Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore

by Dr. Exposition

Are you ready for an encore? Luz Noceda, once known as Kamen Rider Oscura, is asked to don the mantle again in a tournament that will grant her heart's desire. But the monsters and other Riders aren't the only things she will have to fight, as Luz must battle her inner demons and the shadows of her past. Will she rise above it or fall into the darkness again? It's Showtime!

21. Reprise F: Take Off, Wings of Victory!

Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore

Reprise F: Take Off, Wings of Victory!

{Wait, so you saw Oscura? At this 'Dizzyland'?}

"Disneyland," Sasha corrected. "And I was surprised too. She told me she was here with her family and..." She paused, debating if she should tell Boscha about Luz and Amity's engagement. As much as she disliked Luz, she did not trust Boscha not to overreact about it.

{What is it?}

"Nothing, just that she and Blight seem really happy together."

{Titan, damn it, if I could go over there right now–}

"You'll do nothing," Sasha cut her off firmly. "Remember, you're on thin ice right now after that stunt you pulled last time, so I need to know if I can trust you not to go off the handle. If we want to get Noceda eliminated, we need to work together and you need to follow my lead. End. Of. Discussion."

{Fine...we'll do it your way. But she's pretty strong with that Buckle of hers.}

"It must have a weakness. We'll just have to figure it out. I gotta go. The fam wants to go to the Haunted Mansion."

{Be careful. Ghosts can be real jerks.}

"Yeah, I'll take your word for it, Bosch."

---

After sending the players away on their mission, Tsumuri watched the map to see all the players had arrived in the labyrinth, indicated by their ID Core emblems which were scattered across the map. The labyrinth was an underground dungeon with numerous chambers and boobytraps as well as Jyamatos waiting to assault the players or anyone unlucky enough to run into them. There were also civilians trapped in the labyrinth, waiting for their rescue. It was up to the Riders to save them and escort them to safety while protecting them from the Jyamatos.

Tsumuri was supposed to be impartial as she helped to remind the players of the rules and enforce them. The Game Master still had the final say, though, but she was still allowed a certain amount of autonomy. It did not stop her from caring about the players.

"Good luck and be careful, Kamen Riders."

---

"Hm, this reminds me of the Disney Catacombs conspiracy theories I read online," Marcy said as she studied her surroundings. She, like the other players, was in a corridor that was lined with torches. "OK, so the most logical thing to do now is..."

[Set Fever!]

"Henshin!"

[NINJA! HIT! NINJA! READY, FIGHT!]

Kamen Rider Newtonne began to carefully navigate her way through the maze. She hoped to reunite with Luz and Willow. She would be happy if she met up with Sasha. Despite how strained their friendship was right now, she still trusted her friend to look out for her.

---

"Ow..." Sasha groaned as her body ached all over. She slowly got up into a sitting position and examined her surroundings. From what she could tell, she was in some kind of long corridor. The blonde teen got up from the ground and leaned against the wall as she tried to remember what happened.

"We were in the Haunted Mansion…riding the Doom Buggies…and then…" Sasha's eyes widened as she remembered the huge hole that suddenly appeared in the middle of the tracks. She remembered hearing people screaming but thought that was just because of the attraction, not because there was a stupidly deep hole. By the time she saw the hole, it was too late to do anything. "Goddammit, please tell me this isn't what I think it is."

Sasha took out her Spider Phone, hoping that this wasn't what she feared. Unfortunately, it was. Her Spider Phone flashed a message from Tsumuri, informing her that the latest round of the DGP had started and that she was currently in the Jyamar Area. On top of that, she needed to help get the civilians who were also dumped into this maze out of it as well as herself.

"Wait, if I got dumped down here, then that means…! STACY! BRIAN! MOM! ALBERT!" Sasha called out.

She remembered that she was on the ride with her younger step-siblings, stepfather, and mother. Brian was sitting with her mother, Stacy with Albert, and Sasha ended up sitting in a car by herself. She had little doubt that they weren't pulled down into this mess too.

"Dammit, now my family's in danger! Great! Guess after it happened twice to Noceda, it's my turn now, huh?!" Sasha took a calming breath as she tried to assess the situation. "Okay, Waybright, calm down. Getting worked up will only screw you in the end. First thing's first…"

Sasha checked her jacket pockets and, thankfully, she had her Driver and Buckles on her.

"Well, at least we don't have to find these again. That's a relief. Okay, so, I need to round up the civilians and get them and myself out of here." Sasha began pacing the floor as she tried to come up with a plan of action. "No doubt Noceda's here too. Ugh, I can't even enjoy a trip to freakin' Disneyland without - no, getting sidetracked. My first priority is to find Marcy."

Sasha did not mean to sound cruel but, unlike Marcy, her family was guaranteed to come back to life so long as the game was won. However, if Marcy died during the game, that was it, she would be gone forever...just like Anne.

"No, not forever, I will bring her back," Sasha swore as she clenched her right fist. "And when I do win, and you're back at my side, I'm going to tell you and Marcy how I really feel. No more bullshitting."

Sasha began walking. Since she was on a new mission, she would not get anything done by sitting on her ass. The corridor she was walking through was lined with torches, which gave her light. Unfortunately, she was walking through blind since she had no map to guide her. Hopefully, she would receive it at some point in this game or else she might end up lost.

The blonde cheerleader carefully made her way through the corridor, checking behind each corner before venturing down a different corridor. She knew that there would be Jyamatos around, but she had no idea when they would pop up.

Being alone like this, with nobody to talk to, made Sasha's mind wander, specifically, back to the Slasher Game. That had probably been the second-worst round of the DGP she had experienced thus far. Only the final round in the previous season ranked higher as the worst day of her life since Anne had died that day. A lot of things from the Slasher Game kept buzzing in her head, especially when she found out from Amity what Boscha did to her.

'I can't believe she did that! Who does that kind of thing to someone they supposedly 'love'?! That witch is on really thin ice right now. I swear if she pulls another stunt like that again, I'll throw her to the Jyamatos myself!'

While she was supposed to be working with Boscha, the three-eyed witch should be fine on her own. However, she was beginning to have doubts about their alliance. The things she had heard from Boscha conflicted with the things Blight said about her. It was possible that Noceda still had Blight under her spell, and yet her words sounded genuine. As much as she did not trust Noceda, she could tell that she loved Blight if the way she reacted when she was killed during the last round was any indication.

Sasha shook her head to focus. She needed to survive and win the Desire Grand Prix so she could bring Anne back to life. But what would be the point if Marcy did not survive either? She needed to find Marcy and then work out how to get out of this maze together.

The corridor ended in a chamber which resembled a school hallway with lockers. The lockers had Disney-themed stickers, mostly the Disney princesses. It was weird as the hallway reminded her of the one back in St. James Middle School. Sasha soon heard footsteps approaching and prepared for battle when she saw a figure walk towards her from the other end of the hallway. At first, she could not make them out because of how dim it was, but as they came closer, her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"Anne!?"

It was her best friend (and secret crush) Anne Boonchuy, just as she remembered her.

"Hey, Sash. Long time no see," Anne greeted, smiling as she gave her a finger wave.

"Anne!" Sasha ran towards Anne and hugged her tightly. "I thought you were gone! How did you come back?"

"Does it matter, Sasha? I'm here now," Anne smiled. Sasha silently agreed. Did it matter how Anne was back? Sasha was just so happy to see her. "And now that we're together, we can both make Noceda pay for what happened to me."

Sasha's eyes snapped open and she let go of Anne.

"...I knew it was too good to be true," Sasha sighed as she stepped back from Anne.

[Set!]

"Sasha, what are you doing?" Anne asked curiously as she tilted her head to the side.

"You're not her. Henshin."

[MONSTER! READY, FIGHT!]

After her armour formed, Soaron punched Anne in the face, sending her tumbling. Soaron would feel guilty about hitting Anne like that, but only if it was the real one.

"You're not Anne," Soaron declared as the illusion shattered, revealing the Bishop Jyamato. "Even at her worst, Anne could never say something so cruel."

'Tch…what does that say about me then?'

The Bishop Jyamato got back on its feet and fired the spores from its hands. Soaron brought up her gauntlets to block but the spores that landed all over her body exploded, causing her to cry out in pain. The Bishop Jyamato then rushed at Soaron, but the red heron-themed Rider pounded her fists together and readied to punch the monster right in the face. Just before she could do so, the Bishop Jyamato shapeshifted back to Anne.

"Sash! No! Stop! Don't hit me again!" 'Anne' begged.

Hearing Anne's scared voice and seeing that look on her face made the heron Rider hesitate and that hesitation was all the Bishop Jyamato needed to strike back. The creature shifted back to its original form and fired a blast of spores at point-blank range. Multiple explosions erupted from Soaron's armour, sending her flying straight into a wall. A body-sized indentation was left in the cracked wall as Soaron let out a violent cough of pain. Soaron managed to peel herself off the wall, dropping to the ground as she grunted and groaned from the pain.

Soaron rose up and glared at the imposter. But when she did, it was not the Bishop Jyamato, but 'Anne' once again.

"Are you really going to hurt me, Sasha?" 'Anne' asked as 'tears' began to stream down her face. "Haven't you hurt me enough? I gave my life for you, and now you want to beat me up? I didn't know you could be this cruel!"

Soaron paused, her fists trembling again.

"...You're not her…You're not her…You're not her! YOU'RE NOT MY ANNE!"Soaron screamed, her voice echoing in the corridor with pure rage and sadness. Her resolve restored, she tapped the head of her Monster Buckle, activating the finisher.

