Chapter Text
This cannot be good! This is a greater calamity than expected because somehow, we had been transported from our own dimension into another one, one which contains several worlds that resemble our own time periods, and yet are completely different from the originals. Regardless, the Chrono Vanguard must be seeking a certain property from these worlds.
Ah, I was getting ahead of myself; my sister Regina and Gia are dealing with the Ex-Aid Bugster in our first Strange World. With its ability to use the infected as its meat shields, our heroine faces her second toughest challenge.
“But that's all meant for the future...” Squira muttered before closing the book and looking towards a blue wand-like object with a red crystal on the bottom and a large golden topper that had two wings and a red crystal on top.
TADDLE CRITICAL FINISH!
Brave swung his sword, striking a horde of Bugsters before he saw the Iceguin Ace-like Dream Eaters manifesting around him.
‘It seems these creatures are not native to the game Emu mentioned.’ He took note while the Dream Eaters began to surround him. As he turned to Squira and Luna, the princess quickly began to focus her magic into her palms.
“Fire!” Luna launched a fireball that quickly homed in on an incoming Iceguin Ace, knocking it back and stunning it long enough for Squira to rush in. The chronicler took out a group of yellow needles with circular grips and charged them with thunder magic. Afterwards, she flung them at the Dream Eater and a couple of it’s companions and shocked them into destruction.
“I see, so you use needles?” Brave asked
“Yes, why are you asking?” Squira answered with a shrug, spinning one of her needles around her finger.
Before either could talk, Lazer arrived to the group through with Ex-Aid and Zi-O hanging on for dear life
“Emu? Lazer-san?” Brave asked.
“Regina?!” Squira gasped.
“Come on, we got to leave! This magical talking bike told us to get on his back!” Zi-O shouted while her sister was left conflicted.
“Miss, I am not a magical talking bike. I am…” Before the talking bike could explain further, the sounds of battle reminded him of where they were. “Fine… You two, get on me! I am sure that Snipe is-”
They soon heard a sound of bullets flying above them, destroying several Bugster mooks and Dream Eaters before the sniper Rider landed in front of the group.
“You called?” Snipe asked while Geiz joined her.
“Yeah, I just hope that Regina and Emu are okay…” Geiz answered before she heard a quiet roaring sound, only to accidentally place her hand on the bike
“Hey, watch where you are standing kid!” Lazer growled before he noticed Geiz and calmed down. “Huh, so you’re the other Precure Emu mentioned?”
“Y-Yeah I…” Geiz blushed, before looking at herself. “I turned myself into a magical girl…”
“Geiz, get on! We need to run, now!” Zi-O said, reminding her partner of the current situation at hand.
“Hold on, was the bike talking earl-” Geiz didn’t get to finish before Snipe grabbed the red Rider Girl by the arm and joined the swordsman Rider as they piled onto the bike.
“Oof! Okay, I think I can handle this!” Lazer said while revving up his tires, “Buckle up, because things are about to get fast!”
As the bike Rider sped off in spite of the load he was carrying, the black wearing figure smiled before he jumped down to the floor. He then knelt down and examined the myriad of fragments that the Dream Eaters left behind.
“Hm… I should check in with Emu. If anyone is going to beat him, it’s not going to be that modded mob or his gimmicks. That removes the fun for everyone.” The figure mused before vanishing in a burst of electricity.
(OP: Massara by Kana Boon)
As the OP begins, Regina is shown first holding onto a crown and smiling. Then Gia appears next as she holds onto a Faizphone X with a frown on her face and Squira holds onto her book reading it. The music picks up as they all hold hands as the Heisei Riders’ logos pass through them.
/After fading into the background and becoming transparent
We cry with fading voices from the corner of town/
Regina is running through the streets with a smile on her face with her hair flowing with the wind. In the background the Zi-O logo forms as a clock moves faster than normal. It cut to Gia walking slowly across a series of ruined buildings as she looks at the Geiz Ridewatch. A teardrop falls on the face as a keyblade manifests on the Ridewatch’s surface.
/Go forward, along with the pain that tore you to shreds
So that you can crawl away from this terrible night/
It cut to Squira on a rooftop with a crescent moon in the background. She flips a page of her book to show Rider Girl Zi-O holding onto her Zikan Girade. It cut to show a blackened outline of a girl falling in the sky as tears come from her eyes as a shield lay on a grassy field.
/How long have I been all alone?
My heart is screaming with the sound of desire/
Regina falls into a dark-red ocean as the Chrono Vanguard begins to emerge. They all sit in seats covered in sand as Regina falls in the background, cycling between the faces of Nue, Viola, and Yamataro as the wolf’s eyes glow. Regina slowly closes her eyes as a hand reaches out to her, touching her shoulder as she opens her eyes.
/If only we could just talk once more, connect once more
I think I’d overflow/
She looks to see Gia holding her as Regina smiles and pulled out the Ziku Driver. Looking to see an army of Heartless and Another Riders in front of her as she pulled out the Ziku Driver. She quickly turned the Zi-O Ridewatch and put it on her Driver and spins it. Causing her to transform into Rider Girl Zi-O as she smiles and summons the Zikan Girade.
/You’re getting farther and farther away
But I keep chasing you
I keep running intently so I may convey/
Rider Girl Zi-O runs at the crowd as she slices up several Soldier Heartless before leaping into the air. She kicks the Build Smash in the face before leaping off the Another Rider and landing on the ground. The Rider Girl switches to BuildArmor as she uses the drill to pierce through a line of Heartless. She turned around to see an energy arrow pierce the Build Smash and Drive Roidmude. From the flames, a shadowy outline of a magical girl is seen with yellow eyes shining.
/These brand new feelings
In the present, past and future/
Rider Girl Zi-O smiles as she switches to Ex-AidArmor and slams several Air Soldiers with the hammers. She then turned to see Yamataro and the Chrono Vanguard with a red sun rising behind them as Squira watches the fight from a distance. The blackened-out girl holding her hand out as if trying to reach Regina.
/I want to be connected with you
To connect my feelings, and what’s deep inside my heart/
Rider Girl Zi-O returned to her base form as she does her Rider Kick. She looks at the trio with a fierce glare and opens her mouth. A flash occurs before the kicks connect, showing Regina smiling with Gia and Squira besides her leaning against a wall. The wall bears the symbols of Zi-O and Geiz as the OP end.
CHAPTER 5: EXCITED GAME 2018
After the group returned to Emu’s apartment, Zi-O, Ex-Aid, Brave, Snipe, and Squira gently got off the bike while Geiz and Luna stumbled off to catch their breaths. They then cancelled out their transformations and soon breathed a sigh of relief.
“Okay first off… Who the heck is this guy…? Bike… I dunno.” Regina asked as she put a hand on the side of the talking bike.
“That bike? Well…” Emu placed a hand to his chin, trying to find a way to elaborate before giving an explanation. “He’s the one who introduced us to the Digital Plains, a digital world where all of Genm Corp’s games exist. We’re his successors trying to stop the Bugster Virus from breaking into the real world.”
“That’s a rather simple explanation, kid.” Lazer affirmed before he noticed the look of surprise Regina had.
“Oh, so you’re like the Correctors!” the princess realized.
“The what now?” Emu asked in confusion.
“The Correctors are eight programs that were created by Professor Inukai. It’s their duty to protect the world of ComNet from the evil Grosser and his men.” Regina explained, “Just like how you guys are protecting the Digital Plains, right?”
“I guess that’s the gist of it.” The bike explained, “Right now, I’m stuck in this form, miss. Guess that Driver is why you look like a Precure.”
“I see, so it appears that, in this world, the Riders connected to Ex-Aid’s era are the same as the Correctors that you know.” Squira noted.
“And how is that related?” Gia and Taiga asked at the same time, before they both eye each other.
“Because I am not one to look over smaller details.” The chronicler answered with a wink, “But the way that Emu described his time as a Rider, plus the number of them matches with the Correctors. That and I don’t need to speak about both being associated with technology.”
“Are you one-hundred percent certain you aren’t exaggerating things?” the rebel questioned her.
“Hmph, why would I be wrong on anything?” Squira coyly shrugged off, making the rebel roll her eyes.
“You’re probably going to regret saying that sooner or later.” She warned.
At an abandoned warehouse, various Bugsters were walking around and chatting with each other. Some of them were holding game consoles, playing games with each other while others were playing with the Nightmare Dream Eaters. All the while, the Ex-Aid and Para-DX Bugsters walked through the crowd.
“So this new power we have now. I didn’t expect it to mimic our enemies.” Graphite said before snarling, “Especially that traitor.”
“Patience, my friend. We will get to him shortly. Right now, it’s high time we focus on our vengeance.” Salty stated before he cracked his neck. "Right now, it’s time for me to give everyone who beat me with Mighty a game over."
"Now, now, do not get too hasty, Salty, Graphite. We may have an outbreak now, but this is a mere distraction to your true goal." Yamataro told them as he manifested behind the two Bugsters. The various Bugsters and Dream Eaters got up, arming themselves with weapons while also keeping their guard up. The Ex-Aid Bugster instead raised his fist into the air, signaling for his underlings to stand down.
"Yeah, yeah, I should kill Emu because that's my objective, right?" The Ex-Aid Bugster grumbled before glaring at Yamataro. "Listen here, mutt. You may have given me this body, but I’m the one who’s calling the shots. Besides, the more chaos we spread, the more our targets will need to act."
Yamataro chuckles, before shaking his head.
“Ah, now I see…” he chuckled, “Now then, how about I tell you about a certain truth?”
"Truth? What on Earth do you-" Salty was interrupted as Yamataro pulled out a photo and showed it to the two Bugsters. The photo itself showcased an older Emu, Hiiro, and a man who looks a lot like an older Taiga, as well as, to both Bugsters’ surprise, a pink-haired lady.
“One of the traitors!” Salty gasped, “How on-“
“The truth of the matter is that those girls you fought and I are not native to this dimension.” Yamataro explains as Salty turned to see him. “Where we come from, Emu Hojo was a pediatrician working with master surgeon Hiiro Kagami and ex-doctor Taiga Hayami. Alongside Hiiro’s girlfriend being dead and Dangerous Zombie being merely a Gashat, our dimensions are completely different.”
“Really? So, what do you want from us? You want us to kill the boy and that little brat of a Bugster and rewrite our world’s history?” Graphite asked.
“Indeed. The technology created from the Another Ridewatch allows an Another Rider to quickly replace the one you kill but on a grander scale.”
