The Following is a Non-Profit Fan-Based Parody
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Chapter 1 - On the Road! My Epoch Journey!
Tokyo, capital of Japan and one of the most populated cities in the world, was in ruins. Skyscrapers were brought to the ground, streets were cracked and filled with large holes, homes and stores were engulfed in flames, and the sound of people crying or screaming in fear filled the air. It looked like a war was fought within the city.
Amidst the chaos, a tall and handsome young man is seen running through a destroyed street, jumping over holes and passing by destroyed buildings. He looks to be fifteen years of age, with messy chestnut colored hair and olive-colored eyes. He has a lean and muscular physique, and is wearing a simple white shirt beneath a black jacket, black slacks, and a pair of white and blue sneakers.
A large explosion from behind knocked the young man off his feet, causing him to harshly hit the ground. Looking back, his eyes widened in fear as a large cloud of smoke and dust formed, and a pair of piercing red eyes could be seen from within. He tried to get back up, but slipped and fell again. A bright red light formed before the hidden figure, before a red laser shot out of the smoke and straight towards the young man.
DEFEND! PLEASE!
Before the laser hit him, the young man was surrounded by a dome of fire that protected him. Turning to look at his savior, he was greeted by the sight of a man dressed in black robes, a ring on his middle fingers, a silver belt with a black hand-like buckle, a ruby-like piece of chest armor, and a helmet resembling a ring with a red gemstone.
This is Kamen Rider Wizard.
"Go! Get to safety!" Wizard said as he moved the hand on his belt and pulled out a different ring and "We'll stall him as long as we can!"
From the top of nearby buildings, two armored figures jumped down next to Wizard. The first has his suit divided into two halves with a pair of silver lines going down his body. His right side is green with yellow accents and a white scarf, while the left side is black with purple accents. He has large red bug-like eyes, a silver 'w' shaped crest on his head, and a red belt with a 'w' like device on the front.
This is Kamen Rider Double.
The second person has a red suit with a silver belt and a black deck with a gold dragon head on the front. His chest is covered by a silver and black chest piece, and his helmet has a grill-like visor, and a dragon crest atop of his head. On his left arm is a gauntlet in the shape of a dragon's head.
This is Kamen Rider Ryuki.
Nodding his head, the young man quickly got up and ran like a bat out of hell. Not turning around for anything. As he got farther down the street, he turned around one last time and saw them preparing to use their finishing moves against the red-eyed attacker.
CHŌIINE! KICK STRIKE! SAIKŌ!
JOKER! MAXIMUM DRIVE!
FINAL VENT!
All three Kamen Riders jumped into the air and performed a flying side kick, launching themselves like rockets towards the enemy. A large explosion occurred after they entered the smoke cloud, but much to the young man's shock, the three Riders were launched out of the smoke. Wizard was sent crashing into a parked car, Double through a shop's window, and Ryuki into a telephone pole which snapped in half.
Turning back around, the young man began to run even faster than before. The smoke seemed to chase after him, as if it was being controlled by the figure within. The closer the smoke got to the young man, the one chasing him did as well. Just as it was about to touch him, more Kamen Riders leapt into the air and attacked the mysterious figure.
The first Kamen Rider is wearing a black undersuit with strangely colored armor covering it. His left side is black with red lines, the center of his body is white, and the right side is red with a pauldron that resembles a dragon. In his right hand is a broadsword with a red flame-like crossguard.
This is Kamen Rider Saber, and his trusted blade, Kaenken Rekka.
The second Kamen Rider has an orange undersuit, black gloves and boots, a brown chest plate, green pants and shoulder pads, and a locust-like green helmet with red compound eyes and silver antenna.
This is Skyrider.
The third Kamen Rider has a black undersuit, and silvery white gloves, boots, and chest plate. The helmet is silver, and resembles a wasp with red eyes and a short antenna.
This is Kamen Rider Super-1.
Saber swung his sword and released a slash of fire that traveled along the ground, while Skyrider and Super-1 aimed their feet towards the concealed attacker.
KAEN JŪJIZAN!
SKY KICK!
SUPER RIDER FLASH KICK!
The attacks landed, but the Riders were consumed by the smoke before they were sent crashing through nearby buildings and cars. Saber tried to stand back up, but collapsed, Rekka falling from his grip, the blade broken in two. The young man watched in horror as the smoke began to consume even the buildings too, and the screams of the Kamen Riders from within.
He continued running, feeling like a coward as he did. Coming to a stop, the young man ran into a building with a sign that read 'Hikari Studio', and barricaded himself inside. Crouching in front of a window, he peeked through it and spotted the smoke cloud coming to a stop across the street. But before the smoke and the figure could get any closer, seven Kamen Riders appeared to halt the attacker.
The first Rider has a black bodysuit with white lines along his arms, gray elbow length gloves and knee length boots, a red scarf, and a grasshopper-like helmet.
This is Kamen Rider Ichigo.
The second Rider is wearing a black and dark green armored suit with a silver piece covering the center of his abdomen. His helmet is also grasshopper-like, but the eyes are even larger than the ones on Ichigo. On his left pectoral is a strange 's' like symbol.
This is Kamen Rider Black RX.
The third Rider is wearing a black undersuit with a red chest plate, red bracers with golden bands, a gold knee cap, and gold anklets. His helmet is similar to a stag beetle, with red eyes and gold horns.
This is Kamen Rider Kuuga.
The fourth Rider is wearing a black suit with white and… pink? No, magenta accents. There's a stylized 'x' shape on his chest, and his helmet has green eyes with vertical lines resembling a barcode covering it. Two of those lines stick out from the top of his head, resembling a pair of horns or antenna.
This is Kamen Rider Decade.
The fifth Rider has a black bodysuit with gray and pink accents, and a silver watch band going vertically down the center. His helmet resembles a clock face, with a pair of hands acting like a crest, while his visor has the characters ライダー, read as Rider, while the center of his forehead has the katakana for Kamen, カメン.
This is Kamen Rider Zi-O.
The sixth Rider has a black undersuit with fluorescent yellow armor that resembles a grasshopper, and a matching helmet with red compound eyes and antenna.
This is Kamen Rider Zero-One.
The seventh Rider has a black and silver undersuit, with blue, purple, and yellow colored armor that resembles candy. His matching helmet has yellow insect-like eyes and purple horns.
This is Kamen Rider Gavv.
Seeing the Riders before him, the smoke stopped in its place. The Rider's prepared themselves for battle, but the hidden man began to laugh, his voice echoing through the destroyed city.
"Showa… Heisei… Reiwa… No matter what era, all Kamen Riders shall fall before me, so that my world may know peace." The figure said, his voice arrogant and filled with pride. "Where the king of my people is the only Kamen Rider they need."
"You are no Kamen Rider!" Ichigo said, rage filling his voice as he spoke. "You are a monster that has spat on the name of the Kamen Riders! Perverting it with your cruelty!"
"Ichigo-san is right!" Kuuga spoke up. "Kamen Riders are warriors of justice that fight to protect the smiles, dreams, and hope of the innocent!"
"Destroying those who could pose a threat to me and my people, is that not protecting the innocent?" The mysterious Kamen Rider asked.
"There's a difference between destroying evil for the sake of the innocent, and destroying what you perceive as evil for your own personal gain." Decade said. "You have been traveling through the worlds and destroying Kamen Riders for your own twisted sense of justice!"
"So the Destroyer of Worlds wishes to lecture me about what should and should not be destroyed?" The Dark Rider laughed. "In what world would I listen to you? What is a destroyer to a king?"
"You're no king!" Zi-O shouted, pointing a finger at the hidden Rider. "All you are is a psychopath who has destroyed the name of the Kamen Riders! Who believes himself to be a king!"
"A King…? No, my ambitions will not allow me to be a mere king." The Dark Rider said, as if realizing his dream or goal. "From now on, I am Kamen Rider Deus!"
The eight Kamen Riders stood in silence, neither one daring to move until the time was right. It wasn't until an explosion occurred in the distance did they decide to act. The seven Kamen Riders all leaped into the air and performed their respective Rider Kick, while the Dark Rider created a red light, still hidden within the smoke.
The seven Riders shot towards the foe, their kicks meeting whatever attack the Deus had planned. Doing so created a large explosion that shook the area, causing the young man to fall and hit his head.
