Life 2: Sharing Burdens.
Gasper Vladi was born in Romania, along with most of Vampire population. He held little knowledge of the neighboring countries, let alone one on the other side of the continent like Japan. That all changed when he became the servant of Rias Gremory, a devil who was absolutely obsessed with the land of the rising sun. Before moving to Kuoh, Rias was sure to drill as much Japanese knowledge into her Servants heads as she could. Not just the history and culture, but also urban legends. Among the latter, Gasper took particular interest in the Kamen Riders. Originating in 1971 as a live action tv show produced by Toei, it followed a man named Takeshi Hongo who was abducted by a terrorist organization called Shocker who wanted to take over the world with their army of mutant cyborgs called Kaijin. Takeshi was to be their latest addition, but he escaped before they could brainwash him, thus he decided to use his newfound powers to destroy Shocker as the Kamen Rider. It was pretty much a superhero show that followed a monster of the week formula, featuring people in costumes fighting each other with practical special effects, a genre that's also known as Tokusatsu. It lasted for 98 episodes and 3 movies, eventually spawning an entire franchise, each installment having a new Kamen Rider fighting a new evil organization bent on world conquest. Though it was popular for its time and made a lot of money for Toei, it would enter hiatus in 1995 before ultimately coming to an end in 1998 with the death of the original show's creator, Shotaro Ishinomori. Toei would find a replacement series in Super Sentai, which would then be adapted in the west as Power Rangers, effectively giving them worldwide popularity. Still, Kamen Rider would remain in the hearts of the fans who grew up watching them, fans who wanted the franchise to return in some form or another. They would eventually get their wish in 2000, but not in the way they expected. Rumors began to spread about Unidentified Lifeforms attacking and killing Humans, except for one who chose to protect the Humans. A warrior who greatly resembled the Kamen Riders. Ever since then, there have been more sightings of Monsters attacking people and Kamen Riders fighting said monsters. What was once fiction had seemingly become real, but it was still just speculation spread by word of mouth and blurry pictures on the internet… until now. Thanks to Lady Doran, Gasper was able to actually witness one of these Kamen Riders in action. He didn't even bother to question the fact she seemingly had the power to spy on everyone in Kuoh, but was more focused on the identity of this Rider, speaking of whom.
"Yo, were back!"
Taiga Kurogane announced as he walked back into the room with his familiar, Kivat Bat II on his shoulder.
"Sorry I had to ditch you for a bit, it was a last-minute emergency that I really-"
"Master"
Kivat pointed his wing towards the TV which was still displaying the alleyway footage. Taiga looked at Lady Doran who simply shrugged before returning his gaze to Gasper.
"Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag now. I'm… sure you got a lot of questions."
Gasper simply nodded his head, still in awe of what he had seen previously that he couldn't find any words to say.
"For starters, are you familiar with Kamen Riders?"
He nodded again.
"Perfect, we can get straight to the point then."
Taiga walked over to the couch beckoning Gasper to follow. As they both sat down, the older Dhampir continued.
"Yes, I am indeed one of those Kamen Riders, with Kivat being my means of transformation."
"As for that horrid monster, he was a Fangire."
"Fan… gire?"
"They're a Vampire subspecies of sorts. But instead of drinking blood, they feed off of life energy, leaving the victim as a glass husk."
Gasper shivered, remembering what happened to the woman at the alleyway.
"Of course, this process can be reversed by destroying the Fangire, so as long as we do so before they digest."
"Not to mention drained bodies are also fragile, so if they Shatter… well, you know. Regardless, I've made it my mission to hunt the Fangires and keep them in line. Doesn't matter where they go, I'll follow them to the ends of the earth if I have to."
"Which is what we have already been doing."
Lady Doran commented.
"How long have you been fighting them, Taiga-Senpai?"
"Almost a year I'd say, and they started attacking Kuoh about a month ago."
"Th-That long."
"Yeah, usually I would have chased them away by now. But for some reason they're sticking it out, hence why I felt the need to settle in for the time being."
"So that's why you transferred."
"Exactly, any other questions?"
"Way too many. How did the president not notice these monsters in her territory? How did Taiga-Senpai first become a Kamen Rider? Has he met any of the other Riders? What even is Kivat? He kind off looks like a Hell Bat, the same kind of familiar that the president has. Maybe he's a subspecies or…"
Before Gasper could finish his thoughts and respond, the doors opened again, and four new people entered. The first was a tall man who appears to be in his thirties, he wore blue jeans with a white shirt and brown leather shoes. He also had a biker's jacket, fingerless gloves and a spiky choker all in black leather. He had short brown hair that was combed in a pompadour style, a stubbled chin and sapphire blue eyes. The second was a young boy about as short as Gasper, he wore a sailor boy uniform with blue shorts and a white and blue shirt with a red ribbon on his collar. He also whore black shoes with white over calf socks and a white sailor cap. He had short navy-blue hair with a single band hanging in between his emerald green eyes. The third was a large imposing man with beefy muscles. He wore black jeans with black tennis shoes and a white tank top. He had neck length messy black hair covering his bright purple eyes, as well as a large scar that went down his face. He was also carrying a large carboard box of oranges over his right shoulder with multiple plastic grocery bags hanging from his left arm. The fourth and final one was a dark-skinned man who appeared to be in his twenties. He wore beige cargo pants with brown leather boots and a white short-sleeved, button-down shirt with pockets. He had short curly black hair with pale yellow eyes.
