And now we can begin the next chapter! I've got college starting up again soon, so I wanted to pump out this chapter before that happened! This one is going to be big, not just because it introduces Tsumugu, not just because it has The Neo Kamen Rider Club's first battle against Zodiarts, but also because it has Meteor and Fourze fight side by side with… well! You'll see! I don't want to waste too much time since I'm hyper excited, so let's begin now!
Me and The Swordslinger present! A Nudist Rampage!? Chaos in Honnō City!
Me no own any cool things like Kill La Kill and Kamen Rider, they own by mighty big companies like Toei and Trigger.
The Swordslinger here: I had fun writing this chapter, even if my friend and I had some differences we managed to work things out. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.
Recommended songs to listen for this chapter.
Yakuza 5 OST: Receive and Slash you.
Kamen Rider Fourze OST: Switch On.
Kamen Rider Fourze OST: Shooting Star.
Italics for thoughts, Belt voices, and flashbacks.
Bold for Senketsu's speech, and Zodiarts speaking.
Bold and Italic for Limit Breaks.
X-X-X-X-X
With the loud whine of his bike cooling off into a soft purr, a man with a red Mohawk pulled out a grappling hook, something he always made sure to keep with him on the insistence of Doctor Freeman, the neurotic American scientist being one of the premier inventors and scientists at the Nudist Beach labs.
One of the few things that did make sense from the hard-drinking man was that a grappling hook came in handy so often it was insane not to possess one at all times. Climbing up one of the sheer concrete walls that surrounded the academy, the redheaded man was beyond thankful that he paid attention to Doctor Freeman's drunkEN ramblings more now than ever.
Tsumugu calmly threw aside his cigarette, putting a new one in his mouth after taking the last bit of burnt tobacco into his lungs. The man had made his way all the way to the top of Honnōji Academy, thus he took his time to casually set up a sniper rifle spot and begun preparing various gadgets to aid his sniping.
He checked his mental list and prepared himself on his new home, a roof. He had half a pack of cigarettes, a handy jar for those long periods of time, water, beef jerky, Florence the fully customized sniper rifle which he fully crafted to end the existence of Life Fibers, some chocolates, and a cloak to merge with his surroundings and avoid getting wet in the rain.
He looked down at the kids before him, seeing an odd couple join them in a simple stroll through the city.
Down on the streets, Gentaro was ecstatic to have his friends meet, even if there were different opinions.
Ryusei voiced his thoughts, "Remind me to thank Kengo for finding us a motel for cheap in the upper district." He said after avoiding stepping on a rat, which a housewife promptly smacked on the head with a frying pan before putting the dead rodent on the cold metal surface.
Tomoko was oozing darkness, a small smile on her pale face that made everyone but Meteor step away, "Such a gloomy atmosphere filled with strange animals… I bet there must be a few fortune tellers around."
Mako grinned, pumping her fists, "Mako knows of one! She's around the corner, and she always tells you accurate predictions that are a hundred percent accurate!" she then looked at the two with a quizzical look, "Are you related to anyone who is French, though? She hates French people for something regarding her son…"
Ryusei shrugged, "I've got Chinese relatives. Aunt Meiling taught me about half of what I know about martial arts."
Tomoko giggled darkly, "My great ancestor, Tharja, was from a desert area… I don't know much else, but she did like men with feathery hair." Ryusei felt a tingle up his spine when she said that.
"My cousin is half Japanese and half British, and he's really strong. He taught me that a pompadour is a man's pride!" Gentaro remarked with a wide grin. Ryūko, Takaharu, and Omiko couldn't help but picture an older Gentaro with a monocle running around screaming about youth… And as for Mako…
She mentally pictured a grown man in a cop's uniform, with a weird pink and blue figure behind them punching out criminals then restructuring their faces, said man having a pompadour like Gentaro and a number of pins on his form.
"So why are we out in the city?" Ryūko had to ask that question, wondering what was up with Gentaro's decision to see the sights lately.
He gave her a serious look, serious for him, "Because Sat-chan asked me to help her find Uzu. She took me aside earlier and told me that she'd be grateful if I helped her in this instance."
"Dammit, we're not Eyebrows' lapdogs!" the drifter girl nearly spat, literally, she had made that exclamation with such force she nearly sprayed her friend.
"But what if he's in trouble? Even if he's our enemy, I can't let him get hurt when I could do something about it."
Once again, Gentaro managed to make things sound too nice. Nice enough to make Ryūko feel bad for what she said, "Fine… I just… don't like the idea of having to find him just to have him laughing and making some bad joke."
"Either way, we should meet this fortune teller." Tomoko said, walking ahead, "If they're a fraud, I can use their place and whatever proper items they may have to find anything we need to look for. Though, if they know what they're doing I may have something to look forward to."
They followed the Goth girl while Maiko silently mumbled to herself, "Ridiculous… The probability of someone saying something will happen by looking into some random thing is of one against three billion, give or take three or four. This is ridiculous, we should be looking the old-fashioned way, not listen to what someone that plays with chicken bones for a living has to say."
"It's best to use snake skin than chicken bones, though." Tomoko said, turning to the trap expert.
"Gah! Who gave you permission to listen to me?!" Maiko gasped, taking a quick step back and freezing in shock.
Tomoko looked forward, expression dull, "Even if you do not believe, you can try and keep an open mind to the possibilities… After all, science still has trouble grasping many mysteries."
Maiko glared, "Magic's only some unknown form of science people have to study! Like the days of old, people discovered explosions weren't the will of some magician but some asshole using powder to scare some idiots."
Tomoko merely blinked owlishly at her, her gaze making Maiko get even more flustered, "You're also like Kengo-kun too, except more cunning, like a snake."
Once again forced into silence and angrily adjusting her glasses as a nervous tic, Maiko could only grit her teeth in frustration, "Stop comparing me to them in unfavorable ways god dammit…!"
Ryusei could only smile slightly at Tomoko's creepy grin, the girl merely playing with Maiko, "Everyone here is so lively Gentaro-san, I can't wait to have everyone meet in the Rabbit Hutch… It'll be really interesting I think."
His friend grinned widely, pumping his fist with a loud cheer filled with determination, "I can't wait for everyone to become friends! It'll be awesome!"
His cheer even made Ryūko gain a wry grin to her face, her hands behind her head while she quietly felt fondness at how Gentaro was always happy when it came to his friends. Even more when they were fired up by something, even the little pleasures. And no one could get more fired up for little pleasures than Mako herself.
"Let's go on an adventure to the mysteries of delight at a good ice cream shop! Then we can go and meet the fortune teller so she and Tomoko-chan can help us find Sanageyama-senpai!" the wide-eyed chipmunk cheered while she and the others remained unaware of the eyes on them.
Omiko stared dumbfounded at the brunette, "Who's this, and since when did she get a brain?"
While people had some disbelief Mako said something smart, Tsumugu inhaled the smoke of his cigarette, letting it fill his lungs to calm his tense body before blowing it out through his nostrils. The scope of his rifle was aimed squarely at the teens, looking for any wrong movement they could do just to have an excuse for a clean shot. The sight of the uniform the girl with the red streak of hair sickened him, making his trigger finger struggle to not squeeze hard.
He could risk the shot and alert everyone that he was there, it'd serve to have every student after him only to fall to his traps. However, Satsuki was no fool and he knew damn well that an attack like that without more preparations would end with his head rolling. Not to mention that, despite his reluctance to admit it, the kid with the pompadour didn't have to be on this. He was allied to the girl with the Kamui, but he was pretty much a civilian.
