"Hey, hang in there!"

Just a few minutes ago, a man in strange black-armor suddenly appeared in your room, in the short time he had he gave you several warnings, important pieces of information for you to follow up on. He's fading fast though...

"D-don't believe that you've suddenly won.. just because I came back... You have to keep fighting..."

He struggles to breathe for a few moments, so you opt to remove his damaged helmet for him, underneath is a face you don’t recognize. You’re glad that it’s nobody you recognize, as it is you aren’t sure if you would have had the heart to see such a thing. His wheezing eases for a few moments.
“I won’t give in.”

Nodding, you look at him, even though you don’t can’t identify him, his features tell you enough; gaunt cheeks, thin and dried lips. This was a man at the very edge of his life. His body loosened up as he spoke his final words.

"The future.... it's changing..." He gasps several times, then his gaze reaches past you, somewhere you can't go. "Ah, Mao... Gauze... you guys are as rowdy as ever..." He smiles one last time, before the warmth in his body finally disappears, his hands slip from their grip around your shirt, dangling onto the floor. You say a brief prayer for him, then gently set him down as you examine him. What catches your eyes next is a certain item around his waist. Even as damaged and worn down as it is, you recognize it perfectly, it's your Rider buckle. Based on how he was talking, you can only conclude it's yours. In your previous conversation he basically gave you a password to your trust that you never knew you had, someone important to you must have said something. Who though? Ignoring that, you examine his body next.

His body had a number of injuries, his armor is damaged and tattered; his wound is no longer leaking... from what you see it's roughly palm-sized; he must have been in one hell of a battle before coming here. Briefly, you wonder if he was actually using your belt. Running your finger over the gyro, you feel it's still warm.

Checking over your shoulder, the door is still shut tightly, if someone had woken up from all the noise, they were likely still thinking about whether or not they'd get up at all. No sooner had you thought that when a group of stumbling footsteps came thumping closer.

Hurriedly donning an extra shirt, you race to the door, just in time to meet Joey, Carol, and a couple of the older kids coming to investigate.

"Mister... we heard a lot of loud voices recently, are you okay?"

"Are we being robbed?"

"Are you busy?"

They seemed calm when they saw you, asking harmless questions, but you're in a strange situation, there's no way you'll let them into your room right now.

"Sorry, I had a nightmare and hurt myself. My bad, kiddos." You give them a false smile, there's no way it could be real after what you just saw, but you can't let the kids see the body.

"You shout in your nightmares a lot?" Joey asked in disbelief.

"Um, my mom used to sing for me when I was had nightmares..." Carol offered to share a family tradition, very nice of her, it's really not what you want though.

"It's okay. I'm a cyborg so I can just shutdown anytime." You give an eager thumbs up this time. As you escort the kids to their rooms, to make sure they tuck in okay, you also forbid them from coming out. You say it's so you can clean up that glass cup, and you do, but you needed the privacy. After that, you return to your room, and search the man in detail. Under his armor is a datapad.. yours... the entry he left it on was the one you just made today, was this how he made it here? Was it the best possible timeframe to interfere? Just how soon were you going to set off that trap?

The belt comes off easily enough, it's still keyed to your nanocode, strange how he had it on though, at all. Hypothetically, anybody could wear the armor if they were strong enough, they wouldn't be able to use it at full power though, nor would they be able to do anything as crass as pluck it off your body. Which leaves one problem, in his timeline you weren't around anymore, so who put it on him?

The next important item is his ID card, it's scratched and damaged, the holo-avatar no longer worked, but you know who it is now. It's Thoth, a man you had only been briefly introduced to, usually when you saw him, he was in reflective black-armor. However, here his armor is damaged, beat to heck, customized for heavier fighting, you couldn't have recognized him. Still, guess that means he's not the traitor, it might be worth approaching him in the present.

You've still got a body on your hands, what are you going to do?

>Bury him in your backyard

>Bury him outside Tokyo

>Write-in

Hmm, maybe I should have held off so I could do a full session? Anyways, in my sleep-deprived wisdom, I've decided to leave this up overnight, then I can try to work on an update as soon as I wake up. I'll break a bit because i'll be eating out but then I'll return and update again. I made it didn't I, it's still saturday right?

>>5679713
>Bury him in your backyard
Plant some flowers over it.

I am slightly tempted by the insane idea of getting present Thoth to touch dead Thoth to see if some sort of paradox occurs.

>>5679713
>>Bury him in your backyard

After setting aside the important items, you gently wrapped up his body in a blanket. Next, you're quietly carrying him out, down the stairs, through the back door. It doesn't take long, you're in the backyard soon enough, there you dig up a cozy grave and gently set him inside. You're not sure how he would have liked to have been buried, briefly you think about asking present Thoth; it would certainly be a strange conversation, more so creepy, though. Once you finished transplanting some of the nearby flowers, the small ones that just grow everywhere, you offer a quick prayer. You're no priest, nor had you ever been to a funeral, but you figure it was the thought that counted.

Returning to your room, you think about your encounter from the future. He left behind that datapad, as well as a second buckle for you, of course you aren't going to throw the latter away. It's hard to say if it'll ever be useful though. Maybe you could give it to one of your doctor friends so they could study it?

He didn't tell you much about himself, but you understood enough, he came from some desperate hour, all to give you key pieces of information: There is a traitor on the castle, The Ark knows your every move, and you are not safe. There isn't much you can do about most of that, simply because the Ark and his minions have had centuries. But with justice on your side, you will never lose.

Onto the matter of that 'trap' somewhere in your house. Even the future Thoth didn't know what it was, it was likely he was just unable to investigate, a traitor could easily stall his efforts. You suddenly think about what would happen if you got present Thoth to touch his future self. Would a time patrolling policeman come to stop you, a time force even?

Looking out your window you can tell not much time has passed, it's still night time, and you're not likely to fall asleep tonight. Though you could force it, you'd prefer a more natural solution.


Or maybe you want to pick someone's brain about this?

>Get some rest

>Approach present Thoth

>Consult someone you know [Write-in]

>[Write-in]


About the trap, how will you handle that?

>Handle it yourself

>Combine with above

>Consult someone else [Write-in]

>[Write-in]


There's also the matter of 'your' datapad. It's only a theory, but the butterfly effect states that your future has already changed, events written down in this datalog might not necessarily happen to you. You've entered an alternate timeline, created by an interfering human from the future, whose mere presence is already echoing out and altering other events.

However, you get the feeling it's like a genie, once you let it out, you'll never be able to put it back, and if an enemy got their hands on this, it could lead to disaster...

>Destroy the datapad

>Read the datapad

>Give it to someone [Write-in]

Hmm, that's a lot of choices isn't it? You don't necessarily need to answer all questions, this isn't a test after-all! Anyways..

>>5679954
>Approach present Thoth

>Handle it yourself

>Destroy the datapad

>>5679954
>Consult someone you know [Write-in]
Let's get cain on this, she's a researcher right?

>Combine with above

>Read the datapad

>>5680054
+1, I swear this is a body from the future and totally not someone I killed.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5680054
>>5679989

Oh, disregard dice, 4chan is a slow updater sometimes

>>5680220
Hey check out this body i found!

You decide you need a fresh pair of eyes, luckily, Dr. Cain was here earlier so you can easily call her up. Surely there had to be an easier way of contacting people, like a castle-wide messaging service or something? Anyways, you decide to ring up the good doctor, for a little while you're wondering if this was such a good idea, until she finally picks up. She peels back a pair of soot-covered goggles and squints at the camera.

"What? Did I forget something?" She looks onto the camera curiously, and for the next few moments you try to pick your words. Fortunately, she's patient enough and doesn't say anything, merely raising a brow at your silence.

"Ah, you see, something strange has come up. I need your advice."

"Well... alright? Do you remember where my lab is?"

"I can't leave the kids alone."

"I gave you the droid program, did I not?"

"You did, but I can't use it yet, just please come back over."

Cain's face turns strange as she considers your request, she gives a deep sigh before taking her goggles off, and throws them somewhere offscreen.

"A purely professional matter, I hope?"

"Yes, doctor..."

"I don't make house calls often, you know? Alright, give me some time, then."

"Thank you, doctor!"

You end the call a little stiffer than you'd like, while it's true she's become a friendly acquaintance, you're about to bring up something truly strange. Perhaps you're better off not digging the body back up again, it's certainly not something you want to show a 'friend' in the dead of night. For the next while, you're pacing back and forth just behind your door, when Cain shows up again you don't even let her ring the doorbell. She's surprised but quickly moves past it, following your lead inside, allowing the doors to close automatically behind her.

"So, what's the trouble? I hope it's nothing as trivial as the children having nightmares?"

"It's not that."

As you lead her back into your sitting room, you offer her some tea you had prepared. Apparently, the processors can provide base ingredients, when you taste tested the tea it didn't seem too far off, it might actually be better like this. For a few moments, you considering your words again, while your fingers fidget. Fighting is easy, talking is hard, your dad had said something like that when you were younger, and he's just as right now as he was then.

Dr. Cain takes a loud sip of her tea, reminding you she's still here, before you speak up again. So, you open up about what's troubling you, except you leave out some details. You tell her a traveler from the future came to warn you about imminent danger, specifically, Thoth. Surprisingly, she was familiar with him.

"Thoth? Castle advisor and fortune teller?"

"Fortune teller?"

"That's right, they say he can see the future, he even takes a few jobs every now and then. I don't know how true any of it is, however." She gives you glance, "he claims to be a future Thoth, do you trust that?"

Well, he made no claims about his identity, you don't say that though. "Yeah, he said all the right things, plus, he had my belt."

".. When we first talked, you told me it was the machines who made you who you were originally. Are you sure it's not a trick?"

"Do you think they could sneak onto the castle themselves? Besides, he said certain things, I trust him."

"Then I'll trust in that."

Since you plant to get her advice, you include the part about the trap set in your very home. Her eyes go wide and she nearly spills her drink, just narrowly recovering.

"Pardon?"

"I-I haven't triggered it yet! I have good reason to believe it'll only go off once I go down!" You try to reassure her, she stays silent, posed half-standing, still holding her drink; likely trying to decide if she wants to make a break for it, before finally sitting down.

"I hope you're right. I'm trusting you on this."

"Yeah.."

'I hope so too..'

As the both of you sit down again -her back is noticeably straighter now- you offer her a refill of your tea before you begin discussions again. When you tell her Ark-Zero was somehow monitoring you, according to Thoth, anyways. As you both ponder this, she brings up the fact that they've been quiet lately.

"Actually, I've been working on something to track the substance known as Aether. While they haven't been attacking us, I believe they are still fully active. If they know about you and still haven't attacked, what could they be doing?"

The both of you think this through, and you're reminded of something your master once said. 'If an enemy is not attacking, he is plotting.' You say as much out loud, and Dr. Cain looks like she's suddenly inspired.

"If they're plotting... they could be... building?" She suggests. Building what though? As soon as you had thought that, she brings up another idea. "That damaged city-sized tank of theirs! If they fix that they could return to the fight in force, wipe out all our ground forces, and that means all our grounded castles!"

That doesn't sound entirely right to you, gut instinct speaking to you? Still, it's a very real possibility. It doesn't need to be said, but another weapon for the MLFOs is bad news for you. You offer to bring that up as soon as you can with the commander, and you move onto the next subject. The trap in your basement, you have no idea what it is, which means neither of you do. Suddenly, Dr. Cain speaks up.

"Wait a minute, you had a damage control team come down into the basement, and nothing happened?"

"That's right."

"Who could have known you were out?"

Your brows furrow in thought, you mention Dekku and his construction crew, but is that right? Honestly, it from what you saw it seemed as if most of the castle knew, especially those present at the mess hall. Dr. Cain expresses her doubt as well and you're back to square one on that front. Back to the trap.

"Well, I would prefer it if you had called security instead of me. It's possible for me to alter the atmo settings in your house to freeze over your basement, this would stop any heat sensors, as well as disable anything primitive like string-triggered traps. Anything more than that, I'd have to have some devices delivered here." Seeing you nod, she continues on, "should anything more violent lay waiting for you, I'd recommend waiting until the kids leave, as well as myself."


A long conversation ends, what are you thinking?

>Let Dr. Cain freeze your basement and build her devices

>Let Dr. Cain freeze your basement, then handle it yourself

>Call security

>Write-in

Alright, brief break, for a few hours, then one final update for the night. I think I should have opened up the thread on action, so i'm a bit eager to get you back into the fighting.

>>5680269
>Let Dr. Cain freeze your basement and build her devices

wires, and pulls out some kind of handheld tool she kept in her coat. Sparks fly out of the open panel, the lights briefly flicker, and the vents start sputtering.

"Ah, definitely 25th century wiring..." She mumbles as she works. While she works, you're sealing up the fireplaces, making sure nothing could escape. A little while later a truck driven by one of her assistants arrives and she shoes him off, then she beckons you to give her a hand, for the rest of the night you're building, as well as plugging in a machine into your house interface, as well as the main circuit hub hidden behind a wall. Which you carefully removed; you'd just built this place after-all. You continue working through the night, operating on Cain's instructions, until at some point day has come, a few of the kids have woken up and are rightfully curious about what you're doing. You say it's just part of the cleaning, not entirely wrong, and they go on their merry way.

You'd like to share a breakfast with them, like a real family; however, it simply must take a seat back for this. While you're working it occurs to you that don't know what to do with the kids when it comes time to spring your trap, when you say this out loud Cain helpfully informs you there is a schoolhouse onboard the castle.

"Riight.. this place really does have everything..."

Apparently, an automated shuttle passes through the residential areas, Carol and Joey agree to shuffle everyone out of your hair when the time comes, it's hard to say whether they'd do it or not; they're kids too. For that matter you'd like to accompany them, still, it's not like it was their first day. As you think more about this you start to become bothered, it's getting harder to stay objective, you took up guardianship of those kids; yet it feels like you're putting distance between them, not unlike an overworked Father.

"Kamen Rider, we're done."

"Then let's activate it." You nod. With the kids gone, Cain gives you some final instructions before she leaves too, she's a civilian after-all, and you're loathe to bring her so close to danger. A low rumbling signals that it's active, supposedly this would nullify mana fields. Meaning things like household appliances, guns, along with other such weapons would be nullified for the time being. You feel a slight buzz in the air yourself, that's about it though

Having already donned your armor you make your way to the main sitting room. The basement was seemingly just for those servbots, so the fireplaces appeared to be the only ways in and out, restricting access in or out, which suited you just fine. The descent down was as dark as always, the passive lighting from the lift, as well as your compound visor served to balance it out a little. As you descended further down you began to feel the effects of Cain's modifications, a normal house wouldn't chill this low for safety reasons, but it was like suddenly walking into the arctic.

The low lighting you had is now reflected prismatically from the ice crawling upwards, the hatch appeared frozen over, so you tried to force it open with a good push. Suddenly a sharp prickling sensation jumped through your arm.

"Ow!"

Waiting for a reaction you suddenly pull your body back, nothing came though, must have been some residual charge. Forcing your way through, you blow the hatch off with pure force, shooting the metal plate off its frame. It flies through the air for a second before skidding to a halt on the icy floors. Glancing around the room, you see nothing but frosty metal. The capsules containing the deactivated servbots don't appear to be active, the table at the center is still empty, no new maps or other sinister devices. A low humming fills the room, you figure it's likely the machine up top.

You do discover a few things, there's a strange pair of cylinders on the sides of the walls, with some sort of motion sensor on the front of each, as well as a nozzle at the top of each. Had you walked in here cluelessly it was likely you'd release whatever was inside. You also find a small sort of... thing?

Picking it up you realize you have no idea what it is, except that it was tiny, it also came equipped with an embedded hover-track. Whatever it was it was clearly intended to move around. Not allowing for this to bite you later, you pull out what you understand is the control circuit, nothing happens. Good.

The room seems quiet, was that it? You double check again, and realize one thing, the machine up top wasn't loud enough to be heard down here. In fact, you stopped hearing it on the way down, so what's that noise? As you triple check, your blade antennae suddenly pick up a disturbance shifting the frozen air around, quickly turning you're blind sighted by a blade.

It strikes you in your shoulder, causing you to recoil into the table at the center, shattering it into dozens of frozen shards.

"You're too suspicious for your own good, Kamen Rider, the Ark does not remember you being this paranoid in your own home three-hundred years ago." An electronic voice addresses you, even as it takes another, and another swipe at you. Admittedly, you had left your guard down briefly, every single hit lands home, causing you to fall over, where you slide helplessly for a few moments. "Or maybe, he simply did not do his job?"

"Hiding in my basement? Minion of the Ark! Have you no shame?" You shout as you quickly try to stand yourself up.

"Indeed, quite true, Kamen Rider. I shall take my leave."

You get a quick look at the MLFO as it turns about, it's thin, sleek even, with two blades mounted into each arm. Its head appears to curve backwards, the entire frame seems like it folds up somehow, that was very likely how it was hiding until now. You wonder how it could have gotten into the castle, but you shelve that thought, the MLFO has gone up your basement hatch. Following it up you see a small trail of destruction leading through your front door. Torn up couches, and a blown-out door.

"I just fixed that! You'll pay!"

Running out you see a handful of people in shock, some are on the ground, no injuries though. It looks like they are just scared.

The castle has an intruder, what are you going to do about it?

>Go back into your house and sound the alert

>Question witnesses

>Try chasing it as best you can

>Write-in

Hmm, was that worth several hours? Sorry about that, to make it up to you(s), i'll try to get an update up tomorrow. For now, see ya!

fyi originally the trap was a bomb, it just blows you up, but i figured we could use some action around now, also it would be something of a jerk move to remove the house we'd been focusing on. Or maybe just foolish? Anyways no orphanage burning today, you're welcome

Oh, also as a note, the read the diary option: I think such a thing would be too long to include as a post unless you'd be okay with a paragraph or so. Instead, I'll focus one or two of the intermissions on it.

>>5680447
>Go back into your house and sound the alert

>>5680447
>Question witnesses

>>5680449
Huh I'm surprised that things didn't go as badly as all that yet.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5680690
>all that yet

Well, i'm not always sure how far I should go, but it's not like you guys have been making bad choices. I do sneak some sneaky ones in there every now and then. So far we only have a few nameless deaths and I think i gloss pretty quickly over those? Oops. Anyways, I will continue to endeavor to give you events.

Instead of running around like a panicked chicken, you go back into your house, and sound the alarm. While Cain disassembled the interface, it's still plugged in, technically. Keying the emergency button the house AI confirms your actions with a beep, then questions you.

"House! There's an intruder, we've been invaded!"

The house beeps twice then immediately after a loud klaxon horn sounded throughout the castle, as well as an announcement.

"All hands, Intruder alert! Civilians are to shelter in place! All Castle personnel are to be armed immediately! Repeat..."

While the PA system continued giving orders, Ordovis comes on through the radio in your rider helmet.

"Rider! This better be good!"

"We've been invaded! A machine lifeform just broke out of my house!"

"What?! Alright, get yourself mobile, I'll direct the soldiers! Ordovis out."

He can't see it, but you nod, and you sprint right out your new front window. The civilians are clamoring to get back to their houses, or to shelters, there don't appear to be injuries from the MLFO, when he broke out, he must have been in a rush, but where? Nonetheless, you need to get some speed, looking around, your bike is nowhere to be found, despite the fact that you'd left it parked right outside. So, you simply call for it again.

Raising your arm into the air, and spreading your legs wide, you snap your fingers. "Come, Ride Hopper!" Still not here? In order to stop wasting time you start sprinting off, by the time the cycle flies down to you Ordovis is back on the radio.

"We've got it sighted in the market district!"

"Roger!"

Holding down the accelerating, your bike blasts off, pulling back you aim it higher into the air, then you bank hard to your side, turning towards the right direction. By the time you get to the scene, it's standing there, almost like he was waiting for you. Seeing you he reacts, immediately slicing the front of a store, causing the signs and decorations to come crashing down. The people hadn't yet fully evacuated yet, those able to get away are scrambling to run, some are still trying to escape the store. Some manage to leave, but you know from the screams there are still people inside, and if the debris falls, then those escaping will be caught in the collateral.

"I, Incisor, might have failed to kill you! But I can still try, can't I?" The MLFO shouts to you, it remains unmoving though...

Dozens of people are still scream, citizens are in danger of the falling debris, how will you fight this?


>Rider Special

>Ride the Ride Hopper through it

>Shoot the Ride Hopper ahead of you

>Write-in

With that, the next update will come at the "usual" time, see you guys later!

Yes it appears to be just another minion of the day, sorry, they really did try to get you this time. He even called his boss to get inside. Trust me, a couple things are gonna happen this episode.

