Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 95 – Clashes in the Shattered Sky
Woz was currently in a black void, though didn't seem to be moving while the clock that was normally with him was currently in front of him on the floor.
"As it is written in this book, Sougo Tokiwa embarks on a path which will lead him to become the overlord of time, Oma Zi-O," Woz narrated as he opened up his book, staring deeply at the pages, "To finish up this long grueling battle, my Overlord had us fight on numerous fronts. Now here I stand alongside my Overlord and his allies, facing down not only General Ironwood but the Grimm Queen that is Salem herself. But this is only the first half of the battle and one of the many battles taking place right now…"
He closed his book with a loud slam, "Oh dear, perhaps I've read too far…"
"Uh…"
Remnant – Atlas, CCT Tower Rooftop
"Woz, what are you doing?" Zi-O asked as he looked at his left shoulder.
"Yeah what's with you lately?" Geiz asked as Zi-O's right arm pointed towards the left.
"It is nothing to be concerned about," Woz said as Zi-O's left arm raised itself up, "For now I suggest we split up."
"Right," Zi-O said as he dismissed his transformation, Geiz appearing without his transformation from behind Sougo alongside Woz.
"So this…" Another Zi-O trailed in near shock as he looked around, "That's the power of Zi-O?"
"Geiz, and Woz," Sougo continued despite Another Zi-O not prompting him to, "Zi-O Trinity allows us to combine our powers together. It was all three of us that did that."
"Who cares about semantics at this point," Another Zi-O growled out as he drew out his blades, combining them together as he stared at Sougo, "Do you really believe your attack dealt with Salem?"
"I can answer that right now…"
A large piece of debris shattered as Salem was revealed to be unharmed, slowly but surely floating down to one of the pieces of debris floating towards the center. Her new barrier had defended her from being turned to stone alongside protecting her from the shockwaves from Trinity's kick.
"I figured it wouldn't," Sougo admitted as he looked up to address Salem, "But I wanted your biggest Grimm gone."
"Be that as it may you still haven't destroyed the entirety of my forces," Salem spread her arms out as dark clouds could be seen slowly encroaching in on the area. While Monstra was destroyed, most of the Tempests that had been brought with her were still around. She gave an invisible order for them to begin encroaching on Atlas Academy while the rest dealt with the Atlesian Flagships in the air. The stone debris of the destroyed Monstra also began to shake and crack before shattering, Grimm Liquid visibly dripping out as it began to form into Grimm.
"What the hell?" Another Faiz asked as she looked around.
"Hazel, Mercury, we're ending this now," Salem said in a calm but deadly voice as she looked down at everyone below her, "I will tear down this school from top to bottom so that I can get what I desire."
"Yes ma'am," Hazel said before looking over at Ozpin, "You're mine."
"Hazel, reconsider this…" Ozpin trailed as he got in a defensive stance.
"There's nothing to reconsider, you're going down," Hazel glared.
"Looks like I'm still on the winning side," Mercury spread his arms out as he looked at his old friend.
"You are severely underestimating these guys," Emerald said with narrowed eyes, "We've seen what they can do and you still think you can win?"
"Sorry to say but I'll be damned if I let either side win this war," Another Zi-O spat out as he stabbed his combined blades into the ground, looking around, "You all are in the way of my new rule, and I plan on dealing with everyone who stands in my way."
"Yeah, that won't be happening," Ruby called out as she prepared her Roze Ridewatch, "This endless war stops now."
"Right," Sougo nodded as he prepared Zi-O II, "I think we can do this."
"In this case I don't think that catchphrase works," Weiss sighed as she summoned her Chalice Arrow.
"Regardless, I am confident of our success," Woz replied.
"Kick the ass of two overbearing rulers with our friends?" Yang asked as she brought out both the Blizzard and Magma Knuckles, "Let's do this!"
"If we fight together we can do this," Blake agreed as she brought out her Gashacon Sparrow.
"Right, together," Summer gave a nod, drawing out her card alongside Tsukasa.
"Alright, alright I think we've got the gist of it," Tsukasa groaned out but smirked at the last second.
"I agree," Geiz said as he readied both the Geiz and Geiz Revive Ridewatches, already knowing his target, "Enough wasting time…"
[RIDER/FUTURE TIME!]
[KAMEN RIDE:]
"HENSHIN!"
[KAMEN RIDER~! (RIDER~!) ZI-O! (ZI-O!) ZI-O~! II!]
[REVE-VI-I-VE GORETSU~! GORETSU!]
[KAMEN RIDER WOZ! WOZ!]
[KAMEN RIDER ROZE!]
[DECADE!]
[ROSE!]
The five Riders stood with their allies on the rooftop as they were surrounded on all sides. Despite this they all stood confidently before rushing for their respective fights.
Remnant – Atlas Academy
A few students gasped out as they tripped over each other, an Another Agito moving towards them before it began to twitch uncontrollably. Before anything could happen further it was struck in the back by several energy arrows struck, an explosive blast happening soon after. The Another Agito exploded, revealing the broken remains of an Atlesian Knight as they fell out of the explosion.
"Get somewhere safe," Zangetsu-Shin said as she ran over, "We'll handle the monsters."
"And if you can, try and make sure everyone else is safe," Robyn said, smiling when she saw the students nod and take off, "Alright, I think we're doing well so far."
"Take this!" Necrom called out as he was behind the duo, slamming an Another Agito into a wall with a palm strike, sending it sliding to the ground as it lost its transformation, transforming it back to an Atlesian Soldier.
"It seems we're beginning to thin them out," Necrom said as he looked over while Rogue, Poppy and Zangetsu hurried over, "What should we do now?"
"You heard the explosion above us, right?" Zangetsu-Shin asked, "You four need to get up there and help them out, they've likely already started their end of the plan."
"Are you sure you two can handle the situation here?" Rogue asked.
"We'll manage," Zangetsu-Shin reassured as she brought out her Scroll and activated the map function for the school, handing it over to Zangetsu, "What matters now is that Ironwood is stopped and if we predicted right, he saw what we were doing with Salem and went to the top of the academy as a result."
"They could use all the help they could get," Robyn said, "Leave getting everything back in order to us."
"Alright," Zangetsu gave a nod, "We'll get going."
Both groups split off from each other, the Riders following the directions they were given while Robyn and Zangetsu-Shin went deeper into the school, the two eventually making it into the library where there were a few students and staff members.
Robyn and Zangetsu-Shin however were caught off guard by an odd sight. A few Another Agitos were just standing and twitching sporadically, before their eyes suddenly flashed blue, becoming heterochromatic as the right eye was red while the left was now blue.
"What?" Robyn asked.
The Another Rider clones yelled out as they began to attack the staff and students, some punching and striking at their prey. This was confusing due to the fact that they weren't trying to convert anyone anymore, and even more strange was they were now causing collateral damage on purpose.
"Something's wrong," Zangetsu-Shin said as she took aim with her Sonic Arrow and began firing at the Another Agitos to try and quell their assault, "Call Tsukuyomi, now!"
"On it," Robyn said, taking out her Faizphone X and making a call, "Tsukuyomi, you there?"
"Yeah, what's going on?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"The Another Agitos are acting strange," Robyn explained, "What are you doing right now?"
"I was trying to chase after Ironwood but they were too fast for me," Tsukuyomi said, "So I'm just helping out wherever I can."
"Tell her to get to Ironwood's office, someone must've taken control of the Another Agitos," Zangetsu-Shin called out.
"Right," Robyn nodded before explaining the situation.
"I'll head there right away!" Tsukuyomi said before hanging up.
Robyn soon heard her Scroll ring, ducking and kicking away an Another Agito before it was shot several times by Zangetsu-Shin. She quickly held out her Scroll and answered, "Penny?"
"Ms. Hill, I was told to assist in helping our team members at Atlas Academy," Penny said.
"Good, I have a favor I need you for then," Robyn said.
It didn't take long for Tsukuyomi to rush towards where she remembered the elevators were, figuring it would be best to take the most direct path to the Headmaster's Office. Eventually she made it to the main hallway where the elevators were. Going over to one she went to call one down before she heard growling.
A grouping of the Another Agito clones began to stalk towards her from the side all of them raising their arms as they got closer.
"Just great," Tsukuyomi hissed out as she brought out her Faizphone X in its gun mode.
"Hey punks, get a load of this!"
Tsukuyomi heard the sound of a loud trumpet, quickly holding the sides of her helmet with a wince at the volume of it. Numerous multi-colored Dust imbued shockwaves striking the group of Another Agito clones and blasting them away.
