instead of the kid, just like how Gentaro did when protecting his friends when the small boxer and the rider met.
The echoing strike made Mataro back away, trying to speak with growing weakness, "T-Takaharu-san…"
Ikki gave his senpai a soft smile, pushing against his senpai's forehead, "Hey, that's a bit much. You need to get that checked out, you might be less good in a fight with a cut like that Takaharu-senpai."
Takaharu groaned but kept his ground even as blood dripped down his forehead, "Sorry, but I don't believe in using cruel words or beating up kids. The world has enough violence already to use it even on fools who don't know left from right."
Ikki backed away, only to deliver a hook to his former captain, who stopped the strike by crossing his arms to take the blow, "Why did you risk your own body for someone like him? You didn't use to be this altruistic, senpai." he grinned widely, his face a truly wicked expression of relaxed amusement, "After all, you used to be worse. Always looking for the next brawl, but never being satisfied. Did that Gentaro guy really change you so much?"
Takaharu's silence but growing stern glare made Ikki step back. He ignored the twinge of fear that he felt when his senpai looked at him like that. Like he was just another bug to squish.
"Aniki...?" the kid started, getting Ikki to chuckle.
"Huh, I see, senpai." Ikki snickered, then turned to the boy, "Do you really want my company or just a pet? If so, let me ask, what do you even want with your life?"
The boy shouted at the tallest boxer, "We were…we didn't have anything, not a single penny to our name, can you understand that pain!? The agony of being poor and having to work every day just to have some crummy dinner!" Mataro finally got that out of his chest, "Why do you think I enjoy this?! At least I-"
Takaharu was a believer in tough love, and so he gave Mataro a love tap, not enough to put him on the ground or really hurt the boy, but enough to let him know the impact of his words. It actually surprised his former subordinate enough to make Ikki stand back.
"You don't understand anything yet!" the small boxer would finally get something out of his chest. "You think I don't understand?! I grew up the same way, me and Omiko both rose up from nothing to grasp our chance at gaining everything! But even so, we threw that all away. Because, material goods, money, fame, fortune… All of those things mean nothing, if you cannot stand tall and be proud of what you've done in your life!"
Ikki chuckled silently to himself, watching the girls leave with fear in their eyes, "Interesting, so this is what he meant with the power Kisaragi Gentaro has…" he continued laughing softly to himself, "That lion guy could've warned me."
Takaharu was too busy to listen to the raccoon boy and kept scolding the boy, "You're a man, act like one! The world isn't fair, I know! But even so, what we had together before was better! Because for the first time, I had what felt like a true family. Gentaro-bro united us because he saw us as his friends. The least we can do, the least you can do, is remembering that."
The boxer let out a sigh, feeling content with himself to the point he actually smile in a long time. He felt at ease.
"I...I thought...this was good enough..." the kid sniffled.
Throwing his coat back on, once he had picked it up from the floor, Takaharu extended his outstretched fist to Mataro, opening it wide, "C'mon. Let's go back home. Let's make your big sister wake up, alright?"
"Huh, guess he's right." Ikki grinned and clutched his Switch, "I need to get ready to face him."
Turning around to Mataro and swiping his glove underneath his nose, the bald boxer calmly told the young boy whom was already tearing up from shame and regret over his behavior, "Don't worry about anything Mataro, 'cos Gentaro-bro, me, Ryūko, Omiko, and Maiko too… we'll make things work. We promise." the boxer reached out with one massive hand and rubbed his head, giving him a lopsided smile.
"R-right Taka…Takaharu-nii-san!" The boy tore off his ponce-like clothes and wiped his tears away.
X-X-X-X-X
"Ugh, I can't fucking take this shit anymore! Maiko, Takaharu, I'm moving in. I'm going to kick that dumb bastard's ass and make him see what a sleaze he's being. He's that dumb girl's family, and I ain't gonna let him throw away his marriage to Sukuyo-san for some cheap thrills."
Omiko said to her transceiver, the tennis player's glasses falling down slightly, revealing her utterly livid blue eyes. Baring her fanged teeth in a violent snarl, she stomped forward to correct Barazō's idiocy, by force if necessary.
"Oh, a new girl!" the man said when Omiko stepped before him, and all of that ended when she grabbed the nearest bucket of ice and flipped it on his head, "Gah! That-choo!"
She let the icy water settle on his body before throwing the recipient on his head, snarling harder, "You think Gentaro and that hothead exhibitionist worked their asses off for this?!"
"W-what?! What are you… OMIKO!?" He asked in shock, barely recognizing her through his drunken stupor until Omiko leaned in close and punched him across the face. He never forgot the fist of a woman across his face, and that brought him back to reality.
Towering above him in a way that wasn't sexy but instead of terrifying, the tennis player coldly told him, "You're a disgrace to all fathers, really… Wasting your time in sleazy bars like this? Cheating on Sukuyo-san? You should feel ashamed of yourself for buying into this crap." Barazō's sunglasses cracked and fell off, revealing his normal ones underneath, he looked indeed very ashamed but as he opened his mouth to try and excuse his behavior, Omiko raised her fist again violently, "Shaddup, I'm not like Takaharu or Gentaro! I don't wanna hear any excuses whatsoever you dumbass!"
"I figured I'd find you here, Hakodate-san." That voice froze her as she turned to see the man she once respected almost as much as Satsuki.
"Sanageyama-senpai..." she got into a defensive stance while the swordsman scowled at the depravity around him.
"Tch...still all glitter, no soul." He kept his cool and carefree act, but even he felt disgust over a man wasting his life in cheap amusement, "Then again, Satsuki-sama allowed these pleasures for those who were strong, not smart. A good way to see who is trustworthy."
"So, she plans on using these idiots, is that a warning, senpai?" not once has she lost respect for the man who claimed he'd defeat Satsuki and worked his very soul off to accomplish that goal.
"More like a heads up." he retorted, "After all, the old man doesn't seem to mind the place."
Omiko gasped as she turned to see the man getting pulled into a new booth by the hostesses, "Come on, Mankanshoku-dono, let's get you cleaned up and drink."
"But..." the shady doctor tried to argue.
"Ah, ah, ah, relax and drink, it's what you came here for. Sanageyama-dono can take care of the little troublemaker." Another hostess said, making the man slowly nod much to Omiko's horror.
"See?" Sanageyama grinned, "She's got them already hooked to this. Breaking them out of this funk isn't gonna be easy."
"What do you suggest, then?" she asked, baring her teeth subconsciously, "That I lose...lose the one place, the people I feel at home in?"
"Let's see if you can strengthen their minds, then." Uzu retorted, aiming his bamboo sword at her, "After all, if Kisaragi changed your mind, I'm betting you must have learned something from him."
"Pretty big words for a guy who doesn't know the strength behind them." Said another figure.
"Who are you?" Uzu asked a tall, buff Japanese boy in a white shirt, a blue sweater vest, and beige pants.
"Last King of Awa High, Daimonji Shun." There was an odd click as the footballer saluted the two. "And a former fool, too."
"Awa...? You mean you know Kisaragi?" Uzu asked.
"You speak like you're one of his buds." Uzu said, tensing as the older youth gave him a chuckle, "He's one of my best friends. Someone who I'd follow into battle if he asked it of me."
"You consider him a shogun?" Uzu had to ask with a sly look.
Shun smiled back, "He's not a shogun. He's an Oni. An oni of friendship whose banner is extended to all those who become his friends."
Uzu looked a bit less amused by that, "An Oni. That's a bit rough. You think of him like a demon?"
"He's related to them. I wouldn't be surprised if he has some blood that rings a bit true to the Hellish race." Shun cracked his neck.
Uzu looked slightly tenser as the former quarterback was a very muscular and intimidating man, "Why are you here? Interfering with Satsuki-sama's plan?" He cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Shun flashed him a grin, "Checking up on my closest friend and the man I consider one of my best buds. He'll beat this little plot of yours. I have no worry about that. But if you want to fight, I'm up for a brawl if you are."
"Without a Life-Fiber uniform or a Rider belt? You'd never get past the first swing." Uzu said with a smug look.
Shun just chuckled to himself, "No worries then. I don't fight with either."
"POWERDIZER!" A heavy masculine voice heralded a gigantic machine ripping through the walls, its body towering above Uzu who took a step back.
The machine was far and beyond what he had been given information on regarding Nudist Beach machinery. Colored a bright yellow, with a blue face pair of lenses, black warning stripes, large bulky arms and legs, a huge body, gripper like pinchers for hands, it knelt down to let him up, its body opening up to reveal a seat and cockpit.
And Shun stepped in, much to Omiko's shock, "Wait, do you know who you're fighting!? That robot isn't going to hold its own against someone like Sanageyama-senpai!"
"Don't worry..." Shun smiled, "This thing can fight guys who give Gentaro trouble. Just watch out for the doctor."
"Huh? So, I'd be testing how good I am with someone almost equal to Kisaragi?" Uzu mused in his head, then smirked as he gripped his collar, "Fine by me. I needed an actual demonstration."
