Author's Note:
Rejoice ! another chapter has been finished and we are a few more chapters and we will be done with this verstion of Vol 9
As always PMs are open and etc and hopefully next chapter is to your enjoyment as we all write all of this
Till next chapter, Apzeta, Bishop, and Knight
[ The Ever After – Punderstorm ]
Akira: "Hey, it's been a while."
Yang's eyes widen as she turns to face the source of the voice. Her golden hair flares, and her fists clench, Ember Celica primed for combat.
Blake, standing beside her, tenses, reaching for Gambol Shroud instinctively. Their resentment boils over in an instant.
Yang: "Are you serious right now?!"
Akira smirks, tilting his head slightly.
Akira: "Yeah, for real real. Still alive and kicking."
Yang's glare hardens, her mechanical fist tightening, while Blake's Faunus ears twitch with restrained fury. The mere presence of Akira reignites their hatred.
With a slow, deliberate motion, Akira raises his hand, revealing the Ark-Driver. A pulse of dark energy ripples outward as the device locks onto his waist.
Ark-Driver: [ Ark-Driver ! ]
A wave of Malice radiates from him like an oppressive storm, crashing over Blake and Yang. Their chests tighten; the air feels heavier, suffocating.
Yang staggers but plants her feet firmly. Blake grips her weapon tighter, fangs clenched.
Blake: "Tch—What is this…?"
Yang: "Ugh… D-Damn it!"
Akira watches their reactions with an amused yet analytical expression. He takes a step forward, his tone laced with both arrogance and self-awareness.
Akira: "Tell me something. Between the three of us… who's done more good? You two? Or me?"
Yang and Blake shoot him incredulous glares.
Blake: "You can't be serious."
Akira: "I am. Think about it. —we—have done more for Remnant than you ever have. Since the moment I arrived in Atlas and Mantle, we've been fixing the problems you ignored."
Yang growls, flames flickering around her.
Yang: "You have the nerve to stand there and act like some hero ? You're a murderer, Akira!"
Akira crosses his arms.
Akira: "Oh, I know damn well I've done my fair share of bad things. But unlike you, I acknowledge them. And at least they had a good outcome."
Blake's glare darkens.
Blake: "Good outcome ? You saved Adam and turned him into a cyborg. You took his twisted ideals and made them worse!"
Akira chuckles, shaking his head.
Akira: "Oh, come on, Blake. You act like you're any better. You were part of the White Fang before you ran away, weren't you? You fought for a cause, but the moment things got tough, you escaped. Just like you always do."
Blake flinches slightly, but her grip tightens on Gambol Shroud.
Blake: "I left because I grew! I changed!"
Akira: "Did you? Or did you just abandon your mess and pretend it wasn't your fault? Did we forget that it was you two who almost killed Adam !"
Blake recoils slightly, her anger now mixed with something else—conflicted guilt. Akira then turns his gaze to Yang, his next words dripping with cruel honesty.
Akira: "And you, Yang. Are you really still hung up on Raven? Your mother? That murderer? That coward?"
Yang's pupils shrink to slits, her rage boiling over.
Yang: "Shut up!"
Akira steps closer, undeterred by her fury.
Akira: "She killed more people than I ever have. Probably she abandoned you, time and time again. And yet, you still let her control you. I did Remnant a favor by putting her down."
Yang's eyes flares, fire erupting around her.
Yang: "I'll kill you!"
Akira smirks.
Akira: "I'd love to see you try."
With a flick of his wrist, he pulls the Ark-One Progrisekey. The sinister device pulses with ominous energy as he presses the Rise Starter.
Ark-One Progrisekey: [ Ark-One !]
He slowly brings the key to the Ark-Driver and inserts it into the slot.
Akira (coldly): "Henshin."
Ark-Driver: [ Singurize ! ]
A black and red energy surges around him as his armor materializes in a flash distortion.
Ark-Driver: [ Hakai, hametsu, zetsubō, metsubō seyo.]
His sleek armor takes form, the red singular eye burning with pure intelligence and malice.
Ark-Driver: [ Conclusion one. ]
Standing before them now is Ark-One, an embodiment of destruction and malice.
The overwhelming pressure from his presence alone makes the air feel heavier.
Yang and Blake brace themselves.
