Hello!
It's been a while. I'm so sorry. I've been dealing with 6 concurrent college classes at once, so my output is slow despite this chapter being written- I simply forgot.
So here we are- The end of Volume 1. I hope you've enjoyed the introduction to Akiyama Yuuki's story.
Volume 2 is being written as we speak. It's much longer and more ambitious than 1, but the whole story is planned start to finish.
If you've made it this far, thank you so much! Please, leave me your thoughts. I'd love to hear what you've thought about my story.
This won't be updated for a while, so consider favoriting for when Volume 2 begins uploading!
For now, enjoy this last dance...
Ring!
The school bell rang, cutting through the serenity of a sleepy Tuesday afternoon. It was a sound that filled every child with joy and excitement.
For many, they'd rather play outside and enjoy the sunshine which bathed Rokudou City. The adults, despite preaching the importance of education, were quick to agree.
"Papa!"
A young girl hopped into the air, hugging her father's leg. She was the first to race out of the school, with other children following suit. The older man adjusted his glasses and stroked her hair, laughing to himself. She was always brimming with energy.
"Oh, Honoka-chan, so excited to leave school?" Teased the father, grabbing his daughter's hand. The girl pouted, but the man laughed it off.
And so, they walked, that clear blue sky like a canvas for endless possibilities.
Honoka skipped alongside her father, before looking up at the tired man. She noted that it had been a while since she had seen her mother. Her dad always said she was out on a business trip...
"I hope Mama comes back soon…" Honoka pondered.
She was lost in thought, nearly tripping if not for her dad's hoisting her back onto her feet. He noticed this and, sharp as always, lifted her hand up into the air. The girl broke her concentration and stared up at her father.
"C'mon, dear. Let's go get you your favorite ice cream. How about that?"
With those words, the girl's eyes shone brighter than any gem. She jumped in the air, those feelings of melancholy melting away under the summer sun.
"With hazelnuts please?" The little ray of sunshine pleaded, tugging at her father's sleeve. He answered with a smile, and she raced ahead of the man. He stumbled forward and stretched his hand out, calling for his daughter.
That is, he would have called out for her if it weren't for her having stopped dead in her tracks.
"Rise, my children!"
With a thunderous crash, the asphalt ahead of the girl cracked and gave way. From it burst a terrifying creature, whose body was as if it were made of pure charcoal.
It wasn't alone. Alongside it, the road had become like a scene from a horror film. From the smoldering asphalt, those monsters stood. Their bodies cracked, revealing a bright, molten interior. They snarled.
Luminites.
The girl stood frozen before the monsters, unable to move or scream. Without hesitation, the father raced over to his girl.
Behind the crowd of monsters stood a lone figure, taller, leaner than the rest of them… Their hair was splayed out like a spider's many limbs, and their face covered by a fanged mask, revealing many blazing, golden eyes.
"Feast!" Cried out the ringleader, raising a staff in the air.
The creatures leapt into action, hungry.
As a Luminite extended its steaming hand towards the girl, the man swung a powerful right hook into its face. It stumbled back, clenching its jaw. That swing did little to harm it, but it was just enough for the man to pick up his daughter and make a run for it.
His knuckles were severely burned, and he clenched his teeth. Only as they ran towards the school did the girl scream at the top of her lungs, finally realizing what had happened.
The spider Luminite raised her hands to the sky, declaring a new order had begun.
"THE SUN HAS SET!" That demon roared, her eyes flashing a bright gold.
The man ran and ran, passing the gate. It was crowded, with other parents holding onto their children. Before he could question why they hadn't run away, the father quickly came face-to-face with the reason why.
They were surrounded.
All around them were those Luminites. Only the screams of children could be distilled from the roar of flames and the growls of beasts.
They were closing in.
With a sudden shriek, the monsters ran at the families. The parents did what they could to shield their children. Some tried to run, others fought. All around Honoka, her friend's parents fell one by one.
Her cackling overpowered the screams.
Each person grabbed by one of those monsters had those very same bright cracks appear all over their bodies. Their chests split open, and a bright fire rose out of it. Those monsters crushed the flames in their hands, allowing their warmth to course through their bodies.
And as if nothing happened, all those who were grabbed returned to normal, slumping onto the ground. The children ran over to their bodies, trying to shake them awake. Their pleas were drowned out by their tears and cries.
Honoka's father was the last one left standing, throwing attack after attack against those monsters. He swung a left hook against a Luminite to his left, and as one grabbed his right arm, he slammed his elbow into its gut.
But, despite this drive, he too met the same fate. His sleeping body fell onto the searing pavement, with little Honoka crawling up to him. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. Was this all a bad dream? It was all too much for a child. All she could do was cry.
