Two ravens circled the air above the group, seemingly drawn to the tense air that was filled the battlefield. Ritsuka knew that the man in front of him was going to give him the king of all migraines by the time their talk was over.
His proof? The man with the oversized gun and white coat in front of them had the smuggest grin possible despite having two swords and a whole claw hovering near his neck.
"Quite the violent crew you've got hanging around you, Ritsuka-kun," The man commented too casually, giving a cheeky head towards the growling Morded on his right before doing the same towards the glaring Izo in his right, before staring straight down at Atalanta, whose teeth and fangs were fully bared for all to see, "You gonna really cut an innocent man down when he just wants to talk?"
"Are you gonna waste your breath on pointless words?"
"All this sweet talking of yours would be more convincing if you weren't twirling around a gun," Izo stated snippily, tightening the grip on his gun.
For her part, the Knight of Treachery pushed her sword ever-so closer to his neck, snarling out, "We're not interested in your games, so say what you gotta say quickly before I lose my patience."
The man chuckled, the sound low and unbothered. "Fair enough, fair enough. Though a little patience doesn't hurt anyone, ya know?"
"Why you-!"
"Wait! Don't you don't have to go so far with it, Modred!" The Master of Chaldea shouted out, causing the red knight to restrain herself, albeit reluctantly, "Before we do anything, can you actually tell us who exactly you are?"
For some reason, the black-haired Master was not surprised when the smirk on the man with the white coat's face grew that much bigger at the question as if he was waiting the entire time for it.
"Daiki Kaito at your service. And like I said before, I would like to offer you and your friendly group a deal that'll no doubt benefit the both of us."
Before Ritsuka could further question the man now named Kaito, he found himself pulled down by the collar and face to face with the scowling face of a certain sharp-tongued author.
"Do. Not. Indulge this miscreant!" Hans scowled, which made Ritsuka frown.
"Do you really think he's going to be that bad?"
"Look at him!" Hans hissed out while pointing at Kaito, who responded with a small little wave, "From the way he talks, from the way he moves, from the way he even smiles! Everything about him spells trouble!"
"He. Is right. To be. Mistrustful." Nezha added on, kneeling down to meet the other two on their level, "Clearly. He is. Too unpredictable."
"But we do need all the help we can get." Mash added on, with her face lowered right next to Ritsuka's, "Is hearing him out at the very least really going to be such a bad thing, especially considering our circumstances?"
Ritsuka looked between his teammates, weighing their words carefully. He understood their concerns, but Mash had a point. They were in a dire situation and needed every advantage they could get.
"Sorry, but we have to hear him out first," he said finally, looking back at Hans and Nezha. "You can keep our guard up. The moment he steps out of line, we deal with him."
Hans sighed but nodded. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."
Nezha remained stoic, her gaze fixed on Kaito. "I will be. Watching him. Closely."
Ritsuka gave a brief nod to his team before standing up and turning back to Kaito. "We'll hear your offer, but know this: consider your words carefully. You'll have to earn our trust if you really want us to take your deal."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Kaito replied with a chuckle. He holstered his cyan colored gun, raising his hands in the universal gesture of peace. "As I said, my name is Daiki Kaito— a Kamen Rider like that dear Director of yours, whom I've got some pretty interesting and recent history with that she can tell you about. Kamen Rider… DiEnd." With a flick of his hand, he produced a card with the image of a masked figure. "To make a long story short, a friend of mine noticed that someone merged a Rider World with a completely separate branch of history. Colour me surprised to learn it was the work of Animusphere."
While an intriguing story, that doesn't automatically mean they should trust him yet. It was a terrible coincidence that the two people who could corroborate it just left… or was it? "If you really do know the Director, why did you wait till after she left to show your face?" Ritsuka interrogated him, crossing his arms.
