Author's Note:

Rejoice ! another chapter has been finished

So things are starting to get on the road as well us rewatching Volume 9 to get a better idea of how to make it work

As always PMs are open and etc and hopefully next chapter is to your enjoyment as we all write all of this

Till next chapter, Apzeta, Bishop, and Knight

P.S: Akira's Allies will return at some point but will introduce one more just a little more time

-Bishop

Akira remained still, his Ark-One armor humming softly in the aftermath of the battle. The jungle around him seemed to exhale, as if relieved by the Jabberwalker's departure.

With a flick of his wrist he removed the Ark-One Progrisekey.

The armor dissipated into wisps of black and red energy, leaving him once again in his usual attire.

The rain had started to pick up, light droplets tapping against the metal of the chained relics he bore.

He glanced down at them. The Lamp. The Staff.

Akira: ("If I'm stuck here, I might need to use one of these sooner or later…")

He sighed, rolling his shoulders before pressing forward. The terrain gradually shifted, the dense jungle giving way to a hill.

As he crested the incline, his breath hitched at the sight before him.

A massive tree, its leaves a mix of cloud-like green, purple, and yellow, dominated the landscape. It stood atop a towering cliff, surrounded by palm trees that curved unnaturally.

But what truly unsettled Akira was the land stretching out beneath it.

A red forest, almost identical to Forever Fall, held a towering crimson castle within.

Just beyond it, an area made entirely of sweets—cream-colored terrain with houses shaped like pastries. Further along, a forest of towering, bioluminescent mushrooms.

Akira narrowed his eyes.

Akira: ("What kind of world is this...?")

A flicker of movement drew his attention. His sharp gaze locked onto a wooden bridge stretching across a chasm, connecting two of the bizarre regions.

And crossing that bridge—

Akira's muscles tensed.

Team RWBY.

Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang moved cautiously, their postures tense. They were talking, but he was too far away to hear the conversation.

Akira exhaled slowly, stepping back into the shadows of the foliage.

Akira: ("Just my luck… Them of all people at this time.")

His fingers instinctively twitched toward his waist—where his Forceriser should have been. But it wasn't there. Nor was the Fighting Jackal Progrisekey.

Akira: ("Tch. I need to find my gear before I even think about engaging them.")

His eyes lingered on the team for a moment longer before he turned away. For now, he would remain unseen.

He had a world to figure out, weapons to recover, and a way out to find.

But as the remaining rain continued to disappear, a single thought gnawed at the back of his mind.

Akira: ("Is this really real…? Or am I just lost in some kind of purgatory?")

[ Town Square Aftrmath ]

Ruby clutched Penny's sword tightly, her breath unsteady as the weight of the moment settled over her.

She barely registered the chaos surrounding her—the shouts of angry townsfolk, the confused murmurs, and the occasional yelp from Jinxy.

Yang, having reclaimed her prosthetic arm, reattached it with a grunt. She flexed her fingers, making sure everything was working properly before turning toward Ruby.

Yang: (smirking, despite the situation) "Well, that was a little more complicated than expected, but hey—got my arm back."

Weiss sighed in exasperation, brushing some imaginary dust from her skirt.

Weiss: "Complicated? That was a disaster waiting to happen. And it happened. Just like I said it would."

Blake: (looking back at the square) "We need to keep moving before those soldiers regroup."

Ruby remained still, her grip tightening on Penny's sword. Yang's expression softened as she approached her sister.

Yang: "Ruby? You okay?"

Ruby didn't respond immediately. Her fingers traced the hilt of the sword, her reflection faintly visible in the blade.

Ruby: (softly) "This… this was Penny's."

Blake and Weiss exchanged glances.

Blake: (gentle) "We should go. You can hold onto it, Ruby, but we can't stay here."

Little peeked up from Ruby's shoulder, ears twitching.

Little: "Is your friend Penny very special to you?"

Ruby inhaled sharply before nodding.

Ruby: "She was."

A short silence lingered before Weiss put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, offering a small nod of support.

Weiss: "Then let's make sure we don't lose anything else, okay?"

Ruby exhaled, finally looking away from the sword. She gave Weiss a grateful look before turning toward the rest of the group.

Ruby: "Yeah… Let's go."

The team quickly navigated through the alleyways, avoiding any approaching toy soldiers. As they reached the outskirts of town, Ruby took one last glance back.

The town square was still filled with confusion, Jinxy waving their cane and trying to talk their way out of the mess they had inadvertently caused.

