Kat was outside of the apartment building. She had her phone against her ear. Her mysterious employer had decided to make a call.
"OK, I can't go through with this plan anymore," said Kat, a hint of regret in her voice. She hated going back on deals but circumstances had changed.
"I must insist that you do," replied Nanimo.
"Sorry, I only agreed because I thought my sister wouldn't need him anymore and could get over him. I was wrong."
"I am sorry, but you have no choice in this matter," said Nanimo.
"Are you threatening me?" hissed Kat. "I don't like being threatened."
"And I don't like my plans being ruined by some little girl who thinks she has power. I am actually a little surprised; coming from a family of such power, your lover is actually quite frail."
Kat's eyes widened. She hissed, "Don't even think about it. If you touch her, I swear I'll…"
"You'll what?" interrupted Nanimo. "Kill me?"
"I've done it before, I can do it again."
"I know, that's why I hired you. But I assure you, it is quite difficult to kill a dead man."
Kat let out a sigh. "If I kill Kenzaki, you will leave my girls alone?"
"No harm will come to them," assured Nanimo. "The plan will proceed as scheduled. I have the bait procured; all that is left is for you to lure the wolf to the trap."
"Bait? What bait?" asked Kat.
"Nee-chan! Help!" cried Neko over the phone.
"Neko-chan!? You bastard! Let her go!" snarled Kat.
"Not until our deal is complete. You have one hour to bring him here, or the girl dies."
"Grr…Fine!" Kat growled as she accepted the deal.
"I knew you'd see it my way. I'll see you in one hour." Then the line went dead.
"Damn it," cursed Kat. "Sorry, Neko-chan." She had to tell Kenzaki about this. Hopefully, he could restrain himself from killing her long enough until they saved Neko.
"NATURAL SELECTION"
As soon as Kat finished explaining to Kenzaki about what happened to Neko, he immediately grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her against the wall. "You…did...WHAT!?"
And, she had apparently told him about her employer. "Look," she began, "He sprang me out of that jail cell you put me in and gave me a really good offer. And, back then, I thought you were a complete waste of Neko-chan's time. I'm still not totally sure on that score, but right now, we need to save Neko-chan!" Kat could understand how mad Kenzaki was at her…Heck, if she was him, the idiot who'd gotten her beloved captured would be dead by now…But couldn't he see they needed to work together to get Neko back?!
"No, you stay here," Kenzaki growled. "You've done enough already." Kenzaki couldn't be any angrier with Kat than he was now and was really trying to restrain himself from snapping her neck. However, he knew how much killing the psycho would hurt Neko. That didn't mean he couldn't smash her face into a wall later…Maybe run over her legs with the GaroLiner while he was at it.
"Look, believe it or not, you need me because I know where he is and he wants me to bring you to him," Kat snarled; furious with herself as much as she was with Kenzaki and her thrice-damned 'employer'. "Please, let me help fix this." In that one word, the word which she would never have dreamed of using otherwise, and especially not to the stupid wolf, she put in every ounce of her desperation and guilt and absolute need to make things right for her better half.
"I don't trust you," Kenzaki stated as he loosened his grip on her.
"I know you don't, but you need to trust me now if you want to save Neko-chan," said Kat as she rubbed her shoulders, an overwhelming wave of relief spreading over her though she took care not to let it show. She hadn't been sure she would be able to convince the wolf; no matter all her good reasons. "Do we have a deal?"
"Let's save Neko first," Kenzaki said firmly.
"But first we're gonna need backup," said Kat as she slid open her phone. She knew just who to call.
"Goodnight," said Sekai as she and Makoto exited the house together. "See you in school tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Kotonoha smiled fondly as she waved to her two friends as they walked out the gate together. Kotonoha stepped back into her house and closed the door. Ryuji was leaning against the wall and she turned to smile warmly at her boyfriend. "I'm proud of you, Ryuji-kun. You didn't insult Makoto-kun once this whole time."
"Not without a lack of trying," the Rider of the DynoLiner muttered under his breath. Sand spilled out from his body and Kotonoha's before reforming into their Imagin.
"Yes, but you still managed to restrain yourself," said Loki proudly.
"However, I think you should've punished him for his past transgressions," spoke Athena.
Kotonoha sighed. Athena could see her memories. After all, Imagin gained their forms simply from memory and Athena knew all about Kotonoha since she made the contract with her. "Athena, what's done is done."
"So…" Ryuji smirked as he looped his arms around Kotonoha's waist as Athena turned her eyes away, "Shall we continue with some…Biology?" Kotonoha blushed at the implication. He bent his head down to kiss her neck but then the ringing of his phone interrupted him. "Damn it," Ryuji muttered in annoyance as he loosened he took one arm off Kotonoha and dug into his pants for his phone. He flipped it open and put it against his ear. "Talk to me."
Kotonoha watched as Ryuji listened without saying a word before he flipped his phone close and slipped out of the indoor slippers before putting on his shoes. "Ryuji-kun, what's wrong? Who called?"
"It was Kat," answered Ryuji with a serious tone. "Neko-nee's been kidnapped."
Kotonoha let out a gasp of shock.
Neko was bound to a chair, unable to access her powers or Ki for some reason. Gekiryuken was stuck in some sort of cage and banging against it with all of his might but with no avail. The girl recalled how she ended up in this state. She'd been on her way to Kotonoha's home to collect some notes to use for her study session with Kenzaki when she was suddenly ambushed by half a dozen Ninja Imagin. They blinded her with a smoke bomb and knocked her out before bringing her here. She knew who was responsible.
Nanimo.
Kenzaki looked over his shoulder to see Kat staring intently back at him. "Quit staring at me. I'm only working with you to save Neko," said Kenzaki irritably. Both were on their way to the warehouse, riding on the Machine Garo-Hunter. Kat was riding behind Kenzaki as he drove the bike.
"You still can't bring yourself to stop hating me, can you?" asked Kat snidely. There was the tiniest echo of sorrow beneath the snideness though. She knew her sister would never be completely happy if her Chosen couldn't stop hating her other half.
"No, because you've done too much wrong for me to forgive," admitted Kenzaki. "But I'm willing to put up with you, because I love Neko."
"I know, which is why I'm helping," Kat explained slowly, as though to a not-too-bright toddler. "But can you swallow your damn pride enough to accept me as part of her? I did the same and gave you my own damn blessings when I realized she'd picked you as the only one that could complete her." Grumpiness was evident in the last few words. "What I don't understand is why you could see her as the girl you loved and not as the monster that killed your family. You treat me like I'm Sauron."
"You act like Sauron," growled Kenzaki. "You show a lack of remorse for anything you've done." Well, that wasn't exactly true. He remembered when Kat had returned and apologized to everyone for all the bad she had done while under the influence of Sauron. After begging for forgiveness from her family, she gave a half-hearted apology to the Titans. But when she got to Kenzaki, she just scoffed and left, as if she never did anything wrong to him. If Neko wasn't there to hold him back, the Titans would still be scrubbing Kat's brains off the walls.
"I know, and I'm not sorry for most of the things I've done. Would you prefer I put on some fake show of regret instead? But…" Here Kat had to pause as she struggled with her pride. Her next words were noticeably softer. "I am sorry and I do regret a few things. Making all that trouble between you and Neko-chan for one. It was fun; I won't deny that and I thoroughly enjoyed it…But it ended up hurting my beloved Neko instead of helping her. I was just trying to make her see that you weren't good enough but I was wrong. While she was staying with me, all she could talk about was you. She loves you and all she wants is for you to stop hating me. You may think I'm lying, but that's the truth," explained Kat. Bitterness had tinged her words as she recounted how much her sister loved the stupid wolf. He still wasn't worthy of her, in Kat's opinion, but he was the only one who could make her happy.
Kenzaki glared at Kat. "I'll never stop hating you. I can tolerate you for her sake, but she said it herself; family comes first and I ain't family until we're married. You'll always come before me and I can't deal with that." That was his biggest problem, the fact that Neko would always value Kat over him. Even though she said she loved him, as long as Kat came first those would always just be empty words.
"You have to. She wants you to stop hating. It's unhealthy. Do you love Neko-chan enough to not hate me anymore?" Absently, Kat reflected on how ironic it was that she, the one who had hated her brother so much for so long, was conducting a lecture on the unhealthiness of hate.
