"This…is going to be expensive," said Ant is dismay as he saw what remained of his precious ChronoLiner. The only combat equipped cars that survived the Gigandeath Tri-Drill were the Cannon-1 and Jet-4, since the Missile-2 and Bomber-3 had been sacrificed to defeat the Gigandeath. Not only that, but all four Rescue Cars were nothing but scrap now. "And you both will be footing the bill." He sent a pointed glare at both Ryuji and Warren.
"Hey, I asked for permission and you said yes," Ryuji pointed out.
"That's true," agreed Warren. "You could've said 'no' to Ryuji's crazy plan."
Ant rubbed his temples. They were right, unfortunately, but he didn't have to like it. "Yes, I know, but in order to protect the station it was a call I had to make. In any case, the ChronoLiner and DynoLiner are gonna need A LOT of repairs."
Speaking of the DynoLiner, Ryuji looked regretful as he saw them being repaired. All three ancient train cars looked beat up and it was only by a miracle that they hadn't been reduced to scrap metal. They would be working after a while, but for now he was stuck in the King's Terminal until they were operational.
"And don't forget that the Rescue Cars are gonna need rebuilding as well," reminded Ant, scolding the two members of his ChronoLiner Riders. "They weren't cheap to make in the first place."
"Hai, hai…" responded Ryuji with a lazy nod. "Do you mind wrapping this up? Koto-chan is probably waiting for me and worried about me too."
"Fine," huffed Ant. "Go, we'll talk about this later."
As Ryuji turned and left, Ant whispered to Warren, "The Station Master warned me about Ryuji. He told me that Ryuji has something inside of him that's growing stronger and if not properly controlled could turn bad. I want you to watch him since you're the closest to him."
"I got it," obeyed Warren.
"FINAL DAYS: Part 1"
"FULL CHARGE!"
"This is it! Time for extinction!" roared Ifrit Mammoth Form as he threw his arm out, palm open, and sent a blast of frost energy at the fleeing Imagin. At the same time his belt sent energy travelling from it in a zigzag pattern as it went into his axe which glowed bright red. With the enemy monster completely immobilised, the Rider marched over and then with a shout raised his axe and swung it down, hard, chopping the Imagin completely straight down the middle into two cleanly cut halves. As a result, both halves shattered and exploded into flying ice fragments. The Imagin was dead now thanks to Ifrit. Before anyone could come and approach and question him, his train flew out of a portal and picked him up before speeding away into an exit portal.
In his train, Ifrit removed his armor as he ran his hand through his hair. "Damn, I'm late," he muttered. The Imagin alert had occurred while he was on his way to school and he was probably late unless he took advantage of his train which could travel through time.
The Imagin he'd just defeated had travelled to 5th of July 2000 after granting its contractor's wish. Ryuji didn't really care about the wish made. His job was mainly to stop the Imagin from changing the timeline.
In the present it was just two more weeks until school was let out for summer vacation. Ryuji Hasuma was looking forward to spending the entire summer vacation with Kotonoha. It meant he wouldn't have to do much but relax. Well, there was his job at Radish, not to mention the piles of summer homework, but with Kotonoha's help he would be able to do all that and still have fun.
The beach was definitely the place to go for summer break and Ryuji wanted to see his fiancée sporting a strikingly beautiful swimsuit that showed off her figure.
Once at the school, the DynoLiner dropped him off on the rooftop. Luckily for him no one had seen him but he still scanned the area to make sure. With his sharp eyes and ears he could detect if anybody had spied on him. Of course, sometimes he would tune everything out and not pay attention at all.
Imagin attacks were rare and less frequent nowadays and the young Kamen Rider was grateful for the down time. As much as he enjoyed fighting, he enjoyed spending time with his Koto-chan the most. Just enjoying some alone time with her was rare because of the Imagin attacks and not to mention the other challenges they had to face, midterm and final exams being some of them.
Ryuji's problems, however, were more of the romantic variety than academic. He cared little for schoolwork and had to be urged to do it by Kotonoha. He'd proposed to her but then he got two new engagements that were dropped right in his lap all because of something he did in the future. Unfortunately, he had no way of breaking the engagements presently, but he was determined to figure a way out. Kotonoha would be the only girl he would marry. While Siera and Rina were good friends, he had no feelings for them beyond friendship. It just got a little annoying and frustrating when their fathers, the Kings of the Demon and God Kingdoms, tried to pressure him into marrying the princesses. They were a nuisance, really.
Ryuji walked down the steps and then exited into the hallway. As he was walking along the hallway, he took notice of some of the stares he was getting. Most of the boys viewed him with a degree of fear and even envy. The girls, however, were checking him out. Despite his bad reputation, some girls did like 'bad boys' or delinquents. Ryuji was labelled as a delinquent because of his tendency to get into fights. He was only fortunate to have Warren, who was his teacher and friend, to stick up for him in his defence.
Most of the fights Ryuji were involved in on school grounds were instigated by the KLLA, SSSS and LLRB, three mobs of groupies who would attack him at the gate as he arrived or when he left. They idolised Kotonoha, Siera and Rina, respectively, and attempted to either drive him away, or see if he was worthy of any of them. Either way it led to them attacking him as a group and being beaten as a group. Ryuji barely broke a sweat whenever he beat them and always sent them to the hospital. It was all in self defence, really, but he was blamed for being the cause of the fights nonetheless.
Sometimes he wondered why he even put up with school.
He entered the classroom and found Kotonoha, Rina and Siera waiting for him. He smiled at them. At least seeing Kotonoha would brighten his day but he always saw her since he was staying at her place. He had been invited and he willingly stayed to keep her and her sister safe from harm.
When he first started coming to this school, he didn't have many friends save for his teammates, the ChronoLiner Riders. After he decided to stay, he remained friendless with only Kotonoha as his closest companion. Slowly, however, he began to gain friends in Sekai Saionji, Hikari Kuroda, Nanami Kanroji, Setsuna Kiyoura, and even Otome Katou. He hadn't been interested in befriending them but they all saw a side of him that only Kotonoha had seen originally. As for Makoto Itou and Taisuke Sawanaga, he only (barely) tolerated them for the sake of his Koto-chan and nothing more. Both boys were frightened of his temper and cautious when around him.
The real friends he had in the school were Vash Miyata and Kenzaki Tsukuba, not to mention Warren Smith. He also had siblings attending. They were Neko and Kat Hasuma, identical twins save for eye color which helped people tell them apart.
