Episode 11: Why I Fight
Ren couldn't help but frown as he stared at the ceiling of his room in Atori Café. Ever since Kitaoka was revealed as Zolda and the extermination of the Zebraskull herd, things had been quiet. Far too quiet for Ren's liking. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the slight peace, but it did drag out how long the other Kamen Riders would be active in the Rider War.
"Every day that this war drags on is another day wasted." Ren grumbled, clutching the necklace that held a pair of engagement rings tightly. "Another day you're put at risk, and another day I'll have to end someone."
Ren let out a sigh of exhaustion and turned to face the nearest mirror. In it, he saw Darkwing perched on the ceiling, resting peacefully.
"Sometimes I wish I could be at ease like you." Ren muttered. "But then I remember, you're the reason I'm stuck in the Rider War in the first place."
To Ren's surprise, Darkwing's eyes snapped open. Almost as if he'd heard Ren voicing his displeasure. Darkwing gazed at Ren for a few seconds before returning to his slumber.
"Yeah. Why would you care how I feel anyway?" Ren snorted as he grabbed his coat. "Stewing here with you any longer might make me go stir crazy. You spread your wings at night, I spread mine in the daylight."
If Ren had lingered in the room a moment longer, he'd have noticed Darkwing bristling at his words. Seeing his master leave, Darkwing spread his wings and dropped from his perch, flying through the Mirror World and keeping a close eye on Ren. Anyone might have guessed that the reason Darkwing was so loyal to his master despite the contempt was that Ren kept him well-fed. They would be only half right. Darkwing's loyalty to Ren ran far deeper than just keeping his belly full. And it was a reason that only the bat would ever know.
Ren was riding through the city on his bike. It was a simple activity, but one that helped him greatly when it came to forgetting about his burdens if only for a short while. As he rode, Ren's mind couldn't help but drift back to fonder memories. But it was also a reminder of what he'd lost, and why he was fighting so hard in the first place. The three-way clash between joy, sorrow, and frustration forced Ren to pull over and park for a moment. Removing his helmet, Ren took a deep breath as he tried to regain his composure.
'Hold it together.' Ren thought as his chest heaved. 'Remember, it's all for her sake. I must do this. I need to do this! Mirror Monster or Kamen Rider, I'll fight anyone who gets in my way!'
But Ren's time to gather himself was soon cut short as the grating ringing of the Mirror World once again speared its way into his ears. However, the ringing came as a welcome distraction for Ren.
'Maybe I don't need fresh air.' Ren thought as he ran off to the nearest reflective surface. 'Maybe what I really need is to crush a Mirror Monster and get all this inner turmoil out of me!'
Ren managed to find a nearby window that didn't have too many people around, and held his advent deck up to it, the V-Buckle materializing onto his waist.
"HENSHIN!" Ren cried out as he slotted his advent deck into the belt, transforming into Kamen Rider Knight.
Knight immediately jumped into the mirror and mounted the waiting Ride Shooter, rocketing off toward the Mirror World and the battle that surely awaited him. However, upon arrival, it was very clear there wouldn't be much of a fight to be had. The Mirror Monster present, a Wildboarder, looked to be on its last legs. Its chest horns were broken, and a massive scorch mark was on its torso.
"Kido mentioned fighting a monster like this when one of his co-workers was kidnapped." Knight muttered to himself. "And there's only one rider that could inflict damage like this so quickly."
Sure enough, Knight's suspicions were confirmed as Zolda stepped into view, his Gigalauncher aimed right at the Wildboarder, firing without any hesitation. The Mirror Monster perishing in a fiery explosion, an energy core rising from where it once stood. Shortly after, the sound of mechanical footsteps clanked through the air as Magnugiga, Zolda's Contract Monster, came to collect his latest meal. Using his mouth like a vacuum, Magnugiga inhaled the energy core, pumping his arms in joy and letting out a content "moo" before marching away.
"Hope you enjoyed the pork, buddy!" Zolda called out as Magnugiga departed. Upon his Contract Monster leaving, Zolda noticed Knight. "Oh. Didn't expect to see you out and about during the day, Ren. I figured you more as a night-life sort of person."
"Ha ha. Because I'm contracted to a bat." Knight sighed. "Why do so many people make lame jokes regarding my Contract Monster? Shinji's already compared me to Batman more than enough times. I don't need anyone else jumping on that bandwagon. You don't see me calling you bull-headed, do you?"