Jinxy: (waving dramatically) "Come now, good people! A misunderstanding, surely! You know ol' Jinxy would never truly deceive!"

The crowd wasn't convinced.

Yang: (grinning) "Guess he's got a refund policy after all."

Blake: "He might need it."

As Team RWBY slipped into the wilderness beyond the town, Ruby found herself gripping Penny's sword a little tighter.

[ Red Forest ]

The air was thick with dampness, the sky darkening as storm clouds rolled in. The vibrant red foliage of the forest glowed ominously, illuminated by occasional flashes of lightning.

Yang, still catching her breath, let out a hearty laugh as she flexed her fingers, testing her reattached prosthetic arm.

Yang: (huffing between breaths) "Those people... take auctions... very seriously." (grins and raises her prosthetic) "High five?"

Blake, her expression tense, simply groaned and walked past her.

Yang: (still grinning) "High five?"

Weiss scoffed, rolling her eyes as she moved forward, completely ignoring her.

Blake, however, came to an abrupt stop, her hands gripping her head as a look of distress crossed her face.

Blake: (frustrated) "We're doing the same thing Alyx did! We're ruining everything!"

Weiss sighed, folding her arms as she glanced at her.

Weiss: (deadpan) "That's your biggest concern right now?"

Yang frowned but didn't press the issue as she reattached her arm properly. Blake, meanwhile, sank onto a nearby log, her ears drooping slightly as she exhaled shakily.

Blake: "I've read so many stories. I never thought..." (staring at the ground) "...I'd be the moral of one."

Ruby, who had been trailing behind in silence, still clutching Penny's sword, slowly took a seat next to Blake. She stared down at the blade, her face unreadable.

Her teammates exchanged concerned glances.

Yang: (softly) "Ruby?"

Ruby remained silent, her fingers tightening around the hilt.

A low rumble of thunder echoed overhead. The sky darkened further, and within seconds, cold raindrops began to fall—though strangely, only on them.

Weiss groaned, glaring at the heavens.

Weiss: (exasperated) "Great, now it's raining on just us! That's it! We're getting out of this nightmare! Alyx went to the Tree, right? Let's go."

Blake: (shaking her head) "I don't think it's gonna work like that. In the book—"

Weiss: (cutting her off) "We are not in a book! And even if we were, we know how it ends—right over there!" (points toward the distant Tree)

Determined, Weiss stomped forward.

A moment later, she reappeared at the other side of the clearing.

The group blinked. Weiss gasped in confusion, quickening her pace—but once again, she looped back to where she started.

Frustrated, she picked up a rock.

Weiss: (gritting teeth) "Stupid tree!"

She hurled it as hard as she could—only for it to loop right back around and smack her in the back of the head.

Weiss: (yelping) "Ow! What the—?!"

A small voice chimed in.

Little: (hopping onto Ruby's shoulder) "Yeah, already tried that earlier. You can't get any closer to the Tree that way."

Yang sighed, wiping rain from her face.

Yang: "Well then, what do we do now? We got my arm, but we still don't have Crescent Rose or the slightest idea how to get out."

Weiss, still rubbing her head, mumbled something about gravitational anomalies and laws of physics being a joke.

Ruby, meanwhile, remained silent, staring at Penny's sword.

After a moment, she spoke.

Ruby: (softly) "...Maybe Akira was right."

The words and name sent a ripple of tension through the group.

Yang: (immediately defensive) "What?"

Ruby looked up, her expression conflicted.

Ruby: "Maybe we were just delusional… coming here without a real plan. Thinking we could just—wing it." (grits her teeth) "Our walnut-sized plan…"

Yang clenched her fists.

Yang: "Ruby, don't do this."

Ruby shook her head.

Ruby: "That Tsukasa guy tested me. He showed me exactly where I stand. And it wasn't enough."

[ Flashback – Ruby's Test with Tsukasa ]

She swung her weapon—only for Tsukasa to catch it with his bare hand.

Ruby: (eyes widening) "No way—!"

The timer on the Faiz Axel module blinked.

SB-555W Faiz Axel: [ Time Out! ]

The red aura faded. Tsukasa released Crescent Rose and stepped back.

Ruby landed, panting.

Weiss and Blake rushed to her side.

Weiss: "Ruby, are you okay?!"

Blake: (checking her over) "Did he hurt you?"

Ruby shook her head, still staring at Tsukasa.

Ruby: (softly) "I couldn't even touch him…"

Tsukasa chuckled.

Tsukasa: "Interesting. Most people just flail around."

