Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore
Reprise II: The Camp Shall Run Read with Blood Tonight
*Muah!*
*Chu!*
*Muah!*
*Chuuuuu~!*
It had been a week without any Jyamato activity and Luz was taking full advantage of that. Sitting on the couch with Amity as a movie was playing on the TV, the two made out passionately.
"Luz," Amity said between kisses only to be silenced again when her girlfriend claimed her lips once more. Amity had to push her back just to get a word in. "C'mon, Luz. It's like you're starving for kisses."
"Can't help it, hermosa," Luz said as her warm breath touched Amity's neck while she nuzzled her. "Starting tomorrow, you're gonna be gone for two whole weeks."
Amity was going on a two-week-long reading camp as a counsellor, in charge of looking after the kids that were going there. It would be the longest two weeks of Luz's life without having her girlfriend around.
"I won't be gone forever," Amity assured her girlfriend before she let out a moan as Luz nibbled on her neck. "Luz, don't give me a hickey! People will see!"
"Don't care! Let 'em see. You're mine," Luz said possessively as she lightly sucked on the spot, causing Amity to moan in pleasure. "All mine, mine, mine."
The two shared one last kiss before breaking apart, nearly breathless. Amity's shirt was pushed up to reveal her stomach and a bit of her bra. At the same time, Luz's hair was a mess as Amity had run her fingers through it.
"How about we stop before things go too far, OK?" Amity asked as she fixed her hair and clothes.
"Fine." Luz crossed her arms with a mock pout. "But after this movie, we'll pick up where we left off, hm?"
The next day, Luz and Vee walked Amity to the library where the town's kids were gathered. Masha was already there and they smiled as Vee went up to them. Somehow, Masha was also a counsellor for the Reading Camp. The bus pulled over in front of the library and the door opened to let the kids in.
"I'm gonna miss you, Amity." Luz hugged her girlfriend and the witch rolled her eyes.
"It'll only be two weeks, Luz. I'll be back before you know it and we can still text and talk on the phone," Amity assured her.
"I know," Luz frowned. "It just won't be the same as having you here."
"You can have this then." Amity took off her moon necklace and gave it to Luz. "So you'll always have a part of me with you."
"Amity," Luz blushed as she took hold of the necklace. It was so sweet of her. Vee, on the other hand, was staring at Amity with wide eyes and with a stunned expression on her face.
"Tell me when a publisher accepts your book, OK? I want to hear all about it." Amity then kissed Luz on the cheek. "See you in two weeks. Love you."
"Love you too. Call me when you get there, OK?" Luz requested and Amity nodded. She got on the bus and sat down.
Masha got on the bus last but not before giving their girlfriend a goodbye kiss that made Vee blush. They got on the seat behind Amity. They both looked out the windows and waved at their girlfriends as the bus pulled away.
"So, Amity gave you her necklace," Vee remarked after the bus left.
"Yeah, she did," Luz smiled warmly, holding Amity's moon necklace fondly.
"You do realise what that means, right?" Vee asked suggestively.
"Huh?" Luz blinked. "She just gave me something to remember her by. What else could it mean?"
"Oh, you really don't know? Well, you see, in the Boiling Isles, when couples want to further commit to the relationship, they exchange jewellery. Soooo, basically, what Amity did was the Demon Realm's equivalent to a proposal," Vee explained.
A gust of wind blew through the area as silence reigned for a few seconds before Luz's face began to change colours to a bright crimson.
"A-A-Amity p-p-proposed to m-m-me?!" Luz exclaimed in shock.
"Yes! Congratulations, Big Sis! We should tell Mom. She'd be so happy!" Vee said cheerfully.
"W-w-wait! Hold on!" Luz panicked, trying to process all this. "Seriously!? Amity proposed to me right before she leaves town for two weeks!?" Amity had proposed to her after four years of dating. Amity wanted to take their relationship to the next level! This was huge! So, very, very, huge! So life-changingly HUGE!
"Luz, relax," Vee spoke calmly as she saw her big sister freaking out. "You should be happy that Amity loves you so much."
"I know, but we've never really talked about marriage," Luz replied.
"But don't you want to spend the rest of your life with Amity?" Vee tilted her head in confusion. "You're already in love so what's the big deal?"
"Marriage is a really huge step, Vee! Huge! ¡MUY GRANDE!"
"I get it, Luz. But considering how much you care about each other, this just seems like the next logical step, you know?"
Luz couldn't deny that the idea of getting married to Amity Blight was very, very, very appealing. Amity was an awesome girlfriend. She was beautiful, smart, funny, classy, and way out of her league. Yet, Amity chose to be with her. However, there was a part of Luz that felt she did not deserve someone as amazing as Amity.
"…Vee, do you really think I can make her happy?" Luz asked. "After everything I've done, do you really think it's possible? She left the Boiling Isles forever to punish herself for what happened. How…How do I know that she won't regret this later on?"
"I guess you'll just have to take a chance," Vee advised wisely.
Luz looked at the necklace again. This was Amity's proposal. She must have put a lot of thought into this. She gave it to Luz right here and now, giving her two weeks to think about the proposal and expecting an answer when she returned. Amity was ready to take that leap with her. She was committing wholeheartedly to their relationship and their future.
'How can I say no when she mustered up the courage to propose to me?'
"You're right, Vee. If anything, making Amity happy is something an awesome girlfriend should do. And if Amity has already decided she wants to spend the rest of her life with me, then…t-then…I'll do it! I-I'll marry Amity Blight!" Luz proclaimed proudly, and nervously, into the air.
