Chapter 03: The Understanding of Power.
_Forest, (13:00)_
Today is the sun is glowing in the middle of the day; oh it's a beautiful sunny day!
"Ah… I hate this sun…" Is heard from one of the trees of the forest, specifically the tip, where a person can be seen.
Well, maybe not everyone can appreciate this nice weather.
"Ugh, sleeping like this was a very uncomfortable experience… even when it was supposed to help me to recover from yesterday… my body still feels very sore," Wait a moment, that voice sounds a little familiar.
Oh, it's Dante!
But in this very moment he doesn't seems to be very happy, also is the fact he just waked up at a very unusual hour.
It's made a bit of sense, after all his body was very exhausted after all the fighting he did in the last couple of hours, that's without even mentioning how he finally transformed into Kuuga and defeated the Spider Monster.
"Heh," Dante's smiled just at the very memory of that event, "I really did it, I really defeated a monster in a way a Kamen Rider would be proud," Just giving a Rider Kick to that monster was something extremely satisfactory to him.
After running away from Mio, Dante started to feel very tired; probably it was the strain for using Kuuga's powers. So knowing he had no home to return, Dante proceeded to find some threes in the forest and he sleep into the three.
It was the worst bed he ever had, and he was so tired that it didn't even matter to him.
"Still, I would have loved a bed and a long night of comfortable sleep," Said Dante as he jumped from his 'bed' and landed in the ground, immediately he stretched his body but it did little to help him.
Right now he doesn't have too many options about what to do, since his last encounter with the Unidentified Lifeforms ended happening just because they attacked the town.
If his information is right, the attacks have been happening randomly all over Europe.
So it was just a random encounter, and if he really wanted to fight them, then he would have to discover a way to track them down.
"Yes, and then I could return home if they are defeated," Dante says to himself, "Yep, a very good plan," Even when there was no real basis for it… it was still his only real plan at the moment.
Dante came with another interesting theory:
Maybe when he defeated all of those monsters he could return home.
He was here with the powers of Kuuga, so maybe if he completed his 'task' by defeating the Monsters, he then could return home!
There was nothing to confirm his theory, but at the same time nothing to deny it, so even when it was risky, Dante decided to put his hopes in that theory.
So he must think about a plan to find the Unidentified Lifeforms and dealt with them!
*Growl…*
"After I find something to eat…" Thinking about that, Dante hadn't eaten any food since being transported to this world, and just now the hunger was starting to catch up with him.
But there was a vital trouble with his plans to get some food.
"Right… I don't have any money…" Mumbled Dante… who comically dropped to his knees as yet another trouble managed to catch with him.
Even if he had money, it will be the money of a South American country in the future, and so will be useless.
"What I should do?" Wondered the Kamen Rider as he walked towards the town,
Maybe he could think about a way to get money?
(Opening: Kamen Rider Kuuga. By Masayuki Tanaka).
We can see various images related to Kuuga: His Belt, his Bike, and his mark. And lastly we can see Dante falling from the sky and landing in a town destroyed by the Neuroi!
Karappo no Hoshi Jidai wo ZERO Kara Hajimeyou (In this empty planet, a new era begins from zero).
Dante's resting in a wall of the desolated town looking sadly at the destruction… however then from the ruins appears various Grongi! And they clearly want to attack Dante!
Densetsu wa Nurikaeru Mono (The Legend will be repainted)
Then the image changes to the Sky. And then show various Witches flying in their Strike Units, suddenly all of them look bellow to see Dante and the Grongi in the destroyed town. Dante simply look at them and gives a Thumb Up. Which they respond by give a Thump Up at him as a response showing trust in Dante.
Ima, AKUSERU wo Tokihanate! (Right now, it's the time to let go the accelerator)
Then the scene changes to Kuuga at the top of a cliff, he is looking at the Witches who fly trough the Sky to protect people from the Neuroi. His red eyes flashed with determination to protect them as the Grongi start to running at him.
Kuuga Atsuku Yomiagere (Kuuga! Revive impetuously!)
Now we can see Kuuga in his Mighty Form launching punches and kicks at the air. Then we see his Dragon Form attacking with his Dragon Rod. Next his Pegasus Form he shoots an arrow from his Pegasus Bowgun. And finally his Titan Form as he practices with the Titan Sword.
Kuuga Hokori no ENAJII (Kuuga! Energy made of Pride)
All the Kuuga's forms appear behind Dante and bow before him. A second after that they jump at his body leaving Dante's alone, but then he summons the Arcle and prepares to transform.
Kuuga Tsuyoku Aru Tame ni (Kuuga! In order to become stronger…)
And behind Dante's various Witches appear to give him a smile from protecting them from an enemy they could not face.
No Fear! No Pain!