The last thing the young man heard before he fell unconscious were the terrified screams of the seven Kamen Riders.
The young man quickly sat up in bed, panting and sweating profusely from the nightmare he had. After a minute, he began to calm himself down. Turning to the nightstand on his bed, his alarm clock read 5:55 am, causing him to groan and lie back down with his eyes wide open.
"That dream again…" The young man said as tears began to form in his eyes. "And I still couldn't do anything!"
A few minutes later, he turned off his alarm and wiped off the tears before throwing his blanket off. Turning on the lights, it reveals a rather bare room. The only things inside were his bed, nightstand, desk, dresser, and closet. Other than the bare necessities, the only decoration inside the room is a framed picture on the desk, sitting next to a black and magenta colored camera. Looking at it, the young man turned away, as if he felt ashamed or grief from the picture.
Changing into a white and black tracksuit, the young man stepped out of his bedroom and into a rather spacious hallway. Walking through the spacious area until he arrived in a large kitchen. He put on a black apron with the words '24-hour Chef' written in pink. The first thing he did to prepare breakfast was to turn on the electric kettle for some coffee, followed by thoroughly washing his rice and putting it into a rice cooker.
The young man hummed to himself as he cooked, skillfully preparing miso soup and grilled fish. A while later, he heard someone yawning as they walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Turning around, he saw a woman in her mid-to-late thirties of above average height with a curvaceous figure. She has long pink hair, kept in a loose braid with bangs reaching just past her eyebrows and two longer side bangs that frame her face. Her eyes are yellow with multiple red rings within them. She's wearing a white dress shirt with a black tie, a black blazer and matching professional skirt, black pantyhose and heels.
"Morning *yawn* Sei-chan." The woman said, leaning back in her chair as she yawned.
"Good morning, Yukari-san." 'Sei' greeted before opening a nearby cabinet and pulling out a mug and instant coffee. "Breakfast is almost ready, and I'll have your coffee ready in a minute."
"You're a blessing, Sei-chan." Yukari said as the teen placed a cup of coffee in front of her. "Handsome, a good cook, not to mention your stage performances. You'd make a girl very happy one day, 'Hiro-kun'."
The young man merely hummed in response, hearing her words but not wanting to reply. Turning off the stove, he filled one bowl with rice and another with soup, placing them before the woman, followed shortly after by the grilled fish.
"I'm serious! Plenty of girls would do anything for even a single minute of 'Masahiro Kadoya's' time, let alone a date." Yukari said as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Then they're going to be disappointed in Seiji Inoue then." The young man replied as he finished setting the table.
Seiji Inoue, better known by his stage name 'Masahiro Kadoya', is a rising star in Japan's music industry. He was scouted into 'All-Star Studio' by the woman before him: Yukari Hatsume, his manager and legal guardian. His looks, singing voice, and charismatic nature of his public persona garnered the attention of young men and women alike. His fans flocked to his concerts like moths to a flame, with some even going as far as to wait outside of All-Star Studio to get a glimpse of him.
To all of Japan, Masahiro Kadoya lived to perform on stage.
But to Seiji Inoue, Masahiro Kadoya was nothing but a mask, a persona, a lie.
"Sei-chan, you've been with us for almost a year now, right?" Yukari asked, looking at the teen who sat down at the table.
"We met in late March last year, you took me in at the beginning of April, and the new year just started, so our anniversary is in three months." Seiji replied as he began to eat his breakfast.
"Have you thought about enrolling in high school? Or are you going to continue your career?" Yukari asked, putting her coffee down.
"Obviously I'll be enrolling in high school, and I never planned on singing forever." Seiji said, "And it was you who approached me to join All-Star Studio."
Before Yukari could reply, the sound of rapid footsteps filled the air as two new people ran into the room. The first is a tall man in his mid-to-late fourites, with a rather muscular build. He has shoulder length black hair styled into thick dreadlocks. His eyes are a sharp green color, with slightly slanted pupils. He's wearing a black workshop coverall, wrapped around his forehead is a red bandana with a pair of goggles over it.
Next to him is a reasonably short girl with quite a mature build. She has shoulder length salmon pink hair which is styled into thick dreadlocks and side-swept to her right. Her eyes are wide and sloped upwards with some notably long upper eyelashes, their irises green-yellow with a cross in the center, making them look somewhat like scope lenses. Similar to the man next to her, she's wearing a plain black tank top with workshop coveralls tied casually around her waist and a pair of red and gold steampunk goggles.
These two are Jiki and Mei Hatsime, Yukari's husband and daughter.
"I told you I smelled breakfast, Mei-chan!" Jiki said as he pointed to the table, "They started eating without us!"
"Morning, Ma! Pretty Boy!" Mei said, causing her father to comically cough blood behind her, not that she noticed.
Seiji slightly blushed from being called that. The nickname came shortly after he moved into the Hatsume household, where he met Mei in her father's workshop. At first, she didn't pay him any attention, until he witnessed the invention she was working on explode. After the smoke had cleared, Seiji looked over her invention and informed her what was wrong with it. Upon hearing that, Mei exceedingly pulled him into the workshop and the two began to build invention after invention.
It was only after Jiki had gotten home from work did Yukari pull him into his workshop to formally introduce him to her ward. They found the two making the finishing touches on a jetpack, and only then did Mei think to ask Seiji his name. After introducing himself, the pink haired girl did the same. In that time frame, Mei somehow caused the machine they were working on to explode and fill the room with smoke.
When the smoke cleared, Yukari and Jiki found Mei straddling a blushing Seiji, with their lips inches apart. Pulling herself back, the pink haired girl asked what his name was again, before shrugging it off and saying, "Whatever, we got babies to make, Pretty Boy!"
"Anyways, Sei-chan, are you ready for your concert in a few days?" Yukari asked as her family sat at the table. "Starting off the year with the biggest show of your career at Kamino's own Stark Arena."
That in of itself is a big achievement. Stark Arena is known for hosting the Hero Billboard Chart JP every year, and is rarely used for anything other than announcing news regarding Pro Heroes. When a singer or group is set to perform there, they make waves in their career. Of course, there are people who feel like doing this is disrespectful to Pro Heroes, while others say that it's better than the arena gathering dust until the next Billboard Chart.
"That's right!" Jiki said as he began to wolf down his breakfast. "Quickly, Mei-chan! We gotta get to the arena to make sure everything is properly set up!"
Father and daughter then ate their breakfast like they haven't eaten in days, while Seiji and Yukari ate theirs at a normal pace while sweat dropping. Like father, like daughter in some cases, it seems…
The parents of the Hatsume family had worked for All-Star Studio in Tokyo for years, and had met each other early into their careers. While Yukari worked as Seiji's agent, Jiki worked behind the stage fixing lights, cameras, and other similar things. Currently, the two worked together to manage not only "Masahiro Kadoya's" career, but also the equipment needed for his concerts, with Mei occasionally helping her father's job.
"Then after breakfast, you two will head for Kamino while Sei-chan and I head for the studio for rehearsal." Yukari said as she finished drinking her coffee.
Hours later, Seiji is seen in a large and spacious room, singing and dancing, a group of backup dancers mimicking his every move. From the other side of the room, Yukari watched with a keen eye, analyzing everything Seiji, or rather 'Masahiro' did. From the way he moved as he danced to the way he smiled as he sang.
Seiji, or Masahiro, now wore a black waistcoat white dress shirt, black slacks, leather shoes, a loose red tie, and magenta colored contacts. His messy hair was now neatly combed and swept back.
Atarimae (Iko) Takaramono Sa
Chikyuu Wa Mawari Hi Wa Nobori
Kimi Wa Hohoemu
Sunao Ni I Love You! Todokeyou
Kitto You Love Me! Tsutawaru Sa
Kimi Ni Niau Glass No Kutsu Wo Sagasou
Futari De Step & Go! Itsu Made Mo
Shin'ya Juuni-Ji Wo Sugitatte
Kimi Wa Boku No Itoshii Nijuuyo-Jikan Cinderella
Hey! Hey! Hey!
As the music faded, Yukari clapped her hands, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. The manager walked over with a bottle of water and a hand towel and handed them to her ward.
"Alright, everybody take a quick break. I need to have a quick word with Masahiro." Yukari said, motioning to the door.