"Great! So, do we tell Mom?"
"Not yet!"
"…Figures," Vee deadpanned. "Oh well, at least you're committed. You wanna watch some Kamen Rider Eclipse after this?"
"Heck, yeah! By the way, Vee, how do you know about this custom anyway?"
"Oh, while I was locked up, there was this Coven Scout who kept talking about proposing to someone special."
"Aww, that's sweet." Luz put the necklace around her neck and let it dangle there. "How does it look?"
"Like it belongs, Sis," Vee replied.
"Thanks, I still can't believe she proposed to me. She must've been planning this for months or something."
(A few minutes earlier…)
Amity kept waving until Luz and Vee were completely out of sight. She was going to miss them, Luz most of all.
'Hopefully, my necklace will give her some comfort while I'm away,' Amity thought.
They drove for a mile, two miles, three miles, four even. That was when Amity's face turned bright red as what she had done back there finally sunk in.
'I gave Luz my necklace…I…I proposed to her! I PROPOSED TO LUZ!'
"AAAAAAAAAAHAHHHHH!" Amity screamed as she began rolling back and forth in her seat. The kids, instead of being scared, just watched Amity scream and roll back and forth as she covered her bright red face.
One of the kids - a little blonde girl with pigtails - tugged at Masha's shirt.
"Is Miss Amity okay?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, don't sweat it. This is what we call a 'gay panic moment'," Masha informed her. "Just sit back and enjoy the show. She'll start making funny noises and talking to herself in a second."
"KYAAH! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT! WE'RE ONLY EIGHTEEN! I CAN'T BE – AUGH – AND WE'RE – OH, TITAN, HOW COULD I FORGET SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT?!"
"See? Told ya. Funny noises and babbling."
The kids laughed and so did Masha. The bus driver heard this but seeing as no one was hurting anyone and no one was telling them to stop, they proceeded onward with Amity continuing to have her lesbian disaster moment while the kids got a good laugh out of it.
Masha led the kids on the bus on a sing-along as Amity looked at her phone. She managed to recover from her gay panic after she realised there was no reason to worry about accidentally proposing to Luz. Luz did not know anything about the custom so they could talk about it later. Amity used this time to swipe through the photo album on her phone and there was like four years' worth of pictures on it.
How time flew. It was challenging for her to adapt to a new life in the Human Realm, but at least she was not alone. Camila was a good guardian as she cared for all of them. It must have been a shock to be the parent of three kids all of a sudden, especially for a single parent, but she managed it. Despite having every reason to hate her, Camila was nothing but kind to Amity.
She and Luz were finally able to become friends after being enemies for so long. She remembered the ways she tried to assassinate her, to atone for being a factor that brought along the rise of Oscura. Looking back, she was ashamed of herself. Back then, she was taught by her mother how to carry herself as a witch, as a member of the wealthiest family in the Boiling Isles. Those lessons were carved into her mind. It was those lessons that forced her to break her friendship with Willow and it was those lessons that prevented her from undoing the Everlasting Oath when Luz asked her to.
Amity shook her head. The past was in the past and living with Luz helped her to get to know the girl better. They were both fans of the Good Witch Azura and she learned that Luz was pretty much friendless before she came to the Boiling Isles. She heard stories of the weird things that Luz did and none of it adhered her to other people. They just wrote her off as a weirdo, wanting nothing to do with her. But Amity found her unique, funny and kind. She could be inconsiderate at times but it was never malicious. She just got so wrapped up in doing things that she totally forgot everything else. She remembered the time Luz forgot their first anniversary and went all out trying to make it the best date ever for them. It was so sweet and funny and Amity had never seen so much pink in her life. She remembered how mad Camila was when she saw the kitchen and made Luz clean it up.
Luz was just so sweet, so different from how she behaved as Oscura. Though there were some glimpses of her old self back then, they were eclipsed by her growing darkness. She remembered that her rule, in the beginning, was tough yet fair, until she suddenly destroyed all the schools. The curfews that were enforced by the Phantoms were also terrible. The longer she was trapped in that darkness, the worse she got, and Amity did not think of trying to save her. Instead, she had the bright idea of a murder-suicide pact as a way to atone for causing Oscura's rise in the first place.
The other Luz told her that she was not the only one at fault. Everyone was, to an extent. She was just the first. Lilith, Eda, her mother, Luz's friends, and everyone in the Boiling Isles played their part in giving birth to Oscura.
Amity remembered the nightmares she had after she came to the Human Realm. In those nightmares, Luz was still Oscura and Amity had once again failed to assassinate her. Only, this time, Oscura had lost her patience and tortured her. The nightmares were a sign that Amity had not fully forgiven herself. Luz was the same way. She was still trying to move on from Oscura. Luckily, they had each other.
Was it a good idea for them to be together, though? She wondered that herself when they first started dating. Becoming a girlfriend after being enemies for so long was a bit of a shift. They had no idea what they were doing but they managed to maintain a good and healthy relationship, with a few bumps along the way.
'Oh, Titan…I have two weeks to figure out how to tell Luz I want to marry her…' Amity paused for a moment. 'Wait, she doesn't know about the custom. Otherwise, she would've said something just then! I'm not completely screwed! I can still play it off as a nice gesture and that's all!'
For some reason, thinking that only made Amity feel sad inside.
'Wait…do I…do I not want to take it back? Why does my chest hurt just thinking about it?'
It was not as if she did not love Luz enough to possibly get married. It was just that they did not have to get married straight away. Maybe in the future, in five or six more years. Yeah, that sounded about right.
