Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 19 – Kaigan: Decade! 2018
"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."
Woz narrated, this time sitting on the clock in the black void. He held a very relaxed and knowing posture, as if comforted by something.
"But now, a mysterious Kamen Rider appears before him, whisking away their easy victory with the future Ghost Ridewatch. His presence is so great that he splits the group's attention, Ms. Rose battling him to attain a mysterious prize. My Overlord's soul meanwhile was exorcised from his body due to the power of Another Ghost."
Images of Agito, Hibiki and Another Ghost flash across his book as he keeps his smile, the book shifting to Ruby and Tsukasa's fight.
"Yet all goes according to my desires, should Ms. Rose bite off more than she can chew… well, she was a useful ally to my Overlord for a long enough time." He then closed his book. "Oh, pardon me…" He hopped down from the clock before walking off. "That last part was not in the text…"
Earth – Early December 2018:
[FINAL ATTACK RIDE: H-H-H-HIBIKI!]
"Try this out," Tsukasa brandished his drumsticks before walking over, drumming to an invisible beat as each strike released shockwaves against Ruby's body.
Ruby could only scream as an explosive burst of sound occurred, sending her tumbling backwards from the attack.
Geiz's eyes widened, "Ruby!"
Despite the assault against her, Ruby had managed to still keep her transformation. Despite this she was still reeling from the finisher. "Damn…"
"Come on, this can't be all you've got." Tsukasa called out as he once again went to switch out cards for his forms.
[KAMEN RIDE: RYUKI!]
Flat grey images of Ryuki came from all sides as they overlapped and transformed Tsukasa into a more familiar looking form.
"He even has Ryuki?" Geiz asked.
"Just how many tricks do you have up your sleeves?" Ruby winced as she managed to barely stand, removing the Birth Watch to swap out for something else.
"As many as I need," Tsukasa said as he summoned the Dragclaw gauntlet, gathering fire within the dragons mouth. "Now bring out Knight so I can trounce that." He said before unleashing a fireball.
"Sorry but I won't be that predictable," Ruby called out as she slotted in Brave's Watch.
[BRAVE! WEAPON TIME! GASHACON SWORD!]
Ruby summoned the sword in a reverse grip, switching it to its ice formation before stabbing the ground. Soon enough a wall of ice formed between her and the fireball, the attack clashing against the defense and cancelling each other out.
This also had the advantage of creating a small mist between Ruby and Tsukasa.
Tsukasa began gathering another fireball before he suddenly had to brace, a fiery slash rushing out from the mist. He gritted his teeth as he skidded back, sparks flying as he lost hold of his armament.
Ruby rushed forward with the Gashacon Sword, having immediately switched it back to its fire mode to commence her counterattack. Charging her sword up she began slashing at Tsukasa, the fire filled blade nearly cutting him a few times.
"Not bad," Tsukasa said as the Dragshields dropped from above, landing on his shoulders as he blocked against Ruby's last slash. He then brought out the Dragsaber, stabbing at her while at close range, "However!"
Ruby's eyes widened as she was struck in the stomach, sparks flying as she staggered back and dropped her weapon.
"I must admit, for your personal weapon being a large scythe and rifle, you handle swords and normal guns well," Tsukasa complimented.
"Uh… thanks I guess?" Ruby thanked in a questioning tone while holding her stomach.
"Hmm, guess you haven't noticed it," Tsukasa muttered before taking out another card and inserting it into his Driver. "Let's wrap this up, show me that you have what it takes."
[KAMEN RIDE: GHOST! LET'S GO! KAKUGO! GO GO GO! GHOST!]
Tsukasa relaxed as the Ore Parka flew out of his Driver before landing on him, gaining Takeru's base form. He then drew out the Gan Gun Saber as a bright glow surrounded him, jumping up and floating at high speeds towards Ruby with a slash.
Ruby barely managed to grab her weapon before spinning out of the way. She then righted herself, turning and slashing at Tsukasa once he was close.
Tsukasa however bent his back and knees as he just barely passed underneath Ruby's swing. He then spun with little issue in the air, righting himself and throwing his weapon at huntress rider.
Ruby wasn't expecting the weapon to be thrown and yelped, the Gashacon Sword being slammed out of her hands as a result.
"Try this on for size," Tsukasa held up two fingers before summoning the Parka Ghosts of Musashi, Edison, and Robin Hood from his Driver. The trio of parkas began flying around and trying to attack Ruby, Musashi attacking it's with bladed tassels, Edison with electric bursts and Robin Hood using the tassels to smack at her.
Ruby slowly began getting overwhelmed as she pulled out another Ridewatch, slotting it in.
"Another Watch won't help," Tsukasa chided as he began to move forward, floating as he planned on closing in.
[DOUBLE! WEAPON TIME! TRIGGER MAGNUM!]
"What?"
Ruby quickly spun away, using Petal Burst to shoot herself further from the parka ghosts before turning and slotting the Trigger Memory into the weapon, "Trigger Full Burst!"
[TRIGGER MAXIMUM DRIVE!]
Switching the weapon to its maximum mode, Ruby took aim and fired, dozens of blue and yellow bursts of energy flying outwards and snaking all around. The Parka Ghosts were slowly but surely overwhelmed, being forced back near Tsukasa and exploding.
Tsukasa gasped as he was thrown backwards from the attack, "I thought you only had the Secondary Rider's on you."
"I sometimes borrow the main ones," Ruby admitted with a chuckle. "It was Sougo's idea anyway, said he wouldn't need it."
"The overlord huh… perhaps he is as dangerous as they say he is," Tsukasa mused.
"He's not going to become evil," Ruby replied as she removed the W Watch from her Driver.
"You really believe the kid will turn out good huh?" Tsukasa asked.
"Of course he will, I've known him for a year," Ruby answered firmly. "It may not be his whole life but there's more to him than people see at a first glance."
"This should do it, then." Tsukasa drew out another Final Attack card before slotting it in.
[FINAL ATTACK RIDE: G-G-G-GHOST!]
Tsukasa spread his arms out, an orange eye sigil appearing behind him before it poured energy into his right leg.
"Let's go," Ruby initiated her finisher, rotating her Driver as she got in a jumping stance.
[FINISH TIME! TIME BLAST!]
Rose petals began forming out of thin air as they spiral around Ruby, soon entering her right leg as it began to shine a bright red.
Both combatants yelled out as they jumped up and kicked out at each other, their legs clashing with a bright display of red and orange occurring. The energy began to clash and build up further before exploding, sending both of them backwards.
Ruby winced as she landed on her feet, stumbling onto her back and losing her transformation.
Geiz quickly hurried over, "Ruby!"
Tsukasa on the other hand had landed just fine, not even losing his form change either. He dusted his right shin off as he gave a whistle.
"Sorry Geiz," Ruby coughed. "Guess I lost…"
"It was never about winning or losing," Tsukasa said as he walked over to the two before pulling out the Decade Ridewatch and tossing it towards them. "You impressed me enough kid."
