DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kamen Rider or Fire Emblem. Both are properties of Toei and Intelligent Systems respectively. I do not own any of the characters who appear in this story, except for a few.

Characters Cody Aldrich, Justinia Pierson, Kojiro Yukihara and Kurogasa Kururugi are properties of FF do net authors striberx, Donjusticia, Daemon of Wrath and Fenikkusumaru respectively.

And yes, this story will include Original Characters as Kamen Riders. If you do not like the premise of the story or the inclusion of OCs becoming Kamen Riders, you are free to not read this story. Everyone has their personal taste and are entitled to their own opinions. Trust me, you will not hurt my feelings if you don't want to read this story. That being said, please offer me constructive criticism and no flames, if you would be so kind.


It was raining that day. Drops of water came in the thousands, falling from the sky and down to the earth below. Within seconds, the streets were covered in large puddles and everyone was either protecting themselves with umbrellas or scrambling to get away. Some sought shelter beneath the banners and entrances to nearby buildings and hoped the rain would let up. Unfortunately for them, the rain would continue until fairly late in the evening.

Kurogasa, eighteen years old then, let out a groan as he set down the last cardboard box he had been asked to move. Sweat caked his skin and his back was screaming for him to give himself a break. For the past hour or so, his boss requested that he move boxes from the truck to the storage room by himself, on account of today being incredibly busy.

Which was ironic, considering a sweets shop was almost always busy. And while we're on the subject, how in the goddamn hell does a sweet shop need so much crap? Kurogasa ranted in his mind as he slumped against the wall before he winced.

"Note to self, ask for someone to help me next time, even if the boss said otherwise," he groaned before letting out a sigh. "At least I'm finally done."

And knowing his boss, there was probably another job waiting for him. He took a few minutes to relax and relieve himself of the tension in his back before he stepped back out into the store. Almost immediately, the smell of sugar, honey and rosemary filled his nostrils. The kitchen was buzzing as men and women were moving from one station to another, baking sweets or decorating cakes or in the process of molding dough into something beautiful. One of his co-workers was in the process of making a custom order; a three-layered cake covered from top to bottom in waves of rich dark chocolate and decorated in rose-shaped frosting.

If you asked Kurogasa why he chose to work at a sweet shop, the answer was that he did it for the money. Ever since his mother fell ill, he had been taking one part-time job after another to help pay for the medical expenses. He had honestly lost count of how many jobs he had been working ever since he was old enough to start being able to take on jobs in the first place, and he could safely say he earned more than enough.

And if the cards fell right, his mother could get that operation. Then after that…

"Oi, kiddo!"

Kurogasa was torn from his musings and saw his boss approach. He desperately kept himself from bursting into laughter when he saw the small traces of frosting on his beard out of fear he'd get a fearsome left hook in response.

"What's up, boss?"

"You finished moving the supplies?"

The foreign exchange student nodded. "Yep. Everything's been packed and moved into storage."

"Good, good. Listen, I need you to do me a favor and run the night shift for me."

Immediately, Kurogasa's heart sank. The night shift last from eight till eleven PM, and by then the store may as well have been dead. Few, if any customers came to the shop at the dead of night. What was worse was the fact that the shop was located in one of the shadier parts of Prague. At such a dead hour, who knew what kind of unsavory individual would come waltzing in for god knows what? Not helping matters was that the news had recently aired a story about a break-in in the same neighborhood as the sweets shop, only adding to Kurogasa's worries.

And yet, despite wanting to scream and beg for his boss to reconsider, he forced a smile to his face and kept his hands in his pockets. "Sure. Is it the full shift or am I half-assing?"

"Full shift. I'll make sure you get paid overtime."

The boss smiled and patted him on the shoulder as he walked away. It was only after the man was gone that Kurogasa let his displeasure show on his face and hoped to the great Kami above that nothing was going to happen.

When I was younger, my father had gotten a promotion at the construction company he worked at. The problem was that he had to travel overseas. Instead of leaving by himself and returning to his family when given the opportunity, he decided we should get a brand new start all to ourselves. So, when it was time for him to leave for his new workplace, he took us with him.

It wasn't easy adjusting to Prague at first. It's bad enough that I didn't know a lick of English, but being the transfer student at an elementary school only made things worse. I could tell you a lot of stories about me growing up and dealing with bullies, mocking my bad English or the fact that a translator had to follow me everywhere, buuut I know how people hate listen to dark and troubled pasts, so let's just skip that.

One day, my father was killed in a construction accident. A steel beam had snapped from a cord and was landed right on top of him. After dad's death, my mother worked herself tirelessly to provide for us until she fell ill. And being the man of the house, I stepped up to the plate. I dropped out of college and took on part time jobs to help pay for mom's medical expenses.

As time passed, my mom's condition got worse. The silver lining was that I was so close to getting enough money to pay for an operation. If I could do that, then mom would be okay. So I gritted my teeth and did everything my bosses asked me.

It was during the damned night shift at the sweet shop that I met one of the two people I would forever call my best friend.

"God, Prague is so freaking creepy at night when its raining…" Kurogasa muttered to himself as he mopped the floors of the sweets shop. While his back did ache from how much he was bending over in order to get to those hard to reach spots, it didn't hurt nearly as much as when he had to move those damned boxes. The streets were dead quiet and few stores and buildings had their lights on, only adding to the creep factor.

In hindsight, maybe he should have checked and made sure the neighborhood in which he took jobs in were peaceful, beggers can't be choosers be damned.

The fact that he was the only person in the shop right now was not helping matters, either. It felt like he was about to set foot in a Five Nights at Freddy's scenario, and he sure as hell wasn't looking forward to becoming part of that sort of experience.

Kurogasa glanced at the clock and grimaced. It was only 9:50. An hour and ten minutes before he could clock out and return to his apartment building.

As he bemoaned his life choices and desperation for money and returned to his mopping, the bell atop the door chimed.

"Excuse me, you guys still open?"

Kurogasa looked up. Two women entered the shop, one of foreign features and the other a fellow countryman. The foreign woman had brown hair and eyes the color of steel, expression stony. His fellow Japanese was a fair bit shorter and perhaps rebellious, evident by the fact that she was sporting white streaks in her black hair.

"Uh, yeah." Kurogasa nodded lamely. "It's just me, though. Night shift and all. Welcome to Roy's Donuts and Cakes. What can I get for you guys?"

"Two orders of glazed donuts, plus three with sugar," the older woman told him. "And a chocolate fudge cake if you have any. It's fine if you don't."

Kurogasa nodded and set his mop aside. The two women took a seat at the counter while he made his way into the kitchen, where the items they had ordered were. All baked goods, once they were out of the oven, were to be placed in heated compartments and locked until someone came by and made the order. In the event somebody ordered a menu item, the cooks made at least a baker's dozen before the shop opened and placed them into the compartments. That way, when someone did make a menu order, they could just pull out the items from the compartment and hand them off with little fuss.

It was when someone made a custom order that things really got hectic. Kurogasa shuddered the last time he had been put on kitchen duty and the boss got into a heated argument with a customer who threw a fit because they made a custom order that didn't fit his criteria, despite the fact that they had filled the order down to the letter.

The brunette pulled out the keys to the heated compartments and undid the locks, proceeding to pull out the trays with the specified items. Carefully, Kurogasa removed the donuts and cake from the trays and placed them into the box before sliding the trays back into the compartments, locking them back up once again.

When he returned, he found the women conversing.

"I'm telling you, Pierson-sensei, it's a bad idea. Don't you remember the last time you paired Mary with Cody?" the girl with the white streaks deadpanned. "I'm still convinced Yukihara-sensei is still pissed at them."

"And I do not blame him," Pierson replied coolly. "However, Aldrich and Paterson need to sort out their issues with each other. If they are unable to do so by the due date, then I will take matters into my own hands."

Her charge looked unconvinced, but otherwise accepted Pierson's reasoning. Kurogasa had no idea what it was that they were talking about, but saw no reason to pry. If he did have to guess, Pierson was a school teacher or something. Actually, she looked a little familiar.

"Here you go," Kurogasa set the box down on the counter. "That'll be $20.34." Pierson handed him two bills, one $20 and the other $5. Setting the bills into the register, he did the math and pulled out the change, setting the bills and coins down on the counter. "Here's your change."