"Oh shoot!" Omiko said as she grabbed the Mankanshoku patriarch to hide behind a couch.
Uzu couldn't hold his excitement, "Let's go! Three Star Goku Uniform: Blade Regalia!" Three stars shot out in front of him.
Shun inhaled slowly, Powerdizer King showing him a list of all the various gauges and icons. King Dizer, fittingly renamed such after the battle with the Space Ironmen. That travesty had been a stain on their honor as members of the Kamen Rider Club, necessitating the fusion of both Fourze and Meteor to defeat the evil enemies. Queendizer and Jackdizer had been thoroughly scrubbed and rebuilt by Kengo for the usage of Miu and JK. Both of the twin units were on standby until necessary usage. Shun being there with King Dizer was more or less just a sign that the man was getting back into the sway of things.
University was on a brief break, and he had stopped by Honnō City with his honey to check on Gentaro. If he was right, she was busy right now across the city. Each of the three stars shot through Uzu whose body became engulfed in Life-Fibers.
Shun's reading calculated the output of the machine accordingly, "This might tire even me out. Honey, forgive me if I go all out! But my pride as the former king of Amano High won't accept anything less!" The Miu Kazeshiro that lived in his head shook her own in irritation.
Uzu towered up, being a match even for the Powerdizer's height, clad in dark green armor resembling a mech suit itself crossed with a kendo armor set. The digits of the massive green hands resembled green colored shinai, giant rotating Gatling guns were attached to the back, and the head being proportionally smaller than the massive body with a golden face plate. Three golden stars on either side of the head with a loin-plate that had three golden spikes over its surface and very stubby slender legs to complete it.
"Alright! Let's go!" Uzu rocketed forward, testing the Powerdizer out with a swing of each of his Bamboo-blade fingers.
He was impressed when Shun ducked the initial swing and the follow up that sent five sword-waves that combined into a single immense blast that sliced apart a building behind them!
"This is a King's..." Shun started with gritted teeth and a hot-blooded smile, "TACKLE!" and he launched himself at the kendo practitioner with a brutal shoulder bash.
"Heh!" Uzu smirked and fused his shinai fingers together, forming a gigantic bamboo sword, "If that is your best, it won't-"
"SHIELD BREAK!" King Dizer let out in a mechanical voice as dual jet turbines propelled it forward to clash against the enormous shinai.
"WHAT!?" Uzu exclaimed in shock, 'Not only did he not falter, this force...' he ground his teeth as both him and Shun didn't budge an inch, "So, a king... Fine by me, I've always loved facing those at the top!" his realization that the title wasn't for show just made him smirk wider.
"You really shouldn't underestimate the one who beat the drum the students of Awa High marched to!" Shun declared, pushing back with just as much force as Uzu was giving.
"I march to Satsuki-sama's drum! And one day, I'll march to my own! You think that a man like you can compare to her?" Uzu tested Shun's determination and was shocked to realize his own had come up wanting.
Digging in King Dizer's heels, the machine announced with a brutal roar, "POWER LIFTER!"
Pistons in its arms activated. With a sway of its mechanical body, Shun lifted Uzu, spinning his joints around and piledriving him into the ground! The building shook like it was caught in an earthquake. Getting to his feet, Uzu felt his eyes roll around in their sockets dizzily.
"T-the hell was that!? Did you just make up a move?!"
King Dizer didn't respond, it merely kicked him hard across the chest, sending him skidding back painfully and through another wall! King Dizer was thrown back by a shockwave that shot forward, sending the giant mecha into another wall. Getting up as rubble fell from their respective hulking frames, the two giants collided again with their fists slamming into each other! Waves upon waves of force echoed out in rippling blasts, making the very air vibrate and hum between the two!
Watching this, Omiko gave a grimace, her sharp teeth pulled into a scowl. Pushing up her glasses, she turned to Barazō with a furious gleam to her blue eyes, "You see what's going on around you yet, you dumb bastard!? We're waging war against Satsuki-sama just to save you from yourself!"
"W-why would you!? Just to live in that miserable lifestyle!?" he snapped.
"At least you smiled from the heart!" she shot back, "I did, too! Even if the food was garbage, the place too small and cramped, and no one could call it an appropriate house... I... I actually liked it better than the mansion I had as a Two-Star!" tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, "No empty space around me, no cold walls with fancy things to try to distract me, no...no people who were there just because of my status. I...I couldn't have been happier without that, and I could never be happier thanks to that fool of your daughter..."
Realization hit her, knees hitting the floor as she took it in, soaking in the warmth of the smile she missed from the chipmunk girl that tried to befriend her. Currently, she realized, she hadn't been the best person to her. And now, she envied her. Such joy to be with crazy people who just loved her and didn't ask to be loved back. Everyone aiding each other with a bright smile. Not just Mako and her family, but even those who joined them like Maiko and Omiko herself.
"Mako..." Barazō was hit with the same thought, "She really...made my life better when she was born. I... I took this job to see her smile. What...what am I doing with my life?" he looked at his hands with disgust, sorrow and shame seconds before large tears streamed down his chubby cheeks, "D-dammit! I... I am not like this... Mako...I wanna hear you laugh again...with all the new friends you made..."
"That's right, you fat idiot! Now c'mon! Let's go!" Omiko said dismissively.
The back-alley doctor threw off the finery and the suit, revealing his normal underwear and shabby clothes, "R-right!"
Shun grinned, sweat pouring down his face before he rammed into Uzu's body, sending him stumbling back! By the time the green haired kendo-master realized what Shun had done, he was already fleeing!
"H-hey! Oh c'mon! Am I really getting let down by this!?" Uzu sighed. His uniform returned to normal as he landed down and dusted his pants off, "Guess it's not all bad. Satsuki-sama will love to know that Gentaro's school has a weapon like this King Dizer around…" Scratching the back of his neck, he walked off, just then realizing that Omiko was gone, "…I better get that news to her fast." He said, swallowing slowly as he quickly moved.
X-X-X-X-X
"Ugh… really… I've gotta go in and talk to Sukuyo? I'm not good with inspirational bullshit…Dammit, this isn't my idea of a good time." Maiko gulped before she went inside the host club, making a beeline straight towards where she saw Sukuyo.
"My, my, this is the life!" the now pink-haired woman cheered as she had the men around her serving expensive drinks to her while having the bottles in their pants like… Better not go into details.
The trap mistress hid in the shadows, in trash cans, even in the dress of a chubby but admittedly good-looking woman, and soon she managed to bury herself in a pot plant. Her head poked out with binoculars ready, and the plant resting on her head like a fancy hat. She could spy Nonon watching Sukuyo with a disgusted glower, making Maiko twitch as her job just got much harder.
To know your enemy could see you was a disadvantage already, Maiko knew that. Her fighting prowess could be counted on negative numbers. She was afraid of even breaking a nail if push comes to shove. But even then, hiding like a worm in the pot plant, she couldn't precisely look away and do nothing.
Even if the woman before her had become an obnoxious stereotype of the rich wife, she deserved a chance. Though if this had happened years ago Maiko would have tried to argue against it if it meant saving her own skin.
"If they're targeting them, their captain must really want to start a war against us. The question is why, she could just as easily wait for her turn? Or maybe she wanted an advantage toying with their emotions? That's likely, but what if there's more?" She fished out a pocket mirror to see who would be the one to interrupt her.
"What are you doing?" A female voice startled her up and out of her pot.
Maiko spun about, seeing a very attractive Japanese woman staring at her with a raised brow. She had brown hair cut short, attractive features, and a fetching summer dress with flower patterns on it. Sighing as she checked her compact mirror, she looked at Maiko with a stare that made the trap mistress clench her jaw.
"Gah…Just my luck, I've got a queen bee on my hands…" Maiko got out of her potted plant and dusted herself off with a grimace, "Hi, Maiko Ōgure, nice to meet you, former head of the Trap Department of the Disciplinary Committee... Well, my old job sucked ass, so I left it at the first chance. Anyways, how can I help you?"
"Or how can I have you help me?" she adjusted her glasses with a side-grin, the woman just rose a delicate eyebrow, "Miu Kazashiro, I'm the former queen of Amano High, pleasure to meet you. I'm visiting for the sake of a friend of mine. Gentaro Kisaragi, perhaps?"
"Oh. You're one of Gentaro's buds. Kaaaay. Pleasure to meet you, really chuffed, and hey can you maybe not get in my way of a stealth mission?" Maiko asked with a very sarcastic tone.
The woman shook her head slowly, "They're already aware of you, that pink-haired one is glaring right in your direction."
Maiko whirled about, staring right at Nonon Jakuzure, who gave her a sly smirk. "Oh, and what do we have here? A failure and..." and she glared at Miu, right eye twitching, "What's...with that absurdly sexy body?"
Nonon loved Satsuki, she adored being with her. However, a downside was being reminded of how underdeveloped she was in all areas. At times she took solace that no girl or woman could compare to Satsuki. Ryūko could have a killer body and that underachiever of Mankanshoku had very bountiful attributes, but they couldn't compare to Satsuki. Nonon was proud to be the president's closest friend and her envy of her figure died down the more she respected and grew to want to be by her side. And yet, the one before her had the perfect figure to compete with Satsuki! That was an insult to her friend and it angered how flawlessly and easily she seemed to pull it off!