Ruby's grip tightened.

Ruby: "But I still lost."

Tsukasa tilted his head.

Tsukasa: "Yeah, you did."

Blake scowled.

Blake: (irritated) "Then what was the point of this? Just to humiliate her?"

Tsukasa shook his head.

Tsukasa: "No. To show her reality."

Ruby's breath caught.

Tsukasa: "You wanted to believe in Akira, didn't you? That there's a way to stop him without just more fighting."

Ruby swallowed hard.

Tsukasa gestured at himself.

Tsukasa: "This is the difference between someone hoping for change—" (points at Ruby) "—and someone who forces it."

Ruby's fingers trembled slightly.

Tsukasa: "You don't have the luxury of waiting for an answer, Ruby. Not anymore. And if you can't even hit me…" (pauses) "How are you supposed to stop someone like Akira?"

[ Present – Red Forest ]

Yang, Weiss, and Blake had mixed reactions.

Yang scowled, shaking her head.

Yang: (firmly) "Doesn't matter. Akira's a monster. We are getting out of this, and we will stop him."

Blake crossed her arms.

Blake: "We stick to the plan."

Weiss nodded.

Weiss: "No regrets, Ruby."

Ruby inhaled deeply.

Ruby: (quietly) "Yeah… No regrets."

[ Elsewhere – The Ever After ]

Akira froze mid-step, his eyes narrowing as the strange, floating cat-like creature pranced into view.

Its form shimmered slightly, like it wasn't fully there, yet its presence was undeniable.

Curious Cat: (grinning) "Oh my, what an interesting presence you have."

The Cat's voice was light, playful—yet something about it felt… off.

Akira had seen many strange things in his time, but this? This thing didn't belong to any category he was familiar with.

Akira: (flatly) "...And what the hell are you supposed to be?"

The Cat chuckled, weaving through the air effortlessly.

Curious Cat: "Oh, I could answer that—but wouldn't it be much more fun if you guessed?"

Akira exhaled sharply through his nose.

Akira: "No."

He lifted his foot and attempted to kick the creature away, but the moment his boot made contact—

Nothing.

It passed straight through, as if the Cat wasn't even there. His foot sliced through open air, momentum nearly throwing him off balance.

The Cat let out a delighted laugh, twisting in the air like a ribbon in the wind.

Curious Cat: "Oh, how delightful! You're aggressive, aren't you? Tell me—are you always this violent, or is it just when you're confused?"

Akira straightened, rolling his shoulders.

Akira: "You're starting to annoy me."

Curious Cat: (giggling) "Annoyance is just curiosity you refuse to entertain!"

Akira clicked his tongue, contemplating his next move. He still had his Ark-Driver—if this thing wasn't physical, maybe a different kind of force would get the point across.

As he reached for the device, the Cat's grin widened.

Curious Cat: "Oh, now that's interesting. That power of yours... it's not like the others. It reeks of something… unnatural."

The Cat circled him, tail flicking in amusement.

Curious Cat: "What are you, exactly? Not quite this and definitely not quite this either… just something else.

But oh, you carry such lovely, horrible things inside you."

Akira clenched his jaw, his grip on the Ark-Driver tightening. A wave of malice radiated off him, dark tendrils of energy curling outward.

The ground beneath his feet darkened, as if the very air had turned against the light.

The Cat's form glitched for a fraction of a second, its expression momentarily unreadable—before it vanished entirely.

For a moment, silence.

Then, a whisper.

Curious Cat: (distantly) "Oh, fascinating… you're not just full of malice—you are malice."

Akira's eyes darted around.

Akira: (lowly) "Tch. Coward."

A soft chuckle echoed around him.

Curious Cat: "Not a coward. Just… intrigued."

Suddenly, the Cat reappeared beside him, lounging on thin air.

Curious Cat: "You're not like the others who've come here. Not lost, not seeking. No, no… You're trapped here, aren't you?"

Akira tensed.

Curious Cat: (grinning) "Ohh, yes. I can see it now. You didn't come here by choice.

You were thrown into the unknown, just like dear Alyx… only, you don't seem nearly as frightened."

Akira didn't respond.

The Cat's expression twitched, just for a moment.

Curious Cat: (softly) "Or… maybe you are."

Akira's eye twitched. Without a word, he attempted to kick the Cat again—only for his foot to pass through once more.

The Cat let out another delighted giggle, twirling midair.

Curious Cat: "Oh, do it again! I love watching you struggle with this riddles."

