Kaizen: Hey, you're back! Great to see you again. So, you're back for more, right?

Ryujin: Kaizen, at least bring them up to speed with what happened last time. What if they didn't get the chance to listen to it?

Kaizen: Well, it's their fault for not listening to the first two episodes! Why would you come to the next episode expecting a recap? Just listen to the last episode; it isn't that hard.

But-

Kaizen: Stop it. This is my episode. You're just a side character for today.

Ryujin: You are so unbearable sometimes, brother.

Kaizen: I could say the same to you, Ryujin. Don't test me.

I woke up the next day feeling refreshed and well-rested. Was it only yesterday that all those events happened? Is Ms. Ochimizu, Kyoko, and the rest of the children okay? Just to make sure, I decided to go check on them.

I walked to the hotel that was close to the burned orphanage. When I walked past the orphanage, I suddenly remembered all the memories of having to do with this place: how I grew up here, what I ate every breakfast and dinner, how I would stay up at night trying to play with my handheld console, and how my brother was…

"No," I thought to myself. "Not right now, when you have to check up on Ms. Ochimizu and the kids." Without a second glance, I turned away from the destroyed orphanage and headed down the path to the hotel.

"Hi, I'm here to check up on Ms. Ochimizu and the kids. I used to live at the orphanage, so I wanted to stop by and see if they were doing alright." The front desk attendant then nodded her head in understanding and said, "Go up to the third floor and their group is located at the far end of the right hallway. You can knock on any of the two doors, the kids and her are all located in there."

Ryujin: Don't hotel rooms usually have one or two beds per room? And weren't there a lot of kids that had lived in that orphanage?

Kaizen: Well, ever since I left the orphanage, fewer and fewer kids have been sent to the orphanage. When I moved out, there were only seven kids left, including Kyoko.

Ryujin: Ah, I see. Back then, there were around twenty kids living in that place, weren't there?

Kaizen: You still remember that? That was such a long time ago, too. I'll have to tell you of my life at the orphanage without you sometime in the future.

When I reached the rooms, I knocked on the door to my right. I chose the right door, because Ms. Ochimizu herself answered it. Ms. Ochimizu was in her sixties: with a neat bun to tie her hair in place, a throw-on sweater with a white blouse, a long black skirt that ran to her ankles, and sneakers. "My, my. If it isn't Kaizen! I'm glad that you're here, but what brings you to this place? How did you even know that the children and I were staying here?" Oh, crap! I didn't think about that factor at all! I knew they were staying here because Dekkai, the fire element, told me all of this after it saved me. Should I say that I talked with the firemen about where they were staying? Before I could speak, however, Dekkai decided to possess me and gave her an answer himself;

"Oh, I was just wondering where you could have gone after the fire had burned down the orphanage. I'm so sorry that happened, if I was there, I would have done all I could to put the fire out. But to find out where you and the children went, I asked all around town, and got helpful answers from many of the residents. So, here I am, madam." What was that?! Is Dekkai out of its mind? I didn't ask him to do such a thing at all! Ms. Ochimizu, however, seemed satisfied with the answer and didn't notice the voice change at all. "Oh, thank you, dear, for checking up on me and the children! You were always so nice and sweet. Why don't we go for a walk?"

Before I knew it, I was walking with Ms. Ochimizu to the local park. She left the oldest orphan in charge before she left, who was a boy by the age of fourteen. On the way there, she asked me the usual questions one would ask to catch up. "How have you been?" "How is your new job going?" It was nothing too fancy. Our arrival at the park happened shortly after a fifteen-minute walk.

At the park, there were many things happening: children playing, couples walking, dogs playing with their owners. All these things made me feel nostalgic for the days at the orphanage: with me and Ryujin playing outside, watching old romantic comedies, and occasionally going to the pet store for field trips. Remembering all those things made me a little bit sad, so I tried to hide my face from Ms. Ochimizu. Before I could, she saw my face and read it like a book. "You know, I'm getting to that age where I should be taking care of myself for as long as possible. Pretty soon, I won't be able to keep care of the orphanage anymore." I looked at her in complete disbelief. I knew that she was getting older by the day, but it still hurt to hear that come from her. I couldn't imagine the orphanage without her. "I'll need someone else to look after the children when I go. I was thinking of having you inherit the property. I don't have any actual children, so I might as well hand the orphanage over to my most successful 'son'. How about it?"

