Ryuji scraped the tips of his blades against the floor, igniting sparks. Blue flames of frost energy engulfed his twin Dao as he looked up at his opponent. He was dressed in a full black bodysuit with no gloves on. There was some padding on the knees, shoulders, elbows and around his wrists and ankles. His hair remain unbound and wild, reflecting his nature, as his eyes shimmered with blue light. He crossed both his swords and went into a stance. One leg was out in front of him and the other was bent at the knee. He rested one sword on his left shoulder as his right hand gripped the other sword in front of him, horizontally, with his arm straight. Both weapons glinted.
"Come on, Garoh-chan," mocked Ryuji. "You wanted a fight so let's fight."
"Well, you asked for it," said Kenzaki as he tapped his Gong Changer. "Hibike! Howl of the Beasts! Beast On!"
In a violet flash of light, Kenzaki was in his GekiViolet suit. Deciding to not go with his usual introduction speech, he dashed straight towards Ryuji who charged right back. The floor they were fighting on was in fact the roof of the ChronoLiner.
Inside the ChronoLiner's dining car, Kotonoha, Ant, Athena, Loki, Neko and Andie could see the fight happening on a TV, which was connected to the train's own exterior surveillance cams. Kotonoha was enjoying an ice cream sundae as Neko drank a milkshake. Loki and Athena just watched the fight as Andie did her usual thing. Ant, whom Kotonoha had met months ago, was watching in interest.
"This is training?" Kotonoha asked.
"For them, it is," answered Neko.
"But they're fighting outside, on top of the train," Kotonoha said. She looked up at the ceiling, imagining Ryuji and Kenzaki fighting just above them.
"Well, in their line of work they may have to fight on more unusual grounds," stated Ant. "You'd be surprised how many fights end up taking place on time trains in the middle of the Sands of Time."
"I see," Kotonoha nodded.
Ryuji had recently taken Kotonoha to his home world to meet his family. She'd introduced Ryuji to her own family so it was only fair that she finally got to meet his.
In front of the Hasuma-Narukawa Mansion.
Kotonoha's eyes widened as she looked upon the massive estate as she stood in front of the gate with Ryuji next to her. The ChronoLiner had dropped them off in front of gate since if they'd showed up inside, the bodyguards would've attacked.
"Sugoi…" gasped Kotonoha. "Is this…is this really…?"
"Yeah, this is where they live," replied Ryuji before she could finish her question. By they, he was referring to his family…his weird family. From what Ryuji had told her, Kotonoha had leant a few things regarding the family. She'd been told that they were rich but from the looks of it they were richer than hers. Also, Ryuji's mother was a fashion designer and his father was a god. She'd met Ryuki and Neko, but Ryuji had told her he also had an adopted little brother. In addition, Neko's Yin half named Kat was also part of the family, though she lived in America.
Ryuji pressed his button on the intercom system, "This is Ryuji Hasuma, requesting for the gate to be opened." As soon as those words left his lips, the gate opened. With a smile, he took Kotonoha's hand and they went in. As soon as they did, several women in black flanked them and escorted them.
It was a long, yet enjoyable, walk towards the mansion itself. They'd passed a hedge maze and a beautiful garden. Kotonoha took notice that all the servants were female. She looked at the bodyguards and asked Ryuji why women and his answer was that it was his mother and grandmother's preference.
They now stood in front of the house. Ryuji pressed the doorbell and suddenly the double doors swung open and someone grabbed Ryuji and hugged him.
"Oh, Ryuji-kun!" the woman exclaimed excitedly, smiling widely as she held the young boy. Despite experiencing this with Ryuki when they'd been in the same body, he still hadn't gotten used to it.
"Mom, can you let me go?" Ryuji demanded softly. Kotonoha was giggling and this just made Ryuji blush even more. He was so embarrassed. The woman, Ryuji's mother, let him go and then approach Kotonoha.
"So, you must be the young lady friend Ryuji-kun tells me about," said Emiko. Kotonoha blinked and looked towards Ryuji.
"I report to Ryuki sometimes too," he shrugged. Ryuji was the newest member of the ChronoLiner Riders so everyone else was his senior. "And he tells mom here what I tell him, so I decided to give her details myself."
"It's good to meet you, madam," greeted Kotonoha. "I'm Kotonoha Katsura."
"Oh, there's no need to be formal," Emiko laughed. "Though it is sweet, but you may call me Emiko or 'mother'."
"Mom!" exclaimed Ryuji.
"Well, she's practically family. I mean you do plan on getting married someday, right?"
The meeting had been both wonderful and embarrassing for both teens. Kotonoha had been blushing the entire time since Emiko kept praising her. The woman had also volunteered to take measurements in order to make a wedding dress. Since Ryuji and Ryuki had the exact body shape, she didn't need to take his since she already made a few others. It amazed Kotonoha how the woman had accepted her easily, but she guessed it was because she trusted the judgment of her children.
She even gave Kotonoha her blessings if she ever wanted to sleep with her son. After that they had to leave. Kotonoha later met up with Ryuki and Jinx in the Red Horse Private Institute. Ryuki had gone back to his original age and was a college student. She'd met Jinx too and while she was in disguise, she was still beautiful and Kotonoha found herself plain in comparison but Ryuji quelled that fear.
The black haired boy then took her on a tour around Fukurou and she enjoyed it. Fukurou didn't exist where she came from so it was a wonderful experience. Unlike her world, Ryuji's world had people with powers. The Justice League sounded like something from a comic book but she accepted the fact quickly. His and her worlds were different in contrast.
"Looks like we need to turn back," Ant spoke up as he stood at his table. Kotonoha blinked.
"Huh?" the girl responded.
"Those two fell off," stated Neko. "Let's go."
"BIG SCOOP!"
Miyako Serizawa looked over images on her laptop. These images concerned the recent activities of the armored heroes which had appeared lately; Garoh, Ryukendo, and Ifrit. All three of them were groundbreaking news and always made the front page. Of course, the faces behind the helmets were definitely going to be Pulitzer material.
27 years old, single, with long brown hair in a braid and wearing glasses, Miyako was an aspiring reporter working for one of Tokyo's leading magazines. It had been an uphill battle for her ever since she got her internship there. Usually she was delegated to doing paperwork or getting coffee for the other reporters. It didn't help that the boss was traditionalist and felt like Miyako didn't have a right to be out in the field. The male employees flirting with her didn't brighten her day either.
After some complaining and threats of lawsuit, Miyako was finally allowed to go do some actual fieldwork. Of course, the only jobs she actually got were small events that usually didn't get much attention. How was she supposed to get any kind of real advancement if she couldn't report any real news?