[MONSTER STRIKE!]

Soaron let out another yell of anger and dashed straight for 'Anne', her fists glowing with yellow and blue energy. Once she closed the distance, Soaron unleashed a barrage of punches that looked like streaking comets as each impact created starbursts. Soaron kept punching and punching. And with each strike, it felt like her heart was breaking. She could see her friend, her crush, getting bruised and battered with each blow she delivered, but she had to keep going because this thing wasn't Anne. This was a monster that wore the face of her friend and dared to desecrate the memory of her loved one in such a manner. However, that still didn't negate her heartache, feeling as if she was really beating up Anne as the monster let out cries of pain and anguish in her voice.

"AAAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!"Soaron wailed in anguish throughout the assault.

The Bishop Jyamato could not keep up the illusion any longer, as its disguise shattered like fragile glass and revealed the true monster behind it. Now that it was gone, and Soaron could see the monster clearly, she went all in. With the speed of her punches increasing dramatically, transforming from comets to streaks of pure light, the monster was lifted off the ground as each consecutive punch landed.

Soaron cocked back her right fist as she focused all her power into it, and with a loud wailing battle cry, she threw a powerful uppercut into the stomach of the monster, firing off a huge construct fist that went high and crashed into the ceiling where the Bishop Jyamato exploded.

Soaron lowered her fists as she panted heavily, her shoulders rising and falling with each heavy breath she took. Her transformation undone, she returned to her civilian form. Tears fell from her eyes at what she had just done. She knew that it had not really been Anne, just a monster disguised as her, but each blow she inflicted on the disguised creature hurt as it felt like she was hitting her best friend.

Sasha hugged herself and let out painful sobs as she let it all out. That was beyond cruel. Who or whatever set up this game had gone too far.

'G-Get a grip, Waybright! T-That wasn't Anne, it…it wasn't Anne! Just…Just a monster…Goddammit…'

It took Sasha a couple of minutes, but she eventually regained her composure and brushed that episode aside as something she would need to cry about in private later.

After defeating the Bishop Jyamato, Sasha received a notification and took out her Spider Phone. The screen displayed a map, which was her reward for defeating the monster. Though, it appeared to be playing by videogame rules. Only a certain amount of the map was visible on her phone, but the further she went, even more of the map was illuminated. And from the look of it, the phone displayed the positions of the other Riders: Noceda's witch friend, Noceda herself, Boscha, and Marcy. All of them were moving around in the maze, and it appeared their own movements lit up the map, making the hidden areas visible. Unfortunately, there were also multiple red dots that she could not identify but she had to assume that they were either civilians or Jyamatos.

Sasha wiped her tears away as she focused on what she needed to do next. For now, she planned to find Marcy. Together, they would find her family, and any other civilians, and then locate the exit.

"Hang on, Mar-Mar. I'm coming," Sasha swore. Despite how strained their friendship was at the moment, she was not going to lose another friend in this game.

---

A group of civilians who had been riding the Haunted Mansion ride found themselves in the labyrinth. They tried to call for help, but their phones had no signal. With no other choice, they decided to try and navigate through the maze. Unfortunately, this group ended up running into a group of Mascot Jyamatos.

At first, they thought they were members of the staff but when they began attacking the civilians, the group ran for their lives. Several civilians had already fallen to the Jyamatos before the monsters began to move towards the rest who tried to flee.

They soon had the civilians cornered and were ready to kill them all when...

[TACTICAL SLASH!]

A green blur ran past the Jyamatos as green lines appeared all over them. As the green figure came to a stop, the Jyamatos exploded.

"Oh, good," Newtonne said as she turned to the civilians who were frightened by her appearance. She put away her weapons and held her hands up to show them she meant no harm. "It's OK. I'm a human, just like you." She carefully undid her transformation, revealing she was a Taiwanese teenager.

"Who are you?" one of the civilians asked. "What's going on?"

"OK, right now, you're trapped with monsters that are trying to kill you. Don't worry. If you stick with me, I'll guarantee to protect you until we find a way out," Marcy informed them.

"But you're just a kid," one of the adults argued.

"Yeah, but I'm also the kid who just killed those monsters. So, what will it be?" Marcy challenged. As a roleplayer, Marcy knew how to tailor her personality to any situation. She came to their rescue, which meant they were indebted to her. So if they were smart and wanted to survive, they had no choice but to trust her.

Luckily, for her, defeating those Jyamatos had netted her a reward as she received the map on her Spider Phone. It gave her the location of all the other players. She saw that Sasha was the closest. There were also several unknown blips as well and since Marcy had no way to identify them, they could be either civilians or Jyamatos. She would only know once she found them.

"Marcy, is that you?"

"Mrs. Waybright?" Marcy asked when she saw Sasha's mom among the group.

"I haven't seen you in years. What are you doing here? And how did you do that?" Mrs. Waybright asked as she cut through the group and made her way to the front.

"Look, I'll explain later," Marcy said. "Is the rest of your family with you?" She knew Sasha was in the labyrinth.

"Sasha, my husband and my stepchildren were with me before we fell into a hole," Mrs. Waybright answered. "Just what is going on?"

Marcy noticed that the woman looked scared and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Everything is going to be OK. I promise I'll get you all to safety and we'll find your family. You have my word," Marcy swore.

---

"OK, what the hell am I looking at?"

After leaving the school hallway chamber, Sasha kept navigating the maze until she entered a chamber that looked like a grand ballroom with two Jyamatos waiting for her. The strange thing was that they were dressed as Belle and Beast from Beauty & the Beast, and both of them were dancing the waltz in the middle of the ballroom.

It did not matter what they were doing. They were in her way.

"Sasha!"

Sasha paused and looked up at the ceiling to see a chandelier, only it was not just a chandelier but a cage that held her step-siblings.

"Brian! Stacy!" Sasha yelled.

"Sasha, get us out of here!" Brian yelled.

"Don't worry, guys! I'm gonna get you out!" Sasha promised as she inserted her FeverSlot Buckle into her Desire Driver. This could be another trick but could Sasha risk it? Sure, if they died, they would be brought back to life at the end of the game but then she would have to live with the memory of their deaths.

[Set Fever!]

"Henshin!"

[GOLDEN FEVER! JACKPOT! HIT! GOLDEN FEVER! READY, FIGHT!]

"Let's dance!" Soaron declared as she dashed straight for the two Dancer Jyamatos in her Boost Form.

The Male Dancer Jyamato spun its female partner around, using it as a club as it kicked Soaron away. She tumbled as the Male Dancer Jyamato put its female counterpart on its shoulder, as if taunting the Rider. The Male Dancer Jyamato put down the Female Dancer Jyamato and they held hands.

"Dammit!"Soaron cursed and stood up to engage them again but paused when she saw them holding something in their hands. "...No way."

[Desire Driver!]

Both Jyamatos put on the Desire Drivers and then took out strange Raise Buckles which resembled metal plates with vines crawling all over them.

"Hen...shin..." the Dancer Jyamatos called, further shocking Sasha as they inserted the Raise Buckles into their Drivers.

[JYAMATO!]

They inserted the Buckles into the left side of their Drivers, activating their transformations. Vines grew from the Drivers, wrapping the two Jyamatos in cocoons before a wave of energy shredded them, revealing their new forms.

"Jyamato...Riders...? ...OK, this is new," Soaron remarked as she saw both Jyamato Riders. The male was unarmed while the female carried a scythe.

The Jyamato Riders bowed together and then charged at Soaron. The Female Jyamato Rider slashed at her but she leaned back like she was doing limbo and the scythe soared over her. Standing back up, she punched the Female Jyamato Rider in the face and turned in time to block a punch from the Male Jyamato Rider. The two Jyamato Riders then held hands and the Male swung the Female at Soaron who kicked at the Rider. She staggered back from the blow. The two Jyamato Riders then stood side-by-side, holding each other around the waist before they slammed their fists on their Jyamato Buckles.

[JYA-JYA-JYA STRIKE!]

The Jyamato Riders performed the Can-Can Dance and performed high kicks, sending several vines to shoot straight at Soaron. The vines hit her like spears with incredible force, knocking her out of her transformation as she was sent tumbling.

"Sasha!" Stacy screamed.

Sasha groaned, lying on the ground as the Female Jyamato Rider walked towards her. It raised its scythe to finish her off.

"No...this can't be..." This could not be how it ended for her. 'Anne...Marcy...I'm sorry...'

*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*

Gunshots suddenly rang in the chamber and the Female Jyamato Rider was driven away from Sasha as sparks blasted off its chest.

"Sasha!" Newtonne - in her Magnum Form - yelled as she ran to her friend to help her up.

"Hey, Marce," Sasha grinned through the pain. "Sorry, I must look like a mess." She noticed the group of civilians that came with Marcy. "And I see you made friends." She saw her mom among them. "Mom!?"

"Sasha!" Mrs. Waybright ran over to her daughter. "Oh, my God! You're hurt!"

"Mom, please!" Sasha pushed her mother away for fussing over her. "I'm fine!" Any other time, she would welcome the attention, but not right now. "Where's Albert? Why isn't he with you?"

"Albert..." Mrs. Waybright sobbed. "He...he tried to protect me but those monsters killed him."

"Oh..." Sasha frowned. "I'm so sorry." He would come back to life, though, as long as they won this round.

"Mom!" Stacy yelled.

"Mom, we're up here!" Brian exclaimed.

"Brian? Stacy?" Mrs. Waybright gasped as she saw them in the chandelier cage.

"Don't worry, we'll get them down," Sasha promised as she prepared to fight the Jyamato Riders again.

