Chapter 34: Survival of the Game-ists
I've gotta believe!
(Kirito and Ex-Aid are back to back, facing a horde of Bugsters. They lift their weapons and charge as the title appears)
I don't wanna know heta na shinjitsu nara
(The SAO gang are chilling out together in a nearby café)
I don't wanna know shiranai kurai ga ii noni
(Suddenly, all bystanders all transform into Ride-Players)
Why? Why? Why? Why? Kizukeba I came too far
(Brave remembers the time that Yuko died, with Asuna's afterimage looking at him; Snipe remembers the time he was defeated by Graphite, with Sinon's afterimage looking at him)
Tomaranai kanjiru kono yokan wa
(The Riders and the SAO gang together walk towards the horde of Ride Players)
The new beginning
(The Riders hold up their Gashats)
Michi no ryuoiki ima wo kirihirakunda
(The Riders transform into their Lv 2 forms)
I've gotta believe!
(The SAO gang turn on Ordinal Scale)
(Turn it on!) soutou
(Together, they all charge at the Ride Player horde)
EXCITE! EXCITE! Takanaru
(Ex-Aid goes into Lv 20, and splits into XXL and XXR; Brave twirls into Lv 50, sending a bunch of Ride Players back)
EXCITE! EXCITE! Kokoro ga
(Snipe jumps into Lv 50, and rains fire upon the Ride Players; Ex-Aid jumps down in Lv 99, and slams the ground)
Michibiku ano basho e kakenukete ikudake
(The Ordinal Scale players make their way through the horde one by one)
(Hey!) I'm on a mission right now
(Klein, Lisbeth, Silica, Agil, and Leafa stay back, while six figures strike a battle-ready pose. Ex-Aid raises the Breaker to his face, while Kirito goes into his battle stance. Asuna also goes into her battle stance, while Brave flips his Sword around, so he could grab the blade with his free hand. Sinon and Snipe both their weapons tightly)
(Hey!) I'm on a mission right now
(A silhouette of Kamen Rider Para-DX Lv 99 glares at them, with his eyes glowing)
EXCITE! EXCITE! Kotae wa
(Ex-Aid and Para-DX smash their fists together)
EXCITE! EXCITE! Kotae wa
(The SAO gang fight various Bugsters from all of the games from the Gashats)
(One!) kono te no naka
(Snipe and Sinon go back to back)
(Two!) susumubeki Life
(Brave and Asuna slash right next to each other)
(Three!) ikitekudake
(Ex-Aid and Kirito together jump up and slash downward, cutting back to the title)
It's the new age of gaming!
Real and Virtual worlds come together to create the ultimate multiplayer game!
Kamen Rider Chronicle! Now Available!
You are the hero of your story!
That commercial was playing on every screen possible. All of the regular townsfolk were now intrigued by this game. Plus, Poppy was pretty cute, so they had to know this must be a must-buy.
However, this wasn't the case for everyone. The SAO Gang were currently watching TV. The screen was curretnyl showing a new reporter in frton of the GENM Corp. building, and was currently explain the situation. But they weren't the only ones watching this. Poppy, along with Ren, were in the storage chamber of the GENM Corp. building, watching the news unfold.
"Large crowds are lining up to buy the new game, Kamen Rider Chronicle." The reporter explained. "At this rate, GENM Corp will stand along the other titans of the gaming industry…"
"Whoa…" Poppy awed. "This is amazing! They're being sold like pancakes!"
"Well, of course…" Ren complied. "But you musn't forget who made this dream of ours possible…"
He then spun around and suddenly, a mirror appeared in his hands.
"Thank you… me." He smiled seductively.
Poppy wasn't paying attention. She was reading the bottom of the TV screen. It was displaying the current news.
"What's this?" She pondered. "'The Ministry is recalling Kamen Rider Chronicle and are prohibiting public play.'…"
"What?!" Ren exclaimed.
He quickly shoved Poppy out of the way so he could hear it himself, but Poppy quickly got her seat in front of the TV back. Graphite saw this go down, and was growing weary.
"So, they're finally making their move…" He said.
"Well, it was bound to happen." Pallad replied nonchalantly.
Meanwhile, in Hiro's office, the doctors, Emu and Hiro, as well as the SAO players were huddled together. Asuna and Suguha tried to comfort Rika as much as possible, but it wasn't doing much. She just saw another person disappear.
"This is like Sword Art Online all over again…" She whispered quietly.
Even with that though, they still had to deal with the whole Kamen Rider Chronicle thing. They were currently on call with Kikuoka, and the Minister himself, Hinata Kyoutarou.
"For now, we're recalling the game and prohibiting further usage." Hinata explained. "But…"
"We know, sir…" Emu finished. "The players who already got a game over… and they were so many…"
"How many are we talking here?" Kazuto asked.
"The game is being sold nationwide." Kikuoka replied. "We can only assume that the number is growing."
"And the players using the game will exhibit symptoms of game disease…" Hiro added. "Without proper treatment, it will only be matter of time before they vanish…"
Hiro took a glimpse of what was laid on the table. It was a Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat. Just then, Asuna spoke up.
"We have to warn the country!" She suggested. "Warn them about the game."
"No!" Hinata quickly responded. "Sorry, but if the public finds out about the underlying risks, it would cause an uproar!"
