Preface:
Welcome to the beginning of a new arc. I'll say this now: This is the shortest arc of the fic so far. Both chapters combined total around 20k words. Perhaps something is wrong with me to admit that chapters less than 10k are considered "short."
Now, it's time to do something I haven't really done. Responding to reviews!
stardrago: I have read the official English LNs (though I haven't read LN 11 yet). However, I have read the fan translations up to LN 17 and the Encore novels up to Encore 6. Unfortunately, I don't really have any plans to make a new fanfic. Honestly, this might be the only fanfiction I create since I envision this going on for a VERY long time. However, if I ever get burned out on working on this, I might eventually create a new fic. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I will say the chances I create another fanfiction is quite low. Especially since I don't feel confident juggling two fanfics at once.
Chickenhell: Uhh, we'll see. I'm not against Kurumi making the occasional flirty remarks towards Asher (since I would say that's kinda in character for her), but regarding the Spirits having crushes on him? Probably not. This is a Shido x Spirit Harem fic. I don't really want to write in drama where some Spirits have a crush on Asher while others have one on Shido. Everyone (will) love Shido equally in this fic. That isn't to say I don't have plans to ship Asher with someone, it just won't be a Spirit.
yogaratw607: I'm sorry for the news. I probably won't be including OC characters in the Kamen Rider club. Everyone who joins will be an already existing character in the canon of Date a Live. However, that doesn't mean these characters will never appear again. It is possible they come back for a later arc down the line but in regards to them joining the KRC? It probably won't happen. Now, on the topic of Spirit switches, that is kinda something that's in the works. I won't reveal how it will be used, but I do already have a solid plan about combining Astroswitches with Spirit power and who will use them.
I think that's all the reviews with questions! Back to the story, we'll focus on a side character who isn't utilized that much in the Date a Live universe. However, will he be more relevant in this fiction than in canon? We'll just have to wait and see.
Chapter 6: Tonomachi Freedom - Discipline for the Delinquents
Third Person POV
May 4th
"[Captain. What's the response?]" Origami's voice rang out from the blue cell phone. Ryouko let out a sigh, a bit dissatisfied with the answer she was going to give her underling.
"Higher-ups have told us not to investigate or get involved with the situation. Anything to do with those monsters or Apollo is not under our jurisdiction." Ryouko grumbled.
"[Captain, this is the second time one of those monsters has ties to Raizen. If we don't investigate the situation, then—]" Origami explained, though Ryouko suddenly interrupted her.
"Origami! It's not our job, end of story. Orders are orders. You know what will happen if you go against the higher-up's decisions." Ryouko angrily told Origami. It was partly out of anxiety for the young cadet as well. Even if she did cause problems, Origami was still the top member of her squad. She still had a lot of life to lead ahead of her. Getting into trouble, especially with the higher-ups, would only result in disaster.
"[...I understand. Thank you for your time, Captain.]" With that, Origami hung up. Ryouko sighed deeply and looked back at the computer on her desk.
A couple of days ago, Origami sent her a recording of one young Raizen student transforming into a monster similar to that red one a few weeks back. Judging from the camera angle, Ryouko could tell Origami mostly likely took it with a secret body camera she had on her at the time. However, Ryouko could only scratch her head as to why Origami would even have such a camera on her. Weirder is that the footage before the monster appeared solely focused on one male student. To Ryouko, it looked borderline like stalking.
Regardless, Origami forwarded this footage to her and asked for advice about how to proceed with the situation. This footage and intel gathered after the incident with the red monster on the 21st of the previous month pointed to troubling signs about students from the nearby school, Raizen High, being turned into monsters.
Of course, Ryouko sent her superiors a request to investigate the school, but they nearly instantly shut her down. All she got was a statement that essentially boiled down to, "They are not your targets. We are not paying you to go after them. Do not go after them."
Ryouko gritted her teeth as she clenched her hands. There was surely injustice that needed to be dealt with, but her supervisors not only turned a blind eye to it but forced her to do so as well. She joined the AST specifically to protect this planet from these world-ending threats. Now she's told to turn a blind eye to a new one?
Ryouko laid back on her chair and groaned. It didn't matter. Orders were orders. If she went against them, what good would that do? Suspension? Losing her salary? Dismissal? At the end of the day, she needed to take care of herself as well. Doing things recklessly would only lead to trouble.
Asher's POV
May 6th
I cannot believe this. Why the hell do I need these "Day-Off Supplementary Lessons." Scratch that, I know why. It's cause I've forgotten to turn in my homework practically every day for the past week and a half.
The real question is why this is on a Saturday and at such an early time. I just wanted to laze around…
"Yawn… this better wrap itself up quickly…" I mumble to myself as I reach the designated classroom for the supplementary lessons.
I opened the door, only to find people I recognized quite well seated inside the room already.
"So… you're here as well?" Shido stated.
"Unbelievable…" Kengo commented.
"Haha! I never knew you were a problem kid like us!" Tonomachi joked.
"You three… you guys also got called for these Day-Off Supplementary Lessons?" I asked as I took the empty chair next to Kengo. Shido was on the table to my left, with Tonomachi sitting at the table behind him.
"Oh sure, they may be known as Day-Off Supplementary Lessons, but every problem kid knows them under a different name." Tonomachi's complexion suddenly darkened.
"Hell Supplementary Lessons." Tonomachi ominously stated as the three of us looked at him in confusion.
"...I'm sure it won't be that bad." I responded before the door suddenly slammed open.
A man with a white undershirt, blue tie, and grey sweater walked in while holding a wooden stick.
"Looks like everyone's here. I'm the teacher who'll be in charge of these supplementary lessons, Satake." Satake introduced himself, though instead of going to the lectern, he simply went over to the curtains.
"The four of you are here because you are bad boys. Whenever a problem student appears, I'll be there. It's my job to reform all of you. We have a long set of lessons ahead of us." Satake menacingly stated before dramatically opening the curtains.
"As you all are right now, you'd pollute this pure white campus with your black stains. I won't let anyone leave as long as even one of you remains filthy." Satake threatened. I nervously gulped harder than I have in my entire life.
Oh shit… this is not going to be fun.
"Reflection! What a wonderful term. To look inward and come to a better understanding of yourself. Reflect on yourself and think about what the most important thing is… as you write it out 1000 times." Satake demanded as he walked around the room, his trusty stick in hand.
