Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 09 – Showtime of Hope 2018
Woz was once more in his dark void, sitting as he stared at the pages in his book. "Normally as it is written in this book, average high schooler Tokiwa Sougo embarks on a path which leads him to become the overlord of time, Oma Zi-O."
Images of Another Wizard attacking the group could be seen, alongside Mayu fighting with them against the Another Rider. "In his effort to keep Sougo from claiming the power of Kamen Rider Wizard, Another Wizard has been more proactive in his attempts in the current day. Despite MissRose's acquisition of the Beast Watch, it still wasn't enough to defeat the Another Rider."
The scene shifted to the Another Rider's true form, Carbuncle, easily dispatching the four Riders.
"With Young Tsukuyomi out of commission, how will this affect my Overlord's attempts at forming a friendship with Geiz? And will they be able to beat this Another Rider even with Wizard's help?"
Woz once again stared at static, bulky armor in the shape of Wizard's rings and spell circles could be seen. But who was wearing the armor could not be seen as the static was too thick to make out anything other than the shapes.
"Let us see how this plays out…" Woz gave a smirk.
Earth – Early October 2018
"I am, the Final Hope."
"Alright cool guy, let's go," Carbuncle called out as he began to run towards Haruto, scanning his ring and throwing his hand forward.
Haruto simply swapped rings on his right hand and scanned it over his belt.
"FLAME"
[CONNECT, PLEASE!]
Haruto quickly jumped and flipped over the flurry of fireballs that were sent his way. As he did so he opened a magic portal while he was in mid-air, drawing out a similar gun to Mayu's though the hand was lined in gold. When Haruto landed he began firing silver bullets out, the bullets leaving red trails behind them as they homed in and struck against Carbuncle despite the Another Rider's attempts to dodge.
"DEFEND"
Haruto gave a yelp as a stone slab suddenly shot up from underneath, tossing him into the air. He aimed his gun only to get his arm grabbed by Carbuncle's hand which was stretched out now, Haruto giving a light yell as he was slammed into the stone slab.
"It doesn't matter if you are the original, I can still beat you." Carbuncle boasted. "I've got plenty of years of experience under my belt with these powers."
"Sorry to say but I don't scare easily," This time Haruto swapped his left hand ring before scanning it.
[FLAME, DRAGON! BOU-BOU, BOU-BOU-BOU!]
A red magic circle formed in front of him as a fiery dragon shot out, circling around and wrapping him in flames. The flames burst away to reveal he now had red coat over his black bodysuit with a more ornate and dragon themed chest and shoulders. His helmet was also accented as well as having silver shin guards.
"Whoa, that's so cool!" Sougo called out, clearly impressed by Haruto's skills despite his short display.
Geiz though used this chance to check up with Ruby and Tsukuyomi. "Is she responding?"
"No, not at all, she's completely out," Ruby said as she had tried shaking Tsukuyomi and even shouted her name but to no avail.
"Damn it," Geiz hissed out as he punched the ground.
Ruby meanwhile looked back up at the display, "So that's Wizard huh?" She had to admit that seeing magic being used on her side and briefly wielding it via the Beast Ridewatch was a bit exciting.
Haruto meanwhile used another Connect spell to draw out a strange wrist device. It seemed like a hand mixed with a timer. He turned the dial before setting it up.
[DRAGO TIME! SET UP! START!]
Haruto let the timer run its course as blue, green and yellow magic circles opened up all around. In a splash a blue variant of Flame Dragon formed from the blue portal, a green variant appearing out of the green portal in a gust of wind, while the earth shattered with a yellow variant jumping out of his portal.
[WATER DRAGON! HURRICANE DRAGON! LAND DRAGON!]
"Huh?" Carbuncle turned and nearly staggered in surprise at the trio of summoned Wizard's. All of them held their own copy of the gun that Haruto wielded, the trio switching it into its sword formation. Haruto even switched his to its sword formation as they all opened the hands, scanning their form rings.
[FLAME! WATER! HURRICANE! LAND!]
"The Finale," Haruto said as the respective elements him and his clones held wrapped around their blades. They all gave a yell before slashing forward.
[SLASH STRIKE!]
Carbuncle yelled in defiance as he spun around, unleashing fireballs towards the four Wizard's. However the elements that shot forward were too much for the fireballs to hold back, Carbuncle's attacks dispersing as he was hit by all four elements.
"This isn't…!" Carbuncle gasped out before exploding.
"Phew…" Haruto sighed in relief as he and his clones relaxed, a fatal mistake.
"…Over!" Carbuncle gasped out as he exited the explosion in his Phantom form.
Haruto and his clones backed up in surprise, the wizard Rider caught off guard by Another Wizard's true identity. "Seriously...?"
"I suppose you would be surprised," Carbuncle growled as he turned his right hand into a sickle-like blade. He then gathered energy before spinning around, slashing through and sending Haruto and the clones flying backwards.
[WIZARD!]
Carbuncle grunted as he forced the transformation to come back, flexing his fingers before scanning his ring.
"TELEPORT"
In a flash of red the monstrous rider disappeared from view, Haruto giving a sigh as he dismissed his clones and his transformation.
"That copycat is tough," Haruto remarked before walking over to Sougo who dismissed his transformation. "I take it you know more about what's going on?"
"I do," Sougo gave a nod. "It looks like another meeting is in order."
"First we need to get Tsuki home though," Ruby said as she came up, having dismissed her armor after she saw Carbuncle leave. "That Another Rider did something to her and she won't wake up."
"She's under a sleeping spell huh…"Haruto mused.
"So you're like a real magician?" Sougo asked.
"Not a Magician, I'm a Wizard," Haruto gave a smile before looking over to see Mayu and Rinko approaching. "Hey there, sorry I didn't call, but it was a spur of the moment sort of thing."
"Just how did you find out what was going on?" Rinko asked.
"I didn't," Haruto admitted before a Red Garuda similar to Mayu's flew from above and soon circled around him. "I had heard about the trouble going on in the past month and was worried it was a Phantom. Then I started hearing rumblings about magic related attacks today and I had my friend here sniff the culprit out."
"And luckily you got here just in time," Mayu admitted.
"Yeah, because that fake Wizard you saw is our issue of the week," Rinko explained.
"Luckily we're in the company of people who can do something about it," Mayu said before she looked over at Sougo. "Sorry about earlier."
"Oh no it's fine," Sougo waved it off. "That was a pretty clever idea, pretending to be under enemy control."
"Sometimes you have to be clever to outwit your opponents," Mayu answered.
"Before we do head back though," Sougo said as he took out a Blank Ridewatch and handed it to Haruto. "Hold onto this."
Carbuncle gasped out as he entered his apartment hideout, holding his chest as he reverted to human form and quickly staggered over to his fridge. He looked through it before rushing and grabbing as much stuff as he could, he needed to replenish his magic reserves and fast.
"Well they sure got you," Ora remarked as she was now sitting near the door.