The perpetrator was Flynt Coal who had just used his trumpet weapon and Semblance, Killer Quartet, to multiply himself and send multiple elemental infused shockwaves against the Another Agito horde. It didn't take long for a rainbow trail to slide through as Neon Katt rushed in, using her Ice Dust infused nunchaku to strike at the various clones. The result was the clones starting to frost over at various points due to the hits.
"Leave this to us," Neon said, "You've got important Kamen Rider things to do, right?"
"Uh yes," Tsukuyomi nodded as she lowered her hands, surprised by the help, "Thank you."
"No problem," Flynt called out, "Just get going."
"Right," Tsukuyomi said as she heard a ding, the elevator opening up as she hurried inside of it, closing the door and pressing the button for the top floor.
The Another Agito clones began to groan and try and pick themselves up as Neon skated back to Flynt, their teammates Cobalt and Ivory running over to them.
"Alright team, let's do this," Flynt gave a smirk as they all got ready to fight off the clones.
Remnant – Mantle
"Something is seriously wrong!" Kanon Specter called out as she began batting and kicking away the Another Agito clones that came her way. Just like the ones in Atlas, the ones in Mantle had gotten affected too.
"Just duck!" Snipe called out as he slid into range, tapping the Gashacon Magnum's secondary button, charging up energy.
[BA KYUN!]
Kanon Specter quickly dropped down, performing a split while leaning forward as Taiga pulled the trigger, bursts of energy being launched out and striking the Another Rider clones all around her. Kanon Specter quickly got up and spun away as the Another Riders all fell down and exploded.
"Uh guys!" Proto Birth called out and pointed up various Teryx, Razorwings and even Manticores beginning to close in on their location, "Seems we're also attracting some Grimm!"
"Well that's why we've got Taiga!" Nico called as she ran onto the battlefield from the Crater entrance, Gamer Driver at the ready, "Taiga, switch!"
"Fine, but don't get too reckless," Snipe said as he removed his Gashat and tossed it at Nico, bringing out his Gashat Gear Dual, "Tactics No.50!"
Nico caught Bang Bang Shooting, slotting it in and opening up the Gamer Driver, "Henshin!"
[BA-BA-BANG! BANG-BA-BANG! (YOW!) BANG BANG SHOOTING!]
[DUAL UP! BANG BANG SIMULATIONS! HASSHIN!]
Snipe once more donned his battleship themed armor as he gave a yell, locking onto the incoming Grimm and firing at them. Nico meanwhile transformed into Kamen Rider Nico Snipe, twirling her Gashacon Magnum in her hand before aiming and firing at any Another Agito's that were getting too close for comfort.
"Ah, what are you doing?!" Beast called out as he hurried over towards Snipe, "They could've been my early breakfast!"
"Shut it!" Snipe called out, "You've gorged yourself enough from what I've heard!"
"Looks like things are starting to heat up," Kiva-la said, noticing the dark clouds that began to hover above Atlas, she looked down immediately, stabbing one Another Agito through their stomach before cutting through them to free her sword, the Another Agito reverting back to an Atlesian Knight before exploding.
"Then let's finish things up here," Chalice said as he sliced through an Another Agito as well.
A few Another Agito clones had leapt at the two to try and overwhelm them only for the grouping to get slammed into, the Auto Vajin knocking them away in its robot mode before it landed and skidded to a stop. It then began firing at a few of the other clones, managing to help assist Ryuki and Faiz who were off in their own corner.
"Thanks for the assist!" Ryuki gave a salute.
Faiz had slotted in the Axel Mission Memory into the Faiz Phone.
[COMPLETE!]
He flicked his wrist as his armor and coloring shifted into Axel Form, crouching forward as he held up his left arm that held the Axel watch, "Let's keep up this momentum."
Remnant – Atlas Medical Facility
"Okay… that should be it…"
"Yeah…"
"We're doing good, right?"
"Yes," Finis answered, staring at a group of medical assistants and technicians that were hovering over a table in one of the rooms of the medical facility, "I appreciate you all for helping us."
"Can… can we go?" A technician asked.
"You may," Finis said, smirking when they saw all of the technicians and medical assistants run off at those words. That left only two people in the room, Finis and the one on the table.
On it was Cinder who currently had a simplistic prosthetic that was similar to the one Yang had before she upgraded it in Atlas. It was currently a plain silver-white coloration but aside from the lack of color it seemed solid in design.
"Now then," Finis walked over and tapped Cinder on the head.
Cinder let out a groggy groan as she began to wake up, holding her head with her right hand. She shook her head a bit before feeling a new weight on her left side, looking over she saw her prosthetic, soon giving it her full attention and moving it around.
"Like it?" Finis asked.
"Yeah," Cinder said as she began to move it around in more complex ways, "This will do nicely."
"Good," Finis smirked, "Then we've got all we needed here."
Remnant – Atlas, CCT Tower Rooftop
The Tempests began to close in on the anti-gravity zone that was the top of Atlas Academy's CCT Tower, storm clouds beginning to cloud the area as red lightning and electricity flickered every now and again. At first the battles had started as a mess, everyone trying to get over the others to try and pick their opponents. Not to mention the fact that Grimm slowly but surely started to enter the arena, trying to attack anything that wasn't Salem or her allies.
Geiz and Hazel were both facing each other with everything they had, Geiz pushing Goretsu to its limits in regards to defense and power while Hazel utilized the embedded Dust Crystals for elemental enhanced attacks and defense. The result was both fighters hitting each other as hard as they could, managing to get each other to stagger just slightly as they tried to overtake each other on raw power alone.
"Why the hell are you so stupid?!" Geiz yelled out as he punched Hazel before giving a gasp as he was struck by an ice filled punch in the face.
"Why are you so blind?!" Hazel yelled out before giving a grunt as he was kicked in the stomach, "Ozpin doesn't deserve kindness, he deserves to die for what he's done!"
"He's made his fair share of mistakes, but even so!" Geiz yelled out as he kept pushing forward, using his Jaclaw to pierce through an incoming punch, forcing Hazel to step back, "You think Oscar deserves that? All the people whose lives you've thrown into disarray?! Quit acting like you're vengeance is worth the cost of the entire world!"
"Quit acting like it'll all be destroyed!" Hazel yelled out as he clasped his hands together, creating a giant elemental ball before slamming it down on Geiz, "Why would you ever think that?!"
[POWERERED NOKO!]
"Gathering the Relics brings the Gods back to Remnant!" Geiz yelled out as he immediately enhanced his Jaclaw and used its saw to cut and shatter the elemental ball. He began to pant, "And if humanity isn't united they'll destroy everything!"
"What?" Hazel asked.
"You think she wants a new world order, to rule over everything?" Geiz asked before scoffing, "It's as Ozpin said, she just wants to die and she's willing to take out this second iteration of humanity alongside her because she's just that spiteful and desperate into thinking it'll work."
An Ursa growled as it landed behind Geiz, lifting its front paws up only for Geiz to turn, slashing through Grimm with his saw. He turned back as the Grimm fell behind him, it falling over and dissolving as it had been killed.
[NOKO SETSUZAN!]
"You…" Hazel muttered.
"And if you think I'm about to let a world die, you're dead wrong," Geiz hissed out.
Another Zi-O had attempted to go after Salem and prove his powers but Zi-O had gotten in the way, both Weiss and Woz backing him up. The three had attempted to overwhelm the General with their numbers, hoping that both Zi-O and Weiss dual wielding would give them the edge they needed. But Another Zi-O had split apart his weapons, utilizing his Another Rider ability of Future Sight to block and dodge when needed.
"Stop getting in my way!" Another Zi-O yelled out as he batted away Weiss' strikes, he then stabbed forward only for Zi-O to get in the way, blocking his attack with the Zikan and Saikyo Girades.
Woz quickly stepped in by stabbing with his Despear and forcing Another Zi-O to take a few steps back from both Zi-O and Weiss.
"I'd rather you not get too comfortable," Woz said as he brandished his weapon, stepping between Another Zi-O and the two, "Today is the advent of my Overlord's victory."
"Like hell I'm letting anyone but me win this," Another Zi-O hissed out as he charged forward.
That was until a Beringel dropped down between everyone, the four combatants having to scatter as the Beringel gave a roar and pounded its chest.
[BIO!]
Weiss' Chalice Arrow was thrust forward, vines lashing out and wrapping out around the arms to keep the Beringel in place. She then held out Myrtenaster, forming a Glyph and unleashing her Hard-Light Dust, several swirling beams of energy piercing through the vital points of the Grimm, it slumping forward and dissolving.
"This is getting too hectic," Weiss narrowed her eyes.
"All the more reason to end this soon," Woz said.
A few Beowolves landed and were just about to start moving when Another Zi-O charged forward, slashing through them while making his way towards Weiss and Woz.