"Umm… Satake-sensei?" Shido suddenly piped up.
"Yes?" Satake turned around and gave him an eerie smile.
"What exactly are we supposed to be writing?" Shido asked out, though Satake just mockingly laughed in response.
"If I told you, then this wouldn't be a lesson! I told you! Reflect on yourself about what the most important thing is!" Satake pointed his stick at Shido.
"If you fail to write down the right answer, I'll subject you to another 1000 writings!" Satake revealed. This revelation caused Tonomachi to stand up suddenly.
"That's totally unfair! How in the world are we supposed to get the right answer if we don't even know what's even right?!" Tonomachi complained, though Satake just turned towards him.
"Oh? Talking back against me, bad boy? You get to do it 2000 times now!" Satake cruelly exclaimed, causing Tonomachi to falter and fall back into his seat. Exaggerated tears fell down his face.
"I trust you guys will continue the work. We have a long day ahead of us." Satake stated before walking out of the room. The moment I could no longer hear his footsteps, I turned to whisper at Kengo.
"Psst. Kengo. Why are you here? I thought you were a good student?" I asked while trying to think of an acceptable answer to "what's most important to me".
"I've been leaving class too many times to go to the infirmary. Even the corroboration of the nurse doesn't seem to be enough to protect me." Kengo answered as he continued writing in his notebook.
"And you?" Kengo followed up.
"Ahh, well, I've been kinda slacking on my homework for the past couple of weeks…" I sheepishly stated. Unexpectedly, Kengo's pencil suddenly froze as his hand remained stationary.
"Asher, don't tell me it's because of the training—" Kengo spoke, but I cut him off before he could finish.
"No, no, no, it's not your fault, it's mine. Really, trust me. I don't have the best time management skills. We can continue doing training after school every day." I reassured.
"Oh-ho? Is this juicy drama I'm hearing between the Infirmary Genius and a problem student? I never knew you two had such a close relationship." Tonomachi's voice rang out. Kengo just groaned and continued writing, though I wasn't nearly as composed.
"No? It's not like that!" I turned around and yelled at him.
"To think you'd betray Itsuka like that for him. I guess you really do swing that way." Tonomachi teased, causing my face to flush a little more.
"Can you shut up?! You're completely wrong by the way!" I defended myself, though Tonomachi just had a playful expression on his face.
"By the way… why are you here?" I asked as I calmed down from that small emotional outburst. Tonomachi simply pulled out his phone and turned it on. Suddenly, a girl's voice rang out from the phone, and a portrait of an anime woman was displayed.
"Those bastards tried to stop me from talking to my girlfriend. Heh! If only they knew! My love for my girlfriend is stronger than they'd realize! Nothing would stop me from being with her when she needed me! Not even class!" Tonomachi explained as let out a laugh.
So, basically, he's here because he was caught using his phone too many times during class. Spectacular.
"And Shido? You mind sharing why you're here?" I asked.
"Ahh, same story as you. I've been slacking on homework for the past couple of weeks as well…" Shido admitted. Well, that's two of us. Though, I could surmise why he was behind in his homework. Being the focus of a secret organization has got to be time and energy-consuming, after all.
"By the way, how's Tohka?" I asked.
"Oh, Tohka's fine. Apparently, she's been recruited to do some part-time job for the day, so she's preoccupied." Shido explained.
"You're not worried?" I questioned.
"Kotori's looking after her, so everything should be fine." Shido responded. Of course, Kotori is most likely a codeword for Fraxinus in general. Looking at Tonomachi, he started trembling and stammering in shock.
"S-Shido… don't tell me… you and Tohka have gotten together…?!" Tonomachi asked, causing Shido to blush.
"What in the world gave you that thought?" I asked him.
"The way he said her name so casually…! Clearly, it indicates a deep level of love! Shido, I thought we would be virgins in arms until the end of our days… how could you betray me like this…?!" Tonomachi fake sobbed as Shido blushed even harder.
"She's just a friend!" Shido frantically defended himself.
"So? There's only a space that differentiates a girl friend and a girlfriend!" Tonomachi gritted his teeth in anger over Shido having "betrayed" him.
"You've got this all wrong!" Shido cried out as Tonomachi glared at him.
Good grief, why do things turn out like this?
Third Person POV
"Thank you for coming!" Tohka bowed her head as one of the customers left.
"Wow! Tohka, you're a natural at this!" Ai suddenly appeared from behind her.
"We've been gaining new customers left and right! I knew it! Asking you for help was the best choice we could've made!" Mai happily commented.
"And this maid outfit really fits you well! That's so cool!" Mii finished off the trio's routine.
"Umu! This is so enjoyable!" Tohka happily replied. Right now, she was working a part-time job for the day at a small cafe called La Pucelle. The previous day, the trio approached her and asked if she could take up the job.
According to the trio, a chain store notorious for ruining nearby shops' reputations opened a location not too far away from La Pucelle a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the cafe has been slowly losing customers due to this store's sabotage. In a last-ditch effort to save the shop they worked at, Ai-Mai-Mii asked Tohka if she could work for a couple of days to reinvigorate interest in the cafe.
At first, Tohka was a bit hesitant to do so, though Ai-Mai-Mii shared a useful tidbit of information that easily persuaded Tohka into taking the job.
"And with the money, I can buy Shido a gift!" Tohka happily continued, though as she spoke those words, the trio shared a look before nodding at each other.
"So, Tohka, why do you want to repay Itsuka?" Ai prodded as the trio surrounded her, hoping to get some juicy gossip. They suspected Tohka had a close relationship with Shido, but now they wanted to the bottom of the matter.
"Ehh?" Tohka began blushing a little. "Well, he's a really great guy… he reached out and saved me when I was at my lowest…" Tohka meekly stated—an aura of blinding innocence exuding from her.
"W-What is this overwhelming emotion!" Ai recoiled in shock.
"Her feelings for Itsuka are too genuine!" Mai announced.
"S-she's too pure…!" Mii finished. Tohka just looked at the three of them in confusion as they knelt on the ground.
"Huff… I can see… Alright! We've decided to support you! We'll help you win his heart!" Ai announced as Mai and Mii nodded in approval.
"But, we have some troubles to take care of… there's another boy that's been hanging out with Tohka as well, according to the rumors… Seung?" Mai added on.
"I'll get rid of him." Mii coldly stated as she somehow pulled out a blackjack from her maid dress.
