DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fire Emblem or Kamen Rider. Both are properties of Intelligent Systems and Toei respectively. This is a work of fiction. Any relations to places or characters, living or dead, are purely coincidental.
Characters Cody Aldrich, Kurogasa Kururugi, Justinia Pierson, and Kojiro Yukihara are creations of authors striberx, KR Duelist, Donjusticia and Daemon of Wrath respectively.
KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE:
EDGE OF DAWN
Part I: White Clouds
CHAPTER ONE-TWO: The First Day! Learning to Spread your Wings
"Wait, you mean she's our new professor?!"
Masaomi fidgeted as she stood off to the side. All attention was focused on Byleth at the moment as none of the six students gathered around Edelgard and Hubert paid any attention to her. On some level she could understand their shock as Byleth was somewhere around their age, if barely even 20. Of course another reason for their shock was the fact that a mercenary, never mind that she was the daughter of the former Captain of the Knights of Seiros. After the shock passed, excitement rose through the ranks. Edelgard seemed exasperated by the rowdiness of her fellow students while Hubert looked vastly amused by the whole thing.
While Byleth mingled with the students, taking the opportunity to get to know them, Masaomi thought back to how she even found herself in the Black Eagles' classroom in the first place.
Earlier…
"T-teaching assistant?!" Masaomi looked at the archbishop as though she were senile. "No offense, but have you gone mad?!"
Seteth voiced his own disagreement with Rhea's decree. "I must agree, Lady Rhea. As unqualified as Byleth is in teaching our students, she at least can offer tactics and actual combat training out on the field. Even if you disregard her status as an outsider, Masaomi Kanai is a civilian!"
"I do not expect her to teach the students how to wield magic or wield a sword," Rhea replied calmly. "And whether it is by fate or by coincidence, she was given the weapon wielded by Zero. Would it not be better for her to also receive instruction by learning from Byleth and the students?"
Although the logic was sound, both Masaomi and Seteth both brought up the fact that she could easily receive instruction by becoming a student. Regardless, Rhea's decision was final, and Seteth must have realized that arguing with her further was pointless. As a result, in spite of her reluctance and fear to do so, Masaomi was officially named as Byleth's teaching assistant. As such, she was expected to help Byleth with any and all help required when teaching, including helping the woman come up with a curriculum to follow, provide study materials, help grade papers, etc.
This sucks…
Masaomi sighed deeply. Why had she chosen to remain in Garreg Mach again?
"Why are you standing over here?" The college girl looked to her side to see one of the Black Eagle students approach her. Unlike the others, her features were foreign and had darker skin with a mark printed across her cheek, and her hair tied into a braid. "Are you uncomfortable?"
Masaomi shrugged. "Er, sort of. I really don't like being the center of attention. Anyway, I'm Kanai, Masaomi, but feel free to call me Masao."
The student's eyes lit up. "You are not native to Fódlan?" Masaomi nodded. "I see… Hubert told me of you! I am Petra Macneary. I am pleased to meet you."
It was then Masaomi noticed her speech was a little off, possessing a Tohoku-ben dialect. Recalling Hubert's words earlier and Petra's introduction, Masaomi realized she was the girl he spoke of.
Masaomi smiled back and offered a hand in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Petra."
"You as well, Miss Masao." Petra wrapped her hand around Masaomi's, alerting the latter of the numerous calluses on the skin of her palms. It was only now that she noticed the leather sheathe sitting at her hip. "You seem rather fluent in Fódlan's language. How long have you been here?"
Oh boy, how should I respond…?
"Now now, Petra, no need to overwhelm the poor girl!"
Another student from the Black Eagle house approached. Her uniform was slightly modified, what with the skirt being shorter and the shirt lacking a few buttons to expose a fair amount of cleavage. In contrast to Rhea's mature, motherly beautiful, this girl ticked all the right boxes for being a mischievous minx.
"My apologies, I was very eager to meet the professor's assistant," Petra told the newcomer. "Miss Masao, this is Dorothea. She is a very dear friend of mine."