Kaito, however, only grinned in response. "I like to play my cards carefully first. At the moment, she and that loud follower of hers don't need to know I'm here yet. After all, I still need to confirm she doesn't have a few screws loose after what happened to her World. Being responsible, even indirectly, tends to do damage to one's mental health— but I'm sure you know all about it, don't you, Ritsuka-kun?"
His attempt to shake Ritsuka only earned him a reminder of how precarious a position he was in as Nezha pressed her spear against his neck, drawing a bit of blood. "Choose. Your Next Words. Carefully."
"…Why us then? What's your reason for asking for our help?" Ritsuka asked next, ignoring Kaito's remark.
"Simple. You can provide a good distraction for me while I complete my business here. In exchange, I'll lend you a hand with what you need to do for the little miss tyrant. So, do we have a deal?"
Ritsuka contemplated the offer for a few seconds before finally saying, "A few more questions first."
"Shoot."
"What exactly are your goals here? You said that you were here because your friend noticed our timelines had merged, but you're not here for that. If it was just to observe the Director, you would have stayed in the shadows and continued watching," Ritsuka pointed out the discrepancies in Kaito's actions. "There's more to it, isn't there?"
"…Not bad. Nothing slips by you, huh?" Kaito's grin grew wider at Ritsuka's observation skills. "Yes, I was intending to see how Animusphere was making do after all that went down in her World… but then my friend asked me for a favor. He never does that, you see, so I had no choice but to do it. If things are so dire for him to ask me for help… well, you get my point," he chuckled under his breath.
"Is it to do with Kakogawa?"
"Hmm… Close, but no. He may be connected, but I won't bet on it. No, I'm looking for someone else and might find a lead here. If I'm right, then I'll need a little help to get it," the older man continued to smile cheerfully. "I would ask for Animusphere's help but as it is, she is as useful to me as a broken key without her powers. You, on the other hand, the two of us could scratch each other's back."
"Who is it you're looking for then?" Despite asking that, Ritsuka already had a good idea who Kaito was talking about. Atalante too, if her narrowing her eyes and growling was of any indication.
Kaito, however, scoffed. "It's not who you think. I'd rather not say their name aloud but seeing as that's the only way to gain your trust—"
Snap!
Ritsuka felt something at first but didn't realize what it was that he did. After a couple of seconds, he finally noticed it. The snowflakes stopped falling and his Servants weren't moving. The underlying sound of the wind also stopped, leading him to one conclusion. "You can stop time?"
"Just a little trick I picked up," Kaito replied with an amused smirk. Well, that would explain why he wasn't worried about anything so far. "And as for who I'm looking for, it is—"
…Time soon resumed, and no one was any the wiser.
"Who is it? Come on, give us the name!" Mordred demanded, not knowing why he suddenly stopped talking.
To her and everyone else's surprise, however, Ritsuka spoke up again. "Let him go. We can trust him."
A chorus of confused "Huh?" filled the snowfield at his orders. "Hey, Master, not to doubt you but what the hell are you talking about?" Izo questioned him incredulously.
"Let him go," he ordered again with a determined face. "We'll be allies for now but he'll be off as soon as we're done helping each other."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Ritsuka-kun. I knew I could count on you." There was a smug glint in Kaito's eyes as the Servants very reluctantly lowered their weapons/claws. "Now then, shall we be on our way? The sooner we complete our little transaction, the sooner you'll be rid of me."
As soon as he said that, a gray, shimmering wall manifested out of thin air, startling everyone else.
"What the fu—!" Was all Mordred could yell out before the wall completely washed over everyone in the spot, leaving no evidence of anyone even being there in the first place. The ravens flew away, no longer having any reasons to hover around the snow…
"You know, I just realized that you could have just done Futuring Shinobi right from the start when you transformed," Olga stated, almost as an afterthought as Kamen Rider Woz carefully dropped her onto her two feet once they reappeared from thin air.
They were currently just outside of a deserted village - that seemed to be recently ravaged and rampaged through - no doubt by the Another Agito army that was currently razing everything throughout the Lostbelt down.