"P-papa… please… wake up…" pleaded the young girl, trembling. All the other children retreated from their parents and huddled up against the school gates. They had nowhere else to run to. Only Honokaa was left out.
With a raised hand, the same Luminite who took her father swung his hand at the girl's throat.
CRASH
A motorcycle's whine alerted the beast. Before it could act, a man sped through the air, landing the bike against the creature's body. It was slammed onto the ground; its torso was ground into the asphalt by the force of the spinning hind wheels.
The unknown hero popped a wheelie before letting the front wheels slam into the creature's head. It crumbled into a black, smoldering dust, with its glow fading away.
Activating the kickstand, Akiyama Yuuki stood up from his seat. He surveyed the damage before him. Those creatures cowered, snarling at the young man. Clearly, they were confused as to why he was attacking them.
The ringleader cocked her head to the side, pondering this development.
"Curious…" She thought, grinning beneath the mask.
Yuuki dashed towards the cowering girl, helping her onto her feet. Through misty eyes, he checked to see if she was injured.
Just a few scratches, nothing too serious.
"What happened…?" Yuuki began, only to be cut off by the girl's cries. She ran past Yuuki and hugged her father's still warm body. He was breathing, but…
He was as good as dead.
Yuuki's eyes laid upon the man's sleeping form.
The fire…
The cackling…
The screams…
He saw himself in that man. He saw himself in everybody. What a cruel reflection…
Those charcoal monsters began to circle Yuuki, who instinctively stepped in front of the weeping girl. The rest of the children cowered.
Honoka looked up at Yuuki, unsure of what to do next. Through tears, she could only choke out a plea for help.
That spider Luminite taunted Yuuki from behind the ring of Luminite grunts. She cackled, twirling her staff around her fingers.
"Oh, look at that! Our dear brother wants to play 'hero'…!" She spun about, as if lost in a dance. Striking the ground with her staff, the end sharpened into a deadly point. "How quaint!"
Yuuki was quiet. His eyes were dark. He gently crouched beside the weeping girl, removing his trench coat. Slowly, reverently, he pulled it over the sleeping man.
The charcoal beasts clicked their tongues, inching closer to Yuuki. He stood up, turning to face the spider Luminite.
It was her.
Yuuki's eyes flared a bright, reflective green. The heat on his waist was growing, almost burning away at his flesh…
Through the crackle of embers, that same belt materialized over his body. The shuttered turbine opened, revealing a red, green, and white motor.
Yuuki grabbed onto the two peridot studded buckles fastened on the side of the belt and slammed them forward. They locked into place against the main mechanism. Sparks flew as the turbine roared.
The children's weeping ceased for but a moment. They were taken aback...
"Hen…" Yuuki spat, his eyes locked on the one who robbed him of everything.
He threw his arms off to the side, raising both into the sky before keeping his left raised high towards the sky. The right was held off to the side.
The ringleader took a step forward, unsure of what she was seeing. Or perhaps, it was disbelief.
Ice formed at the boy's feet as the motor in his belt spun, heat flowing inside. The air chilled. He lowered both arms, crossing them over his chest, screaming, "SHIN!"
He lowered his arms to his sides, a bright flame circling his body. It spun like a whirlwind before shattering into hundreds of crystal shards.
Before them stood Yuuki, coated in reflective green armor. A peridot gem was emblazoned on his forehead and chest, two large, curved spiked horns sticking out of his helmet.
A bright red scarf unfurled in the wind, a banner of hope.
His crimson eyes glowed bright once more, never to fade again. Steam rose from the cracks in his armor as he pointed towards the now cowering monsters.
"Their dreams…" Yuuki's hand clenched into a fist as he lunged at a Luminite, striking it across the jaw. Charcoal bits flew across the pavement as the creature flailed about, crumbling away. "Are MINE to protect!"
The Luminites attacked. As they surrounded Yuuki, the spider Luminite waltzed about the fight- taking joy in the spectacle before her.
"Oho! Seems like Khepri has some bite in him, hm?" The leader chuckled, twirling her staff as Yuuki defaced every Luminite that came his way.
He struck one across the chest, his fist flying through. He swept, slicing the monster in half. Kinetic energy built up in his foot as he swung back, leaping in the air as he scissor-kicked another. It exploded.
"Just WHO are you?!" Yuuki growled, ducking as a Luminite tried to tackle him. He grabbed it by the arm and flipped it onto the ground, punching a hole into its chest.
"Ahaha… Why, I'm your big sister, Neith!"
Yuuki gawked, thrown off balance. The Luminites all swarmed his body and held him down, the boy struggling to free himself. He felt hot. The heat was overwhelming.