"Alright, kids. We're almost there," Masha said. "So, how about we let Miss Amity tell you a story?"
The kids cheered and Amity blinked as she looked up.
"Huh? What?"
"C'mon, Amity. The kids want to hear a story," Masha urged.
"Oh, a story," Amity nodded. "I think I got one. This is the story of an elven princess who was trapped in a tower and the Good Witch that saved her."
As Amity began her story, the bus went by a sign that pointed to the campgrounds. As the bus went by the sign, it seemed to pass through a red barrier of some kind.
After Amity finished her story, they arrived at the camp. After they finished unloading the kids, Amity and Masha went to meet with the other counsellors so that they could get their assignments on what they were going to be doing for the next two weeks.
For some reason, the sunset was way too early, shrouding the entire camp in the darkness of night. Not only that, but a fog started to roll in. The counsellors all headed outside and saw how the fog was just thick enough to obscure some objects, but not too thick as to not be able to see where they were going.
Masha was the first one to pick up on how wrong this felt but for other reasons. An eerie feeling befell the entire camp, a foreboding that spoke of the evil that was to come. It made the hairs on the back of Amity's neck stand up. She had only experienced this feeling back during the fight against Oscura when she thought her life was in danger. Right now, her mind was blaring warning sirens that told her she needed to be ready to fight.
Suddenly, strange noises came from the distance. The counsellors kept their gaze focused ahead of them, noticing a figure in the fog, and realizing that the strange sound was getting louder at the same time.
Masha quickly got next to Amity and spoke into her ear.
"We need to run," Masha whispered.
"What? Why? It's just fog," Amity questioned.
"No, this isn't just some damn fog! Well, it is, but it's ambience. The silhouette of a figure approaching with a sound growing louder. No, this is sus to the max! We need to get the kids, get on the bus, and get the hell out of here!" Masha said urgently.
"Hey, hey, let's not jump the gun here," said the Lead Counselor. "Is this freaky as hell? Yes. But we have to remain calm or else the kiddos–"
Suddenly, black chains shot from the far side of the tree line and wrapped around the Lead Counselor's limbs. With a swift tug, the chains threw him to the ground. The Lead Counselor screamed as the chains began to reel him in like a fish on a hook, and in the distance, the other teen counsellors could see the one responsible.
It was a monster. It stood about six feet tall and had black robes that were decorated with black leather. It had an inhuman white head that lacked any hair with needles sticking out of it and was honestly disturbing to look at. The black chains seemed to be coming from a small golden box that the creature held between its hands.
"Jya, Jya, Jya-Jya, Jya," it laughed darkly.
The Pinhead Jyamato began to recede into the trees as the Lead Counselor was dragged across the ground until he vanished into the fog. It was there that they heard his screams echo in the woods before he suddenly went silent.
Right about that time, the figure they were keeping an eye on before emerged from the fog, revealing its form. It wore a butcher's smock, which had several blood stains streaked on it, jeans with black leather boots, and a dirty button-up shirt with a blue tie. This creature had the same kind of head and face as the last monster, minus the pins, and in its left hand was a chainsaw, also coated with bloodstains. The monster grabbed the ripcord and pulled hard on it, revving the chainsaw up as it hold it with both hands and began to do a dance of death with it as it approached them.
The other counsellors quickly ran in different directions, but Amity and Masha held their ground. The chainsaw-wielding monster danced closer to them, swinging its chainsaw around as it readied to butcher the two teens. Amity wasn't about to allow that to happen. The witch teen drew a spell circle and launched a huge mauve-coloured fireball straight at the monster. The fireball struck the chainsaw-wielding monster and exploded on impact, sending it flying several feet away from them.
"Have I ever told you how hot you are when you're spellcasting and how grateful I am that you're a witch?" Masha asked.
"Unfortunately, you have, many times," Amity responded. "Stay close to me. We'll get the kids, get on the bus, and get the hell out of here!"
"If I'm right about this, that's not going to happen," said Masha, worriedly.
"Why not?" Amity questioned.
"In these types of situations, there's almost always something wrong with the getaway vehicle. Engine stalls, tires are slashed, or the keys are in an obscure place that you won't find until the killer is right on top of you," Masha answered.
"Masha, this is real life! This isn't a horror movie!"
"Sometimes life imitates art, Amity."
"Ugh, okay. One thing at a time. Kids first, then the bus."
"Hm, do you think they made the reboot a bit darker?" Vee asked as she and Luz finished watching the 5th episode of the Kamen Rider Eclipse reboot miniseries.
"Yeah, but the original one had some violence in it too," Luz pointed out. "I do like how they made the suit more organic now. You think you could turn into something like that?"
"Pfft, no way," Vee retorted. "For one thing, I can't harden my body to create exoskeletal armour. I'd be too stiff. Plus, even if I did, it's not like I'd get some crazy power and speed boost. I'd probably be as strong as an average person. And even making that happen would require a lot of magical energy. Besides, how ridiculous would that be? Me, a Kamen Rider? Ha!"
"Got a point. Besides…" The Latina hugged Vee as she squished her face against the basilisk's. "I don't want anything happening to my precious cinnamon roll of a little sister!"
Vee smiled. Years ago, when Luz came back, she was afraid that Camila would kick her out for impersonating her daughter. Instead, she was accepted as a new member of the family. She needed to use a different disguise, though, but it was no problem. Even her relationship with Masha did not change as much. She just had to tell Masha the truth about herself and the goth was excited to have a shapeshifting demon girlfriend. After pretending to be Luz for so long, it felt nice for Vee to just be herself, so to speak.
