Aah, after ten thousand years, I am free!

It's time to write some more!

Keep reading and you'll see my explanation.

Episode 7: Chase

Tachibana Racing Club, February 2nd, 2011 10:15 AM

Whew! I thought we've never going to get here, feels like almost a year has been lost!

Okay, lots of dirt dunes for the bikers to race on behind the shop. Also a flat field for the newbies to ride safely, I bet. But the shop itself is… normal. Never been to this kind of place before, but it looked better than the ones I've seen back home.

I'm waiting for Asuka to check in with Tachibana Oba-san… Or maybe I should call her Auntie T?

"Rasyiiid! Come on in, don't be shy, the girls won't bite!" Dammit, Asuka, I was in the middle of an idea here!

Save it for another time, Linto. Let us continue this new training regiment of yours already.

Fine, whatever.

Anyway, as a biker parked her ride close to the front door, I began to walk into the shop, when it suddenly hit me. No, not an object, but something Asuka said… "Did she said, "The girls."? Bah, I'll deal with it…

Hmm, a mirror. Eh, why not?

Okay… faux Bruce Campbell like hair, check. Pathetic excuse of a facial hair, check. These two moles, beauty marks, whatever on both sides of my cheeks, but are on different positions, check… Man, I looked more tired than usual.

Perhaps you should get more sleep instead of browsing this internet all night long, Linto.

I dunno… Maybe. Anyway, where are these girls anyway-

"What's cookin', good lookin'?"

"Wait, what?" I said in English, whoever she was, she's mistaken; "What do you mean by that, I'm no good looking guy, I'm average looking!" As I turned to face the girl who said so I can do the finger wag thing, I halted. "W-whoa…"

Three girls stood in front of me, they're all damn pretty too. These trio of beauties leaned near the cash register desk. They also have different heights; the one of my left is shorter than I am, while the other two are as tall as yours truly. The blond shorty with the pigtails here wore a green mechanic jumpsuit, a goggle on her forehead that complements her blue eyes. (I wonder if she's a westerner, or just my brain interpreting her looks based on the things I've seen back home) Although she let the upper part hanging down ala Winry Rockbell, complete with that black bra thing she wore…. Damn, for someone her size, she has nice pair of—No, don't stare!

Next we have the lady in blue. This brunette who let her shoulder-length hair flow down wore something more casual. A dark blue T-Shirt with a light blue jacket, black jeans that shows off her nice hips—Dammit, not again!

Lastly, the biker girl wearing leathers all over, with some purple bits here and there. Her short, wild looking hair made her seemed like a character from a shonen anime, make sense since she should be wearing a helmet for that to happen. Is that a bamboo sword on her back?

…

Let me guess, these maidens looked similar to some of those erotica comics you've read on the internet back in your world?

I… I guess so. Shorty looked like that pigtailed girl from one Hisasi's story, blue here to Homunculus' about this office man and woman who got dumped by their respective lovers, and found each other on this beach. And biker girl here seem to come out of Redrop's mangas… This is insane, first Asuka who looks like that long haired schoolgirl drawn by Napata, and now these girls here… Shit, this must be the work of my author self, indulging his fantasies via making these ladies like this! Why I oughta…

"Asuka-nee is right; he really does space out a lot." "Perhaps he is enamored by our beauty?" "Nah, dude's probably scared of women."

Buh? Wait, hold on… What?

A sudden pat on my head brought me back to reality, "Alright, Rasyid, time to wake up." Asuka said, "Now stop stuttering and introduce yourself." I groaned in defeat, there's just no winning this kind of fight. Okay, throats cleared, here we go, "Good morning, my name is Rasyid Surataruna. I'm a twenty years old Indonesian, born July nineteenth, nineteen-ninety two, who got stuck in this country thanks to my belongings burnt to crisp by a freak lighting storm back in January. I have been in the care of a family in Midori City who nursed me back to health, but because I need something else to do, here I am." I finished with a bow. "And no, I'm not that socially awkward to be afraid of women." Aaaand fold your arms. "But not dumb enough to incur their wrath either."

"Twenty? Shouldn't you be eighteen, going on nineteen right now?" ask the blue one—Oh shit, she's right. Asuka fortunately intervened, "Looks like the Young One here is eager to be an adult, don't you?" Sighing, I replied, "Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. Just one more year, and I'd be twenty." Alright, time for the big question. "Sooo… who are you three?"

