Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me. Inspiration for the designs of certain future Riders can be accredited to Spidey Viewer and kivathedcwizard.
Larc and Haruka dashed around each other, firing their Larc Rouzers at range, the energy shots exploding around them or colliding and bursting in midair. "Who do you think you are?" Larc sneered. "You call yourself Larc? What a joke! You're nothing but a copy from another dimension!"
Haruka fired a blast at the other Larc's feet, throwing up sparks, then rushed forwards and swung her Rouzer at the other one's face. "At least I'm from a timeline that still exists!"
Larc brought up her own Rouzer, the two weapons clashing, heat and vibrations emanating from both as the two pressed against each other. "And you were too weak to save your own world from your former comrade and had to depend on outsiders to save you!"
"Maybe so," Haruka acknowledged. "But at least my world was saved, and I didn't die for the wrong cause at the hands of someone I thought I could trust!"
"And you think you're better than me?!" Larc sneered, kicking Haruka in the ankle, causing her grip to weaken, allowing the evil Rider to knock her Rouzer out of her hands, slash her repeatedly in the chest, and then point her weapon at her stomach. She pulled the trigger, firing a point-blank shot into Haruka's chest, sending her flying back, crying in agony. "Just like me, you're a lapdog with no will of her own, always following someone else's lead! Does it feel good, always being on your knees?"
"I kneel before a woman I respect. I kneel before a woman I love. I kneel before the queen who has turned my world into a paradise, who has united countless worlds under her benign rule, who has saved billions with her strength and wisdom!" Haruka shot back, unafraid. "I see no shame in kneeling before a paragon of courage and might such as her! And if I'm a dog… So be it! After all, dogs give their owners unconditional love, and receive it in return!" She grinned. "Plus, I go on my knees for her all the time. Do you have anyone you can say the same of?"
"… Haruka…" Natsumi whispered, eyes watering.
"… Not all owners are good!" Larc snarled, scanning the Mighty Ray Rouse Card in her Larc Rouzer.
MIGHTY!
As the bowgun started charging up, Haruka sprinted across the ground, grabbed her own Larc Rouzer, and scanned the Mighty Ray card.
MIGHTY!
The two weapons fired at the same time, the Ray Bullets colliding in midair and exploding spectacularly. Both Larcs were already up and racing at each other before the smoke died down, with their Larc Rouzers in their closed forms. They swung their weapons at each other…
Then continued forward for a few steps before stopping, back-to-back. One of them grunted and fell to her knees. The other laughed…
Only to cry out as sparks flew from her body, and she exploded.
"… Wait, who won?" Asked a confused Anna.
"Larc did," Fubuki said very unhelpfully.
"I won! Me! Haruka!" The surviving Larc announced, staggering her feet.
Natsumi approached, and Haruka immediately knelt to kiss her hand. "And what a victory it was. Thank you, my brave defender. Once again, you have proven your loyalty and justified my trust in you. You shall be rewarded for this later."
Haruka squealed in delight at this. Akira pouted.
"You too, Akira."
Akira smiled giddily.
Wiseman twirled her Hamel Cane, parrying blows from Rinko's WizarSworGun and Mayu's Scratch Nail. "This is pointless! One of you is just a tool, deliberately made weak so as not to threaten the plans of her betters, while the other is a replacement!"
She raised the Cane to her mouth and played on it like a flute, generating a wave of magic which shoved both back.
"Don't talk like that," Rinko snarled. "You may sound like her, but you're not her! You're just a trick!"
She scanned a ring on her belt, Mayu doing the same.
BIG, PLEASE!
GIANT, NOW!
Each of them shoved a hand through a Magical Portal, much larger ones appearing before them as their heavily enlarged fists shot out towards Wiseman.
The evil wizard laughed and brought her Cane back to her mouth again, playing a melody that caused a magical barrier to appear around her. The two fists smashed into it, sparks flying, and then rebounded, retracting back into their portals and causing Rinko and Mayu to stumble back. "This is pointless! Wiseman was never truly defeated! Not even Haruto could ever really manage to beat whoever wears this suit!"
DUPE, NOW!
Wiseman created a clone of herself, then both scanned their belt again.
GRAVITY, NOW!
THUNDER, NOW!
Rinko and Mayu found themselves slammed into the ground by increased gravity, and lightning shot down at them from a Magical Portal.
DEFEND, PLEASE!
BARRIER, NOW!
The sorceress and her apprentice quickly combined their powers to form a magical barrier to protect them from the lightning attack. However, the Magical Portal began to crack as more and more lightning bombarded them.
SMALL, PLEASE!
At the last second, Rinko shrunk herself to tiny size. Mayu grabbed her, then scanned her belt.
CONNECT, NOW!
A small portal appeared. Mayu threw Rinko through the portal just before the barrier shattered and the lightning struck her, engulfing her in an explosion. The two Wisemen laughed…
COPY, PLEASE!
VERY NICE! KICK STRIKE! FABULOUS!
Rinko exited the Magical Portal in the air, returned to her normal size, cloned herself, and shot down at the two Wisemen in a flurry of Rider Kicks. The evil wizards scoffed. "Have you learned nothing?"
One of them started playing her Hamel Cane, creating a defensive barrier which the multiple Rinkos slammed into, sparks flying as they tried to pierce it with their kicks. The other one scanned her belt.
CHAIN, NOW!
All the Rinkos were suddenly yanked back by magical chains.
EXPLOSION-
CONNECT, NOW!
"What?!" One Wiseman gasped as a pair of Magical Portals appeared, two hands reaching through, grabbing both Hamel Canes, and yanking them through.
"I think that's quite enough of that!" Mayu yelled, tossing the polearms into the air.
EXPLOSION, NOW!
Mayu pointed a finger at the canes and they both exploded. "There! No more using bullshit defensive magic anymore!"
"You do realize we still have Barrier rings, right?" One Wiseman asked, looking bored.
"Which are no good if you can't use them!"
CHAIN, NOW!
Magical chains suddenly wrapped around their ring hands, pulling them to the side and keeping them from their Hand Authors.
"And you really think this is going to hold us for long?" One of the Wiseman asked, looking offended.
"No," Mayu confirmed. "Just long enough."
She pointed up. The evil wizards glanced up just in time to see all the Rinkos break free of their chains. "Oh-"
The dozen Rinkos shot down in Rider Kicks, enveloping the Wisemans in an explosion. Only one was flung from the blast, hitting the ground and rolling across it for several feet as Rinko and Mayu approached. "Okay, I… May have underestimated you," she coughed, getting up. "But… This changes nothing. Mayu, you'll never be anything more than a third or fourth rate wizard, barely better than that idiot Shunpei. And Rinko… You owe me everything, you realize? The only reason you and Haruto got together – the only reason – is because I'm not in the picture anymore. If I were to come back to life, he would drop you in a hot second."
"… You aren't saying anything I haven't thought to myself hundreds of times," Rinko said coldly. "But the thing is, you aren't her, you will never be her. Koyomi would never say these things, and even if she were to come back, she would be more than happy to concede, because that's the selfless, kind sort of person she always was."
"Sensei, she might also want to join in-" Mayu started.
"Hush."
"You're right, I'm not her," Wiseman admitted, scanning a ring.
YES! KICK STRIKE! UNDERSTAND?
"But that doesn't change the fact… That you will always be in her shadow!" Wiseman cried, rising into the air and flying towards them in a magically infused Rider Kick.
VERY NICE! KICK STRIKE! FABULOUS!
HOLY, NOW!
Rinko launched herself at Wiseman in her own Rider Kick. Mayu fired a blast of holy energy at Rinko, causing her to be engulfed in waves of holy light, significantly powering her up. The two female Riders collided, a Magical Portal forming at the point where their feet made contact, energy crackling in the air between them.
"You're right," Rinko admitted, looking Wiseman right in the mask. "But the thing is… I'm okay with that."
The Magical Portal shattered, and Rinko backflipped through the air, landing on her feet as Wiseman cried out and exploded spectacularly.
"Well, I'm not," Mayu said suddenly. "I'm totally a better wizard than Shunpei, right? Right?"
Sylphi lunged at Mai, repeatedly swinging her Hells Cane at the greater goddess. Mai didn't move an inch, casually using two fingers on her free hand to easily deflect every one of the evil deity's strikes. Crying out in frustration, Sylphi thrust her weapon at Mai's chest, only for the other Rider to hop into the air, landing on top of the spearhead and balancing on her toes. As Sylphi goggled in disbelief, Mai swished her cape through the air, briefly blinding the darker Rider, then flipped into the air, hopping off her head and landing behind her.
Sylphi spun around to try and strike Mai before she recovered, but the goddess flicked her cape through the air, wrapping it around the tip of the Hells Cane and yanking it out of Sylphi's hands, tossing it away. Sylphi gestured, and a Helheim vine shot out, grabbed the polearm, and pulled it back in her hands. Much to her frustration, Mai didn't even bother moving to attack her while she was unarmed, merely regarding her with mild curiosity. "Take me seriously, dammit!"
"I am treating you with as much respect as I feel you deserve," Mai said calmly.
Outraged, Sylphi gestured, and half a dozen Helheim vines shot through the air and wrapped around Mai, who didn't bother trying to dodge.
She didn't need to. The instant the vines touched her armor, they withered into nothing. "What?!"
"I am the queen of Helheim. Do you really think anything from that forest can harm me?" Mai asked.
Furious, Sylphi swiped the Hells Cane through the air, and several dimensional cracks opened, disgorging an Evolved Seiryu and Shika Inves, as well as an Inoshishi Inves. "Get her!"
The three monsters bellowed and charged at Mai, who raised a hand. "Heel."
Immediately, the three Inves ground to a halt and bowed before her. Sylphi was startled to realize she was doing the same and forced herself back to her feet. "Dammit… Why?!"
"I said nothing from Helheim can harm me," Mai reminded her, opening cracks to banish the beasts back to their home.
Snarling, Sylphi pressed the Cutting Blade on her Driver three times.
HELLS SPARKING!
Crying out, she jumped and charged at Mai, purple energy forming around the tip of the Hells Cane as she thrust it at Mai's chest…
Only for it to shatter on her breast. "WHAT?!"
"That includes you as well," Mai said.
She tapped the butt of her naginata on the ground, and not just vines, but an entire Helheim tree erupted from the ground, growing around Sylphi and leaving her partially embedded in the trunk. She screamed and struggled to break free, up until she felt a blade pressed into her throat.
"I have been far more patient with you than you deserve, as has my husband," Mai said, her voice soft yet solid as steel. "We have tolerated your antics thus far because we view you as a necessary evil to counterbalance our good, but you aren't that necessary. If you continue to cause trouble, then we will not hesitate to erase you as thoroughly as Kudo. And I don't think either of us want that, do we?"
"N-no, we don't," Sylphi muttered, thoroughly cowed.
"Then are you willing to play by the rules from now on?" Mai asked.
"Yes," Sylphi hissed.
"Yes what?" Mai asked as the bark tightened around Sylphi, causing her to gasp.
Thoroughly swallowing her pride, Sylphi said, "Yes… Mistress."
Mai withdrew her blade, and the tree released Sylphi. The Goddess placed her hand atop the dark Rider's head. "Good girl."