Senketsu on the other hand had more important matters to attend to, "Ryūko, is ice cream that good? Your body temperature drops slightly when you eat it and your blood turns sugary. What could come from a piece of frozen dairy?"
"It just tastes good, and I can burn the calories beating Eyebrows' flunkies." Ryūko replied confidently, "Besides, it's been a while since we've treated ourselves, and having these guys is a good excuse for that."
Ryusei stared at the girl with wide eyes, "So… Gentaro wasn't going crazy…"
Ryūko nearly spat in surprise, "Y-You hear him too?!"
Tomoko arched a brow, "Interesting…" she inched closer to a now uncomfortable Ryūko, sniffing her, "I had sensed something odd in you, but when he talked… There was warmth…"
"That's amazing, Tomoko-chan and Ryusei-chan can hear Ryu-chan's uniform! Tomoko-chan, sniff Mako next!" Mako cheered behind her friend's back, pushing her forward towards the goth girl.
"Hey, hey, hey! Personal space!" Ryūko cried, crossing her arms over her breasts, feeling more than uncomfortable being observed and touched by two girls.
"Hmm? I feel at ease, Ryūko, but unlike with Gentaro, being near this girl and that other boy doesn't make me tingle."
Tomoko tilted her head to the side, "You're rather blunt." Ryusei felt tempted to say she was too, but kept his mouth shut.
"Oh, my apologies."
"No worries…" Tomoko grew a rather creepy smile, "Having a talking uniform for a friend is like having a ghost for a friend… Fufufu…"
Ryūko shuddered, "Please, don't talk like that…" she really didn't want ice cream anymore, she already felt cold from Tomoko's gaze on her and Senketsu. "Figures that Gentaro'd have friends who could listen to Senketsu."
Takaharu rubbed the back of his head, "But does it really matter whether we can hear it or not. Though, if two more people can listen to her un- I mean, to Senketsu, there must be some reason."
Ryusei turned to Gentaro, "It's as she said. Kengo theorized we may be able to listen to this Senketsu because of our connection to Cosmic Energy. If even Tomoko can hear him, then that may be true."
"Though Tomoko may have other sort of connections." Gentaro said in a rare show of intelligence, making his pompadour clad brain nod in approval.
"Explain yourself, Ryusei-san." Fukuroda spoke up, hands on his hips, "Listen, you and Gentaro-bro I can understand if you have some way to talk to Ryūko-san's uniform. But your girlfriend…"
Ryusei rubbed the back of his head, feeling flustered at the word the short boxer used to refer to Tomoko, but didn't call him on it, "Trust me, Tomoko's the one with our group most connected to this sort of things. It may not make sense, but one ends up getting used to it."
"Like our Mystery Soup Sundays?" Mako asked.
Maiko groaned, "So she has some anomaly that allows her to detect strange energy waves, no big deal. There's people who can tell how and when the weather will change depending on how the change in air pressure affects them."
Omiko grinned, "Shun, shun the non-believer…" she teased the other spectacled girl.
"Oh, shut up! It's not about believing; it's about finding a proper explanation with what science can show us! It's the foundation to everything we've discovered so far!" Maiko burst, ready to go on a rant of the supremacy of science, like how, if she hadn't met Gentaro, it could have helped her take over the world with a proper squad of hunks to serve her along a couple of questionably underage cute boys to feed her grapes while oiling and massaging her body.
"Tomoko and Senketsu are our friends, and that's all I need to know." As usual, Gentaro had the simplest answers to the most complicated of thoughts.
Shaking her head with a slight smile at Gentaro's answer, Ryūko looked up at the sky briefly, her gaze trying to place where she knew the moon to be.
Ryusei couldn't help but notice where the black-haired girl was staring, smiling slightly he nodded at her making the odd eyed girl notice him, "What? Is something on my face or what? Speak up dammit."
She wasn't self-conscious at all, just annoyed in her usual manner, Ryusei just chuckled out to her, "You're very much your own person, the only comparisons we have in the Kamen Rider Club are Utahoshi-san for your temper… and Gentaro-san for your determination. You're unique and we've been comparing Gentaro-san's new friends to us. All of you are unique, and as much as Tomoko-chan is having fun teasing Ōgure-san, she knows that she's different too. We're excited to meet all of you as soon as we can."
"Shun-san is constantly thinking how he can be compared to Takaharu-san, or how you two are both hot-blooded jocks with determination aplenty. Miu-san is a hard-to-place comparison, Omiko-san might correspond a little to her, but not by much." The brunet young Rider looked at the Kamui wearer in interest. "I want to know more about you all, what kind of people did Gentaro-san inspire to find their own paths? As he did for us, we're people who want to find our own dream's, so what do you wish to see happen in your lives? That will be quite exciting to see." He chuckled, giving her a nod.
His earnest words and grin made Ryūko scratch her cheek in mild embarrassment, a blush crossing it as she muttered to herself, "You're all as weird as him, maybe he just attracts the oddest people to him since he's the craziest of them all… But, thanks I guess…"
"There's more to it than that, you know it." Ryusei said with a smile, "It took me some time to realize it, but I'm glad I did in the end."
Tomoko noticed the two talking, and smiled to herself, she wasn't jealous at all, just happy that the two were getting along so well. She knew who the girl was really interested in if her occasional glances at the brightly grinning mug of Gentaro were any indication.
"Let's get some mystery croquettes for lunch after we get that ice cream, Gen-chan! Mako wants to hear stories from Ryusei and Tomoko too now that we're free from classes!" Mako's exuberance was infectious if how her exclamation made the group chuckle while the two spectacled girls showed more tolerance by not sighing tiredly at the chipmunk's antics.
For his part, Tsumugu was still watching the group with utmost attention until a gigantic hand landed on his shoulder. He turned in irritation only to stare up, and up, and up at the leering giant in front of him with his body fully covered in pink.
Tansha was back, and riding atop his shoulders was Suzi herself, while next to him stood Eisei who had swapped out her jumpsuit for a replacement space suit with no star adornments. A nice little playdate at the park for the sake of Suzi's smile had been put on hold when Eisei saw a sniper rifle's barrel out the corner of her helmet's screen.
"Heyo man! You trying to stalk my buddies?" his grip tightened on the Mohawk wearing man's shoulder, "Where I'm from, we don't look too kindly on stalkers who screw around with good folks like my buds Ryūko-chan and Gentaro!"
Blowing a smoke ring, Tsumugu opened his mouth to talk while subtly reaching for a grenade until Tansha's fist met his face, spit flying from it while his cigarette flew out briefly.
'I-Impossible strength…' Tsumugu didn't fly back nor did he go unconscious, but he did rub his jaw as it was aching in an agonizing manner. What was more impressive to him was how the giant in front of him bore no Life-Fibers, his strength was entirely natural and with no augmentations.
Tansha quickly put Suzi in her sister's arms, "Eisei, I never felt like I was man enough to tell you what to do with your life and sister, but this guy is dangerous, I can feel it. You two be safe and I won't care how badly he beats me up, I'll be back with you with a winning smile!"
A rare moment of seriousness from the biker made the white-haired astronaut girl grumble, "Asswipe, you have to be safe too!" some color assaulted her cheeks due to how he talked to her so highly to think he wasn't man enough for her, though she'd say he was more than enough, not that she'd admit it out loud.
"Of course! Who the hell do you think I am?" Turning his attention back to the man in front of him, Tansha cracked his knuckles slowly, Tsumugu slowly pulling out a weapon that looked like a stapling gun.
