"And so begins their new mission. What challenges will they face besides the Jyamatos? Well, I could tell you, but that would spoil the story, wouldn't it? You'll just have to watch it unfold as I do."
The players were surrounded by a curtain of blue pixels as they prepared themselves for their new mission. When the curtain fell, they found themselves in a new location.
Luz's eyes widened in recognition when she saw the trees with red leaves and the familiar purplish sky with yellow clouds.
"…No," she exhaled. It could not be. She could not possibly be back.
Her hands began to shake, but not just her hands, her entire body. If not for the baggy DGP uniforms they were wearing, it would be more obvious. Luz hurriedly thrust her hands into her pockets, but there was no hiding the fact that this was the Boiling Isles. After four long years, she had returned to the site of her greatest sin, the place where she made so many suffer…where she suffered.
"Luz?" Amity called out.
Luz raised her head and gasped. Somehow the world had shifted around her, and instead of the forest, she was now back in that cursed arena, and standing before her were Amity and Lilith. Her now girlfriend was scowling at her with disdain and anger for cheating. That was when Luz saw a vision of her younger self being compelled to stand before the many gathered witches and demons and proclaim her humiliation to all.
"I…I-I'M…N-NOT…A-A-A-A…W-WITCH! I'M NOT A WITCH! I'M NOT A WITCH!"
The current Luz found her head swivelling back and forth, looking at the faces of the people in the crowd as they contorted in their mocking laughter.
"Of course, a human can't be a witch!"
"Is she stupid or something?"
"Wow, talk about delusions of grandeur!"
Luz took her hands out of her pockets and gripped the sides of her head as she began muttering.
"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real, it's not real!"
The world shifted around her yet again, and now it was the moment where she thought she would be greeted as a hero. Instead, the people only saw a monster. She saw the angered and fearful faces of the people of Bonesborough. She watched as her then-younger self's face shifted from hopeful to utter despair.
"MONSTER! SHE KILLED THE EMPEROR!"
"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?! WITHOUT THE EMPEROR, WE ARE LOST!"
"WITHOUT THE EMPEROR, HOW WILL THE TITAN SPEAK TO US?!"
"WE CAN'T MIX MAGIC! IT'S DISRESPECTFUL TO THE TITAN!"
"IT'S HER FAULT!"
"THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S HER FAULT! SHE KILLED THE EMPEROR! SHE NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED!"
"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real! Stop it already! Just stop!" Luz continued to mutter as their voices grew louder in her head, getting angrier and more vicious, calling for her death in the most gruesome of fashion for the crimes she committed, for the deaths she brought at her own hands and the hands of her army.
"Luz? Luz!" Amity called out, snapping Luz out of her daze. "Are you OK?"
Luz blinked, realizing that it had been all in her head. Of course, it was. How could her mind ever let her forget what she had done here? But of all the places they could've been taken to, it had to be the place where she had promised to never step foot in, even if she wanted to.
"I'm fine, Amity," Luz claimed.
"Luz, I know where we are. I know how you must feel. You don't have to–"
"I said, I'm fine," Luz insisted, pulling her hood up over her head. "Please, Amity, let's…let's just get this over with and get out of here as soon as we can."
Amity sighed but nodded in agreement. As wild as it was that they were back in the Demon Realm, it wasn't as if they would be welcomed, at least Luz wouldn't be.
"OK, where on Earth did they send us this time?" Sasha demanded when she looked around the clearing in the unfamiliar forest.
"We're not on Earth," Amity answered. "This is the Demon Realm, and we're on–"
"The Boiling Isles," Luz finished with a look of shame on her face.
"Oh, my gosh!" Marcy gasped, holding her cheeks as her eyes sparkled. "You guys, we've been isekai'd! This is like one of my top three fantasies!"
"So this is where you're from, huh, Blight?" Sasha asked, studying the trees.
"Yeah." Amity looked over to Luz who was silent. She never thought she would ever set foot on the Boiling Isles ever again. She was back in the world that became a second home to her, but just like Earth, it had rejected her. Then she took it over and nearly destroyed it before she was permanently banished from it.
"You two should cover your ears," Luz advised Sasha and Marcy. "After what I did, I doubt the people here are gonna be happy to see a group of humans."
Sasha and Marcy pulled up their hoods.
"OK, so what are we supposed to do?" Sasha asked as she put her hands on her hips. "Wait for the Jyamatos to show up?"
"No, you need to head into town," Tsumuri said. Sasha yelped as she jumped back from the DGP navigator who just appeared out of nowhere. She had worn her hair down, making sure to conceal her ears as well.
"Jesus, Tsumuri!" Sasha cried. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! Again!"
"My apologies, Ms. Waybright."
"Wait, you're coming with us?" Marcy asked. It was rare for the DGP navigator to accompany them during a mission. She usually stayed at the Desire Temple to monitor them.
"It would appear management has deemed it necessary for me to accompany you," Tsumuri answered.
"What do you mean 'head into town'?" Luz asked, eyes narrowed unhappily.
"Please, follow me," Tsumuri instructed as she led the way. The players began to follow, with Luz hesitating for a moment before she took up the rear. Amity went to walk beside her fiancée, looking upon her with concern.
"Are you OK?" Amity asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Luz answered, avoiding her fiancée's gaze.
"Luz, I know when you're lying."
Luz sighed. Amity had learned to tell if something was bothering her.
"It's just…we're back," Luz said remorsefully. "All this time, part of me wanted to come back so I could see everyone. But after everything that happened, everything I did and caused, I never thought I could. Heck, they were going to execute me if Eda hadn't spoken in my defence."
"Yeah, I still can't believe we're back. Titan knows how much has changed," Amity said.
"So, is there anything you can tell us about this place?" Sasha asked the couple as she looked over her shoulder.
"Well, the Boiling Isles is actually the giant corpse of a Titan," Amity answered.
"Wait, you're saying we're walking on a dead body!?" Sasha cried, looking at her feet.
"Fascinating." Marcy's eyes sparkled. "So, life spawned from the body of this Titan. How big are the Boiling Isles anyway?"
"Pretty big. There are towns scattered all over. And besides witches, there are also demons here," Amity answered.
