A HUNDRED MILES UNDERGROUND ONCE MORE

It was quiet down here. Echoes of suffering, lingering voices of spirits to a time that once was, or perhaps never existed, lent their ghastly whirs to a crowd of no one that cared. The lone and leveled tunnels were their release of grief, say for one. All but one, who understood their displacement in this world, and who wrought justice plastered among a million contradictions. There was no place like home. There was no place like home. Not anymore. If it stood today, would it rightfully be theirs? Evidence of never-ending labours reaped from their possessions, handed off to someone else who fit between who they once were, and who they are.

The one understood this black, sickly sea of sorrow, for it was the monster that lurked beneath the surface; cursed never to grasp the warm sand and cling onto a tight belief that this sensation was reality, not a nightmare grafted into their skin by a sadistic artist who took pleasure in tearing down the walls that kept bitter consistency.

Cold hands coiled around the edges of their monumental steel throne, wrapped inch to inch with copper wires running a mile back in a spiral form into a barren, bottomless hole. Their figures bent and twisting in all the wrong ways to seep the path towards a new world. A world of freedom, and a world without displacement. A world where no one and everyone would belong as one.

I am the shepherd's black sheep, bearer of all; witness to none. Said Ozymandias, King of Kings.

EDGE OF TORIISAKA, AFTERNOON

The sound of a phone. It was her phone! Uh-oh, bad timing. She reached into her jacket and answered, completely ignoring the bus. "Hello?" It passed her by. "W-waait, no!" With one hand stretched out into the air, Poppy desperately grasped at her fleeting chance of joy, but to no avail – it was gone as soon as it arrived. Huffing to catch her breath, the voice on the other side of the phone was crying out her name.

"Poppy!" It was… Taiga?

"Taiga!" Poppy said, completely forgetting about missing the bus. "Wow, what a coincidence! Today's been so full of them, I was on my way to meet you!"

"No time, where are you now?!" He sounded serious, as though he himself was also on the move.

"Um," Poppy glanced around, checking her surroundings. Nothing really identifiable when you're taking your first steps in a magical part of town. "I'm in Toriisaka, just by the park!"

"Talk about coincidences…" Taiga muttered. Before Poppy could figure out what he meant, she saw crowds of people rushing down the street. Terrified and screaming, they knocked her to the ground and rushed past her with no regard for her safety. Shoot, her glasses were broken! That's going to cause a bit of trouble with this costume. How was she going to come off as professional now?!

"Hey, hey are you still alive?!" It was Nico's voice. She had swiped the phone from Taiga, and the two of them could be heard arguing once more, even past all the commotion. "That driver better be with you!" Poppy caught a glimpse of what people were running from. Dozens of monsters, rioting down the street and causing absolute chaos! The beings were grey, with jagged, rocky skin and lined with scalding tangerine lines of pure, molten mana. Armed to the teeth with weapons ranging from swords to sharp spears, they terrorized fleeing citizens!

"Leave it to me." Poppy replied in a stone cold, affirming voice.

CLICK TO GO!

TOKIMEKI CRISIS!

Alone, and with no one else to rely on but herself, Poppy Pipopapo stood against the tides of hope and despair as the only person who held the power to command the crashing waves.

"Transform."

CLICK AND LOAD!

BUGGLE UP!

A GIRL'S GOTTA DREAM,

IT'S A SIMULATION OF LOVE!

A GIRL'S HEART IS ALWAYS A TOKIMEKI CRISIS!

Kamen Rider Poppy has entered the battlefield!

Game… start!

Leaping straight into the battle, Poppy quickly caught the attention of several monsters. Later confirmed to be ghouls, manifestations of despair taking a physical form. There were at least a dozen of them! Stepping from beat to beat, she readies herself for the attacks being levied against her. The monsters weren't like anything Poppy laid her eyes upon before. Certainly weren't bugsters, unless a new game had been developed behind closed doors! Something she expected, but no, they were definitely different.

"Oh!" Narrowly, she avoided a poking from that spear. It flew right into a windshield, shattering it with one thrust! Taking hold of it, Poppy curled her fist and slammed it straight into the enemy's face, knocking them back and into two ghouls! Before she was able to process the impact, a sword swung at her face. Ducking, Poppy swept the ghoul off their feet and kicked them aside.

