Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore
Reprise I: Returning to the World
It was called a miracle from the Titan, the event now known as 'The Return'. Three days earlier, all the people who were either slain by Empress Oscura's hand or by her Phantom army were brought back to life. Even those who had their entire bodies destroyed were now walking around as if they had never died. This caused a great deal of commotion. The Returned were confused as to how much the Boiling Isles had changed, and the current people of the Isles were trying to come to grips with the fact that their deceased loved ones were among the living again.
As one can imagine, this caused a lot of problems. Spouses were remarried, lovers were now in new relationships, the people who were still alive were now four years older, houses were either gone or rebuilt, some had new residences and just the overall general confusion.
The High Council had set up a program to help the Returned reintegrate into this new state of the Boiling Isles. And while a good majority of the Returned were able to adapt, some were not. Or more specifically, one woman was unable to.
Odalia Blight, the ex-CEO of Blight Industries, was now reduced to a vagabond. She used to be at the top of the social hierarchy and had once been regarded as one of the wealthiest businesswomen on the Boiling Isles. Now, all that had changed. It was jarring for her when she came back since the last thing she remembered was getting blasted to oblivion by Oscura herself.
After returning to life, the first thing she did was return home, expecting to see her family ready to welcome her back with open arms. However, it seemed that steps were already taken to make sure that did not happen.
There were Abomination guards at the gate of her mansion and despite stating her name over and over again, they would not allow her entry. It got to the point that Odalia was causing enough of a scene to warrant a response from the owner of the estate. Alador came walking out of the mansion. He looked older, but not as haggard as he once did. No bags under his eyes, his posture had improved, and he just looked overall healthier.
"I wondered how long it would be before you found your way here, Odalia," Alador said as he crossed his arms.
"Alador, darling, thank the Titan! Why are these things not letting me back into the house?!" Odalia asked.
Alador walked until he was at least three feet from the entrance of the gate as if he didn't want to get any closer to her.
"That's because this is no longer your home, Odalia."
"Excuse me?! Since when?!"
Alador drew a spell circle and produced a sheet of paper.
"Since you were declared legally dead four years ago," Alador explained as he showed his ex-wife the sheet of paper: it was her death certificate.
"Well, obviously I'm alive again!" Odalia argued.
"True, but that's irrelevant. Since you died, you no longer have a stake in Blight Industries, and as such our marriage is also null and void. Which means this house, and any money belonging to Blight Industries, is no longer yours to access or use," he said.
Odalia looked at her husband in shock. How could he just say all that with a straight face and not bat an eye?
"Alador, please, darling, I-I have nowhere else to go! I-I know I made mistakes in the past, but-!"
"Mistakes?!" Alador glared at his ex-wife. "Mistakes?! You're part of the reason for all that sorrow and strife four years ago! You convinced Amity how she should act and behave, and honestly, I'm no better, because I didn't do a damn thing to stop you! And because of that…my youngest daughter is no longer here."
"No…Alador please don't tell me she's dead, too! That human bitch killed her, didn't she?!"
Alador scoffed at her audacity. As if she genuinely cared about his youngest daughter.
"No, she's not dead. She's alive, at least I pray to the Titan that she's alive and well, in the Human Realm. She felt that her actions warranted her exile from our world," said Alador.
"T-That's absurd!" Odalia cried in disbelief. "She's…Wha…Where are Edric and Emira then?!"
"Oh, they're currently running Blight Industries. I do consultation work and of course, continue to make my inventions. But on my own time, not at your whims anymore." Alador turned his back on his ex-wife as he continued. "From this moment forth, Odalia, do not ever show your face around here again. Not at the factory. Not around my children. And certainly nowhere near me. As far as our family is concerned, you're dead to us."
Odalia collapsed to her knees as she watched Alador walk away. She couldn't believe all of this had happened, and what stung her most was the fact that they were all thriving without her. Her ex-husband and the twins were doing so well and, if what she heard was true, the company was even more successful than it was before with her at the reins.
Now, Odalia was reduced to this state, wandering the streets of Bonesborough, contemplating what her next move was going to be. She was currently sitting in an alley, amongst the rats and garbage. That was what she was now, useless garbage. Odalia had no money to her name, literally. She was officially a divorced woman, so she couldn't claim the name of Blight anymore. She wondered what she could do to provide for herself. All her life she had used her magic to stay one step ahead of the competition, seeing all the different ways she could in order to get ahead in life, and it worked. Now, when she looked into her future, it was bleak.
"Tch…at this point, I might as well work in this alley at night…GAAAH! THIS IS ALL THAT HUMAN'S FAULT! IF I EVER SEE HER AGAIN I'LL DESTROY HER!" Odalia yelled.
"Are you Odalia Blight?"
"Who wants to know?" Odalia demanded and she was approached by an Asian woman in black and white. She also took note of her round ears. "You're human!?"
The human woman presented Odalia with a box.
"Congratulations, you have been selected to participate in the Desire Grand Prix. Starting today, you are a Kamen Rider."
"Me!? A Kamen Rider!?" Gus Porter asked in excitement. "Awesome!"
When Tsumuri visited Gus, he was not expecting to see another human on the Boiling Isles. He was still a fan of humans and the Human Realm, and he also missed Luz. However, he knew he needed to move on. Hopefully, his work could help the people of the Boiling Isles see that not all humans were bad. Yes, Luz had done a lot of damage to how humans were perceived by the demons and witches, but the actions of Alt Luz and Alt Anne should help to convince them that not all humans were bad.
"Yes, and by accepting, you will be able to participate in the Desire Grand Prix."
"What's the Desire Grand Prix?"
When Tsumuri came to see Willow, the witch was working out. All that exercise had really done her good. Her baby fat was all gone and was replaced by lean muscle. She had also cut her hair short and dyed it with a streak of green.
Tsumuri nodded as she admired Willow Park's garden.
"It is an exclusive game which will allow you to have your greatest wish granted," she informed the witch.
"I can get any wish granted?" Boscha questioned as she looked at the Mission Box.
"That's right. If you win the Desire Grand Prix, your wish will be granted," Tsumuri confirmed.
Boscha had graduated from Hexside after the school was rebuilt. After that, she became coach of the new grudgby team. Her team had not won any trophies since the new season had not begun yet, but she knew these kids would be able to beat their rivals from St. Epiderm and Glandus.
When Tsumuri came to see her, she was in the middle of putting the kids through a training drill. At first, she was suspicious of the human woman until she gave her the pitch.
It was obvious what Boscha would choose to do.
had received a rejection letter. The publisher was impressed by her work but believed that her story was too dark for their usual target demographic. She would need to tone down some of the really dark stuff. The problem was that it all happened to her and she did not exaggerate any of her experiences.
'I can't just 'tone down' what happened to me and what I did! What would be the point? Ugh…'
Amity was standing behind Luz and saw how frustrated she was. She smiled and gently placed her hand on Luz's shoulder.
"It's just one rejection," Amity said encouragingly. "I doubt Mildred Featherwhyle got her first Azura book published on her first try."
"Yeah…you're right. Not every author gets a bestseller on the first try. It still stings, though. I wrote that book not just to help me, but…maybe…it might help someone else who's going through the same thing," said Luz.
"Expecting another dark empress to rise here in the Human Realm?" Amity teased.
"You know what I mean," Luz replied, smirking.
"I do." Amity leaned down and kissed Luz on the forehead. "And I'm proud that you're trying to help others who might feel trapped in their own darkness."
"Who better to help others through it than someone who was lost in it before?" Luz turned her gaze out to the window in front of her. "Do you ever miss it? The Demon Realm?"