A beeping noise went off and Luz's eyes widened as she released Vee. She looked at her Spider Phone and saw it was a notification from the DGP.
"Um, sorry, Vee. I just remembered that I…er…need to return an overdue library book," Luz said.
"Doesn't Amity usually take care of those for you?" Vee asked. Amity worked at the library so she always made sure to bring any books Luz had borrowed back with her before they were overdue.
"Oh, well, she must have forgotten because of that camp thing she's going to. Excuse me!" Luz ran up to her room and got dressed before she ran out of the house. If she just vanished while in the house, it would be suspicious.
The players were gathered at the Desire Temple after receiving the call for the second round. Marcy stood beside Luz, Gus and Willow, keeping her distance from Sasha who stood next to Boscha. The blonde seemed like she wanted to say something, but did not know what she could say to apologize for what happened. Marcy was still giving her the cold shoulder and was keeping her word about allying with Luz.
"Welcome to the second round of the Desire Grand Prix. It's a 'Slasher Game' today," Tsumuri declared. "Jyamatos have invaded a camp and are hunting the people there. Your mission is to eliminate the Jyamatos to save the people trapped inside."
The map showed up on the holographic screen and Luz's eyes widened in horror as she recognized the name of the camp.
"No, no, NONONONO!" Luz yelled.
"Luz, what's wrong?" Willow asked.
"That's the camp Amity went to today!" Luz panicked. "We gotta go save her!"
"Amity?" Boscha's eyes narrowed and she smirked. Good. This might be her chance to talk to Amity and convince her to change her mind.
"Good luck, Kamen Riders. Now, Mission Start!" Tsumuri announced.
The players found themselves standing in front of the campgrounds. It was dark and there was an eerie chill in the air. The usual noises that came from a summer camp were not there either. It reminded Luz of every horror movie that took place at a summer camp.
"What's the plan, Luz?" Gus asked, trusting Luz to take the lead. They might technically be rival players, but there were no rules against them teaming up. Gus did study the rules, just in case. Nothing in it said the players could not form alliances.
"Find any survivors," Luz said. "We may have to…." She cringed at what she was about to suggest. "Split up."
"Not a good idea, Noceda," Sasha objected.
"Why not?" Willow asked. "We can cover more ground like that."
"I dunno about you guys, but in horror movies, splitting up is the worst idea," Marcy informed her. "And normally the first to die in this case is..." She looked at Gus before averting her eyes.
"Why were you looking at me like that?" Gus asked. "Should I be worried?"
"Gus, in horror movies, it's the black character who usually dies first," Luz informed him apologetically. "I'm really sorry."
"What!?" Gus yelped. "OK, we can definitely not split up!"
"Then we'll go in pairs," Luz suggested. "Marcy, you're with Willow. I'll go with Gus."
Sasha wanted to object but Boscha tapped her shoulder.
"C'mon, Sasha. We've got monsters to hunt," Boscha said, glaring at Luz.
"Right." Sasha's eyes hardened. "Noceda, I'm not going to lose to you this time."
Luz ignored her as she left with Gus while Marcy went with Willow. Sasha sighed as she watched Marcy go. She was hoping to work together with Marcy on this, but her friend had made her choice. Sasha was not happy about it, however.
"What are you waiting for, Sasha?" Boscha asked.
"Right, sorry about that." Sasha went to join Boscha. "Let's go win this game."
Gus still could not believe he was here in the Human Realm. Even though he was in the middle of a life-or-death game, he could not help but appreciate that he was in the Human Realm, the place that always fascinated him. There was so much he wanted to see and learn. Meeting Luz had helped him to understand more about the Human Realm and the various items he collected. Though, people in the Demon Realm did not talk about humans anymore, not since Belos and Oscura. To everyone else in the Demon Realm, those two were proof that humans were dangerous.
Luz missed Gus and she was happy to see that he was happy. Maybe when they were at the lounge after this, they could catch up. Hopefully, his Human Appreciation Society had not been shut down because of her. She really was sorry about destroying all the magic schools. She did not know what she was thinking.
The fog obscured their vision so they had to use their Spider Phones as flashlights to light the way. Luz wanted to find Amity and Masha so she could protect them from the Jyamatos.
"OK, Gus, do you see anything?" Luz asked as she looked around.
"Is that a Jyamato riding a tricycle?" Gus asked as he pointed. Luz followed his finger to where he was pointing and she saw the Slasher Jyamato. It was a Pawn Jyamato, dressed in a tuxedo with a red bowtie and wearing a black wig. It was also riding a tricycle towards them while waving a kitchen knife.
"Yeah," Luz nodded. "C'mon, let's kill it." She reached into her jacket to pull out her Driver only to notice something amiss. She began to pat her jacket to find her Driver. "My Driver's gone!"
"So is mine!" Gus yelled as he found his missing as well.
The tricycle-riding Jyamato began to pedal faster and speed towards them, brandishing its knife. The two teens looked at each other and bolted away.
"So, how do you know Luz?" Willow asked Marcy as they walked through the campground, using their Spider Phones to help light their way. Honestly, it was pretty creepy because of the fog and darkness but Willow did not seem fazed. It was because a fog like this was pretty common in the Demon Realm.
"Oh, I was in the last DGP with her," Marcy answered. "Amity was a player too."
"So, why wasn't she selected this time?" Willow questioned.
"I dunno." Marcy shook her head. "I got retired before the final round so I know that Amity made it with Luz, Sasha and…" She trailed off. "…Anne."
"What happened to her?" Willow asked.