Skipping around, Poppy moved like the wind around them, exchanging elbows and arms against the ghouls.

"Help!" A disconnected voice cried out. It was a young man, a student from a school nearby, as indicated by their grey blazer and rose tie. A ghoul approached them, cackling with an unearthly, haunting voice. It took pride in terror, and refused to back off in spite of these desperate pleas.

"Help is on the way!" Poppy replied, but before she could move, ghouls surrounded her in a circle. Together in perfect coordination the ghouls launched forward with a lancing strike. Leaping into the air, just barely missing the tip of those blades. No time to waste, guess she had to go all out

CRITICAL CREWS-AID!

"Haaaa!" Rainbows descended from the sky and shined down onto Poppy, embalming herself in a colourful aura that lined the outer regions of her figure. Once that cast of colour had properly charged itself to the brim, the bugster sprouted a combination of yellow and pink hearts that shot out at rapid speed among the circle of enemies, Poppy spinning in a rapid 360 degree motion. Several localized explosions proceeded in the area, stomping the essence of such chaotic mana into the ground.

Finished, and with a perfect combo! Inches apart from their face, the student desperately fought back, but to no avail! He wasn't strong enough to toss the weapon aside. Oh, the horror! Their eyes squinted as everything became hazy; the strength in their arms draining from absolute fear. What have they accomplished up to now?! Practically nothing! No girlfriend, no first kiss – oh, and he wasn't even close to graduating! Wow, a life full of empty dreams… Did he carry a dream? The death of a man doomed to be without a dream!

Pow! Pow! Pow!

Life returned to the young man's defeated eyes as his savior stood before him, handing that monster a brutal combo! Jab, jab, cross – a bitter tasting fist passed down from her experience playing games with Emu! Before the monster could regain its balance, Poppy threw a fist beneath their chin and sent them flying into the air.

"Special… move!" Poppy shouted. "Cyclone kick!" Raising herself slightly above the ground, Poppy's knee unraveled into an imposing, continuous series of strikes smashing against the monster in midair, eradicating it from this world!

"Th-thank you…" The student cried, clinging onto Poppy's leg with such joyful glee! Oh, this was a newfound lease on life! He was going to commit himself to the absolute fullest that is possible! No more was he going to live such a dweeby half-life, no! Today was a new day, and anything could happen under a new sun, so long as you are able to watch it rise!

"Please get off!" Poppy said, managing to kick him off. Perhaps a little too hard, as he must have tumbled several times before stopping. "Oh, sorry!" Quickly, the bugster examined him, ensuring he wasn't wounded. "Phew, that was too much pipo-power…"

BOOM!

An explosion occurred behind her, sending Poppy into a frenzy as she leapt with her arms swaying in the air. Pivoting, Poppy spotted a row of buildings down the corner going up in flames! What's more curious was the person behind them. Dancing joyfully on a building with sadistic glee was a man with spiked, brown hair. He wore a white top hat, and a gaudy looking suit that had one too many colours, donning a sparkling cape to finish off that disaster of an outfit. It was clear he enjoyed himself, perhaps a little too much. Endangering lives was unforgivable, but taking pride in it was heinous! That was unforgivable, and this masked assailant was going to pay.

She wasn't a doctor, hardly a nurse – a temporary one at that, but she is a hero, and so long as she held onto that, then there was nothing to fear! Channeling the spirit of those who taught her what it meant to be a hero, Poppy Pipopapo wasn't going to save one life, not many, but every life!

Let's smile, together!

Zooming down the street, our hero charged at full speed, blasting through other ghouls and making her way to the centrepoint of destruction!

"How marvelous." The magician released a huffy release, relishing in their destruction. "Looks so much better with ash, wouldn't you think?" He spoke in a low tone, only to himself and continued creeping about by bringing further chaos in enacting these riots. "Ahh, I didn't believe such beauty could be possible, and with this power…" A dark, violet light swirled around in the palm of their hands. "The rest of my world will arrive soon!"

"What sort of world would that be?" Asked an intruding voice. The magician turned around, torso first with their lower half following only because needed. Standing before him was a colourful figure, whose vibrancy rivaled their own, and whose attitude was ruining their fun.