"Fair enough." Zolda shrugged as he dismissed his Gigalauncher. "Well, that ought to keep Magnugiga's tank at full for a while."
Zolda began to leave but stopped himself and let out a sigh as he heard a familiar sound. The sound of a visor opening. Turning around, Zolda saw Knight drawing a card from his Advent Deck, the Darkvisor ready and waiting to receive it. Seeing this, Zolda couldn't help but sigh.
"… Do you really want to do this?" Zolda asked. His hand hovering over his Magnuvisor, ready to either fight, or give himself some cover fire to make a hasty retreat.
"I need to." Knight declared firmly. "It's the only way I can get the wish."
"So what do you want?" Zolda asked as he tilted his head in interest.
"Why's it any of your business?" Knight snapped.
"I love human desire." Zolda replied coolly. "It's what I enjoy the most about my job. Besides, you know my stake in this war. My life's riding on the wish. Shinji and Tezuka want to stop the fighting and save people from the Mirror Monsters. While their goals interfere with mine, I can't help but respect the two of them for sticking with their goals. So what's got you so invested in this?"
"Something more than myself." Knight gripped his Darkvisor tightly. "I'm fighting for someone's life other than my own. And I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."
"And just how much of a body count do you have?" Zolda inquired. "Tell me, how many Kamen Riders have you killed?"
Knight flinched slightly as he remembered his clash with Scissors, and the deadly outcome for the crab Rider.
"One Kamen Rider has already fallen." Knight stated, his head drooping a bit. "He was devoured by his own Contract Monster after I'd destroyed his deck on accident."
"In that case, you've got a count of zero." Zolda confirmed. "Same goes for the rest of us. Honestly, I'm hoping I don't build up a body count. And deep down? I know you don't want to either."
"You think we have a choice in the matter?!" Knight snapped. "For what either of us want, we NEED to fight! We NEED to kill!"
"Shinji and Tezuka don't seem to think so." Zolda calmly retorted. "And if I'm being honest, part of me hopes they're right."
"That's hard to believe coming from a slimy lawyer."
"… Alright then." Zolda took a deep breath. "You were asking for this."
Right as Zolda raised his Magnuvisor, Knight slotted in his Trick Vent card. In the blink of an eye, two copies of Knight stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Zolda was surprised for an instant, but not long enough to stop him from letting a few shots fly. However, Knight's copies were far from mindless as they either blocked the bullets with their blades or strafed out of the way.
"Hmph. I was wondering when I'd need to whip this out." Zolda muttered to himself as he pulled back the hammer of the Magnuvisor and drew a card from his Advent Deck, slotting it in quickly.
"STRIKE VENT!"
At the Magnuvisor's announcement, a gauntlet that appeared to be comprised of Magnugiga's head materialized on Zolda's left arm. Its golden metal horns gleaming in the light.
"Time to get up-close and personal!" Zolda cried as he charged forward to meet Knight and his copies head-on!
One of Knight's copies moved in to strike, but was immediately floored by Zolda's Gigahorn, shattering an instant later from the impact. Observing the fate of his copy, Knight wasted no time in drawing a card from his Advent Deck after slotting open his Darkvisor. While his remaining copy engaged Zolda, Knight slotted his card in.
"SWORD VENT!"
The Winglancer descended into Knight's hands mere seconds later. Now armed with his weapon of choice, Knight resumed his charge, but his first strike was blocked by Zolda's claw guantlet! The two riders grappled for a moment, but the clash was broken when Zolda quickly drew his Magnuvisor and shot Knight in the gut. The armor blocked the bullets from penetrating the man within, but Knight was still pretty jolted having not fought ranged opponents all that often. Knight stumbled back from the shots and was promptly clocked in the head by Zolda, sprawling out onto the ground.
"You can still break this off!" Zolda called out as he dismissed the Gigahorn and pulled back the Magnuvisor's hammer, drawing a card soon after. "From the looks of it, you're not in your right head, Ren. If you don't get a handle on yourself, you're not gonna last long."
"SHUT UP!" Knight screamed as pounded the ground and staggered to his feet. "THERE'S NO WAY I'LL LOSE! I CAN'T LOSE!"
"Just what on earth's pushing you like this?!" Zolda said in both shock and amazement.
"Someone like you, who's only fighting for themselves, would never understand." Knight growled. "Neither does that idiot, Kido!"
As Knight charged, Zolda couldn't help but sigh as he slotted his advent card into the Manguvisor,
"SHOOT VENT!"