"Wait, Sasha, you can't!" Mrs. Waybright protested but then she saw the belt her daughter was wearing. It was the same one Marcy had used to transform into a Kamen Rider. "You too?"

"Yeah, me too," Sasha confirmed. Her mom looked puzzled. How could she not have known her daughter was a Kamen Rider too?

"So, Jyamato Riders?"Newtonne asked, seeing the enemies clearly.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. They're going down," Sasha said viciously.

"You're going to need a partner to beat them then," Newtonne offered.

"Could you, you know, be my partner?" Sasha asked.

"Yes," Newtonne nodded. "Shall we dance?"

[Set Fever!]

"Henshin!" Sasha called out.

[BEAT! HIT! BEAT! MONSTER!]

Mrs. Waybright's eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped as she witnessed her daughter's transformation.

[READY, FIGHT!]

"Alright, "Soaron (Beat Monster Form) gripped the familiar Beat Axe, her signature weapon from the last DGP. "Let's do this, Marcy."

[Revolve On!]

Standing next to Soaron, Newtonne rotated her Desire Driver and inserted the FeverSlot Buckle.

[NINJA! HIT! NINJA! READY, FIGHT!]

"Not exactly synergy, but I can work with this," Newtone (Ninja Magnum Form) remarked, wielding the Ninja Dueler in her right hand and Magnum Shooter in her left.

"Let's ROCK!"Soaron exclaimed.

The Jyamato Riders charged at the DGP Riders who leaped into action. Soaron chose the male Jyamato Rider as her opponent while Newtonne picked the armed female. Sparks flew as Newtonne clashed with her opponent, the two of them exchanging blows with their blades.

Soaron countered a punch with her Beat Axe before landing a kick with her Monster Boot, knocking back the Male Jyamato Rider. It flicked its wrist before slamming its fist on its Jyamato Buckle.

[JYA-JYA-JYA STRIKE!]

Thick vines wrapped around its right arm and it delivered a punch with incredible force, knocking Soaron off her feet. She screamed as she tumbled through the air. Newtonne saw this and swiftly disengaged from her opponent before she jumped into the air to catch her friend. She landed on her feet.

"You OK, Sash?" Newtonne asked.

"Thanks, Marcy," Soaron smiled, blushing as Newtonne set her down. "Dang, these guys are tough."

"I wonder if transforming into Riders has improved their mental as well as their physical abilities," Newtonne considered as she studied their opponents.

"Doesn't matter if they upgrade themselves or whatever, Marce. These mooks are still going down."

Mrs. Waybright was speechless as she watched her daughter fight against these monsters along with Marcy. How much did she not know about her daughter? She knew her daughter was strong, but she never knew she was a fighter. And the way she wielded that guitar-axe thing, it was like she was an expert.

[JYA-JYA-JYA-STRIKE!]

[Rock Fire!]

[TACTICAL FIRE!]

"Take this!" Soaron roared, slashing through the oncoming vines with her blazing Beat Axe. Running at the Male Jyamato Rider, she landed a kick with her Monster Boot, knocking it back before she landed another slash across its chest. The Male Jyamato Rider threw a punch but she dodged it before slamming the head of her Beat Axe across its face, knocking it to the floor.

[GOLDEN FEVER VICTORY!]

[Metal Thunder!]

[TACTICAL THUNDER!]

Golden lightning covered the Beat Axe and Soaron swung it repeatedly at the Male Jyamato Rider as it was getting back on its feet. Each strike caused it to spasm as she broke off a piece of armour before she finished it off with an overhead swing that split it in half.

Meanwhile, Newtonne fired at the Female Jyamato Rider with her Magnum Shooter but it deflected the round with its scythe. It crossed the distance and swung but Newtonne performed a backwards somersault to avoid its attack. As she landed on her feet, she pressed down on the level of her FeverSlot Buckle.

[GOLDEN FEVER VICTORY!]

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Newtonne summoned clones which attacked the Female Jyamato Rider, slashing and shooting at it non-stop before she went to finish it off.

[HYPER MAGNUM VICTORY!]

Newtonne dismissed her clones and delivered a straight kick into the Female Jyamato Rider's stomach. As soon as her foot made contact, her ankle blaster finished charging up and fired a blast that punched a hole through the Female Jyamato Rider's body, destroying it.

Once the two Jyamato Riders were destroyed, the cage holding Albert and Stacy lowered before the door opened. The two of them ran out to meet their stepmom and stepsister.

"Sasha, that was the coolest thing I ever saw!" Brian gushed over Sasha.

"Sasha, thank you," Mrs. Waybright said gratefully. "You were amazing."

Sasha smiled under the praise. It felt good to be acknowledged.

"OK, everyone! The danger's clear! Let's keep moving!" Marcy called to the rest of the civilians. "Just follow me!"

"I'll be right behind you, Marcy," Sasha said. "I'll bring up the rear."

"Sasha," Mrs. Waybright wanted to argue.

"You need someone to watch your backs," Sasha said, winking reassuringly. Mrs. Waybright hesitated but after witnessing how capable her daughter was, she relented. She hugged her daughter and then went with her stepkids to join the civilians as they followed Marcy out of the chamber.

As Sasha was about to step through the exit, the chest next to it popped open to reveal a Mission Box inside. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she picked it up and slid off the lid to see what she found.

"Oh, hohohoho!" Sasha's eyes lit up at the treasure she found. "Nice!"

---

"TITAN DAMMIT!"

Boscha was pissed as she found herself alone in a corridor. At least it was lit with torches but she was not able to call anyone on the Spider Phone. She would have chalked it up as being inferior human technology, but these humans were able to create the Desire Driver, and Raise Buckles, not to mention have access to the Demon Realm.

Even more, there were these creepy dolls that stood against the wall and they were singing this annoying song on a loop.

It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all

It's a small, small world

It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all

It's a small, small world

The way they looked at her, the way they danced as they sang, it was like they were mocking her.

Checking her pockets, she was relieved to find her potion vials had not been broken when she arrived. Being a Potion Track student in Hexside, she used the skills as part of the resistance to craft potions of various effects. She was also stronger than humans, though that had not helped her to survive in the last round when that human blew her up.

Honestly, humans were just the worst with only a few of them deserving her respect. Like that other Luz and that Anne girl. They were both able to defeat Oscura. And yet, they thought it was a good idea to let her live. Now, Oscura was back and it was only a matter of time before she went back to her old ways. Even worse, she had also stolen Amity from her.

Boscha stopped when she heard footsteps and looked ahead to see what was coming. She squinted her eyes to try and get a better look. That was when she saw a Bishop Jyamato.

"Well, looks like you'll be my first victim today," Boscha grinned viciously as she took out her Raise Buckles and inserted them into her Desire Driver.

[Set!]

[Dual On!]

"Henshin!"

[BOOST! ARMED HAMMER! READY, FIGHT!]

As Red-Pan prepared for combat, her eyes widened as the Bishop Jyamato was replaced by the visage of Empress Oscura. That haughty smirk caused Red-Pan to tremble, remembering the deaths and devastation she caused.

Red-Pan had looked down on Oscura for being human, even talking smack about her, until she came face to face with the woman. She remembered feeling helpless, powerless...weak.

"NO!" Red-Pan screamed as she tossed her Raise Chain Array away and threw a fire-boosted punch into 'Oscura's' face, knocking the disguised creature down to the ground. As 'Oscura' tried to get back up, Red-Pan stomped on 'her' chest, screaming in anger."I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Each stomp made the floor crack and 'Oscura' flailed under about on the floor. Red-Pan then straddled the creature and began beating it with brutal punches, not giving it a chance to fight back.

As she punched 'Oscura' non-stop in the face, she screamed manically and dealt increasing damage with each blow. The Bishop Jyamato's disguise had already faded but Red-Pan could still see Oscura's visage.

"DIE HUMAN BASTARD! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIEEEEE!"

Finally, her last punch killed the Bishop Jyamato as it exploded, sending her sprawling to the floor. For a moment, she was silent, before bursting out in laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Red-Pan laughed as she lay on her back. She knew it had been an imposter, but beating 'Oscura' to death had been satisfying. She just wished it had been the real one.

Now, if only that stupid song just stopped.

It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all

It's a small, small world

---

"OK, if we follow this path, we'll reach the exit," Luz informed everyone after checking the map on her Spider Phone. That was good news at least. They would be out here in no time.

"How did those Jyamatos get their hands on Drivers anyway?" Willow wondered.

"From the players killed in the DGP," Luz concluded and she elaborated as they looked at her. "Whenever a player gets killed, they vanish along with their Drivers. I think they end up where the Jyamato come from."

That meant Anne too had ended up there, her body lying in the grounds of the Jyamato's home. What they did to her, Luz did not know and she would rather not find out.

"That's a scary thought," Masha commented. "Monsters with Rider powers are no joke."

"No, they aren't," Luz agreed. "Now, come on. We don't have time to waste."

Luz led the group through the labyrinth while checking the map on her Spider Phone. Amity brought up the rear, watching everyone's backs with Willow beside her. The Plant magic user looked at Luz who walked in front of them. Despite everything that happened and even after all this time, Luz still cared about them. Nevertheless, she worried about the Oscura Buckle.

"I need to talk to Luz," Willow excused herself and walked ahead to join Luz in front. "Luz."

"Willow," Luz responded. "You should be in the back with Amity."

"I know," Willow acknowledged. "Listen, we need to talk about your Buckle."

"What did Amity tell you?" Luz asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, but when we fought those Jyamato Riders, you appeared to be struggling. I know what you're capable of with that power. You could have easily wiped the floor with them by yourself," Willow said. "Is it...is it getting weaker?"