In a barrage of shots, acupuncture like needles flew towards the gigantic biker who actually dodged every dart, swaying back and then reaching the Mohawk wearing man in front of him.
With a punch that sent rubble flying up, Tsumugu was once again blindsided by Tansha's raw strength. However, the biker cursed as his arm was riddled with darts, which he ripped out by tightening the thick muscle of his limb, the darts popping out and being unable to hit his pressure points.
Tsumugu pulled out a new cancer stick and lit it up with a contemplative expression while Tansha took a moment to catch his breath, the Nudist beach guerilla and the biker taking a moment to size the other up seriously.
'This guy's actually someone who doesn't rely on Life-Fibers but instead his own strength. If he wasn't a lackey of that Kiryūin girl, I'd gladly call him comrade…'
Tsumugu's thoughts ran counter to Tansha's, the Biker glaring down at his opponent through his shades.
'This guy is actually strong Gentaro-bro. I'm gonna soften him up if I can't put him down for ya and Ryū-chan, heh! My blood's already boiling with excitement to fight a strong guy!'
Before long, both men rushed forward, a hail of darts shooting forward to meet one massive fist.
X-X-X-X-X
Gentaro suddenly looked up from where he was, his eyes widened as he felt the meeting of manly spirits from where he was, "Tansha?" he asked with a spoonful of blueberry ice cream in his mouth.
Looking back at the man, Ryūko looked confused until she realized what he just said, "That pink clad nutcase is back already? Well I- hey what's wrong?" She was about to get annoyed until she saw Gentaro's worried expression flash briefly, nearly making her drop her ice-cold strawberry milkshake.
"It's nothing… I'm sure Tansha is just fine!" Before long he grinned widely, as if knowing that the biker was alright, making the black-haired girl roll her eyes at him.
"At least. I hope so." Gentaro said, a moment of his self-confidence flagging. He was not infallible and couldn't know everything. He just had a gut feeling it'd be alright.
Scratching the side of her cheek, the red-locked girl looked at her best friend with mild concern. She had been seeing him in a new light lately. The more she learned about him and his past, the more she realized he wasn't as simple as he appeared. Walking along him gave her insight to her own way. She knew that he wouldn't let her lose it, even if it killed him, he'd help her.
Ryusei hummed to himself as he and Tomoko examined a large amount of ice cream together. Mako was already eating a triple scope of raspberry, coconut, and chocolate. Maiko for her part had covered her vanilla ice cream with gummy bears, sprinkles, and crumbled chocolate chip cookies, showing she had quite a sweet tooth. Omiko favored sundaes since they didn't mess with her teeth as much, and Takaharu favored yogurt for himself.
Off to the side, someone was watching, "I can't believe them, eating away those frozen treats and forsaking their health." Observing from the bushes, somehow fitting his entire body with the only sign of him there being his binoculars, the face of the school's disciplinary committee spoke to himself, "Lady Satsuki, you entrusted me to watch over these punks while Sanageyama is missing and they look for him. I shall not let your trust in me be for naught in these times of-"
"Yo, Gamagōri-senpai, want to join us?!" Mako cheered loudly, waving her hand crazily while her mouth was covered in cream she quickly licked off, "Let Mako treat you for last time!"
"Who-" Ryusei started, confusing of what Mako was talking about, until a towering body far taller than any Horoscopes monster he had seen showed up, "Oh…" he had to look up to a point his neck threatened to crack some joints.
"I, Gamagōri Ira, shall take your offer, Mankanshoku." The giant said, sitting down and making everything go quite. The group gave him quizzical looks, all but one.
"It's good to have you around, Ira!" you readers should be smart enough to guess who'd say that.
"Address me properly as your senior!" the giant hollered.
Mako patted his shoulder, or at least tried, her hand tapped his wrist which was down on his knee while he sat down, his chain creaking from his weight, "Come on, senpai, you should enjoy yourself. After all, last time you treated Mako to some good ice cream, so let her treat you!"
The towering blond grumbled, and Tomoko grinned wickedly at his colored cheeks, "Ah, not… I'm not going to hold that against you, Mankanshoku. It was my choice to treat you."
"But Mako wants to treat you too, so you shouldn't say no to a girl's kindness!" she said, her cheeks slightly puffed.
The proud and self-proclaimed shield of the students hummed, "There is true to your words. If I declined this invitation from you, it'd be an insult to a student's generosity. As a man, I couldn't stand for it! No, I wouldn't live with myself for such a choice!"
Ryusei leaned towards Gentaro, "Is everyone here like this?"
Gentaro laughed, "I hope so, it'd make things a lot more fun when meeting new faces!"
The brown-haired Rider sighed, "I should have guessed that'd be your reaction. Then again, you'll always manage to surprise others."
Gentaro nodded, "It's not that…" he said with a bright grin. Ryusei turned and saw what he meant.
"Rat milk ice cream may be good, but regular ice cream has an odd sweetness to it! Mako could get used to this!" the squirrely girl cheered while handing Gamagōri some of her frozen treat.
"I thought your diet high on proteins was a key to your power, Mankanshoku." Ira said flatly.
"This is giving me diabetes." Ryūko mumbled to herself, and she didn't mean her frozen treat.
The girl beamed, "Nope, all power from this Mankanshoku comes from wanting to see the smiles of those she loves. Besides, Mako does love what she has. If she didn't enjoy this treat with her friends, she'd never feel happy, it'd be an empty life."
"So you live by enjoying the little pleasures as the greatest treasures. There is some dignity there." The man said, taking her words to heart.
"The only one stopping a man from enjoying what he has is himself!" Gentaro said, proud grin fully plastered all over his face, "If they don't reach out for the good things around them, I want to be the man that will shine a light on their path, stopping them from blinding themselves with their sorrows."
Gamagōri stood tall, "You've got a lot of guts to proclaim that, Kisaragi. To declare you'd help everyone means you'd have to possess strength greater than everyone. Even deities of folklore wouldn't aid those unworthy of a miracle unless they earned it."
"That is why I want to start befriending Satsuki-chan by befriending you, Gamagōri." Gentaro said, also standing tall, and extending his hand to the man, "I can see it in you and everyone. You, everyone close to her, all of you want to support her as pillars. I'll gladly climb the tower her elite and captains have created to befriend her!"
The muscular young man grinned, "Bold words, but nothing more. I shall respect your spirit, Kisaragi, but when the time comes, do not expect me to-"
"Gamagōri-senpai!" Mako said with a frown and a serious glint to her eyes, standing on the table to be face to chin with the man, locking eyes on him by tilting her head back to get their pupils properly aligned, "Mankanshoku Mako said she'd treat you for ice cream, so!" she moved a spoon to his face, now smiling, "Say ah...!"
Ira's blushing face couldn't do anything but agree to eat the ice cream. Gentaro smiled brightly at the sight of the two having fun, his grinning face turned mildly serious when he felt the NS Magphone vibrate in his pocket.
Taking it out and answering it with a cheery, "Kengo! Got any news for me?" He couldn't help but smile at the sound of his best friend's voice.
"Heads up Kisaragi, so put me on speaker phone… Ryusei needs to hear this too, the Zodiarts Scanner has shown four massive signals making a beeline straight towards Honnō City." The irritable teen muttered sharply to the friendship obsessed Rider, "However, it won't be easy to find them. They quickly hid themselves about as soon as they showed up. Look for anyone acting strangely aggressive around you."
