Fictions Mentioned:
Episode 42
OP Song:
Summertime Render OP/Opening 2 Full『Natsuyume Noisy (夏夢ノイジー)』by Asaka
Insert Song: Start
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: Hangyaku no Monogatari / Rebellion OST - Absolute Configuration
It was a desert.
No, in fact, there was nothing here except ruins. This place may as well be considered to be a dead world. No life, no plant, no animal, no human, no nothing. Everything was nothing but ruins.
There was nothing from miles. The only thing seen is a man wearing armor standing on a hill. His expression underneath his helmet was grim and calculative. Even if one can see his face, you cannot tell what he is currently thinking.
Vworp Vworp Vworp
The man knew what was making that sound. He should know as he did send a temporal signal to bring it here. What would materialize nearby was the TARDIS, the blue telephone police box. And there was one person's head poking out from the door, looking rather curious and unsurprised, though looking rather sad.
"Oh, I was wondering who was bringing my TARDIS towards specifically uncharted coordinates. Yup, not surprised at all."
The Doctor. A handsome man, looking Scottish, with a tall, slim frame, finely boned hands and face, thick brown hair, pale skin scattered with freckles, and large, dark brown eyes. But this was of a different incarnation compared to his tenth self, further into the future, his fourteenth self. He had a white button-up shirt, with a greyish tie, a loose-fitting brown tartan waistcoat, and matching trousers. He also had a navy blue trenchcoat and Converse shoes.
The Doctor would step outside and close the door. Then he puts his hands in his pockets as he begins to walk towards the mysterious armored figure. From what the Doctor seen, the armored individual was quite grand, intimidating, and regal, denoting that of a king. All clock theme with a demonic-looking aura. With mostly black colors with gold trimmings, gold slot-like bands on the forearms, wing-like shoulder pads, and a golden watchband over the left shoulder to the right waist, likened to a bandolier.
From the back, there was a set of clock hands that acted like a cape. The helmet was like a clock, with black colors and gold rimons, with diamonds emended to them, along with clock hand-like antennas with three golden watches on the forehead and a symbol that spelled "Kamen" in katakana. The sharp-looking red visor on the helmet spelled "Rider" and around his waist was a gold watch theme belt with the words "0000" dyed in red as if to indicate that the year where this individual came from is unknown.
The Doctor did not seem afraid. If anything, he looked more sad. Then he reached the precipice of the hill where this figure was standing, opting to be on the right side.
"...So, how've you been?" The Doctor made a temporary cheeky smile towards the figure. With no response coming from the figure except glancing at him before looking back at the deserted horizon, the Doctor sighed, thinking that it was worth a try to make light conversation. He knew why this figure summoned him. "...I'm guessing that this isn't a social call if you decided to drag my TARDIS here with your signal."
"You thought correctly, Lord of Time," the figure would raise his left hand. Lo and behold, there were multiple portals converging into one event. The Doctor knitted his eyebrows as he recognized all of the PreCure and those nearby. They were all watching the memory. From the Futari wa PreCure to the Healin' Good PreCure who would see the memory from one side. On another, there was the Tropical-Rouge! PreCure to the Hirogaru Sky! PreCure. And then there was the memory that all of the PreCure were watching.
"Oh, this one," the Doctor made a raised eyebrow, recognizing what were the portals depicting and the events that signified such. "Ah, I see. You want every one of the mainstream PreCure to see it, even to those who aren't present along with your past self around that time."
"They must know about that bio-android and what it is capable of, by any means necessary, for that monster does not know the meaning of rest until it accomplishes its goals," the figure responded. "My past self's journey to start and develop his bonds with the PreCure has begun, and with that, the creation of their Ridewatches. I am merely taking a subtle shortcut for my past self to take advantage of."
"I suspect there's more to this than just showing the PreCure the memory of one of George's more significant battles with Nullus," the Doctor could not help but point out.
"I would also revive the memories of those PreCure who my past self had erased their memories of relating to him in precise time coordination. Their experience with my past self, no matter how small or inconsequential, is also important," the figure spoke further.
"...And the story's picking up," the Doctor narrowed his eyes at the memory. "But Nullus isn't the only thing George and the girls have to worry about, just the sticking point."
"That Red-Eyed Demon had accomplished what he intended. The attempted temporal changes to the main timeline had attracted a few players. And now, just as my past self had finally created the Ridewatches of the HUGtto! PreCure, his enemies would get bolder. The PreCure will inevitably have to face them as well."
"Joy...And here I thought George could get some needed mundane normality for once in his life," the Doctor could not help but be a little sad and disappointed.
"It cannot be helped, Lord of Time. As my past self had become Zi-O, so too is his destiny linked to the path of that story," the figure spoke solemnly.
"And yet, just by your actual existence in the future of meta-time, such concerns would seem unfounded," the Doctor pointed out, noting just how different this figure is compared to the original Ohma Zi-O and how he did not follow the path of destruction for the former.
"My circumstances are too different from my past self. I am but a foreshadowing of things to come, an unwritten future that has yet to solidify. The danger of Ohma Zi-O still hovers over my past self either way depending on the choices he makes," the figure, a Future George Kurai, Kamen Rider Ohma Zi-O, would say solemnly. He peers through the veil of time, looking at his past self engaging Nullus.
Everyone sees it. All of the PreCure.
The PreCure—Futari wa PreCure to Healin' Good PreCure—were not the only ones that were watching. There were others watching. Some other PreCure Teams that were not present. One among them...
"...No."
A tone of horror settled in. Hana Nono and Nodoka Hanadera, two young women who knew George Kurai at one point in their lives, would watch as they see a past version of him being stabbed with an arm, bursting through his torso.
...But there was one other girl that was witnessing this.
"...No, George..."
There was a young woman who was also seeing it. With long straight dull pink hair that is held up halfway by a white ribbon, and green eyes. She wears a white and pink dress with a white sailor collar and a matching bow in the front. She has a yellow scrunchie around her left wrist. Her sneakers are pink and blue with yellow bows and short white socks with blue ruffles.