"Sasha told me she died during the final round," Marcy answered.
"I'm so sorry," Willow said sympathetically.
"Thank you, Willow," Marcy smiled. "So, you're like Luz's best witch friend, right? Luz told me a bit about you. You can do plant magic, right? Does that let you control plants?"
"Yeah," Willow confirmed. "I can control plants but I was in the Abomination Track before I transferred to the Plant Track."
"Why were you in the Abomination Track anyway?" Marcy asked.
"My dads said it would help me find better opportunities in the future, but I wasn't any good at it," Willow admitted.
"Plant Track, Abomination Track. Geez, all that sounds restrictive like the Coven System," Marcy remarked.
"Luz told you about that too, huh?"
"Yeah, and while I can see how limiting each witch to one type of magic might help them be more focused but it sounds restrictive. At least you kids aren't stuck to one magic until you leave school. I still wish I could've gone to your world and gone to school there. It would be like I was in a Cynthia Coven book."
Willow smiled. Marcy was friendly and she reminded her a bit of Luz. Maybe that was why Luz and Marcy got along so well.
"So, is there anything else about the Boiling Isles-" Marcy started again before Willow cut her off.
"Stop." Willow suddenly grabbed Marcy's shoulder.
"What? What's wrong?" Marcy asked.
"We're not alone," Willow informed her and then she dragged Marcy behind a tree. "Keep quiet." Marcy widely kept her mouth shut and waited with Willow. They watched as a Jyamato walked past them. It carried a bloody machete. They waited for it to be gone before they stepped out of their hiding place. "That was close."
"Willow, I don't know if you know this already, but the Jyamatos are humanoid plants," Marcy informed the witch.
"Really?" Willow's eyes widened.
"Yeah, so maybe if we encounter some, you could try using your plant magic on them," Marcy suggested. "It's worth a try, right?"
Elsewhere, Sasha and Boscha were under attack by a machete-wielding Jyamato wearing a blood-stained hockey mask. When the Jyamato found them, they were ready to transform to kill this thing, only to discover that their Drivers were missing. Even if they could not transform right now, that would not stop either of them from surviving.
Boscha was still a Potion Track witch and she had made potions which were contained in vials that were on the bandolier she wore across her chest. Unfortunately, she could not carry her crossbow but that did not matter.
"Sasha!" Boscha yelled as she took a vial from her bandolier. "Catch!" She tossed a potion to the blonde who caught it.
"What's this?" Sasha asked.
"It's a booster potion! Drink it!" Boscha yelled. Sasha popped the potion open and drank it. Instantly, she felt a burst of energy.
"Oh, yeah!" Sasha grinned as the Slasher Jyamato came at her. She ducked under its machete and slammed her palm against its stomach, knocking the wind out of it as its body crashed against the outhouse. "I could get used to this!"
"Yeah, but the potion doesn't last forever," Boscha said as she drank from a vial as well. "I knew we would need these. I brewed them just for this game."
"I would accuse you of cheating, but Tsumuri said you witches were allowed to use your natural skills." Sasha cracked her knuckles. "Now, let's kick this thing's butt."
"Now, you're talking my language, sister," Boscha grinned.
The Slasher Jyamato got back up and rushed at the girls. It swung at Sasha who dodged its swing before she grabbed its arm and threw it over her shoulder. Pinning it down with her boot, she twisted its arm and made it release its machete. Sasha picked up the machete and then brought the blade down, piercing the monster's chest. It let out a death cry before going limp.
[Secret Mission Cleared!]
The notification came from Sasha's Spider Phone which read, 'Kill a Slasher Jyamato without transforming.' In a flash, a Mission Box with Soaron's logo appeared beside the Jyamato's corpse. She went and opened it to find a Desire Driver and a new golden Raise Buckle that reminded her of a slot machine.
"Sweet!" Sasha took her Driver and strapped it on.
"So, that's the game, huh? Find our Drivers, beat the killers and survive," Boscha concluded.
Suddenly their Spider Phones went off with a message from Tsumuri:
Attention Riders, I will now explain the rules of this game. At the beginning of this game, you will not be able to use your Drivers. Rather, you will have to earn them during the course of the game by completing secret missions.
Points will be allocated via different criteria.
First Method: Saving lives. The more innocent lives you save, the more points you earn. Each person you save is worth 3,000 points.
Second Method: Survival. If you encounter a Slasher Jyamato, you have the option of evading them rather than fighting, but you must evade them for a total of five minutes. 500 points will be given each time you survive an encounter.
Third Method: Killing the killer. You will receive 1,000 points for each Slasher Jymato you eliminate.
Bonus: There will be five participants in this Jyamar Area, henceforth referred to as the "Archetypes". Saving and protecting these five Archetypes will net you 10,000 points. The Archetypes are as follows:
"The Foolish One"
"The Promiscuous One"
"The Scholarly One"
"The Pure One"
"The Athletic One"
When you are in close proximity to these Archetypes, you will receive a notification.
Be aware, if all five of these Archetypes die, it's game over.
Survive and Eliminate the Slasher Jyamatos to win.
Any player who fails to claim their Desire Driver by the end of the game is automatically eliminated.
Since any of the Archetypes can be civilians or Riders, for this game only, the permanent death penalty for Riders will be suspended. However, as stated, if all five Archetypes are killed, then it will be game over, and the killed participants, civilian or Rider, will not be revived.
Boscha read over the rules, but she didn't understand them completely.
"What does she mean by the 'Archetypes'?" Boscha asked. "It makes no sense."