"Finally, it's about time you guys showed up."
"it's called being fashionably late."
The Pompadoured man said while he pulled out what looked to be a switch blade. but it was actually a pocket comb, which he then used on his hair.
"So, this the kid?"
Gasper was getting nervous, this was too many new people at once for him to handle. That man at the table in particular had an aura that made him scarier than the muscle guy and he didn't know why, it was just… an instinctual fear. It made him want to crawl back into his coffin and hide, but the best thing he could do was hide behind Taiga.
"It's all right, they're not gonna hurt you."
The older dhampir gave his junior a head pat, hoping to sooth his worries.
"Gentlemen, meet Gaper Vladi, My new Kohai. Gasper, meet the team."
"Uh…It's nice to…meet you all."
Gasper nervously bowed his head to the others. Upon raising his head, he saw the pompadoured man was now in front of him, having moved at a speed where not even a footstep was heard. The man proceeded to sniff Gasper like a dog before smirking.
"I like this one, he's got potential."
He walked over to the table at the center of the room, he pulled out a chair and sat with his feet up much to the annoyance of Lady Doran.
"You can call me Jiro, I'll be looking forward to seeing you in action."
After… that happened, the sailor boy approached Gasper next. His green eyes looking over every inch of his body, silently analyzing him. Until he finally spoke.
"Wow, he wasn't kidding, you really do pull it off. Had I not been told beforehand I would have just thought you were a cute girl. Not the guys can't be cute to, I'm a shining example of such. But I'm getting off topic, my name Ramon."
He took a bow of his own, but it was more a theatrical bow with his hand on his heart and the other behind his back. The muscled man with the groceries was the next to walk up to Gasper, his shadow looming over the boy.
"I am… Riki."
He said nothing more as he turned attention towards taiga.
"Just set it all on the table, well sort em out later."
He fallowed the command, making his way to the table that Jiro was sitting at, the fourth man was also sitting there having fallen asleep, only to be startled awake by sound of the groceries hitting the table. Specifically, the box of oranges.
"Just… five more minutes… please."
He spoke in a groggy voice as he tried to dose off again, something Taiga would not allow.
"I'll handle this."
He walked over to the table and grabbed the sleepy man by his shoulders before shaking him violently.
"Come… On… Wake… Up… Wake… Up!"
"Idonwannaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."
He kept on shaking the poor fellow until the door opened once more.
"That's enough, I'll take it from here."
She was a woman who appeared younger than Lady Doran but was still clearly an adult. She wore white sandals with blue jean short shorts and a white crop top with ruffled sleeves. She has cyan eyes and neck-length dark-blue hair that has a small thin braid on the left side of her face with bangs covering her forehead. She walked over to the table, carrying a white saucer and teacup filled with a steaming hot liquid.
"Here's your tea."
The sleepy man was conscious enough to take notice and grab the teacup. Despite how hot it was, he immediately began to gulp it down.
"Hoooooooooooo! Thanks, I needed that."
Having been fully invigorated, he set the cup down and went over to Gasper along with the woman.
"I apologize for you having to see that, my name is Goro."
"And I'm Mimi Honda, pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Mimi raised her hand towards Gasper who shook it with both of his hands.
"So soft and smooth."
"Y-Yeah… same. So is this everyone, Taiga-Senpai."
"No, there's about four… dozen more that should be arriving soon."
"EHHHHHH!?"
"Nah, I'm just yanking your chain."
Gasper sighed in relief, he was pretty much at his limit, feeling as though he would explode if just one more person entered through that door. At least he wasn't going to accidentally freeze them anymore, and they all seemed nice enough. Still, he couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling of Jiro's aura. Now that he thought about it…
"What are these people? They're definitely not devils or vampires, they could be human but that's very hard to tell. And if none of them are human…"
"Alrighty!"
Taiga announced while clapping his hands, pulling Gasper out of his thoughts.
"Now that introductions are over, it's time to get to real reason why we are all hear."
"Poker night?"
Riki asked.
"No, that's tomorrow. I'm talking about training Gasper."
"Ah yes."
Goro chimed in.
"A sacred gear that can stop time, I would love to see a demonstration."
"Good idea."
Taiga reached into the box of oranges and pulled one out.
"Alright Gasper, focus on this orange. Once I toss it into the air, you're going to freeze it. Got it?"
"I-I'll try."
"Okay, 3… 2… 1… Go!"
The orange was tossed, upon reaching its arc and falling, Gasper activated his Forbidden Balor View. The fruit was covered in a familiar deep violet glow, but to the shock of everyone, it was not frozen. The Orange was still falling, but not as fast.
"Intriguing, it would appear that The Balor View has been weakened to the point it can no longer stop time. but rather, slow it down."
The glow receded and the orange hit the floor at normal speed.
"No big deal, we can still work with this."
Taiga pickled up the fruit and proceeded to bite into it, sucking the juice out like the half vampire he was.
"Dude, that's been on the floor."
Ramon voiced in disgust.
"Five second rule. You want one too, Gasper?"
The younger dhampir nodded and Taiga gave him another orange from the box. Unlike his senpai, Gasper preferred to eat fruit the normal way. But after he peeled the skin off…
"Why is it red?"
"Cause they're blood oranges."
"BLOOD?!"
"Not real blood, just the color."
"Oh, that's good. I don't really like blood."
…
"Come again?"
Taiga asked while cleaning his ears to ensure what he heard was correct.