The first to answer was little Miss blonde here. "Hey there, I'm Iruma Yumiko, I'm a mechanic here, and I've been fixing bikes since I got out of high school. Oh, and you can call me Yumi!"…Waittaminute, that surname… "My name is Hayakawa Akira, I work here as the cashier, and I'm into gymnastics and dancing. A pleasure to meet you." She finished with a wink… Oh boy. Wait, her name is—"Guess it's my turn, name's Ichijouji Ryuuko, and as you can see," Whoa, her surname's also—hold on, why did she threw—Oof! "Not only I'm into bikes, I'm good with the sword."

Before I could completely compute it all, and thanks to the unexpected weight the sword has, I slipped on a random pipe on the floor, now why did I not see that?

Fortunately, someone saved me from a splitting headache. It was another biker gal, and somehow she seems familiar…

"Whoa there, are you alright?" I try to see the face of my savior, but her… impressive tracts of land are in the way. "Eh? Madoka-chan, is that you?" Asuka seemed to know her… The name sounds familiar, but obviously no relations with the pink haired one. "Ara, Asuka-chan! It's you!" my savior held me upright and walked to hug Asuka… That green hair of hers is really familiar. And before you ask, Riku, she's not another of those H-Manga girls.

I see. Although I do find it odd that you interpret their facial features to those erotica characters. You said that it may be how your brain comprehends their existence?

Yeah, but even I know that's bullshit. I dunno if it's my author self doing all this for some stupidly perverted reasons, or maybe there's more going on here…

Or perhaps that you have a difficult time admitting that you enjoy their appearances? And because this author self of yours thought it is a good idea to insert them here. And since he and you are the same person…

Dammit, Riku, it's not that… Bah, I'll ponder this later, where is Tachibana anyway?

"An energetic bunch, aren't they?"

A woman with a deep voice interrupted my thought process just in time, and this woman... Better ask, "Are you… Tachibana-san?" her only response was to look at me in the eyes and raised an eyebrow, "Who's asking?"

…Oh, she's asking my name. "Uh, Rasyid Surataruna be looking for you, and you are talking to him." Biting her smoking pipe, she seemed to be sizing me up or something. Better continue, "I was told that you'd help me improve my biking skills. And Asuka told me that you're the best." As I finished, she put up a smirk, "Damn right I am, boy." Wait, shonen? Is she gonna call me that like how Hibiki did it to Asumu now? You know, for some reason she reminds me of Izumi Curtis from FMA, but her mannerism is to Ellen Ripley in Aliens. Her medium-length hair's as curly as her from the first movie, though, and… Gotta admit, she looks pretty fine for someone in her 30s or 40s…

Hey, that symbol on her suit… Is that what I think it is?

"You know, it's not polite to stare at someone for a certain period of time, especially at the particular body part your eyes are gazing, shonen…"

Oh, shit! "Nononono, I did not mean to do that, Tachibana-san, I swear! It's just… that symbol," I pointed at it, located above her upper left, "That's the exact same symbol Tachibana Tobei used in the original Kamen Rider, his Tachibana Racing Club symbol… Won't you get sued by Toei or something for using the TRC name and symbol?"

"Oh, you mean this little thing? Long story short, my dearly beloved Sora made a deal with Ishinomori himself and Suzuki back in the seventies, and after years of the Kamen Rider franchise's success, we're still in business today. We managed to get Honda to cooperate too ten years ago. Ever since his passing, I've been minding the shop… And these kids brighten things up. Now if you'd excuse me."

She walked past by me, and beckoned Asuka to her office. Now, it's just me and the four ladies… I wonder why I keep meeting girls like this—Wait, author me is at fault. Just go with the flow…

Hold on, Sora… and Kairi? What, they have a child named Riku? Damn, you're gotta be shi—No, don't do that. Relax, man…

I took a deep breath, and gathered enough courage to say hi. Even as a n00b Kamen Rider, talking to girls is… difficult for me. Either it's because I was not much of a social butterfly, or my so-called shyness prevents me. "So… to whom should I give my thanks for saving me from getting a headache? Oh, here's your bokken back, Ryuuko—I mean, Ichijouji-san." Man, I forgot that these things are actually heavy. Those anime lied to me! Then again, they don't even tell us, since it may be common knowledge here… Oh, better see who… Whoa.

"Ah, it's no problem. My name is Akimoto Madoka. Nice to meet you, Surataruna-san." All I could do was bow back… Holy crap, this is one of the Pretty Cure's sister; the green one from Yes 5, Komachi. Complete with her leather jacket and jeans from the show. Calm down, buddy. Just respond… "Right… But please, just call me Rasyid. It's quite alright." Ryuuko smiled as I said that, "Ha! I was considering calling you by your first name, anyway! You're Asuka's guy, so you can call us by our first names, too." Huh? "Wait, Asuka's… what are you talking about?"