Luz took out the Oscura Buckle. Only two Sin Stones still had their colour while the others had faded. Did using those spells drain her Oscura Buckle?

"I don't know but you might be right. Still, I can't afford to not use it," Luz told her. "When I first got it, I refused to use it, and someone got killed. I can't let that happen again."

"Is that what happened to the other Anne? It wasn't your fault, Luz."

"I know, but I could have stopped it, I could have saved her. That's why I'm in the DGP again, to bring her back and make up for what I did," Luz admitted. All these years, she shouldered the guilt of the sins she had committed as Empress Oscura. Then the DGP gave her a chance to fix it all and this season was her chance to bring back Anne. It may not have been the same Anne that saved her, but she owed her.

"Just remember, you're not alone, Luz," Willow smiled comfortingly. "I'm here for you. We all are."

Luz nodded and smiled back at Willow. She remembered back when she had feelings for Willow, back when the Everlasting Oath took away her ability to use magic. Willow had been her rock and she had fallen for her. Tragically, when she became Empress Oscura, any feelings she had for Willow just evaporated except for the gratitude she had for her kindness. Well, that was what she told herself. Thinking back, as Empress Oscura, she had tried to lie to herself. The tears she shed after she sent Eda, King, Gus and Willow away when they came to see her, had been her true feelings. Deep down, she just wanted them to stay at her side, despite everything she had done.

Luz looked at the screen on her Spider Phone and her eyes widened with joy.

"Guys, I think we're near the exit!" Luz exclaimed excitedly. On the map, she saw a big red 'X' up ahead.

"Oh, finally!" Masha cried jubilantly. "My feet are killing me!"

"Mine aren't," Vee teased, slithering beside them in her basilisk form.

Luz smiled at everyone, especially at her mom and Amity. Soon, this nightmare would be over and they would be safe and sound in their hotel room. She checked the screen and her eyes narrowed when she saw other ID Core logos converging on the 'X'.

"Come on!" Luz ran ahead.

"Luz! Mija, wait!" Camila shouted. They all chased after Luz and they all saw a light at the end of the corridor. Could it be the way out?

They stopped and saw Luz standing in an empty chamber, facing a huge door that was on the back wall.

"Wait, is that the way out?" Masha asked.

"I think it's through those doors," Amity pointed out.

"Oh, what a relief," Vee said as she shifted to her human form. She did not want to run into any other humans in her true form.

Moments after they arrived, Boscha came in through another entrance. She scowled when she saw Luz but then cried happily when she saw Amity.

"Amity!"

"If you come within ten feet of me, I'll throw you to the first Jyamato I see, Boscha! Stay away from me!" Amity snapped, warning her as she drew a spell circle.

The three-eyed witch gulped and made sure to keep a safe distance from Amity, for now.

Then Sasha and Marcy arrived with the civilians they escorted.

"Luz!" Marcy called, waving at her. Sasha crossed her arms unhappily. She nearly forgot that Marcy and Luz had an alliance.

"Marcy, so glad you made it!" Luz smiled at the Taiwanese girl then she frowned at Sasha, giving her a curt nod. "Sasha."

"Noceda," Sasha replied coldly. "I see you made it through."

"Not happy to see me?" Luz smirked teasingly.

"No, just glad you didn't bite it. I still wanna face you in the finals."

"Hey, I'm here too!" Boscha snapped, getting their attention. She hated being ignored.

"So, you guys saved some civilians," Luz observed, seeing the group that came with Sasha and Marcy. "Good job."

"Most of those are Marcy's," Sasha corrected.

"OK, good, now can we please leave?" Boscha complained. "I have a Titan damn song stuck in my head and I need to go home to get it out."

The Riders turned towards the door but as soon as Luz reached for the handle, a red barrier suddenly rose up.

[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!]

Their Spider Phones rang like crazy and that was when they were pushed back by the red barrier before a figure emerged before them. It was a Rook Jyamato with bull horns jutting out of its head. It wore shoulder pads made out of human skulls, spiked bracelets and boots with spiked knee pads. It wore a furry skirt and instead of a sword, it carried a spiked club and a mace. One other important detail to note was that this Rook Jyamato was ten feet tall.

[LABYRINTH BOSS: MINOTAUR JYAMATO]

The Minotaur Jyamato was not alone as it was accompanied by a couple of Jyamato Riders. These were the ones that had picked up the discarded Drivers and Jyamato Buckles from before.

"Girls, I think we triggered a Raid Boss encounter!" Marcy cried. She heard the civilians scream at the sight of the Minotaur Jyamato. "We need to protect the civilians!"

"You do that!" Boscha grinned viciously. "This thing must be worth a ton of points! I'm gonna kill it!"

[Set Fever!]

[Set! Dual On!]

"Marcy, keep them safe!" Sasha ordered. "Henshin!"

[MONSTER! HIT! FEVER MONSTER! READY, FIGHT!]

"Henshin!" Boscha echoed.

[BOOST! ARMED CHAIN ARRAY! READY, FIGHT!]

"Amity, keep them safe!" Luz told her fiancée as she took out her Oscura Buckle to join the battle. "Willow, Rider up!"

[Set!]

"Right!" Willow smiled confidently as she readied her Powered Builder Buckle.

[Set Creation!]

"Henshin!"

[OSCURA! DARKNESS, NOW!]

[DEPLOYED POWERED SYSTEM! GIGANT HAMMER!]

[READY, FIGHT!]

Oscura and Honey went for the Labyrinth Boss but were intercepted by the Jyamato Riders. Jyamato Rider #1 engaged Oscura while Jyamato Rider #2 faced Honey.

"Dang it, Sasha!" Marcy cursed.

[Set Fever!]

"Henshin!"

[MAGNUM! HIT! FEVER MAGNUM! READY, FIGHT!]

"It's a mother flipping Raid Boss! We need to work together!"Newtonne yelled.

Sparks flew as Oscura fought Jyamato Rider #1 with her DesWizarSwordGun. Her opponent was armed too, wielding a beamsword of all things. She felt the heat coming from the blade each time it came close to striking her. Luckily, her reflexes saved her before she countered it. It parried her strike and then jabbed her in the chest, knocking her back. It then delivered a flurry of slashes, ripping sparks off her chest before knocking her to the ground with a punch.

"Luz!" Amity and Vee screamed.

The Jyamato Rider raised its beamsword to stab her when it received a blow in the back of its head. It turned around to see Camila, holding her chancla.

"Get away from my daughter, you monster!" Camila snapped as she slapped her slipper across its face. It drew its arm back to strike her but a glow of pink magic surrounded Camila and pulled her back to Amity.

"Mom!" Vee hugged her mother.

"Wow, Cam-Cam, that was badass," Masha praised.

"Please, don't do that again," Amity begged. She had used her magic to save her.

The Jyamato Rider kicked away the DesWizarSwordGun and then turned back to Oscura when it received a punch to the face, turning its head to the side. Oscura growled and cast a quick spell.

"Envious Creation, Now!"

She created an exact copy of the Jyamato Rider's beamsword and stabbed it in the chest with the copied weapon. She yelled, pushing forward as she ran at the wall with the Jyamato Rider stuck to her weapon. She drove the beamsword into the wall, pinning the Jyamato Rider to it and then pulled the ring switch of her Oscura Buckle.

[GRAND DARKNESS VICTORY!]

Shadows gathered around her fist, forming a spinning spike before she drove it through the Jyamato Rider. It cried out in agony before exploding. As Oscura stepped back, one more gem on her Buckle faded.

"One last spell," Oscura whispered and she smirked as she turned to look at the Raid Boss. "And I saved the best for last."

Meanwhile, Soaron and Red-Pan were battling the Minotaur Jyamato while avoiding its blow. The three-eyed witch attacked it with her flaming Raise Chain Array while dodging its counterattack. Soaron was quick on her feet, waiting for an opening before she struck it with her strike. Her fist connected with its leg, nearly knocking it off balance, but the Minotaur Jyamato recovered quickly to take a swing at her. She managed to evade the blow.

The thing was huge, and fast, but not fast enough to strike her. Still, they needed to be careful. It had nearly gotten them but struck the floor instead.

"At this rate, we'll be at the top of the leaderboard!" Red-Pan bragged as she smashed the spiked ball across its face. It staggered back, dropping its mace. As the spiked ball came at it again, it caught it and then swung Red-Pan around and around. She cried out as she was being taken for a ride before she was smashed repeatedly on the floor.

"Boscha! Let her go, you son of a bitch!" Soaron punched repeatedly at its leg but it swiped at her with its spiky club, sending her tumbling.

The Minotaur Jyamato grabbed Red-Pan by her helmet and squeezed. It was going to crush her skull. The witch tried to cast a spell, but the agonizing pressure prevented her from focusing.

Newtonne fired upon the Minotaur Jyamato with her two Magnum Shooters, being careful not to hit Red-Pan, but her bullets just bounced off the creature's thick hide. If they did not save Red-Pan in time, it was game over for her.

"Lusting Control, Now."

A purple glow suddenly surrounded the Minotaur Jyamato as Oscura approached. She held her glowing hand up to it, putting it under her control.

"OK, big guy. You can let her go," Oscura commanded. The Minotaur Jyamato gently put Red-Pan down. The witch groaned as she held her head. "Now stand still and look pretty." Oscura pulled the ring switch on her Oscura Buckle and tugged on it to initiate her finisher.

[ERROR!]

"Huh!?" Oscura tried again only to receive the same result.