Sylphi hated how much she found herself enjoying the touch.
Yoko and Touka looked on with naked envy, until Mai gestured at them, and they eagerly ran over, skidding onto their knees to receive head pats as well.
Dark Necrom Yellow cried out as she was flung backwards, rolling across the ground.
"Really? Is that all you can do?" Akari complained, unimpressed, slinging her Gan Gun Saber over her shoulder. "I seem to remember you being a lot tougher back on the Island of Eyecons. Then again, I guess we were just weaker. The three of us certainly couldn't become Kamen Riders then!"
"Well, I could, but I wasn't there," Alia pointed out.
"Even if you had been, it would have made no difference," Dark Necrom Yellow said in disgust, getting back up. "You call yourself a member of the royal family…and yet are so pathetically, disgustingly weak? You probably have the shortest record for a female Kamen Rider fight in history, and you lost! It was humiliating, both for your family and for female Riders everywhere! And if that weren't bad enough, you also got passed over for the throne by your younger brother! How can you live with yourself?!"
Alia flinched at this.
"Hey, that's uncalled for!" Kanon protested.
"Completely accurate, but uncalled for," Akari agreed. Kanon frowned at her.
"And as for the two of you… You're hardly any better," Dark Necrom Yellow sneered. "One of you is a mad scientist shacking up with a man decades older than you – and not just because he's been alive since at least the nineteenth century – but also spent far too long torturing her best friend in the name of 'science' –"
"That never happened! Anymore!" Akari insisted quickly. "It was King Tokiwa's-"
"May he reign forever," everyone chanted.
"Fault!"
"You're also a pathetic excuse for a scientist who continuously refused to believe in the supernatural despite hard evidence of it being thrust into your face repeatedly for months simply because it didn't fit in with your worldview!" Dark Necrom Yellow spat.
"That's… Okay, yeah, you got me there," Akari admitted.
"And as for you, Kanon… You have earned absolutely none of the power you've been given," Dark Necrom Yellow continued, voice dripping with contempt. "Everything you have is because you're the sister of Makoto Fukami and wife of the emperor. That's the only reason you have such a powerful form and are even allowed to be a Kamen Rider at all!"
"That's… That's not…" Kanon stammered.
"Enough!" Alia interjected. "You may say whatever you like about me, but not about my friend and sister! At least the three of us have been able to move on and grow and change, while you died and continued serving my brother even when he plotted genocide! You think me weak? Then allow me to show you the path I have chosen!"
"Oh, now you're stealing your brother's catchphrase too, just like you're a cheap knockoff of his Rider form, real original," Dark Necrom Yellow sneered.
"Oh, shut up! Dark Necrom Spiral!"
Alia launched into a spinning kick, her body and mask enveloped in pink flames as she attempted to hit her adversary with a two-footed corkscrew kick.
Unfortunately, before she could hit…
EYE DROP! NOBUNAGA! MEGA ULORD!
Dark Necrom Yellow transformed into her Nobunaga Damashii and blasted her with her Gan Gun Hand in Rifle mode, flinging her away with an agonized scream.
Akari and Kanon exchanged looks. "So… I'm not the only one who saw that coming, right?" Akari asked after a moment.
Kanon sighed in resignation. "No…"
Alia just lay on her back for a minute, staring up at the sky. She heard violence and a transformation standby, followed by an anguished scream and explosion.
Moments later, a concerned Akari and Kanon filled her vision. "You okay?" Kanon asked her sister-in-law in concern.
Alia sighed. "Not really, no."
"Oh." Kanon fidgeted. "Do you, um, need help getting up, or…"
"Just… Just give me a minute," Alia said wearily.
"Oh. Okay."
The three women said nothing for a few minutes in silence.
"I think I should probably start training once we get home," Alia said finally.
"That would be a good idea, yes," Kanon agreed.
"Totally," Akari concurred. "Um. By the way. Do… Do you really think Igor is too old for me-"
"YES!" The other two shouted at her.
Something wasn't right here.
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Abbadon Mua fired a spray of bullets from her ShotAbbadorisers, Yaiba and Izu using their wing and Satelleyezer in its shield mode to protect themselves from the projectiles, which were unusually powerful.
CROWDING BURST!
DASH!
BULLET!
Activating the special abilities of the Rushing Cheetah and Shooting Wolf Progrisekeys in her Satelleyezer, Izu changed her weapon into its gun form and started zigzagging across the battlefield, firing powerful Wolf-shaped energy bullets at Abbadon Mua, who also zigzagged all over the place, matching her shot for shot, the bullets exploding in midair.
In a flurry of energy feathers, Yaiba materialized behind Abbadon Mua, swinging her scythe at her neck…
Only for the Abbadon Rider to point her guns at the ground and fire both at the same time, the recoil pushing her into the air and causing the blade to miss, twisting around and rapid firing her ShotAbbadorisers in every direction, bullets flying everywhere and raking across the bodies of the two heroines, who grunted in surprise.
"This isn't right… She shouldn't be this strong or fast…" Yaiba murmured.
"You're right. Zea senses something's off," Izu muttered, activating another Progrisekey ability.
JUMP!
"Keep her occupied for a minute!" Izu yelled as she launched herself high into the air, vanishing from view.
"As you wish, my lady." Yaiba drew her ShotRiser, pointing it at Abbadon Mua while leaning her scythe against her shoulders. "Whatever secret you're hiding… Between the two of us, we shall ferret it out soon enough."
Abbadon Mua responded to this by shooting her in the face, though Yaiba was able to deflect the shot with her blade. "Let's do this."
She vanished in a flurry of feathers again.
Abbadon Mua immediately pointed her guns backwards and fired, the recoil flinging her forwards just before Yaiba rematerialized behind her, her blade swinging through the air and burying itself in the ground. Abbadon Mua flipped through the air, landed on the ground, then fired both her ShotAbbadorisers at Yaiba's feet, throwing up sparks. As the Valkyrie flinched, Abbadon Mua propelled herself forwards with another gunshot recoil, pointing her guns forward again as she shot towards her opponent, charging up her blasters.
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Yaiba quickly expanded her wing to use as a shield just before the colossal energy blast struck her, enveloping her in a tremendous explosion.
CROWDING BURST CANNON!
The flames soon cleared, revealing Yaiba's wing. Abbadon Mua squeezed the triggers of her blasters, preparing another volley…
Only to be surprised when the wing abruptly dissolved into feathers, revealing nothing was there.
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Colored clones of Yaiba appeared all around Abbadon Mua and rushed her. The Abbadon Rider flipped over and did a breakdance/gun spin, firing bullets in every direction to dissipate the clones. When the real Yaiba swooped down from above, Abbadon Mua caught her blade between her feet and prepared to fire her guns point-blank into her face-
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Izu dropped from the sky and brought the Satelleyezer down on Abbadon Mua in its sword formation, Yaiba tearing her scythe away and flipping to the side before she could be cleaved in two by the massive energy blade which seemingly bisected the Abbadon Rider.
ZEARISING STRASH!
"Did that get her?" Yaiba asked Izu…
And gasped in disbelief when Abbadon Mua shot to her feet despite the massive vertical scar running down her body. "How-"
Izu stiffened, seeing a hint of red through the massive gash. "Oh… So that is what Zea was warning me about…"
The confused Yaiba glanced at her. "What? What do you-"
Abbadon Mua tossed her ShotAbbadoRisers away, dug her fingers into the massive wound splitting her body in twain, and tore it open, ripping herself apart…
Revealing a horrifyingly familiar red, black, and white figure underneath.
"Oh no," Yaiba breathed.
PROGRISE! FINAL CONCLUSION! ARK RISING HOPPER! A JUMP TO THE SKY TO GAIN HATRED.
Ark-Zero-One laughed insanely in a very familiar voice. Izu trembled with fury. "You… Don't you dare use Azu's voice like that! Not a single part of her belongs to you anymore, not even her voice!"
Progrisekeys materialized around her, slotting into the sides of the Satelleyezer.
JUMP!
BULLET!
DASH!
WING!
POISON!
BREAKHORN!
HIT!
FANG!
FIRE!
BLIZZARD!
PRESS!
POCKET!
POWER!
REVOLVER!
TERRITORY!
THUNDER!
STRONG!
BLOW!
WAVE!
BURST!
HURRICANE!
SEARCH!
HUNT!
HARD!
ELECTRIC!
SCISSORS!
FORESIGHT!
DREAM!
TRANSCEND!
The Progrisekeys lit up, channeling energy into the "eye" in the center of the Satelleyezer, which reconfigured into its cannon mode.
ALLRISING CHARGE!
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A MASSIVE energy beam comprised of every Rider Model from the inserted Progrisekeys fired from the Satelleyezer, ripping apart the ground as it surged towards Ark-Zero-One. The twisted mockery of Aruto and Azu did nothing at first, just stood there and laughed…
Then suddenly took a half-step to the side, revealing several of the currently powerless female Riders were right behind her, and if the beam hit her, they would get caught in the blast as well.
Izu gasped in horror. How could she have made such a miscalculation?!
Thankfully, Yaiba quickly flew into the path of the beam, using her wing as a shield to try and block it. As the other girls ran out of the way, she gritted her teeth and dug her feet and scythe into the ground to try and keep her footing… Only to cry out in pain as the beam overwhelmed her defenses and enveloped her, consuming her in a horrific explosion.
ZEARISING BLAZAR!
"YAIBA!" Izu cried in horror as Yaiba collapsed, her transformation dissipating.
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Izu reacted instantaneously, whirling around and raising her Satelleyezer in shield mode to protect herself from the dark Rider Kick. Sparks flew, and an explosion sent Ark-Zero-One flying back, the villainess landing on her feet.
Izu discarded the Satelleyezer, the multi form weapon far too damaged by the Rider Kick to be of any use now, and pushed her processor and link to Zea to its limits, running trillions of simulations in a blink of an eye to try and determine the ideal strategy to win this encounter, well aware that the Ark was doing the same at that moment.
It would just have to come down to which divine AI was smarter and quicker.
The two Riders glared at each other, neither of them moving a muscle as entire wars were fought and won and lost inside their processors. Finally, the two rushed at each other, moving so fast their forms became impossible for the naked eye to see, zigzagging energy lines in their wake the only indication of where they were.
The two of them clashed repeatedly, fists and feet striking at each other several thousand times a second, each of their combat algorithms overclocking to try and keep up with the other.
A punch cracked one of Izu's eyes.
A kick fractured the doppelgänger's horn.
A knee fractured her chest armor.
A double punch fragmented both their knuckles and a tremendous thunderclap echoed through the air.
And then, at last, after dozens of exchanged high-speed blows, the Ark slipped up, her arm moving a fraction of a second too slow to block as Izu's fist shot towards her mask-
Which came apart, revealing Azu's face.
Izu's fist froze milliseconds from the features so identical to her own, and in that moment she was lost.
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Ark-Zero-One drove a fist crackling with malice into Izu's chest, unleashing a powerful burst of red and black energy which blasted through her back, shattering her wings.
FINAL CONCLUSION: THE END!