Ruby barely managed to catch it and could only stare in surprise. It was mostly due to the odd shape of the watch alongside the extra slot on it and lack of proper dial.
"All of that for a Ridewatch?" Geiz asked.
Tsukasa said nothing as he walked off, chuckling a bit as he used Ghost's abilities to vanish into thin air. 'You'd be proud…'
Geiz meanwhile managed to help Ruby up, the two making their way back to the main road with the Decade Watch in tow.
"That was reckless," Geiz reprimanded.
"You worry too much," Ruby smirked before hearing her phone go off. "Oh, it looks like we're about to find out how they did."
Back at the Daitenku Temple, worry was building when Tsukuyomi had brought Sougo back but he was unconscious. She had briefly called Geiz and Ruby to let them know of the situation. It was the best she could do before she tried to not panic. Takeru though reassured her that everything was alright in that regard as they set him up in the downstairs basement.
It was two floors large, the top having a lab area with various equipment and computers alongside an area underneath that one could use to live or sleep under if they wanted to. Across from that was a small pond with a short pathway leading to a black stone monolith that held Ghost's signature symbol. Of course there were various wooden boards and metal layers applied to the roofing of it, like something had damaged the area prior.
"Oh, Takeru… I see you're sticking your nose in trouble again!" A cheery voice called as underneath the lab was an old man in purple monk clothing and white long hair, happily sitting in a kotatsu near a bed that was already laid out.
"Sorry Edith but we need to borrow this," Takeru said as he and Tsukuyomi laid Sougo down on the bed that was laid out.
Sougo meanwhile was in his spirit form curiously looking around from the doorway, a bit surprised by the setup of the basement. He was taken off guard when he saw Edith staring at him.
"Ah so we've got a new ghost boy, come down come down!" Edith waved before beckoning the newly ghosted Rider to come in.
"You can see me?!" Sougo asked.
"Of course I can see you ghost boy!" Edith grinned.
"Eh, ghost boy?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Yeah, about Sougo's situation… he's sort of a ghost right now, or at least in a spiritual body," Takeru explained.
"That's… that's ridiculous…" Tsukuyomi managed to get out.
"Yet you're talking to a Rider who is named Ghost," Edith remarked with a smirk.
"I… uh…" Tsukuyomi had to bow her head as she realized that Edith was right, especially with Another Ghost's abilities.
"He's with us right now, Takeru can see him because he was a spirit during his run as Ghost," Edith explained. "I can see him because well, I'm a bit of a special case." He laughed out before becoming a bit more serious. "But we need to make him corporeal so we don't have to relay all his messages."
"Where's the Spider Lantern?" Takeru asked.
"Can't say," Edith shrugged with a more nonchalant face. "I haven't seen that thing crawling around in a long time, it might have gotten stuffed somewhere."
"Dang…" Takeru then looked up. "And we're likely out of the Shiranui…"
"Hold on, you have a lantern that's a spider?" Sougo asked.
"Yes, but that's not really important, what's important is we need that or a special powder to make it so people can see you," Takeru admitted.
"At least he's livelier than you were on your first time," Edith remarked.
"You know all things considered, I am doing pretty alright!" Sougo admitted as he began doing a few rapid punches and kicks to thin air.
"This is so weird…" Tsukuyomi admitted, seeing the two talking to the air. "Can you find a way to make him visible please?"
"I'll have to call up a friend, see if she can help us," Takeru admitted.
"Actually, no need, you do what you need to do, I've got it!" Edith called as he suddenly stood up before an audible popping could be heard, "Ah my back, my back!"
"Edith please be careful…" Takeru winced before giving a nod. "But I'm counting on you."
"Don't worry, I'll be the one who saves the day," Edith winked playfully before heading up the steps to the main lab area to get to work.
"I know the other Riders we met have had allies," Tsukuyomi mentioned. "Do you think they could possibly help us?"
"I'd ask but I'm afraid it'd take too long," Takeru admitted, that was another story in and of itself, so he decided to go for the shorthand. "With the current situation, they're too far away to help out, and even if they did want to I'd rather not take them away from their business."
"Oh," Tsukuyomi said, a bit surprised but decided not to pry further.
It wasn't long before Ruby and Geiz all but rushed in, a look of concern on Ruby's face.
"What do you mean Sougo lost his soul to Another Ghost?!" Ruby questioned.
"Actually he's a spirit-like entity right now because I saved his soul from being absorbed," Takeru explained.
"Wait, Sougo's a ghost?!" Ruby shouted before looking around. "Sougo where are you?! Can you hear me?!"
"I'll be honest I've given up trying to figure out how this works," Tsukuyomi hung her head yet again.
"Ruby, Ruby, please calm down," Sougo sighed as he wasn't heard, but he hated to see his friend get all jumpy like this. He simply crossed his arms and began to think a bit.
"Ruby, calm down," Geiz said before looking over to Takeru. "The Ghost Watch, is it ready?"
"It still hasn't formed yet," Takeru shook his head.
"But even if we do, are we really going to claim responsibility for killing someone?" Ruby asked. "Even if he was mostly dead when he got that transformation, that Watch is his life support."
"We're going to need to make that tough decision," Geiz answered.
"Hmm…" Sougo thought a bit more before snapping his fingers. "Takeru, I've got a plan." He said as he motioned for him to come over.
Takeru hurried over, making everyone tilt their heads a bit as they were still getting used to Sougo's ghostly presence. Though Takeru's sudden shouting was what caught them off guard, "You want me to what?!" He then calmed down a bit before giving a nod. "Fine… I'll do it."
Ruby could only look over at the blank space Takeru was staring at, "Um, what did Sougo tell you?"
"He told me, that we should prevent the catalyst of the Another Rider, and given my spiritual abilities, I might be the best one to stop the steel beams from falling." Takeru explained.
"He wants you to what?!" Geiz asked.
"Then, Another Ghost wouldn't exist." Ruby realized. "And everyone's souls wouldn't be taken to fuel the Another Rider's power."
"You realize that it's dangerous to do so right?" Tsukuyomi reminded. "We've tampered in the past before, but we've been lucky that it hasn't been too heavy regarding the changes."
"Even if it's dangerous… Mika's brother's life is precious… something like that shouldn't be toyed around with by the Time Jackers," Takeru explained, a faint glow coming from his pocket. "That's why, I want to try and save him."
"Come on Geiz, Tsukuyomi, it's worth a shot," Ruby said before getting closer to the time traveler."Besides…" She whispered in a hushed voice to him. "This might be our chance to get the Ghost Watch, we can't win without that."
Geiz crossed his arms before looking away, "Fine." He said before looking at Ruby. "But you're coming too. If something goes wrong it's your responsibility to own up to it."
"Fine by me," Ruby agreed.
"Good luck you guys," Sougo said despite only one person being able to see him.
Takeru gave Sougo a nod before giving a bow to Geiz, "Thank you!"
