>>5743532
"There's too much blood! Auto-gauze wasn't built for this!"

"Go to manual then!"

Many voices are shouting, creating a swirl of frustration, stress, and confusion. Eventually they're shouting so loud and saying so much that it all becomes a blur. As you stop hearing, you start seeing. Amane Hongo's body as bled so much, her prosthetics are sparking. Things get dire as her organs, natural and synthetic start to fail.

"Her lungs are losing power!"

"All her organs are failing, what should we do?!"

"Her heart is starting to fail!"

Multiple voices are overlapping. Fear engulfs you entirely. For a brief moment you feel an intense crushing feeling, then a powerful gaze burns into you from somewhere. Like her father was looking down at you himself.

"She's dead.."

"No!" Your eyes snap open. Slowly pulling yourself upright, you find your chest rising and falling to the beat of your ragged breaths as that nightmare clings to your mind. For a few moments you simply stare into an alien darkness, you remain on alert as you scan your immediate environment. Finally, you remember where you are, and what had happened.

Last night, you'd fought hard and lost almost as hard to the Other Rider. The Other, renamed as Kamen Rider Delta in your mind, also turned out to be your brother, whom was remodeled by your nemesis, the machine lifeform leader Ark-Zero. When things looked dark, your other 'brother' had your back. Kamen Rider Beta appeared, pulled you back into fighting shape, and together you barely beat Delta back.

After that, you made a desperate effort to save the life of Amane Hongo. Using your nanites, you were able to repair her cyberparts enough to bring them back online. To do so though, you needed physical contact on said parts, forcing you to relive a horrifying moment. For several minutes you had gingerly drive your arms into her body, and you gently did what was needed; all while making an uncomfortable face. Unfortunately, your medical supplies are limited here. First-aid does not cover surgery, which is exactly what she needs. Even so, your group managed to stop any further damage.

Right now, your previous party, along with Amane and Beta, are rooming together in a hastily repaired building. Which you and Beta quickly constructed to house Amane. Amane's labored breathing draws your attention to her prone form on a worn-out futon. Henry had torn out a health monitor from his kit and fixed it to her wrist, of which was currently beeping in a stable pattern.

>>5743535

"Nightmare?" Kamen Rider Beta kneels beside you. His voice addresses you with concern. For a short second, you wonder if you're dreaming again, living through some sort of out of body experience. Watching your voice and face talking to you is certainly startling. Kamen Rider Beta really is your spitting image, if he wasn't wearing a battle-damaged suit of armor, the two of you would be indistinguishable. This might take some time to adjust to, but his concern is welcome, despite the strangeness of the situation. You nod, your gaze fixated on Amane's, watching over her vitals.

"Yeah..." you whisper.

"We inherited a lot of responsibility, I know it can be hard, but that woman didn't die. You saved her, just like you will many others."

"Nah, I did that to her. I got caught up in something, I made the wrong choice, and she might pay for it." A grim expression paints your face, but Beta simply sits down at your side.

"You won't. You're simply being tested; you'll be challenged again and again after this. Embrace it all, we'll overcome it together, that's what humanity means."

Your lips curl up into a slight smile as you raise a brow, "what is that, did you have a speech prepared?"

Beta gives a similar smile in response and shrugs, "we just talk like that, don't ask me."

The night is quiet, you can hear the others breathing as they rest, all except Beta of course. Only one person is absent, Henry, who insists on keeping a watch pattern until day arrives. You have some time until day, what are you going to do? It seems like Beta needs less sleep than yourself, if he needs any at all. This might be a good time to tell him what you've been up to. Or you could hear what he's been doing, simply talk to him, get a feel for his personality.

(Pick two?)

>Chat with Beta

>Get Beta up to speed

>Get Beta up to speed (Privately)

>Plan for the next day with Beta

>Wander outside

>Simply rest

>[Write-in]

>>5743536
>Get Beta up to speed
It's back, nice!
I just realized we probably should have named the third Kamen Rider Gamma and not Delta, since that's the third letter of the greek alphabet.

>>5743536
>Get Beta up to speed
>Plan for the next day with Beta

>>5743539
Accidentally deleted
>Chat with Beta

>>5743539
That's right, you, the players, are wrong! Or maybe i should have done some research. I can absolutely change it.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

you would not believe the trouble i am having with captchas

Looking at Beta, you realize what a unique opportunity you have on your hands. A smile tugs at the corners of your mouth, to genuinely talk to yourself, with no strange looks or concerned faces. Firstly, while you have an idea of Kamen Rider Beta's journey to you, you'd like to hear it from him. To see if anything else has diverged from the datalog, as well as to hear what he as to say about certain things.

"Since we're both up..."

Beta regards you curiously, "yes, number one?"

"What have you been up to? The castle had a few reports about you in Tokyo." As you pop the question, you notice a subtle shift in Beta's demeanor, a fleeting expression that hints at a mix of amusement and mild embarrassment. It's an emotion you know well, and now you know what it looks like on the outside.

"Ah, well, that. So, you see... I ended up getting lost for a little while."

You chuckle softly, raising an eyebrow. "It's been a few days, can you really call that 'a little while'?"

Beta's response is a blend of stammering and explanation, his efforts to articulate his experience is undercut by his sudden awkwardness. "Wh-eh- you see, when I intercepted that strange signal, I got curious. It was also encrypted at a higher frequency, and it also seemed to be addressed to us. To "Kamen Rider" that is. I figured I'd meet you here. I also tried calling for the Ride Hopper. It didn't work out too well though, I think you noticed, but sharing a motorcycle was a little troublesome."

You nod, the dots are completely connected, this explains why the Ride Hopper wasn't always where you left it. A perfect enough explanation. Next is..

"How about your clothes? Are you really going to say you were simply wandering?" You said, gesturing towards his armor. Beta draws another strained smile; another complex emotion must be flooding him. At a guess, it seemed to be half pride, half sorrow.

"Right. Well, I met some traveling soldiers, guerilla fighters really. Together we struck at any Saurian targets we could find. To be honest, I figured you wouldn't really need my help. We are pretty strong. So I thought, 'why not have two Kamen Riders fighting on two fronts'? Divide and conquer right?" Throughout Beta's explanation you find yourself nodding, checking off mental bullet points meanwhile. This more or less lines up with the information from the future. His logic is a little strange though. It's not likely to happen again, but if you ever met another Rider you'd like to think you would team-up on the spot, instead of wandering off.

"Unfortunately, this wouldn't last. Apparently, we were raising too much hell." Beta's fingers trace the damaged panels on his armor, a tangible display of the battles he has personally fought. "You met him, the Machine Rider. He confronted us, took out nearly everyone before I could move the fight, before he retreated. I'm still not sure why he left. I assume it's because of you."

His words draw you into contemplation, your fingers unconsciously touching your transformation belt. The presence of the Machine Rider, the subtle hint of a larger plan. It's still troubling to think about just how much they know of you. A thoughtful expression crosses your face, a reflection of your internal thoughts. As you meet Beta's gaze, a mixture of determination and confidence wells up within you. "They might know about us, Kamen Rider Beta, but with you at my side, there's nothing we can't overcome."

His reply is a soft chuckle, clearly the both of you share this feeling, as well as an understanding. At first you might have been worried, Beta wears your face, but you can't know his true feelings, right? Well, at the very least, you know his heart. You'd put your faith in that.

"Then, what about you? The castle as boring as ever?" Beta addresses you this time.

"Boring?" You wave off his assumption with a limp hand, "hardly, I got into a fight recently back at the castle."

"Really? In the brig?"

"Nah, our house." Beta is surprised when he hears that, but gestures for you to keep going. So, you decide to drop the biggest news.

"You know... I, no, we, have kids now."

"Huh?" Beta's eyes nearly shoot out his sockets, eyes widened, his initial shock giving way to disbelief. His voice nearly broke free from its controlled hush, prompting the both of you quickly glance around to see if you'd roused anybody. No response. Seesan is still tied up in the corner, unmoving, and Tyri is still asleep as well on the far-off wall.

"Wait, how? This fast? Who? W-"

"I'll show you when we get home," you interjected with a smug smile, his flabbergasted expression was something to treasure for sure. With that, you'd decided it was time for business. "There's something else actually." As your face and tone straightened, Beta picks up on the change of topic and adopts a Seiza pose alongside yourself. In the next few minutes, you whisper the next few details as quietly as you can, though the room is fairly big. Here you tell him about the body in your backyard, the existence of the datalog from the future, the attack on your house, among other smaller details. Afterwards, you sense a strange anxiety in the air.

"You know, One, you're supposed to end on a light-hearted note." Beta quipped. "Still, at least the Ark has one less weapon, right. Just one question though. Who is that woman? I get worrying about everyone, but it seems like you're attached to her."

"That woman, is Amane Hongo. The doctor's daughter."

Beta's gaze followed yours, surprise and contemplation reflected from his eyes. "No way... That's little Amane? The same baby who used to drool on our stuff?"

You nodded, a soft smile curving your lips. "The same."

"I don't see the resemblance at all.."

"Hmm."

The both of you stare at Amane's pale skin and poor complexion. Her body is stable now, but it is deteriorating. The vital monitor attached to her arm casts an eerie green glow on her skin, giving you an ominous feeling.

"We can't let her die. For him."

"Of course."

When morning arrives, a mere three or four hours, you find yourself wondering just what your enemies will show you today. Before that though, you'll have to address the question of transportation. Specifically, the villagers, of whom you have yet to completely explain yourself, your prisoner Seesan, and Amane whose life is slowly fading away even now.

"We can't move her, not with what we have," Tyri's voice cut through the heavy silence, her gaze fixed on the coldly lit monitors. "If you try to throw her over onto your cycle, she'll succumb to blood loss before we even see the castle."

"What about a message to the castle?" Beta asks before you. The others regard him with a strange gaze, neither friendly nor hostile, before directing an answer towards you.

"Out of range. The damn castle's shifted its position. This wasn't meant to be some overnight mission...tch." Henry's words dripped with irritation as he shoots a frustrated sigh out.

"Me and One could build some sort of carriage. If we keep the Ride Hopper on ground level it might be a smooth enough ride.." Beta offers an opinion; Tyri adds on another obstacle.

"Out of what, these people's homes? In their eyes you've already done enough, what will you say to them, what will you do with them? Can we really let all these people fend for themselves out here?"

Well, what are you going to do?

About Amane...

>Build a makeshift carriage, straight back to the castle

>Build a makeshift carriage, seek medical supplies in a nearby city

>Leave her in the villager's care


The villagers?

>Take them with you, travel in numbers

>Simply tell them about the nearest humans

>Leave them alone

>[Write-in]

>>5743659
>Build a makeshift carriage, seek medical supplies in a nearby city
>Take them with you, travel in numbers

Pick two he said. He can't even write one! Anyways I should leave it here for tonight. Back to our old schedule right? I'll see you guys next episode (in 72 hours)

>>5743659
>Build a makeshift carriage, seek medical supplies in a nearby city
>Take them with you, travel in numbers

>>5743659
Welcome back QM! Always glad to see you around.
>Leave her in the villager's care
Too risky to move her around too much.