[ERROR!]

"Shit, what's wrong with you!?"Oscura tugged on the ring switch repeatedly.

[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!]

Suddenly, her armour vanished, leaving her only in her Entry Form suit. At the same time, the spell on the Minotaur Jyamato broke. It picked up its mace and began charging its weapons up with power.

"Oh, shit," Oscura gulped, realizing she was screwed.

[GIGANT STRIKE!]

Honey brought her Gigant Hammer down on the second Jyamato Rider, flattening it before it exploded. She turned her head to see Oscura without her Darkness Form Armour and was about to get struck.

"Luz!" Honey screamed and ran towards her friend. The Minotaur Jyamato swung at Oscura but Honey shielded her, taking a violent blow with her back which sent both her and Oscura tumbling. The Minotaur Jyamato roared and was about to go after them when Newtonne fired upon its face. It roared as it tried to shield its face and Soaron used this chance to punch it in the stomach, driving it back.

[CHAIN ARRAY VICTORY!]

Red-Pan drew a spell circle and then swung the chain of her Raise Chain Array around and around as it charged up with power. She threw the spiked ball through the spell circle, igniting it and causing the chain to stretch. The spiked iron ball crashed into the head of the Minotaur Jyamato, breaking off one of its horns.

Meanwhile, Honey landed on her back with Oscura on top of her. Moments later, Honey's armour vanished.

"Willow!" Luz cried as her Entry Form suit vanished. Willow's glasses were broken and she groaned in immense pain. "Willow, are you OK?"

"Lemme check on her," Amity said and she cast a diagnostic spell. "She has a fractured back and a few of her ribs are broken."

"Can you heal her?" Luz asked.

"Luz, I'm good, but to heal broken bones like this could take weeks, maybe months, even with the best healing spells," Amity explained as she cast another spell. "I can at least relieve her pain, but that's as much as I can do right now."

"What happened? Why did Luz lose her powers?" Masha asked. Luz removed the Oscura Buckle from her Driver. All seven Sin Stones were greyed out.

"This Buckle's powerful and it runs on the power of these seven stones which lets me use my most powerful spells, the Sin Spells," Luz began to explain as she pointed at the stones on her Oscura Buckle. "Unfortunately, I can only use each of them once per round. Using all the Sin Spells must have drained its power."

"OK, that's a dumb design," Masha remarked.

"No, I don't think so," Luz countered. "I'm guessing it was designed to prevent me from getting drunk on power again." She had done terrible things with those Sin Spells. She had killed people, stolen magic from witches, and brought an entire empire to its knees.

Super-strength, magic absorption, magic erasure, shapeshifting/item creation, slowing down time, mind-control, and absolute destruction. Those spells were powerful but also dangerous, magic that was unlike anything a witch was capable of. This was the magic that made her the most powerful being in the Demon Realm...and the power that turned her into a monster in the first place.

"And now you're without your strongest form," Amity said worriedly.

"It's fine. I still got my other Buckles to fall back on," Luz assured her.

"Luz, you can't," Amity said urgently. "Even with the others helping you, I don't think it will be enough. Let me help you."

"No!" Luz cried out in protest. "Amity, you can't!"

"Luz, we've fought together before. You know what I'm capable of. If you got me back my Rider powers, we would stand a better chance."

"No, you can't rejoin the DGP, Amity! I can't let you! I won't!"

"Luz, please! If I don't help, we may not survive this!"

"We can do this without you!"

"Titan, damn it, Luz! Why won't you let me help you!?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!" Luz screamed as she grabbed Amity's shoulders. Luz's shout echoed in the chamber as everyone stared at Luz, Amity especially. Tears were falling from Luz's eyes as her hands trembled on her girlfriend's shoulders. "You died...you died in my arms, Amity...I held you in my arms and I had to watch you die...and I wasn't able to do a single thing about it. I had to win to bring you back. But...but if you become a Rider again...if you died...I'd lose you forever..."

"Luz..." Amity said softly as she cupped her girlfriend's cheek. "Luz, please look at me." Luz met her eyes and saw her girlfriend's smile and resolve. "I understand how painful it must've been for you, I get it. But I know you won't let it happen again. I trust you."

"I know you do, Amity. But even if there was a way to bring you back into the game, I wouldn't know it," Luz confessed.

"I think we know someone who does," Amity said. "Luz, gimme your phone."

Luz reluctantly handed her Spider Phone to Amity. The pink-haired witch took it and called Tsumuri.

{What is it, Ms. Noceda?}

"Tsumuri, this is Amity Blight. I need to speak to the Game Master. It's urgent."

{I cannot simply – Wait, are you sure? Very well, sir.}

They heard the call being transferred and a male voice answered.

{Ms. Blight.}

"Game Master, I have a request. This Jyamato is way tougher than the usual types. Will you allow me to rejoin the game?" Amity requested.

{That will only be allowed if one of the active players willingly forfeits their Rider qualifications,} the Game Master informed her. {However, Riders who choose to do so may never have another chance to have their wish granted.}

That was a huge price to pay. The only Riders Amity could ask were Luz, Willow, Boscha, Sasha and Marcy. However, she doubted any of them would be willing to give up their wish, their ideal world. Luz would not give up her chance to bring back Anne and Amity knew she could not ask Marcy or Sasha since they were resolute in bringing their dead friend back to life. And Boscha would refuse out of spite.

Amity looked at Willow and their eyes met. The Plant witch knew what Amity was going to ask her.

"I'll forfeit my spot in the game," Willow declared.

"Willow!" Luz gasped.

"Willow, are you sure?" Amity asked.

"I'm too hurt to continue anyway."

"But you'll have to give up your wish," Luz pointed out.

"I don't need it anymore," Willow smiled, shaking her head. "And you need a partner that can help you bring Anne back. So, please let Amity take my place."

{Honey, if you decide to do this, you will permanently forfeit your wish. You will not get another chance. Do you understand?} the Game Master asked.

"I do, Game Master," Willow answered, smiling at Amity and Luz. "Do it."

{Very well.}

[Transfer of Rider Qualifications: Complete!]

A black and purple Mission Box with Gato's ID Core emblem appeared at Amity's feet. She quickly picked it up and ripped off the lid to reveal her Desire Driver and ID Core. She took both out, strapping on the Desire Driver before she inserted the ID Core.

[Entry!]

Luz was reluctant but she could see Amity's resolve. Knowing what she needed, Luz took out her Zombie and FeverSlot Buckles.

"You're going to need these," Luz said, handing them to Amity.

"But what about you?" Amity asked.

"Luz, you can have mine," Willow offered as she handed her the Powered Builder and Ninja Buckles. "Now, you two, go kick some ass."

Luz nodded and stood up with Amity.

"Take care of her," Luz asked her family to look after Willow.

"We will, mija," Camila promised. "Now, go be a hero."

Luz smiled and she turned to face the Minotaur Jyamato with Amity.

[Set Fever!]

[Set Warning!]

The witch made a motion of drawing a spell circle while Luz put her left hand in front of her face.

"Henshin!" they shouted in unison before activating their Buckles.

[ZOMBIE! HIT! FEVER ZOMBIE!]

[WOULD YOU LIKE A CUSTOM SELECTION? NINJA!]

Scaffolding and metal walls rose up behind Luz as three mechanical arms with pincher claws appeared. The claws held pieces of her armour which combined with her body. Her lower body was also equipped with the Ninja Armour, which was green with mesh-like details on the shins and shurikens attached to the outside of the greaves. Her knees were covered with knee pads with red accents and she had protective armour plating on her thighs.

Standing side-by-side, the couple had transformed into Kamen Rider Gato and Kamen Rider Oscura.

"Now..." Oscura started.

[READY...]

"It's..."Gato continued.

[FIGHT!]

"SHOWTIME!" the couple finished together.

"GO KICK SOME ASS, GIRLS!" Masha cheered as both Kamen Rider Gato and Oscura charged into battle.

Back at the battle, Newtonne was still buffeting the Minotaur Jyamato with her Magnum Shooters, keeping a safe distance as she provided ranged support. At the same time, Red-Pan and Soaron were keeping up the pressure with their attacks.

"It won't be long before we finish this asshole!" Red-Pan cheered and Soaron silently agreed. Suddenly, the Minotaur Jyamato let out a roar that shook the chamber before it stomped the ground, sending out a shockwave that knocked the Riders off balance. It raised its weapons, making them blow as it charged them up with energy before smashing them on the ground. The energy wave it unleashed struck the three Riders, sending them flying and knocking them out of their transformations.

The trio went tumbling, without their armour to protect them. Fortunately, the Minotaur Jyamato's attack had not caused any damage to their ID Cores.

Sasha and Boscha groaned. The blonde got up and saw Marcy lying on the floor. She was not moving.

"Marcy!" Sasha went to check on her friend. "Marcy, speak to me! Please!" She could not lose another friend in this game. Not again.

"I think...my shoulder is dislocated," Marcy grunted. Relieved, Sasha gently laid her against the wall.

"You rest here. Boscha and I'll handle it," Sasha assured her friend, gently cupping her cheek. Standing up, she turned to face the Minotaur Jyamato and prepared to transform again. That was when she saw two figures dash towards the Minotaur Jyamato. The first was Oscura, now sporting a dual combination of the Powered Builder and Ninja Buckles, and the other was someone she did not expect to see again.

"No way…Blight?!" Sasha exclaimed in shock.

The giant plant bull monster's eyes glowed bright red as it snorted and roared at the duo foolish enough to challenge it. The Minotaur Jyamato raised its club, preparing to smash it against Oscura as she closed in first. She inserted a sword-shaped Gigant Buckle into the Powered Builder Buckle just before the club could hit.