Amity wrapped her arms around Luz from behind as she sighed wistfully.
"I'm not going to lie, Luz. I do feel homesick from time to time. I keep wondering what it's like there after all these years. Are Ed and Em doing alright? Is Dad taking care of himself? I like to think they're okay, and doing better without her there," Amity admitted. "What about you?"
"…I miss Eda and not just her. I miss Gus, Willow, King, and even Hooty. I wish I could meet little Luz. At the same time, I almost hope she has a son instead," Luz answered.
"Why's that? What's wrong with her having a daughter?"
"C'mon, Ams. If Eda does name her after me, how hard of a childhood is that girl going to have? She's going to be named after someone who hurt so many people, and nearly destroyed the Demon Realm." Luz furrowed her brow as she thought of the hardships little Luz might face. "I just don't want her getting bullied or feeling as if she has to become someone like me…"
Amity held Luz tighter as she nuzzled the top of her girlfriend's head.
"Luz, for one thing, any kid of Eda and Raine's is going to kick ass, no matter what."
"True."
"And last I remember, Eda didn't say she was going to name her potential daughter 'Oscura', she was going to name her 'Luz', after the girl who brought light into that house, in memory of the girl who was so full of hope and optimism. The girl I'm in love with right now."
Luz raised her hands and wrapped them around Amity's arms as a tear fell from her eye.
"Gracias, mi amor."
"De nada."
Amity released Luz as the Latina turned around in her chair and allowed Amity to lean down and kiss her. Afterwards, Amity headed towards the door. She paused in the middle of the door frame before glancing over her shoulder at Luz.
"Also, while I do feel a bit homesick, living here with you, Camila, and Vee, I feel as if I have another family I can call my own. At this point, if you made me choose which realm I'd rather stay in, I don't think I could choose one over the other." With those words, Amity left Luz alone in her room.
Luz sighed happily. She loved Amity so much and to hear her say that alleviated some of the worry in her heart. She would probably still feel guilty about Amity exiling herself to the Human Realm with her, but it was moments like this that helped assuage her fears. Amity had also been so supportive, even after everything she had put her girlfriend through back in the Demon Realm. That was also why she felt bad about not telling her the truth.
Not too long ago, Tsumuri approached Luz to invite her back to the DGP so she could defend her title as champion and God of Desire. If Amity knew that Luz was fighting in the DGP again, she had no doubts that her girlfriend would vehemently be against it, considering her wish was already granted.
Luz hated keeping things from Amity but since her girlfriend had not been chosen to join this new season of the Desire Grand Prix, she was not allowed to know anything about it. Luz could not risk being disqualified since she had a reason to rejoin the tournament.
Her Spider Phone went off and she saw the notification. It was a summons to the Desire Temple. Taking out the Mission Box from where she had hidden it in the closet, Luz picked up the Desire Driver and slapped it on.
[Desire Driver!]
She then took out the ID Core. Originally, it was coloured indigo with an emblem that looked like an owl's face. Now, it was violet with a logo that resembled Oscura's mask on it.
She inserted the ID Core into her Desire Driver, activating it.
[Entry!]
In a flash, Luz once again found herself standing on the platform of the Desire Temple. She saw the other participants but this time she was on her own without a friend in sight. She spotted a familiar head of blonde hair. Sasha did not notice her as she was busy talking with Marcy. When she saw the Taiwanese girl cry, she knew Sasha had just broken the news about what really happened to Anne.
Luz gripped her left arm, really wishing for Amity to be here. Her girlfriend had been her rock throughout the Desire Grand Prix and to do this by herself was nervewracking.
"Can you believe it, Willow? We're surrounded by humans."
Luz blinked when she heard that voice. It couldn't be, could it?
"I know, Gus, but keep your voice down. Remember, we can't let anyone know what we are."
Luz looked through the crowd and then spotted two people she never thought she would ever see again. She walked towards them, slipping between people to get to them.
"Sorry, there. Excuse me. Coming through."
She finally reached the two people and their eyes widened when they saw her.
"Gus? Willow?"
"Luz?"
Luz couldn't believe her eyes right now. Her two best friends from the Demon Realm were standing right in front of her. Willow had gotten a lot buffer since the last time she saw her, and her hair had been cut short with a light green highlight. Gus had a growth spurt, now standing at eye level with Luz. While he was not exactly muscular, he did possess a lean build, a mirror earring on his right earlobe, and dreadlocks. Both of them had round ears, so Luz suspected that Gus was using his magic to conceal their true appearance. The two witches were just in as much shock as Luz was, both parties wondering if this was a trick or some dream.
Luz reached out towards them but paused as she retracted her hand. When she left, they all hugged and cried, but that was four years ago. Now, after all this time, time needed to reflect, Luz figured that their opinion on what happened four years ago had changed. Plus, Luz felt she had no right to reach out to them. She was the one who hurt them a long time ago. However, she jumped a bit when Willow clasped her right shoulder and made the Latina stare her in the eyes.
"It's really you, isn't it, Luz?" Willow asked.
"Y-Yeah…it's me, Willow," Luz answered sheepishly. Suddenly, Willow pulled her into a hug, causing her to gasp.
"I've missed you so much, Luz!" Willow exclaimed.
"W-Willow…"
Gus came in from the side and hugged Luz as well, turning it into a big group hug.
"Same with me! I missed having my number one human friend," said Gus.
"G-Gus…"
Luz couldn't help it, she cried tears of joy at having her old friends surround her again. But even better than that, they were just as happy to be reunited with her and didn't hate her after four years apart.
Sasha was happy to have been granted reentry into the DGP, and even more so to see that Marcy had as well. The two teens hugged each other, but afterwards, Sasha had to talk seriously with Marcy. The blonde teen told Marcy that their memories of Anne's death were a lie and told her the truth about what happened during the final round of the last DGP tournament. Of course, this devastated Marcy but she managed to keep it together.
"I don't believe it. That's how Anne died?" Marcy questioned.
"Yeah." Sasha crossed her arms. "Because Noceda didn't use that Buckle when she had the chance, Anne was killed."
"I shouldn't have been eliminated," Marcy said softly as she wiped her tears away. "If I had stayed in the game, maybe Anne would still be alive."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it, Mar-Mar," Sasha said, gently squeezing her friend's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. There was no way any of us could have known the Jyamatos had that kind of firepower. Plus…"
"What?"
"It's partially my fault too. I got so caught up in the fight and because of that, Anne sacrificed herself to save me…"
Anne, typical Anne, made a noble sacrifice to save Sasha's life. She could only imagine how scared Anne must've been, knowing she would die. Nobody would know how she risked her life to protect the world from being destroyed by the Jyamatos and it felt like such a disgrace to her name.
"Then, I guess we're agreed on what our wish will be," said Marcy.
Sasha nodded. It was obvious.
"Love the dreads, by the way, Gus-man," Luz complimented Gus. "And Willow, wow, you've gotten big."
"Thanks, Luz." Willow blushed at the praise.
"So, how is everything back on the Boiling Isles?" Luz asked. She wanted to know everything, especially how Eda, Raine and King were doing.
"You would not believe what happened," Gus said. "Three days ago, a ton of people came back to life!"
"Really?" Luz's eyes widened.
"Yes, everyone that was killed when…" Willow trailed off before she mumbled an apology, "Sorry."
"It's OK, Willow. And I think I might be responsible for that," Luz said.
"What do you mean?" Willow questioned.
"This isn't my first time here. I took part in the DGP before and my wish was to bring back everyone who was killed because of me," Luz confessed. "Guess my wish got granted."