"Yes, yes I could have," Woz stated as scanned the desolate landscape any sign of life— threatening or otherwise. "Is there a point in stating such an observation…?"
"...You wanted to show off to everyone your transformation sequence, but Hans completely ruined it for you, didn't he?"
Silence completely took over the air between them.
"...I suggest we hurry along and get to Hiryu Kagawa before it is too late to reclaim your power here," Woz stated as he began to quickly walk towards the opposite direction of where Olga was judgmentally looking at him.
'He totally did, didn't he?' Before she could call out her retainer on it, what felt like an earthquake completely shook what felt like the entire world, nearly causing the white-haired magus to fall over "This is-!"
Snapping her neck in the opposite direction, Olga's amber eyes widened at the sight of Another Kuuga, miles away, backing up and doing its best to fend off blurry, airborne enemies, clearly falling at that endeavor when one of them managed to land a hit on one of its horns, snapping it and causing the piece to fly off as the Another Rider roared in pain.
"I'm guessing that's where he and his knockoff army are." She murmured before running towards the direction of the battle, "Come on Woz, we have no time to lose!"
As they passed through the ravaged village, Olga could see how merciless her enemy's campaign truly was: all of the structures of wooden now lay in ruins, homes reduced to rubble and the few remaining structures bearing the marks of violent struggle. Burnt-out husks of buildings and the remnants of what were once peaceful streets now stood silent and empty, the air thick with the acrid scent of smoke and the eerie stillness of death.
"This is worse than I imagined," Olga muttered, her voice tinged with anger and sorrow. "We have to put an end to this madness."
"If there's one thing I could compliment that insect for, he is making your and Chaldea's ultimate task easier," Woz whispered mainly to himself which Olga overheard.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, my lady. Best we focus on stopping him first." Clearly, there was something else but Olga could not argue— not at the moment, anyway.
And soon enough, that curiosity was completely shelved when the sight of a massive battle was in their direct sight.
The battlefield was a chaotic maelstrom of combat. Another Agitos clashed with Valkyries, the ground trembling with each powerful strike. Explosions erupted sporadically, sending debris flying through the air.
And in the middle of it all, was Another Woz, who just finished throwing away an enemy combatant they impaled on their arm. Before they returned to the ongoing fight, Another Woz stopped at the sight of her counterpart quickly going in front of his liege.
"Ah, so we meet again, Oma Zi-O." The Another Rider nodded, before turning towards her opposite, "And we finally meet Woz. I hope my existence isn't too much of a shock for you."
With a swift motion, Kamen Rider Woz summoned his Zikan Despear, the weapon gleaming ominously in the harsh light of the battlefield in Scythe Mode. "The moment I saw White Woz become a Kamen Rider, I knew you were an inevitability. So how can one be shocked when something is already set in motion?"
Another Woz chuckled lightly— a low, ugly sound coming from it, "Fair enough. Still it's amusing how fate has a way of bringing us together like this. You see, while you're busy following your book to the letter, I've been carving out my own path—one that doesn't rely on prophecy or preordained outcomes."
Olga's eyes narrowed. "Is that why you've been helping my knockoff with this pointless slaughter? I saw what you and his army have done and what Another Agito being here means for the Yaga in the other Lostbelt. You call that making your own destiny?"
"And as I said before: I am doing what must be done; nothing more, nothing less." The Another Rider shrugged, "I take no pride in doing such dirty work nor will I allow any doubts nor regrets to take root in my mind and sway me from my mission; too many rely on my success."
Olga's expression hardened. "Success? At what cost? The lives you've destroyed, the chaos you've sown—it's all meaningless if it results in nothing but ruin."
Another Woz's gaze turned cold. "Speak of what you will of me. Nothing shall sway me from my path."
Just as the field director stepped up to rebuff this, Woz held his weapon in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. "My overlord, can you pinpoint where Kakogawa is?"
Deciding to answer Woz's question, Olga closed her eyes and focused, her brow furrowing with concentration. Her usually sharp and commanding demeanor softened as she tapped into her time senses.