Kuuga is riding with his TryChaser 2000. He does it from different roads, and in each one a different group of Witches fly over him.
Ai no Mae ni Tatsu Kagiri (Protect love to the very end)
But now the scene changes at the Witches fighting the Neuroi and defeating then, and nearby is Dante watching over them, he knew that can fight and handle themselves against the Neuroi so he only will act if a Grongi appears to attack them.
No Fear! No Pain!
The scene changes to Kuuga in his Mighy Form fighting the Grongi with punches and Kicks.
Osoreru Mono wa Nani mo Nai (You're not afraid of anything)
And it ends with him giving a Rider Kick to the Grongi, Zu-Gooma-Gu.
Kanzen Doku Sou! (Leave all of them behind!)
But then we see N-Daguva-Zeva, the leader of the Grongi looking at Kuuga from the top of a mountain while the skies are dark and there is rain and lighting falling.
Ore ga Koete Yaru! (I will surpass all of them!)
From the top of other mountain Kuuga is glaring at Daguva as he closes his hand in a punch, showing that even then he will fight him.
Chou Henshin!
In a final scene we see Kuuga and the Witches together; each of the Witches is smiling, proving that Kuuga managed to protect their smiles.
Kamen Rider Kuuga!
The last we see is Dante resting over a meadow in a peaceful sunny day, watching with a smile as how everything turned in the end.
(End of the Opening)
_Abandoned House_
And now we are in what appears to be an abandoned house in the middle of a forest.
However, even when it was abandoned one could still see people inside, and they weren't the habitants.
They where… something more… and not entirely human.
In fact in this moment they are a real problem to the military (Probably second only to the Neuroi), since they are causing panic in the population and randomly kill people.
The Grongi Tribe.
That it's their true name, but since their reawakening they had been classified as 'Unidentified Lifeforms'.
And in the central room of the house was a woman with long brown hair and a dress, she was looking through the window.
Also her more noticeable feature was the tattoo of a rose in her forehead.
The name of that woman is: Ra-Baruba-De.
She is a Rose Grongi, and also the one who oversees the Gegeru.
And today is important, since the Gegeru will officially start very soon and so those who will participate will come here.
"They're already here," She said amazingly in human language instead of Grongi. Showing they are more than a group of violent savages. Showing they also are intelligent.
And behind her appeared one man dressed in a coat and with a hat, showing that his clothes are to protect him from the sun.
Zu-Gooma-Gu, the Grongi that survived Kuuga but ended running away, since those circumstances he was temporally removed from the Gegeru.
"When it will be my turn?" Asked Gooma expectantly.
Baruba just looked at him directly into his eyes…
*Slap!*
And slapped him in the face.
Gooma fell to the ground and only gave Baruba a look.
But she didn't even spare him a glance
But soon more people started to enter into the room, they were dressed in a very strange way and that surely should have them standing out whenever they went.
More members of the Grongi had arrived.
But one of them that stood out was a muscular man with spiky hair and a mark on his right cheek.
"You finally arrived, Zain," Said Baruba.
Zu-Zain-Da, the leader of the Zu class simply looked at Baruba.
Yeah, tomorrow the Gegeru definitely will start, and so the Ultimate Darkness will eventually fall.
_Town_
"Ah, in the end I hadn't any idea of how get any money or food," Lamented Dante as he walked through the streets.
If things where like that then he should have to resort to… stealing…
Yep, even when he took the mantle of Kuuga, Dante is not afraid of doing things like stealing when there no choice.
Since for starters: He doesn't have a sense of honor.
He still knows that stealing it's wrong, but he also had to take into consideration his new status as a Kamen Rider.
He couldn't really affront being hungry, since against the Unidentified Lifeforms that could mean death.
Also getting a job was out of question for the same reason: He had to focus all his attention on fighting those monsters.
So, if he had to resort to stealing, then very well.
However that train of thought was cut off when he heard screams of people and the sound of bullets!
"AHHHH! ANOTHER OF THEM!" Screamed a man in his thirties as he along with the nearvy people ran.
"And this time it is targeting members of the military!" Dante could hear one of them yelling, "It seems the one who appeared this morning and that was wounded in the eye!" Oh, when it was informed that finally one of them was hurt by their weapons… that raised the hope of the people.
But it seems that action only enraged the Unidentified Lifeform even more, as now she is killing them.
Even when that could get her penalized in the Gegeru.
And if Dante was here early, then he and the Unidentified Lifeform would have clashed in battle.
But since he was sleeping he missed that and the result was a confrontation between the Unidentified Lifeform and the military.
Since two of the Unidentified Lifeforms appeared in this town (N7 and N5) it was decided send more soldiers to protect.
The circumstances are unknown, but somehow the Unidentified Lifeorm was shoot in the eye and she decided take revenge.
