Author's Note:
Rejoice ! another chapter has been finished and the Start of Volume 9 this is going a bit of a pain but on the bright side it's going to be a kinda full rewrite of Volume 9 just to make it more tolerable
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
Akira's eyes slowly fluttered open, his vision blurry as he stared at the swaying canopy above.
Strange-colored leaves—green, purple, and yellow—danced in the twin sunlight.
The air was thick with the scent of something unfamiliar, a blend of salt, earth, and something else he couldn't quite place.
Slowly, he pushed himself up, feeling the weight of the two artifacts he had claimed.
The Relic of Knowledge, the Lamp, now hung from a chain connected to his belt, rattling softly with his movements.
The Relic of Creation, the Staff, was secured to his back, fastened with another of his chains with Akira seeing that he had subconsciously chained them to himself.
He took a deep breath, collecting himself, and then instinctively reached for his Ark-Driver—only to find it missing from his waist.
A flicker of tension passed over his face before he patted his coat and felt the device safely tucked away inside.
Akira exhaled through his nose. No immediate threats.
Standing fully now, he scanned the area. Towering cliffs overlooked the strange sandy shore, where seashells larger than his head lay scattered.
The ocean stretched out, yellowish and unnatural. His boots pressed into the damp sand as he took a step forward.
The place felt... wrong. Not in a hostile way per say, but unnatural. It lacked the scars of battle or war.
Everything was too pristine, too carefully placed, like a painting that had never been disturbed.
Akira: "This isn't Remnant," he muttered. "Then where the hell am I?"
His mind worked quickly, replaying what had happened before his fall. If he survived, then it was likely Team RWBY, Jaune, and even Neopolitan had as well.
That meant the battle wasn't over.
With that thought, he began walking into the forest.
[ Elsewhere in the Ever After ]
A shimmering curtain of aurora energy split through the air, rippling like liquid light before a figure stepped through.
He adjusted the blue scarf around his neck, tilting his hat slightly as his boots touched the foreign soil.
Kaito, better known as Kamen Rider Diend, took in his surroundings with a neutral expression.
Kaito: "Well, this place is... different but nothing I can work with."
He reached into his coat, retrieving his NeoDiendriver and flipping it open.
The device hummed softly, its glowing lines pulsing as if responding to the environment.
With a flick of his wrist, he spun a card between his fingers before slotting it into place.
NeoDiendriver: [ Kamen Ride: Diend ! ]
A brief flash of light surrounded him before fading, leaving Kaito standing casually once more. He wasn't here to fight—not yet, at least.
His mission had three objectives:
1. Search and rescue.
2. Acquire treasures—specifically, the Relics.
3. Evaluate if this world needed to be erased.
Kaito sighed, tucking his NeoDiendriver back into his coat.
Kaito: "Tsukasa really knows how to pick the worst assignments. Guess that means he's busy looking for Remnant's Zero-One as well."
His gaze shifted toward the distant cliffs and the massive tree that loomed above them.
The entire realm was like something out of a twisted fairytale.
Bridges connected strange biomes, each operating under their own bizarre rules. This world was old—older than Remnant the world of its ZeroOne itself. That made it valuable.
Adjusting his coat, Kaito smirked to himself.
Kaito: "Well, time to see if this place is worth keeping... or worth looting."
With that, he strode forward, vanishing into the Ever After.
[ Small Time Skip ? - Jungle Acre ]
Akira walked deeper into the overgrown jungle, his boots pressing into the damp earth as strange, luminous insects flitted past his vision.
The twin suns cast shifting light through the tangled canopy, creating unnatural shadows that moved like living things.
He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the chained Relics clinking against his body with each step.
Akira: ("How long have I been here? What time is it? What day is it?")
There were no familiar stars to guide him, no sun nor moon he recognized. The Ever After was beyond logic, beyond reason.
He hated that. His hands drifted to the Relic of Knowledge, fingers grazing its surface.
Akira: ("Can I use these?")
The thought lingered in his mind, tempting yet uncertain. The Lamp can answer questions, and the Staff… The Staff had rules.
He needed time to test them properly, but time was a luxury he wasn't sure he had or even afford.
As he walked, an eerie sensation prickled at the back of his mind.
He was being watched.