"Muu?! No, you don't need to! Asher's a good person! He's helped me and Shido out a lot, especially as Fo—!" Tohka immediately clasped her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from speaking.
"Hmm? What were you saying?" Ai asked inquisitively.
"I, uh, I was just saying that Asher's helped us both a lot! Especially Shido! They both trust each other a lot! They have lots of secrets that no one else can know!" Tohka nervously explained, trying to divert attention from her near slip-up.
"Oh? I see, then those rumors really are true." Ai casually remarked.
"He really does swing that way. Why does every man want Itsuka though?" Mai added on.
"Guess he won't be a threat anymore then." Mii put away her blackjack into her maid's dress once again.
Tohka tilted her head. For some reason, she couldn't help but think she made the situation even worse.
"Alright! I bought the gift!" Tohka happily announced as she looked into the bag. Since Shido enjoys food so much, perhaps he would like a collection of some of the cafe's treats? She only had around 10 more minutes until her shift ended, but she decided to buy the gifts now so she could rush home the moment her shift ended.
"Tohka! Can you give that table its order?" Ai called out. Tohka eagerly grabbed the tray of drinks and food and started walking over to her table when suddenly…
"Muu?!" A customer suddenly extended their leg in front of Tohka, causing her to trip slightly. Though she didn't fall, the food and drinks on the tray fell directly on the customer instead, covering him in frosting and tea.
"Oi! What are you doing?!" The customer angrily shouted out, though Tohka just looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Tohka asked him.
"You spilled hot tea all over me! I might suffer third-degree burns for that!" The man cried out.
"Then you should go to… uh… a ho-spi-tal?" Tohka enunciated, trying to remember the location that Shido taught her where people go to get better.
"Haa? Don't give me that. How are you going to make it up to me?!" The man demanded.
"But you were the one who suddenly extended your leg? It's your fault for trying to trip me." Tohka responded, though the man just gritted his teeth.
"S-So?! My expensive clothes are ruined, my skin is scalding right now, and I'm sure I'll suffer emotional trauma from this! How are you going to reimburse me?!" The man exclaimed, his facade faltering a little.
"Reimburse? Money?" Tohka spoke to herself before shaking her head. "I just used the rest of my money to buy some sweets." Tohka explained.
"If you can't pay for this, then I demand to see your manager! What kind of manager hires an employee who won't apologize or reimburse me for their mistake?" The man shouted. He continued to rant about how terrible the service and store were for several more seconds.
"If you don't reimburse me, then I'll have to take it upon myself!" The man looked at the bag of treats that Tohka had previously bought earlier and quickly snatched it.
"Give it back, that's for Shido!" Tohka cried out, though the customer just pushed her away. He then quickly ate one of the treats before spitting it out.
"Unbelievable, even the quality of this cafe's food is terrible. I'll make sure the entire town knows how bad this shop is!" The man crumpled the bag, crushing the rest of the treats, before dropping it to the ground. He then turned around to leave the cafe.
"...how dare you…" Tohka angrily muttered.
"Oh? Have you finally come to your senses and beg for forg—!" The customer turned around, though froze up in shock upon seeing Tohka. Her eyes were filled with a murderous aura. The atmosphere of the room sent chills down everyone's spine.
"...How dare you ruin my gift for Shido!" Tohka angrily yelled out before running up to the man. He yelped in fear, but before he could flee, Tohka decked him in the face, causing him to go flying and crash straight through the door.
"Waaaaaah!" The customer cried out as he flew out of the shop and landed on the ground. Of course, the commotion attracted the attention of not only the people inside the shop but also those who happened to pass by.
"I will never, NEVER, forgive you!" Tohka maliciously cried out as she began to exit through the now shattered door. However, before she could do so…
"I think that'll be enough, Tohka. We'll handle this from here." A blonde-haired customer suddenly sat up and walked over to Tohka. His words snapped her back to reality. Tohka looked at the man, only to realize she had seen him before.
"Alright, let's clean this up!" Kannazuki snapped his fingers. With that, a group of men suddenly mobilized, quickly cleaning up and repairing the damages that Tohka caused. They even grabbed the rude customer whom Tohka sent flying and dragged him off somewhere.
"Thanks for the food." Kannazuki placed a large stack of cash at the cashier before leaving. Just like that, the entire store looked completely brand new, as if the last two minutes hadn't happened at all.
"Tohka… that was so cool!" Ai praised as she approached Tohka from behind.
"Those people from that chain think they're so slick. I've always wanted to deck them in the face myself!" Mai added on.
"So badass!" Mii finished. The trio continued to applaud Tohka's actions but realized that Tohka was just standing still. Worried, they walked in front of her, only to see that Tohka had tears welling up in her eyes.
"Muu… my gift for Shido… it's ruined…" Tohka woefully cried out. The three girls panicked, wondering what to do to cheer her up.
"Now, now, what's all the ruckus about…?" An older man suddenly walked out of the employee's room.
"M-Manager!" Ai cried out in surprise.
"One of those people from that chain came again, but Tohka took care of him herself!" Mai explained.
"But he ruined her present…" Mii regrettably concluded. The manager slowly nodded as he digested the trio's testimony.
"I see… that's what happened…" The manager mumbled to himself as he was deep in thought. Before long, he went over to the counter and grabbed something from one of the shelves.
"Here… this is for your work…" The manager walked over to Tohka and handed her an envelope. Tohka looked up, wiping her tears, and grabbed the envelope. She looked at it in confusion before opening it.
"This is…!" Tohka gasped as her eyes widened. Inside the envelope was quite a sizeable stack of cash.
"Now, I can't let your hard work go unrewarded, can I?" The manager answered. "A little bonus from me. I'm sure it'll make up the money you lost."
"Tohka! Isn't this great!" Ai cheerfully stated.
"Now you can buy Itsuka another gift!" Mai added on.
"That's so lucky!" Mii finished.
"Umu! I can buy so many more treats for Shido!" Tohka happily announced, though the trio nearly stumbled over upon hearing this. The trio looked at each other and nodded.
"Tohka, listen to us. With that much money, you can buy Shido a much better gift." Ai declared. Tohka tilted her head and looked at the blond girl in confusion.
"There's a shop that's known for selling a certain item…" Mai vaguely added on.
"If you buy it for him, Itsuka'll be swept off his feet!" Mii concluded.