Though he didn't have many friends, and the ones he cherished were small in number, he was content with his life here.
The only real insecurities he had were because of his inhuman status. He was an Orphenoch, a monster wearing a human form as a disguise. He possessed abilities no other human possessed and also enhanced abilities as well. He also had a true form but he only used it in emergencies. He much rather fight as a Rider than an Orphenoch any day of the week.
Most recently, however, Ryuji had been having foreboding feelings of something huge that was about to happen that would most likely have world changing consequences. All he needed to do was to be prepared for whatever it was that was about to come. He just hoped he would survive and come out of it stronger.
Ryuji drummed his finger against the top of his desk in boredom, his other hand supporting his head with the elbow on the desk too. He grumbled, "We've done our final exams. Why do we have to come even on the last two weeks of school?"
"Because we have to settle a few things before school lets out for summer break," reminded Kotonoha.
"I know, I know…" sighed Ryuji. "But it's SO boring!" She gently laid her hand on his and smiled.
"Just endure it for a few more days, OK, Ryuji-kun?" she said soothingly. "Then we have the whole summer to spend together. I know you've been looking forward to it."
"Yeah…" Ryuji replied calmly.
"How about we make a short stop at the library during lunch?" asked Kotonoha. "I need to return a few books I borrowed a couple of weeks back."
"Sure," he said to her. Maybe there would be something interesting to read in there.
At lunch, Kotonoha and Ryuji entered the library. This time all eyes weren't focused on him anymore since the first time he set foot in here. The school library was definitely huge with a large selection of books for every genre, ranging from fiction, non-fiction, leisure and academic.
Kotonoha would often come here to read. She always put on a pair of reading glasses which made her look cute and sat down to read one of the books she'd chosen off the shelf. He would catch her reading something like a romance novel and she would blush and tell him that it was only out of interest and nothing too serious. She'd never gotten off the habit of reading such things since her life could be written as a romance novel.
"Anything interesting you're looking for?" Kotonoha asked.
"Maybe," Ryuji shrugged. "I wonder if the updated their collection since last time."
"Well, new books coming in are rare, but we can check. Let's go to the counter."
Yuuki Ashikaga, a short boy in their year but in Class 2-1, was manning the counter. When he saw Kotonoha approaching, his heart skipped a beat and his cheeks turned pink. He greeted the girl, politely, "Good afternoon, Katsura-san."
"Good afternoon to you too, Ashikaga-san," she smiled demurely. Yuuki enjoyed seeing that smile but then he froze when he saw who she had for company.
Yuuki had short brown hair and wore glasses over his face. He had a slim build and was unimpressive. Also, his height wasn't much to say. He was a few inches shorter than some of the girls in his class. His appearance was that of a typical nerd and with his interests being reading and playing MMORPG's he fit the stereotype. He was also quiet and shy, something his older sister, Chie, was trying to change.
Yuuki also had a crush on Kotonoha but never acted upon it, merely satisfying himself by watching her from afar. The only conversations they had were impersonal as she came over to the library to check out, return or ask about any new books. Besides, why would she be interested in a little guy like him when she had a big and strong boyfriend like Ryuji that could protect her? Still, he wondered for himself what could've been between him and this lovely girl.
"Is there anything new?" asked Kotonoha.
"No, nothing new," said Yuuki.
"Oh, well, then I would like to return these books," said Kotonoha as she handed him three books for him to reshelf.
"Thank you," replied Yuuki.
I am Yuuki Ashikaga and appearance-wise I am strictly unremarkable. I'm not very tall, with short brown hair, and I wear glasses; the typical appearance of a nerd or bookworm.
As a member of the book club, I was always assisting the school librarian by arranging the books, tidying up the library, and helping out the students who frequently come to check out or return books. Ever since I started school here, there's always been one good thing that I always looked forward to.
Kotonoha Katsura, the most beautiful girl in the world.
Sigh…
She always came by to the library whenever she had free time to read and I would always watch her from afar. I could never strike up the nerve to talk to her. It was impossible for me to earn her attention, much less her affection, so I just continued to watch her.
Great, now I sound like a stalker.
A good friend of mine, who is also my sempai, is Kyouchi Kasannoin. He's dating Nanami Kanroji, one of the members of the women's basketball team and the tallest girl I've ever met. We're well acquainted. Whenever I need advice I could always trust Kyouchi-sempai to give it to me since he has more experience than I. Unfortunately, I never told him of Katsura-san.
From watching her, I always noted how she was always alone and didn't even have any friends. I wanted to be that friend to her but I never got up the nerve. The few times she's spoken to me were only when she needed some assistance in the library. Impersonal, but I was happy to listen to her voice and to oblige with her request.
This was how it was during my first term here.
During the second term, some time after summer vacation, I found out she as dating Makoto Itou and that I actually lost my chance. Still, I was glad that she would still come to the library to read. The only regret I had was if I had only acted sooner.
Then I saw her at the festival and instead of Itou-san, she was dancing with Ryuji Hasuma, one of the new students who'd transferred into school not so long ago. What happened to Itou-san? Well, Itou-san was dancing with a girl who I recalled was named Sekai Saionji since I did stop by at their class' café to have some cake. Wonder what happened between him and Katsura-san.
My heart actually broke when I saw Katsura-san and Hasuma-san dance right before they kissed. I was happy for her, though, but I wished it was me she was dancing with instead of him.
If only I was braver and more daring.
Over the next few months Hasuma-san gained himself a bad reputation. Most of the student body was frightened of him due to rumours about him being a member of a gang. He did seem like the type but I never judged unless I had proof. What I could see was that he had a bad temper and he'd been responsible for beating up a student during the last night of the festival.
How in the world did Katsura-san end up with someone like him was a mystery to me.
Now, I am in my 2nd year and still pining over Katsura-san. She didn't stop by as often as before and when she did she always had Hasuma-san with her. I never got the chance to speak with her whenever he was around. I heard he even knocked someone out for even looking at Katsura-san funny. He must be the overprotective and jealous type.
I also witnessed the formation of the KLLA and watched as they, despite being outmatched, tried to force Hasuma-san to break up with Kotonoha. Unfortunately, their attempts always met with failure as Hasuma-san was the better fighter. I even witnessed him stand victorious despite being completely outnumbered 40 to 1. It just didn't make sense to me for someone to win against those odds. In the MMORPG's I play on the internet, no matter how high your level was, an entire army could still kill you by cutting down your HP's bit by bit. From what I could tell, Hasuma-san was fast, inhumanly so, and able to dodge and attack like lightning. It was insane.
