Author's Note:

Another has been completed Hopefully it's your enjoyment as much as we keep making them

Currently Apzeta is away taking a break and working on his studies

Till next chapter, Bishop

[ Vacuo – Desert Outskirts – Midday ]

The wind settles. Summer Rose's silver eyes gaze into the swirling Aurora Curtain with equal parts suspicion and awe.

Tsukasa: (gesturing) "Go on. It'll be quicker this way. Shade Academy isn't exactly next door."

Summer: (a moment of hesitation) "...You sure this isn't some kind of trap?"

Tsukasa: (with his signature smirk) " Why would I lie in a already doomed world ?"

Summer then steps through the curtain—and vanish followed by Tsukasa

[ Kingdom of Vacuo – Shade Academy – Library ]

The library's quiet is suddenly broken as the Aurora Curtain bursts into view near a cluster of tables.

Sougo, Woz, Kaito, and Oscar (with Ozpin's presence glowing faintly behind his eyes) all look up in unison as Tsukasa and Summer step through.

Oscar/Ozpin: "...Tsukasa?"

Kaito: (without looking up from inspecting the Relic of Choice )"Took you long enough. What'd you do, stop for ice cream?"

Sougo: (grinning) "That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea..."

From around the room, others begin turning toward the portal—

Yang, Qrow, and Taiyang—present for a briefing—turn with wide eyes as they see who walks in beside Tsukasa.

Taiyang: "...No way. That can't be—"

Qrow: (his flask drops from his hand) "Summer...?"

Summer: (a warm smile as she lowers her hood) "Long time no see..."

Stunned silence. Then—

Yang: "Mom...?"

Her voice cracks, her golden eyes wide with disbelief.

Taiyang: (voice barely a whisper) "You... you look exactly the same. You haven't aged a day..."

Summer: (stepping closer) "Well... the 'mission' didn't exactly go as planned."

Qrow: (still stunned) "You were dead. We thought—"

Summer: (soft chuckle, then eyes twinkling) "And Yang... look at you. You've grown up so much. Still got that wild hair, huh?"

Yang: (wiping at her eyes, stepping forward) "You have no idea..."

Summer: (playfully) "And you two—" (gesturing at Qrow and Tai)

Summer: "You're looking... old."

Qrow: (sputtering) "Hey—!"

Taiyang: (laughs through choked emotion) "Fair..."

Summer: (more serious now) "After my fight with Salem... I thought I was gone. But I ended up in a world without people, without Grimm. Everything... was mirrored."

The Riders exchange looks.

Sougo: "...the Mirror World..."

Woz: (nodding) "A realm of reflections. Not time, not space—echoes just monsters my Lord."

Tsukasa: "She must've been bouncing between fragments of reality. No wonder time didn't touch her."

Kaito: (tilting his head) "And yet, you found your way back here. Fascinating."

Summer: (looking around) "But... where's Ruby? Where's my little rose?"

Suddenly, the warmth fades. The room grows tense. Yang, Qrow, Tai, and Ozpin exchange uneasy glances. Silence.

Summer stepping forward, confused, and concerned before speaking

Summer: "Where is she?"

Tsukasa: (quietly) "I can answer that... but you're not going to like it."

Yang: ( Paranoid and Worried ) "Don't. She doesn't need to hear it right now—"

Kaito raises a single hand and with moment pauses Yang in time

Yang: (frozen in place mid-step, eyes wide) "...?!"

Summer: (alarmed) "Hey—what did you just do?!"

Kaito: "Relax. She's not hurt. Just... paused. Tsukasa wanted to explain this part without interruption."

Summer: (stepping forward, demanding) "Then talk. Tell me what happened to my daughter."

Tsukasa: (sighs, placing his hands in his pockets)

"After everything fell apart—Atlas, Penny, Pyrrha, Salem... Ruby tried to hold it all together.