"Thanks a lot!" the girl beamed at him. "Pierson-sensei and I are throwing a small get together with one of our supervisors and a friend of mine for acing his exams."

"Ah, so a party? Hope you two have fun, then."

Pierson scoffed as though finding the idea funny, stuffing the change into her coat pocket before taking the box and leaving the store. The girl moved to follow her, but stopped and turned to look at Kurogasa, eyes curious.

He raised an eyebrow. "Was there something else you needed?"

"…this is probably gonna sound weird, but have we met before?" Kurogasa blinked. "I don't mean to be weird, but I swear, I've seen you before. Outta curiosity, do you go to Prague University?"

"Yeah, I do. Name's Kururugi, Kurogasa."

The girl's eyes widened before she grinned. "Aha! Knew I recognized you from somewhere. You were the guy who tripped up that stuck up prick. What was his name again? Kyle or something?"

The person she was referring to was Kyle Sutherland, one of the stuck-up senior students at the university. The stereotypical jock character at practically every school you could find pretty much everywhere with a brain to match. The incident she mentioned was honestly an accident on his part, one that resulted in what was both the most hilarious and most frightening moment of his life.

It happened by complete accident, mind you. Kurogasa had no idea that his feet were lagging behind since he was dead tired that day from working a morning shift at a thrift store before arriving to class. Kyle somehow managed to trip over his feet, caught on one of Kurogasa's and went stumbling face-first into a locker in the middle of the hallway. A picture perfect faceplant if there ever was one.

It was funny and karma at its finest. It was terrifying because the second Kyle recovered he was utterly livid and looked ready to throttle Kurogasa despite apologizing profusely. Were it not for the intervention of a teacher, chances were that the young Japanese student would be sporting a black eye that day. It was also fortunate that Kyle had changed schools the following week as part of an exchange program, so Kurogasa had no need to fear of retribution for a long while unless fate decided to be cruel.

"Again, I would like to point out, for the millionth time, that what happened that day was not entirely my fault," Kurogasa insisted while ignoring the shit-eating grin on his face. "Anyway, you go to the university too?"

The girl nodded. "Yep. Names' Kanai, Masaomi. I'm a cultural exchange student, and part of the Cultural Studies club."

"Oh, I think I know that one. The club supervisors are Pierson, Justinia and Yukihara, Kojiro, am I right?"

Masaomi nodded. "Yep. I joined last month, pretty much the day after I enrolled. Are you part of any clubs?"

"Nah, don't have the time. I work most of the time, and school's not really a major focus for me right now." Not when he had to support himself and care for his mother, but he wasn't going to tell a stranger that. "Anyway, shouldn't you catch up with your teacher?"

"Oh, right! My bad!" Masaomi quickly turned on her heel and bolted right out the door, though not before flashing Kurogasa a small grin. "See ya, Kurogasa-senpai!"

"Wait, what? H-hang on, I'm not a…" Kurogasa's protest faded when Masaomi vanished from view. He sighed. "I'm not her senior, though…"

At the time, I had no idea that the two people who walked into the store that day, much less the people I'd come to meet in the weeks to follow, would become so important to me.

I just wish things didn't turn out the way they did. But that doesn't matter. All I care about is protecting what I have.

I'll never let my precious people go ever again. If anyone gets in my way…

I'll crush them.


KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE:
EDGE OF DAWN


Part I: White Clouds

CHAPTER ZERO-TWO: The Bullet is Fired! The Boy Howls in this New World?!


Kurogasa stirred awake when he heard the sound of cackling thunder. "Ack! Who! What! Where!" His body leaped out of the bed and looked around wildly in search of the source behind the noise, only to stop dead in his tracks and stare. "…wait, what in the heck?"

He was not in the bus on its way to London, or even in his room as he thought. He had been in bed, but it was significantly bigger and comfortable. As for the room itself, it looked like the kind of room you would see in those movies featuring the nobility. An absurdly large mirror sat in the far corner of the room, a wooden dresser sitting next to it. Translucent white curtains draped over a window that was utterly open, revealing a blue sky covered in gray clouds and what looked like a settlement from the olden days.

"Where am I?" Kurogasa asked himself as he wracked his brain for answers. "I was talking with Masao and Cody, and then all of a sudden…"

"Good, you're awake." The teen looked up and saw the club supervisor, Justinia Pierson, standing in the doorway. Her face was remarkably neutral, though there was a certain look of relief in her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh, pretty good?" Kurogasa offered weakly. "I mean, I'm more confused than anything. Where are we?"

Justinia sighed, rubbing her temples. She looked tired. "I wish I knew." Kurogasa tilted his head. "It'd be better if I just showed you. Are you in any condition to move?"

He nodded. Admittedly, he did feel a little sluggish and light-headed, but he was fine for the most part. It wasn't like he was wounded or anything. He pulled himself out of the bed and followed his teacher out of the room. When he stepped out into the corridor of the home he was in, he couldn't help but stare.

Steel suits of armor, all reminiscent to those worn by European knights, lined the right side of the hall. The design was slightly different in that the pauldrons were round and a bit bigger compared to the other armor pieces and sported a combat skirt on either side of the waist. The floor was hardwood with dark blue carpet made with quality he could swear was Persian.

'Okaaay, either I'm in a recreation set, or I just set foot in a very expensive home.' Kurogasa sweatdropped. 'These things don't look like they're made out of shoddy material, either. How much must things be worth?'

He gulped and stepped away from the suits of armor. There was no way in hell he'd be able to pay off whatever damages he might have occurred from ruining those armors if he were to break them. He felt several degrees colder just thinking about the cost of so much as a single plate from the armor. He was sure his wallet could never even hope to a make a dent, no pun intended.

Justinia appeared to have walked through the halls before as she navigated them easily. Kurogasa followed after her, taking in the sights as they moved. The more he got to see of the place, the more he was unsure of where in the world they were. He was still trying to remember what happened on the bus, but the last thing he recalled was him talking about light novels and the isekai genre before something happened. For the life of him he couldn't remember what it was.

They eventually reached what he assumed was the main hall, which was as big as a fancy hotel lobby. A glass chandelier hanged from the ceiling, crafted with such expertise and care that Kurogasa swore it was made by a skilled ice sculptor and not from glass. On the wall behind the staircases leading down to the first floor was a giant painting showing a family. A group of children, as well as two teens, stood around an aging man with frost-white hair. The entire family was smiling, giving the impression they were all close to one another.

Seeing the portrait, Kurogasa's chest tighten. The smiling faces of his parents flashed in his mind.

"Ah, Lady Justinia!"

The teen snapped out of his reverie and saw the man from the portrait approaching. He looked slightly older, cheeks sunken and sporting a thicker mustache. He was wearing clothes that belonged in a Victorian recreation, white neck muffler around his neck and wearing a pale brown vest over a black buttoned shirt with frills along the cuffs and black dress pants.

The Cultural Research club's supervisor nodded her head. "Lord Lonato."

Lord?

Was this guy a noble or something? The man, Lonato, was about to speak to Justinia before she noticed Kurogasa and smiled wryly. "You're finally awake, I see. You gave your teacher a fright scare, young man. You were asleep for three whole days!"

His lips moved as he spoke, but his voice didn't match the movement at all. What the heck? He's speaking Japanese, but the way his lips are moving… It's like he's saying something else. Actually, hold on. That sounds really familiar for some reason. Don't the characters in the New World from the Overlord series do that do? I remember something like that being mentioned in the first volume.

His mind stopped when he fully registered what Lonato said and choked. "Did you just say I was out for three days?!" he cried in shock.

"You were." Justinia nodded stiffly. "I had thought you had gone into a coma or something. Anyway, introductions. This is Lonato Gildas Gaspard, the Lord of this territory."

"Territory?" Kurogasa felt his head spinning. "Wait, slow down! S-sensei, what happened? I remember being on the bus, but nothing after that. What happened?! A-and where are my friends? Where's Yukihara-sensei?!"

She sighed. "Unfortunately, I have no idea. By the time I came to, you were the only person I found. Unconscious as well. You weren't sporting any injuries and I assumed you were unconscious. I carried you into a town. Lord Lonato happened to be in the area offered us his aid."

