SideRise Chronicles: Oscura's Encore
Reprise IV: There Will Be Death
The group of Riders and two civilians continued their search for the remaining Archetype. They returned to the spot where Amity and Masha saw Zoe last in an attempt to figure out where she might be.
"So, any ideas?" Sasha asked, looking around.
"The fog's pretty dense. I doubt she could've gotten too far without being forced to hunker down somewhere," Marcy answered.
"Amity, Masha, do you know someplace close by that someone could use as a hiding spot?" Luz asked.
Amity and Masha thought about it for a moment, and at the same time, the idea struck them.
"The supply cabin!" Masha and Amity said in unison.
"Jinx!" Masha snickered.
"Shouldn't be too far from here," said Amity.
"It's stockpiled with enough tools that we could Dead Rising the hell out of them and make us some weapons," Masha added.
"Guess that's as good as any place to start. Lead the way, guys," said Gus.
Amity and Masha led the group to the supply cabin. It took them a minute since the fog threw off their bearings. Eventually, they arrived at the supply cabin.
"Amity, Marcy, Willow, Gus, you stand guard out here. The fog's too dense. The more eyes we have to keep a lookout, the better." Luz turned her gaze to Sasha. "Waybright, you're with me. Got any problems with that?"
"I don't and don't worry, I'll watch your back, Noceda. I can't have you dying on me, not until we've had our fight," Sasha said.
Luz accepted that answer. Both she and Sasha took out their Raise Buckles, just in case they needed to transform in there. Sasha reached for the doorknob but the door wouldn't budge an inch. Either it was just locked up, or someone was barricading the door and taking shelter inside.
"Gonna be really sucky if she's not there and we just busted down the door to someone's little hidey hole," Sasha commented.
"So long as we win this game, everything will be alright in the end," Luz stated.
Together, Luz and Sasha kicked the door in. The lock broke and the door swung violently until it slammed on the other side of the wall. Now open, Sasha and Luz entered. Thankfully, it was just big enough for the two of them to enter together, giving them enough room to slot their Raise Buckles should they come under attack.
"Hello, anyone there?!" Sasha called out. "If there are any survivors in here, you need to come with us now! We'll keep you safe!"
The girls heard movement up ahead and readied to transform. They stopped when they noticed Zoe stumbling out of her hiding spot and out into the open.
"THANK GOD! I'M SAVED! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!"
Zoe was about to run to her saviours, only to pause when she saw who they were. The blonde chick she didn't recognize, but she definitely recognized her other rescuer.
"…Oh, great, it's you," Zoe deadpanned.
"Geez, Zoe. At least try to sound a bit grateful," Luz responded. "Are you OK?"
"Do I look okay to you, Noceda?!" Zoe snapped. "There are monsters all over this place! People are dying! Jack died! And I've been holed up in here waiting for someone to rescue me! And come to find out it's just you, and…I'm sorry, I don't know you. Are you another one of this freak's friends?"
Sasha already didn't like this girl. She may hate Noceda, but that insult seemed too personal.
"Hardly. The name's Sasha Waybright."
"Sorry for assuming. But why the hell are you dressed alike? And what's with those things in your hands and the belts?" Zoe asked.
Luz groaned as she walked up to the mean girl and grabbed her by the arm.
"Listen, Zoe. Now is not the time for any high school drama BS. Like you said, there are monsters everywhere, people are dying, and right now, Sasha, my friends and I are the only things standing between those monsters and you. So, I need you to stow that shit until this is over. Because right now, we need to focus and I very much don't have the patience to deal with your crap right now, Zoe. Now, the only words I want to hear from you are, 'Yes, Luz, I understand'. ¿Comprende?"
Zoe wanted to retort but the way Luz was looking at her, that fierceness in her eyes, and her whole body language, it was like back then when Luz made her cower before her in front of the other students of Gravesfield High. Only this time, it was all dialled up to eleven. It gave Zoe the impression that Luz was like a trained soldier, a warrior on a mission, and be damned if you got in the way of that mission.
"Y-Yes, Luz, I-I u-u-understand," Zoe parroted.
Luz released Zoe and her expression softened a bit.
"Good. Now, c'mon."
Zoe followed Luz and Sasha out of the supply cabin and found herself meeting two familiar faces, and three others she didn't recognize. Those three others were wearing the exact same outfit as Luz and Sasha. Out of those three, two of them, a boy and a girl, had pointed ears like an elf.
'Are they cosplaying or something?' Zoe thought.
"Glad to see you're not dead, Zoe," said Masha.
"Pfft, don't act like you're not disappointed," Zoe retorted.
"No, honestly, I'm glad you're not dead. Otherwise, it's bad news for the rest of us if you were," Masha explained.
Zoe had no idea what Masha was talking about but she didn't really care right now.
"Okay, so, what's the plan? How the hell are we getting out of this nightmare?! There's a bus and some cars we can use," Zoe suggested.
"All the keys except for the ones for the bus are probably melted or warped by now," Amity informed her.
"What?! Why?! How?!" Zoe shouted, looking at Amity in shock.
"Yeah, that's on me. I kinda blew up the Counselor's office. And by 'kinda', I mean I totally blew it up," Masha answered.
Zoe facepalmed and dragged that same hand down her face as she groaned loudly.
"Why, in the ever-lovin' hell, did you blow up the freakin' office?!" Zoe yelled.
"A rapey witch bitch got handsy with Amity, so I blew her ass up."
Zoe was a bit surprised by that and looked to Amity for confirmation. The look on her face was enough to tell that it was true. She may hate Noceda, Blight, and Masha, but she wasn't so spiteful that she'd wish that on them.
"Okay, fine. So, unless someone here knows how to hotwire a car, we're gonna have to take the bus then," Zoe said.
"Yeah, but the bus won't start. We tried," Amity replied.
"Oh, my God! Give me a break!" Zoe looked at the new arrivals in confusion. "Wait, how the hell did you five get here then?"