She led, she fought, she endured. But when her sister and friends went chasing a world-saving plan... they left her behind."

Summer: (jaw clenched) "Left her...?"

Tsukasa: "Emotionally. Spiritually. You named it. She watched her friends die. Felt like no one was listening. And in the end... she nearly erased herself from existence."

Summer: (whispers) "No..."

Tsukasa: (eyes darkening)

"Her then team—Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Jaune—did nothing. They saw her breaking. And they froze."

Silence again. The Riders look grim. Summer's hands begin to shake.

Tsukasa: "The one person who reached her, who saved her... was someone unexpected. A man named Akira Kuruzu the Rider of this world and alternate of Zero-One, and his group: MetsubouJinrai dot net or Zaia Enterprise"

Summer: (sharp inhale) "MetsubouJinrai dot net ?"

Tsukasa:"He saved her. Gave her a second chance. And in doing so... Ruby gave up her role as team leader."

Tsukasa pulls two Rider Cardd from his belt and flicks them toward Summer.

They spin and land at her feet — a crimson card marked with the Rider symbol of the following forms Ark-Rose, Fighting Jackal, and Rushing Cheetah.

Tsukasa: "...and became a Kamen Rider."

Summer: (kneeling to pick up the cards, her voice soft) "...Ruby..."

The cards glow faintly in her hand, reacting to her touch—Silver Eyes shimmering.

Oscar/Ozpin: (stepping forward) "She's alive, Summer. Changed... but alive."

Tsukasa glances to the side. Yang remains frozen mid-expression.

Gesturing to Kaito which he waves his hand allowing Yang to be resume her tine.

Yang: (gasps, stumbling forward) "Don't do that again—!"

Summer: (quiet but firm) "Yang."

Yang freezes, looking at her mother—at the hurt in her eyes.

Summer: "Why didn't you help her?"

Yang: (voice breaking) "I... I didn't know how. I thought she'd bounce back. She always did. I didn't realize—"

Summer: (looking down at the Rider cards) "...She shouldn't have had to bounce back alone."

Qrow puts a hand on Tai's shoulder. No one speaks. The shadows in the room grow longer.

Kaito: (sighing) "...Well. That went about as well as expected."

Tsukasa: (looking toward the window) "The multiverse doesn't pause for reunions. Summer's returned, but Ruby's journey... is far from over."

Summer: (looking up) "Then it's time I found her. And this time even if it's only minute... I won't let her go through it alone."

Summer then returns the cards to Tsukasa who puts them back in the Ride Booker

[ Outside the Library ]

The hallway outside the large, library doors was filled with low conversation, shifting feet, and tension so thick it could be cut with a sword.

Jaune stood silently beside Ren and Nora, his hands folded behind his back, while Weiss crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, visibly irritated.

Blake stood near Winter, arms clenched tightly, her tail flicking with agitation.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the hall, drawing everyone's attention.

Coco Adel stepped in first, sunglasses slightly lowered, followed by Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, and Yatsuhashi Daichi of Team CFVY.

Right behind them were Sun Wukong, Scarlet David, Sage Ayana, Neptune Vasilias, and Nolan Porfirio of Team SSSN.

The tension escalated instantly.

Jaune: (straightening up) "Coco? Sun? What are you guys doing here?"

Coco: (flatly) "We found something. Something big."

Sun: (serious, for once) "It's about Akira."

Weiss: (coldly) "What about him? More atrocities?"

Velvet: (quietly) "No… something before all that. Something we think you all need to hear."

Blake: (snapping) "We don't need to hear anything about him."

Yatsuhashi: (evenly) "You should. We found a lab… ruins of the town of Daybreak. He survived it. Alone."

Nora: ( hesitating and then realizing) "Daybreak…? That was one of the towns outside the kingdoms that was hit hardest by the Grimm waves..."

Ren: (quiet) "It was wiped off the map."

Scarlet: "We have his logs, his blueprints, pictures of his old living quarters… everything. He was just a kid when it happened."