"They got lucky, but they still can't kill me." Carbuncle answered. "Even Wizard couldn't."
"Unfortunately they're going to start hunting you now," Tid mentioned as he appeared nearby without warning.
Carbuncle backed up a bit when he heard and felt Tid's presence, "Just what was that hiccup with your plan anyway? Were you even trying?"
"My ability worked, she must have been able to resist and break free," Tid answered. "To do so that fast however…"
"Pick your targets more carefully next time," Ora suggested. "Remember just because we want Zi-O out of the way doesn't mean that should interrupt our search for a king."
"Either way, I need to strike at them before they can strike at me," Carbuncle sighed as he began prepping a meal for himself. "I just need to get back to full strength and rest for a bit and then I'll be good."
"Having magic seems so bothersome," Ora admitted.
"That may be so but he's turned out quite well," Tid admitted.
"I also have the advantage in years of experience, I just need to keep pace with Wizard and it won't matter what he pulls out," Carbuncle answered.
"That kind of confidence is just what a king needs, so I do hope you don't disappoint," Ora replied.
"Please, failure and losing my powers means I'll be killed because I'm a monster, especially such a highly experimental one," Carbuncle said as he gritted his teeth a bit. "I can't allow my newfound life to go to waste."
"That's the spirit," Tid gave a grin as he could sense the desperation and determination building inside of Carbuncle.
Rinko had decided to go patrol for any signs of Another Wizard hiding away or any trail he might have left. Haruto and Mayu were both at the front end of 9-5-DO as they waited for the others to finish with Tsukuyomi.
Tsukuyomi herself was currently lying on the futon in the dining room, it having been turned into a makeshift bed for her since she wouldn't wake up. Thankfully Junichiro was out on an errand so it meant that they had the house to themselves.
Geiz meanwhile was frustrated by the fact that he had ended up getting thrown off by Another Wizard. Had he not gotten distracted he could have kept his armor and easily beaten him before the fake wizard tried anything on Tsukuyomi.
Ruby though was trying to figure out why exactly Tsukuyomi had pushed her out of the way of the sleep spell.
Sougo thought on Another Wizard's actions and wondered just where they could find a lead. At the very least he knew that Ruby might have an answer.
"Do you see now? We don't have time to be playing games," Geiz said as he leaned on the dining room table. He was more so addressing Sougo wanting to shop for Ruby, thinking that it was the reason why they were caught off guard. "We need to be prepared because these Another Riders are getting tougher and tougher."
"We still need to figure out where to confront him in the past though," Sougo said, deciding to pull a page from their battle against the Arch Orphnoch.
"We just need to find out where the Time Jackers got that monster from," Geiz answered. "Then we confront them shortly after they made Another Wizard."
"There's an issue with that," Mayu spoke up when she heard what Geiz was planning, deciding to walk over to the dining room along with Haruto. "I'm pretty sure that Carbuncle is part of a batch that was kept as guard dogs to an abandoned research lab. You go to that particular one and set off the trap in it then you'll have more than just an Another Rider to deal with."
"Don't underestimate me," Geiz glared, clearly not caring about the odds.
"Besides we're not even sure when they got there anyway," Ruby pointed out. "We need to figure out a better starting point."
"Then I'll find it on my own," Geiz hissed before pushing past Mayu and Haruto, moving for the exit.
Sougo quickly followed after him, "Geiz, wait!"
Geiz turned with a glare, he was getting tired of Sougo trying to dictate their next move, "Why, is it another royal decree?!"
"Do you even know where to start looking?" Sougo asked.
"It doesn't matter if I do, I'll save Tsukuyomi myself," Geiz said before turning and exiting the building.
"Geiz…" Sougo sighed.
"He sure is a handful," Haruto mentioned as he walked over.
"Very much a pain," Mayu gave a slight glare towards the door.
"But he's going to get himself hurt if we don't do anything," Haruto realized, figuring he knew the source of Geiz' impatience. "Mayu and I will look after him, you find out what you need about my copycat."
"Are you sure?" Sougo asked.
"Positive," Haruto said before heading for the door. "Let's go Mayu."
"One second," Mayu then handed a business card to Sougo. "My partner's number's on there. If you need any help finding information then try calling her." She said before taking off after Haruto.
Ruby soon came out from the dining room and glanced at the floor, "I don't get it…"
"Huh?" Sougo turned. "Get what?"
"Why she pushed me out of the way," Ruby admitted.
"Well it's obvious, she's your friend so she knew that you were too important to get hit by that," Sougo gave a smile, causing Ruby to look up in surprise.
"Really…?" Ruby asked in surprise, while Tsukuyomi and Geiz were housemates it was hard to call them friends. She had connected pretty well with Sougo but there was still so much she didn't know about Geiz or Tsukuyomi..
"Of course," Sougo replied. "She even admitted that you might have a better time finding a clue to our Another Rider friend. So think you can?"
"I'm not sure what I've got regarding Wizard, but it's worth a shot," Ruby admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck, "Plus there's someone I want to meet too that might be able to help."
"Perfect!" Sougo replied.
Geiz wasn't exactly sure how he even got in this situation to begin with. He had gone off to search for any clues regarding Another Wizard's identity. Laying low for nearly five years should have been impossible for a monster. He was just about ready to start his search when he was suddenly grabbed by both Haruto and Mayu, the two dragging him to a local food truck named Donut Shop Hungry.
Geiz was a bit confused as to why he had been taken to a Donut Truck, and was even more confused at the manager's strange concoction of donuts. Sitting in front of him was a single donut with red frosting and yellow Hiragana lettering that spelled 'Donut'.
"You know they're pretty good," Haruto mentioned, despite his preference clearly being shown as wanting plain sugar only alongside his denial of the more, creative donuts.
"So why are we here again?" Geiz asked.
"We want to talk to you before you end up doing something reckless," Mayu answered, having chosen to not get anything and was mostly there to keep Geiz from running.
"What makes you think I want your advice?" Geiz asked.
"You feel like a failure right now, don't you?" Haruto said bluntly causing the future rider to stare at him. "I can tell compared to the other two, you're the closest to that sleeping beauty, right?"
"What difference does that make? And how would you know how I feel?" Geiz questioned, crossing his arms and looking off to the side.
"If you've met some Riders then you should know that some of them have had just as much hardships as you have in their time," Haruto replied. "Being a Wizard is tougher however…"
"How so, you're just magic wielding Riders aren't you?" Geiz asked.
"To become a Wizard, one must be a Gate and then fall into despair," Mayu answered. "If you don't power through that despair, it will consume you and you become a monster known as a Phantom. That Another Wizard is an artificial Phantom, but a Phantom nonetheless."
"Wait…" Geiz trailed when he realized who he was talking to. "Then you both…"
"Went through despair yes, while it can trigger in many ways it remains the same. That crushing weight, that sense of hopelessness, in my case I saw so many people become Phantom's…" Haruto trailed as he looked down. "People I couldn't save, and even after I could save people, some didn't get happy endings."