"I said I don't like blood, I only drink it once a month to survive, and it's only been through blood transfusions."
"Ooooooooooh I get it, you just don't like drinking it directly from the source. Completely understandable, I'm kind of the same way."
"N-No. I mean, yes, I don't like biting people for their blood. But I also don't like drinking blood at all, the taste and the smell, it's just awful."
Taiga was at a loss for words, blood consumption was the most important aspect of being a Vampire. It was not only vital for their survival, but it also served as a source of power, especially when it came to other supernatural beings, as they would temporarily gain their abilities upon drinking from them. Even those who were hesitant to do so for fear of draining their victims dry, they would still find other means of taking blood to satiate their thirst. Because even if they try to deny it, it's in their nature to drink blood, especially since it was so delicious. So, to hear that Gasper was only drinking the bare minimum not out of defiance, but because he is genuinely repulsed by it, He just couldn't fathom such a paradox.
"I... I need to sit down."
Taiga wobbled over to the table with Mimi holding him steady so he wouldn't fall. He pulled up a chair and sat with his head down as he tried to process his whole world view being shattered. Jiro was the first to break the silence with his laughter.
"Ha, Ha, Ha! A Vampire that doesn't like blood, now I've seen everything!"
He was interrupted my Mimi, who took Taiga's husk of an orange and tossed it onto his face.
"Don't be mean Jiro, we all made an agreement of no judgement. Remember?"
"Pretty sure that was just for the cross-dressing thing. The boss said I'm free to speak my mind about everything else. Right?"
…
"Huh?"
Taiga responded, having just snapped out of his funk with no idea of what was just said. He looked over at Gasper who was looking down in shame, almost on the verge of tears. He quickly composed himself before standing up.
"I'll admit this is going to be more challenging than initially anticipated."
"That has never stopped you before."
Lady Doran retorted
"Exactly my point."
He went over to Gasper, placing both hands on his shoulders. Any negative thoughts he had at the moment were washed away when he saw the determination in Taiga's eyes.
"I promised to help you get stronger and that's exactly what I'm going to do. No matter how long it takes."
Day 1
The Dhampir duo were back in the hallway, stopping in front of a door which had the symbol of a shield with crossing swords on it. The door was opened to reveal a large room resembling a medieval dungeon, the walls were made of stone brick and lined with various weapons and tools.
"This is the Training Room, we'll be spending most of our time here. So, what would you like to work on first?"
The blonde took some time to think, and he came to a decision.
"Actually, there's something I want you to do for me first."
"Ok, what is it?"
"I want you to transform again, so I can see you as a Kamen Rider up close."
…
"Sure, I don't see why not. Kivat!"
"As you command."
The bat appeared seemingly from nowhere and was grabbed by Taiga
"Gaburi!"
Kivat bit his hand, chains wrapped around to form the Kivat Belt as the standby noise played
"Henshin!"
He placed Kivat on the buckle upside down.
"Henshin!"
The green Magic Circle with Kiva's crest appeared, shattering into pieces before reassembling onto Taiga's body, completing the transformation.
"So, pretty badass right?"
Gasper eagerly nodded his head as he went to examine the Masked hero in front of him.
"Did you make this suit yourself?"
"Pretty much. From design to conception, I used only the finest materials, with each part having its own name and purpose. My undersuit, the Satan Mail is made from the leather of Gaora."
"Goara?"
"An Evil Dragon who died centuries ago, his leather fetches quite the hefty price."
"The Bloody Armor is made from Bloody Stone, great for storing and unleashing my vampiric power. The black lines you see on them are restrain bands called the Stabilize Shadow, they're made of Darkness Tar and serve the purpose of cooling down the armor, so the power doesn't overload. The same tar also coats my chest armor, the Darkness Breast, where the three Demon Emperor Stones are held. These multiply my strength by ten and allows me to wield demonic power.
Gasper knew those materials quite well, as they are all found exclusively in the underworld. Which begs the question.
"How did you get all of this stuff."
"Lady Doran, she has a vast collection of treasures from all over the under and overworld. it's so vast that we have to store it outside the castle."
"I see. So, what about Kivat?"
"Oh, I created him."
…
"What?"
"You know how vampires can transform into a swarm of bats?"
"Yeah?"
"That's what Kivat used to be, I took one of my bats and modified him with my Mod Gear, then I just shoved the belt and suit inside and voila."
"It is true, I am both figuratively and literally an extension of my master. It also means he is the only one who can use me to transform, as I am bound to his DNA."
"Then there are the Fuestles"
He pointed to the golden whistles adorning his belt.
"These are Mimi's creations; she knows a thing or two about making magical items. each one attuned to a specific frequency to summon my arsenal."
He turned to the right showing the first half of his Fuestles. From back to front they feature a carving of a motorcycle front wheel and handlebars in red, a carving of an easter island head in orange, a carving of a castle with a dragon head poking out in silver, and the same black bat mask Fuestle he used previously.
"These ones are for my auxiliary summons. Machine Kivaa, my motorcycle. Buroon Booster, the upgrade for my motorcycle. And Castle Doran."
"You summon the castle itself?"
"it's a mobile castle, but that's only for emergencies. Then there is my Wake Up Fuestle, used to activate one of my three Hissastus. Darkness Hell Crash, Darkness Burst End, and Darkness World End. But… I don't really use the last one very often."
"Why not."
"It is the reason why I am Kivat Bat II."
