Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 03 – Rose of Victory 2018
In the same dark void as before, a giant clock bathed in all black was now present. But it stayed still and unmoving. Woz entered the room once more, clutching his book against his chest.
"Normally according to this book, in September of 2018, the ordinary high schooler Tokiwa Sougo embarks on a path which leads him to become the overlord of time, Oma Zi-O. The Time Jacker's seek to stop this future by creating Another Build and even Another Cross-Z. Yet a wrench comes into play none of us suspect, the strange girl known as Ruby Rose from Remnant. She claims to wish to help my Overlord, yet with Build still in existence and Another Cross-Z in play… well, she may just continue to bring more surprises for us all."
Earth – Early September 2018
"So um, is this it?" Ruby asked.
"Seems like it," Sougo said.
"Sorry if it's not what you were expecting, but it was the cheapest place we could rent," Ryuga said as he had his hands on his hips, the group staring at a storage warehouse. "Come on, Genius Boy is probably already waiting." He gestured as he went over to a door and entered, Ruby and Sento following after him.
"Please try and keep to the center, I do not need more of a mess as it is." Sento called out as he was trying to keep Tsukuyomi and Geiz towards the center of the warehouse. There was a small makeshift living area alongside couches and recliner chairs but most of the place was littered with various shelves, junk, and smaller items just scattered about. It was a general mess and it was odd to think how two people could even live somewhere like this. "I just wanted us to come here so we could be safe, and I understand your curiosity but I'd like to keep this place somewhat tidy."
"Hey, Sento we're back!" Ryuga called out as he entered through the door.
"We're?" Sento asked as he turned soon seeing Ruby and Sougo. "Terrific! I was hoping that I'd run into you two again!"
Tsukuyomi and Geiz's attention soon turned towards Ruby and Sougo, the four entering an awkward staring contest while both Sento and Ryuga looked back and forth.
Sento cleared his throat, "Is something-"
"Prepare yourself Zi-O!" Geiz called out as he took out his Ziku Driver. "I don't know why you came here but it's time for me to complete my mission!"
"H-Hey now can we please hold on!" Sougo held up his hands in defense.
"Will you cut it out," Ruby gave a groan. "We're not here for a fight, we just ran into this weird monster Cross-Z and Ryuga helped us out. We were hoping to put our heads together and figure out what was going on."
"Wait there's a second Another Rider?!" Tsukuyomi asked in shock.
"I suppose copying my good looks wasn't enough," Sento sighed before clapping his hands a few times. "Alright, alright people! Listen up, listen up, there will be no fighting at all while you are at my residence! It's clear we don't have time for petty squabbles of who's better because we've got two Rider Doppelgangers on the loose."
"I don't know what's going on but it sounds like these guys do," Ryuga said pointing towards Ruby and Sougo.
"Good, sounds like these two know something too," Sento pointed back towards Geiz and Tsukuyomi. He then began pulling various chairs near each other before sitting down in one, "Come now, sit and explain. If we are to gain an advantage we'll need to put our heads together."
It wasn't long before everyone began to sit down, Sougo making sure he was sitting far enough away from Geiz who was currently glaring daggers at him.
"So… where to start…" Sougo trailed as he looked the other way, wanting to distract himself.
"Well we know that there are these guys called Time Jackers trying to rewrite history," Ruby mentioned. "And they're creating those Monster Riders in order to do just that."
"Another Rider's, they're monsters that take the form of Past Riders." Geiz replied. "The Time Jacker's mission is to create their own King."
"Sound like you know quite a bit about them," Sougo mentioned before going silent when he received another glare.
"It's because we ran into one of them a few times when trying to come back here," Tsukuyomi explained.
"He wanted us to join them but I flat out refused, I'll take care of Oma Zi-O on my own," Geiz stated firmly as he crossed his arms.
"Okay but how do we even beat them?" Ruby asked. "When we defeated Another Cross-Z he just got back up again when that Time Jacker kid reactivated the Watch."
"Well it's clear a parallel set of powers proves effective but doesn't work to kill them completely," Sento mused. "Defeating it with my own power just defeated this Another Build temporarily."
"There has to be something we're missing…" Tsukuyomi trailed.
"But what though? Because if Sento can't beat him who can?" Sougo asked.
"You of course, my Overlord," A voice rung out as Woz suddenly walked out from behind one of the steel pillars in the room. Sento and Ryuga nearly fell over in surprise while Ruby simply gave an annoyed look at Woz's sudden appearing act.
"Woz?!" Geiz snarled as he saw him, Tsukuyomi had to grab his arm to keep him from doing anything hasty.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Sougo asked.
"You must claim Kamen Rider Build's power and use it as your own," Woz explained. "Only by using those powers against Another Build, will you hope to win this battle."
"Like I'll let him do that, there's no way he's taking Build's power," Geiz growled out.
"I doubt our Genius Physicist will lose his powers," Woz replied nonchalantly. "After all, during his first encounter with Another Build, he should have lost them completely alongside all memory of who he was. Yet here he is before us, him and his timeline intact."
"Geiz he does have a point," Tsukuyomi mentioned as her partner gently pulled his arm out of her grip.
"I'm not sure I'm following… but I'm guessing those weird monster riders were meant to replace us?" Ryuga rubbed his head in confusion.
"Another Build was the only one necessary to do so, with him replacing Sento Kiryu as the prime Build in 2017, everything related to Build's existence would be erased." Woz explained as he continued to pace around, though he made sure to keep clear from going near Geiz or Tsukuyomi. "All in an effort to make sure my Overlord could not ascend. Of course because Build is intact they chose to change tactics, which is why they brought out Another Cross-Z. He was meant as backup… or at least I can assume."