Winter: (cold as ice) "A tragic origin does not excuse what he's done since."

Sun: (defiant) "Maybe not. But it gives us context. And maybe—just maybe—he isn't beyond saving."

Blake: (snarling) "Saving?! He probably killed dozens. Yang's mother. Jaune nearly died by his hands! He's a monster!"

Sun: "And you think labeling him that fixes anything?! You were in the White Fang! You were called a terrorist too, remember?!"

The room fell silent. Blake's breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened.

Blake: "I—I left the Fang! I fought to stop them!"

Sun: "So did he. He fought for something he believed in… until the world turned on him. How is that any different?!"

Blake: (furious) "Don't you DARE compare us!"

Sun: "Why not?! You want to paint him as evil because it's easier than facing the truth: we all have blood on our hands!"

Blake: (screaming) "HE'S A KILLER, SUN! HE DESERVES TO PAY!"

Sun: (eyes burning) "AND YOU'RE A HYPOCRITE!"

Without warning—

SMACK!

Sun's hand flew across Blake's face, silencing the room. A sharp, mirrored echo of when she had once struck him back on Menagerie.

Everyone froze.

The library doors creaked open behind them with the whole scene being witnessed by everyone inside the library.

Tsukasa Kadoya, Kaito Daiki, Sougo Tokiwa, and Woz stepped into the hallway, all of them silent observers, their expressions unreadable.

Tsukasa: (dryly) "This is the part where things usually get really stupid."

Yang: (shoving forward, furious) "Don't touch her!"

Nora: (teeth gritted) "Then maybe she should stop pretending she's better than everyone else!"

WHAM!

Nora's fist collided with Yang's cheek, sending the blonde stumbling back in pure shock.

Blake: (rushing forward) "Nora! What the hell?!"

Velvet: "Stop it! All of you!"

Weiss: (snapping her fingers) "Enough! We are soldiers, not—!"

Fox signed rapidly to Coco, who raised her voice.

Coco: "Back it up, people! We're not tearing each other apart while the real enemy is out there."

The chaos was only barely restrained when two powerful presences finally stepped in—

Summer Rose and Ozpin, their magic pulsing faintly with command.

Summer: (calm, yet firm) "That's enough."

Ozpin: (authoritative) "Stand down. All of you."

Everyone froze at the sight of Summer and Ozpin's voice— and very much real — and the commanding gaze of Ozpin as he stepped between the warring factions.

Ozpin: "You are not enemies. You are not strangers. You are the remnants of a broken world that needs you to hold together — not fall apart."

Summer: (softening slightly) "Akira might be your problem. But he's not the only one. And right now… this world is still bleeding. We need answers — not more wounds."

Sun: (quietly, staring at the floor) "…I just want to help him."

Blake: (voice trembling) "He didn't want help. He wanted Revenge."

Nora: (tears in her eyes) "So did Ren and I … and if we had gone through with it… would you all have turned on us, too?"

Ren: (putting a hand on Nora's shoulder) "We can't fix the past… but maybe we can better understand it."

Silence settled like a blanket over them. The anger hadn't vanished, but something had shifted.

Jaune: (finally speaking) "Let's go inside. If we're going to talk… then let's take a moment to cool off."

[ Meanwhile – Amity Tower: Ark ]

Within the cold, dim corridors of Amity Tower, reengineered and rebranded under MetsubouJinrai control, the air thrums with energy.

Trilobite Magia units are lined up in mechanized coffins, their dormant forms twitching with pulses of energy.

Four Giger units, massive and insectoid, loom behind cabls.

Across from them, sleek, dark panels open — revealing the mobile defense force of Zaia Enterprise.

Every employee getting ready and doing their own tasks

Akira: (quietly, to himself) "If Salem's next move is war... we'll give her one. Not a battle — a reckoning."