"You're the reason they were brought back to life?!" Willow questioned, amazed.
"So, the Desire Grand Prix can actually grant any wish we have?!" Gus asked giddily.
"Yeah, but only when you win," Luz confirmed, but then her expression grew serious. "This game makes you fight with your life on the line. So, you better decide if you wanna risk all that for your wish." The memory of Anne's death flashed in Luz's mind, and she began to tear up.
"Luz, are you OK?" Willow asked, noticing the tears. Luz wiped her tears away.
"It's nothing. I'm fine." So, none of it was in vain, Anne's death was not in vain. She should not be happy about that, but she was happy that her wish was granted. Eda's parents would be alive now, and so would so many others that were killed by her, or her Phantoms.
Tsumuri appeared in the middle of the platform with a welcoming smile. She looked at all the participants, each one she recognised as she had personally invited them to the Desire Grand Prix.
"Welcome to the Desire Grand Prix, everyone. My name is Tsumuri and I will be your navigator. Since you are here, you have accepted participation in this tournament. You will fight to protect the world from the Jyamatos as Kamen Riders. In the end, one of you will be crowned the God of Desire and have your wish granted. Now, please write your wish on your Desire Cards."
Pieces of cardstock paper and quill pens appeared in the hands of every contestant on the platform. Some went to different parts of the platform so as to not have someone see what it was they were going to wish for. While Luz was curious as to what her friends desired so badly to agree to join the Desire Grand Prix, there was something else she needed to do.
Luz finished writing down her wish and made her way across the platform to where Sasha and Marcy stood. The blonde teen immediately growled and had Marcy stand behind her, trying to protect her only remaining friend.
"What the hell do you want, Noceda?! You've got some nerve coming anywhere near us after what you did!" Sasha exclaimed.
Luz expected this reaction from Sasha, and honestly, she had no right to say anything back to her after what happened before. But, she was curious as to what Marcy's reaction was.
"I guess Sasha told you what happened during the last game, huh, Marcy?" Luz asked.
Marcy didn't seem to want to talk to Luz as she averted her gaze. There were some conflicting emotions in her eyes: anger towards Luz for not using the special Raise Buckle, sadness for Anne's death, and maybe shame for trusting her at all.
"Yeah, I told her everything." Sasha walked up to Luz and glared daggers at her. "I will never forgive you for what you did to Anne! I swore I would make you pay if I ever saw you again, Noceda and I meant it!"
"You have every right to be mad at me, Sasha. I'm angry at myself for being too scared to use that Buckle. But, I promise you, both of you, I won't let either of you die."
Sasha let out a bark of laughter upon hearing this declaration.
"Seriously? You got my best friend killed and now want to protect us in this new game?! What kind of BS is that?! Why?! So you can lord it over us or some crap?! So we owe you?!" Sasha asked.
Luz flashed her Desire Card to them, showing them what she had written. Sasha went silent and Marcy's eyes widened as they read Luz's wish.
"I wish for Anne Boonchuy to be brought back to life." - Luz Noceda.
"Because when Anne comes back, I want her friends to be there to greet her. It took Anne's death to convince me to use that power so I owe her this one," Luz stated.
Sasha was stunned and she honestly didn't know what to say. Marcy walked around from behind Sasha to get a closer look at the card, confirming what Luz had written on it. The Taiwanese teen showed her card, revealing the same wish that was written on it as well.
"What about you, Sasha? What did you wish for?" Luz asked. Sasha sneered for a moment before reluctantly showing her Desire Card to Luz. The exact same wish was written on it too. "Then we're agreed. I'll do all I can to make sure the three of us make it to the finals, and at the same time, I'll make sure none of you dies."
"You willing to stake your own life on it, Noceda?" Sasha challenged.
"…I only want to fix my mistakes. Since this will be my last time in the Desire Grand Prix, I want to make sure I do something else right with my wish."
Odalia crossed her arms in disgust, ignoring the looks she got because of her ears. She could have covered them with her hair, but why should she? She was proud of being a witch. She was a bit shocked to see herself standing among humans, but they were inferior magicless beings, unlike her.
Honestly, who could even foresee that human girl ever gaining such power? It was unfathomable. Humans did not have magic and yet that girl had found a source of magical power that allowed her to kill Emperor Belos and seize the throne for herself. If she had known the girl had such potential, maybe she would have told Amity to remove the Everlasting Oath. Even if she was a human, someone with that kind of power would be welcomed into their family. Amity could have been married to the new ruler of the Boiling Isles and Odalia would be running things from behind the scenes.
But now she had a chance to do that. This game would allow her to have her wish granted, giving her the ideal world she desired. She already knew what to wish for and everyone who turned their backs on her would pay.
'Alador, Edric, Emira, you'll rue the day you shut me out of my home, my business, and my money. When the Isles are mine, and I stand at the apex of power and authority in the Demon Realm, I'll make sure to remind you three why I am not a woman to be crossed!'
Once everyone had written down their wishes, their Desire Cards vanished from their hands. With their wishes accepted, it was time to begin the game. In a flash, the players were transported to the middle of the forest and dressed in DGP uniforms.
{The objective of this game is to collect your special items from the Jyamatos,} Tsumuri informed them after transporting the players into the middle of their forest. Being returning players, Sasha, Marcy and Luz were unfazed. {Use the balls provided for you to stun the Jyamatos. You only get three chances. Good luck.}
Luz found a bandolier of three baseballs strapped across her body. Taking one of the balls off, she tossed it up and down her hand. In school, she joined the baseball team. She was pretty good too, strong at the pitch and bat. This should be easy.
She soon spotted the Pawn-type Jyamatos who were dressed in rags and carrying combat knives. These were the Bandit Jyamatos and they each wore a vest with a target in the centre of their chests. As soon as the Bandit Jyamatos charged at the players, many of them ran in fright.
Luz saw a Bandit Jyamato come at her and she ducked under its swipe before she kicked it in the back. As it whirled around to strike her, she slammed her baseball against the target on its chest, causing it to freeze up.
[Mission Cleared!]
A Mission Box materialized at the Jyamato's feet and Luz immediately opened it up to find the Zombie Buckle. She smiled warmly as she picked it up.
"Looks like you're still fighting with me, huh, Amity?" Luz then remembered who else was playing. "Crap! Willow, Gus!"
Sasha was fearless and as such she was not afraid of the Jyamatos. She managed to lead one away to chase her, isolating it from the rest of the herd. Once she was a good distance away, she turned around with a ball in her hand.
"Take this!" Sasha reared her hand back and threw the baseball, striking the Bandit Jyamato directly in the target on its chest. The force of the blow knocked it on its back and a Mission Box materialized on its body.
[Mission Cleared!]
Sasha quickly grabbed the Mission Box and tore off the lid to find the Monster Buckle inside. A melancholy look crossed her face as she recalled the Buckle's last user.
"Anne..."
Marcy had singled out a Bandit Jyamato and drew it to her. Once she gained some distance, she adopted a martial arts stance. After she moved away with her family, Marcy started to get into martial arts. It was why she was such a capable fighter in the previous DGP.
The Jyamato charged at her and swung, but she dodged its attack before she landed a palm strike to its chest. She then delivered a reverse roundhouse kick, knocking it to the ground. As the Jyamato picked itself up, Marcy raised her arm back and waited. As it stood on its feet, she slammed the ball directly into the target on its chest.
[Mission Cleared!]
Gus was a prodigy and a master illusionist. Using his magic, he made multiple duplicates of himself to confuse the Jyamatos while keeping himself invisible. As the Jyamatos chased after his illusions, he scanned them to choose his target.