Then Ifrit showed up, and not long after him, Ryukendo and Garoh. Now those three were actual news. Miyako had been assigned to gathering data about their activities. It kept her out of the way, but the female reporter was discovering things she was sure no one else had.
All of Ifrit's sightings and battles were usually found in places where teenagers would be in abundance. Sure, there was the odd variation to that pattern, but it was there. She had also discerned from several witnesses that Ifrit's appearance time varied. It also didn't escape her notice that the closer the battles and appearances were to teenage hangouts, the quicker that Ifrit would arrive.
"So he appears quicker in these spots," Miyako hummed as she went over her notes. "The most recent attacks were at the local high school and he had appeared almost instantly."
Miyako was determined to find out Ifrit's identity. To be accredited with the discovery of Tokyo's biggest hero would make her career skyrocket. That was something Miyako desperately wanted. Besides, if she figured out Ifrit's identity, she could get him to spill about Garoh and Ryukendo.
"And since he appears close to teenage hangouts," Miyako reasoned. "He must be a high school student."
She smiled in anticipation. She discovered where her first stop would be.
Neko just sat in her chair, bored out of her mind as the teacher went on. She wanted so much to fall asleep. She'd stayed up all night training with Kenzaki and Ryuji. Wondering what her boyfriend was doing, she could imagine that the Wolf-Ken user was about ready to doze off in his class but was enduring the boring lecture still. Ryuji would no doubt be fast asleep by now.
All day, Neko had been getting a strange feeling. 'Wonder if something interesting is going to happen today,' thought Neko expectantly.
There was a knock at the door and the teacher stopped his lecture to say, "Come in." The door slid open and a woman came in. "Excuse me, but who are you?" the teacher asked.
She took out her ID and introduced herself, "Miyako Serizawa, a reporter from Sakakino Star magazine. I'm here to interview some students about the Kamen Riders."
Neko's eyes now were fully awake as she stared at the woman. She was investigating the Kamen Riders? This was not good.
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Taisuke cried as he waved his arm in the air. "I KNOW A FEW THINGS! I'VE SEEN THEM!!"
"That's good!" Miyako smiled. "I'll need to talk to you then."
Of course, Neko could tell exactly why Taisuke was so eager to get interviewed. Miyako was wearing a simple white blouse, but it was tight and made her breasts somewhat pronounced. She was wearing a regular business skirt, but it showed off her legs rather well. Her hair brown hair was tied up in a ponytail with pencils helping it stay together. She also had a pair of reading glasses on as she looked at a notebook she was holding. The pencil she was chewing on gave her a look of mature sexiness. Neko sure couldn't tell if she had planned it to get the male students easier to interview or if this was her regular look. Still, she needed to warn the others, unless they knew already.
"She came by our class too," stated Ryuji as he Neko and Kenzaki met up on the rooftop. The Ifrit Rider scowled, "She's snooping around, putting her nose where it doesn't belong."
"She wants a news story," said Kenzaki, "And she figures she could get some information here."
"She even interviewed Taisuke and any other people who've seen the Riders," Neko added. "So, how did it turn out in your class?"
"The same as what happened in yours," both boys answered.
Ryuji just sat in his chair, bored out of his mind as the teacher went on. He wanted so much to doze off, fall asleep, and drown out the teacher's voice. He'd stayed up all night training with Kenzaki and Neko. Looking over to where his fellow Rider sat, he could see that the Wolf-Ken user was about ready to doze off but was enduring the boring lecture still. Ryuji had his head resting in his hand, yawning, as he sat in class. Kotonoha was diligently taking notes as she paid attention to every word. He envied her. She was studious compared to him.
'When is something exciting going to happen?' thought Ryuji tiredly. For Ryuji, nothing excited him more than a good fight. School life was becoming a pain and monotonous. Time just passed really slow as he stared up at the clock. He wanted to get something to eat when lunch period came.
There was a knock at the door and the teacher stopped his lecture to say, "Come in." The door slid open and a woman came in. "Excuse me, but who are you?" the teacher asked.
She took out her ID and introduced herself, "Miyako Serizawa, a reporter from Sakakino Star magazine. I'm here to interview some students about the Kamen Riders."
Ryuji's eyes now were fully awake as he stared at the woman, even Kenzaki was fully aware after hearing her introduction. Kotonoha glances towards two of the boys with a worried expression. Was their cover already blown?
"Oh, I know some stuff!" exclaimed Otome excitedly. Ryuji scowled. Next to Taisuke, Otome was a big fan of Kamen Rider Ifrit. After that ero-zombie incident, her admiration was being targeted towards Ifrit full time.
"I say we should kill her," stated Ryuji bluntly. "Slade-sensei always said to eliminate any obstacle and this woman is going to turn into a huge one if she exposes our secret."
"Though I agree with what Slade-sama may suggest in this kind of situation, we can't just kill her," Neko objected.
Kenzaki looked between the two and commented, "You two do realize that you both admire a criminal, right?" Slade had a huge bounty on him but Kenzaki had to let it go for Neko's sake. Slade was like a father to her and Kat.
Ryuji ignored Kenzaki and shrugged, "It's just a suggestion."
"Ryuki told me you suggested the same thing for Makoto when you first got here," Kenzaki commented.
"Hey, it was a good idea," Ryuji retorted. "I could have made it look like an accident."
"Sure you could," Kenzaki smirked.
"Seriously though," Neko sighed. "What do we do about it? You know we can't let anyone know."
"Tell me something I don't know," Ryuji snorted. If everyone knew that he was Ifrit, he would be mobbed by everyone. It would make hunting Imagin that much harder since everyone would keep getting in his way.
"She obviously thinks that she can get a lead to Ifrit here," Kenzaki reasoned. "That means she must think he's a student here."
"And she's right too," Neko added.
"Right," Kenzaki agreed. "So our problem lies in how do we convince her that he isn't?"
Ryuji stated, "I still say we should kill her. I can just freeze her and…"
"No," the two Hunters interrupted.
Miyako was compiling notes that she had collected from all the interviews that she had gone through with the students. While she had been half-expecting a bunch of fanboys and girls, she was surprised that the ones who saw Ifrit had such good details. The incidents the students described were pretty good. It gave some extra insight into some of the incidents that she had been forced to cover in the past.
"So when and where did you first see Ifrit?" Miyako asked the boy in front of her. His name was Taisuke. Still, the way he kept staring at her chest told her he had his own reasons for coming forward.