Akira halted, his eyes narrowing. His right hand slid into his coat, fingers wrapping around the Ark-Driver as he took out and equip it
Ark-Driver: [ Ark-Driver ! ]
The moment the device activated, a low, mechanical hum resonated through the air.
Akira's eyes flared red with malice, and his Aura pulsed outward like a heartbeat.
The presence watching him shifted—something just out of sight, lingering between the trees, its gaze burning into him.
And then, it moved.
A blur of black burst from the foliage, unnatural and jerky, limbs stretching far beyond human proportions.
It stopped just out of striking range, revealing itself in full.
A Jabberwalker.
The creature was taller than Akira, its emaciated frame towering over him with a grotesque, insectoid elegance.
Striped horns curled back from its skull, and its sealed mouth twitched as if it were tasting the air.
The creature's blank, lupine mask of a face tilted, regarding him with an almost curious intensity.
Akira didn't move.
Neither did the Jabberwalker.
The two locked eyes, waiting. A silent game of chicken.
The Ark-Driver pulsed at Akira's waist. The Jabberwalker's fingers twitched, claws scraping against its own palms.
Akira: ("It's waiting for me to move first.")
The jungle was deathly silent, the tension thick enough to suffocate.
The Jabberwalker's presence was suffocating, but it wasn't fear that weighed on Akira—it was anticipation.
Then, the creature spoke.
Jabberwalker: "Watching. Waiting. Hunting."
Its voice was unnatural, layered, a distorted whisper that echoed despite the still air.
Akira's fingers flexed over the Ark-Driver. The creature tilted its head.
Jabberwalker: "Strong. Not Afraid. Challenge?"
Akira smirked.
Akira: "Tch. You think I'm scared of you?"
Jabberwalker: "Bold. Foolish. Tricky."
The creature's sealed mouth twitched again. A faint, black crack formed along its mask.
Akira's eyes burned crimson.
Akira: "I dare you to try."
[ Kamen Rider Zero One OST: Thouser ]
Akira and the Jabberwalker locked eyes, the air thick with tension. The creature, sensing a window of opportunity, lunged forward with blistering speed, its jagged maw open wide.
Akira rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the monstrous attack, and swiftly pulled out the Ark-One Progrisekey. His grip tightened around the key, his expression unreadable.
Ark-One Progrisekey: [ Ark-One ! ]
With a fluid motion, he slammed it into the Ark-Driver on his waist.
Akira: Henshin !
Ark-Driver: [ Singurize ! ]
The transformation was instant. A torrent of black and white liquid metal erupted from the Ark Driver, engulfing Akira.
The malice of the Ark itself took shape, forming the menacing armor of the Ark-One.
Ark-Driver: [ Hakai, hametsu, zetsubō, metsubō seyo.]
Ark-Driver: [ Conclusion One. ]
The Jabberwalker skidded to a halt, its unnerving laughter faltering. It could feel it—pure, unfiltered malice radiating from Akira, seeping into the air like a thick fog.
A malevolent force that eclipsed even its own chaos.
Akira wasted no time. He charged forward, his fist colliding with the creature's face in a brutal impact. The Jabberwalker recoiled, staggering backward from the sheer force.
With a flick of his wrist, Akira activated the Ark-Driver, causing its inner mechanisms to whir as it materialized a weapon in his grasp—the Attache Arrow.
The sleek black and silver bow with purple , pulsed with raw energy. Akira didn't hesitate—he rushed in, closing the distance between himself and the Jabberwalker in a matter of nanoseconds.
With a sharp motion, he activated the Ark-Driver, causing six more Attache Arrows to materialize in midair behind him.
They hovered in formation, aligned with his every movement like an extension of his will.
Akira pulled the Draw Extender to its limit, channeling a surge of energy into the weapon. The arrow at its tip crackled with power.
Ark-One ( Akira ): "Begon."
He released the Extender.
The shot forward at blistering speed, piercing straight through the Jabberwalker's side.
A moment later, the remaining six Attache Arrows followed suit, firing in unison.
The Jabberwalker let out a distorted screech as the energy-infused projectiles tore through its form.
Realizing the tide of battle had turned against it, the monstrous entity howled in fury and abruptly vanished into the swirling shadows, retreating into the abyss from whence it came.
Akira stood still, lowering his bow as it disappeared. He exhaled slowly, his visor glowing ominously in the dim light.
His malice had been felt. His power had been demonstrated.
But this was only the beginning.