Kamen Rider SideRide Chronicles: Oscura's Encore
Reprise VII: La Lechuza
It was a beautiful occasion today as it was Luz and Amity's wedding. All their friends and family from the Human and Demon Realms were in attendance. Luz could see her mother crying and wiping her tears along with her little sister Vee.
Luz wore a tuxedo with a skirt as she waited at the altar. Soon, the wedding march played and Luz watched as Alador walked Amity down the aisle. She was so beautiful in her wedding dress but Luz was disappointed since she wore a veil that obscured her face.
Finally, Amity reached the altar and her father let her go before joining her big brother and sister at the pews.
"Dearly beloved," the priest began. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Amity Blight and Luz Noceda. If anyone objects to this union, please speak now or forever hold your peace."
"I OB–!" Boscha started, only to be gagged by a vine and tied up courtesy of Willow.
"Thank you," Luz mouthed to her Best Woman.
"Do you, Amity Blight, take Luz Noceda as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" the priest asked.
"I do," Amity answered.
"And do you, Luz Noceda, take Amity Blight as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Luz smiled. "Of course, I do."
"Then I pronounce you both married. You may now kiss."
Luz lifted the veil, ready to kiss Amity and began their union, only to recoil at what she saw instead. Amity was sickly pale, her eyes were milky white and glassy and her wedding dress had red bloodstains. Suddenly, the music came to a halt and the atmosphere of the church changed as the lights went dim. Luz looked around and saw everyone sitting in their seats, dead while Phantoms took up the empty seats.
"Wha-what's going on!?" Luz cried.
"You killed us, Empress Oscura," Zombie Amity said. Luz looked at her blood-stained hands and saw herself dressed in her old attire as Empress Oscura. "You killed us all."
"NO!" Luz screamed as she shot awake. She let out a groan as she rubbed her head. "Ow...What happened?" The last thing she remembered was going on the Haunted Mansion ride with her family. Scanning her surroundings, she found herself in a hallway that was lit up by torches. "I don't think this is part of the park." Looking around, she found herself alone and panicked. "Where is everyone!?" Her mother, Vee, Amity and Masha were missing. She quickly fished out her cell phone to try and call them only to see there was no signal. "Crap!"
She also discovered that her clothes had changed into her DGP uniform and her Desire Driver was around her waist. That could only mean one thing. A beeping came from her pocket and she took out her Spider Phone to see the message written on the screen:
[Tonight's mission is a Labyrinth Game. You must rescue the civilians and escape the labyrinth before sunrise. The players who fail to escape before sunrise will be eliminated.]
"Stupid DGP," Luz grumbled. Since it was another round, she knew she would run into the other players eventually. That meant running into Sasha and Boscha again. She really did not want to deal with them. However, if she ran into Willow or Marcy, she would welcome their help. But first, Luz needed to find her family.
"Luz! Amity! Masha! Mom!" Vee cried out as she walked through the dark tunnel, holding out her cell phone in her shivering hand. The light from the phone lit her way. She did not like being in dark, cold and cramped places. They reminded her of the cage she was kept in. She was also all alone, which was another thing she disliked.
'Don't freak out. Don't freak out. Just find the others. J-Just find them and you'll be okay,' Vee attempted to mentally reassure herself. She tried to be brave as she searched for her family, but this place triggered some flashbacks of her time when she was trapped and used as a lab rat. She remembered the witches and demons in white lab coats that carted them around in their cages, the rattling of their shackles as they were forced to move out of their cages and the pain. She recalled the pain of being prodded by needles, of being zapped by lightning spells, of getting struck or being called an 'animal'.
Nobody cared, not when she screamed, not when she begged, not even when she cried. None of them cared, because she wasn't a person to them. No, she was less than that. Her species was extinct but brought back for Titan knows why. At this point, she believed it was just to get some kind of sick kick out of making a creature that technically did not exist anymore suffer. That was all she knew since the day she was born: pain, loneliness, the cold, and the dark. She never wanted to feel like that again, all alone and helpless. And yet, here she was, all by herself, with nobody in sight.
As she turned a corner, she entered a chamber and the torches lit up. She let out a gasp as she saw a skeleton that was chained to the wall, and flanking it were two strange humanoid creatures that looked like guards with spears. She turned around to escape, but bars came and slammed down in front of her, trapping her in the chamber with the creatures.
"NO!" Vee cried as she grabbed hold of the bars, involuntarily shifting her facial features as her eyes changed and some of her basilisk features were revealed. "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!"
Vee's blood ran cold as she heard the sound of metal scraping against stone. She dared to glance over her shoulder and saw them approaching. The monsters were dragging the tips of their spears against the stone floor, causing sparks to ignite as the scraping echoed inside the dungeon.
Vee's mind made the monsters look like the people who would hurt her and her kind if they did not comply. But the dungeon itself did not change. It didn't need to. It looked close enough to the cage she had been kept in long ago. The basilisk's body shifted as Vee lost all control over her transformation and returned to true form as she pressed her back against the bars.
"No! No! Stay back! Don't come any closer!" she screamed at them as she slid to the ground, covering her head. "I'll be good! I promise I'll be good! I'll do whatever you say! Just don't hurt me! Please! PLEASE!"
The monsters ignored her cries. They knew nothing of mercy, nor compassion. They only knew one thing: to kill. Human, witch, demon, if it wasn't a Jyamato, it was their enemy, and all non-Jyamato beings were to die on sight. The Jyamato on Vee's left raised its spear and slammed it against the bars of the dungeon, causing it to ring loudly in the room.
Vee yelped loudly as she covered her ears. It was all coming back to her: the abuse, the pain, the feeling of helplessness. This was what they would do; bang on the cell bars, letting them know that they were coming, that they were coming to hurt them, to punish them for not behaving, for not doing what they were told.
"Please! Go away! Mom! Masha! Luz! Help me! Please!" Vee curled into a fetal position as she shivered, waiting for inevitable death. "Please save me, anyone, please, help me…!"
"I love you, Vee…"
Here, in the most frightening moment of her life, when Vee was sure she was going to die a miserable, lonely death far from the ones she loved, her mind recalled the words of the girl she had come to love as a sister.
"You can always count on me to protect you, and be there for you…"
The two monsters were banging their spears against the bars, making the loud noise continue to echo and assault her eardrums. Despite her fear, despite how much her heart felt like it wanted to explode in her chest, Vee mustered up the last bit of courage she had and yelled out with all her might.