"Huh, a clever plan," Sento admitted, while he didn't know the exact logistics he was able to follow around rather easily. "One of the best ways to try and rule would be to rid the world of the history of Kamen Riders. And I can only assume, normally, multiple instances of a Riders power cannot exist at the same time. Yet somehow they were able to…"
"Indeed, you are catching on fairly quickly," Woz complimented. "It was how my Overlord was able to take his reign so easily, as he obtained the power of all Riders. The Time Jacker's wished to do the same, though for some odd reason… they couldn't. By that extension, any attempts to take your power would only merely… copy it."
"Just what are you trying to pull?" Geiz gave a glare as he kept his gaze on Woz.
"I am simply trying to aid my Overlord's ascension," Woz stated before glancing over at Ruby in a rather obvious manner. "If only because the situation calls for it. Things have changed quite drastically than what was to occur."
Geiz and Tsukuyomi glanced over towards where they had seen Woz's eyes wander, the two's theory on Ruby being the cause of the disturbances becoming more solid as a result.
"Okay but how do I get Sento's power?" Sougo asked before he was tossed a blank watch.
"That Blank Ridewatch will allow you to obtain Build's power," Woz said, having tossed the device.
"So that's what these things are called," Ruby said as she took her own out.
"So um… do I just go and poke him with it?" Sougo asked as he walked over to Sento and began placing the watch on various spot's of Sento's body only for nothing to happen. "It isn't working?"
"Hmm…" Sento took the watch and looked it over before his eyes widened, he quickly handed it back to Sougo before rushing over to a bin that was filled to the brim with different bottles, digging in he quickly grabbed a blue and orange rimmed watch themed after Cross-Z. "I didn't know it when we first met but nearly a year later I ended up with this." He said as he held the Cross-Z Ridewatch for everyone to see.
"Eh? How did you get that?" Sougo asked.
"You two kind of just left it," Ryuga mentioned.
"Oops," Ruby realized that when Tsukuyomi attacked them that Sougo ended up losing the blank watch he had.
"Besides that it's a very heartfelt and epic story where I risked my existence to save the day alongside Ryuga here, and we ended up getting separated. I woke up first and felt something in my hand, which was this," Sento said as he glanced towards the Ridewatch. "Perhaps all that's needed is a little emotional kicker, get to know me more, act sentimental? I'm not exactly sure myself."
"You two can go on a date for all I care," Geiz said before he walked over to Ruby. "I want to talk to you." Without another word he went to exit the building.
"Um sure," Ruby said as she stood up, giving a light sigh. "I guess you want to take this outside."
Tsukuyomi meanwhile glanced between Sougo and Sento who were trying to talk up a storm in order to figure out what to do and Ryuga who was currently trying to figure out where Woz had gone. As like usual, Woz had vanished after his services were used up. Giving a sigh she figured she'd follow after Geiz and Ruby, wanting some answers herself.
Swartz stared out into the distance to overlook and observe the city. Despite his calm and smug demeanor towards the others, he was internally worried. He had hoped simply staring at the city on a rooftop would help calm him down, but all it did was make him more anxious.
It was expected for there to be others to try and interfere with Oma Zi-O just like him and his group. What he didn't expect was an unknown variable like Ruby who was already present in this era. She had no place in this history; he knew that just by looking at her briefly. And yet… she was able to create her own Ridewatch.
There was hope that Uhr would be able to deal with Ruby specifically, as she seemed to be the highest priority. But that was only a shaky guarantee, having viewed events from a distance he had already begun to notice Build and Cross-Z take action.
"I suppose my plans must change…" Swartz trailed as he turned and began to head back to the door that lead up to the roof. He knew that things needed to change and that's when he stopped, giving a sly but malicious grin. "If they are acquiring help then it's only fair that I do the same…"
Despite those words he would very much detest this next part; he had picked Uhr and Ora for a reason. But if he was going to have any chance at trying to stop Ruby, he'd need more than just his two subordinates.
Upon exiting the storehouse Tsukuyomi saw Geiz giving his usual stern look with his arms crossed while leaning on the wall, Ruby just looking nervously to the side as the two stood in silence. "You know if you want to talk you should do a better job Geiz."
"I was expecting her to explain her whole deal to me," Geiz called out in annoyance.
"I'm not even sure where to begin," Ruby admitted as she began to twiddle her fingers.
"Well let me start by asking a simple question, are you from Earth?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"No, about 10 or so months back I ended up here, my real home is a place named Remnant," Ruby explained.
"So you're from another world, granted from the way you talk it sounds like you were forced here," Geiz said as things were starting to become a bit clearer. "Whatever the case… it seems like just being here and interacting with Zi-O has changed things."
"Y-Yeah… Woz doesn't really like me all that much," Ruby admitted as she rubbed the back of her head. "I'll be honest when I say I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm just doing what I think is right."
"Then you should be dealing with Zi-O," Geiz answered. "He's a threat and needs to be eliminated."
"Listen I know you come from a future where this Oma Zi-O rules like a tyrant, I saw him decimate your forces!" Ruby called out, now a bit annoyed by Geiz's attitude causing the time traveling duo to take a step back in surprise at the outburst. Ruby sighed before speaking in a softer tone. "But everything I've seen of Sougo doesn't really point towards Oma Zi-O."
"Geiz… she's right," Tsukuyomi finally spoke up. "Something feels off."
"I'll be the judge of that," Geiz answered. "Whether or not Build stays intact by the end of this all doesn't matter. Even obtaining the power of Build still puts him on that path."
"Well I'm not going to let you hurt Sougo," Ruby gave a light glare. "All he wants to do is help people."
"I'd like to see you try, all you have is a watch and you had to borrow his weapon," Geiz said, not impressed by Ruby's threat.
Ruby was tempted to pull out her new Driver to shut Geiz up right here and now but decided against it. She was still hesitating purely because of the situation surrounding it. The fact that Geiz and Sougo had these belts that were similar to the one she was given… and the fact that she was told she could gain the power to change fate… something still didn't feel right and it was bugging her.
"I think… I'll head back inside and see how Sougo's doing," Ruby said, patting her face a bit to clear her head before heading back inside.
"I still don't get what her deal is…" Geiz stared at the door, confusion still evident on his face.