[SAIKYO FINISH TIME!]
"Not so fast!" Zi-O closed in, lunging out with his combined weapon the Saikyo Zikan Girade, though the Zi-O Face wasn't in Best Face mode. The blade began to shine with a pink energy as it closed in on Another Zi-O.
[RIDER GIRI GIRI SLASH!]
Another Zi-O barely managed to sidestep, the blade just grazing his stomach as he used his swords to bat the weapon away. He then spun as he held his weapons up in defense.
"How long do you think you can keep this up?" Another Zi-O asked.
"As long as it takes to beat you," Zi-O called out.
[KAMEN RIDE: DRIVE!]
Another Faiz shouted as she had leapt up, using her speed to drop down and kick at Decade who had just shifted forms into Kamen Rider Drive. (D)Drive's body became a blurred red as he sped away from the attack, Another Faiz's kick having smashed part of the ground up.
"I suppose it's time for me to try and keep up," (D)Drive remarked.
"Or you could just turn yourself in," Another Faiz remarked as she got in a crouched state, "Make it easier for Atlas to keep peace."
"The Atlas of today is going to be destroyed," (D)Drive gripped his hand tightly, "You should accept that."
"So you all admit it finally!" Another Faiz yelled out as she rushed towards (D)Drive who sped out of the way, a blue blur trail occurring as he did. She then sped off after him, "All you Riders want to do is tear down the Kingdom we worked so hard to defend! Well I won't let you!"
"You're misunderstanding," (D)Drive called out as he continued to use his high speed to dodge against Another Faizs attacks before holding his hands out when she punched forward, catching both of her fists, "Before creation comes destruction, you ever hear of that?"
"What's your point?" Another Faiz growled out as she tried to push forward.
"My point…" (D)Drive kicked her in the gut before he leapt back, "Is that it's time for Atlas to enter a new age, and that means dethroning Ironwood."
"Like I'll let you get in the way of peace and justice," Another Faiz hissed out.
"Human life is the most important part of a world," (D)Drive answered as he got in a crouched stance, leaning forward, "Peace and justice are meaningless if human life isn't considered alongside them."
"Honestly!" Mercury called out as he spun, kicking out at Emerald who blocked with her bladed handguns. He gave a yelp as he was pushed away, hopping back a bit to regain his balance, "What do you even hope to accomplish?!"
"I should be asking you that!" Emerald called out as she began to run towards the side, suddenly vanishing before numerous clones of her began surrounding Mercury.
"You could have just run away!" Mercury called out as he began attacking the clones to no avail, the clones closing in as he got cut a few times from a likely invisible Emerald, "Without Cinder here there's nothing for you and you had the perfect chance to! But you decided to come back!"
Emerald had attempted to attack him from behind while using her illusions only for Mercury to kick her in the stomach, having managed to see past her trick just barely. She coughed out as she began backing away from Mercury trying to attack her with fast kicks. She then managed to make herself invisible to Mercury just as he had leapt up to perform an axe kick at her.
Mercury slammed his boot into the ground, not surprised that Emerald dodged and covered her tracks. He was ready to turn when he was tripped up, giving a wince as he was slammed on his back before he felt something on him. Emerald soon revealed herself, the blades of her weapon crossed as they were near his neck.
"I came back to get you, you idiot!" Emerald yelled out as she began to tear up, "Play the "it's too late" card all you want. That's not going to stop me from dragging you away from all this even if you kick and scream! You're only this deep in because you think there isn't another way out but there is!"
"You really think those guys can win against them?" Mercury asked, looking up towards the debris that were floating all around higher up, watching as the remaining fighters battled Salem in the floating arena.
"Of course they can," Emerald replied, "They may get beaten down, suffer a few losses. But they're currently the only ones with any shot at winning this."
Salem was currently attempting to deal with Roze, Rose, Blake, Yang and Oscar who had taken back control from Ozpin. Her shield had managed to remain strong as she continued to launch out multi-elemental magic blasts at her opponents. Of course it was easier said than done as the center of the gravity field had become a vortex of debris, all huddled and circling around. Her opponents were using them as platforms, shields, alongside utilizing the low gravity to their advantage.
"Keep at it!" Roze called out as she readied her Tajador Combo Ridewatch, "Try from every angle!"
"Right," Rose called out as she brought out a Weapon Ride Card.
[TAJADOR COMBO! WEAPON TIME! TAJA SPINNER!]
[WEAPON RIDE: HAWK GATLINGER!]
Bursts of fire and rapid fired bullets began striking from two different angles, the barrier Salem had forming to defend against them. However arrows began striking against it from another angle as Blake was using a higher up piece of debris while firing off her Gashacon Sparrow.
Oscar gave a yell as he dropped down behind Salem, rolling and performing rapid jabs at the shield, trying to hit a specific spot to try and pierce through only to no avail.
"Ozma my beloved…" Salem turned with a smile, "What did you hope to gain from forcing me in this position?"
"One, he's letting me take control for now, also ew," Oscar made a bit of a face as he continued to strike at the barrier alongside the others, "And you really don't get it do you?"
"Don't get what?" Salem asked.
"It may have been you and Ozpin before but now there's a new player," Oscar replied, "That's the reason we're at this point right now."
"That meddling Rider who got in my way all those years ago…" Salem narrowed her eyes.
"Nope," Yang quickly dropped in and began rapidly punching a section of the barrier that wasn't being attacked, glad to see her sticky ammo had stayed stuck to it. She hopped back before clenching her fists tighter, an explosion occurring and obscuring Salem's vision via smoke.
[DIAMOND! GLACIAL KNUCKLE!]
Yang had charged into the smoke, reeling her right arm back with the Blizzard Knuckle in place, an icy diamond coating being formed as she slammed it against the barrier. She tried to push further and further, the barrier giving a creaking sound from all the punishment it was receiving.
"Enough!" Salem called out as her Grimm Glyphs appeared around Oscar and Yang, Shadow Hands lashing out and holding the two down.
Roze gasped, "Yang!"
Salem held a bored look as she watched Oscar and Yang struggle against the Shadow Hands, soon bringing out magical energy within her hands and gathering more.
[ZANGETSU! WEAPON TIME! MELON DEFENDER!]
In a burst of roses, Roze slammed into the ground between Salem and her friends in a kneeling position thanks to Petal Burst, quickly initiating her finisher.
[FINISH TIME! MELON TIME BLAST!]
Roze braced with her shield as an energy projection formed right as Salem unleashed a powerful stream of magic. The stream of magic clashed against the shield as Roze struggled to hold it back.
Yang's eyes widened at this, "Ruby!"
[ATTACK RIDE: SHINE!]
Rose immediately dropped down nearby with white streaks being seen as the Shadow Hands were cut through completely, dissolving.
Rose then sheathed her blade, grabbing Oscar and Yang before holding them close, "Now!"
Roze immediately let go of the shield and initiated Petal Burst, wrapping her, her mother, her sister, and Oscar in a flurry of holographic red petals. The trail of petals shot upwards and avoided the stream of magic that broke through the shield, the petals climbing higher before finding a large enough rock platform to land on, Roze reforming with the others nearby.
"You guys okay?" Roze asked.
"Yeah," Rose gave a nod.
"But we aren't any closer to breaking that barrier," Oscar said, "Ozpin, you got anything?"
'There is one method… though that would result in expending a lot of unneeded energy, which would also increase the merge,' Ozpin admitted in his hosts mind.
"Not what I wanted to hear…" Oscar sighed.
"Actually, when I was close up I heard a weird sound," Yang admitted, "It sounded like the barrier was starting to strain."
"It was?" Roze asked before putting a hand to her chin, realizing that the silver light blast and Trinity's attack might have been factors in the barrier starting to strain like this, "Then we need something with an insane amount of firepower to break it."
"But what has…" Yang snapped her fingers, "That's it… we won't have Weiss but I think we can use Silver Roze's ultimate finisher on her."
"You're right," Roze gave a nod, "That should work."
"Guys, get moving!" Blake called out from the side, causing everyone to turn towards her before looking around.
"I think you all have taken enough of a break," Salem called out as she held up her hands, one of the dormant Grimm pools in the debris forming a King Taijitu that began to stretch and lunge towards the four.
Roze immediately drew out Silver Roze, "Chou-Henshin!"
[KAMEN RIDER~! (RIDER~!) SILVER! (SILVER!) SILVER~! ROZE!]
A flash of light occurred causing the King Taijitu head to reel back before it began hissing out as blasts of white light began striking it at a rapid pace.
[RYOSHI SASU!]
Roze had immediately drawn Silver Crescent after she transformed, laying into the King Taijitu with silver blast after silver blast until it began to dissolve.