Salty smirked, “We’re listening…”
The wolf was happy to hear that and continued, “In my time, we have a theory that worlds such yours are created using an unstable force that can devour and rewrite timelines.” Yamataro explained, “Think of it as a much more severe version of the butterfly effect.”
After snapping his fingers, the other two Vanguard members joined his side. He then turned towards the two Bugsters
“If you defeat your world’s Ex-Aid and Para-DX, you two not only replace your counterparts, but with the added power this dimension gives, you can override the entire thing and replace it with an era of your liking!” Viola explained while Nue nodded in affirmation.
“Your era will be one filled with everything you desire. Thanks to our modified Anotherwatches, you can become the conquerors of your desires. That is, if you fulfill our demands.” He stated firmly, “What do you say, you two? Do we have a deal?”
The two Bugsters looked towards each other, mulling the offer over before they nodded.
“All I need to do is to off that speedrunner and that traitor, right?” Salty asked before morphing into the Ex-Aid Bugster.
EX-AID…
“Because if that’s the condition, then I will gladly accept it.” Graphite agreed before changing into the Para-DX Bugster.
PARA-DX…
“Trust me, you two… I can fulfill that and every desire in your hearts without any strings attached.” Yamataro reassured the pair.
As the team returned towards the building the conference was held at, they saw that the area was quarantined off by the police. They were let in thanks to their connection to Genm Corp.
Regina let out a gulp before looking down at her Ridewatch. She turned the dial and briefly examined the completed image she made. That of a rounded silver helmet with a pair of clock hands acting as antennae while the eyes were in the shape of the katakana for Rider.
‘The Rider part… is there anything significant about it I am not getting. Wait, am I overthinking things… No, every magical girl has a cool title, but what even is a Rider Girl?’ Regian thought to herself.
She shook off the thought for now and turned to see Emu and everyone else besides her while Lazer rode in in with Squira and Luna on his back.
“So if we beat Salty and Graphite, we would be able to heal everyone?” Gia inquired
“That’s about the jist of it.” Emu answered, before a screen materialized before them.
From the screen came a stream of yellow and pink pixels before someone emerged from the mass. To the girls’ surprise, it was a completely animated girl in 2D, who had shiny hair and wearing yellow clothes.
“You are papipopi correct, Rider Girl~!” The anime girl cheered as she winked.
Regina then whispered to Emu, “Why is she flat?”
“Blame how Poppy’s code was created, Kuroto-sensei’s been trying to get her 3D model done for months.” The gamer explained.
“I saw everything inside the stadium, to think we are dealing with some third-party enemies alongside the Bugster! Talk about a bad combination!” the anime girl, Poppy explained to the two.
“Ugh, I don’t get all of this gamer jargon…” Gia grumbled to herself.
“Alright, let’s cut to the chase. Will this will give enough points for some new Gashat?” Taiga asked.
“Oh, with this crisis, you might earn a new power up during the battle! Think of it like a… Zenkai Boost!” Poppy cheered, raising her voice like she was singing, only for her to be interrupted by the sound of clapping echoing around them.
“Why not team-up with me? After all, Salty is cheating with something I was not aware of.”
“Huh?! Who said that!” he gasped.
“I did.” The voice said.
Confused, everyone turned to find a feminine figure with long black hair that was tied into a ponytail with blue and red highlights on the side. Their attire consisted of a baggy black coat that has white pixels on the sleeves with red flames on the bottom, and a pair of black socks covered in mismatched blue and red pixels alongside large neon-yellow boots.
“Parad?! So, this whole thing wasn’t caused by you?” Emu asked as the figure, Parad, shook their head.
“My my buddy, I wouldn’t just make such an unfair Bugster this far in the game. Parad stated as they walks around, moving their legs up in the air before moving their head left and right. “I like a fair game where both sides are roughly equal, not grant an unfair advantage. That’s not the type of game I wanted to play.”
“So, why do you want us to team up?” Regina asked.
“Simple, kid. By teaming up, we can end our enemies’ modded run before it ruins my fun” the Bugster stated with a smirk.
“Your fun? Do you not see anything wrong with how the Bugster Virus replaces people?” Taiga snarled at the young figure.
“Why should I? It’s not like the virus is that cruel. Your soul will exist as-” Parad was punched by Taiga, who followed up by grabbing their coat.
“Humans don’t have multiple lives, you dumbass!” she roared, “It’s because of you, that Jiro…” Tears began to flow down the sniper’s face, “That Jiro…”
“Hm, I don’t understand, the soul is…” Parad didn’t get to finish as Gia punched them, making Taiga let go while she took a moment to calm herself.
It was then that a girl around the same age as Regina and Gia walked in. She had black hair that reached her shoulders, and wore a bright orange dress that had a knee-length skirt, blue stockings, and red shoes.
“Hiiro-kun… Emu-Kun…” she muttered, clutching her heart briefly as if she was trying to pace herself.
“Saki! Thank goodness you’re okay!” Hiiro rushed towards the girl and hugged her tight, a sense of relief washing over him.
“Who’s that?” a rather curious Regina asked to the other two gamer Riders. Emu and Taiga both gave a knowing smirk.
“That’s Hiiro’s girlfriend.’ The sniper chuckled, to the pair’s embarrassment.
“Hiiro, I saw what happened on TV! Are you okay?!” Saki asked the swordsman, ignoring her good friend’s teasing.
“I’m fine, Saki-chan.” Hiiro reassured her.
It was then that Saki briefly stumbled a bit, pain coursing through her while orange electricity blew through her.
“Oh my. Did something happen to you?” A concerned Luna asked
“I’m fine. I just…” she briefly paused as another pulse of orange energy hurt her, “I just need some rest.”
Regina knew this was serious as she briefly stepped forward.
“My name is Regina, my friends and I are here to help Emu, Hiiro, and Taiga with the new threat looming over them.” Regina introduced herself surprisingly calmly.
At first Gia was curious as to why she didn’t greet them in her typical cutesy way, but she guessed that that display likely would have stressed Saki out further, if she was afflicted with what she hoped she wasn’t afflicted with.
“I see…” Saki noted as the orange veins on her skin started to fade. It seemed like she was a nice enough person.
“Was this girl ever allowed to explore the outside world?” Luna asked, as Squira deciding to do a whistling melody.
“I really wish I could come with you guys but…” Saki sighed. “I’m afraid I might slow you down.”
“Really? Huh, I thought she was a Rider.” Regina inquired.
“I can’t with this more explosive infection. If I try to become a Rider, then I might as well be kissing my life goodbye” Saki explained before seeing her boyfriend gently clasp her hands..
“Saki, promise that you will stay safe. I can’t afford you to be out here alone.” Hiiro asked as the young girl nodded.
“I’ll be fine. Once you’re done fighting, I’ll be at the game house.” She told him.
The princess was left confused, which the sniper caught onto.
“It’s code for a warehouse for Kamen Riders to stay at.” She clarified as the team walked away.
“Stay safe, everyone.” Saki muttered.
Approaching the coliseum, the group saw not just the Bugsters and Nightmare Dream Eaters, but the two Another Riders as well.
“Hey Emu, can you get that black Gashat on my Driver?” Lazer asked the gamer, “Hiiro, give me the usual.”
The swordsman nodded before putting on his Gamer Driver and pressing the button on the side of his device.
STAGE SELECT!
After a roulette of locations appeared, the girls found themselves in a digital racetrack, with circuit lines lining the sky while the trees and racetrack were all made up of polygons.
“Alright, go nuts Lazer-senpai!” the boy cheered before pulling out a black Gashat that had a yellow samurai on it alongside the label of Giri Giri Chambara.
GIRI GIRI CHANBARA!
Suddenly, a game screen appeared which signaled Taiga to back off and return to her allies’ side. Emu then slotted the Gashat into Lazer’s Gamer Driver, giving the bike the power to boost.
GASHATTO!
“Now my heart’s boiling!” Parado stated as they took out a large blue Gashat that had two sides as well as a knob on the front. The sides displayed two different games, with the right displaying a blue figure alongside the label Perfect Puzzle, while the left had a boxer in red with the label Knock-Out Fighter.
PERFECT PUZZLE!
WHAT’S THE NEXT STAGE? WHAT’S THE NEXT STAGE?
WHAT’S THE NEXT STAGE?
After another game screen, the two Riders prepared for battle.
“Third Gear!”
“Henshin.”
A flash of light came from the Gashat as a screen formed in front of Parad made from puzzle pieces.
DUAL UP!
GACHAN! LEVEL UP~!
As the screen hit them, their body was quickly covered in a mix of blue and white pixels that formed into a new suit.
GET THE GLORY OF THE CHAIN! PERFECT PUZZLE!
This Rider form sported a silver bodysuit with black blocks on the sides, a golden version of the boots the other three Ex-Aid Riders had, a set of large blue shoulderpads alongside a golden chestplate that displayed puzzle pieces behind a blue background, a large knob on the back, blue gloves, and finally a blue head with a golden mouthpiece that resembled the collar of a turtleneck sweater, a hairstyle that had one long poumpadoor droop downwards, and yellow eyes.
AGACCHA! GIRI~! GIRI~! GIRI-GIRI~ CHAM~BARA~!
Meanwhile, Lazer transformed into a torso and head while a small golden samurai appeared and split up to become limbs that attached to the Rider, giving him a new humanoid shape, and even a new samurai-like face crest.
“Parad… W-Wait, I can explain myself!” Salty stated as the puzzle Rider.
“Salty, I know you want to get rid of Ex-Aid, but is this really the way? You know I hate cheaters, and siding with the fox is not good.” Parad stated as he points to the Another Rider. “Come on, did you really accept this power at face value? Did you forget about dear old me?”
The Bugster said nothing as Para-DX shook their head; they snapped their fingers, before rushing towards the red and blue Another Rider. Before she could, the Rider quickly performed a sliding kick onto the snail Bugster’s legs, tripping him. After getting up, Para-DX spotted his Another Rider counterpart face-to-face.
“So, for that new form of yours old friend. I wonder just how similar your new form is to mine?” Para-DX pondered before they returned his attention towards the Ex-Aid Bugster. “As for you…”
The Rider snapped their fingers and summoned two Energy Items to augment his abilities.
INSTIGATE! IRON BODY!
Para-DX then closed their hands and then gave a co*cky beckoning motion. The mere sight made the Bugster roar in annoyance as he charged towards the kid; only for Para-DX to land multiple punches on his gut, stunning the monster for a bit. He didn’t stay stunned for long as he used his tail to smack his Rider counterpart aside.