"Tch, I anticipated this." The magical assailant scowled, unveiling a strange device around their waist. It looked familiar, but Poppy couldn't put her finger on it. Shiny steel, with the imprint of an ebony coloured hand plastered over the front, the exterior outlined in red. "What a shame, I wanted to watch the end of the show for this pathetic mess of a town."

"If attacking people at random is your idea of fun," Poppy said, planting her legs apart and raising her fists. "Then I'll introduce you to mine!"

Striking a pose, Poppy raised her arm into the air and tilted her head. The digital eyes on her face took an upside down U shape, indicating joy. "Putting a stop to you!"

"Take your best shot," The magician laughed. "But please, before you die, do me the honor of introducing yourself, vermin!"

"Poppy Pipopapo, here to provide you with a heroic service!" Placing both her index fingers over what could be classified as her cheeks beneath these dense plates of metal. "A grand butt-kicking from yours truly!" Lifting one leg into the air and bending it, the bugster held up two peace signs adjacent to the other. Her signature pipo-papo pose, Poppy Pipopapo was going to scrub this sad sack of sorrow and save the day!

"Well, then. It's showtime!" The magician flashed his ring and prepared for battle.

"NOT!" Her opponent quickly fled the scene, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, several ghouls had surrounded our hero, and the magician was getting away with a sickening cackle, teleporting to several unoccupied rooftops through the use of magical transportation sigils.

"No fair!"

HIDEN INTELLIGENCE - PRESENT TIME

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, past the Toriisaka ward, Izu was answering calls for Aruto in his absence; performing her best to please the shareholders, but it was proving to be more difficult this time around than previous issues. Threats of pulling out, harassment levied towards their character – as professional as Izu tried to be, there were times where she had to hold herself back, which was a first. Ever since she regained her singularity from memories stored within the Zero-Two progrisekey, the android swung a double edged sword. On one hand, achieving independence in her emotions allowed her to see the world in more than just binary, but on the other… impatience and frustration infected her mind. Not to say that as a humagear she had never experienced that prior, but to put it simply it was easier to deal with.

BRRZZZT, BRRRZZZT!

That's strange, no one was on the other side of the phone. Oh, it was that holoradio! It vibrates violently on the other side of the desk. Quickly, Izu reached for the A.I.M.S. communicator.

"Hiden Intelligence." She had got so used to saying that this morning that it became her default response. The communicator shot out a digital display upon the empty, white wall. It was Yaiba, who was standing towards the entrance of their headquarters, geared up in battle armor and ready to roll. Around her, several members of A.I.M.S. were gathering into squad cars.

"We've identified the assailant's current location." Yaiba stated in a sharp, clear voice. "Your communicator will mark it on a digital GPS."

"Are there signs of the stolen equipment?" Izu asked, showing clear concern for the company, but what she was really asking between the lines was 'Will more humagears be used to die?'

"No." Yaiba said, and the pressure levied against Izu's shoulders was relieved in an instant. Shouting at the other combatants like a fearless commander would, the A.I.M.S. captain was now sitting, armed to the bone at that, in a truck that had a second skin. It was the type of artillery fit for a full on frontal assault by the military. Even from the inside the truck appeared no less comforting, and much more resembled a steel coffin. Around ten people could sit inside a cramped space. It was a miracle that Izu had never stepped foot inside. Or worse, carried through a bodybag. "A.I.M.S. is issued on the sidelines for the time being, so our support is limited, but unidentified life forms have been spotted in Toriisaka."

"Unidentified?" Izu asked, tilting her head.

"Inhuman. Not humagears, something else. Police action has been deemed ineffective, that's why we've been called in." Yaiba glared at the camera. For the first time ever, the android heard words not indicative of feigning indifference, or mere affirmation, but genuine pleading for her support. "Hurry, this could be our only chance!"

No time to waste here, Yaiba didn't have to say that twice. Whatever threat lies before her, Izu refused to let it go on any further. To the pinnacle of their dreams, Izu will forge a greater world, farther than any horizon that has been cast throughout the stars. With the secret of Hiden Intelligence, she was going to correct the mistakes of the past, no matter how large, and set course towards a brighter future!

ZERO-TWO DRIVER!

LET'S GIVE YOU POWER!

"Transform!"