"Change armor as many times as you want, you cannot break this barrier," Salem spread her arms, not knowing that the ring she held had a small crack in it.
"We should try and make it not too obvious," Oscar muttered.
"Yeah, let's keep to our original strategy for a bit," Yang agreed in a low voice.
"Oscar and I will handle the last part of the distractions," Rose whispered back.
"Then let's do this," Roze said as she held up her rifle.
Remnant – Atlas Academy, Ironwood's Office
Another Quiz chuckled as he began looking through the systems.
"Now that I've completely turned his special forces on him…" Another Quiz trailed as he began cycling through holographic projections, "Let's start with disabling some key features."
"Hold it right there!" Tsukuyomi called out as she quickly ran into the office and aimed her Faizphone X before giving a light gasp, "Another Quiz?"
"I have a name you know," Another Quiz sighed as he dismissed the projected screens and stood up, "But it is nice to finally meet one of you Kamen Riders in the flesh. I'm Arthur Watts."
"Just what are you trying to do?" Tsukuyomi asked as she kept her weapon trained on the Another Rider.
"I want to watch Atlas burn, I've already turned those Another Riders Ironwood's using as an army against everyone," Another Quiz explained as he stepped out from behind the desk, hands behind his back, "I was hoping to disable communications, cause a few power outages, etc… but you're getting in my way."
"Yeah, I won't let that happen," Tsukuyomi called out as she fired off a few blasts at Another Quiz who held up his hands and defended with Hard-Light hexagonal barriers, "What?"
"These integrate into this form quite well," Another Quiz flexed his fingers as he began breaking apart the hexagonal barriers and enlarging the hexagons themselves before charging them with electricity.
"Oh no…" Tsukuyomi muttered as she saw the multitude of electrified hard-light hexagons being launched her way. She quickly threw her hand out, freezing time before rolling into a clearer portion of the office, time resuming as the projectiles slammed into the walls.
"Like that'll help you, I think I've obtained a good handling of this form," Another Quiz chuckled as he held a finger to his head, "True or False, The Faunus foolishly lost the Battle of Fort Castle."
"I… wait," Tsukuyomi paused at the sudden question, "What?"
"The answer is false," Another Quiz said.
Tsukuyomi gasped as she received electric shocks, her armor sparking as she staggered. As a result she wasn't prepared for an electric blast courtesy of Another Quiz, yelling out as she was thrown through the office doorway, falling down the stairs.
"Time to finish you off and then study that belt," Another Quiz said as he went to follow only to see a strange glint in the sky from the window behind the Headmaster's Desk. He walked closer before giving a light gasp, a green of beam energy piercing through the window and striking him, sparks flew as the beam slammed him against one of the office walls.
"That is enough!" Penny called out as she landed on the desk in the office, glaring at Another Quiz, "You will not hurt anyone anymore!"
"Well if it isn't the magical science puppet…" Another Quiz coughed as he held his chest, "Of course you of all things would give me issues."
Tsukuyomi meanwhile groaned as she heard Penny's voice. She quickly switched her Faizphone X into phone mode, making a call and hearing the sounds of battle once it was received, "Sougo?"
"Tsukuyomi, what's up?" Zi-O asked before giving a yelp as he seemingly dodged something.
"Sorry to bother you, but we've got an issue," Tsukuyomi said, "Watts is Another Quiz and he's made all the Another Agito clones go rogue. He plans on using his Another Rider powers to tear apart Atlas' systems and I could use some backup. Especially since we still need to find the Prime Another Agito."
"Got it, I'll send Woz to get our backups and he'll get you the help you need right away," Zi-O said before giving a light gasp as he staggered back, "Good luck!"
"Right," Tsukuyomi said as the call ended, holding her chest as she picked herself up. She turned at the sounds of fighting she heard coming from the office as Penny was now confronting Another Quiz.
Remnant – Atlas Academy
"Get back here!"
Another Kuuga's yells echoed through Atlas' Academy's halls as Clover, Kuuga and Qrow ran through them. The three were trying to make their way to a more open area since the Medical Wing didn't give them much room to fight, and the hallways weren't the best either.
"Right here," Clover called out as he quickly turned a corner, running into the cafeteria with Kuuga and Qrow not far behind, "This'll work."
"Lots of tables but much better," Qrow admitted as he brought out Harbinger in its sword form.
"Get ready," Kuuga said as he moved his arms forward in a defensive stance, hearing the stomps of his Another Rider counterpart coming closer, "He's here."
"Oh there you all are…" Another Kuuga used his larger form to smash his way into the cafeteria, giving a yell before launching fireballs at the trio, all of them dodging in whatever way they could, "I'll deal with the two who escaped my grasp back in the Solitas Tundra. Then I'll find the little birdie that was with you alongside that armored brat… and slaughter them…"
"Like we'll let that happen," Kuuga said as he dodged out of the way of another fireball, it breaking a table as he got an idea, "Chou-Henshin!"
Transforming into Dragon Form he quickly rolled towards the destroyed table, grabbing one of the supports that held it together and ripping it off from the table. He then twirled it around, forming the Dragon Rod.
"Just what are you-" Another Kuuga was cut off as he was shot a few times, sparks occurring on his mouth Clover having aimed and shot at him.
It didn't take long for Qrow to get in from behind, leaping onto Another Kuuga's back and slashing at it a few times before leaping away. Another Kuuga had turned allowing Kuuga to rush in using Dragon Forms speed to perform quick strikes past Another Kuuga, managing to force the Another Rider to stumble.
"I'm not about to let another monstrous version of this power roam around," Kuuga called out before moving in again to strike further.
Remnant – Atlas, CCT Tower Rooftop
It didn't take long for some Flying Grimm to get in on the action, a few Manticores had flown in as they were already in the area while several Sabyr Grimm had formed to try and overwhelm the combatants on the ground. Despite this the combatants in the three fights on ground level managed to keep the Grimm from blindsiding them.
Of course Zi-O used this chance to meet up with Weiss and Woz, the three watching as Another Zi-O's deteriorating mental state increased the likelihood of the Grimm being attracted to fight him.
"Woz, you need to go get our backup," Zi-O said, "Tsukuyomi needs help."
"Are you sure my Overlord?" Woz asked.
"We can handle this," Weiss reassured.
"Yeah, we can," Zi-O agreed with a nod, "And see if you can split them up a bit, we need the Grimm creating these storms gone."
"Understood," Woz said as he dismissed his transformation before using his scarf to warp himself away.
"Now then…" Zi-O trailed as he readied his Saikyo Zikan Girade, "Let's go Weiss."
"Right, the others are fighting their hardest so we should as well," Weiss said as she readied both of her weapons. Despite her focus on Another Zi-O however, she was trying to keep tabs on the fights around her.
(D)Drive and Another Faiz were continuing their high speed battle. Though Another Faiz's speed was starting to tap into Another Faiz's latent abilities, boosting it further and allowing her to outpace (D)Drive briefly.
Geiz meanwhile let out a light pant as he crossed his arms, skidding backwards from another elemental ball that Hazel had launched at him. He ended up pressing his back up against (D)Drive who had staggered back. The two glanced at each other and saw their opponents closing in on them.
"How about we finish them off in one go?" (D)Drive asked.
"Sounds good to me," Geiz gave a nod, "Just try and line them both up."
"I think I can do that," (D)Drive said before drawing out a card and sliding it in.
[KAMEN RIDE: KABUTO!]
Hexagon pulsations began coating his body as he gained a simplistic black bodysuit with silver armoring, his chest and shoulders being a shiny red with the helmet resembling a Kabuto beetle's horn, two bright blue compound eyes shining through.
"Go into any form you want!" Another Faiz called out as she leapt forward and kicked towards (D)Kabuto at high speeds.
"I'll crush all three of you in this instant!" Hazel yelled out as he clasped his hands together, creating a giant slab made of rock, ice, and hard-light, electricity, wind, and fire crackling around it.
Geiz prepared his Zikan Jaclaw, loading in the Revive Ridewatch, red energy gathering in the saw as it began to spin.
[HYPER CLOCK UP!]
[ZIKAN JACK!]
(D)Kabuto became a red blur in an almost instant, Another Faiz was struck multiple times in a near instant, being slammed and dragged across the ground and being thrown in between Hazel and Geiz. Once she was in the path, the elemental slab was broken in half before Hazel was struck all over in mere seconds, the Dust Crystals embedded in him being pulled out and tossed aside as he was shoved into Another Faiz's path, the two colliding with each other.
[FINAL ATTACK RIDE: K-K-K-KABUTO!]
