Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 90 – All or Nothing Maiden Rescue
"An urgent situation is upon Sougo Tokiwa and Ruby Rose," Woz said as he walked forward through the white narrative void he was currently sharing with Jinn, "Penny Polendina has been fully transformed into Another Kikai, and it appears as though she has been tasked with defeating my Overlord and his faithful friend."
"Meanwhile it appears as though General Ironwood has gone mad with power and begun turning himself and his army into Another Riders," Jinn said as she floated nearby but simply watched as Woz walk forward, she figured she could impart the knowledge that Woz was ignoring due to his worry, "And because of this, both Specialists Winter Schnee and Marrow Amin have chosen to finally take a stand against the tyrannical leader of Atlas."
"This is a very precarious situation…" Woz said as he kept a worried stare, "If my Overlord and Miss Rose do not free Miss Polendina soon then there's a high chance the Time Jackers will have her access Atlas' Vault. And if they succeed… disaster will be imminent."
Remnant – Atlas Academy, Ironwood's Office
Ironwood was currently in his office as he had decided to leave Central Command in control of the Another Agito that had been formed to staff the area. Luckily they had some sentience and were able to work the machinery decently. With him however were a set of two Atlesian Officers, both standing nervously at the door frame.
"How's the situation?" Ironwood asked in a calm fashion.
"The uh… the Another Agito Army alongside our forces seem to be dealing with Salem's minimal ground forces pretty well," The first officer spoke up, "Though we are experiencing some losses."
"Expected," Ironwood answered, "Anything else to report?"
"Yes sir, we called for the evacuations into the subway system just like you said," The second officer answered, "There are currently flying Grimm that are bypassing our defenses and getting into the city, should we deal with them sir?"
"We'll keep an eye on the situation," Ironwood said, "If their numbers start to grow then let me know. I will decide what to do then but for now we need all troops focused on the front lines. That's where the bulk of our enemy is."
"Of course sir," The first officer saluted.
"You two are dismissed," Ironwood said as he leaned back in his chair before getting up and walking over while activating the central table of his room. He began to pull up holographic interfaces to keep an eye on the war he was fighting with Salem.
The two officers saluted before walking out of the room, the two passing by Swartz. He was currently leading the remaining Ace-Ops who were out of their Another Rider transformations for the moment. The four entered the room, Harriet, Elm and Vine at the front while Swartz stood behind them.
"Good, you all returned," Ironwood said as he began to look up, "How are the new-" he abruptly cut himself off when he saw two of the team of five were missing, "Where are Winter and Marrow?"
"Sir, I'm sorry but they aren't with us anymore," Harriet spoke up, "They've betrayed us."
Ironwood gave a look of disbelief, "They what?"
"Winter refused to take on the power and attacked Swartz alongside Marrow," Harriet explained, "They then chose to stand against us, against you, sir."
"They fled from active duty… they threw away a chance to protect this Kingdom…" Ironwood said as he gripped his fists tightly before yelling out, slamming his fists down and smashing the central table, breaking it, "AND THEN TURNED AGAINST US?!"
"Yes… sir," Harriet confirmed as she backed up slightly alongside Elm and Vine.
"It's such a shame," Swartz replied, "But it just shows they were never committed to protecting this Kingdom like you all were. It shows that they were weak."
"Were they dealt with?" Ironwood asked.
"No sir," Vine spoke up this time, "Swartz had us flee not long after they turned on us."
"They had a Rider who could easily break the Another Rider transformations if he had the chance," Swartz replied, "I figured that even if it was only three, you'd want these Another Riders to stay intact."
"Of course, I see…" Ironwood said as he went back to his desk and stroked his beard.
"I'm also sorry to say sir but we weren't able to find Penny either," Harriet admitted.
"That's fine," Ironwood spoke up, causing everyone but Swartz to stare in surprise, "We have the power of the Time Jackers on our side now. The Staff can't hold a candle to the raw power we can unleash now. We'll simply use all of our amassed power to end this war and Salem instead of running like before."
"That's good to hear," Swartz smiled, clearly glad to see that the power of Another Zi-O was starting to influence the General's actions.
Remnant – Atlas, Schnee Manor
Everyone at the Schnee Manor was confused by the sudden loud noises outside, especially when they rushed outside where an unconscious Penny was seen as the apparent cause. That confusion turned into shock when they saw Penny suddenly wake up and blast Ruby back with a burst of wind before transforming into Another Kikai.
"Um…" Whitley started.
"Whitley," Weiss put her arm protectively in front of him, "Go wait in my room with Klein, it's not safe right now."
Sougo nodded, "We'll handle this."
"R-Right…" Whitley said as he went to back away before entering inside and shutting the doors, making sure they were closed but unlocked.
"Penny…" Ruby said as she began to breathe heavily. She tried to control her breathing before grunting while getting onto one knee, "Penny!"
"As I said earlier," Another Kikai responded, "It is pointless to call out to the previous version."
"Ruby," Sougo called out to catch his friend's attention, he then walked forward and held out his hand to her, "We've got Zi-O II still, remember? We just need to beat Another Kikai and free her."
Ruby gave a shaky nod as she went to take Sougo's hand, "R-Right…"
"Wrong!"
It wasn't long before both Uhr and Ora stepped out from behind Another Kikai, smiles on their faces as they stood beside the Another Rider.
"What?" Sougo turned towards the two Time Jackers.
"What are you talking about?" Ruby lowered her hand.
"You know, Swartz made a point to tell us about how you were very protective of her back in the Military Compound," Uhr replied, "So much so that you sent her up to Amity thinking she'd be safe."
"Too bad we can go anywhere we want," Ora said, "But we figured if you worked so hard to protect her, we'd force you to kill her."
"You really think I'd do that?" Sougo asked with a glare, "I know my own strength. All I need to do is-"
"You'll hold back enough while initiating a finisher, right?" Ora asked.
"Like we said, wrong," Uhr said as he began to pace in front of Another Kikai, "See we know how Another Kikai works. So we made sure to heavily tie the powers to that puppet's core to where there's an explosive burst upon ejecting the powers."
"I think you know what that means," Ora smiled wickedly.
"No…" Ruby lightly gasped as her eyes widened in horror at this sudden revelation.
"No matter what you do, you'll kill her!" Uhr laughed.
"That's the bad news," Ora said as she kept her wicked smile, "The good news is that if you let her kill you, she won't have to die!"
"But given there's a lot of you here, we might as well help out," Uhr said as he drew out the Ganma Superior Perfect Eyecon.
"Right," Ora said as she drew out the Transteam Gun and the Bat Lost Bottle.
[SUPERIOR PERFECT!]
[BAT! MIST MATCH! BAT! BAT-BA-BAT! FIRE!]
The two stood in their Ganma Superior Perfect and Night Rogue forms as they stood alongside Another Kikai.
"Oh boy," May said before drawing out her crossbow staff.
Blake summoned her Gashacon Sparrow while Weiss brought out the Chalice Arrow and drew out Myrtenaster. Philip and Summer both stepped back at the moment while Sougo stepped forward.
"Ruby, don't worry," Sougo reassured as he looked at his friend, "We can do this."
"I… I can't…" Ruby said as she looked down at her hands which were shaking rapidly. She clenched them tightly into fists to try and stop the shaking only for them to shake further as she hunched forward. She tried to calm down but she couldn't, receiving flashes of Penny's destruction that fateful night during the Vytal Festival Semi-Finals, "I can't hurt her… I can't lose her again…"
"Ruby…" Summer looked over at her daughter, slowly moving over to her before kneeling down and putting a comforting arm around her. Ruby herself didn't even seem to notice as she was lost in her thoughts.