‘Huh?! He was able to hit me through Iron Body?!’ the puzzle Rider thought while they recovered from the hit.
The Para-DX Bugster on the other hand, merely scoffed at his attempt. “Tsk, pathetic.” He chided them, “To think I would have to worry about your power.”
The Ex-Aid Bugster chuckled; it was always a treat for him to see the typically co*cky Para-DX get knocked down a peg.
“Finish them off.” He ordered before sicking the Bugster minions and Nightmare Dream Eaters on the girls.
“Let’s go, Gia!” Regina shouted as she took out her Ridewatch, prompting Gia to do the same.
ZI-O!
GEIZ!
CROSS-Z!
“Magical Time! Henshin!
SHOUJO TIME! RIDER SHOUJO~! ZI-O~!
DRESS-UP TIME! WAKE UP BURNING! CRO~SS~Z~!
After transforming into their magical girl forms, Geiz summoned her Zikan Zax and quicky began swinging at the Dream Eaters. As she turned to spot three Icequin Aces sliding towards the girls, the girl, the red clock girl fired out a blue flame arrow at each Nightmare Dream Eater and knock them off course long enough to cut them down.
“Heh, not bad kiddo. Seems what the kids said about one of you was accurate.” Lazer commented, making Geiz freeze up as a red blush covered her face. Her flustered nature made the red clock girl fail to notice a Bugster coming up behind her.
“Watch out, Gia!” Zi-O called out as the Zikan Girade fired her gun, hitting the Bugsters and catching the red clock girl’s attention. Despite still blushing, she didn’t hesitate in slicing through the Bugster in half.
“Are you alright?” the silver clock girl asked her partner, which didn’t help Geiz’s current flustered state.
“W-Why is she so cool?” Geiz muttered under her breath before her eyes widened ‘N-No, I don’t like her like that. I…’ She grabbed her heart, trying to calm down to no avail. She just admired how cute Zi-O was and her body couldn’t focus on the fighting. The red clock girl shook her head, as she finally looks away, using her ax to cut several Bugsters down.
Zi-O was left in awe of Geiz, as the princess put a hand on her chest.
“Wow… Geiz is super cool…” she spouted in awe as she smiled.
That admiration was soon put on the backburner when a Bugster slammed a shield into her face. Zi-O recovered from the blow and flipped out the Girade’s blade out. She then pressed the white button on the back to charge the weapon up, prompting Geiz to do the same thing as she swapped her axe into it’s bow mode.
TIME CHARGE!
GOU!/5!
Zi-O quickly spun her sword around with one hand. After wards she jumped over the Bugster and landed behind them. Geiz and Lazer on the other hand faced several Bugsters as the red clock girl slowly aimed her bow at their vacinity.
YON!/4!
Zi-O kicked the Meow Wow behind her, then jumped to the side of several Hummer Gatlings firing bullets from their beaks. Geiz rushed forward, jumping on top of a Meow Wow while still keeping her bow aimed at it’s target.
SAN!/3!
Zi-O ducked under several Bugsters swinging their swords. She then punches the mooks’ knees and then shoulder tackled them in the gut. Geiz quickly kicked away several Komory Bats above them, while Lazer pressed the A button to separate the bow into a pair of hand sickles.
NI!/2!
With the power nearly charged, Zi-O jumped into the air, gripping her sword as the weapon’s power flowed inside her body. She uses the flat side of her blade to smack the hummingbird Dream Eater to the ground. Geiz in turn, bounced off the Meow Wow she stood on like it was a trampoline, kicking a Bugster’s face before kicking off it to perform a leap.
ICHI!/1!
With the charge-up complete, both Rider Girls turned their attention towards the Ex-Aid Bugster and the Hummer Gatlings that were by his side, who was caught off-guard by the display.
ZERO TIME!
Upon the weapons’ declarations, Lazer charged forward, striking the Bugster with his sickles as Zi-O and Geiz squeezed and let go of their respective weapons’ triggers. A pink glow covered her sword as Zi-O’s eyes glowed with a hot-pink light. She jumped into the air as her blade extended in length.
GIRI GIRI GIRI!/ GIWA GIWA UCHI!
TIME CLOCKED SLASH!
Zi-O swings her sword as it created a powerful slash attack that destroyed the Hummer Gatlings.
CROSSING DRAGONFIRE!
Meanwhile, Geiz’s shot transformed into a dragon that seemed to be made of ice cream and tore through the Another Rider’s defenses, heavily damaging him. Before the Bugster could react, Lazer kicks him forward as the blade goes through his waist.
As the girls felt the energy surge leave them, Geiz turned to see Zi-O’s eyes were flickering between pink and red, the silver clock girl gnashing her teeth as if she was ready to strike again.
“Hey kid, look behind you!” Lazer called out as Zi-O turned around, only to spot a a Cyber Yog charging right at her.
Zi-O snapped out of her initial rage and leaped out of the way of the incoming Dream Eater, leaving Geiz to cut it down herself with her axe. As Zi-O gets back on her feet, her eyes stopped glowing as her rage died down. The silver clock girl took this as a sign to return to Para-DX and allow Lazer and her partner to handle the Another Rider on their own.
Meanwhile on the stairway, the two Para-DXs were fighting each other as Parad smiled under the helmet. They then leaped onto the railing, standing on the top as they crossed their arms.
“You know Graphite, taking on a bootleg form like that isn’t helping you.” Parad-DX taunted as they jumped over the Bugster. He then tapped the Another Rider’s back, making him turn around as Para-DX stomps on their feet. The Another Rider’s arms flinched as Parad smirked, followed by their Another Rider counterpart punching them.
“That’s strange; I remember you said nothing when I died right before Saki vanished.” The Para-DX Bugster reminded them.
INSTIGATE! MUSCULAR! IRON BODY!
Para-DX pulled out his Gashat, letting out a wink under the helmet before he turned the dial twice.
KIMEWAZA!
Para-DX then lifted their free hand to flip off the Para-DX Bugster, making their enemy let out a roar. However their other hand then slotted the Gashat into the Kimewaza Slot on the side of their belt.
DUAL GASHAT! PERFECT…
Their body then shone like metal before he struck his counterpart with their fist, only for the punch to bounce off the surface. The dragon Another Rider tried to pull back, but the puzzle Rider instead used the power the Energy Items had and punched the Para-DX Bugster in the stomach, knocking the wind out of them.
“I suppose I should put more effort into this!” Para-DX chuckled and followed their punch up with an upwards kick to send the opponent into the air and back to the ground.
CRITICAL COMBO!
Para-DX landed while their Another Rider counterpart stood his ground.
“Enough of this farce!” the Another Rider roared before he lifted his sword and let a red and blue flame engulf it.
CRIMSON EXPLODING DRAGON SWORD!
With a wild grin, the Para-DX Bugster then delivered a powerful downwards slash, sending Para-DX flying and straight out of their transformation.
“W-What is this…” Parad gasped as the Bugster looked at his counterpart’s sword, the blade glowing with a black aura along with strange electricity.
The Bugster in turn, began to drink in the terrified look the Bugster was giving.
“So this is what the fox was referring to. The power to counter the Rider I am current based on.” The Para-DX Bugster recalled as he adjusts his handle, Parad stares at the Bugster who eyes him.
ZI-O GIRI GIRI SLASH!
“Get away from her!” Zi-O shouted as she swung her sword at the Bugster.
However as the Bugster turned his attention to her, he dismissed the attack and slams the bottom of his sword’s handle on the silver clock girl’s face. Zi-O stood back, slightly dazed from the attack. The Bugster then quickly delivered another slash to her, causing her to reel in pain while she felt the sword hit her. She silently thanked Squira for the protection field the Rider Girl suit gave her, because she knew she would have had a heavy gash on her arm if it wasn’t there.
“Get out of the way, kid!” The Para-DX Bugster roared.
Enraged, the Another Rider grabbed Zi-O by the shoulder and threw her against the wall next to Parad.
“Regina!” Geiz cried out as she switched her Zax to it’s bow mode.
She quickly then slotted in the Cross-Z Ridewatch and took aim at the silver clock girl’s attack. Lazer, seeing that one of the Riders was in need, knocked back the Bakubike as he slotted a Gashat into the Gashacon Sparrow’s slot.
GASHATTO!
FINISH TIME!
Soon, the pair fired off a combination shot of the ice cream dragon being followed by two energy arrows.
CROSS-Z! GIWA GIWA SHOOT!
GIRI GIRI CRITICAL FINISH!
As the monster was being pushed back by the combined shot, Parad staggered to one knee and kicked his counterpart in the back of the knee. This attack made the Another Rider snarl in pain, distracting him enough to allow the arrows and ice cream dragon to hit him dead on. The Para-DX Bugster was left skidding on the ground before he was left at the feet of his partner.
“Damn it, this is not working!” The Ex-Aid Bugster snarled as he helped his fellow Another Rider back to his feet.
“We will settle this later…” Para-DX Bugster warned his opponent before the two vanished in purple static, leaving behind several bits and pieces of the Dream Eaters they once had control under behind.
“Ugh… Are you okay, miss Parad…” Regina asked as the Bugster got back to their feet.
“Y-Yes… I am fine. I do not know that bootleg form was so effective against me, but I’m surprised you saved me.” Parad said as they adjusted their coat. As they turned towards Geiz, the two girls reverted to normal as did Lazer as he shifted back to his bike form.
“So, since you saved my life, human. I suppose that you deserve a reward.” Parad pointed out as they put a hand on Gia’s head.
“Uh… okay?” the rebel asked as Parad’s smile instinctively made her reach for her axe.
“Tell me, what do you think I am? A boy or a girl?” the Bugster asked.
‘What the hell kind of question is that?’ Gia thought to herself before taking a small breath. “I guess you’re a girl? I mean, your voice is high enough for one and the hai-.”
“Nah, that’s incorrect.” Parad interrupted her as they put a hand on their chin. “I’m a boy.”
Gia’s face paled, as she looks at the Bugster.
“Eh?”
“Actually, I enjoy wearing feminine things.” Parad clarified as they, or rather he, let out a smile. “I’m actually a boy, don’t mind me.”
Gia was very confused, “Y-You’re a boy… with that long hair… and your feminine face…” the rebel stammered while the princess was mostly curious.
