Chapter 21 : Virulent Beta-Test
Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider or RWBY as they both belong to their respective owners, except for my OC(s).
The day was still shining bright as Team RWBY and Parado had finally finished their arcade session. They were taking a break at the outdoor bench, though Emu was yet to be seen by the group. they decided to wait for him at the nearby hot dog stall, where Ruby and Parado bought their snacks.
"So, as a Bugster who's born from a human host, technically you're Emu's brother, right?" Ruby asked.
"I was born from his desire to have one because he had been a sole child to his parents. He might had childhood friends, sure, but he wanted someone much closer to him. Someone that he could always play with even when he growed up." Parado explained.
"Aww, that's sweet." Yang commented.
"Now that reminds me; Yang, Ruby, you two are sisters, right?" Parado asked.
"Yep!" Yang chirped, holding her sister with his arm.
"Urp... Yang, you're too tight!" Ruby gasped.
"Okay, okay..."
"I see." Parado said. "Say, what's the first thought you have when you first saw her, Yang?"
"Of course I'm happy! She's like the most precious little sister you could ever ask for." Yang happily answered.
"You should've seen her look when she knew I attended Beacon, Parado. She also hugged me real hard." Ruby said.
"Oh, come on! I didn't hug you that hard." Yang retorted.
"Yang, my dear big sister, I'm don't have brawler arms like you do." She softly dejected.
"But you used to hug me like, a lot."
"Well, she hugs better!" Ruby motioned to the particular heiress. She went close to hug her, only to be rejected by a block from Weiss' hand.
"Ruby, no."
"Whaaat!? Please Weiss, we have to proof our eternal friendship! We can't embarass ourselves in front of them!" Ruby wailed as she futilely attempted to hug her.
"You're the one who's embarassing yourself, Ruby." Weiss disinterestedly replied.
"But, Weiss-!"
"No buts, Ruby!"
"How could this happen to me?" Yang sulked by hanging her head low with tears as Blake comforted her with a pat on her shoulder.
Parado could only sigh at the lively view, "Oh, what about Weiss and Blake? Do you guys have siblings, too?"
"I'm the middle child of my family. I have a big sister who's working at the Atlas Military and a little brother who's still studying at school." Weiss told.
"And I'm a sole daughter." Blake answered.
"Have you ever thought about having one, then?" Weiss asked.
"I'm... not sure about it."
A loud thud suddenly came from Ex-Aid, who was seen rolling back from a devastating energy blast. It startled the group who had just finished their snacks. However, Ruby seemed to be more attracted by Ex-Aid's deformed armor.
"Hey, you guys aren't busy now?" Ex-Aid greeted.
"Ex-Aid! What's the deal?" Parado asked.
"It's... Gamedeus."
"What!?"
"I know. But this one's definitely Dai-Shocker's doing. He's their Kaijin, now."
"Yeah, but how's that even possible?"
"So... chubby..." Ruby muttered.
"Uhh, Ruby?" Ex-Aid asked.
"OMIGOSH YOU'RE SO CHUBBY!"
The young Huntress leapt towards the Rider and embraced him with a playful hug. It also pushed the Rider down to the ground. Ex-Aid knew that his Level 1 armor was made to attract kids and convince them that Kamen Riders are on the side of good. But to have a Huntress giving him such affection was the least thing that the Rider would expect.
"Hahaha! You're soft, but... but you're solid, too!"
"R-Ruby, please! I-I, uhh...!" Ex-Aid was unsure of what he should say as he was also distracted by Ruby's constant hugging and cuddling.
"Ooh, why do you have to be so adorable?" Ruby chirped, much to Ex-Aid's own embarrassment.
"I got this." Weiss said. She approached her leader and pulled her ear. "Ruby? Hey, earth to Ruby!"
"Ow! But he was so chubby!"
"What did I tell you about focusing on the task at hand?" Weiss reminded. A glooming aura surrounded the scene. Even Ex-Aid could slightly feel it.
"Oh, ehehehe... right."
Weiss sighed, "You always need a serious supervision, Ruby. And Ex-Aid, apologies for the inconvenience."
"Haha, yeah don't worry. I know how my looks would appeal kids." He said.
"But I'm not a kid!" Ruby rejected.
"Yet you act like one." Weiss pointed out, frowning her leader.
"Wait, if you're fighting Gamedeus, then why you're still in your Level 1 form?" Parado asked.
"That's the problem here, Parado."
"Eh?"
"He put a bug on both of my and Decade-Kai's Rider systems. We can't change our forms as of now. We got caught up by it through direct contact." Ex-Aid explained.
"That guy..."
A loud boom was heard not too far from their position. from the ashes of the destruction, the Combatants rose out to seek more chaos in their wake. As the crowd's fear escalated, the Beowolves and Ursas appeared the same way as they were being summoned by Xiphon.
"Well, that's new." Blake said.
"They can summon Grimms, too!" Yang said as team RWBY prepped their weapons.
"Looks like I'm up for the task now."
Parado said as he took out his Henshin gear. Unlike Ex-Aid and the others, he brought out a bulky blue Gashat that contained two different games: Perfect Puzzle and Knock-Out Fighter. There was also a yellow dial on the Gashat's front with the picterues of the said games, meaning that it was meant to assign one of the games.
"Wow, that's one big Gashat you have!" Yang commented.
"And things are about to get bigger from here." He then turned the Gashat's dial.
PERFECT PUZZLE
WHAT'S THE NEXT STAGE? WHAT'S THE NEXT STAGE?
Perfect Puzzle's game screen appeared from behind the Rider. It also sent out some energy items around the area. Parado then chanted the word that all Riders did whenever they went ahead to the fray.
"Henshin!"
GET THE GLORY IN THE CHAIN! PERFECT PUZZLE!
Parado pressed the Gashat's button and its screen displayed his Rider armor. he put it inside a black slot on his right waist as a gate appeared in front of him. Once it closed in on Parado, several blue puzzle projections appeared in front of him. The puzzles arranged themselves into his body parts one by one, forming armor parts and connected them to one another. There was also a pair of armor parts that spun around him. It had two distinctive colors, being plain blue and red with flame motifs. Once his armor was formed, the said parts attached into the Rider's shoulders.
The armor's helmet had a blue pompadour hair that went through his ski googles, dividing his pair of yellow emotive eyes. It's neck was wrapped in a golden collar. The torso armor was gold with a half-dial that displayed colorful puzzle parts connected to each other. the armor's back also had a huge golden dial that seemed tohave some exhaust vents. the armor's under armor was white with black pixel motifs, and was seen sporting a golden belt that carried the Gashat's slot. he also had a pair of blue gauntlets with golden shackles. On both of his legs were a pair of black boots with golden platings and golden shoes with white lines.
"Kamen Rider Para-DX, Level 50." He declared.
"50!? Just how many levels do you guys have!?" Ruby flabbergasted.
"Wait, Parado and Paradox? Oh, okay... I think I get the pun behind that." Yang remarked.
"This again?" Blake deadpanned.
"With a 'DX' in the end, thank you very much." Para-DX corrected.
"Okay, where's Decade-Kai now?" Ruby asked.
"I told him to gather some Energy Items for our supplies. If Gamedeus' not here, I'm guessing that he must be after him." Ex-Aid informed.
"Alright. Yang, we're gonna look for Decade-Kai! Weiss, Blake, help Ex-Aid and Para-DX securing the citizens! Let's move, people!" Ruby ordered.
"You got it, sis!" Yang acknowledged.