Seiji drank his water as he watched everybody trickle out of the room, from his dancers to the Dj's. After they left, Yukari grabbed a pair of stools from the corner and dragged them to where the singer was. Sitting down, she motioned for the teen to do the same.
"Is everything alright, Yukari-san?" Seiji asked, sitting down on the stool. "Was I not putting in enough effort?"
"Sei-chan, you had another nightmare, didn't you?" Yukari asked, causing the teen to freeze up.
Yukari had done her research before she even offered Seiji a contract at All-Star Studio. From the records she could find, he lived with his mother at their flower shop, until he was eight years old. During a villain attack, she lost her life. Afterwards, he was placed in the care of a couple that ran a photography studio, only for them to lose their lives in a villain attack before Seiji's fifteenth birthday.
He had lived in the streets for a few days, until Yukari found him singing in the park one night. She was walking home through the empty park when she first met him and heard his voice. She couldn't even remember the lyrics to the song, but remembered how beautiful it was. Full of sorrow and regret, but at the same time, it had a tint of hope, courage, and salvation.
After he finished, Yukari introduced herself, only for him to brush her off and say, "It's best if you stay away from a coward like me."
Only she didn't stay away, she came to that same park every night for a week to hear him sing. She would bring him food and water, and just for a moment, she could see a hint of joy in his sorrowful eyes. She made small talk whenever she could, but he was hesitant in replying. It was the seventh night of her coming to the park when Yukari truly got to see who Seiji was.
During the day, he wandered the streets of Tokyo, but at night, he would return to the park and sing. Enough so that people would flock to the park just to hear his voice, much to his discomfort. Only on the seventh night of Yukari visiting him a villain decided to get high on drugs and attack the area. While there were Pro Heroes in the park, but with the villain's amplified wind-based Quirk, proved to be difficult. So much so that the civilians that were there to hear Seiji sing were caught in the crossfire.
Before any civilian could be hurt, a gray wall of a solid smoke-like substance emerged. Seiji stood tall and ordered for the civilians to evacuate through the curtain of smoke. While some were hesitant, others ran through it and found themselves on the other side of Tokyo. Yukari herself froze at the chaos around her, causing her to almost be hit by a ball of wind. She was saved by Seiji, who pushed her out of the way. The teen told her to escape as he moved to help more people.
Just as nearly all the civilians were evacuated, did reinforcements arrive to assist the Heroes. When the dust cleared, the villain was defeated with the only injured ones being the Heroes and the lone villain. Police arrived soon after and took statements from them, and of the singing teen who evacuated the civilians through a portal made by someone's Quirk. However,with all the chaos that happened, no one was able to figure out who created it.
Yukari spent the rest of the night looking for Seiji, who disappeared after closing the portal. For hours she combed the streets of Tokyo, and even asked any Heroes and Police Officers if they had seen him. Sunrise the following morning, she found him huddled in a back alley, panicking and hyperventilating. As she drew closer, all she could hear him saw was, "I used it again" over and over. It broke her heart to see a boy, no older than her own daughter, in such a state.
The woman brought him into her arms and was able to calm him down. Yukari then invited Seiji into her home, on his fifteenth birthday no less. She put him into therapy, enrolled him in school, and soon signed him into All-Star Studio, becoming his manager and legal guardian. Luckily the teen wore a mask that hid most of his face when he began school, as a precaution before his persona began to get more popular and recognized.
Of course, there were nights when Seiji would have nightmares of the attacks that took the lives of his mother and foster family. He never let it show, but Yukari always knew how he would act slightly different whenever he had one. After counseling, the nightmares became less frequent, but right now, she could tell that this one bothered him more than the others.
"Yes…" Seiji replied after a brief pause.
"And do you want to talk about it?"
"No…"
"Sei-chan, when we first met, you called yourself a coward." Yukari began, grabbing the teen's hand and turning his head to look at her. "It has something to do with your nightmares, doesn't it?"
"They're not nightmares… it's just punishment." Seiji said as tears began to form in his eyes.
"Punishment for what?" Yukari asked, she knew what he was going to say and she needed to know why.
"For being a coward. I could've done something to save them.. Anything!" Seiji shouted as tears began to flow freely down his face. "But I ran! Ran away like a coward!"
"You were a child, what could you have done to stop the villain?" Yukari asked.
"I could have fought alongside them! But I was too scared too!" Seiji said as he stood up and kicked over the stool. "Hongo-san! Godai-san! Hiden-san! Aniki! Everyone fought, but I ran! How can I not call myself a coward?!"
"Because you're anything but a coward!" Yukari shouted, standing up and placing her hands on his shoulders.
"That night in the park, you could've ran but you stayed behind to save people." Yukari began, "I don't know what happened to you, that much I'll admit, but you were fourteen when we met. Not even in your final year in middle school."
"I don't know who Hongo, Godai, Hiden, or even your Aniki are, but I know that they wouldn't blame you either!" Yukari said, only for the teen to shrug off her hold and step back.
"They should! How could they not?! A coward like me spits on the legacy of the Kamen Riders!" Seiji yelled, only to realize what he said.
"Kamen… Rider?" Yukari asked, never hearing that phrase before. "What's a Kamen Rider?"
Seiji took a deep breath, wiping away his tears before looking at his manager. "Kamen Riders… are everything Pro Heroes claim to be."
"Are they Pros? I don't think I've ever heard of a hero group by that name before." Yukari said. Compared to most of Japan, she wasn't really well versed in the world of Pro Heroes, only knowing more popular names like All Might and Endeavour.
"No, Kamen Riders aren't like Pro Heroes. They're true heroes, people who risk everything in order to protect the innocent." Seiji said as he looked down at his hands. "They fight for humanity, hope, dreams, smiles, and peace. And I… spat on everything they stood for."
Without saying another word, the singer left the room and slammed the door shut. Leaving behind his agent, who quickly got up and ran after him, only to find him gone when she opened the door.
A few hours later, Seiji is seen walking down the street, his face being hidden by a blue mask, which covers him from just below his eyes to the base of his neck. His outfit changed to a black jacket over a white hoodie, with the hood pulled over his head, blue jeans, and sneakers. His magenta contacts were also gone. While his face was hidden, his eyes were filled with regret. He didn't mean to tell Yukari about the Kamen Riders, but months of holding everything in took a toll on him. Not to mention this latest nightmare…
In truth, Seiji Inoue wasn't from this world, he had arrived to it almost a year ago, a week before he was taken in by Yukari. He was born in a world that only knew peace, a world without catastrophes, a world without monsters, a world without Kamen Riders.
As a boy, Seiji lived with his mother, who owned a small flower shop. Everyday, he and his mother would sing and laugh. Only for one day, that laughter would turn into screams of terror. When he was eight years old, he lost everything when mysterious portals appeared all over the world, even in his home city of Tokyo.
Later, he would learn that these were called Aurora Curtains.
From these curtains, an army of Automatons, machines shaped like living metal skeletons, invaded and made it their mission to destroy all life on the planet. For an entire month, humanity tried to fight back against this new threat, but the Automatons proved relentless. No matter how many were destroyed, more were sent into the world. After a month of war, the Automatons seemed to disappear overnight.
While this may seem like a miracle, it was only the beginning of Seiji's journey.
The child found himself as the only survivor of the Automatons, the last living person in his world. For days, he wandered the ruins of his home. Alone in a world of carnage and death. The only sound that filled the world was Seiji's cries for help. Just as all seemed lost for the child, a final Aurora Curtail formed.
Seiji expected to see another Automaton, but instead came through his savior. A single man wearing black and magenta clothing. The boy watched as this man wandered the streets for hours, trying to find any sign of life within the desolate world. As the sun began to set, the man created another Aurora Curtain to leave, but Seiji accidentally kicked a piece of rubble that toppled over with a loud thud.
Hearing the noise, the man pulled out a strange gun-like object, and pointed it at the child. Both froze in place, Seiji in fear and the man in shock. After a few moments, the gun was lowered and the man knelt down, sticking out a kind hand towards the frightened child. It took a few moments, but the child was soon within the man's arms and began crying, releasing all the pent up emotions within himself.
"I'm sorry I arrived too late to save your world. I'm sorry you had to be alone within the depths of despair. Everything will be okay now, because I am here."