"We have to stop the players from getting game overs!" Kazuto exclaimed.
"In any case, the Ministry will be handling the matter." Kikuoka replied. "All of you, even you kids, are ordered to stand down, in order to prevent an outrage."
"Very well, sir." Hiro replied, standing up.
"I'm sorry." Hinata added as the call was cut off.
Once the call ended, Hiro went over to grab a cup of water. However, not everyone was onboard with this restrainment. Kazuto angrily punched the table, and Asuna just sat back down with Rika and Suguha.
"Don't overthink it." Hiro told them. "It's out of our hands now."
"So…" a voice barged in. "You folks won't be doing anything, huh?"
Everyone looked over and saw that voice belonged to the man Emu had brought in the previous chapter. He took a couple steps into the office, but then he held his chest. He was still experiencing signs of game disease, but was trying to be tough guy about it.
"Mr. Tenma…" Emu spluttered. "You should rest in your room!"
"Well, hate to burst your bubble." Tenma replied. "I'm not going to just wait here while you CR folks do nothing."
He then grabbed the Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat from the table.
"If I beat the Bugster, my game disease should be cured, right?" He went on. "I'm going to fix my own body."
Emu then grabbed the Gashat. He then tried to take it off of Tenma's hands.
"That game is dangerous." He said. "Please, go back to your room!"
Tenma just shoved Emu off of him, and then he began to walk out. Emu, after a bit of stumbling, then went after.
"Hey, intern!" Hiro shouted. "We have orders to stand down!"
Kazuto, then silently slipped away. He was trying to get Emu from doing something stupid.
Salty chuckled in a nearby pond. He was currently fighting a Ride-Player, whom looked to be a beginner. He swung his blade around madly, but they all missed.
"My, my…" Salty commented. "You're weak, even for a beginner!"
He then just punched the Ride-Player away from him, as he tumbled on the ground. Just then, Tenma came up from behind.
"Bingo…" He smirked.
He then outstretched his hand, holding the Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat. He pressed it.
KAMEN RIDER CHRONICLE…
He then pressed it again, quickly turning into another Ride-Player.
ENTER THE GAME! RIDING THE END!
He quickly turned his blade weapon into a blaster, and then he aimed at Salty. He pulled the trigger, landing several shots on Salty's back. He then turned it back into a blade, and charged.
"Well…!" Salty smiled. "A seasoned player!"
Tenma swung his blade, just as Emu came up.
"Please! Stop!" He pleaded.
He put on his Gamer Driver and pulled out his Gashat, quickly pressing it.
MIGHTY ACTION X!
"Henshin!" He shouted.
He then inserted the Gashat into the Driver and opened it, running over to the fight.
GASHATTO!
GACHANN! LEVEL UP!
MIGHTY JUMP! MIGHTY KICK! MIGHTY MIGHTY ACTION X!
Emu quickly transformed into Ex-Aid, and he quickly got in between them. He threw Salty aside, and then he began to push Tenma away.
"Please!" He pleaded. "Don't do this!"
"Move aside!" Tenma ordered. "I'm good at this kind of stuff!"
"Still, you should stop playing this game!" Ex-Aid pleaded again.
Tenma then just punched Ex-Aid off of him and then pinned him to a nearby pillar.
"Then give me some items, damn it!" Tenma shouted.
Kazuto arrived just as Tenma decided to focus all of his efforts on fighting Ex-Aid. Strangely, he observed that Ex-Aid wasn't fighting back. Salty used this chance to escape.
"Please!" Ex-Aid exclaimed. "I can't… I won't fight you!"
Ex-Aid was finally pinned down with a blade digging into his arm by Tenma. Just then, a red alarm blared in the area. Ex-Aid and Tenma suddenly looked around. Kazuto then saw a figure.
"Look out!" He shouted.
Ex-Aid looked over only to be met with an energy blast. He looked over to where the blast came from. He saw Poppy with something that looked like… an azure and silver BugVisor…?
"Kamen Riders are rare characters!" She exclaimed. "They're supposed to fight them!"
She then crossed her arms across her front, making an X-shape.
"Helping players…" She stated. "Is against the rules!"
She then put on the BugVisor on her waist.
GACHANN…
"Popapipu-penalty…" She then said with an ominous voice. "Disqualification."
Kazuto used this chance to get to Ex-Aid. He turned into his Ordinal Scale form, as he came to Ex-Aid's side.
"Disqualification?" Ex-Aid asked.
"Hey." Kirito interrupted, grabbing his arm. "Let's get out of here, okay?"
But Poppy never game them the chance, as she then pulled out something surprising to them both. A Gashat, lined pink and white. She pressed it, activating its game area.
TOKI MEKI CRISIS!
A bright pink Game Area spread out, surprising them all. She pressed the A Button on the BugVisor, and then she spun around. Her skirt followed along with her movements, and once she had spun once, she stretched her hand to her side.
"Henshin…" She said almost like a whisper.
She then inserted the Gashat into the BugVisor and pressed the button below the Gashat port.
GASHATTO! BUCKLE UP…
DREAMING GIRL! HEY! KOI NO SIMULATION! OTOME WA ITSUMO TOKI MEKI CRISIS! HEY!