"It makes perfect sense, actually. Since we're living in a horror movie right now, there are gonna be certain character types. There's always the stoner party guy, the jock who thinks he's the total alpha of the group, the genius who's more book smarts than anything, and the girl who just bones everyone with a pulse or is just super attracted to the jock and wants to bone 'em. The 'pure' one is usually the one girl in the group who's more straight-laced and is not doing drugs or drinking a whole lot, and is generally more responsible than the others," Sasha explained.
"So, if any one of us could be one of these Archetypes…oh, crap. That means we might have to protect Oscura," said Boscha with great annoyance. Sasha furrowed her brow at the thought. But if she had to, she would, only so she could advance to the next round and get to the finals.
Just then, Sasha's Spider Phone went off again. The blonde teen checked it and saw a message appear:
'The Athletic One located: Boscha/Red-Pan.'
Sasha looked up from her phone and back to Boscha with a smirk.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Boscha asked.
Sasha turned her Spider Phone around to show her the notification.
"Looks like you're The Athletic One, Boscha. Which means I'll be protecting you."
Boscha smiled upon hearing this. She felt better knowing a veteran like Sasha was going to watch her back and even more so since she was worth more points alive than dead.
"Well then, my body is your hands, Sash," said Boscha.
"Oh, not yet it isn't. It could be, though," Sasha playfully teased.
Boscha blushed upon hearing her say that but smirked nonetheless. This human had a lot of guts to tease her like that, something that the triclops witch could respect.
"Okay, since you're more or less my bodyguard, I want you to help me find Amity," said Boscha.
"Seriously? Noceda's girlfriend?" Sasha asked.
"Grr! She's not her girlfriend!" Boscha snapped. "She stole her from me and messed with her head! Do you really think after everything that Oscura did to her that she would willingly come to this world if that bitch didn't have some control over her?! You saw how Odalia died during the last game! You saw how Oscura just stood there and did nothing!"
Sasha thought back to the way Luz behaved when Odalia died. She just stood there and showed no emotion. It was like she did not care, which was different compared to the way she was in the last season.
'Guess it's hard to feel anything for someone you've already killed once with your own hands,' Sasha thought.
"Fine, we'll find Amity. I just hope you have a potion or something in that sash of yours to break whatever mind control Noceda has over her," said Sasha.
"Don't you worry about that, Sasha. I got just the thing to make Amity see reason."
Luz had just finished reading the game rules and rolled her eyes. The five Archetypes basically described the usual character types in a horror movie: the jock, the slut, the nerd, the stoner and the virgin.
"Of course, it wouldn't be that simple," Luz remarked. The DGP seemed to like throwing curveballs to their players just to keep the games interesting. "At least we still have our ID Cores." Their Drivers might have gone missing, but when they checked their pockets they managed to find their respective ID Cores.
Luz's Spider Phone pinged twice. She looked down and smiled when she saw the first notification:
'The Scholarly One located: Augustus Porter/Mirage.'
"And it looks like you're one of the five Archetypes, Gus-man," Luz added. "'The Scholarly One', congrats."
"I did skip grades," Gus said proudly.
Luz opened the second notification and her smile quickly faded when she read it:
'The Foolish One located: Luz Noceda/Oscura.'
"Hey, Luz, what's up? Is it something bad?" Gus asked.
"Not exactly…Turns out I'm one of the Archetypes," she answered.
"Oh, sweet! That's some good news. So, which one does it say you are?" Gus blushed as his mind went south, mostly due to how Luz's reaction was to the news. "Um…Luz, I'm not gonna judge. What you do in private is your own business. I mean, you're a healthy, strong, and cool girl, so you shouldn't be ashamed."
"What are you talking about?" Luz asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"Well...I mean, are you the 'Promiscuous One'?" Gus asked.
"What?!" Luz squawked in shock. "Gus, c'mon! Do I look like the type of girl who spreads her legs open for any random guy or chick?!"
"H-Hey, I said I wouldn't judge! Plus, it's been four years," Gus defended.
Luz couldn't exactly blame him, not entirely. After four years, people could change, and she was a healthy young woman with an equally healthy libido. Although, if you ask Amity, she'd probably tell you that her libido was a bit overactive.
"Just…Just check your phone, Gus."
Gus took out his Spider Phone and when he checked the notifications, he saw what Luz's designation was and frowned.
"Huh…That's stupid. I think I would've preferred the other one over this," said Gus.
"You'd rather your best friend be known as a slut rather than a fool?" Luz replied, chuckling.
"I mean, neither one is good, but, I mean, the 'Foolish One'? That just seems mean."
It wasn't like Luz was in a position to question the designations, considering everything she did in the past. Perhaps it was more fitting than she would care to admit. But Gus was a sweetheart for saying that. Luz walked over to her friend and got him a friendly headlock.
"Thanks, Gus. I missed that about you. You were always one to look out for your friends. I'm glad that hasn't changed in four years," said Luz as she smiled.
"You're still my friend, Luz. Back then, and even now."
"Same here. Now, let's go find the other Archetypes before they get killed."
How had things devolved this way? Amity and Masha were ready for a minimally stress-free 2-week camp counselling gig for these little kids and preteens, but things just suddenly went awry. Now, they were running around the camp, trying their best to keep the children safe from monsters.
Amity and Masha managed to gather the children and take them to a good hiding spot. Casting a spell, Amity erected a barrier around them to keep them safe until they managed to get the bus keys. Much to Amity's annoyance, the bus driver was one of the people who was killed and his body was nowhere to be found.
