5.0: Confrontation and Condemnation
When Shinichi (KRS) came to, he thought he was dreaming. That would be his, or anyone's, first thought considering he was on the flat surface of a floating rock. The sky (if one could call it that) was made up of a series of dark blue swirls over a light blue background. If one looked at the swirls too closely and for too long, they would find themselves dizzy. He shook his head and tried to get rid of the headache he was having. He then checked himself and found himself in his own clothes, including the scarf, and he wasn't wearing that black uniform he'd been given aboard the Hive Queen.
The rock he was on was granite grey and looking around he saw several similar floating rocks. He couldn't count them all but from what he could see there was probably hundreds, maybe even thousands or more of them just floating around in this space with a swirling sky. It was enough to give someone a sense of vertigo. However, he was not among those people to suffer from such a disorder.
He then spotted someone else lying not too far from where he stood. They looked hurt and were facedown on the floor. He went to check on whoever it was that had ended up where they were, wherever they were, and gently flipped the person over. He stumbled in shock as he saw that the face was his!
He then recalled seeing the same face aboard the Hive Queen's computer screen. This was his identical counterpart whom he'd switched places with and he was dressed in the black uniform he'd been wearing. Guess the force that had brought them to this place had the courtesy to switch their clothes back.
"Hey," Shinichi (KRS) poked Shinichi (SV) on the forehead. "Wake up. Wake up." He then went, "Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey."
Shinichi (SV) groaned, "Five more minutes...Kaa-chan..."
"Sorry, but Kaa-chan ain't here right now," said Shinichi (KRS) as Shinichi (SV) opened his eyes. "And good morning to you too, Sleeping Beauty." Shinichi (SV) sat up too quickly and hit his forehead against Shinichi's (KRS). The two of them recoiled in pain, holding their respective foreheads. "Watch it!"
"Then don't stand too close!" Shinichi (SV) snapped. He recognized who had woken him up and was anything but pleased, "Oh, it's you."
Shinichi (KRS) cocked an eyebrow. That was odd. "Yeah, it's me. I'm Shinichi."
"I know, and that's my name," said Shinichi (SV) as he helped himself up. He saw him wearing a black uniform and shrugged. He wasn't going to question it. He just thought it was strange and then decided to focus on where he was. "Where are we?"
"Some kind of void between dimensions," said Shinichi (KRS). He then joked, "Or we ended up in some stoner's dream." Shinichi (SV) wasn't laughing.
"How can you crack jokes at a time like this?" Shinichi (SV) hissed.
"Just trying to lighten the mood," Shinichi (KRS) responded. He realized his counterpart was more irritable than he was. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"A douchebag of a voice and then I ended up here with you," said Shinichi (SV).
"Oh, him," Shinichi (KRS) frowned. "The one who told us that riddle."
"Which we both solved, apparently. It's why we're both here," said Shinichi (SV). "I'm getting really sick and tired of being zapped to an unknown location."
"If you grow up to be like me, you'll get used to it," said Shinichi (KRS)
"And why would I want to grow up to be like you?" Shinichi (SV) retorted. Shinichi (KRS) cocked his eyebrow. "Come on, let's go."
"Wait, you're just gonna go on ahead in a place you know nothing about?" Shinichi (KRS) asked.
"It's better than sticking around here," Shinichi (SV) retorted. "What? Are you scared, old man?"
'Old Man!?' Shinichi (KRS) thought angrily and then he replied, "No, because I was just about to suggest the same thing."
"Sure you were," Shinichi (SV) rolled his eyes. "Considering the rock we're on is flat and there's nothing else, we might as well go onto the next rock."
"How far can you jump?" Shinichi (KRS) asked and he activated his own wings. "Because if you can't, I can fly us across."
"No thanks," Shinichi (SV) declined. Then, a series of smaller rocks lined up to form a bridge for them to the rock floating across from theirs. "Well, this is convenient."
"A bit too convenient," Shinichi (KRS) murmured suspiciously. Shinichi (SV) went on ahead. "Hey! Wait up!"
"Don't slow me down, old man!"
"What with this 'old man' stuff? I'm 22!"
Walking along the path of floating rocks, the two of them reached what looked like the biggest floating rock in this entire space. It wasn't flat like the others. In fact it was covered in mountains. The two of them stepped into a canyon and looked around.
"The rocks led us here," said Shinichi (SV). "But why?"