Madoka giggled, "Oh, you weren't listening? We were just talking about how I met this two couple messing around in their car, and once I talked about it, Asuka panicked. It's been a while since I made my classmate blushed like that." Huh… What do you kno—Waittaminute! "Whoa, hold on. Me and Asuka are just friends!" Ah, dammit, now I'm in one of those anime cliché moments about romantic interests, I gotta subvert this somehow!"

Perhaps you should try being more honest with yourself? I still remember that dream about the tsunami days ago…

… You know what, yeah, let's do that. Live free or die hard, I say.

"Look," okay, all attention to me now, "I… do have feelings for her." Cue excited squees, but I must continue. "However… I really don't think I am worthy of such things." Now, it's Akira who asks, "Really? What made you think so, Rasyid?"

I dragged a nearby chair, as the girls sat on the ones closest to them. Taking a deep breath, I continued, "See, I have no experience in romance at all. All I did as a teenager was study all the time, no time for love… But after graduation, I began to ponder what would have happened if I was more confident with the opposite sex. The Americans has this thing called Nice Guys, and they complain that they never get women… I used to agree with them, but after some reading, I began to realize that way of thinking is just terrible. I mean, so what if you're nice, what else can you do? Can you cook, do the laundry, housekeep, and do chores… if you can't do all that, then you're useless, know what I mean?"

Deep breathes, amigo, keep going…

"Which brings us here; why I don't think I am worthy of romances. I'm still young, even though I declare myself more mature than the people I knew back in Indonesia, I feel too… inexperienced for even thinking of having a lover. How could I take care of my future beloved if I can't do all the things I just mentioned? Until I can make myself a proper man… no, a proper person, I'll wait until the time's right."

…Well, hope this works.

It was Akira who broke the silence, "Ah… I think I get it; you don't want to be just a boyfriend, you want to be a good husband." W-what? "Oh, how thoughtful of you, thinking that far ahead. Even considering how your would-be lover may do in the future. I think I'm falling for you~" …Really? "Okay, now you're just teasing me, Akira." Her giggling seemed to confirm that fact… But it also made me laugh a little, "But really though, I still don't know what my real feelings are towards her. All I know it may just be infatuation or a crush, and not actual romantic love… When the time comes, I hope I could find the answer…" And… for some reason, I feel a bit cheeky right now, "But perhaps, the four of you would like to help me find said answer?" Sly smirk, hands on cheek as my elbow supports my head, aaaand wait for it.

Yumiko's laughter answered the silence, "Wow, nii-chan. You're quite bold now. I thought you're one of those shy nerdy guys like in most anime nowadays." "Well, Yumiko-chan, those boys are too immature to handle the pressure… As a man, one must remain calm in multiple situations… In my case, being surrounded by you lovely ladies." Keep rolling… fold your arms, leaned back, and sit tight. "Haha! You flirting with us, man?" "If you want me to, I'll do more than flirting, Ryuuko-chan…" "Like what, buy me dinner?"

In the end, the five of us laughed it off… Thank God, I wasn't sure if I could keep this up, this is crazy!

Think of it as a way to improve yourself as a better person, Linto. I'd say you are doing quite well.

Heh, sure, let's go with that. As our laughter died down, we started conversing about ourselves. These three girls are… quite the fascinating individuals.

Yumiko, as her name suggest, is apparently a champion archer for 10 years in a row, and an experienced practitioner of Kyuudo, or the "Way of the Bow". If it weren't for Japan's strict gun policy, not to mention if she was taller, she would've try out hunting bears in Hokkaido… Damn, she's more than meets the eye. Speaking of which, she's 21 going on 22; almost as old as I am… or rather, since I'm supposed to be 18 in 2011, older than I am. Yet she calls me nii-chan. She lives at the same town as Madoka, the city where the Yes 5 Cures lives…Whatever its name is. Do they even name it in the show? Oh, and in addition of archery skills, she practices MMA with Asuka. Thanks to her small size, she's quite speedy on the ring.

Akira was an excellent gymnast in high school back in the late 90s, but dreams of becoming a singer. However, she discovered her passion for dancing years ago. Sadly, her ill mother prevented her from making a career out of it back then, so she stopped to take care of her. Fortunately, she befriended a Chinen Miyuki, who's a famous dancer from Clover Town, where Asuka also lives in… The name of the town and this Miyuki sounds familiar, though. Also, she's practicing Soujutsu, or the "Art of the Spear", but she creates her own style of staff fighting during her free time. One time, she broke a wooden staff, but had the bright idea to use it like an eskrima stick fighter; basically doing it like Kamen Rider Hibiki, but with more "beat your face in" moves than his normal attacks.