And with that, the heroes made their move. As Ruby and Yang left, the rest of the heroes started to shove the Combatants away from the citizens. Weiss shielded their escape route from the hailfire of Combatants' Dust rifles using her ice Glyph, with Para-DX covering the blind spots with his puzzle-like barriers. She jumped into the fray once the route was secure, bouncing from one haste Glyph to another and disabled the enemies. She took a side step once she noticed a Dust launcher blast from a building roof and countered it with a fire dust blast. Noticing another gunner firing at Weiss, Para-DX quickly stepped in to provide her a puzzle barrier. he also pulled in an Energy Item and used it.
REFLECTION!
The blast returned to the Combatant once it hit the barrier, exploding the Combatant. Some of them also closed in, and Para-DX didn't think twice to give them fatal blows. His bulky shoulder guard helped him in both attacking and defending himself during the fight, and so did his gauntlets. He tripped a Combatant and impaled its chest, then swung it to the surrounding others before throwing it away. several Kukri-wielding Combatants attacked him from behind, but the Rider didn't flinch from it. and when he turned to them, a green Energy Item was already held on his hand. It depicted a dark puddle with Rider eyes.
LIQUEFICATION!
Para-DX's body began to melt into a blue puddle, much to Weiss' surprise. As the other Combatants approached him, wondering what had just transpired, the puddle opened its eyes, being that of Para-DX's. He began flying from one enemy to another, hitting them and caused their body to malfunction before exploding to black mist.
"How did you pull the Energy Items on your own? I didn't even see you pick them up one by one." she wondered.
"This is my armor's ability. I can manipulate Energy Items around the field, and I can use up at least three at one turn." He explained.
"Hmm... that kinda makes you an assist, don't you think?"
"More like a mage class, if you're talking about an RPG game." Para-DX said. "And, yeah... it's an assist."
"Mage, huh?" Weiss muttered. "To be honest, I really should've get into this gaming thing more."
"There's always a first time for everything, Weiss." Para-DX winked.
Blake flailed her Gambol Shroud through the Beowolves that surrounded her. She then shot a few others as Ex-Aid threw his hammer into a launcher-wielding Combatant. the said Combatant fired its weapon by accident the moment its head was hit. The blast flew up high in the air, and Ex-Aid used the opportunity to ran towards a blue Energy Item with a picture of a jumping Rider and used it.
HIGH-JUMP!
Using the item, Ex-Aid was able to jump high and catch up with the blast. He bycicle-kicked it towards a horde of Beowolves, blowing them up without trace. As he descended, Blake made sure that no hostiles surrounded the area. She sheathed her sword and used the cleaver mode to cut through the Beowolves in one single swoop. She concentrated on her Aura and delivered the heavy blow.
"Say, how does it feel like fighting inside that armor?" Blake wondered.
"Oh, it's comfy inside here, though. The creator, Kuroto Dan, made sure that Level 1's interior won't hinder the user's movements." Ex-Aid explained.
"And are you gonna use it if you're in a festival?" she asked again.
"Festival? Well you're not the first one to ask that." He said. "Haven't considered that, though."
"Oh, you should. I think it'll make Ruby and the kids happy." She said.
"Wait, so this is about Ruby?"
"What else? After all, she liked it, though."
"I can only tell you that there are six... chubby armors like this. One of them is Level X, though."
"Oh, one question; if you have a Level 1 form, then why Parado there doesn't?" she asked.
"Simple, that's because our gear work differently. His Gashat is actually made specifically for Bugsters, which is why he needed a gear with greater specs to keep up with his inhuman strength. Again, that's Kuroto's work."
"Kinda makes me wonder how he's gonna operate a Level 1 armor like yours."
"Yeah, tell him about it."
"Alright." She giggled. " Come on, let's regroup."
Decade-Kai found himself on an already emptied town district. He set out to find and collect the Energy Items as Ex-Aid instructed him to. They would probably need power-ups like Muscular, Reflection and Speeding-Up if Gamedeus was what they were facing. However, he knew that staying in one form wouldn't benefit him and his allies that much. Riders like him and the other Heisei Riders needed various forms in order to keep up with the battle's pace and dynamics. That was also a proof that Kamen Riders aren't as omnipotent as most people thought they would be.
He kept on thinking on how to turn the tides of the battle. If it weren't for the bug, both he and Ex-Aid would be enough to repel Gamedeus' threat. He could never expect for things to always go his way. however, it hadn't turned completely south yet, which means that there must still be a way to defeat Gamedeus. Something that could take the ailment away. Something to turn the tables...
Until the enemy appeared right in front of his eyes.
"Of all places, I never thought this would be where you are."
"Oh, you." He replied to Gamedeus.
"It appears that you planned to fight me in an area rich of Energy Items while drawing me away from the citizens. A decent plan, I must say." Gamedeus pointed out, much to Decade-Kai's shock as to how he figured it out that easy. "Fret not. You can try all you want , but you will never outwit me in my own game."
"I thought Genm Corp. Has the copyright for that." Decade-Kai noted, trying to keep his composure.
"Not anymore."
"That's a copyright infringement, Gamedeus." The Rider readied his sword. "And I'm gonna have to bill you ton-weight buckets of Liens!"
The two warrior's swords made a contact, sending sparks off as they traded blows. Despite Decade-Kai's struggle, Gamedeus still had the upper hand with his own immense strength. Countless parries and hits were done by both warriors. The disadvantage was evident when the Rider noticed that his weapon had a little-to-no effect on the monster, as opposed to the latter's sword being so painful that it even went through his armor. Decade-Kai then went for his unguarded left arm, only for it to be covered by a shield.
"What!?"
"Smart move, Rider. But a futile one nonetheless!"
Gamedeus swept away Decade-Kai's armed hand as he barely held the Ride Booker sword from being thrown away. It gave a room for Gamedeus to launch his counter attack with his sword, stabbing it through his abdomen. It might had been his victory over the hero, but...
"Don't know if this could work now, but...!"
ATTACK RIDE : ILLUSION!
Another trick had been used from the Rider's own album. It was a command that Decade-Kai considered himself on using it more frequently later on should he was at a disadvantage, one being him in a bind like before. The clone that Gamedeus stabbed exploded in front of him, momentarily disorient him to give Decade-Kai a time to counter him from behind. However, Gamedeus caught his arm with a clawed flail that came from his shield. The monster slammed Decade-Kai to the ground for a couple of times and threw him into a building block, destroying its walls.
Decade-Kai had a hard time in picking himself up again. The longer this kept up, the more stamina the second Decade had to use in order to keep up with the pace. That, along with the fact that he couldn't change his form thanks to the bug. The Decade 2.0 armor might be able for slow-pace recovery, but it still required external help in order to completely get rid of the bug.
In other words, he needed an energy item to make it happen.
"Hmph! Looks like your Attack Ride functions still worked. Curses! I knew I should've taken care of you first instead of that Ex-Aid bastard..." Gamedeus growled.
"I see. so that's why only Ex-Aid's stage select function didn't work... your system bug only fully affecting one Rider you prioritized on. That's why the bug didn't affect my side functions. You may have gotten rid of our form change, but I can still pull off my tricks here."
"However! That alone won't stop me from skewering you! Be prepared for your defeat, Rider!" he declared.
"We'll see about that!"
ATTACK RIDE : SLASH!
He got himself up and charged towards the Kaijin who clashed it with his own sword. After kicking Gamedeus away from the tie they were in, Decade-Kai sent a powerful energy slash towards its left rib. The attack caused a heavy gush of wind throughout the area they were in. fortunately, there were no citizens in the vicinity. The Rider panted and looked back to his enemy. He wanted to make sure that the Kaijin could no longer fight, at least enough to give him a time to undo the virus.