Poppy's body changed. She first gained bright yellow armor that went all down to her skirt. She also gained pink sleeves, stocking and heels. Then, her eyes became red.
"Kamen Rider…" She started. "Poppy~~!"
She smiled happily, but Kirito and Ex-Aid had nothing to say.
"You're kidding, right?" They both said simultaneously.
Then, Poppy jumped down. She then began to attack Ex-Aid. Right now, she just threw kicks and punches at Ex-Aid. It didn't do a lot, but Ex-Aid was frustrated. He can't fight his friend.
"What the hell…" Tenma groaned, as he quickly escaped.
Back with the fight, Ex-Aid finally grabbed a hold of her.
"Poppy!" Ex-Aid said. "Just stop! Please!"
However, Poppy just threw her arms up and broke free of Ex-Aid's grip. Just then, Kirito jumped up. He had his sword in hand, and he quickly landed a slash on her back.
"Ex-Aid!" He called. "Open your eyes!"
He then swung his sword at Poppy. He had to admit, she was pretty slippery. Guess her size didn't restrict her movements.
"Kirito!" Ex-Aid shouted. "Stop!"
"We have no choice!" Kirito shouted back. "Even if she's still Poppy, we have to fight her!"
He then continued to swing his sword around. Just then, Poppy jumped right over his head, and then swiped Kirito's sword out of his hands. She then threw it aside and put on her BugVisor with the chainsaw bit activated.
GACHANN…
She then used it to slash Kirito. First down his body, and then upward, launching him. Ex-Aid caught him, but they were both met with a kick from Poppy, forcing them back. She stood behind them, and prepared for a final attack.
"Pipupepo power~!" She cheered.
She put the BugVisor back on her waist and then pressed the B Button.
GACHANN… KIMEWAZA…
She waited a bit for the attack to charge, and then she pressed the B Button again.
CRITICAL CREWS-AID…
She then spun around like a top. She flew up into the air and launched various energy blasts shaped like hearts, sunshines, and rainbows. But as pretty as they looked, they were just as powerful. They all landed on Kirito and Ex-Aid hard, as they were both knocked back. Ex-Aid cancelled out, turning back into Emu, and Kirito reverted back to Kazuto. Just as the attack finished, Asuna came up,
"Kirito!" Asuna shouted.
She quickly ran over to her boyfriend's side, and then she carefully picked him up.
"You okay?" She asked.
"Yeah…" Kazuto shrugged. "I'll live."
Poppy trotted over to Emu.
"Doctors don't get special treatment!" She mentioned. "Remember next time or be punished again!"
Emu didn't know how to respond. So many thoughts were going through his mind.
"Poppy…" He started. "You were our friend… you fought with us… why are you doing this?!"
He grabbed hold of her hand. Poppy then went down on her knees, looking at Emu curiously. She then booped Emu on the nose and stepped away.
"Bye-bye!" She said cheerfully.
She then pixelated away just as Emu tried to stop her.
"She's… gone…" Asuna said.
Emu then looked down to the ground. Poppy slipped away right in front of him… again.
"You're wasting your time, man." Said a familiar voice.
The three looked behind them and saw Pallad casually sitting on a wall. He was smiling away.
"Hate to burst your bubble." He continued. "But her save data, or as you humans may say, her memory, has been reset."
"So basically, she is still Poppy in here." He said, putting a hand on his chest.
"But not up here." He finished, putting his finger on his head.
Everyone took a moment to take in that information.
"Memory… reset?" Asuna asked.
Pallad jumped down from the wall and then explained what was going on.
"The reason why she was with you guys to begin with…" Pallad explained. "Was because Genmu was using her to collect data."
"And now that Kamen Rider Chronicle's completed." He went on. "She can go back to her original role as a Bugster."
"Poppy…" Emu whispered.
Emu couldn't accept this. He was remembering all of the times he had with Poppy back in ALO. It was something that they kept private from work, but they had a bit of fun together. They went on raids together, played around together, and as of most recently, with the Augma, even ate together.
"C'mon. We Bugsters come from taking over human bodies." Pallad went on. "Poppy is no exception to this."
"Even so…" Kazuto butted in. "What's that got to do with this hellish game?"
"Why are you asking me that?" Pallad replied. "This is what you humans wanted."
Everyone paused at that declaration. How was this on them?
"You humans seek entertainment, so you create video games." He explained. "And to relieve your stress, you crate characters plaing the role of enemies."
As he went on, another group of Ride-Players were fighting Alhambra in a nearby neighborhood. And said neighborhood happened to be where Asuna lived.
"Bascially, we Bugster threaten you humans…" Pallad continued. "Because you programmed us to."
"But, we are not simple pawns on a chessboard." He went on. "A Bugster's life is still a life."
"It's survival of the fittest between two races." He concluded as he walked away.
With Pallad gone, the three players just sat there, taking all of the information in.
A little while later, an emergency broadcast was shown all over town. It seemed to concern the latest developments with Kamen Rider Chronicle. A news headline says it all.
The Ministry is about to begin an emergency pres conference on the topic of Kamen Rider Chronicle, concerning the mass recall of the game units and the prohibition of its use. The Ministry has yet to explain the reason of this order at hand, and this conference is expected to shed light on the situation.
Despite all of this Tenma had other plans.