>>5680704
Either way is fine by me man.

>>5680712
>Rider Special

File: a7098658646.png (713 KB, 600x849)

713 KB PNG

"You'd be a fool to try!" You shout back. Holding down the accelerator you push your cycle harder, then kick off it, mid-air you turn towards the falling debris.

"Rider Slash!" You charge your right hand with a highly potent energy, and begin swinging. While there's no actual technique for slashing and falling walls, signs, or other debris, you think you do have something. You think back to your days of training, when the biggest thing you had to worry about was the upcoming tournament, or your homework. You envision a peaceful scene; you're standing knee-deep in a hot spring while a steaming waterfall crashes down your back.

You master throws hundreds of leaves and sticks into the air, then tells you to catch them mid-air, none must fall. Of course, you failed the first few hundred times, so you stayed like that for hours, trying and trying over again. While you had your own frustrated thoughts at the time, the served you well in the long run, and now it'll help you in the short-term.

Within the span of mere-seconds, your hand moves like water, floating through each chunk of wall, slicing through the larger chunks, vaporizing smaller objects; your glowing hand swipes through damaged signs, displays, as well as circuitry. As you finish your work, the momentum of your attacks turns you around, where you land on a knee, your arm held out straight to the side. What remains of the falling debris is no bigger than pebbles.

"Perhaps I am a fool. But only death remains in my future, mine, yours, or theirs!" Incisor quickly steps up to you and swipes his blade-arm across you, as you move to dodge, he pulls himself sharply to another side, and takes makes a jab at your side. Bringing your right arm around, you stop it with your Slash hand. For a few moments your blades grind together, the metal screeches, raising a shower of sparks. You brace your arm with your other hand, and start questioning the intruder.

"How did you get here?"

"Sorry, but the Ark will break me down for spare parts if I tell you."

"What's Ark-zero doing?"

"Right now? Watching, most likely."

Watching?

As you try to break through, your mind wanders to earlier, you think back to your basement, as well as the datalog Thoth brought with him. You discovered a few strange items, as well as this hidden assassin, none of this was mentioned in the few entries you managed to skim over. It's possible a combination of all these things were what brought you down in the other timeline, then your thoughts dwell on the kids you took in, the ones from the first timeline...

You’re distracted, but before Incisor can take advantage of it, someone else arrives. A soldier comes along to interrupt your clash for you. It's someone you've been seeing less of over time, Andes, the defacto leader of the squad you keep running into.

"Intruder spotted! Market district!"

Andes opens fire, a burst of laser fire pelts your opponent, planting noticeable scorch marks on its armor, even burning through slightly. with only inches between you two, you mentally compliment his accuracy, and Incisor would seem to agree with your assessment too as he suddenly tries to break away.

"We should move this fight, should we not?" Incisor said, then he suddenly holds out an arm towards Andes and fires off a blade.

"Watch out!" You shout as you try to reach for it, only for Incisor to intercept your hand with his blades, forcing you back into another clash. The glare of a gunmetal sword flashes through the air and nails Andes in the stomach. With a pained grunt he falls backwards. While you were distracted Incisor has pulled away, your compound visor catches him in your peripheral, hopping off rooftops. He seems to like running, it might be because he has no confidence in trying to win a fight with you. If you work with the soldiers to corner him or anticipate his next location, you might be able to stop him from running.

Before you decide what to do, you move to help a few people up. Most are suffering from scratches, bruises, at worst broken bones. Luckily, the Ride Hopper is very fast, you arrived here before the MLFO decided to get truly violent. When you check on Andes, you spot him trying to remove the blade on his own, until he beckons you to help.

“There’s hardly any blood.” You said as you quickly turn the former weapon over.

“Hardly any flesh there. I’m a full body cyborg, that wirebrain simply missed my vitals.” Andes gives you a pained smile. “Sorry you had to stop for me. I should have done better.”

“Nonsense.” You give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before you help him back up. “Just give me a hand, we have to take it down soon.”

He nods and starts speaking into his radio. Incisor is fast and slippery, in other words, he's the worst! It's hard to say what his goal is now, if he wants to kill you it's one thing, but wouldn't it have been better for him to just hide again? Or maybe he's plotting sabotage? Or maybe... he's planning something worse... Your thoughts dwell on the worse-case, but what will you do?

Will you ask for some help?

>Ask for soldiers to group at the Command Tower

>Ask for soldiers to group at the Engineering block

>Ask for soldiers to group at the Classrooms

>Leave them to track the invader

>Write-in


While you...

>Go to the Command Tower

>Go to the Engineering block

>Go to the Classrooms

>Try to track it down in the air

>Write-in

Hmm, what took so long? You might be asking? I have no idea, i'm sorry, i want to sleep... see you tomorrow..

>>5681295
>Leave them to track the invader
>Go to the Classrooms

As the dust settles, you quickly scan the soldier, concerned about the arm-sized gap in his torso. "Are you alright?" you ask, your voice laced with genuine concern.

"Yeah. Sorry." He nods, his tone tinged with frustration. Despite being speared, he seems fine, one of the few perks of a mechanical body. When he sees the worry on your face, he seems to shrink slightly, giving you a guilty look. Shaking his head, he finds new focus and taps at the computer on his gauntlet. "I’ll get back on with the Commander.

You give him a quick nod, bidding him farewell, and gather a quick reference for directions. The soldiers are well-trained, and you trust in their ability to execute their own tactics and protocols. So, you feel there's no need for you to interfere. The logical choice would be to secure critical areas from the Intruder and encircle him. However, a nagging hunch tugs at your instincts, a peculiar feeling in the pit of your stomach. Throwing logic out, you mount your Ride Hopper, you break several air-speed limits; in the next moment you’re darting through spinning holo-displays, leaping through large-open windows.

Your destination? The schools. Logically, this is hardly a worthwhile target, especially if you're a certain machine worried about his own life. Unfortunately, as you get closer to where you the school should be, you notice a trail of destruction. Incisor isn't trying to destroy the castle; he's making it personal. You think you arrive at the right place when you hear screams. It's a small collection of two to three-story buildings within close distance, much like your old university campus.

At the front gates, a grim scene unfolds before your eyes. Several lifeless bodies lie strewn across the ground. You dread to think of what else Incisor has been doing. It was simply bad luck that an enemy had made its way onto their home, this castle, but you can’t focus on them now. Steeling yourself for the task ahead you continue on.

Some time has passed since the alarm first started blaring, most people have probably evacuated to their shelters, there are still some trying to get out; staying behind to help who they could. There’s only one building that still needs help, though. Swiftly dismounting, you cut through the oncoming civilians, your purpose clear and unwavering. People are scrambling past you, panicking, running through the exit, most brush past you however. But a few get your attention when they see you. Worry is plastered clearly all over their faces as they approach.

"Thank goodness you're here, Kamen Rider! It's the kids! It's moving through the classrooms!"

Your fists clench, anger rising within you. He wouldn't dare!

"It's not that! He's taken hostages!"

Your teeth start grinding, you feel your face contorting with rage, it's been a long while since the Ark targeting the innocent, much less children. It's no better now than it was then. With a surge of determination, you break into a full sprint, following the directions provided by the distressed civilians, zeroing in on a specific classroom. The voices within reach your ears.

"Let us go!"

"Kamen Rider will come for us!"

"I-i want my mommy!"

The kids are scared, you can't be angry at them, in fact, you blame yourself. If you hadn’t gotten involved with them, they wouldn’t be in danger. In the other timeline they met the same fate as you. Breathing in deep, you resolve to make it up to them somehow. The children's fear tugs at your heart, but it's the next voice that ignites a fiery resolve within you.

"Don't worry, he'll come, then I'll give him a choice. So, hurry, Kamen Rider, come in!" The distorted electronic voice addresses you personally. Your brows furrow as you sense the malevolent presence. Clicking your tongue, you remember: just like how you can sense them, they can sense you. Charging in recklessly could be dangerous. You weigh the options, your mind racing.

If you rush him at full force, you could force him into a battle with yourself. Inside a building it would be much harder for it to get away, this would be the final encounter, you'd make sure of that much. However, the soldiers are currently searching the castle, if you make a call, you could get some help. Then again, this isn’t some building from the 21st century, there’s technology in the walls, if you can distract Incisor somehow, you might be able to make something work.

Your mind also dwells on something you read in the later entries of the future datapad, as well as Thoth’s last words. Numerous repeats of the same phrases: “The second one”, “The other one”, those along with the added context of those entries, as well as the removal of your belt, could only mean one thing.

There's a second Kamen Rider somewhere out there. You briefly wonder if it's your brother. According to those entries, eventually he makes his way back to the castle, however, according to the data logs it wouldn’t’ be for another few days, unfortunate, as you sure could use his help right now. But events are changing, he could be on the castle right this second... right?


What are you thinking?

>Call someone [Write-in]

>Overwhelm with speed

>Improvise

>Hold out for Number Two

>[Write-in]

The machines sure are cruel, can we get past this without losing anybody? I have no idea! Maybe you do? Alright, next post in 48 hours!

>>5682168
>Improvise
The mystery box. Or mystery house in this case.

>>5682404
Supporting.
This will end either very well or very badly.

>>5682168
>Improvise

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The hallways lay shrouded in darkness, their only illumination coming from the faint glow of emergency lights that flickered intermittently. As you ventured forward, the soft hues of the flashing lights bathed your surroundings in an eerie ambiance.

Sneaking in silently wasn't an option; Incisor's own senses would detect your presence long before you could strike. Instead, you decided to rely on your instincts and play it by ear. A surge of determination and hope suddenly fills your bio muscles as an idea dawns on you. Master always said: "If you can't find the right footing, make your own!"

So, you do just that using your old fallback. With each step you draw out your nanites, shifting them outwards, trying to connect with any circuitry within the school. Between each step you guide them towards system inputs or open ports, slowly yet surely, you are infiltrating the school.

Approaching the entrance to the classroom, the doors automatically parted before you, revealing the scene within. Pictures adorned the walls, and small shelves full of holodisks, lined the edges of the room. The room itself curves outwards in a large arc with a convex shaped window at the far end. Moving cautiously inside, you could hear nothing but the hushed whispers of distressed children and the faint hum emanating from Incisor's core at the far side of the room.

The kids are huddled up at the opposite end of Incisor, most of the ones from the orphanage aren't here, either they simply had different classes, or they were separated by age. The scent of fear hangs heavy in the air, the children are scared, shaking even, but safe. At least for now. Those whom you don't recognize view you with awe as you step in. Unfortunately, there is one kid within Incisor's grasp. It's Carol, tears stream down her face, she’s doing the best she can to stay still, lest she be cut by the blade underneath her jaw.

"Stop right there, Kamen Rider."

"You monster! This fight is between you and me! Release them!" You shouted, your anger burning hot as you pointed a finger accusingly at Incisor. His response in the face of your rage is a short mocking laugh.

"Do you really expect me to let them go?" Incisor says in a sneering tone. "Your master once said, 'The key to victory lies in subduing your enemy before the fight begins.' Do you remember?"

Hidden behind your Rider helmet, your eyes widen in surprise. "How could you know!?"

"Does it burn, knowing we know all about you? You can blame the Ark if you wish."

"The Ark, how?"

"How indeed." Incisor replied with a smug tone, clearly enjoying the knowledge he holds over you. Getting him to spill would be impossible. You'll just have to uncover this mystery yourself later. "Now, it’s time for business. Please undo the transformation." Incisor points his free blade at you, still holding an iron clad grip on Carol.

"I can't."

"Oh? Should we help you?" Incisor gently slides his blade to the side, drawing a thin cut on Carol's lower jaw.

"Good. Now stay still. I'm going to stab you, but if you so much as make a twitch, her head comes off." Incisor begins to slowly march toward you, roughly jerking Carol forward.

"Why do this?"

"Kill you? Orders, boredom? Me and mine have been working hard for over two-hundred years. You should know, the Ark wants to you suffer, these poor kids are going to follow you."

Gritting your teeth, you manage to squeeze out, "You play too dirty, minion of the Ark..."

"Tell Ark-Zero that, he made us after all, or maybe you should blame old-man Hongo?"

“He’s not responsible, not at all!”

Incisor is getting closer, you planned to hijack certain systems within the classrooms, but it's tough. Progress is slow because you're being cautious, as well as the fact that this is a school, there isn't anything useful lying around, certainly nothing as handy as an automated turret in the ceiling. As his blade gets closer, he waves it slightly in front of your heart, and you grind your teeth. It's now or never! Before you can act, however, Joey, one of the kids, jumps out.

"Stop it!" He shouts furiously as he rushes the two of you.

"Get back!" You shout to him, but it's too late. Incisor's arm is raising upwards, intent on bisecting the poor kid, and he's not fast enough to react. Thinking quickly, you grab a holodisk from a nearby desk and fling it at Joey, causing him to buck sideways slightly. Incisor ends up missing his torso, instead he slams the flat end of his blade into Joey, knocking him over, at the same time another blade swings up from underneath his forearm, completing a claw like weapon. The motion of which leaves a deep gash in Joey's leg, and completely disconnects an arm.

"Ge-Aaaahhh!" Joey screams in pain as he falls backwards, a spurt of blood arcs into the air, marking his descent for all to see.

"Monster!" Righteous fury spills from your voice. Your anger sends a burst of energy flowing through your body, sending a signal to all your nanites. In that moment, the fire-suppression system begins spewing white-foam throughout the room, the lights begin violently strobing, and the student terminals embedded into all the desks suddenly explode.


Incisor is momentarily stunned as a terminal detonates behind him, causing him to stagger.

"No more!" Incisor's electronic voice reverberates through the room, before he can do the unthinkable, you're charging at him.

"Rider Change!" You call out, then shift your weight low, dropping into a low kick at his ankles, while your elbow jabs at his mid-section. Before the energy can even settle onto your body, you're mid-way through your maneuver, as your armor begins to form, a familiar gust shoots up around you, freeing Carol from Incisor's grasp.

"Cheap trick! Rider!"

To her credit, Carol has stopped crying, her eyes are still red though, in the next moment she stammers out a question. "A-are you alright?" She looks up at you with concern. Meanwhile, beneath your helmet, you gritted your teeth, enduring the strikes on your back and the slicing of your arm. You do your best to bear the pain, and squeeze out a reply, "Get the other kids out."

She nods, you can't see what happens next though, as soon as she leaves your protection, you refocus on Incisor.

"Running is not enough!"

Glancing behind, you see him aim his other arm out, no doubt he plans to shoot it, so you simply stop him. You swiftly somersault over him then, while airborne, yank his arm forcefully. Incisor's aim becomes unstable, and his fired blade ends up lodged harmlessly into the ceiling. Not without a few fear-stricken screams.

"Rider Slash!" You fill your other arm with a blazing surge of radiant power, and swipe downwards, severing his arm at the joint. You sigh in relief and shake your arm as soon as you feel the pressure and pain release.

"Damn you, Rider! I'll take your arm for myself!"

Incisor is just as strong as any MLFO you've ever faced, but without his hostages you've evened the playing field. Now you can show him what happens when you pick on the weak!

His chassis allowed him to hide away in your basement, you nearly missed him because of it. Since he knows about your martial master it's possible, he can use his unique frame to avoid your moves easier. You could try wide-sweeping moves combined lunges to keep him locked down, or you could try to destroy his limbs, remove his blades, and disarm him. He's lost his large scissor-like claw, but he's still armed to the teeth.

You'll finish this here and now!

>Wide sweeping attacks

>Use fast and slippery styles

>Target the Limbs

>[Write-in]

>>5683264
>Use fast and slippery styles

The fight is just beginning, how are you feeling, Rider? Next post in 48 hours!

>>5683264
>Target the Limbs

>>5683264
>Wide sweeping attacks

>>5683264
>Target the Limbs
Joey might bleed out.

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Incisor isn't the first machine lifeform you've fought, it is however, the first to make you livid in recent times. Clenching your fists, you are determined to dismantle it, piece by piece. Luckily, you have a strategy to accompany your fierce determination. The two of you stand poised for a moment, before swiftly circling each other, tearing through the desks or decorations in your way. All distractions leave your mind, you find yourself hyper-focused, your senses are near perfectly tuned.

Incisor comes for you, vaulting over a shattered chair, launching a rapid onslaught of lightning-fast strikes. Its blades weave a pattern in the air that you deftly dodge. You've been on the receiving end of enough of its slashes to know just how razor-sharp they are, any more and it'd get through your armor, so you don't allow that. You duck, roll, or evade each slash, with only one coming close enough to graze the side of your helmet.

"How does it feel, Kamen Rider? To know that everyone you've ever known is dead! They perished while placing their hopes in you!"

"They didn't die in vain!"

"Is that what your brother would say?"

Thinking you sensed an opening, you attempt a counterattack, instead you were lured into a feint. A counter slash nearly sheers a layer off your breastplate. Sparks fly off your chest as metal grinds against metal. Underneath your helmet you bite your lip in frustration. You need to get rid of that blade. Going back on the defense again, you let it attack again and again, trying to fish for an opening. Incisor's thin frame gave it immense dexterity and a certain kind of grace, despite missing most of an arm. Some of your counter moves look like they might nail it, only for Incisor to suddenly bend backwards or at an odd angle, causing you to miss. He tries to go for your belt once, he gets close, only for you to parry it away with the back of your hand.

"If you had fought with such determination back then, maybe you could have saved everyone." Incisor said, taunting you again.

"You're running out of tricks, Incisor!"

"Hongo's daughter never made it to old age, did you know that?"

You grind your teeth, trying to keep yourself focused. Incisor must be running out of tricks if he's trying tits again. You refuse to let it open up your defense, however, your reaction is slowed slightly as your mind wanders. Your thoughts think back to your research session, as well as the data log you kept, searching for the truth in its words. As a result, its next attack catches you off guard.

Incisor looks as if he'll use its arms again, so you ready to counter strike, only for its knee to come lunging at you. One, two, and then a blade launches out of the second strike, clipping you in the shoulder. A slick substance tracks Incisor's weapon as he returns to a neutral stance.

Undeterred, you switch your tactics. Behind your compound visor, you narrow your eyes, focusing your mind. Incisor is agile and armed to the teeth, so you set about crippling the main source of its dexterity. Incisor is a blur of motion, launching an onslaught of sword swings. As its blade swings around at blinding speeds it cuts up what remained of any standing furniture, even carving out chunks of nearby walls, its frame contorting or twisting at times to catch you off guard.

In its eagerness, Incisor lunges straight at you. Skillfully evading it, you let it plunge deep into the wall. Its blade pierces through effortlessly, but in the one second it takes it to dislodge itself, your body suddenly drops onto the floor.

With the momentum from your drop, you slide into a sharp-angled kick aimed at its leg. Using your jets you pump extra power and momentum into that attack, and spin around. As you rotate, your heel connects with its joint, shattering it. The motion of your spin brings you back onto your feet.

Incisor let's out a pained electronic shout as it topples onto one knee, just barely propping itself up by blade and arms. Before it can use its weapon, you decide to disarm it, with another spin you sweep your leg into its blade, shattering it into dozens of metal shards. A loud metallic 'pinging' and a pained electronic voice follow shortly.

With one final move, you jump up, and plunge your fist downwards, smashing its remaining arm, causing Incisor to ungracefully drop onto the floor.

Breathing heavily, you survey the scene. The classroom lies in ruins, a casualty of the battle. Despite Incisor taking hostages you managed to win, overcoming the odds. The MLFO in question is wriggling on the ground, trying to turn over and face you. Incisor said the Ark was watching? Through its eyes? If you finish off Incisor you'll sever the Ark's source of intel, at least for now, ensuring the safety of the castle. However, he seems to know a lot about you, capturing it could provide an opportunity to extract that knowledge.

The clicking of metal and high-pitched vibrating of Incisor's torso draws your attention. Metal is starting to reform, the Aether in the area is being drawn towards it.

"What's wrong, hero? Are you going to finish me off? What would dear old mother think?"

Interrupting your stand-off, a pair of footsteps suddenly approaches the room.

"R-rider! It's Joey!" Her eyes are still wet and red, only she sounds more distressed than earlier.


What are you going to do?

>Finish off Incisor

>Capture Incisor

>Write-in

>>5684724
>Finish off Incisor
He seems to want us to kill him, but we need to go help Joey.
Unless capturing is quicker somehow.

>>5684756
A choice is a choice, dear viewer. Well, if you brought the soldiers here certain things would be different. They'd be able to capture him for you too. Aside from that, as a writer and your qst guy, i won't trick you when i offer you information.

>>5684724
>Finish off Incisor
Damn.