"Unfortunately, my men have not reported finding anyone matching the descriptions you gave us." Lonato informed the two regrettably. "In truth, your circumstances are quite odd. However, you should be lucky. Had you found yourself anywhere else on Fódlan, you would have been likely subject to suspicion. Tensions are running high these days, what with Almyra growing bolder lately and the Kingdom still reeling from the Tragedy of Duscur."

Kurogasa's blood froze.

The terms Lonato used, the places he mentioned.

There was no way, right? Surely, he must have misheard things. There was no way this was actually happening. This was the kind of stuff that happened in novels, right?

Did… Did we get isekai'd?!


In the hours that followed this shocking revelation, Kurogasa had spent the majority of that time still recovering from shock. He had always fantasized about being in situations like this; being transported into another world alongside his friends and living out some kind of grand adventure. On more than one occasion had he always dreamt of what life would be like if he was sent to Fiore and became part of the Fairy Tail guild.

But that was all it was, just daydreams and wishful thinking that could never come to pass.

Reality was staring him dead in the face. This wasn't some recreation or LARPER's fantasy. The proof was right here. Whenever someone spoke, they spoke in fluent Japanese as if it was their native tongue in spite of their mouths not matching their words. And it was not just Japanese, either. Justinia had confessed that she heard them speaking in perfect Taiwanese. Somehow, whatever language they were speaking was translated to them and relayed back into their native tongue.

If it was not the language, it was the surroundings. The patience and careful craftsmanship it took to creating the towns of yore was always a difficult and delicate task to accomplish. The manor in which Lonato resided, the houses made from sticks, bricks and stones were made with great care and hard work. Even out in the fields, he saw men in full-plated armor swinging weapons with little issue whatsoever. Some were wearing the heavy-set armor that donned Lonato's halls, and they didn't look light whatsoever.

The more he took in the sights and the people, whose facial features were utterly foreign in a day and age where practically everyone knew what somebody else looked like, and their attire, which matched what one might expect from the dark ages, the clearer it became.

Kurogasa Kururugi was in another world with his friends and teachers.

And for the second time in his life, he was terrified.

Daydreaming about it was one thing, but experiencing it was another thing entirely. Granted, his life back home wasn't exciting and was always filled with the struggle of supporting himself financially with one job after another. He could honestly say he did not miss the nagging of his landlady demanding more money from him.

But in this new world, in an unfamiliar place he knew absolutely nothing. He was ripped away from his daily life, and worse, all of his friends were either missing or… He didn't want to think about the alternative. He was sincerely hoping everyone was someplace else, maybe scattered across the continents.

Another reason why Kurogasa wasn't thrilled about this was because of the possibilities. First off, a bunch of students in college got ripped from their world and dumped into another one. Secondly, this world was medieval at its finest, and if what Lonato had explained during the time he was digesting his current situation was of any indication, then Fódlan had some rather bloody beginnings.

The Ten Elites, the King of Liberation, the Goddess…

I swear, if we got dragged into this place to fight some evil god, fight monsters or we gotta deal with a zombie Nemesis, I will find whoever dragged us here and punch them in the goddamn throat!

As he raged in his mind about the unholy torture and hellfire he would reign on those responsible for his plight, he failed to see the object coming straight for him until it was too late. "Ghack?!" Something smashed straight into his face and threw him to the ground, laid out on his back and clutching his now bruised nostrils. "Owh! Mhogher phuzz bhugchket! Whaph hiph mhe?!"

"Sorry!" the one responsible for the attack apologized. Pulling himself upright, he saw a kid with pale blue hair running up to him. He couldn't have been any older than twelve or thirteen. "I didn't think I kicked the ball that hard!"

"Ball?" Kurogasa looked down. Sure enough, the object that struck him was a ball made entirely out of rubber. He scooped the ball up and handed it back to the boy. "Here. Try not to kick it so hard next time, yeah?"

At the very least, the kid looked sheepish. "Yeah, really sorry about that." He looked at Kurogasa curiously. "Say, aren't you that foreigner that Dad took in?"

"Your dad?" Kurogasa paused to think for a moment. "Oh, you mean you're Lonato-san's kid?"

"Adopted, but yeah. Same with my sis and our big brother Ashe!" the kid beamed. "He's studying at the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach. He's so lucky. I really wanted to go there, but I'm not old enough yet."

"The Officer's Academy?"

"It's a school run by the Central Church and is overseen by the Archbishop herself." Kurogasa and the kid turned to their side, the latter beaming when he saw Lonato approaching. "It's also part of the Garreg Mach Monastary, surrounded by mountain regions on all sides. It is also located in the very center of Fódlan."

"Dad!" the kid beamed as he ran up to Lonato. The father smiled brightly as he scooped the boy into his arms. "Are you done with your meeting already?"

"I had to discuss some things with Lord Gautier, so it wasn't long." Lonato told him before turning to Kurogasa. "I hope my son didn't bother you too much. Half the time I don't know what to do with him. So much energy!"

"Daaaaaaad!" the boy pouted, cheeks puffed indignantly.

Lonato and Kurogasa laughed at his expression. Kurogasa shook his head. "No, it was fine. Honestly, I just met him. He was telling me his big brother was attending the Academy. By the way, earlier you said Central Church. Does that mean there's more than one branch or…?"

"Indeed. The Church of Seiros is divided into five branches. The Central Church is where most of its political power and leadership resides. The Western Church is located here in the Kingdom of Faerghus, focusing mostly on monetary issues and helping the order of knights keep the peace. The Eastern Church is the weakest of the five, lacking in both manpower and faith on account of the strained relationship between the Church of Seiros and the Adrestian Empire. The Southern and Northern Churches, on the other hand, are more diverse and focus mainly on circulating texts of the faith and seeking out potential new students for the Officer's Academy."

Kurogasa hummed. "I see. So each branch has it's own purpose?"

"Yes, though these days, the Central Church holds the most power." There was a hidden bite in Lonato's words when he spoke of the Central Church. Kurogasa almost missed it and couldn't help but wonder if the man had a bad history with the Central Church or the Church of Seiros as a whole. "But, enough about that. How are you settling in? I imagine learning you were taken from your homeland without warning is enough to make any man worry."

"I'm…doing better now, but thank you." the brunette assured him. "Actually, have you seen Pierson-sensei anywhere?"

"I believe Lady Justinia is at the apothecary's shop." Lonato pointed down the road in the village. "Just head straight down this path. The apothecary's store is the last building on the left."

"Thanks!"

Kurogasa bowed his head and left to find Justinia. As much as he would have loved to learn more about Fódlan's history and the politics, as well as the general feelings about foreigners in the country, they needed to work out some kind of plan. More than that, they needed information. They couldn't just sit around and wait for everything to come to them or dawdle on their thumbs. They had to work out some sort of plan going forward; where to start looking, what to avoid while out on the road, who they could trust, etc.

If there was anyone he trusted to figure something out, it was Justinia Pierson. She was level-headed, calm and collected. At times, she could be an ungodly terror when provoked, but she was always reliable as well. That, and if what he heard was true, then she had some sort of military experience. Whether or not that was true, he couldn't be sure.

At the very least, she would have a better of what to do than he would.

It didn't take long to find the apothecary nor was it very hard to find, what with the wooden sign hanging above the door showing a bottle. He played enough video games to understand what it meant, or at least he hoped he did. It wasn't as though he could treat this place as a video game.

God forbid if this world did have video game mechanics. He would have "noped" the fuck out of here if it did.

Hoping he was correct in his guess, Kurogasa pushed the door open. A bell chimed in response to his intrusion and was greeted with the bittersweet smell of herbs. A counter sat in full view in the middle of the room, the left side of the wall covered by shelves with an assortment of bottles and items. In the far back, a cauldron was sitting over an open flame.

The club supervisor was with a woman wearing a brown apron and white cap in the back of the store. The woman who Kurogasa assumed was the store owner was showing Justinia a bottle filled with a clear blue liquid inside.

"So, you're saying this stuff acts like a healing agent?" Justinia held the bottle up in the sunlight and studied it from various angles. "How does it work?"

"The effects usually vary depending on the quality of the ingredients, but the short of it is that the vulnerary reacts to the slightest damage on the skin, like an open cut or a bruise," the owner told her. "It takes a couple of seconds for it to kick in, but it'll heal up the wound easily. For the record, contrary to what people think, it can't re-attach someone's limb or fix a bloody stump. It doesn't matter how good the quality, it isn't a miracle worker."