I once heard a rumor that he once turned into a monster but I rejected it as a rumor and nothing more.
Still, it was just confusing to me as to how Hasuma-san and Katsura-san could remain a couple despite being so different. It didn't make sense.
Whenever I saw them in the library, Katsura-san would encourage Hasuma-san to pick a book and read. From what I could tell he would always go for the books which had a lot of action and adventure in them. It fit his style, but I noticed he fidgeted a lot, like he would rather be elsewhere. Guess he didn't enjoy books all that much like Katsura-san. Of course, he never vocally complained and sat next to Katsura-san to read.
The answer then came to me one night after I thought about it long and hard.
They were in love. It was so obvious. That was the only logical conclusion.
I just wished I was the one she was in love with, though.
Also, things started to change a whole lot around December when a superhero, an actual superhero, made his presence known. Back when I was a kid, I've always dreamed of meeting an honest for goodness superhero but that dream died when I grew up. It was just a fantasy…until Kamen Rider Ifrit showed up.
It was crazy! When I first saw him on the news I thought he was just an actor performing a publicity stunt for a new TV show or something, but then I realised he was real and so were the monsters he fought. The only time I ever saw monster was in the MMORPG's I played and some fantasy novels. Monsters weren't supposed to be real and neither were superheroes, but Ifrit was real, and a real hero in my books.
Not only did he fight these monsters, but he risked his very life to protect this city. I never knew anyone could be so brave and noble, but he did it without asking for a single reward.
I wondered about his origins. Was he an alien or a secret government project designed to combat these strange monster? Or was he something else entirely? The weapons he used were completely out of this world. The question on my mind was why trains? Alright, the trains were equipped with powerful weapons and could fly but who designed them? How were they built? How did they work?
And, why did he switch trains? It was around the middle of the first term when he switched his bullet train for those dinosaur-themed ones. Well, a mammoth wasn't a dinosaur, but the other two were. The mammoth-like train was a steam engine instead o a bullet train. Also, his armor had changed. Why did he do that? Well, if it made him stronger, who was I to judge? Still…
Kamen Rider Ifrit was a mystery.
Also, other heroes who called themselves Kamen Riders started to show up after Ifrit. They went by the names Garoh, Ryukendo, Wraith and CopyKat. A few other Riders that showed up, like those red and green ones, never came back. Even the one named Fang that showed up with that dragon never returned.
Who were the Kamen Riders?
I sound like a fanboy, don't I? Well, I wouldn't call myself that exactly, but I do come close. I was an admirer. I had posters up on the wall in my room of the Kamen Riders, especially Ifrit. He was the first I ever saw, and the first real superhero of them all.
I do of course wonder who he really was, though. That helmet didn't give any hints and even his voice was rarely heard. He only showed up when one of those monsters appeared and left as soon as it was defeated. He never stayed longer than he should.
I recently started a website, a blog really, about the Kamen Riders and encouraged others to send in anything that was connected to the Riders. I got a lot of positive responses and the site is growing. Unfortunately, I never came close to discovering the Kamen Riders' secret identities.
My older sister, Chie, kept telling me to give up on this obsession and focus on something else. I wasn't obsessed! I was just dedicated to uncovering a great mystery. I wanted to know where these monsters came from and who the Riders were. Of course, she kept telling me I was obsessed and a boy my age should obsess over girls.
If only she knew of Katsura-san. I was still attracted to her and still interested in actually being more than a mere acquaintance with her. If only I had the confidence and courage like the Kamen Riders.
If only…
Well, right now I'm online and looking through the entries and comments people had sent to my website and blog. I wonder what's new.
Sometimes I wished I was a Kamen Rider too.
But that's impossible, right?
Ryuji's eyes went over to the magazine and newspaper rack and he frowned slightly as he saw ANOTHER news report of the Kamen Riders on the front page of today's paper. They were, even now, still big news. Yuuki noted how Ryuji was staring at the newspaper and decided to strike up a conversation. Despite his earlier fears, Ryuji would only attack if provoked and Yuuki wasn't dumb enough to do such a thing.
Kotonoha had gone to the bookshelves to find something to read, leaving Ryuji at the counter with Yuuki.
"So…are you interested in the Kamen Riders, Hasuma-san?" asked Yuuki.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, a little," replied Ryuji absently. He wasn't really paying attention to the conversation as he was keeping his eyes and ears trained on Kotonoha.
"They are big heroes," spoke Yuuki.
"Which one is your favourite?" asked Ryuji.
"Oh, Ifrit of course. He's the first one to appear, right?" Ryuji visibly grimaced and Yuuki noticed this. "Is something wrong?"
"Why do people admire masked heroes so much?" questioned Ryuji. "I mean you can't really tell who they are and what their motivations are."
"Well, the Kamen Riders do protect the innocent," reasoned Yuuki.
"What if Ifrit was being paid to fight these monsters?" asked Ryuji. "Then what would you think?"
"I would think that he deserved it," stated Yuuki. Ryuji smiled slightly. "I mean he risks himself every time he goes and fights. He deserves some sort of compensation."
"What's your name, kid?" Ryuji asked.
"Yuuki Ashikaga."
"Ryuji Hasuma," Ryuji introduced himself, "But I guess you know that, huh?"
"Well, who in this school doesn't know that name?" Yuuki asked rhetorically. "You're pretty famous…"
Ryuji snorted and corrected, "Infamous, more like it. I'm labelled as a delinquent for a reason."
"Well, as far as I can tell, you would be considered misunderstood."
"That's because you don't know me well enough, yet."
A pair of identical twins with light brown and chin length hair were being harassed by some unsavory types on their way back home from school. They were in their last year of junior high and were just minding their own business when these street punks showed up. The twins wore different colored hair bands to distinguish themselves from one another. One wore orange while the other wore red.
"Aw, come on, babe," grinned one of the punks who had breath as bad as his teeth, trying to be charming.
The other punk, who had a gut and nose ring, leered at both girls, "We'll have lots of fun." Of course their idea of fun wouldn't be the same as the twins.
Kuzuha, the one with the red hair band, stood defensively in front of her younger twin sister and glared as Futuba, the one with the orange hair band, stood nervously behind her older twin sister.
"Sorry, but not interested," said Kuzuha. However, she was roughly grabbed by the wrist. "Hey, leggo!"
"Oh, she's a feisty one!" Bad Teeth chuckled.