"I love Neko more than I hate you, that's as far as I can go. Maybe if you expressed a little bit of guilt for what you did as Copycat I could stop hating you, but that isn't your thing."
"Like I said, I'm not one to put up false shows of regret over things I really think aren't any big deal. I'm a bad girl. You can't expect me to change like that overnight. You can't expect Neko to stop loving me. Look at Ryuki. He considers me family still despite all the things I've done."
"I'm fine with the fact that she loves you. You're family so it's to be expected. My problem is that she cares more for you than she does for me sometimes."
"Can you really blame her for that?" asked Kat, an incredulous, almost scoffing tone in her voice. Who did the wolf think he was?
"That she cares for a psycho like you more than the man she loves?" asked Kenzaki. Even though he loved Neko, he longed to be her most important person, and as long as Kat was around, that could never happen. "Yeah, I can."
"It's a strong bond." What an understatement. "Believe it or not we are two halves of the same soul. Naturally, she and I would always be close."
"Still, I thought after 2 years we'd be closer than that," said Kenzaki, a sad look in his eyes.
"You can't break a soul bond like that," she said, now almost pitying the wolf and his inability to understand. "Ryuji and Ryuki are the same. We all are part of each other. Can you hate part of yourself truly?" asked Kat.
"That's not the problem. I'm fine with the fact that she loves you despite ALL of your flaws. It just makes me love her more."
"Then tell her that," Kat urged. "Kenzaki, when you proposed to her, you not only asked her to be your wife, but also to be part of her family. That means you're going to be part of my family (heaven forbid). Sides, I'm not the one you hate. You just hate what I remind you of."
"If only it were that simple. She told me herself that you'll always come first. That no matter what I do, she'll always choose you over me," explained Kenzaki. "Besides, you really think your family wants me to be a member? They probably all hate me as much as you do."
"I told her to put you in her heart first. I'm just her sister," there was a faint note of irony in the 'just', but she doubted Kenzaki would hear it. "But you're the one she loves with all heart. You're special. Being with you…it stops her from crying."
Kenzaki was slightly surprised by the admission and replied, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks, Kat." OK, maybe he'd just run over one leg.
"It took me awhile to understand why I didn't like you. Guess maybe I didn't want to lose my good half to you. She was always able to keep me straight when I was bad."
"Does this mean that you accept me?"
"I gave you my blessings, didn't I?"
"While threatening to flay me alive," joked Kenzaki.
"Yeah, well, you made her cry first. Now, let's go take care of my bastard of an employer and then get you back together with my sis!" shouted Kat as she and Kenzaki rode towards their destination.
The duo finally reached an abandoned warehouse before Kenzaki stopped the bike and both dismounted. Kenzaki removed his helmet and looked the building over before giving Kat a critical eye. "A warehouse?" Kenzaki questioned.
"Its cliché, but it still works as a villain's hideout," said Kat, having used warehouses several times in her villainous career.
Kenzaki gave Kat a look before turning his attention back to the warehouse. "Neko, are you in here? Are you alright?" Kat had described her (former) employer's appearance to Kenzaki and the bounty hunter had the sinking suspicion that he knew whom the one who took Neko was. It was only a hunch, really, but it was too close of a resemblance to be a coincidence.
The entrance to the warehouse was half closed so the two bent over and entered the building. There were no lights on and it was dark inside. Kat could see just fine and so could Kenzaki.
"Well, you both finally showed up," said a cold metallic voice that both Kenzaki and Kat recognized. The lights soon came on and Kenzaki saw Neko with her wrists and ankles shackles to the armrests and legs of a chair. Also, standing next to her was a masked and cloaked figure with his hood up. Kenzaki recognized him.
"Nanimo…" growled Kenzaki.
"Hello, brother," Nanimo greeted.
Kat gaped, "BROTHER!?"
"Long story," Kenzaki said. He saw that Nanimo had his hand on Neko's shoulder.
"Ken-kun! Nee-chan!" exclaimed Neko in elation.
"Everything's gonna be okay, Neko," Kenzaki said to her reassuringly before he said to Nanimo, "Let Neko go, Nanimo. You got what you want."
"Oh, are you talking about my revenge on you for turning me into this freak?" said Nanimo with hatred in his voice. "Oh, no…not yet. I haven't had my revenge yet."
Kenzaki then saw a flash of light at the corner of his eye as Kat assumed her Rider form before she suddenly drove her claws right through Kenzaki from behind. Neko's eyes widened in horror and she opened her mouth to let out a shriek.
"KEN-KUN!!!" shouted Neko, "NEE-CHAN!?"
"Kat…?" Kenzaki looked betrayed.
"Sorry, nothing personal," said CopyKat. "It's just business." She twisted her claws in Kenzaki.
"NO!" Neko shrieked as she watched her sister murder her beloved wolf.
"And the wolf bites the dust," said CopyKat with a smirk as she withdrew her claws out of Kenzaki's back and watched as he collapsed onto the ground. She'd literally stabbed him in the back.
"How…how could you!?" cried Neko in disbelief. She now realized how evil her dark half was. She'd been betrayed by Kat. It all slowly sunk it. Kenzaki was right all along.
CopyKat tilted her head to the side and said, "What's with the waterworks, sis? I just put the dog to sleep. You're too good for him anyway."
"Ken-kun…" said Neko sadly. The boy she loved was gone forever. "Ken-kun…" Tears fell from her eyes and dripped to the ground as she sobbed.
"Excellent work, CopyKat. I knew I was right in hiring you for the job," said Nanimo, his mechanical voice still cold and empty.
"Yeah, it's all good. I did my part so now let my sister go," said CopyKat.
"I don't quite remember that being part of our deal," Nanimo replied.
"What?" hissed CopyKat. Her eyes widened beneath her helmet as Nanimo's arm turned into a blade, and was positioned at Neko's throat. Neko cringed as she felt the cold metal pressed against her neck.
"Any parting words for your sister?" asked the villain.
"Two: Double Cross," said CopyKat.
Nanimo gave CopyKat and odd look before one of the walls exploded and a motorbike burst in, ridden by Kamen Rider Ifrit Plat Form. Ifrit rode towards Nanimo and rammed into him, sending him flying into several empty crates.
"You're a sight for sore eyes," said CopyKat as she went over to the chair and used her claws to cut open the shackles.
"Thanks," said Ifrit. "And, I brought help." Behind him, Okami, Buraki, Byakko, Raion and Loki entered.
"WE HAVE ARRIVED!" Raion announced loudly, playing air guitar.
"Nee-chan?" asked Neko, her voice a mixture of sadness and anger once she was freed. She refused to look CopyKat in the face.
"Don't worry. Your boy-toy is fine," assured CopyKat.
"Nani?" questioned Neko as she looked over at Kenzaki's 'dead' body and was overjoyed to see him jump up, his Geki flaring off of his body. "NANIMO!!!" he roared.
Nanimo got back to his feet, glaring at CopyKat angrily, "We had a deal."
"The deal was off when you threatened my family!" CopyKat retorted angrily. "Sorry, but there are even things I won't even do you son of a bitch!"
Nanimo snapped his fingers and his Ninja Imagin army appeared to aid him. Along with them was the Nightmare Imagin who'd messed with Ifrit a while back, an Imagin that looked similar to the Grim Reaper and another Imagin who looked like a demon. The Demon Imagin had red skin, curled horns and a forked tail. It stood at about seven feet tall and had razor sharp claws. The Reaper Imagin was shrouded in a robe with bony hands and a skull face as well as holding a large scythe and wearing boots and pants.
"You guys handle the Imagin," said Kenzaki as he fastened on The Garoh Belt and gripped Tenrou with his Garoh Pass. "Nanimo's mine."
"Whatever you say," said Ifrit as he pressed the blue button on his belt and swiped his Dyno Pass over the buckle.
"TRICERA FORM!"
"Hey, Neko-chan, catch!" called CopyKat as she broke the cage holding Gekiryuken and then tossed her sister her partner back. In midair, Gekiryuken assumed his Keyblade form before Neko caught him.
"Right," Neko smiled fondly as she turned to look at Kenzaki who smiled back. "Gekiryu Henshin!"