"Just hurry up before I change my mind," Geiz said before taking off, Ruby and Takeru following after him.
Earth – Early December 2015
"You forgot your lunch again, you goof." Mika called to her brother, Makimura, soon holding out a bag. "Here!"
"Thank you," Makimura said as he took the bag.
"Be careful today, okay?" Mika said before turning taking off. "Bye!"
The whole scene was being witnessed by Geiz, Ruby and Takeru who were all hiding in the nearby bushes. Takeru was thankful this date back in his day, after double checking, had a high chance of him not bumping into anyone. Regardless he'd have to be careful if he transformed into Ghost, given several forms of power he had weren't available yet.
"And you're sure you can stop the accident?" Geiz asked.
"Just trust in Takeru," Ruby hushed before seeing Mika make her way towards the crane, "The accident's about to happen. Hurry, before it does!"
Takeru gave a nod as he made his way from behind the bushes, walking at a brisk pace as he tried to look like he was minding his own business.
"Look out!" Makimura called to his sister, running forward as the steel beams began to drop.
Takeru was quick on the draw, gathering his inner energy he unleashed an invisible force of energy that knocked the metal beams off to the side, sending them clattering harmlessly against the grass.
Mika meanwhile shrieked and held her head down when she looked up briefly, just barely aware of what Takeru had done. Makimura had seen what had happened but was more concerned over his sister, hurrying over.
"Mika, are you alright?!" He asked. "Are you hurt?"
"Are you alright?" Takeru asked as he knelt near them.
"Did you just do that…?" Mika asked in shock.
Takeru could only give a smile in response, looking back at the bushes and giving an ok sign.
"I'll be honest, even though I was against it at first…" Geiz started. "I'm glad it turned out this way."
"Aw," Ruby smiled before noticing a strong orange glow in Takeru's pocket. "And it looks like we've got our replacement."
"Hmm," Geiz went silent though, now was the hard part.
Earth – Early December 2018
Sougo could feel the effects on the timeline near instantly as his spiritual body vanished.
His body then gave a gasp as he shot up, all of a sudden, "Did it work?"
Tsukuyomi backed up, "Sougo, your back!"
"It worked," Sougo smiled in relief.
"Huh? Ah did I call Akari for nothing then?!" Edith questioned from the top floor, sitting down as he was trying to rest his back.
"Sorry," Sougo apologized.
"Honestly, dealing with you is sometimes troublesome…" Woz's voice called as he stepped appeared near the monolith in the basement, walking over.
"Woz?" Sougo and Tsukuyomi asked.
"Ah, the mysterious but troublesome mentor," Edith gave a smirk, already feeling the sort of aura that Woz carried.
"I understand that altering history in our favor has worked for us in the past my overlord," Woz started. "But you should still be more careful."
"It worked out though, didn't it?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Yes, though I doubt the Time Jackers are going to take kindly to this alteration…" Woz admitted.
Earth – Early December 2015
"Thank you so much," Makimura thanked as his sister gave a bow.
"Its fine," Takeru smiled before taking off back towards Geiz and Ruby.
"Can't you mind your own business?" Uhr asked, a bit annoyed that Takeru was faster on the draw than he was. Even then he wasn't sure why Takeru was nearby this area to begin with. But that didn't matter in the slightest. His plan to contract was a bust now, so he figured it was time to take some anger out on some meddlers. "I need him to become King."
[GHOST!]
Uhr threw his arm forward, a black smoke spraying from the Watch and forming black bodied monsters with grey boots, skeletal chest patterns and loose hooded cloaks. They had no faces and had the distinct eye buckle that the Ganma Superior had.
"Ganma Commandos," Takeru gasped as he began ducking and dodging against the assault against him. Realizing he'd have to play it safe he summoned his Ghost Driver and took out his Ore Eyecon.
Mika and her brother both gave yells as they began to back away, the construction workers nearby yelling out and running.
Ruby was about to go when Geiz grabbed her arm, "Geiz, we need to help him."
"I think helps already here," Geiz admitted.
The Ganma Commandos tried to swarm Takeru, managing to grab him a few times to keep from transforming immediately. That was until several were kicked away, a man in black lead pants and a black and blue leather jacket having rushed over.
"Takeru, are you okay?" The man asked, "Why are the Ganma here?!"
"Makoto," Takeru breathed a sigh of relief but also inwardly dreaded about having to interact with a past version of one of his friends. "They just showed up out of nowhere, I'm not sure what happened."
"Then we'll stop them," Makoto said as he summoned his own Driver, pulling out a black cased Eyecon labeled Specter.
"Right," Takeru gave a nod as the two prepared their transformations.
"Henshin!"
Alongside the Ore Ghost Parka, a similar parka but with blue accents flew around, the parka's forcing back any Ganma Commandos nearby.
[KAIGAN: ORE! LET'S GO! KAKUGO! GO GO GO! GHOST!]
[KAIGAN: SPECTER! READY GO! KAKUGO! DO KI DO KI! GHOST!]
The two transformed into their base forms, Makoto's as Kamen Rider Specter having a similar appearance. His coloration was primarily blue, the patterns on his armor reminiscent to ECG lines, his helmet was bright blue, with a sharper two part visor shape. To differentiate himself further he had two wisp horns instead of one, these curving up more than Takeru's.
"I'm going to let my life burn bright!" Takeru called out as he pulled down his hood, bringing out his Gan Gun Saber before charging in.
"Let me show you the path I've chosen!" Makoto called out, he pulled down his hood and just charged in using punches and kicks to break through the ranks of the Ganma Commandos.
Despite the Commandos' lack of any actual threat to the Riders, several wandered towards Mika and Makimura. The elder brother tried shooting them down to no avail, shivering in fear before getting punched to the ground.
Makoto quickly hurried over, grabbing the Commando's and pushing them back towards the mob. Thinking quickly he activated his finisher.
[DAI KAIGAN: SPECTER OMEGA DRIVE!]
Gathering blue fire in his right shin in foot he spun and kicked out, unleashing a blue wave of fire against his set of Commandos to destroy them.
Takeru had overlapped the eye symbol on the hilt of his sword with the eyehole on his Driver, charging the sword with orange energy before slashing out.
[DAI KAIGAN: OMEGA BREAK!]
The Ganma Commandos facing Takeru groaned out as they were cut through entirely before exploding.
"Brother!" Mika called out as she hurried towards Makimura.
Despite beating the grunts, Takeru realized Uhr was a threat and ran towards him. He gave a grunt as Uhr had frozen time all around except for Makimura who had started to get up.
"What are you doing?" Swartz questioned as he walked over. He had gone with Uhr to specifically make sure that the young Time Jacker didn't draw too much attention. And here he saw both Specter and Ghost fighting against Uhr. "Just implant the watch."
"Oh, be quiet. I know what I'm doing." Uhr said as he walked towards Makimura. "Can't I let off a little bit of steam since my plan got ruined?"
