(Author's Note)
Hey guys! 0n3dgeGaming here! Welcome back to another chapter.
I would say sorry about the wait, but honestly the more I hold off on these chapters the more info I have to work with from ZI-O.
With that said, let's move onto Reviews!
To KRKing: I've said my stance on including other OC's and I won't be changing it. Thanks for asking, but I'll have to decline again.
To Tony Trill: More of a crackpot theory than anything else. I highly doubt Sougo's Another ZI-O, but it'd be funny in hindsight. And OOO's Heisei Generations Final Catchphrase doesn't really count.
To Kamen Rider Chrome: I might try that one actually. More for the intro catchphrase, but we'll see if it really goes anywhere.
To Shogun lord poke burst: Yes. Yes he is.
With all that out of the way, ONTO THE STORY!
The ground crumbled beneath the gold plated foot, as a man in regal inspired gold armour stopped in front of a stone statue. He turned to look at it, staring into the eyes of the boy who was once him, as he looked down to the plaque on the base of the statue.
'Commemorating the first transformation of Bryce Bridged'.
The man looked up, the statues of past riders standing next to the commemoratory statue, circling around to form a circle. The man looked back, his red visor lighting up as he faced the oncoming hoard of soldiers. He stood firm, as the army drew closer and closer with each passing moment.
"Charge!" Exclaimed one of the Soldiers, as a torrent of ammunition ripped through the air, slamming into an invisible shield a few feet away from the man in gold.
The man raised his hand up, before flicking it open, a large shockwave knocking back the soldiers as the air around them combusted, exploding outwards, decimating the army's forces.
The man looked up, watching as countless missiles closed in on him, before raising his hand once more, stopping them in their tracks. He gave a passive look to the right, watching as a giant robot lifted it's foot, bringing it down to stomp on the man.
He paid it no mind, moving his hand to catch the metal foot in some kind of energy field, as he sent it flying back, before quickly moving onto the next robot that had advanced. He waved his arm, the missiles hanging in the air flew outwards, exploding on contact with the armada of robots, knocking them down.
The man snapped his right hand to the side, as time around his froze. He looked out at the soldiers he chose to leave movable in the frozen time, his voice sending chills down each of their spines.
"You fools could never defeat me." He said, tilting his head a bit. "Do you know why?"
The man brought his right hand to his chest, a pulse of energy ripped through the air, disintegrating everything in its path, the soldiers unable to even scream before they were dust in the wind.
"Because I was destined to be king."
I shot up from my bed in a cold sweat, gripping a round object in my hand. I looked down, seeing the ZI-O Ride Watch staring back at me, the dial turned to the right so the face was shown in full.
"Shut up!" I yelled, throwing the Ride Watch at the door as I placed my hands behind my head. "...I won't… I won't become that man…"
"Well, this is certainly new in the morning." Said a voice, as I snapped my head to the left, finding Woz standing next to the wall of my dorm room. "I've arranged your uniform for today. According to this book, it's quite an eventful day."
"...Thanks." I said, grabbing the clothes from a nearby chair as I walked to the bathroom. I closed the door behind me as I stripped off the sweatpants drenched in… well, sweat, as I walked into the shower, turning it on as I let the hot water roll down my back. "...It was just a dream… just a dream."
I told myself those words as I calmed down, before a more important thought came to mind. "...Why the hell is Woz in my dorm room?" I asked, quickly turning the shower faucet off now that I had finished. I stepped out of the shower, drying off with a nearby towel before picking up the uniform. "Well, might as well get ready for the day…"
I quickly got dressed for the day, getting most of the uniform on, before being stuck at the tie, as I sighed. "Yeah, not going to bother. Maybe I'll ask Jaune or Ren for help later…"
I resisted the urge to laugh, realizing once again, that I had became a Kamen Rider last night. I let out a sigh, as my excitement returned to safe levels, as I looked in the mirror. I hadn't changed too drastically when I arrived on Remnant, aside from losing a surprising amount weight, I didn't really change looks wise. I didn't even get a lot of muscle, being left average.
I looked into my green eyes, smiling as I swept my brown hair to the side. I put a hand to my chin, feeling the scruff growing around there. I took out my razor and got to work shaving off my facial hair, exposing my rather pale skin into the open. I rubbed my chin down with a towel, as I ran a hand across my smooth chin, making sure the surface was dry.