“Yeah, I tricked Emu once by putting on a bunch of girly clothes and making my hair fully blonde. He couldn’t tell the difference.” The Bugster recounted as the rebel blushed.
“Are you freaking crazy?!” Gia gasped.
“Nah, I consider it expressing myself.” Parad stated as he took a stand and puffed his chest outwards. “Come on, I can pull off being a girl quite well!”
*POW!*
“La-li-lu-le-lo…” the Bugster muttered before he crumpled to the ground after Gia knocked him to the ground with one good fist to the face.
Meanwhile, in a nearby arcade, people were playing games as Viola walked around. No one thankfully paid attention to him beyond the occasional glance, but the man looked at a game where two tribal warriors fought each other.
‘Home… My home has been besides Lord Vortigern’s side. I am not bound to the weakness that doomed my clan.’ Viola scoffed before looking towards his hands. ‘Yet why… why did a female Zi-O appear? Is it possible for variants to interact with one another?’
His train of thought was interrupted by the tell-tale sound of a clock stopping while the arcade froze. It was then that the stingray creature walked in.
“So, it appears that our two new allies aren’t doing so well.” Nue shrugged off. “But at the same time, those girls do not have the powers of Ex-Aid yet. We should count our small miracles, because this second Zi-O is going to be a headache for me.”
“A headache? Since when did you care about the girls?” Viola questioned him.
“Simple, they fight with elegance for magical girls wearing that modified Ziku Driver. They can move around, strike hard, and even defeat Another Riders.” Nue stated as he frowns. “The real question is where did they get those modified Drivers to begin with…”
“I believe we both know who could do such a thing.” he reminded his fellow Vanguard member.
Nue rolled his eyes before the Viola put a hand to his chin, “So, what about these… Doctor Riders? Or whatever they call themselves here?”
“They do fight well, even in their youths, they fight like warriors. Dare I say… They fight with enough elegance and strength to make me stare at them?” the stingray Orphnoch smiled, as he stretched his whip. He couldn’t help himself, not when he saw Parad in action.
Nue smiled, as he stretched his whip. He couldn’t help himself, not when he saw Parad in action.
“I wasn’t aware that brats were also the target of your affections?” Viola asked as Nue stopped himself from laughing.
“Affection?! Please, I have standards Viola! Nue stated as he gets up, he cracked his neck before putting his whip away. “They have my curiosity; I didn’t expect this version of Parad to fight so well; though their fashion sense is honestly an eyesore.” He then turned towards his fellow Vanguard member, “Besides, you had your chance against two brats. Maybe I should take a chance myself?”
“You? What can you do against them?” Viola questioned him.
“Well, I can use the warm-up, unless you want me to send more Nightmare Dream Eaters to lure out the heroes.” Nue offered.
“You really think he can handle them, Yamataro? That girl still has a variant of our king’s initial power.” Viola asked.
“Yes. I also want to see that black-haired girl.” Yamataro squeezed his hand. “Something about her seems very… familiar.”
“So wait, you were among the first to enter this digital plane?” Gia asked.
“Yep.” The bike nodded, “Wasn’t the only one two as I had a partner. One of which you already know.”
The girls were confused until Squira, Regina, and Gia put the puzzle pieces together.
“YOU FOUGHT ALONGSIDE KUROTO DAN?!” they gasped.
“Exactly. The CEO and I go way back.” Lazer said, “Same with Taiga’s friend and Hiiro’s old man. The three of them were previously Riders before Gamedeus showed up and left me as I am.”
Regina was scared, “And what about the others?”
“Well, Kuro-kun initially was a laughing madman before that final battle against humbled him, Haima-sensei was forced to retire from his position as head of the hospital he founded, and Jiro…” Lazer looked down in shame, “The kid was able to save us by stopping Gamedeus, but it came at a cost…”
“The Bugster Virus…” the chronicler realized.
“Kid was terminal, and with the injuries he took during the battle… he didn’t last long…” the bike said, “We didn’t know how to break it to his family, or to Taiga.”
Regina couldn’t help but feel remorse for Taiga, recalling how hurt she was upon merely speaking her late friend’s name.
“As for me? I had to push my Rider form so hard that I ended up getting stuck in my bike mode. I initially had a more humanoid form, but the battle with Gamedeus left me stuck as a bike potentially for the rest of my life.” Lazer lamented.
As the team recoverd at the warehouse, Parad was playing with a 3DS as he hummed a tune to himself.
“So… are you that kid Emu mistook for a girl once?” Saki asked as the boy nodded.
“Yep!” Parad confirmed as he decides to sit next to the girl. “I am a Bugster too, ya know?”
Saki shivered, scooting away from Parad.
“W-What do you mean, I am not a Bugster! I am…” Saki clutched her heart, as her heart throbbed and her body started to glitch. As she grits her teeth, orange scales began to appear on her hands.
“Like that, Saki-Chan! You may not have spawned a Bugster, but your body is becoming one. You should be happy to become more like me!” Parad pointed out as Saki glared at her.
“Do you really believe that?! I nearly died from my first infection, and my body is changing under my own skin!” Saki snarled, as the orange scales began to appear on her arms. “Sometimes, I don’t even feel human at all, I…” Saki took a moment to breath, as she slapped her face with both hands in order to calm herself down. “I don’t even feel like I will remain just a normal girl.”
Parad winced before he awkwardly went back to his 3DS. This was one can of worms he likely shouldn’t have opened.
Saki was trying to regain her composure when she noticed that Gia was watching her. The rebel girl was holding onto her red Ridewatch, almost like it was some kind of stress ball. Saki let out a gentle gaze, as if to try and calm her down.
“In that case, may I ask what brought you to our side? Is it just for the sake of taking out two cheaters?” Poppy asked as she manifested from the 3DS with an angry glare at her fellow Bugster.
“Yes, if those two nimrods kill Emu, then that would mean I have no one who can keep up with me. The fact they’re using bootleg Rider powers means I must get involved.” Parad pointed out as he smiled towards the 2D. “Plus, we are siblings, it would be wrong to deny my sis her future husband.”
Just hearing that name caused Poppy to blush heavily while her eyes began to swirl.
“I-I-I am not that close to Emu. I can’t even achieve a 3D body while outside the digital plane!” She desperately tried to deny. “I mean… Emu is cute, but we are just friends! Besides, I don’t want to cause people to see look at him weirdly!”
Saki and Gia let out a small giggle, focusing her thoughts on the embarrassed Poppy stammering excuses to Parad as her scales began to fade away. Though as Gia was about to leave, she felt something bump beneath her feet. When she looked down, she saw there was a black label less Gashat at her feet.
“Who the…” Gia looked around for whoever left it behind, and merely picked it up.
Gia and Hiiro moved to another part of the warehouse as the rebel let out a yawn. She then did some small stretches before taking out the blank Gashat to examine it
“To think, all of this started because I wanted to stop the Demon King.” The rebel mused as she looked at her Geiz Ridewatch.
“Gia, the life of a soldier should have never be yours.” A soft, male voice echoed in Gia’s head as before she recalled a funeral. She tried to block everything, the voices, the people, everything to not recall it. Yet all she did was stare at the coffin.
“Gia, are you okay?” she heard the swordsman ask, catching the rebel off-guard.
“I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me.” Gia stated as she gets up.
“Really, you looked stressed out.” Hiiro stated as Gia shakes her head.
“So you are doing all of this for your father? Even though your brother told you not to go?” Hiiro asked as Gia stopped herself from screaming, “Your airheaded friend over there told me everything.”
She soon felt her heart sink and saw she was beginning to pale in shock and horror. After a little bit, the rebel tried her best to calm herself down.
“I needed to go, if I didn’t, then I wasn’t avenging my father.” Gia snarled as she felt her emotions slip out. A few more tears slipped down as she fell to her knees. “Ohma Zi-O needed to die, he needed to pay for what he’s done! But yet I am told is that I’m too young. That’s bullsh*t! I am a soldier just like the rest of them, I deserve to be part of this just as much as everyone else!”
Hiiro stayed silent as Gia wiped away some tears. Her crying had stopped, but her eyes remained red andwatery.
“I deserve to stop Ohma Zi-O, just like my brother does.” The rebel stated formly.
“You’re thirteen, you should be enjoying yourself and yet…” the swordsman sighed before putting a hand on his head. “You are marching towards your own death, even if nothing had gone south… Would you have pulled the trigger?”
“What of it? You know where I come from.” Gia questioned him.
“Even if it turned out Ohma Zi-O was just like you? A kid who was pushed around till the darkness made him crack?” Hiiro asked again.
“Yes.”
“Even if his death would wipe you out of existence, replacing you with another version of yourself who never knew the horrific future that she was meant to endure?” Hiiro asked, making Gia freeze in place.
“I… I…” Gia was speechless for once, she didn’t think much about that.
“You don’t know what you want to do after that. This mission of yours consumed your head, making you unable to see what is happening around you.” Hiiro stated before he flicked Gia’s forehead. “I will get this out of the way now, you are too emotional. First for thinking nothing could get in the way of this revenge. The second for believing Ohma Zi-O is completely evil from start to finish, and finally this belief you can survive the timeline being changed.”
“B-But I know I can survive that, Ohma Zi-O did it with his erasure of the Heisei Era.” The rebel tried to tell the swordsman, but he wasn’t convinced.
“That is different, and is only possible because of his power. Anyone attempting the same thing would have led to a very radically different timeline with the amount of history being removed. I’m sure you’ve at least entertained the idea of the butterfly effect” Hiiro snapped back “Now answer me this. Will you still have the home you once had after your mission is complete?”
As Emu were walking with Regina, the two girls failed to notice a girl walking in the crowd. She wore a bright-blue coat with yellow lines on the sleeves, a hot-pink shirt underneath alongside a pair of yellow shorts. Her legs were covered in hot-pink stockings with bright yellow sneakers as Regina and Emu walked together.
Suddenly, the three hit each other, causing the gamer and the princess to fall down. Regina rubbed her head, while Emu instead got up and found a blank Gashat on the floor.
“Excuse me, miss, where did you…” the gamer looked around; whoever bumped into them was missing as Emu blinks. “What the?”
“Hey Emu, are you okay?” Regina asked as the boy nodded.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” Emu reassured her before helping her up. “I’m surprised that you can handle a small fall that well.”
“Well, Squira has made me do some exercising so I’m not stuck in the house all day.” Regina explained.
