"It appears that Weapon D is currently engaging BLACK 13 underneath the headquarters," Weapon B reported while the battle between the two Riders was being shown on Kyofu's Cyberdeck.
"Excellent, hehehehehe, excellent," Kyofu laughed sinisterly, steepling his fingers. "I knew that bucket of BOLTS could not resist another dose of humiliation. Quickly, activate the EMP barrier."
"That's the thing, sir. Weapon D has already activated the barrier as soon as she began to engage BLACK 13 but it appears that he has set up a countermeasure against it."
"WHAT?!" Kyofu shouted at him. "How could that ROBOT manage to develop a countermeasure for the EMP?!"
"He likely expected us to use it again," B reasoned.
"Gebok...BLACK 13..." Kyofu growled hatefully. Of course, that puppet would take measures to prevent being crippled by another EMP. Hopefully, D would be able to destroy BLACK 13 for good this time and prove once and for all that his creation was SUPERIOR!
Showa Chronicles: Road to Annihilation
Act XVI: OK, But Try Not to Murder Anyone
An explosion erupted between the two Riders, blasting them apart. Bursting through the smoke, Agito Crimson shot straight towards Showa at lightning speed to strike but he dropped into a portal beneath his feet, only to drop down from a portal that appeared above her to drive her into the sewage water with an elbow drop. He rolled off her and was on his feet before he kicked her in the stomach, sending her crashing into the wall.
Agito Crimson recovered and dashed straight at Showa, throwing a punch at him. He caught her fist and pulled her forwards to drive his knee into her stomach. She doubled over but then grabbed his shoulder to throw him into the air and deliver a roundhouse kick that sent him sailing. He righted himself in the air and landed on his feet as Agito Crimson charged at him again. She threw a punch at the same time as he and their fists collided, the impact creating a shockwave that made the sewer rumble.
Going back and forth, they exchanged blows. Punches were thrown, blocked and countered as they fought to gain the upper hand. Agito Crimson delivered several kicks but Showa managed to block them before throwing his own. She caught his ankle and threw him into the dirty sewer water before she repeatedly smashed him into the ground like a ragdoll until he vanished in a burst of feathers. He reappeared to deliver a kick that threw her into the wall but she managed to spin herself around and plant her feet on the surface to bounce off, her hands wielding psychic energy blades.
Showa threw a volley of Shadow Shurikens at her which she deflected. When the Shadow Shurikens clattered to the ground, they exploded, knocking her into the air. Showa used a portal to teleport into the path of her fall and fired a blazing stream at her but she brought up a barrier to shield herself from the fire.
Drawing the Higurashi no Yaiba, Showa rushed towards Agito Crimson as she landed. He slashed her twice across the chest, ripping sparks off violently before sending her tumbling with a smash of the Oni Kanabo. He slammed the Oni Kanabo on the ground and sent lightning surging into the water, zapping her. Agito Crimson recovered and was back on her feet as she fired multiple psychic daggers at Showa.
"Crane Slash!" Showa swung his sword, sending a flock of paper cranes flying at the daggers, cancelling them out before they continued on their flight path towards Agito Crimson. The flying paper cranes bombarded her, exploding across her body on impact.
"Great! Now use that black hole attack!" Dreigon urged excitedly.
"I'm not gonna use Meido Zangetsuha on her," Showa objected. Dreigon growled in discontent.
Agito Crismon recovered and created a large sword above her before she threw it at Showa. In mid-flight, it divided into a hundred smaller flying swords that shot straight at him like a salvo of missiles. Showa quickly called upon Zennin's power and summoned a horde of clones that flew straight at the swords, sacrificing them all to neutralise the attack.
Using telekinesis, Agito Crimson launched Showa into the wall before she materialized several sword constructs and hurled them at him. He quickly replaced himself with a scarecrow decoy, letting it take the attack instead. He snapped his fingers and opened a trio of portals that spat out a volley of Shadow Kunai at Agito Crimson but she immediately countered with dagger constructs that met the flying projectiles and they cancelled each other out. Taking his chance, he teleported over to Agito Crimson and caught her in a bear hug.
"Sorry about this," Showa apologised before releasing a powerful surge of electricity from his body. Agito Crimson screamed as she was electrocuted before she finally went silent. He released her and let her body fall flat into the dirty sewage water as she reverted to human form. Showa felt himself sigh in relief as he looked at D's body lying motionless. "Alright, let's lock her up."
"You won't finish her?" St. George asked.
"No, she's a victim just like I was. Once this mess is over, I'll have her brought to ARMOR to see if they can undo the damage done to her head," Showa decided as he took out his C3 to capture her when it exploded in his hand. "The fuck!?"
Suddenly, D woke back up and was on her feet, her eyes flashing wildly as her electrical burns faded away.
"Combat tactics updated. Enemy abilities taken into account. Employing best-suited countermeasures...new ability acquired. Now engaging," she stated. Once her eyes finished flashing, she leapt towards Showa and slammed her hands on her Alter Ring's buttons, returning to her Agito form as she delivered a dropkick that knocked him back.
"You just won't stop, will you!?" Showa growled when she suddenly teleported behind him and grabbed his arm. She flipped him around, kicking him in the side and sending him tumbling into the sewage. A blast of feathers exploded around him before he vanished.
Anticipating an attack from behind, Agito Crimson whirled around and slashed Showa with her psychic sword. He shouted in pain as sparks flew from the hit before teleporting again, appearing at her blind spot to slash with his sword.