"Whatever the case… this might be the chance we're looking for," Tsukuyomi added, though in her mind this was mostly the chance she was looking for. Her mission wasn't to get rid of Zi-O but to just stop him by trying to change his mind.
"Okay let's go with this then, becoming a Rider; was that just to become King?" Sento asked as he was currently sitting in front of Sougo, the two having been talking for a bit and trying to get some semblance of conversation going. Ryuga was off to the side doing some weight training since he didn't quite understand the whole situation of talking to try and activate the power.
Ruby stopped far enough away where she wouldn't interrupt their conversation. Her eyes wandered towards a strange white panel hanging on the wall. She could have sworn it moved but didn't say anything.
"Well a bit yeah," Sougo admitted as he twiddled his thumbs a bit. "But then… well Ruby was fighting her hardest just to protect everyone. It made me realize that the reason I want to become one, I want people to be happy, and I want to make the world a better place. Becoming a Rider who could do that job personally, it felt like the best choice."
"Sounds like how I like to think sometimes," Sento admitted with a small chuckle. "The Rider System I developed was never meant to be a weapon, it was only meant to protect everyone. While I'm not sure if a Rider like me has a place in this world… I do want to help however I can. My motto is Love and Peace!" He finished with a peace sign and a smile.
"Love and Peace, I like the sound of that," Sougo admitted before a shining light occurred. Sougo noticed the blank ridewatch was starting to shine on and off. He held it forward, though surprisingly it didn't seem to react, even when Sento grabbed onto it.
"I suppose just coming to even a small understanding isn't enough to copy powers," Sento noted as he stared at the Ridewatch. "I'd love to study these some more but even these are a bit beyond my understanding."
"No luck?" Ruby asked as she came over.
"You know we don't have all day!" Ryuga called to them.
"I know that musclehead!" Sento called out before looking back at the blank watch. "There has to be something we're missing…"
"Hey um… Sento, could I talk to you really quickly?" Ruby asked, while Sougo and Sento seemed to come to an understanding, she was hoping to get some words from a senior of sorts.
"Of course," Sento said as he was lead away into a corner by Ruby, Sento raising an eyebrow when he noticed Ruby trying to keep it to where they couldn't be seen too well. "So what's this about?"
"Well I…" Ruby soon pulled out her red Ziku Driver. "I… was wondering if I could get some advice."
"I mean, I figure Sougo would be the best to talk about how to work that device wouldn't he?" Sento asked. He was a bit confused as to why Ruby would ask him for advice on something he didn't know about.
"Well no, I know how to use it. It's just well… nearly a year ago I ended up getting this thing. And then recently I formed my own watch like Sougo." Ruby said as she gripped the driver tightly with a sigh, lowering her head as she kept speaking. "I'm just worried, with how I got the Driver… that well, I'm dancing right into someone's hands given how I first got it… and that I may end up making things worse in the long run if I do end up using it."
Sento had a look of understanding on his face and simply put a hand on Ruby's head as he leaned in closer. "I know what it's like to be used by someone, but what's important isn't how you got that power… it's what you do with it. All power is neutral in a sense; even if it's intended for evil you can use it against those evil intentions."
"Huh…" Ruby trailed as she stared at the Driver in her hands. There was so much she didn't know but Sento did have a point in his words, which calmed her down a bit. "I guess… you're right."
"Honestly the first step is the hardest when it comes to these powers. You just need to have a bit of confidence," Sento replied. "Besides from what I heard you jumped into the fray without the armor. It seems like your heart is in the right place, and I think that's all that matters."
"I guess I was just worrying for nothing," Ruby said with a slight nervous chuckle.
"You had a right to worry, but you should remember that you create your own path," Sento reminded. "That's something Sougo needs to know as well if he's to continue forward. But I think you'll both be alright for now." He winced as suddenly the watch began to shine.
The watch initiated the same transformation as the others, the base turning blue while the rim and button turned red. The watch face had a picture of build on it, his symbol and the year of his start, 2017. "Incredible… delayed reaction?"
"Maybe," Ruby shrugged as she put away her Driver, not sure if it was a delayed reaction or if her conversation actually initiated something Sougo's couldn't. Or if her conversation added onto Sougo's and that was what was needed.
"I suppose it doesn't matter in the long run," Sento admitted as he walked back over to Sougo and handed him the Build Ridewatch.
"Whoa it actually worked," Sougo could barely contain his excitement, wondering what exactly Build's powers would let him be able to do. Ruby walked back over to the two as Geiz and Tsukuyomi hurried in.
"Are you two alright?" Ruby asked.
"It's Another Build and Cross-Z, they're attacking nearby." Geiz called out. "Do you have the watch?"
"I do," Sougo said as he shook it a few times before tossing Cross-Z's over to Geiz.
"And as you can see, most important of all I am very much intact," Sento said as he held up his Build Driver in one hand, the other holding the Rabbit and Tank Full bottles.
"What about me?" Ryuga asked as he came over, holding up his Sclash Driver. "I'm still intact too."
"Yes but your part of the side cast, not as many people would miss you," Sento suddenly waved it off.
"Hey! I'm pretty popular! Pretty sure I could star in a movie or something!" Ryuga barked out.
"Point is, we're both intact and we can help you with our atrocious counterparts," Sento finished. "Let's get going."
"Thank goodness," Geiz rolled his eyes slightly, glad that the banter was finally done as he gestured for everyone to follow him. He led the group out of the storehouse before pointing towards where people were running from. "Seems like their causing trouble over there."
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Ruby called out as she began to run before shifting into a flurry of rose petals and taking off.
"Whoa! She can just poof into flowers?!" Ryuga called out in shock.
"This girl continues to surprise me," Sento mused as he began to follow after the trail of roses alongside the others.
Near the storehouse section of the city was a community center where various participants and students of various sports came to train and meet up. Or at least that's what it normally would be as both Another Build and Another Cross-Z were terrorizing the various sports players there.