"Alright." Gus kissed his baseball. "Let's do this."
He threw the ball with all his might and struck the Jyamato in the target on its chest.
[Mission Cleared!]
"Yes!"
"Gus!" Luz ran up to him and found him holding a Mission Box.
"Hey, Luz!" Gus smiled. "Look what I got."
"So, you did it," Luz said, relieved. "Hey, have you seen Willow?"
"I think I lost her somewhere."
"Then let's go look for her."
Willow was not a weak little wallflower anymore and it showed with how easily she subdued a Bandit Jyamato. It came at her with its knife but she was ready for it. She caught its arm and then twisted its limb, forcing it to release its weapon. She then punched it in the face, knocking it down. As it picked itself up, she drew a spell circle and summoned vines to bind it. The Bandit Jyamato struggled as Willow took a baseball off her bandolier and slammed it down on its chest.
[Mission Cleared!]
As the Mission Box appeared at her feet, Willow smiled. That was a lot easier than she expected. As she gathered her prize, Luz and Gus found her.
"Wow, Willow." Luz admired her friend's handiwork. "Not bad."
"I've been practising," Willow boasted as she drew a spell circle and made a crown of flowers bloom around her friend's head.
"Damn, girl. You're buff and you've got a green thumb," Luz grinned, giving Willow two thumbs-up. "Go ahead, open it."
Willow opened her Mission Box to reveal her prize which was a Hammer Raise Buckle. Gus had opened his Mission Box too and got a Shield Raise Buckle.
"So, how do we use these?" Willow asked and they soon found themselves surrounded by Bandit Jyamatos.
"Oh, no," Gus frowned worriedly as he saw the Bandit Jyamatos raise their weapons.
"Lemme give you guys a free tutorial," Luz offered as she attached the Zombie Buckle to her Desire Driver.
[Set!]
"Henshin."
[ZOMBIE! READY, FIGHT!]
Both Gus and Willow were stunned as they witnessed Luz transform before them, but it was the helmet she wore that shocked them the most. It was the visage of Kamen Rider Oscura, Dark Empress of the Boiling Isles.
"Don't be scared, guys. It's still me," Luz assured them. Turning to face the horde of Bandit Jyamatos, she raised her Berserclaw to her face. "Now, it's showtime."
When Boscha found herself at the Desire Temple, she realised she was surrounded by humans so she quickly used her hair to conceal her pointed ears and third eye. Once they were taken to this forest, she knew she had to win.
Boscha's three eyes narrowed as she drew a spell circle and ignited one of her baseballs. She reared her arm back and threw. The flaming baseball flew across the forest and struck the Jyamato in the chest, blowing a hole right through it.
[Mission Cleared!]
A Mission Box appeared and Boscha immediately claimed it. She opened it up to find a Raise Buckle. She did not know what it was, yet, but since it was the objective, it had to be important.
The holographic screen showed the names of the players that failed the preliminaries:
Penny Proud/Kamen Rider Pride [LOSE]
Bonnie Rockwaller/Kamen Rider Bronz [LOSE]
Wendy Corduroy/Kamen Rider Griz [LOSE]
Mertle Edmonds/Kamen Rider Tiki [LOSE]
Louis McDuff/Kamen Rider Rebel [LOSE]
Hubert McDuff/Kamen Rider Jet [LOSE]
Dewford McDuff/Kamen Rider Turbo [LOSE]
...And so forth
Out of the thirty that were selected, only seven players made it through the preliminaries. Now, the remaining players were gathered in the lounge.
Luz was happy that Gus and Willow passed the preliminaries but she frowned when she saw that Boscha and Odalia managed to make it through as well. She should not be surprised to see them since the DGP was able to invite Gus and Willow to join, but these two would bear a grudge against her.
Marcy and Sasha managed to avoid getting eliminated too. Luz had mixed feelings about the pair. Marcy was nice but she remembered when Sasha swore vengeance against her. Even after showing them her wish, she wasn't sure if Sasha would even entertain the idea of working together to revive Anne. She just had to hope that Sasha's desire to bring back her beloved friend was stronger than her desire for vengeance.
Meanwhile, across the room, Boscha sat at the bar, glaring daggers at Luz. She couldn't believe her luck right now. It had been four whole years since Boscha had last seen that human's face. She tried her best to forget Luz Noceda's face, the one who took her Amity away, the one who humiliated her, and the one who turned her home upside down in just a few months. If it wasn't for the rule that prevented other Riders from attacking each other during the games, Boscha wouldn't hesitate to kill Luz right now for everything she did.
'One way or another, human, I'll make you pay for taking Amity away from me,' Boscha thought.
"Boscha, is that you, dear?" Odalia asked as she approached the teen witch.
"Oh, hey, Mrs. Blight," Boscha greeted. "Wait, that's not your name anymore, is it?"
"No," Odalia scowled. "Unfortunately, I've lost everything because of that human."
"Join the club," Boscha nodded. "So, what do you want?"
"Boscha, dear, you were my daughter's closest friend and I know how much you miss her. If it was not for that human, she would be back on the Boiling Isles with you. So, I propose an alliance. Let us work together to get rid of that human." Odalia offered her hand. Boscha looked at the hand offered to her and scoffed.
"Sorry, Odalia, but you'll just hold me back," Boscha refused.
"Excuse me?! Boscha, do you not recall that it was because of the agreement I made with your parents that you were set to eventually marry Amity? At first, it was going to be a competition between you and Skara, but I saw a bit of myself in you and that's when I decided to make a deal with your family to arrange your future marriage! I made that happen! And I can still make it happen if you join me," Odalia offered.
Boscha scoffed at the amount of bravado that Odalia was showing off as if she had even the slightest power or leverage over her.
"I don't need Oracle magic to figure out that whatever wish you're aiming for, it's going to involve you 'ruling the Demon Realm' or some BS like that. Plus, let's just say you did manage to win and become the new empress, what good does that do me? Amity's in the Human Realm and there's no way to get to her. So, unless you know about a secret way to get her back, your only bargaining chip is gone. Well, do you know of a way? If so, tell me, and I'll join you in a heartbeat. I'm waiting, Odalia," Boscha challenged.
Odalia bit her bottom lip as she tried to think of a way to sate Boscha for the time being. She could just lie and tell her that she knew of a way. She did possess Oracle magic so she could just make something up about seeing a possible way of getting Amity back.
'But then she might try to ask me how to do it so she can do it herself later…' Odalia looked into Boscha's three eyes and gritted her teeth behind pressed lips. 'Damn it, I know she'd see through it. But I have to try something!'
"T-There might be a way, Boscha. But we won't know until we get the resources we need. If I do become empress, I can look through all of Emperor Belos' notes and forbidden texts on Wild Magic and the like. Maybe there is a way that we can create a portal to the Human Realm. This new 'High Council' is probably keeping such knowledge hidden," said Odalia.
"Hm, you might not be wrong there," Boscha agreed. "If there was a way to make another portal, I doubt the High Council would allow anyone to find it. We already had one human emperor who was a tyrant and then an empress who was a complete monster. It would make sense that they wouldn't want any other humans to cross over into our world."
"Then you understand! Think about it, Boscha. Once I get my wish and become empress, I'll use that knowledge and create a portal to rescue Amity! She'll be in your arms before you know it!"
Boscha liked the sound of that but she had to be realistic and Odalia needed that dose of reality right now.
"Odalia, I'll be straight with you: there is no way you are winning this game. You're not exactly fit and I doubt you can keep up with us physically. You got lucky you made it this far but do you think you can beat Oscura?"
Odalia's mind flashed back to that moment, remembering the face of the monster who killed her, and the roaring crimson light.