Upon the Magnuvisor's announcement, the Gigalauncher fell into Zolda's hands, the gunslinger rider aiming the rocket launcher at Knight. Knight attempted to halt himself, but it was too late. Zolda fired the Gigalauncher, hitting Knight dead-center, the bat rider sent flying from the hit! Using the Winglancer as a crutch, Knight attempted to stand once more, but was blasted once more and sent crashing into a nearby wall. Knight fought to stay conscious, but it was a losing battle, much like how the fight with Zolda was going. As Knight teetered on the edge of collapsing, Zolda closed in, spying the downed Knight in the rubble. One more shot. That's all it would take, and Zolda would be one step closer to claiming the wish. But despite aiming his rocket launcher and Knight's downed form, Zolda couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.
'Dammit.' Zolda thought as he dismissed his weapon and retreated to the nearest mirror to return to the real world. As he exited the Mirror World, Zolda removed his Advent Deck from the V-Buckle, reverting to Kitaoka. After stowing away his Advent Deck, Kitaoka whipped out his cellphone, dialing Shinji's number.
"Yes?" Shinji asked as he answered Kitaoka's call.
"Hey, Shinji." Kitaoka began. "Look, Ren and I got into a bit of a scrap earlier. Before you start thinking the worst, he came at me first. I tried to talk him out of it, especially because he sounded like he was at a bad place in his mind. Wasn't much of a fight though once I whipped out my firearms. He's unconscious right now, but you'd better get to him soon. Mirror Monsters aren't too picky regarding whether their prey can fight back or not. I'll text you his location."
"... I see." Shinji replied. "I might've known Ren would pull something like this. All the same, thanks. I'll be over soon. Just gotta tell my superiors about the emergency regarding my friend."
"You know, Ren's pretty lucky to have a friend like you." Kitaoka smiled.
"Too bad he doesn't consider me one."
"And he says you're the idiot?" Kitaoka chuckled. "Hell, maybe I'm an idiot too for wasting a chance like this."
"I'd say this shows you're a better person than most think you are." Shinji said. Kitaoka could practically see the smile on Shinji's face as he spoke. "Maybe even better than you think you are."
"... Thanks, Shinji." Kitaoka said with a small, but grateful smile on his face as he hung up. "Better have Goro pick me up."
As Kitaoka departed, Shinji was already on his bike and speeding off to Ren's location. Spying Ren's bike, Shinji parked his right next to it and hurried over to the closest out of sight mirror. Summoning the V-Buckle, Shinji transformed into Kamen Rider Ryuki. Thankfully, Ren wasn't too far from him and no Mirror Monsters were skulking about for easy prey. Wasting no time, Ryuki dug Knight out of the minor rubble he was trapped in, and carried Knight all the way to the same mirror he'd come through
The pair of riders exited the Mirror World not long after, and emerged into an alleyway close to Ren's bike. Safe from prying eyes, Ryuki removed his Advent Deck as well as Knight's, their armor shattering into shards, fading away and revealing their civilian forms. Hoisting Ren up again, Shinji dragged his unconscious comrade to his bike. Shinji mused how long it'd take Ren to regain consciousness, he wouldn't have to wait long as Ren began to stir.
"Nngghh... "
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Ren." Shinji greeted with a smile as Ren opened his eyes. But what happened next made Shinji's face go blank.
"Who... are you?"
"Who am I?" Shinji asked in confusion as he snapped out of his shock. "Come on, Ren. It's me, Shinji. We've been working together since close to a month ago. Heck, you've made it a point to insult me almost every minute we're in the same room."
"I... I did?" Ren blinked in shock. "... I'm sorry. For the insults, and having no memory of our time together."
Hearing this made Shinji balk a bit. Never, in all the time Shinji knew him, had Ren ever apologized for insulting him.
"You alright?" Ren asked, actual concern present in his voice. "You seem pretty shaken from hearing I can't remember you. Were we friends or something? If so, that'd be something I'd regret. I... never really had many friends before."
"No, we're acquaintances." Shinji replied, shaking his head lightly. "Hey, since you've got blanks in your head, maybe I can help fill them in."
"You'd do that?"
"Yeah." Shinji nodded, a friendly smile on his face. "I told my work an emergency came up with a friend of mine."
"But you said we were only acquaintances."
"You might've not considered us friends, but I always did." Shinji declared. "So. Where should we begin?"
"I know a place, actually." Ren said. "One of my old haunts."