I hung the towel on the rack, as I walked out of the bathroom, ready for the day. I looked to the left, finding Woz kneeling in front of me, the Ziku Driver and Ride Watch Holder, now holding the ZI-O Ride Watch after I threw it, on a red pillow. "For you, my liege."
"...Thanks." I said, picking up the Ride Watch holder, strapping it to my left arm, before I picked up the Ziku Driver, placing it against my waist. "…You're giving off more of a 'personal attendant' vibe rather than your normal 'Fortune Teller' one…"
"I am in service of my overlord, and as such I am to be here to give explanations whenever necessary." Said Woz.
"That, and you probably need a place to stay at Beacon to keep an eye on me." I said, to which Woz turned around.
"I would suggest you head on to class, you do only have 15 minutes before it starts." Said Woz, avoiding the question as I sighed. I turned around, walking over to the door as I took my scroll out, opening the door and closing it behind me.
"Need to personalize this later…" I muttered, flipping the scroll in the air before I caught it, putting it away in my back pocket. I walked up to the dorm room next to mine, room 553, as I knocked on the door.
After a few moments, the door opened to Ruby, who as soon as she saw me dragged me inside. "Ah Bryce! Great timing, we need an outside opinion, should we do bunkbeds?" Asked Ruby, as I looked at the stack of four beds in front of me.
"...What's going on exactly?" I asked, looking at the other members of Team RWBY.
"We're trying to figure out how to maximise our space in the dorm." Said Blake.
"Oh." I said. "Well, bunk beds would probably help, and I think if you asked the staff they would be fine with supplying them… Though this really should wait till later." I said, as they looked at me.
"Why's that?" Asked Yang.
"Anyone have a watch?" I asked, as Yang gave me a pointed look. "Okay yeah, bad joke. But seriously you guys have 10 minutes to get to class before it starts."
"What!?" Weiss exclaimed.
"To class!" Ruby shouted, as the four of them booked it out of the room, leaving me alone in their dorm.
"...Your welcome." I muttered, walking out of the room and closing it behind me, watching as Team JNPR ran after Team RWBY. "I wonder how much trouble I'd get in if I used my bike inside the halls…?"
"A lot of it." I turned around to see Ozpin taking a sip from his coffee. "On an unrelated note, when you're finished with classes for the day, meet me in the combat arena."
"Uh… sure?" I said, before Ozpin walked past me. "Oh crap, class!" I pressed my foot into the floor as I sprinted ahead, passing by a Janitor's cart, the Janitor's eyes widening as I passed.
"Was that a driver?" Bajou asked himself, as his scroll started to ring. "Huh? Hello, Hello? Oh, Sento! You won't believe what I just saw! Huh? Oh… I'll tell you later then… Wait, what do you mean your busy?"
"Monsters! Deeeemons... Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!" This was the first major sight I had received when I sat down for the first class I had at Beacon, as I forced myself pay attention to the opening of the class.
This was Professor Port, our teacher for Grimm Studies. Apparently, he thought starting things off with a joke as bad as that one was a good idea. The man was portly, looking a bit overweight. His hair had greyed, and he wore one of the most magnificent moustaches I've ever seen, then again, I haven't really seen any good ones back home to compare this too so…
"Uhhhh... And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now, as I was saying: Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses…" Port gave Yang a wink, to which she promptly groaned at how uncomfortable thing had gotten. "Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"
"Ayyyy-yep!" I turned to my left, seeing a student with fist in the air. He looked around, probably realizing everyone was looking at him weirdly, as he quickly sat down, looking embarrassed.
"That is what you are training to become." Said Port, as I picked up the pencil in front of me. "But first: A story. A tale of a young, handsome man... Me! When I was a boy…"
I sighed, taking out my scroll. If our professor was going to go off on a tangent like this, might as well make the time I have useful right? I won't lie, the scroll was a complete mystery to me. I didn't really have too much of a clue as to how it worked, my only saving grace was the 'helpful' instruction manual I was provided. I now knew how to turn it on. And that was about it.
I decided saving the scroll for later might be a better idea, so I placed it away and pulled out my phone, pressing the button on the side as the screen came to life.
If there was one thing I was happy about, is that I was wearing the jeans I always have a charging cable and brick in for my phone in case of emergencies. I don't know how long I was lost scrolling through my phone, but I was brought to attention when Port cleared his throat. "In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!"