Dorothea smiled pleasantly. "It's nice to meet you. I have to say, though, you look beautiful with that jacket and scarf." Masaomi blushed furiously at the comment and tried her best to bury her face in her clothes. "I don't believe I've ever seen you around the monastery before, though. Are you new here?"
"Y-yeah… Edelgard, Claude and Dimitri happened to find me passed out with the world's greatest headache and bruise while they were out camping. After all that craziness passed, I was taken along for the ride, and Lady Rhea told me she'd offer me sanctuary until I was able to figure things out for myself."
"Figure things out…?" Dorothea tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
Masaomi sighed. "It's kind of a long story…"
"If you three are done…" Masaomi tensed when she heard Hubert speak. Somehow, without any of the three women noticing him, he had managed to walk up to them and slide himself into their little group. "The professor is done socializing for the day and told us classes would officially start tomorrow. "
Dorothea glanced about the classroom, noticing that the mercenary was nowhere to be found. "Where is Professor Byleth anyhow?"
"She and Lady Edelgard were called by Seteth regarding the mock battle that will be held at the end of the month."
"Mock Battle?" Masaomi asked. "You mean like practice?"
Hubert chuckled. "You could say that. All three houses will be participating in a battle, though only a handful of students picked by the professors will be participating in it. It's meant to test the professor's handling of the students, and to see where the students themselves stand at a combat level."
"I take it fights are a regular thing here?"
"I'd be more concerned if they weren't," he sneered. "Between giant monsters roaming about, bandits prowling the roads, civil unrest or even political disputes, you would be better off trying to find a place where a battle isn't likely to erupt at the last possible moment."
Masaomi grimaced. She hoped that wouldn't be the case. Wishful thinking on her part, she supposed. Still, at least she had a means to defend herself with the belt, though that brought up an unpleasant thought. She remembered seeing the bandits lying on the forest ground dead, some missing limbs and heads, some with arrows in their foreheads and chest, others with their insides in plain view, etc. If violence and death were so common in this world, would that mean she too would have to…?
"Of course, it also depends on where you live," Dorothea added, noticing the look on the older girl's face. "Some areas are pretty peaceful. For example, there's a small little town near the coastline in the Empire. The summer there is fairly mild, and the cool breeze is just right."
"And it is sorely lacking in defenses." Dorothea shot a glare at the vampire, who smiled back. "At any rate, since class has concluded for the day, I'd suggest going our separate ways. Unless, of course, you intend to mingle with the students from the other houses."
"As much fun as that sounds, I promised I'd help Bernie with something in the library," Dorothea answered before smiling at Masaomi and winking. "I'll be seeing you later, Masao."
Petra bowed her head. "I hope I will see you again in class."
With that, the two girls left the classroom. A few others remained, such as the blue-haired boy and his green-haired companion, though by the look of things, they were engrossed in some sort of topic. The nobleman with the orange hair was in the far corner of the classroom, peering through the tomes sitting in the bookcase. The girl with the hoodie was nowhere to be seen though Masaomi suspected she was hiding away somewhere or already left.
"A moment, if you would?" Hubert asked. "I understand you've been made as the professor's teaching assistant?"
"Believe me, I'm not too happy about it," Masaomi grumbled. "I don't know the first thing about being an aid. Plus, I'm not too sure what you guys teach is what I learned in the classrooms back home."
"No, I imagine not. Still, I hope you'll fulfill your obligations nonetheless, seeing as how the archbishop so graciously allowed you a place here." The college girl's neckhairs stood up straight when she saw Hubert's smile tighten ever so slightly. His eyes turned to ice. "However, allow me to make something perfectly clear to you. Although I am thankful to you and that mercenary for protecting Lady Edelgard, I don't trust you. If you or that new professor prove to be a detriment to Lady Edelgard…"
He did not finish his words, but Masaomi got the gist. She stared at the vampire in fright. Did he seriously just make a death threat to her? What was up with this man? And how the hell did he think she was some kind of threat? She was about as dangerous as a bunny rabbit!
Masaomi gulped. "I-I'll keep that in mind?"