"LUZ! BIG SIS! HELP MEEEEEEEE!"
Luz ran through the long corridors, taking one turn after the other as she rushed to find her family. At this point, Luz wondered if the DGP had it out for her because this was now the third time her loved ones were involved in a game.
"Dammit to hell!" Luz cursed. "Of all the times, of all the places, a Jyamar Area had to form, it just had to be at the one damn place my family and I decided to have a vacation! I swear to God, when this is over, I'm going to have Tsumuri bring that Game Master out and I'm–!"
Luz paused when she heard something coming from the other side of the wall. It sounded like muffled clanging, but she wasn't sure. Luz listened more intently, straining her ears to try and pick up on what that sound was. But what she heard next, made her heart nearly stop.
"LUZ! BIG SIS! HELP MEEEEEEEE!"
"Vee?" Luz heard her little sister's cries for help. "Vee, is that you!? VEEE!"
Luz heard it. She definitely heard it. That was Vee, that was her little sister crying out for her. She sounded scared, terrified. There was only one thing in this godforsaken labyrinth that would make Vee cry for her like that. Luz began punching the wall in front of her, out of a desperate need to get to her. Her little sister was right behind this wall. Luz just needed to get to her.
"VEE! I'M RIGHT HERE! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! YOUR BIG SIS IS RIGHT HERE! VEEEEE!" Luz screamed at the top of her lungs.
She couldn't hear anything besides the muffled clanging now.
"I won't let her die! I don't care if she'll come back to life after this is over! No one else I love will die in front of me! Do you hear me?! I WILL PROTECT MY SISTER!" Luz shouted.
Luz's eyes flashed violet as the Oscura Buckle appeared in her hand. She didn't question its appearance, there was no time to. Vee was waiting for her, her little sister needed her. Without a moment's hesitation, Luz inserted the Oscura Buckle into her Desire Driver.
The Jyamatos loomed over Vee and the basilisk was shaking like a leaf, covering her head with her hands as tears ran down her face, releasing whimpers as she waited for her death. The two Jyamatos raised their spears, getting ready to skewer the pathetic creature before them.
"You can always count on me to protect you…"
'Luz…where are you…? Please…Please save me…Please…!'
Suddenly, a huge explosion erupted from the wall to Vee's right, sending rubble flying to the other side of the dungeon. Vee dared to open her eyes, and that was when she saw black feathers cascading all around her, dancing in the wind as they fell to the ground and vanished. And there, standing before her, was a warrior, clad in a white coat, and grayish horned helmet. Vee didn't know who this person was, but the monsters in front of her took a step back.
"…and be there for you…"
Oscura looked up at the two Jyamatos as her visor glowed bright violet. The Rider of Darkness took a step forward, and the Jyamatos took a step back.
"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!"
Vee's eyes widened as she recognised the voice.
"L-Luz…?"
"Vee, get over here! Get behind me!" Oscura ordered. Vee did not hesitate as she quickly slithered away from the monsters to place herself behind her sister.
Oscura crouched low and dashed towards the Jyamatos. The Jyamato on her left managed to regain its composure as it twirled its spear around and lunged with it, trying to impale her but the Rider of Darkness managed to weave around the spear and got right in the Jyamato's face.
"Explosion…Now!"
The Jyamato looked down, just now realizing that Oscura's right hand was planted against its stomach. A ball of burning light grew between her palm and the monster's stomach before a powerful explosion blasted the Jyamato far into the metal bars behind it. The second Jyamato, after watching its partner getting blasted, managed to find its courage and readied to strike her.
[DesWizarSwordGun!]
The Jyamato attacked with its spear, but Oscura blocked it with the DesWizsarSwordGun in Sword Mode. With a swift slap of the blade, she knocked the spear away and slashed at the Jyamato three times in rapid succession. Oscura opened the Hand Author on the weapon and slapped it once with the palm of her left hand as if she was giving it a high-five.
[DARKNESS! TACTICAL SLASH!]
Violet and dark light wrapped around the blade as Oscura slashed the Jyamato twice, forming a cross pattern on its body before it exploded. The other Jyamato managed to tear itself away from the bars and was about to make its way towards her when Oscura switched the DesWizarSwordGun into Gun Mode and slapped the open Hand Author with her left hand.
[DARKNESS! TACTICAL BLAST!]
Oscura aimed her weapon and pulled the trigger. A column-sized beam of violet and dark light screeched from the DesWizarSwordGun, tearing up the floor and cells as it struck the Jyamato on the other side. Another explosion went off, creating a bellowing inferno that raged towards them. Oscura dashed back to Vee, knelt before her, and spread her six black wings.
"DEFEND, NOW!"
Her wings shimmered and created a violet barrier with a magic circle pattern. The flames roared around them as Vee looked on in awe. When it was over, the entire area was scorched, except for the portion where Oscura had protected them. The shadow wings on Oscura's back broke down into black feathers as Oscura's armour disappeared in the same manner. Vee was stunned, to say the least. The armoured warrior, it really was Luz. Her big sister heard her cries for help and she came.
"Are you OK?" Luz asked.
"You…You came...to save me," said Vee in a shaky voice.
"I promised you, Vee." Luz gently reached out and pulled Vee into a hug. "I promised that I would always protect you…"
"That's what family does."
Vee's tears returned, but they were tears of relief and joy. The basilisk hugged Luz back as tight as she could, sobbing into her shoulder. Her big sister protected her, her family came to save her. Luz wasn't just her sister, not just her family, Luz…was her hero.
The wall on the other side of the chamber slid open, revealing another corridor.
After Vee calmed down, both Noceda sisters left the dungeon chamber and began their search for the rest of their family. The basilisk slithered along, staying as close as she could to her big sister without hindering Luz's movements. Right now, Luz was the only one who could protect her, but she knew if she was too close, her sister would not be able to fight properly. There was a sound that came from one of the long corridors and it made Vee jump and latch herself around Luz's arm. The Latina could feel Vee tremble, no doubt still shaken from her near-death experience.
"Está bien, Vee (It's okay, Vee). I won't leave your side, I promise," Luz assured.
"I'm s-sorry…I broke down so bad back there…"
"Did it bring back memories?" Luz asked.