"Teleported," they answered in unison.
Zoe felt the strength leave her legs as she collapsed onto her rear.
"We're screwed then…We're…We're all going to die here…There's no way out…"
Luz got down on one knee in front of Zoe and looked her in the eyes.
"No, we're not going to die here, Zoe. I promise you, I will protect you, Amity, and Masha with my life. Everyone here is going to do the same."
"But…But…We're trapped here with those monsters! We can't call for help, so what else can we do?!" Zoe asked.
"We fight," Sasha said as she stepped up. "This ends only one way: with all the Jyamatos destroyed."
Suddenly the Riders and civilians found themselves surrounded by a group of Jyamatos who were dressed in black hooded robes and wearing Ghostface masks. Each of them brandished a bloody machete. Willow, Gus, Marcy, Sasha, and Luz got into a star formation, keeping Amity, Masha, and Zoe at the centre.
"Did we trigger an encounter?" Marcy asked.
Luz's eyes widened as she realized what just happened. They had the four remaining Archetypes gathered in one place. The Jyamatos were waiting for all four Archetypes to be gathered together so they could kill them all at once.
"It's coz we've got all the Archetypes in one place," Luz concluded.
"Great, so we basically did the leg work for them. Tch, whatever. All we need to do is beat these guys to win," Sasha cracked her knuckles and readied her Monster Buckle.
"I won't let them hurt Amity or anyone else," Luz resolved as she clenched her fists, holding her Zombie Buckle.
"Neither will I," Willow added, gripping her Ninja Buckle.
"You can count on me, Luz," Marcy said as she readied her Magnum Buckle. Sasha was saddened by her friend's support of her nemesis.
[Set!]
They attached their Raise Buckles to their Drivers and initiated their transformations.
"Henshin!"
[ZOMBIE!]
[MONSTER!]
[NINJA!]
[MAGNUM!]
Their armour materialized as their Entry Form suits formed before merging with them, arming them with their weapons. Oscura ran her Berserclaw across the blade of her Zombie Breaker as the chainsaw blade turned on, causing sparks to fly. Soaron pounded her Monster Gloves together. Newtonne levelled her gun at the Jyamatos. Finally, Honey gripped her Ninja Dueler in both hands.
"Now, it's showtime," Oscura declared.
[READY, FIGHT!]
"Gus, you're the rear guard since you don't have your Driver. Use your magic to keep them safe," said Willow.
"On it!" Gus drew two spell circles in the air and had them hover around his wrists, ready to cast at a moment's notice.
"I'll help." Amity followed suit, drawing two spell circles of her own and having them hover around her wrists as well.
"Oh, yeah!" Masha cheered excitedly. "We've got Kamen Riders, baby!" She could not believe that Vee was missing this.
"What the Hell!?" Zoe yelled as she witnessed Luz and the others transform into 'Common Raiders' or whatever those nerdy weebs called them. "S-Since when could Noceda do that?! Why do you have glowing rings?! What is going on?!"
"Short answer: Luz and the rest are fighting to end this nightmare. If they win, all this damage gets reversed and it'll be like nothing ever happened. And these rings are spell circles because Gus and I are witches from another world who can cast magic," Amity explained. "Stay close to me and Gus and you'll be safe. I promise."
"Monsters...? Superheroes...? Witches...?" Zoe was feeling dizzy as she tried to process all this. "…Goddammit, Noceda!"
The Jyamatos and Riders charged at each other. Once they crashed into each other, it was a fight for survival. Oscura began slashing away at the Slasher Jyamatos as Soaron threw punches at them. At the same time, Newtonne fired with her Magnum Shooter 40X as Honey struck with her Ninja Dueler.
Honey separated her Ninja Dueler into Twin Blade Mode and parried a Slasher Jyamato's machete before she kicked it away, sending it flying. Another tried to catch her from behind but Newtonne shot it in the back. Honey whirled around on her heel and slashed it across the chest.
"Thanks, Marcy!"
"No problem, Wills!" Newtonne responded as she punched a Jyamato before shooting it in the face.
Oscura and Soaron bumped back-to-back each other and paused, glaring at each other, before focusing their attention on the Slasher Jyamatos. Swinging her Zombie Breaker, Oscura drove the rotating teeth of the blade into the Jyamatos' body, sawing its way through. Another one tried to come at her from the left and she slashed with her Berserclaw. As one came flying at her from the front, she delivered a kick that sent it sprawling.
At the same time, Soaron was throwing punches, landing an uppercut that flipped a Slasher Jyamato backwards and then she delivered several bone-crushing swings with her Monster Gloves, sending Slasher Jyamatos sprawling. The two Riders swiftly switched places as they blocked the blades of two Slasher Jyamatos before countering with their weapons, knocking them back.
[MONSTER STRIKE!]
[ZOMBIE STRIKE!]
Oscura slammed her Berserclaw on the ground and a giant purple energy version of it burst from the ground, catching the Jyamatos under it and impaling them on each claw, causing them to explode. At the same time, Soaron fired off a chain of energy punches which exploded the Jyamatos in front of her.
Alongside Gus, Amity fired spells to protect Zoe and Masha. Despite specializing in Illusion magic, Gus seemed to have added a few Construction magic spells to his arsenal as he switched between throwing rocks, and breaking some into small pebbles before launching them like a shotgun round at the Jyamatos. Amity was shooting fireballs, which proved to be effective against the plant-based Jyamatos.
"Abomination, rise!" Amity commanded and an Abomination golem made out of dirt emerged in front of her. Amity was skilled with Abomination magic but since Earth lacked the slime she often used, she had experimented with mud and dirt as a substitute.
The dirt Abomination golem released a moaning roar as it swung its fists back and forth, knocking back multiple Slasher Jyamatos with its large arms and fists. A couple managed to get past it and ran straight for Amity, but the Abomination golem made strands of its mud body fly out in the form of tentacles. The muddy tentacles wrapped around the two Slasher Jyamatos before whipping them around, crashing them into each other, and then tossing them like a pair of ragdolls to knock over several of their kind.