"The moral of this story? A true Huntsman must be honorable!" Said Port. A true Huntsman must be dependable! A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise! So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"
"I do, sir!" Shouted Weiss, as I looked over at the heiress. She looked… rather angry, for some reason.
"Well, then, let's find out!" Said Port, as he gestured to the glowing red eyes that pierced the shadows of the cage holding back what I could only assume was a Grimm. "Step forwards, and face your opponent!"
"...After you get your combat gear together." Said Port, as Weiss left the classroom. "The rest of you, take a break until she returns."
I turned to Blake. "What's with Weiss? She seems… I want to say frustrated?"
"I have no idea." Said Blake, as I turned back to see the Heiress return.
"Well that was fast." I said, as Weiss gripped her Rapier.
"Goooo, Weiss!" Yang cheered, raising her fist.
"Fight well!" Blake said, waving a small flag with Team RWBY's logo on it.
"Yeah, represent Team RWBY!" Ruby shouted.
"Ruby! I'm trying to focus!" Snapped Weiss, as she lowered her sword and looked at her team leader.
"Oh, um… sorry." Ruby responded.
"Okay… I see how THIS is…" I said, as I looked over at Blake. "...Where the hell did you get that flag?"
"It was in the general team package." Said Blake, as I looked back to the fight.
"Ah." I responded, as Port pulled out his weapon. It looked to be a blunderbuss, but the stock of the weapon had the blades of a battle axe on either side of it. Our Professor held his weapon by the barrel, as he raised the weapon.
"Alright!" He exclaimed. "Let the match... begin!"
The professor swung his weapon down, breaking the lock to the cage. The cage door dropped open, as the Boarbatusk inside immediately charged at Weiss. She quickly raised Myrtenaster to deflect its attack, forcing her to roll to the side. She gripped her rapier, readying herself for its next move. The Grimm stood a distance away, studying her.
"Ha-ha! Wasn't expecting that, were you?" Said Port.
"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby shouted.
Weiss charged towards the oncoming Boarbatusk, thrusting her blade straight at its skull until the two forces collide. In a single moment, Myrtenaster is trapped in the beast's tusks, Weiss still hanged on to the hilt as tossed around as she struggled to get the rapier back.
"Bold, new approach. I like it!" Said Port.
"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby encouraged, as Weiss turned to give her leader a glare, before the Boarbatusk turned its head, ripping the sword from Weiss' grip. Myrtenaster landed across the room, as Weiss was knocked back by the creature's tusks.
"Oh-ho! Now what will you do without your weapon?" Asked Port, as I found myself looking at Weiss in annoyance.
Weiss looked up just in time to see the Boarbatusk charging at her once more. She quickly got to rolling out of the way of the attack. Just in time too, as the Boarbatusk couldn't stop it's charge and crashed into a nearby desk. Weiss rushed to her sword, sliding down to get it back in her hand.
"Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armor underneath-" Ruby said, only to be cut off by Weiss.
"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss snapped, as I tightened my fist.
"Okay, now I see the problem." I said, leaning back in my chair.
The Boarbatusk lept into the air, rolling into a ball. It began to spin rapidly in the air, before landing on the ground, consistently gaining speed until it launched itself at Weiss. It charges closer and closer, but at the last second Weiss activated one of her blue-white glyphs, blocking the roll. She leaped up into the now-black snowflake glyph, as she turned it blue again, sending her towards the Boarbatusk as she thrusted her rapier outwards, driving the weapon into the Boarbatusk's stomach. It squealed in pain, before quickly falling silent, as Weiss sighed in relief.
"Bravo! Bra-vo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!" Said Port, as Weiss stood up. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and... stay vigilant! Class dismissed!"
"We had assigned readings?" I asked in confusion, walking out of my position, watching as Weiss glared at who I could only assume to be Ruby as she hurried out of the room.
Jaune walked up to me. "Jeez, what's with her?"
"Something to do with Ruby is what I can only guess." I said, before shrugging. "Well, I do believe I have somewhere to be, so I'll catch up later!"
I walked out of the room, turning to corner to see Ruby standing in the hallway with a retreating Weiss walking away. "Ozpin made a mistake." Weiss said, as she rounded the corner.