"Bad ones…very bad ones. I felt like I was back in those cages in the Demon Realm all over again," Vee explained, her body still trembling. "What even is this place? The last thing I remember was riding the Doom Buggies in the Haunted Mansion ride, and then we…we fell into a big hole in the middle of the tracks. What were those monsters?"
"Vee, I know you have a lot of questions, and you deserve some answers. But right now we need to concentrate on finding Mom, Amity, and Masha. Once we're back together, we'll figure out a way out of this place."
Vee looked like she wanted to probe for some answers right now, but the way Luz spoke, there was a tone of authority and experience behind it.
"Okay…"
As the two of them continued their walk through the seemingly endless corridors, Vee had let go of Luz's arm, but still kept a close distance from her.
"Luz, I'm sorry, but I need to ask, how are you a Kamen Rider, again?" Vee questioned. "I-I thought you lost your powers when the other you and that other girl destroyed your ring. Could you always do this? Or was this recent? No, it can't be. The way you fought back there, the way you moved, it's like you've been doing this for a while now."
"Vee!" Luz said sternly. "I said I would explain everything when everyone is safe!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, don't be mad!" Vee begged.
Luz let out a calming breath as she gently placed her hands on Vee's shoulders.
"It's…It's okay, Vee. I'm sorry for yelling. I get it. You want answers. Considering everything that's happening, you need them to make sense of this. But I can't give them to you right now, not while the people we love are in danger. We need to focus on staying alive and finding them, okay?"
Vee nodded. As the Noceda sisters continued to follow the corridor, they could hear steel clashing against steel in front of them. Luz wondered if they had stumbled across a Rider in the middle of a fight. Hopefully, it was either Marcy or Willow.
"Come on," Luz urged as she walked towards the noise with Vee following closely. They soon found themselves in a chamber that looked like the set of a pirate movie. In the middle of the room was a pirate ship and on that ship was Masha as they were fighting a couple of pirate-clad Jyamatos and actually doing well by themselves. Armed with a cutlass, the enby parried the swords before they swung, knocking them back.
"You'll never take me alive, you chum-sucking sea dogs!" Masha boasted. "For I am the Badass Pirate Captain Masha, Scourge of the Seven Seas!"
"...Not what I was expecting," Luz observed, impressed.
"Masha's been taking fencing lessons," Vee answered, explaining Masha's skill.
The two Pirate Jyamatos climbed to their feet and attacked Masha together. They knocked the cutlass out of their hand and then sent them sprawling on their back. As they hovered over them, they raised their swords to take them out.
"And she's in trouble!" Luz took out the FeverSlot Buckle and quickly inserted it into her Desire Driver.
[Set Fever!]
"Henshin!" Luz rushed towards the pirate ship and jumped onboard, her armour forming as she landed.
[NINJA! HIT! NINJA!]
Oscura moved like the wind and slashed with her Ninja Dueler, driving the two Jyamatos away from Masha.
"You OK there, Masha?" Oscura.
"Whoa," Masha's eyes widened as they saw their future sister-in-law in her DGP gear. "Sweet suit, Luz! Where'd you get it?"
[Twin Blade!]
Separating her weapon into its twin blade mode, Oscura blocked their cutlasses before she delivered a reverse roundhouse kick.
"Just stay back and let me finish this!" Oscura charged at the Jyamatos as they came at her. Using the Ninja Buckle's power, she created a clone to take on the second Jyamato. Sparks flew as they fought but the Rider proved superior as she and her clone sent the Jyamatos tumbling across the deck.
[Single Blade!]
Oscura rejoined the Ninja Dueler and spun the shuriken disk.
[1, 2, 3, Fever!]
Charging up the blade, she squeezed the trigger.
[TACTICAL FINISH!]
Oscura and her clone delivered a flaming tornado attack that enveloped the Jyamatos, burning them to ash. After the threat was dealt with, Luz cancelled her transformation and went over to Masha.
"Wow, that was, wow," Masha remarked as Luz helped them up. "You've got some moves, girl!"
"MASHA!" Vee yelled as she climbed onto the deck of the pirate ship and then flung herself at her enbyfriend. "You're OK!"
"Of course, babe," Masha grinned. "I'm a survivor."
"Good, now we just need to find Amity and Mom," Luz said worriedly. She hoped they were together since Amity could protect Camila with her magic.
Camila did not know where she was, but she found herself standing in front of a beautiful house. She did not know why, but something compelled her to step through the door. As she did, the lights came on and she saw photos on the walls, family photos, their family photos.
"How did they get here?" Camila wondered as she approached one picture. It showed Luz when she was much younger, with a gap in her teeth and her hair done in crazy braids that stuck out of her hair. Camila remembered how silly her daughter looked but Luz insisted. "Oh, she was so adorable then!"
Suddenly, a bright flash of light went off in front of her, and Camila found herself transported somewhere else. When she looked at herself, she realized she was younger, and when she looked out in front of her, she saw a playground. She remembered when she took Luz to the playground and she found some snake skin. She tried to show it off to some kids but they ran away. She remembered Luz calling them the snake's pyjamas and she also remembered the criticism she heard from the other parents which upset her.
"Ugh, so unhygienic."
"Seriously, that girl must've been raised by wolves."
"Hey! Wolves are actually great parents!" Camila retorted.
"That's what you wanted to say…"
Camila found her perspective shift, now seeing herself from a distance. The two parents made the same remarks, but instead of Camila talking back at them for their criticism of Luz, she instead remained silent and lowered her head as if ashamed. Camila saw her young daughter turn around and look at her with sadness in her eyes.
"But you didn't say that. You said nothing, Mama…"
"Luz, wait!"
Another flash went off and Camila found herself back in the house and staring at the same picture again. However, the young Luz in the picture now had the same sad look on her face before walking away, leaving the picture blank. Camila did not understand what was happening, and continued through the hallway, looking for answers.
Camila came across another picture, which showed Luz's audition for Romeo and Juliet. She remembered how she dramatically spilt out sausages that were supposed to be intestines. Camila remembered being amused since Manny taught her that. Unfortunately, not everyone shared her enthusiasm.
"Ugh! Gross! Now everything smells like lunch meat!"
"Seriously, she's such a tryhard."
"¡Oye! What did you just say?! Don't you dare talk about my daughter that way!"
