Chapter 41: Turncoats II
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, but Kirito suddenly stands up and leaves.)
I don't wanna know shiranai kurai ga ii noni
(With him gone, the other SAO players just crash through the floor, with Asuna trying to reach out.)
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
(Kamen Rider Chronos glares at them, with his menacing green 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)
The SAO players and the Riders have just returned to hospital from their fight with the were now trying to assess the situation that is Kamen Rider Chronos. Everyone was just sitting quietly, but Kuroto… was being Kuroto. The only difference is that he was on the screen of his and Poppy's rooms.
"This is beyond my expectations!" Kuroto stated. "Who could've thought that my father would be the one to obtain the power of Kamen Rider Chronos?!"
And on that note, he began to comedically bang his head against the wall.
"Looks like Dan Masamune is another obstacle to get past." Hiro admitted, taking a bite out of his cake.
"Just one problem though…" Asuna chimed in. "What is his plan?"
Everyone thought about what Asuna had said. However, all the while, the sound of metal banging echoed quietly in the background.
"Hey, Kuroto!" Ryotarou complained. "Pipe down, will ya?"
"SHIN DAN KUROTO DA!" Kuroto bellowed.
Luckily though, they weren't the only ones who were troubled by this. The Bugsters, still hiding out in the basement of GENM Corp. Salty, Graphite, and Pallad were trying to figure out their next game plan.
However, Pallad was shaking. He never thought that Chronos would enter the picture and change everything. It wasn't so supposed to be like this. All he had to do was defeat the Riders, and humanity was right for the taking. But, with Lovelica dead, this changed the plan by a huge margin.
"Lovelica… dead…" He silently whispered.
"That bastard Chronos…" Graphite growled. "Pallad! Are we just going to let him do as he pleases?"
Pallad looked up to Graphite, but the doors of the basement swung open. Pallad's eyes widened as he saw who entered.
Dan Masamune, holding a fruit basket, calmly walked over to the Bugsters. Graphite and Salty didn't seem to react much, but Pallad quietly quivered.
"My condolences for your loss of Lovelica." Masamune said.
"What are you here for?" Salty demanded. "Are you trying to make us salty?!"
Masamune silently placed the fruit basket down, and then addressed the Bugsters.
"All of you are my company's valued products." Masamune said. "I need you to enliven Kamen Rider Chronicle, as your duties as the enemy characters."
"And, in turn…" He went on, picking up a rose from the fruit basket. "I will keep the Kamen Rider at bay to ensure any interruptions are out of the way."
"So… do we have an agreement?" He asked with a smile.
Salty opened his mouth to say something, but Graphite shoved him out of the way to confront Masamune.
"Don't you order us around!" He barked. "The Kamen Riders will be defeated… and then you're next!"
"Whether you will stay in stock…" Masamune said, turning into a more ominous tone. "Depends on my judgement alone."
He sniffed the rose he had in his hand, and then he just dropped it to the floor. He crushed the rose with his feet, turning the flower into paste.
"If you all wish to avoid the fate that befell Lovelica…" He snarled. "Make sure you're worth something."
And on that note, Masamune smiled evilly, no different from his son, and left the basement, leaving the Bugsters behind. Pallad, still scared of Masamune, lifted up his legs and curled up into a ball.
A little while later, back at the hospital, Hiro decided to break the news to everyone. So, he addressed everyone.
"I have something to tell you all." He said. "The Proto-Gashats held by the Ministry had gone missing."
Everyone was surprised by this news.
"W-we have to find them quickly then!" Emu stated. "Your girlfriend's data is one of them!"
"But that begs the question though." Kazuto said. "Who could've gotten their hands on them?"
"Not many people have clearance by the Ministry…" Hiro said. "We can only assume-"
However, Hiro was cut off by the alarms. That was a signal that another game disease patient has been spotted. With that said, everyone headed out to the sighting.
The patient was a Ride-Player. He was currently fighting Salty, who was having no trouble fighting back. Salty was just punching and smaking away at the Ride-Player, who was not even trying to fight back.
"Too salty!" He called out as he continued attacking the Ride-Player. "Too much salt!"
And with another punch, the Ride-Player was thrown into a rock. Salty rubbed his hands together, and went for a final blow, but Ex-Aid just in time. While he was in his Level 2 body, he had the Maximum Mighty X Gashat inserted into his Driver. He punched Ex-Aid off of the Ride-Player, and quickly turned to the Ride-Player.
"Please, this game is dangerous to play!" He insisted.
"Buzz off! I know that already!" The Ride-Player said crossly.
Salty took this opportunity to go for an attack, but something else got in his way.