Hubert did not look satisfied by her answer but accepted it for what it was. "So long as we have that established. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
Having delivered his warning to her, Hubert left. In her opinion, he did not leave fast enough, watching him carefully until she knew he was out of sight. After the danger passed, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief and leaned up against the wall behind her. This day loved throwing one surprise after another at her. And it was not even the first day of class.
"I get the feeling this is going to suck so hard," Masaomi muttered before shaking her head.
I can complain all I want, but it's not going to change anything. I just have to suck it up and bear with it. I mean, it's not like I won't be alone in this, right? Byleth doesn't know what she'll teach the students either.
Thinking about her associate brought to mind Hubert's earlier words about the mock battle. She was not very enthusiastic about the prospect, but she knew better than to believe she could get complacent. If the fight with the Magia proved anything, she could not afford to do nothing or expect nothing bad to happen. She needed to learn how to defend herself properly. There was no way she could rely on basic hand-to-hand combat. She also could not rely on using the belt, either.
What would happen if she came across a bandit that was threatening her life and she did not have a weapon or the belt on her person? The idea gave her chills. She did not like the idea of hurting someone, much less killing, but she would not have much choice in the matter if someone came at her with the intent to kill.
Masaomi remembered the tour Alois gave her around the monastery when they went to meet with Rhea. Right next to the pathway leading to the cathedral was the training grounds. Perhaps someone there would offer her some advice or be willing to train her? Hopeful, she left the classroom and made her way towards the school training grounds. She prayed that whoever was in charge of the training grounds was reasonable.
The training ground was the size of the classroom, held in an open space surrounded by white pillars and wood fences. On the walls surrounding the arena were various wooden racks containing weapons, some with polished steel and others made of wood. When she arrived, Masaomi found only four people occupying the area. One was a student swinging furiously at a man wearing a mask, their wooden swords clashing so quickly she could barely keep up. Off to the side, watching the proceedings, was a woman in white armor and dark blonde hair, speaking with a burly man in thick-plated armor.
Noticing Masaomi, the blonde woman smiled and walked over. "Hey there! You must be that foreigner Alois brought with him."
Masaomi bowed her head politely in greeting. "Hello. I hope I'm not intruding or anything."
"Nah, nothing like that. If anything, you arrived just in time to see the end."
Before Masaomi could ask what she meant, she heard a loud battle cry. Her attention turned back to the student who leaped at the masked man, wooden sword raised overhead. Without flinching, the masked man grabbed the wooden sword mid-swing with his bare hand and flipped his own weapon into a reverse grip. He proceeded to ram the pommel of his sword into the teen's stomach, knocking the wind out of his sails. The student staged back and clutched his stomach in pain.
Before he could recover, the masked man closed the distance. His sword pressed against the teen's neck and his free hand gripping the teen's sword arm in a vice.
"Yield," the masked man demanded in a cold voice.
The student glares at him for a moment. Seconds go by, the air thick with tension. Reluctantly, the student turns his head in a sign of admittance. The masked man relinquished his hold and stepped away.
"He's improving, but it looks like he's still not quite there yet," the blonde-haired woman noted. She noticed the confused expression on the college girl's face and started to explain. "That boy is Felix Hugo Fraldarius, a student of the Blue Lion House and Lord Rodrigue's son. He's the most competitive and driven in the academy, and he's a hard worker, but he might be a bit too competitive."
"And the masked guy he was sparring with?" Masaomi asked.
"That would be Jeritza von Hrym, our sword instructor. As you can see, he's one hell of a swordsman. Not as good as me, though." The woman paused for a moment, and then laughed. "And I realize I haven't introduced myself! I'm Catherine."
"Kanai, Masaomi. Er, Masaomi is my first name, by the way. Where I'm from, we tend to introduce ourselves by our family name's first."
"Is that so?" Catherine looked at Masaomi intently, as if studying her. "Hm, now that I get a closer look at you… Say, you're the one who donned the Masked Knight Zero's belt, isn't that right?"
