It was a beautiful day in the Metaverse, and Beatrice and Virgilia were having tea together in the gazebo of the former's garden. As the two witches chatted, Ronove came with an envelope.
"This came for you, Beatrice-sama," Ronove said as he handed her the envelope. The Golden Witch took it and tore it open to reveal what was inside and smiled. It was an invitation to the Royal Genovian Wedding.
"Ah, a wedding invitation. Things sure have changed, haven't they?" Beatrice questioned, putting the invitation down on the table. "Not too long ago, Satan was just a bundle of rage, as befitting her title, but now she's grown into a fine and calm young lady. One who's soon to be married no less."
"Love tempered her rage," Virgilia stated. "It only took her finding the right man who could match her passion."
"Love and motherhood," Beatrice added. "She has mellowed out significantly from raising her child. Her son is such a lovely little boy and he really livens up the place."
"And you spoil him far too much," Virgilia pointed out.
"Well, he is my grandson. I am just playing the role of the doting grandmother," Beatrice reasoned.
"I am still surprised that Satan is willing to share," Virgilia stated.
"I am as well, but you can't argue with the results," Beatrice responded, smiling warmly. She simply adored her grandson Hiroyuki and she knew he would one day grow into a fine and strong young man. "Satan will make a lovely bride."
"You seem to have changed as well, Beatrice," Virgilia observed.
"How so?" Beatrice responded, curiously.
"You aren't nearly as arrogant as you used to be for one. And you used to see your Furniture as servants but the Stakes are more like your daughters, aren't they?"
"As I created them, I am practically their mother and they are always my daughters," Beatrice claimed proudly. "And since Hiro is my grandson, once he's old enough, he shall be my apprentice. Speaking of apprentices, how is yours doing? How is her progress thus far?"
"Her control has improved but she has yet to develop any new spells," Virgilia answered. "But her power has grown significantly."
"Good, I look forward to another duel once she has created an arsenal of new spells. I want to see what else she can come up with," Beatrice said as she had a desire for a rematch with the new Witch of Chaos.
"Do not underestimate her just because she's young, Beatrice," Virgilia warned. "Remember what happened that one time you underestimated someone."
"I do. I found my equal, fell in love and got married."
"You cheeky girl."
The brides decided to take a break from all the wedding preparations to have some drinks. Shawna had ordered a servant to fetch them a bottle of wine from the cellar. It was a very good vintage and they were already starting to become tipsy. This made their lips loose.
"Sir Shinichi took me to see the sights of Tokyo until he finally took me to Tokyo Tower," Shawna recounted her tale. "I could see the whole city from there."
"Sounds like a wonderful first date," Lum admired.
"Hm, now that I think about it, I guess that was our first date," Shawna realized before her smile turned into a frown. "But then the Dark Hatred Society appeared and ruined it."
"Bad guys have the worst timing. They suck."
"Indeed, they do suck!"
"Well, this isn't a first date story," Rena offered. "But it's still a special one. It was a date to commemorate the anniversary of the day we met."
"Oh, how romantic~!" Lum squealed.
"He even took me flying at the end of our date, but then it got interrupted," Rena frowned unhappily at the memory of Bomber attacking them before she turned that frown upside down. "However, even though the date ended up like that, it was still a magical night."
"So, where did Shinichi take you on your first date?" Satan asked Lum.
"Our first date?" Lum responded with a shudder, paling at the memory. "He took me to a horror-themed amusement park called 'Illbleed'."
"A horror-themed amusement park?" Tsukuyomi questioned. "How did it go?"
"I...don't wanna talk about it," Lum deflected. She had nightmares after that night but she and her darling had grown closer from the experience. "So, how did you all fall in love with Darling?" She had only known Shinichi for a few months but she had fallen for the cyborg as soon as he had come to her rescue. It has been love at first sight.
"When I met Shin-kun years ago," Rena began. "It was a dark and stormy night and I was coming home when I found him lying in the middle of the road. He was hurt and so I decided to take him back home."
"Weren't you worried that he might be dangerous?" Lum asked.
"Oh, no. He just looked so cute that I had to take him home!" Rena squealed. "I started falling for him because of how selfless he is and how he would always fight to protect us."
"For me, it was love at first sight when he heroically rescued me," Lum admitted.
"He rescued me as well. When I came to visit Japan for the first time, Sir Shinichi saved me from a monster," Shawna said with a smile. "He just came out of nowhere and slew the beast only to collapse afterwards. Against my bodyguards' wishes, I took him back to my hotel to nurse him back to health. After that, I began to develop feelings for him."
"And what about you, Moon Girl? When did he steal your heart?" Lum asked.
"I was always watching him from afar, especially after my sister started to show interest in his half-brother, Alan Smith," Tsukuyomi began. "What really attracted me to him was his warrior's spirit. He's someone who would face death fearlessly and willing to fight to the bitter end. At first, our relationship basically boiled down to friends-with-benefits. We'd have sex with no emotional strings attached."
"Sounds dumb," Lum frowned. "Sex is better when you have feelings for each other."
"Hear, hear," Satan agreed. As hot, rough and passionate as their sex was, it paled in comparison to the love they shared.
"Everything Shin-kun knows about sex, he learned from his mother," Rena said. "She even taught us a few things."
"Whether we wanted to or not," Satan shuddered. It had been an awkward and uncomfortable lesson for her, especially once Shiori got into details and brought out dolls as visual aids.