"That's exactly what I've been wondering," said Shinichi (KRS). He was a bit unnerved by this younger version of him from another universe. While they had been walking, he had not said a word. All Shinichi (SV) did was look ahead and not look back at Shinichi (KRS) who followed him. Suddenly, Shinichi (KRS) said, "Did you hear that?"
"I did," Shinichi (SV) replied and then they both heard it loud and clear. It was a roar, one loud enough to make the air tremble. They then saw something fly out from behind a mountain. It was large, with a long serpentine body and a set of four legs with sharp talons. On its back was a set of two, bat-like wings. It had the face of a snake with feelers over its eyes and whiskers on its snout. It also had a set of jaws filled with very sharp teeth that looked like they could even tear steel apart.
It was a dragon, and not a very friendly one. Shinichi (KRS) decided on one course of action, "RUN!" He started to retreat but stopped as he noticed Shinichi (SV) just standing there as the dragon was coming. "Hey, didn't you hear me!? I said run!"
"You run, old man," Shinichi (SV) retorted as he took out his Laser Saber. He pushed the button on the handle and the energy blade extended. It was a thin, rod-like beam of energy that was about three feet in length. To Shinichi (KRS), it looked like a lightsaber from Star Wars.
"What are you going to do?" Shinichi (KRS) and he got his answer as the dragon swooped down. Shinichi (SV) then jumped forward and with a single swing, slashed the dragon across the face. He didn't just hurt it, he wounded it by blinding it with his Laser Saber. the dragon roared in agony from its damaged eyes. They had been seared shut by the heat of the Laser Saber. Shinichi (SV) then finished the job and lobbed its head off with a single swing off his Laser Saber.
Shinichi (KRS) was horrified as the dragon's body went limp and head rolled away before falling off the edge. Shinichi (SV) stood over the body, looking triumphant. However, Shinichi (KRS) was disgusted by the display.
"You killed it," said Shinichi (KRS) in horror.
"I had to," said Shinichi (SV). "It was coming after us."
"You could've picked another way!" said Shinichi (KRS). "You didn't have to kill it!"
"Well, there was no time for another way so I did what I had to do," said Shinichi (SV). "What, are you mad at me?"
"Of course I am! Because you killed it! It didn't know any better but you just killed it anyway!"Shinichi (KRS) snapped.
"Oh, here's what I need. A lecture from myself," Shinichi (SV) rolled his eyes. "Look, that thing was coming after us so I did what I had to do to save our skins. It was either it or us." Shinichi's (KRS) eyes narrowed at Shinichi (SV). He didn't even care that he'd killed an innocent beast whose only crime was being what it was, or had been as the case may be.
"So, this is what you are then," Shinichi (KRS) said. "Listen to me, kid. The road you're going down isn't a good one. You can't just go around indiscriminately killing your enemies. The ends don't justify the means."
"Really?" Shinichi (SV) retorted. "So, you'd rather let it eat us then?"
"No, I would've figured out a way to subdue it without killing it," argued Shinichi (KRS).
"If we had the time, which we didn't," countered Shinichi (SV). "And I heard your plan. All you did was shout 'run' and flee like a coward."
"Better a coward than a killer," Shinichi (KRS) mumbled.
"Just what is your problem anyway?" Shinichi (SV) questioned. "I just saved us. You should be more grateful."
"My problem is that you killed a creature who didn't know any better! You just killed it for being what it was without a second thought! You didn't knock it out! You just killed it!" Shinichi (KRS) snapped.
"And what would you have done? Try to reason with it? It was a beast! It wasn't just gonna let you talk to it! It'd be too busy trying to eat you to let you talk it down!" Shinichi (SV) scoffed. "I bet that if your friends were here and this thing was trying to kill them, you would've done the same."
"You really believe that?" Shinichi (KRS) asked.
"Yeah, because you've done it before," said Shinichi (SV). "Remember the NUMBERS? Remember how we killed them?"
"You know it didn't happen that way," Shinichi (KRS) hissed. "We were being manipulated by Ge-by him."
"Oh, yeah. I know. The first time, for sure, he was controlling us like a puppet. But what about after when they came back?" Shinichi (SV) asked with a tone full of accusation. "I know what you did so don't you dare try to lecture me." Shinichi (KRS) knew what he was talking about. "Oh, yes. I've heard a lot about you. Your friends were very informative. It's ironic that you're all in my face about mercy. After what you did, you still have the gall to talk to me about mercy, you hypocrite!. At least I didn't kill my teammates twice in my universe! But you...you killed your own teammates when you could've saved them from GIN-SHOCKER instead!" Shinichi (SV) pointed at Shinichi (KRS) accusingly.