"Umu! Shido's going to be so happy!" Tohka cheerfully said as she walked out of the store, carrying a small bag in her right hand.
"Muu, but why does such a small item cost so much money?" Tohka curiously questioned as she inspected the package inside the bag. It was no larger than her hand.
Regardless, Tohka marched down the street with pride. Not only did she do good today, but she also got a gift for Shido. She could just imagine Shido's reaction when she told him what had happened.
"Tohka! I'm so proud of you! Here, I'll give you all the kinako bread in the world! You deserve it!" Shido's voice echoed as Tohka daydreamed him hauling a full cart of kinako bread to give to her.
"Hmmm… so much kinako bread…" Tohka dreamily mumbled as she drooled a little.
CRASH
A nearby shop's window suddenly shattered. The alarm echoed as people's screams echoed through the air.
"Muu!?" Tohka turned around to look in the direction of the noise. As people fled past her, Tohka saw what seemed to be a brown humanoid monster. Its face looked like that of a canine. In its right hand were tens of different-colored chains.
This appearance, it must be… what did Shido call them…? That's right! A Zodiarts!
"In times like this… I need to do this!" Tohka confidently stated as she pulled out her phone. Quickly dialing the number, she put the phone up to her ear as she spied on the Zodiarts from a distance.
"Now, let's go on a hunt!" The Zodiarts wildly cried out as he began smacking anybody who got close to him.
Asher's POV
I looked down at the piece of paper, my eyes darting around constantly. The pencil in my hand was shaking.
The paper was still empty. I had no idea what to jot down.
As I concentrated on figuring out something to write, a loud ringing sound suddenly jolted me out of it.
I turned around, only to realize that it was coming from Shido. His phone was ringing. He quickly pulled it out and answered it.
"Yes, Tohka?" Shido quickly greeted. Behind him, Tonomachi's jaw went agape.
"T-T-Tohka?! That Tohka?! You've already ascended to lovely-dovey phone calls with her?! How could you replace me with her so quickly?" Tonomachi seethed. Shido did his best to ignore him.
Shido calmly listened to the call before suddenly standing up.
"What did you say? A Zodiarts?!" Shido cried out as his eyes widened. That got both of my and Kengo's attention as we turned to look at him.
"A Zodiarts? What is that? Some sort of codeword?" Tonomachi questioned, though Shido continued to ignore him.
"I got it. Just stay safe, I'll tell them." Shido instructed before hanging up. He looked at us before turning towards us.
"It's at the shopping district near the station." Shido informed us. Kengo stood up and nodded.
"I got it. Asher, stay here. If you leave, it might cause problems with Satake-sensei. He should hold me in a higher esteem. He may excuse it if he notices I'm gone." Kengo informed.
"You sure? How are you gonna beat it?" I asked worriedly. Even if he did have Powerdizer, it didn't exactly have Fourze's strength.
"Don't worry, I don't have to beat it. I just have to repel it long enough so we can face it on a more opportune day." Kengo reassured. Realizing his intentions, I nodded, allowing him to go. With that, he grabbed the Astroswitch Case and rushed out of the room.
"Hey? Is anyone going to tell me what the heck's going on?" Tonomachi cried out.
"It's for your own safety that you don't get involved in this situation." I responded, though this just irritated Tonomachi.
"I know there's something that you're keeping secret between the three of you! Come on, spill it!" Tonomachi complained though I tried to ignore him. I needed to focus on coming up with an answer to write down.
"Grrr! Itsuka! Come on, at least you could tell me what's going on!" Tonomachi pleaded with him, but Shido just scratched his chin.
"Tonomachi, this has nothing to do with you, so don't worry about it." Shido nervously answered. He turned around to continue writing, leaving Tonomachi completely stunned.
"...Why can't you confide in your best friend…?" Tonomachi muttered under his breath as he eventually resumed scribbling his answer on the sheet of paper.
Third Person POV
"Come on! Where's the fun of the hunt if the prey's so weak?!" The Zodiarts growled as he swung around his chain, the spike at the end breaking any walls and windows it came into contact with.
"If that's the case, then I'll be the one to stop your hunt." A voice called out. The Zodiarts turned to face wherever the voice came from. In the distance, he could see a large yellow mech approaching him.
"Now then, here I go!" Kengo shouted as he punched the Zodiarts with Powerdizer, sending it flying.
"Canes Venatici… the Hound Zodiarts?" Kengo remarked to himself, as the Zodiarts got back to their feet.
"Now that's more like it!" Hound boisterously cried out before pumping himself up.
The two charged into each other. At first, Powerdizer was easily able to push back against Hound, but before long, Kengo's lack of stamina started to show signs.
"This can't be. Why is my body so weak?!" Kengo internally yelled at himself as Hound began to push back against Powerdizer's advances. Eventually, the two were locked in a stalemate, though if things were to continue like this, Powerdizer would be on the ground in no time.
Thinking rashly, Kengo threw out a hook to try and hit Hound. With blistering speed, however, Hound quickly jumped back, causing Powerdizer to stumble forward.
"You may be big, but that's all you've got! Size means nothing without speed or stamina!" Hound gloated as he landed on the ground before shooting numerous needles from his chest towards Powerdizer.
"AAAAHHHH!" Kengo screamed out as he attempted to block the needles. Despite his best efforts, the projectiles eventually overwhelmed him, sending Powerdizer flying.
Powerdizer crashed into the ground hard, the force of the impact opening the pilot's cockpit and ejecting Kengo from the mecha. Kengo rolled several times before coming to a stop on the pavement.
"Ahh, done already? Can't complain, that was exhilarating for what it was!" Hound then began to slowly walk up towards Kengo. "It's time for the hunter to take its trophy!"
Kengo grimaced as he struggled to get to his feet. Hound approached closer and closer. However, suddenly, he came to a stop.
"Oh my. It seems like you need some assistance, Utahoshi?" Kengo looked towards who was speaking to him. Standing in between Kengo and Hound was a familiar blonde-haired man wearing a uniform.
"Huh? Who the hell are you?" Hound demanded. The man turned to look at Hound.
"Perhaps I can give you the satisfying hunt you so desire?" Kannazuki calmly stated before turning back to Kengo.
"I hope you won't mind me commandeering this," Kannazuki apologized as he entered Powerdizer's open cockpit.
"I must say, it's not as tight as I was expecting. A shame." Kannazuki sighed as Powerdizer got to its feet.
