SEITO HOSPITAL - 7PM

A battle of the ages has commenced! Two warriors with outstanding legacies, firmly stanced with unfaltering glares as they stand on opposing ends of a planked bridge. Behind them, several arched rooftops large enough to be considered a separate building by itself, and lined with well crafted, curved bricks sat in the background; painting a marvelous scenic portrait that could distract the wandering eye from the battle if you weren't careful enough. Beyond that, far off in the horizon, lies a beautiful castle that shimmered like a star underneath the waking moon as it cast its serene, everlasting glow against an amber sky. Mixing between the endless, navy blue sky. Mesmerizing, isn't it?

Accompanied by a rhythmic, yet soothing heart-to-iron melody that got the blood pumping, the fight began! Blows exchanged from fighter to fighter, the taiko drums chanting for glory throughout the field, with perfectly grafted strings between its compositions to pull the heart back to reality. The combat was tense. One wrong move was certain to send the other down a spiraling pit of despair that wasn't easy to pull oneself out of! Keep those fingers steady, and keep your mind clear, and go for the glory! A strong body comes from a strong mind, and a strong heart. Latch onto those, and you'll never lose!

"HADOUKEN!"

A devastating blow! How will his opponent recover? Oh, a flurry of kicks – unrecognizable in direction, but a precise strike wasn't what she was aiming for. No, it was all about throwing whatever you have, as much as you have, and hoping that all you have can take them down! A perfectly timed block stopped such a deadly onslaught, and was met with an over the shoulder throw hard enough to shatter the planks beneath their feet! Backed into a tight corner now, whatever will you do? Sometimes the best offense is defense, precisely planning out your strategy to take back what was rightfully yours. Half of any battle is a fight not through blows, but of clashing philosophy. A plan is power. Go forth, and show them the might of your power!

Her arms dropped, and she readied to take his victory from the air.

"SHORYUKEN!"

A failed plan is not a bad plan, and a loss does not define a warrior. On the path to glory, there will always be someone who beats you. No one ever wins without losing. Go forth and become the world's strongest!

Ryu wins.

"Alright!" Emu Hojo, renowned pediatrician and top C.R. doctor threw his fist high into the air. In his fit of excitement, he fell flat on his back after bending a little too backwards; a hill of chips being taken with him. A game of 52 pickup, but instead of cards, they were fried ends of salted potatoes that were beginning to go stale. "Oh, we should change the stage." He said, ignoring the bruise sprouting on his elbow as he sipped on SUNTORY GREEN TEA IYEMON from a straw. The image of Suzaku Castle was burned into his mind… and the TV. "We can't fight in one place all the time. You can't get used to doing the same thing over and over – it makes you disoriented when you end up in an unfamiliar area."

"Hnng, Pemu!" Poppy, who was sitting next to him, frustratedly clutching her controller, scrunched her nose. The usually cheery bugster had a face as red as a pepper, and it wasn't from a loving shame. "Pipo-pick a different character!"

"Oh, but this is my main." Emu said. There were dark bags forming beneath his eyelids from the habituation of the combat routine. "I thought you wanted to help me with practice."

"I didn't know playing with you was going to be so difficult!" Poppy huffed, crossing her arms together. Fighting games weren't her cup of tea. Whatever sort of strange rhythm Emu kept implying that was consistent within stuff like combos or offensive strategies fell onto ears that weren't open. "This is the 50th time I've lost…" She sulked, lowering her head.

"You got pretty close last round." Emu reached deep into the bag of chips, snacking down on some much needed sustenance. He was so caught up in the game that he had neglected his stomach, which roared like a bear.

"Oh, Parad." The genius gamer said, glancing over his shoulder. Feet slapped right up on the table and without a care in the world, his complimentary virus and complete opposite was knee-deep in a game of his own. The entire time, he hadn't really said much, which was completely unlike him, who always had some sort of input – whether it was snobbish backseat gaming, or begging others to listen for his advice if they wanted to know what it was like to be on the other side of the losing screen. "How about you?" He said, grinning his way. "Up for a match?"