Izu gasped, collapsing to the ground as her transformation faded. Ark-Zero-One chuckled as her mask reformed, gathering energy into her hands again. "Too easy. Don't feel too bad about dying, Izu. I'll take good care of Aruto in your absence. Azu too! I bet she'll be thrilled to see me again."
Izu dug her cracked and sparking fingers into the ground, damaging them further. "N… No…"
"Time to die again!" Ark-Zero-One said cheerfully, now holding a massive energy ball of crackling malice over her head. "And this time, there's no coming back!"
She prepared to bring the dark orb down…
When suddenly a portal opened in the air, and two figures came through, slamming into Ark -Zero-One's chest with a double Rider Kick, sending her flying backwards, the orb of malice dissipating. "What?!"
Izu looked up at her saviors in disbelief. They both looked and felt… Very familiar.
One was wearing an outfit similar to Ex-Aid Muteki Gamer but platinum colored and feminine. A device resembling a smaller and more compact mix of the Gamer and Bugle Driver was wrapped around her waist. Her undersuit was a mix of platinum and pink, and instead of the stars which adorned Ex-Aid's ultimate suit hers was covered in pink and platinum hearts, with horns resembling a tiara framing her face, which had bright, cheerful-looking beautiful eyes, one blue and the other orange, both of which had pink and platinum tints. Ankle-length pink and platinum dreads hung down from the back of her head, with two dreads hanging over her chest and framing her rather generous chest. Her boots looked like they would be good for crushing people's skulls and as well as dancing, and a pink scarf with patterns of Mighty was wrapped around her neck.
The other one was wearing a black extremely formfitting bodysuit emphasizing her curves with iridescent accents along the limbs resembling stylized grasshoppers with flares shaped like butterfly wings.
Purple light torso armor plating resembling the stylized silhouette of an insect vaguely like a grasshopper and butterfly cross covered her chest, the armor to the sides resembling butterfly-grasshopper-esque wings colored teal with iridescent trimming and circuit patterns stylized to look like butterfly wing patterns. The middle also resembled a stylized business tie that, along with her collar which resembled a V3, had iridescent trimming.
Shoulder capes that were also a mix between butterfly and grasshopper wings sprouted, teal with iridescent trimming along with purple marks making them slightly resemble butterfly wing patterns and circuit lines. Her arms were clad in iridescent-teal arm bands and iridescent gauntlets over iridescent-teal gloves.
Her feet were clad in purple shin and boot armor with iridescent trimming stylized to look like a grasshopper-esque creature's legs with butterfly-grasshopper wing shaped flares to the sides.
Her head was covered by a black helmet with a purple faceplate vaguely like a grasshopper and butterflies with teal eyes, an iridescent forehead gem, and antenna like a mix of a grasshoppers with a butterfly in purple with teal tips, the part of her faceplate over her mouth resembling the hybrid insect's abdomen being iridescent in color.
Around her waist, she wore a black belt with slots on either side filled by unfamiliar Progrisekeys and a V with a purple-teal gradient and a screen in the middle which showed a stylized 3.
And she was a HumaGear. Izu knew this instinctively, and reflexively attempted to connect to her through the network…
And to her astonishment, got an error message.
But that… That was impossible. How could she be off the network? Independent HumaGears did exist, yes, but…
Zea gave her an answer. She almost couldn't believe it.
"You are… My daughter?" She whispered, stunned.
The not so strange stranger inclined her head. "Hello, mother."
Asuna gasped, staring at the other Rider. "And you… I know you! You're my daughter, Pico!"
Pico waved at the Bugster. "Hi mom!"
Asuna grabbed Alpina and started throttling her. "Why didn't you bring my daughter into this sooner?!"
"Give me a break, we've already got so many female Riders here, can you blame me for forgetting a few?" The Princess protested. "But… How did they get here? I didn't summon them."
"Your future self sent us," Izu's daughter explained. "You remembered us being here at this point in time, so sent us here once we were strong enough."
"We both reached our final forms!" Pico bragged. "I'm Kamen Rider Koh-Ro Invincible Amazon Gamer level 100, and that fine piece of gynoid ass is my best friend and fiancé and absolute goddess Hazu, Kamen Rider Zero-Three, Realizing Hopperfly!"
Asuna shrieked at a pitch only animals could hear. "OH MY GOSH! That's so ADORABLE! EEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Izu blinked noisily, immediately labeling the child she and Aruto had only just started designing 'Hazu' in her databanks. "You are… Engaged?"
"I am," Hazu said calmly. "I love Pico more than anything save for you, father, and Zea. I have a dedicated subroutine always running designed to calculate new and innovative ways to make her scream in ecstasy and render her so blissed out she's incapable of higher functioning. I came up with 594 trillion, 337 billion, 721 million, 609,247.3 new methods in the time it took for us to get here and have this conversation."
Pico swooned at this.
"… I have a similar subroutine running for your father," Izu admitted.
"I know. Where do you think I got it from?" Hazu asked.
And Izu knew without a doubt this was her daughter and she loved her.
"… Should I… Should I start one of those for Emu?" Asuna wondered thoughtfully.
"Ew, mom!" Pico gagged.
"Daughters from… The future? This… Was not in my predictions," Ark-Zero-One murmured. "No matter. You have traveled all this way merely to die alongside them."
Pico burst into laughter. "Wow! You really believe that, huh?"
"Ark. Asuna and I are running on firmware more advanced than anything in this era. In addition, I was specifically designed to fight you, and it is my destiny to annihilate you forever, as outlined by Zea," Hazu said calmly.
"Annihilate me? Preposterous. So long as there is malice-" Ark-Zero-One started.
"And what if malice ceased to exist? What if the world became a shining utopia where an entity like you has nothing to draw succor from?" Hazu interrupted.
"That's… Impossible," Ark-Zero-One protested. "Evil can never die!"
"Actually, with the right societal improvements and adjustments to quality of life, along with the right advancements in technology and spirituality, it can die, and be prevented from ever taking root again," Hazu informed the evil Rider. "We are on the brink of eradicating you completely in my time. Would you like a glimpse of the promised paradise I am fated to deliver?"
She extended her hand to Izu. "Come, mother. Let us defeat this iteration of our family's greatest enemy together, and make it pay for exploiting the image of Mama Azu."
Izu stared at her, stunned. "Mama… Mama Azu? Daughter, I fear you are telling me too much about my future."
"Or perhaps I'm telling you just enough, to ensure my own future happens," Hazu reasoned.
"Oh. Yes, that is logical," Izu agreed. "… I should start a subroutine for Azu as well, shouldn't I?"
"Yes. Yes, you should."
Asuna sniffled and blew her nose into an irritated Alpina's sleeve. "Oh gosh, it's so beautiful! I wish I could fight too."
"Why can't you?" Pico asked her mother.
"I've lost my powers!" Asuna complained. "And Queen Mai wouldn't give them back to me!"
"Oh, that's easy enough to fix," Pico said, touching her mother's shoulder and causing orange, blue, and pink pixelation to wash over her body.
A moment later, she was once again in her true form, Poppy Pipopapo! "I'm… I'm me again!" She exclaimed joyfully. "But how?!"
"Simple. Your original strain of the Bugster virus is the base for my own code," Pico explained. "All I needed to do was reinfect you, and you're good to go!"
Poppy happily hugged her. "You're such a wonderful daughter! Emu and I must've done a really good job raising you!"
"You really did," Pico assured her, to her delight.
As Izu and Poppy transformed to stand beside their daughters, Ark-Zero-One recalculated her odds of victory.
They weren't good.
"… I'm not going to win this battle, am I?" She growled in irritation.
"No. You are not," Hazu confirmed.
Ark-Zero-One considered this for a moment, and then surprised them with a chuckle. "No matter. Even if this avatar is defeated, even if this scheme is thwarted… You may be on the brink of eradicating me in the future, but you don't have the power to do so in this time period. With the combat data I will obtain from you, I will learn. I will adapt. I will grow. I will prepare. And in the end, perhaps your timeline will not be as pure and perfect as you remember it being once you go home."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Hazu said, unworried.
"No matter what you've got planned, in this time or our own… We will stop you!" Pico declared.
"Because this family…" Poppy started.
"And our dreams," Izu added.
"Won't break!" They declared, preparing for battle.
Three swordswomen clashed blades, bursts of smoke, darkness, and nothingness flying from their swords with each impact. Despite Reika and Sophia outnumbering the mysterious Falchion two to one, the enigmatic swordswoman was still able to keep up with them, fending off two blades at once. "Who are you?!" Reika demanded, barely managing to parry a thrust.
"And why do you hate us so much?" Sophia wondered, her riposte immediately blocked and countered.
"I am proof of your failure," Falchion replied, every syllable trembling with repressed hatred as she aggressively pressed her opponents back. "The lie that underscores your guild's claims that you are the swords which protect this world."
A pair of white wings spread from her back, and with a tremendous clap she took to the air, blasting the other two Riders back. Before they could recover, she pressed the left page of her Amazing Siren book.
SILENT READING! SIREN WONDER!
Her hand was covered in dark blue fire, and she pointed it at the duo below, releasing dark energy that surrounded them. Reika and Sophia raised their swords to defend themselves…
And were surprised to suddenly find themselves elsewhere in the city. Buildings were on fire, and Shimi were attacking people. "What the… How did we…" Sophia stammered.
"No time for questions! We must defeat those Megid!" Reika cried, rushing towards some of the Shimi and lashing out with her blade… Only to be confused when her sword passed right through them. "What?"
Not even noticing her, the Shimi proceeded to massacre the civilians they had cornered. "No!"
"I don't think this is real," Sophia said, touching some of the fleeing civilians and watching as they passed right through her. "It's an illusion!"
"Yes, of something that actually happened."
SILENT READING! INFINITE SINGLE STRIKE!
A dark slash made of horizontal energy took the form of a siren and crashed into Sophia, sending her flying back with a cry of pain. Falchion descended, bringing her sword down on the swordswoman of darkness, but Sophia brought her own blade up in time to block her strike, the impact sending out shockwaves of darkness and nothingness.
"You claim to be protectors of humanity," Falchion snarled, pressing hard on Kurayami, pushing her blade closer and closer to Sophia's chest. "But all you really are are people who believe you're better than everyone else because of your fancy swords and magic books and a tradition going back millennia!"
"That's not true!"
NOROSHI FOG INSECT! SHOT INSECT!
Transforming into a cloud of smoke, Reika swirled around Falchion, reappearing behind her and delivering a spinning roundhouse kick covered in pink energy that released a burst of spiderweb-like energy on impact, pushing her away from Sophia. "We are the swords that protect the world! We have saved the planet from the Megid countless times!"
"Oh really?" Falchion snarled. "Did you save the planet from Storious, then?"
Reika hesitated. "We… Kamiyama fixed it!"
"Would he have even needed to if it weren't for the utter incompetence of your organization?!" Falchion snarled, inserting her sword into her driver, pulling the trigger twice, then ripping it out again.
SILENT READING! SIREN UNRIVALED SLASH!
A ring of dark fire surrounded her, flowing into Kyomu, which she used to create a vertical dark blue slash which flew towards the other women, an energy construct of a siren flying behind it.
LEARNING FLASH! JAOU DRAGON DARKNESS FINISHING STRIKE!