"I…I…"
"That's what I thought." Boscha averted her gaze from Odalia. "This conversation is over, Odalia. If you're smart, you'll give up now and go back home. I hear they're setting up some kind of welfare system or something to help the Returned. You may not be able to live in luxury like you were used to, but at least you won't be sleeping on the streets."
Odalia fumed when she heard this. How could Boscha expect her to live like that? She was Odalia Blight! She would not be reduced to living like a common peasant!
"I'll remember this when I win, Boscha. My 'family' will get theirs, but I'll make sure you get it far worse for not joining me when you had the chance," Odalia threatened before she stomped away, muttering something unintelligible under her breath. Most likely a lot of curses.
"Good luck, Odalia," Boscha snarked. 'Pathetic. That's a lot of hoops to jump through just to get what I want. Considering when I win, I get what I want anyway, you stupid bitch.'
Sasha was sitting with Marcy when she saw the exchange. It was strange to find not one, not two, but four witches in this tournament now. Amity Blight was one thing, but now they had four magic users to contend with. The way that older witch woman talked about Noceda, there was no doubt she hated Luz. The other two, the tall dark-skinned boy, and the - admittedly attractive - muscular girl, seemed to be chummy with Noceda. But the last one, the witch girl with three eyes, was the one that got Sasha's attention. Not because of how she looked, but mostly because of how she was glaring at Noceda.
"Hey, Mar-Mar, I'm going to go to the bar for a sec," said Sasha.
"Huh? Oh, sure," Marcy replied.
"You want anything?"
"Oh, I guess I could use a glass of water. Gotta stay hydrated."
"You okay, Marce?"
"I…I don't know yet..." Marcy admitted, sighting. "Being back in the game is exciting, but without Anne, it feels…wrong."
Sasha patted Marcy on the back as she consoled her friend.
"I know, but we'll get her back."
Sasha got up from her seat and walked across the room to get to the bar. She sat down on the seat next to Boscha and raised her finger. Mr. Butler nodded as he knew the kind of drink she wanted when she made that gesture.
Boscha was enjoying a glass of apple blood, something that she didn't think a human would be able to procure, but her enjoyment was dampened a bit when the blonde human girl sat next to her.
"So, you're a witch, huh?" Sasha asked Boscha.
"Yeah, I am. What do you want, human?"
"I played this game last time. There was a witch then too. Amity Blight. Do you know her?"
Boscha nearly spat out her drink when she heard that name.
"You met Amity?!"
"Yeah, and she made it to the final round with me and Noceda. So, how do you know her?"
"She…" Boscha paused for a moment as she shot a glance at Luz, and then returned her gaze to Sasha. "She was my girlfriend."
"Really?" Sasha asked. "Huh, that's weird. 'Cause during the last game, Blight was totally in love with Noceda from what I saw."
"That bitch brainwashed her!" Boscha exclaimed as she slammed her fist on the counter. "She's not what she seems!"
"I figured that much during the last game," Sasha agreed as she glanced at Luz. "Noceda is way too skilled to be a newbie. Although we all fought in the Desire Grand Prix for the first time, Noceda fought as if she'd been a Rider all her life. And…" Sasha recalled that look and foreboding presence, as well as the overwhelming power Luz wielded during the final round of the last game. "…she radiates this seriously disturbing aura. I'm not the kind of person who gets intimidated, at all, but…she scares me."
Boscha dryly chuckled.
"I'm not surprised she made you feel that way. She's dangerous and she was a real monster too. Nearly destroyed my world too. If it were up to me, she would have been executed for everything she had done."
Sasha raised an eyebrow when she heard Boscha say that.
"Maybe you can tell me more. Noceda got my best friend killed during the last game, and I'm not buying whatever act she's putting on. If she's as dangerous as you say, then she's got no right being here," said Sasha.
Boscha grinned as she looked at this human. While she considered them to all be inferior and weak compared to witches, there was something about this particular human that she found intriguing.
"You're right. I refuse to allow that monster to win this game, and I refuse to allow her to keep the girl I love hostage."
"I'm Sasha." The blonde extended her hand towards Boscha. "It's nice to meet you."
"Call me Boscha," Boscha smirked and shook the human's hand. Though humans were inferior to witches, Boscha could sense something about this human, a kind of kindred spirit in a way, and, admittedly, Sasha wasn't so bad to look at. She may have refused to ally herself with Odalia, but she was sure this would be a very beneficial partnership.
Luz noticed when Sasha went to speak to Boscha. She knew the three-eyed witch still hated her and she could not blame her. Though, after her wish brought back everyone who she and her Phantoms killed, she should not have a reason. If Luz had to guess, Boscha still hated her because Amity had chosen her. The witch would no doubt be bad-mouthing her to Sasha.
Luz also kept her eye on Odalia who kept her distance from her. The woman was likely still traumatized from her death and did not feel comfortable with confronting Luz right now. Luz considered speaking to her but decided against it. While Luz regretted killing her, she did not feel bad about Amity disowning her.
The phone rang and Mr. Butler went to answer it. After a few minutes, he nodded.
"I understand. I will inform them immediately," he said before he ended the call. "Ms. Tsumuri, it's time."
"Alright, the seven managed to make it through the preliminary round. Now, it's time for you to play the real first round. You must defeat all the Jyamatos so now..." Tsumuri performed a transformation pose. "Henshin!"
[Entry!]
The players found themselves back in the forest as their Desire Drivers activated. Their ID Cores flashed as the metal circles materialized to form their Entry Suits. They were each clad in unimpressive and identical black suits. Then, their respective Rider Heads dropped and attached to their helmets.
{Mirage.}
{Honey.}
{Fowl.}
{Red-Pan.}
{Soaron.}
{Newtonne.}
{Oscura.}
When Tsumuri announced the last name, two Boiling Islanders in particular took a step back from Luz.
"OSCURA?! SERIOUSLY?! YOUR NAME IS THE SAME AS BACK THEN, TOO?!" Red-Pan/Boscha cried. Her Rider Head was oversized and coloured red, with the left eye being star-shaped. The ears were pointed and coloured white.
Odalia/Fowl was silent as she crossed her arms, glaring coldly at Oscura. Fowl's Rider Head was bird-like and coloured blue with feathers fanned out behind her head.
"Relax, Boscha. It's just a name," Luz/Oscura replied dryly. "I'm not some kind of boogieman." Her Rider codename had changed along with her appearance. Instead of the owl-like Lechuz Head, she now wore the Oscura Rider Head which resembled the top half of her original Rider helmet with a purple gem-like visor that was framed by metal to resemble sharp eyes and crowned by two sharp horns. Luz was not surprised. She had seen her codename on her Spider Phone. It was likely due to her usage of the Oscura Buckle in the last DGP season.
"Hey, we really transformed!" Gus/Mirage yelled in excitement as he looked at his hands.
"Gus, you look like a chameleon," Honey/Willow pointed out. Mirage's Rider head resembled a blue chameleon with big eyes.
"And you look like a bee, Willow!" Honey's Rider Head was yellow with big black compound eyes and antennae.
"You newbies should hang back," Sasha/Soaron said condescendingly. "Let the vets show you how it's done."
[Set!]
"This is for you, Anne," Soaron swore once she attached the Monster Buckle to her Desire Driver and activated it.
[MONSTER!]
[READY, FIGHT!]
Equipped in the Monster Armour, Soaron charged at the Jyamatos.
[Set!]
Newtonne attached the Magnum Buckle to her Desire Driver and spun the barrel-like front before she squeezed the button on the grip.