Yang and Blake wasted no time in charging at Akira. Yang's golden eyes burned with fury, her mechanical arm clenched into a fist, while Blake's ears twitched in focus, her Gambol Shroud shifting into its cleaver form.
Akira barely reacted as the two closed the distance. Just as Yang swung a devastating right hook aimed at his face, Akira sidestepped at the last second, leaving her fist to punch through empty air.
At the same time, Blake spun midair, slashing down at him with her weapon.
Again, Akira effortlessly stepped aside, his movements fluid and calculated. He didn't even flinch.
Yang roared in frustration.
Yang: "Stop dodging and fight me, you bastard!"
Akira smirked, his crimson eye gleaming.
Akira: "Why would I? You're predictable. Too predictable." He shook his head, clicking his tongue in mock disappointment.
Akira: "I'm 100%—no, 1000% better than you. And the best part? I'm not even a licensed Huntsman."
Blake narrowed her eyes, adjusting her grip.
Blake: "Tch. Your not human just a monster."
Akira simply chuckled, before tilting his head toward Yang. His voice turned mocking.
Akira: "I wonder… has Ruby started thinking about changing sides?" His gaze flicked to the Forceriser and Fighting Jackal Progrisekey attached to Ruby.
Akira: "Since she's already using my gear. Maybe she's realizing Decade and I were right all along."
Yang's expression twisted with rage.
Yang: "Shut up!" She pulled back her arm, her Ember Celica primed to fire.
Blake followed suit, swiftly drawing Gambol Shroud's pistol mode and firing a volley of bullets at Akira.
Without breaking a sweat, Akira simply lifted his hand, catching the bullets in his palm with unnatural precision.
The spent casings clinked softly against the area as he crushes them into dust with a slow clench of his fingers.
Blake's eyes widened slightly.
Blake: "What the—"
Akira smirked, stepping forward.
Akira: "Tell me something." He opened his palm, letting the remains of the bullets fall to the ground. His tone was calm, but laced with sharp condescension.
Akira: "Did you ever think about the aftermath of all your so-called 'plans'?"
Without waiting for an answer, Akira pressed the Ark Loader on his belt. In a flash of crimson digital energy, a Attache Shotgun materialized in his hand.
Before Blake could react, Akira surged forward and slammed his palm into her face, sending her crashing to the ground.
Yang snarled and lunged at him, but Akira spun and fired a precise shot at her legs, causing her to stumble and lose balance.
Blake groaned, pushing herself up just in time to see Akira looming over her, the Attache Shotgun aimed directly at her.
A flicker of fear crossed her amber eyes.
Akira's smirk widened.
Akira "Now, let's see if you've learned anything at all."
[ Back with Ruby Wiess Jaune and Peridot ]
Weiss and Jaune were thrown backward, barely managing to recover as Ruby took the brunt of Peridot's Zetsumetsu Dystopia.
A shockwave of pure red energy sent Ruby skidding across the wet ground, her Fighting Jackal armor crackling with golden-red energy as the Forceriser's fail-safe protocol activated.
Sparks erupted from her body as the armor flickered and shattered apart, breaking down into digital fragments.
The Fighting Jackal Progrisekey clattered onto the ground near Peridot's feet.
Jaune coughed, struggling to push himself up, his battered rusted armor singed from the attack.
Jaune: "Ruby!" he gasped.
Weiss, her white combat dress stained with mud and rain, scrambled toward Ruby, panic in her icy blue eyes.
Wiess: "Ruby! Say something!"
Ruby lay motionless for a moment, her cloak torn and her breathing ragged.
Her silver eyes fluttered open as she weakly pushed herself up on her forearms, coughing from the sheer force of the blast.
Ruby: "Ugh… that sucked…" she groaned.
Peridot simply tilted her head, crouching down to pick up the Fighting Jackal Progrisekey.
She inspected it with intrigue, the light reflecting its gold metallic surface.
Then, with an amused chuckle, she lazily tossed it back to Ruby, who caught it weakly with one hand.
Peridot: "I gotta say, you lasted longer than I thought. That was fun,"
Peridot said with an unsettling grin. She twirled her Dodo Zetsumerisekey between her fingers before slipping it into her pocket.
Peridot: "I cannot wait for round two. You're my new bestie now, Valkyrie~."
