Taimanin Rider: Chosen Soldiers

by OniTenshi500

Summary:

Based on a Discord RP. In the late 21st century, warriors called Taimanin fight in the shadows. This is not their story. There is a show about masked heroes, remembered only by dedicated fans. Six people woke up in this world, lost but ready to fight. So won't you believe in them, even if they don't know what they're doing? Even if there is no God or Buddha, there is... Kamen Rider.

Chapter 1: Waking Up

Notes:

Don’t ask. All I’ll say is that we had talks about Kamen Rider and talks about Taimanin, and that somewhere along the lines, this idea got conceived. And no, we don’t regret anything (yet). That remains to be seen.

Who’s who:
EmiyaXD – Naoto Kazama, Kamen Rider Vulcan
NoiceGuy – Ethan Hayes, Kamen Rider Blade
Xros – Mateo Hayes, Bujin Gaim
Ganti – Sloan Macnaois, Kamen Rider Wizard
Papa Nito – Jeuri Mariano, Kamen Rider Tycoon
Me – Alexander Prodman, Kamen Rider Buffa

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Tokyo. One of the most known prefectures of Japan. Nowadays, it had regrettably started to be seen as a Dark City, owed to the massive amount of Demon influence and population that settled. Ten Kilometers from Tokyo Bay was the abandoned Tokyo Kingdom. Though Tokyo looked and even felt like a beautiful and modern city. it hid a darkness that many did not notice or turned a blind eye to. Demons lived among the humans. They socialized and some even became friends. Unfortunately, many did not know of the darkness they held and the darkness that the beloved company NOMAD hid behind its humanitarian actions.

This was the reality that most accepted in this world, a dark world where many unfortunate souls were lost...

But for a group of individuals, this world was just a setting in a fictional series they could criticize and talk about.

Until now.

...

Ethan suddenly woke up, a headache interrupting his peaceful sleep. “Ugh, why did I get a headache now of all times?” Rubbing his eyes, he got off his bed and... This wasn’t his college dorm. Eyes wide open, he looked around and took in the appearance of the apartment. Was he kidnapped?

“Where am I?” He whispered, thoughts racing through his head. Going into the bathroom and waking over to the sink, he splashed his face with ice-cold water, hoping it was a dream. Nope. It was real. He was in an apartment he didn’t recognize.

Heading back to the bedroom, Ethan looked to the table stand and saw his phone and backpack. Picking up his phone and glad to see a full charge, he was about to unlock it when he saw something next to it. Taking a closer look, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he stared at the Blay Buckle and Rouse Cards from Kamen Rider Blade. “What the fuck?” Picking it up, he noted how it felt heavier than any CSM or DX toy.

Putting his phone and the Blay Buckle aside, Ethan got dressed, unsure of what was happening or what to do. A storm of dark thought plagued his mind, asking questions that dug deep and filled him with unease. Why was he here? Where were his roommate? Did anyone even know where he was?

Taking a deep breath, Ethan tried to contact his roommates. No response. He contacted his family. Still response. He contacted everyone he knew. No response yet again.

Staggering to the window, he opened it to get fresh air, only for dread to fill him when he saw what was outside. Instead of his university, the sight of a city he didn’t recognize greeted him. Ethan wondered, ‘Did I get kidnapped, or is someone playing a sick joke on me?’ Staring at the scene before him, he faintly registered Japanese text on the huge neon signs.

“So I’m in Japan?” he wondered. “That’s probably why I can’t contact anyone.” Clinging on to the dwindling hope that it was just a dream, Ethan checked his phone for any news or details, but froze upon seeing the date. “Wait, that’s the year? Am I in the future or something?”

Sighing, Ethan put his phone in his pocket, shoving everything he had into his backpack. ‘Something feels off with those Rouse Cards,’ he thought, ‘They actually felt real. Wait, does that mean the Undeads are-’ Shaking his head, he stuffed the cards and Blay Buckle into his backpack. With a heavy sigh, he began to open the door.

...

Naoto groaned as he rolled to his right in bed. Why was it always so hot lately? Thankfully, the heat wasn’t as bad and... Wait. Naoto opened his eyes, wondering why the heat wasn’t as unbearable as it had been for the past few months. This wasn’t his room. Quickly looking around, he started to panic as he took in the unfamiliar sight. Taking deep breaths to calm down, he sat at the edge of the bed.

Noticing something in the corner of his vision, he turned to the bedside table. “Is that the Shotriser?” Naoto was confused. He didn’t own any Kamen Rider toys. Why was it here? Standing up to pick up the Shotriser, he noticed that it didn’t feel like plastic. If anything, it felt like metal. He noticed the Attache Shotgun in its attache mode alongside some Progrisekeys, but he was focused on something else.

“Am I in a fucking self-insert fic or something?” he muttered to himself in disbelief. “This has to be a joke...” He chuckled humorlessly, feeling panic and horror settle in. Because if there was anything he knew for sure, it was one thing. ‘I’m not even Rider material at all...’

Naoto knew he wasn’t Fuwa, the military captain who became Kamen Rider Vulcan. He was just a weirdo who really liked Kamen Rider and heroes in general. “So why was I chosen to be in some generic self-insert Rider fic? There are so many people who are better choices than me!”

Looking at the Shotriser, he wondered if he could just ignore it all and go on with his life. But he had no idea where his family was. And judging by how self-insert stories went, he was probably in another world. But what type of world was it? Marvel? DC? Some random anime? Would Vulcan’s presence even make a difference? But most of all, Naoto was scared. If he had the real Shotriser with him, then that meant one thing – this world had fighting. And he didn’t want to die.

Naoto snapped out of his panic-induced fervor when he heard something outside the room. “Oh God, are you shitting me?” he whispered. There were others here. Grabbing his gym bag, which was conveniently there, he stuffed the Shotriser and Progrisekeys inside and picked the bag up, slinging it over his shoulder while carrying the Attache Shotgun in his other hand.

“Time to face the music,” Naoto said to himself “Just don’t have a heart attack or panic...” Walking up to the door, he grasped the doorknob, taking a deep breath to calm down before opening the door and stepping outside.

...

Alexander woke up drearily, laying still for a few seconds before trying to go back to sleep. Then he registered the temperature. He knew for a fact that he went to sleep under his blanket, and it certainly wasn’t the one that was on him right now. Sitting up, his eyes opened instantly and he looked around, realizing that he wasn’t in his room. Getting out of bed, he grabbed his glasses and put them on, looking around suspiciously until something caught his attention.

On a nearby table was a Desire Driver form Kamen Rider Geats, and from the purple and orange coloration of the ID Core next to it, Alexander identified it as Buffa’s ID Core. He didn’t own any Kamen Rider merch. “What the hell?” he muttered. Picking up the Desire Driver, he turned it over carefully. It wasn’t made of plastic, but metal. Picking up the ID Core, he noticed how it was made of metal as well.

Alexander inserted the ID Core into the Desire Driver. At least this way, it would be easier to keep track of them. Putting the object back on the table, he grabbed his phone and turned it on, only to choke on his saliva when he saw the date. This had to be a joke. Running to the window, Alexander looked outside and was greeted by the sight of an urban city – tall buildings, flashing lights, neon signs, and all. Staring at the Japanese text on a billboard, the words left his mouth before he could think. “Why the hell am I in Japan?”

Making up his mind, Alexander pushed down his anxiety and decided to leave the apartment to investigate, but after a few steps, he stumbled over something. Looking down, he saw his backpack that he hadn’t used in a few years, and from the sounds it made, there was something inside. “What’s in here? I swear I took everything out when I put it away.”

Opening the backpack, he recognized the Raise Buckles inside, also made of metal. Pushing them aside, he searched deeper and checked the other pockets. Much to his surprise, he found his charger, winter face mask, and hand crank flashlight. “Better than nothing,” he sighed. Putting his backpack on, he walked out the door.

...

Jeuri woke up to the noise he had learned to despise... the evil monstrosity known as an alarm clock. Silently getting out of bed, he moved almost mechanically as he put on his glasses and turned off the alarm on his phone, his bleary eyes preventing him from registering his surroundings. He stood silently for a few seconds, then let out a heavy yawn that was lost in the silence of the room.

Clumsily, he headed to the door, hand instinctively reaching for the handle only to grasp empty air. Grasping the air a few more times, Jeuri frowned in confusion. Rubbing his eyes to shake off his sleepiness, his heart skipped a beat when he realized that instead of his bedroom door, he was staring at a wall.

Finally looking around, he realized that he wasn’t in his room. The bed was bigger and looked as though it had never been used before. The furniture was cold and minimalistic. Even the layout and structure of the room felt alien to him.

A chill ran down Jeuri’s spine. ‘How did I end up here?’ Mentally replaying the events of the previous night, he tried to figure out what happened. He hadn’t been drinking or going out with friends, and there was no way he scored a chance encounter with a girl. He only remembered going home after a long night shift at work, exhausted and eager to go to sleep.

Gripping his phone tightly, Jeuri unlocked the screen and checked his messages, hoping to find even just one clue. But there was nothing, not even a single notification or text. A knot formed in his stomach, prompting him to try to stay calm by breathing slowly, but the fear had already settled in his chest. “Where... where the hell am I?”

A sound broke the silence: footsteps. Jeuri stiffened. ‘I’m not alone.’ There were others outside, and it didn’t exactly reassure him. If anything, it put him even more on edge. Who were they? What did they want?

Frantically scanning the room, Jeuri looked for anything he could use to defend himself. As far as he could tell, everything about his situation screamed ‘kidnapping’. What else could it be? His eyes landed on a table in the corner. Approaching cautiously, he picked up the strange belt. Its metallic details and elaborate design reminded him of the toys from his childhood. “Is this one of those Power Ranger belts or something?” he wondered. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought and returned to the task at hand.

The belt was heavier than it looked, being made of solid metal. Jeuri didn’t know why, and he didn’t care either. All he knew was that getting hit by it would hurt. And while it wasn’t the best weapon, it was the only one he had.

Gripping the belt tightly, he approached the door silently, straining his ears. Heart pounding in his ears, he swallowed and tried to keep his breathing steady. Jeuri didn’t know what was on the other side. He didn’t know if he was ready to face it. But he couldn’t stay inside forever. With a shaky breath, he opened the door and stepped outside.

,,,

Sloan woke up, feeling unusually refreshed. Looking around, he didn’t recognize the room he was in. “Okay, Sloan, you’re probably having a lucid drea-” He cut himself off. Sloan? ‘That’s not my name,’ he thought. ‘My name is Sloan, not Sloan.’

What the fuck.

“I am Sloan,” he said out loud, then shook his head in disbelief. This was weird. Not only could he not think or say his name, his new name came so naturally it was disorienting.

Pausing as he noticed something on the nightstand, he took a closer look. “Are those the rings from Kamen Rider Wizard?” Sloan was confused. While he did watch an episode of two and enjoyed it, he didn’t really like it enough to buy merchandise. “This is the weirdest dream I’ve had in a long time...” he said to himself.

Getting out of bed, Sloan got dressed, and upon failing to find a belt, shrugged and used the Wizard belt instead. Walking to the door, he nearly tripped over his old college backpack. “Huh, I swear I put that away,” he muttered. Putting it aside, he took a glimpse out the window and saw what looked like a vaguely futuristic yet gritty cityscape. “Well, that’s new,” he said. “Might as well roll with it.”

And with that, he opened the door and stepped outside.

...

The five young men came to a stop as they encountered each other. They spent a few seconds of silence looking suspiciously at each other, unsure of what to do.

Nervously, Sloan started, “Um... Hello?”

Ethan looked at the bearded man in curiosity. “Hey, I’m assuming you just woke up here too?”

Alexander looked at the others, trying to suppress his nervousness and social anxiety. Listening to Sloan and Ethan, he came to a conclusion, but before he could think, the words left his mouth. "Uh, raise your hand if you woke up here for some reason, had a backpack with some of your stuff, and there was also Kamen Rider stuff when you don't own any Kamen Rider merch?”

Nodding, Ethan pulled out the Blay Buckle. “Yeah,” he confirmed, “No idea why I have this...”

Sloan nodded. “That’s actually pretty accurate,” he said. “I’m not even much of a Kamen Rider fan. I mean, the episodes I did watch were fun, but I didn’t really like it enough to want to buy any merch.”

“So we’re all stuck here, huh?” sighed Naoto as he flashed the Shotriser. “Never bought this, by the way.”

Jeuri was frozen, realizing what was going on. The others were just as lost as he was. They didn’t know what was going on either. The tension left him, though fear was still present. And then it hit him. He was standing there in his boxers. Not only was he in an unfamiliar place, he just made a fool of himself in front of total strangers. Never before did he think that his habit of sleeping in just his underwear would bite him. Coughing awkwardly, he summarized, “So we’re all in the same situation?”

Normally, Ethan would have laughed at seeing someone in just their underwear, but the situation was too serious to even think about it. “I’m a big Kamen Rider fan, but I don’t remember buying any merch,” he explained.

Alexander scratched the back of his nec, idly noticing that the half-up ponytail he usually made to keep his bangs out of his face was already done. ‘Wait, it’s tied back already?’ he thought, ‘But I... never mind.’ There were more important matters. “I wouldn't say that I'm a big fan of Kamen Rider, but I do like some of them. Binged the entirety of Geats the other day, actually. But I don't own any merch, and this was there when I woke up." Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out the Desire Driver and showed it to the group before putting it away.

“Well,” said Sloan, “I don’t recognize the city we’re in. All I can tell is that it’s kinda gritty.”

Ethan chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Tell me about it. I was in my college dorm last night, and now I'm here in Japan.”

“I know for a fact I wasn’t in Japan when I went to bed last night,” said Alexander. After a second, he added, "Oh, and I checked the date on my phone earlier, and either we were put in cryostasis without consent and dumped in here, someone's playing a prank on us, or we somehow time traveled to the future."

“I checked the date too,” replied Ethan. “I really hope that his is just a prank and that we didn’t really end up in the future or an alternate dimension.”

Sloan was silent. “...Do I want to know the date?” For some reason, he had a bad feeling about it.

Trying to catch up with the conversation, Jeuri interjected, “I... I only know Kamen Rider on the surface. Some guys were talking about it in a Discord server.” He barely understood what he was saying, but he needed to say something, anything to avoid feeling awkward and left out. “Wait... We’re in Japan?” His voice cracked, barely processing what he had just heard. “God... what the hell is going on?” The question slipped from his lips before he could stop it. His mind was spinning, desperately searching for a rational explanation, but there was none. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep in his room, far from anything even remotely connected to Japan or Kamen Rider. The metal belt felt heavier in his hand, as though it suddenly had more meaning. And in that moment, its colors and intricate design almost felt mocking to Jeuri.

“Well, that eliminates Marvel and DC,” Naoto muttered to himself. “And I was on the other side of the planet in South America.” Pausing for a moment, he asked, “And what is the date exactly?”

Ethan sighed, deciding to just get it over with quickly. “It’s 2080, and I’m pretty sure that’s not our year.”

Sloan paused. A gritty futuristic city. Japan. The year 2080. “Fuck,” he groaned. “Out of everything, it just had to be Taimanin...” After a moment, he sighed. “I’m not dreaming, am I?”

Alexander raised an eyebrow, giving Sloan a strange look. “Taimanin?” he asked, “You mean that erotic visual novel series? How’d you get to that conclusion?”

“Gritty futuristic Japan in the late 21st century? It’s a distinct setting,” Sloan explained, “The only thing that could make it more obvious would be demons showing up... or one of the main characters.”

If looks could kill, then the expression Naoto had could have killed a man five times over. “Which timeline are we in? Because some of them are worse than others.”

“With any luck, we’re in the GOGO timeline where it’s a light-hearted action comedy,” sighed Alexander, “though I doubt it since Beard Guy said it looks gritty outside.”

Sloan groaned in despair. "We're in a rape fetish porn game, and all the timelines except GOGO are pretty bad..." He paused again. "Shit... I'm in a rape fetish porn game that's extra dark. I'm not just complaining about how stupid the plot is and how it bends over backwards to screw over the decent people, I'm in it..."

Ethan added, “I don’t know much, but I’m sure nothing major has happened yet... I hope.”

“Don’t look at me,” deflected Naoto. “I'm not the Taimanin lore guy. That was the other guys in a Discord server I was in. I was mostly the guy making Kamen Rider and Fate references."

Jeuri noticed Sloan on the floor. “Uh, guys?”

"Huh," Alexander hummed. "I've talked about Taimanin with a few guys in a Discord server. For the most part, I was engaged in other conversations, but I did talk about how I remembered back when Noah's ult in Action Taimanin was just that she grew bigger and did swipes and punches."

Ethan mulled over Naoto’s words, finding them familiar. A server where conversations included Taimanin, Fate, and Kamen Rider? The pieces clicked, and he had an idea of who Naoto. Turning to him, he asked, "Hey, now that you mention it, by any chance are you...EmiyaZX?"

Naoto blinked in surprise. “How do you know that?”

While Ethan and Naoto engaged in their conversation, Jeuri tried once more to get their attention. “Guys, something’s wrong!”

Alexander groaned, having crouched to take a few deep breaths to quell his pounding heartbeat and rising panic. After a few seconds, he got back up. “Okay, so we’re in Taimanin. On a scale of one to ten, how screwed are we?”

“Guys!” Jeuri shouted.

Naoto looked over in confusion, then paled when he saw Sloan on the ground, covered in purple cracks. “Shit!” He looked to the others. “This is bad. A Phantom’s about to be born! We have to do something!”

Notes:

You know the hard part? Figuring out which parts of the original project should be kept, which ones to modify, and which parts to exclude. The easy part is that for the parts do get written, it’s easy enough to reformat it to an actual story.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 2: Rough Start

Notes:

Not much to say, other than how Mateo didn’t show up last chapter because he was still asleep. But he’ll be appearing in this chapter.

And to those who speak Spanish, just a quick heads up. I asked EmiyaZX about the Spanish he used, and turns out it’s a regional dialect/slang thing.

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

“¿Me estás weiando?” exclaimed Naoto. “A Gate is falling to despair right in front of us! Where’s Haruto when you need him?” Looking to the others, he urged, “Come on, there’s not time. We have to do something!”

Holding up his hands, Alexander said, “Hey, don’t look at me. I only know that Phantoms are from Wizard.” Looking at Sloan, he trailed off. “Wait, if he’s actually going through that, does that mean the Kamen Rider stuff we have are actually real and not merch made of metal?”

“This isn’t the time to wonder if our drivers are real,” retorted Naoto. “Basically, Gates falling to despair is like how Witches are born in Madoka Magica. Please tell me you know what that means.” Seeing the others nod, he continued, “We only have two options. First is to have a Wizard use the Engage ring to go into the Gate’s underworld and kill the Phantom. The other is to have the Gate hold on to hope to restrain the Phantom and become a Wizard.” He refused to even think about the third option: let the Gate die and kill thee Phantom. ‘I’m not letting someone die in front of me’ Naoto thought, ‘I won’t let it happen if I can help it.’

Ethan gulped. He knew that they weren’t Kamen Riders, and that the situation was as messed up as it could get. But now that they knew that it was real, they couldn’t just stand back and do nothing. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know if anyone has an Engage ring to help, but maybe… maybe we can help him somehow? I don’t know how the Blay Buckle and Rouse cards can help, but we have to have at least one option!”

“Dude, I have a Desire Driver,” Alexander sighed in exasperation. “Same for Mr. 'Transformation Belts are Bludgeon Weapons' over there." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "We're not equipped to deal with Phantoms. Besides, I haven't gotten around to taking a look at what Raise Buckles I got."

Naoto looked at him strangely ‘How can he be so calm right now?’ Unbeknownst to him, Alexander was actually trying to suppress the panic he felt. Shaking his head, he turned to Sloan. "Come on... don't just give up, yeah. We are in pretty much one of the most fucked up places ever, but you have people you want to go back to, right?" He took a deep breath. "Please hold onto them. They should be your Hope to keep going!"

Ethan joined in. "I know things are scary. I'm scared too,” he confessed, “But as long as you have a sliver of hope, we can make it, right?!"

An idea entered Alexander’s head. Taking a shaky breath, he stepped forward. "Listen, Beardo," he said. "We're all stuck in this. Don't think you can just leave us hanging here. So get your shit together so we can figure something out together. You hear me?" Already feeling his heart beating quicker, he thought to himself, 'For the love of everything out there, he better have heard that, or else I did this for nothing...'

Jeuri was frozen in panic, scouring his mind for ideas. "Okay... alright, so we just need to keep him hopeful," he murmured, trying to convince himself. He looked at Sloan, searching for any sign of improvement. "I should have paid more attention to the chats about Kamen Rider..." He muttered, feeling a pang of regret as he remembered all the times he ignored those conversations on Discord. Maybe then he could have understood this whole mess better. But then something clicked in his mind, a piece that hadn't quite fit until now.

"Wait, did you say you're Emiya? I'm Papa Nito." The words slipped out before he could stop them. After a second, he backtracked and said, "Okay, that doesn't matter much right now." Whatever was happening to Sloan was more important than figuring out who was who online. "So... do we need to give him motivational speeches or something?" he asked uncertainly. The idea seemed absurd, but considering everything that had happened so far, nothing made sense anymore. And if that was what was needed to be done, then he was willing to try.

…

Sloan blinked. He found himself in his old home. “What happened?” he wondered. “I haven’t been here in a long time, but… it was never this smashed up.”

"Well... what have we here, hmmm?" A deep voice called out, prompting him to look at the source. They were tall. If Sloan had to guess, the figure was male, but they were dressed in an odd combination of armor and the long, flowing robes of a middle eastern desert nomad, which made it hard to tell for certain. "I wasn't expecting you to show up personally, but here you are... I am Djinn. I suppose it's better this way..." He drew a sword that would be somewhat oversized in the hands of most humans, but the fact that he seemed to wield it effortlessly just made it concerning. "I'll just crush you head on. Not like a mere human can do anything about it..."

Sloan stiffened. He was facing a Djinn. All but the weakest of them were centuries old, with the experience in combat and spellcasting to match. Because of that, they were prideful to the point of hubris. But they weren’t infallible. Even simple fishermen had beaten djinn in the stories, meaning that he had a chance. He had to have hope.

"Tch. Hope," Djinn scoffed, as if it knew what Sloan was thinking of. "As if you have anything to hope for. The world you're in is a terrible place made to facilitate rape fantasies. And I'm going to kill you. Your hope is a lie." It dashed in, preparing to cut down the Gate.

But Sloan could hear muffled voices calling out to him, giving him the strength he needed to fight back.

"Come on, just a bit more, that damn Phantom is just a desperate asshole that wants to get out. Don't let him win!”

"You got this man! I know things are looking bleak right now, but you got this! Don't give up!"

"If you can hear this, then listen to me. It's your body, your mind, your rules. Don't let that Phantom have its way."

“"Come on, man! You can do this! Believe in yourself! Your strength is greater than anything from a fictional world! The indomitable human spirit won't be defeated by something that doesn't even have a body of its own!"

"A... Phantom? Really?" Sloan taunted, lashing out with a kick and hitting Djinn in the shin. Ducking and weaving, he kept targeting Djinn’s legs with kicks. He wasn't very interested in trying to use punches on someone armed with a sword. "You're a Phantom?" He noticed the purple cracks in the world slowly turning gold. "Geez. I must have been hard on myself if you’re the Phantom born from me. The stronger the Phantom, the stronger the person they're born from and all..."

Djinn sped up, putting more effort into his next attack... but also being sloppy. Sloan slid out of the way almost easily this time, watching as Djinn stumbled over the gold parts of the cracks. Not looking the gift horse in the mouth, he ran in and kicked the back of Djinn’s knee and forcing it to collapse, then kneeled on its back, pulling its arms behind itself.

"You lose, Djinn. Nothing personal, but today's not my day to die."

…

The cracks on Sloan now golden, the others watched in urgent anticipation. “Guys, I think he’s going to be alright!” exclaimed Ethan.

“Almost there,” said Naoto. “He’s going to make it.”

“Come on," Alexander whispered, "Just a bit more and you'll be out of it.” Suddenly remembering conversations in the server where certain grievances were aired, he quickly added, "Besides, don't you want to screw with certain things you don't like in the Taimanin world?"

“That’s right!” Jeuri continued, trying to sound more confident than he actually felt. "Think about how we can kick Black's ass!" Truth be told, he had no idea how they were going to pull that off, but he wanted to hold on to the thought that they still had a chance, that they weren't completely powerless.

The cracks shone brightly, and when the light vanished, Sloan sat up, groaning as Djinn’s rage-filled screams echoed in his ears. "That was unpleasant. Possibly the worst thing I've experienced so far,” he sighed. Looking to the others, he continued, “And thanks for your support. I'm not sure I could have defeated Djinn without it."

“It’s fine,” Naoto sighed in relief. “What matters is that you’re okay now.”

Awkwardly, Jeuri spoke up. “So, EmiyaZX? I’m Nito.”

Ethan joined in, “Wait, so we’re all from the same server? That should make things easier. I’m NoiceGuy.”

Looking between the three, Alexander did his best to memorize their faces and usernames. “Nice to meet you guys, I guess. Kinda hard to tell how I feel with what's going on right now. I’m OniTenshi500.”

Jeuri let out a sigh of relief. Everything seemed to have calmed down, at least for the moment. His heart was still pounding, but the sense of imminent danger had faded, replaced by a strange feeling of camaraderie. "Well... this isn't how I thought I'd meet you guys," he admitted, trying to add a touch of humor to lighten the mood. For a moment, the absurd irony of the situation almost made him laugh. Then he looked down at myself and remembered, once again, that he was still in his boxers.

"Maybe we should sit down and talk... after I put on some clothes," he quickly added, glancing toward the room he had come from. Without waiting for a response, he turned on my heels and headed back to the room, determined to find something that would at least restore a bit of his dignity.

Several minutes later, the group gathered in one of the common areas they found, a living room with seats and a table big enough for several people. While Sloan remained silent, the others decided to discuss what they knew.

Sending a concerned look at the silent Mage, Naoto put down his gym bag and Attache Shotgun on the table. "Right, I guess we should say our real names,” he began, “It’s better than if we only referred to each other by our usernames." Clearing his throat, he continued, “My name is Naoto Kazama.” He froze. ‘That’s not my name,’ he thought. “That isn’t… My name isn’t Naoto. It’s Naoto!”

Weirded out, Ethan looked at Naoto strangely. Either Naoto didn’t want to tell his name, or he was being serious. “Well,” he said slowly, “My name is Ethan.” His face went blank. “My name is Ethan. No, it’s Ethan!” Sagging in defeat, he gave up. “You know what? Fine. My name’s Ethan Hayes.”

Alexander’s eyebrows furrowed, processing what Naoto and Ethan were saying. "You know," he observed, "the issue you're having with your names reminds me of a fic I once worked on. In that fic, the characters ended up in another world and ended up being unable to say their own names and could only say their new names. Maybe the same thing is happening here?" Shaking his head, he moved on. "Anyways, my name's Alexander Prodman."

‘At least it’s not too bad,’ thought Alexander, ‘even if the surname doesn't match my ethnicity.’ Suddenly, he had an idea. Pulling out his phone, he opened up a note document and tried to type out his name. After a couple seconds, he stared at the name 'Alexander Prodman' in numb disbelief. He knew for a fact that he typed down his actual name, but somehow this was still the result. Looking up, he said, "Okay, so it turns out we can't write down our actual names either."

Jeuri sighed in defeat, feeling the optimism he had tried to build up vanishing. He didn’t even have his identity anymore. All he felt was crushing emptiness. “Jeuri Mariano…” he murmured, voice hollow. “It’s not my name, but it’s all I can say.”

Looking up, he forced himself to smile. “But hey,” he tried to joke. “Sexy girls and crazy magic are everywhere, right? Maybe we can find a way to go home.” Even to him, the joke felt empty.

Before anyone could say anything, an announcement of “Lock on!” accompanied by heavy metal started playing. “Blood Orange! Heretic path, on stage!”

Naoto cursed, "Oh, you have got to be shitting me!” Looking to Ethan and Alexander, he said, "I'm pretty sure both of you recognized that." He quickly opened his gym bag and pulled out the Shotriser and Shooting Wolf Progrisekey. "There are two possibilities. Either it’s someone in the same situation we are in who decided that the first thing they should do is transform, or it’s the actual Bujin Gaim. I really hope it's the first."

"Shit,” sighed Ethan. “I really hoped we could just discuss about other plans, but I think we might have to fight, guys." He didn’t know if he could turn into Blade, but it looked Naoto was ready to fight. Could he do the same? After a moment of hesitation, he opened his backpack and pulled out the Blay Buckle and Change Beetle card.

Alexander pulled out his Desire Driver and strapped it to his waist, going through the Raise Buckles he had before settling on Magnum and Shield. He grunted, “That better be another one of us who woke up and tried their Lockseed belt or whatever it's called instead of looking around..." While he didn’t know much of Kamen Rider Gaim, he could tell from the ominous voice that Bujin Gaim was probably a Dark Rider.

Jeuri was confused. "Hey, wait, what's going on? Why should we fight?" The tension in the air was palpable, as if suddenly the whole place had been enveloped in a dense, suffocating fog. He could see how the others were getting ready, their bodies tensing in anticipation of a conflict he didn’t understand at all.

Snapping out of thought, Sloan looked up. “I’m about to wish that I kept the Wizard rings instead of leaving them on my nightstand, aren’t I?”

“We’ll try to stop by your room,” said Naoto. Turning to Jeuri, he explained, "What you just heard was the transformation sound of what should normally be a Dark Rider, which is basically an evil Rider. This one was originally a literal Sengoku Era warlord obsessed with gaining the ultimate power, so we’re either dealing with him, or with someone in the same situation as us who decided to transform immediately after waking up." He sighed, slightly relaxing his grip on the Shotriser and ProgriseKey. “We haven't gotten attacked yet, so that should be a good sign.”

Sighing, Ethan equipped the Blay Buckle, feeling the waist strap wrapping around him. Getting ready, he said, “I don’t know when he’s going to come in, but we should still prepare for the worst. If you guys haven’t already, you should get your drivers ready.”

Slipping the Magnum Buckle and Shield Buckle into place on the Desire Driver, Alexander prepared himself, ignoring the Desire Driver's announcement that he had equipped said Buckles. "Beard Guy, you can introduce yourself after this. We need to get you to your room so you can grab your rings. Guys, we'd have to do it eventually, so might as well do it now." Looking to Jeuri, he added, "Just equip a Raise Buckle or two onto your Desire Driver and copy me.” Taking a step away from the others, Alexander cracked his neck in both direction before rolling his shoulders and clenching his fists. "Henshin."

He spun the Magnum Buckle's wheel and pulled the trigger, along with pressing the Shield Buckle. A ring of light formed around his midsection before expanding horizontally, creating Buffa's entry form armor. "Dual On! Magnum!" Holding his right arm out to the side, he grasped the Magnum Shooter 40X as white armor was deployed onto his torso. "Armed Shield!" Meanwhile, two blue bands manifested on his left thigh as the Raise Shield manifested in the air in front of him before vanishing. ‘Huh, so that's what happened if the Shield Buckle is set on the left side of the Desire Driver,’ Alexander thought. "Ready, fight!"

“Okay,” Jeuri mumbled as he reached for the Ninja Buckle, his hands trembling as he tried to attach it to his Desire Driver. However, the sound of the door bursting open startled him and caused him to drop it.

Everyone’s heads snapped to the door, realizing that their newcomer was already here.

…

Mateo yawned as he woke up, letting out a groan as he opened his eyes. “The hell? Where am I?” He looked around and saw that he was no longer in his room. Getting out of bed, he looked for anything that could help him tell where he was. Aside from his backpack, phone and charger, first aid kit, and the sawtooth machete his father gifted him, he noticed something that stood out.

“When did I get a Sengoku Driver?” Picking it up, he turned it over curiously as he took note of the Lockseeds on the table. “I never bought one of these things before, but shouldn’t they have straps?”

Grumbling in annoyance, Mateo held the driver against his waist, wondering how he was even supposed to wear it. Much to his surprise, the straps suddenly wrapped around him as the faceplate glowed, revealing an image of a Rider. “No fucking way, this can’t be an actual Sengoku Driver, can it?” Looking at the Lockseeds, he thought about which one to choose before grabbing the Blood Orange Lockseed and tapping the button on the bottom.

“Blood Orange!” Hearing a zipper, Mateo looked up just in time to see a metal orange fall out. “HOLY SHIT!” he shouted. “How do I turn this thing off?” He couldn’t remember what to do, until he looked at the Lockseed in his hand. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he sighed. He attached the Lockseed onto the Sengoku Driver’s Drive Bay and closed the lock.

“Lock on!” Steadying his breath, Mateo twisted the knife, cutting the Lockseed as the orange descended and deployed on top of him. “Heretic path, on stage!”

“Huh? No way…” he breathed, looking at himself. Staring at the Blood Daidaimaru in his hand and the Musou Saber on his hip, he could only feel one thing. "Oh my god! Haha! This is awesome, I actually transformed into Kamen Rider Gaim! I mean, Bujin Gaim, but still, I actually transformed into a freaking Kamen Rider!" He excitedly drew the Musou Saber and swung his weapons around, giggles of excitement escaping his lips. Recalling another thing he could do, he exclaimed, "Oh right! I can actually combine these two together!"

Mateo connected the Blood Daidaimaru and Musou Saber together to create the Naginata Mode, swinging the combined weapon around wildly in the empty space. He ran around the room, fighting imaginary enemies and striking various poses. Twirling the naginata, Mateo tried to see how fast he could spin it, only for his fingers to slip and the weapon to bounce off his head.

Groaning in pain, he stumbled around before recovering. "Ugh, maybe I should practice more before doing that again..." By now, the excitement was wearing off, and he finally remembered that he needed to investigate what was going on. “Good thing I remember how to deactivate the transformation.”

Mateo closed the Lockseed, watching the armor vanish from the body. Removing it from the Drive Bay to put back on the table but keeping the Sengoku Driver attached to him, he turned to the door. “Alright, time to go see what’s going on.” Raising up his leg, he prepared himself. ‘Some-’ He kicked the door open with a loud bang. ‘-body once told me the wo-’

Right outside the door was a group of four guys, led by a guy dressed up in Buffa’s armor, but using Magnum instead of Zombie. He stared at them. They stared at him.

Mateo shouted, "Y-You're not my breakfast friends! Who the heck are you people?"

Everyone stared at him. Finally, the nervous-looking dark-skinned guy chuckled awkwardly. “Okay, he’s one of us.”

Notes:

Total honesty here: I’m trying to get these chapters out quickly so I don’t go through hell scrolling through the thread going back and forth between the chapter and the current place we’re at in the RP. Thankfully, we’re not that far into it right now, so there isn’t too much for me to go through.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 3: Warming the Engine

Notes:

Well, this chapter was longer than I expected it to be. Not that it’s a bad thing, but I had two places where I considered ending the chapter, and I ended up choosing the latter, which led to the chapter being longer.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Back in the living room, after another round of introductions, everyone gathered around the TV, trying to make sense of it. Well, except for Mateo, who decided to go take a look around the apartment complex and see what he could find, and Sloan, who went back to his room to pick up his Wizard Rings.

Alexander noted how it was built into the wall, rather than being mounted or even placed on a TV stand. There wasn’t a remote on the table either. And when he went through the cabinet under the television, he found a karaoke set, several video game consoles, a modem and router, and a bunch of wires, but still no remote. “There’s no remote,” he announced, “so if we can’t find a way to turn the TV on, we’ll have to go out for information.”

"I mean, we're over fifty years in the future,” said Jeuri, “though this is also Taimanin, and the technology here is definitely more advanced than it would be in the same year in our world. Maybe it works through voice commands?" Focusing on the year again, he sighed, “Hopefully we're in Action. GOGO is out of the question because things aren't colorful. On the other hand, if we're in TABA..." He trailed off and shuddered. “Let’s not think about that.”

Naoto turned to the TV. “Turn on,” he announced. As if on cue, the TV screen flickered to life, showing what seemed to be a press conference. Standing at the podium was a dark-skinned woman with pink hair that they all recognized: Ingrid, a former Hell Knight and Edwin Black’s second-in-command of NOMAD.

Ethan coughed, clearing his throat as a blush spread across his face. "Well... that's someone we know at least..." Mentally, he chided himself. ‘Come on, don’t let the horny win!’ he thought, ‘You need to get stronger, especially if we have to interact with any Taimanin!’

He silently watched the conference, amazed by how Ingrid handled the barrage of questions professionally. Then again, it was something to be expected of a former Hell Knight, and they already knew what she was capable of. “Holy shit,” he breathed. “We’re watching Ingrid right now. God, this feels weird.” Turning to the others, he continued, “Now that we know the Taimanin exist and Ingrid’s working for NOMAD just like the visual novels, what do we do?”

Looking to Ethan, Alexander answered, "Before making our plans, shouldn't we worry about language barriers first? I mean, I doubt any of us are that good at Japane-" He cut himself off as he took a double take at the TV. Ingrid was speaking Japanese. He could understand what she was saying. He could read the kanji on the news tickers. He could understand Japanese.

Shaking his head, he corrected myself. "Never mind, apparently we can understand Japanese." Furrowing his eyebrows in concentration, he summarized, "So we know that we're in the Taimanin universe in the year 2080, and that we have genuine Kamen Rider devices. We can understand Japanese, so we don't have to worry about communication issues. Are there any events and issues we can tackle in advance with what we know?"

Holding his hands up, Jeuri interrupted, "Okay, you're moving a bit fast, man.” Trying to stay calm, he explained, "At the very least, we should take some time to adapt — both to the environment and to our powers — before jumping into anything big. Especially for me, since I know nothing about them." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Also... as far as I remember, right now we could try to prevent things like Yukikaze's dad's death, but who knows on what day or month it happens, or even where it takes place."

While none of them could deny the appeal of changing some of the characters’ fates, the reality was that they didn’t have the information they needed, and more importantly, they needed to understand what they could do without causing an even bigger disaster.

...

Naoto sighed as he reviewed what they needed to do. A plan of action, getting used to life in Japan, finding jobs so they could support themselves... Suddenly, he remembered something important – Jeuri had no Rider knowledge, nor did he know how to use his Driver. Well, that one was easily taken care of. The others could explain Kamen Rider to him, and as someone using the same system, Alexander could teach Jeuri how to use the Desire Driver.

Leaning forwards in his seat, Ethan announced, "Now here's the tricky part – getting used to living here. I have no knowledge about living in Japan, especially in this world where things are different. Somehow, we already have this apartment, but I’m not sure if we're guaranteed to stay here forever.” Taking a deep breath, he concluded, “Why don’t we take some time to venture out, explore our surroundings, and report back later? I totally get that some of us want to change some of the events that happened this year, but that sounds dangerous and we need to learn more about how things work here, ‘cause as much as it sucks, this is our reality now."

"We also need to worry about food, money, and IDs," Alexander reminded. "Yeah, we might have some food in the kitchen, but I doubt we'd be able to last long on noodles and canned foods. Plus, it's better to save non-perishables for emergencies." Sighing as he looked at the television, he added, "Besides, I don't know if we're in the system, but I don't want to tempt fate.”

Getting up and walking to the door, he paused for a moment. "I'll search through the rest of the apartment," he explained. "There's got to be something in here we can use. And maybe we could even find some non-violent demons or people who don't want questions asked to be tenants here so we can make money that way." Shaking his head at the thought, Alexander brushed it off. "Probably not a good idea, but anything's better than nothing, right?"

But before he could leave the room, a reporter asked a question that caught their attention. "What is Nomad's stand on the recent monster attacks and the two masked individuals roaming that seem to attack at random?"

Clearing her throat, Ingrid responded with a displeased expression. "NOMAD is prepared and willing to help and provide assistance to any civilian affected by the attacks. We shall also help in any effort to stop the monsters and those masked madmen that have hurt so many lives!" She declared. "I assure you, Fifteen and Gaim-Yami will pay for their actions towards the innocent."

Sloan, who had just returned, was transfixed by the sight of the woman on the TV. Ingrid was already his favorite Taimanin girl, but damn, seeing her in reality was different. The combination of defined but not excessive muscle, the almost perfect symmetry of her face, her aura of authority and power, and, to be honest, her raw sexiness...

"... And Black ignores her to try and torture Asagi into loving him? What the hell is wrong with him?” He asked aloud before shaking his head, blushing intensely. "Wait, no. Not important. Anyways, I don't recognize those names. And if Ingrid specifically mentioned them in a press conference, they're a problem."

Naoto was stunned, gaping widely as Ingrid announced those names. If he could put how he felt into words, the phrase ‘shit hitting the fan’ would be a massive understatement. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the others and explained, "They’re both from Kamen Rider Gaim. They use the same belt as Mateo. Fifteen is... The original was a desperate man being used because he wanted to revive his son but I’m not sure if the one Ingrid mentioned is the same guy. The dangerous thing would be that if this Fifteen has the Heisei Lockseed, it would give him access to the power of all Heisei Riders before Gaim, meaning everyone from Kuuga to Wizard."

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "As for Gaim-Yami, the only time he appeared was when the protagonist of Kamen Rider Gaim was being controlled, so unless it's something or someone else, we have one of the original Riders being mind-controlled by someone." He slumped down, resting his face in his hands. "Fuck, what do we do if it’s actually Fruit Jesus?"

Ethan shifted nervously. Fifteen and Gaim-Yami? How were they even here? Were other villains here too? “Hopefully it isn’t Kouta,” he said. “I mean… he wouldn’t just lose like that, right?”

“All I know is that either way, it’s not good,” spoke Alexander, “but there’s something else that’s rubbing me the wrong way. From what I understand about Taimanin, the existence of demons is common knowledge, but Ingrid and the reporter said 'monsters' instead. It could be semantics, but I get the feeling that’s not it.”

"I guess they couldn't make things easy for us..." Jeuri murmured in resignation. Once again, his lack of context about Kamen Rider was working against him, but from how the others were acting, Fifteen and Gaim-Yami were antagonists from the original series. Looking at the others with determination, he continued, "So we're working with a time limit here. We need to prepare first, and then... then we can figure out what to do. If Kamen Rider's enemies are here, it's only a matter of time before they come for us." Clenching his fists, he added, "And anyway, it doesn't feel right to sit around doing nothing... I mean, those guys are kind of our responsibility, aren't they? We were brought here, given these powers... If all of this is real, then we can't let chaos break loose just because we're scared or confused. I don't know how these powers work. I don't know how to fight like a hero. But if we're going to survive this, we better start getting ready."

Getting up, Sloan stretched his arms. “We should probably see if there's a computer with internet access in here. Or books. Or newspapers, or... well anything," he said. "I'm... going to be honest. The fact that she namedropped them means either she fought and they got away, or she's being prevented from fighting them, either from Black telling her no or from spies in her subordinates leaking info. Either way, I don't want to run into them without more experience and combat skill than I have right now.”

Right before leaving the room, Sloan paused. “Ah, I have Garuda. Anything I should ask them to look out for? And... how worried should I be about being attacked via mistaken identity? I'm pretty sure I'm Wizard."

Naoto was lost in thought. ‘If Fifteen is here, does that mean that Badan is here? Ren should have no reason to fight anymore. His son already moved on and he should have found closure from his death.’ Shaking his head, he cleared his mind and turned to the bearded man. "You should be fine, Sloan. Wizard is a main Rider, so if people know a bit about Riders, they should know you’re a good guy. Garuda should.... Shit, maybe be on the lookout for any Phantom or Monsters like them.”

Getting up to see if he could find a way to change the TV’s channel, he continued, “Hopefully Kouta doesn't have his full God powers. Also, someone should tell Mateo to be careful since he’s the only one with a Sengoku Driver. Most of us are using the armor of Good Riders.”

Nodding, Ethan added, “Things might be rocky for a bit, but eventually it’ll smooth out and we’ll be fine.” Getting off the couch, he continued, “We know so far that the usual is happening out here, except there’s two Kamen Rider villains out there, and maybe even more. That’s a start.”

Waving a hand as he left the room, Alexander searched throughout the apartment building. Despite how renting out rooms to tenants was probably a bad idea, especially since it risked getting them outed as Riders if they got careless, the idea started to look more appealing. The living quarters were pretty decent and surprisingly spacious, there were recreational facilities like a gym and a pool room, the laundry room had enough machines that multiple people could do their laundry at once, a large multipurpose room that could be used for various events, and so on. A place like this seemed like it could attract a fair amount of people.

When he was done, he returned to the living room. "I'm back," he announced. "I took notes on the building layout with my phone, so I'll write it down on an actual sheet of paper later. And despite the sight we can get from the windows, it looks like the apartment's actually a bit out of the way of the road. Parking lot's got private spaces separate from the rest of the garage too, so that's a place we could use to hide the bikes." Sitting down on the couch, he reclined in his seat and sighed. "Did you guys figure out any plans or decide on something to do yet?”

Jeuri said, “My plan’s to learn how to use this,” holding up the Desire Driver. Jeuri said, “My plan’s to learn how to use this,” holding up the Desire Driver. He still didn’t fully understand how it worked, but if there was a chance to defend himself with it, he had to take it. "That way, I'll get out of here feeling a bit more confident," he added. "We’re in Taimanin. Danger could be around any corner."

At that moment, a scream of excitement resounded throughout the apartment complex. In unison, the group looked at each other in confusion before searching for the source, eventually finding Mateo jumping around for joy in the garage. Apparently, he had opened the private garage stalls that Alexander glossed over, taking out the vehicles within. Some of them recognized the bikes.

The Blue Spader. The Machinewinger. A Sakura Hurricane. A black police-issued Trychaser 2000. A Cyclone from Shin Kamen Rider that was purple instead of white, and lacked the Shocker or Anti-Shocker emblems.

"Okay, seeing as we're Kamen Riders now, it would make sense for us to get the Rider Machines,” Sloan mused, “Damn shame I don't know how to use a motorbike, though. Especially one as overcharged as the Rider Machines are.” Looking to the others, he asked, "Any of you got a handle on the basics at least?"

Naoto barely registered Sloan’s words, captivated by the Trychaser 2000. “Beautiful...” he whispered under his breath. He always loved it for its simple yet sleek design. Grabbing the right handle, he noted how it even had the keypad just like in the show. “I never thought I would ever see these bikes with my own eyes...” He glanced to the other bikes, looking them over as well before returning his focus to the Trychaser.

Ethan was giddy with excitement. He never thought he’d ever see Kamen Rider bikes up close. Gently touching the Blue Spader, he traced its curves and edges, appreciating the finer details. “I never thought we’d actually get to ride these until today,” he breathed. “Too bad I don’t know how to drive a motorcycle.” Blinking when he realized there were only five bikes, he added, “Hey, where’s the last bike?”

“Oh, that’s probably the Boostriker. Jeuri might have it,” replied Alexander. Looking to the dark-skinned man, he explained, “If you have the Boost Buckle - the red one that looks like a motorcycle handle - then you just need to twist it. You don't need to insert it into the Desire Driver.” After a second, he quickly added, “Oh, and for now, don't ever use the Boost Buckle for anything other than summoning the Boostriker. From what I remember, it's the sole exception to how the Boost Buckle is a one-time-use thing that leaves after you use it.”

Following Alexander’s advice, Jeuri pulled out the Boost Buckle and twisted the handle, the announcement of “Boostriker!” accompanying the Rider Machine’s materialization. Lightly grazing his fingers on the handlebar, he said, "I don’t have a license, but I know how to ride motorcycles. It's easier than it looks. The trick is keeping your balance."

Mateo smiled, thinking about all the possibilities awaiting him as he remembered that the Sakura Hurricane had the ability to enter Helheim upon reaching its top speed. And if he could get to Helheim, he could get more Lockseeds. Hearing Jeuri’s advice, he replied, “I mean, I usually take my moped to work, so I think I’ll be fine.”

Now that everyone was standing in front of a bike, they decided to transform first in order to minimize injuries from any potential accidents, as well as get used to wearing the armor in general.

"Right then. I suppose it's time to get this show on the road," Sloan said, putting on what he recognized as the Driver On Ring and the Flame Style Ring. Admittedly, they weren't dragon themed, but that was to be expected, seeing as his Phantom was Djinn instead of Dragon. He quickly swiped it over his belt. “Driver ON!” The WizarDriver manifested itself, its armored plates fading into existence, and he pushed the driver over from right-handed to left-handed. “SHABADOOBIE TOUCH TO HENSHIN!”

Sloan touched the ring to the driver, to its call of “Flame, Please~!” and raise his left hand- the over his head, palm flat, one foot in front of the other with his knees slightly bent, a fairly basic ready stance. The mystic circle appeared over it and flowed down over his body, leaving him in the armor of Kamen Rider Wizard. Finally, he finished by bringing his left hand over his heart, ring facing outwards, as if lightly bowing to an imaginary audience.

Looking at Sloan's transformation, Naoto could only smile at seeing the former’s visage replaced with Wizard's. ‘Heh, the Wizard of Hope in a dark world like Taimanin's… I guess it only makes sense,’ he thought.

"Alright, I guess it's showtime," Naoto had no regrets in using Wizard's catchphrase. It only seemed fitting since Wizard was there. He stared at the Progrisekey in his hand, Shotriser mounted on the belt buckle. Gripping the Progrisekey tightly, he strengthened his resolve and pressed the button.

“Bullet!” Fuwa never needed to force the Progrisekey open, but he always did things his way. Naoto wasn’t him. He inserted the Progrisekey into the Shotriser, preparing himself for what came next. “Authorize!” Undocking the Shotriser from the belt buckle as it repeatedly announced “Kamen Rider!”, he pointed it forth, hesitating for a second, before shouting, “Henshin!” He pulled the trigger, watching as the bullet flew from its chamber and curving around back to him. “Shotrise!”

When the bullet was in range, Naoto lashed out and grabbed it with his left hand, watching as the blue and white armor covered his left arm, red lines covering his body as the rest of the armor materialized. “Shooting Wolf! The elevation increases as the bullet is fired.” Clenching his left hand into a fist, Naoto promised, “I... won’t fail you all.”

Ethan watched Sloan and Naoto in amazement, transfixed by the sight. He couldn’t help but break out into a grin. "You look exactly like the same riders, man this is amazing!” he breathed. “Alright, since it's my turn now...here it goes.” With the Blay Buckle on one hand, he pulled the Change Beetle Rouse card out of his pocket and slid it in. Immediately, red cards emerged from the Buckle and wrapped around his waist, reaching the other end as it formed a red belt.

The Blay Buckle was now in its standby mode, with pulsing sounds in a loop. Ethan slowly assumed the same position as Kenzaki did in the show. Steeling his resolve, he pulled the lever of the belt, revealing a red rectangle with a gold spade in the center. “Turn up!” A blue panel of energy, the Orichalcum Element, ejected from the Blay Buckle, slowly approaching Ethan. He walked forth, and as he went through it, the armored formed around his body, his DNA fusing with the Beetle Undead. Ethan took the opportunity to check out his armor, pulling out the Blay Rouzer and admiring the blade.

Alexander sighed, equipping the Desire Driver once more. Since it was just a ride on the bikes, there would be no need to equip Raise Buckles. Glancing at Jeuri, he said, "Just copy what I do. No need to equip a Raise Buckle, so we just need to say the word instead."

Cracking his neck in both directions, he rolled his shoulders and clenched his fists before striking a pose, left hand clenched into a fist at his waist while his right arm was extended upwards to the left, hand held open. Slowly rotating it clockwise until it was pointed upwards to the right, he quickly lowered his right hand to his waist while clenching it into a fist and extending his left arm upwards to the right, hand held open. "Henshin!"

As the Desire Driver glowed, Alexander lowered his arms to his sides, feeling the Entry Form armor cover him as the holographic band scaled across his body. Flexing his fingers as he looked himself over, he nodded to himself in satisfaction. "Alright, let the game begin."

Mateo looked at his fellow Riders, a grin on his face. “Well, guess it’s my turn.” He placed his Sengoku Driver on his waist, feeling it wrap around him. Taking out the Blood Orange Lockseed, he held it up high before activating it. “Blood Orange!” He attached the Lockseed to the Drive Bay, closing the lock to secure it in place. “Lock on!” A zipper opened in the air, a large blood orange descending from within. Taking a deep breath, Mateo pressed the blade down, cutting the Lockseed upen. The blood orange dropped onto him, deploying its armor and completing the transformation with a splash of fruit energy. “Blood Orange Arms! Heretic path, on stage!”

Mateo could feel the power coursing through his body as he looked at his armor, a chuckle escaping from his lips. However, a thought entered his mind. Bujin Gaim was a Dark Rider, and people would definitely be afraid if they saw him. As such, there was only one thing he could do to separate himself from the original Bujin Gaim. Spreading his legs, Mateo clapped his hands together before stretching out his arms like a kabuki actor. “In the spotlight on parade!” he crowed.

Jeuri took a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins. If he was going to do it, then he might as well do it in style. He threw his hands forward, crossing them in an X shape in front of him, feeling the air slice around himself. Then, with a swift, determined motion, he pulled them back over his chest, holding the pose firmly. “Henshin!” he shouted with all the strength he could muster.

The Desire Driver sprang to life instantly, glowing with a vibrant light. A greenish aura surrounded Jeuri, forming a swirling vortex of energy. He could feel the power of the device as the air buzzed, charged with electricity. In the next moment, the armor was on him. "God... this is awesome," he whispered, looking at looking at himself.

Now that everyone was transformed, they all looked at each other, nodded in unison, and got on their respective rides. To say the very least, the results of their bike driving skills were… mixed.

Mateo took to it like a fish to water. He drove the Sakura Hurricane around, smiling as he navigated his way around the garage with ease. ‘Since I got a good handle at riding it, that meant that there's a chance I can actually access the Helheim Forest,’ he thought, ‘but there’s no way I’ll be able to reach the speed I need to open a crack in here.’

Alexander started off a bit shakily, but adapted and was soon driving around without much trouble. There wasn’t a manual, so he had to learn through trial and error to see what each button did. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t a good idea to do it while driving in an enclosed area. There were some close calls, but he was able to find the autopilot and the switch to turn the Cyclone back to its disguised form. ‘Yep,’ he thought, ‘I should probably keep the autopilot button a secret.’

Sloan and Ethan had trouble at first, though due to the components and systems that made up their bikes, they were able to righten themselves and avoid any accidents. Once they got used to it, they found it surprisingly simple to drive despite having no experience with motorcycles.

Jeuri underestimated the Boostriker’s acceleration and acute handling, almost falling off in a matter of seconds. Steadying himself, he muttered, “This thing has incredible power. I should be careful with that.” It definitely wasn’t a normal bike, that much was fore sure. Coming to a halt, he called out to the others. “Guys, Kamen Riders or not, we gotta be careful when going out with these bikes, especially since this is Taimanin. All it takes is attracting the wrong person's attention, and if we’re not prepared, we'll be in big trouble.”

Naoto, on the other hand, instantly crashed into a wall, having gone full throttle right off the bat. Thankful for the armor, he pulled himself out of the Vulcan-shaped imprint in the wall, faintly wobbling as he stumbled away. “That sucked,” he groaned, waving his hand to let the others know he was fine. “It accelerated way too fast…

…

After getting accustomed to their bikes, they decided to head out to the city and gather whatever information they could get. Sloan sent out Garuda to get a bird’s eye view and see if it could find anything. Meanwhile, the others split up and went their own ways as they used their own methods to gather information. During that time, they saw many demons going about their days or interacting with humans, some of them even owning shops or working around like normal. At first glance the city seemed ordinary, but something felt off, not unlike how grocery stores would position fruits and vegetables so only the appealing sides could be seen by shoppers.

Later, they sat down at a table near a donut shop in the park, ready to discuss their findings. “So,” Naoto began, “Anyone find something interesting? I heard a lot about NOMAD’s great reputation. There’s also a lot of people worried about the monster attacks and how Fifteen and Gaim-Yami are doing their thing.” He sighed, lamenting how Fifteen was ruining the Riders’ legacy. “Also, apparently Kamen Rider is a thing in this world? I asked about it and people asked if I was talking about the news or that ‘really old niche show’ from a long time ago.” Truly, it hurt his soul to hear such a thing.

Ethan shrugged and replied, “I’ve just heard the same things, from the stuff NOMAD’s been up to, to what Fifteen and Gaim-Yami are doing. Though apparently there’s been random attacks and kidnappings. There’s no descriptions though, so that’s worrying.” His stomach grumbled, ruining the moment. Unfortunately, none of them had money, so they couldn’t buy anything to eat.

Crossing his arms on the table, Alexander hummed in thought. "Well, since we know Japanese now, I figured that I might as well check out the library and go through the books." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Most of what I found wasn't of much help, so I figured I'd use the library computers instead. As for what I found, well..." He glanced around for a moment to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. "There's been suspicious sightings and mysterious disappearances. I couldn't find much of a connection other than how they seem to happen in certain places during times when there wouldn't be many people in those places. And when I looked up Kamen Rider as a precaution because of Fifteen and Gaim-Yami, I found quite a bit of stuff, though it looks like some of the series were forgotten or lost, so either they were erased because they could offend demons, or they were just never made. Not sure which.”

Sloan said, “Well, I don’t have much to report on my end. I have a pretty good understanding of the area and some of the trouble hotspots, but that’s about it.”

Mateo silently listened to the others. Given his lack of knowledge regarding Taimanin, he decided to do an in-depth search for Kamen Rider, especially since Fifteen and Gaim-Yami were involved. “To be honest, I'm not sure what to look for regarding anything related to Taimanin,” he admitted. “But with Fifteen and Gaim-Yami involved, I tried to see if there’s anything about potential appearances of either a crack or some Helheim fruits actually making their way here. I mean, it would suck if any of these humans or demon would come across a Helheim fruit and can't help themselves from taking a bite.”

Arriving just as Mateo finished speaking, Jeuri sat down at the table, shoulders slumped. "Turns out finding a job when you're a foreigner without an ID is a lot harder than it seems," he said, letting his frustrations be known. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but a part of him had hoped for at least a little luck. How were they supposed to survive if they couldn’t find a job?

While the Riders continued to discuss their findings, something was happening in an alley not far away. A girl leaned against the alley wall, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath. She wore highly advanced armor that seemed similar to what the Riders wore, but it was damaged and the helmet had a chunk missing, exposing the girl’s honey-colored eye.