"Looks like she's given up," Superior laughed out, "Good, this'll make things easier!"
"You two…" Sougo hissed out as he drew out Zi-O II, splitting it apart before loading it into his Driver and readying it, "Henshin!"
[RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER~! (RIDER~!) ZI-O! (ZI-O!) ZI-O~! II!]
Sougo rushed forward as his transformation into Zi-O II completed, the Zikan and Saikyo Girades being summoned to his hands as he charged forward. Superior brought out his large broadsword and blocked against Zi-O's first swing, the Ganma enhanced Time Jacker locking blades with the future King of Time. The two then gave yells as they began dragging each other off to the side. Zi-O yelled further and pushed, managing to force Superior to tumble against the ground.
Night Rogue clicked her tongue and brought out her Steamgun. She ran towards the confrontation and began shooting at Zi-O, forcing the Rider's attention on her. She then brought out her Steam Blade in a reverse grip, slashing at Zi-O once she was close.
"Shall I assist?" Another Kikai turned towards its masters.
"No, deal with Roze while we deal with the Overlord!" Superior called out as he rushed for Zi-O to slash at him.
"Yeah, we'll wear him down for you," Night Rogue took aim and began shooting at Zi-O who braced against the shots, "Then once you're done with Roze we'll let you deal the final blow to Zi-O!"
"Understood," Another Kikai gave a nod before turning towards the remainder of the group, walking forward, "I will deal with Kamen Rider Roze…"
Weiss and Blake looked back at their leader, not surprised to see that she was still stunned. The two looked at each other and nodded before they carefully moved forward while May slowly followed. Summer stayed where she was while Philip stepped back and brought out his Stag Phone to make a call.
"So what exactly is the plan here?" May asked skeptically.
"We try to get her to come to her senses," Weiss said as she held out both her Chalice Arrow and Myrtenaster, "Knocking her around a bit might do her some good."
"You really still think she's in there?" May asked, "Because it's looking like they took full-"
"She has to still be in there," Blake insisted as she split her Gashacon Sparrow into its sickle formation, getting in a crouching stance as she awaited their opponent's next move, "So if we have to beat some sense into her then we will."
"Whatever you say," May said before aiming her crossbow staff and firing a few bolts at Another Kikai. Despite not missing, the bolts ended up embedding themselves into the wood-like armor of the Another Rider.
Another Kikai swiped its hand across its chest, swiping away the bolts before rushing forward. It was forced to come to a halt, raising both arms in defense as Blake slashed down at it with her sickles.
"Penny!" Blake called out, "Snap out of it!"
[TORNADO!]
"We know you're in there!" Weiss called out as she circled around and unleashed a burst of Wind Dust from Myrtenaster alongside a blue burst of wind from the Chalice Arrow. Both attacks struck at Another Kikai's back, some sparks flying but still doing minimal damage.
"Cease your pointless efforts," Another Kikai called out as it pushed its arms forward, forcing Blake to step backwards. The indentions where its eyes would be soon erupted in purple flames, Another Kikai creating earth-like copies of Floating Array in their gun states around it, the copies getting in groups of three and forming small funnels. It then began gathering pure energy with the funnels before launching beam after beam at Blake.
Blake gasped as she began to back up, using Shadow to slip out of the way of the multitude of blasts. Another Kikai continued to aim at Blake when suddenly, one by one, the makeshift energy cannons were shattered. It didn't take long for something to slice across Another Kikai's chest, small sparks flying.
"Scanning…" Another Kikai began running through all of its different visual sensors before settling on its infrared vision, spotting a shape moving around it, it being May who was using her Semblance to move around unseen. The Another Rider threw its arms to the sides it unleashed various tendrils from its arms, soon spinning around and lashing out at all of its opponents.
Blake and Weiss quickly used their Semblances, Blake using Shadow to form an Earth Dust clone while leaping back, using it to somewhat slow down the Tendrils, while Weiss used a Glyph as a barrier, skidding back as a result. May was the unluckiest, only having her weapon to brace with and yelling out as she was sent tumbling back.
"Target clear," Another Kikai turned towards Ruby and Summer, "Engaging."
"Ruby, sweetie we need to move!" Summer was half paying attention to the fight and realized that Another Kikai was targeting them now, "Ruby!"
"I…" Ruby muttered as she was still trying to process everything, "I can't hurt her…"
"Engaging," Another Kikai repeated before unleashing two missiles from its body.
"Fang, protect her!"
Summer was ready to move Ruby herself when a grey blur launched past the two, it striking the missiles in rapid succession and sending them off to the sides, explosive bursts occurring as the Fang Gaia Memory landed in front of Ruby and Summer.
Another Kikai scoffed before moving forward, only to be assaulted by Arrows. Blake had switched the Gashacon Sparrow back to its bow mode and was firing constantly. Weiss meanwhile had begun using a Gravity Glyph to pull the Another Rider backwards towards her and the others fighting it.
"Huh?" Ruby was brought out of her stupor by the nearby explosions, "What?"
"Ruby," Philip said as he walked over, W Driver on his waist as the Joker Memory was already slotted in, "I suppose this proves to me you're just like Shotaro. Half-Boiled…"
"Eh?" Ruby looked at Philip in surprise.
"You wear your heart on your sleeve, and it's what stops you from making tough decisions," Philip replied, "We Kamen Riders wouldn't be on Remnant right now had you decided to go along with Ironwood. It's just not in you to try and go down that path. And because you've been given a strict set of options, you believe that the only way you can continue is by doing nothing so that you won't hurt your friend. But even so you need to fight."
"Philip…" Ruby trailed in surprise before looking down, "I don't want to lose her again… because… if she dies this time then…"
"Living by supporting each other is the game called life," Philip said suddenly as Ruby and Summer looked over at him, "A legacy my boss left behind that I'd like you to take to heart. Even if you can't fight right now, we will fight for you, awaiting your return to the battlefield. Because if there's anyone who can, you'll be able to make a third option appear."
Ruby could only stare at Philip now as he brought his hand out, the Fang Memory hopping over as he switched it to its Gaia Memory mode. He then slotted it in before initiating the transformation.
"Henshin!"
[FANG! JOKER!]
Philip rushed forward as the transformation into Kamen Rider W Fang Joker took place, the two in one Rider both giving yells as they pounced at Another Kikai, grabbing on and dragging it to the floor. The Another Rider rolled away before unleashing a burst of wind, W leaping back to avoid getting flung away.
"Looks like we're up, Partner," Shotaro spoke through W.
"Of course," W gave a nod before pointing forward.
"Now, count up your sins!"
"Kamen Rider detected," Another Kikai stated before walking forward, undeterred by the appearance of W.
"Wait, they had a Rider with them?" Night Rogue asked as she turned.
"Like it'll do much," Superior reminded, "They may be able to fight her but they won't land the finishing blow."
"Yeah but still," Night Rogue said before giving a gasp, quickly grabbing Superior and pushing him out of the way while throwing herself out of the way. Blasts of energy were fired at the two, the blasts missing and hitting the ground instead. Zi-O had switched from dual wielding to holding the Zikan Girade in its gun mode.
"You all aren't getting away with this," Zi-O called out.
"Like you can do anything to us," Superior laughed as he rested his sword on his shoulder, "We may not be as strong as you but we're still holding you off just fine."
"And we'll keep doing that," Night Rogue said as she got in a fighting stance.
"They're fighting their hardest…" Zi-O said before swapping the Zi-O II Watches with his normal Zi-O Watch. He then drew out Zi-O Trinity and activated it, "Then it's time we do too."