Ryuuko here is a former biker girl, her strict father wanted her to inherit his kenjutsu dojo back then, and as you can guess conflict ensues. After some heart-to-heart, they have made a compromise of sorts; she inherits the dojo, but to satisfy her biking needs, he wants her to do a Musha Shugyou— a warrior's pilgrimage of sorts. Travel the land and grew up the old fashion way; by surviving alone. Of course, this being the modern era, her idea was going on a road trip. While doing so, she occasionally helped people out, beat up plenty of thugs, testing her might on various kenjutsu schools, beating up more thugs, and after all that she returned to her father… and they fought. She made a small, but noticeably cute smile as she reminisce her duel with him. Long story short she now owns the dojo after her father retires, and thanks to him introducing her to Tachibana-san, she could find potential recruits alongside competing in bike races sponsored by the Tachibana Racing Club, and so far she has eyes on some of them. Oh, and she lives in a town called Garden of Rainbows. If I remember right, that's where the Max Heart Cures lives.

… Wow, this trio is fascinating indeed. But there's one thing that kinda bothers me… Huh, I just came up with a new topic. "So… Iruma, Hayakawa, and Ichijouji…" The three girls turned at me, "Yeah?" they ask... Oh wow, lovely eyes—Wait, focus. "I just… realized that your family names are similar to tokusatsu characters. Yumiko, yours are from Captain Iruma of Ultraman Tiga. Akira, yours with Kaiketsu Zubat himself, and now that I think about it, also with Shinmei Akira; known as Aoranger of Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, both played by Miyauchi Hiroshi. And you, Ryuuko, with Uchuu Keiji Gavan's human name. That's, uh… really cool."

… Oh God, I just realized how stupid this make me sounds. Please don't be—

"Nee-chan is right again," said Yumiko with a laugh, "Rasyid-nii is really into tokusatsu." Ah, nuts. Their giggling doesn't help either. Yumiko continued, "But we already knew that, some children point it out to us months ago, and we thought it'd be funny to tell them that we're their daughters from another dimension." "R-Really, now?" I asked… Oh boy, getting too close to home, as they say, "Still, sorry for bringing that up, don't really know why…" Ryuuko pat my back—Ow, she's strong! "Hey, take it easy, okay? It's just fun stuffs, no need to worry."

Then, I remembered something, "Oh my God, Madoka-san! I'm so sorry for ignoring you like this!" Shit, I never had this happen to me, I'm such an ass! "Oh, it's quite alright, I enjoyed the four of you chattering, but I did begin to wonder when my turn is…" Oh good, she's not mad… I think.

After calming down, I asked Madoka the usual questions; what were you doing before meeting us, what does she do in life, any families (so I could get an excuse for a topic once I meet Komachi of the Yes5 Cures) and other things. Turns out she was just about to head home to her sister… But then she heard a radio broadcasting constant accidents on the highway she's taking, so she'd been trying to find a safer route. Reports said that the survivors, all sat in the passenger seats, mentioned a panther-like creature clawing up their cars… Shit, it's her.

Zu-Mebio-Da… This may prove to be difficult.

I'll handle her when the time comes. But there's one thing I want to know, "Madoka-san, did this creature attacks bikers too?" However, Ryuuko gave me the answer, "Well, from the first week of the attacks, none so far. Whatever this creature is, it seemed to be fond of doing high speed chases. But that's what I heard, anyway."

Hmm… I think I have enough of this, "I wonder what's taking Tachibana-san and Asuka so long?"

"Kept you waiting, huh?"

"Gah!" Shit, they were there all along? "G-goodness, what are you, Solid Snake?" She even said Snake's catchphrase verbatim… Wait, oh crap. I didn't just—"Yeah, and you're Raiden." S-seriously? "Waittaminute, he's cool now!" I retorted, but then I remembered one tidbit; Revengeance was about to come out in 2013, I'm in 2011… Shit, gotta wait for two more years to proof her wrong, good thing I saw the demo before coming here. "Until they made a game where we can play as Raiden in his cyborg form, he's still has ways to go." Oh, you have no idea…

… How did she know about Metal Gear? I looked at Asuka, and mouthed in English, "She plays Metal Gear?" she answered with a nod. Then, she grabbed my hand, "Come on Rasyid, time to start your training." Huh, I think this is the first time she held my hand like this. Someone was whistling behind me… Dammit, Ryuuko.

Do not treat this moment as a misfortune. Interactions like these are important for your social life, is it not?

I know, Riku… Guess I'm still not used to this kind of thing; the interactions I get during my school years are mostly… unpleasant.