“Come on…” she rasped, “I have to keep fighting. People need me... Kouta needs me…” She fell to her knees, gasping for breath. “A hero of justice… never falters… they never stop…” She tried to get back up, fingers digging deep grooves into the wall. “Shocker is hurting people… I have to be like the Riders. I can’t fail them… I can’t fail… Kouta…” She slumped to the ground, unconscious. Slowly, her armor cracked and shattered into motes of energy that vanished, leaving the girl clad in her normal attire.

Notes:

To those who know Taimanin, you should be able to guess who that was at the end. Your hint is that she’s a blatant reference to Kamen Rider and other tokusatsu shows.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 4: The First Ride

Notes:

Warning: big plot twist at the end of the chapter. It’s going to play a big part in the story, but that’s all I’ll say for now.

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin.

“The city feels weird,” Naoto repeated. “Even though everything looks normal, I just can’t shake off the feeling that something’s wrong.”

“Doesn’t help that we have a lot of knowledge about Taimanin, Ethan replied. “But hey, at the same time, things are a lot more advanced. The city’s huge, and there’s lots of cool stuff. As long as we keep looking, we’re bound to find something, and maybe prevent more people from getting hurt.”

Sighing, Alexander pointed out the obvious. “We're going to need money to take care of ourselves, but just like Jeuri said, finding a job's going to be hard. And while we could become freeters, it's not going to be a stable source of income. Maybe renting out rooms in our apartment would be more reliable, but we don't know what the average prices are in the area. Plus, it also opens up the risk of having less privacy and getting found out. Maybe we could figure something out, but how long would that take?”

Mateo listened to the voiced concerns, nodding along silently. “I’m not sure how this world works,” he said, “but if we’re really desperate for money, why not offer a heroes-for-hire sort of thing?” When the others looked at him, he continued, “I mean, it might not be the most glamorous gig, but at least it’s something. Might as well put our powers for use, right?”

Jeuri shook his head. “Not a good idea,” he refuted. “Without the right connections and reputation, we could end up working for the wrong people and enabling bad things instead. And besides, I don't feel comfortable charging for doing the right thing.” Putting up a smile, he added, “But hey, let’s not lose hope either. It’s only the first day.”

As if fate had been tempted, a nearby building exploded. Coming out of the blazing building was... Kamen Rider Baron? But why was his suit black? And why was a Berotha Magia following him?

“... Welp, time to get our asses kicked and save some lives in the process,” sighed Sloan. He stood up and walked towards the chaos, donning the Driver On and Flame Style rings. “Here’s to hoping I don’t get mistaken for Fifteen in Wizard form,” he muttered. He activated the WizarDriver as he walked forwards, the cheerful announcement of “Driver On! Please!” contrasting with the seriousness of the situation. Sloan toggled the driver to left-handed mode and touched the Flame Style ring to it immediately, skipping the usual announcement signaling the transformation.

Naoto stared at Black Baron and the Berotha Magia. “I want to say that Jeuri jinxed it, but this is probably just Rider luck at play,” he lamented. He watched as everyone ran away in panic, both humans and demons. Taking out the Shotriser and placing the belt around his waist, he inserted the Progrisekey. “Bullet! Authorize! Kamen Rider!” He took aim at the two, unsure of if it was Shura inside Black Baron or if the Magia was an innocent Humagear. However, what he did know was that he couldn’t let them hurt people. “Henshin!”

“Shotrise!” The bullet flew forth, following Wizard’s bullets as they approached Black Baron and the Berotha Magia. “Shooting Wolf! The elevation increases as the bullet is fired!”

Meanwhile, Ethan helped a man get up, watching as the man ran away while waving his thanks. “Well, better now than later,” he muttered in resignation. With the Blay Buckle out, he slid the card in and pulled the lever. “Henshin!”

“Turn Up!” He swung the Blay Rouser as he walked through the energy card, taking out the Tackle Boar card and scanning it. “Tackle!” Now that he had 4200 AP, he charged in, ready to attack.

Alexander scowled. He would have preferred to have his face mask with him so he could heal his identity, but he would have to make do with how people were too busy running for safety. “Having a fight on our first day is not something I wanted,” he sighed. “We haven’t even eaten anything yet today.” Nonetheless, he got up and equipped the Desire Driver. ‘Okay, I know the Berotha Magia has projectile attacks and can fire lasers, but I don’t know anything about Baron. Looks like I know what combo to use.’

He equipped the Magnum Buckle on the right side and the Shield Buckle on the left. “Henshin.” He spun the Magnum Buckle’s wheel and pulled the trigger, then pressed the Shield Buckle. “Dual On! Magnum!” He grasped the Magnum Shooter 40X, immediately switching it to Rifle Mode. “Armed Shield!” He experimentally conjured the Raise shield and dispelled it a few times. “Ready, fight!”

Mateo couldn’t help but let out a whistle. He didn’t expect to run into danger on the very first day. “Let’s hope things will turn out well for us,” he chirped. Taking out the Sengoku Driver, he placed it on his waist and took out the Blood Orange Lockseed, activating it. “Blood Orange!” The sound of a zipper could be heard as a crack opened above him. Inserting the Lockseed into the driver, he closed the lock. “Lock On!” Mateo reached for the knife, listening to the melody playing loudly. “Henshin!” He pressed the blade down, cutting the Lockseed open as the armor descended upon him. The Blood Orange Armor Part deployed, unfolding as the transformation finished with a splash of fruit energy. “Blood Orange Arms! Heretic path, on stage!” Clapping his hands together, Mateo struck a kabuki pose, boisterously crowing, “In the spotlight on parade!” He drew the Blood Daidaimaru and Musou Saber, pulling the Barrett Slide and watching the energy chamber fill up, ready to fight.

Jeuri stood still for a moment, feeling the weight of the situation. His mind was racing, and nervousness coursed through his veins like an electric current. Letting out a sigh, he lamented, “Damn... I was hoping to have more time before this.” He placed his Desire Driver on his waist, following up by attaching the Arrow Buckle. “Henshin.”

As he spoke, a band of light appeared around his waist before splitting into two rings that moved vertically in opposite directions, creating the Entry Form armor. The Arrow Buckle glowed, releasing a stream of energy that floated into the air and manifested a crossbow that dropped into Jeuri’s arms, along with forming basic light armor on his right shoulder. “Armed Arrow. Ready, fight!”

...

Back in the alley, the girl woke up, jostled by the explosion. Taking a second to regain her bearings, she forced herself to her feet. “Again... another attack by them...” she muttered. Slapping her cheeks to clear her mind, she clenched her fists. “I have to fight... Just like they would...” She tried to stand straight, nearly falling over, but she powered through the pain and exhaustion and forced herself upright. “For everyone’s smiles... for everyone’s hope... I’ll keep fighting!” Mustering all her strength, she struck a pose. “Henshin!”

…

“Flame Please!” Sloan swapped Driver On for Connect and pulled out the WizarSwordGun, taking a moment to ensure it was in gun mode and immediately firing upon the monster. Naoto followed up with shots of his own, silently hoping that they would not be noticed too early.

Catching on to what Naoto had in mind, Alexander took aim and fired a few shots at the devastated building, dropping loose debris onto Black Baron and the Berotha Magia to keep them from noticing the incoming bullets.

Black Baron glared at the Berotha Magia. “Alright,” he sneered, “You better not screw up my job! I want to get paid; you hear me, you damn robot?” The Magia responded with a barely visible nod when debris fell on them. “Fuck’s sake, not again!” ranted Black Baron, “Buildings these days are too damn fragi-” He was cut off when bullets peppered him and the Magia, knocking them both back. Meanwhile, Naoto’s bullet ricocheted and returned to him, prompting him to grab it and complete his transformation.

Getting back up, Black Baron snarled, “Who the fuck did that? Show yourself!”

Bujin Gaim walked forth, pointing his weapons towards Black Baron. He announced, "Baron versus Gaim, a match up you can't help feel nostalgic for. Still, I can't let you cause any more trouble and make us Sengoku Driver users look bad!"

Black Barn stared. “You think you can stop me? Bring it on, I’ll crush you like a gra-” He was cut off when an orange blur tackled him to the ground.

An armored girl pinned him down, wavering slightly. “I... I will stop you!” she panted. “A hero of justice never yields!”

“You again?” growled Black Baron, “How annoying can you be?” Taking advantage of the girl’s exhaustion, he pushed her off him before dealing a nasty punch to her head, breaking part of the helmet as she was launched back towards the Riders, crashing a short distance from Wizard and Vulcan.

“Alright, now that she stopped being a pest, we can fina-” Black Baron was about to gloat when Blade rushed in, tackling the Berotha Magia and slamming it through the destroyed building’s wall. “Oh, come on!”

The Berotha Magia stood back up. “Must complete mission,” it droned emotionlessly. “Must locate demonic resources.”

Black Baron could only growl and glare at the approaching riders. For a second, he had a double take at Bujin Gaim, but shook his head. "This was supposed to be a simple fucking job, and now you assholes show up!? Fine! Bring it on!"

Wizard paused as he looked at the girl, then quickly fired more bullets at Black Baron and the Magia to keep them occupied before checking on her. “Are you alright, miss?” he asked. He had a feeling as to who the girl was, but it would be suspicious if he said it without her introducing herself. And if his guess was right, she would also wonder why he was djinn-themed rather than dragon-themed. Unfortunately, the girl was barely conscious, so questions would have to wait.

Vulcan was still in shock. He didn’t expect anyone to try to attack Black Baron, but he didn’t expect the girl to be punched in their direction either. Running over to her, he quickly checked her condition, noticing how damaged her armor was. The second thing was how tired and exhausted the visible part of her face looked through the broken part of the mask.

“Motherfucker...” he growled, turning around and aiming at Black Baron. While the armor would help with aiming, his goal was to get close. After all, he was better in close combat, and he had anger he wanted to take out. “Someone help Blade!” he called to the others. “The Magia can be dangerous to fight alone.”

Blade nearly fell to the ground, stumbling back from the Magia’s attacks. “Thank God, it actually worked,” he sighed as he watched the Magia approach him. Suddenly, it leapt forth, swiping with its blades. Fortunately, he was able to deflect in time. ‘Crap, I hope I get backup soon,’ he thought, ‘but what did it mean by demonic resources? Does it mean tha-’ Blade snapped out of his thoughts when the Magia parried the Blay Rouzer to the side, leaving him exposed. But before it could take advantage of his state, it was hit by a spray of bullets.

Spinning around, Blade saw Buffa pointing his Magnum Shooter 40X at him, Magnum Buckle inserted to convert it into a machine gun. Waving a hand in thanks, Blade readied his sword, quickly moving out of the way of the Magia’s badly aimed energy projectiles.

Buffa ran forth, quickly kneeling in front of the girl and materializing the Raise Shield. As the energy projectiles dispersed upon impact, he fired another spray of bullets. “Wizard, I’ll cover her and provide covering fire. You focus on the fight!” Firing the Magnum Shooter 40X at Black Baron, he deployed the Gunslinger Arm’s Armored Gun on his left arm and fired a shot at the Berotha Magia. All the while, he was prepared to materialize the Raise Shield again if needed.

Tycoon stood back, crossbow at the ready. With the speed the fight was going at, he saw almost no openings he could exploit, as well as little opportunities to attack. Frustrated, he shouted, “I’ll stay as covering fire!” Truth be told, his marksmanship wasn’t anything special – casual paintball games and a few rounds at shooting ranges. Still, Tycoon knew enough. He silently watched the battle, waiting for the right moment to fire.

Bujin Gaim had already fired all four shots from his Musou Saber in an attempt to distract Black Baron. Refusing to back down, he pressed forth, swinging the Blood Daidaimaru and unleashing a slash of energy. “Blood Orange Squash!”

Black Baron was sick of being shot at. Blocking all the bullets and arrows became increasingly annoying until he heard the announcement from Bujin Gaim’s driver. “Fine then! Bring it on!” However, because of Bujin Gaim’s charge, Vulcan, Wizard, and Buffa were forced to stop shooting, giving Black Baron the opportunity to bring down the knife on his Sengoku Driver twice. “Come on! Banana Au Lait!”

The Bana Spear glowed as a massive banana made of energy covered it. “Die!” Black Baron brought down his weapon, clashing against the Blood Daidaimaru and creating a massive shockwave that made a crater on the ground beneath them. The force was enough to knock them both into their backs, with Bujin Gaim taking more damage.

Meanwhile, the girl stirred. ‘Where… where am I?’ she thought. Feeling the pain and exhaustion in her body, her mind sluggishly tried to process what was going on until she heard muffled voices. Her fingers twitched, digging grooves into the ground as she tried to force herself to get up. She had to keep fighting. If she didn’t, who else would. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by a sight that made her wonder if she was dreaming, or if the last attack had killed her.

She recognized the figures. That red gem mask. That blue and white wolf mask. She gazed upon them, the warriors that represented hope. “H-Haruto? Fuwa?” she whispered. Was this real? Were they… were they really standing before her? Her eyes teared up. “Y-you’re really here…” For the first time in weeks, she felt relief. The Kamen Riders were here.

Grateful that the mask hid his wince, Wizard said, “You took a big hit there. I’m not trained in medical treatment, but I’d say your armor saved your life. You’re very lucky we’re here.” Looking up, he continued, “Stay down and get some rest.”

The girl watched in confusion. Even through the filter of the mask, she could tell that the voice was different. ‘Is that really Haruto?’

Nearby, Vulcan flinched. He didn’t expect someone to just call one of them by the name of the original Rider, but he supposed there was a first for everything. “Like he said, leave it to us. We’ll deal with this guy!” He looked back to Black Baron, taking note of where BujinG aim was lying on the ground and trying to get back up. Taking a deep breath, Vulcan holstered the Shotriser and charged in. ‘Kyokushin lessons, don’t fail me now!’

Back with Blade, he took advantage of Buffa’s shots and capitalized on the opening. “AAARRRGGH!!!” He swung wildly, managing to land several blows. But upon winding back for another swing, the Berotha Magia locked its blades with the Blay Rouzer. Suddenly, its eyes started glowing, alerting Blade of what was about to happen next. Without thinking, he disengaged and threw himself to the side, dodging the lasers… the lasers that were now heading towards Buffa and the girl.

“SHIT!” Buffa saw the lasers just in time to throw up the Raise Shield. However, the force was still enough to tip him over. He quickly threw a hand out behind him to avoid falling over. Glancing back, he realized that his hand was right to the side of the girl’s head, as well as how she was now conscious and staring at him. “Stay low,” he grunted, “You're clearly in no condition to fight. If you can move, then get to cover where you won’t get hurt.” While he knew that he was probably coming off as cold or rude, he didn’t exactly have time for pleasantries. Getting back up, he spitefully aimed at the Berotha Magia, switching the Magnum Shooter 40X as he targeted its eyes.

The girl stared at Buffa in confusion "Michinaga?" The way he spoke to her was similar, but his voice wasn’t right either. When she sat up, she saw that he was using Magnum properly instead of using it as a club. ‘Michinaga doesn't do that...’ Noticing Tycoon standing by, her eyes widened. ‘Keiwa?’

Bujin Gaim groaned, getting up. His entire body ached. “Looks like I gotta avoid close combat for now,” he sighed. “I thought he would be too distracted to counter, but I guess I was wrong.” Pulling out the Strawberry Lockseed, he replaced the Blood Orange Lockseed with it and pressed it down. “Lock On! Ichigo Arms: Shushutto Spark!” The Strawberry Arms dropped in, replacing the Blood Orange Armor. “Hah!” Bujin Gaim inserted the Lockseed into the Musou Saber, preparing for a finisher. “Lock On! One! Ten! 100! 1,000! Strawberry Charge!” He swung his sword down, unleashing a giant strawberry-shaped energy construct that exploded into countless strawberry kunai that rained upon both Baron and the Magia.

The Magia stumbled back, smoking craters where its eyes once were and several strawberry kunai sticking out of its body. “Mmmussst c-c-c-comp-p-p-leeete misssio-o-oon-n-n…” It stuttered, sparks coming out of its body. It blindly stumbled about, giving Blade the opening he needed.

He quickly scanned the Lizard Slash card against the Blay Rouzer and cutting the Berotha Magia in half, prompting it to fall to the ground as the Zetsumerise key to eject from its body. Picking the item up, he said, “Guess I’ll give it to Naoto. He probably knows what to do with it.”

Black Baron and Vulcan grappled each other, fighting to get the other hand. Suddenly hearing the announcement from Bujin Gaim’s Sengoku Driver, they spun around in shock. “Eh?/Wha?” They didn’t have even a second to react before they were caught in the attack. Black Baron got sent flying into the remains of the destroyed building and crashed inside, getting buried under a pile of rubble. Meanwhile, Vulcan collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.

Everyone stared at the sight in stupefied shock, before turning in unison to stare at Bujin Gaim. “Fuck!” he ran over, helping Vulcan up and escorting him back to the others. “Sorry about that, Naoto,” he apologized, I’ll try not to let it happen again.”

“It’s fine,” Vulcan groaned. “Just a little warning next time, alright?” He held the left side of his torso, wincing as he felt it aching.

Wizard and Buffa sighed. “We’re definitely working on teamwork…” they muttered in unison. They quickly scanned their surroundings for Black Baron and the Magia, ready to continue fighting if needed.

Lowering his crossbow, Tycoon walked over to the others. “Guys, I don’t want to be a buzzkill,” he said, “but we should probably avoid saying our names right now.”

Buffa helped the girl up. Now that she had rested a short while, the girl took a good look at the group. “You… you’re not Michinaga or Haruto, are you?” She almost had a double take at Bujin Gaim helping Vulcan, but considering how the others were acting, it definitely wasn’t the original warlord.

Shaking her head, she pushed those matters aside and gave them a bright smile. “Thank you for helping me! I'm so glad that you are all here!” she exclaimed. For the past few weeks, she thought she was the only one who knew about Shocker, the only one who knew how evil they were. She had to fight them, even if she had to do it all alone. Despite her fear, she kept putting on a brave face. But now, they were here! Kamen Rider arrived when she... no, when everyone needed them most! “I never thought I would meet you in real life! Come on! We have so much to do, and we also need to-!”

Before she could finish, a scream of rage erupted from the ruins. “That’s it! All of you are fucking dead!” Black Baron roared. “Fuck it! They told me to only use this if I got in a fight with any of those ninja pig bitches but you guys deserve it!"

Everyone’s blood ran cold when they heard the announcement. “ZX! Lock On!”

Black Baron emerged from the collapsed building, donning new armor that resembled a certain Showa era Rider, with shoulder pads that resembled that Rider’s helmet. “Come on! ZX Arms: Jugo Cyborg Ninja!”

Notes:

Fun fact: when EmiyaZX did rolls to decide which Legend Rider Black Baron would have, ZX was the one we had the best chance with. The others options included Black (Showa era superstrength), Skyrider (can fly at superspeed), and J (can literally turn into a giant). Yeah, our luck was that bad. ZX was literally the only one we would have had a chance against, and that’s saying something considering how he’s the speedy boi with weapons.

 

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 5: Kicking It Off

Notes:

Warning: brutal violence in this chapter. Well-deserved violence, but brutal nonetheless.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin.

Ninja pig bitches… Ninja pig bitches… Ninja pig bitches…

Vulcan scowled in fury. Judging by what Black Baron said, he was most likely one of those antagonists in Taimanin. “I can still fight. Don’t worry about me.” He let go of Bujin Gaim and stood straight. Taking out the Punching Kong Progrisekey, he pushed the button. “Power!” Black Baron was using ZX’s power. On one hand, Vulcan was worried because Showa Riders were absolute bullshit. On the other, he was furious. Black Baron had no right to use Ryo’s power. And with that, he inserted the Progrisekey into the Shotriser. “Authorize! Kamen Rider! Shotrise!” He backhanded the bullet, the armor configuring into a heavy black and white form, his arms now equipped with the Knuckle Demolition. “Punching Kong! Enough power to annihilate a mountain.”

Wizard frowned. From what he could tell, this was quite the significant power-up. “I don’t know what Rider that is,” he grumbled. And then he had an idea. A very mean ideal. “Connect, Please!” A portal formed right under Black Baron’s right foot, causing the Dark Rider to fall as he lost his balance. Taking advantage of the opening, Wizard scanned his Flame Style Ring on the WizarSwordGun. “Flame, Please! Come On Shooting! Shake Hands! Flame Shooting Strike!” He took careful aim. “Hi, Hi, Hi!” He fired his attack straight at Black Baron’s head.

Blade returned, holding up the Zetsumerisekey. “I’m back, and I got this!” Turning around, he was stunned upon seeing Black Baron. ‘Why did he have a Legend Rider Lockseed?!’ Despite his fatigue, he prepared himself, raising up his sword to fight.

Buffa stiffened, restraining his anger. ‘That’s it,’ he decided, ‘This guy’s going to suffer.’ Pulling out the Hammer Buckle, he equipped it into the Magnum Shooter 40X’s Hop Up Assemble. “Hammer!” Raising the gun, he took aim, lining up his shot. “I know I'm wasting a shot on something that won't finish you,” he commented, “but it's totally worth it.” Activating the Hammer Buckle, he exhaled slowly as he pulled the trigger. “Hammer Tactical Blast!”

A shot of energy burst out, visibly shaped like a ball rather than a bullet and significantly larger and much more condensed than all the previous shots. However, it was just as fast. Buffa watched silently as the finisher made contact with its intended target right between Black Baron’s legs, casually removing the Hammer Buckle from its slot and putting it away as a loud crunch resounded through the air.

Tycoon was silent. In front of him was one of those characters he loved to hate, but that was when they were just characters on a screen or page. This was real life. Their desires, past, and future actions – they were all real. Realizing that made a wave of discomfort surge through him, and it quickly turned into anger. Right in front of Tycoon was one of those monsters, and for the first time, he had the power to do something about it.

“Nice shot, Buffa,” he said, “But this is how it’s done.” Lifting his crossbow, he repeatedly fired at Black Baron’s groin. He didn’t fully understand how the Desire Drivers and the Raise Buckles worked or what the price for using them was, but he did know how to aim at a target. And if there was anything that playing paintball with friends taught him, it was that if there was an opportunity for a nutshot, then take it. Every. Single. Time.

Panting, Bujin Gaim felt his body protesting in exhaustion. Frustration coursed through him as he watched the others fight back, prompting him to bring out the Banana Lockseed. “Wait, no.” The entire time, he had gone on the offensive, and so far it hadn’t worked in his favor. And if that was the case… “Watermelon!”

The zipper opened, dropping the Watermelon Arms. Removing the Strawberry Lockseed, Bujin Gaim inserted the Watermelon Lockseed into the Drive Bay. “Lock On!” Taking a deep breath, he announced, “Henshin!” He cut the Lockseed, preparing himself as the Watermelon Arms covered him. “Watermelon Arms! Disturbing Ball, Ba-Ba-Ba-Bang!” Bujin Gaim raised his Watermelon Gatling, but instead of aiming it at Black Baron, he took a defensive position. If attacking wasn’t working out for him, then he would just have to defend.

Howling in pain from Buffa’s and Tycoon’s shots, Black Baron didn’t have time to react before Wizard’s shot hit him in the head, knocking him out of the improvised pitfall trap. Getting back up, he let out a scream that sounded akin to a mindless beast, glaring at the Riders. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!” His helmet was cracked, and signs of damage littered his armor, especially the crotch region. Charging forth, he roared, “Die!” He shot towards Tycoon, Buffa, and Wizard, knocking them aside before Vulcan rushed in and grabbed him, holding him in place.

The girl glared at Black Baron as she tried to get into a fighting stance. The fact he was using a Legendary Rider Lockseed worried her, especially since it was one of the faster ones. “Concentrate…” she muttered to herself. Watching as Vulcan and Black Baron grappled with each other, she whispered, “I can still fight! I have to become a hero like you guys!” Right as she was about to assist Vulcan, a sound caught her attention.

The others sat up slowly, disoriented by what just happened. Well, now they knew that ZX’s gimmick was superspeed. But considering that the trade-off was that he was conventionally weaker and used plenty of tools and weapons, Black Baron’s strength likely came from his race. Perhaps he was an orc or low-ranked oni?

Vulcan grunted, trying to push Black Baron back. He knew that ZX was focused on speed and skill, meaning that Black Baron’s strength was natural. And with that being the case, he took a page from Fuwa’s book. "Raaagh!" He leaned his headback, and slammed it into Black Baron’s face, quickly reaching down to his Shotriser and pressing the Progrisekey’s button. “Power!” As the standby music for the finisher played, Vulcan reared his fist back, gathering energy into his attack. “Blade!” he shouted as he pulled the trigger of the Shotriser, hoping his teammate got the hint. “Punching Blast Fever!” “Rider…”

Blade nodded, understanding what Vulcan was planning. Whipping out the Beat Lion and Metal Trilobite cards, he scanned them together. “Beat! Metal!” The holograms projected out and were absorbed into his chest. Feeling the power course through himself, he raised a fist and set his focus on Black Baron. Mustering every ounce of energy he had, he threw an uppercut straight into Black Baron’s jaw. “Rider… Punch!”

Watching Black Baron shoot into the sky, Buffa sighed. “Too high, guys.” Replacing the Shield Buckle with the Propeller Buckle, he activated it before using the Desire Driver’s Revolve On feature. “Set! Revolve on!” Ignoring the faint vertigo as Magnum shifted to his legs and the Raise Propeller materialized in his hand, he flew up above Black Baron before activating both Buckles. “Magnum Propeller Victory!” Reversing the Raise Propeller’s rotation, Buffa sped towards Black Baron, leg extended to deliver a Rider Kick. "Take this!" he roared.

His foot slammed directly into Black Baron's midsection, the velocity helping him push his opponent back towards the ground at breakneck speed. A second later, the Armored Gun popped out of the Gunslinger Leg, firing simultaneously with the Magnum Shooter 40X. The two point-blank shots practically sent Black Baron plummeting to the ground, where he smashed into the road with enough force to make a small crater and even bounce back up into the air.

Wizard and Tycoon quickly opened fire, slowing down Black Baron’s descent as he fell to the ground once more. Bujin Gaim quickly turned to the girl. “Hey, new girl!” he said. “I don’t know who you are, but you said you’d stop him, right? Then let me help you deliver the final blow!” He propped the Watermelon Gatling against the ground, making it clear what his intention was.

The girl looked at Bujin Gaim for a second then nodded. Using his shield as a platform, she jumped into the air, propelled by his push. As she got closer to Baron, she extended a leg outwards, getting into a certain stance. “RIDEEEEER… KIIIICK!!!” She slammed into Black Baron, sending him into the ground as her scarf trailed behind her.

After a few seconds, the cloud of smoke cleared to reveal a heavily injured orc who was desperately clutching a Sengoku Driver. The orc pleaded, “H-hey! Get me out here! You guys need me, right!?" The Sengoku Driver glowed for a second before vanishing in a flash of light. "What!? No! You can't just throw me away!" The orc roared to the sky from his position on the floor, barely being capable of moving.

The girl landed on the ground, having exhausted herself once more. “It’s over…” she sighed in relief.

“So it is,” agreed Wizard, helping her regain her balance. “Now what do we do with this idiot? He’s obviously a mook with no value, and if we hand him over to the police, it’s disturbingly likely that he'll go missing before interrogation and show up dead shortly afterwards.”

Sighing, Vulcan thought about the teleporting Sengoku Driver. “Well, I guess handing him over to the Taimanin would be the best choice. Good thing we ran into one, huh?” He gestured to the girl. “But someone gave that guy a Sengoku Driver and a Legend Rider Lockseed, and that worries me.”

Bujin Gaim sighed in relief, picking up the ZX Lockseed, which had fallen at his feet. “Sweet,” he chirped, “My first Legend Rider Lockseed. This’ll definitely come in handy.” Turning to the others he continued, “Well, at least Kouta is one power short with his Showa Rider Lockseed. It isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing.”

Walking over to Vulcan, Blade held up the Zetsumerisekey. “I got this,” he said. “I got this from the Magia that was with the orc. And it’s still intact, so we can’t let NOMAD or anyone else get their hands on it.” He handed it over to Vulcan, who clutched it in his hand.

Buffa contemplated kicking the orc a few times to make sure he would stay down, then shook his head. "We should probably leave now and talk later," he said. "We don't want to be here when the police and emergency responders arrive." Looking to the fallen orc, he added, "And while we can't just leave him there, bringing him with us without a plan isn't an option either."

Tycoon kept an eye on the orc. “Still, we should be careful,” he said. “These things regenerate.” True, he knew that the orc wouldn’t regenerate since the final blow had been dealt by a Taimanin, but he didn’t want to raise the girl’s suspicions. Looking to the others he apologized, “Sorry for not using a finisher, guys. I still don’t know how this works.”

Looking to Tycoon, the girl smiled and gave him a thumbs up. “It’s fine,” she said. “I hit him last, so it shouldn’t be a problem.” It still felt strange to her that it was different people behind the masks. “Oh, and Tycoon-san? If I remember correctly, you just activate the Buckle again to do the Strike.” Then again, it had been a while since she last watched Geats, and the site had been purged. Speaking of which, she really needed to find new sites on the dark web to rewatch the Kamen Riders that had been erased to avoid conflicts with demons, witches, and many other races.

Walking up to the orc, the girl knocked him out with a quick punch, restraining his body and easily lifting him up. “Come on, there should be an empty area nearby!” She led the group away, none of them aware of a small drone that watched them, sparking lightly from the damage it received.

The group stopped in an abandoned alley where nobody would bother them. Dumping the orc on the ground, the girl dispelled her armor and turned to the group. She didn’t worry about potential consequences. After all, they were Kamen Riders! She could trust them, even if one was technically a Dark Rider, but he helped Vulcan, so it should be fine.

She struck a pose, smiling at them. “My name is Shijima Mugi! I’m a Taimanin who swore to fight for everyone’s smiles just like you Kamen Riders!” Letting out a squeal, she jumped around in place excitedly. “Aaah! I can’t believe you’re real!”

While Mugi was distracted, Wizard quickly slipped away to check up on Garuda. Noticing this, Vulcan took initiative to keep her busy. “Well,” he awkwardly said, “It’s nice to meet you too, Mugi. As you can tell, I’m Vulcan.” He tried to scratch the back of his head, only to be reminded that he weas still using Punching Kong via accidentally punching himself. “Gimme a sec.” He quickly switched back to Shooting Wolf. Turning to Mugi, he noticed that she was watching him with stars in her eyes. ‘... I did not think that through,’ he realized.

From what Blade could remember in the Discord conversations, Mugi was described as a huge tokusatsu fan, and the way she was acting certainly proved it. He couldn’t help but admit that her reaction was really cute. Because of his exhaustion, he was tempted to undo the transformation, but it wasn’t exactly a safe option. ‘Should I reveal my identity to her?’ he thought. After a few seconds of deliberation, he made his choice.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mugi, You already know me as Blade, but...” He pulled the Blay Buckle’s handle, flipping back to the Change Beetle card. The Orthicalum Element projected out and phased through him, removing the armor. “My name’s Ethan Hayes.” He winced and let out a hiss, grabbing his arm. Looking up, he quickly said, “Don’t worry, it’s just a bit sore.”

Glancing at the orc to make sure he was still unconscious, Buffa weighed his choices. On one hand, he knew enough about Taimanin lore to know that despite being the "good guys", there was corruption in the Taimanin, as well as the illogical decisions they made and a trend of discriminating against each other based on talent and Ninja Arts. On the other, Mugi was one of the Taimanin they knew who had a strong sense of justice and a kind heart. And they needed connections they could trust.

After a moment of hesitation, Buffa made his choice. Deactivating the Desire Driver, he sighed and adjusted his glasses. “I’m Alexander Prodman. And sorry about what I said earlier.”

Bujin Gaim watched Ethan and Alexander reveal themselves before looking back at Mugi. He was sure that she was trustworthy, but he wanted to side with caution. Despite his exhaustion, he was certain it would be safer to stay transformed. “Yo. I’m Bujin Gaim, but you can just call me Bujin,” he casually said. ‘I can’t just call myself Gaim,’ he thought, ‘Plus, this way I can differentiate myself from Gaim-Yami.’

Seeing Ethan and Alexander undo their transformations gave Tycoon some confidence. Mugi was one of the trustworthy Taimanin, and could prove a valuable ally. Even so, he wasn’t going to let his guard down. Looking around, he made sure that there weren’t any prying eyes before undoing the transformation. Feeling his usual clothes replace the armor, he ran a hand through his hair, feeling the residual energy. Looking to Mugi, he said, "Jeuri Mariano, at your service," nodding his head slightly as a sign of respect.

Vulcan decided to follow their example, shrugging as he could only remember that Mugi loved the tokusatsu genre. He took out the Progrisekey and belt, the armor dematerializing from his body. “My name is Naoto. Kazama Naoto.”

Mugi watched them in amazement. “So cool...” she whispered to herself. Bowing to the Riders, she exclaimed, “I’m so happy you’re all here!” Smiling, she continued, “Even if you’re not the originals, I’m so glad that Kamen Riders truly exist! Now that you’re here, we can save Kouta! We can’t let him be used like that!”

Frowning, Naoto reluctantly said, “While it’s a good idea and we are planning on it, we aren't ready. Like, at all. Kouta is Kouta and we don't exactly have our super or final forms.” Mateo had Ringo, but it was extremely risky. Likewise, Jeuri’s Boost Bucke was a one-time-use item and Alexander didn’t have the Zombie Buckle.

Ethan bowed his head in apology. “Sorry Mugi, but right now I don’t think we can take on Kouta, especially at our current level. Besides, this is only our first day here. Plus, Fifteen’s running around too and we’re not ready for him.”

“That’s not all,” Alexander interjected as he leaned against a wall. "When we woke up here, we didn't have much." Gesturing to himself, he elaborated, "Remember how I had Magnum? That's because it's the only large Raise Buckle I had with me. Besides, Kouta has plenty of Lockseeds, considering that he gave the ZX Lockseed to the real pig bitch here. There’s no telling what other Lockseeds he and Fifteen have.”

Bujin Gaim nodded in agreement. “Sorry, but I’d rather not end up how the original Bujin Gaim did when he fought Gaim.” True, he kenw Gaim had Wizard’s help, but it was possible that Gaim-Yami was stronger at this point than Gaim was when he fought Bujin Gaim. “Besides, we definitely need to work on team coordination before we can even consider fighting him.”

Jeuri sighed, “I’d love to go straight in and help, but as we are now, we’d do more harm than good.” As if to prove his point, he looked back at the destruction that was left behind. “Seriously, I think we racked up at least a few million yen in damages from that fight.” Turning back to Mugi, he admitted, “And as you can see, I’m not a skilled fighter and don’t know much about Kamen Rider. Yeah, I can shoot and throw a punch, but that’s about it.”

Mugi teared up. They were right. As things were, none of them stood a chance. She was certain that even a group of experienced Taimanin would struggle. “But... but...” she looked down, her hands clenched into trembling fists. “We can’t just leave Kouta like that!” She looked at the Riders, eyes filled with determination. However, the dark bags under her eyes told another story. “We can’t just leave Kouta in Shocker’s control! They’re hurting so many people, and... and...” She slumped over. “I... I don’t want to fail him.”

Everyone was silent. Shocker was here? The organization that could be blamed for or had some connection or association with almost every antagonistic force in the Kamen Rider franchise? While everyone tried to come to terms with it, Alexander took a deep breath. “Which one?” he asked. “There's been multiple iterations of Shocker, so it'd help to know which one it is.”

Bujin Gaim added, “Do you know if it’s just Gaim, or are there other Riders with Shocker?”

Mugi was silent. They didn’t know? “I’m not sure,” she explained. “They used kaijin from so many variants that I can’t tell which version of Shocker it is. The other day, a Nova Shocker Combatman attacked someone. They also have Kurokage troopers and Riotroopers. A few robberies happened where the culprits looked like the combatmen from The First and The Next. There are rumors of a mercenary group whose members wear web masks like the low-level members from Shin Kamen Rider do.”

Before any more questions could be asked, a voiced sounded from behind the Riders. “Well, I have to thank you for using those Lockseeds. It certainly helped me finally make my way to you on this side.”

The group turned to see who it was, and Mugi’s eyes widened.

“Hello, Kamen Riders!” greeted DJ Sagara, the avatar of Helheim Forest, the Snake.

Notes:

Yep, Sagara’s here. Should have been obvious, given how Lockseeds work. He sensed it when Gaim-Yami transformed, he sensed it when Mateo transformed, and he sensed it when the orc transformed.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 6: The Planning Phase

Notes:

Yay to going back and revising stuff because of typos and getting things in the wrong order.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin.

“Sagara! Why are you here? I won’t let you turn this world into another Helheim!” Without hesitation, Mugi charged towards the avatar, only to pass straight through him, having forgotten that he would project himself through holograms.

Sagara looked at Mugi, musing to himself, “Well, that young lady is quite passionate. Reminds me of some people.” Speaking out loud, he assured, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to do anything involving Helheim. I'm normally not even capable of getting to this corner of reality, but thanks to your friend there-” he gestured to Bujin Gaim. “I was able to pinpoint this city.” Looking to the aforementioned Rider, he said, “Thanks for transforming multiple times, by the way. It helped a lot.”

Naoto sighed. It had been a long day, and things just kept coming one after the other. “I’m going to guess you’re here because of Kouta,” he inquired. He was glad that Sagara wasn’t going to initiate a Helheim invasion. This world was already fucked up enough as it was.

Wizard returned to the group just in time to hear the conversation, pausing as he saw Sagara. “So you’re the one who spooked Garuda,” he mused. “Well, if you’re here to help, then I thank you for that.”

Clearing his throat, Sagara announced, “I was there to see Kouta be taken by Shocker, and before you ask, he doesn’t have most of his Man of the Beginning powers.” Pausing for a moment as everyone sighed in relief, he continued, “Our dear Woman of Beginnings managed to take most of his power, but don’t underestimate him.”

Getting back up, Mugi protested, “Then how do we save him?”

Sagara smiled. “Simple, just take one of his Lockseeds so I can establish a connection to snap him out of it. Afterall, he won fair and square, and it doesn’t seem right that his right to rule would be taken away by underhanded means.”

“Well, at least that’s something,” Naoto sighed. “We aren’t at the point we can stand a chance yet, but it’s good to know a rough estimation.” Frowning, he thought, ‘Sorry, Kouta, but you’ll have to wait a bit longer. But I swear, we will save you.’

Alexander frowned. It couldn’t be that simple, could it? “You wouldn't be approaching us with your offer if you didn't do some scouting or research first. Mat- Bujin Gaim here transformed first thing after arriving, a second time during bike practice, and three times just earlier, so chances are that you've already been looking around for a bit." He left the question unsaid.

Realizing that Sagara had made his way there by tracking him, Bujin Gaim had an idea. “Hey, that’s right! Sagara, couldn’t you track down Kouta like how you tracked me down? I’m not saying we’re going after him now, but it’d help to know where he is.” Glancing at the ZX Lockseed, he added, “But if you can’t, then can you at least tell us what Lockseeds he has?”

As Mugi returned to the Riders after getting up, Sagara explained, “I’ve been trying to pinpoint Kouta for a few weeks now, but his position is constantly moving around. The Lockseeds he has are the ones he had at the end of his battle against Kumon Kaito, along with the Legend Rider Lockseeds of past Riders, along with the one based on that red car-themed Rider.”

Pausing for a moment, he recalled something else. “In addition, a couple days ago, some beings with tentacles entered me and, well, they didn’t resist the temptation of the fruit.” He shrugged nonchalantly. After all, it was the way Helheim worked.

Sloan, Alexander, and Jeuri stiffened. Brain Flayers. They were a race of beings that traveled interdimensionally, separated into three factions: Conquest, Knight, and Exile. If the Brain Flayer that entered Helheim was one of the latter two factions, then it wouldn’t be a problem, but if it was the former, there might be trouble in the future. After all, it was the Conquest faction that made a mess of the Post-Apocalyptic Future Timeline.

“Well, that wasn’t disturbing to hear,” Naoto muttered sarcastically. While he wasn’t comfortable with the thought of a Brain Flayer turning into an Inves, he wasn’t particularly upset either. After all, they were the reason Kirara spent years stuck in ice. Derailing from that train of thought, he realized something. ‘Kirara’s a real person now. I like her as a character and always wanted to touch her horns, but…’ Remembering her personality, he shuddered, shaking his head as he cleared his mind.

Urgently, Alexander asked, “Sagara, those creatures you mentioned. How did they reach you?”

Humming in thought, Sagara replied, “The one that seemed more intelligent randomly showed up out of nowhere in the forest one day. He seemed surprised and intrigued then left, then returned with more creatures. It seemed he was trying to do the same thing that Sengoku Ryoma did. Unfortunately, the creatures he brought devoured fruit and started attacking him, and he got desperate. Then the temptation of the fruit overwhelmed him. He seemed to think he could remain in control after devouring the fruit, but unfortunately, he was no Kumon Kaito.”

Shuddering, Naoto diverted the subject. “That aside, now we know Kouta has Orange, Lemon Energy, Kachidoki, Showa and Drive at the very least.” Looking to Ethan, he asked, “Did Kouta have the Cherry Energy and Peach Energy at the end of the series as well?”

“I’m not sure,” replied Ethan. “It’s been a whiel since I watched Gaim. I don’t think he used them in the last few episodes, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he still had them.”

Ethan asked, “What technology did the creature leave behind? If we can tell what it is, it could come in handy.”

Alexander added, “As long as it isn’t a communicator or beacon, it should probably be fine.” The last thing he wanted was to tip off the Conquest faction of the Brain Flayers, and he knew that Sloan and Naoto wouldn’t want it either.

Sagara said, “I’ll check it out with our resident Woman of Beginnings. Given the way you’re acting, the creatures seem to be quite the troublesome beings. His image flickered. “Ah, it seems this is my limit for now. This part of reality seems to be quite troublesome.”

Jeuri growled in frustration. Not only did they have to be on guard against NOMAD, they also had to deal with Shocker, Fifteen and Gaim-Yami, possible Brain Flayers, and possibly more as time went on. Turning to Mugi, he asked, “Mugi, do you have a base of operations or a place where we can get information?” Deep down, he desperately hoped she would mention Gosha, but it would be suspicious if he mentioned it himself.

Snapping to attention, Mugi squeaked in surprise. “Ah! Yes, there’s Gosha! It’s the Taimanin village where we’re trained and taught to be warriors of justice!”

“That sounds great!” Jeuri replied, relieved that his plan worked. “Maybe Gosha has something that can help find Kouta or predict where he’ll go next,” he half-lied, Whiel it was true that Gosha had better resources while the apartment didn’t have anything that could help, his real goal was to find the Tesserac and destroy it, thwarting the Brain Flayers’ plans before things got worse.

Mugi froze. “I… I didn’t think of that,” she admitted, shrinking on herself. The last few days, she had been fighting nonstop, taking on everything herself without considering using Gosha’s resources.

Wizard patted her on the back. “I understand wanting to do everything you can to help, but you need to let yourself rest too,” he gently said. “From what Garuda could tell, if you had been in your best condition, you could have crushed that thug before he could use the ZX Lockseed. After a certain point, pushing yourself harder just hurts you without any benefit.”

Noticing Sagara’s form flicker, Ethan realized the avatar was about to leave. “Thanks for the help, Sagara. You’re a lifesaver. And we promise that we’ll stop Fifteen and save Kouta.”

Naoto glanced at Bujin Gaim, suspecting he would ask about a Helheim supply run. They knew they needed all the advantages they could get, and the latter was the one who had it the conventionally easiest.

As if on cue, Bujin Gaim asked, “Sagara, I need to know one last thing. Is there any way that you'll be able to let me get into Helheim to gather more Lockseeds? It might be selfish of me to ask, but we need to get whatever advantage we can get.” He kept his true thoughts hidden. ‘I… I need to make up for my inexperience and weakness. I have to do whatever I can to not be a liability!’

Taking a moment to think, Sagara said, “It’ll probably take a few days, but our Woman of Beginnings could help in opening a stable path for you. You’ll have to gather as many as you can since it might be difficult to do again.” And with that, he vanished, leaving Mugi and the Riders alone in the alley with the unconscious orc.

After a moment of silence, Alexander said, "You know, we're going to have to completely start the ideas, plans, and strategies over from scratch, right?"

“What do you mean?” asked Mugi. “We know what to do know, right?”

Alexander elaborated, “True, but knowing how things work, either some idiot stayed behind to record us fighting the orc, or there was a camera that was still operational. So that means it's only a matter of time before it hits the Internet and news outlets, and we get a LOT of unwanted attention.”

Nodding in agreement, Jeuri suggested, “Then how about we talk more at home?” Pointing to the orc, he added, “But we should still lock this guy ho for questions first.”

Mugi perked up and raised her hand. “I can help with that! I can contact Gosha to send in an extraction team and take us back.”

“Probably the best bet for now,” agreed Wizard. “We might not be able to get answers, but at least people on the same side will.”

Naoto mulled over what to do. ‘We need to make plans and strategies, work on team coordination, teach Sloan and Jeuri the important things about Kamen Rider, and get jobs…’ Strangely enough, he had a feeling that getting jobs would be the hardest part.

“Sounds like a plan,” Ethan chirped. “I hope things go well for you back at Gosha!” He had trouble catching up with the conversation, but he knew that Gosha was where most of the Taimanin were. “For now, can we go back to our place? ‘Cause man, I feel tired…”

Alexander blinked. “Now that I realize it,” he said, “We haven’t eaten anything today.” Looking to the others, he asked, “I don’t remember, but do we even have anything at the apartment to eat?”

Nodding, Bujin Gaim answered, “Yeah, I had a quick snack in the kitchen earlier, but I don’t know how much food we have. I’ve been more focused on how we’re Kamen Riders now.”

“We’ll see what we have when we get home,” Jeuri said, trying to sound casual. In his mind, however, he was already going over recipes he could use depending on whatever they had available. After all, he was a cook… or at least used to be. Sighing, he continued, “But we should probably wait for Mugi to get picked up first. I don’t feel right leaving her alone.”

Mugi flashed Jeuri a quick smile while calling for an extraction, watching in amazement as he, Alexander, Naoto, and Ethan transformed once more. ‘So cool…’ she thought. But a worrisome thought entered her head. What would happen to Ethan if he used King. Would he turn into a Joker like Kenzaki did? And what about Alexander and Jeuri? Would they end up like Michinaga and Keiwa did?

The extraction VTOL arrived in a matter of minutes, prompting everyone to look up as it hovered above the buildings. “W-well…” Mugi nervously picked up the orc and looked at the Riders. “I really hope we can s-see each other again. I hope we can fight together again!” She knew they weren’t the originals, but they fought for her and everyone’s sake. That made them kamen Riders to her. “Thank you for everything. Thank you for existing!” she exclaimed. The heroes that gave her hope and encouraged her to never give up, even when her family gave up on her, even when other Taimanin looked down on her back before she developed her Ninja Art, were now real.

Wizard replied, “The world is dark enough. It needs people who can step up – that’s what makes a hero, after all; stepping forwards and trying to do the right thing, even when the situation looks bleak.” Blinking, he hummed. ‘Huh, I guess we do sorta count as heroes. We stepped up when this idiot was running rampant even though we were untrained and unprepared.’

Vulcan was at a loss for words. At that very moment, he was glad that the helmet hid the blush on his face. “Right… Well, no problem, I guess. As long as you want to, Riders will be there. Take care, Mugi.”

“You too, Mugi, see you later!” Blade waved back to her enthusiastically. ‘So this is how it feels to be a Kamen Rider,’ he thought. ‘Her words were so encouraging that I forgot how tired I was for a few minutes. Seriously, bless Mugi and her soul. If fighting means she and many others can keep smiling, it's always worth it.’

Buffa simply nodded to her. “Take care,” he said. “I hope we can meet again someday.” He honestly didn’t know what else to say, so he simply left it at that. Next to him, Bujin Gaim nodded in agreement.

Tycoon firmly stated, “Take care of yourself, Mugi. Remember to get some rest. We’ll prepare on our end, and together we’ll take care of those guys.” Raising a hand in farewell, he finished, “Until we meet again.”

With a final bow, Mugi jumped to the rooftop and entered the VTOL, taking the orc with her. Watching the aircraft fly away, the Riders decided to head back to their apartment.

…

“Okay,” Sloan said as he looked through the kitchen. He was starving, finally understanding why Haruto kept eating donuts. “First on the list, Shocker. What is it? My Rider knowledge begins and ends with Wizard. Second, was it a good idea to give Mugi our names? I know she wouldn’t willingly give them up, but it puts a target on her.”

Naoto stiffened. ‘I’m an idiot,’ he thought. Giving Mugi their names could backfire on them and get her in severe trouble. The memory of her tears of joy when she saw them was still etched in his mind… and he repaid her by putting her in danger.

Taking a deep breath, he sighed. “Shocker is the army of hell,” he explained. “They created the first Kamen Rider, but he escaped and fought against them for humanity's freedom. Ever since then, they survived like cockroaches and constantly return to try and destroy all Riders and rule the world.

“They’re resourceful, and sometimes they’re scarily effective. They have, on two occasions, rewritten the timeline to deal with the original Riders and conquer the world. The only reason they failed is because there were Riders who were unaffected by the changes in time and managed to fight back. Plus, the bastards kidnap and indoctrinate everyone they can, including kids."

Ethan slumped over in his chair, trying to relax. Sloan was right. Mugi might be targeted. What if she was questioned? What if she was captured? What if- He shook his head, clearing his mind. ‘Don’t think about that, Ethan, you have to think about something else…’ Looking at his cards, he frowned and realized that if he wanted more than just the four he had, he needed to seal Undeads. But he didn’t know if any were even there. Feeling his stomach grumble, he sighed.

Alexander reclined on the couch, reflecting over the day’s events. While he agreed with Sloan that Mugi would be in danger if Shocker learned of her connection to them, something still felt off. After mulling it over in his head for a few more minutes, he finally put it together, gasping in shock.

“Guys, he said, “I know we’re all worried that Mugi's going to be in danger by Shocker, but I think she's already been a target for quite a while." Sitting up, he explained, “Well, not her specifically, but that’s not the point. Remember how she's been fighting against Shocker by herself this whole time? The orc said that he was given the ZX Lockseed to use if he ran into a Taimanin. That means Shocker already knows about her attacks. And there's the thing. If they wanted demonic resources, they could have sent a stealth-based monster or a group of Combatmen equipped with radars. Instead, they essentially had a Magia make a public spectacle." Taking a deep breath, he summarized, "I think... I think they did that on purpose as a trap to catch Taimanin. And we took the bait."

Checking the kitchen supplies, Jeuri commented, “Technically, she’s in more danger than we are.” Gathering the ingredients, he continued, “Think about it: we have no identity in this world. Our names mean nothing here. Whether Mugi knows them or not wouldn't change a thing. Instead, the fact that we fought by her side, that we were friendly, that we spoke to her… that would make any enemy take an interest in her. They would try to get information about us from her, but again, her knowing our names wouldn't change anything. They can't track us through them because, to this world, we simply don't exist.”

“Even so,” said Mateo as he entered the living room, “it’s a good thing we stopped it. It wasn’t the best victory, but we still won. Mugi might have been a target, but she has us now. The least we can do is help her so she doesn’t’ have to fight alone anymore.”

“We also put a target on our own backs,” countered Jeuri. “She's a Taimanin, and that alone guarantees her enemies. Now those same enemies know we're her allies and probably think we're also connected to other Taimanin. Which, in short, makes us their enemies too.”

Before long, Jeuri managed to throw together an orzo risotto. As they ate, they worked out a basic plan to carry out in the meantime. Sloan planned to find magic stones and map out the city using Garuda. Naoto and Ethan decided to explain everything they could remember about Kamen Rider lore to Jeuri and Sloan. Alexander helped Jeuri with the Desire Driver and taught him how to operate each Buckle; Jeuri was able to quickly understand the system, even if he found Revolve On to be disorienting. Naoto worked on his bike riding skills, and was able to eventually drive without crashing. And finally, those with martial arts training helped those without any, bringing everyone up to a good enough proficiency to be able to throw punches and kicks without injuring themselves.

In other news, just as the group had expected, a recording of the fight against Black Baron and the Berotha Magia went viral. The drone used to record the fight had been damaged and all audio was lost, but the video quality was good enough to get clear sights of the Riders.

In Yomihara, a certain hikikomori demon choked on her instant ramen, coughing and spitting onto her computer screen. After wildly cleaning the screen and switching to her spare keyboard, she replayed the video, watching the Riders fight as tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t believe it. But if Shocker and Fifteen existed, then… then…

“Y-you’re real…” she softly whispered. “Kamen Riders… are real.”

Notes:

Virtual cookies to anyone who correctly guesses who the hikikomori demon is. Also, there’s going to be a one week timeskip between the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next chapter.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 7: Party Crashers

Notes:

So, I’m almost caught up with where the RP is. The good thing is that I don’t have to scroll so far up that I get the “jump back to present” popup. The not-so-fun thing is that new messages mean I get sent back down and I have to scroll up again. Yay.

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin.

The first few days were rough. They all missed home. But after a week had passed, they managed to pull themselves together and get into their new lives. Sloan successfully found three magic stones and converted them into Wizard Rings – Copy, Scent, and Sleep. Naoto threw himself into being a Rider, since if he couldn’t fulfill his own dreams, then he would simply protect others’ dreams. Ethan worked on his swordsmanship, getting to a level where despite not being particularly skilled, he would do well enough to put up a fight. Alexander and Jeuri took up work as freeters, though the latter looked into finding a steadier source of income. And Mateo was Mateo, though it was clear he was taking things more seriously.

One morning, as the Riders were eating breakfast, they turned the TV on to listen for news. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything to give even the slightest hint that Shocker was up to anything. On the other hand, their fight with the orc was still being covered, and people were asking who they were.

Concluding his report on finding a job, Jeuri said, “Anyways, getting something legal is out of the question, so we’ll have to work under the table. The downside is that we’ll probably get poorly paid jobs with terrible hours, and that’s the best-case scenario.” He rubbed the back of his neck in frustration before looking up “Anyways, do we have news about Mugi?”

“I hope she’s alright,” said Naoto. “We haven’t heard anything about her. What are the odds that Asagi made her take a break?” But upon hearing the news cover strange sightings of pink feathers, his mind went into overdrive. The only kaijin with pink feathers he could think of was Virgo. ‘Don’t tell me that Shocker’s distributing Zodiartswitches! Does that mean they could have Gaia Memories too?’

Ethan looked at the news report. The only thing he could think of was Virgo. ‘I hope it’s something else and not the Zodiartswitches…’ he thought. Shaking off the chill that ran down his spine, he said, “I hope so. She was fighting for days. I’m sure they’d understand.”

“It’s very likely Asagi forced Mugi to rest, along with giving her a good scolding,” replied Jeuri, smiling faintly.

Looking up from his food, Alexander commented, “She probably did, though I wouldn’t be surprised if she had to pull rank on any elders who wanted to make Mugi keep going on missions. From what I remember, the Taimanin organization made a lot of decisions that were questionable at best, not to mention the internal power play stuff that involves discrimination based on Ninja Arts or clan.”

Taking a deep breath, he sighed, “Doesn't stop me from being concerned for Mugi, though. We know that Shocker's been taking measures against the Taimanin, and if they pay attention to the news, then they definitely know about us now. And that's not factoring how we're probably on the radar of the Taimanin, UFS, NOMAD, and other nations as well.”

Mateo continued eating his breakfast, staring at the TV and listening to the news. Like Naoto and Ethan, he came to the conclusion that the pink feathers were a sign of the Virgo Zodiarts. Combined with the disappearances, it gave off the impression of something Shocker would do.

“Well,” he said, “as long as we keep our identity a secret and try to be careful when heading back to the apartment, I think we'll be fine.” Smiling playfully, he joked, “So that means no bringing any dates here, guys.”

Jeuri leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “We can always patrol, but we should have a way to communicate over long distances without the risk of our frequency being intercepted,” he suggested. “We don’t know how much they know about us or what resources they have, so we can’t afford to be careless.”

Suddenly, the news was interrupted by a broadcast from… NOMAD?

Ingrid appeared on the screen. Clad in her NOMAD work attire, she announced, “Citizens of Tokyo, on behalf of NOMAD I apologize for the sudden interruption of your lives. However, this is an important message meant for those who have recently shown themselves. Kamen Riders, this announcement is for you, the warriors who have chosen to walk such a painful path. NOMAD has decided to stand beside you in the protection of the innocents from the attacks of the monsters that have hurt many! However, NOMAD cannot condone the destruction that was left behind in the aftermath of your fight. We of NOMAD shall offer aid as long as it is for the benefit of the innocent and you do not endanger any of their lives.”

As the NOMAD announcement came to an end, the channel returned to the news. Everyone stared at the TV in surprise. They didn’t expect such a thing from NOMAD. Then again, it was probably from Ingrid’s initiative, and Black would approve of the good PR ratings anyways.

“Well, I guess we’re players in the game now,” said Sloan. “Good thing we’ve already got something of an in with Gosha. Having NOMAD publicly praise us and offer aid will help our reputation as long as we can keep collateral damage down, but it might cause issues with the parts of the Japanese and the UFS governments that know NOMAD is up to no good behind the scenes.”

Naoto had nearly choked on his food at the announcement. He didn’t expect such a thing, and why did Ingrid say something about a painful path? Did she know about what it meant to be a Kamen Rider? “It is a good thing for now,” he sighed after clearing out his throat. “Hopefully Mugi’s report made it clear to the Taimanin that we’re good. Fuck, I don’t know where to start with the government or the UFS.” Looking at the TV, he had one more afterthought. “I hope this means that Ingrid’s on our side…”

Ethan was silent. If they weren’t on the radar before, they were now. And he didn’t trust NOMAD, knowing that they were saying it to get on their good side. “Sooner or later, they would have said something about us,” he finally stated. “However, at the very least we can trust Ingrid and whoever’s close to her.”

Finishing his food, Alexander took his plate to the sink and started washing it. "Well, I don't know about actually trusting her, but we can trust her to not do something underhanded." Placing the plate and utensils in the rack to dry them, he continued, "For now, it's probably for the best if we keep any cooperation with NOMAD limited to stuff like keeping Shocker grunts at bay while NOMAD agents escort people to safety."