"Hurry up, we need a low profile remember?" Swartz reminded.
Uhr could only click his tongue as he implanted the Ghost Anotherwatch into Makimura.
[GHOST!]
Makimura yelled out as the transformation took hold, transforming him into Another Ghost. He then gave a groan as he stumbled his way forward, breaking through the construction fence nearby and going to find any nearby construction workers to make them pay for the accident they almost caused.
"Now we're back on track," Swartz sighed.
Swartz and Uhr vanished as time resumed, Mika falling as she ended up tripping due to just barely registering the time stop. She ended up finding her brother's hat though, "Brother?" She asked and looked around "…Brother?!"
Earth – Early December 2018
Sougo suddenly felt a pulse, his spirit slowly being forced out of his body as time reverted back to the way it was, "What's going on?"
"I figured that this might happen…" Woz sighed before turning to head off.
"So they were unsuccessful…" Tsukuyomi looked down.
"Honestly, I'm relieved to see history is still somewhat the same, you all can't keep making these changes," Woz admitted. "We need to at least try to keep history at a stable pace. Thankfully I was able to take care of two anomalies thanks to approaching that Rider to assault you all."
"You did?" Tsukuyomi asked. "Why?"
"It was all for my Overlord," Woz gave a bow before vanishing.
"Woz…" Sougo winced as he lost consciousness, soon assuming spirit form once again. "Oh jeez…"
"Wait, is he back to being a ghost boy?!" Edith asked.
"Sadly, yes." Tsukuyomi confirmed.
"Then it's time for Sir Edith to save the day," Edith smirked. "Good thing I called."
Earth – Early December 2015
Takeru and Makoto dismissed their transformations, Makoto looking over to his friend. "Takeru, what's going on here?"
"Uh well, I'm not sure myself," Takeru said playing dumb, also hoping that his friend wouldn't notice him looking a few years older. "I was just wandering when they started attacking…"
"Have you seen my brother?" Mika quickly rushed over.
"Brother?" Makoto asked as he turned.
Takeru silently sighed in relief as Mika's outburst helped him get out of a sticky situation.
"He's missing!" Mika explained.
"Makoto, could you help her out? Get her back to the temple," Takeru replied. "I'll try and see what I can find out. It might be you know, related."
"Right," Makoto agreed. "I'll drop her off and then check on Kanon, make sure she's alright with the Ganma running around."
"Sounds good," Takeru gave a nod, turning and giving a sigh of relief when he glanced back to see Makoto and Mika exiting the area.
"That was too close," Geiz called out as he popped out of the hiding place.
"I just realized I didn't get a Specter Watch…" Ruby gave a light whine as the realization hit her.
"There's always next time," Geiz replied before going over to Takeru and holding out his hand. "It should be done."
Takeru reached into his pocket and gave a smile as he pulled out the Ghost Ridewatch. "Huh, I didn't think it would be that easy."
"It was likely our agreeing to help you save the brother's life that resonated," Ruby figured. "Thus, we're good."
"I just think life is important, and even if he still became an Another Rider now, you can save him without killing him." Takeru replied as he dropped the Ghost Watch in Geiz's hand.
"Ruby, go check on Sougo, I'll cleanup here," Geiz replied.
"Are you sure?" Ruby asked.
"Positive," Geiz said before hurrying off towards where he figured Another Ghost would be.
Earth – Early December 2018
Thankfully Ruby had picked up piloting a Time Mazine from the times Geiz and Sougo had done it, making her trip back to 2018 with Takeru a lot easier than expected. The two had gotten back to the Daitenku Temple and immediately went for the basement.
"So how do you think I did?" Ruby asked.
"Well from what little Geiz and you did, I think you did fine," Takeru complimented. "It was a pretty smooth trip."
"Ah… Master Takeru!" Onari greeted, having gone to wait in the basement with Tsukuyomi and Edith.
"Onari," Takeru greeted before looking at Sougo's unconscious body and seeing Sougo's spirit form lying on his side with his knees close in a very bored state. "Sougo, how are you doing?"
"Just fine I guess…" Sougo yawned.
"It is a shame that Sir Spider is not around," Onari admitted. "Just where did we put that darn thing."
"You know the gadgets have a mind of their own," A voice called from the doorway revealing a woman in a blue and grey striped longcoat, combed down hair and glasses with a purse satchel that seemed to have… a leaf blower?
Takeru turned when he heard the voice, "I'm glad you made it in time."
"Is she the one who can help Sougo?" Ruby asked.
"Yep," Takeru gave a nod.
"I'm Akari Tsukimura, nice to meet you all," Akari gave a quick bow to everyone.
"Sorry about calling you, it's just we couldn't find the Spider Lantern," Takeru explained.
"Honestly, as much as I got used to your Ghost stuff, my inventions of science are still just as reliable as your gadgets," Akari said as she suddenly removed what was in her satchel, revealing a modified leaf blower with various extra features on it. "And I'm honestly glad I don't have to use it on you this time, I almost had a panic attack when Edith said we had a 'Ghost Boy again' when he called."
"Don't worry I haven't gotten in too much trouble this time," Takeru admitted.
"Are you sure?" Akari asked as she pinched Takeru on the cheek briefly. "I don't want another incident like Dr. Pacman."
Ruby, Tsukuyomi and Sougo could only stare. "Dr. Pacman?"
"Uh, it's best if you talk to Emu about that," Takeru said a bit nervously before pointing towards the position of Sougo's spirit body. "Anyway, he's right there."
"Alright, Shiranui's coming your way," Akari said as she slotted in a gold catridge with googly eyes labeled 'Shiranui'. She then unleashed a gold burst of dust in Sougo's area.
"Hit me!" Sougo called out as he quickly stood with arms spread the gold dust rained over him.
To Ruby and Tsukuyomi's surprise despite Sougo's body being unconscious, Sougo suddenly appeared, fading in from nothingness.
"I'm finally visible!" Sougo called out with joy before feeling something wrong and holding his stomach. "Why do I not feel hungry?"
"Uh, that's one of the side effects," Takeru admitted, remembering that feeling of having a stomach but not feeling hungry all too well. "But don't worry this is only temporary."
"Incredible…" Tsukuyomi admitted, rubbing her eyes a bit to see if she was being tricked. But to her continued surprise, this was all real.
Ruby quickly rushed over in a burst of petals, immediately hugging Sougo, "Sougo!" She called before realizing something and backing off. "Hey wait I can touch you." She suddenly realized that if Sougo wasn't solid she would have ended up hitting the wall.
"Oh yeah, the Shiranui doesn't just make him visible but also corporeal," Akari explained.
"Listen I know you want to trust Geiz," Takeru spoke up. "But Sougo should be able to transform again, you two should head back to 2015 and help him out."
"Takeru's right," Sougo realized as he essentially began looting his own body for his Driver and Watch's. "That Another Ghost was tough and has a nasty ability to make Gamma Suppers."