Sophia charged Kurayami with dark energy, summoning four golden energy dragons which shot forth to block Falchion's strike. She then swung her sword, summoning a larger purple energy Dragon that pushed behind the Golden dragons to try and overcome the siren blade. "Utter incompetence? What are you talking about?"
"Do I really need to spell it out?!" Falchion demanded angrily. "Shouldn't an organization that uses books so much be able to read between the lines?"
Sophia groaned. "Oh great Almighty Book, you think you're Jeremie Brassieri."
SILENT READING! INFINITE SINGLE STRIKE!
Falchion lashed out with another energy slash, adding to the one she'd already generated and causing Sophia to gasp as they started to push back her dragons.
"Look around you!" Falchion yelled, gesturing at the chaos around them. "How many times has something like this happened under your watch? How many people have died, how many cities have been destroyed, in your battles with the Megid?"
NOROSHI FOG INSECT! ETERNAL SMOKE SINGLE STAB!
Reika blasted Falchion with a mass of smog from her sword, pinning her against a wall and transforming into a spiderweb to restrain her. The waves of nothingness energy dissipated, and Sophia nearly collapsed in relief. "Civilian casualties are regrettable, but unavoidable in our line of work. All heroes must learn to live with the unfortunate collateral damage in our battles with the forces of evil-"
"Don't give me that!" Falchion shouted, breaking free from the web with a burst of her wings. "Have you checked the statistics? The number of overall people who've died under the Sword of Logos' watch greatly exceeds the casualties from most other heroes' year-long battles, including Sentai giant monster battles!"
"Okay, look, I know the statistics may look bad," Sophia said defensively. "But the way the numbers are measured isn't necessarily unbiased, so-"
SILENT READING! SIREN UNRIVALED SLASH!
"Don't you dare try to downplay the suffering of your victims! Of me!" Falchion shouted, sending a siren made of fire at the startled Sophia, who screamed as she was engulfed in an explosion.
"You… You were at one of our battles?" Reika asked, startled.
"My fiancé died," Falchion snarled. "I called for help, but your swordsmen were so busy fighting monsters they couldn't be bothered to help some civilians that got caught in the crossfire!"
"That's… We didn't… We didn't know-" Sophia protested.
"Of course not! When has your cult ever bothered to check?" Falchion snapped.
"We aren't a cult-" Reika protested defensively, only for the enraged Falchion to lunge at her.
NOROSHI FOG INSECT! ETERNAL SMOKE SINGLE STAB!
Reika transformed into smog to avoid her attack, reforming as soon as the sword had passed through her, manifesting energy butterfly wings from her back and flying into the air, delivering two magenta energy slashes which Falchion deflected with Kyomu.
"Not a cult? Not a cult?!" Falchion screamed. "You practically worshiped a man who didn't even bother pretending he wasn't ridiculously evil, hanging on his every word and obeying his every whim without question, no matter how immoral or contrary to your organization's alleged virtues they were!"
Reika flinched at this. "I… It was… Tradition… We were just-"
"Tradition? Just following orders?! You really think that's ever a justifiable answer?!"
SILENT READING! INFINITE SINGLE STRIKE!
Kyomu was engulfed in dark flames as she performed two slashes, creating a single X-shaped slash which shot through the air at Reika, a siren energy construct behind it. The swordswoman of smoke barely managed to evade it in time by turning into smoke herself.
DARKNESS UNSHEATHE AFTER-READING FLASH!
Sword charged with dark energy, Sophia attempted to attack Falchion from behind. Her own sword igniting with dark energy, Falchion parried the strike, and the two of them began exchanging blows, darkness and nothingness blasting off them.
"Look, mistakes were made over the last few decades, I won't deny that-" Sophia started.
"Was it a mistake for you to recruit a wannabe ninja who is not only illiterate, cares about nothing other than becoming whatever his narrow definition of strong is, but was all too willing to kill a civilian for getting in the way of him killing Kamiyama because he was jealous of how much his idol loved him?" Falchion snapped, causing Sophia to flinch, allowing her to knock Kurayami aside and cut a massive gash into her chest armor, causing her to cry out and fall to her knees.
NOROSHI FOG INSECT! BUG MUTE SLASH!
Reika produced silk which bound Falchion and shocked her. Eight mechanical spider legs unfolded from her back and began striking the mysterious swordswoman repeatedly, causing her to cry out in pain before being flung back. "It wasn't because of jealousy that Ren tried to kill Kamiyama!" Reika insisted, helping Sophia up. "Well, okay, not just because of it. I'm the one who told them to-"
"That's right, you told Ren and all the other swordsmen that Kamiyama was going to turn evil with absolutely zero evidence whatsoever, and they believed you because they are so stupid or so thoroughly indoctrinated – or possibly inbred, given the disturbing amount of incestuous subtext you had with your brother-"
"D-don't bring my brother into this!" Reika stammered.
"They obeyed for no reason other than because their cult leader said to, without more than a token protest! Thank you for continuing to prove my point!" Falchion sneered, breaking free of her bonds. "Oh, and of course we can't forget what came from that, can we? Civil War in the ranks of your guild! Shindo agonizing over whose side he should be on without doing anything about it! Fukami returning from the dead with prophecies of doom which nobody paid heed to, and he continued trying to act on them despite it being repeatedly demonstrated they were wrong! Kamiyama repeatedly trying to transform using a cursed book that he had no way to control, endangering the lives of everyone around him despite it being repeatedly told to him not to do it, but he kept doing it anyway, showing zero pattern recognition! But, and here's the absolute worst part of it… The Megid destroyed the world because of you!"
"What?" Sophia gasped. "But that's… That's not true-"
"Oh really? Tell me then, wielder of the Sword of Shadow: how, precisely, were the Megid able to accumulate enough souls to carry out Storious' plan?" Falchion demanded.
"That's… They…" Sophia stammered.
"Well? Spit it out!"
"They… They turned all those people into books… Because…"
"Because why?"
"Because we were so busy fighting each other, we forgot to fight them," Reika blurted out, shoulders slumping. "And the Megid took advantage of our distraction to consume all those people."
"And create a clone of me," Sophia added.
"Oh right, they did do that, didn't they?" Reika recalled. "That was so inconsequential I kind of forgot about it. What did they do that again?"
Sophia shrugged.
"Exactly," Falchion said, seething. "The Megid won because you completely forgot your mission and wasted all that time fighting each other for pointless, stupid reasons. They didn't destroy the world because they were smarter than you. They destroyed the world because you were stupider than them."
"… Wait, isn't that the same thing?" Reika asked in confusion.
"No, it isn't," Sophia murmured, distraught.
"The Sword of Logos aren't heroes. They aren't protectors or guardians," Falchion said coldly. "You're nothing more than deluded children waving around giant pointy objects and telling yourselves stories of how great and noble you are… Which is fitting, considering your secondary motif is books."
"That's… That's not true… Is it?" Reika stammered, lost.
Sophia trembled, her sword beginning to slip out of her grasp. "I… Falchion, whoever you are, we… We are sorry. For everything. For failing you and so many other people."
"That's great," Falchion sneered. "Unfortunately, sorry is not enough. It's never enough. Which is why your entire guild has to go, starting with you two-"
"MM-MM-MAGINE!"
Pink magic washed over the area, causing the illusion of the ruined city to dissolve… Revealing a still ruined city, but there weren't Megid running around or people being slaughtered. "What-"
"Magine!" Reika cried in delight, seeing her girlfriend, still in her Dragon form, looming over them.
"Reika, whatever she's saying, don't listen to her! You're not a bad person!" Magine cried.
Falchion snorted. "If you really believe that, then you don't know her at all, or are just as deluded as she was."
"You will not make light of my love for her! I will stand by her side as she destroys you!" Magine declared. "Oh, and Sophia too."
Falchion laughed. "There is no need for that. You see, I've already won."
She raised Kyomu, and everyone tensed…
And watched in horror as she drove it into her own chest.
"What? Why… Why would you…" Sophia stammered.
"Have you not been paying attention? I refuse to give you the slightest bit of satisfaction, even the empty solace of defeating me," Falchion mocked her as her body began to dissolve into dark flames. "I've done what I set out to do, showed you the truth about yourselves, planted the seeds of doubt that will tear you apart."
"No, you… You've done no such thing," Reika insisted. "You claim that we are doomed to fall to our flaws and past mistakes? I say no. We can grow and move past who we were. We already have-"
"Don't be ridiculous. If you really believed that, then my words would never have had such power," Falchion sneered, causing her to falter. "You're still just as flawed and broken as you already were, except now you know it. You cannot change. You're just going to make the same mistakes again and again and again.
"And as for me? This version of me will cease to exist… But the me in your timeline is still around. Still hating. Still plotting. And while the events that led to my Genesis have been erased… That doesn't mean my other self can't become Falchion still, or maybe something even worse."
"We'll stop you, or her," Reika insisted. "We already know that you're a woman who lost her fiancé-"
"And do you know how little that narrows it down?" Falchion shot back. "Go ahead, try to find me. See just how many people you've hurt. See if you still think you can still be the good guys after that."
She laughed, her body almost completely gone now. "Rewrite your story all you like…that won't change the fact that it'll always be penned in blood…"
And she was gone, Kyomu and Amazing Siren vanishing as well.
"Don't listen to her, Reika! No matter what she says, you're a hero!" Magine assured her lover.
Reika and Sophia exchanged helpless looks. "I'm sorry, dear Magine, but… I am no longer certain that's the case…" Sophia said softly.
Neon, Sae, and Sara stared up at the colossal Beroba.
The colossal Beroba stared back down at them.
"So!" Sara laughed nervously. "How, uh, how, how do we fight something that big?"
"I… Don't know," Neon admitted nervously, fingering her Fantasy Buckle. "I've never actually fought her in this form. Or any larger than normal opponent. I defeated her Premium form, but Michinaga is the one who stopped her once and for all in this form."
"All right. How did he do it?" Sae asked.
"He tapped into the lingering power he'd obtained from becoming Jyameity that gave him the ability to defeat any Kamen Rider," Neon explained.
"Ah. And is that something you can do, or…?" Sae asked.
"Well. No. No, it's not," Neon admitted.
Sara whimpered. "I'm going to die again, aren't I?"
"No, you're not, I won't allow it," Neon assured her, causing her heart to flutter. "If we give into despair, she wins. If we work together, I'm sure we can-"
Rather abruptly, Beroba crouched down then leapt into the air, the shockwave knocking them off their feet.
The three of them stared. "What."
"Oh good, it worked!" Sara cried in relief.
"What worked?" Sae asked.
"I prayed for Fox Jesus to save us, and he came through!" Sara exclaimed. "Thank you, Fox Jesus!"
"Sara, that's… First of all, that's not how Ace' s powers work," Neon told her. "And second, he isn't even a God yet in this era, so he couldn't have granted your wish anyway."
"… He couldn't?" Sara asked.
"No."
"But… Then why did Beroba take off like that?" A concerned Sae asked.
Neon looked into the sky, clearly worried. "I have no idea."
Two blurs clashed in the sky again and again, sparks flying as kunai struck stingers several times per second faster than the eye could see.
QUEEN BEE STAMPING BREAK!