"...I see him marching toward the castle of ice - where the Lostbelt King is," she answered, reopening her eyes, which gleamed with determination.
"Then that's where you need to be right now before it is too late," Woz explained, his sight not leaving Another Woz's. His posture was rigid, every muscle tensed for the impending clash.
"And you're not coming with me?" Olga's voice carried a mixture of concern and authority, her amber eyes searching his face for any sign of hesitation.
"You already have my Ridewatch, do you not? I have full confidence in your ability to pull the plan off without me. Besides, someone has to take care of this one here," Woz replied, his tone steady and reassuring.
"You know my name. Not using it is quite rude." Ignoring Another Woz's grumbling, Olga bit her lips in contemplation. Her gaze flickered between Woz and his opposite, weighing her options.
"...Alright. Just make sure you come back to me whole, do you hear me? Your queen commands you so," she finally said, her voice firm despite the underlying worry.
"Of course, my overlord. Best of luck," Woz replied, giving her a brief, reassuring nod.
Performing a hand sign in front of Olga, the white-haired magus disappeared once again in a puff of smoke, leaving a swirl of energy in her wake. With Olga gone, Kamen Rider Woz and Another Woz stood facing each other amidst the chaotic battlefield. The air crackled with tension, the sounds of clashing weapons and distant explosions creating a cacophony around them.
"...You didn't stop me," Woz stated in a matter-of-fact tone, pointing his Zikan Despear at Another Woz, his voice was calm and controlled.
"Must I repeat myself?" They replied, tilting their head slightly, "I have my own reasons for doing what I am doing and not all of it falls in line with "my king's" own ambitions."
Woz's eyes narrowed. "Then what is it that you're truly after?"
A dark chuckle escaped from Another Woz, their eye gleaming with a dangerous light. "You wouldn't understand. I will not be bound by the constraints of fate or destiny as you are. I seek to forge a path that ensures my survival, my existence, in a world where I hold the reins."
"So it's all about power and control for you?" Woz responded, tightening his grip on his weapon, his voice laced with disdain. "How predictable."
"Sure. Let's go with that line of thought for now." Another Woz replied darkly, holding up a hand crackling with dark green energy, "Shall we get started then, prophet?"
The distant sound of fighting could be heard even from the throne room of the castle. Despite that, the Lostbelt King sat on her throne with a cold face, seemingly waiting for something. Guarding her were the three remaining Valkyries from before the end-times, ready for when their own fight will begin.
Ophelia, meanwhile, simply waited too. There was nothing she could do besides that and scowl at the marks on her hand. While before she would roll her eye at the threat that was closing in the castle, she now could only curse the self-proclaimed king for slaying her Servant. That would teach her to underestimate an opponent again…
"…Thrud," the calm voice of Scathach-Skadi suddenly echoed through the throneroom, making everyone turn towards her. "Take your sisters and assist on the battlefield. I anticipate you three will be needed there."
It was clear they didn't want to vacate the castle and continue guarding their queen, sharing a look of confusion and hesitation. However, it was a direct order and they couldn't disobey. "As you wish," the blonde Valkyrie nodded before, along with her sisters, flew out to join the battle.
That left only the Lostbelt King and the Crypter by themselves. The cool and tense air became even more so, the silence worsening with only the two left behind.
"Tell me, young lady, how do you see this story ending?" the goddess asked, her eyes looking down at the Crypter below her. "Be honest with me."
Ophelia thought about her reply for a few seconds before answering, "…This Lostbelt was always doomed to fail. Lord Kirschtaria's is meant to be the one left standing. One way or another, this world would meet its end."
"Yes, but how do you see it happening?" Scathach-Skadi asked again. "Do you think we'd lose against this invading force or would you want us to lose against that young lord?"
"Does it matter?"
The goddess let out a small amused chuckle at her attempts to dodge the question. "Alright, if you truly do not want to answer me, perhaps our guest will?"