>Have Beta stay with the villagers.
This way, we can take the Ride Hopper to the nearest city at maximum speed and come back asap.

>>5743659
>Leave her in the villager's care
>Have Beta stay with the villagers.
Because of this quest I started looking into some of the Kamen rider transformation scenes, I think the black sun one is my favorite now.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5744165
Great to see you too!

>>5745278
Cool! The transformation scenes are always fun sometimes i do them in real life, don't judge I only lament the fact that I keep forgetting to show you guys rider things.

"Beta," you address your partner, "I want you to stay here, in case something happens. We'll leave Amane here too. I'll go by myself, gather what we need to get Amane into moving condition."

Beta's concerned eyes meet yours." Are you sure about that? Do you want me to come with you?"

"I should be fine on my own."

"If you say so."

When you leave to go outside, you have to wonder whose fault it was these poor villagers' lives were ruined last night. The fight only began once you arrived, at any time you could have left, if you tried a little harder you could have sniffed out the machine lifeform's plans, right?

As the light of dawn hits your eyes, you're finally given a better look at the buildings around you as the sun casts a warm hue over the horizon, a welcome contrast to the dark and rainy battles of last night.

It's not surprising to see that many of the buildings were either destroyed or damaged; some had fallen over, some were simply destroyed by the gale force winds, and others by some amount of debris. Many of the people here likely hadn't gotten any sleep at all, their wailing and pained shouts throughout the night told you as much, as well as the tired state of various villagers trying to fix up whatever they could. Yourself, Beta, and the other two volunteered your help to varying degrees of effectiveness.

The building you were sheltering in had been hastily repaired by you and Beta last night, the repairs consisted of simply throwing up some additional Shoji panels, mismatching shingles, and bamboo weaves. It wasn't much but it managed to keep out any residual rain in the air.

Glancing behind you, you see Beta giving you a wave as he walks off. Probably to get a quick look around the village, maybe offer to give someone a hand. Probably. Of the two soldiers only Henry stays behind you, whereas Tyri gives you a simple shrug with her shoulders and joins Beta.

"You're tagging along?" you say to Henry.

"You wouldn't know what to look for right?" He said flatly, and you nod, "I'll have to guide you through this."

On the way out, the village painted a portrait of a community in recovery, tending to their wounded, their deceased, and their shattered lives. Whispers trailed close behind you, when they thought you'd gone far enough. There's gratitude for fighting off the 'demon', while others blamed you for bringing this disaster here. When you get far enough away, Henry taps at a button on the side of his gauntlet, while you simply snap your fingers.

"Hopper, come!"

Two battered cycles roll up into view. Your Ride Hopper has certainly seen better days, even after being revived. Henry's normal Dive Cycle is missing a few panels, along with the windshield, in exchange it picked up a few leaves and branches lodged into various gaps. All in all, your modern vehicles managed to survive the storm, with a few scratches anyways.

File: __kamen_rider_kuuga_kamen(...).jpg (131 KB, 850x587)

131 KB JPG

In a synchronized motion, the two of you ignited your engines and blasted off into the sky. With the front end of your Hopper angled upward, you lift-off with a floating wheelie, leaving a blazing trail behind you. G-forces pulling back on you, the weight of your machine, the sense of speed, and the feeling of wind on your face. These sensations put a small smile on your mouth, reminding you of your original motorcyclist hobby, something you'd yearned to return to, when you have no more responsibilities.

Mid-flight, a ping resonated through your comm unit, originating from Henry's communicator. "What's your plan for the villagers?" he queried.

"The villagers?" Taking the silence as confirmation, you continue, "Leaving them stranded doesn't sit well with me. Saurians are in the area. The Machine Lifeforms know where they are too."

"Then we agree."

"Really? No more conspiratorial doubts?" Your words held genuine surprise. Henry's pause stretched before he responded.

"I don't think you've earned the favors you get,. That's all. Kill the 'zard bosses, and I'll reconsider."

"Right." You said. The next few moments are silent again, the comm line is still open, like he's expecting an answer from you to his earlier question. But you don't have one, you changed your plan, going out to get medical supplies then back again. The fate of the out-of-time villagers is still up in the air. Will the villagers be happy at the castle? They'll at least be safe, right? As time passed, Henry disengaged his circuit, and silence enveloped the journey for the next hour.

When you arrive at Wakayama outskirts it's as dead as you expected. The same machines adorning Tokyo are here too, seemingly with no purpose, they simply chug and work in the background. You're hardly an adventurer, you're roughly aware of the layout of Japan in general, but you don't know the insides of its cities as well as you'd like. Unfortunately, the next generation Ride Hopper doesn't come with a map either. Fortunately, Henry was on hand to fill that gap. In a matter of minutes, he pulled up a map on his helmet visor and sketched a crude version on the ground before you.

The listings in his computer tell you the location of a medical warehouse, a hospital, and an old triage zone. They're all old, but all this information comes from the last updated map of the area. A repeated pinging on your communicator draws your attention.

"Hey, partner, Amane's condition has shifted. She's still stable, but her clock is ticking. You should hurry," Beta's voice held a note of concern.

"Got it." Your voice is likely the exact same. It would have been easy if you could comb the entire city, but you can't.

"Time's running out. Divide, you take one area, I'll take another." Henry suggests.

Search the...

>Warehouse

>Triage Zone

>Hospital

Do it..

>Together

>We split up

>>5746026
>[Write-in]
(Also included)

Also roll a >(1d20) for me. Now then, that's it, see you next broadcast, in 48ish hours.

>>5746026
>Hospital
>We split up

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>5746026
>Hospital
>Together

>>5746026
>Hospital
>We split up
Probably safe, if everything's abandoned...

"Let’s check the Hospital together."

"Most likely the best choice. The warehouse may have been cleaned out by now."

Amidst the abandoned city, only the sounds of ambient machinery, and the humming of your engines can be heard. It's not long before you reach the hospital. The signs at the top were unlit, loosely hanging at an angle on the face of the walls. Its once pristine walls are now marked with the signs of aging and disrepair, paint is peeling, and without power flowing through the insides had become fairly dark. The faint glow of the sun coming through the odd window notwithstanding.

As you and Henry step inside, your footsteps begin to echo eerily out. Once again, you feel that creeping emptiness, not just from the buildings and the world, but yourself. The ground floor doors and windows lie shattered, overtaken by encroaching weeds and greenery that burst through the floor tiles and creep alongside the walls.

Together, you meticulously search each room, some deeper than others. Many have already been stripped bare by looters, while others hold nothing relevant for you. The minutes stretch, nearly merging into an hour, and your thoughts inevitably turn to Amane. It's here your thoughts start to dwell on Amane, for reasons unknown to her the Ark had somehow brought her and a random village from hundreds of years ago, and if she doesn't make it, she'll never know. For a few moments, you thought you heard something at the farthest edge of your hearing, until Henry breaks the quiet with a question.

"About the villagers. I've been thinking." As you continue your search, turning over beds and pulling out drawers, he continues. "They can't possibly be a worthwhile target. We could leave them."

"That sounds wrong. For reasons beyond even our understanding, the enemy has brought them here."

"I still can't believe what you said. That they're from our past. What happens if they die?"

"We won't let that happen," you declare with unwavering determination.

"But it's already happened." Henry's retort strikes a harsh chord, but it only fuels your commitment to save the remaining villagers. "If we want to take them with us, they might not cooperate willingly. Are you ready for that?"

"I'll simply do my best."

You know full well that they aren't in the best condition. But surely taking them into human care was the best, they couldn't possibly survive out here, could they? Talking to them was the only option, wasn't it? It's impossible to forcibly drag them all home with you. Ascending another flight of stairs, you find them creaking under your weight; a reminder of time's passage and the decay that has settled in after years of abandonment.

"If they're attacked by the Saurians or the buzz heads again, they might accept our help. But if there isn't an attack... are you uped with the term 'false flag'?" Henry's words catch you off guard.

"What are you saying?" You can't help but shout.

"Relax, we'll all be there to make sure nothing goes 'ways. I don't like the idea of subjugating other humans. Finding some supplies in the city to stage an attack, then tricking them into joining us, could be a viable option."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that," you admit, the weight of the decision heavy on your mind. The conversation tapers off after that point.

As you continue to explore the area, most doors are unlocked, having degraded on their own, or were simply left open, leading you into various rooms with no significant findings. Eventually, on the thirtieth floor, your attention is drawn to a reinforced door. Henry holds up a scanner to see if it's worth breaking down, only for his scans to be deflected.

"This looks good," he observes, "the door is still locked. Anything this reinforced and shielded will be protecting valuable equipment."

"Alright, give me a sec." You shift your weight, ready to break through, only for Henry to hold you back.

"Violent aren't you? Give me some space." Henry motions for you to step back with a wave of his arm. He deftly retrieves a knife concealed within his gauntlet and inserts it into a gap. After some manipulation, he manages to wedge the knife further and pry open the door. The interior reveals an assortment of unfamiliar equipment, chemicals, and tools. You figure Amane would need a transplant, as well as complex surgery; things beyond either of your expertise and the constraints of what you can carry. Instead, you wager Henry is here to pick up stopgap supplies, so you start emptying out an older first-aid kit. Giving you an approving nod, Henry begins to lift a few items off the shelves and cabinets.

"These will give her a fighting chance on the way back. After that, it's up to the castle docs."

"Right. Let's get going!" You can't help but express your eagerness now that the mission is over, you're that much closer to helping Amane, as well as returning to the castle. The trip took longer than normal, longer than you'd told the kids you would be gone for, so you push to speed this up. Making your way back through the stairs, you quickly descend, with your physical enhancements you make good time, cruising down the stairs. Either due to his armor, his own enhancements, or a combination of both, Henry manages to keep up just a few paces behind you. Until the metal suddenly starts creaking and groaning.

"Uh oh."

His sentiments mirror yours. As you hurry downward, the stairs give way. Reacting quickly, you manage to leap to a higher level and grasp onto the staircase for support. Meanwhile, Henry plummets several stories, the impact resonating with a resounding thud. Dust and debris quickly cloud the air.

"Gaahhh!"

"Henry!"

You ponder whether it was your weight or force that triggered the collapse, but a more ominous problem emerges. At the bottom floor several bodies suddenly shift into view, with more footsteps stomping towards your location. You recognize their shapes. Just like the prisoners from the Saurian prison ship, these people have some sort of device attached at the head. You remember confronting that so called 'Arch-Dragon', he'd done this to these people explicitly to fight you. Henry doesn't take long to start firing his weapon from his fallen position.

Does he not care? Or can he simply not see?
Of course you'll...

