From The Beginning…

"Is this the end… finally after all this time…?" The exhausted young man thought to himself as he struggled to hold on. Many overwhelming emotions ran through him at the same time— sorrow, despair, guilt, remorse and… acceptance. To die here after everything he's been through would hurt more than death itself; all the sacrifices, tears, and bloodshed would have been for nought if, in the end, he didn't get the chance to smile with everyone, or at least that was what he believed. However, at the same time, to die here felt… right, in a way. He had finished his "test," and the world would soon be restored anyway; he didn't need to continue fighting anymore.

If there was anywhere perfect for the Master of Chaldea to die, it was here when Chaldea would soon no longer be needed.

"Senpai!" The desperate cry that reached his ears only served to exacerbate his feelings of guilt.

"Sorry, everyone." He apologised despite no one being able to hear his thoughts, much less the people trying to save him. "This… is the end of the line for me." A rueful smile stretched across his face. "I think… I think I'm done fighting now."

He knew that if he held on, he'd get dragged into another conflict regardless of whether Chaldea remained standing.

"Grab my hand!" The hand reaching for him brought to mind that moment so long ago. Keeping someone company as they died was the start of his journey. Too bad that for its' ending, everyone can only watch from afar.

"Don't worry," he said barely above a whisper, "I'll always be with you…" He closed his eyes, not wishing to see their faces and let go. The sound of the wind blowing past him as he fell felt… poignant, but it was too late now. A blanket of cold nothingness envelopment before his consciousness faded away…

With everything he's been through and all he met, it was hard to say what he believed would happen after death. The typical idea of heaven or hell was usually his go-to answer but once or twice he mused how terrible it was if there was just… nothing. He never shared this thought with anyone but if the alternative was an eternal hell, nothing seemed better, wouldn't it? He didn't doubt that if the afterlife were real, he'd end up below because of all he did.

And in the worst-case scenario, he'd get poached by the Counter Force— and that was a more frightening thought than eternal punishment for erasing those broken histories.

So this unending darkness he was drifting in felt too good to be true. It gave him a feeling of detachment; it was like nothing could touch him, nor could he touch anything. That was until—

"Ow!" "Stop sleeping, kid. Get up."

Light poured in as his eyes snapped open from the pain. His vision quickly adjusted to the brightness and he soon realised the person who kicked him in the side was leaning over him. "Good, you're not dead." The man bluntly said with a scoff. "Though you'll soon be if you stick around here. Unless that's what you want, you better get up and find somewhere to hide."

"Where…" He groaned as he sat up. "What is this place? Who are you?"

"I'm no one important, just an observer. As for where we are… at the World's end is a good name to call it."

"Huh? That… doesn't make any sense."

"Take a look around and you'll get it." The man then spun around and walked away, prompting the dazed teenager to scramble to his feet and follow him. Just as his "rescuer" said, a single look at their surroundings told him what he needed; the ruined and crumbling buildings gave the impression the apocalypse descended on the city.

In complete awe at the destruction around him, the young man asked what happened. "Hmm? Well, this World's heroes screwed up and now this place is teetering on the edge of complete annihilation. Just what you'd expect when all three of your greatest defenders failed against the odds to protect humanity."

"I… don't understand?" Everything was just too baffling to him who just woke up. He thought he was dead but nope, he was (probably) still alive and kicking. He might still die anyway but the weird pink guy who found him was talking oh so casually about the end of the world like it was nothing. Just what was going on?

"I can tell you're not from this World, kid. Where did you come from?" The man suddenly asked. "I don't need someone keeping me company so I'll take you back to your World."

The offer seemed tempting but… he wasn't interested. He didn't want to go back. "I… don't know."

"Oh great, another amnesiac? At least say you remember your name so I can call you something."

"No, I haven't forgotten anything but… I don't think I can go back to where I'm from," he muttered. "To answer your question, my name is Fujimaru Ritsuka. I'm just a nobody now."

"Sounds complicated," the man snarked, obviously annoyed as he facepalmed and sighed. "I have to keep an eye on you, don't I? Fine then, just keep close to me Fujisaki, and let me do my job here."

"And that's…?"

"Give the push this World needs to oblivion. As the Destroyer of Worlds, it's my duty to give the remaining lives a final mercy."

To the Middle…

How long has he been accompanying that man? It was hard to say to be honest. With how little time they spend in each World coupled with how time itself passes weirdly between said Worlds, keeping track of days was difficult. By Ritsuka's best estimates, he thought it's been roughly six months since that man kicked him awake in that dying World. In that time, he learned his name was Kadoya Tsukasa.