That made Ophelia raise her eyebrow. "Guest?" She asked before turning her eyes towards the throneroom's entrance… where a cloaked figure stood. "Who are you?" It couldn't be one of Kakogawa's soldiers, their own army should be enough to keep them back for a while longer.
Footsteps echoed through the icy throne room as the cloaked figure ignored her question. Once they reached the foot of the steps leading up to the goddess's throne, they stopped and kneeled in respect and worship.
"…Who are you, child? I don't believe you are one of my subjects." Scathach-Skadi asked. This time, they answered; it was a vague answer, but one that intrigued and satisfied her for now. "Why have you come kneeling before me?"
Their answer was more direct this time: they sought her opinion on a matter.
"And what matter is that?"
He answered with a question, making the goddess pause in contemplation before… "I'll enlighten you then; it's pure naivete."
Another question came.
"Hmm… I can tell you hold the conviction within you. One that would not stop at anything," she smiled, sensing the unwavering determination within them. "If that is what you seek, perhaps it would happen, but you should not be blind to how fragile it'd be."
They knew that, but that made it all the more worth fighting for.
"Ahh… you truly are a fool… but you would have it no other way." A smile cracked on the ice queen's face at their reply. "Tell me, why do you seek that path? It's one that would lead to nothing but ruin and solitude. You'll stand alone with no one to hold onto you."
Their reply was a nihilistic one, but one that she could not disagree with.
"As terrible as it is to admit, you are correct on that… Then my advice is this: if you truly hold the power to do as you wish, then wield that power with all your heart… no matter what may come your way…"
"…Thank you."
With that, the cloaked figure stood and turned away, leaving just as suddenly as they appeared. The Lostbelt King watched with amused eyes; the Crypter watched with cautious ones.
"What a strange fellow, don't you agree?" The goddess asked Ophelia who could only frown without response. "No matter, a lost soul like that will have to find their own way. My counsel could only help so much. Now then, shall we begin preparing for our next guest?"
The battlefield was a maelstrom of violence, with the air thick with the metallic scent of blood
and the sounds of clashing weapons and pained roars as the valkyries fought and defended their home from the overwhelming tide of green monsters.
Among the chaos, Caenis and Koyanskaya stood back to back, their movements a nearly synchronized dance of death as they fought off the relentless horde of green monsters.
Caenis, with her spear gleaming and her eyes alight with battle fury, thrust and parried with deadly precision. Each strike was a testament to her strength and skill as a Divine Spirit, cutting down enemies with ruthless efficiency. Beside her, Koyanskaya moved with almost ethereal grace, her fox ears twitching as she anticipated each attack. Her attacks were simple aims and shots with the occasional magical energy blasts mixed in, each one leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
"How many of these pests do you think we've taken down by now?" Caenis shouted over the noise, her voice filled with a mixture of annoyance and exhilaration.
"Who's counting?" Koyanskaya replied with a smirk, her eyes glinting mischievously. She effortlessly dodged an incoming attack, countering with a swift barrage of bullets that sent yet another one of the monsters crashing to the ground. "Though, if I had to guess, I'd say we're well into the hundreds by now."
"Good," Caenis grunted, driving her spear through the chest of another enemy. "Means we're getting closer to wiping all of the vermin out!"
As the last of the green monsters around them fell, the battlefield around them grew eerily quiet. The two warriors stood amidst the carnage, both letting out a heavy breath. Caenis wiped a smear of blood from her face, her expression one of satisfaction.
"Not bad, fox. You actually managed to keep up with me," Caenis remarked with a rare note of approval in her voice.
Koyanskaya lightly chuckled, flicking a stray lock of hair from her face. "Please, I was doing most of the work. You were just the distraction."
"Is that so?" Caenis raised an eyebrow, a challenging grin spreading across her face. "Wanna go a few rounds yourself to see who's really the better fighter?"
"How tempting," Koyanskaya replied, her tone playful yet edged with seriousness. "But I think we've got bigger fish to fry right now. The wannabe conqueror is still out here and needs to be handled before he gets too far."