The girl laughed awkwardly, wondering exactly how many people knew about that. "Y-yep, that's me…"
"Huh! You're younger than I thought you'd be," Catherine noted. "So, what brings you here, Masaomi?"
"Well, I was kind of hoping I could get some training here," she told Catherine. "I mean, sure, having a kickass armor at your beck-and-call sounds awesome and all, but what am I supposed to do if I don't have the belt with me when I jumped by some bandits or run into a giant monster?"
Catherine hummed. "Good point… I'm assuming you don't have any kind of formal training?"
"I'm pretty much self-taught. Other than that, I only know basic self-defense."
"How about weapons?"
"Never held one a day in my life, unless you count a knife." Even then, she only ever used it when she was cooking. The idea she was going to use it to stab someone chilled her to the bone.
Catherine hummed. "I see." She seemed deep in thought for a short while before she called out to Jeritza. "Hey, Jeritza! You got a minute?"
The sword instructor had just finished offering words of advice to Felix when Catherine called out. He saw Masaomi, and for a moment, their eyes met. She flinched and looked away. She could have sworn…
"What is it?" Jeritza asked as he walked over. "I was under the impression classes were over."
"They are," Catherine nodded. "But I was hoping you'd be willing to teach this one some pointers."
Jeritza looked Masaomi over and frowned. She had some muscle, but her demeanor told him she had little to no fighting experience. "Any reason why?"
"Other than she wants to learn how to defend herself better?"
He grunted and gestured for Masaomi to follow. She did so hesitantly, wondering whether this was a good idea. He walked over to one of the racks and grabbed a wooden blade, throwing it over to her. She fumbled to grab it, briefly playing a game of hot potato before managing to wrap her hands around the handle of the sword. It felt light in her hand, and the numerous dents and bits of smashed wood along the "blade" implied it saw a fair share of sparring sessions.
"So, um, what are we-holyfuck!"
Masaomi yelped and leaned back, barely avoiding Jeritza's sword from smacking her in the face. She scrambled away and backpedaled as fast as possible. He closed the distance in seconds and thrust his sword toward her. "W-wait, hang on a sec-!" She barely managed to raise her own sword, deflecting and diverting it and feeling the wooden edge of his sword brush past her check. "Time out-!" She was about to counter when she felt the wind get knocked out of her sails when his knee crashed into her stomach. The same trick he pulled on Felix earlier and she fell for it. Unlike with Felix, he followed up with a roundhouse kick to her cheek that knocked her to the ground.
Moments after her face became intimate with the floor Jeritza kneeled on her chest and held his sword right above her face. Were it made of steel and he brought it down upon her, it would have pierced her skull in an instant.
"First lesson," Jeritza told her coldly. "Never allow yourself to be taken by surprise. Expect anything, even when you shouldn't."
Masaomi's response was to whimper and groan.
"Wow, he put you through the wringer, didn't he?"
She winced as Professor Maneula finished applying some sort of gel to her cheek. A splinter had poked its way into it and caused no end of discomfort. It hurt a lot worse taking it out. That said, the splinter in the cheek did not hurt nearly as bad as the rest of her body. Jeritza was cold as he was unforgiving, giving her little room and constantly on the offensive. For two hours they trained, or so Jeritza claimed they were doing when he brought her to the medical wing. In Masaomi's opinion, it was less training and more him physically abusing her with a long piece of wood.
"I regret everything," Masaomi hissed. The vulnerary stung seconds after it coated the spot where the splinter entered her cheek. "Is he always that rough?"
Manuela shrugged. "He simply takes his job far too seriously and tends to go a bit overboard. And he does mean well, he's just far too passionate about his job. In any case, I'm all finished on my end. Make sure you don't let anything touch that cheek for at least an hour, otherwise you're in a for a world of hurt."
"Thanks, Manuela-sensei."
"Oh, think nothing of it, Masaomi," Manuela smiled. "That reminds me, Hanneman wants to see you."
"Am I in trouble?"
"Not that I know of, but knowing that old coot, it probably has to do with you possibly having a Crest."
