Meanwhile, with Chievil distracting the enemies, Divine and Spirit immediately pulled the cards from their Beast Soul Drivers and inserted them into their Beast Soul Bracelets. Then they simultaneously turned the dials in opposite directions.
Awaken
Rising
Two different styles of mechanical voices rang out, and Divine and Spirit were each enveloped in flames of two distinct styles.
Divine was surrounded by a raging, scorching crimson fire, while Spirit was enveloped in crimson-lotus flames that seemed calm but were filled with the intent to burn!
The Soul of Flame Feather
Fire Rosefinch
Whoosh!
Swoosh!
As the two different mechanical voices fell silent, a crimson figure suddenly darted out from one of the flames, accompanied by a flaming arrow that shot out of the other. Together, they charged toward Knight Hunter with unstoppable force.
Knight Hunter slashed Chievil back with a single stroke, but a flaming arrow suddenly flew toward him from the side.
Seeing it, Knight Hunter reached out and caught the arrow. But he seemed to have overlooked the intense flames concentrated inside it. The instant he caught it, the arrow exploded, turning into a blooming crimson lotus of fire that spread from Knight Hunter's palm all the way up his arm.
He panicked for a moment. Then a crimson figure suddenly appeared in front of him. Divine clenched his claw into a fist, and the translucent, flame-like armor covering his hand instantly flared with red light. His clawed hand became like a real ball of fire—scorching and dazzling.
Divine's fist then struck Knight Hunter in the abdomen before he could react. In an instant, the flames concentrated in Divine's punch burst out. A flower of fire bloomed where Knight Hunter's body met Divine's fist, its size rivaling the fiery lotus wrapped around Knight Hunter's arm. The powerful impact sent Knight Hunter flying like a cannonball fired from a cannon.
As Knight Hunter was hurled through the air, before he could hit the ground, he suddenly felt something coil around his waist. He strained to look down and saw a flash of purple. He recognized it as Chievil's Thunder Chain.
While Knight Hunter was still thinking, Chievil wasted no time. He yanked the Thunder Chain and slammed Knight Hunter into the ground, leaving a pit about a meter deep. Then he pulled the chain again, smashing him into the ground on the other side and creating another crater.
At the same time, Spirit, who had been waiting nearby, raised the Crimson Lotus Crossbow on his arm, which looked like a burning great bird, and aimed it at Knight Hunter. Then he pulled the trigger.
A flaming arrow shot from the Crimson Lotus Crossbow, every bit as powerful as the previous one—or even stronger.
As soon as it left the crossbow, the arrow transformed into a small firebird and landed on Knight Hunter.
Bang!
A loud explosion rang out, and a burst of fiery light, like a miniature mushroom cloud, instantly engulfed the spot where Knight Hunter stood.
"Did we get him?"
"I don't know."
"Hm?... Ugh!"
Just as the three of them watched the explosion warily, Chievil suddenly felt a tremendous force tugging from the other end of the Thunder Chain. The powerful pull yanked him straight toward it.
"Kashu!"
As the aftershock of the explosion faded, Knight Hunter stood there without a single scratch, as if Divine and the others' attacks had been no more than a tickle.
He had Chievil by the throat and lifted him effortlessly. Then he tossed him away like a piece of trash. Divine hurriedly beat his wings and flew up to catch Chievil, as Knight Hunter's voice rang out.
"Heh. What a shame. Anyone else would probably have been caught off guard by the three of you working together so perfectly. But unfortunately for you, you ran into me. Your attacks didn't hurt me at all. Instead, they let me absorb some of their power and grow stronger. And thanks to you, I've collected some useful data, too. As a reward, I'll make sure you die quickly!"
"Kuuga!"
The dial on his belt turned to the image of a stag beetle, and Knight Hunter's appearance changed once more. This time, he took on the form of Kuuga, the first Heisei Kamen Rider, though his appearance bore some resemblance to Kuuga's Azure Dragon form.
The Serrated Sword in Knight Hunter's hand wriggled once more, transforming into a staff with rounded ends and a green jewel set in the middle.
Knight Hunter leaped into the air and thrust the staff toward Spirit. At the same time, an invisible force quietly gathered at its tip.
Spirit didn't hesitate. He quickly raised the Crimson Lotus Crossbow on his arm to shield himself.
In an instant, their weapons collided. Knight Hunter's strength far exceeded Spirit's expectations, and he was knocked back several steps. A simple, golden-yellow stag beetle emblem appeared on Spirit's Crimson Lotus Crossbow, then quietly vanished. Spirit didn't notice it, but he had no time to look.
Knight Hunter attacked him relentlessly, and Spirit struggled to defend himself. Just then, Divine and Chievil suddenly appeared to help, giving Spirit a brief respite.
"Hmph! Don't celebrate yet. The warm-up is just beginning!"
As soon as Knight Hunter finished speaking, his weapon changed again, this time into a greatsword. His appearance shifted slightly as well. He still had Kuuga's head, but his chest and shoulder armor became immensely thick, giving him an imposing, powerful build.