"The same can be said for me," Mayu gave a nod, thinking back to her family as she gripped her hands tightly. "If anyone knows how you're feeling then it's us. You feel like a failure for not being able to stop Another Wizard from hurting your friend right? That's why you're lashing out."
"I…" Geiz trailed before grabbing the donut and taking a bite, chewing a bit as he looked off to the side. "Where I come from… there's this tyrant that rules over everyone. Tsukuyomi and I came here to deal with that, she's the only one I have left… everyone else is…"
"We know you won't give up, that much is clear," Haruto replied. "However you yourself need to realize you are just as important as everyone else."
"What are you talking about?" Geiz asked.
Haruto simply gave a smile, "What I'm trying to say is that you're everyone's hope."
"Okay looking through my notes I think I've got something," Ruby said as she and Sougo walked through the streets, heading for a nearby park. "I was trying to see if there were ever any magic related incidents after Wizard. Oddly enough I just kept finding about this one guy."
"What one guy?" Sougo asked.
"Not sure on his name," Ruby admitted. "He's apparently this talented traveling magician who impressed people so much, they ended up throwing money at him. He also decided to never settle down in one place, always traveling."
"That definitely fits our bill if he was trying to lay low for all these years," Sougo agreed. "So why focus on him?"
"When I say talented I mean like phenomenal," Ruby replied. "People mentioned his shows would be less parlor tricks and more like they were actually experiencing live magic. That's mostly why I wrote it down in my notes for Wizard."
"Huh," Sougo gave a nod before realizing something. "Hey I noticed you weren't really impressed by all the magic going on, was it the heat of the moment?"
"Huh? Oh it was mostly heat of the moment and it being mostly used to kind of well… kill us," Ruby admitted as she scratched her cheek with a chuckle, "It's pretty cool, even if I have seen it before."
"Wait, you've seen like… actual magic?" Sougo asked, "Before all this?"
"Well… since you aren't from my world I guess it's alright," Ruby admitted, she figured she'd have to divulge some more information eventually. "So apparently on my world, the existence of magic is like, non-existent. Dust is the closest we have."
"Oh… okay so it's basically that Dust is a lesser version," Sougo remarked.
"Not just that, recently I found out that magic is real," Ruby explained. "It's rare, but real, and I've experienced a small taste of it. Granted, what Haruto and Mayu can do is way more impressive from what little I saw back on Remnant."
"Ah but that is only a mere testament to Wizard's strength," A voice called from in front of them, the two looking forward as Woz stepped out from behind a tree. He put a hand to his chest before bowing. "My Overlord… Miss Rose, I am relieved to see you acting independently from Geiz."
Ruby was a bit curious what Woz meant about Haruto's strength but realized this was her chance to ask something, "Woz, did you know Geiz before all this?"
"Indeed… You could say we're old acquaintances." Woz decided to answer the huntress's curiosity. "Though I must ask, what is your intent in visiting this park? Wouldn't it be wiser that you focus on procuring the Wizard Watch?"
"Woz, didn't you say you were on my side?" Sougo asked, figuring Woz was going to get pushy and realizing he needed to say something to keep them on track.
"Yes, that is correct." Woz answered.
"Then let me do what I want, okay? This lead Ruby has will help us in the long run." Sougo stated as he went and walked past Woz. Ruby quickly hurried off after him when she noticed that Sougo wasn't slowing down.
Woz could only help but stare at the duo as they left, while he wouldn't doubt his Overlord he was curious at the way he would tackle the situation.
Ruby looked over at Sougo, "So you really trust my lead?"
"Yeah, though I'm wondering why we're heading to this park," Sougo admitted.
"I've got a traveling friend that might know something," Ruby admitted. "Plus I need to ask him about something and he'll be a big help."
It wasn't long before the two heard a loud gulping sound; they're heads turning as they soon saw a tent set up. Ruby gave a grin as she went to approach the tent, recognizing it as Kosuke's. "Kosuke I'm back!"
"Huh?" Kosuke poked his head out from the other side of the tent, a bit surprised to see Ruby. "So you've decided that the bike wasn't worth it after all huh?"
"Nope, I love it actually," Ruby smiled causing Kosuke to nearly fall over. "I'm here because I've got a question." She then took out the Beast Ridewatch and held it up. "Mind telling me what this?"
Kosuke couldn't help but give a small gulp when he saw that, "How did you get something like that?"
"From you," Ruby mentioned as she tossed the watch up and down. "It used to be blank, well until I met up with you again."
"Huh, I was wondering where you got that new Ridewatch," Sougo said as he looked between the watch and Kosuke. "So that means you're a Rider right?"
"Me? A Rider…? Nah that's ridiculous!" Kosuke waved it off before putting his hands on his waist and giving a laugh. "That'd be as ridiculous as me being a Wizard!"
"I mean technically you're both," Ruby said as she crossed her arms. "You can stop with the hiding Kosuke, Sougo and I are Riders too."
"Huh, you guys too?!" Kosuke asked before immediately slapping his mouth shut.
Ruby couldn't help but give a small giggle at that, "Listen, there's a monster version of Wizard called Another Wizard and we need your help to even up the power gap a bit."
"Hmm, well… I can't say no to a fellow traveler, plus as Wizard's rival I must defend his honor from anyone who tries to mess with it," Kosuke gave a nod as he seemingly agreed to this. "I'm in!"
"Great!" Sougo smiled.
"I also have a question actually," Ruby admitted. "I was wondering if you knew anything about this strange traveling magician whose reputation was so good, it was like he was a Wizard."
"Ah because I travel right, so you're hoping I might have met him," Kosuke saw what Ruby was thinking of as he put a hand to his chin. "Sorry to say but I don't think I've met anybody like that…" He trailed before snapping his fingers. "But, I do remember hearing about someone like that! His stage name was Magician Tejina."
"Magician Tejina…" Sougo repeated.
"Do you know any idea where he started? Or you just know his name and what he was about?" Ruby asked.
"Sorry, that's all I know," Kosuke admitted.
"That's fine, we have a name, I think we can keep up this search," Sougo said as he took out the card Mayu gave him. "Mayu gave me a card that had the number to her partner."
"Oh right that officer," Ruby snapped her fingers.
"Yeah, says here her names Rinko Daimon," Sougo said as he took out his phone to dial it.
"Wait, you guys know Rinko and Mayu?" Kosuke asked.
"Yep, we even met Haruto too, said he was stopping by in town for a bit," Ruby replied, she figured that since Kosuke was Beast, that he knew the other Wizards and their friends, so this didn't surprise her too much.
"Huh is that so, it's a pretty sizeable reunion then," Kosuke gave a grin.
Carbuncle gave a groan of satisfaction as he picked his teeth with a toothpick. He was glad that he had saved some of his good meat and vegetables since it made a very filling meal for him. All that was left now was for the food to go down and then he could commence his counterattack.