"I'm good." Parad said, shaking his head. Both Poppy and Emu sprung to their feet, wide eyed and showing off a dozen wrinkles each with how their skin stretched in surprise.

"HUH?!"

"I have my own game." He smirked. Come to think of it, he was being pretty secretive about what type of game it was. Emu hadn't heard any sort of voice acting from his device, nor any sort of cool sound effects. What type of game could that be? Not that Parad would let either of them know, of course, because it was his special game. "Besides, why are you playing V?"

"It's nice to go back sometimes to previous entries." With a sincere, innocent grin, Emu answered his question. He checked his watch. "Oh, it's almost eight."

As if on cue, the door to the C.R. office burst open. A thick blanket of fog swept into the room. Only a blazing, crimson light peered its malicious glare from the shadows of mystery. The display completely wore out the dim lights of the office, leaving our trio shrouded in darkness. A tall, beefy figure stood valiantly in the doorway, flexing their biceps with the might to move mountains!

"Kneel before me or die beneath my heel."

"D-d-die…?" Poppy gulped.

"Worm! Anyone who defies me willingly invites their own death!"

Emerging from the mist was Nico, who was holding a portable fog machine.

"Now that's how you make an entrance!" She said with a cheerful voice, strolling into the office as though it was her own private space. Nico was never really one to understand boundaries – it's how she ultimately ended up in her position as a medical assistant (which one had to wonder, how is it that she was able to keep such a position in the first place in spite of the fact that she lacked a medical degree like the rest of them? Well, except Poppy, who also did not have a medical degree). A valuable ally, and a bit of a brat, even to this day. Guess age doesn't mellow out everyone, even if she is like 25 at this point…

Behind her, with his hands pocketed and a signature stoic scowl pressed over his razor edged face was Taiga, who was holding her machine with discontent. A very handsome doctor, but were those looks worth his frigid attitude?

"Can't believe you allocated the clinic's budget for this toy." Taiga muttered, seemingly following her every footstep, as though he didn't know where to go. This sort of gathering wasn't his thing, and already he was beginning to regret accepting that invite.

"Taiga? You're here too?" Poppy asked, tilting her head. Emu didn't mention he was tagging along. "Are you interested in this?"

"No." He scoffed. "You wouldn't catch me playing one of these games."

"Yeah, because you suck." Nico pivoted with a laugh, sticking her tongue out whilst holding her index fingers and thumb beneath her chin, rising to the sky in the shape of a 'V.'

"Why, you…" Taiga started stomping towards her, but Nico was fast and slid underneath the lunch table. When she emerged, she repeated her teasing gesture.

"Going to have to try harder than that, 'Taiga Haisha.'

Author's Note: Haisha means 'loser' in Japanese. This is a verbal pun on his full name, Taiga Hanaya.

"Um, not to be rude." Poppy asked, her stomach spread all over the emerald bean bag chair. As it turns out there was a stash of them in a storage closet. Perfect for a hangout! "Why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Parad, who had remained mostly silent, chuckled. He was still too absorbed in his game to give attention towards anything else. Unless he chose to, you weren't going to get a reaction out of this guy. Although, something did catch his gaze. At the corner of the room, just by the balcony of the spiral stairs, Nico glared at him with the eyes of an inner demon that had awakened at the mere mention of his suggestion. It was a look that said 'Continue, and not even Emu will be able to reprogram you back to normal when we're done.'

"M, fight me." Nico commanded in an uncharacteristic, deep voice. She was holding her fightstick. It was painted pink, and flourished with cute stickers consisting of cat photos, all in a trio pattern that went 'white, gray, black.'

"OK," Emu said, swallowing the last bit of his tea. "I'm game if you are. We still got half an hour before the stream begins."

"Not you." Nico answered. She pointed at the bugster with the weird pants. "You. I still have to dish out payback after all those years."