"Wait, 'demons'? As in, steal your soul, torture you for all eternity, kind of demons?!" Sasha asked, now more worried about not just their physical safety but also their spiritual safety.
"Not those kinds of demons," Luz corrected. "The demons who live alongside witches are just people. They just look way different and they can do magic too."
"I hate using her as an example. You know Boscha, right?" Amity questioned.
"Is that a trick question, Blight?" Sasha asked with heavy sarcasm.
"Both of Boscha's moms are witches, but she inherited her third eye from one of them because of their demonic heritage," Amity explained.
"So, just to make sure, we're not going to encounter any goat-horned creatures with pitchforks or any of those succubus or incubus things, right?"
"Demons come in many forms," Luz answered. "So, you might find some that fit those descriptions."
"And yet, you still haven't denied the latter two," said Sasha worriedly.
"There aren't any succubi or incubi, those are just made-up demons," Amity confirmed.
"Although, there's no accounting for demons who are nymphomaniacs like some humans, sooo…" Luz let that float in the air for a moment. "Why? Disappointed?"
"Why would I be disappointed to not run into soul-sucking sex demons?!" Sasha shouted with a deep blush.
"The possibility of encountering 'soul-sucking sex demons' aside, we gotta explore! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see another world!" Marcy was about to run ahead when Sasha grabbed her shoulder.
"Whoa there, Marce! Slow your roll. This isn't Earth," Sasha cautioned. "We don't want you getting hurt…" Sasha looked remorseful, remembering how she nearly killed her friend with her own hands in the previous round.
"OK, I won't run off," Marcy smiled reassuringly, and then she saw a fairy flying in front of her face. "Is that a fairy!? Oh, you're just so cute! Do you wanna be friends?!"
Amity saw the fairy and went to warn Marcy.
"Oh, I wouldn't–"
The fairy looked at Marcy and then opened its mouth wide, revealing a set of huge and sharp teeth.
"GIMME YOUR SKIN!"
Marcy screamed and recoiled from the fairy. All of a sudden, Sasha swatted the fairy with her hand as hard as she could, sending it crashing into a tree.
"...Ow," the fairy groaned.
"Oh yeah, the fairies here eat skin," Luz warned them before looking nostalgic. "Takes me back to my first day."
"Now you tell us!" Sasha huffed. "What other horrors can we look forward to here?"
"Well, good news, there are no giraffes here," Luz said, earning puzzled looks from Sasha and Marcy. "OK, so, giraffes are actually demons that were banished from this place."
"Giraffes are demons?" Marcy questioned.
"OK, that's bullshit," Sasha deadpanned in complete disbelief.
"You really think something like that is naturally occurring on Earth?" Luz questioned. She remembered taking Amity to the zoo to see all the animals. When they went to see the giraffes, they soon learned how horrific they truly were. Even Luz still had nightmares about seeing the true face of the giraffes. "There are times when I think that giraffe followed us home. I swear I saw it outside my window one stormy night."
Amity looked at the downed fairy, who was twitching on the ground with a dazed look on its face.
"Batata, what's wrong?" Luz asked.
"Oh, I was just thinking, maybe – if we have time – I could make you a fairy pie. They're actually very sweet once you bake them," Amity suggested.
Sasha and Marcy grimaced at how casually Amity just suggested getting more of those little creatures and baking them into a pie. Luz, on the other hand, made sure to keep a smile on her face and did her absolute best to not trample on her fiancée's wish to make her something from the heart.
"T-That sounds…goooood."
"Marcy, if you ever make me eat something with bugs in it, I swear, I'm breaking up with you," Sasha whispered.
"I don't know, they are high in protein, and some are very nutritious and goo–" Marcy noticed the big 'NO' glare that her girlfriend was giving her. "But, uh, yeah, don't worry, I won't!"
Tsumuri led them the rest of the way. As they walked through the forest, Marcy took the chance to snap pictures with her phone. She was in an entirely different world and she wanted to document it as much as she could. Sasha stayed close to her girlfriend to keep her safe. This was a new world with unknown dangers. A fairy had just tried to eat Marcy's skin for goodness sake!
Luz stayed in the back with Amity as they followed. The Latina would glance around, with a look of nostalgia and regret in her eyes. After all, this was the world she had nearly destroyed along with the people she cared about.
They soon saw a town in the distance, a town that Luz knew all too well. Part of her wanted to stay away as she knew she would not be welcomed. Even if it risked her spot in the competition, she just did not feel right with setting foot in Bonesborough. Each step she took felt like a lead weight was tied to her foot, making it a near-Herculean effort to take another one. Her anxieties, her fears, all of it was bubbling back up to the surface like a whale about to breach the sea, and right now it felt that big to her. Still, she kept moving forward, she had to. So long as Amity was at her side, this was bearable, at least to a degree.
Finally, they arrived at Bonesborough and over the entrance of the town was a banner which read 'DAY OF LIBERATION'.
"What's the 'Day of Liberation'?" Marcy asked. "Is that a holiday?"
"I've never heard of it," Amity answered, shaking her head.
''The Day of Liberation'? That sounds awfully like the 'Day of Freedom' to me,' Luz thought with a bitter frown. She remembered when she defeated Belos and freed the Boiling Isles from his influence. That day, she thought she would be celebrated as a hero but was instead condemned as a monster. After that, she really became a monster. 'Stop it! Don't think about that. The sooner we finish this round, the sooner we can leave.'
Tsumuri and the players stepped into town to see stands set up in the town square. Marcy could only squeal when she saw all the witches and different demons that occupied the town. While all the witches had the same pointed ears as elves, she saw all kinds of demons with unique features. Some had horns, some had multiple eyes, and there were even ones with the heads of animals.
"Oh, my gosh!" Marcy took pictures with her phone. She was like a kid in a candy store, and who could blame her? She was in a world of magic, something she had always fantasized about since childhood.
"Is that a centaur with its face on its chest?" Sasha pointed.
"Yeah, the Boiling Isles is weird, but that's just the norm here," Luz answered. The Boiling Isles was a world of magic, wonder, witches and demons. A place that was kind of horrifying, and yet, beautiful in its own unique and strange way. However, she learned later on it was not exactly the fantastical adventure she had dreamed of.