“I see… I guess you never really knew anyone outside your home?” Emu inquired
Regina shook her head, “No, I’ve been in my home for a long time. Actually, let’s take this talk to somewhere private.”
Emu nods, as the two kids walk away; unaware that the girl they bumped into was hiding by a corner, smiling as she took out what looked like a small mirror on top of a pact-like object.
“It’s going to be okay, everyone. I’ll try and protect this world’s happiness.” The girl reassured herself.
"The Strange Worlds... Is that what Luna called them..." Regina pondered as she approached the blank Gashat and picked it up.
"Emu, do you really believe that um... uh..." Regina tried to find the words while she tapped the side of her head with the Gashat. "Well... Do you believe that you can save everyone's life?"
Emu sighed, looking at Regina before shaking his head.
"Of course not, I did once but well..." The boy pulled out a picture that showcased a young Emu posing and smiling alongside an older woman. Regina stayed silent as the boy leans on the wall of the clubhouse, the two staring at the photo. "I never could save my sister, the one I looked up to."
She then saw to Emu look gloomy, his eyes a bit dull as he put the photo on his chest. Regina grips the blank Gashat tighter before thinking about her home. She can see images of Noah waking up her up if it was noon, Squira giving her candy or the three of them eating dinner together. Regina couldn’t help but imagine how much grief the gamer had to go through. After all, she knew how defeated she would feel if she wasn’t able to save someone she cared about.
After that brief walk down memory lane, the princess approached Emu, who was walking towards the girl.
"Regina, do you have something precious that you want to save?" the gamer asked.
"Well, I have a home I need to come back to one day. I was raised by my uncle Noah and big sis Squira. My dad said it was too dangerous to stay in my old home, we needed to stay apart." Regina stated as she gripped the Gashat harder. "For the last decade or so, I've been raised in Hagukumi City for my protection. Yet..." Regina put the blank Gashat towards her heart. "A part of me wants to reunite with dad. To tell him I've become really strong for his sake."
"Your dad..." Emu pondered as he chuckled. "At least you know your dad loves you."
"I’m sorry if I brought up more bad memories." Regina quickly apologized, making Emu let out a chuckle.
"As for your question, about saving everyone, well..." Emu rested his hand on the back of his head. "I want to save everyone, but I could never save every person in the planet. So I settle for the next best option; to save everyone I can reach out to."
"Save everyone you can reach to?" Regina parroted out of confusion.
"Yeah, something like that. Because if you cannot save a single soul, despite being near them, then wouldn't that make you not a hero, let alone a doctor?" Emu affirmed as Regina nods. "Yup, that's my vow when I grow up. To be a doctor who can save lives and not see them go like... my sister."
Regina smiled, as the two heard an old arcade machine crackle to life. The pair then watched as various numbers appeared the screen before the vague outline of a Gashat appeared. The two kids took a step back as Regina turned to see a blank Ridewatch on the table start to glow with a hot-pink light. The screen then materialized a fuschia Gashat that displayed an image depicted a young boy in pink and green futuristic armor holding onto a sword; one that had a hammer-like guard, and the title "Corrector Ex-Aid" on the top.
"W-What is this?" Emu gasped before this Gashat fired off a beam of pink light towards the blank Ridewatch and then to Regina’s heart, connecting the two.
THE DOCTOR RIDER WHO FIGHTS WITH THE POWER OF GAMES IS...
As the light died down, the pair saw a pink Ridewatch that had a green dial with Ex-Aid's helmet on it, along with his symbol and the year 2016 printed on the inside.
EX-AID!
"Wow, Emu look! I got a new Ridewatch! I cannot believe it, talking with my feelings actually does grant me power!" Regina cheered as Emu just shrugged it off
"Y-Yeah, it sure does..." Emu stated as he examined the Ex-Aid Ridewatch, “You said that these Correctors are meant to protect a digital world, right?”
The princess nodded, “Yeah, but where did you get that blank?”
“I don’t remember honestly. But when it’s owner arrived, I thought I’d return it.” The gamer admitted before placing it in Regina’s hand, “I guess that watch was meant for you.”
Regina couldn’t help but nod, “Thank you, Emu-san.”
The next day, the Riders returned to the Colosseum, this time without that many Dream Eaters and Bugsters outside. The group said nothing as they walked through the stairs, while Lazer rode in from a portal inside the building. Regina wanted to talk, but Gia looked at her. They walked towards the same conference room where the two Another Riders awaited them.
“So, look who came to the final boss? Emu, his friends, and the two wanna-be Precure.” Salty chuckled.
“And you came back as well, Parad.” Graphite followed up as he gripped his sword.
“Well, we have to finish our fight, so why not do it where this event began?” Parad stated.
Emu frowned a bit at that statement before looking up, “Salty, Graphite, you cannot continue your infection!”
“Yeah, we’re going to beat you for real and stop this!” Regina chimed in as the two Bugsters looked at each other and laughed.
“Are you serious? You really think you can beat us, miss Precure? Or did the last two encounters not stick in that empty head of yours?” Salty taunted her
Regina however refuted this as she slapped on her Ziku Driver.
“We just want both of you gone! To save this era, we’re all here to stop your game right here, right now!: Gia shouted, not putting her all into her words. She then turned to Regina, whose eyes shined with passion.
“Alright, let’s go!” Regina called out as she and Gia pulled out their Ridewatches.
ZI-O!
GEIZ!
“Right!” the Gamer Riders affirmed before they took out their respective Gashats.
MIGHTY ACTION X!
TADDLE QUEST!
BANG BANG SHOOTING!
As the two groups prepared to transform, the two Another Riders quickly transformed and summoned forth their Dream Eater soldiers.
“Magical Time! Henshin!”
SHOUJO TIME! RIDER~ SHOUJO~! ZI-O!
SHOUJO TIME! RIDER~ SHOU~JO~ GEIZ!
“Henshin!”
GACHAN!
MIGHTY JUMP! MIGHTY KICK! MIGHTY MIGHTY ACTION X!
TADDLE MEGURU! TADDLE MEGURU! TADDLE QUEST!
BA-BA-BANG! BANG-BA-BANG! (YOW!) BANG BANG SHOOTING!
BAKUSOU DOKUSOU GEKISOU BOUSOU! BAKUSOU BIKE! A GACHA! GIRI-GIRI-GIRI-GIRI CHAM~BARA~!
GET THE GLORY OF THE CHAIN! PERFECT PUZZLE!
Now transformed, the heroes stood together as Ex-Aid put a hand on the Corrector Ex-Aid Gashat stored on a slot on the side of his Kimewaza Slot Holder. The two Another Riders then turned towards the Bugsters and Dream Eaters alongside them.
“Followers, we are so close to achieving our dreams! Now, take out these Riders and Precure, then we will rule the world!” the Ex-Aid Bugster shouted before the Bugsters and Dream Eaters began to try and swarm the heroes.
The heroes charged forward, as the silver clock girl winked at Emu. They broke off from the pack as they headed towards the Ex-Aid Bugster.
‘Wait, does Regina have a plan?’ Geiz thought to herself, before ducking under a Bugster’s strike and slicing their waist with the Zax. She then spotted Para-DX Bugster, as Parad let out a giggle. “Ugh, guess I have to work with Parad the trickster…”
The two went towards Para-DX Bugster, forcing him back into another part of the convention. Brave, Snipe, and Lazer handled the Bugster horde as Zi-O and Ex-Aid fought the pink Another Rider. Ex-Aid Bugster put his hand through a screen, before pulling out his hand to reveal a white sledgehammer with a yellow head.
“The Dai Hammer?! That’s Mighty’s best upgrade and something he only gets to finish the final boss in previous games!” Ex-Aid gasped as his Another Rider counterpart raiseed the weapon into the air. It gained a rainbow glow as the Another Rider smirks.
DYNAMIC STRIKE!
With all his might, the Ex-Aid Bugster slammed the Dai Hammer on the ground, creating a massive white shockwave that spread across the floor. Rainbow pillars began to emerge from the area around the Ex-Aid Bugster as Zi-O and Ex-Aid had to act fast and dodge the attack.
“Tch, what is your plan this time? You happened last time, so what’s stopping me from just going back to Graphite to finish off that brat of a leader we have?” the Ex-Aid Bugster questioned the silver clock girl. as Zi-O smirks. She turned to see several of the broken walls lead to the same room with the VR Console.
Ex-Aid charged in and swung his hammer hard enough to knock the Ex-Aid Bugster out of the room. The Ex-Aid Bugster quickly leaped onto a platform to recover before he prepared to swing again. This time, Zi-O switched her Girade into it’s gun mode and fired several shots at the Bugster’s hands, causing him to drop his hammer
“Tch, I can just join Graphite and we can take everyone together! Not like you can handle me by yourself!” Ex-Aid Bugster snarled.
“Yeah, we don’t need to beat both of you guys in the same room…” Zi-O pointed out before firing a shot that sent knocked the Ex-Aid Bugster against the computer screen.
“We just need to separate both of you!” Ex-Aid stated as he put the new Gashat into the Breaker’s slot. He then pressed the trigger as a pink swirl of pixels surrounded his weapon.
CORRECTOR CRITICAL FINISH!
Ex-Aid struck the Bugster, as the screen behind them shined with a white light. In a instant, the three were sucked into the screen before it turned black. Lazer whistles, before backhanding a Bugster.
“If that is what Emu considers a special Gashat, I wonder what it can do in the Gamer Driver.” Lazer stated as he turned around and cut more Bugsters.
With Geiz and Para-DX, they fought the Para-DX Bugster as they pushed their way into the room with the various games. Para-DX cracked his fists together, before he tapped his feet together.
“Now, now, I never got to use this last time.” Parad stated as he pulled out his Gashat. “If that form of yours is based on both Perfect Puzzle and Knock Out Fighter, maybe using my other skill set will even the odds.”
KNOCK OUT FIGHTER!
THE STRONGEST FIST! ROUND 1! ROCK AND FIRE! THE STRONGEST FIST! ROUND 1! ROCK AND FIRE!
Parad pressed the button, before putting the Gashat back in its slot. The dial on his back stuck out and turned, as the shoulder pads detached and flipped to reveal a red half with yellow flames on the front. The former pads attached to the hands, acting as gloves as the helmet turned around, revealing another face as the yellow eyes appeared.
DUAL UP! EXPLOSION HIT! KNOCK-OUT FIGHTER!
“Now my blood is pumping!” Parad stated as he rushed forward.