He simply raised the greatsword and casually swung it at Chievil, who was closest to him. A shower of sparks suddenly burst from Chievil's body, and he fell to the ground from the impact. A deep sword mark had appeared across the armor on his chest.
"Ugh..." Chievil lay on the ground, one hand pressed to the sword mark as he groaned in pain. The armor on his body couldn't withstand the blow and forcibly deactivated.
Kashu's face was pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He pressed a hand to the horrific, bloody wound on his chest.
"Kashu!..."
"Instead of worrying about someone else, you should worry about yourself!"
While Divine was focused on the gravely wounded Kashu, Knight Hunter suddenly turned around and brought down the same greatsword with casual ease.
Sensing danger behind him, Divine hurriedly beat his wings and flew into the air. At the same time, Spirit suddenly cut in from the side.
Annoyed that his attack had been interrupted, Knight Hunter shifted his gaze from Divine in the sky to Spirit in front of him. His body and weapon changed together, returning to the staff-wielding form from before.
He stepped forward and thrust the staff at Spirit, but Spirit, already prepared, dodged it.
Knight Hunter abandoned that attack and turned his wrist, sweeping the staff at Spirit instead.
Spirit failed to dodge in time and was struck in the abdomen by the staff. He stumbled backward several steps. Knight Hunter, unwilling to let the opportunity pass, suddenly leaped high into the air and thrust the staff toward the center of Spirit's chest. A simple, golden-yellow stag beetle emblem appeared on Spirit's chest.
Boom!
"Waaaah!"
The emblem suddenly exploded. Sparks burst violently from Spirit's chest, and his armor, just like Kashu's, couldn't withstand the blow and forcibly deactivated. Takai Geki fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Geki..."
Swoosh!
"Huh?!" Before Divine could finish speaking, a tiny golden arrow struck his right wing. The stag beetle emblem that had appeared on Spirit's chest appeared once more on Divine's right wing.
Bang!!!
The energy gathered within the emblem exploded on Divine's right wing. With one wing gone, Divine plummeted from the sky like a broken kite, leaving a modest crater in the ground.
Divine's armor also couldn't withstand the damage and forcibly deactivated. Knight Hunter, back in his original form, slowly walked over to Senba Gari, who lay unconscious in the crater, and raised the Blood-Colored Serrated Sword.
Bang!
Just as he was about to bring the Serrated Sword down, a gunshot rang out and interrupted his attack.
Knight Hunter reacted swiftly, turning around and swinging the Serrated Sword. He split a small missile in two with a single slash. It exploded, sending up a cloud of smoke.
Boom!!!
Two silver figures darted out of the smoke. Seeing them, Knight Hunter tossed aside the Serrated Sword and calmly held out both hands.
Smack!
"What?!"
Blade and the Silver Phantom stared in shock as their blades were caught so casually by their opponent. Was this a joke?!
"Ha!"
Knight Hunter laughed scornfully. Then both his hands moved at once. He flung the Silver Phantom aside with one hand, while the other slipped past Blay Rouzer and seized Blade by the neck, lifting him like a chick. Five sharp claws sprouted from his free hand and pressed against Blade's abdomen. His voice was icy as he spoke.
"Tell me... what do you think would happen if I used just a little force? Oh, right—you're immortal. But that doesn't matter. I'm sure you've figured it out by now. I can transform into any Heisei Kamen Rider from Kuuga through Ghost, and use the corresponding abilities. Tell me—if I use Blade's power, your power, what would happen to this world?"
"You...!" Blade stared in horror at Knight Hunter, who was about to attack him. Despair welled up inside him. If what his opponent said was true, then only Hajime would be left as a Joker in this world. In that case... No! He couldn't let that happen!
Just as Knight Hunter was about to strike, he realized Blade had suddenly begun struggling violently. That only excited him more.
"Interesting. Are you afraid? Hehahahaha! A Kamen Rider, afraid? Hehahahahahaha!"
Bang!
Just as Knight Hunter began laughing, another gunshot rang out. The bullet struck the wrist of the hand gripping Blade's neck with pinpoint accuracy.
"Who?!" Knight Hunter released Blade in pain and backed away, keeping a considerable distance from Blade, who was half-kneeling on the ground. He warily scanned his surroundings.
In an open space not far away, a mercury-colored barrier suddenly appeared before him. A Kamen Rider with green compound eyes, clad mainly in magenta, white, and black, emerged from it. The gun in his hand had a strange design, and smoke curled from its barrel. It was clear that he had fired the bullet.
"Why shouldn't a Kamen Rider be afraid? You have to understand, Kamen Riders are people, too!"
The tenth Heisei Kamen Rider, the destroyer of worlds—Decade!
History About to Be Rewritten
Watching Decade suddenly appear and ruin his plans, Knight Hunter clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch... Looks like luck isn't on my side today. One nuisance after another keeps showing up. Whatever. I've collected enough data for now, so I'll let you live today." With that, Knight Hunter bent his knees, leaped into the air, and vanished.