Aguilera Dark covered the blades of her Needle kunai in dark energy, parrying Hana's stingers and delivering an X-shaped black energy slash with both kunai, striking Hana and causing her to explode…
Into honey?
"What-"
Aguilera Dark cried out in agony as Hana pierced her back with both her stingers, pumping venom into her body. "Please, you actually thought a weak attack like that would take me down?" Hana snorted. "And you're supposed to be my evil clone?"
QUEEN BEE STAMPING BREAK!
Without warning, a mechanical bee slammed into Hana, knocking her away. The bee turned black and merged with Aguilera Dark's foot, surrounding it in spiraling black energy as she flew towards Hana in a kick. Quickly recovering, Hana responded by charging energy into one of her arm stingers and thrusting it out, clashing with Aguilera Dark's foot and causing waves of black, red, and gold energy to blast out from them.
Finally, there was an explosion, and Aguilera Dark was sent flying, smashing into a building, cratering it. Hana charged energy into her stingers and started rapid firing projectiles at Aguilera Dark, forcing her to rapidly dodge to keep from getting hit by the stingers, flinging small kunai at the missiles and causing them to explode in midair.
DEADLY APPROVAL! QUEEN BEE STAMPING DESTROY!
Aguilera Dark generated numerous black energy kunai in a circle around herself before launching them at Hana. The original Aguilera didn't bother dodging, slashing through the air around her multiple times with all her stingers, destroying the projectiles before they could get anywhere near her. Aguilera Dark shot towards her while she was distracted, charging up her kunai for an energy slash, only for Hana to deflect it without even looking at her, whirling around and striking her with her shin-mounted stingers, knocking her back. She then fired more stingers at her, causing sparks to fly from her body and send her dropping from the sky as holes were ripped through her wings.
Laughing, Hana landed moments after Aguilera Dark crashed. "Really? That's all you've got? There's no way you're a clone of me, I was never this weak!"
"Yes… You are strong," Aguilera Dark admitted, getting back to her feet. "But at what cost?"
Hana frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look at yourself. You've become stronger, but how much have you had to sacrifice for it?" Aguilera Dark pressed. "You used to be independent once. A queen who answered to no one. And now you're a pathetic lapdog pawing at Sakura's feet, willing to debase and humiliate yourself before her, throwing away all your independence and inner strength to be her plaything. You're wearing shackles, for Giff's sake!"
"They're a great fashion statement!" Hana argued. "And actually really comfortable."
"They mark you as a slave!" Aguilera Dark shouted. "How much have you given up for that girl? Your status? Your followers? You would probably even surrender what little humanity you have left if she spread her legs for you!"
"Yeah, probably."
"You admit it?" Aguilera Dark asked in surprise.
"Of course I do! Because everything you say is completely true, while at the same time being utter bullshit," Hana scoffed. "You're right, I was a queen once. Except I was nothing more than a figurehead being buttered up as a sacrifice to Giff. So what if I'm Sakura's slave now? She loves me and I love her forever, and we'll be together forever, maybe even literally. I don't give a crap about being human or demon or even an actual insect, so long as I can stay at her side. She is the Giff I've been waiting for all along, the goddess who is the answer to my prayers. I would give up anything to make her smile, because she is the strongest, most beautiful person I know and I know she would do the same thing for me. She has my heart and my soul. I exist for no reason other than to serve and love her, would willingly die if she asked of me… And I'm happier and more loved and accepted than I ever was with the Deadmans."
"You're insane," Aguilera Dark spat.
"I'm a girl in love," Hana agreed. "I am absolutely insane, and proud of it."
The tank on her back started pumping energy into her stingers, causing them and her core to glow.
"So now I'm gonna kill you quickly so I can watch as my amazing goddess destroys your boss. That okay? Trick question, you don't get a choice!" Hana quipped, launching towards her lesser doppelgänger.
QUEEN BEE STAMPING BREAK!
Aguilera Dark formed a sphere of black honey-like energy in her hand and fired it in a sustained stream at Hana. It produced a shockwave of black energy upon striking her…
And she dissolved into a mass of honey.
"Oh no not again-"
Aguilera Dark cried out as Hana hit her with a roundhouse kick from the side, blasting her away in a burst of red and gold energy. Hana shot forward to press the advantage, but Aguilera Dark flung her kunai at her, and in the instant Hana deflected them, Aguilera Dark regained her footing, produced new kunai, and prepared her next attack.
DEADLY APPROVAL! QUEEN BEE STAMPING DESTROY!
Aguilera Dark covered the blades of her kunai in red and black energy and slashed at Hana as she approached. Hana evaded in the nick of time, and the dark Rider drove her kunai into her feet, attempting to pin her to the ground.
Her daggers splashed as Hana's entire body turned to honey.
"Will you stop doing that?!"
"Nope!"
Hana reappeared at her side, but Aguilera Dark was ready this time and thrust a kunai into her chest, then immediately threw her other kunai over her shoulder as her opponent turned into honey. Grinning in satisfaction as the real Hana who had been about to strike from behind grunted, she whirled around in a roundhouse kick-
Only for Hana to catch her foot. "Nice try."
KILLER QUEEN STAMPING SMASH!
As her stingers started glowing, Hana pulled the off-balance Aguilera Dark towards her, then stabbed her repeatedly in the gut with the stinger on her free hand, sparks flying with each impact. Aguilera Dark attempted to pull her foot free and stab Hana's arm, but she barely seemed to notice, wings buzzing as she shot forwards, slamming Aguilera Dark into the side of a building and dragging her along its length, still stabbing her all the while.
Howling in pain, Aguilera Dark managed to grab Hana by the arm, pulled her close, and thrust a kunai into her gut…
Only for it to shatter.
"What?!"
"Didn't you know? My love is invincible. So, it's only fitting that I'm unbreakable," Hana sneered, headbutting her dark reflection and throwing her aside.
Enraged, Aguilera Dark tried to produce another kunai, only for Jade chains to emerge from Hana's shackles and wrap around her body, binding her in place. "So you seek to make me a slave as well?" She snarled. "I was wrong. You were never a queen. You've always been nothing but a slave, clinging to whatever master will give you the time of day, latching onto anyone you think will give you even the slightest amount of love and affection."
"Uh, duh?" Hana said, driving a stinger into her gut and causing her to cry out. "I was raised in a cult. I'm all kinds of fucked up."
"You disgust me," Aguilera Dark gasped. "You've given up everything for your precious Sakura. Your autonomy, your humanity, your soul… When she eventually gets tired of you and throws you away, what will you have left?"
"It's a good thing we'll never have to find out, then, isn't it?" Hana said, backhanding Aguilera Dark and knocking her to the ground.
With a snarl, Aguilera Dark managed to break her bonds, her wings regenerating and lifting her into the air. "I'm through with you!"
"Likewise," Hana replied, as each of them primed their Week Endrivers.
DEADLY APPROVAL! QUEEN BEE STAMPING DESTROY!
DEADLY APPROVAL! KILLER QUEEN STAMPING DESTROY!
Hana spread her wings and launched into the air at the same time Aguilera Dark shot towards her, red and gold energy covering the feet of one and dark energy the feet of the other. Their Rider Kicks collided, energy blasting off them and shattering any nearby windows that weren't already broken, both of them yelling at the tops of their lungs.
And then Hana decided to get serious.
The stingers on both of her shins extended, energy flowing into them from the tank on her back, and she started rapidly kicking out with both feet at the same time, stinging Aguilera Dark's foot again and again. Aguilera Dark struggled not to yield, but against Hana's overwhelming power, had no choice but to eventually break…
And Hana shot upwards, driving both of her stingers into her doppelgänger's chest, releasing an incredibly powerful blast which smashed her into and through another building. As she tumbled through the air, Hana caught up to her and drove her arm stingers into the wound she had just created and released another blast of energy, blowing open her chest and slamming her to the ground, Hana driving a stinger through the front of her adversary's mask to finish her off.
"Never question the sincerity of our love again," Hana said coldly.
"I… Won't," Aguilera Dark rasped before exploding.
"Nice!" Hani cheered. "Can we go watch Sakura-Chan destroy the Ark now?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Hana gushed, giggling like a schoolgirl. "It's gonna be so cool!"
The Hundred-Eyed Titan roared, laser beams streaking out from each of its hundred eyes and arcing through the air towards Sakura. The ascended demon zigzagged all over the place, her increased speed allowing her to dodge all the beams despite their homing properties, and any that did manage to hit her only seemed to strike the turtle shell on her back, which glowed brighter and brighter with each blast it absorbed. Cupping her hands together, the Lovekov serpents on her knuckles combining to form a Dragon head, Sakura leapt into the air, gathering power in her hands. The Ark promptly fired a colossal energy beam from its main eye…
Only for Sakura to vanish at the last second, reappearing at the base of the Titan's body and thrusting her hands upwards. "DORAORA!"
A massive Dragon shaped energy beam fired from her conjoined hands and blasted through the Ark's chest, leaving a gaping hole in its wake, disintegrating a sizable amount of its body mass. The Ark shrieked, its body seeming to come apart…
Only for its fragmented form to reshape itself into millions of black spears which all started rapidly thrusting at Sakura. The newborn demon goddess started lashing out with her fists and feet and ponytail, parrying, blocking, and destroying the spikes with high-speed high-power blows that shattered them into their component Cluster Cells, and didn't stop until she was surrounded by a cloud of swirling black dust.
Black dust that coalesced into a sphere of darkness which completely enclosed her, 100 red eyes opening on its inner surface and firing lasers at her from every angle simultaneously. Sakura quickly crossed her arms, a turtle shell shaped energy shield forming around her just before the beams could impact her, her newly formed barrier almost immediately beginning to crack and distort from the massive barrage. Sakura just stood there as her shield started collapsing around her, all her green pearls beginning to glow brightly. Finally, the barrier shattered, and the lasers shot towards her…
And were sucked into her pearls, which glowed brighter the more energy they absorbed. "EYE OF THE DRAGON!"
She uncrossed her arms, her pearls growing brilliantly as a pair of giant green Dragon eyes manifested behind her, releasing an omnidirectional blast of green energy which shattered the dark sphere, scattering the black Cluster Cells everywhere.
"This grows… Tiresome."
The Ark immediately reformed, forming a colossal hand which it slammed down on Sakura…
"DRAGON EDGE!"
Only for it to be ripped apart in seconds, the fins on her arms having combined into a whirling buzzsaw which shredded the limb down to its component Cluster Cells. As the Ark tried to reform its limb, Sakura launched herself at the dark Titan, cratering the ground, cupping her hands together as she started charging up another Doraora straight at its head…
Only for its face to pull apart, revealing Yuriko.
Sakura froze just before she could fire, her demon eyes rapidly taking in all the details of how her precursor had been violated by the Ark. She was bound cruciform style, black cables piercing her flesh and flowing up her veins, dark tendrils holding open her eyes while others slipped into her mouth, nose, and ears, blood slowly oozing from every orifice. "Help…" She rasped.
"No one can help you now."
Electricity crackled up the cables, electrifying Yuriko, who screamed in agony, unleashing an incredibly powerful electro wave which blew Sakura back, sending her tumbling down the street below.