Mateo quickly finished his food before cleaning his plate as well. Whistling as he saw Ingrid on the screen, he commented, “Man, whoever created this series really knew how to make their characters stand out.”

“Hmm… This is both good and bad,” said Jeuri. “On one hand, Ingrid is fine with us, although she probably thinks we're the original Raiders. On the other, Black, Furst, and Oboro know about us now.” He let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of the situation. “Anyways, what do you think about patrolling?”

Sloan hummed. “Well, we’d have to be cautious. We do not want to lead NOMAD or Shocker here. Plus, NOMAD controls both the legal and extralegal things, so we’re going to have to be careful when working.”

“Yeah, they’re both bad,” agreed Noto. “We could split the patrol. Three of us take one area of the city while the other three take another. Then we try to use the least conspicuous paths to get back to the apartment. We might be in the most hidden corner of the city, but it’s better to be careful.”

Ethan suggested, “What about the place where we fought Black Baron and the Magia? The Magia kept going on about locating demonic resources, so maybe we can find something over there.”

Alexander offered, “I could take patrols where I'll be up on roofs keeping an eye out for things. I mean, it's true that Sloan could have Garuda do it, but it might be better to have Garuda do scouting and reconnaissance than actual patrols.”

Nodding, Mateo said, “Well, I’m down for investigating. I can try to see if I can learn anything more about the disappearances and the pink feathers left behind.” He confidently added, “I’ll be quiet as a mouse out there… maybe.”

Nodding, Jeuri finalized, “Alright. For extra precautions, let’s always change zones after finishing patrols. We can’t give our enemies a pattern to track.” After all, this would be the first time they split up while in Rider forms. “As for communication, I know I can talk to Alexander and Ethan, but… Well, we can figure that out later.”

…

With the patrol group, Wizard and Blade drove their bikes down the road, while Buffa followed along on the rooftops. Watching through the Magnum Shooter 40X’s scope, Buffa quickly scanned the area the investigation team was headed too. “Your route is clear, you should only be encountering the police there,” he reported.

However, he noticed a vaguely humanoid shape a rooftop, seemingly overlooking the cleanup area. “Be careful, I might have seen someone sneaking around the fight zone, so keep an eye out for anything suspicious.” Quickly repeating the same message to Blade and Wizard, he quickly followed after them, leaping across rooftops and terrorizing birds in the process.

Shortly ahead, Wizard and Blade came to a halt as the saw a shirtless man trying and failing to placate the Locust and Polar Undeads, easily identified by the belt buckles on their waists. “Surely you both sense it as much as I do,” he calmly said, “There is no point in this fight.” Glancing at the fleeing civilians, he couldn’t help but smile as he watched them run for safety.

Getting off the Machinewinger, Wizard prepared to fight. “Connect, Please!” He pulled out his WizarSwordGun, taking aim and firing six shots. The bullets curved around the shirtless man, headed for their intended targets.

Blade held up the Blay Rouzer, tensing up. “Watch out, guys,” he warned, “Those are the Undeads. They’re practically immortal, but once we deal enough damage, their buckles will open up and I’ll be able to seal them away! Just look out for the Locust’s swarms and agility, as well as the Polar’s ice attacks.”

As soon as Buffa saw the Undeads, he dropped to a knee and knelt at the ledge of the building he was on, adjusting his position and aiming through the scope. “I’m in position,” he reported. “On your mark.”

Smiling faintly, Blade was certain they would win. With Buffa shooting from the rooftop and Wizard’s fire magic, they should be able to take the Undeads down. “Hey!” he shouted, grabbing the Undeads’ attention. “Over here!”

The Undeads turned around just in time to take Wizard’s bullets to the face. Angered, the Polar Undead immediately targeted Wizard, stomping the ground and sending forth a wave of ice spikes. Wizard quickly brought his hand to the WizarDriver. “Defend, Please!” A dome of fire crackled into existence, melting the ice before it even got close to him. When the flames died out, he took more shots at Polar.

Slamming the ground, the Polar Undead roared as it froze Wizard’s feet, taking its chance to charge toward the magic user. With limited options, Wizard thought, ‘Fire’s good. And given its speed, I doubt it can stop in time.’ He brought his hand to the WizarDriver again. “Defend, Please!” Changing the WizarSwordGun into sword mode as the ice slowly melted, he jabbed at the remnants to free his legs just in time for the Polar Undead to barrel through the flames. He quickly kicked it back, sending it into the fire once more.

Hearing Blade and the Human Undead converse, he mused, “Well, looks like we’re going to have to put them down for sealing. He opend the hand on the WizarSwordGun, watching as the Polar Undead writhed in agony as it tried to put out the flames. “Come on, Slash! Shake Hands!” After scanning the flame ring, the WizarSwordGun was engulfed in flames. Wizard charged forth, slicing through the Polar Undead. “Flame! Slash Strike!”

A magic portal rippled into existence over the undead. One… two… three steps. Wizard snapped his fingers, and the magic portal collapsed into a surge of fire. As the flames died out, the Polar Undead remained still for a few seconds before toppling over, belt buckle snapping open.

At the same time, the Locust Undead charged towards Blade, knocking him to the ground. Before it could attack again, the Human Undead quickly punched the Undead away, holding out a hand to Blade. “Blade, are you alright?” he asked.

Gratefully accepting the assistance, Blade coughed and replied, “Y-yeah, I'm all right. Thanks Haji- I mean, Human.” Quickly jumping to the side to avoid the Locust’s stomp, the two fought in unison. Right as the Undead tried to summon a swarm, it was peppered by Wizard’s bullets. Taking advantage of the distraction, Blade scanned the Beat card into the Blay Rouzer. “Beat!” Quickly charging in, he landed a direct blow to the Locust Undead’s chest, knocking it back. Seeing it leap into the air once more, he shouted, “Buffa, now!”

Buffa immediately fired on the Locust Undead, specifically targeting its legs. After all, it was a speed fighter, and what better way to counter a speed fighter by targeting their source of mobility? Fortunately, from his angle, he could see the exposed and unarmored backs of its knees. For good measure, he shot its antennae as it crashed to the ground. “Try hopping around and keeping track of us like that,” he muttered.

Right after firing the shots, Buffa threw himself back and rolled across the roof, retreating a short distance before making his way to another rooftop. Even if it couldn't track him anymore, the Locust Undead would still know the direction he fired from, hence the roll to avoid being seen while relocating.

The Locust Undead roared in pain as it tried to get back up, furiously sending a swarm of locusts in Buffa’s general direction. The Human Undead observed, “While you two have injured it greatly, it seems to also have made him angrier, my progeny.” Turning to the Locust, he pleaded, “Kick, please stop. There is no point in fighting.” The Locust Undead roared again, prompting him to frown. “Something is wrong. My words cannot reach him.”

Up on the roof, Buffa quickly equipped the Raise Propeller, activating it as he pointed it towards the swarm. Fortunately, he was able to stop them all. Unfortunately, he was now covered in slimy lotus chunks. Deactivating the armor, he sighed, “Good thing I remembered my mask this time…” Summoning his now-clean armor once again, he raised his weapon once more and started firing random shots to keep the Locust Undead occupied while Blade and the Human Undead tried to figure things out.

Blade asked, “Is there any way to get through to them? If not, then I’m afraid sealing them is the only solution.”

The Human Undead sighed. “It seems you are right, my progeny.” He watched sadly as the Locust Undead stumbled around, screeching in rage as it tried to find Buffa. “Very well. Let us quickly end this before more innocents are hurt.”

Hearing the resignation in the Human Undead’s voice, Blade felt a pang of sympathy. Even though they were trying to kill him, he still felt compassionate for them. ‘No wonder he willingly let himself be sealed,’ he thought. Taking out his Slash Lizard card, he gave the Human Undead a reassuring nod. “We’ll try to make this quick for them,” he said. Without hesitation, he charged forth, ready to swing the Blay Rouzer. “Slash!”

Seeing what Blade was doing, Buffa immediately understood. He quickly fired a shot in front of the Locust Undead’s face, deliberately missing. He then retreated once more, this time jumping to the ground and making his way towards the others.

Flinching as the shot passed right in front of its face, the Locust Undead was unable to dodge Blade’s attack. It roared in pain, green blood spilling from its chest as it fell to the ground, belt buckle opening.

The Human Undead knelt down at the Locust Undead’s side. “My apologies, Kick, but you and Blizzard were endangering innocent lives.” He took out a Common Blank, placing it on the Locust Undead and sealing it within. The card then returned to his hand, showing the image of the Five of Spades: Kick Locust.

“Hey Blade, if you got a way to seal this guy, the belt’s open!”

“Gotcha.” Blade walked over, silently staring at the sight of the Polar Undead’s brutal condition. ‘That’s right,’ he remembered, ‘This isn’t a show or game. Not anymore.’ Taking out a Common Blank, he dropped it on the Polar Undead, retrieving it after the Undead was sealed. Turning to the Human Undead, he said, “Thanks for the help, Spirit. I had a feeling that you were looking for me.” After a few seconds, he added, “And… you probably already know that I’m not Kenzaki.”

Nodding, the Human Undead now known as Spirit replied, “Indeed, but you are still Blade. Therefore, I can trust you as long as you have the same beliefs as your predecessor.” Handing the Kick Locust card over, he continued, “There is much I wish to discuss with you and your comrades, I also have questions about the… type of world the Undead have found themselves in.”

Walking over, Buffa said, “Looks like we're done on our end. I'll check on how the others are doing.” Switching comms to Tycoon, he said, “Tycoon, we dealt with two Undeads here, and found a potential ally. How are things going on your end?” However, he could only hear the sounds of combat. Looking to the others, he urgently ordered, “Tycoon isn’t responding, and I can hear combat over the comms. We need to go help.”

Nodding, Blade replied, “We better get to them quickly then! Spirit, you can ride with me.” They both got onto the Blue Spader while Wizard got back on his Machinewinger and Buffa summoned the Cyclone. Revving their engines, they quickly sped off, heading towards where the others were.

...

Meanwhile, the investigation group consisting of Tycoon, Vulcan, and Bujin Gaim arrived at the place they fought one week earlier. An officer warily approached, glancing at Bujin Gaim nervously. “Kamen Riders, right? May I ask why you’re here?” Standing before them, he took a slight double take at how Vulcan was a few inches shorter than the others.

Taking the initiative for diplomacy, Vulcan stated, “We came to apologize for the mess and to offer help with… everything.” He hoped Jeuri’s suggestion of apologizing to gain the officers’ trust would work. Upon realizing the looks Bujin Gaim was getting, he silently cursed.

Realizing the states he was getting, Bujin Gaim quickly came up with a plan to put them at ease. “Oh?” he said, “You like what you see? I don’t blame you.” Striking a pompous pose, he continued, “I’m definitely the coolest-looking Rider between the three of us. Here, a special treat ‘cause you got good taste.” Clapping his hands together, he struck a kabuki pose. “In the spotlight on parade!” After a few seconds, he stopped posing and said, “You’re welcome, no need to thank me for brightening up your day. Now then, let your friendly neighborhood Kamen Riders help out with the mess we caused. It's the least we can do.”

Tycoon let out a small laugh, which he immediately tried to stifle. Clearing his throat, he said, “Yeah, we’re here to help. It wasn’t our intention to cause so much damage, but in the heat of the moment, we didn’t think too much about the destruction we left behind.”

Though still confused, the officer nodded. “I see. Well, we would certainly appreciate the help. Cleanup has been difficult these past few days, and something seems to be buried under all the debris.” Shrugging, he continued, “If NOMAD says you’re good, then I don’t see why we can’t trust you. Plus…” He rubbed the back of his head. “My grandpa was a fan of the series growing up. He would have loved to see you guys if he was still alive.”

Vulcan tried not to twitch at the thought of being on the same side as NOMAD. “Good to know,” he managed to say. It didn’t help that most Kamen Rider fans were elderly at this point, with Mugi being an exception. Looking to Tycoon and Bujin Gaim, he said, “I guess we have the go ahead to help around.”

Making their way to the rubble, they started shifting the debris, thankful that their armor drastically enhanced their strength. The trio cleared out the sidewalk, slowly making their way to where they remembered the Berotha Magia being. Removing the chunks of wall that covered the bisected body, they pulled the remnants of the Magia onto the street.

“Whoa, that’s freaky…” a member of the cleanup crew muttered.

Suddenly, Vulcan and Tycoon heard something, almost as thought something was… flying towards them? They remembered Buffa’s warning, quickly getting people to back away. As if on cue, something landed on the ground next to the Magia with enough force to crack the concrete. Tycoon and Bujin Gaim were on guard, ready to fight. When the figure rose up, a Rider stood there – Kamen Rider Jin.

“J-Jin?!” Vulcan gaped at the arrival of the falcon-themed Rider. ‘How is he even here? Last I remember, he died when Kamen Rider Metsuboujinrai exploded!’ He held up a hand, ordered everyone to stand down. “Wait!” He slowly approached Jin, cautiously observing the HumaGear. ‘Kouta arrived here the way he was at the end of the series, so if it’s the same case here, Jin should be good now, right?’ After all, Jin started off as a child that didn’t understand right from wrong, and matured into someone who wanted HumaGears to have freedom and be able to coexist with humanity.

Frowning, Tycoon warned, “Remember, he could be under the enemy’s control. We can’t trust him yet.” Looking to the officers and cleanup crew, he said, “Please step back. It’s just a precaution, but still.”

Vulcan stood in front of Jin, nervousness creeping into him as the HumaGear had yet to react. “Jin?” He gently placed a hand on Jin’s shoulder. Suddenly, Jin grabbed Vulcan’s arm, pushing and pulling his ForceRiser’s Force Executor. Pink energy gathered on the HumaGear’s first, and he quickly punched Vulcan, sending him flying back and crashing onto the floor. As the cleanup crew ran away, Tycoon and Bujin readied themselves and the officers took aim.

Staring at them all, Jin finally spoke, his voice cold and devoid of emotion, lacking the childish yet determined tone the HumaGear usually had. “All is… as Shocker wills it.”

Notes:

Yep, Jin’s here, and he’s under Shocker’s control. None of us saw it coming, though it should have been expected. After all, it’s composite Shocker, and Shocker’s done all sorts of stuff over the years.

 

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 8: A Shocking Turn

Notes:

Not-so-fun fact: Fanfiction.net is still having problems. This is chapter eight, and FF still says there’s only two chapters out in site mode while the app is having problems of its own too.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Vulcan groaned in pain, struggling to get up. ‘All is as Shocker wills it? Fuck! Those fucki-’ He bit back a hiss as he forced himself to stand. “Jin! Didn’t you wa-” Coughing, he shouted, “Didn’t you want freedom?! Break out of their control!” He punched the ground in frustrated anger, pushing himself back up. ‘Jin doesn’t deserve this! Not after what Lyon Arkland did!’

Seeing Vulcan get knocked away, Bujin Gaim and Tycoon quickly equipped Watermelon Arms and the Ninja Buckle respectively. While the former charged in and engaged Jin, the latter ran over to Vulcan to support him. “What do we do?” asked Tycoon, “You’re the one who knows the most about him.” He watched Bujin Gaim out of the corner of his eye, hoping his teammate could hold off Jin long enough.

Jin dodged Bujin Gaim’s attacks, countering with a flurry of punches and kicks. Although the fruit-themed Rider was able to dodge some of the blows, the final kick sent him into a wall, burying him under a pile of debris. With his opponent defeated, Jin set his sight on Tycoon and Vulcan, taking out the Attache Calibur and changing it to Blade Mode. “Bladerise!” He pointed it at the Riders, slowly approaching as the police evacuated the cleanup crew.

Getting back up, Vulcan shook his head. He couldn’t let his anger get the best of him. It was at this moment that he saw Bujin Gaim get defeated. ‘This isn’t like when we fought Black Baron,’ he thought, ‘Jin knows how to fight other Riders and is used to it.’ Holding a hand to his chest in pain, he tried to remember what he could about Jin’s Flying Falcon form. “Let’s see. As the name says, he has wings and can fly, and can use the feathers as projectiles. Lower punching strength than me, but has stronger kicks.” Upon seeing Jin pull out the Attache Calibur, he added, “And he has a sword. The pommel can have Progrisekeys inserted for finishers.”

“And stronger than me...” Tycoon muttered. “But there are two of us. That has to count for something.” Looking at Vulcan, he ordered, “You go right, I’ll take left. We attack at the same time.” Splitting the Ninja Dueler in two, he prepared to run. “Ready? On your mark... go!”

The two Riders attacked Jin simultaneously. The HumaGear Rider managed to keep up with their attacks, until suddenly freezing upon getting a closer look at Vulcan. Taking advantage of the opening, Tycoon slashed at him with the Ninja Dueler, causing Jin to stumble back before deploying his wings to launch feather projectiles at the Riders.

Jumping to the side, Vulcan took out the Shotriser and started firing. ‘If this works, hopefully Jin can snap out of it!’ he thought.

Bujin Gaim coughed, regaining consciousness as he pulled himself out of the rubble “Ugh... Truck-kun, was it you who hit me?” he groaned. Suddenly remember what led to him being knocked put, he quickly snapped back to attention and saw Vulcan and Tycoon trying to dodge Jin’s feather projectiles. Bringing out the Watermelon Gatling, he aimed at Jin. ‘I know this is a terrible idea, but I can’t afford to lose the element of surprise,’ he thought. Changing Lockseeds would be too loud, and it would take too much time as well. Without a second of hesitation, he fired at Jin, shooting as long as he could until stopping at the intense pain he felt. “Shit, is the recoil really this bad?”

Tycoon knew something was wrong. Jin had paused before attacking. It could have been a feint to trick them into getting too close, but that didn’t sound right. The pause didn’t feel natural. “Vulcan, something’s not right with him!”

Vulcan found a moment of reprieve as Bujin Gaim’s bullets peppered Jin, causing the HumaGear Rider to let out a scream of pain and fall to the ground. Sparing a moment to look at the wolf-themed Rider, Jin leapt into the air, taking flight once more. The following announcement made Vulcan’s blood run cold. “Jump! ProgriseKey Confirmed! Ready to Utilize! Grasshopper's Ability! Chargerise! Full Charge!” Lines of green energy gathered in the Attache Calibur as Jin prepared to attack once more. “Rising Kaban Dynamic!”

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Vulcan hurriedly took out the Attache Shotgun, changing its form. “You two, move!” If Jin was going to launch finishers at them, then he would have to fire finishers of his own. “Shotgunrise! Power! ProgriseKey Confirmed! Ready to Utilize! Kong's Ability! Chargerise! Full Charge!” Taking aim, he roared, “I REFUSE TO LOSE!” He pulled the trigger. “Punching Kaban Buster!”

Bujin Gaim’s eyes widened as he watched the clash between the two attacks. Rushing over to Jeuri’s side as he changed Lockseeds. “Banana Arms! Knight of the Spear!” Pressing the blade down three times as he reached Tycoon, he slammed the lance into the ground with a yell. “Banana Sparking!” Pillars of energy like bananas erupted from the ground around him and Tycoon, acting as a shield of sorts.

Gritting his teeth Tycoon activated the Ninja Buckle, preparing for a finisher. “I’m with you!” he shouted as he unleashed the Tactical Slash straight toward Jin’s attack, hoping they would cancel each other out.

The three attacks collided, struggling to overpower the others before exploding violently, creating a massive cloud of dust and smoke that covered everything. While Bujin Gaim and Tycoon were protected by the cocoon that the former created, the same could not be said for Vulcan. Parts of his armor sparked, and the left visor was cracked. Most noticeably, the armor on the left arm had been broken apart.

Nearby, the Attache Calibur fell to the ground, the Rising Hopper Progrisekey still inserted within as the sword sparked violently.

Vulcan could barely think of anything but the excruciating pain he felt. He couldn’t even twitch his fingers. As he laid there, he barely managed to get a look at his teammates, who had just exited the cocoon. “Jeu... Ma... Safe... ood...” he weakly mumbled.

Seeing Vulcan’s condition, Bujin Gaim took a deep breath to calm down as he changed Lockseeds once more. “Strawberry!” Turning to Tycoon, he said, “I need you to do something for me, and please don’t argue about it.” Equipping the Strawberry Lockseed, he continued, “I know you're not blind enough to ignore the fact that Naoto is hurt and needs to be taken far away from here. So please do me this favor. Get that sword and grab Naoto and get as far away as you can.” “Lock On! Strawberry Arms! Shushutto Spark!”

Preparing to fight once more, Bujin Gaim removed the Strawberry Lockseed from his Sengoku Driver and put it on the Musou Saber. “Between the two of us, you’re faster. I’ll try to hold Jin off as long as I can. Now get the hell out of here!”

“Lock On! One! Ten! 100! 1,000!” He swung the Musou Saber, unleashing a storm of kunai that shot towards Jin.

Tycoon clenched his teeth in rage, feeling the helplessness eating away at him inside. He knew that getting Vulcan to safety was the top priority, but leaving Bujin Gaim behind meant abandoning him to face an enemy that undoubtedly outmatched him.

He ran. He ran with everything he had, without looking back or stopping. Picking up the Attache Calibur along the way, he hoisted Vulcan onto his back. “Buffa, this is Tycoon... Vulcan is injured.” His voice was shaky, filled with urgency and rage. “We need immediate backup.” He kept moving, every step a heavy reminder of his own weakness.

The sound of approaching vehicles echoed through the air, followed by the arrival of Blade, Spirit, Wizard, and Buffa. Upon seeing the duo, especially Vulcan’s condition, they rushed in only to pause upon seeing Jin in the distance. Quickly drawing his Blay Rouzer, Blade observed, “Kamen Rider Jin… Crap, it looks like he’s being controlled too.”

Equipping the Shield Buckle, Buffa held up the Raise shield in front of himself. “Guys, I’ll just say this,” he sighed, “The Zero One Riders' stats are absolute bullshit, as in their base form’s official stats are higher than several other Riders’ final forms. In other words, stay on guard.”

Spirit immediately moved to help Tycoon with Vulcan “It seems we got here in time,” he said. “Allow me to help you, my progeny.”

Tycoon tensed up. “Who are you?” he asked harshly, not bothering to hide his distrust.

Spirit looked to Tycoon, offering a gentle smile. “You may call me Spirit. I am the Human Undead. Worry not, for I will not hurt either of you. I would never harm my own progeny.”

Vulcan mumbled, “It’s fine… he’s good.” He didn’t know how or why the Human Undead was there, but what he did know was that he could trust the ancestor of humanity.

Relaxing, Tycoon set him on the ground. Looking to Spirit, he asked, “Can you do something for him?”

Nearby, Wizard said, “Okay, my admittedly limited medical knowledge is saying that we probably don't want to get Vulcan to undo the transformation. His armor is probably preventing blood loss where it's wedged into him.” Frowning, he added, “Unfortunately, we can’t trust the professionals. Most of them are either indebted to NOMAD in some way or are loose, ethically and morally speaking.”

Sighing, Spirit gently placed a hand on Vulcan’s shoulder. “Regrettably, I hold no healing capabilities. The one Undead that does is Recovery Camel, but…” Vulcan’s eyes widened in surprise. He was still injured, but the pain had lessened enough that it no longer overwhelmed it. “At the very least, I can ease his pain just a little.”

Meanwhile, Jin sparked as he crashed to the ground, having been unable to dodge all the strawberry kunai. He rasped, “V-Vulcan… Isamu… Fuwa…” Grasping his head in pain, he screamed, “P-promise… you… I… H-Horobi!”

Bujin Gaim approached, raising his Musou Saber. “I’m sorry Jin,” he sighed. ‘I know you’re not yourself right now, but I can't risk letting you hurt anymore innocent people. I'll put you out of your pain here and now!’ However, he stopped before he could deal the final blow. Releasing his weapon, he let out a weak chuckle. ‘If I don’t try to save someone who can be saved… then I have no right to call myself a Kamen Rider.’

Falling to his knees, Bujin Gaim felt the exhaustion catching up to him, but he managed to pull himself closer to Jin. He tried to pull the HumaGear closer to him, ignoring his body’s protests as Jin sparked and tried to pull himself away.

“Jin, listen to me,” he said. “I know what kind of person you are. You're someone who wanted to give freedom to Humagears and let them choose their own way rather than forcing them. So please, don't let Shocker continue to make you their puppet! Show Shocker that you're more than just a tool for them, show them how strong you are! Show them why Horobi is proud to have a son like you!”

…

Elsewhere…

“Where the hell did that robot go?”

“Eee!”

“What? He saw the video of the Riders and flew away?”

“Eee eee!”

“What do you mean, he’s with the Riders?!”

“Eee eee eee eee!”

“The fuck does ‘he pushed through the obedience code’ mean?!”

“Eee eee eee!”

“Then teleport him back! I’m not losing another asset after that dumbass made us lose the ZX Lockseed because you idiots forgot to put a teleport device on it!”

…

Jin froze, continuing to emit sparks. “I… I am…!” He quickly slipped something into Bujin Gaim’s hand before pulling himself away, screaming in pain as he shone brightly before teleporting away.

Bujin Gaim groaned as his tumble finally stopped, coming to a halt a short distance from the others. Opening his hand, he looked at what the HumaGear Rider gave him: the Assault Grip. While he couldn’t remember what it was, he was pretty sure it was important. “Jin was being controlled, but managed to break through for a moment. Anyways, I think I’ll just lay here for a bit,” he groaned.

A few minutes later, the group moved to an alley. Up above, two figures watched them. “Come on, when can we go help them? You ordered me to stay back and watch the entire time during the fight!” whined the first one. “Wolf Boy looks really hurt, and we can’t leave him to die.” She bounced in place anxiously, looking at the second figure with pleading eyes.

The second figure remained cautious. “Let us approach them slowly now,” she finally said after several seconds. “They do not know us and may assume we are enemies if we suddenly appear after one of their own got hurt to such an extent.”

The duo dropped down into the alley before walking to the group, approaching slowly. Wizard and Tycoon, having heard the conversation, were the first to notice them as they got closer.

“I was wondering when you’d show yourselves,” greeted the red Rider. “Sorry if I sound impatient. Vulcan’s badly injured, and my capabilities don’t include healing at the moment.” If he remembered correctly, the duo he was looking at consisted of Igawa Sakura and Mizuki Shiranui. To his knowledge, the latter had some healing technique, but he kept silent about it to avoid tipping his hand about what he knew.

“I am Wizard,” he introduced himself. “Given the moderately high chance we have unfriendly ears listening, perhaps we should keep everyone’s actual names unsaid. Which, unfortunately means minimal introductions all around. Would that work for you, Shadow-san, Mist-San?”

Smiling, Sakura replied, “Well, you don't look like any wizard I’ve ever seen. Pretty sure most of them don't wear armor with massive rubies on it.” She and Shiranui glanced at Spirit, who stepped aside, almost as if he knew they were there to help. “… Why isn’t he wearing a shirt?”

Slowly lifting his head from his position on the ground when he heard Wizard talking to someone, Vulcan was surprised to see Sakura and Shiranui. ‘Were they observing us the entire time?’ he wondered. Another thought came to his mind – Mugi might have told the Taimanin about them, meaning that she was likely okay. For now, however, he simply settled with giving the two a small wave. “Hi…”

Realizing that the duo must have been watching the entire time, Blade stayed silent, simply giving them a brief nod. Next to him, Bujin Gaim silently appreciated their beauty, but still kept a hand on his Musou Saber. Tycoon, on the other hand, relaxed and loosened his grip on his Ninja Dueler.

Buffa, who had been prepared to fight, tensed up but relaxed after a few seconds. Doing his best to focus on Sakura’s and Shiranui’s faces, he groaned, “Please tell me you can do something about Vulcan's injuries and the mess back there. A simple two-team mission turning out this badly in less than fifteen minutes is NOT something I wanted to be involved in today.”

Spirit said, "Please, if you wish to help him, then go right ahead, my progeny." From what he could sense of their emotions, they seemed genuinely worried for Vulcan.

Though wary, Shiranui stepped forth. “Allow me. I know minor healing and should be capable of stabilizing his condition.” She knelt beside Vulcan, quickly giving him basic treatment. "Oh my. The opponent you fought must have been very skilled to leave you this injured."

Waving in response to Blade’s greeting, Sakura looked in the direction of the fight. “Geez, you guys really know how to leave a mark wherever you go, huh?” she commented. “And I was thinking that finding you all would be a pain to do. Who were you guys fighting, anyway?”

Wizard answered, “I believe his name was Jin. At least, that’s what Vulcan said. I was a bit… preoccupied with my own fight at the time. It was very fortunate that they were, though strong and durable, of the ice element.”

Coughing sheepishly, he continued, “Though honestly, we'd prefer to leave at least a bit less of a mark everywhere we go, but...” Shrugging, Wizard finished, “The enemy gets a say when it comes to battle.”

Recovering enough to speak, Vulcan coughed and said, “I-its Jin. He has experience fighting other Riders and... he’s being controlled.” He tried to focus on Shiranui’s face, reminding himself to stay calm. ‘Oh God, Shranui’s right beside me. If I react like this, Kirara’s going to be worse.’ Deciding to close his eyes instead to cut off the sight, he vowed, “I have to save him from them…”

Blade added, “You might now know this, but Jin’s a HumaGear. They’re androids designed to be capable of many tasks like working jobs, or even being part of a family. However, Jin’s capable of fighting, and while I don’t know what technology or AI are like in this world, he’s a lot more advanced than you think.”

Buffa glanced at Vulcan in concern. “Jin can be emotionally unstable though," he warned, "and coupled with his powerful punches and kicks, he's a dangerous opponent.” An idea popped up in his head. “To my awareness, a big reason is because he doesn't fully understand the meaning of friends and family, so trying to appeal to that should help in breaking him free of whatever's controlling him.”

Tycoon sighed. “In short,” he lamented, “another Rider to rescue.” He tried to hide his frustration, but he could feel it coiling in his chest. Once again, he had been unable to make a difference, unable to do anything but watch while the others fought and got hurt.

Blinking in surprise, Sakura exclaimed, “Wait, so he was a robot? A robot that can think and feel just like in those old movies?” She knew that there was a lot of fictional media that explored the concept, but for it to actually happen was… “So that was the screams we heard,” she breathed. Those screams sounded so human, but to think they came from a machine…

Sensing Tycoon’s feelings, Spirit placed a reassuring hand on the former’s shoulder. Tycoon tensed and pulled away, not feeling comfortable with physical contact with someone he didn’t know.  Spirit closed his eyes and nodded to himself, accepting that Tycoon needed time alone. Deep down, however, it bothered him that he couldn’t comfort his descendant.

"There we go. I stabilized him as best I could, but we should probably take him somewhere safe to be treated." Shiranui finished her treatment on Vulcan with a sigh. "First. Focus on getting better before thinking about saving someone else, young man," she scolded him. His attitude and the reckless way he seemed to place more concern on someone else rather than himself reminded her of so many young students, thinking they were heroes that could take on everything that went their way.

Vulcan tried to suppress a sigh as Shiranui scolded him. ‘Does she think I’m a kid who doesn’t know what this cram means? I know I’m short, but still…’ He slowly stood up, using the wall as a support. “I know, I know,” he sighed.

Sakura looked at the Riders. "I don't suppose you have a safe place to take him, and even if you did, you guys probably wouldn’t want to take us there, right?" she asked with a small smile. "We can get a pretty fast extraction VTOL here in a few minutes, and we could go to Gosha… which was actually our mission." Sakura scratched her cheek with a finger. "So, do you guys want to see a ninja village? We have really good medics there." This wasn’t the most optimal way to do a mission, and she felt guilty that she was taking advantage of their predicament.

Wizard sighed. “If you’re offering to treat Vulcan, I don’t believe we can say no. I apologize for the trouble we caused you with this. I hoped our first proper meeting with the Taimanin would have been…” He paused, looing for the right words to use. “… Less of a mess.”

Blade thought about the offer. To his memory, Gosha was where most of the Taimanin were. ‘I’m surprised they’re already extending the offer,’ he thought, ‘but I think they can be trusted.’ Nodding, he replied, “Sure, as long as we’re safer there than here.”

Buffa snorted as he glanced outside the alley. “Not like we have a choice,” he bluntly said. “Either we accept and Vulcan gets proper medical treatment, or we say no and he doesn't. We're not prideful or stupid enough to say no.”

Taking a deep breath, Tycoon let out a sigh of relief, even though it sounded rather forced. “Thank you,” he said to Sakura and Shiranui.

Seeing that everyone was in agreement, Bujin Gaim accepted with his own nod. “Oh~? Visting a ninja village? I can finally take that off my bucket list,” he chortled.

“Right! just give me a second, and the ride to Gosha will be here!” Sakura chirped, giving the Riders a thumbs up. She called it in, and it wasn’t long before the VTOL arrived. Tycoon helped Vulcan get in, while the others pushed their bikes in.

“Everyone, please strap in,” announced Shiranui.

“Gosha, here we come!” cheered Sakura.

Notes:

Yep, we’re going to Gosha. Things will happen. Some good, some not as good. No spoilers.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 9: First Impressions

Notes:

We finally arrive in Gosha. And yes, there will be chaos. When isn’t there chaos when a Kamen Rider just wants to get stuff done?

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

During the ride, Sakura tried to make small talk, trying to lighten the atmosphere. “So…” she started, “This is Wolf Boy’s, right?” She inspected the Attache Shotgun, having picked it up earlier.

“Yeah, it’s mine,” answered Vulcan. “It’s also a suitcase, which makes it very convenient to carry around.” As he spoke, the Taimanin changed it into the aforementioned form.

“This is a weird gun, and it kinda looks like the sword that Tanuki Boy is carrying.” She gestured to Tycoon, who was still holding on to the Attache Calibur.

“Indeed,” agreed Shiranui. “They are very curious weapons.” She sat next to Vulcan, ready to provide more healing in case any of his injuries were aggravated. “It’s not the only one either.” She gave a cursory glance to Bujin Gaim’s fruit weapon and Musou Saber.

“Yeah, they’re weird,” said Sakura. “They even sing or call out attacks.” One prominent example she could remember was Wizard’s Flame Slash Strike.

Chuckling, Wizard quipped, “Oh, you’ve only just scratched the surface of our weirdness. Just you wait…”

“We have a literal fruit samurai,” Vulcan chuckled, only to wince in pain.

Blade held up his weapon. “This is the Blay Rouzer,” he explained. “Not only is it a sword, it also stores the Rouze Cards.” Taking a few of them out, he continued, “When I seal monsters known as the Undeads into them, their abilities can enhance my body or attacks when I scan them.”

Buffa wasn’t big on sharing what the Riders could do. However, not all Taimanin would be as trusting as Mugi, so more work would have to be put into gaining their trust. Pointing to his Desire Driver, he explained, “This is the Desire Driver. I put the Raise Buckles on to get stuff to use in fights. I can equip them to my torso or legs depending on what side the Buckles are on.”

“Same as him,” Tycoon said as he gestured to Buffa with a slight nod.

‘So we’re sharing some info about our equipment, huh?’ Bujin Gaim shrugged as he pointed to his Sengoku Driver. “This is a Sengoku Driver, basically what allows me to transform. It’s locked to my DNA, so it won't work for anyone else,” he explained. Taking out the Banana Lockseed, he tossed it to Shiranui. “These are Lockseeds. They let me access new armors that have their own abilities.” Ater a second, he quickly added, “Oh, and try not to press the small button on the side, it'll be troublesome for all of us if you do.”

“How interesting,” Shuranui commented as she examined the Lockseed, making sure to not touch the button Bujin Gaim warned her about. After a few more seconds, she gave it back to him, returning to checking on Vulcan’s condition.

“And you?” Sakura looked at Spirit.

Spirit replied, “I am an ally to Blade, but I am no Rider, please call me Spirit.”

Blinking, Sakura looked at Blade. “Your name is Blade? And you use a sword? That’s a bit on the nose.” Looking to the others, she asked, “So do you guys have a name like Spade Boy and Ruby over there?” Noticing Blade’s stare, she explained, “Look, you have a beetle mask, spade motif, and a sword. I just went with the one that looked the most prominent, okay?”

“I’m Tycoon,” the green Rider replied firmly. He tried to dispel the anger and frustration inside him; first impressions were crucial, and the last thing he wanted was to come off as upset. Glancing at Spirit, he murmured, “Sorry about earlier.”

“It is okay, my progeny,” replied Spirit. “I simply hope to assist you whenever you need help. I am happy as long as you are all doing well.”

“The injured one is Vulcan,” said Wizard. “And this is the first time I've seen him this injured, so I don't know if it's out of character for him to be this… upset about it, for lack of a better phrase.” Turning to Vulcan, he said, “You know you’re just making the work on you harder, right? The less trouble you give them, the faster it's over with.”

“I know,” grumbled Vulcan. “Look, I’m better now, so there’s no point in-” He flinched when he felt a sharp pain. “Damn it…”

Blade frowned behind his mask. “Hey, you’ll be patched up in no time,” he said gently. “And then you’ll be able to jump right in. Think of it as a break. All of us have been going through a lot lately, but we'll loosen up when we arrive in Gosha. Right, guys?”

Buffa sighed, “Look, we were going to have to lay low for a few days after that chaos. Look at it this way. You get medical treatment, we avoid the mess, and maybe we can learn what the hell that orc was doing. So just bear with it, okay?”

Sakura looked around at the Riders after hearing their names. "Well, you all have interesting names." She then grinned at Bujin Gaim. "Nice to meet you too, Fruit Boy." Getting up and walking to one end of the VTOL's interior and turning around, she flashed everyone a peace sign, winking playfully. "Taimanin Igawa Sakura. At your Service!"

With a sigh, Shiranui gave Vulcan a small smile, causing him to freeze for a moment. "Good." With that, Shiranui swiftly presented herself. "Taimanin Mizuki Shiranui. A pleasure to meet you, Kamen Riders… Even if one of you is a stubborn little wolf."

Sakura giggled at Shiranui's words before walking right up to Buffa, staring at him intensely. “So, what’s your name? You haven’t said it yet.”

Buffa blinked. ‘Oh, so that’s what I forgot.’ He certainly wasn’t expecting to be put on the spot about it either. “… Buffa.”

Sakura stared at Buffa for a few seconds, then she blinked. “Buffa...” she quickly covered her mouth to keep her laughter in check and took a deep breath. "So, did you lose the 'Lo' or someone steal it from you?" After that quick joke, she shook her head. "Anyway, Nice to meet you... Lo.”

Sighing, Buffa mumbled, “Of course you made that joke…”

Trying to hide his impatience, Tycoon asked, “I don’t mean to be nosy, but when do we arrive?” Although the conversation was pleasant, he was never a fan of ling flights. The feeling of being trapped in a confined space, the constant sound of the engine, and the uncertainty of how much time had passed made him wish the trip would end as soon as possible.

Shiranui looked at Tycoon, quickly noticing how uncomfortable he was even behind the mask and armor. "We should be arriving in a few moments and speaking of that." She gave Sakura a firm look, causing the latter to nod and put a finger to her ear. It seemed obvious to the Riders that she was communicating with someone.

"Hey sis. We’re about to reach Gosha. And, well... things may not have gone to plan." While a bit difficult, the Riders with enhanced hearing could hear the familiar voice of Igawa Asagi.

"Sakura. What happened? Did you face any opposition? Did the Riders refuse?" Sakura cringed faintly and quickly glanced at Vulcan.

Sakura tried to quickly explain the situation while mentioning Vulcan’s injuries. “He’s stable now, but we still need to make sure he’s fully healed. Can you help with that?”

For a moment, there was only silence before Asagi answered. “Very well. There would be no point in meeting them if one of them is injured, and if we wish to copporate then we should assist them. I’ll prepare things for your arrival.” After a moment, she added, “Sakura, can they be trusted?”

Looking at the Riders, Sakura smiled as she remembered the conversation. “Yes. They cn be trusted.”

“That’s very kind of you to say, Igawa-san,” Wizard said. “We do our best, but we are only human.”

Vulcan huffed at the jab, but there was no real negativity. However, he did blush when Sakura seemed certain they could be trusted. ‘Damn it, I’m weak to this kind of stuff…’ And though it bothered him to be treated like he was fragile, he couldn’t deny that they helped him. “Thanks, Igawa-san, Mizuki-san.”

Bowing his head, Blade said, “Thank you as well, Igawa-san and Mizuki-san.” He returned to sitting in silence, silently reminding himself to speak to Spirit regarding the other Undeads.

“Thanks for the confidence, ninja girl!” Bujin Gaim called from his spot.

Clearing his throat, Buffa asked, “So what exactly can we do in Gosha while Vulcan’s recovering?”

“Actually, how long will his healing take?” Tycoon added. Depending on how long it took Vulcan to recover, their plans would have to be adjusted accordingly. He couldn’t afford to leave things to chance, not when Gosha represented the opportunity to change some things.

Sakura thought for a moment. “I could show you around Gosha for a bit. Of course, I'm not allowed to show you anything private because Sis will get mad at me.”

In response to Tycoon’s question, Shiranui replied, “In regard to your friend’s recovery, it won't take too long. Our medical staff is very experienced in dealing with injuries, and thankfully, it seems his armor protected him from the worst.”

As if on cue, the VTOL descended, signaling their arrival. “Yay! We’re here!” Sakura stretched as the VTOL opened to show a hangar with several people moving about. They all stopped to watch the Riders disembark with Sakura and Shiranui. Standing at the base of the VTOL platform was Igawa Asagi, the almighty Taimanin herself.

“Kamen Riders, welcome to Gosha.” Asagi’s eyes swept across the armored fighters, slightly widening when she saw Vulcan’s condition. “I truly wish this meeting was under better circumstances,” she admitted.

“Don’t worry about Wolf Boy,” said Sakura. “He’s conscious and well enough to be a little grump.” Hearing Vulcan grumble at her words, she smiled. “See? He’s fine enough to act like that, and look! He has a funny suitcase too!” She showed Asagi the Attache Shotgun.

Sighing at her sister’s antics, Asagi faintly smiled as she looked at Shiranui, who nedded in response. The message was clear: she would give Asagi a full report of everything that happened after Vulcan received medical treatment. For a moment, Asagi’s eyes locked onto Spirit, narrowing them as he smiled at her.

“Don’t worry, Sis,” said Sakura as she pointed at Blade. “He’s with Spade Boy.”

“Igawa-san,” said Wizard as he bowed carefully, “I apologize for the mess that led to our first meeting. It was my hope that it would be under more fortuitous circumstances. I am Wizard. It is an honor to meet you. Please do not mind Vulcan too much, he has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. It irks him to need to be relying on people instead of being the one others rely on.”

Vulcan protested, “Hey, it’s not that! I just…” He trailed off, knowing what the real issue was. ‘I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.’ However, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Keeping quiet as he carefully stood straight and bowed, he said, “I’m Vulcan. Sorry for the trouble.” ‘It shouldn't be that much of an issue... others have been hurt worse, so my injuries shouldn't be that important.’

Blade winced at Wizard’s words. Even with the armor in the way, he could tell that Vulcan took it personally. While he thought that Wizard might have been too straightforward in his honesty, he also felt that Vulcan wasn’t exactly wrong either in wanting to fight despite his injuries. Realizing his silence, he quickly bowed and introduced himself. “I am Blade. It’s a pleasure to be here and meet you in person, Igawa-san.” Silently, he hoped that the Taimanin didn’t notice him stumbling over his words.

Faintly bowing his head, Buffa introduced himself to Asagi. “I am Buffa.” Internally, he cursed himself. ‘Damn it, my social awkwardness just had to bite me in the ass…’

Bujin Gaim whistled, impressed by the sight of the hangar. Looking to Asagi, he gave her a simple salute. “Yo, nice to meet ya! Thanks for the welcome.”

Tycoon stared at the strands on the sides of Asagi’s heads, wondering how they were able to defy gravity. After a few seconds, e quickly averted his gaze to look at Sakura and Shiranui. That was when it finally hit him. Shiranui was here with them, not captured or corrupted. ‘Are we in Action?’ he thought. ‘No, that can’t be. Sakura isn’t a teenager here, even if she acts like one. Then what timeline are we in?’ Although he was happy to see that Shiranui was free, his mind drifted to another detail. ‘I hope her husband is still alive…’

“Please, call me Spirit. I am an ally to Blade and the other Kamen Riders.” Spirit bowed to Asagi, following the example of the rest.

After a few more seconds of observing the Riders and the strange suitcase Sakura was showing her, Asagi reciprocated the bows from the Riders. “Follow me,” she said. “I have prepared everything to treat your injured companion.” She turned around and walked away, prompting the group to follow her.

As they walked, Sakura glanced over at Vulcan with worry. It felt strange to her to see him be so quiet after talking so much during the flight. The rest of the group took their time observing the sights of the village, taking note of the things that didn’t show up in the visual novels, games, or animations. However, having already became bored, Bujin Gaim began whistling.

As Spirit and Blade walked side by side, Spirit looked around with interest. Many of the Taimanin they walked past looked at Spirit with confusion while some of the female ones blushed. "This truly is an interesting place, my progeny," he commented to Blade. “But there is something peaceful yet... ominous in this village.”

Nodding in agreement, Blade replied, “Yeah, I’m with you on that. Plus, this is our first time here. They’ve never seen people like us.”

Buffa knew two things: one, his appearance wasn’t exactly friendly, and in a world like Taimanin, there was bound to be at least one misunderstanding; two, he still had the Raise Shield equipped, meaning he could defend himself if someone did have a misunderstanding and acted first instead of thinking. Looking to Blade, he corrected, “I think you mean they haven't seen outsiders before. From what I can tell, people coming here isn't exactly something that can just happen.”

Vulcan, who was beating himself up for potentially ruining a first good impression, froze when he overheard their conversation. Looking around, he realized that people were indeed looking at them. However, most of them were busy looking at Spirit.

Shiranui decided to take that time to ask Tycoon a question. “May I ask why you have been staring at me so much, Tycoon-san?”

“Huh?” Tycoon said in surprise. “Oh, it’s nothing, Mizuki-sama.” He froze. ‘Wait, why did I call her that?’ Thankful that the armor hid the panic and embarrassment he felt, he quickly made up and excuse, trying to sound nonchalant. “I was just... thinking about something.”

“Oh my,” commented Shiranui as she placed a hand on her cheek. “Now, what coudl I have done for you to refer to me that way?”

Tycoon started to sweat, trying to come up with an excuse when he was conveniently saved.

Vulcan fell to the ground when a human-sized projectile slammed into him. “You guys are here!” Mugi squealed in happiness as she hugged Vulcan tightly. Upon noticing his condition, however, she quickly got up in shock. “W-what happened to you?” she exclaimed. The condition of Vulcan’s armor and the cracked visor worried her.

Vulcan groaned, “It’s fine... It looks worse than it actually is, thanks to Mizuki-san.”

Chuckling gently, Sakura commented, “Well, she really likes you guys, huh?”

Sighing, Asagi gave Mugi a firm look. “Shijima, shouldn’t you be resting?”

Mugi froze for a second before turning to Asagi and standing at attention. “A-Asagi-sensei.! I was just out on a walk! And when I saw them, I just... wanted to talk to them again...” Mugi uncharacteristically trailed off, looking to the side sheepishly.

“Sis, it’s fine,” interjected Sakura. “It looks like she just wanted to meet her friends again.”

As the Riders checked on Mugi, Tycoon saw his opportunity to avoid Shiranui’s scrutiny and quickly asked, “Mugi-san, it’s nice to see you again. How have you been?

Buffa added, “Have you been resting well?”

“I’m better now,” responded Mugi. “I wanted to go and help you guys after I got better, but Asagi-sensei says I have to rest until I make a full recovery,” She chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, prompting Asagi to sigh once more.

It was at this moment that Mugi noticed the new addition to the group, causing her to do a double take and gawk. “H-Hajime-san?!” she exclaimed, causing the other to look at her in confusion.

Shaking his head, Spirit replied, “My apologies but I am not Hajime. But it is still a pleasure to meet you, my progeny.”

Looking lower, Mugi noticed the belt buckle. Realization dawning on her, she gasped, “Y-you’re the...” Quickly running up to Spirit and holding his hands, stars in her eyes, she squealed, “I have so many questions I want to ask you!”

“Shijima.” Asagi’s firm tone got the girl’s attention. “While I do not mind that you want to catch up with your...friends, we must tend to Vulcan's wounds first.”

“R-right! Come on, the medics are this way!” Mugi grabbed Vulcan’s uninjured hand, leading him away.

The other three Taimanin watched them go. "Well... at least she’s going in the right direction?"

Sighing at Sakura’s words, Asagi said, “Let us go. We must make sure Vulcan is treated correctly.” And with that, the group made haste to catch up with Mugi and Vulcan.

"Well, she is quite the energetic girl. And she seemed to recognize me... curious." Spirit commented as he quickly followed the group.

“She's a good person. Easily excitable, and has a bit of hero worship for Kamen Riders, but a good person. Deeply wants to help others and stand up for what is right,” explained Wizard. “It’s the reason why she was overworking herself so severely.” After a second, he asked, “Mugi-san, did you tell your superiors that you figured out many of the seemingly unconnected crimes were actually being done by a single organization, or did you just throw yourself into missions?”

Noticing how Mugi froze, Vulcan said, “I think it’s the second.” As if to prove his point, Mugi quickly resumed running, pulling him along as if she wanted to avoid the subject.

‘Yeah, that's Mugi alright. She really is a good person, and I remember what I said earlier back when we first met her, about how many of the Riders would be proud of her. But now I think many Taimanin should be proud of her too if they weren't already,’ thought Blade.

Sighing in exasperation at Vulcan’s correct deduction, Buffa said, “Mugi-san, please tell me you acted on your own because it was a heat of the moment thing and not because you felt you were the only one who could do something...”

Mugi flinched, letting out a nervous chuckle. “I just wanted to help, and well...”

Tycoon let out a sigh, trying to choose his words carefully. “Seriously, Mugi-san, it's admirable, but throwing yourself headfirst into danger isn't the best option.” As much as he wanted to repremand her, he couldn’t. He knew her bravery was genuine, that her determination was part of what made her who she was. Even so, he couldn't help but worry.

"As you can see, Shijima refused to stop taking missions ever since the start of the attacks of these monsters and the masked men." Asagi sternly looked at Mugi. "Unfortunately, there were certain individuals who were so delighted by how many missions she was completing that I had to use my authority to overrule their attempts to forbid Mugi from taking a break." For a moment, she massaged her temples.

“Last week’s mission was the last straw,” Sakura added. “You should have seen the look Sis had on her face when she finally had enough of those geezers and put her foot down.”

“As the Riders say, your wish to protect the innocent is great. But please, do not endanger yourself in the process" Spirit told Mugi, prompting her to nod with a quick affirmation, which caused more confusion among the Taimanin at her respect for Spirit.

Finally, the group arrived at the clinic. Asagi deftly knocked on the door, which was quickly answered by a woman with short blue hair and purple eyes.

“Oh, did the patient I was informed about arrive?” asked Himehagi Saki. Asagi moved aside, allowing her to see Vulcan, who was being supported by Mugi. “Oh my! How could you get such injuries?” She quickly checked on Vulcan, examining the damaged parts of his armor. “Come on, let’s get you out of that armor so I can heal you!”

Watching as she escorted Vulcan into the clinic and closed the door behind them, Mugi said, “I hope Vulcan will be fine...”

"Well, now that the little wolf is being cared for by a professional. I will take my leave, I have to go see my dear husband and Yukikaze after all. " Shiranui said with a light chuckle. Asagi and Sakura nodded to her as she turned to leave. However, she paused to give Tycoon a brief look. “Tycoon-san, I hope I can talk with you again. I'm still very curious about why you refer to me in such a way,” she said with a small smile as she left.

“So, uh...” Wizard started, “Should we wait for Vulcan’s treatment to finish before we get down to brass tacks, or should we start now?” The look Asagi sent him gave him answered his question.

Notes:

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 10: The Meeting

Notes:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Naoto felt weird. Apparently removing the armor wasn’t enough, which sucked because the armor was preventing some of the wounds from bleeding out, prompting Saki to quickly handle those injuries. And then he had to take off his hoodie and shirt, which led to what he could only describe as Ninja Art healing. She applied pressure to his wounds, carefully dealing with his injuries.

Watching in stunned awe as his injuries slowly but steadily heal, he had only one thing to say. “Whoa…” His awed expression caused the Taimanin to giggle, prompting him to blush sheepishly. Truth be told, he found it better than her initial surprised – and worried, for some reason – reaction when he took off the armor.

Saki was worried. Vulcan looked so… normal, not like someone who would get in fights that would lead to wounds like that. He wasn’t a Taimanin or a trained soldier, so why would he fight? "Why would you... how could you get involved in such a fight? You do realize that if it wasn't for your armor, you could have died, right?"

"Well..." Naoto had no idea where to begin without getting into his whole ‘not having anything else but being a Rider’ thing. "I know it's dangerous, but If I hesitate, innocent people could be hurt or worse. The moment I accepted that-" he gestured to the ShotRiser. "I basically made a promise to protect everyone I could alongside their smiles. When I help someone, I just can't help but smile, even if it can't be seen because of the mask." That's all it was. The promise that was made the moment he held the ShotRiser and said 'Henshin'.

"Right now. Some people are being controlled and are suffering because of it... I'm going to save them." Naoto closed his eyes for a second, then opened them and looked at her with as much determination as he could. "Even if I end up hurt and in so much pain. I am going to save them."

Naoto now had bandages around his chest and left arm. Saki continued to examine him, to see if he needed any more treatment, noticing a small scar on the back of his head. With the treatment mostly finished, Saki could only look as Naoto put his clothes back on and grabbed the ShotRiser. "Please, just be careful. Dying while saving someone... will only hurt those close to you, including your family," Saki said, causing him to flinch at the mention of family.

"I know... Thank you for your help. I appreciate it." He bowed to her carefully and wrapped the belt around his waist. He quickly transformed once more so that he could leave the clinic and reunite with the others. With that, he opened the door and walked out. 'Now then, what did I miss?'

With the others, they had a conversation to pass the time while waiting for Vulcan’s treatment to finish. Blade started, “What have you been up to recently, Mugi-san? Hopefully you’ve been taking breaks too.”

“Yeah,” replied Mugi, “Asagi-sensei kinda made me take a long break after what happened last week, so…” She rubbed the back of her head. “I’ve mostly been hanging out with my friends and trying to rewatch most of the Rider series.” She quickly glanced at Spirit and whispered, “Is… is it really him? How is Hajime then…?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” Blade whispered back. “We ran into him a little before we came here. We don’t know how, but hopefully Hajime’s alright.”

Overhearing them, Buffa softly added, “We ran into Jin too. He's being controlled by Shocker, though from the looks of it he's able to resist, even if just barely.” Knowing Mugi, it would be better to learn it now while she was still under forced health leave rather than when she was allowed to return to active duty, as the latter risked her running off alone again.

Mugi froze at his words, looking at him with wide eyes. "J-Jin..!? But he should be dead. Fuwa… Fuwa had to kill him and the rest of Metsuboujinrai...." Mugi clenched her fists, the thought of someone else being used by Shocker upsetting her even more, especially since it was Jin after everything that happened. "We... we have to…" She slumped down, knowing that she couldn’t leave the village until her mandatory break was over. "We can save him...right?"

“Like I said,” reminded Buffa, “he was able to just barely resist long enough for us to notice.”

"Hey, I'm sure we'll figure something out." Blade attempted to soothe Mugi's worries. "It seemed like he was close to breaking free from Shocker's control. He's a tough cookie as well, so the next time we see him, we'll be prepared."

Spirit got closer to Tycoon. "Is there a reason why you seemed so tense around her?" he asked the tanuki-themed Rider.

"It's a bit complicated… I… we can talk about it later," Tycoon replied to Spirit, dodging the topic.

Turning to Sakura, Bujin asked, “Hey, Ninja Girl, what can you tell us about this village?”

Sakura replied, “Well, I can't really go into too much detail, but Gosha is obviously where most Taimanins are trained. We have the Academy for that. There’s also the Virgin Forest where there are a lot of Taima Beasts, so you should be careful. The various clan estates... Oh, and Inageya! It's a sweetshop known for its ice cream and anmitsu.” She put a finger to her chin, oblivious to how Asagi looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

‘I’m sorry, the Virgin Forest? There’s actually a place called that?’ Bujin thought. He couldn’t help but try not to snort at the ridiculous name before focusing on the other places Sakura mentioned. “A sweetshop, huh? Any chance that place is part of the tour?”

“Do you have the money to pay?” asked Tycoon. After a moment, he thought of something. “Wait, do they use regular currency here, or do they have their own?”

"Yes, we do use regular currency, Tanuki Boy. Unfortunately, don't have our own Taimanin currency. It would be funny though if it could have Sis's face on it!" Sakura grinned at Asagi, which caused her to roll her eyes at her sister's antics.

Asagi, having taken the time to observe each Rider, focused on Wizard. “You don’t feel like any other magic users I’ve dealt with,” she said.

Wizard suppressed a chuckle. “Ah, yes. Well, that would make sense. Each magic has its own feel, and mine is… sufficiently divergent that it is expected that I would feel quite different indeed from the 'standard' others have.”

Just then, Vulcan walked out of the clinic door in much better condition, judging by how he was standing straight and didn’t limp. “Hey guys, what’d I miss?”

“Glad to see you in one piece again, Vulcan,” said Tycoon as he handed over the Attache Calibur.

“You alright?” asked Buffa. “I know we all really want to do something about what's going on, but we can't afford to get hurt too much. We don't even have the equipment that could let us take more punishment with us.”

Bujin called, “Yo, Vulcan, here’s a get well present.” He tossed the Assault Grip to Vulcan, who caught it with ease before inspecting it.

"Good, now that everyone’s here, we can go to my office for our talks. Follow me." Asagi turned and headed towards the Academy. "Sakura. Shijima. you two as well." Sakura shrugged while casually taking Vulcan's Attache Shotgun, while Mugi flinched before quickly nodding.

As the Riders reached the Academy, they noticed many Taimanin watching them. Some with curiosity, and others with caution. When they walked through the Academy, some of the Riders recognized several students they walked past on their way to Asagi's office. They even caught a glimpse of Murasaki teaching a class. Sakura cheerfully waved at her, which caused her to do a double take.

After they entered Asagi’s office, Asagi gave the room a cursory sweep to ensure their discussion would be completely private.

“Erm, Asagi-sensei? Why am I here?” Mugi slightly raised her hand as she asked her question.