Her name was Mashiro Nijigaoka, also known as Cure Prism, a part of a team called the Hirogaru Sky! PreCure.
But what was happening right now? Why was a PreCure who is not part of the teams that were being shown a vision of this battle? It was an unexplained phenomenon. Something was bringing to the minds of all of the PreCure. Something needed them to know what was happening from that specific moment. The information would draw out upon the minds of all of the mainline PreCure teams.
All they saw was darkness and blood. Darkness because of The Monster. Blood because of...
"...George!" Mashiro muttered. Her eyes were leaking. Water would fall down on her cheeks.- Her hands, delicate and fair, were raising up and putting it to her trembling lips.
"...Mashiro."
There was another young woman who was beside Mashiro. Like the latter, she was also seeing the terrifying vision. With blue hair with a small curved ahoge and is tied into a side ponytail on the right by a yellow ribbon, and has blue eyes. Her bangs are longer on the left side of her face. She wears a loose-fitting long-sleeved shirt that is pale blue on top and cerulean at the bottom along with a navy blue skirt. She also has long dark blue socks with two white stripes on top and light beige sneakers.
Her name was Sora Harewataru, and she was showing a worried expression on her face.
The other PreCure teams that were not present: Tropical-Rouge! PreCure, Delicious Party PreCure, and Hirogaru Sky! PreCure were seeing all of this as well from their own current location.
What all of the PreCure saw was a bloody hand sprung to the chest. To describe their reactions? Horror and outrage were the most common.
"Mashiro..." Ageha Hijiri would be right beside Mashiro, putting her hands on the latter's shoulders. She was showing a grave, anxious, and concerned expression. She was a young woman with long auburn hair and purple eyes. She wears a short fuchsia dress with a hood under a pink jacket with the sleeves rolled up to near her elbows with yellow lining at the end of each. She also wears orange and white sneakers with light blue socks, a gold ring on her right little finger, and small fuchsia earrings.
"Irony," A cold voice muttered. "Using a dead PreCure's power...would, in turn, send you to the path of Hades...like a wilted flower..."
"...No...George..." Mashiro was shaking her head. Memories from long ago would come back to her bit by bit. A past where she recalls a young man wearing a clock-based armor, accompanied by a very young Nodoka Hanadera.
Why? Mashiro's entire mind would echo this question. Why? Why is she recalling this now when she sees George Kurai, her savior, in such pain? And why was she even seeing this? Her body shakes. She did not know what was happening. She was just walking around the house along with Sora as they suddenly bore witness to a nightmarish vision that they could never take their eyes away from. And the odd part was that she could see her fellow PreCure's voices and reactions even if they couldn't see her or the rest of the Hirogaru Sky PreCure team physically.
What did this mean? Why? And what is this...this Monster? Why is George being hurt by this Monster? So many troubling questions thawed out from her mind as she was suddenly bombarded with little snippets of memories from long ago. A time when she was very young. She recalls it. It felt real. It could not have been made up. Her heart could not deny it not would it want to deny it.
And she could not help but cry. Because just as she remembers the memories, she had just to bear witness to this monstrous vision.
"...Tag," the young George Kurai—Kamen Rider Zi-O responded. At the same time, the three women, Hana, Nodoka, and Mashiro would gasp and widen their eyes.
And at the very next moment, a sudden transition occurred. In a split second, there was a clock-like portal that engulfed Zi-O and Nullus, leaving behind Cure Aplaudir who immediately raised her hands towards the no longer seen Zi-O.
"...No...No...Onii-chan..." Cure Aplaudir would mutter, with tears in her widened eyes, putting her hands to her bloodied face.
And not a second later...
"AA-UGHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Zi-O would stumble upon the ground after coming off from the portal. All of the PreCure and everyone else would bear witness to the sudden transition.
"What the..." Yukari Kotozume would look around to find an abandoned city lying in ruins. There was no one there. Only the abrupt sounds of roaring thunder were heard to echo in the skies and rain fell to the ground. Broken surroundings, laid corpses of skeletal and mechanical remains, abandoned automobiles, everything felt like a deserted atmosphere.
"...Wha...What is this place, kuru?!" Candy exclaims in worry.
Zi-O would be seen to detransform back into the young George Kurai...a more bloodied George Kurai who was coughing off blood coming out from his mouth, much to the horror of the PreCure who were seeing this. He still had his belt on and the Ridewatches were still inserted in the slots.
As Hana, Nodoka, and everyone else looked back to their Present Day George in worry, the latter was narrowing his eyes in silence. Now, George would remember. And of course, the reason why he came back to the very place where it all began for him. The world where he first became Zi-O. The doomed parallel Earth where he was born in battle. It was all according to plan. George knew that he needed to get Nullus away from everyone else. And thus, he offered himself as bait.
"Young man, just what were you thinking, taking that hit?!"
Present George would be conscious of a shake on his shoulders, turning his eyes towards the concerned and understandably angry Sumire Nono, with worry and the threatening of tears in her eyes, crouching towards him. He glances to find a worried and disapproving Shintarou Nono who is silent, but his silence conveys his expression. A unique feeling came into George's mind. When was the last time George had ever felt the worry of an actual parent, not counting his mentors or his adoptive grandmother and his uncle Traum? And of course, there's also the grandmother, Tanpopo Anno, who was also showing a greatly worried expression.
He glances around at many of the worried and disapproving expressions of the PreCure and their mascots. And his eyes would look at Kotori Nono who felt like she got punched in the gut, which was tragically ironic, and felt in some way responsible due to the young George saving her alternate future self. And the eyes of Hana Nono and Nodoka Hanadera would be seen, both of them holding him by the shoulders.
And then, there were other PreCure expressing their own worries.
"That's right, George-san, what were you even thinking?!" Saaya Yakushiji would exclaim her own worries, with her eyes almost to the point of shedding tears.
"Are you a suicidal idiot or something?! Why did you send yourself towards Nullus like that?!" Homare Kagayaki would exclaim her own worries, making an angry face.