When Luz transformed, Amity had not expected to see her girlfriend use the Zombie Buckle. Honestly, she looked good in the spiky armour and the way she swung the Zombie Breaker made her swoon.
Zoe was hyperventilating and having a breakdown. She could not believe this was happening to her! It was all too much for her!
"Willow, think you can stop these guys from attacking us?" Oscura called out.
"I can try but I've only done one at a time! This is a big group!"
"I trust you, Willow! So trust your magic!"
Honey drew one large spell circle, using both ends of the Ninja Dueler to extend her range. Once completed, her eyes glowed as she cast her spell. A green wave spread out the area, hitting the Slasher Jyamatos, and causing them to freeze up.
"What?" Soaron questioned in confusion as she saw the frozen Jyamatos.
"Willow excels at Plant magic and since the Jyamatos are plants, it makes sense that she can control them too," Oscura reasoned.
"That is so broken!" Soaron complained.
"I know, like the ultimate cheat code for this game!" Newtonne agreed excitedly. "All our fights are gonna be so easy after this!"
"G-Guys…" Honey began to strain and shake as she tried to maintain the spell. "I-I can't hold them for m-much l-longer! T-There's too many of them!"
"Gotcha!" Oscura pulled the trigger on her Zombie Breaker.
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
[MAGNUM TACTICAL BLAST!]
[MONSTER STRIKE!]
Oscura slashed with Zombie Breaker, creating a purple crescent energy wave. Newtonne aimed with the Magnum Shooter 40X and fired a powerful linear energy blast. And finally, Soaron slammed both her fists together before throwing a one-two punch that fired two huge fist-shaped energy constructs. All three attacks converged on the immobilised Jyamatos, wiping out the Slasher Jyamato horde in a series of explosions.
"Now that is an epic finish!" Newtonne declared proudly as she shouldered her Magnum Shooter and patted Honey on the back. "Good job, Willow."
"Thanks," Honey huffed. "But that took a lot out of me."'
"But it's not over yet," Oscura said, eyes narrowing. The fog had yet to fade and they had yet to hear the usual announcement that signalled the end of the game.
"What are you talking about, Noceda? We got all of them," Soaron retorted.
"Remember, Sasha. There's always a Boss," Oscura reminded her and she saw the figure emerge from the fog. It was a Rook-type Jyamato that was seven feet tall with a muscular build. It wore blue denim overalls over a red and green striped sweater, work boots, a flannel shirt, and a hockey mask over its face, all of them stained in blood. Its left arm appeared to be fused with a chainsaw while its left hand sported long and sharp claws on each finger.
"OK, this one looks strong," Newtonne studied.
"Then that means he's worth a ton of points!" Soaron shouted as she charged at the Slasher Boss Jyamato. "He's mine!"
"Wait, Sasha!" Newtonne yelled.
Soaron ignored her and punched it in the chest. She expected it to fall from the blow, but it remained standing like a strong oak. She looked up and sweatdropped as the Slasher Boss Jyamato raised its chainsaw arm. She backed away too late as it swiped at her, sparks flying as she was sent tumbling violently.
"Sasha!" Newtonne cried and ran to her friend. The Slasher Boss Jyamato strode towards the group. Honey froze as it approached her, paralyzed with fear. As it brought its chainsaw arm down, Oscura came to her rescue and blocked it with her Zombie Breaker. Sparks flew as metal teeth ground against each other. Oscura strained against the Boss Slasher Jyamato's strength but managed to push it back and away from Honey.
Oscura swung her sword but the Jyamato was faster as it raked its claws across her chest, sending sparks flying. It followed up with a swing of its chainsaw arm, knocking her back. As it swung to take her head off, Honey appeared and landed a dropkick to its chest, sending the Jyamato staggering.
Drawing a spell circle, Honey cast a spell to immobilise the Slasher Boss Jyamato. It worked as the Slasher Boss Jyamato froze but she seemed to be straining herself to keep it still. She cast another spell circle as it continued to resist her spell before it roared and broke out of her control. Honey gasped as she staggered back.
The Slasher Boss Jyamato shook its head and then it drove its claw into the ground.
"What's it doing?" Honey wondered. Green veins spread out from the impact point and suddenly a group of Slasher Jyamato sprouted out from the ground.
"Oh, this is bullshit!" Oscura snapped as they found themselves outnumbered again.
Meanwhile, Newtonne was helping Soaron back to her feet.
"Are you OK, Sasha?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Soaron answered. "Why are you still helping me?"
"Look, we may not agree about Luz, but you're still my friend and I don't want you to die," Newtonne said.
Soaron was touched but then she saw a Jyamato about to attack her from behind.
"Marcy, look out!" Soaron pushed Newtonne aside and punched the Jyamato in the chest, the blow sending it flying and knocking down several of its fellow Jyamatos like boiling pins. "And that's a strike!"
"Thanks," Newtonne said appreciatively as she converted her Magnum Shooter to rifle mode and began sniping the Slasher Jyamatos. "Sash, did you get a new Buckle by any chance?"
"Yeah, it looks like a slot machine," Soaron answered as she punched the Jyamatos that came within punching range. "Haven't tried it yet."
"Use it," Newtonne smiled. "Trust me, it'll be awesome."
The Boss Slasher Jyamato struck with its chainsaw blade, violently sending Oscura and Honey sprawling to the ground.
"Ugh," Oscura grunted as she landed roughly on her back. If she had her Oscura Buckle, this would be so much easier.
"Luz, you OK?" Honey asked.
"Peachy," Oscura snarked and her eyes widened as the Jyamato was about to bring its chainsaw on her but vines shot out of the ground, and ensnared its arm, pulling the limb back. "Thanks, Willow. Think you can do the same trick on the Boss?"