Giving the girl a firm look, the older Taimanin stated, “Shijima, did you think I wouldn’t notice that you seem to know so much about our guests and the new enemy?”

Flinching, Mugi chuckled nervously and squeaked, “W-well, it’s kinda funny…”

“That aside, shall we begin, Riders?” Asagi looked to the group. “We have much to discuss, but… certain individuals would prefer that I start with this. Are you a threat to Gosha, and what is your aim or objective?”

Wizard frowned, thankful that his helmet hid his expression. That was a loaded question if he ever heard one. Slowly, he carefully asked, “Are you asking about the capability to be a threat, or the intent to be a threat?” He knew Asagi was a decent person for the most part, some questionable choices aside – that time she killed her heavily pregnant clone simply for being her clone, for one – but she wasn’t the sole authority.

Snorting, Buffa said, “Remember how you mentioned that certain people wanted to prevent Mugi from taking a break and have her keep going on missions? They would definitely see us as a threat to Gosha.” However, he dropped the snark quickly. “To answer your question, we’d have to know what you mean by that. What kind of scenarios do those certain individuals have in mind, and are they the same people who wanted to force Mugi to keep going on missions despite clearly being in no condition to do so?”

Vulcan shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t know how to answer Asagi’s questions. He had never been good at these types of conversations, and Wizard seemed to catch things better than him. “I don't want to talk for the others,” he slowly said, “but... I personally just want to help everyone I can.”

Blade didn’t know what to say. If he said they were heroes, Asagi probably still wouldn’t trust them. And if he said they weren’t, well, he could already guess what would happen. But as soon as he heard Vulcan speak, he realized that perhaps it would be better to just be honest, because not only were they speaking the truth, they might as well be speaking from their hearts. “What Vulcan said,” he began, trailing off as he felt uncertain. “All of us just want to do the right thing. We aren’t fighting for our own gain at all. We've been fighting against those who you're also against, and I know this is going to sound cheesy, but at the end of the day, we're fighting for human lives and freedom. Even if we may get hurt or worse, die, we'll fight for those who can't fight.”

Stroking his chin, Bujin mused, “Hoh! Asking that kind of question right off the bat, huh? Well, I guess it's really a matter of perspective. But I'll be blunt with you, I do what I want to do. I'm not sure if I have the right to call myself a Kamen Rider, but I'll choose my path to follow. And right now, the path I want to follow is to help these guys.”

Tycoon let out a sigh. “My companions seem to have said it all,” he said, “but if I had to add something, it would be to make it clear that we fight for what we believe is right.”

Asagi closed her eyes… and let out a small chuckle. “To answer your question, Wizard, I was referring to intent, but I could clearly hear the honesty in the words of your companions.” Looking to Buffa, she continued, “And to answer yours, Buffa. Yes, it is the very same individuals. They consider you dangerous because of the power you showed in your fight. In addition, we learned that Fifteen, one of the two masked individuals that have already shown their intentions and threat level, has gotten into a fight with Hell Knight Ingrid and managed to both injure her and survive the fight.”

Sakura added, “NOMAD's announcement about being on your side didn’t help either. They got paranoid, so we had to change plans ahead of time. Oh, and you might not believe this at first, but NOMAD isn’t as nice as it makes itself out to be for the public.”

“Yeah!” Mugi interjected, “They’re evil and bad like Shocker!”

Taking note of how Fifteen had injured Ingrid, Vulcan muttered, “Heisei Lockseed then… That’ll suck.” Even worse, if he could remember correctly, Fifteen had access to final forms. Looking to Sakura, he asked, “Also, can you give back my suitcase?” Sakura’s response was to shake her head and grin cheekily.

“We don’t have any intent to bring harm to Gosha or the Taimanin,” Wizard said, “And we know about Fifteen. He’s fairly high on our list of priorities, but… well, we’re not strong enough to face him.” Looking to Mugi, he continued, “And yes, we’re aware of NOMAD’s less than scrupulous activities. I’m fairly certain that Dame Ingrid isn’t. But that’s irrelevant. NOMAD and Shocker are about on the same moral level. Both would likely be offended by that, but it is true to the best of my knowledge.”

Buffa commented, “Eh, I think they can be better or worse than the other depending on what specific thing you look at, but that doesn't matter." Looking to Asagi, I continued, "After all, we're here to talk business and not loyalties or semantics, isn't that right, Igawa-san?”

“Very well, I wish to ask for assistance in dealing with the various monster attacks and the threat of both Fifteen and Gaim-Yami,” declared Asagi, glancing at Spirit as he stared intently at a wall while mumbling something under his breath. “Of course, this means I will ensure that the Taimanin will assist you in turn.”

Mugi interrupted, “We have to save Kouta!”

Sakura blinked in confusion. “Um, who’s Kouta?”

Stuttering, Mugi quickly explained, “W-well, h-he's Gaim-Yami. He’s being controlled and used by Shocker like Jin is!”

Surprised, Sakura asked, “Wait, you know about the robot?”

Mugi shouted, “Jin is a person, Sakura-sensei! They're using him!”

Sakura gets surprised for a moment then nods with a smile. "Right, right."

Eyes narrowed, Asagi asked, “Shijima, how do you know so much about this Shocker, the Riders, and even Gaim-Yami's identity? From the moment they appeared, you have been the one that has acted the most erratic, as if you already knew how dangerous they are. How did you come across such information, and why did you not tell any of your superiors?”

Mugi shrank in on herself as she tried to explain. “W-well, it’s just that... Shocker and the Riders are... kinda from...” She kept mumbling, her words getting quieter, but her last words were spoken loud enough for everyone to hear. “From an old toku series I love!”

Asagi and Sakura stared at her. “What?” The baffled expressions on their faces were so amusing that Wizard took the chance to discreetly take a photo on his phone.

"Well, the talking purple unicorn isn't here to do it, so allow me to be the one to welcome you to the multiverse, Igawa-san," Wizard said cheerfully. "If you can imagine it, it exists somewhere out there! Literally. The current running theory is that the imagination is actually a low-key form of inter-universal scrying... but the runner up is that imagination is being used as a backup server by the gods who run the multiverse in case something happens and they have to repair it." Shrugging, he finished, "In the end, the exact mechanics don't really matter, practically speaking. What does is that those who can hop realities or manipulate timelines can drag things that are fictional in one realm into said realm from their home reality."

Vulcan shrugged. Kamen Riders being simultaneously fictional yet real was the plot of two movies. In the first, they came back from being erased from existence because someone remembered them. In the second, despite all Riders being erased from existence via the series never being created in the first place, Touma returned to find and convince the creator of Rider and Sentai, Ishinomori Shotaro himself, to not give up in creating the heroes he wanted.

Taking advantage of Sakura’s current state, he quickly took Punching Kong back. "Fictional or not, it doesn't matter. I'm still going to what feels right,” he said.

Restraining the urge to snort in amusement, Blade added, "I know it sounds crazy, but Mugi's right. All of the people causing these incidents? They're from Kamen Rider, even though it seems like there hasn't been anything new from the franchise in a LONG time. Shocker's been around for many years, and believe it or not, this isn't the first time they've popped up in many universes or times like this. "

Noticing the empty looks Asagi and Sakura had in their eyes, Buffa explained, "I don't know if this helps, but because of the way the multiverse works, that means there's a world out there where we're having the same conversation, except the roles are reversed and instead of Kamen Riders and their enemies ending up in your world, it's you and your enemies ending up in the Kamen Rider world."

Well, it wouldn't exactly be them having the conversation since they were from a world where both Kamen Rider and Taimanin were fictional, but that didn't mean there wasn't a world where Kamen Riders were real and they actually did exist in them. Then again, this kind of thing would dive too far into theoretical what-ifs and such.

"Point is," he concluded, "the multiverse is real, meaning that if a fictional character breaches the multiverse multiple times in their franchise, there's a world where the fictional character is real and they breached the multiverse for real. Case in point, Shocker."

Bujin couldn’t help but whistle in amazement that the others were practically ripping off the metaphorical Band-Aid on the existence of the multiverse. Shrugging, he commented, “What they said. Still, no matter the situation, Shocker’s a threat that’ll bring harm to innocent people That’s why it’s important to stop them no matter what.”

Feeling that Asagi and Sakura’s perception of reality was shattered enough, Tycoon said, “Setting that matter aside, I suppose we can now start discussing things seriously. This may be a recent discovery for you, but I doubt our rivals haven’t at least been curious enough to do a quick internet search and figure out our origin.”

Eye twitching furiously, Asagi sighed deeply.

“Yeah,” Wizard said. “It’s always fun when one reality brings its rules into another one. Glorious chaos.”

“That does explain the talking belts and weapons... and the songs,” Sakura mused out loud as she looked at the Attache Shotgun. Turning to the Riders, she asked, “So, do you all have theme songs or something?”

“Y-yeah. The Rider Multiverse is a thing... Tsukasa does his job and also Sougo is... well," Mugi mumbled, it was obvious that she understood the basics because of all the Rider media she watched, but the big words still flew past her.

“So you are telling me the monsters who have been attacking and causing chaos come from an evil organization from an old tokusatsu show..." Asagi took a deep breath as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She understood the multiversal talk, but it was currently meaningless and there was no point in going in that direction. Yet. Turning to Mugi, she gave a pointed look at Spirit.

Getting the hint, Mugi explained, “H-he’s Spirit, the Human Undead from Kamen Rider Blade. He’s kinda the ancestor of all of humanity in that series.”

Looking as though she desperately needed a drink, Asagi groaned, “Of course he is...” At the same time, Sakura gawked at the shirtless man in surprise.

Remembering that Asagi had a habit of drinking due to her job, Vulcan internally apologized. “Spirit is... complicated.” Then again, the lore of Kamen Rider Blade was complicated by itself. “But yeah, Shocker, the legion from hell. They’ve been a thorn in the side of the Kamen Riders for decades at this point. They may seem ridiculous and weird but they can be scarily competent.”

Bujin said, “Hey now, just because they're from a tokusatsu show, doesn't mean they should be underestimated. I mean seriously, Shocker even went as far as to change the past in order to prevent Kamen Riders from stopping their world domination plan.”

“Whoa, they must really hate you guys,” Sakura said in response. Looking to Spirit, she asked, “So you’re like humanity’s.... great-great-grandpa?”

Spirit chuckled, responding, “I do not mind if you see me in such a way. And I would like to add that the current Battle Fight is a fake. There is no Master or a Monolith to seal the Undead after they fight.”

Asagi took a moment to remain silent to organize all the information she had obtained and clear her thoughts. The idea of an organization from an old show becoming real sounded ridiculous, but the reports of attacks were real. Fifteen and Gaim-Yami were real. Shijima Mugi's panic and actions were real.

Asagi began, “A few days ago, I received reports of the UFS attempting to capture one of these... Undead creatures. I assume it was one because of the description of the strange belt buckle it had." She looked at Spirit then Blade. "The attempt was a complete disaster and the majority of the capture team ended up dead because they assumed the creature was dealt with. It seemingly recovered en route to their destination and escaped.”

Wizard said, “Blade’s got the tools to seal them,” cutting Asagi off before she could ask the question. “The good news is that not all of the Undeads other than Spirit are solely focused on the fight. I seem to recall Tiger being an honorable warrior.”

“Blade can probably explain it better than any of us. He is the expert about them, after all,” interrupted Vulcan. Was he throwing Ethan under the bus? Perhaps, but he wasn’t wrong either. ‘I wonder how Hikaru and Shima are doing and how are they taking being in this world?’ he thought. He pitied anyone who thought they could try something against Hikaru. There was also Daichi, the Elephant Undead, who preferred to relax and rest than get in an unnecessary fight. He was probably relaxing near a pool or something

“Pretty much what the others said,” Blade said. “When it comes to sealing them, you defeat them first then use a Common Blank or Proper Blank card on them depending on their corresponding suit. So maybe you could tell us more about the Undead who managed to escape, because I may be able to recognize and seal them when they pop up again?”

As the conversation progressed, Tycoon noticed that Spirit kept staring at a wall. “Everything okay?” he asked as he approached the shirtless man. 

Spirit looked at Tycoon with a smile. "Yes, I just sensed an old acquaintance. He seems to be heading to the city we were in before." He chuckled. "He is a bit rough around the edges but I could convince him to help."

“So, a potential new ally?” Tycoon murmured to himself. That was good news, because the more people on their side, the better. Looking at the others, he said, “You know, I think it would be best to take a break. I feel like we're throwing out too much information at once, and it might be hard to process.”

Asagi nodded at Tycoon’s words. “Yes, this discussion has given me much to think about, so a break should be good.” Looking to Mugi, she ordered, “Shijima, I want you to stay with me. There are some questions I wish for you to answer.” Looking to Spirit, she continued, “I wish to ask the same of you. I want to know more about the Undeads.”

Turning to the others, she said, “You all may explore the Academy and the places nearby. I only ask that you don't attempt to access any restricted areas. Sakura, keep them company so that there aren’t any misunderstandings. And Blade?”

Blade looked at Asagi. “Yes?”

“Reports say that the monster had a resemblance to a Deer alongside showcasing electric abilities,” she informed him. With that, she closed the door, preparing to speak to Mugi and Spirit in private.

"Well, now that you guys are free to explore. what do you want to look at first?" Sakura clapped her hand against the Attache Shotgun as she grinned at the Riders.

“I honestly don’t know,” said Wizard. “I have no doubt you have lots of wonderful places, but I suspect that many of them are places your authorities would prefer that we not be.”

“Well, we could look around, I guess?” Vulcan suggested, looking around the hallway. “This is a ninja school, so there’s got to be something.”

Glancing out a window, Buffa watched the students on the field. They seemed to be doing some sort of drills, and wore headbands that were either red or white, likely team exercises of some sort. "Nice to know that even here, they do ordinary gym stuff too," he muttered to himself.

Right as he was about to turn away, one of the students caught his attention. Taking a closer look, he saw that it was a blue-haired boy who hung back from the others, seemingly not as confident in his skills. 'Is that Tatsuro?' he thought. 'Or is this that timeline where Kotaro is a good person who stays with Gosha but just isn't that physically skilled?'

"But it must be impressive. I mean, imagine playing dodgeball with super strength and speed. It must be quite the spectacle," Tycoon commented as he joined Buffa at the window. He also noticed the blue-haired boy. For a moment, he thought it was Tatsuro, but dismissed the thought after a moment. The boy’s hair was dark cerulean, while Tatsuro’s hair was indigo blue. ‘Maybe it’s Kotaro or just some random blue-haired guy,’ he thought.

"I have to admit, this place looks more like a secret city than a small ninja village. You know, I was expecting more traditional wooden houses," he joked. They watched as an extremely effeminate boy with long brown hair approaches the blue-haired guy. Tycoon recognized the boy as Uehara Shikanosuke. ‘Yep, that’s Kotaro.’

“While Gosha is very traditional in some ways, let's just say a lot of the clans prefer the comfort of modern houses,” Sakura explained.

Meanwhile, Vulcan paused at the stairway when he heard someone walking. Looking up just in time, he was barely able to catch a glimpse of someone as they slipped and fell on top of him.

Jogging over, Sakura giggled in amusement. “Today is not Wolf Boy’s day,” she quipped. Upon seeing who the figure was, however, her smile vanished. “Uh oh,” she said.

Laying on top of Vulcan, rubbing her head, was a tall girl with blonde hair held up in in pigtails by two large ribbons. This was Onisaki Kirara, a Taimanin who could be roughly described as a tsundere with childhood trauma-induced misandry. And Vulcan... was currently suffocating under her breasts.

Notes:

RIP EmiyaZX, you will be missed. Such is the fate of the butt monkey.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 11: More Meetings

Notes:

Warning: we have a couple moments of stupidity this chapter. And no, I will not elaborate.

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Everyone watched as Kirara continued to lie on top of Vulcan, groaning as she rubbed her head. However, considering the situation, most of them were wary of getting close at the moment.

“Hey, are you okay, miss?” Wizard called. Although he recognized her, he wasn’t going to leave Vulcan on his own, no matter how amusing the situation might have been from a distance. “That was quite the fall you had there.”

Opening his eyes, Vulcan froze the moment he saw Kirara was lying on top of him. While many guys would think he was a lucky bastard, he knew better. ‘I’m so dead,’ he thought, ‘At this point of the Taimanin timelines, Kirara should be in her “I hate all men in existence” mode!’ Trying to think of something to keep her from getting angry, he said the first thing that came to mind. “Hi there, I’m your cushion. Are you alright?” he asked. ‘… I’m so dead, aren’t I?’ Here he was, making a terrible first impression for a Taimanin character he always liked. ‘What is it with me and giving bad first impressions to Taimanin?!’ he mentally despaired.

Blade ran over and helped them up. “Are you two alright?” While he wasn’t exactly sure if this was Kirara, if he was right, then he would have to be very careful to not anger her.

On the other hand, Buffa, who did immediately identify the girl as Kirara, held up the Raise Shield, preparing to avoid the crossfire. “Not the best choice of words, Vulcan,” he called out. “Maybe it would have been safer to say you just finished with the medics?”

Likewise, Tycoon took a step back. If the sudden physical contact didn’t anger her, then Vulcan’s words and Blade holding her hand would only add fuel to the fire. And from what he knew, any attempt by another man to calm her down would only make things worse.

Kirara wasn’t having a good day. She had a bad night’s sleep, woke up with a stiff neck, and had a headache throughout the day. And as if it wasn’t bad enough, she slipped and fell down the stairs thanks to a sudden bout of light-headedness. Finally opening her eyes as her mind caught up to her body, she looked down and saw a man right beneath her, smothered by her breasts. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down as blood rushed to her cheeks in frustration. ‘It isn’t his fault entirely,’ she told herself, already feeling her power leak out even as she tried to restrain it.

And then another man came and pulled her up. Jerking her hand away and taking a few steps back, she scowled, letting her power out as the hallway became drastically colder. Glaring at each of the Riders, especially Vulcan and Blade, she snapped, “Stay away from me! I don't want to be touched by beasts!”

Noticing how Vulcan slumped at her words, Kirara’s eyes narrowed. “You’re that weirdo that was walking around with broken armor, aren't you? Everyone was talking about all of you masked weirdos because of that and the video that’s going around!”

Wizard shrugged. “Yeah, one of our fights got caught on camera and went viral. Apparently, we're still new enough to be news. It might blow over sooner or later. Or the people who we were fighting might decide to escalate, I don’t know which.”

Nervously rubbing his left arm at being singled out, Vulcan awkwardly said, “I guess everyone was curious about what caused me to get hurt like that.” Bowing, he continued, “Look, I’m sorry about what happened. I’m just glad you’re not hurt.” Internally, he wondered if there was anything he could do to fix the issue.

“I’m sorry about that,” added Blade. “I’m just glad you’re not hurt.” Likewise, he was also trying to think of a way to fix the issue.

Dozens of thoughts ran through Buffa’s mind on how to defuse the situation. He knew that even speaking to Kirara would make things worse, and not only because he was a guy. She had a complex about her horns and tried to hide them. He had horns. Well, his helmet did, but that wasn't the point. He was based on the buffalo, a member of the bovine family. The males were called bulls, while the females were called cows. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to call Buffa a bull. Kirara felt that the combination of her horns and large breasts made her look like a cow. Was he overthinking things? Probably. Was it just as likely that his paranoia was correct? Also possible.

And then it hit him. Turning to Sakura, Buffa quickly said, "Igawa-san, please calm her down. Don't let those people who wanted to immediately label us threats and force Mugi to keep going on missions have an excuse to get their way and potentially undermine or damage your sister's authority."

Tycoon wisely chose to avoid direct involvement as well. Though it wasn’t brave or supportive, he didn’t exactly have a way to de-escalate the situation, and anything he tried to do was likely to only further enrage the misandristic ice-wielding Taimanin.

Sighing, Sakura placed the Attache Shotgun against the wall and quickly stepped in. “Onisaki-chan, I know you have your issues with men. I understand that, but these guys? The Riders aren't going to do anything bad to you. My sister wants us to cooperate with them to deal with recent attacks.”

Kirara exclaimed, “What? But why?! It's bad enough that we are dealing with those things, but now you want to put your trust in these beasts? We don't even know their faces!” Pointing at Bujin, she pointed out, “That one even has the same belt as those other two!” Glaring at Vulcan, she added, “And I bet you enjoyed that and aren’t sorry at all! For all we know, you could be with them!”

Bujin retorted, "Hey now, just because I have the same belt as those two, doesn't mean I'm anything like them. Obviously, I'm absolutely flawless compared to those two." He pretended to flick his hair.

Sakura ordered, “That’s enough, Onisaki-chan.” Walking over and putting a firm hand on the girl’s shoulder, she said, “I'm sorry, but I'm can’t have you disrespect them. Not when Vulcan got hurt protecting others. Not when they saved Mugi-chan's life.”

Kirara blinked in surprise before looking away. “W-we don’t even know their real names,” she grumbled. “Vulcan is obviously a fake name.”

Wizard explained, “it’s a code name, Onisaki-san. It’s just us six fighting a multinational crime organization that kidnaps people to perform genetic and cybernetic enhancements to turn them into monster cyborgs that can cause mass destruction and tend to be immune to anything less than military-grade weaponry at the very least. We don’t have an entire village looking out for us, and we certainly don’t have government backing. We can’t afford to let our names be known to just anyone. It’s nothing personal.”

Becoming more serious, Bujin added, “We can’t really expose our true identities. I mean, if we do, what’s to stop anyone from coming after us?”

Flinching when Kirara pointed at him, Vulcan could only sigh in defeat, especially when Wizard spoke. It was true. He couldn’t afford to let his identity be public, but he wanted Kirara to trust him too. After all, her hatred for men was born from her father telling her that he killed her mother, and his death shortly afterwards didn’t help matters.

His hand slowly drifted to the ShotRiser. It was a dumb move, but maybe... ‘What would Aruto do? Probably something dumb to lighten the atmosphere.’ His finger hovered over the button to disengage the Progrisekey from the ShotRiser, ready to deactivate the transformation. ‘If nobody stops me,’ he thought, ‘I’m going to do something really dumb.’

Wizard gaped in shock. Blade moved to stop Vulcan, only to slip on ice. Bujin squawked in indignation. Tycoon was too stunned to react. Buffa reflexively threw the Raise Shield, hoping to stop Vulcan in time.

Sakura and Kirara stared at Naoto in surprise, neither of them expecting him to remove the armor. “You... you look...” Sakura didn’t even know where to begin. While on the VTOL and as time passed, she had created a mental image of Vulcan being a grumpy middle-aged man who lost the genetic lottery for height, but his real face looked nothing like what she expected. He didn’t look like a trained warrior or a determined hero. He just looked like an average guy.

Kirara gaped, finally realizing that she was taller than him. “Why did you reveal yourself? Didn’t the others just say why you shouldn’t?” He looked nothing like she expected.

Naoto simply gave a small wave as he smiled... and then the Raise Shield hit him in the head “Ow!” His head was knocked forward, going straight into Kirara’s breasts. His face sank into them for a moment before they jiggled, comically pushing back and sending him careening a few steps away.

Rubbing his head as he regained his footing, Naoto shot a look at Buffa for a moment before sighing. “You know what? Fair enough.” Turning to the two Taimanin, he re-introduced himself. “Erm, hi, Igawa-san, Onisaki-san.” Bowing, he continued, “It’s a pleasure to meet you two. My name is Kazama Naoto.” It may have been a mistake to reveal himself so quickly, but at the end of the day, he was the only one being endangered and not them, right?

Dumbfounded, Blade held back the urge to scream. ‘Why would you do that?!’ he internally shouted. It was one thing to let Mugi know, since they knew she was trustworthy, but to just tell Sakura and Kirara without hesitation? The only solace was that the hallway was currently devoid of anyone other than them.

“Oops,” said Buffa. It didn’t help that the Raise Shield hit Naoto by its edge rather than the center point like he had intended. But now that Naoto exposed himself, it just didn’t feel right to leave him as the only one to do so. On the other hand, it wasn’t a good idea to just reveal his identity either. And that’s when he remembered a certain detail.

Undoing the transformation, Buffa adjusted his face mask so it wouldn’t fall off. “Well, since Naoto did it, I might as well too,” he sighed. “This is what I look like under the armor. However, I won't be showing my face or giving my name until it's more appropriate or safe to do so.”

Bujin sighed when Alexander revealed himself. ‘Well, at least he’s wearing a mask and isn’t giving his name.’ While he wasn’t going to give his name, he decided to simply watch how things played out.

Sakura looked at Alexander curiously. “Wearing a mask under a mask? You really are prepared, aren’t you, Lo?” She briefly glanced at Naoto, wondering why he didn’t wear a mask like Alexander did.

Now that she had time to process it, Kirara stared at Naoto for a few moments before crossing her arms, huffing as she looked away. “You look like an idiot.” Before Naoto could say anything, she ranted, “Are you really that dumb? Even after everyone said why you had to hide your identity, you went ahead and revealed yours to me? Why?” Taking a deep breath, she continued, “You must be a huge idiot. I could go ahead and tell everyone your name and what you look like.” Turning around, she sighed, “You’re even injured, you idiot."

"Well, I guess Wolf Boy really wants us to trust him." Sakura looked between the two for a moment. "Wolf Boy is already Wolf Boy to me, so as far as I’m concerned, nothing changes."

Kirara remained quiet for a few seconds before huffing. Walking away, she said, “I won’t tell anyone your stupid name or your dumb face. Just don’t do anything perverted, dumb wolf.” Under her breath, she mumbled, “Kazama Naoto.... a fitting dumb name for an idiot.”

“Well, that went better than expected,” Sakura sighed in relief. Looking to Naoto and Alexander, she said, “You two syould probably put the armor back on before anyone else sees you.”

“Vulcan,” Wizard nearly growled, “You are an absolute buffoon.” He resisted the urge to smack him on the back of his head. “We've been over this, and you're still doing this. Come on. Onisaki-san is almost certainly trustworthy, but we're in a literal ninja school. Hidden cameras? Possible corruption? Internal power struggles?"

He tended to assume that any organization with over twenty or thirty members in the Taimanin verse had some level of corruption. If they were lucky, then it would simply be the embezzlement of funds. If not, well... The Fuuma Rebellion was a thing in most timelines. There was also the ‘if you don't have a Ninja Art, you're nothing but worthless scum to be used as training fodder for others’ mentality that was surprisingly common among the Taimanin.

Naoto watched Kirara walk away, knowing that she was right. “You’re right,” he softly responded, “I’m an idiot.” With that, he activated the Shooting Wolf Progrisekey, transforming into Vulcan once more. The moment the armor settled, Wizard slapped the back of his head.

“Wizard is right, Vulcan,” Bujin said. “Don’t forget, the actual Riders themselves have ways to protect themselves if their identities are exposed. We don’t. When one of us does something, it affects us all.”

“I’m with them,” added Tycoon. The more he thought about it, the worse it seemed. Before,

Letting out a sigh of relief, Blade turned to Sakura. “Thank you so much, Sakura-san. If you weren’t here, things could’ve gone messier.” While he understood why Buffa would reveal himself, he felt that it would be better to stay transformed this time.

Transforming once more, Buffa sighed, “Good thing she dropped the issue. What were we going to do again?”

Turning to Sakura, Bujin asked, “Hey Ninja Girl, what are the odds that we can have a friendly little spar here?”

"Well, we were going to let you guys just look around, and to answer your question Fruit Boy, if you want one, then sure. But we would have to go to one of the training grounds for that, and I don't think many would appreciate me taking you guys there for now..." Sakura answered both Buffa's and Bujin’s questions. "Oh, and before anything else. I'm sorry about Onisaki-chan. She has... a few issues with men but she is a really good girl beneath all that." Sakura quickly bowed then grabbed the Attache Shotgun once again.

"You're hardly at fault for other people’s trauma, Igawa-san. And people don't act like Onisaki-san has without a heaping dose of it. Whatever happened is her business, not mine, but she has my sympathies. Though she'd probably get angry if you told her I said that..." replied Wizard.

"A spar doesn't sound bad…" Vulcan mumbled to himself. If anything, it would give the others the excuse to give him a few punches because of his dumb actions. "And yeah. Don't worry about it, Igawa-san. And she kinda had a point about not being capable of trusting us because you don't even know our faces or even real names." It didn’t help that Mugi’s report was likely biased, and as such could not be considered entirely credible.

"Yeah, I'm for continuing the tour," Buffa agreed. "Preferably before the students come back. That way, we avoid unnecessary attention and they don't get distracted."

Bujin said, “Well, I'd definitely be interested in a spar against you, Ninja Girl.” He grasped his ZX Lockseed. Though it had been a while since he obtained it, he hadn’t had an opportunity to actually use it, and figured that a spar would be a good time to test it. Besides, who could be a better sparring partner for a ninja-based power up than an actual ninja?

“Oh hey, that reminded me that I still need to practice with the Ninja Buckle,” Tycoon mumbled, briefly remembering how he wasn’t able to do anything against Jin. Clenching his fists in frustration, he let out a sigh. “If neither of you mind, I’d like to spar too,” he said out loud.

Sakura thought for a moment. "Hmm… Alright!" she shrugged. "But a Ninja Buckle, eh? You got my attention, Tanuki Boy" She grinned at Tycoon then began walking. "Masked men, follow me!"

After a short walk, the group arrived at a surprisingly basic training arena. It seemed to be lacking in utilities, but it would do. “This is the simplest one we have, so they shouldn't make a sting about us using it since it doesn't have the special things the others have." Sakura presents the arena proudly.

"Oh! Hello, Sakura-sensei…" a girl with long brown hair in a hime cut and blue eyes arrived with a slightly sour look upon seeing Sakura.

“Asuka-chan! Did you come to train? Sorry but we’re going to use this place," Sakura greeted with a smile and gestured to the Riders.

Asuka looked at them with surprise. “Oh, you guys are those masked hero guys, right?” She quickly approached the group, circling them as she looked the Riders over. She even playfully poked at Buffa’s horns and Bujin’s head crest, as well as lightly pulling at Blade’s Blay Rouzer. “Weird sword,” she mumbled to herself. Walking back in front of the group, she introduced herself. “Nice to meet you. I’m Koukawa Asuka!” She put a hand on her hip and flashed a peace sign to the Riders.

“Hmm? You seem to have a good opinion of them, Asuka-chan,” observed Sakural

Asuka scowled as she looked awa. “At least they’re doing something… unlike her.”

The Riders who recognized her were surprised by the fact that Asuka’s arms and legs were flesh and blood, not artificial prosthetics. Maybe her ill-fated mission hadn’t happened yet?

Once again, the Riders introduced themselves, again mentioning how they had to hide their identities due to fighting a multi-national crime organization that had few moral objections to committing heinous crimes.

Looking to Sakura, Bujin asked, “Ninja Girl, are you going to be our opponent in this friendly spar, or will your student be joining us as well?”

“I don’t mind a two-on-two,” said Tycoon. “Sounds like a good idea to me. Besides, if we’re going to work together, then it’s good to know each other’s level.”

Before Sakura could say anything, Asuka interrupted, “I’m joining in!”

Sighing, the older Taimanin relented. “Alright then,” she sighed, “I can’t do anything once Asuka-chan gets going, so dips on Tanuki Boy!” She immediately grabbed Tycoon, dragging him off as everyone followed her.

Inside the training arena, Asuka stood in front of Bujin as she stretched. On the ither side, Tycoon gripped the Ninja Dueler tightly while Sakura stretched as well.

The Riders mused among themselves about how the fight wouldgo. On paper, Tycoon and Bujin were stronger and possibly faster. On the other hand, Sakura and Asuka had leagues of experience. Even with Bujin’s creativity and Tycoon being the closest thing to a ninja they had, they didn’t have the skill, knowledge, and technique that Sakura and Asuka had.

“Well,” sighed Vulcan, “at least this will be fun to watch.” Shrugging, he asked, “What do you think, Blade?”

“Hmmm…” Blade hummed, “Mateo does have the ZX Lockseed, but this would be his first time actually using it. He learns quickly though, so he could get the hang of it. Same with Jeuri. Tycoon’s all about being a ninja, so you could say there’s some equal footing here.”

"On paper, Mateo and Jeuri have the statistical advantage," Buffa muttered, "but Asuka and Sakura have far more experience, especially against opponents with superior stats, if I remember correctly."

Wizard sighed as he smacked Blade and Buffa upside the head. “What did I just tell Vulcan? Ninja. School. Always assume that you’re being actively spied on.”

"Yeah, my bad,” Blade said, rubbing his head. “Slip of the tongue. Ninja schools and their surveillance..."

"Sorry," Buffa grunted. "Anyways, let’s just take notes on what to improve on and what to look out for."

"Igawa-san, first of all, I appreciate you being my opponent. I’d say to go easy on me, but that wouldn’t be useful for anyone," said Tycoon. "So I'll give it my all, and I hope, at the very least, to be an opponent you consider worthy."

“No problem, Tanuki Boy!” replied Sakura as she drew her dual ninjato, getting into her battle stance.

“Ready for this cute, strong, and amazing Taimanin to kick your butt, Fruit-san?” Asuka taunted.

"Haha! Sorry, Koukawa-san, but no matter how cute and amazing you are, I'm not going to make it easy for you. I'm looking forward to our spar,” replied Bujin, taking out the ZX Lockseed and activating it. “ZX!” The zipper appeared from above, Kamen Rider ZX’s helmet descending as he equipped the Lockseed. “Lock On!” Pressing down the blade and opening the Lockseed, he readied himself to fight. “ZX Arms: Jugo Cyborg Ninja!”

Asuka stopped for a moment, blinking in baffled surprise when Bujin’s appearance changed as music played from the Sengoku Driver. “D-did your belt just play music and talk?”

From her position, Sakura answered, “Yeah, their things just do that. It’s kinda fun.” With that, she launched herself at Tycoon, slashing with her blades and barely giving him timt to react.

Briefly looking at the kusarigama in Bujin’s hand then bouncing on her heels, she said, “So, that belt thing said ‘ninja’, right? Try and keep up, Fruit-san.” She threw herself forward, wind surrounding her and creating a shield. The spar had begun.

Notes:

Yep, I’m evil for ending the chapter just as the fight begins. You’ll have to find out what happens next chapter. Hint: more stupidity.

 

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 12: The Spars

Notes:

So, a funny thing happened in the RP, but I won’t say what happened until we reach the chapter where it happens. All I’ll say is that EmiyaZX will no longer be the only person suffering. Let’s just say it’s debatable about who has it worse.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Needless to say, it was obvious that Sakura and Asuka had the advantage right off the bat. Sakura was too fast for Tycoon to land a solid hit on, and forced him to be on the defensive. Meanwhile, Asuka broke through Bujin’s defenses, landing multiple blows upon him and utilizing her speed to her advantage.

Bujin felt his body shaking. He knew it was just a spar, but witnessing her speed and Ninja Art already worried him. Despite this, he could feel some familiarity with the weapon in his hand. Immediately launching the scythe of the Micro Chain, he aimed not at Asuka, but the ground in front of her. He swung it around, kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured the Taimanin’s vision. Taking advantage of the opening, he rushed in for a kick and sent Asuka into the dust cloud.

Meanwhile, Tycoon struggled to defend himself, unable to catch up with Sakura’s speed and technique. Even worse, he still didn’t know how to use any of the Ninja Buckle’s techniques, meaning he was unable to avoid the young woman’s attacks. “God…” he muttered as he rolled to the side, trying to break Sakura’s combo. Trying to take initiative, he quickly switched to attacking, slashing at Sakura multiple times.

Sakura casually stepped back, moving out of range of Tycoon’s attack. “Not bad, Tanuki Boy. You’re stronger than I expected.” Tycoon’s strength was quite surprising. But when the dust cloud covered them, she smiled. “Chance~” she sang.

The shadows under Tycoon’s feet suddenly started to writhe, almost as if they were alive, then rose up into the air. Sensing that something was wrong, he quickly moved away and threw two energy shuriken in Sakura’s direction. Even though they hit the ground at her feet, they had served their purpose: a distraction. Seizing the moment, Tycoon launched himself forward. “Thank you very much for the compliment, Igawa-san,” he said with a slight smile.

At the same time, Bujin was on guard. He couldn’t see Asuka in the dust cloud, and he didn’t know what her next move could be. Suddenly, he cried out in pain as she struck him from behind. Trying to counter, he spun around, throwing the Micro Chain towards Asuka. The chain wrapped around Asuka’s leg, prompting him to pull it and knock her off balance. Spinning around, he swung her in a circle before throwing her over his shoulder, with the intention of slamming her into the ground.

Asuka flailed for a moment then tried to use her arm blades to cut the Micro Chain. Her eyes widened when rather than cutting through, the blades bounced off the chain. A second later, she slammed into the ground. “Ow ow ow... What the hell is that chain made of?!” she complained as she slowly got up. Gathering wind around her arms, she quickly sent multiple wind slashes at him.

Stunned that he was able to land a second blow, Bujin almost missed the wind slashes, avoiding them just in the nick of time thanks to ZX’s incredible speed. "Like I said, Asuka-chan,” he teased, “Just because you're cute and amazing, doesn't mean I'm going to make this easy for you."

Meanwhile, the others continued watching the spar, memorizing the things they saw to try to adapt to their own styles. As they quietly conversed among themselves, Buffa turned around, feeling like he was being watched. He glanced at the doorway just in time to see a flicker of motion. He kept still, staring at that spot to see if his eyes were tricking him or if someone was actually there.

Bujin circled around Asuka, trying to disorient her and keep her from attacking He then threw the Micro Chain at her again, binding her arms and torso to keep her from moving. “Sorry, Asuka-chan,” he said, “but I’m ending this here and now.” Reaching for the knight on the Sengoku Driver, he pressed it down twice. “ZX Au Lait!” Feeling power course through him, Bujin extended his free arm towards Asuka. “Helldiver!” At that moment, an energy version of ZX’s Helldiver formed before charging towards the immobile girl.

Tycoon’s search for Sakura, who was hidden within the shadows, came to an abrupt halt as he heard the clear announcement of a finisher. While he still didn’t know much about them, the week of training helped him become familiar with the sounds that accompanied them. Mortified, he turned around just in time to witness Bujin launch said finisher at Asuka, who was bound and unable to escape.

“You’re insane!” he shouted. Tycoon knew about how strong finishers were. ‘I know I’m probably the weakest of us, but from what the others said, even my finishers can wipe out an army!’ He didn’t want to imagine the aftermath of a finisher executed by a much stronger Rider.

Without a second of hesitation, Tycoon ran toward Asuka with all his strength. “Get out of the way!” he shouted desperately, trying to reach her. ‘I’m not fast enough,’ he realized, ‘I won’t make it in time.’ He needed something. Something to push her out of the way of danger, something he could throw...

At that moment, his mind cleared. He didn’t know if it was pure instinct or if the Desire Driver was responding to his wish, but the week he spent training with the Ninja Buckle came to fruition.

In an instant, a clone appeared by Tycoon’s side. Without wasting a second, he grabbed its hand, spun with all his might, and hurled it straight at Asuka with the sole intention of pushing her out of the way of the finisher’s path.

The clone managed to tackle Asuka out of the way just in time for the Helldiver to soar past them and slam into the wall with great force, causing an explosion to resound. It vanished as Asuka struggled against the Micro Chain and managed to free herself. “Hey, what was that for?” she directed at Tycoon. And then she saw the hole in the wall. Glaring at Bujin, she snapped, “What the hell was that?”

Sakura abruptly jumped out of Tycoon’s shadow and bowed to him. “Thanks for saving my student, Tycoon.” Frowning at Bujin, she asked, “And just what exactly was that, Bujin?”

Bujin was swarmed by the others, facing the brunt of their anger.

Wizard sighed, “Bujin. I know you're new to the Lockseed, but for fuck’s sake. A finisher. Really? You're sparring with an ally, not fighting a Kaijin.” The fact he had a rule where he didn’t swear indicated just how upset he was. “You're lucky you didn't kill Koukawa-san. If it wasn’t obvious, this match is over. Now.”

Vulcan took a deep breath. “There are many things I want to say,” he seethed. “Some of them very rude ones, but...” He turned to Asuka “Are you alright?” If anything, ensuring Asuka’s wellbeing was more important due ot how close of a call it was. “Yeah, as you can see, those techniques are not meant for sparring.” He gave Bujin a firm look. “Seriously, man. A finisher? What the fuck?”

Blade said, “Just be mindful next time. I get that you were eager and wanted to try out your new Lockseed, but a finisher against someone like Koukawa-san could've gone very wrong. I'm just grateful no one is hurt.”

“What the actual fuck?!” Buffa shouted. Much like Wizard, he tended to avoid profanity, though he was more lenient with milder swears and preferred avoiding the stronger ones. “I only turned away for a few seconds, and you used a killing technique in a spar?”

Tycoon, on the other hand, was lost in thought, thinking about how he managed to use the clones almost instinctively.

Bujin stood still silently, unable to hear what the others were saying. He had gotten carried away in the fight and went for the finishing blow, not realizing how much damage the attack would be capable of against a non-Rider. Snapping back to reality, he noticed that everyone was glaring at him.

“Ah, right. My bad,” he said, waving his hand. “I got way too excited in the fight that I couldn't help but go for a finisher. I'm used to Riders tanking other Riders' finishers, so I guess it slipped my mind that non-Rider fighters aren’t as durable.”

Turning to Sakura and Asuka, he gave them a bow. “I’m really sorry for letting that happen, Koukawa-san. I promise not to ever let that happen again,” he apologized. “If it'll make things easier for you, you can send me back so you don't need to worry about me causing any more accidents.”

Asuka’s eyes returned to the destroyed wall, realizing that if not for Tycoon, she would be badly injured, if not dead. “It’s fine!” she waved it off, “In the end I’m alright, so don’t make such a sting about it.” She smiled as Vulcan helped her up, but her hands were trembling. “It just means that I was so strong that Fruit-san felt he needed to do that to win.”

Vulcan replied, "Y-yeah, you were… But still, be careful with those attacks. The things we fight? Many of them are so strong we have no choice but to go for the kill with moves like that.” Internally, he added, ‘Plus, this might keep you from doing something drastic like fighting a kaijin or worse…’

Looking at the damage, Asuka wondered, “Just what the hell do you fight?”

Sakura kept her eyes on Bujin. “You almost hit my niece with that,” she began, ignoring as Asuka grumbled at their relationship being revealed. “But I’m not sending you back because of two reasons. First, it was an accident. Second, it’s because certain people would use me sending you away as a reason to not trust my sister's judgement in getting our little alliance to deal with Shocker to work.” She let out a long sigh.

Bujin nodded in understanding, looking at the hole in the wall. Sighing, he switched back to the Blood Orange Arms and put the ZX Lockseed away. Now that he knew what it was capable of, he wondered just how powerful the other Legend Rider Lockseeds were.

"Bujin. You're sitting out any further sparring we have here this visit," Wizard said bluntly, before turning to Sakura and bowing. "Thank you for your kindness, Igawa-san."

Blade bowed as well. “Sorry that you two had to see it up close,” he said, “but that's pretty much how powerful our finishers are. Again, I'm glad no one got terribly injured or killed from it. We have to be mindful of our own power at times, especially around non-riders”

Meanwhile, hidden from view, three Taimanin were watching in shocked amazement. “Whoa… what was that?” the boy with indigo blue hair breathed.

“By the way, we’re being watched,” informed Buffa. While he wasn't too sure of it at first, he remembered that the Geats Riders actually had minimaps in ther HUDs. After consulting it, Buffa realized that they had not one spectator, but three. "Speaking of which, would you happen to know who they are, Igawa-san?"

Sakura pursed her lips in thought. “I think so… Let me check for a moment, Lo.” Wit that, she disappeared in a blur of motion, returning seconds later with three people in tow. “Meet three of my cute students!” she said. “These are Yukikaze-chan, Tatsuro-kun, and Rinko-chan!”

The girl with long dark blue hair bowed to them. “Hello, I am Akiyama Rinko. It is a pleasure to meet you all.” She glanced at the blue-haired at her side, prompting him to nervously clear his throat.

“H-hi, I’m Akiyama Tatsuro,” he managed to say. “Nice to meet you.” By the time he finished introducing himself, he seemed to deflate in confidence.

The short girl with tanned skin and brown hair in twintails softly said, I’m Mizuki Yukikaze. You guys know my mother.” She seemed extremely guarded and aloof, keeping close to Tatsuro while never taking her eyes off them.

The Riders introduced themselves once more, with Tycoon especially happy to see the trio. He couldn’t help but feel relieved. Unlike in Action or RPGX, where their relationship was almost nonexistent, here it seemed to be like in the visual novel. Shiranui was free, her husband was still alive, and Yukikaze and Tatsuro were close. Everything was perfecet. By this point, he was already certain that he and his fellow Riders weren’t in wasn’t a universe they were familiar with.

While Rinko observed the Riders, taking a closer look after learning about how much strength they could put into one attack, Tatsuro simply watched them with awe. “You were keeping up with Sakura-sensei…” he breathed as he stared at Tycoon.

Yukikaze kept quiet, though she briefly looked at Vulcan’s ShotRiser. Turning to Buffa, she was confused by his appearance. “You don’t have that white armor?” she muttered to herself, though the Riders still heard her.

At a loss for words, Asuka looked between the Riders and the hole in the wall. “You guys willingly fight monsters where you sometimes have to resort to attacks that powerful to win?”

“Someone has to do it, Koukawa-san. We've got the ability to do so, so we do,” said Wizard. “Others don’t. How can we simply stand back and not help?”

"Whenever I hesitate, Innocent people could be hurt or die. So, if fighting is a sin. Then let me be damned," quoted Vulcan, remembering Takumi’s words. He always liked that quote, and while Takumi may have been a grumpy person, he was still a Kamen Rider. “Those are words from one of our Senpais. The moment we decided to fight as Riders we made a promise. It's not about justice or anything like that, it's about fighting even if others reject or abandon us. For the sake of humanity and the world.”

"That's right, wherever we go, we're just doing the right thing really," added Blade.

Buffa took a deep breath. “Whether or not they want to fight, not everyone gets a choice in the matter,” he slowly said. “But for those in these circumstances, they do get to choose whether or not they fight. We chose to fight.”

"Besides,” said Bujin, “the enemies we're dealing with are way too dangerous to just ignore. Even their lowest of grunts can cause a lot of harm if ignored.”

Tycoon finished, “And you know, with great power comes great responsibility.”

Sakura grinned at Tycoon. "Our match got cut short,” she said, “so we don't know how it could have gone and you guys seem to have a lot of hidden tricks."

“Honestly, I’d say I just barely managed to survive, rather than standing my ground,” responded Tycoon.

“I could never even dream of doing what you did, Tycoon-San.” Tatsuro seemed to slump at his own self-deprecating words. "I don't have great power, so I wouldn't even know what great responsibility is." Maybe his sister or Yukikaze did, but he probably never would.

“The phrase isn't something to be taken literally,” explained Tycoon. “A better way to put it would be that if you have the ability to help, it's part of your responsibility to do so. But at the same time, you shouldn't take it to the extreme and sacrifice everything without considering your own wellbeing. After all, you can't help anyone if you don't take care of yourself first.”

"Don't worry about needing a 'great' power, Akiyama-san. As long as you make the best out of what you do have, you can go far," Wizard said to Tatsuro.

"Akiyama-sa-" Buffa cut himself off when he looked at Rinko and Tatsuro. "Tatsuro-san, you don't need to be powerful to be a good fighter. Strength, speed, technique, defense, reactive... There are many ways to fight. Take it from me - I used to do martial arts." After a moment, he added, “You don’t mind, do you? It would be confusing to say 'Akiyama-san' when you and your sister are here.”

"A-Ah... Um... I don't mind Buffa-san. It would get confusing with Rinko-nee here." He nervously scratched his cheek. For some reason, the buffalo-themed Rider intimidated him.

As Asuka silently reflected on the Riders’ words, Rinko approached Blade. “Blade-san, you are a swordsman, correct? May I ask for a brief spar with you?”

Blade answered, “Of course, I'd be down to spar with you, Akiyama-san. However, I'm not an experienced swordsman, so maybe we could use alternative weapons for our session if that's alright with you?”

Rinko and Blade took to the arena, using shinai that Rinko brought over using her Ninja Art. "Oh my, Is Rinko-chan trying to show off to a fellow Sword user?" Sakura said teasingly, prompting Rinko to give her a look of confusion.

“It’s the fastest way to obtain what we needed,” the Void Art user corrected. With that said, she got into her stance, waiting for Blade to do the same.

"Question," Buffa muttered, "When Rinko-san goes against an opponent she doesn't know, is she the type to probe defenses and figure out their style or the type that goes straight for the win?"

Sakura thought for a moment. “Rinko-chan prefers to end fights quickly, but that’s mostly in missions, so she’ll probably go a bit slower and see how Spade Boy responds.” As soon as she finished speaking, Rinko lunged towards Blade.

Blade was barely able to block the strike, struggling to catch up to her speed. Every time he tried to strike at an opening, Rinko dodged before retaliating with a flurry of strikes. After a few more attacks, she backed off and started to carefully observe him. "Blade-san, you seem to lack a defined sword style," she noted. She carefully inspected the Rider's stance and noticed several holes in his defense. "For how long have you been wielding a sword?"

Blade frowned, now that Rinko was aware of his inexperience. “Well, to be honest, I’ve only had about a week of training and a few fights. Like I said, I’m not an experienced swordsman, but I had to become one immediately.” Getting ready to attack again, he finished, “I’m still learning, so I have to thank you for offering to spar with me!”

Rinko's eyes widened as she hastily raised her shinai to block Blade's strike, knocked back by the force of the blow. "... I underestimated how strong and fast you are,” she said. “You make up for your lack of technique with your physical capabilities." She regained her stance then lunged for a blow to the head, trying to end the match.

Tatsuro and Yukikaze were stunned. “Blade-san managed to catch Rinko-nee by surprise...” Tatsuro breathed in awe.

“A week of training and a few fights...” mumbled Sakura. Her eyes widening, she gasped, “Wait, that means that-”

“OH SHI-” Blade was too slow to block Rinko’s attack, the shinai impacting his head and knocking him to the ground. While his helmet managed to cushion the blow, it didn’t do anything to prevent the dizziness. Sitting up, he rubbed his head. “Agh... Well, looks like you win,” he groaned, “Thank you for sparring with me.”

“And that’s why you don’t want your sword too high or too low,” sighed Buffa. “The hard part is that it varies by person and fighting style, so everyone has a different ideal height to hold their sword.”

“Well, as they say, you learn from your mistakes,” said Tycoon.

Rinko offered her hand to Blade, helping him up. "Be careful of where you position your sword, Blade-san,” she said, “In a battle, the smallest of openings can be fatal.”

“Rinko-nee is as strong as always,” Tatsuro sighed. Next to him, Yukikaze nodded in agreement.

"Spade Boy should be fine,” Sakura shrugged. “That armor of yours is durable from what I have seen.” Stretching, she continued, “Well, Sis should be done with her things. We should go back now.” With that, she turned around and began to head back to Asagi’s office.

“Aw, really? I wanted to know more about these guys,” Asuka whined.

Bowing to Blade, Rinko said, “I thank you for the chance to spar with you.”

Buffa turned to Yukikaze. “Mizuki-san, I heard what you said earlier. Sorry about not having Magnum equipped right now,” he said. “I promise to show it to you next time if I have the chance.”

Huffing, Yukikaze replied, “Just don’t forget to show that gun to me next time we meet, okay?”

"I-It was a pleasure to meet you all! And... I’ll try to keep what you told me in mind!" Tatsuro nervously said as he bowed to the Riders.

“Very well,” Wizard said, “We wouldn’t want to keep her waiting. I am pleased to have met you all.” He bowed to the others then turned to follow Sakura.

"Hope we meet again. Next time, I'll tell you more about Riders. Koukawa-san," offered Vulcan. Looking to the others, he finished, “Take care, all of you.” He held up a right hand and performed a certain gesture. For most, it would be strange, but for those who knew, they would recognize it as Hibiki’s signature salute.

Bowing to Rinko, Blade said, “Thank you for the spar! I feel like I’ve learned a lot, and I hope we get to meet again sometime in the future!” Seeing Vulcan do the Hibiki salute, he quickly added, “Oh, and Tatsuro? Maybe we’ll introduce you to Kamen Rider someday!”

“Goodbye,” said Tycoon. “I hope we meet again.” It had been truly pleasant to see them – Asuka before her accident; Shiranui and her husband being there; Yukikaze, Rinko, and Tatsuro being a happy trio. All of it was something he had to protect.

Bowing to Asuka, Bujin repeated, “Once again, I’m sorry for what happened during our spar. If you encounter any other Riders, be careful. Take care.” He then returned to the group, leaving to meet with Asagi, Spirit, and Mugi once more.

Leaving the training arena, the group headed back to Asagi’s office. Unknown to them, a certain ice tsundere watched them from a distance.

Notes:

And the trip to Gosha is almost over. Soon it’s back to the city and making preparations. And maybe a little something extra. I don’t know, I literally have to click the scroll wheel and speed up to find where the fic progress is in the thread.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 13: Back to Business

Notes:

In this chapter, we’re finally going back to the city. It’s only a matter of time before something happens again. And by a “matter of time”, I mean it happens this chapter. It’s Kamen Rider and Taimanin. What did you expect?

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Arriving at Asagi’s office, Sakura knocked on the door. “Come in,” Asagi called from within. As the door opened, the group was greeted by the sight of Asagi, Mugi, and Spirit seated on the couch. “Just in time,” continued the Taimanin, “We just finished getting things in order. Shijima helped obtain the relevant data.” Translation: she now had a bunch of show that she now needed to watch for the sake of the Taimanin. She just had to accept that ridiculous fact. “And Spirit has helped me understand what is needed of the Undeads.”

As Spirit and Mugi greeted the Riders, Sakura spoke to Asagi. “We’re back. We had some… fun out there.” She smiled, pointedly refusing to mention the accident with Asuka.

As everyone caught up with each other, Buffa and Blade spoke with Asagi. “I’m glad you're learning a lot more about them recently, because you'll need all the info you can get. I'm even thinking a higher-class Undead is bound to show up eventually,” said Blade

Buffa added, “Remember that you have us to consult with, so you don’t have to worry about every little detail. Sometimes there are things that don't make much sense until you put pieces together from all over the place.”

Asagi nodded in response. "Yes, we must cooperate to deal with Shocker and the kaijin in general." Turning to everyone, she continued, “That is why I will make this proposition. Would you agree to cooperate with a team of Taimanin? They will be sent to Tokyo and assist you whenever you must deal with Shocker. They will also assist if you ever have to deal with demonic foes or issues. as long as you all also assist them whenever they need help. What I wish for is for mutual cooperation in this situation. You have my word that I shall do my best to not let you be taken advantage of by certain individuals.”

Mugi eagerly raised her hand, wanting to be chosen to help, while Spirit silently looked to the Riders, waiting for their input.

Humming, Wizard admitted, “Well, my only concern is that it might convince Dame Ingrid that we’re allied against her, and that’s not a fight I wish to pick.”

“Yeah, I would not want to fight her, considering her reputation,” agreed Vulcan. To his knowledge, Ingrid was one of the strongest characters. But why would she mention the ‘painful path’ of a Kamen Rider? How did she know about such a thing?

“Well, best case scenario, we don't have to fight her. Maybe somehow if she's convinced, or if she's watching us, then we can get her on our side without a fight,” suggested Blade. “Though it's easier said than done, especially with what we're doing so far. Right now, she's probably still on NOMAD’s side since she seems to be very loyal. Unless we could find a way to make her change her views...”

Buffa rebutted, “I doubt that we'll be able to do that any time soon, Blade." Sighing, he threw out a random idea. "But honestly, I'm more concerned about the thought of Shocker and NOMAD encountering each other. I mean, we could try to play with fire and try to manipulate them into focusing on fighting each other instead of any of us, but it runs the risk of small groups from both sides teaming up.”

Asagi closed her eyes and nodded. “The thought of NOMAD and Shocker teaming up has occurred to me. Unfortunately, it cannot be denied as a possibility,” she sighed.

“This… Ingrid,” Spirit slowly said. “Blade mentioned that you could make her change her views even despite her loyalty. Does that mean that she upholds something more than just loyalty?”

"Ingrid is… complicated," Sakura confessed with a sigh.

"I call her Dame for a reason, Spirit,” explained Wizard. “The Hellknights aren't called that simply because it's an impressive title. They are knights. They believe in chivalry, honor, and justice. And Ingrid was... a bit of a role model for them. Well, until she walked away to join NOMAD, which is more than a bit confusing, I will admit.”

"Yeah, she probably has her reasons,” said Vulcan, “but it still feels weird. Like Wizard said, she’s someone who wants to protect the innocent above all else." He mentally added, ‘So if we could make her find out about how fucked NOMAD is and somehow give her the reality check that the guy she is into is an asshole that will do anything for his own reasons, we can get her to leave him.’

“Then, if she is as righteous as you all say. She should understand the threat that Shocker represents, no? She should understand that they could be a bigger threat than anything that this world has currently faced," Spirit said with a frown. "If this NOMAD is as evil as you and Asagi-san have said, I question why she is associated with them.”

"I don't know why she's with NOMAD," Wizard admitted to Spirit. "It's almost completely out of character for her. The almost part being that she's been with them since their founding, managing the public half while the official CEO does... whatever it is he's doing."

“Like I said, it’s complicated,” Sakura repeated, shrugging her shoulders.

"Indeed, and Blade might have a lead, alongside the report of her fight with Fifteen. While I hesitated to believe them at first, there have been some rumors about her facing Gaim-Yami a few times. They might not be accurate but, it is said that Ingrid has hesitated in her battles against him." Asagi crossed her arms. "Now, with the information that Shijima has given me about Kazuraba Kouta. I have reasons to give more credence to these rumors. Could this mean that she knows of his predicament and that she knows who he is?"

"How the hell would she know about Kouta?" Vulcan frowned. ‘Seriously, how does she know? And does that mean she’s trying to snap him out of the mind control he’s under?’

Tycoon frowned. He knew that Ingrid hesitating was out of character, and unfortunately, it worked against her. Moreover, the fact that she officially declared herself on the Riders’ side, combined with her obvious reference to how Riders tended to suffer, only made it all feel even stranger. Unless…

Dolores.