"What's wrong? Having second thoughts? I do possess a motherload of information about the Ark."

Shaking your head, you rebuke Incisor, "Not at all. You've proven to me that machine lifeforms are as irredeemable as they were three centuries ago." With deliberate steps, you move towards the fallen Incisor. Its eyes meet yours as you pick it up by gripping a twisted piece of armor.

"Which one are you going to use, the kick?" Incisor sneered.

"Nope."

In an instant, you pull your arm away, leaving Incisor hanging mid-air, for a mere second.

"Rider Punch!" You shout, then throw a blazing fist towards it. The Rider Punch connects, hitting Incisor square in the chest, blasting it straight through the room's wide window. Incisor lets out a pained grunt as it is flung outwards, its remaining limbs, as well as a slightly rebuilt arm, are flailing about. A second later, it explodes, just a few feet away from the window.

Turning about, you face Carol, who was just barely peeking into the room through the doorway. A piece of the ceiling had fallen, barring her way in, though her face didn't look like she wanted in anyways. Moving the fallen chunk of ceiling was simple for you. Your injuries are many, fortunately, they weren't enough to impair movement.

"Where is he?" You ask her as soon as you clear the door, and she simply stares at you. It's been a while, but you know this look. Carol is scared. She's probably still thinking about earlier. Right now though? The poor girl is probably scared of you. Only moments ago, you had been quite brutal. Even you find yourself a little shocked after a moment of reflection. Even so, no mercy for the machine lifeforms.

Kneeling down you face her at eye-level, only for her to flinch slightly. Taking a single step closer, careful not to encroach too closely, you remove your helmet and toss it aside.

"It's alright, the bad guy is gone. I'm here to help, okay?" You say, keeping your voice as calm and comforting as possible.

Carol trembles, her eyes wide with fear, perhaps imagining you turning your fists onto her next. You would never.

"I know I can be scary. Fighting can be scary. The bad guys can be scary. I promise you, I only want to protect everyone. Especially you and the others," you assure her, offering a warm smile. Still smiling, you slowly reach out your hand. Watching you for another moment, her face shifts again, into something approaching trust as she returns to her senses.

"Y-yeah.."

"There's someone that needs our help right now, right?"

"R-right! It's Joey, he's doing really bad!" She said, the color in her face returns, and she grabs your hand. It doesn't take long, he's just a few steps outside. A colored trail marks how far the other kids dragged him. Apparently, they tried to move him, then gave up when his protests got to be too much.

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The other kids crowded around him, watching over him as best they could, upon see you approach they quickly part away. Your heart sinks as you kneel beside Joey. Blood-soaked clothes, shallow and labored breathing. His face is pale, his skin cold, their life is hanging just barely. Every moment from now one would be critical.

"Where's the nurses office?" You ask. Looking around some of the kids look at each other, some look like they were in thought until Carol taps at your shoulder.

"I-it's downstairs... but.." Carol gives you a worried look and shakes her head.

He wouldn't make it, that much movement would be too much. If you still could, you'd be sweating right now.

"Okay. Carol, get to a comm panel and get some help okay." Your steady voice seems to calm her down some. She reacts quickly, nodding before running off somewhere. You point at the next two oldest looking kids and address them next. "Get to the nurses office and grab a kit, or anything that looks important." They nod and quickly run off.

"Joey, can you hear me?" You ask the prone boy in front of you. Joey's weak murmurs tell you he's likely feeling as bad as he looks. Grimacing, you look at the blood he's still losing, his legs, as well as his torso. "You're going to be okay." You try to say as gently as you could, reassuring yourself, your patient, and those watching.

"Sorry kiddo." You whisper as you bring your hand up. A radiant energy envelopes your hand, and with one precise movement, you bring it down. Rightfully so, he screams in agony, bringing him out of his fevered state, right before he knocks back out from the shock.

"Make it stop!"

"What are you doing!"

"You're hurting him!"

The kids around you are suddenly panicking. You can't blame them, this is pretty much dark age medicine you're practicing, it's likely they didn't even see stuff like this on vid, but he didn't have much time left.

"I'm staunching his bleeding." You say firmly, "Stay back!" As the kids look on with worry you can't help but second guess yourself. Even so, you keep your face as straight and stoic. You also keep the energy level low, knowing that your full power would have the opposite effect on the situation. You apply your 'treatment' as needed for the next few minutes, only enough to ensure the kid doesn't die of blood loss.

"Joey stay with us! You have to fight if you want to live!" You shout encouraging words at him. Eventually the two kids from before arrive with an assortment of medical supplies. More than a few are for something acute like stomach aches or colds, a couple items do serve your purposes however. A chemical adrenal that would increase his blood production slightly, as well as a stitch-pad. The latter was probably used more for skinned knees or some such, but it would do here as well.

"Good job, kids!" You cheer on the kids that brought the supplies, they smile upon hearing you, but frown again when they look at their friend. Finally, the sound of a vehicle approaches, you recognize it as medical personnel rushing to your position. As the medics rush to take over, you step back, placing a gentle hand onto the boy's shoulder.

"You'll be just fine now. Stay strong!"

With a heavy heart, you escort them to the front gates, there you watch them leave for the hospital. Your mind is suddenly weighed down. You're confident you did all you can, yet they were still in your care, and they had gotten hurt. You wish you could have done more, could you have?

Donning your helmet again you get ready to escort the kids home. Suddenly, a piercing, high-pitched signal reached your ears. Gripping your head with both hands, you grunted in pain.

"W-what's wrong?" One of the kids, you're not sure who, asks you. You try to push them away from yourself as it got worse. It feels as if your head is going to vibrate right off.

"S-stay back!" You shout in agony, then collapsed onto your knees.

A voice suddenly begins echoing and reverberating in your mind, "If I’m right, then only one person can receive this signal. If I’m right, you'll be awake in this time. Kamen Rider! Please come for me!"

Seconds later the voice ceases, as well as the high-pitched signal. You took several deep breaths, a few moments later, you process just what happened. It dawned on you that you had also been given a set of coordinates, implanted into your head like a weird memory.

"Kamen Rider... are you okay?" A voice calls to you, from nearby this time. Glancing upwards, you see it's Carol, her expression filled with genuine concern. Fortunately, she's no longer scared of you.

"Y-yeah.. I'm alright."

Someone's trying to get your attention, but who could it be? In this day and age, the only entity that could possibly know about you and reach out to you like that was Ark-Zero. However, that didn't seem right.


What are you going to do?

>Consult someone you know [Write-in]

>Visit Joey

>Reflect on previous events

>[Write-in]

Let's assume this was on the right date and time, yeah? That was certainly quite the wait, wasn't it? Anyways I'm not likely to have time tomorrow, so let's watch together in 48 hours!

>>5685092
>Reflect on previous events
Introspection

>>5685092
>Reflect on previous events
I wonder if we'll figure out who's the spy soon... Either way, glad we eliminated such a dangerous enemy.
Thanks QM for the update!

>>5685092
>Reflect on previous events

It only makes sense that they closed down the school for the day. Guiding everyone home was easy enough, it was the afterwards that had you stressing out. What would you tell the kids, what if they were too scared to go back to school ever again? It turned out you didn't have to worry about that either. While you were getting ready to address everyone, Carol went ahead and took the reins, getting everyone on their school work or helping out with chores. When you asked her what she was doing, she said this:

"I heard the adults talking about what happens to people who get too scared. PTD? Or something? Anywho~, if you let don't force them back into working on something they'll get stuck." She explained to you, almost like a teacher, certainly not like a child who’d just lived through a dire situation. The kids of this century are certainly built tough. As expected of your eldest daughter! Suddenly, you remembered that you'd mentally promised to do something nice for them.

"Hey, when do kids get a day off?"

"Hmm?" One of the kids nearby looks at you strangely, "Uhm.."

Before he can finish his sentence, Carol suddenly butts in, "Oh! We get two days off normally, by the by! We'll probably also have the next week off because of the attack! Isn't that just so shocking sad..."

For some reason, you suspect not everything in that sentence was correct, so you'd have to contact another adult about the school situation. For now, you bid the kids a brief farewell, leaving them to their own devices within the house, while you go off to your room.

With some free time on your hands, you opt to do some introspection. As you sit in thought, wondering how to go about this, your mind wanders right to the start. One of your earliest conversations with Dr. Hongo floats back into your mind.

"Doctor, am I a... grasshopper?" You said, after looking at yourself in the mirror for the first time.

"Yes. Your compound visor, the blade antennae, they all have a function, as well as an advantage. But above all, I wanted you to symbolize something."

"Symbolize... something?"

"Indeed. When people look at you, I don't want them to just see a creation born to fight. I don't want them to see only a being who was altered by Ark-Zero. I want them to see something unique. Someone that could be a hero."

"So, I must be a grasshopper for that?"

"Do you know what grasshoppers symbolize?" Dr. Hongo talks to you patiently, and continues to do so even after you shake your head. "A grasshopper is a symbol of good fortune. I used to keep one for a pet, you know?" As he says that last part, he gives you a nostalgic smile. This particular memory ends as Dr. Hongo's daughter toddles into the room, shutting down any shop talk.

You wonder if you've been hero enough, if you've been good luck, for those of the past, as well as those of the present. There have been many fights, some hectic, chaotic, dire, and some not. Sometimes you've gotten lucky, getting a time traveler from the future probably qualifies. While you're reflecting, you note that you have a habit of leaving others out of your battles. The humans of this era are doing everything they can to fight, they were fighting long before they met you. Of course, you just want them to stay safe, but is that really fair of you?

It was pretty shocking when you found out aliens were real, and also your enemy. You’re reminded of something as you review your battles with the aliens. That Arch-Dragon seemed like it was trying to hide his experiments from his own kind. Was it because he was experimenting on the grunt class lizards, or something else? Was it possible the Saurians as a whole weren’t allied with the machines? Is it possible to broker a truce between your races? Well, that might be a bit hard, after Zavag most of the other dragon commanders seem like they just want to fight. What a contentious people.

Falling back onto your bed, you try to relax, only to roll right over. Your back isn't doing too good right now. That aside, future Thoth gave you certain pieces of advice, or maybe you could call them goals?

First, that trap under your house. While it’s not clear what everything was, at least to you, it did appear that they wanted to hit you with everything at once. Then finish you off if it wasn't enough. That's where Incisor comes in, a machine lifeform capable of disguising itself as something innocuous, you nearly hadn't seen it coming. If you had walked down there completely unaware, it might have been the end. Actually, according to Thoth, it was. A chilling thought to be sure, fortunately, you no longer have to worry about it. That's one off the list.

Second topic, a traitor. That traitor was someone working for Ark-Zero, right this second, they were probably sharing planes and scheming. You wonder why they haven't tried to silence you in your sleep or anything. If you had to guess, it's because they were a normal human, not an MLFO or invader, they probably knew from the start they couldn't get you physically. You'd have to see about getting some kind of enhanced security in the house, maybe Dr. Cain could get some kind of security upgrade for the servbots, if you ever activate those anyways.

Thinking on that, if it is a human, why work with the machine lifeforms? Was it a matter of hostages? Were they being deceived? When you find them how far should you go? You've never had to execute a human before. As you imagine trying to punish someone, punching them at full power, you find your hands shaking.

That's not the symbol of justice Dr. Hongo would have wanted! You'll decide what to do when you get there.

Still, whoever the traitor was, it was someone who was aware of your schedule. That doesn't narrow it down at all though. Despite housing thousands of personnel, word certainly travels quickly within the castle. While it’s nice to hear that the humans of the future had such a tightknit community, now you wonder if it was actually set up as some kind of information net. Everyone also seems to track you down relatively easy, probably because you're pretty much an outsider, but that doesn't help.

Even so, you resolve yourself to come up with some suspects. There's Dekku and his construction team, could they have done it? There were numerous faces there you weren't likely to see again. Dr. Cain knew you picked up some kids, and you'd never even told her until she came by.

"No way..."

There's much of her to be suspicious about, even so, you can't possibly consider her an enemy. She is definitely a friend, even going behind your back to try to help you out. It might be worth talking to her again, she might remember something that would help.

"Hmm.."

It might also be worth finding out exactly when and how she found out about you. Doctor Hongo likely didn't go around talking about you, so how did she sniff you out anyways? She said she was following a trail of notes, but is that right?

Speaking of allies. That other guy, what should you call him? Kamen Rider 2? You first heard of him during your own after-action briefing, while you were out on a mission the machine lifeforms attempted sabotage. Then #2 came in and stopped that, at first you weren’t sure if it was a trick, but now you know he’s a trustworthy guy. Except, that was in Tokyo, the Landing Castle is only a few miles out, what was taking him so long? Was he lost? Is he actually hopeless with directions?

"I'll have to give that guy a piece of my mind when I see him."

Saying that out loud, you wonder how you're going to find him, especially if he's having trouble finding his way back. Of course, you could wait, one of the later entries in the data log said he'd make it here around next week.

"Ah!"

That's right, there's that signal you heard, it's logical to assume he received it too. There's nothing about that in the data log. Actually, since he's just wandering around right now, he'll probably respond to that, then who knows how long until you see him.

Well, ignoring that, you've got some objectives. Sniff out the traitor, stop the Ark, and maybe find Rider #2. All in all, nothing's actually changed, it might be fun to guess a suspect though.

>The traitor is... [Write-in] !

And... what are you going to do next?

>Consult someone you know [Write-in]

>Visit the kid at the hospital

>[Write-in]

Or are you going to respond to the signal from earlier now?

>Yes, but find a living babysitter for the kids.

>Yes, but activate the servbots for the kids

>[Write-in]

You might be gone awhile...

>Inform somebody [Write-in]

>Inform nobody

[Write-in]

Have you introspected enough? It's tough trying to give you "thoughts" while keeping the so called "QM" from interfering. I also put in quite a few choices, was that wise? No clue. I'm sure i'll manage something in 24 hours.

>>5686458
>The traitor is... [Write-in] !
A high-ranking soldier, or a commander! That's the only way they'd get so much info!

>Visit the kid at the hospital
That's our new responsibility, now... So we had better swing by. Surely we can also visit anyone else we know that may be in there.

If we are also responding to the signal, I vote for this. If we aren't allowed since we are visiting the kid, then ignore whatever is below.
>Yes, but activate the servbots for the kids.
I suppose few people can be trusted...

>Inform somebody [Write-in]
Carol. Just mention you need to investigate something and that you'll be back soon, and that the children needn't worry.

>>5686640
Can't think of anything else, so support

I realize i actually forgot something that would have made the choice to leave a little more important, like a choice, lol. As well as a few other details. I might be able to still use them, we'll see..

While the kids may have been quick to do what Carol said, it wasn't like they wanted to do homework and chores. Emerging from your meditative chambers, also known as your room, you found that the kids of today were just like those of 26XX. As soon as the nearest adult walked off, they were busy doing anything else, even Carol was avoiding real work. Some of them still seem a shaken, while others seemed to have moved on. Maybe they just weren't capable of processing what happened, maybe you'd protected them just enough from the fighting that they weren't concerned anymore. Or maybe they had actually gotten a taste of violence before you met. Either way, you now found yourself leading the entire class to the hospital.

"Oh? Kamen Rider, are you finally coming in for a checkup?"

Upon arriving at the hospital, which is quite busy, just as you'd expect after an attack by a machine life form. Coincidentally, the doctor you'd initially met was also caring for Joey.

"I'm perfectly fine." You reply stoically.

"Of course." The good doctor then gives you a firm clap on your back, drawing a pained wince from you. "I'm assuming that was just bad mana?" He gives you a short laugh ushering you inside. As you're Joey's guardian he gives you the long and short of it. His leg would heal in a few days, thanks to the wonders of laser sutures and modern medicine. However, his arm would pose a long-term challenge. He'd have to change prosthetics every few years until he became an adult. It was bad, nothing that modern science couldn't address though. You could also cheapen costs by manually 'tailoring' his arm.

When your entourage finally makes it to Joey he's up, still bed-ridden though.

"You were so cool!"

It appeared that some of the younger kids now idolized him, finding his fearless charge impressive. You feel the same, without his intervention, you'd have been hit dead on without your armor. It's unfortunate, but the nanite assimilation was simply too slow. It weighed your heart seeing him suffer.

"Mister.. I'm sorry, If I didn't rush in like that..." Joey averted his gaze, clearly burdened with guilt.

"It's okay, Joey, I owe you one now." You reassured him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"R-really?"

"I'm here because of you. Your bravery, your determination. You fought against true evil and stood up for what's right. You did good."

Relief washed over Joey, his spirits lifting. "I didn't do much. Just tried to help...."

"Yeah, you did. So just get better soon. We can throw a party together later." You affirmed with a firm nod.

"Whoa!"

"Really?"

The kids seemed to like that idea. Which is great, because you were already planning something like that earlier. What was the saying? Two birds and one stone?

"Hey! Can I have your food!" Kenichi, one of the younger kids, starts reaching into Joey's tray with a fork

"H-hey! That's mine!" Joey protested. With one swift movement, your hand deftly grabs Kenichi's wrist and stops him.

"Manners! Remember?"

"R-right..."

Afterwards, some of the other kids, Carol included, began sharing stories from their lives. Apparently, Joey was the type to come home with bruises when he was younger. They even teased him about his new arm, playfully arguing about what color they would force on him. It was heartwarming to see them getting along, which made perfect sense since they had spent their early years without you. With that, you decided it was time to visit the adult part of the hospital.

"Ah, Kamen Rider, coming to visit me?" Andes, a cyborg like yourself, had been impaled earlier. Most of his damage could be repaired just from switching parts, unfortunately, he did take some flesh damage. As a result, he was temporarily disconnected from his mechanical parts and placed in a pod-like device. It reminded you of the Iron Lung device from your history books. Unlike that antiquated device, however, the pod involved submerging oneself in a nutrient solution. The sight of which briefly reminded you of the Ark’s experiments all those years ago.

Thankfully, Andes appeared to be quite comfortable.

"Yeah, you took quite the hit."

After a brief conversation spent catching up, you placed a small basket of cyborg food blocks nearby, before leaving. From what he told you, they actually had a hard time tracking down Incisor. It turns out only he and a couple others had even seen the thing. Incisor had caused significant damage to certain streets and storefronts. You speculate that their slow response was due to the nature of the surprise attack. Andes doesn't seem convinced.

When you come home, again, you find the class is in particularly good spirits. Perhaps it was due to the confirmation that their friend was going to be okay, or maybe it was because you had promised them a party? Either way, that was good, since you'd be going away for a while.

"Carol, can I speak to you in my room?"

"Uhm, I'm not in trouble am I?" Suddenly the girl looks a little suspicious, you ignore it.

"Not at all. In fact, there's something I have to tell you." You tell her there's something you need to look into, nothing her and the kids need to know about, you'd be away for a while though.

"H-huh? Are you leaving us? Alone?" Betrayal filled Carol's expression, reminding you once again that they were orphans. While the castle community seemed close-knit, you realized that leaving the orphans alone might not be the best idea.

"No, no, not at all! I'll only be gone for a short time, and I'll make sure you guys are taken care of, of course."

"Is someone else is coming to watch us? Is it that lady?" Carol says, squinting at you. Trying to see if you were hiding something? As much as you would have liked the good doctor to come over and help, she was likely too busy.

"Not her."

Clearly curious now, you decided to show her what you mean. While the atmo-mod was still installed in your house, you had defrosted it some time ago, leaving only the remnants of various traps and a shattered table in the basement. Inside, you inserted Dr. Cain's data disk and awakened the servbots. With a soft humming, the servbot containers open, revealing your new house servants. Given that this house used to belong to a diplomat in your time, the servbots were likely designed to serve high-ranking officials, which explained their Victorian-era maid and butler appearance. At least, that's what you thought at first. It's possible they were custom order though.

You worried that revealing more machines so soon after Incisor's attack might be a terrible idea. Suddenly, you turned to gauge Carol's reaction, only to find her staring with interest. Perhaps it was because the servbots appeared more human-like compared to the MLFOs? After a brief pause, the butler-type servbot inquired about its duties, to which you provided proper instructions.

"Understood, sir. We shall fulfill our duties diligently and ensure the well-being of the children under our care."

Upon returning upstairs to properly introduce the house servants, you observed the varied reactions of the kids. Some looked on anxiously, hidden behind another kid, others stared excitedly. Rather than the soulless slaves they were originally, you hoped they would become something like another mother and father.

"Alright kiddos, be nice to them, okay? They'll help look after you guys since I'll be gone for a little while." You address the class, receiving a wide range of reactions. All the way from apathy to curiosity. Was it too much to ask for a teary goodbye?