[GIGANT SWORD!]

A large red sword with a silver edge appeared in Oscura's hand. The base of the blade had construction stripes and it had a rectangular handguard.

Oscura released a battle cry as she swung the large sword upwards, striking the club of the Minotaur Jyamato. A shockwave erupted from the parrying blow, stunning the monster. But Oscura was not done yet. With the power of the Ninja Buckle, she swiftly jumped into the air as streaks of wispy green light followed in her wake, as if to show the flow of air around her. Once in range, Oscura unleashed a flurry of kicks with her Shuriken Legs. Each strike made sparks erupt from the monster's chest before Oscura flipped once in midair and struck the Minotaur Jyamato with a double thrust kick. The kick made the huge beast stagger backwards, allowing the second of the duo to make her move.

"AMITY!"Oscura called out.

"ON IT!"

[Poison Charge!]

Gato charged both her Zombie Breakers as the blades revved up with poisonous energy and dashed in for the follow-up attack. Now that the Minotaur Jyamato was off balance, the cat-themed Rider attacked the monster's legs, slashing in wide arcs at both its limbs. The chainsaw blades of the Zombie Breakers ground into its legs as sparks showered both sides of her body.

The monster roared in pain as it was about to fall to its knees. Gato quickly jumped straight up before it could fall, and slashed once with the left Zombie Breaker with an upwards stroke, before spinning around in the air to slash downwards with the right Zombie Breaker, cutting the monster across its left shoulder, leaving four purple gashes on its body.

Before Gato could land, the monster recovered and slammed its huge fist into Gato, sending her flying backwards. The nimble Gato managed to right herself in midair and used the Zombie Breakers to slow herself as she stabbed them into the ground, cutting gashes onto the floor. The Minotaur Jyamato roared with rage as it charged for Gato, raising its mace to quickly crush her, but Oscura wasn't having that.

[GIGANT HAMMER!]

Oscura's sword swiftly disappeared and a huge blue hammer appeared in its place. She easily hefted her mighty hammer up and slammed it down on the ground. A fissure formed on the floor that snaked its way towards Gato. Within seconds, a massive wall of steel arose right in front of her.

The Minotaur Jyamato wasn't fast enough to stop its attack as its mace hit the steel wall, and its mace bounced off to hit it in the face. The monster roared in pain as it staggered backwards, scrunching its face up in pain from getting hit with its own weapon. Oscura dashed towards the steel wall and flipped into the air before she landed atop it. Once there, she replaced the Gigant Hammer Buckle with the Gigant Blaster Buckle.

[GIGANT BLASTER!]

"NOW, EAT THIS, SUCKAAAAAA!"

Oscura pulled the trigger of the Gigant Blaster, firing a huge blast of energy at the monster where it exploded against its chest. The Minotaur Jyamato growled as it tried to shrug off the pain from the blast and swung its mace to knock Oscura off her firing perch. However, just before it could do that, Gato ran up from behind the steel wall and vaulted over Oscura. The Minotaur Jyamato stopped when it spotted Gato as she flipped in the air with two glowing Zombie Breakers.

That was a mistake.

"Take this!"Oscura fired another huge energy blast at the Minotaur Jyamato, this time hitting it right in the face. The explosion briefly blinded the monster, allowing Gato to come down with her Zombie Breakers, slashing the monster across the chest and forming a huge X-shaped gash on its chest.

Oscura jumped off the wall and switched out her Gigant Blaster with the Gigant Sword. The Rider of Darkness stood next to her fiancée, the two of them sharing a glance before the power couple gripped their swords and charged in once again.

Meanwhile, Luz and Amity's family watched in amazement at how well the two fought together. They were completely in sync. They did not need to communicate verbally in battle. They just knew how to fight together like it was instinct. Willow noticed this too and could not help but feel a little jealous.

"Get it girls, get it!" Masha cheered, pumping their fists. Part of them was envious that the couple were such badasses.

"They're...amazing..." Vee watched in awe. She had always looked up to Luz and Amity, but to see them fight together, seeing them work so flawlessly together, it was extraordinary.

Camila was proud and worried at the same time. She was proud that her daughter found a way to get over her trauma, and yet she was worried about her as well. Her husband had played in the Desire Grand Prix and sadly lost his life before he could have his wish granted. Now, her daughter was doing the same. Unlike her husband, her daughter did not need to fight alone.

At the same time, Sasha watched with gritted teeth. It was just like before when this all started. Noceda and Blight were the powerhouses, the strongest Riders among all of them. Stronger than her, and now she knew why. She knew now where that strength, power, and skill came from. But things were different now. Sasha was not just fighting to make her wish come true so she could bring Anne back to life, she was going to make Noceda pay for getting Anne killed. She would not fall behind Noceda again.

"Looks like it's time I tested this out," Sasha decided as she inserted the new Buckle she had gotten into the right side of her Driver. The new Buckle had a rather simplistic design, consisting of a rectangular panel and a grip section. It had a metallic silver colour with orange accents.

[Set!]

"Henshin!"

[GREAT! READY, FIGHT!]

"Huh?" Soaron looked herself over as she discovered her lack of additional armour. When the transformation was complete, she found herself in her Entry Form and the only additional piece she gained was a hi-tech orange visor that went across her eyes with antennae on both sides of her head.

As for a weapon, she found herself holding a sword. It had a black blade with a transparent orange-blue edge. Running across the flat of the blade was an orange and blue circuitry pattern. She also noticed a second Raise Buckle like the one she just used attached to the hilt. She tried to remove it, but it was firmly stuck.

"OK, not exactly what I was hoping for," Soaron remarked, studying her weapon and giving it a few practice swings. "But better than nothing."

The Minotaur Jyamato was tougher than they had expected, but Oscura and Gato's combined attacks were wearing it down. It would not be long before they could finish it off.

"Should we use our finishers?"Gato suggested.

"No, not yet. If this thing has a hidden surprise, we might need them. It's getting worn down, we just need to keep up the pressure, and when it's on its last leg–"

"NOCEDA! BLIGHT! MOVE!"

But before Gato or Oscura could figure out why, Soaron dashed right past them and headed straight for the Minotaur Jyamato. Of course, both Riders noticed Soaron's lack of armour and how she was only wielding a single sword as her weapon.

"Dammit, Waybright! Don't go rushing in!"Oscura scolded.

"Titan dammit, she doesn't learn," Gato groaned.

The Minotaur Jyamato roared at this new opponent and swung its mace down. Soaron intercepted the attack with her sword. She expected to get thrown back since her sword was not that big compared to the monster's mace. Surprisingly, a huge shower of sparks went off and the Minotaur Jyamato was sent skidding backwards on its feet. At the same time, Soaron was sent flying towards the wall on the other side of the chamber. The heron-themed Rider released a grunt of pain as she slid down the wall, landing on her feet as she used the sword to keep from falling over.

Once she managed to prop herself against the wall, Soaron noticed something happening to her weapon. There was a glowing blue line in the flat of the blade that was not there before. From what she could tell, it had gone up a quarter of the length of the blade.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure that line wasn't there before I hit it…"Soaron thought out loud as she glanced back at the Minotaur Jyamato and then back at her sword as an idea popped into her head. "I wonder…"

[TACTICAL BREAK!]

[GIGANT STRIKE!]

A red and violet streak of light slashed across the Minotaur Jyamato at the same time as two red-violet streaks of light. The bull plant monster managed to block the attacks with its mace, but that didn't stop the impact of the blows from sending it crashing against the red barrier.

The Minotaur Jyamato roared, snorted, and charged for Oscura and Gato. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Soaron appeared and slashed the monster across its waist as she landed a few feet behind it. Once she landed, Soaron looked at the sword and saw that the glowing line was now over half the length of the sword.

"Aha, I got it!"

Soaron dodged a swing from the monster and blocked its mace before she jumped back to avoid being flattened by it. Landing on her feet, she charged at the monster and it swung at her with its mace. She jumped into the air and soared over its head before she landed a strike across the back of its head, causing sparks to fly as she broke off one of its horns. As she landed behind the monster, she slashed it multiple times in the back before it whirled around and swung at her. She blocked the blow with her sword and it sent her flying back before she gracefully landed on her feet. Examining her sword, the glowing line had now reached the tip. She pulled on the grip of the Raise Buckle, activating it.

[FULL CHARGE!]

She grabbed the second Raise Buckle and successfully removed it from the sword. Grinning, she inserted it into the empty side of her Desire Driver.

[Twin Set!]

Logos that looked like holographic screens appeared on Soaron's left and right sides. The left logo was blue with the word 'CANNON' written on it and the logo on the right was orange with the word 'JET' written on it. Both logos disassembled before they each became body armour that merged with her body.

[TAKE OFF COMPLETE! JET & CANNON!]

"Now, this is what I'm talking about!" Soaron shouted as she saw her new suit. Soaron was now clad in a full hi-tech suit of silver power armour. The torso armour had orange accents and wings while her lower body had blue accents and jet thrusters on the back.

[READY, FIGHT!]

"...Gundam," Marcy whispered as she witnessed Sasha's new transformation.

"Yeah, get 'em, Sasha!" Boscha cheered when she saw this.

The thrusters burst to life as Soaron took off into the air, flying straight towards the Minotaur Jyamato. The monster readied to swat her out of the air like a fly, but the speed of the Jet Cannon Armour was more than enough for Soaron to easily weave around its swing before slashing it across its right shoulder. A shower of sparks erupted from the slash, which was now even stronger than it was before. Soaron made several more passes at the monster, slashing at it again and again and causing more pain as it brought its arms up in a defensive posture.