As we walked back outside, I see Tachibana-san examining the Trychaser. "Hey, shonen. Who modified this bike? I've seen some custom made bikes before, commissioned to make a few in my years of work, but this… Even the keyhole is where the handle is supposed to be."

Shit, this is the part where I have to explain how the Trychaser is not just some custom made bike, but the real deal. I squeezed Asuka's hand, signaling her. I whispered, "What do I do? I can't tell her that's the real deal." Damn, I was not prepared for this…

"Wow! Is that the Trychaser from Kamen Rider Kuuga? So cool~"

Yumiko, bless you and your faux-loli body... Waittaminute, the hell am I saying?! Isn't she older than me?

The other four girls then crowded my bike, Ryuuko and Yumiko admiring its design up close, Akira smiling at their antics. It was Madoka who asked the important question, "So you want to be better at riding this?" I answered her, "Yeah, been a fan of Kamen Rider since seeing Kamen Rider ZO and V3 on TV, figure the next best thing to be like them is to ride bikes like they do." Alright, buddy, just keep it rolling, ignore the tense gaze the old dame has on you…

Reaching for the Key-Handle of the Trychaser attached to a harness behind my belt, I inserted it into the empty socket, "After this, all I have to do is to put in the code and press the button…" which I did, but not before leaning my face in so none of them could see what the code is. "Sorry ladies, but you won't be seeing what the code is." Akira off-handedly commented, "What, is the code your birthdate or something?"

…

"Oh my, it is your birthdate! How clichéd of you."

"Dammit, Akira! It… it was a birthday gift, okay? A friend thought it'd be funny if it was, so blame him." Okay, hope the "gift from a friend" excuse still works. Good, nobody's asking.

Anyway, pushing the ignition button, the engine roars to life. It was at that moment where Tachibana Kairi grabbed my shoulder… oh dear, here it comes.

"So, you really want me to teach you to ride better?" ask the elderly mechanic. "Yes, I do. I must become better at riding bikes." Wait, think up an excuse; don't blow your cover… aha! "Growing up with the Kamen Riders in my life, they taught me valuable lessons in life… as silly as it sounds, the only way I could think of to honor them is to become a rider myself."

A few seconds of unconvincing gaze later, she smiled a bit. "Alright, but you're going to need some proper gear for this training. Madoka, Ryuuko, come along."

Wait, what?

Tachibana Racing Club (TRC) Race Track, 11: 00 AM

This is crazy.

Yet you asked for this, so the fault is still on you, is it not?

Can it, Riku.

Okay, so how to explain this… See, I am not a sportsy type, nor have I been interested in racing or any other sports. Can I do them, of course! I'm not one of those nerds who are stereotypically too weak to do even a push up. I'm just lazy. Anyway, I have seen a few videos of ESPN's X-Games to know about how dirtbike riding is.

But this… holy shit, those extreme riding are one thing, maybe it's because this being my first time, but… how do I explain this?

A grueling task?

Let's go with that.

So, here I am, sitting on the Trychaser waiting for Madoka and Ryuuko, wearing a full bikers gear, kinda leathery, and these gloves looks cool… boots are firmly fit, pants are comfy enough… Oh, never forget the helmet! All things considered, though, the view of this valley is really nice. A damn large race track too, by my left. The shop on my right seems tiny against that junkyard over there…

"Rasyid! Sorry to keep you waiting!"

I turned to my left, and see Madoka and Ryuuko both wearing the same gear as I am… Huh, it seems Madoka is not riding her signature bike, but one of those dirtbikes from the shop. Then again, her bike is a chopper type, I doubt it can do crazy things the dirtbike types can do. Sure, you can do it in GTA games, but… Not sure it's possible in real life.

Ryuuko's bike, however… Wowzers, that thing looks beastly! I like the black/silver metal combo. Ooh, and some bits of purple too here and there. "Amazing, isn't she?" said Ryuuko, noticing my amazement. "This Honda bike has been with me since my roaming days, haven't failed me since. The XLV Seven-Fifty-R Dee model has been into some mods, but she's reliable. Not to mention I bought this way back then, which was extremely difficult since it was quite rare to find this type of bike. She may just be an off road type, but I-"

"Wait, wait! Hold on a second," I interrupted, "To be honest… I have no idea about all those technicalities regarding motorcycles, and I'm sure you have plenty to say, and I would love to listen to your detailed description of it more, but I think Tachibana-san is about to set us off."

And there she is, carrying one of those pistols that are used to start a race on her person.