Honey tried to use her magic to take control of the Boss Slasher Jyamato again, but she felt it resisting her and it broke the connection. She was exhausted from controlling those other Jyamatos earlier.
"I can't. It's too strong," Honey answered.
"It's OK, Willow. You did your best," Oscura said encouragingly. She got up with Honey to regroup with the others. Oscura then took out her FeverSlot Buckle. She had used it before, but what would happen if she used it with her Zombie Buckle? Only one way to find out.
[Revolve On!]
[Set Fever!]
She pushed down the lever, hoping to get something good.
[HIT! DRILL! HIT!]
Oscura's body went through the Revolve On process as she turned upside down and body parts shifted. At the end of the conversion, she had the Zombie Armor on her lower body and the Drill Raise Armour on her upper body, equipping her with the Raise Drill on her right hand.
"Not what I was hoping for," Oscura remarked as the Boss Slayer Jyamato came at her. She struck with the drill. The bit revved up, spinning rapidly as Oscura's impact drove it into the Boss Slasher Jyamato, causing sparks to fly as it was driven back. "Still effective." It came at her again and she twisted the knob on her Zombie Buckle to initiate her finisher.
[ZOMBIE STRIKE!]
She delivered a kick with her Berserclaw on her right foot, but the Boss Slasher Jyamato was not destroyed as it was knocked back by the attack. It recovered quickly to resume its attack.
[Revolve On!]
[Set Fever!]
[HIT! SHIELD! HIT!]
[HIT! WATER! HIT!]
Newtonne now wore the Shield Raise Armour on her upper body and the Magnum Armour on her lower body. As for Soaron, she ended up with the Water Raise Armour on her upper body and her Monster Armour on her lower body.
"OK, this is a mismatch," Newtonne sweatdropped as she blocked with her shield and then fired with her Magnum Shooter.
"Seriously!?" Soaron looked at the useless Raise Water as she used it to block the machetes.
"It must be probability-based! Like a slot machine!" Newtonne explained.
"So, getting a good form relies on luck!?" Soaron squawked.
"Fraid so."
The Boss Slasher Jyamato sent Oscura reeling as sparks flew from her chest. As it went for another swing, Honey used her plant magic to keep the Boss Slasher Jyamato at bay. However, it was slicing and dicing through her vines with its claws and chainsaw. At the same time, Oscura put her hand on the FeverSlot Buckle's lever.
"Please, give me something good to protect Amity."
Meanwhile, Soaron was cornered as the Slasher Jyamatos surrounded her. She put her hand on the FeverSlot Buckle's lever.
"Gimme something good so I can bring back Anne someday."
And Newtonne had just performed a shield bash move before she put her hand on her FeverSlot Buckle's lever.
"Please, Gods of Probability, don't fail me now!"
The Riders pushed down on the level and the slot machine reels began to rapidly rotate. It was all a matter of luck for them to get the desired result.
[ZOMBIE!]
"Oh, sweet!" Oscura declared.
[HIT! FEVER ZOMBIE!]
[MONSTER!]
"Yes!" Soaron cheered.
[HIT! FEVER MONSTER!]
[MAGNUM!]
"Thank you, Gods of Probability!"
[HIT! FEVER MAGNUM!]
Golden stars spilt out of the FeverSlot logos like coins from a slot machine before they morphed into their armour and equipped onto their bodies.
Oscura now wore a full-body version of her Zombie Armour and was equipped with two Zombie Breakers instead of one. She also gained a golden accessory in the form of a golden hood.
Soaron now wore the full-body version of the Monster Armour and she also gained golden bandannas wrapped around her biceps.
Finally, Newtonne had on a full-body version of the Magnum Armour and got herself a golden scarf along with a second Magnum Shooter 40X.
The eyes of each of the Riders also flashed, turning bright yellow.
"Okay, now, it's showtime!" Oscura declared and she charged at the Boss Slasher Jyamato. It swung its chainsaw at her but she crossed her swords and caught it between them before shattering it with her weapons. The Boss Jyamato staggered from shock as Oscura pushed her advantage, striking it with a forward thrust.
"Ora! Oraoraoraoraora!" Soaron yelled as she fired rapid-fire punches at the Jyamatos, sending them flying and blowing them up. She looked at her hands in shock. "Wow! How are we so strong!?"
"Must be a synergy boost since the upper and lower body armour now matches," Newtonne theorized as she dual-wielded her guns. She fired rapidly at the surrounding Jyamatos, gunning them down as she aimed for their heads like they were zombies. "Eat dirt, plant freaks! Ahahahahahaha!"
The Jyamatos scrambled away from her. One tried to get her from behind but she managed to duck under its swing before she put the muzzle of her gun to its chest.
"Hasta la vista, baby!" she yelled before she pulled the trigger, riddling it with holes. She began charging at the Jyamatos, pistol-whipping them left and right while pulling the trigger, hitting the Jyamatos in range in the head.
[GOLDEN FEVER VICTORY!]
Her leg and arm blasters folded out and Newtonne jumped into the air. Spinning in midair, Newtonne unleashed an ungodly amount of energy rounds from her bracer and greave blasters. The energy bullets flew through the air in seemingly random directions as she fired salvo after salvo from her blasters and Mangum Shooters. The energy bullets, as if having locked on to their targets, all sought out and struck a – seemingly – designated Slasher Jyamato, some getting hit multiple times. Energy bullets curved and weaved as some of the poor creatures tried to deflect or even get behind cover, but it was all a futile effort on their part. Newtonne finally dropped out of the sky, and as she did, all the Slasher Jyamatos she had shot collapsed onto the ground. The newt-themed Rider crossed her arms to form an 'X' as her helmet's eyes glowed at the same time before a series of explosions went off around her, creating a brief updraft of wind that made Newtonne's golden scarf flutter.
Soaron was a bit freaked out from watching Newtonne go all trigger-happy and also a bit excited.