Lum fondly remembered when Shinichi first introduced her to Shiori. The woman was warmly and motherly but at the same time was so knowledgeable about sex that she could make a porn star blush.
"But then I realized I was developing real feelings for him and I guess I got scared. I wasn't ready for them so I decided to break things off. He seemed to take it well, at least I thought he did," Tsukuyomi sighed. "Then I learned I was pregnant but I still couldn't tell him, not until very recently."
"OK, having sex without love is dumb but denying those feelings and not telling him about your pregnancy was even dumber," Lum criticised.
"I don't need to hear that from you. Onee-sama scolded me enough over that as it is," Tsukuyomi snapped. "But you're right, that was foolish of me but our feelings were also a reason why my sister and I demoted ourselves into demigoddesses. My sister did not seem to mind. In fact, she was just happy to be with the one she loves. I took a bit longer to adjust to the change, however."
"It must've been a difficult sacrifice," Shawna said sympathetically.
"It was but I don't regret it one bit, especially what I gained from it," Tsukuyomi smiled warmly, remembering when she first held her newborn daughter in her arms.
"As for me, I began to develop feelings for him when Yuji-niisama and I helped him to hunt Gebok down. Back then, I found his desire for revenge to be attractive. But it was also self-destructive. We knew we couldn't stop him so we decided to help him while keeping an eye on him."
"Thank you for taking care of him," Rena said appreciatively, causing Satan to blush.
"Don't mention it." Satan did regret not being able to prevent Shinichi from having his limbs torn off. Letting him go off alone had been a mistake.
"Who's Gebok?" Lum asked and they all looked at her silently. "Was it something I said?"
"So, he didn't tell you about Gebok," Satan frowned thoughtfully. "How much has Shinichi told you about his past?"
"He told me that when he was a child, he was kidnapped by an evil organisation that made him into a cyborg and that he managed to escape ten years later," Lum answered. "Was there more?"
"Oh, so he didn't tell you all the nitty-gritty details then," Satan realized.
"What am I missing?" Lum questioned.
"Gebok was the man who kidnapped him and made him into a cyborg weapon," Satan answered. "He was also the closest thing he had to a father growing up and he was complete scum."
"He made Shin-kun do terrible things," Rena continued, looking sadly at her glass of wine. "It was so bad that Shin-kun just wanted to forget all of it and he succeeded. When I first met him, he had amnesia and for the first time in his life, he was free of all his burdens. He could just be a kid, go to school, make friends and have fun. Unfortunately, his past caught up with him and so did his memories. It was enough to make Shin-kun hate himself for a while."
"Darling hated himself?" Lum questioned, surprised.
"Yes, he did, and he's been trying to atone ever since. But he's long since decided that his past doesn't matter anymore and that he just wants to move on," Rena assured her.
"I see..." Lum understood why Shinichi would not tell her. He just hated what he used to be and just wanted to move on from his past. She would need to have a talk about it with him later if she could find a way to bring the subject up organically. Now, she needed to lift the mood in the room. "You know, hearing about how you all fell for him, makes me even gladder that I did too. If my parents were here, they'd demand that he earned my hand in marriage."
"And how would he do that?" Satan questioned.
"Oh, my people call it 'The Chase'," Lum answered with a grin. "During The Chase, I would run into the forest and my suitor would try to catch me. I will do everything I can to escape him and he must do everything he can to claim me."
"Wait, if you want to be married, can't you just let him catch you?" Tsukuyomi pointed out.
"Oh, I can't just let him catch me. That would be bad luck," Lum said firmly. "And when he does catch me, he may claim me and make love to me in the middle of the forest."
"Oh, my," Shawna blushed. "That sounds so primal."
"My people are very close to nature. It's only natural," Lum shrugged. "Then after The Chase, we'd have a feast."
"Ms. Lum, do you mind if I asked you something personal?" Shawna asked.
"Sure, what is it?" Lum questioned.
"Don't you miss your home?"
"Oh..." Lum frowned as she put down her glass of wine and sighed sadly. "I do. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about it, but..."
"But what?" Shawna pressed.
"But my planet is pretty much gone," Lum confessed with a depressed expression, earning shocked looks from her fellow brides. "It was destroyed by invaders. My planet was left burning and I pretty much lost everyone I ever knew. My family and I tried to escape but the invaders caught up with us. My parents urged me to escape without them while trying to hold them off. And now..." Lum had tears forming in her eyes. "Now, they're gone. So, there's pretty much nothing for me to go back to now."
"I'm so sorry, Ms. Lum," Shawna sympathetically said as she hugged the woman.
"Maybe not all is lost. If you managed to escape, then they probably did too," Tsukuyomi said hopefully. "And I believe they'll be happy to know their daughter has found herself a husband."
"Ah, of course," Lum smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Shiori-san actually sent us something to help with the wedding night," Rena said as she held a book. "She says it can help maximise pleasure for all parties involved."
"Gimme!" Lum made a grab for it and the brides decided to play keep-away with her by tossing the book around.
Amaterasu decided to go check on her children. As she entered the nursery, she found the pink-haired bakeneko rocking Kaguya to sleep. Momoko (Momoneko) had originally been one of Shiro's Bakeneko Kunoichi but she had since turned over a new leaf. After Shiro's death, she decided to dedicate herself to caring for children. As a nanny, her main job was to look after the royal twins but she was willing to look after the guest's children as well.