MIGHTY ACTION X!
TADDLE QUEST!
DRAGO KNIGHT HUNTER! Z!
Seemingly out of nowhere, Lisbeth, Asuna, and Kirito flew in behind, each with their own Gashats activated. They decided to keep Salty at bay, and eventually, together, they just threw him away. Just a few moments later, Hiro and the other came in.
"So, is this the patient?" He asked.
"Well, yes." Ex-Aid replied, lifting him up.
Kirito turned to help Ex-Aid. However, just as he began to make his way over, a powerful slash attack landed on his back, making him fall. Asuna and Lisbeth quickly turned to help, but they realized who the attacker was.
"All of you come at me!" Graphite shouted, stretching his arms to the side.
Kirito stood up, gladly accepting the challenge. Lisbeth and Asuna decided to help as well. Taiga and Nico just walked in as well, having their Gashats to their sides. Hiro and the others also pulled out their Gashats, and were ready to fight Graphite.
"Gentlemen…" echoed an eerie voice. "This… is an illegal match."
Everyone saw Chronos slowly walking towards them. He has his arms to his side, not making any sort of move.
"Kamen Rider Chronicle is a game to entertain Ride-Players…" He stated. "Not a game where fellow products fight each other."
"Stop messing around!" Ex-Aid shouted in annoyance.
Then, the Riders and the players all charged at Chronos, who in turn pressed both buttons on his BugVisor.
PAUSE…
Everything slowed down to a standstill one more time. Ex-Aid and Brave froze in running positions, along with Kirito, Lis, and Asuna. Along with them, Taiga and Nico froze with their Gashats by their face. Poppy was by the Ride-Player, but had frozen next to him again. Graphite, who was about to launch an attack, also froze in mid-swing of his weapon. Chronos, now surveying what stood before him, made his move.
"Now then…" He stated, taking a few steps forward.
RESTART.
Time went back to its normal, state, with everyone being able to move again. However, something was different. They realized that Brave was nowhere to be seen.
"What the…?" Kirito muttered. "Brave! Where are you!?"
"Chronos must've taken him…" Taiga said. "But why…?"
Despite this though, Ex-Aid reverted back to Emu and rushed over to the Ride-Player. Together, with Kirito, he escorted him back to the hospital, leaving Taiga and Nico to return back to Taiga's building.
Speaking of Brave, he had reverted back to Hiro, and was in some kind of abandoned foundary. He looked around, and found Chronos simply standing there, with his hands by his side.
"What are you trying to do?" He asked.
"Taddle Fantasy… I require your assistance in moderating Kamen Rider Chronicle…" Chronos requested. "As my right-hand man."
"I refuse." Hiro replied bluntly.
Hiro put on his Gamer Driver and pulled out his Gashat Gear Dual β. He twisted the knob to his game, and inserted it into the Driver.
TADDLE FANTASY!
DUAL GASHATTO!
"Proceeding to Level 50." He stated, opening the Driver. "Henshin!"
GACHANN! DUAL UP!
TADORU, MEGURU! RPG! TADDLE FANTASY!
Hiro transformed into Kamen Rider Brave Level 50, with the Gashacon Sword appearing in his hands.
"We will end Kamen Rider Chronicle." He declared. "And if you are going to obstruct us, then I will cut you."
"My, my…" Chronos muttered.
Brave ignored this, and went onto attacking Chronos. He went for a series of various sword strikes, but Chronos made no effort in dodging them. For a good while, all Chronos did was deflect and dodge all of Brave's attacks. However, he did land one palm strike on the center of Brave's chest, making him stumble back. Brave, in response, quickly pressed the B button on the Sword, turning the blade to an Ice blade.
KO-CHING!
Then, with one swish of his cape, Brave summoned a dozen sharp ice crystals. He then extended out his hand to launch the crystals at Chronos. The crystals collided with a concrete pillar, collapsing it to dust. Chronos dodged them and pressed both buttons on his BugVisor.
PAUSE…
Everything became frozen in time again. Chronos looked forward, and saw Brave still in his stance. Chronos silently stood up, and began to walk towards Brave, with several pieces of debris crumbling as he moved past them.
"You are also my company's valued products." He said. "I'd rather avoid damaging you, but…"
He then landed a back punch on Brave's back, followed by a kick that sent him flying. However, as the Pause was still in effect, Brave was just suspended in the air. He stood still in the air next to the debris. Chronos then pressed both buttons on his BugVisor again.
RESTART.
Time resumed, and Brave finally received the full brunt of the blow from Chronos's attacks. He was forced out of his transformation.