The Boss Slasher Jyamato was sent sprawling by Oscura who advanced on it to finish the job. Several Slasher Jyamatos tried to get in her way, but they would not survive her wrath.
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
She swiftly dispatched them with her double Zombie Breakers before she reached the Boss Slasher Jyamato.
"Time for the finale!"
[GOLDEN FEVER VICTORY!]
Oscura closed in on the monster as she slashed upwards with the left Zombie Breaker, tearing a golden gash across its chest. The Rider of Darkness raised her right Zombie Breaker and slashed downwards, creating a glowing golden 'X' on its chest. But she was far from done. Oscura spun on her left heel, spun around, and slashed the Rook Jyamato with her Berserclaw in the form of a spinning roundhouse. Five claw mark gashes formed overtop the 'X' pattern as the monster stumbled backwards before exploding.
All the Slasher Jyamatos had been defeated and the Riders panted in exhaustion from their battle. They scanned the area to make sure that all of their enemies had been taken care of.
"Was that all of them?" Soaron asked, hopefully. She was not sure how much more she could take.
"That was the boss of this game, right? If he was, then everything should be going back to normal by now," said Newtonne.
"Something's not right," Honey spoke up.
"Wait, I haven't seen that one that took the Head Counselor, you know, the one that had all the pins in its head," said Masha.
"I don't think we've seen one like that," said Gus.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, black chains, each with a razor-sharp hook, launched themselves out of the trees. The chains flew at great speeds until they finally hit their mark, piercing her shoulders, thighs, and her sides.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed into the night, causing everyone to look in her direction in sheer horror.
"AMITY!" Oscura cried out.
The six chains lifted Amity into the air, holding her up there as her blood dripped down and splattered against the dirt. A seventh chain was fired, but unlike the previous six, this one had an arrowhead. The seventh chain sailed through the air before impaling itself through Amity's back and out through her stomach. The teen witch coughed up blood upon getting hit and felt even more excruciating pain course through her body. The creator of the chains made themselves known, and as they suspected, it was the Pinhead Jyamato from earlier only this time it now had a crown like a Rook Jyamato. Just like before, the chains were coming from the strange cube nestled between its hands.
The world came to a grinding halt and the only sound that Oscura could hear was her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Amity, her love, her future fiance, was being dangled in the air by a monster and was bleeding out. The Rider of Darkness tightened her grip on the Zombie Breakers in both of her hands as she released a guttural roar of rage. She dashed towards the chains and jumped into the air.
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
Supercharging her Zombie Breakers, Oscura swung and shattered the chains holding Amity with energy slashes. As Amity fell from the air, Oscura tossed the Zombie Breakers at the Jyamato who dared to injure her lover and then caught her beloved girlfriend before she could hit the ground. The two Zombie Breakers flew like ballistic missiles and struck the Pinhead Jyamato right in the chest, causing sparks to fly into the air as it was flung onto its back. Disengaging her armour, Luz gently placed Amity on the ground. She whimpered as her hands trembled, not knowing what to do right now.
"L-Luz…"
"Shh! Shh! It's okay, batata, I-I'll fix you right up! J-Just give me–!"
"L-Luz…finish this game…"
"B-B-But…!"
"Y-You and I…both know that when you win…all of this will go back to normal," Amity said weakly.
"B-But you're dying! I have to save you! I won't let you die, Amity! I need you!" Luz pleaded.
"I'm…I'm dying now…but when you win, I'll be good as new…Plus…maybe this was a long time coming…"
"What do you mean?! You don't deserve this!"
"After all the pain I put you through…After all the times I could've ended your suffering…I never really paid for what I did…not in a way that mattered…"
"You made up for it plenty, Amity! Do you hear me?!"
Amity's eyes started to close as she said her last words.
"Luz…I'm so sorry for everything I did to you all those years ago…I know I said it plenty of times before now…but I meant it every time…I'm…sorry…I love you…"
Luz watched as Amity's body went limp in her arms.
"H-H-Hey…Ams…c-c'mon, don't go quiet on me right now. S-Say something…C-Call me a perv…S-Say you love me again…S-Say something…P-Please…" Luz received no reply. She held her lover close and wailed. "AMITYYYYYYYY!"
These were no simple tears being shed nor was it normal sobbing. The cries and wails that Luz released spoke of deep pain, of a great sense of loss and sorrow that no one could dare to comprehend. She did not just see her girlfriend die, she saw her future wife die in her arms, and she was unable to do anything to save her.
A flash of lightning, a rumbling of thunder, and then it began to rain. First, it was a few drops before it began to pour. However, none of them went to seek shelter. Soaron and Newtonne could feel the sadness in Luz's sobs, making them recall their own pain from losing Anne, and ending up shedding tears of their own. Masha was doing her best to keep it together, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing down her face.
Luz and Amity irritated Zoe. She hated them, but…now Amity was dead, killed right in front of her. She may have hated them, but…no…she never wanted this to happen to them. This wasn't fair to them.
Honey felt the strength about to leave her legs. She gritted her teeth and turned towards the Pinhead Jyamato. Gus wiped his tears and summoned two spell circles as he prepared to exact vengeance upon the Jyamato. Soaron and Newtonne shook off their sadness and it was replaced with rage as they brought their weapons up. All four began to form a semicircle, preparing to jump the Pinhead Jyamato as it rose back to its feet.
"No…"
There was a flash of lightning followed by a boom of thunder. Everyone turned around and was frightened when they saw a violet aura rage around Luz's body as she gently set Amity down on the ground, placing her lover's hands over her chest as she stood up. Luz's eyes began to shine and everyone could feel her death glare being aimed squarely at the Pinhead Jyamato.
"That bastard is mine." Luz took a single step forward, causing the air to tremble. "No one else interferes."
She wasn't asking them not to interfere, Luz was telling them not to interfere or else. Gus, Honey, Soaron, and Newtonne backed away until they were standing behind Luz where Masha and Zoe stood, and where Amity's body lay.