(D)Kabuto's form appeared in an instant, his back facing Hazel's as Geiz lunged forward with his Jaclaw. The high speed Rider immediately spun back and performed a roundhouse kick against Hazel, energy crackling and striking Hazel directly in the back.
[SUPER NOKO SETSUZAN!]
Geiz yelled out and slammed his Jaclaw into Another Faiz's gut, the saw growing large and large in shape before exploding out. Hazel and Another Faiz screamed out, the two falling out of the explosion with their Auras shattered, the Faiz Anotherwatch clattering to the ground and breaking.
Both Harriet and Hazel had tried to keep moving but could only shift slightly before they fell flat on their backs, falling unconscious.
"No way…" Mercury's eyes went wide from where he was, "They completely dominated Hazel and that chick…"
"See what I mean?" Emerald asked as she removed herself from Mercury, stepping away before holding out a hand, "It's not too late."
Mercury simply looked to the side but stayed lying where he was, not willing to accept Emerald's hand while also seemingly not wanting to fight anymore.
"Harriet!" Another Zi-O called out before giving a gasp as a Gravity Glyph from Weiss forced him to his knees, he kept grip of his weapon however as he watched Zi-O close in, "You all… you all ruin everything!"
Zi-O yelled out as he brought down his Saikyo Zikan Girade, only to be surprised by a sudden burst of dark energy from the Another Rider that forced him back.
Another Zi-O's eyes flashed a bright purple as he broke free of the Gylph, shattering it. He slashed at Zi-O, forcing the Rider to switch his stance up to try and defend. Of course the Another Rider used that to his advantage, pushing past Zi-O's sudden defense and slashing the Rider in the chest, sparks flying.
Weiss winced as the feedback from her Glyph being destroyed caused her to stagger. Her eyes widened however when she saw Zi-O get dealt a heavy hit like that. Without taking in her surroundings she rushed forward without hesitation, "Sougo!"
A Beowolf had just spawned from a small pool of Grimm Liquid to the immediate right of her current path. It howled out and swung, managing to strike her and causing her to scream out as her Aura flickered.
Zi-O held his chest before hearing the scream, turning back as his eyes widened beneath his mask.
"None of you will get in the way of my rule!" Another Zi-O yelled out as his energy began to grow further and further, energy gathering in his blades as he combined them into their naginata state.
Zi-O looked between Another Zi-O and Weiss, noticing that she was struggling to get up as Grimm were also nearby her. He didn't need to look into the future to know what he needed to know next, he simply ran as fast as he could while preparing his Saikyo Zikan Girades finisher.
[SAIYKO FINISH TIME!]
Another Zi-O yelled out as he spun forward, unleashing deep purple waves of energy outwards. The Grimm nearby him and even further away were cut through as several slashes hurtled towards the just barely recovering Weiss.
Weiss let out a gasp, just barely aiming the Chalice Arrow up as she fumbled to try and draw her Reflect Card to defend herself.
[KING GIRI GIRI SLASH!]
Zi-O slid in front of Weiss, energy just barely erupting out of his sword as he clashed against the waves of energy that were heading their way. He yelled out and swung forward and dispersed the energy, only to let out a light cry of pain as the force behind the attacks had hit his arms, his armor sparking as he lost grip of his weapon.
Weiss' eyes began to shake when she saw this, "SOUGO!"
Zi-O gave a light gasp as he fell to his knees in front of Weiss, his arms going limp briefly though he was able to keep his transformation stable.
"Perfect," Another Zi-O began to approach, "I'll finish you off right-"
[SPEED TIME! REVI-I-VE SHI-PPU! SHIPPU!]
Geiz immediately appeared in front of Another Zi-O in his Shippu Form, clawing out and striking the Another Rider in the chest. Sparks flew from Another Zi-O as he stepped back, with Decade closing in, performing a spinning kick to force the Another Rider back further.
"If you thought we'd stay put you're wrong," Decade wagged his finger, "Though one of us should really call it quits."
"I can do this all day," Geiz panted, "I'm not collapsing till we've won."
"Fine, be like that then," Decade shrugged before charging towards Another Zi-O, Geiz becoming a blur and speeding past him.
"Sougo," Weiss called out as she quickly managed to scoot around to face him, "Sougo!"
"Oh good," Zi-O let out a tired chuckle as he put a hand on Weiss' shoulder, "You're safe."
"You dolt," Weiss playfully smacked her friends chest armor, her eyes beginning to water, "Why did you do that? Zi-O II can rewind time remem-"
"I didn't want to have to resort to that," Zi-O interrupted, "Not for you, never for you, so I did it the hard way."
"What?" Weiss asked as her heart skipped a beat, "Sougo, what are you saying?"
"Weiss… I…" Zi-O held his Driver before removing it, dismissing his transformation as he smiled, "Weiss there's something I need to tell you."
"Sougo what are you doing?" Weiss let out a light gasp as she looked around, "Do you have any idea where we are? Why are you…?"
Her thoughts were immediately frozen when Sougo put a hand on her cheek.
"Weiss…" Sougo gave a gentler smile, "Listen, I have something I need to tell you, and while I'm confident we can win, I don't want to risk not telling you if something does happen somehow."
"I-I… O-Okay…" Weiss managed to stammer out with a light blush just barely managing to regain her composure, "What is it?"
"Zi-O II can rewind time, but I'd never want to use that to save you because I want to save you in the present," Sougo explained as he could feel the nervousness starting to fade, maybe it was the fatigue from battle, maybe it was the urgency of the situation, but he could finally say it, "It's because, Weiss…"
"…I love you."
Weiss was at a loss of words when she heard this, but everything made sense to her finally as she realized her feelings for Sougo were more than just a simple friendship. Her going above and beyond to help him in school, saving him from Hiryu, and even his presence helping her relax in the one place on Remnant she dreaded returning to the most… she felt the same way.
"Sougo," Weiss gave a smile as she put a hand on his shoulder while gripping the wrist of his hand that was cupping her face, "I love you too."
Time seemingly froze for them, but not in the usual way of a Time Jacker, Tsukuyomi or even a Rider doing it. No, it was in this moment that everything was at peace. It was serene to the point that they had forgotten there was a raging storm around them with battles for the fate of Remnant taking place near and above them. The two had finally confronted each other about their feelings and were absolutely elated to see that they both felt the same way about each other. It felt like the moment could go on forever.
"Okay, you know I get this is a tender moment!" Geiz yelled out as he landed near the two in a crouched state, having pulled back to recover a bit, "But we have bigger issues than your romantic feelings!"
Sougo and Weiss suddenly remembered where they were and scrambled away from each other as they turned into blushing messes, the red of their blushes so bright that it'd put Kamen Rider Drive to shame.
"I uh…" Weiss said before clearing her throat, "We should get back to fighting!"
"Yeah, yeah," Sougo gave a nod as he hastily placed his Ziku Driver back on his waist, shakily slotting in Zi-O II, "We totally should."
"You two are hopeless," Geiz shook his head before zooming back towards Decade's fight with Another Zi-O.
"You know he could have had better decorum," Weiss huffed.
"Well you know Geiz is blunt," Sougo chuckled, "Hey Weiss…"
Weiss glanced over, "What?"
"I think I can handle this with Geiz and Tsukasa for now," Sougo said before looking up, "But I think your team could use your help."
"Are you sure about this?" Weiss asked, "I mean, after what happened…"
"I know," Sougo looked down with a smile, "I'll be worried, but I realize that if you're with your team, you guys are unbeatable. So I'll finish up Ironwood while you guys deal with Salem."
"Fine, but make sure you come back alive, alright?" Weiss asked, "No more crazy stunts."
"No promises," Sougo said with a big goofy grin.
"I suppose that's the best I can do," Weiss sighed but smiled as she looked up, preparing Myrtenaster as she brought out a summoning Glyph. She looked back at Sougo who initiated his transformation.
[KAMEN RIDER~! (RIDER~!) ZI-O! (ZI-O!) ZI-O~! II!]
With that announcement, Zi-O ran forward, gripping both Zikan and Saikyo Girades while Weiss had summoned her Queen Lancer, hopping on it and flying upwards. The two filled with a new feeling of determination as they went to assist their friends.
Remnant – Atlas Academy, Ironwood's Office
Penny shrieked out as she was slammed against the wall of the office, electrical sparks coming off of her as Another Quiz had managed to land a direct hit on her.
"Now then… I suppose I could use the Relic for my own means," Another Quiz mused as he stroked his chin, "I'll disable you further and then reprogram you directly to make up for my failure from before."
"Like hell you will!" Tsukuyomi yelled out as Another Quiz suddenly froze in place, she gave a yell and spun, yellow energy trailing off of her foot as she kicked out and struck Another Quiz in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground, "Penny are you alright?"