GASHUNN!
Hiro fell on his front as his Gashat bounced away from him, along with several pieces of debris. Chronos approached him slowly.
"GENM Corp is a legitimate company. As such, you will be compensated." He assured. "After all, I don't plan on having you work for free."
He then pulled out something incredibly surprising. He had, in his hand, a Proto-Gashat. And not just any Proto-Gashat, specifically the Drago Knight Hunter Z Proto-Gashat.
"That Proto-Gashat…!" Hiro spluttered, surprised by the Proto-Gashat's appearance. "Why do you have that?"
Chronos chuckled quietly. He then proceeded to explain the terms of Hiro's employment.
Later, Emu and Poppy had escorted the Ride-Player to the hospital. The patient was lying in bed as Emu had just finished scanning him.
"We have to defeat Salty to cure your game disease." Emu explained. "We already have dispatched several players to do just that."
However, the patient wasn't having any of it. He slowly stood up to go out. Emu tried to stop him, but the patient just shoved him away. Poppy tried to help, but the patient simply grabbed his Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat from her. He then proceeded out. Despite Emu's insistence on making him stay in the hospital, the patient carried his aching body out.
With the patient gone, Emu and Poppy sulkily returned to Hiro's office.
"Why isn't the Ministry cracking down on Kamen Rider Chronicle?" Emu asked.
"As long as the lives of the people who have vanished are at stake, they're not able to further sanction it." Poppy replied.
They both sighed as they walked into Hiro's office. There, Taiga and Nico were silently sitting on one of the chairs, while Taiga treating some of Hiro's minor wounds.
"Hiro!" Poppy exclaimed. "What happened?"
"Dan Masamune got him." Taiga replied, who had just floated over.
Just then, Dan Kuroto pixelated into one of the free chairs nearby, interested to hear what was going on. Taiga finished up his treatment for Hiro, and then spoke.
"So…" He started. "What do you want to talk about?"
Hiro then gathered his hands into a fold, and began to speak.
"Dan Masamune is the one that took the Proto-Gashats from the Ministry." He stated.
Everyone became wide-eyed at that. Dan Masamune had the Proto-Gashats just increased the chances of the Ministry not being able to do anything about the game just increased by tenfold.
"The Proto-Gashats contain data of the people that vanished, right?" Poppy asked.
"In other words…" Kuroto chimed in. "The lives that can be continued on are in my father's hands?"
"What should we do?" Nico asked.
Everyone silently contemplated on their next move. However, Emu spoke up pretty loudly.
"We have no choice but to speak to him directly." He said.
Everyone quickly turned their heads to Emu, surprised by what he suggested. With that said, Emu quickly departed to the GENM Corp building, with Poppy flying behind him.
Later, the two were in GENM Corp building, but in one of the break spaces in the room. It was complete with a couch, some chairs, a display TV with some keyboards attached to it. There was also a small coffee table, with some cups and a pot of coffee on it. To top it all off, there was even a grand piano next to that small coffee table. Emu and Poppy sat quietly on the chairs, while Masamune played the piano, playing a soothing tune.
"Welcome, friends…" He said. "You are also my company's valued products. I would much like to build a relationship of mutual trust."
"Sorry for the intrusion, sir." Emu responded politely. "But could you return the Proto-Gashats?"
"They were my company's creations from the beginning." Masamune replied. "I have no obligation to hand them back to you."
"Just what are you trying to do…?" Poppy whispered.
Then, playing an incorrect key on the piano, Masamune face Emu and Poppy.
"To sell Kamen Rider Chronicle across the globe…" Masamune answered. "And making GENM Corporation the number one game developer in the world."
"The world…?" Poppy muttered.
Emu slowly stood up from his seat. He was getting angrier by the minute.
"To sell the world this death game?" He seethed. "I can't accept that."
"Just how a doctor would answer." Masamune said. "However, there is no need to worry."
Masamune stood up from the piano and slowly walked his way over to the display screen, which had a small keyboard and a Gashat port on the side.
"What do you mean?" Poppy asked.
"Decreasing the playerbase was never our true intention." Masamune explained. "Thus, I will keep the Bugsters in check to make sure that players won't be infected with game disease or disappear."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Rider Chronicle Gashat. He inserted it to the Gashat port behind the keyboard.
"Using this Rider Chronicle Master Gashat." He then finished.
Emu and Poppy watched as Masamune typed in several codes on the keyboard. The display screen turned on, showing the Bugster roster of Kamen Rider Chronicle. However, Salty's portrait was flashing red.