Takaharu exclaimed his thoughts, "If it's aggressive people we're looking for, we have three here." He said turning to the tennis player, trap mistress, and drifter. The trio quickly shot him death glares.
Ryusei let loose an exhale after hearing the extremely grim news, "I understand perfectly Utahoshi-san." He turned to his fellow Kamen Rider, "It's one thing after another, isn't it? Gentaro, we should-"
"Find that fortune teller! It's our best option at finding where Uzu got off, and where that Ikki has ran off." Gentaro leapt to his feet, a wide grin coming across his face as he said that in a decisive manner, making the group look surprised at his surprisingly good plan.
"Wait, you're leaving those four Zodiarts to roam around?!" Ryusei called out at him, but the Rider had a determined look on his face.
"I have this feeling Ikki needs our help the most now, after all, he has a Switch." Gentaro argued, "Whatever trouble he's in, it's big. And it's been a while since we've heard about Dina."
Tomoko hummed, pulling out a flask with a couple of tarantula fangs and a snake's eye floating in some sickly yellow liquid, making everyone regret having finished their cold treats as nausea settled in them, "I made this just in case she needs it."
Gentaro arched a brow, "Is that a good luck charm for love?" he asked, keeping his distance. He would never admit it, but some of the things Tomoko got her hands on sent chills down his spine.
The goth girl shook her head, giggling to herself, "No, it is a one of a kind hex from my great ancestor. If a man does anything to break a girl's heart, this shall curse that man until he returns to the one who loves him, begging for forgiveness wholeheartedly, otherwise… I may give this to that Dina girl, fufufu..."
The four males present shuddered involuntarily, mostly Ryusei as he made a mental note to never, ever anger the girl. Omiko for her part wondered what other hexes the goth could have. Maiko looked disgusted by the notion there was a thing such as a hex mentioned. Ryūko had to suppress a shudder at the sight of what was inside the vial and mentally promised herself to stay on Tomoko's good side, a good six feet away if possible. Mako just looked curiously at it, mentally picturing Tomoko in a witch outfit complete with hat and black cat at her side.
Focusing again Gentaro looked outside when a loud noise was heard, explosions of pure force echoing out in the distance, everyone ran outside just in time to see a man slam down in front of them.
Tansha's back stood proud, with not a scar of retreat upon it, while his shirt was off. The giant seemed to wobble then hold his ground with a loud groan. Running in front of him, Gentaro could only gape at how his chest was filled with needles piercing it. Thankfully the wounds they caused were shallow and otherwise harmless.
But the man himself had passed out; his head lowered briefly unconsciously. Gentaro was worried for all of a second until he heard the giant snoring loudly.
Groaning to herself as she poked the biker's boots, Ryūko could only slam her palm to her face at the sight of the man sleeping, wondering aloud with irritation, "Don't tell me that bitch Eisei is back too…"
The two girls just didn't get along due to being so similar in personality and attitude, the black-haired girl couldn't stand hanging around the silver haired one without Gentaro and Tansha there as buffers for them.
"Ryūko, aren't you two friends though?" She ignored Senketsu's question because she didn't want to admit that she was friends with Eisei, even reluctantly.
The man who was always bigger than anyone else stepped forward, one massive hand picking up Tansha gently and cradling him in his grasp, "Tansha Kenage! Who did this to you?! One of Satsuki's best subordinates and a fellow student under my protection, I refuse to allow whoever harmed you to go unpunished! So I, Ira Gamagōri swear it!"
Through great effort, the biker could only mutter a few words as he forced his consciousness awake, "Eisei… Eisei… is fine… right…?" sleep took him swiftly after exhaling the last word.
"Don't tell me they were attacked by a Zodiarts…" Ryusei growled, "Wait, where's Eisei?"
X-X-X-X-X
"Asswipe, asshole, asshat! Let go of me so I can rip your tongue off and shove it right up your- Mmph!"
Tired of the tied-up girl's ramblings, Tsumugu shoved a sock in her mouth. Equally tied but unharmed, Suzi could do nothing but watch in fear as the man before her kept her and her bigger sister as prisoners. For a little girl like Suzi to see her hero lose to some bad guy wasn't easy to swallow, to see her sister's boyfriend give it his all only to be easily beaten before she and her sister were captured with a few needles shot into the right places on their neck was terrifying.
Tsumugu quietly smoked nearby, doing that to both sooth his nerves and ease some of the pain. He had managed to beat Tansha without taking much harm, but he did get hit once or twice, and that was making him ache agonizingly. He noticed Suzi's terrified expression and grimaced as he hated feeling like a bad guy to kids.
Smoke blew out of his nose as he exhaled quietly, "I'm not going to hurt either of you so stop looking scared girl. You're not even insurance, I just wanted to get you both out of the way and fighting underhanded isn't my thing. So, I'll tell you two useful pieces of information. One. There is a knife underneath your shoe little girl, use it to get yourself free after I'm gone or there'll be hell to pay. Two. I have no quarrel with either of you, the Kamui is my target and anyone who would protect that thing are simply obstacles to go through."
With that he flicked the cigarette down onto the floor of the abandoned building he had them on and put it out with his boot. Gathering up various supplies and weapons he had stored in the building, he had to be careful to not let the girls see what weaponry he had. Eisei was forced to glare and watch the man who all but kidnapped them make an exit without her being able to do a thing to stop him.
When he had all his gear stored up and packed into a duffel back, he leapt out of an open window then soon disappeared. They both waited for roughly a few minutes, hoping he didn't come back suddenly. When it was clear he wasn't coming back, Suzi struggled to get the knife out from under her astronaut boot.
It took her some time to cut the ropes with her body tightly tied up, but she managed through perseverance, "Let's go, onee-chan, we have to make sure Tansha is fine." She said while cutting her sister's biddings.
"Damn right!" Eisei spat out after spitting out the sock in her mouth, "We better get Gentaro and the stripper too, if that guy is like Tansha, he won't let that Mohawk asshole hurt the exhibitionist."
"You really don't like Ryūko -chan, do you?"
"She cut my outfit and left me humiliated! She also showed everyone, even Tansha, things I wanted to save for marriage! I will kick her fat ass if it's the last thing I do!"
"Okay!" Suzi could only giggle at her sister's furious expression before Eisei got up, the two rushing outside then out into the streets to find Gentaro and his group.
Eisei herself seemed to know exactly where he was, something Suzi couldn't help remarking on, "How do you know where Gentaro-oniisan and Tansha are, onee-chan?"
"I just have to think like them since they share a brain, and I know that leather clad jackass like the back of my hand." The space club captain explained to her little sister as they dashed down a street, Eisei taking only a brief glance at a sign post before running down another street. She didn't mention how detailed she knew Tansha, though, her little sister was too young.
Eventually winding up at where Tansha and Gentaro were, the two sisters stumbled when they saw Ira gently place down Tansha's limp body.
Her lips wobbling, Eisei stepped forward slowly, looking hesitantly at the biker's seemingly unmoving body, "T-Tansha? Hey. Are you…?" She looked like she might burst into tears at any second, Suzi feeling her own eyes water until both heard a loud snore come from the man.
In an instant Eisei looked furious as fire burst alongside her fists and legs, one green eye glowing a furious crimson she rushed forward then kicked Tansha in his stomach, the giant giving only a loud grunt of pain before Eisei jumped onto his chest and angrily begun beating on him.
"YOU GOD DAMN LEATHER CLAD ASSHOLE! WHY THE HELL DID YOU WORRY ME LIKE THAT!?"