"I see…"

Kurogasa felt a little awkward walking in on the two. It was clear they were in the middle of discussing something important, so maybe he should just-

"Oh, welcome!"

Too late, he was found.

"I didn't mean to interrupt." Kurogasa apologized immediately. "I can come back another time."

"You're fine, Kururugi." Justinia assured him, handing the vulnerary back to the apothecary. "I was just asking Miss Karin about the currency here in Fódlan."

"I have to admit, it isn't every day we get outsiders." Karin smiled. "Lady Justinia was telling me all about Europe. It sounds like a very wonderful place. Though I do have to wonder, Sir Kurogasa, are you from another country as well? I noticed your features are different from Lady Justinia's."

The brown-haired teen nodded. "I was born in Japan, originally. It's pretty different from Europe." And from this world in general, considering his was incredibly more advanced. Then again, he had yet to see the other countries and continents that surrounded Fódlan. Now that she mentioned it, he was curious to know what she meant earlier. "I remember Lonato-san saying that Fódlan doesn't have a good relationship with other countries?"

"It's complicated." Karin sighed. "Ever since the founding of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, we've had something of an unusual relationship with other countries. Some foreign nations are vassal states to one of the ruling powers here on the continent, but the others haven't really attempted to make contact with us, nor we with them. Most of that is because of Almyra, our rowdy neighbors to the East. They attack Fódlan's borders every year, despite each attempt usually ending in failure."

Justinia frowned. "Are they at war with the countries here?"

The apothecary shook her head. "Not at all, actually. To be honest, I'm not really sure why Alymra continues to attack us. I think it's because they're a warrior nation. From what I've heard, whether they win or lose, they always celebrate after a battle."

Kurogasa sweatdropped. "So, they're a bunch of battle maniacs then?"

"I suppose." Karin shrugged. "At any rate, because of Almyra, a lot of people don't have a good view of foreigners in general, much less the Church of Seiros. You're lucky you found your way to Lord Lonato, he's such a good man." Suddenly, the woman sighed sadly. "It's a shame he and the Church have been at odds with one another lately."

"How do you mean?" Kurogasa asked curiously.

"A few years ago, Lord Lonato's eldest son, Cristophe, was executed by the Church of Seiros on grounds of treason and rebellion against the Central Church." The teen gasped in shock. Justinia remained stone-faced. "Ever since, Lord Lonato has had little contact with the Central Church. The only time he ever contacted them after his son's death was to enroll his second eldest child at the Officer's Academy. Although…"

"Although?" Justinia leaned in. "Is there something else?"

Karin frowned and glanced around the shop, almost as though she was checking to see if anyone was eavesdropping on them. She then turned back to the two and lowered her voice to a hush whisper.

"I don't know if this is true or not, but there's a rumor going around that Lord Christophe was being manipulated by the Western Church."

"The Western Church?" Kurogasa recalled them from Lonato's lecture earlier. They focused on monetary matters and peace-keeping if he remembered correctly. "Why would they do that?"

"It's no secret that the Cardinal of the Western Church has been at odds with Archbishop Rhea. I'm uncertain as to why, but ever since the Tragedy of Duscur, relations between the Central and Western Churches have been sour."

"I've heard that mentioned before, but what is the Tragedy of Duscur exactly?" Justinia inquired.

Karin's shoulders sagged and spoke normally. "It was a horrible time. Four years ago, several imperial officials, noblemen and royal alike, were assassinated during a diplomatic mission in Duscur. Among those slain was King Lambert. Since the deaths occurred in Duscur, the Kingdom was quick to blame the people of Duscur and annexed the nation. What followed afterwards was the reason why the events from four years ago are called a tragedy."

"They were discriminated and blamed, and made to suffer for it." Justinia surmised. "Fódlan already had a bad view of outsiders. What happened back then only intensified those feelings."

"I'm afraid so. Worse is that it was this same incident that robbed Lord Christophe of his life." Karin nodded somberly. "He was thought to be part of the assassination plot, as well as thought to be a member of a group who were plotting against the Church of Seiros."

"But, that was all conjecture, wasn't it?" Kurogasa said. "They didn't have any proof."

"They did, I'm afraid. On Christophe's person was a letter. While we don't know what was written in that letter, the evidence it contained was damning enough for Archbishoph Rhea to order his death. Ever since, Lord Lonato has despised the Central Church."

There was little else to say afterwards. As if to reflect the sudden depressing atmosphere, the dark clouds that blanketed the sky had hid the sun away. Thunder cackled and boomed. Not long afterwards, the sky began to weep.


Days went by. How long, Kurogasa really couldn't say. In that time, he had grown wary but accustomed to his surroundings and helped the townsfolk of Gaspard as much as he could. While Lonato told him it wasn't necessary, he didn't want to just lay about and do nothing and waste his kindness.

Besides, he really needed something to do.

He performed all sorts of menial tasks, from plowing the fields with the farmers to helping Karin with her store whenever she needed it or even running errands. The trips usually took a whole day on horseback, which in itself was a trial due to a recent discovery in this new world.

Namely, horses didn't like him at all.

"Seriously, what do they have against me?!" Kurogasa raged as he glared at one such stallion that he swore was glaring back at him with equal hate. "I haven't even so much as touched a horse until I got here!"

Justinia grunted. "Less talk, more working."

"Yes, sensei…"

Teacher and student were currently helping in the stables where the war horses were being kept. Though times were peaceful, the threat of monster attacks or bandits had the soldiers and militia on their toes. Every day without fail, rain or shine, the men were out in the fields practicing drills and exercises, sometimes in full-plated armor. Their dedication was awe-inspiring as was their strength to even so much as don the armor.

Kurogasa had tried to exercise with them at least once. To his dismay, he could barely move with the armor on much less swing an ax without falling flat on his ass. Swords were a bit lighter, but his swings were always clumsy to the point where he almost ended up falling flat on his face. He found better luck with a spear, though his only gripe was that he had an unhealthy tendency to smack himself with the shaft of the spear when swinging it.

Though it was clear he was utter horse shite with a weapon, that didn't mean he was going to give up. He still followed through with the exercises and did his best to keep up. It was hell, but damned if he was just going to sit around and do nothing. Besides, the time would eventually come when they would have to leave Gaspard in search of their friends.

The plan was to play the waiting game. They would wait at least another week for news to arrive about the whereabouts of their fellows before deciding to search for them on their own. They would also strengthen themselves and stock up on the journey ahead. Justinia insisted that they take Lonato's warnings about the dangers of the road ahead and pushed to train their bodies to handle whatever kind of enemies they would face.

One thing Kurogasa wasn't looking forward to was the fact that he may have to kill any bandit that came at him. His stomach rumbled in displeasure at the thought and didn't want to even entertain the idea, but Justinia wanted pound it in his head that this wasn't their world anymore. Wherever they were now, new world or no, there would be people in this day and age that wouldn't think twice about killing them and taking everything they owned from their corpse. He needed to learn to fight back and defend himself, and if that meant learning how to kill someone, so be it.

It was cold and harsh, but he knew she was right. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

Kurogasa grumbled and silently seethed in his frustration with the war horse that had been causing him trouble for the past two days whenever he attempted to ride it as part of his training routine, grabbing two large bales of hay and throwing them over his shoulders. He left the barn and turned the corner where the bales would be placed for the time being until the farm worker decided to what to do with them.

Setting the bales down, he wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at the manor he was staying in and saw one of Lonato's children rushing past the window, siblings chasing after them.

Must be nice to have siblings, Kurogasa thought to himself before pausing.

The window revealing Lonato's Study revealed what Kurogasa swore was a plague doctor. He was garbed in white-and-red robes, at least several sizes too big for him, an avian mask with a long and narrow beak and round black eyes hiding his true face. The hood pulled over his head was tall and pointed like a certain infamous group of white-robed men from America's past.

Who in the heck is that…?

"Oy, Kuurogazza! Get yer arse back in here and help the lady, will ya?!"

"Oh, for-! It's pronounced ku-ro-ga-sa! How many times I gotta repeat it, you old wingbat?!"


Unbeknownst to Kurogasa, the young man was currently being watched. From the corner of his eye, the Cardinal of the Western Church watched him as he returned to the barn.

"It seems the rumors I heard were true after all. Some wayward foreigners have come under you care after all."