Watching Knight Hunter disappear in silence, Decade quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't been confident he could drive Knight Hunter away. Then he looked back at Senba Gari and the others, who were sprawled across the ground, and sighed helplessly. Mercury-colored spatial barriers appeared in front of each of them, transporting them all somewhere else.
---Scene break---
"Ugh..." After a long time in the darkness, Senba Gari opened his eyes, only to find the sunlight coming in from outside too bright to look at. Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, he gazed around in confusion at the very familiar surroundings.
"This place... isn't it my living room? How did I get back? Wasn't I..."
"Oh? You're finally awake, junior."
While Senba Gari was still wondering how he had gotten back, a voice suddenly sounded. He immediately looked over warily. A man with unruly hair, a rectangular magenta twin-lens reflex camera hanging around his neck, a black jacket, and a red sweater sat with another man who had slightly long black hair and wore a brown coat. They had their legs crossed and were holding cups of tea brewed for them by the Silver Phantom.
"Don't be so on edge. Relax... slurp..." One of the men in the brown coat waved casually at Senba Gari, then took a small, savoring sip of tea along with his companion.
"..." Seeing the two men leisurely drinking tea in his living room, Senba Gari didn't know what to say.
"Ahh—your robot makes great tea. It's much better than Takumi's lifeless Auto Vajin. This one's much more to my taste. Hey, junior, give me this robot. This 'treasure' is right up my alley! And the best part is, it's a motorcycle." The man patted the Silver Phantom, whose chest panel displayed (?_?), without the slightest attempt to hide what he wanted.
"Hey! Who are you two, anyway? Drinking tea so leisurely in my house is one thing... but you're trying to steal my robot right in front of me! What kind of bandit are you?!" Senba Gari pointed at the man's nose.
The man didn't care about Senba Gari's gesture. He took another sip of tea at his leisure before finally replying.
"I'm not a bandit. I'm a Kamen Rider thief!"
"...Wow... I see... But what's the difference?! If anything, that sounds just as bad!" At that moment, Senba Gari could only think, MMP.
"Alright, alright, Kaito, quit messing around. We still have something important to discuss." The man with the camera around his neck interrupted their bickering.
"So who are you two, then?!" Senba Gari demanded again.
"Ahem." The man with the camera held a fist before his mouth and coughed softly a few times. Then he leisurely began, "If I only gave you our names, you'd probably still be wary of us. So let me tell you who we are as well. I'm Kadoya Tsukasa, and I'm also Kamen Rider—Decade."
As he spoke, Kadoya Tsukasa took out a card bearing Decade's distinctive image and showed it to Senba Gari.
"Kaito Daiki. Like him, I'm also a Kamen Rider—Kamen Rider Diend. And we're your seniors, so you should show us a little respect when you speak. If you give me this robot, I might consider forgiving you." Kaito Daiki leisurely sipped his hot tea and slowly introduced himself.
"I still have to refuse, so please keep resenting me for the rest of your life, senior..."
Senba Gari stared dumbfounded at the two men. The two people leisurely drinking tea in front of him were actually Kamen Riders—and, if he hadn't got it wrong, they were his senior Riders. And if he wasn't mistaken, these two senior Riders were also the reason he'd returned home. Senba Gari lowered his head and thanked Kadoya Tsukasa and Kaito Daiki.
"If I'm not mistaken, you two seniors were the ones who rescued us. Thank you very much."
"Oh? You figured that out? You're not so dumb after all. But Tsukasa was the one who really saved you. I just came out for some fresh air." Kaito Daiki pointed at Kadoya Tsukasa beside him.
"Either way, thank you, seniors," Senba Gari said again.
"If you really want to thank me, give me that robot," Kaito Daiki said, his eyes gleaming with a certain longing.
(?_?)
"...Just how much do you like my Phantom? You've got Cangqiong and Ziying, but you're fixated on Phantom... Even though you're my senior, I still have to refuse. I'm very sorry."
"Tch, so it's still a no. If only I could steal it..."
"Hey, you just said 'steal,' didn't you? →_→"
"Alright, you two, that's enough. And Kaito, we came here for something important." Kadoya Tsukasa interrupted them.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. Tsukasa, you tell him."
"I'll skip the small talk and get straight to the point. I came here to ask you for a favor." Kadoya Tsukasa looked solemnly at Senba Gari. "That is, to change history—"
But before Kadoya Tsukasa could finish, Senba Gari suddenly felt the space around him twist. Time stopped, and everything froze at the moment Kadoya Tsukasa began speaking.
Then everything returned to darkness.
—Scene change
One hour earlier—
Inside a sealed-off area of the Relic Hall, countless pipes and machines stood incongruously among the surroundings. A massive, upright ring-shaped machine stood motionless in the center, with all the surrounding wires and pipes connected to it in an orderly fashion.
"Hahahaha! It's finally... finally complete! The ultimate weapon for wiping out those despicable Kamen Riders once and for all!"
Before you continue