"Wonder if she's a screamer in bed too," said Nose Ring.
"Hey, maybe we can do 'em both!"
Futuba didn't like how they were talking.
Of course, these punks wouldn't be talking anymore when a fist came flying and smashed itself into Nose Ring's face, sending him dropping to the ground.
"What the-!" shouted Bad Teeth as he got a foot buried in his face, hard, with the impact of a cannonball. He too went down, hard. Futuba and Kuzuha looked to see who'd saved them and blushed. Their saviours were both high school teen boys and while they looked like punks, neither girl could sense anything bad about them. The first teen had long black and wild hair that came down to his waist with cold blue eyes. His companion was slightly taller than six feet with short, spikysilver hair, normal skin tone and appeared to be Asian descent with his left red eye having a scar going over it and a right blue eye. Both were wearing white short sleeved shirts and had backpacks. The one with silver hair did wear gloves, of course.
"Hey, Kenzaki," said Ryuji as he flicked his wrist. "Good kick there."
"Nice haymaker," Kenzaki returned the compliment.
Ryuji took notice of the girls and his hard eyes softened. "Hey, are you girls OK?"
"We're fine," said Kuzuha. "Thanks for saving us."
OMG!!! Who were these hot guys? They came out of nowhere and saved Futuba and me. I have to know who they are. I just gotta!
"No problem," said Kenzaki. "It's what we do."
"What are your names?" asked Futuba shyly.
"I'm Ryuji, and my friend here is Kenzaki," introduced Ryuji. Kenzaki nodded in acknowledgement.
Ryuji-sempai and Kenzaki-sempai. I sure hope Kuzuha-neechan and I get to go to the same high school as them one day…
"I'm Kuzuha, and this is my twin sister Futuba."
"Yeah, it's obvious," stated Kenzaki.
Kuzuha blushed as she stared at him before averting her eyes. She then took her sister's hand and said hastily, "Well, we gotta get home now! Hope to see you two again!"
Ryuji watched the twins go and smiled. "Hey, Kenzaki. We better hurry to the Radish or else Youko-san might fire us."
"Race ya there?" challenged Kenzaki.
"Sure, why not?"
"Okaeri nasai, Goshujin-sama!" greeted Kotonoha and, surprisingly, Neko as soon as Ryuji and Kenzaki entered. They were now wearing different uniforms, resembling the outfits of maids but with shorter skirts and short puffy sleeves. They also wore fake cat ears with matching tails and were lifting up one leg behind them.
Kenzaki and Ryuji could only stare at what could be suspected as Youko Saionji's attempt at drawing in more customers.
The cat ears and tails, of course, were a dead giveaway as to who'd given her the idea. At one table, Kenzaki could see Kat drinking a cup of coffee and talking to Youko.
"Koto-chan?" Ryuji blinked as she looked Kotonoha up and down. She raised her tray up to her nose and blushed bashfully.
"Goshujin-sama, don't stare at me like that!" she squealed. Ryuji scanned the place and saw the rest of the waitresses dressed the same way and a few were serving the customers more intimately like sitting in their laps and feeding them. Well, they did it for the males, of course.
"Neko?" Kenzaki stared at his fiancée. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Kotonoha-chan and Sekai-chan both convinced me," said Neko. "What do you think?" She did a twirl in her outfit. Kenzaki had to grasp his nose to keep from getting a nosebleed. The skirt had pulled up slightly to reveal the white panties beneath.
Sekai walked over and pulled at Ryuji. She didn't seem to look happy at what she was forced to wear. "Ryuji..." she groaned.
"I like the ears," he told the girl in a teasing tone. He was just being friendly and annoying at the same time.
"As skimpy as the original uniform was," began Sekai. "At least it didn't have any gimmicks." She pointed to the cat ears she was wearing on her head. "Catgirl Maids?"
Kenzaki jerked a thumb over at Kat. "With that lunatic, did you expect anything less?" asked Kenzaki.
"Actually, catgirl maids are a little tame, even for her," reasoned Ryuji. At least the new uniforms didn't expose as much as the original. "At least she didn't have them all wear bunny outfits."
"Good point," agreed Kenzaki but he briefly pictured Neko in Playboy Bunny costume and grinned goofily.
Ryuji scanned the restaurant and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw Siera and Rina there too. "Siera and Rina?"
"Oh, they wanted to try being waitresses," answered Kotonoha. "I guess they're trying to spend more time with you." She didn't like having Rina and Siera too close to HER man.
"Well, that makes sense since they are your fiancées," stated Kenzaki.
Siera and Rina took notice of Ryuji and waved, smiling. While Siera was smiling tenderly, Rina was smiling sultrily with lidded eyes and a grin that was supposed to be enticing. Ryuji wasn't buying it.
"Come on, Kenzaki, let's get changed," said Ryuji as he led Kenzaki to the locker room. Hopefully, their uniforms hadn't been changed…
No such luck. Once they opened their lockers, they saw the vest had been replaced by ones that were white with black stripes. Not only that, there were fake cat ears and even a fake cat's tail that could be clipped onto their belts. Kenzaki gave Ryuji a deadpan look but the DynoLiner's Rider just sighed before getting changed.
Once they were done, they exited, and Kat chuckled as she saw that the two were ACTUALLY wearing the new additions. "Lookin' good, you two!"
Kenzaki wanted to snap at Kat but endured her teasing. She wasn't being malicious so he had no reason to yell at her.
"Aw…Ken-kun you look so kawaii…" purred Neko. Kenzaki blushed. He did look cute with the black tipped white cat ears and black and white striped tail.
"I prefer being a wolf over a cat," said Kenzaki, trying and failing to hide his blush.
"Ryuji-kun, you look cute too," added Kotonoha. Ryuji just hoped nobody from school saw him like this. He was wearing black cat ears and a matching tail.
"Well, don't get used to it," grumbled Ryuji. "I'm gonna get Kat to change things back if it's the last thing I do."
"Worried about your reputation?" Kenzaki questioned.
"Aren't you worried about yours?" retorted Ryuji.
"Hey, this is a part time job. I can always get my street cred back later," Kenzaki shrugged.
"Whatever…" Ryuji rolled his eyes. The cat ears and tails just made him look cute and amped down his intimidation factor. "Let's just do our work."
"If we gotta do it, so do you," said Sekai.
Ryuji muttered, "Doesn't mean I gotta like it." He was wishing for an Imagin to attack right now. If it got him out of work it was a welcomed distraction.