Lonato glared at the Cardinal. "They are none of your concern, regardless of what sort of stance you or the Church of Seiros has. If you've come to waste my time by stating the obvious, leave."

"No need to be so hostile, Lonato. I didn't come just to see some outsiders. Rather, I came to ask if you considered my offer."

The Cardinal smiled underneath his mask when he saw Lonato's angry face falter for just a moment. It was brief, but it was there. A moment of hesitance and weakness, the small crack he had been watching fester and grow for a while now.

"As much as I despise the Central Church, I am far from a fool." Lonato snapped. "Raising arms against them is foolhardy. And even if I did rally behind you and your group of radicals, what makes you think we would stand a chance? A battle against the Knights of Seiros is the same as challenging a mountain. We would be slaughtered long before we could begin the march towards Garreg Mach."

"While your fears are well-founded, rest assured. The Western Church made some rather intriguing allies who share in our disdain with Rhea. They've even offered us the means in which we can overthrow the Central Church."

The lord of Gaspard raised a brow. "You expect me to believe such nonsense?" he scoffed. The thought was dismissed the moment the Cardinal spoke of it. "The Knights of Seiros are as skilled as they are powerful when brought forth as an army. And need I remind you that Thunderstrike Cassandra is among their number?"

"Even a Relic holds little power over what we possess." Despite Lonato's insistence, the Cardinal was confidant.

He stared at the robed man, brow creased in thought. It was clear that he was now debating the pros and cons. The Cardinal made sure he didn't specify what kind of allies he made or what power they offered, only that it would allow them to stand on par with the likes of the Thunderbrand's wielder. He couldn't disclose such information just yet, though. He couldn't be too hasty and jump the gun. If he revealed his hand and Lonato was not convinced, he could jeopardize his plan well before it could begin.

The seeds were planted. He just needed to water them and let them grow more and more until he finally had another worthwhile pawn.

"…I will give the matter some thought. I still say you are a madman."

The Cardinal chuckled. "Say what you will, Lonato. I will take my leave for now." He turned around and made his way for the door. Just as he put his hand on the doorknob, he turned and gave one last shot at the crumbling armor, one more doubt to plant in Lonato's mind. "But, before I go…ask yourself this. Wouldn't your son want you to avenge him?"

Lonato's seething glare, still full of doubt and uncertainty, gave him his answer. He opened the door and shut it closed behind him.

"That didn't sound like it went very well~" the nun at his side commented with a wry grin as she walked with him. "Isn't he being just a tad bit too stubborn?"

"Doubt is already well within his mind, my lady. Sooner or later, he'll come around. In fact, I believe we're in need of one last push." The Cardinal looked at his companion. "What better way to have Lonato come around to us by shattering his faith in the Knights of Seiros one final time…by being unable to save his precious vassals?"

The nun grinned. "What do you have in mind?"

"If I may be so bold, might I borrow a Magia or two?"

"Oh, you are evil! I'm beginning to see why Thales took such an interest in you. A shame you're a beast."

The Cardinal chuckled. "Even a beast can have his uses, Lady Kronya."


"I'm afraid there still hasn't been any word of your friends yet." Lonato informed Justinia and Kurogasa regrettably. "My men have sent word to other neighboring villages and towns nearby, but it seems even they don't know anything. If I must, I will contact the Central Church and see if they know of anything."

"No, it's fine. There's no need for you to go that far, Lord Lonato." Justinia assured him. "You've done more than enough for us these past two weeks."

Despite her assurances, Lonato still felt bad that he was unable to help these two. "Again, I am truly sorry."

"Thank you for looking out for us, Lonato-san." Kurogasa bowed deeply. "If I ever get the chance, I'll make sure to repay this debt."

"There's no need for that, Kurogasa. However, should you find yourself back here during your travels, don't be a stranger."

The young man nodded. Words could not describe how indebted he felt towards Lonato for offering them his home and giving them so much. Though they already received some gifts and supplies from the villagers, the lord had seen fit to give them a sizable stipend of funds. Just enough to last them for a month or so if they conserved their wares.

Some of those funds went into offering them new clothing as well as equipment to handle any bandit they met while on the road.

Though Kurogasa still kept his beanie and scarf, he wore a cotton shirt with a blue coat lined with fur along the collar and cuffs alongside a pair of brown pants and knee-high boots. His wrists were guarded by steel plates along his forearms with a leather spaulder on his right shoulder. Strapped to his waist was a leather belt with a sheathe for a pair of daggers, the only weapons he could use safely.

Justinia was dressed similarly, albeit her coat enclosed in contrast to Kurogasa's being left open and spilt into two coat tails near the waist and lacked the fur lining. She wore gauntlets and greaves along with a belt outfitted with a sheathe for a sword. A metal breastplate protected the front of her body, albeit covering the upper torso and leaving her abdomen unguarded. A yellow knitted scarf wrapped around her neck, a gift from one of Lonato's children to help protect her against the cold.

"When will you be leaving?" Lonato asked.

Justinia folded her arms. "First thing tomorrow morning. I hate to impose on you one last time, though."

"It's fine. In truth, my children have grown quite fond of you two." Lonato smiled.

He wished Christophe could have met these two.

Just as he was about to retire for the day and the two about to leave, the door into his study was thrown open as a soldier rushed in, face ashen and eyes wide with fright. "Lord Lonato! I bring dire news!"

"What? What's happened?!" Lonato sprung to his feet, face as cold as ice.

"Monsters are marching their way towards the village as we speak, milord! I-I've never seen any of their like before! They aren't Demonic Beasts or Giant Wolves or Hawks, either! T-they look as though they're made of steel! They massacred an entire patrol!"

Lonato growled. "Damnation, of all the times…"

"W-what do we do?!"

"As much as I hate to say it, take a messenger and head for the nearest outposts of the Knights of Seiros! Inform them of what's happening, and be quick!"

"Understood, sir!"

The knight left the study as quickly as his legs could carry him, leaving only Justinia and Kurogasa. The two shared a look between one another, as if speaking an unspoken conversation with each other, before turning towards Lonato.

"Let us help you." Justinia said.

Lonato stared at the two in bewilderment. "Are you certain? I mean no disrespect towards either of you, but compared to my men…"

Kurogasa knew what he was getting at. Based on what he had just heard, danger was lurking ever closer to the village and with it the real threat of dying. Despite that, he wanted to help. Yes, his skills and fighting ability may be subpar when compared to the militia under Lonato's command, but he would be damned if he wouldn't aid the man who helped them during their time of need when he needed it most.

Even if all he could offer was meager support, he wanted to help Lonato in any way he could.

Likewise, Justinia wished to offer her own strengths to Lonato. Though her combat ability was marginally better than Kurogasa's own, because of her own personal history and training from her father during her teenage years, even she was willing to admit that the militia was stronger than she was. Yet regardless, it did not sit well for her to simply stand by on the sidelines and do nothing. The townspeople had offered their aid when they needed it, and she wished to repay such kindness by defending it.

She imagined Kojiro or her other students would have felt the same in their position.

Though hesitant, Lonato found himself unable to refuse either of them. He had a feeling he would need all the help he could possibly get, all the strength he could muster. Somehow, deep in his aging and weary bones, he could feel it.

A storm was approaching. One that threatened to sweep him and everyone off their feet.


It did not take them long to mobilize and move out. Kurogasa gripped the twin daggers he carried on his person tightly, knuckles white and eyes focused dead ahead of him. The war horse carried him and several others on the cart rushed as fast as it could, its rider going at high speeds.

His stomach was uneasy as he was nauseous. Up until today, he had never thought he would ever find himself wielding a weapon or heading into battle, but ever since finding himself here on Fódlan, he experienced several firsts. And it was not just him who felt nervous. Around him were the veteran soldiers beneath the lord of Gaspard's command, some garbed in leather equipment with a sword or bow and others carrying axes and spears while dressed in heavy armor, all of whom were looking at the road leading to the unknown enemy with trepidation.

They knew not of what awaited them, only that whatever it was that claimed their comrade's lives, it was dangerous. They had to stop it before it came to their home.

Kurogasa knew he was weaker than all of them here. Painfully aware. Part of him doubted whether or not he could be of any use, but quickly banished those thoughts from his mind. He could not afford to be distracted when danger was just around the corner. All he could do was pray for the best.