[MAGNUM!]
The 'MAGNUM' logo appeared and shot energy bullets that knocked down the charging Jyamatos before they flew back and hit the logo, turning it into the mechanical apparatus and her armour. The apparatus equipped her in her Magnum Armour, arming her with the Magnum Shooter 40X.
[READY, FIGHT!]
"Time to show off my FPS skills!" Newtonne yelled as she jumped and perched onto a tree after converting her weapon to rifle mode.
Soaron was throwing punches, knocking Jyamatos on their backs. When several Bandit Jyamatos came at her from behind, they were sniped by Newtonne. Soaron spun around and saw her friend sitting in a tree.
"Hey, Sash!" Newtonne waved.
"Camping, Mar-Mar?" Soaron chuckled.
"Hey, it's a legitimate strategy," Newtonne defended. "I'll provide cover fire and you kick ass." She sniped a couple more Bandit Jyamatos. "Boom, headshot!"
Soaron chuckled in amusement, happy to see her friend in her element. She spotted a couple of the Bandit Jyamatos coming her way and pounded her knuckles together. This was going to be fun.
[Set!]
Oscura attached the Zombie Buckle to her Desire Driver and turned the twist knob.
[ZOMBIE!]
Purple slime burst out of her Raise Buckle as the logo became the mechanical apparatus and attached the armour to her.
[READY, FIGHT!]
A Bandit Jyamato charged at her but she used her Zombie Breaker to trip it up. As it landed on its back, she pinned it down with her foot.
"Go to Hell," she growled as she twisted the knob on her Zombie Buckle.
[ZOMBIE STRIKE!]
Purple energy gathered in her Berserclaw and she swiped it at the Bandit Jyamato, sending it flying before it exploded. Shouldering her chainsaw sword, she walked deeper into the forest to find more targets.
Fowl glared at Oscura as she held her Arrow Buckle in her clenched fist.
"C'mon, Willow!" Mirage yelled excitedly. "We don't want to be left behind!"
"Right," Honey nodded.
[Set!]
[Armed Shield!]
[Armed Hammer!]
Mirage was equipped with the dark blue Raise Shield along with the minimal Raise Armour while Honey was armed with the Raise Hammer along with the appropriate pink Raise Armour.
[Ready, Fight!]
"Let's go, Gus!"Honey yelled, gripping her Raise Hammer as she charged at the Jyamatos.
"Right behind you, Willow!"Mirage exclaimed as he joined his friend.
Red-Pan was still shaking from watching Oscura fight. She may look a bit different now, but she was still terrifyingly brutal as she mercilessly dispatched the Jyamatos. However, Red-Pan would not show fear or weakness here. She was a winner.
[Set!]
[Armed Chain Array!]
[Ready, Fight!]
Once she was armed, Red-Pan charged into the fray. She was not going to fall behind.
"Hyah!" Mirage raised his shield to block a Bandit Jyamato's knife before he delivered a kick, knocking it back. It tried again, but Mirage struck it in the throat with the edge of his shield, causing it to stagger back in pain.
[Shield Strike!]
Energy gathered in his shield and he swung forward, using the edge of his shield to slice the Jyamato across the chest, killing it as it exploded.
"Did you see that, Willow?" Mirage called and he saw how his friend was doing. "Whoa."
Honey ducked under a Bandit Jyamato's knife swung and got behind it before she hooked her arms under its armpits and performed a suplex, slamming its head hard against the ground. She released the monster and stood straight up before she slammed her foot on its head, crushing it with her heel.
Red-Pan did not care what Mirage and Honey did. All she cared about was winning the game. As a group of Jyamatos came charging at her, she smirked and activated her finisher.
[Chain Array Strike!]
Orange energy gathered around her weapon as she cast a spell, igniting the spiked ball. With a powerful forward swing, she sent the flaming spiked ball flying and it smashed into the Jyamatos, killing them with a single strike. She pulled back on the chain and grinned as she spun the morning star proudly.
"Losers," she spat.
Oscura dispatched another Bandit Jyamato like a woman on a would complete the objective and advance to the next round as her wish depended on it. As the Bandit Jyamatos rushed at her, she raised her Zombie Breaker to block their attacks and pushed them back before striking back with her weapon. The chainsaw blade rotated at high speed as she slashed at the Bandit Jyamatos ruthlessly.
The Bandit Jyamatos withdrew from her before they started to surround her and then they charged at her from all sides.
[Poison Charge!]
As the Bandit Jyamatos came within range, she squeezed the trigger of her Zombie Breaker.
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
She spun in a circle, delivering a charged circular energy slash that struck the charging Jyamatos, destroying them with a single blow. After dealing with this group of Jyamatos, she scanned her surroundings for more targets. While the objective was to defeat all the Jyamatos, she knew that this game would only end once the Boss was defeated. She recalled seeing a Rook Jyamato among the Bandit Jyamatos. That must be the Boss.
As Oscura scanned for more targets, sparks suddenly blasted off her back. Stumbling forward, she spun around to see Fowl coming at her with her Raise Arrow crossbow aimed at her.
"Odalia!?" Oscura let out a grunt as Fowl fired at her again.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!" Fowl screamed as she fired repeatedly at Oscura who deflected the energy arrows with her Zombie Breaker. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING, HUMAN!"
[Penalty.]
[Penalty.]
[Penalty.]
"Odalia, stop it! If you keep this up, you'll lose the game! Is getting your revenge on me worth risking your wish?!" Oscura argued as she kept deflecting Fowl's shots.
"YOU RUINED MY LIFE! TURNED MY FAMILY AGAINST ME! AND IN THE END, YOU KILLED ME!" Fowl screamed as she continuously fired.
[Penalty.]
[Penalty.]
[Penalty.]
Oscura dashed and hid behind a tree as Fowl kept firing. She checked her Spider Phone and watched as Fowl's score dropped into the negative. Even if she started playing, there was no way she was going to be able to recover before the game was over.
"I brought you back to life! I brought everyone I killed back to life! This is your chance for a fresh start, and you're wasting it on revenge! Also, for clarification, you made them turn against you when you confessed how you really felt about them!" Oscura shouted.
"AND WHOSE FAULT WAS THAT?! YOU WALTZED INTO MY HOME AND USED YOUR FOUL MAGIC TO MAKE ME CONFESS! AND NOW I'M HOMELESS! PENNILESS! DIVORCED! AND ON TOP OF IT ALL, I FIND OUT MY DAUGHTER IS EXILED TO THIS WRETCHED WORLD!" Fowl started running towards the tree, still firing her arrows. "WHERE IS SHE?! WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER, YOU LOWLY HUMAN BITCH?!"
'Amity, I really don't want to hurt your mom after what I did to her last time, but she is making it very difficult not to!'
Chunks were being chipped from the tree, forcing Oscura to abandon her current cover and go back to deflecting the arrow shots.
"Odalia, listen, she's doing just fine! She's happily living with me and my Mom–Oh crap…"
Fowl paused for a moment when she heard this.
"...What did you just say, human?" Fowl demanded.
"Uh…Ahem…A-Amity is living in my house…as my…" Oscura gulped. "As my girlfriend…"
A small gust of wind blew through the trees as silence reigned over the area for about ten seconds.
"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Fowl screamed into the air. "YOU MADE HER YOUR SLAVE, DIDN'T YOU?! OF COURSE, YOU DID! YOU SICK, TWISTED, FOUL CREATURE! YOU TOOK MY PRIZED CHILD AND TURNED HER INTO YOUR LITTLE SLAVE! WHAT DEPRAVED THINGS HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!"