"...Okay, that didn't explain ANY of the questions I had." I said, walking up to Ruby, seeing her looking downcast. "...You okay?"
"Did Ozpin make a mistake? Making me team leader?" Asked Ruby, looking at me on the verge of tears.
"Oh, so that's what this is about." I said, glaring to the side at where Weiss walked off. "Jesus, it's been one day and she's already made up her mind on you? What kind of bullshit is that?"
"Bryce." I turned back to Ruby. "Did Ozpin make a mistake?"
"...Honestly?" I began. "I have no idea. The fact of the matter, is that it's only been one day. You have the ENTIRE semester, hell, four years to get your act together so you can prove to Weiss that you're not a failure at being a team leader. And besides, I've known you for about a month or so now, and out of the four of you, I would've made the same choice Ozpin did."
"Really?" Asked Ruby.
"He's right you know." Said Ozpin, as Ruby and I turned to look at the headmaster. "Ruby... I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet. But at this moment, I would not consider your appointment to leader to be one of them. Do you?"
"Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you're not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?" Said Ozpin. "You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you take some time, to think about how you will uphold it."
Ozpin turned to me. "As for you Bryce, I do believe you were supposed to be in the Combat Arena."
"I uh… was heading over there but uh… Well, my team takes precedence." I said, as Ozpin smiled.
"A good answer. I also assume it's because you don't have a clue as to where it could be." Said Ozpin as I looked to the side. "Who knows for sure…"
"I'll uh, see you later Ruby." I said, as I walked away with Ozpin to the Arena.
"So what might all this be about?" I asked, as I stood on the arena floor, facing Ozpin who was sitting in the bleachers.
"Unlike the other students of the academy, you have no prior combat experience. Aside from when you're transformed, you don't have any of the knowledge your driver gives you." Said Ozpin. "Which leaves you defenseless to whoever might catch you unaware."
"So I've decided that you'll be getting a… private tutor, we'll say." Said Ozpin, taking a sip from his mug of coffee.
"Private Tutor?" I asked.
A sudden sound of something being shaken filled my ears, as white equations flew past me. My eyes widened, as I looked to the right, seeing a man in a beige coat walk onto the arena floor, shaking two small bottles, one red, and one blue.
He stopped shaking the bottles, snapping the lids into place. "Now, shall we start the experiment?" He asked, placing the red bottle into the first slot on his Driver.
[RABBIT!]
He quickly dropped the blue bottle into the second slot, as I felt a chill go up my spine.
[TANK!]
[BEST MATCH!]
I won't lie, I might have had some trouble holding my excitement in at that proclamation. A mechanical rhythm started to play from the driver, as the man gripped the red lever, turning it round and round.
Pipes emerged from the driver, filled with a red and blue liquid, as two halves of a body formed in front and behind him. The man raised his left hand outwards, before pulling it back, bringing his right arm up in a fighting stance.
"Henshin!" He shouted, bringing his arms in front of him in an x pattern, before swinging them down into a neutral position, as the two sides of his armour slammed together, steam bursting off the armour.
[Hagane no Moonsault! RabbitTank! Yeahhh!]
"I've found the winning formula!" I looked on with wide eyes as Kamen Rider Build stood before me. The Kamen Rider lowered his right arm as he looked at me. "You must be Bryce. Ozpin asked me to help out with your training."
"...No. No way!" I said, looking at Ozpin. "First you and now HIM!?"
"I'm sorry… what's going on right now?" Asked Build, as I turned to face him with a huge smile on my face.
"Sorry it's just I'm kinda really super excited. I mean, it's not everyday where you meet the brilliant physicist, Sento Kiryu, aka Kamen Rider Build… I got that right?" I asked, as Kamen Rider Build took a step back. "I'll take that as a yes."
"He even got my self praising right…" Muttered Build, as I raised an eyebrow. "Anyways, that's right, I'm Sento Kiryu. I'm also teaching you… something. I haven't gotten a good idea yet."
"Anyways, let's begin!" Said Build, as he held out his hand, the Drill Crusher forming quickly after.
I smirked, taking the ZI-O Ride Watch off of the holder as I held it outwards, only for it to be shot out of my hand by Build. "What the hell!?"
"I told you training's already begun!" He shouted, running at me as he changed his weapon back to it's sword form.