The shift started out easily enough. Because of how the girls were acting, the male customers were behaving themselves. That and Ryuji and Kenzaki had developed a firmly established reputation at the Radish. Any guy that got too fresh with the girls ended up on the wrong end of a serious beating. Kenzaki had just finished taking an order when his hearing caught something. He turned to see Neko taking an order from a group of college guys, about three of them. He could see her jump as one guy's hand found its way up her skirt, groping her behind. He started to slowly make his way over to them.
The guy had his arm wrapped around Neko's waist as he pulled her onto his lap. "Hey baby, how bout you ditch this place and come hang with us? We promise to make it worth your while," said the guy in a bad attempt to be smooth. Neko was tempted to fight back, but Youko had hired her under the understanding that any guy that got out of hand was to be handled by Kenzaki or Ryuji.
"Sorry, but I'm already taken," said Neko as she flashed her engagement ring.
"I don't see him anywhere," chuckled the guy, unaware of Kenzaki's approach. "Besides, I bet we can make you purr…" The man lifted up his hand and roughly grabbed Neko's breast, eliciting a hiss from the girl.
Neko was about to act when a gloved hand grasped firmly onto the man's wrist, pulling it away from his fiancée. "Neko, could you please cover my tables for a minute?" asked Kenzaki.
"Hai, Ken-kun," answered Neko as she got away from the guys.
"You guys. Outside. Now," challenged Kenzaki. The group of them followed Kenzaki outside.
Kat watched in appreciation and respect at Kenzaki's actions. If he hadn't done anything, she would. He was clearly proving how good of a fiancé he was to her sister.
After their shift had ended, Ryuji, Kotonoha, Siera and Rina were ready to go back home when all of a sudden Ryuji's watch beeped. He apologized, "Sorry, girls, but I gotta take this call." They knew what he meant by that and watched him as he ran off to the source of the disturbance.
He came across a man lying on the ground with an Imagin standing over him. The Imagin was based on a mosquito and once it announced, "Contract Complete!" it opened a portal to the past by opening the man like a door and slipping inside.
"Oi!" shouted Ryuji as he ran over and then knelt down. He took out a ticket and held it over the man's head. The date and the Imagin's image appeared on the ticker.
"6th October 2004," Ryuji read. He stood up and slung his belt around his waist before activating it with the Dyno Pass. "Henshin!"
Instantly, his Plat Form armor formed over his body. He flicked his wrists and popped his neck from side to side as his DynoLiner sped out of its portal and picked him up for a trip to the past.
"Let's have a party!" suggested Rina without a second thought. They were in front of Kotonoha's house.
"A party?" questioned Kotonoha as she got out her keys. "Didn't we have one already?"
"Yeah, but that was to celebrate our exam results. This time we're celebrating the end of the term," said Rina excitedly. "We'll get snacks, some drinks and maybe even sing some karaoke! It'll be fun!"
"I guess so," Kotonoha reluctantly agreed.
Siera's eyes were on the sky as she asked, "When will Sir Ryuji be back?"
"Oh, relax," said Rina. "He's strong. Whatever he's fighting can't be that tough, right?"
Ifrit was sent tumbling by a rather vicious attack from the Mosquito Imagin. Its thin arms sure didn't reflect the power it held as it used a pair of swords resembling insect wings. It had a black body with white stripes and a long nose with a sharp tip, typical of most mosquitoes. Large, red and evil looking insectoid eyes stared back at the Rider who was trying to pick himself up from the ground.
Ifrit was still in his unimpressive Plat Form. His Dyno Pass had been knocked out of his hand earlier before he could initiate a Form Switch to another more combat suitable. Right now he was regretting his decision of coming into battle in Plat Form. He wanted to make a flashy entrance but was now in danger of losing his life.
The Mosquito Imagin buzzed, "Looks like all that hype was just hot air." Inhaling deeply, it then exhaled and fired a barrage of explosive needles. Ifrit howled in pain from the barrage and dropped onto his knees, his armor smoking. "Heh, looks like it's time to finish you off."
"Kuso…" Ifrit cursed weakly but then saw that his Pass was just within arm's reach. Acting quickly, he grabbed the Dyno Pass and rolled out of the way as the Mosquito Imagin brought down his blade. The Imagin sneered as it glared at Ifrit who just got his second wind. Rising back to his feet, Ifrit's eyes narrowed under his helmet.
"Looks like you still got some fight in you," the Imagin spoke.
"A lot more than you know," countered Ifrit as he reached down to his buttons. He pressed the black one and the belt released the roar of a feral beast. Then, he pressed the red one under it, causing a trumpeting sound to come from his belt. After that he pressed the white one under it to release the sound of a roaring thunder lizard. Finally, he pressed the blue one, releasing the large bellow of a tri-horned creature of a time long passed. The symbol in his buckle shifted colors each time and then started to release a new tone which was a mixture of all four previous sounds. The jaws of the belt buckle opened up and Ifrit brought down his Pass, putting it in between the golden teeth that framed the buckle and it clamped down. The 'X' on the pass glowed as the belt spoke.
"DYNO FORM!" the belt called out.
In flashes of light, additional armor pieces appeared around him and spun around before attaching to hi body. The first to attach was the chest armor of his Mammoth Form. Next the shoulder pads of his Tricera and Tyrano Forms equipped themselves to him, the left shoulder sporting a triceratops head as the right shoulder gained a T-Rex head. A black cape hung down from his back as his gauntlets and boots turned black with golden rings around the ankles and wrists. Finally, a black mask with red eye slits slid down the helmet and snapped onto the faceplate.
Grabbing the cape, he swept it to the side dramatically with a wave of his arm and then narrowed his eyes upon the Imagin. This was the true power hidden within his armor and it was incredible.
Buzzing with anger, the Imagin lunged at Ifrit, flying through the air and brandishing its blades. It slashed down on Ifrit only for the Tyrano-Katana to block it. The Tricera-Buster slid down to Ifrit's fist and he drew it back before ramming it hard into the Imagin's chest with explosive force. The Imagin was sent sailing and crashed into a tree, uprooting it in the process. The Tricera-Buster and Tyrano-Karana slid back up Ifrit's arms and back to the shoulders as the Rider reached down to his belt and pressed the buttons in a different order: Black, White, Blue and Red.
The belt received the command and called out, "CHARGE AND UP!"