Since then, he followed the self-proclaimed "Destroyer of Worlds" across dimensions as he sometimes fulfilled his duties. A couple of times, the World they arrived in was too far gone to do anything about but destroy; most of the time, however, the World was near death but could be saved. That's when Tsukasa loiters around and lets the chips fall where they may. If things only got worse to the point of no return, he would destroy the World (somehow, Ritsuka couldn't concretely recall what Tsuakasa does to destroy it), but if the World managed to pull through…

"There's no point in sticking around here anymore. Come on, let's go."

And then there was the extended vacation they tend to take. Ninety percent of the time, they'd be hanging around a normal World. Well, a mostly normal World. There's always someone who either goes "Oh, it's been a while Tsukasa," or "Tsukasa! What did you do this time?!" depending on the situation. The man got into trouble wherever he went…

The first time the travelling duo encountered such a person, they expressed happy surprise upon seeing Ritsuka. "Got yourself a new travel buddy, Tsukasa? That's nice; travelling by yourself can get quite lonely."

"He's with me out of necessity. Fujisaki here is running away from home so until he tells me where he's actually from, I'm stuck with him," complained Tsukasa. "So what's been going on here, Yuusuke? Something tells me you're not just hanging around dark basements for the fun of it."

The first one, named Yuusuke, was by all descriptions a nice guy. He was friendly to Ritsuka and apologised for all the trouble Tsukasa put him through. "He can be rough around the edges but the fact he hasn't abandoned you is proof enough he has a heart."

As for why they bumped into him, Tsukasa offhandedly said there was something he wanted to look into. Yuusuke was there for the same reason and actually elaborated more. "People have been going missing under mysterious circumstances recently and I— we are trying to figure out the cause. And since both Tsukasa and I are here despite doing our own investigation, it's safe to say our theories are correct."

He didn't say what that theory was but Ritsuka would soon find out the truth anyway. The culprits for the disappearances were men in white suits working for some Foundation, and the missing people were about to be or already being experimented on for some heinous purposes when Tsukasa and Yuusuke busted in to put a halt to their operations.

"Tsk, Riders?" The head researcher scowled at their arrival before barking commands at his subordinates. "Let the subjects loose! We're abandoning operations!"

By subjects, he had meant those already experimented on. They had the unfortunate fate of being turned into monsters with unrivalled bloodlust, all focused on the two interlopers… plus Ritsuka. The two older men were not afraid of being attacked, with Yuusuke more visibly angry at those researchers escaping. A couple of the mutated test subjects tried to go after Ritsuka too but he was all too used to being targeted. He couldn't hurt them but he was deft in avoiding them long enough for Tsukasa to come to his rescue.

"Fujisaki, go find somewhere to hide," Tsukasa dismissively instructed him while stretching his arms. "Watch us if you want. Just make sure these guys won't get to you." He produced a strange magenta belt buckle from his suit jacket as Yuusuke put his hands in front of his waist, forming a silver belt with a large colourless gem in its centre.

"That day… was when my previous life truly became out of reach. My world was left behind as I became part of another."

Those heroes were not like the ones Ritsuka commanded in the past. They still had their unique personalities and quirks but for the most part, he could say the Kamen Riders weren't any larger-than-life, worshipped figures. In fact, they were somehow just urban legends in most Worlds despite all their achievements and they wouldn't have it any other way.

"If people are smiling, then I'm already satisfied," or "It's not true justice if I expect to be rewarded for it," were the answers he received from asking them. And Tsukasa's own answer was… "I don't really care about that. I didn't become a Rider to get rewarded for "being good." I do whatever I want to if I think it's necessary; considering what reward I'd get is never in my mind."

RItsuka supposed he understood that thought process. The most he wanted after everything that happened was just to rest in peace but he never expected that'd be what he'd get; especially as more time passed and his actions started being more morally… dubious.

However, as he met more Riders, several questions hung in the back of his mind— why do they need to keep fighting? Why can't they ever truly win against evil? Was this good versus evil fight an eternal war? Soon enough, he came to an answer he didn't want to accept and Tsukasa recognised that.

"You've realised it, Fujisaki? The unchanging and eternal truth behind the Kamen Riders? They're not fighting a war they can win; no matter what, we're only maintaining the status quo. It's impossible to erase evil. After all… evil is just a product of humanity's freedom. We're free to do whatever we want, even if it'd be shunned or despised by everyone else. In other words, to rid the world of evil would mean ridding of free will too."

His philosophy lesson didn't end there with talks about free will.