Back in the GENM Corp basement, Pallad had picked up an apple from the fruit basket. His hand was shaking like a lead in a hurricane. The other Bugsters were just a few feet away from him, but paid no mind to him.
"Salty…" Salty asked. "Pallad, do we have some kind of plan?"
"What's going on with me…?" Pallad muttered. "My heart… is trmbling…"
He held his hand to stop the shaking, but the shaking didn't stop. But then, Salty suddenly felt as if he was on fire, then he began to pixelate orange. He threw his body around, trying to free himself from the pain. But, in a flash, Salty disappeared into nothingness. Pallad and Graphite stood up in alarm.
"Salty?" Graphite spluttered. "What happened?"
Pallad, horrified by what he just saw, dropped the apple he was holding. And he quivered visibly this time.
"It's Chronos!" He cried, with fear in his voice. "He's… killing us Bugsters off one by one!"
Back in Masamune's break space, Emu and Poppy just saw Salty's portrait fade to a black square. They didn't know what exactly happened, but they got the gist of it.
"As I said before…" Masamune said coldly. "I am your god. Thus… I will judge all of your fates."
"The patient should be cured of his game disease." He added, taking a seat. "Whether Salty could also be brought back or stays dead also depends on my judgement."
Emu clenched a fist, and turned to shoot a glare at Masamune, who seems nonchalant about this whole situation.
"How dare you…" He muttered. "Take lives with the press of a button…"
"You have no right to talk about my company's policies." Masamune rpelied.
Emu slammed his hands down on the table, making a loud crash sound.
"Then I'll stop you by force!" He shouted. "I will end Kamen Rider Chronicle!"
Masamune was very intrigued by that declaration. But with that said, Emu was done. He grabbed his jacket and stormed off, with Poppy quietly flying behind him. Masamune also had something he had to do, so he also left.
Meanwhile, out in the streets, all of the SAO players have been following the patient. But when they saw that he was cured, they just quietly began to make their way back to the hospital.
"What do you think happened to him?" Rika asked.
"Well, he got cured, that's one thing." Ryotarou suggested.
"Let's just get back." Kazuto said. "We might get answers there."
They slowly picked up their pace and turned a corner, walking into a park. However, when they entered, they saw Chronos sitting on one of the benches.
"I've been waiting for you." He stated.
Chronos stood up and faced the SAO players. In response, the SAO players turned to their Ordinal Scale forms and raised their Gashats.
"Please, please, I'm not here to cause trouble." Chronos assured. "I just wish… for a chat."
Klein didn't respond to that. He just pressed his Gashats.
BAKUSOU BIKE!
GIRIGIRI CHAMBARA!
He pressed them one more time, and transformed into his new body.
BAKUSOU! DOKUSOU! GEKISOU! BOUSOU! BAKUSOU BIKE! A GACCHA! GIRI! GIRI! GIRI! GIRI! CHAMBARA!
Klein gained the yellow attire and the samurai armor. With the Sparrows in hand, he charged.
"Say your prayers!" He shouted.
Klein jumped, spinning around. As the Sparrows dived down towards him, Chronos sighed, and he just simply pressed both buttons on his BugVisor.
PAUSE…
Time slowed to a crawl once more. Klein was in mid swing, but he just froze with the Sparrow only a few inches away from his neck.
"Now then…" He muttered.
First, he kicked Klein off of him. Klein floated for a bit, before he was suspended in midair with the Sparrows beside him. He then made his way over to the others.
RESTART.
Klein finally got out of suspended animation and flung right into a tree, with the Sparrows landing just a few inches away from him.
"Ow…" He muttered. "I'll get you for that!"
Klein quickly got back up, but he saw that Chronos is gone. He looked around to see if he was around, but something else surprised him.
"Hey, where's Kirito?" He asked.
The girls only just noticed that Kirito was nowhere to be seen. They looked around, but no trace of Kirito was seen.
"Kirito!" Asuna called out. "Where are you?"
"You think Chronos got him?" Lis asked.
"Doubt it." Sinon replied. "He calls us his company's 'valuable products'. If anything, Kirito is worth more than all of us combined."
Yui quietly popped out of Asuna's pocket, worried just as much as her mother was.
"Mommy, where's Daddy?" She asked. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know, Yui…" Asuna replied. "I don't know…"
Speaking of Kirito, he was transported to another location. He realized that he was in some kind of abandoned construction site. He looked around, and found Chronos standing behind him.
"What kind of sick joke are you playing?" He asked.
"Sword Art Online…" Chronos began, stretching out his hand. "I would like to employ you. To keep you Survivors in check."
"And what makes you think I'll just go along with it?" Kirito replied with a frown.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Gashat. He pressed it, activating the Game Area.