"Hmm, I recall having a close comrade like you," Miu said coldly, freezing Nonon. "You're on a level all your own, but you want to reach something you can't grasp as easily as you want to. I could at least tell that girl to do so on her own terms, not to try to usurp me, but you seem to know that... I don't know whether to appreciate that or...pity you."
"Are you saying I'm not worthy of being by Satsuki-chan's side!?" Nonon snapped.
"Heavens no." Miu casually pulled a strand of hair behind an ear, "I am stating things as I see them. I have to as president of my club." Such cold professionalism and authority reminded Nonon of Satsuki too much to fight back, "If you wish to be beside a queen, you should do as a true monarch does and not let a petty comment like mine ruffle you. Otherwise, well, what is a short-fused guard but an example of how good their queen is?"
"Guh..." Nonon felt like he had been hit in the gut.
"Damn, you're good." Maiko silently praised her.
"Lots of practice with Gentaro and company," Miu confessed.
Maiko said with a snide little laugh, "You had to wrangle him, kehehe. Give us some tips if you can. Guy acts like he's on a caffeine buzz twenty-four seven."
Miu gave her a slight smile in response, "Gentaro is so much more than how he acts. You will see in time, that although wishing for friendship with all of his heart, it isn't necessarily the making of friends that matters most to him." Miu said, walking forward with a dramatic click of her heels that brought chills down Maiko's spine. "I know that he seems a bit of an eccentric, but he is a true Kamen Rider. A hero." Miu flashed a smile at Maiko now, "Follow your own path. Let him help you discover who you want to be and nudge you along."
Her smile was one of soft understanding, truly realizing what Gentaro had meant to her had allowed her to grow past the need to follow him. Instead she walked alongside him, going her own way but always keeping him within her vision, they would never be apart, but she did not cling to his dream as she did before, "He's somewhat of a current. He'll take you along for a while, but eventually, you will swim for yourself."
"Find my own dream alongside him? Where did you get that? A fortune cookie?" Maiko sarcastically muttered.
Miu laughing, "No. I found it while browsing online for fashion items. It was a nice little ad tag-line from the Agreste Fall collection."
Nonon was growing progressively more steamed up as they had been ignoring her "STOP! THAT! CHATTER! You're really pissing me off! You think you're worthy of being called a queen!?"
"Of course! I do!" Miu's instantaneous shout threw her opponent for a loop, "If I thought otherwise, I would never be happy with myself! My confidence in my nature is iron-clad!"
"Tch, you're just a Gentaro-groupie! Shut the hell up about being a queen!" Nonon tried to point the obvious out, until Miu slammed her hand down, a whoosh of air shooting down from her charismatic aura.
"Incorrect! Gentaro is merely the man I adore! He is not perfect, and I do not worship him blindly! True admiration and respect come from understanding the imperfections of your object of love!" Her voice was like the hammer of god crashing down upon Nonon, the judgement she suffered overwhelmed her like a blade of grass before a storm. "Can you claim to be Satsuki Kiryūin's friend if you place her upon a massive pedestal and refuse to look at her objectively!?"
Metaphoric arrows shot through Nonon's chest, her face looking frozen in shock, "I-I-I! S-shut up, shut up, shut up! You know nothing about Satsuki-chan! Nothing, you hear me?! Nothing!"
Miu threw her hand up in front of her mouth, a classic ojou-sama laugh bubbling up, "Ohoho! Is that it? You're at a loss for words? If that's all you can do, this battle will be over in a moment!"
"Battle? You two are just arguing your dueling philosophies, if that's a fight, then a debate is a full-on war…" Maiko groaned to herself, shaking her head in irritation.
Nonon was fuming in impotent rage, unable to fight back or stop Miu from thoroughly trashing her, "Ggh…"
Miu moved a lock from her face, giving Maiko a nod before she turned around with a silent wave, walking off. Nonon clenched her fists tightly, glaring at the ground as she knew she was beaten.
Maiko creeping past her to get to Sukuyo, "Ah. Maiko-chan? You're here?" Sukuyo asked, surprised by the glasses clad and bulbous haired teenager. Rubbing the back of her head, Maiko held out her hand.
"C'mon Sukuyo-san. This place is disgusting, and I want to go home." She said simply, Sukuyo blinked, realizing the place she was in and the company she was with.
"Oh." That little oh was all she needed to convey her feelings, smiling radiantly at Maiko, "You're terrible with speeches dear. I know why you're here. The fact that you came all this way just for me tells me all I should know. "
She was already pulling off the finery and jewelry she wore.
"Tch…I'm not that shit at speeches…" Maiko said defensively. "I know you're not dear."
Tossing off the dress, Sukuyo was clad in her bra and thong, giving her a bright smile," Well! I'm ready! Let's go Maiko-chan."
Throwing all the heavy jewelry like so much trash, they clonked the speed-clad men in the faces, their bottles popping impotently into tiny streams of alcohol.
Maiko walked alongside the older woman, feeling like things were working out for once.
X-X-X-X-X
In an alley of the Two-Star district, one new boxing captain approached his large home with a smile and the dinosaur plushies hefted under his armpits.
"Well, she's small but she packs a punch..." Ikki grunted to himself after his failed bout with one of his targets. "I can see why Satsuki-sama considers her interesting... But you hold her in higher regard, right, lion-man?"
He was greeted at his own door by a massive muscle-bound man clad in a black suit, a pair of fancy pants, a stylish jacket, and matching pants. It was all made to allow him mobility without a hindrance to his brutal strength. Adding to that the classy ponytail and stoic face, and he looked out of a James Bond film minus a cool gimmick. He had a pair of walnuts which he played with in his right hand, so there was that.
"We're not here to talk about her, Kazama-san." Said a handsome man with a red jacket and a short mop of brown hair.
"You're the principal of that Gentaro's high school, right?" Ikki asked and tried to balance his grip on the two large toys, "Is there anything I ought to keep my mouth shut about regarding you guys? Or did you come tell me something interesting about him?"
"Just a quick question, is all." The man said. "How is his progress so far?"
Ikki grinned softly, "I didn't get to fight him, but...that girl he's with, Matoi, is too much like him. If I were even more of a betting man, I'd say she's not only his equal but has just one flavor to herself..."
"Interesting..." the man who could be considered a supermodel hummed in delight.
"Oi, Antennae-Boy, what's your angle here?" the lionesque man asked impatiently.
"Don't worry, just confirming a theory that this Matoi girl has a link to Cosmic Energy." The principal tapped his temple, pointing to his eye, "I cannot tell what it is exactly, but I saw it as part of her. She is human, but at the same time..."
"Huh, that sounds like fun." Ikki said with a laidback grin, "Never fought something other than regular dudes, this sounds like a fun-"
"Do not engage her or tell her of this." The handsome man told him. "We need to discuss this with our superior, and you wouldn't want to anger him, would you?"
To that, Ikki gulped but nodded, saying nothing.
"Is that really it?" the other man asked the principal, making him chortle.
"When the time comes, we need to know what potential threats and assets there are in the field of battle. Don't you agree?"
Crushing his walnuts, the buff man growled, "If this turns out to be a waste of time, you do know what I can do, Antennae-Boy."
Shuddering first, the principal nodded, "I wouldn't dream of joking about this, trust me."
Looking from the two men, Ikki rubbed the back of his head with a slight grin, "So you two trust me to deal with this issue, is that right?"
"Yes. But don't fail. We'll be joining you shortly after we complete a side mission. Argos will be among our number." His hand stopped, Ikki narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Argos. You're going to enlist another Zodiarts?" he asked, the principal giving him a sly smile.
"Of course. And we know the perfect candidate." That ominous way of speaking only made Ikki chortle.
"I love this sort of work. Takaharu-senpai, please be patient. I owe so much to you after all."
The trio were left plotting, the outside world unaware of their behavior. For the moment it seemed. Spiders weaved webs in the dark.
X-X-X-X-X
"Gamagōri, it's come to my attention that you're taking good care of one Mako Mankanshoku."
"That is correct, Satsuki-sama. I apologize if it seems unprofessional of me, but she is new to this area and I swore to watch over every student in this school. I-"
"Gamagōri, I need you to go on a date with Mankanshoku."
Ira's jaw hit the floor like a two-ton elephant. His pupils were the size of dots in his wide as platter eyes, and sweat dripped over his massive body like waterfalls.
"Admit it, frogman, you've been more than busy because of her." Nonon's snide comment didn't help, "You're eating more protein because she said she liked to eat greasy food. And you even bought a dozen pajamas when she told you that you would do best not sleeping in the nude." She mentally shuddered the mental image away from her thoughts.
Gamagōri stood tall and proud, "Thanks to that my efficiency has doubled! But that's not the point at hand! Satsuki-sama, I shall never doubt you, but to ask me to take Mankanshoku on a date… I… I…" he blushed and poked his fingers together, "I… wanted my first time to be romantic."