"I can't do this alone." He admitted. "I'm going to need some help."
He then whipped out his phone and typed. Once he was done, he copied it, and pasted on to every single social media account that he had. With that done, his words of help spread like wildfire, instigating a whole situation.
"To all players of Kamen Rider Chronicle…"
"You can't trust the Cyber Rescue Center."
"Looking for other players…"
"Let's fight together."
"If we don't defeat the Bugsters…"
"Our bodies will vanish…"
"We must work together to cure ourselves…"
Ironically, Nico happened to be reading this as well. Taiga and Shino were close by, as Shino just filled him on the orders from the Ministry. They were by a train station too, it seems.
"Isn't this pretty bad?" She asked.
Taiga scoffed, and just walked off. Shino and Nico quickly followed after him
"Well…" Taiga commented. "You can stop a game once it's started."
"Now you're getting it." said a voice.
The three turned to the direction where the voice came from. Taiga's eyes widened as he saw who the voice belonged to. There, standing in front of them, only lit with the backdrop of a lower tunnel, was Graphite, with a smile that irritated Taiga to no end.
"Graphite…" He scowled.
Graphite smiled back, full of himself.
"Nice to see you too." He answered.
"You know this guy?" Nico asked.
Shino outstretched her arm, covering Nico from going any further.
"That's Graphite." She explained. "He's a Bugster we beat a while ago. He and Taiga… have a history."
Nico looked at Taiga's expression, as it was full of rage. She understood that.
"So, you came back from the dead?" Taiga asked. "No matter, I'll just kill you all over again!"
He pulled out the Gashat Gear Dual β without hesitation, but Graphite stopped him.
"We won't be fighting right now." He said. "Just try and clear Kamen Rider Chronicle!"
"Get to my level." Graphite declared. "Only then… will we fight."
With that said, Graphite walked away, pixelating away. Taiga put the Gashat down, and then just walked on. Nico went after with Shino.
Emu sat in a chair, motionless. He had bandages on, so he should be fine. The SAO players have gone home to work off the anxiety, so it was just him and Hiro that were in the office.
"So… Poppy Pipopapo is…?" He asked.
Emu nodded silently. Hiro put his hands into his doctor coat pockets.
"Why do you think we were ordered to stand down?" Hiro asked suddenly.
Emu didn't respond. He had a lot of things on his mind. So, Hiro had to answer his own question.
"If Kamen Riders, the rare characters, were to show up, we'll only paint a giant target on our backs." He explained. "For now, we have to abide by the orders."
As soon as Hiro was done talking, Emu got up and began to walk out. Hiro quickly intercepted him.
"Did you not hear Secretary Hinata's orders?" He asked, shouting.
"Please let go of me!" Emu responded. "I have to operate on my patients!"
"THIS IS NOT AN OPERATION ANYMORE, KID!" Hiro screamed.
Emu stopped. Hiro, realizing that he raised his voice, quickly regained control of his temper.
"The patients don't trust us doctors." He stated. "In fact, we're their enemies now."
"How can you still operate under that condition?!" He asked. "It's just not possible."
Emu staggered his breath. He had an answer for this.
"Even if they don't trust me…" He responded. "I'm still going to save them!"
He marched himself out of the office, leaving Hiro behind. He then ran down the streets, searching for any Ride-Players.
Hiro remained in his office, pondering a question that just sprang into his head.
"What does it mean to be a doctor…?" He asked. "Is having a license enough…?"
"No…" He answered his own question. "To be a doctor…"
Deciding on an answer, he then walked out of his office as well.
Kazuto was lying on his bed, getting his injuries treated by Suguha.
"Owowowow…" He moaned.
"C'mon, you can take it." Suguha pouted.
Once she was done dabbing the injury, Suguha grabbed a band-aid and put it right over Kazuto's cheek.
"Would that be enough?" She asked.
Kazuto felt the band-aid. The pain from the injury wasn't gone, but the band-aid just might do the trick.
"Thanks, sis." Kazuto replied.
And with that, the two Kirigaya siblings walked downstairs. Waiting for them, was Rika, Keiko, Asuna, and Ryotarou. They were all sitting in the living room, on several couches.
"How you doing?" Ryotarou asked.
"It's a scratch, nothing big." Kazuto replied.
Then, the two sat down on one of free spaces.
"So… Poppy's a bad guy now?" Keiko asked.
Yui then flew in. She wasn't willing to accept it.
"That's not possible!" She replied hastily. "Poppy is my friend! She can't do something like that!"
"And we want to believe that, Yui…" Asuna choked out. "But…"
She glanced over to Kazuto. His injury stood out to her like a sore thumb.
"I saw what happened." Kazuto finished for her. "I'm sorry."
Yui sunk down to her knees, distraught with her feelings.
"Alright, alright." Ryotarou spoke up, standing up. "Why don't we take a walk to get the steam out?"
Everyone agreed, and they all filed outside. From there, they strolled silently down the street. Kazuto walked up to Rika. Strangely, she was keeping to herself.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Huh?" Rika responded. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."
And with that, Rika sped up and walked away. Kazuto grew concerned for his friend.
They walked on for a while. At this point, they were now closed to a currently unoccupied construction site. Keiko was leading the group, so she was up front. She noticed something odd. She quickly called everyone over.