Luz's heart shattered when Amity died in her arms but that wasn't all. What she felt went beyond just anger, beyond mere hatred. This monster killed the love of her life, this monster ripped her happiness away from her, and this piece of filth dared to even exist in front of her. No, this was not anger or hatred, this was WRATH. A flash of violet energy and shadowy feathers went off in front of Luz, revealing the Oscura Darkness Buckle, floating in a translucent orb of violet energy. Not questioning its appearance, Luz swiftly took the Oscura Buckle and set it on her Driver.
[Set!]
"Henshin."
[OSCURA! DARKNESS, NOW!]
Six black wings sprouted from Luz's back, wrapping around her body before a blast of violet light made the feathers disperse as they cascaded around her. Now Oscura was back in the armour she used before during the final round of the previous Desire Grand Prix.
[READY, FIGHT!]
Gus and Honey were shocked to see the visage of the original Kamen Rider Oscura recreated before them. Soaron noticed this, and honestly, she couldn't blame them for feeling this way. This was the person who oppressed their people for months, and now she was standing before them in all her glory once again.
Boscha was in the lounge area of the Desire Temple. She was disappointed and angry at herself for letting that human kill her in such a ridiculous manner, and even angrier at the human who managed to get the better of her. Currently, the Potions witch was sitting on the sofa, with a tub of ice cream cradled in her left arm, and a spoon in her right hand as she ate from the tub directly.
There was a holographic screen that displayed the current goings on. She zoned out partway through, having switched on her to scroll to check her Penstagram account. It sucked that she couldn't post anything about the DGP. If it wasn't for the fact that she'd automatically get disqualified for telling anyone about it, she would be posting like crazy. Her popularity would soar and her follower numbers would skyrocket. It was then that Boscha looked up from her scroll and watched as Amity got attacked by the Jyamato, getting herself impaled several times by it.
"Amity!" Boscha exclaimed as she stood up from the couch. "Feh, serve you right. If you had stayed by my side and accepted me, you wouldn't be that monster's slab of meat on a hook. Guess there is some justice in this universe."
However, Boscha's spiteful jubilation was cut short when she saw something happening to Luz. She saw the six black wings forming, and then when they dispersed, Boscha nearly jumped behind the couch when she saw the monster herself.
"No…NO WAY! IT CAN'T BE! NOT HER! O-OSCURA!"
"You killed the one I love…" Oscura reached up with her right hand and placed it over her chest. "You took mi corazón from me."
The Pinhead Jyamato, to its credit, did not flinch as the box produced more chains.
"Now…"
The chains lashed out towards Oscura but before they could touch her, she disappeared in a flurry of black feathers. In the next moment, she reappeared right behind the Pinhead Jyamato, her visor shining with a fierce light to match her fury.
" …You are going to suffer."
The Pinhead Jyamato quickly redirected its chains and had them go after her, but Oscura vanished yet again before she reappeared right in front of it.
"Prideful Strength, NOW!"
Oscura's body was immediately wrapped in a golden-yellow aura that took on the appearance of a lion's head. The aura even roared loudly enough to blast the rain away from them for a few seconds. With her increased physical strength, Oscura used her right hand and backhanded the Pinhead Jyamato, essentially slapping it in the face. While it looked like a simple backhand, the impact was thunderous as it sent the monster flying. Several trees snapped and broke as the Pinhead Jyamato crashed into them, one after the other as it carved a path through the forest. Oscura's black wings unfurled as she disappeared from sight, reappearing several yards away, and right in the path of where the Pinhead Jyamato was heading. Oscura waited, crossing her arms as she bided her time. After a few seconds, Oscura dashed straight for the Jyamato and grabbed it by its neck, snatching it out of the air as she yelled with pure rage.
"RAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"
She flew straight up into the air, creating a sonic boom which flattened the trees all around her. They rose higher and higher into the air, entering the clouds as lightning flashed around them. The monster in her hands squirmed and wriggled, and tried to hurt her by slashing at her with the blades it unhooked from its belt. But it was a futile effort. She wanted to see this monster struggle, to make it think it had a chance of surviving.
Lighting flashed once more as thunder roared around them. Oscura was done entertaining it. With another flap of her shadow wings, Oscura created another sonic boom as she flew straight down. She extended her right arm forward, the same one that held the Pinhead Jyamato. In a matter of seconds, they crashed against the earth, creating a huge explosion that echoed even over the thunder. The ground became concave as it formed a huge crater with fissuring cracks that spider-webbed in all directions. Gus and Willow had to use their magic to form a barrier just to make sure that the collateral damage of the debris didn't hit them.
To Oscura's surprise and immense pleasure, the Pinhead Jyamato was still alive. This normally would be the part where most Riders would put this creature out of its misery. Oh, but she was only getting started. Oscura flapped her wings and propelled both of them forward. She dragged the monster against the forest floor, upturning dirt and gravel as she kept flying. After a short flight, she raised it out of the dirt and then slammed the Jyamato against the barrier that marked the boundary line of the Jyamar Area. Oscura flew up higher and higher before tossing the monster like a ragdoll straight into the forest again. The Pinhead Jyamato impacted against the harsh ground, creating a body-sized crater.
"Dark Root, NOW!"
The ground rumbled under the Pinhead Jyamato and within seconds black roots sprouted from the ground, four in total. All four lashed out and wrapped themselves around each of the Pinhead Jyamato's limbs. The roots raised it up into the air and began to pull against the limbs until it felt as if they were going to be ripped off.
"Black Ice, NOW!"
Oscura snapped her fingers, and upon doing so, all four of the Pinhead Jyamato's limbs were frozen in blocks of black ice. The Rider of Darkness floated before the monster as she grabbed it again by the neck and held on tight.
"Explosion, NOW!"