"Great." Shinji nodded. "Let's ride."
The pair rode off towards one of Ren's old haunts, a pool hall. Upon entering, the pair received many a hard stare, though Ren bore the brunt of them. Before they could even sit down at the bar, one of the patrons approached them, a pool cue in his hands.
"Akiyama." The man grunted. "Been a while since you've shown your face around here. But now that you're back, duel me." The man tapped the floor with his pool cue. "I still need to settle the score with you from last time."
"Sorry, I've got no memory of beating you." Ren stated flatly, not even flinching at the intimidation display. "I'm here to ask if you saw me here earlier. I remember coming here frequently. And don't you dare try to make me play a round with you. I've got no time to fool around."
The pool hall went completely silent as everyone's expression hardened at Ren's remark. Shinji mentally sighed. Of course this is how Ren would act. Memory loss or not, Ren was still the most immovable person he knew. Be it words or intimidation displays, nothing would deter Ren once he made his mind up about something.
'At least that's still the same with nice Ren.' Shinji thought as he nervously surveyed his surroundings. It seemed like a brawl would erupt any minute now. However, the tension soon disappeared as the man staring down Ren let out a sigh.
"Geez. You're still unflinching even after all this time." The man lamented. "Well, last time you were here, you were celebrating your girlfriend getting that assistant position at Seimeiin University. Said it was at Professor Ejima's lab."
"Thanks." Ren nodded as he turned to leave. "C'mon, Shinji. We're going to school."
"Right behind you." Shinji smiled. 'I like nice Ren. He's fun.'
Shinji and Ren sped off towards Seimeiin University, the pair parking close to the lab building they'd been searching for. A quick trip to the building's front office helped expedite their search further.
"Let's see... " The clerk said as he looked through the computer. "Ah yes. Room 401. That's where Professor Ejima's lab was."
"'Was'?" Ren asked with a puzzled look on his face. "Did it get shut down?"
"Sort of." The clerk replied. "There was an accident a while back. Professor Ejima's assistant had suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. Funny thing is, I haven't the slightest idea what caused it. The professor and his group were pretty hush-hush about what they were doing in there."
Ren didn't waste another second as he bolted for the nearest staircase, his heart pumping like a jackhammer with every flight he ascended with Shinji following him a few seconds later.
'Eri!" Ren thought as he stood before the very room he sought. He tried to open it, but the door wouldn't budge.
"Ren!" Shinji called out. "You need the key."
Shinji held up a key with the room's number on it, and unlocked the door. Upon entering, the pair saw that the entire lab was a derelict. The only hint that there might have been people working here were the chairs pulled away from desks. However, that wasn't Ren was seeing as he clutched his head. This lab was familiar. Very familiar. In his stupor, Ren's hand brushed against his pants, feeling a rectangular object that wasn't his wallet. Out of curiosity, Ren pulled it out and was met with the sight of his Advent Deck. And that when it all came together. Ren's mind flashed back to the last time he was here. Where his time as a Kamen Rider all began.
Flashback: Three months ago
"You sure that you need to take this assistant position?" Ren asked. "Eri, I know that you're a nursing intern, but you shouldn't be stretching yourself so much. Your schedule's packed enough as it is."
Ren's girlfriend, Eri Ogawa, was a beautiful young woman with short brown hair and a bright smile that contrasted Ren's nigh-permanent scowl. In fact, her entire fashion sense and favored color was a complete contrast to Ren's. He favored the dark look while she preferred the light. But perhaps it was because they were opposites that they were so drawn to each other. And to think, all it took was Ren losing control of his bike to avoid hitting her while she was tired from an intense study session for nursing school.
"You act so tough around others, buy you're a worry-wart around me." Eri giggled. "But that's what I love about you. And besides, I won't be working with any hazardous chemicals. The professor I'll be assisting gave me a run-down of what we'll be working with. You don't need to worry about me mutating, or becoming some kind of freak."
"I'd still marry you even if you were." Ren muttered. "Just... please be careful, Eri."
Ren took Eri's hand tightly in his.
"You're my light."
"And you'll always be with me, my shadow." Eri said with a loving smile. "Don't worry, Ren. Everything will be fine."
It wasn't. One day, Ren had decided to drop by the lab and surprise Eri. Normally he'd show up when she was just about to leave so he could drive her home. However, when he arrived at room 401, a terrible sight greeted him. The minute Ren opened the door, he saw a gigantic bat hovering right in front of Eri! Eri took a step back and screamed in terror, prompting the bat to let out a sonic screech that knocked her unconscious. Ren immediately went to Eri's side, uncaring of the two other people in the room.