However...
"Not bad... not bad..."
"What?"
"But it will never be enough!"
Gamedeus sent off a powerful dark energy slash towards the Rider, further damaging it to the point that it could keep the pain away from Decade-Kai. Sparks flew from his armor as he was thrown away to the debris from the broken walls. He was lumped in the ground, desperately trying to get himself back up with his limbs barely able to support his movements. As for the Kaijin, he menacingly strolled towards the Rider, preparing to end his life once and for all. Gamedeus was truly a terrifying final boss of the Ex-Aidverse. It seems that his creator didn't hold himself back while creating the power levels for this monster. Moreover, Decade-Kai's own strength was still yet to be on par with his predecessors despite the many forms he already had.
And suddenly...
BANG!
"Stay away from him!" a familiar voice shouted from behind the Kaijin.
Ruby Rose arrived by riding along the Bumblebee with his sister, Yang. She shot her weapon in shotgun mode while riding on the backseat. The brawler kept speeding up her bike towards Gamedeus, ramming him as Ruby got off the seat to execute her Semblance, quickly turning her weapon into scythe mode and sent out a gravity Dust blast to further speed her up. It tripped Gamedeus off the ground, much to his own surprise, but he managed to spun and regained his stand once more. The Huntresses then check on the Rider.
"Kyle! You okay?" Ruby asked.
"You guys... just in time." Decade-Kai replied.
"The others already secured the citizens. All we gotta do now is the destroy the perp... and that must be it."
"Leave this to me and Yang! You're already worn out real bad, you know." Ruby said.
"Wait guys, be careful, he's-!"
Wait a minute.
Why would he need to tell them that he could disrupt Rider systems? They are Huntresses. They never had any of that before. All they had were their Auras, Semblances, and their weapons. They didn't have to worry about not being able to change forms.
"What is it?" Ruby asked.
"Uh, nevermind." Decade-Kai said, but still... "You guys just be careful. He's strong enough to put me in this state."
"Don't worry! We'll manage ourselves!" she assured.
"And one more thing, there's something that I, urgh... wanna do." Decade-Kai tried to get himself back up, only for him to fall to his knees.
"Hey, don't push yourself too much! Are you even sure you can keep yourself up like this?" Yang asked, putting her hand to the Rider's shoulder.
"I hope so." He assured, accepting her hand as she helped him to get back up. "I saw something inside that debris. It must be the thing that Emu talked about. Can you guys cover me for the time being?"
"Okay then. Just make sure you don't fall, okay?" Yang said.
"Heh, right."
"So, it appears that new players have joined the game. Welcome aboard, and good job on catching me off guard." Gamedeus declared.
"You think all of this chaos... is a game to you!?" Yang growled with her eyes turned red.
"What can you say? He's literally a living, malevolent and deranged AR game character." Decade-Kai remarked.
"Huh, good point, Decade-Kai." Yang replied. "Don't worry, we got this covered."
"We won't let you have your fun, Gamedeus! C'mon Yang, let's give that thing a taste of sister power!" Ruby said.
"Yes! I love it when you say that!"
The two didn't waste any more of their time to attack Gamedeus. Ruby swung her scythe and Yang swung her fist against Gamedeus' sword and shield respectively. The two Huntresses battled their way out of the great adversary. Ruby clashed against the Kaijin with heavy swings from her scythe and flame Dust shots, which worked on pair with Yang's gauntlet blasts. The latter's affinity to Flame Dusts made her hits more powerful, giving Gamedeus a bit of a disadvantage.
However, Gamedeus himself was not without retaliation. His sword swings were much stronger and heavier than Ruby's to the point that even her hand hurts whenever she tried to defend herself against the said attack. Yang backed herself away to try a different approach. She fired her heatseeker bullets and aimed it towards the Kaijin's head. It might not be enough to blow it up, but it gave Yang enough time to activate her Semblance and deliver a powerful blow to the Kaijin, launching him away a few meters before getting back on his feet again.
As both sides were locked in a stalemate, Decade-Kai went to the debris he was in, searching for the Energy Item that Ex-Aid mentioned.
"A secret Energy Item?" Decade-Kai asked while the two fled from Gamedeus' pursuit.
"There's a reason why it's a secret: it can completely turn the tides of the battle should our condition stays dire like this. That's why the system hid it in every secluded places possible, and only the Gamer Driver's software that is able to locate the item." Ex-Aid explained.
"And you want me to find it while you're securing the citizens? how am I supposed to know where it is when I don't have that software?" Decade-Kai asked.
"That's why I'm giving it to you. My guess is that Gamedeus wouldn't expect someone like you to know the secret item's location. Plus, It would be susceptible if it were me. I'm afraid that he had already come up with some sort of back up plan to get rid some of the Energy Items' effects."
"Alright, I get what you're saying." He complied.
"Good, I'm transferring the software to you, now. Good luck out there, bud."
"Likewise." Decade-Kai replied with the transfer was finished. He shot Gamedeus with his gun to lure him as Ex-Aid went to another direction, only to meet another ambush on his way.
Needless to say, the plan went well.
On his right was an light indigo medal that depicted curved arrows pointing between a flexing black Rider above and an X-eyed white Rider below the center line. This must be what he meant by turning the tides of the battle: completely switching the status between him and the enemy. The system bug might not work on Gamedeus to beat him on his own game, but he hoped that at least the damages would be switched to him.
Touching the Energy Item, it shrunk down to coin-size for compact use. He needed to use it in the right moment to catch him off by surprise. Then again, Gamedeus himself should be feeling already on the top of the world himself, either. He just had to close in.
As for the battle, it went on and on to the point that it exhausted both Ruby and Yang. It was clear that Gamedeus still had more stamina for he was no human to begin with. On the other hand, the Huntresses could mostly rely on their Aura and weapon to protect themselves since further usage of their Semblances would exhaust themselves. They might had already been forced into defensive, but it doesn't mean that they would give in. And just in time, a command was commenced from afar.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE : DE-DE-DE-DECADE!
"Heh, finally." Yang smirked.
Decade-Kai executed his Dimension Rider Kick and landed it right towards Gamedeus' chest. He jumped back and landed in between him nd the Huntresses. However, it didn't seem to affect him at first, with him gloating on how futile his effort was.
"Even with that finisher, you still won't be able to stop me-!"
Sparks flew off from his body all of the sudden and his strength was visibly dropped. The monster kneeled while his stance was still maintained by stabbing his sword to the ground. His breath became heavier, and he was unsure to how the Rider was able to best him despite the odds he gave to him.
"B-but how!? You're still being affected by the bug!"
"Or... is it?" Decade-Kai showed his clenched fist with a hologram of the Energy Item he used.
REVERSAL!
"An Energy Item!? But, it's not supposed to work!"
"That's why it's called as a secret Energy Item. I assume that you may only have the knowledge of the regular ones, and turns out I was right. you can always claim yourself as the god of the Game World just like how your name is, but in the end... we, players will always prevail."
"Ooh, nice one, Kyle! After all, bosses are always meant to be defeated!" Ruby stated.
"It's gonna be a total game over for you, Gamedeus!" Yang boasted.
"Urgh... you insignificant, useless game characters!" Gamedeus growled.
"Wow, this guys a total *cough* sore loser." Yang said.
"Says you, sis." Ruby commented.
"Oh, what was that about?"
"Nothing."
ATTACK RIDE : CROSSATTACK!
"I'll give the honors to you guys first. Go get 'im."
"Oh, yeah." Yang muttered in joy.
"Chaaarge!" Ruby cried out.