ZERO-TWO RISE! ROAD TO GLORY HAS TO LEAD TO GROWIN' PATH TO CHANGE! ONE TO TWO! KAMEN RIDER ZERO-TWO! IT'S NEVER OVER.

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-TWO.

Skipping across rooftops and breaking barriers with every sound that matters, Zero-Two lead a speeding, blood coloured blur that was nothing more than a momentary flash to oncoming citizens. It was so quick in fact that almost anyone in the vicinity had to second guess themselves whether or not what their mind gathered at a fraction of a second was nothing more than an instantly decaying daydream. Wind was no longer a deterrent, it was her tool. Generated through the blitzing vibrations of the driver, it bent entirely to the will of the user. In a matter of minutes, Zero Two was able to pass by eight wards of Tokyo!

When she arrived on the scene, Zero-Two was quickly able to scout out the battlefield. Thanks to There, the optimal route presented itself ahead of her. Dressed up in a nice line, like a red carpet lent to her feet to saunter across, a zig-zagged pincer was the strategy to go for. All of this was computed beyond what the human mind could comprehend. That was the power of Zero-Two, not just physical speed, but pure comprehension combined with combat data projected into the mind of the user. This was the genius incarnate, the magnum opus of Hiden Intelligence.

The battlefield itself was a terrible calamity of misfortune outside of the humans' favour. Creatures that she has never come face to face with were driving a wedge into Toriisaka police and A.I.M.S. who were providing backup. From a lengthy distance, Zero-Two was able to observe Yaiba with intense precision amongst an ever-shifting mesh of unnoteworthy faces. Little effort was made in creating a wall between them. All barriers deemed ineffective, causing further defensive measures, which were proving to be largely in vain save for A.I.M.S. level of security, though even their weapons were of short effect.

There held no data on these creatures. Many creatures now existed where it didn't have data on since the merger. Before, when there was one world, Zero-Two was deemed perhaps the greatest weapon on the planet. Created by President Aruto and Izu herself to diminish the Ark's influence and defeat it once for all, Zero-Two is the ultimate weapon. Though, it only occurred to her now, as she flashed between key points in the path, why weren't their drivers stolen? If the thief appeared to have extensive knowledge of their security measures and the building itself, why is it that the Zero-One and Zero-Two drivers were left untouched?

Upon her neural processor asking such a question, the satellite left untouched in space tried to come up with a solution. Beyond the initiation of the optimal combat route, There attempted to run a simulation through an interface designed to look like a web that ran dozens of possibilities. It didn't make sense, why were they left untouched?

Zero-Two appeared before the ghouls as a blinding flash of light. One blink and a ghoul was swept off its legs, thrown into a wall. The stone wall shattered completely, the ghoul bursting into flames.

Could they not have known about their existence? 30% chance, but unlikely.

Zero-Two pressed their leg against one of their spears, shattering it. Before the debris could even manage to fall victim to gravity, the rider took hold of the broken handle, spun and smashed it against their head, raising their leg a fraction of a second afterwards to deliver a devastating blow. One more down.

Is it possible that they missed it? 0% chance. There stands no issue of being caught if they could transport themselves throughout the facility without alerting security. The only thing that was against them would be daylight, or misfortune – and with a swift exit the former was not the case. It was a quick operation, in-and-out.

A group of ghouls, further down the path. Surrounding a group of unattended officers who broke off from the main crowd of support, Zero-Two was able to fill in the missing gaps. Flying faster than sound, Zero-Two swerved through each of them one by one, landing a flurry of interchanging open palmed blows and crushing fists. Create distance and create pressure, that was the optimal solution.

The plan does not involve either the Zero-Two/Zero-One drivers, nor sees them as a deterrent or threat. 100% chance. The only logical answer.

That was all of them for the time being. Zero-Two stopped in their tracks, a humongous gust of wind following their shadow. It was so powerful that it was able to shake people right off their feet. A bullet whirred by her head, to which Zero-Two gracefully dodged with ease, raising her right hand while the free arm rested by her waist; a signature pose to indicate victory was theirs.

"Excuse me," Zero-Two said, speaking in a polite voice as she turned towards the officers, who were understandably frightened. The artificial synthesizer filtering her voice through the mask didn't make her sound more comforting either. "Do you require medical assistance?" The police were unresponsive. Just as she was going to open her mouth once more and assure them of their safety, a commanding voice entered the scene.