"I first saw him when some kind of boat-like monster was tearing up the arcade in the shopping district," Taisuke explained. "It was really trashing everything until Ifrit showed up and started kicking its ass."
"So why were they fighting in the arcade?" Miyako asked. She hadn't been one of the reporters who covered the details in that incident.
"Well, it seemed pretty intent on taking out all the video games, but it looked like it was looking for one in particular," Taisuke explained.
"Really?" Miyako asked. "Then Ifrit showed up and stopped it?"
"Well, he did kick its butt outside before he did something weird with his belt and then blew the thing up."
"Okay," Miyako nodded as she took notes. The arcade appearance went with her running theory of his student occupation. "Have you seen him any other times since then?"
--Time Break—
"Plenty of times," Makoto Itou sighed as he rested his chin on his hand. "I mean, for some reason I keep getting caught up when a monster appears half the time. He then shows up and I get a front row seat."
"So what was the last time?" Miyako asked.
"Well, the last time was when this freaky gingerbread monster appeared in the school and was running around," Makoto explained.
"Why was it here?" Miyako asked.
"Umm," Makoto gulped. He knew very well why the Gingerbread Imagin had been running around the school. Still, a lot of girls were pissed off after that day and had been hunting for their chocolates which Makoto had secretly stolen. They would have killed him if they found out that he had told that Imagin to steal the chocolates.
"It was stealing the Valentine's chocolates a bunch of students had," Makoto quickly explained. "No one was really sure why."
"Okay," Miyako frowned slightly. The kid was holding back which meant that he knew something about the last monster incident at the school. She could chase that down later though.
"So anything else you might want to add?" Miyako asked.
"Well…I don't think he likes me very much," Makoto admitted.
"Why would you think that?" Miyako asked in confusion.
"Well, every time I see him, it feels like he was glaring at me," Makoto shrugged. "I don't know why, but it just feels that way."
"Hmmm," Miyako nodded. "So what is your opinion of him?"
--Time Break—
"He is a hero!" Otome squealed excitedly.
Miyako sighed. 'Fangirl,' she thought. "So, what makes him such a big hero?"
"Are you kidding? He fights monsters and saved a bunch of people," Otome answered.
"What was the last incident involving Ifrit that you remember?"
"Um…" Otome blushed. "It was during that ero-zombie attack."
Miyako frowned. She remembered it well. She herself had almost become a victim of zombie molestation. "Did he show up immediately?"
"Well, not at first," Otome answered. "Ryukendo and Garoh were the first to show up and then Ifrit finally shows up to kill the monster."
Miyako thought it was strange. It didn't fit the pattern at all. Why was he late this time?
"So, anything else you'd like to tell me about Ifrit? Anything at all?"
"Ummm," Otome pondered. "Oh! He showed up during a trip to the onsen me and my friends had. It was really surprising. First that baboon thing showed up and then he and the other Riders did as well. I didn't actually see him, but I could hear him and the other Riders fighting."
Miyako blinked at that admission. She hadn't heard of an attack from anywhere like that. She would have to look in on it later. Right now she just wanted to concentrate on her interviews.
"So what is our opinion about these events that Ifrit has been involved in?" she asked.
--Time Break--
"Downright strange," Sekai replied as she thought about her answer. "I mean, those monsters sometimes act like monsters but sometimes they act downright strange."
"Strange?" Miyako asked.
"Yeah," Sekai nodded. "I mean that whole ero-zombie thing? If they were murderous zombies then yeah, I'd understand that. Instead that one monster turned all the boys into molesting perverts who tore at my clothes and grabbed my butt. What kind of monster does that?"
"So why do you think Ifrit was late for that fight?" Miyako asked.
"I dunno," Sekai shrugged. "Maybe he was off saving someone else. There were a lot of those zombies out there."
Miyako had to admit that the girl had a point. There was really no telling just how many men were turned into ero-zombies by that skunk monster. Still, Ifrit was usually quick to deal with the source of the problem so where was he that time?
"Do you wonder who Ifrit is under that mask of his?" Miyako asked.
--Time Break—
"Not really," Kotonoha Katsura shrugged as she tried to look as calm as she could.
"Really?" Miyako blinked on confusion. "That's a little odd. I mean, almost all the girls in the school seem pretty determined to find out who he is. Some fantasize about it really."
"I don't," Kotonoha answered. Her answer was a little strained, trying to hide the irritated jealousy in her voice.
"Can I ask why not?" Miyako asked. She smelled a lead coming to light.
"Well, it's not like I don't want to know," Kotonoha lied. She already knew the face behind the mask and kissed it over a hundred times by now. "It's just I don't hold much faith that I'll be able to see. I mean, what are the odds?"
"Well," Miyako smiled. "If my leads pan out, you'll get to see him. Maybe you'll get to date him, if you can get past the legions of fangirls."
'Leave him alone, you bitch! He's mine! I'm not going to let anyone try to steal him,' Kotonoha raged in her thoughts. Ryuji needed to keep his identity secret or else he wouldn't be able to do his job! "That's a nice thought."
"So, have you seen Ifrit?" Miyako asked.
"A few times," Kotonoha admitted. "Once during the onsen trip my friends and I went on. The other times were when those monsters showed up at the school."
"So what's your opinion about these monsters?" Miyako asked. "Why do you think the monsters keep showing up around your school?"
"I don't know," Kotonoha shrugged. "They just keep showing up. That gingerbread monster wanted Valentine's candy and the mole monsters were running amok. I can't tell you why they do it."
"Well, I suppose you couldn't," Miyako frowned as she took some notes.
She let the Katsura girl leave as she completed her notes. Out of everything she heard, it seemed that Katsura and Itou knew something but weren't willing to tell. It all just served to make the young reporter smile. She was on the right track.
It was after school and both Kotonoha and Ryuji were walking side by side towards the train station. The girl wore a troubled expression on her face, which did not go unnoticed by her boyfriend.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "You seem worried."
"That woman is trying to expose you," she answered. "Why shouldn't I be worried?"
Ryuji stepped ahead, turned to face his girlfriend and clasped her hands in his. He then kissed her forehead, effectively calming her. "Koto-chan, you have nothing to worry about."
"But the questions she was asking…" Kotonoha began.
"Neko-nee and Kenzaki both found out that she thinks the Riders, or at least Ifrit, are high schoolers," Ryuji informed her. Kotonoha gasped. "They're keeping an eye on the woman."
"Did she interview you?" Kotonoha asked.
"I was able to avoid her," answered Ryuji. "Told her I didn't care."