Another Cross-Z was mostly dealing with any judo or karate members, "I cannot lose!" He yelled out as he easily grabbed two of them by their collars before slamming them together.
"Best Match… Best Match…!" Another Build called out as he tossed several football players away, he was trying to find the Best Match he lost in 2017. It was then that he saw an Archer who was trying to run. "Archer!"
Uhr gave a smile as he saw the chaos being caused, all he had to do was hope that they'd be able to grow strong enough to easily deal with Zi-O and Ruby. Though from what he had seen, Another Cross-Z was plenty formidable, it was just taken by surprise.
"That's right you two, grow big and strong, you're my ticket to a new king," Uhr grinned out.
"Hey stop that!" A voice called as Ruby soon landed nearby in a flurry of petals. It wasn't long before Sento, Ryuga, Sougo, Geiz and Tsukuyomi ran up to join her.
Uhr gave a sneer before thinking of something, deciding to freeze time, freezing Sento, Ryuga, and their Another Rider counterparts in place and leaving everyone else free.
Sougo and Ruby looked around in surprise while Geiz and Tsukuyomi both noticed Uhr off to the side.
"Over there!" Geiz called out, managing to get Ruby and Sougo's attention on the young Time Jacker.
"Zi-O, Girl." Uhr said as he walked forward to greet them. "Would you stay out of the way?"
"Huh?" Sougo and Ruby both managed to get out.
"We're just trying to give rise to a new king." Uhr explained.
"…A new King?" Sougo asked.
"Ah, then you're definitely a Time Jacker!" Ruby pointed, this fully confirming her theory from earlier.
"You know your stuff!" Uhr gave a grin, figuring that the two would have been informed by now about their goals. "My name is Uhr." He then glanced over at Another Build and Another Cross-Z. "And those guys over there… Another Build, he had an accident in the original timeline, and that ended his athletic career. His time was meant to stop on this moment."
Ruby turned in surprise towards the Another Rider's, she wasn't sure if she should be relieved or feel a bit sickened at how Uhr had just saved him on a whim like that just to turn him into a monster.
"And then Another Cross-Z, he was a body builder who was getting too hasty with his training. He was supposed to die because of overestimating his abilities when it came to the training equipment." Uhr explained. "I'm the one who started moving the clock for them again!"
Ruby gripped her fists, while saving lives was one thing; she realized that the Another Rider's lives were saved just so they could be toyed with by becoming monsters. Before she could say anything, Sougo suddenly took a step forward.
"No, you didn't." Sougo answered in a more firm voice, confusing Uhr. "We can stop the hands of a clock; we can turn them back… But that's just not how life works. You're the only one who can choose what future you'll take. Time that hasn't been put into motion by your own hands isn't really moving."
"Sougo…" Ruby trailed, realizing that he had taken his uncle's lesson to heart.
"What an interesting statement. Even in youth, you're impressive, Zi-O." Uhr said as he walked forward a bit, soon hopping and landing near both Sougo and Ruby. "Why don't you show me what kind of future you'll choose?" He then looked over at Ruby. "You too, you've made things far more interesting than you can realize." He then began to skip away, suddenly speeding up and fading into the distance.
Once Uhr himself was gone time began to resume as both Sento and Ryuga looked around at what happened. Both Another Build and Cross-Z were also confused at what had happened too.
"Let's go guys," Ruby raised her fist.
"Should you really be giving orders? Last I recall you aren't a Rider, just stand back." Geiz answered as he drew out his Ziku Driver. He was ready to put it on when he paused, staring at Ruby in surprise.
"Ruby… how did you…?" Sougo trailed as he saw what Ruby had done.
"Just what is she?" Tsukuyomi questioned.
"Wait, she's one too?!" Ryuga exclaimed.
"Got to love the dramatic reveals," Sento grinned.
"Figured I'd save it for something like this," Ruby smiled as she held up her Ziku Driver before placing it on her stomach, a silver belt strap wrapping around and locking it to her waist.
[ZIKU DRIVER!]
Ruby then took out the Roze Ridewatch before turning the dial and pressing down on the button.
[ROZE!]
Ruby slotted the Ridewatch into the main slot before unlocking the Ziku Driver. Suddenly a bright blue circular screen appeared behind her and slowly rotated, various text forming behind it as other smaller blue digital screens were attached to it. She held her right hand forward, outstretching her arm while gripping the Ziku Driver's right side with her left hand. "Henshin!" She called out as she rotated the Driver by flicking it with her left hand while throwing her right arm to the side.
[RIDER TIME!]
The digital displays spun around before locking back in place, red katakana lettering that spelled Rider in the shape of a rose formed before shooting out as the display faded.
[KAMEN RIDER ROZE!]
Digital rings formed around her before overlapping and closing in, breaking off into digital sparks as it revealed Ruby's transformation.
She wore a black bodysuit with thin armoring similar to Zi-O, red rimming on her ankles and the tips of her boots. Her shoulders were a rounded and smaller version of Zi-O's, being primarily red with silver accents. Her chest plate was primarily red with a thin silver watch strap similar to Geiz', though it only traveled to just above her Ziku Driver. The odd part about her chest plate was a black popped collar, though it was reversed, it covering the front of her neck and stretching out on both sides without covering the back. The collar itself held a red thorn-like detailing to it.
On both sides of her waist was red skirt-like plating with silver accents coming from underneath her Driver's strap. Red cloth covered the front and back, giving her the appearance of a skirt while keeping her mobility. The knee and elbow armor were silver as well with two watch holsters on both arms just like the riders prior to her. Her hands gloved black with red armoring alongside red accents on her shin armor.
Finally her helmet was similar to both riders, having the silver watch strap on the back of it that lined up with the strap on the back of her chest plate. The back of her helmet was red while the front portion was silver, the helmets shape being more similar to Geiz's than Zi-O's. The face plate itself had light blue plating on the top and bottom, a black spot in the shape of a rose taking up the center. The red katakana spelling 'rider' soon shot back, latching onto her helmet but not making as much of an impact as the prior Rider's did due to the more digital nature of her motif. Lastly on her forehead was a silver pendant of a rose, similar to the one she wore on her huntress uniform.