"So much for wanting to eat food…" Mumbled the young man as he quickly spotted a neat alley to transform.
"Henshin!" It's seem after his experience with the Bat Monster he finally figured how transform properly, since he went straight to his Red Form.
Kamen Rider Kuuga has just reappeared!
"Good, so finally I managed to grasp my powers," Commented Dante, it seems he will not have to worry about becoming the White Kuuga again.
"Still, there is no time to lose!" And so he started to run towards the battlefield.
_Battlefield_
In this moment the sounds of guns being fired are heard as they impact against their target, but a few of them didn't did that and impacted against some walls and even a window.
And yet, the objective of the bullets simply stood here and simply was hit by the bullets. As if showing that she didn't care about them and their weapons.
"Pathetic, Linto," She said but no one heard her, as the sounds of the guns were much more loud than her voice, and the bullets that touched her just bounced off.
The Unidentified Lifeform N9, her true name is Zu-Mebio-Da, a Leopard Grongi.
Soon they ran out of bullets and had to recharge, but doing so will give the Leopard Monster a chance to kill them.
"Then I will make all of you pay for my eye," But as she was about to begin her attack.
"Haaa!" A voice is heard running towards this place.
So he quickly changed her attention from the soldiers to the newcomer.
"Kuuga!" She said, recognizing the warrior.
But Kuuga didn't wasted any second and immediately started to attack her with a barrage of punches, which the Leopard Monster quickly dodged.
She was more agile than this unskilled fighter that only knew to randomly throw punches
But as a consequence of that, the soldiers had the chance to recharge their weapons.
And that only could mean one thing…
"Shoot!" The superior ordered, and so the soldiers responded by naturally start firing their weapons at Kuuga and the Unidentified Lifeform N9.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
'Damn!' Thought Dante as he quickly jumped inside the house that had the window glass broken by the bullets. He entered by the same broken window.
So luckily for him the initial bullets failed and once he entered the hided inside the house for protection.
Suddenly the sound of the gunshot stopped, and so, for a few seconds Kuuga just stood in his hidden spot, until another sound was heard from outside.
"Ahhhh!" The screams of people being killed by the Unidentified Lifeform N9 could be heard, more specifically, the soldiers that opened fire at her.
So acting quickly our hero leaped trough the broken window and what he saw was a difficult sight.
Bodies…
The bodies of various soldiers scattered in the ground, obviously dead at the hands of the Monster.
However not just that disturbs Dante… but also the fact she removed the eyes of the soldiers she killed.
It seemed she was pissed about the bullet that managed to wound her eye (That was an very obvious)…
It seems she used her superior speed to kill them before they could even respond.
Only one of them was alive (They where 20 when Kuuga arrived), but soon he was about to meet his demise
"S-stay away!" By this point the soldier was panicked and even when used his pistol to shoot some bullets at the Leopard Monster.
"It's useless, Linto!" She said as the bullets only made contact with her skin and then dropped to the ground without even make a small wound.
So she was about to go for the eyes of the soldier and his life.
However…
"CHANCE!" Is heard from behind and the Leopard Monster quickly turned her head to the source of the sound, but it was too late.
And a punch smashed her face and launched her to the ground.
The one who attacked?
Kamen Rider Kuuga.
The Leopard Monster was a little disoriented by the surprise attack and power behind the punch.
That gave Kuuga some seconds to finish her with his kick… or that could have happened if he didn't did was he was about to do.
He walked over the only surviving soldier, who was fearful that the N11 was here to finish him after attacking the N9.
From the information they had about the news of the Unidentified Lifeforms, the N11 appeared to the only one who killed another Unidentified Lifeforms, when it was reported he with just a kick killed the N7 to the point the body of the Spider Monster exploded.
It also showed how dangerous was the N11. Being the first one to actually kill an Unidentified Lifeform.
So just because he killed one of his own doesn't mean he is an ally of humanity, he is also a threat.
'He is going to kill me!' Thought the soldier as he hopelessly looked how the N11 was getting closer and closer to him.
And then something unexpected came from the mouth of the N11.
"Are you okay?" Those words came from… the N11!?
"Eh?" Responded a confused soldier.
Did just one of the Unidentified Lifeforms talked to him in human language?
It was also know that the Unidentified Lifeforms can speak in a language they only understand, the Military learned about that by what the survivors of their attacks could tell.
"Run while she is distracted, so that way you can live," Kuuga didn't wanted anyone getting killed if he could help it, even when this man along others tried to kill him, also having your eyes ripped off must really be a painful experience.
"Kuuga!" Yelled the Leopard Monster as she recovered from the punch.
The soldier quickly nodded and managed to escape, but this encounter also opened his mind to other possibility: Maybe the N11 was really different?