Masaomi frowned. The term sounded vaguely familiar to her, having heard mention of it before. She thanked Manuela again and left the infirmary. If Hanneman wanted to speak with her, it was best not to keep the man waiting for long. Thankfully, finding the man's office was not a difficult task as she found a student willing to give her directions. The man's office was located on the second floor of the main building, straight across from the main chamber where Rhea often was.
She arrived in front of his office and gave the door a few knocks. "Hanneman -sensei? It's me, Masaomi. You said you wanted to speak with me?"
"The door's unlocked!"
Masaomi stepped inside. Hanneman's office was not much different from what the rooms of her college professors back on Earth. His was slightly larger, the walls on either side lined with bookshelves full of books. His desk sat in the far back of the room, littered with stacks of paper and tomes. A strange disk sat in the center of the room, vaguely shaped similar to a lens.
Hanneman smiled warmly as he greeted her. "Perfect timing, Masaomi. I was hoping you'd stop by for a visit. I trust you received my message?"
"Yes. Maneula-sensei said you wanted to speak with me. Something about Crests?"
The older man nodded. "That is correct. I'm curious to see whether you possess one, despite hailing from a foreign land."
"Sorry, but what's a Crest?"
"Ah, my apologies—I seem to have gotten ahead of myself." Hanneman cleared his throat and gestured to the chair sitting across his desk. "Take a seat. This may take a while." Masoami nodded and sat down. "It's not exactly known how and when Crests first came to be, though it is believed they were bestowed upon the Ten Elites, the Four Saints, and the Apostles by the Goddess that watches all of Fódlan. These Crests bestow upon their bearers incredible strength and abilities. The most blatant example would be the Crest of Blaidydd, which boosts the bearer's physical prowess by a very large margin."
"Blaidydd?" A familiar blonde-haired prince came to mind. "Isn't that Dimitri's…?"
"Indeed, he's a descendant of Blaidydd, the first-known holder of the Crest, and one of the Ten Elites I mentioned. We can go over the Elites, Saints and Apostles another time, but for now, let's return to the topic. As I said, each Crest is unique and have become an important part in today's society. Many noble houses value Crests, often viewing them as a symbol of their social status. It's not uncommon for one to hear stories of nobles attempting to marry into another house to get their hands on a Crest of their own. Crests come in two types: Major and Minor. Major Crests possess enormous power, while Minor Crests, albeit weaker than a Major Crest, still grant the bearer a potent level of ability. It's said that the stronger the hero's blood in you, the more likely you are to bear a Major Crest. Despite this, it's still possible for one to manifest a Minor Crest. However, even if you are a descendant of the originator of that Crest, there's no guarantee you'll be born with one."
Masaomi's eyes sparkled with interest. "Really?"
Hanneman's smile grew, seeing he captured her interest. "No one is sure why this happens. In fact, there are stories and documented events where a branch family may develop a Crest when the main family would not. There are also more than a few cases in which the branch family manifests a Major Crest." He paused for a moment, and then sighed. "Unfortunately, Crests have become so ingrained in today's society that some families are desperate for heirs bearing a Crest. For instance, House Gautier, Young Sylvain's family, named their second son as heir of their house despite their firstborn son being twelve years older."
"What? Why?"
"Because their eldest child was born without a Crest, whereas Sylvain inherited the Crest of Gautier. I've heard rumors that Sylvain's brother may even be disowned."
Masaomi spluttered. "W-what? They're considering disowning him just because he wasn't born with their family's Crest? What the hell!"
"It's a common practice, I'm afraid," Hanneman told her sadly. "However, it's because of such events that I began investing in Crestology research. I often ask myself, why does this person possess a Crest and why does this person not have one? What sort of criteria is there to manifest a Crest? Is it genetic, or is it passed down through the blood? Can a Crest be given to someone who has no relation to their originators? Can it be removed? These are the questions I wish to find the answers to. It's why I've asked any and all students and faculty members to come by my office and see if they possess a Crest of their own, including those from outside Fódlan."