Me… inherit the orphanage? I couldn't do such a thing; I don't feel qualified enough. That's a lot of responsibility, first of all. I can't take care of multiple children by myself; I can't even remember when my next shift is. "I certainly couldn't do it, Ms. Ochimizu! I don't even know the first step to childcare is! How do I-" Ms. Ochimizu cut me off with a stern look and says, "I do not know anyone else who can do this for me. If I'm not there, who-"

All of a sudden, everyone in the park was running away from something. People were screaming and running towards the exit of the park. I turned to see what was causing all of this, and I couldn't believe my eyes. The monster that had caused all of this seemed to look human, but there were many things that set it apart. For starters, its skin was a sky blue, and instead of hair it had long lightning bolts acting as its long hair and beard. The monster was muscular, wearing a toga and sandals, and wielding a lightning bolt by its side. If I didn't know any better, I thought it could have been the personification of Zeus, the god of lightning. Instinctively, I start to shield Ms. Ochimizu from the being, stepping in front of her to block the path between her and the monstrous Zeus.

"Do you think that doing that will stop my servant?" I turned to the direction of the voice and saw what I could only describe as an angel. The woman was covered in white armor with gold accents from head to toe, with a flowing cape to match. Her chest piece was designed to imitate angel wings, with the feathers expanding across her shoulders. Her boots and arm guards were shining in the sun with gold trimming around the edges, and her gloves having that same material on the back of her hands. By her side was a long lance/rapier hybrid and her cape had an ornate pattern on it. What caught my attention the most though, was her helmet and belt. The helmet was mostly white, with three gold lines going across the enlarged eyes, which were crystalline white. Those three gold bars also appeared on either side of her helmet and a small golden ring encircled the top of her helmet, to imitate a halo. Her belt was an exact replica of mine, except the lights that were out on mine were glowing white on hers. Inside the driver was a card labeled "JOKER", with a picture of a prancing unicorn

"You must be surprised to see a Kamen Rider so early in your quest to gain your suit of cards." the woman said. "But that path will not be easy for you. I, for one, am against the idea of you getting those cards. Because if you do, it will affect me and my partner directly. So, to avoid complications, I'm here to take your life."

Uh, I really did not like the sound of that suggestion. I had to go hide somewhere, I have to get out of here, I have to-

"Who do you think you are? You will not kill this man! He is the heir to my orphanage or so help me!" Ms. Ochimizu cried out to the female Kamen Rider

Ryujin: Ha! Ms. Ochimizu has bigger balls than you'll ever have! When I faced my first opponent I-

Kaizen: Don't make me tell Rina about the time you peed your pants at least once a week for as long as I knew you in the orphanage and the most recent incident just a few days ago.

Ryujin: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sor-

Kaizen: That's more like it. Now shut it, side character.

Ryujin: At least refer to me by my real name…

Kaizen: "Those are strong words for a woman your age. I admire that. I'll strike a deal with you, if you leave right now, your friend right here will get a quick and painless death, instead of the torture I had in store for him." Wait a minute, she was going to torture me? I could not have that happen to me at all. And more importantly, I couldn't have Ms. Ochimizu stand around here; there would be a high chance of her dying. "Ms. Ochimizu, please go on ahead. I'll deal with this woman and her… friend here." Reluctantly, she stepped away from the area and yelled out to me, "Meet me at the hotel when you talk things out, okay?" With that final note, she headed back towards the direction of the hotel.

"Now that she's gone, I can now torture you. What, you didn't think I would actually keep my word? People these days are so naive. Zeus, attack!" With that order, the blue monster charged towards me and body slammed me into the dirt. I managed to push back the monster and started to run away from it. I needed a place to hide, quickly. The park restroom was just up ahead; I could take shelter and hide there for maybe a few seconds to get away from all of this. I sprinted towards that direction with how fast my legs can take me. "Run all you want; your death is inevitable." I didn't care what remarks she had to say about me, I just wanted more time.

By some miracle, I made it to the restroom. I quickly shut the door behind me and locked the door. "Like that's going to do anything," I said to myself. In the end, I couldn't even fight against someone who was out for my blood and I ran away like a coward. I began to break down sitting on the floor when Dekkai spoke in my mind; "Have you given up so soon? What about your brother that you wish to see so badly? How can you ever forgive yourself if you never apologize to him?"

My brother, he was out there. Somewhere in this world, he was out there. I couldn't leave this world without making amends to him. Slowly, I composed myself up off the ground and stepped outside, where Ms. Kamen Rider and baby blue Zeus was waiting for me.

"Decided to meet your fate? Well, this is the end for you. But, before you have to go so violently, you should at least know the name of your killer. I am Kamen Rider Halo, the light to your future. Unfortunately, there is no light at the end of your future. Now, let's continue where we left off, shall we?" The female rider and the monster slowly start to approach me like a pack of predators surrounding a small animal. I was done running, though. This feeling in my heart was nothing compared to the fear I had just felt a moment ago.

"I'm not going to let you kill me that easily," I said as I pulled out my own driver and card. "You-you should not have those items! If you have those, that means you've already bonded with your element!" I was done being pushed around. All my life, I had been living under someone else's roof. I hated depending on others because I felt like I had to owe them for their contribution to my work. I wanted to be the torch that guides those to their own goals as well.