Caenis snorted but nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah, duty calls and all that. Just don't think this is over between us woman."
Before Koyanskaya could respond to that, the whole ground beneath them shook. Dust and debris filled the air as the tremors intensified, causing cracks to spiderweb across the battlefield. Both warriors instinctively took defensive stances, their eyes scanning the horizon for the source of the disturbance.
"Looks like the real fun is about to start," Caenis muttered, gripping her spear tightly.
Emerging from the haze of battle was a massive figure, its presence dwarfing everything around it. Seeming the size of a mountain, the red bug-like monster roared as it advanced, its eyes glowing with malevolent energy. With each step, the ground trembled, and the remaining structures around them threatened to collapse under the sheer force of its presence.
"Great, just what we needed," Koyanskaya said dryly, her eyes narrowing at the approaching behemoth. "Got any bright ideas, Lancer?"
"Yeah, hit it until it stops moving," Caenis replied, a fierce grin spreading across her face while Koyanskaya rolled her eyes at the muscle-brained plan. "Simple and effective."
Before they could launch their attack, a series of blinding lights descended from the sky, landing with a thunderous impact between the two warriors and Another Kuuga. As the dust settled, three imposing figures emerged, wielding what seemed to be spears of pure light, their armor gleaming and their expressions resolute— the Valkyries had arrived.
Hildr, Ortlinde, and Thrud stood side by side, their presence commanding and their weapons at the ready.
"Leave this one to us," Hildr declared, her voice carrying a tone of authority. "We will not let this abomination breach the walls."
"Refreshingly perfect timing on your end," Koyanskaya said, a hint of relief in her voice. "We could use a hand or two against this monstrosity."
"No need to ask twice," Caenis added, ready to move to flank Another Kuuga.
With a coordinated battle cry, the three Valkyries charged at the colossal enemy. Hildr flashed through the air, striking with precise, deadly force. Ortlinde swung her spear with immense power, each blow sending shockwaves that rattled the very earth. Thrud's own weapon danced like a living thing, piercing through the defenses of the monstrous Rider with unerring accuracy.
Another Kuuga roared in defiance, lashing out with its massive claws and beams of dark red energy. The Valkyries dodged and countered with fluid grace, their teamwork impeccable as they pressed their attack.
"That's the big guy sufficiently taken care of," muttered Koyanskaya as she watched the true Valkyries of the Lostbelt deal with the third biggest threat of the enemy forces. The first was naturally the head of the army which was still unseen, the second was the annoying but nonetheless near-endless army that littered the battlefield; the latter went down easy enough, turning into what Koyanskaya recognized were the beastfolk of the Russian Lostbelt. Occasionally, it'd be the normal human from this Lostbelt but more often than not, it was a Yaga. It was questionable for sure, but now was not the time to wonder about it. "Now, if you kindly excuse me."
She ignored Caenis's cry of "Hey, where are you going?!" as she went to locate the head of the army. Under normal circumstances, she'd leave this sort of matter to her employers as they were but she recognized that this was not something she could ignore. Caenis was following her either way, killing off what stragglers she didn't pick off.
Eventually, she spotted him— boldly sauntering as he made his way towards the castle flanked by a few of the more unique members of his army. The foolish but still powerful self-proclaimed king, Hiryu Kakogawa, was clearly aiming for the Lostbelt King and ignoring anything that wasn't.
Well, a little grenade should get his attention! Koyanskaya chucked a few in his path, sending dirt and snow into the air, giving her, Caenis and a few of the mass-produced Valkyries to reorganize themselves. "I hope our greeting didn't spook you too much, would-be king!"
"And who are you supposed to be?" The man-turned-monster known Another Zi-O II almost growled out, as two of his unsightly creatures - one red and black, the other white and gold - immediately flanked him, ready to guard their king from any attack that may come, "Just how many of you pest will insist on getting in my way onto the Lostbelt King?"