"What the hell do you think you can do in that slow, clunky-ass machine, huh, old man?" Hound jested.
Without warning, Powerdizer rushed forward and threw a punch. Hound barely had enough time to react, only just narrowly jumping out of harm's way.
"Hmm, so this is the limit? Good to know." Kannazuki methodically stated. "By the way, Zodiarts. I'm not old. I'm 28." Kannazuki added on.
"Doesn't matter! I'll still come out on top of this hunt!" Hound swung its chain before throwing it at Powerdizer. However, Kannazuki simply held up one of Powerdizer's arms, causing the chain to wrap around it. Before Hound could pull it back, Kannazuki simply yanked it out of Hound's arm.
"I believe you were saying something about besting me?" Kannazuki remarked, causing Hound to growl in rage.
"Don't mock me!" Hound then puffed his chest out, firing a hail of needles towards Powerdizer. However, Kannazuki simply flipped a switch.
Suddenly, the feet of Powerdizer morphed into wheels. Powerdizer swiftly moved out of the way before reappearing behind Hound before he could react.
"Wha—!" Hound cried out in shock, but a powerful punch from Powerdizer struck him before he could finish.
"Don't assume I'm out of tricks just yet." Kannazuki commented as Hound landed on the ground several meters away. As he impacted the ground, a small little object tumbled tumbled out of Hound's body. A Zodiarts Switch.
A black mist engulfed Hound before revealing a young man wearing a leather jacket, several facial accessories, and slicked-back hair.
"How dare you!" The man cried out as he scrambled to his feet. Picking up the Zodiarts Switch once again, he quickly pressed the switch and transformed back into Hound.
"I won't forget this!" Hound yelled out before firing another barrage of energy needles.
Instead of hitting Powerdizer however, they simply impacted the ground nearby, creating a large cloud of smoke.
The moment the smoke dissipated, Hound was nowhere to be seen.
"He ran with his tail between his legs? Befitting of a canine like him." Kannazuki sighed before opening the cockpit doors.
As Kannazuki exited the mecha, Kengo rose to his feet and made his way over to the tall blond man.
"Not as draining as I expected either… hmm, truly a shame." Kannazuki mentioned as he stretched his arms.
"Kannazuki… how did you?" Kengo asked the man.
"You must be talking about my superior fighting prowess. Well, I've been in more fights than you could possibly imagine Utahoshi." Kannazuki answered. However, he eventually realized what Kengo was really referring to since he continued looking at him with a confused expression.
"Oh! You must be referring to my appearance here. Well, let's just say I was in the area for a mission. Ok?" Kannazuki revealed, which seemed to satiate Kengo.
"Well, I appreciate the assistance… I have to go back to Raizen. See if you can figure out who the man in this photo is." Kengo showed a photo he took with his phone of the man during the brief instance he was knocked out of his Zodiarts form. Kengo then proceeded to text Kannazuki the photo he had taken.
"Of course. We'll give our utmost effort." Kannazuki gave Kengo a small bow before departing.
Alone once again, Kengo looked at his uniform. It was a bit dirty and disheveled.
"How should I explain this to Satake-sensei?" Kengo wondered as he hopped back onto his motorcycle and drove back to Raizen.
Asher's POV
I nervously twiddled my thumbs as Satake stood at the front of the classroom. His eyes focused on the empty chair that was right next to me.
The only sound that reverberated in the room was the constant sound of Satake slapping his stick against his hand every couple of seconds.
Suddenly, the door opened softly. We all turned our heads to focus on the person entering the room.
"Sorry, I was in the infirmary." Kengo apologized, though my eyes widened slightly upon noticing how roughed up he was. His clothes weren't in the best of shape and his face had some bruises on it.
"I accidentally tripped down some stairs, so I took a bit longer than expected." Kengo lied. I looked over at Satake, who was surprisingly understanding of Kengo's explanation.
"The nurse confirmed that you're often in the infirmary. Even if you're a good student, your poor attendance doesn't reflect well on your record, even with your high marks." Satake added as Kengo sat back in the chair next to me.
"Now then, I surmise all of you have written down your answer? Hand over your notebooks to me." Satake demanded. I began sweating nervously as we each passed them over to him.
Satake opened the first notebook, his gleeful expression immediately turned into disdain.
"Itsuka!" Satake yelled out.
"Yes?!" Shido yelped out.
"What is this answer?!" Satake demanded.
"W-Well, the most important thing I think is my family and loved ones…" Shido nervously fumbled out.
"That's incorrect!" Satake interrupted, causing Shido to squeal a little. Satake proceeded to close the notebook quite forcefully and pick up the next one. His sour mood only worsened when he turned the page.
"Tonomachi. Do you think this is a joke?" Satake quietly spoke with venom in his words.
"It's never a joke! After all, what's more important in this entire world than my girlfri—" Tonomachi extravagantly posed as he pulled out his phone, but was cut short by Satake drawing his stick only a mere inches away from his face.
"If you think is just a joke, I will subject you to far harsher lessons, bad boy!" Satake threatened, causing Tonomachi to swallow hard nervously. He then proceeded to sit back down in his chair meekly.
Satake then proceeded to pick up the next notebook.
"Seung! What in the world is this? Explain yourself!" Satake angrily shouted as he turned around my notebook and pointed at the pages with his stick.
It was completely blank.
"I-I mean, defining what the most important thing is, don't you think that's a bit too big of a philosophical question?" I nervously tried to explain. To be honest, I couldn't really come up of an answer to that question.
"You're wrong because there is an answer!" Satake snapped before he laid down my notebook. He picked up the final notebook. His scowl initially worsened, probably expecting this one to be wrong as well, but before long, his scowl disappeared. A gentle smile soon cropped up on his face.
"Utahoshi, I'm proud of you." Satake simply stated, causing us three failures to look at Kengo in astonishment.
"Of course, Satake-sensei. There is nothing more important than being a good disciplined student." Kengo responded, trying to continue appeasing Satake.
"I'm glad atleast one of you managed to write down the answer, and a thousand times at that!" Satake grinned as he flipped through the pages, seeing that Kengo did indeed write it atleast 1000 times.
He then closed the notebook before glaring at the three of us.
"Now then, I expect you three to write down the answer 2000 times!" Satake demanded, causing the three of us to cry out in shock.
"Ehh?! But I already wrote the previous answer 2000 times!" Tonomachi complained.