"When will you be back?" Carol asks, stopping you right at the door.

"I'll be back in a day or so. Probably." The coordinates you received were a little farther than Tokyo, with the Ride Hopper the trip should go pretty smoothly. As you departed, you stole a glance back and witnessed the servbots offering you a dignified bow.

""Farewell, master, please be well.""

That was great, thank you!

Your next challenge awaited: the task of leaving without raising suspicion.

Sneaking out would be tough, especially if you wanted to prevent any traitors from discovering your departure. The Castle's sensors would likely detect you if you simply flew up and away. While they're not likely to resort to any extreme measures, it wouldn't be unrealistic for them to start trying to shoot you down. They could also lock you in by powering up the mana-barrier.

Exiting through the vehicle hangars seemed plausible, but they were closely monitored and guarded by mechanics working on the machines as well as the nearby soldiers. It might be worth trying to just talk to them, but if that failed, you would have no choice but to either give up or break through. However, you'd rather not resort to an extreme option right now.

There's another option, you could try your old EDF emergency password, if it worked it would probably be a one-off though. Or maybe you're over thinking it? Maybe you should just ask to leave?

How are you getting out?

>Simply ask

>Open air escape

>Vehicle hangar

>[Write-in]

That ended up fitting in at around 4 updates. Pretty awkward, I hadn't intended on doing that but that's how it goes. Do you guys think I should try to include some pictures on these? I say that, but I might not remember to load them in anyways.

Anyways, wouldn't it be exciting if we blew down the hangar doors? Not that I'm telling you to pick that options. Next update in 48 hours.

>>5687456
>Simply ask
Reguge in boldness?

>>5687456
>Simply ask
Surely it'll work.
>>5687458
>Do you guys think I should try to include some pictures on these?
I got to admit that I have never seen Kamen Rider, so some pictures would be helpful.

>>5688170
>I have never seen Kamen Rider, so some pictures would be helpful
So you see, I can show you a Kamen Rider, but in terms of "30XXqm" vs the shows or the new movie. I break away pretty hard, it wasn't intentional but that's what happened.


Anyways, the saboteur known as 30XXQM willingly went against his word and lied! In the process he managed to make a smaller update, it also included a choice that he forgot last time. It might not seem that important if you follow through on the original choice, but certain things will be happening. Is that wise? You tell me! Let's meet up here again either 'Friday' or 'Saturday' night!

File: Screenshot 2021-10-05 at (...).png (259 KB, 640x360)

259 KB PNG

Fortunately, the Ride Hopper is waiting right where you left it. After reading the data log, it's pretty obvious that Number 2 was the one taking it. If he had the Ride Hopper and he still hadn't made it here, he must be truly hopeless, or maybe he was just busy? You'd definitely need to give this guy a map. Regardless, he could have written a note or something on it. Maybe you should just make another one and let him have it?

As you zip through the bustling castle streets, neon lights and holographic displays began to blur into vibrant streaks of color. The air is filled with the chattering of people, blending seamlessly with the hum of various machines. On your way through, you pass several cafes, their glass fronts reflecting the vibrant lights around them. Strange music emanates from embedded speakers, mingling with the cheerful laughter of nearby crowds.

The Landing Castle always idealized the peak of human technology to you. While it felt like a real town often enough, you sometimes forget its true purpose. At the height of human achievement, at the edge of global peace, the landing castles were built as technological trophies, as well as powerful weapons. Therefore, it was best not to antagonize the people here.

Riding into the nearest vehicle hangar, you throttle down as a guard waved you over. What was the saying? Refuge in boldness? If the traitor, or his boss, wanted a piece of you, he was welcome to it.

"We don't have any scheduled patrols right now. Are you heading out?"

"Yeah. Mind letting me through?"

"If you were just walking around, it'd be one thing. Where are you going?"

"Oh, just some personal scouting."

"Alright, hold on. I need to inform the command tower about this."

You don't give him exact coordinates, but you do tell him your general plan, just something to pass the time. While he communicates with the control officers and their superior, you sit on the Ride Hopper, waiting. Initially, you expected alarms to blare, soldiers attempting to restrain you, instead, you sit here, listening to the engine idle. You noticed it made a soft 'whooping' every few minutes, what was up with that?

"I was told to tell you that the higher ups are planning another mission briefing soon. Do you still want to go?"

Assuming everything goes to plan, you'll be back somewhere around a day later, maybe two if something goes awry. It's not like they need your help though, they've been surviving this long, and any trouble they run into has to fight the whole castle. If the MLFOs stay quiet all you have to worry about are the Saurians. After you activated the defense canon though, they seemed to have scaled back their Japan operations. How about it?

"If you still want to go, they don't want you to go alone. Scouting protocol. Command wants to attach a few soldiers with you."


>Keep going (accept armed escort)

>Stay and help (abandon strange signal)

>[Write-in]

>>5688196
>Keep going (accept armed escort)

>>5688196
>Keep going (accept armed escort)

>>5688196
>Keep going (accept armed escort)

I understand." You nod your confirmation, "who are the unlucky guys?"

The guard chuckles. "I'd say the opposite. A lot of us are itching to get back into the fight. Who else is going to rid us of those Saurians?" Your gaze passes briefly to the mechanics in the background, hard at work repairing and tuning up different vehicles. While the soldiers might be eager, the mechanics and their vehicles sure weren't.

"So you think I'm looking for a fight?"
The guard shrugs. "Maybe not. But you sure have a knack for finding them."

After a few moments of lighthearted banter with the guard, the sound of footsteps drawing near grabs your attention. A couple new faces, one less so. Three other soldiers are to accompany you, one of which you recognize from Mao's spec-ops squad. Henry, a man with a very focused anger at you, blaming you for the world's current predicament. Seeing his face weighs you down slightly. You had put it out of mind for a while, but looking at him brings a certain memory back to the forefront of your mind.

In what you vaguely remember as being an emotionally heavy confrontation, you thought you were in the position to deal a decisive blow to the machine lifeforms. Only to have it all backfire, resulting in your defeat in 26XX. Dr. Hongo had put you on ice for nearly three centuries. It's all the more worrisome that you can't remember who or what defeated you.

"Look at you with all your free time. One would think you weren't serious about this war." Henry shoots you a look filled with disdain. His personality might come across as pretty harsh, but it serves as another reminder. If Kamen Rider had stopped the Ark back then, the people of today wouldn't have to suffer.

"I have my reasons," you reply, keeping your voice steady.

"Yeah. Real magnanimous of you." Henry retorts, bitterness practically drips from his tongue.

Just as the tension threatens to escalate, a new voice interjects, breaking your confrontation, "Relax! Scouting is all good, there's all sorts of things the castle can't see, occasional missions like this are just fine! Even Mao has hunches, right?"

Henry's scowl softens at the comment, and he reluctantly eases up. The other two soldiers step forward to introduce themselves.

>>5690343


"My name is Seesan. 2nd Division, nice to finally meet you, Kamen Rider!" Seesan greets you with a firm handshake.

He seems to be roughly the same height as you, with short brown hair and a friendly smile. Completely contrasting with Henry, whom is bald, and seems to wear a permanent frown.

"I'm Tyri. We'll treat you good, okay?" Tyri exudes energy and practically hops forward, offering her hand.

"Likewise! Let's work together." You reply, reciprocating their handshakes. Henry remains in the background, silently observing you all. As you take note of their appearances, you see that Seesan looks as friendly as he acts. Short brown hair, friendly smile, and a brightly colored armor set. Tyri's armor, on the other hand, is streamlined, and adorned with personalized engravings.

"What vehicles should we use?"

>Fast ground scout cycles

>Fast flying cycles

>Armored Rovers

>Write-in

If you have everyone take their flying cycles, the same model you adapted for the Ride Hopper, your group could easily fly over Mt. Fuji, shaving off what would be a lengthier adventure. Especially now that you have normal humans accompanying you, that's not to say you won't have to stop for a break. However, you could also use the ground vehicles to take a route around the mountain, or under using an old manaway tunnel. All routes take you out of defense cannon range. However, the guard tells you they don't have any Saurian ships on scopes, so it's unlikely for them to appear.

Since you haven't left yet, if you want to bring someone you know, you could ask?

>[Write-in]

I tried to fix the fact that I copied over the wrong version but i ended up leaving some stuff in anyways. Geez.


Anyways, we continue tomorrow! You don't even have to wait 24 hours this time!

>>5690354
>Fast flying cycles

File: kamen-rider-ryuki-kamen-rider.gif (2.79 MB, 498x280)

2.79 MB GIF

Let's take to the skies," you declare, your voice filled with determination. "Take the hoverbikes."

Following your lead, the rest of them select the Dive Cycles, the base model of your Ride Hopper. Together, the four of you rev the engines of your bikes, a burst of excitement coursing through your veins. Three of you go back and forth, almost like a game, and then you blast forward, blazing bright trails behind you as you soar. The castle fades into the distance behind you, and you accelerate into the open skies, the wind rushing through your hair.

For the next hour, the group engages in some light chatter, leaving you with a lot of time with your thoughts. Driving out into the open roads brings back a sense of nostalgia that you've missed. Admittedly, there were no flying cycles in your time, though the excitement of holding down the accelerator is as exciting as always. It might have been fun to look at the ground and imagine the people as ants. Unfortunately, the roads are far emptier than they used to be.

Amidst your thoughts, you feel a creeping tingle nagging at you, as if you were being watched. Of course, you are being watched, the soldiers have to know where they're going after all, so you try to ignore it. As you approach Mount Fuji, you spot the entrance to the underground tunnel and come to a stop. Despite the fact that you weren't going to use it, it was still on the way. The sound of three other engines grows closer as your companions halt behind you.

"What's up?" Seesan asks. Following your gaze, he notices it too. The entrance to the underground Manaway has been collapsed, you wouldn't have been able to enter anyways had you chosen the any of the earthbound vehicles. It looks like it was good fortune that you felt like flying, one of your party doesn't see it like that though, and starts muttering something.

"Hey! Guys, I'm reading increased Saurian movement on my scanner!" Tyri suddenly exclaims, her voice laced with concern. Following her announcement, she fills the rest of you in on what her long-range sensor package had found. The alternate route around the mountain and even the lower roads are now swarming with Saurian grunts. But why? The roads you weren't going to take are now blocked off?

Tyri looks around nervously, then gives voice to her thoughts, "So we're lucky! Rider made the right call, making us get air vehicles! I mean, it's not like you knew this would happen, right?" Suddenly, everyone is looking at you.

Then you realize it, the situation has triggered something unexpected; suspicion, towards you. Right after you had everyone follow you into the skies. Henry is eyeing you warily, even under his helmet you can feel a scowl bearing at you, as if he were certain, you were holding back information.

"Well then, since we're capable of ignoring them, we should. How about it, let's keep following Kamen Rider." Seesan asserts, ignoring the tension, sending a glance towards Tyri and Henry.

"But guys! We're clearly walking into a trap!"

"I'm the commanding officer here, Henry. You do remember the chain of command?" Seesan addresses Henry sternly.

"... Understood, Colonel." Henry begrudgingly nodded. Meeting Seesan's gaze, the two of you nod, then you rev your engine up again, prompting the others to do the same. Once again, you take to the air. As expected, Mt. Fuji gets gradually colder the higher you go. Fortunately, your Ride Hopper's thermal barrier shields you from most of the cold, while your allies are protected by their insulated armor suits.

Your sleek bikes soared through the crisp mountain air, hovering effortlessly over the rugged peaks and outcrops. Once upon a time, your mother had talked about visiting here. Mount Fuji was always a popular tourist destination. Its serene tranquility and breathtaking beauty had always captivated tourists from all walks of life, including your party, who couldn't help but appreciate its magnificence with some comments of their own.

While you think that, a sudden gust of wind howls over the mountain peak, buffeting your group with intense force. Dark, ominous clouds materialized overhead and around you, casting a foreboding shadow that stretched throughout your area. Sparks of lightning begin to form underneath the clouds, gradually forming into jagged bolts of thunder that struck at the ground. All while a furious rain began pelting down around you. Tightening your grip on the Hopper, you dip into evasive maneuvers, the others following you in formation.

"A storm? The castle sensors showed clear skies!" Seesan shouted above the raging elements, his voice barely audible over the deafening thunder and pelting rain. Whomever it was calling for you, better be worth it. Especially since you're going to be going through a lot of trouble for them.

"We have to find a place to land!"

"This rain is totally going to get to my hair!"

Henry and Tyri's voices echoed through the radio, sharing their concerns amidst the chaos.

"I've located a cave. Sending coordinates!" Seesan swiftly transmitted the cave's coordinates to everyone's bike-mounted computers, "Rider, what do you think?"

"Who gives a damn what he wants! We need to land!" Henry's voice boomed over the radio, clearly hesitant to proceed.

"We've already been flying for a while already; this could be a good time to rest!" Tyri chimed in, echoing Henry's sentiment.

"We'll follow your lead, Rider!" Seesan graciously expressed his willingness to support your decision, evidently believing that you had a valid reason for pushing forward.

Landing would give them a chance to rest, you'd already been flying for a while, and there was hardly a rush, right? Still, if you force it, if you were determined enough, maybe you could dispel it with a Rider Storm? You're not confident in that though, you've never fought mother nature before. The last time you fought the oceans you almost drowned.

>Set down in the cave

>Try the Rider Storm

>[Write-in]

>>5690763
>Set down in the cave

>>5690763
>Set down in the cave
Alright, so the traitor definately reported our movements when we left.

"Let's get to shelter!"

A unanimous agreement echoes through the radio, and you immediately guide your descent towards Seesan's cave. Amidst the downpour, snowfall, and the cave's concealed location, it's impressive that Seesan managed to spot it. He must have had amazing eyesight! That or he had his equipment rigged to detect subterranean formations. The cave's entrance proves just spacious enough for the three of you to land in, the thunderous roar of your engines reverberating through the chamber until you all power down your vehicles.

With no trees around to start a campfire, everyone instead activates their emergency nightsticks, forming a makeshift camp at the center of the room. Each of you sticks to what provides warmth: you rely on the Hopper's thermal barrier, while the soldiers huddle within their waterproofed armor. Since your party was pretty much covered head-to-toe in waterproofed armor, the only one sopping wet was yourself. Fortunately, you didn't have to worry about catching colds.

"What now?" Henry asks a question you're all thinking. There can be only one answer though.

"We wait for this storm to die down. Then leave." Tyri gives a casual shrug, "obviously."

Outside, the winds intensify, howling ferociously as if threatening to deafen you. It feels as if the storm itself is attempting to drive you out. Before fully settling in, everyone decides to delve deeper into the cave, while you position the Hopper closer to the entrance. You thought you heard an evil laughter for a brief moment, logically, it was the wind. All this time spent fighting must be getting to you. Was this what they called Battle Fatigue?

With the extra time, you decide to think about your route a little more. Mount Fuji, while fairly close to Tokyo, was in itself a fairly large obstacle. Whether by air or ground, it requires serious time and effort to overcome its heights and descend again. Neither of your cycles are capable of maintaining a high enough altitude to cruise at around four-thousand meters for very long, so you'd be forced to fly downward again, even if you were by yourself. Considering how strong the winds ended up getting, perhaps setting down was the best choice.

Furthermore, the routes you weren't taking are now unexpectedly blocked. Was it the Saurians acting on their own? Just happening to detect your group approaching, and cut off land routes? Or was it that Arch-Dragon from before, working together with the MLFOs for some reason, somehow?

Your current path takes you further south, skirting Kyoto and Osaka, you're aiming closer to Wakayama . The signal gave you coordinates in pretty much the middle of nowhere, far from nearby cities or towns. It felt a lot like where an ancient log-cutting village would set-up.

Since this trip is essentially a personal one, you could make a separate stop further north of Osaka. To your old family home. Just to see it, you're not sure what you'd get from it, or whether you even should. It's there though.

Then again, if your enemies are interfering now, it might be worth changing up your route somehow. To truly go against the grain, so to speak, you could read the data log for anything helpful. If you brought it that is.

Did you bring the data log? Will you read it?

>No, no

>Yes, no

>Yes, yes


About the routing..

>Make a trip home

>Continue your straightforward path

>Use the data log to alter your path

>[Write-in]

I meant for this to come out way earlier, sorry boyos. I may or may not have had a power outage.

Anyways, I'll leave this up for an hour or two, just in case.

>>5691139
>Yes, yes
I mean, if you're giving us the option.

>Use the data log to alter your path

>>5691139
>Yes, yes
>Make a trip home

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5691166
Well... we already kept it, why not use it?

Sliding up to a wall, you break out the future data log Thoth brought with him. A bit like loading a new holo-novel, you're excited to see what you find, then you remember what the cost of this information was. Bringing your vibe right back down. In the original timeline, 'you' never made a trip like this, so you don't expect to find anything like a list of traps. Just maybe though, you'll find something notable. While you had previously skimmed through the entries, you had consciously avoided delving too deep, preferring to focus on one or two entries. This time, you read slightly into more detail.

While you quickly skim through entries, looking for anything relevevant, you note that the original 'you' had a peaceful period with the kids. Before Thoth took over future entries. If the machine lifeforms knew where you lived this whole time, what took them so long to strike, why let you make the first move? Was it... kindness?

Moving on, you reach the point where Number 2 finally makes an appearance at the castle. Long story short, he does not have a good time.

The people back at the castle mistakenly suspect he's part of an MLFO trick. Instead of being welcomed in, he's interrogated harshly, then locked up for several more weeks. It doesn't need to be said, but his time in the brig is vastly different compared to yours. Eventually they end up releasing him to help in a fight. According to Thoth, Number 2 would continue to help out when he could, but he didn't have long. That's something you'll need to address with him in the present, when you finally meet that is. The fact that he's on a time limit.

Interestingly, the only times he was allowed out of his cage was when Dr. Cain visited, looking to employ him in her experiments. Thoth, the current author, didn't actually know what they were doing, he speculates that the good doctor was actually trying to help Number 2. For all the good it did.

"Phew.." you exhale, shutting off the data pad. It's a little heavy, imagining all the people you've met so far dying. Of course, while you've already done that, it didn't mean you enjoyed it. Maybe you'll get Dr. Cain a gift later, for being such a good friend. Number 2 is a good boy too, let's treat him nicely.

More importantly, you think you've found a lead on Number 2 himself. During his 'questioning', he had mentioned aiding a guerilla cell, bringing the fight to Saurians where he could before reuninting with the castle. Fortunately, you happen to be near enough one of his reported engagements. You don't exactly have a timeframe for these, but you wager it's worth a gamble, not to mention the fact that your enemies won't see this coming.

"What have you got there, Rider?" Seesan gestures curiously at your data pad.

"Ah, just some personal reading." You casually reply, sliding the device back into your pocket.

File: 4w3o5.png (1.32 MB, 1359x859)

1.32 MB PNG

"Great! Glad to see you're having a fun time! If only you could spare some for what we're going to do later!" Henry snaps at you. Not even this cold weather is enough to cool his hot blood.

"I did some thinking, let’s make another stop."

"Oh, it's a fieldtrip now?" Henry sneers, deliberately stomping towards you with heavy steps. However, Seesan steps in, brushing him back and shaking his head.

"Any particular reason, Rider?" Seesan looks at you quizzically.

"Just a change of pace, I feel like we're being watched, that's all."

Nearly an hour passes before the storm finally subsides. Once everyone is ready and prepared, you all rev up your engines, blasting back into the sky, ready to make up for lost time. You end up directing your group close to a narrow valley, nothing as organized as a highway, or even a country road, you've basically found yourself in a border zone. A place just outside of the former cities. After a while, you come upon a sweeping panoramic view of a forest, stretching out across the horizon. When humanity abandoned mass-produced civilian automobiles, you often wondered what would become of the unused country roads. This is what happens.

"Can't say you never took me anywhere nice." Tyri gives an appreciative whistle as she and the rest of the party take in the sight.

The trees have grown tall and dense over the past three hundred years, it would have been troublesome at best if you had to drive through it. Which is what you have to do, seeing as how Number 2 was doing just that. Using what you remember from the log entry, you do your best to find it. You and your companions spend a lot of time navigating through branches, avoiding roots, as well as checking the maps, before you finally see it.

Cautiously approaching the scene, you see the remnants of a fierce battle. Ruined vehicles and lifeless bodies are scattered across an open clearing in the forest. The trees did not develop this opening on their own, the battle itself had toppled any that were in the way. Brunt tree stumps accompanied the fallen soldiers. It was an unsettling sight for you, and a heavy silence clung to the air.