He glanced at Justinia Pierson. In contrast to the others around her, her face was even and unchanging as if it was set in stone. Her eyes were focused, her hand firmly on the handle of her sword. Out of all of those present, she was the only one who looked born and bred to enter battle.

I wonder if it's because of her military training…? Kurogasa thought to himself.

The dreadful silence continued to reign over the amassed welcoming committee until the war horse came to a halt.

"There it is!"

Kurogasa looked at the monster that threatened Gaspard and could only stare at it in shock and disbelief.

"What in the hell…"

Its form was humanoid, body made entirely of metal with a belt strapped to its waist. Red blades sat over its chest and curved over its shoulders like wings. The way the armor was designed made him think of a lizard or reptile, the armor on its forearms and front legs resembling scales and its face protected by a red helm, the lower half being its mouth and revealing sharp jagged fangs.

It was a machine, he could tell as much. And yet, it's existence defied all explanation and logic. He had thought that Fódlan belonged to a world of medieval fantasy, but now Kurogasa doubted what he did know.

Immediately, the militia, the student and the teacher took out their weapons as they disembarked from the cart. They fell into a formation, Justinia at the forefront and Kurogasa at the back. Those with spears and bows made up the back line while any in heavy armor with an ax and sword were at the front.

"Remember to stay in formation!" the captain reminded them, his armor distinct from the others in that it had blue accents along its waist and shoulders. "Archers and spearman, stay in the back! We can't let this thing get too close!"

"Kururugi." Justinia glanced at him from over her shoulder. "Don't panic. Remember to stay calm. If you lose your cool, you'll die."

He gulped and nodded. "Y-yes, sensei."

"KILL…"

A warped and metallic groan echoed from the monster's mouth as it approached, fingers twitching.

The militia readied themselves for battle. "Here it comes!"

It raised its head and released a bloodcurdling scream that would haunt Kurogasa and any who would survive this battle for days to come.

"KILL ALL BEASTS!"

With inhuman speed befitting its unnatural body, the monster lunged at the nearest target. Its claws tore straight through the man's armor as if it was paper. Steel was ripped apart, but it was only by luck that such claws had not breached the flesh underneath the armor. Startled and shaken, the soldier backed away in haste. Another took this opportunity to strike and thrust his sword into the monster's waist, only for it to jumped right over him and strike at his unprotected backside.

Kurogasa watched in horror as its hand pushed into the man's back and emerged out from his chest, blood flying through the air and caking the monster's arm in red. The man's expression shifted into pain and horror, gasping for breath before the monster, its arm still in his chest, threw him aside like a paper weight.

The man was sent flying through the air and came back down with a sickening crunch, neck bent in a way that could not be possible. He was dead the second his neck hit the ground.

Roaring in anger, two soldiers rushed in to avenge their comrade and broke formation. They aimed their spears for the creature's head. The blades never even reached far enough to the tips to touch it as the monster grabbed the spears with its hands and pulled their owners into the air, causing them to hold onto their weapons for dear life. With another horrifying screech, the metal monstrosity threw the spears and their owners into a tree.

It then turned its attention to the remaining twelve soldiers. It reached for the blades on its chest piece, removing them and wielding them in both hands.

"You monster!"

An armored man rushed forward, screaming rage and charged at his enemy with ax in hand. "You fool!" the captain cursed. "Don't rush in blindly!"

"Diiie!"

He swung his ax at the monster. The metal creature parried the blow easily with its left blade and countered with its right one, swinging it at his leg. It cut clean through the armor and severed his leg with ease. The armored man cried painfully as he lost his balance, falling to the ground and clutching his bloody stump, screaming all the while.

Those screams were silenced when the creature lopped off his head. Kurogasa cried and jumped away when the armored man's head, still sitting in its helm, bounced at his feet. He tripped and stumbled, falling flat on his arse and staring at the severed head in fear.

"Oh, Goddess protect us…" one of the men whimpered, inching away from the monster that had slaughtered his comrades with ease.

The captain gritted his teeth, veins bulging in anger but helpless to avenge his men. Even he, who once fought at Lonato's side to quell the unrest that began in Gaspard following the Tragedy of Duscur and slain countless Demonic Beasts that threatened the town, found himself unsure of how to fight this creature.

"What do we do…?"


From the shadows, the Cardinal watched the slaughter with great pleasure. This was working out better than he could have ever hoped. He had not seen the power of the Magia until today, but he now saw the beauty and destruction they possessed. Bodies of steel, capable of feats even the strongest warriors could only dream of replicating, and wielding power beyond the realm of men…

He was starting to see it for himself as to why Lady Kronya thought he and the rest of those who inhabited Fódlan as beasts. With such power as this in their possession, they may as well have been sheep herded into the pen, ready for slaughter.

"That's it, Kuehne. Kill every last one of them," he laughed in the silence of the shadows. "And for each you kill, bring Lonato closer to us, so that we may unravel the disgusting truth of the Central Church and that false Archbishop!"


We're going to die.

That was the only thing Kurogasa could think as he stared at the decapitated head and the headless corpse it came from not far from him. From its neck was a pool of blood, rapidly expanding with each passing second.

Ahead of him, he heard the sounds of battle and the sounds of screams. He didn't dare look up, afraid that if he did, he would be greeted with a much worse sight. And yet he had no choice but to look. Against his will, his eyes turned away from the head and to the Kuehne Magia that was laying waste to the militia.

Each swing of its red blades either brought death or crippled a soldier for the rest of their lives. The heavy armor that protected them was like butter, easily destroyed by either its claws or its blades. Red continued to splatter across the ground and fly through the air like a fountain.

Oh god, oh god we're gonna die. Kurogasa continued to tremble in fear. He couldn't move. His body was rooted to the ground. I-I can't move at all. My arms and legs feel like lead! We have to get out of here! But, if we leave this thing alone and it reaches Gaspard…!

He didn't know what to do. What was he supposed to do in this situation?

"Kururugi!"

Steel grinded in front of him. In his fright-induced daze, the Kuehna Magia set its sights on him and attempted to cut him down. Justinia's back was facing him, her sword struggling to withstand the pressure.

"S-Sensei?" Kurogasa said dumbly. "What-"

Justinia glared at him. "You idiot, get on your feet! You-!"

That was as far as she got before blood splurted from her mouth. Kurogasa's eyes widened in horror when he saw the blade carve through her body. A second passed.

The sword fell from her hands. Her body struck the ground in a heap, blood pooling on the ground. She made no move to get back up.

"S…sensei?"

Kurogasa stared weakly at her corpse before looking back up at the Magia, its swords raised to cut him down.

It swung.

He screamed.

The world shattered.


"Huh? What is…"

Kurogasa stared blankly at the black void staring in front of him. He had no idea what happened or why he was here. His mind felt empty as though he wasn't staring death in the face moments ago.

"Where is this place…?" Kurogasa's voice echoed in the void. He looked around, finding nothing but pitch black surrounding his whole field of vision. All he could see was himself and nothing else. Not even the ground on which he stood on. "Did I…die? Or, is this the part where my life is flashing before my eyes?"

"You aren't dead."

A voice called out to him from behind. He turned and saw a woman approaching. Behind her was an ornate throne made of stone, something that wasn't there previously. Her slender frame was hidden by black robes, a hood pulled over her head with lime-green hair spilling out from underneath. He couldn't see her face beneath the shadows of the hood.

"Death isn't your fate just yet, Kurogasa Kururugi."

The young man stared at her. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"I am…" the woman started to say, but stopped herself. She sighed. "I no longer remember my name. If I hold a name, I have long forgotten it. If you must call me something, call me… The End."

"The…End?"

Well, that wasn't ominous at all.

"This is my domain. Time has ceased to flow for now. Soon, the hands of time will be pulled back."

The woman stepped closer towards him. She stretched out her hand, offering the weapons she was holding to him. At first, he thought it was a pair of handguns. On a second glance, they were handguns albeit oddly shaped. They had a trigger and a grip, but the body was bigger and had a slot in the far back. There was no slider or safety. The body of the gun was also strange in that there was a clear-view panel over the slot, and the gun's body painted blue. They honestly looked more like toys than a weapon.

"When time resumes, you must decide." The End looked at him. "Whether to fight or die. Which will you choose? Be warned that if you choose to fight, you will face a great hardship."