DRAGO KNIGHT HUNTER! Z!
"Henshin." He said, pressing the Gashat one more time.
D-D-DRAGO! KNI-KNI-KNI-KNI~GHT! DRA! DRA! DRAGO KNIGHT HUNTER! Z!
The dragon formed onto Kirito, giving him the tough armor and weapons.
"I already made Taddle Fantasy a similar deal…" Chronos added. "If you consider my terms, we could come to an agreement."
Kirito didn't reply. He just raised his arms, and charged. He swung his sword arm around, but Chronos simply deflected the attacks and dodging. Kirito then raised his gun arm and fired several shots. Chronos rolled aside, and quickly pressed both buttons on the BugVisor.
PAUSE…
The blasts that Kirito shot out stopped in mid air, along with Kirito, who now stood motionlessly. Chronos stood up, and calmly walked over to him.
"Children who do not listen… must be disciplined." He stated, stopping behind Kirito's back.
He shot his leg back, landing a kick. Then, he twirled around and landed a palm strike on the same spot. Kirito shot forward, towards the laser blasts he just fired. Luckily for Chronos, Kirito became suspended again when he was in front of the blasts. He pressed both buttons on his BugVisor again.
RESTART.
Time resumed again, and Kirito was hit all of the blasts that he fired. Kirito fell on the ground, with the dragon armor disappearing. Kirito grunted from the pain as Chronos stepped forward.
"You are just like how Akihiko Kayaba described you." He admitted. "Tenacious, daring, brave… but equivalently naïve."
"Wait… Akihiko Kayaba?" Kirito spluttered. "How do you know him?"
"I have many connections." Chronos replied. "And they prove to be quite useful."
He reached into his belt, and pulled out a blank Gashat. There was no boxart, and it looked like it's game still hasn't been decided.
"What… is that Gashat?" Kirito asked, struggling up.
Chronos chuckled slightly, and activated the Gashat. First, nothing happened. Then, some kind of whirring sound was heard, followed by a message that Kirito knew all too well.
Merry Christmas, Kirito.
Kirito froze at the voice. He knew who it was.
'Sa… Sachi?!' He thought.
By the time you hear this, I'll probably be dead.
However, Chronos cut the message off from there. He then kneeled down to Kirito.
"Of course, she doesn't have to be so." He said evilly. "You will be compensated… should you choose to work for me."
Kirito didn't know what to say. So much emotion that he had surpressed from that moment so long ago burst out within him. However, he didn't have time to answer, as Chronos simply picked him up and dropped him off in front of the hospital, using the power of Pause.
Kirito pondered on what to do, but he was quickly found Asuna. She welcomed in back, and quickly escorted him inside. She said there was something important for them to hear.
Poppy and Emu had now just finished telling everyone that was present inside Hiro's office. The only ones not present were Taiga and Nico.
"Kamen Rider Chronicle… to the entire world?!" Kuroto spluttered.
"If that happens, CR won't be enough to handle it!" Keiko cried.
"Mou, pipepopanic-!" Poppy cried, spinning around.
Everyone took that news in quietly. They quickly spoke to themselves, while Kuroto had a fit about it.
"Unforgiveable…!" He growled. "How dare… how dare he use my game to collect more profit!"
"Then we have to stop him." Emu replied.
Poppy quickly began to fly over to him, but Kazuto had a question. He had to swat her out of the way, but Emu caught her.
"Is there any way we could defeat Chronos?" He asked.
"There is no way!" Kuroto replied almost instantaneously.
Everyone was surprised. Especially the SAO players. They had faced tough opponents, such as the Floor 100 Boss in Sword Art Oline during the whole Ordinal Scale debacle, but they were able to defeat it in the end.
"What do you mean, no way?" Ryotarou asked, getting up from his seat.
"Chronos was meant to be a legendary power bestowed upon a player!" Kuroto explained, getting frustrated by the moment. "So, I never really imagined a way for that power to be beaten!"
Then, Hiro chimed in. He put his hand on Emu's shoulder, turning him around.
"Then what about the intern's reprogramming?" He asked.
"As long as Chronos has Pause, we won't be able to land a single hit on him!" Kuroto replied.
At the mention of the word Pause, Emu suddenly had a thought.
"A pause is something a player uses to temporarily stop a game, right?" He wondered. "That means Chronos is the only one that can move."
"Wait, only?" He stopped.
He repeated the word "only" several times, getting Kuroto's attention. Then, the two began to yelp, having thought up something. They yelped for a bit, catching everyone's attention.
"There's a way to beat him!" Emu shouted.