"I-I am," Penny twitched a bit as she held her chest, managing to stand up, "Are you alright?"
"Just needed a breather," Tsukuyomi replied.
"Do not worry, the relief has come in," Woz's voice was heard as a grey scarf began spiraling around out of nowhere, it lifting up to reveal Woz with Shoichi, Sento and Ryuga.
"You guys," Tsukuyomi spoke up.
"I suppose it's time for us to start pulling our weight," Sento called out before giving a frown, "Especially with evil scientists like this man."
"Hell yeah," Ryuga punched the palm of his hand.
"What?" Another Quiz questioned, "More interruptions?"
"Mr. Tsugami, if you could," Woz said.
"Of course… henshin!" Shoichi summoned his Alter Ring before striking a pose and rushing forward, in an instant the armor of Agito Ground Form appeared over him as he began punching and kicking at Another Quiz who moved back to defend himself.
"Young Tsukuyomi," Woz said, "You and Agito are to go and deal with the Another Agito army permanently. We'll handle things here."
"If you're sure," Tsukuyomi said, "But why is Shoichi fighting Watts then?"
"To give us the necessary time," Woz said before looking over to Penny, "Ms. Polendina, we need your help."
"You do?" Penny asked as she walked over.
"Woz told us that we need to go all out," Sento soon held up the Genius Fullbottle alongside the Rabbit and Dragon Fullbottles, "But we can't do that without your help."
"I still don't think it'll work," Ryuga crossed his arms.
"What do I need to do?" Penny asked.
"Concentrate your magic into these devices," Woz gestured to the items that Sento held, "The Fullbottles will do the rest of the work."
"Wait, what?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Alright, let's see," Penny closed her eyes and held her hands over the Fullbottles before opening her eyes, green flames appearing over them while green sparks of energy began erupting from her fingers and palms. The Fullbottles began reacting to the energy that Penny was emitting while shaking before pulsating in the same green coloration. The Rabbit Bottle suddenly flashed gold while the Dragon Bottle flashed Silver.
The bottles lifted upwards before spiraling around each other, green electricity crackling and linking them together. It didn't take long before the three shot towards each other in a green flash, creating a black version of the Sparkling Can with Rabbit and Dragon eyes on the front.
"The bottles…" Tsukuyomi trailed.
"I did that…?" Penny asked.
"Looks like I was right," Woz smiled, "Any sort of otherworldly magic will work even if it's not of the Martian variety."
"Now… let's begin our last experiment on this world," Sento said as he shook the can and popped the tab open before slotting it into his empty Build Driver.
[CROSS-ZBUILD!]
Sento began turning the crank of the Build Driver, everyone but Ryuga backing away as the Snap Builder formed around the two, the result being Ryuga trapped inside with Sento.
"Wait, Ryuga?" Tsukuyomi asked.
[ARE YOU READY?]
"I will never be ready for this…" Ryuga sighed while putting his hands on his hips.
"Henshin!" Sento called out as he adopted a fighting stance before moving his arms to his sides. It didn't take long for the two body halves the Snap Builder formed to slam inwards, catching both Sento and Ryuga in them as they combined to form one armor.
[RABBIT! DRAGON! BE THE ONE! CROSS-ZBUILD! YEAHHH! YEAHHH!]
The right arm, left leg and left side of the helmet was RabbitRabbit themed, being red with gold accents. The left arm, right leg, and right side of the helmet were Cross-Z Dragon themed, being blue with silver accents.
"Did they just…" Tsukuyomi trailed.
"Combine?!" Penny asked in an excited tone.
"Yes, it completely defies the laws of physics as we know them!" Sento's voice was heard as Cross-Z Build raised a finger only for the Rider to move around erratically.
"Yeah nope, I will never be used to this!" Ryuga yelled out as he had taken control briefly only for Sento to wrestle it back.
"Pipe down," Sento called out, "We're going all out so we can end this faster, alright?"
"Right, right…" Ryuga said.
"Now then," Woz prepared his Kikai Ridewatch, "Henshin!"
[DEKAI! HAKAI! GOAKI! FUTURERING KIKAI! KIKAI!]
"Let's go," Woz called out as he rushed forward, Cross-ZBuild moving forward as well as the two leapt past Agito, punching Another Quiz at the same time and sending him tumbling back, "We're done with our preparations."
"Then we'll get going," Agito said before turning towards Tsukuyomi and hurrying towards the doors of the office to exit, "Come on."
"Got it," Tsukuyomi nodded before looking over at Penny as she followed after Agito, "Good luck."
"The same goes for you as well," Penny said before launching herself towards Another Quiz to assist the Riders.
Remnant – Atlas CCT Tower Rooftop
Rose shouted as she kicked against the barrier that Salem put up before kicking off and landing on the platform Salem was on. She then drew a card in as Oscar gave a yell, trying to strike at Salem several times only for the barrier to still get in the way.
[WEAPON RIDE: ONGEKIBOU REKKA!]
Rose brought out Hibiki's drumstick weapons before lighting them on fire and launching them out at Salem, the fire crashing against the barrier.
"Honestly…" Salem said before noticing that it was just Rose and Oscar attacking her, "I see what you're attempting to do."
Rose and Oscar continued to strike against the barrier while Salem ignored them, gathering magical energies within her palms and combining them together before scanning around and seeing Roze with Blake and Yang at a higher vantage point. She then threw her hand in that direction, launching the magic ball towards the trio.
[REFLECT!]
A stack of glyphs soon appeared before they turned metallic, the magic ball clashing against them as electricity sparked out from the clash. Despite the potency of the magic itself, the attack was reflected straight back at Salem, clashing against the barrier before dispersing.
"You aren't laying a finger on them," Weiss narrowed her eyes as she hovered into view on her Queen Lancer.
"So another comes to fall," Salem scoffed, "You won't be able to do anything."
"We'll see about that," Weiss said before the Queen Lancer took her up higher to her friends.
It was Salem's turn to narrow her eyes, "Like I'll let you initiate whatever meaningless plan you seek to-"
[WEAPON RIDE: BLAYROUZER!]
[MAGNET]
The attack announcements interrupted Salem's thought as she looked around, the small debris floating around and on the platform she was on began to glow blue. The numerous pieces of debris were launched at her, striking the ground mostly alongside the upper portion of her barrier. The debris didn't do much in regards to damage, in fact they were potentially the weakest attacks thrown out during the fight.
The debris weren't meant to cause damage however as Salem soon realized, the debris had kicked up a lot of dirt and dust around her, clouding her vision. She immediately unleashed a burst of wind to blow the dust away, Oscar giving a yell as he was thrown back only to be caught by Rose who was wielding the Blayrouzer.
"Enough of these games," Salem said, turning to where she last saw Roze and her friends only for her eyes to not find them there anymore. She quickly began to scan around before seeing that they were on a piece of debris that was level with where she was.
[TIME]
The Blayrouzer was thrown nearby Salem, it sticking out of the ground as a bubble erupted from it, warping the space around her and freezing her as a result.
"This is our one chance!" Oscar yelled out.
"Take the shot!" Rose called out as she grabbed Oscar and leapt away.
Roze meanwhile had Silver Crescent combined with Crescent Rose, Yang holding up the weapon to steady it while kneeling with Weiss and Blake holding onto Roze's shoulders. Roze nodded as she slotted the Silver Face onto her combined weapon, completing the Silver Crescent Rose.
[SILVER FINISH TIME!]
Bright white energy began gathering in the barrel as Weiss formed a Glyph to keep the group in place. Roze steadied herself as she made sure her target of Salem was properly lined up.
"SILVER CRESCENT ROSE," Roze yelled out as she gripped her weapon tightly, "FIRE!"
[RYOSHI SASU SASU SHOOT!]
In an instant a massive beam of silver energy had erupted from the barrel of the combined rifle. The four members of Team RWBY all yelled out as they braced, the beam rocketing towards Salem before striking against the barrier she had.
Salem felt herself being able to move again as the effects of the Time Rouse Card ended up fading. She gave a chuckle however as she watched her barrier hold up.
"What did I say?" Salem asked in a near mocking voice, "You cannot hope to beat me, especially with my-"
CRRK
Salem felt something on her finger and immediately held up her ring, it being cracked as the cracks began to spread and grow. Salem's eyes could only widen as the ring began to crack further and further before breaking, the barrier shattering at the same time. She could only scream as she was engulfed in the beam of light, the beam shooting out and disintegrating any Grimm that were in the path of it, illuminating the area briefly.
The light faded as Yang stood up, Roze lowering Silver Crescent Rose as she, Weiss and Blake slumped forward slightly. The four began to catch their breaths finally as there was an actual lull in the combat.