"Spare keys might be in the Head Counselor's office," Amity suggested.
"What did I say? In an obscure, out-of-the-way place," Masha informed.
"Don't start with me, Mash," Amity warned.
The two teens carefully made their way to the Head Counsellor's office building. Once inside, they closed the door behind them. Masha insisted on this to make sure that no other slashers could sneak up on them from behind. Amity drew a spell circle and cast a light spell, making several orbs of purple light float in the darkened room. So far, they didn't see anything. Amity drew another circle and conjured a sword, while Masha held a machete she had picked up in her hands like a sword.
The Head Counselor's office room was on the far side of the building. So with great care, the two moved through the front office and headed towards the back. Every little noise was unnaturally amplified, every creak and rustling of papers echoed inside the room with more sound than what was natural.
"It's the dramatic suspense. Making the natural noises sound louder than they should make people jumpier and less focused on the actual sounds of the killer as they approach," Masha informed Amity.
"You really need to stop with the genre savvy crap," Amity shot back in annoyance.
"And yet, we're still alive thanks to my 'genre savvy crap'. How many times did I save your life before we found those kids?"
"Ugh…five…"
"I rest my case."
With their banter out of the way, Amity and Masha finally made it to their destination. The two of them looked inside the enclosed office room. There were no large vents for a person to slip through and no indication of a trap door.
"Okay, I'll search for the keys while you stand guard outside," said Masha.
"Got it, but do it quick." Amity stood guard outside the door while Masha went in and rummaged through the cabinets and other things inside the room.
It had been a long time since Amity was this on edge. She harkened this feeling to when she was on the run, moving about the Isles to keep the Phantoms from finding her, or evading their notice as she snuck into Empress Oscura's castle. Amity never thought she would be in another situation like that here in the Human Realm, but here she was. Trying to save the lives of innocent kids, while trying to survive some horror movie scenario brought to life.
"Have you found them yet?!" Amity asked, impatiently.
"The more you ask that question, the less likely it is I'll find them until the last second when the killer sneaks in and attacks," Masha retorted. "Ah-ha! Found 'em!"
"Great, let's go and get these kids out of here!"
Masha was about to head to the door, but it suddenly slammed shut as a yellow aura surrounded it.
"AMITY!" Masha screamed as they pounded on the door.
"MASHA!" Amity grabbed the door handle, but the door wasn't budging at all. "MASHA, STAND AWAY FROM THE DOOR!"
Amity began to draw a spell circle to blast the door off its hinges, but her casting was interrupted when something that sounded like glass broke at her feet. The teen witch looked down and saw pieces of broken glass and a puddle of liquid which released a strange vapour. The moment the vapour reached her nostrils, Amity felt dizzy. She was not on the verge of passing out, but she felt disoriented and unable to properly focus her magic.
"W-What…What's happening…?" Amity questioned.
"Hey, Amity~"
Amity glanced to her right and saw someone emerge from the hallway. When the figure came into the light, Amity's eyes widened. It was someone she thought she'd never see for the rest of her life.
"B-Boscha…?!"
"Mmm-hmm."
Amity had to be imagining things. There was no way Boscha could be here. The only working portal that connected the Human Realm and Demon Realm was destroyed by Eda after Amity passed through it. There was no other way for anyone from her world to get to the Human Realm. No, this had to be a trick. One of the monsters must be using some kind of trick to make her think Boscha was here.
"No…No! Y-You're not real! Y-you can't be here! You're just…an illusion!" Amity exclaimed.
Boscha smirked as she quickly advanced on Amity. The pink-haired witch didn't have time to react as Boscha grabbed Amity by her wrists and pushed her back until she hit the wall behind her.
"Gotcha now, Blight!" Boscha teased.
"Oh my, Titan!" Amity gasped. "You…you're really here, aren't you?"
"In the flesh, Ams." Boscha looked down at Amity, admiring her camping outfit. "I see you're looking as hot as ever."
"H-How?! This isn't possible! There aren't any portals anymore!"
Boscha smirked as she moved her face closer to Amity's. The Potion Track witch took a deep sniff of Amity's scent. It had been so long since she was this close to her.
"Don't sweat the small stuff, Amity. Just focus on the here and now," Boscha said. Amity tried to fight back, but she felt weaker, and her head was still spinning.
"What…What did you do to me?" Amity demanded.
"Just a little special potion I brewed up. Don't worry, it'll just make you feel weak and disoriented for a few minutes." Boscha removed her right hand from Amity's left wrist and tugged at her shirt's collar. "Plenty of time for us to have the fun we never got to have back in – what the hell is this!?" Boscha scowled when she saw a hickey on Amity's neck. "That human bitch did this to you, didn't she? She marked you! How could you choose Oscura over me, Amity!? You were always mine! Why did you have to run into this stupid world?! We were meant to be together!"
"I didn't choose you as my friend, Boscha! Odalia did that!" Amity snapped. "And I didn't choose you as my girlfriend! That was something Odalia wanted! I chose the path I'm on, and I didn't choose Oscura, I chose Luz!"
Boscha growled as she opened her mouth and sunk her fangs into the side of Amity's neck. The pink-haired witch stifled a yelp of pain as she felt the Potion witch's teeth break the skin around her hickey, trying to, in a twisted way, override Luz's mark with her own.
Boscha finally released her bite to inspect Amity's neck which now had fresh bite marks around the hickey, as well as four puncture wounds from her fangs. The Potion witch lapped at the wounds tenderly, before running her tongue up to Amity's neck. Amity gritted her teeth and squirmed against the wall, trying in vain to push Boscha away.