Four orbs of fiery light appeared at the centre of each of the four blocks of ice and detonated. The explosions blasted off the Jyamato's limbs and left it with four frozen stubs. The creature writhed in her hands, no doubt in agony, which was fine by her. Oscura leaned closer until she was eye-to-eye with the monster. After a moment, she pulled back and scoffed at it.
"You're not even worth a Rider Kick. But I'll still send you to Hell in style."
Oscura released the Pinhead Jyamato, which had been reduced to a limbless torso. Once it hit the ground, Oscura pulled the ring switch of her Oscura Buckle.
[GRAND DARKNESS VICTORY!]
"Wrathful Destruction, NOW!"
Oscura's entire body flared up with crimson red light, wafting off her body like a raging wildfire which began to grow. The crimson energy flames got bigger, and bigger, and bigger until she appeared as a giant red sun in the sky. The intense heat and energy of the crimson energy flame evaporated the rain around her, creating a steam cloud as a loud hissing echoed overhead.
Oscura waved her hands around as she moulded the energy. The crimson energy flames began to morph into a giant oriental dragon that coiled around Oscura. The Pinhead Jyamato below rolled back and forth, desperately trying to get away from what it knew would be its inevitable demise.
Gus and Honey could tell what was coming was going to hit hard so the two witches drew a huge spell circle together, combining their magic to form an even stronger barrier.
"DRAGÓN DE ANIQUILACIÓN!"
Oscura raised her right hand like an executioner's blade and brought it down. By her unspoken command, the crimson dragon rose higher into the sky before angling itself downwards. The huge construct beast roared with the very wrathful power and emotions that it was birthed from, opening its huge maw and revealing a mouth filled with intense crimson flames. The Pinhead Jyamato released sounds that could be construed as screams as the construct hit.
A massive explosion went off, bathing the entire area in crimson light that obscured everything else. Then the shockwave hit and levelled several trees for several miles while blowing down the cabins in the campgrounds. Luckily, the barriers that Amity had created earlier to protect the children managed to hold, but not without a few cracks showing up, barely hanging on by a thread. The same could be said for Honey and Gus' combined barrier. If the blast wasn't so focused, they doubted that they'd still be here right now.
When it was over, and the dust finally settled, a molten crater was all that was left of the Pinhead Jyamato.
[MISSION CLEARED!]
Oscura exhaled a long sigh as she managed to calm herself if only a little. She flew back to where everyone was. Upon touching down, her Rider form was released, returning her to civilian form, while the Oscura Buckle also vanished into thin air.
Honey and Gus were anxious. They remembered what happened the last time Luz snapped like that, years ago.
"Was that…Was that really Luz…?" Newtonne asked in both disbelief and a little fear.
"Now do you see what I mean, Mar-Mar? How powerful she is with that Buckle. That's how easily she could've beaten the Final Boss in the last DGP. And why Anne's death is her fault in the end. Yeah, we would've lost, but Anne would still be alive. And now that you've seen this, you can't say that it's still only my fault," Soaron argued.
"Anne chose to sacrifice herself for you," Newtonne reminded. "Luz had nothing to do with that."
Soaron sighed. She should've known it wouldn't be that easy to convince Newtonne. But, still, she could at least empathize with how Noceda was feeling right now. Even if Amity was going to come back.
Luz walked like a zombie towards them and she had the look of someone who had died inside. She kept walking until she was now at the centre of the group, where Amity's body rested. Luz dropped to her knees before her girlfriend's body and placed her hands over Amity's as she sat there in silence. Luz pulled down the zipper of her jacket and reached inside to clutch Amity's necklace.
"Noceda…" Zoe whispered. "I'm…I'm so sorry…"
Sasha released her Rider form as well. She rubbed the back of her head as she tried to think of something to say. Her feelings were conflicted. On the one hand, Luz was responsible for Anne's death; but right now, Luz was going through the same pain as her.
Releasing her Rider form, Marcy walked over to Luz and knelt down beside her.
"Luz, it'll be okay. We won. Amity's going to come back. Look."
Luz looked closely as Amity's body started to turn into blue particles. Then the entire area started to transform into blue particles as the reset began.
"W-What's going on?" Masha asked as they witnessed this happening.
"It's the reset," Luz answered. "Like we said, all the damage is going to be undone. All the people who died will be returned to life. And this nightmare will be erased from your memories."
"Y-You were serious about that?" Zoe asked. "We won't remember any of this?"
"Do you seriously want to remember something this horrible?" Sasha asked.
Zoe looked down at the lifeless Amity, and then at Luz.
"But…you all will, right?"
"For better or worse, yes, we will," Willow answered after releasing her Rider form too.
'That's not fair…not…not after all this. I…' Zoe thought, clenching her fists.
"Noceda!" Zoe called out. "I should've said this to you at the party! But I need you to know that I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything! You didn't deserve all the grief I put you through! None of it! You were right! I know you were just trying to help me! I…I just needed you to know, you and Blight! I–!"
Zoe's body suddenly dispersed into blue particles.
"Wow…I did not see that coming," said Masha. The enby watched as Amity's body was the next to disperse. Once it had, Masha walked up to Luz. "Hey, I know you're not going to be totally alright after this. But, just remember, I'm here for you. So are Vee, your mom, and Amity. I know you said you can't tell us about this but at least–"
Masha's body dispersed next, leaving only the Riders.
"Let's head back to the temple," Willow said.
"Yeah…" Luz answered quietly as she got up.
All the Riders vanished as the area was returned to its original natural splendour.
This Jyamato Slasher game was probably the most intense game that Luz, Sasha and Marcy had ever fought in. Compared to the previous games, there was just so much death, and Luz lost Amity, at least for a moment. After this, she would be brought back to life, safe and sound. Although, Sasha and Marcy, even Gus and Willow, knew that nothing was going to erase the memories of seeing someone they knew get killed like that. It was even worse for Luz. Now, every time she looked at Amity, she would remember that awful moment.