Agito Crimson vanished in a blink of light, appearing high above him with two psychic swords over her head. She performed a somersault as she dropped in for an overhead cut, psychic energy overflowing from her swords. Showa moved his sword up to parry, the collision of the blades causing a powerful shockwave to spread around them, blowing the both of them back.
"Alright, you weren't able to do any of that before," Showa remarked.
"Clairvoyance," Agito Crimson clarified. "I underestimated how troublesome your chronokinesis would be, so I developed a countermeasure. I can peer into the future for a moment and I am able to stop you before you can act."
"So what, you can just give yourself new powers on the fly when the fight doesn't go in your favour?" Showa huffed.
"No. These are abilities that the average human is already capable of. I merely decided which ability was best suited to deal with you."
"Sounds broken," Showa retorted.
"I am not broken," Agito Crimson claimed. "I am perfection."
"Yeah, and I bet Kyofu tells you that all the time," Showa snarked. He took in this new information as he tried to come up with a plan to counter Agito Crimson's new clairvoyant abilities. Her ability to adapt to any opponent, gaining powers that could counter their own, made her dangerous and a difficult opponent to fight. However, he had faced impossible odds before. It would not be impossible to defeat her, just a bit more challenging.
Suddenly, his eyes flashed as he received a vision:
A bright flash blinded Showa and Agito Crimson appeared behind him to literally stab him in the back, driving her blade straight through his body.
"What was that?" Showa wondered when a bright flash suddenly blinded him. Recalling the vision, he spun around and caught a blade between his palms. His vision recovered and he saw Agito Crimson.
"How did you see that coming?" she wondered.
"Looks like I can see the future too," Showa answered, sounding smug. "Imagine that." Snapping her sword in half, he delivered a high kick that struck her in the jaw before he performed a reverse roundhouse to send her flying. She flipped backwards and landed on her feet just as he broke into a run towards her. She prepared for his attack but he just flew past her. Spinning around in midair, he delivered a flying kick that was aimed at her back but she warped away before his attack could connect.
"I can see the future," Agito Crimson reminded him as she was prepared for what came next. "I can see every move you make before you even think of it."
"Funny thing about the future is that it's not set in stone!" Showa lunged at Agito Crimson and she swung her blades, only for them to pass through him like he was a ghost before he vanished like one. Alarmed, Agito Crimson realised it was a trap before Showa burst out from her shadow and delivered an uppercut that crashed into her jaw.
Agito Crismon threw a psychic-powered punch but he caught her fist. Grabbing her throat, he zapped her with electricity, causing her to scream before bashing her repeatedly on the floor. Tossing her up, he fired his flaming breath at her, blasting her away.
"Just kill her already!" Dreigon urged but Showa ignored his inner dragon. D was just being controlled by Kyofu. She just did not know any better. "Hmph, and yet that never stopped you before."
"Not helping, Dreigon!"Showa snapped back.
Agito Crimson picked herself back up and studied BLACK 13. She had been informed of his ruthless efficiency and yet he had been holding back, never once attempting to land a lethal blow. He seemed to be trying to only incapacitate her instead. Regardless of his reasons, Professor Kyofu had given her a task. She needed to prove herself or else she would be discarded.
Agito Crimson's Alter Ring flashed as she reached down, pulling out a copper-coloured broadsword with a crimson centre and curved guard. Red lightning trailed from her Alter Ring to her sword as she twirled it in her hand before she warped directly in front of Showa, swinging her weapon at him. He ducked underneath the blade and took the Cho Dai-Shuriken off his back to use as a shield to block her blade as she delivered a follow-up strike. He punched her in the jaw, sending her spiralling through the air but her levitation took hold as she righted herself. The blade edge slid apart as she pointed the sword at Showa, red energy building at the tip as light and lightning flashed and built up.
Realising what she was going to do, Showa opened his Void Wings and took flight just as the laser fired, tearing up the walls as Agito Crimson tried to chase him around. The laser ripped through thick layers of the wall, causing rubble to fly everywhere. He flew low and crouched on all fours under her. Before she realised where he was, he shot up and planted both feet into Agito Crimson's chest, sending her flying. She crashed into the wall as her laser disengaged before collapsing into the water.
Showa stood on his feet and spun the Cho Dai-Shuriken around and around, pouring elemental energy into the weapon. He also created two duplicate weapons which spun around him, each of them augmented with elemental power. The one in his hand burst into flames while the ones on his left and right became sharpened by the wind and sparked with electricity respectively.
"TRI-ELEMENT SHURIKEN!" Showa shouted as he sent the weapons flying. The three flying Cho Dai-Shurikens struck Agito Crimson before they began to ricochet off the walls, hitting her repeatedly until they merged into one becoming a spinning disk of elemental energy that struck Agito Crimson violently, resulting in a huge explosion. When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, she was on her knees, her armour damaged, but she could still maintain her transformation despite all the punishment she had taken.
"Stand down, Weapon D," Showa commanded. "Stand down and let me pass."
"I cannot do that, BLACK 13," Agito Crimson retorted, rising to her feet as she used her sword to support herself. "Professor Kyofu has given me orders and his orders must be obeyed."
"So you just blindly follow his orders no matter what?" Showa questioned.
"It is the purpose he has given me," she answered.
"So, your purpose is to be a madman's puppet for the rest of your life?"