"Alright, shonen, listen up. These girls are two of my finest students; you won't stand a chance against them in a real race." Well… "Thanks for not sugarcoating it, I guess. So, I guess we'll be running a few laps, while you timed each of us?" Tachibana-san answered, "Damn right I am. The three of you will go on five laps, first two will be them teaching you how to handle the terrain, and the last three will be you riding as fast as you can for the laps."

She walks past us, and guided me through the track, "First, you'd be going down this hill, and crisscross over these roads." Then, she pointed out a large junkyard near the forest. "You'll also go through there, don't worry, I know the owner. By now he should be finishing up the obstacle course." Say what, I didn't— "And after you gone through, you'll be entering the forest, just follow the path and don't veer off course. Finally, ride up this hill until you reach this spot again. It may be bumpier than the one you'll be going down, but nothing to difficult. Any questions, shonen?"

…

She issued a challenge for you, Linto. What say you?

"… Sweet Merciful Allah, I never asked for this." I whispered in English, holding my forehead. Bah, no time to narrate, better ask a few things. "So I assume that both Ryuuko and Madoka will be supervising me?" the Lady of the House answered with a nod, "That's right. You may be able to handle the asphalts, but Mother Nature is more varied on her roads. It's still too early for you to handle this alone, which is why Ryuuko will lead, so you follow her. While Madoka rides behind you just in case you fall off."

Huh. Understandable, she clearly knows I'm a n00b at this, so she takes precautions… speaking of which, "Alright, let's say something bad does happen to any of us… how close are we to the nearest hospital?" Please be a bit closer…

"We're just a kilometer or two away from Odawara, with any luck and skill, nothing bad will happen to you. But if it does come to that, I'll drive you personally there. I may train whippersnappers into competent riders, but their wellbeing is still my responsibility. That's what I promised Sora, after all."

Huh, I guess she loves him that much to mention again…

"Well, shonen. It seems that you're beginning to be curious about my dearly beloved husband of mine, haven't you?" wait, she can read my expression or something? "But you're in the middle of training, if you do well… Maybe we'll talk. If Asuka trusts you, then I'll give you a chance."

Near the shop, I could see Asuka waving at me, sitting on a bench. Yumiko about to sit there with her, carrying lots of bottles and packaged foods, bought from some vending machines, I assume. I gave her my usual thumbs up, which she replied in kind. Yumiko saw it and joined in. I guess Akira is minding the shop for now.

"You could continue flirting once you finished my trial, boy. Now focus!"

"Y-Yes, m'am!" Oh shit, better get serious!

"Hey, Oba-san, take it easy. He can't help but to show off to his lady like that." D-dammit Ryuuko! "Aww, don't tease Rasyid-kun too much, Ryuuko. Save it after we're finished racing, alright?" Oh, thank you Madoka, I pray that—"Although, if you do well, she may give you a victory kiss. If not, would you like any of us to give you one?" Goddammit! Why do I always have women teasing me like this?

Will you blame your author-self for this again? I sense that you're not really uncomfortable by this…

Riku, now's not really the time!

Bah… Alright, helmet on. Trychaser activated, the three of us lining up to the start line… Wait for it.

"Alright, you're going on five laps, the first two will be the boy learning the ropes, the rest will be a speed run. After you learned the basics, you'll have six minutes each to ride back here. Are you ready, shonen?" cried Tachibana-san. I answered her with, again, the thumbs up. I slapped the visor of my helmet down. Alright, buddy, Put your gunz on!

(Play - Kamen Rider Kuuga OST: Try & Chase)

"Ready? Set… GO!"

As Tachibana Kairi shot the pistol, marking the beginning of the trial, I revved up the Trychaser and slowly, but steadily, I rode down the hill. Ryuuko went ahead to guide me along the way… left, right, left, right… I can do this!

Okay, some of those big mounds I've seen in those motocross races… don't be rash, go slow… alright! Upsie daisy, leapsie wavy!

Now, going through the junkyard… Damn, this place looks like a maze! Fortunately, there are flags set around various points, guess those are the paths. Whoa, road bumps! Lots of metals and stuff, some of them looked like ramps. Ryuuko wants me to jump through them? Alright, let's go!

Speeding up, I brace myself for the flight… Riku, sometimes I could feel certain moments slowed down, did you…

Would you like me to stop?

Well, this might be useful in combat. But this is something I have to do myself.

I understand. Good luck, Rasyid.

Fortunately, I know what to do when landing. Instead of sitting down, I stood up a bit and let my legs handle the impact. Yeah, that's the way!

Okay, more ramps and obstacles to jump through… Heh, just like that abandoned building in the Trychaser debut episode… No, not now; I should to focus on this training, I have to get better if I want to catch Mebio effectively.

Alright, pass through the exit gate, and now we're entering the woods.