Soaron grinned under her helmet. This was it. This was the kind of power she needed to match Noceda and Blight.

"Oh, the fun hasn't ended yet!"

[Revolve On!]

Right before Soaron landed, her body flipped around along with the armour. When she finally hit the ground, she came to a skidding halt with her armour taking on another mode. The jet thrusters were now mounted on her shoulders as twin cannons while the wings from her previous form turned into flaps that hung behind her. This was the Cannon Jet Form.

Once in position, Soaron's visor brought up a targeting HUD and once locked on, the twin cannons on either side of her shoulders began firing bursts of blue energy at the Minotaur Jyamato. Explosions erupted all over the Minotaur Jyamato's body as it was bombarded by Soaron's volley. Parts of its armour shattered from each explosion and, if one listened closely enough, behind the thunderous blasts of the cannons, one could hear Soaron laughing in pure ecstasy from how she was dominating this huge monster with a power that neither Noceda nor Blight could match.

As fun as this was, it was time to finish things off.

"Now, you're dead!"

[Revolve On!]

Soaron jumped straight into the air as her body rotated and parts shifted around, returning her to the Jet Cannon Form. The thrusters ignited once again as Soaron used them to spin herself around in the air, building up momentum before tossing her sword straight at the Minotaur Jyamato. The monster made the mistake of lowering its arms when the barrage ceased, which allowed Soaron's sword to lodge itself right in its chest.

Soaron flew as high up to the ceiling as she could before her visor glowed bright orange, and her eyes flashed behind the visor.

[COMMAND TWIN VICTORY!]

"TAKE THIS!"

Soaron thrust out her right leg as orange and blue energy wrapped around it, making it appear like a flaming meteor as her jet thrusters fired at full blast. A sonic boom erupted inside the chamber as Soaron shot straight at the monster like a rocket. By the time the Minotaur Jyamato managed to hear the sonic boom, it was already too late.

Soaron struck with the heel of her boot against the hilt of the sword, focusing all the power she had built up through the sword, causing it to glow brighter and brighter until both the sword and Soaron burst through the monster's chest and out of its back. The sword was thrown into the air and spun around as Soaron came to a halt. Using the thrusters to keep herself aloft, she reached up and caught the sword just as the Minotaur Jyamato exploded behind her in a raging fireball of destruction.

A notification went off from her Spider Phone and she checked the screen to see how many points she had earned. Instantly, her total point count rose exponentially, putting her at the top of the leaderboard.

Soaron touched down, shouldering her sword as she shot Noceda and Blight a grin of superiority from behind her helmet. Despite them not being able to see her expression, it didn't take a genius to know that Soaron had a smug look on her face right now.

Soaron's family were awestruck, speechless at seeing her destroy a monster single-handedly. At first, they thought they must be dreaming but this was real.

No sooner had the Minotaur Jyamato been destroyed, the red barrier fell and the huge doors of the exit opened fully.

"EVERYONE! OUT!" Soaron shouted. The civilians did not need to be told twice as they ran for it. Soaron flew over to Marcy and scooped her up. "Let's get out of here, Mar-Mar. Boscha, let's go!"

Bocha followed and ran through the exit as Soaron followed. Luz and Amity both helped Willow up and carried her as they headed for the exit with Camila, Masha and Vee.

[MISSION CLEARED!]

---

"Congratulations on surviving the Labyrinth Game, everyone," Tsumuri praised. The players were gathered in the Desire Temple, their injuries gone. Even Willow was miraculously healed, like she had not been injured at all. There was a new face standing among them. Now joining them was Amity Blight, aka Kamen Rider Gato, a previous player of the DGP.

The rankings were displayed as followed:

Sasha Waybright/Soaron

Marcy Wu/Newtonne

Luz Noceda/Oscura

Amity Blight/Gato

Boscha Barbtalóne/Red-Pan

It made sense for Sasha to be at the top since she did manage to land the killing blow that defeated the Minotaur Jyamato. Marcy also earned her spot for the points she earned from the civilians she rescued.

"Hold on, how come I'm in last place!? Shouldn't Amity be last?" Boscha demanded.

"Since Honey surrendered her qualifications to Gato, her points were transferred to her," Tsumuri explained. "Now, Gato, as you have just rejoined the Desire Grand Prix, please write down your wish."

Amity was about to write down her wish on the Desire Card, but…

"Hold up," Luz interrupted. "I've got something to say."

"What is it now, Noceda?" Sasha crossed her arms. "Are you upset that you're not the top winner this time?"

"Something's been bugging me about this whole thing. The DGP's objective is to recruit players to fight the Jyamatos and the winner gets the prize, a wish for their ideal world. That's how it goes, right?" Luz asked.

"Yes," Tsumuri confirmed.

"We all know this, Noceda. What's your point?" Sasha asked impatiently. She just wanted to go back to the hotel and rest after tonight.

"The DGP has the power to change reality and bring the dead back to life. Instead of using that power to wipe out the Jyamatos, they created a game that recruits people like us to fight them. Games are meant for entertainment, and a big game like this would have an audience," Luz explained. "Isn't that right, Game Master?"

She knew the Game Master was listening and she was right when the big holographic screen popped open, showing his masked visage.

{Oscura.}

"The Desire Grand Prix, it's not just a game that makes us fight the Jyamatos as Kamen Riders to have our wishes granted, is it?" Luz narrowed her gaze at the Game Master. "It's a game with people watching us fight with our lives on the line, isn't it? Like some twisted reality TV show."

The Game Master was silent and everyone waited for his response. The players murmured, wondering if Luz was right. It couldn't be true, could it? Boscha thought it was just nonsense, as did Sasha. However, both Marcy and Amity had thoughtful looks on their faces. It was not like Luz to make baseless assertions like that.

After what felt like forever, the Game Master eventually answered.

{...You are correct, Oscura.}

All of a sudden, the Desire Temple was filled with many giant mechanical eyes that acted like cameras, watching the players. Marcy, Amity, Willow, Sasha and Boscha were stunned by this.

"We're on TV!?" Marcy gasped in disbelief.

Luz crossed her arms and smirked as her theory was confirmed. She was a naturally curious girl. So she began to compile what she knew about the DGP and made a few theories about them.

The DGP was a secret organization, and she had seen enough Kamen Rider shows that convinced her that a secret organization would often have ulterior motives and could not be completely trusted. She had plenty of clues to support this.

They knew about her past and had the power to even cross other dimensions, which allowed them to recruit people like Boscha, Odalia and her friends, Gus and Willow. However, all that paled in comparison to their ability to grant anyone a wish, their heart's greatest desire, the power to create their ideal world.

When Luz wished to bring back the people she and her Phantoms had killed, she did not believe it was possible. It had all just been wishful thinking and her desire to atone. When Willow and Gus confirmed that her wish had been granted, she knew that the DGP was capable of granting any player their wish, so long as that player won and became the God of Desire.

With their technology and capabilities, who or what were the people that were in charge of the DGP?

Aliens?

People from another dimension?

Time travellers from the future?

Or all of the above?

And, if so, why were they so interested in creating a game and granting the winner a wish? What did they stand to gain from it all?

The DGP was a game, and like a game, it should have an audience. These people, whoever they were, were making them fight for their amusement. A wish was like the ultimate temptation so anyone would fight for it, and anyone would want to watch the players' struggles, failures and triumphs.

The thought of some unknown audience watching them for their own amusement angered the former empress. People were killed during this so-called game and while the civilians would be revived, players like Penn, Anne and Odalia would be lost forever unless someone wished them back to life.

The DGP were playing with people's lives, and that was not something Luz could tolerate. However, she would play along for now. She would win and wish Anne back to life.

What happens next, she would face it when it came.

{How did you figure it out, Oscura?} the Game Master asked.

"I've been thinking about it ever since I got my Oscura Buckle. I was told it was commissioned by someone that's connected to the game and they've been watching my every move whenever I play in the DGP. That means you've got sponsors, people you need to impress, an audience," Luz explained.

{Clever...} the Game Master acknowledged.

"Also, the technology you've got, your ability to cross dimensions and summon people from the Demon Realm, it all suggests you guys aren't from this," Luz added.

{Now, now,} the Game Master interjected. {I think that's enough revelations for today. So, now that you have discovered the DGP's secret, will you stop playing?}

"I'm still going to play, and win because I want to bring Anne back. But do not put my family in danger again, understand?" Luz warned.

{Are you threatening us, Oscura?}

"No, that was a warning. A threat entails a consequence. Like..." Luz adopted her 'Oscura Glare' "...If you ever put my family in danger like that again, the moment the round is over, I'll make you regret it." She dropped the glare and gave a cheeky smile. "See the difference?"

The Game Master was silent. Luz was the first player to ever figure out the DGP. Normally, the players would be so focused on desires that they did not have time to consider what the DGP was hiding. But Luz was no normal player.

{The game may resume after this. Rest up, Kamen Riders, and be ready for the next round. Your audience awaits.}

The screen closed and Tsumuri stepped up to Willow.

"Since you have forfeited your Rider qualifications to Gato, you are hereby retired from the Desire Grand Prix," Tsumuri informed her.

"It's OK. I have no regrets," Willow admitted, smiling. She walked over to Amity and took her hands in hers. "Take care of her for me, OK?"

"I promise, Willow," Amity swore.

Luz then went and hugged her best friend.

"I won't forget you and your sacrifice, Willow," Luz promised.