Tycoon was grateful for the helmet, because the moment the name crossed his mind, his eyes widened. Dolores’s existence wasn’t something just anyone should know about, and if he mentioned it out loud, chances were that the others would start asking uncomfortable questions. ‘Better keep this to myself until we’re alone,’ he thought.

Mugi kept her hand raised. "I want to help!” she begged. “Please, let me help!" She jumped up and down in place, a pleading look on her face.

Buffa sighed. “Mugi-san, as much as we'd love for you to join, it's not our call if you get chosen. I don't doubt that Igawa-san would be willing to assign you, but it doesn't take a genius to tell that Taimanin politics will likely try to interfere.”

Mugi slumped. “Why does wanting to help people have to be so complicated?” she whined.

Wizard responded, “Politics tend to be a necessary evil. It makes things complicated and slows them down a bit, but it generally means that everyone has a voice.”

Blade interjected, “If I may ask, what do you think about Kouta, Asagi-san? Do you think he can be freed from Shocker’s control?”

Asagi took a deep breath as she thought over Blade's question. "From what Shijima has told me of him, knowing that he had to face so much adversity and even give up his humanity for the sake of his world, hee has definitely earned my respect,” she began, “I would like to believe he can be freed from Shocker's control but we can't deny the possibility of failure and being forced to put him down."

"But we can save him! We just have to grab his Lockseeds and give them to Sagara!" Mugi interrupted.

“True, but not many would like to put their hopes on an uncertain outcome and an unknown individual, especially against such a strong opponent as Kazuraba Kouta,” Asagi replied, solemnly closing her eyes.

Desperately, Mugi looked to the Riders, hoping they would say something.

"Just because we might fail doesn't mean we shouldn't try, though we will not ask you to put yourself or your subordinates at risk to do so. We'll do it ourselves, if need be," said Wizard.

Taking a dee breath, Vulcan added, “As Wizard said, we don’t want anyone to be forced into this mess. I’ll try everything I can to save Kouta. I would like to pay him back for all that he did for everyone. Kamen Riders tend to do the impossible, so…”

"If I'm being honest, Kouta's current strength is our best chance of being able to free him from Shocker's control. It'll be tough, but not impossible," said Bujin.

"Kouta also faced the impossible in his world, and despite everything he went through, he never gave up. So we're going to do our best to save him, no matter what, and we’re not giving up either,” added Blade.

"Because that's the thing," Buffa finished, "Kamen Riders will never yield."

Nodding in agreement with the others, Tycoon summarized, "Then, with everything that’s been said, it’s clear that when it comes to Kouta, this will be a rescue mission," He didn’t know who Kouta was, but the idea of leaving someone at the mercy of enemies who were manipulating him just didn’t sit right with him.

Spirit smiled at the Riders’ words, but he could still feel the skepticism within Asagi, so he decided to say his own part. "Please, have faith in the Riders. It may seem impossible but..." he looked at Blade, but Ethan could feel that he wasn’t looking at him but rather... at Kenzaki. "I have seen Riders defy fate before, all for the sake of a friend."

As she took it all in, Asagi was still doubtful. Maybe they did not understand that it wouldn’t be that easy, that this world was not like in those shows... But then she heard Spirit's words, he was one of the oldest beings she had ever met. He probably knew more than she did of how cruel the world could be and yet he still had faith. Asagi closed her eyes and sighed. “Then I hope you will succeed.”

“We will,” said Vulcan. “Don’t worry.”

"Before we wrap up this topic, I have a question, Igawa-san," Tycoon said, turning his gaze toward Asagi. Unlike how Buffa was able to with Tatsuro and Rinko, he wouldn’t be able to use first names to differentiate between Asagi and Sakura here, given the former’s position. "Perhaps I'm pushing my luck with your kindness, and for that, I apologize, but would it be possible for you to provide us with a secure way to communicate with Gosha? I doubt that calling or sending a message would be the most discreet option.”

Asagi nodded to the request. “I will provide the team that will assist you with a private communication channel that will connect directly to me and personally make sure that it is the most secure it can be for our communications.”

Leaning forward in her seat, she asked, “Now then, is there anything else you wish to discuss?”

Wizard nodded. “Just one thing, Igawa-san. When those who are... dissatisfied with your decision send their own squad, how should we handle them?” The other Riders nodded, agreeing that he had a point.

Buffa pointed out, “We also can't discount that they might get the idea to send their squad first, or that they'll try to have their own member in the team that you send.”

"Well, if that's the case, a friend once told me that if you uncover an enemy spy, that spy essentially becomes yours, since you can use them to send false information to your enemies," Tycoon said to Buffa, recalling that strange conversation that, oddly enough, had started with a discussion about a cake.

Nodding, Asagi responded, “If that happens, I simply request that you subdue them to the best of your abilities. Killing them will bring more trouble than benefits for you. Well, then. unless there is anything else to go over. this meeting should be at its end.” With a sigh, she uncrossed her arms. "Things will get more and more complicated as time goes on..."

“Man,” Sakura commented, rubbing the back of her head. “Dealing with demons seems simple compared with these Shocker guys.”

“Well, in fairness, most Demons are just people. They typically want pretty much the same stuff as humans. They've got powers, sure, but they mostly just want jobs, food, friends, and family. Shocker is..." Wizard addressed Sakura and shrugged. "Shocker. They're very much an exception to basically every rule."

Buffa warned, “If you or any of your Taimanin ever manage to find a Shocker hideout, don't even think of trying to infiltrate by dressing up as and pretending to be one of them. The combatmen going 'EEE' isn't just a battle cry that sounds ridiculous when alone or in small numbers. It's evolved to become its own language, and everyone in Shocker can understand what they're saying."

“Other than taking a few days to watch the series don't have any other advice to give,” said Tycoon. Still upset over the appearance of a Brain Flayer in Helheim, he cursed the lack of opportunity to ask about the location of the Tesserac.

Sakura sighed. “They have their own language… How fun.”

With that, the meeting was over, and the group collectively let out a sigh as they calmed down. Asagi decided to accompany them back to the TVTOL that would take them back to the city they were in. “I wish you all good luck in your fight against Shocker, she said. “I hope our cooperation bears fruit and we can deal with this threat together.”

Finally handing the Attache Shotgun back to Vulcan, Sakura said, “Here’s your suitcase, Wolf Boy. It was fun to carry around.” She grinned at the group. “Take care, guys, and kick their butts.”

Spirit patted Mugi’s head as he bowed to the Igawa sisters. “May our paths intertwine again.”

Standing confidently, Mugi proclaimed, “I’ll go with you guys when I finish my break! I swear I’ll help you guys with everything I have!”

As the Riders gave their farewells, they entered the VTOL. It was only as the access door was closing that they saw a certain ice Taimanin watching them, as well as a wind Taimanin clad in pink. After returning to the alley, the Riders decided to head back to their apartment complex to relax for the rest of the day.

...

The following day, they went back to their daily lives. Sloan and Naoto worked out in the gym. Ethan checked the news. Alexander took up work as a freeter. Mateo trained for a while before watching TV. Jeuri practiced with the Ninja Buckle and sparred with his clones.

As the group finished training, Garuda entered the gym, carrying a magic stone from his early morning scouting. He dropped it in Sloan’s hands before disassembling and turning back into a ring. “Thanks, Garuda.” Sloan headed back to his room to give the green magic stone to Golem, then headed to the living room. Entering just in time to hear about a new company opening a branch in Japan, he looked at the screen. “That sounds… ominous,” he said. “Especially since there’s nothing about the company except for the CEO’s name.”

Next to him, Naoto muttered, “Arkland? I recognize that name.” After a few seconds, his eyes widened. Lyon Arkland, the CEO of ZAIA Enterprise who wanted to weaponize Metsuboujinrai as a villain so he could sell his products. ‘So that bastard is here now?’

Ethan barged into the living room urgently, about to say something when he saw the TV. “I see you guys saw it too,” he said. “Well, that saves me time.”

Mateo hummed. “This isn't good. If that guy is here, then we're in more touble than I thought. Lyon Arkland can transform into Kamen Rider Zaia, and from what I remembered, he was able to beat Jin easily.” Almost as if fate was taunting the group, the news cut to a commercial break, advertising the Zaia Specs.

Suddenly, the Riders heard a voice they recognized. “Hello, Riders. I finally managed to get things ready.” Sagara once again appeared in the middle of the living room. “Thigs are ready for one of you to go inside the forest.”

Naoto would forever deny that he jumped in that moment. “Sagara! Good to see you!” He tried to calm his heart.

“Sagara, glad to see you here,” said Mateo. “Hopefully it wasn’t as hard for you to show up here as last time.”

“So, things are ready for Mateo to go in you and grab Lockseeds. Let me grab my gym bag.” Naoto quickly went to his room and retrieved his bag before returning to the living room to hand it over to Mateo. “Grab as many as you can. Everything could be useful.”

“Leave it to me,” responded Mateo.

“Well, good luck. Hopefully you find some neat stuff there. And while you're at it, maybe you can snag some for me?” Ethan joked. While he wouldn’t be able to use a Lockseed, he always wanted to see one up close.

“Yeah, let it to me.” Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Mateo chuckled in anticipation. “Well, let’s just hope my luck is good enough for this.” Looking to Ethan, he added, “And sure, I’ll try to find a nice one for you.”

After packing a few water bottles, he turned to Sagara. “Ready when you are.” Heading to the garage, he hopped onto the Sakura Hurricane. Driving to a wider area of the garage, he gradually increased in speed before entering a newly-opened crack, courtesy of Sagara.

...

Meanwhile, as Alexander started to head to the apartment, he thought about the conversations he heard during his temp shit at the convenience store. “I swear if these ZAIA Specs are also being distributed with the ability to turn people into pawns...” he sighed, grumbling under his breath. As he walked past an alley, he heard noise coming from within. Pausing, he listened carefully. He first thought that it was just a stray animal, but after a few seconds, he realized that it was a scared female voice and several malicious male voices.

He promptly walked in, pulling his face mask out of his pocket and putting it on. Equipping the Desire DRiver and Magnum Buckle, he transformed immediately, scouring the area. In a matter of seconds, he found a group of orcs holding a blonde-haired girl in place as they pulled at her clothes, laughing at her attempts to break free. Buffa immediately shot the closest orc in the head, holding back a grimace as the demon’s head burst like a watermelon.

The orcs gave a scream as they watch the head of one of their own practically explode. "What the fuck?!" They stiffened, on guard as they looked around.

Stepping out of the shadows, Buffa snarled, “Mind if I join the fun?” He discreetly observed the area they were in, planning on how to fight the orcs. ‘The enclosed area means I need room and a clean shot to not hit the girl. This’ll be tricky,’ he thought.

Upon seeing Buffa, one of the orcs exclaimed, "Y-you're one of those masked weirdos!"

Another one growled as it tried to act tough. "This is our bitch! Go get your own!"

‘Well, no turning back now.’ Waving the Magnum Shooter 40X idly, Buffa drawled, “Well, when I saw how you big strong boys needed to gang up on a cute young girl to feel like you stood a chance, I knew I just had to step in and even things out.” As if to prove his point, he fired a second shot, this time hitting a second orc in the stomach.

Making up his mind, he decided to change tactics and go with something else. Discreetly taking out the Claw Buckle and equipping it, he activated the Desire Driver’s rotation mechanic. “Revolve On!” Leaping into the air, he felt his body shift as Magnum switched to his legs and the Raise Claw manifested in his hands.

Firing a shot from the Gunslinger Leg’s Armored Gun, Buffa hit the orc that was sneaking up from behind – probably their lookout who heard the commotion – and used the momentum to launch himself at the group, rearing his arms to slash and stab. “You’re going down!”

Notes:

Three guesses to who the girl is. Hint: Alexander may or may not be having some unique company in the future. Meanwhile, Mateo is going grocery shopping for fruit.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 14: Mateo Has Fun, But We Don't Part 1

Notes:

Remember that thing I mentioned a couple chapters ago about how EmiyaZX (Naoto) won’t be the only one suffering anymore? It happens this chapter. Explanation’s at the end of the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Entering the Helheim Forest, Mateo couldn’t help but feel amazed by the sight. A location he had only seen in a show was real now, and he was standing in it. His attention immediately went towards The Woman of the Beginning and when she spoke, he couldn't help but lower his head in respect.

“You are... the one that now carries the name of Bujin Gaim, correct?” she asked.

"Y-yeah! My name is Mateo Hayes, and I'm really thankful that you're letting me gather more Lockseeds." Looking up, Mateo requested, “I'm sorry for sounding selfish, but with what my allies and I are facing, I need to get as many Lockseeds as I can to become stronger.”

“I understand. You are one of the people that want to help Kouta." Mai nodded and gestured towards a particularly dense tree with about twenty-five fruits.

Nodding, Mateo gulped as he turned his attention to the tree. Walking up to it, he plucked three fruits, noticing how they glowed as soon as he touched them. The fruits turned into the Budou, Matsubokkuri and Kurumi Lockseeds.

Mai followed after Mateo. "It's just as Sagara said,” she observed, “You seem to already know what this place entails."

Feeling happy with how the first three Lockseeds turned out, Mateo stuffed them into the bag before gathering more. “Yeah, though I also know just how dangerous this place can be. If you don't mind me asking, even if I do get as many Lockseeds as I can, would it be enough to save Kouta? I mean, I know he's not at full strength, but still, the power he has is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.” As he said this, he watched as the four Lockseeds turned into two Himawari, a Durian, and a Dandeliner.

“Perhaps, perhaps not.” Mai cupped her hands, a golden glow shining between them as the Kiwami Lockseed appeared for a moment before vanishing. “I just wish I could do more to help,” she sighed.

Grabbing four more Lockseeds, Mateo replied, “Honestly, you’re helping out more than you think. Thanks to you, I’m able to get more Lockseeds that’ll help me fight Shocker, so thanks.” Orange, Melon, Donguri, and another Kurumi.

“Even so, I wish I could do more. Unlike Kouta and the others, I can't fight. I don't like being unable to do anything while Kouta is being used like that,” Mai admitted.

Mateo gulped, putting the new Lockseeds away as he gathered more. “Honestly, you're doing more than enough. Because of Kouta trusting you with most of his power, we actually have a chance of being able to save him.” This time, they turned into Suika, Himawari, Kiwi, and a Banana Lockseed. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw the Suika Lockseed. ‘This one will definitely be helpful in the future.’ Putting them away, he plucked five more Lockseeds.

“Oh right!” exclaimed Mai. “One of your friends asked Sagara about the creature that entered the forest awhile back, right? We looked over what he left and we could not find anything that resembled a communicator or beacon in what remained of his research base.” Frowning, she added, “It reminded me of Sengoku Ryoma, and I don’t like that.”

Mateo paused, taking in the information. He remembered the conversation the group had with Sagara back then, but he wasn’t familiar with the creatures they talked about. ‘Still,’ he thought, ‘this would probably mean a lot to them.’ However, he did recognize the name Sengoku Ryoma, worrying him. ‘If someone like Lyon Arkland was somehow brought back, what's to stop Shocker from bringing Ryoma back as well?’ Focusing on the task at hand, Mateo quickly nodded. “Right, thanks for telling me. I’ll make sure to let the others know.”

Turning back to the tree, he plucked the last five Helheim fruits. They became another Orange, Himawari, and Matsubbokuri, but the last two became a Lychee and Fresh Orange. Surprised, Mai blushed in embarrassment. “Isn’t that from when Kouta’s Orange Lockseed became rust?”

Chuckling in remembrance of the special the Fresh Orange Lockseed came from, Mateo put the Lockseeds away before bowing to Mai once more. "Thank you again for your help. I'll make sure to put these Lockseeds to good use!" He prepared to leave Helheim and return to the others, but paused right before he got on the bike. “Oh, before I leave, what was it that you needed to leave with me and the others?”

Mai raised her hand, causing a bunch of fruits to glow and start floating as they got closer to Mateo, before turning into large eggs that proceeded to enter the gym bag. "A while back, another deity came to this forest. He told us to give this to the Riders from the world you are in," she explained. She then made a black box with yellow stripes and yellow bottom appear in her hands before handing it to Mateo. "He also said to give you this with a message of: Believe that you will win and survive, that way, the goddess of luck will be by your side."

Mateo was confused; he had never seen anything like this before. The only time he could recall eggs being involved was in Geats when they were used in part of a mission as a tool that allowed the players to gain new Buckles. His eyes widened as he registered Mai’s words. ‘Is she talking about Ace? He managed to get to Helheim?’

Taking the box, a part of him was tempted to open it, but he knew that it wasn’t his to use. Nodding to Mai, Mateo put the box inside the bag before making sure it was secured. “Thank you, Mai. We’ll survive whatever is thrown at us no matter what. And I promise that we'll save Kouta from Shocker's grip,” he swore.

Giggling, Mai responded, “Yes, just use your bike, and we will make sure you return to where you came from.”

Nodding, Mateo got back on the Sakura Hurricane. "It was nice meeting you. Take care, and we'll have Kouta back to you before you know it." With his final words said, he drove off, entering a crack and returning to the apartment garage.

…

While Mateo went to Helheim, Ethan and Naoto decided to go on patrol, their minds occupied by the news coverage on ZAIA Enterprise. Vulcan scowled at the thought of Lyon Arkland coming back to life to continue his work. He had no doubt that the man had a hand in Jin’s resurrection, meaning that he was likely to be working with Shocker.

Shaking his head, he offhandedly commented, “Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen Spirit today…”

Likewise, Blade was in a similar train of thought, gripping the handlebars of the Blue Spader a bit too tightly. All he could think of at the moment was punching Lyon full-force in the face, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible at the time being. And if Lyon was back, did that mean Naki and Ikazuchi were back too? The thought of Kamen Rider Metsuboujinrai returning gripped his heart.

Snapping out of his thoughts when he heard Vulcan’s comment, he responded, “H-huh? Oh, uh... Yeah, he did mention that. I'm not sure what he meant but, it could mean anything really. Another Undead or someone else entirely. But I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

As the two Riders continued their Patrol, they suddenly felt something run past them at great speed. When they stopped, they a monster ahead of them with the appearance of a jaguar and a massive claw on its left arm. The Jaguar Undead roared at them before turning around and running away.

“Son of a-” Vulcan cursed, having swerved to avoid being hit. “It ambushed us!? A numbered Undead never does that! And they don’t run away either. Come on!”

“Shit, that was close,” Blade shouted as he dodged the attack as well. “I’m coming!” He drove after Vulcan, trying to maintain full speed.

As the two followed the Jaguar Undead, it suddenly changed direction, taking them to a secluded area. The Riders came to a stop, dismounting their bikes as they scanned the area. Suddenly, the Undead rushed by, slashing at them and causing sparks to fly from their armor as they fell to the ground.

Letting out a wordless scream of pain, Vulcan agonizingly pushed himself off the ground, having yet to fully recover from being healed. “Argh! Come on, we need a plan!”

Letting out a cough, Blade got up and pulled out his Blay Rouzer, shifting into a defensive stance. “I think I have an idea!” Dodging another of the Jaguar Undead’s attacks, he explained, “Try to distract him so I can use my Polar card to freeze him!”

The Undead kept rushing at the Riders again and again. Slashing at them and not giving them time to recover. Suddenly, an energy arrow flew and hit the Undead in one of its legs, causing it to stumble and spray green blood from the wound.

Groaning as he got up, Vulcan noticed the opening. “Chance!” He quickly pressed the button on the Progrisekey, aiming at the Undead. “Bullet!” Without looking away, he ordered, “Blade, freeze this fucking cat!” And then he fired. “Shooting Blast!”

Blade stared in shock at the surprise attack, wondering what happened. But upon seeing Vulcan charging up a finisher, he whipped out the Polar Blizzard card and scanned it. “Blizzard!” Aiming at the Jaguar Undead’s legs, he froze it in place up to its torso. “Now!”

When Vulcan released the shot, he was thrown backwards by the recoil and landed on his back. The energy shot released two energy wolves that bit down on the trapped Undead, causing him more damage as the Finisher hit and creating a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared, the Jaguar Undead lied on the ground defeated with the belt buckle open.

‘Ow… now I remember why Rampage Vulcan anchored himself using the wings…’ thought Vulcan.

"Heh, I guess I arrived just in time. I can't believe you were getting your ass handed to you by a Nine." A rough voice was heard as someone approaches the Riders. ‘Is that Kamen Rider Chalice?’ thought the duo. However, his buckle wasn't the Joker's but the normal Undead one, meaning that this was the Mantis Undead, Chalice.

“Thanks for the help,” groaned Blade, “but don’t tell me you’re here to finish us off now.”

"Hah! As if I would need to take advantage of something like that to beat you! But no, if I did that, Spirit would get mad and that would be annoying to deal with." Chalice approached the Riders and offered his hand to Blade in a handshake. "He kept nagging me to help you guys."

Getting back up, Vulcan snorted. “That sounds hilarious.” He found the mental image of Spirit nagging Chalice to be quite amusing.

‘So that’s what Spirit meant by an old friend,’ thought Blade. “Alright,” he said as he reluctantly shook Chalice’s hand. “If Spirit sent you here, that means we can trust you.”

"Heh! Don't worry, I’ll whip you all into shape." Chalice then looked at the card in Blade's hand. "Category Numbers don't plan like that unless a Royal Undead is ordering them around," he explained.

Vulcan frowned. "Royal, huh?" He could make a few guesses, none of them pleasant. His mind also wandered to a certain Spider asshole. "What do you think, Blade?" he asked his fellow Rider. "I think the two of us have an idea on possible assholes."

Blade clicked his tongue. “Well, I'll say either the Peacock, Capricorn, Wolf, Orchid, Serpent or worst case scenario, the Caucasus Undead. On the plus side, if all of the Royal Club are here, that means we could probably run into Tarantula, or Tiger.”

"All the Royal Spade are assholes except for Eagle. Peacock is a douchebag, Serpent and Giraffa are no better. Wolf is a coward that tried to hide behind his Undead Hunter shtick, Orchid is insane, and Paradoxa is a shark-loving bastard. I don't get why Elephant is so lazy, Tiger is... fine in my book, and Tarantula is weird with his pacifism." Chalice eloquently gave his opinion on the Royal Undead. "But this mostly reeks of douchebag, so we should probably head back to wherever you guys live in to plan things," he shrugged.

Surprised by Chalice’s words, Vulcan replied, “Yeah, I guess you’re right." He went back to his bike and quickly mounted it. "Peacock, huh? I wouldn't mind kicking Isaka's ass for all that he did…” he muttered to himself.

Sweatdropping at Chalice’s blatant bias, Blade was taken by surprise by the mention of Paradoxa, considering that the Undead was originally from Decade. ‘Does that mean it’s possible for him to be here?’ He hopped back onto the Blue Spader. "Um, well thanks for your opinion? I guess we should head back to our HQ then. You riding with us, or do you want to just walk over yourself?"

"Are you kidding me? I walked all the way to this city while dealing with some weird guys that tried to grab me. They thought I was as dumb as the numbers until I slipped away from them..." Chalice mounted the Blue Spader behind Blade and noticed the looks from the Riders. "I didn’t kill or hurt any of them. Spirit would have nagged at me and it's always annoying." With that, they rode off back to the apartment complex.

…

The orcs were cut down with so much ease it was almost pitiful. The Raise Claw cut through their bodies with practically no resistance, and Buffa quickly found himself surrounded by mutilated orc corpses while the girl stared at him. Looking to her, it was only then that he realized that something was wrong. There was no way that a group of orcs would be able to get away with pulling a girl off the streets just like that, and the girl's clothes were in pristine condition. But most of all, the girl was smiling in what seemed to be amusement or excitement, rather than happy that she was saved or terrified by the sight of what he did.

The girl commented, “Uwa~ You’re a very violent person, aren't you. Buffalo-san?” She walked up to him, taking a closer look at him while ignoring the carnage around them.

"... You're not a normal girl, are you?" Buffa bluntly said. "So what is it you want?"

“Well,” the girl drawled playfully, “I wanted to see one of you guys. You seem like you would be fun~” As she spoke, her platinum blonde hair slowly turned pink as her blue eyes shifted to a red hue.

‘Shit,’ thought Buffa. He was looking at Felicia, Edwin Black’s psychotic daughter who found entertainment in making her enemies suffer and toying with those she found interesting. And now he was in her sights. ‘Please let me be in the second one and not the first...’

Glancing at the minimap in the top left corner of his HUD, Buffa noticed how Naoto and Ethan were out in the city, and judging by the red dot with them, they were in a fight. Knowing that just running away would only make things worse for him, he reluctantly took the diplomatic approach. "I don't suppose we can agree to go our ways and pretend this didn't happen?"

Felicia pouted. “Eh? Why would I do that when I took the trouble of coming to this city to find one of you guys?” Circling around Buffa, she examined him carefully. “You want me to leave and throw my efforts away?”

"Not what I meant," Buffa sighed as he sat down on a nearby crate. It looked like he wasn't going anywhere for a while. Checking the minimap again, it seemed that Naoto and Mateo had more company, friendly by the looks of it, so he could probably afford to take more time to reach them.

Looking to Felicia, he explained, "When you said you wanted to see us for yourself, I figured that you would just watch a fight or two from a distance then move on with whatever other business you have, but apparently that's not it." Taking a deep breath, he repeated, "So I'll just ask again, now that we're on the same page. What do you want with me?"

“Well~ like I said. I wanted to meet one of you guys,” answered Felicia. “To see how you fight and how you act. Your personality and powers. You seem more interesting than..." Her eyes suddenly gain an eerie glow. "That skeletal bastard."

Buffa held back a sigh. Of course Felicia knew about Fifteen. She was a member of NOMAD, after all. Given her history of disobedience, he would’ve expected her to have gone for Fifteen, but for some reason, she chose the Riders instead.

“And why is that?” he asked, shifting his position on the crate by a bit to avoid having a foot in the puddle of blood that was slowly spreading from the corpses.

“Because~” Felicia responded, “you suddenly appeared to help a random girl~” She scowled, the playful look on her face disappearing. “That skeleton bastard instantly tried to kill me the moment I tried to get close to him.” Suddenly acting playful again, she smiled at Buffa innocently. “So I hope you can be more fun than him and his group of squealing idiots~”

Unfortunately, there was only one thing Buffa could do at this point: play along with her game. "Then I hope I don't disappoint," he said as he got up. "Well, it looks like this is a good time to introduce ourselves. I'm Kamen Rider Buffa. And you?" He put down the Raise Claw in his right hand and extended his arm to her for a handshake. Or for a kiss to her hand if that was what she wanted. He didn't know, since this was Felicia. There was no predicting what she wanted.

“Well, you definitely didn’t disappoint in first impressions, Buffy~” Felicia took another look at the remains of the orcs before shaking Buffa’s hand. “I’m Felicia. Don’t bore me~” Before Buffa could react, she took the Claw Buckle from his driver and started inspecting it. “Hmm, what a cute little thing. Maybe Felly can get one too?”

“Now, now, Miss Felicia," Buffa said, gently clasping her hand and taking the Claw Buckle back. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you have that. Besides, don't you want to see more before making your choice? After all, you'll get to see so much more if you be a good girl and wait." Internally, he cursed himself. ‘Damn it, being even just a little flirtatious for just a couple sentences is already draining my social battery...’

“Oh really? How good of a girl would I need to be to see more?” Felicia purred, getting closer to Buffa. “Would they be like the big one at your waist?”

Buffa realized he set himself up for that innuendo. He knew she would probably continue the playfulness, but he didn’t expect her to be so forward with it. ‘Hey, she smells kinda nice... WAIT NO!’ Clearing his thoughts and fighting back the blush that creeped across his face, he realized that there was only one option left: try to take control of the flow.

Steeling his resolve, he leaned down, whispering into Felicia's ear. "Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. There's no fun in spoilers." Even as he spoke, his minimap picked up a group approaching them, and going by the color, he deduced that it was the authorities. "Now how about we keep this conversation our little secret and pick up where the fight left off? We have company.”

Felicia’s eyes glowed as her grin widened in delight. “Don’t disappoint me, Buffy~” Her hair and eye colors returned to their appearance from her disguise, and her attitude immediately changed into that of a scared girl who was just saved.

A short time later, Buffa awkwardly held Felicia in his arms as she clutched onto him, feigning relief and gratitude as she 'cried' over what the orcs had attempted to do. Much to his surprise, he wasn't in much trouble with the police. Fortunately, they were with the division that specifically handled crimes committed by demons, and as such, weren't hung up over killing like regular authorities would have been. It probably helped that Felicia pretended to be a helpless innocent girl. Honestly, he found it a bit scary how well she sold the act.

"Don't worry, I'll stay with you until we reach the street." he said to her. They were walking out of the alley now that the police had cleared us to go while they cleaned up the mess. By this point, Buffa had no doubt they were NOMAD affiliates, considering how fast the process had gone. Felicia clutched on to his side, a playful smile on her face. She had practically forced him to wrap an arm around her, and at this point, he didn't feel like resisting. When they reached the street, he turned to her once more. "Promise you'll be careful from now on, alright?"

Turning away to find a place where he could summon the Cyclone to head back, Buffa decided to say one last thing to Felicia, just in case they still had anyone watching us. "After all, cute girls like you are cutest when you're happy." Now that he had the opportunity to get away, he made his escape. And that's when his mind caught up with what he said.

'SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT WHY DID I SAY THAT?!’

Notes:

So, here’s the funny story. When Felicia showed up, as a joke I said “roll a D20 to see how she shows her interest” with 1 being her canon way of showing interest in someone or something and 20 being Majima Everywhere. We rolled a 20.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 15: Mateo Has Fun, But We Don't Part 2

Notes:

Welcome to part two of everyone dealing with the series stuff while Mateo had fun playing fruit gacha. This time, we’re seeing what’s happening with Sloan and Jeuri.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

After handing off the new magic gem to Golem and seeing Mateo off to the forest, Sloan ended up doing some freeting himself. It wasn't glamourous, and it didn’t pay well, but if it helped keep them going until they could work something out, he would suck it up and deal with it.

When his shift ended, he decided to walk around the city before heading back, and that was when he stumbled upon an interesting sight. A certain Hell Knight-In-Training was looking around in confusion, seemingly searching for something or someone.

Sloan blinked. ‘Okay, that’s Lina. Out and about, on her lonesome.’ It was at this moment that he remembered that he somehow got into his head that Ingrid was almost his height (she wasn’t, she was half a foot shorter than him). And Lina, who was only just a bit shorter than Ingrid, was over a head shorter than him.

He slowly approached her, carefully asking, “Uh, are you lost?” Most people seemed to be doing the ‘don’t get involved in other people’s business’ bit, but he was a Rider now. “Do you need help?”

Lina looked up at the man that approached her, somewhat taken aback by how tall he was compared to her. ‘Maybe he can help me?’ She had been looking around all day, but she hadn’t found even a single clue. “Oh! Uh, yes! Sir, do you know where the Riders live?” A few people looked at her oddly as they passed, but went on their way almost immediately after.

"They’d rather keep to themselves and take steps to ensure they're not tracked," Sloan replied. "They seem pretty paranoid about it, really. Though given I've seen them fight at least three different kinds of monsters so far, in addition to that orc mercenary and saying something about brainwashing once, I'm not sure it qualifies as paranoia." Shrugging, he continued, "So no, I can't point you to them. May I ask why you’re looking for them?"

Lina slumped. “Well-” Before she could explain, a wall burst open, with a large horned monster emerging from the hole.

“Grr… Where is it? Where is the Gate?!” the Minotaur Phantom roared.

“Wait… that’s a-” Lina gasped, her eyes widening in recognition.

Sloan joined the fleeing crowd before stealthily ducking into an alley, leaving Lina on her own. He scanned his Driver On ring, then scanned the Flame Style Ring, feeling the transformation wash over him as the WizarDriver. “Flame, Please!” He switched out the Driver On right for the Connect Ring, setting up the next part of his plan. “Connect, Please!” Pulling out the WizarSwordGun, he was surprised to see Golem emerge as well.

Golem handed Wizard the finished Hurricane Style ring. “Ah, well done, Golem. Thank you very much. You might want to go back. I'm afraid I'm about to get into a fight,” said Wizard. Snapping the WizarSwordGun into gun mode as Golem went back through the portal, he stepped out, ready to fight. “Well, let’s get this show on the road, hmm?” he said, firing four rounds at the Minotaur.

The bullets hit home at the Phantom, causing him to stumble back and look at Wizard with surprise. "R-Ringed Magician!?"

Wizard simply let his armor absorb the fire, charging its druid crystal with fire mana. “That’s me,” he confirmed, firing another burst at the Ghouls, each bullet striking home and eliminating them. “Wizard, the meddling mage.” He fired another burst of shots before striking the closest Ghoul with an open palm, flames erupting from his hand and piercing through the Phantom, dispatching it along with three more that had been crowed in behind it. Snapping the WizarSwordGun back into sword mode, he charged back into the fight.

Lina turned to Wizard with surprise, then happiness. "Yes! I found one of you!" She then turned to the Phantom and pointed at it with her sword. "My name is Lina! Face me!" Before she could charge in, the Phantom threw some magic stones to the ground that reformed into a big group of Ghouls that immediately began firing hellfire at Wizard and Lina, forcing her to stop her charge to dodge instead. She complained, "Hey, that's not fair! This should be an honest duel!"

The Minotaur Phantom took advantage of Wizard's focus on the Ghouls and managed to get a clean hit with his battle axe, sending Wizard straight into a building wall. "Wizard-san!" Lina exclaimed as she tried to make her way through the Ghouls then attempted to attack the Phantom, only for her sword to bounce off him. "Eh?" The Phantom backhanded her and sent her flying back to land next to the arriving Buffa.

Coming to a stop, Buffa got off the Cyclone, helping her get up. “Are you alright?” he asked. However, upon seeing that she was too dazed to answer, he quickly equipped the Hammer Buckle and got in front of her. “Armed Hammer!” Given the Ghouls’ appearance, it seemed like brute force was the best option.

The sheer force of the Raise Hammer helped in pushing the Ghouls back. Unfortunately, it seemed to only daze them rather than causing any actual harm. Recovering, Lina snapped out of her dazed state and charged in. "I-I'm fine!" She then noticed that it was Buffa who helped her up. "Hey! You’re another one of the Riders I was looking for!" As she spoke, she slashed at the Ghouls that Buffa hit, actually causing damage to them.

Seeing this, Buffa shouted, “Alright. I’ll run interference, and you take them down!” Without waiting for an answer, he charged in again, hitting Ghouls upside the head.

Pulling himself out of the wall, Wizard shook his head, wincing as his ribs protested in pain. Blinking as he saw that he had been sent through four walls, he realized he would have to change tactics. He snapped open the Hand Author. “Come on, Shooting! Shake hands!” Scanning the Flame ring, he focused on the remaining Ghouls. “Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi! Flame Shooting Strike!”

Wizard pulled the trigger several times, sweeping the WizarSwordGun across them and a barrage of fireballs ripple outwards, incinerating the Ghouls. He toggled his belt to transformation mode and wiped the Hurricane ring across it. ‘This probably isn’t the best idea,’ he thought, ‘but if I’m going to try to use the technique I cribbed from Rinko, I need the extra speed.’

“Hurricane, Please! Fu, Fu, Fu, Fu, Fu, Fu!” Rushing forwards, he snapped the WizarSwordGun into sword mode and swung upwards in a rising slash that knocked the Minotaur into the air, then changed it back into gun mode. Wizard opened the Hand Author again and swept the Hurricane ring across it, prompting it to announce, “Come on, Shooting! Shake Hands! Fu, Fu, Fu, Fu, Fu, Fu!”

He took careful aim and pulled the trigger as the Minotaur came back down. “Hurricane! Shooting Strike!”

The Minotaur Phantom crashed to the ground with a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared, it painfully pushed itself back up. "D-Damn you! I-I need to find the Gate! Damn you, Ringed Magician!" it tried to run away, but unfortunately, the injuries he received caused him to stumble, leaving him wide open.

Switching back to Flame Style, Wizard scanned the Kick Strike ring. “Very Nice, Kick Strike! The Best!” Wizard dove into a flying kick toward the Minotaur, hitting him and landing gracefully. A few seconds later, the Phantom exploded.

Seeing that the fight was finally over, Wizard sighed, “Blessed be, I really didn't want to try and pull out a fourth finisher today...” Looking over to Buffa, he said, “Hey Buffa, you should probably call the others and maybe set up a meeting.” Doing his best to not collapse on the ground, he could only think of all the mana he had burned through during the fight.

"We win!" Lina cheered as she raised her sword in victory. She swayed in place for a second but rightened herself. "Right, so now..." She quickly ran up to Wizard and Buffa, bowing to them. "Nice to meet you! I'm Lina! I want to talk with all of you!"

Buffa handed Wizard the remaining untouched sandwich he had gotten from a two pack in the convenience store for lunch. "Sure thing," he said as he headed to the Cyclone. Sitting on it to catch his breath, he sent the others a message about how they had Lina with them and that she wanted a meeting, along with a request to make some food since just the one sandwich wouldn't be enough for Wizard.

Pulling out a spare strip of cloth he had stored in the Cyclone, Buffa handed it over to Lina. “Put that on,” he said. “We can’t just have anyone knowing where we live.”

…

Taking advantage of his free time, Jeuri decided to take inventory of the apartment’s food supplies. Because of the Riders’ training, they would need proper diets to ensure that they could get the needed nutrition. Surprisingly, they still had quite a lot of food; whoever sent them there wanted them to last for a long time.

While he went over the ingredients, Spirit entered the room. “Ah, Jeuri. How are you today?”

“Hello, Spirit.” Without taking eyes off his task, Jeuri responded to Spirit. “Everything’s good, just doing some inventory. And you?” He couldn’t decide what dishes would be the most suitable. Although he was a cook, he wasn’t a nutritionist, which made the planning process a bit more complicated.

Smiling, Spirit responded, “I went to meet the friend I told you about. Thankfully, agreed to help.”

“Really?” asked Jeuri. “That’s great. Some of us really need the help... especially me.” He let out a small sigh, setting aside the list. “When will he arrive?”

“Soon,” replied Spirit. “I can feel that he is with Ethan and Naoto.” Opening his eyes, Spirit said, “Humans coexist with other creatures in this world, but the things you have all told me... So many of my progeny go through so much pain in this world. It saddens me.” Looking out the window, he finished, “I personally wish to have words with this... Edwin Black.”

Sighing, Jeuri said, “You’re not the only one, but that should wait. None of us are at the level we need to face him and his allies.” He leaned against the wall, frustrated by the reality that he and the others were unable to stop Black at the time being. “Unfortunately, he’s not the only one either. Many others seek to cause harm in this world, and they succeed.”

Spirit took a deep breath. “One day, you will all have the strength to finally avenge all the innocents that have suffered by their hands.” Sighing, he admitted, “I have never been so... agitated by something like this. The knowledge of a being who treats others in such a way, and that it is an act of free will rather than something from birth...” He clenched his fists. At least Aikawa Hajime had no say in being the Joker, and he even yearned for a normal life. However, Edwin Black and others in this world relished in the pain and suffering they caused.

“Yeah, we will,” promised Jeuri. “Honestly, even I don’t understand it. I don’t find pleasure in the suffering of the innocent, and knowing that there are others who do frustrates me.”

Vulcan, Blade, and Chalice returned, the former two detransforming as they entered the room. “Welcome back,” Spirit said. “I see that Chalice has met up with you.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Chalice grunted. Turning to Jeuri, he grunted, “So you’re another of the guys, huh? I’m Chalice.” Crossing his arms, he explained, “From now on, I’m the one who’s going to beat you until you know how to kick someone’s ass without dying in the process.”

Naoto waved to them. “Hey Spirit, Jeuri.” Sitting on the couch, he sighed in relief. “Today was… less painful than yesterday.” He could still only think of how Lyon was back and controlling Jin. “Oh, and like he said, he’s Chalice, the Mantis Undead.” He awkwardly gestured to Chalice.

Joining Naoto on the couch, Ethan explained, “Yeah, he managed to help us in the nick of time, so I’m grateful for that. I'll be honest, I don't know how Spirit managed to get him on our side, but I'm also grateful for that as well.”

Jeuri didn’t know what to say. “A pleasure,” he slowly said. From what he could tell, Chalice wasn’t going to be as pleasant as Spirit. He could already feel the frustration bubbling up from within. Before he could say anything else, Mateo burst in through the door.

“Guess who’s back! I managed to score big time!” Mateo raised the gym back, opening it to show the Lockseeds. Taking out the extra Orange Lockseed, he tossed it to Ethan. “Here ya go, Ethan. One Lockseed like you wanted.”

Catching the Lockseed, Ethan broke out into a huge grin. “Thanks, man! I’ve always wanted a Lockseed.”

Chalice stared at Mateo. “Did he not see me, or…?”

Carefully picking up a Himawari Lockseed, Spirit commented, “It seems that these are the tools he went to retrieve.” Putting it back on the table, he looked to the eggs. “Where did these come from?”

Shaking his head, Chalice sighed, “Well, you lot better be ready for training when time comes.” He really didn’t want to question what he was looking at currently.

Looking through the bag, Naoto asked, “Is that a Mission Box?” Confused, he thought, ‘What’s something from Geats doing here?’ Opening it, he took out a Feverslot Buckle. “Well, Jeuri, you and Alexander got a power-up that depends on luck.”

"Huh? What do you mean?" Jeuri asked, looking at the Feverslot Buckle. He understood that each Buckle granted power and that some could be more incredible than others, but he was far from knowing the effects of all of them… or at least those that neither he nor Alexander possessed.

From the box, Spirit picked up a note and read it. "Use the Feverslot well and take good care of the eggs. They will give you more Buckles to help you reach your ideal world. From a very kind godly fox." He hummed. "Interesting…"

Chalice scratched the back of his head. "The hell?"

Naoto explained, “This thing is basically a slot machine. It can give you one of the Large Buckles or, if it hits the special slot, any Buckle, both Large or Small. If you’re using another Large Buckle on your legs and hit the same Buckle on this, you activate the Fever Form which is basically a supercharged version of the Buckle where you use the top and bottom parts together.” He handed the Feverslot Buckle over to Jeuri. If he and Alexander had good luck, it could be a great asset, especially since Jeuri already had the Command Twin Buckle. ‘Two Upgrade forms for two of our fighters is a great improvement,’ he thought.

Jeuri took the Feverslot Buckle and put it aside. “Great, but I'll leave that to Alexander, I'm not the luckiest with these kinds of things,” he said, before noticing the message Alexander sent. “Okay, looks like Sloan and Alexander are coming back with Lina. Should we hide our identities from her? She’s good, but easy to manipulate.”

Afte hearing this, the rest of the group in the apartment decided to transform for the meeting. Chalice was told by Spirit to stay in the gym room in order to not cause problems with their guest, causing him to grumble as he did so. Mateo took the Lockseeds to his room to organize them, leaving the Buckle Eggs on the table.

Wizard and Buffa entered the living room, escorting Lina, who was blindfolded. Finally taking it off, she exclaimed, "Whoa, this must be the Riders’ secret… home?" Lina looked around in confusion then noticed the other Riders. "Ah! Nice to meet you, I'm Lina! A friend of mine wanted me to meet all of you!" She bowed to them.

“Hi, I’m Vulcan,” said Vulcan as he waved to her. ‘So, Ingrid’s apprentice is here. Neat,’ he thought. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the budget to have a secret base,” he said jokingly. Turning to Buffa, he added, “And we have a Feverslot Buckle now, so I hope you have good luck.”

Blade didn’t know much about Lina or her affiliations, but if Wizard and Buffa brought her with them, there must have been a reason, so he decided to trust their judgement. “I’m Blade. Welcome to our humble abode. We’ve got some snacks and drinks if you’re feeling hungry.”

Meanwhile, Wizard went to his room to rest, helped by Buffa, who carried the food that had been prepared for him. “This is Wizard,” said the latter. “And he needs rest, so unfortunately, he’ll be missing out. I’ll be back soon.”

“I’m Tycoon,” greeted the tanuki-themed Rider as he waved to Lina, then tossed the Feverslot Buckle to Buffa, who caught it as he left the room.

Looking at the table, Lina asked, “Why do you guys have eggs?” Shaking her head, she said, “No, wait! That isn’t what I’m here for!” She searched her pockets before pulling out a small device, presenting it to the Riders before placing it on the table. “My friend wanted me to give you this!” She pressed a button on the device’s side before taking a step back.

A soft voice came out of the device. “H-hello? Hello...? D-did it work? Lina?”

It took the group a few seconds to connect the dots. Dolores, Ingrid’s hikkikomori relative who was hurt by her family. ‘But why would she want to meet us?’ thought Vulcan. Carefully getting closer, he softly said, “Hello, I’m Vulcan. Kamen Rider Vulcan.”

Returning to the room just in time to see Lina activate the communication device, Buffa introduced himself. “I’m Buffa.” Sighing, he internally said, ‘How many times do I need to introduce myself? It’s the third time today…’

“Hi, I’m Tycoon,” Tycoon said as he walked over to the table to inspect the Buckle Eggs.

Blade cleared his throat awkwardly. “My name’s Blade. You must be Dolores, right?” He was oblivious to how the others looked at him for mentioning the girl’s name without having had an introduction.

“Uwaaah!” A muffled squeal and freakout was heard from the device while Lina looked at Blade in surprise. “Kamen Riders! It’s the Kamen Riders! Uhihihi… and Kenzaki knows my name! One of the heroes of light knows the name of my lowly existence!” Dolores sounded both happy and surprised. Nervous breathing was heard. “T-there’s so much I want to say! Thank you, a-and…” The sound of rustling paper came from the device. “I am a being of the darkness… who has… come to… Uwaaa!” Dolores cut herself off, mumbling to herself in sheepish anxiety.

Chuckling nervously, Blade awkwardly said, “Funny thing, actually…”

Vulcan was thankful that he was transformed, even though the call was audio only. Dolores wanted to meet them. That was fine. Dolores seemed to be a big fan of Riders. Okay. Dolores thought they were the original Riders. That was going to be a problem. “Um, how about your take a few deep breaths? They tend to help you calm down,” he slowly said.

“Just say what you need to say,” sighed Buffa, still irritated. “The more you worry about your words, the harder it gets.”

“Uwaa… Michinaga is getting mad at me!” Dolores took a few deep breaths. “I am… a being of darkness that who has come to…. offer my assistance to you! Riders of light!” It was obvious she was reading from a script. Giving up, she cried, “Uwaa! I want to help you! Let me help you!”

Sweatdropping, Lina asked, “Um, Dolores? Don’t you think you’re exaggerating?”

“Lina, you don’t understand! These are the Riders! Of course I would react like this!” The sound of a fist slamming on a desk was heard. “Ow!”

“Thank you…?” Vulcan honestly didn’t know how to react, but if Dolores wanted to help, it was probably a good thing.

“We appreciate the sudden enthusiasm,” said Blade, “But, uh, how about we start from zero first? How do you know about us?”

“And why are you here?” added Buffa. “Why did you reach out to us?”

Dolores shakily replied, “Because you’re my heroes...” Taking a deep breath, she continued, “Wizard. Blade. Vulcan. Tycoon. Even Buffa in a way... I’ve watched all your series. I’ve seen how much you all fight to protect others from pain and sadness, so I want to help you! I want to help you save Kouta and defeat Shocker! I... I want to be useful to my heroes!”

Lina looked at the communication device in surprise. “Dolores...”

Finished eating, Wizard returned to the living room, having listened in to the entire conversation with his Rune Ears. “My apologies for my absence until now, Dolores-san, Squire Lina. I fear using three Finishers in a single fight was rather draining on my reserves.” Mentally, he took note to look into a cheap source of calorie-dense food. Now that he thought of it, that would probably explain Haruto’s near-endless desire for plain sugar donuts.

“Now, as Squire Lina is aware, I am Wizard. We do have a lead on how to rescue Gaim from Shocker’s control – if we retrieve his Lockseeds and bring them to Helheim, the Avatar of the Forest and the Woman of the Beginning say they'll be able to do something about it. That, of course, requires us to retrieve his Lockseeds,” he explained.

Nodding to Wizard, Vulcan agreed, “Like he said. Unfortunately, it’ll require some long-term planning and us gaining better resources for now.” Mentally, he groaned at having to speak so formally. ‘Thinking about it, Fuwa never did formal, so Dolores might question things...’

Blade added, “There’s also Jin who’s back alive, and with Lyon Arkland establishing a new company here, I have a feeling he’s behind that. It’s only a matter of time until he unleashes something else.”

Deep in thought, Buffa said, “There’s also the ZAIA Specs being advertised. We might be looking at Raidrisers and Raiders too.”

Suddenly, Bujin entered the room, having finished organizing his new Lockseeds. “Yo, what’d I miss?” he asked. While he had transformed due to remembering that Lina was there, that was all he knew.

“Not much,” replied Tycoon, “She’s offering to help us, and we’re bringing her up to speed on what we know and plan to do.” He had kept quiet the whole time, trying to restrain his laughter at how Dolores reacted to them.

Lina waved to Bujin in confusion. She remembered watching the movie from which he originated, and for some reason, he was on good terms with the other Riders rather than attacking them.

“Uwaa!” B-Bujin Gaim! B-but you’re not the original warlord of famine...” Dolores exclaimed. “The video showed you helping Fuwa.” Typing furiously on her keyboard, she continued, “Never mind! Arkland... the villain that corrupted the reformed light of Metsuboujinrai for the sake of profit! His company seems to be remaking all of ZAIA’s technology. Jin... There’s nothing about him! Only reports of pink feathers!”

Lina looked at the device in surprise, amazed by how passionate Dolores was about this.

After a few seconds of silence, Dolores softly spoke. “... You’re not the original Riders, are you?”

She had finally noticed.

Notes:

And Dolores finally makes her appearance. Funny thing, Ethan/Blade saying her name before it had even been mentioned was an actual oversight that happened. It practically made EmiyaZX (Naoto), who was also acting as GM, rewrite the scene he had planned for that segment.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 16: Tachibana Out!

Notes:

Funny how CMXB got brought up twice in reviews with presumably different opinions. I’ll say this now: I’d prefer it if the review section didn’t become a place to promote other fics or argue with each other. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Everyone was silent. How were they supposed to explain it? Unlike Mugi, Dolores was much more emotionally… mercurial and wasn’t as likely to take things well.

“Unfortunately not, but most of us are doing the best we can to live up to their legacy. I believe Bujin has decided to forge his own destiny,” replied Wizard. “We're pretty sure Arkland is allied with Shocker, because, well, the Black Baron we fought was obviously a throwaway mercenary, and while Arkland might be able to turn the Humagears into Magia, I doubt they'd be able to duplicate Lockseeds or the Sengoku Driver.”

Flinching, Vulcan admitted, “Sorry. But I’m doing what I can.” Thinking about Buffa’s input, he mused, “Maybe they’re trying to bring back the RaidRiders, but unless they find a way to replicate what Naki did, we should be fine.” Shuddering, he added, “And I don’t even want to think about someone creating another Ark. I would be a disaster...”

“And we can hope that they haven’t brought back Naki and Ikazuichi either,” added Blade, “They deserve to rest.”

Buffa cynically pointed out, “If Lyon and the Undeads came back, that means there's a chance we'll be dealing with other villains and monsters like the Zodiarts, Dopants, Jyamato, Makamou, and so on.”

“Hopefully we can deal with those monsters without having ot need the exact powers as the Riders that fought them,” Bujin optimistically replied.

Tycoon was completely lost, barely able to keep up with the conversation. But in any case, he was worried about Dolores. Mugi had taken it well that they weren’t the original Riders, but Dolores seemed to be a different kind of fan, possibly even more intense.

“You aren’t them...” Dolores whispered as it sank in. Suddenly, she started screaming. “Uwaaaaa!!! I said so many embarrassing things! Someone please make me disappear!!! Someone, anyone! Just use a finishing move on my existence!!!”

“None of that now,” said Wizard. “You want to help, and took steps to try and help. That is more than a great many have done. Sometimes, all it takes to be worthy of the title of hero is to step up to help when things look bleak, and that is what you have done.”

“Y-yeah, Wizard’s right,” agreed Vulcan. “You still wanted to help us and you still want to save Kouta and Jin, right? Then let’s save them together!” He thought, ‘Please let this work...’

“Why does it matter if we aren’t the original Riders?” asked Buffa. “Himmel was a fake hero, but he never let it stop him from saving people. So why should we?”

Blade added, “If there's a hand reaching for help, then we'll reach out to that hand no matter what, and that's exactly what you're doing right now.”

“Besides,” said Tycoon, “even if we’re not the originals, our desire for good and justice is the same as theirs.” After a second, he quickly added, “Well, Bujin is better than his predecessor.”

Sniffling, Dolores softly said, “Blade... you used Eiji’s words.”

Lina sighed in relief when her friend calmed down. “Wow, you really did react badly to that, Dolores...” she lamented.

“You don’t understand how embarrassing it is for me!” retorted Dolores. “Wait… Did Buffa just reference a really old manga? No, it doesn’t matter! I want to help you all! I can get you guys information! If I can at least be useful to the Riders-”

Scratching her cheek, Lina said, “I wonder if Ingrid-sama will be okay with this…”

“Dame Ingrid has officially given us support as long as we do not harm the innocent and keep the collateral damage down as much as we can,” answered Wizard. Tilting his head, he put on a show of consideration. “Though there is a bit of a difference between official support from NOMAD and… I’m going to guess her squire… getting involved.”

Lina smiled. “Yes, I’m Ingrid-sama’s apprentice! I train every day to be as great of a Hell Knight as her!”

“Eek! There’s no video feed, but I can feel Lina's handsome light-type protagonist glow!" Dolores squealed from the device. "The overpowering light of her and the Riders would kill me if I was present in that room!”

“Well,” said Vulcan, “if you want to help, I don’t mind. We do need a lot of information.” Shrugging, he explained, “We’ve been mostly getting information through the news.”

“If you can find anything related to Shocker, NOMAD, or anything else really, that’d be much appreciated,” added Blade.

“Honestly, what matters to me is that we avoid stepping on toes or drawing too much attention in the progress of getting more information,” Buffa commented. "I’d rather not run the risk of pissing off someone in power into giving us false or outdated information out of spite.”

“That certainly wouldn’t be idea,” agreed Tycoon, “but I’m sure our new informant can help us with that, right?”

Dolores responded, “Yes! I’ll make sure no one notices me gathering information for you! I'm pretty much a non-existent being to the world, so nobody will suspect me when I help you. I swear, I won't fail you!”

“Be careful, Dolores-san,” warned Wizard. “Whatever information you turn up is less important than your safety. If it’s beyond you, don’t take the risk.”

“Yeah, don’t endanger yourself needlessly,” agreed Vulcan. “Your life is worth more than information.” He pointedly ignored the part of his mind that called him a hypocrite. “You being safe and happy is more important.”

“Speaking of which,” Blade said, changing the subject. “Vulcan and I ran into an Undead earlier. We managed to defeat it with Chalice’s help, but there might be more roaming around. We figured that a Royal Undead may be controlling them since they’re smarter than usual.”

“C-Chalice? Does that mean it’s Hajime-san?! … No, you already went through this…” Dolores continued mumbling under her breath.

“Speaking of encounters,” interrupted Buffa, “I ran into Wiard and Lina fighting Ghouls.”

“Oh, that’s not good to hear,” sighed Bujin. “Then again, it’s Shocker, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they have practically every monster on their side to fight for them.”

“Then I won’t fail you! We’ll defeat Shocker together! Tachibana out!” cried Dolores. With that, the device made a sound indicating that the communication had ended. Unknown to the Riders, Dolores curled up in a ball in her room, screaming in embarrassment as she realized how she said goodbye. She used the codename that she wanted to use while talking to them. And then she wondered how the Riders knew her name. Did Lina tell them and ruin her plan?! “Lina you idiot!”

"Well, I think that's the end of what Dolores wanted to say to all of you?" Lina rubbed the back of her head while she stood up from the couch. "In that case, I should go as well! I need to continue to get stronger to deal with Shocker's evil monsters!" With that, Lina put the blindfold back on. "Um… who’s going to escort me out? Oh, and keep the communicator. Dolores might want to keep talking to you through it."

“I’ll do it,” said Vulcan as he walked over to Lina. “Say goodbye for now, everyone.” He gently took Lina by her arm and guided her away, thinking of potential places to drop her off.

“We’ll keep in touch, Lina-san,” said Blade. “Take care.”

As soon as the door closed, everyone released their transformations. Alexander turned to the others. “I ran into Felicia before I met up with Wizard and Lina. She was out looking for us, and either I interrupted her attempt to trick orc thugs into having CNC fun with her, or I fell for the trap she set up.” Sighing, he added, “I managed to convince her to keep our encounter a secret, but I had to flirt with her to make it happen.”

Snickering, Mateo said, “Well, since we're sharing stuff now, it turned out Sagara and Mai checked out the creatures that entered the Helheim Forest awhile back. They couldn’t find anything that resembles a communicator or a beacon in the research base.”

“Wait,” said Jeuri. He took Dolores’s communicator took his room and placed it at the bottom of his clothes drawer before returning to the group. “I trust Dolores and Lina, but neither of them are specialists in discretion. It wouldn’t be surprising if Oboro noticed that Lina, who is always near Ingrid, suddenly distanced herself from her. That's why it's better to keep the communicator away from our important conversations.”

When Naoto returned and was informed about Alexander’s encounter with Felicia, he slammed his head on a wall. Chalice looked at him in confusion. “What’s with him?”

Spirit frowned. “This… Felicia seems to be a troublesome individual from what I sense from all of you,” he observed.

Sloan groaned. “She’s Edwin Black’s daughter, and a grand chip off the old block. She spends her time wandering around looking for entertainment, which can be anything from ‘show up just to annoy you and eat your food’ to ‘make multiple groups each think the other has murdered children to laugh at them as they kill each other over something that never happened' and the like.” Sighing, he finished, “So… yeah.”

“Simply put, she’s a mess and I have no idea how we’re going to deal with her,” groaned Naoto as he stopped slamming his head on the wall. “How the hell did you manage to flirt with her without her… you know, doing something weird?” If there was anything he remembered about Felicia, it was her unpredictable nature. Naoto groaned again when he realized something. “Great, you have a Beroba…” Sighing, he thought, ‘It just had to be our Buffa who met with her, right?’