"I'd second that. That was horrible, nano desu!" Emiru Aisaki would exclaim her own worries, making a teary-eyed expression.
"While I understand the method you performed from a logical perspective, from an emotional level however, I would heavily disagree and highly advise that this should never be attempted in the future, that is if this is not even the first time you tried such a move," Ruru Amour would narrow her eyes in disapproval.
"...Papa, why?" Hagumi Kurai would exclaim her worries, putting herself near the center and putting her hands on George's shirt, looking at her present-day father with teary eyes.
Hariham Harry remained silent but even he would disapprove of how George would easily risk his life in such a bloody manner.
And then Present Day George glances at Tatsuya Kaname and Kiriya Irizawa who were showing their understanding, but nevertheless disapproving expressions regarding the specific tactic that George pulled just now. And he would glance at the grimaced expressions of his fellow senior Kamen Riders, Keima Katsuragi and Ichika Orimura. And he would see the disapproving and worried expressions of Doctor Traum and Kaoruko Hanasaki. And then he would turn to a sighing Rotissimo who was walking towards him.
"It is all part of the plan, correct, popo?" Rotissimo could not help but make an exasperated expression. "You not only wanted to save Cure Aplaudir, but you allowed your defenses down for Nullus to penetrate through at the right moment. And you sent him to the very place where you were born, popo."
"Eh?! Wait, wait!" Aoi Tategami could not help but make an exasperated and distraught expression. "You mean to tell me that what George did really was deliberate!"
"...Ugh...Ugh, ugh, ugh."
Every one of the PreCure would look at the past George coughing up blood as he tried to get his bearings together and grit his teeth. He struggled to get up, putting both of his hands on the ground. And his hands clenched and ached. In fact, he felt like blood was rushing through his head, the screaming pain never stopping, still feeling the large gaping hole that was slowly healing. But it was still too painful.
"...I made a promise," Present Day George would say. His voice was contrite, and yet, he did not regret what he did, if only because he wanted to protect not only a PreCure, but the younger sister of the fallen Future Cure Yell. Everyone, including Sumire and Shinatarou first and foremost, would pay attention to him even as they watched his past self. And they all noted his expression. "...Not this time. No more. No PreCure would die on that day or any other day. Even if it meant..."
"No!" Mashiro could not help but exclaim with tears, even though she knew she could not be heard from her location.
"No!" Nodoka exclaims. Her expression was desperate, born out of anxiety.
"No!" Hana exclaims. Her expression was one of concern and even anger. She was shaking Present Day George a little on the shoulder. It made Present Day George looked at her. "Don't you dare...Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Hana spoke even with tears falling on her face. "Why? Why even take that risk? You almost got yourself killed?"
"I'm used to the pain, Hana," George tried to counter, but Yukari cut him off as she walked towards him with a serious older sister-like expression.
"Used to? Do you mean to tell us that this is not the first time you attempted something like this before?" Yukari said.
"..." George could not say anything for a moment. Only a hesitant demeanor was on his face.
"Kiriya-kun," Honoka would look at Kiriya with a concerned expression. "Just how many times had George done something like this?"
"(Sigh). More than I can willingly count," Kiriya made a grimaced face before looking at George. "From the many years I've known him, George Kurai is the kind of person who would willingly offer himself as bait if it meant accomplishing a larger goal. And yes, even if it meant excruciating pain to himself."
"That stupid old best friend of mine is willing to take all of that level of punishment. A hole to the chest is not gonna phase him considering he's felt worse," Tatsuya Kaname offered his own opinion.
All of the PreCure and their fairies could not help but look back at the Present Day George with expressions of surprise and worry. It doesn't help that they are still looking at the scene.
"He admires all of you and everything you all fought for, popo. To him, you're his eternal Miracle Lights that guide him even in the darkness where he finds himself. The PreCure represented everything that was good and beautiful in the world. And George Kurai, with all his power and strength, would fight tooth and nail to protect the ideals you all upheld time and time again," Rotissimo sported a grave expression.
"Even now, you still will not die."
"...!"
The cold voice of Nullus Nihilum reached everyone's ears, sending chills down their spine. They all turn to find Nullus Nihilum simply walking a few meters away, with his irises narrowing. The PreCure and most of everyone else all have their hearts dropped.
"But then, should I be surprised, when you are the only George Kurai in the Multiverse who cannot truly die."
"Huh?" Both Hana and Hagumi could not help but pay attention to that, widening their eyes.
"The only George Kurai in the Multiverse...who cannot truly die?" Honoka knitted her eyebrows as she could not help but take note of the terminology that was used.
"What does he..." Mashiro made a troubled expression.
All of the PreCure and their mascots could not help but pay attention. Ruru would glance at Doctor Traum who she noticed had a conflicted expression, which made her realize that he knew something of what Nullus was talking about.
"Obaa-chan..." Tsubomi spoke in worry as she and the rest of the HeartCatch PreCure team would look at Kaoruko who seemed to also know what Nullus was referring to based on the conflicted and worried expression on her face.
"Every variant of George Kurai, one way or another, despite whatever walk of life they may have led, has one common finality," Nullus spoke as the danger of him getting close to Past George felt imminent among the PreCure. "They...die."
A little trivial revelation would make the hearts of many PreCure feel like crumbling. Hana, Nodoka, and Mashiro most of all.
"People would call it karma or hitsuzen, a ripple effect from the actions of your alternate future self when he tried to move beyond the boundaries of the proper time and tried to save his deceased wife. That was the main conflict that drove him against the HUGtto! PreCure in the main timeline."
And as Nullus explained this...
"KAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Much to the horror of everyone watching, he would kick the wounded George away. His body was thrown through several abandoned vehicles before landing on a rusted automobile and grunting toward the dirt.
"Since the very beginning, I was intrigued by the phenomenon that it generated which defied the local laws of physics. The actions of one single man, desperate to save his deceased wife and stop time altogether, unintentionally linking a kind of negative energy that bounces off through all of the variants that were named George Kurai. And sooner than later, the source behind it all, the George Kurai of my timeline, would inevitably die as well, even if it took slower than the norm. I suppose that would also explain that Dark Rider's 123 body count of your alternative variants."