"Ganma Superior," Takeru corrected. "But if you work together and be careful you should be fine."
"But wait, if you go back and defeat Another Ghost…" Tsukuyomi trailed.
"Don't worry," Ruby waved it off. "Mika's brother didn't die this time, we saved him. Even if he became Another Ghost it's still the better outcome."
"Let's get going then," Sougo gave a nod.
"I shall prepare what little we have left to make some Onigiri upon your return to the living," Onari spoke up. "Your stomach will need more than just a proper meal after returning to normal."
"Sounds good," Sougo smiled.
Earth – Early December 2015
Geiz was currently in a heavy construction site based rock quarry, having followed the trail of fainted bodies to Another Ghost who was accosting various construction workers.
He was surprised to see an Another Rider actively summon grunts however, as Another Ghost summoned a horde of Ganma Commandos with ease.
"You aren't slipping away," Geiz called as he slotted in his personal Geiz Watch alongside the Ghost Watch. "Henshin!"
[RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER GEIZ! ARMOR TIME! KAIGAN! GHOST!]
Geiz summoned his base suit and the Ghost Armor on top, bringing his weapon out in axe mode. He rushed forward, easily tearing through the Gamma Commandos like they were nothing.
Another Ghost growled out before turning and walking away.
"No you don't," Geiz held out two fingers and summoned the Ore, Musashi and Edison Parka's out of the Eyecon shoulders he had. The parkas took flight before following after the Another Rider.
Geiz then blocked a swipe from a Commando before kicking it away, sending wide arcing slashes out to force the others back.
Another Ghost hissed as he was struck by the three Parka's, but soon began covering himself in a black fog, breaking apart into three twisted Ore Parka's that battled each of the one's Geiz sent out. It wasn't long before all three sent the trio of Parka Ghost's back towards Geiz.
"What?" Geiz could only turn as the three sentient parkas slammed into him, littering him with explosions and sending him backwards. "How is he this strong? Is it because he's alive now?"
Another Ghost growled out as the Commandos stiffened up, soon turning into black clouds before forming together. The mass of black swirled before forming into two Ganma Superior's.
"They… evolved?" Geiz questioned before bracing.
Earth – Early December 2018
"It appears as though they are heading to the past to deal the final blow to this Another Rider," Woz mentioned as he met with Tsukasa in the watchtower. "Shall we get going?"
Tsukasa glanced at Woz as he leaned his back against the railing, "The world of the past huh?"
"Indeed," Woz replied. "Let us make haste."
"Let us indeed," Tsukasa said as an aurora curtain formed to the side of them. "It's interesting how everyone believes their way is the only way to get around. But we know otherwise, right?"
"Very much so," Woz nodded as he began to walk towards the curtain before stopping. "I am surprised at how easy you let Miss Rose get off given you challenged her to a duel."
"She impressed me enough for me to let her slide," Tsukasa replied nonchalantly as he passed Woz. "That's all."
"Very well," Woz said before following after Tsukasa.
Earth – Early December 2015
Ruby had taken Geiz's Time Mazine Unit back alongside Sougo handling his Zi-O Unit with ease. But the two were interrupted at the end of their trip by Uhr and Ora in their own Time Mazine's, the duo forcing the Rider's to land in a warehouse.
"You guys keep waltzing all over time like you own it!" Uhr called out from his unit.
"Well there's nowhere to run this time," Ora smirked.
"Uh… is this thing compatible with my Rider Mode?" Ruby asked over the comm systems as she readied her transformation.
"Only one way to find out," Sougo called as he prepped his transformation.
[KAMEN RIDER ZI-O!]
[KAMEN RIDER ROZE!]
The Zi-O Unit stood up, gaining the usual Zi-O Watch face. Much to Ruby's surprise and delight, the Geiz Unit stood while gaining a Roze Watch face, thus transforming it temporarily into the Roze Unit.
The Zi-O and Roze Units charged forward, getting into a close quarters team brawl with the Uhr and Ora Units. It was a clunky mess of clanging metal and bumping into each other at first, but eventually both Riders found their opponents.
Sougo managed to single out Uhr, activating his Ex-Aid Watch, "Ruby, change watch's, they'll power up your machine!"
[LEVEL UP! EX-AID!]
Sougo's Time Mazine equipped the Ex-Aid Watch for the head, gaining Sougo's hammer gauntlets from the Ex-Aid Armor Time. Using his extended range and now enhanced jumping ability, The Zi-O Unit was easily leaping and pounding against the Uhr Unit.
Uhr winced as he was surprised at how fast his opponents machine had gotten, "What's with this thing?!"
The Zi-O Unit soon began spinning around, becoming a tornado that constantly slammed into the Uhr Unit, causing mass damage.
[LEVEL UP! BRAVE!]
"Whoa, new announcements…" Ruby said in awe as the Roze Unit's Watch face was replaced by Brave's Watch. The armor on the forearms lit up brightly, the left turning orange and the right turning a light blue.
The Ora Unit tried to bite down on the left arm only to receive fire damage instead as it bit burning metal. It then began to get punched rapidly by the Roze Unit's ice arm, causing small patches of ice to form and hinder its performance.
"What's with these elemental attacks?" Ora hissed as she was receiving warnings on her Units screens.
The Roze Unit unleashed streams of flames and cold air, the two elemental streams forcing Ora's Unit back.
At the same time the Zi-O Unit managed to force the Uhr Unit closer towards the Ora Unit, lining the two up for the next phase.
"Let's go for the next one," Ruby called out, getting the hang of it as she took out Cross-Z's Watch.
"Right," Sougo gave a nod.
[WAKE UP BURNING! CROSS-Z!]
[BEST MATCH! BUILD!]
The Roze Unit now gained the Cross-Z Watch head, no weapons appearing as this was a pure close quarters upgrade to the Units strength.
The Zi-O Unit though not only gained the Build Watch head but the drill from the Build Armor Time. The two rushed forward, Zi-O's Unit sweeping forward and striking both with its drill mechanism.
The Roze Unit soon moved in, using its enhanced strength to punch and kick the Time Jacker Unit's to stagger them further. The Zi-O and Roze Units then jumped into the air, performing a Rider Kick against the Time Jacker Units.
Uhr and Ora winced as their machines began to spark heavily, the various systems overloading before both Units exploded.
The Rider Units jumped out, striking a final pose before reverting to vehicle formation and flying off.
Uhr and Ora both stepped out from behind the steel pillars of the warehouse, the two having used time stop to exit their machines before they exploded.
"I really hate them…" Uhr glared.
"So much for being low-key," Ora huffed.
[OMEGA TIME BURST!]
Geiz threw his weapon to the side and jumped into the air, multiple parka ghosts forming around his foot as a cloud of energy around his boot and leg. He launched forward and struck at the two Ganma Superior's. The two Superior's responded by throwing their arms forward, punching against Geiz's kick.