“Judging from what you guys are saying about her, she sounds like a handful,” said Ethan. ‘Edwin’s daughter… Does evil run in the family or something?’ Shaking his head, he asked. “Then that means as long as we entertain her, we’ll be fine, right? Does that mean you’ll have to flirt with her more?” He couldn’t help but add the second question.

Sighing as he sat down, Alexander replied, “Let's just say that she approached Fifteen first and he tried to kill her right off the bat, and that playing her game was the best chance I had at not ending up on her bad side." Twitching as he remembered Michinaga and Beroba’s relationship, he grunted, "And if she does become my Beroba, then I'm going to pray that it doesn't include a twisted obsession where she wants to mold me according to her tastes or wanting to see us suffer.”

“Unfortunately, she might wish for that," Jeuri sighed. “Felicia has no concept of mercy or empathy. Anything that amuses her is good in her eyes, and we're not even considering her more... intimate side.” He looked at Alexander with some discomfort. “She might… try to lead you toward that." He tried to phrase it as best he could, but he found it difficult to talk about the topic.

Mateo silently listened to the others. He didn’t know anything about Felicia, but if she was being compared to someone like Beroba, then she was definitely someone to watch out for.

“So she’s going to want to kill or fuck him?” Chalice asked bluntly. “The fuck is wrong with her?”

“She seems to be a very... disturbed individual.” Spirit frowned. “Edwin Black, could you have corrupted your own daughter so much?”

After Mateo delivered the very relieving news that there wasn’t a communicator or beacon in the Brain Flayer’s equipment, the group decided to rest for the rest of the day.

...

Thus, another week passed for the Riders. True to his word, Chalice set about training the Riders through good old sparring, allowing them to improve faster than before thanks to his experience. An amusing thing that Blade noticed was that the Chalice arrow had the Joker Buckle stuck in it to Rouze cards, a fact that Chalice constantly complained about because it 'messed with the bow's balance'.

During the week, Dolores, or Tachibana as she decided to call herself while assisting the Riders, relayed what information she could of Arkland’s and Shocker’s moves. One such thing was that Arkland had apparently been making underhanded deals with various business on the country and that he seemed interested in the demon side of things.

One of the Buckle Eggs hatched during that time, releasing a Zombie Buckle. The act of a Raise Buckle coming out of an egg weirded out Chalice and made him question the world he was in. Additionally, whenever Alexander went out on patrol as Buffa, he would run into Felicia. He was almost certain that she planned every single meeting with him.

Meanwhile, Sloan managed to get four new magic stones, courtesy of Garuda. The mage was pleasantly surprised, especially by one being a beautiful blue color, and gave them to Golem as quickly as he could.

"Geez, you and Garuda are really outdoing yourself, you know,” Sloan said as he took the Water Wizard Ring from Golem. "Thank you very much." He shifted slightly, feeling the aches from training with Chalice. The Mantis Undead had deemed him ‘barely competent’ in the first match. And while it stung, Sloan wasn’t going to refute it. After all, he knew that there was a difference between someone who did fencing as a sport and someone who was an actual fighter.

However, Chalice was pleased by the fact that Sloan was a fairly quick learner. The mage had gotten better at switching the WizarSwordGun’s mode almost instantly, and had even started to mix kicks and swordplay into what could almost be called a style.

Alexander decided to take a break from patrols and freeter stints to focus on training. While he struggled to dual wield the Zombie Buckle’s Zombie Breaker and Berserclaw at first, he was able to find a solid foundation to work with after seeking help from Chalice, who was still questioning how the Buckle came from an egg. And to be honest, he was a bit glad that taking time off for training meant he would be able to avoid Felicia, who somehow kept tracking him down every time he went out as Buffa.

Meanwhile, Naoto was relaxing on the couch in the living room, dealing with the familiar ache that came with sparring. Surprisingly, it felt… comforting in a way to spar with Chalice. He was the type who could instantly notice if someone made a mistake, and he wouldn’t hold back on the criticism. And since Naoto preferred being told if he made a mistake, he took to the lessons very well.

And while Chalice was helpful in teaching Naoto to use the Attache Calibur, what he helped the most in was hand-to-hand combat. Chalice didn’t hesitate, and immediately made sure Naoto learned the most effective ways to attack in a real battle. Combined with Naoto’s Kyokushin lessons, he made a lot of progress, probably helped by the fact he decided to make use of the weights and equipment in the gym.

Ethan and Jeuri, on the other hand, managed to find jobs, though it was temporary in Ethan’s case. Ethan handed out tissues to customers, just glad to be making any money at all. Jeuri worked as a cook at a small local restaurant, glad that the owner didn’t ask questions about his situation.

At the same time, however, neither of them neglected their training. Ethan trained harshly with Chalice, learning to properly use the Blay Rouzer and working on his kicks. Although Jeuri used the Ninja Buckle the most, he worked with the other Raise Buckles to expand his skills.

With their shifts over, the two were heading home when they ran into each other. “Hey Jeuri,” said Ethan. “You’re done for today too, huh?”

Nodding, Jeuri replied, “You kow, I really thought cooking would change a lot over the years, but honestly, it hasn’t changed much. There are a few new machines I had to learn how to use, but that’s about it.” Even better, his job paid at the end of each shift rather than after weeks or even a month, which was a huge relief. “So how was work for you?”

Before Ethan could answer, his stomach growled. “Heh,” he chuckled, “Guess I was hungrier than I thought.”

Fortunately, the two were right next to a cafe, so it wasn’t long before they sighed in content, finished with their food. Unfortunately, their moment of peace came to an end when Ethan recognized a certain person who was walking by. Having been in the middle of sipping his water, he choked before urgently whispering to Jeuri. “Hey, it’s Gaim-Yami!” He faintly gestured with his head, not wanting to tip the controlled Rider off.

Eyes widening, Jeuri responded softly. “Let’s inform the others before doing anything.” They couldn’t rush in without assessing the situation first. Any wrong move could put them all in danger.

Kouta continued to walk around sluggishly, ignoring the peoiple who glanced at him before moving on. Stopping to hold his head in pain, his eyes faintly glowed purple. However, when he noticed two men move into an alley, he sensed the faint presence of a Lockseed, prompting him to follow them.

When Kouta entered the Alley, he noticed the Driver in the hand of one of the men. His eyes glowed purple as he pulled out a black Orange Lockseed in response. "Henshin..."

“Orange! Lock On!” He quickly put the Lockseed on his Driver as an Orange Arms part descended from a crack before he cut the Lockseed. “Soiya! Orange Arms! Hanamichi On Stage!” The darkness turned the Orange black before it landed on his head, creating a black Ride Wear reminiscent of Kurokage.

It unfolded into a dark version of his usual base form. His helmet was seen, looking identical to his helmet in a Jinba Arms, minus the black mouthpiece and the fact that his Orange Pulp Eye visor looked drained of color. It locked together, summoning his Musou Saber to his hands. Standing before Ethan and Jeuri was Kamen Rider Gaim-Yami.

...

Back in the apartment, the others were gathered in the living room, watching the news cover more stories regarding ZAIA. “I’m heading out for work,” announced Sloan as he walked out the door, having picked up work as a freeter as well. After all, he would need money to cover the food he would be eating to replenish mana.

Right as Sloan walked out the door, Alexander pulled out his phone to look at the latest notification that informed him of a new message in the group chat. “Hey, guys?” he asked. “Hypothetically speaking, do you think your training's enough to let you stand a chance again Gaim-Yami now?”

Blinking in confusion, Mateo replied, “Hypothetically? Probably around a 55 to 60 percent chance at most. Why do you ask?”

Naoto looked at his phone, checking the new message then blanching. He shouted, “Oh, fuck! Kouta is here!” He quickly got up and put on the belt with the ShotRiser. “Never mind, I got the question!” He ran to the garage, Mateo and Alexander following him only a few paces behind.

Sloan, who had turned around when he heard Alexander’s question, turned around again when he heard an explosion. Looking at the rising smoke in the distance, he sighed, “Well, at least I didn’t get too far before it happened...”

...

Felicia was out on a walk, wondering if she could find anything interesting to do for the day. “I haven’t seen Buffy for a while,” she whined, “How boring!” The sound of a motorcycle caught her attention. Looking up, she saw a purple figure approaching. “Buffy?” Buffa shot past her on the Cyclone, seemingly unaware of her. “Hey, get back here!” She chased after the Rider, trying to get his attention.

Meanwhile. Bujin flew in the sky on his Dandeliner, trying to reach the fight as quickly as possible. Suddenly, he was tackled out of the air and crashed into the ground in front of Wizard and Vulcan, prompting them to hit the brakes to avoid running him over.

A figure landed in front of them, and when it stood straight, the trio instantly recognized it. In front of them was a humanoid monster that resembled a hawk, with a belt buckle confirming its status as the Category Six of Hearts – the Hawk Undead.

Notes:

RIP Ethan and Jeuri. As you can tell from the explosion Sloan saw, the fight isn’t exactly going well, and they’re going to have to hold out. Sloan, Naoto, and Mateo are being attacked by the Hawk Undead, while Alexander has to deal with Felicia after avoiding her for a week. Yay to everyone having their own problems.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 17: Almost

Notes:

You know the fun thing about writing different fights that are happening at the same time? You have to go back and forth to make sure you’re not mixing things up.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Earlier…

“Looks like we’ll have to fight,” sighed Ethan. “Turn Up!” Running through the Orichalcum Element, he transformed into Blade and drew his Blay Rouzer. “Let’s buy the other some time to get here!” With all the training the group had done, Ethan was certain that they would be able to stand a chance against Kouta, even if it was only for a short while.

Without wasting a second, Jeuri equipped the Desire Driver and fitted the Commando Twin Buckle with Precision. “Henshin!” he shouted, activating the Buckle. “Great! Ready, fight! Raising Sword!” In an instant, he felt energy surge through his body as the armor assembled around him. The Raising Sword landed in his hand, ready for battle. Firmly getting into a combat stance, Tycoon prepared himself for the fight.

Gaim-Yami pulled out a black version of his Daidaimaru, charging at the Riders and clashing his swords against theirs. As they fought, it became clear that he could keep up with them, even with Tycoon’s Raising Form. It surprised the two that he could fight them separately with each sword.

‘He’s on a whole other level,’ thought Blade, ‘Even though he’s mind-controlled, he’s able to keep pace with both of his swords!’ Retreating to catch his breath, he panted, “I'm not sure if just the two of us can take him on, but hopefully the others get here!” Rushing back in, he feigned an overhead strike before suddenly switching to his real attack, a leftward strike when Gaim-Yami raised his sword.

Tycoon, on the other hand, made a different decision. ‘Our best strategy so far is to divide his attention,’ he thought. Without hesitation, he moved to the side opposite of Blade, intending to attack Gaim-Yami in a pincer maneuver. Readjusting his grip on the Raising Sword, he targeted his opponent’s lower body, attempting to destabilize him.

As Tycoon and Blade continued attacking him simultaneously, Gaim-Yami quickly cut his Lockseed three times. “Soiya! Orange Sparking!” The Orange Armor Part quickly folded back up as he spun it on his head to block and push back Blade's attack. He backflipped to avoid Tycoon's attack, the armor unfolding and locking back into place. Then, he docked his swords together into the Naginata mode and cut the Lockseed twice. “Soiya! Orange Au Lait!” Dark energy gathered on the blade, prompting Gaim-Yami to swing his weapon, sending dark energy slashes at the duo.

Realizing that they wouldn’t be able to dodge in time, Blade quickly scanned Metal on the Blay Rouzer. “Metal!” Moving in front of Tycoon to shield him, he ordered, “Look out!”

“Take Off Complete!” The sound of the Raising Sword finishing its charging was a relief. Without wasting any time, Tycoon quickly removed the Buckle from the Raising Sword and placed it on his Driver. “Jet & Cannon! Ready, fight!”

Taking advantage of his new speed and strength, Tycoon activated Jet Mode and propelled himself into the air, pulling Blade along with him to avoid the attack. “Saved by the sword,” he quipped as he stabilized his flight. Without missing a beat, he looked down, ready to continue fighting. “Let’s get back to it,” he said with newfound determination before descending quickly towards Gaim-Yami.

…

Wizard sighed. “Of course,” he lamented, “As if hearing about Gaim-Yami wasn’t bad enough, we have to deal with an Undead too.” “Connect, Please!” He pulled out the WizarSwordGun and fired four times, each bullet striking the same spot simultaneously. Watching as the Hawk Undead staggered, he brought the Machinewinger to a stop and dismounted, charging in to deliver a kick to the exact same spot the bullets hit.

Dismounting his bike as well, Vulcan ran after Wizard, calling out, “Hawk Undead! Wind and stuff like that! Use Hurricane!” Delivering a knee strike to the Undead, he mentally cursed, ‘Damn it, we don’t have a Blank card to seal him!’

Groaning, Bujin slowly got up and glared at the Hawk Undead. As much as he wanted to fight it, there was no point in trying to defeat the undead if they didn’t have a Blank card to seal it with. Not only that, he couldn’t afford to spend too much energy fighting the Undead when Blade and Tycoon needed help fighting Gaim-Yami.

There was only one option. Bujin brought out the ZX Lockseed, activating it. “ZX!” He removed the Blood Orange Lockseed and replaced it with the ZX Lockseed, securing it in place. “Lock On!” Reaching for the knife, he cut the Lockseed open, prompting the armor to descend upon him and deploy. “ZX Arms: Jugo Cyborg Ninja!” Running forward, Bujin dashed past the Hawk Undead, leaving Wizard and Vulcan behind. “Everyone, I'm sorry, but please hold on a little bit longer. I'm going to try to get Blade!”

“Oi!” protested Vulcan when Bujin ditched the duo. ‘I mean, I don’t blame him since Ethan and Jeuri need help, but still!’

The Hawk Undead took the chance to attack them, but they managed to dodge and counterattack. Suddenly, energy arrows came out of nowhere and hit the Hawk Undead. Landing besides the duo, Chalice took aim. “Did Fruit Man just ditch you two?”

“Looks like it,” said Wizard. “Not entirely sure I blame him. Blade and Tycoon are fighting Gaim-Yami, and I didn’t think to talk to Blade about if his sealing cards work if others use them, let alone ask for some if we fight any Undeads when he’s not around.” Snapping the WizarSwordGun into sword mode, he slashed at the Hawk Undead’s already weakened wing, using the momentum to kick the Undead’s knee and leaving an ember on the joint. Backflipping away, he moved out of reach just as the ember exploded.

Rushing in, Vulcan gave the Hawk Undead a few punches before knocking it away with a back kick, pulling out the ShotRiser to fire several shots. “Thank God I practiced that kick so much...” he muttered to himself.

Taking advantage of the opening, Chalice used the Chalice arrow to slash the Hawk Undead, causing green blood to spill from its wounds. Taking out two Rouze Cards, he muttered, “Time to see if Blade Jr. had a point.” Scanning them, he took aim and fired. “Chop! Bio!” The arrow sprouted a vine, binding th Undead. Pulling it towards himself, Chalice lashed out with a chot that cut right through it, causing the Hawk Undead to fall over in defeat. “... It still messes with the balance,” he grumbled as he pulled out a card.

Meanwhile, Vulcan and Wizard heard a sudden screeching sound. Though it was faint, the former was able to recognize it. “Well, that’s mildly alarming,” Wizard commented as he tilted his head, looking for the source. It didn’t take long for him to stop in front of a store’s front display window. “What the...?”

Looking over, Vulcan saw Wizard in front of the window. ‘Screeching... Window... Reflection... SHIT!’ Running towards the magic-themed Rider, he shouted, “GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOW! NOW!” Without waiting for a response or reaction, he tackled Wizard to the ground away from the window.

They managed to get out of the way just in time for a burst of water to come out of the window right where Wizard was just a moment ago. A figure came out of the window as well, wearing shark-themed Rider Armor. “Tch! You got out of the way,” Abyss sneered as he blocked an energy arrow from Chalice.

“Paradoxa!” growled Chalice, “What the hell are you doign with that?”

“It’s simple,” spat Abyss. He loudly declared, “I refuse to remain subservient to you! You no longer hold power over me! I am the King and you will obey me!”

“Hah! As if!" Chalice spat and lunged forward, slashing at Abyss with his Chalice Arrow. However, Abyss blocked with his Abyssmash, only for Chalice to kick him away then continue slashing.

...

Hearing shouting from behind him, Buffa glanced in the Cyclone’s side mirror only to see Felicia chasing after him. Reluctantly, he came to a stop, knowing he would make things worse for himself if he didn’t. Sighing, he greeted, “Hello, Felicia.” Trying to keep the resignation out of his voice, he quickly explained, “Before you say anything, I took time off to train.”

Huffing, Felicia crossed her arms. “And you didn’t even let me know first? I was so bored, Buffy!” And then she noticed his appearance, having donned the Zombie Buckle. “Hmm? And what’s this? You never showed me this one.” She examined the skeletal design on his purple armor and the Berserclaw on his left hand. “I like it~”

Shifting on the Cyclone to make room for her, Buffa said, “Well, it looks like you’ll be seeing what it does too. I’m heading over to help Blade and Tycoon. Get on.” Mentally, he added, ‘Because if I don't let you come watch, you'll get upset and probably take it out on me...’

Felicia grinned, eagerly hopping on. “Well,” she playfully drawled, “at least you know how to apologize to a girl~” She wrapped her arms around Buffa’s chest, intentionally holding on to him tightly.

The duo drove off, heading towards the fight. Not too far from them, Bujin brought out the Sakura Hurricane using its Lockseed, hopping onto the bike and driving to where Tycoon and Blade were as well.

It wasn’t long before Buffa and Felicia came upon the sight of Blade and Tycoon fighting Gaim-Yami. Seeing that the controlled Rider’s back was turned, Buffa contemplated ramming into him as a surprise attack, but discarded the idea immediately. Not only would it be impossible to find a way to get the Cyclone fixed properly if it took any damage, he risked hitting Blade or Tycoon as well. It didn’t help that the arms wrapped around his waist reminded him that Felicia was riding with him.

Parking out of the way of potential witnesses, Buffa got off the Cyclone and turned to Felicia. “You wanted to see us in action, right?” he asked. “Just stay back and watch.” Walking towards the alley, he slid the Deadly Pump on the Zombie Breaker. “Poison Charge!” Getting close to the wall, he peeked around the corner, nodding to himself when he saw that Gaim-Yami's back was turned.

Meanwhile, Bujin arrived as well, stopping on the roof above. Seeing the fight, he watched with worry before making up his mind “There’s a way to turn the tide,” he muttered. Steeling his resolve, he pulled out a certain Lockseed and activated it. “Ringo!” Securing it in place, he pushed the lock back in. “Lock On!” Never before had Bujin been grateful that the melody playing loudly was being covered up by the melody that was coming from Gaim-Yami’s Driver, given that he was changing Lockseeds as well. “Henshin!”

Bujin pressed the blade down, cutting the Lockseed open as the armor began to slowly descend upon him. The Ringo Arms settled on his body, the armor unfolding as his transformation finished with a splash of fruit energy. “Ringo Arms: Desire Forbidden Fruit!”

Charging in, Buffa did his best to move silently, going for a stealth attack. Despite the horrifying effects of the Zombie Buckle’s poi-zom, he was certain that Kouta’s biology as the Man of the Beginning would let him stave off the worst of it, even as weakened as he was. Right as he reached Gaim-Yami, he swung the Zombie Breaker in a quick slash, following it up with a jab towards a different part of his opponent’s body with the Berserclaw.

Unfortunately, Gaim-Yami had heard the announcement, and was about to turn around to deal with the newcomer. However, this had the effect of distracting him from noticing Bujin’s attack, who had jumped down at the same time upon seeing the others attack. “Ringo Squash!”

As a result, Gaim was hit by the overhead strike, stunning him just long enough to get hit by Blade's, Buffa's, and Tycoon's attacks as well, sending him into the empty streets that had been evacuated. The controlled Rider pushed himself off the ground and slowly stood up, silent for a few seconds before letting out a groan of pain as he froze for few seconds.

Blade saw an opportunity to end the fight. Taking out the Kick and Mach cards, he scanned them both. “Kick! Mach!” The card holograms appeared before going into his armor. Slamming his sword into the ground, he promptly charged towards Gaim-Yami with great speed. Once he got close, Blade jumped high into the air with a front flip, then delivered a side kick. “HAHHHHHH!!!”

Buffa noticed that he was closer to Gaim-Yami than Blade was, meaning he had a small window of opportunity to grab the latter’s Lockseed before he could recover. Without a second of hesitation, he charged towards Gaim-Yami and grabbed him. He tried undo the lock and hook a finger around it in an attempt to remove the Lockseed and deprive Gaim-Yami of it.

‘We might have a chance!’ thought Bujin as he tried to step forward, only to collapse to the ground in agonizing pain. Vines burst from the Ringo Lockseed, prompting him to grit his teeth. ‘It hurts! It hurts so much!’ He knew that it would be best for him to take the Lockseed out and switch to a different one, but he couldn’t afford to do so. The Ringo Lockseed was the only one with enough power to let them save Kouta.

Remembering how he tried to save Jin only for Shocker to teleport him away, Bujin gritted his teeth. “I won’t let that happen again!” he roared, forcing himself to stand up and continue making his way to the others. As if resonating with his emotions, the vines retreated back into the Ringo Lockseed as he pressed the knife down three times. “Ringo Sparking!” Bujin jumped into the air and followed Blade, engulfed by a red apple-like energy focused on his left foot as he aimed to hit Gaim Yami with a powerful kick. “Snap out of it, Kouta!”

Tycoon considered launching a finisher as well, but hesitated. He wasn’t sure if Kouta could withstand three ultimate attacks at the same time. After all, the goal wasn’t to eliminate him, but to free him from the enemy’s control. With that in mind, he stopped firing and remained alert, cautiously observing the course of the battle.

However, something caught his attention. Thanks to the Tanuki Ear integrated into his armor, he picked up familiar voices amidst the sound of combat. Looking up, he glanced toward the rooftops, catching a glimpse of a certain Taimanin.

Unfortunately for Buffa, Gaim-Yami managed to recover just in time, freeing himself and equipping another Lockseed. “Wizard!” Slightly fumbling, he inserted the Lockseed into the Sonic Arrow’s Energy Drive Bay. “Lock On!” Suddenly, an apparition of Wizard Infinity Style appeared behind him, holding the Axcalibur. “Hi Touch! Shining Strike!” The Axcalibur grew in size as he raised the Sonic Arrow. “Wizard Charge!”

But before he could fully swing down, his lower half was frozen as a bear made of shadows restrained him from behind. The apparition of Wizard continued to attack, but the interference weakened it, causing a massive explosion when it collided with the Rider Kicks. Blade, Bujin, and Gaim-Yami hit the ground. Kouta was unconscious, but before anyone could go up to him to take his Lockseed...

“Fifteen Au Lait!”

A barrage of black energy waves tore through the area. While everyone was distracted, Fifteen ran to Gaim-Yami. “We’re getting out of here!” he shouted before the two teleported away in a flash of light.

From her position, Felicia could only continue to watch. "That skeletal bastard just had to get in the way,” she pouted. "Things were getting fun..."

“Damn it!” Blade cursed as he propped himself up. “We were so close!” He couldn’t believe that Fifteen popped up out of nowhere then teleported away with Kouta. His mind then trailed to how Gaim-Yami had been restrained before he could attack. ‘Ice and a shadow... Could it be?’

Meanwhile, Buffa came to the same conclusion. ‘Shadow and ice... That means Sakura and Kirara are here, and Mugi’s probably with them,’ he thought, ‘But who else is with them?’ And that was when he remembered. “Shit...” he muttered. Felicia was still there. There was no telling what would happen if she and the Taimanin encountered each other.

Bujin tried to stand up, only to stagger and fall. His fists tightening, he couldn’t help but punch the ground. It was the second time he failed to save a Rider under Shocker’s control. “Fuck!” He promised Mai that he would save Kouta, and he just failed to do so. But while he was upset at the failure, he remembered the entire reason he was there. Turning to the others, he reported, “Blade, you need to go bac to Vulcan and Wizard! They’re fighting an Undead and you’re the only one who can seal it!” Feeling his body protest once more, he quickly removed the Ringo Lockseed and switched back to the Blood Orange Armor.

Tycoon let out a heavy sigh. Controlled Riders getting teleported away before they could be saved was starting to become a pattern, and unless they found a way to prevent it from happening, they would continue to keep facing the problem. Reactivating Jet Mode, he flew in the rough direction of the Taimanin, and landed near them after spotting them. “Thanks for the hel, girls,” he sincerely said, though his voice betrayed the frustration he felt over the situation.

“No problem, Tanuki Boy. It’s why we’re here!” Sakura gave Tycoon a peace sign, as did Asuka. Meanwhile, Mugi waved to him as Kirara crossed her arms with a huff.

Pausing as he overheard the conversation between Bujin and Gaim, he called, “Blade, I can get you to the fight quickly!” Thanks to Jet Mode’s speed, he would be able to reach the battlefield in a matter of seconds.

“Wolf-chan needs help?” asked Asuka. “Then let’s go, Kirara-chan!” Right as Tycoon flew away, Asuka grabbed onto him while holding Kirara’s arm, leading to the two of them going along for the ride with Tycoon and Blade.

Sweatdropping, Sakura awkwardly said, “Err... Come on, Mugi-chan. Let’s go help Fruit Boy and Lo.” The two of them descended from the rooftop, making their way to the others.

Mugi immediately ran to Bujin, concerned by his decision to use the Ringo Lockseed. “Are you alright?” she asked as she pulled him up. “You were using Ringo.”

“I’m fine,” said Bujin. “Don’t worry about me. I couldn’t afford to hold back when fighting Kouta, but I appreciate you asking.” Looking to Sakura, he continued, “Yo, Ninja Girl! I’m guessing that shadow bear was yours? Thanks for that. I don’t want to imagine how it would have felt to take the full force of that attack.”

“Yeah, that was me,” Sakura nodded as she watched Buffa drive off. "So... who was the girl on Lo's bike?" She asked with a small smile and a raised eyebrow.

‘Who was she again?’ Bujin thought. Looking back on the conversation from last week, he could only remember two details. “I think her name is Felicia,” he said. “I’m not really sure, since I haven’t spoken to her before. The only thing I remember is that Buffa flirted with her.”

Glancing at Buffa’s retreating form in curiosity, Mugi froze. “Was… was that the Cyclone from Shin Kamen Rider?” she squeaked.

As Buffa drove towards Vulcan and Wizard’s location, he grunted to Felicia, “We’re heading to a new battlefield.” He knew that it was rude to leave without greeting the Taimanin first, but he didn’t want to risk a possible confrontation between them and Felicia.

However, as he reached the area Vulcan and Wizard were supposedly at, he heard the announcement of a Final Vent. “Hold on tight to the bike,” he ordered Felicia, “I’m getting off in a moment.” Pressing a button, the Cyclone leapt into the air, its exhaust pipes shifting downwards and letting out bursts of flame, propelling us upward. In a matter of seconds, Buffa was above the battlefield. Getting up, he carefully balanced himself as he looked down. Making out Blade aiming for the Rider they were fighting, he decided to attack the giant chainsaw shark the Rider seemed to be controlling.

Buffa jumped, leaving Felicia alone on the airborne Cyclone.

Notes:

Yep, that’s where I’m ending the chapter. Alexander leaving Felicia all alone on the Cyclone in the air while he jumps off to attack a giant chainsaw shark, while Asuka takes the Jeuri Express and forces Kirara to go with her.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 18: Shark Attack and Catchup

Notes:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

Earlier…

Wizard snapped the WizarSwordGun back into gun mode, firing a four round burst that swerved around Chalice to slam into Abyss, two to the back of his knees and two to the head. ‘He uses water, so that’s what I’ll do too,’ he thought as he switched rings. “Water, Please! Sui Sui, Sui Sui!”

At the same time, Vulcan internally cursed. ‘Ryuki Riders have normal base stats, but the card stuff is ridiculously strong, so-’ He pressed the button on Shooting Wolf. “Bullet!” Taking aim at Abyss, he pulled the trigger. “Shooting Blast!” As the bullet was fired, Vulcan got pushed back by the recoil, sparks flying from his feet as he slid across the ground.

Stumbling back from Wizard’s and Chalice’s attacks, Abyss managed to notice Vulcan’s shot just in time, quickly inserting a card into his Visor before the bullet hit him, causing an explosion. “Advent!” When the smoke cleared, Abyss was accompanied by his Contract Beasts, Abysslasher and Abysshammer. Sending them forth to attack the Riders, he inserted another card into his Visor. “Sword Vent!” The Abyssaber emerged from the reflection in the glass window, prompting Abyss to grab it and charge towards Chalice.

Wizard leapt away from Abysshammer, landing behind Abysslasher as he switched the WizarSwordGun to sword mode and slashing at the contract beast, leaving frost in the weapon’s wake. Jumping again, he formed a javelin of concentrated energy, hurling it at Abysshammer, where the projectile exploded and froze part of its body. ‘And here’s to top it off!’ Once again changing his weapon back to gun mode, he fired five more bullets towards Abyss, hitting him in the chest. “Annoying mage,” he snarled as he pushed Chalice back, taking out another card to insert in his Visor.

“Yes, that’s me,” Wizard agreed cheerfully, swiping another ring over his Driver. “Bind, Please!” Chains of ice lashed out and wrapped around Abyss's limbs, pulling them taunt and immobilizing him, but not before he inserted the card into his Visor. ‘Hopefully, the fact that his arms are now pointed in opposite directions and away from us can mitigate whatever the heck is about to happen,’ he thought.

Meanwhile, Vulcan recovered from the recoil and charged in, only to be sent tumbling back by a slash across his chest from Abysslasher. “Yeah, not dealing with this…” he groaned as he got up, thanking Chalice for the brutal training and taking out Punching Kong. “Power!” Replacing Shooting Wolf with it, he took aim at Abysslasher. “Authorize! Kamen Rider! Shotrise!” The bullet shot itself at Abysslasher, only to be deflected by one of its swords. However, Vulcana backhanded the bullet as it returned to him. “Punching Kong! Enough power to annihilate a mountain!” Charging forth, he thought, ‘Alright, time to beat the shit out of a shark!’

…

A few minutes, Tycoon landed, dropping Asuka and Kirara down gently. Running to the edge, they were surprised to see what was going on. “Is… is Wolf-chan fighting a giant shark with a chainsaw?” Asuka asked. Kirara watched in disbelief as Vulcan desperately tried to hold back Abyssodon’s giant chainsaw, the two Contract Beasts having merged to become one earlier.

“Yes, yes he is indeed fighting a giant chainsaw shark,” answered Blade. “And no, don’t question it.”

“I am NOT shark food!” shouted Vulcan as he pulled back a fist and punched Abyssodon into the ground, making a crater. He then punched it repeatedly, causing the crater to become even deeper. ‘Why does a shark have a chainsaw? What the hell, Toei?’ His punches became more desperate. After all, if the Contract Beast died, the Rider lost their power.

“Final Vent!”

Vulcan paused in horror. ‘Shit!’ His momentary distraction led to Abyssodon hitting him with its tail, sending him back to the ground. Groaning as he stumbled back to his feet, he shouted as loud as he could to Wizard as the fused Contract Beast returned to its master. “Look out! It’s a finisher!”

“Girls, stay back!” ordered Tycoon as he switched to Cannon Mode, taking aim at Abyssodon. “Lock On!” Looking to his teammates below, he shouted, “Get back!” Next to him, Blade promptly threw his Blay Rouzer like a javelin, aiming at Abyss.

The chains holding Abyss snapped as Abyssodon returned and slashed them, but before the duo could carry out their finisher, Buffa dropped on top of Abyssodon, slamming the Zombie Breaker into its head and carving away at its chainsaw, which was corroding away thanks to the poi-zom. “Zombie Strike!” At the same time, spectral versions of the Berserclaw burst from the ground, grabbing the Contract Beast and holding it in place.

“What the?!” Abyss was so stunned by the surprise attack that he didn’t notice the Blay Rouzer until after it hit him in the chest, leaving him open to a few more attacks by Chalice.

Asuka and Kirara stared at Blade. “Did you just throw your weapon?” asked Kirara, though the tone of her voice made it clear what she thought.

“I mean, it worked, right?” defended Blade, shrugging as he watched the fight.

“Take that, you shark-loving asshole!” Chalice jumped out of the way, just in time for Tycoon’s attack to slam into Abyss and send him into a shop, kicking up a cloud of dust and concealing him from view.

Seeing this, Wizard changed rings once again. “Hurricane, Please!” Clapping his hands, he summoned a burst of wind that dispelled the dust, revealing Abyss lying on his back, armor broken. “So, time for the curtain call, it seems,” he said as he fished out his Kick Strike ring and scanned it. “Very nice! Kick strike!” A magic circle formed under his feet as he spun and gathered wind mana around his right foot. “The Best!”

Jumping into the air and performing a somersault, Wizard extended his leg in a kick as more magic circles appeared in front of him, further focusing and amplifying the wind magic’s power. ‘And since this is a Royal Undead…’ he scanned one of his new rings. “Drill, Please!”

Wizard began spinning, electric sparks wrapping around him and beginning to form a drill. He slammed into Abyss, his magic circle appearing as all the mana sank into the latter. Wizard landed near Vulcan, skidding back slightly before raising his right hand and snapping his fingers, prompting the mana to detonate into a vortex of slicing winds and a storm of lightning.

Vulcan sat up, watching as Abyss was caught in the torrent of magic. Turning to Abyssodon, he saw that Buffa was currently restraining it and cutting off its chainsaw. ‘Felicia would be having a field day if she saw this…’ Snapping out of his thoughts, he raised the Shotriser and pressed the Punching Kong button. “Power!” Looking at his teammate, he shouted, “Buffa, move!”

Vulcan knew that using two finishers in one day would tire him, but he was certain that he would be fine thanks to his training. Taking aim as the Knuckle Demolitions and ShotRiser charged, he pulled the trigger, prompting the Knuckle Demolitions to shoot like rockets towards his target. “Punching Blast!” To finish it, he let loose the mecha fan within and shouted, “Rocket Punch!”

Hearing the warning, Buffa flipped the Desire Driver, equipping the Raise Shield as the Berserclaw shifted to his right leg. “Revolve On!” Jumping off, he used Abyssodon’s side as a springboard to leap away, but not before digging the Berserclaw in to give one last dose of poi-zom for good measure. Using the Raise Shield as a makeshift coaster, he slid to safety and shouted, “Clear!”

Watching from above, Jeuri said, “They should have it under control by now.” Walking over to the girls, he switched back to Jet Mode. “Revolve On!” Getting the engines ready, he continued, “Let’s wait a bit before going down.” Upon realizing they were staring at him with horrified expressions, he asked, “What?”

Kirara exclaimed, “W-what the hell?! Your head! Arms and legs! How?!”

“How do your armors even work?” asked Asuka.

It was at that moment when Abyssodon got hit by Vulcan’s Knuckle Demolitions. The fused Mirror Monster roared in pain as the Knuckle Demolitions continued to push into it and the spectral hands held it in place. And then something gave way, and the Abyssodon was sent flying into the air where the attack pierced through its body, causing it to blow up in a massive explosion.

At the same time, Abyss’s armor lost its color, leaving him in his Blank form. As he was still in the vortex of elements, he continued taking damage before he crashed to the ground, his belt buckle opened.

Buffa remained crouched where he landed after getting off Abyssodon. Taking a deep breath, he felt someone pulling on one of his horns and looked up to see Felicia. “So, Buffy~” she smiled sweetly, “Why would you leave me in the air on your bike that you jumped off?” Despite the friendly tone in her voice, her eyes glowed a sinister hit.

“Sorry, Felicia.” Buffa simply stayed still, letting her pull on his horn. “I should have warned you first. It's just that I didn't want you getting caught in the crossfire if we were seen approaching normally on the road.” Truthfully, he was worried more about the Cyclone than he was about her, but he wasn’t stupid enough to say it out loud. “Besides, I thought you would like to have a good spot to watch everything," he added as he got up. "I promise I won't do it again, or that I'll at least carry you down with me."

Felicia crossed her arms. “I did enjoy the fight, especially when the shark exploded...” she relented. Noticing movement in the corner of her vision, she turned around. “Hmm?”

No longer transformed into Abyss, Paradoxa tried to crawl away. “No! I refuse to... I can’t-”

Chalice stomped on Paradoxa’s head, preventing him from moving. “Too bad,” he grunted, “but you lose this fight, you failure of a mantis.” Ignoring the Undead’s screams of rage, he shoved a Blank card onto him, sealing Paradoxa within.

"Hey, Blade Jr." Chalice showed the Evolution Paradoxa to Blade. "One asshole King dealt with." Kirara and Asuka looked at the Mantis Undead, weirded out by the Mantis guy. "Keep the asshole, I don't think I could resist the urge to rip him in half if he’s in my hands." He handed the Evolution Paradoxa card to Blade then showed him Tornado Hawk. "We also got this guy."

Accepting the cards, Blade said, “Thanks… Wait, the Hawk Undead was here too? Hopefully he wasn’t too much trouble either.”

Tycoon helped Asuka and Blade get down, while Kirara descended on her own using her ice and kept a small distance away from the Riders. Glancing at Vulcan, she noticed how he was looking at her, prompting her to avert her gaze and cross her arms. “You look like a dumb gorilla now,” she huffed.

“Well, this form literally has enough power to annihilate a mountain, so...” Vulcan shrugged.

“You guys are so weird and stupidly strong,” Asuka said in amazement as she looked at the crater and broken shop. Upon sensing something from Wizard, however, she turned to him. “This feeling... wind?” Trying to control the current flowing around him, she was surprised when nothing happened. “Oh, that’s so not fair,” she whined.

“I'm afraid that in my current form it would take a specialist with several decades of experience to usurp control of my winds. Mostly because of my equipment, I must admit,” said Wizard.

It was at this moment when Bujin, Sakura, and Mugi arrived, with Bujin instantly faceplanting on the ground. “The hell happened to him?” asked Chalice.

Shrugging as she dismounted the Sakura Hurricane, Sakura replied, “I think he tired himself out with all the running he was doing.”

Giggling, Mugi dismounted the Sakura Hurricane as well, then froze when she saw Chalice.

“... What?” he asked, “Do I have something on me?”

Running up to him, Mugi squealed, “C-Chalice! So cool!” She circled around him, giggling in excitement as he continued staring at her in confusion.

“You know that he’s Chalice the Undead and not Kamen Rider Chalice, right?” asked Wizard.

Recovering from the shock of seeing Kirara’s Taimanin attire, Vulcan gave a delayed answer to Asuka’s statement. “Welcome to Kamen Rider,” he chuckled. “We have weirdness to last.” Looking over to Wizard, he added, “I think she either knows or just doesn’t care.”

“It’s fine since he’s a friendly mantis,” said Blade as he helped Bujin get up. Looking to the others sans Wizard and Vulcan, he continued, “Oh, and thanks again for your guys’ help. We were even close to saving Kouta, but unfortunately Fifteen managed to teleport him away in time. But there's always another time.”

Bujin panted, “Thanks, and yeah, next time.” Standing straight to take a deep breath and stretch, he added, “Oh, by the way, leave a Blank card with us next time. I don’t want to have to run that much ever again.”

Noticing that Felicia was staring at Chalice, Buffa asked, “You alright?”

"What is he? And the card he used on that other thing?" Felicia asked Buffa, pointing at Chalice.

“Chalice is an immortal being who's the progenitor of all mantises in the world," Buffa murmured, "and the card sealed away Paradoxa, the one who was controlling the monster you saw us fight.”

“So she’s Lo’s girlfriend, huh? She’s a cute one,” Sakura murmured to herself while watching the duo as they softly spoke to each other a short distance away from the others.

Tycoon sighed, “A shame that we made a mess again.” He looked at the crater and destroyed shop, before his gaze landed on the Taimanin. It took a few moments for his mind to process their outfits, and he was once again thankful for the helmet. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his mind. ‘Focus on their faces,’ he told himself, ‘Keep your eyes on their faces.’

Looking around, Buffa asked aloud, "Should we really be talking and catching up here? We're literally in the middle of the road."

“Lo’s right,” said Sakura. “We should probably go to... whatever place you guys use as a base.”

And thus, without much real choice, the Riders took the Taimanin (and Felicia, who kept up the act of being Buffa's girlfriend) to their apartment complex. Mugi had the biggest grin when she saw their bikes, especially the Cyclone from Shin Kamen Rider.

Currently, everyone was in the living room, which was... awkward to say the least, since the Riders still hadn't taken off their armors. Chalice was leaning on a wall while Spirit stood beside him. Felicia could only stare with confusion at the shirtless man that looked and felt human but had something more.

“Nice place you guys have,” said Sakura. “I expected a more base-like place, though. Hi, Spirit-san!” She waved to Spirit, who smiled and nodded in response. Mugi greeted Spirit excitedly as well, while Kirara and Asuka looked at him strangely but kept silent.

Felicia kept close to Buffa, feeling contemplative about the entire situation. Kirara and Asuka, on the other hand, focused on Vulcan, with the latter bothering him to tell her more about Riders and the former noting how he switched back to Shooting Wolf. Mugi kept looking around giddily. Even if it was a normal apartment, it was still a Rider apartment!

“Well then! Why don’t we catch up, Masked Boys?" Sakura asked the Riders. “Oh, and by the way, congratulations on the relationship, Lo!” She grinned at Buffa, who held back a sigh of resignation.

“Alright then,” started Wizard. “Is there anything specific you want to know? As we said, we do have a plan to rescue Gaim-Yami from being mind-controlled, and based on what I heard it was going fairly well until Fifteen showed up.”

“And to recap,” added Vulcan, “Wizard and I fought two Undead with Chalice’s help. The first one was a Category Six and the other was the King of the Hearts using an Advent Deck.” Frowning, he hoped that Paradoxa was the only one to get that idea. “And as you saw, we sealed them both.”

“A Category King…” Mugi muttered to herself as she looked at Wizard and Vulcan. “And you two beat him without a problem!”

“Paradoxa is just a wimp that needed to hide behind his sharks and refused to fight me like a mantis,” Chalice snorted. Beside him, Spirit softly sighed at his attitude.

Blade nodded along, not sure what to add. He also glanced at Felicia, wondering what she felt about the Taimanin being there. Not having anything to add either, Bujin collapsed into a seat, exhausted by all the running he did.

Buffa discreetly glanced at Felicia, sweating slightly. She and the Taimanin were in their apartment. They now knew where the Riders lived. That meant less privacy. And he was still nervous about what they might do if they learned of each others’ identities. He had little doubt that Felicia knew about the Taimanin, but they didn't know about her.

Felicia stayed silent. She recognized the Taimanin. After all, who wouldn't recognize the type of uniform they used? But she wasn’t going to do anything yet. It would be suicide to attempt anything in a room full of Taimanin and the Kamen Riders that she saw unleash so much power just earlier. Plus, she didn’t want to make Buffa mad at her. Not because it would hurt her or anything. It would just ruin her current fun with him, and it was more interesting to keep him the way he was at the moment.

Much like Buffa, Tycoon was on high alert at Felicia’s presence. She had seen the way to the apartment, meaning that she could come any time she wanted. Using all his self-control to not facepalm, he answered Buffa’s question. “Well, since the last time we saw each other, not much has happened. Training and stuff.” Trying to sound relaxed, he continued, “At least we were able to stand our ground against Kouta this time, but as long as they have access to that annoying teleportation, I feel like we'll never be able to save anyone.”

Nodding, Sakura said, “So we need to find a way to disrupt or jam it if we are ever going to try another rescue attempt by way of beating him up. And the same goes for Jin.”

"Honestly, this is all just weird,” exclaimed Asuka, “Especially when that Gaim-Yami guy made a silver version of Mage-san appear behind him." She points at Wizard. "It had this weird axe that got huge. If Kirara-chan and Sakura-sensei didn’t restrain him because of Mugi's panicked reaction, then…" She trailed off.

"That was Infinity Style! It's supposed to be Wizard's strongest form," Mugi quickly informed, which caused Sakura, Asuka, and Kirara to blink in surprise.

"Whoa, okay, that... explains the panic at that moment,” Sakura responded. "I think I'm getting a better idea of how my team will have to assist you guys during your fights with these guys. While we are durable, we aren't exactly at the point of taking that level of power."

“You faced an artificial Shining?” Wizard asked in alarm. “Dear Lord, you definitely had an exciting time. Blessed be for whatever mercies there are that it didn't trigger properly.”

"What the hell do you mean you almost got hit with a Shining Strike?!" Vulcan asked in shock. He knew that Infinity was one of the most powerful final forms to the point that he had an inside joke with a few friends that it was Haruto's “I'm tired of this fight, I win” button. And that’s when he realized it. “Oh shit, I forgot that Kouta still has the Wizard Lockseed.”

“Yeah, we were even in the middle of our kicks too,” said Blade. “Luckily, Kirara-san and Sakura-san restrained him in the nick of time. So if it weren't for them, things could've gone worse.” He couldn’t help but laugh nervously, grateful for the save.

“Yeah, me and Blade had to go with a double Rider Kick. Even with the help, it pretty much ended in a stalemate,” explained Bujin.

“I managed to poison him too, but there was no guarantee to how effective it would be,” Buffa added. “In fact, for all I know, it's just there in his system and won't take effect until later.”

“"In any case, we can defeat him with good teamwork,” summarized Tycoon. “Unfortunately, they know that now too, and I don’t doubt that next time, whether it’s Jin or Kouta, they’ll send them with some kind of guard to protect them.” He sighed, shaking his head. “But enough talking about what happened. We need to focus on the future. Girls, what information did you get from the orc?”

“Right,” began Sakura, “Just as suspected, he was a mercenary who was just given the belt and armor as some sort of test run. According to him, he was in Tokyo Kingdom when Shocker approached him with the offer of money if he worked for them.” She began listing the information the Taimanin had managed to get from the orc. “Two individuals approached him with the offer. One of them wore armor that was completely black with red eyes, and was carrying a tablet for some reason. The other didn’t have armor and wore black clothes. More specifically, a black long coat and black sunglasses.”

It only took a moment for Wizard, Vulcan, Blade, and Chalice to identify the latter. “Isaka…” they growled.

“Jack of Diamonds,” Vulcan explained. “Be careful with him. He has mind control, telepathy, pyrokinesis, and aerokinesis.” Taking a deep breath, he said, “We are beating his ass if he ever shows up and I will enjoy it.”

Blade elaborated, “Furthermore, he’s also the Peacock Undead, and as part of the Royal Club, he was like a mad scientist. He created Leangle, a Rouzer system similar to mine.” Trying to keep calm, he added, “There’s no doubt he’s trying to continue his methods again. However, I’m not sure who the other person is.”

“Could it be Woz?” asked Buffa. “He’s the only one I can think of when it comes to a Rider with something like a tablet, but I doubt it. Then again, if Shocker could pull a fast one on Kouta, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think they did the same to Woz, though it probably wouldn't explain the armor.”

“Um, if it was Woz, then wouldn’t Sougo get involved?” asked Mugi

“There’s also how it sounds more like Kamen Rider ZAIA,” added Vulcan, “which means Arkland is doing his thing.”

“Then we’ll have to investigate the place where that meeting took place,” said Tycoon. “Someone must have seen it, and if not, we can always search the area for clues. It’s the only lead we have for now.” Taking a deep breath, he continued, “Haven’t you noticed that so far, we’ve been moving at the enemy’s pace? We only show up when they decide to. I think it’s time to turn the tables. Let’s make them the ones who have to react to us… and the best way to do that is by getting closer to them directly.”

Notes:

The Taimanin know where the Riders live now. That’s not too bad. Felicia knows where the Riders live now. That’s... not good. On the bright side, the girls still don’t know the Riders’ real identities yet, aside from Mugi who knows them and Kirara who knows Naoto.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 19: The Briefing

Notes:

Fun fact: for most of the fic, I stayed up until two or three in the morning almost every night trying to catch up. But for this chapter, I actually took a few days to actually sleep on time. My circadian rhythm has never hated me so much.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

“Take initiative to force Shocker to act on your terms, huh?” said Sakura, grinning at Tycoon’s idea. “That should be a good place to start. Find where they work and hit them where it hurts before they can react.”

“I like the sound of that,” Chalice commented. “Any chance I get to stick it to that Douchebag Peacock, the better.” Even though he technically didn’t have a mouth, everyone could tell he was smiling.

“We should probably wait a bit. Fruit-san is still exhausted after all,” Asuka said as she pointed to Bujin, who was leaning back on the couch, still tired from all his running around and fighting.

“Just give me a day to rest up and I'll be back at 100%,” groaned Bujin.

“You’re probably the better investigators and interrogators, so there’s that too,” Wizard pointed out as he looked at Sakura.

“He has a point,” admitted Vulcan. “We aren’t exactly subtle or discreet, after all.” He mentally added, ‘There’s Kamen Rider Shinobi and certain stealth stuff, but that’s not the point…’

Playing devil’s advocate, Blade said, “We’ll have to be careful. I wouldn't be surprised if they know we'd be there and there's a trap set up.”

Buffa sighed, “Well, there isn’t much we can do at the moment. If we want to take initiative and force Shocker to respond to us, we'd have to have a way to get into one of their more important hideouts to attack or sabotage the place, or at least have a way to draw their attention.”

Tycoon clarified, “I don’t mean right now. We can take a break to plan things out better.” Crossing his arms in thought, he added, “We should also get to know each other better, share our abilities and strategies. If we’re going to work together, it’s crucial to understand exactly what our allies are capable of.”

“Right!” agreed Sakura, “Let’s take a few days to get things ready and then we investigate and beat those Shocker freaks!” Next to her, Mugi pumped her fist in the air.

Chalice scoffed. “Tch! Fine, I'm not stupid enough to throw myself in head first without a plan.” Noticing that Spirit was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, he growled, “Don't you dare-” The two Undeads argued as they walked away from the living room, though it was more Chalice arguing while Spirit gave simple responses that somehow riled Chalice up.

“Those two have a lot of History together, huh?” Asuka said as she watched the two walk off. “Now then... Rider explanation. Now.” She grabbed Vulcan and Kirara by their arms. “Let's learn everything about these guys, Kirara-chan!”

Kirara looked at Asuka with widened eyes, then looked away. She exclaimed, “I don't want to learn anything from this Wolf Idiot!” Kirara's words felt like a metaphorical arrow through Vulcan's heart.

“Not from meeee!” Vulcan protested, but it was too late as Asuka dragged him and Kirara away.

Blade watched as Vulcan was dragged away. “… Nope,” he simply said. ‘May they have mercy on him.’

After a few moments of contemplation, Felicia decided her plan of action. “Well, I think I should get going, Buffy~” she said loudly, prompting Sakura barely hold back her laugh at the nickname. “It's a pity that our first date in days ended like this though...” She lamented sadly. “Can you at least take me home?” She leaned in towards Buffa while making sure only he could see the smile on her face.

Taking a deep breath, Buffa got up. “Sure, I can take you home. Come on, let’s go.” As they went to the garage and got onto his Cyclone, he said, “Just show me the way.” He thought, ‘It’s a risky move, but this could also lead to a potential in with NOMAD.’ Driving out onto the road, Buffa went at a moderate speed, following the route charted on his minimap.

Before long, the duo arrived at an apartment building, much to Buffa’s surprise. Helping Felicia get off the Cyclone, he walked with her to the door. “Thanks for the ride,” said Felicia. Turning to him, she gave him a teasing smile. “You know, I’d give you a goodbye kiss, but I can’t exactly do that with your armor on. See you again soon, Buffy~” And with that, she entered her apartment.

…

When Buffa returned and Bujin had enough energy to sit up, everyone continued the meeting. Meanwhile, Tycoon was in the kitchen area, giving Sakura free entertainment in watching him struggle with cooking in armor.

“Okay, so the basic plan is to map out possible routes to the location the orc gave us,” summarized Wizard. “Do we want to do a multi-pronged attack, hitting from as many directions as we can, or do we want to try and concentrate force? I'm feeling better about how superior we are individually to the average combatant here, but Shocker isn't exactly average.”

“There’s plenty of us, so we could split into teams and attack from different directions,” suggested Blade.

Buffa nodded in agreement, saying, “Personally, I’d do this: one team serves as brute force, drawing attention while another group goes around the place and sabotaging the systems. And while Shocker's dealing with those problems, the third group carries out the actual objective.”

“I’m fine with either plan,” commented Bujin. “But if you need someone who can easily draw their attention with brute force, I have the Lockseed for that.” He held up the Suika Lockseed, glancing at Tycoon over in the kitchen area, who was making smoothies. Not wanting to see if he could drink with his armor on, he reached down to his Sengoku Driver and closed the Blood Orange Lockseed. “Lock Off!”

Tycoon walked into the room just in time to see Mateo undo his transformation. Sighing, he thought, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter now since Felicia’s not here anymore.’ Besides, now that he and his fellow Riders were going to work with the Taimanin, they would have to reveal their identities at some point. Following Mateo’s example, he put aside the smoothies he prepared before undoing his transformation as well.

Sakura simply looked Jeuri over and gave him a thumbs up. “Not bad, Tanuki Boy.” She took a sip from her smoothie before looking at Mateo. “Is that a... watermelon lock thingy?” Looking between the two, she continued, “You guys don’t really look like fighters. Plus, you’re amazingly fluent in Japanese.”

Drinking his smoothie as well, Mateo replied, “Yup, but this one is different compared to the others. This Lockseed is pretty much a mecha-like watermelon-based armor.”

Wizard sighed before disengaging his transformation. “I’d normally be a bit tetchier about this, but you already know where we live, so there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle here. I’m Sloan MacNaois. Pleased to meet you.”

Meanwhile, there was a sound of protest from Vulcan from his room, as the sound of someone (Asuka) taking the ShotRiser and then pulling out the ProgriseKey to disengage the transformation was heard. “Oh hey, you look... really normal," Asuka’s muffled voice could be heard as well.

“He looks like an idiot,” Kirara’s equally muffled voice countered.

Hungrily grabbing the smoothie offered to him, Ethan undid his transformation. “Just call me Ethan Hayes. As you can see, I’m an average dude as well.” With that said, he greedily drank the smoothie, glad to finally have something in his stomach.

Sighing, Alexander undid his transformation, then removed his face mask as well. “Alexander Prodman,” he bluntly said, “and as you can see, I’m just a chubby guy with glasses.”

Returning to the living room after spending the past several minutes geeking out over the bikes in the garage, Mugi looked at Jeuri. “Hi, Mariano-san,” she said as she waved. Noticing the inquisitive look Sakura gave her, she chuckled nervously.

Smiling awkwardly, Jeuri said, “Well, as Mugi-san kind of said, I’m Jeuri Mariano. You can call me Jeuri, though. I’m not too fond of being called by my last name.” Looking to Asuka, Kirara, and Naoto, he offered, “Here are your smoothies, if you want them.”

Asuka happily grabbed her smoothie, while Kirara reluctantly accepted hers while muttering about how she only took it to not be the odd one out. “So, gonna introduce yourself, Fruit-san?” asked Asuka as she took a sip of her smoothie.

“Nope,” replied Mateo.

“Fine, be that way...” Asuka pouted.

“Anyways,” Sakura cut in, “I’m kinda curious. Watermelon? How does it work?”

Looking to Sakura, he explained, “I obviously can’t show how it works right now, but this armor has three modes. Yoroi Mode, which is the mode used for close combat. Oodama Mode, it's usually for a mix of offensive and defensive purposes, I can also use to for transportation. And lastly, Gyro Mode. This mode gives me a flight mode with the ability to fire seed like bullets.”

Meanwhile, Kirara watched as Naoto bounced in place as he drank his smoothie. “... Does the idiot do that often?” she asked.

“Hey, it’s no that bad,” Naoto protested. “Pain’s just weakness leaving the body!”

“I think he just forgot that rest is literally the most important part of training,” Jeuri snarked as he shot Naoto a reproachful look. “In any case, as you can see, we’re just regular guys thrown into this madness. But hey, we’re doing fine so far... I think.”

“I’m starting to consider sedating Naoto to stop him from overworking,” Sloan deadpanned. Turning to Naoto, he warned, “And don’t think I won’t! I have the Sleep ring and know how to use it properly!”

“So he isn’t just an idiot,” sighed Kirara. “He’s an absolute idiot.”

Naoto flinched at Sloan’s words, then felt a metaphorical arrow pierce his heart when Kirara called him an absolute idiot.

Trying to divert the topic, Mugi quickly said, “The Suika Lockseed has a cooldown. I think it was an entire week.” She sat down next to Mateo, looking at the Lockseed.

Nodding, Sakura acknowledged her words. “Right, so we need to know when to use it.” Stroking her chin in thought, she summarized, “Let’s see... Ruby was coming up with plans for when we got to the location the orc gave us.” Sipping her smoothie, she continued, “Lo suggested that we make three teams, one to attack and distract while another infiltrates and sabotages. The last one carries out the actual objective while the rest is distracted with the mess of the two teams. It’s a good idea, but considering how strong these Shocker guys are supposed to be, I don't want to divide our strength too much.”

"Indeed not, especially as I'm the only one who can really fight Phantoms,” said Sloan. “Squire Lina – Ingrid's apprentice – had her sword bounce off Minotaur, which admittedly may not exactly be the best read. Minotaur is pretty strong for a lesser Phantom," he shrugged. "But still. If you're going to fight them, you want either very enchanted weapons or silver bullets. Or both. Preferably both. My weapon’s gun mode fires enchanted silver bullets, for instance.”

Raising his hand, Naoto added, “If we’re talking pure stats, I’m the strongest in our base forms, so I’m basically useful against everything unless they have a restriction of being damaged by certain things. Onisaki-san and Koukawa-san already saw how much Punching Kong boosts my punches, and I have something extra for my kicks as well.”

“And I have the sealing cards, so I can quickly take care of any Undead when they’re down,” added Ethan. “But I’ll also leave some with you guys just in case.”

“Jeuri and I don’t have the physical stats the others have,” explained Alexander, “but the equipment we have makes up for it. My Zombie Buckle, for example, would be a poison user’s wet dream, while the Magnum Buckle gives me a gun that can switch between three modes and has infinite energy bullets.”

Noticing that Asuka was still upset over not getting his name, Mateo sighed. Looking to her, he relented, “Fine. I can’t say my first name, but I’ll tell you my last name. It’s Hayes, and before you ask, Ethan and I are brothers. Twins, in fact. Obviously, I inherited the good looks, and Ethan has spirit.”