Nonon's snort burst into an explosion of laughter at that, but her best friend's voice silenced her, but wouldn't stop her from having fun with this topic if the snickers on the background said a thing, "I'm not asking you to fully seduce her or make her like you. I need someone of your caliber to shift Mankanshoku to our side in order to break the Rider Club. In fact…"
Inumuta appeared, showing a picture in his handheld of Mako and Gentaro side to side, "Data doesn't lie. Mankanshoku's passion and drive match Kisaragi's. It's like they're cut from the same cloth, but something different is what moves Kisaragi forward. We need to learn of this fact. But now after my first deduction, it is clear…"
He let Satsuki continue, "Mankanshoku has the potential to match Kisaragi. They're moved by the same power to reach out to others. The difference is how far Kisaragi takes it, while Mankanshoku hasn't found any proper friends to move her forward, until today."
Ira felt a knot in his stomach, "But to move her away from the ones she grew attached to for me… I mean, for my affection… Ahem! I mean, for my power as her superior! Satsuki-sama, surely you must realize this is beyond cruel!"
"It is with that same coldness and cruelty that we take out those unfit to stand on this world, Gamagōri."
With words that cold, the man had no option…
He'd make this date the most pleasant one Mako could ever had she wouldn't dream of anything better.
But that was then.
Now he stood at a café, fidgeting with his uniform and looking around the street before trying to set on his menu. The umbrellas of the outdoor tables looked like flowers to him, while the chair he was in proved that whatever industry forged it was of good quality, even if it strained against his weight.
He sighed tiredly, looking at what was before him, a Mankanshoku favorite… rat milk ice cream.
When he asked for something, you got it for him, even if you had to milk the rats to make Mako a frozen dairy delight only she seemed to enjoy. And it better be her favorite taste too, which is why he asked for every flavor to be made for when she arrived, and ready for her in the freezer. The owner of the café was currently sweating bullets at the man's stoic face after such an odd order, and his wife was busy counting the large amount of money they got.
"Ah, my balloon!" the tower of strength that was Ira turned to see a little boy in the typical kindergarten uniform of a blue pair of shorts, blue coat, and yellow rain hat trying to reach a red balloon trapped in a tree's branch.
He was about to get it, when an odd fellow in a bicycle and an outfit that reminded him of Gentaro sans helmet passed by and stopped. The guy had a helmet and safety goggles, making Ira nod internally at the safety-first rules he heard as a little kid being shown so proudly. When the man didn't hesitate to climb the tree and get the boy his balloon, he felt filled with determination.
"I shall make Mankanshoku happy through this charade… I'll make it worth her pain for trusting me-"
"Gamagōri-senpai!"
"Mankanshoku?!" he nearly fell off his chair from the shock, "H-How long were you here?"
"I just got here. Sorry for the delay. My club members were a bit chatty but I am here in…" she looked at the frozen treat Ira was eating, and enjoying, "Oh… We did come here once when we got promoted… It was fun."
Fun. That word sounded so strange now coming out of her, making the large man feel his heart sink.
This wasn't what he desired, seeing her like this filled his heart with regret and overall guilt. He would obey Satsuki in all regards as her living shield, but something like this…
It made him feel like he wasn't being true to her. And worse, he could see how her soul was being lost to the Star System.
"I can't wait to become a Two-Star, everyone will be happier when that happens." He privately thought she was wrong there, everything about this was wrong to him.
'Satsuki-sama, please forgive me for having doubts in your plan…' He thought to himself with internal tears pouring down his face.
"W-Why did you join Lady Satsuki, senpai?" she finally asked, but continued, "I know why I wanted to be a captain, but right now, even though everyone's surrounded by pretty things, Omiko-senpai said…" she shook her head, "Sorry, never mind me."
Ira stared at her, and spoke sincerely, "I joined because I never doubted her, Mankanshoku. I never doubted her strength, but… I joined her because I doubted mine."
She was wide-eyed, "But senpai, you're a Three-Star, how c-"
"I lost to her." He admitted with a small smile, "Everything I believed could have shattered so easily to her, and yet she never meant to hurt my pride, but to show me how strong I'd have to become…" he stared at her, his features softening, "When it comes down to it, do not hesitate, Mankanshoku."
She looked down at the table, "What if I were… too weak?"
He frowned, "You're their-"
"I know!" she shouted, shivering, "I know I'm their captain and friend, but… But… I can't fight like them. I can't stand beside them when they need me. I can't really do anything worthy of their friendship because all I am, all I can ever hope to accomplish, is to try to make their life better even if we don't meet as often as-"
"Mankanshoku!" he shouted, snapping her out of her trance, and getting his teary eyes on him, "Whether it's laughable or people claim it's impossible, I've seen you! Every time you used to be with them, you would accept your slacker self without regrets, and you'd accept the friends you met along the way! I, Ira Gamagōri, shall not allow you to belittle yourself like that! If you want to stand by their side, just do so instead of doubting yourself!"
Mako stared at the large man… and small tears built in her eyes, making Ira shift uncomfortably in his seat until she tackled him, trying to wrap her arms around him but only managing to hold each side of his six-pack abdomen.
"S-Sorry, sir, I… I have to do something…" she said with a sniffle, "I have to fight, right? No matter what…"
And with that she left, leaving him alone with some frozen rat dairy.
"Would you like a chocolate sundae?" the owner of the place said, "It'd help your heart."
Ira sighed and accepted, enjoying the treat while pondering why he felt like a fool. Perhaps because he didn't chase after her? No… or was it…?
X-X-X-X-X
"Alright people! We're going to bust up the Jr. Officers club!" Mako walked in the next day to find her club mates looking pretty sullen at the thought that they had to fight again, especially Omiko and Maiko who both had matching looks of distaste for differing reasons.
They saw themselves in Mako. But where Omiko saw her previous pride and ambition to become a Three-Star turned into a greed-driven ambition, Maiko saw her desire to crush others to feel better and be better than them. Mind you, the trap expert wouldn't mind having her harem of hunks and questionably effeminate young boys, but for the two spectacled to see Mako like this was like seeing something they were or could have become.
"Mako."
Said girl turned to her powerhouses, the avenger and the Rider standing side to side and speaking in unison two words she never thought she'd hear.
"We quit."
"W-w-w-what?!" Her glasses fell off slightly, revealing Mako's eyes underneath.
Gentaro winced slightly as there were bags behind the lenses and her pupils seemed to fade away into the brown iris, giving her a very emotionally disturbed expression. But he inhaled and then stepped forward, pointing at her dramatically, "I said we quit! The Mako-chan of now isn't the Mako-chan we started our club with then! This isn't who you truly are! What you're truly like!"
"What I'm… truly like… I…!" Whatever Mako had planned to say with her eyes looking intensely at them both was lost, because at that exact moment the door was blasted apart.
Ira stood tall amongst a troupe of fellow disciplinary committee members, all of them baring mega-phones which he too wielded, "ATTENTION NEO KAMEN RIDER FIGHT CLUB MEMBERS! YOU ARE TO REPORT TO THE COURT YARD UNDER SATSUKI-SAMA'S GAZE! YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED TO STAND TO ATTENTION AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!"
Takaharu stood up, "Sorry, sir! But so far the only member of the club is our captain. We've all resigned!" he said while pulling out a resignation letter from his pants. Omiko showed hers, as did Maiko. Even the club's powerhouses had theirs written, with Gentaro's written with an ancient Japanese brush like he was a samurai showing his determination.
Ira narrowed his eyes, putting down his megaphone, "That is a dilemma. Without members, a club can't be considered a club. However!" he grinned at them, "If you're an unruly student and your record shows proof of disobedience by rebelling against Lady Satsuki, you will be tried by your own captain if you attempt to leave their club!"
He gently picked Mako up, grabbing her with his thumb and index finger and putting her on his shoulder.
With a single step, he was at the courtyard, while the others could only stare blankly at what happened.
"You saw that, right?" the red-locked girl told the pompadour clad youth, before throwing her resignation letter to the ground and stomping on it, "This is some messed up shit right here! What's with these rules now?! Is Sasquatch that determined to take our friend from us?!"
Even as she talked she could only gape at what happened next.
Satsuki stepped out onto the tower as a barrage of lights hit them all, making Gentaro shield his eyes in pain.
"MAKO MANKANSHOKU! You stand before your fellow students today, nay! Before all of Honnōji Academy's best and brightest! You stand before me, your leader, and for the first time in your life, you can become something more than a mere worm bowing and scraping face down in the dirt! You're at the next step of evolution to surpass all other pigs in human clothing!"
With a dramatic click of her heels, a huge wardrobe was shot down in front of Mako, the polished white doors of its frame sliding open to reveal a glittering coat and hat with Life-Fiber stitching on it.
Mako took only one look back at her gathered friends, before leaping into the wardrobe just as it closed shut. Leaning against a wall, Maiko muttered to herself quietly while Omiko and Takaharu stood by her.
