Author's Note:

Alright been a while since I was here so golfing was nice and all bit the weather made things on the "If moment"

So I have returned hopefully this chapter is banger and that you the reader is enjoying the reading as always PMs are open and etc

Till then, Apzeta and Bishop

Akira: (coldly) "You're wasting time. The Lamp is already gone."

Jaune raises his shield, his eyes narrowing.

Jaune: "And we're supposed to trust you on that? You've done nothing but make things worse for us!"

Akira tilts his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the glowing Dodo Goggles.

Akira: "Trust? I don't need your trust. I need results. If you want the Lamp back, stay out of my way."

Nora steps forward, her hammer sparking with electricity.

Nora: "Oh, we're just supposed to let you waltz around like you own the place? Not happening !"

Ren places a hand on Nora's shoulder, trying to calm her down.

Ren: "Nora, wait. He's not here to fight us. Not yet, at least."

Oscar: (firmly) "But that doesn't mean we should let him go unchecked. What are you really after, Akira?"

Akira glances at Oscar, his expression unreadable.

Akira: "The same thing you are. Neo has the Lamp. She's also not far. If you want it back, follow my lead or stay out of my way. Your choice."

Jaune tightens his grip on his sword, his voice filled with frustration.

Jaune: "Why should we believe anything you say? The last time we crossed paths, you almost killed me!"

Akira takes a step closer, the weight of his presence palpable.

Akira: "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be standing here. Now, decide. The longer we argue, the further she gets."

Before anyone can respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes down the hall.

Neo appears, holding the Lamp, her sly grin widening as she spots the group.

Neo: (gesturing mockingly)

Jaune and the others ready their weapons, but Akira doesn't wait. He surges forward, his speed enhanced by the Dodo Armor, closing the gap in an instant.

Neo barely dodges as Akira unleashes a flurry of punches and kicks, forcing her to retreat. She twirls her umbrella, deflecting some of his attacks, but the sheer force of his strikes keeps her on the defensive.

Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Oscar join the fray, but Neo uses her agility and illusions to keep them off balance.

Akira, undeterred, pulls the Force Executor from his Forceriser, inserting it back twice in quick succession.

Forceriser: [ Zetsumetsu Utopia ! ]

Red lightning surges through Akira's body, gathering in his hands. He thrusts his palms forward, unleashing the attack.

From the perspective of the others, Neo appears to take the full brunt of the finisher, her body flung backward into the wall.

Smoke fills the corridor as the group catches their breath.

Jaune: (lowering his shield) "Did… did you get her?"

But as the smoke clears, Neo is nowhere to be seen. A faint chuckle echoes, and they spot a shattered illusion fading away.

Oscar: (realizing) "She used her Semblance… she tricked us."

Akira's gaze sharpens as he scans the area.

Akira: (coldly) "She's gone. And so is the Lamp."

Nora stomps her foot in frustration.

Nora: "Ugh! How does she always slip away?!"

Ren places a calming hand on her arm.

Ren: "Focus. We can still track her."

Akira turns to the group, his tone blunt.

Akira: "While you were distracted, Oscar disappeared too. He's not here anymore."

The group exchanges worried glances, realizing the implications.

Jaune: "Oscar… he wouldn't just leave us."

Akira: "Wouldn't he? He knows more about that Lamp than any of you. Maybe he's trying to keep it from falling into the wrong hands."

Jaune glares at Akira but doesn't argue.

Jaune: (gritting his teeth) "This isn't over. You're not off the hook, Akira."

Akira steps past them, his voice calm but resolute.

Akira: "Find him or don't. Either way, I'll finish what you couldn't."

As he walks away, his Attache Shotgun resting on his shoulder, the tension lingers.

Nora: (grumbling) "I really hate that guy."

Ren: "But he might be the edge we need."

Oscar: (over communicator) Sorry, but you all need to go on without me.

Jaune: What are you talking about!?

Oscar is running through a hallway.

Oscar: There's something I have to do alone.

[ Academy Halls - Akira's Perspective ]

Akira strides alone down the empty corridors of the Academy, his mind racing. Suddenly, his vision blurs, and he feels a jarring pull as his consciousness is dragged into the Ark.

Ark: "Akira. Plans have changed. Our sleeper agent, Penny, has been placed in proximity to becoming the next Winter Maiden. The simulations suggest this outcome is imminent."

Several holographic screens appear, displaying intricate simulations of scenarios. Each ends with Penny inheriting the Maiden's powers, her eyes glowing with an eerie green light.

Akira: (smirking, crossing his arms)

"So, the puppet might become the player. How poetic. Inform Amethyst, Adam, and Onyx. I want them ready.

Ark: "Instructions relayed. Amethyst is maintaining aerial reconnaissance in her Assault Nevermore form.

Adam and Onyx will rendezvous at the designated point.

Additionally, the Trilobite Magia have successfully neutralized the guards. You can proceed without need for your transformation."

Akira nods, his mind snapping back to his physical body. Standing in the hall, he retracts the Force Executor, then deactivates his transformation by pulling out the Dodo Zetsumerisekey.

The Dodo Armor dissolves into fragments of red light, leaving Akira in his normal attire. He adjusts his coat and proceeds with calculated precision.

[ Amethyst's Perspective ]

Amethyst soars high in her Assault Nevermore Transformation, her mechanical wings slicing through the stormy air.

The Ark's message reaches her, and she glances at the holographic feed projected in her visor.

Ark: "Amethyst, relay visual data. The target area is experiencing significant Grimm activity. Primary threat identified: whale-class Grimm accompanied by Salem."