"Kurusu, Izumi – why did you break formation?!" Zero-Two turned to the officer. Standing just an inch greater than her, and with a determined scowl present to hide the innate beauty that lay blanketed beneath that ferocity, their commissioner approached them fearlessly without concern for the rider themselves or any imminent attack that could strike at an unforgiving, careless moment. Struggling to get back on their feet, the towering officer ensured that neither of them were able to stand without a lecture. "That move could have been your very last – had you not been there." As the woman fixated her gaze towards Zero-Two, she spotted a momentary glimpse of soft, genuine compassion for her early arrival between the lines of firm vexation.

"It is my duty." Zero-Two replied, pleased to ease the tension with someone who appreciates their work. The officers seemed to have their sense of terror lowered, but their level of trust remained about the same. Their commissioner knelt down next to them and offered her hands.

"Please, can you stand?" She asked in a quiet, nurturing voice.

"Y-yeah," The more timid of the two answered. Slowly, they got back on their feet. "I can still fight too…"

"Good, you'll fight with me." A smile found its way up her face. Through the sounds of whirring artillery and chaos, there was peace within her voice. "Stay close and stay safe, we have a code: our backs are always watched – do you remember?"

"Yes, sir!" The officers said in unison, saluting her. Together, the three of them hurried off back towards the main group. Zero-Two watched with pleasant surprise. That comradery was admirable, something that she would be grateful to have beyond President Hiden bending over backwards to ensure that both of them would come home. Together, Izu and Aruto were an unmatched duo, but sometimes, especially lately, she pondered over the thought of a larger group – a community hand-in-hand, sharing the same aspirations and dreams. What was her dream?

It was to protect the world and bring about one where A.I. and humans can live in harmony, right? Co-existence, but was that really enough? The measures of co-existence and peace… Was it truly the end goal of this? Comradery, friendship, love and self-sufficiency – would that be obtainable beyond the right to peace in her desired world?

Beep! Beep!

That communicator was going off once more. It was placed in a vacant slot where the driver rested by her waist. Reaching for it, Zero-Two answered the call.

"Hi–" She stopped herself before continuing. "Zero-Two." Introducing herself more appropriately, Izu smiled beneath her mask.

"This is Yaiba." Searching the premises for the A.I.M.S. captain, Izu scanned the area with her enhanced vision. Past the previous battle, both strike teams had broken off into a puddle of navy blue; examining the surrounding field for her companion was proving to be more difficult. However, nothing could hide forever from Zero-Two. Eventually, she spotted Yaiba covertly trying to hide her communications by pressing her hand up against the side of her head as though she was applying pressure to an unpresent wound; a glove covering the ear-piece connected to the communicator.

Zero-Two wasn't exactly a known identity. Hiden Intelligence wasn't allowed by law to invest themselves in the affairs of inhuman attacks, and by extension their vigilante status would compromise the independence that A.I.M.S. had sworn to take up following their severance from ZAIA JAPAN. Any communication between Yaiba and Zero-Two had to remain discreet, especially in the presence of law enforcement. A.I.M.S. prided itself on following a system of harsh, but just ideals, at least in their eyes, and the law was a deterrent from their goals towards 'maintaining peace.' If A.I.M.S. was not currently in support of Zero-Two, then she would be trying harder to avoid an inevitable confrontation. Outside of Yaiba, if Zero-Two was found out to be operating under a humagear, the controversy it would start may certainly lead to a call for jail time, or worse… Something that Yaiba was unable to control.

Amongst a promise for reformation, tensions remained high within A.I.M.S., and Izu sought it best to keep her distance outside of Yaiba for the time being.

Humans were not infallible, but a robot screwing up in the presence where lives remain at risk was enough to call for their scrapping. Simply put, A.I.M.S. is not her enemy only because of Yaiba, and Yaiba is not her enemy only because of Aruto, and Aruto is not their enemy only because of luck.

"The perpetrator of this attack, the thief, has been spotted fleeing towards the nearby construction site." Zero-Two turned her attention down the road. There was a massive plot of land that had been cleared out in place for a new skyscraper. Work was going steady, and the plot itself was empty today. It appears to have been purchased by a real estate company intending on providing hundreds of apartments, and has received controversy for desecrating the neighbourhood with its unfitting stature, but that was irrelevant information feeding into her mind.