"Kanzaki!" An older man exclaimed in awe and terror. "What is this?!"
"It worked... " Shirou Kanzaki muttered in astonishment. "IT WORKED!"
"YOU!" Ren snarled as he locked eyes with Kanzaki. "You did this! What the hell happened to Eri?! What did that... thing, do to her?!"
Kanzaki turned his attention to Ren, and put on a serious face.
"That girl won't be waking up for a long time. Not unless you take part in my Rider War." Kanzaki began.
"What are you talking about?!" Ren screamed as he glared at Kanzaki.
"Become a Kamen Rider." Kanzaki explained as he held up a blank version of the Knight deck. "Defeat all twelve other Kamen Riders, and you will claim the prize of the Rider War. A wish. A wish that can be used for whatever the winner desires. Using the Contract card on that Mirror Monster will officially admit you into the Rider War. But once you make a contract, there's no backing out. Do you accept? Or does your lover's life matter so much less than your own?"
Ren took one look at Eri, then Kanzaki, and then the bat. His face hardening, Ren gently set Eri's unconscious form on the floor and stomped over to Kanzaki, snatching the Advent Deck from his hands and pulling out the Contract Card, glaring hatefully at the bat as he held the card up to it. There was no going back now.
'Eri. I WILL save you. No matter what it takes!'
Flashback end
Ren had stumbled over to the nearest desk, breathing heavily as he became aware of his past. Concerned, Shinji headed over to Ren's side and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Ren?" Shinji asked. "You alright?"
"... Come with me, Kido." Ren answered. "We've got one last stop to make."
Shinji blinked at the sudden shift in Ren's attitude, but realized the shift meant Ren was back to his old self.
"Right behind you." Shinji replied.
The two headed off to a nearby hospital, and upon Ren's request they were let into a specific room. The one where Ren's lover, Eri, lay unconscious.
"Sorry I'm so late with the visit, Eri." Ren said warmly as he knelt by her bedside.
It didn't take Shinji long to process who Eri was to Ren.
"This person." Shinji said in realization. "She's why you're fighting in the Rider War."
"It's because of Darkwing that she's like this." Ren said as he slowly stood up, pulling out the necklace with his and Eri's engagement rings on it. "And now, he's my only ticket of getting her out of this state."
"Ren, I... I'm so sorry."
"This is why I don't want to see you as a friend, Kido." Ren said solemnly. "Because I'd feel all the more horrible when I have to kill you."
"... And do you think Eri would want you to do any of this?" Shinji asked. "Do you think she'd ever look at you again with the blood you'd have on your hands?"
"What makes you think I'd ever tell her what I did for her sake?!" Ren snapped as he turned to face Shinji.
"Because you're a good man, Ren." Shinji replied. "You wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you kept something like that from her. I know because Yui told me all about how shaken you were after Scissors was defeated. Like I said earlier, you'll never consider me a friend, but I'll always consider you mine. And as your friend, it's my business to try and snap you out of any thoughts or mindsets that could hurt you."
"... " Ren was completely silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Half."
"Huh?"
"I'm cutting off half the remaining debt you owe me."
"Is that the price of my friendship?" Shinji joked.
"Just consider it a favor for dragging my hide out of the fire earlier." Ren answered. "Now, if you don't mind-"
"I get it." Shinji raised his hands in defeat. "The knight wants some alone time with his sleeping princess. I'll leave you to it. Who knows? Maybe true love's kiss will wake her up."
"Just beat it, Kido." Ren groaned as Shinji let out one last chuckle before leaving. Once the pair were alone, Ren gently put a hand on Eri's face and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving. But if he'd stayed a moment longer, he would've noticed Darkwing perched on the ceiling, diligently presiding over Eri's slumber. As Darkwing watched his master leave, he spared a glance at Eri's unconscious form. A regretful look was on the giant bat's face before hardening into one of resolve as he resumed his guard duty. By contracting with his master, Darkwing had become aware of the consequences of his actions. Especially with the regards to how he'd wronged his master. And so, he would do all he could to make things right. This is why he fought.
AN: Phew. This was a heavy one to write. Took a while, but I finally got it done. Hope this episode was worth the wait. Next episode will be more action-oriented, and I hope you're all ready for the debut of a new Advent Card! As always, read and review! Your input helps makes this story happen!