"Not interested." Parad said.

"HUH?!"

The entire room replied. All of them fell flat on their butts! Parad refusing a challenge?! With how persistent he was in wanting to battle Emu during the era of Kamen Rider: Chronicle, it was a surprise that such a competitive fighter would decline a challenge.

"Oh, I get it!" Nico crossed her arms. "Someone's a bit of a chicken. Let me guess, ever since you felt the taste of defeat you can't seem to wash it off your tongue. Am I right?"

"Nah." Parad yawned. "Don't disturb me, it took a while to get to this route…" He muttered, squinting his eyes so he could read the text on his screen. Taiga was the only one in proximity to him, and so he alone could see what was holding him back.

It was a visual novel. Parad was absorbed in a multi-ending dating simulator with at least 40 hours worth of playtime due to all the branching paths. People actually spent their time on these? Some thoughts are better off stuck in someone's head. If Poppy heard him dissing the very reason she gets to transform alongside the rest of them, he would never hear the end of it. Not that he ever does get a rest from all the shouting though. Not when you practically live with Nico. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Nico smirked.

The bag of chips was ravaged through once she took her seat. Not that there was a verbal ushering, but there was an open blue chair. Who was going to pass up a free seat? Emu figured she would go for that one. That's why he took the yellow seat, and although he wasn't one to fight over positions, he wasn't going to lose this without a battle. A battle he wasn't willing to put up with tonight. The only fights he was invested in were the ones on the street! They switched off the game and awaited the livestream to start. The conversation was total nonsense to anyone who wasn't Emu or Nico.

"So, who do you think it'll be?" Emu asked, stretching his legs. They were like electric jelaton. "I heard online that this is another collaboration."

"If I have to listen to that damn turtle rap one more time…" The snacks in her hands shattered into a million pieces.

"I find it catchy!" Chipper as always to change, Emu and his ray of optimism was a delight in a community like this which, as supportive as it tried to be, still held a lot of elitism. But that can be said for a lot of communities, right? "Suppose that means we're not getting a returning character. Maybe someone new to help flesh out the new cast of villains."

"Boooring," Nico sighed. "No matter how much work those modders put in, it's not the real deal. How the hell could they leave out Sakura?"

"Shouldn't you be staying on top of the new cast though?" Emu asked. "A new character can always shake up the meta. That might spell out trouble for you at the next tournament."

"As if!" She elbowed Emu in the shoulder. "Whether it's a new grappler or a rushdown, I'll take them all head on. There's no right in calling myself a pro if some new hotshot sticks it to me."

"Still," Emu shot her a toothy grin. "It's going to be difficult to fill the shoes of the story so far. A lot of what makes Street Fighter so iconic comes from their story. Almost 40 years in the making now, with such an expansive world. It's no wonder people of all kinds are attracted to these games. Me included. It's not just about the thrill of battle. Capcom excels in their designs, but they have a habit of keeping the intrigue limited to one game only. A lot of the complaints can be applied to their other series too, Resident Evil for example."

"Psh, if Capcom knows better, they won't leave the rest of their cast behind." Nico cracked open a cold one. A can of soda, to be exact. Purple fanta. "Like I'm going to bow down and accept the number one corner spammer, JP," She did that last bit with exaggerated air quotes. "is going to be the leading villain. When does Juri get the spotlight, huh?"

"Sounds like someone's salty!" Parad laughed, leaning back in his chair as he dodged an unopened bag of caramel corn being thrown his way.

"Shut up! It's bad enough that a newbie can climb their way past rookie rank with the tap of a few buttons! Wow, what skill you have there! Way to spam."

"I thought those people couldn't match your skill." Emu laughed. He stopped laughing when he felt the chilly breath of deadly air being huffed down the back of his neck. Better choose his words more carefully.

"Who said I had trouble?" She asked through gritted teeth. Then, just like that, Nico was back to normal. "Besides, he's no Bison."