Holding back a laugh at Mateo’s comment, Jeuri just knew the girls would believe the lie about him and Ethan being brothers. “Well, with the Ninja Buckle, I’d be suited for infiltration and sabotage, so I can take on that part.”

“Brothers?” Asuka wondered, looking between Ethan and Mateo. “You don’t really look like twins, though...” She was silent for a moment before she shrugged. “Well, I have a cute little brother, you know?”

“Now that you mention him, how’s Kosuke doing?” asked Sakura, oblivious to how Asuka’s eye twitched.

“Probably still stuck at the side of that Enbi girl and ignoring his cute sis..." Asuka grumbled before she wrapped her arms around Naoto. "Well, who cares?! I don't! I’ll just be here learning about Kamen Riders by way of Nao-chan!”

“Anyways,” said Sakura, “Tanuki Boys can be in the infiltration team while Fruit Boy and Wolf Boy are on the assault team. Most of us Taimanin should probably be in the infiltration team considering how strong the main force will probably be.” Noticing how Mugi raised her hand, she added, “Yes, Mugi-chan, considering how similar your Ninja Art is to their armor, you can be on the assault team.”

Sloan shrugged, “Well, I’m not exactly subtle. I have some tricks that make up for it, but my Rider Armor is... well, obvious. Assault team might just work better for me.”

Noticing the panic in Naoto’s eyes, Ethan quickly interjected, “Um, Asuka-san, maybe you should let go of Naoto. You’re practically crushing him.” Looking to Sakura, he continued, “Back to the plan, well... I’m honestly not sure, but I’ll go with infiltration since I don’t think I’m as much of a heavy hitter.”

Alexander scratched the back of his head. “Personally, I’m pretty good with stealth. It probably helps that I have so little presence that I once carpooled with a coworker and he actually forgot I was in the car with him.” Sighing, he continued, “However, aside from the Raise Claw, my arsenal isn’t exactly good for infiltration, so I’m probably better off on the assault team.”

“Oh, I also have Garuda,” remembered Sloan. “Would it help to have him fly around the area so we get a better idea of the terrain? Or would that tip our hand too much?”

“A familiar, huh? Sounds very useful. As long as he can remain hidden and no one can discover him, it could work to get a better view of everything,” Sakura nodded. “Oh, and before I forget, here’s what you wanted.” She procured a simple communicator, handing it over to Jeuri

“Y-yeah, Garuda will be really helpful,” agreed Naoto, “but you might want to be careful with him” He shifted nervously said as Asuka’s grip on him tightened. He could feel Kirara’s stare get even more intense, the air becoming colder by the second. Trying to distract himself from his situation, he quickly added, “Oh, now that we can talk to your sister when necessary, we can keep each other updated.” It got colder. ‘Is it just me, or is Asuka holding me even tighter?’

Noticing Naoto’s dilemma, Ethan tried to save him. “Asuka, I’m curious. Can I see your equipment? I was wondering what they’re like.”

“I have my arm blades and many other little tricks,” shrugged Asuka as she continued holding on to Naoto.

“That perverted idiot is probably enjoying this,” mumbled Kirara, prompting Sakura to sweatdrop.

“Alexander has the Feverslot Buckle now too,” reminded Jeuri. “He could use it to get Ninja and infiltrate with us.”

“Feverslot is like a slot machine. It can randomly give a Buckle and if it matches with the one you already have on, it makes it stronger!” Mugi explained with a smile.

Holding up the Feverslot, Alexander added, “You know, the downside of Feverslot is that you could get a bad roll. The last thing you'd want is to get several unfavorable rolls in a row. So honestly, using it might be a risk for this mission. Not saying I won't be bringing it, though.”

Looking to Mugi, Jeuri said, “By the way, I could really use a way to watch Kamen Rider Geats. Do you have any way I could watch it? I tried finding it, but it's been difficult.”

Mugi smiled proudly and held up a USB drive. “I have all the series here! I brought this so we could review and catch up with everything!” She most definitely didn’t bring it so she could rewatch the entire franchise with the actual Riders by her side. And she most definitely did not download it from the dark web after certain Riders were officially erased due to censorship to avoid offending demons.

“Great,” smiled Jeuri, “I have a lot to learn about my predecessor. The others told me a few things, but it's not the same as seeing it with my own eyes.” As he spoke, he couldn’t help but notice Asuka’s attitude. At first, the situation seemed a little funny, but with each passing second, it started to feel more absurd. And if it kept escalating, it would only make living together in the apartment even more complicated.

He sighed internally. He didn’t want to be the one to ruin the mood, but someone had to say it. “Koukawa-san, I think you should understand that trying to make someone jealous doesn’t work when the person you’re trying to affect isn’t even here.” Pausing briefly to make sure his words weren’t misinterpreted, he continued, “I’m not saying this to upset you, but trying something like this is a terrible strategy when it comes to getting someone’s attention. Most of the time, instead of attracting them, you just them away. And given our current situation, I think it would be best to stop using Naoto to make someone jealous.”

Asuka flinched. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied, looking down as she let go of Naoto. “Sorry, Nao-chan…” Kirara looked at her in surprise, having never seen her act like that ever since they started hanging out.

"It's fine, Koukawa-san. It was just a bit embarrassing for me,” explained Naoto. “I don't tend to be that close to girls unless they are my family. The point is that it didn’t bother me that much. Hell, I guess I should be flattered that you chose me for that...?" He tried not to let his true feelings show. ‘There’s no way anyone would ever love someone like me, and besides.... My only path is that of a Rider. Until my body breaks apart...’

"Well, that happened." Sakura sighed then looked at Jeuri. "Thanks for dealing with that as best as you could, Asuka-chan is a good girl. It's just... you know..." She smiled at him awkwardly.

"E-em... Keiwa! Yeah, Keiwa is a great guy! You would really like him, Mariano-san!" Mugi quickly tried to change the subject. "I have everything Geats related for you and Prodman-san! I also have Gaim, Blade, Wizard and Zero-One!"

“That’s very kind of you, Mugi-san,” said Sloan ad Garuda landed on his shoulder. “However, I really ought to check distances for Garuda, so I’m going to have to bow out this time.” With that said, he stood up and headed to the computers.

“Koukawa-san, your gear is really neat,” Ethan quickly said, trying to raise her mood. “I wish I had some of it.”

Asuka smiled, but it seemed forced. “I’m fine, you don’t need to cheer me up. I was being dumb, after all! Anyways, I think I’m going to look around for a bit!” With that, she quickly stood up and ran out of the room.

Kirara watched Asuka leave the room and frowned at the Riders and huffing. “Idiot...” she muttered while looking at Naoto before leaving as well.

Naoto got up and followed them. “I’m going after her, don’t stop me.” He quickly ran after Asuka, wanting to talk to her. ‘I don’t want people to cry. I want everyone to smile with happiness.’

“Um...” Mugi awkwardly stood up and grabbed Jeuri’s arm, pulling him along. “Let me show you all of Geats, Mariano-san!” The duo left the room, leaving the others behind

Sighing, Buffa tried to get the remaining people back on track. “Anyways, we still don't know the base's layout. Sure, we have an area, but that's all. We're essentially going in blind.”

Nodding in agreement, Mateo said, “Yeah, let’s focus on what matters here. Anyway, Alexander, you got a point, although how are we going to figure out the base's layout? I doubt we can find something like that on our own.”

“If Ruby can get his little Garuda in the area, we could have something to work with,” suggested Sakura. “We can figure something out then go in. I’m not going to underestimate Shocker.”

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Ethan asked, “So, is there anything else we need to cover? If not, I guess we could call it a day here.”

“Well, I’m calling it a day here for myself,” said Mateo. “It’s about time I got some rest. Thanks for the help, Ninja Girl. Let me know when the plan’s complete.” Getting off the couch, he made his way to his room to get some rest.

“Later, Fruit Boy,” called Sakura as she waved to Mateo. “Well, I guess this is a good place to call it. All we can do for now is prepare what we’re going to bring for the mission while Ruby’s little bird does some scouting.”

Seeing how everyone was leaving, Ethan got up as well. “It was good talking to you as usual, Igawa-san. I’m gonna get some fresh air.” He walked out the door, heading into the city.

Glancing at Alexander, Sakura asked, “Anyways, I kinda put it off for a bit considering everything that was happening, but... You have a zombie thing, Lo?”

Alexander grunted as he got up to leave the room. “Yeah, the Zombie Buckle’s a thing I have.”

Watching him leave, Sakura sighed to herself. “Sure, just walk away, Lo. I’ll get the explanation about that thing from you... or Mugi-chan. She grinned.

...

Naoto tried to catch his breath as he found Asuka on the roof of the apartment building, staring at the cityscape as the wind gently blew. “Man, the city looks really good from up here,” he said in an attempt to make small talk. “Don’t you think so?”

Asuka jumped slightly. “Y-yeah! It’s a really nice view. And you guys just have this whole place to yourselves? I’m kinda jealous!” She flashed another fake smile.

Naoto sighed. “You know, that fake smile doesn’t make you look good. You look better when you have the smile you had when I was telling you and Kirara about Kamen Rider.” Speaking as he went without a plan, he noted how Asuka flinched then looked away. “Man, I wonder what my big sister would say about this.” When the Taimanin looked at him again, he explained, “Yeah, I have an older sister. Even if I don’t look like it, I’m a little brother.”

 Looking Naoto over, Asuka asked, “What’s your older sister like?”

Naoto snorted. “She was a pain. We always insulted each other, called each other insulting names, or just referred to one another as Idiot. She always criticized me whenever I did something wrong or was lazy.” Feeling Asuka’s incredulous stare he continued, “But… she’s my big sister. She always had my back when it mattered and I will always care for her no matter what. I think that this Kousuke feels the same way, no matter what happens or what you do. You will always be his beloved older sister. Take it from another little brother.” He didn’t know what possessed him at that moment, but he winked.

Asuka stared at Naoto for a few seconds then tried to contain her laughter. “Pfft! I-I'm pretty sure that no older sister would be happy to be described like that!” She ended up laughing for a while then calmed down, smiling at Naoto. “But... Thank you, Nao-chan. I get what you’re trying to say even if it came off in a really dumb way.” Naoto sighs at her words. "Hey! Can you tell me more stuff about your sister?"

Relived that Asuka wasn’t faking a smile anymore, Naoto chuckled. “Well, for starters…”

Notes:

The raid is next chapter. Prepare for a lot of action.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 20: The Raid Part 1

Notes:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

After strolling around the city for a while, Ethan took a seat on a bench in the part, watching people walk by. He reflected on everything that had happened. His ordinary life was gone. He lost his real name and could now only say his name was Ethan Hayes. He was in another world now, as a Kamen Rider doing Kamen Rider things. Ruffling his hair, he sighed in defeat.

Suddenly, someone sat next to him. Hearing a canary, Ethan glanced over at the man. “You seem troubled, young man. Maybe I could be of assistance by hearing your thoughts?” The man lifted a hand that had red strong wrapped around his fingers.

Ethan’s eyes widened. “Nobura Shima…” he muttered, surprised to see the Tarantula Undead and King of Clubs sitting next to him. “Sorry if you were expecting Kenzaki or anyone else. Instead, you got me who's currently sulking right now,” he said with a forced smile.

Shima chuckled at Ethan's words. “No, I was not expecting the previous Blade. After all, he became a Joker, did he not?” He gave a smile. "There is nothing wrong with... sulking as you call it; everyone takes things at their own pace. I simply wish to assist Blade’s successor, especially in this... world we have found ourselves in." Shima frowned for a moment then looked back at Blade with his calming smile. "Now then, I shall ask again. What troubles you, young Blade?"

Ethan leaned back on the bench. "It's just... I've been catching up on my own thoughts and I realize I still miss the life I had before I ended up in this world. I have a new one here, but I didn't ask for this. I just woke up and lots of things happened from there.” Sighing, he finished, “But I know I can't feel sorry for myself right now, after all, I have a job to do.”

"There is nothing wrong with feeling homesick and missing what was lost,” placated Shima. “And there is a difference between feeling sorry for yourself and allowing yourself to mourn what is gone,” he calmly said to Ethan. "The fact that, even after being put in this situation, you chose to take up the mantle of Blade is commendable enough." He chuckled while watching the children play in the park. "You should know right? About what happened when I gave the original Blade the Rouze Absorber?"

“Yeah,” confirmed Ethan. “I remember that you eventually became sealed by Mutsuki to save him from the Spider Undead's control. It was a tough choice yet you still gave yourself up just like that. And I remember Kenzaki's words when he had the Rouse Absorber. It was about how he fights because he loves humanity. I don't know if I'll ever reach that same level as him. But I have to try, right?”

"I do not believe many are expecting you to reach his level," Shima chuckled. "Like I said, the fact that you chose to fight is enough. The people of this world seem to need help from all the darkness that surrounds them." For a moment, he listened to his canary. "The arrival of Riders in this world will bring about a great change. We can only hope that it will be one towards the light."

“Yeah, I hope so,” Ethan softly replied, feeling better than he did earlier. “Thanks for listening to me. I thought I was going to lose my mind for a bit, but then you showed up.” He smiled at Shima gratefully, then looked up in the sky and noting that it was getting late. “I guess I should head back now. Oh wait, do you have a place to stay or...?”

Shima chuckled and shook his head. "Do not worry about me, young Blade. I have my own duties right now." He raised his hand and let the wind flow through the red string. "I must find Hikaru. I have not seen her for a few days now, and so, she may have found something that could help you." Standing up, he finished "I wish you luck in your battles, Blade and hope one day you find happiness and peace.” And thus, Shima walked away, the wind guiding him once again.

…

Asuka laughed as she listened to Naoto’s stories, describing the details of his life with his family. “Wow,” she giggled, “I’d actually like to meet them one day!” Her comment caused Naoto to flinch, drawing her attention “Nao-chan?”

"I'm sorry, but..." Naoto slowly began. "You can't, and I doubt I can see them again." Sighing, he explained, "The day I became a Rider, I lost the ability to be with my family. I probably won't ever see them again for the rest of my life." Looking up at the sky, he said, "Now all that remains is my memories of them. I can only hold onto them as I fight as Vulcan. It's what a Rider does, after all." He quickly rubbed the tears out of his eyes before Asuka could notice. "Guess I'm more tired than I thought," he fibbed as he feigned a yawn. "Guess I should go back to my room and rest." Turning around, he headed towards the stairs. "Oh, and I'm glad I could make you laugh. That bright smile looks amazing on you, Koukawa-san." With that, Naoto left the rooftop.

As Naoto left the Rooftop, Asuka could only watch him leave. "Nao-chan's family... could it be?" Asuka wondered out loud. Noticing something in the corner of her sight, she turned around and saw that Kirara had been listening in to their conversation from the shadows the entire time. The two Taimanin looked at each other, uncertain expressions on their faces.

...

Garuda soared through the air, flying through the designated area and spotting an ordinary-looking warehouse. However, a man wearing a black uniform and beret exited the building. The most distinct feature was the white web mask he wore, along with the large staff he had. He seemed to be disposing something when another man wearing a black one-piece uniform with a white ribcage design and a luchador mask exited the building as well. “Eee!” screeched the luchador-masked man. The man with the web mask nodded, and they both returned to inside the warehouse.

Now that he had confirmed Shocker’s presence, Garuda transferred the information to report his findings. Upon learning what was found, Sloan blinked in surprise. “Much faster than I expected, I’ll admit. But yes, that’s a Shocker base. Hello there, Combatman. Looks like a normal warehouse on the outside, but two different types of Combatmen in one place was a giveaway.”

Getting to work, Sloan took out a sheet of paper and a pencil, starting to sketch the warehouse and its surroundings, as well as possible entrances that Garuda could spot.

...

The next day, the Riders and Taimanin stopped a short distance away from the warehouse, transforming into their respective armors and uniforms.

“Alright,” announced Sakura, “We should separate here. Everyone has the map Ruby made, right?” When everyone nodded, she finished, “Then separate into the teams and get ready to start!”

Asuka quickly hugged Vulcan. “Good luck, Nao-chan!” Whispering, she added,” Oh, and just call me Asuka from now on. It’s only fair since I do the same.”

Kirara looked away. “Just dont’ do something dumb and get into a weird situation again,” she muttered.

Vulcan nodded to Asuka, but sweatdropped at Kirara’s comment. ‘I really left a bad impression on her, didn’t I?’ Looking at the infiltration team, he said, “Good luck, guys.”

“Right then, let’s get started,” began Wizard. “Kick the door, so to speak. Let’s get this show on the road.” Cracking his neck, he snapped his weapon into gun mode and got ready to follow after Bujin.

“I’m sure all of us already know what to expect once the plan kicks off, so good luck to you too,” replied Blade.

 Buffa sighed as he palmed the Feverslot Buckle. On one hand, he could use it to attempt to go for a Fever form. On the other, he could use it to roll for one of the Buckles he didn’t have. “Screw it,” he muttered as he equipped it, though he didn’t pull the lever yet. “Oh, Tycoon. You’ll probably need this more than I do for this mission.” Tossing his fellow Geats Rider the Magnum Buckle, he quipped, “I hope your aim is good.”

“Looks like I’m first,” said Bujin as he went up to the warehouse. He took out the Suika Lockseed and activated it. “Suika!” Locking the Lockseed in place, he pushed down the knife and cut it open. “Suika Arms: Oodama Big Bang!” The giant Watermelon Arms fell on him, transforming into Yoroi Mode. Clapping his hands together, he struck a kabuki pose and crowed, “In the spotlight on parade!”

Taking out the Suika Sojinto, Bujin shouted as loud as he could, taunting the people inside the warehouse. “Hey, Shocker! I forgot my invite, but I know you can’t say no to the Riders you can’t help but love! Though I hope you won't be the cowards you usually are and run away whenever we kick your ass!”

Tycoon sighed upon seeing Bujin impulsively begin the attack before the group had even finished the final discussion and gotten into position. Setting aside his annoyance, he accepted the Magnum Buckle with a small nod. “Thank you very much, Buffa.” Taking out the Command Twin Buckle, he handed it over. “I feel like this will be much more useful to you this time too. Besides, this way you won’t have to rely on luck in the middle of combat.”

Turning his gaze to the rest of the infiltration team, Tycoon announced, “Alright, I suggest we wait until all eyes are on the distraction. Once that happens...” He pulled out the invisibility cloak provided by the Ninja Buckle, which he had already equipped. “We go in using this.” To demonstrate, the draped the cloak over himself, vanishing from view.

As if on cue, a wide variety of Shocker Combatmen poured out of the warehouse. Their iterations ranged from the classic, to Next, to Shin, and more. Alongside them were a squadron of ten Kurokage Troppers, two Raiders, and five Jyamato Riders.

“Whoa, that’s a bunch of guys,” Sakura commented. “Good luck, Mugi-chan and boys. And remember, everyone, be careful.” And with that, she and the rest of the infiltration team pulled away, hiding under Tycoon’s cloak.

Wizard looked to the Shocker army. ‘Well, that’s a lot of them. Time to even the odds.’ He toggled the WizarDriver to spell mode and scanned the Copy ring. “Copy, Please!” A clone of himself formed, and he scanned the ring again in sync with his clone, then again on the WizarSwordGun’s Hand Author. “Copy, Please!” Now dual wielding, he started shooting at the Shocker army. Eight WizarSwordGuns wielded by four Wizards barked as one. Then again. And again. And again. An enormous swarm of enchanted silver bullets shot forth, focusing on the Kurokage Troopers.

Three of the Troopers quickly used the others as shields, using their Lockseeds as the other Troopers were promptly overwhelmed by the overwhelming firepower. “Lock On! Soiya!” “Zangetsu Arms: Melon Gomen!” “Ryugen Arms: Budou, Ha Ha Ha!” “Baron Arms: Knight of Banana!”

Arms Parts promptly descended from Cracks, landing on the three remaining Kurokage Troopers, unfolding into their respective Armors and calling forth their weapons. The Ryugen Trooper quickly cut down his Lockseed, shooting a volley of grape-shaped energy shots at the Wizard squad. “Soiya! Dragon Shot!”

Wizard opened fire on the incoming energy shots, watching as only a few were disrupted while the others simply went on, melting the bullets. A moment later, the projectiles slammed into him, sending him flying back. Bouncing on the ground a few times, he got back up and narrowed his eyes. It was just the three remaining Kurokage Troopers who still stood, and they weren’t exactly in the best condition either. ‘The one who used the finisher is probably in the worst condition now, so let’s take him out then move on to the other two,’ thought Wizard. He opened fire once more, narrowing his aim.

Before the bullets could hit the Ryugen Trooper, the Zangetsu Trooper stepped in and cut his Lockseed twice. “Soiya! Melon Defender!” The Melon Defender shined brightly with energy as the Zangetsu Trooper sent it forth, creating a massive projection of itself that blocked the bullets.

Likewise, the Baron Trooper cut his Lockseed three times, stabbing with his Banaspear. “Soiya! Banana Victory!” A massive projection of a banana hit Wizard dead-on, sending him back with an explosion and knocking him back to the ground.

Thankful that the defensive enchantments in his Rider Armor, as well as the sheer durability of Druid Crystal and Sorcerium, Wizard slowly got back up. Shaking his head, his helmet cracked but not shattered, he scanned his Connect ring. “Connect, Please!” Generating a Connect portal behind the Zangetsu Trooper, he stuck the WizarSwordGun through and shot him several times in the back. “Block this.”

...

“Here I go!” shouted Vulcan as he took aim at the Raiders and fired. Charging towards them, he thought, ‘Mateo, I hope you don’t hit me!’ Engaging the Raiders, he was surprised that he could keep up with them without too much trouble. Punching the Flaming Tiger Raider away, he focused on the Shark Raider, using his training with Chalice to his advantage

Meanwhile, the Flaming Tiger Raider pressed the button on the RaidRiser. “Flaming Bolide!” Fire gathered on the Raider’s arms as he punched the ground, causing a wave of flames to surge towards Vulcan.

Hearing the announcement, Vulcan kneed the Shark Raider away and turned to see the wave of fire. ‘How do I dodge this?’ he wondered. ‘Well, time to be dumb!’ He aimed the Shotriser at the flames before jumping into the air, pulling the trigger. “Shooting Blast!” The finisher’s recoil sent him flying back, allowing the Bolide to just barely miss him while the bullet slammed into the Tiger Raider.

Getting back up, Vulcan didn’t even have a second to recover before the Shark Raider attacked him from behind, causing him to roll forward in pain “Gah!” Quickly recovering, he started blocking the Raider’s attacks. “What is it with me and goddamn sharks?!” he shouted indignantly. As he continued to block and dodge, he slowly made his way towards the Flaming Tiger Progrisekey. Unfortunately, when he reached it, a particularly strong blow forced him to focus entirely on the defensive, and he accidentally kicked the Progrisekey away. “FUCK!” Noticing how the Raider was wide open after having winded up for the attack, he went in on the offensive.

Unfortunately, defeating the Tiger Raider made the Shark Raider fight even more aggressively to the point that he didn’t even care about the damage he took. A few slashes at Vulcan’s chest sent him stumbling back in a splash of sparks, giving the Raider an opportunity to press the RaidRider. “Biting Bolide!” The Raider spread his arms, an image of a shark’s jaws overlapping them as he closed them around Vulcan, hitting him full force as an explosion erupted.

...

Buffa pulled the lever of the Feverslot Buckle, muttering, “RNGesus, don’t betray me now.” He charged forth, heading straight for the Jyamato Riders. He knew that trying to use a Jyamato Buckle himself was a horrible idea, but if he didn’t take them, then another Jyamato could just pick up a Desire Driver and Jyamato Buckle to become a Jyamato Rider. “Magnum! Hit! Magnum!”

Mugi ran alongside Buffa. “Hiyaa!” She kicked one of the Jyamato Riders, making it stumble back. “Buffa, I’m gonna help you!”

“Jya-Jya-Jya Strike!” One of the Jyamato Riders activated their finisher, stomping on the ground and sending massive vines towards Buffa and Mugi.

In response to the approaching vines, Buffa jumped into the air and inserted the Zombie Buckle on the left side of his driver. “Set! Zombie!” As he came back down, he activated the Zombie Buckle again, a plan running through his mind. “Zombie Strike!” Stomping on the ground when he came down, a horde of spectral Berserclaws rushed forth in a wave to counter the vines.

At the same time, Buffa inserted the Claw Buckle into the Magnum Shooter 40X provided by the Feverslot roll. “Claw!” Taking aim, he fired at the Jyamato Riders, specifically targeting their Drivers. “Hah!”

The Berserclaws tore the vines apart, paving the way for the bullets to hit their marks. As a result of the Claw Buckle’s nature affecting the shots, the bullets pierced through the Desire Drivers and Jyamato Buckles, causing them to explode. Having returned to being normal Pawn Jyamato, one of them tried to grab the Jyamato Buckle. “Jurapira... Hens-”

“Rider Punch!” Mugi punched the Jyamato, flames spewing form the tubes on her wrist and giving more power to her strike. The Pawn Jyamato was sent flying into a wall, where it crashed with a solid thud before exploding. Grabbing the Jyamato Buckle, she handed it over to Buffa. “I got the only Buckle that wasn't damaged! None of them will be able to transform now!”

Taking the Jyamato Buckle, Buffa quickly looked it over for anything that looked like it could be a teleportation device. If it had been used on the Sengoku Driver the orc mercenary had, as well as Fifteen and Gaim-Yami, then chances were that it was placed on all their equipment. It didn’t take long for him to find a small metal dot on the underside of the Buckle that seemed out of place. Pressing his finger against it, his eyes narrowed when it came off. "Gotcha," he muttered.

Putting the Jyamato Buckle away, he spoke softly over the comms to Vulcan and Wizard. "I found their teleportation beacons," he reported. "They look like small metal dots. If possible, remove them from their Drivers so Shocker can't reclaim them. Try to collect the Drivers as well to destroy them somewhere else so they can't be repaired or reused."

Returning to their task, Buffa and Mugi quickly dispatched the remaining Pawn Jyamato. “Wow, I didn’t think that it would be so easy...” Mugi breathed in surprise. Looking to Buffa, she begged, “Please don’t use that Buckle. I don’t want you to turn into a Jyamato like Michinaga did.” Before Buffa could respond, she looked over his shoulder, eyes widening. “Move!” She tackled him out of the way of the rolling Suika Ball just in time for it to smash into the warehouse.

Notes:

Yeah, I know. The chapter’s a bit shorter this time. But this felt like a good place to end it, and the next chapter will explain what just happened at the end of this chapter. It’ll also be covering the infiltration group’s experience.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 21

Notes:

Welcome to part two of the warehouse raid. Lots of things happening at once this chapter, so you’ll be seeing things happen from different perspectives.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

“One down, two to go...” muttered Wizard. He calmly analyzed the Baron Trooper charging at him. ‘Not a problem,’ he thought. Despite its name, the Banaspear was a lance. To be specific, a miniaturized lance, meaning that its reach was greatly reduced. He supposed that with the strength Riders had, it could be a decent bludgeon, but...

He sidestepped the first thrust, jumped over the attempted sweep, and kicked the Baron Trooper in the face. Conventional wisdom said that the lance beat the sword, but that was assuming that it was a full-sized lance, and that the wielder was on a mount. Snapping the WizarSwordGun into sword mode, he deflected the second thrust and stepped in to strike the Trooper twice, channeling a heat spell to add extra damage.

The magic-themed Rider’s attacks didn’t do much damage, but they still served their purpose. Grabbing the Baron Trooper’s wrist, he stopped his opponent from trying to bring the shaft of the Banaspear against his side. With his opponent restrained, Wizard thrusted at the Baron Trooper’s shoulder, leaving a deep gash that burst into flame.

Wizard twisted the Baron Trooper’s wrist, forcing him to drop his weapon, then kicked off his chest. The Baron Trooper was sent stumbling back, giving Wizard the time to snap his weapon back into gun mode to shoot the Ryugen Trooper.

The Baron Trooper sparked for a moment before falling over and exploding. The Ryugen Trooper, on the other hand, stumbled back before quickly cutting his Lockseed. “Soiya! Dragon Shot!” He aimed at Wizard, firing a volley of grape-shaped energy projectiels once again.

“This again?” asked Wizard. Learning from the previous time, he changed tactics. Instead of trying to intercept the shots, he scanned the Connect ring. “Connect, Please!” The portal opened right in front of Wizard... and right behind the Ryugen Trooper. “Let’s see how well you handle shooting yourself with a finisher.”

“Well, that takes care of the Kurokage Troopers,” Wizard muttered. Letting the Connect portal fade away, he turned to help the others, only to pause in surprise. “What the hell?” he muttered, taking in the sight. Shaking his head, he immediately started shooting, moving in to assist Buffa and Mugi.

...

Charging towards the Shocker Combatmen, Bujin swung the Suika Sojinto, striking them down and wiping them out with ease. This continued for a short while until he was hit by a strong explosion, causing him to stumble back. “Zooka!” In the distance was Kame Bazooka, who continued to fire shots upon him with the cannon on his back.

Recognizing his opponent as one of the kaijin from the Showa era of Kamen Rider, Bujin tried to regain control of the Suika Armor as Kame Bazooka continued firing upon him. Doing his best to dodge, he maneuvered around until he had to raise an arm to block a shot he couldn’t dodge, causing him to stumble back. “Alright, that’s enough!” he shouted.

The Suika Armor switched from Yoroi Mode to Gyro Mode, allowing Bujin to fly closer to Kame Bazooka and fire a barrage of seed-like bullets upon the turtle. Caught off guard, Kame Bazooka was unable to dodge, taking all the shots. When the smoke cleared, he wobbled as he tried to stand, heavily injured. “S-Shocker will never yield to the Riders!” he roared, firing upon Bujin again.

“Damn it!” shouted Bujin as a shot clipped him and sent him spiraling to the ground. “Those fucking blasts are annoying to deal with. I guess it’s time for a new plan.” Thankfully, the Suika Arms wasn’t out of the count yet. “Everyone, get out of the way!” Switching to Oodama Mode, he rolled at high speed, aiming to run Kame Bazooka over.

Bujin didn’t stop when he ran the Kurokage Troopers over. He didn’t stop when he ran the Shark Raider over, just barely missing Vulcan. He didn’t stop when he ran Kame Bazooka over. And he certainly didn’t stop when he nearly ran Buffa and Mugi over. But he did stop when he slammed into the warehouse, leaving a huge hole in the building.

“Damn it, Bujin!” shouted Vulcan and Buffa in unison.

...

Watching the Shocker base flock to attack the assault team, Tycoon whispered, “Alright, it’s our turn to move.” Thanks to the map Wizard made, which had been integrated into Tycoon’s minimap, he was able to identify a weak point in the facility’s security. However, they would have to proceed with caution to avoid alerting any guards.

Sakura had the advantage of being able to literally hide inside the shadows. Asuka, on the other hand, didn’t have the ability to turn invisible like Tatsuro could, and Kirara would undoubtedly refuse to use her Ninja Art she inherited from her father, no matter how useful it would be in the situation.

As such, the invisibility cloak was the only option. Draping it over himself, Asuka, and Kirara, he ensured they were completely hidden from sight before whispering, “Stay close. This cloak only affects visibility, not sound.” The trio slowly made their way into the base, with Sakura hiding in their shadows and Blade following shortly behind.

Making their way into the warehouse, they came to the sight of numerous Combatmen moving about, some of them operating machinery that was constructing equipment, including what seemed to be a Thousand Jacker. Others tended to what seemed to be a small Jyamar Garden.

Overseeing the operation was Kamen Rider Garren. “The Riders seem to have come to die,” he commented. “Good. We can use this chance to gather data on their systems.” Turning to the closest Combatman, he ordered, “Prepare more troops and overwhelm them! And prepare to deploy some of the Suika autonomous armor prototypes!”

The group remained silent, watching the entire scene play out. Asuka’s gaze drifted to Blade, noting the similarities his armor had with Garren’s. However, Blade was focused on the Jyamar Garden. ‘Just how long have been they trying to cultivate them?’ he thought. Looking around the warehouse, he managed to spot the Thousand Jacker. He immediately noted it as a high priority item to steal, not only to prevent Shocker from using it, but because Vulcan could use it.

Finally, his eyes landed on Garren. However, he knew for a fact it wasn’t Tachibana. “Garren,” he whispered. “The first Rider System before mine. He’s already bad news. Besides him, we also need to get rid of the garden and take the Thousand Jacker.” Pointing to the weapon in question, he added, “We can’t let them keep it.”

Asuka and Kirara nodded. “So, garden bad and we need that weird golden sword. Got it,” summarized Asuka as she eyed the Jyamar Garden. Underneath them, the shadows stirred as Sakura moved through them.

A Humagear without a human shell and wearing a Metsuboujinrai ForceRiser approached Garren. “Use the Progrisekey,” ordered Garren, “It’s time to test it.”

The Humagear nodded and took out a wolf-themed Progrisekey, pressing the button. The sound of a wolf howling was heard as the Humagear inserted the Progrisekey into the ForceRiser and pulled the lever. “Forcerise! Wolf! Break down. No chance of surviving.” As the transformation occurred, a broken version of Vulcan Assault Wolf stood there. One of the Assault Wolf gauntlets was damaged, while other pieces of the armor were held together by cables. In addition, one of the eyepieces was cracked.

“Perfect,” hummed Garren as he looked the Humagear over. “Now kill Vulcan and get his Progrisekeys to perfect you.” The Broken Vulcan nodded before walking away.

Noticing how the Taimanin froze, Blade sighed, “Unfortunately, we’re probably gonna have to deal with that Assault Wolf real soon, so we might have to split up here.”

Tycoon cursed his limited Kamen Rider knowledge. However, it was clear that what they saw didn’t bode well. Watching the situation unfold, he decided to contact Buffa immediately. “A robot transformed into a broken version of Vulcan is coming out. It wants his Progrisekeys. We're going to try to stop it,” he whispered.

Looking to the others, he continued, “Okay, here’s what I propose: Igawa-san, store all those things in your shadow. Onisaki-san, freeze the garden to destroy it. Blade and I will engage that thing directly. Koukawa-san, please stay hidden with the cloak – you’ll be our trump card if things go south.” Looking at everyone, he scanned their expressions. “Does anyone have any better ideas?”

Shaking their heads, the group jumped into action. Tycoon and Blade ambushed the Broken Vulcan, catching it off guard and making it stumble back. Unfortunately, before they could continue, Blade was shot by a bullet from the Garren Rouzer.

“Ah, Blade. I was wondering where you were,” said Garren as he approached the group. “This makes things easier. I can obtain the cards you have for my research.” As he got closer, he kept his weapon trained on Blade.

Meanwhile, Kirara reluctantly prepared her ice to freeze the Jyamar Garden, while Asuka remained hidden under the cloak. “Almost there...” Sakura whispered as she made her way to the Thousand Jacker. However, right as she was about to grab it, Bujin smashed right through the warehouse wall inside Suika.

“What in the-” Garren exclaimed in surprise. He didn’t have an opportunity to question the Suika ball more when Blade rushed in and punched him in the gut, following up his surprise attack with a headbutt. Grunting as he stumbled back, Garren started to defend himself, quickly creating an opportunity to shoot Blade point-blank in the chest. “Heh…”

“Upper!” Garren Rouzed Upper Frog and hit blade with an uppercut, sending him flying. “You are no Kenzaki Kazuma…” He took out another card, inserting it into the Rouze Absorber. “Absorb Queen!” But before he could continue, he faltered when his head bobbed as heavy metal began playing. Shaking his head and snapping out of it, he looked outside to see where the music came from.

Shouting in pain as he hit the floor, Blade quickly scrambled to his feet when he heard the announcement from the Rouze Absorber, scanning his own cards. “Slash! Mach!” He quickly charged in, running up to Garren and delivering a quick flash when he saw that his opponent had been distracted by something.

Stumbling back, Garren chuckled as his attention returned to the fight. “Fusion Jack!” Shining gold, he transformed into Jack Form then took to the air, Rouzing two cards. “Bullet! Gemini!” A copy of Garren appeared, flying through the hole to attack the Riders outside.

However, Blade was focused on just one detail. Garren had transformed without scanning a card. That could only mean one thing.

Up above, Tycoon equipped the Magnum Buckle on the left side of his Driver. “Set! Dual On! Get ready for Ninja and Magnum! Ready, fight!” As soon as the armor settled, he triggered the Armored Guns on his legs, propelling himself forward with a powerful kick aimed at the Broken Vulcan. At the same time, he fired a precise shot, combining both attacks into a single coordinated strike.

Stumbling to his feet, Bujin managed to say, “Ah, don’t mind me. Just making an entrance.” Looking around, he saw the Broken Vulcan. “Alright, time to switch!” He removed the Suika Lockseed and pulled out another one. “Kurumi!” Locking it in place, he brought down the blade to cut it open. “Kurumi Arms: Mr. Knuckleman!” Seeing that Blade was busy with Garren, he decided to attack the Broken Vulcan instead.

However, the Broken Vulcan caught Tycoon’s kick and Bujin’s punch, pushing them back before punching Bujin away and shooting Tycoon with the machine guns in the Assault Wolf’s gauntlets. With them out of the way, it jumped out the hole and charged towards Vulcan.

…

Vulcan groaned as he painfully forced himself back to his feet, cursing that he was hit by a finisher yet again. “Mamá, ya no quiero pelear con más tiburones…” Looking around, he saw that the Shark Raider had been ran over by Bujin in the process. Wondering what happened, he turned around and was promptly caught off-guard by what he saw. “What the fu-?!” Staring at the giant hole in the warehouse made by Bujin’s roll, he shouted, “Damn it, Bujin! That wasn’t part of the plan!”

Quickly grabbing the Biting Shark Progrisekey, Vulcan grimaced at the remains of the Shark Raider. ‘Not a pretty way to go,’ he thought. He made his way to the warehouse, taking a quick detour to grab the Flaming Tiger Progrisekey as well. Upon reaching the warehouse, he looked into the hole and saw the Broken Vulcan. “The hell?” That was all he managed to get out before the Broken Vulcan leapt through the hole and attacked him.

“Shit!” Vulcan shouted as he took a full-force tackle. He could hear the girls shouting, but he was too focused on not dying to listen to what they were saying. Managing to pull himself free and back away, he went on the defense, dodging and blocking the best he could. Unfortunately, the Broken Vulcan was able to catch him off guard with a punch, throwing him back and leaving him gasping for air.

‘Damn it!’ thought Vulcan. Taking out the Attache Calibur, he took a moment to lament how it still wasn’t completely fixed and attacked once more.

Nearby, Bujin and Tycoon tried to recover. Tycoon rushed back in, creating clones to assist him as they attacked the Broken Vulcan from all sides. Without hesitation, he threw himself into close combat, attacking aggressively. Meanwhile, the clones fired relentlessly with their leg-mounted guns, bombarding the enemy with a constant barrage of bullets. Now that the Broken Vulcan was forced onto the defensive, Tycoon took advantage of its momentary distraction to rapidly deliver several slashes with the Ninja Dueler.

Meanwhile, Bujin decided to change Lockseeds again. “ZX!” Removing the Kurumi Lockseed, he inserted the ZX Lockseed and locked it in place. “Lock On!” He pressed the sword down, already approaching the Broken Vulcan. “ZX Arms: Jugo Cyborg Ninja!” He quickly brought out the Micro Chain, throwing it at the Broken Vulcan.

Restrained, the Broken Vulcan was unable to defend itself, leaving it open to the attacks. After a long barrage of slashes and physical impact, the Broken Vulcan started to spark and twitch erratically, about to fall over. And then it managed to push and pull on the Force Executor. “Magnetic Dystopia!”

…

Earlier…

Mugi and Buffa got back up, trying to recover from Bujin nearly running them over. “Damn it, Bujin!” shouted Buffa, “That's the second time you made an attack while an ally was in the way!”

Looking through the hole and seeing that the infiltration team was under attack as well, he sighed. Removing the Feverslot Buckle and setting it in place again, he pulled the trigger and muttered, “Alright, let’s try again.”

The Feverslot Buckle span for a few second, before landing on Magnum again. Buffa and Mugi stared at the armor as it equipped onto the former, before he silently removed it and inserted it again. “Beat! Hit! Beat!” The Beat Armor appeared and slammed onto Buffa, the Beat Axe materializing in his hands.

“You got Beat!” exclaimed Mugi, “Though a Fever Form would have been great too.” She was about to charge into the warehouse when Buffa held a hand in front of her.

“I’ll set things up first,” he said. Getting into position, he started playing the Beat Axe. It was common gaming knowledge that buffs and debuffs could turn the tides of a fight. ‘And what better debuff,’ he thought, ‘than not being able to fight?’

Kirara and Sakura, who were fighting the Combatmen, were stunned. When an electric guitar began playing heavy metal from somewhere, the Shocker grunts all dropped their weapons and began wildly headbanging. However, from the surprised screeches and panicked looks in their eyes, it was not of their free will. A few unlucky Combatmen even ended up repeatedly headbutting each other until they collapsed to the ground, motionless.

“... What?” Kirara looked around in confusion, baffled by the sight of the Combatmen’s nonconsensual headbanging.

“Let’s just roll with it and deal with them!” Sakura said, turning the shadows into spikes that stabbed the Combatmen.

Kirara froze a group of them so quickly that they practically shattered seconds afterwards. “I feel... stronger,” she noted, looking at her hands in confusion. “Is this because of the music?”

Back outside, Mugi looked up when she heard something, just in time to see the Garren copy flying towards her and Buffa. “Watch ou-” She didn’t get to finish her warning when the copy opened fire, causing her to scream in pain as the bullets hit her and Buffa.

Coughing in pain as he slowly got up, Buffa looked up at the Garren clone, who was flying in the air. “Two can play at that game, asshole,” he growled as he removed the Feverslot and Zombie Buckles, equipping the Command Buckle. “Set. Great. Ready, fight!” He immediately starting hitting the Raising Sword against his knee as fast as he could, trying to charge it as fast as possible.

In a matter of seconds, the Reactor Meter lit up. “Full Charge!” He quickly removed the Cannon Buckle, equipping it on the other side of his Desire Driver. “Twin set.” Activating the Buckle, Buffa braced himself. “Take off complete! Jet & Cannon! Ready, fight!”

Now in Jet Mode, he shot into the air, swiping at the Garren clone in an attempt to take advantage of his sudden speed and mobility boost. However, the Garren clone blocked each strike. Exchanging blows, it became apparent that the clone was superior in aerial combat.

The clone suddenly threw a fireball point blank at Buffa’s chest, sending him back. Regaining his balance, Buffa glared at the clone angrily. “That’s it,” he grumbled, “Time to play dirty.” Shooting up, he made a beeline straight for the Garren clone.

Down below on the ground, Mugi watched the fight. “What can I do to help?” she asked herself.

Seeing Buffa approach, the Garren clone was about to dodge when something in the corner of his vision caught his attention. Turning around, he was instantly forced onto the defensive as he dodged and blocked Wizard’s bullets. However, this served as a good enough distraction that he was unable to stop Buffa.

Buffa locked his legs around the clone’s waist, hitting the top of his Desire Driver and rotating it. “Revolve On!” Tightening his grip now that he was in Cannon Mode and the Garren clone was right in the line of fire, he activated the Toron Cannons, firing as many shots as he could.

The two slammed into the ground as Buffa continued blasting the Garren clone point blank, preventing him from Rouzing the Rock Tortoise card to defend himself. Finally managing to pull himself away, the clone got back up with noticeable damage to his armor. Mugi rushed in for an attack, but he blocked her kick and sent her back into a wall, Rouzing another card. “Scope!” With his aim enhanced by Scope Bat, the Garren clone began to throw fireballs and wind blasts at Buffa while firing precise bullets at Wizard who had to quickly move out of the way.

Getting back up, Wizard grumbled, “At least it kept him busy enough for Buffa to shoot him.” He quickly scanned another ring. “Bind, Please!” Superheated metal chains lashed out and wrapped around the Garren clone, pulling taunt and immobilizing him. “Got him!”

Buffa quickly removed the Command Twin Buckles, then put the Zombie Buckle on the right side once more, activating it. "Set! Zombie!" Charing forth, he slid the Deadly Pump all the way, rearing his arm back. "Poison Charge!" Once he got close, he activated the Zombie Buckle once more before kicking the Garren clone onto his back and bringing his weapon down on his neck. "Zombie Strike!" For good measure, he gripped the clone's head tightly with the Berserclaw and pulled up, aiming to deal as much damage as possible.

Immobilized, overwhelmed with attacks, and injected full of poi-zom, the Garren clone was left severely damaged and barely able to resist. But as if it wasn’t enough, a hail of bullets from where the others were fighting pierced the clone, riddling it with holes. The clone’s remains swayed in place before falling to the ground, exploding a few seconds later.

However, that wasn’t all; Buffa had been hit by the bullets as well.

Notes:

I promise, next chapter is the end of the warehouse raid. As for a hint to what happened at the end there: friendly fire. Yep, that’s the only context you’re getting.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 22: The Raid Part 3

Notes:

Welcome to the Shocker warehouse raid finale. I knew that since I work full-time now, I’d have less time to work on my projects. But I didn’t expect to have so much trouble with this chapter. Spending over a month staring at the document was not something I liked doing.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

“Magnetic Dystopia!” A wolf’s howl was heard as a wave of energy pushed the Riders away from the Broken Vulcan, freeing it from the Micro Chain. It punched the ground, creating a massive crater and causing a tremor to knock Tycoon and Vulcan back. Bujin was sent flying with his Micro Chain, crashing into the ground a bit farther than the others.

“No me sorprende…” Vulcan groaned as he pushed himself back up again. Helping Tycoon stand as well, he watched the Broken Vulcan crackle with energy from the damage. “¿Algun plan?” Blinking, he shook his head and switched back to Japanese. “Have any plans? He looks unstable, and Assault Wolf is a very unsafe form.”

“Yeah,” nodded Tycoon in determination. Around him, his clones remained in position. “Let’s finish this. Hit it with a double finisher. It’s already damaged enough. Just a little more, and it should be destroyed.” Without wasting time, he and his clones spun their Ninja Duelers, though this time something unexpected happened.

“Round One, Two Three! Fever!” Each group of clones started channeling a different element. The first called forth blazing fire, the second summoned surging waves, the third materialized solid earth, and the fourth conjured roaring winds.

“Bujin, watch out! Asuka, come out!” called Tycoon. In perfect coordination, he and his clones charged forward, attacking Broken Vulcan from four different directions. Each strike carried the force of its respective element, with the goal of overwhelming the enemy with a devastating combination of fire, water, earth, and wind, unleashing an unstoppable assault with the sole purpose of ending it once and for all. “Tactical Finish!”

Watching Tycoon attack, Vulcan chuckled silently. “I have a very dumb idea…” He looked at the Attache Calibur and removed the Berotha Zetsumerisekey. Next, he took out the Rising Hopper Progrisekey and activated it. “Jump!” He thought, ‘Aruto, lend me your power and resolve. If we can win and gain Assault Wolf, we’ll be a step closer to saving Kouta and Jin!’

Vulcan swapped out Shooting Wolf with Rising Hopper, flipping the Key Connector open. “Authorize! Kamen Rider!” Instead of taking out the Shotriser, he simply pulled the trigger and let the bullet hit him in his chest right over his heart. “Shotrise! Rising Hopper! A jump to the sky turns to a Rider Kick.” His armor reconfigured, gaining neon green grasshopper-like armor with red lines. “Let’s do this.”

Staring in disbelief when Broken Vulcan broke free, Bujin quickly snapped back to attention when Vulcan and Tycoon prepared themselves. He quickly removed the ZX Lockseed, taking another one out instead. “Budou!” He inserted the Lockseed into his Driver, cutting it open. “Budou Arms: Ryu, Hou, Ha Ha Ha!” Rushing forth, he immediately began firing upon Broken Vulcan.

However, Broken Vulcan blocked the shots and dodged Vulcan’s slashes, only for the latter to jump out of the way to reveal that he had been blocking Broken Vulcan’s line of sight to Tycoon’s finisher, which landed and caused a large explosion.

From the cloud of dust, the ominous red light of the Orbital Binder shined for a moment and a heavy wind blew through, clearing the cloud and revealing Broken Vulcan. Its armor was now more damaged and missing some portions, including the forearm guns. Some parts of it were burnt while others were frozen.

Before it could move, Asuka appeared behind it and slashed it with her wind-enhanced arm blades, prompting it to stumble forwards and to try and hit her, but she quickly dodged and landed between Vulcan and Tycoon. "I don't like this fake Wolf-chan,” she said.

“Magnetic Utopia!”

“… And that is probably not good,” she added as crackling energy gathered around Broken Vulcan. It built up in its fist as it rushed forward, the image of a wolf’s head covering its arm.

“Get back!” shouted Vulcan as he inserted the Berotha Zetsumerisekey into the Attache Calibur’s Rise Slot. “P-Progrisekey Confirmed! R-ready to utilize! Zetsumetsu Ability.” Looking at Broken Vulcan, he announced, “There is only one person who can stop you, and that's me!” Rushing forth, he could hear Asuka shouting at his admittedly dumb move. “Berotha Kaban Slash!” Green energy gathered on the Attache Calibur, launching forth as Vulcan swung the blade.

Without hesitation, Tycoon leapt in as well with one goal in mind: intercept Broken Vulcan’s attack before it could land. If he could restrain its arms, he would prevent a direct clash of attacks and, most importantly, give Vulcan’s attack the perfect opportunity to without any interference.

Bujin and Asuka could only stare incredulously as Vulcan and Tycoon charged at Broken Vulcan. "Are you guys Insane!?" Asuka exclaimed as Tycoon managed to grab Broken Vulcan's arms and stop its punch's momentum, allowing Vulcan's Strash to hit directly. Unfortunately, the strike caused the damaged Attache Calibur to crack completely and explode, knocking everyone back into the ground, with the Assault Wolf Progrisekey landing near Vulcan.

Asuka painfully got back up and checked on Tycoon and Vulcan. "Please, tell me you idiots are alive!" She sighed in relief when she heard the groans. And then the sound of something landing around the group was heard. "What the-?!"

Surrounding the group was four Suika Armors that had no one piloting them. "Uh oh... Any plan, guys?" Asuka suddenly remembered Garren mentioning Suika Autonomous Armor Prototypes.

Struggling to get up, Vulcan noticed the Assault Wolf Progrisekey by his side. Looking around, he saw the Suika Armors surrounding the group. ‘Shit…’ Holding the Progrisekey tightly, he thought, ‘I don't have your rage, Fuwa, but I have something similar. Everything that Shocker has done, and everything that this world has done to the people that are trying to protect it… It makes me angry! I don't show it much, but now that I have interacted with them… now that I have seen them alive, and knowing they have gone through so much and the world will put them through worse! Black! Incubus King! I…!’

He took out the Assault Grip and connected to the Progrisekey and pressed the Assault Charger. “Assault Bullet!” Flipping the Key Connecter open, he replaced Rising Hopper with Assault Wolf. “Overrise! Kamen Rider!” Vulcan took aim and fired, the bullet hitting one of the Suika Arms that was about to attack theninto a holographic wolf that charged towards his kneeling form. “Shotrise! Ready, go!” Grabbing the wolf’s head, he crushed the bullet within. As the armor reconfigured around him with sparks and electricity bursting wildly, he felt his body screaming in pain. “Assault Wolf! No chance of surviving.” Slowly standing up, Vulcan glared at the Suika arms, the Orbital Binder glowing red. “RAAAAHH!!!” he roared, raising his arms and firing at them with his forearm guns.

The four Suika Arms were peppered with shots, the bullets shredding through them like paper and leaving them so damaged that they fell over and exploded. "Wolf-chan!" Asuka exclaimed, her eyes widening as Vulcan walks out of the smoke, the Orbital Binder on his chest glowing ominously red. He started heading into the warehouse, stumbling slightly as he made his way in. "W-What the hell is that armor?"

…

It only took Blade a moment to figure it out: he was fighting Isaka, the Peacock Undead. “Oh, come on!” he shouted in frustration. Now that he was in Jack Form, Isaka received a large boost to his physical capabilities and could combine his ranged abilities with his flight.

As Garren tried to tackle Blade, the latter managed to narrowly dodge in time and scan a card. “Blizzard!” Angling his sword, Blade targeted Garren’s wings, aiming to freeze them. ‘Only 1800 AP left,’ he thought.

Garren’s wings were suddenly coated in ice... only for him to instantly melt them afterwards and wave his hand, sending forth a wave of debris towards Blade. Internally cursing, Blade rushed towards Garren, slicing through the debris as he thrust the Blay Rouzer towards the Peacock Undead’s chest.

Garren attempted to fly out of range once more, but his feet were suddenly frozen to the ground, causing him to take the hit directly. Arriving, Kirara and Sakura landed at Blade’s side. “So the guy is golden and has wings now. Any other surprises we should be ready for, Spade Boy?” asked Sakura.

“It’s Isaka, Mr. Peacock himself. And he already has the damn Rouze Absorber. Not to mention, he's done his own research.” Dodging and deflecting the spikes sent his way, he added, “That’s why he turned into his Jack Form without a Fusion card!”

Taking to the air, Garren looked at the girls. “Ah, the Taimanin. I’d like to thank you. Your unique… existence has helped me greatly in improving my definite Rider system and my other projects.” He took out a card, Rouzing it quickly. “Thief!”

“What the hell does he mean by that?” Kirara exclaimed as she braced herself.

As Thief Chameleon's power was imbued into Garren’s body, he pointed a hand at Blade and the Taimanin. The shadows below them shuddered as they erupted into the shadow spikes that Sakura used in her Ninja Art.

“What?!/Huh?!” the Taimanin exclaimed as they leapt away to avoid being skewered. However, Kirara was too slow to dodge completely, resulting in large gashes on her arms and legs.

“Onisaki-san!” Blade shouted, running over to her before having to dodge yet another fireball. Fortunately, Sakura made it to the girl and pulled her to safety. “Damn it, he’s done his research and copied your abilities!” Shifting his stance, he got ready to protect the Taimanin until he saw Vulcan approaching.

Panting, Vulcan grimaced in pain as electricity coursed through his body thanks to the armor. ‘So this is what Fuwa was going through whenever he fought in this form…’ he though as he came to the sight of Wizard and Buffa teaming up on Garren. Turning around, he saw another Garren fighting Blade, while Sakura knelt on the ground holding… Kirara?!

Urgently, he forced himself to run, ignoring his body’s screams of protest. Stopping in front of Sakura and Kirara, Vulcan turned around to aim at the Garren that was fighting Blade. “Who the hell is this guy?!” he shouted, pulling the trigger. Unbeknownst to him, his shots would continue to proceed to hit the Garren outside, as well as Buffa.

“It’s Isaka!” replied Blade, blocking attacks as he tried to look for an opening. “He has the Rouze Absorber,” he repeated, quickly dodging a slash before being forced to block again.

Tycoon, Bujin, and Asuka made their way back to the group, seeing the clash. “Alrigt, I guess that’s good. Let’s go inside, the battle is still raging,” groaned Tycoon as he pulled himself out of Bujin’s grip and tried to walk by himself. His body felt heavy, and he knew that once the adrenaline wore off, he would be in severe pain.

“It can't be,” gasped Bujin as he saw Vulcan. “That form... It's... it's…” He immediately turned to Asuka and Tycoon, shrugging as his nervousness was replaced by nonchalance. “No idea, honestly. I think Shijima-san can provide more details. But from the looks of things, I can only guess that's supposed to be Vulcan's Super Form. Not final form, mind you.”

Wizard suddenly entered the warehouse through the hole, using Bind on Garren and holding him in place, letting Vulcan’s shots finally hit their target. Garren slammed into the ground as the chains broke. Two cards flew away from him, one landing close to Sakura and Kirara and the other flying towards Blade.

When Blade caught it, he saw that it was the Shuffle Centipede card. Meanwhile, Sakura grabbed the other card and saw that it was the Absorb Capricorn card.

“"Y-you!" Garren got back up, his armor damaged. A large screen behind him lit up, showing Kamen Rider ZAIA and Fifteen on it.

"Ah... Mister Isaka. You seem to have found yourself in a... predicament," ZAIA drawled.

“S-send reinforcements, now!” Garren shouted.

Shaking his head in disappointment, ZAIA replied, “Mister Isaka. You must understand, your research is very valuable and will assist us very much. But your plans are... limited. Your goals, your objectives... there is no further profit to be made from them.” As ZAIA spoke, Fifteen observed the room, his gaze stopping as his eyes landed upon Sakura and Kirara.

Sakura pulled Kirara closer to herself as she glared at Fifteen on the screen. “Why does he feel… wrong?” she muttered to herself as she did her best to tend to the ice wielder’s wounds. Kirara weakly opened her eyes, her sight blurring as she gazed at Vulcan’s back as he stood protectively in front of her.

Wizard observed, “So, based on your focus on profit, I'm going to assume you're involved with ZAIA. The mysterious CEO, perhaps?” Without waiting for a response, he continued, “Good to have confirmation you have, in fact, thrown your lot in with Shocker.” He quickly held up his WizarSwordGun and fired a burst that shattered the monitor, then turned to Garren to try to force the Sleep ring on his finger.

Having the same idea, Vulcan moved to help the magic-themed Rider, but fell to a knee. “Blade,” he groaned, “Use it!” He didn’t want to risk Isaka getting desperate. After all, it was what led to Fukasawa Sayoko getting killed.

Nodding, Blade Rouzed the Shuffle Centipede card, alongside the Evolution Paradoxa card. “Evolution! Shuffle!” He sighed in relief as his AP gauge replenished back to 5,000. In addition, his cards were back. “Time to finish this!” He charged towards Garren, aiming to assist in Vulcan’s place. Behind him, Bujin raised his Budou Ryuhou, ready to attack if Garren managed to recover.

Tycoon rushed to Vulcan’s side. “What’s wrong?” he asked, observing his teammate closely. He knew that Vulcan was more resilient than he was, meaning that something wasn’t adding up. Gripping his Ninja Dueler tightly, he stayed on high alert. He couldn’t afford to lower his guard, since he had to defend Vulan, Kirara, and Sakura from any attacks headed their way.