As he walked through his little apartment space he came across an envelope. He looked away briefly before sighing and grasping it, taking out the contents which were pictures. There were several pictures of his human form in very extravagant suits with various people. They were all the owners of the various entertainment spots he had performed briefly at before moving on.
"Ah those were the days…" Carbuncle gave a light chuckle. Even though he wasn't as attached to his magician gig these days as he was a few years back. The more he grew in power the more he realized he was outgrowing being a simple stage magician, "Too bad I've barely got a use for this gig anymore."
"Very sentimental," Ora remarked, appearing in his apartment once more. "Though sentimentality isn't going to help you win."
"You'd be surprised," Carbuncle remarked. "That being said I've gained enough power and learned enough tricks. I don't need the traveling gig anymore, not when I have this level of control. I suppose it's time to put my skills to the test."
"And you know what happens if you fail right?" Ora stressed.
Carbuncles face dropped as he faced away from her, glancing at the photos as he gave a glare, "Yeah, I do… if I don't kill Zi-O, Wizard and their allies, then I'll be the one to bite the dust. Such is the life of a monster, correct?"
"Correct," Ora replied. "I hate to repeat, but I want to make sure you know what's at stake here."
"Oh, I know…" Carbuncle answered.
"I still don't get it," Geiz admitted. "I know life in general is important."
"Come on, you don't realize it do you? If your mission is so important then there are a lot of people counting on you to see that through," Mayu replied as she tapped her fingers on the table. "If you end up rushing in and getting taken out now… then who will carry that hope for them?"
"I…" Geiz had to pause when he realized this. The only one who would be active would be Tsukuyomi and that's if Ruby and Sougo were successful in beating Another Wizard. "Okay… you make a good point."
"It's why Kamen Riders in general are important," Haruto replied. "They give hope to others by fighting against threats only they can. We go in knowing there may be times when we might not make it out, but we also have to realize that we're the last line of defense against our threat. We have to take care of ourselves and make sure we aren't rushing to an early death."
Geiz gave sigh, "Okay maybe I was being reckless… but that's just who I am, I can't just sit by and wait."
"We're not asking you to, we just ask that you're a bit more conscious in your decisions," Mayu said. "It's up to you on whether you take our advice or not."
"I'll think about it," Geiz looked off to the side; he figured he'd stop deflecting their help and at least consider it. Even if he figured that his ways would still provide the most success.
"That's all we ask," Haruto replied as he stood up. "After all, when it comes to your mission it sounds like you're the Final Hope. So you should remember that, because there are tons of people counting on you to see it through."
"Right," Geiz said as he went to stand up before wincing, a bright red shine was emanating from Haruto's pocket. "Hey, your pocket…"
Haruto could feel a burning sensation as he quickly reached in and pulled out the Ridewatch he was given, it taking shape with a black base alongside a grey rim and button with his Rider forms helmet on it. "Huh, so is this what you all wanted to happen?"
"Yep," Geiz said as he walked over and took the Wizard Watch from Haruto. "With this we can beat Another Wizard."
"I suppose all we have to do is figure out where he's hiding," Mayu figured. "But even then he's fairly powerful."
"You mentioned he was pretty proactive in his attacks, right?" Haruto asked as his friend nodded. "Then he's likely recovering before making his next strike. And it's been a while too…"
Geiz was ready to answer when he heard a strange bird-like cry. Suddenly a gold and green crystal griffon-like model kit creature flew in and circled overhead. "Huh?"
"Oh?" Haruto was a bit curious now, given he knew who the Griffon belonged to.
"There you guys are!"
The trio turned when they heard Ruby's voice, seeing her alongside Sougo and Kosuke approaching.
"Huh, did not expect you all to grab him," Haruto admitted.
"I wouldn't be a proper rival if I let you get beaten by some stupid copycat, someone's got to defend your honor," Kosuke said with a grin.
"Still on with that huh? I thought you got over it already," Haruto remarked as he looked the other way.
"Hey don't be like that!" Kosuke called out as he rushed Haruto and hung his arm around his shoulders. "Besides, we're comrades anyway. Got to help each other out, though you could have said you were coming!"
"I mean it's not like you have any way to check," Haruto remarked. "Plus I didn't even know you were around either. To where I'm surprised those two found you."
"Oh yeah, the only reason we were able to find him is cause I met with him earlier," Ruby admitted. "I ended up running into him nearly a year ago and he helped me out. So when I saw he was in town I decided to catch up. Did not expect him to be involved with all of this though… but hey, it makes it easier and he's all caught up."
"Of course you know him," Geiz groaned slightly, wondering just how many other Rider friends Ruby was able to make. He shook his head before looking at Sougo, "Do you have the information?"
"Yep," Sougo said as he held out a piece of paper. "Now all we need is the Wizard Watch and then we can start."
"No need to," Geiz said as he held up the desired Watch before immediately taking the paper from Sougo. "We've got what we need, but you aren't going back to the past. I'll be the one who saves Tsukuyomi."
"I'm afraid that is not your call," Woz suddenly came out from seemingly nowhere; Kosuke gave a yelp while Haruto and Mayu went on guard.
Ruby could only bury her face in her hands as she felt Woz was doing this on purpose.
Woz gave a light glare as he continued to speak, "My Overlord is the one who shall inherit the power of all Riders, not you. Thus he will be the one who makes haste towards the time specified. I do appreciate you acquiring the Watch for him however…"
"No," Sougo answered. "I'm staying here."
"What? There is no further point in fighting him in this time period," Woz interjected.
"There is, he's after Haruto and I right? We'll make the perfect bait." Sougo replied. "Geiz and Ruby can go deal with him in the past."
"You don't have a problem with that do you?" Ruby turned towards Geiz.
"None at all," Geiz replied as he went to call the Time Mazine. "Just don't get in my way."
"Whatever you say," Ruby rolled her eyes.
Woz could only look in confusion as he watched Geiz's Time Mazine come in off to the side, Geiz and Ruby going and entering it before it took off into a time gateway. When he turned to address his Overlord he saw that Sougo was already taking off with Haruto, Kosuke, and Mayu. He gripped his book tightly but calmed down after a bit. While this wasn't the ideal situation, Geiz's use of the Wizard Watch didn't matter in the long run.
Earth – December 2013
Magician Tenjina, the name had a nice ring to it. That was the stage name he had made on the fly after the humans were so quick to praise his skills. Carbuncle couldn't help but give a small grin as he walked along the snowy roads between cities in his human form. All he had on him was a small backpack with some essentials and some heavier clothes to help him with the winter cold.
He chuckled as he suddenly sprouted a sunflower out from between his fingers, flicking it away before gathering the various snowflakes falling towards his hand. The snow melted and turned into water that he began to manipulate.
"To think I was given a will, a life to call my own," Carbuncle mused. "This will be weird, but definitely interesting. So long as I have this magic power…" He suddenly caught sight of a time portal opening up, Geiz' Time Mazine coming through and flying over him. "No…"
[WIZARD!]