>Jump down

>Call the Ride Hopper in

>[Write-in]


But the enemy this time is...

>Fight to disable

>Defeat them soundly, don't risk Henry

>Talk to them

>Stop Henry

>[Write-in]

An earlier update than normal, strange I know, but this is me planning ahead. I plan to be busy evening. I will, hopefully, see you again in 24 hours.

>>5747899
>Call the Ride Hopper in
>Stop Henry
I don't know how to phrase this exactly, but perhaps we can lightly knock these people down with our motorcycle?

Should tell Henry what we see, that being devices attached to the heads, he might not be able to see it due to the visor issue.

>>5747899
>Jump down
>Talk to them

File: kamen-rider-the-first-.gif (3.94 MB, 640x360)

3.94 MB GIF

Releasing your grip and descending into freefall, you snap your fingers and call out. "Come, Ride Hopper!"

Responding to your command, the roar of your mechanized companion echoes from beyond the stairwell. An explosive breach in the wall sends debris swirling outwards as the Ride Hopper charges in, riderless. With a determined grunt, you seize the handlebars and deftly maneuver mid-air, landing with practiced precision on the seat. Navigating the Hopper's descent, you aim yourself between Henry and the advancing crowd. Through the dusty haze, you catch sight of Henry's rifle firing on full-auto, emitting scorching beams that pierce the walls and sear through armored limbs. The flickering lights of the cyberized prisoners' head mounts make for an eerie sight. But it's not fear you feel from them, rather you feel it for them.

"Henry, stop shooting!" You urgently call, your voice cutting through the turmoil. Touching down on the ground, you intercept one of the assailants just as they launch themselves at Henry. He grapples back, delivering a powerful haymaker to shake off the attacker's grip. Yet, the relentless onslaught of the other cyberized individuals surges forward, their twisted minds seemingly immune to pain or fear.

"Stop? Are you fried?!"

As you approach, you deftly swing your leg over the bike and land a forceful kick on one of the attackers, sending them sprawling. Planting your foot, you twirl the Hopper like a shield, each bash aimed to control the fray and keep them at bay. With this, you hope to shield Henry from their frenzied attacks, as well as protect them from his practiced aim. Yet, each blow you land weighs heavily on your conscience; they might not even be aware of what they're doing.

Darting through the turmoil, you strive to maintain your focus on both Henry and the cybers advancing on you. Noticing that not all of them are armored, you carefully pull your punches, aiming to use just enough force to send them reeling. Hopefully they'd stay down. That's not the case though. Even while you and Henry are beating more of them back, the fallen ones simply rise up with an unsettling shudder.

"Henry, they're human!"

"I can see that! Why don't you let them know!"

A surge of cybers charges at you, forcing you to stand your ground as you delivering a flying roundhouse kick unto them, only for another group to suddenly pile onto your bike. At first it looks like they're only trying to hold it down, then your eyes see further, they're grabbing the handlebars, while clawing at your fingers. Did they just use a distraction? Are they trying to take the bike? Those head mounts, you'd wondered what those devices were, if they were merely tools to brainwash them, or if they had some other purpose. Now it seems like you might have an idea.

With great effort, you heave your vehicle over your head, along with its would-be thieves, and spin around. Centrifugal force flings them off like ragdolls crashing into their comrades. The clang of metal against metal reverberates through the chaotic space as the assailants tumble and collide. A grim satisfaction twists within you, just when you thought you'd finally knocked them out, only to watch them all steadily rise again.

As for Henry he does seem to be highly trained, countering the cybers with his own mix of moves, though he lacks the same vast pool of technique to fall on like yourself. His strikes and evasive maneuvers keep the immediate threats at bay, when things get too close you see him reaching for a sidearm, putting out warning shots, or nailing the feet of his attackers, all for nothing though. Nothing is stopping them, if they were normal humans they would have given up, or they would have stayed down.

"We're getting nowhere like this!"

Glancing around, your heart aches as you watch the cybers tumble around. Memories of the Saurian prison ship resurface, at the time you were preoccupied, trying to fend off an 'Arch-Dragon', while looking after the others. Will you be forced to leave them behind again?

Striking down at victims tears at your soul, but there doesn't seem to be another choice.

"Cover me so I can blast their head mounts!" Henry suggests, shouting from just a few feet from you.

"We could kill them!" you firmly counter.

"Either we risk it, or we run for it," he retorts, his voice carrying a sense of urgency.

What are you thinking..

>Forcibly rip off their head mounts

>Transform and beat them harder


Next part comes in 48ish hours, if all goes well. Also sorry I didn't dice roll here, captcha was being a pain soz

>Retreat

>[Write-in]

>>5749141


Just so you know it's included, like always

>>5749141
>Forcibly rip off their head mounts, but only for a couple of them. Make sure to keep the head mount with us.
It'll probably kill whoever it was attached to, but if we manage to bring a few back to the castle, maybe they could reverse-engineer it to disable them without harming the victims?

>>5749175
>[Write-in]
We're supposed to be a hero so suit up and do something heroic

>>5749141
>Transform and beat them harder
Being a hero is hard

Rolled 1 (1d3)

I wonder how many of this 'ties' other qms have to break.

"I'll try something!" you shout. If the head mounts are the problem, then maybe you should get rid of them. Twisting around, you seize one of the advancing cybers in the chaos. Pulling it around, you pull the arms back, lean into them, and force yourself onto the cyber. Then you pull, gently at first. As you manage to slide it out by a millimeter, a tangle of wires connecting it to the inside of the ear canal comes into view. Suddenly, an agonized scream pierces the air. The world freezes for an instant; the cybers, you, and Henry caught in a frozen moment. Then, like a dam breaking, they surge toward you, pushing past obstacles and even your ally. Henry is alarmed too, but turns his attention back to the crowd as they suddenly rush for you.

You grit your teeth, determined to proceed. You keep pulling the mount, but this time, there are sparks from the main device. The cyber's body begins to spasm, and traces of blood start trickling down from her head. Your heart races as you hesitate, you find yourself gazing at the back of her head, wondering what comes next. Just then, your communicator pings urgently.

"Hey, I hope you're on the way. Her condition is worsening and we're using the last of what we have."

Beta's urgent message snaps you back to reality. Swallowing hard, you release your grip on the mount, allowing it to snap back into place.

"What are you doing?" Henry sees what you did, even as he's fighting back the crowd, something he can't do much longer.

"No more time! Get back to your cycle! Ride Hopper! Distract!" Still leaning over the captured cyber's body, you command your bike, sending it spurring into the air. Where it rams several of the cybers and continues to fly in circles around the group in a series of aerial maneuvers. None of them were complex, it just needed to draw attention, either by being in their way, or being a better target. You grimace as you see the cycle hit them, but when they get up a few moments later you find yourself only briefly relieved.

Henry drives up to you, extending his hand, which you grasped tightly. Together, he hauled you up as you vaulted over. Settling in behind Henry, you clamped your arm around the captive cyber, forcing them into place, while your free arm grips onto your ally.

"Shock.. We're really taking that one too?"

Despite his weak protest, Henry continues to drive. Aiming upwards, Henry dives through an upper floor, and starts blasting his way up through the ceilings and floors with an embedded laser cannon. In moments the two of you escape into the open air. After a few minutes, when the both of you feel your combat vigilance fade, Henry turns to face you.

"Are you seriously going to stay here?"

"..."

At the castle? It's true, both you and Beta have bikes, and neither of you are obligated exactly to stay. Should the both of you leave, set out on your own to defeat the invaders and the Ark? It wouldn't be so bad right, but would anyone miss you?

"I meant my bike! Hurry up and call yours!" Henry is obviously annoyed. As the Ride Hopper joins you moments later, dismounting and changing vehicles is easy enough. The hard part is what comes next, you've never been a leader, you've never told anyone how to live their lives. It's for their own good though, isn't it? There's also the problem of whether or not they'd be allowed in. Surely the castle officers would allow them in, why wouldn't they. Although...

Henry said it earlier, it could be they no longer have value in targeting, especially if you leave.


But is that right?

>Convince them to leave with you

>Convince them to leave the area

>Leave them alone


If you talk to them..

>Talk to them using logic

>Talk to them using empathy

>[write-in]

We continue in three days, also known as, the weekend

>>5750741
>Convince them to leave with you
>Talk to them using empathy
Humanity must help each other. A family united is a strong one.

>>5750741
>Convince them to leave with you
>Talk to them using empathy

Unfortunately gang, something has come up, post delayed 20ish hours.

The rest of your trip is uneventful. There is no chase from the poor cyberized prisoners, the one held firmly in your grasp still struggles, but your grip is unyielding. As you finally reach the village, the residents quickly clear a path for you and Henry. Both of you bear multiple boxes, along with a single hostage; a strange sight for sure. Returning to your shelter you find Amane's vital monitor beeping erratically, while Beta hovers over her, performing an improvised form of CPR and maintaining a charged nanite hand over her grievous wound

"You're here!" Beta looked winded at first, then brightened as he registered you.

"Beta! We're switching!" you declare as you rush inside. He nods, approaching you as you hold your prisoner forward. "They're yours now, don't let it out of sight." you say as you hand her off, despite struggling even harder in Beta's grasp, he seizes them apprehensively, wearing a curious expression. Your immediate attention, however, is drawn to Amane's side, with Henry right beside you.

"Follow my lead, alright," Henry instructs as both of you quickly unpack your makeshift medical kits.

"Since when were you a doctor?"

"Never," Henry admits, "but I happen to know what we need to do."

If there was ever such a thing as a "quick and dirty" surgery, you'd have to assume this was it. While the two of you are careful, there is an element of urgency as her health status rapidly declines, the medicine from before simply wasn't meant to handle injuries like this. Working together, you and Henry administer a new series of drugs, antibiotics, nanomachines, and medical supplies. Of which, includes something like biofoam to combat her increasing blood loss, and a pliable substance Henry describes as "synth-flesh," which stretches over her gaping chest wound, sealing it.

Throughout the 'operation', you're needed to provide your own personal resource, as well as holding tools. The vital monitor frequently teeters on the edge, and you come perilously close to losing Amane. Her body simply didn't respond to certain chemicals forcing the two of you to leverage your tools further. After a couple of intense hours, you both finally breathe sighs of relief as the vital monitor stabilizes. Amane's condition isn't expected to improve soon, but her body is no longer wracked by convulsions and she's stable. A promising sign to be sure.

"Phew..." you exhale deeply, sinking back onto the floor, mentally drained. Glancing over at Henry, he wears a contemplative expression, before finally nodding in your direction.

"It was really touch and go for a minute there, eh?" he remarks.

"Only a minute?" you quip back, sharing a small smile.

"Great job, you two," Beta congratulated you. For a moment you wait, expecting a pat on the back, until you remember what he was doing.

"Now when are you going to explain this to me?"

"I'll explain later, for now, we probably need to get moving."

"So soon?"