The Huntresses gave a last push using their respective empowered Semblances to deliver one powerful blow. Ruby burst into rose petals while holding on her scythe and sped through the Kaijin, continued by Yang who was covered in a gush of flames as she launched her fist to the same target. Behind them, Decade-Kai had been preparing himself with a string of commands for his belt.
KAMEN RIDE / FINAL FORM RIDE / FINAL ATTACK RIDE :
GHO-GHO-GHO-GHOST!
"Let's see how excorcism works this time."
As he activated his finisher, deep down, Decade-Kai knew that the last time he tried to free a person from a Kaijin possession, it ended up in a failure due to the lack of knowledge of cellular-level infection. That, and Xiphon forced him to take the decision or else he and his team would get caught on the explosion. Hopefully, this one wouldn't end the same.
And that is why he had learned a new trick.
His HUD indicated that the hostage was indeed inside him. His armor had already been tuned up for situations like this. Every kind of possessions, including this one, would always require an excorcism. First, Decade-Kai released his FFR parka and commanded it to fly towards Gamedeus and bound him with spectral chains along with the eye-like rune that appeared in front of the Kaijin. another runa also formed behind the Rider, giving him a spectral energy to his boot and calculated the situation while doing it. All he needed to do is to land a nice Rider Kick and things would turn up well.
He performed the Ghost seal, dashing to the enemy and executed the finisher. Enshrouded with the said energy, he made himself intangible so that the attack would only hit the Kaijin. Once it was connected to Gamedeus, the strategy succeeded with the monster being kicked inches away and exploded. The parka then flew back to its owner. He then looked back to see the person he had just set free. It was a man, standing idly after the excorcism worked. The Rider went to see who he was, and it turned out in the most unexpected way possible.
"Hector?" Decade-Kai said.
"Wait, isn't that the scientist you rescued back in the underground lab raid?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah. He's supposed to be still treated in the hospital. Never thought Gamedeus would take him as a hostage of all people, but... why?" he explained.
"Kyle, I think you should back away from him. I got a bad feeling about this." Yang warned.
"But we got rid of Gamedeus, right?" he asked.
"I applaud the effort you all have given, heroes. I really do." Hector spoke.
"Uuh... Hector! Are you alright?" Ruby asked.
"However, it'd never be rid of me forever!" Hector turned towards the heroes to reveal the state he was already in at the time. His eyes had turned violent red unlike Yang's.
"Wh-what!?" Ruby gasped.
"I have been waiting for days to gone by for this moment to come... when my Bugster genes had finally matured inside this body. Soon, I shall achieve the Godhood that Dai-Shocker deserves!" Hector declared.
Decade-Kai clenched his fists. "It can't be... then, the virus that you were being injected-"
"Was me. You are right to guess, Decade. And you did nothing but helping my cells to mature since that day."
"Dammit..." the Rider cursed umder his breath.
"Alas, I have accomplished my task for today. We shall meet again soon."
The infected Hector summoned a dark portal and disappeared to it. Decade-Kai was clearly agitated by the fact that Gamedeus' emergence was apart of his own doing. Sure, he doubted the plan to rescue Hector and was convinced by his mentor to do so, but for this turn of events to come... he couldn't blame him for what had just happened.
"Talk about a messed-up moment..." Yang muttered, then she approached the Rider as she noticed him trembling. "Hey..."
"I can't believe it. After all that 'saving the scientists' gig... now this happened."
"Hey, no one saw this coming. Not you, not even me. All we need to do now is to solve this problem together."
"Yeah. Thanks, Yang." Decade-Kai thanked. Yang's words helped him keeping his emotions in check. "Alright, Kyle. Calm down. It's Gamedeus talking, not Hector..."
"I think we should check on the others. Hope they already get the citizens safe." Ruby said.
The other heroes nearby the mall were having a hard time in fending off a giant Kaijin that suddenly, and seemingly came out of nowhere. The enemy's overall appearance was as black as a Grimm flesh, only that it had a goo-like structure. It had a round body with a pair of sinister red-dot eyes. It had a leg that looked like a bottom of a spinning top, making it floating in the air. It also had a pair of floating bulky arms that were disconnected from the body. Not only that its arms were tough enough to keep the heroes away, the Union Kaijin was also capable of firing lightning bolts to several targets at once.
"That thing's gonna ruin the city further!" Blake said.
"Not only that... it's also possessing a victim inside! We can't overdo our attacks if we're gonna rescue the patient." Ex-Aid informed.
"Sounds like a hard time. I'll try, anyway." She responded.
Weiss and Para-DX kept on shielding Ex-Aid and Blake from the lightning bolts as the latters charged once again towards the Union Kaijin. As Weiss provided long-range supports like Dust blasts, Para-DX took care of the remaining Combatants in the field. Seeing that their numbers would be enough to keep them occupied, Para-DX decided to execute his finisher by twisting his Gashat's knob to the same direction and pressed its button.
"So much for assist, huh?"
KIMEWAZA!
PERFECT CRITICAL COMBO!
Para-DX summoned several blue energy puzzle pieces in front of him. He swept his hands to command the pieces to flew towards the enemies and hit them from every direction. He also commanded some others to encircle them and encage them in the end. Finally, the Rider charged towards his target and executed a devastating Rider kick that exploded the puzzle cage along with the Combatants inside it.
However, that hadn't changed the tide of the battle between the heroes and the Union Kaijin. Blake and Ex-Aid were still having a trouble in fending off its floating claws. Assessing the situation, Para-DX summoned several Energy Items to his stead and selected three of them to use.
GRAVITY MANIPULATION!
The Rider stretched his hands to the Kaijin's arms and made them drop to the ground by his gravity influence. He then gave the two others to his allies in need.
"Blake, Ex-Aid, use this!"
MUSCULAR!
SPEEDING-UP!
"Thanks!" Blake thanked.
"Now, this more like it!" Ex-Aid remarked.
Empowered by the Energy Items, Blake and Ex-Aid made their way through the menacing Kaijin. Weiss distracted it by firing flame Dusts to its head. As the Kaijin turned its attention to her, Blake slashed its back continuously with her Gambol Shroud cleaver. It managed to open a wound that Ex-Aid would pry open and stab it with his Gashacon Breaker, switching it to sword mode.
JA-KIIN!
The Rider then pressed the 'B' button for a couple of times to empower its edge. He then sent a heavy upward slash that further damage the Kaijin. Noticing that, the Kaijin spun its body to swipe its assailants away. Weiss then provided a cushion support by summoning glyphs to each other the moment they landed to the ground.
"Weiss, I'm going full frontal now." Para-DX said.
"You sure?" she asked.
"There's a reason why I'm also called as the double-dealer." The Rider said ash took out his Gashat Gear Dual and twisted its knob to the other way around.
KNOCK OUT FIGHTER!
THE STRONGEST FIST! ROUND 1: ROCK AND FIRE! THE STRONGEST FIST! ROUND 1: ROCK AND FIRE!
"And that, of course, is because I can do things in both ways. Dai Henshin!"
THE STRONGEST FIST! KNOCK OUT FIGHTER!
The gate that depicted its form appeared in front of Para-DX and as soon as it went through him, his armor began its new configuration. The indicator on his chest piece changed into flame motifs as the dial thruster on the back also spun itself. The shoulder pads crawled down to his gauntlets with its red fiery side facing frontwards, forming a pair of red knuckles. He then twisted his helmet, causing Weiss and Blake to cringe seeing how hard he did that as sparks flew out from it. it didn't last long when the helmet's visor opened its yellow 'eyes' and stretching its red spiky hair a bit. He was then accompanied by a burst of flames, completing his transformation to his second form.