"...Huh," Hagumi could not help but shake and widen her eyes. Her papa...would die?
"KAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Once more, Nullus kicked George off from the ground, sending him away upwards before Nullus kicked him down, sending him crashing through the glass of a very tall building, somewhere on the 55th floor. George would crash down towards a couple of desks. It was an office that was littered with nothing but corpses of skeletons and mechanical parts that had that familiar grin.
"Ugh...Ugh...Ugh..." The Past George coughed. Even as he felt too much pain, he needed to get up from his position. Nullus will never make him rest. And George would teleport himself to the nearby emergency staircases. With his bloodied right hand touching the walls, he would try to move. And he transported himself away from the staircases just in time before Nullus would fire multiple pinkish destructive beams that would level the staircases.
"That should have been the end of you. Even if you lived long enough to see the birth of your daughter, Kurai Hagumi, you would still die. That would be the constant fate that had been imposed upon you as a punishment for the actions of your future self. And yet..."
Nullus continued while George was now hiding on the first floor of another building, trying to hide his signature from Nullus. But...
"KAH!"
The PreCure would bear witness to Nullus grabbing George by the neck and choking him hard. Some would cover their mouths in horror. Others would be outraged.
"You still lived."
And Nullus would throw George out of the building and send him flying towards the side of a rusted automobile. The Past George would feel the shattering glass raining down on him as he fell to the ground. All he felt at that point was pain. Physical pain surely, but there was another kind of pain. A mental and emotional one that Nullus is delivering to him.
"Somehow, you managed to defy the karmic hold that you carry. Somehow, you would be ceremoniously sent to a parallel world, this world, where you bore witness to the massacre of its heroes and its civilian population at the hands of a mad A.I."
Nullus would walk out of the hole as his eyes glowed from the dark.
"For whatever reason, you managed to become what you were never supposed to be. You managed to defy the future and escape your fate. How?"
"...U...Uggh..."
Past George tried to get up. All of the PreCure would see, but could not bear to watch any of this anymore. But they needed to watch. They needed to see this. If for whatever reason other than to fully find out just how the Present Day George is still standing in their midst, alive and well even.
And Nullus...
"KAAAH!"
Wacked Past George's face with his left arm, sending him straight towards an abandoned truck, breaking through the metal trailer and sending him rolling straight to the ground, lying face down.
"Not only that. You transformed into Kamen Rider Zi-O, becoming the King of Time. Your future has now become...an unknown. By breaking through its temporal chains, you became something more, something far more potentially powerful. And with that, you grew to have a connection with the PreCure when you should not have been able to, whether you wanted it or not, even if the PreCure themselves have yet to realize it. You became their silent protector and you put all of your heart and soul into it. But how can you protect them from even myself when you could not even fight back at this hour?"
And then, Nullus would suddenly appear a few inches right behind the young George in order to once again deliver a killing blow. And it all felt like slow motion for all of the PreCure who were watching as Nullus's hands would reach towards George. The PreCure all widen their eyes, not wanting to see any more of the past George getting beaten up brutally while being taunted by The Monster.
If only this was not the past, if only they were there, they would immediately spring to action and face The Monster. But then, is that not why George took Nullus away from Cure Aplaudir? So that there would be no more risks of any PreCure getting killed any more than there is.
"KAH! KAH! KAH! KAH! KAH!"
Nullus would not hesitate to stomp George to the ground, with everyone cringing and showing horror as they helplessly watched. The urge to transform and help George's past self was strong with all of the PreCure. They could not take seeing this kind of suffering and watch. But its impossible. They cannot help this George. It's already happened. Everything they see was merely a painful memory conjured up from that time. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. With each stomp, the Past George felt like his bones were aching and in danger of cracking. He was also coughing a lot of blood and there was blood leaking all over his forehead. It felt like a crater was being formed underneath.
"...No more," Mashiro muttered as she covered her mouth, teary-eyed. Ageha was embracing Mashiro, sporting a grim and angered expression upon seeing the suffering Past George.
"...Please no more," Nodoka muttered as she held Present Day George by the shoulder, teary-eyed. Rabirin, her fairy partner, was just nearby and cringed at seeing this brutality.
"...No," Hana muttered as she held Present Day George by the shoulder, teary-eyed. Nearby, there was Hagumi, feeling her heart break as she saw her father getting beaten brutally to the ground.
"KAH! KAH! KAH!"
Six. Seven. Eight. Tsubomi, looking teary-eyed and feeling the urge to want to do something and stop this madness somehow even if it is impossible, would look to her grandmother, only to find her expression looking heart-broken due to seeing George in this kind of state, something she did not want to see ever again.
"Make it stop, kururun!" Kururun, the fairy mascot of the Tropical-Rouge PreCure, would exclaim in horror and anxiety.
"Damn it, I don't like just watching this without doing something!" Asuka Takizawa made an angered expression.
"And yet...one wonders if you could escape death this time. But the same could be said of me. We both knew how both of us...are born out of time, and death no longer has a hold on any of us."
"KAH!"
Nine.
"And I simply wanted to put that to the test."
And then...as another potential killing blow begins once more...
"KAAAAAAAHHH!"
Much to everyone's surprise, Nullus would suddenly be ceremoniously thrown off balance, sending him crashing towards a few buildings, creating a few holes.
Afterwards, they would all see the Past George raising himself up from the ground, gritting his bloodied teeth underneath his closed mouth before opening it to bite his lips. Tears were seen to fall down from his eyes. He would appear to try to steady himself and his posture. He would make sure that his two wobbly feet would stand straight to the ground. He would fight through the pain as he recalled the promise that he made. Even as he felt powerless, he refused to submit.
And for all of the PreCure...
"...!"
Much to their surprise and amazement, they would see a conjuring of memories that would show several scenes of the lives of every PreCure, from the Futari wa PreCure up to the Hirogaru Sky! PreCure. All of their joys and sorrows, all of their smiles and frowns, all of their determination that burns brighter than the dawn. How does one describe all of this and do justice to such a description?