Kurogasa stared at the gun. The memory of his teacher being cut down in front of him, his crippling fear and the sight of the militia all dying.

He thought about his mother. About his friends. The people he wanted to see again.

"…I really don't get what you're saying, but if I use this, I'll be able to protect those guys?" Kurogasa asked. She nodded.

There was no more room for debate. Without hesitation, he grabbed the guns from her. They felt oddly comfortable in his grip. He heard the sound of something cracking apart coming all around him. As the void started to crumble, he saw The End smile sadly.

"I'm sorry I brought you all into this. I wish it could have been different, but…" She fell silent and shook her head. Just as the world came undone and his mind fading again to silence, he heard her say one last thing.

"Please. Save everyone."


"Kururugi!"

Kurogasa jumped. His brain kickstarted back into working order the second he heard his sensei cry out for him. Once again, he found himself on the ground and staring at his teacher as she fruitlessly tried to defend him from the Kuehna Magia's attack. He saw the sword in her hand start to crack from the pressure.

It took him only a minute to realize what just happened. Holy shit, did I just get Re:Zero'ed?!

No, wait! Focus!

He looked down at the weapons in his hands. The weird guns. He just hoped they actually had something in them that would save their asses.

"Sensei, get down!"

Justinia looked at him and her eyes widened, seeing him take aim with one of the guns. She quickly backed off and fell to the side just as he pulled the trigger. Oddly, he felt no recoil. The gun was loaded as he had hoped, but the ammunition was odd in that what came out from the barrel were yellow bolts were released from the gun.

Unlike what few times the militia managed to land a hit, the bolts and bullets landed and struck perfectly. It even caused the Magia to stumble back, recoiling from the hail of bullets.

"Catch!" Kurogasa threw the spare gun her way as he rose to his feet. He looked at the weapon in his hands. Okay, so it works. But how much ammo does it have? What even is this thing, anyway?!

SHOTRISER ACTIVATION RECOGNIZED
CONNECTION TO RISE NETWORK ESTABLISHED
BOOT-UP SEQUENCE ENGAGED

Kurogasa blinked as blue words began to appear in his field of vision. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Justinia stare at the gun in shock, her eyes flickering bright yellow with circuits running into her pupils.

"W-what in the actual-"

ALL SYSTEMS GREEN
READING BIOMETRIC DATA
…CONFIRMED
LOCKING IN DATA
CONGRATULATIONS, KUROGASA KURURUGI
YOU ARE AN AUTHORIZED USER OF THE RIDER SYSTEM
BEGINNING CALIBRATION
PLEAE LOCK-IN PROGRISE KEY

"Progrise Key…?"

It was then that Kurogasa felt an unusual weight in his pocket. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the added weight, staring at what he swore was some kind of weird cassette tape with a wolf on it.

Justinia had done something similar, removing a yellow item from her coat. Whereas his had a wolf, hers bore a cheetah.

"Wait, the slot…?"

Kurogasa looked at the tape, then back at the gun. Just as he was about to insert it, he saw the Magia rush at him, infuriated for his transgression. He panicked and jumped away, evading the swing and putting some distance between them.

Whether it was by intuition or his body working on its own, he gripped the Progrise Key with both hands, pulling at the faceplate until it finally slid open, revealing a wolf's skeletal frame. The Kuehna Magia attempted to attack him again, but it was stopped by more gunfire. This time by Justinia, unwilling to allow this monster to harm her precious student and opened fire on its exposed backside.

The Magia stumbled, giving the two the time they needed as they pressed the buttons on top of their respective keys.

[Bullet!]

[Dash!]

Kurogasa slammed the Progrise Key into the slot of the ShotRiser. Likewise, Justinia did the same, though in contrast to Kurogasa she flipped the faceplate open after the Key was inserted into the gun.

[Authorise!]

PROGRISE KEY AUTHORIZATION RECOGNIZED
CALIBRATIONS COMPLETE
THE TARGET IS THE KUEHNA MAGIA
BEGIN THE MISSION

[KAMEN. RIDER. KAMEN. RIDER. KAMEN. RIDER. KAMEN. RIDER.]

"Henshin!" teacher and student cried as one, pulling the trigger.

[ShotRise!]

Twin bullets were sent flying. Rather than fly in a singular path, they darted around the air and struck at the Magia relentlessly, swarming and attacking it before returning to the two. Kurogasa threw a punch straight in the bullet's path as it neared him while Justinia let the bullet come to her. Moments later, their bodies became encased armor.

Kurogasa's armor was blue on the right side of his body and white and the left, steel portions resembling tuffs of fur on his right knee and elbow. The faceplate sported red whiskers along the sides, blue lenses acting as eyeholes while bearing a wolf-like visage. In contrast, Justinia's armor was orange and white with similar aesthetics, only instead of a wolf her armor had a cheetah-like motif, the faceplate resembling a cat with triangular metal protrusions atop her helm.

[Shooting Wolf!]
[
THE ELEVATION INCREASES AS THE BULLET IS FIRED.]

[Rushing Cheetah!]
[
TRY TO OUTRUN THIS DEMON TO GET LEFT IN THE DUST.]

"Whoa…" Kurogasa looked at himself in awe. He had no idea what he was doing before, simply acting on impulse, but now that he was starting to understand what was happening, he had to admit he was impressed. "This is rad! I went from isekai to tokatsu!"

Justinia flexed her hands, curling them back and forth into fists. "…I could get used to this."

"KILL!"

Kurogasa turned his attention back to the Kuehna Magia. It leaped at him with its swords raised to attack him, but he found himself dodging it easily. His body moved faster than before. He practically flew in his retreat and landed far away from the Magia before he opened fire while still in mid-air. Each bullet struck dead center, now possessing a lot more power to them. Perhaps because of the power the Progrise Key was providing?

Either way, he felt more confidant. More sure of it.

He could win!

The power behind the bullet fire was greater, but the Magia was still managing to push its way through the attacks and aimed to strike at him again. Justinia practically zipped in front of it, delivering a punch to its faceplate and sending it flying. Its body flew through the air before it regained its orientation, latching itself onto the tree like the lizard it was before bouncing off of it, avoiding Justinia's roundhouse kick.

To her surprise, the kick managed to splinter the bark and leave a huge impression on the tree's now-naked body. The imprint was several inches deep, nearly halfway into the tree itself.

It seems this armor does more than offer protection. Justinia noted to herself. Enhanced speed and strength… What is this power?

"Oi! Sit still, you damn reptile!" Kurogasa gritted his teeth as he continued to shoot at the Magia. Each time he tried to shoot at it, it bounced from one tree to another. "Damn! I can't get a good beat on it!"

Unless I am mistaken, Kurogasa never trained to use firearms. Justina observed both the Magia's movements and Kurogasa's use of the ShotRiser. Even if the gun doesn't have a recoil, he shouldn't be able to aim so precisely. Is the suit helping him aim?

Still, the Kuehna's ability to bounce around and latch onto trees was also grating on her nerves as well. It was moving too fast for Kurogasa to get a good shot in. They needed to hamper its movement. She scanned her surroundings for anything that could be of use, then took another look at the tree she kicked.

"…well, let's see how strong I really am with this thing on."

She cocked her fist back and threw a punch straight into the foot imprint she left behind. The force behind her punch broke further into the tree's body to the point where it groaned and began to tilt in her direction.

Justinia smirked underneath her helmet.

As she began her own plan, Kurogasa continued to shoot wildly at the Magia as it continued to evade him. Each shot either barely missed or didn't make it anywhere near him. While the armor seemed to give Kurogasa incredible aiming skills despite the fact that he didn't know how to use a firearm, he was just shooting wildly. Pulling the trigger in the hopes his bullets struck. No different than an FPS gamer holding the button and shooting wildly with reckless abandon without aiming properly.

Kurogasa was growing more and more frustrated with his inability to shoot it down. At this rate, for all the power the gun had, it would be useless for him to keep using it if he couldn't land a hit on the damned thing. However, he didn't expect the Magia to come to him in retaliation. He failed to notice that each time the Kuehna Magia leaped from tree to tree, it was slowly growing closer to his location.

Before it attacked him, it latched on to the tree closest to him and jumped right off and went right for him, swords raised. Kurogasa had no way to dodge in time and was struck dead-on. The blades grinded against his body and knocked him off his feet and down to the ground.