"Oh, good afternoon, Amaterasu-sama," greeted Momoko.
"Good afternoon," replied Amaterasu. "Just here to check on my little ones."
"Toshiro was quite easy to put down for his nap, but Taiyoko was fighting me the whole time."
"She does the same to me," chuckled Amaterasu. "Alan seems to be the only one that can get her to go to sleep with no problem." She stroked her daughter's cheek as she slept beside her brother while they shared a cradle. Both children were slightly tanned; Toshiro had short, neatly trimmed white hair, while his twin sister had brilliant blonde hair that was slightly longer. "My sweet child is just daddy's little girl."
"So, this wedding sounds like it will be the event of the century," Momoko remarked.
"Yes, I'm happy for my sister, like when she gave birth," Amaterasu smiled.
"You know, I've always wanted a lot of children," Momoko admitted, smiling sadly. "I imagine this is what motherhood might feel like."
"I'm sorry, but weren't you in love with Shiro Juuyon?" Amaterasu asked. She did not want to speak ill of the dead, but he had been a monster.
"I know what you all think of him and I admit he did terrible things, but I loved him with all my heart. It's just unfortunate that it was not enough to make him choose a different path. It still hurts when I think about him and every time I see Shinichi, all I see is Juuyon-sama's face."
"If you could see him again, what would you say to him?"
"Honestly, I would ask him if it was all worth it."
Showa Chronicles: Road to Annihilation
Act II: The Girl Marked With D
Shinichi was in his room and trying on his tuxedo while looking at himself in the mirror when Gokuaku appeared in spirit form beside him.
"I still say you should put on a tiger skin loincloth," Gokuaku suggested.
"Gokuaku..." Shinichi sighed before Yabuki appeared next.
"A tiger skin loincloth? Really?" Yabuki snarked at Gokuaku. "Not only would that be in bad taste, but it would also be wholly inappropriate."
"Thank you, Yabuki," Shinichi smiled as he fixed his bowtie. He was glad someone was reasonable.
"But if I may interject, you should consider wearing a kimono for the ceremony," Yabuki offered.
"Thank you, Yabuki," Shinichi sighed.
"All I'm saying, this is your special day so you should put in some effort extra and wear something extravagant. It's not often you get married to five lovely brides at the same time," Yabuki explained. "And doesn't your princess love Japanese culture? She would love to see you in a wedding kimono."
"Shawna would marry me in full samurai armour but we already agreed on appropriate attire."
"I still say you should let Lum wear the bikini," Gokuaku suggested.
"Yeah, I would love that too but we want things to be appropriate for the ceremony and I doubt Shawna-chan would appreciate Lum walking down the aisle half-naked," Shinichi said with a smirk. "Besides, she showed me a picture of the sexy lingerie she's gonna wear for our wedding night."
"You are one lucky fellow and you will give them the best night of their lives. Your stamina is amazing, lad!" St. George praised as he appeared.
"Guys, as much as I want to talk to you right now, I really need to make sure that this tuxedo looks good, OK?" Shinichi said, annoyed. "So, could you please not be here, right now?"
"That's hard to do, to be honest," Zennin said as he quietly appeared. "We live inside your head and therefore always around."
"I know, I know. I realized how stupid that sounded once I said it. Look, I'll pop in later and we can have a party to celebrate my upcoming wedding. In the meantime, can you just leave me alone? Please?"
"Who are you talking to?" King Edward asked as he entered Shinichi's room.
"Oh, Your Majesty," Shinichi bowed. "Sorry, I was just thinking out loud."
"Shinichi, you're part of the family. Just call me 'Edward'," King Edward smiled as he approached his future son-in-law. "Don't you look handsome."
"Thanks," Shinichi said. "I was just trying it on to make sure it fits. The wedding is going to be in a week, you know."
"Let me guess, you're nervous," King Edward deduced.
"Yeah, which is weird. I wasn't this nervous when I got married to Rena-chan." He remembered feeling nervous but his anxiety faded away as soon as he saw Rena in her dress.
"Perhaps you are intimidated by the extravagance of this whole ceremony," King Edward suggested. "It will be a grand spectacle with so many guests and reporters."
"I'm sorry, did you say reporters are going to be at the ceremony?" Shinichi asked as he raised his eyebrows.
"Yes, this is a royal wedding, after all."
"Isn't that a bit too public?"
"We're royalty. We're always in the public's eye."
"Fantastic," Shinichi muttered sarcastically.
"Look, son. It will be fine. Trust me. When you're at the altar, nothing else will matter but you and your brides as you receive your vows and are married under the eyes of the Goddess Genovia."
"Thanks." Shinichi appreciated King Edward's words as they helped to erase some of his stress and anxiety.
"And as this will be a special day for you and my daughter, there's something I wanted to give you," King Edward opened the wooden chest he had brought with him to reveal a crown.
"Is that a crown?" Shinichi asked as King Edward put the chest down on the nearby dressing table so he could pick up the crown and present it to his future son-in-law.
"This is the crown I wore when I married Shawna's mother and now it is yours to wear when you marry my daughter," King Edward said as he gently put the crown on Shinichi's head. "How does it fit?"
"It fits nicely," Shinichi smiled as he adjusted it and looked at himself in the mirror. "Thank you, Edward."