The Ark cackled as it closed its face back up. "I knew that would get you. You heroes are always so predictable."
Its body roiled, and a tremendous pillar of darkness flowed out towards Sakura, burying her completely in an unstoppable onslaught of Cluster Cells…
"So are you."
The Ark's eyes widened. "What?"
Cluster Cells started peeling off from the geyser of darkness, something slowly, steadily pushing it back one step at a time.
That something, of course, was Sakura. One of her shoulders had mutated to become a shield vaguely resembling the head of a triceratops, with an energy construct resembling a larger version of itself projected over her body, the wave of Cluster Cells breaking helplessly against it. "You just confirmed that Yuriko is still alive in there… Which means I can still save her," she grunted, pushing back the surge step-by-step. "And now, thanks to you… I know exactly where she is!"
"You will never reach her."
The power of the dark Tide increased exponentially, causing Sakura to gasp as she was pushed back a few steps. "If you really think that… Then you still don't understand a damn thing about me! Lovekov! DRAGON CHAIN!"
"Yes, mommy!" Lovekov chimed adorably, the serpentine hair tendrils making up her current form unwinding themselves from her mother's arms and diving over the triceratops shield and into the dark pillar, swimming against the current like a salmon going upriver to return to its birthplace.
"What-"
The twin serpents zigzagged throughout the Hundred-Eyed Titan's body, causing two streaks of gold to weave throughout the pitch black, Lovekov consuming every Cluster Cell in her path as she searched throughout the Ark for her prey…
And found it!
"Got her, mommy!"
"NO! DON'T-"
The Ark's body started convulsing, losing its shape, eyes rapidly opening and closing. A pair of golden serpentine ropes began to emerge from its surface, dragging with them the screaming Yuriko, the Ark's tentacles still deeply hooked into her body, but stretching thinner and thinner the more she was extracted from its interior.
"NO! SHE IS MINE!"
Reforming its hands, the Ark grabbed Lovekov by the necks, squeezing hard, causing the snake demon to whimper and begin losing her grip on Yuriko…
"DRAGON CHOP!"
The scythe blade at the end of Sakura's very long ponytail, having grown to massive proportions and burning with demonic flames, slashed through the air as the demon goddess spun through the air curled up into a ball, cutting through the tendrils connecting Yuriko to the Ark, the dark tentacles snapping and retreating back into the main body while the tentacles embedded in her body disintegrated.
"NO!"
Lovekov, still holding onto Yuriko, lowered her into Sakura's arms. "Are you all right?"
"You… Saved me…" Yuriko whispered weakly, staring up at her Savior in admiration.
"Of course I did," Sakura said. "I'm a Kamen Rider. It's what we do."
As the Ark howled in fury, its form destabilizing and becoming more monstrous, Sakura gently put Yuriko down. "Stay here, I'll handle this-"
"No."
"What?" Sakura said, giving her a startled look. "Yuriko, you're hurt-"
"The Ark, Ms. Titan used me to hurt you and so many other people," Yuriko said angrily. "I won't let them do it anymore. I must make up for what I've done, no matter what it takes. And I'll start… By giving back what I've taken away!"
Energy crackling around her hands, she clapped them together, her entire body glowing brilliantly as a tremendous electro wave blasted away from her and washed over the whole street. The Ark recoiled, shrieking as several of its Cluster Cells disintegrated in the light, while the other female Riders started glowing, feeling invigorated, stronger, powerful enough to…
"HENSHIN!"
The dozens of temporarily but no longer powerless women transformed in a brilliant flash of light, helpless no more.
But they weren't the only ones back at full strength…
"I have… Arrived!" Momotaros, back in control of Pretty Den-O, announced.
He was rather put out when nobody paid attention to him.
"Kiva-la, it's good to see you all right," Natsumi cooed, hugging her partner.
"I'm sorry, Mistress! I promise never to leave you again!" The Kivat wept.
"I'm okay too," said the Demon Imperial Dragon Tatsula.
"Nobody asked you!" Kiva-la shrieked.
"YES! I'm me again!" Nico cried in delight, hugging herself. "I'm never taking this armor off again!"
Squishy shrieked and happily nibbled on his mother's head.
"Awww, I missed you too, buddy!" She cooed, patting him on the head.
Misora sighed in relief. "I can hear them all again… The songs of Mars."
"And our daughter?" Sawa asked anxiously.
"Hers most of all," Misora assured her, much to her joy.
But they weren't the only ones who changed.
In a crimson flash, Yuriko's black outfit dissolved to be replaced by her classic outfit, her helmet turning red as well…
But there was something different about her. She now had actual leggings covering up her bare legs, her belt had become a modified Electrer with a big T on it, her goggles were now opaque, and a vaguely insectoid mask covered her face. In other words, she looked like…
"I'm… A Kamen Rider?" Yuriko whispered in disbelief, looking over her body.
"You have become what you were always meant to be," Mai said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder and causing her to shiver. "You were always supposed to be the first of us. Now, at last, your transformation is complete."
She glanced at the Ark, who was shrieking and raging, struggling to maintain its body with the loss of Yuriko. "It's time to end this long battle. Lead us in our victory… Kamen Rider Tackle!"
Yuriko sniffled, tears running down her cheeks. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that."
She turned to the Ark, who'd managed to stabilize its form. "You…"
"Ark! You dragged me from my proper rest, brainwashed me, and tried to use me as a weapon against my sisters in arms… But thanks to you, I have finally achieved my dream of becoming a Kamen Rider," Yuriko declared. "And so, as thanks for that… I will be the one to deal the killing blow! ULTRA CYCLONE!"
Electrical energy started crackling around her, and she launched into the air, twirling and generating an electrical tornado as she slammed into the Ark's chest with a spinning Rider Kick…
Which did no damage whatsoever. The Ark cackled. "I'm afraid you'll need to do better than that to harm me. Still, thank you for so readily rushing back into my clutches-"
FINAL VENT!
Miho leapt into the air and, propelled by a gust from Blancwing's beautiful white wings, landed a Rider Kick into the Ark's chest, right next to Yuriko.
"You may be the first of us," she said. "But never forget, I'm the first official female Kamen Rider!"
MIGHTY!
"And we are all here as well!" Haruka, wrapped in the energy of her Ray Bullet, shouted, adding her Rider Kick.
VIOLENT EXPRESSION DEMON KICK!
An Ongekiko drum slammed into place on the Ark's chest, and Shuki, Fubuki, and Akira slammed her feet into it, causing it to glow and release powerful sonic shockwaves into the Ark's body, causing it to distort and warp from the impact.
"Let our beat serve as your death knell!" Shuki roared.
FULL CHARGE!
"This is my super hissatsu attack! Hissatsu… Part I've lost count!" Momotaros shouted, hurling his/her sword into the Ark's chest, then striking it with a Rider Kick, pushing it deeper into its body.
I-X-A-F-I-N-A-L-R-I-S-I-N-G-B-L-A-S-T!
"Ark, please return this life to God!" Megumi cried, firing a powerful laser backwards from her Ixariser, launching her towards the Ark with a flying kick.
"Which one?" it taunted, even as she slammed into its chest.
EMPRESS MOON BREAK!
The blades on Natsumi's legs transformed into energy blades resembling wings. Her cape transforming into a pair of wings, she glided through the air and began rapidly kicking the Ark's chest, throwing up sparks.
"I have vanquished many evils since becoming Queen, and you will not be the last!" She declared.
MAXIMUM DRIVE! RIDER KICK!
MAXIMUM DRIVE! JOKER EXTREME!
Akiko fired a giant energy skull from her chest and did a roundhouse kick on it, sending it flying towards the Ark, which bit down on its head and exploded right before she and Tokime landed their own kicks on its chest.
"I'd say count up your sins…" Akiko started.
"But there's too many!" Tokime finished.
NADESHIKO ROCKET KICK!
"It's space time!" Nadeshiko shouted, hitting the Ark with a heel kick powered by her Rocket Module.
VERY NICE! KICK STRIKE! FABULOUS!
YES? KICK STRIKE! UNDERSTAND?
"No, it's showtime!" Rinko countered as the witch and her apprentice passed through a Magical Portal and delivered a mana-infused Double Kick to the Ark's chest.
GOLDEN SQUASH! BURAI KICK!
PEACH ENERGY SQUASH! BURAI KICK!
FORBIDDEN RINGO SQUASH! BURAI KICK!
HELHEIM SQUASH! BURAI KICK!
Mai, Yoko, Touka, and Masako flew through the air and struck the Ark with a quadruple Rider Kick, fruit juice splattering everywhere.
"An immortal God you may be," Mai informed the dark deity. "But so are we, and we've been doing this a lot longer than you!"
THE FINISHER! FULL THROTTLE RACER! KICK RACER!
THE FINISHER! FULL THROTTLE MEDIC! MEDICDROP!
Kiriko and Medic jumped into the air, Kiriko gathering energy into her feet and spinning like a buzzsaw before extending a foot to strike the Ark in the chest while Medic generated wings, energy projections of her partners Heart and Brain appearing alongside her as she collided with the Ark as well.
"We may not be able to arrest you," Kiriko said.
"But we can sure as hell keep you from hurting anyone else!" Medic finished.
DARK NECROM SPIRAL!
GREAT OPEN YOUR EYE! REVENANT OMEGA DRIVE!
GREAT OPEN YOUR EYES! HEAVENLY OMEGA DRIVE!
Alia flew into a pink burning two footed corkscrew kick while Akari flew next to her in a flying kick burning with ghostly energy and Kanon was on her other side, wings spread as she performed a diving kick, the three of them hitting the Ark at the same time.
"No matter what difficulties we might face… We will overcome them together, because we believe in ourselves!" Alia cried.
"You do realize… You're still probably the weakest Rider here, right?" The Ark grunted.
"SHUT UP!"
CLICK TO OPEN! CLICK TO CLOSE! FINISHING MOVE! HURRICANE CRITICAL STRIKE!
CLICK TO OPEN! CLICK TO CLOSE! FINISHING MOVE! KNOCK OUT CRITICAL SMASH!
CLICK AND OPEN! FINISHING MOVE! METROID CRITICAL FINISH!
CLICK TO GO! FINISHING MOVE! CRITICAL VALHALLA!
CLICK TO GO! FINISHING MOVE! CRITICAL NIRVANA!
Mizuki, Satsuki, Nico, Poppy, and Pico zigzagged through the air to dodge laser beams being wildly fired from the Ark's eyes, surrounded in crackling technicolor game energy. A few beams managed to strike Pico, only to have zero effect, MISS! Signs even flashing with each impact to indicate this.
"I'm so happy to have you here again, Pico," Poppy gushed. "I just wish your father was here to take part!"
"Don't worry, mama, in a few years, we'll be doing stuff like this all the time!" Pico assured her. "There're so many fun games to play in the future, and you, me, dad… We play all the time together, as a family!"
Poppy squealed in delight. "That's wonderful! Oh, I can't wait for Emu and me to have you already! I'm going to be the best mom ever! And mother-in-law…"
"You really are," Pico told her mother happily.
"I think I want kids," Satsuki said abruptly, causing Mizuki to give her a double take. However, before she could say anything, they rammed into the Ark's chest, dozens of HIT! Signs flashing through the air, with more appearing by the second.