"So, that's why you called me here? To see if I have a Crest?" Hanneman nodded. On the one hand, the idea that she might have one of these Crests excited Masaomi. On the other hand, the idea sounded ludicrous. After all, Crests only appeared in this world right? "As interesting as that sounds, I don't think I have one."
"Perhaps," Hanneman agreed. "But there's no harm in trying, is there?"
Masaomi thought about it for a moment, then nodded. Hanneman smiled and they stood up, moving over to the middle of the room, right where the lens was. Following the professor's instructions, she took the knife he provided and gently carved a cut into the tip of her finger. Blood dripped down onto the lens, seemingly dissolving into it. The lens it up for a moment, blinking rapidly before the light faded.
Hanneman seemed disappointed. "Ah, what a shame."
"No Crest?" He nodded. Masaomi sighed. "Told you. Nobody back home has a Crest, and even if we did, we would have noticed."
"I suppose."
The next few days that followed were a trying time. Although inexperienced as a teacher, Byleth seemed to take to her new situation like a duck in water. It was obvious at first that she had no idea what to do, but Masaomi, with help from Manuela and Hanneman, managed to make a planner for them. Much like in her world, classes were separate and organized into six periods, with breaks between every two periods. First period covered what Masaomi considered Fódlan's English and second period on Fódlan's early history. During the break, the students were free to study, eat or explore the monastery. Third and fourth period was training, separated into horseback riding, Pegasus flying and clearing out chunks of rock in the back of the monastery. At first confused by the idea of picking out rocks, Masaomi learned that some of the rocks contained minerals and valuable ores for the local blacksmiths to use. Fifth period mathematics, a subject Masaomi personally dreaded, and sixth period was essentially a free period to go over anything the students wanted.
Byleth initially struggled, sometimes skipping the course material or covering a topic with the bare minimum. Masaomi had similar troubles when it came to the language, as while she was able to understand the natives thanks to whatever magic yahoo that brought her here in the first place, that did not extent to the written language. Upon discovering this, Masaomi began spending time in the library, learning as much about the Fódlan tongue as she could.
For the Black Eagles part, they mostly understood the problems they were having. Some did express their frustrations at times, but the ones that flocked to Byleth offered their help at times. The orange-haired boy, Ferdinand, was the most helpful towards Masaomi as he helped her with the written language. Whenever he had the time, he would spent it in the library with her, pointing out common mistakes or tiny variations in the written language. At times he was also joined by Petra, who despite her troubles in speaking Adrestian Basic (i.e. the "universal language" in Fódlan) was more knowledge in the written language than she.
"It's kind of ironic that you have trouble speaking in Adrestian Basic, but you can write it without any problems," Masaomi remarked.
Petra smiled abashedly. "I find speaking difficult than writing. It has been most trying at times, but everyone is patient with me."
"I suppose it's the reverse with you, Lady Kanai," Ferdinand laughed. "You speak it with such fluency, yet you flop about when it comes to writing. Actually, it makes me curious as to how you know the language, but can't write it."
Masaomi grew anxious at his inquiry. She really wanted to tell him that all she heard him speak was Japanese, but wasn't sure how to go about it.
"I am curious about your hair." Petra's question could not have come at a better time. "I have yet see anyone with streaks in their hair. No one in Brigid has them either."
"Oh, this?" Masaomi pinched some of the dyed white strands in her hair. "This isn't natural. It's dyed."
Ferdinand's eyes widened. "Dyed? You mean you actually dyed your hair? H-how?"
"It's complicated, and it involves a lot of time and patience." Actually, looking at the strands now, she noticed that the color was starting to fade out. "To be honest, I wasn't really thrilled about dying my hair, but I thought, hey, why not? My parents were pretty angry when they saw me with white streaks in my hair."
"Why would they be angry?"
"It's…hard to describe." And it usually was. When it came to people trying to understand another person's culture, miscommunication and personal values were always going to get in the way of understanding why that culture was important. "In Japan, my homeland, you're usually taught at a young age to think about others, never give up, respect your elders, work together with other people, and know your role in both the household and society. My parents were a little strict with me, since my older sister took up a lifestyle they didn't like. I was seventeen when I decided to dye streaks in my hair. My uncle and my older sister pretty much raised me since my parents were always busy at work, and I felt like I should do something for myself. Know what freedom feels like and all that."