"My daughter has had a lot of suitors before she met you. You may not have been royalty or of noble blood, but you have a noble heart and you did what many before you failed to do: you won her heart. And since then you've proven yourself a true hero who is worthy to be king."
"A real rags to riches story, am I right?" Shinichi joked.
"Indeed," King Edward agreed. "Now, you'll also be required to wear a cape for the ceremony. I have a few you can try out."
"Will I be expected to wear a full suit of armour too?" Shinichi asked.
"Well, it used to be tradition until we stopped doing that. Armour is really hard to take off for the wedding night. By the time the groom has taken off all of his armour, he's exhausted," King Edward joked.
"Your Majesty! Sir Shinichi!" Chris shouted as he suddenly came barging into the room, looking frantic. He was normally so calm and collected. Something must have spooked him.
"What is it, Chris?" King Edward asked, concerned.
"Sir Shinichi, we need you! There's a dragon attacking us!" Chris alerted him.
"Seriously, a dragon?" Shinichi asked as he peered out the window and saw the rampaging reptilian beast. He could also hear the panic and screaming coming from the Genovians thanks to his enhanced hearing. "OK, I'll take care of this." He returned the crown to King Edward.
"I think you may need to get changed," King Edward pointed out. Shinichi paused as he saw what he was wearing. If he went out to fight the dragon, he could ruin the tux.
"Right, I almost forgot." He pressed a button on his watch and black fabric spread from his wrist to encase his body until it formed his ARMOR uniform. It was a two-piece suit, made up of a black jacket that was zipped up to his neck and matching pants. Black shoulder pads were pinned to his shoulder and he wore matching green gloves and boots. Stamped on his right shoulder pad was the number 13, while ARMOR's emblem, which was the planet Earth with a stylized 'A' over it, marked his left shoulder pad. Finally, his signature white scarf hung from his neck. "OK, now I'm dressed to slay."
The dragon roared as it sent Genovians fleeing for their lives when Shinichi suddenly appeared in a burst of blue feathers and kicked it right in the face. The dragon recoiled from the blow as Shinichi hovered in front of it with his wings.
"OK, dragon! I'm sorry to have to tell you this but this is a no-dragon zone! So why don't you get the hell out of here before I make you into a purse and a new pair of boots!" Shinichi threatened, wielding Ascalon.
"That's right! You tell him, lad!" St. George praised.
The dragon huffed and breathed fire at Shinichi. He quickly summoned the Shield of Glen and generated a force field to protect him from the blast. The dragon ceased its attack and raised its claw, bringing it down to smash Shinichi to the ground. He made a crater on impact as his force field fizzled out but he was otherwise fine.
The dragon roared victoriously, spread its wings, and took off into the air, leaving Shinichi to lie in his crater in defeat. Shinichi stood up, dusted himself off and looked at the people who were now watching him.
"You can relax now, everyone. The dragon is gone," Shinichi assured them. "You are all safe now."
"I think you'll need to slay this beast," St. George suggested. "It may return when you're not around to deal with it."
"Damn it," Shinichi grumbled. "I hate it when you're right." He addressed the crowd again. "But you won't have to fear if it returns again for I will slay it!" They cheered as he took off and flew after the dragon to take care of it.
The dragon was fast but Shinichi managed to catch up with it as it led him onto an open field before it landed. Shinichi touched down as well, tucking in his wings before he faced the dragon.
"Alright, let's do this," Shinichi decided. He planned to knock the dragon out and let ARMOR take care of it. Maybe set it free in a world with dragons. He would not have to spill dragon blood then, The dragon snarled before it faded away like a ghost. Shinichi was perplexed as the dragon vanished into thin air. "OK, where'd the dragon go?"
"It must've been a ghost dragon," Yabuki suggested.
"No, I don't think so. It had mass and those flames felt real. This is...this is something else." All of a sudden, Shinichi heard a hum and a domed energy barrier rose up around him, trapping him inside. "Dammit, this was a trap!"
A flicker of energy flashed before him before a figure appeared in front of him, a young woman. "Yes, this is a trap," she confirmed. She wore a white gakuran with a matching skirt, the letter 'D' on her left shoulder and right breast pocket and black thigh-high boots. Under the open jacket, she wore a black hoodie. The hood was pulled up, covering her face in its shadow. Only her shimmering blue eyes were visible and they looked like a doll's eyes, shining yet soulless.
"Who are you?" Shinichi demanded.
"I am the one who trapped you here."
"I can see that. I'm asking for your name."
"I am Weapon D."
"Well, Weapon D, if you think you can trap me like this, then you probably don't know what I'm capable of. So, I'm gonna go now. I have a wedding to prepare for." Shinichi got ready to warp out of the dome but failed and then he tried to make a portal but it fizzled out when he attempted to open one. "That's not good."
"Shinichi, what is happening?" St. George questioned.
"I can't warp or make portals!" Shinichi yelled. This was just like what happened when he fought ReVenge before. Talk about deja vu.
"The EMP field has created interference, preventing you from accessing your powers," D explained.
"But I was born with my powers," Shinichi argued.
"Yes, but your temporal powers are so closely tied to your cybernetic systems that causing any interference to them now prevents you from accessing them," Kuro explained.
"But isn't an EMP supposed to shut down my cybernetics? Why am I not completely frozen?" Shinichi questioned.
"It seems you were designed to have some resistance to EMPs. While this field does not appear to be strong enough to shut you down, your power has still been cut significantly and you won't be able to transform. Conclusion: That also means your resistance is futile and that my victory is assured."