"But still…" Kotonoha was still worried. "If she manages to expose you…"
"Let me worry about that," he told her. "Now, let's get home."
Ryuji stormed straight into his apartment and into his room. Turning on his laptop, he immediately logged on to the internet to look up some information on Miyako Serizawa. He frowned deeply, "If that onna thinks she can expose me, then she has another thing coming." In that three weeks with Slade-sensei, Ryuji had learnt a lot of useful skills, computer hacking being one of them. He was going to look up that woman's personal information and use it against her.
There was a lot more at stake than his identity. He could handle it but not Kotonoha. If his identity was made public, people wouldn't just be harassing him, but Kotonoha's family as well because of her connection to him. She didn't deserve such attention and to protect her, it meant protecting his identity. He was willing to do whatever it took.
His fingers flew over the keyboard until he found some personal information on Miyako Serizawa. Unfortunately, there wasn't any dirt he could find on her. Grumbling in disgust, he turned off the windows and turned on his Instant Messenger. He adjusted his webcam and microphone before took out his cell phone to call Kotonoha.
"Moshi-moshi. Koto-chan, you mind getting on IM? I got the web-cam ready. How's yours? OK, I'm right here. Ja ne." He shut off the phone. On the monitor he could see Kotonoha's face smiling back at him. "Konnichiwa, Tenshi-chan," he greeted, smiling.
"Konnichiwa, Senshi-kun," she greeted back.
Senshi (Warrior) and Tenshi (Angel) were pet-names they'd given to each other over the course of their relationship.
Though she had gotten some leads, she wasn't any closer to finding out Ifrit's true identity. The eyewitness statements only confirmed that he was a high school student but not any specific student. So, she decided to look up student records, particular transfer students. She was going to match up the first sightings to the transfer records and found something very interesting. She'd copied the records into a disc when nobody was looking. It was something any investigative reporter would've done.
"Ryuji Hasuma," she read. "Lives alone with a guardian. No known family save for several siblings. One of 4 Quadruplets." She continued reading. "He went absent for a few days but then came back to school without any explanation. After he came back Ifrit started showing up." She read back her notes. Among the students at some of those incidents, Ryuji's name would pop up. "Now, let's see about these two; Neko Hasuma and Kenzaki Tsukuba." She read their transfer records. It didn't give much information on family but right after they transferred, Garoh and Ryukendo started to show up too, and wherever Ryuji, Neko and Kenzaki were, the three Riders would show up too. That couldn't be just a coincidence.
Miyako was suspicious of those three. All the students, and a few teachers, wanted to be interviewed but those three avoided her. They were hiding something and maybe it was related to the Riders.
Ryuji finally admitted to Kotonoha what was worrying him.
"You're worried about me?" Kotonoha questioned.
"Well, think about it," he stated. "You're my girlfriend. If I get found out the paparazzi will be after you, not just me. And don't forget those crazy fangirls." He still couldn't believe that there was a "Kamen Rider Ifrit Fanclub". What he could believe was Otome and Taisuke being co-presidents of the club. They'd even given out free badges. "They won't leave you alone. I can handle it, but you and your family…" He clenched his fists, "I can't let that happen to you. You don't deserve that kind of attention."
Kotonoha was touched by his concern. He was so sincere and honest, unlike Makoto who'd lied to her. It was a good thing she broke up with him and ended up with Ryuji. So what if Ryuji had a bad reputation comparable to a delinquent? He was honest and genuinely cared for her.
Another IM window popped up showing both Neko and Kenzaki on screen. "Hold on, Koto-chan. Neko-nee and Kenzaki are online too."
"We should conference," suggested Neko. "Kenzaki, move aside." The two were trying to squeeze themselves into the camera's view.
"It works better when you step back from the webcam," stated Ryuji bluntly. He rolled his eyes.
"Oh, sorry," Neko backed away a bit so the camera could capture both her and Kenzaki in view.
"So, what's up?" asked Ryuji.
"Let's just say that woman just broke one of many cyber laws," said Kenzaki.
"Online gambling debts?" Ryuji joked.
"Well, she kinda stole our files," remarked Kenzaki.
"Our files?" Ryuji repeated.
"Particularly our records," said Neko.
"And how do you know?" Kotonoha asked.
"Oh, we have our ways," said Neko. "Well, actually, I passed by the office and saw her snooping around with a disc in hand. Because of what she was investigating, what else would she be looking for?"
Ryuji bit his lip and said, "Where does she live? I'll kill her."
Kotonoha gasped, "Ryuji-kun!"
Ryuji cursed. He'd momentarily forgotten about Kotonoha. "Gomen, Koto-chan."
"You can't just kill her," said Kotonoha, but she was thinking a little bit along the same lines.
"Even if you can make it look like an accident," said Neko.
"And shipping her to Okinawa won't help either," said Kenzaki.
"I said shipping her to Okinawa and blowing up the plane on its way there," reminded Ryuji. This earned a shocked expression from Kotonoha. "Koto-chan, gomen."
"Ryuji-kun, this is almost as bad as when you planned to knock out Sawanaga-san, strip him naked then tie him up in the girls' bathroom." Both Neko and Kenzaki gave him strange looks.
"You should've heard what I suggested for Itou," said Ryuji.
"You said you wanted to fix him," said Kotonoha. Both Neko and Kenzaki knew what that meant.
"Neutered, right?" said Neko. Kotonoha nodded.
"HELLO, RYUJI-NIICHAN!" Kokoro exclaimed as she suddenly appeared on screen. She'd jumped out in front of Kotonoha.
"Kokoro-chan, we're busy," scolded Kotonoha.
"But I wanna see Ryuji-niichan!"
"Out! Out!"
Kokoro stuck out her tongue, "You're no fun."
"Excuse me for a moment," said Kotonoha as she chased her little sister out of the room.
Kenzaki palmed his face. "Oh, yeah, we're doomed."
"Cheh, you won't get into serious trouble if you get exposed. You can just leave," scoffed Ryuji. "I, on the other hand, don't have that luxury."
"You can't leave?" Neko asked.
"I got something worth staying for," defended Ryuji firmly. "No way am I leaving her."
"Pretty noble of you," admired Kenzaki.
"For the girl I love, I'm willing to do anything."
"So was it you that beat up those guys hitting on her?" asked Kenzaki.
Ryuji grinned, "What do you think?"
"I'm back," said Kotonoha. "Kokoro's playing with Eros now."
"I can't believe you let him live after what happened on V-Day," said Kenzaki in astonishment.