"Yeah." You nod. Those cyberized prisoners could only have been deployed by the Saurians, if they're in the area, then you really can't risk staying here any longer. Making your way out, you first take the time to walk around the village, to get a deeper sense of how they were faring now. Many were still toiling about, engaged in a collective effort to salvage what they could of their former lives. Some were meticulously repairing their homes, while others were sorting through what little they had left. You could see it in their faces as you passed by, sorrow and determination, etched into their spirits.

A short distance away, you spotted a group of children chatting while folding paper cranes. Moving farther along, you came across a small shrine adorned with fresh incense. Paying your respects with a humble bow, you found yourself standing in front of the village elder's house. You were wondering how you could talk to the people, to them you were undoubtable a stranger. You yourself could only see them through the eyes of a far-off traveler, these people are from the past, how could you relate to them. At the end of the day though, you're all human, and you're all Japanese. Swallowing your courage, you start to speak loudly, hoping to carry your voice out.

"Ahem, hello, everyone!" You shout loudly to address the whole village, while many of them can't see you, they no doubt heard you. Beneath their dirt-streaked faces and tattered clothing, you could see the villagers giving you a mix of strange looks – some confused, others annoyed, and a few apathetic.

You continue, "I know the pain you've endured, the losses you've suffered. This village, your homes, your memories-everything is in ruins. I know what it's like to lose everything. I know you want to go back, to rebuild. But we can't stay here."

Slowly, people began to gather at the center of the village. A murmur of confusion and concern rippled across their faces, soon accompanied by hints of anger.

"The beings that attacked you may return," you continued unwavering. "But if we leave together, we can protect each other. There's a chance to survive, to rebuild, to reclaim what was taken from you. We can't let those who did this take more from us. We cannot let them win. We must not give them their satisfaction."

The eyes of the villagers begins to waver, between each other, the buildings, and to you. Suddenly an angry villager steps forward.

"You did this! We were living peacefully until you came here!" An angry villager's voice rang out, echoed by a few others who joined in, their frustration directed at you. You braced yourself for the barrage of accusations and decided to respond with what you thought they needed. Empathy.

"I'm sorry." You let those words hang in the air for a moment. The upset villagers paused, surprised. You continued before their anger could reignite, "There wouldn't have been a fight if I hadn't appeared." You can see Beta in the distance giving you a familiar look. If anyone else here could understand your guilt it was him, but the two of you also know something else. "I didn't mean to involve your village, but our enemies brought you here. So, please, work with me. Fight with me."

A different villager, their face showing signs of nervousness, stepped forward. Their voice shook as they asked, "What if they come back and destroy what is left? Should we not stay and fight?"

"It's not that simple," you replied, meeting their gaze steadily. "You saw it yourself the other night, felt it even. The most important thing is to keep you and your families safe. We can do that together."

Another voice, filled with determination, chimed in, "But where will we go?"

"We'll join with the humans of this age," you explained, "their ways are strange, but we'll be safe with them. We can fight alongside them."

The villagers exchanged glances, engaging in hushed discussions. Many of them wore expressions of nervousness, their eyes darting back toward their damaged homes with a distant longing, as if they had already mentally left. Without uttering a word to you, they began to gather sacks, taking only what they needed, what mattered most. They were preparing to accompany you back to the landing castle. There was just one small problem – according to the soldiers who had arrived with you, the castle had moved. Maybe the outpost near Tokyo had a better idea of its current location.

>[Interlude] General at dawn

>[Interlude] What is a family?

>[Intermission] Memoirs of tomorrows yesterdays (Read a data log entry)(Pick a number or roll 1d20)

>Face the next day

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Ahem, once again, I am sorry about posting at a weird time. At least, it's weird for me. Expect a post tomorrow!

>>5753911
>[Interlude] What is a family?

Rowdy noises and excited conversations, along with the occasional burst of laughter, filled the house, echoing through its hallways and up to your room. Loud enough to wake you up. Yawning, you stretch out your limbs, savoring the new privilege of sleeping late. Back at the old building, your caretaker made sure to wake everyone up for early chores, as well as making it convenient for his schedule. But since being "adopted" by that guy, life had seen a welcome shift in routine.

"Computer, time?" you mumble, your voice still groggy.

"The time is eleven forty-seven," the house's AI responded, its soothing voice cutting through the morning haze.

Getting up to leave, you reach for the door handle, and hesitated as the door slid open automatically. It was easy to forget that the guy who owned this place had given it a redux, and some of the stuff inside simply worked differently; like the doors. To be honest, it was gross. The image on all the doors is in the likeness of that helmet he wears. Some of the other kids thought it was cool, but even the front of the house looked like a giant helmet. Wasn't that a bit much?

"Good morning, Carol," a maid-droid greeted in passing as she passed by.

"Morning," you said absentmindedly and continued downstairs. Immediately, you see a group of the younger kids running around, brushing past you, apparently playing some stupid game.

"Oof!" One of the younger ones, Kenichi, missed his turn and slams straight into a wall. "Shock..."

"Oh boy.. " You couldn't help but shake your head as you moved to help him up. "Come on, Kenichi, didn't all the droids used to say not to run inside?"

"I... I wasn't running..." Kenichi's voice quivered. It was pretty obvious he was about to cry. You roll your eyes. You're about to tell him to be careful, when you notice what he's holding. It's a plastic mask, the messy shape tells you he'd probably made it himself.

"What's that?"

"Hm? Oh! That guy!" Kenichi points to a door. To his face. "We're pretending to fight!"

"Oh, you are?" You examined the mask, then the door. Once again, you get this uneasy feeling in your chest, you hate it. It's something that makes you want to run away.

"Young Kenichi, you must take better care of yourself," the butler-type came over. It's voice always sounded so formal, it kind of bothered you, maybe you'll change it later? "Keep in mind, traditionally, the children of the house refer to their caretaker as father."

"Father?" Kenichi looks puzzled as he stares into the butler's faceplate. The poor droid is about to give some textbook reply, probs, until you interrupt.

"We're all family-less. War orphans."

"Hmm, indeed? But that's incorrect, is it not? You are a family, despite being orphans."

"Huh? How's that?" You raised your brow in confusion.

"You live together now, and have been for a long while now, correct? It is not incorrect to designate yourselves as a family."

"What about that guy?" You point towards the nearest door, and even this ancient droid seems to get what you mean.

"I believe you could call him that as well. After all, he has not set up the documents for you all to be adopted by another party. I believe he truly wants to care for you all."

That heavy feeling creeps into you again and you start to sweat as a suffocating feeling starts to move in. It sucks. You remember it vividly, the moment you started feeling this way. A weird robot has you all gathered in the classroom. Just before that it stabbed the teacher before your eyes. It was horrifying, something no child should witness. You didn't want that to be your fate. But there was nothing you could do, there was no calling for help, no fighting back. On his way in he'd killed a couple soldiers that happened to be nearby. Now he was holding you, you couldn't even run away.

Then he started to talking to someone through the wall, the next thing you know, you're staring at him. Kamen Rider. One of the older kids had attempted something brave, only to be severely injured. You could only watch, frozen, as his blood splatters onto you, as his body falls down. He was dead for sure. Despite the horror of it all, you didn't scream or panic, probably because you didn't want to be next. Then Rider does some weird stunt, and you see it, his armor. You see it every day now, but back then it was strange, weird, maybe even cool.

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After somehow freeing you, you led everybody else out, running for your lives just outside the hall. It gets loud after that, chaotic, they're shouting at each other, fighting, but you're in no shape to listen. Poor Joey though, he ended up getting cut bad. It's around then you decided to get help for him, to go back to Rider. But something had changed in your perception of him. For some reason he seemed far away, like you shouldn't touch him, like you'd end up just like Joey.

Returning to your old classroom, you find Kamen Rider standing over a battered figure, its limbs mostly severed, appearing utterly defenseless. Helpless even. Logically, you knew Rider was the hero, the good guy, even helping you, and that mangled figure below him was the villain. But no couldn't do it, you would always remember that image. Kamen Rider, drenched in a dark red-brown liquid that eerily reminded me of Joey's blood, of your teacher, simply standing there like a terrifying specter.

But then, Kamen Rider spoke...

"So, we're a family?" You reply to the butler, pushing the memories of that day away.

"Does it not fit?"

"He's hardly here."

"Nonetheless, he did not want to leave you alone, I'm sure of it. It's why the maid and I exist." The butler nodded firmly, then offered a quick bow before departing.

"Family?" You mused aloud, trying to picture that guy as a father, taking you and everyone out to eat, but you can't see it. He looked way too young, far from the image of a father. Maybe more like an older brother? It's been a while since you had a family, you do remember it though, just a little. Everyone was happy, sometimes it was quiet, sometimes you were upset, but at the end of the day, you find yourself missing them just a little. Mother and Father. You don't have another of those anymore, but maybe this is the same? A chance to fill that hole.

>[Interlude: What is a family?] End

Kamen Rider will return saturday! This was a lot of words, hopefully this tides you over until then. (yeah i know)

>>5754726
It will tide.
See you in the weekend!

>>5754726
It did tide me! I'll see you then, and hopefully not phoneposting that time!

Five days have passed. The sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows as the villagers continued working tirelessly, having spent the last few days building carriages to carry themselves, their meager possessions, and what they could muster of their determination. Having talked from your heart, about things you care about, about the things you feel and share with others, you were able to convince them. At least barely at the end.

As the villagers hurriedly packed their belongings into makeshift wooden caravans, of which you and your group had helped construct. None of them looked alike, nor did they look professional, but you hoped they would hold structurally. You, Henry, and Tyri are all packing what you can onto your cycles. While Beta is going around, offering to pick up the slack for anyone who needed it, as well as offering words of comfort.

Seesan remains tightly bound up, along with your other prisoner together in the same carriage you're pulling. Tyri volunteered to watch over them, fortunately it seems he's cooperating fully, while the cyberized prisoner from before continues to struggle.

The last of the sacks is finally loaded onto its caravan, and the convoy is ready to set out. With one last longing look, the villagers look upon their former homes, faces heavy with sorrow. Then determination, as they move with you the spirit of the samurai empowers them, their expressions turning resolute. Your speech worked, and they have resolved to face the future with you, whatever that means for them. Hopefully they can live peacefully soon enough.

You, Beta, and the Henry revved the engines of your cycles. Startling many of the poor villagers at first, they soon get used to it though, understanding them to be similar to the things they'd seen Amane building. Staying close to the ground, so as to drive the carriages, you begin tugging them through the forest. While you had offered to lead, Henry insisted on being the point man instead. Driving through the forest, your group is careful to follow the path Henry carves out with his nanomolecular knife, carefully bringing down trees to give your group just enough room to pass.

A few more hours pass, the setting sun had long fallen beneath the horizon. Night had come, your group has finally made it out of the encircling forest, and down the hill. The steep climb down proved to be slightly troublesome, but with some slight adjustments on your part, the caravan experienced nothing more than a few hard bumps.