Once again, Camila's perspective shifted, now seeing herself from the stage, and watching that scene take place again. Just like before, when people criticized Luz, she remained silent and kept her head down. Luz got up from the stage, her costume still stained from the lunch meat and looked up at her mother with disappointment, and a tinge of anger.
"Why couldn't you just stand up to them, Mom? Dad would've said something."
"Mija, I'm so sorry! Just let me explain!"
Unfortunately, just like before, when Camila tried to explain herself, a flash of light went off and sent her back to the house. The image of Luz in this photo walked off the stage, and once she did, the picture went blank.
Luz was an outcast, without any friends, which brought back bad memories of Camila's time in high school. Like her daughter, she was awkward and had a heavy interest in Cosmic Frontier. She was bullied, either due to her interests or her race, the reason varied from bully to bully. The bullying left scars and she did not want her daughter to suffer as she had. So, she was pressured into sending her daughter to Reality Check Camp. However, instead of going to camp, her daughter went to the Demon Realm where she ended up suffering even worse.
New pictures appeared on the walls, each one a representation of the painful moments that Luz suffered in the Demon Realm: the loss of her ability to cast spells, the desperation of attacking Amity, enacting the dark Sabbath Ritual, her first act of killing, the ascension of Empress Oscura, and lastly, the moment she became Scyn Oscura, a demonic angel of death and destruction that sought to make everyone on Earth suffer for what they put her through.
And Camila had failed to protect her daughter yet again.
"Oh, Luz...I should've fought harder for you…I should've done more…I'm such a terrible mother…" Camila shed tears as all the pictures darkened and then she saw a shadowy figure approach. "Who's there?"
"Hello, Mama," Luz said as she stepped into the light.
"Luz...is that you...? ¡Ay dios mío!" Camila gasped in shock when she saw her daughter covered in scars, especially the X-shaped scar in the middle of her face. Camila rushed to her daughter and dropped to her knees, placing her hands on her shoulder and face as she gazed upon the ugly scars that were carved into her body. "¡Ay, mi dulce niña! ¡No! Cómo pudo haberte pasado esto a ti?! (Oh, my sweet baby girl! No! How could this have happened to you?!)"
"How? Heh-heh. It's easy, Mama. I did it to myself. I did it because someone took the one thing away that I wanted so much. The one thing that made me feel special. Because I was such a mistake back home, I thought I could be more in the Demon Realm. I thought I could be someone you could be proud of."
"No, no! Luz! I am proud of you! I always was! You didn't need to go to some other world to feel special!" Camila ranted.
Luz chuckled as she batted away Camila's hands and took a step back before she held out her arms.
"Take a good look, Mom. This is what your weakness has driven me to go. These scars aren't just physical, they represent every time you never stood up for me. Every time you backed down like a snivelling coward! You may be a grown woman, but you're still that scared, pathetic little girl from all those years ago!"
"That's not true!" Camila denied.
Suddenly, a cut formed across Luz's left side that began to bleed. A moment after it happened, the wound closed and became a new scar.
"You just can't stop hurting me, huh, Mama?"
"No! I didn't mean to do that!"
Another couple of cuts formed on Luz.
"Stop it! STOP IT!" Camila begged.
"Ugh…Every word out of your mouth is full of weakness…and that weakness hurt me and drove me to become stronger than you, stronger than anyone." Suddenly, dark shadows rose around Luz, wrapping her in a cocoon of darkness before it shattered apart in a cascade of black feathers, revealing an older version of Luz, but still scarred. "I became someone devoid of light! I became one with the darkness! I became Empress Oscura!"
Camila ran up to the older version of her daughter and hugged her fiercely.
"No, this isn't you, Luz! You're not this…this thing! You're my daughter! I love you! I won't let you go again! You can be mad at me all you want, but I will never stop loving you!" Camila proclaimed.
Oscura gently wrapped her arms around Camila.
"Oh, but Mami, I'm not mad at you. Quite the opposite. I need to thank you." Camila broke the hug and looked up at Oscura. "Sending me away, it was the best thing you could've done for me. Thanks to you, I found the Demon Realm and now I'm the most powerful witch in the world!"
Camila had placed her hands over her mouth as she dropped to her knees and sobbed.
"No, no…I never wanted this…I never wanted you to feel like you needed to be someone else…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"
Oscura stood over her, spreading her arms out as six black feathered wings sprouted from her back. The Empress stood before her mother, glaring down at her with a glowing violet slit in the middle of her eyes. The house around them suddenly burst into flames, with the walls crumbling down around them and revealing the outside world. She could see Gravesfield on fire and in ruins. There was a mountain of corpses and sitting on a throne on top of them was Empress Oscura.
"Look, Mama! Look at the empire I've created! An empire built on the ruins of this shithole town and the bodies of those who ridiculed and mocked me! And those who refuse to obey me? Well…"
The bodies of Amity, Vee, and Masha were all laid out in front of her. Blood trickled from their mouths, their eyes were milky white, and a puncture wound from a sword blade was over their hearts. Camila fell onto her rear as she screamed in terror, slowly backing away from the horrifying scene before her, but she stopped when she felt something behind her. When Camila slowly turned her head to look, she saw Oscura standing there with a maniacal smile on her face.
"Tell me, Mama. Tell me how proud you are of me! Tell me how proud you are of your precious little girl! TELL ME, MAMA! TEEEELLL MEEEE!"
Luz was anxious. While she was relieved that she managed to find Masha and Vee, she was worried about Amity and her mom, her mom especially. Jyamatos were lurking in this labyrinth and while Masha could hold them off, Luz knew that if she had not arrived when she did, Masha would have eventually been killed by them. Amity could also defend herself from the Jyamatos since she had magic on her side. Camila, on the other hand, well she was a normal human and while she was pretty badass with her chancla, Luz doubted that would do much against the Jyamatos.
As the trio walked down the corridor, Luz clenched her phone as she lit the way. If only she could call her mother, to hear her voice, she would know she was alright.
"Where could they be?" Masha questioned.
"As long as we follow this map, we're sure to find them," Luz assured them. After defeating the Jyamatos that attacked Vee, Luz had been rewarded with a map of the labyrinth on her Spider Phone. As she checked the map, she found the ID Core logos of the other Riders scattered throughout the labyrinth. There were also red dots which indicated either civilians or Jyamatos. Unfortunately, there was no way to identify which was which. At least, this should help her find her mom and Amity.