"Annoyed as I was, it wore off," said Ryuji gratefully. The arrow Eros had initially struck Ifrit/Ryuji with had a delayed effect, actually. It made Ryuji irresistible, explaining why he'd gotten so many gifts that day. "Lucky him," Ryuji muttered.
"So, how are we supposed to take care of Serizawa-san?" asked Kotonoha and then she fixed a glare on Ryuji. "And don't suggest a thing."
Ryuji remained silent. He knew he couldn't argue with her when she glared at him like that.
Miyako huffed an annoyed sigh. She was so close to Ifrit she could practically taste it! She was positive that those three transfer students knew the secrets behind Ifrit, Ryukendo, and Garoh. She knew coincidences existed, but with three armored heroes appearing at the same time three students transferred into the school, that's where coincidences ended. The problem was she couldn't corner any of the three to get any straight answers!
Also, there was a rumor about Ryuji temporarily turning into a monster himself when one of those monsters took over his body. That was big news right there.
"Argh!" she cried. "Why won't they just admit to being the Riders?! I can make them famous! I can give them everything they'll ever need. The JSDF will probably want to assist them once everyone finds out they're real!"
As Miyako ranted about the reluctance of coming forward and her three targets, she didn't realize that she was being watched. A glowing orb was hovering in the air behind some trees and hidden from sight. It watched Miyako's rant and obvious desperation for her goals. After taking in all that it could about her, the orb made its decision. Streaking down from its hiding place, it collided with Miyako and entered her body.
"Ugh!" Miyako grunted as she felt something hit her. Twisting around, she tried to find what had hit her. That had taken second place in her mind when sand began to fall out of her clothes. "Wagh!"
Miyako watched in fascinated horror as the sand polled together on the ground. Her eyes bulged out as a figure began to rise out of the sand. It appeared to be a tiger-like creature of some kind. It was wearing an outfit that looked like it was a bestial version of Tarzan's. Its legs hovered down from above, revealing that they had some kind of ankle bracelets on them.
"I know you have a wish," the creature spoke. "Hurry up and say it. My patience wears thin."
Ryuji was in his bathroom, splashing his face with water before staring at his own reflection. He was in deep thought over a dilemma. It was frustrating to say the least but he knew he had to do this. It was the honorable thing to do.
"I can't hide this from her anymore," spoke Ryuji to his own reflection. "She deserves to know the truth." He chuckled, "And she'll hate me for it." He stared at the reflection harshly, "What makes you think she'll ever trust you again after this? It's a stupid plan." He sighed, "But, if I don't tell her, than our relationship would be based on a lie." He clenched hi fists. "I have to tell her. She deserves to know." He turned and left the bathroom, switching off the light before closing the door behind him.
On the train that he and Kotonoha rode to school, the couple was sitting close together. The girl enjoyed these peaceful moments early in the morning. Usually she'd be reading but now that she had a real boyfriend, she didn't feel all that lonely anymore. Still, she could sense something troubling him. At least he would be saying something to her but he was strangely quiet.
"Ryuji-kun?" she called. He didn't seem to hear her. She tried again. "Ryuji-kun?" He finally responded.
"Hai, Koto-chan?"
"You seem troubled," she stated. "Are you feeling alright?"
'No.' "Yes, I am," he lied.
"Are you sure?" she pressed on.
"I'm fine, don't worry about it," he said, smiling finally, but she could see that his smile was straining. Could he be…no, he would never cheat on her not after everything they'd been through. "Koto-chan, let's meet up on the roof during lunch. I want to speak to you about something."
Ryuji was oddly attentive in class. For once he didn't appear like he was dozing off. However, this change in his behavior was starting to worry the girl next to him. She knew he wasn't actually paying attention. Though his eyes were open and staring at the board, his mind was elsewhere.
Time flew and soon lunch period came.
On the roof, Kotonoha and he sat on the bench. Neither had opened up their respective bentos. The boy scooted in closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. She gasped at the contact but smiled with a blush on her face as she moved in close and rested her head against his shoulder.
"Ano, Koto-chan," he began. "Remember how we first met?"
"I do," she answered. "It was around November, I believe."
"Yeah, when my team…my friends and I ended up stranded here," he added. "We had no idea where we were, until we got to school here." Kotonoha wondered where he was going along with this. "Koto-chan, you believe that there are other worlds and universes out there, right?"
"Of course I do. You proved that to me."
Ryuji swallowed, "And you watch anime right?"
"Not all the time, though Kokoro-chan does and makes me watch with her."
"If I were to tell you that in the world I came from, there was an anime based on this world, would you believe me?"
Kotonoha stared at his face. He was kidding, right? But then she noticed the serious look on his face. "There is? What's it about?"
Now it was time to fess up. "The lives of the students in this school, specifically you, Saionji and Itou." She gasped. "Ryan showed it to us and, well, before that I was a little skeptical."
Kotonoha needed to know something, "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I hate lying to you, I hate hiding things from you and I hate keeping secrets from you." He clenched his fists. "Koto-chan, if I never came along, what would you've done when you found out about Itou and Saionji."
"You know the answer to that," she said. "It tore me apart, so I…tried to kill myself."
"Actually, there's more to it than that," Ryuji said. "If I hadn't shown up, your life would've taken a different route. Despite everything, you would insist that Itou was your boyfriend, denying what he and Saionji were doing. You would obsess over him and eventually…your mind would be broken." Seeing her eyes so lifeless frightened him. Thank goodness she hadn't seen it in his mind.
"What happened?" she asked carefully.
"You would've gotten back with Itou, eventually, but then things take a turn for the worst. Saionji would murder him." She gasped at this. "And then when you see the body, you just snap and then you kill Saionji with a dozuki."
This made her remember Katherine's words. Katherine had said, "You should've followed the script," and, "You're not supposed to have that until the end of the series." Now it made sense.
"So, all of us decided to make sure none of that would happen. We were assigned to watch over our targets and I volunteered to watch over you." She backed away from him. "Koto-chan?"
"So, I was just an assignment?" she said, looking down.
"Koto-chan, I-"
"So, you were lying to me from the start. You just wanted to make sure I didn't turn psychotic." Her fists were clenched and shaking.
"Koto-chan, please, I-"
"I hate you!" She stormed away.
"Matte!" He grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Koto-chan!"
"Let me go!" She struggled. He pulled her into a tight embrace. "Let me go!" she cried again, pounding his chest.
"Koto-chan, you've been into my mind so you know how I feel about you," he said. "Remember that feeling, please…" He held her to him. He was going to resolve this to the very end. "One thing I can never lie about is how I feel about you."