“Hold on, you saw what happened last time! What makes you think that this time will be different?” Geiz stated as Para-DX ducked and weaves past his monstrous counterpart’s punches.
“I got you with me. Does that count?” Para-DX noted with a shrug before he got a series of quick punches into his Another Rider counterpart, the boy jumped back and punches his gauntlets together.
The gauntlets were covered in flames as Para-DX slide on his knees. Para-DX Bugster summoned his sword, swinging it as the boy jumped before the blade hits him. He throws a punch, knocking the monster into the wall.
“Because what I need isn’t a combo, but to dodge and weave. Just because he is in this combined form doesn’t mean he has every advantage. I mean, he couldn’t possible use everything my two forms have!” Para-DX stated as the Bugster jumped out of the hole and snapped his fingers.
Various Energy Items shot up from the ground as Para-DX Bugster crossed his arms. The medals entered his body, creating a flow of dark-blue pixels as his eyes glow.
M-ME-METEOR! MU-MU-MULTIPLIER! EX-EX-EXTEND!
“Wait, those aren’t Energy Medals!” Para-DX gasped as several meteors emerged above the Another Rider.
The Para-DX Bugster then outstretched his fingers, making the balls speed towards his Rider counterpart. Para-DX and Geiz managed to dodge the meteors. However, Geiz looked down to see Para-DX Bugster with a blade on her chest.
“Crimson Decisive Blow: Draco Strash!” Para-DX Bugster roars, as he raises his blade upwards, creating a crimson energy wave that knocked Geiz into the air. However, Geiz felt like she was being hit twice as tears started to form on the front of her dress. Geiz was sent flying into the air, hitting the roof with a thud.
“Oh, why did you not hit me?” Para-DX questioned his Another Rider counterpart as the Para-DX Bugster landed on the ground.
“I don’t want anyone interrupting me again like last time. This time, it is between you and me!” the Another Rider answered as he stabbed his sword into the ground. Para-DX jumped back, as the blade shoots up from the ground and struck the roof. Para-DX jumped, as the blade returned to the ground, only to pop up right before his feet.
Para-DX tried to jump again, only for a Komori Bat to ram into the boy, knocking him forward as the blade emerged below him. The blade struck Para-DX’s chest armor, creating a gash as sparks fly out. Para-DX gasp as he falls to the ground, with Para-DX Bugster smirking as he drew his sword from the ground.
“Now, ain’t this sweet.” Para-DX Bugster stated as Geiz falls to the floor. She hit her back as a wave of pain shoot through her body. There was a ringing noise in the Rider Girl’s head as she slowly got up. She panted, rubbing her head and looking at the monster walk towards his counterpart.
“W-Why me… What’s so important about me that you want me out of the game?” Para-DX stated, before his suit faded away to reveal the boy.
“According to our benefactor, this is not our world. Or rather, this is a world where history diverged and went on its own route. Everything that exists now is a paradox, something created because of something in the past.” The Para-DX Bugster explained as Geiz got back up.
“History… is off course? Are you saying that history itself has changed?” Parad questioned him.
The Para-DX Bugster shook his head, “No, history has always been this way, all because someone made a different choice. Our circ*mstances, our lives, the very fact I am holding you like this should not be happening. Yet somehow, it is happening.”
“History… that never should have happened…” Geiz thought to herself as she gets up. “What the hell does he think this is, some philosophical RPG?”
“If I kill you, I can take your power and take out the so-called proper version of you. Once I do, I will replace you in every timeline.” Graphite said, before Geiz pulled out her Cross-Z Ridewatch. She quickly put it into the slot and pulled the lever back.
CROSS-Z SURE SURE UCHI!
Gia fires a blue arrow, making Graphite turn around and block the strike. Behind the Bugster, Snipe takes several shots, hitting the back of his head. From above, Lazer struck Para-DX Bugster’s arms, making him let go of Parad.
“You two… Wait, where’s-” Para-DX did not get to finish as Brave’s sword struck his chest, cracking the front as the monster stumbles back. Geiz panted, her arms shaking and almost letting go of the gun.
“Were you three… just waiting to ambush him?” Geiz asked.
“No, we got done clearing out most of the Bugster and Dream Eaters when you fired a blue dragon nearby.” Lazer clarified. “The question is, are you okay.”
“Y-Yeah… I-I am fine, that shot was perfectly intentional.” Geiz stated, though deep down it was a bluff. She wanted to make a rush to stop Graphite from killing his Parad.
“Well, you think you can handle this guy?” Snipe asked as the girl nodded.
“Ye-Yeah, I can do that.” Geiz replied, her nerves calming down as confidence slowly flowed back into her thoughts. She stood up as the other gamers nod and returned to the horde.
In turn, the Para-DX Bugster got up, seeing Parad run behind Geiz.
“So that’s it, you don’t want to continue because you think this world is perfect?” Parad giggled as he knelt down and patted Geiz on the head. “You wanna change something at all, human? You should put in more effort to wanting something beyond the obvious.”
“Beyond the obvious? What are you going on about?” Geiz grumbled as Parad turned towards the monstrous Bugster.
“You claim to fight this Ohma Zi-O, but I don’t see some tough warrior.” The rogue Busgter stated as he pulled out his Gashat Gear Dual. “You’re a kid who runs on pure emotion, unable to really think beyond just one goal. How is that fun?”
Parad in turn, effortlessly dodged the monster’s attack before performing a spinning kick as if to show off.
“You want to fight? How about this, what do you really want by the end of this game?” Parad taunted him as Geiz looked to the side, noticing a red light connecting to the red and blue light that came from the rogue Bugster.
PUZZLE AND FIGHTING, THE RIDER WHO FIGHTS WITH TWO GAMES IS…
It was then that a Ridewatch with a red base alongside a blue button and dial manifested before her. Suddenly, Parad jumped behind the Rider Girl, looking over her right shoulder
PARA-DX!
“Oh my, so you got a Ridewatch based on me…” he cooed as he tried to examine the Ridewatch.
The rebel delivered a back handed smack to keep the Busgter away.
“Ah, the split-second reaction of humans…” Parad mused.
“You are a f*cking weirdo, you know that?” the rebel grumbled before looking towards her new Ridewatch, “W-Well… I guess I should change as well. Ugh, I have to do this twice in one day…”
PARA-DX!
As soon as she unhooked the Ziku Driver, a large arcade machine with red flames and blue puzzle pieces fell from the sky and knocked the Para-DX Bugster away.
“Wow, I didn’t know your little devices were able to provide these kinds of power-ups!” Parad continued to laugh whilst he shook his head.
Geiz on the other hand, tried his best to stay focused on the task at hand, ‘Why do I have to do this?’
“R-Rider Suit... download up!”
After spinning the driver, Geiz tapped her feet together as her normal armor transformed into small green orbs that began to fly around her. She then felt her mouth move.
DRESS UP TIME!
Geiz’s stockings and feet were the first things to change as the green orbs touched the body. In a swirl of red and blue energy, the red clock girl gained black stockings with the right leg having flames going up the middle while the left leg has blue puzzle pieces.
The red clock girl’s shirt and sash then shifted into a qipao while keeping the shorts intact. The qipao’s sash was mostly consisting of blue puzzle pieces connected with red flames on the bottom right side. Two red side skirts appeared from the qipao covering the sides of Geiz’s legs.
Geiz then placed a hand onto her chest, making it glow as a pair of shoulder pads appeared that just had the Gashat Gear Dual’s Dial facing outwards. The insides of the shoulders were black shoulder pads connecting the large dials. The red clock girl then put both arm forwards as red and blue spirals of energy covered them and created a pair of long black sleeves.
Finally, after an astral projection of Para-DX's Level 99 helmet and another magical girl appeared and fused with Geiz, the red clock girl patted down her hair. This made her hair condense and change color to replicate Para-DX’s red and blue hair color, her eyes also becoming dichromatic.
MA~ZA~RU~ U~P~! PARA~D~X~!
With her transformation complete, Geiz made a finger gun with her left arm and winked as her blush faded away.
“Now! Rider Girl Geiz ParaDXDress will cut through this impossible evil!” Geiz declared as her face turned bright red, “H-Hey! I hate skirts!”
Try as she might, the red clock girl couldn’t change the skirt on her current form into anything that suited her personally.
“Oh my, I see that Gia is becoming a real magical girl!” Squira teased as Geiz turned her head and glared harshly “Regardless… Behold! The wanderer who seeks to defy her place in the world, she who travels the path between light and darkness is here! With the power of the Correctors, Rider Girl Geiz Para-DXArmor is here!”
“Shut the hell up, Squira!” Gia roared as she curled her fingers in case she needed to strangle the chronicler. But Squira was gone the moment she turned around, before letting out a blush, shaking her rear due in part to the tail that was there.
Geiz dashes forward, as her legs are covered in red flames. Para-DX Bugster tried to block the strike, only for Gia to duck under as her feet touch the ground. Blue orbs shoot up into the sky, before they spin around the Bugster.
“What is this!? I wasn’t aware Perfect Puzzle can do this!” the Para-DX Bugster shouted as Geiz gripped her Zax.
“Pays to keep your head in the game!” Para-DX chuckled while the blade of Geiz’s axe was quickly covered in red pixels simulating fire.
The red clock girl then struck the monster’s waist, followed by two blue orbs striking him from behind. When she tried to go for another swing, Para-DX Bugster blocked the strike. Luckily, she was able to send out another set of orbs to hit his arms and make him drop his weapon. Geiz took advantage of the opening to land a palm strike on the monster, knocking him back.
“Wow… you aren’t half bad, kid.” Parad stated, as he quickly took out a phone. He recorded the fight letting out a smirk, not caring about participating. “Those moves, the combination of strategy and fighting, I should incorporate it into my own gameplay.”
Geiz continued to duck and weave as Energy Items appeared behind her. They all entered the Rider Girl’s body as her eyes glowed.
SONIC SPEED-UP! FLEXIBLE! RIGIDIFICATION!
“Three Energy Items!?” the Para-DX Bugster shouted, before Geiz vanished from sight.
The Another Rider turned around, to see a vastily stretched arm punching him across the face. The limb zips back, before a leg appears and kicks him in the gut.
‘No, those are upgraded Energy Items.’ He realized before spotting Geiz’s leg retract, followed by the red Rider Girl appearing above the monster and making a downwards cut across his body.
Red, blue, and orange pixels came from the cut as Para-DX Bugster screamed in pain, before something grabbed his sword and shattered the blade.