"Now, this'll get more excitin'!" he said, pounding both of his gauntlets.
"Changing between support and full-frontal assault... interesting." Weiss mused.
"Wait 'til Yang sees that." Blake said.
Para-DX rushed towards the battlefield. He delivered several heavy blows to the giant Kaijin, accompanied by flame properties emitted from his gauntlets. This let him do devastating attacks that could get himself on par against the Union Kaijin. it swung its floating arms at the Rider, yet he countered it with his fiery weapon. he then shoved its arms so that he could strike its head, launching consecutive punches that drove it back. Para-DX kept on punching the Kaijin back and forth, weakening its body in the process. He ran through its flailing arm, dodging its other arm that tried to attack him and delivered a kick from above its head. Once he landed, he sent a powerful uppercut that broke its chin and sent the floating body away from its other limbs. Slowly but sure, the tables had been turned in favor for the heroes. With the Kaijin unable to keep up the pace like how it used to be, the heroes regrouped after they gathered enough energy for one last push.
And just in the nick of time...
STATUS AILMENT REMOVED. ALL SYSTEMS BACK ONLINE.
"Alright! He did it! Gamedeus' virus is no more." Ex-Aid informed.
"So, that means you can fight in your prime." Blake pointed out.
"Yep! But I don't think I'm gonna need my Level 2 form for this. Too bad, though." He sighed at the last Part.
"I get that."
"Guys, this is our chance! Let's finish this thing off!" Weiss ordered.
"I'm ready." Blake responded.
"Alright! We're clearing this game, people!" Ex-Aid exclaimed.
"Hoo-ah!" Para-DX shouted as they prepared their finisher.
MIGHTY CRITICAL STRIKE!
KNOCKOUT CRITICAL SMASH!
Weiss summoned her Haste Glyph for her and Blake as they focused on their Auras. The Huntresses then sped up to deliver high-speed slashes, criss-crossing their way with each other. they delivered one final slash with Weiss using her rapier's fire Dust and Blake using her cleaver mode for more damage. Noticing that Para-DX would strike next, the heiress summoned a red flame Glyph in front of the Rider. Once he passed through it, his gauntlets were engulfed with more flames than usual. He then released his Gauntlets as they float and spun in front of him. The motion turned the gauntletsinto one single huge flaming energy fist for Para-DX to use. He punched it towards the Union Kaijin and broke its face.
"Ex-Aid, now!"
Next was Ex-Aid stepping to his fellow Rider's shoulders to make a high jump. He rolled forward in mid-air to execute his cartoonish lightning- imbued Rider Kick. The attack pierced the monster as it exploded, and he successfully removed the man that trapped inside its body. such is the function of Level 1 armor; to safely remove the patient that had been transformed into a Bugster Union... except that this one was a non-Bugster enemy that had the same characteristics as the former.
"Wh-where am I?" the man weakly asked.
"Don't worry sir, you're safe now."
"I... I see... thank you." He replied.
"It's just like the Kaijin before... it possess people and trapped them inside the body." Weiss deducted.
"So, this is how the Shocker Virus worked... even though Kuroto said that it's still in development, it can already do things like this." Para-DX said.
"Still, how did it even get here?" Blake wondered.
"I remember having myself knocked out by someone... I don't know, it was all sudden and everything turned black. I'm sorry, I couldn't remember his face clearly." The man informed.
"It's more than enough for us. all we need to know is that someone's been orchestrating this. Now the question is, who and why?"
"I'll get him to the nearest clinic here. You guys stay put." Weiss said.
"Got it. We'll catch up later." Para-DX confirmed as Weiss left to do her duty.
"Guys!" Ruby shouted from afar, followed by his sister and the young Rider who were riding on their respective bikes.
"Oy, good job you three!" Ex-Aid replied as he and Para-DX powered down. "We're already done with the Kaijin here. That, and we saved a patient."
"Oh, I think we haven't met yet. I'm Parado, by the way." the Rider introduced.
"Kyle Morgan." He returned. "Say, what of this Kaijin you guys fought?"
"He was infected with the Shocker Virus. It can already possess this man even it's still rendered imperfect." Emu informed.
"Though, I must say that it almost has the very same properties of the earlier Bugster Virus. But this one... it feels far more malicious." the Bugster said.
"I see. Oh, and you're not gonna believe what we just saw back there." Yang said.
"Tell us." Blake said.
"Okay..." Ruby proceeded. "Hector was the one who got possessed by Gamedeus."
"Hector!?" Emu gasped. "I see. that must've explained everything."
"How so?" Blake asked.
"He had been missing since two days ago. We thought he had left without anyone's notice or got kidnapped, but... I never thought it'd turn out like this." He said.
"And even when I succeed on freeing him, Gamedeus' cells were still intact. I saw his eyes, guys. It's red. Evil red, you know what I mean." Yang explained.
Kyle added. "And after all this time... his cells matured inside Hector. He already taken him over."
"Gamedeus, huh? This is gonna be a drag..." Parado said.
"By the way, I need to check on the Arcade, too. My Driver's detecting a Rider Totem nearby. One of the reasons why I want to catch up with you guys, anyway." Kyle said.
"A Totem already?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah. And I got a feeling that I need to do this quick."
"Alright, then. Me and Parado are gonna catch up to Weiss and tend the patient. Let's go."
"On it, brother. Oh, and good luck for ya'!" Parado waved at Kyle, who then rushed towards his destination.
Unbeknownst to our heroes, Roman Torchwick was standing in the shadows of Vale's alley nearby the vicinity. He was seen holding what appeared to be an old-issue Gashacon Bugvisor.
"Wow, looks like this thingamajig worked well. I don't know what this is if it's not the most effective way of holding a hostage." He said as he inspected the gear. "Now you better get what you're looking for, Xiphon."
The Arcade Center was already emptied due to the attacks that occured outside, leaving the machines still online. However, one particular Mighty Action X piqued the interest of a man who had been looking for it. feeling that he had no need to worry about hiding his civilian form, Xiphon strolled towards the designated arcade machine.
"There you are. Now, come to papa."
However, he might gonna need to wear his mask on as soon as Decade-Kai entered the arcade.
"Xiphon!"
"Kyle Morgan." Xiphon said, armoring up before turning to the Rider. "Why, I'm not surprised. After all, you're the one who needs this the most."
"That's... the Ex-Aid Totem!"
"Exactly. And what happened to the Ghost Totem won't be the case today." Xiphon said as he sent out an energy blast towards the Rider.
"Ain't gonna let 'ya!"
He dodged the attack and shot his gun at his enemy, though it wasn't enough to disable Xiphon's movements. The two then clashed and traded hits with their fists, each hit parts of their bodies without even causing them to flinch. However, Xiphon was the only one who noticed the change in his nemesis, being most notably the strength of his attacks. It appeared that Decade-Kai had an upgrade on his armor, being a pair of microwave-emitting Tesla reactors installed to his bands. As time had passed, Xiphon began to find himself a hard time on enduring the Rider's series of attacks, as proved not only by the tesla bands, but also the wearer's capability itself.
"Wow, you've improved quite a bit, I see." he muttered.
Decade-Kai then swung his right fist to Xiphon's face, only to be blocked and countered by the latter. Luckily, the Rider managed to avoid it by tilting his head a bit to the right, enabling him to kick Xiphon in his gut and sent him back a few inches. The two then shot their respective long-range weapons, with Decade powering up his gun.
ATTACK RIDE : BLAST!