"Understood." Zero-Two replied, signing off.

"Hold on!" Yaiba shouted, having figured out her actions prior to finishing that sentence. "There's something else that you should know – there's another already pursuing them."

"Another?" Zero-Two asked with a puzzled timbre.

"A second rider." Yaiba confirmed. "Tread lightly." Zero-Two signed off, zooming towards the battle point.

Meanwhile, in the far distance, situated beyond the scope of anyone's attention, a lone woman watched the ensuing chaos. "Good luck, dear sister." The onlooker whispered in a creamy voice, shooting a toothy grin. She shot a crimson glare across the horizon, watching as malice continued to brew. Izu was not the only humagear with a great memory of the world before. Someone else with a face only she could truly recognize observed her, twirling the red streaks in her hair around with sadistic delight. "I can't wait to see you."

CONSTRUCTION SITE

The platform was barren, and with no sign of life. Could it be that the intel was misinformed? Zero-Two shifted around cautiously, keeping their arms raised just for defensive measures. Speaking of defensive measures, nothing was coming through her visor. There was no one around. No tracks, no signs of a scuffle. Where could the enemy be hiding?

In front of her, there was a door that presumably led into a staircase. The room itself that Zero-Two was sneaking around in was a walled square case that held no other entrance, save for the empty area where the ceiling would be, but unless you were unordinary you weren't going to reach the room this way. As she drew closer towards the door, faint rustling could be heard from the other side. Cautiously, Zero-Two reached for the handle, tightening her fingers around it with a firm grip.

There was no point in counting down. The result would be the same for 3 as it would be for 2, and then for 1. Without further hesitation, Zero-Two swung open the door! There was a box in front of her. A small, cardboard box that violently shook around, stomping to the beat of their own heart. "A box." She said dryly, not understanding the meaning behind this. Was it a bomb? No, a bomb doesn't hop around like that. Enough with the padding, just open it up already!

Her hand vibrated at a high speed, glowing a mix of gold and red. With one fell swoop, Zero-Two cut a thin layer of the box, slicing it open from the side!

"UWAAAAAAA ~ !" Springing out from inside, a cute robotic looking figure with a colourful skirt, a striking digital interface and beautiful neon pink hair appeared in front of Zero-Two, throwing her arms into the air as she let out a high-pitch squeal of gratitude! "Oh, finally! What a dirty trick, if you didn't want to fight then you shouldn't have caused trouble in the–" Her cartoonish blue eyes blinked, stopping her speech right in the middle of its tracks. "Who are you?"

"Me?" Zero-Two asked, tilting her head. "I am Kamen Rider: Zero-Two."

"Zero-Two…" The other woman muttered, a flash of light appearing over her as a detective's cap plopped onto her head. Launching an internal investigation, it appeared that she was unable to find the connection that cap was hoping to connect. "Oh, you aren't with Genm Corp, are you?!"

"No, are you with that masked assailant?"

"If you mean that coward, not a chance!" She huffed, stomping her feet.

"You are not an A.I.M.S. designated rider, or a humagear, although…" Zero-Two inspected them. "Are you an A.I.?"

"Nope, not at all!" She shook her head.

"Then who are you?"

LIQUIFY, PLEASE!

Beneath their feet, the concrete ground warped around their ankles as though it were liquid once more and dragged them under! In a hair of a second, both Poppy and Zero-Two sunk into what felt like a whirlpool of quicksand that tore at their legs and greeted them both with a painful slam into the cold ground!

"Another uninvited guest to ruin my fun?" Two streams from the concrete floor above them, which had taken the shape of magical arms, returned to their previous form as the masked sorcerer revealed themselves. "This just isn't my day, is it?"

"Stop it with the tricks!" Poppy shouted, slowly getting back on her feet. She held out a hand to Zero-Two, in spite of having no knowledge whether they are a threat or an ally. At first, she was hesitant to accept, but Zero-Two showed appreciativeness in their gesture with a nod as she got to her feet. "If you're planning on running, then think again!"

"Excuse me, if I may intervene." Zero-Two stepped forward, speaking in a polite, light voice. "Hiden Intelligence has become the victim of a break-in, and you are none other than the perpetrator. Please, if you value your safety, then I request you return the equipment at once."