"Oh, yeah? You think some weak-ass EMP field can stop me from transforming? Watch this!" Shinichi attempted to summon his Spark Core but it did not come out. "OK, I swear this has never happened to me before."
"As I said before: resistance is futile and my victory is assured," D repeated.
"Why don't you prove it?" Shinichi challenged as he got into a boxing stance. "You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?"
"Why would I walk?" D replied as she cocked her head. "I am here to destroy you." Shinichi raised an eyebrow as he wondered if she had made a joke or if she did not understand metaphors. "Begin Operation: Subtraction."
Weapon D levitated and threw herself at Shinichi like a harpoon. The cyborg was quick on his feet as he managed to leap out of the way of her flying tackle. She turned her body around and her eyes flashed as she thrust her hands forwards. A wave of telekinesis burst from her palms, tearing the ground apart as it travelled towards Shinichi and blasted him backwards.
D then grabbed the pieces of the ground she had torn apart and began hurling them at Shinichi. As they flew, she reshaped them with her telekinesis to become large spears. Shinichi quickly shattered them with punches and kicks, spreading dirt all around him. He kept his eyes focused on Weapon D and saw her coming straight at him. Once within striking range, she drove her open palm into his guy, causing him to double over before she blasted him across the field with her telekinesis. He crashed, his body dragging across the ground to gouge a trench in its surface before he came to a stop.
"OK, she's stronger than she looks," Shinichi grunted as he picked himself up. Thankfully, he retained his durability.
"She's using psychic power," Kuro informed Shinichi. "And she appears to be well-trained."
"Well, obviously." Even Shinichi could see that.
Weapon D came flying at him to throw a punch but he blocked the blow and countered with a right hook. She ducked underneath his swing and threw an uppercut into his jaw. He recovered quickly to drive his fist into her gut and then he punched her twice in the face before delivering a spinning back kick. She was sent flying but she stopped herself with her telekinesis before she shot toward him again.
She delivered a series of bicycle kicks that Shinichi blocked before he caught her ankle to throw her to the ground. She stopped herself with telekinesis before her face met the ground then pushed herself back up, tearing her leg out of Shinichi's grip to slam her heel into his face. He was thrown back by the kick and then she blasted him with telekinesis again. He went flying but quickly deployed his wings, stopping himself.
The two faced each other again. Shinichi's eyes were narrowed while D's face was blank. During the fight, Weapon D's hood had been blown back, revealing her face. She was a young woman who looked around his age with fair skin and long brown hair that came down to the base of her neck. Waving atop her head of hair was a cowlick. It was her eyes, however, that gave Shinichi pause. She had vibrant blue eyes but they also appeared lifeless, like the eyes of a doll.
Those eyes reminded him of his back when he used to be BLACK 13.
"You are as skilled as your reports say you were, BLACK 13," D said.
"That's not who I am anymore," Shinichi responded, annoyed at being called that name.
"Incorrect. Who we are in the past and who we are in the present are the same," D argued as she analyzed him. "It would appear that I would need to use greater force to eliminate you."
"Throw whatever you want at me, I can handle it," Shinichi cracked his knuckles as he prepared himself for the next assault.
Weapon D's eyes glowed as she stretched her hands apart. A huge arm sprouted out from behind Shinichi and grabbed in its powerful grip. Shinichi gritted his teeth as he struggled to push the hand open, keeping it from squeezing him to death. He started to scream in pain as the pressure increased. Weapon D flicked her wrist and the arm bashed its fist repeatedly against the ground with Shinichi. Each impact caused pain to shoot across Shinichi's body as he spat out blood.
"You must concede. You cannot win," D said.
"Kiss...my...ass!" Shinichi spat. Truthfully, he was in no position to resist as she had him right where she wanted him. He needed a way out but the EMP field was messing with his powers.
"But not our powers," Yabuki reminded.
"Yabuki?" Shinichi whispered back.
"Use our powers."
"If you want to survive, you do what you must," added Zennin.
"Yeah, show this bitch what real power looks like!" Gokuaku exclaimed.
"You have my sword," St. George offered.
"SO TEAR THIS BITCH APART!" Dreigon roared.
The artefact spirits were right. Shinichi may not have access to all his powers and transformation, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Just as the fist threw itself down to smash him again, he twisted his body to vanish like a shadow. The fist crushed the ground, causing rock and dust to fly.
Weapon D realized something was wrong and willed the giant hand to open, revealing nothing. Sensing a hostile approach, she spun around as soon as Shinichi jumped out from her shadow as if it were water and spat out a torrent of dragonfire at her. Weapon D put up her hands as a barrier formed around her, protecting her from the flames as she was pushed back. Weapon D was surprised but she recovered quickly and snuffed the flames out with her telekinesis.
"This should not be possible. The EMP was supposed to suppress your powers," Weapon D stated.
"Then whatever info you have is outdated," Shinichi replied, brandishing the Higurashi no Yaiba.
Weapon D snapped her fingers and energy sparked in her hands before she formed two swords made of brilliant psychic energy. Her eyes flashed as she moved with a sudden burst of speed. Shinichi barely managed to avoid her sword as she aimed for his head. He leaned to the side and she followed up with a swing that he parried. She chose that moment to swing her other sword and he raised his left arm, donning it with the Shield of Glen. Sparks flew as her sword connected with the gauntlet but then she kicked him in the stomach with both her feet, sending him tumbling.