Ryuuko stopped, telling me that there are multiple roads I could take. They all lead to the shop as long as I steer clear of the barred up road. Alright, easy enough. I rarely played racing video games, but I played enough to know what to do. She told me to speed up since sometimes the paths are muddy, slowing down the bikes. Not to mention cleaning them would be a hassle, now way I'm scratching this baby!

Huh, it's a bit dark here. Now where's the light switch… Aha! Alright, now I can see more here.

I decided to take the middle path, Ryuuko to the right and Madoka the left. After a few turns switching paths, we came out of the forest. Now… climbing back up.

Ryuuko demonstrated a way to climb steep terrains… huh, I didn't know it can be done that way, but she's the expert, let's follow her examples!

Struggling a bit, I managed to reached the top and back to the line. Asuka's smile was the motivation I needed as she cheered me on, and Akira is there too now!

"Alright, you did okay, but don't get cocky, shonen!" ordered Tachibana, "After the second lap, you have better know what to do by then, cause I'll be timing your speed, got that?!" "Yeah!" I replied, and I have this urge to do… This!

Revving up the Trychaser, I reared the vehicle as if I reared a horse. A second later, I dropped the front wheels down and continued the race. I think I heard Ryuuko shouting, "Showoff!" or something, but who cares, I'm having a time of my life!

(End Song)

Meanwhile, deep within the forest, a pair of eyes belonging to something… inhuman, was spying on the riders. At first she was tempted to set her target to the male, or one of the females. After reasserting the situation, she has chosen her target: The green haired one.

Now, Zu-Mebio-Da only needs to wait for the right moment to strike. Her master had ordered her to do so, and she will obey.

TRC Race Track, Final Lap, 11:30 AM

"Not bad, shonen! Just finish this one and you're done!"

Booyah! I am doing it!

Alright, racing against Ryuuko and Madoka, I managed to pass them by the lap before this one, I don't know nor care if they're being easy on me, but the adrenaline from doing this is exhilarating!

Stay cautious, Linto. Overconfidence will cloud your judgment.

I know, but it's hard to contain my joy when I'm winning!

Okay, just got through the junkyard, now towards the forest… up this hill… And finish!

I could see the joy Tachibana-san has as she timed me, "Alright, shonen! You finished the third lap by four minutes fifty second, but here you are a three-fifty. That's quite a progress, for a rookie."

"Well, I just focus myself to win this race, and it got a bit easier."

Patting my back, she looked behind me. Huh, I wonder what took Madoka and Ryuuko so long.

"Oh, my… It's unusual for these two to delay like this. Here you go, Rasyid." said Akira, handing me a bottle of water, which has been opened, luckily… Oh shit. Riku, you don't think—

A ringing noise echoed inside my head, I clutched my head in pain. "R-Rasyid? What's wrong?" Asuka held me as I almost fell from the bike. "W-What the hell is this ringing noise?!" I said in English, and Asuka responded in kind, "There is no noise, what's going on?"

Then, I heard something crashing… the echo it made indicates that it's farther from the shop… the junkyard, maybe?

L-Linto… I know not what is happening, but… I could feel imminent danger.

W-what the hell do you mean?

By the Stones! Ryuuko and Madoka, they are being attacked! It is Zu-Mebio-Da, at the junkyard, you must make haste!

Instead of questioning how he knows this, I asked Asuka just as the ringing stopped, "Asuka, they're being attacked, call the cops!" I turned on the Trychasers, but Tachibana-san stopped me from going, "Hey, shonen, what the hell is going on?!" "Ryuuko and Madoka… I dunno how, but they're in danger!"

Before I let her respond, I sped through the starting line, "Call the police and an ambulance, hurry!" and with that, instead of doing the zigzag motion following the path, I jumped down and race through it. Ryuuko, Madoka, be safe!

"Asuka! Just what is that boy up to? What did he mean by that?!"

The FBI Agent reeled back as the angry elderly mechanic demanded answers from her, "O-Obasan, calm down! Whatever he meant, I think he's very serious about Ryuuko and Madoka in danger!"

As she was about to use her cellphone to call, Tachibana Kairi interrupted her, "Hey, if the boy is really serious, waiting for the cops would be too risky for those two! Yumiko, get the first aid kid. Akira, start the Inazuma!"

The Inazuma, Asuka thought; it was the name given to Tachibana's trusty jeep that's been with her since her marriage with Tachibana Sora. Despite its age, it was extremely reliable. Specifically, it's a Suzuki SJ410 model, dark yellow in color, with blue lightning bolts painted on both doors, although the soft top on the back was removed. She customized it herself for multiple purposes, with extra headlamps, with a hook winch on the front bumper below them, plus a tow hitch behind the jeep. Usually, she uses it to haul spare parts from the junkyard, carrying any injured bikers to the Odawara hospital, or just for cruising. Now, it has a more important purpose.