"Some of them didn't give me a choice! They made theirs by staying with GIN-SHOCKER and threatening the people I care about!" Shinichi (KRS) snapped. "You would've done the same if it happened to you too!"
"Maybe, but it didn't happen like that! Despite our team being dysfunctional, we were a family that quickly got torn apart by that bastard Gebok!" Shinichi (SV) argued. "Did you even feel remorse or grief from killing your own teammates when you could've saved them instead? Or did you feel something else other than that? Or did you feel nothing at all, BLACK 13?"
"Well at least I managed to persuade half of them into defecting from GIN-SHOCKER! How many of them did you manage to convince into leaving GIN-SHOCKER? I bet not many! So, in a way, you did a terrible job in trying to save them!" Shinichi (KRS) shouted.
"Oh, please! You only managed to persuade them because your friends were able to stop you from killing them! If your friends hadn't interfered, you would've killed them! Admit it!" Shinichi (SV) shot back. Shinichi (KRS) clenched his fists in anger. "But what's the point? It doesn't change the fact that they're dead now," Shinichi (SV) sighed. "You had another chance to save them but you gave up on them."
"Don't you dare," Shinichi (KRS) warned, "Don't you even dare suggest that I never wanted to give them a chance. I did. I really did."
"But you never did try, did you?" Shinichi (SV) asked.
"Maybe not, but they never gave me any other choice. Kamiyami and Goemon had hostages and the latter even had bombs strapped to his. Koichi was gonna blow up kids. Kids! Then there was Saisen who allowed himself to be turned into a real monster just so he could destroy my home!" Shinichi (KRS) snapped. "So, while I may regret not giving them a chance, the fact was that they never left me any other choice!"
"Then what about the other deaths on our hands? Remember Lina? Or have you forgotten about her too?"
"I never forgot about her!" Shinichi (KRS) snapped.
"Oh, but we tried, didn't we? We tried," Shinichi (SV) questioned. "But it's memories like those that we can never forget. You also remember those faces, don't you? The faces of the people who died because of us. The ones we killed and the ones killed because of us. Not to mention the ones who died because we couldn't save them." Both knew the feeling. Shinichi (SV) remembered the people whom Saisen/Bomber had killed in that restaurant and Shinichi (KRS) remembered all the people who'd died in his universe because of his enemies.
"And what about anyone else? What about the Cyborg Mutants who used to be human? Do you try to save them or do you just resort to killing them instead since you're not as attached to them?" Shinichi (KRS) questioned.
"I do what I have to do," Shinichi (SV) said. "I've given my enemies a second chance. I got a second chance and it worked out for me so I thought I should try it with others. Sometimes it works out in the end. That's why Goemon's part of our team now. But most of the time...most of the time..." He gritted his teeth. "A second chance can also mean giving them another opportunity to come after me and my loved ones! A second chance can also mean they have an opportunity to become stronger, become more dangerous! A second chance can also mean another chance to cause even more damage than before! If I give them a chance, they would take advantage of it, and it would be all my fault!" He paused, "But I admit that mercy is good, but mercy is just a what-if, a gamble, and I'm not gonna gamble with the lives of my loved ones because of what-ifs! Sooner or later your mercy is going to get someone you love killed. When that happens, you might not be able to bring them back."
"So, kill or be killed? Like what you did to that creature?" Shinichi (KRS) asked. Back in his earlier years, he had that sort of mentality, but he had grown and matured over the years. He no longer approved of that kind of thinking but he'd killed in self-defence and in the defense of others before. However, it was only as a last resort.
"Exactly, and I did blind it if you recall. That was cruel, I admit it, so I think killing it outright was better than letting it suffer. I think I was being merciful enough by putting it out of its misery," Shinichi (SV) answered.
Shinichi (KRS) pointed at the dragon's headless body, "You think that's being merciful? You call what you did being merciful? I doubt that brand of 'mercy' will be enough to protect your loved ones."
"So, your idea of being merciful is turning them into weapons instead? Like you?" Shinichi (SV) questioned. "I saw what you did to them. How can you call it being merciful when you gave them the power to become weapons?"
"Hey, I gave them the power to protect themselves," Shinichi (KRS) justified. "You must've done the same at some point."
"And what a mistake that was. At least I take the powers back once they're done using them. If I had any other choice, it would be not letting them fight at all. I don't ever want to see them fight so I take action so they won't have to. I don't want to see any of them hurt," Shinichi (SV) said.