"And what do you know about having a purpose, BLACK 13?" Agito Crimson questioned, her voice slowly turning aggressive. "You abandoned GIN-SHOCKER and betrayed your creator. You turned against the one who gave you power and purpose. You do not have the right to criticise me."
"Gebok may have given me power but he took everything from me. He took me away from my family, took away my humanity, made me turn on my comrades and finally he made me take the life of someone I loved. GIN-SHOCKER only used me as a tool, never giving me a choice in how I wanted to live my life. I was nothing more than a soulless machine. I had nothing until I met my friends and they helped me regain my humanity. They gave me a home, a family, hope, and the will to keep living despite my past sins. Sure, it took a long time for it to stick, but I finally have a reason to live, a real reason to fight! " He pointed at her. "What do you have? Who do you have in your life? What do you live for!? What are you fighting for!?"
"I... I fight for Professor Kyofu..."
"And does he even care? By the end of the day, who welcomes you with open arms? Is there any warmth? Any love? You may look like a Kamen Rider, but you know nothing about being one!"
"And what does it mean to be a Kamen Rider?" Agito Crimson wondered, curious.
"Being a Kamen Rider doesn't mean throwing your life away. It means fighting to protect the ones you love even at the risk of your own life. It means fighting for a place to return to. That is the purpose I have chosen! That is my resolve! That is why I'm a Kamen Rider!" He pointed at Agito Crimson furiously. "We will stop Kyofu and his plans! That is a promise!"
"And I will protect Professor Kyofu as that is my purpose!" Agito Crimson shouted as she got back on her feet. Her helmet crest fanned out as her Mark of Agito appeared under her, glowing in the sewage water. At the same time, Showa spread his Void Wings and bent his knees as energy flowed throughout his body. Spreading her stance, the Mark of Agito was absorbed into her feet and she leapt into the air to deliver a flying kick.
"Hyah!" Showa followed with a flap of his wings and went into a flying kick stance. Golden Energy flared from his leg as red energy burst from hers before their Rider Kicks collided, releasing a powerful energy shockwave that spread around. The water under them swirled and splashed violently before an explosion erupted between them, powerful enough to shatter the wall D had created.
The two landed with their backs facing each other and moments later, Shinichi's transformation cancelled itself out as he collapsed onto his knees. It looked like Agito Crimson had won but then her armour violently disengaged from her and she fell facedown in the dirty sewage water.
Shinichi stood up and turned around to check on her and flipped her body over to see that she was knocked unconscious. Would she rise back up, though? It did not seem so. Suddenly, he sensed the presence of another and turned his gaze towards the source to see a man dressed in a black suit with a notebook in hand.
"Who are you?" Shinichi asked. The man blinked and realised he was seen.
"Hm, usually nobody sees us unless we want them to," the man said as he smiled warmly. "You're a special one, aren't you?"
"And you're a Grim Reaper," Shinichi identified as he sensed the man's aura of death.
"So you know of us."
"I met one of your kind. He wielded a chainsaw."
"Oh, Grell Sutcliffe. I remember him telling us about meeting you and your friends," the Grim Reaper said, still smiling. "The name's Joe, by the way. Joe Black. Nice to meet you."
"Shinichi Banabara."
"Oh, we know a lot about you, Mr. Banabara," Joe Black remarked, his smile never leaving his face. "You have quite an impressive record. So many people have you listed as their cause of death-"
"What are you doing here?" Shinichi asked abruptly, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Oh, well, since I wasn't able to fill my quota at your village, I decided to shadow you to see if I could make up my numbers," Joe Black answered.
"If you're expecting me to go on a killing spree, then you're in for a disappointment. That's all in my past now."
"A pity," Joe Black said as his smile finally turned into a frown. "You know, people always treat death as such a grim and depressing thing but they don't understand its value."
"Because without death, life has no value," Shinichi stated.
"Ah, so you do understand!" Joe Black said as his smile returned jubilantly. "The value of death is that it gives life meaning! A beautiful ending!"
"It's only beautiful when it concludes a long and happy life or if it's a release from a miserable one," Shinichi retorted.
"Well, death means something different for different people. Anyway, I have to go now. Death never takes a holiday so neither do we! Ciao!" Joe Black said before he vanished in the blink of an eye.
Shinichi turned to look at D and sighed sadly. She was like him and perhaps it was foolish of him to show mercy to an enemy. However, she was just like how he used to be. The only difference was that he managed to break free. D should at least be given a chance to live her life instead of existing as someone's puppet.
Holding his hand out, he gathered the pieces of the destroyed C3 into his hand and restored the device to its original state. As he was about to use it on D, she suddenly disappeared in a flash of light.
"Damn," Shinichi grimaced. Someone must've seen the fight and teleported her away before he could apprehend her. He decided to set the matter aside as she was out of the way, for now. Looking around, he saw that he was alone. His teammates must've gone ahead without him. Good, they could do their job while he did his.
Before he could take another step, Shinichi received a call on his comlink and responded.
"This is Shinichi."
"Shinichi, this is Shogo. You were right about the attack. Fortunately, we managed to subdue them."
"Good." Shinichi smiled.
"Although, there is something else you may need to know about. There was another party involved and-"
"Hold on, I'm receiving another call. I'll get back to you after this." He switched to the second call. "Shinichi here."
"Shinichi, it's Hana. We managed to gather some evidence about what Kyofu's been doing."
"Is it enough to implicate him?"
"It is. You'll want to see it once you get back."
"Good." And then Shinichi was getting another call. "Excuse me, I need to take this." He took the next call. "Shinichi here."