"Of course!" Kuroto agreed. "A Genius Gamer indeed!"
"What, what is it?" Poppy asked. "I have no idea what you geniuses are talking about!"
"Explain." Hiro replied bluntly.
Kuroto, collecting himself again, went to his cool façade again.
"There is a slight chance…" He admitted. "But there is a way we could beat Chronos."
And with that said, Kuroto and Emu explained their plans to the gang. They were pretty impressed by it, and agreed to carry it out as soon as possible.
A little while later, Hiro walked down a hallway. On his way, he met Shino and Emu, and Poppy.
"Hiro." Emu smiled. "We'll definitely get the Proto-Gashats back."
"Who would've thought a lost life could be brought back?" Hiro admitted, laughing a bit. "No doctor would accept it."
"But… don't you want to see Yuko again?" Poppy asked.
Hiro hesitated to answer that. He just put his hands in his pocket and bit his lip.
"Tell you what, we're not sure if we're doing the right thing either." Shino spoke up. "But-"
"If doing this returns your smile…" Emu finished for her. "I'll support you."
"Yeah, what he said." Shino smiled.
"Me too!" Poppy added.
And, on that note, the three ran out of the hospital. Hiro watched on, as they disappeared through the door. He breathed in heavily, and breathed out. He then proceeded out after them.
Cutting to a street, a black car drove down the road. In the backseat was Dan Masamune, seemingly coming back from somewhere. He was also on the phone.
"Interested?" He smiled. "Very well. I shall arrange a meeting with your company to discuss the export of Kamen Rider Chronicle."
"I will inform you of the date and time later." He said, disconnecting the call.
However, once the call was over, the car slammed on its brakes, stopping with the tires screeching. Masamune looked to his chauffeur.
"What's the matter?" He asked.
He looked out the windshield, and got wide-eyed. Standing in front of the car, completely nonchalantly, was his son, Dan Kuroto. He shot a glare that said everything he needed to say.
A few moments later, the scene changed to some kind of shipyard, where several ferrys are docked. Kuroto stood a few feet away from Masamune, who was looking out to the oceans.
"For the son to come back and visit, there is no greater joy for a father." Masamune said longingly.
"'Father'?" Kuroto questioned. "You said that my talents were nothing more than one of your products."
"You're no father of mine!" He finished.
Masamune acted heartbroken, and faced his son with a gentle face.
"My love for you has not changed, son." He responded kindly. "Why do you think I took the fall for Zero Day?"
"Enough of your bald-faced lies!" Kuroto shot back. "You've been doing nothing but exploit me for 16 years!"
Masamune realized that he couldn't keep up this charade anymore. So, he chuckled and quickly turned his act 180.
"So, you realized…" He admitted. "Yes. I merely took the blame to give you time to complete my Kamen Rider Chronicle… Dangerous Zombie."
Kuroto slowly began to tremble, putting on his Gamer Driver in the process.
"I was the one who developed Kamen Rider Chronicle!" He ordered. "Stop the sales immediately!"
"I refuse." Masamune replied bluntly.
Kuroto knew that words weren't going to work. So, he pulled out his two Gashats and activated them.
MIGHTY ACTION X!
DANGEROUS ZOMBIE!
"Grade X-0!" He shouted. "Henshin!"
He inserted both Gashats into the Driver and opened it.
MIGHTY JUMP! MIGHTY KICK! MIGH~TY ACTIO~N! X!
A GACCHA!
DANGER! DANGER! DEATH THE CRISIS! DANGEROUS ZOMBIE!
Kuroto transformed into Kamen Rider Genmu Zombie Gamer, and lurched his body forward. He swayed slowly back and forth, much like a zombie. Masamune sighed pitifully.
"You were always nothing but trouble…" He admitted silently.
He pulled out his BugVisor II and put it on around his waist.
GACHANN…
He pressed the A button to start the standby music. He reached into his shirt pocket to grab his Rider Chronicle Gashat. He activated it, and inserted it into the BugVisor.
KAMEN RIDER CHRONICLE…
GASHATTO…
He then pressed the button underneath the Gashat port, beginning the sequence.
BUCKLE UP…
TEN WO TSUKAME RIDER! KIZAME CHRONICLE! IMA KOSO TOKI WA KIMAWARERI…!
Masamune then turned into the menacing figure of Kamen Rider Chronos. He then charged at Genmu.
Genmu flew in the air and rolled onto one of the docks. Chronos slowly walked over to him. Genmu slammed his fists on the ground and pulled out the Gashacon Breaker. He swung the hammer around, but Chronos dodged the mad swings easily. He then just grabbed Genmu and tossed him aside again. Genmu, though, continued to randomly attacked.