Camila gasped as she awoke with a start. Her heart was racing and sweat beaded down her face as she glanced about her surroundings in a panic. She thought she would see the horrible images from before, but as it turns out, she was somewhere else.
'It…It was a dream? No…a nightmare…' Camila thought as she fixed her glasses.
She found herself in an empty chamber. It had no discernable or noteworthy characteristics to it, at least from what she could tell. The older Latina started to get back up but found her legs to be a little unresponsive. Camila feared that she may have suffered a spinal injury, but she managed to wiggle her toes and bend her legs, so it wasn't that. She did start to notice something. She was trembling. Even her legs were shaking.
It seemed as if the nightmare had rattled her more than she realized. How could it not? Everything that nightmare showed her was true. If it were not for her weakness, Luz would have never become that monster. She would not have had to suffer the pain and anguish she did now after being freed from that darkness.
'She's not really free from it, is she? Luz still carries those scars inside of her. Even after she came back, I tried to do the best that I could. But let's face it, Camila, you couldn't do a damn thing for her. There was no one here who she could talk to other than Amity. There wasn't a therapist in the world who could even come close to understanding what she went through. Hell, even I can barely comprehend it! I'm such a terrible mother…'
Camila took a few calming breaths as she crawled over to the nearest wall. Once she was close enough, Camila used the wall to help prop herself up, slowly standing on her feet. Her legs were still shaking, along with the rest of her body, but she managed to stay standing with the wall's help.
'C'mon, Camila. This isn't the time to be weak, I gotta find them…I gotta find my kids!'
"Mama!"
"Luz?" Camila turned her head in the direction of the voices and saw her daughters and Masha running towards her. They all entered the chamber and Luz threw herself at Camila.
"Mom! Are you OK?!" Luz asked. "You're not hurt, are you?!"
"No, I'm fine," Camila assured her daughter.
"Are you sure?" Vee asked, equally worried.
"I am fine, now that you're both here, my babies," Camila went and hugged both her daughters.
"Alright, now let's get out of here," Masha said as they turned only for their entrance to suddenly slam shut. "Crap! That can't be good."
"Don't worry. As long as we move forward, we should find our way…" Luz paused when she heard the familiar hum of a beamsword and looked in the direction of the sound. Footsteps echoed in the chamber as the glow of a red beamsword could be seen in the shadows. The figure stepped out of the shadows and it was none other than a Knight-type Jyamato that was dressed in black robes.
"Luz, what is that?" Camila questioned, frightened. Whatever it was, she knew it was not a costume.
"A monster," Luz said with a frown. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." She released her mother and stepped forward but Camila grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Luz, no! It's too dangerous!" Camila protested.
"It's fine, Mama. I'm not powerless anymore," Luz reassured her with a smile. "Vee, Masha, can you both look after her while I take care of this?"
"Don't worry, Luz, we got this. Just go out there and kick some ass!" Masha grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.
"WHAT? BUT LUZ CAN'T FIGHT THAT THING!" Camila cried as Masha and Vee pulled her back.
"Don't worry, Cam-Cam. Luz is a badass. You'll see," Masha said.
"It's true, Mom. Luz can handle it," Vee added.
"How can you–?!"
[Set Fever!]
Camila was cut off as the logos for the Zombie and FeverSlot Buckles appeared, hovering next to Luz. She witnessed her daughter move her hands in front of her waist and utter a single word:
"Henshin."
[ZOMBIE!]
[ZOMBIE! HIT! FEVER ZOMBIE!]
Luz was enveloped in a black suit and featureless helmet before a grey helmet with horns appeared over her head. At the same time, the logos converted into the top and bottom halves of a suit of armour before they slid over her body, completing the transformation.
[READY, FIGHT!]
Armed with the Zombie Breaker, Kamen Rider Oscura stepped towards the Knight Jyamato. The two then broke into a run and swung their weapons. Sparks flew as they connected violently. Their blades ground against each other as Rider and Jyamato tried to overpower the other. Oscura gritted her teeth as she gripped her Zombie Breaker tightly before she delivered a kick with her right foot, the Berserclaw slashing across the Knight Jyamato's stomach. As it staggered back, she proceeded to deliver a series of violent slashes before she delivered a vicious roundhouse kick, sending the Knight Jyamato tumbling.
As Oscura charged at the Knight Jyamato, a couple of Pawn-type Jyamato in black robes jumped out of nowhere and struck her with their beamswords, knocking her back as sparks flew from her chest. She grunted as she took the blow but was otherwise fine. She glared at the Pawn Jyamatos as they stared her down. Meanwhile, the Knight Jyamato was getting back on its feet.
As Oscura was about to resume her attack, the two Jyamatos did something to give her pause.
[Desire Driver!]
They just put on Desire Drivers.
"...What?" The Jyamatos were wearing Desire Drivers, like the players of the DGP. "How did you get those!?"
The Jyamatos did not answer as they each brought out a strange Raise Buckle which resembled a metal plate with vines crawling all over it. What was even more shocking was that the Jyamatos could speak in a human language.
"Hen...shin..."
The Jyamatos inserted the Buckles into their Drivers, initiating their transformations.
[JYAMATO!]
Vines grew from the Drivers, wrapping the two Jyamatos in cocoons before a wave of energy shredded them, revealing their new forms. They wore the same black Entry Form suits as the DGP players with green and purple vines wrapped around their left shins. Their body armour had a brown chestpiece going down the middle with a bronze tribal pattern. Around their necks, they had spiked collars and thorny vines grew from their chest to encircle their shoulders. Their Rider Heads looked like brown domes with a single green compound eye on the left and thorny vines growing out of the brows.
"Jyamato Riders!?" Oscura cried in disbelief.
The two Jyamato Riders brandished their beamswords and charged at Oscura. She recovered from her shock and caught one beamsword with her Zombie Breaker and the other with her Berserclaw. She pushed against the two Jyamato Riders and knocked them back with a swing of her sword.
[Poison Charge!]
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
Poisonous energy surged across the blade of her chainsaw sword and she was about to deliver her finisher when she suddenly froze. An invisible force was holding her in place, preventing her from moving. She struggled against it, her body shaking, but whatever it was, it held tightly. She looked up and saw the Knight Jyamato with its left hand held out like it was grasping something. She soon realised it was the one that was holding her still.