…
Moving past the dark implications, Kiva turned to his left to show the remainder of his Fuestles. From back to front they feature a carving of a Mummy head in pale yellow, a carving of what looks to be the Frankenstein's Monster in purple, a carving of a diver helmet with fish features in green, and a carving of a wolf head in blue.
"These ones are for summoning the Arms Monsters."
"And they are…"
"The four men you just met. Despite appearances, none of them are Human. Each one is monster who can also transform into a powerful weapon. Goro is an undead Egyptian Mummy who turns into the Sakusa Cane, Riki is an Artificial Monster made by a Mad Scientist who turns into the Dogga Hammer, Ramon is a Merman disguised as a Human who turns into the Bassha Magnum, and finally Jiro… turns into the Garuru Saber."
"And… what is he?"
Taiga was hesitant to answer, knowing full well what reaction the poor boy would have. He would need to find a way to approach this in a deliquiate-
"He is a Werewolf."
...never mind.
"EHHHHH!? A W-W-WERWOLF!?"
"… you know I think we rambled on long enough."
He signaled Kivat to remove himself from the belt, undoing the transformation.
"We're burning moonlight so let's begin training."
Day 2
Ramon was now in the training room using Magic to fire water balls at Gasper, he managed to slow down each projectile with his weakened Balor View allowing him to easily doge.
"Nicely done, now let's turn it up a notch."
Ramon started firing more water balls at a faster rate. Gasper appeared to be keeping up at first, but eventually he started to tire, allowing one to hit him in the face, and two more in the chest.
"Opps sorry, guess that was a bit too much."
Before anything else could be said, Taiga walked into the room after he had left previously to fight another Fangire.
"I'm back, any progress?"
"Definitely better then yesterday that's for sure."
Ramon handed a towel to Gasper who was soaking wet.
"Wanna take a break?"
"S-Sure, S-S-Senpai"
The boy was shivering.
"A-A-Also, I was w-w-wondering. how do you sense Fangires?"
"It's all thanks to my Mosquitoes."
Taiga clenched his hand into a fist before opening it to reveal a mosquito flying out of his palm. This was another vampiric ability, to Spawn and manipulate insects or even arachnids. The types of which differ depending on the individual, it would appear Taiga's chosen insect was the often-reviled Mosquito.
"The males are my eyes and ears throughout Kuoh. Should they spot a Fangire, they will alert me by bussing at a specific frequency that only I can hear. They are also the reason Lady Doran was able to get that security footage the other day."
"Oh, I see… but, what about the females?"
"They collect blood of course, it's how I get my fix. And don't worry, they don't carry any diseases or leave behind any bite rashes."
"Not anymore at least."
Ramon chimed in, much to Taiga's annoyance.
"I need to borrow this."
He gently took Gasper's towel and proceeded to violently whip Ramon with it, or at least he attempted to as the boy dodged every strike while giggling with glee. Gasper was still uncomfortable with the mentioning of blood, but he was happy to know Taiga was drinking it through somewhat-safe means. It also explained the Mosquito epidemic the Rias was complaining about before.
Day 3
"45… 46… 47…"
Gasper was doing pull ups on a thick and odd-looking handlebar. He was wearing the official Kuoh academy gym uniform consisting of a white short-sleeved t-shirt with navy blue accents, with the Kuoh Academy emblem embroidered on the front and left side, and navy-blue bloomers.
"…48… 49… 50!"
Gasper dropped to the ground exhausted with Taiga walking up to him wearing his own gym uniform, a grey and white tracksuit with black accents. He handed the younger dhampir a water bottle which he graciously accepted, chugging it down like his life depended on it.
"Alright, let's take five. Thanks, Riki."
"… Hm."
The muscled man nodded, having previously agreed to let Gasper use his beefy arm as the handlebar for this exercise.
"Why… are we… doing this again?"
Gasper asked while breathing heavily.
"To build up your strength and stamina, since you can't just rely on your Sacred Gear alone. in the event you can't use it, you'll need to fight back the old-fashioned way."
"You mean hand to hand? I don't know, I'm supposed to be a support type."
"And you can do that through combat, plus you never know what could happen on the battlefield so it's good to be versatile."
"But…"
Riki placed his giant hand on Gasper's head while kneeling down.
"Gasper… Believe… yourself."
Despite his scary looks, Gasper could tell that this supposed lab monster was really a kind and gentle giant probably someone was misunderstood… like Taiga and himself.
"Ok, I'll try."
Day 4
Taiga was standing in front of Goro, the latter held in his hands a ball of fire the shined like the sun, casting a shadow for the former who was holding a stopwatch. After a few seconds, Gasper emerged from his shadow gasping for air.
"59 seconds, that's almost a full minute."
He waved at Goro, signaling him to extinguish his artificial sun. He crushed it with a single hand before yawning.
"Canigotobednow."
"Fine, go ahead."
"Thaaaaaaaaaaaaanks."
He walked out of the room with the movement and groaning of a zombie.
"Is he always like this?"
"Only when he isn't drinking his tea. And it can't just be any tea, it has to be a special brew made from Tanna leaves. That's part of his Mummy Curse."
"I see."
…
"Anyways, now that were done with darkness power, we can either do insect or mist control next."
"Hmm... mist control."
"Good choice, I'll show you my red mist technique."
Day 5
Taiga and Gasper left the training room and were now in front of another door. This one had a coffee cup symbol.