Meanwhile, behind some shipping containers, Emu, Hiro, and Poppy were watching. Not only them, but Asuna, Kirito, Lisbeth, Silica, and even Sinon were there as well.
"I really hope this works…!" Poppy said worriedly.
"It will." Emu assured, clenching the Maximum Mighty X Gashat he held in his hand. "Trust us."
They weren't the only ones there. Graphite and Pallad were watching from above, on top of a shipping container. They were paying attention mostly to Chronos, but had noticed the Riders watching the fight as well.
"What are they doing?" Graphite asked.
He didn't get a response. Pallad was still quivering in fear. Graphite was getting tired of this. So, he picked up Pallad by his collar.
"Hey." He said seriously. "How much longer are you going to cry over Lovelica's death?"
"Enjoying the battle against humanity and Ex-Aid…" Graphite explained. "I thought that is what you wanted!"
Pallad looked over to Emu, still scared.
"Emu…" He muttered.
"As long as Chronos exists, you can't settle your score against him." Graphite stated.
Speaking of Chronos, he continued to toy with Genmu. Genmu stumbled back with his back against a wall. Chronos took the Breaker from his hands and slashed him again several times. He then kicked him backwards.
"What's the matter?" Genmu teased. "Not using Pause?"
"I have no need for it." Chronos replied calmly.
He threw the Breaker away, and just attached his BugVisor II to his wrist in its chainsaw configuration.
GACHANN…
He then hacked away at Genmu's body again. He had noticed that Genmu wasn't trying to fight back, but he only assumed that it was thanks to his abilities. With that in mind, he continued to slash away at Genmu's body.
"Are words all you have?" Chronos taunted as he kicked Genmu on the side of his head.
To finish it off, Chronos slammed his chainsaw down the side of Genmu's torso. Genmu finally was done. He groaned as he turned around as he stared down Chronos. His HP bar disappeared as he cancelled out of his transformation and dissipated in purple pixels.
Chronos waited for him to return with a Continue, but nothing happened. The Riders and the SAO players were fine, but the Bugsters were surprised.
"Why isn't Genmu using a Continue?" Grpahite asked. "Could he have been permanently killed?"
Pallad looked out as well, and tried to deduve what was going on.
"No." He said.
Chronos then looked around in front of him.
"Hm…" He muttered. "Is this…?"
That was the signal, Emu, Hiro, Asuna, Sinon, and Kirito all ran out to him. Lis, and Silica stayed behind with Poppy.
"Guys, back me up!" Emu called out.
"You got it!" Asuna replied.
Chronos turned around and saw the gang run up to him. The doctors put on their Gamer Drivers, and together with the players, they activated their Gashats.
MAXIMUM MIGHTY X!
TADDLE FANTASY!
TADDLE QUEST!
BANG BANG SHOOTING! JET COMBAT!
DRAGO KNIGHT HUNTER! Z!
"Oh…" Chronos responded. "It is you lot."
"Proceeding to Level 50!" Hiro announced.
"Max Dai…" Emu started.
The SAO players as well, after activating their Gashats, all shouted together with Hiro and Emu.
"Henshin!" They all shouted.
DUAL GASHATTO!
GACHANN! DUAL UP!
MAXIMUM GASHATTO!
GACHANN LEVEL MAX!
TADORU, MEGURU! RPG! TADDLE FANTASY!
SAIDAI KYU NO POWERFUL BODY! MAXIMUM POWER! X!
TADORU MEGURU! TADORU MEGURU! TADDLE QUEST!
BANGBABANG! BABANGBANG! YOW! BANG BANG SHOOTING! A GACCHA! JET! JET! IN THE SKY! JET! JET! JET COMBAT!
D-D-DRAGO KNI-KNI-KNI-KNI~GHT! DRA! DRA! DRAGO KNIGHT HUNTER! Z!
Everyone transformed into their respective Rider forms, and as soon as they were done, Ex-Aid pressed the button on the side of the Driver.
STAGE SELECT!
The docks soon changed to some kind of quarry, with some torches as decoration. The Riders held their weapons firmly and stared down at Chronos.
"A surprise attack, hm?" He asked.
The Riders didn't respond, as they just charged at him. Ex-Aid and Brave both swished their swords, but Chronos dodged them effortlessly. Then, Asuna and Kirito dropped in from above, jabbing their swords out as well. Chronos grabbed the blades, and just tossed them aside. That gave Sinon an opening to fire her machine guns. Chronos took the impact, as it did send him back. No considerable damage was done. If anything, the bullets just grazed him.