Neith stepped towards Yuuki, eyeing the fighter closely.
"Cat got your tongue? You and I shouldn't be fighting, Khepri." She groaned, tapping the spear against his throat. "We 'new gods' must stick together, no?"
Yuuki saw red.
Neith leapt back as the crowd of Luminites exploded in a fiery mist, charcoal raining from the heavens. Yuuki's body was ablaze, his belt's turbine whirring. He threw himself at Neith, swinging a left hook against the demon.
She parried, the blade-like spikes on Yuuki's forearms scraping the staff. He swung and swung while Neith danced about, ducking and weaving between his every blow. To her, this was sweeter than honey.
"Hmph!" She droned on, catching Yuuki's arm between her staff. She twisted, locking the boy in place. He groaned, struggling to free himself. The belt's whirring only became louder.
She took a closer look at his crimson eyes.
"No, you're far too sloppy of a replacement… Shame." She kneed Yuuki in the gut, raising the staff up and straining his arm before kicking him back onto the ground.
Yuuki gasped, clutching his stomach. He struggled to climb back onto his feet but fell once more, winded.
She could only shake her head.
"Sloppy. Unrefined. You got the spirit, but…" Neith sighed, her golden armor glistening under the sun's bright rays. "Perhaps you were best left like the others."
"And as for them…"
The spider 'god' turned to face the cowering children. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Was their hero beaten…?
Neith swung her hand up into the air, four large needles engraved with unknown symbols materializing. They floated in the air, awaiting her command.
One by one, she directed them towards the children.
"Here's that reward for playing 'hero', brother! Enjoy the fireworks!" She exclaimed, skipping forward as she commanded her needles to fly.
They soared through the air.
SLASH.
The sound of flesh tearing echoed throughout the surrounding area.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip…
The children, holding back a scream, slowly opened their eyes. Before them was Yuuki, hunched over. He was motionless, that beautiful green armor stained red.
His blood was an odd, reflective mixture, sparkling under the stray rays of light from the sun.
Four needles pierced his body, inches away from their targets.
Neith raised an eyebrow, shocked. He was surely incapacitated...
Yuuki slowly rose to his feet. As he turned to face his "sister", the needles began to freeze. Ice crawled up from Yuuki's wounds and encased the instruments of death as he walked forward.
Neith took a step back.
"W-what are you doing?" She raised her staff towards him, trying to close the distance.
The needles embedded into Yuuki's body fully froze over, shattering. Shards rained onto the ground, carried by the wind as his wounds burned shut.
The 'new god' cowered, her legs trembling. Yuuki stopped in his tracks, staring her down.
His mind was clear. Clearer than ever.
He was angry.
No, was anger the right word…?
His eyes shined brightly, the turbine roaring to life.
"You, sister- I vow to rip you apart. Limb. By. Limb." Yuuki's voice boomed, asserting dominance over heaven.
He took another step. Neith stumbled backwards.
"Each bone an offering to Ra."
Yuuki's hand was set ablaze, bright orange flames dancing about his palms and crawling ever so slowly up his forearm.
Neith hissed, her hands trembling as she gripped her staff. The "god" swept forward, launching a barrage of golden needles towards Yuuki.
The boy swiped to his side, a lightning-quick wall of flame colliding with the needles. They exploded into a beautiful shower of gold and embers.
Neith, cursing, kicked off from the ground as the asphalt caved in. The demon retreated to safety.
Yuuki remained calm, cold, and calculated… He casually stepped to his bike and revved its motor, the children staring in awe. He leaned forward.
Turning back, he shot the children a thumbs up.
With the roar of the engine, the motorcycle burst into motion. He screamed at the top of his lungs as a flaming trail traced his path.
"NEIIIIIIIIIITH!" Yuuki bellowed, eyes locked on the fleeing Luminite.
The Luminite ran and ran, desperately attempting to escape Khepri's wrath. The boy's screams overpowered the screeching engine as he caught up to the monster and-
CRASH
Yuuki's eyes flashed with a deep, primal fury as he rammed into Neith's body. She screeched in agony as the wheel ground away at her flesh.
Yuuki only revved harder. The chrome muffler burned bright as the two broke through a chain-link fence.
The two flew through an overgrown courtyard before Yuuki threw his weight back, popping a wheelie as the two "siblings" smashed through a concrete wall.
The wall gave away as dust flew all about, the two being flung onto the cold concrete floor. Yuuki's bike flew off to the side, sliding across the floor before grinding to a stop.
Neith crawled in retreat, scraping her nails against her cold concrete tomb. Yuuki stood amidst the dust, stepping ever closer.
Each step left a smoldering footprint, bursting into flame.