She knew how he felt. He loved her. She'd seen the images and what he thought of her, but after hearing all this, she needed to know something, "So…did you care about me from the start?"
"I…did," he confessed slowly. "When I first saw you, I started to like you. Remember when I didn't make eye contact?" She did. "You were the most beautiful thing I've ever saw, so I was a little shy. I couldn't look you in the eye before I started to blush."
"You're not shy," she said positively.
"Well, I was with you back then. When I found out what was going to happen to you, I made it my mission because I didn't want to see you suffer."
"So, you knew everything that was going to happen, even what happened with Sawanaga and I?" she questioned.
"Yes," he nodded. "We actually planned out everything, but there was one thing I never planned on doing." He confessed, "I never planned on falling in love with you. It just happened so fast. I thought I couldn't feel love, but then I was proven wrong." He stroked her hair. She gently pushed away from him. "Koto-chan?"
"I never planned to fall in love with you either, Ryuji-kun," she admitted as well. "And, I'm sorry I overreacted, but you just told me that I was just a job for you."
"That was the original plan. I was supposed to make sure you didn't suffer a mental breakdown and then leave with the others. But how could I leave you? You would've broken down without me. They would go, but I would stay with you. I never felt like a belonged anywhere else, until I met you."
"Ryuji-kun…"
"You may think less of me now, but remember that I will always love you. I understand if you're angry, frustrated, or downright hate me right now, but I couldn't keep this a secret anymore. I just couldn't…"
Kotonoha stepped forward, cupped Ryuji's cheeks in her hands, before pulling him down for a deep and passionate kiss. Ryuji blinked in shock but eventually relaxed and closed his eyes. He didn't make any other move. She broke the kiss and smiled.
"What was that for?" he questioned.
"You told me a secret, despite the consequences," she said. "It shows that you trust me."
"I've always trusted you," he clarified. "Now, I want you to be honest about something."
"What is it?" she asked.
He said jokingly, "Should I cut my hair? I mean it's really long and-"
"NO!" she objected loudly. "Don't cut your hair! I like it!"
He chuckled, "You just like to brush it and braid it."
"You want me to braid it right now?" she asked hopefully.
"Um…" he hesitated. "Maybe later." A braid would make him look less intimidating. The way it usually looked, all wild and unbound, worked well with his intimidating and tough guy image. A braid would look, well…dumb on him. How Ryuki made it work was a miracle. He said, "I love you, my angel."
"I love you too, my warrior," she replied, smiling warmly. Such a tender moment. Well, too bad it had to be interrupted.
'RYUJI!' Loki's voice invaded Ryuji's mind suddenly, startling him.
"What?" Ryuji growled. He turned to explain to Kotonoha with one word, "Loki." She nodded in understanding. "What is it?"
'Ryuji, I'm at the supermarket. I was just getting some groceries for tonight's dinner and looking over the produce section…"
"Get to the point!" snapped Ryuji, impatiently, feeling very annoyed at the moment.
'Well, an Imagin is attacking the supermarket! You better come quickly. I'm holding it off right now.'
"Kuso," the boy cursed. If only Kenzaki and Neko weren't absent because they were hunting down another bounty, he could just ask them to take care of it for him, and he wasn't sure if Warren was around either. "I'll be there." He removed the belt from his jacket and the pass from his pocket. He apologized, "Koto-chan, gomen."
"It's your job," she told him. "Now, go get that thing."
Ryuji gave her a grateful nod before whipping the belt around his waist and fastening it on. He pressed the switch and called out, "Henshin!"
"IFRIT FORM!" the belt announced as he slid the pass inside.
The tune of the ChronoLiner played in the air as it sped past the school. Ifrit leapt up and entered the cockpit as soon as the hatch opened. Now inside the time train, the hatch closed and the Rider took it towards its destination. He was angry because an Imagin had interrupted his tender and sweet moment with Kotonoha.
Usually, when one went to the supermarket, one would want to buy groceries, not get a front row view of a brawl between two monsters.
Loki had come to do some shopping, using his human disguise when this Tiger Imagin showed up. Its body was golden with black stripes and it wore a tiger skin loincloth and spiked ankle bracelets.
"Why are you attacking this place?" questioned Loki as he and the Tiger Imagin grappled.
"You'll see, traitor," growled the Tiger Imagin before tossing Loki into a display of canned goods.
The cans cluttered to the ground as Loki landed on them. He picked one up and stared at it for a bit. "Hm, this would be nice to have for later."
"Where's Ifrit!?" the Tiger Imagin roared and all of a sudden it got its answer as a blue fireball barely missed its head. It hit the wall behind the Imagin, covering it in ice. Ifrit walked into view, both swords in hands. He rested his left sword over on his left shoulder and pointed at the Tiger Imagin with his right sword.
"Let me tell you this from the start; I am very pissed off!" announced Ifrit.
The Tiger Imagin grinned. Oh, this was perfect. His contractor was already close to get the exclusive story she dreamed off.
Miyako was not too far away from the scene, camera in hand. The Tiger Imagin had dragged her to the supermarket and told her to stay while he did some damage to draw Ifrit's attention. As much as she wanted this story, she didn't want innocent people to get hurt, but the Tiger Imagin frightened her and gave her little choice. Still, now that Ifrit was here, she could get her story. She wanted to know who Ifrit was and she was going to get it if what the Tiger Imagin promised was true.
Ifrit and the Tiger Imagin started exchanging blows. While Ifrit was armed with his Ifrit Dao, the Tiger Imagin used a pair of gauntlets with long and sharp claw-like blades on them. It took a swipe at the Rider and he ducked before retaliating with a five slash combo. Miyako, meanwhile, was taking photos of the entire fight, waiting for Ifrit to show his true face.
The Tiger Imagin tossed Ifrit into one of the shelves, causing it to topple over from the impact. Loki scrambled away to watch but he couldn't leave his partner. However, he knew how much Ifrit loved to fight so he would only intervene if the Rider was in danger.
The Rider and Tiger Imagin ran through the supermarket, exchanging blows while causing some massive collateral damage at the same time. Ifrit then carelessly mistimed one of his strikes and now the Tiger Imagin had the advantage, slashing at the Rider repeatedly. He almost pierced Ifrit with its claws when Loki decided it was time to intervene. The Imagin partner of Ifrit/Ryuji summoned a fireball and tossed it at the Tiger Imagin's back. The explosion sent the Imagin sailing and crashing into the frozen food section.
"Ryuji!" cried Loki as he ran to his partner and helped him up. "Are you okay?"