Ferdinand leaned on the table, elbows propped. "I think I understand. So, your parents were angry because you took an action they did not approve of."
"Pretty much," Masaomi smiled wryly. Talking about them made her feel homesick. She couldn't wait to see them again once she reunited with her friends and teachers and found a way home. "They were so pissed when they saw them. But, they calmed down after a while. They respected my choice, but they worried I might take after my sister because of that."
The bell rang, signaling the end of their conversation. Petra seemed disappointed, no doubt wanting to hear more. "I suppose that will be it for today." Ferdinand stood up. "Let's return to class. Oh, and by the way, Lady—"
"For the hundredth time, Ferdinand, it's fine to call me Masao," the girl insisted.
Ferdinand frowned a little. "And as I told you, it feels disrespectful to address you in any other way. But, anyways, when you have the time, would you mind if I asked about Japan? I'm very curious to know what life is like in your homeland."
"I don't mind. In fact, I'd be more than happy to share a few stories."
So long as they didn't involve the days when she was in her final years of Junior High.
On the day before of the mock battle between the three houses was to be held, an event was taking place.
In the Ohgma Mountains, hidden away from the rest of the world, was a "holy site" once revered as the dwelling of the Goddess and her children. Known as Zanado the Red Canyon, it has remained untouched following the years of the War of Heroes and remains defended by the Knights of Seiros. None except those with the Archbishop's expressed permission were allowed to set foot in this place.
It was what made it an excellent hiding place for Kostas and his band of thieves. Currently, the man was pacing back and forth with an anxious look on his face. Beads of sweat dripped from his face. Ever since his failed attempt at killing the royals, the Knights pursued them with such hostile intent, he swore dogs straight from hell were chasing him. Only so few of his gang was left now.
"Dammit all!" Kostas swore up a storm. His veins bulged in memory of the failed attempt. Even if they didn't succeed in killing the brats, that Magia thing should have done the deed instead. He saw for himself how they struggled against it. And yet the moment that fucking foreign brat showed up, everything went to hell. "This can't be happening! We should have never made a deal with that weirdo!"
"So you blame me for your incompetence?"
Kostas whirled around and swung his ax. To his shock, only two fingers and a thumb halted the blade of his ax. He tried to pull away, but the man's grip was tight. It was the same man from the other day; dark robes, a handsome face with a black-and-purple bandanna wrapped around his head, blonde hair swept back. In his other hand was a sword.
"Y-you?!" Kostas paled. "Wh-wh-wh-why are you here?!"
The man scoffed. "I thought it would be obvious."
No. No, it couldn't be. Surely, he wasn't here to—!
"W-wait, hold on a second! We had no idea that kid was going to be there! Y-you told us that Magia whatchamacalit would've taken care of those brats easy!"
"Regardless of Zero-One's interference, the fact remains you failed," the man retorted and readied his sword. "The princess of Adrestia, the prince of Faerghus and the Duke's grandson still breathe. The Church will not allow another chance like the other day, especially now that one of the Kamen Riders has returned. And even if we don't factor those in, your orders were to kill the royals and only the royals. Four knights-in-training and a former professor, dead. That makes our job much, much harder. To be utterly frank, Kostas, you're nothing more than a loose end…"
Click. The katana popped out from its sheathe, his thumb pressed up against the hilt and slowly withdrawing it.
"And I despise loose ends."
Kostas struggled even harder. When all else failed, he released his grip on his ax and swung his fist at the man. He dodged easily, stepping out of Kostas' way and kicking at his back and throwing him to the ground. The man threw the ax aside and prepared to end Kostas' life then and there, his katana ready to pierce his heart.
Yet just as he moved to kill—
"Enough, Horobi."