That was when this man, Tsukasa Kadoya, became Seiji's hero. This was when Seiji was introduced to one of the greatest heroes within the worlds: Kamen Rider Decade.
Tsukasa took Seiji into his car, traveling across the worlds together for years. Meeting all sorts of people and Kamen Riders. Seiji even gained the ability to create Aurora Curtains himself. This all changed nearly two years ago, when the two found themselves in a new world.
The world of Kamen Rider Deus.
This one action caused a ripple effect throughout the worlds, Riders from the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa era uniting against Deus. But no matter how hard they fought, Deus always won. Countless Riders lost their lives against the Dark Rider, until only eight remained.
From those eight, only-
'A coward remained.' Seiji thought to himself as he stood waiting for a train to pass ahead.
There are times where Seiji thought that, if he stayed, Deus would've been defeated. But deep down, he knew that even if he fought alongside his fellow Kamen Riders, he would've lost his life as well. Here he was, living life as some pretty boy singer, while the people he cared about, called his friends, gave their life in an attempt to defeat a truly evil person.
Seeing the train pass by, reminded Seiji of Kamen Rider Den-O and his DenLiner. The teen knew he could travel back in time with his Aurora Curtains, but he wasn't sure that he could do it. He knew that time travel is a dangerous thing to do, even for his fellow Kamen Riders. Yet he wanted, needed to, in order to fix his greatest regret.
"Oi, gaki, listen up! Everyone has a memory that they want to redo, but the past means nothing when you have tomorrow waiting for you. Just wait and jump when you're at your climax!"
"That damn pudding loving oni." Seiji thought aloud as he walked over the tracks, only to stop as the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
'What is this feeling? This sense of… dread?' Seiji thought as he turned around, his eyes widening as the air behind him began to distort itself…
Before an Aurora Curtain formed a mere ten feet behind him.
'An Aurora Curtain?! No! No! No!' Seiji thought as he began walking backwards, fear overtaking his body as he fell backwards onto his butt.
By now, civilians and Pro Heroes took notice of the Aurora Curtain, with some of them coming closer to investigate it while others kept the civilians away from it. As he witnessed a denim-clad Hero step closer to the portal, Seiji tried to open his mouth to tell him to stop, but no sounds came out. All he could do was watch as the Hero got closer and closer to the Aurora Curtain.
The Hero, Best Jeanist, stood in front of the portal, inspecting it with a cautious gaze. Before he could do anything, he jumped back as nine shadowed silhouettes with glowing red eyes appeared. Taking the initiative, Best Jeanist jumped back and used his Quirk to create threads from his suit to pull Seiji away as well.
Stepping out of the Aurora Curtain were six humanoid machines. They were made of black metal with featureless faces and glowing red eyes. Their bodies were surrounded in a white exoskeleton armor that resembled a human skeleton. Three of these machines held stylized and blocky guns that resembled pistols, while the other six held pitch black katanas with glowing red blades.
These are Automatons, the same machines that destroyed Seiji's home world. Named Blast and Slash Automatons respectively.
What walked out of the Aurora Curtain after then made the teen's eyes widen in shock and horror. Instead of more Automatons, out walked three Kamen Riders, ones that Seiji knew well.
Kamen Rider Ichigo
Kamen Rider Kuuga
Kamen Rider Zero-One
Only, they looked completely different. Their armors, once shiny and pristine, now were dull and rusted. Cracks littered them as well, appearing heavily damaged. Their transformation belts were the same, rusted and cracked. All together, they looked like damaged suits of armor that were left out in the rain and rusted.
"Ichigo… Kuuga… Zero-One…" Seiji whispered as he began to crawl backwards in fear. "What happened to you?"
"Kamen Rider. Kamen Rider." Repeated the Automatons and the Riders, marching forward towards the terrified teen.
"Stop!" Best Jeaninst shouted, using his Quirk to detain the nine dimension travelers, only for it to prove futile.
The Slash Automatons were easily able to swing their blades to free themselves, while the Blasters simply shot lasers at the threads to escape. Meanwhile the Kamen Riders simply flexed their bodies to destroy their bindings.
As Best Jeanist and other heroes fought off the attackers, Seiji was finally able to stand up and run away.
He didn't know for how long, or how far, he just simply ran. It wasn't until he found himself in front of the Hatsume Family home did he stop. Quickly, he unlocked the front door and sprinted towards his room, pulling off his hood and mask as he did.
He threw the door open and began to grab essential items. When he got to his desk, he stopped and looked at the picture and magenta colored camera. Tears formed in his eyes as he tried to reach for them, but couldn't. Wiping his eyes dry, he looked closer at the photo. It was of him, only a few years younger, with his master, Tsukasa Kadoya, and other members of the Hikari Studio: Natsumi and Eiji Hikari, Yusuke Onodera, and a small mechanical bat by the name Kiva-la.
He felt ashamed for what he was doing, running away in fear.
Before he could grab the photo and camera, he stopped. He tried to reach for them, but it was like something was holding him in place. With a frustrated shout, he slammed his fist onto his desk. He knelt down and held his head, crying as he called himself a coward over and over again.
"I'm such a coward… how can I call myself a Kamen Rider?" Seiji said as he stood up. "How can I let the memory of my friends be spat on like this?! Deus… what did you do to them?!"
His fear was now being replaced with anger, at not only himself, but at the man who took everything from him. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out what looked to be a stylized camera lens, but it is much more than that. It was a transformation device, used to transform himself into a Kamen Rider.
Resembling Decade's Decadriver/NeoDecadriver, it has black side handles with three white gems on each of the handles. Instead of silver or magenta, the main camera-like body is pure white with a black bar going down the middle horizontally. The center has a red gem with eight black bars reaching towards the center at an angle, resembling a fan. There are three gems on the perimeter of the centerpiece, forming a triangle. One colored green, the other red, and the final one yellow.
This is the Epochdriver.
"I'm a coward… but I'm a coward that found the strength to stop running away." Seiji said as he placed the Epochdriver in front of his waist, which created a black belt that wrapped around him, along with four black boxes on the left side.
Waving his hand, an Aurora Curtain appeared before him. Pulling up his hood and mask, Seiji ran through the portal with a battle cry filled with anger and determination.
Best Jeanist was having a good day up until now. He had a good breakfast, a calm morning at his agency, and a calm patrol. That is, until this mysterious portal appeared along with the nine villains. He and his fellow Pros have had no luck in defeating the nine attackers. Despite the fact that he was in the Top 10 Heroes, these villains were able to tear apart his threads like nothing.
'These machines are powerful, I doubt Power Loader could make something like them.' Best Jeanist thought as he jumped out of the way of a sword slash. But those three are different… what kind of power do they have?'
Currently, Ichigo was locked into combat with the Punching Hero: Death Arms, easily avoiding the bulky man's punches and countering with swift yet powerful strikes. Kuuga was against the Battle Hero: Gunhead, and was skilled enough to go against the Hero's Gunhead Martial Arts. Zero-One was against Mr. Brave, his superior speed and agility allowed him to outmaneuver the Hero's attacks.
With several news crews recording the fight, all of Japan bore witness to the battle between these Heroes and a new threat.
Best Jeanist almost fell over in shock when another Aurora Curtain appeared, but he quickly used his threads to pull his fellow Heroes away in case the Automatons brought reinforcements. Only for the Heroes to be shocked when out came a person, who ran and decked a Blast Automaton in the face. With a quick move, the masked person pulled the pistol from the robot's grip and used it to shoot the nine villains, knocking them down.
His arrival caused the news crews to become even more interested, more so his arrival through the Aurora Curtain, which many wondered if it were a Quirk of some kind. Seiji tossed the gun through the Aurora Curtain and closed it, turning back to face the Automatons and so called 'Kamen Riders'.
"Deus!" Seiji cried, causing the Heroes and reporters to wonder who he was speaking to. "I don't know if you can here me, but one day, I will stop you! I ran away once, and I will never make that mistake ever again! So long as I breathe, I won't allow you to use the powers of the Kamen Riders for your own selfish desires! So long as I stand, I won't allow you to bring anyone into the depths of despair! Hongo-san! Godai-san! Hiden-san! Entrust the legacy of your eras with me… and watch my transformation!"
"Kamen Rider. Kamen Rider. Kamen Rider." The Automatons and 'Riders' said, loud enough for the news crews to pick that up, and causing those watching to wonder what that meant.