The people of Bonesborough were gathered in the town square where an effigy of Emperor Belos stood.
"For decades, we were ruled by a fraud who claimed to be the voice of the Titan! We could not see it at first, but Belos was a liar who wanted to kill us all!" the announcer declared and all the witches and demons booed at the effigy.
"Who's that supposed to be?" Sasha asked, pointing at the effigy of Belos. It bore his resemblance as it was draped in a white cloak and had on a gold-painted wooden mask with horns.
"Emperor Belos," Luz answered. "He was the previous ruler of the Boiling Isles before I killed him and took over. But the truth is, he was actually a 17th-century witch hunter from our world who came to the Boiling Isles to wipe out all the witches and demons here. He managed to convince everyone that he was the Titan's messenger and created the Coven System as a way for him to control all the witches by limiting their magic. Any witch who did not join a coven was declared a wild witch to be arrested and then turned to stone as punishment for disobeying the 'Will of the Titan'. He would've gone through with his plan to wipe out everyone here if I hadn't stopped him," Luz explained.
"But Emperor Belos was not the only threat to the Isles! Another came and overthrew him! The one who called herself Empress Oscura!" the announcer continued, and he pointed to the effigy of Empress Oscura as it was raised. The effigy's face looked completely evil, drawn with red eyes and sharp teeth. It also had six black wings on its back. "For months we suffered under her rule, fearing for our lives as her monstrous Phantoms enforced her will! She also attempted to destroy our world! But four years ago, today, the Evil Empress Oscura was destroyed, and peace was restored to the Boiling Isles! So let us begin the festivities with the burning of the effigies!"
"Oh, yeah! I've been learning fire magic all last year for today!" one of the witches cheered.
A group of witches drew spell circles and blasted the effigies of Emperor Belos and Empress Oscura with fire, lighting them both up. Amity and Marcy grimaced as they watched the effigies burn, with parts of the wooden bodies flaking off and turning to embers that floated into the air. Luz just felt sick, not because of what they were doing, but more so because of her past actions that made it so that this was something they celebrated: the death of a monster, of herself.
"Wow, Noceda. They have a holiday for you. I'm kind of jealous," Sasha quipped.
"Waybright, please, shut up," Luz muttered.
"Nah, nah, I dig it. Like Burning Man or something," Sasha positively added.
"Sasha, we buried the hatchet already. But if you keep this up, I'll dig it back up and use it on you!" Luz warned.
As Luz watched the effigies burn, she was reminded of how much the Boiling Isles still hated her. Why wouldn't they? She ruled their world with an iron fist, and then very nearly destroyed it. Of course, they still hated her. Heck, at this point, it was safe to assume a good majority of the Boiling Isles hated humans considering two of them nearly wiped them out. As the effigies burned, Luz thought she saw something in the flames.
'Was that a glyph?'
She had only seen it for just a brief second, but she had instantly memorised it. She traced the pattern she saw on her palm with her index finger.
An alert rang from Tsumuri's tablet, and she turned to face the players.
"Kamen Riders, your mission has now begun," she said ominously.
Suddenly, numerous Jyamatos began to appear all over town. The Jyamatos that suddenly spawned appeared to be dressed as Christmas elves and carrying sacks. As soon as they appeared, the plant creatures began charging into the crowd. The Elf Jyamatos ran up to one child after the other, snatched them up and stuffed them into their bags.
The creatures completely ignored the adults as they went about their mission, but only attacked when the adults got in their way. Some did get in the way. What parent wasn't going to stop a monster from taking their child away?
However, when the witches and demons used their magic to fight back, they found that the Elf Jyamatos were able to dodge and weave around their spells. Of course, they could. They've fought against Kamen Riders who could not only aim better but move a hell of a lot faster than them, and were a lot stronger as well. And so, the parents of the children were swatted away like flies, the Elf Jyamatos using minimal effort and strength on them. They were hardly worth it.
"They're taking the children!" Amity exclaimed.
"We gotta save the kids!" Sasha cried out. "C'mon, Marcy!"
"Right!" Marcy concurred.
Sasha and Marcy both rushed at the Jyamatos, with the blonde knocking one down with a kick while Marcy just tackled another, sending it sprawling.
Marcy opened the sack to let the kids out.
"Go! Run!" Marcy shouted, and the kids did not need to be told twice as they fled for their lives. As the Jyamatos got back up, Marcy inserted her Raise Buckle into her Driver.
[Set!]
"Henshin!"
[NINJA!]
Sasha followed suit, inserting her Monster Buckle into her Driver.
[MONSTER!]
[READY, FIGHT!]
Once donned in their suits, Newtonne and Soaron wasted little time in engaging the Jyamatos. Newtonne dashed straight for a group of Jyamatos, using her Ninja Dueler to cut them down as streaks of green light followed in the wake of each of her strikes. Several Elf Jyamatos stopped moving for a moment and then fell over onto the ground before exploding. Another two Elf Jyamatos switched their targets from the children to Newtonne, attacking her with candy canes that were filed down into sharp hooks and points. The newt-themed Rider noticed them coming but did not move as both of them stabbed right through her. The two Elf Jyamatos chuckled in menacing glee, but that joy quickly turned to fear as Newtonne's body disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a large block of wood that their weapons were pierced into.
[Twin Blade!]
Newtonne separated her Ninja Dueler into its Twin Blade Mode. She flipped around once in the air as she came down between the two Elf Jyamatos, slashing them at the same time as she landed. The green streak of light bisected the two Elf Jyamatos, causing both halves of their bodies to fall apart before exploding a moment later. Newtonne twirled her Ninja Duelers around, feeling the flow of her old Raise Buckle. She was glad she traded Magnum for Ninja with Luz; the high compatibility of her ID Core with the Ninja Buckle actually felt better when she fought.
'Guess I'm more of a melee fighter than I thought.'
Meanwhile, Soaron was busy hammering away at some Elf Jyamatos, using the Monster Gloves to bash and punch each of the monsters that dared get close to a child. She threw a straight punch into one, creating a mini shockwave that sent it flying into a building. Another tried to attack her from behind, but Soaron pivoted her right heel and threw a backhand into the Elf Jyamato's face, knocking it off its feet as it spun in the air for a few seconds before hitting the ground. Soaron noticed a group of Elf Jyamatos coming at her, so she punted the Jyamato she had just backhanded towards them. The Elf Jyamato crashed into its comrades, knocking them all down like bowling pins.