[ Engineering wing of the Amity Tower ]

Adam Taurus sits rigid in a reinforced chair, cybernetic spine and arms exposed as Neopolitan adjusts an intricate bundle of fiberoptic nerves.

Her fingers are deft, mechanical, yet strangely gentle. Her voice — now crisp, lightly mischievous — echoes in the room.

Neopolitan: (smirking) "Hold still, pretty boy. If I fry another feedback loop, you'll start singing opera."

Adam: (grimacing) "I preferred you silent."

Neopolitan: (grinning wider) "And yet, here we are. Upgrades or insults — take your pick."

She finishes reconnecting a neural relay. Adam's left hand flexes reflexively, crackling with red energy.

Adam: "...Functional. Efficient. I'll take it."

Amethyst, Onyx, and Peridot stand on separate circular platforms as energy streams upward, scanning and uploading combat data. Red wireframes shimmer over their earpiece

Amethyst: (nonchalantly, as her eyes glow) "Ugh. Another reconfiguration cycle? This better come with a snack chip."

Onyx: "Improvement never rests. Neither should we."

Peridot: (tilting her head, voice chirpy) "I added five new countermeasures against everything one. Wanna test them?"

Amethyst: (grinning) "Only if we don't break the lab again."

[ Lounge – Private Quarters ]

Ruby lies on a padded bench, finally resting. Her red cloak draped over her like a blanket. Her chest rises and falls slowly. Nearby her gear rest silently on a steel table. Her expression is calm — but her knuckles are white.

Ruby: (softly, in her sleep) "...Mom...?"

[ The Core – Ark's Interface ]

In the dark heart of the tower, Akira stands before the Ark's terminal.

The interface flares to life — black and red, scrolling data in impossible sequences. A digital voice resonates from all directions.

Ark: "Welcome back, Akira. "

Akira: (eyes narrowing) "Ark can you run predictions ? . Prioritize Salem's movements. Risk levels. Deployment responses."

Red light pulses from the core. The Ark processes instantly, showing faces on the terminal screen.

Ark: "Remaining active assets under Salem's control: Tyrian Callows. Mercury Black.

And two unknowns — classified under codenames 'Gillian Asturias' and 'Jax Asturias'. Perhaps Siblings. Both confirmed enhanced."

Akira: (folds arms) "...New blood. She's reinforcing her side."

Ark: "I Suggest termination. Mercury Black remains a potential defector. Probability of successful recruitment: 48%. Probability of betrayal: 62%."

Akira: "...A coin flip. Not good enough."

Ark: "My Conclusion: Eliminate all. Only certainty is eradication."

Akira: (frowns, thoughtful) "Not yet. Mercury... might be useful. The others — if they step into the field, they die."

Ark: "We are nearing completion. Mirror World Maidens acquired. Fall, Winter, and Spring Maiden Progrisekeys: connected. Only Summer remains."

Ark displays a simulation of the Summer Maiden's powers merging into another key — lines connecting it directly to its core.

Ark: "Once connected, full synchronization of malice into Maiden framework is possible. Complete control of climate, matter, and aura. System fusion: 89.7% predicted success."

Akira: (sighs, stepping back) "...Then we're close."

He closes his eyes for a moment, tired from the constant calculations and weight of inevitability.

Akira: (softly) "Let's finish what we started."

He disconnects from the Ark. The red light fades slightly as he turns away.

[ Observation Lounge – Moments Later ]

Akira quietly walks into the lounge. Ruby stirs slightly in her sleep, turning her head. Her silver eyes flutter open — locking onto him.

Ruby: (groggy) "...Akira?"

Akira: ( gentle )"You should rest more."

Ruby: "Did... something happen?"

Akira: (softly) "Just progress. We're almost ready."

He sits across from her, gazing into the swirling binary code outside the massive window. Stars blink distantly beyond.

Ruby: "You look... tired too."

Akira: "I'm fine. I don't rest until it's done."

