Kuuga Chapter

Part 3: Yusuke

Ichijou had just been focusing on keeping warm for a while, using the physical hardship to push fear and doubt out of his mind. He was not an optimist. Things like belief and trust didn't come easy to him. But there was one man who'd broken through all his defences, who he'd believe in to the end.

Godai would come. And this time, he would win. This Ichijou knew for certain.

Footsteps crunched towards him over the snow. Daguva's blissful expression appeared through the howling blizzard. "Hello, friend."

Ichijou shot him, just out of spite.

Daguva giggled as the bullet bounced uselessly off him. "I understand."

"What?"

"You're running out of patience with me." He grinned from ear to ear. "I'm getting impatient too. And I'm starting to wonder. What'll get the biggest rise outta Kuuga? Fighting to rescue you, or fighting to avenge you?"

"Hold on…" Ichijou started taking slow steps back, Daguva matching his pace and staying right in front of him.

His skin warped and ruptured, his Grongi form bursting forth, claws reaching for Ichijou's face. "It's not often I only get one human to play with. I wonder how far I can get your blood to spread."

The hardened police officer was completely frozen up. Again, death stared him in the face. Again, he could only think of how much more he had to do.

Then a long metal bolt speared through the air, knocking Daguva's hand away.

He gave a long, contented hiss, swinging around towards the source of the attack. "Lucky you."

A gleaming spot of colour appeared through the blizzard, rapidly getting closer. Kuuga, in his green 'archer' form, infused with his golden power, crossbow-like weapon levelled across the BeatChaser's handlebars. He kept firing as the bike roared nearer, implacable tires devouring the tough terrain, Daguva strolling forwards and smacking the bolts out of the air.

The distance between them shrank to nothing in moments—at the last second, Godai pulled further on his reserves, tossing away his weapon as it reverted to the revolver he'd converted it from, armour shifting from green to black.

The distance closed, and they met at the centre of the storm, Kuuga's punch glancing off Daguva's chest while the Grongi's sweeping arm caught Godai by the neck, wrenching him off his bike and flipping him onto his back, the vehicle careening off into the snow.

Godai didn't have time to recover, dragged up off the ground just in time to have another powerful blow slammed into his body, Daguva's grip on him never relaxing.

"I won't…let you…" he slurred.

"Come on, Kuuga. Come on, little hero. You've got more than that, right?" Finally, he tossed Godai away, landing him next to Ichijou. "Bring out the real Kuuga. I know you can feel it waiting. Let it out."

"Godai…?" Ichijou crouched by him, concern etched into his face, helping him sit up. "What's he talking about?"

"I can't…" Godai mumbled. "That power, I can't…" He looked up. "I'm so glad I got here in time. You're alive." The relief was palpable.

"Alive…not safe." Ichijou frowned. "No-one is, with him around. Do you understand, Godai?" I'm ordering him to fight again… He dropped the stern expression. "I'm sorry…that it had to be you, going through all this, hurting, hurting others…"

Godai shook his head. "No, it's okay. I'm glad it was me. Because…no matter what else happened, or happens now…because I got to meet you."

Before he could say any more, he saw Daguva's hand flick out, wreathed in magical flame—

—and jumped to his feet, throwing himself in front of Ichijou and in the attack's path, yelling in pain as he hit the ground, Kuuga's form vanishing and leaving a half-conscious human lying gasping in the snow.

"Godai!" Ichijou ran to him, shaking him by the shoulders. "Godai! Stay with me!"

"…sorry…I couldn't do it…" he was saying, his voice thin.

"I'm disappointed," Daguva said, still advancing towards them, taking his time. "You were supposed to give me some fun at last. But you're boring. You have the power but you won't use it!" The flames returned. "I guess if we're done here…"

"I'm sorry," Godai said again, holding tight to Ichijou and closing his eyes.

Metallic footsteps thundered across the snowy field.

My best won't even knock him off-balance…but…if I could use that…

Kamen Rider #1 gave another glance down at the busted panel on his belt as he ran.

It's had some time to heal…it might be good for one use…even if just for a moment…

Have to count on it!

"DAGUVA!" His booming voice carried through the biting wind as he emerged through the snow, his full figure following his glowing compound eyes into visibility.

"You again?" Dagua hissed. "I'm busy—"

Hongo popped open the cracked panel, flipping the switch. "Rider Power!" Jagged arcs of light leapt out from his belt, flowing up his body and along his limbs. He flinched as the damaged mechanism caused him pain, but kept running, transitioning into a flying leap at Daguva.

Daguva snarled, half-turning to face him. "When will you learn your Linto machines can't—"

"RIDER PUNCH!" Hongo collided with the Grongi leader fist-first, all his might channelled into the single point of the blow, Daguva skidding back uncontrollably twenty feet or more, doubled over.