Soaron, taking advantage of this, jumped into the air, cocked back her right fist, and came down with a powerful haymaker. The punch struck the same Elf Jyamato from earlier, but the energy shockwaves that were released caused all four of them to explode simultaneously. When she got up, one managed to grab her right arm, and another grabbed her left, holding her in place. A third Elf Jyamato brandished a sharpened candy cane and readied to gut the heron-themed Rider. Soaron growled as she widened her stance and used her strength to lift her arms. Much to both Elf Jyamatos' surprise, they were getting lifted off the ground, even going so far as to release sounds of panic and distress.
Soaron then charged straight ahead towards the weapon-wielding Elf Jyamato, thrusting forward with her right arm. The Elf Jyamato in front of her had no choice but to stab, and in so doing, impaled his fellow Elf Jyamato. Soaron smirked as she once again pivoted her right foot, coming around with a left backhand, smashing the Elf Jyamato that still clung to her arm into the other, sending all three of them spiralling through the wall of a shop.
Meanwhile, Amity was dealing with her own batch of Elf Jyamatos. Being back in the Boiling Isles, Amity could feel magic all around her. The very essence of her magic speciality was right here beneath her feet, and it was such a welcoming sensation that she couldn't help but crack a smile. Amity reached out with both of her hands and drew two spell circles that hovered around her wrists. With a wave of both her hands, large amounts of Abomination slime rose out of the ground and began flowing around her in a spiral.
"Hello, you gorgeous slime!" Amity exclaimed happily as she waved her hands towards the Elf Jyamatos.
The Abomination slime heeded her command and immediately slithered towards five of the Elf Jyamatos. The creatures readied to attack the slime; but before they could, it branched off into five individual tendrils. Each tendril wrapped around their necks and hoisted them up into the air before slamming them straight into the ground, breaking through the earth and burying their heads until they stopped moving. Four more tried to attack Amity from behind, but with another wave of her hand, she made the Abomination slime transform into four long spikes that jutted out and pierced the chests of all four Elf Jyamatos, causing them to explode on the spot.
"Oh, Titan, I missed this! The Abomination Buckle is one thing, but nothing beats the original!" Amity declared as she had the Abomination slime turn into five golems. "Abominations, free the children!"
The golems did as she commanded, each one opening a sack and releasing the children.
"Hurry, get to your parents!" Amity instructed.
As soon as she said this, the Elf Jyamatos started moving to intercept, but Amity wasn't about to let that happen.
"ABOMINATIONS, ATTACK!" she commanded.
The Abomination golems gurgled and growled as they turned towards the Elf Jyamatos and began to do battle with them. The plant monsters found it difficult to counter them, as no matter how many times they slashed or pierced them, the Abominations would only repair the damage, or reform whatever limbs they lopped off. Amity knew that her Abominations wouldn't be able to defeat the Jyamatos, but that was fine. She just needed them to buy her time.
"Henshin!"
[ZOMBIE! READY, FIGHT!]
Amity ran towards the Elf Jyamatos, and as she did, her body was encased in the Entry Suit just before the Zombie Armour attached itself to her. Once armoured up, Gato swung her Zombie Breaker, slashing through one Elf Jyamato after another. She drove her Berserclaw into one of the Elf Jyamatos and tossed it into another group like a ragdoll. The cat-themed Rider saw that the Elf Jyamato were switching their targets to the Riders and decided to give them what they wanted. Gato ran to where Soaron and Newtonne were battling and jumped into the fray as she cut down two Jyamatos in front of them, having all three of the players go back-to-back.
"Okay, this is seriously messed up. They're going after kids now," said Soaron with frustration.
"I think it's a play on the old European legend of Krampus. While Santa Claus would leave presents for good kids and coal for bad kids, Krampus would snatch the naughty children and punish them back in his lair," Newtonne explained.
"That's not messed up at all," Soaron commented sarcastically.
"Well, to be fair, at least Krampus brings them back on the first day of the new month, "Gato informed.
Soaron and Newtonne stopped fighting for a moment.
"Are you saying Krampus is real?"Soaron asked incredulously.
"And he's here in the Demon Realm?" Newtonne questioned in shock.
Gato sawed through one Elf Jyamato.
"Well, technically, no one really knows where he lives. Some say he lives far up north, farther than anyone has ever gone. And some say he comes from another world. But I do know he comes every Krampmas Eve night."
Soaron and Newtonne would have to unpack that information later, as it now just called into question all the Christmases they had spent over the past seventeen years.
As her fellow players fought the Jyamatos, Luz hung back, her hand shaking as she gripped her Fantasy Buckle. She wanted to help, but something was stopping her.
"Shouldn't you be helping?" Tsumuri asked Luz.
"I…I…" Luz hesitated as she watched her fellow players fight the Jyamatos while rescuing the children. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a young demon child being cornered by an Elf Jyamato. It grabbed her and was about to stuff her into its sack when Luz sprinted towards them. Luz delivered a kick, knocking the Elf Jyamato away. The Latina dropped to one knee and checked on the little girl.
"Go, get out of here!" Luz yelled, and the girl screamed. Suddenly, the Jyamato grabbed Luz from behind and held her in a chokehold. "Agh! Get off me!" She drove her elbow into the Jyamato's gut, knocking it back before she spun on her heel and knocked it down with a roundhouse kick.
She saw more Elf Jyamatos chasing after children and she gritted her teeth.
"That's it! Henshin!"
[OSCURA! DARKNESS, NOW!]
Wait, was she not holding the Fantasy Buckle just now?
Six black wings burst from her back and wrapped around her before exploding, revealing the Rider of Darkness herself, Kamen Rider Oscura.
[READY, FIGHT!]
Oscura grimaced after her transformation, but she did not have time to switch Buckles. She just had to work with this.
[DesWizarSwordGun!]
She summoned her signature weapon and slashed a Jyamato, destroying it with a single blow. The other Elf Jyamatos came charging at her with their candy cane hooks.
"Now, it's showtime!"