"Much like your door, Gasper, this one leads to a place outside the castle."
"Outside?"
"It's still indoors, so we won't have to worry about triggering your agoraphobia."
"My what?"
"… I'll tell you later, come on."
He opened the door to reveal what looked like a storage closet, one with another door on the other side. They made their way out and into a small hallway with two bathrooms, a backdoor exit, and a fourth door that they ended up choosing.
"Welcome to Café Mald'amour."
It was an old yet cozy looking place. The front wall was lined with windows, each one having a table with striped cloth and wooden chairs. In the middle of the room were small bookshelves with potted plants on top. The right wall had double doors with windows, probably the exit door. The right wall was lined with white and blue plates, each labeled from 1986 to 2007, the current year. Finally, there was the bar on the back wall to the boy's right. There were about five spinning wood chairs with the table carved out of grey marble. Hanging above it were multicolored lights resembling upside down wine glasses. The interior of the booth had a wall lined with various decretive cups and plates. On the left was a wooded cabinet with more of the same stuff in it, and on the right was a white fridge.
"So, this is a café, it's really nice."
"I'm glad you like it."
A third person spoke, it was Mimi Honda who had appeared from behind the booth.
"The old owner was very stubborn with the price, and it took me all week to fix this place up. But it was all worth it, now we can officially open for business tomorrow."
"Wait, are you guys really going to run a restraint?"
"We need to make money somehow, and I'm pretty good at doing that."
"It's true."
Taiga chimed in.
"She's the whole reason were able to stay afloat, financially speaking. Everywhere we go she always has a new business idea, from cosmetics to clothing repairs, she even sells her magic items on occasion."
"Amazing, you really are talented, Honda-San."
"Please, call me Mimi. Speaking of talents…"
She looked over at Taiga
"… have you played for him yet?"
"Oh, no I haven't. guess it just slipped my mind."
Gasper was confused, until the older dhampir reached into his shadow and pulled out a black briefcase, opening it up to reveal a beautiful violin.
"Consider this a reward for all your hard work so far."
He raised his bow and began to play. It was a powerful yet somber melody, one that gave of the feeling of... a struggle. He couldn't help but think back to his past, and all the suffering and pain he had gone through. His family's neglect, his only friend that he left behind, his death and rebirth. Was this piece inspired by Gasper's plight, or… was this a reflection of Taiga's own past which he has yet to divulge. Either way, the song ended with Mimi clapping and cheering. But for Gasper, it would continue to echo within his soul long into the night.
As more and more days passed by Gasper continued to improve. Slowly but surely, he was mastering both his Sacred Gear and his vampiric abilities. Though his Balor view is still weakened, Taiga did release a small portion of its original power, allowing Gasper to slow down time for even longer and slower. He had also managed to replicate Taiga's Red Mist control and has fully mastered the Shadow Dive, however he could still use some work on the other darkness techniques. Right now, the young dhampir was in the living room with the rest of team Kiva, as they like to call themselves. Jiro, Ramon and Riki were playing uno on the couch while Goro was reading in the library corner. As for Gasper, he was at the table with Lady Doran playing a rather intense game of chess.
"And checkmate."
She proudly announced.
"Awwwwwwww. How do you keep doing that?"
"Years of practice."
It was October of 2007 when Gasper was first brought to this castle, but now it is April of 2008. the beginning of a new semester, and a new school year. Taiga was now a 3rd year student, and Gasper was a 1st year in the high school division. As such, he was issued a new uniform. It consists of a white long-sleeved button-down shirt with vertical linings, a black ribbon on the collar, a black shoulder cape and matching button-down corset, and a magenta skirt with a white underskirt beneath it, and brown leather shoes with black thigh high socks.
"Yo Gasper!"
Jiro yelled.
"Why don't you join us, we can use a fourth."
"…N-No thanks."
Gasper turned away, still uncomfortable with being around a werewolf. Before anything else could be said…
"Were home!"
…Taiga and Kivat entered the room.
"Sorry I'm late, music club needed me for overtime practice."
"You should be sorry."
Lady Doran calmly chastised.
"Gasper has been waiting patiently for the past 2 hours."
"Again, we must apologize."
"Um… Taiga-Senpai."
The blonde got up from his chair, with a nervous look on his face.
"I… I-I wanted to… ask you something."
"Sure, what do you need?"
"CAN I… BE A KAMEN RIDER TOO!?"
…
"Eh, heh, heh, your joking, right?"
"No, I'm not. I've been thinking long and hard about this, and I've decided I want to be a Kamen Rider just like you."
"… I'm flattered, but you should really reconsider. The path of a Kamen Rider is no easy road to take. It's more than just playing superhero, it's a never-ending conflict to keep evil at bay. It's a big responsibility, something you shouldn't take lightly."
"I know that… You've been bearing such a heavy burden this whole time. And yet in spite of it, you still managed to take the time to help me out. I told you before that I was forever in your debt, well... this is how I want to repay you."
"Gasper… I just don't want to put you in danger. And it's not just from the Fangires, you remember what happened the other day right? That Fallen Angel who killed one of our fellow students, and disappeared before I could even catch her."
"Yeah.. if it wasn't for the president, he would have stayed dead. But that's beside the point, you've already been teaching me how to fight so I can help my peerage. If I become a Kamen Rider, I could help them further."
"He has a Point, Master."
"Well… not just anyone can be a Kamen Rider, you need to be strong enough to handle the power."
"Then I will become stronger, For them."