"Gotta...move..." Oscura grunted as she tried to free herself. Meanwhile, the Jyamato Riders slammed their fists onto their Jyamato Buckles.
[JYA-JYA-JYA STRIKE!]
The Jyamato Riders raised their right arms as thick vines enveloped their forearms and fists. Taking advantage of Oscura's stunned state, both Jyamatos charged, cocked back their fists, and delivered an explosive punch that sent Oscura flying. The Rider of Darkness screamed as she soared through the air before she fell and tumbled on the floor. In a flash of light, her armour vanished as she reverted to civilian form.
"Luz!" Camila cried as she, Vee and Masha ran to Luz. "Luz, are you OK?" She saw her daughter had some scratches and scrapes, but was otherwise fine.
"I'm fine," Luz groaned as Camila helped her to her feet. That blow had knocked the wind out of her. Fortunately, her armour had taken the brunt of it.
The Jyamato Riders spotted the Zombie and FeverSlot Buckles which lay on the floor. They had been ejected from Luz's Desire Driver after they hit her with their finishers. They went and picked them up before inserting them into the empty spaces on their Desire Drivers.
[Set!]
[Set Fever!]
"Um, Luz," Masha said, getting her attention as they pointed at the Jyamatos. "That's not good, is it?"
"Oh, no..." Luz whispered in dismay as she saw them using her Buckles.
[ZOMBIE!]
[GOLDEN FEVER! JACKPOT! HIT! GOLDEN FEVER!]
The Jyamato Riders transformed with the Raise Buckles, equipping their bodies with the corresponding armour. The Jyamato Rider in the Zombie Form upper armour shouldered the Zombie Breaker while the Jyamato Rider in the Boost Form upper armour rolled its shoulders.
[READY, FIGHT!]
"Girls, we need to run!" Camila cried as she helped her daughter to her feet.
"We can't! The way we came in got sealed!" Luz cried.
"Then we'll need to find another way out!"
"But the only way out is through..." Vee gulped as she pointed at the two Jyamato Riders walking towards them. "Them."
Luz looked at her family and then at the Jyamato Riders. She had a way to beat them, she just wished she did not have to do it in front of her mom.
"Mom," Luz said firmly and Camila knew what her daughter wanted to say.
"No, mija! You can't!" Camila denied, shaking her head. "You're hurt!"
"I'm fine, Mamá," Luz assured her. "And if I don't do this, we're all dead."
"But–!"
"Mom, it'll be OK."
Camila hesitated but her grip slackened as Luz turned away from her mom. She took out her Oscura Buckle and then looked over her shoulder at her mom. She did not want her mom to see her like this, but she had no choice. She needed to make sure they all got out of his place alive.
[Set!]
Inserting the Oscura Buckle her Desire Driver, Luz turned her head away, eyes narrowed as she faced the Jyamato Riders.
"Henshin."
[OSCURA! DARKNESS, NOW!]
Camila went speechless as six familiar black wings emerged from Luz's back before they wrapped around her like a cocoon. There was an explosion of violet light as the wings burst to pieces, becoming a cascade of feathers that rained down around them.
"...La...Lechuza..." Camila whispered as she saw her daughter in her armour.
This was the true Kamen Rider Oscura.
[READY, FIGHT!]
"Defend, Now."
The Boost Jyamato Rider charged at Oscura and began to throw rapid-fire punches but she used her wings as a shield before she delivered a powerful punch, knocking it back. The Zombie Jyamato Rider took its turn next and swung its Zombie Breaker at Oscura. She stepped back to avoid its swing as she summoned her weapon.
[DesWizarSwordGun!]
As the Zombie Jyamato Rider delivered another strike, sparks flew as she caught the rotating teeth of the Zombie Breaker with her weapon. She parried it away and slashed the Zombie Jyamato Rider in the chest three times before knocking it back with a forward thrust.
'
The Boost Jyamato Rider jumped into the air and launched itself like a rocket at Oscura but she was ready for it as it delivered a punch.
"Explosion, Now!"
She threw a punch which connected with the Boost Jyamato Rider's fist and the explosive blast destroyed its arm as it was sent flying backwards.
[Poison Charge!]
[TACTICAL BREAK!]
The Zombie Jyamato Rider came at Oscura with an overhead swing but she jumped back and dodged its attack. The chainsaw sword's blade met the ground, causing the floor to melt due to its corrosive discharge. As she landed, she converted her weapon to Gun Mode and fired at the Zombie Jyamato Rider. Sparks burst from the armoured monster's chest with each shot before Oscura cast another spell.
"Obsidian, Now!"
Black rocks burst from the ground with the Zombie Jyamato Rider standing between them. Oscura then clenched her fist, willing the rocks to move and crush the Zombie Jyamato Rider between them. It struggled to free itself but it was stuck.
[DARKNESS! TACTICAL BLAST!]
Dark energy swirled in front of the barrel of her DesWizarSwordGun and she pulled the trigger, launching a dark energy projectile that struck the Zombie Jyamato Rider. It cried out as it exploded, sending pieces of rock flying along with the Zombie Buckle. As the Buckle came to her, Oscura snatched it out of the air.
"Now, for the other one."
The Boost Jyamato Rider was on its knees, trembling in pain from its lost arm. It then looked up and saw Oscura walking towards it. It rose up to punch her with its remaining arm but Oscura caught its fist.
"Black Ice, Now."
The Jyamato Rider's entire arm was frozen solid before Oscura broke it off, causing it to howl in pain. It recoiled as Oscura shifted her weapon to its default Sword Mode.
[DARKNESS! TACTICAL SLASH!]
Dark energy burst from the blade in the form of black flames as she raised her sword and brought it down, performing a downward slash that sliced the Jyamato Rider in half. The creature exploded and the FeverSlot Buckle dropped at Oscura's feet.
"This is mine," Oscura said as she reclaimed her property.
With the two Jyamato Riders dealt with, Oscura was ready to engage the Knight Jyamato again but then she heard multiple hums of beamswords. She watched as a dozen Pawn-type Jyamatos in black robes emerged from the shadows, each armed with a red beamsword.