Getting into a stance, Ifrit bent his knees as he crossed his arms in front of him at the wrist, growling as electricity travelled from the belt and into his feet. Looking straight up, he aimed his sights on the Imagin before leaping high into the air. He then dropped down with both feet aimed at the Imagin who attempted to flee but it was already too little too late for it. Ifrit's feet smashed it into the ground, creating a crater on impact. The Imagin itself stopped struggling as Ifrit leapt upwards, witnessing as the Imagin exploded within the crater. Landing on the grass, Ifrit tossed his cape over his shoulder before turning away from the smoke that billowed from the crater.
'Flashy as usual, Ryuji,' spoke Loki in Ifrit's mind.
"I know," said Ifrit as he admired his new form. "I think I'm going to like this new suit."
'You better hurry up,' prompted Loki. 'The others are waiting.'
Ryuji groaned, "Don't remind me." Loki had told him about the party that was being thrown at Kotonoha's.
'I know you don't look forward to meeting the kings and the princesses, but I do know that you can't wait to join Kotonoha-san.'
"That's true," Ryuji agreed. "Alright, come and pick me up!" At his call, the DynoLiner sped out of a portal and picked him up before entering through another portal.
As Ryuji was piloting his train back to the present, he got a message on the screen. He read it and decided to make a detour to the King's Terminal, while wondering, "What does Ant want right now?" Whatever it was it sounded urgent.
Ryuji, Warren and Kenzaki followed Ant into the Station Master's office. While the man in the white captain's outfit was usually in a more jovial mood, his face was etched with a grim expression. That wasn't good. That meant he wanted to talk about something serious.
"What's this about?" asked Ryuji.
"An hour ago we received this transmission," said the Station Master as he turned on the big monitor in his office. Nanimo's masked face was displayed on the screen for all to see.
"Nanimo," growled/snarled Ryuji and Kenzaki.
"To the Kamen Riders," Nanimo began. "Hear me and listen well. You have all defeated my Imagin many times before, but that was only out of good fortune. You only battled a small number of them. However, this time, things will change. I hope you are prepared because this time I will be sending an entire army to wipe you and that world out. It will fall and there is nothing you can do to stop me. Oh, and Kenzaki, I'll be waiting…" The message ended and the screen displayed static.
"That could only mean one thing," said Ant seriously. "He's planning an invasion."
"How big of an invasion?" asked Warren.
"Be prepared for anything," warned the Station Master. "We don't know how many Imagin he has under his control so you must all be prepared for the worst."
"I'll contact the others," said Ant. "This is something ALL the ChronoLiner Riders need to face."
"Same here," said Warren. "I'll tel Raven and Benitora too. I'll even contact some other friends to help out."
"And you two?" asked the Station Master to Ryuji and Kenzaki. "What will you two do?"
"Stop him and bring him down," said Kenzaki.
"Like we always do," said Ryuji with pure conviction. Deep down, he was a Titan, a Rider and a hero of justice nonetheless.
"Warren, what are our chances of survival?" asked Ryuji as he and Warren were headed back to their trains.
"Well, in all honesty, pretty low," answered Warren.
"I see," nodded Ryuji. "Well, at least if we die it would be for something worthwhile."
"Kohai, you ain't gonna die," assured Warren.
"But there's still the possibility. Can you promise me something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Take care of Koto-chan for me."
"Kohai, trust me, I won't let you die. If push comes to shove, I'll go all out. But, worst case scenario, yes, I'll look after her."
"Its funny how thing turned out," said Ryuji with a light laugh. "We all got here by accident and look at us now. We're this world's only hope."
"Well, that's normally how it works," sighed Warren.
Ryuji allowed himself to smile. "And it's funny how we've changed. I mean, you know what I used to be like."
Warren remarked, "Yep, but things change. Kotonoha was good for you kohai."
Ryuji couldn't but agree. "Yes, she is. Even after she saw my true form she never stopped loving me. Is that what it's like to have unconditional love?"
Warren replied, "Both Raven and Teresa have seen my Awakened Form, and they both love me. You got something special here kohai."
Ryuji spoke as he recalled some familiar faces, "I never intended to befriend anyone else aside from Koto-chan. But…Otome, Sekai, Nanami, Hikari…heck even Itou has become important to me," admitted Ryuji.
Warren told him, "You've got people to look out for you now. A lot of people would say that's a weakness, but, in fact, it's your greatest strength."
"Friends," mused Ryuji. "I never cared for people before but now I have people I want to protect. Is that what it means to be a hero?"
"That's exactly what it means," said Warren with a nod.
"I guess there's always hope for people like me to change for the better. So, you ready to kick some Imagin butt?"
Warren gave his fellow Rider a smile. "Thought you'd never ask…"
Ryuji came home to the Katsura residence to find that the two kings, their princesses, Kotonoha, Kokoro, and the Imagin were having a small party. There was food, drinks/booze and entertainment. At the moment, the kings were having a karaoke duet right in the living room and proving to be…well, they weren't horrible, but they weren't going to win any singing contests with those kinds of voices.
It actually pained Ryuji because this was probably the last party he would be attending. Might as well enjoy it while he could.
"Tadaima," said Ryuji.
"Oh, Okaeri nasai, Ryuji," greeted Loki happily. Ryuji came into the living room and had his back slapped by King Eustace.
"Welcome back, my boy!" said King Eustace loudly. "We were wondering where you've been!"
"Just some business I needed to discuss with Warren," answered Ryuji.
Kotonoha noticed how Ryuji seemed a little worried about something. She would need to ask him about it later.
Ryuji sat down and had the microphone shoved in his face by King Frederick. "Ryuji, why don't you sing for us?"
Ryuji crossed his arms and declined, saying, "I don't sing."
"Aw, come on," coaxed Rina. "What's the harm?"
"I'm not much of a singer," added Ryuji, still protesting.
"Please, Ryuji-niichan!" Kokoro begged. Ryuji grumbled.
"I'll sing with you," offered Kotonoha.
"Me too!" Siera spoke up.
As Ryuji drank some soda, he contemplated on everything that had happened up to this point. The battles with the Imagin were close to ending now. Wasn't that what he was fighting for all this time?
He saw everyone's eyes still on him and forced a smile. "One song," he said firmly. Everyone cheered. "And I'm doing it solo." The girls he was engaged to all looked saddened by that. He ignored them and took the microphone.
Upon returning to the GaroLiner, Kenzaki could see Neko at one of the dining car's booths, with Koneko in her lap as she told the little female Imagin a story. It actually pained him since this might as well be over after what Nanimo had said in his message. He didn't want to lose this so he had no choice but to fight.