"Shinichi, it's Lala."
"Is something wrong?"
"Those guys managed to get inside the tower."
"What!? How!? The shields should have kept them out!"
"It was sabotage. Don't worry, though. We took care of them. Now they're safely locked up in the holding cells."
"Good."
"Oh, and Amora and the others told us they managed to take care of the distraction."
"Good," Shinichi responded. "I'll see you all when I get back. Over and out." He returned to his call with Hana. "Hana, you and the others should return to base with the evidence."
"Alright," Hana answered. "Over and out."
"Sorry about that, Shogo."
"Shinichi, right now the entrance is sealed and we're trying to get back inside the tower," Shogo reported.
"How did you get locked out?" Shinichi questioned.
"It was sabotage. Don't worry, we're attempting to unseal the door right now."
"Good, keep at it."
"There is another matter but we'll talk about it during the debrief. Over and out."
"Another matter...?" Shinichi wondered what Shogo meant by that. He could wait for the debrief later. Right now, he had a mission to complete.
"So it seems you were right to be prepared," Dreigon growled approvingly.
"I know men like Kyofu and I just knew he would react out of spite," Shinichi replied.
"And even after you gave him a warning."
"Yes." Shinichi's eyes narrowed. He had given Kyofu a chance and he had blown it. Now, it was time for him to face the consequences.
Kyofu was in a foul mood as he returned to his office after using his executive bathroom. Nothing was going right! The team he had sent to Hinamizawa had not returned or reported in, and now, Weapons P, U, and V were also missing. He needed to accelerate his plans. It was only a matter of time before those cyborgs ruined his life's work! One way or another, those damned cyborgs were going to DIE, especially BLACK 13!
As Kyofu entered his office, he noticed that the back of his leather chair was facing him. That was odd as he did not remember leaving his chair that way. As he got closer, it swivelled around to reveal Shinichi sitting in it.
"Afternoon, Kyofu," he greeted as he propped his feet up on Kyofu's desk. The professor jumped back in alarm and immediately ran over to the intercom on the wall and pushed the button.
"GUARDS! GUARDS, get in here!" Kyofu panicked as he yelled into the intercom.
"This is a real comfy chair," Shinichi appraised, leaning back as he relaxed, watching Kyofu screaming for his guards. "You can stop screaming. Nobody is coming to save you."
"D was supposed to STOP you," Kyofu hissed. "She must have FAILED, again." Collecting himself, Kyofu crossed his arms and stared down at Shinichi. He refused to show any fear despite the position he was in.
"The last time I was here, Kyofu, I gave you a warning," Shinichi reminded him, eyes narrowed.
"So you have come to KILL me now, BLACK 13? I see you've reverted to your old ways," Kyofu spat.
"Kill you?" Shinichi snickered. "If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it during my last visit. I'm here to bring you to justice, and to reveal certain secrets about GIN-SHOCKER that you might not be aware of just to show you how pointless everything you've done is."
"Justice for WHAT?" Kyofu asked, playing dense. "I haven't the SLIGHTEST idea of what you MEAN. But I do find it FASCINATING that you would barge into my office like THIS. I have the right mind to call the police, the news, and show the world your TRUE colours."
"I had no reason to be here until you decided to attack my home again," Shinichi answered as he stood up, ignoring Kyofu's deflection. "But you let your petty grudge against Gebok get the better of you. If you had just left us alone then it would not have come to this but you just couldn't let go so now I have to stop you."
Kyofu gritted his teeth at the mention of Gebok, clenching his fist as he took deep breaths through his nose.
"That MAN you speak of doesn't exist ANYMORE. I have NO relations with him whatsoever. We were indeed both colleagues but his creations were a JOKE! My GENIUS was the FUTURE and GIN-SHOCKER made a MISTAKE when they chose HIM over ME!" Shinichi couldn't help but laugh. "What's so DAMN funny!? Out with it, ROBOT!"
"Sorry, it's just that Gebok fooled you from the beginning and you don't even see the joke."
"What JOKE!? Make sense NOW!"
"Gebok was actually your boss."
You could hear a pin drop at how silent it suddenly became in the office.
"...Excuse me?" Kyofu questioned, unsure if he had heard Shinichi right.
"I said, Gebok was actually your boss. Your Great Leader," Shinichi reiterated.
"That... WHAT are you talking about?" Kyofu muttered in disbelief. "Are you TRYING to confuse me? I don't find this FUNNY! Not one bit!"
"It's true. Gebok was a genius, a master of robotics and cybernetics. You know what he was capable of. Creating a puppet king to sit on the throne would have been child's play for him," Shinichi explained. "From the very beginning, he set you up to fail. He never intended to pass your project proposal. All he cared about was creating the next great cyborg weapon - Me."
"LIES! YOU LIE! Nothing but LIES!" Kyofu shouted furiously in denial. "All you're doing is deflecting, trying to set me up to FAIL! I hate to DISAPPOINT you but I have this entire office on security footage, and once this gets out I will have the UN on your doorstep so fast you'll need to -" Shinichi silenced him by smashing his fist through the desk, breaking it in half. Kyofu gasped in panic as the cyborg glared with blazing blue eyes. "THAT WAS IMPORTED ITALIAN MAPLE!"