The two Superior's soon unleashed their own energy into their punches, causing a volatile reaction that sent both them and Geiz flying backwards. One of the Superior's had managed to take enough significant damage to explode, leaving just one left.
Geiz winced as he lost his Ghost Armor, "Just how tough are these things?"
It wasn't long before the remaining Ganma Superior got up, ready to keep going.
Sougo and Ruby meanwhile had managed to reach the area, the two still in their armor with Ruby hurrying over when she saw the fight.
"Geiz," Ruby hurried over to help him up, "You okay?"
"Wait, how is Zi-O still here?" Geiz asked.
"I'll explain when we have down time but we need to work together to beat Another Ghost," Ruby said.
Sougo hurried over next before pointing at the sight of the Superior. "Ah, Manna Scupper!"
Ruby immediately elbowed her friend in the side, "Ganma Superior! You're doing this on purpose now aren't you?"
"Uh, maybe," Sougo admitted as he rubbed the side of his head.
Another Ghost only gave a yell as he summoned more Ganma Commandos, the grouping of henchmen rushing over to the Superior to back it up. He then stayed towards the back as he watched his minions rush forward to try and overwhelm the trio of Riders.
Sougo rushed forward, trying to get through the Commandos to deal with Another Ghost. Ruby and Geiz meanwhile were forced to deal with the rest of the Commandos and the Superior.
Watching the fight was Tsukasa who was standing on one of the machines in the area, getting comfortable before sitting down.
"You won't be joining in the battle?" Woz asked.
"I think I've got them figured out." Tsukasa replied. "I might as well just enjoy the show."
Both Ruby and Geiz were easily punching and kicking back the Commandos. When they punched at the Superior, it simply caught their punches. It then threw their arms down before spinning and kicking them backwards.
"Geiz, the Ghost Watch," Ruby held out her hand.
"What are you going to do with it?" Geiz asked.
"Nothing but," Ruby pulled out the Decade Watch, seeing the extra slot on the Ridewatch itself she knew it had to be important, "Sougo use these!" She called out before holding both Watch's and tossing them over.
Sougo managed to catch both Ridewatches, but he was very confused by the Decade Ridewatches entire structure, "What even is this thing?"
"It's the consolation prize that Rider mentioned!" Ruby explained.
"The prize…?" Sougo asked before figuring he should try it, "Alright!"
[D-D-D-DECADE!]
Sougo readied himself before spinning his Driver, ten holographic cards shot out, spiraling all around and knocking any Commandos away from him.
[ARMOR TIME!]
Suddenly each card became a grey holographic placeholder of the full Armor Time, each placeholder having a piece of the full armor as a result. The grey holograms all slid together onto Sougo, combining each of their armor pieces into a new more extensive armor.
[KAMEN RIDE! WOW! DECADE! DECADE! DE~CADE!]
The armor had drastically changed his bodysuit, it being primarily black but with pink-like magenta that went down his sides, his watch strap still present. Though it was hard to tell what else had changed as he gained silver armor with magenta detailing and accents, making it a lot thicker in the body portion than prior Armor Times.
He now had bulkier chest armor, bar-like strips on the front of his shoulders, one constant one from his left shoulder to his chest slanting downwards slightly. On his right shoulder bar it held 'Decade' in Katakana. The left and center bars held a barcode on it. The face was unique, having a screen instead of the normal visor, the screen displaying a magenta face with black vertical bars, green katakana also showcasing the name 'Decade'.
"Whoa," Sougo looked himself over, surprised at such an extensive Armor Time. He quickly blocked a punch before punching a Commando away.
"REJOICE!" Woz called out from where he was with Tsukasa. "He is heir to the power of all Riders! The ruler of time, traveling beyond time and space to reign over past and future… His name is Kamen Rider Zi-O: Decade Armor!"
"Who are you even talking to…?" Tsukasa questioned.
Woz could only clear his throat and look back towards the battle, clearly annoyed that Tsukasa didn't care for his speeches.
"Whoa, okay that's cool," Ruby was impressed by the new form to say the least before she shook her head. "Geiz, let's try working together, Faiz and Kaixa." She suggested as she ducked underneath a swing from the Superior before loading up her Kaixa Watch.
"Sounds fine by me," Geiz said as he loaded up his Faiz Watch.
[COMPLETE! FAIZ!]
[KAIXA! WEAPON TIME! KAIXA BLAYGUN!]
Ruby pulled back the hammer of her weapon as Geiz's Armor Time formed. She then began firing powered up blasts to force the Superior back. It wasn't long before Geiz rushed in, bringing out his Faiz Shot and slamming it into the Superior's chest.
"I think we can do this," Ruby cheered.
"Get your own catchphrase, I don't need the two of you parroting each other," Geiz remarked, it was bad enough Sougo used it frequently, he didn't need Ruby doing it too.
"Wait, that's my catchphrase?" Sougo asked the two before blocking another Commando and kicking it away. He then punched two more away before summoning a new weapon from his Driver.
[RIDEHEISABER!]
Sougo's new weapon, the RideHeisaber was an interesting looking weapon, as the base of the blade and hilt were watch straps, with a watch-like center acting as the guard. At the center there was a clock hand dial while there was also a gold Ridewatch slot. Finally there was a pink blade rimming around the outside edge of the base of the blade.
Using his new weapon he began to cut through more of the Ganma Commandos, easily breaking through their ranks and slicing through most of them. When he had more breathing room he suddenly realized why the Decade Watch looked weird.
"I can use another Watch…?" Sougo questioned before taking out Ryuki's Watch. "Then I'll use this one!"
[FINAL FORM TIME: RY-RY-RY-RYUKI!]
Suddenly the Katakana name on the right shoulder and barcode shot out, switching to 'Ryuki', and 'Survive' respectively. As the new lettering locked into place Sougo's form shimmered and shifted.
The only thing that remained was his upper armor, helmet, and the watch strap that went down his body. His body was now a Ryuki styled bodysuit, having red armor with gold accents on his shins and forearms. His helmet's display began spinning, showcasing several other forms of Riders before stopping on Ryuki. It displayed a more detailed and elegant version of Ryuki's helmet.
Adding to the new detail, Sougo's left hand was now armed with an enhanced version of the Dragvisor, the Dragvisorzwei, it being a dragreder-like shaped gun with a blade sticking out of its nose.
Woz classified this as a new form and cleared his throat. "REJOICE, he is heir to all-"
"That's enough," Tsukasa snatched Woz's book away from him and closed it before handing it back. He gave a small smirk of satisfaction when he found he had shut Woz up.
Sougo gave a yell as he began using both blades to slice and cut through the remaining Commandos that were in the area, leaving only the Superior and Another Ghost left. He rushed in, slashing at the Another Rider who began to dodge before getting into a clash with him.
"We're bringing you back to Mika!" Sougo declared as he tried to push forward.
Another Ghost however forced the Rider's weapons away before slamming his palms into the Riders chest. He then backed up before gathering his energy, soon summoning the souls he had absorbed and using them to power his body.