Shinichi had the wind knocked out of him but he recovered quickly. He stood up and made to move forward but stopped in his tracks when a sword dropped down and stabbed him in his foot. He cried out in pain as he gripped the sword that had pinned his foot down and tried to pull it out but then he had a bad feeling and he looked up to see what could have been hundreds of glowing blades floating above his head like the Sword of Damocles.
"...Oh, crapbaskets!" Shinichi cursed as he braced himself.
Weapon D pointed her index finger at Shinichi and then flicked her hand down. The swords came raining down on Shinichi like meteors and he quickly erected a barrier with the Shield of Glen. The barrier blocked the onslaught but cracks began to form on the surface as the swords chipped away at it as they continued to fall on Shinichi. There was simply no end to them until the barrier shattered. Quickly summoning Ascalon, he dual-wielded it with the Higurashi no Yaiba and used his swords to deflect the rain of blades. There were simply too many as a good number broke through his guard and cut into his flesh, spilling blood. As for the fallen blades, they began to pulse and flash rapidly before finally exploding, the flames devouring Shinichi as he let out a scream.
Weapon D remained emotionless as she witnessed what was sure to be her victory. She felt no joy, no satisfaction, merely a sense of completing her objective. However, Professor Kyofu had warned her about BLACK 13's resourcefulness. He had a very annoying habit of surviving things that should kill him.
She waited for the embers to die and the smoke to fade before confirming his death. When she saw a silhouette standing in the smoke, she knew he had survived. More of the smoke faded, giving her a better look at his appearance. Soot covered his skin which had numerous cuts on it as well as burns from the explosion. His hair was a mess and his suit had taken significant damage, the sleeves being tattered most of all.
"It's gonna take more than that to kill me," Shinichi claimed, coughing out smoke as he locked eyes with her.
"Indeed," Weapon D agreed and she tapped the ground with her foot. All of a sudden, a spear sprouted out of the ground and pierced Shinichi's heart. That should kill him for sure. She went to check on his body and saw that it had been replaced with a straw dummy that had a crudely drawn picture of Shinichi's face pinned on its head. Weapon D blinked at this but then her senses alerted her of a threat that was coming right behind her. She spun around and formed a psychic barrier just in the nick of time before Shinichi could strike her with his swords. Pulling his swords back, he kicked her barrier, knocking her back before taking another swing at her. She swiftly dropped the barrier and drove Shinichi back with a telekinetic blast. Shinichi felt his bones rattle as he was shoved backwards but he was able to land on his feet.
"You are resilient," Weapon D observed. "You don't seem to accept death so easily."
"Never say die," Shinichi boasted.
"How did you survive my attack?" she inquired.
"Fuck you, that's how," Shinichi grinned.
"Then perhaps more extreme measures need to be implemented," she decided. Her eyes flashed as she conjured a pack of wolves which she sent to attack Shinichi. They obeyed as they lunged at Shinichi, snapping their jaws onto his limbs. He felt them digging their teeth into him but he was not concerned. His eyes flashed as electricity burst from his body, zapping the wolves. They still kept a tight grip on him with their jaws and he tried zapping them again. They still wouldn't come off. Whatever these wolves were made of, they were made to be tough.
Meanwhile, Weapon D used this chance to focus and look into herself. A sphere of light appeared on her stomach. From the light, a belt materialized. It had a large oval buckle made of unknown metallic material with a round blue crystal stone in the centre. On her hips were large buttons. Golden pieces in the buckle surrounded the centre stone, with one piece pointed to the left on the top and the other pointed to the right on the bottom. This was her transformation belt, the Alter Ring.
"Hen...shin," Weapon D said softly as she raised her arms to the sides and she slammed both her palms on the buttons on her hips. The belt released a loud hum as the stone in the centre released a bright flash that enveloped her body.
Shinichi was finally able to zap the wolves into oblivion but he was too late to stop Weapon D's transformation. When the light faded, Weapon D stood in a new form. Her body was covered in a bodysuit made out of black fabric that looked like leather, stretched like rubber and protected her body like armour. Her torso was covered in red armour with a black breastplate and a blue rectangular stone set between her breasts. Her breasts were outlined by a silver trim that resembled the infinity symbol. Her shoulder pauldrons were spiked upwards. Around her forearms, she wore red bracers and she wore matching knee-high boots with knee pads and high heels. Finally, her head was covered by a black helmet with a red faceplate that had blue compound eyes and was topped by a pair of crest horns. From her back, blue energy surged out, forming an ethereal cape.
"You're...you're a Kamen Rider..." Shinichi stated as she resembled Kamen Rider Agito.
"Agito Crimson," Weapon D corrected. Energy gathered in her hands as she raised them up and clapped. A powerful shockwave burst forth and struck Shinichi like a jet moving at Mach 4. If his bones were not steel-plated, they would have been shattered. The wind was still knocked out of his lungs as he was thrown back violently by the telekinetic burst.
"Ugh..." Shinichi groaned as he lay on the ground while his time powers began to slowly restore his body.
"This is the epitome of my power, the pinnacle of human evolution. Unlike your power, which is purely artificial," Weapon D stated as she approached him.
"Impressive," Shinichi groaned out as he picked himself up. His body was still sore but most of his injuries were gone now, thanks to a little passive time reversal. "It's a shame you're not using it for the right reasons."