I looked at the belt and hesitated for just a moment. To be honest, I was debating whether or not to leave the belt and card at home. I didn't want such a grand power to be at the bottom of my bag. Now, there is no time for hesitation. I put the belt on and feel a strap wrap around my waist and connect to both sides of the belt. The belt then yells [ELEMENDRIVER] and automatically opens up the screen at the hinge, like a library depository. I insert the card and snap the screen shut, which causes the belt to yell [FIRE]. The belt also played a standby noise in the form of the heavy beating of drums. I look at Kamen Rider Halo dead in the eyes and use two fingers of my right hand to motion to her to come forward to attack me, like in the old fighting movies. I then yell at the top of my lungs, "Henshin!" and bring my right hand down to spin the gold dial. Immediately, the screen emits a ring a fire that encircles my entire waist but not touching it, the room between the two about four feet apart from all sides. Then, the fiery ring expands into a sphere that encloses my entire body. Finally, the sphere suddenly shrinks onto my skin, where it touched every part of my body. My body was glowing for a few seconds and then dimmed down, leaving me in armor that had covered me from head to toe. With the transformation done, the belt yelled [BURNING UP] and had the lights glow a bright red.

I'm not sure how I know this, but I knew what my armor looked like to the smallest detail. I had some kind of red leather under suit covering my entire body, while there were enhancements all around to make me look more muscular. The boots on my feet extended up all the way to where they were touching the bottom of my knees. I had that same hard material that covered the forearms and the back of the hands of Kamen Rider Halo on my suit as well. My chest piece was actually a mass of stationary flames instead of feathers, which also extended past my shoulders. My belt remained untouched, except for the holster on the right side of my belt that seemed to hold my cards. My helmet had the same concept as Halo's, except mine was in red and the color of the enlarged bug-like eyes were a clear ruby. Around me, all the grass had burned within a one-foot radius.

"You dare try to fight back? Fine, let's have it your way." Kamen Rider Halo said with a low growl in her voice. She motions her monstrous Zeus to attack me, and it attempts to. Before it could, I raised my arms above my head, forming an "X" to block the lightning bolt headed straight for my skull. I then throw the monster off balance and proceeded to punch it in the gut, which seemed to have work.

"I sense a card nearby. If you can find it, you could use it to your advantage." I look around while the monster was still on the ground and Halo in shock at what happened. I then see it, a card that was at the foot of a bush. "Hey, uh, Dekkai? Why is there a card just lying near a bush? I thought it would be in a more… discreet location."

"The cards appear at random, and they only appear when the user is in desperate need of an advantage. Each card can only be found one at a time, so pick your fights that favor your victory." Well, I guess that makes sense.

I ran over to the card, which was the six of clubs. Instead of the usual six clubs laid out evenly on the card, there was a picture of a two-sided sword with the phoenix emblem engraved onto the hilt. I look down at my belt and notice a small horizontal slot that ran across the top of the driver. Instinctively, I swipe the card into that groove and the belt exclaims [SUMMONING: WEAPON]. The sword that was on the card was then brought into the world by a pillar of fire that appeared out of nowhere and disappearing, leaving behind the sword in the dirt.

The sword itself was about the length of my arm, maybe a little longer. The two-sided sword was gleaming in the sun, and the gold color of the blade paired well with the red. The blade itself was gold in color, spanning about two-and-a-half feet long. The phoenix-club symbol was located on the hilt of the blade and at the bottom of the handle. The handle was wrapped in red leather and in the middle of the hilt was a red ruby to match the two on my helmet.

I grabbed the sword and started to advance on the monster Zeus. With a little hesitation in its eyes, it started to advance towards me as well. When it tried to pull the same trick as before, I used the handle of my sword to knock it off balance. It crumpled before me, and I swiftly beheaded it. As its head started to fall from its body, both of them started to dissipate into white flecks and float away, soon leaving behind no trace of the monster.

"Tch, think you're some kind of hotshot now that you've unlocked your power? Then I'll let you live to see how this plays out… for now," the female Kamen Rider said as she started to walk away from me. "But tell me, what will be your Kamen Rider name? Every rider has one." I didn't want to listen to her, but I think she knew that I already knew the answer anyways. "I am Kamen Rider Pyro, and I will find the cards that will unlock infinite potential." "Very well then, 'good luck' on your quest, boy." She then walked off and then disappeared from existence just like that.

I opened the screen and took out the card, and then the armor just faded into dust. I was back to my regular self, old Kagutsuchi Kaizen. I looked around, but there was no one in sight. I then remembered Ms. Ochimizu's instructions to meet her at the hotel once my fight was over, so I start heading in that direction. Just then, I heard a noise and I saw Kyoko trying to run away from me. "Kyoko, wait!" I yelled as she runs towards the hotel as well. I caught up to her and she was shaking and closing her eyes, scared of what she saw me do and what I became.