"Lunar Henshin!" Kenzaki slid his Garoh Pass along the flat of Tenrou's blade.
"LUNAR FORM!"
Nanimo commanded, "Attack."
The enemy Imagin charged at the GaroLiner Hunters, CopyKat and Ifrit, who all charged right back.
Ifrit quickly assembled his DynoGasher bars into a gun which he used to shoot down the Ninja Imagin around him. They all fell like dominos after each shot. His Tricera-Buster then equipped itself to his left fist and he used it to send powerful blasts of energy to send them all flying. His eyes fell on the Nightmare Imagin and he growled before rushing at the thing that had given him nightmares and drove him mad.
Meanwhile, CopyKat was slashing at the Ninja Imagin army like crazy using her axes before she switched to using her claws as she fought like a raging berserker. She was wearing a large grin under her helmet as she laughed all the time while slaying the Ninja Imagin. She infused her right claw with Rinki before running one of them right through before dragging it alongside her as she charged at some Ninja Imagin. With a swing of her arm, she tossed that Imagin into a group of its own and watched as it exploded, causing a chain reaction that destroyed the others with it. She then set her sights on the Demon Imagin.
Okami, Raion, Byakko, Loki and Buraki weren't idle either. They were all armed with their respective weapons and striking down any enemy Imagin they could get in their sights. Okami slashed at them with his scimitar, Byakko smashed into them with a flurry of punches and kicks, Raion was striking at them with his naginata, Buraki was shooting at them with his flamethrower gun, and Loki was hacking them apart with his flame engulfed Loki Slicer.
Ifrit kicked the Nightmare Imagin in the head and then shot it several times in the chest before placing the gun to his hip. "Time to finish this, asshole," growled Ifrit as he waved his Dyno Pass over his belt.
"FULL CHARGE!"
"HYAH!" Ifrit bellowed as he rammed his Tricera-Buster into the Nightmare Imagin. The charge up finally reached his weapon and the blast engulfed the evil Imagin, vaporizing it completely. No trace of it was left, much to Ifrit delight and satisfaction. "That was for the nightmares." Suddenly, he was struck from behind and sparks flew from his back. Spinning around, he saw that it was the Reaper Imagin. "So, you want some of this too, huh?"
Replacing his DynoGasher Gun and Tricera-Buster to their proper spots, Ifrit summoned his twin Ifrit Dao and charged at the Reaper Imagin. The bony Imagin parried all of Ifrit's swings with the shaft of its scythe before slashing at Ifrit's chest. Sparks flew, but Ifrit didn't flinch and countered with several quick slashes of his own before kicking the Imagin into several crates.
As for CopyKat, she was hacking and slashing at the Demon Imagin who was using a trident to fight her right back. Its size and strength outclassed her but the antagonistic female Rider was not one to give up even in the face of a tough opponent. When the Demon Imagin thrust its trident at her, she jumped up and landed upon the head of the weapons before she ran along the shaft and leapt up to smashed both her feet into its face. When she flipped away, she tossed one of her axes at it, chopping of one of its horns much to its anger before in a fury it struck with its trident more ferociously.
Garoh and Ryukendo were both upon Nanimo who was parrying their blows using steel blades which were once his hands. Sparks flew as the couple attacked their mutual foe. He leapt back from a devastating attack that would most likely slice him apart before leaping upwards and landing upon a mountain of crates.
"Give it up, Nanimo!" shouted Garoh. "You're outmatched! Just make it easier on yourself and give yourself up!"
"That's right! Turn yourself in and we will take it easy on you!" added Ryukendo, knowing the correct negotiation procedures when dealing with difficult bounties.
"And then have you collect your reward?" Nanimo snorted. "I don't think so." His hands turned back to normal as he reached into his cloak to pull out something unexpected. It was the same Rider belt Tatsuya had used many months ago. With a swing, he wrapped it around his waist and fastened it on before producing a Rider Pass. Pressing a button, he swiped the pass over the belt with a call of, "Henshin."
The Reaper Imagin took this as a signal and converted into a spirit form that dove into Nanimo's body as the belt called out, "REAPER FORM!"
The all black Plat Form suit formed before the additional armor pieces appeared and attached to his body. The first was a chestplate resembling a skull with empty black sockets. Then, shoulders pads with scythe blades on them attached themselves onto Nanimo's body. A cloak hung from his shoulders, resembling the Reaper Imagin's robe, and finally, a skull-like mask with scythe blades protruding out of the eye sockets formed and slid down the helmet to fit onto the faceplate. The hood of the cloak rose up to cover over the helmet as the eyes of the chestplate flashed.
This was Kamen Rider Shi, Nanimo's Rider form. With a flick of his wrist, the Reaper Imagin's weapon, the Reaper Scythe, formed in his hand and he gripped it tightly. He gave the weapon a twirl before gripping it tight in both hands. "Now, you die," Shi said in Nanimo's emotionless voice, meaning that he was in control and not the Imagin in him. He then lunged at both Garoh and Ryukendo with his weapon.
Garoh and Ryukendo were stunned by the change.
Ifrit noticed the change but then he turned his eyes towards CopyKat who was having trouble with the Demon Imagin. She had her axes crossed above her head, trying to hold off the Imagin's trident from piercing her head. Looking back and forth between the two situations was putting Ifrit in a tough spot. Who should he help? "Kuso…"
CopyKat was forced onto her knees and her current position didn't allow her to use any of her techniques. "Damn it!" she cursed. Suddenly, a fireball went sailing through the air and then exploded against the Demon Imagin's head, sending it staggering backwards.
"HYAH!" Byakko roared as he sailed through the air and then smashed into the Demon Imagin with a flying kick. CopyKat felt hands around her arms and looked up to her left and right to see Okami and Raion. They both pulled her up and she didn't reject their help.
"You okay?" Raion asked.
"Thanks," said CopyKat in honest gratitude.
"Yeah, well, don't push it," said Okami gruffly. Kat had put their Rider in a huge mess so it was going to take time for them to forgive her as well.
"Just let us handle this demon," offered Byakko. "Go help Neko-sama and Kenzaki-sama."
CopyKat nodded in appreciation before she ran towards another fight. More Ninja Imagin appeared to block her path but they were taken care of by Loki's burning sword and Buraki's burning shots. "Go!" Loki insisted.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" grinned CopyKat.
Ryukendo's sword strike blocked by the curved blade of the scythe before Shi pushed forward to rip the weapon out of her hands and had it tossed aside. With a downward strike, he slashed her over the chest, causing her to let out a scream of pain.
Enraged, Garoh dashed forward and pushed Ryukendo out of harm's way to engage Shi. She tumbled along the ground and picked up her sword. However, she didn't make a motion to move forward and only watched.
Trapped in a deadlock, Garoh said, "It's me you want to kill. You don't have to involve others."
Even Shi's emotionless voice couldn't hide his contempt and anger, "You took everything away from me. It's only fair that I do the same to you." He then kneed Garoh in the gut before striking him across the back with the heavy shaft of his Reaper Scythe. Shi then used a roundhouse kick to throw Garoh backwards. Before he could torture Garoh some more, several shots bombarded Shi in the chest and the force of the shots sent him staggering backwards. The evil Rider looked towards where the shots had come from to see Ifrit. "And looks like my old toy has returned."
Ifrit hated Nanimo/Shi. This bastard had messed with his mind, turned him into a puppet, and sent him on a mission to kill his friends. There was hell to pay and Ifrit wanted payback. "Teme, you're going to pay for what you did to me!!!" He shot continuously at Shi who blocked the subsequent shots by spinning his scythe before him like a helicopter propeller and they just ricocheted off harmlessly. However, he should be watching his back.
SLASH! RIP!
CopyKat was right behind him and had swiped at his back with her claws, tearing up his cloak and ripping sparks off his armor. Shi looked over his shoulder and spun around to strike at her with his scythe but she ducked under the swing and then stabbed at his chestplate with her claws. "This is for tricking me," she said coldly. "And this is for taking my sister! RAIGO DAN!"
BOOM!
The Rinki ball smashed into Shi's chest and exploded, sending him flying across the warehouse and into the far wall. He managed to dig himself out, but then found himself surrounded by Garoh, Ifrit and CopyKat. "What is this?" he questioned.