"All...For You...PreCure..." Past George declared despite all of his pain.
All of the PreCure and their mascots would widen their eyes as they heard the declaration.
"Always For You...PreCure..." Past George spoke further.
And then, a sudden aura would shine on him. An aura of gold and pink engulfs his entire bruised and bloodied body. His resolve burns within his heart as the PreCure is all that he thinks of, especially the one that he could not save, right here, right now.
"Is this..." Yui Nagomi, also known as Cure Precious, would sport a worried and surprised expression.
"...What," Manatsu Natsuumi, also known as Cure Summer, would sport a worried and surprised expression.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNSHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNN!"
The Past George exclaims with a loud voice that echoes throughout the abandoned streets, with both of his hands clenched towards his waist, as there is a continuous series of flashes of thunder among the grey clouds. Lightning was seen amidst the rain which fell down upon the Earth. But there was also lightning to be found upon George's person, emitting rays of white luminous thunder and tapping into his latent ability to make use of his divine gift and power.
The power of the King of the Gods. Zeus Jupiter.
RIDER TIME! ALL FOR YOU! ALWAYS FOR YOU! AOI KAZE NO HOPE! KAMEN RIDER ZI-O II!
The entire world at that very moment seemed to have split into two different directions, one going clockwise and the other going counterclockwise with golden and pink edges. The two giant analog clocks would produce the pink katakana for 'Rider' on their newly formed Zi-O visor-like faces as two golden-pink watch straps would appear and hover over his shoulders while small dials and clocks appeared around his feet. The katakana would fly in a straightforward line before it would eventually head back towards him.
The golden watchstraps turned silver and draped over his shoulders, his black rider suit now had pink-white 'wings' protecting his shins, waist, gloves, and shoulders. The large crest-like shoulder pads were golden-edged with silver and pink curved lines under his neck and a golden neck guard. But his mask was the most changed, having the pink katakana for 'Rider' still remained, but his silver clock face had etchings of the watchstraps, two watch crowns on either side of his head, and two sets of clock hands over his eyes, depicting 10 and 2 o'clock. There was also a golden-pink cape that was attached to his back that was being blown by the ominous wind and two watchstrap-like bio-enhancement devices that ran vertically on both sides across his helmet and chest. There was now a heart-shaped PreHeart that would attach itself to the left center of the chest.
The Past George had now transformed into Kamen Rider Zi-O II - All For You.
With his glowing pinkish eyes glittered in gold, he would begin to sense where Nullus strikes back. Nullus appears from the back in order to deliver a fatal blow, only for Zi-O to grab his hand and send him upside down, crashing to the ground, making an impact, before kicking his face, making him grunt with pain, causing trails of dirt to follow. Nullus would begin to bring his hands to the ground before flipping back to a straightforward position. And as his irises narrowed, he could not help but mutter.
"...Ah, so this is the long-awaited power that I've been sensing, the logical reason why you decided to send me first to the ruins of the Garden of Light, you now decided to show at least 50% of your full strength, Toki no Ouja. Then let me show you mine, an equivalent of 10%," Nullus muttered as he radiated an aura that would emit a shockwave that would destroy multiple buildings in sight, tumbling down like children's mega blocks, happening only just a few seconds after he decided to power up.
The PreCure, all of them, would sense it and they recognize their very own power in spite of how twisted and invading it was, much to their horror. This power was corrupted, once filled with the brim of positive energies, hopes, dreams, smiles, and all of that and so much more, now would be a weapon to destroy, to kill, to do what this power was never meant to do.
"Wh-What the heck?!" Nagisa Misumi would exclaim in shock, sensing the power that lay within Nullus.
"This power?! It's...the same as us?!" Hikari Kujou made a shocked expression, sensing the power within Nullus.
"All of us?! He has all of our powers?!" Hibiki Hojo exclaims in shock, sensing her own familiar power signature within Nullus.
Thunder was present throughout Zi-O's entire body. The heavens itself would accompany with its own thunder amidst the heavy rain. He would begin to touch the Ridewatch that was inserted into his belt. He muttered. "Hana..." It made everyone, all of the PreCure, every one of the audience, especially one Hana Nono, pay close attention with trembling lips filled with a mixture of feelings.
ZIKAN GIRADE! KEN!
Zi-O would draw out his weapon with his right hand.
"...All For You...Always For You...Hana..."
Underneath his helmet, his eyes would be filled with tears as he recalls the warmth of the deceased Future Hana Nono.
"...All For You...Always For You...PreCure..."
And he would draw out from his mind the memories of every single PreCure that he would ever watch. From Futari wa PreCure to HUGtto PreCure. From Star Twinkle PreCure to Hirogaru Sky! PreCure. And all of these memories, all of the PreCure would see, amazed and touched, in awe as they see multiple cherished memories, recognizable as they experienced them in the past, with the only added extra being that unbeknownst to all of them, there was...
"...Is that...George..." From one particular place, as one of the PreCure watching, Amane Kasai - Cure Finale, muttered with an expression of concern and awe.
From afar, there was George Kurai, always content to silently watch the PreCure, taking great care of their entire lives and histories, cherishing them and valuing everything they ever stood for.
"George..." muttered Mashiro, sporting an expression of awe and wonder while her heart felt touched that even before George met her, he already cherished her and the rest of the PreCure.
"I cherish them all, Nullus!" Past George exclaims as his tears draw out. His voice echoed, which unbeknownst to him penetrated through the heart of every PreCure. "I loved the PreCure, all of them. I loved all of the positive traits that they embody in order to bring hope to the world and beyond. Even when I have been given this dark power as Zi-O, I want to use it to follow their example."
And Nullus would suddenly come forth from the rubble and with a burst of speed, tried to attack George. Lots of rain would suddenly spring from multiple directions upon the strong impact of the hits that Nullus would bring to George.
"And taunting me about my own predestined death? Who the bloody hell cares?!"