"Aww, it's cute that you think numbers will help you." Oscura mocked as she counted a dozen Pawn-type Jyamatos plus one Knight Jyamato; a baker's dozen. They outnumbered her but, fortunately, she had a way to even things out. "Let me show why quality always trumps quantity."The Rider of Darkness held out her left hand as the red gemstone on her Oscura Buckle began to fade.
"Wrathful Destruction, Now!"
Casting her spell, Oscura unleashed a blast of raging crimson power from the palm of her hand which roared across the chamber as it consumed the Pawn Jyamatos, causing a mighty explosion that shook the entire chamber and created a huge cloud of dark smoke.
The Knight Jyamato raised its sword, readying itself for what it assumed would be an inevitable attack. Just as it anticipated, Oscura burst through the smoke with the DesWizarSwordGun raised to cut down the Knight Jyamato. The monster lunged forward with its own sword. As soon as it did, the blade pierced right through Oscura's abdomen. When the smoke cleared, Vee, Camila, and Masha stared with wide-eyed horror at seeing Luz skewered by the monster.
"LUUUZ!" Camila cried in agony.
Vee held her hands over her mouth as tears started to stream down her face. Masha's hands shook as they clenched into fists, anger coursing through them at seeing their friend and future sister-in-law killed by that monster. This was made all the worse as the creature held its sword high above its head, hoisting Oscura's limp body up like a trophy in victory. However, its victory was short-lived.
A blue blur manifested behind the monster and, after a moment, the blur took the form of Oscura. She held the DesWizarSwordGun in Gun Mode against the back of the Knight Jyamato's head. Meanwhile, the Oscura that was stuck on the monster's blade suddenly dispersed into particles of violet light that floated up into the air. The creature seemed to understand just how screwed it was, especially when it felt the heat building up at the end of Oscura's barrel.
"Bang."
[DARKNESS! TACTICAL BLAST!]
Pulling the trigger, Oscura unleashed a powerful burst of dark energy at point-blank range. The Knight Jyamato barely had time to utter a screech or wail before the energy blast took off everything from below the collarbone up. The Knight Jyamato dropped its sword before the rest of its body fell to the ground. Oscura smirked under her helmet as she twirled her weapon around like a Western gunslinger before strolling past its corpse.
"Y-You're alive?!" Vee exclaimed happily.
"H-How?! We saw that thing shishkebab you!" Masha asked.
"Sorry about that. See, when I was covered in the smoke, I used my Slothful Slowing spell to warp time and then used my Doppelganger spell to create a copy of myself. I let the copy out of my time dilation and waited behind the Jyamato while my clone pretty much sacrificed itself. And of course, when it dropped its guard, I dropped out of the time dilation and, well, blew its heads off."
"…Luz, you are honestly the coolest girl I've ever known," said Masha with awe, and not a hint of sarcasm.
Camila walked up to her daughter, placing her hands on the shoulder pauldrons as she cried.
"I…I thought you died, mija…I thought I saw my baby die right in front of me!"
Oscura winced. She had pulled that move off before, but this was the first time her mother had witnessed it. So, it was probably traumatic for her to see that.
"Mom, I'm sorry you–"
"LUZ, IT'S NOT DEAD YET!" Vee yelled.
Oscura swiftly spun around and watched as the Knight Jyamato's body started to get back to its feet, grabbing its sword as several vines sprouted from where its head used to occupy. The vines swiftly weaved themselves together before a flash of green light went off. When the light faded, the Knight Jyamato's had its head back, as if nothing had ever happened.
"You have got to be kidding me! Since when does that not kill you?!" Oscura complained.
The Knight Jyamato pointed its beamsword at the Rider and with its other hand gestured for her to come at it. Oscura gripped her DesWizarSwordGun, switching it back to Sword Mode, and charged in again. The Knight Jyamato parried Oscura's blade before it countered with a slash that tore sparks from her chest, knocking her back. It then followed up with a series of slashes that sent her backpedalling. As it went for another swing, she jumped and performed a backward somersault to avoid its strike. Her wings spread from her back, propelling her forward as she delivered a hard kick to its chest, knocking it back. She then flew forwards, delivering a series of slashes which it parried but she managed to break through its guard before landing a kick that sent it tumbling.
As Camila watched her daughter's battle, despite fearing her becoming that monster Empress Oscura again, she could not help but see how gracefully she fought. She had never seen Luz fight before but from what she could see, every move she made was deliberate and none were wasted when she engaged the monster. She was also amazed by the power her daughter possessed along with her mastery of magic. It may seem dark, but there was nothing evil about it.
Oscura landed on her feet as the Knight Jyamato picked itself up. Oscura ran forward and delivered a series of kicks and slashes, forcing it on the defensive. It went for a swing but she backflipped to avoid it before landing on her feet.
"Black Ice, Now!"
She sent a wave of black ice surging towards the Knight Jyamato but it powered up its beamsword and delivered a slash that stopped Oscura's spell, shattering the ice. It then used its telekinesis to raise the shards and fire them at Oscura like arrows but she countered with another spell.
"Onyx Flame, Now!"
Throwing her left arm forward, Oscura unleashed a wave of flame that melted the ice volley. The Knight Jyamato growled and fired a blast of lightning at Oscura, causing her to scream. The lightning lifted Oscura into the air and the Knight Jyamato repeatedly bashed her against the floor.
"Luz!" Camila cried out as she watched her daughter being thrown around like a ragdoll. Even Masha was on edge but Vee knew her sister had a way out of this predicament.
"Greedy...Stealing...NOW!" Oscura screamed and she grabbed the lighting with her hands, absorbing it into her own body. With its lightning absorbed, the Knight Jyamato dropped Oscura who landed on her feet. With a yell, Oscura fired a black lightning bolt at the Knight Jyamato, sending it crashing to the wall.
Oscura charged at the Knight Jyamato as it picked itself up and then it performed a grabbing motion. The armoured girl was stopped in her tracks and lifted into the air as she felt pressure around her throat. She kicked her legs as she tried to pry the invisible force around her neck away, but it was useless. As she was lifted into the air, the Knight Jyamato used its telekinesis to levitate the beamsword hilts of its fallen subordinates. Each of them lit up and it thrust its hand forward, sending the beamswords flying at high speeds like a harpoon to pierce her body.
"Defend...Now!"
Her wings spread out and covered her in a cocoon that shielded her from the beamswords. They failed to penetrate the barrier created by her wings and bounced off to clatter to the floor.