Remnant – Mantle Crater
To say Robyn was expecting the current situation was an understatement. She was just getting used to all the Kamen Riders showing up and helping out wherever they were needed. What she wasn't expecting was Yang's group to come back but with Marrow and Winter in tow. Needless to say the Specialists presence in the Crater made quite a few people uneasy, but Geiz and Yang both assured them that the two were against Ironwood at the moment.
Despite this, Robyn knew that the Specialists just simply walking around would still cause some trouble and unease. And they needed to keep the Grimm away given everyone was only just barely starting to calm down thanks to the Kamen Riders' efforts. So Robyn had taken the two to the main tent in the Crater that was the Happy Huntresses base of operations.
Needless to say, Robyn tried to keep a professional air about the whole situation. The key word was try as aside from the skepticism, she was being rather smug about the whole thing.
"Well now…" Robyn smirked as she was currently sitting on a makeshift seat on one side of a large crate.
Marrow and Winter were on the other side, while behind Robyn were Geiz and Jaune who were both sighing inwardly at this reaction. The remainder of their team was outside, helping Fiona and Joanna with whatever was needed at the camp.
"Must you seriously act like this," Winter asked as she glanced to the side while curling her hands on her lap.
"Yeah," Marrow huffed as he had his arms crossed, "We're not exactly happy about this."
"I can imagine," Robyn said, "I just find it amusing that you two decided to jump ship."
"Is it really that amusing?" Winter questioned.
"Mostly with you Ice Queen," Robyn mentioned, causing Winter to turn away in slight embarrassment, "Like I could see someone like Wags trying something like insubordination."
"Hey, I take offense to that," Marrow narrowed his eyes, not liking what Robyn was implying.
"Relax… I genuinely mean it in the nicest way possible," Robyn replied as she held up her hands, "You're one of the few of Ironwood's elite who actually cared about trying to help out. You may wear a Military uniform but you've got the heart of a Huntsman."
"Oh," Marrow said before looking down, realizing that was what Robyn meant.
"Your heart is in the right place, and you're a lot more emotional even when you try to put it behind business," Robyn added before looking over at Winter, "But her, the one who's supposed to be Ironwood's second in command? Now that's surprising."
"I've simply realized that General Ironwood is going too far," Winter replied, "Him becoming an Another Rider was the tipping point for my decision."
"So him becoming a monster was all that led to your decision?" Robyn asked in a curious but more serious tone, "Just him going too far in your mind was all that mattered?"
"No," Winter shook her head, "I was stupid and turned a blind eye to what he was doing and how worse the situation was getting, thinking that it would be alright so long as the end result helped Remnant. The General selling his soul for a monstrous power was just what finally snapped me awake to face all the damage he's caused beforehand and now."
"I see," Robyn said before holding her hand forward, "I want to see if there's some truth to what you want to do now."
"Is now seriously the time to be doing this?" Geiz asked.
"Yeah, shouldn't we be planning for what comes next?" Jaune asked.
Winter however grasped Robyn's hand firmly, "I want to stop Ironwood before he causes any more damage to our Kingdom both Atlas and Mantle."
"I see," Robyn smirked when the Aura between the two turned green to show that Winter was speaking truthfully, "I figured as much but I really wanted to hear you say it."
"Of course you did," Winter rolled her eyes as she pulled away.
"So what exactly do we do now?" Marrow asked.
"Well you two are staying here for now," Robyn said, "I don't need everyone here getting riled up with two Specialists walking around. We just barely started calming down everyone and getting them temporarily situated. We don't need a disturbance causing panic."
"Good idea," Geiz said.
Jaune gave a nod, "Right, don't want to attract more-"
Everyone was cut off by the hum and shine of a yellow beam suddenly phasing through the tent. Some murmurs and rumblings of people talking could be heard outside.
"Crap…" Geiz sighed before straightening himself out, "Just let everyone know the beam is some weird Kamen Rider business or something."
Everyone could only watch as Geiz was transformed into his base form before transforming into the watch strap version that went onto Zi-O Trinity. The strap floated there for a while before suddenly vanishing alongside the light.
"What the hell?" Robyn asked.
"Yeah, that's still super weird," Marrow admitted with a light shiver as Jaune gave a nod.
"Given what that was used for before…" Winter muttered to herself as she put a hand to her chin, "Just what are they using it for now?"
Remnant – Atlas, Schnee Manor
[TRINITY TIME!]
Zi-O flipped backwards, avoiding gunfire and energy slashes from Night Rogue and Superior, explosions impacting around him as he transformed from Zi-O II into base Zi-O. Gold rings formed around him as the lights from Regulus shined down on him, Geiz and Woz soon appeared, attaching to his shoulders. His front mask slid down to his chest as the gold rings locked into place and the Katakana formed the main visor.
[MITTSU NO CHIKARA! KAMEN RIDER ZI-O! GEIZ! WOZ! T-RIN-I-TY~! TRINITY!]
Zi-O Trinity soon stood fully completed, though almost immediately the right shoulder that was Geiz began to move.
"Hey Zi-O, what's the big deal this time?" Geiz asked, "Why are you in the middle of a fight?"
"Because they showed up with Penny," Zi-O turned to face the current fight going on with Another Kikai, "They've turned Penny into an Another Rider so I need to get serious."
"Fine, but one question…" Geiz trailed before the right arm of Zi-O Trinity began to flail around, "How is Another Kikai able to exist again in the first place?!"
"That would be my fault," Woz sighed as Zi-O's left shoulder began to move, "The Time Jackers were able to abscond with my Miridewatches. And it seems they were able to corrupt them enough to force an Another Rider transformation on anyone they chose."
"And you chose not to tell us this…" Geiz growled, "Why?!"
"I only assumed they were trying to handicap me, not twist their powers to revive past Another Riders!" Woz argued.
"Guys calm down," Zi-O called out as he took control, "We need to focus!"
"Use your fancy new form all you want, you can't save her," Night Rogue said as she combined her Steamgun and Blade into their rifle formation.
[ONPU! LOADING!]
Superior meanwhile had loaded in a Ganma Eyecon, gaining the red velvet Mozart inspired Ganma Form over his body.
"Let's go you two," Zi-O said as he drew out the Zikan Zax and Zikan Despear in their Axe and Spear modes respectively. After getting confirmation from both Geiz and Woz, Zi-O charged forward.
Superior threw his hands forward and launched musical notes while Night Rogue began to fire sniper powered shots at the Rider.
[ARM FANG!]
W held out his right arm, a bladed fang growing as he slashed at the incoming Another Kikai who threw both of its arms at him.
"Jeez she's tough," Shotaro winced.
"It seems we're not making any progress," W noted, "If pushing her around won't do the trick then we need to try something different."
"Just how are we supposed to do that?" Weiss asked as she hung back with May and Blake, the Schnee having used the Recovery Card to heal any injuries they had as well as to restore their Aura.
"We fight and get her to emotionally respond," W said as he kicked Another Kikai back before leaping away and towards the Huntresses, "Try to remind her of who she is as we weaken the Another Rider!"
"Can we really do that?" May asked.
"We have to," Weiss said as she glanced at Ruby who was now staring intently at the fight, "We need to."
"Then let's do it," Blake replied as she split her weapon into its sickle mode again.
Weiss gave a nod before drawing out and sliding another card against her Chalice Arrow, soon holding it outwards.
[BIO!]
Two plant-like tendrils shot out from the Chalice Arrow and shot towards Another Kikai, wrapping around its arms and body to bind it.