The two rapid energies collided, raining each shots with another. The small explosions caused a shockwave that vibrated throughout the area. Some of the arcade machines nearby were affected by slightly malfunctioned their engines. This worried the Rider a bit as he would like to minimize the colateral damage as much as possible. However, he shrugged it off and regained his focus back towards Xiphon. He still resorted using his gun and fists, whereas Xiphon began to use his sword. During the clash, Xiphon swung his weapon with the intention of hitting the Rider's waist. However, the latter dodged it and hit the arcade machine behind him instead, slicing it in half.
"Whoa!" he gasped as the two warriors clashed their weapons.
"What's wrong? Afraid to hit those machines?"
"Only if I can put the charges on you, that is."
"You are welcome to try, Decade!" Xiphon said, sending an energy slash that ravaged the arcade machines, including the Mighty Action X machine. Decade-Kai tried to prevent him from doing further damage, only to be swept away by one of the energy slashes and thrown backwards.
Where he noticed a little girl passing by, seemingly looking for her family.
"Daddy? Where are you? Daddy?"
"Kid, what're you doing here!? It's dangerous!" Decade-Kai shouted.
"B-but... I just got out from the bathroom..."
"Oh, what a coincidence. Now then!" Xiphon sent an energy sphere blast towards the young bystander, which the Rider immediately act out to it.
"No!"
The Rider quickly ran towards her, only to find out that he was out of the range to reach her before the sphere hit its target. Then, as if the time slowed down, Decade-Kai managed to speed his way through to reach the girl in time and shielded her with his back. His grunting face was hidden inside his helmet, only his sound was heard by the girl who was trembling in fear.
"You hurt?" the Rider asked. She shook her head as her fear began to die down. He turned back towards his enemy, only to find him had already on the other side of the dark portal. "Hey, that was cheap!"
He left, but not without leaving a promise. "Another day, Kamen Rider Decade. I promise."
The Dai-Shocker general closed the portal as Decade-Kai rushed towards him, only to fail as the portal closed itself first. Xiphon, however, was astounded by the recent discovery he had just saw. No normal humans could ever reached such speed. He knew that his shot would hit the girl, for sure. But that man... Kyle Morgan...
He suddenly felt his head spinning, a sensation that he occasionally felt from his fatigue. Though it wasn't frequent, the general must never reveal his own weakness, or else they would find a way to overtake his chain of command. Especially, if it was about Roman Torchwick. The general quickly injected the serum, which turned out to had been stored in his gauntlet's small tank. The pain had finally dissipated, and he was lucky to had arrived in a secluded section of his hideout. Still, though...
"Now that is... interesting." He muttered as he opened his helmet.
He had already claimed the Totem first, and the Rider had already lost his chance to take it back. However, he didn't mind it much as he had already saved a soul, something that he'd probably regret if things turned the other way around.
"The arcade center... it's all broken." The girl said. "Is it going to be fixed? Can I still play in there?"
He sighed in uncertainty. Despite so, he tried to provide her with the best answer he could get out. "I'll make sure in my very own power that you and the other kids can still play here."
"Really?"
"Yup. After all... this is also the source of people's joy, isn't it?" he smiled to the little girl, which she happily replied with a nod.
"What the hell is actually happening, here!?"
A man suddenly barged in to the scene, seemingly pissed off by everything and anything that had happened in the mall. He glared towards the damaged arcade center and towards her daughter, who happened to be right beside the Rider.
"Do you have any idea how much damage you've caused to this place!?"
"Sir, I've been trying to apprehend the arson, but he escaped and-"
"And you did a lousy job at keeping the arcade in one piece! It would take millions of Liens to fix it! not only that, kids won't be able to spent their money, here!"
"I just saved your daughter's life!"
"You ruined the arcade center!"
"Wha-I'm the one who's defending it! And, so what? That place's more important than her life!?"
"You shut your mouth, you incompetent Huntsman! I'm gonna file a report on you and-!"
"I believe that won't be necessary." A voice called from the floor's escalator. It was Tsukasa. "The expenses of the damage shall be handled directly by Mr. Dan himself. I am his assistant."
"It is?" The man asked. "Oh, thank the Gods. Now, I won't have to pay the bills, anymore. I almost lose my life, here."
"Your life, hmm? No wonder why some kids are so rebellious, these days. They didn't even have parents to at least give a damn about their well being."
"Wh-what are you talking about?" the man asked as he was sweating.
"I'm talking about everything that had been going on, here." Tsukasa answered. "See, I don''t think you have the right to blame this young Huntsman for all of this. It's all part of field work. Anything unexpected could happen at anytime."
"But... he did a very lousy job!"
"But he's not the one who broke it, no? Also from what I've seen on the camera feeds so far, this young man here even risked his life to protect your daughter from the crossfire. Now, the real question is... where were you when she needed you the most?"
The man's running mouth suddenly froze. He couldn't find any counter arguments for it. he seemed like a man whose pride was just crushed in a whim. The elder Rider then continued before making a leave with his protege,
"So, if you have any more complaints, you can directly file it to my boss. We'll make sure to get everything staright for you. Oh, and please look after your daughter properly. The last thing we ever wanted is to have another roguish youths who lacked their parents' attention. And if that happens... you're the one who's gonna face the consequences, yourself."
And with that, the Riders left the scene, leaving the man and his child to their own safety.
"Thanks for what you did back there, Tsukasa." Kyle thanked as they walked out from the mall.
"No problemo, kid. See, not every people can take a hint, these days. All they care about is either their own lives or... property insurances. And a fair warning, though: you might not wanna have too much property damages the next time you do your work. Those kind of people just couldn't take our job well, regardless of what's at the risk. People are different, and that's just among the rules of cosmos."
"Okay. Not the first time I've been told about that. And... sorry. I failed to claim the Totem first."
"Don't sweat it too much, kid. I'm sure you already know its importance for our mission, but sometimes... things just don't go in our way." Tsukasa said. "And whatever happened back there, be it here or the Mirror World... it's not your fault. I know you'd never ruin our cause."
"I understand." Kyle acknowledged after a few silence. "Anyway, are you really Kuroto Dan's assistant?"
"Well, about that... it's actually a part of my ruse."
"Ruse?"
"During the Rider World crisis, I've already developed an ability to constantly change my background identity to whatever world I went to. I've learned most of people's occupations back when I'm still in Dai-Shocker for undercover purposes. It's handy, you know."
"Wow. No wonder you're considered as one of the best candidate for the next Great Leader."
"Well, you can say that I'm the Great Leader of All Kamen Rider League, now. And I'm taking a great pride on that."
"Heheh, yeah you are." Kyle chuckled. "Don't worry, Tsukasa. I'll get the Totem back the next time I see him."
"That's the spirit." He smiled.
"Kyle! Tsukasa!" Weiss called as she returned from the nearby clinic. "How was it?"
"Xiphon got the Totem first. Turns out it came from the Mighty Action X game." Kyle explained.
"Wait, it was there!? After all this time!?" Ruby shocked beyond her belief.
"The Rider Totems' energy readings can't be detected simultaneously. After further research, it seems that they had been laying dormant in various places, probably the ones that we had never expected to be." Tsukasa explained.
"No wonder why I couldn't see it on my Driver's radar in regular basis." Kyle muttered.
"Good thing is, we don't really have to worry about our friends playing the arcade for too much." Blake said.
"It was... already... there?" Ruby muttered, still shocked by what she had just heard.
"Relax, sis. Now, we all know that playing games does benefit our lives, here." Yang assured. "I mean, we get to know there's actually a Totem, there."
"I... beg to differ." Weiss denied.
"Why, though? I heard that it's also good for theraphy and train kids' motoric and decision-making skills." Yang pointed out.
"In some cases, yes. But I believe it'd be bad if you just play too much." Weiss clarified.