"We've made good progress today, but we should rest and prepare for tomorrow," a villager from within your carriage called out, voicing a sentiment shared by many. Demonstrated by a few gazes suddenly directed towards you and Henry. A sound strategy. The villagers had been on the move all day, and a well-deserved break was in order. You turned to Beta, seeking his opinion, he gives you a casual shrug before answering.

"We're different from those guys. If you think they need a rest we should. Besides, we need to plan for tomorrow too."

Nodding in agreement, you looked back into your carriage and addressed the group, "Alright, let's take a break and get set up for the night. Spread the word."

Soon, the villagers began setting up campfires, as well as other preparations for the night. Meanwhile, you, Beta, Henry, Tyri, and a village spokesperson gathered around your own fire, where a crude map had been drawn into the dirt between you.

The straightest puts you by a few abandoned towns and a city. If the cybers are still wandering around you could see them again, though there is a chance they've been picked up after failing to stop you. But if the villagers want to make stops for breaks the abandoned buildings will make for decent shelter. Continuing along this path would also eventually bring you to Mt. Fuji, and you and Beta could potentially reopen the collapsed underground tunnel. However, if the Saurians are still around you would have to risk a firefight with them.

Opting for a detour around the problematic areas would add a few days to your already extended travel time. However, this path would take your group through another large forest, which came with its own set of challenges, especially since your bikes have been temporarily grounded.

"I'm unsure as to how we would fare against your enemies. Our people raised a woodcutting village, forest terrain is something we are used to." The village spokesman commented.

"I doubt that the carriages can take a single laser bolt. Let's play it safe, Rider One."

"You're calling yourself Ride One now?" Henry looks between you and Beta, apparently hard at work comparing your faces.

"Call me Alpha, and that one is Beta." You say, gesturing to yourself and Beta respectively.

"... Right, well, the Saurians aren't likely to have stuck around. There's simply no tactical reason for it at this point. The straight path should be plenty safe."


Choose the...

>Straight path

>Detour

>[Write-in]


Yeah I know, it's not saturday for me either, i'm sorry okay? Anyways, let's pick this up monday, okay?

>>5760073
>Detour

My power has been flickering recently so I doubt I'll be able to finish this. Update delayed for tomorrow.

"We'll take a detour. Let's be sure we don't run into the invaders." you decided, casting a quick glance at Beta and Henry for their reactions. Beta nodded in agreement, while Henry simply shrugged. The villagers, however, exchanged curious looks, their expressions a mix of confusion and mild apprehension. Likely at the last topic you spoke of.

The night passes quietly as the villagers tend to themselves, making arrangements, figuring out how this would work for the next few days. Seeing Beta's face so often must have brought about a strange mood for you, or maybe he just had to be near you? Your dream that night was about your old days, when you could see yourself being more casual. When you didn't need to fight. Upon waking, you found Beta already engrossed in various chores. It was easy to forget that he didn't sleep anymore, or was it better to say he never did?

The decision to take the detour was primarily a cautious one. Beta simply followed your lead; the villagers were less receptive.

"Why must we use this roundabout path?"

"Could you simply not leave the way you came?"

Questions like that were common, prompting you to carefully consider your response. It wasn't about keeping secrets; it was about finding the right words. After all, to them, the world might as well still be flat. Or something equally archaic. Before you could make the choice, however, Beta went ahead and started talking to them. It was a difficult discussion to follow, not because you couldn't understand, but because it was hard to listen through. Not unlike explaining complex ideas to kids, they simply couldn't comprehend what was being described. Eventually they did come to understand that humanity had enemies. Would they want to help fight later? They're from the past so... what happens if they don't get back? Well... that's already happened too.

Not knowing the answers, having only questions. A dark ominous feeling covers you as you try to think this over. Suddenly, Beta is next to you, he slams a firm hand into your back to shake you up.

"Bet you a hundred yen I know what you're thinking about."

"Beta..."

"Overthinking the unknown won't do you any good."

"You're probably right," you admitted with a sigh.

"Hmm. Didn't the master have a saying about this?" Beta stares off into the sky, like he was looking for the words. You give him a shrug.

"He said a lot of things.." you make a wry smile, earning a chuckle from Beta.

"I wonder if this is the Ark's plan."

"Huh?"

"To get your brain to burn out on so much useless thinking."

"It would be nice if that was it."

Having left a forest behind hours ago, you were confident you were bound to run into another. You'd seen a fair bit of the countryside from your old school fieldtrips after all. Japan was always famous for its ties to nature, such as its trees, colorful flower fields, and natural springs. Except you haven't encountered anything but grassy plains, they weren't as tall as you were expecting either, standing at only about three-feet. Then your bike crunches down on something as it rolls. Reaching over to examine it, you see the ruined and rusted over remains of a rifle.

A little further up, Henry waved everyone over, his gesture more curious than alarmed. "Hey, you guys want to have a look?"

Nodding, you and Beta pulled up closer to him. You both crested a low hill, and what lay before you was a staggering sight. Dozens upon dozens of blown out vehicles. Bikes, tanks, and even crashed fighters lay silent; all rusted over and overgrown, scattered across the area. Dismounting your bike, you ran your hand over the side of a massive double-barreled tank, absentmindedly leaving rust flakes on the ground.

"This far into Japan, these guys must have been on the frontlines at beginning of it all." Henry comments.

"It's hard to believe this is the Japan we came back to," you murmured, lost in thought.

"Don't dwell on these guys. Let's just make sure the ones behind us make it back."

You nod at Beta's words. Suddenly, your head snaps around toward the head of the tank, followed by everyone else's. A series of banging and rattling echoes out. Everyone who has one is aiming their gun at the top, waiting for whatever it was to leave.

"Could it be... those invaders you spoke of?" One of the villagers asks, but none of you respond, Beta gives you a knowing look. Nodding, you jump up top, ready to ambush your unexpected visitor. However, you hesitated when you saw a small red-orange creature leaping up at you, passing through your legs, before settling at the top of the tank's barrels.

"A fox?"

Regarding you with curiosity, it simply regarded you with its bright eyes, observing as you inched your hand closer to touch it.

"Would you look at that.."

As quickly as it appeared it leaves. With a graceful leap, it jumps off the tank, disappearing into the tall grass, leaving a wake of rustling blades.

"Bad with animals, are you?" Henry gives a short teasing laugh.

"A survivor," Beta mused, his eyes following the fox. "Nature always finds a way, right?"

Your new route will take a few stops. This was merely one stop on your journey. Hopefully the time will pass peacefully, just like this, it would be difficult to do any form of fighting while protecting the others.


>Try to find something useful

>Pay your respects

>Simply move on

>[Write-in]


Detour eh? You want the scenic route? If this were a show there would be generous amounts of advertising for the motorcycle company. Next update saturday!

>>5762428
>Pay your respects

>>5762428
>Pay your respects
F

Delaying 20ish hours. I think i did this last saturday but this is not going to turn into a habbit. I ate something weird and am spending a lot of time in the restroom. I will not phonepost from the toilet. Promising multiple posts tomorrow to make up for it.

Standing amidst the open field, you close your palms together you bring your palms together, offering a brief prayer. Your family was never heavily religious, but it feels like the right thing to do. So, you offer up a short prayer to no particular deity. It's just your simple wish that their spirits passed on peacefully. Looking up, you return to your bike to get underway again, when you notice the villagers are all digging through their supplies, rummaging through various sacks and wicker baskets. After a moment, they reveal several incense sticks.

Setting up over no specific body, instead choosing a large open part of the area, bowing deeply, they clap; offering a considerably more elaborate prayer than yourself. You didn't think they would emphasize with soldiers they had never met, were they doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, or maybe they just wanted to show you the right way to pray?

Henry and Tyri have wandered over to you, exchanging puzzled glances as they watch the villagers.

"What's going on?" Henry asks.

"You've never seen it?" you ask, Henry shakes his head. "They must be Shinto, a religion. They're paying their respects to the spirits, honoring their fallen souls and purifying the area, keeping away evil spirits."

Tyri chimed in, "Seriously? Protection from spirits? Do they really believe in that stuff? And what's that smell?"

"Well, you see, in Japanese folklore, there's a strong belief in the existence of -"

Henry cuts in. "A real know it all, aren't you? Save the history lesson for those kiddos of yours."

You chuckled awkwardly. "Ahem, short answer yes. That smell is them burning incense, to supposedly ward off evil."

"Hmm, maybe if they could smell it the Saurians would run?"

The villagers had now unwrapped their incense sticks, revealing slender, fragrant rods. They carefully lit them, and the sweet scent mixed with the metallic tang of the battlefield. With measured expressions, the villagers perform the rest of their rites, bowing deeply towards these former soldiers, paying homage to their spirits, before eventually returning to their carriages. You might be reading too much into it, but they seem to be a little happier.

Henry and Tyri walk off, only to be offered a stick for themselves, you don't see how it turns out though. Noticing Beta standing with his arms out to his sides, with his eyes closed, you approach him.

"Hey, number One, do you feel that too?" Beta asks.

"Feel what?" you respond.

"I don't know. It's like a soft buzz in the air, I feel energized now. Like when we activate the belt."

You mimic his pose for a second. The sun feels warm on your skin, gentle winds blows past you, lightly touching your hair, but you feel nothing more. Giving you a polite smile, Beta simply pats your shoulders.

"Everyone, let's get moving!" Beta shouts as he returns to his vehicle, a normal dive cycle, taken earlier from Seesan.

Eager to make as much time as possible, you and your group cruised across the ever-changing landscape. Rolling past fields, flatlands, and more hills, you even encountered smaller, long-forgotten villages. Nothing as notable as the one you'd previously left, you could make out a dilapidated houses in the distance.

"E-excuse me.. oh, excuse me." A voice from behind you beckoned you. Glancing over your shoulder, you see it's one of the villagers. Behind them is Tyri standing watch over a tied up Seesan and one of the cyberized prisoners. An awkward set-up for sure, but space was not exactly a luxury. If you could expense an armored prison transport on the Kamen Rider credit pass, you would.

"Could we stop for the day. We're, well, hungry."

With a series of hand signals, you tell Henry and beta to stop too. Veering off to the side slightly, you roll to a stop. After a minute or so, the villagers began to set up campfires and arrange their modest belongings as needed. Your companions, too, busied themselves with preparations while you ensured the prisoners remained securely bound. While you're working, Tyri takes a moment to pull you aside, away from the central camp.

"H-hey, I've been meaning to ask.."

"Yes?"

"Are you.. uh.. is..." She seems to be having trouble pin-pointing exactly what she wants to say. Eventually it comes. "What is he? I mean, he looks like you! Where did he even come from?"


>Brush it off

>He's my brother!

>He's my clone!