"The only liar here is you!" Shinichi yelled back. "You think you have my number but I've done my research on you! You took people all over the world who had psychic potential to build your own little Project NUMBERS to the point that you gave them letter codenames and it didn't matter who! You took former soldiers, the desperate, psychopaths, convicts, killers, and even Death Row Inmates! You even took a page from Gebok's book and ripped kids away from their families! You engineered heroics to show off your squad and make us look like chumps! You couldn't even be bothered to face us on an even playing field! But that wasn't enough for you! You had to go send your psychotic psychics to kill a village that did nothing to you! Absolutely nothing! You think yourself smarter and more cunning than Gebok but all you are is a petty loser that I can't even be bothered to remember!"
Calming himself down from his outburst as his eyes stopped glowing, Shinichi walked around the broken table and took out his C3.
"Professor Saiba Kyofu, by the authority of ARMOR, I am placing you under arrest."
"You CAN'T do this to me," Kyofu growled in defiance.
"I can and by now my friends have found all the proof we need to put you away for good. It's over, Kyofu. You lose."
Kyofu was left speechless by Shinichi's words. He did all this to prove his superiority over Gebok but from the beginning, the odds were always stacked against him. He was never going to succeed and gain the Great Leader's favour. But now was his chance to change all that. So what if Gebok rejected his original proposal!? That just proved he was afraid of what he could accomplish! Now, Gebok was gone, killed by his own creation but Professor Saiba Kyofu was still here, still alive, and still able to finish what he started.
As Shinichi was about to activate the C3's capture function, Kyofu's eyes flashed brightly as he telekinetically threw Shinichi against the tempered glass window, leaving a spider web of cracks across its surface.
"FOOLISH machine!" Kyofu snapped as his eyes glowed purple and a Dark Alter with a glowing violet stone appeared around his waist. His lips curled into a cruel grin as he gave Shinichi a murderous look. "First Gebok destroyed my life's work, and now YOU?! I will NOT allow either of you to get away with ruining me! Not NOW, not EVER!" With a yell, he slammed the buttons on his Alter Ring. "HENSHIN!"
Shinichi witnessed Kyofu's body bulking up with muscle before glowing purple veins appeared all over his body. Then, in a blinding flash of light, he transformed. Shinichi had to shield his eyes from the flash before it faded to reveal Kyofu's new form.
Kyofu wore a dark purple bodysuit with gunmetal grey armour on his torso which had a six-pointed violet stone in the centre of his chest that glowed ominously. Matching gunmetal faulds hung from his waist to protect his crotch and thighs. His sharp shoulder pads were spiked and had ancient runes carved into them. His gunmetal grey bracers and greaves were also inscribed with the same ancient runes that momentarily glowed. His hands were covered in steel gauntlets that ended with clawed fingertips, and his feet resembled talons. Hanging from his shoulder blades was a pair of red scarves. Finally, his neck was covered in thick armour as his head was encased in a helmet that had a demonic faceplate, with a jaw full of razor-sharp teeth and soulless black eyes. His helmet crest had five horns that gave it a shape like a quindent and he wore it like a crown.
"I AM THE ULTIMATE LIFEFORM! ULTIMA AGITO" he declared as glowing runes appeared all over his body. In a sudden burst of speed, he slammed Shinichi against the window again, pinning him to the glass surface. "Now, to do what D could not do and KILL you!" Psychic energy burst from his hand and the glass window shattered, sending Shinichi falling out of his office. Ultima Agito watched him plummet to the ground below before he turned away from the broken window.
Meanwhile, Shinichi was free-falling when his wings emerged to stop his descent. He shot up and flew back to the office to see Ultima Agito gone. He scanned it to find where he had gone but then his clairvoyance activated, allowing him to see a vision of his enemy's location:
Ultima Agito stood in a large ancient chamber and there was a huge stone hanging from the ceiling.
With Ultima Agito's location locked in, he opened a portal to go after him. He was about to jump into the portal when the door broke open and Ryuji, Kotonoha and Lucy came rushing in.
"Shinichi?" Lucy questioned, surprised to see him.
"Where have you guys been?" Shinichi asked.
"Oh, while you were busy with D, we decided to go snooping around," Ryuji answered.
"Did you find anything?" Shinichi asked.
"We found a cloning lab," Kotonoha answered.
"And we even met your future kid," Lucy added.
"One of my kids? Which one?" Shinichi questioned.
"Hiro," Lucy replied. "And it seems like he inherited your charming skills. Guess the Smith Charm is strong in him too."
"So, what did we miss?" Ryuji asked.
"Kyofu's on the other side of that portal," Shinichi pointed. "And I'm going after him."
"Need help?" Ryuji offered. "Been a while since I fought a Big Bad."
"No," Shinichi declined. "I'm going to deal with Kyofu myself." Before any of them could protest, he jumped.
"Not so fast!" Ryuji jumped in after him before the portal closed.
"Men," Lucy remarked, shaking her head, "They always gotta act so tough."
"Will they be OK?" Kotonoha asked.
"They'll be fine," Lucy assured her. "Now, grab that computer. Maybe it's got what we need."
Shinichi stepped out of the portal and was about to go look for Kyofu when Ryuji slammed into his back, causing them to fall to the ground.
"What!? Ryuji!?" Shinichi yelled when he picked himself up and saw who it was.
"Guess we made it, kid," Ryuji smirked as he stood up and dusted himself off.
"What are you doing here?" Shinichi demanded. "I told you I was going to deal with Kyofu myself."
"Like I was going to let one of Warren's kids fight without backup," Ryuji retorted. "I owe your dad a lot, you know? He was the first person to see any good in me and gave me a chance. So, shut up and let me help."