Sougo, Sento and Ryuga all looked in awe while Geiz and Tsukuyomi were in shock at Ruby's sudden ability to transform.
Ruby looked herself over, giving a grin as she clenched her fists, "Alright this will definitely work!" She then rushed forward, the collar around her neck glowing as she began to pick up speed. Suddenly her speed picked up and she shot forward, a red holographic trail in a similar shape to a hooded cape flowing behind her as she became a blur on her way over to Another Build. Giving a yell she jumped and punched, the speed and enhanced strength from the armor allowing her to stagger it.
"She's fast," Geiz blinked a few times; surprised a base Rider Form was giving her a speed boost alongside the usual strength enhancements.
"It must really be drawing on Ruby's semblance then," Sougo realized.
Ruby ducked underneath a swing from Another Cross-Z before using her speed again, this time spinning and sending a kick against the Another Rider to strike him.
When Ruby stopped spinning though she suddenly looked over her armored form, "Whoa… where the heck did I learn that?" She questioned, remembering how poorly her hand to hand was. She perked up and yelped, holding her arms up to brace as both Another Riders sent punches her way, forcing her to stagger and move back to gain breathing room.
"Well if you all are finished gawking, we've got a few doppelgangers to deal with," Sento reminded the other fellow Riders as he readied his Build Driver and Sparkling Can, Ryuga readying his Sclash Driver and Sclash Jelly while Sento and Geiz prepped their Ziku Drivers and watches.
[RABBITTANK SPARKLING!]
[DRAGON JELLY!]
[ZI-O!]
[GEIZ!]
[ARE YOU READY?]
"Henshin!" All four Riders called out as they initiated their transformation.
[SHUWATTO HAJIKERU! RABBITTANK SPARKLING! YEA-YEAHHH!]
[DRAGON IN CROSS-Z CHARGE! BURAA!]
[RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER ZI-O!]
[RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER GEIZ!]
The cacophony of noises and phrases all shouted out as the four Riders transformed together. Sougo and Geiz taking their base forms while Sento and Ryuga took their upgraded forms. Once the transformation completed the four ran over to Ruby, Sento and Ryuga on one side while Sougo and Geiz were on the other, the five Riders standing side by side as the two Another Riders were confused and threatened by this action.
"Me Build… he Cross-Z!" Another Build called out as he pointed towards his partner. "Best Match!"
"We cannot lose!" Another Cross-Z yelled out as he punched his fists together, flames escaping from them.
"That's my line!" Ryuga called out as he rushed forward, drawing out his Twin Breaker.
"Hey, wait you idiot!" Geiz growled as he ran after Ryuga to make sure he didn't get killed.
"Ruby, please make sure they don't get themselves killed," Sento sighed when he saw the two hot blooded Riders rush in. "I'll stick with Sougo."
"On it," Ruby gave a nod as she ran to help deal with Another Cross-Z.
"Let's go my successor," Sento patted Sougo on the shoulder before running towards Another Build.
Sougo gave a nod as he rushed forward, sending a punch while Sento sent a kick. Despite Another Build blocking against the attacks he was staggered back. Sento then drew out his Drill Crusher, keeping up the pressure while Sougo went in to slash with the Zikan Girade in its sword mode.
Another Build blocked against both of the attacks with his arms, but the two Riders swung their weapons down, sparks flying as Another Build staggered back.
"Now for some fun with today's theme," Sento removed the drill blade from the hilt of his weapon before attaching the tip to another slot on the weapon, now creating a cone-like gun out of his Drill Crusher. He then took out a Rose Bottle before loading it in.
[ROSE!]
[READY, GO! VORTEX BREAK!]
Sento aimed and began firing spiraling energy thorns towards Another Build, the thorns wrapping around and latching on, damaging and restricting Another Build's movement.
Sougo decided to switch his weapon from its sword to its gun mode, aiming and firing at Another Build, sending the monster rider down to the ground.
With Another Cross-Z both Geiz and Ruby both rushed in, punching at the Another Rider who punched forward with both fists, the trio's fists clashing. However Another Cross-Z gave a second push at the last second, flames suddenly being released and sending both Geiz and Ruby staggering back, sparks flying from their armor.
"Ha ha!" Another Cross-Z laughed out only to get slammed in the back by Ryuga.
"Don't laugh now you punk, you aren't winning today!" Ryuga called out as he loaded his Dragon bottle into his Twin Breaker.
[SINGLE! SINGLE BREAK!]
Another Cross-Z erupted into flames before charging at Ryuga who sent a blue fire filled punch towards the charging Rider. Both flames clashed only for Ryuga to yell out, unable to win the clash and stumbling onto his back.
Geiz drew out his Zikan Zax in its bow formation, shooting arrows at Another Cross-Z's legs and managing to trip him up and onto the ground. Another Cross-Z tried to get up only to get shot in the face by Geiz.
Ruby meanwhile was trying to figure out what to do, "Come on… all of them have weapons, where's mine?" She asked.
As if answering her, her Driver glowed, a red shape slowly being formed in front of her as she gave a gasp. In front of her formed a familiar red, medium-length, bolt-action rifle that she quickly caught. "No way…" She trailed, her voice shaking.
Sougo was ready to charge in to keep up the pressure on Another Build when he noticed Ruby's change in demeanor. "Huh? Ruby?"
"Wait, is something wrong?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Hey, what's going on?" Geiz asked when he noticed Ruby was just staring at her weapon.
"It really is you…" Ruby trailed as her hands shook before suddenly hugging the rifle much to the shock of mostly everyone around her. "Crescent Rose you're back!" joy filled her voice as she continued to hug the rifle. "I never thought I'd see you again! Oh how long the days were without you, I had almost given up hope too! But it really is you my sweetheart!" She suddenly stopped hugging it before looking it over. The ammunition clip and storage were no longer there and sealed up, one of the panels had a Ridewatch slot on it alongside a new button which she assumed was for a faster and more automatic transformation. "No more ammo, a Ridewatch slot… yeah I think I can work with this."