Oscura charged at the Elf Jyamatos, swinging her sword to parry their strikes before delivering another swing to knock them back. She blocked a Jyamato's candy cane hook and then kicked it in the gut before slashing it with her sword. One tried to hit her from behind but she violently backhanded it, sending it sprawling to the ground.
They tried to surround her, but she spread her wings, repelling them before she took off into the air. After she landed a distance away from them, she cast a spell.
"Doppelganger, Now!"
She summoned three clones to join her, and two of those clones switched their DesWizarSwordGuns to Gun Mode.
[DARKNESS!]
They tapped the hand authors at the same time and the gun wielding Oscuras attacked first.
[TACTICAL BLAST!]
They fired spheres of dark energy before the sword wielding Oscuras made their move.
[TACTICAL SLASH!]
The flying energy slashes hit the backs of the energy spheres, merging with them to enhance their speed and destructive power. The group of Elf Jyamatos were hit, setting off multiple explosions with their destruction.
Oscura looked around and saw more Elf Jyamatos trying to grab children. There were far too many for her to create enough doppelgangers to engage. She needed speed. Dismissing her copies, she pulled out the Boost Buckle and inserted it into the empty left-hand side of her Driver.
[Dual On!]
She twisted the handle and flames spewed from the Boost Buckle. The red and orange flames of the Boost Buckle ignited in the air, forming into the Boost Armour. However, instead of simply granting her the lower half of the suit, the gauntlets and greaves of the Boost Form appeared and shot towards Oscura's arms and legs, augmenting her. At the same times, her eyes flashed, turning blue like the Sloth Sin Stone on her Buckle.
[DARK BOOST! READY, FIGHT!]
Oscura had questions concerning how the Boost Armour formed to accommodate and augment her Oscura Armour, and if she had more time to think, she would contemplate why the Sloth Stone on her Oscura Buckle was glowing. But that was something for her to worry about later. She had a job to do and little time to waste. Violet, white, and red flames bellowed forth from the exhaust pipes on her legs and arms, and at that moment, time slowed down around her. The movements of the children and the Elf Jyamatos basically slowed to a crawl, just like sloths.
The roar of a motorcycle engine filled the air as Oscura dashed away, leaving a trail of tri-coloured flames in her wake. She remembered how much faster she was with the Boost Buckle when she used it in tandem with Magnum, but this seemed to be a lot faster than before. She appeared before two Elf Jyamatos and quickly threw an uppercut, sending the first monster straight into the air, before twirling around and throwing an elbow to the left temple (or where one would be) of the second Elf Jyamato. This sent the second one flying away as sparks erupted and danced in the air in slow motion. It seemed even her strength was doubly boosted from the normal increase. But she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth on this one.
Oscura started dashing towards the Elf Jyamatos as they closed in on the children. The Rider of Darkness began throwing punches and kicks at each Elf Jyamato she got close to, the power and force of her attacks sent them flying into the air, or at least on their way into the air as some were heading towards their destinations at a snail's pace. With each hit, she made a small plume of tri-coloured flames erupt, creating flames and sparks that lingered in the air around her. Oscura used this chance to also move the children to safety and away from the Elf Jyamatos.
Once all the children were moved away, Oscura stopped, and everything resumed its normal pace. The Jyamatos that she struck either went into the air and exploded, crashed through some buildings, and then exploded, or just exploded on the spot. The children were visibly confused as to how they were moved so quickly.
As Oscura took a moment to survey the area, she spotted Tsumuri, currently getting swarmed by Elf Jyamatos, and fighting them off with her tablet. The DGP navigator was using her tablet as a weapon as she used it to smack them in the head, but they had her cornered. Despite Oscura's negative feelings towards the DGP Management, she did not want Tsumuri to get hurt.
"Tsumuri!"Oscura shouted and she dashed straight at the navigator, knocking aside the Jyamatos to grab her and take her to safety."Are you OK?"
"I'm fine," Tsumuri said and then she saw her hands were empty. "Where's my tablet?"
"Oh, let me help you look for–"
'Watch your step, Luz~'
'What?'
*Crack!*
Tsumuri and Oscura paled when they both heard the crack. At the same time, both the navigator and Rider slowly looked down, and that was when they saw it: Oscura's foot was resting on the now-cracked screen. Oscura panicked and hastily removed her foot before she went to pick up the tablet.
"I'm sure it's fine!" Oscura claimed as she dusted off the screen before she handed the tablet back to Tsumuri. The DGP navigator looked at her precious tablet which had a huge crack spreading across the screen.
[Dual On!]
[ZOMBIE! ABOMINATION! READY, FIGHT!]
With the Abomination Armour equipped to her legs, Gato delivered kicks while shooting streams of Abomination slime. The streams became whips that ensnared the Elf Jyamatos before they reeled them in for her to cut down.
[Poison Charge!]
The chainsaw blade of her sword revved up, rotating as it built up power. As soon as the Elf Jyamatos came within striking range, she delivered her attack.
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
As each Elf Jyamato was drawn to her, she hacked and slashed them apart, sending pieces of them flying past her.
[MONSTER STRIKE!]
Soaron slammed her knuckles together, creating stars that surrounded her gauntlets before she slammed them to the ground. She sent a wave of power surging across the ground which erupted under a group of Jyamatos in the form of a giant energy fist, sending them airborne.
[TACTICAL SLASH!]
Newtonne leapt up to meet the airborne Jyamatos and created clones which sliced them up, causing them to explode.
[MISSION CLEARED!]
"All Jyamatos have been destroyed," Tsumuri reported as she saw that the Riders had defeated all of the enemies. "And you prevented any children from being kidnapped. Congratulations."
"These guys weren't so tough," Soaron boasted.
Newtonne looked around and saw the townsfolk looking at their group with fear and anger. She noticed that many of those looks were aimed at Oscura. Remembering what Luz had told her, she knew that they were not going to be praised.
The townsfolk began screaming curses at Oscura and they also looked ready to cast spells.
"Tsumuri, I think it's time to go," Soaron urged.
"I can't!" Tsumuri panicked as she tapped the cracked screen of her tablet to transport them back to the Desire Temple. "My tablet's broken!" The tablet was her only connection to the DGP's system and the Game Master. Now that it was broken, her connection had been cut off. She could not even contact the Game Master even if she wanted to.