"What took you so long?" retorted Ifrit. "Now, help me out here." Ifrit stood up straight with Loki standing in front of him. The Rider took out the contract ticket depicting Loki and swiped it over the belt.
"LOKI FORM!"
Miyako could only watch in awe as Ifrit changed forms. The monster he had with him was absorbed into his body, turning his armor red and bodysuit black. A cape now hung from his back as blue eyepieces became added to the visor. She'd also heard what Ifrit's Imagin had called him. She now got a good idea at who Ifrit was. Her suspicions were correct.
The Tiger Imagin turned to look towards Miyako and grinned. Its contract with her was near completion. All she needed now would be solid proof. It dashed along the floor, straight towards Ifrit with those sharp claws it had. The Tiger Imagin took a swipe at Ifrit, but the Rider ducked and then sent a powerful punch into the Imagin's gut. The Tiger Imagin recovered quickly and roared before it started to take swipes at Ifrit who blocked all the strikes with his gauntlets. The Rider then executed an open palm strike on the Tiger Imagin, sending the Imagin tumbling.
"Is that all you got?" Ifrit taunted. Instead of the familiar sound of anger he usually got from the enemy Imagin he fought in the past, what he got was something different. The Tiger Imagin was laughing and then raised up one of its claws to reveal Ifrit's belt hanging from it. Shocked, Ifrit looked down at his waist to see his belt had been ripped off unnoticed. "Kuso…" he cursed as the transformation reversed and his armor shattered away with Loki reappearing next to him.
Miyako's eyes went wide with shock as she saw the teenager standing in place of the Rider. Both her guesses had been right and now Kamen Rider Ifrit was exposed. She took out her camera and started taking pictures.
The Tiger Imagin tossed the belt to the floor and shouted out, "Contract complete!" before dashing straight towards Miyako, right past Ryuji and Loki, and dove into her body which instantly split apart to reveal the swirling green portal. The woman, as soon as her body closed, felt weak in the knees and collapsed.
Ryuji grimaced when he saw the woman but now he had other things to worry about. As Loki went to retrieve the belt and pass, Ryuji walked over to Miyako, knelt down and dug a blank ticket out of his pocket. He held the ticket over her head and the image of the Imagin, along with a date, appeared on it. The date was 5th April 2002.
"Hey, what happened at this time?" he asked. He was curious to know what was so important about such a date.
Miyako gazed at the date. "That was when I started my carrier…" she said in a dazed tone.
Snorting, Ryuji took the ticket and backed away. A loud whistle then echoed through the air as the ChronoLiner came through a portal outside the supermarket. Miyako watched in amazement as Ryuji and Loki ran outside and boarded the vehicle. As it started to pull out, she got her senses back with a gasp.
"Hey!" she cried as she tried to give chase to the train. "You owe me an interview! Wait!"
Her cries fell on deaf ears as the train vanished into the past.
-- 5th April 2002—
Miyako was trying to calm herself as she stood outside the Sakakino Star Magazine office building. This was the beginning for her. She was a fresh graduate from her journalism school and had scored an internship at this magazine. She had dressed up in a smart female business outfit, hoping to look professional.
"Okay, Miyako," the nervous woman breathed, trying to catch her breath. "You can do this. You can pull this off. Just go in there and blow their socks off."
As she prepared to walk inside, a pile of sand suddenly fell out of her clothes. Blinking in confusion, she turned to examine the pile, but gasped in shock when the pile actually began to move.
"What the…ahhhhh!" Miyako suddenly screamed when the sand pile erupted into a large tiger-like monster.
She wasn't alone either. People up and down the street were screaming and running for their lives away from the new Imagin.
The Imagin took one look at Miyako and with a growl, said, "Maybe I should start with you." It was about to take a swipe at her but a fist suddenly came flying past Miyako's head and into the Tiger Imagin's face. The Imagin was sent reeling by the brutal blow and then looked up to glare at who'd dared to attack it. It roared, "YOU!"
Walking forward was Ifrit (Loki Form) and Miyako just stared at the Rider in awe. Cracking his knuckles, the Rider then strode on towards his opponent. The Tiger Imagin unleashed its claws as Ifrit summoned his giant red dozuki, the Loki Slicer. The two sides then rushed at each other, exchanging brutal blows.
Miyako was stunned but then quickly took out a camera, muttering, "This will look good on my resume." She then decided to follow the fight into the streets.
Both Rider and Imagin fought violently as their respective bladed weapons sliced through the air and collided, sending sparks flying. They were fighting toe-to-toe and the civilian who hadn't fled were watching in awe. This was unlike anything they'd seen in real life. The closest comparison would be from some tokusatsu show on television.
The Tiger Imagin dodged an overhead swing that would've sliced it in half before using a jump kick to send Ifrit staggering. Ifrit gripped his giant dozuki tightly, enveloping it in flames before swiping it at his opponent. The Tiger Imagin decided to take the defensive and started to dodge with the agility of a tiger before striking back with the same ferocity as the beast it was based upon. Sparks exploded from Ifrit's chestplate as he groaned, "Urg."
The Tiger Imagin then picked up a car and tossed it at Ifrit. The Rider ducked but then he heard screaming. Turning his head, he saw a family about to get hit. "NO!" He dashed quickly towards the family, running with incredible speed, before standing before them with his back turned to them. He held his sword in his hands and then used it to slice the car in half. The two halves sailed harmlessly past the family. Turning around, he was surprised to see who they were. He could still recognize Kotonoha's parents from his last meeting with them. The woman had her arms protectively around a small child as the man was holding the hand of a little girl with long black hair and familiar eyes. The girl gazed back at him in wonder. The parents then fled with their children all the while the little girl's eyes were on Ifrit.
Ifrit's eyes narrowed as he turned to face the Imagin. He roared, "HOW DARE YOU STRIKE AT AN INNOCENT FAMILY!? YOUR LIFE IS MINE AND IT ENDS HERE!"
"LET'S SEE YOU TRY!" the Tiger Imagin roared back as it charged at Ifrit. Ifrit's hand went to his belt and he pressed the button.
"FULL CHARGE!" the belt announced as the Rider gripped his sword tightly in both hands.
"GENJYU IFRIT-KEN!" Ifrit called as he started to summon the Mythical Ki in his body. The flames surrounding his blade intensified as his body ignited in flames. "GENGI! JIGOKU DISUKU!" He tossed his dozuki at the Imagin. It spun through the air and became a flaming disc of death. The Imagin was unable to dodge and was sliced in half at the waist before erupting into a fiery blaze. The spinning dozuki returned to Ifrit's hands like a boomerang.