"What is it?" Suguha asked.
"That!" Keiko said.
She pointed in front of her. There were a group of people standing in a huddle. In front of the group, was Tenma.
"Wait…" Kazuto mentioned. "Tenma?!"
"You know him?" Ryotarou asked.
"Yeah." Kazuto replied. "He's the guy I went after Emu for."
Then, the entire group raised their hands. They all appeared to be holding something. Tenma raised his hand last, and he was holding his Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat. He pressed it, followed by everyone else.
KAMEN RIDER CHRONICLE…
Then, they all pressed it again, turning the entire group of people into a group of Ride-Players.
ENTER THE GAME! RIDING THE END!
Once the transformation was complete, all of the Ride-Player ssran down the site. The SAO players quickly followed behind them. Soon, the Ride-Players were face to face with two Bugsters: Salty and Alhambra. They all braced themselves, and then they charged. The group split up two fight the Bugsters. Salty and Alhambra didn't even seem fazed, as they just dished out more damage to the Ride-Players.
"Should we help them…?" Keiko asked.
"We can't." Kazuto replied. "We have orders, remember?"
Everyone agreed, but the person that came to the field was enough to make Rika change her mind.
PERFECT PUZZLE!
WHAT'S THE NEXT STAGE?
Pallad walked into the site, about to transform.
"Well this looks fun." He smiled. "Henshin."
He pressed the Gashat.
DUAL UP!
GET THE GLORY IN THE CHAIN! PERFECT PUZZLE!
Pallad transformed into Para-DX Puzzle Gamer, and the rubbed his hands together.
"Let's get started then, shall we?" He said, excitedly.
Rika made a hard fist with her hand, and then she just ran out, straight at Para-DX.
"Ordinal Scale, on!" She shouted.
Rika pixelated into Lisbeth again, and she swung her mace madly at Para-DX, who just dodged them effortlessly.
"Whoa, whoa, tiger!" He said. "Give me some breathing room for a bit, okay?"
"Shut up!" Lis screamed.
As she continued attacking, the others realized they had to step in as well. So, they all turned on Ordinal Scale, and went after Lis.
As all of that was going on, the Ministry had just begun their press conference concerning Kamen Rider Chronicle. With cameras flashing and reporters busily writing, Hinata began his talk.
"In regards to the mass recall issued for GENM Corp.'s video game, Kamen Rider Chronicle…" He began. "We've discovered a serious flaw that could effect the user's health."
He then went on to explain that serious flaw.
"Upon activation, the game will trigger any dormant Bugster virus bacteria in one's body, inflicting the user with game disease." He explained.
The crowd began to talk amongst themselves, as questions came one by one.
"There are some rumors floating in the internet…" One of the journalists asked. "Is it true that Bugster virus can potentially cause an individual to vanish?"
"There's also information about a previous event, Zero Day, where the infected supposedly vanished…" Another mentioned.
"Also, wasn't CR orginanly formed with the cooperation of GENM Corp.?" Another asked.
Hinata couldn't answer all of these questions, as it would go against what he said from the beginning.
"In any case..." He said. "We ask you to refrain from using Kamen Rider Chronicle, as well as for your cooperation on our mass recall efforts."
"Please answer the question!" shouted one of the reporters.
Then, one by one, all of the reporters began shouting over each other, trying to get Hinata to answer the question. Just then, Kikuoka quickly walked up to him.
"Sir, we have a problem." He whispered to his ear. "Two CR doctors have mobilized."
Hinata's eyes widened. First the situation he was in, and now the doctors have moved in despite the orders to stand down? The situation just keeps getting better and better.
Back to the fight, the Ride-Players were having trouble fighting the two low-tier Bugsters. Salty was dishing out insults as well as beating the Ride-Players. This enraged them, causing them to just try random attacks. Alhambra was not having any trouble either. He was using his magic on the Ride-Players, and with the limited range of options the Ride-Players had, they were quickly overpowered.
Para-DX, on the other hand, was enjoying himself very much. It's been a while since he fought the SAO players, and it felt just as good in AR as it is on ALO. He also saw it as a challenge, as when he tried to pick up Leafa, she was a bit heavier than he thought. He just threw her into Silica, and quickly tanked a slash from Klein. He broke his blade, and then he just kicked him away. Asuna and Kirito jumped up, but Lis blocked their way as she was the most enraged out of everyone. She was swinging madly. Para-DX chuckled, and just simply grabbed two Energy Items to even out the odds.
SPEED UP! BUNSHIN!
Para-DX split apart into seven clones of himself, and they engaged the SAO players one by one.
In no time at all, they all went to their finishers. Salty sent out a shock of electricity to his opponents, while Alhambra used a fire spell to scorch his opponents. All of the Ride-Players fell back, defeated. Salty couldn't help but chuckle at this sight.
"You are either undeniably brave, or undeniably foolish." Salty said.
Tenma, who had been fighting Salty, was out of steam.
"No… no way…" He panted.
Just then, behind Salty and Alhambra, seven bodies were thrown. Kirito, Asuna, Silica, Leafa, Klein, and Lis tumbled on the ground. Para-DX happily trotted along.
"Hey, Salty, Alhambra." He asked. "Time we finish this with style, right?"