>[Write-in]

>>5766770
>He's my clone!
>"When I used all the reserve of my nanites at once in that mission to repair the orbital guns, for somehow reason they formed an exact replica of me, including memories and all a while later. I have no idea how or why."
>"I guess you could say I split myself in two!"

>>5766797
Actually, this might be too much information, I might have gotten things wrong, get command to lock us up to create a clone army or any other reasons this might be a dumb idea.
If a smarter anon comes up with something else, I could support them instead.

>>5766809
And there was no other anons...

You aren't going to be a clone farm. Or so says the author. I'll uh, still use your lines though because they're funny.

>>5766895
At least I didn't go for the original idea I had of saying it was like mitosis and beta would then be technically our son by cellular logic.

"You could say I had to split!"

"..."

You wanted to start things off lightly, but maybe that was the wrong thing to say? Tyri is making a puzzled expression and can't quite make eye-contact with you anymore. So you start again more seriously.

"Ahem. Okay, here's the deal. When I used up my nanites to repair the Tokyo gun, I over extended myself, and they somehow ended up creating a replica of me."

Her eyes widened. "Is that even possible?"

Taking a deep breath, you give her an apologetic expression, then offered her an explanation. "Well, it happened. It's sort of like the old Sigma experiments, if you've ever heard of those."

Shaking her head, she gives you a hopeless look. ""Sorry, I'm a soldier, not a scientist."

"Right, well, long story short. So, a while back, Earth was trying to develop self-operating nanites that would work to make harsh environments more livable for humans. They seemed to work well, creating a friendly environment. But towards the end of the project, something went wrong. The nanites turned against their original mission and started destroying what they'd built."

"They went rogue? Is he safe?" Tyri said with a concerned look, then lowered her voice. "Right now, we all think nanites are dangerous, especially because of the machine lifeforms. Honestly, it's more weird that nothing has been done about you." She gives you an odd look, not discimilar to the doctor's when you'd first told him about yourself.

"Well, it might not be common knowledge, but scientists had theories about it at the time. It was a big topic back then. Rider Beta will stay on our side, I'm sure of it."

"Sure about that? Just because he has your personality?"

"Yeah," you shrugged. Well, there's another reason as to why you feel that way: The data log from the future. However, revealing that wasn't something you were prepared to do at this moment. Tyri still seemed unconvinced, but she dropped the subject.

"Well, since you're tidying them up I'll go take a break, shock'ya later!"

With her gone, you have some time around the camp. Is there anything pressing on your agenda?

>Talk to Seesan

>Interact with the cyberized prisoner

>Plan the next day with Beta

>[Write-in]

>>5766933
>Interact with the cyberized prisoner

"Mmm!"

Seesan's head tracks you as you move over, tracking your movements as you approach the captive cyber. Sorry, but he lost talking rights a long time ago. Leaning over the cyberized woman, your eyes scan her up and down. She's not as active as Seesan, but you sense that she's fully awake, if she ever fell asleep at all. Her clothes are in rough shape, the lack of armor tells you she used to be a civilian.

"I wonder who you used to be," you muse aloud. With a gentle hand, you attempt to poke her arm, gauging for any reaction. Nothing. Earlier she wanted to tear you apart, her and the other cybers. Now though? Docile, completely passive, even the villagers tagging along in the same carriage didn't mind. Instead, being more creeped out that you'd tied up a woman; as well as her strange state of dress, over anything.

"Mmm! Mmm!"

Seesan is still trying to talk to you through his binding, you pay him no mind though. Back to the cyber. Her head does follow your movements, so there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her physically, beyond the obvious. Briefly you recall during your earlier skirmish that the cybers, as a group, reacted instantly when you tried to tear off the headgear. You wonder how well they're connected; you wonder if they could detect you if you tried that now. Actually... if they were all connected, you wondered why nothing special happened once you left their range.

Wait... what was their range?

"Mmmm!" Seesan drops onto his side and starts trying to rub his binding off, before you can secure him again, Tyri bursts in with an urgent look over her face.

"Rider! We got something coming and fast, almost as fast as the raptor-type Saurians!"

Although you haven't encountered those creatures before, the urgency in Tyri's voice isn't lost on you. Stepping out of the carriage, you jog a bit further from the campsite, your enhanced vision picking up on a large cloud of dust in the distance. As you search for more details, your eyes focus on one specific thing, and Beta voices it before you can say it.

"Red lights? They're like..."

"Our prisoner." Henry growls, then hefts a gun up, and adjusts the sights around the scope.

"We can't kill them, they're victims!"

"Then what do we do?"


>Stand your ground as a group, meet them head on

>Use the guns, try to snipe the head mounts

>Intercept them

>[Write-in]

Continued saturday. Next time on Kamen Rider 30, predator or prey?

>>5767003
Continued saturday? I mean monday, 24ish hours. We played the wrong message.

>>5767003
>Use the guns, try to snipe the head mounts

>>5767003
>Use the guns, try to snipe the head mounts
They'll overwhelm us if they reach us unharmed....

"Alright. Let's see if we can shoot the head mounts off," you assert, reaching for Seesan’s confiscated rifle as Henry hands it over. The gun is slightly more complicated than you expected, by watching Henry and Tyri’s movements you’re able to adapt. Moving your hand around to an interactive terminal on the side, you manually adjust the magnification for the scope, as well as the power level.

"Here they come. We're firing at will." Henry orders.

"Aim for the joints around the mounts! Maybe we can force their gear off." You reiterate again. Out of the corner of your eye you catch him hesitate on the trigger, likely deciding how he wants to proceed. It never once crossed your mind that he could be a traitor, and even now you see he does have a good heart. The battlefield echoes with high-pitched whines as your shots streak through the air. None of you fire another shot just yet, instead, you're all staring into your scopes, determining the scope of your damage.

Fortunately, none of them seem to have died, in other words, no bodies have dropped. Unfortunately, they all suddenly moved to duck or lean away from your shots. You're the only one that managed to score a hit, even then, it was a mere glancing hit off to the side. Breathing out, you wonder if you should try to shoot their limbs. Hesitation grips you, and you see something else. It's not just the human prisoners, you see some of the Saurian ones mixed in. A small detail you can only just recall, back on that prison ship there were Saurians being experimented on too. What a vile bunch.

"No good!"

"What the shock?"

Henry and Tyri are frustrated, apparently, they hadn’t’ demonstrated that level of dexterity before. You wonder if they’re getting some kind of boost from being in such great numbers.

"There are Saurians mixed in with them, focus on them for now." You suggest. Henry and Tyri promptly retarget their scopes, their shots now aimed at the Saurian cybers. The tension in the air is palpable as you all take your shots. Either because the cybers are much closer now, or they feel better shooting at the aliens. Your shot hits one of the Saurian cybers right in the lens, puncturing clean through, dropping one former grunt onto the ground. Henry bags one as well, but Tyri misses again, with the latter clicking their tongue in annoyance. Unlike their former selves the cybers don't seem to feel fatigue. Sprinting at full force this whole time has brought them much closer.

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"Tch! What the shock are these..."

"I saw them back on the prison ship. Blame the invaders!"

Gritting your teeth, you try to turn through various options in your head. So far you managed to keep yourself to just hitting the invaders. Once again you curse the aliens for putting your fellow Earthers through this.

"Rider One. I'll go intercept them alone and buy you time!" Beta performs a short sprint, then throws up one arm up at an angle, the other bends out to his side. "Toh!" then he leaps into the air. "Rider Change!"

Spinning mid-air, the powerful energy enveloping him mid-air creates a powerful show in the night sky. Skidding to a landing just a little further off, he immediately starts throwing down the with cybers, tossing them around non-lethally. Occasionally picking the downed ones up by their ankles and swinging them around.

Your mind raced as you assessed any options. Observing them, you remember that they followed a signal, from the one in the carriage. Was it a matter of range? Even so, maybe you could try to jam it, or maybe it's being boosted from somewhere nearby. Then again, when it came to non-lethal attacks, you did have a few. It might be possible to overwhelm whatever they're using to see, or even damage the machinery enough for something to happen.

"What in the world?"

"Is this.. a battle?"

Glancing over your shoulder, you can see many of the villagers crowded up, watching you. You wondered what they were thinking, but you're resolved to become the line in the sand. You will not let them nor the humans from this era, such as Henry and Tyri, be exposed to any more evil, nor be involved in it.

>Find a way to jam any nearby signals

>Transform and use a special

>Transform and use a special [Write-in]

>Transform and join Beta in buying time

>[Write-in]

Ahem, update saturday (for real this time)

Small chance of quick update friday, maybe, i'll textyou

>>5767666
>Find a way to jam any nearby signals

>>5767666
>Transform and join Beta in buying time
>Ask Henry and Tyri to look for any outstanding signals and to jam them, if they can with their equipment.
If they can't, we'll get in there either way and figure another solution.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

In hindsight these were some strange choices eh. Hmm.. (Also, i'm having some trouble, expect the update late at night. If you're even awake)

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"Everyone, get to safety!" You shout to the villagers standing around.

A villager quickly retorts, "And where would that be?" It's a fair question, and you can't provide a perfect answer. So you shrug.

In the distance, you see Beta struggling to maintain the cybers' attention, all while holding back. Many of them have started to ignore him, trying to sprint by, only for him to grab them or send a body flying towards them, knocking them over at the last second.

"I'm going to back Beta up!" you announce, firming your resolve. Shooting one arm out at an angle, mirroring Beta's earlier pose. A familiar sequence follows as your belt shimmers into existence. Your arms rotate, holding one at an angle, you bend the other to your side. The gyro in your belt begins to spin at high-speeds, followed by a high-pitched whine. Wind begins to gather around you as the armor swiftly appears around you. Turning towards the soldiers, Henry and Tyri, you give them a piece of your mind.

"Listen, I need you two to focus on something else," you tell them firmly. "They're operating on some kind of signal. That's how they found us, and I'm willing to wager that's how they stay active. Please, find a way to disrupt it!"

You don't wait for their responses; instead, you sprint forward and leap into the air to cover more ground. "Toh!" Jumping into the fray, you join Beta in trying to control the frenzied crowd. Swinging your arm around, you catch an outstretched arm, and swing him around into another part of the crowd. Spinning back around, you try set up a chain of collisions by kicking one of the leading cybers, only for it to duck under you.

"I've got it!" Beta's voice rings out as he hurls a Saurian-type body into the crowd, knocking several cybers off balance. The crowd seems to be picking up on your moves, either from your previous encounter, or Beta's initial engagement. Hitting them has become harder than before.

"You said the Saurians set this up?" Henry shouts over the confusion. When you turn to face him, you see he's much closer than you remembered. The fight had clearly moved, and you can see that the cybers are already sprinting into the camp.

"To arms!" You can hear various villagers shout as the Cybers begin to overwhelm the two of you, slipping past your attacks. At the very least, you know they have something of a fighting chance. Several of them rush forward with farming tools, actual weapons, or even their fists, and they seem to have some success. At least for now. Though the armored cybers prove to be more than a match for the average villager, knocking them down or injuring them. Forcing either yourself, Beta, or another to come to their aid.