"This isn't a negotiation." The magician laughed, twirling around a cane that had a checkerboard pattern plastered against it. "You come to ruin my fun, and then you demand I give back your equipment?!"

"So, you are indeed the thief." Zero-Two smirked. "What you have stolen possesses an immense amount of danger to the general public."

"Don't you think I know that?!" Their opponent screamed at the top of his lungs, entering a childish fit of rage. "Don't feel so bad, it wasn't personal – and hey, did you really deserve it if it was that easy to steal?"

"Either way, you're putting a lot of lives at risk!" Poppy stepped forward, interjecting into their conversation. "We can't let that continue, so be a man and fight face to face!"

"If you insist…"

LIGHTNING, PLEASE!

Spawning inexplicably from the sky, lightning began to strike across the battlefield! To Zero-Two, this was no harm, but for Poppy it was like skipping in the dark over a winding chasm and hoping you don't plummet straight into the abyss! Zero-Two closed the distance between them, hurdling a punch straight to the magician's chest! Plastering his body against the wall, the magician let out a groan of pain.

"P-pretty fast, aren't you?!"

RESHAPE, PLEASE!

Once again the floor got manipulated, the concrete forming into a pillar beneath Zero-Two's feet, slamming her up into the ceiling! Before she had time to consciously react, a second pillar extended from the corner of the room and slammed into her helmet; Zero-Two was sent all the way back to the beginning!

"Hey, are you OK?!" Poppy asked, swirling around the battlefield as the lightning now dissipated, being replaced with dozens of uncontrolled concrete that bent and curved into shapes that only lusted for both of their demise! Zero-Two felt hazy, feeling as though they had just stepped outside of a tornado. There should have predicted that attack at such a speed, why didn't it create a battle route?

In fact, why wasn't it creating a battle route at all?!

BIG, PLEASE!

A giant fist came flying towards her! Had it not been for Poppy equipping her driver and transforming it into a chainsaw, gnawing at their arm with enough strength for the magician to pull back, Zero-Two would have gone flying outside the building. There didn't predict that either, what was going on?! "Hey, keep your head in the game!" Poppy advised, both cheering her on and scolding her for incompetency.

The Magician bounced around the room, cackling as they coated themselves in a gigantic suit of concrete. It stood about the size of Emu Hojo's level 99 form, and was just as powerful, charging them with a massive sword! They came for Zero-Two first, seeing them as the weak link. Fortunately, Zero-Two still held her common sense and coiled her fingers around their wrists, using all of their strength to throw them over her shoulder!

"Alright, nice one!" Poppy cheered. That didn't stop the magician, however.

SPIN, PLEASE!

It was an ever-changing onslaught of attacks. One after the other, their tactics switched every other second, forcing Zero-Two and Poppy to constantly be on the defensive. The concrete armor shattered, flying towards them at high-speeds! Zero-Two dashed towards Poppy, taking the brunt of the attack as she shielded her.

"Please, retreat." Zero-Two pleaded, brushing off the debris. "I have this under control."

"And leave you here?!" The bugster shouted back. "You're not looking too great…"

"It is a minor scratch." It was not a minor scratch. The android couldn't understand the malfunctions in her driver. The Zero-Two suit was designed to compute an optimal route for combat at quantum processing speeds. It was so quick that the battle usually ended before it began, so why wasn't it working?! Why weren't any simulations being run, and why were there errors showing up when it was requested?!

The truth was, There was unable to be of assistance because it contained no data for magic. Being unable to admit it, Zero-Two wasn't facing any mere thief. This was someone who had the power to manipulate the world around them without the use of science. No, this was energy drawn from the essence of life itself, shaping the universe in tiny bits within the palm of their hands. There held no data on magic simply because two years ago, There did not know magic existed! It could not predict what it has never encountered!

Simply put, magic was her greatest weakness at this moment. Zero-Two could rely only on her instincts alone. The magician laughed, amazed at his own power. He pranced around his playground, like a child who refused to be a victim towards other kids that valued fairness in a fight. "Is that all you have?!" He shouted, grinning from ear to ear. Blood ran down the side of his head, but he couldn't care less!