Ruby sits up slowly, cloak sliding from her shoulders.

Ruby: (quietly) "Do you think... we'll win?"

Akira: (after a pause) "...We have to."

[ Amity Tower: Ark– Strategy Room ]

A few hours later, everyone in MetsubouJinrai is gathered around the darkened strategy table, illuminated only by the glowing interface and the ominous red lighting of the Ark's system.

Everyone is rested, repaired, and focused.

Akira, Ruby, and Neopolitan all simultaneously raise their hands and tap the side of their Zaia Specs — activating a synchronized live feed

While Amethyst Onyx Adam and Peridot simply connected to the feed wirelessly

Akira: (calm, sharp) "Zaia Feed. Display Salem's current position."

The holographic projection unfolds above the table — the landscape of Remnant rendered in eerie detail. In the center, a serpentine mass of Grimm undulates across the map like a sickness.

Ruby: (eyes narrowing) "There... That's her."

The feed zooms in — an enormous, eight-headed Grimm being a modified King Taijitu, slithering across scorched terrain.

Perched atop the main head, like a monarch on a throne, is Salem, her expression unreadable, but cold yet full of wrath

Neopolitan: ( Amused) "She sure knows how to make an entrance."

Amethyst: (pressing her earpiece) "All Trilobite Magia are on standby. Giger units synced and prepped. Zaia's defense units are combat-ready."

The screen shifts to a secondary feed: rows of Trilobite Magia twitch within their pods, their glowing red visors flaring to life.

The Giger Units tower behind them — bristling with weaponry and exoskeletal armor. The Zaia's employees, fully armored, line up in coordinated squads.

Onyx: (coolly) "Deployments await your signal, Akira."

Akira remains silent for a moment, arms crossed as he stares at Salem's image.

Akira: "We'll launch soon. But before we make our move—Salem's allies need to be located. Gillian. Jax. Tyrian. Mercury. If they flank us mid-battle, we're compromised."

Ruby: (firmly) "We'll stop them. No matter who they are."

Amethyst: (turns, holding out a black briefcase) "Then you'll want this since the Ark has constructed this unit."

Akira accepts the briefcase. With a hiss of decompression, he opens it. Inside are four gleaming Progrisekeys, each marked with the insignia of the Seasonal Maidens — only twisted and mirrored.

M-Spring Maiden Progrisekey – Emerald Green

M-Summer Maiden Progrisekey – Deep Crimson

M-Fall Maiden Progrisekey – Burning Orange-Red

M-Winter Maiden Progrisekey – Glacial Blue

Beneath the keys lies something else: a sleek, obsidian black device with sharp violet patterns — the Fusion Unit.

Amethyst: "The Fusion Unit is compatible with the Forceriser. Attach it, and it allows a Rider to multiply their primary power with a Maiden's. The Ark call it... Force Fusion."

Akira: (picking up the green key) "M-Spring Maiden Progrisekey..."

Ruby: (watching closely) "You're really going to use it?"

Akira: "If we want to match Salem's power... we need to fight her magic with our own."

Amethyst: "Here's how it works."

She steps up to the table, activating a holographic projection of the Fusion Unit being that they will have access to magic

The team falls into silence for a moment. Even Peridot stops bouncing, her head tilted.

Peridot: (Jumping with emotion) "...This going to be so... COOL."

Adam: ( arms crossed) "Then let's finish our tune-up and get it over with. I've waited long enough to carve through Grimm."

Neopolitan: (tilting her head ) "Want me to go poke Salem first? See what she does?"

Ruby: (smirking) "Tempting... but we stick to the plan."

Akira: (closes the briefcase with a click) "Tomorrow, we move. Tonight — rest, finalize loadouts. Prepare everything. Because the next time we suit up..."

He glances toward the towering screen, where Salem's eight-headed monstrosity slithers across the landscape — the embodiment of nightmares.

Akira: (coldly) "...We end this and enjoy the end of the world