"Oh, don't you even dare to pull that card!" Shinichi (KRS) snapped, remembering the Priest's mind games. "Mion already told me before that they didn't care about the danger! They knew how dangerous it was but they still wanted to help us instead of sitting on the sidelines!"
"So you put them in danger instead? I'm sorry to say this, but your brand of 'mercy' isn't going to be enough to save them."
Shinichi (KRS) then began to snicker, "My mercy? Hahaha! My mercy?"
"What's so funny?" Shinichi (SV) demanded.
Shinichi (KRS) apologized, "Sorry, sorry. It's just that you're all in my face about my mercy. I mean, we're the same person. Oh sure, we ended up in different places, meeting different people, and we're both fundamentally different in a lot of ways, but you and I both have been through the same ten years of torture and manipulation. Do you remember all that, me? Of course you do! Everything we've experienced! Everything we've caused! All the time GIN-SHOCKER spent twisting us! All that death, destruction and devastation! What about all those people we killed? You know what all that does to us, don't you? Of course you do.
"My mercy? You should know as well as I do that I don't have any; not anymore. All that I've experienced has sapped away what little mercy I had. I escaped by the skin of my teeth! The only mercy I know is what I've been shown by my loved ones and even if the mercy I have isn't my own it is a gift! Their gift to me! That's why I need to show mercy-have to show mercy! If I don't, I'd be squandering the mercy I've been shown. I owe it to them."
"Yeah, your friends," said Shinichi (SV), "They're a nice bunch of people, especially Rena."
"You don't know them," Shinichi (KRS) retorted.
"I think I know them well enough," said Shinichi (SV), "And I like them. Of course, they aren't perfect. The one mistake I've seen them make is befriending you. I think they've could've chosen someone better than a person responsible for killing so many people. So you better watch yourself. I don't care if you're me or anyone else in the Multiverse. You better watch yourself." That was a warning.
"Same to you," Shinichi (KRS) returned the warning. "Hm, I never really liked myself but now I can see why."
"Now that's something we can both agree on," Shinichi (SV) retorted.
Shinichi (KRS) finally realized something, "You really do hate yourself, don't you? You can never forgive yourself for what you were made to do in the past. You're not just filled with self-loathing, you're also filled with thoughts of revenge. Gebok's dead so he can't be your target. It's GIN-SHOCKER, isn't it? The way they tortured us would make anyone want payback. You hate them for what they did to you. You hate them for what they turned you into. You hate them for what they made you do."
"Oh, you've figured me out," Shinichi (SV) mock-applauded, "Bravo! Bravo!"
"It's what we got in common. And the thing is, the more you're driven by revenge, the more you're driven by hate, it becomes the only thing that matters. This is what happens when you focus so much on hatred and fighting the same enemy," Shinichi (KRS) continued. "And I know what it's like since I am you. We carry the burden of our past sins on our backs everyday of our lives, and we hate ourselves for those sins until we can't even stand looking at ourselves."
"And yet you can forget about them," Shinichi (SV) added scornfully.
"I've never forgotten about them!" Shinichi (KRS) denied. "I can remember each and every one of them. It's like you said, we both remember the faces of the people who died because of us. Those memories drive me. The only difference between us in regards to those memories is that I managed to move on. You apparently haven't." Shinichi (SV) narrowed his eyes. "Did I just struck a nerve?" Shinichi (KRS) taunted.
"How can you just move on? How can you just shrug it all of like it doesn't even matter?" Shinichi (SV) questioned.
"I never said they don't matter but it's all in the past. What's done is done and it can't be changed no matter how much we want things to turn out differently," said Shinichi (KRS).
"I bet thinking like that helps you sleep at night, doesn't it?" Shinichi (SV) asked bitterly. "Just bury it all in the back of your head."
"It's better to look forward than to look back, but I guess you're always stuck looking back, aren't you?" Shinichi (KRS) accused.
"And I bet you've stopped looking back out of shame!" Shinichi (SV) snapped.
"Alright, that's it!" Shinichi (KRS) finally gave into his anger. "You want a piece of me!?"
"Oh, I've wanted a piece of you since I first saw you! In fact I want the whole thing!" Shinichi (SV) shot back. "Now, let's settle this!"
"I couldn't agree more," Shinichi (KRS) grinned.