Sento gave a chuckle as he put a hand on his hip, as he was the only one not confused by Ruby's current actions. "Such is the love of an inventor and their tools…"
Another Cross-Z merely yelled out when he saw Ruby was distracted, shoving Ryuga to the ground before charging straight at her.
"Hey, wait!" Geiz got in his way and fired an arrow only for the Another Rider to duck and tackled Geiz away.
"Ruby, you need to pay attention!" Tsukuyomi shouted.
"Ruby!" Sougo was ready to aim and shoot at Another Cross-Z when he was suddenly kicked in the arm, tumbling to the ground.
The culprit was Another Build who had finally gotten up. "No hurt Cross-Z!"
Another Cross-Z yelled out as he went to drop kick Ruby, his feet flying forward as Ruby's form suddenly shifted into a spiral of red that shot upwards, a burst of rose petals suddenly spewing from the kick. The Another Rider yelped as he landed on his side, groaning as he looked around before looking up when a shadow loomed overhead.
Ruby was currently high in the air covering the sun partially and casting a shadow, her speed once again leaving a trail in the shape of a holographic cape that flowed outward. She spun into place and aimed Crescent Rose with her left arm, pulling the trigger and landing an accurate headshot against Another Cross-Z.
"That thing's a sniper?!" Ryuga called out, having guessed it was a rifle but not specifically a sniper rifle.
Ruby soon landed before running over to Another Cross-Z who charged at her, she jumped and shot downwards at the same time, striking the monster rider in the stomach and using the force to propel her over it.
"She's in complete control," Geiz trailed as he saw this.
"Oh it's so good to be back," Ruby chuckled as she got in a more relaxed position, her posture changing into a more confident stance as a result. She was tempted to show off her weapons second form, but figured she had done enough showboating for the day. She then took aim and began firing at the Another Rider, pelting him with high impact sniper blasts.
Another Cross-Z had attempted to counter with fireballs, but Ruby's blasts were tearing through and dispersing them with ease. The shots traveling further and hitting against Another Cross-Z causing sparks to rain from him. The Another Rider this time unleashed fire from its back, it taking the form of wings. He jumped forward, gliding as he tried to slam into Ruby.
The female Rider simply used her speed to duck and slide past him, turning and taking aim. She then shot against the Another Rider's back once he was open. Another Cross-Z yelled out as sparks flew, the fiery wings disappearing before slamming face first onto the ground.
The Another Rider slammed his fist against the ground, getting up before tossing more volatile blasts of fire towards Ruby. The Huntress turned Rider sped into the air to avoid them, taking aim and firing several more rounds against Another Cross-Z. Sparks flew from the monster as it staggered back, dropping it's as the damage had finally begun piling up.
"Amazing…" Sougo trailed as he saw this, having had to avoid a few of Another Build's attacks to just watch the display he saw. Switching his weapon to its sword mode he let Another Build grab him before running his blade along the monsters stomach, forcing it back.
"Hey there, best not let her show you up," Sento patted his junior's shoulder.
"Ah right," Sento said as he drew out the Build Watch, staring at it and trying to remember how Geiz used the Ghost watch. He was ready to use it when he noticed Woz suddenly next to him, yelping as he held his chest a bit. He then began looking around, trying to figure out where Woz came from as there was no immediate cover near him.
"By using that watch in the empty slot, you will inherit Build's power," Woz directed.
"Where did you even come from?" Sougo asked as he looked back and forth.
"According to this book, victory will include a fair deal of responsibility," Woz said as he held up his book. "Are you prepared for that, sire?"
Sougo stared at the watch, remembering Sento's words and turning the dial before holding the watch out, pressing down on the button. "You bet I am!"
[BUILD!]
Sougo slotted in the watch on the empty slot of his Driver before unlocking and spinning the Driver to initiate the Armor Time.
[RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER Zi-O!]
The Kanji for Build suddenly flew out of the ZIku Driver as a large projection of one of Sento's bottles formed, in it forming armor with a similar base to Geiz's though with more predominant silver on the front. On the shoulders were two blank bottles, the right having red while the left had blue, the coloration also being the same on his chest. Meanwhile the stripes on his thighs had blue on the right while the left had red. The forehead and mouth plates on the helmet bore a resemblance to Build RabbitTank while there were tank and rabbit antenna protrusions along the clock hand crest on the forehead. The armor also came with what seemed to be a handheld yellow drill based on Sento's weapon, this variant being known as the Drill Crusher Crusher.
Sougo walked over in surprise as he gently touched armor, it suddenly flying forward and breaking apart.
[ARMOR TIME!]
The armor suddenly began latching onto Sougo's body, the katakana for build flying back and latching in the blank spot on the helmet, finishing the transformation.
[BEST MATCH! BUILD!]
Sento saw this and gave a chuckle quickly going over to Sougo to whisper something in his ear.
"REJOICE!" Woz exclaimed catching everyone's attention. "He is heir to the power of all Riders. The ruler of time, traveling beyond time and space to reign over past and future… His name is Kamen Rider Zi-O: Build Armor! And in this moment, he has first received the power of another Rider!"
Sento slid the back of his right hand across his tank antenna, while Sougo did the same but with his left hand and his rabbit antenna.
"We've got the winning formula!" Sento and Sougo declared though while Sento did a quick flourish by spreading out his hand, Sento moved his forward and began opening and closing it as if making biting gestures. Sento quickly grabbed Sougo's hand before pushing it down, shaking his head.
"Oops," Sougo said before quickly rushing in.
"This is the greatest!" Sento admitted despite the flub, rubbing his helmet rapidly as he rushed in as well.