Rose and Oscar meanwhile stared at where Salem was, or rather what was in her place as a giant chunk of stone was where she was now. The two wondered what exactly had happened to cause that sort of reaction though narrowed their eyes when they saw it starting to crack.
Roze and her team also paused when they heard the cracking, all four staring at the chunk of stone.
Down below on the roof itself, Another Zi-O was looking up in shock when he saw the fighting stop briefly.
"Did… did they do it?" Another Zi-O asked.
"Probably not," Decade admitted.
"But even then, we have more important matters to take care of," Zi-O said as he gripped his Saikyo Zikan Girade in both hands.
"Don't think I'm going to give up so easily," Another Zi-O said as he got in a defensive stance, "It doesn't matter what happens, I will win."
"Still delusional about your chances," Geiz scoffed, "You need to face the fact that you've lost."
"I haven't lost!" Another Zi-O called out as he readied his dual blades, "And the minute I lose, Remnant falls!"
"What a presumptuous statement."
Another Zi-O turned as he saw Necrom, Rogue, Poppy, and Zangetsu walking out from the elevator that led to the roof, Necrom being the one who had spoken up.
"Everyone…" Zi-O trailed in surprise.
"We were told to head up to assist you, the battle's been tough but we can get through it together," Zangetsu said as he stopped alongside the others.
"Yeah, we're still ready to go, so you can count on us!" Poppy held up her fist.
"As someone who's seen men in power fall to their own desires, I couldn't allow myself to let this man go," Rogue added.
"Of all the outrageous accusations…" Another Zi-O turned with a hiss.
"You wanted to abandon half of your Kingdom to let them fend for themselves," Zangetsu answered, "Except they aren't in a state where they could thanks to your negligence."
"It is a leaders duty to help provide for their people, otherwise how can they ever expect to earn respect from said people?" Necrom replied, "Not to mention what you and the Time Jackers tried to do to that poor girl…"
"Robbing her of her autonomy… trying to force her to do what you want… I'll never forgive that!" Poppy called out.
"If you still continue to refute these points… then you're a lost cause," Rogue finished before pointing at the Another Rider, "Prepare to be sacrificed for the greater good."
"The only lost causes are you Riders!" Another Zi-O yelled out, "Allying with a damn Demon King who will ruin everything for you all instead of killing him and then serving true justice!"
"There's a reason we're here," Necrom said as he gripped his fist tightly as Zangetsu gave a nod, "It's because of the kind actions of Zi-O and Roze that we chose to help out."
"They want to change this Kingdom, this World, for the better," Rogue added while Poppy also nodded, "They're fighting for Love and Peace as far as I'm concerned."
"Then I'll simply take you all down," Another Zi-O said as he shifted his body to where he could see both sets of opponents, "And become the hero that Remnant needs."
"That won't be happening," Zi-O shook his head as he began to move forward, "Because today, we'll win!"
Remnant – Atlas Academy
"Stop moving around!" Another Kuuga yelled out as he continued to rampage around the cafeteria, trying to strike at his three opponents to no avail. It became especially harder when Kuuga had shifted from Dragon Form to Rising Dragon, the Dragon Rod gaining bladed ends allowing Kuuga to easily slice into Another Kuuga with Rising Dragon's speed.
Another Kuuga gathered fire in his mouth to try and blast at Kuuga only to get struck in his back by a few explosive rounds. He turned to see Nora as the culprit, Jaune and Ren standing nearby.
"You brats…" Another Kuuga hissed out and launched a fireball at them only for Jaune to get in the way, using Crocea Mors' gravity dust to release a pulse, capturing the fireball in a gravity ball and sending it back at Another Kuuga, striking the Another Rider in the face.
"Nice!" Jaune called out.
Ren closed in, using his guns' wire hooks to dig into Another Kuuga's shoulders before using the wires to launch himself towards the Another Rider. He slammed his boots in Another Kuuga's face, stomping several times while enhancing the Aura in his legs. What he wasn't expecting was for Another Kuuga to grab him, giving a gasp as the serial killer turned Another Rider tried to crush him.
"Get your bloody hands off of him!"
Nora immediately leapt up and slammed Magnhild in its hammer form into Another Kuuga's face, a small shockwave occurring as all three combatants were sent tumbling away from each other. Ren gave a groan as he landed near Nora, losing grip of Stormflower.
Another Kuuga was ready to move forward when it felt its legs cut into, watching as Clover and Qrow leapt past him, the two wielding their weapons in their sword forms.
"How about we finish this," Clover said as he held up the Kuuga Ridewatch, "How does it work?"
"Push it into the slot," Qrow pointed at the base of his weapon for an example.
"Ah there we go," Clover saw the slot and slotted it in, red energy building in the blade of the Zikan Girade Tsu.
[FINISH TIME!]
"That's enough!" Another Kuuga yelled out as he lifted his head up, his eyes glowing bright as he unleashed a stream of fire out of his mouth, the stream breaking up into fireballs that rained down. All the combatants gave gasps and yells as they began to dodge around, a few being knocked around by the fireballs. One of which was Clover who had gotten hit by one, the Zikan Girade Tsu being tossed high up into the air as a result.
"Crap," Qrow's eyes widened.
Clover however saw one of Ren's guns near him, he quickly picked himself up and threw Stormflower like a boomerang, it spinning and striking the Zikan Girade Tsu. The Zikan Girade Tsu was sent spinning downwards, and despite being a throw that had no prior planning it managed to lodge its blade right into the Another Rider's back.
"Good luck," Clover smirked as he saw this.
Another Kuuga screamed out as he could feel the blade digging into his back, "What?!"
"Wait, someone needs to pull the trigger on that weapon!" Jaune called out as a small black blur flew past him before zooming over to above Another Kuuga. It didn't take long for Qrow to reappear above Another Kuuga, having been in his crow form.
"Already on it," Qrow yelled out as he landed on Another Kuuga's back, stabbing the blade in further while pressing the trigger.
[KUUGA JIGOKU STRIKE!]
Another Kuuga yelled out further as red energy began pouring into the wound, the mark of Kuuga forming.
"We won't let you run around any longer," Kuuga said as he rolled towards Another Kuuga before stabbing his Dragon Rod into the Another Rider's stomach, the mark of Kuuga appearing as Another Kuuga began to scream out.
"No! No! Let me destroy everything!" Another Kuuga screamed out, "It is the will of my goddess!"
"Yeah well she's not winning today!" Qrow yelled out as he and Kuuga pushed their weapons in further before sparks began spewing out of them. He leapt away while Kuuga drew the Dragon Rod out and rolled away, Another Kuuga exploding as the serial killer was sent sprawling onto the ground in a daze, his Aura breaking as the Kuuga Anotherwatch clattered nearby and shattered.
"Let's get him transported properly this time," Clover said as he drew out a pair of bola to restrain Tyrian with.
"That was hellish," Qrow admitted before giving a smile, "But things seem to be working out."
"Of course," Kuuga gave a thumbs-up as he reverted back to Mighty Form, "So let's keep fighting our hardest everyone."
"I think we should head for Ruby and the others," Ren suggested as he went to retrieve his weapons, "They could probably use whatever help they can get."
"Sounds good to me," Nora gave a nod.
"Right," Jaune said before pointing forward, "Let's get moving folks!"
"You guys go on ahead," Qrow said, "We'll stick around here and get this guy to a cell."
"The sooner he's locked up the better," Clover agreed.
"I'll stick with them just in case," Kuuga said.
"Alright then, stay safe," Jaune said with a wave before running off with Ren and Nora following.
Remnant – Atlas Military Compound
Tsukuyomi and Agito were in the main elevator of the Military Compound, having had to swap elevators at a certain point in order to get to it. The two kept themselves ready as the elevator continued to beep.
"So do you have a plan when we get down there?" Agito asked.
"Well that depends on how clear our pathway is," Tsukuyomi admitted as she had the Kodama Suika Arms in hand in its inactive state, "But hopefully it's a straight shot to Central Command. That has to be where the Prime Another Agito is."
"I'll keep it clear for you to finish him off," Agito said before suddenly chuckling.
"Huh?" Tsukuyomi relaxed a bit at his chuckling, "What's so funny?"
"Just that we're teaming up again like this against this particular Another Rider," Agito admitted, "Kind of funny how it's happened twice, right?"
"I suppose it is," Tsukuyomi said with a soft chuckle before the elevator began to slow and stop. She gripped the Ride Gadget in her hand, "We're here."
As soon as the doors opened up, they were greeted by a hallways filled with Another Agito's that were just trying to tear their way through the halls and cause as much damage as possible. Tsukuyomi quickly stepped up and loaded in her Ride Gadget before rotating her Driver.