“Go on… give me more material to work with…” Parad urged Geiz on, continuing the recording with a wide smile on his face.
Geiz jumped back as the power-ups end, her body returned to normal as she readied her axe. The red pixels appeared again, covering her arms as the girl grit her teeth.
TEN-HIT CORRECTION!
As she jumped forward, she struck the monster with her axe ten times, each one creating a sparkle of red and blue lights. Each hit creating small glitching areas around the wounds as the monster falls to his knees.
“T-This po… Po-power… I feel weaker…” the Para-DX Bugster gasped as Geiz continued her assault.
“Correctors, did I become a living firewall?” Geiz asked herself before quickly remembering what Regina said.
“The Correctors are eight programs that were created by Professor Inukai. It’s their duty to protect the world of ComNet from the evil Grosser and his men.”
‘Right, this isn’t just one power. It’s two’ she mentally realized before steeling herself to finish the fight now. Ready for the finisher, she pressed the button on her Geiz Ridewatch.
FINISH TIME!
Geiz tapped her feet on the ground before pressing the button on her second Ridewatch, creating a ring of flames around herself and the Another Rider. Tapping the floor again, various puzzle pieces manifested from the floor as a burning flame covered her legs.
PARA-DX!
She then took a stance, preparing herself for the attack.
“Now, my heart is pounding! Let’s finish this!” Geiz shouted as she spun her driver.
CRITICAL TIME BREAK!
In a flash, Geiz charged the Another Rider and delivered a powerful kick to pop the Another Rider into the air. She then quickly delivered a series of punches and kicks, each blow causing silver cartoon stars to appear with each hit. When Geiz springboarded off of the Para-DX Bugster, both fighters were surrounded by a sea of stars
“Wait, what even is-” The Para-DX Bugster didn’t get to say anything as Geiz splayed out her hands and brought the stars to her side.
CRITICAL... STARSTORM!
It was then that the she just her hands forward to command the stars. The stars then began to glow a fiery red or a puzzling blue before rapidly flying forward, right past Geiz and straight for the Another Rider. With each hit, the Another Rider’s form began to glitch more violently until finally, there was nothing else but a green draconic humanoid.
“I-I had… I-Impo-ss-ible, I lost…?” Graphite managed to say before his end came.
“You’re finished!” the red clock girl shouted before firing two final stars forward in a spiral formation, dragging Graphite into the sky and detonating like a firework to finish the Bugster off for good.
Once Geiz landed on the ground, Geiz saw the Anotherwatch that gave the Bugster his power fall to the ground and shatter upon impact.
A smile soon came across Parad’s face while he looked at the remains of the watch, “Good riddance, you old lizard.”
Inside the world of Mighty Brothers XX, Ex-Aid Bugster pants as he gets off the floor. He looks around the rooftop before turning to the duo. He growls, looking at Ex-Aid, Brave and Zi-O as the Rider Girl stepped forward.
“Screw you and that brat! I was so close to finally beating the boy until you and your friends showed up!” The Another Rider roared in anger.
“Well you did play with something that did let you cheat as well.” Zi-O disagreed as she moves her head to the left. She tapped the Zikan Girade on the ground before picking it up. “It’s my duty as a Rider Girl to stop your crimes, Another Rider!”
“Another Rider!? I am Salty, the great rival to the legendary Mighty! I have lost more times than your tiny brain can realize! What do you have that could stop me or this form?” the Ex-Aid Bugster questioned the silver clock Girl before she pulled out her new Ridewatch.
“Because I have your weakness right here! Let’s-a-go, Emu!” Zi-O called out.
“I’m with you, Regina!” Ex-Aid affirmed as the silver clock girl took out the Ex-Aid Ridewatch and activated it.
EX-AID!
She then slotted the Ridewatch into the Driver and spun it around.
"Rider Suit, download up!"
Zi-O then snapped her fingers and summoned forth several colorful orbs. The orbs then spun around Zi-O as she tapped her feet before jump into the air. A pink glow covers her body as Zi-O takes another breath.
DRESS-UP TIME!
With a smirk, Regina joined the broach as her dress changed back into it's initial standby form. Afterwards, the orbs soon transformed into a new set of armor. She gained a new jacket that had the same wire pattern as Ex-Aid's body suit over the familiar chestplate nearly all of 2016's Riders had, a new pair of white and neon green boots, a short skirt and shorts.
Finally, Ex-Aid’s helmet appeared alongside the face of a honey blonde cybernetic magical girl appeared and fused to create a pair of goggles that had a headset on the right, alongside making her hair short and spiky akin to Ex-Aid's helmet.
LEVEL~ UP~! EX~AID~!
With her transformation complete, she soon received a pair of smaller cutesy versions of the Gashacon Breaker that had Ridewatch ports on them before she pointed it forward and performed a cutesy pose.
"Rider Girl Zi-O Ex-AidDress will clear another game!" Zi-O declared as she winked.
Emu was... understandably trying to not blush from the silver clock girl's cutesy display, and judging by Hiiro's repeated mantras of "You have Saki. You have Saki. You have Saki. You have Saki. You have Saki", he wasn't alone on that fact.
“W-Wow, you really are a magical girl, right down to the catchphrases.” he slightly stammered.
“I mean, I use the power of magical girls to fight.” Zi-O answered before she put her hammers together and prepared for a fight.
“Magical girls… despite having a trinket based on me?” Ex-Aid mused before Zi-O tapped her hammers together.
“Ex-Aid, Brave, fight with me!” Zi-O shouted as the boys nodded, Ex-Aid’s face still red as the Rider Girl jumped first. She struck the Another Rider with her hammers, creating a circle of cartoon stars with each hammer. She jumped back, letting Ex-Aid take the lead as she does a few practice swings with her arms.
Ex-Aid pressed the A Button on his Breaker, popping the blade out as he swung the sword in tandem with Brave, who showed much greater discipline with the blade compared to the pink gamer Rider. The Ex-Aid Bugster tried to use his sledgehammer to block the swing, but Ex-Aid stomped his foot on the monster’s foot. The Another Rider flinched in pain, stepping back as the pink gamer Rider pressed the A button. He pressed the Breaker’s B button 5 times, before landing multiple blows with the hammer.
“I will get you for this… Ex-Aid!” Ex-Aid Bugster swung his sledgehammer, only to end up hitting the broad side of Brave’s sword instead.
“Take this!” the blue gamer Rider called out before performing a double spinning flash, once with the firey side of his blade and again with the icy side of his sword.
The two attacks knocked him back as Zi-O quickly jumped past the two Riders. However a shot from the Ex-Aid Bugster’s sledgehammer sends the silver clock girl flying into a wall as she fell to the ground and groaned. Zi-O looked at Ex-Aid and Brave’s chestplates, showing that their gauges was halfway down.
“Guys, let me handle this!.” Zi-O stated as the two gamer Riders nodded. After flying forward, she land on the top end of the sledgehammer, before jumping behind the monster. Regina then turned around and tried to kick Ex-Aid Bugster, only for the monster to block it.
“Tch, I won’t let you beat me!” the Ex-Aid Bugster shouted as he spins the Dai Hammer. The hammer shined with a rainbow light as Zi-O’s eyes widen.
DYNAMIC STRIKE!
The Ex-Aid Bugster struck Zi-O across the chest, sending the girl flying through a building. After getting the rubble off of her, the silver clock Girl grit her teeth as sparks came from the center. Her dress started to glow briefly, but the light faded away as Zi-O remains in her transformed state. She then felt a brick hit her head as Zi-O looked around as to where the brick came from.
“Man, that is… Ugh… I really can’t take another hit…” Zi-O stated as she dusted herself off. She then looked up to see several floating bricks above her. “Wait, was I doing this in…”
Meanwhile, Ex-Aid got back up as he turned to see several buildings fallen over due to the Dai Hammer’s impact. The boy looks around, seeing floating bricks manifest all around him.
“That impact, it must have triggered something in the game to start spawning the power-ups.” Ex-Aid quickly jumped and broke a brick with his hammer. He sees an Energy item as it enters his body.
RECOVERY!
His gauge filled back up, returning a lot of stamina as the boy quickly broke another brick. Brave decided to grab this new Energy Item as his suit started to shine like metal.
IRON-BODY!
The boys turned around to see the Ex-Aid Bugster gripping his sledgehammer tight. They slowly walked towards each other, starting slow before they broke into a full-on charge at each other. Ex-Aid and Brave ducked under the large hammer, going under the swing before they struck the Another Rider’s’ shins, making the monster stumble.
“Tch, you little brat!” the Another Rider shouted as he raises his warhammer.
However, Ex-Aid and Brave leaped into the air before the monster slams his weapon on the ground. The shockwaves shook the ground, as the two Riders lands on a shaking building.
“Hold on, do you see that?” Brave asked Ex-Aid, who quickly saw some sweat start to form on his face. Not only that, but his grip on the hammer was starting to loosen more and more.
“Yeah, he’s getting tired.” Ex-Aid realized.
Even as the monster started to get up, he looked around to see no one else. But once he looked up up, Ex-Aid saw to see a speeding black figure in the distance.
“Where are you, Ex-Aid? I will-” the Ex-Aid Bugster was interrupted as Zi-O slammed her body into the monster in a flying side kick.
She stumbled onto the ground, very out of breath as she struggled to remain standing. The monster on the other hand fell to the ground in pain.
“Freaking speed-up… That was harder to control than I thought.” Zi-O commented as she regained her stance.
She then saw the Ex-Aid Bugster get back up before the silver clock girl rushed forward. The Another Rider tried to swing his hammer, only for him to not notice the real Ex-Aid strike his head with his Gashacon Breaker’s head, or spot Brave drive his sword straight through his back.
The Another Rider tried to recover, only for Zi-O to strike his arms, making him drop the hammer. The Ex-Aid Bugster stepped back, as sparks start to cover his body.
“Regina, finish it!” Ex-Aid called out as Regina nodded, using her hammers to press the button on the silver Ridewatch.
FINISH TIME!
With her power surging, the silver clock girl leaped into the air and lifted her hammer into the air. The weapon itself began to glow while yellow stars formed around them as Regina took a bow.
“Time to clear this level and send you straight into the trash bin!” Regina declared as she next pressed the button on the Ex-Aid Ridewatch.
EX-AID!
"This will not stand! I-I-I a-a-am the strong-g-gest boss!" The Ex-Aid Bugster declared despite his distorted form as he tried to attack the silver clock girl. But Zi-O dodged the strike as she spins her driver. Her hammers afterwards began to glow with wild techincolor electricity.