Meanwhile, the angry townsfolk were closing in on the Riders and Tsumuri, ready to deliver some mob justice.
"What do we do?" Newtonne panicked.
"Looks like we gotta fight our way out," Soaran said firmly.
"Wait, we don't want to hurt them," Gato objected.
"Indeed, harming civilians during a mission is prohibited," Tsumuri concurred.
"I got an idea," Oscura offered, and she replaced her Boost Buckle with the Beat Buckle.
[Dual On!]
[DARK BEAT!]
Like before, she gained the gauntlets and greaves that corresponded to the Buckle as the Beat Axe materialised in her hands, and for some reason, the violet Lust Stone glowed with her eyes changing colour to match it.
[READY, FIGHT!]
"Guys, cover your ears!" Oscura instructed and then she played, strumming the Beat Axe's strings furiously.
Purple soundwaves began to flow outwards and towards the crowd. At the same time, the Lust gemstone on the Oscura Buckle resonated with the instrument. The purple soundwaves immediately struck the unsuspecting civilians, and a moment later, their hostility ceased as their eyes started to glow a bright purple. The Riders and Tsumuri watched as the people lowered their weapons, and the spell circles faded. After a few seconds, the townsfolk turned around and dispersed, leaving the area without any more commotion.
"OK, now they won't attack us," Oscura said, relieved.
"Okay, how did you do that?"Soaron asked her. "I don't remember the Beat Buckle being able to do that."
Oscura was curious about that too. In all the times she had seen the Beat Buckle being used, it never displayed the power to control people like that. It could play music that forced the Jyamato to dance, but that was just it. However, something was off when she looked down and saw the Lust gemstone on her Oscura Buckle still glowing.
'The Sloth gem was glowing when I used it with Boost, and now the Lust gem with Beat. I wonder…'
Unfortunately, Oscura's pondering was interrupted when a magical aura surrounded the Beat Axe and ripped it right out of her hands. At the same time, Gato and Newtonne were also forcibly relieved of their weapons as they went flying out of their grips. Before Oscura could ask what was happening, dozens of Coven Scouts quickly descended upon them, some riding on their staffs while others were running in from street corners, and others were dropping down from the airships that were now hovering overhead.
"Oookay, this isn't good," Newtonne commented when she saw the Coven Scouts.
"These are your cops, aren't they?" Soaron asked Gato.
"Yeah, so just stay calm," Gato instructed.
One of the Coven Scouts, who had a golden pauldron with a new Coven insignia on it, broke from the ranks and stood before them.
"By the authority of the United Covens of the Boiling Isles, we're placing you all under arrest for public disturbance and inciting a riot!" he declared. "Do not resist or we will use lethal force!"
One of the Coven Scouts tilted his head to the side, as if he found something familiar. But after a moment, that same Scout seemed to figure out what it was and immediately raced to his CO.
"Sir! Don't you recognize her?!" he asked his CO, frantically.
"Calm down, Scout, why are you getting so worked up?" the CO inquired.
"IT'S OSCURA!"
The CO Coven Scout looked back at the assembled Riders, and as he continued to stare at the white-coated Rider, it started to click in his mind. Her armour looked a little different, but there was no mistaking it: that was in fact Empress Oscura, the Dark Rider who had ruled their world with an iron fist and nearly ended it too.
"HOLY TITAN!" the CO screamed. "ALL SCOUTS, PREPARE TO ENGAGE! SOMEONE ALERT THE COUNCIL! WE'LL NEED IMMEDIATE BACKUP! TELL THEM OSCURA HAS RETURNED!"
All the Coven Scouts froze upon hearing that dreaded name, and soon they all started to recognize the form of their former empress, the evil that had tormented them for many months. Many of those Scouts snapped out of their fear-induced stupor and quickly drew spell circles in preparation to launch an attack on her and her cohorts.
However, before their assault could begin, several potion bottles were dropped from the sky. Each one exploded upon hitting the ground, but instead of a fiery explosion, the bottles released a thick cloud of yellow smoke that washed over the area. The Riders and Tsumuri huddled close together, not sure if this was a part of the Coven Scouts' attack or something else. Just then, a figure dropped out of the sky and landed before them, but due to the thick cloud, all Oscura and the others could see was a shadowy silhouette.
"LUZ, GET US OUT OF HERE!" the figure ordered.
When they heard that, the Coven Scout CO drew his spell circle and conjured a powerful gust of wind to blow through the square. Once the smoke cloud had cleared, every Scout was shocked to see that Oscura and her companions were gone.
"Sir…t-they're gone!"
"I can see that!" The Coven Scout CO turned around and waved his hand as he gazed upon his Scouts. "Spread out and find them! Alert all precincts in every city and town on the Isles! We're not going to let that tyrant get away again!"
"YEAAAAAAAH!" the Scouts cried out in unison.
A magic circle appeared on the ground, and a moment later, a huge plume of yellow smoke bellowed into existence. Coughing could be heard emanating from inside the plume as the occupants started to wave their hands to clear it out.
"What the heck was that?" Sasha demanded as she coughed.
"I used my Transport Spell to get us out of there. It can take us to any place I've been before, or that's in my immediate line of sight," Luz explained.
"So, where did you bring us then?" Marcy inquired.
As the smoke cleared, so too did the answer to that question.
"The one place I felt safe…"
Amity, Sasha, Marcy, and Tsumuri looked up and beheld a large house. It had a teal rooftop, with a half-demolished stone tower off to the right of the house. The second floor had a wide window that was stained glass and looked like an eye with a slit pupil. The front door was wooden, and the door knocker was carved into the shape of an owl.
"Luz…are we where I think we are?" Amity asked.
"My home away from home," Luz answered.
"Nice to know you can still call it that after all these years." Luz froze. She recognized that voice, but it had been so long. The Latina shook, almost as if she was afraid to turn around and confirm who it was. "C'mon, kid, you're not gonna turn around and say hi to your Owl Mom?"
"I…I don't deserve to," said Luz, filled with utter shame.
"Luz, please. I want to see my kid's face."