[RIDE GADGET!]
[THE SUIKA BOWLING!]
A projection of the Suika Armor formed over her before folding up into its Oodama Mode. She then threw her hand forward, mimicking a push as the Suika Armor projection rolled forward, striking the Another Agito's and dragging them along before exploding.
"Nice one," Agito hurried over, "Let's get going."
"Right," Tsukuyomi said before running forward alongside her senior Rider.
Remnant – Atlas Rooftops
One of the rooftops near Atlas Academy was quiet, well that was until an Aurora Curtain faded into view before sliding back. Daiki was leading the grouping of Shotaro, Philip, Eiji, Ankh, Kouta, and Maria.
"So why is she here again?" Shotaro asked.
"You say something?" Maria tapped her cane threateningly causing Shotaro to reel back in slight fear. She then smiled deviously, "I'm here because I want to rip into some more Grimm with my new toy!"
"Well luckily we can do just that," Daiki pointed forward at the Tempests surrounding Atlas Academy's CCT Tower, "Zi-O's retainer mentioned that we should clear the Tempest's before they become even more troubling."
"Okay but I'm pretty sure only two of us can fly idiot," Ankh pointed out as he casually handed Eiji the Tajador Combo Medals, "What do you expect us to do about that?"
"Three," Maria said as she held up the Sengoku Driver and Suika Lockseed she had, "Also don't call that young man an idiot, feather face."
"What did you say?!" Ankh called out as he turned towards Maria only for Eiji to hold him back.
"Ankh, Ankh no," Eiji called out, "It's not worth it!"
"Actually it's four, Space God, remember?" Kouta gestured at his divine appearance.
"See, more than two!" Maria called out.
"He does make a compelling point however," Philip admitted.
"I've got a work around for W and I," Daiki admitted, "Just get ready with me first."
"Sounds good to me," Shotaro gave a nod as he and Philip readied their transformation alongside Daiki.
"Henshin!"
[CYCLONE! JOKER!]
[KAMEN RIDE: DIEND!]
Philip passed out as Kamen Rider W was formed but instead of fully hitting the ground a screech was heard as a mechanical bird themed Memory Gadget-like device turned Philip into green data before absorbing him.
"Now then," Diend said as he slotted in two Rider Cards.
[KAMEN RIDE: AGITO! HIBIKI!]
Shooting forward, holograms began cycling around before forming clones of Agito and Hibiki. Diend then slotted in two more cards before shooting at them.
[FINAL FORM RIDE: A-A-A-AGITO! H-H-H-HIBIKI!]
Agito was transformed into Agito Tornador and hovered just above the ground while Hibiki let out a screech as he was transformed into a red lined metallic disk that unfolded a hawk-like form, the Hibiki Akanetaka.
"Let's get going people," Diend said as the Hibiki Akanetaka floated over to him, he grabbed one of the talons before hovering off the ground.
"Alright, show time boys," Maria said as she readied her Sengoku Driver and Suika Lockseed, "Let's give the youngins some relief."
"Right," Kouta replied as he closed his eyes, his transformation gear appearing on him already active before he opened his eyes.
Eiji nodded as he slotted in Taka, Kujaku and Condor Medals, readying his belt before scanning it while W grabbed the mechanical bird that had absorbed Philip and slotted it into the W Driver.
[SUIKA ARMS: OODAMA BIG BANG! YOROI MODE!]
[KIWAMI ARMS! DAI! DAI! DAI! DAI! DAI SHOGUN!]
[TAKA! KUJAKU! CONDOR! TA~JA~DOL!]
[XTREME!]
The Suika Armor dropped onto Maria before unfolding itself into its robot exo-armor mode, Maria giving a light cackle as she gripped the controls. Eiji meanwhile transformed into Tajador, spreading out his wings as Ankh transformed into his Greeed form, doing the same. W meanwhile grabbed at his center, a rainbow shine occurring as he split the energy further, forming a clear white center as the armor gained X themed accents with an enhanced look, becoming W CycloneJoker Xtreme.
W immediately stepped onto the Agito Tornador, bringing out the Prismbicker Sword and Shield.
"Alright, let's get going," Diend said as the Hibiki Akanetaka flew forward, W, OOO, Ankh, Gaim, and Maria flying off after him as the group charged for the Tempests and flying Grimm surrounding the top of Atlas Academy.
Remnant – Atlas CCT Tower Rooftop
Team RWBY watched alongside Rose and Oscar as the chunk of stone that stood where Salem was suddenly cracked heavily before shattering. Salem could be seen, her dress slightly torn in some parts as parts of her body were coated in stone while other parts were burned off. Interestingly enough the ring she was gifted wasn't entirely destroyed, though the gem was completely broken. Salem's face screamed death as she looked directly at Team RWBY.
"Never…" Salem spoke in a calm but tense voice, "Never have I met such cockroaches who continue to defend their existences. Especially those who should know their place as the inferior humanity, those who shouldn't dare fight against me."
"We've seen a lot worse," Yang answered.
"And we're not about to let you or what we've seen scare us," Blake added.
"We've fought so hard for a bright future," Weiss replied, "We're not about to give up anytime soon."
"It doesn't matter if you're immortal, if we can't kill you we'll stop you somehow," Roze called out as she held up her free hand before gripping it tightly, "And we'll keep beating you and beating you until you realize that!"
"You Huntresses cannot kill me, Ozma cannot kill me, and Kamen Riders certainly cannot kill me…" Salem answered as she kept her calm voice, noticing her mostly intact ring and reaching to remove it, "What hope do you honestly have for stopping me that isn't killing?"
"We won't know till we try," Rose spoke up, "And we're not about to give up anytime soon."
"Like I told you before Salem, you aren't playing against Ozpin anymore," Oscar said as he leaned on his cane, "This isn't his fight, it's the Kamen Riders who are fighting you. And they've got plenty of surprises left."
"Then let these surprises come…"
Salem gripped the broken ring tightly as while the power of protection was no longer within it, it still held some power she could use as she crushed it entirely. She began to radiate a deep red and black aura, glyphs appearing all over her body as certain debris began to shake. Her eyes shined a bright red as flying Grimm began to flying through the storm and into the debris filled area, suddenly contorting near her before being converted into liquid.
The liquid began flowing towards her as more Grimm Liquid began to explode out of debris and flow towards her. The liquid came into contact with the glyphs before expanding and wrapping around the Queen of Grimm.
Everyone watched as Salem was engulfed in a pile of Grimm Liquid before that liquid began to expand and take shape, the thighs of a Beowolf formed as the shins were thinned out somewhat into thick Nevermore themed legs. The chest was bulky like a Beringel's, holding a glowing orb-like spot in its center similar to a Seer. Its forearms were furred and covered in armor like an Ursa's, the arms gaining bulk and armor extending out into Death-Stalker styled pincers. The back of its waist exploded out, forming a King Taijitu themed tail as web-like Lancer themed wings sprouted from its back. The head was almost normal in shape, being a bit smaller than the bulking body but having a skull mask with three pairs of eyes, various tendrils running down the back like hair and reaching the amalgamated creature's shoulders.
"…for I will snuff them out and any hope along with them…" The now chimera-like Salem spoke out in a deep distorted voice as it stared directly at Team RWBY who visibly backed up in surprise, its body shuddering involuntarily every now and again, "I am done playing these childish games…"
To Be Continued…
Next Time:
"Ruby…"
"Ruby…"
"Ruby…"
"These are Team RWBY's bonds…"
"…and with them we'll never lose to the likes of you!"
Chapter 96: Go Forth Roze RWBY!
Author's Note: So we continue on as the final battle is reaching its turning point towards the conclusion. We've had a lot happen this time, a lot of fights concluding as more people get knocked out of the battle. We've just got two major fights and a few minor ones to wrap up next time as Ironwood faces Sougo and the other Riders while everyone else faces down Salem in her new chimera form.
Speaking of, I wanted to give Salem something unique so I had to get creative. Especially since we've only seen her throw magic projectiles and use Grimm glyphs to restrain. I did say Briar Rose was ultimately a preview/demo of some stuff I wanted to use later, and that later is next chapter.
Of course I can't ignore that Frozen Time is official now with both Sougo and Weiss letting out their feelings for each other. It was a fun moment to write out since I couldn't pass up the confession happening while the chaos of the other battles happened around them.
Next time we reach the second to last chapter in the Saga and it's going to be a big one given what I've implied via the Next Time Preview and Chapter Title. It's been something people have asked and suggested for a while now. Of course when I first planned out all of Ruby's forms at the start, I knew this had to be one I made for her. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next chapter.