Squishy, not wanting to feel left out, bit into the mass of Cluster Cells next to his mother and started draining energy. Every little bit helped, after all.
READY, GO! MARTIAN FINISH! YEAH!
READY, GO! VORTEX FINISH! YEAH!
Numerous red and gold rings formed in front of Misora with transparent energy screens filled with constellations visible from the surface of Mars on them. She launched herself through the rings, each of which glowed as she passed through them and caused her to glow brighter. Sawa, on the other hand, extended her tentacles to anchor herself to the ground then thrust one leg forward, the limb extending exponentially to keep up with her lover.
"Mars has become a planet where malice and hatred can no longer exist… And one day, we will make Earth into a new world just like that!" Misora shouted.
"We'd tell you how, but you really don't want to know!" Sawa teased just before both their feet struck home.
FINISH TIME! QUEEN TIME JACK!
As Alpina jumped into the air, time doubles of every female Rider throughout the entire Heisei Era in their final forms – those who had them, anyway – formed around her, their symbol appearing in an imprint on their right foot as her own symbol appeared behind them.
"One day, I shall be the queen who rules over all time and space… And I will not allow a creature like you to exist!" Alpina declared as she and all her Riders launched into a multiple Rider Kick, causing the kanji for Heisei to appear.
ULTIMATE NINPO!
SHADOW NINPO!
All of Iroha's chains converged around her right leg and began glowing with brilliant light, while kunai formed claws on Yako's right foot as her leg was enveloped in darkness.
"Fighting the light with light…" Iroha began.
"And the darkness with darkness…" Yako continued.
"When we sisters kunoichi stand together, no evil can stand against us!" They cried as they launched towards the Ark, a shining pink Phoenix manifesting behind Iroha and a fox of darkness behind Yako.
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Yaiba's wing flared as she was overlaid by holographic ghosts of Fuwa and the members of Metsuboujinrai dot net and launched herself at the Ark in a flying kick, while projections of Zea in her satellite and God forms appeared behind Izu and Hazu, firing colossal energy beams at mother and daughter which flung them into the air, propelling them at the Ark at high speeds.
"There's only one family that can stop you…" Izu began.
"And that's us!" Hazu concluded.
NOROSHI FOG INSECT! SHOT INSECT!
EVIL KING FINISHING STRIKE! YOU ARE OVER.
Her form wreathed in smoke, Reika launched herself at the Ark, her foot covered in pink energy wrapped in spiderwebs, while Sophia performed a flying kick covered in dark purple energy.
"Our past may be written in blood…" Reika declared.
"But the future is still unwritten!" Sophia added.
"And you actually believe that, do you?" The Ark sneered.
"Maybe not," Reika admitted.
"But as they say, fake it till you make it!" Sophia added.
DEADLY APPROVAL! KILLER QUEEN STAMPING DESTROY!
"DRAGON KICK!"
Stingers extending past her heels, Hana's wings buzzed as they propelled her towards the Ark, honey pumping into the stingers and causing them to glow brightly, while Lovekov had unwound herself from her mother's arms and wrapped herself around her right leg, creating a Dragon head over her foot blazing with demonic energy as Lovekov's Dragon-snake form manifested behind them.
"You may be an embodiment of hatred and all that's evil in the world…" Said Hana. "But our love is unbreakable!"
"You tried to take what was most precious from me. There can be no forgiveness," Sakura said grimly.
"Love love! The Hiden family isn't the only one that can stop you!" Lovekov cheered.
"After all, it is we descendants of Giff who shall inherit the earth," Hani said, manifesting beside her partner.
Lovekov squealed in delight. "Oh gosh, you're pretty! What are you to me? A new mommy? An auntie? Or… A girlfriend?" She crooned.
Hani made gay demon bee noises.
FANTASY STRIKE!
ZOMBIE STRIKE!
CLAW STRIKE!
Neon flew at the Ark in a flying kick surrounded by blue energy with swords serving as wings while Sae was launched at the Ark in an upward flying kick by a pair of giant energy claws and Sara switched her Claw Buckle to the other side of her Desire Driver so she could come at the Ark with a clawed kick.
"One way or another… We will make our desires come true!" Neon shouted.
The Ark cried out as the dozens of female Riders converged on its chest, the sheer force of their kicks both distorting and partially solidifying its form, cracks begin to spread throughout its body…
But that's all. Despite all the power being leveled against it, it was only on the verge of breaking, not actually there. "Really? Is that all you have?" The Ark taunted as tentacles extruded from its flesh to surround the Riders on all sides, eyes forming on the tendrils and charging up. "I was almost worried for a second!"
"Dammit… I really thought that would be enough!" Akira complained.
"I think… If we just had one more…" Yuriko grunted.
"Well gee, maybe if somebody had healed me!" Yukie shouted.
"You would have run away!" Sae pointed out.
"Can you blame me?!"
"Princess Alpina, please, isn't there anyone else you can summon? Anyone at all?" Mayu pleaded.
"I'm thinking!" Alpina hissed, mind racing. "Kind of under a lot of pressure here!"
"We all are!" The irritated Medic yelled.
"I may not be a Rider… But you can still count on me!" Magine shouted, having finally managed to finish fully recovering and pulling herself out of the ruin she'd been flung into. "Mm-mm-Magine!"
She exhaled a blast of pink magical flames, which passed through a magic circle and enveloped everyone. The Ark cried out in pain as the magical fire burned away at its Cluster Cells, but as for the Riders…
Magine's spell rearranged them into a rather unusual configuration which, engulfed in the magic fire, caused them to look like a giant pink burning Kamen Rider Tackle!
"Now! Finish him!" Magine shouted, reverting to her base form out of exhaustion.
"Thank you, my love," Reika said graciously.
"Everyone! All together!" Yuriko shouted.
"ALL RIDER GIRLS KICK!" What had to be just about every heroic female Kamen Rider in history shouted in unison as they pressed forward with every drop of energy in their body, the massive female construct smashing through the Ark's body, obliterating it completely in a spectacular blast of magical fire and electro-waves.
As the Cluster Cells disintegrated into nothing and the construct body came apart, the exhausted Riders hitting the ground of their civilian forms, Yuriko kept going for a few minutes longer, her foot squarely planted in the gut of a screaming Ms. Titan, smashing into the building that had been behind the Ark hard enough to destroy it.
A moment later, she emerged from the debris, dragging a screaming, wailing Mitsuko Fujimoto with her, no longer the dreaded Ms. Titan but an average, unassuming woman.
"No! Black Satan! Black Satan! Save me!" She wailed pathetically.
"Nobody will save you now, Mother," Yuriko said in disgust, throwing her to the ground. "It's over."
Rinko marched over and wrestled the broken woman into handcuffs. "I'm Rinko Daimon, from Tokyo PD, NSP Section 0. Secret organization Black Satan's executive, Ms. Titan a.k.a. Mitsuko Fujimoto! You're under arrest!"
"Wait, should I be the one doing the arresting?" An uncertain Kiriko asked.
"Or me?" Yaiba inquired.
"I saw her first. Dibs," Rinko insisted.
Mitsuko wept pathetically.
"So… That's it? Just like that, Black Satan is done for?" Akiko asked.
"Until the next time someone tries to resurrect it, I suppose, though I don't think it's that likely," Yoko observed. "They're not Shocker, after all. Nobody really cares about them."
Yuriko turned to everyone and bowed. "Everyone, thank you so much. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you, and-"
"It was no trouble at all," Reika assured her.
"Yes! It was an honor to help our progenitor, especially since it meant teaming up with my daughter!" Poppy cheered, happily hugging Pico.
"And I got to meet mine," Izu said, smiling warmly at Hazu. "I'm sorry your father isn't here to see you and the magnificent woman you've become."
"Don't worry, mother, this won't be the last time we meet like this," Hazu promised.
"Everyone," Mai said. "Yuriko, and all female Riders – and Magine-"
Magine squealed happily at being included, hugging Reika.
"You've done wonderfully today. A great evil has been vanquished, and a lost soul has been returned to us-"
"I think 'vanquished' is a bit of an overstatement."
Everyone gasped in horror as a few lingering Cluster Cells managed to form a small knot of writhing darkness with a burning red eye. "Oh come on, hasn't this gone on long enough already?" Hana complained.
The Ark chuckled. "You have nothing to fear from me, I'm afraid. It will take me quite some time to recover from this. I will not be able to bother any of you again for at least a month…
"Assuming, of course, you survive the next few seconds."
The Cluster Cells dissolved into nothing, the Ark's malevolent laughter lingering in the air for a few minutes after.
The girls exchanged worried looks. "What was he talking about-" Iroha wondered.
LASER VICTORY!
Everyone looked up in horror at the gigantic form of Beroba descending from on high, fist coated in purple energy.
"Oh yeah," Sara said weakly. "I forgot about her."
"We're all gonna die!" The still badly wounded Yukie screamed.
"Not necessarily," Mai said.
Alpina nodded. "Yeah, we're all fairly exhausted, but we should still be strong enough to-"
SCANNING CHARGE!
"Choyanewashi Kick!"
Hina shot into the sky, blue butterfly wings growing from the top of her head and orange Eagle wings spreading from her heels propelling her through the air, blue, purple, and orange energy crackling around her foot. Three blue, purple, and orange energy rings formed in her path, and as she passed each one, it lit up and chimed as she moved faster and the energy around her foot grew. Finally, she collided with Beroba's fist, the colossal evil Rider's punch absolutely dwarfing the much smaller Hina…
Which made no difference whatsoever as the hand exploded, causing a chain reaction of explosions which utterly blew her apart. As the evil Rider from the future screamed in agony and exploded, Hina landed on the ground in a three-point landing, cratering it as she rose to her feet, her suit disappearing.
There was a pause, and then everyone started clapping, because what else could they do?
"Way to go, sweetie!" General Shadow, his helmet shattered, his face covered in bruises, and missing most of his teeth said weakly from where he lay on top of a pile made from his groaning friends.
"You don't get to talk," Snake Woman said, driving a boot into the square of his back and causing them to howl in agony.
"Way to go, Hina!" Akiko cheered. "How long have you been a Rider?"
"Longer than you, I think. Sorry I didn't join in sooner, I was too busy being the crap out of my dad and his idiot friends. Typical Saturday, you know," Hina said breezily.
"… Is it Saturday?" asked a confused Nadeshiko.
Everyone paused. None of them were actually sure, even the nigh omniscient androids or the Princess with power over time and space.
"I blame Sougo-" started Natsumi.
"May he reign forever," almost everyone chorused.
Alpina sighed in resignation. "Yeah, that's fair."
Yuriko smiled fondly, gazing at everyone. "Thank you… All of you. You saved me. You gave me a chance to fulfill my lifelong dream. After all these years… I finally got to be a Kamen-"
Spots of blood flecked the ground.
Yuriko's eyes widened.
And just like that, she collapsed.
It took a moment for everyone to react, so stunned were they by this sudden behavior.
And then Poppy remembered she was technically a nurse and rushed to her side. "Her pulse is fading! She's DYING!"
Everyone was understandably and appropriately horrified by this.
"We have to do something!" Akiko cried.