"You're end," said Ifrit coldly as he replaced his gun to his hip and summoned his Ifrit Dao again.
"BANZAI!" roared CopyKat as the three charged ahead with their weapons.
Ryukendo watched the fight and Gekiryuken spoke, "Aren't you going to join them?"
"I'll only get in the way," she replied. "Besides, they all have a personal grudge against Nanimo. It's only right that they be the one to settle it.
CRASH!
Ryukendo turned towards the sound to see the Demon Imagin still fighting with their Imagin allies. They would be able to keep the big brute busy. The Ninja Imagin had all been taken care of by now. She then turned her attention back towards the 3 on 1 Rider fight taking place before her.
Shi was outnumbered and it was only logical that he would lose. He stood in the centre as Garoh, CopyKat and Ifrit stood in a triangle formation, summoning up their Ki to unleash a powerful combination attack.
"Gengi!" proclaimed Ifrit.
"Ringi!" proclaimed CopyKat.
"Gekiwaza!" proclaimed Garoh.
Ifrit, Garoh and CopyKat then called as one, "DELTA FORCE STRIKE!!!"
The three Riders fired blasts of Ki directly at Shi who had no routes of escape. The three blasts engulfed him before an explosion erupted from all three colliding with him. Garoh gave out a sigh of regret at killing his brother…but the Nanimo he knew as a brother had died a long time ago…
"A very powerful attack. A normal human would have been killed. However, I am not normal, not anymore," said Shi as he walked out of the smoke cloud, unharmed.
"Kuso…" cursed CopyKat in disbelief.
"What is he? Immortal?" asked a shocked Ifrit.
"Worse," said Garoh. "He's indestructible."
"Time to end this," said Shi as he waved his Rider Pass across his belt.
"FULL CHARGE!" the belt announced darkly
"No way!" challenged Ifrit as he too waved his Pass over his belt.
"FULL CHARGE!"
Shi gazed upon his enemies, gripping his scythe tightly as the Full Charge reached the blade. The blade of his scythe glowed and then he swung it down in an arch, sending an energy blade flying at them.
"HAH!" Ifrit bellowed as he pulled the trigger of his DynoGasher Gun, sending a beam of blue spiraling energy crashing at the energy blade. The counter attack seemed to work but Shi's Full Charge finished cut through Ifrit's attack, and continued to fly towards…Ryukendo!
"NEKO!!!" roared Garoh. He then pushed his fiancée out of the way and received the attack in her place as the energy blade impaled him. His armor shattered as a result. Everyone was shocked as Nanimo's Full Charge impaled Kenzaki.
"DAMN YOU!" Ifrit roared. "YOU KILLED HIM!"
"YOU BASTARD!" CopyKat screeched.
The brother and sister leapt up and then attacked together, executing a Double Rider Kick which smashed into Shi. However, he just swung his energized scythe and knocked both of them away. CopyKat and Ifrit tumbled along the ground back to the group.
"My mission is complete. Kenzaki is dead. You people are of no interest to me," said the evil Rider with grim satisfaction.
"I'll show you no interest! GOYU KOHA!!!" roared CopyKat. The aura lioness attacked, but to no avail as it was shattered by Nanimo's power.
Ryuji shed off his armor and shouted, "BEAST OUT!" He roared as he pulled his hair back and changed to his Orphenoch form. Nanimo appeared in front of him. Ifrit was shocked when he was pulled down by the horns and into Nanimo's knee. The Ifrit Orphenoch recoiled in shock and pain before he was kicked hard in the gut and sent flying into a wall by the attack.
"See you all at the funeral," said Shi before he wrapped his cape around him and vanished. The Demon Imagin, seeing this, flew up towards the ceiling and crashed right through as he made its escape.
When Warren arrived, it was already too late. The GaroLiner Hunters, Kat and Ryuji all surrounded their fallen comrade with looks of regret and sadness.
"So not cool…" said Raion.
"Kenzaki-kun…" said Buraki.
"Ken-kun…" cried Neko.
"Damn it…Damn, not again…Why did this have to happen again…" cursed Ryuji as he clenched his fists. This was like Tazuka all over again. Like him, Kenzaki had sacrificed himself to save someone he held dear to him.
"Kenzaki-sama! Forgive me! I could not fulfill me pledge to protect you!" cried Byakko.
"God damn it! God damn it!!" roared Okami. "Shonen! How the fuck can you die this easily!? After everything the two of us fought against, how can you die like this!?"
"Damn it…" cursed Kat as she knelt down and grabbed Kenzaki by his shirt before pulling him up and shaking him. "Oi! You idiot! Wake up! You're making my sister cry! Wake up so I can kick your ass! Oi! Oi! Bastard! You aren't allowed to die! Didn't you promise that after this you and Neko would always be together!?" She began slapping him but then she too started to cry. "Wake up you bastard…"
"Kat!" shouted Ryuji. "Get off of him! You're not helping!"
"Nee-chan! Stop!" cried Neko.
Kat cried, "This bastard's making you cry! I won't let him! Wake up, baka-inu!"
"It ain't doing any good," said Okami sadly. "Oi! Baka-Imoogi, Baka-Lion. We should get the girls out of here."
"Wake up!!!" cried Kat.
"Huh, I had the strangest dream," muttered Kenzaki as he began coming to. "Some ugly cat-demon was crying over me." He looked at Kat and smirked.
"Baka!" she shouted.
"Aw! I never knew you cared!" said Kenzaki sarcastically.
POW!!!
Kenzaki rubbed the spot where Kat had just punched him. "OK, you're the same Kat. Just had to make sure."
"Don't push it, baka-okami!" hissed Kat. She then blushed slightly. "I still don't like you."
"Yeah, well you're still a psycho," Kenzaki shot back.
"And proud of it! Now, go and kiss Neko before I have to kill you."
Kenzaki and Neko looked at each other. Neko was the first to speak. "I'm glad you came to rescue me, Ken-kun" she said.
"Why wouldn't I?" asked Kenzaki. He stroked her cheek gently, eliciting a purr, "You're my girl."
"Yes, well, even so, I thought you'd be too upset with Nee-chan to have her help you," said Neko. She was unable to look him in the eye.
"While I am still upset about her, you're important to me, Neko," said Kenzaki. He was still angry at Kat for all the crap that she'd put them through which had caused them to break up in the first place.
"I'm also glad that you and my sister are getting along now," said Neko, a hint of joy in her voice.
"Well, don't get used to it," scoffed Kenzaki. "I still can't stand that psycho." Neko sniffled. "What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry if I'm not good enough for you. I'm just too tainted," mumbled Neko, the joy in her voice replaced by sadness. During her captivity, Nanimo kept telling her how she could never wash away the blood and her sins.
"Neko, you're not the only one with blood on their hands," said Kenzaki.
"What do you mean?" asked Neko, confused. "I know you are usually violent when you hunt down bounties, but I don't think you've killed anyone."
"That's not true. After Gou died, and before I took the title of Garoh, I stopped hunting bounties and became an assassin," admitted Kenzaki.
"An…assassin!?" gasped Neko.
Kenzaki nodded, "Yes, an assassin. I couldn't take hunting people down, vicious people who've done horrible things, just to see them walk away."
"So, you and I have both shed blood."
"No, Neko," denied Kenzaki. "You never killed someone yourself, I have." Even after all this time, he still didn't see her as that monster.
"Kat and I shared the same body with a dark monster. It was still our body. It was still us. And…deep down…we enjoyed it. We enjoyed the freedom. Unbound by rules. We could do anything we wanted. Sauron gave it to us…and warped us."
Kenzaki jerked his thumb at Kat. "Well, with that one I can understand, but you're fine, Neko. But if you are still searching for redemption, then let me help you."
"Oh, Ken-kun," said Neko happily as she hugged him. "I love you so much."
"I love you too, Neko-chan," said Kenzaki, returning her hug. Neko leaned up and kissed him deeply, having missed the feeling for a very long time.
"Cheh!" Kat scoffed, glaring at them. She had always viewed Neko as hers. She was selfish and possessive of Neko and didn't want anyone to steal her away. However, she knew she had to let her sister go. And well, Kenzaki wasn't all that bad. Maybe.