"For a long time, I felt like I didn't deserve the title of Kamen Rider." Seiji said as he pulled the Epochdriver's side handles and opened it, followed by opening one of the card boxes on the belt and pulling out a card. "Now I need to prove that I deserve that name again. Henshin!"
The teen slid the card into his driver and closed it, allowing the device to scan the card and activate.
KAMEN RIDE: EPOCH!
Three silhouettes appeared and surrounded Seiji in a black armored bodysuit with black gloves and matching boots. His inner legs were white with six white bars on the perimeter of each of his outer thighs that acted like armor. Similar bands were around his forearm as well, from his wrist to just below his elbow, and even around his ankles like anklets. His chest armor is black with matching pauldrons. From his shoulders, there are a set of linear white bars that meet at the center of his chest to form a 'v' shape. His helmet has seven white plates piercing through it, resembling a barcode. The outer two bars stand taller than most of the others, with the center bar being the tallest, resembling a crest. At the center of the middle bar is a red rectangular gem. He has large red compound eyes, like that of an insect. Finally, a red muffler/scarf formed around his neck, its end flowing freely in the wind.
"Kamen Rider… Epoch." The newly named Epoch said before extending a hand towards the Automatons and Riders. "Now, shall we dance?"
With that being said, the Slash Automatons charged while their gun toting counterparts shot at the Kamen Rider, who leapt over them with a mighty jump. While he was in the air, he pulled out another Rider Card and pulled open his Epochdriver and inserted it before closing it.
WEAPON RIDE: EPOCH RIDEVOLVER!
Stomping on the weaponless Automaton, Epoch extended a hand as a handgun appeared in his grasp. It is white revolver with a six-chambered hexagonal cylinder. It had an overall bulky, brick-like shape and possessed characteristics of both a revolver and a semi-automatic pistol, with both a cylinder and a slide. It also had two triggers and an external hammer. Like with his armor, black bars were lined on the barrel, giving it a barcode like appearance.
Aiming the Ridevolver, Epoch blasted the Automaton to his right before ducking and rolling out of the way of the remaining one. Quickly standing on his feet, he fired three more shots that flew past the three Blasters and hit the charging Slash Automatons. Dropping to the ground, Epoch dodged a punch from Ichigo before spinning and kicking the Showa Rider's legs, causing him to fall over. He then immediately jumped onto his feet and shot Kuuga in the chest as he charged forward. Before Epoch could do anything else, Zero-One appeared and kicked him in the chest and sent him tumbling away.
"Nine against one isn't very fair." Epoch said as he stood up and pulled out a Rider Card. "Let's thin out the herd a little."
HEISEI RIDE: EX-AID!
GACHAN! LEVEL UP! MIGHTY JUMP! MIGHTY KICK! MIGHTY MIGHTY ACTION X!
A pink hologram appeared before Epoch, who ran through and jumped into the air. While in the air, his armor changed to a pink bodysuit, black arm and leg warmers with green bands, pink boots and gloves, gray and black mask resembling goggles that have comically large eyes, and a helmet with spiky pink hair. On his back is a backpack in the shape of his face and helmet.
"I'll clear this with no continues!" E-Ex-Aid said as he aimed the Ridevolver at his foes.
The Blaster Automatons shot their guns while everyone else charged forward, but E-Ex-Aid easily jumped over all of them and landed behind the machines. Kicking the weaponless machine, he aimed and fired the Ridevolver at the other two machines. With a wave of his hand, a large white, pink, and green hammer appeared in his hand.
GASHACON BREAKER!
Charging forward, E-Ex-Aid swung the hammer into the head of a Blaster Automaton, before spinning around and slamming it into the chest of the second one. Pulling out a Rider Card, the Kamen Rider pulled open the Epochdriver before inserting it and closing the device.
ATTACK RIDE: MUSCULAR!
The Kamen Rider glowed red before quickly pressing the hammer's B Button twice, and he brought the hammer down onto the downed weaponless Automaton. Doing so caused a large explosion that destroyed the machine. Pressing the Gashacon Breaker's A Button, a pink blade extended from the hammer's head. Swinging the hammer/sword, the Kamen Rider cut into the Automatons, destroying with a large explosion, creating a smoke cloud that consumed the Kamen Rider.
ATTACK RIDE: SPEEDING-UP!
From within the smoke cloud, E-Ex-Aid ran out at incredible speeds, his body engulfed in a yellow light. With a mighty swing, he tore through one of the Slash Automatons. Jumping into the air, he brought the bladed hammer onto the second one. Finally, he thrusted the blade into the chest of the third Automaton. Kicking off of the impaled machine, the Kamen Rider backflipped away and landed on his feet. A few seconds later, the three Automatons exploded, leaving no trace of them.
"Oi!" E-Ex-Aid said, turning his attention to the rusted Kamen Riders. "I know you three aren't the real deal. The real Ichigo, Kuuga, and Zero-One would never work with Deus! What are you?! More Automatons?"
The False Riders said nothing and charged at the transformed Rider. Zero-One reached E-Ex-Aid first, and went in with a flying side kick. The young Rider jumped high above the kick and retaliated by sticking a leg out, and spinning downwards like a buzzsaw towards Zero-One. The rusted Rider leapt out of the way, but E-Ex-Aid instead used the momentum from the falling kick to kick off the ground and jump towards Zero-One.
E-Ex-Aid threw a punch but it was blocked by Zero-One, who retaliated by planting a knee into the teen's stomach. Not letting this stop him, the young Rider grabbed onto the False Rider's leg, not letting go despite the repeated hits from his foe. Pulling out a Rider Card, E-Ex-Aid pushed his opponent away before using it.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE: E-E-E-EX-AID!
The Rider takes a stance, his right foot glowing with multi-colored lights. With a mighty leap, he jumped forward and kicked Zero-One. What followed was the transformed Rider unleashing a flurry of kicks. What surprised the ones watching was the words 'Hit' and 'Great' appearing after every kick that hit Zero-One. One final flying side kick tore through the False Rider, creating a large explosion and the word 'Perfect'.
When the smoke cleared, Epoch was back in his main form and all that remained of Zero-One was the damaged Hiden Zero-One Driver.
"The Zero-One Driver? Hiden-san, what did he do to you?" Epoch asked as he knelt down and picked up the transformation device.
Before he could do anything else, Kuuga appeared and punched him in the head, causing him to drop the driver and send him tumbling away. Standing up, Epoch slapped away a kick before punching the first Heisei Rider in the chest. The stag beetle themed Rider threw a right hook, but Epoch brought up his left arm to block it. Grabbing Kuuga's arm, the teen judo flipped the False Rider, slamming him into the ground hard enough to crack the cement.
Ichigo runs in and drop kicked Epoch, his feet impacting the Rider's back and sending him crashing into the ground a few meters away. Closing the distance, the Showa Rider jumped high into the air and aimed his knees at Epoch, attempting to perform a double knee drop. Gathering his bearings, the young Rider rolled out of the way and avoided the attack, which left a small crater in the ground.
"Damn, I'm a little rusty." said Epoch as he stood back up with a Rider Card in hand. "I'll need some training after this."
REIWA RIDE: GOTCHARD!
GOTCHANKO! STEAMHOPPER!
Epoch found himself in a giant glass flask that one would commonly see used in chemistry. This shocked those watching, and even more so when the flask lit on fire and filled with smoke, while Epoch was still inside. In moments, the flask broke away and revealed Epoch's new form. Wearing a black bodysuit with blue and white grasshopper-like armor that seemed fused with a locomotive.
E-Gotchard clenched his fists as Ichigo and Kuuga charged at him. Ichigo arrived first, and threw a punch, but the teenage Rider leaned back to dodge, and drove his fist into the Showa Rider's chin. Not letting up, E-Gotchard grabbed the False Rider's helmet and slammed him into the ground. From his position, the young Rider backflipped as Kuuga tried to kick him, his foot hitting the Heisei Rider's chest and chin.
"I can't waste anymore time." Said E-Gotchard, pulling out a Rider Card. "This is the last stop on this train."
FINAL ATTACK RIDE: G-G-G-GOTCHARD!