Carbuncle gasped out as he forced the transformation into his Another Rider form, quickly kicking up a flurry of wind before launching off towards his current destination. He didn't know what was going on but he didn't like that he was suddenly being targeted.
"Dang it Geiz, we needed to be subtle so he wouldn't do that!" Ruby called out.
"Doesn't matter if he tries to run," Geiz quickly turned the Time Mazine around, taking off after Carbuncle. Once he was close enough he transformed it into its robot mode. The Geiz Unit sent a punch against the Another Rider and slammed him back down to the ground. "There."
"I swear sometimes…" Ruby sighed as Geiz had the Time Mazine robot touchdown before opening up the hatch. Ruby quickly jumped out alongside her partner.
"W-Who are you two?!" Carbuncle questioned with a groan as he began to get back up.
"Don't need to answer that, you're done using that power," Geiz called out as he and Ruby prepped their transformations.
"That pretty much sums it up," Ruby admitted.
[GEIZ!]
[ROZE!]
"Henshin!"
[RIDER TIME!]
[KAMEN RIDER GEIZ!]
[KAMEN RIDER ROZE!]
The duo transformed, Ruby bringing out Crescent Rose in its rifle form and firing at Carbuncle who put up a stone barrier to brace against the shots. Geiz brought out his Zikan Zax, keeping it in its axe mode as he charged forward.
Carbuncle's stone wall was shattered before he noticed Geiz running straight for him. He quickly summoned a stone barrier between them to block Geiz.
Geiz however jumped and kicked off the stone wall, flipping and landing behind the Another Rider. He spun just as Carbuncle turned, slamming his axe into the Another Riders face.
Earth – Early October 2018
Sougo and the others didn't have to do much searching when it came to Carbuncle as the Another Rider had suddenly began to attack a heavily populated shopping center with an army of Ghouls. Unknown to them, Geiz and Ruby's interference in the past had managed to catch up to Carbuncle causing the Another Rider to grow into a more panic filled state.
"Burn it, burn it all down!" Carbuncle yelled out as he made his way through the shopping center in his Another Rider form. Ghouls attacked anyone they could indiscriminately, Carbuncle himself sending various elemental spells to cause chaos.
"Well, well, someone's losing their cool," Haruto remarked as he quickly stood in their way alongside Sougo, Kosuke and Mayu.
"Good, you all are here… I'll kill you all." Carbuncle hissed out.
"You want a fight, well you'll get one!" Sougo called out as he readied his Driver and Ridewatch. "Let's go!"
"Right," Haruto gave a nod as he and his fellow Wizard's readied their Drivers. Though in Kosuke's case, it was actually a silver gate that formed a Driver instead of a hand like Haruto or Mayu's. The trio of Wizards slipped on their rings, Kosuke adding more of a flourish to his transformation pose than the others.
"Hen... shin!"
"Henshin!"
[FLAME, DRAGON!]
[RIDER TIME!]
[SET! OPEN!]
"No you don't!" Carbuncle gathered electrical energy in his hands before unleashing a string of electrical bursts forward. However it was already too late, Haruto's spell circle had formed and slid back as a fiery dragon burst forth, it circling around the group and deflecting the electrical burst.
The Ghouls quickly charged forward towards the group, aiming their staffs forward.
[BOU-BOU, BOU-BOU-BOU!]
[KAMEN RIDER ZI-O!]
[L-I-O-N! LION!]
[CHANGE, NOW!]
A burst of fire and heat was releasing, forcing the Ghouls back as the Wizards and future King of Time stood before the Another Rider. Kosuke's form was a lot different when compared to Mayu and Haruto's, so much so that even Sougo took notice.
A black bodysuit with gold detailing all over that held a lion's motif, even the helmet was more rider-like than gem-like with green compound eyes complimenting the lion motif the golden helmet held.
"Huh," Sougo had to wonder if Kosuke was the exception or if there were plenty of other weird Wizard's out there. He gave a grin behind his helmet though, drawing out his sword. "I think we can do this!"
"Now, it's time to end this!" Mayu declared.
"Showtime," Haruto called out as he drew out his sword before rushing forward.
"Lunchtime," Kosuke declared as he drew out the Dice Saber and lunged forward.
The Ghouls all began clambering forward; trying to overwhelm the Riders though it was clear that they were outmatched. The Riders first charge through the Ghouls had managed to strike and take some of them down, scattering them as a result.
Mayu looked over towards Kosuke and Haruto, "You two take care of Another Wizard! The kid and I will handle the small fry!"
"Oh, giving us the big meal? Thank you Mayu!" Kosuke clasped his hands together in thanks before rushing for Carbuncle. He gave a yell as he jabbed at the Another Rider who stepped out of the way, Carbuncle then unleashing a torrent of flames to force the bestial rider back.
A sword stabbed against Carbuncle's arm, a second slashing from below to force the Another Rider's arm upwards. Carbuncle growled as he dismissed the flames and spun around, kicking against who stabbed at him. To his surprise it was Haruto who had copied his sword to dual wield.
"Sorry to say but I can't have you running around like this," Haruto pushed Carbuncle's leg away before stepping and slashing forward.
Carbuncle was staggered but quickly turned into a liquid state, the swords simply sliding through him as he fully liquefied and shot backwards, reforming a few feet away from Haruto. "I must admit your annoying, why can't you just let me kill Zi-O, if you didn't interfere then you wouldn't be a target either."
"I can't just let you do something like that, no matter the reason," Haruto replied. "I'd feel terrible if I was to let something happen to him and I just stood and watched. Especially since it looks like he still has a long way to go."
"He'll become the most wicked and evil Overlord," Carbuncle declared. "You don't care about him destroying this world?"
"I'm not sure what exactly is going on with him…" Haruto admitted. "However, from what I can tell now he has good intentions."
"Besides he's friends with Ruby!" Kosuke called out as he hurried over and stood near Haruto. "The kid can't be that bad."
"Oh you naïve fools," Carbuncle grasped at his face in slight anger before slamming his hands onto the ground, three stone walls formed.
"If you think that continually using an earth defense will work out for you, think again," Haruto said as he charged forward with Kosuke.
"Not defense… attack!" Carbuncle called out as he unleashed a torrent of wind magic from his body, the wind tearing the stone walls apart and turning them into chunks of rock. He kept the wind blowing and blowing as the stone rubble launched towards and struck against both Wizards.
Earth – December 2013
"You are seriously annoying!" Geiz yelled out as Carbuncle had resorted to using Gravity spells to launch large bunches of snow at both him and Ruby.
"Just leave me alone, I've got no business with you!" Carbuncle called out.
"Considering you continually attempted to attack us several years from now, yeah no can't have that happening," Ruby called out as she used her semblance to speed out of the way of a chunk of snow. She skidded to a stop before loading the Beast Ridewatch onto her weapon.
[FINISH TIME!]
[BEAST! SASU SASU SHOOT!]