Amethyst peers ahead, her enhanced optics zooming in. The storm clouds flicker with bursts of red lightning, illuminating an enormous silhouette.

From the gloom, a massive, whale-like Grimm emerges, its bulk casting a shadow over the battlefield. A swarm of flying Grimm flanks it.

Atop the Grimm's nose stands Salem, her pale figure contrasting sharply against the darkness. Her confident smirk sends a shiver even through Amethyst's artificial frame.

Amethyst: (transmitting data)

"Visual confirmed. Salem's here. She's brought an army."

[ Elsewhere in the Academy - Tsukasa's Perspective ]

Tsukasa finishes adjusting the focus on his twin-lens reflex camera, snapping one last picture of the storm-laden sky.

He lowers the camera, his usual cocky smirk softening as he contemplates the chaos unfolding around him.

Tsukasa: (to himself) "It's about time I stopped lurking in the shadows. Fate's been busy weaving its threads, but someone needs to cut them."

He pockets the camera, activating an Aurora Curtain. The shimmering portal materializes before him, and with a confident stride, Tsukasa steps through.

[ Academy Courtyard ]

Akira exits the Academy into the stormy courtyard, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon.

He senses the faint distortion of an Aurora Curtain before turning his head.

Emerging from the portal is Tsukasa Kadoya, his coat flowing in the wind.

Tsukasa: (grinning)

"Still brooding, Zero-One ? Or have you finally decided to play hero?"

Akira: (coldly, narrowing his eyes)

"You again. Here to lecture me about morals, or just to get in my way?"

Tsukasa: (shrugging)

"Neither. I'm here to stop you from making things worse. You've already lost to me once. Do you really want to go for round two?"

Akira: (smirking)

"You caught me off guard last time. It won't happen again."

Tsukasa: (gesturing dramatically)

"Careful, Kid. That overconfidence might get you killed."

Akira: (voice firm) "I don't have time for your games, Decade. What do you want?"

Tsukasa: (grinning as he places his hands in his pockets) "Relax, I'm not here to fight… yet. I've got some things you need to understand, and since no one else seems to be able to talk sense into you, looks like it's up to me.

Tsukasa: Oh an since I didn't introduce my self the names Tuskasa, Kamen Rider Decade also know as the Destroyer of Worlds."

Akira: (crossing his arms) "You've got five minutes."

Tsukasa: (mockingly serious) "Oh, five whole minutes? Guess I'd better make them count." (His expression darkens slightly.) "Listen carefully, kid. That title you have—'Kamen Rider Zero-One'—it's not yours. Not really per say."

Akira: (narrowing his eyes) "What's that supposed to mean?"

Tsukasa: "You're a variant. A splinter of the real Zero-One Rider World. This multiverse we're in? It's not the natural order of things.

You're power comes from something you don't fully understand yet. And if Salem gets her hands on three of the four Relics, she won't just destroy this world—she'll unbalance the Rider Worlds."

Akira: (skeptical) "Unbalance the Rider Worlds? You're going to have to do better than vague threats."

Tsukasa: (leaning closer, his tone serious)

"The Rider Worlds are like gears in a clock. If one falls out of sync, the entire mechanism shatters.

Salem getting those Relics? That would be the equivalent of her ripping the clock apart.

The worlds will merge. And when that happens…" (He takes a step back, raising his hand with a snap of his fingers.) "Poof. Gone. Everything. Including you."

Akira: (clenching his fists) "If that's true, why don't you stop her yourself? You're the 'Destroyer of Worlds,' aren't you? Or is that just a fancy title?"

Tsukasa: (smirking) "You're not wrong. I've destroyed worlds before—but only the ones that were beyond saving. This one still has a chance. That's why I'm here. To give you the push you need to make the right call."

Akira: (growling) "And if I don't?"

Tsukasa: (his smirk fades, replaced with a cold glare) "Then I'll have to destroy this world too. But I'd rather not, so how about we avoid that outcome?"

Akira: (hesitating, then sighing) "Fine. Say I believe you. What's your plan?"

Tsukasa: "First, keep an eye out for Time Jackers. They're not just a nuisance—they're dangerous. And if one's already here, things are worse than I thought."

Akira: (confused) "Time Jackers?"

Tsukasa: (nodding) "They manipulate history by creating monsters called "Another Riders".

They stop time, rewrite reality, and their endgame is chaos. If one of them is meddling here, it's not just Salem we have to worry about."

Akira: (thinking) "You think Salem's working with them?"

Tsukasa: (shrugging) "Maybe. Or maybe they're here for their own reasons. Either way, if you see someone with a pocket watch like Item, run. Or better yet, fight. Just don't let them use you."

Akira: (sneering) "I don't let anyone use me."

Tsukasa: (grinning again) "Good. Then you're already ahead of most people." (He turns to leave but pauses.)

"One last thing. If it ever feels like the weight of this world is too much to bear, remember this: you're not alone. Not really. We Riders always find a way. Even the passing-through ones."

Akira: (watching him go, voice low) "Tsukasa."

Tsukasa: (stopping mid-step, glancing over his shoulder) "Hmm?"

Akira: (hesitating, then with a small smirk) "Thanks for the heads-up."

Tsukasa: (grinning wide) "Don't mention it, Kid. Oh, and for the record…" (He raises a finger.) "It's magenta, not pink. Get it right."

With that, Tsukasa steps through an Aurora Curtain, disappearing into the shimmering light.

Akira stands alone in the courtyard, the storm above matching the turmoil in his mind.

Akira: (to himself, clenching his fists) "Time Jackers, Salem, Relics… This just keeps getting better and better."

(He turns back toward the Academy.)

Akira: "Guess it's time to get to speed up work."