"Congratulations Riders. I know this was a terribly rough game, but your perseverance is rewarded in the safety of the ones you defended. Unfortunately, as Augustus Porter failed to reclaim his Desire Driver, he will be promptly retired," Tsumuri stated.
"I'm so sorry, Gus," Willow said sadly.
"No, it's fine," Gus smiled. "I managed to become a Rider and see the Human Realm, even if for a little while."
"What was your wish anyway?" Luz asked.
"I wanted to have a new portal between the Human Realm and Demon Realm," Gus answered. "I know that a lot of witches and demons may not like humans anymore, but I'm still fascinated by your world, Luz. I just wish I could explore more of it."
"Someday, Gus. Someday, you will," Luz said encouragingly and she shared a hug with her friend.
[Retired!]
In the middle of their hug, Gus vanished as his body evaporated into blue particles. He was teleported back home, back to his normal life, with no memory of the DGP or ever reuniting with Luz. It was tragic, really.
"Think Gus will be OK?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, he'll be back home and not remember any of this," Luz said.
"Oh," Willow realised. "So, if I lost, I would forget meeting you again too."
"Yeah, but if I win I won't forget seeing you again, Willow."
"Wait, what about Boscha?" Marcy asked. "She was killed early in the game. Shouldn't she be eliminated as well?"
"Oh, I managed to collect my Driver before I found Amity," Boscha said smugly. "So, I'm still in the game."
The room went deathly silent when Boscha mentioned Amity. Willow, Marcy, and even Sasha glared at triclops with disdain after hearing what she did to Amity. However, their glares changed to a look of fear when they felt the intimidating aura coming from Luz.
"Thank you for reminding me, Boscha. After everything that happened, I almost forgot…" Luz walked up to the three-eyed witch, cocked back her right fist, and punched Boscha straight in the face, throwing the witch to the floor. "That was for putting your hands on Amity, you bitch!"
"You know that's against the rules," Tsumuri reminded.
"Fine, I'll take the damn penalty! It's worth it!" Luz glared down at the witch on the floor "You're so goddamn lucky we can't attack each other during the game, Boscha!"
"You should be disqualified!" Boscha complained. "You just attacked me!"
"After what you did, you deserve it!" Luz snapped.
Grumbling, Boscha stood up and went to stand beside Sasha.
"Does it hurt?" Sasha asked.
"Yes, Titan damn it," Boscha cursed.
"You know, I'm the last person to defend Noceda, but even I would punch someone if they put their hands on someone I love," Sasha said.
"Seriously?" Boscha goggled.
"Oh, and that story you fed me about you and Amity being girlfriends, I know it's total bullshit," Sasha added, crossing her arms firmly.
"C-C'mon, Sasha, you're not really going to take her word for it, right? I saw all that mess too, and believe me, I wouldn't put it past her to have done something to Amity in the four years she's been here!" Boscha argued.
"I get that you have a thing for her, but there's having a crush, and then there's what you did."
"Ahem," Marcy interjected. "I think the word you're looking for is 'yandere'."
Boscha shot a brief glare at Marcy before returning her gaze to Sasha.
"You're really going to end our alliance over this? Okay, I'll admit, I…I got a little carried away but it's been so long since I've seen her, held her…Oscura is still a monster! You saw what she could do! Now imagine that, but a thousand times worse, and that's what she was!"
"I agree, she's a monster, but she's not heartless," Sasha said as she looked at Luz sternly and her eyes softened. She had seen how hard Luz fought to avenge Amity. That did not seem like something an evil tyrant would do. However, she still scowled at how unfair it was. While Anne's death was permanent, Amity would be revived. "But don't worry, I'm still going to beat her. And despite your little stunt, we're not over, not yet anyway."
Boscha looked relieved to hear that Sasha was still willing to stay in an alliance with her.
"Thank you, Sash–!"
"Don't thank me yet!" Sasha threw a sharp glare at the three-eyed witch. "You're officially on probation. You try another stunt like that again and our alliance is off! Understand?"
Boscha flinched at Sasha's harsh tone and reluctantly nodded her head. For better or worse, Sasha was her best chance at surviving and making it to the final round. Breaking up their alliance now would have her face off against the likes of Oscura alone. Seeing what she did during that last battle, there was no doubt in Boscha's mind that the monster who made everyone's lives in the Demon Realm hell for months and nearly destroyed two worlds was still a threat.
'You won't win, Oscura. As the Titan is my witness, I will make sure you die during this game. One way or another…'
Dr. Explosion: OK, this had to be the most intense round of the DGP that I have ever written. I mean, the emotional drama, the suspense, the action, it was all too much and I feel like I need to lie down after this. Anyway, glad that everything worked out in the end, even though Amity did technically die here. Fortunately, the post-round reset will save her and she won't remember a thing. Only Luz and the remaining players will have to live with the memory. So, Gus got booted and Boscha managed to stay. I know a lot of you wanted Boscha booted, but she managed to get her Driver before she found Amity. So, she's safe, for now, but it does seem like her alliance with Sasha might be strained after this.
So, Gus's wish is as follows: "I want a new portal that connects the Human Realm and Demon Realm." Even after everything that happened, his fascination with humans and the Human Realm has yet to waver.
Michael_Ravencroft: And that, my friends, concludes the Slasher Games! Emotional damage all around! Luz saw Amity die! And some cracks may have formed in Sasha and Boscha's alliance (finally!). And unfortunately, Gus got retired. Ugh, yeah, Boscha's a b****, but she did technically get her Driver before Masha blew her ass up, so…meh. But at least we all got that satisfaction of Luz knocking her on her ass! Ha!
But now how will Luz cope with everything? She literally saw the love of her life die horribly in her arms, and now she'll have to keep that memory in her mind every time she looks at Amity. Damn. Well, I think we need a good intermission after all that so we can cool down. Hopefully, we will get something nice and sweet. Until next time, stay tuned Rider faithful!