Well, more than angrily, pathetically… Her fists were giving smacks even her little sister would call childish. Everyone only watched in silence as Tansha continued to sleep while the white-haired girl's hands played Patty Cake on his chest.
"Shouldn't you worry that she's hitting an injured man?" Ryusei asked the towering frog man.
Gamagōri scoffed, "A man shouldn't make a woman cry, it is Tansha's fault."
Mako chirped in, "But if a man did his best for his girl, she should forgive him. I know I would!"
Tomoko giggled to herself, "Maybe I too… maybe…"
Takaharu inwardly winced, 'I don't know whether to envy or pity you, Ryusei Sakuta.'
Stepping forward with a loud cough, the giant man glared down at Eisei even though he was just as worried about Tansha as she was, "EX-CAPTAIN OF THE ASTRONAUT AND SPACE CLUB KŪKI EISEI! TELL ME, WHO DID THIS TO YOU AND EX-CAPTAIN OF THE BIKER CLUB TANSHA KENAGE!?"
Growling softly while wiping her tear covered eyes, Eisei saluted the disciplinary club captain with a stern expression, "I believe it was one of those damned Nudist guerillas, sir! He mentioned something about the Kamui being a threat… which means, it behooves me to say, Satsuki-sama and the bitc- rule breaker Ryūko Matoi are in direct danger of his attacks!"
Tansha groaned quietly, the biker raising a massive hand and dropping it on Gentaro's shoulder, the Rider looked down on his friend in concern with, the huge teen barely managing to look up and whisper to him, "It's… not… just them… he… he…! Is g… gunnin' fo… for ya too Gen-chan!"
Ryūko nearly snapped, her fist clenching in pure rage as she slammed it against a building, causing cracks to ripple from it and blood to pour from her hand, "THE ACTUAL HELL!? This jack-hole thinks he can target my friends or me?! Hell, he thinks he can hurt you Senketsu!? Like friggin' hell! I'll beat seven shades of crap outta him before I let him touch my friends!"
Her rage was palpable, even more so since she saw Tansha, a guy she respected and liked as a friend get all but murked by this Nudist asshole. Her mind conjured some crazed looking mercenary running around naked with a plaid scarf around his head, pink hair poking through it as he set people on fire with a flamethrower.
Gentaro on the other hand looked serious, a rarity for the Rider until he slammed his hand down with a grin, "He'll be looking for all of us, right? But Satsuki-chan won't let someone hurting her students walk freely, right? So! Let's go to our school in disguise!" His plan seemed simple to the group, but what seemed most shocking was how he sighed then flicked a hand through his pompadour.
Maiko hummed, "I got it… You two…" she aimed a finger at the Rider and banchou, "…will move around and get inside the school before us. He will realize you two have to have gone somewhere and look for you once he sees his mistake. Once he finds you, he will think we left you go on your own, only to realize his mistake once we attack him from behind."
"I'll give him an extra hard punch for you two!" Takaharu cheered, pumping his fist which Gentaro bumped his own into.
Then Maiko aimed a finger at Ryusei with a serious look, "As for you… don't Henshin unless things look absolutely desperate. You're our ace in the hole, and no one is supposed to know you even exist if what I managed to glean from Gentaro is true. As a Kamen Rider you're someone who can change the playing field drastically, we'll need you to do that if this guy actually succeeds in stealing Gentaro's belt and rendering Ryūko helpless."
Gentaro pumped a fist, "That's Maiko-chan for you. Ok, let's do this!"
Once they got a proper place to change their clothes, in all of a few seconds Gentaro had changed his hair completely by messing it up and then styling it into a shaggier messy haircut, replacing his banchou clothes with the spare uniform Gamagōri was more than willing to oblige him with – in case any and all students needed it be it if they had an accident or he had to shape them into it the painful way. Even if it was for this purpose, the gentle frog giant truly did want Gentaro to conform to Honnōji's and thus Satsuki's standards.
Having conformed to get her attention and information out of her, Gentaro didn't mind wearing it as much as he normally would. Conforming when it served a purpose was thus something he'd do. But only if it meant he'd get something he wanted out of it.
What happened next was stunning, everyone couldn't even tell that was Gentaro in front of them, he simply looked way too different, even normal. In front of them was an average looking Japanese boy with a messy mop of black hair, a traditional Japanese school outfit, and only his athletic but lean build and height to set him apart from other teens. He gave them a trademark grin, his eyes sparkling in amusement at their faces, and there was all the sign they needed that he was still their best friend.
"Let's see this guy find us now! Ryūko-chan, you change too! Just wear my jacket over Senketsu, add this and…"
Surprisingly Gentaro was actually a good stylist, as he helped not only slick back Ryūko's red streak but also put her hair up in a more spiked up fashion, then place his banchou jacket over her body, before giving her a pair of blue jeans he kept around as spare clothing, and with all of that done she looked the polar opposite of him.
Even more punk like now, the way Senketsu bulged out from the jacket actually made it and the collar bigger, giving her a bona fide delinquent's appearance, which combined with how Tansha gave her smaller shades to hide her odd blue spoked eyes made the girl look like she came straight out of an 80s movie.
The drifter admired her new look in a window's reflection, whistling lowly at her new image, "I look like a Japanese Joan Jett… Dammit, I love it!" she said with a large grin.
"Let's go!" Her now normal looking friend cheered, and the group was able to sneak their way towards the school.
The two passed the man with the rooster hairdo watching their friends, and while Ryūko grinded her teeth at the thought she left her friends behind with the sniper watching them, she kept silent while she and Gentaro snuck in. Tsumugu for his part kept his eyes on the group of oddballs, but noticed two were missing, his targets.
It took the man several seconds to process this, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips as he observed the group get through the gate. Inside of his brain one could see a literal connect the dots image flash through his mind, eventually arriving at the correct conclusion that the Rider and banchou had gotten past his watch right in front of him.
Cursing violently, he shot a grapple hook up the side of the school walls and begun scaling with ease, arriving at the top just in time to see the group dash towards the entrance. He rapidly assembled his sniper rifle and took aim at the back of Ryūko's head, his gun dipping down to face her back as he lined up the shot like one of the most famous snipers in the world.
"I can't believe it actually worked." Omiko said behind a now tense Tsumugu, "Hey." She said, before throwing a tennis ball at Mach 2 right at the gunman.
"Damn!" The man rolled back then took aim at the blonde tennis player with his sniper rifle. She just grinned savagely when behind her Takaharu shot forward like a rocket, Monday One going forward like a train car. The air rushed forward as he threw a straight that pushed into the supersonic range.
"LINER… STRAIGHT!" The bullet train like punch shot Tsumugu back, an imprint of Takaharu's fist appearing on his chest and making him cough blood. Desperately forced to roll away as Omiko swung up Death Racket, then slammed it forward, the sniper found himself facing a barrage of tennis balls flying in a manner akin to an arrow barrage rushing towards him!
The air sung with the force of her swings, the gunman firing wildly upon them with his needle gun. Every needle met its mark and sent the balls exploding into shards of plastic and fuzz. Omiko let loose a furious tsk noise as she watched the man get up warily while holding his aching chest.
"Do you kids think you're real fighters?" he asked with a stoic expression, "You haven't seen real battles, you haven't seen death in the eye, none of you working for that girl understand what it means to have your life on the line. Now, let me tell you two important things. One, I'm not like those kids you hang with, I won't get sentimental and go easy, you may die here. And two…"
Off in the distance, Maiko widened her eyes, "That smell… You two, run!" she shouted to her schoolmates, Takaharu and Omiko looking at her in disbelief before doing as she told them to partly out of shock and mostly due to a sense of danger making their instincts force their feet to move.