E-Gotchard took a stance similar to the Crane Stance, steam being released from his body as he posed. Putting a foot down, he leapt forward. His body disassembled itself before reassembling itself into a giant mechanical blue grasshopper. Getting back up, Ichigo pushed Kuuga into the direction of E-Gotchard, running away from the attack. In moments, the Kamen Rider's body returned to its previous self, his leg ready to kick the Heisei Rider.
With an incredible burst of speed that surpassed a bullet train, E-Gotchard kicked through Kuuga. Skidding to a halt, the teen didn't turn around as the Stag Beetle themed Rider exploded, leaving the damaged Arcle behind.
"Even the Arcle? Just what happened while I was hiding?" Asked Epoch as his suit returned to normal.
Turning his attention to Ichigo, Epoch readied himself to battle the False Rider. However, he was caught off guard when red electricity began to come off of the Transformation Belt Typhoon. Much to his shock, similar electricity began to emit itself from the Zero-One Driver and the Arcle. The devices began to float and were pulled to Ichigo. Epoch watched as the electricity of the other two devices was absorbed into the Typhoon.
The electricity surged across Ichigo's body, causing him to transform. His body grew taller, reaching ten feet in height. His legs curved, resembling a grasshopper. The antenna on his helmet changed, becoming curved and jagged, like the pincers of a stag beetle. His arms became thin and insect-like, with sharp claws at the end. His mouth opened, revealing sharp fangs with a long tongue. His suit's color changed to a muddled green color, with splotches of matching reds and yellows splattered across its limbs. Two pairs of thin insect-like wings sprouted from Ichigo's back. Finally, the Zero-One Driver and Arcle attached themselves around the mutated Rider's wrists.
"Ichigo… What happened to you?" Muttered Epoch as he took a step back in shock and fright.
The Mutated False Rider let out an ear piercing roar before it flapped its wings and took to the skies. It roared again and swooped down at Epoch, intending to slash into him with its claws. Rolling out of the way, the Rider's eyes widened beneath his mask as Ichigo's claws tore deep, jagged gashes into the street. Jumping onto his feet, Epoch readied a Rider Card and pulled open his driver.
WEAPON RIDE: EPOCH RIDECALIBUR!
In a flash of light, a sword appeared in Epoch's right hand. It is a longsword with a triangular shaped blade, as it's wide near the hilt and shortens out into a sharp point at the tip. The hilt is a medium-gray color with an oval-shaped pommel that leads up to the hand-guard, which takes the appearance of a golden crescent-shape with a line going horizontal with two circles on the hand-guard. Just above the guard is a set of three conjoined rings etched into the blade, colored green, red, and yellow respectively.
Ichigo flew straight at the Rider again, but Epoch jumped over it and brought the Ridecalibur across its back. Much to his shock, his sword did little to damage the mutated Rider, leaving what many would call a scratch. Landing in a crouch, Epoch rolled out of the way of a fireball that the monstrous Rider released from its mouth. Hopping onto his feet, the teen quickly pulled out a Rider Card and activated it.
ATTACK RIDE: BOOST!
Readying his blade, Epoch closed the distance between him and the mutated Rider in mere seconds. His blade became a blur as he swung it at Ichigo. The creature leapt back to get away, but the Kamen Rider ran and appeared behind it with two Rider Cards in hand.
ATTACK RIDE: POWER!
ATTACK RIDE: SLASH!
Ridecalibur's blade was engulfed in a white light and the blade extended, while the Kamen Rider was emitting a similar glow. Epoch pulled his sword back and swung it into Ichigo's back, creating a large cut in between its wings. While it did damage to the monster, it caused it to get angrier. Its wings smacked the Kamen Rider, causing him to stumble, before it turned around and wrapped him into a bear hug. With his arms pinned to his side, Epoch couldn't free himself or reach for a Rider Card.
Flapping its wings, Ichigo flew into the sky, squeezing Epoch tighter as it did. The Rider took to slamming his head into the monstrous False Rider's chest. Releasing groans of pain as he was held in an extremely tight grip. If he was squeezed any tighter, Epoch thought he'd squeak like a toy. Before Ichigo could fly any higher, the captured Kamen Rider was ripped from its grip and a powerful punch smashed into its head, sending it crashing into the ground.
"It's fine now. Why?" A loud booming voice shouted as he landed on the ground, holding Epoch in his arms. "Because I am here!"
"All… Might?" Muttered Epoch, ever since he came to this world, he has seen the Hero on the news, but never expected to see him up close. "This doesn't concern you. Ichigo is mine to deal with."
"Ichigo? Are you familiar with this… man?" Asked All Might as he let down Epoch, who took a step back and readied his sword. "I've never seen a Quirk like this before."
"This power… it isn't a Quirk, and he wasn't always a monster." Replied Epoch as the mutated Rider got back up and roared. "He was a hero far greater than you could ever be, forcefully mutated by a being whose power you couldn't even begin to comprehend."
Before All Might could say anything, Ichigo flew towards them like a bullet. The Number 1 Hero braced himself and caught the monstrous Rider's arms, but was forcefully pushed backwards by him.
ATTACK RIDE: ILLUSION!
Suddenly five copies of Epoch all pounced onto the mutated Rider, allowing for All Might to begin pushing Ichigo back. Lifting a leg, Ichigo kicked All Might and sent him skidding back. Pulling an arm back, the Hero clenched his fist before shouting-
"Texas Smash!" And threw a right punch, creating a powerful force of wind pressure that shot at Ichigo.
The mutated Rider opened its mouth and released a beam of compressed fire that collided with All Might's attack and created a sizable explosion. From within the smoke, Ichigo released another roar before he flew into the sky. The Hero noted Epoch's sword stabbed into a wound on the monster's back. Jumping high into the air, All Might spun into a frontal somersault before pulling his fist back.
"California Smash!" Shouted All Might as he threw a punch that landed onto Ichigo's head, causing the monstrous Rider to be sent falling towards the ground.
ATTACK RIDE: PUNCH!
From his position on the ground, Epoch used another Rider Card before jumping into the air, his right fist emitting a white light. Pulling his arm back, the Kamen Rider threw a punch that hit the falling Ichigo in its chest. The resulting blow created an explosion that sent the monster flying away before it managed to catch itself with its wings.
"Carolina Smash!" Cried All Might as he practically skydived towards Ichigo, his arms folded into an "X" shape.
Much to Epoch's surprise, Ichigo's right foot began to emit smoke before it raised it and slammed it into All Might's arms. Fire ignited from the kick, striking the Hero with enough force to send him flying higher into the sky. Not knowing if All Might would be able to handle Ichigo in the sky, Epoch pulled out another Rider Card.
"Sky… Henshin!" Cried Epoch as he pulled open the Epochdriver and inserted the card.
SHOWA RIDE: SKYRIDER!
With a mighty jump, Epoch's armor changed to a green and brown locust-like armor. E-Skyrider flew through the air at incredible speeds, shooting past Ichigo and catching All Might. Holding onto the Pro's back, the Kamen Rider soared through the skies, with Ichigo on their tails.
"All Might! Ichigo won't go down easily. He absorbed the powers of Kuuga and Zero-One." Explained E-Skyrider, which confused the Hero.
"Kuuga? Zero-One? Are they Pro Heroes?" Asked All Might.
"No, they're something even greater." Began E-Skyrider as he dove down to avoid a blast of fire. "They're… Kamen Riders!"
Ichigo managed to close the distance and swiped at them with his claws. Luckily, All Might managed to grab them and hold them in place. Pulling his legs close to his chest, the Pro planted his feet into Ichigo's chest, sending the mutated Rider flying back.
"Any ideas, Young…?" Asked All Might, not knowing this person's name, but by his voice, he could tell he was young.
"Epoch. His speed and strength increased massively, and he can use Kuuga's pyrokinetic abilities and Zero-One's jumping and kicking power." Explained E-Skyrider to the confused Hero. "But we're in big trouble if he can transform as well."
As if on cue, the Arcle on Ichigo's wrist glowed, the red gem turning blue, the red spots on its body turning the same color. With an incredible burst of speed, the Rider closed the distance between it and its prey. Much to their shock, Ichigo flew past them and deeper into the city. Quickly spinning around, E-Skyrider threw All Might at Ichigo, the added momentum of the spin sent him shooting towards the monster. Managing to latch onto the Showa Rider's back, the two were struggling in the air, and accidentally crashed into a billboard.