"We should get him onto the GaroLiner so I can check him out," said Warren. "If his Full Charge was able to pierce Kenzaki's skin, we don't know what else it may have done."
A few hours later Warren and Kenzaki walked out of the Medical Car of the GaroLiner. "Well, I managed to fix up the surface wound, but your internal injuries are pretty bad. So, no major fights until they're completely healed," suggested Warren.
"About how long?" asked Kenzaki.
"I'd say not until after summer," answered Warren.
Kenzaki muttered, "Crap." Nanimo was still at large and Kenzaki had a responsibility to capture and bring his brother in.
"You better use this down time you have to study," suggested Warren as he made his way to the dining car. "Final exams are just around the corner."
"Yeah, sure," Kenzaki nodded halfheartedly. How was he supposed to study for exams knowing that Nanimo was still out there and plotting against him?
Time Skip, Several Days Later, the Last Day of Final Exams…
"And pencils down. Please, pass up your test papers one at a time…" instructed Rachel once the time was up. "…And let's hope none of you cheated," she added, with a significant look aimed towards Kat.
The former villainess scarcely noticed it though. Almost before the final words were out of Rachel's mouth, Kat had already jumped on top of her desk screaming and waving her paper wildly.
"HALLELUIAH!" she shouted, performing an impromptu victory dance on her desk. "EXAMS ARE OVER!!! NO MORE STUDYING!!!! OUR SUMMER VACATION IS SAFE!!!!!! WA-HOOOO!!!!"
Still whooping, she grabbed her bag with her free hand and vaulted from desk to desk down the classroom, soaring over her classmates' heads and almost braining a few as she sent their papers flying. "POP OPEN THE BEER!! IT'S PARTY TIME!!!! YAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!"
Slamming her paper down on the teacher's table, she bolted out the door before anyone had time to react. "FREEEEEDDOOOM!!!!!"
Her classmates all stared at the door. They'd grown used to Kat's acts of randomness but even this was a bit much. The papers she'd knocked aside and stepped on in her headlong flight over the desks were still fluttering to the floor with their owners too stunned to pick them up.
Hikari and Nanami stared and the loopy-haired girl asked Rose, "She must be really happy, huh?"
"Well, of course she is," answered Rose.
"You don't suppose you could have made her calm down a bit?" asked Nanami as everyone continued to simply stare at the wide open door that Kat used to make her exit only moments ago.
"Even I can't work miracles," stated Rose.
In another classroom, Warren said, "Alright, pencil's down. Please, pass your papers up to the front."
"Hah…" Ryuji breathed in relief as he let go of his pencil. "Done…"
"How did you do?" asked Kotonoha as she picked up her and Ryuji's papers to pass up to the front of the class.
"After all that studying, I should get an A," grinned Ryuji confidently. He looked around the class. Benitora was twirling his pencil around, Vash and Taisuke looked mentally exhausted, Sekai and Makoto were chatting happily, and Otome was fast asleep on her desk. 'She must've pulled an all nighter.' He saw Siera and Rina recovering from the ordeal as well. His eyes then fell upon Neko and Kenzaki. 'Wonder how they did?'
"Well, let's hope so," smiled Kotonoha. "I wouldn't want our summer plans ruined."
After all the papers were collected and Warren walked out of the classroom to get them graded in the staff room, Ryuji and Kotonoha walked over to Kenzaki and Neko.
"So, how did you guys do?" Ryuji asked.
"I have a hole in my stomach, kinda hard to keep my mind on the test," answered Kenzaki. "I may not be able to feel pain, but it still bugs me."
"But I don't think we failed," added Neko, trying to be positive.
"Yeah, I know," agreed Ryuji. "What worries me is the princesses." Ryuji gestured at Rina and Siera who were coming over. He then asked them, "So, how was it?"
"I don't know!" Siera said woefully. "I barely remembered what I studied at all!"
"That bad, huh?" frowned Ryuji.
"Well, I had some worries but I managed to answer all the questions," said Rina confidently, her air of nobility never falling. She wrapped her arms around Ryuji's "So, why don't we bail and celebrate?"
"Hey!" Kotonoha snapped as she pulled Ryuji away from the demon princess. "Don't get too close to my Ryuji-kun!" Ryuji sighed. Seemed the war over him was going to continue.
Kenzaki looked up, "Did you hear that?"
The door slid open and Kat ran in, shouting, "FREEDOM!!! PARTY!!! WOOHOO!!!"
The rest of the students gawked at Kat who was running in, screaming like a maniac. Kenzaki groaned. She wasn't someone he wanted to see at a time like this. Rose came in, excused herself, and dragged the excited girl out of the classroom.
"Kat-neechan," sighed Neko, embarrassed by her sister.
"She's very spirited," commented Gekiryuken.
"Hey, school's out, exams are over," said Ryuji. "I think Kat has the right idea. We should party."
"Hey, did someone say party?" grinned Taisuke.
"If you wanna party, you should invite us," said Vash.
Ryuji rolled his eyes. Still, he had to invite some familiar faces. He looked to see Setsuna, as stoic as ever, and talking to Sekai and Makoto. "Hey, Sekai, Setsuna, Itou," Ryuji called. "All of us are gonna be celebrating the end of exams later. You in or out?"
"I don't have any objections," said Setsuna.
"Hey, sounds like fun," smiled Sekai. "Makoto, what do you say?"
Makoto stared at Ryuji warily. While Ryuji tolerated and accepted him as part of Kotonoha's life, Makoto could sense that Ryuji still disliked him. "Well, I think that sounds fine." He then asked Otome. "Otome, what about you?"
"I got something special planned with the girls," said Otome, declining the offer politely. The girls she was referring to were Natsumi, Kumi and Manami. They hadn't spent much time together lately and wanted to make up for it. "But thanks for the invite." Her crush for Makoto had subsided but she still considered him a friend.
"What about you, Benitora-san?" asked Kotonoha.
"I'm gonna go out with Hikari-chan," smiled Benitora. "She promised me lots of sweets!" Hikari knew exactly what to do to make the Arrancar happy. He had a huge sweet tooth. "Thanks though, maybe some other time."
"Well, suit yourself," said Ryuji as he got out of his seat. He didn't care either way. "Let's get out of here. I don't wanna stay on school grounds more than I should."
As the group of students started to exit, with Ryuji in the lead, there was a loud cry of, "RYUJI HASUMA!"
"Oh, damn," muttered Ryuji. "Not again." He looked to his left at the end of the hallway to see the KLLA members standing there. "Not you idiots again."
"That's right, Ryuji Hasuma," the leader said. "We have been kept busy by exams but today the KLLA, Kotonoha Love-Love Association, is free to punish you for monopolizing our darling Kotonoha-chan!"
"NOT SO FAST, RYUJI HASUMA!" shouted the leader of the SSSS. He and his gang were on the other end of the hallway. "We, the SSSS, Suki-Suki Siera Society, shall be first to exact our vengeance!"
"BUT NOT BEFORE US!" the leader of the LLRB proclaimed as he and his own gang were climbing through the windows of the hallway. "We the LLRB, the Lovely-Lovely Rina Brigade, have first dibs!"
Ryuji looked around, surrounded by the three idol fanclubs. Kotonoha, Rina and Siera were taking offence to their audacity at challenging their Ryuji. It was really ticking them off. Kotonoha was ready to deal her own brand of divine justice as she slowly pulled her dozuki out. Siera and Rina were going to try their magic as well.
"Need some help?" Kenzaki offered.
"I got this," said Ryuji as his eyes glowed gold. Under his breath he whispered, "Genkaiho (Mythical Release)."
"PREPARE TO DIE RYUJI HA-!" the three group leaders shouted before they froze and were instantly floored by the massive amount of killing intent that Ryuji was suddenly radiating. His eyes gleamed with almost inhuman ferocity as he glared at the fanboys. Every single member was suddenly seized by unspeakable terror that utterly took over their senses. Cold sweat beaded off their skin and the blood drained from their faces till they were as pale as ghosts. Another few moments later and they had all fallen to their knees in fear as their bodies trembled uncontrollably. Those who didn't know of Ryuji's true abilities were awed and amazed as Ryuji brought the three groups to their knees by just looking at them. If they looked close, they would notice his gold eyes. Those that were able to detect Ki/Reiatsu could see the malevolent energy around Ryuji spreading out and enveloping the bothersome male groupies. When he was satisfied, he inhaled and called back his killing intent and Ki. His eyes also turned back to normal as he stared back at his victims. Some of the groupies looked as though they'd wet themselves.