Panting in exhaustion, yet satisfied by his victory, the Rider turned away and walked towards the ChronoLiner which had shown up to pick him up. He stopped at the door for a moment when he felt someone tugging on his cape. He turned around to see the little girl holding up a bunch of cherry blossoms to him. He took the flowers from the girl who beamed at him before her parents went to collect her. He wasn't oblivious. He knew who this girl was. Turning back to the door, he entered the ChronoLiner and it sped into a portal back to the present.
When Ryuji returned to the present, he was surprised to see Miyako talking to Kotonoha in the hallway. The boy's eyes narrowed as his lips narrowed into a frown. He walked over and grabbed Miyako's shoulders before spinning the woman around to face him. "Let me make this clear to you, woman. You better keep my identity a secret or else-"
"Ryuji-kun!" Kotonoha exclaimed, "Stop this right now." He was startled by her outburst.
"But, Koto-chan, she-" Ryuji began but was halted by her intense gaze. He sighed, "Fine."
"Maybe we should talk on the roof," said Miyako. "And we have a lot to talk about," she smiled.
Ryuji's eyes narrowed dangerously at the reporter. He couldn't let her reveal his identity. There was too much at stake. "Fine," he relented.
"Okay," Miyako sighed. "Katsura-san here explained a few things to me about just what the heck is going on around here. It's a little odd for me, but I feel I have to confirm it all. Does that sound okay?"
"Go ahead," Ryuji frowned. He would have cussed, but Kotonoha was right there and she didn't like it unless the situation called for it.
"Good," Miyako nodded. It was days like this that made her wish she was a smoker. "So, these monsters are called Imagin. Short version is that they're from the future and they come back to the past so to make sure our future becomes their present."
"So far so good," Ryuji nodded.
"And you, Ifrit, are charged with the duty of making sure that they can't do that," Miyako continued.
"And that's why you can't reveal the identities of Ryuji-kun and the other Riders!" Kotonoha insisted. "They wouldn't be able to do their jobs and people would be at risk."
Miyako sighed and leaned against the wall surrounding the edge of the building, "Jeez, the biggest story in existence and I can't report it."
"Does that mean…?" Kotonoha asked hopefully.
"That's right," Miyako nodded. "I never saw Ifrit's face. My lips are sealed."
"Yatta!" Ryuji cheered. "I guess you aren't so bad after all!"
"BUT!!" Miyako called, catching the pair's attention. "This little service doesn't come free. If you want my silence, then you'll have to do me a couple of favors."
Kotonoha gulped fearfully while Ryuji frowned, "What kind of favors?"
"Ohhh, nothing hard," Miyako shrugged. A mischievous glint was coming over her eyes that reminded Ryuji of Takada when he got an idea for a new invention or a hot girl walked in front of him. "All I ask is for an exclusive interview with Ifrit. In return, you get my silence and someone who can pass off information to you incase something weird happens. If Imagin are as slippery as I've come to believe, you'll need the help."
Ryuji looked mortified as he gritted his teeth and his eyebrows were furrowed. This woman was actually trying to blackmail him. Well, not exactly blackmail, more likely exchanging services. All he had to do was to give her an interview and she'll keep her mouth shut. He still had his phone with him so it was an easy matter of erasing her memories. But still, would it be so bad to have another person in the loop that could relay important information?
"Fine," Ryuji sighed in defeat. "We have a deal." Kotonoha beamed brightly as Miyako wore a satisfied smile.
"Now that we have that settled, how about that interview?" Miyako asked.
"You really get right to it, don't you?" Ryuji quipped, mentally adding nosy reporters to the list of people/things he disliked.
The interview had been annoying for Ryuji, but Miyako knew what she wanted. Thankfully, she avoided questions that hinted at his identity. Mostly she asked questions about Ifrit's battles. Some of her questions were things like the first Imagin he fought to the toughest one. She even asked for details about the ero-zombie invasion. All in all it made Ryuji's blood boil, but he persevered.
"I think that Serizawa-san will be a big help, Ryuji-kun," Kotonoha smiled.
"She'll be a pain in the butt," Ryuji grumbled. "She'll want more interviews or something even if she does have something helpful."
"It's still helpful," Kotonoha insisted. "A reporter can get all kinds of information that we can't. Remember when those Mole Imagin came to the school? If Serizawa-san was with us, she might have been able to warn us beforehand."
Ryuji sighed in annoyance. Kotonoha had a point when she put it that way. His equipment was only good for finding Imagin when they were using their powers. It couldn't tell him when one appeared. If an Imagin completed its wish without using its powers, he wouldn't be the wiser about it. That thought scared him since Kotonoha might be erased if the Imagin killed her there.
"Ahhh, let's forget about her," Ryuji sighed before he reached into his bag and brought out a bouquet of cherry blossoms. "Lookie what I found."
"Oh, Ryuji-kun!" Kotonoha gasped. She gazed longingly at the bouquet "They're beautiful! Where did you get them? The cherry blossoms aren't supposed to bloom for another month or so!"
"Heh, they were blooming when I showed up in the past," Ryuji smiled as he began splitting the bundles of pink flowers. Taking one half, he handed it over to the smiling Kotonoha. "A very kawaii little girl gave them to me. A little girl with long dark hair and gorgeous brown eyes."
"You mean…I did?" Kotonoha gasped. "You saw me in the past?"
"I did," Ryuji chuckled. "You know, that's one more time that we've met up in the past. Weird, huh?"
"It's fate," Kotonoha smiled brightly. She hugged the bundle of cherry blossoms to her chest. "We're really meant to be."
"I'm not much of a believer in fate," Ryuji grumbled. Gripping Kotonoha by the hips, he lifted her up into the air. Smiling impishly, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. "I'd rather think I found you and we fell in love our own way."
"Well, I call it fate, and you call it us," Kotonoha giggled as their noses touched. "I'm not arguing about the results."
"No way," Ryuji smirked before he took Kotonoha's lips in a kiss.
The two remained connected at the lips for a moment before they each retreated to take a breath. Kotonoha was panting audibly as she nuzzled against Ryuji's neck and kissed the flesh. She almost giggled as she heard him purr.
"Senshi-kun," Kotonoha whispered. "Is anyone at your apartment?"
"Just Loki, and I can get him to take a hike," Ryuji muttered back.
"Good. Take me to your apartment," Kotonoha panted. "I need you right now!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Ryuji smirked. Letting Kotonoha back to the ground, the pair made a mad dash for the trains. They had a long night ahead of them.