I ducked to the side, rolling out of the way of one of his attacks. I clicked my tongue, looking forwards to see my Ride Watch on the floor. I looked back at Build, as he stared back at me, before I made a break for the Ride Watch.
As I closed in, Build began to fire upon me, as I swerved to avoid the attacks. As I closed into the Watch, I leaped forwards, reaching out to grab it, only to find Build standing right in front of me. "What the-!?"
Build swung his foot out, kicking me away from the Ride Watch as he rolled his shoulders. I stood up. "Damn… So it's the speed of the Rabbit Fullbottle then…"
I rolled my neck, as I looked at the driver on my waist. "...Please work…" I muttered, looking back at Build. "EDGE OF TIME!"
I extended my hand forward, as the familiar sword materialized in my hand.
[ZIKAN GIRADE!]
[KEN!]
"Oh neat, I don't need the Ride Watch to do that then…" I said, gripping the sword in my hands. "Let's do this!"
I charged forwards swinging my sword forwards as Build raised his Drill Crusher to block my attack. Pressed the button overtop of the Ride Watch slot, as I broke off from Build.
[Time Charge! 5...4...3...2...1...ZERO TIME!]
I pulled the trigger on my sword, as I charged forwards, swinging my sword once more at Build. The rider raised to block the attack with his weapon, right where I wanted him to be.
[GIRI GIRI GIRI!]
I pushed forward, knocking his weapon out of his hand as the force of the attack sent him flying to the other side of the arena. I quickly ran over to the Ride Watch, picking it up as I twisted the dial, pressing down on the top button.
{ZI-O!}
[RABBIT!]
I turned around, watching as Build inserted the Rabbit Full Bottle into the Drill Crusher, as red energy circled around the drill like a hurricane.
"Not giving me any time to henshin, huh?" I said, as Build charged towards me. "Fine then!"
I placed the ZI-O Ride Watch into the slot on the Zikan Girade, as I spun the sword around in my hand.
[FINISH TIME!]
I pulled the trigger down, as I swung forwards. Build swinging his weapon towards me at the same time.
[READY, GO! VORTEX BREAK!]
{ZI-O!}
[GIRI GIRI SLASH!]
The two finishers collided at once, as I dug my feet into the ground as the shockwave from the collision slammed into me. I grit my teeth, looking up at Build's helmet, before I smirked. I watched as I pressed the release button on the Zikan Girade, the weapon transforming into it's Gun form, as Build looked down in shock.
{ZI-O!}
[ZURE ZURE SHOOTING!]
The energy from the gun exploded against Build's chest, as the masked rider was sent flying, hitting the arena floor as his Transformation deactivated. I lowered my weapon as I let out a sigh of relief, my body burning from the quick yet exhilarating fight.
I took the Ride Watch out of the gun, tossing the weapon to the side as it dematerialized. Sento rolled over, pushing himself off the ground as he turned to look at me. "Was not expecting that outcome."
"Well… neither was I… I guess." I said, placing the Ride Watch back on the holder as I extended my hand to him. "Bryce Bridged aka, Kamen Rider ZI-O."
"I'm the brilliant physicist, Sento Kiryu, aka Kamen Rider Build." Said Sento, as we shook hands. "I look forward to seeing what you can do."
"Well, that was an interesting match." Said Ozpin, walking onto the arena floor. "Tell me, do you know why I have Sento as your instructor?"
I looked over at Ozpin, before thinking on it. "I think… It's because… Oh… Oh! The fullbottles! With a total of 60 individual types, you'd be able to help me train against a variety of enemies! The first that comes to mind would be range training with OctopusLight."
Sento smiled. "He catches on fast."
"I think that's enough for today. I'd recommend spending the rest with you team." Said Ozpin.
I nodded, passing by a janitor as I walked out of the arena.
"Yo Sento! You're done teaching now right?" Asked Banjou, walking up to his fellow Rider. "As I was saying earlier, I think there was a guy walking around with a new driver."
"You mean the one that just left?" Asked Sento, as Banjou turned around to look at my retreating form. "Seriously didn't notice? Well, that's a musclebrain for you…"
"Oi!" Bajou snapped, as I walked out of the arena, trying my best to contain my laughter.
"Oh… that is good…" I said. "Now… where do I go from here?"
"What is that thing!?" I snapped my head to the side, running out of the hallway to see students running away from something.
"Bryce!" Ruby shouted, running up to my left. "What's going on, I heard shouting."