"What are the odds he returns?" Emu asked. There were only two minutes now until the livestream began. "It wouldn't be the first time we had a fake out."

"That's the problem with these nobodies showing up on the roster." Nico pursed her lips. "A gimmick character tries to make up for their loss, and then those cowards get scared at the backlash. That would be like if someone dug up Heihachi for the 2nd time. If you want your special little character to have a chance, then stick with it or don't bother killing someone off! Whoever we get, a nerf is on its way."

"We still have plenty of seasons to go." Emu said, sharing his optimism as the last bit of discussion before the reveals began. "Oh, it's time!"

The party gathered around, waiting patiently for the boring pre-stream lobby screen to dissipate. Awaiting for that timer to disappear made a very long ten minutes into what felt like an hour. Even if Emu and Nico had taken up most of that time in their friendly discourse, which wasn't a common occurrence for those two – as neither of them ever held similar opinions in their communities, which often caused eventual arguments, the change of pace was really nice. Nonetheless, all that waiting was finally over!

Poppy huddled close to Nico and Emu, especially the latter as she watched with an ever-increasing churning of anticipation making a home for itself in her stomach. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous, but perhaps it was because this was the first time ever that she had been able to sit down and watch a reveal stream with someone! Oftentimes, she missed it, or had no one to watch it with. Truth be told, in spite of being a bugster, she didn't play many video games herself. For years, she was too preoccupied handling the game illness alongside her allies, and even past that there was little time to sit and rest before a new incident occurred with whatever monster of the week stomping around. However, Emu had been introducing her to games of all kinds. It really occurred to her why he had such a title, because there was seemingly no game he couldn't excel at!

So, being here, close to him, she hoped that same passion which fueled his drive to increase his skills beyond what anyone could have ever imagined would rub off on her. That their hearts would connect as one. "Oh, who's that?" Poppy asked, her eyes flashing with hearts as she caught sight of a dazzling performer taking centre stage.

"That's Eternity." Emu answered with a grin. They had azure coloured hair and sported a low cut, shirtless suit jacket with a bedazzling admiral blue shade, magenta rims to complete. Their microphone, which looked much more professional then her own, was the same in terms of a palette. "They're the announcer of the game."

"Are they playable?" Poppy asked.

"We can only hope." Emu smiled. "It'd be pretty neat."

"Hello there, fighters!" Eternity spoke, and a whole crowd behind them started to cheer. Dozens of warriors, spectators alike, sucked in deeper with every word. Such a display of confidence was astounding to Poppy. Sure, she herself was used to a crowd. After all, Kuroto had programmed as the mascot of DoReMiFa beat, so putting on a show wasn't something foreign, but there was a degree of charm that Eternity held over Poppy. Her toes curled as she held her knees closer to her chest. That's strange, did she get smaller? It sure felt like she had in the last five minutes. "We hope you have been keeping up, because tonight we have a ton of announcements that only the greatest of warriors can handle." Eternity inched closer to the camera, shooting a wink. "Can you handle the heat that's to come?" They laughed. A field of bright lights shot off like fireworks behind them. "New stages, new characters, and new journeys await all of you. We have a ton of announcements tonight, so sit tight and make sure to turn up the volume. Keep those eyes open, because you don't want to miss this! The upcoming DLC for Street Fighter 6…"

"A lot of personality packed in there." Taiga muttered, crossing his arms.

"Don't tell me you're going to stand there like a grouch the entire night." Nico said, holding her head upside down and sticking her tongue back out at the doctor. The first announcement was a challenge towards his manliness, and Taiga wasn't going to be demeaned. If it meant having fun, then he was going to have so much fun it would blow all of their socks off! Their last mistake would be looking down on him.

"... Pass the popcorn." Taiga requested through gritted teeth. He was placed next to Poppy, who with a typical cheery smile, happily obliged.

The night went on with many exciting moments. Although the live commentators were a bit boring, as to be expected, the actual announcements didn't disappoint. Several times, Nico and Emu jumped out of their seats – usually spilling their snacks, but a messy hill of chips mounting by their ankles didn't stop them.