"Kyoko! Kyoko, it's okay! I'm Kaizen, right? I'm still your friend, right?" She opened her eyes slowly and started to cry, "Are you a monster? Who was that blue man? Did you kill him?" She was scared, which was natural for a seven-year-old who doesn't understand what was going on. "I'm not a monster, see? I'm the same old Kaizen that you see at the orphanage! And that blue man was a monster, and it was going to hurt a lot of people if someone didn't stop him. I didn't kill him though, I… sent it to a faraway place from here. Okay, Kyoko?" Kyoko slowly stopped crying and nodded weakly, then promptly fell into my arms falling fast asleep. I then scoop her into my arms and carry her to the hotel.

"Oh, thank goodness, I was looking for her everywhere! Thank you so much, Kaizen!" Ms. Ochimizu exclaimed when she saw me carrying Kyoko. She ushered us into the hotel room and told me to set Kyoko down onto the bed. "Come outside for a moment, Kaizen. I have to give you something." Confused, I did what I was told and followed Ms. Ochimizu out of the room.

"I noticed what that woman had in her belt, and it reminded me of an item I was given years ago." She then pulls out a card, one that had the two of hearts; its image showing a motorcycle but with a phoenix motif. "W-where did you get that?! Hey, Dekkai, I thought that I could only find these cards once a week! What? How? Why? What-," She stopped me suddenly, as she usually does and explained.

"Do you remember when we went to the old ski lodge for a trip that one year? You accidentally touched the fire in the fireplace when you dropped your favorite toy in it, and you fell unconscious. I had to find help immediately, or else you wouldn't be able to use your hand again. Suddenly, Dekkai had formed inside the fireplace and told me he couldn't have his future warrior die on him so suddenly. He somehow then reversed the effects of the burn and said I was courageous for holding on to your life. Dekkai then gave me this card, telling me to give it to you when the time was right. I knew it was time when I heard Dekkai's voice come out of your mouth."

I was stunned. I remember the skiing trip, but I don't remember getting burned at all. "I erased your memories from that time, I could not have you knowing that you would fight for me in the future," Dekkai said to me inside my mind. Ms. Ochimizu knew I had to fight but couldn't tell me. At first, I felt angry with her, but I knew she did it with the best of intentions; I could never be mad at her. "Thank you, Ms. Ochimizu, for this. This means a lot to me; I must pay you back somehow! I could give you the best back massage in the world! Or I could-"

"All I want you to do is inherit the orphanage for me. Keep the futures of children bright when I'm gone. That is all I ask of you, will you do it?" She looked at me with the most intense look she's given me in ages; she really wants me to do it. "Of-of course, I will. I owe it to you, Ms. Ochimizu. I promise, I won't let you down."

She then nodded in approval and said, "Thank you, Kaizen. You should go home and get some rest, you still have more cards to find, right?" She was right, I needed the rest for tomorrow. But I couldn't quit my job in the middle of the week, I would need excuse. Should I say I was going on a small vacation or should I-

"I'll tell your boss that you'll be helping me out with the orphanage from now on. You need an excuse, right?" Ms. Ochimizu was sharp, as always. I could never keep up with her.

I said my farewells to the orphans and Ms. Ochimizu and headed back to the apartment. On the way there I thought about all the events that happened today. It was so crazy that even I had a hard time believing it. "Well, I have tomorrow to look forward to, so let's make the most of it," I said before heading inside my apartment.

Ah, finally done! That was good, right, Ryujin?

Ryujin: Zzz…

Kaizen: Really? He fell asleep? So rude!

Ryujin: Pineapple on pizza is stupid! ...Huh? I fell asleep?

Kaizen: Yeah, you did. I was wondering why you were being so quiet as well.

Ryujin: Sorry, it's just your story is so boring. I'll spice it up next episode with my quick-paced words! You just like to take your time, don't you?

Kaizen: Why, you! Get back here, you've pulled your last straw!

Ryujin: Come back next time for my side of the story!...

Kamen Rider Halo: How dare he! Making me seem so weak! It's an insult to my pride! Ooh, I'll pulverize him the next time I see him!

?: Now, now. Calm down for just a moment. We'll get that chance soon enough.

Kamen Rider Halo: You're always so stoic! Can't you show a little emotion?

?: No, because something as trivial as that is of no concern to me. Come, let's go for now. We must think of our next move.

Kamen Rider Halo: Kamen Rider Pyro… he's interesting, I'll give him that.

Author's Note- Hi everyone! Since I felt bad about not posting another episode last month, I decided that this one will be a double upload! Again, please go check out Archive of Our Own's version of PvH, because that is the most accurate that I want it to be. Thank you for the continued support.
-Chin Chin