"So, the point is time management, then?" Kyle said. "Well, I remember my mom used to limit my playtime in order to balance it with my studies. Good thing it got me where I am, now."
"Yes. Yes it is." Weiss agreed. "To be honest, I begin to like your arguments."
"Well, what can I say? Growing up has its own benefits, too."
"Anyway, I think we should call it a day. I'm feeling pretty much beat up here." Blake said.
"Well, I'm not the one who backs down from a challenge, but... yeah. Let's take a break." Yang agreed.
"Anyway, prepare to pack up for tomorrow afternoon. We're going to the northern part of Vale and meet up with one of the most... astounding Rider in the Riderverse." Tsukasa said.
"Really? Who is it?" Ruby asked woth her gleaming eyes.
"I think you'd better off finding it out tomorrow. Knowing him, he's prolly gonna prepare one hell of a welcome party." Tsukasa said. "Oh, and not to mention the developments of our next ops. Better get yourselves up and healthy. You dig?"
"Now that's absolutely one thing we can't wait." she smiled.
"Yes, siree." Kyle nodded.
Hours later...
Tsukasa rode his way to his residence. He missed his talks and sparring sessions with Ozpin. He always did.
It has been a while since he entered the arena just so he could have his fun with the headmaster-turned Huntsman without too much concern for the task at hand, though it finally turned out that they all shared the same matter in regards of Dai-Shocker. Back then, he remembered how powerful Ozpin could be during their earlier times, having the powers that would soon be taken away from him for the greater good of Remnant.
Not only Ozpin who had been put in such position, there was Glynda who had become his secretary and helped him handle paperworks for the most of their time, along with Port and Oobleck who had become Beacon's teachers and mentored dozens of young Huntsmen in training. They all had been busy, and so did he.
BEEP! BEEP!
As he entered the underground HQ and sat on his desk, a ring was suddenly heard from Tsukasa's Scroll. He retracted its screen to use its video call function. The caller's ID was the one that Tsukasa knew very well, the one that could be considered as the legend amongst the Kamen Rider Mythos.
It was none other than Takeshi Hongo himself.
"Hello, Tsukasa." He greeted.
"Hongo! Is something wrong?"
"Not really. I just figured that now's the best time to check up on you. It has been like, forever since you've decided to make a new move on Remnant, isn't it?" the elder smiled.
"Haha, now that you said it..." Tsukasa sheepishly muttered. "Say, how are things going on there?"
"It's always the usual; public service, some Dai-Shocker goons and their monsters keep popping out of nowhere. But don't worry, we Showa Riders will keep fulfilling your order as the All Kamen Rider League's last line of defense." Hongo assured.
"Well, that's good to hear. After all, our world still needs its protectors, too." Tsukasa said.
"Anyway, how's our new young recruit? I can't wait to meet him in person, let me tell you."
"Actually... that's the thing that I'd really like to talk about, here."
"Did something wrong happened between you and him?"
"Oh, no! It's just that... I feel like I've been rather distant from him. I mean, I'm supposed to be his mentor. And yet... I spent a little time with him. I kinda felt guilty about it."
"I see. Well, I don't think you should put too much mind on your own doubts, Tsukasa." Hongo reminded. "However, if you still really need to watch over him, then don't be afraid to aks for your friends to take over some of your assignments. That way, you can manage your schedules, further."
"I see. That's if they don't mind about it. I just don't want to burden them, too much."
"Believe me, they won't."
Natsumi Hikari was just a simple contender of her own gang back then.
She had never thought that she would be involved in the whole Riderverse stuff. All she ever wanted to be was just a simple photographer with proficient skills, only to find out that she was the long lost daughter of an ancient, benevolent Fangire ancestry. It was one of the many reasons of why Kiva-la was so invested in her the moment they met. The other being that she had a special sensitivity towards the existence of all realities, thus resurfacing her dormant Fangire nature which was befitting for her to wear the Kamen Rider armor of Kiva-la. Thankfully, Kiva-la also helped her to develop her own combat proficiency in the field, which further assured her that the petite bat was a good friend.
Her origins aside, she was glad that she could be a part of a great legacy that had stood up for generations. Though she still missed her ordinary life, she found helping out her fellow Riders much enjoyable. Especially, when she witnessed her friend kept pondering in front of his computer screen. She wondered if ther was something bothering him.
"Hey, Tsukasa." Natsumi greeted her friend.
"Oh, Hi there."
"Who's talking there?"
"Just Hongo. Our oldest to the old." Tsukasa told. "Just asking some advices on how to... become a good mentor."
"I see. is there something wrong between you and Kyle?"
"Not really, it's just that I felt that I've been rather distant from him. That's why I asked for his advice."
"I don't think you did a bad job at it, Tsukasa." Kiva-la flew in. "So far, Kyle had taken his job well. Not that he ever complained too much on that. I won't even blame you for the position you are, now."
"She's right, though. Just try not overthink it. I'm sure you'll manage it yourself." Natsumi assured.
"Thanks, you two." He thanked as Yusuke came in.
"Yo!"
"Oh, hey Yusuke. Just in time for something important?"
"Important?"
"Check this out, guys." Tsukasa then showed a footage from a camera nearby Decade-Kai's brawl against Xiphon. The highlight was how his protege spontantaneously speeding up.
"Whoa..."
"Is that a... clock up?" Natsumi wondered.
"Yeah. There's no mistaking it. What wonders me is that he hadn't even awaken his Kabuto Totem, yet."
"And what makes you think he hadn't?" Kiva-la asked.
"I always keep a track on his Decadriver through my Scroll." He explained as he showed the statistics and datas from his Scroll. "And I'm sure that he's yet to have it."
"But, we can't just say that it's an enigma, though." Yusuke asked.
"Or, it could be the other way around." Natsumi deduced. "Look, we all know that the Kamen Rider system tends to react to its user's emotions, right? maybe, something happened to him that he could somehow activate it."
"Something happened, huh?" Kiva-la thought. "Tsukasa, can you rewind it a bit further back, please?"
"On it."
As he did so, the team found out that Decade-Kai had been trying to defend a little girl who was targetted by Xiphon's energy blast. He succeeded by tapping into the said Clock Up ability.
"Oh, I see. So this is it." Tsukasa said. "He was trying to protect a child. And his Decadriver responded his desire."
"Exactly. It was the result of Kyle's determination to protect people, something that we all feel whenever we're in a pinch." Kiva-la stated.
"Well, we all get that feeling a lot. And most of the time." Yusuke muttered. "Wouldn't say this is something new for us."
"Then it seems that your worries are for nothing, Tsukasa. He's doing just fine." Natsumi smiled.
"Yep. Anyways, this has been a great discovery and development for our young recruit. But still, we need to keep an eye on him in case something undesirable happens. I just wish that he won't come across something that he shouldn't have."
"But, of course. That's the last thing we ever wanted, Tsukasa." Kiva-la finished.
Back in the 'evil lair' of Xiphon, as some people might dub, the Dai-Shocker general reported his findings to his 'father' through his Scroll. He thought of getting a fresh air outside to provide him further relief. He then sat on top of a building, with none around to be seen.
"Father." He greeted as he began his voice call.
"Ah Xiphon, my dear child." The voice said in the most welcoming tone. "How was your work?"
"I've got what I need for my next plan. And finally, a Rider Totem in our hands." He said.
"Excellent work. Though, I assume it didn't end up the same way as before?"
"This Totem's energy had been laying dormant by the time I found it. I was just unlucky last time because the Ghost Rider Totem had already had its energy awaken for a longer period of time, so long that it even managed to recognize me as an... unwanted guest."