"Do you remember when we first met?!" Weiss called out as she kept her grip, "I bumped into you all of a sudden and you just fell to the floor and stayed there for an uncomfortably awkward amount of time!"
"Huh?" May turned towards Weiss, "What's that supposed to-"
"What?" Another Kikai turned before giving a pained grunt, "What does that have to do… with anything?"
Blake's eyes widened as she saw this, but noticed that Weiss' grip was starting to falter when it came to keeping the vines up.
"We ended up meeting in Vale at the time because you were going to compete in the Vytal Festival!" Weiss shouted despite feeling her grip on the Another Rider beginning to slip, "I remember Ruby telling me later on how excited you were to compete!"
"Stop spouting… nonsense…" Another Kikai seized up briefly before purple flames formed at its eyes, its body burning a bright red as it burned away the plant tendrils.
"That's it… keep it up!" W called out.
Blake rushed in, swinging at Another Kikai with her sickles, managing to clash and force the Another Rider's arms down, "Despite barely knowing anything about us, you helped Ruby search for me when I ran away from the team after we first met!"
Another Kikai gave a brief yell as it forced its arms back up, kicking out and forcing Blake to back up as it began to freeze up slightly.
"Come on kid!" May called out as she rushed forward, jabbing at Another Kikai's head with her staff, managing to force the monstrous Rider back, "You always talked with pride about how you were the Protector of Mantle!"
"Will you just… stop this meaningless... talking!" Another Kikai sputtered out as it tried to move forward only for it to get struck in the chest by May's crossbow staff again.
"Yeah how about no, until Penny comes back out," May narrowed her eyes as she backed away, vanishing out of sight when Another Kikai charged at her. She had sidestepped while invisible to keep it from tackling her and watched as it looked around before revealing herself, "Come on kid, you hated when I gave you that stupid nickname right? You felt insulted, right? Well I'm sure you hate having your body taken away from you so start fighting back!"
"What are you people trying to do?!" Another Kikai yelled as it used the Maiden Powers again, summoning dozens of ice copies of Floating Array's blades all around it before launching them outwards. The attack had forced Blake, Weiss, May and W to go on the defensive and dodge or brace against them.
"We're trying to get through to Penny!" Weiss called out, "Because she's our friend!"
"Despite this reprogramming there still has to be some remnant of her inside of you," W added.
"That's right! If you're getting affected like this then that girl's still in there," Shotaro shouted, "No matter how deep she's suppressed, we can tell now she's actively fighting back."
"If we're making one important gamble today…" Blake continued as she raised her weapons, "Then it's going to be on her heart!"
Zi-O meanwhile rolled out of the way of various musical note projections alongside any high impact bullets. He gave a yell as he slashed and deflected a few of the projectiles, "You two are going-"
Silence was what occurred next as Zi-O came to a sudden halt. He began to look around and verbally tried to speak only for nothing to come out. He then looked around as he tried to hear anything before suddenly dropping his weapons and holding his hands to his head in panic. He had for some reason completely lost his hearing and voice entirely. Even Geiz and Woz who tried to speak up to calm him down were unable to speak. The three began silently trying to figure out what was going on when suddenly several rockets impacted against their feet.
The silence suddenly stopped as explosions were heard, Zi-O yelling alongside Geiz and Woz as he sent flying back due to losing their footing.
"We can speak…? I can hear?!" Zi-O called out as he sat up and gingerly tapped his mouth and ears before giving a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness…"
"The hell was that…?" Geiz questioned.
"Like it?" Superior laughed, "It's a handy little trick I can do thanks to this Parka."
"And I've got more firepower where that came from," Night Rogue raised up her Steam Rifle to reveal it had a Rocket Fullbottle loaded into it.
"Why do they have those gimmicks?" Geiz questioned.
"They likely got copies of them somewhere, but I'm unsure where," Woz admitted.
Night Rogue meanwhile looked over to see Another Kikai struggling as the three Huntresses and Rider tried to talk it down while fighting her.
"And just what do you think that's going to do?" Night Rogue said before giving a mocking laugh, "The powers are connected to her core. If you get her back into control we'll just take that away from her again."
"Yeah, you're delaying the inevitable," Superior replied, "Nothing you all can do can save her!"
"No… I wouldn't say that," Woz stated in a low voice as he raised Zi-O's left hand up, "Tsukasa Kadoya knew what to do…"
"Wait, what?" Zi-O asked as he turned towards his shoulder, "What was it?"
"I'd rather not give it away," Woz admitted, "Split up and I will arrive here. Tsukasa Kadoya is busy at the moment so I will go in his place."
"Very well," Zi-O gave a nod before looking at his right shoulder, "You alright with that Geiz?"
"Just make sure you get her out of this alive," Geiz stressed, "This isn't just for our sake, this is for Ruby's."
"We will," Zi-O reassured with a nod before swapping out his Zi-O and Trinity Watches for Zi-O II again, "Let's go!"
[RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER~! (RIDER~!) ZI-O! (ZI-O!) ZI-O~! II!]
"Huh? Switching back to your old form?" Superior asked as he brought out more musical note projections before launching them out at Zi-O.
[FULLBOTTLE! STEAM ATTACK!]
Night Rogue meanwhile took aim and sent a spiraling rocket towards Zi-O, the rocket moving erratically in the air as it approached.
Zi-O shouted as he switched back to Zi-O II, drawing out the Zikan and Saikyo Girades before rushing for his opponents. He activated his future sight, seeing the paths of the attacks he picked up his pace. He began batting away the note projections with his two blades before leaping to the side to avoid the rocket that struck nearby. He pivoted before charging forward again, he needed to buy time.
It didn't take long for a tornado of grey cloth to appear as Woz suddenly arrived nearby Ruby and Summer.
"Woz…?" Ruby turned in surprise, "Why are you here? Didn't Sougo just use Trinity?"
"Yes, but this is of the utmost importance," Woz said, "I learned from Tsukasa Kadoya on how to save Miss Polendina."
"You did?" Summer asked.
"We can save her?" Ruby asked as she stood up immediately, some hope returning to her eyes as she stared intensely at the vassal, "How?"
"Reprogramming," Woz stated, "An ability of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid's Maximum Mighty X Gashat."
"But wait," Ruby held up her hands, "Emu isn't here."
"Tsukasa can turn into Ex-Aid and use his abilities though," Summer said before realizing something, "Why isn't he here in that case?"
"Because he's tending to Professor Polendina," Woz explained, "The poor man's health isn't the best after acting up once his daughter as taken. He's being stabilized right now thanks to various Rider medical abilities being used by Tsukasa… so our Destroyer of Worlds cannot make it at the moment."
"Then how exactly are we supposed to save her?" Ruby asked before giving a frustrated sigh, ruffling her hair up slightly, "Why did you even come over here then?"
"Miss Rose, please stay calm," Woz sighed, "There is one way… you must utilize Weapon Time to bring out the necessary tools."
"But I've never summoned upgraded weapons or trinkets from Riders before," Ruby argued, "Despite how many times I've fought, I haven't gotten that ability."
"It is one that is likely out of your reach alone," Woz said before looking over at Summer, "However… there is another weapon master Rider here, is there not?"
Summer's eyes widened when she realized what Woz was suggesting, "Wait you can't be suggesting…?"
"I am indeed suggesting just that," Woz replied before pointing towards Summer, "You may no longer be able to transform but you still have the abilities of one. And that's all we need."
"Very well then," Summer gave a nod before looking towards Ruby, "Ruby I need a Ridewatch."
"Wait, what?" Ruby asked.