"Ow! Son of a…" He blinked and looked down at the armor. "I'm alive? Holy shit! I'm still alive! Damn this armor's tough!" He quickly clamored up to his feet and searched for the Magia, only to once again be slashed across the chest. He stumbled back, wincing from the blow but still okay. He was thankful for the armor's durability, but he wasn't willing to test how durable it really was. Once more, he took aim and opened fire. "Sit still, you piece of scrap!"

The Kuehna Magia screeched in defiance, once more bouncing between trees and using them as cover. Just as it readied for another attack, it realized that it had not seen the other human at all.

"Hey." It went still as it craned its head. Kurogasa's jaw dropped when he saw Justinia effortlessly holding a tree on her shoulder. "Miss me?"

It let out another screech and hurriedly jumped off of its tree as Justinia threw the one in her possession straight at it with enough speed that it came at it like a bullet. Though it missed its intended target, the flying tree practically tore through several other trees in the process. The Kuehna Magia thought it was safe, but failed to realize that Justinia had used her newfound speed to her advantage, running at a speed that would make an Olympic runner green with envy, using the tree as cover as she covertly crept up on it. The Magia failed to realize this until its face was suddenly met with a metal knee, stunning and disorientating it before an elbow came down upon its neck, followed by an uppercut and lariat.

It was sent flying out from the air and back to the ground. Groaning and chittering angrily, it rose to its feet. Justinia landed back on the ground in a crouch, rising back up to her feet. The ShotRiser was now attached to the apparatus attached to her waist, almost resembling a belt.

Angry, the Kuehna Magia charged and swung wildly at her. Justinia blocked each strike with the bracers on her arms, grimacing as she still felt the impact behind the attacks but no less able to defend against them. The Magia came in for an overhead slash. She sidestepped and kicked at its side, knocking it away before going in for another roundhouse kick to its weapons. The kick struck true and knocked one of the blades out of its hand.

"Kururugi, he's open!"

The young man grinned beneath his helmet. "Thanks, sensei! Now, hold still you bastard!"

The Kuehna attempted to use the same strategy as before, to cling to the trees and jump around and evade its enemy's gunfire, but Justinia reminded it that it was facing two enemies. It did not have time to jump away to safety as it did before as she came in swinging, leaving it vulnerable to more gunfire. Kurogasa slowly approached as he shot at it, each bullet hitting the Magia's body and chipping away at its strength.

Once he was close enough, the Magia attempted to swing its blade at his neck. He ducked underneath it, feeling the rush of wind on his face in spite of the helmet on his head and spun around, letting loose six more rounds into its exposed left side before snatching its free arm, holding it in place and aiming the gun at its neck.

Now at point blank, Kurogasa let loose with as much bullet fire as he could muster.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

He unloaded round after round after round, yet still the Magia stood. Its faceplate was cracked, helm sparking and revealing circuitry beneath its metal skin. Proof that it was a machine and not a human being.

No, not just any machine. A killing machine, Kurogasa realized. A monster designed to kill.

The corpses of the militia, all dead because of his moment of weakness and inability to fight, because he was hesitant, were proof behind its existence.

His blood boiled with anger, eyes alight with growing rage. He would not allow the Magia to set one foot in Gaspard, nor allow it to claim one more life. He gave the Kuehna Magia a brutal roundhouse kick and knocked it away. It staggered and stumbled, weakened by the continuous gunfire.

It was time to bring this battle to a close.

Kurogasa pressed the button on the Progrise Key, once more driven by the rising impulse in his body, and took aim. Justinia followed his example and did the same. Their fingers rested on the triggers of their ShotRisers, and with iron-clad determination, they pulled the trigger that would end this monster once and for all.

[Bullet! Shooting Blast!]

[Dash! Rushing Blast Fever!]

Kurogasa fired off a single round, yet from it came several flying specters resembling wolf heads, snarling and growling as it bit and tore at the Magia in its helpless state. Unable to fight back, Justinia closed in on it and began to punch and kick away at it, each blow knocking it further and further into the air before she delivered a straight kick that sent it upwards into the air. Sucking in a breath and bracing her body, she grounded her foot into the ground and assumed a runner's position, knee to her chest and leg stretched behind her. Kurogasa gripped the ShotRiser with both hands and carefully took aim, steadying his finger and pulled the trigger.

Tearing its way through the barrel was a giant blast of blue-and-red energy bearing a wolf's head, maw open to bite and tear and rip apart the Magia. Justinia took off in a run, body encased in dark orange energy before she jumped up into the air, the energy flowing straight into her leg as her body joined up with the wolf's head. The two energies joined together and synergized with one another, coming together to deliver a brutal end.

Justinia's arrow kick hit home. More than that, her kick tore through the Kuehna Magia's abdomen along with most of its body. The energy that encased her body surged through it, tearing apart its internal systems before it became too much for the Magia.

As the supervisor touched the ground, armor smoking, the Magia's body exploded into fiery molten scrap metal.

S R
H U
O S
O H
T I
I N
N G
G
BLAST FEVER!

The remains of the Magia fell to the ground, burning and wasting away into a pile of metal scrap. Justinia panted as she rose up to her feet, the adrenaline in her body fading rapidly. Likewise, Kurogasa's hands felt numb. They removed the Progrise Keys from their weapons, the armor dissipating into motes of light and returning them to their usual attire.

Though they were happy that they defeated the Magia before it could cause further damage, there was no mood for celebration. Instead, they looked somberly at the bodies of the people they fought with. The people who died.

Justinia's face remained unchanging, a cold mask that made Kurogasa wonder if she felt anything as she looked at the bodies. But inside, she was berating herself.

If only they had done something sooner. If only they had obtained this power sooner.

If only...


The Cardinal stared, slack-jawed and dumbfounded. He didn't dare believe what he just witnessed, but he could not deny the proof in front of him.

The Kuehna Magia that Lady Kronya had gifted him had Lonato's men dead to rights. Only two were left. Better yet, it was those foreigners. He was looking forward to their deaths the most, yet the moment that brown-haired boy suddenly found his second wind and produced those odd weapons, his dreams of grandeur were shattered in an instant.

Worse yet was when they utilized those weapons and revealed the true nature behind them.

"Impossible..." he whispered in both disbelief and awe. "Why?! Why do they possess those?! How?!"

It was not just the Cardinal who had witnessed this new development. An unseen spectator, a woman with pale skin and red eyes, watched the battle unfold with delight.

"So, you've finally come back, have you?" the woman licked her lips, eyes drawn to the two armored warriors. More specifically, at the wolf-themed outsider who fought her precious Kuehna with fury. "It's been so long since you came back home..."

"Our beloved traitor, Vulcan."


JIKAI, KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE!

"Let us outta here you assholes!"

"To think two Masked Knights would fall into my lap! How wonderful!"

"W-what is that thing?"

"If you fight, you will experience hardship you will surely regret. Are you prepared for that?"

"I'm going 100...no, 1000%! Henshin!"

The Five Horns Cross! The Boy from Another World Readies for Battle


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Commissioned by the Artificial Intelligence Military Service.

I kid. But dang was this chapter a long one. I'm also surprised by how popular it is, both on SpaceBattle Forum and outside of FF dot net since it apparently has its own damned TV Tropes page.

For god's sake, it only has one chapter. Two now, but still.

Regarding Kurogasa's breakdown during the battle with the Magia, there are several things to remember. First off, while he was trained to fight and defend himself, he was never even remotely prepared for the bloody conflict that happened right in front of him. Secondly, up until that point he was your average college student who was suddenly thrusted into another world without warning.

You honestly think he'd handle watching people get butchered in front of him very well? That whole fight, he was running on pure adrenaline. And sadly for him, this will not be the last time he will witness such bloodshed. And seeing as how he's going to be with Dimitri come the timeskip...

...I really hope I'm not outdoing Fenikkusumaru in putting Kurogasa through hell here.

At any rate, if you have any questions about this story or want to ask about certain things related to the plot, check out SpaceBattles Forum and look for a thread titled "Kamen Rider Zero-One: Edge of Dawn Q&A [AKA The Supplementary Materials]. It has lore and the backstory behind the reason why the Rider Systems exist in Fódlan. Be warned for major spoilers for Three Houses, though!