Ruby flinched at the nickname, her grip tightening around the Jackal Key.
She clenched her teeth, glaring at Peridot.
Ruby: "I'm not your friend."
Peridot laughed, shrugging.
Peridot: "Not yet, anyway." She turned and began walking away, hands casually tucked into the pockets of her oversized jacket.
Peridot: "I'll be waiting for when the storm clears. Don't keep me waiting too long~."
Weiss' hands balled into fists, her frustration barely contained.
Wiess: "You—!!"
Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head.
Jaune: "Let her go," he muttered. "Right now, we need to get Ruby back on her feet."
Ruby pushed herself up, her legs wobbling as Jaune and Weiss quickly supported her.
The Punderstorm continued to rage on, the distorted laughter of the sky echoing through the surreal landscape.
Jaune looked at the retreating figure of Peridot, his stomach twisting.
Something about her—her mannerisms, her voice—felt wrong. Like she was playing a game that only she understood the rules to.
Ruby winced as she looked down at the Fighting Jackal Progrisekey in her hand. It was Akira's gear.
The same man who had caused so much pain… who had destroyed lives in more ways than one. And now, she was being forced to rely on it.
Weiss noticed Ruby's expression and frowned.
Wiess: "Ruby, I…" she hesitated. "We'll find another way. You don't have to keep using his weapons."
Ruby exhaled slowly, gripping the Progrisekey tightly.
Ruby: "I don't have a choice."
Jaune scowled, his thoughts going back to Akira—the man who had nearly killed him back in Atlas and even now the Ever After.
Jaune: "Yeah, well… that doesn't mean we have to like it."
The storm showed no signs of letting up, but for now, Peridot had withdrawn.
[ Back with Akira Yang and Blake ]
The storm raged on, a swirling chaos of pun-laden destruction, but within it, an even more violent battle was unfolding.
Blake barely had time to react before Akira snapped the Attache Shotgun closed and then immediately reopened it, the weapon humming with malicious energy.
Attache Shotgun: [ Chargerise ! ] [ Full Charge ! ]
Attache Shotgun: [ Kaban Shoot ! ]
The blast struck Blake point-blank, her Aura flaring violently as she was sent skidding backward across the soaked, crimson leaves.
Her Aura flickered dangerously—one more hit, and it would shatter entirely.
Yang: "Blake!"
Yang roared, pushing herself up from the ground, her body aching from the previous attacks.
Without hesitation, she charged at Akira, a mix of fury and desperation in her golden eyes.
Akira, unfazed, simply stretched out his arm to the side and pressed the Ark Loader once. A pulse of pure malice rippled outward, washing over Yang like an unseen force.
Ark-Driver: [ Akui ! ]
Yang's momentum died instantly. Her breath hitched, her lungs locking up as if suffocating under an invisible weight.
Her heart pounded as the familiar, gut-wrenching feeling of drowning in malice overwhelmed her once again.
It was the same suffocating terror she had felt back in Atlas, the moment she realized just how monstrous Akira truly was.
Yang: "Y-you... bastard!" she choked out, struggling against the invisible grip of his hatred.
Akira stepped forward slowly, pressing the Ark Loader again, his voice cutting through the storm like a blade.
Ark-Driver: [ Kyōfu ! ]
Akira: "You're afraid, aren't you, Yang?" Akira mocked, his voice eerily calm, almost amused.
Yang's fists clenched, but her body refused to move.
Ark-Driver: [ Funnu ! ]
Akira: "You're angry… because deep down, you know you're powerless."
Yang's teeth ground together, but her breathing was still ragged, her limbs sluggish as if weighed down by the very air around her.
Ark-Driver: [ Zōo ! ]
Akira: "You hate me, but tell me—what have you actually done to stop me?"
The words stung. Hard. Yang's vision blurred, a mixture of anger and shame boiling inside her.
Ark-Driver: [ Zetsubō ! ]
Akira: "You despair… because no matter how much you fight, you can't change the past and neither myself ! "
Akira stopped in front of her, staring down as if she were nothing more than an insignificant obstacle.
Then, without hesitation, he pressed the Ark-One Progrisekey.
Ark-Driver: [ Perfect Conclusion Learning 5 ! ]
A surge of crimson energy erupted from his body, forming massive, negative kanji symbols that crackled with malevolent electricity.