"I need you to trust me on this," Summer said as she held out her hand, "Woz is right, you can't summon the necessary weapon or trinket on your own… but…"
"But I could if I combine your power with mine," Ruby's eyes widened in realization before drawing out a Blank Ridewatch, holding it out towards her mom.
"This may take a bit," Summer admitted as she took the Blank Ridewatch, "I know Tsukasa was able to create one without the usual waiting time… but…"
"Take your time," Ruby said, "I'll make sure you have enough."
"Sweetheart…?" Summer looked towards her daughter in surprise.
"I think we can do this," Ruby softly smiled before she closed her eyes and turned away, "So I'll give you all the time you need."
"Very well then," Summer smiled before clutching the Ridewatch and concentrating, trying to connect with the blank piece of metal before working to charge it with her Rider Powers.
"Get away from me!" Another Kikai yelled out as it began swinging wildly, sending out tendrils from its hands and forcing the three Huntresses and Rider to step backwards from its attacks, "You aren't taking the previous version back! I am the one who will destroy Kamen Rider Roze!"
"No you aren't!"
Everyone fighting had paused when they heard the voice before seeing that it was Ruby who had spoken up, slowly but surely walking towards Another Kikai.
"Penny, look at me!" Ruby called out to Another Kikai, "I'm going to make sure everything is alright!"
"She's fighting?" Night Rogue asked.
"She's lost her mind…" Superior said as he stifled a chuckle, "She's really going to kill her friend?"
"Ruby…" Zi-O trailed, knowing full well that she was ready to enact whatever plan Woz had come up with thanks to Tsukasa, "You can do this…"
"I won't stop fighting… not now… not ever…" Ruby said as she prepared her Ziku Driver and Roze Ridewatch, "Henshin!"
[RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER ROZE!]
Weiss and Blake looked at each other before backing away from Another Kikai, May doing the same alongside W.
"Kamen Rider Roze…" Another Kikai hissed out with a hitched breath before wincing slightly, "Ruby…?"
"Penny… this won't take long," Roze promised under her breath before giving a yell and charging forward, not even drawing out a weapon. She leapt forward, throwing punch after punch, mixing in a few kicks as she began to strike against the Another Rider, "Penny, don't worry! I'll keep fighting but you need to keep fighting too!"
"Stop talking!" Another Kikai called out as it swung its fist at Roze, hitting the Rider directly in the chest and causing a few sparks to fly.
Roze gasped out as she staggered, spinning to right herself before charging forward with another punch, "These sparks aren't a big deal! I'll endure whatever it takes to set you free!"
"R-Ruby…" Penny's voice was able to finally call out.
"No… no… get back in there…" Another Kikai gasped out as its body began to freeze up before shouting as it managed to shove Roze away again.
Roze gave a nod to herself as she backed away to keep from stumbling. She was managing to get through to Penny, so this would make things easier on her. She shouted once more before charging straight at Another Kikai before unleashing another punch.
Remnant – Monstra
Salem was currently sitting in Monstra, watching as her forces were fighting against the Atlesian Army. She wasn't exactly happy with the situation as from what she could tell she only had Hazel and Mercury left. Not to mention she was forced to keep Monstra only in the air near Atlas in fear that another attack would come and completely eradicate her invasion vessel. This also meant she couldn't have Monstra generate and use a majority of the spare Grimm liquid that she had been storing up to make an army, instead needing it to slowly but surely patch the enormous Grimm up.
"You did not heed my warning."
"Narutaki…" Salem recognized the voice as she narrowed her eyes.
Narutaki soon exited an Aurora Curtain but instead of being by himself this time he was with Evolt.
"And who is this?" Salem looked towards the alien-like monster that held an obvious Driver.
"The names Evolt," Evolt put a hand in front of his chest before giving a light bow, "Narutaki here said it'd be worth my while to accompany him this time."
"Just like I assumed, Finis has taken most of your remaining followers," Narutaki said as he held a hand forward, "You've also seen the power of Zi-O first hand as well."
"Zi-O…?" Salem asked, "That's who stopped my beast?"
"Yes, the Kamen Rider destined to become the Overlord of Time," Narutaki answered.
"Kamen Riders aren't ones you underestimate," Evolt spoke up before shivering slightly, "But this guy and his friends… they're on another level."
"Yes," Narutaki gave a nod before lowering his hand, "I take it you realize the situation you're in."
"I will still not seek an alliance… they have merely caught me off guard," Salem insisted though even she was starting to doubt her bravado. Despite this, she still didn't like being in the service of someone else, so seeking an alliance was not something she was considering despite the current situation.
"Then please allow me to give you two handouts," Narutaki soon held out his hand as an Aurora Curtain appeared, showing the fight at the Schnee Manor, "The Winter Maiden is here and fighting against Zi-O, Roze and their allies. They will all be weakened after this."
"You're giving me their location?" Salem asked.
"Yes, however that beast of yours won't be able to do it alone, even with an army backing it," Narutaki replied.
"That's where I can come in," Evolt said as he held out a hand, red flowing liquid coming out of the palm before cycling and floating around, "I think I've got something to help boost your pet up."
"Oh?" Salem raised an eyebrow.
"Not only can he do that," Narutaki said, "But our second handout will be giving you something that can surpass your pet by creating a great warrior to replace your lost followers."
"You have my curiosity…" Salem admitted as she stood up before moving towards the two, "So I suppose I can indulge you."
Remnant – Atlas, Schnee Manor
"Enough games!" Another Kikai yelled out as it unleashed a series of rockets against Roze, the rockets impacting all around the Huntress Rider.
Roze yelled out as she was thrown backwards, sparks flying from her suit. Despite the attack, Roze was able to endure and keep her transformation up.
"I'm not giving up…" Roze hissed out.
"Come on…" Woz muttered as he glanced at Summer before his eyes widened.
A flash of white occurred as the Blank Ridewatch had changed shape, soon resembling the Decade Ridewatch in terms of shape. It held a black base with the rimming, dial and button being white. In the center was Rose's face printed on, various card-like protrusions exiting the four corners of the frame. The innermost part of the dial that would face the Driver held a red barcode with a large patch reading 'Rose' in white.
Summer's eyes widened as she saw this before reeling her arm back and throwing the Ridewatch forward, "Ruby, take this!"
Roze heard the yell and turned quickly catching the Rose Ridewatch, she couldn't help but smile a bit behind her visor as she saw its intentional shape. She turned back towards Another Kikai who tilted its head in confusion as she pressed the button of the Ridewatch.
[R-R-R-ROSE!]
"Let's go," Roze said as she wasted no time in slotting it into the Weapon Time side of her Driver. She then took a deep breath before unlocking her Driver and rotating it with a quick swipe of her hand.
[ARMOR TIME!]
"Huh?" Roze looked down in surprise, not expecting that announcement to ever come out of her Driver. Grey holographic cards launched out of her Ziku Driver, 20 in Total separating into sets of five that surrounded her in an X Shape. Each card meanwhile had a visible, colored, piece of armor for the full Armor Time within them before sliding back into Roze all at once while combining all the armor pieces together.
[KAMEN RIDE! YEAH! ROSE! ROSE! RO~SE~!]
The armor had fully changed the inner bodysuit of Roze, her bodysuit was a full white coloration, the sides of her body and legs being black with her watch strap being attached to her bodysuit directly now but keeping its standard size.