Luz steeled her nerves as she slowly turned around. And there, standing with her staff in hand, was the woman known as the Owl Lady, Eda Clawthorne. She looked just as amazing as Luz remembered, with her large and long mane of orange hair, and youthful complexion, courtesy of no longer being under the effects of the Owl Beast curse. She looked upon Luz with her signature smile, and her left hand resting on her hip.
"Eda…!"
Eda raised her left arm and held it out towards Luz. The Latina didn't waste any time as she rushed towards the Owl Lady and enveloped her in a tight hug. The force of the hug nearly knocked Eda off her feet, but she managed to brace herself enough to keep that from happening. Eda wrapped her arm around Luz, hugging her tight as tears flowed from her eyes. It was a tearful reunion for Luz as well. Four years, four long years had passed, and after all this time she was able to be reunited with her second mother.
"I missed you so much," Luz cried.
"Me too, Luz. There wasn't a day that went by that I wasn't thinking about you," Eda replied, her voice breaking here and there.
"Ms. Clawthorne?"
Eda looked up and saw Amity awkwardly standing there, not sure of how to interact with the Owl Lady. In the past, Eda made no attempt to hide her contempt towards the youngest Blight child. After all, if not for the Everlasting Oath, Luz would not have sought after forbidden knowledge to undo it. However, towards the end of Empress Oscura's reign, Eda's anger had diminished. And after the final battle four years ago, it seemed to just vanish altogether. But that was four years ago, who knew if Eda had reconsidered her feelings towards the witch girl.
"Lookin' good, Boots," Eda greeted with a smile.
"Thank you, Ms. Clawthorne. You're not looking bad yourself," Amity replied.
"Um, Luz, not to ruin this obviously happy reunion, but mind introducing us?" Marcy requested politely.
Luz managed to collect herself as she wiped away her tears and stood at Eda's left.
"Guys, this is Eda Clawthorne, the infamous Owl Lady, my former mentor and the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles," Luz announced.
"Actually, it's Eda Clawthorne-Whispers now," Eda corrected.
"Oops, sorry, I forgot Willow told me about that."
"Yeah, I'm gonna need an explanation for that. For now, let's get inside."
"Are you new friends? I love new friends!"
Suddenly, something long stretched out from the door of the house. Upon further inspection, it was the owl head figure that was originally on the door but had somehow stretched itself. And it was looking right at Sasha, Marcy, and Tsumuri.
"AAAAAAH!" Sasha and Marcy screamed as they fell on their rears.
Tsumuri was unfazed.
Amity, well, she had mixed emotions when it came to that bird tube thing.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?!" Sasha cried out, pointing at Hooty.
Luz chuckled at the reaction of her friends.
"Oh, that's just Hooty, my house demon," Eda nonchalantly answered.
"You'll get used to him," Luz added. "…Eventually."
The house demon heard Luz's voice and immediately stretched over to her.
"Oh, Luz, you're back! Wait…something's different about you…"
"Well, I've grown up a bit since the last time you saw me," Luz replied, rubbing the back of her head.
"Nah, that's not it. It's deeeeper…" Hooty's gaze intensified as he slowly moved closer and closer to Luz's face, making the Latina back up a little lest his beak bump into her nose.
'Wait, can Hooty tell that I can hear Oscura?!'
'Can the abomination actually sense me?!'
An uncomfortably long silence followed as Hooty continued to stare into Luz's eyes, perhaps peering into her very soul.
"…Oh, I know! You got a new haircut!" Hooty exclaimed.
The tension in Luz's body released all at once, and even her inner demon (Oscura) breathed a sigh of relief.
"Uh, well, yes, I did get a haircut. Thanks for noticing, Hooty."
"Yeah, and it also looks as if you got entered into a tournament that pits you against a random assortment of people all competing to get what your heart desires by a mysterious interdimensional organisation and that you seem stranded here for some reason."
Luz's jaw dropped.
Amity's jaw dropped.
Sasha and Marcy's jaws dropped.
Heck, even Tsumuri was gobsmacked.
"But that's just my guess – hoot-hoot! Oh, before I forget! I have a gift for you! GAHAA – AAACK – GAHAAAK!" Hooty gagged as he tried to cough something up. "H-Hold on sec, it's comin' up. GAAAHAACK HAAH!"
"NO! NO! That's okay, Hooty!" Luz protested, waving her hands in front of her. "Just being back home and seeing you is enough of a gift! Trust me! It's more than enough!"
"…Okay!"
"Enough with the antics already, Hooty. Let us in," Eda ordered.
"Alright, alright. Hoot."
The house demon retracted itself back into the door. Sasha and Marcy thought the disturbing part was over, but they were wrong. Hooty started opening his mouth abnormally wide to the point that his wide-open mouth became the door, showing the inside of the living room behind the door. Luz, Eda, and Amity walked on through without any hesitation, leaving Sasha, Marcy, and Tsumuri to stand outside with shocked expressions. How could they just so nonchalantly waltz through the house demon's mouth?
"You guys coming or what?" Eda called.
"Uh…yes," Tsumuri answered, unsure if she should proceed or not.
"He's not going to eat you, I promise," Luz assured.
All three women gulped before quickly walking through Hooty's open mouth. The moment they did, the house demon closed his mouth and returned the door to normal before letting out a loud belch. Once inside, Eda and Luz separated from the group and stood at the centre of the living room.
"Welcome to…The Owl House!" they announced in unison.
"Oh, wow!" Marcy could not believe she was in a real witch's house. Luz smirked, remembering how she used to be the first time she set foot in the Boiling Isles. After the initial freakout passed, she was instantly enamoured with the world she had landed in.
"It still smells the same after all this time," Luz reminisced nostalgically as she scanned the Owl House. But there were some new additions to the house, such as the pictures that were hung on the walls. Approaching one, she saw it was Eda and Raine's wedding. "You look good in that dress, Eda."
"Heh, thanks. You shoulda seen what I wore for our honeymoon," Eda replied as she ribbed Luz.
"Eda, c'mon!" Luz whined as she blushed at the implication.
"What? You're an adult now, we can talk about these kinds of things. By the way…" Eda got closer and whispered to Luz with a wiggle of her brow, "Have you and Boots been gettin' down to business these past four years?"
"E-E-EDA!" Luz exclaimed in embarrassment.