"Whoa!" Oscura took offence to that. "First off: I haven't done anything twisted to her. Second: she's not a slave, she's my girlfriend. And third: she's very happy with us."
"LIES! FILTHY LIES!" Fowl wailed as she returned to shooting at Oscura.
[Penalty.]
[Penalty.]
[Penalty.]
Oscura remained on the defensive. She couldn't afford to fight against Fowl and incur a penalty as well. She needed to make it to the finals so she could resurrect Anne. Unfortunately, Fowl saw this defensive posture as less a strategy and more as a sign of weakness.
"ARE YOU AFRAID TO FIGHT BACK NOW THAT YOU'VE LOST YOUR POWER, 'EMPRESS'!?" Fowl mocked.
As Fowl continued to fire upon Oscura, she failed to notice the Rook-type Chief Jyamato that was walking up behind her. Oscura's eyes widened as she saw the monster approach.
"Odalia, watch out!" Oscura shouted. "There's a Jyamato behind you!"
"YOU CAN'T FOOL ME, HUMAN!" Fowl screamed as she fired at Oscura, ignoring her warning. The Chief Jyamato reared back its arm, charging its axe with energy, and then swung it at Fowl's back. The blade struck with explosive force and Fowl screamed as she was flung across the forest.
"ODALIA!" Oscura cried as the witch went tumbling across the grass. She ignored the Chief Jyamato to check on the woman.
Odalia lay on the ground with her ID Core cracked as red-black static begin to crackle across her body. When Oscura reached her, she was already too late.
"Odalia, I really hoped that when you came back to life, you would reflect on your behaviour and change for the better, but you wasted your second chance," Oscura said softly.
"A life…given back…by you…?! I'd…rather die…than owe you…my…LIFE…!"
"You're about to get your wish."
[Mission Failed!]
The red-black static engulfed Odalia's body as she disintegrated. To make matters worse, Soaron witnessed Odalia's death while Oscura stood over her.
'Noceda, you really are a monster. Back then, you would've shown some remorse over another player dying. But you barely batted an eye for that woman. Guess it doesn't matter since you killed her once already,' thought Soaron bitterly.
The Chief Jyamato approached Oscura and she turned to confront it. Gripping her Zombie Breaker tightly, she held up her Berserclaw and gave it a challenging gesture. The Chief Jyamato took the challenge and charged at her. As it swung its axe, she raised her blade to parry. Sparks flew as their weapons connected. She kicked the Chief Jyamato in the stomach, knocking it back before she delivered a flurry of slashes with her Berserclaw. As the Jyamato staggered back, she charged the Zombie Breaker's chainsaw blade with the Deadly Pump.
[Poison Charge!]
Oscura slashed the Jyamato with her Zombie Breaker, and then threw her sword up into the air, making the Chief Jyamato look up at the sword rather than her.
"Made you look!" Oscura mocked.
She twisted the knob on her Zombie Buckle, activating its finisher.
[ZOMBIE STRIKE!]
The Beserclaw on her left hand blazed with purple energy as she thrust it into the Chief Jyamato's chest, piercing its flesh as her claws burst out the creature's back. The Chief Jyamato made grunts of pain as it tried to raise its hands to pull the claws out of its body but it was already too late. Oscura raised her right hand into the air just as her sword fell into it. Once in hand, Oscura squeezed the trigger.
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
The eyes of Oscura's helmet shined as she violently withdrew her claws, creating five streaks of jagged purple energy as the Chief Jyamato staggered backwards. Upon withdrawing her Berserclaw, she swung her left arm upwards to deliver an uppercut slash that threw the Chief Jyamato into the air.
As the Chief Jyamato was pulled back down by gravity, Oscura twirled the Zombie Breaker around her right hand before thrusting it up towards the sky, just as the Chief Jyamato fell on the tip. The chainsaw revved up just then, causing a shower of sparks to rain down over Oscura as the Chief Jyamato was run through. The creature continued to scream in pain before it got halfway down the blade. Once there, the Chief Jyamato exploded, casting a dark shadow over Oscura as she lowered her sword, the only thing visible in the shadows being her glowing eyes.
Soaron had been watching from a distance, eyes wide as she witnessed how ruthlessly Oscura took out the Chief Jyamato. During the last DGP, Oscura was restrained, to a degree. But now, something had changed. Oscura was now, for lack of a better word, brutal in how she executed the Jyamatos. If it had been anyone else, she might have appreciated it.
"You see it, right?" Soaron glanced to her right and saw Red-Pan walking up next to her. "That's Oscura's true nature: a cruel, vicious, destructive, and manipulative force. She may not have the power she wielded four years ago, but she's still a monster even without it."
"How could the DGP allow someone like that in this game?" Soaron questioned.
"I don't know who's behind this game, but they must have a bad sense of humour to allow her to play. Looks like she's got a taste for power and wants it back," said Red-Pan.
"But she…she wrote that she wanted to bring back–"
"Look, Sasha, you're a smart girl. If she wants to bring your friend back to life, just know there's an ulterior motive behind it. Oscura once posed as a student at my school after she took over my home. I didn't find out until later when she confronted me and said that she would make my life a living hell if I outed her to anyone. And after what she did to Amity's family, I wasn't about to doubt her words." Red-Pan looked down at Oscura from their vantage point and scowled. "You never know what she's planning, everything's just a game to her. But when you're used to wielding unimaginable power, everything's a game to you. It's just a matter of trying to stay a step ahead of her."
Soaron already didn't like Oscura, but now, she disliked her even more. If bringing back Anne was just a part of her plan, then what was her endgame?
"Boscha, I have a plan. When this game's over, and we're recalled to the temple, I need you to back me up when the time comes. And if we're successful, we can get Noceda disqualified. Are you with me?" Soaron asked.
"If it means getting rid of Oscura, then I'm in."
"Good."
After the game ended, the surviving Riders returned to the lounge to see the leaderboard on display. The game ended and Luz was at the top of the leaderboard for defeating the Boss, the Chief Jyamato.
"Good work Riders, you managed to end the game," Tsumuri informed them. "Unfortunately, Fowl did not make it."
"Hold up, I need to say something," Sasha interrupted as she raised her hand. Marcy was starting to get a bad case of deja vu. The last time Sasha did something like this, it didn't end the way she wanted it to. "I don't know if you know this, but Luz Noceda has a dark secret." She pointed her right index finger right at Luz. "I was told by a reliable source that she used to be a tyrant who took over the Boiling Isles in the Demon Realm. The same place that Fowl, Red-Pan, Honey, and Mirage come from. Four years ago, she obtained dark powers and ruled over their world with an iron fist. Because of her, many of their people lost their lives, killed either by her own hands or by the army of monsters she conjured to do her bidding."
Luz grimaced bitterly at being reminded of her past mistakes and felt ashamed having it all aired out in front of the other players.
Marcy looked at Sasha as if she had just grown a second head.
"What?! Sasha, c'mon, you can't just make something like that up!" Marcy exclaimed.
"It's not made up." Boscha broke away from the rest of the players and stood next to Sasha.
'Reliable source she says. Why am I not surprised?' Luz thought.
"I, like many of my fellow Demon Realm denizens, was a victim of Oscura's cruelty and no one was spared. We fought against her but it was a futile effort due to how powerful she was and she revelled in the fact that she knew there was quite literally nothing we could do to stop her." Boscha began to fake cry as all three of her eyes watered. "But the one who received the worst of her cruelty was Amity Blight, my girlfriend, and the daughter of Odalia Blight who just died again today," Boscha growled and glared at Luz as she continued. "Oscura killed Amity Blight's mother out of sheer spite! And when Amity tried to get revenge for her mother's death, she forced her to try again and again, only to fail each time, just to prove that she was powerless against her! That's the kind of person Oscura is!"