"The Professor says that destroying you is the best reason to use this power," Agito Crimson responded. "I was handcrafted and bred for the sole purpose of outclassing and defeating you. That is my reason for living."
"Oh, yeah? Is that what he told you? Hypothetically, what do you want to do after that?" Shinichi asked.
Agito Crimson had no answer as her eyes flashed and Shinichi felt as though he was being pummeled by a hundred fists coming at him from every angle. He braced himself as he endured the assault, putting his arms up to block them, even though he was taking them all over his body.
Agito Crimson seemingly warped right in front of him before knocking him into the air with an uppercut that would have killed a normal man but only sent him soaring. She then held him in the air with telekinesis before warping up to him and sending him plummeting to the ground with an explosive kick to the stomach. He crashed to the ground, making a crater on impact.
"You cannot win," Agito Crimson said as she appeared in the crater and picked Shinichi up by his arm. "Concede and this will all be over."
"Concede and you'll just kill me, right?" Shinichi shot back, glaring defiantly. "Those are your orders."
"Correct."
"So, no. I will not concede."
"Then your death will be slow and agonizing instead of swift and painless," Agito Crimson declared as her eyes glowed.
Shinichi screamed as Agito Crimson used her telekinesis on him at the molecular level, trying to rip him apart molecule by molecule. He could feel himself being torn at the seams and he needed to stop this before she reduced him to nothing. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out an item. He clenched it in his fist and with all the strength he could muster, threw a punch at Agito Crimson's chest. The punch made a loud boom as it flung Agito Crimson several dozen feet away from Shinichi who collapsed to his knees.
Shinichi reversed the damage to his body but even then he still felt every ache as he got back on his feet. Looking at his clenched fist, he opened his hand to reveal a capsule.
"Thanks," Shinichi groaned out. He saw Agito Crimson get back up and approach him. She had orders to kill him and would not stop until he was dead. Well, he was not going to make this easy for her.
"Why do you continue to struggle?" Agito Crimson questioned.
"Because I have five lovely ladies and a bunch of kids waiting for me," Shinichi answered.
"It is pointless to resist. I am more powerful than you. All you are doing is delaying the inevitable and causing yourself more unnecessary pain."
"Good, coz that means I'm still alive," Shinichi grinned. "And as long as I'm alive, I'll continue fighting."
"You may be able to access a fraction of your power, BLACK 13, but I have access to all my power. It will only take a mere thought to kill you," Weapon D claimed.
"You're determined to kill me, I'm determined to not let you kill me. We're at an impasse. Then I guess it's time I used this right now," Shinichi said as he took out the 2WEI Fusion Driver. Weapon D was powerful and the EMP field prevented him from accessing his armour and his full power. Yet, despite the odds being stacked against him, he was not going to concede and let this psycho psychic kill him.
"That device will not function within the EMP field," Agito Crimson informed him.
"I thought ahead. I did consider it being disabled by an EMP. That is why I made it with materials that shield it from that," Shinichi countered as he put the Driver on. As soon as the Driver touched his stomach, it generated a belt strap that looped around him to secure it to his waist.
[2WEI FUSION DRIVER] a monotone electronic voice from the Driver announced.
"Now then," Shinichi smirked as he opened up the case that appeared on his right hip to take out two Rider Fusion Capsules. "Let's begin the field test." He clicked the top of each capsule and inserted them into their appropriate slots.
[FUSION RIDE]
Agito Crimson silently watched as Shinichi performed the transformation sequence by tapping the capsules once they were inside the Driver.
"Henshin!"
Life-size projections of both the first Riders of the Showa and Heisei Eras manifested before merging with Shinichi, adorning him in a suit of Rider armour. Shinichi now wore a black bodysuit with black armour on his torso. The white chestplate was moulded to resemble pecs and abs. He wore white gloves and boots with armour plating on his shins and forearms. A red scarf made of wavy energy was wrapped around his neck. Finally, his head was encased in a black helmet with large red compound eyes and a silver faceplate that resembled an insect's mandibles. In the space between his compound eyes was a gem and extending from it was a pair of golden antennae.
"With the skills of Ichigo and the might of Kuuga, this is Kamen Rider Zwei," Shinichi introduced his current Rider form. ProtoZwei (Shinichi) looked at his HUD and grimaced. The prototype version seemed to be working just fine but it was draining energy. He could only maintain his transformed state for 2 minutes, 3 if he tried to push it. He had to end things quickly.
Agito Crimson did not react to the sudden deviation in the scenario. While this development was unexpected, she was still prepared to fight no matter what. Her orders were clear and she would not stop until they were fully completed. She moved with a sudden burst of speed and threw a punch but ProtoZwei countered with his own. They struck each other in the jaw simultaneously and were knocked backwards. Agito Crimson quickly recovered and followed up with a roundhouse kick but ProtoZwei leapt over her leg and then delivered a dropkick straight into her chest, sending her staggering.
Fiery energy gathered in ProtoZwei's fist and he delivered a Mighty Rider Punch into Agito Crimson's stomach. The explosive punch caused Agito Crimson's body to shatter like glass, much to ProtoZwei's shock. Suddenly, he felt danger coming from behind and spun around just in time to see Agito Crimson coming at him with her fist drawn back. She threw a punch that he caught before he threw a punch back at her, and she caught it herself. The two grappled with all their might, their eyes locked in determination as they struggled. ProtoZwei looked at the timer in his HUD and saw the depleting energy gauge. He was running out of time and energy. He needed to end this now.