"Honestly? Not a clue." I said, looking ahead to see a blue and gold figure throwing people left and right. "But I'm not standing around to find out!"
I pulled off the ZI-O Ride Watch, twisting the dial to the left before pushing down on the top button.
{ZI-O!}
I swung my arm to the right, before sliding it into the right slot, the methodical ticking of the clock sounding off at the command. My hand moved over the top button of the driver, pressing down as the whole assembly tilted. I moved my arms around in front of me, getting into position.
"Henshin!" I shouted, backhanding the driver with my left arm as the driver spun around, locking into place with a ring of the bell.
[RIDER TIME!]
{KAMEN RIDER! ZI-O!}
I quickly crossed my arms before bringing them to my sides, three watch bands suddenly forming around me as they spun around, granting me my armour. The word 'Rider' slammed into my visor, as my transformation was completed.
I brought my hand up to the watch crown on the side of my helmet, making a twisting motion with it. "At this moment in time…" I began.
The monster suddenly came into full view, as my eyes widened, before I suddenly got very confused. "...Is that…"
"Cross-Z?" Asked Ruby, as I let my hand fall to my side.
The creature in front of me happened to look a lot of Cross-Z, or at least, base form Cross-z. The dragons used as Cross-Z visor had gotten a lot more realistic looking, though still keeping their transparent look to them. The armour itself seemed to have taken on the look and probably properties of dragon scale. The shoulder and chest armour seemed to have been crafted out of what I assumed to be the wing of a dragon. The driver on it's waist looked to be more like a strange artifact, the whole thing looking like it was made out of stone, while the Cross-Z dragon looked like a sleeping Dragon resting on top of it. 'Cross-Z' was printed over one side of it's shoulder guard, and '2017' was printed on the other.
"...Another Rider…" I muttered. "Oh no..."
"What's going on here!?" Banjou asked, running over to Ruby and I, Sento in tow. "What the hell!?"
"Strange… it looks like base form Cross-z…" Muttered Sento.
"Who cares about that! We need to help these people!" Said Ruby.
"She makes a point." I said, as Banjou looked to me.
"Woah! You're that kid that Sento's teaching!" Said Banjou.
"What!?" Ruby exclaimed, turning me to look at her. "Why didn't you tell me your being taught by a Kamen Rider!?"
"I would've if I knew!" I said. "And don't we have more important things to deal with? We don't have time for any more standing around and having revelations right now!"
"He's right." Said Sento, taking the Build Driver out. "It doesn't matter what it looks like, we need to take it down."
"Right!" Said Banjou taking out his.
The two slapped their drivers against their waists, as Sento took out a red device, while Banjou grabbed Great Cross-Z.
Sento flipped what looked to be a protective casing, before he pushed down on the red button.
{HAZARD ON!}
Sento placed the Hazard Trigger into his driver, before taking out a long gold and silver device, he shook it a few times, as a hopping sound reverberated around us.
[RABBIT!]
Sento folded the fullfullbottle in two, before placing it into his driver.
[RABBIT AND RABBIT!]
Banjou snapped the top of the golden dragon Evol-bottle to the open position, before placing the bottle into the slot on the top of Great Cross-Z Dragon, pressing down on the button on the front of the dragon.
[KAKUSEI!]
Banjou quickly proceeded to fold the head and tail of the dragon up, before he placed it into his Build Driver.
[GREAT CROSS-Z DRAGON!]
The two rider grabbed the red handle on the side of both of their drivers, cranking the lever until that wonderful question was asked.
[ARE YOU READY!?]
"Henshin!" The two of the shouted.
[OVERFLOW!]
[WAKE UP CROSS-Z! GET GREAT DRAGON! YEAH!]
[KURENAI NO SPEEDY JUMPER! RABBITRABBIT! YABEI! HAEI!]
I watched in awe as Kamen Rider Build and Kamen Rider Cross-Z transformed in front of me. Ruby had stars in her eyes as the two finished their henshins.
"That is so cool!" Ruby exclaimed.
"You might want to move to the side." I told her, as she nodded, eagerly awaiting the fight.
"Well, shall we?" Asked Build, as I nodded, walking up next to Cross-Z.
"Let's do this." I said.
"I get the feeling I can't lose!" Banjou announced, as the three of us charged Another Cross-Z.