"If you're unsatisfied with the lesson, I can always increase it to 4000." Satake threatened, causing Tonomachi to shut up once again immediately.
"Now then, Utahoshi, you can use this time to self-study for the test." Satake calmly stated, though this just caused the rest of us to sweat nervously.
"Uhh… Satake-sensei, what do you mean by test?" I hesitantly asked.
"Were you paying attention? After the supplementary lessons, there will be a test. For those that do not pass, they will be required to attend next week's lesson. The passing grade is 50… except for you, Tonomachi. It'll be 75 percent." Satake explained.
"What?! Why only me?!" Tonomachi stood up as he cried out, causing Satake to just glare at him.
"Of all the trash in this room, you are the trashiest of trash. Numerous reports of your delinquent lifestyle have reached my ears. Ogling your phone during classes non-stop, your subpar attendance record, your deviant attitude." Satake explained. "You require extra work to be scrubbed clean of your filth!" Satake warned, though Tonomachi just groaned before lazily sitting back in his chair.
"No! I refuse to take part in such an unjust system! The only one who can save me now is my girlfriend…" Tonoamchi silently whined before pulling out his phone and messing around with it.
"Bad boy, is that the attitude you're giving me?" Satake seethed, though Tonomachi just continued to ignore him, smiling happily at his phone.
"You delinquent… I can see you'll contaminate the entire school with your filth. If that's the case, then if even one of you fails this test, then I'll force all of you to come to next week's supplementary lesson!" Satake growled.
""WHAT?!"" Shido and I cried out in sync. However, Satake just turned to look at the two of us.
"If you wish not to return, then I suggest you encourage your fellow student to clean himself up!" Satake demanded.
"Now then, I expect the three of you to begin writing out your answers immediately!" Satake shouted as he slapped his stick against his hand, the echoing reverberation restoring order to this unruly classroom.
"Arrgh, my hand hurts." I put down my pencil and shake my hand slightly. I was around the 1400 mark at this point. Still, another 600-ish more to go… yipee…
I looked over at Kengo, who was just reading from a textbook, calmly preparing himself for the test.
The same could not be said for my two compatriots. I turned around, seeing Shido fervently scribbling in his notebook while Tonomachi continued to goof off on his phone, only occasionally writing in his notebook.
"Hey, Kengo. How did it go with the Zodiarts?" I whispered to him.
"Not well. I overestimated my capabilities with Powerdizer." Kengo sighed. "It was only by chance that Kannazuki happened to be nearby and take over Powerdizer for me, driving off Hound."
"Kannazuki?! He piloted Powerdizer?" I quietly cried out, though I sweated a little when I felt Shido and Tonomachi's gazes on me. I quickly returned to writing back in my notebook to throw off some heat.
"And? What's the deal with Hound?" I silently asked.
"The Hound Zodiarts, based on the Canes Venatici constellation. He's quick and agile, equipped with a chain and energy needles for ranged attacks." Kengo explained.
"Jeez, sounds tough. Any clue as to who he is?" I asked, though Kengo just shook his head.
"Not yet, but I managed to snap a photo of the host when Kannazuki managed to force the Zodiarts to undo its transformation. Fraxinus should be analyzing the photo as we speak while they continue to keep an eye out for it should it reappear. Though, I have no idea how long it'll take, especially considering the image's quality." Kengo responded.
"Wait, Kannazuki managed to defeat the Zodiarts in Powerdizer?!" I asked in shock. I thought Powerdizer was nowhere near the level of Fourze's strength.
"Kannazuki informed me he's quite the skilled fighter. Perhaps I should've expected this, given his status as the vice-commander of Fraxinus." Kengo commented.
"I see…" I replied as I mulled over Kengo's words. Who knew Kannazuki could be that big of a force to be reckoned with? Hang on, if he's vice-commander, then what kind of power does Kotori have? Is she somehow a better fighter than him?
That's gotta be impossible, she's way younger and smaller than him!
Third Person POV
"Achoo!" Kotori sneezed before putting the lollipop back in her mouth.
"Commander? Is there something wrong?" Kannazuki asked as he stood beside her in Fraxinus's command room. On the screens was footage from all over the city. Right now, they were keeping an eye on the city in case Hound reappeared once again.
"Right now… I got the feeling someone was talking about my stature…" Kotori seethed angrily.
"Commander, where's the problem in that? You may be small and flat, but that accentuates your beauty." Kannazuki commented. Kotori twitched in anger before kicking him hard in the ass.
"Don't say that about me!" Kotori cried out as Kannazuki went flying from the kick.
"Ahhh~ Thank you so much~!" Kannazuki cried out in pleasure as he landed on the ground, face down.
"Good grief, this was just supposed to be a report on what happened with Tohka, I didn't need to hear your perverted comments!" Kotori complained.
"But Commander, it's true! Your petite body is— gauf!" Kannazuki spoke but was rudely interrupted by Kotori once again kicking him in the ass as he lay on the floor.
"Shut up!" Kotori yelled out, as Kannazuki moaned in pleasure.
The other crew members nervously sweated at the ongoing situation. Just another day aboard the airship.
Third Person POV
Kengo read through another textbook as Asher and Shido diligently wrote in their notebooks. However, Tonomachi sat and toyed with his phone, no longer bothering to write a few lines occasionally. The room was filled with the sounds of scribbling paper and periodic notifications from Tonomachi's phone.
"Tonomachi, if you keep this up, we'll all end up here next week again." Shido turned around after one too many pings.
"No way, Itsuka! Even if I do what he says, that jerk will probably find some other way to punish me! How dare he think my girlfriend is less important than being a good student." Tonomachi snobbishly remarked.
"This is tyranny, plain and simple! Suppressing the freedom of the students to bend to his will! I won't take a part of it." Tonomachi declared out.
"It's not that serious. Just do your work, and then you'll be free to do whatever you want afterward." Asher turned to face him as well.
"And admit defeat? Ha! Ludicrous! I'll live my life however I want, rules be damned! Hahaha!" Tonomachi began laughing as Asher and Shido sweatdropped.
"...is he always like this?" Asher whispered to Shido.
"Unfortunately…" Shido weary replied.
"No one's stopping you from living the life you want, but you're being negligent to not realize that your actions will prevent us from living our lives the way we want." Kengo lectured.