The Kitten Imagin yawned and fell asleep. Noting Kenzaki's return, she said, "So, why did the Station Master talk with you about?" He approached her and gently picked up Koneko, cradling her in his arms. Neko stared. "Ken-kun?"
"Let's put her to bed and then I'll tell you," he said to her.
After Siera, Rina and their fathers left, Kotonoha went to confront Ryuji. During the whole party he looked worried about something and she wanted to know what it was. Now that they were engaged to be married, he shouldn't hide things from her.
She knocked on the door and heard some shuffling before he opened the door. "Oh, Koto-chan."
"May I come in?" she asked.
"Hey, sure," he said with a smile. "You're always welcomed."
She came in and then went over to sit on the bed. He sat down next to her, silent. She decided to start asking him about what was wrong. "Ryuji-kun, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," he lied.
"Ryuji-kun…" she said in a warning tone. She didn't want to be lied too.
Ryuji sighed. "I can never lie to you, huh?"
"Yes, and you promised to never hide things from me. So, what's wrong?"
Ryuji closed his eyes and recalled Nanimo's message before answering, "Nanimo's planning a final strike on this world. He's challenging us to stop him."
"Is that what you're worried about?" asked Kotonoha. "You can beat him," she said encouragingly. She was confident that he would win.
"But this time he's gonna send an entire army," said Ryuji. She gasped in shock.
"An…army?" she stammered.
"That's right. I'm not sure how many Imagin I may face…but I got the feeling that…this is gonna be the fight of my life."
Kotonoha was about to say something but was silenced by his lips pressing against hers. He pulled away from the girl and then held her close against him.
"I may not come back," he told her honestly, shocking her and scaring her to the core.
Once Koneko was safely in bed, Kenzaki told Neko everything and she was shocked. Of course, she shouldn't be. She expected this from Nanimo, really, but to send an entire army was madness.
"Ken-kun, what will you do?" asked Neko.
Kenzaki, with eyes narrowed, punched his fist into his open palm. "What else, I'm gonna put him out of his misery." He had made his resolve.
"But, you can't!" Neko protested. Kenzaki stared at her as she continued, "He's your brother!"
Kenzaki nearly forgot how family was important to Neko but he had to explain things to her. It was so she could understand why he needed to do this.
"He was my brother," corrected Kenzaki. "And now he's a threat. He has to be stopped."
Neko could understand his reasons, but she didn't want him to kill Nanimo. Still, if this was going to be a huge final battle, she was going to be there by his side. "Then, can you at least let me fight alongside you?"
Kenzaki didn't want to put his new fiancée in danger but he couldn't say no to her when she stared at him like that. She was also stubborn, like him, and would no doubt go and fight by his side even if he said no. "Yes, you can. Nothing would make me happier." He gave her a hug and kissed her deeply. The door of the room where Koneko was sleeping in opened and the young Kitten Imagin poked her head out to see what was going on and stuck out her tongue.
"Ew!!! Onii-chan and Onee-chan are kissing! Yuck! You got cooties!" she let out in playful disgust.
"Go back to bed!" her caretakers snapped and the Kitten Imagin giggled before retreating back into the room.
The two were silent for about a minute as they stood in the hallway.
"I may not come back, y'know?" said Kenzaki. She stared at him, eyes wide in shock, stunned by his words, "I may not even survive."
"Don't say that!" she told him, hugging him tight. "Please, don't say things like that!"
"But it might be true," said Kenzaki. "Call it a feeling." He could feel Neko's hold on him tighten. "Neko..."
"You'll survive! You will! I did so you will too, and then we'll live happily ever after!"
'I hope so...' Kenzaki thought but he knew that this was going to be his toughest fight yet.
Kotonoha was in the bath, thinking over Ryuji's words. Over and over again the words repeated in her mind.
I may not come back…
"No…" She clutched her eyes shut.
I may not come back…
"Ryuji-kun…" Tears fell from her eyes.
I may not come back…
"Don't leave me…" She was sobbing now.
I may not come back…
"I...won't let you...leave," she said shakily but her voice was underlined by a tone of determination. She was going to make him stay if it was the last thing she did.
Kenzaki entered Koneko's room to say goodnight to the Kitten Imagin. He saw her, curled up on her bed, crying. "Koneko-chan, what's wrong?" asked Kenzaki. She turned and faced him.
"Onii-chan!" she cried as she latched onto him. "Don't go! I don't want to lose my Onii- chan! Please don't go!"
Kenzaki gently pushed Koneko off of him, before kneeling down to get at eye level with the tiny Imagin. "I have to go," said Kenzaki with a sad smile.
"But why!?" sobbed Koneko.
"Because…Because Onii-chan has an otouto-chan who's been very bad. And Onii-chan's mama and papa aren't around to punish him. So, it's up to your Onii-chan to go punish him," explained Kenzaki.
"But…but I heard you tell Onee-chan you might not come back…"
Kenzaki wrapped Koneko in a hug, letting her cry into his chest. "I'll come back. I promise. Your Onii-chan is the best, remember? There's no way I'm gonna lose. Besides, when I've got two beautiful girls, like you and your Onee-chan, I'd be pretty stupid not to come back, huh?"
"Onii-chan…"
"I'll come back, I promise. And when I do, you and I can go to the park, and play together all day," promised Kenzaki.
"Really?" wondered Koneko.
"Yeah…"
The door to Ryuji's room creaked open as a slender female figure slipped inside and tiptoed towards the bed. Ryuji's eyes slowly slid open as he heard the soft tapping of feet against the floor. Someone was coming to the bed.
'Kotonoha?' he though as the person slipped under the covers and held him from behind.
"Ryuji…don't go…" she pleaded as she clutched at his back. He could feel her breasts pressed against his back and from the feeling he knew she was naked. "I'll do anything you want…just please, stay with me, forever."
'I shouldn't have told her…' Ryuji realised.
"Please…stay here and don't go…I don't want you to go…" she begged him.
"I can't," he said turning around to face her. She was trying to seduce him and convince him to stay. "I have to go."
"I won't let you!" she held onto him more tightly. "Even if I have to tie you up, chain you up, and put you in a cage! I won't let you go!"
"Won't work on me," he reminded, stroking her face gently. "You know that."
"But…I don't want you to leave me…not again…" she sobbed. He wiped her tears away. "Ryuji-kun?"