"EDGE OF TIME!" I shouted, the sword materializing in my hand.
[ZIKAN GIRADE!]
[KEN!]
I swung low at the Another Rider, before swinging up to the left, scraping across it's scale like armour. "Shit, not doing anything!"
I looked back up, seeing the Another Rider throwing a punch at me, it's fist on fire. Cross-Z quickly jumped in and countered with a punch of his own. "How you like this!?"
"Thank you!" I said, jumped back to Build as said rider took out his weapon.
[FULLBOTTLE BUSTER!]
"I can't pierce it's hide!" I said, spinning my sword around in my hand. "Banjou seems to be able to handle it though!"
"Then maybe Dragon will work." Said Build, taking out the dragon full bottle and inserting it into the Fullbottle Buster.
[DRAGON!]
I watched a blue energy seemed to form around the barrel of the gun, before Sento pulled the trigger.
[FULLBOTTLE BREAK!]
The shot launched ahead, as Banjou quickly jumped to the side to avoid the attack. The ball of draconic energy slammed into the Another Rider, as was quickly engulfed in blue flames.
"...I don't think we're done yet." I said, watching as Another Cross-Z came out of the fire perfectly fine.
"So it's not dragon then…" Said Build, turning the weapon into its sword form. "This might get troublesome."
"Hey… what if it's Cross-Z?" I asked, as Build looked at me. "I mean… Cross-z is the only one doing any damage right now. What if it's that power specifically?"
"...Wait, that device on your driver." Build said, as I turned to him. "It's the same…"
"Same as what?" I asked, before Build handed me a blue and gold Ride Watch. "This is…"
"If what your saying is true, then you might be able to use it." Said Build, as I looked at the Ride Watch in my hand.
"Let's hope." I said walking forwards, gripping the Ride Watch.
"By using that Watch you will inherit Cross-Z's power." Said Woz, as he walked up to me.
"Jesus!" I shouted, jumping to the left as Build and I looked at Woz. "Stop doing that!"
"According to this book, victory will include a fair deal of responsibility. Are you prepared for that, sire?" Woz said, closing his book.
"...If I don't do this now, that thing could hurt more people. Besides, with great power comes great responsibility, right?" I said, as I extended my left hand, twisting the Ride Watch's dial to the right, before pressing the button on the top.
{CROSS-Z!}
I quickly slid the Ride Watch into the left side of the driver, as the Another Rider turned to face me, knocking Banjou to the side. I pressed down on the top of the driver, before pushing the right side down with my thumb, giving the driver a full rotation.
[RIDER TIME!]
{KAMEN RIDER! ZI-O!}
In a single moment, a set of armour formed in front of me. The shoulders were the most noticeable, being two base Cross-Z dragons with a full bottle in each of them. The suit itself was mainly the silver look Cross-Z Charge had on it, but with specific areas highlighted with the Blue and gold flames the normal suit had. The face had the dragon design Cross-z had underneath the clock hands, with the word 'Cross-Z' in japanese on the visor. I placed my hand against the armour, as it burst apart, before flying back at me.
[ARMOUR TIME!]
{WAKE UP BURNING! CROSS-Z!}
The armour quickly formed around me, as I felt powerful energy run through me. Woz walked up next to me, opening his book. "REJOICE! He is the heir to the power of all riders! The Ruler of time, travelling beyond time and space to reign over past and future…"
"He is Kamen Rider ZI-O: Cross-Z Armour. And in this moment he has received the power of another rider!" Announced Woz, gesturing to me.
I smirked, punching my right hand into my open palm. "I get the feeling I can't lose!"
I charged forwards, blue flames gathering in my arm as I threw a right hook at Another Cross-Z. The flames licked his scales, as he flew backwards.
"It's working!" Build exclaimed.
"Hey Cross-Z, catch!" I shouted, sweeping the Another Rider's legs before upper cutting it over to Cross-Z.
"Got it!" Shouted Cross-Z, inserting a Fullbottle into his Beat Crosser.
[SPECIAL TUNE!]
[HIT PARADE! HIT PARADE!]
[MILLION HIT!]
Cross-Z swung his sword towards his monster doppelganger, as a wave of techno energy slammed into the monster's front, sending him flying back towards me.
"Good heavens, would you look at the time!" I shouted, pressing the top buttons on both Ride Watches.