The soldiers had clearly fought valiantly. Across the field were the bodies of Saurian grunts, scorch marks on the nearby trees and grass. Seesan orders the others to search for survivors, but whatever happened here has already passed. As you examine one of the fallen bodies, your throat tightens as you observe the wounds. It's clear that this man didn't die from gunfire. Your mind races, desperately trying to find an explanation.

"This is a... that's a fist..." Henry mutters while examining a different body, his voice filled with unease. "This guy didn't die to laserfire... someone punched their way through him."

"Whoa!" Tyri exclaims, her gaze fixed on a fallen Saurian grunt. Unlike Henry, her voice is filled with awe and admiration. "These lizards didn't stand a chance against you!"

"This tank, it looks like a foot plunged through, somehow? Igniting the power cells inside, blowing it out from within." Seesan remarks over the radio as he examines a wrecked vehicle in the distance. Deep down, you know that's what happens when you unleash a Rider Kick on a regular vehicle. This is the result when your powers are used against targets other than MLFOs.

Henry scowls, his eyes darting between the destroyed vehicles, the lifeless bodies, and you. "Did you... do all of this?"

Shaking your head, you meet his gaze. "No, I've never been here before."

"Nobody else fights like this!" Henry grabs your collar and pushes against you.

Seesan walks up, he doesn't hold Henry back this time, but he hasn't gotten aggressive either. "Kamen Rider, this doesn't look good."

"Why did you bring us here?" Tyri joins her fellow soldiers, their eyes fixed on you with caution.

Your mind becomes ensnared in a relentless loop, unable to escape its grasp. Could this be the infamous "Butterfly Effect" in action? Was it Thoth's interference that caused Number 2 to go rogue, just like the Sigma experiments in 25XX? Nothing like this was mentioned in the future data logs, then again, that timeline didn't have a time traveler. Alternatively, could this be the doing of the Ark? But how could they have known about your arrival? After all, you had only made the decision to come here recently.


What will you tell them?

>Share what you read

>Tell them there's a traitor

>This is a misunderstanding

>[Write-in]

When you meet the second Kamen Rider, how will you treat them?

>Like a brother

>Hostile

>[Write-in]

Hmm, something strange is happening? But what? If only we had a second pair of eyes to look at this with...

Anyways, let's check back in on Mr. Rider tomorrow! Roughly 20ish hours?

>>5691269
>Tell them there's a traitor
>Like a brother

>>5691269
>Tell them there's a traitor

>[Write-in]
>Neutrally. See how the other Kamen Rider acts first.

>>5691269
>Share what you read
>Like a brother

"I brought us here, because I'm following a lead." You explained confidently.

"A lead?" Seesan looks at you curiously.

"That's right. I received information from someone back at the castle that there's a traitor among us." You stated, locking eyes with everyone. You notice Tyri and Seesan both share a quick glance. Henry, however, looks as if he's about to explode.

"Don't be ridiculous! The only one who could be a traitor is you!" Henry stares daggers into you, fury dripping off his words. He then tries to push you off the ground, but you firm up your stance.

"I would never betray humanity! My entire being is dedicated to protect everyone!" You insisted.

"Stop lying! The machines only became active again once you showed up!" Henry's anger boils over, his fist draws back, preparing to strike. You frown as you prepare yourself. However, another pair of hands suddenly appeared, restraining Henry.

Seesan, the most level-headed member of your party, steps forward. "Hold it soldier! Save that anger for later!" Seesan grunted as he struggled to calm down Henry. Once the latter had cooled down slightly, Seesan spoke up again. "Let's not jump to conclusions yet. Kamen Rider, can we trust you're on our side?"

"I always have been. I swear." You declared with conviction, nodding determinedly at Seesan. A small smirk stretches his face, and he then sent a commanding look towards Henry.

"Tch! Fine! But I'll be keeping an eye on you, Rider! If I see you making any weird moves, I'll shoot you myself." Henry grumbled; his anger withdrew as he reluctantly relaxed.

You nodded in acceptance. "That's fair. I expect nothing less from a member of Mao's trusted squad."

The rest of you breathe a sigh as you narrowly avoid a brawl. Was this what the Arc wanted? Sure, Henry is quick to anger, but surely your fellow humans would trust you every time compared to the aliens or the machine lifeforms. How foolish.

Although tension lingered in the air, you all made the decision to move forward, even if it was more challenging for some than others. Before leaving the battlefield, you took a moment to respectfully close the eyes of the fallen soldier you had been examining. Wherever Number 2 was, you were sure he had a good explanation for this.

Now that you've told them about the traitor, you decide to open up a little more. Displaying a floating map from your Ride Hopper, you call the others closer.

"The truth is, the place we're headed to, I've been called there. Someone who understands how my Rider powers work contacted me on a special frequency, a wavelength only my Blade Antennae could detect." You revealed.

"Blade Antennae?" Henry raises a brow at you, a big improvement over his constant scowls and frowns. You almost thought that was how he was born.

"That 'V' shaped thing on his helmet, when he transforms." Seesan clarified.

"Whew! That's so retro! Antennae haven't been used in centuries." Tyri gives an amused response.

"You mentioned them before, but who is this contact?" Seesan returns the spotlight to you, a logical question to ask, just not one you're one-hundred percent sure you should answer. Instead, you give him a piece.

"I can't say. But I can tell you it's someone who's been on the castle for a very long time, he holds a high position currently."

"Have they assisted you in the past?" Seesan inquired further.

"Yes. Do you remember the incident at the schools? This contact warned me that a Machine Lifeform was hiding on the castle, and helped me to flush it out." You explained.

"That was you?" Henry furrowed his brow, delving deeper into his thoughts. "I wondered that was about. So, it was one of those machines?"

"You didn't know?" You looked at the soldiers with puzzlement, but Seesan raised a hand to halt any further discussion.

"It's classified information. We've been trying to keep it under wraps, except for those who were already aware," Seesan clarified.

"But, not even colonel Mao.." Henry's gaze drifted past you, his eyes fixed on a distant point. Seesan nods at Tyri, she takes a position closer to you. He then gives a light jab to Henry, pulling him out of his concentration.

"As I mentioned, it's classified. More importantly, what's our plan now, Rider?" Seesan asked, refocusing the conversation.

You leaned forward, studying the holo-map projected off your bike. "Let's continue through here." You trace a path with your finger over the hologram. "It'll take us closer to some of the old cities, but this is where the call came from."

Seesan furrowed his brow, his gaze alternating between you and the map. "Are you certain? We could encounter Machine Lifeforms on the way, especially if they're waiting in the cities."

Henry cleared his throat, injecting an air of skepticism into his voice. "Yeah, Kamen Rider, are you sure about this? It could be a trap. Was the signal encrypted?"

You shot a quick glance at Tyri, hoping to get her input, but her eyes were fixed to the holo-map.

"It can't be helped. Someone who knows about me is waiting there, it’ll be risky, but we'll face any threats together."

"Do you know who it is?" Tyri suddenly interjected, her gaze fixed on you. "The Traitor, I mean."

You shake your head. "Not at all, I can only guess it's someone in a high position."

"I see."

After that, your group returned to your bikes and set off again. You don't return to your original route, it's not like you're travelling to another country, there are only so many routes you can take. As you pass by another abandoned city, you're reminded of current day Tokyo. Even from a distance, you could spot the dilapidated buildings, strange machines scattered throughout various structures, and some positioned in the streets. It was a poignant sight, imagining that these once thriving cities had now fallen into disrepair. However, it also sparked a glimmer of hope within you, envisioning the day when everything would be rebuilt.

A few more hours pass, fortunately there are no more attacks, nor any strange machinations from the Ark, just smooth flying. With the previous events hanging heavy on your mind, you can't help but find the extra peace uncomfortable, it didn't help that the rest of the part was silent too. Eventually, you found yourselves approaching a peculiar sight.

Until now the only buildings that could be seen were either ruined, or the ones within the castles. The sight is so surreal that you questioned whether you had somehow drifted into a dream.

"What are we looking at?" Tyri whispered.

As your bikes cruised over the forest, you came across another open field atop a wide hill. However, instead of a battlefield and burnt trees, the field had been meticulously cleared. With what could only have been old-fashioned axes. The quiet and empty air gradually gave way to the distant hum of everyday chatter.

"It looks like... an ancient village, straight out of our history discs." You remark. It's hard to make out the finer details, but your enhanced eyes give you a decent peak ahead. Even the people are dressed appropriately. The sight of which is so surreal you suddenly wonder if you've drifted asleep somehow.

Before you lay a series of strange structures. Architecture you only recognize from your history entries or period vids. Ancient wooden structures, hanging streetlamps, even sliding doors with wooden frames. You're not quite close enough to really make out the people, right now you're all holding at extreme range. But the village really sticks out like a sore thumb. Completely anachronistic against what you knew.

What now?

>Simply ride in

>Dismount and walk in

>Have the soldiers scout the perimeter, while you enter

>[Write-in]

Oohh, the formatting on this one looks a little strange. Well then, the qm is certainly keeping strange hours, isn't he? Let's try to fix that, next update in 48 hours.

>>5691988
>Dismount and walk in
Alright, something's up with this town. But I'm too much of a dumbass to know what the correct approach is.

>>5691988
>Have the soldiers scout the perimeter, while you enter
Ok, this is weird.

>>5691988
>Have the soldiers scout the perimeter, while you enter

>>5692046
It's not that you're a dumbass. I'm trying to be mysterious on purpose. Though, i'm not always sure you have enough to go on to make this a good mystery. I have to go "but what would the bad guys reallly dooo" I wonder if this means i'm actually your enemy?

"Let's part here. You guys go around, scout the perimeter. I'll go in by myself." You send a nod towards everyone. Seesan then gives out a series of hand signals, directing the others to take their positions as they get ready to go around. With any luck, they will be able to keep a vigilant watch over the nearby woods while you address the village.

Now that you're finally here, anxiety starts to creep into your chest. With cautious determination, you bring your bike closer, keeping it in 'Drive' mode and maintaining a mild speed. As you ventured closer your senses began picking up certain things. The aroma of prayer incense mingles with the scent of lamp oil, and a distant string instrument adds a delicate melody to the atmosphere.

The hum of the Ride Hopper's engine eventually gets the attention of the villagers, who begin to gather at the edge. As they crowd around the edge of the village to look at you, you return the favor and send a few scanning glances their way. By all appearances this was a pre-industrial village. Gravel roads wind through the settlement, doors made of translucent paper walls, buildings with exposed wooden beams. The villagers you could see where dressed in a variety of traditional garb, some were adorned with intricate patterns, or vibrant colors.

As you get closer, they begin to get agitated. Whispering, shouting, point at you. If they were actors, they sure were good at selling the whole 'innocent villager' role. They certainly didn't belong in the world you knew, could they comprehend flying vehicles, floating cities? A long time ago you might have laughed this off, it's the kind of thing you only read about, right? Well, Thoth ended up forcing your mind right open. As you dismount, a message abruptly pings the Hopper's computer screen, displaying only text.

"Beware the other. They will strike when you let your guard down. After that, you will be betrayed."

Your brow furrows in confusion. The message lacks a sender ID, leaving you with an enigmatic anonymous warning. As if you needed more cryptic hints about being betrayed. By whom? Why couldn't they provide more details? Since there wasn't anything to be done now, you simply power off the bike. Cautiously approaching the crowd, you're stopped before you get any closer, intercepted by a group of men wielding peculiar farming tools.

"Stop! Begone! This place has no need for those that consort with demons!" The man thrusts his tool toward you, keeping a good distance.

Raising your hands, you hope to convey a non-threatening demeanor. "Demons?".

The man points his tool toward the Ride Hopper, emphasizing his accusation. "That! Your strange steed!"

Ah, yes. A hoverbike would definitely set off strange alarms with them. Glancing at the growing crowd, some individuals gradually seek refuge behind the tool-wielding men, while others maintain a cautious distance, observing you with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. They don't appear to be hostile, merely wary.

"His attire... it's peculiar..."

"It's just plain ugly."

You inadvertently catch snippets of another discussion.

'Sorry, I don't like the fashion of this age either.'

Well, you're being stopped at the gate, they don't like the way you look, nor the steed you rode in on.


"It might look strange. But that's no demon, it's a machine, I ride it instead of a horse."

"Machine?" One of them reacts, quickly followed by the others. They huddle together for a brief moment, engaged in whispered conversations. Somehow, they recognize that word. You start to think it'll take a few minutes when someone new pushes their way into the crowd, and joins the conversation, they then approach you. Coming much closer than any of the ones with tools did.

"You! You know of 'machines'?"

"I do." You nod. Of course, you know a little more than most about 'machine' seeing as how you're a cyborg, you hold that in though. The word 'Cyborg' would probably need a longer conversation.

"There is someone else here who knows of machines. Do you know a Hongo?"

Upon hearing that name, you freeze in place, your eyes widening in surprise. If you were holding anything, it would have slipped from your grasp. Hongo? Could it really be true? Doubt fills your mind, but recent experiences have taught you to be open-minded, and you have Thoth to thank for that.

"I do!" You answer more eagerly that you'd intended. The man smiles at you and motions for you to follow him. The crowd from earlier willingly makes way, allowing you to pass through. Groups of locals gather along the roadside, some stare at you with curiosity, others are rushing to where you'd entered. Most likely wanting to look at the Ride Hopper, hopefully you won't come back missing a wheel or anything.

"My name is Takeshi Ichimonji. I'm the son of the village elder." The man introduces himself while you walk side by side. His name rings an odd bell with you, you try to pass it off as mere coincidence. However, from the way he talks, you assume he's in some position of authority, it's hard to say though. If at all possible, you'd like to speak to their mayor, if only to get an idea of their circumstances, that would have to come later though.

"Pleasure. I'm known as Kamen Rider."

"Kamen... Rider?"

"Yes."

"A strange name..." Takeshi murmurs softly to himself.

Thanks to Takeshi's intervention, you now have a chance to observe the village more closely. Looking past the buildings, perched atop this gentle slope, you're offered a picturesque panorama of the surrounding area. Lush greenery surrounding the hill stretches out as far as you can see. If possible, you'd like to bring the kids here, being cooped up inside all their lives wasn't good.

A gentle wind carries the scent of blooming flowers towards you, along with the gentle rustle of leaves. Gently swaying lanterns cast a warm, flickering light on the streets as the evening sun fades. Passing what appears to be market stalls, you note that most are still going about their normal duties, exchanging glances, or sometimes greetings, with you. Children peek curiously from around corners, just out of sight.

As you approach your destination, you're struck by the stark contrast between this building and the rest of the village. While the other structures exude simplicity and elegance, this particular building stands out like Frankenstein's monster with its peculiar additions and modifications.

"I'd like to you meet my father later. For now, I think you might want to meet her."

"Her?"

"Mistress Hongo, of course. If you please." He gestures you inside, before walking off himself. You note that the group of men following you remained where they were, simply watching. Taking another double-take of the building you've been escorted too; you note some peculiarities. Smoke billows steadily from a chimney, and an additional room, constructed with patchwork metal, is attached just off the side. More interestingly, you think you see a power transformer attached to the side of the building, along with some kind of sphere nearby pumping out short bursts of steam.

Taking a deep breath, you gather your courage and step inside. "I'm coming in!" You announce your presence before sliding open the door. The first room you're greeted too looks nice enough, only one other pair of shoes, which you add to. s you proceed further, you notice a jumble of parchment scattered on the floor, as well as tables. Some you recognize as blueprints for primitive computers, while others depict more advanced constructions. Your attention is immediately drawn to one particular drawing that closely resembles the inner workings of your Blade Antennae.

"Over here!" A woman's voice calls to you from further in. With determination, you navigate through the scattered designs and the hodgepodge of parts and gadgets. "Sorry about the mess, I'm still busy!"

"It's a little strange is all."

"I know, I know! Just please bear with it until I find my friend!"

"I know, I know! Just please bear with it until I find my friend!"

Following the sound of her voice, you enter the room and catch sight of a woman engrossed in advanced calculations on a computer, her back turned to you. She's wearing a traditional robe, like the other denizens of this village, looking very much like another resident, at least from behind. The fact that she's surrounded by technology makes her immediately stand out.

"Just a moment please."

You can give her a moment, right? (Pick 2?)

>Look around the room

>Get her attention now

>Specifically look through the schematics

>Get a status report from the soldiers

>Call the soldiers to you

>[Write-in]

>>5693316
>I wonder if this means i'm actually your enemy?
Hah, lmao. Such is the way of all QM'ing.

>>5693343
>Get a status report from the soldiers
>Look around the room

>>5693343
Just adding on. I'll update in roughly 72 hours.

>>5693343
>Look around the room
>Get a status report from the soldiers

>>5693343
>Call the soldiers to you
>Get her attention now

File: pray-rider.png (709 KB, 749x398)

709 KB PNG

I tried to edit this a little more to make it worth the wait time. But this was meant to come out sooner, I'm sorry everyone! I'll try to get you another post within 12 hours. If I don't pop one out by then, it'll be 24 hours.

"Everyone, check in." You whisper into the radio beneath your vest. One by one, they respond, giving an all-clear signal. No enemies in sight. They're all curious about what they see in the village, even asking for your opinion. Right now, you're uncertain, so you keep them outside, wanting their eyes on the surroundings. It's getting dark though, the sun has already sunk under the horizon, leaving only oil-burning lamps to illuminate the streets outside.

Your curiosity is piqued. Who is this woman surrounded by technology in this backward village? The man from earlier mentioned a name that shouldn't belong here. Determined to investigate, you begin exploring on your own. Many of the papers, in what must have been her workshop, have a number of different designs scattered across them, like those in the rest of the house. Among them, some papers contain writings, some suggesting possible solutions, or potential problems for later. Several, however, are simply her conveying her frustration, trying to recreate the technology she needed from makeshift materials.

Wandering over to a table, there are a few gadgets, along with a mess of machine parts, all seem half-assembled with wires or other parts simply jutting out. One of which catches your attention. It's the internal framework of your helmet, at least the parts connecting to your antennae. It's clear now that she's the one that called you here. In a nearby pile are objects you can only vaguely recall, it was a small assortment of the machines from the cities. You've no clue what they do, it seems the woman was only studying them.

On the other side of the table is an old photo, actual honest to goodness paper within a plastic frame. The paper itself is old, discolored, and lightly tattered around the edges. But you recognize the people. To the left, is a woman you'd never met before. On the right, is a man holding a baby...

"Doctor Hongo?" The words escaped your lips, filled with a rush of nostalgia.

"Huh?" Startled, the woman turns around and gazes at you. Moments pass as she studies you carefully. It's obvious now of course, the woman in front of you is that baby in the photo, all grown up now. You're starting to feel even more nostalgic; you start picking out details. Same eye color, similar cheekbones, all sorts of glimpses of her father.

Back then, you saw yourself as an older brother. The thought of being the cool and mature big brother excited you back then, despite having an older brother yourself. The longer you stared at her, the more energized you felt, like you had finally reunited with the Hongo family.

"So, it's you, Kamen Rider, I presume?" She said flatly. "I assume you worked closely with Doctor Takeshi Hongo, my father? I am his daughter. Doctor Amane Hongo. Nice to meet you."

Oh..

"I apologize if you experienced any feedback from my signal. I'm sure you understand, inferior materials and a lack of substitutes. Frankly, I'm lucky I was able to cobble together anything approaching a working terminal. To be honest, I'm not sure what to make of the area outside, nor our situation. When you have the time, I'd appreciate it if you could brief me."

"R-right. We'll do that when we can."

"Despite our circumstances. You'll find I'm just as competent, if not more so, than my father. I hope that with your help we can finally end the menace of the machine lifeforms, forever. Let's work together to find a way to restore the world, together."

It occurs to you, that the only one with memories of your time together, is you. She was probably too young to remember, if she had any at all. You'd gotten too far inside your own head. You recognized her, except it was hardly the same the other way around. As she offered her hand, you extend yours, shaking it absent mindedly.

"Excellent. I assume you have your Ride Hopper, or an equivalent? I'll be ready to move to your base of operations in about an hour. I just need to pack my essentials, and then we can set off."

Just then, Seesan emerges through the same entrance you used. He nods at you but his gaze lingers on Amane. It's evident that he is taken aback by her presence and the stark contrast she presents within the village.

"Rider, it will soon be pitch black out here. I don't want my men patrolling in the dark. Should we stay the night or set up camp on our way back?"

This is your chance to wrap things up if you have anything you want to say or do. Otherwise, how do you spend the night?

>Camp in the village

>Leave asap

>Ask for his advice

If you stay... how do you spend the night?