CRITICAL TIME BREAK!
With a smirk, Zi-O swung one of her hammers and knocked the monster upwards, the impact creating some cartoon stars. She then jumped into the air and began spinning before she hit the Ex-Aid Bugster like a spinning top, each strike creating the katakana for HIT. As soon as she stopped, Zi-O combined her hammers into one larger Gashacon Breaker, the weapons’ handle slightly extended to allow her to grip it with both hands. This also manifested a large cartoon star right before the two fighters.
CRITICAL INSTALLATION!
With all of her might, Zi-O swung her hammer as hard as she could and flung the Ex-Aid Bugster straight into the star. The silver clock girl then landed safely on the ground and watched as the star began to glitch at the same time as the Another Rider.
“Damn you… Damn you, magical brat!” Salty snarled as he reverted back to his original body until both he and the star exploded, leaving the shattered Anotherwatch behind. Satisfied, Zi-O twirled and winked with her left eye.
“Now that’s what I call Game Clear!” Zi-O cheered.
After the battle, the group gathered outside the same room where the crisis began. Gia said nothing as she looked around, seeing the damages to the room. The rebel was going to open her mouth when the screen in front of the VR Console glowed. Ex-Aid, Brave and Zi-O emerged.
“My princess! You obtained a new strength!” Squira cheered as she rushed towards the Rider Girl.
The two girls hugged for several seconds as Zi-O rubs her head on the sister. After the two broke off, Gia blinks as she looks at her sister’s new form.
“Huh, so you were able to enter the game through that form?” Gia asked as Zi-O shook her head.
Ex-Aid pulled out the Corrector Ex-Aid Gashat as Squira chuckled. “Nah, we used this new Gashat to yank Salty into Mighty Brothers XX. From there, it was me, Hiiro and Regina triple-teaming teaming the Bugster till she got the last hit.” he explained.
“It was a team effort.” The swordsman stated while Regina leaped in the air with a smile.
“Yeah, we kicked Salty’s butt and defeated him!” she cheered.
“That is wonderful, now… I need to make the speech before you return to normal.” Squira marveled. “Rejoice! This is the moment where the heir gains Ex-Aid’s passion and the healing systems of the Correctors! Her name is… Rider Girl Zi-O: Ex-AidDress! She’ll clear every game and prove her worth!”
Everyone watched Squira, as she let out a knowing smirk. Gia felt a nudge on her arm as she turned towards Hiiro.
“That’s Squira’s other thing, don’t ask me why she makes a speech each time Regina gets a new form.” Gia told them while Zi-O was left confused.
“So… is that it? Do I just have this Ridewatch to prove I beat the monster?” she asked as she finally dismissed her transformation.
As she returned to normal, Regina looked at Gia who just seemed to stare at her. Not with glee, anger, but with some interest as Regina turned her attention towards her new Ridewatch.
“Well, yes, that Ridewatch is proof that you have beaten the monster. Usually, without a Rider Link, that Rider’s history would be stored in the watch. But with the Rider Link, you don’t need to erase any part of Ex-Aid’s history.” Squira explained as Regina understood.
“I see, but I feel like there should be something more. Like a book, something to…” Regina took a deep breath, as she held her hands outwards. She closed her eyes, seeing nothing but darkness as a white glow covered the girl.
“Regina?” Emu called out as everyone else was shocked.
“The hell is she doing?” Gia asked as Regina just focused. She felt warmth inside her body, something moving under her skin. Regina didn’t know how else to describe it, as her Ridewatches began to shine as well. She saw a white light in the black void, something that held an object Regina couldn’t make out.
As the object got closer, Regina saw it in her eyes as she squeezed the Ridewatch, causing a silver and pink picture book to appear before her. After the book fell into her hands, she saw the cover now had two symbols, Ex-Aid’s and Build’s, alongside the Zi-O crest. This made the sisters curious.
‘Regina found a way to save the Strange World without…’ Squira pondered while Regina flipped through the picture book to find all of the pages to be empty. ‘This changes things. If Regina gets her Ridewatches here… Yes, that would make her the guaranteed princess to inherit the throne.’
“So, what just happened? Does this mean the world is safe?” Regina asked her sister.
The chronicler merely gave her younger sibling a reassuring pat on the head, “Yes, if I were to make a theory, perhaps the bonds you shared with Emu and Sento made have given this world and ours protection against any alterations to its timeline.”
“Oh… so this book is like my own mega Rider Link.” The princess realized, “That’s so cool! But… there’s nothing between the pages.”
“Well, it’s a picture book. Why not fill in the blanks yourself?” the chronicler suggested.
This gave Regina an idea as she quickly took out a small pen and began scribbling something until she created a black and white drawing of Emu, Hiiro, and Taiga all hanging out at the arcade with Lazer staring from an arcade machine next to the one the kids were playing, while the text of “See You Next Game” adorned the side of the main machine’s screen.
“That’s a cute drawing.” Squira observed, which made the princess giggle.
“Yep! Its how I’ll remember everyone here!” Regina stated as the girls laugh before suddenly, the Gashats that she and Gia had obtained flew into the page, giving the princess’ drawing it’s color.
“Right…” Gia said as she sighs. “Hey, Squira, are you sure that this picture book isn’t holding any sort of surprises.”
“Please don’t ruin the fun, Gia.” Squira replied as Emu chuckles.
“Wow, that is…” Emu stated before shrugging, “not bad.”
“Thank you!” Regina stated with a wide smile as Gia moved her left arm to show the bracelet, which thankfully seemed to have adjusted to the dimension. She then tapped on the screen as the device began to whirl to life.
“So, you gotta go?” Hiiro asked.
“Yep, if we are going around saving these worlds… Well, we got to say goodbye.” Gia said.
“Yeah… Well, we gotta go! See ya sometime later, Emu!” Regina stated as Luna stays by the four.
“See ya later!”
“Don’t forget to try and contact us!”
“Thank you for the help, Regina!” Emu shouted with a cheeky smile. Gai pressed the button, creating a pillar of light shooting up into the sky.
The four people went through the pillar, entering another era. Meanwhile, the hooded figure was sitting on a rooftop, holding onto a bright red toy-like car with a silver middle.
“Interesting, so she has that power as well…” The hooded figure pondered aloud, watching the pillar of light from nearby. “Regina, you play a far bigger role in this story than you believe. Your trials have just begun.” The figure then walked away, their footsteps echoing in the now empty hallways.
Meanwhile on a rooftop, Parad was sitting down on the floor as he watched the night sky. The Bugster always enjoyed stargazing, it felt so natural, something detached from playing with Emu or the humans. Something about the stars felt good, if not natural to see.
“Ah, the stars seem brighter than usual. Is something going on?” Parad asked as he looked at a constellation floating above the sky.
In the center of the gathering was a pink star as the Bugster looks at it curiously.
He thought about today’s events, from seeing Salty gain the powers of Ex-Aid to meeting that girl with the Ziku Driver. Regina, that name wouldn’t leave Parad’s mind as he took a look at his hand. He then got up on his feet, before deciding to walk towards the edge of the roof. He quickly jumped down to a platform, grabbing the railings as he peaked upwards.
“I wonder, Emu… What does it feel like to have a family? Why do they matter more than more or your games?” Parad pondered as he saw Emu eating with his parents. “Do you… really believe that life truly is sacred.”
On a racetrack, there was a teenage boy who was watching a race as he kept a camera on his person. As he sees a red speeding car move ahead of the pack, he readies his camera. Taking a deep breath, he takes the photo as people cheer with excitement.
“And with that, Shinnosuke takes first place yet again!” The announcer shouted as people clap. The boy lets out a smile as he looks at the photo. Behind him, a figure in a black long coat and a pair of sunglasses watches the race from above the stands.
“Drive, this time, I will take your name, your fame… all of it for myself.” The figure stated as he lets out a wide smile. He jumped off the roof, landing in the back of the stadium now replaced by a gray and white mechanical figure with a spider-like face.
NEXT STRANGER: “Racer” 20XX
(Ending Song: Lost In Thoughts All Alone ENGLISH version by Amalee)
The instrumentals kick in as it shows Regina resting on a throne made of glass. As she slumbers, a ray of light shines on her face as she opens her eyes. Regina gets up as the surroundings begin to change to a field full of grass with blue skies above her.
/You are an ocean of waves
Weaving a dream
Like thoughts become a river stream/
Regina walks around the field as a gentle breeze blows through her hair. She notices the remains of a castle having the weapons of the Heisei weapons slammed into the stone.
/Yet may the tide ever change
Flowing like time
To the path, yours to climb/
Regina looks at the mostly intact stained glass depicting her friends as she walks past them. One depicts Gia holding onto a glowing orb, the second depicting Squira holding onto her book with ruins on the bottom and yellow light on the top.
/Thou seek the light
With an outstretched hand/
The third depicts Luna as she slumbers with a crescent moon above her and the fourth image is now replaced by a blooming rose in a grasslands.
/A divine blade lies before you
So command the wake of dreams/
Regina pulled out the blade as a glass wall in front of her crumbles. Revealing two golden pillars standing apart from each other and a broken-down gold throne.
/To restore the world, cut 'way the seams/
Regina begins to reach out to the throne as she looks down. She sees some shards on the ground reflecting her Rider Girl self as she walks forward. The light shines as it changes Regina into her Rider Girl form.
/Join in our prayer, in our song
Of birthrights and love/
As Regina approaches the throne, the walls crumble down to reveal the logos of the various Heisei Era Riders and a mirror showing events from the shows.
/Come the sun, illuminate the sky
Pray that we may quell the dark/
The sun shines upon Zi-O's events as Regina struck the same pose as the clock Rider. She turned to see her friends smiling at her as they approach her. Regina nods as she sits on the throne. Causing a white glow to cover it as the chair transforms.
/Light take the throne
Lost in thoughts, all alone/
The throne becomes a bright silver with pink in the middle as Regina sits there. She put the Zikan Girade on the chair’s left arm as she looks up to the sky and smiles. It ends with sunlight shining on the girl’s head before the screen turned to white.
NEXT TIME ON EDGE OF TIME DUAL DESTINIES
"Welcome to today’s race!”
“Now what? Are the crimes now just a case of cheaters?”
“I will become the true Drive!”
“Well, let’s grab the wheel!”
“So, who will take first place now?”
SPINNING WHEEL 2014