Crouching and taking aim, Ruby braced before launching a golden blast of energy towards Carbuncle. The energy morphed and shifted shape before forming a golden lion's head. The Lion roared out, breaking apart any snow that was launched at it by Carbuncle. The Another Rider yelled out as it closed in and bit down on him, exploding and sending him rolling back.
"I think we should wrap this up before we become Snowmen," Ruby suggested.
"This should do the trick then," Geiz admitted as he withdrew the Wizard Watch from his holster before turning the dial and activating it. He slotted it into the armor time slot before rotating the Ziku Driver to initiate the armor time.
[WIZARD]
[ARMOR TIME!]
A magic circle similar to Haruto's appeared above him as the Hiragana for Wizard shot out from his belt. The magic circle descended before stopping at Geiz's shoulders and chest, growing smaller before the armor for the form appeared in its place. It unfolded onto his shoulders, chest, back, waist and head as the Hiragana locked in place.
[PLEASE! WIZARD!]
His chest piece was similar to Haruto's flame style, though with part of a magic circle overlaid on it with golden bits that made it seem like a dragon's face. The shoulders were giant versions of the Flame Style Ring, with a few cloth pieces being draped from them, the rest of the magic circle acting as cape-like tassels while he also gained a waist coat similar to flame styles.
His helmet though was the biggest change, sporting a helmet piece that made his look just like Wizards though with the Hiragana for 'Wizard' acting as the eye pieces.
Wasting no time, Geiz reeled back his left arm before throwing it forward, a stream of flames shooting out. Carbuncle had just gotten up only to get struck by the flames, yelling out as sparks flew from his body before staggering back.
"What? What is that?" Carbuncle questioned.
"The Final Hope," Geiz countered before rushing forward, his legs began to flow with elemental energy, wind and water respectively. He began performing several high spinning kicks, the elemental additions helping in easily breaking Carbuncle's guard.
"Enough!" Carbuncle yelled out as unleashed a burst of electricity from his body.
Geiz held up his arms, instinctively forming a magic circle barrier that soaked in most of the electrical attack. The barrier eventually shattered causing Geiz to wince as he was sent staggering back from the remainder of the attack.
"Figured it wouldn't be easy," Ruby realized as she drew out the Beast Ridewatch before loading it into her Ziku Driver. "Well, Magic vs. Magic should work well right?"
[BEAST!]
[WEAPON TIME! RING LOADING DICE SABER!]
Ruby drew out the Dice Saber and quickly rushed in, using her Petal Burst to launch herself forward. The Another Rider had sent out bursts of flame towards Geiz to try and distract him further. He gave a gasp when Ruby lunged forward as she approached, sparks flying as she struck him in the gut.
Ruby concentrated, bringing out another ring similar to the Falco Ring, though this had a purple Dolphin molded on it. Spinning the dial to her weapon she slammed the ring into the slot to stop the dice roll.
[TWO! DOLPHI! SABER STRIKE!]
"Only two…?" Ruby stared before shaking her head. "It'll have to do!" She called out as she swung forward, summoning two magic circles that produced golden bodied spectral dolphins with solid purple heads. The dolphins dove into the ground as if it were water, jumping out and striking at Carbuncle to force him back. "Still… pretty good Kosuke."
Earth – Early October 2018
(Insert Start: Just the Beginning by Kamen Rider Girls)
Kosuke yelled out as he suddenly sneezed, rubbing his helmets nose area. "Huh, who's talking about me?" He asked before getting smacked in the back by a gigantic hand.
Haruto was trying to reach Carbuncle, though his copycat was making it hard by abusing Big Spells, sending out enlarged hands and feet large to block and strike at him and Kosuke.
"Come on there's no time to get distracted," Haruto said as he jumped back from a hand that tried to flick him away.
"You got an idea?" Kosuke asked.
"Yeah, it's time to try some of the Rings Shunpei had given me," Haruto said as he took out an orange jeweled ring, it having two arrows circling each other on it. He flipped his Driver before scanning the ring.
[SWAP RING, PLEASE!]
"Eh …Swap Ring?" Kosuke questioned before seeing his ring holster shine, his Falco and Buffa rings suddenly sending out energy up into the air. Haruto's ring holster shined as well, the Land Dragon ring shined just as bright before sending energy into the air.
Suddenly the energies shot downwards, switching places and colliding with the opposite Rider it was usually meant for.
[BEAST, PLEASE!]
[LAND, DRAGON! DAN DEN DON ZU DOGON, DAN DEN DOGON!]
On Haruto's right shoulder he gained an orange mantle with gold rimming and a falcon's head shoulder pad. His left shoulder held a red mantle with gold trimming and a buffalo head shoulder pad.
Kosuke meanwhile gained a bright yellow coattail with silver rimming and two large silver and gold accented dragon-clawed gauntlets.
"Whoa! I didn't expect for us to do this again!" Kosuke called out as he examined himself.
"I hope you like this little trip down memory lane," Haruto remarked.
"What am I looking at?" Carbuncle questioned before shaking and patting his head. "It doesn't matter, because I'll still beat you both!" He quickly rushed forward, gathering fire elemental spells in his feet as he spun and kicked forward.
Kosuke blocked with his clawed gauntlet, pushing the Another Rider away and allowing Haruto to move in. Haruto in turn charged with his left shoulder, using the Buffa Mantle's strength to shoulder check Carbuncle and send the Another Rider tumbling backwards.
Carbuncle growled out, holding his hand as magic circles formed near Haruto, chains launching out to bind the Wizard. What he didn't expect was for Haruto to use the Falco Mantle to launch into the air, creating a small whirlwind to force the chains away.
The Another Rider didn't have a chance to try and counter the flight as Kosuke charged in. The claws longer reach helped the bestial Wizard to easily force Carbuncle back with several swipes and jabs.
On Mayu and Sougo's side, they were easily dispatching the remainder of the Ghouls, Mayu managing to round them up while Sougo easily slashed through them.
"Can't let them outdo me," Sougo said as he took out Ex-Aid's watch and initiated his Armor Time.
[ARMOR TIME! LEVEL UP! EX-AID!]
"Kid, think you can finish them in one go?" Mayu asked.
"Just hold them still and watch," Sougo called with confidence, holding up his hammer gauntlet as he readied his finisher.
"I'll hold you to that," Mayu then swapped and scanned her new ring.
[YES, GRAVITY! UNDERSTAND?]
Mayu formed a large yellow magic circle above the Ghouls before slamming it down on them, a heavy crushing gravity holding them in place as they all began to fall to their knees due to the force put on them.
[FINISH TIME! EX-AID!]
[CRITICAL TIME BREAK!]
"Let's go!" Sougo quickly jumped up high into the air, his hammer gauntlets shining with power as he let himself fall face first. He pointed his gauntlets downwards as he gave a yell, slamming directly into the center of the Ghouls and releasing a massive amount of stylized energy from them. The energy hit its mark and combined with the crushing weight destroyed the remaining Ghouls.