"Vega!" Emu cried in disbelief. He threw his arms into the air, and Poppy imitated his joy.

"Sakura!" Nico screamed, shaking Taiga frantically. "Sakura, Sakura, Sakura! Holy shit, Taiga!"

"What are you screaming at me for?!" Taiga said, finding it hard to breathe. "Who the hell is this person?!"

"Ah, you know nothing!" Nico climbed on top of him, squealing ear to ear with joy. "You clueless idiot!" She was too happy to care about how cruel she was being, and he was too happy to see her happy to really care.

"Look at those stages!" Emu said, pointing towards the screen as they showed off a snowy mountain. "Wow, those effects in the background could get in the way, but they're too beautiful to ignore!" It was like a dream for these two. No, it was a paradise for them! All of their wishes being granted, one by one. No one had to enter a battle royale in exchange for all the good news!

"Now, we have one final announcement." Now, all four of them were inches away from the television screen, nervously anticipating what could come next. "A great fighter can only go so far without allies. After all, you can't win every match, and who will be there to pick you up when you're down? Good to have friends in all places, high and low! So, we're pleased to announce that Street Fighter has another collaboration along the way!"

"Please say it's not turtles, please say it's not turtles, please say it's not turtles, please say it's not turtles." Nico cried, crossing her fingers together. She was speaking at the speed of sound, her voice being carried towards the clouds in hopes that someone out there would grant her final wish. The last thing this game needed was another 4 months sitting around listening to a repetitive, obnoxious rap.

"Sometimes the tap of a controller just can't match up to the thrill of the real deal, so here at Capcom, we're proud to present an experience that overtakes all for those true brawlers who want all the action without any of the consequences." Eternity backed away in the lobby. Behind them, where the highlight screen usually rested was a thin veil of purple curtains that covered over a 100 in game inches. "Fight to your heart's content by Christmas, because we're partnering with Genm Corporation to bring you a battle where the thrill never stops!"

Genm Corporation.

"HUH?!" Said everyone present.

Frantically, calls were being made throughout the entire city, courtesy of Poppy, or Asuna as she assumed a more professional form to voice her concerns. "Yes, I can stay on hold. Thank you very much." She replied in a polite, mature voice. Although a deep seated level of vitriol rested beneath her tongue. "This is going nowhere." Poppy sighed, holding the emergency phone over her shoulder. The vanilla wire was coiling around her arm.

"What the hell is Capcom thinking?!" Nico screamed, hopping around the room. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. "Genm started the whole chronicle mess! How the hell could they partner with them like that?!"

"Could this be Kuroto's doing?" Emu muttered, staring at his gashat. The sticker on Mighty Action X was beginning to fade in colour. "No, this can't be. He's been gone for a while, hasn't he?"

"That bastard always finds a way to come back." Taiga scoffed, hiding his fear underneath a veil of bitterness. "W-wouldn't be surprised if he truly was immortal."

Just then, Hiiro came storming through the doors. "Is it true?!" He shouted, hastily glancing around the room for an answer. This was unlike him, but given the circumstances… "Dan Kuroto, is he behind all of this?!" He tried to steady his breathing, but his words were being uttered faster than he could comprehend to save himself. Another AR game, this time sponsored by one of the largest companies in the country. Millions a day playing, to what end? No, more than millions. There was an overseas market. Bigger than Chronicle could ever hope to be.

"Please, take a seat." Emu ushered. The terror on his face was as clear as day. You could spell it out even if you were standing a thousand miles apart. "Hiiro, I–"

"What are we supposed to do?" Was all that he could utter.