Shinichi looked silently at Ryuji then to where he sensed Kyofu.
"I'm still going to fight him alone," Shinichi said firmly.
"Yeah, I get it. He made this personal for you," Ryuji agreed. "But I'll still jump in when things go south."
"Thanks," Shinichi accepted.
Ultima Agito gazed at the Spirit Stone - the Maternal. In ancient times, it was worshipped as a god as it bestowed great power upon its chosen worshippers. And now, with its power, Ultima Agito would create a new world.
"KYOFU!" Shinichi shouted as he found Ultima Agito. He paused as he saw the giant Spirit Stone that hung in the air with the aid of a series of chains and harnesses.
"Good, you've come to WITNESS my moment of glory, BLACK 13!" Ultima Agito gloated as he turned around to face his nemesis' creation.
"What are you planning, Kyofu?" Shinichi demanded.
"I will use the Spirit Stone to transmit a psychic wave that will spread throughout the planet, awakening all the potential psychics of the world!" Ultima Agito explained his plan. While it would be foolish to tell it to the person who came to stop him, he doubted that would be possible now. "Sadly, there will be casualties."
"How many?" Shinichi questioned, fists clenched anxiously.
"Oh, only about ten percent of the entire world's population will survive the process," Ultima Agito shrugged. "But that's a small price to pay for unity and world peace!"
"Peace and unity? You're talking about genocide!"
"Genocide is a bit of a strong word, perhaps, but you need to wipe the slate clean to create something better. I'm just wiping the slate clean of the undesirables."
"Not if I stop you first! Henshin!" Shinichi shouted as he spread his wings and willed them to cover him before they exploded in a burst of feathers, revealing his Kamen Rider Showa Chronicle form. He teleported to Ultima Agito to deliver a debilitating punch but Ultima Agito caught the fist, creating a shockwave on impact. The mad scientist did not even show discomfort as he easily caught the punch that would have shattered every bone in his hand and arm. The two stared each other down before they moved forward and suddenly blurred out of sight. They were moving so fast, as they clashed in the chamber, each impact ringing like a miniature explosion.
When they reappeared, Showa Chronicle raised his Chrono Sabers to protect him from Ultima Agito's attack, his arms encased in energy that resembled huge drills. Sparks flew as the drills ground against the swords before Showa pushed them away. Showa delivered a flurry of sword slashes, forcing Ultima Agito on the defensive until the evil Agito spotted an opening and turned his hand into a blade to drive it into Showa's chest. The Rider saw the attack coming and leapt backwards, performing a backflip before landing, assuming a familiar black-clad form.
"BLACK 13!?" Ultima Agito yelled. That goddamn cyborg that Kyofu hated with every single fibre of his being. It was a constant, painful reminder of Gebok's superiority over him. Well, this time with the new power he had he would end it right here, right now!
"Kuro, he's all yours!" Shinichi urged and BLACK 13 attacked. He fired plasma beams from his hands, hitting Ultima Agito in the chest and driving him back. Ultima Agito dug his heels into the ground and turned his forearms into shields as he resisted the beams. Cutting off his attack, BLACK 13 released his Plasma Whipblades and swung, the plasma whips extending to slash across Ultima Agito's shields, ripping sparks off the surface. He continued to lash out, even spinning in place until the shields were cut to pieces.
Ultima Agito shot his scarves at BLACK 13 and grabbed his arms before stretching them painfully to the sides. Ultima Agito would've ripped his arms out of their sockets if BLACK 13 had not switched back to Showa and vanished in a burst of feathers.
Appearing above Ultima Agito, BLACK 13 angled his body downwards with his Plasma Whipblades like a falling spear, only to miss. However, his blades managed to pierce Ultima Agito in the foot, ripping a scream from him. He swiped a claw at him but BLACK 13 flipped backwards before landing on his feet. He delivered plasma whip slashes, inflicting further damage on Ultima Agito before going into a handstand and doing the splits. Plasma whips shot out of his legs as he performed a headspin, hitting Ultima Agito furiously.
"Check out your dance moves!" Shinichi cheered as BLACK 13 flipped back on his feet.
"Then you should be impressed by this." BLACK 13 squatted down and slammed his palms on the ground, causing red fissures to stretch from his hands and speed towards Ultima Agito. Suddenly, a large beam of red plasma erupted from under him, sending him flying into the air.
BLACK 13 switched places with Showa and opened three space-time portals to fire transdimensional beams at Ultima Agito, causing him to explode in the air. Showa watched as Ultima Agito fell from the smoke cloud to crash onto the ground. Unfortunately, that was not enough to defeat the mad scientist as he was still conscious. He slammed his palm on the ground and summoned up a wall of giant jagged blades. With a mental command, he sent them flying at Showa.
Raising his hands, Showa released a wave of temporal energy which decayed the blades into dust before they could touch him. Looking at Ultima Agito, he saw him come at him with a flurry of spiked chains. Showa deflected the chains with his swords but then the twin scarves on Ultima Agito's back grabbed his weapons and ripped them from his hands before he drove his clawed hand into Showa's chest.
"NOW, DIE!" Ultima Agito roared and fired a destructive blast of energy from his mouth at point-blank range, engulfing Showa in a colossal explosion. Ceasing his attack, Ultima Agito grinned as he believed he had vaporised the Rider. Suddenly, in a burst of feathers, Showa reappeared above Ultima Agito to deliver an elbow drop right into his skull. Ultima Agito staggered back in a daze before Showa punched him nonstop across the face.