"Y-you insolent FREAK!" Neith shrieked, rolling back onto her feet. "You have NO idea who you're dealing with!" The "god" spun her staff and swung it at Yuuki's throat, the boy bending his knees as he absorbed the impact with his forearm.
He swept the staff away and leapt forward, delivering a bone-crunching right hook against the Luminite's jaw. She flew to the side and remained crouched, grabbing a hold of a stray metal rod.
She snapped the rusted steel in half and swung frantically at Yuuki, the boy standing his ground. He kept trading blow after blow, eating every strike dealt by Neith.
Neith roared, raising her hands into the sky. She called upon the heavens as needles came forth, weaving through the air and grazing Yuuki's sides.
He rolled to the side, aiming his fingers at his "sister", sniping her chest with crystal-like flames.
The two danced together.
There were countless things they wished to express to one another.
Words of malice, words of pride, grand plans, and aspirations.
Words of love. Words of hate.
Khepri and Neith waltzed deeper everlastingly into their eternal tomb.
The two climbed stair after stair, scaling the seemingly insurmountable warehouse.
Yuuki threw a jab directly at Neith's heart—it was met with a dodge, his fist collapsing a concrete pillar before them.
The lower floors were like a furnace, an intense, raging flame slowly licking away at the foundations.
The "new god" was cornered. There was nowhere else to climb, nowhere to escape to. Yuuki stood still, heaving as his body was painted with various splatters of blood. Red and gold staining his armor.
"You will have no safe passage through Duat. Remember this."Yuuki commanded, his voice echoing throughout the burning warehouse.
A luminous golden blood leaked from her wounds, as bright as the Nile.
She coughed, her legs trembling—she was struggling to stay upright.
Yuuki grabbed a hold of the buckles on his belt, pulling them apart before slamming them back together. The turbine flashed, a deep voice commanded from the driver.
RISE, O MORNING SUN! FOREVERMORE!
His legs burned bright as he sprinted towards the stupefied Neith, leaping far into the air. He flipped forward, extending his foot out into a scorching flying kick.
"RIDER! KIIIIIIIIIIICK!"Yuuki dove towards his "sister", his foot slamming into her wounded chest. The Luminite collapsed and caved into the ground, the two shattering the concrete floor beneath them.
One.
Two.
Three.
FOUR.
They crashed through every single floor before landing at the ground amidst an intense fire. The flames claimed everything around them.
Yuuki stepped off of Neith's body as she rested inside the crater. His scarf fluttered in the flames.
She spit and heaved, her body convulsing from the sheer pressure imparted against her beaten body.
Yuuki knelt before her as the Luminite cackled one last time.
"You… I'm just the beginning of something... greater... ! We 'new gods' will rule-"
Her eyes flashed a bright gold as Yuuki grabbed ahold of her neck, freezing it over.
He clenched his hand into a fist, collapsing her throat into a mound of ice.
Neith's eyes dimmed for the final time. The Luminite began to crumble away.
Yuuki let go of his grip, the icy shards flying into the surrounding flames.
He felt empty.
Yuuki, still transformed, knelt before the group of children. They've decided to remain with their parents.
His eyes gazed upon all the sleeping men and women.
It wasn't their time.
It wasn't anybody's...
A young boy with a round face approached Yuuki, tears welling in his eyes.
"C-can you help my mama... ?" He choked out, fidgeting his fingers as Yuuki's crimson eyes stared into his own.
They were a soft brown.
He looked at all the children. They needed him. They needed a hero.
Yuuki extended his hand over to the young boy's face, drying his tears. His palm radiated a comforting warmth.
"I'll do whatever I can to save your mama…" He turned to the rest of the children. "Everyone's papa and mama. I'll save them. Just stay strong for them, they wouldn't want you to cry."
Yuuki heard the distant wails of police sirens and hopped onto his motorcycle, revving the engine once more.
The young girl, Honoka, dried her tears and boldly stood up straight. She reached out to Yuuki and tugged him by his pants.
"What's your name…?"
Yuuki sat in silence as the sirens blared louder and louder. He turned to all the children and nodded.
"I'm your hero… Kamen Rider." Yuuki raised his fist and made a vow to the children before him.
The boy kicked the stand of his motorcycle and rode off, a new chapter of his life ready to be written.
First responders swamped the scene.
Police, Medics, news crews, and everything in-between.
They swarmed to close the site off and remove the children to safety.
Multiple vehicles later approached, their sides reading "Takayama Industries". A man in a scarlet blazer stepped forth and approached the officer in charge of the investigation.
"We'll take it from here." The young man smoothly commanded, patting the officer on his shoulder.
He surveyed the damage before him.
A success.