"Of course!" Salty agreed, rubbing his hands. "Time to reveal the chef's secret…"
"And I shall bestow my most legendary spell upon them…" Alhambra said.
Everyone struggled to get up, but they were too hurt to go on. Lis, however mustered up enough strength to stand back up.
"I'm… not… done… yet…!" She choked out.
She ran forward towards Para-DX, but he quickly grabbed another two Energy Items.
METALIZE! MUSCLE UP!
Lis swung her mace down, and it landed on Para-DX's shoulder, but his body was now metal, so nothing happened.
"Aren't you a sourpuss?" He commented.
He then landed gut punch right on Lis's stomach, which made her cough out some spit. She was then sent flying back to her starting place, but Kirito was able to catch her.
Alhambra and Salty then charged up their final attacks. Para-DX smiled. It was about to happen. A triumph of Bugster.
"STOP!" a voice shouted.
Everyone then turned to see Emu rush in. He had his Gamer Driver on, but he wasn't holding a Gashat. He had a serious expression on his face though.
"Aw, come on, M…" Para-DX sighed. "We were just getting to the good part!"
Tenma looked over, more annoyed if anything.
"Why are you even here?" He exclaimed. "No one asked for your help!"
"I know…" Emu uttered.
Everyone looked at Emu. He was shaking slightly.
"Emu…" Kirito muttered.
"I hate to admit it…" He choked out. "But I can't save everyone by myself."
"Then beat it!" Tenma shouted.
"But I'm still going to fight!" Emu shot back. "To save as many lives as I can… and bring back smiles to their faces!"
Back at the press conference, Hinata thought about the mobilization of CR. He knew who it might've went out first.
'Emu…' He thought.
He knew what to do now. He stood up from his seat, and then spoke what that should've been said a long time ago.
"It is all true." He stated.
All of the reporters simmered down, now that their questions have been answered.
"Secretary, you musn't!" Kikuoka begged.
"If a game disease is left unchecked, or the player receives a game over on Kamen Rider Chronicle…" He stated. "The infected will disappear, leading to their deaths."
"However, there is no need to worry!" He declared.
Back to the construction site, Taiga walked up behind Emu with Sinon. He also had his Gamer Driver on, and was holding the Gashat Gear Dual β in his free hand. Sinon quickly got to helping up the others.
"We're the only ones beating Bugsters here." He said.
"Precisely." Hiro added, walking up. "That is why we are here. To save as many lives within reach."
Emu looked back at the two doctors behind him. He was flattered by their appearance, and then he made his decision, on cue, he pulled out the Maximum Mighty X Gashat, and then the three doctors all proceeded to press them.
"We have excellent doctors with us!" Hinata went on. "Doctors who will cure game disease!"
MAXIMUM MIGHTY X!
TADDLE QUEST!
DRAGO KNIGHT HUNTER! Z!
BANG BANG SIMULATIONS!
I'M READY! FOR BATTLESHIP! I'M READY! FOR BATTLESHIP!
"Proceeding to Level 5." Hiro said. "Henshin."
"Phase 50." Taiga said. "Henshin."
"Max Dai Henshin!" Emu shouted.
Then, they all inserted their Gashats into their Drivers.
MAXIMUM GASHATTO!
GASHATTO! GASHATTO!
DUAL GASHATTO!
And then, together, they all opened their Driver.s
GACHANN!
LEVEL MAX!
LEVEL UP!
DUAL UP!
SAIDAIKYU NO POWERFUL BODY! DAIRAGAN! DAGOZUBAN!
Emu turned into Ex-Aid, and then he slammed the small Ex-Aid on the Gashat.
MAXIMUM POWER! X!
The large object swallowed up Ex-Aid, and then arms and legs sprouted from it. Ex-Aid towered over everyone.
GACHANN LEVEL UP!
TADORU MEGURU! TADORU MEGURU! TADDLE QUEST!
A GACCHA!
D-D-DRAGO! KNI-KNI-KNI-KNI~GHT! DRA! DRA! DRAGO KNIGHT HUNTER! Z!
Hiro turned into Brave, and then the dragon split apart and attached itself onto his body.
SCRAMBLE DA! SHUTSUGEKI! HASSHIN! BANG BANG SIMULATION! HASSHIN!
Taiga quickly turned into Snipe, and then the large battleship split apart and attached onto his body.
The three Riders now stood triumphantly in front of the Bugsters.
"It's heating up here!" Para-DX cheered.
"I'll clear this with no continues!" Ex-Aid declared.
Then, with the SAO players stepping aside, they all ran towards the Bugsters.
"These doctors have treated numerous cases of the Bugster virus." Hinata went on explaining. "They are accomplished, and intelligent! Please, let's believe in them!"
All of the Ride-Players couldn't move, as they were stunned.
The fight was fierce. Ex-Aid took on Para-DX himself, Brave and Snipe exchanged opponents between Alhambra and Salty.
Ex-Aid punched Para-DX several times. First, he was able to tank some of it, but Para-DX jumped over Ex-Aid, and then fired several puzzle pieces at him. Ex-Aid saw this and then pressed a small button on the side of the Gashat. That ejected him as the main body fired lasers from its eyes. Ex-Aid took on Para-DX hand to hand from there.