Tsumugu continued, "You need to know you're putting your life in the line!" he shouted as he opened his vest, showing countless grenades attached to his body.
With matching cries of fear and surprise, the two students brought up their weapons to take the impact. Omiko swung hers with enough force to make the blast of the incoming explosion slow down, pushing her back with a few bruises. Takaharu's feet skidded back while his gloves took the full damage, and he could feel his arms shake from the impact, but even as his shoes kicked up a cloud of dirt he didn't get blown backwards.
Maiko, hidden behind a wall, was running off to another spot, "Dammit, I knew snipers were messed up, but goddamn, there's hating your targets and then there's lunacy!"
"There you are!" Maiko bit back a yelp not by her own choice when Tsumugu caught her by the mouth, lifting her singlehandedly off the ground with her feet dangling, "Without you thinking for them, this should be easier, but I may as well force out all you know-"
It may have been the fear she had that her dear life would end, it may have been how angry he looked that her plans had foiled his, but there was one thing Maiko knew for sure. When she acted, she did it because the idea the Mohawk wearing bastard before her wanted to hurt the idiots that treated her like one of their own made her sick with anger. Thus, Tsumugu had to bite back a yelp of pain when the girl sunk her teeth on his hand.
"Pah, there's my answer!" she said, spitting some blood that got in her mouth.
Tsumugu growled and was about to backhand her, but just couldn't. It wasn't because he didn't want to, it was because he was kicked in the back by a pair of sharp high-heels. Ryūko flipped off his back and sent him flying forward, Maiko falling onto her ass and rubbing her tail bone with a pained grimace.
"You okay?" Her erstwhile leader asked her while shouldering her scissor blade, making the nerdy girl adjust her glasses with a glare.
"Just keep that lunatic away from me and keep Gentaro away from him! I got a read on what he may be planning, and he wants to yank Gentaro's belt away from him! Then he can just divide and conquer us…" She replied while also analyzing the situation.
The red locked girl blinked in confusion, "How do you even know that?!"
Maiko scoffed, "It's what I'd do if I came prepared to fight him."
"Then I just won't let him take it!" shouted none other than the Rider himself, jumping at Tsumugu with a fist up.
The Nudist saw the strike about to connect with his face and crossed his arms over his head, blocking the punch. With Gentaro airborne, it was easy for him to push back the teen. Without his pompadour and with his hair now slightly shadowing his eyes, Gentaro looked way more serious than usual.
"What do you think you're doing?" Tsumugu asked in a serious tone, "Fighting me without your armor or weapons will only get you killed."
Gentaro merely thrust his fist forward, "You're targeting my friend and the people of this school, there's no way I'm taking this lightly!" there was a determination in his eyes, almost like his eyes were glowing.
"T-There it is… Even without becoming Fourze the universe still embraces him with love!" Senketsu declared while everyone ready to fight stood by his side.
Everyone surrounded Gentaro, Takaharu and Omiko on one side, Ryūko and Senketsu on the other, and behind them Maiko and Mako were cheering.
"Gamagōri-senpai gave us permission to go nuts, Gen-chan, don't hold back and show your spirit!"
Silently cursing the changing situation, Tsumugu was nothing if not a pragmatic nudist, and so he threw down a bundle of flash-bangs tied to each other with string. The resulting blast of light stunned everyone and allowed him a precious few seconds to escape.
Swinging from building to building with his grappling hook, the Nudist spied Omiko chasing after him on the rooftop, and below him ran Takaharu, the boxer outright sprinting in a manner that made it impossible for Tsumugu to shake him off. With a flourish, Omiko slammed a barrage of tennis balls at the boxer using Death Racket, the resulting red energy balls exploding with concussive blasts, each hit threatening to disorientate Tsumugu and seal his doom.
He barely dodged each blast, flipping up and over several concussive waves, while taking aim in mid-air and firing off needle barrages that threatened to hit the blonde if she wasn't careful. Below him Takaharu jabbed rapidly with Sunday Two!
Each punch was akin to a missile shot when combined with the boxing gloves rocket propelled nature, creating virtually infinite rocket punches that Tsumugu could barely even begin to count or follow. Several punches nearly touched him, making him curse even further.
It wasn't long before someone else joined the fray, "GOT YOU YA MOHAWKED BASTARD!"
He fell onto his back and slid down rapidly, using the momentum gathered to dodge the Kamui wielder's red scissor blade being swung over his head. The weapon emitted a wave of wind that shot forward like a sonic boom and cut a far-off building into two perfect pieces.
'The Kamui's already reached a point where it can cut the wind?! This has gone far enough, if I don't stop this now then-!' Flipping up, the Nudist knew he would have little time to spare or any ability to prevent what was to come unless he acted right then and there!
Omiko flipped onto the roof, then looked around herself quickly before she noticed a bunch of bombs placed around her, with a whirl of movement, Death-Racket created a literal shield of tennis balls that formed a dome around her, the explosive force of the bombs knocked the dome around, but when she came out she was much the same for wear.
Sadly, she was forced to watch Tsumugu running off in the distance, making her curse as it was back to chasing him down.
On the ground Takaharu hadn't let up running, and he was having a blast trying to nail a moving target, he did clip the running mohawked man, making him stumble in pain.
"Urya!" letting loose a battle cry, the boxer leapt into the air, drawing back Sunday Two and lining up the rocket powered fist with Tsumugu's face! The punch nailed the man across the face, making him fall back in pain.
Takaharu fist-pumped the air in excitement before darting up the side of the building, leaping onto it to block Tsumugu from escaping forward. Omiko caught up to them and took a position from the side of the rooftops they were in, both boxing the Nudist in.
"This day has gone to shit in a handbasket, and I'm not exactly sure why…" He could only groan before he got up, seeing Gentaro and Ryūko skidding to a halt in front of him. "Let me tell you two useful pieces of information. One. I'm only after the Kamui. Two-"
He was interrupted by Ryūko blasting forward in a charge, the scissor blade aimed straight towards his neck until he rammed the barrel of his needle gun against her stomach and clicked the switch that controlled the alternate firing mode.
"Don't interrupt someone when they're talking." He said in a warning tone to her before he pulled the trigger mercilessly.
The red locked girl only locked down in confusion before a barrage of staples blasted her back and pinned her against the rooftop, leaving Gentaro by himself. The Rider didn't even hesitate to put on his belt which made Tsumugu give him an unimpressed stare.
"YOU FRIGGIN' ASSHOLE! I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS SO HARD MY FEET WILL NEED SHOE POLISH SPECIALLY FORMULATED FOR BUTTOCKS SMELL!" the drifter's angry shouting made Tsumugu close his eyes in exhaustion, especially as Ryūko started getting even more furious with him when she saw him sighing.
"You know I'm going to take that belt away from you the second you try to use it kid. Let me give you two useful pieces of information. One, I can steal that belt faster than you can activate it. Two, despite your friends I just need the belt, and this is playing exactly into my goals. So now let me ask you, why persist?"
Being ignored only angered her more.
Gentaro merely flipped his hair back into its true state, the pompadour wearing teenager flashing his opponent a grin, "If I gave up when the going got rough, then I'd have never met as many friends and people as I did. You're strong, I understand that, easily the strongest person next to Sat-chan I've met here… But if I gave up, then I'd never be able to befriend her or you!"
With that he pulled the handle for the belt.
"THREE!" The belt's loud voice begun counting down making Tsumugu's hand itch towards his grappling gun.