Agito Crimson released a powerful burst of telekinetic power, causing the ground to shake and rumble before it suddenly exploded, sending huge chunks flying into the air. This separated the two as ProtoZwei stood on his own chunk of earth, using it as a platform as other similar platforms hung in the air like a group of floating islands. He spotted Agito Crimson coming at him and he jumped into the air moments before she destroyed his platform. He landed on another floating platform but then panicked as the one above him began to fall right on top of him.
"Crap!" ProtoZwei cursed before it slammed into him, breaking his platform and throwing him straight to the ground. As ProtoZwei plummeted, Agito Crimson's head crest glowed and fanned out as her Agito emblem appeared behind her. The emblem became energy which flowed into her legs before she dove straight towards ProtoZwei. She flipped her body, aiming her legs straight at him as psychic energy swirled around her legs, forming a drill-like construct.
Seeing her coming in for the killing blow, ProtoZwei quickly tapped both capsules in his Driver to deliver a counterattack.
[FUSION BURST!]
His energy scarf flared and propelled him at Agito Crimson like a rocket as he flipped his body to deliver a flying kick which connected with Agito Crimson's feet. A shockwave erupted from the impact as they pushed against each other. Unfortunately, for Shinichi, the Rider Fusion Capsules ran out of power and detransformed at that very moment.
Shinichi did not even have time to curse as Agito Crimson struck him with her Agito Drill Kick and burst right through his body, splitting him in half. She landed on the ground and a moment later his remains fell with her. With his body now in two pieces, blood pooling around his remains, he could not be any deader.
Weapon D changed back to her normal form as she looked down at Shinichi's remains with a dispassionate look and put her finger on her earpiece.
"Professor Kyofu, the target has been eliminated," Weapon D reported.
"EXCELLENT! MOST EXCELLENT! I never doubted you for a moment, D!" Kyofu responded gleefully. "Return to base! We need to CELEBRATE!"
"Understood." Weapon D levitated and flew away at high speed.
Once Weapon D was gone, the remains became incorporeal and vanished. Moments later, Shinichi emerged from a shadow portal in the ground, completely unharmed.
"Thanks for the save, Zennin," Shinichi said gratefully.
"No problem, Shinichi," Zennin replied. The old switcheroo always worked.
Shinichi carefully removed the 2WEI Fusion Driver from his waist. It was able to safely filter the cosmic energy to allow a stable transformation, giving him some advantage over D. Unfortunately, the system was not yet fully refined as it still drained a lot of energy from the capsules and the system could only maintain the transformation for two to three minutes. The time was cut short even further when using the finisher.
He examined the Rider Fusion Capsules as he took them out of the Driver. They were overheated and had completely burnt out of all their cosmic energy. They would not be usable until they cooled down and were recharged.
Shinichi had heard who Weapon D reported to. It was Kyofu, the man who was in charge of the new psychic hero group, Alpha Force. Though, the name was beginning to sound strangely familiar for another reason.
"You held back," Dreigon accused, breaking his train of thought.
"Excuse me, what was that?" Shinichi demanded.
"You heard me, or have you lost your hearing too?" Dreigon snarked. "You could have killed her before she transformed but you held back."
"I wasn't going to kill her, Dreigon," Shinichi retorted.
"She did not seem to share the same sentiment. She was aiming to kill you and was not pulling any punches. You, on the other hand, were only focused on subduing her and it nearly cost you your life. Your survival was only thanks to your resilience, resourcefulness and a little luck."
"Look, I get why you're disappointed, but I need to call this in and-" Shinichi paused as his comlink picked up some static.
"Shin (static) copy? Shinichi-san, do (static) copy?"
"Hello?" Shinichi lightly slapped the side of his head. "There's some interference but I can hear you."
"Shinichi-san...?" The voice - Satoko's voice - came through clearly now, which meant whatever interference there earlier was gone now. "Oh, thank God I could finally reach you!"
"Satoko?" Shinichi asked, noting the distress in his friend's voice. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Some assholes attacked us, that's what happened! And now they're dead! They're all dead!"
"What? Who's dead?" Shinichi questioned as dread made his blood run cold. "Satoko, you're not making any sense!"
"Shinichi-san, come home right now! We need your help!"
"OK, I'm coming!"
Shinichi swiftly opened a portal and stepped through. As soon as he came out the other side, he froze in shock at the sight before him. The entire village was devastated, with several buildings on fire as smoke from the wreckage rose into the air. He saw the festival stalls and decorations all demolished and scattered on the ground. Bodies were strewn in front of him and from the looks of it, it was half the village's population.
What happened?
END OF ACT 2
DrEx: Shinichi is preparing for his wedding when he is confronted by Weapon D. He managed to survive but she came pretty close to killing him. This chapter also features the debut of Kamen Rider ProtoZwei. Unfortunately, it is still at the testing stage so it is not perfect. Also, something has happened in Hinamizawa. Want to know what did all of this? Stay tuned for Act III: "Do You Have an Invitation?"
Oh, and I mentioned that Lum and Shinichi had their first date in Illbleed. It was a survival horror game that was released on the Sega Dreamcast back in 2001. Basically, the theme park's horrific attractions came to life to murder the visitors. Shinichi and Lum were trapped among them. If there are any requests for me to write a short story about this, lemme know.