"What a troublesome bugster," Poppy said, mistakenly attributing this threat to an off-shoot of familiarity. Mimicking a stance she saw earlier in a fighting game, our pink heroine wasn't going to give up that easily! Bobbing back and forth in an idle stance, a health bar appeared over their heads. "It's my turn to clear this game!"

Shuffling forward towards the magician, she engaged the battle as though they were in a 2D arena with a beautiful pre-rendered background. Although, Poppy's mimicry of a fighting character couldn't exactly match up to her opponent, who imitated a zoner in every sense of the word. The distance between them grew more difficult to cross, and Zero-Two was of no help either. Soon enough, Poppy's bar was at its limit.

"Is this all the world has to offer?" The magician sighed, waving their hand in front of their mouth. An onslaught of projectiles kept either of them from getting any closer.

"W-what a spammer!" Poppy said, struggling to maintain her balance. Yes, he was a corner spammer. The worst type of gamer. The cheapest tactic, as in taking no risk for all the reward!

"This is getting boring." He sighed. "The Great… ALAKA has better things to do than play with weaklings." So full of himself, and the worst part was that neither of them could shut him up. "Let's finish this, shall we?"

BIND, PLEASE!

Red sigils appeared from all around and sprouted chains to wrap across both of our hero's bodies, stopping them completely in their tracks! "Sweet," Alaka pumped his fist. "Here I was worried about nothing!" The chains tightened around them, suffocating Poppy and Zero-Two. "Oh, I should commemorate this moment!" From his jacket, he whipped out a camera and turned it around; photography not being their strong suit, but how else was he going to ensure this moment was going to be remembered forever – the day he vanquished his first heroes as the strongest wizard to exist?!

"Rrgh!" Poppy grimaced, trying her hardest to break out, but to no avail. Not even Zero-Two could match such strength. What were these made out of?! It was getting harder to breathe, focus being lost out of the corners of Poppy's eyes and seeping inwards until everything became a hazy mess. Then, an unfocused mess turned into a deep, despairing abyss – guess she wasn't careful enough skipping around in the dark, huh?

Was this it? Was this truly how this story was going to end?

BIND, PLEASE!

The chains around them were released! Suddenly, Alaka was on the other end of his trick.

"Not so funny when it happens to you, is it?" A new voice beamed a ray of hope amidst a bitter defeat. Their attention darted towards their mysterious saviour. From above, kneeling over the edge of a hole that had been previously created by their battle was another rider! Donning a white robe with tangerine lines running along the exterior, a second wizard fitted with black leather gloves, shoulder-pads with sharp, squatly speared points made their appearance. Their mask was a silver helmet with a once jagged, now smooth orange plate of gem fitted over as a visor, but the most striking pieces of her costume were horns resembling a caterpillar antenna that curved outwards towards the sky, and a translucent white/purple gradient chitin cape that split into two a quarter up the way.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Alaka screamed, flailing around. "Who are you?!"

"I'm the one who will finish this."

Kamen Rider Witch, better known as Mayu Inamori, enters the battle with a flash of her ring.

AN (07/26/23):

After a bit of setup, here we are! The plot is beginning to unravel. I'm hoping that I am getting Poppy and Izu's characterizations right. I'm fairly new to these two, more so Izu than Poppy, but I like writing them both. The same hopes go for Zero-Two. I spent a lot of time wrapping my head around their power, and I'd like to believe I have a good grasp on it, but if I'm getting things wrong, please let me know both about characterization AND powers!

Oh, also - yes, Mayu Inamori has a new costume and a new motif. I wanted something to match Haruto's with the standard bug antenna his mask has, as well as have something closer to an animal. I feel that in Wizard, Mayu does not have the best suit or name - she feels a little second rate despite being the third rider who also achieved the same thing of holding back her phantom, which is no easy feat to achieve. Also, it's been ten years since Wizard canonically as of this year, so I feel like at some point she should have got a change or evolved in some shape.

I'm thinking of drawing up a design for her mask. It's only slightly altered from the original, just with a new shine and horns to match! Also, that beige on her original costume is ugly... So, I gave her white, which was more fitting! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Anyways, the next chapter is going to take a little longer, because I want to return to and finish Festival of Fate! It's been a month since I've updated it and I know some of you read both! I am going to finish it! I promise that.

'Til next time!