Just like Rose had borrowed from Decade, Rose Armor was borrowing from Decade Armor with some minor changes. The Armor was less bulky and a lot slimmer/fit to Roze's bodysuit compared to the Decade Armor. The forearm and leg armor itself held the same silver coloration as Decade Armor, but the black rimming was now red while the pink patches were now white. The chest armor itself was white with some black accents, having two wide strips overlapping one over the other in an X Shape. The stripes held red rimming with a white center, a black barcode being imprinted on the top-most strip.
The shoulders themselves didn't have the additional strips that Decade Armor had, instead opting for a slimmed down and rounded look. They were predominantly white with red stripes running along the bottom and black printed Rose family emblems on them. The helmet itself was white in the back, having two red rounded plates with Rose emblems on them. The front mask of the helmet was a screen, it having barcode-like extensions at the corners. On the screen was an image of Kamen Rider Rose's face. In place of the compound visor was a blank black space, purple Katakana spelling out 'Rose' being in its place.
"REJOICE!" Woz called out as he raised a hand forward, though Roze didn't seem to react at this while everyone else turned towards the chronicler, "She who shall surpass all on Remnant! The Huntress who has traveled through space and time from Remnant to Earth and became a Rider! Her name is Kamen Rider Roze, Rose Armor! And we bear witness to the powers of mother and daughter combined!"
"Whoa…" Zi-O turned in surprise to see the new form, "It's just like Decade Armor… then that means…"
"So she got a new form," Superior scoffed, "What's that supposed to do?"
"No matter what form you take, what power you get, you can't save your friend!" Night Rogue called out, "Get it through your thick skull already!"
"Penny…" Roze muttered as she walked forward, her metal boots clanking against the floor as she approached, drawing out the Ex-Aid Ridewatch and activating it before slotting it into the Rose Ridewatches free slot.
[FINAL WEAPON TIME: E-E-E-EX-AID!]
[GASHACON KEY SLASHER!]
The barcode began to shift and shimmer before pink text reading 'Gashacon Key Slasher' in Katakana appeared in its place.
Roze held out her right hand, the upgraded weapon of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid forming in her hands. She gripped it tightly before holding out her free hand, the Maximum Mighty X Gashat being formed in it. She gripped the Gashat tightly before slamming it into the dual slot.
[MAXIMUM GASHAT! KIMEWAZA!]
"Reprogramming…" Roze rushed forward as she raised her sword up, energy gathering in her blade.
"Kamen Rider Roze…!" Another Kikai yelled out before unleashing tendrils from its body at Roze.
[MAXIMUM MIGHTY CRITICAL FINISH!]
Roze was too fast however, using Petal Burst to slip past the tendrils, the petals this time being a mix of white and red. The Huntress Rider shouted and brought down the Key Slasher to cut against Another Kikai. In a flash the sword had released a pink bubble that engulfed the two, the bubble shining brighter and brighter as it nearly blinded everyone in the area.
Ruby was suddenly sent flying through darkness and wasn't in her armor but her Huntress attire. Despite this she was still holding onto the Gashacon Key Slasher. As she rushed forward she yelled out and swung forward with the Key Slasher, making a white cut against the darkness and causing hundreds of cracks to form from the cut before the darkness shattered around her.
Ruby soon landed before finding herself in a thick forest that covered any chance at seeing the sky. While some beams of light shined through to keep it from being pitch black, it was still rather dark and dreary. Of course the forest was a slight oddity in that it held red-like wiring wrapping around the trees.
"A forest…?" Ruby questioned as she looked around, noticing her path was blocked by trees. In fact she was only in a small open area while the rest of it seemed to be dominated by nothing but trees, "No wait… trees… it must be Another Kikai's influence…"
Ruby quickly slashed forward with the Key Slasher, the trees suddenly breaking apart into pixels. She lightly gasped when she saw this before steeling herself and rushing forward, slashing as fast as she could to try and find Penny.
"R… Ruby…"
"That voice!" Ruby's eyes widened as she turned to the side before giving a yell and slashing in the direction she heard the voice, "Penny! Don't worry I'm coming!"
Continuing to follow her friend's voice, Ruby slashed and slashed as fast and as hard as she could, slowly but surely clearing a path through the deep forest, more light shining through as she did so. Soon enough she reached one final set of trees, slashing forward and shattering them.
This revealed a small open space within the forest, a large tree being placed in the center of the area. On the tree was Penny herself, her arms raised and legs together as they were all bound by red wires coming from the tree itself. Above her was Another Kikai's front mask, it giving a hum as it sparked and crackled every now and again.
Penny gave a grunt as she tried to break free from the wires before her head jolted up at the sound of the trees being destroyed. Her eyes widened, "R-Ruby?!"
"Hey Penny," Ruby flashed a comforting smile before her expression turned more serious once she saw Another Kikai's eyes shine, tendrils erupting from behind the tree and launching out. She pressed the Gun Button on her weapon before aiming it forward, "I'm here."
[ZU-KYU-KYU-KYUN!]
Another Kikai's face suddenly shattered in an instant, the tendrils drying up and crumbling away as Ruby had shot a beam directly against Another Kikai. The attack had caused an invisible shockwave to occur, the thick leaves suddenly blowing away and disappearing as the trunks of trees were all that were left. The area around them was visible now as it seemed to be a white digital void.
Penny could only look in surprise as she saw what had occurred, her binds beginning to weaken as she managed to break her arms and legs free. She released a light yelp as she landed suddenly while the tree trunk behind her alongside all the other ones around her began to disperse into pixels. In their place soon began to form green 0's and 1's.
"Ruby…" Penny smiled before quickly running over and hugging Ruby as she began to shake, "I'm… I'm…"
"Its fine, it's fine," Ruby dropped her weapon and hugged back, "I'm here… and I'm sorry."
"What?" Penny asked as she pulled away but chose to grasp Ruby's hands, "What do you mean?"
"I realized I wasn't being fair to you when we agreed with Pietro to have you on Amity," Ruby admitted as her eyes began to water, tears starting to form, "I was just letting my fear overwhelm me so I agreed because… I couldn't lose you again."
"Oh Ruby…" Penny said, realizing that Ruby was right to worry given the target she had on her back now.
"But even with my fears, I want to give you a chance to do what you want to do," Ruby said as she looked at her friend, still holding a smile despite the tears, "You should be able to choose what you want to do, not what everyone else wants you to do."
"I… I…" Penny faltered before turning away, clasping her hands as she looked down.
"Penny?" Ruby asked, "What's wrong?"
"I do not know what I should do…" Penny admitted, "I want to thank you for helping me but… where do I go from here? I want to help Mantle, Remnant… but how do I do that? I am not even sure who I am right now either… the Protector of Mantle… the Winter Maiden… a normal girl… a machine…? Just what am I?"
"Oh Penny… all of that is just a part of you," Ruby softly smiled before walking over and hugging her from behind, "I told you before, you're still you."
"Ruby…" Penny trailed as she grabbed at Ruby's arms to return the hug.
"You may be mechanical but you still have a unique Aura, a soul to call your own," Ruby stated, "You're our friend Penny, someone who I hold dear to me. And no matter what happens you always will be."
"Ruby, thank you," Penny smiled as she pulled away.
"So, what do you want to do?" Ruby asked.
"I want… I want to fight to protect Remnant alongside you and the other Kamen Riders," Penny stated firmly turned around to face Ruby, "Even if it is tough, I want to do it. Because I know I will have everyone else to back me up."
"That's good to hear," Ruby smiled as the Kikai Miridewatch formed between the two. Ruby picked up her discarded Key Slasher and looked at the Miridewatch, soon getting an idea, "So how about we get out there and help everyone out?"
"Of course," Penny gave a nod as the entire area began to glow brighter and brighter as a white light engulfed the two.