His entire form became a conduit for raw, undiluted malice as jagged wings of red energy burst from his back.
The storm itself seemed to bend in response, the air distorting under the sheer force of his presence.
Akira: "Let me remind you, Yang," Akira continued, his voice now carrying a dreadful finality,
Akira: "of what happens when you stand in my way."
The energy coiled around him before expanding outward in a massive explosion of malice, consuming everything in its wake.
Yang's scream was drowned out as the world turned crimson.
With the chaos of the "Perfect Conclusion" explosion raged on. Blake closed her eyes, thinking this was it—the end.
She could feel the heat, the pressure, and the sheer force of the explosion swallowing everything.
Yang, beside her, clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she screamed
But instead of being consumed by fire and destruction, they felt nothing.
A sharp sound rang through the air.
Time stopped.
Everything froze in place—the swirling storm, the debris mid-air, the shockwave of the explosion—suspended as if reality itself had hit pause.
And then, in a blur, Blake and Yang felt themselves being pulled—no, thrown—backwards by an unseen force, sent flying away from Akira's attack and crashing near their allies: Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune.
The moment they landed, time resumed.
BOOM!
The explosion that should have taken them engulfed only empty space, tearing through the battlefield but missing its intended targets.
Confused and disoriented, Blake gasped for air, her eyes darting around.
Blake: "What—what just happened?!"
Jaune quickly knelt beside them.
Jaune: "Are you two okay?! What was that?!"
Ruby turned toward the battlefield, her silver eyes narrowing.
Ruby: "That wasn't normal…"
Standing alone amidst the chaos, holding a peculiar-looking gun with blue and gold accents, was a new figure—a man clad in blue and black armor with yellow
Kamen Rider Diend.
He lowered his weapon—the NeoDiendriver—after having just saved them.
Wiess: "Who—?" Weiss barely got the word out before the figure raised his gun once more, loading a new card and freezing thire time
NeoDiendriver: [ Final AttackRide: D-D-D-Diend ! ]
With a single pull of the trigger, a flurry of holographic cards materialized in the air, forming a circular gateway.
From the center, a massive energy shot erupted forward—a devastating, green and black beam—directly at Akira.
Akira barely had time to react.
The blast struck him dead-on.
Akira: "Gh—!!" Akira's body was engulfed in the attack, his Ark-One armor flickering violently before shattering in a burst of red static.
His transformation forcibly canceled, he staggered backward, dropping to one knee, gasping for breath.
As the battlefield settled, the armored figure casually holstered his gun and spoke in a familiar, smug tone:
Kaito: "Just a passing-through Kamen Rider."
There was a beat of silence before he added:
Kaito: "Remember that."
Akira, still recovering, exhaled sharply. His body ached from the forced de-transformation, but his mind was sharper than ever.
He took a calming breath, focusing his gaze on the new arrival.
Akira: "…Who the hell are you?" Akira finally asked, his voice even but laced with irritation.
The blue Rider crossed his arms.
Kaito: "Daiki Kaito. But you can call me Kamen Rider Diend." He tilted his head slightly.
Kaito: "I take it you know Decade?"
Akira narrowed his eyes.
Akira: "Tsukasa? …Yeah." He pushed himself to his feet. "Are you with him?"
Kaito shrugged.
Kaito: "You could say that." He adjusted his grip on his NeoDiendriver.
Akira: "And I can't just let you go around executing people."
Akira's lips curled into a slight smirk.
Akira: "So, you're here to be the voice of reason or something?"
Kaito shook his head. "No, no. I'm just doing Tsukasa a favor." He glanced at the surrounding battlefield.
Kaito: "I'm here on a search and rescue mission."
Akira crossed his arms. "For who?"
Kaito didn't answer right away. Instead, he studied Akira, as if evaluating him.
Then, after a long pause, he spoke again.
Kaito: "…We're going to have a long talk, you and me."
Akira's smirk faded slightly. "…About what?"
Kaito's next words sent a chill through the air.
Kaito: "About destroying the world."
The battlefield remained silent, the raging storm above continuing to swirl.
The wind howled between them as Akira and Kaito stood face-to-face, both Riders, both wildcards in this chaotic world.