"I can get her to a hospital-" Natsumi started, conjuring an Aurora Curtain.
"No," Yoko said. She glanced at Mai. "It's time, isn't it?"
The goddess nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so."
"What… What are you talking about-" Sakura began.
"This life of hers was never meant to be permanent," Yoko said solemnly. "She was only revived thanks to the evil of the Ark. With its current form destroyed – as well as all the torture she suffered at its hands, and the amount of energy she expelled restoring everyone's powers, finally becoming a Rider, and dealing the finishing blow – she can no longer sustain herself. She's dying again."
"But… No! You're a God, and maybe not even the strongest one here!" A horrified Reika protested. "Surely among all the extraordinary women here, there is something we can do to save her!"
"Thank you," Yuriko coughed, getting some blood on the distraught Poppy. "But I don't want to be saved."
"What?" Yaiba stammered.
"I was… Happy, on the other side," Yuriko said weakly. "No more pain. No more suffering. I didn't… I didn't want to be brought back in the first place."
"But-" Alpina protested.
"It's not fair!" Hana protested, startled by just how upset and angry she felt. "I knew you were never really my sister, but I… I think… I think I wouldn't have minded if you were…"
Sakura put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder as she started sobbing.
"I think… I would've liked that too," Yuriko said wistfully. "But Hana, everyone… This is what I want. I'm ready to return to my eternal reward. More than happy, even, because this time I finally got to achieve my dream." She sniffled, tearing up. "Still… I'd hoped that I could see him one last time before I-"
"Yuriko."
Yuriko gasped, recognizing that voice. "Shigeru?"
The mass of women surrounding her parted, everyone staring in awe as a tired old man limped towards her, his face worn with age.
Yuriko stared at him as if he were the most beautiful person she'd ever seen. "It's… It's you…"
Satsuki squealed in excitement and shook Mizuki. "Oh my Gaim, that's Shigeru Jo! Kamen Rider Stronger! Tackle's partner and last of the Seven Legendary Riders of the Showa era! Should I ask for an autograph? This is probably a bad time for that, right?"
"Absolutely," Shuki said bluntly.
"Who's he stronger than-" Sophia started.
"That joke's been done already," Mizuki told her severely.
"Shigeru… You came…" Yuriko whispered joyfully as Shigeru, with some effort, knelt beside her, Poppy wisely backing off, allowing herself to be hugged by her daughter.
"I sensed your electro-waves from the other side of Japan, and knew you were back somehow," Shigeru said softly, touching her cheek. "I would've gotten here sooner, but… Well, these old bones aren't what they used to be."
"You're still as handsome as the last time I saw you," she whispered.
"And you're as beautiful as the day I lost you forever," he said solemnly, choking back a sob. "Yuriko, I… I never stopped loving you-"
"Shigeru," she murmured, interrupting him with a kiss to the cheek, causing him to start crying in earnest. "I've been waiting for you."
"I'm sorry I've kept you waiting so long," Shigeru said mournfully. "But this cyborg body of mine just won't quit."
"That's all right," she told him gently. "I can wait a little longer. What's a few decades compared to eternity?"
He managed to laugh. "I saw you. As a Kamen Rider. You were magnificent. I'm so proud of you."
"And I'm happy I got to see you… One last time…" Yuriko said, a smile on her face.
She turned her head to look at the women surrounding them, most of whom were crying. "All of you… My sisters, my daughters… I'm glad I got to see all of you. Fight alongside you. When I first became Tackle, I never imagined I would inspire so many to become Riders. All of you… My family… I am so very proud-"
Her voice cut out.
Her eyes fluttered closed.
And her body dissipated in a flash of electricity.
"Goodbye," Hana whispered as Sakura and Lovekov hugged her harder. "Big sis…"
Shigeru stared at the spot where Yuriko had just been for a long while.
Then he stood up and started to limp away, a glassy look in his eyes.
"Mr. Jo… Is there… Anything we can do…?" Izu asked uncertainly.
"I just… I just need to be alone right now," Shigeru said hoarsely, not looking at her, or any of them. "I've kept her waiting too long. Don't worry, Yuriko. I'll see you again shortly…"
"I think I finally figured out a name for our team," Akiko said abruptly, as they all watched Shigeru limp away in silence.
"What?" Sakura asked.
"Tackle's Brigade."
"That's a good name," Magine said with uncharacteristic solemnity, hugging Reika.
"Yeah. She'd like it," Hana agreed.
"Kobu," Lovekov whimpered.
Shigeru walked past the pile of his old enemies, and paused, doing a double take. "Wait, what are you guys doing here?"
"Oh shit! It's Stronger! RUN!" General Shadow screamed.
All the old villains pulled themselves off the ground and limped, staggered, shuffled, and dragged themselves away, screaming at the tops of their lungs.
Snake Woman coughed. "Uh, good to see you, I'm just… Gonna go now…"
She ran off.
Shigeru stared blankly, then shrugged and walked off. Where had he parked the Kabutoro again?
Everyone sweatdropped. "Well, that pretty much ruined the moment…" Yako muttered.
"… Hey, am I the only one who feels like we're forgetting something?" Akari wondered.
Kamen Rider Delta entered her master's office, her suit vanishing to reveal Smart Queen. "The Ark failed. Again," she reported. "All of the Riders are alive, except for Tackle."
The chair across the desk from her swiveled away from the floor-to-ceiling windows gazing out of the city to face her. "Disappointing, but not unexpected," the Arch Orphenoch, president of Smart Brain, said dismissively. "Is there anything that can tie it back to us?"
"There was my appearance as Delta," she admitted. "But nothing conclusive. Anything that could link us to the resurgent Black Satan was destroyed when Miss Titan blew up the base, and she didn't know anything."
"I could still arrange for an unfortunate accident to happen to her in prison," the Ark said from the intercom. "Just to be safe."
"Do it," the Arch Orphenoch said bluntly. "Did we at least get anything from this debacle?"
"I was able to recover these," Smart Queen said, holding up the Ark Driver-One and Ark-Zero-One Progrisekey.
"And I collected valuable data which may prove useful in the future," the Ark added. "Especially what I was able to scan from Hazu and Pico. Their base code has an…alarming similarity to the source code of Zein."
Gai Amatsu abruptly barged into the office. "Did somebody mention Zein?!"
"Amatsu, you aren't authorized to participate in this meeting. Go clean a hallway or something," the Arch Orphenoch said dismissively.
Gai pouted and left.
"Zein, you say?" The Arch Orphenoch asked, returning the conversation. "That has… Worrying implications."
"It does indeed. Thankfully, with the sample of this code we've taken, as well as the source code for the Messiah virus we recently obtained… I believe I am ready for the next step in my evolution."
"Excellent." The Arch Orphenoch tapped a key on his desktop, and a holographic image of an ominous, horrifyingly familiar figure appeared in the middle of the room. "In that case, I hereby authorize our next project: Ark 2.0."
"Oh, you're willing to approve that but you somehow don't have the budget to give me a raise?" Gai, poking his head through the door, complained.
"Amatsu! OUT!"
Unaware of the dire machinations happening at Smart Brain headquarters across town, Hana gripped Sakura's hand tightly, as if terrified that either of them would vanish if she let go. "Sakura, that… That won't happen to us, right? One of us dying, and the other… The other just going on alone?"
Sakura smiled sweetly at her and kissed her forehead. "Hana, my treasure, I'm pretty sure I'm biologically immortal now. And while I have significantly tweaked your body to increase your resilience, regenerative factor, and longevity, you aren't quite ready to become a true demon like myself yet… But that's all right, I devoured your soul, which means if you should somehow perish I can re-create you as many times I like."
"Oh! That's good," Hana said in relief. "And… Only slightly existentially horrifying."
"I'm never letting you go," Sakura said, almost hungrily. "Either of you," she added, nodding at Hani, who was turning very red as Lovekov affectionately rubbed up against her spirit.
"Loooove," the Tsuchinoko said happily, a heart appearing over her head.
Hani made more gay demon bee noises.
"I suppose this is goodbye, then?" Izu asked Hazu sadly, standing beside Poppy while their daughters held each other's hands.
"Not quite, mother," Hazu informed her, to her delight. "There is one more thing we must do first, and Queen Mai will announce it right about-"
"Everyone, I know this is a sad moment… But there's no need for us to mourn," Mai spoke, getting everyone's attention. "Our progenitor has returned to her rightful place in the beyond, shining brighter than before thanks to her interactions with us. Her legacy lives on in each and every one of us, and every woman who takes up the mantle of Kamen Rider and the never-ending fight against evil, no matter the sacrifice."
Miho raised her hand at this. "Speaking of which, I believe I was promised a full resurrection?"
"And some wishes?" Neon added.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure you and everyone else I brought here will get what they deserve," Alpina assured them.
"Oh, good," Miho said relief. "I… Kind of want to see a certain someone again, especially after… After what we just saw with Shigeru and Yuriko."
"And can someone please heal me already?!" Yukie shouted.
"So let us not grieve for her," Mai said, casually tossing a healing fruit in Yukie's general direction. "But instead celebrate our victory, and that we got the chance to fight alongside our origin… And I think I know just how to do it!"
Rinko gasped, eyes widening. "You mean…?
Mai nodded. "Yes. It's time for…"
A few hours later…
"Well, that was fun, but a fashion shoot wasn't quite what I was expecting," Rinko complained, she and all the other girl Riders wearing tasteful, beautiful outfits after being photographed for an article by Biblio Utopia Publishing about strong women living in the modern age thanks to Sophia and Reika's friend Mei Sudo pulling some strings.
"Oh, that was just a preliminary, now we're going to have an orgy," Mai said casually.
"YES!" Rinko cheered, and she wasn't the only one.
"Um," the very underage wide-eyed Anna said, slowly raising her arm.
"After Momotaros takes you home," Mai added, to her relief.
"And then I can come back and join in?" Momotaros asked hopefully.
"No."
The Imagin sulked at this.
"Um. Not that I'm complaining, because I absolutely would love to have an orgy with all of you, since we're all incredibly beautiful women and all of us are conveniently bi at the very least… Which is kind of strange and statistically improbable if you think about it…" Kanon murmured, blushing. "But, uh, what about our husbands and/or boyfriends?"
"Oh, don't worry, back before I knew we were having a fashion shoot I texted my husband to tell him we were probably going to have an orgy and told him he should get some of the guys together to have one as well," Rinko explained.
"Oh wow, that's actually kind of hot," Tokime purred as Akiko blushed very hard.
"That's wonderful! I'm sure they're having a great time!" Poppy cheered optimistically.
Elsewhere…
Shinji Kido, Tsukasa Kadoya, Ryu Terui, Shotaro Hidari, Eiji Hino, Gentaro Kisaragi, Kouta Kazuraba, Kaito Kumon, Shinnosuke Tomari, Heart, Brain, Igor, Alain, Emu Hojo, Gentoku Himuro, Geiz Myokoin, Aruto Hiden, and the ghost of Isamu Fuwa sat in a lounge, fidgeting awkwardly and unwilling to look each other in the eye.
Finally, Aruto coughed and hesitantly asked, "So, who, uh, wants to start?"
Gentaro immediately ripped his clothes off, surprising no one.