Akira's patience snapped. His malice flared again, a pulse of raw, suffocating darkness filling the air.

The Cat flickered, momentarily distorting like a bad signal. When it reformed, its usual playful expression remained—but its eyes?

For the first time, something in them looked… weary.

Curious Cat: "You know… most are here to play along with the world. But not you."

Its tail curled.

Curious Cat: "You're trying to break it."

Akira scoffed, lowering his foot.

Akira: "So what if I am?"

The Cat tilted its head, that ever-present grin still in place.

Curious Cat: "I think… I want to see what happens when you try."

Akira: (coldly) "If it means getting out of here, then yeah. Maybe I will destroy it."

The Cat tilted its head, intrigued yet cautious.

Curious Cat: "Oh, delightful. But you should know, breaking things here doesn't always get you what you want."

Akira: (gritting his teeth) "We'll see."

With that, Akira turned away from the Cat, deciding it wasn't worth the effort anymore.

He had bigger concerns—like getting his gear back and figuring out what the hell this place even was.

As he walked off, the Cat watched him go, its grin fading just slightly.

Curious Cat: (murmuring) "Yes… we will see."

[ Elsewhere in the Ever After – The Wooden Bridge ]

Kaito walked through the thick, red-leafed forest, his hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the strange scenery.

The Ever After was unlike any world he had traveled to before. Something about it unsettled him—not in a dangerous way, but in a way that made his instincts itch.

Kaito: (to himself) "Feels like I've stepped into a picture book… but one that forgot the rules of reality."

He reached a wooden bridge that stretched across a slow-moving river.

The water reflected the vibrant red sky above, shimmering unnaturally.

Kaito: "Tch. Even the water looks fake."

As he stepped onto the bridge, a rustling from the trees behind him made him pause. His fingers instinctively brushed against the NeoDiendriver holstered at his side.

Then—

A blur of shadow and teeth lunged at him.

Jabberwalker.

Kaito's body reacted on instinct, twisting just in time to avoid the creature's massive jaws. He landed gracefully a few steps away, smirking as he pulled out the NeoDiendriver.

Kaito: "Well, at least something in this place knows how to greet a guy properly."

The Jabberwalker let out a guttural screech, its distorted, almost liquid-like body writhing unnaturally as it prepared to attack again.

Kaito raised his hand, fingers snapping—

And time froze.

The creature's form locked in mid-air, its grotesque features contorted in an eternal moment of attack.

Kaito casually walked to the side, aiming the NeoDiendriver directly at its head.

Kaito: (mockingly) "Not so scary when you can't move, huh?"

With a pull of the trigger, a burst of blue energy shot from the gun, striking the Jabberwalker—

Only for it to vanish.

Kaito's smirk faltered.

Kaito: "...What?"

A whisper of movement behind him.

Too late.

A sharp, precise kick struck his back, sending him stumbling forward onto the bridge. He caught himself before falling, spinning around to face—

A girl.

Small frame. Silent stance. One hand resting lazily on a pink parasol.

Neopolitan.

Kaito took a second to process before laughing.

Kaito: "Oh, now this is interesting."

Neo smirked, twirling her parasol once before lowering into a fighting stance.

Kaito straightened, brushing off his coat.

Kaito: (grinning) "No words? That's a shame. I do love a good conversation."

Neo simply tilted her head, unfazed.

Kaito: "Ahhh, so you're the quiet type." (mockingly) "Or maybe you just don't have anything important to say."

Neo's smirk twitched.

Kaito chuckled.

Kaito: "Now that's the face of someone who wants to kill me."

Neo wasted no time, lunging forward with a rapid series of strikes. Kaito weaved between them, his agility matching her own.

He knew better than to underestimate an opponent who didn't rely on words—fighters like that only spoke in battle.

Kaito: "Heh. Fast."

Neo spun mid-air, bringing her parasol down like a hammer. Kaito dodged, sliding back to create distance.

With his hand he quickly pulled out a single Rider Card.

Kaito: "I think it's time I stopped playing around."

He flicked the card into the air, catching it smoothly before slotting it into the NeoDiendriver.

Kaito: (smirking) "Henshin."

NeoDiendriver: [ KamenRide: Diend ! ]

A surge of blue energy erupted from the gun, forming three ghostly holograms of his suit before snapping together—materializing his armor.

Now standing in full Kamen Rider Diend form, Kaito raised his weapon, aiming it directly at Neo.

Kaito: (grinning behind his helmet) "Round two?"

Neo twirled her parasol once, then charged again—

And the battle truly began.