"Let's go," ordered Ryuji as he walked down the hallway. The groupies all fled as he walked their way.
Once at the shoe lockers, conversation continued.
"Wow, you sure did a number on them," pointed out Benitora. He had sensed Ryuji's Reiatsu and was impressed by the amount he possessed.
"Still, was that really necessary?" asked Kenzaki with a frown. He may not like those people but even he wouldn't use his Ki in such a way; not like he could if he wanted to. Geki was different from Genki as it was born from a heart of justice and not a heart filled with malevolence like Rinki.
"No, but it was fun," answered Ryuji. He loved messing with people. He really did. Using his Ki like that to make people piss themselves scared was just so enjoyable. That was something he and Kay could agree upon.
"Well, you may want to be careful, kohai," said Warren as he walked up to them. He'd sensed the malevolent Ki Ryuji had released earlier and came down to check on things. He wanted to make sure things were okay for his students and friends. "That kind of thing can get you some very unwanted and unwelcomed attention. Rae was ready to go on the attack when she first felt it."
"Fine, fine," Ryuji nodded. He didn't want to admit it, but Warren was right. Releasing so much killing intent like that could cause massive hysteria. "I won't do anything like that again." Of course he had his fingers crossed.
Warren smiled at his kohai. "Good to know." He knew he could trust Ryuji. Of course, he should've noticed those crossed fingers.
"So, what do you think of our answers?" asked Ryuji, hoping to get the info on their exam results in advance.
Warren grinned, "They're all horrible, and none of you pass!"
Makoto, Taisuke and Sekai's eyes bugged out of their heads. "WHAT!?" they shouted in unison.
Ryuji sighed as he noticed how big Warren's grin was. "Warren-sensei, don't joke. You're no Gar." Ryuji himself knew of Beast Boy's famous sense of humor and didn't find it at all funny.
"You're right, I'm funnier," countered Warren. He said to the panicking students, "Don't worry guys, I'm just kidding. They were all pretty good actually." Sekai, Taisuke and Makoto were deeply relieved. For a second they forgot that Warren wasn't only their teacher, but their friend as well. Sometimes he just liked to joke around much like the rest of them.
Siera and Rina were both awed by Ryuji's earlier display of power. Though he hadn't targeted them with his killing intent, they could feel the heavy aura of complete malevolence he released before to subdue those cretins (the KLLA, SSSS and LLRB) and bring them to their knees without any effort. It also frightened Siera but Rina was the most impressed. If he was to be the future ruler of the Demon Kingdom he would have to be a feared and respected, able to intimidate those who looked upon him.
"KANPAI!" the group of students cheers as they toasted, clinking their glasses together to celebrate the end of their final exams.
The party itself was being held at Radish. With Kotonoha and Sekai dressed in their cute little waitress outfits, Taisuke and Vash couldn't tear their eyes away, until Ryuji glared at them to make them stop, releasing just the tiniest bit of killing intent to scare them silly. Ryuji himself was also dressed in his uniform and being admired by Siera and Rina. It was Kotonoha's turn to glare this time.
Neko laughed as she heard Sekai tell her a funny joke. As she giggled, the wielder of Gekiryuken cast her eyes upon her fiancé.
At the counter, Kenzaki was sipping some iced tea when Youko approached him. "You're Kenzaki Tsukuba-san, right?"
"Yeah," answered Kenzaki.
"Interested in a job?" offered Youko.
"Why? Seems you have plenty of people to work here as it is. Besides, I'm not exactly a…people person," said Kenzaki. He then jumped slightly as Neko wrapped her arms around him. "Neko?"
"I say you should do, it Ken-kun," said Neko excitedly. "You'd look really cute in your uniform!"
"You really think I should do it?" asked Kenzaki. Neko nodded rapidly. "Well, looks like you've got yourself new employee."
Youko smiled fondly. With the addition of another hunk like Kenzaki, business was sure to improve.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon when it happened. Both Kotonoha and Ryuji were in the shopping district on a date. They were also going to do some shopping. Summer vacation was close and Kotonoha planned on getting a new bathing suit that would keep Ryuji's eyes on her and only her. Siera and Rina would no doubt be making the same move so this was more or less a preemptive strike from Kotonoha.
Of course, even a beautiful day like this would eventually be ruined when all of a sudden Ryuji's watch beeper, alerting him of the presence of an Imagin. No sooner as the alarm blared, a massive explosion erupted not too far from them. A car had just exploded without warning and was causing a panic as civilians began screaming in shock and confusion.
"Ryuji-kun…" began Kotonoha. Ryuji took hold of her hand and led her away from the chaos. His watch had pointed him to where the Imagin was.
The Imagin descended. It looked like a humanoid crow with black wings on its back and wearing a purple Karate gi with matching pants. It had sharp talons on its feet and hands and a wicked looking beak.
It let out a loud caw and spread out its wings, before shooting its feathers like arrows everywhere. Anything the arrows struck exploded. Stores were being destroyed and people were going to get hurt.
"Koto-chan, stay here," said Ryuji as he gently shoved Kotonoha into an alley that was far from the danger. "Let me handle this."
"Be careful," she uttered as she watched her beloved fiancé go to fight. She let out a dejected sigh. Just once she wanted to go out on a nice and quiet date with Ryuji without incident. Was that too much to ask? Still, she had to be satisfied with the Imagin's upcoming defeat at her Ryuji-kun's hands.
With his Dyno Belt fastened, Ryuji ran at the Imagin and swiped the Dyno Pass over the buckle. "Henshin!"
"TYRANO FORM!"
Ryuji continued his charge with the armor completely encasing him. When it was complete, he reached down to his belt and removed the DynoGasher bars from his belt before assembling them together in a vertical line. Once all four bars were connected into a staff, it extended to full length. The Rider gripped the long rod in his hand. He then drew back his hand before swinging him arm forward, throwing the rod like a javelin. It soared through the air straight towards the Raven Imagin.
"GRAWK!" the Imagin shrieked as the DynoGasher Rod pierced through its body. Ifrit skidded to a halt and stood before the Imagin as it spun around in pain and fury.
"How was that, bird brain?" jeered Ifrit.
The Imagin took hold of the rod that was sticking out of its chest before slowly and agonizingly sliding it out of the wound. It then dropped the weapon to the ground as sand spilled out from hole, which was slowly starting to heal and close up. "You're going to pay for that," said the Imagin.
"Try me," challenged Ifrit. The Imagin cawed out in anger and spread its wings before flying at Ifrit to stab him with its sharp beak. The Rider rolled out of the way and picked up his rod.
High in the air, the Raven Imagin laughed and started to shoot its feathers at Ifrit like crazy. Ifrit was able to dodge with his Tyrano Form's superior speed but at the rate the Imagin was going, the shopping district was going to be destroyed.
'I need to end this quick,' Ifrit thought to himself as he began to run and leading the Imagin along to attack him. This was a dangerous move but he had to get it away from where Kotonoha was.
He darted into the alley where he'd left Kotonoha as the Raven Imagin flew past, cackling like mad. Kotonoha looked at her fiancé in concern. Some of those feathers had left marks on his armor. "Ryuji-kun, are you okay?"
"Sure," he nodded. "But that thing is fast in the air." He growled, "Why can't I fly?"
Kotonoha looked at him with sympathy. All his forms shared one thing in common: the inability to fly. He would need the DynoLiner for this but it wasn't an option at the moment. "Ryuji-kun…"
Suddenly, as if reacting to his desire to fight, a portal formed above in the air and something bird-like flew out of it. It let out a loud reptilian shriek as it swooped in closer to reveal itself.
It was a robotic pterodactyl.
Both Kotonoha and Ifrit watched as the robotic flying dinosaur soared through the air. They came out of the alley to get a closer look at the machine. "Nani?" Ifrit wondered what it was supposed to be. It then lowered itself to rest at his feet.
"I think it wants you to ride it," said Kotonoha as she admired it.