And with one swing of his sword that accentuates a lightning color, he would begin to grievously strike Nullus down, making him cough blood as he gets thrown several meters away and crash through the wall of a building.
And at the same time, Zi-O would begin to dash with a kind of speed unforeseen, like a blitz of lighting maintaining its aggression and wrath. And then, a powerful lightning strike occurred. Nullus was holding the blade of Zi-O's sword, but Zi-O raised one of his palms and fired a pink energy blast that hit Nullus' torso, sending Nullus away upwards, breaking through the ceilings and rooftop before getting clobbered by Zi-O's two clenched hands joined together. And then, a mixture of quick-paced attacks, sending Nullus flying from one direction to another.
And as Nullus tried to counter with a burst of various shapes of pink energy...
ZI-O SAIKYOU! HAOU GIRI!
Multiple pink energy slashes would be seen to engulf Nullus, slashing him from several parts of his body and knocking him off course. Combined with a roundhouse kick from Zi-O, Nullus would crash at a nearby hill, creating a large impact that would send broken shards off. Nullus, instead of being down for the count, would begin to appears once again at Zi-O's back and raises his right arm towards Zi-O, only for Zi-O to hold Nullus' arm with a simple hold and throwing him down for several meters before intercepting him by firing an energy blast, sending him crashing to a window of a building.
Zi-O was hovering a little, a few 200 meters away from the ground.
And then, Nullus sprung forth into action as a series of blows began to take place, all of which Zi-O countered with his elbows and legs. Both opponents seem evently matched even as they look worst for wear. Nullus spins with a kick, hitting Zi-O at the torso, Zi-O unleashes a barrage of magenta-colored energy, making Nullus grunt a bit as a butterfly shield begins to absorb its attacks, only for Zi-O to transport himself near Nullus' back, which Nullus countered with yellowish lightning, sending Zi-O back, but Zi-O was fast as he created two copies of himself who fired black and white energy, making Nullus turn his butterfly shield towards the energy.
And then, with a single stance from Zi-O, putting his feet on the dirt, he raises his bruised elbow to take the brunt of Nullus' hits, making impacts that would create artificial winds that would send the debris and abandoned vehicles away.
"Ah, is that why you fight then?" Nullus, even with the little brush of pain, found what he had been looking for, one factor that he took interest in. "Not only of the PreCure, but also the guilt of being the only one left alive, in more ways than one."
"If I die, I die, there is nothing else to be said!" Zi-O exclaims.
"Even if it meant leaving your loved ones? Your friends? Your allies? Your family?" Nullus asked.
"If it means trying to keep them safe from the likes of you, so be it!" Zi-O exclaims.
"...!" All of the PreCure would look at both Past George and Present George in disbelief. Was George really this suicidal in nature in the past?
"Hoh..." Nullus, even with the cold, calculating look on his face, seems to find a sense of amusement in that declaration. "Do you really consider your life to not worth mattering? Is it born from the depths of one's orphanhood? Is it due to all of the machinations of a clown of despair who had finally gotten him to see the darkness inside his own heart? Is it due to all of the awakening terror that you feel at night whenever you try to use the power of Zi-O, fearing what you may be capable of doing? Do you fear the darkness of Ohma Zi-O creeping within you that could even surpass the villainy of your other future self?"
And the battle intensified as their fights took to the skies. Punches and kicks, along with sword attacks from Zi-O, were covered from every angle, with thunderous effects. Neither was letting up. Neither was backing down. With every attack and defense, they pick up speed, almost hard to keep up with the naked eye. The only way for all of the PreCure to see this was because of George showing them this memory.
As Zi-O strikes back...
YELL SAIKYOU! HAOU GIRI!
Multiple flashes of pure pinkish-white light would burst forth from Zi-O's sword like lightning and would strike through Nullus who had his absolute defensive techniques on display. He did not even try to dodge it, simply absorbed the power of the attack, and turned it into a conductor to hurl against Zi-O. But Zi-O was also using the same tactic, absorbing Nullus' attacks.
With a single block enacted from both Zi-O and Nullus, the presence of a few towering buildings would crumble down to the dust due to the shockwave, causing a fog-like atmosphere amidst the rain.
"I fear all of that...and so much more...but...if I must, I would put all of those aside...if it meant protecting the innocent...and protecting the PreCure from the likes of you! No PreCure would die to your hand this time!"
As the PreCure listened to the declaration, with feelings of anxiety and conflict in their hearts, Zi-O began to swish and turn with his movements. Transporting himself from one location to the next, with Nullus not too far behind. Zi-O would be careful as he tried to maintain his position while escaping Nullus' claws and sending him back with a back-ended attack from the handle of his sword before unleashing another energy blast from his sword, causing a wave of explosions.
And Nullus would strike Zi-O from the back. And Zi-O immediately fixed his position as he cupped his hands, forming a pinkish aura that he would fire at Nullus, who would block it with his own white and black energy beam, causing a stand-off. Zi-O and Nullus would begin to summon temporal copies of themselves who would battle against each other. Numerous explosions and grunts of sweat would accompany the battle.
And Zi-O and Nullus would break their stalemate as they charge straightforward at each other, knocking out their temporal copies as they draw close to each other and begin the hits. Zi-O aims his sword hard right, making Nullus grunt as he is sent a few meters before Nullus fires a barrage of flowers at Zi-O who only blocks with a butterfly shield.
A barrage of hearts came forth from Nullus, scattering from the skies, and Zi-O would push through as he took flight. His body twists before turning and firing magenta-colored energy at Nullus who dodges. And a swirling tornado of energy attacks would begin to erupt from both of them.
"You say such things, Toki no Ouja...and still, you can inevitably find an excuse within that paraphrasable framework for wanting to die even now."
Nullus spoke as he fired a barrage of pinkish lasers that were tagging from every direction, only for Zi-O to deflect them all with his Yell Sword. With each block, the impact of the beams created numerous explosions that would begin to go up into the atmosphere.
"...'You want to die'?" Yukari was one of the first PreCure who was catching on. Worry, disapproval, and other concerning thoughts lay in her heart as she looked at Present George with a prodding, gentle, and anxious look.