"Even the Infirmary Genius is ganging up on me? Pfft." Tonomachi dismissively stated before going back to looking at his phone.
"Come on, Tonomachi. Just try and power through it and try to do well on the test. It'll be easier that way." Asher advised him.
"Easy for you to say! My hand cramped up like hell after the first 2000; if I write another 2000, I won't even be able to pick my beautiful girlfriend for a week!" Tonomachi faked sobbed. "Besides, a 75 to pass! I've never scored higher than a 70 on my tests, and now this demonic teacher from hell wants me to get a 75! Screw that! I know my limits. If I'm going to be condemned either way, I might as well enjoy the remaining time I do have."
"Tonomachi, please. Asher's right. At least try and put in some effort. For all of us." Shido nervously stated, though Tonomachi just gritted his teeth.
"...when did you start siding with him?" Tonomachi childishly pouted under his breath.
Suddenly, an alarm from Kengo's Astroswitch Case rang out.
"Holy! What in the world is that? Nearly gave me a heart attack…" Tonomachi yelped out as Kengo opened the briefcase. On the monitor was Hound attacking another shopping district in the city, with Burgermeal hiding behind some cover to record the footage.
"He's recovered already?" Kengo commented.
"Is that Hound?" Asher asked.
"Yea. He's in the shopping district near the center of town." Kengo answered.
"I'll go. I'll deal with Satake's punishments when the time comes."
"Hang on, take this." Kengo suddenly handed Asher a small pink Astroswitch labeled #9.
"This is… a new switch?" Asher questioned.
"#9, Hopping. I completed it the previous day. I wanted to test it next Monday, but unfortunately, the Zodiarts popped up first."
"I see. Well, I'm sure it'll be useful. I'll be back soon, I hope." With that, Asher stood up and ran out of the classroom.
"Wait just a moment! What's going on!" Tonomachi demanded as he stood up. Kengo turned to look at him.
"It's none of your concern." Kengo bluntly answered, irritating Tonomachi.
"What do you mean?! You guys can't berate me for not doing my work and then go out skimping on these lessons!" Tonomachi argued.
"Tonomachi, it's much more serious than you'd think." Shido tried to placate him, but that just made it worse.
"So you do know something about this, Itsuka! Why aren't you telling me what's going on?! What is there to hide?" Tonomachi retorted, though Shido just stayed silent, not looking him in the eye, which irritated Tonomachi even more.
"Fine then! You guys keep your secrets!" Tonomachi left his table and began walking towards the door.
"Wait, what are you doing? You can't leave." Kengo grabbed Tonomachi, preventing him from leaving.
"Well, if this secret of yours is so important that you need to leave, then I need to leave as well! After all, I have my own secrets that I can't tell anyone." Tonomachi grumbled as he wrestled to try and escape Kengo's grasp.
"What are you saying? What we're doing isn't some joke! It's serious!" Kengo replied.
"Oh, I'm sure. Real serious. As serious as how I haven't given my girlfriend any gifts today!" Tonomachi countered.
"D-Don't compare what we're doing to your relationship with your stupid digital girlfriend!" Kengo struggled as he tried to keep Tonomachi in his grasp.
"Ha?! What did you just say about my girlfriend?!" Tonomachi seethed with rage before tackling Kengo to the floor.
"Hey, Tonomachi! Utahoshi! Stop it! Satake-sensei could come back at any…" Shido felt a chill run down his spine. He slowly turned around, only to see his worst fears confirmed.
"You pieces of garbage…!" Satake silently cursed before slapping his stick against his hand hard. Its echo brought Kengo and Tonomachi's squabble to a sudden halt.
Asher's POV
【THREE】【TWO】【ONE】
"Henshin!" I pulled the lever, the bright lights and winds surrounding me as the armor materialized around my body.
"UCHU KITA!" I yelled out as I revved up Machine Massigler. I departed at top speed towards the location.
After several minutes of riding, I eventually arrived at the shopping district. The area was in disarray, with people running away as the sounds of explosions echoed. I ran inside, finding the culprit of all the destruction.
"Come on, entertain me more! This hunt's just getting started!" Hound cried out as he threw his chain around.
"So, you're Hound?" I shouted out, which grabbed his attention.
"So, you're Fourze? No yellow mecha to entertain me?" Hound declared.
"You know who I am? How?" I put up my fists slowly.
"Does it matter? I'll defeat you in a flash!" Hound suddenly threw his chain at me. I quickly cropped to the ground to avoid it.
"Hey! Could've given me a heads up!" I retorted as I stood back up.
"Ahem, let's do this properly now. Kamen Rider Fourze! I'm sure my strength will bring about a miracle!" I yelled out before charging towards Hound.
"Heh! You really will need a miracle if you want to beat me!" Hound declared as he once again threw his chain. I dodged it, but before I could recover, he suddenly recalled it and threw it in my direction again.
"What?!" I cried out as he quickly barraged me with his chain. What the hell? He didn't seem this fast when he first tried to attack me!
"Arghh, you were really holding yourself back for that first strike, huh?" I groaned out as Hound concluded his barrage. He chuckled a little before glaring straight at me.
Well, it's a good thing I have something that might even the odds.
【HOPPING】
I replaced Drill with the newly completed Astroswitch. Hound tilted his head in anticipation and confusion.
【HOPPING ON】
A large pink pogo stick materialized around my left leg. I suddenly began hopping off the ground higher and higher.
"Well then, let's see you deal with this!" I shouted out, which grabbed Hound's attention. He again threw his chain at me, but I managed to jump over it.
"Grr! An annoying little prey, aren't you!" Hound complained as he attempted multiple times to hit me with his chain, but with every swing, Hopping dodged me out of the way.
"Haha! Seems like you can't hit me… huh?" I declared victoriously, but suddenly, Hopping began acting out of control.
"Hey, hey! Stop! I wanna slow down!" I yelled out as Hopping caused me to jump higher and higher. It didn't help that I was at an angle after one jump, so I launched myself off toward a nearby building. At this point, I was bouncing everywhere, off the nearby shops, walls, and trees. I was a directionless missile; I couldn't even jump straight upwards anymore.
"So the prey falls into his own trap, huh?" I heard Hound muse as he stopped spinning his chain, simply watching as I wildly bounced all over the place.
"Shut up!" I yelled back as I attempted to regain control of Hopping. However, no matter how hard I tried, it proved fruitless.