Taiga mumbled to himself but before he could make another retort…
"Who's ready for drinks?"
…Mimi entered the room from the other set of double doors, the one that led to the kitchen. She was pushing a cart of wine glasses, each on filled with fruit punch with blood orange wedges.
"Why is everyone silent all of a sudden?"
She asked as Taiga walked over to her.
"You know what? Everyone huddle up, Team Meeting!"
Everyone except for Gasper gathered around, whispering and murmuring to each other. It went on like this for a good 2 minutes until they broke off.
"Gasper, do you really want to do this?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Ok then, turn into a bat swarm."
"Wha-Why?"
"Just do it."
"Trust us."
Gasper had practiced this ability beforehand but couldn't hold it for more than 10 seconds. Still, he obeyed and separated into his bat swarm. These bats were not as scary as Taigas' and could even be considered cute, especially with those beady pink eyes. Taiga summoned his Mod Gear and grabbed one of the bats with it just as the 10 seconds ran out and Gasper reassembled.
"What are you doing."
The bat was still in Taiga's grasp, and it was squirming really hard. After the Mod Gear activated and enveloped it with its green glow, the bat calmed down.
"There we go, I should be able to finish this by the end of next week. I'll be in my quarters if you need me."
"Take Care."
The older dhampir and his familiar left the room, leaving Gasper to ask the others what just happened.
Gasper was back in his room, the same room that he was once confined to by his Master. With Taiga busy with that bat, he decided to spend his time on his computer collecting contracts.
Transaction Approved: Contract Completed.
"Perfect, now that I'm done with this, I can get back to my trai… oh right, Taiga-Senpai is busy."
…
"Was it always this boring? Just sitting in my room doing contracts all day. Maybe I should call the President, ask her about that new servant. No wait… I can't, she would get suspicious of how I knew. Maybe…"
"GASPER!"
"AHHHH!"
Taiga and Kivat burst through the portal door that was once the bathroom. the Latter perched on the formers shoulder who was also carrying a… shoebox?
"Oh, it's just you, Senpai. What happened to knocking first?"
"Apologies, Master is just exited to show you the finished product."
"You Mean…"
"Yes, the very thing that will allow you to transform like me."
He presented the shoebox with Gasper staring in excitement… but also hesitation.
"Go one, Open it! This is what you wanted Right?"
He took a deep breath as he reached out, pulling off the box cover to reveal…
"Ah! Freedom at last!"
…another Kivat? This one having a different color scheme. Instead of being mostly red with yellow eyes and black on the face and arms, he was mostly Black with Red eyes and Gold on the face and arms. It wasn't a perfect color swap though, the underbite fangs where gold instead of silver and the ears were gold too but still black on the inside. The gold thorny vine pattern was not present and was replaced with a pattern on the wing flaps and inside of the ears, the pattern resembling white intersecting curved lines.
"You must be my new master, right?"
"Y-Yes. I'm Gasper Vladi, it's nice to meet you."
"Kivat Bat III, at your service."
The bat did a curtsy bow, which was very endearing to Gasper. However, the dhampir realized something as he turned towards Taiga
"You gave him the same name?"
"Yeah, why not? I already got a pattern going, so I might as well stick to it."
"Not really. I've got my Kivat, and you've got yours, they should know who we're referring to when calling them."
Gasper looked toward the red Kivat, hoping that he would be a voice of reason.
"Personally, I have no qualms with this. It reminds me of the kings of Old, who would name their first-born sons after themselves. Such as King George of England or King Louise of France."
"So, does that mean I can call you father?"
"Hmmmmmm, Since I did contribute my own life energy so my Master could bring you to life, I suppose you could think of me as your father in a sense."
"Huray! I've got a master and a father now. This is the best day ever!"
"Now that the name thing has been settled, Let's see your Henshin, Gasper."
"R-Right now?"
"Better sooner than later."
"Ok…Kivat!"
"Alright, Let's Kivat a Go!"
The golden bat yelled as he landed on Gasper's Right hand.
"Does he really have to bite me though?"
"Yes, it acts as the DNA Authorization. And no, it doesn't hurt."
"I-If you say so."
He slowly raised his left hand to his new companion as he opened his mouth…
"Gabu!"
… and bit it. Gasper could feel the veins on his arm and face turn black, as the red and yellow stained-glass pattern appeared on his cheeks. And yet, it didn't hurt, quite the opposite in fact. He could feel the power coursing through his body, the same power the generated the chains which wrapped around his waist and morphed into a red version of the Kivat belt. He could hear a higher pitched version of the standby noise playing, it was resonating with him, he liked this feeling. So, he held out his Kavat in front of him.
"Henshin!"
Before placing it on the buckle upside down.
"Henshin!"
A red Magic Circle with the Kiva crest was projected in front of him. Once it collided, it shattered into glass shards before reassembling themselves into a suit of armor for Gasper, completing the transformation. His under suit was enterally black with what looked to be bulging veins all over. He had black boots and red gloves with the veins on his forearms transitioning into red the closer they were to the hands. He has silver knee guards that were circular with three diamonds, the middle being larger. He had the same silver bracelets and anklets with red orbs, but he only had one anklet on his left foot. His right leg from the calf to the bridge of his foot was covered with silver armor resembling closed bat wings and wrapped in steel chains. The shoulder armor was also silver, each resembling a bat wing held shut by chains. The torso armor was a silver vest with a collar, and the chest armor was red and muscled with black veins. Finally, he had the same helmet as Kiva but with a few differences. It was black instead of red, and the silver mouth guard was not as jagged, but were still fang like. The bat mask was red but was more simplistic and did not have the protruding wings, his jack-o-lantern eyes were Yellow instead of green, but he still had the green orb on his forehead. If Kiva was to resemble the King of Vampires, it would be appropriate to say that Gasper's would be the Alucard to Taiga's Dracula.