"Yeah!" You reply to Henry's question.

"We might be in luck. I still have some of the data from their ship!"

Meanwhile, Henry and Tyri frantically scoured their available equipment. Henry curses out loud as he tears off the scanner from Seesan's suit, with the latter giving some kind of muffled comment. Next, both he and Tyri are busily hotwiring various components from his armor, working to quickly construct some kind of gadget.

"Haah... If I'd known it would be this much trouble, I would've zapped the boss's offer," Tyri grumbled.

"I'd like to see you try that. The commander would have you scrubbing the castle treads for a year."

"R-right.."

Setting their scanners to various settings, to catch anything odd at various extremes of all frequencies. It was hard to recall, but you do vaguely remember that Henry was part of some kind of spec-ops squad, perhaps their training could come in handy now.

"Damn. There is a signal here, but I'm having trouble isolating it! We just didn't come equipped!" Henry shouts in frustration as he slams the back of his rifle into the head of an encroaching cyber. The resulting metallic clank barely registered amid the chaos. As a few cybers neared the carriage where Amane lay; you quickly front flip into the air, twisting yourself horizontally, you land square in-between the two, and backhand the cyber away.

"..rider.." At the furthest edge of your hearing, you hear a soft voice calling from behind you. Inside is Amane's prone body, covered by a thick cloth donated from the villagers. "Frequencies... 580... deltahertz..." She mumbles, not even facing you, she couldn't even be awake considering her state. But her mumbling, could it be that she heard you earlier? Even so, how could she know? Underneath the cloth, you can make out a yellowish-green tint from her vital monitor.

"Everyone! I think I have an idea!"

"Hurry up and say it! I don't shocking want to be torn apart by Saurian weapons!" Tyri shouts as she swings her rifle into the side of a cyber.

"Amane just told me a frequency we can try!"

"Amane!? She's out cold, it's probably delirium!" Henry shoots down your idea, "but I might be able to overload their connection using our burst transmitters! But I'll need your help!"

"Hey, partner! We have one last move..." Beta offers another alternative. If you're thinking the same thing, he wants to use a special attack, one that'll hit everyone here. A desperate option for sure and he should know better.

>Push Amane's suggestion

>Support Henry's suggestion

>Support Beta

>[Write-in]

It might be saturday somewhere? Ah, post continued monday

>>5772359
Oof, difficult choice...
How could she know..?
Considering the situation, overloading their connection might make them a lot more powerful for a bit before frying them, I think. Let's just trust her instincts!
>Push Amane's suggestion

>>5772359
>Push Amane's suggestion
Amane has a lot of cybernetics doesn't she? Maybe one of them picked up something

"Let's give it a shot! I know she's trying to help us," you declared, determined to trust in Amane, confident she'd given you what you needed. After relaying her suggested frequency to Henry, trying to keep the cybers away from him, you just barely spare a glance to see him adjusting his makeshift device. Even from your position, you could catch glimpses of a tiny screen, feeding him critical information. As he snapped the final panel into place, he hesitated for a brief moment.

"I really hope this works. Because this hunk of junk will short real shocking quick at this level." After exchanging a quick glance with everyone nearby, Henry punches a switch, sending a surge of power through the controls, which briefly snapped at his finger. In that instant, a pulse of energy swept the atmosphere. The result was immediate. Cybers who were nearly about to lunge or strike at new targets, suddenly found themselves stumbling, dizzily marching on. After another second, many of them began to clutch at their heads, emitting a series of distorted noises. Some began to fall over, twitching uncontrollably, while others simply collapsed, with many more following soon after. As more and more cybers fell over, you find that the combat has ended. Any cybers still on their feet march aimlessly, at an odd gait, with no purpose.

The villagers, seizing this unexpected turn of events, used the respite to collect themselves. They rushed to aid one another, tending to wounds and offering solace. Nearby, you noticed someone attempting to finish off a fallen cyber. Acting on instinct, your hand shot out and clamped around their arm with a vise-like grip.

"You? Why stop me, were we not fighting moments ago?" the villager protested, confusion and anger reflected off his eyes.

"They're victims. They aren't in control of themselves." You said as firmly and reassuringly as you possible could.

Even in her heavily injured state, Amane had somehow given you precise advice; perhaps she was listening somehow. Regardless, you now find yourselves overlooking several injured bodies, friendly or otherwise. You took a cyber with you originally to study them back at the castle, perhaps find a way to undo it, but you have another opportunity. You could take a Saurian cyber with you as well. It would be no more risk than the one you have with you now, and considering how quickly the previous device was built, it's possible to build again in case of another wave of cybers.

You'll also have to move campsites for the night. Easy enough, you're confident that Beta and yourself can keep going longer, if need be, and Henry is a soldier who no doubt had a higher-than-average stamina pool.

>Take a Cyberized-Saurian

>Leave them alone

>[Write-in]

>>5773813
>Take a Cyberized-Saurian
Make sure to keep that one and the human one apart, though. Their strength grows in numbers...

Looking over the area, you decide to bring along a cyber-Saurian. Using some leftover ropes and fabric from the villagers' supplies, making sure to create a durable bind, you then use them to tie up the first live cyber-Saurian you see. To your relief, it didn't put up a fight or utter a single sound; it looks to still be recovering from the effects of the pulse. You manage to complete this maneuver before anybody catches on. The thought occurred to you that this might not have been a popular decision, and Henry makes sure to politely tell you his opinion.

"What the shock are you thinking?" Henry's voice surged with frustration. "Did you forget what we were all doing for the last ten minutes? As if we don't have enough problems!"

Tyri chimes in with a softer but equally skeptical comment. "Yeah, they were following a signal to us, right? I thought you were going to dump the first one. But are you seriously bringing two?"

"There's a lot we can learn from it. Having two of them means a greater chance at freeing all of the cyberized prisoners from whatever controls them, we may even learn more about the Saurians."

Henry, still exasperated, shot back, "We've taken enough prisoners over the years. These grunt-level Saurians won't help us."

Beta, who has been silent until now, gives a deep sigh. "As strange as it is. Having a second prisoner could help with the cyber problem. At the very least, it won't be that much trouble. I'll hold onto it."

"Tch. At least I won't have to aim if it starts acting up." Henry clicks his tongue in annoyance. "Tell me this then, do you have a plan if they track us down again?"

You hesitate for a moment, your confidence wavering slightly. However, you muster the best response you can. "We can attempt to repair or rebuild the device on the go. That way, we won't be caught off guard again. If we make good time, we might even reach the castle before it becomes a problem."

"If you think you're so smart, here!" Henry tosses the remains of his device at you somewhat roughly. As the gadget settles into your arms, you notice a few pieces are more than a little loose. In fact, it looks like the whole thing nearly exploded after its last use. "The next time we see those guys. I'm shooting to kill. They were dumb enough to get caught in the first place, honestly, they're better off dead anyways." Henry marches off angrily, while you share a glance with Beta and Tyri, the latter of whom gives you a shrug.

As the group continues its journey, underneath the darkened skies of Japan, you come across another forest, causing you to detour around it. After a couple hours you come across a small clearing, suitable for a campsite. Nestled closely between a thicket of trees, and a large cliff side, providing some natural cover. While the villagers settle in, you offer yourself and Beta to scout around the area. Circling around each other in a wide radius, you and your brother perform a quick patrol, returning once the two of you were satisfied.

Upon returning, you find yourself surprised at how adaptive the villagers have become. Already they were settling in for the night, they had grown quickly accustomed to the routine of setting up their camp quickly and efficiently, some even remained within whichever carriages they rode in. Actually, that might be due to the fact that they had all come from a tough battle, and that it was currently two-something in the morning. Pure exhaustion. No doubt they were running on fumes.

Rest well.

Right now, you have some free time. It's late at night, or extremely early, depending on your point of view. Glancing around, to get a sense of where your companions are at, you note that they're pretty scattered around. Henry has gone into your carriage; he might be talking to Seesan. Beta is by Amane's side. While Beta didn't recognize Amane at first, you wonder just how much he recalls of her, even your memory is a little foggy at this point. Can't be helped though, it was three-hundred years ago. Tyri is simply walking around, just a little into the forest. If this were your century you might have been worried about a bear coming out to maul her, which is an unfounded worry as none of you have seen a modern-day bear, not to mention that she's wearing power armor. Definitely not your average woman.

>Just rest

>Join Henry

>Join Beta

>[Write-in]


How about it, am I late, early? Expect another post tomorrow.

>>5778193
>Join Beta
Let's give Henry some space, at least until we get back to the castle.
I'm curious as to how Amane is doing; she managed to give us that frequency... Is she soe kind of esper?

>>5778193
>Join Beta

After a few more minutes, the camp became the picture of quiet, with most of the villagers having retired for the night. Deciding to join Beta, you quietly parted the makeshift curtains and took a seat beside him. Your eyes scanned over Amane's body. She required periodic attention, but the vital monitor would signal when time came, as well as change colors. Right now, it glowed a pale lime-green. Apparently, Beta had just used up some of the supplies to restabilize her. But there's only so far you can take this. Eventually she will reach a critical state.

"To tell you the truth, Rider One, I don't remember her at all."

"But didn't you-"

"Just that and only that. I didn't even remember her name. I chose a reaction by reading your face. In fact, I was surprised to see that she was almost as much cyborg as I-ah-you are."

That's... troubling to hear. Was that something inherent to his birth, or a sign of something else? You enter a state of contemplation as the two of you settled into an awkward silence. You had also wanted to examine Amane while you were here, the extent of her injuries would have spelled doom for any other human, but you remembered that she suffered something similar a long time ago.

Just for a moment, you recall that was the day that you changed. Before that you were somewhat wishy-washy, hesitating to fight, but seeing what the machine lifeforms did to people filled you with determination. The fact that she was a cyborg no-doubt saved her during Delta's attack. Looking at her now though, you can't muster up the courage to probe any deeper, out of respect, but also care. Disturbing her body now would be unwise.

In the distance, you could hear the nightlife scurrying around, creating a nostalgic symphony of the night. Would the kids nowadays enjoy catching fireflies? After a while, Beta broke the silence.

"Aren't you troubled by me?"

"I told you, I read about you in that data-log, I trust you."

Beta offered a strange smile and averted his gaze. It's hard to say what he's thinking, you have no idea what's troubling him right now, which is probably the strangest thing here. As far as you know he's a double right down the middle.

"Where are we going? If the castle moved already, I mean."

Blinking. Right, he didn't come into play until a little after the Tokyo fight. "The higher ups at the castle already constructed an outpost by Tokyo. Under the protection of that cannon. Actually, they probably finished around the time you left."