Then Hongo cried out, falling to one knee as the damaged circuit backfired, a trickle of blood leaking through the Typhoon's fan where the machinery met his body. "That's all…I can do…Godai!"

Ichijou helped Godai stand, but the younger man still looked shaken. "I don't…think I can do it…the dark down there, it's too much…"

"I believe in you!" Hongo declared. "I have no choice. But you—you do. You must use that power…and you can choose what you will become." He put a hand to his chest. "You can become the ultimate darkness…or Kamen Rider Kuuga."

"Can you do this?" Ichijou asked.

Kamen Rider… Godai finally pulled off a smile, clasping his hand. "It's for everyone's smiles, right?"

Hongo nodded approvingly. That's a wonderful thing.

"Then, Mr. Ichijou…one more time, please watch me…" Godai summoned the Amadam belt, thrusting one arm out in front of him and slowly drawing it across his body. "Transform!" The extended hand quickly moved down to meet the other by the side of the belt, something within clicking into place on contact, initialising the change.

This time he was tapping straight into Kuuga's ultimate power. Golden lines trickled out of the belt, tracing intricate patterns in the air around Godai's body; eventually the spiked, horned, towering black figure formed within this framework. So far, his eyes remained red.

"Godai…?" Ichijou asked, hesitating.

Kuuga looked back. Nodded. Gave a thumbs-up. Strode off to face Daguva.

With a wave of his hand, Godai calmed the storm. The wind died down, Kuuga and Daguva's approach to each other made in dead silence.

They pointed at each other in unison, the gestures bringing forth waves of flame, washing over their armoured bodies without effect, melting the snow around their feet.

The walk became a run, became a sprint. They moved fast enough to extinguish the flames with sheer momentum, covering the hundred metres between them in barely two seconds.

They collided, and this time stayed deadlocked. Punches, parries, counters struck back and forth like lightning. Either could've split a mountain in two, instead focusing all that terrifying strength into an object as tiny as a person's body.

Metal, and unnatural pseudo-flesh, cracked. Blood was spilled, seeping through their armour and staining the white carpet surrounding them.

That's it! Daguva was loving it. Finally, the Kuuga he'd been waiting to fight all this time. Something that could really get his blood pumping. And the longer they fought, the more likely the Linto would give in to it—in that case, even if Daguva died, the glorious death-games could continue.

Godai was just hurting. He'd been hurting for a year, and all he wanted was to finish it.

Their knee strikes glanced off and slid along each other, each smashing into the other's belt. Their images flickered, then they were back in their human forms. But neither could afford to let up. They were getting exhausted, just laying uncoordinated punches into each other's faces, stumbling through snowdrifts and spraying ever more red over its pristine white surface. Every time he got hit, Daguva just laughed. Godai was pretty sure he was crying. It wouldn't end.

Then one of Godai's punches just rebounded off Daguva. A little light was emanating from his belt, and his form began to change again. "Guess mine's…in better shape."

This was true: In their first fight back in the city, the Amadam had taken a few hard knocks, along with every other part of him. That must've been why Daguva was able to transform again quicker.

Daguva grasped him around the ribs, giggling with delight as his hands began to heat up, preparing to burn Godai alive.

He was expecting his life to flash before his eyes. But all he could see in his mind's eyes was what he'd seen when he first got here. Daguva threatening Ichijou's life. Seconds away from snuffing it out.

And no-one…

"No-one…" he murmured.

Daguva paused. "What's that? Speak up."

"…can ever…" Godai growled, clouds of black smoke billowing out from the Amadam and spreading out over his body. He put his hands around Daguva's forearms, his face suddenly a mask of fury.

His words disappeared into a savage howl, and the smoke erupted into flame, throwing Daguva back. Barely a second later, the four-horned, ultimate Kuuga charged out of the fire, eyes black, still screaming in rage.

Daguva struck first, landing a solid straight right to Kuuga's face, but it didn't seem to register; he just twisted his head back into position, smacking Daguva's attacking arm aside and jamming one of his elbow-spikes into the Grongi's stomach, blood gushing from the wound.

Daguva gasped, staggering back, pain and ecstasy wracking his body. "Who's…smiling…now?" he cackled, as Kuuga stepped implacably forwards, raising his burning fist.

Hongo was too weakened to move much yet, so Ichijou eventually had to forge out in search of Godai himself. The storm had started up again, and visibility was as low as ever. He stumbled along, calling Godai's name until his voice grew hoarse, fear rising higher and higher in his mind the more blood he trudged through. "Godai…please…"

Then he saw it.

A white-clad boy lay unmoving on the ground, horrendous gashes and burns covering his whole body. He looked so small and frail in death.