(Insert End)
"Not bad," Mayu said before turning towards Haruto and Kosuke's fight. "Do you really think your friends can do it?"
"I'm sure they can," Sougo gave a nod as he walked over. "But we need to make sure we finish things on our end too."
"It's time for the main dish!" Kosuke charged forward before lunging at Carbuncle with his claws. Haruto had used the Falco Mantle's flight to float forward, coming in with a kick that held a Buffalo's head, the Buffa Mantle enhancing his kicking power.
Carbuncle however had begun forming normal magic barriers, suddenly stacking them against each other. He then held it out, managing to block against both of their simultaneous attacks. The Another Rider then got creative, charging the barriers with a Thunder and Big Spell, enlarging and electrifying the barrier before pushing forward. The barrier managed to become an offensive attack, enough to slam into and force both Haruto and Kosuke backwards.
The two Wizard Riders yelled out, Kosuke losing his Wizard Style armaments while Haruto lost both Mantles, but managed to keep his Flame Dragon form.
Earth – December 2013
While Ruby attacked with her Dice Saber, Geiz had brought his axe back into play and was using that to help deal more heavy blows. Getting an idea he slotted the Wizard Ridewatch into his axe.
[FINSIH TIME!]
"Drop down now!" Geiz called out as he began to swing his axe around and around, a giant energy version forming.
Ruby yelped as she dropped to the ground, nearly getting hit by one of Geiz's swings. Geiz kept swinging and swinging, the axe growing and growing.
[WIZARD! ZAKKURI CUTTING!]
With one mighty yell, Geiz swung and slammed his gigantic energy axe into Carbuncle. The Another Rider yelled out as he was sent rolling backwards from the assault. Despite this he was still managing to hold on.
"Let's finish this before you chop my head off," Ruby said as she dismissed her Dice Saber, bringing Crescent Rose back but this time taking out Brave's Ridewatch. She shifted her weapon into its scythe mode before slotting the Ridewatch in, an icy blue energy forming along the blade.
Geiz meanwhile activated his finisher by pressing down on both of the watches, then rotating his driver. A magic circle appeared, energy pulsating through the area as he began to float upwards. Fire gathering around right boot and shin as he did.
[FINISH TIME!]
[WIZARD!]
Ruby yelled out as she launched forward with her Petal Burst, slashing past Another Wizard who tried blocking with a magic barrier only for it to shatter. She spun and began swinging her weapon rapidly, using the recoil to slice and dice even faster.
[BRAVE! KAMA KAMA CUTTING!]
Each cut from Crescent Rose's enhanced slashes began to glow brightly before slowly but surely engulfing Carbuncle with ice. The Another Rider yelled out before he was fully frosted and frozen over. Ruby then looked up before jumping away from the frozen Another Rider.
[STRIKE TIME BURST!]
Geiz kicked forward, though a magic circle appeared in front of him. He kicked into the circle, his leg extending and growing large as he slammed his gigantic boot directly into Carbuncle. The Another Rider could only give a muffle yell as he was struck, the fiery attack causing an explosion that shattered the experimental Phantom and the Anotherwatch at the same time.
Geiz landed as Ruby looked over and raised her fist in the air, though the future rider simply turned the other way with a huff while putting a hand on his waist.
Earth – Early October 2018
Despite Sougo and Mayu joining the fight, they weren't fairing well either. Sougo's close ranged form despite its athleticism was a bad matchup once Carbuncle began attacking at Range. And any spell that Mayu tried was easily countered by the Another Rider.
Mayu and Sougo both ended up getting forced back despite their best efforts, Sougo reverting to his base form.
"This is getting annoying," Haruto groaned out as he picked himself up. He then looked over his rings before picking one, "Let's try a new one."
[ROSE, PLEASE!]
Haruto formed a magic portal that soon unleashed a flurry of rose petals forward. Carbuncle scoffed before unleashing fire magic against the petals. He figured it was a distraction but what he wasn't expecting were thorn filled vines to shoot from the flames, wrapping around his outstretched arm before growing and covering his upper body.
"Wait, what?" Carbuncle asked before gasping out, sparks flying from his body as the thorns dug deeper into his body.
"Every rose has its thorns," Haruto gave a chuckle. "Zi-O, you and I will take the first hit. Mayu, you and Nitoh take it out."
"Ah, thank you!" Kosuke called out with gratitude.
"Come on, let's get ready," Mayu walked over and pulled him out of the way of Haruto and Sougo.
"Let's do this!" Sougo called as he activated his finisher, jumping up into the air.
"Finale," Haruto declared as he took out a particular ring before scanning it.
[CHOINE, SPECIAL! SAIKO!]
[FINISH TIME!]
The Katakana for Kick formed around Carbuncle, ensuring no easy escape despite still being bound by the thorny vines.
A red magic circle appeared behind Haruto, a fiery dragon flying out before slamming into his back. From his chest a silver and gold rimmed dragons head with red eyes came out. Haruto braced before the dragon's head opened its mouth unleashing a torrent of flames against Carbuncle.
[TIME BREAK!]
The flames hitting Carbuncle also had the effect of hitting the Katakana and lighting them on fire. The fiery lettering began to overlap before shooting upward. The fiery lettering connected with Sougo's boot, the Rider giving a yell as his boot and shin were coated in fire. Sougo kicked out, slamming straight through the Another Rider.
Carbuncle gasped out as he struck by the kick, the attack breaking his bindings but it was too late. He exploded and was forced into his Phantom Form, the Wizard Anotherwatch dropping and shattering. He would have tried to retaliate but he held his chest in pain, the effects of being defeated in the past catching up to him and leaving him stunned.
"Main Dish, for real this time!" Kosuke called out as he readied rings with Mayu.
"Now, this is truly the end!" Mayu declared.
[KICK STRIKE, GO!]
[YES, KICK STRIKE! UNDERSTAND?]
The two wizards jumped up into the air, orange energy flowing off of Mayu's leg while gold energy flowed off of Kosuke's. The two gave a yell and kicked out towards the stunned manmade Phantom. Mayu's Mage symbol formed at the sole of her boot while Kosuke gained an energy lion's head that roared out.
The two kicked forward as they slammed into Carbuncle, Kosuke's lion manifestation biting into the Phantom several times before they kicked past him.
Carbuncle could only let out a soft gasp as he fell back and exploded.
Kosuke turned and held out his arms, a gold magic circle in similar theme to him emerging from the explosion before entering his Driver.
"Huh…" Sougo stared at Kosuke's actions before walking over to Haruto. "So um, what did that do?"
"Oh that? He eats a Phantom's left over Mana after they die from him," Haruto remarked casually.
"EHHH?!" Sougo called out in shock, he thought that the whole Lunchtime and Main Dish stuff was just thematic. "So he just eats his opponents?!"
"Their Mana specifically but you get used to it," Haruto gave a light chuckle.
"Huh… Riders are pretty diverse," Sougo admitted as he dismissed his transformation, the other Riders doing the same.