>Explore the village a little

>Talk to Dr. Amane Hongo

>[Write-in]

>>5695789
>Camp in the village
>Talk to Dr. Amane Hongo

>>5695789
>Camp in the village
>Talk to Dr. Amane Hongo
Tell her it's good to see her all grow up.
And ask how she is alive after so long (It's been hundreds of years right?)

"Recall the others. We'll stay here tonight."

"Sure."

You briefly leave with Seesan as you go to meet the village elder, the highest official in the village. His weathered face and long, flowing beard give him an air of wisdom and authority. The initial conversation is brief but polite, as you exchange details and pleasantries. Seesan and his men would be staying in something called an inn, while you have been assigned a guest room in Amane's 'house.' The village elder seems amused when you comment on that.

"Of course, you two are friends after all. Speaking of, to be honest, I did not expect such an age difference."

Neither did I.

"About that, don't we seem strange to you?"

The village elder strokes his beard thoughtfully. "To be honest, there's a lot we don't understand. Our village is surrounded by strange things. As for your group though? She told us that you and your group came from afar, that's why your ways are so strange and different. It's encouraging to see her following in her father's footsteps. Women don't usually, well..."

"What exactly did she say?"

"Hmm?" The old man raised a brow at that. "Are you on bad terms? It's better to ask her in person, no?"

You can't help but wonder what exactly Amane told the villagers. The curiosity lingers, but you're unsure how involved you want to become in their lives. Will you bring them back to the castle or hope they can find peace here until the Ark is destroyed? Lost in thought, you reflect on some time-travel vids you'd seen in your youth, wondering if anyone here had to go back. Shaking your head, you resolve yourself. Regardless, everyone's life is important, and you are determined to protect them.

Shelving those thoughts for now, you return to Amane to share the details of your conversation with the village elder. As you relay the information, you notice a change in Amane's demeanor.

"I expected as much." She sighed. "I apologize for that. They don't have a concept of men and women working together, you see, so I told them we were friends and already knew each other. It's part of the reason they let me have this house to myself."

"We do know each other, actually."

Amane's interest is piqued. "Oh? Tell me more."

You offer an awkward smile. "I used to take care of you when you were younger. You and your dad were like a second family to me." A mix of emotions crosses Amane's face, a subtle shift from her professional demeanor. You're not sure what she's feeling, so you continue.

"I know he would be proud to see you following in his footsteps. I'm also glad to see that you've grown up well."

"That is somewhat, strange to hear." Her brows furrowed slightly. "I don't remember you at all. And Father... he was very aloof in my youth. It's hard to recall any fond memories."

You had hoped to reminisce about the past, to reconnect and catch up on what happened after you left. But Amane's response makes it clear that prying further into her life might be unwelcome. Speaking of which.

"Right, you and your father lived in 26XX. Even with the best medicines and cybernetics, I can't see either of you going past 28XX. How is it you came to be here?"

At that, her face softened slightly. You hoped she hadn't become the type to get lost in their work, it was starting to look like it though, maybe old-man Hongo passed on some of his bad traits.

"Yes, I'm sure you've been meaning to ask that. Let me start with this. As far as I can tell, these villagers around us really are as they seem, completely pre-dating both of us." You nod, agreeing with her observation, and the strangeness of it all hangs in the air.

Amane tells you that after deciding to help the EDF with a project, she'd suddenly woke up in an empty field. She wouldn't learn she was in Japan until nearly a week later when a scouting party from the village found her, until then she'd been hopelessly wandering around, searching aimlessly. After taking her in they nursed her to health again. In which she assumed she had somehow gone back into the past. However, her expectations were shattered when the scouts discovered a city. Which she explains is how she'd been getting her technology. Having convinced the village to bring her anything she'd designated as important, or just whatever they could carry back, she'd been hard at work reverse engineering whatever she could get.

It would seem she doesn’t actually know how she got here, when you say as much, she gives a grim nod. She also mentions the villagers have no idea what happened to them either. One day they’d gone to sleep, then awoke to a completely different forest surrounding them. With none of the nearby roads, rice fields, or neighboring towns anywhere in sight.

Her face grows solemn as she turns her gaze to you. "Just what happened? Did the Ark cause all of this? My father warned me of its dangers, but still..."

A troubled expression clouds your face as you carefully choose your words. You begin by sharing what you were told: the Ark emerged victorious, pushing humanity to the brink. People were forced into nomadic groups, battling to survive, while scattered villages went into hiding or managed to evacuate to the Landing Castles.

"So that's the current situation?"

"There's more."

"More? How could there be more?"

It was here you tell her about the Saurians. Amane's face mirrors the shock you experienced when you first learned of them. The realization that humanity's first encounter with extraterrestrial life was with warmongering aliens is certainly unsettling. Having both come from a time of unparalleled peace and global unification, the thought of humanities brothers among the stars being evil was certainly a shock. Despite the ongoing battle, it seems humanity has reached a stalemate against the Saurians.

"It's worse than I thought." Amane murmurs, lost in thought.

"Yes. It might seem bad, but with you here and our allies back at the Japanese Landing Castle, I believe we can win." You offer her a determined and resolute look, attempting to uplift her spirits. After a moment of consideration, she gazes at you with a sorrowful smile.

"You said you took care of me when I was younger? It's a bit of a shame that I'm older than you now." She says, a thin smile gracing her lips. Rather than matching her somber mood, you respond with an amused smile.

"As a woman you've grown into someone I don't recognize, but at the very least, you remind me very much of your Father now."

"Oh, yes?"

You nod. "Indeed, after the Ark went berserk for the first time, he felt responsible. Throwing himself into his work for a long team, only opening up slowly after I'd become Kamen Rider."

"That's not exactly a good trait."

"No, but it is admirable, and I think it helps you understand him a little more." As you say this, she gives you a curious look, then closes her eyes. However, just as you turn to leave, she stops you.

"Wait. Before you leave. To be honest, there's something weird at the center of the village, should I show you now?"

>Yes

>No

>[Write-in]

>>5696086
>Yes

>>5696086
>Yes

"Something weird?"

"Yes. I can't describe it. But I believe it may help uncover some of the mystery surrounding this village."

"Then show me."

She nods in agreement, and together you set off. Amane said it was at the center of the village, the entire thing was built or rather placed, around an increasingly steep hill. The village itself is built around this hill, with structures perched precariously close to the edge, overlooking the surrounding forest. It becomes apparent that whatever force transported them to this time and place didn't concern itself with their safety. Regardless, the center of the village as at the highest part of this giant hill, proving to be somewhat of a steep climb. You weren't sure if Amane could make it in her robe. While you were thinking that, a pair of familiar faces found you.

"A bit late for a stroll, isn't it, Rider?" Seesan approaches you first, followed closely by Tyri. His words cause you to question the wisdom of your decision. While you and your men had enhanced vision, or advanced gear, anyone else's visibility would be limited.

"It couldn't be helped. There's something I want to investigate."

Seesan nods, then directs his attention towards Amane, who has fallen behind. You pause to wait for her. "By the way, Rider, is she the reason we're here?"

You nod, realizing that concealing such an obvious secret would be futile. "She sent me a signal, and I came running."

"Hah! Look at you, how cool! She calls and you come! Are you two an item then?" Tyri interjects, playfully slapping you on the back and displaying a very childlike attitude as she teases you.

"No, not at all!" You give an akward reply. She's like a younger sister to you anyways, despite actually being older. Time travel is certainly a strange thing. Which reminds you, these aren't your only visitors from another point in time. If you've met the ghost of the future and those from the past, who would be the present? Seesan brings you out of your musing.

"What kind of signal did she use, is she using Aether? Has she given you any advice yet?"

"Come on!" Tyri interrupts once more. "It's obvious this is a secret rendezvous, a romantic tryst!"

"Don't be absurd." You shake your head, dismissing her assumption. Nevertheless, it seems that both Seesan and Tyri are offering to accompany you. Should you accept their company on this exploration?

>"Yes, come with me."

>"Yes, but I'll handle this alone."

>"Not at all. I'm just looking around."

>[Write-in]

>>5696195
>"Yes, come with me."

Having a bit of trouble finishing this off. I'll continue it tomorrow.

>>5696195
>"Yes, come with me."

>>5696195
>"Yes, come with me."

"How about it, should we follow you?" Seesan asks. Looking over your new party composition. With Seesan and Tyri here, along with yourself, only one person is missing. Well, his blood would run a little too hot for this late hour. You'd certainly be in for an earful if this little jaunt turns out to be nothing. If nobody else says anything it's probably fine to leave him at home. A voice in your head insists it would be wise to bring some help for this, strangely enough, you feel as if that wasn't wise.

"Yes, come with me." You answer, and Seesan agrees with a nod.

"It's a party then."

The extra steep hill your group is climbing takes a few minutes to climb, running a little longer than you'd thought, occasionally waiting for Amane as she struggles with the climb. The darkness makes her misstep now and then, but with your assistance, she manages to avoid tripping over, occasionally filling the silence with complaints about the traditional robes she'd been given. Finally reaching the top, you find the scene relatively normal. A few huts stand in the distance, while a gentle wind rustles the tall grass around you.

"Just a little further up. Follow me." Amane waves you over as she leads you around one of the huts. You follow closely behind her, while Seesan and Tyri walk side by side, bringing up the rear. With a quiet night like this, you would have expected plenty of moonlight, instead the clouds have moved in giving you plenty of overcast. You wonder if it's some sort of side effect of the freak storm from earlier, the one that the castle's highly advanced weather systems, and sensors couldn't detect. As you draw closer, you understand what Amane meant.

Embedded into the ground, protruding from a small crater, is an object. At the top, a small football-sized piece of transparent steel gleams. Various extensions and rods unfold or extend from the main sleek cylinder-like body. There are no exposed consoles or visible control units on the device.

Should you examine it further?

>Simply get closer and look it over

>Use your nanites to scan it

>Trash it.

>[Write-in]

>>5697021
>Simply get closer and look it over

>>5697021
>Use your nanites to scan it

>>5697021
>Use your nanites to scan it

"What do you think?" Amane asks as she draws closer to you, maintaining a respectful distance, allowing you to conduct your own examination. The others remain silent as you carefully pace around the object, taking in its features. At a glance, the object stands at an angle, roughly seven feet high. From your initial observation, it appears as though it was deployed from a great altitude, dropped to the ground, and left to follow its own course. Surprisingly, apart from the crater it rests in, the metal shows minimal signs of wear and tear. Faded symbols adorn its surface, though they're too worn to decipher any meaning, only the impression that it's very old, ancient even. Yet the crater appears no older than a month, and the surrounding grass has been growing back at a moderate rate, suggesting that the dirt has remained undisturbed for quite some time.

"Do you know how long this has been here?" You inquire aloud.

"Not a clue. I don't have access to any scanners, and the villagers claim it has been here since they woke up on this hill," Amane responds.

While lacking scanners of your own, you decide to rely on your nanites to delve deeper into the mysteries of this peculiar object. Placing your hand upon it, you concentrate, channeling your nanites into the machinery. Like a swarm of microscopic explorers, the nanites venture forth, scanning and probing the intricacies of the artifact. Their transmissions flood your senses, relaying every discovery. From its shape, you deduce that it was likely a weapon deployed from high altitude, its reinforced casing designed to protect the machinery within until it made contact with the ground.

As your nanites delve further, they transmit unusual signals and reports. The presence of a strange, unidentified power emanates from within the object. It feels akin to Aether, as well as an additional element, something reminiscent of the mysterious energy that surrounded the future Thoth. You're all but certain this is responsible for bringing the villagers here. If you repair it could you send these people back to their time, where they wouldn't be in danger of Saurians and the MLFOs? Just as you pull your hand away, you feel a slight reaction, a spike of power from the object.

"I've got something on scanners!" Seesan announces and turns around, facing the direction you came in. It shouldn't be any of the villagers. When you were walking through it with Amane it seemed they were all settling in for the night. Except, it's not any of the villagers, it's not a person at all. A shiver runs down your spine as a powerful vibration shakes the air, Aether now surrounds you. The skies rumble, growing louder each second, foreshadowing a similar scene in your mind. The freak storm from earlier. The wind picks up, howling with an near ear-piercing intensity.

"Henry come in!" Seesan yells urgently into his helmet. "I need you to gather the villagers immediately! Make sure none of them remain indoors! Get moving now!"

Amane protests amidst the swirling gusts, her voice raised to be heard. "But won't they be safer inside?"

"Sister, the houses are made of paper! They won't survive if they stay indoors! At least if they're outside, we can keep track of them!"

"High energy reaction!" Tyri exclaims, her arm-embedded computer loudly pinging with incoming alerts. Without delay, a swirling column of fury descends upon the village, wreaking havoc in its path. Rooftops are mercilessly torn away, propelled into the tempestuous vortex. Trees are uprooted, their branches crackling like thunder as they are violently cast aside.

"We're going to get taken out!" Tyri cries out, trying to plant some sort of anchor into the ground. A thick cable connects her to a claw like implement that she stabs into the ground. Unlike his comrade, Seesan doesn't pull out a claw and line, instead he draws his knife and plants it, along with his hands, into the ground. The both of them had apparently taken time to stow their weapons.

For your part, you do your best to dig your heels in, though it might be best to transform. As you think that, your gaze quickly shoots towards Amane, whom has no powered armor, gear, or cybernetics to help her.

"I-I can't hold on!" Amane screams as she tries to grip at the shed, the grass, anything, as the winds pull at her. As she begins to quickly slide away, multiple thoughts pass through your mind.

>Transform and defeat the storm

>Transform and save her

>Rush to her aid now

>[Write-in]

Ahem, kept you waiting, huh?

Don't worry update tomorrow, or today! Depending on your time zone. Give me roughly 20ish hours.

>>5697183
>Transform and save her

>>5697183
>Transform and save her
I don't think we can rider kick a storm

>>5697183
>Transform and defeat the storm

Hmm I'm trying to think about our ending choice there. I'm not sure I left you guys good options. I do have something I want to commit to writing, but I also want to ask this.

What do you want to do about the storm? It's a huge tornado that just dropped on you guys. Once you save the woman, what's the plan?

>>5697593
Mostly just getting outta there, I guess. We could try to use our nanites somehow, but I have a hunch that might not end well.

>>5697593
I don't know how to phrase this in any way that sounds sane or rational, but I want to rider kick the storm.

>>5697604
I don't want to spoil anything. But in terms of yes or no, yes, I will let you rider kick the storm. Eventually.

>>5697601
Trying to run? Alright i'll put this in.


Post won't be up for some time though. Check back in a several hours or so fellas.

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"Help me!" Amane's voice is filled with terror as she desperately clings to anything within reach, battling against the relentless winds.

"Hang on!" You call out, your words drowned out by the roaring tornado. As Amane's grip slips, she is flung into the air, into the mercy of the typhoon. As the raging winds whip around you, threatening to take you with them at any second, you decide this is as good a time as any to call your armor. Your arm rises at an angle, another bends to your side.

"Rider!" You roar, flooding your body with Aether, pushing a balance of power throughout your very being. As your energy peaks, a shimmer of light distorts your waist, swiftly forming into a belt. Raising one arm up, you move it counter-clockwise, your arms then switch and your hold that pose. The air around you crackles with a radiant energy that follows your movements. While it can't be heard nor felt amidst this powerful tornado, your gyro is spinning furiously, gathering the Aether needed for the next step.

"Change!" A blinding light engulfs you as the nanomachines connected to you and the belt undergo a remarkable transformation, morphing into your formidable Rider armor. A sudden surge of power fills your body, but you have no time to think on that. Amane continues to be pulled higher and higher, her chances of survival diminishing with each passing second. But you will not allow her to die, not like this, certainly not this soon after reuniting.

"Toh!" You jump into the air.

"Whoa his mind is blitzed! What's he doing?" Tyri's voice fades into the background as you ascend, the tumultuous winds drowning out any further words from her or Seesan.

Caught within the vortex, your body is thrashed about, but you remain resolute, refusing to let fear hold you. Saving Amane is your priority now. In the air with you are dozens of trees, uprooted from the ground, along with various ruined structures from the village. These people would likely never understand the enemy that's forced this on them, but you vow to avenge them. After a few more moments, you spot her, Amane is currently being hurled around, she's still desperately trying to grab onto anything nearby to.

"I'm coming!" You shout with all your might, it's more likely that the wind has completely overpowered your voice though. Using your jets you aim straight towards her, only to find yourself being whipped around another way. Clicking your tongue in frustration you try again. This time you use timed bursts in short sequence to better aim yourself. Just as the tempest threatens to throw you off course, you make swift adjustments, using your jets to steer yourself toward Amane's helpless form.

"Over here!" You just barely pick out Amane's voice over the roaring winds. Determination surges through you as you channel one last powerful burst of energy, propelling your body into a powerful spin, narrowly curving around the remnants of a shattered roof, catching Amane in your arms. As she realizes you've caught her, she grips your body tightly, refusing to be thrown uncontrollably again.

"Are you hurt?" Beneath your helmet, your face is etched with concern as you swiftly look her over, checking for injury. Even before she answers.

Amane shakes her head, her voice filled with a mix of relief and uncertainty. "I-I'm fine. But since when could you fly?"

"I can't." You admit in a flat tone. Briefly gazing downward, a spark of anxiety briefly floats into your mind as you realize just how high up you are, before you fill yourself with steel-plated resolve.

"Then how are you getting us down? And what are we going to do?"

"Good question."

The anomalous vortex around you is no ordinary storm; it emanates an aura of Aether, a clear sign that the Machine Lifeforms are involved. For now, your focus is on escaping the storm's relentless grip. Using the power of your jets, you maneuver yourself towards the nearest sturdy debris. A colossal tree torn asunder. Drawing closer, you prepare to kick off from it, aiming to propel yourselves towards the outer edges of the tempest.

However, the winds intensify, threatening to slice through your armor with newfound ferocity and power. With a split-second decision, you abruptly change direction, angling your thrusters to turn you around, to shield Amane from the worst of the onslaught.

The realization dawns upon you that leaving is not an option; someone, or something, is intentionally keeping you trapped within this cyclone. If your worst fear has come to pass, a Machine Lifeform is observing from afar, manipulating this storm into destroying you or your allies. But you refuse to succumb to their malevolent scheme. Yet, you never did answer Amane's question. What can you do? With each leap off floating debris, you put off your impending fate, but time is running out. The lives of the villagers, your comrades, and Amane hang in the balance.


>Use the debris to climb higher

>Call the Ride Hopper

>Rejoin the soldiers on the ground

>[Write-in]

Just to add on. If you choose the Hopper option please indicate if you want to escape the storm, or climb higher. Also, my week is not looking very generous at this time. Expect my next update closer to the end of the week. Friday or saturday.

>>5697840
>Call the Ride Hopper
Go higher

>>5697840
>Use the debris to climb higher
This sounds cool. Yes, that's my only reason for choosing this.

>>5697840
>Use the debris to climb higher
Fuck it, can't go with the boring option every time, otherwise the show's rating is going to drop

>>5697840
>Call out the robot
They try to come to our place of business and make trouble? They need to come to us and stop stalling

It's gonna be a saturday update for me guys (24ish hours). Just an devupdate in case you guys are wondering.

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>>5698095
>show's rating is going to drop
Uh, I would have tried, you know...

On that topic, i believe i may have made a mistake, but i'll just roll with it. I need to keep my notes neater..

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Amidst the treacherous tempest, you hold Amane within your arms, battling the swirling maelstrom of debris while protecting her as best you can. With no path forward, your only option is to defy gravity and ascend. "Hold on tight!" You call out over the roaring winds, preparing for the arduous task ahead.

Engulfed within the chaotic whirlwind, your senses are heightened. Each movement is calculated as you expertly dodge incoming rubble, utilizing larger chunks as makeshift platforms to propel yourselves upward. Time seems to slow as you rely on your compound visor, and honed reflexes to navigate the ever-deadly vortex. Precise bursts from your jets allow you to gracefully navigate the treacherous currents, avoiding wooden beams, and jagged branches that threaten to smash into you.

As you move about the twister, the available debris gradually diminishes, making each leap increasingly challenging. You're going to need your hands as well as your full agility if you want to get above the storm. There's also the matter of your passenger. The air is going to get thinner soon, if it isn't already, bringing her up any higher unassisted would be a bad idea. Sensing your thoughts, Amane grabs you attention.

"Bring us to that tree down there!" She urgently suggests, pointing to a robust oak tree with its branches still intact.

"Are you sure?"

"No. But we're thinking the same thing, right?"