The pink-haired fox woman let out a bemused click of her teeth, "I'm actually impressed: you sound even MORE delusional in person than your message. Truly, it's quite the sight to see with my own two eyes!"
Hiryu's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "You dare mock me? You have no idea the power I wield."
Koyanskaya's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Power? You think this little show of force intimidates us? It's almost cute how you believe you can actually make a difference in the grand scheme of things."
Caenis, standing beside Koyanskaya with her spear at the ready, chuckled. "She's right. We've seen plenty of moronic blowhards like you. They all end the same way—broken, disgraced, and defeated."
Hiryu's laugh was a harsh, grating sound. "You think you can stop me or even my Another Riders? Let's see you try. Geiz! Tsukuyomi! You're with me! The rest of you lot deal with this trash!"
The group behind the Another Zi-O, Another Geiz, and Another Tsukuyomi roared in compliance as they all quickly rushed towards the enemy group before them. The monsters managed to create enough of a path for their leader to resume his way, all while the "commanders" cursed at him to come back.
The battlefield erupted into chaos once more as the Another Riders clashed with the defenders of the Scandinavian Lostbelt. The air was filled with the sounds of battle—clashing weapons, cries of pain, and the thunderous impact of attacks.
In the midst of the chaos, Koyanskaya found herself separated from her group and left alone to fight against three of the special monsters on her lonesome; one purple that looked like a ninja, one red and blue one with what seemed like a question mark stuck on its forehead, and one creature that looked like a twisted golem made out of wood and came to life.
Koyanskaya narrowed her eyes, assessing her opponents. "Well, isn't this just my luck?" she muttered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "A ninja, a riddle, and a tree. Let's make this quick, shall we?"
The purple ninja dashed forward first, its speed almost too fast to follow. But Koyanskaya was quicker, her fox-like reflexes allowing her to anticipate its move. She sidestepped the attack, her claws extending and slashing through the air. The ninja let out a pained cry as it staggered back.
Before she could press her advantage, the red and blue creature with the question mark on its forehead lunged at her. It swung wildly, its attacks erratic and unpredictable. Koyanskaya dodged and weaved, her movements graceful and precise. She landed a solid kick to its midsection, sending it staggering.
"You need to do much better than that if you want to even begin to approach me." she taunted, her eyes gleaming with confidence.
The wooden golem lumbered forward, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground. It swung a massive, gnarled fist at Koyanskaya, but she was ready. With a burst of speed, she leapt onto its arm, using it as a platform to launch herself into the air. She came down with a powerful slash, her claws tearing through the golem's wooden exterior, leaving deep grooves.
The golem roared in pain, its body splintering under the assault. Koyanskaya landed lightly on her feet, already moving to face the other two monsters. The ninja was back on its feet, its eyes burning with rage. It hurled a barrage of shurikens at her, but she deflected them with ease, her claws a blur of motion.
With a feral grin, Koyanskaya closed the distance, her movements a deadly dance. She struck the ninja with a series of rapid blows, each one landing with pinpoint accuracy, making the ninja fall on its back.
The red and blue creature let out a guttural growl, its question mark glowing ominously. It charged at Koyanskaya, but she met it head-on, her claws slashing through its defenses. With a final, decisive strike, she sent it reeling, the creature collapsing to one knee, injured but not out of the fight.
The wooden golem was the last one standing, its body cracked and splintered. Koyanskaya circled it, her eyes cold and calculating. "You should have stayed in the forest," she said, her voice a deadly whisper.
With a powerful leap, she closed the distance, her claws flashing as she delivered a series of rapid strikes. The golem let out an agonized roar before falling back, its movements sluggish and weakened but still conscious.
Exhaling lightly, Koyanskaya rolled her shoulders as she readied her gun, magic crackling at its end to finish the job. "Time to finish this little game, shall we?"
"Attack Ride: Blast!"