Shinichi (KRS) and Shinichi (SV) glared at each other. There was so much anger between them and to them it was justified. For Shinichi (SV), just looking at his alternate universe counterpart made his blood boil. He never really liked himself. His memories showed him that he used to be a horrible person and the person standing before him was no different than the way he used to be. Shinichi (KRS), on the other hand was just so disgusted by Shinichi (SV) because the kid kept blaming himself for things beyond his control. It was nauseating and annoying. To think he used to ever feel so much self-loathing before. He'd stopped blaming himself but Shinichi (SV) was reminding him of how he always used to burden himself with the sins of his past. How his actions as an agent of GIN-SHOCKER used to weigh heavily on his mind and soul.
Their eyes narrowed, their Spark Cores summoned, the two initiated their respective transformations.
"Henshin/Let's Ride: Showa!" they called out simultaneously.
With their armors summoned, Showa III (KRS) and Showa Higurashi Mode (SV) stood facing each other. Green eyes met red eyes, sparks flying between them as lightning bolts seemed to flow out of their eyes and met in the middle. There was so much anger and animosity between them that it just wasn't funny. Not only that, there was clearly some murderous intent in the way they were looking at each other. When Showa (SV) looked at his counterpart's armor, he wondered what had happened to cause such a change and difference. His armor was nothing like how it should look like. Showa (SV) wore black and white armor with green eyes in his helmet. Showa (KRS) on the other hand had more colorful armor in comparison. His bodysuit was black, his gloves and boots were green, his chest piece was blue and he had a green helmet with red eyes.
"Let the games begin!" declared Showa (SV) as he summoned his energy forearm blades. Showa (KRS) also drew his own weapon, the Higurashi no Yaiba, and both sides instantly clashed, their weapons connecting, causing sparks to fly. With their fight only just starting, they were fully resolved in taking each other out. Showa (KRS) kneed his counterpart and swung, his blade ripping sparks off his opponent's chest plate as he sent him (Showa (SV)) staggering. He then jumped to perform a drop kick only for Showa (SV) to lash out with his energy whips. The whips wrapped around Showa's (KRS) ankle and with a tug he threw his counterpart to the floor. He then pulled again, tossing Showa (KRS) into the air before smashing him again to the floor, this time making it crack.
"You killed your comrades without a second thought!" Showa (SV) accused.
"And you're so wrapped up in the past that you're blind to the present!" Showa (KRS) countered. "Trinity Force!" His body glowed and he split himself into three identical copies. The one Showa (SV) still had bound was Showa Green but it wouldn't stay that way for long as Showa Red and Showa Blue attacked Showa (SV), tackling him to the ground and forcing him to release Showa Green.
"Thanks," Showa Green said to his duplicates.
"No problem," replied Showa Red and Showa Blue together.
Showa (SV) activated his wings and blew away the red and blue duplicates before getting back up to his feet. He glared at the three and lashed out with his whips to take them down but they either blocked or deflected his blow with ease.
Showa Green called out, "Hook Arm! Cicada Wings!"
Showa Red called out, "Drill Arm! Tank Legs! Shovel Claw!
Showa Blue called out, "Burst Cannon!"
With their respective armaments, they attacked. Showa Blue fired at Showa (SV), sending him staggering as Showa Green and Show Red attacked. Sparks flew as Showa Red smashed Showa (SV) about with his Tank Legs then struck him him with his Drill Arm. He (Showa Red) then grabbed him (Showa (SV)) with his Shovel Claw and tossed him into the air. Showa Green's swung the cable with the hook at the end over his head and caught Showa (SV) before smashing him to the ground, giving him the same treatment he'd been given earlier. The cable released him and Showa (SV) went rolling away.
"Minna," began Showa Green. "Let's show this phony what we can really do!" He called out, "Sing, Yabuki!"
"Bring down the thunder, Gokuaku!" called out Showa Red.
"Strike from the shadows, Zennin!" called out Showa Blue.
Much to Showa's (SV) surprise, the three colored Showa's in front of him transformed. Glowing cicadas encircled Showa Green while a tornado of fire, wind and electricity wrapped around Showa Red as a dark shadows enveloped Showa Blue. When the energies dispersed themselves, Showa (SV) was staring at Showa Higurashi Form armed with the Higurashi no Yaiba, Showa Oni Form armed with the Oni Claws, and Showa Kage Form armed with the twin Kage Ninjatou.
These forms were originally named Higurashi, Oni and Kage, but after Shinichi (KRS) had spoken with the weapons' spirits, these forms' names were changed to correspond with the names of the spirits.