"You'll need to try harder than that, Kyofu!" Showa shouted and he drove both his feet into Kyofu's chest, sending him skidding backwards. Roaring, Ultima Agito launched multiple spiked chains at Showa but he bobbed and weaved between them as he flew towards Ultima Agito to strike him in the face. "You talk about peace and unity, but it'll be peace and unity under your tyranny!"
"The world needs someone in charge to maintain order!" Ultima Agito roared as he slashed Showa with his claws.
"No, you just want to control the world! You crave it! And it doesn't matter how many need to die for you to have it!" Showa retaliated with a kick to Ultima Agito's stomach, knocking him back.
"Then you'll be the first to DIE for my dream to come true!" Ultima Agito blasted Showa with a powerful burst of telekinesis, sending him flying. He flipped backwards before landing safely on his feet. Showa could sense Ultima Agito's power rising. It was massive and it would take Showa everything he had to defeat this threat.
"Hey, Dreigon. You complain about me not letting you have any fun, right? Then how about we have some fun?" Showa offered.
"As long as we get to kill something, I'm up for it!" Dreigon eagerly responded.
"Then let's bring order to the chaos!" Showa shouted. A portal appeared above him to release an energy construct of Dreigon's form. It flew around him before merging with his body, forming his Ascalon Armour. As he transformed, his cape turned into his Void Wings, his feet became talons, clawed gauntlets equipped themselves to his forearms, a metallic dragon's tail grew out from his rear, and finally, Dreigon's head emerged from his chest.
"LET'S GO!" Showa and Dreigon both roared as they flew straight at Ultima Agito. The Agito's eyes widened as he erected a wall of blades but Showa burst through the wall, scattering shattered steel, before striking him with his claws. Yelling in retaliation, Ultima Agito shoved Showa off him but then he swung his body around to tail-whip Ultima Agito, sending him sailing.
Ultima Agito stopped himself in midair, eyes glowing, and he thrust his hand at Showa. A huge serrated blade sprouted out from under Showa's position to skewer him but he was able to dodge it. Dozens more came bursting out of the ground to impale him but he effortlessly avoided them too as they each sprouted, thanks to his clairvoyance.
"He's trying to cage us!" Dreigon snarled as they found themselves surrounded by serrated blades that formed a cage around them.
"Then let's not give him a chance!" Showa said as his eyes flashed and he swung his tail at the blades, shattering them into a million pieces. Ultima Agito threw a blade at him but Showa opened a portal in the blade's flight path, sending it back to Ultima Agito to pierce him in the chest.
"ARGH!" Ultima Agito screamed.
"Clever," Dreigon praised.
Ripping the blade out, spilling his blood onto his armour, Ultima Agito warped over to Showa and threw a punch that connected with a loud thunderclap. However, it did not seem to faze the heroic Rider. Surprised and then enraged, Ultima Agito poured more psychic power into his fists and delivered a flurry of punches. Amazingly, Showa took the hits without dodging or flinching, still standing tall as Ultima Agito rained blow after blow down on him. Roaring in fury and frustration, Ultima Agito unleashed a blast of psychic energy that harmlessly washed over Showa and only caused his feathers to flutter.
"You finished?" Showa asked and he threw a punch that sent Ultima Agito sailing. He tumbled through the air before landing several feet away from Showa. Growling, he rose to his feet to manifest his serrated blades and spiked chains and shot them straight at Showa but they disintegrated before they could even reach him. "Stop, this is pointless."
At that moment, Ultima Agito saw Gebok's image overlap with Showa. He could even hear his voice.
"Kyofu, you are nothing but a failure and you'll always be a failure." Gebok even had that stupid ear-to-ear grin, causing Ultima Agito's blood to boil.
"STOP LOOKING DOWN ON ME!" Ultima Agito roared as his rage exploded like a volcano. Cupping his hands together, he gathered his energy between them to create a ball of psionic energy and fired a beam of intense psychic energy at Showa to vaporise him on the spot. Countering the attack, Showa swung his tail, splitting the beam in half until it was neutralized.
Ultima Agito's eyes widened as he saw how easily BLACK 13 countered his attack. He hated to admit it but he was no match for BLACK 13. He needed to regroup and figure out a plan so he warped away. However, Showa was not about to let him get away and so he warped after him.
Meanwhile, Ryuji had been watching the fight from the very beginning and frowned. The mad scientist had made himself a match for Shinichi but Warren's son was strong and resourceful. Ryuji was confident that Shinichi would come out on top. Looking at the Spirit Stone, his eyes narrowed as he sensed its eldritch power. That thing was the key to Kyofu's plan and after hearing it, Ryuji concurred that he needed to be stopped at all costs.
Ultima Agito appeared in the middle of a forest when all of a sudden, Showa appeared in front of him.
"Hey, Kyofu! Wanna see a magic trick?" Showa taunted.
Ultima Agito fired a psychic energy blast at him but the Rider dropped into a portal before coming out another from behind him. He whirled around to strike but Showa countered with a claw across his chest. He followed up with a series of kicks before he swung his tail to send Ultima Agito tumbling.
Showa teleported over to Ultima Agito and scooped him up with his claw before throwing him into the air. He formed a portal up there, and Ultima Agito flew into it before Showa formed a second portal on the ground and hammered his tail down on Ultima Agito's head like he was a whack-a-mole. As Ultima Agito fell out of the portal above him, Showa focused his energy on his tail, empowering it. With a roar he jumped and swung his tail, slamming it into Ultima Agito to send him crashing into the trees until he warped away. Showa then warped after him.