Amity couldn't hear what they were saying, but whatever it was, it was enough to make Luz blush in embarrassment.
'Nice to have the shoe on the other foot, for once,' she thought.
"Ah, we can gossip about our bedroom shenanigans later–" Eda spoke.
"Or not," Luz interjected.
"But I think someone else would like to say hello. KING, GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE!"
Thundering footsteps rattled the inside of the living room, making Sasha, Marcy, and Tsumuri glance about the room, trying to figure out what was the cause. That was when they saw a shadow appear near the hallway. The shadow grew bigger and bigger, and from what they could make out, whatever it was, it had large horns and claws.
Sasha's hand slowly moved towards her Buckle, preparing to defend Marcy should the need arise. Marcy could see what Sasha was doing but wasn't sure if she should correct her since neither Amity, Luz, nor Eda were concerned by the approaching figure. Tsumuri had seen a lot of different Jyamatos, both great and small in her years as a navigator. However, considering the creatures here were far different from Jyamatos, she was on guard as well.
"You dare summon I…!" The shadow quickly shrunk as the owner of it appeared in the archway. "The King of Demons!"
The 'King of Demons' was a three-foot-tall, furry dog-like creature. He had three claws on each hand, a skull-like helmet over his head with one long horn, and another that was broken off. The fangs on that skull helmet were long and sharp. Finally, his eyes were yellow with purple irises.
Upon seeing him, Marcy immediately pushed Sasha out of the way as she stared at him with wide sparkling eyes.
"SOOOO CUUUUTTEEEE!" Marcy exclaimed as she rushed towards King and quickly enveloped him in her arms. "AND SO FLUFFFFYYYYY!"
"AAAAAAH! EDA! HELP! WHO IS THIS MONSTER?! AND HOW DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME?!" King shouted in a panic.
"Heh, you're just a little cutie, King. Things like this are bound to happen," Luz chuckled as if it was a matter of fact.
Marcy managed to stop smothering King long enough for him to turn his head in the direction of the familiar voice.
"L-Luz…?"
"Hey, King…I'm back," Luz greeted.
King wriggled and squirmed out of Marcy's grip as he bolted from her, ran across the floor, and jumped straight into the Latina's arms. He wrapped his arms around Luz, hugging her tightly as he wept in happiness.
"Luz! You're back! I…I can't believe it!" King cried out in joy. "Weeeehhhh!"
"I am, little buddy. And, whoa, you've gotten bigger…and heavier." Luz got down on one knee as she placed King on his feet on the floor. "I don't think I can carry you on my head anymore."
"Hey, won't know until we try it!"
King quickly scurried around Luz and climbed onto her back. Once he reached her head, the extra weight threw off Luz's balance and both of them were sent straight to the floor. Despite the rough landing, King and Luz laughed, just like old times.
"Luz, who is this cutie?!" Marcy inquired.
"AAH! Not her again!" King shouted as he quickly hid behind Luz.
"King, it's alright. This is Marcy." Luz pointed at the blonde. "That's Sasha." And finally, she gestured to the DGP navigator. "And that's Tsumuri. They're my friends from the Human Realm."
"More importantly, where did you leave Luz?" Eda asked.
"She was right behind me," King replied.
Luz was confused when she heard that.
"Uh…what do you mean? I'm right–" Luz started.
"Momma, who are these people?"
Luz immediately turned her gaze towards the archway as King walked out from behind her and to the child. She was a little shorter than King, with tan skin like her other parent. Her hair was bright orange like Eda's and cut short, while her eyes were the same golden colour as her mother's.
Luz didn't need to be told who this was, she knew her name already. The Latina got up and slowly walked towards the little witch child. Despite this, the little witch girl didn't seem afraid, nor did she try to hide behind King. She merely looked up at the older girl, even as she knelt before her.
"Hi there, what's your name?" Luz asked.
"My name's Luz! Luz Clawthorne-Whispers!" Little Luz happily answered.
Luz smiled, her heartwarming up as she finally met the child of her second mother and Lumina's ancestor.
"Hello, Luz. My name's Luz, Luz Noceda."
"Wait, your name is Luz too!"
"That's right."
"Momma, is this my big sister?!" Little Luz asked, peeking around Luz.
Luz's eyes widened as she glanced over her shoulder at Eda.
"Yeah, munchkin. This is your big sis," Eda confirmed.
"Yay!" Little Luz wasted no time in throwing herself at Luz, hugging her the best she could. "Momma told me that you went away and that you wouldn't come back! But I knew you would!"
Luz was surprised to hear that as she looked down at her little witch sister.
"W-What? H-How did you know?" Luz asked.
Little Luz looked up at Luz innocently.
"Coz we're family!" she answered. "And family always finds each other again, right?"
Luz felt a fresh wave of tears starting to form. This little girl, she wasn't afraid of her. Although Luz was sure that Eda hadn't told Little Luz everything that happened. Obviously, she would be too young to understand. But knowing that Little Luz did not fear her face nor her presence, made the Latina hug her little witch sister as she cried.
"Yeah…you're right, Luz. Family always finds each other again."
"Aww~" Marcy went, watching the touching scene. "That's the sweetest thing I ever saw. Isn't it, Tsumuri?"
Tsumuri was sniffling as she watched all this transpire. Marcy reached into one of her various jacket pockets and pulled out a packet of tissues to offer to Tsumuri.
"Thank you, Ms. Wu," Tsumuri said gratefully as she took a tissue.
"Sasha, here, you use one too," said Marcy.
"I don't need 'em!" Sasha declined.
"But you're crying too."
"Am not!" Sasha stubbornly denied it, even though tears were clearly streaming down her face.
Amity drew a spell circle and had the tissues smack Sasha right in the face.
"Just use the damn tissues and stop trying to act so tough right now," Amity ordered.
"And so, the former Empress Oscura, Luz Noceda, has reunited with her former mentor and surrogate mother, Eda the Owl Lady, her surrogate little brother, the King of Demons, and met with her new little sister, Little Luz, who was named after her. However, while the players and navigator are currently stranded in the Demon Realm, there are other forces at play. News of Oscura's return would surely spread to everyone, including the ones who fear her and the ones who revere her. What twists shall this story take? Well, you'll need to wait to find out what happens next."