…

Buffa groaned as he sat back up, recovering from getting shot by the bullets. “Good thing they didn’t do any damage,” he mumbled as he slowly got back to his feet. “Bad news, it still hurts like hell.” Looking towards the others, he saw them ganging up on Garren. “Alright,” he said. “Let’s try this again.” He removed the Zombie Buckle and equipped the Feverslot Buckle, activating it. “Set! Fever!” After a few seconds, it announced, “Monster! Hit! Monster!”

Running forth, he thrust his right hand out, activating the Feverslot Buckle again with his left hand. The arm extended, growing in size until a giant right hand shot towards Garren, intent on pinning him down with a finger.

However, Garren recovered in time, escaping from Wizard’s grip and shooting him point blank. Watching the magic-themed Rider slam into nearby consoles, he growled, “Damn you…!” He glared at the others, specifically Blade, but was forced onto the defensive when Buffa’s hand approached. Rolling forward, he dodged the appendage, conveniently dodging Bujin’s shots as well.

As he got back up, Garren quickly Rouzed two cards. “Drop! Fire! Burning Smash!” Blue holographic images of Fire Fly and Dropp Whale entered his body as he jumped to angle himself into a kick, heading towards the group.

Seeing Vulcan weakly move in front of the Taimanin, Wizard frowned. ‘This is bad,’ he thought. While none of their group was out of the fight, they weren’t doing well either. ‘Bind isn’t going to do much but slow Garren down, and he’s performing a finisher. I’m not in any condition to… wait.’

An idea forming in his mind, Wizard scanned a ring. “Hurricane, Please! Fu Fu, Fu Fu Fu Fu!” Wrapping the wind around Garren, Wizard discreetly shifted the Peacock Undead’s trajectory by a small amount. “And to keep him busy…” He scanned the Bind Ring. “Bind, Please!” The chains snaked through the air, this time moving much faster than before.

At thet same time, Blade gulped. ‘Time to make one of the most dangerous decisions in my life,’ he thought. Standing firm, he scanned three cards. “Kick! Blizzard! Mach! Blizzard Sonic!” The holographic images entered his body, and he slammed the Blay Rouzer on the ground.

Closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, he charged towards Garren as he screamed at the top of his lungs. “HAAAAAAAA!” Jumping into the air, he moved to counter Garren’s attack with a kick of his own.

“This team is full of suicidals,” Tycoon sighed under his breath. Bracing himself for the inevitable, he summoned several clones that strategically positioned themselves in front of the remaining members of the group. If his suspicions were correct, there would be a massive explosion, and the clones could serve as a barrier to absorb part of the impact.

Mugi, who had just reached the warehouse, stiffened in shock. “Find cover!” she shouted, quickly diving behind a console. The others quickly followed her example, flipping tables over for makeshift barriers.

Blade and Garren clashed, straining as they fought to overpower each other. However, due to Wizard’s sabotage, Garren’s attack faltered and was overtaken by Blade’s. A massive explosion erupted as the attack slammed into the Peacock Undead. A few seconds later, Blade dropped to the ground. Behind him, the Rouze Absorber fell to the floor, shortly followed by the Fusion Peacock card.

Panting as he finally reunited with the others, Buffa groaned, “Anyone manage to grab Shocker's stuff and remove the teleportation devices disguised as small metal nubs? We should do that quickly before Shocker starts taking their things back.”

Leaping out of cover, Asuka quickly ran to the Rouze Absorber and turned it over. Quickly finding the device Buffa was talking about, she removed it and crushed it under her foot. “Yes!” she panted, feeling the adrenaline wear off. Walking up to Blade, she handed the Rouze Absorber over to him. “Here you go. You looked really cool there... Spade-chan.”

“Thanks,” Blade softly replied. Looking to the others, he said, “Unfortunately, we can’t rest here. We made a huge mess and I wouldn’t be surprised if reinforcements are coming.”

“Tell me about it,” Wizard snorted. “Based on the fact there was a fight in here, I assume that the stealth part of the plan didn’t exactly pan out.”

Panting as he lifted Kirara in a princess carry, Vulcan wheezed, “Yeah… I think it had to do with… Bujin making a hole in the wall...”

"Figures,” sighed Sakura. “Come on, we should get Kirara-chan to safety to better deal with her injuries." She tried to get up, but realized one of the spikes did manage to hit her. “Never thought I would get hit by my own attacks,” she mumbled. Seeing Vulcan carefully pick up Kirara in his arms, she asked, “Wolf Boy, you okay?”

Vulcan stumbled for a second then nodded. Kirara tries to complain but she was cut off. “Sorry, but we need to get to someplace safe, so please endure it.”

Grabbing fallen Combatmen’s weapons and whatever equipment he could find, Buffa said, “We should also try to confiscate or destroy what we can to make sure Shocker gets minimal return if they try to salvage from this place.” Tossing them into a large bag that also contained the remains of the Sengoku Drivers, he added, “Do what you want with their weapons, but make sure they can't get their tech back.”

Glad that his clones survived, Tycoon ordered two to help Vulcan and Kirara, while the rest aided Buffa and Mugi in salvaging whatever they could. Turning to the wolf-themed Rider, he ordered, “Don’t think about complaining. A few seconds ago, you could barely breathe from the pain. Besides, it looks like you're about to pass out at any moment, and if you do, you'll drag Onisaki-san down with you and make her injuries worse.”

The group got to work, clearing out the base and taking whatever they could find. Asuka managed to access a still-working console and obtain what seemed to be a list of smaller bases scattered across Tokyo and Tokyo Kingdom, as well as information of some deals and activity being done in other places like Yomihara. Smiling proudly, she stored the information to a hard drive and destroyed the console to erase any evidence of her discovery.

One of Tycoon’s clones found a strange gourd-like item. Taking it just in case, nobody was aware that it reacted to the Ninja Buckle, and once more when it got close to the Taimanin.

With the looting done, the group quickly exited the warehouse, but not before Mugi grabbed Isaka’s card. With help from Tycoon, Vulcan aimed at the warehouse and fired a barrage of micromissiles, causing a massive explosion and completely destroying the base.

Finally returning to the apartment, everyone assessed their injuries. “Alright,” said Sakura, “we need to treat our wounds and-” She was cut off as Vulcan collapsed to the floor, armor dissipating as he coughed up blood.

Notes:

For the love of everything out there, please don’t let creative block strike again and make it take forever to find a way to switch it from RP format to story format.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 23: The Roast of Kazama Naoto

Notes:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin

“Naoto-san!/Nao-chan!” Mugi and Asuka rushed to Naoto’s fallen form, kneeling at his side.

Looking to Tycoon, Wizard asked, “You still have that communicator Asagi sent us, right? Do you think she could get a healer here in time?”

Tycoon walked a small distance away from the others. Pulling out the communicator, he reported, “Asagi-san, this is Tycoon. We need urgent medical assistance, please send someone with medical expertise immediately.” He left the room, continuing his report to Asagi.

Gingerly holding a hand to his aching sides, Buffa wheezed, “Ice him.” Breathing slowly, he continued, “Lessen the blood flow to decrease his pain and limit the damage...” Looking to the bag of Shocker equipment he was carrying, which included the broken Sengoku Drivers, he finished, “We can figure out what to do with these later. Can't let Shocker fix or recycle them for more things.”

Kirara carefully knelt next to Naoto and started using her Ice on him, causing his body to cool down and shiver slightly. "This is the second time you got this hurt. Idiot…”

“I need answers, now,” demanded Sakura.

Mugi gulped, slightly sweating at the older Taimanin’s expression. Taking a deep breath, she shakily explained, “A-Assault Wolf is Vulcan’s upgrade form. It makes him stronger, but... it also hurts him because it lacks safety systems.” Hearing this, the rest of the Taimanin gasped in shock.

“Are you insane?!” Kirara and Asuka shouted at Naoto, causing him to flinch.

“Who would even make that?!” exclaimed Sakura.

“An AI that wanted to kill all humans because it was shown humanity’s crimes and evils,” Mugi meekly replied.

“What the hell happened?” asked Chalice as he and Spirit entered the garage, cutting off the conversation as he immediately moved to help the injured get into the building.

“What was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission on the Shocker base turned into an ambush by one of the higher ups,” explained Wizard, “and they used the opportunity to test some of their prototype weapons.” Taking a deep breath, he continued, “Thankfully, we destroyed all the prototypes and incapacitated the aforementioned higher up. We also confiscated a strategic resource or two of theirs.”

“The higher up was another one of the Royal Club undead called Isaka,” explained Blade. “He was helping Arkland and Shocker with research on all of us, including the Taimanin.”

Groaning as Chalice laid him on the couch, Naoto wheezed. “Yeah, avoid anything from ZAIA… Their CEO is working with Shocker. Arkland’s an asshole…” Taking a shaky breath, he finished, “But I managed to get my Upgrade Form, so that's good…” He faintly felt Asuka and Kirara looking at him with incredulous expressions, now that they knew the effects of using Assault Wolf.

Mugi suddenly shot up in surprise. “Ah, here!” She quickly took out Isaka’s card and handed it over to Ethan. “I forgot to give this to you!”

Seeing the card, Chalice burst into laughter. “Oh, that is perfect for that asshole!” he joyfully snorted.

“They have Jyamato too,” interrupted Buffa, turning the conversation back to the warehouse. “Meaning that they're likely working with Archimedel, the scientist who cultivated them from mindless beings into sentient monsters. That means you'll have to look into grave robberies or missing persons, especially Taimanin or other strong people.” Taking a deep breath and wincing at the pain, he shakily explained, "That's because if a corpse or something with a sufficient amount of DNA is used as fertilizer for a Jyamato plant, the plant creates Jyamato that have the memories and appearance of the original being.”

Gesturing to Sakura, Asuka, Kirara, and Mugi to sit down, he summarized, "For example, if one of your deceased loved ones were used as fertilizer for a Jyamato plant, the plant will produce Jyamato that have the appearance, personality, and memories of said loved one. The Jyamato will either be aware they simply carry those traits and use it as a weapon against you, or genuinely believe that they are your loved one. Not sure which is worse."

The Taimanin were silent, taking in the information. “A loved one…” Sakura muttered to herself, closing her eyes and thinking of a certain person before she shook her head resolutely. “No, he’s gone. It would be wrong and painful, especially for Big Sis. Even if it has the memories and personality, it would still be a fake.”

Kirara silently clenched her uninjured arm’s fist. Remembering the Jyamar Garden, her mind started painting a scene.

A plant-like creature dropped from the tree, twisting and writhing as its body contorted and shifted. Getting up, it changed until it took on the form of her mother. Getting up, the monster looked at Kirara. Morphing its face into a loving expression, it reached out to the Taimanin. “I’m back, sweetie,” it said. “Mama won’t leave you again, I promi -”

The ache in Kirara’s chest was overtaken by an icy fury that spread through her veins. Her power leaked out of her body, causing a cold mist to emanate from her. ‘I won’t let them make a mockery of her memory,’ she internally swore.

Asuka, on the other hand, was lost in thought. Her mind replaying memories of the past, she whispered, “They could come back? … She could come back?”

Knowing where the wind Taimanin’s mind was going, Wizard quickly interjected, “It won’t work, Koukawa-san.” He didn’t want to crush her hope, but it needed to be done. “Not only are the odds extremely against the personality of the person used as fertilizer taking over, it's still a monster underneath it all, prone to fits of violence and most likely incapable of affection and trust.”

“Jyamato are complicated,” grunted Naoto as he tried to deal with the cold aura coming from Kirara. “The only time I saw one become a full copy of someone was when it directly devoured that person. The ones that use fertilizer only gain the memories and personality, but are more aggressive and vicious.” Trying to shift into a more comfortable position, he continued, “If you actually knew the person, you would start to notice the discrepancies and it will not stop feeling wrong.”

“There's a reason why I brought it up,” admitted Buffa. “It isn't just one copy that gets made from the person who was turned into fertilizer.” Taking a deep breath, he explained, “Think of it like this: Shocker uses the corpses or skeletons of Super Taimanin A and Ultra Demon B as fertilizer for a Jyamar Garden. As long as the garden stays intact, Shocker will have an endless army of Jyamato that have the abilities of Super Taimanin A and Ultra Demon B along with the memories and knowledge to use said abilities.”

Sighing, Blade said, “I know what some of you are thinking, and I completely get it. But it won't be them. They're not the real version of the people you know. And some would try to manipulate you from the start. Plus, Shocker wouldn't hesitate to use them to their advantage.”

Storming back into the room, having finished his report, Tycoon glared at Naoto. Stomping towards the short Rider, he momentarily paused when his clones got in the way. “Move!” he growled, but they didn’t budge, causing him to get angrier. “What the hell is wrong with you?! What the fuck were you thinking?!” he roared, trying to get to Naoto, but his clones held their ground. “Putting on that damn thing when you knew it could kill you! For what?!”

His fists trembling with rage, he took a deep breath. “This isn’t the fucking first time you’ve acted like a suicidal idiot! I knew you’d pull this stupid self-sacrificing hero complex bullshit – you even warned us on Discord – but I thought in real life, you’d have at least a shred of common sense! Have you ever stopped to think about what would happen if you actually died?” he spat. “If one day, there’s no miracle, no last-minute rescue? Do you think everything would just work itself out? No, dumbass! All you’d do is leave behind an even bigger mess! You’d screw over the people who actually care about you – the ones who really need you!”

Leaning forwards to look Naoto in the eyes, Tycoon continued, “There are ways to save the day without destroying yourself in the process, but you… you never see it that way. Because in your fucked-up head, there’s only one option – to burn yourself to ashes for others, like your life means nothing!”

Pointing with a shaky finger, he said, “Guess what, idiot? If you die one day, all you’ll do is leave us broken.” Taking a deep breath, he felt the weight of every word as he forced them out. “Listen to me, because I’m only going to say this once and without sugarcoating it. If you keep going down this path, it won’t be the armor that kills you. It’ll be you! And when that day comes, don’t expect anyone to call you a hero, because all you’ll have done is fuck us all over!”

Tycoon didn’t wait for a response. He turned around and stormed away, heading to his room. If he stayed even a second longer, he didn’t know what he would do.

“I… I never heard him that angry,” Sakura said. Looking at Naoto with a serious expression, she pressed, “You knew? You knew the risks of using that thing and you still did it?”

Asuka, who had snapped out of her memories because of the Riders’ words, could only look at Naoto in shock, remembering how he didn’t even hesitate to transform into that armor. “Nao-chan… I know that we were in a bad spot but…”

Kirara’s cold rage intensified. “… Idiot. You are a complete suicidal moron. What is wrong with you?! Do you do this often? When I first met you, you just took off your armor and told me your name like nothing! Everyone told you it was a bad idea yet you did it and you were even injured at that time! Are you just a suicidal idiot that has no brain?!”

“Tch… I ain’t good with this stuff,” muttered Chalice. Likewise, Spirit and Mugi kept silent, glancing at Naoto then in the direction Tycoon went.

Sighing, Wizard bluntly said, “On top of everything Jeuri just said, you're also a hypocrite. You encouraged me to stay alive during my Phantom's awakening because I had people counting on me – and you didn't think that would apply to yourself? I'm not sure if that’s arrogance or delusion.”

Naoto was silent for a moment. “I can't say if it's arrogance. Never really have been one for pride,” he said. Looking to the Taimanin, he answered, “And yeah, I knew about Assault Wolf's consequences, but we were surrounded by four Suika mechs and I had the Assault Grip and the Progrisekey in my hands... so I just reacted as fast as I could to save everyone.”

Buffa couldn’t help but snort. “Looks like we all have shitty ways of coping,” he sardonically commented. “I knew the topic of bad coping mechanisms was going to come up sooner or later, but I'm pretty sure the combination of hero syndrome and martyr complex got us all beat. And that is going to be a challenge to deal with.”

Bujin couldn’t help but add, “Listen, we all know that part of being a Kamen Rider is being willing to sacrifice yourself. But another part of being a Kamen Rider is to rely on your comrades. Me, Tycoon, and Asuka were there with you when the Suika mechas appeared. You didn't have to deal with them alone. You got people who care about you and want to help whenever they can. What's the point of being part of a group if you believe you need to handle everything yourself?”

Blade silently looked at the floor, realizing that he had been going into the same self-sacrificial mindset as well. He wanted to chalk it up to what was happening at the moment, but Wizard and Tycoon’s words had him thinking. Had he been deluding himself when he confronted Isaka? ‘I’m alive now, but if I tried that again, there's a chance it's game over for me.’ If he died, his friends and family would never know, and his fellow Riders and the Taimanin would have to deal with the death of someone close to them.

While he didn’t hold anything against Naoto, he was now even more concerned. And while they were still alive, the thought of losing even one member of their group was something he didn’t want to think about. And now that the fight was over, all he wanted to do was crash on his bed.

Sakura sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you, Nao…” Shaking her head, she continued, “I think Kirara-chan and the rest already said everything that was needed to be said.” Heading toward the exit, she looked back at Asuka. “Asuka-chan, you and I are the less injured ones. We will meet whoever Big Sis is sending to heal Kirara-chan and Nao.”

“Fine…” Asuka muttered as she got up and moved to the door.

“Oh, and before I forget,” Sakura quickly added, taking the Thousand Jacker and a small purple magic stone out of her shadow. “I grabbed these before the fight broke out.” With that, she and Asuka left.

Trying to change the subject, Blade interjected, “I’m glad we were able to secure some nifty stuff out of the warehouse.” Even if he was a bit disappointed there wasn’t anything else for him, he was glad that he now had the Rouze Absorber. The hard part was getting the necessary cards.

Picking up the purple stone, Wizard mused, “Hmm, a magic stone… Well, I guess that confirms that the Phantoms are working with them, at least somewhat. Is it Sorcerer or Wiseman they answer to, I wonder...” Shaking his head, he added, “Well, either way, I'm not looking forwards to that fight. I'd best get this to Golem and see what he thinks of it.”

Trying to turn his head and look at the Thousand Jacker, Naoto groaned, “Lose a sword, gain a sword, huh? The Attache Calibur blew up in my hands...alongside the Zetsumerisekey.” Sighing, he continued, “But Rampage Gatling would be great since it's Vulcan's Final Form and is versatile with the Rampages.” Painfully taking out his four Progrisekeys, he explained, “I already have four of the ten, but I still need the data of the others to even begin to get that ready.” Groaning, he went back to laying on the couch, but he caught a glimpse of the gourd that one of Tycoon’s clones dropped. “Wait, isn’t that a… Houtan from Kamen Rider Shinobi?”

Buffa stared at the gourd. “So you’re telling me…” he began, “that not only did we take the stuff their Riders had, we even made off with the gourd that stores the Shinobidriver?”

“All in all, it seems that we managed to gather some decent stuff,” summarized Bujin, “though I can't help but wonder why Shocker is getting involved with a transformation item from Shinobi. Hopefully there aren't more like these elsewhere.” Yawning, he muttered, “Anyways, I’m beat. Going to my room.” He shuffled off, not undoing his transformation until he got back to his bedroom.

Chalice huffed. “I’m gonna go pin Douchebag Peacock's card to a wall, maybe use it as target practice.” With that, he left.

Watching silently, Spirit sighed. “I will make sure he doesn't do anything drastic that might scare our newest guest or member,” he said. He quickly followed after Chalice, careful to not lose sight of him.

Poking at the Hyoutan, Mugi observed, “It’s blank. It doesn’t even have Shinobi’s symbol.” Suddenly, the gourd glowed for a moment. “Whoa!”

“Why did that thing glow?” Kirara asked, glancing at it from the corner of her eye.

“Who knows?” responded Wizard. “My expertise is magic, not... whatever that is.” He shrugged as he left the room to give the purple magic stone to Golem, checking it over to ensure that it didn’t have anything on it that shouldn’t have been there.

“I dunno,” sighed Naoto as he watched Wizard leave. “That thing is a Hyoutan from Kamen Rider Shinobi, which as his name suggests, is the most ninja Rider of them all. It’s supposed to hold some mystic ninja liquid that turns into the Driver, but it should have the symbol and color of the Rider it belongs. This one is blank.” After a moment, he added, “As for why it glowed, well… Maybe it reacted to Mugi being a ninja? What do you think, Ethan? I mean, Rider stuff reacts in weird ways at times.”

Looking at the Hyoutan, Blade wondered, “While I haven’t watched Shinobi, maybe it did. To be honest, there's a lot of ninjas here after all so it could be anyone.”

Buffa admitted, “I honestly feel a little sorry for whoever ends up getting chosen as its user. I mean, yeah, some of the Rider transformations can seem counterproductive, like Fourze’s countdown, but the Shinobi Riders literally do a dance or kata for their transformation.”

“They dance to transform?” Kirara gaped in belief. “Are you kidding me? Why are you masked beasts so weird?”

“Small correction, Shinobi Riders don't need to do the dance to transform,” corrected Naoto. “Rentaro once transformed while falling from the sky. The ones who need to dance before transforming are the Kyoryugers from Super Sentai. Twokaizer too.” He did his best to ignore the disbelieving stare Kirara sent him, instead watching Mugi play around with the Hyoutan and Thousand Jacker.

An idea popped into Blade’s head. You know, since we found it at the warehouse, I have a feeling they were trying to experiment with it. I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted it to work with other Rider equipment.”

“Maybe,” responded Buffa, “but that poses two possibilities. The first is that Shocker somehow created the Shinobidriver despite it being from an alternate timeline. The second is that the Shinobidriver showed up on its own and Shocker was going to experiment on it. Neither are good.”

Perking up as an idea popped into her head, Mugi shoved the Hyoutan into Kirara’s hands. “Onisaki-san, hold it.”

“This is my life now…” Kirara muttered to herself as she watched the Hyoutan glow again. “Surrounded by masked beasts and dealing with weird monsters and madmen that apparently come from a TV Show.” Sparing a moment to glance at Naoto, she prodded his shoulder with a finger, cooling his body down again. “Don’t think to hard about it,” she huffed, “It’s just what I need to do to keep you from idioting yourself to death for now.”

The quintet continued their conversation, bouncing ideas and suggestions off each other. It wasn’t long before Sakura and Asuka returned with a new arrival: a girl with blue hair and purple eyes wearing a toad-themed raincoat and carrying an umbrella.

Looking around the living room, the girl observed the apartment before her eyes settled on the group. Waving, she smiled gently and introduced herself. “Hello, I’m Amanaki Ui. Asagi-sensei sent me to help!”

Notes:

Well, might as well end the chapter here. Not ideal, but better than running on and prolonging the release of this chapter even longer.

About the scene Kirara imagined: she didn’t see the Jyamato or the Jyamato Riders during the raid, so she doesn’t know what they look like. She only knows that they’re plant-based creatures because of the Jyamar Garden.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 24: Alexander Fumbles, Mateo Makes a Friend

Notes:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin.

Asuka and Sakura sat down on the couch, watching as Ui introduced herself to the others as they released their transformations. “Like she said, Big Sis sent her,” explained Sakura. “Don’t worry, she knows what she’s doing.”

“Yes, I’m here to heal Onisaki-san and Vulcan-san,” confirmed Ui. Looking at the others, she asked, “But… who is Vulcan-san?”

Kirara huffed, “He’s an idiot, what’s who he is.”

Arriving back at the living room just in time to hear Ui introduce herself, Wizard answered, “Hello there, Amanaki-san. Vulcan is over there.” He pointed to Naoto. “I’m sorry about the lack of a proper greeting. We're all... rather out of it after the last big fight.”

Groaning, Naoto waved a hand. “Hi, I’m Vulcan. And, well… Onisaki-san isn’t that far off with her description…” he sighed.

“I’m Blade, and we appreciate you coming here,” greeted the resident swordsman.

Putting aside the bags he was holding, Buffa said, “I’m Buffa. Sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances.”

Bujin and Tycoon returned to the living room as well, having finished with their personal time alone. Seeing Ui, Tycoon lightly bowed his head and said, “Welcome.”

Bujin chirped, “Yo, nice to meet you. Quick question, are you going to be opening that umbrella inside here?” He was slightly nervous, as he grew up with certain superstitious beliefs, and bad luck from opening an umbrella indoors was the last thing he wanted to deal with.

Ui waved to the duo. “Hello, I’m Amanaki Ui.” Turning to Naoto and Kirara, she continued, “Come on, then. Let’s heal Onisaki-san and Vulcan-san.”

Before she could raise her umbrella, Sakura stopped her. “Ui-chan, please do it in another room. I don’t feel like getting randomly soaked and we have important equipment here.”

Nodding, Ui helped Naoto and Kirara stand up as she led them out of the living room, followed by Wizard, Buffa, and Tycoon. Asuka got up, placing a device on the table and pressed a button, projecting a holographic map of Tokyo with markers in certain places. “I managed to swipe this from one of the working consoles before everything was blown up,” she explained. “It seems to have the locations of multiple smaller Shocker bases, including several in Tokyo Kingdom.” She continued explaining what she found, with the remaining members of the group listening quietly.

…

Before long, two weeks had passed. During that time, Sakura and Asuka scouted the closer bases along with Garuda, and the Riders would help take down the bases after scouring the location for everything they could. AT the same time, Ui helped heal Jeuri, Naoto, and Ethan after their training sessions with Chalice, who was glad that it let him push the Riders more during training.

Dolores continued to send reports to the Riders, who made sure to keep her assistance a secret from the Taimanin for now. She told them that there were rumors of individuals from Yomihara being approached by members of Shocker, but most of those meetings seemed to have ended in failure. There were also rumors Under Eden being attacked by Fifteen himself, who was said to have attacked the Chaos Arena. All of this was reported to Asagi by Jeuri, who kept her updated with daily reports.

In other news, Fifteen apparently stole a bike. For some explicable reason, he broke into a random auto center and stole a motorcycle. Nobody knew what to make of that.

On a less serious note, the Riders learned that Mugi had a bunch of onesies based on all the Kamen Riders. Every morning, they would see her wearing a different one. While they, Sakura, and Asuka found it cute, Kirara simply rolled her eyes while Ui simply watched in confusion.

In terms of progress on the Riders’ end, Garuda found three more magic stones for Sloan. Unfortunately, they were the only ones left in the area. Meanwhile, another Buckle Egg hatched, giving Jeuri and Alexander the Monster Buckle.

Before the Riders know it, it had been a month since they arrived in the Taimanin world.

Looking over his rings, Sloan thought to himself. His new acquisitions – Big, Dress Up, and Thunder – all had their own potential uses. But how he used them would depend on the situation, and Thunder wasn’t something he could use to its full potential yet.

Naoto entered the living room, distracting him from his thoughts. “Hey Sloan,” greeted the shorter Rider as he tried his hair, having finished a shower after a training session. He waved to Ethan, who was resting on the couch, as well as Alexander, who was checking on the remaining Buckle Eggs.

“Morning, guys.” Sakura entered the living room, stretching as she wore her casual clothes.

Behind her, Mugi yawned as she entered the room as well, wearing a Zero-One onesie. “Morning…”

In contrast, Asuka burst into the room full of energy, dragging Kirara behind her. “Good morning, everyone! Morning, Nao-chan and Ecchan!” Kirara mumbled something incoherently, still barely awake.

“Morning, girls. I see someone’s still taking some time in Rising and Shining today.” Naoto sweatdropped as he saw Kirara, silently glad that she and Asuka were friends sooner than in the usual timeline. Looking to Asuka, he continued, “Morning, Kou-” When she glared at him, he coughed and corrected himself. “Morning, Asuka-san.” He internally cursed his introverted nature and how he couldn’t deal with how Asuka essentially forced him and Ethan to call her by her given name. Snapping out of his thoughts, he finished, “And good morning to you too, Onisaki-san.”

Looking up, Ethan greeted, “Good morning.” Glancing at Mugi’s onesie, he snorted in amusement. “Nice pajamas you got there, Shijima-san.”

Alexander looked up from the Buckle Eggs. “Good morning, girls.” Gently tapping one of the eggs, he commented, “You know, considering that it's been two weeks, I'm surprised that another egg hasn't hatched yet.” He left out how it was mainly because he wanted to see Chalice’s reaction to the next Buckle hatching.

“Well, you got that weird yellow and blue one from the last egg, right?” asked Sakura. “I think you called it Monster? I really need to get around to binging the series your powers come from. I’ve been prioritizing the one that has the stuff from Fruit Boy since we’re dealing with Fifteen and Kazuraba-san.”

“Good… Let them watch Blade and learn the trauma of the bench…” Naoto muttered, only loud enough for Ethan to hear.

Smiling to himself, Ethan thought, ‘Oh, they don’t know what they’re in for…’ He said, “All I’m going to say is, you girls will find Blade to be quite an experience.  I think you'll all have a blast while learning a lot.”

Still sleepy, Mugi finally registered Naoto’s joke. “Hehe, I get it…” she mumbled.

“Well, at least Nao-chan doesn’t have his predecessor’s broken sense of humor,” Asuka quipped.

“I still can’t believe that there’s someone more of a hard-headed idiot than him,” Kirara grumbled.

“Hey, Fuwa isn’t that ba-” Naoto began, only to stop as he silently admitted to himself that Fuwa was that bad.

"Yes, that gorilla is bad. He almost died more times than necessary because he wanted to do things his way." Kirara crossed her arms. “And I'm still not sure about this Jin."

Naoto sighed, “Look, I know Jin doesn't give the best impression, but he is a good person under everything. You will see when you girls watch the rest and when we save him.”

Ethan added, “Fuwa may be stubborn, but that's what makes him Fuwa. But you'll learn more about him in due time. Same thing goes for Jin. His arc really changes.”

“I said it before,” reminded Alexander, “Jin is practically a child. He goes through a lot of development as things go on.”

Kirara mumbled, “Yeah, well… I still don’t know since Hopper Idiot destroyed him.”

Sitting down next to Naoto, Asuka grabbed the Assault Wolf Progrisekey from his pocket. “We have to find some way to fix this thing like Aruto did when he used the Assault Grip for Shining Assault Hopper,” she hummed. Examining the Progrisekey, she continued, “At least we don't have to deal with an Ark or a Metal Cluster situation.”

Wanting to change the subject, Alexander interjected, “We should probably move on from that topic. Let’s focus on what is there instead of what could or might be.”

“Alright,” replied Asuka. “I just want to make sure we deal with Assault Wolf’s issues so that Nao-chan doesn't idiot himself to death with it.”

“Probably,” sighed Naoto. “I don't want to think about dealing with an Ark, and you don't even know how bad it can truly get.”

Shuddering, Ethan nodded in agreement. “Yeah, let’s not jinx things here.”

Taking the initiative, Sloan said, “Well, Garuda and I think we've picked the local area pretty clean. We found three more magic stones in total after the one we took from the Shocker base. This has actually nicely expanded my arsenal – Big, Thunder, Dolphi, and Dress-up.”

Entering the room with a couple trays of food, Jeuri announced, “Breakfast is ready.”

Heading to the table, Sakura said, “Great good as always. You really are an awesome chef, Tanuki Boy.” Winking at Jeuri as she sat down, she blinked as she registered what Sloan said. “Wait… Dress-up Ring? That sounds kinda…”

She was cut off by Mugi, who instantly snapped out of her drowsiness to rush over to the table and sit down. At the same time, Ui came in. “Mariano-san’s food is here!” cheered the healer Taimanin as she sat down.

“I’m glad you like it,” smiled Jeuri as he sat down as well.

“I may have to step and take over for Jeuri soon,” mused Sloan. “I don't deny that he's quite good, and seems to enjoy it, but from a couple of things he's said he's also doing it as his job, and if you do something constantly, you will eventually burn out on it.” Shrugging, he ruefully chucked, “Besides, I don’t want to let my own skills get rusty.”

“I wouldn’t mind letting you take over the kitchen from time to time,” replied Jeuri. “I love cooking for you all, but I’m starting to run out of recipes. Maybe you have some I don’t know about?”

“Well, our cooking styles are from different parts of the world,” assured Sloan, “so we’ve got very different recipes.”

“I see,” hummed Jeuri. “Well, it’ll be interesting to have different recipes to enjoy.”

“You know,” commented Ethan as he ate, “I realized this may as well be our powerup arc, considering I have the Rouse Absorber now. I just hope I can seal the proper Undead soon at least.”

Joining the conversation, Alexander said, “Well, I have the Zombie Buckle now, though I still haven't talked with Jeuri about who should get the Monster Buckle. But other than that, we're doing alright so far. No telling what's in the other eggs though, and we can't rely on the Feverslot or taking away any Buckles that the Jyamato Riders have.”

“I guess it also depends on fighting style,” added Jeuri. “Monster, after all, is built for hand-to-hand combat and brute strength. But other Buckles have different focuses.”

“You guys did say that some Buckles are more synchronized with certain Riders,” wondered Sakura, “Plus, relying on your luck for getting that Fever Form thing you guys mentioned isn’t exactly a solid plan we can use. And we haven't found a lot of overly important things in the raids we have done, but dealing with them does set Shocker back and we stop their business in those areas.”

Turning to Ethan, Asuka inquired, “If I remember right from your explanations, you need to seal the King and Jack of Spades, right? Since that Garren guy had the Queen of Spades.”

Mugi shuddered for a moment at the mention of the King of Spades. “The Caucasus Undead… isn’t a good person to deal with,” she said, biting her lips as she thought of the consequences of King Form.

“Hey, it’s alright,” soothed Ethan. “Maybe I'll have a low fusion rate and things will be fine. But we don't have to worry about that right now. Let's just focus on the present.”

“R-right,” Mugi nodded at Ethan's words. “I just don't want you to go through what Kenzaki did...” She still remembered reading the 300 Years Later novel. She didn’t want Ethan to go through something like that.

“I’m missing context,” Asuka noted as she looked between the two. “I’m also beginning to think that Riders are cursed to have powers that are dangerous to themselves or masochistically painful.”

“It’d explain the idiot and his gorilla of a predecessor,” huffed Kirara.

“Well, most Riders’ powers do come from the same source as their enemies,” explained Naoto. “The concept even has a name: the Cross of Fire. The very first Kamen Rider was literally created by Shocker... and we all know how that ended.”

As everyone was finishing their breakfast, Alexander got up, sighing, “Anyways, I’m heading to the convenience store to buy stuff. Sloan needs more snacks to recharge as Wizard, and I have some coupons. Anyone want me to grab something for them?”

“Hey, Lo!” called Sakura. “Can you get me some ice cream? Thanks!”

Waving a hand to Sakura as he left, Alexander quickly stepped to the side to avoid being ran over by Asuka, who was dragging Naoto behind her. “Glad to know you know traffic rules,” he muttered sarcastically.

Arriving at the convenience store after a short walk, he bought several bags of chips and a few soda packs, along with some powdered donuts for Sloan and ice cream for Sakura. Waiting in the thankfully small line, Alexander looked at the shelves at the counter, checking if there was anything interesting. His eyes lingered on the candy on display, but he shook head. "Maybe another time," he muttered. While it could be a more easily portable source of energy for Sloan, he wanted to get the magician-themed Rider’s input first.

As he finished paying for his things, he noticed a certain half-vampire girl... who was not Felicia. She was entering the convenience store while reading a list. “Let's see... The kids want this and this... Aw man, why did I end up being the one sent to buy stuff?" Shinganji Kurenai lightly groaned while scratching the back of her head.

"Snacks are on the shelves in the back and the candy's at the counter if you're looking for them," Alexander said said, pausing long enough to take a good look at Kurenai. Going on his way, he decided to risk it and give her a small warning. "And be careful. Your sister's been in the area." He quickly left, quickly turning at the street and disappearing into the crowd.

However, it wasn’t long before he got pulled into an alley and shoved against a wall. “Who are you, and how do you know about… her and our relation?” interrogated Kurenai, her eyes narrowing.

‘Well, that was a bust,’ thought Alexander. ‘Improv lessons in high school theater class, don’t fail me now!’ Doing his best to give Kurenai a look of exasperation, he snarked, “Either you don’t pay attention to the news, or you’re looking in the wrong places.” Pulling himself out of her grip, he continued to ad lib. “When you vanished after leaving Gosha, that drew a lot of attention.”

Making his way to leave the alley, he gave a parting message to Kurenai. “Oh, and don’t bother with trying to investigate me. You’d be surprised what you can learn if you go into places like Yomihara and act like you belong.” With that said, he went on his way, deciding to take detours around the city and possibly even a bus or train to shake of Kurenai if she continued to follow him.

Kurenai narrowed her eyes. For a complete stranger to randomly tell her about her sister... Could he be working with her? The fact that he encountered her when she was shopping could also mean that he had been looking for her. "I'm gonna have to tell Ayame about this,” she muttered to herself as she vanished from the alley.

Mulling over Kurenai’s reaction as he walked down the street, Alexander tried to figure out why she responded in such a way. He knew that his approach was probably heavy-handed, but he didn’t expect such a reaction. Taking a few seconds to recall his exact words, he groaned, “… I’m an idiot.” He chose one of the worst ways to phrase his message, and it didn’t help either that he knew Kurenai was canonically socially awkward, increasing the chances that she misunderstood what he was trying to say.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t just go back to apologize, since it would probably make things worse. Looking up into the sky, he saw Garuda up above. “Sloan, I hope you saw that and are on your way to fix things,” he sighed. “You’re the best negotiator of the group, after all.”

…

Having left the apartment complex before the others gathered for breakfast, Mateo drank the last of his water as he sat on a bench in the park, having finished his jog. ‘Jeez, has it already been a month?’ he thought to himself, taking in the view. Taking out his Blood Orange Lockseed, he examined it, wondering why he received the power of a Dark Rider while the others got the powers of heroic Riders. Sighing once more, he put the Lockseed away before noticing someone working on their bike, seemingly trying to fix it.

He couldn’t help but get closer, interested in seeing a regular bike that didn’t belong to a Rider. Walking up to the figure, he waved a hand and said, “Hey there, I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you have a nice-looking bike.”

“Thanks,” said the man. Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, he explained, “The truth is, I recently got it. I’ve wanted one for a long time, and well… I think I got a bit too enthusiastic with it.”

Chuckling in nostalgia, Mateo remembered when he first got his moped. “Yeah, I get ya. I remember when I first got my bike. I was so excited that I actually forgot how to ride it for a second and ended up hitting some trash cans. Haha, thankfully I wasn't hurt that badly.”

The man chuckled. “Well,” he said, “I'm glad you understand me. It feels nice to know I'm not the only one who got overexcited by their new bike. Honestly, my fiancée always told me I was a bit clumsy and lazy.”

“Well, you can’t help but feel overexcited when you get something you've always wanted. I think that's just a common reaction.” Moving to the man’s side, he continued, “A fiancée, huh? Well, I wish you two the best then. And sorry, but I'm kinda finding it hard to believe you're clumsy and lazy. I mean, you seem to know what you're doing with that bike.”

Offering a hand, he said, “By the way, I realized that I never introduced myself. I’m Ross.” He couldn’t afford to give away his real name. Hell, he hadn’t even told any of the Taimanin his name yet. So why not use part of his Discord name instead?

Accepting the handshake, the man chuckled introduced himself. “Same here. You can call me Kyousuke.” Glancing at his bike, he said, “Well, I’m almost done. It was nice meeting you. See you another time, Ross-san.” Watching Mateo leave, he finished fixing his bike before mounting it. Putting on his helmet, he took something out of his pocket and looked at it.

Tightly grasping the Fifteen Lockseed, Kyousuke whispered, “I swear, Asagi. I'm going to deal with everything wrong with our world... and make sure no one resets things ever again.” Putting the Lockseed back in his pocket, he revved his bike’s engine and rode it back onto the road. “I’ll do whatever it takes to fix these constants that our lives are stuck in… and the bad ends that you and Sakura-chan constantly meet.”

Notes:

Didn’t see that coming, did you? Someone long thought dead is taking up the role of Fifteen.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).

Chapter 25: Double Matches

Notes:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kamen Rider or Taimanin.

Naoto sighed. Once again, Asuka dragged him, Ethan, and Kirara into doing whatever she thought of. On one hand, this was hell for his introverted existence. On the other, kicking their asses in the arcade was fun. And then karma came in at the batting center, in the form of a baseball hitting him in the head.

But when they decided to go eat, however, a commotion drew their attention. “Oh, come on!” whined Asuka. “I’m going to kick the butt of whoever’s making that mess.” Next to her, Kirara nodded in agreement as the air around her grew colder.

“Seriously, at this time?!” yelled Ethan in frustration. “Can’t you guys be polite?!”

Leaving the restaurant, they came to the sight of two kaijin. One had the characteristics of a rhino, while the other resembled a scorpion. Their buckles identified them as the Categories Four and Eight of Clubs, the Rhino and Scorpion Undeads.

“Well, these ones are yours, Ecchan. Or are they from another suit of cards?” asked Asuka as people ran away from the danger.

“Category Four and Eight,” answered Naoto. “Be careful with Scorpion. He has a strong poison. It might be worse than Centipede’s, but I’m in no hurry to find out.”

Entering an alley, the group quickly transformed, with Vulcan equipping the Flaming Tiger Progrisekey instead of Shooting Wolf. Looking at the Tiger Gauntlets on his arms, he commented, “This feels… interesting.”

Grinning, Blade charged towards the Undead. “Now then, let’s start earning!”

Following after him, Vulcan punched the Rhino Undead, unleashing a fiery explosion upon impact and causing the Undead to stumble back. Kirara followed up by freezing its legs and immobilizing it, only for Vulcan to use his Tiger Gauntlets to unleash flames, promptly melting the ice.

“Are you serious, you idiot?!” exclaimed Kirara. “I had him trapped and you burn him?!”

Before Vulcan could respond, the Rhino Undead slammed him, sending him through a few walls. Taking a few seconds to recover, he slowly pulled himself out of the rubble, groaning, “Can’t you call me something else?” Taking a quick look around himself, he grunted, “Right then. I’m gonna punch that Rhino twice as hard.” Concentrating the flames’ heat into his claws, he charged towards the Rhino Undead once more, slashing it across the back as it tried to hit Kirara after breaking through her defenses.

The Rhino Undead roared in pain as it was sent flying, the slash marks on its back cauterizing from the heat. Kirara walked around the remaining Ice wall and crossed her arms at Vulcan. She huffed, "Well, what else should I call someone as dumb as you? A perverted dumb wolf that doesn't know when to stop?" The Rhino Undead stood up and stomped the ground, causing it to crack as it charged forth. Kirara tried to make a stronger ice wall, but it was quickly broken through. Vulcan managed to push her out of the way just in time as the Undead crashed into a wall. "W-wha...?" She stared at Vulcan in surprise.

Holding back the urge to respond with a snarky retort, Vulcan sighed, “Look, I don’t mind you calling me an idiot. I just want a bit of variety with the names.” Stretching for a moment, he shrugged and requested, “But maybe use my name or Rider name once in a while?”

Before Kirara could respond, the Rhino Undead got out of the wall and charged at the duo. Thankfully, Vulcan was prepared this time and quickly dodged, punching the Undead in the back of the head. “Because seriously,” continued the Rider, “Idiot is getting old. At least call me some other names!”

Before the Rhino Undead could retaliate, Kirara froze it, giving Vulcan the opportunity to attack again. “What?!” she exclaimed, “That’s what bothers you?! Who gets offended by just being called an idiot and asks to be called different insults?!”

“I do!” retorted Vulcan. “I want at least some variety!” He dodged the Rhino Undead’s attacks before retaliating with a low kick, following up with a few punches and a knee strike.

“You really are the King of Idiots!” exclaimed Kirara, unleashing an icy mist on the Undead, freezing it and giving Vulcan another opportunity to attack.

“I’ll never deny that I’m dumb,” admitted Vulcan, “I’ll sing it from the rooftops if I have to.” Taking advantage of the Rhino Undead’s frozen state, he struck it upon the head with a roundhouse kick. “But if I’m a king, where’s my crown?!” Feeling a weight suddenly land on his head, he reached up only to find a crown made of ice, prompting him to melt it. “Oh, haha…” he snarked. ‘Love you too, Tsundere Queen.’

Grumbling as he took out the Thousand Jacker, Vulcan quipped, “Time to test this… at 1,000%.” Grinning at Kirara’s groan, he took out the Assault Wolf Progrisekey and put it in the Universal Slot. “Assault Bullet! Progrisekey confirmed. Ready to break.”

Preparing himself, Vulcan pulled the Jack Ring. “ThousandRise!” Pointing the Thousand Jacker at the Rhino Undead, he manifested energy wolves that bit the Undead, keeping it in place as he pulled the trigger. “Thousand Break!” The Thousand Jacker was engulfed in dark blue energy as the Rider slashed the weapon, the energy extending the blade to attack the Rhino Undead. “ZAIA Enterprise.”

“…Right,” Vulcan mumbled, miffed. ‘Gai made all his stuff into an advertisement for ZAIA. Ugh…’

Meanwhile, Blade quickly engaged the Scorpion Undead, taking advantage of an opening to land multiple slashes.

Right after, Asuka followed up with her blades, which unfortunately caused only minimal damage. “Oh, come on!” she protested. She tried again, this time imbuing her weapons with her Wind Art. This time, she managed to injure the Undead, drawing green blood. “Yes!” Cheering in victory, Asuka managed to just barely dodge the Scorpion Undead’s stinger.

“Asuka-san, watch out!” Blade stepped forth, deflecting the stinger and giving it a good kick, forcing the Scorpion Undead to focus on him. “Celebrate later when it’s actually sealed, okay?” he snarked as he dodged the stinger, bringing the Blay Rouzer up in an attempt to slice off the appendage. While he failed to cut off the stinger, he did succeed in leaving a deep cut.

“I barely get a chance to cause actual damage to the things you guys fight and I just hurt the ancestor of all Scorpions!” retorted Asuka. “Of course I'm celebrating!” Seeing the damage Blade left, she cut through the rest of the Scorpion Undead’s tail, severing the stinger and kicking it away.

Roaring in pain, the Undead lashed out wildly, failing to hit the duo. “I think it’s angry,” quipped Asuka as she landed at Blade’s side.

“Yeah, no kidding. Let’s try to finish it off together!” Blade roused his Slash card. “Slash!” Readying his weapon, he waited for Asuka to prepare herself as well.

Asuka shot forth, slashing at the Scorpion Undead, leaving small marks that Blade took advantage of to inflict deeper wounds, causing the Undead to roar in pain as green blood spurted out of its wounds.

“Ew,” gagged Asuka as she kicked the Scorpion Undead right on its wound, knocking it back as it stumbled in pain. “I think it’s almost done! Finish it, Ecchan!”

Flashing Asuka a thumbs up, Blade scanned the Kick card. “Kick!” Charging forward, he thought, ‘This time, I’ll do something different. One, two, three…’ Somersaulting high up in the air, he delivered a roundhouse kick to the Scorpion Undead. “RIDER KICK!”

The Scorpion Undead was knocked back into the Rhino Undead, which was reeling from Vulcan’s attack. They were promptly caught in an explosion, which cleared after a few seconds to reveal them both on the ground, defeated with their Buckles open.

“Sorry, but this is why you don’t interrupt a ramen session,” quipped Blade as he quickly sealed both of the Undead. “Huh, that was a lot easier than I expected…”

“Not bad,” smiled Aska as she flicked the blood off her blades. “Be honest, how long did you practice that kick?”

“It took a lot of stretching and about a few days of practice,” admitted Blade. “I figured I could try something new.”

Meanwhile, Kirara huffed, “That was a horrible joke. You’re such a dumb wolf.”

“Finally!” cheered Vulcan. “I don’t regret the joke,” he continued as he rested the Thousand Jacker on his shoulder. “Come on, it was funny.” When Kirara responded by freezing his arm, he quickly melted it with a burst of flames. He chuckled, “You have no power over me while I’m in this form.”

The conversations were interrupted when Blade’s stomach growled. Putting a hand over his stomach, Blade sheepishly asked, “So, um… Can we get back to eating?”

…

Alexander looked up as Sloan, Sakura, and Jeuri approached him on their bikes. “Hey, Lo,” said Sakura as she got off the Boostriker, “So… what did you do to set Kurenai-san off? I thought you two would get along since she can be as awkward as you.”

Bringing the Machinewinger to a halt, Sloan corrected, “Ah, Igawa-san… You do know that the more socially awkward people you put together the more exponentially the chances of a miscommunication arise, yes?”

“Sloan got it right,” groaned Alexander, still annoyed by how badly the miscommunication had gone. “Let's just say that I tried to give her a quick warning to be careful, and it wasn't until after we parted that I realized how badly I phrased it. And Sloan, Jeuri? Yes, it was about that thing we found out a while back.” Lifting a hand to scratch his neck, he discreetly traced an ‘F’ to let them know what he meant.

Sloan and Jeuri immediately understood. “Ach. Well, it could be worse.... probably…” sighed Sloan. “But yeah, this is not great.”

Sighing as well, Jeuri added, “You can only apologize if you see her again…”

Rubbing the back of her head, Sakura sheepishly said, “Well, I guess I had some hope that nothing bad would happen… Seriously, what did you tell her? Did you make some random ominous comment or something?” Sighing, she continued, “I’ll try to contact her when I can and let her know that you’re an ally. It should work unless you did something to make it come across like you’re an enemy beyond the vague warning that came off as a threat.”

“I’ll apologize to her an explain myself if I see her again,” sighed Alexander. “Anything else we need to catch up on? Because I still need to drop this off at home.” Holding up the bag, he added, “And yes, Sakura, I got your ice cream.”

Grinning, Sakura took the bag and stored it within her shadow. “Thanks, Lo! Anyways, Garuda saw Nao and Spade Boy fighting a couple Undeads, so let’s go.”

However, Garuda detected movement and decided to investigate, coming upon the sight of a burgundy-haired woman dashing between alleys as though attempting to escape from something, an arm dangling uselessly at her side. It took only a moment before the information was sent back to Sloan.

Cocking his head, Sloan said, “I’m gonna have to do something nice for Garuda, if I can figure out what. So, renegade Taimanin Oboro in full combat loadout is out in the open and running away. With a disabled arm.” Pointing in the proper direction, he continued, “That way. Currently not more than a few streets over, but she's moving at a good clip, for someone on foot.”

"The question is why she's running and who or what she's running from. We don't know what's going on, so we can't just approach her," Alexander said.

Jeuri was stunned. Oboro, the infamous Oboro, was nearby… injured… vulnerable. While he had many questions about the situation, only one thing occupied his mind: capturing her. Making sure she would never be a threat again and, at the same time, obtaining valuable information about Nomad. “Let’s go after her,” he said, practically jumping onto his bike. It was an opportunity too big to ignore.

Sakura blinked, taking in the information. “You know, I really need to sit one of you down and have you tell me how much you guys know about us or our world, because it gets weird at times.”

"Yeah, well... We're not actually sure how much we do know," Sloan admitted as he got onto the Machinewinger. "Things get scrambled in translation, and there are multiple reported variants. I wasn't sure if Oboro actually was an evil renegade Taimanin until I saw her and she checked all the boxes. Fortunately, the evil versions of her are pretty distinct from the non-evil ones.”

Seeing as how Sloan was ripping off the metaphorical bandaid that they were from a world where Taimanin was fictional,AlexanderI sighed and confessed, “Since we're going there, I'll admit now that the thing I tried to warn Kurenai about was one of those things that people just aren't supposed to easily know. It probably didn't help that I lied that I got that info from Yomihara."

Getting onto the Boostriker behind Jeuri, Sakura suggested, “We can talk about that another time. For now, let’s just follow her from behind and go from there. Might want to warn the others if things get bad.”

“Contact the others while I drive, Igawa-san,” said Jeuri as he started the Boostriker and set off.

It wasn’t long until the group caught sight of Oboro. Although she was moving as fast as she could, they were able to easily keep up thanks to their bikes. The trail ended when Oboro reached a dead end and tried to enter a building only to be blown away by a wave of dark energy slamming in front of her. “Y-you skeletal fuck…!” She spat while clutching her injured arm.

From the cloud of dust, Fifteen emerged, slowly stalking towards Oboro, the Yomimaru’s tip dragging across the floor. “What the fuck do you want from me?!” the rogue Taimanin snarled as she tried to get back up.

“This is… not what I expected,” Sakura mumbled as she quickly sent another message in the group chat. Looking at Sloan, Alexander, and Jeuri, she ordered, “Transform. Now.”

The trio exchanged looks before quickly transforming, the sounds drawing Fifteen’s and Oboro’s attention. “Riders…” Fifteen muttered. “Good, I can get rid of you all at once.” His grip on the Yomimaru tightened.

“What the…?” gaped Oboro. “It’s the other masked assholes!” Her eyes darted towards the Riders before they settled on Sakura. “Well, if it isn’t the little sister.”

Sakura inhaled sharply at Oboro’s words. “Right now, our priority is Fifteen. Oboro could be useful to us if we keep her alive,” she muttered to the Riders. “A part of me would have liked to just… let things happen, but…” She bit her lip.

“Honestly, I’d have preferred to let them take care of each other too,” Wizard admitted quietly. “Let one threat to the innocent eliminate another.” He discreetly directed Garuda to find the others and alert them to the situation. Facing Fifteen as he got into a basic stance, he announced, “I don’t intend to make it easy for you to kill us. Somebody’s got to stand between Shocker and the innocent.”

“You’re not alone,” Buffa muttered in agreement with Wizard and Sakura. “I would’ve let Oboro face her fate, but unfortunately she’s more useful alive than dead.” He mentally prepared himself, knowing it was possible that Fifteen had a Legend Rider Lockseed on him. And while he didn’t know too much, he did know that when Fifteen used Fourze in the show, he had the Barizun Sword, the weapon Fourze's final form used. And given that the Barizun Sword used the power of the universe itself…

Shaking the thought off, Buffa propped the Zombie Breaker on his shoulder and drawled, “Sorry for missing your quinceañera, Fifteen. You see, I’m a fan of not being dead, so how about we take you down instead?”

Jeuri aimed the Raise Arrow directly at Fifteen while summoning a clone that immediately set its sights on Oboro. Even if Fifteen was the bigger threat at the moment, they couldn’t afford to lose track of Oboro. “Honestly, I’d say you should surrender,” he sighed, “but we both know you won’t.” Looking around, he took note of the surroundings. ‘The area isn’t as deserted as I would’ve liked,’ he thought. “It’s too much to ask if we could take this somewhere more secluded… isn’t it?” he probed, not expecting much hope.

Fifteen paused for a moment, tilting his head in thought. “… Very well,” he conceded as he quickly grabbed Oboro by the throat. “This benefits me, so follow.” He raised the Yomimaru and slashed behind him, creating a dark portal. “I wanted to test some things. This makes it easier.”

“Y-you motherfu-” Oboro’s strained voice was cut off as she was thrown through. The portal suddenly grew, expanding to encompass everyone in the alley.

“W-what the-” Sakura covered herself to no avail, the darkness giving way to a familiar sight. “W-wha…? This is…” Looking around, she gasped. “T-the Chaos Arena?” She and the Riders found themselves in the broken remains of what once was the Chaos Arena. Everything was destroyed and crumbling, with Oboro bound to one of the remaining pillars by dark energy.

“Wizard! Wizard Arms! Shabadoobie Showtime!” Fifteen aimed his own copy of the WizarSwordGun at the Riders. “Now then… Shall we?” He opened fire upon the group.

…

Arriving back at the apartment, Kirara and Asuka quickly returned to their rooms to drop off their bags. Meanwhile, Naoto and Ethan were left to face Mugi’s ‘wrath’ on their own. “You guys forgot about me!” she complained.

“Er… In my defense, I was dragged away by Asuka-san,” protested Naoto. He glanced at Ethan, hoping his fellow Rider had something to say.

“We were suddenly dragged out!” agreed Ethan. Putting his hands together, he proposed, “How about this? Next time, we’ll make sure to take everyone with us!” Internally, he prayed that Mugi wouldn’t scold them further.

Entering the room just in time to hear the situation, Mateo looked at the duo. “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” he clicked as he shook his head. “How could you guys? You left poor Mugi here all by herself. I mean, how could you leave such a precious girl behind like that? For shame.” Inwardly, however, he was laughing at the situation.

Asuka and Kirara, who had returned, watched in amusement until they received a message in the group chat. Pulling their phones out, they read the message: ‘Be on alert, we are currently trailing Oboro, who is injured. We might need assistance.’ Seconds later, a second message arrived, this time confirming that Fifteen was attacking Oboro.

“Well, the fight with the Undeads did feel too easy…” sighed Naoto. “Well, Mugi, you’re getting an adventure today. But Taimanins, be careful!” Getting up, he announced, “Time for everyone to go! Fifteen has appeared, so bring your A-game!” He ran to the garage, followed by the others.

“Why is Fifteen targeting Oboro all of a sudden?” asked Ethan as he hopped onto the Blue Spader. “Never mind, time to get back to work!”

Ui joined Mateo, while Asuka went with Ethan and Mugi managed to find Alexander’s Cyclone and insisted on riding it alone. As such, Kirara was left to ride with Naoto, much to her complaints and protests. As they drove out of the garage, the Riders prepared their Drivers in unison, announcing, “Henshin!”

“Shotrise!”

“Turn Up!”

“Blood Orange Arms! Heretic Path on Stage!”

Transformations complete, they continued on their way to help the others. Meanwhile, Mugi found the transformation switch on the Cyclone, and upon activating it, stood up and held her arms out wide, ignoring the confused looks the other Taimanin sent her.

Chalice, who was standing on a rooftop and keeping an eye on the area as he always did, noticed the Riders leave in a hurry and decided to follow. "If they’re moving that fast, then a fight is happening... I'm not missing it," He muttered to himself as he jumped rooftop to rooftop to catch up.

“We need to be ready,” stressed Vulcan. “Fifteen will probably use the Heisei Lockseed to level the playing field against all of us, and he might not be the only one we fight.”

Blade sighed, “Let’s hope he hasn’t learned any new tricks since the last time we saw him.” Everyone had been training harder than ever, but they would still have to be cautious. He didn’t want a repeat of the last time they fought Kouta.

Glancing back at Ui, Bujin asked, “Are you going to be alright joining us in this fight?”

But before he could get a response, Garuda started freaking out, causing everyone to stop in alarm. As if answering the unspoken question, pink feathers floated down to the ground. A moment later, Jin landed in front of the group, a group of Trilobite Magia teleporting into join him.

“Jin and the Magia!” exclaimed Mugi. “What do we do?”

Up above on the rooftops, a man in black armor with red eyes watched silently. “Well then,” he said, “Show me a good fight, Sold 0.” Crossing his arms, Kamen Rider ZAIA prepared himself for the show.

Notes:

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you’re insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).