{FINISH TIME!}
{CROSS-Z!}
I quickly pushed down on the top button of the driver, before swiping my left hand to the top right, my left hand slamming into the left slot of the driver as I struck the iconic pose as the Driver quickly spun around to it's neutral position.
{DRAGONIC!}
{TIME BREAK!}
I extended my arms to the side, as blue fire spread around my foot. I stole a glance behind me to see a transparent blue dragon behind me. I smirked, looking forwards as I jumped up, swinging my leg to the side as the dragon unleashed a blast of fire behind me, sending me flying towards the Another Rider, sending the monster crashing to the ground.
I landed crouched, as I flicked my right hand as the monster exploded behind me. "Time's up."
I stood up, looking behind me to see the form of a civilian lying on the ground. Next to him was a black RideWatch with Another Cross-Z's face on it. As I reached to pick it up, the Ride Watch suddenly exploded into a million pieces.
I pulled both Ride Watches off of the Driver, deactivating my transformation as Banjou and Sento walked over to me.
"That… was awesome." I said simply, placing the ZI-O Ride Watch on the holder, before looking at Banjou. I looked down at the Cross-Z Ride Watch before I looked back at Banjou. "...You can still transform?"
"What kind of question is that?" Asked Banjou. "Of course I can!"
"Then… what the hell kind of Ride Watch did you give me?" I asked Sento.
"Well… I had it on me when I woke up one day." Said Sento, looking at Banjou.
"You mean when you arrived on Remnant." I said, as the two looked at me with wide eyes. "I'm not stupid guys, the fact I knew about the full bottles should've given away the fact I'm also not from around here."
"Guess that means Banjou isn't the only alien around here then, huh?" I asked, as Banjou blinked at me. "Yeah… I might know a fair amount of stuff…"
"That was so cool!" Ruby exclaimed, appearing next to Sento in a flurry of rose petals. "You were all like 'Good heavens-!' and then the monster was like 'BWaaah!' OH IT WAS SO COOL!"
"...Uh…" Sento took a step back from the girl as she got closer to me with stars in her eyes.
"If there's one thing I learned, it's that Kamen Riders apparently win over weapons for her." I said, before looking back at the guy. "That was like a memory break or something along those lines…"
"Banjou, help me bring him to the infirmary!" Said Sento, running over to the civilian. "You two, enjoy the rest of your day."
I nodded, watching as Sento and Banjou carried off the Civilian. "...Dust. I'll talk about mixing dust or something like that." Said Sento, as they walked off into the academy walls.
"And thus ZI-O gained the power of Cross-Z, however, his path of conquest had only just begun." Said Woz, reading from the book in his hands.
"There he is again…" I muttered. "Ruby, this is Woz. Woz… I don't think he cares right now."
"However, his meeting with another legend was already at hand…" Said Woz, as I looked towards him.
"...So you mind explaining something to me?" I asked, as Woz turned around, closing his book. "Why is it that Cross-Z still has his powers? Since the Ride Watches steal a Rider's power, and said Rider's existence-Wait, Banjou shouldn't even exist right now, he should be back in the old world Sento merged with this one!"
"The Cross-Z Ride Watch is a special case." Said Woz, motioning to the Ride Watch in my hand. "Two instances of Rider's Power cannot exist at the same time, so Kamen Rider Cross-Z can't exist in this world, but the power of the Great Cross-Z Dragon can exist in this world."
"Great Cross-Z Dragon?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why's that the difference?"
"The Cross-Z Dragon never existed in this world, the Great Cross-Z Dragon has on the other hand. Because of this, the power of Cross-Z can exist in this world alongside Great Cross-Z, with enough of a difference between the two for the power to continue existing." Said Woz. "Think of it this way, The power of Cross-Z only ever existed in the past of the old world, however now that the two worlds have merged, the power exists here as the Ride Watch, technically a new power to this world."
"I… think I get the jist of it." I said, as Woz smiled.
"Then I will depart for the day." Said Woz, bowing, before he turned to Ruby. "Congratulations. The day of your ascension is fast approaching. I can't wait to see what you'll do, Lady Rose."
"Lady Rose?" Ruby asked, as Woz walked away. "Wonder what that was all about?"
"...I wish I knew." I answered, watching his retreating form. I looked down at the Cross-Z Ride Watch, a smile forming on my face.