Sougo began letting his drill spin rapidly, striking forward and slashing in order to heavily damage Another Build via the attacks. Another Build jumped back to get some distance only for Sento to jump over Sougo via Sparkling's enhanced rabbit jump. Sento kicked out with his tank foot, the treads in his boot spinning rapidly as he struck Another Build in mid-air, slamming the Another Rider into the ground.
Another Build yelled out as he summoned energy constructs of basketballs in both hands, throwing them at a rapid but sloppy pace towards the two.
Sento decided to get fancy, activating both leg enhancements as he began spinning and kicking forward. Using the tank treads on his tank boot and the spring of his rabbit boot to kick the constructs away.
Sougo however just went for the straight forward approach, bracing his arm and spinning his drill rapidly as he began piercing through and tearing apart the constructs. The time based Rider reached Another Build first, giving a yell as he thrust forward with his drill. He hit right against the Another Riders chest and to stagger it before unleashing a strong slash with it and sending the monster stumbling backwards.
Another Build yelled out as he crouched down before launching forward with his rabbit foot. Sento however jumped, putting both hands on Sougo's back as he spread his legs out and jumped over him. He then spun before unleashing a burst of energy from his rabbit foot boot. The boot connected with Another Build's chest and sent him flying backwards as a result.
"Whoa, nice," Sougo admitted.
"Sougo, let's finish this," Sento said as he began turning the crank of his Driver.
"Right!" Sougo called out as he pressed down on both of his watch's buttons before unlocking and spinning the Driver.
[READY GO! SPARKLING FINISH!]
[FINISH TIME! BUILD!]
Sougo jumped up, an energy chart of a straight line appeared running down towards Another Build. Sougo slid down on it before piercing through the monster with his weapon. Sento jumped up after this, fizzy red and blue energy forming on his foot as he kicked forward.
[VORTEX TIME BREAK!]
Another straight energy chart ran along the ground in a straight line, holding Another Build by the legs. Sougo yelled out as he slid towards Another Build's back, thrusting forward while on the other side Sento kicked forward. Another Build was sandwiched between both finishers, yelling out as he exploded from the finishers.
Sento and Sougo now stood back to back as Another Build collapsed, the monster form disappearing to reveal the basketball player as the Another Build watch rolled before shattering. Any bottles that held trapped athletes fell and shattered, releasing them as a result.
Ryuga loaded in his Cross-Z Dragon into the Twin Breaker before pressing down on the lever to his Driver again. Fiery blue energy surrounding him as his helmets eyes glowed.
Geiz chose to load the Cross-Z Ridewatch into his weapon and pulled back the hammer of the bow as he aimed, blue energy surrounding the tip of his bow.
Ruby despite her weapon chose to go for a normal finisher via her Driver, initiating it as rose petals began to flurry around her before moving towards the Another Rider. Her collar glowed again as a more solid version of the energy cape and hood formed over her shoulders and head.
[CROSS-Z DRAGON! READY GO!]
[FINISH TIME!]
Rose Petals surrounded Another Cross-Z, striking and spinning him around in place to disorient him. They then moved away from him, forming the katakana for kick as Ruby jumped upwards.
Ryuga reeled his arm back before thrusting forward, unleashing a Chinese energy dragon that snaked towards Another Cross-Z. Geiz meanwhile released his grip on his bow, releasing another Chinese energy dragon that snaked towards the Another Rider.
[SCRAP BREAK! LET'S BREAK!]
[CROSS-Z! GIWA GIWA SHOOT!]
Another Cross-Z yelled out as he spread both arms to the sides, flames gathering as he caught both dragons, trying to hold them back. It was then that he realized he was right in front of where the 'Kick' katakana made of roses was.
[TIME BLAST!]
Ruby yelled out as she kicked forward, the katakana of roses spiraling into the sole of her boot as it lit up a bright red. She then kicked against Another Cross-Z, giving another yell as she kicked past him, building up enough damage to force him to release his grip on the energy dragons. Both energy dragons closed in and bit down against the Another Rider before exploding.
The bodybuilder from before soon fell out of the explosion unconscious, the Another Cross-Z Watch rolling off to the side and shattering.
"Humph," Geiz removed the Cross-Z Ridewatch before tossing it over to Ruby who just barely caught it. "You can take this back." He said, dismissing his transformation before walking off. Tsukuyomi stayed silent as she followed after her partner.
Ruby meanwhile took the time to look at the Cross-Z Ridewatch, recalling how Ryuga acted and remembering she had her own hot blooded dragon of a sister back home. 'I wonder what would happen if they met?'
"Ruby," Sougo called out as he and Sento approached, Ryuga approaching as well as they all dismissed their transformation. "You were pretty good out there."
"Heck yeah, for your first time being a Rider that was some good stuff!" Ryuga complimented.
"Oh you really think so?" Ruby asked as she put her hands back before kicking the ground a bit, dismissing her transformation. "Well given I already had training beforehand it was pretty easy to figure out. It was just adding some armor into the mix."
"I had no idea you were an inventor though, you created that weapon?" Sento asked in an impressed tone.
"Yep, designed Crescent Rose myself, it's kind of complicated with the situation regarding her but the point is, she's my sweetheart and also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle." Ruby said proudly, glad to see that someone was impressed by her work, and that's because she didn't even show off its full capabilities.
"Well as your senior, I think you two are going to do alright with this Rider job," Sento said as he crossed his arms and gave an approving nod.
"You all can certainly put up a fight, just don't let that power of ours we handed out go to waste," Ryuga added.
"We'll take good care of them." Sougo gave a nod.
"Now if you'll excuse me we lost a lot of daytime already," Sento said as he checked his phone for the time. "Ryuga and I need to get recording."
"Recording…?" Ruby asked.
"Well to put it short and simple, we're recording scripts of my adventures as Build," Sento explained.
"Scripts, as in you want to turn them into a show?" Sougo asked.
"Either that or a radio drama, trying to get good voice actors is tough though for certain parts…" Sento admitted a bit wistfully.