"This hunt's getting boring. Enjoy yourself." Hound suddenly declared as he turned to leave me. This caught my attention. With my remaining willpower, I made sure I was looking straight at Hound before I hit the next surface.
"Not so fast!" I cried out, causing Hound to turn around. The moment Hopping hit the wall, I immediately bounced toward Hound's direction. Like a human missile, I was heading straight for Hound at high speeds. Hound barely had enough time to react before I headbutted him hard on his chest, sending him flying.
"Ow!"/"Ow!" The two of us cried out in pain as we both landed on the floor. I turned off Hopping immediately and shook my head to try and get rid of the dizziness. Well, god, that was an unpleasant experience. I don't want to go through that again.
"So you had some tricks up your sleeve after all?" Hound groaned out as he slowly got back up. Seeing that this was my chance, I decided to go with old reliable when it came to dealing heavy damage.
【LAUNCHER ON】【RADAR ON】
Turning on the pair, I quickly aimed Radar at Hound before stomping my right foot, sending the missiles flying.
"Hah! Too slow!" Hound quickly jumped straight into the air. However, unbeknownst to him, the missiles that would've gone straight past him suddenly changed directions and homed onto him in the air.
"What?!" He yelled out as he was unable to dodge while in the air. Every missile hit him, causing him to crash hard into the ground below.
"Now then, I have somewhere to be, so I'm going to wrap this up quickly!" I declared before replacing Hopping with another old reliable.
【DRILL】
With my base setup back in action, I turned off Launcher and Radar to prepare for the finishing move.
【ROCKET ON】【DRILL ON】
Using Rocket, I flew into the air as Hound struggled to get up.
【ROCKET DRILL】【LIMIT BREAK】
"Rider Rocket Drill Kick!" I yelled out as I pulled the lever. I flew closer and closer towards Hound, but before I made contact with him, a robed figure suddenly ran in front of Hound and blocked my attack with just their hand.
"Huh?!" I yelled out as the figure simply deflected my attack, sending me tumbling to the ground.
"Go. I'll take care of this." The figure commanded in a deep, booming voice. Hearing this, Hound nodded before escaping.
"W-Wait!" I cried out, though my attention turned to the figure. It was a new Zodiarts. Its head and hair resembled that of a scorpion, and its hands had a scorpion-like claw extending from them. If these guys were constellation-based, was this one based on Scorpio?
"Fourze, you're a nuisance to my plans." Scorpio callously stated as he took off his robes.
"Plans? So you're one of the leaders, I assume?" I weakly groaned as I stood back up. Failing to execute a finisher really drained me of my energy.
"I'll teach you a lesson. If you get in my way after this, then know this." Scorpio then took a fighting stance.
"Your life will be snuffed out by me." Scorpio then bomb-rushed me with insane speed.
I attempted to retaliate by throwing a punch as Scorpio got closer to me, but he simply ducked and snuck behind me.
I turned around, attempting to punch him again, but Scorpio jumped and flipped over me like a martial arts expert.
"What the heck?!" I exclaimed as I watched Scorpio land behind me and turn around. He then jumped straight at me, delivering several flying kicks. I could do nothing but attempt to block them with my arms.
After kicking me away, his body began glowing. Suddenly, the stinger on the back of his head suddenly started extending before flying straight towards me. I didn't even have time to defend myself before the stinger impacted my stomach, striking me so hard that I immediately buckled down to the floor, grasping my stomach in pain.
"I'll repeat myself. If you disrupt my plans once again, I will end your life." Scorpio threatened before turning around and walking away. I felt exhaustion overwhelm me as I automatically detransformed.
"Who… in the world… was that…?" I thought to myself as I gasped heavily. I slowly stood back up, my hand clenching the spot where Scorpio's stinger struck me hard.
The area was now completely deserted, though I could hear the sounds of sirens approaching me. Snapping back to reality, I strained myself to get back on the motorcycle. I revved it back up before heading back towards Raizen.
It seems that the situation is getting more complex by the second…
Third Person POV
"I have done as you asked." Scorpio kneeled before an older adult wearing a black suit, sitting on his chair like a throne. In his hand was a Zodiarts Switch, which he fiddled with.
"Humanity has only progressed because of its struggles. Without strife, there is no advancement." The man mused as Scorpio continued to kneel in front of the man.
"Many great losses were incurred as humankind reached for the stars. Yet, we as a species overcame that despair. Through the efforts of those few who persevered, the whole human race became stronger as we took our first steps upon the moon." The man clenched the Zodiarts Switch tightly.
"Fourze… I'm curious to see whether you will do the same. Will you stand back up and bring about a change in this galaxy? Or will you cower in fear as the vastness of space consumes you? It will be interesting to see the path that you take…" The man grinned as he laid back in his chair, his eyes turning red as he stared at the Zodiarts Switch in his hand.
Author's Note:
And that's a wrap! Like I said, it's a bit shorter compared to the others.
We got some focus on Tonomachi! The Scorpio Zodiarts has made its debut! The mysterious old man has come back! Things are certainly ramping up!
So yeah, this arc is pretty much the arc where Shun joined the KRC in Fourze. You might have noted that I've skipped JK/Elec's debut arc, but don't worry. Elec will eventually come into play.
Speaking of which, I am holding myself back with introducing new Astroswitches. In Fourze, the first 20 were basically introduced one after another, while in this fic, I plan to spread them out more evenly.
Now, on the topic of Tonomachi, some of you may take issue with how "serious" Tonomachi becomes, which might be a little out of character for him. Unfortunately, due to how limited his characterization is in the main series, I've had to take some liberties when it came to fleshing him out. For this fic, Tonomachi is usually a joker, but sometimes his more serious side comes out. Despite that, he's passionate about what he loves and doesn't let anyone else sway his opinions.
Also, we have another adaptation of an Encore Story. From Encore 4, we've got Tohka Working. I need to start reading through the LNs again, especially now that S5 is airing.
Finally, the progress update. Unfortunately, I haven't been really working on this fic. These past two weeks have been me looking for and sending job applications, so that's been at the forefront of my mind. I only just finished Chapter 8 a couple of days ago. However, don't worry. Arcs 5 & 6 are now fully outlined, making further production easier. However, this means there are now only two chapters in the backlog. I'm hoping to ramp up writing once again to gain more leeway.
In any case, I'll see you guys in two weeks for the next chapter. Thanks for reading.