It had all begun on that day, 10 years ago. Michiru Haruyama was simply a high school senior back in 2013, when she found herself the victim of a creature attacking her. She had thought it was her crush Shinzo, until he turned to her with a malicious look and said "The human Shinzo Hattori fell into despair and died, giving birth to a Phantom: me." He then transformed into a monster and laughed at how she had thought a girl as plainly dressed as her could ever be loved by a man as attractive as him. At that point, Michiru had thought it would all be over for her, until a man in a black and red outfit who introduced himself as Wizard appeared. He smoked the demon and saved her from the mounting sense of dread in her mind. Since then, Michiru had followed Wizard's exploits, and done her research, discovering that there were others like him out there, fighting for humanity.
So soon enough, Michiru had been scouted by George Karizaki to work with him on his "Humanity as Kamen Riders" project, even gifting her with Wizard's associated Crocodile Vistamp (an odd choice for a Rider modelled after a dragon, but she was too stoked at receiving the item to care). Along with the aid of another scientist named Saikawa, the three were working on replicating Karizaki's personal Rider System, the Juuga Driver, for civilian use. Michiru was amazed at how Karizaki had managed to take a system that was meant to use the power of its users' inner demons and removed that handicap by boosting the power of the animals. "How amazing.", Michiru had gushed at the time.
Things changed as soon as Takada was invited onto the project. Michiru had heard rumours about this man, that all of his discoveries and inventions were stolen from other scientists that he posed as assistant to. When she took Saikawa aside to discuss this with him, she was shocked by the other man's response. "Of course. He's here to take Karizaki-san's research on the Juuga Driver for himself."
As if on cue, Takada entered. "I knew that one of you scientists might have a faint inkling of knowledge as to my dark secret.", he stated. "So I had Saikawa on my side before I even signed onto this project to take it over."
Michiru was shocked by this. "You're willing to undermine George's work and allow it to be perverted?", she asked her colleague. "Why?"
"Because George is a major jerk!", was Saikawa's answer. "One time, I was trying to get the last piece of cake at lunch, and then George pushed in line and took it for hismelf when I knelt down to tie my shoelaces." Michiru shrugged at this. While fairly petty, it was slightly reasonable. If you were utterly insane.
"And as for you, I don't want you telling George about our little scheme.", Takada said to her. "But don't worry, I'm not going to tell him how you tragically got killed in a botched mugging, or whatever." He instead took out a hospital bill. One that Michiru recognised. "In fact, I'm going to appeal to your desperation and offer you what you want: your mother to return to full health." Michiru was shocked to hear this. Her mother had come down with a degenerative disease in the last three months, but there was an easy treatment for it, with a 99% success probability. But the money to pay for the operation was so high that while Michiru was working on the "Humanity as Kamen Riders" project to make the world safer, a part of her was doing it purely for the money from royalties.
And unfortunately, during that instant, that part of her won out. "What do you want me to do?", Michiru asked.
"All I need you to do is help me discredit George Karizaki so that I can force him out and take over the project.", can't the answer from Takada. "Simply stir up protests from the public and help make this project look bad, so that people will stop beeliving in it." He then took out an envelope. "And once we succeed, I will give you this money, so that your mother's life will be saved."
And so, the darker side of Michiru took over that day, becoming Takada's lackey, helping him release Olteca from the prison Blue Bird had secured him in and providing him with both his old Daiouika Vistamp and a Demons Driver (he'd be most familiar with that particular belt, after all). And then Saikawa unleashed a Deadman using a prototype Brachio Vistamp for George to fight as Juuga and inevitably fail, due to his Juuga Driver's poor power output. But Michiru hadn't entirely fallen prey to the evil within her. Rather than use her own Vistamp to create a Deadman, she deliberately contented herself by recording Juuga's fight and then streaming it online. But overall, Takada's plan to have Olteca steal the Juuga Driver for them failed to account for Olteca's lack of care for anyone but himself. And so, Michiru ended up joining Takada and Saikawa in the same cell block that Olteca had inhabited, before he broke out again on his own. She could only stare at herself in the mirror, telling herself. "You shouldn't have listened to that man. Because of him, Mother is going to die. All because of your greed. What would Wizard think?"
And so Michiru lingered in the cell for three days, until she saw the woman who had arrested her, the former Deadmans member, opening her cell. "You're free to go.", was the woman's first words.
"What?", Michiru said in response. "Why?"
"I've been reviewing your case.", was the woman's answer. "It would be remiss of me not to offer you a second chance, considering I got one for much less of a sob story than you have." She then handed the newly released prisoner a receipt. "And don't worry, Blue Bird has fully compensated Kaoru Haruyama for her operation and she's expected to make a full recovery."
Michiru was shocked to hear this, to the point she allowed a tear to fall down from her eye. For the second time in her life, she had suffered a moment of weakness that almost cost her dearly. But then a Kamen Rider had once more saved her as she was giving in to despair. Walking away, the Crocodile Vistamp once more in hand, Michiru promised that next time, she would be the Kamen Rider saving someone from despair.