"Hey, you're worth it, Luz," Willow smiled as she hugged her back. "Promise you'll win, OK?"

"I promise," Luz swore. Releasing Willow, she reached inside her jacket and pulled out an envelope which she handed to her friend. "Please, make sure Eda gets this."

"I will," Willow promised and blushed. "Um, Luz, before I go. There's something I want to give you, too."

"Oh, cool, what is it?" Luz asked.

"This."

"MMPH!"

Sasha blinked, Marcy's jaw dropped, Boscha gasped, and Amity, well, she was not angry, but she was just a little annoyed.

Luz, on the other hand, was completely confused right now. Willow was kissing her! She was straight up kissing her on the lips, eyes closed and everything. The Latina was stunned. She had no idea how to respond to this, but neither did she try to push her away. There had to be a reason, a really, really good reason why Willow was kissing her romantically despite knowing she was engaged to Amity.

Willow gently broke the kiss and smiled happily at Luz.

"I've been wanting to do that for the longest time," Willow confessed. "I may not have gotten my wish, but…at least I got to kiss the person I loved."

"Willow…"

The Honey ID Core vanished, fading away into blue pixels.

[Retired!]

Willow's body completely broke down into blue pixels and disappeared before their eyes. Luz watched as Willow's Desire Driver clattered onto the floor, leaving her with so many questions right now. But those questions could wait as she needed to do damage control.

"AMITY! I-I have no idea why Willow did that! I-I-I wasn't cheating on you! I swear! You can ask Marcy! I haven't done anything like that, right, Marcy?! Marcy?!" Luz cried out, looking for support.

The Taiwanese girl was no help as she was still in a stunned state, her mouth agape.

'Dang it, Marcy!'

Amity walked up to her fiancée, making Luz fear that this was the end of their engagement. It was fun while it lasted, right?

"I know you haven't, Luz. Actually, I knew Willow still had feelings for you," Amity confessed. "We had a lengthy talk about it before we met up with you."

Luz was not expecting to hear that. She awkwardly rubbed the back of her head as she processed this information.

"Oh…uh…wow…W-Willow still…she still had a crush on me. Even after four years? Even after…"

"She never stopped caring about you. Not Oscura, but Luz Noceda. If anything, you should be flattered. She held onto the memory of you before everything changed, even after all these years," said Amity.

"So…you're not mad?"

"Oh, I am a little perturbed that my old friend just stole a kiss from you right in front of me. Cheeky, but…" Amity smiled. "I'm gonna let it slide."

"Titan dammit. You're telling me Park had a thing for her, too?!" Boscha cried in exasperation. "She's not even that attractive!"

A fireball ignited in Amity's hands as she glared at Boscha with glowing eyes.

"Yeah, don't give me more of a reason to break the rules, Bosch."

"Eep!"

Marcy walked up to Luz and nudged her with her elbow.

"Look at you, Luz. Quite the ladykiller, huh?" Marcy teased.

Luz blushed, but then a smirk formed on her face as she gave Marcy a smoulder and cupped the female nerd's chin.

"You looking to be my next victim, mi pequeño y lindo tritón (my cute little newt)?"

Marcy began spluttering and making incoherent sentences as she tried to respond like a normal human being. That was until Sasha intervened.

"Keep your mitts off her, Noceda!" Sasha grabbed Marcy, pulling her away and holding her protectively.

"Whoa, Sasha, take it easy. I'm just teasing Marcy, relax," Luz retorted.

"You may be in an alliance with her, for now, but you already took one friend from me, and I'm not letting you take another! Understand?"

Amity got in between Luz and Sasha to glare down at the blonde in front of her.

"That's enough, Waybright. It's just some harmless teasing. Get a grip," Amity stated.

Sasha clicked her tongue and teleported away. Boscha also left, disappearing back to the Demon Realm.

"Sorry about that. But you know how Sasha gets by now. Still, sorry," Marcy apologized.

"It's okay, Marcy. Don't worry about it." Amity turned her gaze to her fiancée. "And as for you. I know polygamy is a thing back in the Demon Realm, Luz, but can we at least get married first before you try and bring Marcy into it?"

"Sorry, mi amor, "Luz apologized, a sheepish look on her face.

"Polygamy?! ME?!" Marcy cried.

Just then, Luz and Amity heard a thud and saw that Marcy had passed out, her mind overwhelmed by the teasing.

"Think that was overkill, batata," said Luz.

"Yeeaaaaah…Probably shouldn't have done that," Amity agreed.

---

Speaking of the Demon Realm, Willow was returned safely to her bedroom. She was asleep in her bed, hugging her pillow.

"Oh, Luz..." Willow sighed in her sleep as she hugged her pillow and passionately kissed it, with drool falling from her lips. "I love you..."

Her alarm clock screamed and Willow woke up with a gasp. She just had the most amazing dream. She was reunited with Luz and they had shared a kiss. Unfortunately, it had all been a dream. There was no way she could ever see Luz again. She needed to accept that.

As she yawned, she found herself clutching a letter.

"Huh?"

Putting on her glasses, she looked at the envelope oddly.

"Where did this come from?"

Her eyes widened when she saw what was written on it:

To Eda, From Luz.

"Luz...?"

---

Willow flew through the air on her Palisman Clover until the Owl House was in sight. The captain of the Emerald Entrails saw that the former leader of the WATs was outside with her daughter, Little Luz. She quickly descended from the sky and dismissed Clover as she headed towards the Owl Lady.

"Ms. Clawthorne!" Willow ran up to Eda.

"Hey, Willow," Eda smiled.

"Aunt Willow!" Little Luz cried out and Willow smiled at the little girl.

"So, what's up?" Eda asked. "And why do you look all shocked and whatever?"

"Here." Willow handed the envelope to Eda. "It's from Luz."

"Did you give a letter to Aunt Willow?" Eda asked as she looked at her daughter.

"Nuh-uh," Little Luz responded with confusion.

"No, Eda…it's…it's from our Luz," Willow corrected. "The human Luz."

Eda's eyes widened. She quickly snatched the letter out of Willow's hands so fast that the wind generated by it rushed by Willow. With frantic energy, the Owl Lady tore the envelope open and took out the letter. Her eyes scanned over the page as she read it, eyes watering.

Dear Eda,

I hope Willow managed to get this to you. I can't really say how I gave it to her, and don't bother asking her. She won't know how she got the letter in the first place.

There's a lot I'd like to tell you, a lot of things left unsaid, but I just wanted to let you know that I made things right. I hope you, your child, Raine, and your parents are all doing well.

I love you, Eda. You were the best second mother I could ever ask for and I know you're an awesome mom to Little Luz. Keep her safe, and make sure she grows up happy, I'm sure it can't be easy being named after me.

I hope you're all living happy lives now, and don't worry, I am too.

With love,

Luz Noceda

PS: Could you do me a favour and visit Amity's family. Let them know that Amity's is thriving here, and that we're looking after each other. Thanks, Eda!

"What does it say?" Willow asked.

"Luz is alright," Eda smiled, crying tears of joy and relief.

"Mom, are you OK?" Little Luz asked. "You're crying."

"It's nothing, honey," Eda said as she hugged her daughter. "I'm just so happy right now."

Willow was happy to hear that Luz was doing alright, and that Amity was as well. There was a small pain in her heart when she thought about the two of them being together. Memories of the war with Empress Oscura resurfaced, and she recalled how Alt Luz was in a relationship with her world's Amity. She wondered if her Luz and Amity were in one as well.

Strangely, the more she thought about it, the more the pain in her heart ebbed away. She didn't know what shape their relationship had taken over the past four years. Perhaps they were just close friends now? Or perhaps they had become a couple? Either way, it sounded like Luz was enjoying her life as it was now. She had moved on from the trauma and regrets of the past. She was taking hold of her future now.

'It's time I started to do the same.'

Willow bade Eda and Little Luz farewell as she took out her Scroll and sent messages to Skara and Hunter.

[Can we meet up at the usual place? There's something that I'd like to talk to you two about. If you don't mind, that is.]

The replies came instantly.

[No problem, Captain! I'll be right there!]

[Same, meet ya there!]

Willow put away her Scroll, summoned Clover, and flew into the skies. Her heart felt a lot lighter than it had in a long time.

---

Results of Labyrinth Game

Current Standing:

Active Players

Sasha Waybright/Soaron

Marcy Wu/Newtonne

Luz Noceda/Oscura

Amity Blight/Gato (additional player)

Boscha Barbtalóne/Red-Pan

Retired Players

Willow Park/Honey (retired due to surrendering her Rider qualifications)

KRC: And so we end this story arc with Willow moving on and Amity rejoining the Desire Grand Prix. This chapter was pretty heavy. It deals with Sasha's trauma from Anne's death as she fights with a Bishop Jyamato with the ability to disguise itself as Anne. That really messed with Sasha's head but she was able to retain her resolve to do what she needed to do.

The same thing happened to Boscha, but her trauma caused her to attack 'Oscura' like a berserker, killing the disguised Bishop Jyamato with brute force alone and showing no mercy to it. What this will mean for her moving forward, we'll see.

And Amity returns as Kamen Rider Gato, replacing Willow who retires from the DGP. Another twist is that Luz uncovered the secret of the DGP and it was confirmed by the Game Master. After this revelation, there will be changes made to the game format. Stay tuned until then. We still have an intermission chapter before we head into the next story arc.

And now, let's see what Willow and Amity's wishes are:

"I wish to go back in time to stop Luz Noceda from ever becoming Empress Oscura so we can be together." - Willow Park.

"I wish to make Luz's wishes come true." - Amity Blight.