Showa Higurashi wore a black bodysuit which was decorated by the silver vein-like patterns found upon the wings of a cicada. Flaps of armor resembling cicada wings hung from his belt. His gauntlets were also green as were his boots, with silver bands wrapped around them. On his back was a pack that looked like a cicada, complete with wings. His helmet had also gained enhancements, resembling the helmet of a samurai with his antennae at the brow. His torso armor was green with a high collar, broad shoulders and stamped on his chest was 'XIII'. His eyes flashed, changing from green to blue as the new color bled in.
Showa Kage's armor and bodysuit were completely black with blue plating on his gauntlets and boots. His torso armor resembled a ninja's uniform in black with blue trim. On his back was a large four pointed shuriken. His helmet had also changed, sporting yellow eyes and a four-pointed shuriken mounted in the centre of his helmet.
Showa Oni Form had on a bone-white helmet with black eyes and a pair of horns jutting from the top. The mouthplate was vertically grilled to resembled the jawbones of a skull. His bodysuit was black with red armor plating along the arms and legs. His torso armor, gauntlets and boots were colored like tiger skin, complete with black stripes. The shoulders also sported spikes as did his knees.
"Go!" Showa Higurashi commanded as he, Showa Oni and Showa Kage rushed at Showa (SV) at the same time. Showa Kage struck first, teleporting to cross the distance before slashing away at Showa (SV). Showa Higurashi was the one to reach him next as he struck Showa (SV) violently with his Higurashi no Yaiba before blowing him away with an energy blast resembling a swarm of paper cranes. It was Showa Oni who struck the hardest as his claws tore sparks from Showa's (SV) chestplate and sending him flying with a blast of wind. He (Showa (SV)) went tumbling before he screamed as he was assaulted by multiple fireballs which exploded and tossed him into the air. Vulnerable, Showa Kage leapt and executed a series of slashes while jumping around before Showa Higurashi sent him crashing to the ground with an axe kick.
Showa (SV) was lying on the floor in pain as the three Hinamizawa Treasure powered Showas stood at a distance, as if taunting him. He rolled back onto his front and pushed himself back to his hands and knees before rising to stand on his feet, trembling in pain.
"OK, you're strong, I'll give you that," admitted Showa (SV), "But that doesn't mean I can't beat you."
"How are you gonna beat us?" Showa Higurashi asked. He got his answer when Showa (SV) put on the Legacy Driver, attaching it to his Spark Core.
"ULTIMATE RIDE: LEGACY MODE!"
A pillar of light enveloped Showa (SV), blinding the three Treasure Forms. When the gold light subsided, Showa (SV) stood clad in his Legacy Mode armor. It was gold with broad pauldrons and arranged in a circle on the chest were the symbols of the Showa Riders with his personal symbol at the top. The centre of the circle also depicted his emblem. Flaps of armor hung from the sides, back and front of his belt. His gauntlets and boots had also become gold. Finally, his emerald eyes turned gold as well. His bodysuit had also changed from white to silver. On his back, the Cicadroid had also turned gold and for a moment the wings manifested before fading away. Gripped in his hand was a hybrid weapon, a cross between a sword and a shotgun. It was called the Legacy Saber and it was in its Sword Mode.
And that wasn't the end of the surprises.
"Summon Ride: ZX & Stronger!" called out Showa Legacy. The corresponding symbols on his chest shone as the Riders that were called appeared standing to Showa Legacy's left and right. "Three on three. Now this is a fair fight."
"Agreed," said Showa Higurashi , Oni and Kage in unison. Both sides stared each other down and a moment later they charged at each other. It was Showa Oni VS Stronger, Showa Kage VS ZX and Showa Higurashi VS Showa Legacy. Sparks began to fly between both sides as they violently clashed. Showa Higurashi and Showa Legacy's swords clashed furiously as sparks rained down at their feet.
Stronger and Showa Oni both fought with lightning which cancelled each other out. As for the fight between ZX and Showa Kage, the ninja-like Rider form of Ryo Murasame, threw his Cross Shurikens which were deflected. They, however, still exploded and the smoke blinded Showa Kage. Showa ZX took advantage of this by disarming Showa Kage then backhanding him across the face.
"Electro Fire!" Stronger commanded as he sent lightning across the ground to hit Showa Oni who simply absorbed the lightning.