"A Machine Lifeform is here." You say, and she nods. Uncertainty is written all over her face, but the determination in her eyes matches yours. Trusting in her intuition, you swiftly navigate towards the designated tree. With Amane securely bracing herself within its sturdy limbs, you direct your attention upwards. The fierce currents buffet you from all angles, testing your balance and resolve. Despite the odds, you press on, driven by the knowledge that a Machine Lifeform lurks within this malicious tornado, orchestrating its wrath to hinder your escape. Yet, you refuse to succumb.

While you can stave off any ill effects, at least for now, the thinner air affects you too. Each move demands more from your body, forcing you to rely more on your machine parts. Every movement becomes a calculated dance, aided by the pulsating energy coursing through your Rider armor. Determination fuels each stride as you defy the raging tempest, inching closer to the storm's turbulent apex.

Climbing higher amidst the swirling tempest, the storm unleashes a new element. Bolts of lightning pierce the darkness, casting eerie shadows on the debris and the brooding clouds above. With deftness forged in years of training, bolstered by the increased responsiveness of your armor, you maneuver through the chaos, using your free hands to swing and vault over obstacles. At times, you harness the very winds themselves, leveraging their force to propel you upwards. It's not all smooth however. Since you're well within the cloud layer, the occasional arc of lighting comes at you, either too fast, or too close, marking a scorching line alongside your armor as they hit, drawing a painted grunt from you. But you grit your teeth, resolving to push on. It's not enough to stop you.

"Hup! Toh!" Your arm cups around a detached tree branch as you swing upwards, the force of your liftoff shatters it behind you as you rise. For a fleeting moment, you find yourself in exhilarating freefall, breaching the storm's cloud barrier. Rising into the vast night sky, you're greeted by a waning crescent moon, a pleasant sight amidst the chaos.

While you revel in the brief awe of this sight, your focus quickly sharpens as you remember the innocents below, at the mercy of this destructive tempest. Frantically scanning the surroundings, searching for the source of the turmoil, you find nothing. Suddenly, a blur streaks past you, colliding with your form and hurtling you forward. Even with the power of your embedded jets, you can't stabilize yourself, and you plummet back into the maelstrom. Amidst your descent, you crash through a tree, scattering countless splinters into the raging winds.

Spotting an uprooted Jizo statue under your feet, you send yourself spinning forwards, using it as a foothold, launching yourself upward once more.

"Sorry about that." You whisper a quick apology, to the now shattered, statue.

Ascending above the storm once again, your vigilant gaze scans the horizon, and there it is, the source of your troubles. A sonic boom explodes in the distance and a suspicious object comes rocketing towards you. Anticipation tingles down your spine as your blade antennae sends an alert through your body. Swiftly twisting your body, you narrowly evade the attacker's assault. Perching atop a flying rock sent adrift by the storm, you strain to track its next move. Instead of immediately returning, it maintains a wide circle around you. Its sleek and dynamic form mirrors its speed and aerial prowess. Your brows knit together tightly as a voice echoes to you over the winds.

"You're quite brave to ascend so high without assistance, Rider. Do you truly believe you can challenge me amidst the heavens?"

>[Write-in]

>"Kamen Rider can never be defeated!"

If you're going to get through this storm, you'll have to get through him! How are you going to do that? (Pick 2)

>Try to find a weakness

>Try to draw information from it

>Use the storm itself as an advantage

>Use the debris to fight above the clouds

>Focus on evasion and counter attacks

>Draw him in for close quarters and grapple attacks

>Try to draw information from it

>[Write-in]

Ahem, update tomorrowish.

>>5701131
>"Kamen Rider can never be defeated!"
>Try to find a weakness
>Focus on evasion and counter attacks
Try to draw information from it is here twice.

>>5701615
>here twice.
That's an oopsie. Hopefully that'll be the only obvious mistake for awhile. In hindsight I think maybe a couple of those could have been a little more different.

Also, I saw your reply a little too late. I can't finish it off tonight, but I promise to come back tomorrow.

>>5701131
>Try to find a weakness
>[Write-in]
Check if anyone has advice

>>5701131
>"If the wicked attack from the heavens, then they must be struck down no matter what!"
>Try to find a weakness
>Focus on evasion and counter attacks

"Kamen Rider can never be defeated!" You roar back, your voice carrying the weight of your determination. "If the wicked attack from the heavens, then they must be struck down no matter what!"

A flicker of amusement coats the enemy's electronic voice. "Is that so? Then I must strike you back down. None shall ascend any further." It retorts, abruptly veering towards you. Rocketing towards you once again, the MLFO makes another move against you, aiming to barrel through your defenses. With lightning reflexes, you leap to the side, narrowly evading the oncoming assault. The rush of wind grazes your helmet, showing you just how close you were to being knocked back down. In that fleeting moment, you seize the opportunity to study your adversary. Instead of a humanoid enemy, this one resembles something like an aircraft, or an experimental outer-orbit fighter, with a sleek and narrow frame, as well as two spheres on the top and bottom.

With most fights, including the Saurians, you could approach most fights the way you would any normal human combatant. As long as it had arms and legs, you could at least envision a way to win. Unfortunately, the old Master never taught you any techniques to fight airplanes. Well, his advice was rarely so specific, his words echoed in your mind: "He who is prudent and waits for an enemy who is not will be victorious."

Taking his wisdom to heart, you shift your focus entirely to evasion and counterattacks. As the enemy repeats its assault, you gain a keen sense of its speed, dodging with increasing agility each time. And then, when its frustration reaches its peak, you strike. With the enemy closing in, ready to ram you or slash with its wingtips, you lean horizontally and extend your leg. The clash of armored foot against metal hull creates a shower of sparks, accompanied by a frustrated grunt from the mechanical foe as it zooms past.

Balancing yourself again, you turn to track its movements, and you sense a wave of annoyance in the way it flies. Using its natural gifts to its advantage, it demonstrates its aerial agility by rising up and over your next attacks, simply leaving your limited range. In retaliation, it unleashes beams of energy straight into the air, which then bend straight towards you. Dodging one of them shatters your current 'ground' forcing to you continue leaping to find new footing. Finding yourself unable to dodge some of them, you hold your forearms up, leaving them the duty of intercepting the blasts you couldn't dodge. The energy of which blossoms into bright explosions in front of you, leaving your forearms scorched.

Harnessing your own agility, you relentlessly close the distance, swiftly changing angles to gain more speed and tighten the gap. You position yourself for an uppercut counterattack. However, frustration clenches your teeth as your strike cuts through empty air. Spotting a bright glare closing behind you, you put power into your jets, allowing you to narrowly spin away.

You click your tongue in annoyance. Just as you can change your strategy, so can they. Both of you are seeking that perfect moment to exploit an opening. For a moment you lament not bringing Ordovis's gun, but its power wouldn't have been enough. Reliance on a single enhanced shot would be too risky in this aerial battle.

Realization dawns upon you. If the MLFO is waiting for your attack while you wait for theirs, you'll remain locked in a stalemate. Unless... you make the first move.

"Toh!" You somersault into the air, leading with a downward kick, except you don't put any more power into it, stopping just short of completing a Rider Kick, intentionally exposing a 'weakness'.

"Foolish!" The MLFO seems to bite, falling for your trap. No doubt it knew that you had limited movement during your Rider Kick. Which is why it would be perfect for a flying enemy to come pick you off. Focusing your senses into your compound visor and blade antennae, you watch the distance and speed, waiting for the right moment. Quickly sending power up through your torso for a Rider Punch, you alter it, diverting it into two paths, for both of your fists, creating a new move.

"Rider Wave!"

Slamming your fists down into each other, you let out a forceful wave of energy that generates a radiating shockwave that explodes outwards, catching the MLFO as it draws close to you. Through the furthest edge of your visor, you watch the enemy being thrust into the raging storm, crashing into a tree before resurfacing into the air.

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"Oh my, resourcefulness suits you today." The MLFO regains its altitude, coming around for another attack. Determined, you drive your fist downward, aiming for a wing, but it expertly spins away, narrowly avoiding the blow. Instead, a flurry of strikes rains upon your shoulders and legs, sending you tumbling through the air.

"I wonder if Ms. Hongo can match your grace. I'll be the one to teach you your final lesson, you'll watch her die, and you'll realize you were always a reject. The Ark has outgrown you."

If you had blood, it would be boiling.

"Don't you dare go near her." You say. Managing to right yourself upwards, you point a murderous glare towards it. "I'll show you what happens to evil doers like yourself!"

(Let's roll 2d20s)

>Rider Kick:
Your most decisive move. Unleash a powerful aerial kick from a distance, dealing high damage, but leaves yourself vulnerable to counterattacks.

>Rider Slash:
Execute a precise and swift slash, the speed of which allows you to defend yourself from counterattacks, but also requires close proximity.

>Rider Punch:
Deliver a devastating close-range punch with immense force, allows for a follow-up and adds an additional shockwave of force, but has shorter reach compared to other attacks.

>[Write-in]

I'll leave it up like that tonight and get an update up tomorrow. Don't stay up too late watching TV! Like me

Rolled 14, 14 = 28 (2d20)

>>5702503
>Rider Slash
Bo3?

Rolled 4, 10 = 14 (2d20)

>>5702503
>Rider Punch:

>>5702506
I should probably say yes. But I want everyone to have a go at the dice right now, since I usually do it myself.

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The Machine Lifeform rises up sharply, soared upward, sharply banking to its side before diving straight down. It tore through the raging storm winds, slicing them apart like a knife through fabric. Dropping after him, you're welcomed back into the chaotic vortex by a stream of lightning. Reacting quickly, you about your hip, narrowly evading the electrifying bolts, watching them arc off into another distorted cloud. Chaos continues to unfold around you as a circus of brightly colored shots rains around you, coming at you from multiple directions. Reaching backwards, nearly touching your toes, you bend into a spinning moonsault, altering your angle.

Still spinning, you spotted a large uprooted tree nearby. Without hesitation, you lunged towards it, gripping the bark with all your might. Flipping over onto the top of the tree, you planted your feet firmly on its side. Scanning the storm, you spot your target. Like you, it struggled to navigate the debris, evident as a large rock splinters into the side of the MLFO, causing a momentary tilt before it regained stability. The storm belongs to it, but it had no control over its fury. How strange.

"Coming into this storm was a mistake!" You taunted the MLFO. Determined, you set your next plan in motion. Swiftly, you sprinted up the side of the tree, launching yourself into the heart of the vortex. Sliding into the remnants of a rooftop, you rode the chaotic winds closer to your prey. Leaping off a series of statues and stones, you made minute adjustments using your jets. Despite their minimal help, they were enough to help you get into position.

"W-what? Begone!" The Machine Lifeform's surprise is palpable as you landed on top of it, gripping one of its stabilizers tightly. A shiny sphere on its surface swiveled, adjusting its camera to focus on you. "Get off!" it shouted, attempting an aileron roll to shake you loose. However, your grip remained unyielding, refusing to be dislodged.

"Gah! What?" The Machine Lifeform shouts its surprise as you land on top of it, gripping onto one of its rudders. A shiny sphere on the top quickly swivels around, clearly readjusting its camera to look at you. "Get off!" It shouts as it suddenly shifts into an aileron roll, clearly hoping to shake you off. Fortunately, your grip is ironclad, and you won't be shrugged off so easily.

"Tell the Ark, I sent you!" Power surges through your right hand as you flattened your palm, bringing it down with force. "Rider Slash!" The resounding roar of your attack echoed through the stormy air.

"Not yet!" The MLFO retaliated, releasing a shower of energy upward. Determined not to be thwarted, you swiftly redirected your hand, intercepting the incoming beams with blinding speed and narrow precision. You quickly notice that these beams were not the same as the others, a sharp sensation travels up your arm, crystallizing into an icy cast around your limb. Locking your attack off momentarily. Fortunately, Aether is still flowing underneath the armor, and is still charging the Slash.

"This is the end! Rider Slash!" You repeat and bring your hand down. A radiant blur traces the path your hand blazes as it burns the ice away, and rends through the armor. Before you could slice down into the Machine's core, your ride is violently rocked. From somewhere you can't see, a powerful ray slams into the side of the MLFO, the force of which sends you flying.

"Aaaggghh!" The Machine Lifeform lets out an electronic scream as it is forcible broken away from you, by the blast, the same blast has also forcibly blown you away too. As the Machine Lifeform spirals out of control, spewing sparks and fire, you find yourself pulled into the violent wake of the winds, unable to stabilize yourself.

The storm rages around you, twisting your body at every angle. Your head swivels about, desperately trying to keep track of the MLFO, but the storm separates you completely. You find it harder to reach for any footing this time, instead you're pulled into the violent wake of the winds, unable to stabilize yourself. After a few more seconds of being rocked around violently, you manage to find solace by clinging to a Buddha statue.

Strange, that its own storm has persisted so long after you disturbed its systems, as well as after it was so heavily injured. It also took some damage from its own ability. If it was responsible for the storm at all...

Right as you think that, you can sense the Aether in the air dissipating. Whatever force was fueling the storm has faded, allowing the tempest to finally die down. You release a relieved sigh, feeling the burden of the storm lift from your shoulders. Leaping from rock to rock, or whatever else you could find, was somewhat exhausting, especially having struggle against the storm at the same time. Any remaining debris continues to follow Newton's first law, showing you a strange sight of trees, shattered statues, along with other debris, shooting off in various directions.

Which reminds you, Amane needs collecting, as she's currently in one of those trees. Good news is, without the storm fighting against you, you're able to move about much better.

"Toh!" Your voice echoes through the hillside as you perform an extended somersault. With a somewhat rough landing, you collide with the trunk, drawing a surprised gasp from Amane. Swiftly and gently, you retrieve her like a precious treasure, cradling her in your arms. Without missing a beat, you leap into the air, flipping gracefully and landing safely on the ground. All of which happened within just a few seconds.

You set Amane down gently, she stumbles about slightly, her feet touching solid ground once again. Both you and Amane take a moment to catch your respective breaths, Amane waits for her adrenaline to slowly dissipate, while you let your Kyrstal heart down shift your power. Amane's concerned gaze falls upon the scorched parts of your armor, her expression a mix of worry and relief.

"Are you alright?" she asks, her voice filled with genuine concern.

"Yeah," you nod, a mixture of relief and triumph in your voice. "We made it."

Turning the question back to her, you ask, "I should ask you the same. How are you holding up?" Your eyes scan her disheveled appearance, her once-neatly-tied hair now tangled and frenzied, and her robes slightly scratched but still intact.

"I am fine, thank you." She whispers tiredly. "But what are you going to do now?"

Right. She probably means the villagers and the soldiers you rode in with. While the soldiers likely endured the battle with their sturdy armor, it's the villagers you're more concerned with. That fight had taken awhile and last you heard? They were all being hustled out of their houses by Henry, on orders from Seesan, after the latter had said it would have been better than remaining inside their primitive housing. Was that really true though? You're no storm expert.

You'd landed yourself a little outside the outskirts of their village. Glancing towards the village, you notice many ruined buildings, but can't determine the extent of the damage, nor the status of survivors. Suddenly, a familiar sensation crawls up your spine, and a weak breeze brushes past you, drawing your attention elsewhere. In the undisturbed parts of the forest, just a little further off, you sense an approaching presence.

"What is it?" Amane asks in a hushed tone, her eyes mirroring your unease. She picks up on your changed demeanor, noticing your tense posture.

"It's Aether." You respond flatly.

"Another Machine Lifeform?" Amane inquires, her voice betraying a mix of concern.

"Maybe."

Moments stretch into anticipation as you both remain on guard, Amane positioning herself behind you. The sound of heavy footsteps grows nearer, each crunch of grass and twig echoes out. The leisure and measured pace suggest they're coming straight for you. Stealing a quick glance behind yourself, you see Amane's face is in deep concentration too, her eyes focusing on the area in front of you.

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A sudden realization dawns on you, an idea that cuts your tension away. The signal Amane sent out could have been intercepted by Number 2. In fact, that was part of the reason you'd come out here, right? If Number 2 did hear it and was on his way, this could be him. You always wondered what he'd looked like. All the data log entries simply mentioned how similar he looked to you. Nothing about his color or design.

"I hear it now, footsteps, who could it be?" Amane's voice breaks the silence, her curiosity mirroring your own. Eventually, you see a figure slowly emerging from the tree line. Despite the dim light, your enhanced eyes catch a faint gleam reflecting off the armor, still too soon to pick out any colors though. More importantly, you discern two distinct features: A pair of antennae positioned in a striking 'V' formation on the figure's forehead, and the glow of compound eyes.

"Are you Number 2? Are you a Kamen Rider?" You ask out loud.

"That's impossible! There is no Kamen Rider 2!" Amane's voice rings out from behind you, filled with disbelief.

'Sorry, but actually, I have documented proof there is.'

The figure comes to a stop a few meters away from you. A mix of anticipation fills you.

"I suppose. If I were to call myself a Kamen Rider, I would be number 2." The figure said, his voice sounded strangely familiar, but his helmet was distorting his voice somewhat. Surely, this must be Number 2.

You did say you'd treat the next Kamen Rider you saw like a brother. That was a while ago though, after you saw those dead men and women, could you really trust him? Maybe you're misunderstanding something, maybe Number 2 has a very simple explanation for it all. If he is 'you' like the future data log suggests, then you could at least come to an understanding, maybe cover for him if he needs it. Number 2 has been all alone all this time, so it's time for you to extend your hand, right?

>Keep your choice. Welcome your brother.

>Be wary.

>Call the soldiers to you.

>[Write-in]

Did you guys have a good 4th? Do you bother to celebrate? Me? I just like staying up to watch the sunrise, you know how Qms are. Anyways update in roughly eh, friday or saturday.

>>5703701
I messed up, forgot to remove an old line. Damn. Well, at least you can pick your version.

>>5703706
>Keep your choice. Welcome your brother.
Stab in the dark.

>>5703706
>Keep your choice. Welcome your brother.
Please be right about him being good Thoth

>>5703706
This is weird. In the intermission you wrote he called himself kamen rider for sure. So why is he being vague and weird now?

>[Write-in]
I say we strike first

>>5703723
>Stab in the dark.

Well this aside, I do try to foreshadow things. Depending on how bold it is I try to hide it. I often wonder if that's the right thing to do? How much help do other QMs give? But then again... I am your enemy

>>5703706
>>Call the soldiers to you.

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Well then, that's it. You'd already decided to treat him better than a friend. He's your brother now. Relaxing your body, you feel anxiety and tension leave your bio-muscles. Amane regards you strangely, tossing her gaze between you and the other Rider rapidly. However, the Other Rider continued his measured approach, seemingly completely without a care in the world.

"Are you sure about this?" She questioned; her hushed voice is filled with concern.

"Sure, I am, I believe in him."

"Something's wrong about this."

Amane's worried whisper has sprouted doubt that continues to gnaw at your mind. The Other Rider starts approaching you once again, continuing his measured pace. A chill runs down your spine, you try to ignore it. It's the same feeling whenever anything Aether is nearby, certainly makes sense that another Kamen Rider would set that off. Right?

"Come on, we should go check on those villagers." You let your guard down and turnabout. After taking a few steps a sudden impact from behind knocks the wind out of you, slamming you hard into the ground. Pain rippled through your body, but instinct kicked in, propelling you to your feet.

"Rider!" Amane shouts out.

"I thought you had seen him." the Other dispassionately interjects.

"What are you doing?" you demanded, your voice laced with anger and confusion. The Other Rider ignores your question, swiftly darting past you towards Amane.

"No! Look out!" Amane's warning came too late, her voice choked off abruptly as she fell limply to the ground. Shock and fury surged through you, a tumultuous mix of emotions flows forwards, overwhelming your sense of self.

"If you saw him. I wouldn't have been able to get this close." The Other continues talking, not bothering to wait for a response from you.

Before you know it, your fist is flying, limbs are moving faster than your mind can process. Likely because you were still thinking about what just happened. Like some kind of third party, you watch your body move as if it were someone else, not unlike an out of body experience. Kamen Rider's moves have become reckless, poorly timed, and imprecise. Each of his blows could easily shatter stone or concrete, yet the Other is defending with ease. Your once-flawless techniques were now mere shadows of their former selves. In a swift exchange, the Other landed a jab to your head followed by a powerful punch, sending you reeling backward, disoriented and vulnerable.

As your body staggers away dizzily, confusion clouds your mind. Thoth's data log never mentioned anything like this, from all his observations the second Rider was never belligerent, and he certainly wasn't evil. So, what happened? What are you going to do?

"You have not seen him. But your reaction confirms you know of him, and that is enough to end you right now." The Other is still talking at you, you're hardly a participant, but his words are informative. You'd been thinking about the data log, your mind had been stuck in the future, thinking about what-ifs and what must be. So much so that you'd neglected the present, and the past. He isn't Kamen Rider Two, he's someone else, someone that didn't bother revealing themselves to the humans of the future until now. Something you did forced him to emerge? "The Ark will not tolerate two Kamen Riders."