"It's similar to justice in a way. What one person considers justice would be different from someone else. For example, a criminal's sentencing might be accepted or considered too harsh or lenient by people and each would have their reasons, however "correct" they are, for believing so. For there to be a singular justice, it would mean everyone would have to be of a singular mind. Wouldn't you say making something like that a reality would entail purging humanity's ability to think for themselves?"

"Where are you going with all this?"

"Simple, you want no part in all this, Fujisaki. To put it simply, humanity cannot exist without conflict. Not without freedom," grinned Tsukasa. "What's best for you, after everything is too walk away. I'll accept any choice you make, but I won't allow you to back out… not that I'll need to. You're very stubborn."

Ritsuka never told Tsukasa much about his past neither did the older man do with his. The former mentioned bits and pieces here and there but never anything concrete. Tsukasa must have done a deep dive into his past without Ritsuka's knowledge. "If you knew where I'm from and who I am, why haven't you taken me back?"

"Who knows? Does it matter? In any case, we better get going. Takeru needs some help with an Eyecon and you're pretty experienced in that field, aren't you?"

Until the End…

More time passed and he was back to the place it all began for him. Out of nowhere, Tsukasa suddenly decided that the time had come for them to part ways. And there they were, standing before the frozen replica of Earth's future, or the present Earth as it truly was. It was still freezing cold as the ice covering everything hadn't melted at all.

"How long has it been since the invasion?" What was his past self doing now…?

"When was the last time you were here?" asked Tsukasa. "Years?"

"There about…" Ritsuka muttered. Yet, the memory of abandoning Chaldea was still fresh in his mind. "Why did you bring ht me here?"

"This was the start, wasn't it?" Tsukasa questioned. "After this, you were on the road that eventually led to our meeting."

"I…" He was not wrong. Ritsuka wasn't thinking of the invasion but rather holding her hand in the flames and debris. That was the moment everything began; the start of his journey.

"You have a choice now; you can continue on the path you are now and become Decade to make up for everything you've done, or you can return to your friends and forever feel like you don't deserve to be with them." Tsukasa laid out his choices. "Tell me, Fujisaki-"

"Fujimaru."

"-do you believe good will always win? Or will evil eventually win out in the end?" He continued, ignoring Ritsuka correcting his name. "Or will good and evil be forever locked in battle?"

Ritsuka didn't say anything. They both knew the answer.

"In your journey, you've seen what happens if one truly defeats the other."

Not only did memories of his time in Chaldea return, but also the several Worlds that met their end at Tsukasa's hand. Some of those terrible endings were a result of that very scenario happening.

Tsukasa resumed, "So you know what happens if you choose to be Decade; you will be trapped in an eternal battle with the other Riders."

"Do you mean alongside or against?"

"Yes." Tsukasa was smirking; Ritsuka knew him long enough to expect that. "But you'll be throwing yourself into an endless battle with no light at the end. A battle where you'd never be able to escape from where fighting will be your way of life."

Without a second thought, Ritsuka replied, "That's how it's been for me for a while."

"I guess you're right," he heard Tsukasa chuckle. "In any case, this will be the last time we'll be meeting." He reached into his suit and took a couple of things. "Here's your choice," the older man said before tossing the two items at Ritsuka's feet. "If this isn't the road you want to walk, all you need to do is turn around and leave."

As he stared at what was at his feet, he heard the familiar sound of an Aurora Curtain. Tsukasa had left him to make his decision without so much as a goodbye. The Neo Decadriver and the RideBooker lay still on the cool ground, waiting to be picked up.

'Walk away.' He heard a voice whisper in his head, trying to convince him to change his mind. 'You don't have anything to do with this battle. You'll be suffering for no reason.'

He didn't respond to the voice for what felt like hours—"...That's a lie."—and bent down to pick them up.

"My life as Fujimaru Ritsuka ended where it started. My unknown legend died with a whimper. Then… a new one began."

A/N: I only realised yesterday that today was the 2nd anniversary of this fic so I cooked this up in the last 36ish hours. So unlike last year which was just an AN, this year I'll give a big look into what happened before the start of this chapter, hence the title. The question is, how long before?

I also can't help but lament how slow I've gotten with writing things but that's just life, ain't it? I only finished up the Ryuki arc and mostly got through the Den-O arc. All that's left is Kabuto then we can reach the second half (good god, I'm still only in the first half). At least I've done enough to foreshadow what would go in the next big story arc: two major characters in Shiki and the 1999 mage (whose identity is pretty obvious) and a hint to the overarching "villain" in the King of Time (again, pretty obvious who).

Lastly, if you've reached this far, I would like to say thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my story. See you all next time!