"Oh, alright," said Ifrit as he stepped onto the robot's back, his feet on the back of the wings. Clamps snapped on and secured the Rider to it. "Huh?" Letting out another screech, the robotic flying dinosaur took to the skies as it carried its new passenger. "Wargh!" screamed out Ifrit.
The Raven Imagin, meanwhile, was in the air and shooting its feathers like arrows at everything around it. It cackled insanely at the destruction it was causing, "Yes! Burn! Burn under the hot summer sun!" It seemed to have forgotten about Ifrit. Well, it was going to be given a pretty hard reminder.
"Yamerro, teme!!!" Ifrit roared as he flew straight at the Imagin.
"Huh!?" the Raven Imagin gawked as the Rider came flying at him riding upon a flying glider. Ifrit flew past the Imagin and the wings of his glider slashed at it. "WAH!" the Imagin yelled out in pain.
"OK, I'm starting to get the hang of this," smirked Ifrit as he remained balanced upon his new vehicle. It wasn't like the Dyno-Breaker but it was no different from a skateboard or surfboard. Unfortunately, he hadn't ridden such things in his life. The robotic pterodactyl let out a shriek. "OK, let's see what else you can do!"
Hidden panels under the wings slid open and out came missiles which were fired. They homed in on the Imagin and exploded on impact. The explosion tossed the Imagin out of the air and sent it slamming into the wall.
The Imagin growled and fired its feathers at the Rider who managed to dodge using his glider. "Alright, I need to get in close!"
The glider seemed to understand and the clamps snapped open, releasing Ifrit. It then flew out from under the Rider before attaching to Ifrit's back and spreading out its wings. "Heh, cool!" Ifrit chuckled in appreciation.
He flew at the Imagin and threw a punch which rammed into its gut, knocking the wind out of it. He then grabbed it by the shoulder and slammed his knee into the flying Imagin's gut before he drew back his fist and threw it against its beak, bending it at an odd angle. The Imagin cried out in pain as Ifrit continued to pummel it without mercy.
Kicking off the Raven Imagin, Ifrit gripped his rod in one hand and the Dyno Pass in the other. "Say bye-bye, birdie," he said coldly as he waved the pass over his belt.
"FULL CHARGE!"
The white energy zigzagged from his belt and into his DynoGasher. He took careful aim and then threw it like a javelin. The sharp end of the DynoGasher Rod struck the Imagin directly in the chest and pierced right through before pinning it to the side of a building. It struggled to release itself but an energy net expanded and trapped it.
"HYAH!!!" Ifrit roared as he launched himself at the Imagin with both legs stretched out. He smashed his feet into the Imagin, executing a violent drop kick before kicking off and flipping through the air. The Imagin let out a shriek and exploded in a massive ball of flame. "Heh, yatta."
Kotonoha too was cheering for Ifrit. Of course, celebrations would have to wait. The sandy remains of the Imagin started to pile up and expand. Kotonoha watched in horrified fascination as the sand slowly took form before finally revealing itself for what it was.
Some Imagin, once destroyed, would reform into gigantic and monstrous berserkers and this one was no different. It had reformed into a large and monstrous truck with red eyes for windshields and a massive mouth with razor sharp teeth in the front bumper. It let out a roar and rolled down the street, crushing cars under its massive spike covered wheels.
"Damn it, what now?" Ifrit muttered as he landed on the ground once the Ptera-Glider released him. He was starting to get sick of these Imagin and Gigandeath. "Better call in reinforcements!"
At his call, the DynoLiner appeared from its portal and rushed at the Gigandeath. It was moving at ramming speed and the Mammoth crashed right into the Gigandeath. Both massive vehicles pushed at each other with all their might. The Mammoth trumpeted and released steam from its trunk as it began to exert itself. The Truck Gigandeath, however, proved stronger and rammed hard to force the DynoLiner onto its side.
Kotonoha gasped in shock and Ifrit looked surprised. He ordered, "Get up! Get up, DynoLiner!" In his anger Ifrit ran to intercept the Gigandeath, ignoring Kotonoha's shouts.
"How can I help?" Kotonoha questioned herself but felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw that it was Loki. "Loki?" In his hand was a long item wrapped in cloth which he quickly handed over to Kotonoha. "What's this?"
"Something new for Ryuji to use," he answered. "Now, go give it to him." Kotonoha nodded and then ran out of the alley to give the new weapon to Ryuji. Loki watched from his spot. "Those two are going to create a miracle."
Ifrit had just created a thick wall of ice to block the Gigandeath's in the middle of its rampage. However, the barrier was about to break as the Gigandeath continued to force its way through. "Kuso…" Ifrit struggled as he tried to reinforce his wall but the Gigandeath was determined to break through.
"Ryuji-kun!" Ifrit heard and he saw Kotonoha running towards him.
"Koto-chan, it's dangerous!" he shouted to her. "Get out of here!"
"Ryuji-kun! Here! Take it!" called Kotonoha as she tossed the item to Ifrit who caught it.
"What's this?" asked Ifrit as he stared at it. He quickly unwrapped the cloth from it. The covering dropped to the ground to reveal what it was hiding. It was an odd looking weapon with a basket hilt and a long black and yellow striped rod attached to it. At the base of the black and yellow rod was a rectangular chamber with a golden 'X' on it, the symbol of the DynoLiner.
"What is this thing?" asked Ifrit. He got the answer in his head.
'The Liner Cross-Rod,' answered Loki. 'Ant-san had it delivered to the house for you.' Loki then began to give him instruction as the Gigandeath was starting to break through.
Kotonoha took cover as the Gigandeath broke through the wall, sending pieces of ice flying. Ifrit looked up to see the truck-like Gigandeath charging at him, its engine roaring like a primordial beast. He glanced at the Liner Cross-Rod in hand and then back up at the Gigandeath that looked ready to crush him. "One shot," muttered the Rider as he got out his Rider Pass. "Let's see what this thing can do!" He popped open the chamber and slid in his pass before closing it.
"FULL POWER CHARGE!" the Liner Cross-Rod announced.
With the Dyno Pass placed inside the chamber, the energy transferred from the belt into the Liner Cross-Rod. The 'X' and the rod glowed with golden energy as red lightning crackled around the rod itself.
"This is your stop! HYAH!" shouted Ifrit as he performed a horizontal swipe with his new weapon, sending out a horizontal bar of light that stopped the Gigandeath in its tracks. The bar of light acted like a crossing gate. The wheels of the Gigandeath spun around and around, kicking up dust, but even with its power, it could not break through.
"Tyrano! Tricera! ATTACK!" ordered Ifrit as he pointed the Liner Cross-Rod at the Gigandeath. Both dinosaur-like trains disconnected from the Mammoth and flew into the air. They burst forward towards the Gigandeath, linked up with the Tyrano in the lead. They roared past the Gigandeath, engulfed in flames before finally turning back around. They rammed into the Gigandeath from the side, causing it to fall over. Its wheels continued to spin widely but it could not get any traction to move. It was stuck!
"OK, Mammoth, let's finish it!" shouted Ifrit as his DynoLiner Mammoth got back onto its tracks and sped towards the Gigandeath. Ifrit leapt onto its trunk and then it tossed him forward. Ifrit roared, "TIME TO GO EXTINCT! DYNO EXPRESS CROSS SLASH!!!"
When he was in range, he performed a cross slash, slicing the Gigandeath into four pieces before the Mammoth rammed through it, destroying it in a tremendous explosion.
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
Ifrit landed upon the Mammoth with the Tyrano and Tricera racing alongside the steam engine. "You have gone extinct," the young Rider spoke.
Kotonoha watched in fascination and could barely contain her excitement any longer. She let out a loud cheer, "Yatta! Yatta, Ryuji-kun!" Hearing her cheers, Ifrit looked down to give her a salute.
It didn't take long for the monster attack and Kamen Rider Ifrit's appearance to end up on TV for the evening news. In Warren's apartment, Teresa, Alex, Vash and Tessa were watching TV when the news report broadcasted. Warren and Rachel were still busy grading papers.
"That's Uncle Ryuji!" Tessa said excitedly as she pointed to the screen.
"Woah," Vash whistled, impressed. "He's got some sweet new gear too."
The doorbell rang and Teresa said, "I'll get it." She removed little Tessa from her lap and went to the front door to see who it was. She looked through the peephole before opening the door, welcoming whoever it was that was outside to enter. "Come in."