"For tonight, I'll stay with you," he said as he took her into his arms and kissed her. "We'll become one."
"Ryuji-kun…" uttered Kotonoha before she was lost in a haze of bliss. "Mine…"
Kenzaki walked out of Koneko's room to see Okami standing there. "You're a real bastard for lying to that kid, Shonen-kun," growled Okami.
"Well, I had to get her to stop crying somehow," Kenzaki sighed. "I really might die, Okami. But it's strange. I'm not afraid of facing my own mortality. I'm afraid of what I'll be leaving behind. Neko, Koneko, Kumiko, hell, even you assholes." Kenzaki then began to walk off. "It was fun…playing the hero. Guess it's time to face this, once and for all."
"OI!" called Okami. "You did good kid. That old bastard Gou would be proud of the man you turned into. It was great working with you…Kenzaki."
"Tch, stop talking about me like I'm already dead," said Kenzaki. "I'll come back. If there was one thing Gou taught me, it was to never go back on your word. I promised both Koneko and Neko I'd be coming back. So, I'll come back."
Kotonoha continued to sleep, exhausted from the night's activities. She was having blissful dreams as Ryuji silently got out of bed. "Gomen," he softly apologized as he got dressed. "I'll come back, I promise."
He went to the door and opened it, revealing the Sands of Time and the DynoLiner.
"Leaving without saying goodbye?" Ryuji heard Athena ask.
"I don't think I'll be ever to say goodbye," Ryuji said sadly. "If I did she wouldn't let me go."
"It'll break her heart to find you gone," said Athena.
"I know, but I have to do this. So, I'll leave her in your care, OK?"
Athena gave a nod. "Alright. I'll take care of her for you."
"Arigatou." Looking over his shoulder, he glanced at Kotonoha before he exited. 'Sayonara...'
When she woke up, he would be gone.
In the GaroLiner's dining car, Shiori was whistling a tune while she wiped clean some of the glasses at her counter. The phone rang so Shiori picked it up.
"Moshi moshi!" she said cheerfully.
"Hello. Is this Kenzaki Tsukuba's GaroLiner?" asked the voice on the other line.
"Yes, this is the GaroLiner! Who is it?" asked Shiori as Kenzaki entered. "Oh, Kenzaki, it's for you." She handed him the phone.
"Who is this?" asked Kenzaki.
"This is the Station Master of the King's Terminal. Is this Kenzaki Tsukuba?"
"Yes, it is, Station Master. What is it?" questioned Kenzaki.
"I have alarming news," said the Station Master. The Station Master then told Kenzaki the date where the Imagin have gone too.
Kenzaki let out a sigh. "Of course it would be that day…"
"Onii-san! Wait!" called a young boy, only eight.
"Hayaku, Nanimo! If Mom and Dad get home before we do, we'll be in big trouble!" shouted a young Kenzaki, who was only ten.
"You're the one who thought it'd be a good idea to do this!"
"Hey, who wouldn't want to check out an old army base?" asked Kenzaki as he stopped, waiting for his little brother. He also needed to catch his breath, so he leaned against the pole behind him. However, the pole was weak and gave out. "AH!" shouted Kenzaki as he began falling. He reached out and grasped the railing.
"Onii-san!" shouted Nanimo as he went to help his brother. The young boy grabbed his older brothers arm and began pulling, as Kenzaki began pulling himself up. Soon Kenzaki was back up on the railing, panting. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah, thanks, Nanimo," said Kenzaki. The railing began to shake, and soon, Kenzaki was holding on for dear life, but Nanimo wasn't lucky or fast enough and he fell off the railing, toward the bubbling vat of silvery liquid below. "Nanimo!"
"Onii-san!" shouted the boy as he hit the liquid. The metal shot upward and splashed onto Kenzaki, quickly covering his torso and arms.
"Onii-san!" was all Kenzaki heard as he lost consciousness.
"Hurry, before the Imagin cause irreparable damage!" shouted the Station Master.
"I'm on my way!" said Kenzaki.
"You mean we're on our way," corrected Neko as she stood behind him.
Ryuji was in the DynoLiner, sitting on his bike in his cockpit. Part of him regretted leaving so abruptly but he knew he had to do this. It was important and for Kotonoha's sake. He couldn't let anything stop him, not even her.
As he tightened his grip on the Dyno-Breaker's handlebars, the viewing screen in front of him showed Ant's face. "Ant, what's up?"
"Ryuji, there's been a report of a large group of Imagin appearing in the past. I'm sending you the time coordinates now." The date flashed on screen and Ryuji's eyes widened. The date shown was Kotonoha's birthday.
"Not good," said Ryuji.
"Exactly, now go and stop them. I'll try and send for backup," said Ant.
"Don't bother," said Ryuji. "They're mine!"
His DynoLiner roared along the tracks and into the portal. He was headed to the past, on the day Kotonoha was born.
"Henshin!"
"SABRE FORM!"
ZK Chromedragozoid: The conclusion of the story will take place in the next chapter. I sure hope you enjoyed this story bcoz it is about to come to an end. Thanks for all your support and I hope you continue to read these works.
God-StrikeLiner Data
The God-StrikeLiner is actually a combination formation performed by the DynoLiner and ChronoLiner, which also includes the Rescue Cars.
The formation is set up by both Ryuji/Kamen Rider Ifrit and Warren/Skull Rider Wraith by entering the activation codes into their control consoles which are hooked to their bikes. Once the codes are accepted the trains will break apart into their individual cars before joining together for the formation.
The ChronoLiner Cannon-1 will join up with the Missile-2 and Bimber-3. The Cannon-1 will be sandwiched in-between the two combat cars. The Jet-4 is not included. Following this, the ChronoLiner will link up to the DynoLiner from behind via clamps. Afterwards, the Tyrano, Tricera and Rescue Cars will come into play. First, however, the Jet-4 will launch its jet and the jet will attach to the top front of the Mammoth. Then, the Tyrano and Tricera will attach themselves to the sides of the Mammoth. The Fire-5 and Submarine-8 will attach to the top of the Bomber-3 and Missile-2 as the Gyro-6 lands atop the Cannon-1. Finally, the Digger-7 will attach itself to the front of the Mammoth.
It is very powerful but it still puts strain on the trains unless they break the formation in time. Its strongest attack (which requires permission to execute) is to use some of the cars as projectiles and thus sacrificing them before launching itself at the target. It's known as a kamikaze attack for good reason and should only be used under dire circumstances.