Chronos skidded on the dirt ground, eventually coming to a stop. He flicked his arms aside, putting them to his sides. Ex-Aid closed up his Driver to land his finisher.
GACHANN! KIMEWAZA!
Brave twirled his sword around and charged in with Asuna. Sinon and Kirito both followed after the three.
"Try as you might…" Chronos sneered.
He stood firmly and pressed both buttons on his BugVisor.
PAUSE…
Everything came to a crawl one more time. The torches that were aflame halted. The running bodies of Brave and Asuna stopped a few feet away, along with Kirito and Sinon. Ex-Aid froze from where he stood.
"I would most like to avoid damaging you…" Chronos muttered as he stepped forward. "But general wear and tear is unavoidable."
Just as he moved in, the screen of his BugVisor changed to that of Dan Kuroto.
"You fell for it!" He cackled.
Chronos looked down in surprise.
"K-Kuroto?" He asked.
"SHIN DAN KUROTO DA!" Kuroto bellowed again.
Then, a stream of orange pixels flew out of the BugVisor and materialized to Kuroto, now holding down Chronos in his current spot.
"How are you able to move?" Chronos questioned, trying to get free of his son's grasp.
"Pause immobilizes everybody exceot Chronos!" Kuroto explained. "Which means it didn't affect me when I hid inside your BugVisor II!"
And with that, Kuroto slammed the buttons on the BugVisor.
RESTART.
Time resumed, and everything came to. Brave, Asuna, Kirito and Sinon stumbled with the time resume. Ex-Aid didn't have that much of an issue, as he just stood still. But they were greeted by the figure of Kuroto holding down Chronos.
"Ex-Aid! Now's your chance!" He shouted. "Reprogram his antibody!"
"Right!" Ex-Aid responded, opening up his Driver.
GACHANN!
MAXIMUM CRITICAL BREAK!
Ex-Aid then jumped into the air and descended down towards Chronos. He built up power as he came down.
However, something completely shocking happened. Brave grabbed Asuna by her arm, and then tossed her right into Ex-Aid's path. The two collided, with Ex-Aid luckily not landing his kick on Asuna. The two fell down a nearby ledge, landing hard on the ground.
"What?" Kuroto spluttered.
The surprise wasn't over. Kirito raised his arm and fired his gun arm. The blast knocked Kuroto off of Chronos and made Kuroto fall down, next to Ex-Aid. Sino just stood there, frozen with shock. Poppy, Lis, and Silica were horrified by this revelation, as well as Taiga and Nico, who just walked in.
"Hiro? Kirito?" Lis stuttered. "What…?"
The two silent took places on either side of Chronos.
"Are you okay, sir?" Brave asked.
"I'm fine, thanks to the both of you." Chronos replied delightfully.
Kirito ignored the comment and stared down at Asuna, Ex-Aid, and Kuroto.
"Kirito!" Asuna cried. "Why?!"
"Hiro!" Ex-Aid shouted. "What are you doing?!"
"Why would you two join forces with them?" Kuroto questioned, getting up.
Chronos chuckled and looked down at her.
"I hired him to keep you Kamen Riders in check." He explained, extending gestures to both Brave and Kirito. "And he will do the same, only with you SAO Survivors."
Everyone froze in shock. Two of their powerful allies, are now in the clutches of their greatest enemy.
"Dangerous Zombie." Chronos called out. "You may be game creator, but you are now being the stands above all."
"By remunerating work done and winning the hearts of people, you gain a following." He went on. "That… is how a company is formed and run. "
And with that said, Chronos reattached his BugVisor in its chainsaw mode and pressed the A button twice.
KIMEWAZA…
CRITICAL SACRIFICE!
Chronos them summoned an energy wheel from the chainsaw, and then shot it down towards the three. Sinon reacted in time to go in. She quickly flew in the way of the attack, unfortunately receiving the full blow. She was forced out of her transformation and fell on the ground, covered in bruises. The impact of the attack seemed to have knocked her out as well. Ex-Aid reverted back to Emu, and Asuna cancelled out of her transformation, and the two tried to help Sinon.
"Taddle Fantasy and Sword Art Online are now my right-hand men." Chronos declared.
Then, he patted both Kirito and Brave's shoulders, ominously saying, "Good job…"
And on that note, Chronos left the scene, with Kirito and Brave slowly going after him. Then, as the sun set, Hiro and Kazuto walked off towards the unknown, as they have crossed a line they only stepped on initially. They did not look back as Masamune has secured their aid.
The heroes were left in the dust, now appearing to have to fight someone who used to be friends.