"I don't know." Emu replied. He paced back towards the wall, refusing to stare at the others. Of course he was scared, everyone was. Kamen Rider Chronicle took so many lives, and for what, to advance medicine? For some eternal game used to further derive sick pleasure?! No, he wasn't going to let that happen. Not again. Emu faced the crowd, who as though on cue, were all looking to him for an answer. "We won't have a repeat of Kamen Rider: Chronicle. No matter what Genm Corp is planning, we'll put a stop to it." He smiled, hoping that his optimism would inspire some hope, even if his own was feigning. "We're stronger than last time. What's most important is that we're together. This game won't hurt anyone, so long as we fight."

RRRRIIIING! RRRRIIING!

"Oh! This might be the ministry!" Asuna said with glee. "Hello?" She answered, but the voice on the other side wasn't the one she expected. "Um, excuse me? Are… are you sure you have the right place?" She tilted her head. Could this be a prank call? "Um, OK… I'll be right there." A multi-coloured blur flashed in front of their eyes, and suddenly their companion had disappeared. Patiently, all of them waited. Though, it wasn't with an anticipation of excitement, however. Just a minute later she returned, dressed up once more in her true form – Poppy Pipopapo at your service! "It was the mailman!"

"We aren't expecting any mail." Hiiro said, his gaze wandering off into thin air. "Father works with the board to handle all the supplies. We don't get unexpected deliveries, not without notice."

"This is special." Poppy said, setting the box on the table. She had already peered inside. The group gathered around. She reached inside and pulled it out. It was a gashat! Blue and gold, much like the colours on the Capcom logo. In huge, bold letters it read STREET FIGHTER - FOREVER. Pretty on the nose, wouldn't you say?

"There's only one." Hiiro said.

"Hold on," Taiga interjected, swiping it into his hands. "Didn't they say that this wouldn't be complete until Christmas? That's a few months away."

"Could be a prototype." Emu replied, and from that word alone, Taiga set it back on the table, repulsed to the highest degree.

"What could it do?" Nico asked, inspecting it. "Doesn't look like the ones from Chronicle."

"Could it be used to transform?" Poppy didn't want to find out, but it's not that any of them could leave.

"It could do a number of things." Hiiro answered. "Did you happen to see who dropped it off?"

"No." Poppy shook her head. "Not at all, only the box was left at the front door. Whoever was on the phone didn't sound familiar either. It wasn't Kuroto, that's for sure."

"We still don't know if he's behind this." He replied. "Let's not take any chances."

"No, we have to." Emu spoke up, taking the gashat for himself, much to Nico's dismay. "This was sent to us personally. Whoever sent it knew that we all would be here. It's our responsibility."

"Are you crazy?!" Taiga demanded an answer, reaching for his collar. "That's a prototype - just like you said! It could kill us all as soon as you use it! A new strain of the bugster virus that none of us have ever seen. Who would save the world then, huh?!"

"We're about to find out." Emu smiled, holding the gashat up in the air. He clicked it.

GAME START!

In a flash, all of them vanished. Let the game begin!

AUTHOR'S NOTE (08/28/23):

Alright, here we are with another story! If you have been following my previous story, Festival of Fate then you might have heard of this one in my notes. So, just a clarification: despite this being a crossover, I'm not tagging it as such. The reason for that is because while I write this solely for entertainment, I think it would be buried under a categorization that isn't really well represented on this site, and plus it's mostly an Ex-Aid story to begin with, just involving Street Fighter characters! I hope this doesn't ruffle any feathers, and it also makes the story easier to find if its underneath just the standard Kamen Rider tag.

With that being said, Festival of Fate is coming to a close, so I will be working on this story and The Witch, The Robot, and the Bugster simultaneously! No worries, it won't slow down updates, even with my new living position and school coming back. I'll try to have an update at least once every month going forward after September! Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy. If you're a fan of Street Fighter, let's hope you like my portrayals! I'm fairly new, starting with Street Fighter 6, and sticking with it thanks to a good friend of mine (I even have Poppy made on world tour). If you aren't a fan of Street Fighter, I hope that you can still get a ton out of this with the cast of Ex-Aid! It's going to be a wild ride, and hey, maybe just like me, you'll learn something new!

Til next time!