The Potion Track witch stopped when she caressed Amity's left cheek and smacked her lips.
"Funny you should mention your mom, Amity. I saw her last week," Boscha remarked.
"That's impossible!" Amity shouted back. "She's dead!"
"I know, she was killed by Oscura. But is it really that impossible? I'm here, aren't I?" Boscha released the hold she had on Amity's shirt collar and pressed it against the other witch's stomach. "I've been waiting four long years to have you, Amity. That human bitch messed you up so bad that you had to follow her here. You say it's your choice, but we both know that's not true. She's a monster, a villain. She's just keeping you here to have you for your body so she can have her sick kicks."
"D-Don't you dare talk about–MMMPH!"
The moment that Amity opened her mouth to defend Luz, Boscha took the opportunity to shove her tongue down Amity's throat. Boscha moaned as she finally managed to capture Amity's lips and taste her for the first time in years. Amity kept struggling, but Boscha's potion was still in effect. Boscha's right hand began to slowly push itself under Amity's shirt, and slowly made its way upwards.
Suddenly, there was a hacking sound coming from the door beside them. Boscha and Amity watched as something broke through the door, and it looked like a blade. After a few good swings, the door was broken through completely, and Masha stepped out of the room.
"HERE'S MASHA!" Masha yelled. They paused when they saw someone pressing Amity against the wall. Amity looked weak, and her neck was bleeding. Not only that, but the three-eyed girl's hand was practically under Amity's shirt. "Oh, you shouldn't have done that."
"And why's that, human?" Boscha asked mockingly.
"What you're doing is equivalent to a makeout scene in a horror movie, and everyone knows teens making out results in their death flags being raised," Masha explained as they brandished their machete.
"Human, I suggest you leave if you know what's good for you," Boscha warned the enby. She was not above hurting a human if they got in her way.
"M-Masha…j-just run!" Amity urged.
"Do you really think I'm leaving my girlfriend's sister's girlfriend here with this freak?! Uh, hell no!" Masha held up their machete, pointing it at Boscha. "I'm warning you, three-eyes! You better get off her or I'm gonna give you three black eyes and then some!"
"In case you haven't noticed, human, I'm a witch and a strong one. That little blade isn't going to do anything to me. You're better off using it on those monsters out there," Boscha mocked.
"Ooh, you're a witch, huh?" Masha raised their eyebrows. "Just like Amity then? Huh, well, you're right. This won't be useful." Masha threw the machete down, which stuck against the wooden floor. "But, hey, let me show you what we do to witches in New England!"
Masha reached behind their back with their right hand and dug into their pocket with their left hand. The nonbinary then pulled out a lighter with their left hand and a can of aerosol spray with their right. Masha pushed the button on the lighter and pressed down on the aerosol can. As soon as the spray hit the open flame, a torrent of flames blasted towards Boscha.
Boscha panicked and threw Amity to the ground as she went in another direction. Masha strafed the flames in Boscha's direction, keeping the witch at bay while setting the place on fire. The nonbinary quickly moved to where Amity was and occasionally released a burst of flames to keep Boscha pinned down.
"Amity, you okay?!" Masha asked.
"Dizzy, but I'll live," said Amity.
"And you said not to bring my lighter with us to the camp!"
"I'll eat crow later. Let's get out of here!"
Boscha tried to cast her spells but every time she tried, the human would blast flames in her direction. While the flames kept her at bay, Amity and the human escaped. Before they left, Masha decided to leave a parting gift for the witch who molested their possible future sister-in-law and chucked the aerosol can into the flames as close to where Boscha was as possible.
The three-eyed witch saw the human toss something in her direction. It was the thing she used to shoot flames at her and it was rolling straight towards the open flames themselves.
"OH, SHI–!"
Amity and Masha dove to the ground as part of the building exploded, sending burning pieces of wood flying in all directions. They rolled along the ground for a few seconds before finally coming to a stop. Once they did, they both looked in the direction of the burning building that was once the Head Counselor's office.
"Aren't you worried you might've killed someone?" Amity asked.
"Blame it on the monsters," Masha shrugged.
Boscha stopped screaming when she realised she was not on fire. She blinked all three of her eyes as she found herself somehow in the Desire Temple's lounge. That wasn't right. She was in that building, and then something exploded.
"Hey, Tsumuri, why am I back here?! Is the game over?!" Boscha demanded.
"No, it's still ongoing," Tsumuri informed her.
"Then why in the hell am I here?"
"Um, well…" Tsumuri tapped her tablet and produced the holographic screen to show her the replay. Boscha watched the moment when the human tossed the flame-making spray can towards the flames near her. Then there was an explosion and her body dispersed into particles. The triclops' jaw dropped when she saw this.
"No…No, no, no, NO! You are NOT telling me that I got killed by a human!" Boscha exclaimed.
"Unfortunately, that appears to be the case. Which means there are only four more Archetypes left, and one less Rider," Tsumuri informed her.
"AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!"
Tsumuri tapped a few keys on the tablet and sent a message out.
The Athletic One: Boscha/Red-Pan (DEAD).
Total Archetypes Remaining: 4
Dr. Exposition: And that ends Part 1 of our horrific second round and Boscha was eliminated. No Rider Deaths this time as long as they are the Archetypes. They'll just respawn back at the Desire Temple after they've been 'killed'. So, now only Luz, Marcy, Sasha, Willow and Gus are left in the game. But how will Luz explain it to Amity when they reunite? Also, did Amity accidentally propose to Luz? Boy, they have a lot to talk about then, huh?