Everyone winced as the light began to die down and stared at where Roze and Another Kikai were. Roze was still in her Rose Armor form while Another Kikai still stood. The two were relaxed and simply staring at each other however.
"Did… did it work?" Blake asked.
"I'm not sure," Weiss shook her head.
"What was that attack even supposed to be?" Night Rogue questioned before giving a scoff, "I knew you couldn't do any-"
Authenticate Unlock
Another Kikai turned towards Night Rogue and Superior before its armor began to crack, splintering before suddenly crumbling apart. The armor of Another Kikai soon turned to dust in the wind as Penny stood with her eyes closed. She opened them up, revealing them to be their usual shade of green. She then held her hands to her chest, the area she touched shimmering before she drew out the Kikai Miridewatch herself.
"Wait, what?" May's eyes widened in surprise, "Can… can she do that?"
"Not usually," Weiss shook her head. The only cases she knew of those having full access to the Ridewatch were Hiryu and Kagami.
"What…?" Superior asked.
"She removed it herself…?" Night Rogue asked.
"Because I gave Penny the choice to," Roze said as she stepped forward before holding up her weapon, "Reprogramming, one of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid's abilities. And thanks to Rose Armor I was able to access it."
"Reprogramming…" Blake trailed before remembering during the final battle against Kuroto, the mad game developer mentioning it as well, "Of course. Because they tied the powers so closely to Penny's core and Another Kikai is mechanical at its base, Roze was able to utilize a tech based Rider's abilities to set Penny free!"
"Fascinating…" W admitted, "Wouldn't you agree?"
"That kid's definitely something else," Shotaro chuckled.
"Looks like you've lost," Zi-O said as he looked towards the Time Jackers, "Now leave."
"Like hell we're leaving!" Night Rogue held her Transteam Gun out before spreading out her arms, massive mechanical batwings forming from her back.
[MACHINE GUN! LOADING!]
"Yeah, we'll teach you to mess with us like that," Superior gave a nod, having loaded in a new Eyecon before gaining the Machine Gun Ganma Parka, raising his right machine gun arm.
(Insert Start: Capabilities Unseen by Void_Chords (ft. L))
"Everyone," Roze spoke up as she stepped forward with Penny, "They're ours."
"Hey, are you sure about that?" May asked.
"Positively," Penny gave a nod as she held out the Kikai Miridewatch before pressing down on the button.
[HAGANE NO BODY NI ATSUI NO HEART!]
Green fire erupted from the Ridewatch, the fires obscuring the Ridewatch as it latched onto Penny's waist before she was engulfed by the fires. Mechanical whirring was heard as the fires began to die out. Standing before everyone was Kamen Rider Kikai though the suit was different than the iterations Yang and Rento wore.
The bodysuit, alongside any armor that was black remained the same while any part of the armor that was golden yellow in coloration was now changed to white. Likewise the white circuit-like patterning was now olive green with the red accents on the armor being orange. The eyes of the helmet lit up a bright green just like Penny's eyes. In a sense she had become a new version of the mechanical Rider, Kikai II.
[KAMEN RIDER KIKAI!]
"Fascinating," Kikai II said as she looked over her body, flexing her fingers before gripping her hands tightly and staring forward.
"Eh?" Woz was a bit surprised by this development.
"Whoa, she was able to transform via the Ridewatch?" Zi-O asked.
"That's... different," Weiss admitted, a bit surprised at the color changed Kikai.
"I suppose she was able to personalize it a bit," Blake noted.
"Excuse me?" Superior took a step forward in surprise.
"How…?" Night Rogue questioned as she stayed floating where she was, "The other members of Roze's team weren't able to recover their powers, so how?!"
"I may have been able to do a onetime trick with Reprogramming," Roze admitted as she held up a finger, her voice having a near smug tone to it, "You ready, Penny?"
"Affirmative," Kikai II gave a nod.
Night Rogue gave a yell before launching forward with her wings, aiming and firing with her Transteam Gun.
Kikai II responded by summoning green flames at her feet, using them as boosters as she launched forward and crossed her arms. The blasts bounced off of her armor before she gathered electricity in her arms, charging them further via her maiden powers.
Night Rogue suddenly realized that Kikai II wasn't stopping anytime soon and went to stop so that she could fly up. But she was too slow as Kikai II flew forward at great speeds, the mechanical Rider's electrical fist striking her in the chest and causing sparks to fly.
Night Rogue gave a growl, "Why you-"
"That is enough!" Kikai II called out as she unleashed a whirlwind from her body to force Night Rogue backwards, "I will never forgive you for what you did to me! Along with what you nearly made me do to my friends!"
Superior meanwhile growled as he aimed and shot forward, trying to overwhelm Roze with his rapid fire assault of bullets. Roze meanwhile was trying to dash to the side, using the Key Slasher's gun mode to fire back only for Superior to dodge.
"Need something with just as much firepower…" Roze trailed before getting an idea and quickly drawing out the Zangetsu Ridewatch, slotting it in.
[FINAL WEAPON TIME: Z-Z-Z-ZANGETSU!]
[HINAWATENGA-DJ-JU!]
Roze gained the lettering for the Hinawatenga-DJ-Ju on her chest before she grabbed the weapon as it appeared in front of her. Setting the dial to high she scratched the turntable before firing rapid blasts of energy out at Superior while walking forward.
Superior yelled further and continued to fire his bullets from his machine gun arm, the bullets clashing against the energy blasts. Slowly but surely however, his enhanced bullets were slowly being overwhelmed. He could only gasp as the energy blasts fully overwhelmed him, sparks flying as he was sent staggering backwards.
Roze rushed in, switching the dial to the low setting and taking aim as she closed in. Right as Superior turned she pressed the weapon against his chest and unleashed a cannon-like blast point blank.
"Agh!" Superior yelled out as he was thrown backwards, his Ganma Parka burning away as he reverted into a Ganma Superior state, having also lost his silver coat in the process. He hissed out before charging forward, "You'll pay for that!"
Roze watched as Superior ran towards her, dismissing her gun as she loaded in a new Ridewatch.
[FINAL WEAPON TIME: C-C-C-CROSS-Z!]
[TWIN BREAKER! ATTACK MODE!]
[CROSS-Z MAGMA KNUCKLE!]
Roze gained both of Ryuga's upgraded weapons, holding the Twin Breaker in her left hand while she gripped the Magma Knuckle with her right. Superior punched at her chest once, barely making an impact due to the Rose Armor offering more protection. Roze immediately punched back and struck Superior in the chest with the Magma Knuckle, forcing him to stagger.
Superior rushed in again sending several punches at Roze, but none of his punches even affected her as she walked forward. Superior gasped as he was struck in the gut by the Twin Breaker, his side getting struck by a follow-up kick before his chest and head got pounded into by the Magma Knuckle.
"W-What's this strength?!" Superior gasped out.
"Don't think I'm going to forgive you easily for hurting Penny," Roze growled out as she tapped the Rose Watch's main button.
[C-C-C-CROSS-Z! FINAL ATTACK TIME BLAST!]
Roze gathered blue flames in the Twin Breaker as the Cross-Z Dragon appeared attached to it in its active state. She gave a yell and performed an uppercut, a fiery blue eastern dragon being unleashed against Superior. The Dragon lunged in and bit into the Ganma enhanced Time Jacker, dragging him up into the air.
Roze then leapt upwards, the Magma Knuckle erupting with fiery wisps as the Dragon Magma Fullbottle was formed in the bottle slot. With a mighty yell, Roze slammed the Magma Knuckle against Superior who yelled out.