"Take this!" Showa Oni roared and fired the lightning back at Stronger, hitting him in the chest before he had the chance to absorb it. "And take this!" Showa Oni summoned a tornado that carried Stronger into the air. He then let the Rhino Beetle Rider fall to the ground. Showa Oni then spewed out a flamethrower attack that surrounded Stronger in flames. "Hot enough for ya?"
Showa Kage formed his Shadow Clones but ZX countered with a bombardment of Cross Shurikens and Focus Bombs that got rid of the clones. ZX then drew his electro knife and parried Showa Kage's ninjatou. ZX then ducked under another swing to drive his Electro Knife into Showa Kage's midsection. However, he realized that he'd just destroyed another Shadow Clone when it just vanished into thin air. Showa Kage became visible and got behind ZX to grab his head then snap his neck.
Showa Oni also defeated his opponent by driving his Oni Claws through Stronger's chest. Both summoned Riders then vanished and became energy that returned to Showa Legacy who was still in the middle of fighting Showa Higurashi . With a single swing, Showa Higurashi managed to disarm Showa Legacy before holding the edge of the blade to his opponent's throat.
"So, do you give up?" Showa Higurashi asked. He got his answer as Showa Legacy jumped back and drew out the Redeemer. Quick as a flash he fired and the bullets hit their mark. Instantly, Showa Kage and Showa Oni screamed as they were engulfed in red flames which disintegrated them on the spot, much to Showa Higurashi 's shock as his duplicates turned into nothing but ash.
"What did you just do!?" Showa Higurashi demanded.
"That was a Dying Will Flame of the Sky, specifically the Storm Flame of Destruction," answered Showa Legacy almost boastfully. "Almost nothing can stop it."
Showa Higurashi gritted his teeth. His counterpart then started shooting with his, forcing him to dodge as the red bullets came flying. Once Showa Legacy had to pause to reload, the samurai-themed Rider struck. Sparks flew as Showa Higurashi slashed Showa Legacy across the chest, disarming him (Showa Legacy). He then slashed his opponent repeatedly before he was forced back by Showa Legacy who fired at him with his Vulcan Shooter. Showa Legacy then summoned two dozen energy orbs and with a single gesture sent the volley at his opponent.
"1,000 Crane Slash!" shouted Showa Higurashi and with a swing he sent projections of 1,000 paper cranes flying at the energy orbs, blowing them up. Showa Legacy shot through the smoke, aided by his Cicadroid's wings. Aiming his feet at Showa Higurashi , he executed a bicycle kick which smashed against his (Showa Higurashi ) chest and a final kick sent his opponent tumbling.
"Heh, is that all?" Showa Higurashi grunted as Showa Legacy landed back on his feet.
"Oh, there's more," Showa Legacy replied as his Storm Ring glowed. "Time for you to really taste the power of the Storm Guardian of the 20th Generation Vongola Family." However, Showa Higurashi wasn't about to let his opponent do that. He threw the Higurashi no Yaiba and it knocked the Legacy Driver off Showa's (SV) Spark Core, turning him back to normal. Showa (KRS), who had turned back to his default once he'd discarded his weapon, lunged forward and knocked his opponent to the ground with a tackle.
Meanwhile, the red TARDIS was travelling through a dimensional vortex. Inside, Alan was at the controls as they followed the trail his TARDIS had picked up.
"Can't this thing go any faster?" Lina asked.
Alan frowned. "Just be patient." He looked at the screen. Still nothing. "Damn it, where could they be?" The screens flickered to life to show him a picture. "Aha! We've got visual!" The others crowded around him to see. "Hey, no shoving!" He looked back at the screen, "I've found them and..." He paused, "...Oh, shit."
Lina remarked, "That doesn't sound good."
Leon retorted rhetorically, "Since when does 'oh, shit' ever mean anything good?"
Rena gasped, "They're fighting each other!"
Moka exclaimed, "We need to stop them!"
Yuji interjected, "OK, seriously, what the fuck is going on?"
Alan answered, "No clue, but we have to stop them before they kill each other." He pulled a lever, "Full steam ahead!"
"Asshole!"
"Murderer!"
"Traitor!"
"Monster!"
"Coward!"
"Hypocrite!"
The two Riders were rolling on the ground grappling and shouting, with Shinichi (SV) holding his combat knife to slit his counterpart's throat. Their suits of armor were gone but neither of them cared about that. That was when the TARDIS materialized near them. Neither of them noticed even as the door opened. Alan and Leon both stepped out of the machine and looked at the two Riders that were trying to kill each other. Alan readied his power ring as Leon started to cast a Kido spell.