"TWO!" He was already aiming right at the belt and pulling the trigger of his gun.
"ON-" The belt was cut off when the grappling hook tore the belt off of Gentaro's waist and yanked it towards Tsumugu's waiting fist which was unsurprising to him, he was surprised however that Gentaro ran right after the belt as it flew towards him!
"NICE TO MEET YA!" Gentaro sucker punched him across the face, making Tsumugu stagger back before the Rider stomp kicked him forward in a form of street fighting. The resulting strength of the strike made him nearly fall onto his back if he didn't forcibly steady himself.
It was telling that he didn't once let go of the belt despite being punched by a teen as strong as the banchou was that Tsumugu was determined. He quickly raised the belt and growled, "It's over, with this belt in my hands, all I have to do is crush it and-"
"You mean that cheap belt?" Maiko asked from her hiding spot with a winning smile, "You can buy that toy at any store for five hundred yen."
Tsumugu turned to look at the belt in his hands, and gaped. It was a plastic toy with plastic levers and buttons with numbers on it to teach kids how to count in English. Even more infuriating was that it had a picture by Mako herself of the squirrely girl pulling down her own eyelid and telling the man, in her own writing, to 'Suck a lemon and stop trying to hurt Mako's friends' with crayons.
It was in that moment of confusion that Gentaro rushed at the man, jumped up, and brought his knee on Tsumugu's chin. The gunman staggered back and growled at the still armor-less Rider. The pompadour wearing teen merely put up his fists.
"I'm fighting you here and now without the belt to show you what kind of guy I am." Gentaro said, pumping a fist at Tsumugu, Cosmic energy flashing in the teen's eyes, "I'm just really stubborn when it comes to letting my friends cry. I don't even think twice about that stuff, I just do what feels right to stop them from being hurt, sad, or lonely. That is why, here and now, I have to fight you with only my fists, so you can understand that no matter what you do there's no way I'm letting you get to them!"
"Strong words, but what is a Rider without a belt?" Tsumugu wasn't impressed and he calmly lined up the cross-eyes of his needle gun with Gentaro's head. The Rider merely stepped forward slowly which prompted Tsumugu to unclick the safety, a laser sight lining up perfectly with his head.
"If I can't take the belt, then the next best option is to neutralize you here and now before the Kamui manages to get its hooks into you or you're corrupted by Life-Fibers. Apologies." Tsumugu hesitated despite his harsh words, even as cold as he was, he wasn't feeling at ease with killing an innocent teen.
Thankfully for all parties, Omiko and Takaharu who were already running straight towards the Nudist included, a blue light flashed past them both, impacting Tsumugu's body and sending him flying away from Gentaro! The man groaned in pain before he could only gape in shock. From the view of a handheld camera that Gamagōri was using to monitor the situation and broadcast the situation to the Elite Four and Satsuki herself, Inumuta spat out a mouth full of sweet sake from the flask he had been drinking from – he had needed the stuff when Gentaro started breaking the rules of logic when he first arrived.
"No. NO! NO! NO! IMPOSSIBLE… ANOTHER RIDER!?" He had to put his head in his hands, groaning in pain, Satsuki leaning forward with her fingers placed into a steeple. A keen look of interest was on her face as she watched the unfolding situation with an attentive quirk of her large eyebrows.
"Oho…? So Gentaro had a comrade this whole time, how fascinating…" She asked aloud, getting up with Bakuzan gripped in her hand. Junketsu was already shivering with anticipation which in turn made her feel excited herself.
In a streak of azure light, the second Rider had arrived!
X-X-X-X-X
And we're going to be massive bastards and leave this on a cliff hanger! Next chapter will come out a lot sooner now that school's slowed down a little for me and spring break is around the corner! I hope you guys all really liked the chapter, and I look forward to seeing your input!
The Swordslinger and I had to debate on how strong to make Tsumugu, and this was our compromise since we like the guy a lot since he's a badass normal so to speak.
Without further ado, we'll get right to the Omake and hope you all enjoy it!
The Kisaragi Family Pt.5. Cosmic Tales Across Time #2.
"It was a cold winter's night when I met my cousins out on the snow, and things transpired out of control…" Gentaro said seriously until Kiryu gently smacked the back of his head.
The Neo Kamen Rider Club sat around a campfire with the ex-yakuza, Scanty and Kneesocks, and Gentaro himself. Even Mumen Rider was there, without his hero outfit he was wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals. The group was in Okinawa, a tropical island in Japan, and sat at a beach in front of an orphanage that Kiryu managed with the help of a little girl by the name of Haruka, who was his daughter in all but blood. Thankfully, the children at the orphanage were out for a school trip, so when the opportunity came to visit his uncle Gentaro, his friends, and cousins all jumped at the chance.
"Don't talk about your cousins like that, you know they're better now." Grinning slightly as he wanted to mess with his friends a little, Gentaro nodded at his uncle.
"I don't know, cousin." Mumen Rider said, adjusting his glasses. "Anyone is basically better after getting over what they went through."
"I'm further proved this family is not normal." Maiko stated while taking notes.
Gentaro continued, "Right, so… It was a cold winter's night, and it could've went very badly but thankfully didn't. My cousin Harara had been having a lot of trouble lately, especially with private matters that my other uncle didn't feel like disclosing to me. Thankfully I was there to help convince her to reconsider what she was going to do… but it wasn't easy. And she was really scary too."
Biting into a roasted marshmallow and getting delicious white fluff over her mouth, Ryūko asked after she took a swig of hot chocolate, "So Harara is your cousin? You've mentioned her before, said she was really scary back when you were kids. Why was that?"
Gentaro bit into a grilled cheese sandwich, after chewing thoughtfully, he replied, "It was because she's really strong and was really mean too, she always beat me up in play fighting and would sit atop me while doing so. She and Kakugo were easily the strongest kids I knew when I was growing up, and they knew it too."
"So, what was it like that night?" Omiko asked with growing interest which made Gentaro rub his chin before he begun talking with a slightly nostalgic tone.
"Well…."
X-X-X-X-X
Running towards a dark forest, a young boy of roughly ten years with messy black hair shivered in the cold winter air. Even though he was bundled up in a warm sweater and snow pants, the air still chilled him. Looking up at the far off stars though, he felt a gentle and warm feeling envelop him, which made him smile again.
"Thank you, space! You always make me feel better!" Despite being upset that he couldn't hear the voice that his best friend but not girlfriend Yuuki heard, he always felt things from space that she didn't.
Namely whenever he was sad or upset, if he looked up at the stars or moon, he'd feel better instantly because a warm feeling of love would fill his heart up. Remembering what he was out there for, he kept running forward, he called out loudly into the night air with a concerned look.
"Harara-chan! Kaku-chan! Where are you? Uncle's worried about you both!" His uncle had been seriously hurt earlier in the day. He hadn't told Gentaro what happened, only that he was hurt by someone he hadn't expected to attack him. Thankfully they had held back before hurting him too badly.
"…Gen-chan. What are you doing out here so late at night?" From out of the shadows stepped his harsh but overall nice cousin, Harara Hakigure. Harara had always been a tough girl in his mind, even before things got hazy when they were really small. He remembered that Harara used to bathe with him and Kakugo when they small, and he could've sworn she was different then until she was trained by her father.
As a girl she was just developing into maturity. At the moment she was wearing armor that she claimed was meant for training when he first saw her in it. Said armor was colored a steel, almost chrome, grey color and consisted only of a pair of armored grieves that covered her legs. The top was off leaving her in a tank-top that hugged her still growing breasts. Her head of spiky red hair always was something he found joy in ruffling despite her quick retribution.