Then, time fully froze.
Not just for him—but for everyone except them
A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the air.
Kaito stepped forward, smirking as he twirled his NeoDiendriver.
Kaito: "Man, that was a hassle. You really don't know when to quit, do you, Zero-One?"
Akira gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. His hands clenched into fists, but he remained silent, glaring at Kaito.
Kaito: "No need for the death stare. If I wanted to finish you, I would've already done it."
He pointed his gun upward, idly spinning it on his finger.
Kaito: "Besides, you're way more interesting alive. And I've got some... fascinating news for you."
Akira narrowed his eyes.
Akira: "Tch... Make it quick."
Kaito chuckled, stepping closer.
Kaito: "Alright, listen up, because this might just blow your mind.
little Red has started something big. Her stepping into the world of Kamen Riders? That's making waves across the multiverse.
And guess what? Now other Rider Worlds are starting to follow suit."
Akira's expression remained neutral, but his mind was already considering the implications.
Kaito: "But, here's where it gets really interesting—"
Kaito tapped his chin, then grinned.
Kaito: "Tsukasa, Yeah, you remember him, right? The 'Destroyer of Worlds' himself? He's not gonna like this.
In fact, he's most likely gonna do what he does best—destroy the world."
He gestured around them.
Kaito: "And, well, your world too, since the lines between them are getting blurry."
Akira's eyes darkened.
Akira: "...So you're saying he's going to erase Remnant?"
Kaito shrugged.
Kaito: "Erase? Destroy? Reset? Who knows? But if there's one thing Tsukasa does well, it's cleaning up messes when things get out of hand."
Akira scoffed.
Akira: "You sound like you agree with him."
Kaito grinned.
Kaito: "Hey, don't get me wrong. I love when things get messy. But I also love treasure."
He suddenly reached behind him, pulling out an ornate golden crown—the Relic of Choice. It gleamed, emitting a soft but ominous glow.
Kaito: "And speaking of treasure… you've got two things I really want."
He pointed at the chains wrapped around Akira's body—the Relic of Knowledge and the Relic of Creation.
Kaito: "The Staff and the Lamp. Beautiful, priceless artifacts… and they're just chained to you like some kind of walking museum exhibit."
Akira's fists tightened.
Akira: "You're wasting your time. They're not for sale."
Kaito laughed.
Kaito: "Oh, I wasn't asking. But don't worry—I'm not planning on stealing them just yet."
He held up a finger.
Kaito: "First, we wait. Because our 'favorite passerby' is about to show up..."
As if on cue, a shimmering Aurora Curtain appeared behind them.
Two figures stepped through.
The first was a man in a black jacket and Magenta shirst with a camera hanging from his neck.
His presence carried an air of inevitability—like a storm rolling in. His sharp eyes locked onto Akira.
Tsukasa Kadoya. Kamen Rider Decade.
Tsukasa: "Yo long time no see."
Behind him, a younger man followed, looking around the strange landscape with curiosity.
His regal yet casual presence was unmistakable.
Sougo Tokiwa. Kamen Rider Zi-O.
Sougo: "Huh. So this is the Ever After? Feels weird."
Kaito smirked.
Kaito: "And just like that, the gang's all here."
He glanced at Akira.
Kaito: "Well… almost."
Akira raised an eyebrow.
Akira: "Who else are you expecting?"
Kaito's grin widened.
Kaito: "C'mon, you already know. We can't have a proper search-and-rescue without the girl with the umbrella."
Akira's expression darkened as he immediately understood.
Kaito: "Yup. Time to find the first person I battle."
At that moment, Tsukasa and Sougo both pulled out something new that they gained
In Tsukasa's hand, a new set of brand-new Rider Cards featuring Akira's forms
And in Sougo's hand, a new Ride Watch.
Tsukasa smirked and casually tossed two objects at Akira's feet.
Two Progrisekeys—one glowing magenta, the other a deep violet.
Tsukasa: "Fair's fair. Consider it a trade."
Akira slowly bent down, picking them up. The first was unmistakable.
Decade's Progrisekey.
The second Zi-O's Progrisekey
But before he could question it, Kaito clapped his hands.
Kaito: "Alright! Now that we're all caught up… what do you say we go find ourselves an umbrella-wielding wildcard?"