"Let's see how far you will go to bring back your dear friend, Gentaro…" She had a good feeling deep down in her gut, she knew that Gentaro was going to do something beyond stupid and reckless, but something that would get them back their friend no matter what.
"YOU FUCKING CATERPILLAR BROWED BITCH! I'LL RIP YOUR GOD DAMN HAIR OFF AND STRANGLE YOU WITH IT YOU W-" The red locked girl's ferocious tirade was stopped when Gentaro walked past her, his eyes glimmering with emotion.
"Ryūko-chan." Gentaro had a determined grin on his face even as he held the Fourze Driver in his hands, before he placed it around his waist. Slowly placing his hands down and flipping the switches, his grin turned into a serious frown.
"We'll get her back. We'll show Satsuki-chan, that you never try to harm our buds. Because, if we can't smile with them at the end of the day, then we'll smile with them tomorrow!"
"THREE!"
He flipped the switches, the countdown beginning even as Ryūko chuckled to herself and stepped aside, her mouth yanking the pin on her glove back.
"Right… Senketsu." She said, her eyes flashing briefly with power.
The uniform nodded, feeling his insides burning with her hot blood, "As one then, Ryūko!"
"TWO!"
Thinking of Ryusei, and how his fellow Rider became his true friend after their struggles together and how he'd win back Mako's heart and true self… filled Gentaro with determination!
"ONE!"
"Mako-chan, we'll fight for your sake!"
"HENSHIN!" In a blast of smoke and blue lights, Kamen Rider Fourze stepped forward! Pointing his fist at the wardrobe even as it begun to rattle then snap open, he declared to the girl inside.
"Mako-chan! Let's do this, mano-a-mano!" When Ryūko coughed behind him in her Kamui, he laughed and nodded back at her. "Uh, I mean, as all three!"
In an explosion of force that made the two skidded back, the wardrobe burst open with dirt and dust flying up and covering their vision in a shroud of dirt. Stepping out slowly was Mako who now looked entirely different and was glaring at them both in a way they had never seen her before.
Clad in a long delinquent style black coat with a Life-Fiber inner stitching, she had her arms crossed in a truly aggressive way, showing that she had a gold star shaped pair of brass knuckles with her name written in English letters over one hand. She now wore a pair of geta style sandals with spikes for the clogs, each of which looked particularly nasty and were laced with red straps.
In her mouth was a bent twig with a bit of leave at the end, which she was chewing with a deep frown on her face. The coat's sleeves flowed around her in a manner similar to true delinquents of the past, rebels and fighters, both men and women who chose their path and walked it with pride, never giving a care to the trends of society or those who would impose authority upon them.
Two massive red spikes jutted from the coat's shoulders, glittering with dangerous crimson sharpness. The sleeves had red spiked bracelets around the cuffs, giving her a truly dangerous appearance. As the final touch for the coat was a massive collar covered in gold buttons and with two chains connecting the collar together. To show her new status, two stars sat on either side of the raised collar, glittering a shiny gold.
As the coat flew behind her in a wind that started up, they saw that inside and strapped to multiple areas of the coat were bright gold colored weapons, a chain and ball, a bat, and a few other surprises.
Over her head and covering that coconut shaped haircut was a black cap with a wide brim, completing the image of a true banchou.
"Mako Mankanshoku the No-Star is no more! I am… Hokuto Banchou! The Two-Star Captain of the Neo Kamen Rider Fighting Club!"
Blasting out in front of her were huge red kanji that said her name and full title now, which she punched into red rubble. Raising two fists in a dirty boxing stance, a deep orange aura covered her body and made her appear even more threatening.
"N-No way… Did she always have this kind of battle aura?" Takaharu was a fighter at heart, so to see someone like Mako emit such an aura was baffling, "It doubles, no, it triples… No… How far does it surpass Mako's normal self?"
While not a fighter, Omiko knew what she got herself in at tennis matches, and knew how her opponents acted, reading them while they made a strike to counter them, "No, this isn't her. It's like Gentaro said. This isn't our idiot captain at all."
Maiko stared at them blankly, "Are you two just trying to sound cool or do you actually believe that anime style kind of crap?" It was important to remember she wasn't a fighter, she was a schemer.
In response to the squirrel girl's actions, Ryūko and Kamen Rider Fourze stepped forward, a bright red aura covering the Kamui wielder's body with a deep black tinge. Over the Rider's came a bright grey aura with purple tones, his hands slowly taking out the Launcher Switch and replacing it with a purple switch that had a foot symbol on it.
Next he swapped out Drill with a green switch that had a spike symbol on it, pushing both down the belt sung out cheerfully, "GIANTFOOT~! SPIKE~!"
"GIANTFOOT ON~! "SPIKE ON~!"
"I wanted to keep this one hidden from Eye-brows, but if I want to reach your soul and heart Mako… I guess I can't hold back right now. Let's try that one out Senketsu… READY!?"
He was made ready, "As I'll ever be Ryūko!"
As one the two roared out, even as her aura blasted around her and seemed to cover her body in burning fire, "This will be the first test drive of a whole new us! Like a Dragon...SCARLET SPIRIT!"
Her entire body glowed with bright red energy, covering her body and making her appear like she was on fire, raising a single red hot fist, steam pouring from it she pointed at Mako calmly even as she tensed to move.
The Rider bumped his fist twice on his chest, aiming that hand's index finger at his friend next, "I'll bring you back to your senses, one way or another Mako, so get ready! We're coming and we won't stop until you see the Mankanshoku Mako that is inside of you!"
"Amen to that!" the red-locked girl declared.
"ENOUGH TALK! LET'S SETTLE THIS WITH OUR FISTS!" Mako decreed angrily, before blasting forward, her fist rocketing forward until it met concrete.
Satsuki gasped, and Ira snapped at her when seeing the entire school shake from Mako's punch, "Mankanshoku, what's the meaning of this?!"
"I… I believe in what Lady Satsuki said… BUT!" she stood still, her shoulders shaking, "But… I love my friends too much!" she finally cried, her eyes dripping tears that ran down not a sad face, but a determined one.
Satsuki narrowed her eyes, "Explain, Mankanshoku."
The chipmunk girl wiped her tears, he fists tightened until her knuckles cracked, "Mankanshoku Mako is an underachiever, a slacker, a good for nothing! Now she had the chance to stand for herself thanks to Lady Satsuki, but the one reason that I want to fight, that I wanted to stand here and get this uniform… It's not to fight for what you say, School President Kiryūin Satsuki! It's because I want to know that I can stand along my friends and fight at their side."
Gentaro gasped, "Mako…"
Said girl turned at him, a bright smile on her face while tears ran down it, "So… Let's do it, ok? Gen-chan, Ryu-chan… Let me know that this Mankanshoku… can fight with her friends!"
Now even Maiko could see it, a more defined aura of pure power surrounding Mako, taking the form of a feral dog, "I… Is this the real Mako?" she was unable to believe it.
"Give it your all, sis!" from the sidelines, the youngest Mankanshoku was cheering.
Sukuyo and Barazō, back in the clothes they wore when they first met Mako's friends, also cheered, "Do your best, dear!" the girl's mother shouted.
"We may have enjoyed a good life, but no life is better than one where you give it your all for your happiness!" the patriarch of the odd clan yelled, waving a flag.
Even Guts had a banner with Mako's face on it as he cheered happily for his master.
"So Gen-chan, Ryūko-chan, let's fight! I'm going to catch up to you all, to match your hopes and dreams! I don't want to hold you guys back... ANY MORE!" Tears poured down her face along with big snot trails, looking at each other, then back to her Kamen Rider Fourze and the Kamui wielder nodded firmly.
"Mako-chan." Fourze said slowly, making the girl answer out with a quick.
"Hai!?" she squeaked, fearful of what he may say after everything she put him through.
He aimed his fist at her and declared with all his heart, grinning behind his mask, "Let's make this a good one! Because, even best buds fight sometimes!"
She wiped her eyes quickly, his words making her eyes turn into determined flames even as she happily said," Then let's do this Gen-chan, Ryūko-chan!" Both yelled back with matching grins as they prepared for her assault, "OF COURSE!"
She crouched down slowly, her orange aura coalescing around her body before she shot forward, making dust and rubble blast up in her wake, shooting forward like a comet she rammed her fist forward, orange energy sparkling around it and causing it to surge with power!
The strike met with Fourze's open palm in an explosion of force, causing every window to shatter, glass tinkling down like waterfall droplets. Being pushed back inch by inch, the Rider smacked her aside with his spare hand and causing her to skid on the ground, dirt shooting up as she dug her feet down hard to brake her sliding.
Leaping high above Fourze, Ryūko slammed her high heeled legs into the banchou, giving everyone who had a good seat a great view of her teddy bear panties. Maiko winced as the blow shot the brown-haired girl back.
"Jeez, these battle maniacs are really going wild… Is this what it's like to… HUH!?" She whirled around when she noticed Takaharu was gone, then she looked up to see him waving a huge flag with Mako's face, Fourze's helmet, and Ryūko's face next to Senketsu's in his hands.