Her eyes were harsh and at times hawk-like in their sharp glare. But when he looked at them then and there they were soft, filled with kindness and care for him. However, he knew she could get angry in a heartbeat, so he proceeded slowly towards her. The red headed girl stepped forward herself with an intense expression.
"Uncle was really badly hurt earlier today, and I went out on my own to see where you and Kaku-chan went Harara-chan! He was worried about you both, and well… I wanted to see if you were fine too!" Gentaro's earnest smile made the serious looking redhead smile slightly herself before it was creased into a serious expression again.
"I'm obviously fine Gen-chan, go back to… father and tell him I'm fine. But he should really rest unless he wants to get hurt worse." Despite her seemingly kind words, they held an undercurrent of rage and hatred that made Gentaro shudder despite himself.
"But Harara-chan… I'm worried about you too! It's cold out, and I'm sure you haven't eaten anything since lunch today when you stormed out of the house…" His words made the girl frown slightly. She looked behind her towards the far off mountains and sea, then back towards Gentaro. She stepped forward hesitantly, one hand reaching for her beloved cousin until a loud male voice yelled out.
"Gentaro! Get away from Harara now! She's dangerous!" And there was his other cousin and fellow male running towards him in the snow, Harara frowning deeply at the sight of his approach, but she kept moving towards Gentaro regardless.
He spun around to face Kakugo and gaped briefly as the slightly older boy seemed to be wearing a suit of armor that reminded him of his uncle Mumen Rider. Except this was the real deal, a pitch-black armored shell that covered his entire body save for his head, grafting it in a metallic form that seemed outright built like a tank, even having armored spikes for the gauntlets and a long white scarf that flowed behind him.
The Fortified Armor Shell Zero, it was a pitch-black armored form that contained Kakugo's body entirely, having virtually no weak-points or visible sections where he was exposed. The suit itself had six pack sections that were already fitting to his maturing body, various sections seemed to be even more fortified than the rest of the suit, namely the arms, legs, and chest, making it clear that hurting him wouldn't be easy if one was to attempt it.
The suits overall aesthetic was designed to be as defensive as possible while also possessing natural offense, giving it a perfect balance with a study frame. In essence it was akin to a shield, a tank if one would as well.
"Kaku-chan? What's going on? What did Harara-chan do…?" Gentaro was lost as his cousins stared at each other harshly, Harara placed a hand gently on her favorite relative's shoulder and gently pushed him aside, her eyes glaring ruthlessly at her brother.
"He has nothing to do with what I did to father, brother. I refuse to fight you while he's here and I refuse to shed human blood as long as his eyes are still innocent…" Harara made a noise halfway between an exhale and a hiss, her hands coming in a ready fighting stance that showed she was prepared to protect herself and Gentaro if Kakugo made a move towards them.
She glanced sideways at her cousin who was starting to grasp the situation quickly, making the red-head hide a smirk, he was book-stupid and terrible with school, but he had an innate ability to understand people and make friends regardless of who they were.
It's what stayed her hand when she had her father at her mercy, her style would've allowed her to easily murder him in cold blood, his organs rupturing out through his mouth in a spiral of flesh.
"So, take that as your assurance, I fought father to test the limits of my power, he proved weaker than I expected even with his own… Gen-chan, I did a very bad thing and I accept responsibility for it. So, I'll ask you now. Do you hate me for hurting father?" This was the moment that would either send her into the darkness forever, seething with rage and despair she would send all who opposed her into the pits of Hades or allow her to exist in the twilight, walking a path that would have her temper her hatred of humanity and control her power.
As much as Kakugo wanted to talk or run towards his cousin, he kept silent, his fists clenching tightly while both of them waited for their cousin's ultimate verdict. Gentaro didn't make them wait long, he just hugged Hahara tightly, a little too young to understand just what was making her so troubled, he none the less knew that his cousin… wasn't truly evil.
"I'd never hate you Harara-chan… Even if you really did hurt Uncle, you didn't kill him either! So I'll forgive you, no matter what you do after this!" His words made the red head close her eyes with a calm smile on her face, one hand gently rubbing her cousin's head before she gently broke away from him.
She turned back to Kakugo and gave him a slight incline of her head, an unspoken message passing between the two siblings before Harara's body was covered in the main section of her armor.
The Fortified Armor Shell Kasumi was an armored suit that simply screamed offense, it was designed to augment her already impressive abilities in hand to hand and her vicious style. With numerous spikes all over its arms and body, raised blades over the elbows and sharp shoulder pauldrons, it was a suit that all but advertised its nature as a weapon.
A section of the armor was actually designed to resemble feminine breasts that Harara herself was filling out, over the chest and on the plates attached to the hips was a star emblem molded into the metal of the armor. If the Zero Armor was a shield, then hers was a sword, two sides of the same coin.
The snow crunched below her booted feet, with Harara giving Gentaro a smile underneath the moonlight.
"Never lose your kindness my beloved cousin, and I'll forever watch over you in spirit if not body. Until we meet again one day, take care of my stupid brother and old father for me please."
With that she leaped into the air, soaring off into the night as Gentaro could only watch her leave his side.
Tears poured down his face before he yelled back at her as she left, his words being the last she heard before they got too far apart, "WHEN WE MEET AGAIN, I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE YOU AND KAKU-CHAN TOO! SO DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME!"
Kakugo grabbed his cousin before the boy tried chasing after her, tears running down his face before he wiped them clean, sniffling slightly at the loss of his cousin.
The cold moonlight seemed to comfort Gentaro, wrapping him in soft silvery beams that soothed his pain and made his tears flow more freely until he fell asleep in his taller cousin's arms.
X-X-X-X-X
"And that's how it ended, I went back to the house with Kakugo, we took care of his dad until he was good to go to a hospital, and I haven't seen Harara since. But we exchange letters at least once a year." Gentaro finished his story with a bright grin.
Omiko voiced her thoughts, "Your family's more messed up than I thought, and you're related to demons… No offense."
"None taken." The sisters said with a smile, Kneesocks adding, "Truth is, marrying supernatural entities isn't the weirdest thing that has happened."
Scanty nodded, "Like Uncle Kiryu, he once went to Makai by mere accident stepping into some cursed manhole and ended up dating a cat girl."
Everyone turned to the man, who didn't even try to deny it, "She was a good woman, a bit too energetic but pure of heart. We exchanged tips on how we ran our orphanages and managed to keep in touch. So far, I think she is more focused on her career as a celebrity than dating, though."
Mumen Rider mumbled to himself, "At least you got a nice date, when you asked me for help for that double date thing I didn't expect to end with a succubus."
Kiryu looked away, ashamed, "S-Sorry… I wouldn't have done that had I known better. Even Felicia apologized for bringing that woman."
Mumen Rider sighed, "I'm just surprised those two are such good friends, though."
X-X-X-X-X
The Swordslinger here, again: If you don't know who Kiryu and Mumen Rider dated, you've failed at life… Joking, it's Felicia and Morrigan from Darkstalkers. Funny thing is both The Lord Of Pages and I joke of the similarities between Kiryu and Felicia if one gets down to it: both run orphanages, are chased by what they are (a yakuza and Darkstalker respectively), can kick some serious ass if someone threatens someone/something they love, and are real good parent figures to the kids under their care despite the fact they are a former criminal and a monster girl. Also, the cursed manhole comes from the game Project X Zone 2.