"Pretty cool right? I tried to be a bit more unique with the materials. I still used Gaora Leather and Demon Emperor Stones, but I also added Lucifer Metal and Transylvanian Silver to the mix."
"I love it! But, what's with the chains?"
"Much like your Sacred gear, I needed to restrict the power of your suit, so it doesn't overwhelm you. It also means you'll be restricted to a single Hissastu, The Darkness Moon Break."
"Ok… but why chains?"
"Cause it's cooler."
"And Heavier."
"You'll get used to it. On the topic of power, your Omni Lens."
He points the eyes of the helmet.
"Much like mine, they will amplify your vision to see up to 500 meters forward and at a 220 angle, it even comes with an X-ray and nasoscope function. This will definitely be beneficial for you when using Balor View."
"That does sound useful."
"Pardon Me."
As they were talking, Mimi entered with her hand behind her back.
"Sorry I'm late, I needed to put on the finishing touches."
She revealed two storage units with four Fuestles each, nearly identical to the ones that adorn Taiga's belt. However, the slots where red to match with Gaspers Belt, and the Fuestles were Cleare instead of gold. Furthermore, the Fuestles on the right slot had swapped secondary colors. The Machine Kivaa Fuestle was black instead of red, the Buroon Booster Fuestle was gold instead of orange, the Castle Doran Fuestle was orange instead of silver, and the Wake up Fuestle was red instead of black. Mimi proceeded to clip the Fuestle holders onto Gasper's belt in their respective Spots.
"There, now your all set, Kamen Rider… Um, what should we call you?"
Gasper thought about it for a few seconds.
"How about New Kiva"
…
"I Guess that fits…"
Taiga said.
"…But that would mean I would have to call myself Old Kiva, and that doesn't sound as good."
"How about… Dark Kiva Then."
Mimi chimed in.
"Dark Kiva… yeah, I think I can work with-"
Buzzing, the Buzzing came back.
"Fangire, perfect timing. Let's go Gasper."
The duo was about to leave until Mimi stopped them.
"Hold on! Isn't this a bit too soon?"
"We'll be fine, I'll do most of the heavy lifting. And if things get too serious, I'll pull him out immediately."
"You Promise?"
"I Promise."
…
"Fine, Good luck out there."
She kissed him on the check before walking Away, Allowing the boys to move forward. Gasper was briefly surprised by the scene, but he did not let it distract him from the mission at hand. This was his moment, and he would not let anything stand in his way.
In the town of Kuoh, the moon had set, and the sun was rising. It was the dawn of a new day, and yet the darkness still remained. Withing a parking garage in the industrial district, there was a woman running for her life. She was wearing glasses and had brown eyes with brown hair tied in a bun. She also wore a green secretary suit with no shoes, having discarded them since no one could run in high heels. The woman found a row of parked cars, deciding to use them as means of cover. She hid and after a few seconds, she could hear the running footsteps of her pursuer coming closer before screeching to a halt. He was Fangire resembling a Humanoid Horse. His body was made up of black leathery skin and blue stained glass with a little bit of purple. His feet had sharp toes that were connected by the points, and his forearms had long solid sleeves that resemble Horse hooves. He did have proper hands, but the fingers were tube-like with bumps. He had protruding shoulders that resembled the heads of a Parakeet. As for his horse head, only the face was covered in stain glass with a bird head sticking out of the back, and the Horse mouth had sharp white teeth with two extra jaws on the cheeks.
"You can't outrun me, I'll catch you eventually."
The Horse Fangire said in a teasing manner as he continued his search, walking pass the cars and turning to the right corner. When the footsteps died out, the woman breathed a sigh of relief. She got up and was ready to leave… until she felt something sharp pierce her neck.
"Caught you!"
Four transparent blue fangs were holding her in place, she could do little but turn her head to see the Horse had walk out from the same corner.
"The oldest trick in the book. had you been more patient, I might have actually been fooled."
"P-Please, Don-"
She could not even finish her final words as the color and opacity drained from her body. The fangs dislodging from her neck, causing her to fall limp.
"To the winner goes thew spoils!"
The fangs reentered his body. The surge of power pleased him so much that he actually neighed like a real Horse.
"HIIIIIIIIIIIII-HI-HI-HIIIIIIIIIN!"
"Hope you enjoyed that, because it will be your last meal."
The blue stallion turned to see Dark Kiva with New Kiva standing beside him.
"Ahhhh, if it isn't Kiva. I've been expecti… Wait, why are there two of you?"
"He is my Kouhai, he will be helping me from now on."
…
"Ha, Ha, Ha! So, you went and got a sidekick. No matter, I shall kill you both all the same."
The Horse Fangire charged at the duo while Dark Kiva did the same. The two entered an intense fist fight while New Kiva snuck over to the fallen women, picking her up and taking her to the far side the lot. He gently placed her against the wall making sure not to crack her fragile body, her eyes were staring into him, her cold dead…
"No, she's not dead. We just got to beat this Fangire, and she'll be ok."