"So do you think Ruby and that grouch actually did it?" Kosuke asked.
"They had to have considering he couldn't transform back after the first set of finishers," Mayu replied.
"Let me see…" Sougo trailed soon realizing he didn't have a way to contact Ruby or Geiz, "Woz!"
Woz slowly but surely came out from behind a corner, Sougo turning and spotting him as if he knew where Woz would come out from. The herald and keeper of records said nothing though.
"Do you have one of those phones, too?" Sougo asked.
Woz looked in his pocket before taking out a Faizphone X, "Will this do?"
Earth – December 2013
Ruby and Geiz had dismissed their transformations by that point, heading back to the Time Mazine that was parked when Ruby heard a ringtone. She reached into her pockets and pulled out her Faizphone X, answering, "Tsuki?"
"No, it's Sougo actually!" Sougo remarked.
"Huh? How did you get one of these phones?" Ruby asked, since she was sure that only the Faizphone X's could communicate with each other.
"Woz had one on him, I wanted to check up and see how you guys were doing. Though I'm pretty sure you were successful."
"Yeah we beat Another Wizard, and by the sounds of things your fine on your end too," Ruby replied. "That means the plan was a success! It was a good thing you figured that I should go with Geiz too. Even Another Wizard when just starting out was pretty tough."
"Huh, well at least everything worked out. See you at home?"
"Yeah we'll meet back home since I'm sure Geiz wants to get a move on things." Ruby replied.
Unknown to Ruby however Geiz was seething slightly. Despite getting the Wizard Ridewatch it felt like he had accomplished nothing. While he was sure Ruby didn't mean her words in a certain way, it still felt like he was merely a puppet being dangled and moved according to Sougo. Both times, Faiz and now Wizard, he started to get the idea that Sougo was only letting him take the lead in going back to the past to keep him relaxed and off guard.
Earth – Early October 2018
Back at 9-5-DO a confused Tsukuyomi was looking around, she had suddenly woke up when Another Wizard was defeated. She couldn't help but feel she missed a lot by the time of day as well. But she was shaken from her thoughts at Junichiro entering the dining room.
"Oh, you're awake, Tsukuyomi! Good morning." Junichiro greeted though soon realized the time. "Well, it's dusk actually…" He had been in and out of the house a few times after everyone had left and knew that she was out cold, at least for a bit anyway.
"Um, what happened?" Tsukuyomi asked.
Junichiro recalled how he had tried waking her up but nothing seemed to budge her from her sleep. "You were out cold, like Sleeping Beauty!" He explained. "But if it was like the story, you'd sleep for 50 or 100 years. You'd get to see the future, what fun! I wonder what the future will be like…"
It wasn't long before Geiz entered the shop, Ruby following from behind. Geiz was ready to just rush into the dining room but kept to a fast paced walk to keep from worrying Sougo's uncle.
Junichiro gave a smile, "Oh, Geiz, Ruby, welcome home."
"Yeah…" Geiz said absentmindedly.
"Where's Sougo?" Junichiro asked.
"I think he said he had to do something," Ruby covered for her friend.
"Oh well, he'll make his way back," Junichiro reassured before heading for the kitchen space. "I'll start dinner!"
Ruby hung back in the main shop area however, figuring that Geiz could use some sort of space with Tsukuyomi at the moment.
"His magic must have worn off," Geiz figured.
"Geiz, did you save me?" Tsukuyomi asked. "Thank you…"
"No." Geiz shook his head slightly as he spoke in a lower tone. "Today I was just dancing to his tune the entire time…"
"Then it was Sougo?" Tsukuyomi asked, not understanding what her partner meant, "Ruby?"
"Not just them, Woz too…" Geiz answered.
"What's that about?" Tsukuyomi asked, still confused.
"Tsukuyomi, we might be dealing with someone more dangerous than we thought…" Geiz trailed as he went to set the Wizard Ridewatch onto the Ridewatch Daizer near the computer.
Ruby could only give a sigh; while Junichiro was too busy to cook she had been listening in. She had hoped that Sougo letting Geiz take charge by having him go to the past would be the right call. But it seemed to make him more suspicious and paranoid towards Sougo in the end.
"And thus, the power of Kamen Rider Wizard was not taken by my overlord," Woz proclaimed as he watched Sougo talk to the trio of Wizard Riders from a distance. "But I suppose that is of little concern… For my overlord's power grows ever greater. So much so that I cannot even fathom the outcome. And soon, the next legend will arrive on my overlord's stage…"
As he spoke, he was unaware that both he and Sougo were being watched by something in the distance. Whatever it was, it was showing a live video feed of what was currently happening.
That was until the feed began to rewind to replay the fight against Another Wizard in 2018. The sound of a record needle echoed. It wasn't long before a rendition of Happy Birthday began to start up.
"Happy Birthday to you," A man sung along as he watched the feed.
But it wasn't just that specific fight against Another Wizard that just occurred. Other large television screens beside it were showcasing the other fights from the day.
Happy Birthday to you
On more screens were the fights against Another Faiz, the Orphnoch, Another Ex-Aid, and even the ones against Another Build and Cross-Z.
Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to you!
These multiple screens lit up a pitch black room and filled it with the sounds of fighting alongside the song.
Happy Birthday to you!
There was an older man watching these scenes play out, rocking in a comfy recliner that could swivel back and forth. He wore a bright pink suit with a yellow shirt underneath and a red tie.
Happy Birthday to you!
He gave a smile as he turned his chair in the opposite direction of the screens. Getting up he walked over to two small tables that had a spotlight shining down specifically on it. One held an old fashioned record player that played the current song of choice.
"Happy Birthday dear…"
He held a stoic look as there were three cakes, two holding the Katakana for Zi-O and Roze while the third held Hiragana for Geiz, all in their respective Rider's colors.
"…Riders." He then turned back towards the screens that showed the trio's fights until now, "Happy Birthday to you!"
To Be Continued…
Next Time:
"CONGRATULATIONS!"
"Boy… do I have you to thank for my revival?"
"That's incredible, a currently alive ancient King!"
"I figured out of the two of us, you're more important."
"What the hell are you doing, Zi-O?!"
Chapter 10: Count the Medals 2010
Author's Note: And that's Wizard done, this was a fun set of chapters to write up since we get to things like Ruby's bike, Geiz's paranoia starts to increase, I've got some small plans with Tsukuyomi in the next arc. Plus I got to have Wizard, Beast and Mage show their stuff. Of course I greatly enjoyed writing in the next arc preview at the end, it's a blatant reference but I felt it was appropriate.
We start the OOO Arc next with getting back on track with what Q1 of the show did. Of course with Kuroto no longer a viable candidate like in canon, that means things are going to be heavily changed. This one's a fun one since I got to do certain things given recent developments.
I'd also like to thank everyone commenting on their ideas for Ruby's gifts; I'm seeing some really fun one's. If you haven't mentioned an idea yet or thought of one between chapters feel free to voice them. I'll see you guys next time.