Snipe was currently fighting Alhambra. And to his advantage, he was at a distance with him, so his firearms had the advantage. Alhambra was frustrated, but he was throwing everything he had at Snipe. Snipe basically ignored all of those attacks as he just fired on.
Brave was being leisurely with Salty. The Bugster chef kept on punching, but somehow, he was getting beaten. It appears that Brave is showing that Level difference is only superficial.
Para-DX finally had had enough. He punched Ex-Aid in the stomach, and then in the back. Ex-Aid tumbled, but the giant armor scooped him up, giving Ex-Aid back the controls. Ex-Aid then fired at Para-DX with the KeySlasher, and was able to land several critical hits. Para-DX was smiling away though.
"My soul's stirring!" He said gleefully.
He pulled out his Gashat Gear Dual, and then he flipped the knob to the other game.
KNOCK OUT FIGHTER!
THE STRONGEST FIST! ROUND 1! ROCK AND FIRE!
"Dai Henshin." He said.
He pressed the Gashat, and then inserted it back on his side.
EXPLOSION HIT! KNOCK OUT FIGHTER!
Para-DX switched to his Knock Out Gamer form, and then he got serious. First, he launched a firestrike, making Ex-Aid eject out of his armor again. The armor ran up and punched Para-DX in the head. Ex-Aid also landed a kick onto his back, and then using the momentum, he jumped back into the armor. He looked at the KeySlasher, and then pressed the blue button.
JA-JA-JA-KIIN!
He pressed the blue dials, and then slashed Para-DX. He tumbled on the ground.
Meanwhile, the SAO players made their way over so they could watch the fight.
"Whoa…" Silica muttered.
Snipe fired more shots, and then noticed the SAO players.
"Hey!" He called. "If you're not going to help, leave!"
That gave the SAO players a bad taste in their mouths, but since Sinon was the only one who wasn't hurt, so she stepped forward. Snipe noticed this, and grabbed something on him.
"Here, Asada." He called, throwing her that something. "Make yourself useful!"
Sinon caught it, and saw that is was the Bang Bang Shooting Gashat. She nodded, and then she pressed it.
BANG BANG SHOOTING!
She then pressed it again.
BANGBABANG! BABANGBANG! YOW! BANG BANG SHOOTING!
She gained the yellow sash, and yellow armaments of Snipe Level 2. And then, a familiar weapon appeared into his hands.
GASHACON MAGNUM!
Sinon then twirled the Magnum. And then she began to fire on Alhambra. The SAO players were inspired this, so the others began to run up as well. Ex-Aid and Brave saw this, and they threw some of their Gashats over as well.
Klein caught GiriGiri Chambara, while Asuna caught DoReMiFa Beat. Gekitotsu Robots soared through the air, and Kirito was about to catch it, but Lis intercepted it. Rolling on the ground, she pressed it.
GEKITOTSU ROBOTS!
She pressed it one more time, and then her right arm glowed.
BUTTOBASE! TOTSUGEKI! GEKITOTSU PUNCH! GEKITOTSU ROBOTS!
Her right arm, which had her mace, suddenly became the arm gauntlet of Gekitotsu Robots. She got pumped, and then she swung it around.
"Alright!" She cheered. "Let's do this!"
Klein and Asuna chuckled, and they just pressed their own Gashats.
DOREMIFA BEAT!
GIRIGI CHAMBARA!
The two pressed their Gashats one more time, and then they gained new looks.
DO-DO-DO-RE-MI-FA! SO-LA-SI-DO! OK! DOREMIFA BEAT!
Asuna looked at her arm, and then she saw that the DoReMiFa Beat disc scratchers appeared on her left arm. She also looked at her sword, as it was replaced by another sword.
GASHACON SWORD!
Asuna swung the sword, and then joined up with Brave.
GIRI! GIRI! GIRI! GIRI! CHAMBARA!
Klein got a whole new look. He first gained a new face mask, and he gained samurai armor plating on his lower legs, and his lower arms. He also saw the weapons he wanted to hold for a long time.
GASHACON SPARROW!
"Oh… yeah!" He cheered.
He swung the Sparrows around, and then he joined Brave.
The others that didn't get Gashats just used their normal weapons, and joined up with the other two Riders.
Para-DX was intrigued by the new entourage, but he was more focused on fighting Emu. So, he just charged. However, he was intercepted by a rocket punch. He looked to his side and saw Lis, with the rocket fist going back onto her right arm.
"You and I have unfinished business!" She declared.
Meanwhile, Brave kept on slashing Salty. Finally, with one kick, he sent him flying over to Asuna. Asuna slashed a bit, but she only realized now that she was doing some side-steps with her feet. Staggering her breath, she struck Salty rhythmically, and then finally sent Salty over to Klein. Klein was waiting for this moment. Slowly, one slash at a time, he struck Salty. He landed a critical slash that sent Salty flying.
"Let's end this!" Brave suggested.
"Right!" Asuna replied.
"Come on!" Klein agreed.
Then, they all pulled out their Gashats and inserted them respectively. Brave inserted Drago Knight Hunter Z on the slot on his side, Asuna inserted DoReMiFa Beat into the Sword, while Klein inserted GiriGiri Chambara in one of the Sparrows.
GASHATTO! KIMEWAZA!