Without warning, Koyanskaya could only blink helplessly as gun bullets not from her gun rained upon her enemies, completely destroying them as they evaporated into thin air, leaving behind three smoking, but intact watches.
"Thank you for that, miss kitsune~." A playful voice reached her ears, making her snap in that direction and raise her rifle. That's when she saw him— a man in a black and cyan suit of armor with a strange cyan gun that he was twirling like a toy.
"And who might you be?" Koyanskaya replied in a singsong tone. She couldn't quite tell if this new person was a friend or foe and until she found out, her barrel would remain trained on him.
"Just a passing-through Kamen Rider, remember that." The man stated as he walked past by her, completely ignoring the gun pointed at his head as he went over to the spot where the strange watches were and picked them up one by one.
His response, however, only made Koyanskaya narrow her eyes. That phrase was similar enough to what that demon queen said, and he was also armed with a strange suit and weapon. "Are you with that woman that saved those pesky insects at Chaldea? The demon queen?"
"Sometimes I'm with, sometimes I'm against. You should understand what I mean as a mercenary. It depends on who's holding my reward." Despite her distrust of the casual man, she knew perfectly what he meant. She watched as the man tossed one of the watches up in the air and caught it as he said "And these are what another of my employers is after so if you don't mind me~."
"Hold it. What makes you think I'll let you go on your merry way?" Koyanskaya chuckled, already formulating a plan in her mind. Whoever this person was, they had a role in the derailing of everyone's plans. She was sure that she'd be able to fire and take him down before he could raise his own gun to shoot. "Who's your employer? What are they after?"
"Can't say who, my mouth is zipped, unfortunately," Chuckled the other "mercenary". "As for what, well… You'll agree that knowledge is power, and my employer has some information I seek. Just a little exchange between us and we'd go our separate ways after."
"Zipped, huh?" Koyanskaya's lips tipped into a smirk. "We'll see about—"
Snap!
The passing-through Kamen Rider only laughed as Koyanskaya froze mid-sentence. "Sorry, but can't have you messing with things and spreading unnecessary words around, miss kitsune… Huh?"
A noise of surprise escaped him as before his eyes, Koyanskaya managed to break free of his hold. She was left huffing and trying to catch her breath, no longer able to keep her rifle on him, but she did it anyway. "Control over time… How did you get power like that?" Koyanskaya questioned him. "Something like that… shouldn't belong to a normal human."
"Well, I'm far away from a normal human at this point, but I just happen to get this power as a reward if you must know," he answered her, sounding impressed. "Breaking free of that though, that reminds me of who you are. I heard about you, Koyanskaya. I know what you'll become. And as a favor for my new friend—"
Quickly taking out a card from the card holding on his belt, the cyan armored man inserted it into his cyan gun.
"Attack Ride: Invisible!"
To the fox mercenary's disbelief, the man before her eyes faded out of existence - having divided himself into red, blue, and green silhouettes of himself.
"Enjoy your vacation, miss kitsune. Mister kitsune should take care of you."
"Final Attack Ride: D-D-D-DiEnd!"
Turning on her heel to fully face what was behind her, all of Koyanskaya's tails unfolded in front of her, creating a pink barrier as a massive dark blue digital blast slammed into her. The barrier held, but the force sent her skidding back, straight into a gray, shimmering wall.
Once she was in, the wall disappeared, leaving no trace of anyone or anything in the area.
If you know who he was talking about in the end, you know. ?
On a more serious note, Kaito has indeed arrived and derailed things like Olga and Woz guessed he would lol. Still, considering how big a part Koyanskaya plays in the later parts of FGO, it certainly brings up ALOT of possibilities on what shall be done to fill in her void.
Spoilers: more Kamen Rider time shenanigans. Shocker may or may not be involved.
FB113: Well, well, well, things are starting to take sharper turns, aren't they? In any case, slowly but surely, we're coming to a climax for this Lostbelt already… or are we? Either way, things won't end here but let's just say lots of people are playing chess at the same time~
Until next time folks!