"Bakudo #63: Sojo Sabaku!" A green bubble captured Shinichi (KRS) as thick ropes of yellow energy ensnared Shinichi (SV).
"Hey!" Shinichi (SV) shouted.
"What gives?!" Shinichi (KRS) demanded as he punched at the bubble, "Lemme out! This thing will run out of air, ya know!"
"Are we done here? Because I seriously hope so," Alan frowned as he kept his concentration on Shinichi (KRS).
"This is probably your most immature moment I've ever witnessed," Leon sighed, regarding Shinichi (SV).
"Butt out," Shinichi (SV) hissed, "We're in the middle of something!"
"Like we give a fuck," Yuji growled as he stepped up, regarding both Shinichi's. "Now cut the shit or I'm gonna beat both of your stupid asses with all six of my arms!"
Both of the Shinichi's relented, "Fine." Alan released Shinichi (KRS) from the bubble as Leon uncast Sojo Sabaku. The Shinigami then punched Shinichi (SV) in the face before delivering a kick to the back of Shinichi's (KRS) head.
The Shinichi's (SV & KRS) shouted, "What the hell was that for!?"
Leon pointed at Shinichi (SV), "That was for making Moka upset." He then pointed at Shinichi (KRS). "And that was for making Rena upset. I like both of them a lot more than either of you two idiots. So stop fighting each other already or I'll kick both of your asses and drag you back to your respective universes myself."
The two identical Cyborgs pointed at each other, "He started it!"
Leon snapped, "I don't care who started it! I'll finish it if I have to! But we've got more important things to worry about!"
"Yeah, like figuring out where the hell we are," Lina frowned as she looked around.
"Ain't nowhere near home, that's for sure," Yuji sighed, "Shit, all this dimension-hopping bullshit is really pissing me off..."
"Well, if you must know, this is a dimensional void," said Shinichi (KRS).
"No, it isn't," Alan countered. All eyes were on him. "This isn't a dimensional void. It's a void that used to be another universe but it's been destroyed. All these floating rocks are pieces of worlds that used to inhabit this dimension before it was shattered to pieces."
"...Isn't that the same thing then?" Lina asked. She was smart, but all this dimensional reasoning was really giving her a headache.
"Not exactly," said Alan. He explained, "Dimensional voids are normally empty. They've got nothing in them to begin with. They're just an infinite space of emptiness. Some people call them 'Hell'. This...this is something else."
"So we're basically walking around in scraps," Yuji realized. "That's just wonderful. So who's the fucktard that let all this go to Hell then?"
Meanwhile, Shinichi (KRS) and Rena were hugging as Moka and Shinichi (SV) did the same.
"I thought I was never going to see you again," said Moka.
"Same here," said Shinichi (SV). "I missed you."
"Oh, Shin-kun," whispered Rena. "Don't you ever leave me again."
"I promise," Shinichi (KRS) swore.
Yuji saw the displays and looked over to Lina as he requested, "Hug me!"
"You're such a baby," Lina sighed with an amused smile as she hugged him.
"He seems more immature," Alan whispered to Leon.
"I had to get stuck with the younger ones," Leon sighed. "If anything, at least this Yuji is more laid-back." Leon saw Alan with his arms spread. "What are you doing?"
"Everyone's hugging," said Alan. "Come on. I know you want to."
"No way," Leon huffed and Alan frowned. "And stop that." Once everyone was done hugging, Alan decided it was time to go home.
"Well, now that we're all back together, let's get into the TARDIS and get everyone back where they belong," said Alan.
"Took the words right out of my mouth," said Shinichi (KRS).
"Mine too. The sooner we get out of this place, the better. I really wanna forget all about this," said Shinichi (SV).
As the group started to make their way to the TARDIS, a powerful shockwave suddenly repelled them as the TARDIS' door slammed shut. A cage resembling a cube made of dark energy surrounded the telephone box and suspended it in the air.
"OK, what the hell was that!?" Yuji demanded to know as he helped Lina up.
"I think our host has decided to grace us with his presence," Alan frowned.
"Yes, Indeed, Alan Smith. And Today Is The Day You All Will Die And I Will Go Free!" a menacing voice bellowed.
KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Well, that was exciting, wasn't it? Now everyone's together. Also, it seems that the two Shinichi's had a bit of an argument that devolved into a fight to the death. Fortunately, their friends came in time to stop them. Now, the true enemy has shown his face. What was the reason for all that has happened? Well, stay tune and you'll see soon enough in the last installment of this story.