In his study, Warren and Rachel were both just about finish grading their students' test papers when someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Warren called, as he marked another wrong answer.
"It's one of your students," said Teresa. "She says it's important."
Both Rachel and Warren wondered who Teresa meant and Rachel said, "Send her in."
The door opened and the student in question entered, surprising both teachers. They never expected Kat to drop by, not since the last time.
"Hey, what's up?" Kat greeted pleasantly
"Kat, what are you doing here?" asked Warren.
"I want to become stronger," was her simple reply as her expression turned serious.
ZK Chromedragozoid: Looks like Kat is looking for some extra training. Will Warren give in to her request or turn her away? Who knows? Kat with more power? That can be a little scary to think about, you know?
Shadow Element 13: Well, at least Neko's OK. Now we've got finals completed but it's time to party! Hm…Kat with more power, that's a scary thought.
And now, something extra: KOTONOHA DAYS (with Ryuji)
When Kotonoha came into her Ryuji's room to wake him up, she just couldn't suppress her giggle as he saw how he slept. He was hugging his pillow to his chest and the blanket had fallen to the floor, revealing him to be sleeping in a white t-shirt and plain blue boxers. She fished her cell phone out and took a quick snapshot of him. It was saved with the other pictures of him she'd taken without him noticing. Despite being a powerful martial artist, Ryuji often let his guard down around her. She just wasn't threatening enough to warrant such a precautionary defense.
Kotonoha absolutely loved having Ryuji so close. It was no secret that she wanted him to move into her room so that he would sleep in her bed with her every night. He would do that, though. No question. Sometimes he would sneak into her room and sleep in her bed with her just to have her close. She would wake up in the middle of the night to hear him purr before settling into his embrace. He was just so soft and cuddly when he slept, so different from the tough guy exterior he tried to present himself with.
Ryuji had barged into her life so unexpectedly. At the time she had held a torch for Makoto but that torch had long gone out. The new torch she had possessed a blue flame which was her Ryuji. He was her precious friend, devoted protector and faithful lover all in one package.
Ryuji was special to her. It wasn't because he was strong, or brave, or that he was a superhero, but because he'd opened his heart to her even when he tried not to. He had some trouble publicly expressing some positive emotions but he never did when around her. He told her himself that she was just so special to him.
Kneeling down at the foot of the bed, she continued to watch as he cuddled with the pillow. Kotonoha felt envious of the object. She wanted to be the one to cuddle with her Ryuji. He purred slightly and she giggled once more. He didn't snore, but instead purred. He would adamantly deny his purring habits but that just made teasing him even more fun. He was just so cute.
She reached over and strokes his hair. Despite being wild, messy and untamed, it was surprisingly soft. Sometimes she would brush it after he had his bath and braid it. One time she'd even given him pigtails and taken a picture of it out of good humor. He got a bit mad, but only for a second, before he too laughed at how ridiculous he looked. He did, however, make her promise to never show that picture to anyone. Kotonoha knew how important Ryuji's reputation was to him, though she couldn't understand why. He was barely approachable by others and those that did were only friends with her initially before reluctantly befriending him. Ryuji wasn't a bad guy. He was just a guy with a violent temper and if you pushed his buttons the wrong way he was bound to attack without warning. Some guys, like the KLLA, learnt that lesson the hard way.
The guest room he had taken as his own was spacious. Ryuji didn't bring much stuff with him when he moved in. He brought his computer, his wardrobe, and several essential items, but the place still had enough space. The space was important. He needed it to train. He could train outside in the yard but sometimes he just wanted to be indoors.
Ryuji trained for one reason and one reason alone: to protect this world. It still irked Kotonoha at how people would speak badly of him when he was the one protecting this entire world and its timeline from the Imagin's tampering. She just wanted to go up to them and tell them that the hero they worshipped and the boy they badmouthed were one and the same just to shut their ungrateful mouths but Ryuji was able to persuade her out of it. She understood why he had to keep his identity a secret. With his alter-ego's rising popularity, exposing him would cause a huge hindrance in his job, and not to mention the paparazzi would harass her family and her friends due to their connection with him. He was trying to protect them from such treatment and Kotonoha just fell more in love with him because of his noble and selfless actions.
Ryuji did get some form of reward for his actions. For each Imagin he killed, he received a sizable monetary reward which he would use for his expenses. Before when he ran along with the ChronoLiner Riders, the reward he got would go into paying for his rent, the school tuition, and other expenses like food, water and electricity. Now that he lived with her, he didn't need to worry of such things. However, now the reward money was being used to maintain his own time train, the DynoLiner.
Though oddly designed, the DynoLiner was a magnificent set of three trains, each modeled after prehistoric animals. One was the engine car, followed by the dining car, and finally a cabin car. Kotonoha and Ryuji would often spend time in one of the cabins, making love. It was so private for them and allowed them to fully express their love for each other.
And, speaking of the sex; it was absolutely mind blowing each time. Ryuji would just know how to touch, her, when, and how much. He knew all her sweet spots by heart and she knew his as well. Out of habit, he would bite down on a spot on her neck that would cause her to scream in pure pleasure. Even she hadn't known about it before he had bitten her the first time. It was absolutely bliss when she was with him. He was the perfect lover. Despite his cat-like tendencies, he never took her from behind. He liked to face her when they made love because then they could make out as they were wrapped up in the pleasure. He loved to kiss her because she tasted like strawberries.
The only reason he liked the taste of strawberries was because they reminded him of her. During their first kiss, he'd noticed that her lips tasted sweet like strawberries. That was only because she used strawberry lip gloss/balm. She loved the flavor and so did he…a lot.
Of course, Ryuji himself wasn't without his own insecurities. His own past was filled with pain. Due to reasons he couldn't completely explain, he had to be locked up. It pained her to just listen to him when he told her of how dangerous he used to be and how he deserved to be locked up. He called himself a monster.
Technically, he was a monster. He was an Orphenoch and a special one since he was never really human to begin with. He was just the composition of someone else's negative emotions and given form. He was pure Yin, and nothing more. Kotonoha made sure to have him think differently of himself. He wasn't a monster to her as far as she was concerned. He wasn't. He was just…Ryuji.
Kotonoha recalled the day they first met and was glad to have met him. He became her friend and confidant and saved her from herself. He helped to repair her broken heart before unwittingly claiming it. He showed her unconditional kindness and love and asked for nothing in return. No matter what bad things people said about him he would just shrug them off, but no one was to say a bad word of his Kotonoha. He was that much protective of her, possessive and territorial.
Whenever she spoke with Makoto, she noticed how the temperature fell. That was a reflection of how Ryuji felt whenever he was angry or even jealous. He was fiercely territorial and also possessive. He claimed her as his already and no other man was allowed to have her. Being with him meant a lot of people were afraid to approach her too since it would mean incurring his wrath. Though she liked being protected, she didn't want Ryuji to drive people away from her. Thankfully, at present, he was becoming better at getting along with their classmates. He could be nice, but sometimes his temper would just cause a huge mess she would need to clean up.
Love just wasn't easy. It was a struggle. Now, it was war with the addition of Siera and Rina, two princesses from an alternate world inhabited by winged gods and horned demons. Kotonoha had fierce competition but was far in the lead. Still, she was still afraid that they would steal her Ryuji away but he assured her that there was nothing to fear since he had chosen her and only her. The ring she wore was proof of that. She would become his wife one day. That was the promise made the day he'd proposed to her.
It was exactly 9 months since they first met. She counted the days. Each day with him was special, precious and also unexpected. Something would always happen with him around. Though it diverged from her old and mundane normal life, she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Being with him was worth it.
She then decided to not wake him up after all. It was Saturday and neither of them were doing anything today anyway. So, she inconspicuously picked up the blanket and then slipped into bed with him. As soon as she did, he removed his grip on the pillow and immediately latched onto her, burying his face into her bosom. She just sighed as she continued to lay down in bed with him. Maybe a few minutes of extra sleep wouldn't be so bad. In fact it would make her day.
"I love you, Ryuji-kun," she whispered as she stroked his hair.
"Love you too," she heard him murmur as he purred in his sleep. She wondered what kind of pleasant dreams he was having. She secretly hoped she was in all of them.