"No!" Cried All Might as he watched the billboard fall down towards a group of civilians who stopped to watch the Hero battle.
Before the billboard could fall any further, E-Skyrider flew down and caught it. With a shout, the Kamen Rider threw the billboard towards Ichigo. Seeing what he was planning, All Might managed to spin around and throw the mutated Rider at the flying billboard.
E-Skyrider pulled out a Rider Card just as All Might landed onto the roof of a nearby building. The Kamen Rider flew towards Ichigo while the Pro Hero leapt off the roof and shot towards his opponent.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE: S-S-S-SKYRIDER!
"New York Smash!"
E-Skyrider flew in with a flying side kick, while All Might charged in with a jab. The thrown billboard impacted Ichigo's back, and was broken into small pieces when the Kamen Rider's kick struck it, hurting the mutant Rider in the process. At the same time, All Might threw a quick and powerful jab at Ichigo's face. The resulting pincer attack created an explosion, and a cloud of smoke that filled the air.
All Might jumped back and landed on a nearby rooftop while E-Skyrider flew out of the smoke cloud. For a few moments, the two believed they managed to defeat Ichigo. Only for the mutated Rider to fly out of the smoke, the blue on its body replaced by purple. He flew straight at E-Skyrider, and hit him with a powerful strike that sent him crashing into the ground.
"Epoch!" Cried All Might as a dust cloud formed where the Kamen Rider fell. He was about to jump down, but Ichigo flew straight towards him.
Down at the street, civilians and news crews were watching All Might battle in the skyline, while others looked to the dust cloud where Epoch fell.
MACHINE RIDE: EPOCH TRI TEMPEST!
From within the dust cloud, the sound of a revving motorcycle filled the air as Epoch burst through, riding a custom Honda NM4. It was mainly white, with the front being red in color. Instead of a regular windshield, it had black bars resembling the one's on Epoch's helmet. On the handlebars are an assortment of switches. On the back of the motorcycle is a set of borromean rings, colored green, red, and yellow.
This is Kamen Rider Epoch's personal Ride Machine: The Tri Tempest.
Epoch rode out on his motorcycle, zooming down the street at incredible speeds while his scarf moved in the wind. Looking up, the Kamen Rider watched All Might give Ichigo punch after punch, but it seemed like it did no visible damage. The mutant Rider slammed the Hero's back into a skyscraper, and proceeded to drag him upwards.
That's when he saw it.
The cut he gave Ichigo was still on his back. While using Kuuga's Titan form increased his durability, enough to withstand a Final Attack Ride and All Might's punches, that wound is a major weak point. Flipping two switches on the Tri Tempest handlebars, Epoch increased his speed.
WING!
JET!
Before the Rider, two holographic cards appeared. Driving through them, a pair of white wings formed on the side of the Tri Tempest, as well as two jet engines appearing on the back of the motorcycle. Revving the engine, Epoch leaned backwards, enough to lift the front of his Rider Machine. As soon as he did, the jet engines on the Tri Tempest roared, and the Kamen Rider took flight.
"Oklahoma Smash!" Yelled All Might as he began to spin around at incredible speeds, creating a vortex that sent Ichigo flying.
Before Ichigo could fly at All Might, the Tri Tempest appeared and flew towards the Pro Hero. Extending a hand, Epoch pulled the man onto the motorcycle and took off flying. Roaring in response, the mutated Rider flew after them, going from Kuuga Titan back to Dragon form.
"Young Epoch, do you have a plan?" Asked All Might, looking rather comical sitting on the back of the Tri Tempest.
"On its back is a wound I inflicted earlier. While it can use Kuuga's Titan form to increase its durability, that wound acts like a weak point." Explained the Kamen Rider, circling around a skyscraper to gain some distance. "We strike that point with everything we got, it should defeat Ichigo."
Leaning to the left, the two narrowly managed to dodge a fireball shot by Ichigo. From behind them, the mutant Rider glowed green before flying at them in a zig-zag pattern, this combined with Kuuga's Dragon form caused it to slam into the Tri Tempest. Luckily, Epoch managed to keep his machine from losing control.
"I was afraid of this. Whatever happened to them not only combined their power, but also their minds." Epoch said as he maneuvered his Ride Machine to fly straight up the side of a building. "They might not be real Kamen Riders, but they still have the strength and skill of one."
"And what!" Began All Might as he punched the air, sending compressed air projectiles at Ichigo. "Does that mean!"
"It means that Deus somehow managed to take the powers of Ichigo, Kuuga, and Zero-One and implant them into his Automatons." Epoch explained as he performed a loop de loop, now chasing Ichigo up the skyscraper. "When Ichigo absorbed the powers of Kuuga and Zero-One, it also combined the AIs of the Automatons. Now it's enough to effectively use the powers of the Kamen Riders, at least, to an extent."
GATLING!
FIRE!
Flipping two switches on the handlebars, the Tri Tempest flew through two more holographic cards, causing a pair of gatling guns to form beneath the wings. Soon the sound of gunfire filled the air as bullets rained down onto Ichigo. The mutant Rider turned around and prepared to fire another fire blast, and that's when Epoch struck.
ATTACK RIDE: FREEZE!
Much to All Might's surprise, a bubble of energy surrounded them and Ichigo. The mutant Rider stopped moving, as if it were a video and someone pressed pause. Unaffected by the bubble, the Tri Tempest flew past the frozen monster. It went higher and higher, until it reached a reasonable distance.
"Now, All Might!" Shouted Epoch as he jumped off of the Tri Tempest, with the Hero quickly following him.
FINAL ATTACK RIDE: E-E-E-EPOCH!
"Detroit Smash!"
As All Might pulled his fist back to deliver his signature punch, a line of holographic cards appeared before the Kamen Rider. The words Showa (昭和), Heisei (平成), and Reiwa (令和) were on the back of individual cards. Epoch seemed to warp between them as he performed a flying side kick, picking up momentum with each one.
With Ichigo, the freeze bubble subsided, allowing it to move once more. Unfortunately, the moment it did, All Might's fist and Epoch's foot impacted the mutant Rider's back. It released a cry in pain as the attacks dug deep into its wound.
"SEIYA!"
"PLUS ULTRA!"
Even using Kuuga's Titan form wasn't enough to save Ichigo, as with a final shout, Epoch and All Might tore through the mutant Rider. The two fighters landed with a thud as Ichigo exploded in the air. Reporters who arrived on the scene quickly took photos of the two standing right next to each other. All Might stood in front of the reporters, while Epoch stood behind, their backs facing each other.
Looking up, Epoch spotted the Typhoon, Arcle, and Zero-One Driver falling. Only now, they were no longer rusted and broken, instead they now looked pristine. Jumping into the air, the Kamen Rider caught the transformation devices. Much to his shock, they transformed into Rider Cards before his very eyes. Behind his mask, Epoch's eyes watered as silhouettes of Ichigo, Kuuga, and Zero-One appeared behind their respective devices.
Looking up from his new cards, a tear fell beneath his helmet as he saw the spiritual forms of not the Kamen Riders, but of Takeshi Hongo, Yusuke Godai, and Aruto Hiden themselves. Takeshi gave him a nod in gratitude, Yusuke gave him a smile and his signature thumbs up, and Aruto gave him a wave before all three vanished.
"Epoch." Began All Might, catching the Rider's attention. "What was that thing we fought? Is there a new group of villains we Heroes need to worry about?"
"What we fought is something that is my responsibility alone." Replied Epoch as the Tri Tempest came to a stop in front of him. "I'm no hero, All Might. I'm just a passing-through Kamen Rider. Remember that."
Hopping onto the Tri Tempest, Epoch summoned an Aurora Curtain and rode into it, leaving All Might to face the media by himself.
"Kamen Rider Epoch…" Muttered All Might as various news crews began to surround him. "Just what kind of weight is on your shoulders."
A few days had passed since Seiji transformed into Epoch, and currently he was alone, as his 'Masahiro Kadoya' persona, in his dressing room. Yukari frantically called him after watching the news a few days prior, hearing the words 'Kamen Rider' being said caused everything to click in her mind. The teen said he would explain everything to her, but only after the concert.