"I see." the voice chuckled.
"Still, that Kyle Morgan had already caught my attention once again."
"Oh? How so?"
"I'm sending you the footage from my armor now. Perhaps you could make something out of it."
"Hmm, very well." He accepted as he witnessed the events unfolded in the footage. Right according to Xiphon's wonders, Kyle as Decade-Kai sped up towards the kid he attacked and reached her in a blink of an eye. "Now, this is interesting."
"Right? what do you know of it?" he asked.
"It appears that our opponent had somehow tapped into the ability of Clock Up, one of the powers of the Riderverse that enables him to stop time for a short period and made it as if he actually had a super speed. If I recall it correctly, this one is from the Kabutoverse."
"Kabutoverse, eh?"
"Though, it seems that this was just a spontantaneous use. I doubt that he would be able to control it in a short period of time. that is, if he still hadn't acquired the power of Kabuto, yet."
"I see. I'll make sure to get rid of him before he could ever do so. Oh, and one more thing." Xiphon asked. "How long do I still need to use my medication? How long is it until my body healed?"
"Unfortunately, we still haven't found a way to cure your... illness." The voice informed. "As we already knew, your body is still breaking down from the advanced implants the scientists had installed on you. They had already run through many simulations, but they have yet to discover a way to completely cure your condition. But worry not, your serum could still be enhanced to the point that you can stand up longer."
"Well, that's just messed up."
"Do not waste your time and mind on such trivial matters, Xiphon. Your only mission is to ensure our victory over this planet. Your problems will be solved, and I'll make sure that you'll be at your prime before you know it."
"Yes, father." He acknowledged. "I already have what I need to complete my plan. And we shall begin... tomorrow."
The scene changed to Tsukasa's very own successor, who was gazing towards the view of Beacon's park from his hangout spot. It was 8.00 p.m. and it was still as crowded as ever. Students from various classes were interacting with each other from below, some bringing their foods for group dinners. He began to remember the days he had spent with his friends back home, either he was just hanging out with them or finished his organizational duties. They were worth remembering as much as those he had spent with his newfound friends, only that he was also actively killing off Kaijins.
Just as he was still pondering about things, Ruby rose out from the doorway and greeted him.
"Hey, Kyle. You're alone again?"
"Oh, hey. Yeah, I'm... just looking for a breather."
She giggled. "Don't worry. I'm not here to drag you in."
"Right." he chuckled. "So, looking for a fresh air, too?"
"Not really. Just wanna check on you. Constantly, if I could."
"Oh? Well, thanks for the concern." He thanked. "But, why with the affection, here?"
"I dunno... it just feels peaceful when I'm near you."
"Alright, Rubes. Suit yourself." He sighed in relief. "Hey, Ruby?"
"Yeah?"
"How do you feel when you're helping people as a Huntress so far?"
"Hmm..." she pondered. "It's fun, actually! See, I get to be this kind of superhero I've always wanted to be. I even smiled ear to ear if I can make people happy!"
"I see." Kyle nodded. "Then... what'll you do if they happen not to like your help, at all?"
"I... I don't know. Maybe I'll snap or something. Is there something wrong? Wait, is that... what happened back there?"
"Yep. There's an angry mall owner who didn't like his arcade center being ruined by a crook. Hell, he didn't even care that I just saved his kid when Xiphon shot her."
"The arcade, huh?" she muttered. "Well, I'm not mad at you for that. I can't."
"I know. And that's logical."
"Kyle... do you miss Nathan?"
"Well, I uhh..."
"I'm sorry if I bring that up."
"Oh, no. It's fine." Kyle said. "It's just that... It's been a while since I've talked about him. Ages maybe?"
"I get that a lot. So... how was he like?"
"Hmm... where do I begin?" he thought. "Well, for starters, he's a really outgoing, clever, and the most intellectual guy you could ever know. You see, every time we talked either about their hobbies or the politics of their world, our mindsets were always on the same wavelength with each other. not to mention that we often discussed it with the other collegemates. Though, I should say I'm really grateful that we get to be on the same place when they went to the college. It was all like, a total coincidence. Though I'd like to believe that it was all God's plan. After all, he was the only big brother figure that I ever had in his life."
"A big brother, huh?" she pondered on the said relationship, reminding her of Yang. "Do you have a brother or a sister by blood?"
"I'm a sole child, Ruby. That's why my parents really looked up to my well being, and I really wish that I could fulfill their wish to become a good person."
"That's a good thing to have. And from what I see... I think you're already a good person."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I mean... most of the boys I know back in Signal are really noisy, so much that even my Sister and my Uncle told me not to get influenced by them. They're usually optimistic, but it often leads them to become reckless. Even he admitted that teaching them was a bit of a mess. Unlike me and Yang, though."
"I see. Well, sometimes I just felt like I'm not like how most people are. It's like I'm..."
"Socially awkward?"
"Yeah. Maybe. But still, that doesn't mean I'm giving up on socializing, though it means I have to deal with bullies. Can't let myself constantly brooding over how victimized I am, can I?"
"Hehe, sure thing." Ruby giggled.
"Soo... what are you two lovebirds going on about?"
"Whoa!"
"Waah! Yang!" Ruby screamed. "Stop teasing me!"
"Oh please. Men would like it better if you're being honest." She teased, flustering her sister further.
"Yang!"
"There's nothing going on about that, Yang." Kyle said. "We're just talking about our educational backgrounds."
"School days, huh? Oh, if only you went to the same combat school with us. I think you're gonna be a teacher's pet real quick." She said.
"Is that what you're really gonna call me? though from what I know, some of my teachers back home said that I'm an obedient kid. Epecially, when it comes to my parents."
"Kyle, I think what she means is cooperative."
"Well... yeah. That."
Kyle chuckled. "Right, right. Okay so, should we get back to the dorm now? I think it's best for us to prep for tomorrow."
"I was gonna ask you guys the same thing." Yang said. "Alright. Lead the way."
The three then walked inside the dorm to their respective rooms, with Kyle still having some thoughts about what had just happened. Although, he would leave it all for tomorrow, as the heroes must prepare for the meeting on the next day, where another challenge and a greater power awaits.
And as always, it wouldn't be a cake walk.
(A/N)
Hi guys! Chapter 21's finally up, and so does Zi-O!
To be honest with you guys, Zi-O is the kind of anniversary season I've been waiting for since I've begun following the series again in high school: A special Rider who used the Legend Rider forms throughout the series as the final Kamen Rider of Heisei Era, one that I would consider a favorite besides Decade. And if you're asking whether the Zi-O crew will appear or not, well... it won't be shortly after this, though. Plus, my college had just started again, so there'll be plentier works from here on.
Now, onto chapter discussions: In regargds to the current Tsukasa, I'd like to picture him as a young mentor who has his worries on his relationship withhis protege and takes advice in regards to his performance. His cocky and grandeur personality had dissipated when he acts in front of his companions, being kinder and more open, although he would surely find a way to piss his enemies off. This, of course, was the result of his development during his journey through the Decade. I also made a headcannon for Natsumi Hikari as a Fangire descendant, which I think is ideal for her status as Kamen Rider Kiva-la and her connection with the bat that had been having a mysterious, yet a bit confusing morality IMO without any clarification even after years had passed.
More and more things had unveiled, from Kyle's spontant activation of Clock Up to Xiphon's degenerating state. What else fate had in store for them? And now, with Xiphon had claimed the Ex-Aid Totem, will our heroes be able to stop Dai-Shocker's plan?
As always, please leave your comments below and remember, BE CONSTRUCTIVE.
Until next time.