The two reappeared in the middle of a lightning storm, clashing violently while trailing contrails of light behind them. Showa fired multiple fireballs at Ultima Agito who warped away but then he dropped down on Showa with a dropkick, pushing him to the ground. Showa warped away before he crashed and Ultima Agito followed.
Ultima Agito reappeared in the middle of a desert and then began dodging energy blasts that rained down on him. Showa was now rapidly firing beams before they warped away and ended up in an active volcanic field that burst with lava. Ultima Agito flew through a curtain of lava as he avoided Showa's beam before retaliating with his own beam blast. He sliced a curtain of lava in half before he threw Showa into the lava below.
Ultima Agito expected Showa to be burned alive by the lava but then he emerged, completely unharmed and fired a blast from the dragon's head on his chest. Ultima Agito countered with a beam and their attacks connected, exploding at the point of impact. The two warped away and returned to the Spirit Stone's chamber and the two flew at each other to deliver their flying kicks. Their attacks connected, energy blasting off on impact as they spun in midair. The energy rapidly built up between them before it finally exploded, sending the two of them plummeting to the ground.
As the two stood up, Ultima Agito gathered his power into his chest, causing violet energy to spiral in front of him. At the same time, Dreigon opened his jaws and gathered energy between them, forming a growing sphere of spiritual energy. Showa locked onto his target as he prepared to fire his attack.
"DIEEEEEE!" Ultima Agito roared at the top of his lungs as he unleashed his power, firing a massive blast of energy from his chest.
"EL DRAGO CERO!" Showa and Dreigon roared as they fired the beam of destructive spiritual energy at Ultima Agito.
The two attacks crashed into each other with explosive force and it looked like they were evenly matched. Ultima Agito grinned as his power surged, causing Showa to struggle. It looked like he might lose but he remembered what he was fighting for and that he could not afford to fail.
"We...won't...LOOOOSEEEEEE!" Showa roared as his aura burst around him and formed a massive roaring dragon's head. Pouring all his remaining power into his attack, he overwhelmed Ultima Agito.
One Week Later...
It was the day of Shinichi's wedding and he couldn't be any happier. He stood at the altar, wearing his wedding attire. Instead of a traditional tuxedo, he wore a white dress shirt with a sash around his waist and black slacks with leather boots. Over his top, he wore a black double-breasted tailcoat, all buttoned up with two rows of golden buttons and numerous medals pinned to it. He wore a bowtie and his hair was neatly done. A royal cape was pinned to his shoulders as it hung down his back.
Shinichi saw the church was packed with guests. There was Genovian nobility present who felt obligated to attend, with Shawna's relatives being in attendance. His friends and family were in attendance as well, including Warren and Alan.
The wedding march played and Shinichi watched as his five brides walked down the aisle. They looked breathtaking in their dresses, the veils covering their faces. He looked at Shawna who led the brides and smiled at each of them. All five brides gathered at the altar, facing their groom.
The head priest said the usual lines but Shinichi did not pay attention to any of them, his attention focused solely on his five beautiful brides.
"Do you take these women as your brides?"
Shinichi blinked. Damn, he was so focused on them that he completely zoned out.
"...What was the question again?" Shinichi asked nervously, causing the guests to either grumble or chuckle.
"Do you take these women as your brides?" the head priest repeated with an exasperated sigh.
"I do," Shinichi stated firmly. "I do, I do, I do, and I do."
"You know you only need to say it once," the head priest whispered.
"They each deserve an answer," Shinichi reasoned, shrugging.
"You may now kiss your brides," the head priest permitted and Princess Shawna approached her husband. He lifted the veil, locking eyes with the princess who had won his heart. Though Rena would always be his #1 girl, it was tradition for the princess to be the first to claim her husband's kiss. He saw Shawna's eyes well up with tears of joy.
"Oh, Mr. Samurai," Shawna smiled as they held hands. She closed her eyes as he leaned in to claim her lips, kissing her lovingly and passionately. The guests cheered as they locked lips and cemented their union. Then, it was Rena's turn to kiss him, followed by Satan, Tsukuyomi and finally Lum.
This was a beautiful moment and Shinichi couldn't be happier but then all of a sudden there was a scream. Shinichi's eyes widened in horror as his brides each rapidly aged, becoming old women instantly as their dresses became worn out and decayed before they finally turned to dust.
"YOU MONSTER, YOU KILLED MY DAUGHTER!" King Edward roared as he advanced with his sword, a look of rage on his face.
"I'M GOING TO SPLATTER YOUR GUTS!" Beatrice screamed as she joined the king, her body radiating with Golden Magic as she glared at Shinichi with a look of madness and a twisted smile on her face.
Everyone else was screaming hateful things at him, including his friends and family. No, this was not his fault! He could not have done this! This was not supposed to happen!
"Wait, I can fix this! Let me fix this!" Shinichi pleaded as he activated his powers to try and restore his brides. However, he was so filled with grief that he lost control. A temporal wave spread from his body, hitting everyone in the church and turning them all to dust.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
END OF ACT 16
DrEx: And that is The End of "Road to Annihilation"...just kidding! We'll be going on a hiatus to work on the next chapters.
Tailsmo4ever: A trippy nightmare, huh? Almost as if someone's playing with his mind... stay tuned.