"Transport, Now!"
The cocoon exploded, sending a cascade of black feathers to rain down around the confused Knight Jyamato.
"Jya!?"
*Stab!*
"JYA!"
The blade of Oscura's DesWizarSwordGun suddenly stuck out its chest. Standing behind it was Oscura and she had just, literally, stabbed the Knight Jyamato in the back. She withdrew her blade and the Knight Jyamato staggered forward before it whirled around to deliver a clumsy slash but Oscura parried the strike and knocked the Knight Jyamato's beamsword right out of its hand.
"Prideful Strength, Now."
A golden aura radiated from Oscura's body as a bestial roar filled the chamber. She cocked back her fist, focusing all her might on it, and threw a punch.
*BOOM!*
The explosive blow sent the Knight Jyamato crashing into the wall, burying it.
Oscura converted her weapon into Gun Mode, opened up the Hand Author again, and slapped it with her left hand.
[DARKNESS!]
She did not stop there as she slapped it again.
[ENDING!]
And again.
[DESTRUCTION!]
And twice more for good measure.
[OBLIVION! OMEGA!]
"This time, you're not getting back up."
Oscura raised the DesWizarSwordGun into the air as all six of her black wings flared out behind her. Violet, silver, black, and navy blue energy began to swirl around her body. A powerful gust of wind blew through the chamber, with Oscura at the epicentre. The swirling energy gathered at the tip of the barrel, condensing into a small point of energy that was the size of a marble. Oscura levelled her weapon at the Knight Jyamato as the last bits of her aura were pulled into the marble-sized ball of light.
"NOW, EAT THIS, SUCKA!"
[TACTICAL OMEGA BLAST!]
A spiralling column-sized beam of dark light burst forth from the DesWizarSwordGun, tearing up the walls, ceiling, and floor as it travelled towards its target. The Knight Jyamato tried desperately to dislodge itself from the wall, but it was already too late. The spiralling beam struck the Knight Jyamato, piercing it through the chest with the initial beam before the rest of it slammed into it like a runaway train. The thin beam practically pinned it to the wall as the aura around the beam burned and tore apart its body with each passing second. The monster could do nothing to escape its fate as its whole body was engulfed in the powerful light. In the next moment, an explosion went off that blasted a huge chunk out of the wall. The only evidence that the Knight Jyamato had been there was a scorch mark in the shape of its splayed-out body.
Once all the threats in the immediate area were taken care of, Luz took off the Oscura Buckle and cancelled her transformation. Examining the stones surrounding the Oscura Mask unit, she saw the four stones representing the Pride, Sloth, Wrath and Greed spells had faded colours. She made a note to save the remaining Sin spells for later. She was going to need them. Putting the Buckle away, she approached her family.
"You did it," Vee smiled. "You beat that thing."
"OK, Luz, you definitely need to teach me your moves," Masha said.
"Luz," Camila spoke seriously.
Vee and Masha were impressed but Camila looked less than pleased. Luz knew that look. Camila had the same look the last time when she first saw Luz become a Kamen Rider in front of her. Since her memories of that time had been erased, she was seeing it for the first time, all over again.
"Mamá, don't worry. I'll explain everything," Luz promised. Suddenly, Camila hugged her daughter. "Mama!? What's wrong!?"
"Oh, Luz! I'm so sorry!" Camila pulled back, putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders to look her daughter in the eye. "I should've fought harder for you, mija! I shouldn't have tried to send you to that camp! I shouldn't have made you think you needed to change!"
"Mamá, it's OK."
"No, mija! It's not OK! Those scars you carry with you, you would not have gotten them if I didn't try to send you to that camp."
"Mamá, you were just thinking of what was best for me. I understand. I was out of control."
"No, mija. You were special and I was the only one in your corner. But when you needed me the most, I failed you."
"Mamá…" Luz sighed. Even though she knew that everything she was going to say to her was just going to get erased when this was all over, for her own mental health, it was probably best to get this out in the open now. "Mamá…I was mad at you. When I was Empress Oscura, I thought you hated me for not being the child you wanted. I...I hated you for it."
"Oh, Luz..."
"But, people aren't perfect and you tried your best, especially after Papá died. You tried to do your best, even when I was being difficult. So, Mamá, I forgive you. As long as you can forgive me."
"Mija, I've forgiven you a long time ago."
The Noceda mother and daughter shared a hug, causing Masha to shed a tear at the tender moment.
"That's so beautiful," Masha said, putting an arm around Vee.
"Yeah, it is," Vee agreed, her eyes gushing like waterfalls.
"Oh, God! Vee! Stop, or you're gonna dehydrate!"
"OK, Mom. Now, we need to find Amity and–" Luz started but she was cut off by an explosion.
*BOOM!*
The wall was blasted open and Luz quickly put herself in front of her mom, readying her Oscura Buckle. As the dust settled, Luz could make out the figure and gasped.
"Amity!"
"Luz!"
The two ran into each other's arms and embraced. Seconds later, Kamen Rider Honey stepped through the hole in the wall, shouldering a big blue hammer.
"I'm here too," Honey waved. She watched as Amity and Luz fretted over each other and felt a clench in her heart.
"Willow!" Luz gasped when she saw her, impressed. "Dang, girl. That's some armour you got there." She took out her Spider Phone to scan it and received its specs. "'Powered Builder'. And I thought getting the FeverSlot Buckle was like winning the jackpot."
"I just got it for solving a puzzle," Honey answered. She removed the Powered Builder Buckle from her Desire Driver and reverted to civilian mode.
"It was thanks to that Buckle that we managed to escape a death trap," Amity informed Luz. "Oh, and here's something for you." Amity went and kissed Luz deeply on the lips. The Latina was stunned but she recovered quickly to kiss her back. The two broke their kiss and rested their foreheads on each other.
"What was that for?" Luz asked.
"For avenging me in the last game," Amity told her and Luz's eyes widened. She then looked at Willow who nodded.
"I see. You remember what happened the last time. So how did you run into Willow?"
Dr. Exposition: In the next chapter, Amity recounts how she ran into Willow. A lot more happened while Luz was looking for her family. So, wait for it. So, Luz has used the Pride, Sloth, Wrath and Greed spells, leaving her with Lust, Gluttony and Envy. What happens when she uses up all her Sin Spell Slots? Find out soon.