The transformed Time Jacker crashed into the ground, sparks flying from his suit before he exploded. Out of the explosion came the various Ganma Eyecon's he held, the trinkets shattering. Roze meanwhile removed the Cross-Z Ridewatch to dismiss her Final Weapon Time.
"N-No… way…" Uhr coughed out.
Night Rogue turned in surprise, "Uhr!"
"Pay attention!" Kikai II called out.
Night Rogue quickly turned only to gasp out as an onslaught of ice versions of Floating Array rained down upon her in an instant. She braced against the attacks, planning to fly off when she felt heavier and colder. She looked and gave a gasp as the ice swords that hit had impacted and froze the wings of her Night Rogue suit. She was so in shock she wasn't paying attention to a yell, Kikai II smashing through one of the wings and sending Night Rogue hurtling to the ground.
Kikai II began to float downwards, landing before turning as she saw her opponent hit the ground, the last intact wing of the Night Rogue suit shattering as well.
Night Rogue nearly screamed out as she stood up, drawing out her Transteam Gun and Steam Blade, "Why?!"
"Penny," Roze quickly hurried over to the fight and held up her arm, "Let's finish this."
"Right," Kikai II said as she bumped arms with Roze, the two Riders charging forward.
"You're not getting away with this!" Night Rogue yelled as she charged forward.
"That's what we should be saying to you!" Roze called out as Kikai II took the lead.
Kikai II ducked against a few slashes that Night Rogue had lashed out with, closing in and performing a combination of punches against the Pseudo-Riders chest. Roze immediately rushed in, swinging her foot forward and kicking Night Rogue back. Night Rogue shot at Roze who raised her arms to brace against the shots, small sparks flying but doing nothing else.
"Take this!" Kikai II rushed in for a couple of more punches, blocking a slash with her arm before unleashing a burst of wind to force Night Rogue back. This allowed Roze to leap forward, sending a powered up punch against Night Rogue's helmet.
Night Rogue could only cry out as she was thrown backwards by the assault, rolling along the ground.
"Let's finish this," Roze said as she initiated her finisher.
"Of course," Kikai II gave a nod as she went to initiate her finisher.
[FINISH TIME! ROSE!]
Kikai II began gathering electrified energy throughout her armor, boosting it with her Maiden powers as it began to gather in her right leg.
Roze meanwhile got in a kicking stance as red and white energy began to gather in her right shin and boot, a projection of a Final Attack Ride Card forming in front of Night Rogue. The two leapt forward before kicking at Night Rogue who braced for the attack, Kikai II's leg erupting with electricity alongside a whirlwind of air while red and white energy petals began flying off of Roze's boot.
[FULLMETAL THE END!]
[ATTACK TIME BLAST!]
The two kicked at the Final Attack Ride Card, both of them suddenly entering into it and vanishing as it flashed and turned silver. Night Rogue could only stare in confusion as she lowered her guard before hearing something behind her. She didn't have the chance to fully turn as in an instant another silver Final Attack Ride Card projection formed. Roze and Kikai II exited it mid kick, the two yelling out as they struck Night Rogue just as she turned. A burst of wind was unleashed, scattering white and red petal projections everywhere.
Night Rogue yelled out as she was thrown backwards, the energy building against her suit before it exploded outwards. The Time Jacker rolled out of the explosion as her transformation shattered, the Transteam Gun and Fullbottles she had clattering as they shattered and broke, releasing smoke.
(Insert End)
"They did it!" Zi-O called out as he pumped his fist before dismissing his transformation.
"Thank goodness…" Weiss sighed in relief.
"All's well that ends well," Shotaro said.
"Indeed," W gave a nod before dismissing his transformation.
"It looks like whatever equipment they were using wasn't sturdy either," Blake noted.
"Good, then that means fewer problems for us," May said as she went to lean on her staff.
"No way…" Ora coughed out in shock.
"Leave," Roze glared behind her helmet as she took a step forward, "Now."
Ora looked over to Uhr who shook his head. She clicked her tongue in annoyance before both she and Uhr vanished from everyone's view.
Roze relaxed a bit as she slumped slightly, dismissing her transformation as she held a tired smile. Kikai II meanwhile let out a light yelp as the armor dismissed itself automatically, the Kikai Miridewatch returning to her hand.
"I must admit that utilizing that form without my weapon was odd," Penny said.
"Yeah, it takes some getting used to," Ruby said, "But given that was a onetime thing you won't have to worry about feeling odd while fighting anymore."
"Excellent work Miss Rose, Miss Polendina," Woz said as he walked over alongside everyone else.
"Oh right, here you go Woz," Penny said with a smile as she held out the Miridewatch.
"Many thanks," Woz gave a bow before retrieving his Miridewatch.
"That was so cool Ruby!" Sougo called out as he moved closer, "You were able to bring out even stronger weapons than before."
"Thanks to Mom," Ruby admitted as she held up the Rose Ridewatch, "Feels weird getting another upgrade after so long."
"Well who knows, maybe your next upgrade will be sooner than you think," Summer said.
"I'd rather it not," Ruby sighed before slumping over, "Because someone feels the need to rejoice me now for some reason."
"What can I say," Woz adjusted his scarf, "The time between new forms is becoming rather sparse, and it feels odd to not rejoice as often."
"Of course it does…" Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Woz," Penny turned towards the vassal, "Would it be alright if you could let my father know that I am alright and that I won't be returning to Amity? If he needs to call me he can."
"Of course," Woz gave a nod, "I take it you've made your decision?"
"I have," Penny gave a nod before looking at everyone else, "I want to protect this world with my friends and their allies. It's going to be tough and dangerous, but I'm sure we can do it."
"Of course we can," Ruby said as wrapped her arms around one of Penny's arms, "I mean, we got Amity up after all that trouble and saved you right?"
"I'm pretty sure we'll be able to turn things around," Sougo agreed.
Penny couldn't help but smile as she saw everyone else smile and nod in affirmation. Her doubts that she once had were now melting away, and while she still wasn't sure of where to go in the long run, she felt reassured that standing by her friends was the best choice to make.
To Be Continued…
Next Time:
"I am not sure what I want to do after this."
"We've got hostiles incoming."
"I'm able to have a bit more influence…"
"For us to secure victory in the end, we need a King and Queen."
"You're going to regret laying even a single finger on them…"
Chapter 91: The Hunter and the Hunted
Author's Note: Well what can I say? I'm actually pretty big for Nuts and Dolts. So of course I was going to try my hardest to give Penny a better hand in this story. Part of that meant being an Another Rider instead of a virus and that has resulted in Ruby's new form which is basically her own version of Decade Armor!
Of course this isn't just like your usual Armor Time either. It syncs up both the Weapon Time and Ride abilities to bring out the strongest in a Rider's arsenal. Ruby also isn't just limited to final form weapons or one at a time either as demonstrated with her using Cross-Z.
Silver Roze was definitely odd to put first given it's a restyle of Zi-O II, but it was a good first point for an upgrade. Of course we get into a major one in which the true power of Kamen Rider Roze is utilized, her weapon versatility.
Speaking of restyles, I do want to touch on Kikai II briefly. Mostly that this was a last minute change to make Penny's Kikai different from the other two users in the story. Originally it was just supposed to be bright green eyes to match Penny's. This will make sense in due time however as future events is basically what made me decide to go this route with Kikai II.
One more additional update is that the Roze Gaiden Collection has updated with a new story involving Team Zi-O having their own fun times in the training room during V7.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next time, since it looks like Salem is likely to make a move what with Narutaki showing up and offering some assistance.