"Asuka, get your ass in here, now!"

With that, she ran to the passenger side of the jeep, noticing something peculiar about Yumiko, "Yumi-chan, why are you carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows?" Smiling, the small young adult replied, "Well, nee-chan. I just had this feeling that if the shop's ever in danger, I should be prepared by buying these. Good thing I did, huh?"

Afterwards, Asuka entered and buckled in. Yumiko and Akira sitting behind, a medkit in tow. "Alright, hold on, it's going to get rough!"

The jeep roared to life, and Tachibana drove the vehicle over the racetrack. However, her mind was on something else, "Asuka, that boy's not really what he claims to be, isn't he?"

Asuka wanted to answer, but she doesn't know how. Her mind returned to the office where the both of them talked. How the agent tried to persuade the elderly mechanic to train the young man, how Tachibana knew that he's more than meets the eye, and how… complicated the young lady's feelings for him. Fortunately, Tachibana saw him as trustworthy, and chose to discuss it at another time.

As they arrived at the junkyard entrance, an old man ran out of the gate. Tachibana put her head out and asked, "Hey, Tani! What the hell's going on in there?!" gasping for air, the old man tried to answer her, "K-Kairi, there's this cat monster wreaking havoc. It was after Ryuuko and Madoka, but then there's this guy appeared out of nowhere, ramming that thing away from them with his bike. He told me to get the girls out, but the cat monster was too fast, I think it's deliberately targeting the girls, but the guy is holding it off. So I ran out to get help from you!"

"Dammit!" cried Asuka as she cocked her pistol, she opened the door and ran out to battle. Unbeknownst to her, Tachibana, Yumiko, and Akira were behind her.

Asuka looked for signs that may lead her to him, but all she found were trails of blood. Even though they seemed to be of minor amount, she didn't know if it's the Grongi's or Rasyid's. "Hey, Asuka!" she looked behind her, she sees Tachibana gripping a wrench, Yumiko readying her bow, and Akira carrying a steel pipe. The determination in their eyes told her that there is no persuading them to turn around. "… Follow me, and don't get reckless." The younger girls nodded, Tachibana merely sighed, "Kid, what the hell did you got me into this time?" "Well, at least it wasn't a gang fight, Oba-san."

The four followed the blood trail, Asuka saw footprints, one pair of them barefooted. Three others were motorcycle boots, 'That thing was chasing Madoka and Ryuuko… Rasyid followed the Grongi, but I don't know which one of them is bleeding… dammit, be safe, you idiot!'

"Come on! Is that all you got, you bitch!?"

That was definitely his voice, rushing further, Asuka gasped at the sight she's seeing.

Ryuuko and Madoka, both have their biker gear torn apart. The green haired woman slouched on a wrecked car with a bleeding leg. The swordswoman wielding a steel pipe, standing close to Madoka, but barely able to stand as her wound bled through.

The Grongi, almost without a scratch, had one foot on a broken helmet, slowly crushing it.

Rasyid, on the other hand, was just about to finish crying out a word; a word that will reveal how terrible he is at keeping a secret identity.

"HENSHIN!"

Guys… you will not believe how much I hated having this procrastinating block.

Be angry at me all you want, but nobody is angrier than I am

All these waiting… all these planning… so much time has passed.

But the wait is over.

Sooooo you must wonder, "Stranger, why do you made these OC ladies like this? Why base their appearance on hentai manga girls by specific artists?"

One, it's never been done before. Two, they look the closest to a real person that I've found. Three, they're from actual romantic hentai manga, which I prefer, so they're the best pick for me. And they're... tasteful.

Also, Ichijouji Ryuuko… is named after the same Ryuuko many of you might know, Matoi Ryuuko. Yes, Kill la Kill has not been made yet in 2011, but she's the only swordswoman I know that fits the story. Yes, this Ryuuko also has the red hair thing, but it's purple.

I know, I need to be better at describing and making original characters, but I have difficulties on that part, which I really hate.

Anyway, enough self-deprecation.

Next time, SI-Me shall fight as Kuuga, defending the girls from Zu-Mebio-Da, but then two things happens, and here are the hints:

I fought the law, and the law almost killed me

Do not look at a gift horse in the mouth, especially if it's ARMORED.

So, here's the real Chapter 7 after all this time. Hopefully I'm not too rusty at writing, and I hope even more than I can come up with chapter 8.

Still, Read, Review, and Rejoice!