"Who are you?" you growl through gritted teeth. As the Other blocks another of your strikes, he instantly switches into a furious combination of brutal and precise strikes. All of which are devastating, sending you flying onto your back. This is bad, if you don't get your head back in, you'll bite it here. You needed to regain your focus, to bring your mind back to the present moment. With a resolute breath, you pushed aside all extraneous thoughts, immersing yourself fully in the fight. The village out of time, surrounded by trees, was now gone, and even Amane's body had disappeared, replaced by a singular focus. The question of his identity burns at you, demanding an answer, his reply comes only a moment later.

"Find out with your fists."

Turning away, he places some distance between you two, assuming a stance that mirrored your own. If this Other Rider and the Ark have been watching you, they would have meticulously studied your style, likely replicating it down to the finest details. They would know doubt have intimate knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses, but there's something else. Even with your mind and body in the state it’s in, something is strange about his fighting style, and the word "copy" just doesn't sound right.


Neither of you moves first, and you feel the tension growing in your chest.

>Attack first.
Go all out on offense. Fortune favors the bold. Overwhelm with inner strength.

>Evade.
Focus on defenses, moving first in the scenario would spell your doom.

>Keep your distance.
Analyze their style and tactics. If he's merely copying you, it's possible to exploit him.

Is it the worst case scenario? A Machine Rider? I can't bear to watch. Did you like Amane Hongo? Well...

Update tomorrow..

>>5705985
>Keep your distance.

>>5705985
Oh yes, assume there is a >[Write-in] as always. Just in case.

>>5705989
Oh shit, she's dead?

>>5705994
I mentioned that because falling limp does not necessarily mean death
I guess this makes me saying I was making bad decisions before was foreshadowing

Quick question, I think there was a flashback or end of thread thing where Ark had attacked Amane. Was it actually a thing or am I misremembering? And how did she survive if that was the case?

>>5705994
desu, i'm not entirely sure, the note i made earlier has a question mark. Let's have you roll for first aid later, the soldiers come equipped with supplies so maybe we can bring her home.

I wanted to show her your kids after all.

>>5706009
I did mean for it to be ambiguous since i'm undecided. Not a flashback of the ark, since i haven't show the latter yet. Are you thinking of the research you did with cain? I foreshadowed something important in there.

>>5706015
I think it was Hongo saying that Ark had hurt her, but I can't remember if it was in our PoV remembering the past or his own.
I'll try to look at the archive.

>>5706022
Ah yes, that. That was indeed the Ark. I misinterpeted your question. She was abducted too, and she did survive thanks to her dad.

>>5706022
Found it, it was a Hongo intermission
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5645252/#p5652724

>>5706029
>>5706015
>>5706011
Shoot, I just realized, that was literally part of the tension. I should not have said anything lol.

>>5705985
>Keep your distance.
Classic fight an evil version of yourself

>>5705985
>Attack first

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You hold back, waiting to see what your twisted copycat can do. If he foolishly tries some of your more complicated techniques, you'll show him the difference between studying a style, and simply watching.

The Other aggressively shuffles towards you, it's hard to judge where his gaze is, so you rely on body language and movement. Coming in at great speed, he fires a quicky jab at you. You try to dodge it, but instead you're hit by his other arm. Carrying the momentum of the attack with him, he steps in closer, hitting you with a blindingly fast series of punches. You rely on your compound visor to track his movements, blocking as many blows as possible. Even with your best effort, several blows slip through your guard, connecting with your chest, causing you to stagger backward. Backflipping away to get some distance, you spin around, just in time to duck under a flying kick. The Other's attack has placed him square in your new path, if you were trying to run, he'd just blocked your way. Regardless, you're now in range again. The Other has complete control over this fight so far.

But something feels off. The fluidity of his strikes, the precision in his footwork, it all resonates with you. They say Martial Artists all develop their own style, even if they come from the same school. There's also a keen sense of studiousness, he absolutely knows when to stick with by-the-book techniques, and when to mix it up. Suddenly it dawns on you, while these are your moves, they're also not. It dawns on you that this isn't someone who merely studied Kamen Rider's "style"; this is a fellow student from your martial school, someone who trained under the same master.

Aside from the Master and Grandmaster, there aren't many that would give you this much trouble. Your breathing starts to become heavier, and you're having trouble focusing again. Something about this is still bothering you but you can't quite remember. Yet, you press on, determined to unravel the mystery of your opponent's identity. Amidst the onslaught, you summon the strength to shout out, "You! Did we go to the same school? Did you study under Master Hoshi?"

Instead of answering, the Other's offensive barrage intensifies, this time employing a combination of sweeps and kicks to control your lower body, then tries to finish you with an uppercut. In a split second, you seize an opportunity, delivering a swift jab to his stomach. The impact reverberates, accompanied by a resounding bang as you slam your fist into his armor. While he was a fake Rider, his armor was certainly real, you had to give him that much. Using the space you've bought, you shift your weight onto your hand, executing a powerful backflip that narrowly evades his low sweep.

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"Rider Slash." The Other says. He steps forwards and prepares a pose, the name is familiar, but not the movement. Your instincts prick with warning, granting you just enough time to evade. Two glowing palms slice through the air, creating a cascading wave of energy that dissipates into nothingness.

"A Rider Special!"

"Indeed."

Underneath your helmet you narrow your eyes. This isn't good. The Other not only possesses similar techniques, but also the mastery to execute them creatively. He also likely has the same special moves you do, only he can do them better, as you can only charge one limb at a time.

You'd gotten a hit in, but you were focused on analyzing his style. Watching him as introduced some doubts that race through your mind. If he knows your move, you'll have to do something drastic to take control of the fight.

Good news is: you have a fair chance, same school and same moves means the foundation of all your attacks will be coming from the same place. Bad news is: he's physically superior. Well, he could also be holding back, waiting to let loose something to really tip the tables on you. Just like you could be. Maybe it would be better to hurry up and finish him? If you hit him with a special first, this would instantly turn things over for you. Then again, you've been active for a while, the fight from earlier wasn't without its complications.

>[Rider Special]

>Rapidly switch your CQC skills

>Take advantage of the forest

>Write-in

>>5707302
>Take advantage of the forest
Welcome to the rice fields, motherfucker.

>>5707302
>Take advantage of the forest

>>5707302
>Take advantage of the forest

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"Who are you?" you demand again.

"I am the second Kamen Rider. When I kill you and your partner, I will also be the only one," the Other responds with chilling confidence.

"I won't allow that!" you declare, a surge of anger and defiance wells up within you, mingling with the throbbing pain in your body. Fueling your resolve to fight back.

"Irrelevant." the Other retorts, his voice is cold, not unlike how a machine would sound.

With a swift and powerful strike, the Other catches comes at you too fast, his blow connecting with the side of your head and sending you crashing into the ground. But years of intense training kick in, propelling you into a roll and swiftly back onto your feet.

As you regain your bearings, your eyes scan the surrounding hillside. Amidst the chaos, a realization strikes you. You are near the edge of a forest. Memories of your master's teachings flood your mind, and you recall his words: "For a fight in the real world, anything goes. Control the battlefield, exploit anything you can to win."

Inspiration ignites within you. Sensing his relentless pursuit, you feign evasion, enticing him to come closer. Trying to move the fight, you don't commit entirely to offense. Staying on the defensive means he ends up landing a high kick that you're forced to block with your forearm. A Kamen Rider's legs were his strongest limb, and you keenly feel that as a strong shockwave travels down your body. It's hard to except, but this evildoer might really be a Kamen Rider through and through. Which means you have to be on guard for the final kick.

From the outside it might look like you're being pushed back as you slowly start to focus on evasion. Once you get close enough you do everything you can to get a lead. Ducking, jumping, and rolling, you employ evasive tactics, using the forest's terrain to your advantage. Forcing the Other to come to terms with the various tree roots, foliage, and other obstacles that you manage to dodge.

Now you put yourself into full gear. With the grace of a leaf carried by the wind, you launch yourself from tree to tree, utilizing the verticality of the forest to your advantage. The Other tries to chase you and is hot on your heels, but your resourcefulness has caught him off guard. As he tries to strike at you mid-air, his attacks fall short, smashing into trees or the branches at the top.

With the help of your jets, you make a repeat what you did earlier when trying to progress through the storm. Slingshotting yourself around giant tree trunks, skipping over branches, you strike at the Other whenever you see him. Each punch and kick you land shoots a shockwave through the treetops, shaking hundreds of leaves loose, resonating with the force of a thunderclap. With the help of the towering trees and dense foliage, you create an intricate dance full of agile movements.

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With each successive hit, you observe the Other beginning to adapt, his defenses becoming more solid. You realize that sticking to the same strategy won't work anymore, if you keep this up you know he'll quickly overcome you, especially as your body is slowly building up damage. Diving towards the ground, you position yourself near the towering trees, luring the Other closer. He charges at you with his usual aggression, no doubt expecting a similar response. But instead, right before he enters your range, you deliver a powerful chop to the tree next to you, causing it to topple between you.

While you wouldn't say it out loud, attacking trees like this was no problem for Kamen Rider, and includes him. With one mighty punch, the Other shatters the giant Oak tree into a shower of splinters, scattering in countless directions.

Having forced an opening on him, you strike hard and fast, unleashing a flurry of rapid strikes. For a fleeting moment, you and the Other engage in a fierce exchange, blocking and countering each other's blows. But then he surprises you with techniques you've never seen before, throwing you off balance, sending you recoiling backwards. You had no idea how to react, you could only watch as those last few hits raced towards you! Does he have you outmatched in terms of technique?

Shaking off the uncertainty, you catch sight of him hurtling towards you, his fist poised to strike. Determined to stop him, you call upon a special move.

"Rider Slash!" you shout. The Other throws up his guard, but you aim for the ground. With a sweeping motion, you send a cascade of fallen leaves, rocks, and swirling dirt into the air, obstructing his view. Sensing an opportunity, you summon all your remaining strength.

"Rider Punch!" you roar, your fist enveloped in a blazing aura. The air crackles with energy around your arm. Energy crackles around your arm as you surge forward, leaving behind a trail of residual power in your wake as you're propelled forward. But in the last moment, your eyes widen with disbelief as you see what he has up his sleeve.

"Rider Punch." His fist radiates the same burning energy as yours, and in a collision of immense force, your fists collide. In an earth-shattering explosion, creating a shockwave that rippled through the landscape. Leaves and branches are swept away in a frenzied dance. The ground underneath you is upheaved, forming a sprawling crater. Meanwhile, your body is flung backward, crashing against the sturdy trunks of several trees before coming to a jolting halt in the ground. Grunting in pain, you struggle to rise, determination surging through your veins, urging you onwards. Gripping your midsection, you stagger toward the fallen body of the Other.

He's still alive. The compound visor is still detecting heat coming off his body. The lights on his visor have gone out, so he's probably unconscious. About time too, you'd certainly given him a beating earlier, only for him to return that right after.

"Phew," you sigh, a mix of exhaustion and triumph fill you. Your gaze is forced around as you hear a group of footsteps approaching you. Off in the distance, you can see it's the soldiers you brought with you, all of them are rushing over with their guns in hand. Your heart swells with gratitude as you see that they appear largely unscathed. It gives you hope that the villagers you sought to protect might have weathered the storm as well.

>Approach the Other Rider's body.

>Approach the soldiers.

>Is something wrong?

>[Write-in]

Make no promises, tell no lies. I didn't say I would be giving you a post within the last 24 hours did i? Well it's not like I won either, staying up at odd hours is bad. Make sure you guys go to bed okay. For me? Uh, anyways, good chance of post tomorrow.

>>5708191
>Is something wrong?

>>5708191
>>Approach the Other Rider's body.

>>5708191
>Is something wrong?
possum

As you cautiously observe the motionless body of the Other Rider, a nagging feeling tugs at your consciousness, like you'd forgotten something. But what? Regardless, as you consider what to do, several thoughts float about your head, maybe you can unmask the Other, this would also be a good chance to take away his belt. Still, your instincts warn you against approaching him. So far, he's proven himself to be cunning and powerful, it's entirely possible he's simply playing possum to lure you in. If you were to carelessly step towards him now he might unleash another surprise on you. So, you remain on guard, ready for any sudden movements.

While your attention remains focused on the Other, you notice the powered armor-clad soldiers approaching, led by Henry at the forefront. However, as they draw near, they abruptly halt, their weapons tensely aimed in your direction.

"Why did you do it!" Henry's voice seethes with anger, his accusation cutting right into you. Tyri joins in, her rifle pointed at you with equal intensity.

"She was your friend, wasn't she?"

Your voice trembles with concern as you ask, "How is she?"

"She's dead! Thanks to you!" Seesan interjects, his words dripping with accusation.

Anger floods your body again as you recall the scene from earlier. The exact moment you flew off the handle, when the Other plunged his arm straight through Amane's chest, carelessly shaking her loose onto the ground. You're furious, and you feel your fists clench tighter. Then you take a breathe in.

Right now it was probably just a little after 12am, underneath the dimly lit remnants of the forest, as well as covered by all the torn-up and fallen foliage, you're certain that the Other is completely invisible to them. Especially since you turned his lights out. The only one they can see is you, thanks to your glowing visor, along with whatever moonlight is shining through the clouds. The last time you saw them you had jumped up into the storm. And after the all the collateral from your recent battle, it's highly likely they assumed you were just rampaging. That conniving faker is likely biding his time. Why? Is he hoping you'll kill your own comrades? If so, he's in for a rude awakening.

"Wait, there's been a misunderstanding! I can explain!" You hold up your hands, urging them to calm down.

"It's no use! I know without a doubt you killed that woman!" Henry's anger boils over, and it seems like the situation is about to quickly devolve. For any onlookers, it wouldn't be strange for them to suddenly open up on you. You don't exactly want to return the sentiment, however, but what are you going to do?

>Appeal to your shared history

>Appeal to logic

>Attack the Other

>Appeal to someone specific?

>[Write-in]

Do we not have a flashlight function or something to directly point out the Other?

>>5708985
Have you ever seen a kamen rider like that? Also you are free to point him out. I was thinking this scene might seem a little silly just because he's sitting right there. But I can't get caught up on a scene for 20 hours right.
My biggest concern is that I haven't quite paced this right, like I should have zigged instead of zagged, but this is a confrontation that needs to happen i think.

>>5708978
>Appeal to your shared history
Logic might not work on emotional people, and attacking the Other 'could' be risky. But I don't really have any better ideas.

>>5708999
I’m the anon who has never seen Kamen rider, but did some searching a found Light Halfbody that had a Right Eye Lightbulb. There seems to be a lot to this franchise when I went to do some diggging.

>>5708978
>Appeal to your shared history
>Did no one see the Other Kamen Rider?

>>5709263
+1, if we don't have a flashlight, surely one of these folks have one and could just for a moment point in the direction of the Other.

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>>5709111
The half body might mean W. But all the riders have a eye lightbulb, though it usually only shows up when they're doing something special. To be clear, the eyes are supposed to be like compound eyes from bugs right. That's why i call it a compound visor here. Not that anybody has asked that. It's not usually powerful enough to light anything up. Also, I did find a rider with a flashlight. Specifically, this guy, he has powerups he switches through and this one gives him the light. I completely forgot because he has like 50 of them and this one never shows up.
Also +, regarding the current scene. It is strange huh? I got a certain idea into my head, but I can't quite put it into words. You guys will probably understand once I get going. It's times like this i wish i was a real studio full of guys though.

If you had to choose when to make a move, it would be better at a certain time, than another, right?

>>5709931
Don't worry too much about it, I'm just dumb.
As seem by me getting Amane killed by not getting the hints that this was a third kamen rider, and not the second
Can't talk about the other anons

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"I didn't kill that woman. I swore to protect her." As their accusation hangs heavy in the air, and your heart, a surge of anger courses through your body again. Once more, the image of the Other Rider casting Amane aside callously sears your mind. With great effort, you push aside the impulse to direct your anger towards the soldiers. They are not responsible for her fate. Instead, you search their faces for a glimmer of understanding, but they remain guarded and suspicious.

"Rider, if you know what's good for you, you'll power off the armor and surrender," Seesan declares with an icy tone. Gone is the understanding and level-headed officer from before. Ordinarily, you'd cooperate with them, but tensions are high, and you suspect this won't end with you being arrested.

"Please, just listen! You know me!" You take a step closer, but their grip tightens around their weapons. "I risked my life to help everyone back in Tokyo. I went out on missions, fighting against the Saurians, doing everything I could to protect humanity."

"That could easily have been a ruse, Rider," Seesan interrupts sharply. "No one saw what happened to you at the end of the Tokyo mission. It could have been a joint effort between you and the aliens. And what about the Arch-Dragon? Why didn't you fight if you weren't their ally?"

"I don't have all the answers," you respond earnestly, desperation seeping into your voice. "Something happened there, the Arch-Dragon retreated with a Machine Lifeform. I fight for the sake of all humanity, for our victory."

"Then what about earlier? The Saurians conveniently blocking every path except the one you took! Those bodies we discovered; how did you know they were there?" Henry's voice echoes with accusation. This question came up earlier, and you realize you never gave them a clear answer. While you hate lying to them, this is hardly the time for this. Instead of keeping this going, you make a different kind of appeal. Instead, you make a calculated move, hoping to expose this ill-conceived scheme.

Pointing towards the Other Rider's body, you announce what you know. "Look over there! There's your culprit, in fact, he's probably the one who killed those men and women. He's probably the one setting up all these weird coincidences. Didn't any of you see me fighting just now?"

"We didn't see anything at all," Seesan says flatly, his tone resolute as he repeats his demand. "Power off your armor, last chance."

"Sir?" Henry's voice wavers with uncertainty. "We did witness movement around the forest. That's why we're here."

"A trick, Henry. Rider has been playing games with us."

"Activate a lamp, flashlights, anything! He's just a few feet away!" you urgently plead, desperation lacing your words. "I'll hit him, if I have to!"

Henry hesitates, glancing between Seesan and the other soldiers. After a brief exchange of silent nods, Seesan issues a command. "Augmented visors, authorized." Their guns still trained on you, the soldiers quickly manipulate a switch on the sides of their helmets.

"Nothing here," Seesan declares, his voice devoid of surprise or concern.

What? They really can't see the Other? What the heck is this Augmented visor?

"It's over, Rider. Your act hasn't fooled us. Take one step, and we'll end you," Seesan delivers a harsh ultimatum, his words striking you with unexpected severity.

"Well, to be honest Rider, I'm tired of you always getting your way. You strut around, acting like you own the place. Whatever mission, whatever accommodations you want!" Henry's anger surges forth once more, a sign of your failure to sway them. "Let's just take him out and sort it out later."

A sense of unease sinks in. The Saurians from earlier, the sudden storm, even those defeated soldiers. The enemy has been aware of your every move, even with your altered path. Then you arrived at this strange village, where a Machine Lifeform and an evil double is waiting for you. It's clear now that a traitor has been following you. Could they have been manipulating events for this moment/ For what? Getting you to beat some humans down, you'd never kill them? Was the Other Rider going to join after finishing off the loyal guys first?

With a frustrated sigh, you bring your mind back to the present. Without a doubt, unless you do something, they are going to shoot you. You won't die, but...

>Take them all out (non-lethally)

>Attack the Other Rider

>Appeal again

>[Write-in]

Give me four days for an update. We'll get through this soon I promise.

I'm somewhat tempted by the insane idea of rushing over to the Other Rider and using him as human shield. I'm left wondering if the machines know about this augmented vision and have altered it to not display the Other Rider for this exact scenario.

>>5710077
Valid questions, ones you can pursue in the next thread. I'll write this down in the notebook for you guys. ;)

>using him as human shield
You're welcome to try that too, not very heroic, but the write-in exists.

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>>5710071
>Human shield
Shoot first ask questions later. Unless other anons can come up with a better action that I'll switch to.

Looking back, Seesan is probably our traitor in the party, huh... I wonder if there's any way to make it known or use it to our advantage.
Either way, let's just pick up the other Rider and use him as a shield, then try to send a message back to the castle. We've been set up, and our allies are turning against us...
(Still, I can't believe that Amane died... It's too soon, we didn't even get to know her...)

>>5710071
>Attack the Other Rider
Let's go for the human shield tactic

>>5710071
I think qm is baiting, let's try to talk to them again
>appeal

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>>5710142
You think he's the traitor? That's a very serious thing to say you know. Got any evidence?