"GO EVERYONE! SHOW THE WORLD YOUR STRENGTH!" He cheered out happily.
Omiko was now carrying pompons like a cheerleader, "Don't you dare lose now, Gentaro!"
Maiko simply groaned to herself, "I'm surrounded by idiots…"
Mako had done well to block the worst of the blow, her arms crossed in an X which she pulled apart slowly, her frown growing even more as she pulled down her hat over her face.
"C'mon Ryūko-chan, you're not giving it your all!" She decreed fiercely, just before Kamen Rider Fourze slammed his right leg into her side, spikes jutting out from the heavy looking green armor around it.
"Then try this, Mako-chan!" He roared, even as he continued kicking her with the insanely heavy weapon, spikes blasting out and making her cough in pain before he punched her. HARD. The force of which snapped her head back and made her stagger backwards.
She snapped her face back, a huge grin on her face as she pulled her hat back, making Fourze gasp out, "No effect?! Wow! Mako-chan… you're…!"
"Don't say I'm strong! I'm still not strong enough! But I will break that limit here and now!" She declared proudly, then drew both fists back, and launched them forward in a consecutive punch barrage, her fists blew the duo skyward even as she yelled out a battle cry, "ATATATATATA… WATAAAAAAAAA!"
Landing at the exact same time, Mako turned her back to the duo until she felt something odd. Looking up she saw the air distort, barely having time to rush out of the way as the silhouette of a huge foot made of air came down and shattered the concrete below her. She ran as fast as she could, causing the entire school to blur around her. Foot shaped imprints crushing school sections when she moved past them, the chase made her blood flow and her heart pump rapidly.
Running straight up the walls, she noticed the foot prints kept on following her, so she dashed even faster, her coat swinging behind her even as she caused a small sonic boom to shatter the glass and walls of the school she was running past.
Ascending up to Satsuki's platform, the woman narrowed her eyes even before Fourze shot past her via the Rocket Switch, her head inclining slightly as she witnessed the banchou slam a huge golden spiked bat against the Rider's rocket powered punch. The resulting force caused the air to shake with the force of a raging hurricane and the ground to rumble as if during an earthquake.
Satsuki scoffed at the sight, her hair flowing back from the shockwave, "To think I had not foreseen this… It appears Kisaragi lives to defy my predictions."
Hearing her admit that, the avenger smirked, "And I'm forecasting an incoming front of SHUT UP!" she shouted after running up the building and leaping off towards her friends.
Soaring faster than the human eye could follow, red energy coursed around the avenger's body before it traveled straight into her fist. Senketsu's eye narrowed in absolute focus while his Life Fibers whirled around her arms until she had a yarn ball shaped globe replacing her entire glove.
It caused Satsuki to mutter in abject shock, "Her Kamui is willing to let her mold it like that…?! Junketsu doesn't…"
She cut off that thought process with a harsh tightening of her jaw, her Kamui's eyes focusing entirely on Fourze as he shot past Ryūko, grey energy collecting around the Rocket Switch at which point he blasted it forward. Several rings of pure cosmic energy wrapped around the bright orange weapon and sent it screaming forward straight into Mako's open palms.
Catching it, she was sent flying back, her coat fluttering rapidly even as she forced herself to move her arms up. The squirrel girl's veins bulged out over her limbs and sent the Kamen Rider barreling above her.
In mid-fall she saw her female best friend flying right at her, the globe like fist already thrust forward in a wild punch, with the red flame like energy flowing around her entire form she looked like a comet crashing into Mako's body.
Both girls spiraled down and then impacted the ground in a massive explosion, dust and rubble clouding the crater both formed, and blocking all vision of them. The only indication both were still there was the fact that their punches could be heard clashing wildly. Eventually a particularly massive blow sent a black and red form cartwheeling out of the dust cloud and into the academy behind it.
Creating a Ryūko-shaped hole in the wall, the aforementioned Kamui wielder stumbled weakly out from the hole, tiny Fourze helmets spiraling above her until she shook her head out and focused on the fight again.
"Damn, she's really going all out…" her dizziness disappeared just as she said those words, a big smirk growing on her face, "Makes me wanna do the same!"
"Ryūko… You truly respect Mako that much?" The Kamui's question prompted his wielder to swipe her thumb underneath her nose.
Her odd blue eyes glowed with battle lust, "Yeah, she doesn't realize it, but she really is strong. I'll make her realize it!"
Leaping out of the hole, red energy collected around her body before she flashed forward. A sonic boom rushed past her shimmering outline, and with a cataclysmic blow she blindsided Mako and sent the banchou skyward, one hand gripping the girl's long coat before swinging her towards Fourze.
His rocket powered punch met Mako's leg in a clash of raw power, which the girl surprisingly won, sending Fourze flipping back in midair. Her foot shot forward in a barrage of kicks, each blow knocking the Rider's pompadour clad head around like a can full of ball bearings.
And as she did that, she felt her soul crying, so she let loose her own battle cry, "ATATATATATATA… WACHAAAA!" Her leg whirled around and clipped the back of his head, sending him flying right into the middle of Satsuki's platform, the heavily protected structure merely making him bounce painfully off of it. "Not good enough, Gen-chan!"
The Rider's chuckle could be heard firmly once he landed back on the ground, "That's it, Mako-chan… I can see the real you more clearly now." He said as he walked forward, somehow shrugging off all the damage he had been taking, or more like he just accepted it like he did everything his friends had, "If this is your soul, then I'll see everything it has with the same burning passion!"
Inumuta gasped at what Gentaro held up, "That…" Gentaro replaced the Rocket Switch for a red one with a ring on it, and the number 20 on it.
"FIRE~!"
"FIRE ON~!"
A blast of heat and fire shot to the skies alongside a fancy orchestral sound chime, a ferocious blaze overtook the Rider and fused over his uniform, fire billowing out around him until it was sucked into his body.
Standing tall, his new appearance could only make Mako stare in awe, and Satsuki to hum in surprise. His suit was a blaring red, red hot that was, even his helmet had changed to reflect his burning passion and heart! A fire decal was over his chest, with matching shoulder plates, while four plates with flame patterns were attached to the silvery body armor that made up his upper torso.
In this form, the rider could only grin behind his helmet. Fists on his forehead, body squatting down, he let the excitement that had once died finally come back.
"Uchuuuu…" he started, the world around him glowing with the flames of his passion. Jumping up with his arms thrown up, Satsuki could hear his cry, which shot itself all the way up to the moon where a certain group heard it. "KITAAAAAAA!"
The entire school, even Satsuki herself, watched in awe as a pillar of fire erupted behind the rider.
"W-What's this warmth, this light?!" Maiko cried, trying to shield her eyes.
"I-It's Gentaro-bro's soul! It's like the sun, covering and accepting everything around it with warmth!" the small boxer replied.
In the Rabbit Hutch the gathered members of the Kamen Rider Club paused in their actions, Meteor doing the same as he trained outside in zero gravity, the violet gaze of his helmet shone in the darkness as he muttered affectionately to himself, "Gentaro-san is fighting hard down there, better step up my training too for his sake!"
Yuki pouted to herself, the cheery girl spinning around in her seat with a loud sigh, "Mou! So mean Gen-chan, having so much fun by himself? I'll be sure to make sure he shares that fun when he comes back!"
Miu put down a magazine then gave an annoyed look at Shun who was playing football until the ball flew past her head and nearly bounced off of JK's head, "Again Shun? You're always playing with that pig-skin up here, we're not on a field you know!"
He paused mid-throw, giving her a bright smile, "But honey, this place is where I can practice without restraint or worry!"
Her frown turned into a slight smile as she leaned back in her chair, the club president murmuring softly to herself, "That's right…This place really is our home away from home, isn't it?"
JK spun on his feet, and looked mildly amused himself as he flopped down near Kengo, who only gave him an annoyed glare before he focused on studying a piece of Life-fiber Gentaro had sent him for research purposes, the sneaky young man rubbing his cheek with a curious little grin that had a hint of melancholy to it, "It's a little too quiet though without Gen-chan around…I think."
"Such a strange entity…it's almost like this thing is alive…but that's…" He muttered to himself, the fiber at the moment was a dull red, having been separate from its parent donor for far too long, but the properties it had were still intact.
They all felt the explosion of cosmic energy down below, and all smiled to themselves at the reminder that Gentaro was still fighting down there.
"Gentaro-san…" Tomoko said, smiling, "He's giving it his all once again."
Her words were what they all privately thought in their own way with immense fondness.
Down on Earth, the masked rider slammed his right fist on his chest twice, before thrusting his knuckles into the air, towards Mako, "Kamen Rider Fourze is here to show his own soul! Let's go, Mako-chan, I'll bare my soul to you like you're doing for me! It's time we settle this mano-a-mano!"
"Then this Mankanshoku will give it her all, too!" the squirrely girl exclaimed.
"Let's heat it up!" He declared before running forward, the odd blaster being unslung from his side and being aimed right at the banchou. Ryūko grinned and joined the Rider, running right alongside him as he fired a barrage of fireballs right at the girl!