"Huh. Really?" After giving an embarrassed look, Beta lets out a short chuckle, one you share in. Even so close to the castle, he ended up wandering further and further away until he was drawn in by the same signal-beacon as you. "Right, right. I was busy alright? Anyways, before I forget. When I was on my own, I scouted out this area. Based on where we are now, you're probably thinking about using the Ishinomori speedway right? Hate to break it to you, but it's gone."

"What, seriously?"

"Yeah."

Your face twisted in disappointment. The Speedway had been your shortcut, a way of reasonably making this trip through nearly a third of Japan. The Ishinomori speedway would have connected you to a network of magnetically charged tubes. Passengers would normally take their own vehicle, but you also had the option of using special containers if you had precious cargo or your vehicle couldn't maintain the speed on its own. Which is what you were going to use to bypass Lake Biwa, putting you closer to Mt. Fuji. But now...

Beta came to the rescue with a bright expression. "Don't worry~ It turns out, they built a new mana-way over the lake. Using the Ride-Hopper, you can frontload the cost for the rest of us while we ride that, right over Nagano, and we ride it straight on until Tokyo."

"My Ride-Hopper? What about yours, why haven't you transformed it yet?"

Beta frowns, giving you a shake of his head and a hopeless shrug. Well, he's suggesting the mana-ways. Exactly like highways, but taking it more literal. Specifically for the use of flying vehicles, they relied on shared mana-generators throughout Japan, as well as the generators in civilian vehicles. Once upon a time, if you looked hard enough, one would see a spiderweb of energy in the skies, denoting the presence of these mana-ways. One problem, ever since awakening in 30XX, you hadn't seen a single one, even in Tokyo.

Beta met your gaze, sensing your hesitation. "Trust me," he said, wearing a wry smile, "you've already said you would, right?"

You could trust Beta and alter your path like this. It's not your only option though, you're fairly close to a city right now, using its roads you could take a straighter path towards the Tokyo outpost. Since you haven't seen neither head nor hair of the invaders so far, aside from the cybers, it's probably the safer option now that you'd covered this much distance. Thinking about it now though, using the mana-ways would put you pretty high up, exactly within view of any low flying airships, like any that belonged to the Saurians.

>Take Beta's option

>Go straight through the cities

>[Write-in]

Uh oh i'm almost off the board... uh...

Definitely finishing this monday. I know roughly how i want to end this.

>>5779503
>Take Beta's option
Since we've got the cannon back under control, it should be fine to use the manaways, right? It'd take down any surrounding ships, hopefully.

I should get your opinions on this. What has the pacing been like? Truthfully, I think I should have done something else with the villagers. Should we end this quick and clean or are we expecting trouble?

>>5780309
I'm just waiting to get back to the castle

>>5780314
Has it been bad for you, the pacing i mean, or do you not mind it so far?

>>5780328
I don't mind

"Sure I trust you. Let's do it," you declare with a nod. Beta offers a fist, which you lightly tap with your own, drawing a brief smile from both of you. It wasn't often that you got to do that, it might have fallen off in recent times. Hopefully, the defense cannon over in Tokyo would keep any interlopers out. But there are still ground deployed Saurians roaming around somewhere, not to mention that you're currently out of the cannon's range. Deciding it's time to rest, you fold up some soft fabrics you found nearby, and settle down. You briefly note that you're starting to smell a little, unfortunately for whomever your makeshift pillow belonged to.

At some point, you find yourself amidst a thick, swirling fog, obscuring everything around you. It feels cool and breezy, not entirely unpleasant. Looking around, you could see several Torii gates around you, though the pathways behind them are completely distorted by the fog. Soft, echoing footsteps approach from behind, growing closer with each passing second. When you turn to investigate, you are taken off guard again, by a fox. Very much like the one from earlier. Unlike before, this one scurries between your legs, then quickly descends down a steep slope.

You hadn't noticed you were standing near a cliff until now. As soon as you noticed it you feel the dream slip away. When you finally awaken, you found the sun peaking through the gaps of the carriages curtains, along with the shadow of a person looking down at you.

"Finally awake, are you?" A man you didn't know quickly yanks your 'pillow' out from under you, dropping your head onto an slightly protruding piece of wood.

"Ow.."

Whatever you were laying on probably belonged to him. You'd apologize the next time you saw him, for now, it was time to get ready. Sharing a quick breakfast with the villagers, you noticed the spread was getting a little dry, this time leaning heavily onto their dried foods. Sensing your glance, one of the villagers approaches you.

"The food supplies are getting smaller. How much longer do you expect us to continue?"

"It shouldn't be much longer. Bear with it for just a little longer, okay?"

After doing your best to assuage their nervousness, and a few more apprehensive stares, you finished your meal. Hopefully, what you said was true, fortunately though, this trip wasn't too long. Only a few days. Certainly felt longer than that though. The group, with you leading the way, eventually approached the large, shimmering expanse of Lake Biwa. Its quiet waters reflected the sunlight from above with each back and forth of its waves.

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"I don't like this," Henry commented with skepticism.

"Beta scouted it out beforehand. It's our best shot at getting back to Tokyo."

Beta, who had been quietly observing the lake, chimed in. "That's right. It'll cut our travel time significantly. We just need my-his bike to jumpstart it, and we'll be on our way."

"It's because it's that one, I don't trust it.." Henry's expression twisted with something like annoyance, and disgust, before settling back into his position.

It makes sense that they didn't trust Beta all the way, hopefully he would prove himself with his actions soon enough. Could he be worried about another attack? Presumably, the cyber mounts could only communicate with each other on whatever network they used. But that struck you as wrong, additionally, Amane had known what frequency they were operating on. Still, with Seesan tied up, there could have been no messages to the Ark behind your back. Not unless he was far more dexterous than you gave him credit for. Or if there was another traitor. But that wasn't likely.

Right?

"Alright, everyone, make sure you hold onto something!" You call out to the group. Beta gives you a casual salute, Henry merely ignores you, and the villagers take a moment to prepare themselves. You were about to say something like, 'plug in your seatbelts', but nobody here has anything like that, even the futuristic Dive-bikes that Beta and Henry were riding. Maybe you should make a sidecar for Beta later?

With preparations complete, you warm your bike up with repeated pushes on the accelerator, revving it up, the sound echoing through the area. Gently guiding it toward one of the lift-ramps, a small cement outcrop only two feet high, you idle briefly, feeling a slight vibration beneath you. The world around you seemed to react, priming the road, but nothing further occurred.

"It's been unused for ages, partner, you're going to need more." Beta calls out. Nodding in acknowledgment, you let go of your grip on the handlebars. Raising one arm out at an angle, you then swiftly bend the other to your side.

"Rider!" You shout and flood your body with high-energy Aether, summoning the belt. In a shimmer of light, a metallic band appears around your waist. Moving your extended arm counter-clockwise, your arms then switch, and then both bend out behind your sides. The gyro in your buckle begins to spin loudly, the air around you wraps into a small vortex. Roughly brushing up against the carriage behind you, startling the people inside.

"Change!" A bright light envelops you. A familiar feeling fills you as the armor appears around you. When the light recedes, and the gyro begins to calm down, the villagers behind you are in awe.

"Why do you always call out what you're doing?" Henry asked.

"Maybe it's voice-activated..." Tyri comments.


>"I do it because it's cool."

>"It fills me with courage."

>"It's voice activated."

>[Write-in]

>>5780443
>[Write-in]
>"It's intent activated. It just helps me put into the right mood."

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"It's intent activated. It just helps put me into the right mood." You say with a firm and understanding nod.

"Really..."

"Intent activated?"

"Ahem." Beta makes a gesture towards the mana-way ramp, and you get back to business. Shifting the handlebar, you trigger the Ride-Hoppers transformation into its flight mode, keeping it just high enough to hover. As the engine roars to life, the machine resonates with a powerful and resonating hum. The mana-way finally responds, and threads of energy coalesce into familiar roads, suspended high above. Pushing your bike from zero to maximum, you're thrust forward, then miles into the sky. Various shocked screams and gasps erupt from behind you. Baby's first time?

"Whoo!" Beta pumps a fist as he ascends behind you, the villagers in his care reacting very much the same as yours.

"Heh." Even Henry appeared to be relishing the experience, it probably wasn't likely often he got to cut loose with a vehicle. The vehicles and carriages that landed onto the pulsating highway made a soft staticky sound as they rolled along. The bright morning sun illuminated the lake below you; its calm waters reflected the rays upward at you, creating a picturesque mirror of the skies and yourselves.

You continued like this for some time, with some villagers daring each other to look, being awed by the sight as much as anybody would. It was looking like things were going to stay quiet. Even the Tokyo defense cannon was just barely in sight, just over the horizon.

"Hey, look at that!" Beta's exclamation prompts you to focus your helmet's compound visor forward. Your eyes widen in disbelief.

"No way.." you whisper to yourself.

A tiny dot approaches from above, you can see the cannon swivel to track it, only for the object to duck and weave around it, seconds before each shot. As it got closer you could make out more details. It had several spines adorning its ventral and dorsal sides, it was vaguely serpentine shaped, much like a certain reptile in flight, along with a stylized face on the front. Quickly, Henry brings futuristic binoculars to his helmet, inspecting the sight.

"Shock..." he mutters, swiftly reaching for his communicator. "It's a Saurian Draco lander! Not a type we've seen before, it's huge!"

Huge? Lander?

Thrusters along the body suddenly fire off, twisting, and turning the body rapidly, gracefully evading your cannon. The Draco continued its aerial dance, evading fire nimbly, until the cannon landed just one shot on it. A fiery explosion engulfed the lander as armor exploded outwards. The armor disintegrates, and something emerges from the smoke, diving far below the cannon's reach.

"He's coming back! Everyone hang on!" You shout a warning. Just like Tokyo, this invader was quick and nimble, unlike the one in Tokyo though, this one wore bright red. Distinct colored patterns made it easier to see, even as it shot through the mountainside forests that you were flying past. Clearly trying to get under you.

"Shock! Shock! Shock!" Henry continued his spouting; you could only assume it was a modern-day curse word. "That's not a dragon commander, that's a shocking arch! How did it know where we are?"

Answers would have to come later, you need to act now.

No matter what, roll [3d20]

>Get Beta to distract it

>Get Beta to take over your bike

>Descend the entire group.

>[Write-in]

Rolled 7, 4, 13 = 24 (3d20)

>>5780475
>Get Beta to distract it

>>5780475
Actually these are some weird choices aren't they? What are you doing in general?

Are we going to attack after beta distracts, pedal to the metal and run for tokyo?

>>5780500
Attack it, of course

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>>5780502
Sure we can attack. But we did not get good numbers. I'll see what I can do but I think we should end it here. Seeing as how I doubt we'll last until monday.

>>5780509
Yeah I'll shelve it, it's getting late and I need to be up early tomorrow. I'm not sure if I want to wait a week, but i'll message the qtg when I put it up. Stayed tuned for the next episode, okay?