Sougo winced before quickly blocking and moving back, losing Ryuki's weapon in the process. He gasped further as Another Ghost managed to get a few strikes and smacks in to force him further back.
"No choice…" Sougo said, instinctively turning the dial, it announcing a Heisei's Rider's name starting from Build and going backwards.
[HEY! EX-AID!]
Sougo quickly raised his sword, blocking against Another Ghost who grabbed onto the blade to try and rip it away.
[EX-AID! DUAL TIME BREAK!]
Sougo unleashed a burst of colorful energy from the blade, managing to force Another Ghost to let go. He then began slashing at Another Ghost.
'Hit!'
'Combo!'
'Great!'
Another Ghost gasped out as the hit markers appeared while he was slashed, being sent tumbling back. Despite this he didn't give up, getting up and moving back towards Sougo.
[HEY! DRIVE!]
[DRIVE! DUAL TIME BREAK!]
Sougo began slashing forward, sending a fire filled orange tire, a green spiked tire, and a purple shuriken tire with each slash.
Another Ghost dodged the fire filled tire only to get slammed into by the spiked tire, it releasing spikes as it hit. The fire tire had bounced back, hitting him again while the shuriken tire split into multiple of itself and hit him. Sparks flew as he tumbled backwards.
[FINAL FORM TIME: GHO-GHO-GHO-GHOST!]
The lettering on his chest and shoulders now changed to 'Ghost' and 'Grateful' as his lower body and helmet screen changed. He had a black more armored version of Ghost's armor with the same bone-like detailing in gold. However all over were various plates that held the visors used for the various luminary forms Ghost would use.
The helmet on screen shifted to a black mask with bright round golden yellow eyes. There was gold rimming and a multi-colored crest-like crown on the top. Sougo looked himself over before giving a nod and rushing forward.
Tsukasa could only watch with a face of curiosity, though he glanced at Ruby and Geiz's battle more often.
Woz seemed to be pleased but there was one question bothering him. "Why does he have your watch?"
"Well…" Tsukasa started as he stood up to head off, figuring it was time to wrap things up. "It wouldn't be any fun if he couldn't put up a fight, now would it?"
Both Geiz and Ruby seemed to be having an easier time against the Superior, especially with the lack of Commandos around. While her weapon did have a blade, she focused on providing heavy cover fire for Geiz, landing her marks against the Superior while Geiz moved in for his heavy punches.
The Ganma Superior gave a yell as it gathered energy in its hands, slamming them into the ground. The energy traveled to where Ruby and Geiz were, exploding in front of them and sending them tumbling. The two coughed as they picked themselves back up.
"You ready to finish before he keeps it up?" Ruby asked.
"We'll do it together," Geiz nodded.
[READY!]
[READY! POINTER ON!]
Geiz readied his Faiz pointer while Ruby extended the blade on her Blaygun, the two using their belts to initiate the finishers.
[FINISH TIME!]
[EXCEED TIME BLAST/BURST!]
Ruby struck first, shooting a yellow shot that formed a yellow energy net around the Superior, stunning it. Geiz jumped up next, his pointer shooting out and forming the signature energy drill.
Ruby then drew her arm back as a yellow cross-like shape formed in front of her.
Geiz kicked out, entering the energy cone, the drill spinning and digging into the Superior. Ruby wasn't long after, entering the energy cross and slammed straight into the Superior. The two exited the Ganma in a flash of red and yellow, landing behind it before it exploded.
"There we go," Ruby held her hand up to Geiz.
"We've still got a fight going on," Geiz noted as he turned away, looking towards Sougo's fight.
"Spoilsport…" Ruby sighed as she lowered her hand before looking over at Sougo's fight.
Sougo had managed to push his advantage, with his enhanced Ghost form he was able to do more damage than normal.
Another Ghost didn't take this lying down however, unleashing a flurry of energy blasts to force Sougo back.
"I need something to get past those…" Sougo hissed out before noticing part of his arm glowing, the frame with two purple rifles crossed. Suddenly a flash of purple shot out forming a regal purple sleeveless Parka Ghost.
A black blank transient body soon formed, only having the Ghost symbol on its chest as the Parka Ghost latched on, purple thin eyes flashing on the face.
"I have seen your strength of will and determination," The physically formed spirit called out with crossed arms. "I, Nobunaga, shall assist you in your battle!"
Sougo stared in shock before sputtering out, "N-Nobunaga?!"
"It is I," Nobunaga gave a nod.
"W-Whoa, this is incredible!" Sougo managed to get out, "THE Nobunaga?! I didn't know that you fought alongside Riders!"
"I have," Nobunaga answered before he summoned a blue rifle with a closed hand at the end, the Gan Gun Hand. He then took aim before multiple spectral copies of the weapon formed around him and Sougo. With one press of the trigger, all of them launched out energy blasts that hurtled towards Another Ghost.
Another Ghost growled out, sending his own wave of energy blasts to cancel them out. A series of explosions filled the sky before several more blasts suddenly shot through the smoke, snaking forward and slamming into the Another Rider. Another Ghost yelled out as he was slammed into the ground.
"Now while you have your chance," Nobunaga called out. "Save this man!"
"R-Right," Sougo gave a nod before giving a bow. "Thank you Nobunaga Sir!" He called before rushing forward, the luminary spirit fading away.
[FINISH TIME!]
"I'm gonna try letting my life burn bright!" Sougo called out after slotting the Decade Watch in, putting his own spin on Takeru's phrase. He then began turning the clock hand all the way around several times.
[HEY! KAMEN RIDERS!]
Sougo reeled back his sword and got in a stance while Another Ghost barely was able to get up after the assault from Nobunaga.
[HEI! SEI! HEI! SEI! HEI! SEI! HEI! SEI! HE-HE-HEI!]
As the standby rung out and Sougo prepared himself, Another Ghost began to stumble towards him.
[D-D-D-DECADE! HEISEI RIDERS ULTIMATE TIME BREAK!]
Cards projecting the various Rider Symbols appeared on both sides of Another Ghost, Sougo yelling out and slashing through the Another Rider and the cards with a horizontal swing towards the left. More cards formed horizontally as Sougo swung to the right, a colorful slash of energy cutting through further as the last set of cards formed above.
"Take this!" Sougo yelled as he slashed downwards, unleashing a powerful slash of energy that cut through the cards and sliced through Another Ghost.
The Another Rider yelled out while falling to the ground as explosions occurred around him. The monstrous transformation broke as Makimura was freed, falling onto his stomach with a thud. The Another Ghost Watch fell to the side, crackling with electricity before shattering.
With Another Ghost defeated, Sougo could feel a pulse going through him. His transformation disappeared before he vanished, all of his equipment dropping where he once stood.
"Ruby what the hell happened?" Geiz questioned.