"HUT! HUP! HAH!" Throwing her fists forward, orange energy left them in the form of trailing fireballs of her own, the resulting explosions blowing her coat back wildly, with her hat doing the same had she not gripped it with one hand tightly just to see the Kamui wielder slam one fist against her face.
Staggering back, Mako none the less punched the red locked girl just as hard back. But she wasn't able to stop Kamen Rider Fourze from kicking her in the stomach, the blazing blow barreling her back.
Coughing slightly, she gave both a wide grin, her blood rushing and pounding rapidly until an orange aura overtook her entire body which was lowly crouching down.
Fourze felt his blood heat up at what he knew to be coming.
"Mako... KITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" In an explosion of movement that made her shoot forward after she leapt to the sky with her cheer, the banchou slammed a pair of bats against her best friends, sending them flying away.
Maiko groaned to herself even while Takaharu got even more ramped up, "GO GENTARO-BRO! GO MAKO-CHAN! GO GO GO!" Omiko joined in with the groaning when the Biker Club but no Tansha showed up behind him to cheer them both on, their voices loudly cheering to the skies.
Whirling around, Mako deflected a follow-up shot of fireballs, then spun the two weapons like a hurricane to deflect a gout of fire, she wanted to show them that she was finally capable of fighting alongside them, and to do that, Mako would show her fighting spirit!
Orange flames burnt alongside her body and face, before turning a deeper orange, dropping the two smaller bats and taking out her primary and larger one, she crouched down in a slugger's stance, one hand flipping her cap backwards. Keeping her bat singlehandedly hovering over her shoulder, she gave the rider a determined nod.
Everyone was watching this intently, but perhaps not as intently as others, even Ira's attempts at keeping his image shattered, "So this is Mankanshoku's true self… From an underachiever to a One-Star, then to a full captain. She's gone through all of this, blinding herself to the gold yet desiring to hold on to her friends, all so she can have the power to stand with those she loves?" he gave a solemn nod, a thin layer of water covering one of his eyes but he kept it from running down his cheek, "Kisaragi Gentaro, as a man I shall thank you for letting this girl, no, this woman grow like this."
Almost like he heard the man, Fourze's blaster started to gather energy. Everyone could see the heat rippling the air, and the intense power building on the masked teen's gun was making Inumuta's devices go nuts. The tech wizard gripped his glasses so hard they nearly fell.
"This is truly crazy, both Mankanshoku and Kisaragi are emitting an odd heat from their bodies. No… Dare I say it, this heat comes from their very beings, their souls…" he muttered almost to himself, doing his best to not let his awe keep him from informing Satsuki, "This is a warmth that doesn't burn friends or allies, it's the merging of two spirits through determination. This… is the power of two souls reaching to each other."
"ATATATATATATAATATATATA!" Mako interrupted his speech when she let loose a fist barrage that made the very air itself burst into fire, imprints of her fist shooting forward as blazing fireballs intermixed with Kanji that spelled out Fire!
When Gentaro walked forward through the flames, Mako could only gape as they were absorbed into the suit's surface themselves. Fourze shrugged somewhat before he ran forward, his hand gripping the gun at his side and readying it!
The Hee-Hack Gun blared out two klaxon alarms loudly with a fierce male voice crying out, "LIMIT BREAK!"
Aiming the gun like it was a rifle, with both hands tightening around the grip and trigger, Fourze shot a gigantic blast of fire that ripped through the air as if a small sun was shot forward!
Mako gripped her bat as tightly as she could, before throwing it forward with as much force as she had in her entire body! The swing she launched was enough to make the air respond with a violent crack, actually shattering the dimensional barrier in a manner that would make a true father and man proud of his daughter.
"NOT ENOUGH! NOT YET… NOT JUST YET GEN-CHAN… RYŪKO-CHAN! I HAVE TO… I HAVE TO FIGHT EVEN MORE TO PROVE MYSELF TO YOU!" Her heartfelt declaration brought tears to the Rider's eyes behind his helmet, while the Kamui wielder stepped next to the taller male, her odd eyes gaining slight tears of their own.
The two nodded at each other before they dashed forward just as Mako's swing launched the fireball skyward, the explosion it launched upon detonation sent a rain of fire falling back towards the three fighters!
Amidst a hell-storm of flame, the three met with their fists clashing, Mako's slamming into the Rider and Kamui wielder's faces, while their respective right and left arms meet her cheeks. The force of their punches meeting caused the air to crack further, then shatter, cosmic energy flowing out and enveloping them all in a huge explosion.
The entire school went quiet as all three were obscured, so quiet a pin being dropped would make a huge racket.
As the smoke cleared, they could see the three figures, Mako smiled widely, even as her outfit begun ripping apart piece by piece, its fibers flowing into Ryūko's body. Fourze flipped the switches up slowly, transforming back to normal while Ryūko did the same in a flash of sparkles.
Both friends reached out with their hands, the chipmunk girl grabbed them eagerly, as both the Kamui Wielder and Kamen Rider held her up with proud grins… even if she was now in nothing but her underwear, a pair of pink bra and panties that really showed blessings. Blessings that Ira didn't notice he was staring at longer than he had to.
"Mako-chan…" Gentaro smiled, showing his acceptance for his friend once again, "You really are stronger than anyone else! Satsuki-chan… We request permission to officially disband the Neo Kamen Rider Fight Club… And instead, form the Neo Kamen Rider Fan Club!"
Standing far above the rider and her rival, Satsuki couldn't help the slight smirk that crossed her face, even with the foiling of her plan… Gentaro was just the kind of guy she couldn't hate for winning.
"Request… accepted. Effective immediately you are no longer Two-Star viable however. You may climb up the ranks again if you wish." Satsuki's judgement was declared and with that the trio were met by a cheering Mankanshoku clan, Omiko, Maiko, and Takaharu all laughing happily with them.
Mako caught a last glance of Ira nodding at her, and she gave him a big smile and thumbs up! The giant turned around so no one but a snidely smiling Nonon saw the matching blush he had on his face.
Said girl gave a last curious look at the Rider, her gaze taking in his huge smile with a curious stare, "Satsuki-chan really… really thinks highly of you space-nerd, so don't disappoint her."
X-X-X-X-X
AWRIGHT! WE HAD A HUGE FIGHT AND DRAMA UP THE WAZOO THIS CHAPTER!
We introduced the Akuma twins formally into the canon, and I hope we handled them well!
We also had the conclusion of Big Bad Banchou Mako's arc, and we unveiled Fire States onto the battlefield!
What will happen next chapter? Well, we'll see when we get there! We're moving along nicely, so as a reward for your patience, we're giving you two omakes, one a preview for the next major arc, and the other to follow up the story of the Kisaragi family! Hope you enjoy both! Me and the Swordslinger worked hard as hell, so until next time, I'm off to record another chapter!
The Lord Of Pages, Bids you so long, farewell, until next time~
Omake by The Swordslinger:
The Kisaragi Family Pt. 3
The group followed Kiryu, the imposing man looking completely calm despite having two devils, a very hot-blooded group of teens, a trap mistress, a tsundere-ish tennis player, and Mako behind him. The district they were in had everything for everyone, even arcades.
And the middle-aged man wasn't old enough to not play some games.
"RELOAD!" the machine before Kazuma and Gentaro shouted as they used plastic pistols to shoot at zombies.
"I can't believe they have House Of The Dead 2!" Gentaro cheered, saving all the civilians in his path with practiced aim from using the Fire Switch.
"This arcade is old-school, and the owner loves good games." The suited man said as he and his nephew kept pumping zombies and monsters full of digital lead. The others were watching intently or cheering for the two as they got to the last boss and defeated it with relative ease, "But I must admit, after fighting real zombies these games are a bit too easy…"
"Ugh, don't mention zombies, dear uncle!" Scanty groaned, shuddering at some bad memories.
Kneesocks nodded, hugging herself, "After a bad experience with them, we'd like to not go into details after some measurements we had to take to be the Scanty and Kneesocks that love their cousin."
Scanty nodded, "Yeah, after all, family reunions would have literally stunk!"
The red-locked girl arched a brow, "Do I really want to know? I mean, zombies… Really?"
Maiko pushed up her glasses, speaking dryly, "Would you put it past this family after seeing that Gentaro is actually related to demons?"
The banchou girl raised a finger, and lowered it soon after, Senketsu speaking, "That was a good point she made, you did good avoiding to counter it."
Meanwhile, Mako was busy at a dancing machine, her feet tapping the tiles at mad speeds with a big smile on her face.
As she kept getting a high score, there was a voice behind her, "Whoa… nee-san, you're really good."
Mako did a peace sign with one hand, winking at her tiny fan, "Mako's just happy that she's with her friends! That's good enough to make her dance this well!" And with a jump, and both feet stamping down, she finished the song with a perfect score and a smile, "Plus, Mako liked to do these kinds of things ever since she was little to find friends to play with."
The one who spoke to her was a tiny boy in a banchou outfit. He had sharp eyes, a small body, a black school uniform with an open trench coat and, the most noticeable feature, his hair was done in a way that resembled two enormous horns.