Kuuga stood over him, arms hanging by his side, shoulders heaving, giving off a constant low growl. Caked with blood, Daguva's and his own. Entire body humming with dark power. Monstrous.

Ichijou slowed his approach, stepping in front of Kuuga with care. "Godai? It's me." The warrior didn't respond, reaching out a hand as if to crush him.

Ichijou took it gently, pushing it back down and leaning in to embrace Godai. "Idiot."

"Kh—!" Kuuga flinched at the contact, fighting the urge to violence.

"You're always working so hard…always saying you'll protect everyone's smile…" Ichijou buried his head in the chest's carapace, suddenly yelling, "What about your smile, idiot?!"

"Ah—aaa…aaah…" The growl transitioned into an anguished wail. The fire flickering between his fingers vanished. Kuuga's eyes faded from black to red. "Kao…ru…"

"Yusuke. Come back to us."

When he raised his head, Kuuga's form itself had faded away, leaving only the human, Godai Yusuke. In his arms. His face inches away.

"You brought me back," Godai said quietly.

"Don't forget it," Ichijou joked, before leaning into him. The first kiss they'd dared outdoors, while the storm finally died around them, sharing the passion of victory and the joy of living on.

Hongo, now visibility had returned, saw them and smiled. Good to see that youth isn't wasted on the young… After a moment, he turned away to give them privacy, making his way back over to the fallen bikes. Behind him, Godai and Ichijou didn't move from that spot for a long time, letting all the stress and terror of the past year drain away and thinking only of the wonder of that moment.

"Godai!"

"Where have you been?"

"You disappeared right when—"

"All the storms—"

"#0 killed so many people, we thought—"

"—but the news says #4 stopped him!"

Still standing in the doorway of the café he'd practically grown up in, Godai nodded to everyone, giving a reassuring thumbs-up all round.

"Uh…guys." It was okay now. It was over. He moved his hands towards his waist, preparing to summon the Amadam belt. "There's something I should tell you."

"There's something I should tell you," Ichijou said after giving his final mission report of the #0 case, and indeed the Unidentified Life-Forms case as a whole. He took a deep breath. "It's about that rumour about me."

All chatter immediately stopped, everyone's ears pricking up.

"It's true," he said without batting an eye. Before the whispers could start up again, he pressed on. "His name is Yusuke. We've been together for a year. There will be no further questions. Thank you." He gave a quick bow to his co-workers and left the room.

"You really beat all those monsters?" Mika asked, wide-eyed.

"Sure!" Godai said with a grin, before scratching his head and admitting, "Well, the police helped a lot. And this awesome guy called Kamen Rider, too!"

"Kamen Rider?"

"Ooh, lemme tell you about him!"

Hongo watched them continue past him on the other side of the street, smiling gently as they laughed and cheered. Perhaps he isn't a Rider after all.

Something happier, maybe.

"What do you mean?" asked Godai when Hongo brought this up; the older man was heading towards his bike, parked outside the café.

The Rider sighed. "It's a lonely life, Godai. I can't ask you to just leave everything behind and devote your life to fighting. You're not suited to violence anyway. Look…don't worry. The rest of us will manage. And I'll tell them all of how much you've done for us." He gave Godai's signature thumbs-up gesture. "You don't have to hurt anymore."

Godai returned the gesture, but shook his head. "I know I can't leave forever. There are people I care about. That I love. Everyone would miss me. But hey, I go on adventures all the time. Sometimes I'm gone for ages." He brought his fist forward and tapped it against Hongo's. "You never know where I might turn up. So if something happens, please call me. I'd hate not knowing."

Hongo nodded. "I suppose I was wrong. You're…a new kind of Rider, after all."

Godai looked overly pleased with himself, puffing out his chest. "Yup, yup, that's me. Millennium special edition."

"We'll meet again, then." Hongo mounted the Cyclone and pulled on his helmet. "Be seeing you." With a final wave, he sped off to parts unknown.

Godai's smile fell a little. "Stay safe," he said to the clearing fumes. Thank you for everything.

Come on and follow me to a future without sadness.

"They're making you take a vacation, Mr. Ichijou?"

"Yeah, a long one. Paid, even. They said I've done the work of a lifetime recently."

"Doesn't sound like you to accept it."

"I took a lot of convincing."

The only thing in my pocket is the smile on your face.

"You said you were going to leave on another adventure when the Grongi were all gone, right?"

"Yeah…well…"

"Well?"

"Since you're free for a while and all…we could go together?"

I will become the blue sky.

Kuuga Chapter: End

So yeah, I've kind of had chapters 1 to 3 planned out in my head for quite a while now, so I ended up getting them written and uploaded pretty quickly. We'll see how things progress from here on out, as we move into the Agito arc and forwards.