Ruby raised an eyebrow at this but decided not to say anything, "Well given we live in the same city, see you around?"
"Maybe, though at most you might see Ryuga at one of the plaza's trying to sell stuff, got to keep up that rent somehow," Sento said as he began to walk off. "Come on Musclebrain."
"Hey when can I get a new name?" Ryuga barked out as he ran after Sento.
"Well that was a crazy two days, and to think that it's just getting started too," Ruby admitted as she slumped over slightly.
"Yeah…" Sougo gave a nod. "I didn't think I could become a king like this… but I think I can do this."
"I know you can do this," Ruby added. "I'll help however I can."
"Right," Sougo gave a nod. "We should probably get back to the shop though. Uncle's probably worried given how long it's been."
"Ah that's right, we've basically been out all day," Ruby realized before taking off with Sougo.
Later That Evening
Geiz and Tsukuyomi were currently out and about despite most of the streets being empty and it being relatively quiet.
"Things have certainly gotten complicated…" Geiz admitted with crossed arms. "We were to find Oma Zi-O while he was young and stop him from becoming King. But now with Build…"
Tsukuyomi gave a nod, "Build didn't get erased, and then there's that girl Ruby Rose… her and that weird Ziku Driver."
"Remnant…" Geiz trailed, remembering where Ruby said she was from and how she kept displaying superhuman abilities alongside her familiarity with such a powerful weapon. "Something big is going on with her."
"From what Woz implied… it sounded like she's the cause of all the discrepancies now, so that's a good thing right?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Even so, Sougo Tokiwa still obtained the Build Watch. As a result he has Build's powers and is already making his way closer towards his eventual rise as Oma Zi-O." Geiz answered. "History is still on course for Oma Zi-O's rule, meaning despite what's going on, we still need to be on guard. There's only one thing for us to do." Without another word he took off from where they were talking.
"Geiz!" Tsukuyomi called out as she hurried after him.
The Next Morning
"Sougo! Breakfast's ready!" Junichiro called from the base of the stairs.
"Good morning…" Sougo answered groggily, having been the last one up and so tired he didn't exactly notice something peculiar about upstairs. He headed downstairs still in his pajamas, planning on getting changed after breakfast.
"Good morning," Junichiro greeted. "Oh, remember that other vacant room on the second floor? Well, it's rented out, now."
Sougo gave a nod as he followed after Junichiro to introduce himself, his uncle opening up the door for him as his sleepy expression soon turned to one of shock.
"And so, since we'll all be living together, let's introduce ourselves! Ruby already got a head start so now it's just you." Junichiro gave a smile, unaware of the dangerous situation he had ended up creating. At the table was Ruby like usual who gave a nervous smile at Sougo, of course she was at the end as a chair was added, since two more people were taking up the chairs next to her.
"I'm Tsukuyomi. It's nice to meet you." Tsukuyomi greeted as she stood up, sitting across from her was Geiz.
"Geiz," He responded simply with crossed arms as he barely turned to address Sougo.
Junichiro rushed to the kitchen to work on breakfast while the soon to be king couldn't help but wonder why the two were here now.
"This seems sudden." Sougo admitted.
Tsukuyomi walked over, "Whether or not you're Oma Zi-O is something we'll watch for up close."
"'kay thanks…" Sougo held out his hand for a shake, his shocked nature being overcome by tiredness because he just could not deal with the situation at the moment. Surprisingly Geiz got up and went to grab his hand, only to pull him closer.
"I'm still itching to get rid of you," Geiz threatened with a whisper.
"Oh this is going to go so well…" Ruby slipped back into a tired state as she rested her head on her hands. This was possibly going to become a more hectic version of Beacon… she could feel it in her gut.
The unaware Junichiro however was able to accidentally defuse the tension by bringing everyone breakfast, busting out clock themed plates to put breakfast out on. Ruby and Sougo were just happy that the time traveler's attention was now on the food. Ruby noticing the near shock reactions the two gave as they tried said breakfast.
"Well? Think you'll get along?" Junichiro asked.
"Yeah, we can do this just fine," Sougo gave a smile, while he wasn't exactly sure; he was willing to give it his best shot. Plus it's not like he was alone either way.
"Honestly, it kind of reminds me of back home," Ruby admitted. "So I think this will be interesting."
"Good to hear," Junichiro said before going to start at his food.
Woz was currently overlooking the city as he held his book firmly in his grasp.
"And thus, Zi-O obtained the power of Build. Even with young Ms. Rose's interference my Overlord still walks the same path as before, with just a few minor additions. But his path of conquest has only just begun. As his meeting with another legend is already at hand…"
His gaze stopped on a certain hospital where he could see two men in white coats discussing something on the helipad. He then gazed down towards the entrance and at the sign that held the hospital's name…
'Seito University Hospital'
To Be Continued…
Next Time:
"Gamer hunters… don't be ridiculous dude."
"If we are to end up victorious, we need to think more thoroughly. Picking at random won't help us anymore. It needs to be more… personal."
"Something tells me this kid's connected to our Ex-Aid issue."
"Just what is a girl like you doing with a weapon like that?!"
"It's Dan Kuroto Shin!"
"Now my hearts boiling…"
Chapter 04: Genm Master 2016
Authors Note: So you may have noticed the lack of a certain complimentary project chapter when looking through the chapter list. I've decided to cut those and instead just put out some author's notes whenever appropriate. I figured it would be best to just focus on what needs to be focused on even if the gaps between are big sometimes.
At the very end of "Quarter 1" I may do a bigger behind the scenes post just to get you all more into my thought process. Speaking of "End of Quarter 1" I must say I find it amusing how you all are trying to guess at the potentials of when we get to 2068. So it'll definitely be fun when I do reach that point. But speaking on the present, we're dropping into Ex-Aid, so nothing too different from the show, you'd assume anyway. Though from the preview quotes I'm sure you'll find that's not entirely the case. I'll see you guys next time when we kick off Ex-Aid's arc.