GASHATTO! KIMEWAZA!
GASHATTO! KIMEWAZA!
They all charged up their attacks, as Salty struggled to stand up. Brave had both of his arm weapons glowing and his mouth glowing. Asuna's Sword had the image of a treble clef, and Klein's Sparrows blades extended longer.
DOREMIFA CRITICAL FINISH!
GIRIGIRI CIRITCAL FINISH!
Klein and Asuna slashed downward, launching their attacks. The attacks tore right through Salty, making him freeze.
DRAGO KNIGHT CRICITAL STRIKE!
Brave then dashed forward. Once he got in front of Salty, he slashed with his sword arm, and then he spun around, slashing with the gun arm. Salty groaned as he exploded.
Meanwhile, Kirito and Suguha were slicing Alhambra. They had done their bit, they back off, allowing Silica an opening to land her knife right into Alhambra's stomach. Once planted, she quickly stepped back. Snipe and Sinon took up positions, and prepared themselves.
"Let's do this!" Sinon said.
"Don't order me around." Snipe responded.
He closed his Driver, while Sinon inserted the Bang Bang Shooting Gashat into the Magnum.
GACHANN! KIMEWAZA!
GASHATTO! KIMEWAZA!
They both charged up their attacks, as the barrels of both of their guns glowed. Once ready, they took aim, and unleashed their attacks. Snipe opened up his Driver, and Sinon pulled the trigger.
GACHANN!
BANG BANG CRITICAL FIRE!
BANG BANG CRITICAL FINISH!
Sinon fired a single charged shot, and Snipe unleashed the fury of a navy fleet. Alhambra took the attacks to the nose, and soon, he exploded as well.
Meanwhile, Para-DX was trying to defend against Lis, but, somehow, she was pushing him back. Para-DX swung his punches, but Lis ducked and the punches just flew over her head. She finally launched an uppercut, and sent Para-DX into the air. He fell on his back.
"That's for Shoutarou!" She called out.
Ex-Aid clomped over. He saw Pallad on the ground, getting back up.
"Pallad!" He called. "Time I beat you!"
He pulled out his Gashat, and then he inserted it into his KeySlasher.
GASHUNN! MAXIMUM GASHATTO! KIMEWAZA!
He then charged up the attack, then he thought of something.
"Lis!" He called.
Lis looked back and saw Ex-Aid throw the charging KeySlasher over to her. Luckily, she caught it.
"If you don't mind." He chuckled.
Lis smiled, and then she quickly pulled out the Gekitotsu Robots Gashat. She pressed it, and the robot gauntlet dissipiated. Now, both of her hands are free, so she could hold the KeySlasher with both of her hands. She carefully placed it by her side, preparing herself. Para-DX finally got up, and only saw Lis holding the KeySlasher before hearing the following.
MAXIMUM MIGHTY CRITICAL FINISH!
Lis then swung the KeySlasher, subsequently launching the attack at Para-DX. Para-DX quickly raised his arm to cover, but the slash was too powerful. He was consumed by an explosion that went at least 2 feet past him. When the smoke died out, there were several patches of fires around him, and he fell on one knee, and he was cancelled out of his transformation, back to Pallad.
"Huh…" He groaned. "And here I was… fighting you… M…"
And with those final words, he pixelated away. Lis placed the KeySlasher on the ground, exhausted. She felt a pat on her back, but it was only Ex-Aid.
The fight took quite some time. Because by the time they cancelled out of their transformations, the sun was beginning to set. All of the Ride-Players went back to their civilian bodies, and was just chilling out on some rocks. Emu walked over to them. He just checked them over.
"You're all cured." He smiled. "But, I have to ask… will you please hand over your copies of Kamen Rider Chronicle?"
All of the civillians looked away, but Tenma spoke up.
"You're really strong, you know that?" He commented. "I'll spread the word."
Then, to Emu's surprise, he stood up and handed Emu his Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat.
"'Believe in CR.'." Tenma smiled.
And then, one by one, the others handed their Gashats as well. Hiro and the SAO players watched this, and were high-fiving each other. Just then, Taiga walked over and whispered this to everyone: "I'm going to clear Kamen Rider Chronicle."
Taiga walked off after that. Hiro looked as he disappeared from sight.
On the other hand, Rika placed her hand on her chest, and breathed in and out deeply.
"What's up?" Kazuto asked.
"It's just…" Rika replied. "I think I can finally leave Shoutarou at peace now…"
Kazuto smiled. His friend was finally okay.
Pallad stumbled into the storage basement of GENM Corp. He was breathing heavily too.
"Pallad!" Poppy called. "Are you okay?"
Pallad didn't reply. He just shoved her out of the way, but Ren quickly caught her.
"Please, sir!" He quipped. "That is no way to treat a lady."
Pallad grew serious.
"It's time for the next stage." He said coldly.
Poppy quickly stood up, slapping Ren out of her face.
"With the Ministry's announcement…" Pallad explained. "Players will be dropping like flies."
Graphite and Poppy nodded in agreement, and Ren also had the comply. Cracking his jaw, he spoke.
"But of course!" HE said. "We have a secret card in play now…"
"One…" Ren finally revealed with his voice changing. "That will never keep these humans away from Kamen Rider Chronicle…"