So only Kuuga and the Leopard Monster where present in their battlefield.
"I'm here," Kuuga managed to say, even when he was still nervous about having to fight those Monster, and specially one who moved so fast.
"You will die," She threatened our hero.
"I can't understand anything you speak," Responded Kuuga, "But if you can understand me at least can you give me your name?"
There was not much to say, so Kuuga thought about talking to them to figure if they indeed can understand him.
"Zu-Mebio-Da," She responds.
And with that Dante knew those Monsters could understand him but he couldn't understand them.
And so, she with a burst of speed moved quickly and gave a punch in the face to Kuuga, probably in revenge for the one he gave her.
Kuuga rolled in the ground until he stood up, it's seems he now can use a bit better his powers, and his stamina is a better when he is transformed.
In fact he doesn't even feel the hunger right now.
Oh, but Dante is sure that once he returned to the normal, the hunger and exhaustion will start to catch with him.
"You will not leave this place alive, Kuuga," She said as once more attacked our hero with her superior speed.
It's seems Kuuga will need more Speed if he want to have a chance of victory.
_Military Reunion, (The same time as Kuuga's fight with Mebio)_
"And so, another Unidentified Lifeform has been killed by the N11," Talked a man in his late forties.
The room was dark, but various figures could be seen, and all of them had uniforms.
"The N7 and the N9," Said one of them, "I'm a bit surprised by how the N11 can fight them and win, but also it bothers me the fact he decided hunt his own kind, " Even when the news of the Unidentified Lifeforms being killed would normally be welcomed…
…the fact that one of them is doing all the killing is troublesome.
"Still, there is also the fact the N11 still hadn't killed a person," Commented other.
"Maybe he is trying to get us to think he is not dangerous," Other of the present people, this one sounded more serious than the rest.
"But aren't these creatures just mindless beasts?" One of them pointed that… even when in reality it's far from the truth, "Maybe the N11 only attack his own kind because they are a more interesting prey?" It was a reasonable theory.
"But there is nothing to confirm that," Pointed out one of them.
"Alright, it seems that the Unidentified Lifeforms are finally centering their attention in one place, what has me worried is that they are attacking just too near to the base of the Strike Witches," They needed those girls to fight the Neuroi, it will become a serious trouble is the Unidentified Lifeforms suddenly started to attack them.
"So thinking about that I suggest to send more soldiers just in case, also scientist in Fuso developed a new kind of bullet that could be useful against the Unidentified Lifeforms," Finally said the one who appeared to be the leader, "So all soldiers that come in contact with the Unidentified Lifeforms will follow this order: Shoot to Kill," As he said that all the others nodded.
"And made priority the N11, he is the most dangerous of them from what we know,"
Notes:
A transitory chapter more than anything and a good way to Dante to get used himself to the powers of Kuuga and I didn't wanted to rush things by having meet the Witches too soon.
So, yeah, here the Grongi will be the ones who appeared in the TV series (But since the Zu Class showed little, then I will use the ones that were not show in the TV series, but after the first half of the first season of Strike Witches I will use the Me Class.)
But I say this now: Gooma is going to have a better role eventually (So when he gets his power-up, he will not be immediately killed by Daguva), and will show how much of a threat he can be. (BTW: Does any of you exactly knew why he was unable to participate in the Gegeru? It never made too much sense to me).
And so, next we will have the Dragon Form debut.
And now I'm going to set straight one point from this story:
Dante was not randomly chosen to become Kuuga.
No, he was not the first candidate, and nor the last.
Let's just say that whoever chose Dante to become Kuuga also knew about the potential dangers of that, and so it was foolish to think that anyone could become Kuuga.
Dante is not Yuusuke Godai. He doesn't even have many skills by himself, and even then those skills are barely important, he also is not nearly as a nice guy as Yuusuke was.
…But Dante is still a nice guy…
Maybe not to everyone, but a nice guy to his friends and those close to him, he also dislikes tears and prefers smiles, but only will actually do something if those crying are close to him.
And if you're one of the people in his inner circle, then you are with a toned-down version of Yuusuke.
So Dante has the necessary heart to become Kuuga, even when he is not nearly as great as Godai.
He just needs a little push in the correct direction. Since I believe that everyone can be a hero if the situation is right, and every human being is special in his own way.
So basically he wants to Protect Everyone's Smiles (Only those of his inner circle).
And is a very nice guy (Again with his inner circle).
So I want a credible OC without falling into a Gary Stu (In fact, if one of you notices that Dante is heading into that route then please notify me)
Next chapter Dante will be meeting against the Strike Witches, and this time in their base.
Still… the last chapter I published had few reviews… even when I made it the more long I could… that really was a hard impact for me…
So if you liked this story please review.