Though she was worried, Yukari noticed something had changed within her ward. He no longer seemed distant, if anything, it was like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Seiji smiled more, even cracking terrible jokes he said he learned from 'Hiden-san'. Not only that, the teen even spent the past few days writing a new song to play at Stark Arena.
Right now, 'Masahiro' was waiting to be escorted by Yukari and security guards to the stage. Mentally preparing himself for the biggest concert of his career, physically he was reading from a journal in his hands. This particular book is where he wrote his first new song, one inspired by a fellow Kamen Rider. He planned to write more as tributes to his fallen friends.
*KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!*
A series of knocks at his door pulled him from his thoughts, putting his journal down as Yukari walked in, followed by a petite girl around his age. She was wearing gothic lolita style clothing, and her brown hair reminded Seiji of a mushroom.
"Hiro-kun!" Exclaimed the agent with a smile. "Are you ready? You're on in fifteen minutes."
"Just about, Yukari-san." 'Masahiro' replied, "Is this the girl the studio was interested in?"
Seeing the singer's gaze upon her, the mushroom girl squeaked in embarrassment and hid behind Yukari. Stifling a giggle, the older woman placed a gentle hand on the girl's back and slowly pushed her forward. No longer hiding, the girl avoided looking at the singer and instead focused her attention on the ground.
"This is Kinoko Komori. She might be a little shy, but her voice blew us all away." Yukari explained, "We just need to work on breaking her out of her shell. For now, she's been placed under my care. They hope she'll learn something from watching your shows."
"I see." Was all Seiji said. Kneeling down so that he was eye level with her, the singer smiled. "I guess that means you have mushroom to grow, and I'll have to cap my performance off with a bang to show you what I got."
Silence.
Silence filled the room as the two looked at Seiji, who was grinning like an idiot. Yukari tried her hardest to not face palm at such a stupid joke. Seiji himself knew what kind of reaction he'd get from telling a joke Aruto Hiden would laugh at. Kinoko herself looked dumbfounded at the smiling teen. Her gaze turned to the floor, her shoulders shaking, much to the confusion of Yukari.
"Pft!" As it turns out, Kinoko was actually trying not to laugh at Seiji's joke. Closing her mouth and holding her breath so she doesn't burst out laughing.
"Tough crowd." Muttered Seiji, "Anyways! Kinoko-chan, why do you want to be an idol?"
"W-Well, I always wanted to be a Hero, to save people." Explained Kinoko, "But I never had the courage to stand out. I was always quiet, too afraid to make myself seen. Everyone always called me a mushroom from how much I stayed in the shadows. Then I saw a concert for Starlight Kiss live a few years ago."
Seiji nodded along, understanding what she was saying. Starlight Kiss is a group of idols at All-Star Studio, ranking at the top of the charts for ten years. Other idol groups have been made at the studio, but none as successful as them. Due to being a solo artist and not a member of a group, Seiji hadn't really interacted with them, so he couldn't personally say anything about them. Though he heard some rumors in passing about how some of the members were getting nervous about 'Masahiro Kadoya' slowly becoming the new face of All-Star Studio.
"I was mesmerized by it, the way they sang and danced. Everyone in the crowd was smiling at them. I… I want to save people as a Hero, and make them smile as an idol." Finished Kinoko, earning a smile from Seiji.
"You know what I think, Kinoko-chan? I think Heroes and singers save people in different ways." Seiji said, earning a confused look from Yukari and Kinoko.
"A Hero can save someone's life, save their smile, keep their hopes and dreams safe. Idols and singers, they do the same." Explained the Kamen Rider. "When you hear a song that makes you smile, want to dance, fills you with hope, or even brightens your day, then whoever sang that song saved your heart, even if for just a moment."
"No matter what path you pick, you'll be saving them, their hearts, and their smiles." Finished Seiji as he gave her a thumbs up. "And I believe that is amazing."
Kinoko could only look at the singer, a small blush on her face with tears forming in her eyes. She never had anyone to confide in when it came to her dream. Her parents were always busy with work, and she had no friends whatsoever. Yet here was Masahiro Kadoya, the rising star of All-Star Studio, saying she'll be saving people as either an idol or Hero. It made her heart flutter a bit.
"Now, Kinoko-chan." Seiji spoke as he stood back up. "Since you're here to watch me perform, then I need to perform!"
A few minutes later, Seiji Kinoko and Yukari found themselves standing off to the side of the stage. The girl felt unnerved at the sound of the crowd, but a gentle hand on her shoulder eased her nerves. Stretching his limbs, Seiji ran onto the stage and performed some front flips before coming to a stop at the microphone.
"How is everybody tonight?!" Shouted Seiji into the microphone, earning loud screams from the crowd. "Are you ready for the beginning of a journey through this new year?!"
"Now this first song is one I personally wrote. It's dedicated to someone important to me, and to the people who are starting their own journey to change themselves, change their future, or even change the world." Began Seiji as a tear formed in the corner of his eye. "Because no matter what path you took, you're now on a journey. Even if it takes one year, two, five, or even a decade, you'll find your true self at the end of the road."
Soon after saying that, the band began to play as Seiji took in a deep breath and whistled into the mic.
Miageru Hoshi
Sorezore No Rekishi Ga Kagayaite
Seiza No You
Sen De Musubu Shunkan
Hajimaru Legend
Aurora Yurameku Jikuu Koete
Tobi-Komu Meisou Suru Parallel World
On The Road Dare Mo Tabi No Tochuu
Hontou No Jibun Jishin Deau Tame
Aruki-Tsuzukeru No Sa Ima Wo We're All Travelers
Boku No Me No Mae Ni Hirogaru
Kokonotsu No Michi Wa Itsuka Kasanatte
Atarashii Yoake E To Tsuzuku
Michi Ni Kawaru No Darou
Mokugeki Seyo Journey Through The Decade
Renzu Goshi Ni
Kiri-Totta Keshiki Wo Mitsumete Mo
Shinjitsu To Wa Kokoro No Me No Naka Ni
Utsuru Mono Sa
Dokoka De Tatakai No Maku Ga Aki
Boku To Iu Genjitsu Sarau Halation
On The Road Tabi Ni Deru Riyuu Wa
Sekai Ga Horobiru Mirai Kaeru Tame
Motto Tsuyoku Yume Wo Idake We're All Dreamers
Boku No Unmei Wa Kanarazu
Juudome Ni Tachi-Agatta Sono Toki Ni
Atarashii Kaze Toori-Nukeru Michi Ga Hiraku No Darou
Mokugeki Seyo Journey Through The Decade
Jibun Ga Shunkan Goto Ni
Ketsudan Suru Sono Subete De
Mirai Wa Risou Ni Mo Zetsubou Ni Mo
Kawatte Yuku Dakara Kitto
Shinjita Michi Hashire
On The Road Dare Mo Tabi No Tochuu
Hontou No Jibun Jishin De-Au Tame
Aruki-Tsuzukeru No Sa Ima Wo We Are Traveler
Boku No Me No Mae Ni Hirogaru
Kokonotsu No Michi Wa Itsuka Kasanatte
Atarashii Yoake E To Tsuzuku
Michi Ni Kawaru No Darou
Mokugeki-Seyo Journey Through The Decade
BOOM! Done! I hope you all like this new story! I spent so much time putting together my OC Seiji Inoue, and his role within this. To those who don't know, I named him after Seiji Takaiwa, the suit actor for all of the Heisei Era main Riders, except Kuuga and Hibiki, and Masahiro Inoue, better known as Tsukasa Kadoya/Kamen Rider Decade.
And why do I have him be a singer of all things? Because Kamen Rider has some of the best songs I've ever heard. My Top Five consist of: 5) Climax Jump, 4) W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~, 3) Over "Quartzer", 2) Be the One, 1) EXCITE.
Now, what do you all think of the design of Kamen Rider Epoch? I took elements of different Riders and Eras when designing him. Like the red scarf and fan like pattern on the Epochdriver, and the barcode aesthetic from Decade and Diend. Not to mention the Rider Cards, which we'll see more OC cards of my own creation, like the Attack, Weapon, and Machine Rides.
And we also saw a quick introduction to our big bad Dark Rider: Kamen Rider Deus. He won't fully be revealed yet, but his Automatons and False Riders have been shown, and their capabilities.
Anyways! Leave a review or PM me if you have any questions! This has been Draak D. Sol, and I'll see you all next time!
Ciao!