"Oh right, so they had this special powder that made Sougo not only visible but corporeal!" Ruby explained as she hurried over to retrieve the equipment. "So that's how he was able to fight, and given Sougo got ghosted in 2018… well, of course he'd vanish since Another Ghost didn't get past this year."
"Right…" Geiz said dismissing his transformation and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Things can't get any crazier."
Sougo soon woke up, a bit surprised but relieved to be back in his own body.
"Thank goodness," Tsukuyomi breathed a sigh of relief. "You must have beaten Another Ghost."
Sougo could only give a nod, "Yeah."
"Well, how's it feel to be back in your own body?" Takeru asked.
"I'm super hungry now…" Sougo gave a bit of an embarrassed smile.
"I know, right?!" Takeru smiled, knowing that exact feeling.
"Ah, perfect timing!" Onari called out as he came down with a few onigiri, "Please have these before you go home."
"Ah, sounds good!" Sougo agreed before clasping his hands together. "Thank you very much."
"All's well that ends well," Akari remarked off to the side with Edith.
"Yep, thanks to yours truly, the day is saved!" Edith grinned as he pointed towards himself.
"All you did was call Akari though," Tsukuyomi turned to face the elder. "She's the one who used the Shiranui."
Akari couldn't help but smirk, "She's right you know."
"Ah, but if I didn't call her then where would we be?" Edith reminded.
"Someone else would have called," Tsukuyomi sighed, wondering how Takeru was even able to put up with this old man for a year.
Geiz and Ruby had immediately returned to 9-5-DO, asking Tsukuyomi to take care of bringing Sougo home. After they arrived though there was a tension building once dinner time was under way due to a new guest. Junichiro had a bit of a concerned face regarding the situation.
"I'm back!" Sougo called.
Junichiro glanced towards the front, before hurrying over nervously, "W-Welcome back!"
"Uncle, I'm starving!" Sougo announced, despite the onigiri he was still raring to go for more food.
"Oh, are you?" Junichiro asked a bit nervously before continuing. "The thing is… someone's here to see you. And actually, well, he ate your dinner…"
"Huh?" Sougo's face immediately dropped at that.
"I'll make some more!" Junichiro quickly called out before rushing over to the kitchen.
"Hey, wait…" Sougo could only enter the dining room in confusion and a bit of disappointment before witnessing the sight before him.
Geiz and Ruby were at their usual places, but they were currently staring at Tsukasa who was sitting down casually just fully eating and finishing one of the plates in front of him.
"And you are…?" Sougo asked.
"Mmm, mmm," Tsukasa couldn't help but be satisfied by the meal, putting his utensils down as he looked up. "Tsukasa Kadoya." He stood before taking a picture of Sougo, "Just a passing through Kamen Rider."
Geiz immediately got up only for Ruby to grab Geiz' arm and keep him in place. While she was wary about Tsukasa just entering their home, she was not about to let Geiz get too crazy.
"Thanks for the meal, it was awesome." Tsukasa told Junichiro before starting to head out, patting Geiz on the shoulder while he was at it. He then turned and took his leave.
"Oh, I'm glad you liked it! Come by again!" Junichiro thanked the compliment though also had to point out, "Except we're a clock shop…"
"Hey, wait…" Sougo called out as he and the others hurried after Tsukasa who was nearing the front doors. "Didn't you come to see me?"
"Yeah, that's right." Tsukasa reminded himself as he turned. "You want to be king, is that right?" He looked at Sougo who gave a nod. He then waltzed back over to the young Rider. "Well, forget it, because I'm here to destroy this world."
"Wait, I thought you gave me the Ridewatch because I managed to convince you he'd be fine," Ruby spoke up.
"I gave you that watch because you impressed me," Tsukasa answered. "Whether it was your fighting skill or your conviction well… that's for only me to know at the moment." He said before turning and leaving.
Woz meanwhile smiled, having been watching the whole conversation from the stairs without being noticed. He then walked up silently, going over to Ruby's room and entering it. He looked around at all the pictures and information of the Heisei Rider's that Ruby had gathered that were plastered on the walls.
"Even if they make alterations to the record of time, the arrival of Tsukasa Kodaya causes the sands of time to fall fervently." Woz told himself. "Indeed, while only few things have gotten back on track, I am still confident in my Overlord's success."
"Are you now?"
"Well perhaps a test is in order if you have that much faith."
Woz's eyes widened as he turned towards the doorway, the shadows of the room obscuring two figures before him, though their most recognizable feature was their clothes. They were wearing clothes similar to him but with their own styling.
"You two…" Woz's eyes widened.
"Time is running short."
"It is time to see if he is even ready to take on this responsibility."
Woz's eyes narrowed, "Very well then."
To Be Continued…
Next Time:
"Zi-O's in 2068?"
"Are you really going to stop Zi-O?"
"He's with Oma Zi-O?!"
"I was going to become a good overlord!"
"Why…"
"And you shall!"
"Why did you take me from my home?!"
Chapter 20: Return To 2068
Author's Note: Honestly it was real fun to write this chapter despite utilizing a lot of the groundwork from the Ghost and Decade plot. But this was around the time I felt Zi-O was starting to find its footing with the tribute plots. So I figured I'd go for the modification route on this one, especially since I do have plans to revisit Ghost in the future, don't you worry about that.
But it's time for the final two chapters of the first Arc for Roze of Remnant, it's been a long time coming but we're finally here! I do hope you enjoyed the appearance by two of the Quartzer's from Over Quartzer by the way. When I said I was using everything Zi-O I mean everything, which is why it's time to introduce them given what shows up next time. Of course even with my proclamations I will state this immediately. SOUGO and the entire twist with him are not going to be in this story. He is one of the few characters and plot ideas that were removed entirely from this story as a result.
Anyway this section isn't done just yet because we have…
Special Announcement:
Originally Chapter's 20 and 21 were supposed to be later in July, but have been scheduled to start earlier. Chapter 20 is now coming out on July 3rd while Chapter 21 is coming out July 17th. July 31st will see the release of a Special Chapter. The Special Chapter is… a Behind the Scenes on Roze from Remnant! Because of all the support that's been happening I figured I'd show you all how this all started and give some fun trivia on various tribute chapters too. The reason I'm announcing it right now too is because I want to do another community interaction like with the 'Ruby's Birthday Present' suggestions.
While I will be doing a ton of explaining, I might not end up explaining anything you all might be wondering about. So if you have any questions about Roze from Remnant's First Arc, feel free to ask them. You're even allowed to ask multiple questions, though some may end up cut depending on if I end up getting a lot. Whether the questions are about why I didn't do this, or why I did this, my mindset etc, I don't mind. Your questions can even include ones about the upcoming two chapters. So if you want to wait a bit and see what happens in the next two parts, you can before asking. The deadline for questions is going to be the 24th of July. The only rule I will set is I'll only be talking about the prior chapters only, not any speculation on future chapters.
But anyway that's my announcement and I won't take up much more of your time, I'll see you next month for Chapters 20 and 21.