He turned his attention back towards the fight, both combatants unleashing a flurry of punches and even a few kicks.
"Not yet, I need a good opening."
The Horse was able to grab and throw Dark Kiva into one of the cars which slightly disoriented him. It appeared he now had the upper hand.
"Now!"
New Kiva's Omni Lens glowed, activating the Forbidden Balor View, covering the Fangire in a violet glow that slowed him in his tracks. The Chained Rider took the opportunity to run up and jump kick the monster which ended up canceling the Balor View's power.
"Lucky Shot"
The Horse got back up and went to attack his new target only for him to use the Balor view again. New Kiva rapidly punched his foe in the chest, with the final hit striking his face and knocking him back on the floor.
"Not bad, you're pretty good at this."
Dark Kiva Said, having got back up from the hood of that car which now had an indent.
"Thank you, Senpai."
"Ok that's it, no more playing around."
The Horse Fangire raised his arm and hit it with the other. The glass partially broke off, the shards falling to the ground before combining into a sword. He grabbed his new weapon as he got back onto his feet.
"So, you want a sword fight huh?"
Dark Kiva grabbed the Garuru Fuestle from his belt.
"Well, you got it."
He placed it into his Kivat's mouth
"Garuru Saber!"
The Fuestle was blown, and unlike the Wake Up Fuestle, the sound emitted from this one actually sounded like a loud whistle.
At Castle Doran, Jiro and the other men were playing a game of four-way chess while Lady Doran was standing in front of the tv, watching the battle unfold. The sound of the Garuru Fuestle was heard by Jiro, who smiled with a toothy grin.
"About damn time!"
He got up from his chair and walked a few steps forward.
"Now I can cut Lose! AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
He let out a howl as his blue eyes turned red and his whole body was enveloped in a fiery blue aura. Jiro was then transformed into a small floating Werewolf statue.
"I shall see you out."
Lady Doran said as she tossed a ball of purple Magic into the air, creating a small Portal that the statue quickly floated into before it disappeared.
Back in the battlefield, the Werewolf statue had just arrived it its desired location. It flew towards Dark Kiva, who grabbed it with his right hand. Upon grasping it, the statue unfolded into its true form, The Garuru Saber. The handle was black with a gold line around the butt, while the blade was gold with silver edges and was curvy like a wolf's tail. In between the handle and blade was a blue wolf head with gold cheeks, a silver forehead and red eyes.
"En Garde!"
Dark Kiva charged at the equestrian swordsman, their blades clashing with every strike. Eventually he pressed the back of the wolfs head, unleashing a sonic howl that pushed the Fangire back.
"Here, I'll let you have a turn."
He tossed the blade to New Kiva who grasped it with his left hand.
"Thanks, but I've never held a-"
A sudden surge of power was felt, power that was coming from the sword.
"What is this? It feels…"
Chains began to emerge, wrapping around New Kiva's entire left arm, shoulder included. The chains also came out of his vest, wrapping around his chest. They glowed with blue energy before exploding off, revealing a new transformation. The silver bracelet was now gold, while the red glove and veins on the forearm was now blue. He had blue armor covered the top of the forearm with a silver blade sticking out of the elbow, a blue armor plate covering the top of the bicep, and a blue piece shoulder armor that resembled wolf fur. The chest was now blue, with the black veins replaced with silver fangs sticking out of both sides, giving the allusion that a wolf was biting down on it. and to top it all off, the Omni Lens had now changed from yellow to blue.
"Woah, this is a welcome surprise."
Dark Kiva commented, but his Kohai did not respond. Instead, he charged toward his enemy with incredible speed. The Fangire tried to block each strike, but unlike before, this one was too fast. New Kiva was able to land a few good hits and was preparing for a final strike, charging the sword with blue energy.
"RAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
The Horse Fangire dodged just in time, but the cars were not so lucky. He went for a second strike, but he missed again, hitting one of the support pillars, causing the floor above to collapse in top of the Fangire.
"Hey-hey-hey, slow down. We're trying to keep property damage to a minimum."
…
"Gasper?"
He snapped his head toward his Senpai…
"RAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
…and went for the attack slashing his sword wildly at Dark Kiva.
"Gasper, calm down! It's me, Taiga!"
While that was happening, the Horse Fangire managed to pull himself from the rubble.
"This is too much, Time for a tactical retreat."
He ran as fast as he could, leaping off the building and into the streets bellow, living to hunt another day.
"Master, please stop! This Isn't like you!"
He did not listen, he instead continued to slash away as Dark Kiva could only dodge. Unfortunately, just like the Fangire, he could no longer keep up with the speed and was struck down to the floor. The impact forcibly dislodged Kivat Bat II from the belt, Reverting Dark Kiva Back into Taiga.
"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The blade began to charge up again, but before the final blow could be struck…
"Quickly my son, exit your belt."
"Oh yeah, I forgot I could do that."
…Kivat Bat III dislodged himself, reverting New Kiva back into Gasper. His eyes were blue and twisted with animalistic rage, but they immediately turned back to its original pink color. Now having come to his senses, he looked over his surroundings and the destruction he caused.
"W-W-What did I… just Do?"
Next Time on Kiva DxD.
"Maybe, I'm just not cut out for this after all."
"You need to conquer your fears, Gasper"
"This is Wataru, my little brother."
"T-T-That's… my Peerage."
"I won't let you hurt them."
Wake Up and break the chains of fate!