But Present George would bring his head down a little in shame. And everyone looked at him in worry.
"You want to die...George, what do you..." Mashiro muttered with horrified eyes, even if the boy she held in her heart could not hear her.
"In your heart, you always wanted to die, and yet you could not. Your thoughts betray you, Toki no Ouja. But it's not merely the fact that you want to die. Your heart longs to be reunited with your parents, but that is not the main reason why you want to die. That desire to stay alive but still carry the desire to die. A contradiction. You who make the nonsensical goal to try to atone for the sins that you have not even committed, not just for your other self, but it also signifies yourself as the only variant that would be spared from the clutches of karmic death. But no, not even that, that desire to die could only come forth from the depths of wanting to protect the PreCure, from your very own self. The fear of the pathways that lead to Ohma Zi-O, no longer just for the Kamen Riders, but for the PreCure. You fear the future because you fear taking away that future, that is why you do not want to be a part of the future. You fear the darkness from that future, a darkness without any hope."
The memory would gain a kind of static. It was brief, but all of the PreCure would see it. The presence of a recognizable golden armored figure with red-eyed visors. The presence of the dreaded Ohma Zi-O. And then, the memory returns to normal.
Nullus spoke as he and Zi-O began to battle furiously in the air. Nullus held the tip of Zi-O's sword which was powering up with pinkish energy. And Zi-O's body explodes with an aura, powering up further. The clash was like a dance, furious but calculated, carrying endless pain but a burning resolve. And the rain complimented the tense action that all of the PreCure audience would see with their own eyes.
This was but a fraction of the powers of the King of Time and The Monster. This was still not their strongest. But even then, they were barely holding back with everything they had as they referred to each other with words that came from their calculated minds. Words were weapons, and they used them. They fought as they spoke. Explosions of several colors of pink, orange, green, and other variety of colors that came forth from the powers of a PreCure were engulfing the atmosphere.
The PreCure listens to this exchange of dialogue and they could not help but worry especially for George, looking at the Present Day George most especially.
"("Is that...Is that why...?")" Hana could not help but recall the past conversation back in the hospital room. She and George talked about Future George and his legacy that still impacted upon the poor young man, burdened by sins that he never even committed. In light of that time, it made sense now for Hana. It was not just George hating himself for the sins of his future self. It was far deeper than that. Whatever Future George did, it created a ripple. Every evil action does not go unpunished. And the punishment was that every George Kurai was sentenced to die, with the deadline being when Hagumi was already born.
It meant that George would never have to live with his family.
"...No," Hana would suddenly realize, much to her horror. And Hagumi would also realize it too. They both turn to Present George who did not dare look at them in the eye for confirmation of their suspicions.
Hana recalls all of the battles between the HUGtto! PreCure and the Criasu Corporation. And through that, she gained an insight. Future George Kurai, the man who had been against the PreCure, did not just have "stopping time" as his goal. If she learned to connect the dots, she would notice another goal, one that not even Future George would have told her. Of course, why would Future George even tell her of such a goal?
Future George took all of that karmic energy and reinstated it as a commonality for him and for every George Kurai in the Multiverse. They, one way or another, will die, taking Hana Nono's place and sparing her of her inevitable fate. If Future George's goals of stopping time failed to succeed, then no worries, Future George would have thought, as he had other plans that he would not tell anyone, not even the PreCure. Did his subordinates know? Hana didn't think they did. Future George had always been the type to keep certain secrets if it meant accomplishing his objectives.
And it succeeded, a little too well. Every George Kurai was essentially sacrificed. But how did that came about, Cure Yell did not know. It was just that it happened and Future George instigated it.
But then, in an unforeseeable turn of events, the Present Day George Kurai had cut that plan off, destroying the karmic cycle that had been established. When George became Kamen Rider Zi-O, becoming the next heir to the throne. His mere presence created a large ripple that affected everything around him. Whatever should have been original as history had changed. George became a part of the lives of the PreCure in the most intimate way possible, something that should never even happen.
And with that, the looming threat of Ohma Zi-O, the darker side of Zi-O, is still a present danger that may still be possible, and the PreCure are at the very center of the battle.
"("...I see.")" Yukari muttered with narrowed eyes. She, as well as Honoka, Yuri, and other more intelligent PreCure, inevitably figured many of the things out because of the dialogue. Yukari turned towards George with a concerned and serious expression. "("I had been wondering about this for a while, on just how much George's role as the Pretty Cure Protector is related to all of us PreCure, but now it makes sense. Firstly, George had some conflicting desires to die...but he couldn't. Something's kept him from dying. Whatever happened to George, turning into Zi-O, it gave him an intimate connection with all of us, his actions pre-existing throughout our history, the effect came before the cause. If he has the powers of Zi-O... there are consequences. Whether the benefits outweigh the cons is the question.")"
And with a block from Zi-O, making use of a butterfly shield, sending him near a towering building. Zi-O would land his feet on the wall, creating a light crater from the wall before launching itself at full speed and launching several swords against Nullus who would wack them all with his hands and feet.
Nullus crossed his arms as he blocked Zi-O's sword, but Zi-O made an upside-down maneuver and gained an opening where he would strike his sword at Nullus' head, only for Nullus to hold the tip of the blade while looking upward with his glowing, ominous irises at Zi-O, and at the same time, thunder flashes.
Zi-O would twist from his position and clash his blade against Nullus' crossed arms, and they would both transport themselves from one place to another as the shockwaves dispersed the rain that fell into circular wildly and chaotic patterns.
Zi-O would be hit by Nullus, the latter raising his left foot to the upper left corner, kicking him in the torso, and sending him crashing toward an abandoned cathedral, crashing to the window as the stains of glass would follow in falling to the stone floor. Zi-O crashes toward a few pews and now lies on the ground for a few moments before trying to stand up again.
As Zi-O walked towards the center, looking wibbly in his bodily movements as he used a nearby pew to balance himself, he spotted something that made him stop.
"...!"