Luz felt as if she should say something, but she couldn't. She definitely wanted to argue that "Amity is my girlfriend" BS, but hearing her past mistakes from someone who directly suffered because of her, brought back her feelings of guilt and shame.
"Boscha, that's enough!" Willow shouted. "That's not who Luz is anymore. And besides, everyone that Oscura or her Phantoms killed was brought back to life already."
"You said it yourself, Odalia was killed by Oscura, but she was brought back to life too. Luz used her wish to bring back everyone she killed. A lot of people are happy to see their loved ones again and no one even knows it was because of her. Heck, we didn't know until she told us herself," Gus argued.
"Please, she probably just told you that to make you not hate her," Boscha shot back, scoffing.
"Hey, Tsumuri," Luz interjected, finding the courage to speak after her friends stood up for her. "Can you show them the wish I wrote on my Desire Card from the last tournament?"
"Of course," Tsumuri answered. Tapping her tablet, she brought up a holographic screen which displayed Luz's Desire Card.
"I want to bring back all the people that were killed, either by me or by my Phantom army, to life." - Luz Noceda
"As you can see, Boscha, it's not a lie," Luz stated.
"That still doesn't change the fact that you did all those things, Noceda. Anyone else in our world would be imprisoned or executed for those crimes," Sasha argued. "I don't think someone like you should have been allowed to compete. Tsumuri, I formally request that Luz Noceda be disqualified from the game, and barred from ever playing again."
"I second that!" Boscha agreed.
"Well, I object!" Willow shouted.
"Same here!" Gus agreed.
"Well, Marcy?" Sasha asked her friend expectantly. "What about you?"
Marcy looked at Sasha and then back at Luz. She remembered what they were fighting for and what Luz was trying to achieve in this game.
"...Let her play," Marcy said.
"What!?" Sasha's jaw dropped.
"Sasha, you saw her wish. That should at least make up for her sins."
"What about Anne?!" Sasha argued.
"Luz did not kill Anne, Sasha. She sacrificed herself to save you. There's a difference," Marcy stated firmly.
"Marcy, I can't believe you would side with her over me," said Sasha in disbelief.
Marcy glanced at Luz for a moment before returning her gaze to Sasha.
"We're on the same side. We all want to get Anne back."
"But-!"
"Ahem!" Tsumuri cleared her throat, calling everyone's attention. "Regarding Luz Noceda's former status, we are aware of it."
"Excuse me?" Sasha questioned.
"We are aware of Luz Noceda's past as Empress Oscura and she was chosen to participate regardless of the fact."
Sasha felt the world grind to a halt, and from the looks of it, so did Boscha.
"Are you kidding me!? You knew from the beginning that Noceda was a monster?!" Sasha cried.
"Correct," Tsumuri confirmed. "We screen our participants carefully to determine if they are eligible to join and Ms. Noceda passed."
"What if she decides that the next time she competes that she'll wish to rule the world!?" Sasha snapped.
"Then her wish will be granted as her right as the God of Desire."
'This…This isn't happening!' Sasha screamed internally. 'They're going to allow a dethroned tyrant to fight in this tournament! I get it…that's her endgame! She'll bring back Anne, but only so that the next time she plays, she can get that out of the way and wish to rule over us! She probably wants to make us into her playthings or some crap for all the grief I gave her! I won't let her hurt them! Not me, not Marcy, and definitely not Anne!'
'No…No way! These people will just grant her whatever wish she wants!? If she wins again, she could make herself the empress of the Boiling Isles again! No, worse, she could become the God Empress of the Human and Demon Realms! To hell with this world, but if that happens, there's nowhere in either world safe from her! I can't let that happen!' Boscha panicked.
"Sasha, when I offered an olive branch so we could work together and bring Anne back, I meant it. But it looks like you're determined to be my enemy. So, how about this? Make it to the finals with me and we'll settle things then. Winner gets her wish granted," Luz challenged.
"Excuse me, but combat between Riders is prohibited and will be penalized," Tsumuri warned. A beep came from her tablet and she looked at her screen. Her eyes widened when she saw it was a call from the Game Master. She tapped the icon and the holographic screen showed the masked and hooded face of the Game Master.
"Who's that?" Gus asked Willow who shrugged.
"Everyone, this is the Game Master," Tsumuri introduced.
{Your proposal has been accepted, Kamen Rider Oscura,} the Game Master said. {If you and Kamen Rider Soaron remain as the last two players standing, you will both fight for the title of God of Desire and have your wish granted.}
"That's it? No penalties? No disqualification? You'll allow us to fight each other one-on-one?" Luz asked, giving the Game Master a suspicious look.
{That is correct. As I enforce the rules, I can also suspend the penalties in this case,} the Game Master confirmed.
"What about outside of that? During the rest of the game?" Sasha asked.
{Penalties will still be enforced and will only be suspended for your match in the final round. Try to survive until then, Kamen Rider Soaron.}
Tsumuri was a bit surprised by this news, but it wasn't her place to contradict the Game Master's rulings.
"So it is decided. Kamen Rider Oscura and Kamen Rider Soaron, should you both make it to the final round of this tournament, you will do battle to decide who is crowned the God of Desire. And, as the Game Master stated, until that time, the penalties for fighting fellow Riders will still be enforced. This means, if you wish to remain in this game, you cannot fight each other – or your fellow Riders – during any of the other upcoming rounds." Tsumuri explained. "Is this understood?"
Luz looked at Sasha and Sasha at Luz. Both teens held a strong glare as they answered together:
"Understood/Yeah."
Back in the unknown space, a woman with turquoise hair and golden eyes sipped on her red beverage as she looked up at the holographic screen and smiled delightfully.
"This new season of DGP is going to be even more exciting than the last," she said. "But, are you okay with this? I mean, there's no way Oscura's gonna lose."
Sitting across to her left, on the other side of the large red couch, was a man in his early forties. He had short brown hair, a scruffy short beard, and wore a grey business suit with a red tie.
"I wouldn't go underestimating Sasha's tenacity. When she wants something, there's hardly anything anyone can do to stop her," he replied.
"An unstoppable force fighting against an unmovable object. In the end, which one will prevail? My hero? Or your daughter, Ted Waybright?"
Ted got up from his seat and straightened out his suit before smiling down at the younger woman.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Ted answered.
"Hmm, so we shall." The woman swirled the red beverage in her glass before holding it up towards Ted. "How about a toast? To a great show?"
"Thanks, but I can't quite digest that drink of yours. Plus, I have a meeting to get to after this."
"Rain check then. That's the expression, right?" the young woman asked. Ted nodded and began to walk towards the edge of the platform and he disappeared the moment he took a step off it. "Oscura's finally returned, now it's time for everyone to see the hero that I know you to be."
Dr. Exposition: And so we begin another season of the DGP. Not only do Luz, Marcy and Sasha return for another chance to have their wishes granted, but Odalia, Willow, Gus and Boscha were also invited. Unfortunately, Odalia did not make it past the first round. What was her wish? Well, this is it:
"I wish to be the SUPREME EMPRESS of the Demon Realm!" - Odalia Blight.
Michael Ravencroft: Time for Season 2 folks! And it's going to be wild! The official return of Kamen Rider Oscura, and now we have Gus, Willow, and Boscha in the mix. Things are definitely going to get complicated here. And, yeah, who didn't see that wish coming a mile away, lol. Anyway, look forward to future updates! You all wanted more Oscura, well, you're getting it!