"Uncle Akira, think you could beat her?" he asked to a far bigger, as in around seven to eight-foot-tall, version of himself with a muscular body that bordered impossible. In short, if he were taller and a bit buffer he'd be as big as a certain frog themed president of the Disciplinary Committee.
But his hair, unlike the kid's, was done in three massive spikes pulled backwards like some famous blue hedgehog back in his earliest days.
The man, Akira, smiled softly, "I'm not that good with these games. Besides, I promised your mother to take you to buy pudding."
The little kid nodded, "You said you knew a place with the best, so you got to keep your promise of taking me there."
The tall man, characterized by a stoic face, smile slightly, "We will, it's just that I think I saw…" his eyes widened slightly before he smiled, "Uncle Kiryu… Cousin Gentaro."
Said suited man lowered his plastic gun after he and Gentaro finished the game, the pompadour teen gasped, "Akira-aniki!" the rider shouted before racing to the tall man.
The pompadour clad rider lifted one fist with a wide grin, Akira rising a fist that was roughly the size of the Rider's upper body. Both slammed their fists together, the rumble that sounded making the air shatter with manly passion.
Kiryu stepped by his two nephews and dropped his hands onto their shoulders even though one was far bigger than he was. The three men, a banchou, a yakuza, and a delinquent, all looked beyond happy to be with each other.
Scanty and Kneesocks both joined their family, the two demonesses chuckling as they teased the little boy who looked embarrassed by their attention, "Aunt Scanty, Auntie Kneesocks, stoppit! I'm a grown man! Mom told me I was!"
"Aw, our family gets cute each generation, doesn't it Miss Kneesocks?" the green head said, pinching his cheek.
"Indeed, dear sister. Little Rai has certainly grown far more adorable." The bluenette commented as she poked the kid's hairdo.
Whirling around, Gentaro's huge grin made the kid stop whining, before he rushed forward and playfully punched at the rider, whose hands slapped aside the punch barrage in a mock-spar. The two grinned widely while Akira crossed his arms, the large man smiling to himself.
Kiryu looked amused himself as he watched his youngest nephew play with the rider, Scanty and Kneesocks both hugged an arm around each other and cheered the two of them on, their demonic visages being replaced with cheerful grins.
Maiko for her part was having trouble keeping foam from her mouth, "A-A real K-K-Kongou… a species that evolved to a point of perfection… Gentaro shares blood with one?"
Takaharu, who had admired the fighting spirit Akira had even while at ease, turned to her, "Not to be rude, but what's so impressive about that?"
"Indeed." Akira said, though he didn't sound mad, "I'm Gentaro's cousin, Akira Kongou. That's all I see myself as. As for you… I'm glad to meet the friends my cousin has made in this new school he's attending. It's a pleasure." He gave them a polite bow, showing that his side of the family had been one of the branches that took their good manners seriously.
Omiko paused for a bit, "This families filled with really nice guys… for the most part at least." She mumbled the last part to herself, given that the red-skinned girls could be kind and all but the way they preached their rules sounded a bit too dictator-like in some parts.
"What're you here for, aniki?" Gentaro asked his towering cousin.
Akira smiled, "I was about to get pudding. I'd be delighted if you could join me and Rai."
Gentaro pumped his fists, "Do you even have to ask?! Just tell us where it is!"
Akira nodded and the group followed, and on the way he decided to make some conversation, "How's our grandfather?"
Gentaro frowned, "He's still a bit sad that my aunt, I mean your mom…"
Akira breathed deeply, "Don't worry, I can figure out… She was his daughter, after all. Is he doing ok?"
Gentaro beamed, "What do you think?! He's been teaching me some good moves! He even taught me a few neat kicks before I transferred to my new school!"
Takaharu walked forward, "Wait, Gentaro-bro, your grandfather is your master? The man that taught you how to fight?"
Akira nodded, "Our grandfather used to be, back in the day… a very old school but honorable gang leader. Some people said he took on two entire yakuza clans when they threatened one of his friends, and he won without a scratch."
Maiko opened her mouth, but quickly closed it, and finally formed the most coherent words she could muster, "You know, I was about to call you on that but… at this point, I'm willing to believe you."
Kiryu nodded, "Uncle Kisaragi was one of the few men that inspired me to learn from the streets, not only from a dojo… I'll admit it wasn't the best education since in my younger days I wasn't a role model, but thanks to that I can stand on my own two feet."
Mako finally asked something, "So… how strong is your grandfather, Gen-chan?"
The rider, the banchou, and the yakuza all stopped walking. Kneesocks and Scanty had lost nearly all color of their skin, and even Rai had trouble not shivering.
Gentaro put on a smile, if a tad forced, "He is still strong… quite so…"
Akira sighed, "It's a testament to human strength and will that my own father wouldn't mess with him even given our grandfather's old age."
Kiryu nodded, "It's no wonder our family ended up marrying demons given his strength and that of his siblings."
Scanty giggled awkwardly, "Well, even demons had to wonder if he was actually one of them."
Kneesocks pushed up her glasses, "Truly, he's taught Gentaro well, but even at this point in his life we can never be too cautious if we train with him."
Miles away, good old Gorou Kisaragi smiled as he made his way merrily through a busy shopping district.
"H-Help, someone help!" the old man, his biker jacket flowing in the wind when he saw a couple of men, one armed with a knife and another holding a woman, trying to mug said lady.
"Is there a problem?" he asked casually, using his friendly grandfatherly voice.
"Beat it, old man, or it's you who'll be-" and that's all the thief with the knife got before Gentaro's grandfather grabbed the knife, snapped the blade in half with his thumb, and with his grip also holding the thug's hand he yanked the crook to introduce him to a proper punch.
The other thief quickly grabbed a nearby trash can and tried to smash the old man's face with it, big mistake. Before he could get close, the elder biker was right in front of him and had rammed his knee on the thief's gut.
It wouldn't have been impressive if he were a normal man. What happened next stunned the woman into silence when the man that had been holding her was sent flying back into a wall which cracked upon impact.
And then, like nothing had happened, the old man bowed to her, "Have a nice trip on your way home, young lady. And be careful, these alleys are full of mean people. Well, see ya."
And like that he walked off, like nothing had happened.
She just looked amazed at his departure, blushing slightly as he was a true man even into his old age.
"Now, I believe my lovely grandchildren are at an arcade was it? Been a little bit since I went to one of those…do they still have that lovely game with that Plumber and the giant monkey throwing barrels? Jump…man was it?" He asked himself with a chuckle.
X-X-X-X-X
Cosmic Tales Across Time #1: The Magical Girl Club Arrives! Omiko's Pride At Stake!?
"Magical Girl Pose!"
Things could have gone better for the Rider Club than meeting a familiar magical dinosaur face. Hikari wasn't around, but the sight of Dina Saori made Omiko scowl. She looked like an angry shark about to take a bite out of whatever fool tried to jump it for easy fame and glory.
"Magical Girl Dino… Wait a minute." The pink T-Rex fumbled with its head, its little arms finally pulling it off to show the face of the girl in the costume, facing a wall and not our heroes, "Where are they?"
Omiko grabbed her face with one hand and dragged it down slowly in utmost irritation, her racket clenched tightly with the other, "What are you here for?" she asked dryly.
"It's… uh…" she took off her robot suit's head, its T-Rex arm fishing something into a pocket on its chest, a paper, "Let's see… Hikari-san said… Ahem… We were oppressed by you, Hakodate Omiko, forcing our individuality out of us by using those uniforms and never letting our feminine side bloom with your… Oh… Um…"
"Out with it, Saori Dina." Her former captain said, growing irritated, "Didn't you join my club to be more confident? Show me, then."
Dina nodded, and spoke firmly, "Your…ugly, fat face. Nasty teeth. Your hyena laughter. And the fact you're only more voluptuous because you're fatter. Signed, Magical Girl Hikari. P.S. You're still too fat. XOXO… Oh wait, that means… Kiss, hug, big kiss, big hug…"
As Dina read that with squinted eyes, the Rider Club started to take steps away from their pigtailed friend when seeing fire erupt around her. Her pigtails stood on end, floating above her head, her teeth were born into a ferocious scowl before she visibly cooled down when Fourze placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hmph. Like I care what that pink haired bint says about me… you … I'll teach you why I'm still your better, even if I'm not your captain anymore. This Omiko Hakodate promises it!" She rose her racket and pointed it with a harsh swish, an air current blowing past her.
"Can I at least stay out of it!?" Dina cried cutely.
Hefting the tennis racket on her shoulder, then adjusting her glasses with an angry grimace, the blonde tennis captain left with Fourze following her, "Ugh, fine..."
"Now I remember why Satsuki made her captain..." Maiko mumbled after seeing the shark toothed young woman effortlessly beat the One-Star students.
Rubbing her head, Dina mumbled softly, "Well… that could've gone a little worse… glad it didn't… Sorry Omiko." She bounded away while the tennis club captain stewed over her desire to beat the ever-loving crap out of her rebellious ex club member.