Present George's eyes narrowed as well, seeing an image that was near the altar where the dusty crucifix was nearby. There was a window that was lightened up by the flashes of thunder, showing a man wearing armor, sitting on a cream-white horse, driving a long lance down at a lizard-like dragon. There was a woman nearby who kneeled down with her hands raised in prayer.
The PreCure who were watching were starting to notice Present George and even his past self being eerily silent. They would notice how odd was Present George's expression. It was solemn, but it carried a troubling feeling that the PreCure and their mascots could not shake. But even more so, they could not help but feel drawn towards the dragon in the image. They did not know why, but for all of the PreCure, the common feeling between them all was complete and utter dread and a subtle terror. That was the only thing they could describe. And the sounds of thunder were heard, flashes of it which brighten up the old abandoned cathedral. Rain would fall down from the holes of the cathedral.
"...What...What is with this image...?" Hana Nono muttered, feeling the same sense of dread as the rest of the PreCure.
"...Something's...Something's not right about this image," Yuri Tsukikage felt like sweating from her brow.
"...Why is this...bothering me too much...? Just what is it about this dragon that's giving me goosebumps...?" Karen Minazuki felt like her heart was growing cold.
Honoka would look towards Kiriya and notice him who along with Tatsuya, the Gokaigers, and a few others made grim and silent expressions. Hikari would look at Rotissimo who looked back at her with a grave, concerned, and hesitant expression. Yuri, Yukari, and a few other PreCure would notice many of the 14th Legion Clone Troopers remaining silent, but maintaining an expression of grim recognition.
"...Hmm."
Everyone would now pay attention to Nullus who was also looking at the image with, for the first time, a wide-eyed expression instead of his cold calculating one. He was somewhere a few meters away from Past George. Much to the PreCure's surprise, there was a hint of fear to be found in the eyes of the bio-android for the very first time. Nullus would look at Past George meaningfully.
"...Or if in relation to karmic death, there is something else that came forth from it," Nullus muttered with narrowed eyes that flashed just as the thunder would flash from the windows.
And then...
"KKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Nullus was suddenly struck back with a force of white lightning that came from the left palm, sending him crashing towards the door and several hundreds of meters away. Zi-O's visor would glow ominously. Thunder would come forth from heaven and Zi-O's body would glitch back and forth as he walked slowly. First was the appearance of the young George whose eyes were glowing with a pale yellow, and then...
"...Ah!" Hana and every one of the PreCure would notice something far more sinister.
They would see an afterimage of Ohma Zi-O. The shadow of the large crucifix on the altar overshadowed the afterimage before it returned to the more normal Zi-O II.
All of the PreCure and their mascots, looking alarmed, would turn to the Present Day George who was just silent and his eyes narrowed, as if looking beyond the memory, looking beyond somewhere else, as if he was reliving a particular moment in time.
"...George," Hana would try to bring George back to his senses by gently tugging his shoulder, but to no avail.
Unleash it...
"...Ah!" Mashiro would hear a sinister but indecipherable echo that overlayed the memory. All of the PreCure would hear this unknown echo which was sending shivers down its spine. Where was it coming from?
"...Ah!" Kaoruko seems to recognize the sinister echo, her eyes widening as they turn to George in anxiety.
Unleash your darkness, Toki no Ouja...
Or do you lack conviction...?
And at the same time, Nullus would suddenly burst forth in speed, firing a barrage of energies of various colors, only for Zi-O to raise a clock shield around him which rolls like the various parts of a wristwatch, sending the depleted energies back to Nullus, striking him down and sending him crashing on the grounds of the church. Zi-O grits his teeth. Memories of the Future Hana and her beautiful smile sprung from his mind.
NEVER!
He refuses. He will never use it. He will never use the power of Ohma Zi-O. He will not become that Evil Overlord. He will not be a tyrant. He will not become the man that his parents would not approve of.
And even as he refuses, he channels the darker impulses upon battle, with confliction. Zi-O would sway from the left as Nullus would appear so suddenly. Zi-O sicks his blade at Nullus, only for Nullus to parry it with his right hand which sprouts alien blood. Zi-O unleashes thunder which shocks Nullus, but Nullus takes advantage of it by kicking Zi-O at the solar plexus which slightly off-balances Zi-O before he raises his right palm and fires a barrage of magenta-colored energy, sending Nullus away.
And Nullus suddenly appears on Zi-O's back and slashes through Zi-O's torso, scratching his body, and causing him pain.
"KAAAH!"
But Zi-O countered brutally with his own two punches to the chest that made Nullus puke his own alien blood and stagger from his position. Both opponents were wide open as they fired several rounds of energy blasts upon each other, with half of the church looking decimated by the blast, and thunder echoed still more upon the haunting scene.
The Doctor narrows his eyes a little. He looks at the image of the dragon that was being slain by the man with the lance. There was something about the dragon that made the Doctor recall an abomination called the Dark Old Ones, a group of unique, malignant beings of great power, once considered gods that were worshipped in the darkness of history.
And there was one particularly infamous Dark Old One that would relate to the image of the dragon.
"...You're giving them a hint of it, already," the Doctor showed a grave urgency and concern, looking towards the golden armored figure. "Like giving them little pieces of breadcrumbs."
"Even the crumbs are useful to give when the people are starving," Ohma Zi-O spoke with a grave expression.
And it was not just the darkness from the image of the dragon that the PreCure would take note of. There was another living darkness present within George. His own mirror self. For as George gained Zi-O II, there comes the acceptance of one's own darkness. But this darkness had been born, separate from George himself, becoming its own festering being.
A twofold revelation was revealed to the PreCure in relation to George's past.
First was the darkness of the mystery of the image of the dragon.
The second was the darkness within oneself.
Insert Song: End
ED Song:
Kamen Rider 4 [Time - Mitsuru Matsuoka]
Incarnation(s)/Regeneration(s) of the Doctor:
The Fourteenth Doctor - A: David Tennant
New Characters:
Future (?) George Kurai/Ohma Zi-O - VA: Junpei Morita