The tip of the katana stopped just short of his back. Kostas laid still, fearful that even so much as a twitch would result in his death. Seconds passed before the now-named Horobi stepped away and sheathed his sword. Kostas rose from the ground and turned to the source of the voice. A man in red-and-black armor approached, a bizarre belt strapped around his waist. The helm vaguely resembled the head of a dodo bird, though the mask of the helm was menacing as orange-tinted eyes glared down upon him. In one hand was another oddly-shaped belt, while in the other was a thick slate.
"Kostas is still of some use to us," the armored man said, voice echoing and ringing with metal.
Horobi raised a brow. "How do you figure? He's already failed you once."
"Do not underestimate the power of a second chance, Horobi. That said, know that I do give out third chances, Kostas."
"Y-yea, sure, whatever you say!" He had no idea who this man was, only that he was obviously Horobi's superior. "W-what do you want from me?"
"The Knights of Seiros will find you eventually. And when they do, you will kill them…using this."
He held out the belt and slate. Upon closer inspection, the slate had a hinge with a faceplate, resembling a fish with jagged teeth. Hesitantly, Kostas accepted the items. Actually, now that he held it in his hand, the slate looked a lot like the one that brat with the weird hair.
"I trust you will not fail in this endeavor?"
Kostas nodded wordlessly. He watched Horobi and the man leave.
"H-hey, wait! Who the hell are you anyway?!"
The armored man gave no response or answer. He and Horobi vanished in the morning mist. Kostas glanced back at the slate in his hand and wondered what it could do. It was then that he noticed the small button atop the left side.
He pressed it, not knowing that he had sealed his fate in the days to come.
[Megalodon!]
JIKAI, KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE!
"Your mission this month will be to route bandits."
"Are you prepared to take a life?"
"Damn noble brats! I'll teach you to mess with me!"
"My friends are waiting for me… So… So I don't have the time to hesitate!"
[Zetsumerise!]
Battle at Zanado! The Fangs of Resolution
AUTHOR'S NOTE
A quick thing to say before I get into the chapter. Although followers of my work already know this by now, especially since I've said this a dozen times with my recent updates, but I've recently caught the attention of a troll by the name of striberz (not boe confused with Striberx, who I am acquainted with). He's begun accusing me of not only plagiarizing his work but is even calling me a pedophile.
I've dealt with trolls before, but this is taking it a little too far, don't you think? I mean, really!
In any event, from what I understand, he's a parasite who hangs around the Kamen Rider side of fanfiction dot net, and if what myself and a few others on Spacebattles believe is true, he's also using other accounts. And if my guess is right, he's also the same prick who bombed review bombed all my fanfics with what could literally be described as Hitler fanfiction.
Said reviews have seen been deleted, of course. Even so, its people like this that make me glad I found other writing platforms like Sufficient Velocity and Spacebattles.
With this said, let's get into the chapter. First, let me say I am very happy to have gotten back into writing this. The chapter is pretty short, but this is because I'm trying to limit most of my works at around the 6k mark with a few exceptions. This chapter is mainly set-up for what will be the battle at Zanado.
Speaking of, yes, I did indeed give Kostas a Zetsumerise Key and Zetsmeriser. There will be some human users of the mook-maker belt, but if you remember how violent the transformations for HumaGear were…
Yeah, a human using the Zetsumeriser? It is not going to be pretty.
On that note, I'm going to introduce some original Magia. In this case, Kostas becomes the Megalodon Magia, which will play into how Masao gets the Biting Shark Progrise Key.
As for Ikazuchi, who we officially introduce this chapter… I'll just say this upfront. This is not Raiden, but at the same time, they are not an OC. This is indeed a canon character.
If you have any questions after this chapter, feel free to head on over to the Kamen Rider Zero-One: Edge of Dawn Q&A [AKA The Supplementary Materials] and ask them there.
That will be it for now. For now, I will be taking a short break for the rest of the month. My update time will also be varied as I start classes on February. My next planned updates will be DanMachi: HERO'S EMBLEM, Dream Again, Ashen Wolves, and My Reincarnated Saga. Please look forward to those updates.
